Quini and Shabir exchanged bewildered glances. What arrogance!
"Well... Fellow Daoist Xiao, although their time in the mortal realm was relatively short, only about two thousand years, the combined tribulations of the four of us are already no less than ten thousand years. If we were to ascend to the Immortal Realm together, I'm afraid..."
"So what if it's a tribulation that lasts for ten thousand years?" Xiao Wenbing smiled coldly and said, "The tribulations of immortals can't kill me."
Seeing their still somewhat skeptical expressions, Xiao Wenbing had no choice but to say, "To be honest, I also have a master."
"Hmm." Quini's eyes lit up. This was the first time Xiao Wenbing had revealed his true colors to him. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is Fellow Daoist Xiao's master... a deity?"
"Haha!" Xiao Wenbing laughed loudly, "Immortal Quini is truly skilled. How did you guess that?"
Quini and Shabir exchanged a smile. Was there even a need to guess? A cultivator could use divine power; besides recognizing a god as their master, what other explanation could there be?
Xiao Wenbing looked at them with a smile and said, "My master is a god. Now you can rest assured. As for the heavenly tribulations of the immortal realm, as long as it's not seventeen or eighteen at once, I won't care."
The two bowed their heads deeply and said respectfully, "Yes."
Xiao Wenbing smiled, inwardly sighing. Although he was arrogant, he still had some self-awareness and knew that the one whom Quini and the others worshipped was not him, but the precious god behind him.
Just as cultivators revere immortals, deities hold an even higher position in the hearts of immortals. In a desperate situation, acknowledging a divine messenger as one's master is not a matter of losing face. Moreover, the future of the Flame Realm rests in the hands of this divine messenger.
Of course, they still harbored a regret, because they hadn't directly acknowledged that deity as their master. However, if they knew the true relationship between Xiao Wenbing and the Treasure God, they would never have had such thoughts.
Volume Four: The Divine Artifacts Chapter 328: Celestial Servant (Part Two)
------------------------
"You two don't need to be so polite." Xiao Wenbing reached out to help them up, saying, "However, this matter must wait until..."
Only after the Tree of Life in the Flame Realm is fully restored can it be considered valid.
"Yes, I will obey Master Xiao's orders." Queenie quickly changed her mind and replied.
Shabir also bowed respectfully. Now that he knew that he was a divine messenger in front of them, his psychological barrier had long since disappeared.
In the eyes of cultivators, the status of a divine messenger is lofty, but in the eyes of immortals, the status of a divine messenger is like a tempting candy, especially for immortals like them who have nowhere else to turn, making it even more difficult to resist.
Xiao Wenbing laughed and said, "Quinnie, if you want to build a passage, Zhang Yaqi and the Qiankun Ring alone are not enough."
Now that the matter had been agreed upon, Xiao Wenbing naturally changed his form of address, addressing him directly by his given name. As for the title "Immortal Master," well, there was no need to be so polite, to avoid any awkwardness...
"Is there anything else you need? Please give me your instructions, Master."
Frowning, Xiao Wenbing waved his hand and said, "Quinnie, it's best not to let anyone know about the recognition of your master. I don't want to get into any more trouble."
Quini was very clever and immediately understood. He replied, "Yes, this... Fellow Daoist Xiao, if you have any instructions, we will certainly not dare to disobey."
Looking at the flames in front of him, Xiao Wenbing was quite satisfied and said, "To build that passage, in addition to the Qiankun Ring, we also need a large number of Five Elements spiritual objects."
"Another Five Elements Spiritual Object?" Shabir exclaimed.
Xiao Wenbing nodded repeatedly, but his smile remained unchanged as he chuckled and said, "That's right, of course. Using some substitutes is also acceptable."
Quini, however, was not optimistic. He gave a wry smile and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, even if you skin me alive, I can only provide some fire elemental power."
"I know that I can actually find a way to deal with the three elements of earth, wood, and metal."
"Fellow Daoist Xiao seemed to have mentioned that water-based magic is also acceptable..." Shabir interjected softly. In fact, the Flame Realm is resource-scarce; without the Fire Spirit Immortal within Quini, it's likely that no other spiritual power could be found as a substitute.
