Also Drunk

Boom!

The next instant, the Bronze Wine Goblet trembled violently!

Brilliant golden light burst from its body, and wine surged forth like a heavenly river turned upside down!

One drop, two drops, three drops...

In the blink of an eye, hundreds upon hundreds of crystalline droplets hung in midair. Each seemed to hold a fine wine swirling within, releasing an intoxicating fragrance that stirred the soul.

Splash—

The droplets collided, sending ripples through the air. The entire Treasure Pavilion seemed to be drawn into a drunken dream!

If not for the obstruction of the pavilion's formation, even the outside world would likely have been affected!

In the shadows, the gray-robed elder's pupils contracted. His figure swayed, and his very spirit seemed drenched in the wine's fragrance!

"The Drunken Immortal Brew has been released!"

He raised a hand and formed a seal. Clear light shimmered around him, dispelling the drunken haze.

"He really got the Thousand Day Drunk one sip at a time?"

Still shocked, the elder cast a complicated gaze at the Bronze Wine Goblet floating in the air.

This treasure was called the Thousand Day Drunk. It had been left behind by an ancient Wine Immortal. Though it looked like an ordinary goblet, it contained a world within—and could brew Drunken Immortal Brew. As the name suggested, this wine could make even immortals drunk!

At that moment, hundreds upon hundreds of droplets hung in the air, each containing a different kind of drunkenness—

Some burned the heart like blazing fire; a drink sent one's blood surging.

Some pierced like icy frost; a touch to the lips froze the soul.

Others held illusions within. A single glance made it seem as though mountains and rivers were collapsing, while the sun and moon revolved!

Chen Qing stood at the heart of the wine rain, yet remained untouched by its intoxicating effects. Instead, his mind felt clearer than ever.

He reached out and touched a droplet of wine. At once, profound information flooded his mind—

[This treasure has three transformations that can be used to activate it: first, Wine Rain Confuses Heaven; second, Long River Overwhelms the World; third, One Dream, Thousand Years...]

Chen Qing immediately understood the three transformations—

First, Wine Rain Confuses Heaven could intoxicate all living beings. Once touched, distracting thoughts turned to drunkenness, leaving the mind defenseless!

Second, Long River Overwhelms the World turned wine into a raging torrent that washed away all things and dissolved spiritual light. Even formations and restrictions could be corroded for a short time!

Third, One Dream, Thousand Years was even more mysterious. It could weave illusions and dreams within the wine, and was said to make people sink into a drunken dream, never waking for a thousand years!

"What a treasure! It's not merely a wine vessel—it's also a weapon of attack!"

Chen Qing was overjoyed. At first, he'd wondered why the treasure had suddenly submitted to him. Then the memories from after his previous departure from the dream surfaced, and he understood: by a twist of fate, his dream-self had become stuck between waking and dreaming, meeting the condition of drinking a thousand cups without getting drunk!

"Still, whether it's the Bronze Wine Goblet or the Ninth-grade Green Lotus Platform, the treasures' spirits have only acknowledged me. I haven't truly refined them yet. Once I leave this place, I'll have to find a weapon-refining technique. Only after refining them will I truly have them under my command!"

"Ahem..."

Just as he was about to investigate further, a cough came from the shadows.

At last, the gray-robed elder could no longer hold back. He stepped out of the darkness and swept his horsetail whisk, stilling the wine rain that filled the air.

"Young friend, you certainly are blessed with good fortune," the elder said, narrowing his eyes. "The Thousand Day Drunk, which no one in the Treasure Pavilion has managed to obtain for hundreds of years, has actually been subdued by you."

Chen Qing was about to respond modestly, but the elder suddenly stepped closer. "A person who can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk is rare in this world. But were you really not drunk? You know the answer well enough!"

Chen Qing froze.

The elder continued, "Before, the goblet had no master and its mysteries had not been activated. Though the wine was rich, it was no different from ordinary wine. Now that you've obtained the treasure, though your cultivation is shallow, using it with all your strength could be enough to bewilder even fifth- or sixth-realm cultivators. But those people are far beyond your reach. Even if they get drunk, it'll only be for an instant. Don't rely on the treasure recklessly and bring calamity upon yourself."

Chen Qing nodded in agreement.

"Since this treasure has acknowledged you as its master, I won't stand in your way. However, when it was brought into the pavilion, I made an agreement with someone..." The elder swept his sleeve, and the wine rain drew together, returning to the goblet. "Now that you've obtained it, you've formed a karmic bond with me. One day, you—or one of your descendants or disciples—will have to do something for me."

Chen Qing grew wary, but showed nothing on his face. "What do you require, Senior? If it's within my power, I'll do my utmost."

"No rush. But since you're so gifted, I'll give you one more warning. Remember, you must never reveal this treasure in Yujing." The elder waved a hand, then changed the subject. "You were using your spiritual sense to peer outside just now. Were you trying to contact that girl, Xiyao?"

Chen Qing's heart jolted. He hadn't expected the elder to see everything he'd done. But the elder was an expert who guarded the pavilion; it was only natural that such small movements could hardly be hidden from him.

After a brief pause, he answered frankly, "I was."

"At least you care," the elder said with a quiet laugh and a nod. "That girl Xiyao really is in a difficult spot."

He swept his sleeve, and the ancient bronze mirror appeared once more. In the mirror was a courtyard shrouded in crimson banners, with nine green jade pillars surrounding its center. Princess Xiyao sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, demonic energy churning around her, while a fox-shaped mark flickered in and out between her brows.

