Chapter 1745: Drunken Immortal City

"Hehe, I’ve arranged everything for my disciple-grandson, and now it’s time to plan for myself!"

Watching Xu Qingshan’s figure disappear into the Eastern Horizon, Yun Xiao’s face broke into a smile after a long pause, his murmuring voice falling as he turned his gaze back to the memorial tablet in his hand.

"Shitong, rest assured, I swear to pull up the Dragon Emperor Palace by its roots and avenge your great grudge!"

Yun Xiao’s voice suddenly turned solemn, and besides a hint of moisture in his eyes, there was also a touch of resolute determination; if outsiders heard this, they might laugh their heads off.

Currently, on the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, the Dragon Emperor Palace is a formidable giant, many Heavenly Rank Cultivators, and even Holy Rank Experts, don’t dare to have a single irreverent thought, let alone oppose it.

But how outsiders think is none of Yun Xiao’s concern. Whether it’s the Canglong Emperor and Lu Qinwan of his previous life, or Xue Qi who caused his family to fall apart in this life, they all belong to the Dragon Emperor Palace.

This destined the inevitable clash between Yun Xiao and the Dragon Emperor Palace to be undying, requiring the demise of one side to end this two-lifetime entanglement.

In terms of the power comparison, Yun Xiao’s current late stage of the Heavenly Realm is nothing compared to the entire Dragon Emperor Palace, not even a Great Witch to a Great Power.

Fortunately, in this life, even his direct disciple-grandson Xu Qingshan does not know his true identity, nor that he was once the Long Xiao Battle God slain by the Dragon Emperor Palace.

Being hidden while the enemy is exposed gives Yun Xiao an opportunity to plan in secret. With his previous life’s experiences and the forces hidden in the dark, as long as his plans succeed, there’s indeed some slim chance.

Of course, these are matters for later. Yun Xiao understands well that one must still be strong themselves, and the memorial tablet in his hand truly offers him another chance to elevate his strength.

Buzz!

As Yun Xiao’s murmuring voice fell, the previously motionless tablet suddenly erupted with a special and obscure power, as if responding to something.

Worldly affairs are so wondrous, even an unconscious tablet may carry a trace of Xu Tongshi’s obsession, and now that the tablet is in its master’s hand, it seems his obsession is finally resolved.

Unfazed by the tablet’s anomaly, Yun Xiao put it into his Waist Storage, stomped out the campfire a few times, and soared into the sky; the direction of his disappearance was none other than the northern horizon.

...

A month later!

In the Northwest of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud Western Region, a large city called "Drunken Immortal City" approached from afar, and a dust-covered young man in coarse gray clothing walked to the South Gate—Yun Xiao.

Throughout this journey, Yun Xiao mostly flew in the air, occasionally landing to collect some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, yet his Meridian Qi Cultivation remained at the late stage of the Heavenly Realm.

Though Yun Xiao’s face bore wind-blown dust, his eyes showed a gleam of excitement, for upon seeing the three large characters "Drunken Immortal City" atop the South Gate, he knew he had arrived at his destination.

With the identity of the Long Xiao Battle God from his previous life, Yun Xiao naturally heard of Drunken Immortal City’s name, a place reputed for a Holy Rank Peak figure obsessed with alcohol, lending the city its name.

Over countless years, that Holy Rank Peak expert famed for his drinking was naturally no longer in Drunken Immortal City, but gradually it became the center for innumerable fine wines from the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud.

Wine holds no influence over the mind of any Holy Rank Expert; they merely need to shake it off with Meridian Qi, truly rendering them immune to intoxication even after a thousand cups.

However, there exist those with a fondness for tasting, who despite achieving Holy Rank Third Realm, indulge in wine without suppressing its influence with Meridian Qi, preserving the pleasure.

Therefore, Drunken Immortal City, known across the continent for its wine, remains lively, enticing experts from the far southeast of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud just to savor its world-renowned wines.

Strictly speaking, the brewed wines from various families do not only feature dream-walking effects; many Meridian Refining Masters who are also Brewers produce wines potentially enhancing cultivation.

Furthermore, some Poison Vein Masters mix deadly toxins into the wines, leading to people unknowingly falling victim amidst clouded consciousness, proving entirely indefensible.

Drunken Immortal City gathers countless master Brewers, their status perhaps low elsewhere, yet esteemed within the city, causing visiting cultivators to tread carefully.

"Hey, I wonder if that Old Murong is still as obsessed with wine as before?"

