Divine Artifact Appears, Purple Qi Comes from the East, Senior Wine Elder, a Hero's Courage Shattered

Sun Chengxi truly lived up to his Heroes List, possessing extraordinary strength and abilities. Li Xian was skilled in the "Golden Light Technique," which allowed him to pass through gaps and cracks with unpredictable and ever-changing abilities. He brought the Golden Light Technique to its fullest potential in places with many objects, walls, and complex environments.

He was quick-witted and cleverly used various tricks to conceal, obstruct, and hide himself from Sun Chengxi, greatly irritating him. However, although Sun Chengxi fell for his tricks repeatedly, he would immediately realize what was happening and give chase again, and he often succeeded in catching up with him.

The two engaged in a chase, exchanging blows seven times. Li Xian used the Golden Light Technique a total of nineteen times, and each encounter was fraught with danger, requiring him to use the Golden Light Technique several times in succession to barely deceive Sun Chengxi. Sun Chengxi seven times, was also extremely annoyed.

Li Xian dodged several times, sweat pouring down his face. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his internal organs were shrouded in a gray aura, making him appear weak but not quite so. His sweat was mixed with streaks of blood. Although he used the Golden Light Technique to escape the ever-changing situation, Sun Chengxi was a powerful figure, not young, experienced, and with a profound foundation in martial arts. He had mastered a few strange palm and claw techniques, which were able to injure Li Xian, who had transformed into a "flowing light." Although Li Xian's Golden Light was exquisite and he tried his best to avoid it, he was only slightly affected. However, with seven strikes accumulated, his injuries were by no means light!

He thought to himself, "This entanglement, this delaying tactic, should get Blue-Heavens Long Dream Tower to come to my aid, which will ultimately benefit me. But I'm almost at my limit. Although Sun Chengxi can't control my golden light with a single finger like the lady, his palm strikes can penetrate the golden light and affect my skin, internal organs, and body... Non-Self high level of mastery of the Golden Light Technique, I would probably be in grave danger. Even so, I've suffered heavy injuries. I need to devise another way to get rid of this person. I've escaped several times, moving through the rooms of the tavern, so I know this is a place of pleasure and debauchery. Although it's not night, it's still a place of 'nightly revelry,' with quite a few people around. Just now, while I was escaping, I heard the waiter and the guards complaining that some fine wine has been mysteriously disappearing lately. They suspect that Wine Rat have gotten in... If it's that senior, he's extremely mysterious, perhaps I can ask him for help?"

Even if he doesn't help me, I'll devise another way to escape. But this is something I can try once or twice.

As he immediately fled, he secretly observed the layout of the building. This building was called "Yan Hong Lou" (Crimson Smoke Tower), and there were countless people inside. In his haste, he wanted to find an old man, but how easy was that? Moreover, Li Xian had only caught a few words in his haste, so it was even more difficult to determine whether the Wine Elder was indeed there.

Therefore, it all depended on luck. Li Xian thought, "I just heard that the guards of that restaurant are searching everywhere for that ' Wine Rat.' They've searched many places but haven't found him. Only the wine cellar remains. I'll just head to the wine cellar now. If I can find the Wine Elder, I'll use fine wine to ask him for help. If not, I'll devise another plan to escape. Anyway, that mad dog won't let me go. Where I escape to is all the same. It makes no difference." At that time, reputable restaurants in Jade City all had a "brewing department" to research and brew their own fine wines. Wine in Jade City was expensive and highly profitable. The wine cellar was a very important place in the restaurant. It was usually very difficult to enter, but Sun Chengxi suddenly barged in. Although he tried to keep quiet, his actions still caused quite a stir. The wine cellar door was heavily locked, Copper Gate was tightly closed, but there were no guards watching over it.

Li Xian used his "Golden Light Technique" to pass through the crack in the door and enter.

The air inside was filled with the aroma of fine wine, which was incredibly delicious. There were many wines worth hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver. Although Li Xian was not a wine fanatic, he still enjoyed wine, and the aroma alone made his mouth water.

Seeing a figure lying on the ground, with a red nose and swollen cheeks, it was none other than the "Wine Elder" I'd met a few times before. This Wine Elder was a glutton by nature, always sneaking into fancy restaurants to steal fine wine, often getting completely drunk on the spot. When caught by the restaurant, he'd get a beating and be locked in the woodshed to await his fate. But once he sobered up, he would always escape and secretly return the next time. This cycle repeated itself.

He happened to have his eye on "Crimson Smoke Tower" and came to steal wine again, where he happened to run into Li Xian once more.

Li Xian gently pushed, channeling his Inner Steam, and called out, "Senior, Senior!"

The Wine Elder snored loudly, showing no signs of waking. Li Xian thought to himself, "This Wine Elder has always loved fine wine. I'll use fine wine as bait first." He said, "Senior, I've encountered a great trouble. Although I don't know if you can handle it, please help me out. I will definitely repay you with fine wine afterward. Just ask, senior, and I will find you some."

