However, while he said this, he had other plans in mind.
Volume Four: The Divine Artifacts Chapter 320: The Two Realms
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The divine sense slowly returned to the body. Opening its eyes, it was startled, thinking it was seeing things.
Before him were still Quini and Shabir, but now the two wore fawning smiles. As soon as he opened his eyes, they bowed and scraped, even more servile than servants, showing no trace of the demeanor of an immortal.
Xiao Wenbing sighed inwardly. Just moments ago, under the threat of the thundercloud storm, Quini and the others had preferred to die a heroic death rather than flee. Yet now, facing him, they bowed their heads, their faces full of obsequious smiles, as if afraid to utter any unfortunate news.
He knew, of course, that the behavior of Quini and the other two was not out of respect for him, but because they had given up everything for the future of the Flame Realm, even their self-respect.
The future of the Flame Realm is like an enormous boulder, suffocating them.
What if they were in different places? Xiao Wenbing asked himself this question, but he hesitated. He suddenly remembered the thundercloud storm in the cultivation world. If it were not restrained within a hundred years, it would once again become a major threat capable of destroying the entire cultivation world.
Their purpose in coming here was to retrieve the Qiankun Ring, but what would happen once they found it? Would they sacrifice Zhang Yaqi? Or would they sacrifice the entire cultivation world?
Upon thinking of this, Xiao Wenbing's face immediately turned ugly, and even his eyes became somewhat unnatural.
Queenie and Shabir were completely focused on Xiao Wenbing. Seeing his behavior, they were struck dumb, their hearts sinking into a deep chill...
"What's wrong?" Quinni asked in a trembling voice. He had already prepared for the worst.
Xiao Wenbing shook his head, looked at the two immortals whose faces were ashen, and said softly, "Alas...it's difficult."
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Quini's deadpan expression immediately brightened, and he exclaimed, "Brother Xiao... you mean there's still hope?"
Xiao Wenbing glanced at him in surprise, a slight sweat breaking out in his brow. He hadn't expected him to even address him as "Brother Dao." It seemed he truly wouldn't care about anything else for the sake of the Flame Realm.
"Whether it works or not, I'll think about it some more."
Xiao Wenbing sighed. He was too busy to take care of himself at the moment. His primary goal was to resolve the thundercloud storm in the cultivation world first. As for the disaster in the Flame Realm, he would do his best.
He closed his eyes and fell silent for the third time.
This time, however, his thoughts didn't go into the Qiankun Circle, but rather into the Tianxu Ring, searching for the Mirror God. Upon seeing the old fellow, Xiao Wenbing didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Mirror God, I remember you said you could restore the vitality of this realm, right?"
“Not bad.” The Mirror God materialized into a human form and said, “However, before saving this realm, you must ask them to do one thing.”
"I know."
"You...know?" Mirror God was greatly surprised. It was unbelievable that this person knew his plans.
"You want the celestial fire from Queenie, don't you?"
"Immortal fire? What would I need immortal fire for?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, immediately breaking out in a cold sweat. He had guessed wrong. However, besides the Immortal Fire, he truly couldn't think of anything else that could move the Mirror God. He forced a smile and asked, "Since you don't want the Immortal Fire, then what do you want?"
"I want him to tell me the whereabouts of the Fire Spirit Immortal," the Mirror God said solemnly.
"Fire Spirit Immortal?" Xiao Wenbing pondered for a moment and said, "The Fire Spirit Immortal you're talking about, is it the immortal that the Fire Spirit became after achieving immortality?"
"Exactly. As long as he's willing to reveal the whereabouts of the Fire Spirit Immortal, it would be worth it, not just for this realm, but for two more."
"Save two more realms?" Xiao Wenbing broke out in a cold sweat. What arrogance! No wonder it's a divine artifact a level above even immortals. But that's exactly what he wanted to say, so he immediately seized the opportunity. He laughed and said, "As expected of the Mirror God, then save one more realm."
"Hmm?" This time it was the Mirror God's turn to be puzzled. He asked, "What do you mean, save another world?"
Xiao Wenbing chuckled and said, "Do you still remember that thundercloud storm in the cultivation world?"
