The two men smiled at each other, but their expressions suddenly changed at the same time, because a ripple appeared in the air, indicating that someone had sneaked into the room without their knowledge.
A thick cloud of smoke formed in the air, and it was Chabir. He bowed and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, Elder Long, we in the Flame Realm are ashamed to have so many strangers help us."
"You're too kind, Immortal Master. This is a mutually beneficial matter; there's no need to take it to heart."
“Otherwise, no matter how you look at it, it’s all the fault of our Flame Realm.” Shabir sighed deeply and said, “As long as you can save the Flame Realm, we are willing to provide a hundred immortal artifacts every thousand years as atonement.”
"A celestial artifact." Long Shi's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Where did it come from?"
Shabir glanced at the old dragon in surprise and said, "Of course, it comes from the Immortal Realm."
“One hundred portions every thousand years, this…” Xiao Wenbing frowned in deep thought, then suddenly remembered something and asked, “Shabir, do you still have people coming down from the Immortal Realm?”
"Yes, the reverse passage to the lower realm opens once every thousand years. That means that every thousand years, we can be replenished by a batch of immortals. Otherwise, the Flame Realm would have collapsed long ago."
Xiao Wenbing and Long Shi were secretly alarmed. Fortunately, they had reconciled with the Flame Realm. Otherwise, there would be an additional batch of immortals every thousand years, which was an incredibly powerful force.
"How many days until the next reverse channel opens?"
"About 150 years."
"Oh, so you mean..."
"As long as Fellow Daoist Xiao can save the Flame Realm, we will hold an ancestral worship ceremony in the Holy Temple, notify all people in the Immortal Realm, and ask them to refine more immortal artifacts in the Immortal Realm. Every thousand years, we will bestow a hundred treasures upon the cultivation world to atone for our sins."
Long Shi's face was flushed with excitement as he said, "Great! That means we'll definitely be able to obtain the first batch of immortal artifacts within a hundred years."
"Yes, as long as we can save the Flame Realm, we will definitely send out the first batch of immortal artifacts within a hundred years."
"Okay, deal." Long Shi was overjoyed and immediately said, "I'll go tell them right away. If these kids don't work hard, I'll skin them alive."
"Wait a minute." Xiao Wenbing pulled Long Shi back and said, "Let me go and talk to him."
Why?
“Because I like it…” Xiao Wenbing said with a smile, “Does Elder Long have any objections?”
Long Shi was taken aback, then smiled wryly and said, "Is it not so bad that you may do as you please?"
Volume 6 Deception and Fraud, Chapter 8 Distribution Plan
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The back mountain of the Jade Dragon Sect is the residence of the sect leaders and elders of all generations, and it is rarely visited by outsiders.
However, at this moment, Xiao Wenbing, Long Shi, Hui Zhe, and Hui Pu were enjoying tea and chatting happily in the garden behind the mountain.
"Seniors, this is the true purpose of my creation of the passage. If this thorn in our side is not eliminated within a hundred years, once the thundercloud storm spreads, the entire cultivation world will be completely destroyed. At that time, you will simply pack up and leave for the Immortal Realm, but how will your disciples and descendants seek refuge?"
Hui Zhe and He Pu looked solemn. This was indeed the first time they had heard of such a thing. They only knew that Xiao Wenbing had rescued Zhang Yaqi, but they never imagined that the threat of the thundercloud storm had not yet been eliminated.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, what does this 'bye-bye' mean?" Hui Zhe pondered for a moment and then suddenly asked.
"Hmm?" Xiao Wenbing chuckled after making a slight slur, "Bye-bye, it means harming others for personal gain, or refusing to help someone in distress. What? Do you two want to try it?"
"Amitabha Buddha." The two old Taoists clasped their hands and shook their heads at the same time, saying, "We will never bow."
"Alright, forget about the farewell ceremony. Let's get down to business. Please convey these words to all the experts in the art of weapon crafting. Tell them that if they still want the cultivation world to be destroyed, then they should leave."
"Since that's the case, we will certainly do our best." Hui Zhe clasped his hands again and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, please rest assured."
"Alright, I'm relieved to hear your words, but I have a suggestion." Xiao Wenbing smiled, and seeing the old Taoist's expression, he could tell that he was indeed sincere. However, having suffered a loss once, he was still a little uneasy, so he decided to make things clear.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, please speak."
After pondering for a while, Xiao Wenbing said, "This time, for each item we refine, we will make a record. We will divide the items into different grades and evaluate each person's contribution according to the grade. This way, it will be clear who put in the effort and who slacked off."
