While Harvey was pouring the drinks, Yaxiu quickly helped Weixi up; otherwise, she really would have kept idling on his lap.
Weixi smiled and asked, "Do you distrust your chains that much?"
"It's not that I distrust the chains—I trust you," Yaxiu said. "After witnessing your ambition in Dream Heaven, I knew I couldn't bind you forever. You will definitely break the chains, and you will definitely seek revenge on me."
Weixi raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, I haven't even repaid you for protecting me in Dream Heaven."
"The Witch and I protected you," Yaxiu replied casually. "If you want to repay me, let's just get along well until we become enemies."
"Then I'll throw in a bonus method where we don't have to become enemies." Weixi leaned close to Yaxiu and whispered, "I'm still in a human body easily influenced by the flesh. You could try sleeping me into submission.
"Or let me sleep you into submission. The result is the same."
Yaxiu felt a kiss on his forehead. He saw Weixi tap her lips and step back, her expression brimming with coquettish charm as she gave a low laugh. "Don't forget, a serpent has only two ways of killing—kissing and hugging."
Yaxiu rubbed his forehead, sensing that this venomous snake seemed to be in quite a good mood.
By then, Harvey had filled everyone's glasses. Just as the group was about to raise a toast in celebration, Yaxiu glanced at the murky liquid and asked casually, "What kind of wine is this?"
"Corpse fluid—"
*Smack!*
Before the words were even out, Yaxiu slapped Igola across the face, sending his head flying back just as his lips were about to touch the rim of the glass.
Only then did Harvey finish his sentence: "...The Colorless Chalice really does make corpse fluid taste good. I guarantee it with my rich tasting experience."
Igola slowly set down his glass and touched his red, stinging cheek.
A few words squeezed through his teeth: "Why didn't you slap my hand?"
"What if the liquid splashed onto your face and lips?" Yaxiu said with an earnest expression. "I wasn't getting back at you for mocking me earlier. My body just moved on instinct to protect you."
"Indeed." Igola ground his teeth. "I can truly feel your boundless affection. Well done!"
Having been slapped for no good reason and still forced to say it was a good slap, Igola could only vent his fury on Harvey, pouring all the corpse wine straight down his nose. Harvey didn't mind in the slightest, happily welcoming this novel method of drinking.
Yaxiu looked at the contaminated Colorless Chalice and had no choice but to ask Rose, "Could you take this and wash it? While you're at it, use the chalice to pour a round for everyone—except Harvey. He's had his fill."
Feili blinked in surprise. "We're still using the chalice?"
"We can't just toss aside such a useful tool because of Harvey," Yaxiu said helplessly.
While Yaxiu and the others were talking on the ground floor of the hall, a heated argument broke out on the second floor.
"Weixi was talked around by Yaxiu. What do we do?"
Nether Demon leaned against the stair railing, poking her head out to watch the people below, letting out a long sigh. "They really plan to burst the Sky Canopy of All Stars and let the Prime Angel escape!"
"Weixi was persuaded, shouldn't we be asking you that?" Black Demon mocked. "Don't you have a way to make her change her mind?"
"The problem is I don't!" Nether Demon threw up her hands. "If I were in her shoes, I'd definitely agree too. It really is a safer path—I can't think of a single reason to refuse!"
"From their perspective, they did nothing wrong," Mirror Master said calmly. "They were never qualified to compete for the angel's legacy in the first place. Letting the Prime Angel escape suits their interests better. They are too young; what they lack is decades of development time.
"It's just that the Prime Angel has already broken three virtual wings, and the seventh layer of the Void Realm is about to form. Nothing can be stopped now. A sorcery supreme must go to the seventh layer, otherwise..."
"Shouldn't the main point be that we can't stay that long!?" Nether Demon was on the verge of madness. "I didn't come here to watch Yaxiu's love life! If the Prime Angel doesn't die, nothing else can proceed!"
