**Section 18: The Wine King’s Enlightenment**
2013-02-09 Author: Gu Zhenren
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I was tracking the Wine King’s whereabouts when, as if fate had sent it, an invitation arrived. It seemed my luck had greatly improved. The establishment of the Five Elements Cycle was already showing its effects.
Chu Yun, holding the letter, felt a surge of joy. He didn’t doubt its authenticity, as the letter was sealed with the Wine King’s royal sigil. Unlike the Land Whale King’s sigil, which carried an aura of vastness and steadiness like the sea and mountains, the Wine King’s sigil exuded an air of freedom and unrestrained bravery that swept across the land.
“I never expected the Wine King to value the Young Island Master so highly,” the Sleeping Old Man said, stepping forward offer. “Witnessing a King’s enlightenment is an incredibly rare experience for a Beast Tamer. It greatly aids in understanding the Dao and benefits future cultivation. However, the Young Island Master must be cautious of the mysterious individual’s interference during this journey. Allow this old man to conceal your heavenly secrets beforehand, preventing the mysterious person from tracking your movements.” Chu Yun was his last hope, and he couldn’t afford for him to come to any harm.
His injuries had healed in recent days, and through repeated contemplation of the Xingzhou Net of Law, a bottleneck that had plagued him for years was showing signs of shattering, just one step away from advancing to Marquis level. During this time, he had clashed with the mysterious individual several more times. With the Sleeping Old Man prepared, he couldn’t defeat the mysterious person in dreams yet, but he could execute strategic retreats. In fact, under the pressure from the mysterious person, the Sleeping Old Man had made continuous progress, his strength growing daily. The mysterious person gradually realized this and decided to cease the encounters, no longer serving as a whetstone for the Sleeping Old Man.
Previously, if the Sleeping Old Man were to conceal heavenly secrets and block the mysterious person’s calculations, it would have been a strenuous effort. But now, with him just one step away from Marquis level, he could temporarily obscure heavenly secrets. Having such a powerful Abacus Master as a backer made all the difference, allowing Chu Yun to strategize, gain the upper hand, and enjoy significant convenience.
Before departing, Chu Yun helped the Six Desires Scorpion successfully pass its Spirit Demon Tribulation. The resulting unclaimed Demonic Crystals, caused by the tribulation’s ripple effect, were all refined into Heavenly Crystal Pills. Most of these pills were used to enhance the Moon Rabbit’s cultivation, boosting its power from 230,000 years to 300,000 years. The remainder were used on the Spirit Snake, officially raising its cultivation from 980,000 years to 1,000,000 years.
As a Demonic Beast’s cultivation increased, so did its burden on the Beast Tamer’s spirit. However, Chu Yun had been utilizing medicinal baths and contemplating the Xingzhou Net of Law, while also making valiant progress in his understanding of the Dao, significantly increasing his internal spirit, which was no longer as strained as before. He not only smoothly handled the pressure of these spirits but also formed an alliance contract with the Greedy Wolf King’s “CanCan.” This “CanCan,” defeated and suppressed in the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, could no longer be carried by Chu Yun, who decided to establish an ally contract with it. Furthermore, he forged a master-servant contract with the Greedy Snake, bringing this peculiar Destiny Demonic Beast firmly under his control.
The Greedy Snake’s luck had been almost completely depleted upon the Greedy Wolf King’s demise. However, before departing, Chu Yun had it absorb a significant amount of Five Elements luck, sufficient for his temporary needs.
“When I go out this time, I hope to enlist the Wine King’s assistance. As for the Ten Thousand Poisons Queen, I have no worries, as I possess the miniature Gem Secret Passage she gifted me.” One night, Chu Yun secretly departed the Archipelago and headed for the Wine King’s hidden abode. With his “One-Man Walking Shoes” and the assistance of the Rainbow Demon for acceleration, his speed was more than twice what it had been. In less than three days, he found himself in a primal jungle, once again at the Wine King’s Dragon Gate Inn.
“Hahaha, you’ve arrived!” the Wine King exclaimed, his spirit high and his demeanor exceptionally unrestrained. He clapped Chu Yun heartily on the shoulder and ushered him into the Dragon Gate Inn. Upon entering, Chu Yun found that Erlang Tian Jun had also arrived. The Wine King had invited them both to witness his enlightenment, a fact clearly detailed in the invitation letter.
“From Marquis level onwards, Beast Tamers must comprehend their own unique path and continue to explore it. This is the key to Marquis-level cultivation. At King level, one must further forge ahead through all obstacles, enduring endless loneliness and solitude. When one day you reach the end of your path, it signifies the successful achievement of an ultimate pursuit. Without further ado, let us begin.” The Wine King dematerialized the Dragon Gate Inn and led Chu Yun and Erlang Tian Jun into the depths of the jungle.
The duration of the enlightenment process varied, but a common characteristic was that during this period, the King would achieve unity with heaven and earth, fully mobilizing their spirit. Even their own demonic creatures could not be commanded. It was precisely for this reason that the Greedy Wolf King had fallen prey to Chu Yun’s surprise attack. Therefore, the Wine King’s invitation to Chu Yun and Erlang Tian Jun demonstrated his immense trust in them.