“This…” Hui Zhe shook his head slightly, displeased. Wasn’t this a clear indication that they didn’t trust them? He coughed and said, “Our Taoist practice emphasizes peace and tranquility. Such radicalism might go against…”
“It is not against the rules,” Xiao Wenbing interrupted the old Taoist priest.
Before the Battle of Zhenmo Star, he certainly wouldn't have dared to be so presumptuous, but things were different now. Although the Jade Cauldron Sect was full of experts, they were no longer worthy of his attention, so he naturally spoke less politely. Hui Zhe and the others, hearing this, didn't feel too offended. This was simply a matter of strength, as it has always been.
"Without rewards and punishments, how can we motivate everyone?" He paused, then continued, "My method is quite novel. Whether it can completely eliminate the threat of thundercloud storms is only known to God. Trying it sooner rather than later means that if anything goes wrong, we can still find a way to make amends. If we wait too long, there won't be any time left."
“I understand. I’ll go and inform them now.” HP stood up and was about to leave.
Xiao Wenbing quickly pulled him back and said, "Senior, please tell them that if anyone still wants to shirk their duties and deliberately hold us back, that's fine too. However, if someone fails three times in a row, they will be kicked out of the team, and the whole world will be notified. Let everyone know that this person is someone who intends to harm the cultivation world... well, someone who's gone."
Hui Zhe's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, rest assured, no one would joke about the future of the cultivation world. This time, I guarantee you will be satisfied."
Xiao Wenbing laughed and nodded, thinking to himself that he had already done the provocation, so now it was time to reward him.
He casually picked up the fragrant tea on the table, took a leisurely sip, and said slowly, "Of course, since there are rewards and punishments, those who refine with their hearts will be given a celestial artifact each after this matter is settled."
"A celestial artifact?" The two old Taoists exclaimed at the same time, exchanging a glance, wondering if they had heard correctly.
“That’s right, they are indeed celestial artifacts.” Xiao Wenbing said generously, “The immortals of the Flame Realm have agreed that as long as the Flame Realm can be saved, they will immediately hold an ancestral worship ceremony and guarantee to offer tribute within a hundred years. Hmm… fifty celestial artifacts. That will be enough for everyone to share.”
"Pfft..." Long Shi spat out the mouthful of tea he had just drunk.
His eye twitched. Fifty pieces? His gaze towards Xiao Wenbing immediately changed. "Good lad," he thought, "he's actually swallowed half of them in one go. That's some guts..."
"Elder Long, what's wrong?" Hui Zhe asked in surprise.
Long Shi glanced at Xiao Wenbing. Should he expose Xiao Wenbing's lies now? He, Old Long, didn't have the guts.
"It's nothing." Xiao Wenbing pulled Hui Zhe and Hui Pu's Taoist robes to block Long Shi's view and transmitted his voice, "This old dragon wants to monopolize the immortal artifact, so... um, you understand?"
The two old Taoist priests suddenly realized what was happening and nodded repeatedly, filled with resentment. However, due to the dragon race's overwhelming power, they dared not show any emotion. Looking at the embarrassed Long Shi and the sincere Xiao Wenbing, the two old priests felt a pang of regret. Although the dragon race was powerful, they were ultimately not of their kind, and their hearts were truly wicked.
Hui Zhe bowed deeply to Xiao Wenbing and said, "Thank you for your righteousness, Fellow Daoist Xiao."
"You're too kind," Xiao Wenbing laughed and said, "The immortals of the Flame Realm have agreed to provide the cultivation world with a hundred immortal artifacts every thousand years from now on. How to handle them is up to you two."
Hui Zhe and the other man beamed with joy. Judging from Xiao Wenbing's tone, it seemed he intended to hand over the disposal rights of these immortal artifacts to the Jade Cauldron Sect. This was an incredible stroke of luck, and how could they not be tempted?
"Of course, the so-called 'shared benefits' principle is that we should set up an award in the future to see who makes the greatest contribution to the cultivation world and reward them with a celestial artifact. Take this artifact crafting as an example; those who perform well should be rewarded, and with a substantial reward at that."
Hui Zhe nodded repeatedly, then suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao is right. In that case, the Jade Cauldron Sect will not be outdone and is willing to offer a thousand level-eight or higher magic artifacts every thousand years as a token of our appreciation."
"Huh..." Xiao Wenbing was greatly surprised. Although an eighth-level magic weapon was nothing in his eyes, it was a rare treasure in the entire cultivation world. Even most cultivators in the Tribulation Transcending stage only had an eighth-level magic weapon.
