“I didn’t expect young friend to have such mastery over the Pill Dao. However, brewing medicinal wine is truly a thorny problem. Back then when we ceased working together with Pill Valley, other than the fact that they committed a taboo of my Wine God Palace, there was actually another reason.

“During the process of brewing medicinal wine, Pill Valley refused to be sincere, and they intentionally hid many of the core parts of their work from us. As a result, my Wine God Palace’s disciples were unable to learn or benefit much,” said the High Priest.

Clearly, the Wine God Palace hadn’t benefited much from their cooperation with Pill Valley back then. The Pill Valley had only taught them some rudimentary arts, but even for those, they had hidden their essence. They refused to give them their true techniques, while they instead secretly peeped on the Wine God Palace’s winemaking arts.

The Wine God Palace had been infuriated, as Pill Valley had taken quite a few winemaking recipes as well as a few arts.

That was why the High Priest was very cautious when Long Chen brought up the topic of working together. He told Long Chen this story to say that unless he brought out something that moved him, he wouldn’t be able to accept.

“Although I am young, I understand how to act. Last time when I interacted with the various Wine God Palace disciples, I relied on the principles of my Pill Dao to appraise their wines. You’ve seen that there are many common aspects between them, making them mutually beneficial. It will only benefit the Wine God Palace’s disciples. Here, I have written down several hypothetical wine formulas based on a few seniors’ wines. However, because I don’t know the exact winemaking processes and arts, this is just a tentative proposal. But I’m confident it can move you.” Long Chen handed the High Priest a sheet of paper.

He had written the formulas of various medicinal pills, as well as some brewing processes of wine. He had also listed several mutually beneficial areas during the brewing process between the Pill Dao and Wine Dao.

In the paper, he also pointed out several possible difficulties and areas that would have high failure rates. It was extremely detailed, and there were all kinds of extremely accurate deductions and inferences that the High Priest found it hard to believe.

He had to read over the sheet several times. He couldn’t help being shocked.

Long Chen had managed to deduce the raw materials, processing, flame control, and various arts that had gone into making various wines, and they were frighteningly accurate.

He had then proposed a few concepts to merge their wine with medicinal pills. Some of these concepts had arisen back when the Wine God Palace had cooperated with Pill Valley, but many of them were completely new and even more brazen.

Long Chen had also written many possible solutions for difficulties that they had been unable to overcome in the medicinal wine brewing process back then.

“You truly have moved me. It seems the young people these days are truly frightening. So tell me, what is it that you want from me now?” asked the High Priest.

“What I need is some formulas of the Wine God Palace’s wines, as well as detailed information on the manufacturing process. I will merge the Pill Dao into those processes. However, I am only able to offer you the theoretical proccesses. Actually putting it into practice will be up to the Wine God Palace,” said Long Chen.

The High Priest smiled. “You should know that my Wine God Palace has existed for countless years, and we have many wine formulas.”

“That’s fine. However many wine formulas you have are how many pill formulas I have.” Long Chen also smiled, but his smile was full of confidence.

“Hahaha, how arrogant. But I like this kind of refusal to admit defeat in youngsters. Alright, we can try this: I will tell the disciples to give you their wine formulas on your way out today. But let me warn you, the theories and formulas you offer them have to entice them, or don’t blame me if they don’t want to work together with you,” said the High Priest.

“Don’t worry, if I didn’t even have that little ability, how would I dare to propose working together with the Wine God Palace?” said Long Chen. “Since that’s decided, I won’t take up any more of your precious time.”

After saying that, Long Chen left.

Several hours later, the High Priest was standing inside a courtyard, looking at the Wine God’s statue which was covered in cracks, staring blankly.

“High Priest, you wanted to see me?” The imposing and demon-like Tu Qianshang walked in.

“How were your battle spoils?” The High Priest smiled slightly.

“Tch, don’t bring that up. That bastard didn’t give me the slightest face. Not only did he take all my wine, but I even ended up owing him a favor,” raged Tu Qianshang.

“Losing to him isn’t embarrassing. Even the Wine God refused his incense and couldn’t bear to receive his kneeling. Just slightly bending his knees has caused the Wine God’s statue to almost shatter. He is a completely inestimable existence,” said the High Priest.

“What? That fellow is this terrifying?” Tu Qianshang looked at the Wine God’s statue in shock.

“Qianshang, I just received the Wine God’s enlightenment. Long Chen will give my Wine God Palace a huge opportunity. In the future, when Long Chen comes, you’ll be in charge of receiving him,” said the High Priest.

“Yes, disciple understands,” said Tu Qianshang.

“Our cooperation with Long Chen is limited to exchanges of the Wine Dao. Don’t bring up any of those ancient secrets to avoid karma. But other than that, there’s no need to be constrained. Allowing everything to come naturally is best. Act how you would act normally,” said the High Priest.

