Gu Chengming opened his eyes.
The ceiling of his small courtyard on the Back Mountain came into view. Outside the window, the branches and leaves of the osmanthus tree rustled in the morning breeze. Everything was calm and peaceful, except for the phantom pain in his pelvis.
Emperor Bai’s passion was truly more than a mortal could bear.
Fortunately, everything that happened in the room of Hundred Bones Resonating of Love did not reflect as actual physical damage in reality. Otherwise, he would probably be lying in the Wenjian Sect’s medical hall right now.
Furthermore, the diagnosis on the chart would likely make all the medical cultivators stare at each other in bewilderment.
—"Pelvic fracture, caused by intimacy with one's own cultivation technique."
Just thinking about that image made Gu Chengming feel like he would never be able to show his face in the cultivation world again.
He slowly sat up and circulated the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art once. Noble qi flowed through his entire body, and the phantom pain receded.
As expected, it was just lingering sensory memory, not actual damage.
Gu Chengming breathed a sigh of relief and then opened the system panel.
【Hundred Bones Resonating Favorability: 610/Until Death Do Us Part】
The afterglow of the CG scene still lingered in the corner of the panel—the silver moon field, the white-haired girl, that unreserved embrace and... Never mind, he wouldn't dwell on it; his pelvis was starting to hurt again.
Gu Chengming decisively closed the CG and subconsciously checked his own status. His meridians were flowing smoothly, and the blood qi empowerment from Hundred Bones Resonating was as stable as ever... but a small icon had appeared at the bottom of the technique status bar. If he hadn't been checking his status item by item at this moment, he probably wouldn't have noticed it at all.
He clicked on the icon, and the information that popped up was only a single line with no additional explanation.
【???: 】
It had a white background with a crimson-gold border, in the exact same style as Hundred Bones Resonating of Love.
Gu Chengming fell into thought, his mind quickly flashing back to the final scene of the battle at the Royal Court...
Although he suspected that a part of Hundred Bones Resonating of Love still existed, there was too little information at the moment. Staring at three question marks and thinking deeply wouldn't make an answer pop out of thin air.
【Hundred Bones Resonating seemed to notice Gu Chengming’s abnormality and asked in confusion: Emperor Gu? What’s wrong?】
“It’s nothing.”
Gu Chengming closed the panel. His suspicion would take time to confirm; for now, he needed to handle the matters at hand.
He stood up and pushed open the window.
Morning light spilled into the courtyard, and the fresh scent of osmanthus flowers greeted him.
—The matter of going to the Cloud Moon Sect needed to be put on the agenda.
...
“The Cloud Moon Sect, huh...”
Ren Wencai sat at the stone table in the side courtyard, holding a teacup, his brow furrowed into a classic expression of elderly worry.
Gu Chengming recounted the intelligence he had gathered in full detail—the simultaneous absence of the Cloud Moon Sect and the Hunyuan Sect from the grand competition, the sharp decrease of rogue cultivators in the Cuiping Mountains, and the fact that the Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Art had been altered by someone.
Of course, he omitted the details regarding True Monarch Liuyun Suyu and the bottom layer of the secret realm. Some things involved too much to be explained over a single cup of tea.
Ren Wencai pondered for a moment after listening.
“So your meaning is that you want to go to the Hunyuan Sect first to scout the way?”
Gu Chengming nodded. “Going directly to the Cloud Moon Sect is too risky; we have almost zero intelligence. But regarding the Hunyuan Sect—”
“You want to use the Hunyuan Sect as a springboard to grasp the general situation of the Cuiping Mountains before deciding how to enter the Cloud Moon Sect.” Ren Wencai saw through his plan immediately.
He had to admit, his disciple’s head was indeed screwed on right. He wasn't reckless and knew to gather information before acting.
In this regard, he was much better than Ren Wencai had been in his youth; it was only after suffering many losses that the master realized the importance of acting with caution.
“Regarding the Hunyuan Sect, this teacher does indeed know a few people.” Ren Wencai set down his teacup, his expression relaxing slightly. “I will write a letter to have them give you some convenience. At the very least, you won't be stopped at the gate.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“What's there to thank? It's not like you're an outsider.”
