Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly. His gaze lingered on the most excited roc, and vaguely, under the sunlight, he indeed saw some differences in it.
Its steel feathers are no longer golden yellow, but rather a darker gold, making it appear even more noble and dignified.
A faint sense of majesty spread in all directions with the flapping of its two steel feathers. In terms of power, the Roc was no less than any deity that Xiao Wenbing knew.
Of course, the two old monsters, Turtle God and Lonely God, are exceptions.
Although the dark golden steel feathers were not as dazzling as before, the Roc's defensive capabilities had greatly improved. Even with Xiao Wenbing's five thousand divine swords combined, it could only manage to cut Xuexue in pain.
Looking at the large bird soaring freely in the sky, Xiao Wenbing recalled the old Dragon King's words once again.
The Xuanjin Roc is a variant of the Golden Roc, the ultimate version of the Roc family that can only be evolved by old birds who have cultivated for countless years and who have both attained the will of Heaven and the heart of the bird.
Xiao Wenbing has only been incubating the roc for a mere hundred years or so, which is far from enough time for the roc to grow to its strongest state.
Its repeated breakthroughs, enabling it to leap to the highest form of the Roc, can be attributed to its absorption of a large number of inner demons.
The golden roc is a naturally unique species, filled with righteous energy, and is the only creature free from inner demons.
If a cultivator is suddenly invaded by a demon during cultivation, the best outcome, besides lamenting their bad luck, is to be freed from their physical form.
But the Roc is different. For them, inner demons are not terrible delusions, but the best tonic in the world.
One comes, swallow one; two come, swallow two. This is the best way for the Roc to deal with inner demons.
The power of inner demons varies depending on the master's cultivation level. The inner demon revealed at the moment when a great immortal becomes a god is the moment when it contains the strongest divine power and is also the most nourishing.
The roc stayed in Xiao Wenbing's circle of gods for twenty years, devouring nearly 20,000 super inner demons, which is why its cultivation level advanced by leaps and bounds, making remarkable progress every day.
The roc that cultivated to the Xuanjin realm in a hundred years or so is the first of its kind in history.
For the Roc, inner demons are a good thing, but apart from Xiao Wenbing's ascension circle, there is nothing else in this world that can draw out the inner demons from the body when the Great Immortal ascends to godhood. Therefore, even if others knew this method, it would be something they could not do.
Now, Xiao Wenbing intends to use the Roc as a stepping stone to properly communicate with the Roc clan.
The underworld is vast and boundless, in no way inferior to the realm of gods. Moreover, the creatures of the underworld, whether living on land or in the water, seem to maintain a rather isolated relationship with each other.
Even the Dragon and Phoenix clans are like this. Compared to the close-knit relationship between these two clans in the cultivation world, the Underworld lacks a great deal of human warmth.
Looking up into the distance, Xiao Wenbing pointed to the west and said, "Let's go."
According to the Dragon King's instructions, the eastern part of the continent belongs to the Phoenix Clan, while the western part is the domain of the Roc.
Although communication between waterways is not smooth, for the Dragon King, the head of the dragon race who has lived for hundreds of millions of years, it is still very easy to find out some secret information.
Among the Roc clan, only seven Rocs have evolved to the Profound Gold realm. However, these seven Rocs command tens of thousands of companions and dominate half of the sky of the main continent as one of the four major forces of the Underworld.
The roc let out another long cry, its body suddenly growing ten times larger. The dark golden golden feathers on its back transformed into an airtight square house, enveloping everyone inside. Then, it turned into a bolt of lightning and flew westward.
Xiao Wenbing and the others riding on the bird's back were filled with envy. If they didn't use teleportation, then the only one who could match the speed of the roc would probably be Feng Baiyi.
Strangely enough, even after entering the guiding technique, Xiao Wenbing still couldn't sense the location of this beautiful fairy. It was as if a mysterious force had severed his connection with the Heavenly Dao Divine Sword.
Moreover, he vaguely sensed that this was not the Turtle God.
The God of Isolation is behind this.
Xiao Wenbing and Zhang Yaqi discussed this at length, but they still couldn't think of any other deity besides the two first-generation gods who could possess such terrifying power...
With a soft sigh, she suppressed this thought for the time being.
