# Chapter 1231: Dragon Flame Wine
Under Ao Xinyan's guidance, Zhang Ruochen hurried to the patrol army camp and indeed found the wine-crazed man who looked like a beggar, bringing him out from the military camp.
Upon seeing Zhang Ruochen, the wine-crazed man appeared unusually excited. He took out a wine flask and handed it to him, laughing: "I just brewed some new wine. Want a taste?"
Zhang Ruochen did not take the wine flask, remaining somewhat wary of the wine-crazed man, and said: "Right now, I'm curious how you knew I was in the Divine Dream Marsh."
After all, up until now, only the Undying Divine Temple could calculate his whereabouts.
How could the wine-crazed man's appearance not arouse Zhang Ruochen's suspicion?
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen would not drink, the wine-crazed man picked up the flask and took a sip himself, saying: "If you drink my wine, I can smell the aroma and find you."
The wine-crazed man's nose was indeed extremely sharp, as Zhang Ruochen had witnessed before. Following the scent he left behind all the way to the Divine Dream Marsh was not necessarily impossible.
However, Zhang Ruochen still had doubts in his heart, saying: "We only met by chance and drank together once. Why would you travel thousands of miles to find me?"
"Having drunk together once makes you a drinking companion of the wine-crazed man. You should know that not everyone is qualified to be my drinking companion. Counting them up, I only have a few such companions."
The wine-crazed man continued: "I came seeking to get drunk, so I crossed an entire domain to find you. Shall we drink to our heart's content tonight?"
Zhang Ruochen said: "How could you only have a few drinking companions?"
The wine-crazed man sat down on the ground with a long sigh: "Finding a drinking companion is not that easy? Some don't have enough tolerance, some don't have enough character, and some don't have enough courage. If any one of these three—tolerance, character, or courage—is lacking, drinking with them becomes a painful torment. How could such people become my drinking companions?"
Zhang Ruochen could not help but laugh, saying: "So you're saying my tolerance, character, and courage are all acceptable? Actually, I rarely drink."
"Once you become a drinking companion of the wine-crazed man, from now on, wine will become your friend too, and you will gradually understand how wonderful wine truly is," the wine-crazed man said with great certainty.
"How wonderful?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The wine-crazed man glanced at Ao Xinyan standing beside Zhang Ruochen and said: "More wonderful than the beauty beside you."
Zhang Ruochen felt the wine-crazed man's mouth deserved a slap—how could he say such a thing? The other party was a princess of the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan.
Ao Xinyan, however, was not angry, saying: "Hearing you say that, even I, this princess, want to taste the wine you brewed yourself."
"Alright, girl! Your drinking courage is sufficient! But I wonder if your tolerance is enough?" the wine-crazed man said.
Zhang Ruochen said: "You only brought one flask of wine—probably not enough to drink."
The wine-crazed man extended a finger pointing at Zhang Ruochen, grinning as if mocking his ignorance, saying: "This is the Divine Dream Marsh. I've heard that the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan's wine cellar stores quite a few fine wines, among which Dragon Flame Wine has the greatest reputation, ranking eighth among the world's strongest wines—far stronger than Dragon Spirit Mad Bull Wine."
Zhang Ruochen had already tasted Dragon Spirit Mad Bull Wine and knew it had quite a kick. If he drank too much, even he might get drunk.
Moreover, Dragon Spirit Mad Bull Wine only ranked seventeenth among the world's strongest wines.
How strong would Dragon Flame Wine be?
Ao Xinyan immediately shook her head, saying: "No, Dragon Flame Wine has been cellared since the Middle Ages and very little remains. Even the clan leader cannot casually take it out to drink. Besides, Dragon Flame Wine is extremely potent—few can withstand its strength."
The wine-crazed man said: "Zhang Ruochen, your relationship with her isn't that close, is it? She's not even willing to take out Dragon Flame Wine to entertain you."
Ao Xinyan quickly explained to Zhang Ruochen: "Clan leader, it's not that I'm unwilling to fetch Dragon Flame Wine, but its potency is too great. Even ordinary saints cannot withstand it. Once, a Half-Saint secretly tasted Dragon Flame Wine, and his body spontaneously combusted, burning to ashes."
"No matter... Eh... where did the wine-crazed man go?"
Zhang Ruochen looked around—where was the wine-crazed man?
"He was just here," Ao Xinyan said, also astonished, having not noticed when the wine-crazed man had left.
"This little girl is too stingy. I'll go to the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan's wine cellar myself and bring back a few jars of Dragon Flame Wine," the wine-crazed man's voice came from an unknown direction.
Ao Xinyan frowned and asked: "Who exactly is that wine-crazed man?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile: "Actually, I don't know his identity either, but this person is definitely no ordinary mortal—he should be a reclusive master."
"We should find him quickly. He doesn't even know where the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan's wine cellar is. Wandering around like this is too dangerous. If he stumbles into a killing formation, the consequences would be dire."
Ao Xinyan did not believe the wine-crazed man could find the cellar where Dragon Flame Wine was stored. Even if he found it, how could he break through the formations surrounding it?
To their dismay, the wine-crazed man had completely vanished—even Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power could not locate him.
"Let's notify the patrol army to shut down all killing formations to avoid accidentally harming him," Ao Xinyan said.
Just as Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan were heading to the patrol army camp, the wine-crazed man came rushing out from halfway, holding a wine cauldron in one hand, letting out joyful laughter.