As Yun Xiao stepped into the South Gate of Drunken Immortal City, he was instantly greeted by a strong aroma of wine, a long-lost sensation that immediately put him at ease. A familiar figure involuntarily jumped into his mind.

As for the "Old Murong" that Yun Xiao mentioned, he certainly wasn’t insignificant. He was a prominent figure in the Murong family, one of the Four Great Families. His cultivation nearly rivaled that of the Murong Family Patriarch of the time.

However, this Murong Family elder known as Murong Sou was a renowned wine lover who never used Meridian Qi to suppress himself. He thoroughly enjoyed that drunken and dreamlike state, truly an extraordinary person.

Back then, Murong Sou botched an important task entrusted to him by the Murong Family Patriarch due to his love for good wine, angering the patriarch so much that he almost decided to kill Murong Sou on the spot in righteous fury.

If not for the timely intervention of the Long Xiao Battle God, Murong Sou would likely have been stripped of his cultivation. Thanks to the Battle God’s persuasion, the Murong Patriarch relented, choosing instead to expel Murong Sou from the family.

Murong Sou acknowledged his wrongdoing and had no words of resentment against the patriarch’s decision, for he bore the Murong name and was forever inseparable from the Murong family.

Perhaps it was because Murong Sou was expelled from the family that he escaped the calamity when the Murong family was exterminated nearly a century ago. It was easy for the Emperor Canglong Palace to locate the vast Murong family, but finding a solitary Holy Rank expert was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Of course, Yun Xiao was perhaps the only one who truly knew the inside story. After the fall of the Murong family, Murong Sou naturally dared not use his name in the Dragon Cloud.

Yun Xiao found his way to Drunken Immortal City not by chance, but through guidance related to his own identificatory plaque.

"Xu Tong might not have extraordinary talent, but he certainly understands people and worldly affairs well!"

A smile appeared on Yun Xiao’s face as a soft voice emerged from his lips, having already guessed a part of his former disciple’s scheme.

Strictly speaking, Yun Xiao owed his life to Murong Sou. Xu Tongshi, following the Long Xiao Battle God back then, undoubtedly knew of this incident and entrusting those items to Murong Sou’s care was undoubtedly a smart move.

However, the cultivators in Drunken Immortal City would know nothing of someone named Murong Sou, otherwise, the Emperor Canglong Palace would have long since found and killed him, and Yun Xiao wouldn’t have come here.

Based on his understanding of Murong Sou, Yun Xiao knew that besides his love for wine, he was quite cautious and prudent, and thus, only Xu Tongshi, who is now deceased, might know about his hiding in Drunken Immortal City.

However, finding someone without name or fame like Murong Sou in such a vast city wasn’t easy; those instructions merely guided Yun Xiao to Drunken Immortal City.

Whether he could find Murong Sou depended on Yun Xiao’s own abilities, yet he didn’t seem too impatient, walking purposefully until he arrived at an impressive tavern.

"Drunken Immortal Tavern? Quite a boastful name!"

Yun Xiao looked up to see the gilded plaque hanging above the entrance. His eyes flickered and a subtle cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Three cups halt a sage, and one goblet fells an immortal!"

He muttered as he noticed the couplet on either side of Drunken Immortal Tavern’s entrance, clearly unimpressed by its boastful claims.

No matter how potent the wine, unless a Meridian Refining Master added some refining techniques, it would unlikely have much effect on a Holy Rank Third Realm expert.

As for "immortal," Yun Xiao, no longer as "ignorant" as the Long Xiao Battle God from his previous life, knew that above the Holy Rank Peak existed both the Immortal Realm and God Realm, realms only found in the Li Yuan Realm, home to great powers.

How could wine that couldn’t even best a Holy Rank expert cause an immortal to fall in a single cup—it was enough to make the great powers in Li Yuan Realm laugh their heads off.

But regarding the tavern’s "arrogance," Yun Xiao merely laughed it off. To argue about Immortal Divine Ranks with these city cultivators, one would surely be taken for a lunatic, right?

"Let me see what’s so extraordinary about your wine that can make even an immortal ’fall with one goblet.’"

He continued smiling as he followed the crowds into Drunken Immortal Tavern. Upon entering, he was greeted by an intense array of distinct wine aromas, presenting an utterly unique sensation.

"Indeed, quite unusual!"

As Yun Xiao inhaled the wine’s aroma, his spirit immediately tensed. Even with his cultivation at the Heavenly Realm Late Stage, he felt a slight surge upon smelling this wine, just hinting at how potent it must be!

If the aroma alone is so fierce, how potent must the wine itself be? Watching the faces of those around him enjoying every moment, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but become intrigued.