The drinking competition was still ongoing.
The Wine Saint and Ling Feng had already consumed more than ten jars of wine.
This had never happened in any previous drinking competitions.
Because aside from the Wine Saint, no one had ever managed to stand upright after downing ten jars of General's Orders.
Ten jars, eleven jars, twelve jars...
As the jars continued to empty, even the Wine Saint started to feel overwhelmed.
He looked at the young man standing firm like a mountain not far away, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"This guy's alcohol tolerance is truly astonishing!"
"I can't take it anymore. If I keep drinking, I'll be drunk too…"
The Wine Saint shook his head and tossed the wine jar aside. Although he felt reluctant, he had no choice but to say, "I concede."
As soon as he said this, everyone gasped in shock!
The person known as the Wine Saint had actually lost to a young man in a drinking contest.
"Is this for real?"
"Wow, this kid is incredible; he must be able to drink endlessly!"
"He truly has an extraordinary capacity!"
"After downing so many General's Orders, his face doesn't even change; this guy can't be a wine jar come to life, can he?"
Everyone was amazed.
They announced that from this moment on, a new Wine Saint had been born!
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host! You have defeated the Wine Saint in a drinking contest, becoming the new Wine Saint of the Great Zhou. You are rewarded with a Resource Amplification Card!]
"What is a Resource Amplification Card?"
The system explained,
[ "A Resource Amplification Card enhances the resources you possess. For example, if the host uses it on the Seven Star Dragon Abyss, it can be transformed into two, three, or even ten, depending on the host's luck."]
"Oh, that's indeed a valuable treasure."
Ling Feng's eyes brightened.
"Kid, with your drinking capacity, how did you train it?"
The Wine Saint curiously asked Ling Feng.
"Haha, it's not trained; I was born this way. Even my master says I'm a natural-born drunkard," Ling Feng chuckled.
"A natural-born drunkard? Haha, interesting! You're much better than your master!"
The Wine Saint laughed heartily.
After the drinking competition ended, Ling Feng left with his rewards from the event, including a hundred thousand taels of silver and a jar of exquisite wine.
He found an inn in the city to rest.
That night, Ling Feng took the jar of wine and slowly removed the seal. A rich aroma of wine wafted through the air.
He took a deep breath, swallowed, and poured himself a bowl.
Once the bowl was downed, a massive wave of warmth surged through him, causing his cultivation to rise from the second to the third level of Martial Respect!
"One bowl raises my level by one! Wow, this exquisite wine is truly extraordinary!"
Creak!
At that moment, the door swung open.
Liu Rusi rushed in, her eyes sparkling at the sight of the exquisite wine. "Disciple, this is wrong! Sneaking drinks without calling your master?"
"Master, you misunderstood. I just wanted to taste it first and then invite you to enjoy it together."
"Now you're speaking sense."
Liu Rusi, eyeing the wine, couldn't help but pour herself a bowl. After downing it in one go, her face turned flushed. "Ah, this feels great!"
"Ha, look at you! You have no semblance of a teacher at all."
Just then, a teasing voice came from outside the window.
It was the Wine Saint who had competed with Ling Feng earlier.
Ling Feng cupped his hands in greeting, "Greetings, Wine Saint."
"Disciple, no need to be so polite with him. He's just a defeated opponent," Liu Rusi interjected, glancing at the Wine Saint with a challenging look.
The Wine Saint felt speechless. "So what if I lost to you a few times? Is there really a need to hold a grudge? Besides, the one who beat me is Little Friend Ling Feng, not you. What's there to be proud of?"
"Hmph, no matter how you say it, he is still my disciple. His victory over you means I've won too. No difference."
"Alas, what a pity. Little Friend Ling Feng, I wonder if you'd be interested in changing your master? I could give you the Drunken Immortal Tavern as a gift."
The Wine Saint sighed and looked at Ling Feng expectantly.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, a chilling aura emanated from Liu Rusi beside him.
She glared at him with a cold smile. "Be careful; I might skin you alive if you try to snatch my disciple."
"I was just joking! Is it really necessary to take it so seriously?"
The Wine Saint rubbed his head, giving an awkward smile. He then shifted the topic, "How is this exquisite wine?"
"You old fool, although your combat skills are lacking, your brewing skills are quite good. This wine is excellent! How much do you have left?"
"What do you mean 'how much'? The materials for this exquisite wine are hard to come by. I spent ten years making only ten jars. Being able to present one jar as a prize for the drinking competition is already impressive."
When he mentioned this, the Wine Saint felt a bit gloomy.
He had originally thought that he would win the drinking competition again this time.
Then this exquisite wine would still be his.
Who knew that Ling Feng would come out of nowhere?
"Ten jars? So there are still some left. Quickly bring them out!"
"Go away! Don't think about it!"
Thinking of something, the Wine Saint said,
"Ah, I have a few jars left, but I've already given some away. Not much is left, but if you want, I can let you have some under one condition."
"What condition?"
"Let Ling Feng become my disciple."
"Get lost!"
"Just kidding! Actually, I want you to represent the Great Zhou at the Seven-Morning Conference!"
The Wine Saint smiled, then his expression turned serious.
The Seven-Morning Conference…
Ling Feng felt a stir in his heart. What kind of grand event was this?
"I'm not going. Anyone who wants to go can go; I'm not interested. I'd rather stay on Misty Peak and drink."
"You, do you have no sense of national duty? If the Great Zhou loses again at this Seven-Morning Conference, our territory will shrink even more. As a citizen of the Great Zhou…"
"Enough, enough! Don't lecture me. It won't work; the Great Zhou court doesn't pay me a salary either."
Liu Rusi waved her hand dismissively, showing no interest.
The Wine Saint felt quite helpless and then, with a glimmer of inspiration, said, "What a pity, I guess I'll have to give away the three jars of exquisite wine I have left."
"Wait, what did you say? You still have three jars?!"
"Yes."
"All three jars of exquisite wine are mine! I'll let my disciple represent the Great Zhou at the Seven-Morning Conference!"
Liu Rusi declared.
"Ling Feng, little friend? This… might be too hasty."
"Hmph, you have no idea how strong my disciple is. He defeated three strong contenders from the Heavenly Rankings; this news will spread across the Great Zhou soon."
"Is that for real?!"
The Wine Saint gasped, his face filled with disbelief.
Then, he grabbed Ling Feng's hand and tried to channel his true energy into him, but was rebounded by an overwhelming golden energy.
"Martial Venerable cultivation, Martial Dao Sacred Body?! Goodness, this is impressive!"
The Wine Saint started to believe Liu Rusi's words.
Ling Feng, curious, asked, "Master, what is the Seven-Morning Conference?"
"In the Cangqiong Realm, there are seven major kingdoms. Every ten years, these seven kingdoms hold a Seven-Morning Conference where each kingdom sends representatives to compete in martial arts, wagering territories as stakes!"
"The victor expands their territory, while the loser loses land!"
"It can be said that this is an event that concerns the fate of the nation!"
The Wine Saint explained.
Ling Feng suddenly understood; it seemed like a really significant event.