No more lightning flashes appeared in the massive thundercloud. Starting from the outermost layer, the area covered by the thundercloud gradually shrank, and the surrounding air currents underwent a strange change. The temperature in the air seemed to drop suddenly.
A moment later, the figures of the nine Divine Thunder Celestial Venerables appeared one after another, their Heavenly Thunder Secondary Swords still shimmering with starlight.
Finally, the thunderbolts dissipated completely, leaving a solitary figure standing tall in the sky.
She looked down and saw that all living beings were small...
Quinni and the others watched the unusual changes in the sky with solemn expressions.
With their knowledge, they naturally understood that the greater the power, the easier it is to unleash and the harder it is to control. Being able to unleash world-destroying power does not necessarily mean that one can control it at will.
If the thundercloud storm created by Feng Baiyi brought them profound despair, then seeing this beautiful fairy draped in purple lightning successfully dissipate the thunderclouds, their eyes were filled with bewilderment.
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 316: The Purpose of Plunder
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"Cough cough..." Xiao Wenbing coughed heavily, but his influence seemed insignificant, as Quini and the others' attention remained focused on Feng Baiyi throughout. Even Xiao Wenbing, who had once caused them great trouble, was completely ignored by them.
Xiao Wenbing felt utterly helpless about this. Feng Baiyi was like a dazzling sun; wherever she went, she was invariably the center of attention. Xiao Wenbing knew very well that compared to her…
Well, while he wasn't being self-deprecating, he still had some self-awareness. There's even a saying that a good man doesn't fight with a woman, so even if she overshadowed him, it wasn't a big deal.
However, the fact that Quini and the others were staring blankly at Feng Baiyi still made him feel a little displeased.
With a swift movement, he arrived above Queenie, revealing his most benevolent smile. Xiao Wenbing spoke in his most sincere voice, "Venerable Queenie, I have long admired your name."
Quini withdrew his gaze, nodded slightly, and said, "The magic weapon you have is quite good, very powerful."
Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Wenbing couldn't help but sigh. Quini truly lived up to his reputation as a master of the immortal realm; he could tell at a glance that the divine power within him was not his own cultivation level, but rather the result of borrowing some kind of magical artifact.
He only talked about the power of his magic weapon, but didn't mention his own cultivation level at all, which showed that he really didn't take him seriously.
Indeed, in Quinni's mind, Xiao Wenbing was like a nouveau riche. Although he possessed many powerful magical treasures, his cultivation level was insignificant.
He was indignant. Should he take out the little golden talisman to open their eyes to something new?
That's a super treasure that can even put a Dark God to a standstill. If it's really used, it will definitely make them admit defeat.
But then I thought, even if I beat them into submission, the little golden talisman wouldn't be mine, and frankly, it's not exactly something to be proud of...
He shook his head, dismissing the idea. However, he resolved to find a way to completely subdue this person someday.
Having made his decision, his gaze towards Quini held a different quality, though on the surface he maintained a forced smile, saying, "Thank you for your praise, senior. I am Xiao Wenbing, from the cultivation world. As for the purpose of our visit..." Xiao Wenbing paused slightly, then said, "Senior should understand."
Quinni's gaze fell on the Qiankun Ring on his wrist, his expression quite complex.
At this moment, the Qiankun Ring faintly emitted a five-colored light, which complemented the light gold layer on Xiao Wenbing's body, creating an indescribably beautiful and dazzling effect.
Xiao Wenbing raised his wrist and asked, "Senior, would you like the Qiankun Ring?"
"No."
"Haha... Huh? What, what..." Xiao Wenbing's laughter was cut short as he looked up at the sky. He stopped laughing and stared at Quini in utter confusion.
Just now, during the demon crisis, Quini stepped forward despite the certain death, blocking the thundercloud storm and leaving a good impression on Xiao Wenbing. However, hearing him deny it now, Xiao Wenbing couldn't help but hesitate.
If this person is a blatant liar, how can we possibly cooperate with them with peace of mind?
