Chapter 73: A Drop Of Wine Helps People Become Saints

Mei Kai followed his daughter's sight. He saw a tall and handsome man in white standing not too far away.

"Who is that man?" he asked.

"Father, you need to be more concerned with your own condition now than with others. What happened to you? How did you get like this?" Mei Rong questioned him clearly with concern in her voice.

With a weak sigh, Mei Kai said, "My child, I can no longer hold on. I have been battling the strange, oppressive forces within the Emperor's Fall. My life force, my energy, and even my very essence have been drained. Even if I do manage to leave this place, I fear I won't survive much longer."

He looked frail, as his entire body underlined the toll such mysterious energy, and terrifyingly, had taken on him. The power of Emperor's Fall was so overwhelming that even a holy Emperor Weapon could not counter it. Even though the area they are presently in is less intense, it is already more than what Mei Kai can take.

"How could it come to this?" Mei Rong thought, her heart sinking. She had at long last found her father; it was when death's knock reached his door.

"Rong, don't waste time worrying about me. Take the Emperor Weapon of our family and leave here immediately. When you return, take care of your sister. And me. it's too late. I regret having entered this accursed place and failed to find a solution to save your sister."

Mei Kai realized he was stuck here forever. He realized that even if he escapes this land of despair, he was destined to die. He only wished now that his daughters would be safe. His voice, laced with sadness, directed his attention towards his daughter as if getting a helpless grin from her would save her.

"No, there's gotta be a way to rescue you. There has to be!" Mei Rong desolately refused to accept the verdict. Her brightened brightened instantly upon glancing toward the man standing not too far away, Xian Yue. If there was anyone who could rescue her father, it was him.

She fell to her knees before Xian Yue with no second thoughts and begged, "Please, senior, rescue my father!"

Xian Yue watched everything in an unintrigued manner. "There's no need for such formality, though," he said calmly. "I did promise to assist your father, after all."

By merely flicking his wrist he brought forth a droplet of gold shining like liquid fire out from his gourd. It was a liquid which glimmered to an unearthly light and, as it materialized, the scent of the drop filled the air with all the richness that made Mei Kai shiver despite his weakened state.

Mei Rong was shocked for a moment. Did one drop of wine indeed rescue her father? Without hesitating a bit, she rushed to her father's side, forcing him to drink it. She totally trusted Xian Yue.

As Mei Kai tipped the golden liquid to his mouth, he felt an overwhelming surge of strength, a flood of energy pouring into his very core. He was astonished at the sheer magnitude of the strength contained within the drop. Without hesitation, he swallowed it.

The moment the liquid found its way into his body, it started to spread through all parts of his system and gave new life to his flesh and blood and soul. His weak form changed with lightning speed. The color began to return to his skin; his once-white hair turned black and lustrous, and his gaunt appearance filled out once more.

In a flash, he had returned to his former self: imposing stature, sharp facial features, and a commanding bearing. it didn't even end there. As that energy from the golden droplet continued flowing through him, it began letting out a stream of aura that even his daughter could feel; it was terrifying in its intensity.

"Father, did you… did you break through to the Saint Realm?" Mei Rong could barely believe her eyes.

Few cultivators could break into the Saint Realm. In Zhongzhou, only a small number could do that, especially those who belonged to sacred sects. Her father had been stuck in the Law Manifestation Realm for over a few centuries; now, he had broken through because of this one drop of wine from Xian Yue.

Mei Rong thought to herself. She had indeed watched Xian Yue drinking from that gourd as if it were ordinary wine. Could it be that this was no ordinary wine? If just one drop could hold such tremendous power, what was the nature of the rest of the liquid in that gourd? Could it possibly be brewed from Emperor-grade elixirs?

Meanwhile, Mei Kai laughs aloud with a voice that thunders out in exhilaration, "I've finally broken through to the Saint Realm! After so many years!"

His black hair flew wildly in the wind as he laughed, while the breakthrough he had wanted for so long did not come from diligent practice but from the mysterious figure.

Turning towards Xian Yue, Mei Kai bowed deeply. "Thanks, elder! Both my life and my future! "

Xian Yue waved his hand dismissively. "No need to be thanked. Your breakthrough was long overdue. I only gave you a little push."

He then looked at Mei Rong and reminded her, "You promised me!"

Mei Rong nodded at once, her face flushing with excitement. "Okay, senior, I'll make sure to give you the recipes we agreed on."

"Recipes? What kind of recipes?" Mei Kai asked, looking plainly confused by the conversation.

Mei Rong explained the deal she had made with Xian Yue. Her dad was utterly struck. This mysterious man had saved him for a mere few recipes? What exactly were these recipes that someone as powerful as Xian Yue would be interested in?

Recovering from his dazed state, the views of dangerous land they were in returned to his thoughts. "Elder, why did you come into this forbidden place? This place is so perilous even for someone like you."

"I know it is a danger," Xian Yue said. "This place is not from our time, and even an Emperor would find it hard to leave unscathed."

"To be honest, I entered this place in search of a treasure—a Poison Pearl. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it." Mei Kai let out a voice filled with disappointment as he said those words to him. The Poison Pearl was the only thing that was told to save his younger daughter, but now, hope seems lost.

"A Poison Pearl, eh? A rare artifact gathering the essence of countless poisons," Xian Yue thought to himself while reminiscing over information he'd read long ago.

"That's right! But I've looked every which way and haven't found so much as a hint," Mei Kai said, shaking his head in frustration.

Just then, Mei Rong looked at Xian Yue with renewed hope. "Please, Elder, help us find the Poison Pearl! I would be eternally grateful."

Xian Yue's face didn't change one bit. "I only agreed to save your father. I never promised to help you find the Poison Pearl. Unless, of course, you can offer me something worth my time."

"If you help us find the Pearl, I'll give you our Mei family's Emperor Weapon as a token of gratitude!" Mei Kai interjected, holding out a large, ornate seal.

Mei Rong was astonished. The Emperor Weapon was the foundation of their family's strength-the reason they had survived so many tribulations. And today, her father was willing to give it up?

Still offering, Xian Yue shook his head. "An Emperor Weapon? I have no use for such things."