Chapter 73: Can’t Keep Eating Spiritual Cuisine for Free

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Can’t Keep Eating Spiritual Cuisine for Free

In the Bamboo Garden, the Grand Elder’s words seemed to carry a magical quality, dispelling the confusion in Yang Haichen’s heart but also leaving him stunned for a long time.

He recalled hearing about prodigies at the Body Tempering Peak perishing back in the Marketplace. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it, assuming it was just another stage in the Body Tempering Realm that he would reach sooner or later.

But looking back on his own cultivation, he realized that after perfecting his Body Tempering Technique, he had tried circulating his energy. The sensation was pleasant, but far from forging his own path, he had felt as if he had already reached the absolute perfection of the Body Tempering Realm.

"I am foolish, Master. Please enlighten me!"

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Haichen came to his senses. He took a deep breath and knelt before the Grand Elder without a moment’s hesitation.

"Here. This secret manual records the technique I used in my prime. Although I failed to see it through to the very end, it is more than enough to help you reach the Body Tempering Peak."

The Grand Elder reached out, helped Yang Haichen to his feet, and handed him a secret manual.

Yang Haichen accepted the secret manual, stunned and confused. He had intended to ask his master for options, but instead, his master had directly bestowed upon him a technique to reach the peak. ’Didn’t he just say that forging your own path *is* the peak? What does this mean?’

"Do you think a master’s role is merely to teach you the most basic cultivation techniques? Every Steward in Purple Cloud Valley was once a prodigy who reached the Body Tempering Peak. The duty of an Inner Sect Disciple is to inherit and even expand upon the peak paths they once walked.

We are all failures on this path. Following my way, you can cultivate to the Meridian Passage Peak, but whether you can reach the Qi Refining Peak will be up to you."

The Grand Elder patted Yang Haichen’s shoulder with great solemnity. In that instant, Yang Haichen envisioned his master in his youth—a prodigy full of vigor, standing atop a mountain and gazing down upon the world. But now, he was more like a kindly old man.

At that moment, Yang Haichen felt that this path to longevity was far crueler than he had ever imagined.

"Rest assured, Master. I will give it my all."

Yang Haichen hadn’t taken cultivation too seriously before. To be precise, he had always seen it as his own affair, not needing anyone else to tell him what to do. But now, he felt a sense of duty.

’Perhaps his master took me as a disciple to make up for his own past regrets... to teach the man he once was.’

---

"Senior Brother, what have you been so busy with lately?"

In the bamboo forest of the back mountain, Ji Suyao, having just completed her Body Tempering, couldn’t help but ask. Beside her, Ye Linglong, who was regulating her breathing, immediately perked up her ears. She was just as curious.

"Busy preparing for the Inner Sect Disciple trial in September."

Liu Chen cast the Withering Skill he had been forming and glanced at Ji Suyao, who had moved closer. ’I don’t get how she can tell I’m busy,’ he thought. ’My daily cultivation routine hasn’t been any different from usual.’

"Are you confident, Senior Brother?"

Ji Suyao asked quickly. The trial was sure to be dangerous. ’If something happens to Senior Brother,’ she worried, ’I’ll never get to eat Spiritual Cuisine again!’

She had grown so accustomed to it over this period. If he were gone, she truly didn’t know how she would be able to carry on with her cultivation.

"Of course."

Liu Chen nodded. ’Even if I weren’t, I couldn’t just come out and say it.’ Besides, he was indeed confident in his ability to protect himself. He just wasn’t sure if he would have the time to deal with the members of the Nangong Family.

Hearing his answer, Ji Suyao and Ye Linglong visibly sighed in relief. Liu Chen noticed and slowly shook his head.

As noon approached, Liu Chen prepared six portions of Spiritual Cuisine. He used the Solid Spirit Technique to seal the Spiritual Qi in three of the portions and brought them to the Bamboo Garden.

A short while later, Senior Brother Yang arrived as expected.

"Junior Brother Liu, these are the resources I acquired in trade this morning. Take a look..."