Ren Wencai waved his hand, but just as Gu Chengming thought the matter was settled and was about to take his leave.
He suddenly seemed to remember something, and his gaze toward Gu Chengming became quite subtle.
“Chengming.” Ren Wencai asked somewhat tentatively, “Have you cultivated that Cangxian Wine Sword Art yet?”
Hearing this, Gu Chengming’s expression became awkward.
This was the technique that Senior Hua Daiyi of the Hunyuan Sect had personally pressed into his hands long ago. The technique focused on nourishing sword qi with wine qi, being 'drunk in form but not in spirit.' It was considered a top-tier inheritance among Fourth Realm sword arts.
Hua Daiyi had even gone so far as to shamelessly claim the title of a 'half-master' for it, and afterward, he had indeed blocked many troubles for Gu Chengming, both overt and covert.
However, it was truly shameful to admit that Gu Chengming had not even mastered the basics until now. The reason wasn't complicated; initially, his attributes were insufficient, and he couldn't meet the cultivation requirements.
Later, when his attributes went up, he had a pile of new techniques. Hundred Bones Resonating was becoming more powerful with every fight, and the Huiyuan Sword Manual was becoming smoother to use. There were no urgent gaps in his sword arts that needed filling.
Combined with the various major and minor incidents following one after another—from the capital to the northern border, to Tianque, and then to Floating Islet City—he had no time to settle down and cultivate the technique. Naturally, this sword art had been shelved.
And it had stayed shelved until now.
To put it bluntly, the amount of time the Cangxian Wine Sword Art had spent gathering dust in his storage pouch was likely longer than the total time he had spent cultivating at the Wenjian Sect.
“I haven't mastered the basics yet...” Gu Chengming said sheepishly.
Ren Wencai sighed, wearing an expression that said he had expected as much.
Initially, he was worried the boy would learn it secretly, but now he was actually hoping the boy would learn it quickly.
He mentally reviewed the accounts. Although that old drunkard Hua Daiyi acted eccentrically, he was truly dedicated to those he favored.
Back then, many people wanted to trip up Gu Chengming, both from within the sect and among outer rogue cultivators. Hua Daiyi had stubbornly suppressed them all, one by one. The only reason he was willing to do so was that Gu Chengming had accepted his technique, so he viewed Gu Chengming as half his disciple.
And on this trip to the Hunyuan Sect, he would almost certainly run into Hua Daiyi.
When the time came, the old drunkard would excitedly pull Gu Chengming aside and say, “Come, come, let this old man see how far you've practiced the Cangxian Wine Sword Art,” only to find the boy hadn't practiced it at all—
“Chengming.” Ren Wencai cleared his throat, trying to make his tone sound less guilty. “This Cangxian Wine Sword Art is indeed a good technique.”
His expression was extremely serious, as if he were promoting a product for which he knew he also shared some responsibility.
“This is the result of Hua Daiyi’s lifelong insights. It’s said he even grasped its essence from the notes of a certain great expert. Among Fourth Realm sword arts, it definitely ranks as a first-rate inheritance.”
“In short... before you go to the Hunyuan Sect, at least flip through a few pages. At least make it so that when that old drunkard asks, you can hold a conversation.”
Gu Chengming looked at his master’s sheepish appearance, and his heart felt quite subtle as well.
Thinking about it this way, he truly had been a bit unfair to Senior Hua Daiyi.
“I understand, Master. I will begin studying it after I return.”
Hearing this, Ren Wencai breathed a sigh of relief.
...
After bidding farewell to Ren Wencai, Gu Chengming returned to his small courtyard.
He sat down at the stone table and pulled out the Cangxian Wine Sword Art from his storage pouch.
【《Huiyuan Sword Manual》 huffed: Chengming, you can practice this sword art with peace of mind.】
In the past, whenever Gu Chengming showed the slightest hint of wanting to practice another sword art, Little Huiyuan would start feeling insecure.
—What if he thinks the new sword art is better? What if he doesn't want me anymore? What if the newcomer is more favored than me?
But since unlocking the Huiyuan Sword Manual of Love, Little Huiyuan’s style had undergone a fundamental transformation.
It was the Huiyuan Sword Manual of Love, unique to Gu Chengming, the only one of its kind in the world.
