Mu Ling bowed deeply and said, "It has been almost three thousand years since Mu Ling left this place. I never thought that I would have the day to return home. I am truly grateful to Fellow Daoist Xiao."
"Ah!" Xiao Wenbing then realized that the three clans themselves had brought Mu Ling to the Divine Wood Clan. Thinking about it, it made sense. If Xiao Wenbing hadn't insisted, Zhang Yaqi naturally wouldn't have come along. And without Zhang Yaqi's help, who knows how long it would have taken for Mu Ling, hiding in the Qiankun Circle, to return to the Divine Wood Clan.
Perhaps, this opportunity will never come again; it's hard to say.
Mu Ling turned around again, bowed deeply to Zhang Yaqi, and said, "Master, Mu Ling wishes to go in and pay respects to the Ancestor. Please allow me to."
Zhang Yaqi returned the greeting and said, "Please go ahead, Fellow Daoist Mu."
Mu Ling smiled at them and walked towards the palace gate.
Xiao Wenbing suddenly remembered something, his heart skipped a beat, and seeing that Mu Zhiling had not yet gone in, he hurriedly called out loudly, "Brother Mu, please wait a moment."
Mu Ling turned around and asked, "What are your instructions, Fellow Daoist Xiao?"
"I wouldn't dare." Xiao Wenbing's face was full of smiles as he asked, "Brother Muling, after this trip to the Divine Wood Clan, will you return to the Qiankun Circle?"
Mu Ling's figure flashed and disappeared at the gate, but his loud laughter echoed from afar: "Fellow Daoist Xiao, rest assured, the moment you leave will be the moment Mu Ling returns."
Xiao Wenbing breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to see Zhang Yaqi smiling, as if she was blaming him for being overthinking.
With an awkward laugh, Xiao Wenbing said, "Yaqi, I'm doing this for your own good."
"Yes, I know," Zhang Yaqi replied calmly, a hint of emotion flickering in her eyes.
It should be noted that the identity of a Wood Spirit is extraordinary. This kind of spirit of heaven and earth is different from cultivators. Once it takes shape and forms an infant, its magical power is so high that even old monsters in the Tribulation Transcending stage would have to admit defeat.
If the Wood Spirit resided within the Universe Ring, its power would be no less than that of any master in the cultivation world. However, if the Wood Spirit were to leave the Universe Ring, its power would inevitably be greatly diminished. At the very least, it would not possess its current formidable strength.
Although there is another elemental spirit, the Earth Spirit, residing within the Qiankun Circle, how can a newly formed Earth Spirit compare to a Nascent Soul Wood Spirit? Therefore, that large stone slab is absolutely unreliable.
Xiao Wenbing understood this principle well, so he was worried that Mu Ling might not return. Therefore, he asked her if it would be a loss if the power of the Qiankun Ring was greatly reduced in order to visit the Shenmu Clan.
Fortunately, the Wood Spirit's promise put Xiao Wenbing at ease. Like the Earth Spirit, this guy always keeps his word; the spirits of the Five Elements don't understand deceit and trickery.
********
“Let’s go in too.” Xiao Wenbing took the lead and arrived at the palace gate. Just as he was about to push the door open, he suddenly said, “Wait a minute, did any of you see how Mu Ling got in?”
"It seems like they just walked in," Zhang Yaqi said calmly.
“Yes, I was right. He just walked in without opening the door.” Xiao Wenbing laughed. “A blockhead is a blockhead. Even the way he enters is different.”
Feng Baiyi stepped forward and stroked the palace gate with her hand, her expression seemingly quite complicated.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Wenbing asked, noticing Feng Baiyi's strange expression.
"The materials used in this palace are exactly the same as those used in the construction of our Thunder Palace. I originally thought that only our Thunder Palace in the cultivation world had such materials, but I didn't expect to see them here as well," Feng Baiyi explained softly.
Xiao Wenbing looked at her, feeling very strange. Feng Baiyi's behavior was very different from usual. She was able to be patient, and there must be something about her that he didn't understand.
Reaching out to touch the palace gate, Xiao Wenbing frowned, not noticing anything unusual.
Noticing Xiao Wenbing's actions, Feng Baiyi pointed to the endless outer wall of the palace and said, "It's not the gate, it's the wall."
"The wall?" Xiao Wenbing took a few steps back, reached out, and wanted to touch it.
However, a soft little hand quickly grasped the clumsy big hand.
"Are you trying to kill me? You can't touch me!" Feng Baiyi snapped, her voice trembling slightly.
