Wine Sutra

"It worked!"

At the center of the lotus platform, the Withered Orchid suddenly unfurled! Golden patterns shimmered along the edges of its leaves, and a surge of scorching vitality burst from its roots.

Chen Qing's heart pounded wildly. He flicked his fingers, sending several streams of Turbid Qi shooting out.

The Withered Orchid devoured the nourishment like a starving thing. Its leaves shifted from withered yellow to crimson, and a glittering golden bud the size of a grain of rice formed at its tip!

Just as delight surged through him, a sharp pop rang out inside Chen Qing. He had lost too much Turbid Qi, throwing the Five Elements out of balance. The Fire and Earth Qi ran wild, while the other spiritual energies were nearly extinguished. His meridians felt as if they were being scorched by flames. Chen Qing groaned, veins bulging across his forehead.

Just as he struggled to regulate his breathing, the golden bud suddenly bloomed!

A wisp of pure Fire Spirit burst from its heart and shot straight into his brow.

In an instant, the rampaging Fire and Earth Qi within Chen Qing were soothed as if by a timely rain. The starlight of his Life Talisman blended with the Fire Spirit, and a dazzling golden edge formed around the talisman's patterns.

"Bzzz—"

The Green Jade Lotus Platform blazed with light!

The Withered Orchid had fully revived. Its three crimson leaves sprang out like swords leaving their sheaths, their golden patterns swirling like boiling lava.

Countless ancient runes suddenly appeared across the lotus platform. Each one moved like a living thing, before finally gathering into nine illusory green lotuses that revolved around Chen Qing.

A gentle, jade-like spiritual power welled up from the lotus platform and entered through the soles of Chen Qing's feet. After circulating through his meridians for one full cycle, it transformed into a thin, cicada-wing-like shield of green light that clung to his skin.

"Hmm?"

A soft exclamation suddenly came from deep within the Treasure Pavilion.

Chen Qing turned sharply and saw a gray-robed old man standing in a corner. He had appeared without warning. His beard and hair were as white as snow, his face gaunt, and he held a Green Jade horsetail whisk. With keen interest, he was studying the revived Crimson Orchid.

"Young friend, you have quite a talent." The old man walked over slowly, sweeping his whisk. "This Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform has lain dormant for three hundred years. At last, it has found its rightful master."

Chen Qing's heart tightened. He cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask who you are, Senior...?"

"Just an old gatekeeper, nothing more." The old man waved a hand, though his gaze never left the Crimson Orchid. "This plant is called the Crimson Heart Golden Patterned Orchid. It grows in the Nine Nether Earth Fire and must be nourished by pure Fire Spirit. That you could revive it..." He narrowed his eyes. "Now, that's curious."

When Chen Qing saw the old man's getup, labels like "sweeper monk" had immediately sprung to mind. But now, after hearing him speak, he was puzzled.

If the Crimson Orchid could be revived, that meant it was the "Fire Tongue Orchid" described in records from later generations. Where had this talk of the Nine Nether Earth Fire come from? And he had clearly used Turbid Fire mixed from two elements—it had nothing to do with the word "pure"...

"Is this another case of the limitations of knowledge in this era?"

The old man had no idea what Chen Qing was wondering. Pointing at the lotus platform, he said, "This Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform is an ancient treasure. It can suppress inner demons and protect the body. Your cultivation may be shallow, but with this treasure, you can withstand even an attack from a Fourth Realm expert for a time. As for this Crimson Orchid..."

At that, Chen Qing's heart shook, and he looked at the lotus platform in a new light.

It could block an attack from a Fourth Realm cultivator?

If he could bring it back to the waking world, why would he need to worry about the Third Realm cultivators of Sea Abyss Temple?

But just then, a sudden change occurred!

The Crimson Orchid began to shudder violently. The golden patterns on its three crimson leaves moved like living things, and in the blink of an eye, they gathered at the center of each leaf to form three ancient runes.

"Oh?" The old man looked surprised. "Samadhi True Fire Talisman!"

Before Chen Qing could react, the three golden runes flew off the leaves and shot straight into his brow!

"Boom!"

Golden flames surged through his Sea of Consciousness. The anxieties, doubts, and other distracting thoughts he had accumulated over the years vanished in an instant, leaving his Dao Heart perfectly clear.

Three golden runes hovered deep within his Sea of Consciousness.

"What a stroke of fortune!" The old man clapped his hands and laughed. "Samadhi True Fire can refine away inner demons. From now on, your cultivation will face no more obstacles. The lotus platform and Crimson Orchid can absorb people's spells and nurture themselves with the energy. Once they've accumulated enough, they can condense talismans. In time, more of their wonders will reveal themselves."

