Molting the Mortal Coil

Chapter 1061: Finely Aged

With the wine between them, Guan Zhenyan poured a cup for them both, As a reward for your hard work.

Then without any further ado, the man picked up the cup in front of himself and downed it in one go. Sage wasnt sure if he should be angry or excited, so he just picked up the cup in front of him and drank it. It tasted slightly sour and then there was a wave of sweetness before warmth spread through his chest. He glanced over at the jug of wine, Can it even affect me?

The warmth continued to spread until he felt the heat over his whole body and he started to sweat, something he hadnt done in years. Not since hed last done body hardening training if he remembered correctly. The strength of a high level cultivators body had far exceeded the limits of normal humans and many bodily functions were unnecessary, to the point they were mostly unused. The research teams quickly worked with him as he sent his Spiritual Sense inward to determine what was going on. Amazingly, this drink was so powerful it was requiring him to start sweating to deal with the heat build up.

Guan Zhenyan smiled at him, Good, right?

Its certainly strong. Please dont tell me we did all that just so you could get a strong drink.

You dont like to drink?

Sage started to glare at him, wondering if hed really spent so many years and put himself into danger in the Tianxia Capital just to make some booze. After a long delay, Guan Zhenyan finally laughed and shook his head. Thats when he brought out a dark stone-like sphere, it was one of the treasures theyd fought so hard for earlier, which Sage retrieved from the Spires treasury. It fit easily within his palm, but then he set it upon the table and held up his hands. A huge weapon appeared, large enough that it required him to hold it with both hands. It was somewhat like a giant club or paddle, with a large handle for a two handed grip, a ring upon the pommel, and a wide flat business end. It was made of a dark metal, and upon closer inspection Sage realized it wasnt just a club or paddle, but actually more like a giant rasp. It was like a big file, with the teeth angled so they would rip into things when pulled back across them. A very cruel club then, shaving skin off as it strikes.

Guan Zhenyan slowly swung the end towards Sage, Hold that side for me, please.

Taking hold of the end, Sage watched as the man held the handle with one hand while the other reached down and picked up the dark stone from earlier. He maneuvered the huge file over his cup and then rubbed the stone up against the weapon. The stone flaked away, tiny bits of it falling downwards where they swirled through the air and all landed perfectly within the mouth of the cup. After this went on for a moment, Sage recognized that he was using a bit of Spirit Power to funnel all the shavings perfectly into the cup. With a small pile of the black specks in his cup, the weapon disappeared from Guan Zhenyans hands and he gave the stone a sniff before it disappeared as well. Then he lifted the large jug of wine and poured himself another cup, adding the wine to the shavings.

Sage was busy with the research teams as they quickly identified that stone was more likely to be a very hard seed. The texture and scent of it had given it away after it was filed down, revealing its fibrous nature. They finished their analysis just as Guan Zhenyan brought out his large bronze pipe. He also took out the case theyd received from the Guru and opened it to reveal the Inky Nirvana Powder. It was a pile of dark sand like someone had turned an ink stone into dust, it absorbed all the color but still had a shiny appearance to it like oil or black ink. With a little silver spoon, the man scooped up the powder and poured it into the tiny bowl at the end of his pipe. Then he pressed it down with a small silver tamper before repeating his motions, adding more powder and compressing it. After he seemed satisfied that it was properly filled, he brought out a translucent red gem, touching it to the powder and causing it to ignite.

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With a few puffs to his pipe, Guan Zhenyan smiled and breathed out a bluish green smoke with a look of bliss on his face. Then he picked up his cup, the one with the wine and shavings in it, holding it towards Sage in a cheers gesture. He hadnt poured Sage another cup, so Sage could only nod his head and salute with a clasped fist as the man took a drink of the new concoction. After the drink and a pleased sound, there was another drag of the pipe.

So, all of that really was just to give this guy a good time?

Hed certainly known people that felt smoking or drinking were the most important things in their lives, but it seems he underestimated the lengths that a Cultivator would go to in order to get a similar experience. In order to have the same effect upon their much stronger bodies it required a much more powerful intoxicant. It only served to reason that at whatever level Guan Zhenyan was, that it took a whole pile of treasures to match up to his vices.

Dont give me that look, Kid. You think Id do all that just for some enjoyment? Thats just a bonus.

Zhenyan tapped the end of his pipe upon the side of the wine jar, This wine is special. It helps the body remember how it's supposed to work. For Immortals only. When you merged your body and Nascent Soul most of your bodily functions were lost. The path to the peak teaches you how to overcome all those needs along the way until you can finally shed them entirely. This is very useful and powerful, but also limiting. Not needing them is not the same as not wanting them.

He pointed to Sages empty cup, This wine, the Mortal Return, can just be a fun remembrance, or you can take advantage of what youre feeling right now and put it to use. You can let it wear off, or use it as a guide to enhance yourself. Its up to you.

Guan Zhenyan continued to smoke as Sage enlisted the Research Team and his Adjutor to quickly study what the man was talking about. With the hint they figured out what he was talking about, and Sage worked with the teams to start putting the change into practice.

As hed grown stronger he figured out how to use Qi to replace his need for oxygen. That meant he wouldnt have to breathe in a poisonous gas and could stay under water as long as he liked. This applied to many other bodily functions, making it so he became less and less burdened by the weaknesses of the human body, which then culminated in the Immortal Body he had now. It was one he essentially manifested out of his own Soul, Qi and Laws, and one he could repair in the same way. It was the reason it was called Immortal. Not just because his lifespan was so long, but because he could heal from most any wound. The whole of his body, soul, and Qi were all one now. There were no specific weak points to target that could cripple him like his Dantian had been in the past. It also meant it was more of an energy construct in the shape of a body than an actual human body.

This wine didnt actually make him transform back into a normal human body, it merely made his energy body start to function more like one. He didnt need to breathe air, but he could breathe in order to draw in Qi from Heaven and Earth, just like when he first started cultivating. He didnt need to sweat when he grew hot, but he could use sweat to vent excess energy. Sage focused inward and started rapidly analyzing everything about the way his body was currently feeling and operating. The Adjutor and the time dilation from the Inner World let him keep a perfect record of the changes he saw and Guan Zhenyans words helped him to realize that he wouldnt need to use the Master Seal to perform minor alterations to his body at this level. It was now just like one of his techniques, where with some time and effort he could strengthen and alter his Qi pores and meridians, the same could be done with his whole body. Of course, that had never been a problem for him as the Insect Immortal Index and now the Master Seal had given him great control over his own physiology.

Since the wine had such a great effect, did that mean the smoke and shavings also had additional powers?

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