Long Shi and Shi Wang, who were standing at the back, breathed a sigh of relief. The indescribable and intense sense of oppression had finally disappeared.
However, before they could catch their breath, they heard Shabir exclaim, "Oh no..."
Instantly, the heart that had been half relieved jumped high again. Yilong and Yihua turned their heads and glared angrily. This guy looked like a ghost, and the way he shouted sounded like a ghost too.
But Shabir had no time to glare at the two of them. After the pressure was lifted, the smoke on his body suddenly contracted and condensed, and he shrank to more than half his original size, clinging tightly to the snake's body.
What is he doing? The Food King and Long Shi exchanged a puzzled look, and then the two of them simultaneously made standard defensive gestures. Although they couldn't understand what Shabir was wary of, it must be something extraordinary that could make an immortal so careful.
quiet……
A moment of silence.
"What...are you doing?"
A clear, questioning voice rang out beside them. After looking around for a while, Butterfly Fairy finally mustered up her courage and asked.
Shabir reached out and conjured a cloud of smoke, pulling Butterfly Fairy to his side. He whispered, "Fellow Daoist Xiao and the others have already used all their strength; they can't stop now. We need...we need...that..."
The sound of the plume of smoke suddenly stopped, then it stared intently ahead, unable to look away.
Unbeknownst to them, the churning waters outside the Starry Sky Illusionary Realm had calmed down. Tens of thousands of Nascent Souls flickered in the water, emitting countless rays of light that dazzled the group. A moment later, when their vision returned, everything was empty. Not only were the tens of thousands of Nascent Souls gone, but even Xiao Wenbing and the other two had vanished into thin air.
"Where are they...?" Long Shi asked in a low voice.
The three inhuman beings stared at each other, speechless.
Spiritual energy converged. The tension was palpable; a battle was inevitable.
Shabir's observation was accurate. There seemed to be a mysterious tacit understanding between Xiao Wenbing and the other two. When the Nascent Soul Gathering Array set up by Xiao Wenbing absorbed enough spiritual power, the energy channel in Feng Baiyi's hand was also fully opened. Whether it was the chaotic power known as the number one energy in the plane, or the water vortex that absorbed endless spiritual power, the energy contained was enough to defeat the swarm of death bees that even the giant snake's incarnation could not defeat once again.
As for Zhang Yaqi, the multicolored light around her transformed into countless stars, swirling around the three of them. The power of the five elements was inexhaustible, forming an optimal protective net.
The three of them worked together flawlessly, ready to strike swiftly should the mysterious guest make a move. Of course, this was already their best effort; the consequences were beyond their control.
However, the pressure suddenly vanished, leaving the three of them feeling bewildered. If Shabir and the others had gathered this level of energy, their only option would be to unleash it immediately, or they would injure themselves.
However, Xiao Wenbing and his two companions held onto the energy that had reached its peak, maintaining a state of readiness to unleash it. If the Food King and the others had seen this, they would have found it even more unbelievable.
The more powerful the energy, the easier it is to unleash and the harder it is to control. Back then, Feng Baiyi's ability to neutralize thunderclouds and storms on the Sacred Star of the Flame Realm had already earned the utmost respect from Quini and the others. However, their performance today was even more impressive.
Such methods and means of energy control are beyond the reach of even immortals.
Indeed, those who can achieve this level are already close to the realm of gods. Xiao Wenbing, possessing a divine nature, can naturally do it, but for Feng and Zhang to do it before their divine nature has even formed indicates that they have already achieved a thorough understanding of how to utilize their own energy. If this trend continues, the formation of divine nature is already a foregone conclusion.
They exchanged glances, and even with the three of them working together, they couldn't immediately come up with a solution to the enemy who had suddenly vanished without a trace.
The scenery before them suddenly changed; the giant snake, the water waves, Long Shi, and the others had all disappeared. Unbeknownst to them, they had arrived in another space, on a vast and boundless beach.
In the sky, a red sun shines with gentle light, and a summer breeze blows, making it warm and pleasant.
However, Xiao Wenbing and his companions had no time to enjoy this wonderful vacation spot. Being suddenly transported to a completely unfamiliar space would not make anyone happy.
A gentle breeze seemed to drift across the sand, and then a faint figure appeared beside them.
"beat……"
Xiao Wenbing was already on high alert. Upon seeing the change, he immediately attacked without hesitation, unleashing a powerful whirlwind mixed with a strange energy.
Faced with such a mysterious and unpredictable enemy, it is only right to strike first.