So they could absorb spells and magical power, then draw from the accumulation like pulling a card?

Chen Qing was delighted.

The lotus platform protected his body, and the True Fire refined his heart—both were tangible benefits. Even if he couldn't bring them back to the waking world, the ability to purge distracting thoughts would let him purify his Dao Heart every time he entered a dream. That alone was wondrous.

As Chen Qing savored his gains, the old man suddenly swept his whisk. His figure began to fade. "Still, treasures are only external things. True cultivation begins in the heart."

His voice lingered in the air.

Chen Qing bowed respectfully, then reached out to touch the lotus platform.

"Retract!"

The Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform shrank at once and dropped into his palm, no bigger than his hand. The Crimson Heart Golden Patterned Orchid condensed into a seed streaked with crimson and gold, resting quietly in the center of the platform.

"With this supreme treasure to protect me, I finally have a little more to rely on."

He tucked the lotus platform into his robes and was about to leave, when his steps suddenly halted. His gaze swept across the dazzling array of treasures around him.

"Since I'm already here, I might as well have another look..."

So Chen Qing wandered around the third-floor vault a few more times, eyeing the magical treasures brimming with spiritual energy.

A Bronze Wine Goblet poured itself a drink, then tipped invitingly as he passed.

On an Ink Wash Screen, a woodcutter stopped and beckoned to him.

An unattended Seven-stringed Zither played a wondrous melody by itself.

A Golden Bell chimed softly, conjuring layer upon layer of mazes.

Chen Qing shook his head with a laugh and kept walking.

"The conditions are all too difficult." A few breaths later, he turned toward the stairs. "I got lucky with the Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform by using the Record of Absolute Items to find a loophole. I shouldn't hope for more."

Behind him, the treasures hummed in protest.

And yet—

When Chen Qing returned to the first-floor entrance and pushed at the door, he found it wouldn't budge.

"Hmm?"

The door remained firmly shut!

He frowned and pushed harder, but it stayed closed. Then a line of golden text suddenly appeared across its surface—

"Supreme treasures are hard to come by. Do not settle lightly. You may continue choosing; there is no need to hurry away."

"Is this... house arrest?"

He understood at once.

"Right! They must be waiting for things to settle on Princess Xiyao's end. Could she really be sending someone to the Meridian Washing Pool? But is it necessary to trap me here? What could one extra person change? Are they trying to stop me from giving the princess advice?"

As he pondered, Chen Qing unconsciously reached for the Green Lotus Platform in his robes, then stopped.

The lotus platform could protect him, but it didn't seem to have any offensive power!

"That old man was an otherworldly expert. I doubt I could even call him back..."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Qing was trapped in the tower, but he didn't waste his time.

He explored every inch of the walls on the first three floors, searching for a way out.

At dawn on the fourth day, a faint engraving in the seams between the blue-green bricks in the northwest corner of the second floor caught his attention. When he touched it with his fingertip, he felt a faint sting!

"What's this...?"

He bent down to inspect it closely. The engraving was as fine as a strand of silk, yet its edge was razor-sharp. It had clearly been carved with Sword Qi. Following its lines, he pieced together a fragment of scripture—

[Primordial Chaos encompasses all things, reaching up to the azure firmament and down to the Nine Nether. Cultivated to great mastery, it can turn heaven and earth into a furnace and melt all things into a single qi. Thus, this method may be called the Primordial Chaos Qi Scripture!]

Every word struck like thunder, shaking Chen Qing to the core.

The ambition of this technique was so grand that even the Sea and Mountain Remnant Scroll paled beside it! Though he had only uncovered a few hundred words from its opening, the Supreme Harmony Qi in his body was already circulating of its own accord, resonating mysteriously with the inscription.

"Who left this behind? It's so well hidden. Could someone else have been trapped here, just like me, and left it behind?"

A sudden inspiration struck him. He gathered Supreme Harmony Qi at his fingertip and slowly traced the engraving.

"Bzzz—"

The blue-green brick suddenly shone with a brilliant light, and more words surged forth like living things:

[Qi divides into yin and yang; form has substance and void. Void and substance give rise to one another, and can transform into all things...]

Chen Qing read a few lines and was instantly overjoyed, as though he had found a priceless treasure.

"The Immortal Dynasty really does have deep foundations. Even the technique tucked away in a corner of its treasure vault is this wondrous. If this spread beyond the dream into the waking world, it would stir up a storm of blood and slaughter!"