The Mirror God rolled his eyes. He immediately understood the implication of Xiao Wenbing's words. After seemingly pondering for a moment, the Mirror God asked, "If I save the Flame Realm and dispel the thundercloud storm in the cultivation world, what reward will you give me?"
"Benefits...you, you need benefits too?" Xiao Wenbing asked in extreme surprise.
Looking at the illusory shadow before me, as if I had just recognized it, even the Mirror God wanted something in return. This was truly the first time in history that such a thing had ever happened.
"Why can't I have benefits?" Mirror God raised his head, looking as if it were a matter of course.
Xiao Wenbing opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he was speechless. Yes, who said the Mirror God couldn't ask for favors? It's just that Xiao Wenbing had become accustomed to relying on the Mirror God, and it seemed natural for the Mirror God to work for him for free. So it seemed strange that it was suddenly brought up now.
“That’s right, I already owe you too much, Mirror God. Just ask for whatever you want,” Xiao Wenbing said solemnly.
"Okay, then remember you owe me one favor, and that's a big deal."
Don't forget.
"Of course, but what do you want?" Xiao Wenbing's curiosity was piqued, wanting to know what else was worth the concern of this artifact spirit.
"No, not now. I only need you to remember the promise you made today." The Mirror God said with deep emotion and seriousness, "The day you become a god will be the day I make my request."
Seeing the unprecedentedly solemn expression on the Mirror God's face, Xiao Wenbing also became serious. He solemnly said to the Mirror God, "Okay, I promise you, whatever you ask for, as long as it is within my power, I will definitely not refuse."
"Alright, it's a deal then." Mirror God breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s a deal,” Xiao Wenbing replied with a smile.
Although just by looking at the Mirror God's expression, it was clear that this condition was extraordinary, Xiao Wenbing agreed without the slightest regret. After spending this time together, it was clear that Xiao Wenbing wouldn't be where he was today without the Mirror God, so whatever reward he gave the Mirror God was only natural.
The Mirror God was silent for a moment, then said, "You want to save the Flame Realm?"
“Of course.” Xiao Wenbing’s eyebrows twitched. Wasn’t that obvious?
"If you want to save Yan Jie, you must wake up Zhang Yaqi."
"Yaqi..." Xiao Wenbing asked, "Can Yaqi save Yan Jie?"
He was astonished. When did Yaqi acquire such great supernatural powers?
"Yes, with Zhang Yaqi's Qiankun Ring as the core, plus the power of the twenty-four Venerables of Dragon and Phoenix, we can form an order passage, and then connect one end of the passage to the cultivation world."
Xiao Wenbing's expression shifted, and he asked, "Now that the channel of order has been formed, has the other end been delivered to Ancestor Shenmu's side?"
The Mirror God immediately shook his head and said, "Of course not. Send him to the thundercloud storm where the three thunders merge."
Xiao Wenbing was shocked. If the passage was sent to the Divine Tree Ancestor and asked to transfer some life force, that would be understandable. But what if one end of the passage was connected to the thundercloud storm? He looked at the Mirror God and seemed to understand. The Wood Spirit only wanted to trick some immortal fire, but the Mirror God wanted to eliminate future troubles. This intention was much more vicious than that of the Wood Spirit.
"You want to use that chaotic power to achieve two goals at once, don't you?"
"Huh..." The Mirror God glanced at him twice and asked in surprise, "When did you become smarter?"
Xiao Wenbing gave a soft hum and said, "Mirror God, the Flame Realm has billions of living beings. If we do this, the sins will be too great, and we will be punished by heaven."
"Divine retribution?" The Mirror God was greatly puzzled and asked, "You have saved countless lives in these two realms, how could you still be subject to divine retribution?"
"Saved the lives of two beings?" Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, wondering if he had misunderstood. He asked, "Did you connect the other end of the passage to the thundercloud storm to borrow its energy?"
magnificent
"That's just how it is."
