Emperor Evan rose in anger, his eyes flashing. "Give me back the wine jar!" he demanded.
Aiden Starr remained seated, his hand firmly gripping the mouth of the jar and extending it toward Evan. Emperor Evan slowly reached out his palm, and though the distance was short, it took him half the time of an incense stick to bridge it, as if each movement was a struggle.
Around the bonfire, Quinn Shepherd, Victor Bloom, and the others watched in silence, their eyes fixed on the two men's hands.
Starr's hand was rock-steady as he gripped the jar, his arm unmoving, while Emperor Evan's outstretched arm trembled slightly. Not only his arm, but all five fingers quivered, each tremor sending an incomparable shock through Quinn and the others.
With each tremor of his arm and fingers, it was as if Evan unleashed a divine art; his yuanqi condensed to the utmost, and between the lines of his skin on arm and palm, countless tiny flood-dragons could be faintly seen!
Beneath his skin, it seemed as if true dragons were coiling, gathering strength. Yet this power did not remain at its peak, but alternated between tension and release.
He cultivated the Nine-Dragon Emperor Art, which he had once taught to Quinn Shepherd. Later, Quinn passed on a version he’d deciphered from the True Dragon Nest to Lynn Ling, who in turn taught it back to him.
Emperor Evan was a peerless genius from the start. The Nine-Dragon Emperor Art was not an especially outstanding scripture, but he kept refining it, pushing its power to the limit. In the end, he made it extraordinary—enough to stand alongside the three great sacred lands.
After obtaining the True Dragon Nest scripture, he completely cured his hidden injuries. His divine treasury became even stronger than before, and even Starr acknowledged its solidity, believing Evan’s treasury had reached the god-realm!
This time, he had crossed the Divine Bridge and stepped into the realm of gods—his cultivation was now far more formidable than before.
Quinn Shepherd and Lynn Ling watched as, beneath Emperor Evan's skin, the power flowed like true dragons—stretching and contracting with perfect rhythm. Both were shocked to their core, gaining profound insights.
The Nine-Dragon Emperor Art Quinn had passed to Lynn Ling wasn't the complete True Dragon scripture; he couldn't fully decipher the dragon script. Later, with Felix and Queena White's help, he decoded more of the dragon glyphs and advanced the technique further. But after returning to Everpeace, he still hadn't had a chance to teach Lynn Ling the full version.
Emperor Evan, relying only on a partial scripture, managed to refine the Nine-Dragon Emperor Art to this level—his mastery nearly touching Dao itself. It was truly astonishing!
Yet even with Evan's True Dragon divine art on the verge of Dao, facing Aiden Starr, he still struggled to advance.
Every inch Evan's palm pushed forward was a tremendous effort. Though he disguised his divine arts well, compared to Starr's hand—steady as a mountain—he was clearly at a disadvantage.
Finally, Evan's hand grasped the jar's mouth. Starr suddenly flicked his finger, aiming straight at Evan's hand.
Evan flicked his finger in response. Their fingertips collided, and a faint wind stirred from within the jar, as if their finger-winds had set something in motion.
At the jar's mouth, their fingers danced like shadows, exchanging countless rapid strikes.
Crack!
Evan's expression shifted—his middle knuckle had snapped.
Evan forced himself to bear the pain, smiling as he released his grip and slowly stepped back. He said warmly, 'Since you love wine, I'll gift this jar to you.'
Starr set down the wine jar, acting as if nothing had happened. 'I'm a lightweight. I've had enough,' he said casually.
Lina the Spirit Fox, already craving a drink, caught the aroma and sauntered over, laughing, 'If you two aren't drinking, I'll try it myself.'
Suddenly, she heard a faint wind inside the jar. Looking in, she saw the wine swirling, and something seemed to be swimming and battling within the vortex.
She leaned her head closer to the mouth of the jar, trying to get a good look—when suddenly someone grabbed her collar and lifted her away.
Quinn pulled her back and set her down beside the bonfire, shaking his head. 'Don't look—it's dangerous. If you want wine, Lynn Ling can fetch a few jars for you.'
Lina the Spirit Fox probed, 'Master Quinn, what's inside this jar…?'
'It's terrifying.'
Quinn glanced furtively around and whispered, 'There are too many people here. Later, I'll poke it open for you—guaranteed to be spectacular.'
Lina was nearly trembling with excitement, her eyes glued to the wine jar.