With each additional unit of divine power they absorb, their abilities increase, and their understanding of divine power deepens.
Compared to the divine power permeating the divine realm, the divine power of heaven and earth is of a higher level; it is the true essence of heaven and earth, encompassing all planes.
Even if a deity arrives in the divine realm and absorbs a vast amount of divine power, to fully absorb it, they must refine it to the point of being as pure as the divine power of heaven and earth. The difficulty and time required for this process are enough to make any deity tremble at the mere mention of it.
Xiao Wenbing and his two companions, on the other hand, directly absorbed the most refined divine power of heaven and earth. Their rapid progress, while perhaps unparalleled in history, was certainly unprecedented.
One after another, the gods were sent into the ascension circle after consuming the medicinal wine. When they emerged, they had already shed their status as immortals and reached the realm of gods.
The roc was more than a size larger, with wondrous patterns appearing on every steel feather. Immense divine power swirled around it, exuding an aura of majesty that looked down upon the world.
This bird god has finally turned its luck around. After lying in its eggshell for so many years in a state of suspended animation, it has finally ushered in the most important period of its life.
The inner demons that arose during its ascension to godhood were undoubtedly the best tonics in the world for it. Each time it consumed one, its power increased dramatically. The abilities it inherited from its parents allowed it to evolve continuously, and at this moment it had reached the peak state of all the great roc birds in history. Even compared to Xiao Wenbing, it was now no less powerful.
After all, from ancient times to the present, no roc has ever been able to devour so many inner demons that overflowed when it became a god, so it is not surprising that it was able to achieve such great success.
The biggest beneficiaries were not the Roc, but Xiao Wenbing and his two companions who were desperately absorbing the divine power of heaven and earth.
Perhaps because they were in the realm of gods, each person who became a god experienced an increase in the divine power of heaven and earth. Although Xiao Wenbing and the others' cultivation had been soaring like rockets, they were still feeling overwhelmed at this point.
A vast amount of divine power has accumulated in the divine realm, undoubtedly reaching a saturation point. Once this most refined divine power of heaven and earth is fully digested, the power wielded by the three of them will likely be comparable to that of the first generation of gods.
Even now, although most of the divine power has not been fully digested, Xiao Wenbing estimates that they will not be afraid of gods of the Supreme God level.
When the last ascended immortal stood up from the futon, both the Roc and the three of them, including Xiao Wenbing, breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Thankfully it's over, otherwise they would have been overwhelmed.
The divine realm at this moment has undergone a tremendous change compared to when the Roc and his companions first entered. Countless crystal-clear highlights illuminate the vast and boundless divine realm, making it bright and magnificent.
Among these bright spots, there are about five thousand particularly dazzling points of light; those are Xiao Wenbing's signature artifacts, five thousand Heavenly Dao Divine Swords.
Five thousand Heavenly Dao Divine Swords! If they were to fly out all at once, what an incredibly powerful force that would be!
It was precisely because they possessed such a powerful artifact that Xiao Wenbing dared to assert that even if they encountered a supreme god, they would not suffer a loss.
The divine power generated by tens of thousands of immortals becoming gods was indeed enormous and incredible. Although they stored most of that power, even the little bit left between their fingers was enough to make them reach an extremely high level.
Both Zhang Yaqi and Feng Baiyi have undergone significant changes; the size of their divine realms has reached an astonishing level. While not as exaggerated as that of the Lonely God, it is no less than the size of a star.
The divine realm is filled with their own surging energy, and until this energy is completely calmed, such a divine realm cannot be inhabited by living beings for long.
After making a comparison in private, Xiao Wenbing had to admit that the two women had a higher talent than him in building the divine realm.
If it weren't for his special ability to freely switch between divine power attributes and the more than five thousand super divine swords in his hands, he might not have been a match for them if they met on the battlefield.
Volume 23, Chapter 12: Broadcast of Grace
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"Ah, Lord Xiao, you've finally come out."
Just as Xiao Wenbing stepped out of the Divine Realm, an extremely familiar voice came from ahead. The Great Serpent Supreme appeared beside him, his face beaming with a fawning expression that sent chills down one's spine.
"What...do you want to do?" Xiao Wenbing asked warily. "If it's not too troublesome, I can help you."
Upon seeing the snake's appearance, one immediately knew it needed someone's help. Considering their years of acquaintance, one decided to lend a hand if possible.
