After his surging blood essence gradually settled, the nine-colored sword lotus slowly faded away, and that vast, boundless Spirit Power once more returned to a deep, restrained stillness.
Li Zhexian slowly opened his eyes.
At once, the countless sword-intent blossoms blooming upon the ice-crystal giant tree above his head rang out in resonant unison, as though celebrating the awakening of the supreme sovereign of the sword.
With a subtle movement of thought,
he touched the long-dormant imprint.
At his left waist, the slightly coarse wine gourd transformed into a warm, flawless jade gourd, within which celestial nectar and divine liquor flowed on their own.
The seven patterned seals engraved upon the gourd's body, once motionless—
Now seemed to come alive:
A small serpent slithered, stars gently swayed, a clear breeze appeared to blow into the gourd, and faint sounds of thunder echoed within…
The graceful woman depicted upon the gourd inclined herself slightly toward Li Zhexian, her clear voice drifting forth:
"Congratulations, Zhexian."
Li Zhexian smiled and replied,
"My thanks, Senior Bibi Dong."
Light flickered in his eyes.
With this return through rebirth—
Not only had the Qinglian Sword grown ever sharper, but the Clear Spring Wine Gourd that had accompanied him through mortal trials had likewise gained far greater spirituality.
Focusing his gaze—
The entire gourd was shrouded in a hazy, immortal aura.
What it contained was no longer mortal wine, but immortal nectar distilled from past and present lives alike.
Without even uncorking it—
A crisp yet mellow fragrance of wine spread across the four directions.
To inhale it was not only refreshing to body and mind, but also capable of cleansing the soul and aiding enlightenment.
The Wine Martial Soul had returned.
As spirit souls, Ice Empress and Snow Empress felt this change most keenly.
They circled around Li Zhexian, stirring the snow-filled sky as they danced gracefully.
The Ice Empress's human form appeared even more pure and ethereal than before, leaving Skydream staring from afar in a daze.
Upon the Clear Spring Wine Gourd, in addition to the four orange-gold Spirit Rings symbolizing the Snow Empress's spirit soul, there were now two more orange-gold rings representing the Ice Empress.
Within the spirit soul system,
these were supreme Spirit Rings formed from ferocious beasts beyond the hundred-thousand-year threshold.
"Brother Zhexian!"
Skydream flashed to Li Zhexian's side, his tone full of delight, though his gaze still chased after the Ice Empress dancing amid the snow.
Li Zhexian caught the little Yazi that leapt toward him and looked at Skydream with amusement.
The latter, somewhat embarrassed, averted his eyes and hastily changed the subject:
"Brother Zhexian, after being enhanced by that wondrous flower, your Spirit Rings must be even stronger now, right?"
"What is the year limit of the Yun Ji Bai Ze (Cloud Scroll White Marsh) Spirit Ring?"
Li Zhexian laughed heartily.
"Senior Bai Ze had not originally reached a hundred thousand years."
"But after being nourished by the wondrous flower, it has now reached the hundred-thousand-year realm."
"Hiss—"
Skydream could not help but suck in a sharp breath.
One must know—
a ten-thousand-year auspicious beast could already rival an ordinary hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast.
A hundred-thousand-year auspicious beast would likely have already touched the domain of the gods.
Yet heaven would not permit it.
Throughout the ages, no auspicious beast had ever survived to reach one hundred thousand years.
Li Zhexian's Bai Ze Spirit Ring was likely the first hundred-thousand-year auspicious beast Spirit Ring in all history.
"Brother Zhexian, what miraculous effects does Bai Ze's Spirit Ring possess?"
Skydream pressed on.
Nearby, both Ice Empress and Snow Empress revealed looks of curiosity.
With a subtle movement of thought,
a mysterious tide of fortune naturally gathered around Li Zhexian.
The cold wind approached his robes only to split and flow around him; the falling snow above his head interwove into a revolving canopy of ice and snow, as though heaven itself had fashioned an umbrella for him.
"The wind is a bit sharp on the face."
As soon as the words left his lips,
the raging wind immediately stilled, the snow fell straight down, and heaven and earth fell into utter silence.
"The frozen land is rather cold."
The moment he spoke,
the surrounding snowflakes drifted along specific trajectories, refracting the faint light from the sky and gathering warmth upon his body like gentle sunlight.
"It's time to return to the Ice Crystal Palace."
At his will, solid ice lotuses condensed across the boundless ice plains, winding their way toward the distant horizon.
Li Zhexian turned his head toward the stunned Skydream and the two Empresses and smiled.
