"You chose this cup? Are you out of your mind? This one looks poisoned. I advise you to think before you choose..."
Before the mysterious person could finish speaking, I picked up the green, seemingly poisoned wine and drank it down in one gulp. The liquid was slightly bitter and cool as it entered my mouth, with a pungent odor, somewhat like durian.
As the liquid went down my throat, it transformed into an icy stream that flowed straight down. The aroma of the wine lingered on my taste buds, and the pores of my entire body instantly contracted, all my senses focusing on my stomach. Simultaneously, the Xuan Yang True Qi within me began to circulate rapidly and unconsciously, completing a full great circulation in the blink of an eye.
As I savored the taste of the wine, I realized I had entered the first stage of the Peering realm and had thoroughly consolidated it, my strength having improved by a small step.
Glancing at the wine on the other two trays, I subconsciously licked my lips and asked if there was any more of the green wine, and if so, I'd have another cup. Such good stuff, the more the merrier.
"Hmph... what do you think millennium stalactite liquid is? A roadside cabbage? One cup is already a lot... No, kid, when did you figure out that wine wasn't poisoned?" The mysterious person's voice rose in pitch, revealing their true tone.
I laughed heartily and explained, "I didn't realize it at first and was prepared to drink the first cup. But when you urged me to drink quickly, I felt something was amiss. If you wanted my life, you could have just killed me directly, why go through all this trouble?
Besides, Yue'er only showed a look of fear and panic when you attacked me. She showed no reaction until I picked up the wine cup. No matter which cup I chose, there shouldn't have been any poison. Am I right, Fifth Prince?" As I spoke, I picked up the red wine and drank it in one gulp. This mouthful felt like swallowing a ball of fire, the scorching heat almost drying me out. After the scorching heat dissipated, the wine's essence, like sweet dew, nourished my parched cells, instantly giving me the feeling of long-awaited rain.
"Comfortable..." I let out a belch of wine and moaned.
I had always disliked drinking, but now I desperately wanted to taste the last cup, the one with the crystal-clear liquid.
As my hand reached out, someone beat me to it, snatching it away and drinking it in one gulp before tossing the empty cup onto the tray and dismissing the maids.
"You shouldn't drink this cup. It will do you more harm than good." Yue'er threw down her wine cup, pursing her lips, seemingly repulsed by the taste.
"They say a daughter grows up and leaves home, and it seems my precious daughter is no different. I intended to stage a good show to test you and assess your crisis management skills, but I didn't expect to reveal a flaw because of Yue'er, and my plan has failed!" The hall lights brightened again, and the Fifth Prince's square face, adorned with a three-strand beard, appeared before me.
"Father... What are you talking about..." As she spoke, she reached out to tug at the Fifth Prince's beard. Startled, the Fifth Prince quickly covered his beard and pleaded for mercy, only then did Yue'er relent.
Watching the father and daughter play, I felt a pang of envy. My own father was still in a coma, and my master had taken him for treatment. I didn't know the outcome, but I hoped for a good result so that I too could experience the joy of being pampered.
After a brief period of playful banter, the Fifth Prince ordered dishes to be served. Although they weren't as exquisite as the ones I'd seen before, they were clearly edible, unlike the previous illusions.
"Has the Fifth Prince's injury healed?"
"Yes! It's about seventy to eighty percent healed," the Fifth Prince said with a somewhat somber expression.
"Could it be that those people have already entered the underground palace and disturbed the Fifth Prince?" Previously, the Fifth Prince, severely injured, had been forced to temporarily entrust the Half-Yin Realm to me and hide in the true underground palace to recuperate with Yin energy. Now, it seemed those people had likely stormed the palace.
"Those people are very powerful. They've already broken through the first gate of the underground palace. The guards suffered heavy casualties, and Yue'er was almost killed. If I hadn't forced myself out of seclusion, the consequences would have been unimaginable." The Fifth Prince's brief explanation conveyed the cause and effect, and although he didn't elaborate, I could sense the danger involved.
This made me curious. Who were these people with such great ability that they could reach the gate of the underground palace in just one night and even breach the first layer of defense?
"Fifth Prince, you asked to see me..."
"Qingfeng Mountain can no longer be a safe haven. The news of the Half-Yin Realm's presence in Qingfeng Mountain has leaked. Now, everyone's attention is focused here. To prevent the Half-Yin Realm from falling into the wrong hands, I've decided to eliminate them all." As he spoke the last few words, the Fifth Prince clenched his fist, releasing a terrifying burst of air. Despite his gentle demeanor, his grip was surprisingly strong.
"Fifth Prince, what are your plans?"
"Demolish the underground palace."
Demolish the underground palace? My goodness, this was escalating. The underground palace was located beneath the mountain. Millions of tons of rock would cascade down, capable of crushing not only ordinary people but even the most powerful deities.
I silently mourned for those people. Why would they provoke the slumbering Fifth Prince? They could have provoked anyone else, but killing his beloved daughter was a foolish act. Now, he planned to bury them all underground, ensuring they would never see the sun again.
"I asked you here to quickly lead your men into the mountain and rescue those old Daoists. Otherwise, they will have no chance of survival once the underground palace is destroyed."
I hadn't expected the Fifth Prince to summon me for those old Daoists. Logically, they were there to dig up the Fifth Prince's grave, so why would he want to save them? He should have buried them all.
Seeing my confusion, the Fifth Prince smiled and explained, "I was friends with several former Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain. I cannot stand by and watch their descendants die before my eyes; that would be a grave disservice to my old friends."
While he said this, I noticed a hint of worry in the Fifth Prince's eyes, as if there were unspoken difficulties. I didn't have the inclination to delve deeper, as some things were beyond the understanding of a small figure like myself. Moreover, knowing too much could be detrimental.
"Saving them is a necessity. But now the mountain spirits have gone mad. As soon as we enter the mountain, they will swarm us. It will be difficult to rescue them while evading them."
I had expected the Fifth Prince to easily resolve the issue of the mountain spirits, as they had once guarded the entrance to his underground palace. However, I received even worse news.
"The problem of the mountain spirits can only be solved by yourselves. They are now controlled by a Gu master and no longer obey my commands. Unless you find another Gu master to remove the Gu, they will not heed my orders."
"That's easy. There's a Gu master in the vehicle next to the camp. She should be able to remove the Gu worms..."
"There's no time to lose... You should do this..."