“There are plenty of opportunities to connect at the Hunting Heaven Banquet, no need to rush today.”
Yan Wushen extended a hand, gesturing invitingly.
In the hall, there were twenty-four bronze pillars, each intricately carved with thousands of spatial inscriptions and nine million patterns of mythical beasts. Though they appeared only thick enough for three people to encircle, their true diameter and height could support the heavens and earth of twenty-four worlds.
Zhang Ruochen sat opposite Yan Wushen, his back straight, and said, “Since we’re not settling things today, is this invitation just for a drink?”
“Exactly, just for a drink.”
Yan Wushen flashed a smile, his gaze naturally falling to the wine jug on the reddish-bronze table.
The jug was a yellowish-brown clay pot, the cups made of the same material.
No different from pottery crafted by mortals, rough and somewhat irregular.
They looked simple, yet Zhang Ruochen sensed something extraordinary. Both the jug and cups carried an ancient charm, their shapes and lines perfectly aligned with the rules of heaven and earth.
Wherever they were placed, they blended seamlessly with their surroundings.
Zhang Ruochen said, “This set of wine vessels has endured at least ten cosmic calamities, perhaps even longer.”
“How can you tell?” Yan Wushen asked.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Everything in the world, when aged enough, bears unique traces of time. Their surfaces carry deep, ancient marks of time. I’ve seen many ancient artifacts, but only one or two have time traces comparable to these.”
“Only ancient vessels are worthy of holding ancient wine.”
Yan Wushen remained still, and under his mental control, the clay jug slowly rose, filling the cup before Zhang Ruochen.
The wine was ordinary, without any peculiarity.
“You may have heard of this wine, called Twelve Blossoms. Three cosmic cycles ago, a deity from Kunlun Realm gifted it to my ancestor. Knowing your deep attachment to Kunlun Realm, and that you must miss your homeland here in Hell Realm, I specifically retrieved this jug from the Yama Divine Hall.”
“Clink.”
As Yan Wushen spoke, he poured himself a cup.
In the distant past, before the establishment of Heaven Realm and Hell Realm, though the great worlds had deep conflicts with the ten clans of Hell, they were not entirely at odds, and some cultivators maintained friendships.
“Twelve Blossoms.”
Zhang Ruochen murmured the name, suddenly recalling something, a hint of shock crossing his face as he thought, “This is the second most potent liquor in Kunlun Realm’s history, as mentioned by the Wine Maniac.”
Legend has it that Twelve Blossoms was brewed by Biluozi, with only twelve jars ever made.
In Kunlun Realm, it had become a rare treasure, not a single drop left.
“If this is truly Twelve Blossoms, how can it be so ordinary? Has its potency faded after three cosmic cycles?”
Zhang Ruochen had once tasted Dragon Flame Wine, ranked eighth among potent liquors.
With Dragon Flame’s intensity, only Saints could endure it. A Half-Saint who drank it by mistake had once burned to death.
Zhang Ruochen reached out with two fingers, touching the cup.
“Sizzle!”
A startling burning sensation transmitted through the cup.
In an instant, his two fingers ignited, turning crimson. Fortunately, his physique was strong; otherwise, that mere touch would have reduced his entire arm to ashes.
Yan Wushen said, “Twelve Blossoms blooms with twelve divine flame flowers, only blossoming once the wine enters the stomach. It’s said only a deity’s divine body can withstand this wine. For Saint Realm cultivators, even Great Saints, drinking it would burn them from inside out, their souls scattering.”
“Brother Ruochen, with your demi-god body, you’re no ordinary Great Saint’s immortal form. Dare you drink this cup of Twelve Blossoms?”
Zhang Ruochen’s fingers had recovered.
From that brief test, he understood Yan Wushen’s words were no exaggeration. Twelve Blossoms was indeed beyond what a Great Saint’s immortal body could endure.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze shifted to the cup before Yan Wushen, saying, “Since Brother Wushen is so gracious, how could I refuse? I’ll drink first.”
Lifting the cup, his entire right hand burst into flames.
He drank the wine in one gulp.
A scorching, terrifying energy flowed from his throat, into his stomach, and spread throughout his body. Within him, divine flame flowers bloomed, located in his five organs, six viscera, and qi sea.
His blood boiled, flames spreading from within to without.
A rich aroma of wine and flowers, mingled with the flames, filled the hall, manifesting twelve vibrant, radiant flower shadows, breathtakingly beautiful.
The pain seared through his entire body, like torment in a fiery purgatory.
Yet moments later, despite the lingering pain, Zhang Ruochen felt an indescribable sense of exhilaration. His thousands of mental energy threads seemed to have undergone hundreds of refinements.
“Boom.”
His mental strength broke through, reaching the sixty-second tier.
“Good wine! Brother Wushen, your turn!” Zhang Ruochen gestured invitingly.
By now, Zhang Ruochen realised Yan Wushen’s invitation to drink was a pretext, the real intent being to probe the depths of his current cultivation.
With his demi-god body, enduring one cup of Twelve Blossoms was already a struggle.
Yan Wushen, without a demi-god body, would he dare drink?
“It seems Brother Ruochen is indeed worthy of drinking Twelve Blossoms.”
Yan Wushen raised his clay cup, tilted his head back, and drank it down.
“Sizzle.”
His body ignited too, twelve divine flower shadows blooming around him, vivid and lifelike, with vines coiling to connect the twelve flowers.
