Now, Xiao Wenbing faces two paths. One is to follow the normal cultivation path and find a way to slowly condense these nascent souls into one. He estimates that once so many nascent souls are combined, their power might be so great that he could skip the separation and reunion stage and directly reach the tribulation stage.
Another path is to take advantage of this rare opportunity to activate all the Nascent Souls and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth simultaneously, accumulating unprecedented power for oneself.
Think about it. He possesses tens of thousands of Nascent Souls, while others absorb five or six at a time, taking about two hundred years to reach the Separation and Union stage. So what about him? He has over two thousand times more Nascent Souls than others, so his speed must also be over two thousand times faster, right?
More than two thousand times! Does that mean that while others took a thousand years to attain immortality, I only need half a year?
I feel a little dizzy. I imagine anyone who thinks about this wouldn't be able to remain indifferent. Unless that person is a fool or a true saint, they wouldn't give it a try.
Xiao Wenbing was neither of those two. Therefore, since he had thought of it and it was a possibility, he was unable to resist the temptation, and at this moment, he was already eager to try it out.
That's why he couldn't wait to find a secluded place to try it out.
"Hey, be careful, don't absorb too much at once and burst your dantian." Seeing that it couldn't dissuade him, and also because it was very curious about the final result, the Mirror God just gave a reminder from the side and didn't say anything more.
"Don't worry, after surviving the ordeal of fire and water, my body is already very strong."
Xiao Wenbing wasn't exaggerating. After undergoing the dual trials of the Nether Water and the Immortal Fire, in terms of physical strength alone, Xiao Wenbing was probably no less powerful than a cultivator in the Tribulation Transcending stage.
After all, countless people spend a thousand years cultivating to reach the Tribulation Transcending stage. But those who can survive the extremes of fire and water are truly one in a million.
Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Wenbing slowly released the nascent soul within his body. A continuous army of nascent souls flew out from his body, instantly filling the space with countless tiny, naked figures.
However, since these Nascent Souls did not possess any attached divine sense, they all appeared listless, like lifeless clay sculptures.
With a light tap of his finger, Xiao Wenbing shouted, "Go!"
The next moment, all the Nascent Souls seemed to come alive, scattering in all directions like flying arrows. Seemingly chaotic, they had unknowingly set up a large spirit-gathering array. The back mountain of the Jade Cauldron Sect was originally a place rich in spiritual energy. Now that the spirit-gathering array of tens of thousands of Nascent Souls was complete, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around them gathered in large quantities, like bees smelling the fragrance of flowers.
Xiao Wenbing was pleased with himself. In terms of efficiency, this Nascent Soul was even better than the best Spirit Gathering Artifact. So when tens of thousands of Nascent Souls were set up in the Spirit Gathering Array, the effect was indeed far superior to the ordinary.
However, after a moment, Xiao Wenbing frowned slightly. The effect seemed a little too good. He naturally understood that such a strong change in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth would definitely attract attention, and he estimated that it wouldn't be long before the place was overcrowded.
With a thought and a flick of his finger, a small earthworm crawled out of the Heavenly Void Ring.
The little earthworm slowly flew towards the sky, growing longer with the wind along the way. In just a few breaths, it had transformed into a giant python that was hundreds of feet long.
A sudden commotion broke out within the Jade Cauldron Sect, and the elders all showed expressions of surprise.
The changes in the spiritual energy of the world behind the mountain were so great that not only they, but also the Dragon and Phoenix Elders such as Long Shi and Feng Hua, were alarmed. However, just as they were filled with astonishment and uncertainty, an enormous python suddenly appeared in the sky.
Although they were far apart, the immense pressure emanating from the python instilled a deep sense of fear in them.
After being refined by the Netherwater, the power of this serpent incarnation was no less than that of Quini. For these cultivators, it was indeed as high as a mountain, unattainable.
Hui Zhe and the others gasped, but the Venerables like Long Shi knew exactly what was going on. They simply couldn't fathom why Xiao Wenbing had made such a commotion.
The many worried elders of the Jade Cauldron Sect were about to go there to find out what was going on when they heard the giant snake suddenly speak in human language: "Junior Xiao Wenbing is cultivating his skills here. No idlers please."
Everyone was stunned for a moment before they realized what was happening.
The Dragon and Phoenix Elders, including Long Shi and Feng Hua, along with the Heavenly Venerables from the Thunder Palace who had come out to watch the spectacle, shook their heads, sighed, or snorted angrily, but without exception, they all retreated, and no one wanted to investigate further.
In the Flame Realm, these top experts had all witnessed the power of this giant serpent. Although it eventually died under the thunderous attack, it still withstood the immense energy that was enough to destroy the world. Based on this alone, these people knew their own limitations and that they were far inferior to it.
Several high-ranking elders exchanged wry smiles. This was Jade Cauldron Sect territory, after all. Yet Xiao Wenbing was practicing his skills in the back mountain, not only causing such a commotion, but also forbidding anyone from disturbing him. Wasn't that a bit too domineering?
