345: Chapter 345 Xiao Huang's Toast

Xiao Huang held a crimson-gold tray in his hands.

Two wine cups rested upon the tray.

The material of the cups was peculiar—neither jade nor porcelain, but a type of dark red Ore with faint flame patterns flowing across its surface.

Su Changge recognized them.

Blazing Dragon Cups.

A specialty ritual vessel of the Chixiao Dao Domain, crafted from Dragon Vein Ore found deep within volcanoes. It was said they could keep the spiritual wine inside at its optimal temperature indefinitely.

As Xiao Huang approached with the tray, the surrounding Cultivators moved aside to make a path.

It wasn't out of fear—though they were indeed afraid—but out of curiosity.

The strongest expert of the Chixiao Dao Domain was personally carrying wine down—to whom was he offering a toast?

The answer was obvious.

Xiao Huang walked up to Su Changge and came to a halt.

A perfectly measured smile was on his Face—warm and respectful, yet not humble.

“Senior Su.”

Xiao Huang lifted the tray with both hands and leaned forward slightly.

“The Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly is held once every sixty years. To have the Spiritual Void Desolate Dao Master grace us with his presence is the greatest honor for my Blazing Dragon Sacred Hall. This cup of Dragon Marrow Wine was personally brewed by this Hall Revered Master using a hundred years of Dragon Vein Earth Fire; there is only this one jar in existence. Today, I offer a cup to Senior Su—as a small token of my respect.”

When the surrounding Cultivators heard the words 'Dragon Marrow Wine,' they all sucked in a breath of cold air.

Dragon Marrow Wine.

Xiao Huang's private brew.

Legend had it that a single sip could cause the spiritual power of any Cultivator below the Soul Transformation Stage to surge by thirty percent, and it even had the miraculous effect of nourishing the Divine Soul for Tribulation Transcendence Stage Cultivators.

Brewed with a hundred years of Dragon Vein Earth Fire—the raw Materials alone were worth a fortune.

And Xiao Huang said 'only this one jar'—meaning there was only one jar in the entire world.

One jar of wine, two cups.

One cup for Su Changge.

One cup for himself.

Su Changge looked at the wine cup before him.

The liquid in the cup was dark red, with an extremely thin layer of golden mist floating on the surface.

The fragrance of the wine wafted over.

It wasn't the scent of ordinary wine.

It was a searing spiciness mixed with a deep, mineral scent, as if the essence of a volcano had been concentrated into a single cup of liquid.

Su Changge's nose twitched.

[So strong. This wine smells like drinking hotpot base.]

Ye Qingyao sat beside him, appearing calm on the surface.

But her Divine Sense had already swept over the wine cup three times.

The wine was not poisoned.

The wine had no Restriction.

The wine had no illusions.

It was pure spiritual wine.

Ye Qingyao relaxed slightly.

Su Changge reached out and picked up a wine cup from the tray.

The wall of the cup was very hot.

Not warm, but scalding.

But Su Changge's hand did not tremble.

With the hands of someone at the Qi Refining First Layer, his skin's sensitivity was close to that of a Mortal—he felt the heat, but he could endure it.

Xiao Huang picked up the other cup.

The two stood Face to Face.

Xiao Huang raised his cup.

“Senior Su, please.”

Su Changge raised his cup.

“Hall Revered Master Xiao, please.”

Both of them brought the cups to their lips at the same time.

At the very moment Su Changge's lips were about to touch the rim—

The liquid in the wine cup changed.

On the surface of the dark red wine, that layer of golden mist suddenly grew thick.

It wasn't a natural thickening from evaporation.

It was being forced by an external power.

An extremely subtle ripple of spiritual power emanated from Xiao Huang, crossed the air, and seeped into the wine cup in Su Changge's hand.

The wine began to boil.

It wasn't boiling due to a rise in temperature.

It was boiling on the level of Law.

In an incredibly short span of time, the dark red liquid in Su Changge's hand transformed from 'spiritual wine' into something else—

Sky-Burning Dragon Flame.

Xiao Huang's Natal Law.

A full-strength strike from a Tribulation Crossing Peak Cultivator—no, not full strength.

Just a wisp.

A wisp of the Sky-Burning Dragon Flame's Law power had merged into the wine.

The temperature of this single wisp of Law power was enough to instantly evaporate a great river.

Enough to incinerate the protective array of a whole city.

Enough to turn any Cultivator below the Soul Transformation Stage into ashes on the spot.

But from the outside, there was no visible change in the wine cup.

The wine was still dark red.

The golden mist still drifted at the rim.

The fragrance was still intense.

If Su Changge drank this wine—

The best result: His cultivation was high enough that the Sky-Burning Dragon Flame would be easily neutralized by his protective true essence, and then he and Xiao Huang would exchange a smile, acting as if nothing had happened.

The worst result: His cultivation was insufficient, the Sky-Burning Dragon Flame would pour into his mouth, incinerate his Meridians, and he would be heavily injured or even—

Die.

This wasn't an assassination.

This was a test.

A test from the strongest expert of the Chixiao Dao Domain against an 'unidentified, unfathomable' outside expert.

An open and honorable test.

If Su Changge were truly an expert, this cup of wine would be like plain water to him, having no effect after drinking.

If Su Changge were faking, this cup of wine would expose him on the spot.

This was Xiao Huang's logic.

Simple, crude, and effective.

Ye Qingyao sensed it the moment Su Changge raised his cup.

Xiao Huang's Law fluctuations.

Her expression changed.

Not pale—but cold.

Icy cold.

The Mahayana Stage Spiritual Pressure surged violently within her, almost bursting out of her body.

Her hand was already pressed against the hilt of the sword at her waist.

If Xiao Huang's Sky-Burning Dragon Flame harmed even a single hair on Su Changge—

Ye Qingyao would slice the entire high platform and Xiao Huang in half in the next second.

But she did not move.

Because Su Changge did not stop his motion of raising the cup.

The cup continued to move toward his lips.

Su Changge's lips touched the rim.

Ye Qingyao's heart skipped a beat at that moment.

[Revered Master!]

Su Changge pressed his lips against the rim.

He sensed something was wrong.

The moment the liquid touched his lips—it was hot.

Not the heat of 'hot water.'

It was a heat that penetrated the skin and directly scorched the Soul.

Alarms instantly blared in Su Changge's mind.

[There's something wrong with this wine!]

[Xiao Huang tampered with it!]

[Sky-Burning Dragon Flame—he stuffed his Natal Law into the wine!]

[If I drink this—I'll die on the spot!]

Su Changge's first instinct was to throw the cup away.

But he held back.

Because his logic told him—if he threw the cup, it would be equivalent to admitting he couldn't handle Xiao Huang's test.

It would be equivalent to admitting he wasn't an expert.

That he was a fraud.

Once the news spread, Ye Qingyao would lose Face.

The persona of the Spiritual Void Desolate Dao Master would crumble.

The Four Directions Dragon Court would immediately confirm that this white-robed man was indeed just putting on a show.

Then they would strike early.

And then—everyone would die.

Su Changge's lips remained pressed against the rim, motionless.

His mind raced at an unprecedented speed.

[Drink, and I die. Don't drink, and I still die.]

[Is there a third option?]

[Yes.]

In a flash, Su Changge's consciousness touched a name—

[Sacred Heart Tribulation-Crossing Art.]

An active effect from the System.

He didn't know if this effect could block the Sky-Burning Dragon Flame.