Seemingly sensing Xiao Wenbing's doubts, Quini calmly said, "What I want is not the Qiankun Ring, but the Earth Spirit inside."
Just as Xiao Wenbing was about to speak, a bright yellow light suddenly shone from the Qiankun Ring, which then crashed violently into Queenie. It turned out that the Earth Spirit inside had overheard Queenie's words and could no longer contain itself, thus unleashing its fury.
However, for someone of Quini's caliber, although the Earth Spirit used the magical function of the Qiankun Ring, it was still unable to threaten Quini's safety as he was only at the Golden Core stage.
A yellow light circled around Queenie. Yet not a single flame on his body went out.
Seeing that it was no match for the fire spirit, the earth spirit immediately abandoned its hatred for the fire man. It obediently withdrew its energy and went back to being a coward.
Xiao Wenbing gave an awkward smile and said, "Senior, you flatter me. This junior..."
Queenie waved her hand and said, "I understand, it's not your fault."
Xiao Wenbing's eyes lit up. This Quini is quite reasonable. Hmm, finally found one of his good points.
“With your cultivation level, you simply cannot control the Qiankun Ring, so it is definitely not your fault,” Quini continued loudly.
Xiao Wenbing's eyes twitched, and the smile on his face froze slightly. He mentally retracted his earlier assessment of him. This person was truly a very, very...
Such an honest person...
"What does Senior want the Earth Spirit for?"
“The spirit of earth is the spirit of the earth, capable of nurturing all things in the world. If…” Quini gazed at the Qiankun Circle with longing in his eyes, “If the spirit of earth were to settle under the Tree of Life for a period of time, perhaps it could absorb the residual aura of the Tree of Life and nurture a new Tree of Life.”
"A new Tree of Life?" Xiao Wenbing pondered for a moment and understood what he meant.
The Tree of Life in this world is already on its last legs; if it were in human society, it would probably have been issued seventeen or eighteen critical condition notices long ago.
But the Tree of Life truly possesses unimaginable life energy. Although it is old and faded, with most of its body already in its coffin, it stubbornly clings on, its last breath gasping for air.
They just won't stop.
Of course, its ability to persist for so long is also related to the countless immortals who descended from the celestial realm to serve as fertilizer. Without these extra nutrients, the Tree of Life in the Flame Realm might have perished long ago.
Quini and the others tried everything they could to save the Tree of Life, but to little avail. So when they saw the Spirit of Earth, they were overjoyed and placed all their hopes on it.
“That’s right. This is our only hope in the Flame Realm,” Quini said quietly.
He stared intently at Xiao Wenbing. Although the boy's cultivation was lacking, he was definitely an important figure. He hadn't forgotten how wary the owners of the Qiankun Ring and the Heavenly Thunder Sword had been of him back in the Earth Vein Fire Source. If he agreed, the matter would probably be at least half settled.
"Isn't there any other way?"
"For hundreds of thousands of years, we have tried every means, and the final conclusion we have reached is..."
"What is it?"
Quini paused slightly, then said, "Only the spirit of heaven and earth can save the Tree of Life."
A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Wenbing's eyes. He frowned, as if he had something difficult to decide. After a moment, he finally asked with a smile, "What you are talking about, Venerable One, is it the spirit of the Five Elements?"
"Exactly."
Xiao Wenbing's smile gradually froze. The pale golden light emanating from his body intensified.
Quini was taken aback. He knew that Xiao Wenbing was hostile towards him, but he didn't understand why this person could turn on him so suddenly without any warning.
The divine power within Xiao Wenbing flowed ceaselessly, so even if Quini suddenly turned hostile, he would not be afraid in the slightest. Although that fire was evil, it was still no match for the Dark God, and in his current state, he was even capable of fighting the Dark God.
“Venerable Quini, if I am not mistaken, the fire on your body should originate from the Fire Spirit Immortal, right?” Xiao Wenbing asked coldly.
A glint of surprise appeared in Quinni's eyes, and he exclaimed, "How did you know?"
