Outside the venue.
A side hall far from the main banquet.
Inside the room, Gu Qiushui, Su Chunshuang, and Ling Xi were together.
Listening to the lively sounds coming from next door, the three women’s moods were somewhat complex.
Though they were not qualified to attend the banquet, they still felt honored to be part of such a grand occasion.
“I never imagined that in my lifetime, our Hehuan Sect could have such a grand event.”
Su Chunshuang sighed softly, her tone emotional.
As the earliest disciple to follow Tai Lingxuan, she had witnessed the Hehuan Sect go from nothing to what it was now.
At that moment, tears glistened in her eyes, deeply moved.
“Yes, Shizun has really had it too hard.”
Gu Qiushui nodded in heartfelt agreement.
Over the years, they had all seen how much Shizun had sacrificed for the Hehuan Sect.
Hearing this, Su Chunshuang turned her head and gave Gu Qiushui a slightly annoyed glare.
“You! Do you know Shizun hears you calling her ‘old master’ behind her back? Be careful she doesn’t hear you—she’ll spank your bottom.”
Gu Qiushui stuck out her tongue playfully, a sly smile on her face.
“Oh, Shizun is magnanimous—she definitely won’t hold that against me.”
“I smell wine.”
At that moment, Ling Xi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.
That scent was extremely familiar.
Gu Qiushui was momentarily startled, then turned her head with a smile.
“What, does our little shimei want to taste that spirit wine?”
Ling Xi subconsciously stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, her cheeks faintly reddening, but she nodded gently.
She recognized it—the aroma was exactly the same as the spirit wine that Shixiong had taken out before.
The taste of it made her mouth water.
“But that wine is prepared for the guests.”
“What’s so hard about that?”
Hearing this, Gu Qiushui patted her chest confidently.
“Your Shijie will go get you a jug right now—I guarantee you’ll have your fill!”
Ling Xi’s eyes lit up instantly, her face full of joy.
“Shijie, you’re so nice.”
Gu Qiushui responded, “Yes, Shijie is so nice.”
Her gaze then turned to Su Chunshuang with a hint of mischief, a sly smile curving at the corner of her mouth.
“Shijie, she’s saying you’re nice.”
Su Chunshuang was taken aback, then realized what was happening.
She pointed at herself, half laughing and half crying.
“The Shijie you mentioned… it’s me?”
“Who else?”
Gu Qiushui spread her hands and asked righteously.
“Besides you, is there anyone here who is more of a Shijie?”
“It’s just a small request from your shimei. As the second shijie who dotes on her the most, you wouldn’t refuse, would you?”
Gu Qiushui said, winking at Ling Xi.
Ling Xi immediately caught on.
She widened her big, watery eyes and looked at Su Chunshuang pitifully, chiming in softly, “Yes, Second Shijie is the kindest to us. She definitely won’t refuse such a tiny request…”
Watching these two girls play off each other, Su Chunshuang sighed helplessly and tapped Gu Qiushui on the forehead.
“You’re the one who knows how to stir up trouble!”
“Alright, alright. I’m afraid of you two. I’ll go see if I can get a jug.”
At this moment, inside the banquet hall.
The other aspects of the banquet—such as the dishes’ presentation and the venue’s decor—were nothing particularly noteworthy.
For a small sect like the Hehuan Sect, with shallow foundations and few disciples, this was the absolute limit of what they could achieve with all their effort.
Most of the guests present were sect masters or core members from various sects, large and small.
Which of them hadn’t seen more extravagant scenes?
But everyone wore calm smiles.
No one was going to find fault today.
After all, this was Tai Lingxuan’s Great Ascension Banquet for the Hehuan Sect.
They had come to celebrate, not to cause trouble.
Still, the banquet was rather plain.
Even if anyone thought so, they kept it to themselves.
The feast proceeded, and the performances were underway.
An elder, feeling a bit thirsty, casually poured some spirit wine from the flask in front of him into a white jade cup.
In an instant, an indescribably rich aroma of wine spread through the air.
The fragrance was not pungent but warm and mellow, carrying threads of natural spiritual energy, as if it contained a unique essence.
Just one whiff left one feeling refreshed and clear-minded.
“This is…”
The elder sniffed deeply, and immediately felt his spiritual power flow more smoothly under the stimulation of the wine’s scent.
A flicker of barely noticeable shock passed through his eyes.
“What kind of wine is this!”
The other guests around him noticed and also picked up their flasks to pour themselves a cup.
When that unique aroma hit their nostrils, everyone’s eyes lit up, their faces full of surprise.
These people, with their status and position, had tasted all kinds of exquisite wines and thousand-year brews.
Which one had they not tried?
Yet somehow, all the fine wines they had ever drunk seemed pale and insignificant in that moment, compared to this seemingly ordinary flask of spirit wine.
This wine was not just rich in aroma—everyone could easily feel the extraordinary essence within it.
Yan Dangmo had originally come with a casual attitude, mainly to show support, and didn’t expect any surprises.
But upon smelling this strange fragrance, his slightly lazy eyes snapped wide open.
He quickly poured himself a cup, gave it a brief look, then threw his head back and downed it in one go.