Soon, he was utterly absorbed, forgetting all about time.

"Grrr—"

Only when his stomach rumbled like thunder did he snap back to his senses, realizing that he hadn't had a drop of water or a grain of rice in three days.

Cultivators could fast for many days, but the spiritual energy in the vault was thin, and he had been expending a great deal on his study of the technique.

"The Sixth Prince wouldn't resort to something as despicable as starving me to death..."

The thought had barely formed when he shook his head.

"Of course!"

Chen Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood. An ordinary person trapped here would sit still and regulate their breathing. But he had spent these past few days running up and down the tower and studying the Primordial Chaos Qi Scripture. Naturally, he had consumed far more energy than most.

"I need to find something to eat, or perhaps something to drink... Wait! Something to drink?"

His eyes suddenly lit up. Bracing himself against the pressure, he hurried up the stairs and snatched up the Bronze Wine Goblet. He hesitated briefly, then remembered he was in a dream and tipped it back.

"Glug—"

The amber wine slid down his throat and instantly became a torrent of heat that swept through his body. His hunger and thirst vanished, and even his mind felt clearer!

"Good wine!"

Chen Qing wiped his mouth and grinned.

From then on, whenever Chen Qing got hungry, he drank from the Bronze Wine Goblet. And in the haze of drunkenness, the mysteries of the Primordial Chaos Qi Scripture seemed to grow clearer still.

[...Primordial Chaos is the qi that existed before heaven and earth were divided!]

When his fingertip traced the final engraving, a dazzling light suddenly burst from the jade brick! Through his bleary, drunken eyes, several lines of wild, cursive script leaped into view on the wall—

[I traveled across the six continents of the world, observed every method, and created this Primordial Chaos Qi Scripture! Those who come after and find it must understand that this technique encompasses all things. Cultivated to great mastery, it can melt all methods together in a single furnace!—Venerable Taixuan]

Even in his drunken haze, Chen Qing was shaken to his core by the arrogance between the lines, an arrogance that looked down upon the whole world.

"What grand ambition!"

He staggered to his feet. Though the spiritual wine in the goblet could sate his hunger, its effects grew stronger and stronger. He had drunk dozens of cups over the past two days, and now everything before his eyes had doubled.

"No wonder they say you need to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk..."

Chen Qing shook his head with a bitter smile. He was about to fetch more wine when his legs suddenly gave way, nearly sending him sprawling. He hurriedly braced himself against the wall. The world spun around him, and even the Samadhi True Fire Talisman in his Sea of Consciousness dimmed.

"If I drink any more, I'll really pass out..."

As he hesitated, his whole body suddenly trembled. A faint white mist began to gather before his eyes!

The seventh day of his dream was nearly over. He was about to wake!

"I'm waking up?"

Chen Qing's heart tightened, and much of his drunkenness faded. He hurriedly sat cross-legged and briefly sorted through what he had learned over the past few days, afraid he might forget something.

The white mist thickened, and Chen Qing's consciousness gradually began to drift away.

At the very instant before he woke, his thoughts raced. Princess Xiyao was in grave danger, and the situation was tangled and uncertain. If he skipped forward several years the next time he entered the dream, it would be too late to save the day!

"I have to leave a hook so I can continue the dream next time!"

He forced together the last scraps of his clarity, but the drunkenness made it hard to focus. Only when the white mist had completely obscured his vision did a streak of ink suddenly appear and rapidly expand, spreading like a vast canopy as it drew a single stroke across this place and became an imprint.

This imprint was unlike the specific obsessions he had left behind before. Instead, it was an indistinct "intent," like a beacon in the sea of dreams, pointing the way to his next dream.

But in his haste, the time anchor shifted by an extremely tiny margin.

"Drinking really does cause trouble!" Before leaving, he instinctively planted an obsession in his dream self: "Keep drinking to stave off hunger, and keep studying..."

Then his consciousness departed.

The next instant, his dream self mechanically picked up the Bronze Wine Goblet and drained it.

After the wine entered his stomach, the pores all over his body opened and closed, absorbing every bit of spiritual power in the drink. Yet he showed no sign of drunkenness, and his eyes were as hollow as an abyss. Then the dream self turned toward the engraving on the wall. The moment his gaze fell on the scripture, he began to comprehend it—several times faster than before!

"Hm?"

The gray-robed old man watching from the shadows looked utterly astonished.

Just moments ago, Chen Qing had been visibly drunk. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to have left the world behind, no longer bound by the flesh!

"Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion?!"