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback and looked up to carefully examine the wall engraved with countless strange patterns.
The patterns on it were actually the language of the gods. As Xiao Wenbing walked and looked at them, he compared them with the words he had forgotten in his mind. His expression grew more and more solemn. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "Chaos? Could it be that this section of the wall was created with the power of heavenly lightning?"
"That's right, the walls here are actually countless bolts of lightning, only they are presented in a solid state."
Xiao Wenbing's face immediately turned ugly. He roared in a low voice, "The Divine Tree Clan used the power of heavenly lightning as a wall here, and didn't even put up a sign. Isn't this deliberately trying to harm people?"
Zhang Yaqi and Feng Baiyi's eyes met unintentionally, and they both saw the fear in each other's eyes. If they had been hit just now... The two women's pretty faces drained of color, and even they felt a deep sense of lingering fear.
Xiao Wenbing was about to continue his scolding when he suddenly saw the two women's expressions. He immediately stopped and forced a smile, saying, "What's wrong? Why are you all making such faces? I didn't touch them. Besides, even if I had, it might not have caused any problems."
Feng Baiyi glanced at him with lingering fear, thinking, "If you're so capable, why don't you just try it?" However, the words caught in her throat, and she swallowed them back. Deep down, she was genuinely afraid that this audacious fellow would actually try it.
Just then, the tightly closed door, which seemed eternally unchanging and would never be opened, suddenly emitted a piercing sound.
All three of them looked in the same direction as the door slowly opened.
A dozen or so people dressed in strange clothes emerged one after another. Their skin was very similar to that of the Wood Spirits, both having a faint emerald green hue. However, their bodies were not as robust as the Wood Spirits'; they were all thin and wiry, looking like a group of skeletons dressed in clothes, which was indescribably comical.
However, Xiao Wenbing dared not underestimate these skeletons, for they were none other than the renowned Divine Wood Venerable, who was famous throughout the cultivation world.
"Venerable ones are welcoming guests! Eh, there are actually twelve Venerables!" Feng Baiyi exclaimed softly in surprise.
"What?"
"The welcoming ceremony by Venerables is a ritual of the Divine Tree Clan to greet guests. The more Venerables who come out, the higher the status of the guest," Feng Baiyi quickly explained. "My mother told me that even when the nine Heavenly Venerables of the Thunder Palace went to the Divine Tree Clan, only four Divine Tree Venerables came out to greet them. The appearance of twelve Venerables together is already the highest etiquette of the Divine Tree Clan."
"Oh, really?" Xiao Wenbing said happily, "In that case, we are the most honored guests."
Feng Baiyi frowned deeply, clearly indicating that this matter was beyond her knowledge: "Probably." However, judging from her tone, she had no certainty whatsoever.
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 206: The Mist
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"Sister, has there ever been a precedent of the twelve Divine Tree Venerables coming out to greet you together?" Zhang Yaqi stepped forward and whispered in Feng Baiyi's ear.
"have."
Xiao Wenbing, who had overheard everything, asked immediately before Zhang Yaqi could even ask, "Who?"
“The three great sages.” Feng Baiyi said calmly, but Xiao Wenbing could detect a natural reverence in her voice.
Xiao Wenbing gave an "oh," realizing that what others valued wasn't the three of them, but rather the three great sages who had already ascended to the Immortal Realm. The three of them could be considered to have benefited from the influence of these three elders.
Especially Zhang Yaqi, with the Qiankun Ring in hand, is the undisputed direct descendant of Bai Lu Zhenren. As for Feng Wudi, the Heavenly Thunder Body is not something that just anyone can possess.
On the contrary, he himself was the least conspicuous among the three. Although he also possessed pseudo-divine power, no one else knew it.
"Ah..." Xiao Wenbing sighed in disappointment and said, "So it turns out I'm only able to enjoy such treatment because of you."
Sensing the strong sourness in his voice, Zhang Yaqi opened her mouth slightly, but for a moment, she couldn't think of how to comfort him.
"You... are not bad."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback and looked at Feng Baiyi with suspicion, never expecting her to offer words of comfort.
The twelve people moved in unison, their movements seemingly guided by a special tacit understanding, as if they were one person, and quickly arrived beside them.
The leader bowed deeply to Xiao Wenbing and said, "Welcome, Divine Envoy."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, turned his head to look around, and saw that there was no one else besides Zhang Yaqi and Feng Baiyi. So he pointed to himself and asked, "Divine Envoy? Me?"
"Exactly."
"You've set up this elaborate setup, are you here specifically to welcome me?" Xiao Wenbing asked, looking at them with a strange expression.
