Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Yaqi, Quini and the others took this pill because they have cultivated diligently for many years, and their mental state is already far beyond the Integration Realm. So let alone ten pills, even a hundred would be fine for them. But for us, it's not a good thing to increase our power too quickly." He changed his tone and added, "If you feel lonely, how about I keep you company a little longer?"
Zhang Yaqi glared at him, her eyes sparkling with allure, and said coquettishly, "Pah. Who needs you to keep me company?"
Xiao Wenbing's eyes lit up, and he was about to make a few more jokes when he saw her smile fade and she say seriously, "I'm not taking it for myself, I'm just giving it away as a gift."
"Giving it away? To whom?"
"Mrs. Mu."
"Um?"
"Mu Xuanli's mother, and the wife of the current sect leader of the Xuanji Sect."
"ah."
At this point, Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized why the information Elder Yan had painstakingly gathered had become worthless—it turned out that the two women had already been in contact with the higher-ups of the Xuanji Sect.
Without a word, he took out ten pills, handed them to Zhang Yaqi without even looking at them, and said, "This is all the pills I have on me. If it's not enough, I'll make some more right away."
That's enough.
"By the way, when did you get this connection?"
“It wasn’t us who went up there; it was Madam Mu who took the initiative to make our acquaintance.” Zhang Yaqi suddenly smiled and said, “Madam Mu wanted to know our origins, and what exactly happened with tens of thousands of people ascending together.”
Xiao Wenbing did not blame Xuanji Sect for their ulterior motives. Indeed, anyone would be moved by the sudden appearance of an army of ten thousand immortals with ten tribulations in their bodies, all ascending to the same place at the same time.
The actions of Mu Yun and his group were both unexpected and reasonable. Just by looking at how they invited Zhu Bajie to fight, it's clear they had no ill intentions.
Did you say so?
"What should have been said was said, and what shouldn't have been said was left unsaid."
Xiao Wenbing was immediately relieved. He knew the two women's capabilities and they would never leak the most important information.
With a sudden thought, Xiao Wenbing said, "By the way, tell them that I am a divine messenger, so they will know the truth."
Zhang Yaqi was slightly surprised and said, "Wenbing, is Baby God your greatest asset? Are you going to step out of the spotlight so soon?"
Xiao Wenbing shook his head and said, "Who said we were going to bring it to the forefront? I'm just using its name."
Seeing the two women's questioning looks, Xiao Wenbing smiled and said, "I want to do my best to collect the Immortal Pills from the Immortal Realm, so I must have something to exchange. Besides the Immortal Artifacts that I specially craft for people, the only thing I have to offer is this pill with five hundred years of spiritual power. If I don't have the title of a divine envoy, do you think anyone will believe me?"
Feng Baiyi chuckled and said, "That is indeed a solution."
Reaching out of the Heavenly Void Ring, Xiao Wenbing pulled out a cane and said, "Yaqi, I've tried to infuse this Golden Spirit with Creation Energy, but I still haven't succeeded."
"Huh, the Turtle God wouldn't lie to us, would he?"
“I think so too.” Xiao Wenbing casually waved his cane and said slowly, “Perhaps my cultivation level is too low at present, and I simply cannot meet the conditions for generating the spirit of metal.”
A beautiful smile gradually appeared on Zhang Yaqi's lips: "I guess so."
"Alas, I have this treasure in my hands, but I have no way to awaken it, it's really..." Xiao Wenbing shook his head in frustration, clearly extremely unwilling to accept this.
"Among the five elements, earth can generate metal. Since Yaqi has the spirit of earth, let it contribute a little of its body to this cane every day."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, then his face lit up with joy. Feng Baiyi was right. Although his power was insufficient at the moment, once this golden spirit absorbed a large amount of earth spirit, it was very likely that the standard for it to become a spirit again would be lowered.
Looking up at the two women, Feng Baiyi, who was usually taciturn, was surprisingly eloquent when she spoke. Her words were like breaking through the clouds, making everyone's eyes light up.
As for Zhang Yaqi, although she is gentle and kind, she is also strong-willed and is the best helper by her side.
In that instant, he could clearly feel the genuine care these two beautiful women had for him. Closing his eyes, he thought, with them by my side, this life is enough.
A smooth, gentle little hand quietly wrapped around his arm.
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. Because his eyes were closed, he couldn't see clearly whether it was Bai Yi or Ya Qi, but whoever it was, the fact that they were willing to take the initiative to be intimate with him during their time together was at least a big step forward.
Upon opening my eyes, I saw a stunningly beautiful face with a sweet smile that made my heart flutter.
"Master, both of your sisters have left. What are you doing?"
"Ah...they're all gone..."
