Chapter 69 - 29: Star Sword Peak, Path to Heaven

Chapter 69: Chapter 29: Star Sword Peak, Path to Heaven

To Jiang Xuan, completing the Gourmet profession quest would be a quick affair. Of course, he only had this confidence because he was in the Cultivation Realm.

If this quest were in the mortal world, it would be next to impossible, even without having to eat every single food he sampled.

Never mind how difficult it would be to find such a vast assortment of delicacies. A single hard requirement was enough to make even the top chefs of the mortal world despair. Over half of the dishes required for the Gourmet profession had to be of the Rare Grade, and the ultimate requirement was to personally taste a Gourmet-Level dish.

In the mortal world, every single delicacy of that grade was a legendary treasure—the kind you could only stumble upon by chance, not actively seek out.

’But I’m not in the mortal world. This is the Cultivation Realm, and I also have a friend to help... To me, Dong Hao is practically a power-leveler.’

With this in mind, Jiang Xuan didn’t go looking for Dong Hao right away. Instead, he first returned to the grocery store next to the Daoist School. He used the Spirit Stones he had received for his ’excellent’ rating to start purchasing the various ingredients needed for the Gourmet profession.

’Grains... Spirit Rice, Blood Rice, Bamboo Rice should count too. This is Fragrant Rice, hmm, and Pearl Rice...’

’As for wines, there’s Monkey Wine, Hundred Flowers Brew, Bamboo Wine, Tiger Bone Wine, Snake Blood Wine...’

The selection at Chen’s Grocery Store was truly comprehensive. Jiang Xuan spent only thirty-three Spirit Stones and fulfilled more than half of the requirements for the Gourmet profession. It just went to show the enormous gap between the mortal world and the Cultivation Realm; items rarely seen in the mortal world were nothing more than common goods found everywhere on the shelves here.

Jiang Xuan was also a quick thinker. For instance, he simply added two drops of Tiger Bone Wine to a boiled egg, and this simple dish immediately met the requirement for one of the "Eight Mountain Delicacies." An ordinary method wouldn’t have worked, of course, but the Tiger Bone Wine from the Cultivation Realm was of exceptionally high quality.

In the same way, he could use Snake Blood Wine to make a wine-infused egg, fulfilling one of the "Eight Sea Delicacies" requirements.

With these clever tricks and a path paved by Spirit Stones, Jiang Xuan quickly fulfilled the vast majority of the dish requirements for the Gourmet profession.

However, this was, after all, just a grocery store next to the Daoist School. Many Rare-Grade ingredients, as well as the final Gourmet-Level dish, were nowhere to be found here.

Fortunately, these were not problems.

’It’s time for Dong Hao to step in.’ Putting away his profession panel, the corners of Jiang Xuan’s lips curled into a smile. ’Since you want me to be your safety net during the Dharma Vein assessment, there’s no reason for me to be polite about taking a few things from you.’

’Besides, you said it yourself. The stronger I am, the better my chances of helping you pass.’

...

"A Gourmet-Level dish and some wines?" Dong Hao looked stunned by Jiang Xuan’s request. It wasn’t that the request was difficult, but he was surprised and confused. "Brother Jiang, what do you need these for?"

"For the assessment." Jiang Xuan shrugged, calmly stating his reason. "Star Sword Peak only gave me a chance to be considered; there’s no guarantee I’ll pass. So, I plan to try my luck at Four Seasons Valley later. Didn’t you say that their assessment involves sensing the Four Seasons Dao Rhymes by tasting different grains? I figured I’d get some practice in and build up some experience beforehand."

"I see."

Dong Hao saw nothing wrong with Jiang Xuan’s explanation.

He never thought Jiang Xuan was a shoo-in for the Star Sword Peak assessment to begin with. The influence of one’s Spirit Root Talent ran deep. Jiang Xuan would have to put in ten times the effort of an ordinary person to even have a chance of being accepted by Star Sword Peak.

And while he had faith in Jiang Xuan, he didn’t think his talent in the Sword Dao was ten times greater than that of a normal person.

He didn’t even think Jiang Xuan could get into Four Seasons Valley.

Despite its flaws, it was still a genuine Middle-Class Dharma Vein, not a place one could enter so easily.

But even though he thought this, Dong Hao, who was socially savvy, would never say it out loud. He cheerfully agreed to all of Jiang Xuan’s requests.

"So a Gourmet-Level dish and some Rare-Level Spirit Wines are all you need? Nothing else?"

"No, that’s more than enough."

"Alright, I’ll have Nan Zhi fetch them right away." Without another word, he immediately commanded Nan Zhi, who was standing beside him, "Use a Wind-controlling Divine Travel Talisman to head back. Go and return quickly. Don’t delay Brother Jiang’s important business."

"Yes, Young Master."

SWOOSH—

And just like that, with a gust of wind, Nan Zhi’s figure shot from the mountainside like a swift in flight, speeding toward the Dong Family Mansion.

While they waited for Nan Zhi to return, Jiang Xuan and the others took out some food for a quick bite. Seeing that Jiang Xuan didn’t require an attendant, Cheng Cultivator, who was nearby, prepared to withdraw to the side and use the time to cultivate.

But just as he was about to enter Meditation, Jiang Xuan called him over.

"I have a Calm Heart Spell passed down in my family that can help one eliminate distracting thoughts. Here, feel its effects."

Before the words had even left his mouth, Jiang Xuan formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation, casting a Purifying Heart Spell upon Cheng Cultivator.

HUMMM—

The moment the spell took effect, Cheng Cultivator immediately felt a distinct change. His previously restless Heart instantly settled. Now, he felt he had achieved Spiritual Clarity, all his distracting thoughts gone.

With his Heart Spirit stabilized, circulating Spiritual Qi through his body also became exceptionally smooth and fluid.

To his even greater surprise, the turbid qi that had previously shrouded his acupoints like smog had thinned out considerably due to the clarity of his Heart Spirit. This made it several times easier to locate the acupoints all over his body.

With all these changes combined, Cheng Cultivator could clearly feel that his cultivation efficiency had increased by at least a full fifty percent.

His eyes instantly lit up at this discovery.