“Exactly.”
Lu Qiancha’s deep blue eyes flickered with a trace of slyness. She tapped her clawed finger once, and a delicate, translucent jade-green bottle suddenly floated above the low table.
“Shigu, why don’t you try this bottle of ‘Chengxin Yulu’ wine first? If it sells well, we can talk more later.”
“Is one small bottle enough for them to drink?”
Xuanmo looked doubtful. She often watched those Kuanlan Sect cultivators—each one drinking like a bottomless pit, hoisting huge jars and draining them in one go.
This little bit… wouldn’t even fill their stomachs!
“This is Lingye Yuanjiang, a concentrated spirit liquid. One bottle can make nearly five bowls of wine.”
Lu Qiancha shook the small bottle in her claw, then said, “The cost for this bottle is about five Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Pricing authority belongs to Shigu, and I’ll take 70% of the sales revenue.”
“I take 30%?!” Xuanmo was stunned—not because she thought Lu Qiancha was asking for too much, but shocked at her generosity.”
“She was only a middleman! Taking 30%? This girl was way too magnanimous! “No, no! That 30% would burn my fingers! That’s not right!”
“Shigu, don’t worry. There’s also a small favor I’d like to ask you.”
Lu Qiancha propped her chin on her claw, her big blue eyes looking at Xuanmo earnestly.
“What favor? But remember, I won’t do anything against Sect rules!” Xuanmo’s brows rose warily.
Lu Qiancha immediately straightened her small chest and patted her claw in solemn assurance, “Even if I had ten times the courage, I absolutely wouldn’t dare to touch any Sect forbidden ground.”
“Then what is it? Hurry and say it.”
Xuanmo’s curiosity was instantly piqued. What favor was worth such a hefty 30% pure profit?
“I’ve been researching the art of alchemy lately, but I lack a proper Danlu and Ding at hand…”
Lu Qiancha shyly rubbed her two small claws together, eyes gleaming with hope.
“I wonder if Shigu could keep an eye out in the Sect Treasury? If there’s a high-quality, unused Danlu available, that would be perfect…”
She shifted her tone slyly, the corners of her mouth curving up mischievously, “Even discarded or broken old furnaces and cauldrons would do.”
“Ha, I thought it was something serious.”
Xuanmo relaxed instantly, waving her large hand and slapping the table so hard it trembled. “Done! Leave it to me! I’ll definitely find you a top-notch one. Just wait!”
“Thanks in advance, Xuan Shigu.”
Lu Qiancha smiled knowingly. It seemed the matter was settled.
“Thanks, nothing to thank! You’re my senior sister’s disciple, no different from my own! When a disciple asks, how could this Shigu not wholeheartedly assist?”
Xuanmo laughed heartily and scooped the furry little blue ball into her arms, planting a loud kiss—“Boop!”—on Lu Qiancha’s soft cheek.
The next second, she transformed into a streak of light, gathering the jade bottle from the table and darting off toward the Kuanlan Sect, leaving only the words, “Wait for good news!” echoing atop the peak.
Lu Qiancha stayed in place, lightly touching the wet kiss mark on her cheek, shaking her head with a mixture of amusement and helplessness before returning to her cultivation.
***
In no time, Xuanmo arrived inside the Fusheng Hall of Kuanlan Sect.
“Xiao Mozi, you say you brought wine brewed by Tianyuan Sect? Are you trying to please old Yuan?”
An elder clad in a brown robe, a massive Wine Gourd hanging from his waist, eyed Xuanmo suspiciously, his thick brows furrowed into knots.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Xuanmo—it was just that the wine brewing of Tianyuan Sect was, frankly, a joke!
All wine had to be bought obediently from the Kuanlan Sect. Suddenly, someone popping up with self-brewed “good wine” was very suspicious!
“Elder Yuan, you misunderstand! We cultivators stand tall and true; how could I dare deceive you?”
Xuanmo smiled brightly, unfurling her palm to reveal the exquisite jade bottle.
“This? Is this your so-called… ‘good wine’?”
Elder Yuan stared at the tiny bottle no bigger than a thumb, a vein twitching at his temple. Had it not been for his close relationship with Xuanmo, he would have dismissed her outright by now.
“The best part is still coming, Elder Yuan, watch carefully.”
Xuanmo’s starry eyes gleamed as she spoke no more. With a flick of her sleeve, five large bowls appeared on the stone table with muffled thuds.
She pulled out the soft cork of the jade bottle. A faint, clean, and pure scent of exotic fruit immediately spread throughout the hall.
Tilting the bottle slightly, one drop, two drops… thick, syrupy liquid flowed out of the bottle’s mouth.
The liquid precisely divided into five portions, each dripping steadily into the bottom of the bowls, forming a shallow pool.
At that moment, Xuanmo pointed two fingers toward the Lingquan Pool outside the hall.
A gurgling sound followed. Five streams of clear spring water, as if guided by invisible hands, transformed into sparkling water ribbons and flowed precisely into the five bowls.
As the spring water merged with the syrupy liquid, the originally clear water suddenly turned into five pools of crystal-clear, pale golden liquid.
A rich yet not overpowering aroma burst forth, instantly filling the entire Fusheng Hall.
The fragrance was elegant and profound—at first, reminiscent of freshly ripened exotic fruits, then lingering like aged spirit wine, and finally revealing a subtle, enchanting rhythm that stirred the soul.
“Elder Yuan,” Xuanmo lifted a bowl with a smile and handed it over with a courteous gesture.
“Please try this special brew from Tianyuan Sect—this ‘Chengxin Yulu.’ Does it meet your esteemed Sect’s standards?”
