Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The aroma of wine permeated the tavern, not strong or pungent, but rather gently seeping into every corner of the air.

Shang Yue couldn't help but take a few more breaths. Her originally clear and cold silver eyes brightened slightly, and a rare fluctuation flashed deep in her pupils.

As a member of the Winged Clan, she has never been able to resist things that have been refined over time.

Hugh pushed the wine bottle in front of Lin Yi, then took out three small silver wine cups from the brocade pouch at his waist and placed them on the table one by one.

"Try it." Hugh's voice was still languid, that lazy tone seemed to be innate, but there was a rare seriousness in his tone, "Starfire Brew aged for three hundred years. The annual production is less than ten bottles, and I usually can't bear to drink it."

As he said this, his gaze lingered on the wine bottle for a moment.

Shangyue looked at the bottle of wine, then at Hugh, but did not make a move immediately.

The bottle is made of transparent crystal, allowing you to clearly see the state of the liquid inside.

The liquid had a pale amber color and appeared calm when left to stand, but upon closer inspection, one could see extremely tiny specks of light slowly floating within it, like fireflies trapped in the liquid.

The bottle is engraved with a series of complex runes, which are the exclusive mark of the Arcane Eternal Star and cannot be faked.

Although Shangyue had no grudge against Hugh, she didn't even know him before today.

However, at this moment on the stage of the battle for supremacy, Shang Yue is temporarily standing with Lin Yi and Su Xiao. Regardless of the reason, this fact has been established.

This puts Shangyue in a position of opposition to Hugh – at least in terms of the competition format.

Accepting an invitation under these circumstances requires a degree of caution, and one might even say a bit of courage.

The lifespan of the winged race is very long, long enough to witness too many tragedies caused by momentary negligence.

The word "cautious" is ingrained in her very being.

Hugh met Shangyue's gaze, understood her hesitation and her concerns, and then chuckled softly.

There was no mockery in that smile; instead, there was a kind of worldly wisdom in it.

"Don't worry, it's not poisonous." He said it casually, as if stating a trivial fact.

Then he poured himself a glass, the movement swift and decisive.

The wine glasses are very small, just enough for one sip.

He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing, then he smacked his lips, a satisfied expression on his face.

"Good things are good things, and every time you drink them, you'll have one less."

Shangyue then picked up the wine bottle, poured a glass for Lin Yi first, and then poured one for herself.

When the wine was poured into the glass, the aroma became even stronger, but strangely, it wasn't cloying. Instead, it had a refreshing feel, like a breeze blowing in the middle of the night.

The wine is a pale amber color, and when gently swirled in the glass, a very faint silver sheen appears on the surface, like twinkling starlight in the night sky.

The light was not dazzling, but rather floated softly, changing shape as the wine swayed.

Lin Yi picked up his wine glass, but didn't rush to drink it. Instead, he observed the wine for a moment.

With his experience, he could tell that this wine was indeed extraordinary.

That silvery sheen is not something artificially added, but rather something that forms naturally in the wine itself during long-term aging in cellars—only the finest aged wines possess this characteristic.

The moment the liquor entered my throat, a warm, gentle sensation spread from my stomach to my limbs and bones. It didn't feel like the burning of strong liquor, but rather like a gentle energy nourishing my body.

Lin Yi felt lightheaded, yet remained clear-headed; this delicate balance was extremely difficult to maintain.

Shang Yue also took a sip, and her silver eyes instantly lit up. Her pupils contracted slightly and then narrowed into a comfortable arc.

"Good wine." She commented simply, but those who understand will naturally understand the weight contained in those two words.

Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Hugh's face.

It softened his overall demeanor, making him less lazy and more genuine.

"Of course. This is something I prepared carefully; it can't be too bad." He said, pouring himself another glass, leaning back in his chair, his posture so casual that it was as if he were in his own backyard, not in a battle for supremacy.

His gaze drifted through the window to the two men still fighting outside.

Outside the window, the battle between Dillian and Su Xiao had entered a fierce stage.

Golden and cyan lights collided continuously, explosions echoed one after another, and dazzling halos burst open in the night sky.