Volume 18, Chapter 15: The Immortal
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The difference between a superior immortal and a lower immortal is not just a thin line, but a world of difference.
Among all the major sects, there is a tradition that high-ranking immortals cannot directly intervene in the struggles between sects. This is because the power they wield is simply too great, far beyond what a few low-ranking immortals can contend with.
If Pigsy, wielding his nine-toothed rake, could hold his own against Daoist Muyun, who was at the avatar realm, for a while when he was at the fusion realm, then when he encountered an immortal, he probably wouldn't even last ten minutes before being torn to shreds.
The only way for a lower-level immortal to contend with a higher-level immortal is through sheer numbers.
However, this human wave tactic does not refer to a chaotic mob, nor does it refer to a small-scale attack by ten or a hundred people. Without thousands of well-coordinated immortals, it is impossible to gain any advantage from the hands of the immortals.
Back in the world of cultivation, Xiao Wenbing once encountered an immortal who walked into a thundercloud storm and used the power of heavenly lightning to return to a certain immortal realm, a feat that filled him with deep fear.
Such beings, in terms of power and fearlessness, may not be comparable to the Dark God, but they possess wisdom and the ability to clearly distinguish right from wrong.
This is far superior to that of a dark god who has lost his wisdom.
No matter how powerful the Dark God is, he can destroy countless lives on planets. But the wise immortals have ways to bring an entire realm to its demise.
Therefore, when Xiao Wenbing learned that the old man in front of him was the first immortal he had encountered after his ascension, he was so surprised that he couldn't speak.
The Xuanji Sect is a major sect with a history of millions of years. The once-in-a-millennium duel between the two sects might not seem like a big deal to these immortals. But every thousand years, some of them would still return to oversee the event. It's unclear whether there was an agreement beforehand, but each time, at least one immortal would return, and at most three. As soon as the duel ended, they would disappear without a trace, not even a ghost could be seen.
But no matter what, he's a celestial being. The appearance of such a person in the sect would significantly boost morale.
"Greetings, Senior Mu Hua." I bowed respectfully, and both my expression and attitude clearly told everyone that my admiration for this senior was beyond words.
Compared to him, Mu Ling and Mu Xuanli beside him were far inferior, timid and subservient, showing no trace of their dignified bearing.
Mu Yun looked at Xiao Wenbing with extreme frustration, then at Mu Ling and Mu Xuanli, and a strange feeling arose in his heart. Could this Xiao Wenbing be the direct descendant of the Mu family?
This immortal was not only Mu Yun's direct mentor, but also a direct ancestor of the Mu family in a certain generation. The Mu family was originally a family of cultivators, and every few generations, there would be one or more people with extremely high talent. Therefore, among the ancestors of all generations, there were more than three who cultivated to the level of immortal.
Although such families are not numerous, they are not entirely unique in the Immortal Realm. Moreover, the more extraordinary a family is, the more protective it is of its own. This is the biggest reason why no one in Huangzhou City dares to easily provoke Mu Xuanli.
Even the disciples of the Nutao Sect, whose sect strength was comparable to that of the Xuanji Sect, would rather offend Hua Yi than offend this young master.
Upon hearing Mu Hua's background, Xiao Wenbing prepared for the worst. If Mu Hua wanted to hold him accountable for punishing Mu Xuanli, then it would be a fight to the bitter end.
However, it seemed that this Immortal Mu Hua had no intention of causing him any trouble. Instead, he smiled and said, "Fellow Immortal, there's no need to be so polite. I've heard about your matter from Mu Yun'er. That brat Xuan Li dared to be disrespectful to an immortal. This... is a serious taboo." The old immortal's laughter grew even more amiable: "I am already extremely grateful that you spared his life."
The old immortal spoke so politely, and his sincerity was evident in every word, which greatly surprised him. He cursed Elder Yan in his heart. What kind of idiot was he trying to find out? Who said that the Mu family were the most protective of their own?
"Well, Brother Xuanli is just young and inexperienced. You're too kind."
"Where, Fellow Daoist Xiao, in your opinion, what is the cultivation level of the Suspended Ground?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. He turned to look at Mu Xuanli, comparing him to himself for a while, and his brows furrowed more and more tightly.
In fact, among his peers, Mu Xuanli's cultivation and foundation were already above average, but compared to Xiao Wenbing, who ascended to the Immortal Realm within ten years, he was nothing.
He wanted to say a few words of praise, but after racking his brains, he couldn't think of anything outstanding about the kid. However, Mu Hua asked sincerely, so he couldn't lie.
He coughed lightly, racked his brains for some kind words, and said, "Brother Xuanli is indeed a rare talent with great potential. Look at him, he has a full forehead, straight eyebrows, square cheeks, long and beautiful eyes with bright eyes, and unusual bone structure... ah, no, extraordinary bone structure, and he has mastered the Taoist art of nourishing life..."
