"According to the information I got when I touched it, I can use thirteen types of ingredients to make thirteen different wines. The first ten are elemental chi wines created by absorbing the essence from natural treasures or cores corresponding to that element. They are beneficial to elemental cultivators."
"Among the remaining three, the Blood Chi Wine is created using the bodies of demon beasts as raw material. Although it is not edible for humans, it can be used with the Crooked Staff to strengthen or revive fallen tamed beasts."
"The next one is the Seductive Maiden Wine. It is made by using 360 poisonous herbs in a very precise combination. It is said that anyone who drinks it will become immune to all poisons in this world. Of course, it was also said to be the most addictive wine among all thirteen, as the feeling it gives the body is described as something not even a heavenly maiden could make you feel."
"The last one is the Merciful Maiden Wine. It is also made of 360 herbs, but using medicinal herbs instead of poisonous ones. It is said to be a divine medicine which can cure all diseases and heal any type of wound within the same realm, with the added benefit of preserving the youth and health of the body if drunk regularly," Draven finished as he put both the Crooked Staff and the wine gourd inside his golden dragon tattoo.
"It's the Seductive Maiden Wine. It's definitely the Seductive Maiden Wine," Silas mumbled to himself with a flushed face.
"All these wines have a fermentation period of one month inside the wine gourd, so even if we get all the ingredients it will still take some time," Draven said when he saw Silas's almost maddened expression.
"It's just a month. I started searching for this wine gourd about seventy years ago. Now, waiting a little longer to taste this divine nectar is not a problem for me. You just tell me the ingredients. I will send someone to collect them all in one go," Silas waved his hand and said with his usual lazy expression.
Draven nodded and pulled out a book and pen from his storage ring before listing the names of 720 different plants in it.
"Kid, didn't I tell you not to expect any help from me? If you want the ingredients for the Merciful Maiden Wine, you have to collect them yourself. Don't count on me," Silas said with a frown when he saw the long list.
Draven chuckled. "The formula for the Seductive Maiden Wine will only work in the controlled environment inside the wine gourd, created by employing more than half a million ancient arrays. If you try to recreate it without my wine gourd, it will only end up as a deadly poison."
Silas stared at Draven coldly when he heard this. "Do you really think you have what it takes to negotiate with me?"
"I don't know what my real mother's name is, but from the time I can remember, I was Lira's son. I think that qualification is enough to negotiate with you," Draven said nonchalantly.
Silas's mouth twitched. "Although you are not her real son, you did inherit her sharp tongue."
The next second, he waved his hand and out of nowhere a six-foot-tall man with a strong frame appeared in front of them.
Draven was stunned when he saw this, for the reason that this man was only wearing underwear with smiley patterns printed on it. His body language was also posed as though he had been about to kiss someone he was hugging.
Suddenly, the strong man sensed something was off when he felt the person he was hugging earlier was now missing from his arms. But when he opened his eyes, his face stiffened for a moment before he hurriedly knelt down on the floor on one knee.
"28th Supreme Commander, Ben Nyxborn, greets the Family Head."
Silas waved his hands with a disgusted look on his face. "First, cover yourself with something. I am having a strong urge to beat you up when I look at all those smiley faces."
Ben hurriedly nodded and the next second he was covered in a black ninja suit which somewhat resembled Draven's Silent Eclipse. Draven didn't even see when this guy put on his clothes.
"For us Nyxborns, having relations with someone other than our own wives is considered a taboo. You know this, right?" Silas asked with a frown as he fixed his eyes on the strong man, who appeared to be even more robust than Silas himself.
Ben smiled confidently when he heard this. "I will never disobey the teachings of my ancestors. The woman I was with is my 99th officially married wife. It is not against our ancestral teachings."
Draven and Silas looked at each other speechlessly. Technically, both of them were certified singles, so for some reason, both were clueless why Ben was telling them having 99 wives was something so glorious.
Ben also noticed Draven, and to be precise, the black hoop earring on his left ear. There was a similar earring on his ear also, but compared to Draven's black earring, it was a grayish earring with a silvery touch to it.
"Family Head, is this..." Ben turned to Silas with a disbelieving look on his face.
Silas nodded. "He is Lira's adopted son. Since she is no more, he will lead the Nyxborns after me."
"Greetings, Senior Ben," Draven bowed to Ben with one hand on his chest.
Ben sighed. He patted Draven's shoulder and said, "Lira was like a little sister to me, so just call me Uncle from now on. No need for any other formalities."