The streets were riddled with craters, and the once smooth stone pavement had been transformed into the surface of the moon, riddled with craters of varying depths and crisscrossing cracks.

Several of the once neatly arranged stone houses have been razed to the ground, with rubble scattered everywhere, constantly being crushed into finer powder in the aftermath of the battle.

Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring part of the view, but the two figures were moving too fast, so fast that even the smoke and dust couldn't keep up with their pace.

The Spellbreakers are known as Elemental Guardians. The energy of the Blue Steel Shadow will not actively devour the elements. This is the core characteristic that distinguishes the Spellbreakers from other Spell Devourers.

The mage sage Sephiria used this to create the Li element.

According to theoretical deduction, Li element should be the best weapon to deal with the destroyers of law.

It will not be easily consumed by the energy of the Blue Steel Shadow, while retaining the characteristics of the element, and can be reshaped and transformed at any time in battle.

This theory has succeeded countless times in deduction and countless times in experimentation, but what will happen when it is actually faced with the destroyers of the law?
Now, the results are right before our eyes.

Dillin, who drives the Li element, must have something like a magic circuit or magic core within her body—this is an ability that every spellcaster must possess, and it is also the foundation of spellcasting.

But throughout the battle, Dillian has never cast a spell, not even once.

Her fighting style is entirely close combat; her swordsmanship is sharp and precise, and she demonstrates extremely high combat skills in both advancing and retreating.

Moreover, they possess strong melee capabilities, coupled with Li elemental weapons that cannot be easily devoured by the Blue Steel Shadow energy. By all accounts, these are all aimed at the Destroyers of Law.

This is too deliberate.

It was so deliberate that it made one feel that Dillian's life over the past few decades had been entirely prepared for this moment.

All her training, all her efforts, all her suffering were for the purpose of defeating the enemy she had never seen before when she encountered the Destroyer of Laws.

Ding!
The long sword was held horizontally in front of Su Xiao, the blade rubbing against the air and producing a faint hum.

Dilline, wielding a spiral rapier, stopped in front of him. Her figure suddenly came to a standstill after moving at high speed, and the strong wind she generated dispersed the surrounding dust.

The sword tip pierced the blade of the Dragon Slayer, sparks flying everywhere.

The two looked at each other.

Dillian's eyes were filled with fighting spirit, and a deeply hidden fanaticism—the emotion of finally having the opportunity to unleash years of obsession.

Her breathing was steady, her hand holding the sword was steady, and she was in peak condition.

Su Xiao's half-closed eyes showed no emotion, as if the person in front of him was not an enemy who could threaten him, but just a rock that needed to be split open.

The energy of the Azure Steel Shadow surged forth, instantly spreading from the blade and clinging to the spiral rapier.

The energy was bluish-green, with an eerie beauty, like the ghostly light in the deep sea.

With a loud crack!
The spiral rapier exploded, not just broke apart, but completely shattered, as if it had been burst open from the inside by something.

Fragments scattered and flew everywhere, leaving silver trails in the air before landing with a soft thud.

Dillian's eyes widened in disbelief.

She had considered many possibilities. She had imagined the battle would be difficult, that she might get injured, and even that she might lose. But she never imagined that the Li elemental weapon would collapse during combat.

This was completely beyond her comprehension and beyond the scope of Serphia's deductions.

The energy of Blue Steel Shadow is not incapable of devouring natural elements—this is a long-standing belief among spellcasters.

However, they overlooked one point: as the core ability of the Destroyer of Laws, in most cases, the Blue Steel Shadow energy does not actively devour natural elements because it has a higher priority.

When the destroyer of the Dharma needs it to devour, it will devour.

The so-called targeting is merely a relative suppression.

In the face of absolute suppression, any attempt to target someone is a joke.

Zheng.

The long sword grazed almost to the side of Dillian's neck, the force of the blade leaving a small bloodstain on her neck.

She leaned back as far as she could, and several strands of her long hair were cut off as the blade sliced ​​through them, slowly drifting down into the air.

Dillian's eyes widened, filled with disbelief and a sense of existential unease.