To withstand a cup of Twelve Blossoms, Yan Wushen’s physique was no less extraordinary than Zhang Ruochen’s demi-god body. Crucially, Zhang Ruochen couldn’t discern the specifics.
The current Yan Wushen gave him an unfathomable impression.
Yan Wushen’s face glowed red, laughing heartily, “This is my first time drinking Twelve Blossoms, and it’s truly fine wine. Do you know its greatest benefit isn’t enhancing mental strength?”
“What do you mean, Brother Wushen?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Yan Wushen said, “Your cultivation has reached the peak of the Immortal Realm, hasn’t it? Just one step from the Hundred Shackles Realm.”
“Correct,” Zhang Ruochen admitted frankly.
Yan Wushen continued, “Yet you can’t break the first shackle, unable to enter the Hundred Shackles Realm.”
A wise glint flashed in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes as he said, “It seems Brother Wushen faces the same issue as I do.”
As Zhang Ruochen suspected, it wasn’t that Yan Wushen had seen through him, but that both faced the same challenge.
Yan Wushen nodded, saying, “With your demi-god body, your combat strength in the Immortal Realm far surpasses others of the same realm, even defeating peak Hundred Shackles Realm experts.”
“But even a demi-god body is bound by a hundred shackles. These shackles are far stronger than those of other Great Saints, binding you more tightly.”
“Thus, the demi-god body becomes a hindrance. Breaking each shackle is harder for you than for others. These are shackles binding a demi-god, beyond what your current realm can break.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “But once these hundred shackles are broken, reaching the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles, the demi-god body will be unbound. With a demi-god physique, below the Divine Realm, even if not invincible, one could rank among the top.”
Yan Wushen said, “Drinking Twelve Blossoms makes breaking those shackles easier. Isn’t that a great benefit?”
“I see. It seems I owe Brother Wushen gratitude for today’s hospitality. In the future, I’ll surely return the favour with a drink.”
Then Zhang Ruochen added, “The wine’s been drunk, so let’s talk business. Where’s Kunlun?”
Yan Wushen’s eyes locked onto Zhang Ruochen, saying, “You want to take him away?”
“Of course,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Yan Wushen said, “I’ve taken him as my disciple. In the Yama Clan, he won’t be wronged. Rest assured, I’m not like Xiuchen Tianshen.”
“But he doesn’t belong to the Yama Clan,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Wushen paused for a moment before saying meaningfully, “Do you think taking him back to your side is truly a good thing? All the gods of Hell Realm know you entered Hell Realm for Chi Kongle and Chi Kunlun.”
“Chi Kongle has been rescued. If Chi Kunlun returns to you, what reason do you have to stay in Hell Realm? What could still bind you here?”
“For a cosmic-level genius like you, who could defect at any moment, should you be eliminated in the cradle or nurtured with care?”
“If I were a god of Hell Realm, I’d be the first to support killing you now to prevent future trouble.”
Zhang Ruochen fell silent, calculating everything in his mind.
This seemingly simple invitation was a constant battle, from mental strength to physical constitution to psychological warfare.
From the moment Zhang Ruochen stepped into the hall, he was at a disadvantage.
The initiative had always been in Yan Wushen’s hands.
This was unavoidable. Whether in Hell Realm or this hall, it was Yan Wushen’s domain. Moreover, Yan Wushen held the trump card of “Chi Kunlun.”
From the start, this contest was unfair.
Yan Wushen said, “Chi Kunlun is safer with me than anywhere else in Hell Realm. In the Yama Clan, he can access cultivation resources you, the Blood Absolute Family, even Empress Chi Yao of Kunlun Realm, cannot provide. I know you lack no divine stones, but many cultivation resources can’t be bought with them.”
Zhang Ruochen looked up, pointing skyward, and said, “Three feet above, the gods are watching. Aren’t you afraid the gods of Hell Realm heard what you just said?”
“In this Godless Hall, all heavenly secrets are severed. The gods know nothing,” Yan Wushen replied.
Zhang Ruochen said, “In that case, I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait.”
Yan Wushen lightly tapped the table, stopping him, and pointed to the clay jug, saying, “Just one cup, and you’re eager to leave? If we drink, we drink to our heart’s content.”
Zhang Ruochen, never one to back down, sat again, saying, “Fine! Since Brother Wushen wants to drink heartily, today I’ll risk my life to keep up, not sparing a single drop.”
Even just drinking was a deadly contest.
Twelve Blossoms, each bloom a killer.
Yan Wushen laughed loudly, refilling their cups, saying, “I mentioned earlier that the banquets and events before the Hunting Heaven Banquet are dull and meaningless. Yet I invited you, breaking the Yama Clan’s precedent. Do you know why?”
“Please enlighten me,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Wushen’s expression turned serious, saying, “Because my intuition tells me you, Zhang Ruochen, are the only threat to the Yama Clan at this Hunting Heaven Banquet. I’ll be frank, I held this banquet to probe your depths. But until just now, I still couldn’t fully see through you.”
“Brother Wushen jests, surely? The Yama Clan dominates Hell Realm, always first at the Hunting Heaven Banquet. How could I, Zhang Ruochen, pose a threat? The Nether Clan, Death Clan, Asura Clan, Ghost Clan, they are the rivals you should guard against,” Zhang Ruochen said calmly, unfazed.
At the same time, he lifted his clay cup, taking a sip.
Drinking an entire cup of Twelve Blossoms in one go was something neither he nor Yan Wushen could manage now. It was a matter of who could endure longer.