"Indeed, very little Dragon Flame Wine remains—only these last two cauldrons. Zhang Ruochen, our luck is really good. Let's split them, one cauldron each."
Ao Xinyan's almond-shaped eyes widened—she was about to go crazy.
Because she recognized that the two wine cauldrons in the wine-crazed man's hands were indeed the vessels used to store Dragon Flame Wine.
How was this possible?
How did he find the wine cellar? How did he break through the formations and enter?
And so quickly.
"Don't be polite with me—this cauldron is yours."
The wine-crazed man acted quite generous, tossing a wine cauldron that landed before Zhang Ruochen.
The wine cauldron was cast from bronze, three zhang tall and extremely large. Who knew how many jars of wine it contained?
Zhang Ruochen was dumbfounded, feeling the wine-crazed man was too ruthless—he had stolen the last two cauldrons of Dragon Flame Wine from the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan.
"Dragon Flame Wine is a treasure of the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan. What you're doing is theft."
Ao Xinyan charged toward the wine-crazed man, preparing to reclaim the Dragon Flame Wine in his hands.
Dragon Flame Wine, ranking eighth among the world's strongest wines, was naturally not just a type of wine—it was also a sacred substance for tempering the body and enhancing cultivation.
One cauldron contained at least thirty jars.
Each jar of Dragon Flame Wine was equivalent to the medicinal effect of a low-grade sacred pill. One could imagine how astonishing the value of one cauldron of Dragon Flame Wine was.
Seeing Ao Xinyan flying toward him, the wine-crazed man sighed, then with a flicker of his form, appeared beside Ao Xinyan and struck her back with a finger.
Ao Xinyan felt her vision go dark, then collapsed limply to the ground.
Without even looking at the fallen Ao Xinyan, the wine-crazed man patted Zhang Ruochen's shoulder and said: "Let's go find a secluded place to drink."
Actually, Zhang Ruochen was also somewhat looking forward to the Dragon Flame Wine. Since they had already stolen it, how could he not taste it?
Of course, leaving Ao Xinyan lying on the ground was too inconsiderate.
So Zhang Ruochen extended a hand, lifted Ao Xinyan up, and then left with the wine-crazed man.
They did not go elsewhere but secretly sneaked to the bottom of Heart Moon Lake, entering the crystal palace.
Zhang Ruochen placed Ao Xinyan on the bed in her boudoir before gathering with the wine-crazed man to start drinking.
Opening one of the wine cauldrons, crimson light emerged from the opening, emitting waves of scorching heat.
Dragon Flame Wine was as hot as magma, giving off wisps of flame. Ordinary people would not dare to take a sip.
But the wine-crazed man was trembling with excitement, more thrilled than seeing a peerless beauty. He raised his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, then began pouring a second bowl.
Zhang Ruochen was not as crazy as the wine-crazed man. He raised his wine bowl and only took a gentle sip.
Dragon Flame Wine was indeed extremely hot. Entering his abdomen, it was like flames burning.
As the wine energy surged through his body, the flames followed his meridians, saint veins, and blood vessels, flowing to every part of his body, finally rushing into his one hundred and forty-four acupoints.
Zhang Ruochen kept drinking Dragon Flame Wine, and his one hundred and forty-four acupoints grew increasingly bright. He could clearly feel his physical strength increasing.
Achieving sainthood through the physical body was merely the first goal for body cultivators, not the ultimate goal.
Which being that achieved sainthood through the physical body did not want to cultivate their body to the Great Saint realm?
By opening and sanctifying one hundred and forty-four acupoints, one achieved sainthood through the physical body. To become a Great Saint through the physical body, one had to cultivate all one hundred and forty-four acupoints to Great Perfection.
For body cultivators, each acupoint was like a grain of sand. Only by letting the sand continuously grow, turning into stone, into a mountain, and finally into a star, could Great Perfection be achieved.
The power unleashed by one hundred and forty-four grains of sand versus one hundred and forty-four stars was naturally worlds apart. The gap between a being who achieved sainthood through the physical body and one who became a Great Saint through the physical body was just like this.
Zhang Ruochen drank twenty-three bowls in succession, equivalent to half a jar of Dragon Flame Wine. Flames emerged from his body, his Daoist robe burned to ashes, and he became thoroughly drunk, his head hazy and heavy.
"I've had enough... going home first... you continue..."
Zhang Ruochen's speech was slurred, his eyes drunken and unfocused. He had no idea where he was. He got up from the ground and staggered out, pushing open the door.
The wine-crazed man had a high tolerance, but even he was somewhat dazed now, his mind not entirely clear. He waved at Zhang Ruochen and said: "You go back first... I'll drink a bit more..."
Zhang Ruochen did not realize he was naked, wearing nothing at all. He casually pushed open a door and stumbled inside.
"Thud."
He went straight to the bedside and collapsed, feeling the softness beneath him, completely unaware that he was pressing down on a curvaceous, delicate body.
"So fragrant, so soft..."
Zhang Ruochen's head ached terribly, yet he had never felt so relaxed. His right hand, not knowing what it had touched, felt a fullness, softness, warmth, and smoothness. Squeezing it felt very comfortable, so he increased the pressure and squeezed again...
It really felt good.
His face buried in the snowy white neck of the body beneath him, he completely lost consciousness and fell into a deep drunken sleep.
...
(Requesting recommendation tickets.)