"I knew Xiao Shenjun was the best person in the world." The Great Serpent Supreme immediately beamed with joy.
"Alright, what is it? Just say it, or... just say it."
"That? What's in that?" the Great Serpent Supreme asked, puzzled.
Zhang Yaqi's pretty face flushed slightly. The Great Serpent Supreme was not from Earth, so naturally he didn't understand this famous saying that was widely circulated on a certain planet.
"Great Serpent, what do you want? Speak quickly, or Wen Bing will stop helping you."
Upon hearing this, the Great Serpent Supreme immediately put that question out of his mind and said with a bitter face, "Lord Xiao, for the past ten years or so, you have all stayed in the Divine Realm and never come out. This little serpent has been very worried about you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes." The Great Serpent Supreme made a gesture of swearing to the heavens, and added, "Even your master often thinks of you."
Xiao Wenbing slapped his forehead and said, "Oh dear, I was so confused during my practice that I didn't even inform my master. I should have done that."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than several figures flew swiftly from afar. These were none other than the Daoist Xianyun and his companions, who had rushed over after receiving the news.
Xiao Wenbing stayed in the Divine Realm for over ten years to allow each of these ascended immortals to become gods. Although this amount of time is nothing to immortals, seeing so many gods emerge from the Divine Realm in such large numbers is unbelievable to anyone.
A moment later, even the Seven-Colored Winged King and Kairis quietly arrived here. Needless to say, they all came here for the same purpose.
What surprised Xiao Wenbing was that even Mu Xuanli was among them.
"Disciple. I didn't expect that after coming to the Immortal Realm, you would have taken on another good disciple. Haha..." The old Taoist Xianyun held Mu Xuanli's hand, clearly very satisfied with this grand-disciple.
Xiao Wenbing glanced at Mu Xuanli. Suddenly, he snorted angrily and said, "Xuanli, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to go into seclusion and cultivate diligently?"
When Xiao Wenbing left Huangzhou City, he left behind a spiritual manual, instructing Mu Xuanli to cultivate it diligently in the city. Given his aptitude, it would take him at least several decades to reach the minor mastery level.
At this moment, Xiao Wenbing's eyes were even more discerning. In a single glance, he could tell that he had not succeeded in cultivating at all, which was why he was somewhat angry.
Mu Xuanli knelt down before him, saying in a panic, "This disciple has disobeyed Master's orders, please punish me, Master."
Before Xiao Wenbing could speak, the old Taoist priest Xianyun glared at him and said, "Disciple, it was I who told him to suspend his cultivation."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. He might disregard all the gods and spirits in the world, but he dared not be disrespectful to his mentor. He lowered his voice and asked, "Master, didn't you say that a solid foundation is the most important thing? Then why did you make him suspend his cultivation?"
The old Taoist priest sighed and said, "My good disciple, I used to say that the foundation is the most important thing, because there were no shortcuts for us when we were cultivating. But it's different after I have you as my disciple. Look at them..." He pointed to the many newly ascended gods around him and said, "They have only been cultivating for a short time, and they have all become gods."
"Master, what you mean is..."
"Nothing else, Xuanli and I are going to become gods too, so you can decide what to do."
The Great Serpent Supreme quickly approached and said nervously, "Lord Xiao, we've known each other for many years and are old friends. Please don't forget this little serpent if there's anything good."
From afar, Kairis chuckled. At this moment, she dared not address Xiao Wenbing and his sister as siblings anymore, and respectfully said, "Please grant my request, Lord Xiao."
Xiao Wenbing's gaze swept over everyone's faces. Whether it was the Great Serpent Supreme or Kairis, they all became somewhat uneasy, and even the old Taoist Xianyun looked a little nervous.
With a hearty laugh, Xiao Wenbing patted his chest and said, "Sure, becoming a god is a piece of cake. Leave it to me."
Everyone was overjoyed and their faces lit up with smiles.
The Great Serpent Supreme bowed deeply to him and said, "Thank you, Divine Lord Xiao, but..."
Xiao Wenbing was in a good mood. He waved his hand and said, "Speak."
"Yes, but the little snake still has some close friends and loyal subordinates. If Lord Xiao could be merciful, perhaps..."
Xiao Wenbing glanced at it, and just as the Great Serpent Supreme was secretly wiping away cold sweat, he said, "Alright, it's not a difficult matter for me anyway. Just tell me how many people you have."