“That’s right, the substitute for water is actually Netherwater. In the cultivation world, a senior once went to the Netherworld and obtained some Netherwater. But the quantity was small, enough to heal Zhang Yaqi. As for building a passage,” Xiao Wenbing shook his head and said, “It’s difficult…”
Queenie's expression changed slightly. "Netherwater, then I'm helpless." Queenie's element is fire, and all his skills are concentrated in this flame. However, the Netherworld is a world of water. If he were to go there, even protecting himself would be a problem, let alone helping anyone.
Shabir sighed sadly, saying, "If Zha were still alive, he could probably still help, but alas..."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, not expecting the Flame Realm to be so full of talent. There were even people who could help in the Underworld. However, judging from Chabir's tone, it seemed that the person had met with some misfortune. His curiosity piqued, he asked, "Who is Zha?"
"It was a few days ago that you were struck by lightning, my fellow immortal." Quini said sadly. Although the giant snake was struck to death by Feng Baiyi's lightning, they dared not have the slightest thought of revenge.
It wasn't that they were afraid of death. Rather, they knew that Xiao Wenbing was their only hope for saving Yan Jiedi, so Zha had no choice but to sacrifice himself in vain.
"Oh. So it's that giant serpent." Xiao Wenbing was secretly pleased to see that they didn't seem to harbor any resentment. He said, "Actually, I could give going to the Underworld a try."
"That won't do." Shabir exclaimed in alarm, "The Underworld is fraught with danger. Even we dare not say we can definitely retrieve the Underworld Water. If you go, and if..." Shabir stopped, swallowing the ominous words, and mumbled, "Then who can save the Flame Realm?"
Xiao Wenbing nodded to himself. Sure enough, in their hearts, the Flame Realm still came first. When Shabir learned that he wanted to go to the Flame Realm, his first thought was that something might happen to him. But what he feared was not that something might happen to Xiao Wenbing and prevent him from returning to the Immortal Realm, but that if something happened to Xiao Wenbing, no one would be able to save the Tree of Life.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Xiao Wenbing said with a slight smile.
Shabir shook his head, then shook his head again, his attitude unwavering, and said, "No, I'd rather go."
Quini quickly said, "No, your power has been greatly diminished recently, I'm afraid you can't go."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wenbing examined Shabir's body closely and indeed, the thick smoke surrounding him seemed to have thinned considerably. Recalling the battle that day, he immediately understood: Shabir's body was composed entirely of energy, while the Mirror God possessed the ability to devour energy. Therefore, Shabir's attack on the Mirror God was like throwing a meat bun to a dog—a complete waste.
Having had nearly half of its energy absorbed by the Mirror God in one go, it was impossible for it not to suffer severe damage.
Now that the two sides have gone from enemies to friends, it's actually a little embarrassing.
Shabir said with a wry smile, "If I don't go, who will?"
Quini was taken aback, pondered for a long time, and finally let out a long sigh and fell silent.
Xiao Wenbing was extremely anxious. How could he let them go? He quickly said, "Actually, going to the Underworld was not my idea, but the order of the Precious God."
"A precious god?" Quini asked in surprise, "Is this god Fellow Daoist Xiao's master?"
“That’s right, Baby God said that I should go there in person, and that he will protect me.”
After hearing Xiao Wenbing's fabricated lies, Quini and his companion no longer insisted on their own opinions. After all, under the protection of the gods, where could they not go?
"However, the God of Precious Things wants me to ask you two for something," Xiao Wenbing said hesitantly.
"What?" Quinni and the other two asked in unison.
"Zha."
"?" Quini and his companion exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what this meant.
“The God of Baby says that Zha Di’s body is an extremely rare half-water attribute, which will be of great use in the Underworld,” Xiao Wenbing said cautiously, constantly watching their expressions.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, they simply exchanged a glance and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Xiao can use it, then please take it."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. He had spent so much time and effort, but his main purpose was only twofold. One was to ask Quini for the Fire Spirit Immortal's immortal fire, and the other was that he had his eye on Zha's body and wanted to use that giant snake's body to refine another external avatar.
In his mind, the first objective was simple, and Queenie shouldn't make things difficult for him. And indeed, Queenie gave it to him without hesitation. But the second objective was much more difficult. To demand the corpse of their companion to create an avatar was a highly blasphemous act towards the deceased.
If this were the world of cultivation, if he dared to speak, the deceased's fellow disciples, juniors, parents, son, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, and so on, or even so-called great heroes who had nothing in common with him, would probably all come looking for trouble.
Therefore, Xiao Wenbing watched the faces of Quini and the other man closely, and if they showed any resentment, he would immediately abandon the idea.
