HP stepped forward, gently patted Xiao Wenbing on the shoulder, and said, "Yes, don't make things difficult for us."
This old man had a very special relationship with Xiao Wenbing. Since it was the old man who had spoken, Xiao Wenbing had no choice but to bite the bullet and reluctantly agree.
"Alright." Hui Zhe breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Xiao Wenbing agree. If Xiao Wenbing had truly refused repeatedly, it would have been a difficult decision for him. This grand opening of the Wanbao Hall is for Fellow Daoist Xiao alone. Therefore, please choose nine classmates to go with you."
Seeing Xiao Wenbing's puzzled look, HP quickly explained, "Each time Wanbaotang opens, ten people can enter."
"Ah, may I ask, senior, is anyone acceptable?"
"Yes, anyone."
"Yes, I understand."
After bidding farewell to many seniors who had reached the Tribulation Stage, Xiao Wenbing followed Hewlett out of the main hall.
As they were about to return to their residence, HP suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, I have a beloved disciple named Amo, whom you have met before."
Xiao Wenbing smiled and said, "Senior, actually I only need three spots. As for the other seven, please let me choose for you."
HP sighed deeply and said, "I am ashamed, I am ashamed."
"Senior, this is only human nature."
Hewlett-Packard shook his head again, remaining silent. Throughout his life, he had always been upright and honest, clear about right and wrong, and rarely accepted favors from others. This time, for the sake of his beloved disciple, he had to ask a younger man for a favor, which made him somewhat embarrassed.
Seeing that he still seemed to be bothered by the matter, Xiao Wenbing suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "Senior, do you still remember the matter of the tripod you gave me?"
"Of course I remember."
"In the past, you bestowed upon me a tripod, gifts, and a secret manual. I remember them all, but I have no way to repay you. Please teach me, senior."
“You…” HP pointed at him, then suddenly understood his intention. After a moment of contemplation, he finally laughed loudly, “Alright, I, the old Taoist, will make friends with you despite our age difference.”
Xiao Wenbing laughed with him for a while. The two, one old and one young, got along so well, which was quite rare.
The two walked side by side, chatting and laughing all the way. However, due to the rules of the establishment, Hewlett-Packard was reluctant to tell them about the situation inside Wanbaotang.
Just as they arrived at the guest house, a man stood in front of the door—Elder Huifeng, who had lost his entire fortune in a bet.
They exchanged a glance, both finding the other's gaze rather strange, subtly hinting at a smile.
Xiao Wenbing stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Senior Huifeng."
Elder Huifeng blushed, feeling extremely embarrassed, and returned the greeting, saying, "Fellow Daoist Xiao."
Xiao Wenbing naturally knew his purpose, and suddenly bowed deeply to him, saying, "This junior has something I would like to trouble you with, senior."
Hui Feng was very grateful that he did not mention the bet, and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, please speak."
"Within a hundred years, I request that you, senior, make a trip to Earth."
Hui Feng asked, "What is it?"
"This junior would like to ask the senior to build ten 'Houses of Peace' for the Earth."
Huifeng immediately understood that Xiao Wenbing wanted him to contribute his own resources and efforts to build ten Tranquil Mind Houses for Earth's cultivators free of charge. Although this was not an easy task, he could easily follow the example. He readily nodded and agreed.
“Ten seats? That’s not enough!” HP suddenly interjected.
"Huh?" Xiao Wenbing turned around and looked at him, puzzled.
“I know you don’t care about any magical artifacts or anything like that. Amo and the others have received your favor, and I’m afraid they’ll have a hard time repaying it in the future. How about… having each of them build ten Houses of Peace for Earth?” Hewlett asked, stroking his beard.
Being able to enter Wanbaotang is naturally a great thing, but it's not good for Amo and the others to have received this favor for nothing. Hep said this so that they would repay this favor.
Xiao Wenbing nodded happily, knowing that with his current abilities, he certainly wouldn't care about their reward.
Since that's the case, wouldn't it be a win-win situation to let the cultivation world on Earth benefit a little? So he said, "That would be very good. However, our Earth is short of materials, and there are very few experts in crafting. I'm afraid we'll have to trouble Senior Brother Amo and the others."
