Chapter 1273: Misfortune Redirected Eastward

“I’ll ask around later!” Zhang Xuan nodded. Although Zhang Jiuxiao wasn’t strong in combat and his talent wasn't remarkable, he was very reliable. Since he had spoken with such conviction, it was likely not baseless.

Besides, whether or not the Qianchong Empire had spirit ore veins, as the foremost empire with so many Leaving Aperture Realm experts, they must possess a considerable amount of high-grade primeval spirit stones. If he could find someone to trade with and earn more, he might be able to break through to the peak of the Primordial Spirit Realm right here.

As he pondered, everyone had arrived at a spacious hall. They took their seats, host and guests arranged accordingly. Hall Master Yue smiled and waved his hand, "Please invite in all the talented individuals who passed the preliminary examination!"

A master teacher excused himself. Before long, a group of young men and women entered, all dressed in master teacher attire with seven stars embroidered on their chests. After a quick look, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Just as Zhao Xingmo had said, these individuals were quite powerful. The weakest among them were at the mid-Primordial Spirit Realm, like themselves, while the strongest, like the previous Hall Master Xing, had reached the False Leaving Aperture Realm. To become a seven-star master teacher and achieve such a cultivation level before the age of thirty was truly remarkable. Geniuses were indeed everywhere, and not much weaker than himself.

"Master Zhao," Hall Master Yue said with a smile, "traveling back and forth between the various empires must have been exhausting. We've specially prepared a banquet today to welcome you and allow you to rest for a day. How about we conduct the re-examination tomorrow?"

"Very well!" After a moment of thought, Zhao Xingmo nodded. Although he was in a hurry, he didn't mind waiting an extra half-day. This would also allow the participating geniuses to relax beforehand and prepare for the even more rigorous examination.

"Bring out the wine and dishes!" Seeing his agreement, Hall Master Yue nodded and gestured. A group of apprentices went out, and soon, an array of delicacies was served. It seemed the host had accurately predicted Master Zhao's arrival time and prepared everything in advance.

True to its reputation as the top-ranked titled empire, the table was quickly laden with fine wine and exquisite dishes. These included highly nourishing sacred beast meat and rare medicinal ingredients. The chef, likely a high-level Gourmet Master, not only made the food delicious but also fully brought out its spiritual essence. Upon tasting, one's True Qi would surge, greatly aiding the advancement of the Primordial Spirit.

"This entire table is probably worth no less than a thousand high-grade spirit stones!" Zhang Jiuxiao exclaimed with emotion.

"That expensive?" Zhang Xuan was stunned. He had put in countless efforts to earn a thousand high-grade spirit stones before, and now, a single meal was worth that much... It was truly astonishing.

"Look at that Golden Tiger Beast liver," Zhang Jiuxiao explained patiently, "not only does it require hunting a Saint Realm 1-dan Golden Tiger Beast, but the accompanying ingredients include four types of Saint Realm medicinal herbs: Sichuan Breath Grass, Pipa Root, Qingling Flower, and Five-Flavor Ox Leaf! These four are typically around fifty years old, and each stem is worth hundreds of high-grade spirit stones. Combined, and prepared with the Gourmet Master's miraculous techniques, a thousand spirit stones might even be an underestimation!"

"You... you've studied gourmet cooking?" Hearing his articulate explanation, Zhang Xuan realized he was indeed knowledgeable and felt a little curious. Gourmet Master was considered a lower-tier profession, not one that could be a supplementary occupation. Most master teachers wouldn't bother learning it, yet Zhang Jiuxiao knew so much.

"I enjoy gourmet food, so... I've researched it quite a bit," Zhang Jiuxiao said, nodding. "The Zhang Clan also has dedicated Gourmet Masters who provide ingredients, and I've often followed them to learn. So... I'd say I know a little." While gourmet cooking might be considered a minor skill by ordinary master teachers, if ingredients were properly combined, they could form medicinal cuisine whose effects were comparable to elixirs. His ability to achieve such strength at just twenty-seven years old, as a collateral branch member, was certainly influenced by his knowledge of food combinations.

"Impressive!" Zhang Xuan praised. Although he had some general knowledge about gourmet food, it was limited to comprehensive skills like appraising treasures or refining pills. He hadn't actually read any books specifically about the profession, so he couldn't claim to be proficient.

"With dishes like these, how can we be without wine!" As the two conversed, Hall Master Yue, seated in the center, chuckled. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a wine gourd.

"This is the Sky-Drift Drunk, brewed by Old Man Tianchen. Its preciousness goes without saying! I was fortunate enough to acquire a gourd, which I've aged in a cellar for three hundred years. With Master Zhao here today, it's the perfect occasion to share it. Everyone, who would like a taste?" Hall Master Yue smiled faintly, pulled out the stopper, and carefully poured a glass.

The clear, beautiful wine, like amber or crystal, clung to the cup's rim, exuding a rich fragrance. The entire hall was immediately filled with the aroma, and a single sniff was enough to whet one's appetite.

"Good wine..." Zhang Xuan secretly nodded as well. Although he hadn't tasted it, such a strong aroma from this distance indicated that the so-called Sky-Drift Drunk had an unparalleled purity and flavor, far surpassing any wine he had previously drunk.

