He felt as though he had seen a savior and hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Huang, Senior Brother Li is racking his brains on how to pursue a girl. You’re a disciple of the Housing Vein and must be adept at this sort of thing. You two have a chat!"
Upon hearing this, Huang Yunchong patted his chest and said, "Rest assured, leave it to me! I’m the best at this kind of thing!"
[Detected nearby bragging. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining +99 Mana!]
Immediately after, Huang Yunchong slung his arm around Li Zuoyue’s shoulder and said seriously, "Actually, pursuing a girl is simple. The most important thing is, you have to make her happy!"
Li Zuoyue asked with genuine curiosity, "Does Senior Brother Huang mean I should buy some gifts to please her?"
"No, no, no..." Huang Yunchong wagged his finger. "That’s all superficial. You can’t make a girl like you just by coddling her. You have to charge in!"
「A short while later」
Qin Guangling and Xiang Tiange also arrived.
Wang Xiu stepped forward with a smile to greet them. "Senior Brother Qin, Senior Brother Xiang, my apologies for the poor welcome! I hope you’ll forgive me!"
Qin Guangling returned the smile with elegance. "Junior Brother Wang Xiu, you’re too polite."
Xiang Tiange, still clad in his iconic bronze armor and carrying his Great Halberd, boomed heroically, "Though I have never met you, Junior Brother Wang Xiu, your great name is as loud as thunder! Let’s not even talk about other things. Just the fact that you were willing to take out the Spirit Stones and immense merits from the Blessed Land Secret Realm to share with all our brothers... For this magnanimity and spirit, I am truly humbled! I’ve been wanting to get to know you for a long time, Junior Brother Wang Xiu, but I never found the opportunity! Tonight, no matter what, I must drink and celebrate with you until we’re both dead drunk, hahaha!"
Wang Xiu also clasped his hands and said earnestly, "Senior Brother, I have long admired your prestige as the Pure Yang Warlord. It is truly one of life’s great pleasures to be able to drink with you tonight! You were already ranked twelfth on the Golden Core Ranking last year, and now... your presence seems even more formidable than before. I’m certain this trip to the Ancient Sanctuary will make your name known far and wide, shaking the entirety of Nanzhou!"
Xiang Tiange laughed heartily. "Junior Brother, your insight is as sharp as a torch! I didn’t think you’d see through me when I’ve been hiding it so well! A mere twelfth on the Golden Core Ranking? It’s not worth mentioning! With my current Cultivation Level, even those in the top ten of the Golden Core Ranking are nothing more than fools waiting to be killed in my eyes!"
[Detected nearby bragging. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining +100 Mana!]
Wang Xiu welcomed the men into the courtyard.
The moment they saw the women bustling about, Qin Guangling’s reaction was still rather composed. Xiang Tiange, on the other hand, shot up and turned as if to flee.
Wang Xiu grabbed him in an instant, puzzled. "Senior Brother, what are you running for?"
This hulking man suddenly became as bashful as a young maiden, his face flushing red. "Junior Brother, why didn’t you tell me... that Senior Sister Xiao is here?"
Wang Xiu was stunned for a moment before he caught on and began to tease, "Senior Brother, don’t tell me you..."
"I don’t, I’m not, don’t you dare talk nonsense!" Xiang Tiange bellowed, stomping his foot in shame and anger.
His bronze armor clattered, and it seemed the entire courtyard shook from the force.
Wang Xiu quickly soothed him, afraid he might tear down the courtyard. "If that’s not it, then what are you afraid of?"
Xiang Tiange fidgeted, awkwardly poking his two thick index fingers together. "It’s not that I’m afraid, it’s just... I get nervous in front of Senior Sister Xiao..."
The corner of Wang Xiu’s mouth twitched.
I really didn’t expect that this burly, imposing Senior Brother Xiang could have such a bashful side. Isn’t this contrast a little too extreme?
He sighed softly and said, "Senior Brother, since you’re already here, please, have a seat. It’s not like Senior Sister Xiao is going to eat you!" Updates are released by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
After a good deal of coaxing, Xiang Tiange finally followed Wang Xiu into the courtyard.
Just then, they came face to face with Xiao Qingyu.
Xiao Qingyu smiled. "Junior Brother Wang Xiu, is everyone here?"
Wang Xiu smiled back. "They are! Senior Brother Qin and Senior Brother Xiang have also arrived!"
Xiao Qingyu’s brow furrowed slightly. "Xiang Tiange? He came too? Where is he?"
"He’s right behind me... Huh?" Wang Xiu turned to look, but Xiang Tiange was nowhere in sight.
Then, his gaze fell upon another spot, and his face began to twitch uncontrollably.
"Senior Brother Xiang, what are you doing under the table?"
"Nonsense! I’m not hiding!"