"Is that a scene from the separate residence? Has the Princess's Qingqiu bloodline turned on her?" Chen Qing frowned.

The elder shook his head. "Someone deliberately triggered the transformation of her bloodline, planning to use the pretext of cleansing her meridians to cripple her!"

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes. "The Sixth Prince? The Empress?"

The elder smiled but said nothing.

Chen Qing couldn't help asking, "Since Senior can see what's happening in the separate residence, can you help me leave this place?"

The elder smiled. "I guard the pavilion, but I'm not the one who opens its doors."

Chen Qing understood what he meant and asked instead, "May I ask why the Empress is targeting the Tenth Princess? Is it really because of the Princess's birth and her beliefs?"

"Young friend, are you planning to ask me everything at once?" The elder laughed heartily, then continued, "That girl Xiyao is held back by her complicated bloodline, the different strains restraining one another. It has hindered her cultivation, so her cultivation level isn't high. But she was born extraordinary, with a true celestial fox body. Thanks to her physical abilities, she's actually not much weaker than the foremost children of the Immortal Emperors."

He paused, his smile fading. "Do you know why people keep their eyes on her? It's because of her bloodline!"

Chen Qing felt a chill in his heart. The elder could casually reveal royal secrets; he was certainly no ordinary person!

Keeping his expression unchanged, he cupped his hands. "Senior is truly well-informed. This junior is impressed. May I ask how I should address you?"

The elder gently swayed his horsetail whisk. "My surname is Jiang."

"Senior Jiang." Chen Qing bowed respectfully, then changed the subject. "This junior dares to ask: is there a way to resolve the Princess's present crisis?"

Elder Jiang narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly. "You're a clever one. You didn't ask about my origins—you went straight to the point." He stroked his beard. "Actually, many people are waiting right now."

"Waiting?" Chen Qing asked, puzzled. "For what?"

The elder pointed toward the depths of the Imperial City. "For one person."

Chen Qing understood at once—they were waiting for the First Origin Immortal Emperor to comprehend the profound technique!

"Could he have reached the final barrier?"

Elder Jiang sighed. "That's right. The First Origin's Nine Revolutions Ascension Technique has reached its ninth revolution. If he succeeds in his seclusion, he'll ascend in broad daylight. If he fails, he'll continue ruling the countless living beings of this mortal realm..."

"..."

Hearing this, Chen Qing felt a strange unease. The fate of countless living beings hinged on whether one person could attain enlightenment. Such a realm of cultivation was truly beyond his imagination.

By the time Elder Jiang finished speaking, he seemed to have lost interest. "Continue your study. I'm going to rest." With that, his figure gradually faded.

In the blink of an eye, silence returned to the pavilion.

"Just as I thought..."

Chen Qing wasn't surprised. The elder seemed affable, but he was unfathomably deep and clearly had his own way of doing things. He obviously didn't want to get caught up in the royal family's conflicts.

"Still, I've gained something this time."

As his gaze returned to the Bronze Wine Goblet, a thought suddenly struck him.

"This treasure can turn distracting thoughts into drunkenness. If I wrap the wine's aura in my spiritual sense, could I get that spirit beast in the separate residence drunk?"

Chen Qing sat down at once and tapped the goblet with a fingertip.

"Drip."

A drop of amber-colored wine rose into the air, crystalline beneath the enveloping Supreme Harmony Qi.

He closed his eyes and focused. His spiritual sense wound around the drop like a thread as the wine gradually turned into vapor. At last, it mingled together into a shining "drunken pill."

"Go!"

He flicked a finger. His spiritual sense carried the drunken pill through the restrictions and raced along the path it had taken before.

On the wall of the Qingwu Villa, the Snow Soul Sable flicked its tail, bored out of its mind.

Suddenly, that familiar ripple of spiritual sense came at it again!

The Snow Soul Sable's ears twitched. Its small, deep-blue eyes warily searched the air, then its expression changed.

"Again?" it lamented inwardly. "Why is this mighty expert so persistent? Could it be annoyed that I took that bite earlier?"

It hesitated, wondering whether it should dutifully leap in and bite again, when a strange, rich fragrance began to spread quietly.

The scent was like orchids and musk, with the sweetness of flowers and fruit, and a warmth that seeped straight into the soul. The fur all over its body relaxed.

"Hm? What's this?" The Snow Soul Sable's nostrils flared, and its little eyes instantly grew hazy. "So fragrant! So fragrant!"

But a moment later, alarm bells rang in its mind!

There was something strange about the scent! It had to be a trick by the one spying on it!

Then again—

"An expert capable of wielding such a subtle drunkenness is no one I can afford to offend. If I keep trying to stop them and make them angry..."

The Snow Soul Sable shuddered, imagining its miserable fate: skinned alive, its tendons torn out, and turned into a magical artifact!

"Enough, enough! Please forgive me, Master. Your humble servant is drunk!"

It didn't resist at all. A breath later, its little head lolled to one side. It slumped on the wall and sank into a drunken dream.

"It worked!"

Chen Qing's spirits soared. His spiritual sense seized the chance to pierce the final barrier and slip deep into the separate residence!

In the next instant, the courtyard came into clear view—

At the center of the courtyard, surrounded by nine green jade pillars, Princess Xiyao sat with her black hair disheveled and her eyes shut.

Suddenly.

She opened her eyes. Her brows furrowed, then she paused in surprise and tentatively asked, "Chen Xu?"

I had something to take care of today, so I was delayed and the update came late...

If you happen to pass by, please add this to your collection. Come by every day to read and follow along—this newbie offers his thanks!