Draven nodded. "Please take a seat. I will get something for you to drink."
About an hour later, Ben put down his 11th cup of tea and nodded in understanding. "So this little guy is actually from the Skywalker family. No wonder I sensed strong chaos elemental chi around him. Anyway, you can leave the collection of these herbs to me. Although most of them are considered some of the rarest ones, I will try to gather them as soon as possible."
Ben paused for a moment and said, "There is one more thing. Since you have the Dream Walker physique and need elemental seeds to form a Heavenly Elemental Star inside you, I have a great suggestion for you."
Draven, who was refilling Ben's cup for the 12th time, looked at him in surprise. "What's that?"
"In about five months' time, there will be a competition in the 20th Stronghold for people below the Lord Realm. According to the intel I got, it is conducted by your little aunt from your father's side. The reward will be a 0th-tier weapon with the potential to reach the 10th tier, and a chance to comprehend the Five Element True Hand technique of the Euryale family," Ben said as he took a sip from the teacup.
"And what's in it so special for me?" Draven asked in confusion.
Ben smiled. "That weapon is actually a brush with an elemental seed embedded in it. If my intel is correct, this particular elemental seed is a very rare mutated one which contains five different types of elements. According to the rumors, it was actually a chaos elemental seed which somehow mutated into a five-element seed."
"Although it will be a waste breaking such a fine treasure to extract its elemental seed, it is absolutely worth it if you can absorb it as your Heavenly Star Core. This way, it will only put the burden of a single core in your inner world, but you will end up with five elemental cores."
Draven's eyes lit up. "That's great..."
"Do you know what a Lord Realm is?" Suddenly Silas, who was silently drinking at the side, lifted his head and asked Draven.
Draven froze for a moment and shook his head.
"Guessed it," Silas smiled mockingly. "Above the Ascendant Realm comes the Sentient Realm, and above it is the Lord Realm. So, in simple terms, you will be facing people at the very top of the third realm in this competition, and not ordinary rookies, but the real geniuses from each stronghold. After all, the fact that the weapon has a growth potential of reaching the 10th tier itself is something that would even make God Realm experts take an interest in it."
Ben also scratched his head. "Can't we send some of our geniuses in place of little Draven to participate in the competition?"
Silas glared at him. "Seventy percent of us are primarily warriors. Do you really think those muscle-heads have what it takes to compete against geniuses who specialize in the creation arts? Of course they might win if you allow them to just beat up all the participants however they wish. But competing with them in creation art? I bet we don't even have more than ten who have practised it, even if we didn't consider their level of expertise."
Ben nodded with an awkward smile, but then suddenly he thought of something and asked Draven, "Little Family Head, why don't you contact your sister and try to have her pull some strings to get that brush through the back door?"
Draven shook his head. "They previously offered to adopt me and sponsor my cultivation resources. I was the one who refused it, so going back to beg them is not an option."
Just as they were talking, Silas suddenly waved his hand and the next second, Ben vanished from the house as though he had never been there.
"First, go to the Merchant Association and gather as much news as possible on the Mirror Heart. Without it, even if you get an elemental seed, it would be useless," Silas said matter-of-factly, before he too vanished from the room.
Draven let out a sigh and took out his phone from his storage ring. There were not many missed calls since Draven was not one with many friends. Still, there were more than twelve missed calls from an unknown number.
With a frown on his face, Draven dialed the number.
"Hello? Is this Brother Draven?" When the call connected, Draven heard a familiar voice from the other side.
"Alexandria? What's the matter? I saw more than a dozen missed calls on my phone," Draven asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"No... no, it's nothing serious. I was just worried about your safety. There is nothing else," Alexandria said hurriedly.
"Oh, I am safe. Thank you for the concern. Good night," Draven said gratefully and hung up the call.
At the other end, Alexandria and her few fellow students stared blankly at each other when they heard the beeping sound of the disconnected call.
"Are you sure about his... sexual orientation?" one of them asked Alexandria hesitantly.
"Don't sprout nonsense. That guy is the number one husband material in the entirety of the 36th Stronghold. It is just that he has a somewhat too innocent heart, so he doesn't know the way a man should treat a woman," another one from the group said with an infatuated look on her face.
The rest of the three girls in the room also nodded along.
"Yeah... yeah... We have to save that innocent boy as his elders. Let's teach him everything personally."
"You are right. We have to help him."
Alexandria's mouth twitched when she saw the stars shining in her fellow students' eyes. "Guys, I think we agreed on this a long time ago. Are you going back on your word now?"