Chapter 61: The Trial of the Way of Wine

The deeper they ventured, the older the vintages became. At first, the spirits were simply placed within the array, but further in, illusions began to emerge at every turn. The books she had studied had not been in vain; Ji Jiuxuan understood that these illusions were manifestations of spirits that had matured. The older the vintage, the more spectacular the illusions.

Previously, she had only read about such phenomena, but now, witnessing them in person, Ji Jiuxuan was utterly enchanted. Suddenly, a colossal dragon spiraled upward, emitting a thunderous roar, its spiritual pressure nearly overwhelming her.

“Is this the Dragon’s Roar?” she wondered aloud. Legend had it that matured spirits could conjure phantom dragons, and such overwhelming power surely meant this vintage was centuries old.

Meng Jiao was mildly surprised, then smiled. “That’s right. You recognize this spirit, junior sister?”

“I saw it in a book,” Ji Jiuxuan replied.

Meng Jiao nodded thoughtfully, glancing at the young girl. Suddenly, she wanted to share more wonders. “There are all kinds here: giant scorpions, wild plains, ancient forests, tiger’s roar, and many more. Would you like to see them?”

Earth-shattering scenes, heartbreak, the myriad forms of the world—so many visions. Ordinary people dared not tread this path lightly, for it was easy to get lost within, but those who managed to traverse it found their mind transformed and their cultivation greatly aided.

Ji Jiuxuan had no idea the cellar concealed the legendary spirit path, nor did she suspect her senior sister was about to lead her into another pitfall. She nodded cheerfully. “Yes, let’s go!”

If the system could display emotion, it would surely be full of sympathy—she never learned her lesson. Still, there was no real harm in attempting the spirit path trial; the worst that might happen was a brief sleep or something similar.

Full of curiosity, Ji Jiuxuan followed Meng Jiao deeper inside. Each small array was marked with a plaque of condensed spiritual energy, noting the brewing time and unique properties.

The overwhelming aura made Ji Jiuxuan feel as though she could sense the emotions embedded in each illusion. “Senior sister, what do these spirits taste like?”

Surely, spirits capable of conjuring such illusions must differ from ordinary spiritual wine.

“Curious?” Meng Jiao laughed. “You can’t drink them yet. They’re helpful for cultivation, but you’re still young. Wait a few more years.”

Though she longed to know, Ji Jiuxuan understood. She gazed at the endless path ahead, sensing something different within.

“Senior sister, are the vintages deeper inside even older?” With such a scale, some must be ten thousand years old or more!

But given her senior sister’s age, it was impossible for her to have brewed so many ancient spirits.

The books said only matured spirits could produce illusions. Outside, spiritual energy formed into five-element light, which would remain as long as it was undisturbed. Since the light here was still present, it meant all these spirits had been buried here since they were brewed.

“Exactly.” Meng Jiao seemed to know what she wanted to ask, smiling as she explained, “Some were crafted by our master, others by our first and second senior uncles, even the sect leader, and perhaps even the ancestor.”

Ji Jiuxuan was amazed. “But why are they all stored in the cellar beneath Refinement Pavilion?”

After so many generations, they remained hidden beneath this place. If not for her senior sister, she would never have known.

“These spirits are invaluable for those cultivating the spirit path, yet few walk it, so they’ve remained here, waiting for the destined to enter.”

Ji Jiuxuan’s gaze brightened at these words, her interest piqued as she looked at the endless road behind her.

Meng Jiao glanced around, grinning in delight. “Junior sister, do as you please. I’ll look for something special to take out tonight—anything less would not do justice to our master’s generosity.”

“Alright, call me when you’re ready.” Ji Jiuxuan wanted to go further, and seeing her senior sister begin her search, she ventured alone deeper into the spirit path.

The moment she stepped onto the path alone, a light appeared ahead, illuminating the way inward, its end unknown.

Ji Jiuxuan felt a sudden, inexplicable joy, and gazed at the arrays beside her, discovering illusions brimming with laughter.

Stepping forward, she found the environment changed again, as did her own mood. The shimmering white path turned a deep violet-black, and a wave of sorrow overcame her. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at an array suffused with the same color, images of grief floating atop it.

Wiping her tears, she choked out, “What did the creators of these spirits go through? Why is it so heartbreaking?”

Did drinking these spirits allow one to truly experience the brewer’s state of mind?

She hurried forward, escaping the violet-black zone. But as she crossed the threshold, the surroundings turned pitch black.

Fear welled up from deep within, leaving her anxious and unsettled, unable to find any sense of comfort. Her mind was in turmoil.

This emotion grew stronger, sapping her will to move forward. The chaos felt familiar, as if she had lived it before, the pain overwhelming.

She looked up at the array shrouded in black aura, silently weeping. Why was such a thing here?

Amidst the swirling black mist, a scene appeared that made her heart ache with suffocating pain, yet she could never quite see what it was.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself forward, each step intensifying the ache in her chest.

She did not know how long it took, but eventually, Ji Jiuxuan emerged from that region, the feeling lingering still.

Suddenly, her surroundings shifted to fiery red, flames soaring skyward.

Puzzled, Ji Jiuxuan wondered why she felt nothing at all in this place.

She looked up at the array belonging to this region, and from its vision, guessed it represented anger.

She had just traversed the tumult of sorrow and joy, the myriad emotions of life. Why had she felt those so keenly, but not this one?

“System, is it because I have a fire-type celestial root that I can’t sense this?”

There seemed no other explanation. The information she had previously found was only partial.

“No,” the system replied. “The emotions of the spirit path are not affected by the five elements. The only possibility is that this spirit is bound to you by blood; it cannot harm you.”

Such was the strange magic of the spirit path.

“Senior sister mentioned earlier that some of these were brewed by my father and grandfather. I wonder which of them made this one.”

Ji Jiuxuan recalled Ji Minghuai’s image and her grandfather’s ever-smiling face, feeling that neither seemed likely to create a spirit so infused with rage.

To craft such a spirit, the brewer’s emotions must have been pushed to their limits.

If it was indeed one of them, what could have made them so furious?

With these doubts, Ji Jiuxuan left the red path behind. The further she went, the older the vintages, the greater their effects, but she grew calmer with each step.

At last, she found herself surrounded by thick mist. Through the haze, she glimpsed a snow-white creature, its round eyes gazing at her curiously.

“You’ve come all the way here! Well done, well done.” The creature’s voice was soft and sweet, yet Ji Jiuxuan sensed it was not as simple as it appeared.

Just then, she heard her senior sister calling for her, her voice urgent and anxious.