Double Ten

In the endless void, three towering figures sat there. The chaotic currents of the void could easily tear a Venerable apart, yet they flowed around the three of them.

"Fine wine. How many years has it been since I last had any?"

Wushi took the wine jug Shi Jue had tossed over and took a hearty swig, crying out in satisfaction. For tens of thousands of years, he had been locked in a standoff with the Undying Heavenly Emperor. Neither could do anything to the other, yet neither could leave the other's sight. There had been no chance to enjoy wine.

Monkey Wine was no longer of much use to beings at their level, but they could still savor it without worrying about getting drunk.

"It truly is good. Compared to brewed wine, it has an added hint of wildness." Liu Shen offered an objective assessment.

The Empress merely drank quietly. Thinking back, the last time she had drunk seemed to have been after she became an emperor. Unable to find her brother again, she had collected Immortal Medicine from every forbidden zone and brewed a jug of wine potent enough to make even her drunk.

At their level, ordinary food could at most satisfy the palate.

"It smells so good!"

Shi Hao gulped down half a cup, and the world immediately spun before his eyes. Intoxication rushed straight to his head. The fragrance of the Monkey Wine filled his entire body with warmth, while its medicinal essence transformed into rosy light and burst from every pore. His entire body sparkled.

At the same time, he felt an itch in his chest, as though something were slowly growing. He could not help but rejoice. This time, not only would he be able to open ten Heavenly Passages, but his Supreme Bone should grow back quite a bit as well.

"It seems easy to get drunk from this!" Ji Ziyue took a small sip, and an alluring flush of intoxication immediately rose on her face.

"It can get you drunk, but aside from increasing cultivation, it also beautifies the skin and preserves youth for girls," Huo Ling'er said with a smile.

This was also the first time she had tasted Monkey Wine of such quality. Before this, she had only drunk inferior versions.

The girls' eyes instantly lit up. Beauty and youthful looks were things every woman cared deeply about, even if their appearances were already rare in this world.

"Really good!"

Shi Jue picked up a piece of Golden Winged Great Peng meat. Golden light flowed across it, turning into strands of golden thread that hung down. Though it was clearly dead, endless runes still flickered within it. Vaguely, one could see the phantom of a tiny Golden Winged Great Peng, showing just how pure its bloodline had been.

The moment he swallowed it, Shi Jue's eyes widened. Golden light shone through the skin of his cheeks, as if he had swallowed a ball of light. Thick meat juices burst across his mouth.

There were clearly not many seasonings, yet it was so delicious that one nearly bit off one's tongue. Divine essence glimmering with golden rosy light flowed between his nose and mouth with every breath, while his body emitted a faint, precious glow.

"My tongue is about to melt. It's too delicious." Shi Hao closed his eyes, his face full of enjoyment.

The others also began eating, their faces filled with amazement. It was truly delicious, and they could clearly feel themselves growing stronger.

A bite of stew, a sip of Monkey Wine—happier than immortals. The meat was tender and soft, requiring no chewing, while the wine was rich and fragrant, impossible to put down. Even the women stopped being reserved, tossing their image and decorum to the back of their minds.

Who knew when they would eat something like this again? The more they ate, the more benefits they would gain. Once their red lips were coated in a sheen of oil, they became even more alluring.

Yun Xi temporarily forgot about her earring and joined in the feast.

Though Monkey Wine was delicious, like fruit wine, it could make one drunk very easily. Big Red Bird downed a whole cup in one gulp, immediately collapsed, and began snoring soundly.

Huo Ling'er and the others drank slowly, but in the end, their faces were all flushed red as they leaned against one another. None of them used their power to dispel the alcohol in their bodies.

"Cheers!"

Shi Jue and the other two were the only ones left, drinking cup after cup and devouring meat by the mouthful. Rosy light surged from each of their bodies, making them seem as though they were about to ascend in feathered immortality.

Even the three of them did not know how much they had drunk. They only stopped once nothing remained in the pot, not even a drop of broth. The three of them shone like little suns, illuminating the surrounding space.

"Just in case, I should eat one first!"

Shi Jue felt dizzy and took out a fruit from an Immortal Medicine, swallowing it in one bite. The Empress frowned at the sight, but said nothing.

Shi Hao and Shi Jue jumped down from the Void Beast Skin. They knew they were about to break through. If they did so on the beast skin, they might destroy it.

Ye Fan, however, did not get down. A golden sea appeared around him, glittering with endless divine radiance. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled over the dazzling Sea of Bitterness, while the roar of waves could be heard as they swept in all directions.

"Is this the unique phenomenon of the Sea of Bitterness? It really is spectacular." Yan Ruyu had the higher cultivation, so she was relatively sober. She watched Ye Fan in astonishment as he opened the boundaries of his Sea of Bitterness.

Boom!

Two deafening explosions rang out, jolting the drunken crowd awake. The sight before them sobered them instantly, and they stared at the two breaking through with terrified expressions.

"Ten Heavenly Passages!"

"And there are two of them!"

The sealed cultivator following Huo Ling'er could not help crying out in shock. Ten Heavenly Passages, something only found in ancient records, had appeared twice at once. The sight was truly astonishing.

The two were separated by several mountain peaks, each with ten Heavenly Passages roaring behind them and releasing streams of auspicious light, sacred and peaceful. Like ten volcanic craters, they erupted with supreme Life Essence that continuously nourished their bodies. The cracks that had just been shaken open across their bodies began to heal completely.

The powerful fluctuations swept across several deep mountains like a descending natural disaster. The mountain ranges trembled in response, while the Laws of Heaven and Earth resonated with them. The tenth Heavenly Passage above their heads was exceptionally powerful, its radiance sufficient to illuminate the darkness.

"They really are being reckless!"

Liu Shen smiled helplessly. She could see that Shi Hao's breakthrough into ten Heavenly Passages had come naturally, but Shi Jue's accumulated foundation was still insufficient. He was just short of it, yet he had forcibly opened his tenth Heavenly Passage by drawing upon the essence of the Sacred Fruit. It would be highly unstable and require time to adapt, otherwise it would affect his later realms.

"Heavenly Passages are quite fascinating. They seem to have a karmic connection with our cultivation method." Wushi spoke with great interest. Through the Chat Group and some other information, he guessed that this might very well be the predecessor of the cultivation method they currently practiced.

"Hiss, opening ten Heavenly Passages is really difficult. I nearly failed." Shi Jue opened his eyes. His injuries had completely vanished, and his precious body had become even more crystal-clear. The marvelous feeling of a breakthrough was truly addictive.

Breaking through to nine Heavenly Passages had not been a problem for him, but he was still just short of ten. Perhaps it was the alcohol that had made him bolder, because he had directly forced his way into ten Heavenly Passages. He had succeeded, but he would need time afterward to stabilize it.