"That's what happens when there are too many surprises." Black Demon stretched lazily and analyzed, "Who could have expected Silver Lantern could help Yaxiu absorb the Dream Treasury? Our original plan was merely to let him construct an upper soul temple ahead of time, yet now he's gained an unimaginable Soul Kingdom of Heaven... Mirror Demon, you're quite capable once you become a god."
"I wouldn't know," Mirror Master said calmly. "Besides, Weise will turn into Silver Lantern, but I might not."
"So what do we do now? They're really going to help the Prime Angel escape—this isn't what was agreed!" Nether Demon snapped her head toward the shadows nearby. "Observer, to keep the plan from going astray, it's time we showed our real strength!"
Dead Frenzy suddenly stepped in front of Nether Demon, asking coldly, "What are you trying to do?"
"Enough already! They've leveled up the accounts well enough, it's time for us to log in." Nether Demon ignored Dead Frenzy entirely. "Observer, aren't you tempted? Can you really bear to watch Yaxiu squander such incredible resources?"
Dead Frenzy tightened her grip on her hilt. "Yaxiu won't squander anything."
"Last time we only played for a little while, not satisfying at all." Black Demon turned to Dead Frenzy. Her hair was a chaotic blend resembling dozens of mixed paint buckets, and her voice sounded like a seventeen-part chorus. "If they're going to derail things, I'd rather go down and play myself."
Dead Frenzy was not surprised by Black Demon's attitude. She looked toward Mirror Master beside her, who remained silent for a moment before offering an apologetic glance.
"Sword Demon, we cannot stay that long. Rather than pinning our hopes on a future we cannot see, I would rather witness our success or failure with my own eyes," she said. "The Prime Angel must fall, and a sorcery supreme must be born. We cannot let them act recklessly."
"Just who is acting recklessly here!?"
Dead Frenzy bristled with fury. She drew her blade entirely, and a boundless mountain of corpses and sea of blood surged from the scabbard, sweeping across the second floor. "If you want to lay a hand on Yaxiu, you'll have to ask my sword first!"
"Or rather, we only need to ask the one who holds the final say," Nether Demon laughed. "So, Observer, what is your answer?"
The four demons looked toward the Observer standing in the darkness. He tilted his head, watching the people in the hall below, and spoke slowly: "Their actions will lead to a future we cannot predict."
Nether Demon and Black Demon beamed with delight, while a bloody gleam flashed in Dead Frenzy's eyes.
"However, I don't believe they can delay the arrival of the new era."
Nether Demon and Black Demon's faces instantly fell. Dead Frenzy sheathed her sword with satisfaction. Surprised, Mirror Master stepped closer and tugged at the Observer's sleeve, murmuring, "But their plan is indeed very feasible."
"All great eras come to an end, just as everything sacred is destined to die," the Observer said. "On the contrary, I want to see whether they can truly create a miracle."
"Can't you speak more plainly!" Nether Demon yelled. "Aren't you just blindly gambling your hopes on them?"
"Must I spell it out?" the Observer said coldly. "What I mean is, even if I let you log in, you wouldn't do any better than them."
"Based on what?" Black Demon protested.
The Observer replied indifferently, "Based on the fact that every one of us took pride in making an enemy of the world."
Nether Demon and Black Demon were naturally unconvinced. Though Mirror Master did not object, her expression showed clear disagreement. Only Dead Frenzy leaned against the railing, cupping her chin in both hands as she watched the hall below.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
Footsteps echoed on the stairs. They turned to see Rose carrying a tray up, bearing five glasses filled with wine.
Rose placed the tray on the dining table beside them and immediately turned to leave.
Dead Frenzy, Mirror Master, Black Demon, and Nether Demon all wore bewildered expressions. Only the Observer walked over, picked up a glass, took a sip, and said to Rose, "Thank you."
Then he turned to the others and said, "Yaxiu's treat. Have a drink."
Chapter 949