Zhu Zhuqing Invites Li Zhixian to Shrek Academy! Wine Spirit

Crackle—!

Sparks burst from the campfire, reflecting one another with the fireflies drifting through the dark forest.

The fragrance of wine mingled with the aroma of roasted meat.

Once the sadness had passed.

The atmosphere gradually became somewhat amorous.

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, her lovely face flushed red.

Li Zhixian shook the slender wine gourd with only one mouthful left and said regretfully,

"The wine is good, but there's too little of it."

Though the wine in his Clear Spring Wine Gourd was rich and mellow.

Changing flavors now and then was quite nice too.

"Hmm?"

As the floral wine slid down his throat, a flash of Spirit Light suddenly crossed Li Zhixian's mind.

"Sister Zhuqing, give me my wine."

Zhu Zhuqing looked doubtfully at the suddenly excited Li Zhixian.

She handed him the Clear Spring Wine Gourd.

Li Zhixian held the Clear Spring Wine Gourd in one hand and Zhu Zhuqing's wine in the other.

"What if..."

"I pour other wine into the Clear Spring Wine Gourd?"

"Will the Wine Spirit draw on the strengths of every wine and become even more mellow?"

Li Zhixian's eyes gleamed.

In his plan, the spirit rings for the Wine Spirit needed to be at least ten-thousand-year rings.

Only then could he fully tap into the potential of his second Martial Soul.

But that was a little too slow.

Sword and wine were meant to complement one another.

Yet the Azure Lotus Sword was advancing too quickly. Sooner or later, the Wine Spirit would be unable to keep up.

Thus, Li Zhixian wondered whether he could find a way to strengthen its effects without consuming the Wine Spirit's potential.

"Let's try it!"

Li Zhixian poured Zhu Zhuqing's wine into the Clear Spring Wine Gourd.

Under Li Zhixian's delighted gaze and Zhu Zhuqing's shocked one.

A hazy light actually lit up across the surface of the Clear Spring Wine Gourd.

There had initially been only a clear spring engraved upon its body, but now imprints of fruits appeared stroke by stroke.

Whoosh—

White mist billowed from the mouth of the gourd.

An intoxicating fragrance of wine drifted out.

Li Zhixian licked his lips.

Just smelling that aroma was enough to make his mouth water.

At once.

He eagerly took a sip.

The amber-colored liquid slid down his throat. First came the faint sweetness of apricots on his tongue, then it turned into a mellow stream of heat that rolled into his chest as abundant energy spread throughout his body.

Buzz—!

Buzz—!

Li Zhixian had not summoned the Azure Lotus Sword.

Yet somehow, the Azure Lotus Sword stirred restlessly, and a sword-shaped mark flickered between his brows.

After absorbing the Three-Tailed Swordtail Scorpion King's spirit ring.

Li Zhixian's Soul Power had already reached the peak of level twenty-one.

With that mouthful of fine wine, his Soul Power broke through its bottleneck and directly reached level twenty-two.

"Whew—!"

Li Zhixian let out a long breath.

The wine vapor alone made the campfire flare up several times more fiercely.

"Fine wine, fine wine!"

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Li Zhixian in astonishment, sensing that his aura had grown far stronger.

"Y-your Soul Power Level increased?"

"Mm."

Li Zhixian tipped his head back and took another swig.

Great satisfaction appeared on his handsome face, but then he suddenly said regretfully,

"This wine combines a rich aroma with fruity notes. What a pity it has no floral fragrance."

Zhu Zhuqing: "..."

Could he stop talking about floral fragrance first?

Watching Li Zhixian, Zhu Zhuqing found her own craving for wine rising.

She smacked her red lips and said somewhat shyly,

"Li Zhixian, can... can I have a sip?"

"Here."

Li Zhixian handed her the gourd.

The moment Zhu Zhuqing took it, she eagerly drank a mouthful.

"Mmm..."