No matter how strong other sword arts were, they were just other sword arts.
【《Huiyuan Sword Manual》 continued: Once it reaches the basic level, I will educate it properly for you.】
See? The awareness of the primary wife.
Gu Chengming felt quite gratified but also found it a bit funny. After spreading the Cangxian Wine Sword Art on the table, he silently calculated his next technique configuration.
Since returning from Floating Islet City, he had been considering a question.
—Gu Chengming, are you becoming a bit too dependent on the super Hundred Bones Resonating?
It wasn't that Hundred Bones Resonating was bad. On the contrary, it was too good—so good it was nearly omnipotent.
It handled body tempering, defense, and melee output. The ultimate move, “Emperor Bai, help me,” could even deal heaven-defying damage against superior opponents at critical moments. Now, it even had bugged skills like Love Infinite.
But the problem lay exactly there; he was relying on Hundred Bones Resonating too much in terms of techniques.
He had felt this deeply during the grand competition. When Hundred Bones Resonating was separated from him, his offensive methods were instantly cut in half.
If he encountered a similar situation in reality—such as a spell specifically designed to counter body tempering techniques, or a restriction that could temporarily block the circulation of Hundred Bones Resonating’s blood qi—wouldn't he, Gu Chengming, instantly devolve from “Super Gu Chengming” to a “mere ordinary Third Realm who can only fight across levels against the Fourth Realm”?
The risk was too high, so he needed a pure offensive method independent of the Hundred Bones Resonating system.
A sword art that was strong enough, independent enough, and would still allow him to put up a fight even if Hundred Bones Resonating failed?
Gu Chengming looked down at the Cangxian Wine Sword Art spread on the table, his fingertip lightly tapping a line of the cultivation mnemonic.
“Nourishing sword qi with wine qi, body drunk but mind sober...”
Without a doubt, this technique that he had thought about for so long and finally had the attributes for was the perfect supplement to his arsenal.
In the following days, Gu Chengming rarely enjoyed a period of life that a proper cultivator should have.
Practicing at dawn, meditating in the afternoon, and sitting in silence at night—a three-point routine, simple and monotonous, as if he had returned to the very beginning.
In this rare tranquility, Gu Chengming’s cultivation rose steadily...
It rose all the way to the Third Realm, eighth level, as naturally as water flowing in a channel.
Gu Chengming opened his eyes, feeling the increasingly thick foundation of spiritual power within him, quite satisfied.
The basic stats of the Third Realm, eighth level, were already enough to support his actions in the Hunyuan Sect and the Cloud Moon Sect. As for the Third Realm, ninth level, and even the Fourth Realm breakthrough, he couldn't rush them. He had to use that Blood-Burning Breakthrough Pearl for a final push, but not now.
There was a more pressing matter at hand.
—The Cangxian Wine Sword Art.
Before going to the Hunyuan Sect, he had to master the basics of this technique no matter what.
However, mastering the basics was far harder than he had imagined...
After all, it was a top-tier Fourth Realm technique, and Gu Chengming consistently failed to grasp the key points during practice.
“Nourishing sword qi with wine qi, body drunk but mind sober...”
Nourishing sword qi with wine qi... so did he need to have wine qi first?
Realizing this, he pulled out a jar of ordinary spirit wine he had casually bought at the market before and tilted his head back to take a gulp.
As the spirit wine entered his throat, a wave of warm wine qi spread from his esophagus toward his dantian.
And then—
【Ding! Rebirth Revenge System side quest has been updated!】
【Side Quest: Manifesting Before People - Sword Dao Chapter】
【Description: The host has awakened a brand-new sword dao inheritance. But if an inheritance is not displayed to the world, it is like a pearl covered in dust or wearing fine silks at night—a total waste of a precious treasure!】
【Quest Requirements: In an occasion with more than ten people, demonstrate shocking sword dao attainments using the Cangxian Wine Sword Art.】
—Here you go again.
Gu Chengming sighed, but then he had a second thought.
Coming up with this right after he drank wine... was there a possibility that it was reminding him that his idea of needing to get drunk before practicing this sword art was correct?
Thinking of this, Gu Chengming fell into thought.
Looking at it this way, the urgent priority was to find a few jars of good wine.
