Xiao Wenbing nodded suddenly and asked, "Then what about the wood spirits that didn't ascend? Where did they go?" Wood spirits are rare treasures of heaven and earth. If he could obtain more of them, it would definitely be a great thing for him.
"Alas...they tragically died young."
"Died young? Are you kidding me?"
"No, they were captured and used to make magical artifacts."
Xiao Wenbing glanced at the old man cautiously; his young face was filled with sadness. He asked softly, "Are you just going to stand by and do nothing?"
"Descendants have their own fortunes; that is their fate, and even I am powerless to change it."
Xiao Wenbing curled his lip, completely giving up on trying to persuade the old man to join forces against the demons. Just by looking at his indifferent attitude towards his own direct descendants, it was clear that he would never take action for the sake of humanity.
"Senior, the Treasure God once said that he cannot appear in this realm. Do you have a way to prevent this?" Xiao Wenbing asked.
If the precious god could appear openly and legitimately in this realm, then Xiao would have absolute confidence in launching a counterattack against the demon realm. A god, a true god, should be able to easily defeat those demon bastards.
"No, unless he first enters the realm of gods, cleanses himself, condenses his divine body, and advances to become a top-level god, he can transform into thousands of forms, suppress his power, and travel to the lower realm. As for his true body, it absolutely cannot come out of this realm."
Xiao Wenbing listened with great interest. He had rarely heard of such things about gods. Even the Mirror God would pretend to be deaf and dumb and refuse to answer when asked such questions.
Seeing that the Divine Tree Ancestor was interested, Xiao Wenbing immediately pressed, "What if it appears?"
"If the true form of God appears in this world, then this world will face annihilation."
I was slightly startled. A catastrophic disaster? Was he exaggerating?
Is it that serious?
"Of course, the power of the true god is not allowed to appear in this realm."
"But what about the power of chaos? Isn't that also the power of a god? If we're talking about levels, even the Treasure God couldn't catch up." Xiao Wenbing's implication was that if even the power of chaos could exist, then why couldn't the Treasure God?
"That's different. Creation, order, and destruction are all indispensable parts of this world. So as long as the power of chaos is kept within a certain range, it won't have any impact," the Divine Tree Ancestor patiently explained.
Xiao Wenbing nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Senior, who is more capable, you or him?"
“Hmm, this…” Ancestor Shenmu considered it carefully for a while and said, “Since he has not yet entered the God Realm, his divine power cannot reach its perfect peak state. So right now, I am the one who is superior.”
Xiao Wenbing raised his eyebrows. If it were someone else with only the Golden Core cultivation who boasted that they could defeat a god with divine power and divine status, he would absolutely not believe it. But since it came from this Divine Tree Ancestor, he believed it.
Although this old fellow only possesses the cultivation of the Golden Core stage, his invincibility stems from the sheer power of the energy he contains. While the power of the Treasure God is absolutely invincible in this realm, because he has never been to the God Realm and has never absorbed pure divine power, the Treasure God, who has always remained hidden in this realm, can never unleash his full potential.
Given this shift in power, it's no surprise that the Divine Tree Ancestor was able to achieve final victory.
Just as a hand grenade's power cannot be compared to an atomic bomb, the destruction caused by one hundred million, or even ten billion hand grenades exploding together is greater than that of an atomic bomb.
Of course, all of this is just the old ancestor of the divine tree's assumptions, and the real situation is...
Once their cultivation reaches this level, unless they actually fight, no one can say for sure who is stronger.
Nodding in understanding, Xiao Wenbing considered to himself that there was no point in continuing the conversation when the old man was not on the same page. Since he already knew the answer to what the old man wanted to know, and he couldn't persuade him otherwise, he might as well try his luck himself.
So he bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior. May I ask where Brother Mu Ling has gone? This junior wishes to go to the Dragon Palace and Phoenix Nest, so I will take my leave now."
The Divine Tree Ancestor laughed and said, "Little friend, do you really want to go straight to the Dragon Palace and Phoenix Nest?"
Xiao Wenbing's heart tightened. Had he seen through this as well? However, he was quite good at maintaining his composure. Although he was shocked, he kept a straight face and said, "Indeed, what are your instructions, senior?"
The Divine Tree Ancestor smiled and said, "I was just reminding you because I was afraid that you might still be thinking about the spirits and monsters that were in the separation and reunion period earlier."
Xiao Wenbing gave a wry smile. As expected of an old fellow who has lived for countless years, his mind is still sharp enough that it is truly remarkable.
He had been planning this for a while. Since Mu Ling was the direct descendant of the Divine Tree Ancestor, it shouldn't be a problem to use his name to swindle and deceive some experts. He just didn't expect the Divine Tree Ancestor to be as shrewd as a monkey, seeing through his intentions at a glance.
With a helpless smile, he realized that since even this path was blocked, the trip had clearly been a waste of time.
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts: Chapter 210 Exchange of Divine Power (Part 1) - Chapter 211 Exchange of Divine Power (Part 2)
Seeing Xiao Wenbing's dejected expression, the Divine Tree Ancestor suddenly laughed and said, "Little friend, don't be so downcast. Since we've met, it must be fate. Come, come, I'll give you something."