Her breathing became erratic, her steps became unsteady, and her entire rhythm was disrupted by the knife.

I almost tripped over my own foot while backing up, and it took me two steps to regain my balance.

The misfortunes she suffered in her childhood were all for the sake of obtaining the Li element, in order to perfectly control this alien element.

All of this is in response to the potential emergence of those who would destroy the Dharma.

This is the meaning of her existence, the motivation for her to endure everything, and the only thing she believes in.

Now, the destroyers of the law have truly appeared.

Along with it, Dillian's mentality also collapsed.

Hemorrhage.

It wasn't an injury, it was the collapse of my belief.

Dillian stood there, gripping the empty hilt of her sword, as if her soul had been ripped away. Su Xiao did not pursue, because he sensed that Hugh's aura had already locked onto him.

Inside the tavern, Hugh watched this scene and sighed softly.

"That girl, Dillin, is talented, but she's too stubborn." His tone carried a hint of helplessness, as if he were commenting on an immature junior rather than a potential threat.

Lin Yi listened to these words but did not respond; he simply continued to sip the wine in his glass.

Shangyue remained silent.

She was not interested in the internal affairs of the spellcaster, nor did she intend to get involved.

But Hugh's attitude surprised her somewhat.

As a member of Arcane Eternal Star, he should have stood by Dillin's side, or at least verbally defended his own people.

But he didn't. Instead, he evaluated it in an almost objective tone, even with a hint of criticism.

Such a person would be an anomaly in any camp.

Too clear-headed, too insightful, too difficult to be swayed.

But it was precisely because of this that he lived longer than others.

“She believes whatever Lady Serphia says without ever thinking for herself whether it’s right or wrong. What do those grudges from back then have to do with her? She wasn’t even born then.”

Lin Yi listened to these words but did not respond; he simply continued to sip the wine in his glass.

Hugh seemed not to need his response and continued talking to himself.

"Lady Serphia, you know, has had a tough life. Anyone would hold a grudge after what happened back then. But holding a grudge is one thing, and passing that grudge on to the next generation is another. She herself doesn't even know what she wants, whether she wants a daughter or a knife. Dillin has been torn between these two things since she was a child, it's no wonder she's not normal."

“When I met Dillian, she was only seven years old. She had just been adopted by Lady Serphia and was as thin as a bamboo pole. She would hide from everyone she saw.”

"She thought that as long as she was strong enough and useful enough, Lady Serphia would keep her. She's been stubborn since she was a child; once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it."

He paused, then took another sip of wine.

“That girl, Dillin, is suffering inside, but she can’t express it. She can only vent her anger on others. The Destroyer of Law is the perfect target.”

The three of them sipped their wine while watching the battle outside the window, and the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the tavern.

Mond's rugged face appeared in the doorway, his body steaming, his skin still bearing the dark red marks left by Hugh's black flames. He froze when he saw Lin Yi and the other two sitting by the window, enjoying wine.

"You guys were drinking and didn't invite me?"

Hugh felt a headache coming on when he saw Mond.

A rare crack appeared on that languid face, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

When Hugh's Black Flame cleared the area, he deliberately left Mondstadt with a little extra food—not to kill him, but to let him lie down a little longer so he wouldn't bother him while he was enjoying his wine.

I didn't expect this guy to recover so quickly.

The demon race's constitution is indeed outrageous, so outrageous that even a seasoned spellcaster like Hugh couldn't help but curse inwardly.

For anyone else, that level of burning would have required at least half an hour of bed rest, but Mondstadt appeared here lively and energetic in less than ten minutes, and judging from his condition, his combat power had recovered to at least 70-80%.

Lin Yi raised his hand and beckoned to him.

Mond scratched his head, stepped in, and sat down next to Lin Yi.

He glanced at the wine bottles and glasses on the table, then at the two men still fighting outside the window, his face full of confusion.

"No, they were fighting like that, and you're all drinking here?"

Lin Yi didn't answer, but simply pushed the wine glass in front of him.

Mond paused for a moment, then picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The moment the liquor entered his throat, his eyes widened suddenly.

