"Master?" The Great Serpent Supreme was taken aback and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao? I don't know him."
"Isn't Master downstairs?" Little Butterfly Fairy jumped over again and asked.
"Yes, didn't Fellow Daoist Xiao come up a while ago?"
"Nonsense!" The roc's eyes flashed with shrewdness as it shouted, "The master hasn't come out! Tell me, where did the master go?"
The giant snake stared in disbelief at the roc, feeling a chill slowly rise from the bottom of its heart. How could Xiao Wenbing have disappeared?
Seeing that the Great Serpent Supreme remained silent for a long time, the Roc became furious and shouted, "I knew you little snake were no good! My master must have been harmed by you!"
The giant snake shuddered; it couldn't admit to this crime. But before it could even utter a single "no," the roc had already pecked at it fiercely.
The Great Serpent Supreme was greatly alarmed and moved swiftly to avoid it. However, the Roc, known for its unparalleled speed, was not about to let it escape and had already soared up in a flash.
Although the great serpent had cultivated for a long time, this was the first time it had encountered such an enemy. Its body swayed, and it tried its best to escape.
In terms of speed alone, no one in the world can outrun the Roc. However, the Great Serpent Supreme has just comprehended the origin of a certain power, and although it is not yet fully mastered, it can still barely change direction.
So, using the terrain in the valley, it leaped and bounded, finally escaping the bird's mouth. But the roc had its sights set on it and relentlessly pursued it, determined not to give up until it had eaten the snake's flesh.
At this point, the Great Serpent Supreme was terrified and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Injustice...!"
Volume 22, Chapter 3: The Maze
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Soft light bathed the earth, and a quiet and quaint valley appeared before us.
Xiao Wenbing walked uphill and reached the end of the deep valley, where he saw hundreds of green bamboo trees standing tall in front of him. Along the way, he had not found any signs of attack or restrictions, so it seemed that there was not much danger here.
He closed his eyes slightly, maximizing his mental focus as he searched the bamboo forest.
The speed of his divine sense was as fast as the speed of light, but what puzzled Xiao Wenbing was that no matter how far his divine sense extended, he could not find its end. Even though he had already reached the valley walls on both sides, his divine sense did not feel anything. It seemed that what lay ahead was not a towering mountain, but an endless void.
He was secretly alarmed. Could it be that he had been misled by illusions, and there were no mountains around him at all?
With a flick of his finger, a burst of immortal power shot out, striking the distant mountain wall with a crisp "ding-dong" sound. A wisp of sand and gravel rustled down from the mountain wall. If this was also an illusion, it would be far too realistic.
After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Wenbing had no choice but to stride forward.
After entering the bamboo forest, Xiao Wenbing realized something was wrong again after walking only a few steps. Although the bamboo forest in front of him was wide, he could see the end of it. However, even with his fast pace, he had been walking for a long time and was still in the bamboo forest. This situation was definitely not normal.
He activated his divine sense and immediately connected with the Mirror God.
A white light flashed past, and the Mirror God had already taken in the scene.
"This is the Xuan Tian Yin Yang Grand Formation. It may seem like just a few bamboo groves, but it is actually composed of millions of bamboo stalks combined together. If you don't know how to break it, you will never be able to get out."
"Can you break it?"
"Of course, I am the renowned king of divine artifacts... no, the king of auxiliary divine artifacts." The Mirror God said proudly, "This little formation is nothing to me. You just need to do this and that."
He agreed and walked forward according to the method taught by the Mirror God.
Ten minutes later...
"Mirror God, are you sure this method will work?"
"Of course, I swear in the name of the strongest support artifact."
One hour later...
"Mirror God, you haven't gone out yet."
"Hmm, this... it'll be ready in a little while."
Two hours later, all that remained was a lush green bamboo forest.
"Mirror God, is it ready?"
"It'll be ready in a little while."
"But you've already said it a hundred times."
"You have to be patient. I promise we'll be able to get out of here soon."
How long will it take?
"As long as you persevere, you will definitely be able to get out before you become a god."
"..."
When Xiao Wenbing finally gave up hope and stopped, nothing had changed before his eyes.
"This is really strange. I'm not mistaken about this formation." The strange voice of the Mirror God still echoed in his mind.
Xiao Wenbing closed his eyes and slowly released his divine sense. His mind was completely focused. He couldn't even rely on the Mirror God anymore. The danger here was unimaginable. If he couldn't find a way to leave, he might really have to stay until the day he became a god.
Since arriving here, he has been able to wield his immortal spiritual power freely, but he has found nothing when using it to explore. So this time, he is using the mutated ability within his body.
A faint golden halo emanated from his body and spread in all directions. The halo continuously analyzed and identified each place it passed through.
The divine power had begun to take effect, and all the information was converging in his mind.
By looking beyond the surface of things, he can clearly see the origin of all things.
However, to his astonishment, none of the scenery here was composed of the five elements of heaven and earth. Through the investigation of his divine power, he discovered that everything here was an illusion.
Or rather, everything presented here is the result of a mysterious energy, whether it be the embroidered forest, the mountain peaks, or the land, all are transformed from this energy.