However, despite this thought, no one dared to voice any objections.
At this moment, Xiao Wenbing was no longer the same as before. He now possessed truly formidable strength as his backing. Just look at how those arrogant Dragon and Phoenix Venerables returned to their rooms without a word after hearing these words, not daring to utter a single fart. This shows how much Xiao Wenbing truly meant to them.
Even the Dragon and Phoenix Venerables held this attitude, let alone ordinary cultivators like them. Therefore, after discussing for a moment, Hui Zhe and Hui Pu and the others immediately issued a curfew, forbidding their disciples from going to disturb them.
However, their order was in vain. Just looking at the majestic serpent coiled in mid-air, no fool would dare to go up and die.
Xiao Wenbing stayed on the back mountain for a while, making sure no one came, and felt smug. Things were different now; he never imagined he'd have so much influence now…
He calmed his mind, activated his inner energy cultivation technique, and began to slowly absorb the primordial energy of heaven and earth into his body.
This Spirit Gathering Array differs from ordinary arrays. It uses one thousand Nascent Souls as array points, with the remaining Nascent Souls distributed around them, playing only a supporting role. Xiao Wenbing controls precisely those one thousand Nascent Souls located at the array points.
The number of parts a person's divine sense can be divided into varies from person to person, and no one has a definitive answer. However, with Xiao Wenbing's current cultivation level, being able to control a few hundred or even a thousand parts is already his limit.
Therefore, less than one-tenth of these Nascent Souls were truly under Xiao Wenbing's direct control. As for the rest, they were merely guided by a faint divine sense, proving that they belonged to Xiao Wenbing; as for control or anything like that, it was simply out of the question.
Fortunately, these Nascent Souls were all derived from him, and their auras were connected, giving them a certain ability to imitate.
Therefore, after Xiao Wenbing commanded a thousand Nascent Soul cultivators to begin absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the remaining Nascent Soul cultivators gradually began to repeat this action.
Volume 5, Chapter 5: The Great Wind
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Little by little, the surrounding air also underwent some subtle changes, and the large flow of the primordial energy of heaven and earth made the air more active.
Although Xiao Wenbing was aware of this, he didn't take it to heart, because all his energy was focused on the one thousand Nascent Souls.
The surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) was absorbed by the Nascent Soul from the space at an unbelievable speed.
If the nascent soul is inside the body, the absorption speed will be slower. However, once the nascent soul leaves the body, it is no longer bound by any constraints, and the frenzied absorption speed reaches an unprecedented level.
The result of tens of thousands of Nascent Souls simultaneously absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was that the spiritual energy in the vicinity was completely exhausted in an instant.
The primordial energy of heaven and earth is a magical energy in space, just like air. Once the consumption of energy in a certain area becomes too great, it will attract surrounding energy to replenish it. However, this time, the consumption rate of the primordial energy of heaven and earth was too fast, so fast that there was simply no time to replenish it. Therefore, Xiao Wenbing quickly realized that those nascent souls could no longer absorb anything.
Just as he was feeling a little annoyed, the Spirit Gathering Array finally showed its true potential.
Specks of light flew out from the great formation and gradually dissipated. In an instant, the strange changes in space intensified, and endless spiritual energy from heaven and earth surged wildly from the sky, from the ground, and even from the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees.
This spirit-gathering array was set up according to the guidance of the Mirror God, and its power far exceeds the cultivation realm. Although Xiao Wenbing can only unleash one percent of its power, even this mere one percent is enough to create a breathtaking and magnificent spectacle.
As the energy of heaven and earth changed, it caused the air to flow, and gradually, a breeze began to blow.
First came a gentle breeze, softly swaying in the air like cotton wool brushing against people's faces. But this didn't last long; gradually, the wind grew stronger, until it became uncontrollable.
The strong winds grew increasingly fierce, whipping up sand and gravel that were no longer like dancing tango columns, but rather a yellowish, turbid mass. Sometimes, they even swept in so thickly that one could not discern direction within ten steps. The sound was deafening and tumultuous, much like a raging torrent of waves crashing against the shore, filling one with dread.
A white rabbit was munching on grass when suddenly its ears perked up, as if sensing some danger. It abruptly fled into the distance. However, it was too slow. A huge, wolf-like monster leaped out from behind the rabbit.
A huge dark shadow loomed over the rabbit, and the little white rabbit trembled with fear, crawling down and no longer daring to move.
However, to the little rabbit's delight, the giant wolf did not eat it as it usually did its companions. Instead, it leaped over the rabbit and fled for its life.
The little white rabbit stood up and watched the giant wolf leave. In its simple mind, it couldn't understand why the giant wolf had suddenly become compassionate.
He tilted his head slightly, glancing in the direction the giant wolf had disappeared. Could it be that Laozi had manifested himself?
Suddenly, a strange and sharp sound rang out from behind. The little white rabbit turned around and saw a huge, moving yellow wall of wind rushing towards it at high speed.