"This wine..." He smacked his lips, seemingly savoring the complex flavor, "...good stuff!"

These three words carried extra weight when he said them.

Demons are always straightforward and will not lie to please anyone.

Good is good, and bad is bad; there is no middle ground.
Upon hearing this, Hugh's lips curled into a smile.

"Demons are indeed all straightforward."

He paused, then added, "But don't even think about this wine. The annual production is less than ten bottles, not even enough for myself."

Upon hearing this, Mond wasn't angry about Hugh's earlier little trick; he just scratched his head and grinned.

For him, being able to drink a sip was already a bonus; as for Hugh's little schemes, he didn't take them to heart at all.

But at this moment, Hugh stood up and looked out the window.

He couldn't just sit and watch Dillian die; if he did, he wouldn't fare well when he got back.

Even if Lady Serphia has complicated feelings for Dillin, she is still one of her people.

She can be dissatisfied, disappointed, or even give up on herself.

But it wouldn't do if someone else abandoned Dillian in front of her.

This is a common problem among those in positions of power, and it's also the most subtle aspect of interpersonal relationships.

It's alright for her to die in the battle for supremacy—that's the rule of the competition, and no one can change it.

But dying in front of Hugh, while he stood by and did nothing, is a completely different matter.

Black flames appeared in front of Di Lin, separating Su Xiao from her.

Xiu slowly stood up, as dark clouds surged in the sky.

Boom!

A rumble of thunder sounded, and a flash of lightning illuminated Hugh's face in the night.

"Are we going to fight to the death here?"

The languid look on Hugh's face faded, his eyelids lowered, and black flames burned fiercely around him. His aura was completely different from before. If Hugh was a dozing cat before, he was now like a beast awakening, dangerous and oppressive.

Su Xiao didn't speak, but the aura of blood spread around him.

The Dragon Slayer remained by his side, its blade gleaming with a faint blue light.

He didn't rush to attack, nor did he let his guard down; he simply stood there, waiting for the other side's next move.

He appeared relaxed, but those who knew him well knew that this relaxation itself was the most dangerous state—like a cheetah lying in wait before hunting, seemingly lazy, but actually ready to unleash a fatal blow at any moment.

"Forget it, I heard that being slashed by a Law Destroyer is extremely painful."

Hugh's expression returned to its languid state. He snapped his fingers, and a bolt of black lightning struck down from the sky, hitting Dillian directly.

"what!!"

Dilline let out a short scream as lightning surged across her body. However, the lightning wasn't meant to harm her; rather, it served as the activation medium for some kind of teleportation spell. Spatial fluctuations instantly enveloped her, and her form began to blur.

"Huh, you actually chopped me down directly..."

Dillian's voice distorted in the spatial fluctuations, and as the last word fell, her figure completely disappeared from the spot.

"We'll see each other in the fourth or fifth round. It would be a lose-lose situation if both sides were to suffer heavy losses."

As Hugh's voice faded, the surrounding black flames gradually burned out.

He didn't look at Su Xiao again, nor at the people in the tavern. He simply put his hands in his sleeves and walked towards the end of the street.

Su Xiao withdrew his senses and sheathed his longsword.

Inside the tavern, Lin Yi and his companions had already sat down again.

Su Xiao pushed open the door and sat down in the empty chair.

Bubuwang immediately came over and rubbed its head against his leg, as if to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"Is it resolved?" Lin Yi asked.

"I'm leaving," Su Xiao said succinctly.

Lin Yi nodded without asking any further questions.

He poured Su Xiao a glass of wine and pushed it in front of him.

Su Xiao picked up her wine glass and took a sip, a hint of surprise flashing in her half-closed eyes.

The quality of this wine truly exceeded my expectations; being able to drink it in a place like this is a rare moment of relaxation.

Mond looked at Su Xiao, hesitating to speak.

He had never liked spellcasters, but Hugh's actions just now left him somewhat puzzled.

Despite being on opposing sides and having the opportunity to join forces and kill them, they chose to leave alone.

This is somewhat difficult for demons to understand. (End of Chapter)