The Great Serpent Supreme then revealed a genuine smile, saying, "Thank you, Divine Lord. We will certainly erect a longevity tablet for you in the future and pray for your well-being day and night."
With a flick of his wrist, Xiao Wenbing cut off the flattery, and asked curiously, "How do you know about the longevity tablet?"
"It was your master who taught you that."
The old Taoist priest, Xianyun, blushed, coughed, and said, "Disciple, as the saying goes, 'Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders.' Since you've even helped the giant snake, what about your fellow disciples in the lower realm..."
"No problem, just hold me." Xiao Wenbing pulled her close without a second thought.
"Lord Xiao, we also have a few sworn brothers..."
"Master, our Xuanji Sect..."
"Alright." Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Xiao Wenbing shouted, "Just how many friends do you have?"
"Not many, a few hundred or a thousand will do," the Great Serpent Supreme said matter-of-factly. "This amount shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
A sly smile appeared on Kairis's beautiful face as she said, "We don't have many either. Seven people, each of us probably has over a hundred."
Mu Xuanli blushed, secretly glanced at Xiao Wenbing who was expressionless, hesitated for a moment, and said in a soft, insect-like voice, "Master, the number of people in Xuanji Sect is a little too many."
How many?
“Probably a few thousand.” He suddenly looked up and hurriedly added, “Master, I guarantee it’s definitely less than ten thousand.”
"…………"
※※※※
Months later, countless figures appeared on the vast grassland beyond the forest, including more than two thousand demonic beasts and spirits. They were all brought by the Great Serpent Supreme and Kairis.
According to their original plan, each person was limited to a maximum of one hundred recruits. However, after seeing that Mu Xuanli had brought over three thousand people with his family, they expanded the recruitment scope without saying a word.
Especially Orochi, the supreme ruler. He spared no one who was related to him by blood or kinship.
After he plundered the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, not even a single demonic beast at the Immortal Realm could be found.
If Xiao Wenbing hadn't been so outraged that he spoke up to stop it, it probably wouldn't have stopped until it had taken the entire Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons out of there.
Fortunately, the total number of people, which amounted to five thousand, did not exceed the range that Xiao Wenbing could accept.
As he requested, becoming a god was possible. However, one must first possess the cultivation level of an immortal. He had no interest in playing any nurturing games; without a certain foundation, who knew if it would be worthwhile to cultivate one?
Because of this restriction, the vast majority of these five thousand people are immortals, and most of them come from Huangzhou City.
After Mu Xuanli returned to Huangzhou City, and the advertisement that anyone at the immortal level could become a god with a 100% success rate spread, the entire city of Huangzhou was in an uproar.
At first, everyone scoffed at his words. Apart from his father, grandfather, and a very few others, no one believed him at all.
However, when the old Taoist priest Xianyun learned that his precious grand-disciple had been mistreated, he was furious and brought more than a hundred newly promoted deities to Huangzhou City.
After several divine pronouncements were sent out in succession, they proved more effective than any sweet talk. As a result, numerous experts sent out messages via flying swords, and countless immortal-level experts began to gather in Huangzhou City.
Within just one month, more than three thousand powerful immortals of various levels gathered in Huangzhou City.
Of course, there are always exceptions. Among these experts were some cultivators who had not yet become immortals. They were all close relatives and elders of Mu Xuanli, including his father, Mu Puling, and his uncle, Hua Yi.
Zhang Yaqi and Feng Baiyi both understood Xiao Wenbing's meaning. Although they had a large number of people, their cultivation time was too short. Without the support of those two ancient gods, even after ascending to the God Realm, they might not be able to contend with many powerful forces. Therefore, adding another five thousand gods was a very good choice.
The only one who was unhappy about this was Daoist Xianyun, because Xiao Wenbing did not bring his disciples and old friends up from the lower realm as he had wished.
It wasn't that Xiao Wenbing was ungrateful, but rather that he felt it wasn't the right time yet. He wouldn't bring his closest relatives and friends up until he had become a significant and powerful force in the divine realm.
It's important to understand that although he may seem to be enjoying immense success right now, his actual strength is still far inferior to that of those vast forces that have been operating in the God Realm for countless billions of years.
Although his subordinates are all at the level of supreme gods, they are all newly ascended gods who lack the time to mature. Even if they encounter a lesser god who has cultivated for hundreds of millions of years, they may not be able to defeat him.