"That's to be expected."
"Ah... also, our Earth's teleportation array is rather unsightly due to years of disrepair. If Senior Brother Amo has time, you might want to consider this..."
"It's nothing, not worth mentioning," HP chuckled.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Hewlett hurriedly left. He still needed to discuss with the sect leader the selection of the people to go with him. Being able to enter Wanbaotang was such an opportunity, but if the distribution was unfair, it might only sow the seeds of trouble.
This is a major matter and certainly needs to be discussed carefully.
Three days later, Xiao Wenbing brought the two women to the back mountain of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
Hui Zhe and the others had been waiting there for a long time.
Behind Sect Master Huizhe stood a dozen or so elders at the Tribulation Transcending stage; these were the true strength of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
The only outsider was that old wolf. After all, this old wolf's status was different. As the lord of Sirius, even the Jade Cauldron Sect dared not offend him easily.
So when he insisted on coming to attend the ceremony, Hye-cheol could only frown and agree.
Xiao Wenbing sighed inwardly. Looking at the entire Earth, there were only about a dozen people at the Tribulation Transcending stage, while on Tianding Star, the Jade Cauldron Sect alone was almost the same.
Considering the difference in the power of their magical treasures, even the combined strength of the entire cultivation world on Earth might not be able to defeat the Jade Cauldron Sect.
The task of revitalizing the cultivation world on Earth is truly arduous and long-term...
Hui Zhe nodded slightly to him and said, "Wanbao Hall is a magical place within our sect. It has existed since the founding of our sect. No one knows how it was formed, nor who built it."
"Yes, I have heard of it."
“I know you’ve heard it before, but it’s my duty to repeat it.”
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 173: Entering the Hall
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"Hmm," Xiao Wenbing glanced at the old man strangely. "Since you know, why say anything more? Just open Wanbaotang as soon as possible, everyone can take the treasures, and then we can all go our separate ways. Wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone? Rather than listening to your lectures here, I'd rather go back and have my hands full of women."
He glanced back at the two women beside him, but he didn't know if they would agree.
Hmm, Yaqi is definitely willing. As for Baiyi? I guess she's probably willing in her heart, but she's just too shy to say it. So, should I take the initiative?
His mind was immediately and completely absorbed in those methods of picking up girls, which he had personally verified and those he had heard about, but which were still in the theoretical stage.
Suddenly, he felt his sleeve being tugged.
Xiao Wenbing's focus gradually sharpened, and before him lay a smiling, wrinkled old face.
"Ah..." he exclaimed in surprise, suddenly realizing that he was still standing in front of Sect Master Huizhe.
Just like before, everyone's gaze was focused on the three of them. However, this time, there was a slight difference: there was an element of disbelief.
It seems that this young cultivator in front of them does indeed possess something astonishing.
Looking behind him, Zhang Yaqi was blushing and clutching her sleeve, while Feng Baiyi remained youthful and aloof, seemingly oblivious to everything.
In fact, Feng Baiyi standing here is quite an anomaly. Ever since she entered the main hall, she has stood there arrogantly, seemingly not taking the top experts in this hall seriously.
If it were any other Golden Core cultivator, many experts would probably be indignant. However, strangely, not only did no one reprimand her, but they all smiled and acted so kind and approachable, displaying the demeanor of true masters, which was indeed extraordinary.
"Ahem..." Xiao Wenbing blushed, a rare occurrence for him, and explained, "Seeing the Sect Master's kind face suddenly reminded me of a crucial point in refining magical artifacts. That's why I was a little distracted just now. Please forgive me, Elder."
"Oh, I see."
The old Taoists finally realized what was going on. They had been wondering how someone could be so absent-minded in front of the dignified sect leader of the Jade Cauldron Sect. It turned out that he had suddenly remembered a technique in weapon crafting, so it was no wonder.
Since the Jade Cauldron Sect was founded on the art of crafting artifacts, most of its experts are proficient in this art. They naturally understand that a true master craftsman is usually a fanatic of the art, and they can often become obsessed with researching a problem in the art of crafting artifacts.
