Xu Lai was utterly bewildered. Did this guy take the wrong medicine or something? What was he apologizing for…

Tan Chang mused aloud to himself, "I always believed my conjectures were the truth, but it turns out... it was just my wishful thinking all along."

His gaze fell back to the ground as tears streamed down his face. Tan Chang had forgotten the Flower Fairy's face, but he still remembered the beating he had received that afternoon. A mid-stage Ninth Grade Flower Fairy. Ignoring her status as a senior, she had pinned him down and beaten him furiously, all the while screaming, "It was you who ruined my innocence!?"

At first, Tan Chang had tried to reason with her, recounting their conversation and everything he had done for her. Such heartfelt loyalty should have been enough to move heaven and earth! But upon hearing these baseless fantasies, the Flower Fairy grew so enraged she nearly spat blood, showing no further mercy. The scene became so brutal that even Gao He, who had initially been furious about being deceived, had to cover his face and leave, unable to bear watching any longer.

But compared to the physical pain, the emotional trauma was far more unbearable for Tan Chang.

"I thought I was Zhuge Tanchang, that by playing a tune from a high pavilion, I could just wait for the east wind. That with a gentle wave of my feathered fan, I would be seen as a sage by future generations."

With a bitter heart, Tan Chang picked up a bottle of liquor from the ground and took a large swig. "I'm so stupid, so incredibly stupid... I'm a goddamn moron!"

Though Xu Lai didn't know what had happened, he said softly, "It's a good thing to be able to see yourself clearly. To be honest, I've always had a feeling you weren't too bright. I even considered suggesting you get a check-up at a hospital."

Tan Chang: ???

Was Xu Lai trying to comfort him, or was he just rubbing salt in his wounds? Those words were too harsh!

Xu Lai took out two jars of wine. "Drink this instead."

This was a fine wine obtained from the treasure vault of the Ancient Demon Clan. While it couldn't compare to the two jars of Hundred Thousand Year Fine Brew he had shared with Mozhan, it was still a thirty-thousand-year vintage. This wine wasn't particularly strong, but it was especially good at getting people drunk, hence its name: Drunk on Life, Dreaming of Death.

In the Immortal Domain, many wine fanatics who loved alcohol as much as life itself took pride in having tasted this wine, not only for its flavor but for its other property: Enlightenment! Amidst drunkenness and dreams, one could comprehend their own Dao and carve out a unique path of cultivation. But few were successful. In Xu Lai's memory, only a handful of powerful members of the Demon Clan, like Mozhan, had ever succeeded, each one a true child favored by the heavens.

To Xu Lai's surprise, faint wisps of light began to coalesce around Tan Chang. This guy can achieve enlightenment too?

But what made Xu Lai's expression darken was that Tan Chang wasn't comprehending the Great Dao at all. He just kept muttering, "Xu Lai, I'm so stupid, foolish to the core."

GLUG GLUG GLUG...

As the bitter liquor went down, his heart ached with sorrow. Tan Chang clutched the wine jar and sobbed, "I'm so stupid. I really am, Xu Lai. I'm such an idiot..."

Growing annoyed, Xu Lai waved his hand, and Tan Chang fell unconscious.

"Go and comprehend the Dao in your dreams," Xu Lai whispered. "As for what you can grasp... that will depend on your own destiny."

It was still the same story. Tan Chang had talent; he was just destined for a short life and was a bit of an idiot...

Xu Lai turned and left, returning to Haitang Court.

***

By now, after the rumors had circulated for more than ten days, the Martial Dao World had learned that the Flower Fairy's supposed breakthrough into the Divine Gate was a misunderstanding, causing an uproar throughout the country.

But the Flower Fairy still chose to protect Tan Chang. Fearing that public opinion would destroy Hua Country's new Martial Ancestor, she told everyone it had just been a little joke.

