Chapter 9: Zhu Zhuqing Invites Li Zhexian to Shrek! The Mutation of the Spirit of Wine

Crackle—!

Sparks leaped from the campfire, dancing in harmony with the fireflies drifting through the secluded forest. The air was thick with the mingled aromas of fine wine and roasted meat. As the initial wave of melancholy faded, the atmosphere grew subtly enchanting.

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, her fair face flushed with a soft, rosy glow.

Li Zhexian shook his slim wine flask, which held only a final sip, and sighed with regret, "The wine is excellent, but there’s just too little of it."

While the wine in his Clear Spring flask was mellow and fragrant, there was something refreshing about a sudden change in flavor.

"Hmm?"

As the floral-scented liquid slid down his throat, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Li Zhexian.

"Sister Zhuqing, give me your wine."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the suddenly energized Li Zhexian with confusion, yet she handed over her flask. Li Zhexian held his Clear Spring flask in one hand and hers in the other.

"What if... what if I poured other wines into the Clear Spring flask? Would my Wine Martial Soul, by gathering the strengths of a hundred varieties, become even more fragrant and potent?"

Li Zhexian’s eyes shimmered. In his plan, the spirit rings for his Wine Martial Soul needed to be at least ten thousand years old to fully unlock the potential of his second Martial Soul. However, that path felt a bit too slow. His sword and his wine were meant to complement one another, but the Azure Lotus Sword was progressing too rapidly; the Wine Martial Soul would inevitably fall behind. He had been searching for a way to enhance its power without exhausting its inherent potential.

"Time to test it!"

Li Zhexian poured Zhu Zhuqing’s wine into his Clear Spring flask. Before his delighted eyes and Zhu Zhuqing’s shocked gaze, the surface of the flask began to glow with a hazy light. Where there had once been only a simple image of a clear spring, delicate imprints of fruits began to emerge, stroke by stroke.

Whoosh—

White mist billowed from the mouth of the flask, releasing a refreshing, intoxicating fragrance. Li Zhexian licked his lips; the scent alone made his mouth water. Without hesitation, he took a gulp.

The amber liquid slid down his throat. First, his tongue caught the subtle sweetness of apricots, which then transformed into a mellow, warming current that surged into his chest, spreading potent energy throughout his body.

Hum—!

Hum—!

Li Zhexian did not summon his Azure Lotus Sword, yet it stirred instinctively within him, a sword-shaped mark flickering faintly between his brows. Having absorbed the spirit ring of the Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King, his spirit power had already reached the peak of level 21. This single draught of wine shattered the barrier, pushing him directly to level 22.

Li Zhexian exhaled a long breath. The mere vapor of the wine caused the campfire to flare up with newfound intensity.

"Good wine! Truly good wine!"

Zhu Zhuqing watched in astonishment as Li Zhexian’s aura surged, becoming significantly stronger. "You... your spirit power level increased?"

"Indeed." Li Zhexian tilted his head back and took another drink. A look of immense satisfaction washed over his handsome face, though he suddenly added with regret, "This wine blends the mellow scent with fruit notes, but it’s a pity it lacks the fragrance of flowers."

Zhu Zhuqing: "..." Could he please stop talking about flower scents?

Watching Li Zhexian, Zhu Zhuqing found her own desire for the drink piqued. She licked her red lips and asked, somewhat shyly, "Li Zhexian, can... can I have a sip?"

"Here." Li Zhexian handed over the flask.

Zhu Zhuqing took it and eagerly drank.

"Ugh..."

As the scorching wine hit her stomach, a wave of heat exploded within her. Her small face immediately flushed a deep red, her eyes misting over with a dreamy, unfocused haze.

"Such... such good wine..."

"Hahahaha!" Li Zhexian laughed heartily. The combination of the two spirits made the brew significantly stronger; even he, a connoisseur of drink, felt a slight, pleasant heat. It was clear that as he blended more varieties into his Wine Martial Soul, the potency would only increase. One day, he would inevitably be drunk.

"Dancing with a sword while intoxicated! How magnificent!"

Li Zhexian took back the flask and began to feast, alternating between sips of wine and bites of meat. The intoxicated Zhu Zhuqing watched him with a silly, endearing smile; her usual coldness had long since melted away in the warmth of the spirits.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Zhu Zhuqing asked with a hint of nervousness, "Li Zhexian, I’m going to attend an academy that only admits monsters. I don't think anyone fits the label of 'monster' better than you. Will you come with me?"

Li Zhexian paused mid-drink and shook his head without hesitation.

"Forget it. My temperament isn't suited for school."

He knew Zhu Zhuqing was headed to Shrek Academy. His refusal stemmed not only from a dislike of institutional discipline but from a more important realization: Shrek Academy would not help him grow stronger. He had his own plans for his spirit ring configuration, and he held no respect for that so-called 'Grandmaster.' As for whether he was also avoiding Ning Rongrong... to Li Zhexian, she wasn't even worth the roasted rabbit in front of him. She was merely a stranger he had no intention of crossing paths with again.

Though she had expected the answer, Zhu Zhuqing’s eyes dimmed at his refusal. She thought for a moment and asked, "Then, Li Zhexian... where will you go? What will you do?"

Li Zhexian chewed his roasted rabbit and looked up at the moon.

"Me? I’m going to taste the most fragrant wines across the continent and challenge the greatest swordsmen."

He tilted his head back to drink, the wine spilling carelessly down the corner of his mouth, making the youth look all the more wild and untamed.

"I want to capture all the world's finest vintages in my flask—three thousand realms of fine wine, all distilled into the mist within my vessel! And I will forge my own swordsmanship—slaying a man every ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles!"

Exactly! This was the life mission of Li Zhexian! He could never be parted from his sword and his wine. He had found the path to strengthening his Wine Martial Soul, and beyond that, he realized his own mastery of the sword was still far from enough. Knowing only a single move like 'Azure Edge Sever' was too limiting, and 'Three Swords of Fragrance' was merely an auxiliary technique. He would not wait around to cultivate spirit power and obtain ring skills—that was the way of the mediocre.

Looking across the Douluo Continent, the truly powerful were not defined solely by spirit ring abilities. There was Tang San’s sect lore from his past life, the Clear Sky Clan’s Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique, and he knew that Chen Xin, hailed as the continent's greatest swordsman, possessed his own unique art.

How thrilling! Yet, he, Li Zhexian, was inferior to no one! He would create his own school of swordsmanship!

Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at Li Zhexian as he drank wildly under the moonlight. Her heart skipped an unbidden beat. It was strange—the wine’s effect should have been wearing off, yet she felt more intoxicated than ever.

"Li Zhexian..." Zhu Zhuqing spoke suddenly.

"Hmm?" Li Zhexian looked at her.

"Don't forget what you said. If I ever come looking for you in the future, you will help me."

"That goes without saying."