“I have no way to repay your kindness, senior.” Xiao Wenbing suddenly said loudly, “Three months from now, I will start refining weapons for this place…” He pointed to the lonely, mysterious thatched hut and said, “…to add another room.”
The Hewlett brothers were both startled, their eyes filled with panic as they looked at him.
Meanwhile, Elder Huifeng and the others stared at Xiao Wenbing in astonishment. They looked at each other, wondering if they had misheard. However, after seeing each other's expressions, they immediately realized that there was nothing wrong with their ears.
"Nonsense..." Elder Huifeng was furious. Although he dared not defy Huipu, who was Xiao Wenbing? He was just a minor Golden Core cultivator who dared to speak so arrogantly.
What kind of place is this? It's a forbidden area within the Jade Cauldron Sect, almost equivalent to the Ancestral Hall. To suggest adding a room here is truly audacious.
With a wave of his hand, Elder Huifeng's expression changed. In the end, he dared not disobey and had to keep his mouth shut. However, in his heart, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something fishy going on behind the scenes with the Grand Elder's favoritism towards this person.
His gaze swept back and forth between Hewlett-Packard and Xiao Wenbing, then suddenly his eyes narrowed. Both of them had very large ears… Hmm, if that's the case…
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, what did you gain from your trip inside?" HP asked expectantly.
Xiao Wenbing understood slightly. He would never hide anything from this old man: "I have made some discoveries. However, whether they will be successful is still unknown."
"Really?" Even Huiming was pleasantly surprised this time.
"Hmm." Xiao Wenbing held the axe and nodded.
The two elders, Hui and his wife, watched him nervously, not daring to make the slightest sound lest they disturb his thoughts.
Little did they know, Xiao Wenbing was at that moment negotiating with the Mirror God inside the Heavenly Void Ring.
After a while, he raised his head and met the expectant gazes of the two elders, saying, "If we have enough raw materials and help, I estimate we have a 70% chance of success."
“Good…” HP laughed loudly and said, “The two of us brothers will assist you. If that’s not enough, I’ll bring all the tens of thousands of disciples from the Jade Cauldron Sect here to help.”
The elders nearby exchanged bewildered glances, wondering if the old man had gone mad from refining weapons.
"No need for that." What would be the point of having so many people? It's not like we're conscripting people to build the Great Wall. Xiao Wenbing waved his hands repeatedly and said, "However, even if it succeeds, the effect won't be as good as the original. I estimate it will only be about 80%."
"Eighty percent? If it's even half of what the Ancestral Master's House has, I'll be eternally grateful." HP sighed deeply. Xiao Wenbing was so young, only at the Golden Core stage, not even ranked in the cultivation world. But even he, his mastery of Daoist artifacts had reached an unbelievable level. Thinking of his own brother, he couldn't help but feel old.
This thatched hut may seem ordinary, but it is a renowned sacred place in the cultivation world.
In the entire cultivation world, whether naturally formed or man-made, there are no more than ten such places.
Every so often, top figures from various schools and sects would come here to request permission to stay in the thatched hut for a year or two.
Their sole purpose in coming here was to maintain a calm state of mind in order to face the impending calamity.
Those who are stuck in a dead end may still improve if their journalistic skills are lacking, but if their personal cultivation and mindset are insufficient, then improvement will be extremely difficult.
In particular, cultivators in the Tribulation Transcending stage have an inherent fear of the Heavenly Tribulation. The closer they get to the Heavenly Tribulation, the more likely they are to develop inner demons.
If one's inner demons become too strong, when facing the Heavenly Tribulation in the future, one's cultivation may not even be able to exert half of its power. Even worse, some cultivators cannot even withstand the Heavenly Tribulation and directly suffer a cultivation deviation, dying instantly.
However, this thatched hut is mysterious and extraordinary. If someone lives in it, they will naturally become calm and peaceful, and become one with nature. They can easily enter the state of harmony between man and nature, which is of great benefit to their self-cultivation.
If someone were to live in this thatched hut, then one of the greatest enemies of cultivators, the inner demon, would no longer be a threat.
