Chapter 646: Beautiful Future
Bing Yang glanced at the wine glass, then at He Gai Tou, before reaching out to take the glass.
He wasn't overly concerned that He Gai Tou might harm him. After all, they had no grudge against each other, and Bing Yang hadn't entered the Ice Prison to evade enemies.
He was here to prolong his life.
“The likelihood of He Gai Tou poisoning me is extremely low, since the Ice Prison warden is right here.”
After pondering, Bing Yang felt a sense of understanding.
He examined the wine in the glass, which held only a thin layer.
Bing Yang: "My current miserable state is entirely due to the magic potion [Beautiful Future]. To resolve this dilemma, a mere gold level potion is utterly insufficient. I've attempted it countless times. At the very least, a saint level potion is required."
“Potions won't do, and this magical dish is even less likely to work.”
At this point, Bing Yang couldn't help but sigh deeply.
To survive and solve the problems plaguing him, he had tried countless things. His final hope lay in a saint level potion.
But obtaining such a potion was exceedingly difficult. Even when Bing Yang was at the gold level, he had failed.
To concoct a saint level potion, one must be a saint level alchemist, and that alchemist must possess profound alchemy expertise.
Already rare, a saint level magician must also possess profound alchemy expertise, a challenge compounded by impossibility.
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom's Alchemy Guild held formidable power yet lacked a single saint level alchemist.
Among the kingdom's three saint level figures, the Royal Grand Magician existed, but he was not skilled in alchemy.
In truth, once one reached the saint level, market offerings became far scarcer. Unlike gold level items, which could still be somewhat widely supplied as high-end goods, saint level items circulating in the market were extremely rare, though at least still visible.
Legend level items, however, were nearly extinct.
When dealing with legend level transactions, due to their extreme rarity and high value, they often reverted to the primitive method of barter—exchanging goods for goods.
He Gai Tou remained silent, urging Bing Yang only with his gaze. For he knew: no amount of words could compare to the effect of Bing Yang taking a sip.
Bing Yang studied the red wine in his glass, then cautiously, hesitantly, took a sip.
Instantly, his brow furrowed deeply.
The taste was too sharp; it was like drinking blood!
The rich, bloody scent filled his entire mouth, even seeping into his bloodstream.
But in the next instant, Bing Yang's frown smoothed out, his eyes sparkling.
As if the earlier taste had been an illusion, the mouthful of blood suddenly transformed into the aroma of wine. The rich wine fragrance enveloped him like a bath, drenching him from head to toe.
Every inch of his skin, every pore, relaxed and reveled in the sensation.
“What fine wine!” he exclaimed.
Then, the praise on his face turned to shock.
He instinctively raised his right hand, pressing his palm against his chest. Head bowed, he stared at his own torso in disbelief: "How is this possible?"
“The effects of the [Beautiful Future] potion are actually dissipating!?”
The next instant, he jerked his head up as if electrocuted, staring intently at He Gai Tou and shouting excitedly, “Quick! Quick! Tell me, what kind of wine is this?”
He Gai Tou replied, "Sorrow-dispelling red wine. It's a fine wine from the Sheng Ming Empire. Though only of gold level, its ingredients are exceptionally premium, one being divine blood."
“Divine blood?” Everyone present was shaken.
"Indeed. And it cannot be just any divine blood; it must be the blood of the Wine God. Only with this divine blood can the sorrow-dispelling red wine be crafted."
“It is precisely because of this that it possesses a unique efficacy: the dissolution of transcendent powers.”
“Both permanent spells and divine spells lose their effects under the influence of sorrow-dispelling red wine.”
“The potion you consumed, [Beautiful Future], would be no exception.”
Bing Yang stared blankly at the wine glass once more: “Divine blood... sorrow-dispelling red wine...”
Then, he sighed and asked, “So, Lord He Gai Tou, what do you want me to do?”
He Gai Tou stated bluntly, “Kill someone.”
“Who?”
“Long Fu.”
“Him?” Bing Yang frowned again.
Though confined within the Ice Prison, his senses remained unobstructed. On the contrary, he knew much, his intelligence network exceptionally sharp.
"Long Fu slew Teng Dong Lang, a silver level slaying a gold level. His combat prowess is extraordinary. Unless I regain my gold level status, I wouldn't dare challenge him." Bing Yang stated.
He hadn't refused outright; his words were merely bargaining points.
He Gai Tou shook his head. “If a gold level challenger approached him, he'd likely refuse.”
“It's precisely because you've fallen to silver level yet retain some gold level strength that I sought you out.”
Bing Yang's eyes flickered as hesitation took hold.
He Gai Tou smiled, understanding his thoughts. “The sorrow-dispelling red wine is extremely precious. Though only of gold level, its ingredients are exceptionally high-grade.”
“To be honest, this wine originates from the Intoxication Church.”
Truthfully, this wasn't something He Gai Tou could obtain on his own.
He acquired it through Mei Lin's connections.
The entire haul amounted to just this single sip of wine, an incredibly precious drop!