Unexpectedly, their behavior was completely different; they seemed to disregard their companion's corpse entirely. This stark contrast to their character made Xiao Wenbing feel extremely uncomfortable.
"You... you agreed?"
“Exactly. Since Fellow Daoist Xiao can use it, please take it.” Quini said calmly.
Xiao Wenbing opened his mouth, and it has to be said that although his personality had become much more composed after the battle on Zhenmo Star, he was still too surprised to speak at this moment.
It's like a boxer aiming at a punching bag and throwing a punch with all his might. But after he throws the punch, he realizes that the punching bag is just a thin piece of paper.
The all-out attack struck empty air. A wave of indescribable sadness washed over me.
Just like Xiao Wenbing was chatting with Quini and the others at this moment, he threw out the bait of shielding them from half of the heavenly tribulation, and even used the excuse of serving the Flame Realm. After carefully planning for a long time, he finally proposed that he wanted the corpse of that giant serpent.
However, to everyone's surprise, Quini and the other man agreed without even discussing it with each other.
If he hadn't witnessed firsthand how these people refused to back down even under the threat of thunder and lightning, at that moment he would almost have suspected that these two were nothing more than two shameless cowards who feared death.
"Is that so? Then thank you very much." With a forced smile, Xiao Wenbing couldn't help but feel a bit contempt. However, the more he thought about it, the more something seemed off. They didn't seem like the kind of people who would betray their friends for personal gain. So he asked, "Quinnie, if I don't need them, what will you do with Zha's... body?"
"According to past practice, he was buried under the Tree of Life, and a secret ritual was performed to completely dissipate the immortal energy within his body for the sacred tree to absorb."
Xiao Wenbing's expression shifted; so it was intended for use as fertilizer.
"However, now that the Tree of Life has been healed by you, fellow Daoist, it no longer needs to be replenished with energy. So we will freeze it in the ice, in case the Divine Tree relapses in the future, it can be used as a temporary measure."
"Isn't this a bit too cruel?" Xiao Wenbing finally couldn't hold back and asked his question. Could it be that they wouldn't even spare the corpses of their comrades?
Queenie shook her head and said, "There's nothing cruel about it. If it were me, I would have done the same. All immortals who have descended to the mortal realm are the same. We don't have the luxury of wasting our time."
Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat, and he finally understood that the people of the Flame Realm truly held vastly different views from his own. Indeed, under the pressure of perpetuating life, any change was hardly surprising.
He looked deeply at Queenie and Shabir, his eyes filled with a faint respect. Even in such a helpless situation, they had not given up. Could he do the same?
With a heavy sigh, Xiao Wenbing made up his mind. No matter what, he would protect their lives and bring them back to the Immortal Realm.
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 329: A New Incarnation
------------------------
The vibrant camellia valley exudes a captivating charm, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The vast, peaceful, and serene forests are also a place you'll want to linger. Purple and yellow wildflowers bloom in the forest clearings, and a stroll through the woods allows you to fully appreciate the harmony and tranquility of nature.
This is the inner gate of the temple, a unique place in the Flame Realm that still exudes vitality.
It must be admitted that these immortals who descended to the mortal realm did indeed possess the great power to change the world.
Within this mustard seed space, expanded by countless generations of immortals and masters at the Great Perfection stage, there was no impact from the Flame Realm's gradual demise.
Compared to the lifeless and gloomy Flame Realm of a few days ago, this place is simply a paradise.
However, Xiao Wenbing had no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery. Moreover, although the scenery here was nice, it was still inferior to that of the cultivation world, so it couldn't attract much of his attention.
Looking up, one sees a black, mountain-like snake body coiled into a massive snake formation, sending chills down one's spine.
Zha's body had clearly been treated; all the blood had been wiped away, but the broken scales could not be repaired. A thin layer of white ice covered the snake's body, and it was this inconspicuous layer of ice that kept Zha's body looking lifelike.
Looking up at its enormous body, Xiao Wenbing couldn't help but smile wryly. Just how old was this giant snake? It had grown so big, much larger than the original form of the Devouring King.
While resisting the heavenly lightning, Zha unfortunately perished and was brought here by two other immortals, who used a secret technique to freeze him. However, this is now a boon for Xiao Wenbing.
In the past, obtaining the body of a half-dead demon was already a rare occurrence, but today's giant serpent is even more unique.