Painting of the Nine Immortals
chapter-120

The storage cave was not dim, rather, it was very bright.

All four directions, north, south, west, and east, were embedded with the eternally lit Pearls of Light. It emitted beams of warm light.

These human head-sized Pearls of Light were valuable enough to bring shock to people’s faces. The reason behind the astonishment was that these lights never dimmed and were often used to replace torches. Though it was not very useful in terms of advancing in the cultivation journey, it was none-the-less an object that treasure collectors desired. Thus, many cultivators who were interested in them locked their eyes on those four prizes.

The killing started then.

The fight over the pearls was amongst the weaker cultivators. The others did not care for this object. Rather, they gazed into the deeper end of the storage cave.

There stood ten golden platforms. Distanced ten meters apart from one another, each had a treasure placed on top of it. The selection ranged from weapons, spiritual Dans, and biblical literature. Each object was vibrating with spiritual energy. It wasn’t hard to tell that every object here was rare and high in value!

"Treasures!"

Everyone’s desire heated up with temptation and greed. In a swarm, they walked toward the ten platforms.

The first platform displayed a flute. Its body was emerald green and on it were carvings of small animals and sceneries. The carving themselves were lively and delicate, exuding a horrifying demeanor.

"This… this is the Immortal Flute. I’ve only seen it in ancient records. Rumor has it that the sound it makes resonates with Heaven and Hell. If a cultivator manages to make a sound with this instrument, it could confuse the opponents and mess with their minds. It also has the ability to destroy the physical body of an opponent. It is a wild instrument with many uses!"

"That’s right. It is the Immortal Flute that rocks Heaven and intimidates Hell. I did not believe I would see this here! This cave really does offer many opportunities!"

"Haha, this Immortal Flute is mine! Who dares to fight me for it will be killed!"

The entire crowd went crazy. Watching the delicate bamboo-like Flute, their eyes were oozing with greed.

Boom!

In preparation for the anticipated rampage, everyone summoned their maximum amount of mana. The entire space was soon glowing with different frequencies of light. The atmosphere was blinding and dazzling. Everyone wanted to possess the Immortal flute.

Sadly, though they were all capable cultivators, in front of the Heaven’s Favorites, they had no power to resist.

"Everyone out of my way!"

A young man who looked gentle and studious shouted loudly. His entire body was radiating when he walked in. Along with a "boom", more than 10 cultivators were knocked out by his spiritual energy alone. A few weak cultivators became pale and puked blood.

This person was one of the three Heaven’s Favorites from before!

Normally quiet and collected like a scholar, during times of importance, he transforms into a beast who is aloof and ruthless. He acted as if he could defy God and disregard Buddhas!

"Haha, the Immortal Flute is mine!"

The handsome boy laughed with his chin held high. He extended an arm to grab the Flute. Just as he was about to get his hands on it and place it into his storage pouch, a spear roared past him, stopping him from acquiring the treasure.

Wang Zhi Feng had arrived. His black robe was ink black, and his long hair tussled in the wind. Exploding with desire, his gaze also focused on the flute.

He wanted this treasure badly. Not only because he wanted to acquire another powerful weapon, but more importantly because it would enhance his capabilities, allowing him to try and defeat the horrifying youth behind him!

Ling Xian was following right behind Wang Zhi Feng. The Sword of Distinction was glowing in his hand, and each spiritual ray was as bright as the rainbow!

"It’s you!"

The studious looking youth turned his body immediately. He saw Wang Zhi Feng, who was holding onto his golden spear, as well as the frightening youth in white. The scholar-like young man’s expression changed into a dark one. "I can’t believe you both came. Couldn’t finish your fight out there?"

"Hmmph!"

Wang Zhi Feng sneered and moved away from the blinding rays of lights coming off of Ling Xian’s sword. He raised the golden spear before him and fired multiple balls of energy in a horizontal line. The force of the spear was ferocious, like waves, turning this place into an endless ocean filled with inescapable spiritual energy.

Everyone backed down to get away. Those who were slow on their feet were detonated into clouds of murky blood.

"You are being pursued by me, yet you dare to sweep this place with your spear. Wang Zhi Feng, you sure are presumptuous!" Ling Xian snickered. He too glanced at the Immortal Flute, and his heart wavered. However, he didn’t want to fight for it. With his experience, he knew right away that the object had been sealed by a powerful array. Even if all the cultivators here worked together, they wouldn’t be able to break it.

Rather than fighting for a treasure that he definitely could not get, he would much rather get rid of this eye sore in front of him.

"God damn! Before a treasure, can we not just temporarily forget our bitter past? When everything calms down, we fight again. How about that?" Wang Zhi Feng was so furious that his hair stood up on his head. His eyes spoke of impatience and a trace of deeply buried fear.

It was obvious that he is scared of exchanging fists with Ling Xian again.

"You were the one who provoked me. You were also the one who threatened to kill me. Why are you backing out now?" Ling Xian had a frigid look on his face. He tightened his grip on the Sword of Extinction. Though the blade was reflecting a thousand rays of light, all of them were aimed at Wang Zhi Feng.

"Screw this!" Wang Zhi Feng growled. He maximized the potential of the Dragon of Broken Cities, and with all his might, he attacked Ling Xian.

