"You again?" Following her initial stupor at the uncanny resemblance between Zuixian and Haoyue's eyes, Xiao Hu regained her composure, sighing at the realization that she was once more crossing paths with the wine addict.
"Come on, don't say it like that. Makes it sound like I'm some kind of creep that follows you around left and right, north and south, leaping out of shadows out of the blue to get a piece of...you."
"You are a creep."
"I'd rather think that you and I are just bound by the whims of fate. Sounds good right? Fate is the best matchmaker."
"Disgusting." Feeling ants crawling all over her skin, Xiao Hu shivered, shaking her head in rejection of Zuixian's words. The Wine Eccentric didn't take offense, and with a gentle move, dropped Shui Haoyue to the side.
Following the skirmish with Xiao Hu, Haoyue's face turned listless. They were both of the same age, yet the gap between the two was so wide that Haoyue's best efforts couldn't resist a casual finger strike from Xiao Hu. Though she'd given up on the cultivation road, Shui Haoyue still had a talent's pride and struggled to accept the reality that Xiao Hu presented.
"Haoyue, my apologies, but for now, you'll have to stand back. Don't let the Pipa Demoness' words impact your Dao Heart. If you'd cultivated an ancient demonic scripture or grew up with the resources of a preeminent clan, you too would be a transcendent expert of your generation. Good fortune comes in various shapes. Who knows what the future holds in store for you? So, no matter how dire or suffocating your circumstances get, until death ends your struggle, do not lose your will to fight," taking the stance of an encouraging elder, Zi Zuixian said, and gave Haoyue's shoulder a gentle tap.
"Thank you...senior brother." Though she knew that Zuixian was only trying to encourage her, that she'd likely never get the opportunity to transcend her limits, Shui Haoyue still appreciated the gesture.
"You can call me Zuixian," Zuixian said, then turned back to Xiao Hu. Up above, seeing through Zhiji Jing's plan, Qiu Meng joined his hands in a succession of mudras.
[Stone Sentinel Maze]
The walls making up the various maze blocks extended towards the sky. Legions of armored stone puppets emerged from the elongated walls, dropping on the Myriad Beast Gang's experts like swarms of murderous bees. Xiao Hu's maze block was no different. Her beast subordinates acted without delay, resisting the stone sentinels so that their leader only had to worry about Zuixian.
Still, a group of twelve sentinels took shape around Haoyue, sheltering her from unexpected attacks.
"The Eye of this formation shifts unceasingly. But whenever Qiu Chen attempts to mix and reorganize the maze blocks, the Eye holds still. Worse, the energy fluctuations running back and forth through its structure shine at their brightest.
You're targetting Haoyue so that you can force Qiu Chen to shift the blocks and send her to safety. That moment will be your best chance to attack the Eye," Zi Zuixian said.
But unfazed by Zuixian's "revelations," Xiao Hu held back a mocking laugh. Still, her lips curled up.
"Congratulations, you've just exposed our obvious plan. But what does it matter if you can't stop it?" Xiao Hu asked in a straightforward tone and straightened her back. Her scarlet eyes stared deep into Zuixian's, snatching all of the Wine Eccentric's attention.
"I'm a bit of a prodigy in my own right. If we were at the same cultivation level, I'd be helpless against you. But I've formed my Golden Core, while you're still at the mid-stage of Pulse Condensation. Try as you might..." Zuixian brought his wine gourd to his lips and took a casual sip.
"...You can't defeat me."
Jets of translucent alcohol poured out of Zuixian's gourd, spraying all over the walls, ground and sky. An alcohol rain formed up above, the intoxicating scent pervading the atmosphere while a pool of the same liquid formed underneath. Large liquor bubbles took shape all across the walls, hovering in suspension as if waiting for Zuixian's orders.
In his Inner Cave World, Zi Zuixian's golden core rotated at a speed of nine revolutions per second — proof that he'd reached the highest core tier that cultivators could normally achieve. Still, Xiao Hu didn't lose her composure. Better, her smile turned brighter, taking a seductive turn as her eyes still locked Zuixian's attention.
"Zi Zuixian, am I beautiful?" Xiao Hu asked, causing Zuixian's face to twist into confusion.
"W-what?" Xiao Hu's words carried a mystical appeal, and though she didn't currently play her instrument, Zuixian could still hear the pipa sound ringing in his ears.
"Am I beautiful?" Xiao Hu took a step forward and asked once more. This time, Zuixian's vision blurred, and his lips moved on their own.
"Y-yes?"
"The most beautiful woman you've ever seen?" Taking another step forward, Xiao Hu asked.
"In my eyes...yes!" Zuixian's temperature spiraled out of control, rising to inhuman levels as his eyes went bloodshot.
"Thank you. Now you can die." The pipa sound intensified. Zuixian's blood flow went ballistic, his heart beat at an alarming pace, and formless musical energies sneaked into his internal organs. Alarmed, Zi Zuixian clutched at his chest, but unable to resist this formless attack, puked a large mouthful of blood.
Blood trickled down Zuixian's eyes, lips and nose. His body fell face-first. But long before he could hit the ground, Xiao Hu's long silver nails stabbed into his neck.
"Zuixian!" Haoyue lost her composure.
But as both Xiao Hu and Haoyue foresaw Zuixian's death, the Wine Eccentric's body exploded into warm bubbles of alcohol. A pack of twelve purple taipans leaped out from the ground, tying Xiao Hu's arms, waist, legs, and neck.
The taipans opened their mouths, revealing venomous fangs that threatened to sink into Xiao Hu's flesh.
Overwhelming killing intent erupted from Xiao Hu's eyes. Invisible waves of Sword Sense unfurled, hacking all taipans into pieces. But as their butchered corpses tumbled down, dozens of liquor jets erupted from all corners, targetting Xiao Hu.
The pipa sword demoness tried to roll out of the way. But barely had she noticed the jets that her body went numb. Her vision blurred, her limbs grew heavy, and as the symptoms of crippling intoxication took hold of her, Xiao Hu fell to her knees.
The pipa played with a will of its own, casting a formless barrier that stood in the way of the liquor jets. The two sides met in a resounding splash. But as the warm liquid tumbled down, Zuixian appeared before Xiao Hu — completely unharmed.
"Sorry, but whenever I stand in an aquatic environment — self-made or not — my wounds heal instantly. Also..." Zuixian words trailed off, and he threw out a direct punch. Coiling liquor undulated Zuixian's arm, propelling his fist past the sound barrier.
Xiao Hu had no time to react. Zuixian's fist crashed into her face, sending her flying into the moistened walls like a crashing meteor.
"...I'm immensely stronger. And while I do find you irresistible, if you dare to threaten Haoyue's life, it is without hesitation...that I will tear you into shreds!"