Yang Haichen felt a little apprehensive as he placed the Cyan Steel Sword, the Profound Jade Bracelet, and the Golden Body Technique’s cultivation manual on the table. ’If Junior Brother Liu isn’t satisfied, I’ll have to be more careful next time. It’s just that time is tight right now. After the trial, I’ll definitely have to work with an auction house in the Marketplace to get things properly appraised.’

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Liu Chen briefly inspected the Profound Jade Bracelet based on Senior Brother Yang’s description. He then drew the Cyan Steel Sword and flicked the blade with his finger, producing a clear, crisp ring.

Seeing Liu Chen’s expert-like examination made Yang Haichen even more nervous.

"I appreciate your hard work, Senior Brother."

’I don’t actually know how to judge the quality of a Spirit Sword,’ Liu Chen thought. ’That little flick was just an old memory bubbling to the surface. It’s not like I could tell anything from the sound, and who knows if those old tricks even work on Spirit Swords.’

After putting on a show of inspecting them, Liu Chen put the three items away.

"These two portions of Spiritual Cuisine are your payment. As for this third one, I’ll have to trouble you to sell it for me."

Liu Chen’s eyes flickered to the Inner Sect Disciple Token at Senior Brother Yang’s waist. According to what he’d said before, you didn’t get one of those just by passing the assessment. For him to have it now could only mean one thing: the Grand Elder of Purple Bamboo Peak had returned.

’Besides, if I’m going to be selling portions to them, I can’t very well expect the Grand Elder and Senior Brother Yang to share one meal.’

"As long as you’re satisfied, Junior Brother. I’m just not sure what kind of Body-Protecting Technique you’re looking for. A type of magic, a Spiritual Artifact, or maybe a single-use Talisman?"

Yang Haichen noticed where his junior brother was looking, but since Liu Chen had made his request, it wasn’t appropriate to object. It was better to just ask for more specific requirements.

"Prioritize a Spiritual Artifact or a single-use Talisman. As for magic, there’s not enough time to learn anything new."

Liu Chen spoke with a smile. The Great Xia Dynasty and the surrounding Cultivation Realm appeared to be flourishing. However, according to Senior Brother Yang, most of the Spiritual Artifacts, Elixir Pills, and Talismans here were procured from distant lands by the Three Immortal Sects and the various great Noble Families.

The small remainder was brought in by Loose Cultivators, and it was impossible to know how much of that was stolen goods.

There had only been two Spirit Chefs before; including Liu Chen, there were now just three. Most practitioners of the other Skills were amateurs, not even worthy of being called First Grade.

Artifact Refiners were the most numerous. However, the local refiners couldn’t complete the full process of creating a Magical Artifact from raw materials. They were, however, capable of repairing damaged First Grade Magical Artifacts and refining semi-finished ones.

As for the other professions, they might as well not have existed. No one was going to buy semi-finished Elixir Pills, Talismans, or Array Plates.

A semi-finished Magical Artifact might just be clumsy to use, at worst. But a mistake with those other three could get you killed.

"Understood. Wait for my good news, Junior Brother."

Yang Haichen left, satisfied. Liu Chen put the three items away and headed for the kitchen area. ’I can study the magical artifacts later when I have time,’ he thought. ’First, I should eat.’

While Liu Chen was busy with his meal, Yang Haichen had already used one of the portions of Spiritual Cuisine to trade for a Magical Artifact capable of blocking one full-powered blow from a Meridian Passage Late Stage cultivator.

"Mo Xuan’s disciple... and the thing he wants most is a Body-Protecting Technique?"

In the Bamboo Garden, a strange look appeared in the Grand Elder’s eyes after he heard Yang Haichen’s report. He recalled the image of Mo Xuan, Spirit Sword in hand, slaughtering all who stood in his way. For a moment, he fell silent. ’Mo Xuan’s disciple,’ he thought, ’seems to have gone completely off track.’

"Ah, well. I can’t keep eating his Spiritual Cuisine for free. This is the Divine Movement Technique. I will teach it to you, and you will teach it to him. Consider it payment for all the meals."

The Grand Elder let out a hearty laugh. Not only had Yang Haichen managed to perfect the Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Chapter so quickly thanks to that boy’s Spiritual Cuisine, but he himself had also eaten quite a few of the meals.