At first startled, Xuanyuan Tong glanced thoughtfully at Wei Xu, whose depths were unfathomable in the distance. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded: "Agreed, but only after we have a drink!"

Zong Shou was instantly taken aback. The hidden flaw in his World-Shaking Spiritual Art remained unresolved; a little wine would send him under. Xuanyuan Tong surely knew this.

With a formidable enemy right before them, and a fierce battle imminent, how could there be time for drinking?

Could it be that he intended to ply Zong Shou with alcohol, send him away, and then stage a dramatic sacrifice for the sake of his children?

It wasn't just Zong Shou; even the experts from Xuanshan City gathered before the Tiegang Hall were left dumbfounded by the suggestion.

The mere sight of Zong Shou arriving here today, his aura no weaker than Xuanyuan Tong’s, had already caused them a strange wave of shock.

They recalled feeling astonishment three days prior upon learning of the startling accomplishments of this Lord of Qiantian, the future City Lord of Xuanshan.

But once they discovered that many of those tales were baseless rumors, they had dismissed them, chalking them up to distorted gossip or deliberate misinformation.

Yet, now, witnessing the young lord slowly walk from the edge of the cliff, those rumors they had deemed absurd began to resurface one by one.

"This sensation of spiritual energy—is that the Heaven Rank? How is this possible?"

"Could the rumors be true? That he slew several Sixth-Tier demonic beasts before he was ten, and forced back the Yin Jiao of the Evil Spirit Gulch before entering Linhai Academy?"

"But why would City Lord Xuanyuan insist that the Young City Lord drink?"

Even Wei Xu was momentarily stunned, finding the situation inexplicable. However, almost immediately, he smiled faintly and offered no objection, merely watching the unfolding scene with interest.

Only the black-robed elder suspended in the air wore an even more somber expression. To dare drink in front of him—Xuanyuan Tong really had the nerve to suggest such a thing, as if he didn't exist—

With a cold snort, the black-robed elder did not strike immediately. Instead, he regarded Wei Xu from afar with distinct curiosity.

He paid no mind to Xuanyuan Tong. Although Zong Shou’s aura was unexpectedly on par with that of a Heaven Rank Martial Ancestor, he was still not worth his concern.

That this man had left the concentrated royal energy of Qiantian Mountain to come here suited his purpose perfectly.

It was only the youth in Confucian robes, standing by observing, whose depth he could not gauge. A prickle of warning even stirred within him.

Focusing intently, he noted nothing outwardly remarkable about the youth. Only a golden talisman floated beside him, emanating a faint, dark energy. Yet, his spiritual sense detected absolutely nothing from it.

The elder suddenly understood. He surmised that the two had likely used this talisman to bypass his spiritual perception, which was why they had arrived at the mountain peak so silently. Their skill might be considerable, but perhaps not superior to his own.

He was a Martial Venerable expert, already one of the most supreme beings in this world. Even if a Ninth-Tier Spirit Martial Venerable Day-Roaming Spirit Master were present, he was confident he could retreat unharmed!

Deciding that if the situation turned unfavorable he could easily withdraw, his mind settled. The elder ceased paying attention to Wei Xu and turned his gaze back, chillingly, upon Xuanyuan Tong and Zong Shou.

Zong Shou was rendered speechless and about to speak, but Xuanyuan Tong decisively cut off any argument, loudly commanding: "Yiren! Bring the wine, the batch you brewed a couple of days ago!"

XuanYuan Yiren hesitated slightly. In her heart, she was deeply reluctant to let Zong Shou risk danger. Only when Xuanyuan Tong's gaze fixed upon her did she let out an "Aiya," flashed a sweet smile toward Zong Shou, and tossed a bottle of wine from her Small Qiankun Pouch toward Xuanyuan Tong.

Among the dozen or so people nearby, only Lin Shina and Zhu Junhou maintained serene expressions. The rest exchanged glances, mutual astonishment evident in their eyes.

The question remained the same as before: Why must Zong Shou drink before fighting?

The black-robed elder, who had been furious moments before, now calmed down, letting out a cold, mocking laugh: "Heh heh, very well! I shall wait and see what elaborate trick you, Xuanyuan Tong, are planning!" He paused in mid-air, hands behind his back. Beside him, a black longsword danced ceaselessly, creating scarcely a whisper as it cut the wind. The blade seemed to absorb light, as if it had merged completely with the night.

Wei Xu had remained perplexed, forcing himself to endure the silence. Hearing this, he suddenly smiled again and said, "This wine smells quite good. I wonder, young lady, if you might spare me a bottle as well?"

XuanYuan Yiren’s willow brows arched slightly. This time, she did not hesitate. She casually took a bottle from her Qiankun Pouch and tossed it over, a hint of shyness flashing across her face: "I am only a novice brewer, sir; please do not laugh!"

Though she did not know this man’s origins, she knew he was certainly extraordinary. She also knew Zong Shou’s true cultivation level—it was impossible for him to have advanced to the Heaven Rank overnight.

It was even less possible for him to have sent her a message via the Red Swift Bird from Qiantian Mountain City yesterday and then traveled over two thousand li to reach Xuanshan by dawn today.

This young scholar's abilities were likely profound. Perhaps he was Zong Shou's future mentor.

Wei Xu caught the wine, first bringing it to his nose to smell it; indeed, it was the same kind as the one in Xuanyuan Tong's hand.

