Chen Tian was recuperating when a beam of light shot directly towards him. Chen Tian opened his eyes, devoid of any will to fight. He knew clearly who was coming; that aura belonged to the Sand King. He hadn't expected him to notice his location. Chen Tian slowly rose, intending to have a chat with this old friend. Back in the Divine Realm, this fellow had controlled a part of the desert. Even Chen Tian wouldn't dare to act rashly against a child of the desert. The Sand King's strength was not on par with a god, but he could contend with one. He was powerful.
The Divine Realm was far more complex than Chen Tian had imagined. A golden throne appeared before Chen Tian. He leaped up and sat upon it. The Sand King smiled kindly, "You're still the same! Not the least bit polite, are you?"
"You're no different. By the way, this should be your legacy clone, right? Is the energy enough? If not, I can help replenish it."
Chen Tian said with a knowing smile. The Sand King shook his head, "No need. I've already found the inheritor. Once they pass the trial, this clone of mine will dissipate. I came to have a chat with you. After tens of thousands of years, I've been waiting for the inheritor's arrival. Seeing the Divine Realm become like this now, I truly hate myself for being unable to act during times of danger."
"You can't be blamed for that. You were bound by the Heavenly Dao. You were too impulsive back then. Even for the desert people, you shouldn't have done that!"
Chen Tian sighed. He had witnessed everything the Sand King had done. When the Sand King was alive, Chen Tian was already the Heavenly Dao's spokesperson, existing at the pinnacle of the world. The Sand King was an equal to Chen Tian, with the only difference being the Sand King's inability to leave the desert, which meant they didn't interfere with each other. Initially, they were strangers. During a mission, Chen Tian needed to venture into the desert, and after encountering various incidents with the Sand King, their relationship improved, and they became sworn brothers.
The Sand King's aspiration was for the desert people to live lives akin to those in the cities. The desert people were born in the desert. At that time, the Heavenly Dao's rules were well-established. Desert-born people who tried to enter human cities would instantly wither and die. Each race had its own territory. Before the Divine Realm was attacked by the Evil Spirits, it was as peaceful as ever. Under the Heavenly Dao, no one dared to defy it, yet the Sand King did. Resources in the desert were scarce, with even water being rare. Moreover, the Heavenly Dao didn't always concern itself with the desert region.
Seeing his suffering people, a desperate thought emerged in the Sand King's mind: to fundamentally transform the desert people into human origins, enabling them to enter human cities. Of course, this was impossible without the Heavenly Dao's consent. At the time, the Heavenly Dao, aware of the Sand King's intentions, wanted Chen Tian, its spokesperson, to kill the Sand King. Chen Tian refused. Chen Tian only killed enemies, never his own kind; this was his unwavering principle. The Heavenly Dao, with no other option, took action itself.
The Heavenly Dao was very powerful back then. Even Chen Tian was slightly inferior. However, after training, Chen Tian became equal to the Heavenly Dao, jointly managing the Divine Realm.
"Let's not talk about the past. Do you have any wine? We rarely meet; let's have a good drink."
"Alright."
Chen Tian waved his arm, and a room appeared. He gestured for the Sand King to enter, saying, "Please, let's go in and drink to our heart's content."
The wine of the Epoch of Time also possessed flavor, created entirely according to real-world tastes, but one couldn't get drunk. Chen Tian wouldn't entertain his friend with illusory wine; his storage ring held plenty of good wine for them.
"Then I shall gratefully accept. Today, I'll drink you under the table! I'll definitely win this time."
"It seems we've always been tied when it comes to drinking."
Chen Tian scratched the back of his head. His encounter with the Sand King was due to wine. The Sand King loved wine, and Chen Tian loved swords. Two people with entirely different interests met. It was on that day.
On that day, Chen Tian personally went to the desert region. Chen Tian had received a message from the Heavenly Dao stating that there were special fluctuations in the desert region and asked him to investigate. The desert region was like a normal city, except the cities within were made of sand. Chen Tian descended from the sky. Chen Tian's identity was special, and all beings in the desert region feared him. Chen Tian was accustomed to this situation; as the Heavenly Dao's spokesperson, he was feared wherever he went.
Even top powers treated him with some apprehension. Chen Tian had the Heavenly Dao behind him. If Chen Tian had his way, he wouldn't want to leave his palace and would rather cultivate diligently. His swordsmanship had reached a bottleneck, and he hoped this outing would help him improve. This was Chen Tian's thought, but it was difficult. The higher one's cultivation, the harder it was to break through bottlenecks. This was true for cultivators as well.
"Hahaha! Come, come, continue drinking with me. We won't stop until we're drunk!"
A hearty laugh echoed, and a young man appeared beside Chen Tian. He immediately recognized that Chen Tian was not from the local area and was not a desert resident. Feeling a craving for wine, he wanted to find someone to drink with. He didn't care about Chen Tian's identity; all he cared about was drinking.
Chen Tian was thus forcibly dragged away. This fellow was the king of the desert. It was Chen Tian's first time entering the desert region, and he needed to inform the other party. This was opportune. It was about drinking, which Chen Tian could do, though he rarely drank, spending most of his time studying swordsmanship.
Upon entering the room, wine jars were placed directly on the table. The Sand King laughed maniacally, "Kid, if you can outdrink me, you can go anywhere in the desert; I won't stop you."
"The desert people won't stop you either. But if you can't outdrink me, you have to drink with me until I fall."
Chen Tian touched his forehead. This guy was just as the Heavenly Dao had said. When he came, the Heavenly Dao had warned him that the Sand King had a great thirst for alcohol and to be careful not to be dragged into drinking. Now it seemed true.
Chen Tian waved his arm, unsealing a wine jar, and said, "Then I shall drink with you."
Thus, Chen Tian and the Sand King drank for three days and three nights, and both eventually collapsed. Drunk, Chen Tian's swordsmanship perception changed, and suddenly, the bottleneck in his swordsmanship broke. Chen Tian's swordsmanship improved. From then on, Chen Tian and the Sand King's relationship grew stronger. The Sand King was happy that Chen Tian could match his drinking prowess, and Chen Tian found the Sand King to be a friend worth associating with.
"Clink!"
In the room, Chen Tian and the Sand King's wine cups collided. Chen Tian laughed, "Remember how you looked back then."
"You're laughing at me? You weren't much better when we were competing in drinking. The image of the Heavenly Dao's spokesperson!"
"Tsk tsk, you're not afraid of being laughed at if this gets out."
"We agreed not to bring up embarrassing past events; you're supposed to keep it buried in your heart."
Chen Tian spoke, and the Sand King burst into laughter. He was indeed his good friend. The two clinked their cups and continued drinking.
Chen Tian asked, "By the way, who is that young man who triggered your inheritance?"
"Over there, it's him."
The Sand King waved his arm, and the scene from the trial appeared. Chen Tian saw Sen Sha's lips curl upwards and said, "It looks like you've found a good inheritor."
"Don't tell me you know him."
Chen Tian nodded. After teaming up with Sen Sha for so long, Chen Tian had gotten to know him to some extent. Sen Sha was indeed a hardworking person. Chen Tian believed that such a person inheriting the Sand King's legacy wouldn't go astray.