"What is it?" Xiao Wenbing was delighted. Since it was given by the Divine Tree Ancestor, it couldn't be too bad, could it? Although he couldn't lure those spirits to the battlefield to fight, obtaining some treasures was always a good thing.
The Divine Tree Ancestor pointed behind him and said, "Go and dig a piece of bark from my body." (Mi Bing'er)
"Tree bark?" Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. What would I need your tree bark for? But then he thought for a moment and immediately understood. He laughed and said, "Alright, thank you very much, sir."
Since this old man represents the Tree of Life in this world, and even a single leaf is a planet, then a piece of bark must also be a priceless treasure.
Although I'm not sure how to use this treasure, the Wood Spirit or the Mirror God should have a clue. I can ask them for advice later.
Lost in thought, he approached the base of the giant tree. The closer he got to the immense trunk of the Divine Tree Ancestor, the more intense the pressure became. It was a feeling completely different from divine power, yet the effects were comparable.
Therefore, it is clear that the old ancestor of the divine tree did not boast that he could defeat the treasure god without any basis.
Of course, this idea must not be known to the Baby God, otherwise if the two of them really start fighting, this realm will probably be doomed.
Xiao Wenbing had absolutely no intention of becoming a casualty in the funeral rites...
Looking up, on the big tree that represented this world, many old bark grew in knots and bumps. It looked no different from ordinary trees, but Xiao Wenbing knew that the two were absolutely not comparable.
He reached out and pressed his hand against the tree trunk, giving it a hard pull, but it wouldn't budge. His face flushed red, and he thought to himself, "Something's fishy here. What's going on?"
Looking back, he saw that the Divine Tree Ancestor was still smiling at him, and a surge of indomitable spirit welled up in his heart. He turned around, gathered all his spiritual power, shouted, and pulled with all his might.
Huh, why is there still no movement? I've used every ounce of my strength, even my last drop of power, but I can't even budge a bit of bark. It seems that, at the very least, this old tree is no less hard than the spirit of the earth.
It truly is a treasure. Although he hasn't yet managed to get a single piece of bark, Xiao Wenbing is already certain that this is a rare gem. However, he wonders if the Divine Tree Ancestor is deliberately making things difficult for him; how is he supposed to dig something this hard?
Turning to look at the Divine Tree Ancestor, who still wore a peaceful smile, he steeled his resolve. "You forced me to do this."
Since we can't dig it out with our hands, then...
Xiao Wenbing extended his consciousness into the Heavenly Void Ring, rummaging around inside for a long time, but found no divine weapons or powerful artifacts. Having no other choice, he casually pulled out a Heavenly Thunder Talisman and decided to try it. With an ancestor as large as the Divine Wood Ancestor, a couple of strikes from heavenly thunder shouldn't harm him, right?
"Hey, hey... wait, what's that in your hand?" Before Xiao Wenbing could even cast a spell, he heard the urgent call of the Divine Tree Ancestor.
"Huh? A Heavenly Thunder Talisman." Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, quite surprised... Could it be that even the Divine Tree Ancestor would be afraid of a Heavenly Thunder Talisman?
He glanced back and explained without changing his expression, "Your skin is too tough; I can't pry it off. So I thought I'd try smashing it with a Heavenly Thunder Talisman. If that doesn't work, there are a few Immortal Spirit Talismans here. I think I can blast off some residue no matter what I do..."
"Heavenly Thunder and Celestial Spirit? How could a child possibly possess these two items?" For the first time, an expression of extreme surprise appeared on the face of the Divine Tree Ancestor. Clearly, even he found these two treasures somewhat strange.
"I refined it myself." Xiao Wenbing told the truth, and then asked, "With your cultivation level, I'm afraid you wouldn't care about this little bit of damage, would you?"
The Divine Tree Ancestor shook his head slightly and said solemnly, "Although such a small amount of energy cannot cause me any harm, if it were to trigger the Chaos Wall outside, this realm would be completely destroyed. Therefore, I think it's best not to use it."
"Really?" Xiao Wenbing was taken aback and asked, "But I want your skin. How can I dig it out without these two treasures?"
The Divine Tree Ancestor sighed and said, "This is originally a test of endurance. As long as you persevere and use all your strength to pull it down, even if you break a little bark and a drop of blood flows onto the tree trunk, a piece will automatically fall off."
"Oh, really? Why didn't you say so earlier? It's just a drop of blood, that's easy to handle." Xiao Wenbing bit his finger hard with his teeth, breaking the skin a little, and carefully squeezed out a little blood, which dripped onto the tree bark.
The Divine Tree Ancestor silently shook his head. If he were to reveal it directly, what kind of test would it be? Although his identity was extremely special, Xiao Wenbing was not the first cultivator to come here and see his true form over countless years. Those who came before either endured the ordeal, obtaining the treasure and leaving, or gave up and left in anger.
