Chapter 1084: Yingtian Immortal, the Ancestor of Spirit Chefs

After reporting his movements to the Eldest Senior Sister and Dai Bufan, Lu Yang left the Fourth Master behind to guard the sect, while the top three masters set off for the venue of the Divine Chef Tournament.

The Divine Chef Tournament was hosted in the Demon City, the imperial capital of the Demon Domain.

It was said that this was at Zhu Tian’s active invitation to the Divine Chef League, hoping to introduce the Demon City to the world through this grand event.

Learning from his past mistake of traveling to the Mountain-Moving Sea-Filling Sect on foot, Lu Yang chose to board a flying vessel this time, traveling toward the borders of the Great Xia accompanied by Yun Mengmeng.

The journey passed without incident, save for the fact that Yun Mengmeng, seated upon the vessel, frequently cried out in delight, dragging Lu Yang to look at this and that, drawing a great deal of attention to themselves.

"Sister Mengmeng, this surely is not your first time traveling abroad, so why the immense excitement?" Lu Yang said helplessly, acutely aware of the surrounding eyes fixed upon them.

In recent years, Yun Mengmeng had not resided in the Ask Loyalty Sect constantly; she would often venture out on her own in search of fine delicacies, enjoying herself thoroughly.

"Though it isn’t my first time traveling, it is my first time traveling with the Second Master," Yun Mengmeng replied with a cheerful grin. Previously, when she tried to drag Xiao Zhi out to play, Xiao Zhi would flatly refuse, so she was glad to finally have company on this trip.

Lu Yang shook his head and laughed softly; traveling as a pair indeed felt different from traveling alone.

Though with the Immortal Fairy residing within his spiritual space, he would never truly experience the sensation of journeying in absolute solitude regardless.

Soon after, the two travelers and their companion souls crossed the borders of the Great Xia, entering the territory of the Demon Domain.

Lu Yang had visited the Demon Domain several times, and on each occasion, he would pay a visit to the Demon City, making the route intimately familiar to him.

The two rode upon the Sword-Washing Pool, heading straight for the Demon City.

"Second Master, care for some beef jerky?" Yun Mengmeng asked, holding a bag of beef jerky. To prepare for this journey, she had purchased a massive hoard of provisions from the cafeteria, snacking all along the way.

Lu Yang accepted a piece of the beef jerky, extended his index finger, and gathered a sharp strand of sword qi upon its tip before hacking fiercely at the meat; both the jerky and the sword qi snapped simultaneously.

Lu Yang returned the two broken pieces of beef jerky to Yun Mengmeng.

"My teeth are not quite up to the task."

"Second Master, you could try coating your teeth with sword qi, that way you would be able to chew through it," Yun Mengmeng suggested in complete earnest.

"Never mind, you should eat it." Returning sincerity with sincerity, Lu Yang rejected her advice in equally earnest fashion.

"We have arrived." After flying for a period, the Sword-Washing Pool descended near the outskirts of the Demon City.

The moment Lu Yang made his appearance, it caused quite a stir; it could be said that his name was now known to all, his reputation reaching its absolute zenith.

"Might you be Fellow Daoist Lu Yang?" Upon spotting him, a man approached with brisk, hurried strides.

"And you are?"

"The Vice Alliance Chief of the Divine Chef League, Liu Xing."

"So it is Senior Liu Xing." Before coming, Lu Yang had requested intelligence regarding the Divine Chef League from Senior Brother Dai; this Liu Xing was one of the three Vice Alliance Chiefs, possessing a cultivation at the late stage of the Body Integration Realm.

"I dare not claim the title of Senior," Liu Xing waved his hands repeatedly in modesty. Though he did not know how much of the rumored capabilities this peerless genius of the Lu clan truly possessed, even if he lacked ability, the mere title of the founder of the Cultivation Monthly meant he could not be underestimated.

"And this lady is?" Liu Xing noticed the exquisitely beautiful woman standing beside Lu Yang and felt a slight shock; he found himself unexpectedly unable to see through her cultivation.

"A friend of mine." Lu Yang did not elaborate on Yun Mengmeng’s identity; introducing her by her true name would mean she shared a name with the Cultivator King of the Heavenly Court, and claiming she was Yun Zhi would be even more daunting.

