Of course, Xiao Wenbing wouldn't blame them for their attitude. In fact, if Mirror God hadn't been around, he certainly wouldn't have thought of those two methods.
In truth, the Mirror God's greatest strength lies not in its offensive or defensive capabilities, but in its vast knowledge and insights. After all, it originates from the realm of gods, and its perspective and viewpoint differ from ordinary people, far surpassing even that of a celestial being like Queenie who has ascended to the heavens.
Just like a math problem that is extremely difficult to solve using traditional mathematical methods, but becomes very simple when calculated using geometric methods.
Standing on the shoulders of giants, we can see not only further, but also more clearly.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao... Hmm. You are indeed incredibly powerful. May I ask for your guidance..." Quini asked with a glimmer of hope. Although he lacked confidence, there was no harm in listening.
"First, we can find the Tree of Life in another realm. We can build a passage to draw life energy over. Once the Tree of Life in the Flame Realm has absorbed enough life energy, it will naturally regain its vitality."
"This..." Quini and Shabir exchanged a wry smile. They had actually known about this method for a long time. Three thousand years ago, the Flame Realm army invaded the Cultivation Realm for this very purpose. However, the strength of the Cultivation Realm far exceeded their expectations. After losing nine immortals and countless elites from the Flame Realm, they had no choice but to return empty-handed.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, what is another method?" Shabir asked respectfully.
Although the first method wasn't ideal, it was the best solution devised by generations of the Flame Realm. Unexpectedly, Xiao Wenbing had pointed it out immediately, so they actually had more confidence in his second solution.
A smile appeared on Xiao Wenbing's face. He naturally knew that the first plan was not feasible. If it were implemented, it would save the Flame Realm but harm another realm. Such a deal was not worthwhile and would not benefit him in the slightest.
Seeing the enigmatic smile on Xiao Wenbing's face, Quini and his companion were filled with mixed feelings of joy and worry. Suddenly, they heard him say loudly, "The second method is energy conversion."
"What?"
"It's about searching for enough energy and then converting that energy into life energy to feed the Tree of Life." Xiao Wenbing smiled and said, "If there's enough energy, the Tree of Life in the Flame Realm will definitely be able to revive."
Quinni's eyes lit up, but after thinking about it carefully, his brows furrowed more and more, and after a long while, he gave up in dejection. The second method was theoretically feasible, but in practice, the first method was more reliable.
To revive the Tree of Life would require an enormous amount of energy. Could he really collect it by human effort? Quini shook his head inwardly. He feared that by the time he had collected it, the Flame Realm would have already perished.
What they found even more unbelievable was Xiao Wenbing's description of energy conversion. They could understand the conversion of the five elements, but conversion into life energy?
This method is unprecedented. At least, even in the immortal realm, none of the immortals they've encountered dare to claim they can convert life energy.
Quini sighed and said with a wry smile, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, I'm afraid this method is..."
"You don't think it's a good idea?"
He nodded slowly, remaining silent.
Xiao Wenbing sneered, "Although you are all senior experts from the Immortal Realm, we in the cultivation world also have extraordinary people who are no less than you."
Quini was about to retort when he suddenly remembered Xiao Wenbing's extraordinary treasures and the storm of thunderclouds summoned by Feng Baiyi. He immediately began to believe it; these people from the cultivation world were indeed strange, able to act as cultivators...
"This matter is not easy, but it is not impossible. If I were to accomplish it, what would you say, senior?"
Quini's gaze sharpened. Seeing Xiao Wenbing's confident demeanor, he was overjoyed and immediately said, "If Fellow Daoist Xiao can truly save the Flame Realm from its dire straits, then my life, Quini's life, will be yours from now on."
Xiao Wenbing was overjoyed; this was exactly what he had been waiting for. He said, "Alright, it's a deal then."
Having achieved their goal, Xiao Wenbing stopped wasting words and had Quini lead them to the Tree of Life.
Although they didn't understand his intentions, Quini and the others still cooperated by taking Xiao Wenbing, Feng Baiyi, and Long Shi with them. As for the Nine Heavenly Venerables and the other Earth Dragon and Phoenix Venerables, they were unwilling to accept the temple's hospitality. So they stayed at a distance and made their own arrangements.
Quini understood that they were still wary, but he didn't expose it. He simply instructed Mohan to restrain the temple disciples and not to provoke them. Mohan agreed verbally, but inwardly he thought to himself, "These people are incredibly powerful. You Venerables haven't intervened, and the elders are injured. I'm already grateful they haven't attacked. How dare I go and provoke them?"
As soon as they stepped out of the teleportation array, they saw Elder Yan and the others carefully guarding the Tree of Life. And those people they were protecting were familiar to Xiao Wenbing; they were the thirty-six temple elders who held the suicidal universal beads he had specially crafted, beads with miraculous effects.
They were all haggard, their clothes tattered and torn, some even covered in black soot. Blood was gushing from them as they lay there, panting for breath. They looked more like dead people than alive.