The spirit wine he bought at the market was too low in grade; its wine qi was as bland as water, and the cultivation efficiency was pitiful. At this rate, he might not even master the basics before his departure even if he drank until the end of time.
He needed truly good wine.
...
“Wine?”
Shen Qianqiu set down the teacup in his hand, looking at Gu Chengming with a rather strange expression.
Gu Chengming briefly explained the characteristic of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art requiring wine qi to master the basics.
Shen Qianqiu understood after listening, but understanding was one thing; he himself was a sword cultivator who didn't touch a drop of alcohol. He couldn't even find a jar of fermented rice in his side courtyard.
“I indeed don't have any here.” Shen Qianqiu reminded him, “Why don't you go ask Wencai? He used to drink for a few years when he was young; maybe he still has some stock.”
Gu Chengming went to find Ren Wencai as suggested, but Ren Wencai was even more direct than Shen Qianqiu.
“Wine? I quit long ago.” The old man spoke with righteous indignation. “I quit back then because I almost messed up a duel because of drinking. I haven't touched a drop since.”
He paused and added, “Furthermore, good wine is hard to find. The common goods sold in the sect’s spirit wine shops are mostly not good enough for your technique. You need the kind of true immortal brew with enough years, mellow spiritual energy, and the right yeast.”
“In the entire Wenjian Sect, I'm afraid there aren't many jars of such a thing.”
Gu Chengming was momentarily at a loss. He couldn't possibly make a special trip to the market to hunt for good wine just to master the basics of a sword art, could he? Setting aside whether he could find it, the time spent traveling back and forth was something he couldn't afford.
He silently reviewed everyone in the Wenjian Sect. The elders who enjoyed drinking were few and far between, and those who truly possessed aged immortal brew were even rarer.
He even considered whether he should ask the Sect Leader again, but on second thought, troubling the Sect Leader for a jar of wine would be somewhat unseemly if word got out.
Just as he was planning to settle for the next best thing and slowly grind with low-grade spirit wine—the door to the small courtyard on the Back Mountain was pushed open.
Yu Wenqiu stood at the door, holding a celadon wine jar that looked quite aged.
The jar wasn't large, about the volume of two fists, but the spiritual wax sealing the mouth had already turned a deep amber color. Just by standing at the door, an extremely crisp scent of wine was already faintly wafting over.
The wine scent wasn't strong or overwhelming, but it had an extremely distant afterglow, as if the moonlight of some autumn had been sealed in the jar. Once opened, one could smell the scent of an entire autumn.
Gu Chengming only needed to catch one whiff to know this was absolutely no ordinary item.
Yu Wenqiu gently placed the wine jar on the stone table and patted the dust off the lid, her tone as casual as if she were handing over a bag of pastries bought by the roadside.
“I heard you were looking for good wine?”
“Elder is quite well-informed.”
“The Sect Leader told me,” Yu Wenqiu said as a matter of course.
Gu Chengming looked at the celadon wine jar and then at Yu Wenqiu, somewhat hesitant.
“This wine looks quite old. How could Elder Yu have such an immortal brew in her possession?”
He was truly curious. He knew Yu Wenqiu’s usual hobbies all too well—reading storybooks, eating pastries, and occasionally slacking off from work. These three basically covered her entire extracurricular life.
Drinking? He had never seen it.
“This is...”
Yu Wenqiu cleared her throat, her gaze drifting toward the osmanthus tree in the yard, attempting to use a nonchalant tone to breeze past the topic.
“It’s dowry wine given by my family elders.”
“?”
A question mark appeared over Gu Chengming’s head.
Seeing this, Yu Wenqiu’s face grew even redder, but her tone became somewhat fierce because she was overly embarrassed.
“What’s wrong? The elders in my family said that good wine should be paired with a good man. When I get married in the future, we'll open the jar on the wedding night and drink together with my husband. What's there to be so surprised about?”
“Would it be inappropriate for me to drink it now?” Gu Chengming thought to himself, shouldn't this be saved for the wedding?
“If I tell you to drink, then drink.” Yu Wenqiu gave him a glare, her tone quite annoyed. “It’s just gathering dust at my place anyway.”