Offering a thousand every thousand years. That's quite a generous gesture. Why has this old Taoist priest suddenly become so lavish?
"Haha." Long Shi laughed from the side, "You, Hui Zhe, think you can exchange a thousand level-eight magic weapons for immortal artifacts?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wenbing suddenly understood. No wonder Huizhe was so generous; he wanted to reserve a few immortal artifacts. Exchanging magical artifacts for immortal artifacts was indeed a very worthwhile deal. However, he would definitely have to give him face.
In fact, in his original plan, he intended to give the Jade Cauldron Sect a few pieces of land each time, but now that he has been able to exchange them for a thousand magical artifacts, it has already exceeded his expectations.
Hui Zhe blushed slightly. He said, "Elder Long is joking."
Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly and said, "Senior Huizhe, when the time comes, please invite the three holy lands, Tianlei Palace, Yuding Sect, Earth's Tianyi Sect, Secret Talisman Sect, and... and you can also find some sect leaders from other major sects to discuss this together. Every sect that serves as the judge can receive one immortal artifact every thousand years, and since your Yuding Sect has put forward a thousand level-eight magic artifacts, then you will receive three more. As for the rest, you can discuss and handle it yourselves."
"Amitabha!" The two old Taoists clasped their hands again, overjoyed and expressing their gratitude. Given the status of the three great holy lands and the Heavenly Thunder Palace, they certainly wouldn't compete with them. As for the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Secret Talisman Sect, since it was Xiao Wenbing's suggestion, they couldn't be left out, but the remaining sects had much more room for maneuver. In short, the Jade Cauldron Sect would definitely get a share of this enormous benefit.
Once the matter was settled, Hui Zhe immediately regained the decisiveness of a former sect leader. He pondered for a moment and said, "Junior Brother Hui Pu, go and inform all the fellow Daoists and convey the results of our discussion."
"Yes, senior brother."
After hesitating for a moment, Hui Zhe emphasized, "We must make this reward and punishment system very clear. They need to think carefully about whether they will be ruined or return with the treasure."
"yes."
Xiao Wenbing shook his head secretly. It seemed the old Taoist priest wasn't entirely at ease either!
Hui Zhe thought for a moment, then said, "After the announcement is finished, gather all the disciples of our sect and speed up the process. Everyone must focus on refining the weapons without any mistakes."
HP paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Yes, I'll have to work hard later too. What about you, senior brother?"
"Since this concerns the survival of the cultivation world, I, as your elder brother, should naturally do my part."
Xiao Wenbing chuckled inwardly. These two old Taoists had also become interested after hearing about the immortal artifact. But that was fine too; with them leading the way and setting an example, they were sure to succeed perfectly.
Hui Zhe bowed to them and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, do you think that the greater the contribution, the greater the reward?"
"Of course."
"Ahem, this old Daoist has examined Fellow Daoist Xiao's jade slip, and it is indeed profound and unfathomable, however..."
Xiao Wenbing was greatly alarmed. This secret document was the best result he and Mirror God had come up with after much discussion. Could there be some flaw in it? He quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
"The old Taoist priest discovered that if the first-grade spirit stones inside were replaced with a complete set of top-grade Five Elements stones, the power could be increased a hundredfold."
Xiao Wenbing breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had worried for nothing. He smiled wryly and said, "I naturally understand that principle, but the number of complete sets of Five Elements Stones is too small. Your Jade Cauldron Sect only gave one hundred sets, and the three great holy lands only gave three thousand sets. Combined, it's not even half enough..." As he spoke, Xiao Wenbing suddenly stopped, looked at Hui Zhe's embarrassed expression, and tentatively asked, "Does the Jade Cauldron Sect have any stock left?"
Hui Zhe nodded and said, "That's right. Yesterday, when I was checking the inventory, I accidentally found some complete sets of top-grade Five Elements Stones. I was going to tell Fellow Daoist Xiao about it, so... haha."
Xiao Wenbing nodded silently and asked, "How many?"
"Not many, about 20,000 copies."
"What? Twenty thousand..."
"It is exactly twenty thousand."
Xiao Wenbing's lips twitched, and he said fiercely, "Was it discovered during the inventory check?"
"Exactly."
"Fine, fine, fine..." someone said through gritted teeth, "Then please collect all the jade slips for me."
Why?
"Now that we have these spirit stones, of course we should redesign it. Do we really want to refine some more junk?"
"Haha, haha, Fellow Daoist Xiao, your insight is brilliant, truly brilliant..."
Volume 6 Scams and Deceptions, Chapter 9 Obstacles
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