"So...so fast!" Xin Zhong couldn't believe his eyes. Even with his peak-stage Dao Revelation cultivation base and Demon Noble senses, he'd not seen the Lion King coming. By the time he reacted to the armored lion's move, the invaders had been crushed clean, leaving the crude scent of slaughter to spread through the air.
What did this show? That through sheer thirst for merit, the Lion King exceeded all of his body's limits!
That determination to charge head-on for the slightest chance at earning merit stirred Xin Zhong's heart, filling him with admiration.
Needless to say, the Lion King knew how to pick his fights and would have never charged at experts of Xin Zhong's level. But in this moment of surging admiration, Xin Zhong couldn't consider this point. Tears filled his eyes, and he dropped by the Lion King's side, bowing in complete humility.
"Lion King, your determination to brave all dangers for His Eminence has filled my heart with admiration! Please accept me as your sworn brother!" Xin poured his heart out.
'Huh? What the hell is he talking about?' The Lion King blinked at Xin Zhong, wondering where that was coming from. Still, a cheaply gained sworn brother with peak Dao Revelation cultivation and the obscene White-Winged Demon battle-prowess would go a long way in his quest for merit.
How then could the Lion King reject Xin Zhong's offer?
"Oh brother, your words go straight to my humble heart. To be able to become the sworn brother of such a righteous and devoted warrior, I must have spent all my previous lives accumulating good karma! Thank you, brother, for recognizing my efforts! Though we were not born on the same day, on this day we pledge to live and die as one!" The Lion King tried to imitate Xinzi, thus forming a brotherhood pact with Xin Zhong.
Nearby, Guang Fanghu watched this charade, stroking his bearded chin in utter confusion.
...
'Master, the Monstrous Bull clan of the Celestial Farm has launched an assault but was crushed by the Armored Lion King. Strangely, the 1,000 bulls they dispatched all show the yin-yang imbalance of eunuchs. Moreover, they possess a demonic bloodline—nothing comparable to us, but a demonic bloodline all the same." It wasn't long before the news of this little assault reached Xinzi, who at the time, indulged in a drinking contest with his girls.
'Oh? The Eternal Dragon clan's memories did show stories of demonization. But I didn't expect them to spread demon blood through all their ranks. What type of demons did you face?'
'Heart Demons. They might still have the appearance of bulls, but they're undeniably Heart Demons. That said, while they can summon Infernal Armaments, they seem to be missing something, and are not true Instrument Demons.'
'The creator probably limited their blessings or kept the lion share for other specimens. Regardless, good job. Tell the Lion King that I've taken notes of his many contributions. He will receive a Diabolic Shard for his efforts. As for you, take a detachment of 100 Dao Revelation soldiers and station them at the border of the Celestial Farm.
Have the troops summon Heavenly Tribulation on the barrier, and start your own breakthrough into the Void Tribulant Realm above enemy lands. It will do no damage to their barrier but should be enough for my plans.
The Lion King too will make a move, using the shard I send him to break through on enemy territory. Do nothing else, and only alert me of the enemy's response if they request a meeting.' Too busy with his celebration, our monk put the matter on hold.
His attention never shifted from the drinking contest, preventing the girls from taking note of the outer trouble.
"Done already? A'Xu, A'Ling, the two of you couldn't be more disappointing. As the disciple and daughter of Zi Yao, how is it possible for you two to be such lousy drinkers?" Surrounded by a horde of Green Leaf gals, Xinzi faced Dong Ling and Chun Xu.
An oak table separated them, with large jugs of Xinzi's wine standing on the surface. Xinzi's side had eight empty jugs. Dong Ling and Chun Xu's only had two combined. Their skin had long turned red, their knees struggling to support their wobbling bodies. On the other side, Xinzi had never looked more energetic, openly taunting his opponents.
Yan Le and the Li Initiates formed a pile of fainted bodies by the table's left, with the Zhi-Zhu twins and Tusha standing nearby, shaking their heads at this display of ineptitude.
"This doesn't make sense! One month ago, you'd yet to consume a single drop of alcohol in your life! How did you become a master drinker in such record times?"
"Cheating! He must be cheating!" One after the other, Chun Xu and Dong Ling voiced their frustration. Whoever could beat Xinzi in this drinking contest would get to control his after-hour time for an entire month!
Who could let go of this opportunity?
When the girls heard this, even Chun Xu failed to resist the temptation, quickly diving into the challenge. The Zhi-Zhu twins didn't join. Tusha had yet to make a move, and Zi Feng too stood on the sideline, letting them all compete.
Brewed from Soul Nurturing Divine Pills, Spring of Eternal Youth, Eternal Dragon Blood and various spiritual ingredients, this wine was by itself a premium cultivation treasure. Just one sip and the girls could feel their Soul Force and Blood Energy rise substantially. Wine of this level shouldn't be bingeable. But Xinzi's winery tempered the brew so that even mortals could enjoy it without fear of having their internal organs reduced to ashes.
For this contest, they didn't have the right to use their Qi or other mystical arts to combat the wine effect. With such conditions, at first, they believed that it'd just boil down to alcohol tolerance, so they formed a pact with the 15 Li initiates, letting them exhaust Xinzi's strength to clear the way for Yan Le and the sworn sisters. To reward the sacrificed initiates' efforts, the last girl standing would have to split Xinzi's time among them—equally.
Alas, they underestimated the opponent. By the time the 15th initiate had passed out, Xinzi's cheeks had yet to blush from the obscene wine abuse.
In frustration, Yan Le tried to take a jug down in one go, but passed out in an ethylic coma.
Now, only Dong Ling and Chun Xu remained, but the Sworn Sisters too failed to compete.
'Driven mad by lust. Master-abbot's constitution is so overpowered that, even the Hengye clan's Extreme Darkness Physique, or the Taiyang clan's Tyrannical Solar Dragon physique, can no longer compete with him. Even if he doesn't rely on Qi and tricks, is a body of that level something that a few jugs of wine can take down? And this doesn't take his bloodlines into consideration.
Don't say you. Based on this contest's rules, a False Devil might not stand a chance.' Tusha kept this thought to herself.
The Zhi-Zhu twins didn't have access to such information, their thoughts being that, if Xinzi chose to compete, he couldn't lose. Also, just like Zi Feng, the Zhi-Zhu twins felt that, even if he was the one offering them the opportunity, trying to take control of Xinzi's time was disrespectful.
"I don't need to cheat. Today I am Jiushen, meaning Wine God. So, beautiful, defeat is your destiny."