"Let's go."
This was the Spirit Ability of Bai Ze's right-leg Spirit Bone—
Destiny is Mine: whatever occurs must inevitably benefit me.
This Spirit Ability seemed born of heaven itself. It required neither invocation nor incantation—only a flicker of intent, and auspicious fortune naturally descended.
It could even cause words to become law,
guiding all affairs and phenomena toward outcomes favorable to its bearer.
As for Bai Ze's Spirit Ring, though it granted only a single Spirit Ability, it delighted Li Zhexian immensely.
Bai Ze's Blessing:
No evil may invade, no illness may arise. When actively invoked, one may enter the state of "conceptual invulnerability," excluding all negative conditions—severe injury, aging, curses, instant death, and more.
...
Upon returning to the Ice Crystal Palace,
the snow spirits who once feared Li Zhexian now flocked around him, leaping and dancing with joy.
The Titan Snow Demon King led the northern Spirit Beasts in bringing forth numerous spiritual fruits…
The group gathered briefly—
As a simple celebration of Li Zhexian's complete return.
"As for the one-year promise…"
Before Li Zhexian could finish speaking,
Skydream had already continued for him:
"There's only one month left."
Li Zhexian nodded in silence and tilted his head back to take a mouthful of wine.
How does one who has fallen… return?
He could already imagine—
how Qian Renxue, Zhu Zhuqing, and those dear friends and elders had endured this past year, steeped in anguish and waiting.
A trace of gentle longing surfaced upon Li Zhexian's refined face.
"Once my realm stabilizes," he said softly,
"I will go and keep the one-year promise."
...
Time passed like a shuttle.
In the blink of an eye, nearly a month went by.
Heaven Dou City.
Red lanterns of celebration hung high before every household. The entire city was decorated even more grandly than during a festival.
Before the hundred-meter-tall divine statue in Heaven Dou Plaza,
incense offerings from the city's populace and visitors from all directions gathered together. Sandalwood smoke curled upward, forming drifting clouds,
making the image of the young man appear ever more divine and awe-inspiring.
Such a magnificent sight
should have filled the city with jubilation.
Yet the entire city was shrouded in an indescribable heaviness.
Rather than welcoming someone's return,
it felt more like joyous decorations concealing a silent memorial.
After all…
Even for the citizens of Heaven Dou, who had heard the "Legend of Sword Wine" countless times, doubts still lingered over whether that youth who had fallen heroically for the nation could truly return.
In the neighboring courtyard of Li Zhexian's residence,
Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Ning Rongrong, Shui Bing'er, Huo Wu, and Xiao Wu laughed and chatted as they tried on the dresses they would wear the next day.
Silver-bell laughter rose and fell in waves.
Yet the girls tacitly avoided mentioning the "one-year promiese."
Throughout this year,
they had hoped day after day—
yet deep in their hearts, they also wished time would move more slowly,
fearing that when that day arrived…
the youth would not return, and even their final hope would be shattered.
Yu Tianheng, Feng Buyu, Huo Wushuang, Feng Xiaotian, Oscar, and the others entered the Fragrant Pavilion.
"Reserve the largest private room on the second floor!"
The waiter immediately beamed with smiles.
"Don't worry, young masters—the old room's already been prepared!"
Just as Feng Buyu was about to flick a gold coin as a tip,
the waiter waved his hands repeatedly.
"Please keep it, sir!"
"Tomorrow, Lord Sword Wine will reward me himself!"
...
At the Dugu Residence,
Chen Xin, Gu Rong, Feng Bailong, Yu Yuanzhen, and even Star Luo's First Marquis had all gathered.
"Time flies like an arrow—one year has passed just like that,"
Dugu Bo said, unsure whether he felt joy or worry.
With a sweep of his green-and-red cloak, several jade-green and crimson little snakes slithered into his cup, transforming into wisps of clear tea.
Chen Xin glanced at him sideways.
This old poison freak's mastery of poison had reached the pinnacle, and his tricks had only grown more elaborate.
Only Zhexian could keep him in check now.
The thought flashed through his mind.
He raised his cup and took a light sip.
"When Zhexian returns tomorrow,"
"his sword dao will surely have ascended yet another level."
..
Spirit Masters led Windchasing Steeds into the city.
A storyteller sat calmly atop his horse, gazing at Heaven Dou City—festive on the surface, oppressive beneath—and spoke slowly:
"Finally made it in time."
"Tomorrow…"
"I'll set the stage and tell the story."