Ever since the first elder who discovered its secrets informed the sect leader, this thatched hut has become a vital place for the Jade Cauldron Sect.
Who wouldn't want to own several of these treasures?
Therefore, the former sect leader of the Jade Cauldron Sect issued a decree, inviting all the masters in the world who could explore its mysteries to enter the Hall of Ten Thousand Treasures and choose any rare treasures within.
The decree immediately became the most sensational topic in the cultivation world that year.
Wanbaotang is a mysterious place. Even disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sect can only have the opportunity to enter Wanbaotang once they are promoted to elder.
I've heard that Wanbaotang possesses countless treasures, and acquiring just one item can bring glory to one's family and greatly increase one's power.
Such a win-win situation is hard to resist, so top experts from all sides flocked to visit. However, even a thousand years later, no one has been able to find out the reason behind it.
As for the Jade Cauldron Sect, over the past ten thousand years, with tens of millions of disciples and students, they have all devoted themselves to their studies and explorations, but in the end, they have achieved nothing.
Finally, a senior who had already passed through the Heavenly Tribulation and was about to ascend to immortality suddenly realized the reason behind it.
This thatched hut has been refined into a magical artifact by an unknown predecessor. This artifact contains celestial energy, which is why it has unparalleled super effects.
After receiving the correct answer, everyone gave up in dejection.
Celestial energy is a unique type of energy in the cultivation world. It is not something that cultivators can use.
Now that we know the key lies in the celestial energy, naturally no one will harbor any more delusional thoughts.
Only today has someone, a young man in the Golden Core stage who was unknown in the cultivation world, made the bold statement about building a new thatched hut.
"He...he's going to forge a magical artifact just like the one from the Ancestral Master's House?" Elder Huifeng suddenly stammered out the question.
Only at this moment did he finally understand the conversation between Elder Hui and Xiao Wenbingbo, but the answer was simply too shocking. Not only him, but the other elders also looked at each other in disbelief.
"No, no, no..." Xiao Wenbing shook his head repeatedly and said, "Perhaps the elders have misheard. How could I presume to compare myself with the sages of the past, let alone boast that I would forge such a magical artifact?"
"Oh..." Huifeng and the others breathed a sigh of relief. It would be utterly ridiculous for a cultivator at the Golden Core stage to make such a boast.
“Hehe,” Xiao Wenbing smiled and slowly said, “What I mean is…” Xiao Wenbing drew out his words to attract their attention, “I just want to replicate a few magical artifacts that are similar to the Ancestral Master’s House.”
His nonchalant tone carried a hint of mockery, causing Huifeng and the others to blush with embarrassment, realizing they had been thoroughly tricked.
"You...you brat spouting nonsense!" Hui Feng was so angry that he blew his beard and glared. If it weren't for the presence of the two elders, He Pu, he would have rushed up and taken down this arrogant young man to punish him.
"Senior, do you not believe me?"
"Haha, believe you? I'd be a fool to believe you!" Hui Feng roared. He had been cultivating in the Jade Cauldron Sect for hundreds of years, living a life of luxury. This was the first time he had been contradicted by a junior in the Golden Core stage. It was already a stroke of luck that he hadn't died of anger.
“Alright, then this junior will make a bet with the senior.”
What do you want to bet?
"Hmm..." Xiao Wenbing looked Huifeng up and down and asked, "I wonder how wealthy you are, senior?"
Everyone was stunned, never expecting Xiao Wenbing to ask such a question.
“A lot.” Hui Feng, annoyed, didn’t bother with Xi En and blurted out without thinking.
"Really?"
"certainly."
"Alright, I'll take the bet. If I succeed in refining it, I'll ask you to exhaust your entire fortune to do something for me."
"What if you can't refine it?"
"If you cannot refine it, I will hand over these hundred or so pounds of meat to you, senior, and you may do with it as you see fit."
"Hmph, I..." Huifeng was about to agree when he suddenly realized that this junior had an extremely ambiguous relationship with the Grand Elder. Even if he fell into his hands, he wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to him. How could he participate in such a gamble where there was no winner and he was guaranteed to lose? He reacted quickly and said, "Wait, I'm not the Moonlit Wolf King. Why would I want your dried meat? No way..."