There was no response. Li Xian sighed softly, thinking, "It's better to rely on myself than others. Since the Wine Elder can't help, then so be it. I'll just keep running." He said, "Alright, then senior, continue sleeping. Cough cough... I won't disturb you." As he transformed into golden light and fought with Sun Chengxi, a chilling palm force penetrated his body through the golden light. After several attempts, his injuries gradually worsened.

The wine cellar was quite spacious, with rows of wine jars arranged neatly. In the southeast corner, there was a low dog hole. Li Xian chuckled and said, "This senior must have sneaked in through this hole. I'll have to be very careful around him when I open my restaurant in the future."

Suddenly, a brilliant plan came to mind. He shouted, "Cough cough... I fled in a great hurry, my whereabouts are obvious. I believe that scoundrel will soon catch up. Humph, if he dares to come, I might as well go all the way. I'll spill all the wine here, then set it on fire. I'll then use my golden light to escape. This much fine wine, full of its aroma and power, if it catches fire, the flames will surely be quite formidable. It will definitely burn away that old scoundrel's white hair, hahahaha. Cough cough."

He immediately hoisted several jars of fine wine and poured them into the wine cellar. The aroma was so rich that even the old wine jars smelled delicious. Sun Chengxi arrived quickly. He had been delayed by the guards of Crimson Smoke Tower. Seeing Li Xian hiding in the wine cellar, he realized that the boy was helpless and had lost his way. He strode forward and stepped on an old wine jar, its clothes tattered. He was furious and full of anger, so he kicked it.

Unexpectedly, this old drunkard was no ordinary man. He reached out and grabbed Sun Chengxi's ankle. Sun Chengxi's heart skipped a beat, thinking, "Although I didn't use any martial arts techniques with this kick, it's not something I can easily catch. This old drunkard looks slovenly, but he actually has some skill!" Then he thought, "Hmph, no matter how skilled you are, daring to mess with me is your bad luck. I don't believe that I, Sun Chengxi, who have roamed the martial world for so long, can't kill you, you old drunkard." Instantly, his inner strength trembled, and his joints made a series of "crackling" sounds, like thunder and tigers. This was the skillful use of "Chest-Drum Thunder Resonance" and "Double Wafting Immortal Tone." These two special body sounds carried extremely strong force, which flowed into the Wine Elder's body. This move was truly exquisite, and even ordinary Second Realm martial artists would find it difficult to withstand!

The force entered the Wine Elder's body, but vanished without a trace. Sun Chengxi raised an eyebrow, disregarding Li Xian at this critical moment, and stomped down with his other foot, stepping on the Wine Elder's head! With this stomp, the Wine Elder's head was crushed into the ground, deeply dented. Countless cracks spread across the ground, and the surrounding wine jars shattered with a "bang, bang, bang," spilling fragrant wine all over the ground, causing countless losses.

Sun Chengxi sneered and continued walking. But he felt his ankles were tightly gripped. He forced himself to take another step, but felt as if he were bound by extremely heavy shackles. Looking back, he saw that although the Wine Elder's clothes were disheveled, he was completely unharmed.

The old wine jar gripped Sun Chengxi's ankle firmly with one hand, while the other picked up a broken piece of porcelain from the wine jar. The shard was curved and still held a drop or two of wine. He took a sip, revealing a delicious, sweet taste. His face was flushed with satisfaction, all sleepiness gone, and he shouted, "I want to Riding the Wind and return, Drunken Life, Dreaming Death the most carefree!" Sun Chengxi had already lost face after Li Xian exposed his scheme. Now, blocked by the old wine jar, his anger, which he could not vent, twitched, and he cursed, "I'll teach you to be carefree!" Although he knew the old wine jar was not weak, he only wanted to kill him as well. He stomped down hard with his other foot!

Each strike contained profound meaning; one kick, two kicks, three kicks, each kick aimed specifically at the Wine Elder's head. The internal energy trembled, creating shockwaves that caused jars of fine wine to shatter and fall.

Sun Chengxi was still not satisfied and swung his leg again with great force.

The old wine jar flew against the wind with the force of his legs. But his right hand always held firmly to Sun Chengxi and ankle. No matter how Sun Chengxi whipped his legs, how he swung them, how he shook his back wildly, or how he used his fists and feet, the old wine jar always managed to deflect them in unexpected and somewhat childish ways.

Seeing that he couldn't crush or shake the Wine Elder, Sun Chengxi bent down and reached out to grab him. The old wine vat dodged left and right, his figure shifting nimbly on the ground like a snake. Sun Chengxi's two powerful palms repeatedly missed, leaving palm prints on the ground. They were indeed incredibly powerful and impressive, but if they couldn't hit their opponent, they were ultimately useless!

Enraged, he roared and slammed both palms down. The old wine jar passed right through his crotch, flashing from in front to behind. In this way, Sun Chengxi's palms missed their mark, unable to harm the old wine jar in the slightest.

The old wine jar, however, was leisurely and carefree, occasionally picking up broken porcelain from the ground and drinking the remaining wine from the porcelain. When Sun Chengxi saw the old wine jar hiding behind him, he immediately jumped up and lay on his side in mid-air, while using the two martial arts techniques "Thousand-Kilogram Drop" and "Mountain-Shaking Brace" to crush the old wine jar to death.