Soon enough, the gazes of the martial arts community turned towards the forbidden land of Mount Zijin, their eyes filled with boundless excitement and anticipation. The forbidden land of Mount Zijin opened only once every hundred years, and for just three short days. Legend said that within it lay countless celestial treasures and that Spirit Plants were scattered everywhere. Each time Mount Zijin opened, Hua Country would send ten of its top experts to venture inside in search of these treasures. However, each time, only one or two managed to walk out alive, and they would all rapidly break through their limits to become titans of their generation!

For example, a hundred years ago, of the ten Martial Artists who entered the forbidden land of Mount Zijin, the sole survivor was a sturdy, middle-aged man named Ji Qingshan. In just three short years, Ji Qingshan progressed from a mid-stage Ninth Grade to a peak Ninth Grade Great Martial Sect. Because of this, the Ji Family became the leading Martial Dao family in Yanjing. Ji Zhao, the early-stage Ninth Grade Martial Artist who had died not long ago, was also a member of the Ji Family.

Therefore, although Mount Zijin was filled with endless dangers, it was also incredibly mysterious and exceedingly alluring. It was regarded by the Martial Ancestors of Hua Country as a hallowed ground for rapid breakthroughs. Martial Artists were eagerly discussing which seniors would be chosen to enter Mount Zijin this year, but none of this had much to do with Xu Lai.

Meanwhile, at Haitang Court, Beibei was packing large amounts of food, clearly preparing for a long journey. Her face was etched with worry, and she sighed from time to time.

"Beibei, where are you going?" Ruan Tang asked gently.

At home, she treated Xu Yiyi as her eldest daughter and Beibei as her second, piling up mountains of precious figurines and clothes for her. After all, in a society that values appearances, being cute and pretty is justice.

Beibei snapped out of her daze and managed a smile. "I'm going to protect something."

Protection? Ruan Tang didn't understand, but she stroked the Sea Demon girl's head and said softly, "Be careful, then. Come home early, okay?"

Beibei's eyes grew moist. Ruan Tang reminded her so much of her own mother, who had died protecting the Dragon Palace. The same gentleness, the same beauty.

"I will definitely come back!" Beibei beamed, holding back her tears. And I'll make sure to come back alive, she added silently.

Without saying goodbye to Xu Yiyi, who was napping upstairs, Beibei turned and left. Leaning against the door, Xu Lai sensed the do-or-die resolve emanating from her.

He said meaningfully, "If you need help, just call my name."

"Tsk." From an angle Ruan Tang couldn't see, Beibei's cute expression vanished. She shot him a sidelong glance, the corner of her mouth twisting into a sneer. "I'm the number one sword master in this stretch of the sea, with countless kills to my name. You think I need your help?!"

"Alright then," Xu Lai shrugged, saying no more, though a vague suspicion formed in his heart.

***

Six hundred miles from East Sea City, out on the open sea, a breathtakingly beautiful woman in a green dress stood atop the head of a gigantic eel.

Yuan Man's beautiful eyes sparkled as she gazed at a middle-aged man with eight heads floating in the air nearby. He was none other than the Demon King Orochi from Sakura Country. Behind the two Demon Kings stood ten strange-looking Sea Demons, each one radiating a terrifying and fierce aura.

In the distance, a yacht bobbed on the waves, carrying a group of humans, most of them over fifty. Among them were Bai Ke, Ji Jing, the Flower Fairy, and other Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors. At the stern sat an old man, completely shrouded in a black robe and sitting cross-legged, his face obscured.

The three forces stood a careful distance from one another, each warily watching the others.

While they waited, Sea City's Demon King, Yuan Man, giggled. "Orochi, it's been a hundred years. Your eight heads are getting uglier and uglier."

Orochi glanced coldly at Yuan Man, then at the distant yacht. "Yuan Man, don't forget our agreement," he sneered.

The agreement, of course, was about Xu Lai.

Yuan Man's expression sobered, and she offered a noncommittal smile. "I'm still thinking about it."

Orochi let out a cold snort.

Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the area as a purple mountain materialized out of thin air above the sea.

As the Sea Demons and human experts stared in excitement, six hundred miles away in Haitang Court, Xu Lai's expression suddenly changed mid-conversation with his wife, Ruan Tang.

This aura is—

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.