Chapter 1284: Divine Artifact Emerges
The Water Star Gourd was a primordial spiritual treasure, capable of being as large as a star or as small as a speck of light. It had always been stored by Zhang Ruochen in his Qi Sea, so Wine Madman naturally could not find it.
Zhang Ruochen was extremely displeased by Wine Madman's groping. It was like dealing with an old rogue who dared to touch any sensitive spot without any restraint.
A vein bulged on Zhang Ruochen's forehead, and he said irritably, "Are you trying to take advantage of the situation to rob me?"
"With my character and integrity, how could I possibly do such a thing? I'm not trying to steal the Water Star Gourd; I just want to take it out for a look."
Wine Madman's withered hand reached into Zhang Ruochen's robe and began groping again.
"Old drunkard, Zhang Ruochen is seriously injured. Get away from him, or don't blame me for fighting you to the death."
Huang Yanchen did not recognize Wine Madman. She drew a sacred sword and slashed at him, sending out a streak of white sword energy.
Wine Madman quickly retreated backward to dodge the sword energy, saying, "What are you doing? Trying to burn the bridge after crossing it? I just drank a rare wine I had treasured for two hundred years to save you all, and now I can't even ask for some compensation?"
Qing Mo could no longer hold back and said, "Old man, Zhang Gongzi's blood vessels, meridians, and saintly meridians have all been shattered. The princess is just worried you might hurt him, which is why she attacked you. Besides, you only drank a pot of your own wine; it's not that great a cost. There's no need to demand treasures like the Water Star Gourd from Zhang Gongzi, right?"
"Just a pot of wine?"
Wine Madman was so angry he stomped his feet and beat his chest. "Little girl, do you have any idea what kind of rare wine that was? Drinking it allows a cultivator to explode with dozens of times their speed, letting them escape from any powerful enemy. I was planning to save it for when I encountered danger in the future, but I wasted it on you all instead."
A pot of wine represented a means of escape.
Qing Mo pouted, tilted her little face, and smiled, "But just now, you were in danger too, so you were also saving yourself."
"I..."
Wine Madman felt this girl was utterly heartless. "If I hadn't been trying to save you all, how would I have crossed paths with those ruthless characters? How would I have encountered danger? How would I have drunk that pot of rare wine? So, the root of everything is you."
"If we're really tracing the root, it's not because of us," Qing Mo said.
Wine Madman was puzzled. "Not because of you?"
Qing Mo nodded very seriously. "Our purpose in entering the Yin-Yang Sea was to help Xiao Hei retrieve his sealed physical body. If not for that, we wouldn't have entered the Yin-Yang Sea or encountered danger. So, the one who truly owes you a favor is him. You can go ask him for compensation."
"That fat cat?"
Wine Madman was momentarily stunned. He thought it over carefully and nodded slightly, feeling the little girl's words made some sense. But something still felt off. What was it?
Was he really supposed to go ask that fat cat for compensation?
Huang Yanchen examined Zhang Ruochen's physical condition. His injuries were extremely severe, with almost no possibility of recovery.
For a proud genius, having their cultivation crippled was a fate worse than death. Many people would give up on themselves or even choose suicide because they couldn't accept this fact.
"Zhang Ruochen..."
Huang Yanchen's eyes reddened, tears glistening. She was very worried that Zhang Ruochen might follow the same path as those before him.
Zhang Ruochen moved his lips with difficulty, forcing a smile. "I'm not dead yet. Why are you crying? There's a Fengchun Pill in my space ring. Help me take one out."
Huang Yanchen shook her head. "No. Your meridians and saintly meridians are all shattered. If you take a Fengchun Pill, the medicinal energy will disperse but can't circulate through your body. It will only run wild and cause even more damage."
"Oh, right. I no longer have meridians or saintly meridians, so I can't circulate saintly energy." Zhang Ruochen smiled, not showing any dejection, trying to maintain a calm mindset.
Huang Yanchen realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly added, "Don't overthink it. When we return to the First Central Empire, I'll find the best alchemist to help you reconnect your three meridians."
Ao Xinyan bit her red lip gently. "Captain, come back to the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan with me. I'll have people search for the best healing sacred medicine. No matter the cost, we'll cure your injuries."
Zhang Ruochen understood his own body better than anyone. Having all three meridians shattered, recovering to their original state was nearly impossible unless a miracle occurred.
Wine Madman walked over, his gaze complex as he looked at Zhang Ruochen lying in Huang Yanchen's arms. Earlier, while pretending to search for the Water Star Gourd, he had actually thoroughly examined Zhang Ruochen's injuries.
He said, "Kid, I know a Sacred Alchemy Master, a close friend of mine. Let's go find him now. That old man's medical skills rank among the best in the entire Kunlun Realm. There's a chance he can restore you to full health."
Ao Xinyan and Huang Yanchen's eyes lit up as they looked at Wine Madman.
Huang Yanchen's attitude toward Wine Madman did a complete one-eighty. "Senior, do you really know a Sacred Alchemy Master?"
