chsdbacks Page 109
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There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a highly condensed shockwave, wrapped in black and red lightning, which, like thunder tearing through the night sky, collided head-on with the dark red energy torrent!
The moment the two forces came into contact, the dark red energy melted away like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun!
The countless painful screams contained within seemed to be purified and quickly subsided and dissipated!
Sabo's Overwhelming Impact, with absolute power and will, forcefully cleaved the evil energy in two, its momentum undiminished, heading straight for the High Priest himself!
"Impossible!!" The high priest's pupils shrank, his face filled with disbelief!
He frantically held the scepter horizontally in front of him, trying to defend himself.
The powerful impact slammed solidly into the scepter!
A crisp cracking sound was heard.
The gem at the top of the scepter, the evil core that had absorbed decades of pain and life, was now riddled with cracks, and then—
"Do not--!!!"
The high priest let out a desperate roar. As the gem shattered, the immense power within him rapidly dissipated like a deflated balloon, and his swollen body quickly withered away, returning to its old, hunched state.
He knelt down with a thud, looking at the scepter that was now only half in his hand, his face ashen.
Throughout the island, the residents' cries of anguish abruptly ceased.
They sat up blankly, touching their heads, as if the excruciating pain they had just experienced was merely a nightmare.
Then they picked up the wine jug and drank, and men, women, and children all did the same!
Beside the spring, all was deathly silent.
Sabo slowly lowered the steel pipe, and the dark red arcs of electricity around his body gradually subsided.
He walked up to the high priest, who was slumped on the ground, and looked down at him.
"Rule is not built on the suffering of the people."
The high priest raised his head, his eyes vacant, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.
His decades-long rule, the very force upon which he depended for survival, proved utterly vulnerable in the face of true power.
Lilith, clutching the wine jug, watched this scene, tears welling up in her eyes.
Robin and Kuina also came over.
Liu Jiu, still wearing his straw hat, stood not far away, like a quiet bystander.
The obstruction has been cleared.
Now, it's time to complete this redemption in the name of alcohol.
Let good wine cleanse the bad, and let "Drops of God" awaken the drunken soul.
Chapter 128 The Power of "Drops of God"
Everything is settled.
The high priest collapsed to the ground, as if his spine had been ripped out, his eyes vacant as he stared at the sky, muttering words no one could understand. The broken scepter in his hand, like his crumbling rule, had lost all its luster.
Sabo put away the steel pipe, and the domineering aura around him gradually subsided. He looked at Lilith and gave her an encouraging smile.
Kuina's gaze also fell on Lilith and the wine jug in her arms.
Robin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, enduring the discomfort from the shockwave, and smiled gently at Lilith: "Go, fulfill your and your father's wishes."
Lilith took a deep breath, her hands still trembling slightly as she held the wine jug, but her eyes were more determined than ever before.
She walked step by step toward the clear spring.
The spring water gushes forth, sparkling in the sunlight. It is the lifeblood of this intoxicated island and the last vessel through which the islanders can regain hope.
She looked down at the antique wine pot in her arms.
"Father..." she whispered, as if speaking to a departed loved one, "Do you see? We're about to succeed..."
She pulled again and removed the heavy stopper.
This time, no one stopped them.
The strange, invigorating aroma of the wine spread even more intensely, as if carrying some kind of purifying power, even diluting the originally sweet and rotten smell of wine in the air.
Lilith held the wine jug steadily in both hands and aimed the spout at the gushing spring.
The amber-colored liquid, like sunlight imbued with life, poured from the pot and silently merged into the clear spring water.
There were no earth-shattering phenomena, no spectacular sights.
The "Drops of God" thus silently merged with the island's lifeline, flowing through the crisscrossing underground pipes to every corner of the island.
Lilith remained in the tilting position until the last drop of liquid fell into the spring.
She slowly put down the empty wine jug, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, but her eyes shone with a bright light.
If the "Drops of God" are truly effective, then she is about to fulfill her father's long-held wish to stop the island's inhabitants from indulging in alcohol and allow everyone to live an inspiring and positive life every day.
Sabo, Kuina, and Robin watched her quietly, observing this frail yet incredibly strong girl.
Liu Jiu had somehow reached the spring. He bent down, scooped up a handful of spring water mixed with "Drops of God," brought it to his nose to smell it, and then took a sip.
