Chapter 141: That’s a Nice-Looking Tree You Have

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: That’s a Nice-Looking Tree You Have

The Yunling Mountain Range stretched for thousands of miles, its main peak soaring tens of thousands of feet high. Its towering mountains and precipitous ridges were covered in lush vegetation, teeming with an endless supply of Spirit Plants and Demon Beasts—the very picture of an Immortal Blessed Land.

The legendary Celestial Demon Sect was nestled within, holding sway over a domain stretching millions of li from east to west.

Su Han’s request was approved almost as soon as Zhao Yang reported it.

When Su Han arrived with Su Xiao’Er and Su Yi via the Celestial Demon Sect’s Intercontinental Teleportation Array, the first person he saw was Yu Su, an Ancestor of the Celestial Demon Sect at the Celestial Human Realm, standing respectfully by its side.

Beside Yu Su stood a tall, middle-aged man with an imposing presence.

Behind them stood numerous disciples of the Celestial Demon Sect in neat rows. Among them, