Chapter 177 A Small Drink
A cyan figure fell before the wooden cabin like a crashing meteor.
The newcomer appeared to be in his forties, in the prime of middle age. A cloud-patterned cyan robe fluttered without wind, and an ancient bronze sword at his waist emitted a faint glow. His face was chiseled as if by knife and axe, with a golden vertical mark between his brows that appeared and disappeared.
Just as he was about to step into the cabin, the middle-aged man suddenly paused, frowning slightly.
Something was wrong.
This cabin was separated from the outside by only a layer of wooden planks, yet it seemed as if an invisible barrier existed between them. Though close at hand, it appeared to exist independently of this world.
In the moment he lifted his foot to enter, his pupils suddenly contracted.
He clearly saw Chen Chang'an sitting at a wooden table three zhang away, yet his divine sense detected nothing there. Even more terrifying, the entire cabin seemed to have been "cut out" from the world by some force, forming its own realm.
"Could this be... the Great Dao of Space?" he muttered softly, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.
All those in the Saint Realm, regardless of their level, could grasp a hint of Dao Integration in advance. However, the higher one's realm, the deeper their understanding of Dao Integration.
He had been mentally prepared, after all, his opponent was the number one mysterious expert on the Heaven Ranking. But when truly facing him, he realized he had still underestimated.
Merely by sitting here, he could cause such profound changes to the surrounding space?
His heart sank slightly as he recalled Ji Wuque of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who once dominated his era and made countless Saint Realm experts struggle to breathe.
Could it be... another existence more terrifying than Ji Wuque has appeared?
Inside the cabin, Chen Chang'an saw him hesitate and grew secretly anxious.
Damn it, why isn't this fellow coming in?
He appeared calm on the surface, but his palms were already slightly sweating. His opponent was a genuine Saint Realm expert. If they truly fought, he might not win.
They were too close now, and he couldn't use his avatar self-destruction. His only reliance now was this Sect Master's Secret Chamber.
No, he couldn't let others see his lack of confidence.
Chen Chang'an feigned relaxation, pouring himself a drink, while secretly observing the other's reaction with his eyes.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man's eyes flashed with self-mockery.
Truly worthy of being number one on the Heaven Ranking, so free and unrestrained.
He had been a saint for many years, so why was he so hesitant? It was just a cup of wine. Could the mighty number one on the Heaven Ranking really ambush him?
Finally, he took a deep breath and stepped into the wooden cabin.
Inside and outside the cabin seemed like two different worlds.
This made his heart tremble even more.
Seeing him finally enter, Chen Chang'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but maintained a composed expression, merely smiling slightly and gesturing with his hand:
"Please."
The middle-aged man had just taken his seat and was about to speak when he heard Chen Chang'an say leisurely: "Be patient, there is another person."
"Another person?" The middle-aged man frowned, his divine sense instantly scanning a hundred li radius, yet detecting no presence.
Just as he was filled with doubt and suspicion, an elderly figure had silently landed outside the cabin.
The elder had frost-white hair and a calm expression. His white hair was casually tied with a straw rope, and his age-spotted hand rested on a scorched peach wood staff.
He hesitated only briefly at the doorway before stepping into the cabin without hesitation.
With one step inside, his heart was similarly thrown into turmoil.
This seemingly ordinary wooden cabin actually contained profound principles of heaven and earth—the outside clamor vanished completely here, the flow of time seemed both slow and fast, and even the spiritual energy was incomparably gentle.
Even more mysterious was that while one could clearly perceive everything outside, it felt as if being in another realm. Such means were beyond what an ordinary Saint Realm expert could achieve!
"Brother Ji?" The middle-aged man recognized the newcomer and couldn't help but exclaim.
Ji Wangsheng smiled faintly: "Clan Master Zhao, I hope you've been well since we last met."
Zhao Wuji's eyes gleamed: "So... Brother Ji, although you are in the Southern Frontier, you already knew everything that happened here."
"Not at all, not at all." Ji Wangsheng shook his head, "I also just arrived at this place. I merely wanted to see my unworthy granddaughter."
Chen Chang'an waited for the two to finish catching up, then lightly raised his finger: "Since everyone is here, please, you two."
Before the words had faded, the green jade wine pot flew into the air, and the amber-colored liquid poured down like a silver river, accurately filling the two men's cups.
Afterward, the two simultaneously picked up their green jade wine cups and took a light sip. As soon as the wine entered their mouths, Zhao Wuji's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a hint of surprise flashed in Ji Wangsheng's cloudy eyes.
This wine... was actually the most common mortal wine.
It was not the imagined thousand-year spiritual liquor, nor did it contain a trace of spiritual energy. It was just the most common grain wine found in markets and taverns. They could no longer recall how many years it had been since they drank such ordinary wine, so long that even the taste of mortal wine felt foreign.
The two simultaneously looked up at Chen Chang'an, only to see him savoring the wine in his cup with a focus like that of a true mortal wine enthusiast. His slender fingers gently stroked the rim of the cup, as if feeling the temperature of the liquid, and the corner of his mouth held a faint, satisfied smile.
What was even more noteworthy was that in this mysterious and unfathomable world, no fluctuation of True Yuan could be felt from Chen Chang'an. If not for the previous supernatural events, they would have almost thought the person sitting before them was truly a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken.
"Returning to the original simplicity..." Zhao Wuji sighed secretly in his heart.
A peak Saint Realm expert could conceal their heaven-reaching cultivation to such a degree; he had already seen this in Ji Wuque. But for even this state of mind to reach the realm of returning to original simplicity was truly rare and far beyond his imagination.
This made him feel a rare bit of tension, and he became less confident about the question he was about to ask.
Meanwhile, a gleam of light flashed in Ji Wangsheng's cloudy eyes.
He had lived for several thousand years and had seen too many hermits who pretended to be profound, but someone like Chen Chang'an, who truly integrated into the mortal world, was as rare as a phoenix's feather or a qilin's horn.
This carefree and easygoing nature could not be faked.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Wuji finally could not hold back any longer. He put down his wine cup and spoke respectfully: "I have come here on behalf of some people, but only to seek an answer. I hope you may enlighten me, sir."
Chen Chang'an looked up: "Please, ask."
"Do you intend to follow the example of the Great Zhou and unify the thirteen states of the lower realm?"
The air suddenly fell into silence.
A moment later, Chen Chang'an finally shook his head lightly, his tone calm: "I have no such intention. As you can see, all I seek is my own freedom and ease."
He paused, then added: "But if my disciples have such an interest, I will neither help nor stop them."
Hearing this, the tension in Zhao Wuji's shoulders visibly eased.
He had heard the name Xiao Chen a few days ago; he was just a young man with some talent. In his long cultivation career, he had seen geniuses as numerous as carp crossing a river, but those who could truly cross the threshold between mortals and heaven were few and far between.
"In that case, I am relieved." Zhao Wuji rose and cupped his fists in salute, the ancient bronze sword at his waist trembling slightly. "It is the fortune of three lifetimes to meet a master like you today. If there is an opportunity in the future, I hope to discuss the Dao with you."
Chen Chang'an nodded slightly: "If fate wills it, we shall meet again."
After Zhao Wuji's figure disappeared beyond the door, Chen Chang'an turned his gaze to Ji Wangsheng: "There is a saying in my hometown: children and grandchildren have their own fortunes."
His tone was still calm, but it carried a deeper meaning. "Besides, my disciple Xiao Chen, in both character and talent, is a top-tier choice. I hope you will not do anything unnecessary."
Ji Wangsheng's fingers gripping the peach wood staff tightened slightly. He heard the warning in the words and felt the faint, yet present, sense of oppression. After a long silence, the old man sighed: "I have lived for fourteen thousand years; I understand best the principle that one cannot force what is not meant to be."
He slowly rose, his eyes—one scorching hot, the other ice-cold—looked deeply at Chen Chang'an: "My granddaughter... I entrust her to you."
Chen Chang'an did not answer, only lightly raising his cup in a gesture.
After the two Saint Realm experts had left one after another, Chen Chang'an looked at the empty doorway and sighed lightly.
The remaining wine in the cup reflected the candlelight, creating faint ripples.
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