Chapter 64: Do You Know What Second Grade Spiritual Cuisine Is?

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Do You Know What Second Grade Spiritual Cuisine Is?

"Go on, Junior Brother."

Huang Haixuan didn’t agree immediately. If that Spirit Chef weren’t the disciple of the acting Peak Master and residing on the rear mountain, these True Disciples would have no reason to interact with the Outer Disciple standing before them.

Huang Haixuan once failed to understand why Inner Sect Disciples and True Disciples didn’t associate with Outer Disciples. But a few years after becoming an Inner Sect Disciple himself, he understood.

Looking at his former peers from a different angle, he realized most of them had come to Purple Cloud Valley with ulterior motives. This became even more apparent after he became a True Disciple. In the past, all sorts of clans and Noble Families would send their younger members to pay their respects; after he became a True Disciple, they started visiting him in person.

Even if you spent decades of painstaking effort to finally become a True Disciple, in their eyes, you were a Pride of Heaven from the moment you were born. Anyone with the slightest ambition for their cultivation wouldn’t spend much time associating with Outer Disciples.

Finding one among them who genuinely wanted to cultivate was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was not only time-consuming and draining but also yielded no reward.

Most Outer Disciples were just sent by various major clans and Noble Families to fill the ranks. Those who had struggled so hard to become Inner Sect or even True Disciples did so to cultivate to a higher realm; the vast majority had no desire to get further entangled with those clans and Noble Families.

"Please inform the senior brothers and sisters of Purple Bamboo Peak that Spiritual Cuisine will be sold publicly in the square tomorrow. In the future, it will be sold on Purple Bamboo Peak first, and we will also accept trades for it there."

Yang Haichen was perfectly calm. He was well aware that the senior brother before him looked down on him, but it didn’t matter. ’Perhaps in a few years, I’ll be a True Disciple, too.’

"Rest assured, Junior Brother. I will be sure to pass on the message."

Huang Haixuan’s eyes lit up. He could afford to disregard the Outer Disciple before him, but the Spirit Chef backing him was his only hope for advancing his cultivation.

A single serving of Spiritual Cuisine was worth several months of painstaking cultivation. If he could have it for all three meals a day, there was hope he could reach Perfect Meridian Passage and even advance to the Qi Refining Realm.

This was why the True Disciples were all scrambling to buy Spiritual Cuisine. They had been stuck in the Meridian Passage Realm for a long time, and they wouldn’t let even the slightest glimmer of hope for a breakthrough slip by.

And now, this junior brother was bringing good news. True, the True Disciples had accumulated some Spirit Stones, but their daily cultivation required them. Moreover, the True Disciples of the Three Immortal Sects in the Great Xia Dynasty’s cultivation world were all connected, and Spirit Stones were needed for everything.

Their reserves of Spirit Stones had long been insufficient. Being able to barter would make things much simpler. Magic they had previously researched or used Magical Artifacts that were now all but useless could be traded away.

Under these circumstances, they would have a great deal more to spare.

"Senior Brother, you could contact some of the senior brothers and sisters you know. I have a few more portions of Spiritual Cuisine I can sell."

The change in the other’s attitude didn’t affect Yang Haichen’s mood. ’I’ll reach that realm sooner or later,’ he thought.

"No need to trouble Senior Brother Huang. Junior Brother, I’ll take one."

The words had barely left Yang Haichen’s lips when a voice called out from the bamboo forest. A figure appeared nearby, and it was as if a switch had been flipped. In an instant, five more figures emerged from the forest one after another.

"Looks like I won’t have to inform everyone one by one after all."

Huang Haixuan shook his head, glanced at the newly arrived Bai Zefeng and a few other True Disciples he recognized, then turned and went back into the bamboo forest.

By the time Yang Haichen had finished trading with these True Disciples, only three portions of Spiritual Cuisine remained of what he had originally planned to sell.

’Perhaps Junior Brother Liu will become a True Disciple next year.’

Yang Haichen carefully put away the Spirit Stones. If his master hadn’t given him a new Storage Ring, he wouldn’t have been able to hold so many.

’Spiritual Cuisine that True Disciples are clamoring for, from the only Spirit Chef in Purple Cloud Valley—a Second Grade Spirit Chef, at that. If his disciple can’t become a True Disciple with that kind of backing, then something is seriously wrong.’

But Yang Haichen wasn’t worried about that. He quickly adjusted his mindset, preparing to face the storm that would arrive tomorrow.

The Inner Sect Disciple assessment was a vital event for any sect, and Purple Cloud Valley was no exception. The sky began to lighten as the sun’s rays pierced through the morning glow.

The square outside the Purple Cloud Valley’s Sect Hall was already teeming with people.

The square was vast, divided into three tiers. The highest was where the Peak Masters, Elders, and Stewards sat. The middle tier was for the disciples participating in the assessment, and the outermost ring was a chaotic mix of onlookers.

The Outer Disciples mostly gathered here to watch the spectacle. Every now and then, an Inner Sect Disciple would make a grand entrance, causing a stir and earning the disdain of the True Disciples who were mingling with the crowd of Outer Disciples.

Having walked all the way from Purple Bamboo Peak, Yang Haichen wiped the sweat from his brow and surveyed the increasingly tumultuous square.

His master had offered to bring him over on a cloud, but Yang Haichen had refused. He wanted his master to be proud of him for his own achievements, not to be showered with attention because of his master.

Yang Haichen glanced at a nearby screen of light formed from Spiritual Power and understood the schedule for the next three days before the assessment.

Noon today was the deadline to register for the Inner Sect Disciple assessment. This afternoon was for identity verification and the announcement of rules. Tomorrow, participants could choose to withdraw. The day after that, they would head to the assessment area.

Realizing this, Yang Haichen narrowed his eyes. ’In that case, if I want to sell the Spiritual Cuisine, it has to be before noon.’

’The True Disciples can’t enter the central square, and as for the Outer Disciples taking the assessment... even if they come from a family that could cough up two thousand Spirit Stones, those families would never let them carry that many into the assessment.’

As noon approached, Yang Haichen slowly opened his eyes. He had chosen a spot in the shade of a tree at the edge of the square.

In truth, it wasn’t a great spot, but he had seen some familiar faces from Purple Bamboo Peak here—the few True Disciples he vaguely knew.

Other disciples were also setting up stalls nearby. Judging from the way those True Disciples were chatting with the others around them, he surmised that most of the people in this area were likely True Disciples from other peaks as well.

Yang Haichen took a deep breath, retrieved a carrying case from his Storage Ring, and placed it on the ground.

Next, Yang Haichen took out a small banner. Scrawled crookedly across it were the words: "Second Grade Spiritual Cuisine for sale, two thousand Spirit Stones per portion."

The moment he finished, Yang Haichen felt several Spiritual Senses lock onto him. As he had already reached Body Tempering Perfection and was on the verge of developing his own Spiritual Sense, he was naturally sensitive to them.

Outside the Sect Hall, the Grand Elder of Purple Bamboo Peak, who had been smiling while chatting with a friend, suddenly stiffened. His expression quickly returned to normal, however. ’Yang Haichen hasn’t formally become my disciple yet,’ he thought. ’His shame doesn’t reflect on me.’

"Junior Brother, do you even know what Second Grade Spiritual Cuisine is?"

Yang Haichen had just gotten set up when an Inner Sect Disciple in opulent robes appeared before him.

"If you don’t believe me, Senior Brother, you’re welcome to try it."