He said nothing, but his calm gaze seemed to say it all.
It's definitely good wine!
Next, all you need to do is wait.
Waiting for this spring water, containing the essence of ultimate clarity, to flow through thousands of households and into countless dazed and confused wine bowls.
This island, numbed by alcohol for far too long, is finally waking up.
The sea breeze carried the sound of distant waves, and also... a commotion faintly emanating from the direction of the port, quite different from the usual drunken clamor.
The first wave of islanders to drink the spring water seemed to react faster than expected.
The commotion, like ripples, started at the port and quickly spread throughout the entire amber capital.
At the harbor, an old sailor who had just finished unloading cargo and habitually picked up a barrel of wine and took a big gulp suddenly froze.
My gaze involuntarily fell on the tap next to me, which was used to wash the deck.
As if possessed, he leaned over, scooped up some water with his hand, and took a sip.
The next second, his eyes widened suddenly!
"This! What is this?!"
He was as if he had discovered a rare treasure, and took several more sips, his face beaming with ecstatic joy.
Then, he took another sip of the wine from the barrel, made a separate comparison, smacked his lips, his brows suddenly furrowed, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
"This...this wine doesn't taste right?" he muttered, taking another sip, then his expression turned strange. "Why...why does it taste like watered-down horse urine?"
He spat, flung the wine barrel away, and bent down to drink tap water.
"Wow, hahaha, this is so delicious! This is what wine should be... no! This is even better than wine! Refreshing! Sweet! With an indescribable... clarity!"
Similar scenes played out throughout the island.
Inside the tavern, a burly man who was raising his glass to drink had just brought the glass to his lips when he stopped.
There was a wonderful aroma of wine in the air, one I had never smelled before.
He sniffed the liquid in his glass, then looked at his drunken companions around him, and suddenly found that the familiar smell of alcohol had become pungent and murky.
"Boss!" he slammed down his glass and shouted, "Is this wine spoiled?! It tastes wrong!"
The bar owner, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, looked up and stammered, "Nonsense! My...my liquor...hiccup...is the best!"
The burly man, too lazy to argue, rushed to the tap in the corner, where the aroma of wine was wafting from. Watching the tap water rinsing the empty glasses, he scooped up a ladleful and gulped it down.
"ha--!!!"
He let out a long sigh of relief, a look of extreme satisfaction on his face, as if he had drunk the finest nectar.
"It's the water! It's the water!" he shouted excitedly. "Everyone, drink the water! This water... this water is amazing!"
At first, the alcoholics were skeptical.
But as more and more people tried it, their reactions were surprisingly consistent—
Astonishment, ecstasy, and then utter disgust for the wine in his hand.
"My ale...how did it become so awful? It tastes like swill!"
"My fruit wine is the same! It's sour and has no flavor at all!"
"This tap water... God! I've never tasted anything so... so clean!"
"Clear-headed! I've never felt so clear-headed before!"
Discarded bottles, glasses, and barrels can be seen everywhere on the streets.
People flocked to public wells and taps like pilgrims, and even lay down by the stream to drink.
Their faces were no longer dull and drunk, but instead radiated a long-lost vitality and clarity.
"I...I think I remember what my wife looks like..." A man held a bowl of water, tears streaming down his face.
“I need to find a job... I can’t keep wasting my life like this…” another young man muttered to himself, looking at his trembling hands.
"My child...my child is still waiting for me at home..." A woman threw down her wine jug and stumbled as she ran towards her home.
Amidst the chaos, new life is born.
The ice of decadent indulgence began to melt rapidly before the clear spring transformed from the "Drops of God".
Lilith stood by the spring, listening to the increasingly clear clamor coming from afar. It was no longer the ramblings of a drunkard, but a wave of sound filled with surprise, joy, and hope.
A genuine smile of relief finally appeared on her face.
Tears fell silently, yet they were sweet.
Sabo patted her on the shoulder with a bright smile: "It seems your father's magic wine is quite effective!"
As Guina watched the crowd abandoning their wine and drinking water from afar, she nodded slightly: "It is indeed a very powerful wine, no exaggeration to call it a divine wine. It's just a pity that there is only one pot of it in the world."
Robin said softly, "One flavor ends all flavors. It transcends illusion with its ultimate expression. Perhaps only a brewer who strives for perfection can achieve this!"