The fiery wine entered her stomach, and heat exploded through her body.

Two red flushes immediately rose on Zhu Zhuqing's small face. Her eyes were misted over, and her gaze became unfocused.

"G-good wine..."

"Hahahahaha!"

Li Zhixian burst into laughter.

The combination of the two wines had greatly intensified the liquor's kick.

Even a wine lover like him felt slightly heated.

It was easy to imagine that, as more fine wines fused into his Wine Spirit in the future, the wine's kick would only grow stronger.

One day, even he would get drunk.

"Dance with a sword in drunkenness!"

"How exhilarating!"

Li Zhixian took back the Clear Spring Wine Gourd and began feasting heartily, taking a mouthful of wine followed by a bite of roasted rabbit.

Zhu Zhuqing, hazy with drunkenness, stared at Li Zhixian with an adorably silly smile.

Her usual chilliness had long since melted away in the fiery wine.

Suddenly.

Zhu Zhuqing seemed to think of something and said somewhat nervously,

"Li Zhixian, I'm going to attend an academy that claims to accept only monsters."

"I don't think anyone suits the title of 'monster' better than you."

"Will you come with me?"

Li Zhixian paused mid-drink, then shook his head without hesitation.

"Forget it."

"My personality isn't suited for school."

Li Zhixian knew that Zhu Zhuqing was going to study at Shrek Academy.

And the reason he refused.

Aside from not wanting to be disciplined by an academy.

Was another important reason.

Shrek Academy could not make him stronger.

He had his own plans.

For the arrangement of his spirit rings.

As for that Master, he did not think much of him at all.

And whether he was also avoiding Ning Rongrong...

To Li Zhixian.

Ning Rongrong was not even as important as the roasted rabbit before him.

She was merely a stranger he would never have anything to do with again.

Although she already knew the answer in her heart, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes still dimmed when she heard Li Zhixian refuse.

After thinking for a moment, she asked,

"Then, Li Zhixian..."

"Where will you go in the future? What will you do?"

Li Zhixian chewed the roasted rabbit in his mouth and looked up at the bright moon in the sky.

"Me..."

"I'll drink the finest wines across the continent and challenge the greatest swordsmen."

Li Zhixian tipped his head back and drank deeply. Wine flowed freely from the corners of his mouth, making the young man appear even more wild and uninhibited.

"I'll fill my wine gourd with every fine wine on the continent—three thousand worlds of heavenly brews, all transformed into rosy clouds within my gourd!"

"And I'll create swordsmanship that belongs to Li Zhixian alone—kill one man in ten steps, leave no trace across a thousand miles!"

That was right!

This was Li Zhixian's dream in life!

He could not live without sword and wine!

He had found a way to make the Wine Spirit powerful.

And beyond that, he had also realized that his attainments in swordsmanship were far from sufficient.

He only knew one move, Azure Blade Severance. His methods were simply too limited.

As for Three Sword Splendor, it was an enhancement-type sword technique.

He would not simply wait to cultivate Soul Power and obtain spirit ring skills.

That was for mediocrities!

Looking across the Douluo Continent, those powerful figures did not rely solely on spirit ring skills.

For instance, the Tang Sect's supreme arts that Tang San had brought from his previous life.

Or the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer wielded by the Clear Sky Sect.

Li Zhixian also knew that Chen Xin, hailed as the continent's greatest swordsman, possessed a set of swordsmanship unique to himself.

Wonderful, truly wonderful!

But Li Zhixian was no weaker than anyone!

He would surely create swordsmanship of his own!

Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at Li Zhixian as he drank wildly beneath the moonlight.

Her heart began beating faster against her will.

How strange.

She was clearly sober already.

Yet she seemed even drunker than before.

"Li Zhixian..."

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

Li Zhixian looked at Zhu Zhuqing.

"Don't forget what you said. If I come looking for you in the future, you'll come help me."

"Of course."