Yu Wenqiu huffed and turned to leave.
When she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and turned her head to add, “I've already given the item, so consider the wedding night reserved. No backing out!”
Gu Chengming sat at the stone table for a good while, looking down at the celadon wine jar that had been carefully sealed for an unknown number of years. There was even a faint trace of a pale pink silk ribbon on the jar—likely something Yu Wenqiu had used to decorate it before, only to remove it before bringing it out.
Elder Xiao Yu said it was just gathering dust, but this jar of wine was clearly meticulously preserved.
He sighed softly, tucked away the emotions he didn't know how to handle, and then seriously peeled off the spiritual wax at the mouth of the jar.
Proper business was more important; wasting good wine would be the true betrayal of her feelings.
...
Good wine was indeed good wine. The grade of Yu Wenqiu’s dowry wine far exceeded Gu Chengming’s expectations. With just a small sip, the wine qi surged into his meridians like the Milky Way pouring downward.
Gu Chengming felt drunk for the first time.
It was true that a cultivator’s constitution far exceeded a mortal’s, but the kick of this immortal brew was likewise not something common items could compare to. Gu Chengming only felt the world spinning; the stone slabs beneath his feet felt like they were floating on sea waves, and the osmanthus trees in the yard were all dancing.
But the true meaning of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art also fully revealed itself at this moment. The drunker he was, the higher the cultivation efficiency.
The jumping speed of the progress bar was almost directly proportional to his drunkenness. When he was slightly tipsy, it moved at a slow pace; when he was half-drunk, it was a fast trot; and when he was dead drunk, it simply took flight.
Thus, from that day on, the small courtyard on the Back Mountain would occasionally waft with a rich scent of wine.
...
A rumor had recently begun to spread quietly among the disciples of the Wenjian Sect.
Initially, it was just an occasional passing disciple smelling a faint scent of wine and not paying it much mind. But as the days passed, the wine scent did not dissipate; instead, it grew stronger and stronger, to the point where even outer sect disciples two mountains away could catch a whiff when the wind was right.
Consequently, some ill-informed speculations began to spread quietly among the disciples.
It was said that Gu Chengming—the current number one prodigy of the Wenjian Sect, the winner of the grand competition, and the one who turned the tide in the Tianque Secret Realm—had recently picked up a drinking habit.
The source of the rumor could no longer be traced, but the content was spread with great detail. It was said that when a disciple passed by the Back Mountain, they personally heard the sound of clinking cups and slurred drunken talk coming from the small courtyard. Another disciple claimed to have caught a glimpse of Senior Brother Gu stumbling out of the courtyard at dusk, his steps unsteady and reeking of alcohol, nearly slamming headfirst into a spirit bamboo.
After the news spread, the entire Wenjian Sect was in an uproar.
“No way? How could Senior Brother Gu become an alcoholic?”
“I don't believe it either, but the empty wine jars don't lie...”
“Could it be that his mindset became inflated after the grand competition? Young people are prone to getting carried away after achieving fame and success; we see this all the time in storybooks.”
“Then wouldn't the number one prodigy be ruined just like that?”
Many disciples began to worry, and several senior outer sect disciples even co-signed a letter, intending to submit it to the elders of the various halls, imploring them to step in and “guide” Senior Brother Gu back from his stray path.
—After all, everyone truly cared about Senior Brother Gu.
The elders were much calmer. Ren Wencai and Shen Qianqiu, who knew the truth, laughed it off. The elders who didn't know were a bit puzzled, but seeing that the Sect Leader and Elder Ren had no reaction, they also remained still, treating it as a young man’s occasional indulgence.
However, when this matter reached Daoning Gate, the style took a sudden turn.
Daoning Gate—that holy land for female cultivators of the Wenjian Sect, famous for its coldness, detachment from desires, and strict self-discipline—erupted into a wave of commotion that completely exceeded everyone’s expectations upon receiving the intelligence that “Gu Chengming has been getting dead drunk all day recently.”
It wasn't a critique of righteous indignation, nor was it a lament of heartbreaking regret.
Rather—
“What does a drunk Senior Brother Gu look like?”
They wanted to see; they very much wanted to see.