These energies combine in a strange way, giving the impression of a magnificent landscape, without any flaws. If one has not comprehended the power of origin, then one would be completely unable to perceive its mysteries.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Wenbing took three steps forward.
In his perception, several identical bamboo trees suddenly appeared in the void ahead. They seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, yet also seemed to have existed since time immemorial, without the slightest abruptness.
Almost simultaneously, several bamboo stalks were missing from behind the bamboo grove, as if an unseen hand had moved them to the front, leaving everyone puzzled.
Opening his eyes, Xiao Wenbing's eyes gleamed with a divine light; he had already understood that this was not the Mirror God's mistake.
Perhaps this formation is indeed the Xuan Tian Yin Yang, and the Mirror God's method of breaking it was flawless. But the problem is that as he moves, the bamboo forest here also moves. In other words, no matter how far he travels, he is always in the center of this bamboo forest.
If this problem cannot be solved, even if he cultivates to the point of becoming a god, he may not be able to escape from this bamboo forest.
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Wenbing raised his hands, and gradually, a white light appeared in his hands, which gradually transformed into countless tongues of lightning.
In terms of offensive power, there is no one in the world more powerful than Feng Baiyi's lightning.
Since we are trapped in the bamboo formation and cannot extricate ourselves, we have no choice but to resolve the situation by force.
The white lightning gradually intensified, occasionally emitting purple light. In Xiao Wenbing's hands, it had almost perfectly simulated Feng Baiyi's heavenly lightning power.
After comprehending the ultimate truth of the origin in the Linglong Immortal Realm, he can now simulate any energy he has ever seen, thanks to his mutant abilities.
He could easily manipulate the power of heavenly thunder from Feng Baiyi, the power of the five elements from Zhang Yaqi, and even the energy within that divine crystal.
Of course, compared to the true master of these energies, he still has a certain gap. He cannot manipulate his own energy as freely as he does.
However, as he continues to improve, he will surely be able to reach a level where he can keep pace with anyone in the future.
The purple light gathered more and more in Xiao Wenbing's hand, finally reaching the point he had predetermined. He dared not follow Feng Baiyi's example and recklessly draw energy from the Heavenly Thunder Wall.
If he were to attract too much heavenly lightning, he himself would not be able to withstand such devastating energy after the formation is broken.
He had no desire or willingness to do something that would lead to mutual destruction.
With a soft shout, he slammed the large purple ball in his hand forward.
He sensed that the bamboo in front of him contained more energy than the other bamboo. Although it was only a little bit more, it was enough to attract his attention.
With a deafening roar, the bamboo in front of them shattered into countless fragments under the bombardment of the heavens and earth. Then a gentle breeze blew, turning it into dust. It was gone forever.
As if triggering a chain reaction, all the bamboo began to shrink at a visible rate, eventually disintegrating in the wind.
Xiao Wenbing closed his eyes again, his divine sense firmly locking onto all the changes here, and every slight change in power could not escape his notice.
Finally, when the bamboo forest completely disappeared, he had thoroughly grasped the specific changes of this energy and comprehended its fundamental power.
A smug smile flickered across his lips; this was the source power of the fourth divine force he had come into contact with and mastered.
This energy is unique. It does not belong to the Five Elements, but is an ethereal energy that seems to be related to the environment.
A thought struck him: although this energy wasn't particularly powerful, its profound mystery surpassed, if not greater than, the divine power crystal in the serpent's hand.
More importantly, this source of energy seems to be particularly suitable for Little Butterfly Fairy and her people. If the source of energy here could be handed over to the Butterfly Fairy clan, their chances of becoming gods would greatly increase.
It's like being in a dark, labyrinthine maze with countless branching paths.
Ordinary immortals, just like ordinary people, grope their way through the maze, trying to find the escape route before the final tribulation of earthly refinement arrives.
However, if you have a reference object that matches your own energy attributes, it's like having an extra powerful flashlight.
While there's no guarantee of success, the chances of escaping are certainly much higher than before.
My thoughts kept turning, exploring the secrets of this place's origin.
Suddenly, a powerful energy surged forth, instantly engaging in countless exchanges with his divine sense.
Countless strange thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and all sorts of bizarre images and sounds directly entered his mind.
The sheer volume of information caused his head to throb with pain, veins bulging on his forehead, and his entire body tense up.
For some reason, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind: if this exchange didn't stop, he would surely explode and die.
Just as he was feeling lost, the small bronze mirror in his hand suddenly emitted a strong white light, enveloping his body.
He took a deep breath, and with the help of the Mirror God, all his distracting thoughts, like the receding tide, quickly left his mind, pulling him back from the edge of the cliff.
Taking this opportunity, Xiao Wenbing quickly withdrew his divine sense and focused his gaze.
In the distance ahead, a mist seemed to appear, obscuring what lay within.
The intersection of energies is interactive. When Xiao Wenbing comprehends the source of energy here, his mind is also open to this energy. If someone has mastered the source of energy here beforehand, then they can invade Xiao Wenbing's mind at this time.
That was exactly what happened. If it weren't for the Mirror God's intervention, Xiao Wenbing would likely have already gone mad with demonic possession.