"Fine, I accept!"
Gu Changqing's words brought cold sneers to the faces of the Twelve Golden Immortals.
He truly had no idea how to live or die.
Today, they would make him lose every shred of dignity.
On the Interception Sect's side, however, everyone's expression changed drastically.
"This..."
What Duobao and the others feared most had happened after all.
But they also knew that once Gu Changqing made up his mind, none of them could talk him out of it.
Thus, Duobao hurriedly turned to Saint Tongtian.
"Master Tongtian, please talk some sense into Junior Brother Changqing!"
"How can he face the Twelve Golden Immortals' assault alone?"
At this point, perhaps only Tongtian could stop this unfair contest.
Tongtian frowned deeply, but did not immediately say anything.
He studied Gu Changqing with a grave gaze.
For some reason, Tongtian kept feeling that this disciple of his was not acting on impulse.
Even against the Twelve Golden Immortals, he had the strength to fight.
The feeling had no basis, yet it refused to leave him.
Suddenly, another thought struck Tongtian.
Whenever Gu Changqing became thoroughly drunk, he would often recite verses unknown to anyone else, some bold and unrestrained, others brimming with dominance.
Likewise, whenever he recited poetry, he would unleash terrifying sword intent that surpassed everyone's expectations.
Would today be the same?
After pondering for a moment, Tongtian asked meaningfully:
"Changqing, my disciple, are you still able to spar with the Twelve Golden Immortals?"
At those words, Gu Changqing swayed unsteadily, looking as though he might collapse drunk at any moment.
Yet he answered with a light chuckle:
"Hehe, rest assured, Master!"
"To roam the mortal world with sword in hand is madness already; with wine, I stride straight into the azure heavens!"
"If your disciple shrank from battle, wouldn't I be letting down such fine wine?"
Hearing this, Tongtian's heart suddenly settled.
Exactly!
That was it!
The several times Gu Changqing had revealed his cultivation and stunned everyone had been exactly like this.
He knew Gu Changqing was not drunk.
Since he dared accept the Twelve Golden Immortals' challenge, he surely had his own considerations.
"Very well. Since that is the case, I shall say no more."
"Just remember, this is a spar between fellow disciples. Stop short of causing harm."
Those last words were meant for both Gu Changqing and the Twelve Golden Immortals.
Seeing Tongtian nod his approval, the mighty figures present withdrew, leaving a battlefield for Gu Changqing and the others to spar.
Then every gaze fixed intently on the field.
They wanted to see whether Gu Changqing truly had something to rely on, or whether he was courting death like an ant trying to shake a tree.
Without another word, the Twelve Golden Immortals leaped into the field and took their battle stances.
"Gu Changqing, since your Interception Sect takes the sword as its legacy..."
"Draw your sword!"
Guangchengzi barked coldly.
Across from him, however, Gu Changqing was still drinking deeply.
"Haha, draw my sword? There's no need!"
"I am the Wine Sword Immortal. Today, wine alone will suffice."
"If I drew my sword, I fear I might injure you, senior brothers."
Gu Changqing spoke calmly, as though stating some trivial fact.
But those words thoroughly infuriated the Twelve Golden Immortals once again.
"Hmph, putting on airs!"
"Let's see how long you can keep up the act."
With an angry shout, Guangchengzi wasted no more words.
He swept his wide sleeves, sending surging power rolling up into the heavens before it rushed toward Gu Changqing with fierce, cutting winds.
Behind him, Juliusun, Taiyi Zhenren, and the others showed no mercy either.
Vast magical power poured forth as the Twelve Golden Immortals manifested all manner of mighty offensive arts.
Ferocious beyond compare!
Overbearing beyond measure!
The Twelve Golden Immortals were all at the primordial unity golden immortal realm.
Their leader, Guangchengzi, had even reached the Perfected Grand Unity Golden Immortal level.
One could well imagine how terrifying the offensive on the field was, making even the mighty onlookers pale.
"As expected of a saint's disciples. Even their opening attacks are extraordinary!"
"That Gu Changqing is still drinking? His arrogance truly knows no bounds."
"Heh, this brat won't escape a sound thrashing today."
Everyone buzzed with discussion, especially those from the Demon Court, whose faces were filled with gloating.
They seemed to have already seen Gu Changqing crushed by the Twelve Golden Immortals in the next instant, utterly powerless to fight back.
That would certainly soothe the Demon Court's resentment.
Though Tongtian remained silent, he too watched without blinking, his expression grave.
If anything happened to Gu Changqing, he would intervene without hesitation, at least ensuring his disciple's life remained safe.
Yet just as everyone entertained their own thoughts...
On the field, the Twelve Golden Immortals' attacks were about to strike Gu Changqing.
At that critical instant, Gu Changqing, who had still been drinking with his head tipped back, finally moved.
"Urp..."
With a drunken belch, Gu Changqing abruptly shook the Wine Gourd in his hand.
Splash!
A stream of fine wine poured out into the void.
At that very instant, Gu Changqing murmured:
"Urp... Myriad Swords Saint Art!"
As his words fell, a sudden transformation erupted!
The droplets of wine scattered through the void suddenly burst with boundless divine radiance.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The wine hung in the air, then shot forth in successive bursts, tearing through space and time!
Every drop transformed into a strand of sword intent, its sharpness fully unleashed.
Within the Demon Court, immortal palaces trembled, Lingxiao thundered, and all things lost their color.
As far as the eye could see, more than a million densely packed strands of sword intent stretched across the sky, their might piercing the rainbow and shaking the universe.
Before anyone could react...
"Aah!"
A shrill scream rang out across the field.
In the next instant, blood mist spread, revealing glimpses of Juliusun's wretched figure within it.
Beneath the sweep of a million sword energies, there was nowhere to dodge and nowhere to retreat.
Juliusun's Daoist robe was now shredded, and his body was covered in wounds, a horrifying sight.
Seeing this, the onlookers could not help drawing sharp breaths.
"What's happening? Why is a Chan Sect Disciple screaming?"
"Such swift, fierce sword intent! As fast as lightning, impossible to track."
"Hiss... I haven't even seen clearly what happened on the field."
Gu Changqing and the Twelve Golden Immortals had been standing on opposite sides from the start.
Thus, everyone instantly discerned that the injured one was actually a Chan Sect Disciple.
And Juliusun's scream was only the beginning.
Immediately afterward, one muffled groan of agony after another rang out.
Without exception, they all came from the Chan Sect Disciples.
Yuanshi, who had been smiling as he waited for the Twelve Golden Immortals to win fame and establish their might, suddenly froze.
"What's going on?"
He growled angrily under his breath.
With a sweep of his great hand, he dispelled the divine radiance and immortal light on the field, annihilating the million strands of sword intent.
Only then did he see clearly that the Twelve Golden Immortals had already collapsed to the ground, every one of them wearing an expression of lingering terror.
It was difficult to imagine just how terrifying those million strands of sword intent had been.
Even the combined strength of the Twelve Golden Immortals had offered no resistance, leaving them so mercilessly crushed.
Yuanshi abruptly turned toward Saint Tongtian on the other side.
"Tongtian, Gu Changqing agreed to this contest himself."
"Even if many fought against one, he brought that suffering upon himself."
"You actually dared secretly help Gu Changqing and attack my disciples?"
Before you continue