"Heh heh... If you don't want anyone to know, then don't do it in the first place." Xiao Wenbing's voice grew colder and colder: "Since you have already obtained one of the treasures of heaven and earth, why do you still covet the earth spirit within the Qiankun Circle?"
Quini was taken aback at first. Then a look of bewilderment appeared on his face. When he heard Xiao Wenbing mention Fire Spirit Immortal, he thought that he really had some extraordinary ability, but now he realized that this person was just a half-baked expert with only a superficial understanding.
The strange look on Quinni's face grew increasingly intense, making Xiao Wenbing feel uneasy. He vaguely sensed that he might have indeed made a mistake somewhere.
"You are... Xiao Wenbing, right?"
"Exactly."
“Xiao…” Quini hesitated for a moment, then finally said very politely, “Fellow Daoist Xiao, are you asking me to use the Fire Spirit Immortal to heal the Tree of Life?”
"Is it not allowed?" Xiao Wenbing replied, forcing himself to speak.
Silently shaking his head, Queenie said, "Absolutely not."
Why?
“Fellow Daoist Xiao, don’t you know about the five elements’ mutual restraint? Whether it’s the earth spirit, water spirit, or wood spirit, they can all save the Tree of Life, but what about the fire spirit and metal spirit?” Quini said with a wry smile, “If these two spirits appear, we dare not let them get close to the Tree of Life.”
"Ah." Xiao Wenbing blushed slightly. He was a smart man, and with a little guidance, he immediately understood the reason.
Water nourishes wood, and earth nurtures all things. Therefore, these two spirits are entirely beneficial to the Tree of Life. As for the spirit of wood, although it is not a product of the same realm, it is, after all, a spirit of the same origin, and is naturally also beneficial.
However, the Fire Spirit and the Metal Spirit are the absolute nemesis of the Tree of Life.
Metal can overcome wood, and wood can generate fire. If the Tree of Life has not withered, it is like the Earth God Tree Ancestor in the cultivation world, so naturally there will not be too many concerns.
However, the Tree of Life in the Flame Realm was already a sickly, dying plant. If these two nemesis were to get close, it would probably die on its last breath.
Having figured this out, a rare hint of embarrassment appeared on Xiao Wenbing's face. He chuckled self-deprecatingly twice and said, "I see. Thank you for your guidance, senior."
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, you're too kind."
"Senior, if a new Tree of Life can be born, will the Earth Spirit be damaged?" Xiao Wenbing asked. He would be happy to borrow it, but if it would harm the Earth Spirit, then it was out of the question.
Quini's eyes lit up. Hearing Xiao Wenbing's tone, which seemed to offer a glimmer of hope, he quickly assured him, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, please rest assured. As long as the Earth Spirit settles beside the Tree of Life for a period of time, it will not suffer any damage whatsoever."
Volume Four: The Divine Artifacts Chapter 317: Immortal Tribulation
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Hearing Queenie's words, Xiao Wenbing felt relieved. Since there was no impact, everything was negotiable. Just as he was about to agree, he suddenly remembered something: both the Treasure God and the Mirror God seemed to have different concepts of time than he did.
In their eyes, hundreds of thousands of years may not seem like an unbearable long time. But for a normal human being, it would be enough for them to be reincarnated countless times.
Glancing at Quini, Xiao Wenbing had no idea how these immortals perceived time. So, after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Senior, how long is this period of time approximately?"
"Not long."
"Ah, is that so?" A smile appeared on Xiao Wenbing's face, but just to be on the safe side, he still asked, "Approximately how long?"
"As long as," Quini calculated in his mind, "only three to five hundred years will suffice."
"Three or five hundred years?" Xiao Wenbing sighed inwardly. Although it was countless times better than the hundreds of thousands of years that the Treasure God mentioned, three or five hundred years was still too long.
Moreover, given his current cultivation speed, it's hard to say whether he'll even be in the cultivation world in three to five hundred years. By then, he might already be enjoying himself in the immortal realm. Would we really expect him to return to the mortal realm to retrieve the Earth Spirit then?
"No..."