Chapter 27: Breakthrough in Baixiang Pavilion

The imperial family and the Meng clan maintained an intimate bond, their lineages frequently intertwined through marriage.

Prodigies emerged from the Meng family in an endless succession; whenever the world believed their foundation spent and their descendants incapable of sustaining the clan's grandeur, a genius would burst forth as if from nowhere to shoulder the mantle and prolong their immortal legend.

Thus ran the rumor that the Mengs had bound their clan's destiny to the fortunes of the Great Xia Dynasty, ensuring that as long as the empire endured, the Meng family would never perish.

"It is not quite so exaggerated," Meng Jingzhou said with a hearty laugh, though his attempt at humility rang hollow. "I had no idea you two had already guessed that I am that very genius who burst forth from nowhere."

"...No, we never thought you were a genius." Lu Yang spoke the absolute truth; if the chronically eccentric Meng Jingzhou were ever to shoulder the mantle, the immortal legend of the Meng family would likely end right then and there.

If one were speaking of geniuses, it was he, Lu Yang—the future pillar destined to shoulder the weight of the Ascendant Sect—who truly deserved the title.

The two traded mutual flattery while subtly disparaging one another, completely forgetting that beside them sat Tao Yaoye, whose Feathered Immortal Physique marked her as a talent far superior to both Single Spiritual Roots and Sword Spiritual Roots.

Fortunately, neither lingered long on the matter, for a colossal, primordial aura suddenly erupted from the floor below, rippling through the entirety of the Hundred Fragrances Pavilion.

Had the building not been structurally fortified, this mere blast of pressure would have collapsed a whole swath of surrounding houses!

Lu Yang and his companions felt as though a heavy sledgehammer had struck their skulls, leaving their minds completely blank, while their internal organs felt seized by a giant hand and squeezed into a tight, agonizing knot.

The cultivation of those around them was higher than theirs, with several at the Golden Core stage; though they fared slightly better, it was not by much.

"Could this be... someone breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage?!" A senior sister of the Nascent Soul stage, unaffected by the pressure, let out a soft exclamation of surprise, noting a distinct flavor of ancient desolation within the aura.

The culinary offerings of the Hundred Fragrances Pavilion were renowned for far more than mere flavor; a single dish could easily advance one's cultivation or catalyze several extra revolutions of a cultivation method, and when properly paired to unlock complementary medicinal effects, the results were grander still.

"I had long heard that one could break through a major realm in the span of a single meal here, but I dismissed it as rumor; seeing it today, it is indeed the truth!"

"I wonder which junior brother or sister possesses such immense fortune to achieve a breakthrough in this very place."

Normally, when a cultivator sought to break through, they would enter secluded meditation under the protection of guardians to ensure absolute silence, yet the pavilion was currently a roaring den of voices and scattered focus—hardly an ideal environment.

To achieve a breakthrough under such conditions only proved how phenomenally potent the cuisine was in elevating one's cultivation!

With a gentle wave of the waiter's hand, the oppressive Nascent Soul pressure vanished instantly, allowing the patrons to catch their breath before they stared at him in astonishment.

To their eyes, the waiter appeared to be a mere Golden Core cultivator, yet the casual display of power he had just shown clearly transcended that realm.

The waiter's true cultivation level was disguised.

Someone whispered softly to a companion, "Come to think of it, I heard an elder mention that when the pavilion first opened a thousand years ago, this man was already the waiter; a millennium has passed, and he remains a waiter, his appearance entirely unchanged."

While it was common for cultivators to retain their youth, remaining utterly unaltered for a thousand years belonged to an elite minority.

The waiter gave no sign of having overheard the murmurs, his face wearing an apologetic smile. "My deepest apologies, everyone. It seems a guest grew overly excited during their breakthrough and forgot to restrain their aura. Please accord us your understanding."

A senior brother who had recently entered the Golden Core stage recalled the flavor of the breakthrough aura, his eyes lighting up. "This pressure carried a trace of savagery, as though an ancient dragon had manifested; it must be a body-refining senior making a breakthrough. We should quickly meditate on this residual aura—it may well aid the strengthening of our own physiques!"