Feng Baiyi seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still followed Xiao Wenbing and unleashed the Heavenly Thunder Sword in his hand.
Zhang Yaqi's hand shone brightly, the power of the five elements transforming into a colorful ribbon that flew towards the illusory circle of figures. Once caught in the Qiankun Ring, even the Dark God would be unable to escape. She had immense confidence in this.
The figures in front finally materialized, but as soon as they appeared, they were met with a powerful attack from Xiao Wenbing and his two companions working together.
The whirlwind, lightning, and ribbons struck the man almost simultaneously.
Then, everything returned to normal.
There were no dazzling lights, no deafening explosions, and not even a speck of dust was kicked up.
These three devastating energies vanished the instant they touched this person. Xiao Wenbing and the others' expressions changed drastically. Just now, they had a strange illusion. It was as if what stood before them was not a person, but a black hole, an unfathomable black hole capable of swallowing everything.
Upon closer inspection, the person in front of me had a wrinkled old face, two small, beady eyes, a flat mouth, and most strikingly, a thick tortoise shell on his back.
Xiao Wenbing's eyes widened instantly. He pointed at the person in front of him and exclaimed, "Turtle..."
"What turtles? I am one of the rulers of the Underworld... Your cultivation is so shallow, what are you doing in the Underworld?"
Turning around, he met the eyes of the two women and saw the surprise in each other's eyes. When they first encountered that oppressive aura, they both thought it was a fierce and evil god. However, when the god actually appeared, it was completely different from what they had imagined.
Zhang Yaqi stepped forward, gave a slight bow, and said, "We have come to the Underworld to ask for something."
"What is it? Tell me, maybe this old man can help," the old tortoise said, stretching his neck.
Xiao Wenbing thought to himself, "He still says he's not a turtle, but this action is clearly that of a turtle, an old turtle that has been around for who knows how many years."
Zhang Yaqi smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, senior. We have come here for the Water Spirit."
Xiao Wenbing was startled and wanted to stop him, but Zhang Yaqi had already spoken. After thinking about it, he realized that if this person had malicious intentions, they would definitely be no match for him. So he decided to tell the truth and see his reaction.
"The Spirit of Water?" The old tortoise looked surprised and said, "The Spirit of Water has appeared on this level again?" He glanced at the Qiankun Ring on Zhang Yaqi's wrist and nodded, "That's right, even the Spirits of Earth and Wood are here. Then you should go find the Spirit of Water. Alas... what a pity."
"What's a pity?"
The old tortoise shook its head and said, "It's a pity that the spirit of fire is hard to come by, otherwise we might be able to have all five elements."
Xiao Wenbing's expression shifted, and he hurriedly asked, "Senior, do you know the whereabouts of Jin Zhiling?"
The old tortoise chuckled, reached into his hand, and pulled out a cane, saying, "Look, this is the Spirit of Gold."
Taking two steps forward and staring at the cane for a long time, Xiao Wenbing asked in surprise, "This cane is indeed peculiar, but I cannot sense any spiritual energy fluctuations on it. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"It's not that I made a mistake, but when I was making this cane, I accidentally killed the Golden Spirit."
"Wh...what?"
"This walking stick was captured by some guy who wanted to forge a powerful artifact, but he accidentally erased the spirit of the golden spirit." The old tortoise sighed, his expression full of regret. "The golden spirit's effectiveness was greatly reduced after losing its spirit, so I asked him for it and kept it as a walking stick."
"Oh, so it's the dead Golden Spirit. Then it's as if it never existed."
"No, it's useless to others, but it's just right for you."
"What?"
"As long as you give a little of your own spiritual energy to it, it can give birth to a new spirituality."
Xiao Wenbing looked at him suspiciously. If it was that simple, why didn't this old tortoise use it? He asked softly, "Why me?"
"Because you possess the power of the creator god," the old tortoise said matter-of-factly.
Xiao Wenbing was shocked. It turned out that this person had seen through his supernatural ability with just one glance. Even the Treasure God and the Divine Tree Ancestor could not match this level of insight.
"Here, do you want it?" The old tortoise stretched out his hand, placed his cane in front of Xiao Wenbing, and asked with a smile.
"Nonsense, of course I want it!" A glint flashed in Xiao Wenbing's eyes. He didn't believe that such a good thing could fall into his lap. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at the cane in front of him, feeling reluctant. He knew that if he missed this opportunity, he would never have another chance to find another Golden Spirit.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Wenbing finally decided to get straight to the point. He bowed respectfully and asked, "Senior, what are your instructions for summoning me?"