But no one has ever been able to produce a Heavenly Thunder Talisman that even he fears. This little guy is truly a strange person. (Mi Bing'er)
Xiao Wenbing dripped a little blood onto the tree bark, and sure enough, a large patch of bark began to loosen. Overjoyed, he casually pulled it off, but then something even more surprising happened.
His single drop of blood suddenly dispersed, like a giant slashing downwards. Wherever the blood-stained blade passed, the bark immediately detached from the trunk, until the blood had completely merged with the tree. A large, almost perfect piece of bark was peeled off. And beneath the bark, several thin roots were faintly visible.
Holding the piece of bark, which was several sizes larger than his own body, Xiao Wenbing beamed with joy. It was worth it, absolutely worth it. Exchanging a drop of blood for such a large piece of precious bark was definitely an extremely worthwhile deal.
He happily collected the bark, then hesitated, wondering if he should drip another drop. Such a good thing was unlikely to come twice.
He turned around, about to ask the Divine Tree Ancestor a question, but then he was taken aback.
At this moment, the Divine Tree Ancestor was squinting his eyes and taking a deep breath, looking as if he were an addict smoking heroin and enjoying extreme pleasure.
Xiao Wenbing's face stiffened, his mind racing. What was wrong with this old man? A vague sense of foreboding rose in his heart, and he considered leaving without saying goodbye. However, faced with the surrounding mist, he was unsure what to do. Without a guide, who knew if he could get out safely?
While he was still hesitating, the Divine Tree Ancestor had already returned to normal. He slowly turned around, looked Xiao Wenbing over again, and his eyes revealed a strange look.
"Hehe... I wonder what instructions the Ancestor has?" Xiao Wenbing was on high alert. Although he knew that with the difference in strength between the two sides, it would be useless for him to be on guard, but waiting to die was not in his nature.
"I misread it."
"What?"
"So the divine power within you wasn't bestowed by that trash god. What flows within you is actually the power of creation."
"Ah!" Xiao Wenbing exclaimed, realizing it must be due to the drop of blood from before. He gave a bitter smile; it was a case of good fortune and misfortune intertwined. Looking at the other person's malicious smile, his good mood from just obtaining a large piece of tree bark vanished instantly.
"How about we discuss something with you, young friend?"
"Please speak, senior." Xiao Wenbing cursed inwardly, "This is your territory, how can I refuse?" At this moment, he was filled with regret. If Zhang Yaqi and the others were still with him, he would have immediately contacted the Treasure God and escaped this place as soon as possible.
But at this moment, not only were Zhang and Feng not by his side, but even Die Xian was playing on the outskirts. It was absolutely impossible for him to abandon them and escape alone.
“The divine power within you comes from the lineage of the Creator God, while I have not replenished my divine power since I left the Creator God. Therefore, I would like to exchange some of the power of creation with you, young friend.”
"Exchange?" Xiao Wenbing was greatly surprised. The amiable attitude of the Divine Tree Ancestor had given him a great sense of reassurance. However, how could this power of creation be exchanged?
“Indeed, young friend, don’t you need manpower to resist the invasion of the demon realm? I am willing to provide one hundred top-level tribulation-transcending spirits to lend a helping hand.”
Xiao Wenbing's eyes lit up. One hundred spirits at the Tribulation Transcending stage—that was a formidable force. Even all the cultivators on Earth combined wouldn't be a match for them. But the Divine Tree Ancestor spoke so casually, seemingly unconcerned, clearly indicating that the spirit race's strength was indeed as formidable and unfathomable as he had said.
However, Xiao Wenbing knew even better that the amount of reward one would receive would depend on the amount of labor one would put in. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and acquiring a hundred fresh recruits for nothing was certainly not an easy task. He feared the price he would have to pay would be beyond his means.
Seeing the look in Xiao Wenbing's eyes shift from surprise to hesitation, the Divine Tree Ancestor suddenly sighed and said, "If you can agree, I also have a Dragon King's reverse scale and a Phoenix Lord's top feather here, which I will also give to you."
"What's the use of the Dragon King's reverse scale and the Phoenix Queen's crown feather?" Xiao Wenbing asked. Since the Divine Tree Ancestor was so reluctant to part with them, they must be good things.
"This is a token given to me by the previous Dragon King and Phoenix Lord. If our spirit clan needs their help in any way, we can ask for it here, and they will do their best to assist us."
Upon hearing what the Divine Tree Ancestor said, Xiao Wenbing's expression shifted, and he suddenly clapped his hands, saying, "I understand. As long as I take this to them and ask for help, they will probably send a few high-level people to me."
"Not bad," the Divine Tree Ancestor praised. "Although they can't mobilize their entire clan, they will at least send enough people, and they will not disappoint you."
Xiao Wenbing's face lit up with joy, and he asked, "Um, senior, how many of these dragon scales and phoenix feathers do you have?"
"not much."
"Not many? That means there's more than one." Xiao Wenbing stared at the Divine Tree Ancestor, trying to glean something from his face. However, the old man's expression remained unchanged, maintaining a amiable smile throughout.
"yes."
Xiao Wenbing nodded. No wonder he was so generous; it turned out he wasn't a unique item after all.