The disciples of Daoning Gate practiced the cultivation of pure hearts and few desires, usually dismissing the romantic love of the mortal world. Their daily topics were all about the advancement of the sword dao and the cultivation of the state of mind.
But Gu Chengming was an exception...
Consequently, over the next few days, groups of sneaky figures appeared around the small courtyard on the Back Mountain.
When Elder Jingxuan learned of this, she was so angry she nearly suffered qi deviation on the spot.
“This is rebellion! Disciples of the dignified Daoning Gate, peeking at a man’s drunken state—what kind of decorum is this!”
She immediately issued a confinement order.
But the next morning, she found the confinement order was completely useless.
Because even the enforcement disciples responsible for executing the confinement order, and even Su Qingmeng, had all run off to the Back Mountain.
Elder Jingxuan only felt that the future of Daoning Gate was pitch black.
...
Of course, regarding these matters, Gu Chengming himself was completely unaware.
Because currently, the time he spent drunk was even more than the time he spent sober.
The cultivation progress of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art advanced at a visible speed. The feeling of wine qi flowing through his meridians became more and more natural, and the barrier between sword intent and drunkenness became thinner and thinner.
He had faintly touched the threshold of mastering the basics; he was just one last step away.
That step was called “body drunk but mind sober”—the body completely relaxed, while the consciousness remained clear within the drunkenness.
Gu Chengming took a deep breath and took one last look at the little immortal brew remaining in the celadon jar.
This last gulp, he would bet it all.
As the immortal brew entered his throat, the wine qi swept through his entire body like a raging tide. After he let it be, his consciousness was swallowed by the giant wave in an instant.
The world spun, his six senses became chaotic, and every joint in his body became soft and uncontrollable under the soaking of the wine qi.
Gu Chengming’s body stood up.
The sword was in his hand.
He didn't know when he had grasped it. Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps it was the sword intent that surged from the depths of his meridians at the last moment of the Cangxian Wine Sword Art that performed this action for him.
His footsteps stumbled as he walked out of the small courtyard.
Under the moonlight, the open ground of the Back Mountain spread out before him. He held the sword, his body swaying like a crane with a broken wing.
But he began to dance with the sword.
The trajectory of the sword tip through the air was crooked and wobbly. His feet tripped once, but fortunately, the sword tip propped him up on the ground, barely stabilizing his figure. His posture was extremely clumsy, having nothing to do with the word “prodigy.”
The sword became faster and faster, his footsteps more and more chaotic, and the trajectory his body traced under the moonlight became more and more unpredictable.
He could no longer control his strength at all.
Under the influence of the wine qi, his spiritual power became disorderly. Every sword strike was heavier than the last. The spirit bamboos on the Back Mountain began to vibrate, cracks appeared in the bluestone slabs on the ground, and the wine scent and sword qi permeating the air intertwined.
Under the moonlight, Gu Chengming, practicing the drunk sword, had his hair disheveled and his robes in disarray. His steps were as airy as if he were treading on clouds, but the sword in his hand grew brighter and brighter in the chaos.
And within this drunkenness, Gu Chengming’s consciousness found that sliver of clarity.
He seized it.
Then, the sword intent bloomed in an instant!
In that moment, the sky above the Wenjian Sect lit up.
A sword light shot into the sky from the small courtyard on the Back Mountain, piercing straight into the high altitude and splitting the thick cloud layer in two.
The light bloomed above the clouds, spreading in all directions like ripples on water—one circle, two circles, three circles—
The range of the sword light’s impact far exceeded the scale a single sect could accommodate. It crossed the mountain gate of the Wenjian Sect, crossed the sect-protecting array, crossed the continuous mountains and land, and spread toward even further places at an incredible speed.
Wine qi carrying sword intent—one sword light chilled nineteen prefectures.
...
The Main Peak of the Wenjian Sect.
Shen Qianqiu was reviewing documents. The moment that sword light lit up, the brush in his hand poked straight through the Xuan paper.
He stood up abruptly, pushed open the window, and looked past the layered peaks toward the Back Mountain.
The sword light had not yet dissipated, and the crisp scent of wine mixed with the sharp sword intent blew toward him from several miles away.
Shen Qianqiu stood frozen for three breaths.