There was only one table in the small courtyard. It was originally only waist-high, but now, it was being propped up into the air. Xiang Tiange was crouched underneath with his rear sticking out, and it was from under there that the muffled voice came.
After all that commotion, the dinner finally began.
According to Li Zuoyue, the purpose of this meal was a mobilization rally to steel their resolve. But under Wang Xiu’s guidance, the tone of the conversation gradually shifted.
"Senior Brother Li’s Heavenly Timing Sword Scripture has reached major success? As expected of someone born with Sword Bone, truly amazing!"
"Hahaha, it’s nothing to mention! I’m still some distance from perfection; that’ll take at least another year or two... Unlike Junior Brother Qin, whose Battle Hymn of Mountains and Rivers had already reached major success during the battle at Limitless City. After these several months of seclusion, I imagine it must have reached perfection by now, right?"
[Detected nearby bragging. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining +99 Mana!]
"Indeed, nothing escapes Senior Brother Li. It’s reached minor perfection... hardly worth mentioning! If we’re really talking about strength, it has to be Senior Brother Xiang. Among everyone present, he’s the strongest! When we get to the Ancient Sanctuary, we’ll have to rely on his protection!"
[Detected nearby bragging. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining +99 Mana!]
At these words, everyone’s gaze fell on Xiang Tiange, including Xiao Qingyu’s.
Instantly, steam seemed to rise from Xiang Tiange’s head as he puffed out his chest and declared, "A trivial matter! Rest assured, everyone. As long as I’m around, I won’t let those clowns courting death out there harm a single hair on your heads! It’ll make no difference even if the top three on the Golden Core Ranking decide to make a move!"
[Detected nearby bragging. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining +99 Mana!]
"...Senior Brothers Li, we haven’t seen each other in a while. Your skills in the Sword Dao must have progressed immensely!" Wang Xiu raised his cup again, looking toward the three Li brothers.
"You’re too kind! We three may not compare to Brother Zuoyue, but the sword techniques we cultivate have also, barely, reached major success!"
"Big brother, didn’t we just..." Li Longyou trembled. That’s not how you’re supposed to boast! We’ve only just seen a glimmer of hope for achieving major success!
Li Longhao shot him a glare, cutting his younger brother off. "What ’just’? Am I wrong?" All the senior brothers are so formidable. Are we really going to expose our true strength? Wouldn’t that bring shame to the Sword Sect?
"Third brother, what do you think?" Li Longhao glanced at Li Longji.
Li Longji was busy shoveling food into his mouth. "Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm, delicious, so delicious..."
Good wine and beautiful women were undoubtedly the two most potent factors for stimulating a man’s urge to brag. Now, Wang Xiu had maxed out both for them, and sure enough, it produced an unexpected effect.
In a single night, Wang Xiu’s cultivation, which had just broken through to the third layer of the Golden Core realm, rose once again, completely stabilizing at the fourth layer. The only pity was that he hadn’t triggered a critical multiplier. But such things were always a matter of luck and couldn’t be forced or rushed. Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities during this trip to the Ancient Sanctuary.
They were all Cultivators. Unless they were drinking specially refined immortal brews, getting drunk was a matter of choice. It was normal for them to be able to drink a thousand cups without getting intoxicated. The drinking session didn’t end until the next morning.
Besides harvesting Mana from all the bragging, Wang Xiu’s biggest gain was learning a great deal about the Ancient Sanctuary from their conversations. The Jade Slip Xiao Qingyu had given him only contained basic information. Most of what he learned tonight came from things Li Zuoyue and the others had been told by their master. Though the information came in bits and pieces and seemed fragmented, it was enough to assemble a much clearer picture. This gave Wang Xiu a much deeper understanding of the journey that lay ahead.
It can’t be helped! Who can I blame for not having a powerful backer in my corner? I can only rely on myself!
「The next few days passed peacefully.」
But an intangible force was brewing beneath the calm.
Ji Zidian came to hang out with Wang Xiu for a couple of days before he stopped coming. Mo Wuwei’s visits also became less frequent. Snippets from their conversations revealed that their family elders were making the final preparations for their trip to the Ancient Sanctuary.
Wang Xiu wasn’t idle either. He sent Jiang Ling’er back to the Blessed Land Secret Realm to continue transcending souls for merit and to wander about, hoping she might stumble upon another fortuitous encounter. As for himself, he personally took the Mingxue Executioner Sword down the mountain. He made a special tour of the surrounding towns and charged the Immortal Slaying Sword with another ten thousand-plus Pig Spirits. This act moved Nie Linglan to tears.
「Finally, after several days...」
A melodious bell chimed, echoing throughout the entire Sanqing Immortal Sect.
In an instant, from the thirty-six peaks of the thirty-six branches, over a hundred beams of immortal light soared into the sky, all converging on Dragon Head Peak.
The Ancient Sanctuary was about to open