The twelve Venerables of the Divine Tree bowed in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, and even their voices were identical: "This is the first time since the founding of the Divine Tree Clan that a divine envoy has graced us with his presence. The twelve Venerables are here to welcome the divine envoy, of course."
Xiao Wenbing scratched his head, wondering what kind of divine messenger he was. Could these blockheads have made a mistake?
However, under these circumstances, even if he was a fake, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go in first. Six of the twelve Venerables led the way, and six followed behind, welcoming them through the wide-open gate.
"Wenbing, so we're all thanks to you," Zhang Yaqi said with a slight smile.
Xiao Wenbing shook his head slightly and said, "Heaven knows where this divine messenger of mine came from."
“My precious god,” Feng Baiyi suddenly whispered.
"Ah." Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized, it must be so.
In Wanbaotang, he recognized the Treasure God as his master. Such a direct recognition of a deity as a master is absolutely unique in the cultivation world.
Because any being who has reached the level of "god" cannot come to the cultivation world. Not even an incarnation of a god.
According to the God of Baby, all gods who leave the realm of gods will suffer punishment from the God of Destruction. Even within the realm of gods, few can withstand the attack of the chaotic power personally orchestrated by the God of Destruction. I remember the boundless longing in the tone of the God of Baby's voice when he said these words; clearly, the God of Baby was still troubled by the fact that although he had become a god, he had never been able to enter the realm of gods.
Since there is only one deity in this realm, the Treasure God, there can only be one divine messenger like him in this realm.
“So…” Xiao Wenbing laughed heartily, “This treasure god is actually quite useful.”
The reason he only remembered it so late was because he had spent a long time with the Baby God and knew its origins well. He simply couldn't feel any reverence for that guy who, although possessing divine power and divinity, had no divine majesty whatsoever.
Yes, the master-servant contract has indeed been signed, but judging from the way the two of them get along, it's really hard to say who is the true master.
To put it bluntly, a master should act like a master. If the master is a cowardly and timid person, then it is understandable that the servants will ride roughshod over him. And the precious god is undoubtedly that useless master.
"However, how did they know?" Feng Baiyi asked softly.
Xiao Wenbing paused in his steps. Yes, how did they know his identity as the Divine Invincible Dragon Book House Organizer?
"It must have been Mu Ling who said it," Zhang Yaqi guessed softly.
"Hmm, only this explanation makes sense." Xiao Wenbing complained inwardly, realizing there was a big spy right next to him. However, without this spy, receiving such a high level of hospitality would probably have been just a dream.
Upon entering the gate, a bright and cheerful sight suddenly appeared before my eyes.
If the magnificent and imposing palace outside the gate exudes a sense of awe, then stepping inside reveals a completely different and magical world.
Looking around, it's like another world altogether, with towering peaks, primeval forests, and majestic rivers and lakes. It's unbelievable that you can experience all four seasons here, and witness the coexistence of the scorching equator and the Antarctic.
What surprised them even more was that in every place, there were countless people, some walking around, others meditating and practicing their inner energy. These people were very different from the Divine Tree Venerable, and each had their own unique appearance and appearance.
Xiao Wenbing looked at Feng Baiyi with a questioning gaze, but she shook her head slightly, clearly not knowing why these people, who were obviously not of the same race, could be so carefree in the palace of the Shenmu clan.
The twelve Venerables offered no explanation, leading them around a mountain peak. There, an endless expanse of clouds and mist enveloped an unknown area; even with Xiao Wenbing and the others' keen eyesight, they could not discern the mysteries hidden within the mist.
Just as Xiao Wenbing was in surprise, a person emerged from the mist; it was Mu Ling.
Xiao Wenbing chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoist Mu, I didn't expect to meet you so soon."
Mu Ling nodded, bowed to Xiao Wenbing, and said solemnly, "Yes, Fellow Daoist Xiao, the Ancestor has invited the Divine Envoy to speak."
Xiao Wenbing glanced at the seemingly endless fog in front of him and said, "Alright, Brother Mu, you go first."
As the three of them were about to go in, Mu Ling shook her head slightly and said, "The Ancestor only invites one of you to go."
Feng Baiyi frowned, about to object, but Xiao Wenbing waved his hand and said, "Alright, I'll go alone." After saying that, he turned to the two women and instructed them, "I don't know why, but I sensed a very familiar aura inside, a very friendly, well, you could say it's a kind of energy from the same source. So I believe there will be no danger on this trip. You wait outside for a while, I'll be right back."