Elder Yuan’s nostrils twitched, suspicion deepening in his eyes. The aroma… there was a method to it. Xuanmo’s trick of ‘turning spring water into wine’ was quite flashy.
Oh well, to do a favor for an old friend, he’d buy a few bottles, at least for novelty’s sake. He showed no sign of his thoughts and calmly took the bowl.
First sniff—indeed, a light fruit aroma dominated, mingled with subtle, indescribable spiritual energy.
“Hmm, I’ll try a sip first.” He said casually, bringing the bowl to his lips and taking a delicate sip…
Thump!
A muffled heartbeat echoed through the silent hall—not from any object, but from Elder Yuan himself.
His bulky figure suddenly stiffened like a statue. His usually scrutinizing, clouded old eyes widened, pupils bursting forth with dazzling, unbelievable radiance.
The moment the small mouthful of wine entered, it transformed into an indescribable warm current. Unlike ordinary fiery alcohol, it was gentle and smooth like the finest immortal spring water.
Wherever it flowed, his tongue seemed to bloom with a thousand layers of sweetness. A pure, refreshing spiritual force penetrated his throat, sliding down his esophagus into his dantian.
The aftertaste was filled with a peculiar fragrance.
In an instant—
The dormant, invisible barriers deep in his dantian suddenly gave way, revealing a flowing trajectory.
“How is it, Elder?”
Xuanmo watched anxiously.
Elder Yuan said nothing. Suddenly, he threw back his head and swallowed the remaining wine in one gulp—gulp gulp gulp!
Then with a wave of his hand, the other four bowls of wine rose invisibly and poured into his mouth like a waterfall.
Boom!
A more tremendous power exploded inside him. The highest secret inheritance of Kuanlan Sect, the Drunken Immortal Nine Meridians Technique, appeared violently in his spiritual sea.
The ninth meridian, the legendary Guiwu Dao Meridian, under the illumination of this warm current, clearly manifested its flowing path.
“Good! Excellent wine!!!”
A deep and mighty roar shattered the hall.
Elder Yuan’s beard and hair bristled wildly as a tremendous immortal power uncontrollably burst from his body.
Clang—
His Wine Gourd suddenly shattered. An ancient, dull wide-backed sword sprang free from its sheath.
Without warning, Elder Yuan raised his hand and fiercely swung the sword toward the endless sky.
Shh!
Space seemed to tear apart.
A terrifying sword aura condensed to perfection, enveloped in fierce wine energy, roared upward into the heavens. Instantly, vast clouds rolled backward, and the sky brightened sharply.
Silence—The entire Kuanlan Sect seemed frozen in time.
The next moment—
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish—!!!
Over a dozen formidable figures shot like meteors from various mountain peaks. Countless astonished, searching, and incredulous spiritual senses instantly focused on the Fusheng Hall.
“Yuanmou! Such sword intent—who dares invade?!”
A stern, angry voice rang out.
An old man with white hair and beard, wearing a shabby Taoist robe but radiating an ethereal aura—the current Zongzhu of Kuanlan Sect, the Drunken Immortal Elder—appeared inside the hall with a grave expression.
His eyes, usually blurred from constant intoxication, were sharp as blades.
Elder Yuan slowly retracted his sword, his overwhelming momentum instantly restrained. But the wild joy and pride almost spilling from his face could not be concealed.
He solemnly bowed to the Drunken Immortal Elder, his voice resounding through the hall: “Reporting to the Zongzhu!
This humble disciple, by your great grace… has just comprehended the true essence of the Drunken Immortal Nine Meridians!
All nine meridians opened! The Guiwu Dao Meridian united! Fortune—has been achieved!!!”
“Nine meridians opened? How is this possible?!”
“A thousand years ago, even the ‘Jiuxian Ancestor’ never fully mastered the ninth meridian.”
“Not only that, I once drank wine to sense the nine meridians. Halfway through, I lost consciousness for three days… almost couldn’t summon even the Xingjiu Dan.”
The other elders and disciples arriving in the hall instantly stirred. Shouts of astonishment and doubt echoed one after another, their eyes full of shock and disbelief.
The Drunken Immortal Elder’s pupils suddenly contracted.
He took a step forward, space seemingly shortening beneath his feet. His withered palm pressed on Elder Yuan’s shoulder.
A pure immortal force instantly probed Elder Yuan’s limbs and body.
Elder Yuan stood firm, accepting the inspection calmly.
After a moment.
The Drunken Immortal Elder’s palm began trembling slightly. His eyes, which had witnessed millennia, now filled with unprecedented shock.
After a few breaths, he slowly withdrew his hand and looked at Elder Yuan as if gazing upon a priceless treasure. “Canghai Huichun… Nine meridians opened… at will! Dao laws… self-evolving… you…”
He whispered hoarsely, “Yuanmou! How on earth did you accomplish this?!”
Elder Yuan suppressed his excitement, his gaze sweeping across the stunned faces of Kuanlan Sect’s upper echelons, finally resting on Xuanmo in the corner. She appeared calm but her palms were sweating slightly.
He raised a hand and pointed, voice brimming with restrained excitement and a hint of pride, “Not by my own power… but because I drank a bowl of extraordinary wine brought by an old friend from Tianyuan Sect…”
On his face, hardened over many years, appeared a smile tinged with both boastfulness and gratitude.
He enunciated each word carefully: “A nectar entering the throat, awakening the meridians and granting comprehension.”
In that instant, all eyes in the Fusheng Hall seemed pulled by invisible strings and snapped to Xuanmo. The burning desire contained in those gazes almost set her entire being ablaze.