The jungle was exceedingly dense, with ancient trees reaching for the heavens, teeming with countless demonic creatures and plants. The deeper they ventured, the more Spirit Monsters they encountered. “This is it,” the Wine King announced after three hours, stopping and observing his surroundings with a nod, seemingly satisfied with the environment.
“Watch closely. If nothing unexpected occurs, you will both reach this stage in the future. During the enlightenment process, achieving unity with heaven and earth allows you to comprehend even a little, which will be greatly beneficial for your future. However, do not force yourselves; excessive strain can lead to injury.” After his instructions, the Wine King acted decisively. He produced a jar of wine, broke the seal, and tilted his head back, drinking deeply.
Gulp, gulp, gulp… Almost instantly, the aroma of the Ten Thousand Year Old Green Wood Wine permeated the air, forming visible wisps of pale green vapor. The Wine King’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and as he drank more, his face grew redder, and his eyes brighter. After a dozen breaths, his massive frame suddenly shuddered. His eyes first erupted with incandescent light, like two sharp swords piercing the void, instantly slashing a thousand feet through the air and reaching towards the heavens. Next, milky white light emanated from his ears, nostrils, and his open mouth. In the blink of an eye, the light spread, engulfing the Wine King’s entire body.
“So that’s it! This incandescent light is Senior Wine King’s spirit. Unbelievable, such powerful spirit cannot be contained by a King’s body and is radiating outwards!” Erlang Tian Jun exclaimed in astonishment. He had witnessed the Greedy Wolf King’s enlightenment before; the white light had nearly blinded him. Seeing the Wine King’s enlightenment process now, he finally understood that the white light was the King’s internal spirit. A radiance capable of blinding others – how brilliant must that spirit be! Even with their current eyesight, Chu Yun and Erlang Tian Jun could stare directly at the sun without issue. Yet, at this moment, they couldn’t open their eyes while looking at the Wine King, squinting them into mere slits. The brightness of Marquis-level spirit was less than one percent of a King’s. Both Chu Yun and Erlang Tian Jun felt an indescribable, immense gap between Marquis and King, like the difference between an infant and a giant.
“How lucky I was to successfully assassinate the Greedy Wolf King!” Chu Yun recalled, a shiver of fear running down his spine.
“Ah!” the Wine King roared, his voice filled with soaring passion, like a dragon’s song or thundering lightning. Instantly, his voice echoed through heaven and earth. The spirit light continued to spread outward, and his entire being vanished within the blinding radiance. A powerful aura of the Great Dao, sweeping across a thousand-foot radius, silenced all creation. Birds and beasts in flight, even proud, towering ancient trees, fell silent, submitting to the presence, with no fighting spirit daring to resist this aura. In that moment, the Wine King was heaven and earth! Unity with heaven and earth!
“The supreme Xingzhou Net of Law!” Erlang Tian Jun cried out in surprise. Within the white light, he faintly discerned traces of the Xingzhou Net of Law. For the Net of Law to manifest during a King’s enlightenment and be visible to mortal eyes was truly a tremendous opportunity for any Beast Tamer.
“Heavenly Eye!” Without delay, Chu Yun decisively activated his Heavenly Eye. As he looked, the previously blurry Net of Law became clear in his vision. However, comprehending the Net of Law consumed a tremendous amount of spirit.
“Spirit Snake.” Chu Yun patted his Immortal Pouch, summoning the Spirit Snake to form a spirit bridge, connecting him and Erlang Tian Jun. The perfect combination of Heavenly Eye and True Intuition was enacted once more. A perfect cycle formed between spirit and soul. Instantly, Chu Yun felt the rate of spirit consumption within his body drastically slow, decreasing to less than one percent of its previous rate. Neither of them spoke, their gazes fixed on the Wine King, seizing this rare opportunity to comprehend with all their might.
About fifteen minutes later, the Wine King’s spirit light fluctuated violently, reaching its peak, and then erupted. With a boom, like a dragon emerging from the sea, a pillar of light twenty feet wide shot upwards. The pillar soared into the sky, and to Chu Yun and Erlang Tian Jun’s astonishment, it shot directly into the Xingzhou Net of Law.
The pillar wove through the Net of Law, becoming increasingly condensed. After a while, it formed a crystal-clear filament of light. The filament intertwined within the Net of Law, initially undulating and distinguishable, but eventually settling and becoming indistinguishable from the surrounding threads. If one end of the thread hadn’t still been connected to the Wine King, Chu Yun would have almost believed it was all an illusion.
“I understand. It turns out that each warp and weft thread constituting the Xingzhou Net of Law is a path. Thousands upon thousands of threads and lines form the Xingzhou Net of Law. A King’s enlightenment is the refinement of one’s own Dao into a thread and its integration into the Xingzhou Net of Law. No wonder Divine Path Techniques are so powerful. In a way, peak Kings are representatives of heaven and earth!” Chu Yun suddenly realized, grasping the true essence of a King’s enlightenment. @. .