The wine slid down his throat without any harshness, only an indescribably sweet and delicious taste spreading through him.
That flavor flowed down his throat into his belly, transforming into a warm current that instantly surged through his limbs and bones.
What shocked Yan Dangmo even more was that after the wine entered his body, it faintly emitted a trace of profound law essence, gently rippling within him.
This made even him—a Great Ascension Great Perfection expert who had already established his own laws—experience some enlightenment and resonance.
Hiss….
Realizing this, Yan Dangmo immediately sucked in a cold breath.
His large eyes bulged, shooting out sharp light.
He stared intently at the wine flask in his hand and couldn’t help but exclaim loudly, “This wine… it actually contains the essence of the laws of heaven and earth!”
At these words, the entire hall erupted in uproar!
Everyone was shocked!
Spirit wine containing the laws of heaven and earth?
What did that even mean?
This was no longer something that could be described as simply fine wine.
It was a unique opportunity—even for them, all at the Combined Aperture realm and above, it was a tremendous fortune.
Drinking such spirit wine was immeasurably beneficial for comprehending the laws of heaven and earth and breaking through cultivation bottlenecks!
And such extraordinary divine liquor was being served by the Hehuan Sect to their guests?
Judging by the scene, it seemed like everyone had a flask, with enough to go around?
Not to mention anything else, this single gesture was enough to awe everyone present!
Even Yan Dangmo was quite stunned.
This kind of wine—even if you tried to buy it at an auction for a high price, you might not find it.
Yet Tai Lingxuan was serving it to her guests.
Tai Lingxuan sat at the main seat, taking it all in.
Her expression remained calm, but inside she was a little puzzled.
She had secretly worried that although the banquet had cost quite a bit, the scale the Hehuan Sect could manage was limited.
She feared some might secretly criticize her sect for being too small-minded.
But she never expected that this ordinary flask of spirit wine would make these seasoned veterans’ eyes gleam as if they had found a treasure.
This spirit wine that Yuyang gave me before… it was actually this rare?
How did I not know that?
Earlier, Tai Lingxuan had drunk it too.
Aside from finding it sweet and delicious, she hadn’t noticed anything special—at least, she hadn’t detected any essence of the laws of heaven and earth within!
So Tai Lingxuan poured herself a cup and took a careful sip.
This time, she focused her mind inward, closely feeling the changes after the wine entered her body.
It was true!
After the spirit wine entered her throat, that rich sweetness seemed to be crafted from the essence of countless heavenly treasures, brewed through extremely complex processes.
And the vast medicinal power woven from those countless treasures intermingled within the wine, blending seamlessly, almost forming its own path.
So the reason I couldn’t taste the mystery before was, first, that I didn’t realize this stuff was a treasure, and second, because I was still at the Combined Aperture realm back then—my cultivation wasn’t high enough to perceive the true essence of the laws hidden deep in this wine.
Boom—
As Tai Lingxuan was inwardly marveling, a low rumble suddenly erupted from the banquet hall, like thunder rolling in the clouds.
Tai Lingxuan was startled by the sudden noise, and the cup in her hand nearly spilled its wine.
She quickly turned to look.
Not far away, a sect master surnamed Li from a medium-sized sect was sitting cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut.
His spiritual power churned violently, forming a visible vortex that crazily drew the surrounding spiritual energy into his body.
He… was breaking through on the spot, using the medicinal power of the wine!
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the Li Sect Master suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them.
The aura radiating from his body was instantly much stronger than before.
Containing the light in his eyes, the Li Sect Master quickly stood up and solemnly cupped his hands toward Tai Lingxuan’s main seat.
“Thank you, Sect Master Tai, for granting this wine! It helped me break through a bottleneck I’ve been stuck on for years!”
Watching this, Tai Lingxuan was also dumbfounded.
This wine… I never expected its effect to be so terrifying, allowing someone to break through on the spot?
That Li Sect Master was a Combined Aperture fifth-layer cultivator.
Despite her shock, Tai Lingxuan was the host of the banquet.
Forcing down her amazement, she kept a calm expression and waved her hand.
“No need, no need. Sect Master Li need not stand on ceremony. Please continue to enjoy the feast.”
However, the matter did not end there.
After a short while, “Hahaha! I broke through! I’ve reached Combined Aperture ninth layer!”
Another excited voice rang out.
An old cultivator who had been stuck at Combined Aperture eighth layer for years now had his aura surging, and his once-aged face even looked a few years younger.
The man couldn’t contain his excitement and burst into laughter.
He had been stuck at Combined Aperture eighth layer for many years, his lifespan nearly exhausted.
He had thought that was his limit.
Never did he expect that by attending this banquet, he could comprehend the laws through this spirit wine and break through the barrier.
Now, the entire atmosphere of the banquet instantly changed!
Everyone’s gaze toward the flasks in front of them turned blazing hot.
Tai Lingxuan held her cup, silently drinking, trying her best to look as though everything was within expectations, but her heart was bleeding.
That Yuyang kid!
When he gave me this wine, why didn’t he tell me how precious it was?
Now look—one flask per person.
The scene is grand enough, but this is way too extravagant.
What kind of resources can withstand this kind of spending?