These unfortunate elders, framed by Xiao Wenbing, haven't quite died yet, but they're barely alive.
Xiao Wenbing scanned the area. There were no casualties yet, which demonstrated the extraordinary level of cultivation these people possessed.
Feng Baiyi frowned. Seeing these people lying here like beggars, it was not a pleasant sight for anyone.
As for Long Shi, he actually harbored considerable hatred for the demons. In his mind, he should have simply destroyed the demons' holy temple. However, he was also self-aware enough to know that even without Feng Baiyi's intervention, the Dragon and Phoenix Venerables might not be a match for these immortals, let alone destroy the demon realm.
So, he kept a straight face and remained silent the whole way. However, the spectacle before him was extremely rare. A thought flashed through his mind, and he decided to humiliate the people of the Demon Realm. He then asked with a smile, "Who are these people? Are they beggars?"
Everyone glared at him angrily. Elder Yan suddenly stood up and shouted sternly, "People from the cultivation world!"
The moment he shouted those words, the atmosphere became tense. Not only were those who were lucky enough to escape injury on high alert, but even among the many elders who were injured and on the verge of death, two managed to get up and look at Long Shi.
Long Shi's gaze met that of the two men, and a chill ran through him. They were truly top-tier figures; a single glance was enough to discern their strengths. Therefore, Long Shi already knew that their cultivation was definitely no less than his own. If he hadn't absorbed the energy from the Dragon King's Reverse Scale, he would probably be far from being their match.
As for the others, none of them were easy to get along with. In terms of cultivation, none of them were weaker than ordinary Dragon and Phoenix Venerables.
magnificent
I never imagined that the Flame Realm was so full of hidden talents. Besides immortals, there were so many other experts.
However, what puzzled him even more was how such a powerful group of people could have ended up in such a sorry state. Could it be...?
He looked at Xiao Wenbing with suspicion. Had there been an internal conflict and a major battle in the Demon Realm just now?
P.S.: Writing a book is hard work, but some people just want to discourage me. I've read the comments in the book reviews several times, and I've revised the book several times according to the requirements in the reviews, from the beginning to the middle and now. But the effect seems to be getting worse and worse.
There are always a few people who leave comments every now and then, hurling insults (not suggestions, but insults and sarcasm). Even worse, some people might have read pirated versions, but to come back and hurl insults is just too much. Sometimes, reading them ruins my whole day. From now on, I've decided to silence those who should be silenced.
Of course, I welcome insightful and constructive criticism from critics and other book lovers, and I encourage them by adding their comments to the "Featured" section; the more the better.
Volume 4, Chapter 322: The Transformation Array
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Seeing their companion utter such harsh words, Quinni and the others' expressions changed, fearing that Xiao Wenbing would be angered, which would be a case of losing more than they gained. They exchanged glances, having already made up their minds.
"Insolent! Step back."
A sharp shout came from Quini's mouth, and Elder Yan's breath hitched. These cultivators of the Yan Realm held a deep sense of awe for these immortals who had descended from the Celestial Realm.
It's not just because of their powerful magic, but more importantly, because their actions inspire genuine admiration.
Being able to sacrifice everything for the Flame Realm isn't something that can be done just by talking about it. Putting it into practice is not so easy.
Xiao Wenbing sighed inwardly. Indeed, the material resources in the cultivation world were many times richer than those in the Flame Realm. However, if the cultivation world were to face difficulties, it was unknown whether so many immortals would abandon their cultivation and return to the lower realm.
However, if Xiao Wenbing were to ask himself honestly, he himself wouldn't be able to guarantee that he could give up everything and return to the mortal world, so how could he expect others to do the same?
As he was sighing inwardly, Elder Yan had already respectfully retreated. Although these experts all had unfriendly looks in their eyes, they all showed absolute obedience when facing Venerable Quini, which was probably related to their training from childhood.
Cultivators are different from ordinary people. They have an unimaginably strong sense of self-respect. Except in the special circumstances of the Flame Realm, it is probably impossible to find such a special group with military-like qualities.
“Fellow Daoist Xiao, what do you think…” Quini asked Xiao Wenbing, not knowing why Xiao Wenbing had come here. But it was precisely because he couldn’t see through Xiao Wenbing’s actions that he maintained a little confidence and hope. If he could see through the mystery at a glance, he might not be so careful and attentive.
"Hmm, let me see, you can do as you please." Xiao Wenbing said casually and walked to the big tree. He nodded as he walked, muttering something that no one could understand.
All eyes were on him. Yet no one could figure out what he was doing.
After a long while, a white light suddenly appeared in Xiao Wenbing's hand, illuminating the surroundings before drawing circles on the ground.
With these few strokes, a complex and indescribable pattern quickly appeared on the ground.
"Ah..." Shabir suddenly shouted.
Quini and the other two immortals beside him were inexplicably startled. They had known Shabir for a long time and knew that although he was a bit strange, he had great composure and would remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him. Why was he shouting like this now?
Xiao Wenbing looked up at him with displeasure and said, "Don't shout. If you disturb me again, I'm leaving you alone."