Then he slowly sat back in his chair, reached out to crumple the punctured Xuan paper into a ball, and threw it into the wastepaper basket.
...Fine, I know, it’s Little Gu again.
...
Outside the Main Peak hall.
Three elders were ascending the steps together.
Leading them was Elder Zhou of the Enforcement Hall, holding a letter co-signed by disciples. The letter was filled with deep concern about “Gu Chengming’s indulgence in wine and pleasure, fearing he might be ruined.”
They were here to report the issue to the Sect Leader. Their wording had already been prepared: “We are not intentionally interfering with a junior’s private affairs; it is truly a matter of the sect’s future, so we must...”
Before they could finish organizing their words, that sword light crashed down right in front of them.
The three elders looked up in unison.
The sword light was like a waterfall, and the wine scent was like a tide.
That letter co-signed by disciples slipped from Elder Zhou’s stiff fingers, was caught by the mountain wind, flipped twice, and stuck to a pillar of the hall.
Because the brains of the three elders had completely stopped functioning at this moment. The afterglow of that sword light was still slowly dissipating in the firmament, and the residue of the wine scent and sword intent still lingered around them.
As Fourth Realm cultivators, they knew all too well what this sword light meant.
...So, ruined?
Who was ruined? Which one was ruined?!
...
In the southwest of Daqian, on the Huntian Plain north of the Cuiping Mountains.
The Hunyuan Sect.
On the Training Peak of the Hunyuan Sect, a Fourth Realm elder who was guiding disciples in their cultivation suddenly paused his movements.
He turned his head, his gaze piercing through thousands of miles to lock onto the fading phantom of a sword light on the northeastern horizon.
“This sword intent...”
After sensing it for a moment, his face showed shock.
“It’s the Cangxian Wine Sword Art?”
...
In the northeast of Daqian, in a certain hidden mountain valley.
An old Fifth Realm cultivator who was fishing by a stream suddenly set down his fishing rod.
He looked up, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy old eyes.
“This wine scent... is it that old drunkard Hua Daiyi? When did he improve again?”
The disciple beside him also felt the afterglow of that sword intent and couldn't help but ask, “Master, what kind of style is this? Why is there a scent of wine?”
“The Cangxian Wine Sword Art, Hua Daiyi’s ultimate technique.”
The old cultivator stroked his beard and sighed with great emotion. “That old drunkard has been stuck at the peak of the Fourth Realm for how many years? To think he actually made progress again today. The aura of this sword strike is even sharper than his peak ten years ago by thirty percent... It seems he has found some new opportunity.”
The disciple nodded and took out a jade slip to record the event.
“Master, should we send a congratulatory letter to Senior Hua?”
“Go ahead, just a few casual words of congratulation.”
The old cultivator picked up his fishing rod again and said nonchalantly, “Just say that this old man congratulates Daoist Hua on his advancement in the sword dao, and that I will certainly visit another day to ask for a cup of good wine.”
...
On the other side, the Wenjian Sect.
The sword light dissipated, but the wine intent had not yet faded.
【Ding!】
【Side Quest: Manifesting Before People - Sword Dao Chapter】
【Quest completed!】
【The host successfully manifested before the crowd. Reward: One technique insight acceleration card!】
Ignoring the antics of the Unfettered Freedom Art, Gu Chengming stumbled back to the small courtyard and plopped down at the stone table. His mind was still flying in the sky, but his body had landed first.
It took him about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea to completely suppress the surging wine qi and regain his senses.
Then he opened the system panel.
As expected—
【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 basics mastered.】
【Current Favorability: 5/Stranger】
Gu Chengming steadied himself, his gaze falling on that dialogue box, waiting for the first words from the new technique.
Based on past experience, the first speech after a technique mastered its basics often set the tone for the entire conquest route.
Considering its founder was Hua Daiyi—an eccentric, wine-loving old senior of the Hunyuan Sect with extremely deep attainments in the sword dao—
Gu Chengming’s expectation was probably... a hearty type? A free-spirited type? Or perhaps the kind of bold gourmet with a strong worldly air?
The dialogue box flashed, and text slowly emerged.
【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 sat up wobbly, rubbed its eyes, and looked around.】
—Mhm, fits the expectation, the sobering-up phase.