Volume Four: The Divine Artifacts Chapter 164: Heavenly Thunder Talisman
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Feng and Zhang turned their heads at the same time, their eyes filled with doubt. They didn't know why Xiao Wenbing would show such a greedy side, which seemed inconsistent with his nature.
Did Xiao Wenbing become greedy after his training at the Ancestral Master's House?
However, they immediately shook their heads and rejected the idea, saying it was absolutely impossible.
Suddenly, a loud voice came from among the crowd.
“I’ll pay for him.”
Everyone was taken aback and looked up to see Elder Huipu, his sleeves fluttering, looking completely at ease. The words he had just spoken were indeed spoken by this Grand Elder of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
Hui Feng's eyelids twitched; he never expected the Grand Elder to trust this person so much. After a moment's hesitation, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I'll take the bet." He simply couldn't believe that a mere Golden Core cultivator could solve this age-old mystery.
Moreover, having already reached this point, if he were to back down now, he would truly become a laughingstock. Therefore, even if it meant gritting his teeth, he had no choice but to persevere.
The other old Taoists exchanged glances. Although they were equally incredulous, who was Elder Hewlett-Packard? They held this elder in the highest esteem. Since Hewlett-Packard was so supportive, they naturally had to think it over carefully.
Xiao Wenbing laughed loudly three times and said, "Since you have agreed, then it's settled."
"Hmph, I am, after all, one of the elders of the Jade Cauldron Sect. Why would I lie to a brat like you?" Hui Feng snorted angrily. Since the bet had been made, there was no reason for him to go back on his word.
Moreover, once he calmed down, he immediately regained the composure befitting a master. He felt a pang of regret; given his status, he shouldn't have bothered with this kid.
Xiao Wenbing clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the crowd. He said, "Yaqi, Baiyi, come in with me." After saying that, he turned and walked towards the thatched hut.
The two women exchanged a glance, then stepped forward at the same time, following each other as promised.
Behind them, HP suddenly called out loudly, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, please let us know what materials we need to prepare."
Xiao Wenbing stopped and pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "Senior, please give me a day to think it over. I will give you my answer by this time tomorrow."
He had a smile on his face, but he was actually clueless. As for what materials were needed, asking him was useless; he should ask the Mirror God.
However, HP didn't notice anything amiss and, still smiling, said loudly, "Okay."
Xiao Wenbing bowed again and led the two women into the thatched hut.
HP nodded to his fellow students and then drifted away.
Huifeng and the others clasped their hands in respect to see them off. Although the Grand Elder had just given them a hard time, in the cultivation world, where strength speaks volumes, they dared not utter a single complaint.
Huiming glanced at them, sighed deeply, and remained silent.
Huifeng clearly had a very good relationship with him. He stepped forward and asked softly, "Senior Brother Ming, what is this person's background?"
"He is a rising star on Earth."
"Oh, just an unknown junior, why does the Grand Elder value him so much?"
“Because, sigh… I said, junior brother, you won! How could you be so reckless as to make such a bet with a junior? If word gets out, you’ll lose face no matter who wins or loses,” Huiming suddenly shook his head.
Hui Feng blushed and said, "I was confused for a moment."
"A moment of confusion? Where has all your centuries of cultivation gone? After this is over, go and cultivate in the Ancestral Hall for a few years." Huiming instructed helplessly.
"Yes," Huifeng replied with genuine admiration.
"Senior brother, you said this boy can successfully refine it?" another elder leaned in and asked in a low voice.
After a moment's thought, Huiming said seriously, "The number is fifty-five."
"A fifty-fifty number?" The old Taoists were shocked, never expecting Huiming to give this person such a high evaluation.
"Indeed, this young man, at the Core Formation stage, had already independently completed the 'Ten-Fold Advancement' advanced magic weapon in the Hundred-Fold Technique. A few days ago, he even overcame a huge problem in the cultivation world and refined a high-level magic weapon that combines the five elements and has mutual generation and restraint. Such a person... is already considered low in the 50/50 ratio."