40: Chapter 40 Consort Chu

Master Sikong gently flicked his sleeves.

The half-man-high cyan jade wine jar in the center of the hall opened automatically.

Streams of purple-red wine flew out from the jar, weaving through the air like nimble little snakes, landing precisely into the first jade cup in front of every guest, without the slightest error.

Chu Feng picked up the jade cup and carefully examined the wine inside.

The wine was as clear as a mountain spring, yet deep within it, purple light faintly swirled, as if flames were burning within ice—strange and mesmerizing.

Just as he was about to raise the cup to drink, a soft whisper suddenly reached his ears, the voice as delicate as a feather brushing against the tip of his heart.

"True Disciple Chu, this Purple Flame Spirit Wine is bone-chillingly cold when it first enters the mouth, but after it enters the abdomen, it ignites a warm flame. Its flavor is unique; one must savor it drop by drop to truly taste its essence."

Chu Feng glanced sideways and saw Master Luoli with her eyes lightly closed, slowly sipping the spirit wine in her cup. Her vermilion lips lightly touched the rim, her posture extremely elegant.

The ample contours beneath her purple orchid dress rose and fell gently with her steady breathing, as if even the intoxication of the wine was quietly brewing within those curves.

"True Disciple Chu."

She did not open her eyes, but her voice clearly reached Chu Feng's ears, carrying a trace of imperceptible tenderness. "Whenever the night is deep and quiet, I always drink a few cups of spirit brew alone."

"These spirits can dissolve the bitterness of Golden Core cultivation, making one's state of mind comfortable, but whenever I drink to my heart's content, I always feel... that something is missing."

Master Luoli paused, her voice softening a bit more, carrying a hint of probing. "I wonder if True Disciple Chu is willing to help me complete this missing piece and empty the melancholy in my heart?"

"If you are willing to agree, then drink one drop of the Purple Flame Spirit Wine; if you feel that you and I have no affinity, then just drink it all in one gulp."

She kept her eyes closed throughout, but the fingertips holding the cup trembled almost imperceptibly, revealing the hidden nervousness in her heart.

Chu Feng withdrew his gaze and looked at the swirling purple light in the cup, hesitating for a moment, not knowing how to proceed.

Last time in the small courtyard, Master Luoli had extended a similar invitation. At that time, he was worried about his own Foundation Establishment Stage Early Stage cultivation and dared not easily test the depths of a Golden Core Immortal Master, so he politely declined using his shallow cultivation as an excuse.

However, after all the experiences of this period, especially Jiang Miaoyi's guidance on the cloud boat earlier—'Do not confine your vision to Nanshan Prefecture'—he felt quite moved.

The world is so vast, and the path of cultivation is long and endless. Duobao Pavilion is far away, and the future is ever-changing. What he can firmly grasp is only the present, only the person before him, and the matter at hand.

Thinking of this, Chu Feng no longer hesitated. He slowly raised his head, tilted the jade cup slightly, and drank a drop of the spirit wine.

As the wine entered his mouth, it was indeed as bone-chillingly cold as Luo Li had described, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of ten-thousand-year black ice, sliding straight down his throat into his abdomen.

Three breaths later, a scorching warm current suddenly surged in his abdomen, rapidly spreading to his limbs and bones. His Meridians felt as if they were soaked in warm water, so comfortable that he couldn't help but sigh softly.

In an instant, a relieved smile flashed across Master Luoli's graceful face, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

She quietly transmitted her voice to Chu Feng, her tone full of gratitude. "Thank you, True Disciple Chu, for granting me this Opportunity."

The sound of stringed instruments in the hall was melodious and lingering, sometimes like a clear spring flowing in the mountains, resonant and moving.

Sometimes it sounded like the ethereal music of the Nine Heavens, echoing with a hollow and distant quality.

The dancers of Xiaoyao Tower danced with increasing grace, and as their colorful garments fluttered, they added even more liveliness.

But Chu Feng had no heart to appreciate this beautiful music and dance. He stared at the remaining Purple Flame Spirit Wine in the jade cup, weighing his thoughts repeatedly.