What's going on?
Before the little rabbit could react, the wind wall swept across, engulfing its frail body in the deadly zone.
The giant wolf ran incredibly fast, covering several meters in an instant. However, no matter how fast an animal moves, how can it compare to a tornado in the sky?
Moments later, the strong wind caught up with the giant wolf and mercilessly swept it into the tornado, where it joined the little white rabbit.
On the mountain peak, all kinds of beasts roared and insects and birds danced wildly. Anything that could move fled desperately into the distance.
Far away, a pale white light suddenly appeared inside the gate of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
Seeing such a terrifying gale, Huizhe finally dared not take it lightly. After quickly gathering many elders and making a hasty decision, he ordered the protective shield to be opened to protect the important mountain gate.
However, after careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he ultimately decided not to send anyone to disturb Xiao Wenbing.
However, as the lush green mountain peaks were gradually enveloped by the huge gale, the trees on the mountain were uprooted and thrown into the air one by one by the gale, and even the giant trees that required several people to encircle were not spared.
The old Taoist priest sighed inwardly, "Such a beautiful view of the back mountain, now it's all ruined..."
Looking out at the eye of the tornado, at the place where Xiao Wenbing practiced his skills, the old Taoist felt a little dissatisfied.
However, the old man was only annoyed, but Xiao Wenbing was somewhat panicked.
Reaching this level of skill was definitely not what he had hoped for. Looking up, he saw a huge whirlwind suddenly forming in the air, centered on where he was sitting. Wherever the whirlwind covered the ground, it became pitted and clean, as if it had been scraped by a sharp blade.
All the rubble, yellow earth, flowers, and trees were mercilessly swept in by the whirlwind. Faintly, Xiao Wenbing even heard the mournful cries of birds and beasts, and immediately realized that the animals of all sizes in the surrounding mountains that had not had time to escape had also suffered the same fate.
Amidst the immense gale, only one creature stood motionless, unmoved as a mountain no matter how fierce the wind raged.
It was a massive black serpent, hundreds of feet long, its enormous body appearing and disappearing in the wind like a pillar stabilizing the sea. However, the serpent's presence was not a good thing for the creatures in the wind.
Anything that crashes into this enormous beast is shattered and left with no chance of survival.
Xiao Wenbing, standing at the foot of the mountain, sensed something was wrong and tried his best to stop the formation from operating. But unexpectedly, the formation was easy to activate but difficult to stop; no matter how he tried to control it, it had no effect whatsoever.
He cursed Mirror God in his heart. He knew that the things this guy gave him would be powerful and high-level, but this time it was too outrageous.
"Mirror God, what should we do?"
The one who tied the knot must untie it; since this formation was set up by the Mirror God, we should naturally ask him.
"What should we do? Let's take advantage of the large amount of spiritual energy gathered here and absorb it quickly."
"Absorb... absorb my foot! Stop the spirit gathering array right now!" Xiao Wenbing roared in exasperation.
The Mirror God might be ruthless and unscrupulous in achieving his goals, but Xiao Wenbing is not that kind of person. He can tolerate the countless lives lost on the mountain peaks, but if this strong wind isn't stopped, it's bound to spread. If it really invades the Jade Cauldron Sect's mountain gate, then things will get very complicated.
"Are you really going to stop?" the Mirror God advised. "The spiritual energy here is extremely abundant. If you absorb it all, you'll probably ascend to the Immortal Realm in no time."
"Is that so? But I'm afraid that after I absorb it all, what awaits me is not ascension to the Immortal Realm, but the collective flying swords of hundreds of thousands of cultivators on Tianding Star," Xiao Wenbing replied coldly.
"It's alright, you have the giant serpent protecting you. Plus, those immortals can't hurt you. Besides, you have a precious god behind you, so don't worry."
A dark glint flashed across Xiao Wenbing's face as he said, "Alright. Enough nonsense, stop the formation."
The Mirror God was taken aback. Although he didn't understand why Xiao Wenbing would give up such a great opportunity, he still said, "This formation has already been activated. It will take at least three days and nights to stop it."
"Three days and nights?" Xiao Wenbing's face immediately became extremely amused. Judging from the speed at which this great wind was spreading, in three days and nights, it would probably even completely destroy the Jade Cauldron Sect's mountain gate.
"However, any formation operates around the energy of its core. If you remove the core, the strong wind will naturally stop. Moreover, if you reverse the energy in the core, the strong wind can be immediately reduced as long as you control the force properly."
"Is that so?"
"That's natural."
"Okay." Xiao Wenbing replied emphatically, lowered his head, and after a moment, when he raised his head, his eyes were filled with golden light.
Reversing the formation wasn't difficult for Xiao Wenbing at this moment, but controlling it perfectly to neutralize the raging wind energy was beyond his capabilities.
Fortunately, Xiao Wenbing also possesses a divine essence. With the special control that divine essence has over energy, he can definitely handle things properly.