It worked.
It had finally worked!
The Wine Cellar could finally be upgraded!
Ji Yuan saw the words "Upgrade Available" on the Panel, and joy surged through him.
From North-Knowing City to Empty Demon Island, from the Kunwu Continent to the Demon God Continent, he had crossed two continents and traveled countless miles. At last, he could upgrade it.
He did not return to Yu Qing's Cave Abode.
There were too many eyes and ears there. Ekun was honest enough, but Yu Qing was no pushover.
Ji Yuan had no idea how much commotion upgrading the Wine Cellar would cause—after all, the last time he upgraded the Heavenly Grotto in a Void rift, it had stirred up a vortex of spiritual energy outside.
Even Bai Zhan and Xu Youxia had been alerted.
The Wine Cellar was lower in grade than the Heavenly Grotto, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
He followed the main road east for a while, turned down a side street, passed through two narrow alleys, and found an inn with a sign reading "Returning Cloud Residence."
It was small, but quiet. Beside it lay a private spirit-plant garden. The scent of Violet Mist Grass drifted over the low wall, filtering out much of the street's clamor.
The innkeeper was a Fourth Tier crane demon with a long, slender neck and a tuft of white feathers atop his head. As soon as Ji Yuan entered, he hurried over to welcome him.
Ji Yuan set a High-Grade Spirit Stone on the counter and asked for the best courtyard.
The crane demon's eyes flashed at the stone's luster. He quickly took a jade token from a drawer and personally led Ji Yuan to a secluded courtyard at the very back of the inn.
Ji Yuan pushed open