Chapter 116: Sharing Hardships Together

Lu Yang poured every ounce of his strength into roasting the Kui ox, a contest of wit, resolve, and sheer fortune where the slightest lapse meant failure, leaving him oblivious to Elder Ba’s gloating countenance.

The roasted Kui ox was finally finished, its enveloping fragrance lingering within the kitchen for three days without fading, proving that the Samadhi True Fire, a flame of Lu Yang’s own creation, indeed possessed exceptional merit.

In all the world, there existed a mere one hundred and eight types of true fire, yet Lu Yang, through his own innate talent, had forcibly added another, making such a flame naturally extraordinary.

Should Lu Yang desire it, he could directly establish a continent-wide chain of barbecue shops, or perhaps even found a Barbecue Sect.

This was an opportunity that countless barbarians could only dream of obtaining.

Yet Lu Yang remained detached from fame and wealth, possessing absolutely no inclinations toward such matters.

Lu Yang placed the roasted Kui ox upon a platter, arranging roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, and roasted cauliflower alongside it as garnishes, preparing to serve the dish, while the puppet regarded him with surprise, not expecting him to be so thorough.

Just as Lu Yang prepared to depart the kitchen, he noticed a massive chunk of meat missing from the Kui ox’s body, exposing grim white bone.

Lu Yang recalled the Bone-Growing Meat-Sprouting Pill he had recently exchanged.

“What would happen if I fed the Bone-Growing Meat-Sprouting Pill to the Kui ox? Would a piece of meat grow back?” Lu Yang thought, for if this succeeded, it would be a tremendous business opportunity.

Lu Yang acted upon his thought immediately, prying open the Kui ox’s mouth and forcing it to consume the pill.

A miraculous scene unfolded as a faint golden radiance emanated from the wound of the Kui ox’s carcass, and the roasted ox slowly floated up, reverting to raw meat before drifting back to the wound to fit seamlessly.

Lu Yang stood in stunned silence.

Was this even scientific?

The meat he had labored so hard to roast had just been reverted by the pill.

Even the puppet could not suppress its laughter, snickering silently in secret.

Left with no alternative, Lu Yang could only begin anew.

Fortunately, possessing the experience of the first attempt, his speed on the second turn was considerably faster, and Lu Yang simultaneously discovered that his proficiency with the Decisive Slash Formula, sword qi, and the Samadhi True Fire had also heightened.

Lu Yang fell deep into thought, wondering if this was precisely what the Eldest Senior Sister intended, allowing him to attain growth through the art of cooking.

Indeed, among cultivators there existed a lineage known directly as Spiritual Chefs, who cultivated precisely through cooking, meaning his own training shared a profound similarity with theirs.

“Eldest Senior Sister’s intentions are truly painstaking and kind!” Lu Yang felt deeply moved.

Eldest Senior Sister sat with her five centers facing heaven, cultivating before the dining table as various manifestations appeared around her: descending great stars, the revival of all creation, and tribulation lightning taking form, as though all the world’s anomalies were gathered here.

Noticing Lu Yang’s arrival, she slowly opened her eyes, and the diverse manifestations instantly retracted into her body, as if nothing had ever transpired.

“Roasted Kui ox?” Yun Zhi swept her gaze over the dinner Lu Yang had meticulously prepared, offering no further comment but gesturing for Lu Yang to join her in eating.

Lu Yang sat rigidly at the dining table, anxiously waiting for Eldest Senior Sister to take the first bite.

Yun Zhi sliced off a thin piece, her elegant mouth parting slightly to taste it gently, remarking, “Not bad.”

Only then did Lu Yang’s suspended heart finally settle.

Yun Zhi parted the storage space, drawing out a bottle of pills which she handed to Lu Yang, who observed the characters for Stomach-Strengthening Digesting Pill written upon the vessel.

“This is a classic medicine from the Pill Cauldron Peak, capable of promoting your digestion and absorption of food; the spiritual energy contained within the roasted Kui ox far exceeds your threshold of endurance, so you must eat slowly, utilizing the pills as an aid to absorb it gradually.”

Facts proved that the Pill Cauldron Peak, established at the very founding of the Wendao Sect and standing firm to this day, produced pills that were occasionally highly effective.

Lu Yang ate a small sliver, chewing gently a few times before the Kui ox meat slid into his stomach like a gel, its abundant spiritual energy surging in his belly and rushing straight to the crown of his head, sweeping away all fatigue from the roasting process and leaving his entire being thoroughly transparent.

