Chapter 447 - 251: The Coming Storm
Shuini chattered on for a while before she suddenly remembered they were in the middle of a meal. "Eat, eat!" she said apologetically. "The food will get cold if we don’t. Today is a rare and happy occasion, so let’s just forget everything I just said, so it doesn’t ruin the atmosphere. Come, my dear daughter-in-law, let your master toast you both!"
With that, she raised the jade cup before her.
"To Master!" Lü Zhong and Yu Feng’Er raised their cups in unison.
They drained their cups.
"Hiss... this Spirit Wine has quite a kick!" After finishing a cup of the Spirit Wine, Shuini felt a massive amount of Spiritual Qi dissolving in her stomach. A faint blush appeared on her fair face; she was a bit spiritually intoxicated.
The phenomenon of spiritual intoxication occurs when one ingests an excessive amount of Spiritual Qi in a short period and cannot digest it in time.
This was a common issue with Spirit Wines; drinking too much would cause intoxication.
Shuini circulated her energy to dispel the wine’s potency. Only then did she begin to feel a bit better. Her curiosity piqued, she asked, "My dear disciple, where did this wine come from? Why is it so intoxicating?"
Lü Zhong, who clearly remembered never having seen this wine before, couldn’t help but look at Yu Feng’Er.
"Master," Yu Feng’Er began, "this is Imperial Jelly Wine. It’s brewed with Tier Three Spirit Ascending Honey and Insect Emperor’s Nectar." She paused, her voice lowering. "Perhaps because it’s a new brew, the impure Spiritual Qi in the Spirit Wine hasn’t fully dissipated, making it difficult to absorb..."
’I was hoping to make a good impression.’
’But in the end...’
’I’ve messed it all up.’
Seeing her reaction, Lü Zhong instantly understood what was wrong and hurried to smooth things over.
"Please forgive me, Master! It’s all my—"
"Forgive you? That’s not the right word. We’re family; we don’t speak to each other like that." Shuini shot Lü Zhong a mock-reproachful glance, then took Yu Feng’Er’s hand and said, "Besides, I was just curious about the wine. I certainly wasn’t blaming my dear daughter-in-law! Do I really look like some kind of wicked mother-in-law?"
Hearing this, Yu Feng’Er’s tears turned to laughter, and she shook her head nonstop. Shuini was, of course, nothing like a wicked mother-in-law. Embarrassed, she immediately buried her face in Lü Zhong’s embrace.
’This whole thing happened because I was too nervous, and I almost caused a terrible misunderstanding.’
Once the brief commotion passed, the three of them resumed their casual conversation.
Round after round of tea was served, and a steady stream of fruits and pastries was brought to the table.
But, as with all conversations between cultivators, the topic inevitably turned to cultivation. Shuini shared her experiences without reservation, and as Lü Zhong listened, many things suddenly clicked into place for him.
Yu Feng’Er also absorbed a great deal, which would surely shorten the time she needed to advance to the Mid-stage of Core Formation.
After eating a piece of Flood Dragon Meat Jerky, Shuini took another sip of Imperial Jelly Wine. The blush on her cheeks deepened, making her look even more enchanting.
Then, the conversation shifted, and she began to speak of the current situation in the Lingyue Domain.
If she had to describe it in one word, that word would be "chaos." The original order had suddenly collapsed. With outside forces interfering, the turmoil was no longer confined to the Lingyue Sect’s holdings but was beginning to spread.
"In the midst of it, I see an opportunity."
Lü Zhong nodded. He understood what Shuini meant.
In the past, under pressure from the mighty Lingyue Sect, the Heling Sect had been forced to split apart immediately after winning a battle between three sects. Even now, the memory of it stirred up an indignation that was hard to swallow.
"Master, are you thinking of reuniting the Three Spirits?"
"No. It should be the Four Spirits!" Shuini’s face broke into a smile. A Dharma Seal materialized in her delicate hand. It was not the Flying Star, Profound Moon, or Tuoyang Spirit Seal from the Three Spirits Unification Seal; this one was pure white and shaped like a wing.
"This is the Haokong Spirit Seal. The complete lineage is actually Star, Moon, Sun, and Sky."
"..." Lü Zhong was speechless once again.
’Master, you really kept me in the dark!’
He had never understood how Shuini managed to hold such a special status in the Heling Sect and had speculated endlessly about it. Who would have guessed this was the reason?
Seeing Lü Zhong’s expression, Shuini couldn’t help but burst out laughing. It took her a long moment to get it under control, but her shoulders still trembled as she said, "If you had asked me back then, even though the Haokong is a secret lineage, your master would never have hidden it from her dear disciple. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s yourself."
She took another sip of Imperial Jelly Wine, set her jade cup down gently on the table, and displayed an unprecedented confidence. "Therefore, I intend to seize this golden opportunity to bring the former Three Heling Sects under my control, establish the Haokong Lineage, and officially transform the Heling Sect’s Three Spirits Unification Seal into the Four-Spirit True-Return Seal."
"At that time, the Heling Sect will be officially renamed the ’True Spirit Sect’!"
"Lü Zhong..." Yu Feng’Er tugged on his sleeve. She wore a faint smile and gave him an encouraging look, showing her support.
"I understand!" Lü Zhong sent back via voice transmission.
Though a thousand thoughts were swirling in his mind, he had already made his decision.
From a personal standpoint, he was Shuini’s only disciple.
It was only natural for him to help his master when she needed him.
From a rational standpoint, this undertaking promised immense benefits.
Supporting this "Battle of the United Sects" would require a massive investment of resources—at least ten million Spirit Stones. But if Shuini actually managed to unify the sects, the resulting True Spirit Sect’s power would all but guarantee it a place among the Seven Southern Barbarian Sects.
At that point, with the True Spirit Sect as their powerful backer,
the Bihai Sect would no longer have to be so constrained in its development.
A Spiritual Object like Spirit Ascending Wine, which could generate immense wealth, could be sold openly and without restraint, instead of being held back as it was now—to the point where they even had to actively "stigmatize" their own product.
"Master, your disciple would not dare to disobey your command!"
"Good, good, good!" Shuini exclaimed, her mood obviously ecstatic. "I really didn’t misjudge you. You are truly my dear disciple!" She reached out, telekinetically pulling the wine pot from the table, and GULP, GULP, GULP, drank all the Imperial Jelly Wine inside.