Xiao Wenbing's expression was strange. He said, "The Tree of Life in the Flame Realm was already on the verge of death. If it were to be struck by the energy of the thundercloud storm, well, well..." He sighed and said, "Although this could draw the thundercloud storm from the cultivation world to the Flame Realm and save the cultivation world from danger, all the people in the Flame Realm would die. I'm afraid we'd still have to pay the price for that."
magnificent
The Mirror God stared at him in astonishment. After a long while, he angrily retorted, "Nonsense! How could I possibly want to harm the people of this realm?"
"Is that so?"
"Of course, the Tree of Life in this realm has withered. The amount of energy required to save it is absolutely inconceivable. Even the Divine Tree Ancestor of the cultivation world would probably be powerless to do so."
"Then why do you need to summon the power of chaos? Hmm, could it be..." Xiao Wenbing suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed in surprise, "You have a way to convert that destructive power into life power?"
"Haha." The Mirror God laughed triumphantly several times, saying, "If that weren't the case, did you really think I wanted to create endless carnage?"
Xiao Wenbing blushed and said, "You're quite something, worthy of being the spirit of a divine artifact. What are you going to do?"
"After you leave, just do this and that... and that and that..." The Mirror God gave a long, rambling instruction, and finally waved his hand, saying casually, "That's all."
However, Xiao Wenbing frowned and asked cautiously, "Are you sure this method is safe?"
“Absolutely not,” Mirror God solemnly assured.
“But I don’t think it’s appropriate…” Xiao Wenbing said hesitantly.
"Don't worry, I assure you you'll be fine. As long as you have the Little Golden Talisman, you definitely won't die." The Mirror God glared at him and said in an almost seductive tone, "Besides, if you succeed in this, it will be a great deed that saves countless billions of lives in the two realms. Your path to godhood will be smooth sailing from now on."
"Is that so?" After receiving the Mirror God's affirmative reply, Xiao Wenbing gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, fortune favors the bold, I'll take this risk."
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 321: Two Methods
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Under the watchful eyes of Quinni and the other man, Xiao Wenbing suddenly stood up, smiled at them, and nodded heavily.
"The Earth Spirit agreed?" Quini was overjoyed and asked in surprise.
“No, the Spirit of Earth did not agree.” Xiao Wenbing shook his head and answered seriously.
“Ah…” Quini was stunned, feeling as if his heart had plummeted from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, and he could no longer muster any energy.
Xiao Wenbing coughed, cleared his throat, and asked, "Senior, who said that placing the Earth Spirit next to the Tree of Life would allow the Tree of Life to continue?"
"The spirit of the earth is a precious thing of heaven and earth, capable of making withered trees bloom and bringing spring back to all things, isn't that so?"
Xiao Wenbing shook his head and sighed, "Senior, if it were an ordinary tree, the spiritual energy of the earth spirit could naturally bring it back to life, but you are trying to save the Tree of Life. Just think about it, how much life energy does such a huge tree need? Even if the earth spirit truly embodies the spirit of Lei Feng and selflessly contributes all its energy, it still wouldn't be able to fill this bottomless pit..."
Quini and Shabir exchanged a glance, both with a hint of despair in their eyes. They knew this all too well, but a drowning person wouldn't easily let go of even a straw, let alone a plank of wood.
They were like sailors whose ship had capsized in the Atlantic Ocean, knowing full well that the plank in their hands wouldn't truly save them from danger, yet they would never give up. Because that plank could prolong their lives for a few more days. With the spirit of earth by their side, the Flame Realm could at least hold out for a few thousand more years.
“However,” Xiao Wenbing smiled, then suddenly changed the subject, saying, “Although the Earth Spirit cannot be completely eliminated, however…”
Quini was startled, realizing there seemed to be something more to Xiao Wenbing's words. He perked up and quickly asked, "What insightful opinion does Fellow Daoist Xiao have?"
"Hehe, there are actually two ways to revitalize the Tree of Life."
Upon hearing this, both Quini and his companion felt a little dizzy. Countless generations of extraordinary individuals had pondered this for hundreds of thousands of years without finding a solution, yet the person before them had offered two methods right off the bat. This… a hint of suspicion appeared in their eyes simultaneously.
If Xiao Wenbing's performance hadn't given them a sense of unfathomable depth, they wouldn't have believed it at all.