"Precisely, precisely! This heaven-sent opportunity is our personal fortune, and we ought to seize it." His companions agreed, immediately settling into cross-legged meditation.

The five of them sat with their five centers facing heavenward, levitating slightly above the floor with eyes closed in silence, as a refreshing stream of pure qi surged from all directions, bringing a profound sense of comfort.

Even those who were not dedicated body-refining cultivators placed great importance on their physical form; if one's spiritual energy was vast but the body could not keep pace, they could easily be ambushed and slain in a single blow, or forced into close-quarters combat where they would perish the moment the enemy closed the distance, denied even the chance to flee.

For this reason, the Ascendant Sect placed immense value on the physical resilience of its disciples.

Among spirit beasts, the ancient dragons were renowned for their supreme divine abilities to summon wind and rain, as well as their invincible physical forms; they were one of the apex clans dominating the beast domains, and if one could grasp even a fraction of that ancient draconic qi, it would yield boundless benefits to the physical body, while comprehending a partial dragon technique would be an extraordinary stroke of luck.

The sight of five Golden Core cultivators ignoring their steaming dishes to meditate together was rare indeed.

Such keen sensitivity to opportunity earned Lu Yang's profound admiration.

"Should we take this chance to meditate as well?" Tao Yaoye suggested.

Lu Yang was surprised. "Can you actually sense the ancient draconic qi the senior brothers mentioned?"

"Trying harms nothing."

Just as the three of them were deliberating whether to join the meditation to see if they could grasp that wild, ancient draconic aura, a frantic, heavy thumping of footsteps echoed from the stairway.

A ferocious wild boar with green skin and protruding tusks burst into view, its eyes filled with panic and fury, instantly instilling a deep sense of crisis in everyone present.

What a savage and terrifying beast, its cultivation realm surpassing most of the people gathered in the room!

Furthermore, the boar's aura was unstable, visibly indicating a very recent breakthrough!

The waiter frowned, a small vortex forming within his palm; just as he considered intervening himself, a flash of blade-light erupted, its fierce qi resembling a ribbon of pure silk charged with a blazing, incandescent heat. With a single strike, the boar was decapitated, its head rolling across the floor for a considerable distance until it stopped precisely at Lu Yang's feet.

The severed head stared up at Lu Yang, its eyes wide with unyielding grievance.

What should have been a gory spectacle yielded not a single drop of blood; the extreme heat of the blade-qi had instantly seared the severed neck shut, sending the rich aroma of roasted meat wafting through the air.

Only then did the wielder of the blade step forward—a chef who looked ordinary enough to be found anywhere, wearing a tall hat and a specialized work apron, holding a butcher's knife, his face thick with muscle and sporting a smile that made him resemble a bandit about to execute a hostage.

"Apologies, apologies to everyone for the fright. I was just about to slaughter this dragon-descended wild boar, but perhaps my killing intent was too fierce, triggering a life-and-death crisis within the beast; using that peril as a catalyst, it activated its trace of ancient dragon blood and broke through to the Nascent Soul stage on the spot."

"This was a blunder on our shop's part, it won't happen again. I beg your indulgence, everyone!"

The chef held his butcher's knife, his face twisted into a fierce grin while his tone remained exceedingly courteous; whether the patrons wished to overlook it or not, they had little choice.

The chef retrieved the boar's head from Lu Yang's feet and dragged the carcass away, causing the heavy tension in the room to finally dissipate.

The five Golden Core senior brothers felt acutely awkward, unsure whether to continue their meditation or to break it off.

Finally, one of them slammed his hand onto the table. "Damn it! Bring us a platter of braised pork stew, and use that exact pig from just now!"

The price of Nascent Soul stage meat was astronomically high, to say nothing of a wild boar possessing ancient dragon lineage; this single platter of stew would cost them so dearly that they would likely slap themselves out of regret upon waking tomorrow.

Yet even if they had to slap themselves, they would eat it; they were throwing caution to the wind today, for if they did not consume this Nascent Soul boar, their dao hearts would be destabilized, and the repressed anger would cause them internal injury.

The waiter flung his towel over his shoulder, a bright smile gracing his face as he called out loudly, "Right away! An extra platter of braised pork stew for these five honored guests!"