Only those who had cultivated their spiritual power to the fifty-fifth rank or above and possessed exceptional skill in alchemy could be called a Sacred Alchemy Master.
Every Sacred Alchemy Master held a status comparable to a Saint King, and finding one was no easy task.
Moreover, even if they found one, that person might not be willing to treat a junior at the Saint realm.
Wine Madman smiled smugly. "I may not have many friends, but every one of them has real skill. When I was young, that Sacred Alchemy Master and I were as close as brothers. As long as I ask, he'll definitely treat Zhang Ruochen."
"As close as brothers when you were young? And now?"
Ao Xinyan felt Wine Madman was a bit unreliable and wanted to clarify.
Wine Madman paused briefly, then laughed. "Naturally, even closer than brothers. Come on, trust me. With a Sacred Alchemy Master's methods, even if Zhang Ruochen's three meridians are shattered, they can still be reconnected."
"Boom."
A powerful surge of saintly energy erupted from the direction of the Abandoned Deep Sea, shaking the Ghost Ship violently.
"Has the great battle finally begun?"
Zhang Ruochen, supported by Huang Yanchen, stood up and gazed toward the Abandoned Deep Sea.
The sky was completely covered in flames, turning crimson. The intense fluctuations of saintly energy came from within the fire clouds. Even from such a great distance, it was enough to make one's heart tremble.
The waves on the sea grew higher and higher, as if they might capsize the Ghost Ship.
Vaguely, everyone saw an enormous mountain rising from the sea, emitting a five-colored radiance that scattered the firelight, turning the entire Yin-Yang Sea into a riot of colors.
"How did such a massive mountain suddenly appear? We're already at the edge of the Abandoned Deep Sea, and we can still see its outline. How towering and majestic must that mountain be?"
Wine Madman's eyes widened as he stared at the mountain's phantom. It looked somewhat like a pagoda.
But it was too far away to see clearly.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen, Ao Xinyan, Huang Yanchen, and Qing Mo were all utterly stunned, their mouths agape, barely able to breathe. Could it really be the legendary Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda emerging?
The appearance of a divine artifact was a world-shaking event, enough to change the current landscape of the Kunlun Realm.
Once the news spread, it would immediately shake the entire world.
Wine Madman's eyes gleamed with fervent heat. He kept rubbing his hands together. "To attract ruthless characters like Zhong Ying Wang, Lei Bu Tian Wang, and Sha Jin Wang into the Abandoned Deep Sea, there must be an extraordinary treasure emerging. What could it be? Even I feel like going back for a look. Maybe I can pick up some scraps."
Noticing the strange expressions on Zhang Ruochen and the others, Wine Madman grew suspicious. "Do you know something? Did you really enter the Yin-Yang Sea just to help that fat cat find its physical body?"
Zhang Ruochen was about to hide the truth, not wanting Wine Madman to know about the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda.
If Wine Madman knew the pagoda had emerged, he would never leave the Yin-Yang Sea and would surely compete for it. Fighting for a divine artifact against figures like Zhong Ying Wang and Sha Jin Wang was like snatching food from a tiger's mouth. One wrong move could mean death.
Before Zhang Ruochen could speak, Qing Mo blurted out, "That's the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda."
"What?"
Wine Madman's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He let out a shriek and rushed over to grab Qing Mo's shoulders, stammering, "Little... little girl... what did you just say?"
"The Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda."
Qing Mo didn't see anything wrong with it and repeated herself. Then she added, "Xiao Hei said that one of the ten great divine artifacts, the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda, is in the Yin-Yang Sea. The mountain that rose from the sea in the center of the Abandoned Deep Sea is too massive, and the aura it emits is too terrifying. It must be the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda emerging."
Wine Madman trembled with excitement and laughed wildly. "I knew it. Why would those ruthless characters risk death to enter the Yin-Yang Sea? It was for the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Zhang Ruochen saw that Wine Madman wanted to return to the Abandoned Deep Sea and quickly warned him, "When a divine artifact emerges, it will inevitably bring a bloodbath. Even if you manage to seize it, it might not be a good thing."
"Of course I understand that, but when a legendary divine artifact is right in front of me, I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I left without even seeing what it looks like."
Wine Madman took out a yellow ancient jade, handed it to Zhang Ruochen, and told him a location, instructing him to go find that Sacred Alchemy Master on his own.
"Whoosh—"
Wine Madman soared into the air, turning into a streak of light as he rushed toward the depths of the Abandoned Deep Sea.
Zhang Ruochen clutched the yellow ancient jade, watching Wine Madman's retreating figure. He then glanced at the mountain-like silhouette on the distant sea and let out a soft sigh.
Who could remain unmoved in the face of a divine artifact?
If their cultivation weren't too low, Huang Yanchen and Ao Xinyan might have also charged into the Abandoned Deep Sea to try their luck. What if they got lucky and obtained the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Pagoda?
Everyone could understand Wine Madman's feelings.
The Ghost Ship set sail, cutting through layers of waves as it gradually moved away from the Abandoned Deep Sea.