Chapter 551

On the other side.

Several Golden Core Cultivators had already ventured deep into the heart of the Treasure Land, arriving before a huge pool.

The pool water was calm and waveless, exuding a unique wine fragrance that lingered all around; without using mana to protect the body, one would easily get drunk.

"Drunken Immortal Wine Pool!" a Golden Core Cultivator smacked his lips, just about to go over and use the Storage Accumulation Device to collect the wine, when someone nearby shouted.

"You don't want your life?!"

"Huh? What's wrong? After great difficulty we came here and found the Drunken Immortal Wine Pool, and you're just going to stare at it?" the Golden Core Cultivator complained.

The cultivator beside them couldn't stand it, mocking: "Really, so stupid and clumsy!"

"What the hell are you saying?"

"The outskirts of the Drunken Immortal Wine Pool are all poisonous; if you dare go over and touch it even a little, your bones and blood will melt and your mana will collapse! Only the wine in the very center, an inch-wide area, is the true Drunken Immortal Wine; if you don't believe me, you can try it yourself!"

That Golden Core Cultivator's face darkened; he didn't know how to rebut, nor did he dare to go up and try it lightly.

"We've come all this way; how do we get past the wine pool's outskirts to obtain the Drunken Immortal Wine? This is a great treasure." Several Golden Core Cultivators felt tempted.

Although the Drunken Immortal Wine itself has a proof, it confers no beneficial ability for cultivation; on the contrary, it can cause high-mana cultivators to get roaringly drunk, and it is said the higher one's cultivation, the more severely they get drunk.

Under normal circumstances, which cultivator would spend a fortune to buy something like this?

But in fact, not everyone in the cultivation world is an ascetic cultivator; there are plenty who indulge heavily in sensual desires. Especially the high-level cultivators of major sects, they love fine wine and food and can't let go; for them, cultivation is for fame and profit, and since they've already attained high positions, not enjoying themselves would be pointless cultivation.

Therefore, this exceptionally special Drunken Immortal Wine produced by the Wine Pool Meat Forest—looking across the Five Regions, who knows how many people seek it in vain?

After all, high-grade spiritual wine still requires knowledge of brewing methods, consumes a considerable amount of spiritual materials, and the resulting spiritual wine may not taste great; its only benefit is enhancing cultivation.

Although the Drunken Immortal Wine has a low proof, it can be drunk by cultivators of any realm. The higher one's mana, the better the taste and the faster they get drunk. Aside from a hangover, there are no negative side effects; for cultivators who pursue fine wine, it is the best choice.

"If this Drunken Immortal Wine were put up for auction, a single jar could fetch at least three hundred thousand low-grade spiritual stones!"

"Don't go on about whether to sell it or not; we agreed this thing would be handed over to the Grand Chamber of Commerce—people ought to keep their word."

"That three hundred thousand...."

"Aren't they just after one jar of wine? How much that jar holds is up to us to decide."

"That's on you."

"Hehe."

Several Golden Core Cultivators quickly conferred, then hurriedly circulated their mana, three of them taking turns to go over and draw out the wine.

The Drunken Immortal Wine Pool also has this characteristic: one cannot fly above it, or the wine vapors will corrode one's mana. But if one merely uses mana to draw out the wine, there's no problem.

However, since it's hard to gauge the position, the three of them took turns, using their mana to hook out the true Drunken Immortal Wine from the center.

Seeing that they had exactly one jar of Drunken Immortal Wine, the several Golden Core Cultivators exchanged glances, then took out another wine jar and split half of it away.

"Alright, let's head back."

"We're leaving just like that—what about the Six-turn Ingredient Delicacy? I heard that thing is also near the wine pool."

"I mean, why don't we go look for it? I heard the Six-turn Ingredient Delicacy can increase one's mana!"