The Roc, as expected of the king of birds, had already flown a thousand miles in a short time. However, at this moment, it slowed down, because seven powerful auras had silently risen around it.
These seven powerful auras subtly surrounded the Roc. Although Xiao Wenbing was confident that the speed of the Xuanjin Roc would allow him to escape, the Roc did not want to flee without a fight. Instead, it took the initiative to stop and challenge them.
A long, confident cry pierced the sky, containing the power of metal striking the ground, sending chills down one's spine.
The giant snake trembled slightly and began to mutter incantations.
Those around it couldn't help but laugh secretly. The giant snake was already one of the gods; they wondered who it was praying to.
The seven powerful auras rapidly approached, and Xiao Wenbing felt a sense of familiarity arise inexplicably.
"Yaqi. She must be from the Phoenix Clan."
“Yes, here, apart from the Phoenix Clan, there are probably not many creatures that would dare to provoke the Roc.” Zhang Yaqi nodded slightly.
“Phoenix, don’t be afraid.” The roc turned its head and said disdainfully, “Eat them.”
Xiao Wenbing flicked it on the forehead. He said, "Nonsense, we're not here to fight." Then, stroking its steel feathers, he said, "Hey, Dapeng, you're already a Xuanjin Dapeng, a rare sight even after billions of years, so why do you still only think about eating all day long?"
The roc tilted its head, thought for a moment, and asked, "If I don't eat, what am I supposed to do?"
Xiao Wenbing was speechless. Yes, for these powerful beings with endless lifespans, what's the point of living if they don't have one or two hobbies?
"Eating phoenix is fine, but eating snake is not."
Everyone was taken aback, looking at the giant snake with strange eyes, only to see it say in a serious tone, "Snake meat doesn't taste good, so let's not go to the Roc's lair."
Xiao Wenbing and the others burst into laughter. So this guy was afraid of going to the roc's lair.
A long, loud cry rang out in the distance, and seven figures swiftly arrived beside the group. Although their speeds varied, and their distance from the roc differed, they seemed to have agreed beforehand, arriving simultaneously in an instant.
A slight jolt went through him. These guys were working together incredibly well. If they really started fighting over a disagreement, he'd better be careful.
The seven women standing against the wind were all stunningly beautiful, but Xiao Wenbing and the others could tell at a glance that they were not human.
The creatures in the underworld are also strange. Apart from the dragon and phoenix clans from the cultivation world, the other creatures, including the sea creatures and the roc clan, all appear in their true forms.
However, the many beings who aim to cultivate divinity are different. Regardless of whether they are human or not, once their cultivation reaches the point where they can take human form, the first thing they do is become human.
Xiao Wenbing once maliciously speculated that perhaps it was precisely because of their different habits that the rift between the four major ethnic groups was created.
The seven men's expressions changed drastically the moment they saw the dark gold color on the roc's body.
The Xuanjin Roc is the most powerful being in the Roc clan, far superior to these seven little phoenixes.
The leader took a deep breath and bowed to the enormous creature before him, saying, "I was unaware of the arrival of the elders of the Roc clan. Feng Xue has failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."
"Haha, no need to be so polite. We were the ones who came so abruptly and were very rude."
The seven people were taken aback. The Roc clan was known throughout the world for its stubbornness and arrogance. When did they suddenly become so easy to talk to?
Then they saw a human head slowly emerge from the broad back of the roc.
Is there someone on the back of the roc?
The thought raced through their minds. "Could I be seeing things?" Almost instinctively, six out of the seven rubbed their eyes, and the remaining one wasn't much better off, looking utterly bewildered, a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Xiao Wenbing chuckled and leaped into the air, saying, "Gentlemen, what brings you to our attention?"
"Ah, this..." The leader's mind hadn't quite caught up yet. He pointed at Xiao Wenbing and said, "You're not Dapeng."
"Of course I am not a roc." Xiao Wenbing frowned slightly. He looked completely different from a roc. Had all these phoenixes gone crazy?
Feng Xue, who was in the lead, stared at him blankly for a long time before asking, "Since you are not a Roc, how are you able to ride on its back?"
Xiao Wenbing asked curiously, "Dapeng is my friend. And we are on our way right now, why can't we sit on its back?"
The seven phoenixes looked at each other, their gazes filled with an indescribable strangeness.