He then uncorked the bottle, downed a mouthful, and savored the taste. His entire face immediately crumpled in distaste. He mused that she must indeed be a beginner. Yet, he boomed aloud: "Fine wine! Though it falls short of true vintages, there is considerable talent shown!"

Seeing XuanYuan Yiren’s face grow even redder, Wei Xu became increasingly puzzled. Aside from the excessive amount of rare heavenly materials added, the wine held nothing remarkable.

The brewer clearly understood pharmacology but was too hasty and overconfident, throwing in more than ten rare treasures seldom seen in the Cloud Realm. The result, unlike alchemy, had utterly ruined the brew. Aside from being exceptionally potent and having some tonic effects, it served no other purpose.

In short, there was absolutely no way it could cause a sudden, massive surge in combat power or promote someone several ranks instantaneously.

After a moment of thought, Wei Xu smiled toward Zong Shou, who still looked resistant, and said, "Why not take a sip, Junior Brother? I, too, wish to see what City Lord Xuanyuan intends. With me here, what are you afraid of?"

Zong Shou had been frowning deeply, utterly exasperated. He had already been contemplating ignoring Xuanyuan Tong and launching an attack. Hearing this, he could only grimace and take the bottle.

A slight easing settled in his heart. Since Wei Xu had spoken, the Master of the Dao of the Common People was prepared to shoulder the responsibility for today’s events, perhaps even the safety of Xuanshan.

In that case, whether he got drunk or not was irrelevant. In fact, getting drunk might even be advantageous.

He tilted his head back and gulped down the wine. Zong Shou’s face immediately contorted.

It truly was good wine—his Senior Brother Wei was quite hypocritical. In his previous life, he had never tasted anything so foul.

He intended to sip lightly, just enough to satisfy the requirement. But Xuanyuan Tong frowned sternly: "If you are a man, and if you still wish to marry my daughter, drink it all in one go!"

Zong Shou’s lips twitched. He had no choice but to swallow great mouthfuls. Fortunately, the bottle was only about the size of a fist, and he finished it in a few large gulps.

After finishing, he tossed the empty bottle aside and praised loudly: "Truly good wine! Although this batch is spoiled, it shows that the formula must be meticulously crafted. Ingenious thinking, extraordinary talent!"

With a peripheral glance, he saw XuanYuan Yiren smile sweetly, her expression filled with happiness.

However, Zong Shou lost the inclination to pay attention the next instant. After the medicine was consumed, a ball of fire seemed to ignite in his chest, burning fiercely without his conscious direction.

Although he had prepared himself, isolating his true qi from the wine in his stomach, he utterly failed to stop the spirit of the wine from seeping into his brain.

He let out a sudden belch, and Zong Shou’s consciousness gradually grew hazy. The figures before him suddenly fractured from one into two, and from two into one.

Only a faint, blurry awareness remained—a knowledge that a great enemy was near, and battle was at hand.

His hands gripped the two swords at his waist tightly. Though his senses were utterly lost, Little Gold spontaneously slipped into the scabbard of the Nine-Scaled Sword.

Wei Xu, standing behind him, was completely stunned. He was drunk—Zong Shou was actually drunk.

How could one bottle of wine, which wasn't even of Immortal Brew grade, cause him to become intoxicated?

Moments later, Wei Xu seemed to realize something. When they first met, he had scanned Zong Shou’s internal condition.

He knew the cultivation method of Zong Shou’s World-Shaking Spiritual Art. The boy had fancifully merged parallel spiritual meridians into his body; the technique was unprecedented and promised boundless potential!

The reason for his drunkenness must be the loophole caused by the spiraling water and fire dual meridians.

More questions then surfaced. Seeing Xuanyuan Tong's unsurprised reaction, he clearly knew about this matter.

But why did this man insist on getting his son-in-law drunk? And why did XuanYuan Yiren, who Zhao Yanran had described as being deeply attached to Zong Shou, not intervene?

In that instant, he almost suspected that Xuanyuan Tong didn't want Zong Shou involved in this battle, which explained his actions.

But the next moment, he watched as the City Lord of Xuanshan suddenly laughed three times, clapped Zong Shou on the shoulder, and strode to the side.

The experts from Xuanshan City present exchanged looks again, each wondering why Zong Shou was drunk. Had Xuanyuan Tong tampered with the wine, deliberately using the black-robed elder to eliminate his own son-in-law?

As they speculated in amazement, the black-robed elder in the void let out a cold sneer: "Is the act over? Then die for me!"

A streak of black sword light suddenly flashed in the void. It did not originate from beside the elder but appeared abruptly ten zhang behind Zong Shou.

It then instantly transformed into an invisible streak of light, assaulting Zong Shou's mind.

XuanYuan Yiren, who had been watching Zong Shou’s condition intently, let out an involuntary cry, her jade hands clenching tightly. Everyone nearby gasped.

They had all guessed Zong Shou would surely be no match for this Martial Venerable expert, but they had never expected the black-robed elder to resort to such treachery. Furthermore, the outcome of the confrontation was decided so quickly.

Just as everyone assumed Zong Shou was defeated, a burst of thunderous light erupted. Zong Shou suddenly drew the Thunderwing Sword. His arm, along with the blade, became a swift shadow, flashing back in a counterattack that struck precisely the spine of the black flying sword.

Clang!

A crisp metallic ring echoed through the air. Zong Shou stood firmly in place, while the flying sword was sent spinning several zhang away. (To be continued)