"That's for increasing the mana of Nascent Soul Cultivators, and besides, there are plenty of Nascent Soul Cultivators here—do you think they wouldn't go look for that? Compared to that, although the Drunken Immortal Wine sells for a high price, we got the information from the Grand Chamber of Commerce first, giving us a head start; if we're discovered, we can't avoid a fight."

"I think the same."

"But we've come all this way... what if they haven't yet found the Six-turn Treasure Delicacy?"

"Stop arguing; let's vote. Those in favor of going to look for the delicacy, raise your hands."

Three people raised their hands; the other two remained silent.

"Alright, since it's everyone's decision, we'll go look together. Before we go, let's conceal the wine scent on our persons to avoid drawing attention."

"Fine."

After the several Golden Core Cultivators used a secret method to conceal the wine scent, they began searching nearby.

It must be said, this group's luck is truly good.

They wandered around the vicinity for several dozen li, when suddenly they found a stone forest exuding a rich meat aroma.

In the stone forest lay a powerful strange beast.

"Look, the Six-turn Treasure Delicacy!"

Beneath that strange beast lay a stone that looked like a slab of pork belly, exuding a rich meat aroma; it took root in the Treasure Land, and waves of thick fragrance attracted the most primal appetites of all living beings.

Several Golden Core Cultivators swallowed their saliva, their appetites whetted.

Fortunately, though, that strange beast guarded the Six-turn Treasure Delicacy, preventing them from acting impulsively.

"Let's think—how do we deal with that strange beast?"

"With the five of us working together, we should be able to settle that strange beast! But we have to be quick; if someone discovers us meddling, it'll become troublesome."

Several people exchanged glances, all nodded, and struck out simultaneously!

"Roar!!"

As the battle began, the five Golden Core Cultivators unleashed various techniques at the strange beast, and the scene instantly grew fierce.

After a while.

Boom!

As the strange beast collapsed, the five Golden Core Cultivators also breathed a sigh of relief; although the beast's body was hard and difficult to pierce, fortunately they managed to slay it.

"Quick, dig out the delicacy and take it away!"

"Oh, the Six-turn Treasure Delicacy—what good fortune, benefactors!"

Before the several could rejoice for long, suddenly some more people emerged from the shadows, gazing at the five in the stone forest.

"You... are the Alcohol-and-Meat Monks of Hua Luo Temple?"

Upon seeing the opponents' attire, reeking heavily of alcohol and meat turbidity, the five instantly guessed their identity.

However, this six-turn delicacy was first discovered by them, and they only got it after killing the guardian strange beast—how could we just hand it over?

Several meat-and-wine monks laughed and said: "Honored patrons, you need not be on guard; we few monks are not intending to rob you by force, we merely wish to make a deal with you."

Trade?

You wouldn't think that strange beast is the guardian of the six-turn delicacy, would you?

Huh?!

Before the five could figure it out, boom—the earth began to shake, and the surrounding stone pillars suddenly transformed into dozens of terrifying stone beasts, charging at them!

These beasts each possessed the strength of a demon king, truly giving the five a fright.

"Form the formation!"

The wine-and-meat monk above laughed: "No wonder you dare to venture deep here, and you even know battle formations."

"Not so." The wine-and-meat monk beside him laughed: "Obviously it's the big man in the middle who knows the formation; the rest merely follow his orders."

Seeing the big man throw out several formation flags, protecting the five within, the other four then followed his instructions to respectively resist the enemy.

However, the formation the big man used was only third-turn, with more defense than offense, making it hard to escape under the onslaught of many demon king beasts. So the several wine-and-meat monks weren't panicked, waiting for their response.

"If you benefactors can't hold on, we poor monks can lend a hand—but the price is that six-turn delicacy!"

"Dream on!!"

The five in the formation glared upward angrily, though not taking advantage of the chaos to loot was already the best they could do; but how could they now escape?

Moreover, even if they managed to get out, should those wine-and-meat monks attack, they, having expended too much mana, would certainly not be a match; would they really have to surrender?