"The Intoxication Church? The Wine God of the Sheng Ming Empire? I hear Drunkard Harbor has become this deity's parish?"
“That's right. For this National Ceremony Grand Duel, the Intoxication Church is making a major push to spread their faith. They're heavily sponsoring the event, providing two thousand tons of wine free to the capital's residents. They're also involved in the national banquet. This sorrow-dispelling red wine is the wine served there, extremely rare. I only managed to get some samples by pure luck. You want to buy it? It's practically impossible!"
Bing Yang's expression faltered, his illusions shattered.
He Gai Tou chuckled softly and added, “Of course, you're welcome to try your luck later.”
Bing Yang nodded. “I will.”
Deep down, he already believed He Gai Tou's words.
This left him with no choice but to rely on He Gai Tou as his sole channel.
Even after the National Ceremony Grand Duel, approaching the Intoxication Church would prove extremely difficult. After all, the primary ingredient was the blood of the Wine God. That fact alone ensured the quantity of this sorrow-dispelling red wine would be exceedingly scarce.
It wasn't about excessive consumption of divine blood. It was obvious the Wine God's blood must be diluted many times over before being used in the wine's production.
The crucial issue was faith.
The Intoxication Church wasn't like the Alchemy Guild or a regular merchant alliance; it was a church.
They worshiped the Wine God, how could any believer drink the blood of their object of worship?
Such an act would be grave sacrilege!
This wine was destined to be a scarce commodity. Selling too much of it would undermine faith in the Wine God.
“Under these circumstances, I realize there's little left to negotiate,” Bing Yang quickly grasped the true situation in his heart.
He responded decisively, agreeing directly to He Gai Tou's terms.
He Gai Tou clapped his hands with a laugh: “Excellent!”
Then, turning to the Ice Prison Warden, he said: “I kindly request the warden to clear a space so I may personally assess Bing Yang's actual combat prowess.”
“After this personal evaluation, I shall also prepare equipment suited to him.”
With a hundred thousand gold coins at stake, the Ice Prison Warden naturally cooperated fully.
Within the Ice Prison lay a small duel arena, where daily disputes between prisoners and guards were settled.
This alone revealed how prevalent dueling was in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
Soon, the group arrived at the arena.
Bing Yang, rubbing his hands together eagerly, strode to the center of the field.
He Gai Tou stood solemnly, ready for battle.
The Ice Prison Warden sat by the wall, observing.
The two commenced their battle.
In an instant, battle qi collided, figures flew through the air. Exchanges came thick and fast, the clashes thunderous.
The combat prowess Bing Yang displayed was indeed formidable, far surpassing silver level.
Moreover, his tactics were fully matured, battle qi technique and battle skills perfectly coordinated. His combat experience was profound, his battle skills and martial arts deeply ingrained, as if carved into his very bones.
Yet flaws remained, notably issues with his combat rhythm.
His attacks often lacked fluidity, abruptly halting mid-strike.
All three observers understood the reason.
Bing Yang had fallen from gold level to silver level, and many gold level battle skills became unusable at the silver level.
The crucial factor lies in the nature of battle qi.
Gold level battle qi could be condensed from nothingness, which was why many gold level battle skills were developed.
The most classic example were flight battle skills.
The principle behind the vast majority of flight battle skills relied on gold level battle skill to propel the fighter themselves through displacement.
Silver level battle qi lacks the properties of gold level, rendering certain battle skills ineffective.
Once He Gai Tou began applying pressure, the previous stalemate shattered, and Bing Yang found himself at a disadvantage.
The earlier back-and-forth exchanges had been possible mainly because He Gai Tou had deliberately held back, prioritizing defense to thoroughly assess Bing Yang's actual combat prowess in real combat.
After personally observing for a while, He Gai Tou had a clear understanding.
“Bing Yang possesses strength, but after his demotion, he hasn't focused on combat power.”
“He maintained a certain level of training, but he hasn't adjusted his battle skill or tactics.”
“However, all of this can be changed.”
"For the battle skill he's familiar with, we can try to find a silver level substitute. If none are available, equipment can compensate."
After several more exchanges, He Gai Tou gradually intensified his assault, completely overwhelming Bing Yang who was now thoroughly flustered.
“Any more moves? Use them all,” He Gai Tou urged. “Only then can I provide the most suitable equipment to offer maximum assistance.”
Bing Yang hesitated briefly before growling, “Then please be extremely cautious, Lord He Gai Tou. This move might very well injure you.”
This statement instantly piqued the interest of both He Gai Tou and the Ice Prison Warden.
The next instant, Bing Yang took a small step back, then slammed his chest, activating the alchemy brooch there while unleashing his battle skill—Frost Aura!
Though originally a gold level battle skill, Bing Yang could barely manage it with the alchemy brooch's aid.
Instantly, a halo radiated outward from him at breakneck speed.
"This is...!" The Ice Prison Warden's pupils contracted sharply.
“Oh no! Dodge!” He Gai Tou also sensed danger, showing no intention to block as he blasted backward.