CHAPTER 374: CHAPTER 332: RISKING LIFE TO ACCOMPANY A GENTLEMAN

The Cloud Mulberry Tree Hall is a restaurant built atop a giant cloud mulberry tree.

Two cloud mulberry trees stand side by side, each towering several hundred meters high. Ascending to the top floor through the hollow trunk, Gao Xuan found the dining area situated on a leaf.

The leaf, shaped like a plate and spanning nearly 200 square meters, had a texture as resilient as plastic but softer, emanating a fresh and natural woody scent.

The leaf was divided into two parts by a semi-transparent green leaf curtain; one part was the kitchen, and the other was an elegant dining room.

The dining room featured pure wooden tables and chairs, all retaining their natural wood color, which developed a beautiful patina over time with use.

The tableware on the tables was styled after ancient bronze designs, exuding simplicity and elegance, achieving a harmonious overall layout.

Currently, two guests were seated at the table, a man and a woman. The man, with sword-like eyebrows and eagle-like eyes, exuded the unique pride and reserve of a noble youth.

The young woman, around her early twenties, possessed a delicate beauty and wore an antique-style, phoenix-patterned long skirt, which preserved the elegance of the royal court but with a modern simplicity that enhanced the feminine details.

The young woman’s modest and graceful disposition was complemented by the forthright boldness of a modern woman, making her quite distinctive.

In terms of appearance, the young woman was not superior to Lan Tiange. However, her distinctive charm was incredibly captivating and unforgettable.

The pair sat casually yet opposite each other, suggesting they were close friends rather than a couple or siblings. The young woman’s features bore a slight resemblance to Song Muyang, indicating she was from the Song family.

The man’s bone structure and facial features differed markedly from the Song siblings, suggesting he was not from the Song family.

The Six-winged Celestial Cicada, connected in real-time to the Dark Web, quickly unearthed information about the two.

Song Yunxi, 22 years old, a senior at Taiwei University, and the chief Sword Hero of the sword team, belonging to the direct lineage of the Song family.

Miao Xifeng, 36 years old, from the direct lineage of the Miao family. Chairman of the Taiwei Youth Sword Dao Association and CEO of Taiyuan Sword Company...

With his tremendous Spiritual Power, Gao Xuan didn’t even need to actively engage the Six-winged Celestial Cicada; it naturally retrieved the identities, much like how he recognized Song Muyang at the airport earlier.

The Six-winged Celestial Cicada possessed the Seventh Sage Authority, accessing the vast Heart of Data database. Gao Xuan could extract desired information from a sea of data whenever he wanted.

However, this process was entirely dependent on the Six-winged Celestial Cicada, which was not a Light Computer and could only connect Gao Xuan to the database.

Gao Xuan’s Spiritual Power of 38 points allowed him to instantly filter out needed information from the massive data.

Earlier, he could do this but required some time. Moreover, verifying such information often held little significance.

His curiosity about the individuals’ identities prompted him to do some preliminary research to understand them better.

As Song Muyang entered with a companion, the pair naturally stood up to greet them.

Song Muyang casually introduced, "Song Yunxi, my cousin, currently single."

He then gestured to Miao Xifeng, "Miao Xifeng, my buddy. A bit proud, but a good person. Worth knowing."

"This is Gao Xuan, a nineteen-year-old Sword Dao prodigy, who took down Talos and even killed Shao Daoyuan. Quite impressive."

Song Muyang’s flamboyant introduction left Song Yunxi and Miao Xifeng with helpless expressions.

Song Yunxi graciously extended her hand for a handshake with Gao Xuan, "I’ve heard of your reputation, always thought people exaggerated. Now I realize they were actually being modest."

Gao Xuan lightly shook her hand and said, "Miss Song, it’s quite normal; human imagination tends to be limited."

Song Yunxi was a bit taken aback by Gao Xuan’s words, which seemed considerate yet carried an underlying arrogance.

"Just joking, trying to lighten the mood."

Gao Xuan’s smile was bright and radiant like sunlight, causing Song Yunxi to pause; she thought she might be overthinking it. How could such a handsome young man be shallow?

Song Yunxi laughed, "You’re really interesting."

"Actually, the previous line was the joke," Gao Xuan added.

Song Yunxi couldn’t help but laugh heartily; this youth, incredibly handsome and bright, with humor and wit, suddenly inspired a strong liking in her toward Gao Xuan.

Miao Xifeng frowned slightly. He had to admit, this guy looked good. Even though he was being pretentious, it didn’t bother him much—it was just that he seemed a bit slick.

He interjected, "I heard that you killed the Cloud Light Sword Saint Shao Daoyuan; is that true?"

The claim was quite exaggerated, despite various records on the Celestial Net. Miao Xifeng still found it hard to believe.

With Gao Xuan right in front of him, he was determined to find out the truth.

Of course, directly asking was somewhat impolite. But Miao Xifeng didn’t mind Gao Xuan very much.

No matter how formidable he was, Taiwei Star was not a place for Gao Xuan to boast.

Gao Xuan said, "It’s true."

Hearing Gao Xuan’s admission, Song Yunxi was intrigued too, even though Shao Daoyuan was considered the weakest among the Golden Sword Saints.

In the three thousand years of the Alliance’s history, there were only a handful of records where a Silver Sword Hero killed a Golden Sword Saint beyond their level. Most of these records were from two thousand years ago.

In modern times, as Golden-level Power has matured, it’s almost impossible for a Silver Sword Hero to challenge such strength successfully.

Song Yunxi curiously asked, "How did you do it?"

"Shao Daoyuan’s Source Power was limited by Taurus, and his swordsmanship couldn’t match mine, so I killed him with one strike."

Although Gao Xuan spoke casually, Miao Xifeng and Song Yunxi found it hard to believe.