"Ah, a friend of Fellow Daoist Lu Yang. Surely she must also be a person of profound erudition and extraordinary talent. Please, allow me to escort you both into the Demon City."

Entering the city, Lu Yang cast a glance toward the magnificent, glittering palace situated atop the holy mountain of the Demon City.

"That is the palace of the Demon Emperor. Is Fellow Daoist Lu Yang interested in it?" Liu Xing inquired with a smile.

"The Demon Emperor... oh, Zhu Tian, right." Because Liu Xing had suddenly used the formal title of Demon Emperor, Lu Yang had failed to register it immediately.

"Not interested." Lu Yang shook his head repeatedly.

What interest could he possibly have in the Demon Emperor's palace? Every time he came to the Demon City, he bypassed all other places and went straight to the palace to find Zhu Tian.

However, in the eyes of Liu Xing, this response carried an entirely different weight; the Demon Emperor's palace was such a mysterious and revered sanctuary, how could anyone remain completely indifferent to it?

"If Fellow Daoist Lu Yang is interested, I can contact certain daoists within the palace; it should be possible to grant you entry."

"There is truly no need."

Lu Yang chuckled inwardly; in this Demon City, he was only familiar with Zhu Tian’s palace, whereas he was rather unacquainted with the city as a whole.

Every time he visited, the city underwent significant transformations; under Zhu Tian’s guidance, the entire urban landscape presented an architectural fusion of demonic wildness and human civilization.

Particularly because Zhu Tian himself was a master architect, the blueprints of the Demon City drawn by his own hand possessed immense artistic value, causing all who visited to marvel at its grand magnificence.

"What a beautiful place," Yun Mengmeng exclaimed in wonder; the architectural style of the Demon City was entirely distinct from anywhere else.

Walking along the streets, it was rare to see demons revealing their true forms; most had transformed into human shape, retaining only a small portion of their bestial traits, such as ears or tails.

There were also some whose attire differed from the native styles of the Demon Domain.

"These are all divine chefs and apprentice chefs hailing from our Great Xia, the Eastern Sea, and the Far North."

"Apprentice chefs?"

"Cultivators who are preparing to take the divine chef examination," Liu Xing explained with a smile.

"Only those cultivators who pass the examination are recognized as divine chefs by the League, which then issues an official certification."

"While some cultivators possess excellent culinary skills, they have not passed the League's examination, rendering them apprentice chefs."

"Only genuine divine chefs are qualified to participate in the tournament. To this end, the League organizes a divine chef examination prior to the commencement of the grand competition; those apprentice chefs who pass may then enter the contest."

"We have arrived." The Divine Chef League had arranged the most luxurious tavern in the entire Demon City for Lu Yang, situated right at the city center.

Directly in front of the tavern stood a statue of the Demon Emperor—a round, headless entity, completely crimson-red and bearing wings, representing Zhu Tian. Standing dozens of chang tall, it was highly conspicuous and counted as one of the hallmark attractions of the city.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, do you two require one room or two?" Liu Xing inquired quietly via spiritual transmission.

"Two rooms, naturally." Lu Yang rolled his eyes, realizing that Liu Xing had undoubtedly misunderstood their relationship.

Once the accommodations were settled, Liu Xing produced two jade slips: "Contained within these slips is the detailed itinerary of this event, provided so that you may better manage your time. May the Immortal Ying Tian bless you both."

"Hold on a moment, the Immortal Ying Tian?" Originally, Lu Yang had intended to exchange a few polite pleasantries and conclude the conversation, but hearing those words made it impossible to let the matter rest.

"Does Fellow Daoist Lu Yang not know? The Immortal Ying Tian is the ancestor of divine chefs, the sole immortal chef in existence. It is said that partaking of the cuisine prepared by the Immortal Ying Tian induces such intoxication that one feels transported to a celestial realm, capable of forgetting all past mortal attachments as though caught in a dream or illusion. The myriad miraculous effects are countless, far beyond what the likes of us can comprehend."

"It is rumored that the food of the Immortal Ying Tian belongs not to the mortal world, and thus cannot be contained by mortal vessels; even the pots, bowls, ladles, and basins used as culinary utensils were forged by the Immortal Ying Tian personally."

"Furthermore, historical records dictate that the other three immortals willingly waited for over a century just to partake of a single meal prepared by the Immortal Ying Tian. From this, one can well imagine the supreme, peerless nature of such a delicacy."