For an ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, being able to engage in Dual Cultivation with a Golden Core Immortal Master is a heaven-sent Opportunity, something that can be met but not sought.

Moreover, Master Luoli is peerlessly beautiful and holds a revered position in Duobao Pavilion. For her to take the initiative to show favor like this means she has already lowered her status.

Chu Feng smiled indifferently, then raised his head and drank the remaining wine in the cup in one gulp.

On the long road to immortality, sometimes one should just follow one's heart.

Following the rules and acting with caution is certainly safe, but when an Opportunity is placed before one's eyes, one should also have the courage to seize it.

"Boom."

More Purple Flame Spirit Wine entered his abdomen. The initial cold sensation became even more intense. In an instant, it felt as if a raging flame had been ignited in his abdomen, and the warmth spread wildly along his Meridians.

Chu Feng's cheeks, neck, and even the skin all over his body were tinged with a crimson flush. The magic power within his body subconsciously began to circulate on its own, but it still could not suppress this overbearing alcoholic potency.

He only felt dizzy, and the scene before his eyes began to sway slightly.

Chu Feng hurriedly focused his mind and channeled his energy, taking quite a bit of effort to barely suppress the churning intoxication.

Master Luoli glanced over and saw his flushed face and slightly wavering gaze; a hint of a smile flashed in her eyes.

She raised her own jade cup and whispered to Chu Feng with a smile, "True Disciple Chu, do not be impatient. Spirit wine must be savored slowly to taste the mellow richness accumulated over time. Drinking it like a cow, as you just did, is truly a waste of a heavenly treasure."

Many Cultivators in the hall were paying attention to Chu Feng.

Seeing Chu Feng's flushed face, they all showed kind smiles, with no intention of ridicule.

Chu Feng turned to Luo Li and cupped his hands, "Master Luoli is absolutely right. I am very unfamiliar with the Dao of wine tasting, and I have made a fool of myself before you."

A Golden Core Immortal Master from the Tiandan Sect not far away heard this, laughed, and spoke up to smooth things over. "True Disciple Chu is devoted to studying the Dao of Talismans and cultivating with focus; it is common not to know the true taste of wine."

"During the Foundation Establishment Stage, one should always be improving one's own cultivation. When you succeed in Core Formation in the future and enjoy five hundred years of Lifespan, you will naturally have the leisure to study these pastimes."

As soon as these words fell, the surrounding Cultivators all echoed in agreement.

"Exactly, exactly. One should only taste spirit wine occasionally; cultivation is the fundamental Dao."

"Wine tasting is just a pastime; True Disciple Chu need not take it to heart."

"Drinking the Purple Flame Spirit Wine in one gulp actually shows True Disciple Chu's heroic spirit!"

The discussions were full of tolerance, and the atmosphere in the hall became lively again.

The world of cultivation is also a Jianghu, and Jianghu is never just about killing and fighting.

Although Chu Feng appeared a bit disheveled just now, what did that matter?

There would naturally be fellow practitioners to smooth things over for him.

Not long after, someone imitated Chu Feng's style, picked up their wine cup, drank the spirit wine in one gulp, and then loudly declared, "Good wine! A satisfying drink!"

Although the Cultivators sitting further away couldn't figure out the reason, seeing the Golden Core Immortal Masters in the front row doing the same, they all followed suit.

For a time, the hall was filled with the sounds of drinking and praising. The insignificant awkwardness from before had long been washed away by this lively energy—in such a scene, who would still think that Chu Feng had made a fool of himself?

Jiang Miaoyi, on Chu Feng's right, looked calm and indifferent, only sipping the spirit wine in small mouthfuls, as if she were oblivious to the surrounding noise.

She had seen too many such scenes of fawning over the powerful.

On the path of cultivation, the most important thing is Opportunity.

When an Opportunity comes knocking, everything goes smoothly, and everyone around will wear a smiling face.

But once the Opportunity is lost, one's doorstep will become deserted, and those who were once attentive and warm will turn around and cast you to the back of their minds.

The so-called Benefactor is essentially a form of Opportunity, and the current Chu Feng is exactly such a Benefactor.