Chapter 123: The Old Drunkard's Turmoil (Please Subscribe!)

"Since this is a place beyond the reach of the world and leaves no trace, it is naturally elusive. To be able to link the Four Seas together in this manner, your methods are truly rare indeed."

Zhenyuanzi gazed at the old man sitting cross-legged atop a crane not far before him, his tone filled with warmth. "Old Man Wine-Sage, since you were willing to come and greet me, I assume you are prepared?"

"Haha, of course!"

The old man laughed and stroked his beard. Seeing that Hongyun had awakened, he greeted him with a friendly look and a slight nod before beckoning the two to follow him toward the immortal mountain.

"Three hundred years ago, I had a sudden premonition and, after casting a calculation, knew that distinguished guests would visit. I never imagined it would be you two, always so fond of wandering through mountains and playing in the waters. You have certainly kept me waiting."

"Instead of waiting here, you would have been better off brewing a few more jars of your nectar!"

Hongyun, having regained his composure at Zhenyuanzi’s call, caught the faint scent of wine even before entering the island and felt his spirits lift. "Old Man Wine-Sage, it has been tens of thousands of years since we last met. Setting everything else aside, you mustn't begrudge us your wine."

"How could I? How could I? When dear friends visit, I am only too happy."

He led the two into the transcendent immortal mountain. Upon dismounting from the crane, he gently stroked its neck and placed a small wine jar upon its back. The crane let out a soft cry and spread its wings to fly away. From the small jar on its back, an endless mist began to disperse, and within the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, it had completely shrouded the entire island, leaving not a trace to be seen from the outside.

...

Once they had entered the island, Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi stepped down from their immortal clouds onto the soil.

Hongyun looked around. Aside from the countless birds and beasts playing about, it did not seem much different from any other fairyland. However, the most striking feature was the aroma of wine that reached deep into his very soul.

"Old Man Wine-Sage’s Great Dao of Wine, combined with the Great Dao of Illusion, has truly reached a new level of refinement."

Hongyun’s primary cultivation was the Great Dao of Clouds. Since clouds are illusory, he could easily perceive the nuances of this combination. "With such a synthesis, just this ethereal feeling alone is enough to captivate many fellow practitioners."

"Haha, a minor path, a minor path, not worth mentioning." Old Man Wine-Sage replied with a smile, shaking his head slightly.

"The Dao of Wine is, after all, a post-celestial creation. There was no wine in the primordial beginning; post-celestial paths are inherently a step behind. If we are truly speaking of the Great Dao, it belongs to the Great Dao of Clouds practiced by Fellow Daoist Hongyun, and the Great Dao of Earth practiced by Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi. If I hadn't realized the pros and cons of these heterodox paths early on, I fear that once I attained the Daluo stage, I would have found it difficult to make any further progress."

"Everyone knows that Old Man Wine-Sage’s wine is the most sought-after treasure in the Primordial World. You attained the Dao through 'wine' and are considered the ancestor of this path; how can you be so humble?"

"Exactly, exactly! This old man’s abilities are quite extraordinary. If one is not careful, one might easily fall under his spell."

Seeing Zhenyuanzi respond with a smile while the old man continued to shake his head in self-deprecation, Hongyun did not press the matter further, merely offering a polite agreement.

For them, those they could associate with as peers were at least at the Daluo level, and certainly not the mediocre sort of Daluo Golden Immortal. Among the Daluo, exchanging pleasantries and offering praise was expected. However, if one were to take the humility of such a Daluo at face value, one would be gravely mistaken.

To look back not too far, before the first lecture at Zixiao Palace, the Wu and Demon clans clashed on the shores of the East Sea, contending for the immortal fate residing in a newly manifested range of one hundred thousand immortal mountains. Even if the inheritance of that immortal fate could only elevate one to the status of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, it was still worth the effort of a Daluo to seize it.

At that time, Hongyun happened to be traveling the Primordial World and decided to ask for a cup of wine. As the old man spoke and laughed with him, not wanting the East Sea to be stained with blood, he tipped a cup of wine with a wave of his hand. All the Wu and Demon clan members present—including the two early-stage Daluo leaders and seven or eight Taiyi Golden Immortals, along with countless soldiers—fell into a drunken stupor. With a single roll of the sea waves, he tossed them all out of the East Sea!

An ancestor of the Daluo level such as this—even if he were not their equal—possessed methods that were impossible to guard against.

Why is the Dragon Clan divided into four seas? It is because of the rifts between them. A Daluo Wine Ancestor capable of maintaining favor across all four seas was a rare sight indeed.

The three of them chatted and laughed as they sat at the wine table, and within a short while, they were already quite intoxicated. The wine they drank was Old Man Wine-Sage’s masterpiece, known as "Hazy Enlightenment." The more intoxicated one became, the less spiritual energy one would consume when attempting to contemplate the Dao upon sobering up, and the higher the probability of achieving enlightenment.

Even for Daluo immortals like them, a nectar that could induce intoxication and produce such effects was certainly no ordinary vintage. By the time the third round of drinking concluded, the ground was littered with empty jars.

Old Man Wine-Sage, Zhenyuanzi, and Hongyun abandoned all restraint and were quite merry. Hongyun, in particular, felt a state between haze and clarity, which even had a subtle effect on his own meditation upon the Bitter Bamboo.

"I actually had a matter weighing on my mind. Since you two have come, you have saved me quite a bit of worry."

Upon hearing this, Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi were slightly taken aback. They set down their wine cups and exchanged a glance before looking at the old man together. *Good heavens*, they thought, *there truly is no such thing as a free lunch.* Now that he had spoken, they could only listen; refusing him directly would be difficult.

"I know that Fellow Daoists Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun are both free-spirited Daluo, acting always according to their own hearts." Old Man Wine-Sage looked at the two top-tier Daluo before him, a flash of envy in his eyes. After letting his words settle for a moment, he let out a heavy sigh. "To this day, I will no longer hide it from you two: I fear the Four Seas are about to become restless once more."

"What! The Dragon Clan has retreated into the Four Seas; do they still have the strength to stir up trouble?" Hongyun was startled, and Zhenyuanzi was shocked. "With the conflict between the Wu and Demon clans growing ever more intense, like thunder and fire, if the Dragon Clan intervenes, they risk courting disaster."

Hongyun, having heard the old man's words and combining them with his own fragmented memories from a dream, already had a few ideas. He shook his head slightly. "The Daoist brother is right; I fear the Dragon Clan is being forced into a corner. If possible, they would surely only wish to recuperate. While they may appear to rule the Four Seas with infinite glory, if they truly attempt to stir the heavens and earth, it will be the beginning of their end."

This...

Old Man Wine-Sage could naturally detect the weight in those words. He looked at Hongyun, his gaze filled with a strange curiosity: *Daoist brother?*

However, that was clearly not the point now. He did not dwell on it, merely nodding slightly. "That is precisely it. Otherwise, I would not have dared to entrust this to you two, hoping to rely on a shred of our old acquaintance."