Elder Yan and the others glared angrily; in their hearts, the Venerable One held an extremely high position. Yet, Xiao Wenbing's tone was as if he were barking at a dog or cat, how could they not be enraged? However, just as they were about to demand justice, they heard Shabir respectfully say, "Yes, yes. Brother Xiao, please take your time..."
Everyone turned around in fear and apprehension, only to see that the figure formed from the smoke of Shabir had a joyful smile on his face. Despite being scolded by Xiao Wenbing, a junior from another world, he not only showed no dissatisfaction, but also seemed elated.
This left Elder Yan and the others utterly bewildered, and even Long Shi scratched his head in disbelief. Was this the nature of an immortal? The old dragon carefully examined the seemingly about-to-disappear figure, Kshatriya, and wondered if this was the legendary masochist…
Ignoring Lao Long's wild thoughts, Xiao Wenbing's movements became increasingly rapid. He moved with lightning speed; although the soil on the ground was firm, it immediately flew up when he swept it across the ground with his bare hands, soon creating a cloud of dust and smoke.
Not only that, the territory he marked out became larger and larger, and he gradually became dissatisfied with the small area under his feet. He stood up and walked around, and soon came to Elder Yan and the others.
Looking up, Xiao Wenbing saw Elder Yan standing like a wooden stake blocking his way. He frowned, seemingly still deep in thought, and without saying a word, casually pushed him away...
Elder Yan sneered, inwardly cursing Xiao Wenbing for putting on a show and trying to outsmart him. He wondered what Xiao Wenbing was up to, so he deliberately channeled his inner energy. Let alone Xiao Wenbing, a mere Golden Core cultivator...
Seeing that Xiao Wenbing's hand had failed to reach the target like a dragonfly trying to shake a pillar, Elder Yan suddenly felt a tightness around his collar and was lifted up. He was furious and turned around to fight back, but saw Shabir raise a finger and make a shushing gesture at him.
Elder Yan immediately calmed down, his anger dissipating like a mouse seeing a cat.
With a wave of his hand, one of his arms instantly transformed into a cloud of smoke, engulfing dozens of demon elders who were standing, crouching, or lying down in the arena.
They were wrapped up and moved into the distance.
His movements were extremely gentle and silent. If people hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have known that these people had moved to a different location without their knowledge.
Xiao Wenbing seemed oblivious to this, as if nothing in the world could attract his attention at this moment. He squatted down, sometimes frowning in deep thought, sometimes smiling broadly, waving his hands, his energy splashing everywhere. After a while, many more marks appeared on the ground.
magnificent
“Shabir, this is…” Quini stepped forward and asked quietly.
Without anyone noticing, everyone's ears seemed to perk up. Among those present, only Shabir seemed to have discerned Xiao Wenbing's intentions, and naturally, they wanted to get the answer from him.
Shabir's eyes remained fixed on the pattern on the ground. Upon hearing this, he looked up and smiled, overjoyed.
Quini and the others were greatly surprised. In order to prolong the life of the Flame Realm, all the Venerables seemed to be carrying a heavy burden on their shoulders. Every day they saw only devastation, and the environment of the Flame Realm was deteriorating day by day.
These venerable ones, burdened with too many responsibilities, couldn't even cry, let alone laugh.
In Quinni’s memory, he had never seen Shabir smile so happily since he came down from the Celestial Realm.
However, the three immortals, including Quini, exchanged glances and thought to themselves that there was probably only one thing that could make him smile like that.
Could it be...? Even though the three of them were immortals, they were trembling slightly with excitement. Quini tried his best to suppress his excitement and asked again in a low voice, "Shabir, tell me, what have you discovered?"
Shabir's smile remained unchanged, but his voice became even softer: "Quinni, do you still remember that strange formation that suppressed the Dark God?"
"Of course I remember."
Quini's expression darkened. No one knew when this formation was set up for hundreds of thousands of years. The only clue they could make was that this formation was the key to suppressing the awakening of the Dark God, which is why no one dared to touch it easily for so many years.
Only when Quini took charge and sent the Dark God to the cultivation world did he break the formation and retrieve the stone box.
The formation vanished automatically with the departure of the Dark God, and even they remained unaware of its many mysteries. Hundreds of thousands of years and countless generations of research had only yielded a glimpse of its essence.
But even this small achievement allowed them to learn miraculous skills such as converting immortal energy into life energy. Otherwise, the Flame Realm would likely have struggled to survive until today…
Although they spoke softly, they didn't deliberately suppress their voices, so Elder Yan and the others could hear them clearly. At this moment, everyone's gaze was focused on the strange talismans on the ground.
Because they already had preconceived notions, their perception of these symbols changed immediately. While they still appeared profound and difficult to understand, they now felt a sense of déjà vu.
"Shabir, are you saying this is that formation?" Quini asked doubtfully. Although he didn't make a living from formations, he had studied that formation for nearly ten thousand years, so it didn't seem quite right to him.