But the old wine vat didn't dodge or evade; instead, he unleashed a groin kick. Sun Chengxi's martial arts were instantly broken, his power vanished, and his face turned a bluish-purple. He steadied himself, letting out a wild roar; his rage was beyond description. Thus, a bizarre fight unfolded.

The old wine jar never left the ground, repeatedly passing between Sun Chengxi's martial arts. Sun Chengxi used every trick in the book—legs, hands, elbows, head—exerting himself with every available method and technique. Sun Chengxi's martial arts skills were extremely formidable, but in his fight against the old wine jar, he was forcibly dragged back to "basic simplicity," resembling a street thug's entanglement.

The fighting here is nothing compared to the spectacular scene at "Azure Cage Abode," where they summon rain and wind. Yet it is far more difficult to deal with.

After fighting for a while, Sun Chengxi's face turned ugly. He was indeed no match for the Wine Elder and cursed, "Old man, dare you stand three zhang away from me and start fighting again from the beginning?"

The Wine Elder, drunk, slurred, "Alright, alright." He loosened his ankle and slowly rose to his feet with a swaying motion. Sun Chengxi laughed angrily, "Excellent, excellent! Old man, I can tell you're no weakling either. You should have some reputation in the martial world, quickly tell me!"

The old wine man said, "Hey, old man, there is a worm in my wine. I just want to be drunk all day long and soak in the wine vat. I don't remember the name of the world very clearly."

Sun Chengxi said, "Playing tricks!" Just as he was preparing his moves to avenge his humiliation, the Wine Elder said, "Stop! This, this... what's your name again?"

Sun Chengxi said, "Heavenly Star Elder; Sun Chengxi." The Wine Elder bowed slurredly, but it was very perfunctory, and his gestures were also incorrect. He said, "Oh, Sun Chengxi, great hero Sun... could you please leave now? Look at all this wine, all these wine jars on the ground... oh dear... such a waste, it breaks my heart. If we were to fight, I'm afraid even more good wine would be ruined."

Sun Chengxi, hearing the Wine Elder's words implying that he only cared about the fine wine in the cellar, was enraged and shouted, "Utterly arrogant!" He then channeled his inner energy into his palms, which were enveloped in a thick black aura.

The Wine Elder shuddered and said, "My goodness! If you use this move, will this wine cellar even exist? Please, have mercy and stop!" Sun Chengxi sneered, his palm technique about to evolve further.

The Wine Elder sighed, "Too hot-tempered, too hot-tempered! Oh well, too well, this old man hasn't stretched his muscles in a long time. I hope I haven't gotten rusty. I hope I don't get so scared that I kneel down and beg for mercy later, that would be so boring." He took a swig of wine, tied the wine gourd to his waist, and then stretched out his hand towards the east.

A purple aura was brewing among the clouds in the east. Everyone looked up and saw the sky filled with purple clouds, which was extremely beautiful and mesmerizing. The sudden appearance of this strange phenomenon in the sky caused the people of Jade City to look up and discuss it.

A long sword suddenly pierced through the clouds and flew straight towards a building. It passed through the wall and landed in the Wine Elder's hand. This sword was shrouded in a hazy purple mist, and the moment it appeared, it captured the attention of the entire world.

Sun Chengxi frowned, deep in thought. Then his pupils contracted, and he took several steps back, exclaiming, "The Divine Artifact Ranking... the Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword. Once this sword recognizes its master, it travels with him. It doesn't need to be worn; simply reach out, and the sword will come from the east. You... you... you are... that..."

The Wine Elder said, "Common name, common surname, why bother? It's been a long time since I've held a sword, and today it's rare to have a master say he wants to kill me. Hehe..." Sun Chengxi immediately knelt down, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and said, "I dare not, I dare not, senior, please forgive me, it was I... I was blind to your greatness, I had no intention of offending you. If I had known that you were such a... such a person, how... how could I have dared to be presumptuous?"

The Wine Elder, losing interest, said, "How boring, how boring! I really thought you were courageous. Turns out you're just a coward." Sun Chengxi repeatedly smiled obsequiously, "Senior is absolutely right, absolutely right. Compared to you, I am indeed a coward."

The Wine Elder felt bored. Faced with such a figure, he lost all interest in swinging the sword and released its hilt. The Divine Sword, shrouded in mist, flew away again and disappeared into the clouds, the purple haze dissipating immediately. The Wine Elder glanced at Li Xian, then gulped down his wine and left.

Sun Chengxi watched them leave, letting out a sigh of relief. At this moment, the "Monk Ciming" of Blue-Heavens Long Dream Tower, along with the three Heaven-Watcher, Tao Xiangrong, and others, arrived. Seeing this scene, Sun Chengxi could no longer bring himself to kill Li Xian. Moreover, after being so frightened by the Wine Elder, he was utterly terrified and dared not act arrogantly. The Monk Ciming sternly said, "Benefactor Sun, how should this matter be resolved? There should be an explanation."

(P. S.: I was thinking of taking the day off today. But I decided to keep writing. I didn't start until 12:30 AM, and I was so sleepy, tired, and exhausted. I couldn't keep going after writing 4,000 words. I could have finished writing today...)