Lu Yang’s eyes brightened, whereupon he swiftly consumed the medicine and sat in meditation to cultivate, sensing wave after wave of spiritual energy tides within his body.

For a demonic beast to possess the qualifications to warrant Yun Zhi’s personal execution, its cultivation was naturally exceedingly high.

Yun Zhi dined on the barbecue elegantly, chewing carefully and swallowing slowly to savor the flavor, as there were now few things left in existence capable of elevating her own cultivation.

Seven elders gathered within the pine forest of Tianmen Peak; aside from the Grand Elder and Yun Zhi, the upper echelon of the Wendao Sect was entirely present.

Even the elusive Sect Master was in attendance.

“To think that Old Ninth, an otherwise perfectly fine man, would meet with misfortune so suddenly.”

“Life is impermanent; who among us can predict what the future holds?”

The seven elders chattered and discussed, driving the meditating Daoist Buyu to such fury that he wished to draw his sword for a duel.

“I must not grow angry, I must not grow angry; I intend to meditate quietly for three days, and during this period I cannot break from my state of meditative concentration,” Daoist Buyu repeatedly admonished himself against wrath.

The seven elders gloated in amusement, for Old Ninth spent his days playing tricks on them, and having found an opportunity to mock him today, they naturally rushed over to do so, an occasion that might not present itself again in a lifetime.

“If you ask me, Old Ninth is still too narrow-minded; having a highly talented disciple is a grand thing, so how did he manage to anger himself into cerebral thrombosis?”

“Nonsense, how can that be called cerebral thrombosis? This is clearly a vegetative state!”

Daoist Buyu could endure it no longer, roaring out, “Do not push me too far, all of you!”

Just who had leaked his affairs to the others?

Little Yun? No, I cannot defeat her.

Then it must certainly be Lu Yang!

“Old Ninth, you finally have your day!” Elder Ba laughed with malicious glee.

When Elder Ba was young, he possessed a fondness for flowers and plants, and at that time, Daoist Buyu claimed there was a method of cultivation for vegetation where one buried themselves in the soil, leaving only the head exposed, to commune with the earth’s spiritual energy and thereby increase one’s cultivation.

To this day, Elder Ba remained unwilling to recall that foolish younger version of himself.

The shame of a lifetime!

“Hah! Take my sword!” Daoist Buyu executed the Four Absolute Sword Array, striking toward the crowd, and the seven elders instantly assumed defensive postures as lightning suddenly flashed at the entrance of the immortal cave, blocking the array’s assault.

The seven elders exhaled in relief, for Yun Zhi’s defenses remained reliable.

“Haha, Old Ninth, your swordplay has degenerated; your sword strikes cannot even emerge from a tiny cave entrance. Were it me, I would have broken out long ago!” Elder Ba laughed without restraint.

Daoist Buyu sneered coldly, “If you all possess the ability, then blast open the cave entrance yourselves.”

“Hmph, a mere cave entrance, what difficulty is there in blasting it open!” Elder Ba unleashed a palm strike with immense momentum, striking the entrance of the immortal cave, only for it to be similarly shattered by the lightning.

“An accident, let me try again!” Disbelieving his failure, Elder Ba tried once more, yet his attack was dissolved by the lightning all the same.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, “I have already calculated the location of the formation core, but my offensive methods are limited, so I implore you all to lend me your aid!”

The six elders readily agreed.

The seven elders exerted their strength simultaneously, attacking the position of the formation core Elder Ba had indicated, causing lightning to flash and thunder to roar all at once, as the entire pine forest filled with chaos and auspicious light, presenting an incredibly terrifying sight.

As if provoked, the immortal cave’s seal rose with a sudden suction force capable of devouring all things in creation, and the seven elders, seeing things turn sour, deployed various methods to flee, yet none could rival the suction and were drawn into the cave together.

The seven elders fell into stunned silence.

Daoist Buyu was deeply moved, wondering if this was the true, sincere camaraderie of fellow disciples, sharing both blessings and curses alike.

Yun Zhi, who was currently eating, paused abruptly as she perceived that the seal she had left for her master had been disturbed.

The people of the Wendao Sect possessed all manner of peculiar ideas, and fearing that someone might forcefully breach the seal, Yun Zhi had configured it such that if anyone attempted a forceful breakthrough, the seal would draw that person into the cave to be sealed alongside him.

“Surely there would not be such a person?” she murmured to herself, not entirely certain.