Miao Xifeng questioned, "That’s it?"

"Yes, there’s nothing more to it."

Gao Xuan said, "Shao Daoyuan is really too weak."

Upon hearing this evaluation, Miao Xifeng and Song Yunxi were speechless.

Miao Xifeng thought Gao Xuan was too arrogant and conceited. Song Yunxi, however, felt that Gao Xuan exuded strong confidence and charm. Nonetheless, there must be other reasons for this situation.

Song Muyang broke the slightly awkward atmosphere, "Everyone stop standing, sit."

He sat in the main seat and designated Gao Xuan to sit to his left, which was the seat of the honored guest.

Song Yunxi sat next to Gao Xuan, while Miao Xifeng sat to Song Muyang’s right.

In traditional rituals, Taiwei Star obviously adhered to more intricate details. The arrangement of seats had subtle nuances.

Song Muyang did not want to discuss Shao Daoyuan further and shifted the topic to food, a safer topic to discuss.

"The Fire Dragon we’re having comes from an Alien Beast on Megrez Star, living in magma with particularly tough skin and capable of spewing fire. It resembles our traditional dragon, hence the name Fire Dragon..."

"Big Brother hasn’t invited me for Fire Dragon in a while. This Alien Beast requires special handling, and this is the only place in the Beidou Star Realm where you can eat it..."

Song Yunxi smiled at Gao Xuan and said, "I’m benefiting from your presence."

"With Brother Song’s generous hospitality, I truly feel undeserving."

Since others were being so hearty and hospitable, Gao Xuan naturally had to show some humility.

Song Muyang laughed heartily, "I believe in destiny. Out of the billions in the Alliance, we can meet and connect, let’s have a big toast to that."

He said this, then lifted the Bronze Wine Vat and poured a large cup for Gao Xuan, "Gentian Wine, it really hits. Smooths the nerves."

The Three-legged Bronze Coiled Dragon Wine Vase in front of Gao Xuan was large and deep, with a capacity of a pound.

The wine, red as blood, subtly emanated a faint white mist, with a temperature of around sixty degrees.

As soon as the Gentian Wine was poured, a rich aroma filled the air, lingering like a mist around Gao Xuan and the others.

Song Muyang also filled the cups for Song Yunxi and Miao Xifeng, "No going home sober today."

He thought for a moment and said, "No one is allowed to chicken out, let’s see who gets drunk first."

Miao Xifeng glanced at Gao Xuan, feeling it would be interesting to see what this Gao Xuan was capable of.

Gentian Wine was extremely potent, even a Silver Sword Hero had to drink it in small cups. Few could handle drinking a pound at a time like Song Muyang.

"Come, meeting Brother Gao today, we hit it off, let’s enjoy and finish this cup."

Song Muyang lifted his cup, gesturing to Gao Xuan and the others, and tilted his head back to drink a large cup.

With the host being so forthright, the guests naturally had to follow suit.

Gao Xuan drank his cup in one gulp, as if swallowing a Flaming Bomb. The Gentian Wine exploded in his stomach, and the Source Power contained within the wine quickly spread, making every pore in his body heat up and steam.

Thanks to his strong constitution rated at 32 points, Gao Xuan easily withstood the impact of the Gentian Wine.

Gao Xuan gently put down the wine cup, his expression unchanged.

This left Miao Xifeng and Song Yunxi, who were expecting some amusement, a bit disappointed. First-time drinkers of Gentian Wine typically had a significant change in expression or might even spit out the wine, invariably making a scene.

Yet Gao Xuan appeared unfazed as if he had merely drunk a cup of plain boiled water, or even cold water.

Song Yunxi’s cheeks had already flushed slightly, and even Miao Xifeng’s gaze had lost some sharpness.

Song Muyang maintained his composure, but seeing Gao Xuan’s calm demeanor pleased him, "Not bad, a great man needs to be able to drink a great amount."

He refilled everyone’s cup with Gentian Wine, "Brother Gao slaying Talos was deeply satisfying to me. This cup is for his sword. Cheers."

After another cup, Song Yunxi’s face turned even redder, and Miao Xifeng’s gaze seemed slightly unfocused. Gao Xuan remained unperturbed, as if nothing had happened.

At this point, even Song Muyang was a bit surprised. After two pounds of Gentian Wine, he could feel the intense power of the wine, relying solely on his Golden Level constitution to endure it.

That Gao Xuan could also remain unaffected—whether by genuinely withstanding the wine’s power or just acting—was an impressive feat.

Song Muyang raised a third cup, and Song Yunxi’s face suddenly flushed completely, even her earlobes turned red.

Miao Xifeng’s gaze was now distinctly dreamy with intoxication.

The two of them looked at Gao Xuan with more respect in their eyes. Regardless of anything else, simply being able to suppress the strength of the Gentian Wine indicated a high level of cultivation for Gao Xuan.

Miao Xifeng felt the need to give Gao Xuan a thumbs-up, "Truly impressive capacity, I admit I’ve lost."

When Song Muyang raised his cup again, Miao Xifeng turned her cup upside down immediately, "Concede, I surrender."

Song Muyang chuckled a couple of times, not forcing Miao Xifeng further.

Song Yunxi also put her cup upside down, "I’m a girl, drinking too much is bad for my health."

Seeing his cousin make excuses, Song Muyang could only say to Gao Xuan, "Brother, it’s just us drinking then."

"Willing to go to the end with a gentleman."

Gao Xuan showed no fear as he raised his cup and drank with Song Muyang.

The two of them drank nine cups in a row, and Song Muyang had a bit of a rosy glow on his face, while Gao Xuan remained unchanged.

Watching from the side, Song Yunxi and Miao Xifeng were both stunned: What is going on? Is Song Muyang actually getting beaten in a drinking contest?