Mu Hua and the others were dumbfounded. Was this a comment on cultivation level or a physiognomy reading?
After listening to Xiao Wenbing ramble on for a long time, not even sparing a single finger, the final conclusion was that all that talking was essentially saying nothing at all.
Mu Hua, being a highly skilled immortal, eventually understood Xiao Wenbing's meaning and said, "Fellow Immortal Xiao, are you saying that Xuanli is utterly useless?"
"No, no, Brother Xuanli, perhaps you lack experience," Xiao Wenbing said, but his words implied that he had already admitted it.
Mu Xuanli lowered his head, his arrogance completely gone.
Mu Hua stroked his long beard and suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, I heard that Yan Ming and Zhu Bajie are willing to become Mu Yun's disciples and represent my Xuanji Sect in the Millennium Grand Competition. Is that so?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, only then realizing that Elder Yan's name was Yan Ming.
“That’s right, those two never took a master in the lower realm, so…”
"Haha, I am more than happy to accept your arrangement, fellow immortal. However, I also have a request, and I hope you will grant it." Mu Hua said, bowing halfway to Xiao Wenbing.
Xiao Wenbing was greatly alarmed; this old fellow was not easy to deal with. He cautiously asked, "Please give your orders, sir."
Mu Hua pointed at Mu Xuanli and said, "In the past few generations of our Mu family, this is the only kid who has shown any promise. Alas... If Fellow Daoist Xiao is willing to accept him as a disciple, how about it?"
"Take him as an apprentice?"
"Exactly."
Xiao Wenbing looked at them strangely and asked, "But he's a disciple of the Xuanji Sect."
Mu Hua smiled slightly and said, "Xuan Lidi's cultivation is all inherited from his family. He has not yet formally become a disciple of the Xuanji Sect. Therefore, it is not considered a violation of ancestral precepts for him to acknowledge you as his master."
Xiao Wenbing thought for a moment. Although he didn't understand why they insisted on him taking Mu Xuanli as his disciple, it didn't seem like there was any harm in doing so. At worst, he could just expel him from the sect later. With that thought, he immediately nodded in agreement.
If the Mu family knew that this kid hadn't even taken on any disciples yet, but was already planning to expel him from their school, I wonder what they would think.
However, since they didn't know, Mu Hua and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Then Mu Yun vaguely mentioned that the news of Xiao Wenbing teaching Mu Xuanli a lesson had spread throughout Huangzhou City. The Mu family had lost all face as a result.
Moreover, Mu Xuanli's attempt to take immortals as disciples is the greatest taboo in the immortal realm. Even if the Mu family wanted to take revenge on Xiao Wenbing, they wouldn't dare to do so openly. Besides, even if they did, they might not be able to defeat that army of tens of thousands of immortals.
Therefore, Mu Hua earnestly requested Xiao Wenbing to accept him as a disciple. Once the master-disciple relationship was established, it would be a matter of course for the master to discipline the disciple, and no one would have any objections.
Xiao Wenbing never expected it to be for this reason. He couldn't help but find it amusing and said, "Senior, since Mu Xuanli is already my disciple, and he is at the Nascent Soul stage, then let him participate in this Nascent Soul stage battle of the Millennium Tournament."
Mu Hua and the others looked at each other in dismay. They had never even considered sending Mu Xuanli into battle.
Mu Ling coughed lightly and said, "Immortal Master Xiao, this battle is of great importance. Although Xuanli is my son, if he represents the Xuanji Sect in this battle, I'm afraid... it will be very difficult for us to win."
Mu Yun glared at him and said, "What do you mean it's hard to win? It's completely without suspense, a certain defeat is inevitable."
Mu Ling and his son exchanged an awkward glance, but dared not refute their ancestor's reprimand.
Xiao Wenbing raised his thick eyebrows and said, "Senior, since Xuanli is a junior disciple, we will naturally consider his needs thoroughly and will absolutely not let you down."
Mu Yun and the others' expressions changed drastically. Finally, they sighed and said, "Fellow Immortal Xiao, you may not know this, but although this child has good aptitude, he is used to being lazy. He doesn't even rank in the top ten among the Nascent Soul stage disciples of our Xuanji Sect. If we send him to fight in this millennium competition, what will the other disciples in the sect think?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. He hadn't really thought of that. However, he had already spoken, and it would be a huge loss of face to go back on his word. Xiao Wenbing would never do such a thing.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Wenbing said, "Seniors, there is still a year before the duel. During this year, I will entrust Xuanli to your training. Then, let's let our strength decide."