"Old Man Tianchen is a renowned Wine Saint in the Empire Alliance. The wine he brews is said to be capable of intoxicating even Saint Realm 7-dan experts... Sky-Drift Drunk is his masterpiece, extremely rare and invaluable. Countless people have offered untold sums just for a single cup, yet couldn't acquire it... And Hall Master Yue is actually offering it for everyone to taste?" Zhang Jiuxiao's breathing quickened, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Is this wine very famous?" "Of course it's famous... It's utterly priceless! This single cup cannot be bought even with ten high-grade primeval spirit stones!" Zhang Jiuxiao explained, seeing Zhang Xuan's confusion.

"Ten... for one cup of wine?" Zhang Xuan's mouth twitched. The Combat Master Hall of Qingyuan Empire barely had ten spirit stones of that caliber in total... and that would only buy this one cup of wine... Who would be crazy enough to do that?

"Don't disbelieve it! While high-grade primeval spirit stones are rare, they can still be acquired if there's a spirit stone vein. But Old Man Tianchen's Sky-Drift Drunk can't be bought with money alone; it requires luck. If your luck is bad, you might not even get to see it..." Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head.

Seeing Zhang Jiuxiao's excitement and his absolute conviction, Zhang Xuan forced a wry smile. He had no particular craving for fine wine; in fact, he believed drinking too much could hinder things, so he rarely indulged unless necessary. Seeing the other man's demeanor, it was clear that if ten high-grade primeval spirit stones could buy it, he would pay without hesitation... This attitude left Zhang Xuan feeling helpless. Was this wine really so good that people would willingly spend so much money on it?

"It's normal for Master Zhang not to know much, as he doesn't like wine and isn't a Gourmet Master," Zhang Jiuxiao said, noticing Zhang Xuan's indifference. "Some people like it, some don't. Just look at their reactions, and you'll understand..."

"Their reactions?" Zhang Xuan looked up and only then realized that as Hall Master Yue poured the wine, the entire hall erupted. Everyone's eyes were red, fixated on the cup, as if they wanted to snatch it directly.

"Hall Master Yue, there are so many of us, but only one cup of this fine wine. It wouldn't be fair to give it to just one person... How about we set a rule? Whoever can drink it, gets it through their own ability!" After a period of commotion, a young man spoke up.

"Master Yun is right," another person agreed. "Old Man Tianchen's wine should naturally be given to someone truly worthy, otherwise, it's like a cow chewing on peonies—a complete waste!" "No matter what rules are set, this cup of wine is mine!" "Don't boast; it's not certain who will get it..." As the first young man spoke, everyone immediately chimed in. Sky-Drift Drunk was so precious that it was naturally impossible for everyone to have a cup. Whoever wanted to drink it would certainly need to display abilities that convinced everyone else.

"Silence!" Hall Master Yue listened to the discussions, then smiled as he surveyed the hall. "You are all right; there's only one cup of wine, so it should naturally go to the most capable person... Of course, there's no need to set rules or hold a competition. I already have someone in mind for this cup. In my opinion, he is the strongest and most talented among you."

"Oh?" "The strongest? Who might that be?" "To receive such praise from the Hall Master, I'd like to see if he's truly worthy..." Hearing his words, everyone turned their gaze towards him. They were all geniuses among geniuses, powerful individuals among the strong. To declare someone the strongest among them without a competition — how could they be convinced?

"This person isn't particularly well-known, but he came all the way from a kingdom, successfully challenged the Hall twice in a row, and even brought about a change of power in the Qingyuan Empire, taking countless master teachers as his disciples... He hasn't been famous for long, yet every action he's taken has been renowned and admirable!" Hall Master Yue announced.

"Successfully challenged the Hall twice in a row?" "Brought about a change of power in the Qingyuan Empire?" "Came from a kingdom?" Everyone was stunned, their gazes simultaneously shifting towards Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao. These two were the last to arrive, making them naturally the geniuses from the Qingyuan Empire.

"Precisely, he is Master Zhang Xuan!" Hall Master Yue pointed.

"This fellow is quite adept at using others to achieve his ends..." Zhang Xuan frowned, growing even more displeased. Hall Master Yue had intentionally brought out the fine wine to attract everyone's attention, and after they were all worked up, he announced it was for Zhang Xuan. On the surface, it seemed like praise, deliberately elevating him, but in reality, it drew the animosity of everyone else, causing widespread resentment. A single cup of wine had brought him countless enemies. Truly insidious.

"Master Zhang," Hall Master Yue said with a faint smile, "Song Xuan is my wife's younger brother. He can be a bit rash. When he went to Qingyuan Empire to handle matters, he might have made some mistakes. Thanks to your help in correcting him, a major disaster was averted... For this, I am deeply grateful. To discover the problem and handle it systematically in such a short time, saving Qingyuan Empire from turmoil and re-establishing the prestige of the Master Teacher Pavilion... I could not have done it myself, and I truly admire you. This cup of wine is for you!" With a casual sweep of his palm, the freshly poured wine on the table immediately floated up. Hearing the other man say all this, Zhang Xuan's expression turned grim. First, he admitted his relationship with Song Xuan, then expressed his admiration... On the surface, it seemed forthright and flawless, but in reality, he was subtly deflecting the trouble, drawing everyone's resentment towards Zhang Xuan. He managed to avoid any blame while making Zhang Xuan uncomfortable. Truly worthy of being the Hall Master of the top-ranked Titled Empire's Master Teacher Pavilion; he was ruthless indeed. It seemed a scheming master teacher was more terrifying than a true villain!