Volume 5, Chapter 18: The Cauldron of Nothingness
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The old tortoise grinned, laughing heartily: "You're a straightforward young man, much more so than those old foxes."
"Old fox?" Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Who are you referring to as an old fox?"
“Yes…” The old tortoise paused, then suddenly remembered that some things were better left unsaid to outsiders. So he smiled and said, “You don’t need to try to get information out of me. As long as you don’t suffer a violent death in the future, you will definitely be able to see it.”
He chuckled awkwardly, a slight displeasure creeping into his heart. What did he mean by "not suffering a violent death in the future"? This old man was really good at cursing people. However, given their respective strengths, Xiao Wenbing couldn't possibly argue with this old tortoise over such a trivial matter.
"May I have a look at the cauldron you're carrying?" the old tortoise asked, blinking its small eyes.
Xiao Wenbing was greatly surprised. He never expected that this old monster, with his extraordinary cultivation, would be interested in his cauldron. He flipped his hand and took out the Earth Vein Cauldron from the Heavenly Void Ring. He looked at it carefully but still couldn't see anything unusual. He frowned. Could it be... because he replaced the Earth Vein Fire Source with Immortal Fire?
He casually handed the item to the old tortoise. It wasn't that Xiao Wenbing was being generous; rather, he knew that the person in front of him, though seemingly harmless, was actually an ancient monster who had lived for countless years. If the tortoise tried to take it by force, the three of them would definitely not be able to stop him. So, it was better to just give it to him generously.
The old tortoise inexplicably accepted the earth vein cauldron, glanced at it twice, and, with his high standards, completely disregarded such a thing, asked curiously, "What is this?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback and said, "Didn't you want to see the cauldron? Here it is."
"This..." The old tortoise glanced at it again and said, "Is this piece of trash even considered a furnace?"
Xiao's face darkened. This thing was a treasure! Even when he was refining the serpent's incarnation, he relied on it to refine the Nether Water into mist. How could it be considered trash in this old monster's eyes?
"Oh, I was wrong." The old tortoise slapped his forehead and laughed, "This isn't trash."
Xiao Wenbing nodded to himself. That made more sense. How could such a treasure be trash?
The old tortoise tossed the Earth Vein Cauldron to Xiao Wenbing and said sincerely, "This piece of trash is not even as good as this thing. You should throw it away."
I was taken aback, and couldn't help but roll my eyes. I thought it wasn't trash, but the final evaluation was that it wasn't even trash.
"What I want isn't trash, but a cauldron," the old tortoise said with a smile, maintaining his composure.
A vein throbbed on his forehead. No one would be happy to see their precious treasure being called trash.
"Since you say this is trash, then please bestow upon me something to replace it."
A soft, gentle voice came from behind Xiao Wenbing; it was Zhang Yaqi speaking with a charming smile.
The old tortoise paused, then chuckled, "Young lady, you know how to seize an opportunity. I, an old man, will not take advantage of a junior." He tapped his cane on the ground, producing a clanging sound, and said, "For you, this Golden Spirit is far more useful than any treasure." As he spoke, his small eyes fixed on Zhang Yaqi's Qiankun Ring, a smug smile spreading across his face.
Xiao Wenbing and the others were startled. It wasn't surprising that the old tortoise could see through the origin of the Qiankun Ring. But what they found incredible was that this was clearly a beach, yet the cane striking the sand produced such a strange sound. Could it be that all of this was iron sand?
He casually twisted his foot, and although there was a shoe in the way, it didn't feel awkward at all. How strange!
However, this was not the time to study this problem. Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly. He searched high and low within the Heavenly Void Ring with his divine sense, but could not find a second cauldron.
Suddenly, the Mirror God materialized in the ring, pointed at the Spirit Gathering Platform, and said, "It might be this thing."
Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized that it was the Spirit Gathering Platform. This thing could indeed be used as a temporary furnace, but it wasted a lot of energy.
He took out the Spirit Gathering Platform and asked, "Senior, is this it?"
The old tortoise immediately shook its head. The movement was so large and rapid that it actually created a small breeze. Xiao Wenbing watched it worriedly, afraid that it might go too far and break the tortoise's head.
However, his worries were completely unnecessary. After a short while, the old tortoise stopped and said, "This thing is much better than the junk from before, but it still doesn't meet my standards." He paused, then added, "Although I haven't refined any treasures in my life, I've seen plenty. Don't try to fool me with these low-grade things..."