The roc is a divine bird by nature, with an extremely proud temperament. Apart from its own chicks, it has never been heard of being ridden by anyone.
Of course, Xiao Wenbing possessed immense divine power, so the seven phoenixes could easily discern his origins.
If he were riding just an ordinary roc, that would be one thing, but the Xuanjin Roc is the most powerful of all rocs, even comparable to the eight elders of the Phoenix Clan.
How could such a divine bird allow people to get close, let alone ride on its back? That was unheard of.
Therefore, it was hard for Xiao, who witnessed it with her own eyes, to believe.
"Brother Xiao, what are you doing? We should be going." The Food King poked his head out from the back of the Roc and asked loudly.
Feng Xue and the others had very interesting expressions. It turned out that there was more than one passenger on the back of the Roc.
Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly and flicked his wrist. A long, colorful feather appeared.
"Phoenix Lord's Crown Feather?" Feng Xue exclaimed in surprise, "My Lord, may I ask where you got that from?"
"It was a gift from someone." Xiao Wenbing sighed, looking at the long feather in his hand, and couldn't help but recall the various events in the cultivation world in the past, which were indeed unforgettable.
Feng Xue's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she suddenly asked, "Is the Divine Lord from the cultivation world?"
"Indeed, like you, I, Xiao, ascended from the cultivation world."
The faces of Feng Xue and the others
The situation calmed down, and she looked at Da Xin, who was standing in the void, wanting to ask him what was going on. However, when she saw the dark gold color emanating from Da Xin's steel feathers, she immediately gave up the idea that might offend him.
"Since you are a friend from the cultivation world, Feng Xue, on behalf of the Phoenix Clan, invites you, Divine Lord, to visit the Phoenix Nest. Please do not refuse."
"Sure," Xiao Wenbing thought to himself, "Even if you hadn't said anything, I would still have gone."
I originally planned to visit the territory of the Roc first, but now that I've encountered the Phoenix, I'll head to the Phoenix Nest first.
Having obtained Xiao Wenbing's permission, Feng Xue flicked her finger, sending the message out. She then bowed slightly to the group and led the way.
The phoenix is extremely fast. Although it is slightly slower than the roc in absolute speed, it is still far faster than most living beings. Especially in the underworld, where teleportation is basically impossible, its speed is even more remarkable.
If Xiao Wenbing and his group hadn't been riding on a roc, they might not have made it in time.
After three days and three nights, Xiao Wenbing and his party finally arrived at the legendary Phoenix Nest.
A distant, continuous mountain range, surrounded by endless auspicious clouds, inspires awe.
Upon arriving at the mountain range, Xiao Wenbing was slightly startled. With his current knowledge, he could already see that the space around the mountain range was rippling with strange patterns.
In other words, there must be a hidden paradise within this mountain range.
Sure enough, as soon as we entered the auspicious clouds, the scenery before us changed instantly. The single mountain range seemed to expand countless times in an instant.
The mountains, surrounded by auspicious clouds, are full of spiritual energy, making them an ideal place for cultivation.
The space was filled with countless mountain peaks, and almost every one of them exuded a powerful aura.
Xiao Wenbing was secretly alarmed. Judging from the appearance, each mountain peak was inhabited by a phoenix, and at a rough estimate, there were probably no fewer than tens of thousands of them.
He unleashed his divine sense and quickly circled several nearby hilltops, gaining a certain understanding of the phoenixes' strength.
At the heart of the surrounding mountains stands a towering peak, upon which dwells the phoenix with the most powerful aura of all. The closer a mountain peak is to this one, the stronger the phoenix residing there becomes.
After secretly calculating the strength of the Phoenix Clan, Xiao Wenbing couldn't help but feel uneasy.
The combined strength of these phoenixes surpasses that of any major force in the divine realm. If we add the phoenixes scattered throughout various regions, then the strength of this race is likely comparable to any two major forces in the divine realm.
What alarmed Xiao Wenbing even more was that the auras closest to the central mountain range were no less powerful than those of Huo De and Yu Zhu, meaning that the Phoenix Clan's experts were already comparable to those veteran supreme gods.
Led by Feng Xue, the group flew towards the central mountain peak. Every time the roc passed over a mountain, that mountain would faintly reveal a powerful aura to counter it.