【Its gaze swept over the environment of the Sea of Consciousness, then over the nearby techniques that were watching it with either curiosity or wariness, and finally landed in Gu Chengming’s direction.】
Here it comes, the first sentence—
【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 nodded and spoke: Not bad, the meridians flow very correctly, and the dantian is firmly rooted. At a glance, it's a foundation from a righteous great sect.】
Gu Chengming nodded slightly.
Commenting on the host’s foundation was a standard opening, but at least it showed this technique had a good eye and knew what was what.
【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 looked at the other techniques in the Sea of Consciousness again, its gaze lingering for a moment on each of the techniques—Hundred Bones Resonating, Huiyuan Sword Manual, Qingxin Art, Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art, and others.】
【It nodded thoughtfully: Quite a few techniques, each with its own strengths. It's clear, young friend, that you've put thought into the allocation of cultivation resources.】
Mhm, an analytical personality?
This was a good sign, or so Gu Chengming was thinking—
【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 changed its tone, its voice suddenly becoming filled with emotion.】
【It sighed and said: However, speaking of which, the resource allocation model of the righteous sects in today's cultivation world actually has major problems.】
Gu Chengming blinked.
...Eh?
【Look, take the Wenjian Sect as an example. The allocation of resources for inner sect disciples is ostensibly based on cultivation talent and contribution. But in reality? What truly determines the flow of resources? It's the maneuvering between the elders of the various halls.】
Gu Chengming’s expression began to become subtle.
【The Enforcement Hall handles discipline, the Merit Hall handles assessments, and the Scripture Repository handles inheritances. Every hall has its own little plot of land. What resources a disciple gets depends largely on which elder they study under, rather than how high their actual talent is. This resource allocation mechanism centered on the master-disciple relationship is essentially a disguised form of nepotism.】
Wait, what are you saying?
【And the management of the sects by the Daqian Imperial Family is even more ridiculous. Nominally, it's sect autonomy and imperial supervision, but how is this supervision actually executed? The Night Guard Division? How many people are even in the Night Guard Division's establishment? To supervise over a hundred large and small sects within the entire Daqian territory, on average, how many Night Guard people can be allocated to a single sect?】
【Isn't this a typical case of regulation without enforcement?】
【Ultimately, the governance system of the current cultivation world in Daqian is still too crude. The division of rights and responsibilities between the Imperial Family and the sects is vague, there is no clear legal basis for the ownership of spiritual vein resources, and the rights of rogue cultivators are completely unprotected. Think about it: a rogue cultivator works hard to find a wild spiritual vein, and before they can even mine it, a nearby sect directly confiscates it under the pretext of maintaining the stability of the spiritual vein. How is this any different from open robbery?】
The text in the dialogue box became longer and longer, denser and denser, and the scrolling speed grew faster and faster.
Gu Chengming was completely unable to get a word in. At this moment, he was starting to miss the character archetypes that had previously seemed a bit cliché to him.
Couldn't you give me some normal archetypes, such as a tsundere little junior sister, a cold and detached female master, a gentle and inclusive senior sister, a yandere and obsessive demonic sect enchantress, an energetic and simple spirit beast girl, an arrogant and belly-black sect master’s daughter, or a silent and mysterious sword spirit?!
Why did another god-tier personage of a technique arrive!
【Furthermore, have you ever considered a question: why are there so few Sixth Realm cultivators in Daqian? Is it really just because talent is hard to find? I don't think so.】
【Go check the list of Sixth Realm experts since the founding of Daqian. How many of them came from righteous sects? And how many came from rogue cultivators or small sects?】
【The Daqian Royal Family says high-level cultivators protect low-level ones, but in reality?】
Gu Chengming was starting to break into a cold sweat.
If these words were heard by the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art in his Sea of Consciousness—he peeked at Zhou Rites’ dialogue box.
Sure enough, the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art was already frowning, its mood somewhere between “this is incorrect” and “this fellow is not worth talking to.”
【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 grew more excited as it spoke, the wine qi surging, and the boldness of its words soared at a visible speed.】
【It cursed: To hell with ‘letting those who ascend first lead those who follow’!】
Gu Chengming was shocked.
You can't just say things like that!
Rate on N.U.