“Disciple understands. Hehe, no wonder that little brat is so evil. As expected, he’s not simple,” Tu Qianshang chortled.

…

Long Chen returned to the Grand Xia’s imperial palace. Zi Yan was actually waiting at his residence.

“Long Chen, the High Priest’s pointers have weakened my bottleneck. Tomorrow, I will be returning to the Illusive Music Immortal Palace to enter seclusion and break through,” said Zi Yan.

“You’re going back this quickly?” Long Chen was surprised. He also felt a sense of helplessness when it came to the Music Dao’s experts’ sudden breakthroughs.

This kind of breakthrough was too easy, wasn’t it? Just hearing a few words, comprehending a few things, and they would break through to higher realms? That was much more relaxed than the bitter cultivation of a martial cultivator.

Martial cultivators had to advance level by level, with each barrier being difficult to break through. But music cultivators and wine cultivators, they cultivated a kind of mental realm, and what they were after was comprehension.

However, it had to be said that although martial cultivators might not find it so effortless to break through, they could break through more consistently. They could take things step by step, and when they encountered a tough barrier, they could use medicinal pills to break through.

But for those who cultivated special paths like the Music Dao and Wine Dao, those medicinal pills were essentially useless to them. Sometimes, if they were unable to find the spark of insight, a single barrier might stymie them for years.

For example, Zi Yan had been stuck at her barrier for several months. Without the High Priest, she might have taken years or even decades before breaking through. There was even the possibility that she would be chained by these shackles for a lifetime, having it become a heart-devil and never being able to advance.

“Long Chen, you’ve been fighting all over during the past few years, giving birth to even more killing intent. Seas of blood are churning in the depths of your eyes. Are you unable to sense that?” Zi Yan sighed as she stared into Long Chen’s eyes.

“Don’t preach to me. I don’t want to hear the same things you already said in the Eastern Wasteland. That’s the worst topic and also very hurtful.” Long Chen shook his head.

In the Eastern Wasteland, Zi Yan had tried to persuade Long Chen, and the two had parted on bad terms. They both had their own philosophies, and neither was able to shake the other’s conviction.

“Long Chen, have you never looked in the mirror and sensed another you within the depths of your soul?” Zi Yan looked at Long Chen worriedly.

Long Chen’s heart shook. He truly had felt that something was off with him recently. When he had looked in the mirror, he found that he was almost unable to look into his eyes, as if he was afraid of himself.

“It seems you’ve already sensed it. Long Chen, you’ve killed too many people. The dark shadow within you has absorbed their resentment and has rapidly grown. If this continues, you will lose yourself and become a crazy devil that only knows how to kill. Have you not noticed your temper getting worse, and you’re easier to anger? More and more, you’re unable to control yourself,” said Zi Yan.

“Perhaps. But then I want to know why the Corrupt path’s people are fine even though they kill far more people than me,” said Long Chen.

“Because they have their Corrupt God, and the power of their faith binds them. You don’t have that faith, so you are like a rootless duckweed, a kite with no string. You are unable to control yourself, so when your desire to kill overwhelms you one day, you will become a killing machine,” said Zi Yan.

“I have my own faith. My faith is my parents, my family, my lovers, and my hot-blooded brothers. They are all existences I would sacrifice my life to protect. Miss Zi Yan, don’t talk to me about killing again, and don’t try to reform me. There are many things that we’ve already said in the Eastern Wasteland, but I’ll say this one more time. You are not me, and I am not you.

“Your duty is to carry out the will of the heavens. You think everything the heavens decided upon is right, but I’m different. I don’t think the same way. There are fundamental differences between us, and we are unable to see things from the other’s point of view. So can you not keep bothering me with this problem? I can’t understand why you would focus so much on me when there are innumerable evil people in this world far worse than me,” said Long Chen.

Zi Yan struggled for a moment, but in the end, she said, “Because you are my life’s foreordained devil star.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Long Chen was flabbergasted.

“What it means is that we are fated enemies. If you don’t die, I will.” Zi Yan looked at Long Chen with a complicated expression.

In truth, when she had left the Eastern Wasteland, she had already escaped the thought of Long Chen and her devil star. But the chance encounter this time made her realize that fate could not be changed.

“This joke is not one bit funny.” Long Chen shook his head.

“It’s not a joke. In the Eastern Wasteland, I should have already killed you, but I was unable to force myself to do so. This time, I find that your influence over me grows stronger. My heart is already growing turbulent because of you. I’m terrified to see your figure rooted in my mind, but I cannot get rid of it. Long Chen, there’s still one chance. Come to my Illusive Music Immortal Palace and leave all the slaughter behind. We can live in peace.” Zi Yan’s voice actually contained a pleading tone.

Long Chen was shocked. Zi Yan’s current appearance showed she wasn’t joking at all. Only now did he realize how serious this situation was.

“For you, I can also give up cultivating. As long as you stop killing…” Zi Yan softly held Long Chen’s hand.