Since Xiao Wenbing was able to create the Tranquilizing House, he must be one of these extraordinary individuals.
And it's understandable that such people sometimes get distracted or daydream.
"Alas... I finally understand why you, fellow Daoist, have achieved such mastery in the art of craftsmanship at such a young age." He Pu sighed deeply, filled with emotion. The old man twirled his long shun and said sincerely, "It turns out that you have been keeping this in mind at all times. Such diligence is the greatest reason for your success."
Xiao Wenbing's mouth dropped open, his expression extremely strange. After a moment, he finally let out a long sigh and said, "You understand me best, senior..."
What a confidant... truly a wonderful confidant.
My own fabricated story was arranged so perfectly by him; he truly is a friend despite the age difference.
The impromptu performance by the old man and the young man was so perfectly coordinated that it immediately dispelled everyone's slight displeasure.
Hui Zhe nodded in sudden realization, though he couldn't fathom how his so-called "kind" old face could possibly relate to Taoist artifacts. However, he absolutely couldn't bring himself to ask that question, because he certainly wasn't thick-skinned enough.
"Sect Master, the time has come." An old Taoist priest stepped forward and said softly.
With a wave of his hand, Hui Zhe summoned twelve Daoist masters at the Tribulation Transcending stage, led by Hui Pu. They stood together and simultaneously unleashed a strangely shaped, colorful magical artifact.
Various colored lights flowed endlessly, and the twelve magical artifacts finally condensed into one in mid-air, forming a super-large magical treasure in the shape of a key.
A sudden inspiration struck Xiao Wenbing, and a very catchy term suddenly popped into his mind: "Transformers".
The hundred magical artifacts that make up the Tranquil Chamber, and the key composed of twelve magical artifacts, clearly told him one thing.
With proper design, a powerful large magical artifact can be composed of countless smaller magical artifacts.
Although I possess extraordinary abilities, I am currently only at the Golden Core stage, so frankly, there are many magical treasures and raw materials that I cannot create. The biggest reason is that I lack spiritual energy.
However, if a high-level magical artifact is broken down into several, dozens, or even hundreds of smaller magical artifacts, wouldn't it be easy to manufacture them yourself?
Once everything is complete, we'll assemble them. Hehe... their power will certainly not be inferior to their original counterparts.
Xiao Wenbing smiled smugly. This was indeed a good idea. If he took a fancy to someone's magic weapon, he could simply scan it, hand it over to the Mirror God, and have him disassemble, reconsider, and reprocess it.
The Mirror God's abilities are indeed extraordinary. He can even divide the Ancestral Master's House, which is filled with immortal spiritual energy, into a hundred parts. So, such a magical treasure is naturally even more beyond his reach.
Once those magical artifacts are broken down into dozens of parts, one part per day, it will soon be possible to refine the entire set. Then, combining all the parts into one, wouldn't its power be several times greater than manufacturing it directly?
Just as Xiao Wenbing was lost in thought, Hui Zhe pointed his finger, and a dazzling light suddenly shot out from his hand, flying like lightning to the keyhole.
The twinkling flames and shimmering lights radiated unparalleled beauty.
Suddenly, the keyhole cracked open, as if an invisible knife had suddenly cleaved down, splitting the entire space in two.
The endless light gradually dissipated, revealing a bottomless gate. Inside the gate, it was pitch black, and Xiao Wenbing strained his eyes but could see nothing.
"This door looks quite deep..." Xiao Wenbing peered inside, then asked, "Could it be that Wanbaotang is inside?"
“Exactly, this is a mustard seed space, and the Myriad Treasures Hall is inside. To open this place, all twelve elders of our sect who are at the Tribulation Transcending stage must act together, along with the current sect leader’s personal treasure, the One Qi Sword, in order to cleave open the gate of the mustard seed space,” HP said softly.
"Alright, everyone can go in now. Once inside, what treasures you obtain depends on your own fortune," Hui Zhe said, waving his hand.