At that very moment, the scholar-like youth seized the opportunity and lunged at the emerald green flute. His eyes flashed with joy and not a single trace of hesitation.

Boom!

Just as his hand was a hair away from the Immortal Flute, the flute shook fiercely. It flooded the place with a strange force of dominance, knocking out everyone around it.

"Dammit, someone set a seal on this." The youth gritted his teeth. Facing an array that was a thousand times stronger than he was, he was helpless. Clenching his fist, he walked over to the second platform and attempted to snatch the second treasure.

On top of the second platform was a tea pot filled with wine. The wine was mixed with black and white spiritual energies, and the pot was without a lid. The aroma of the wine soon suffused the room, intoxicating many cultivators. They felt their body begin to float in the air, drowning in the beauty of the wine.

"The scent of the wine is rich and fragrant. It’s been ten thousand years since this cave has been opened, and yet the aroma of this wine did not fade. It must be a rare brew!"

"The wine is mixed with two different sources of energy. My god, could this be the legendary Drunken Immortal Brew?"

"I guess it’s something like that. Just by sniffing the wine, I am getting tipsy. If I take a sip, I will definitely pass out from intoxication! This must be the special wine that can even influence the immortals!"

"Unbelievable! Not only does this wine taste smooth, I heard that it’s also brewed with the essence of a hundred types of spiritual medicine. With my level of training, I can definitely break through to the foundational level without any side effects!"

Everyone here turned completely crazy. They stared at the fermented wine on the second platform hungrily. Those who were a little behind in training were flushed in the cheeks and almost drooling.

The Drunken Immortal Brew!

After only one sip, one can advance to the foundational level without any poisonous side effects!

Most of the people here were geniuses with shocking backgrounds and did not require medicinal Dans to reach the foundational level. The reason why they have yet to get to the foundational level was because they wanted to get to that level organically with their own abilities. Though it would take more time, the lack of medicinal Dan would leave them without fear of consequences. They would not need to be afraid that they ruined their physical body due to foreign help.

In the Taoism community, there were many treasures that can help cultivators break through to the foundational level. However, only so many treasures can do so without leaving a hint of damage on the cultivator’s body. The Perfect Foundational Dan was one of them. However, it only belonged to legends now, as there hasn’t been one found in over a thousand years.

Right now, there suddenly was an object that could help them get to the foundational level without any side effects. How could the cultivators not get overly excited?

Even for the Heaven’s Favorites, it takes them one to two years to reach the foundational level without external help. If a sip of this wine could get them there, it would save them one to two years!

Don’t underestimate the short one to two years. Though in the later stages of cultivation, time means nothing. In the beginning stage, it could create large distances between members of the same generation. This distance determines who becomes the Heaven’s Favorite and who is capable enough to establish a sturdy foundation for the future!

Hearing the discussions around him, Wang Zhi Feng’s breathing became hasty. He wanted to walk away immediately and fight for the Drunken Immortal Wine. However, he was tightly trapped by Ling Xian’s spiritual energy. His life was on the line. There was no way he could step back now.

However, Ling Xian was also not in the mood to battle with Wang Zhi Feng. Hearing the three words, Drunken Immortal Brew, his eyes brightened. He was pretty passionate about alcohol. On top of that, it could help him reach the foundational stage. Of course, his heart wavered.

Tiptoeing, Ling Xian brandished his sword and loosened the spiritual grasp on Wang Zhi Feng. He walked toward the second platform, ready to snatch the fermented wine.

"It’s him! This person has terrifying capabilities! Everyone collude and kill him first!"

"Agreed. This person is very threatening. If we don’t make a move now, we won’t get our hands on the wine. Everyone attack!"

Seeing that Ling Xian was marching toward them, the cultivators who were in engaged in heated battles all froze. Communicating quickly with one another to strategize, they gathered all their mana and pushed forward. Like a heaven high tidal wave, their combined energy was divine and appalling!

Bang!

Facing the sudden attack, Ling Xian remained composed. The light from the Sword of Extinction was growing exponentially. One ray of light extended a hundred feet long and sliced through the air!

Swoosh!

The ray of light roared and materialized. It swept across the room, knocking the other ten cultivators to the ground and left them with blood oozing out of their mouths. The entire cave was shaking!

"Those who block me will die!"

Ling Xian took one step forward; his robe danced in the wind. That horrifying demeanor of his followed him and diffused throughout the cave. The collusion of cultivators was instantly killed by his spiritual energy and evaporated into a cloud of blood.

Those who saw what happened from afar shuddered with fear. They dispersed and hid behind rocks, no longer courageous enough to be his opponent.

Ling Xian marched forward in giant leaps. He glanced around. Seeing that nobody came out to challenge him, he extended his right hand to take the Drunken Immortal Brew.

What greeted him, instead, was a series of vibration caused by the golden spear. As if waves were pushing and mountains were collapsing, the crazy beam of vibration was aimed directly at Ling Xian’s head!

"Wang Zhi Feng, you are asking for death!"

A furious growl filled the storage cave. The boundless amount of iciness and murderous intent swept in all four directions and shot up straight into the sky!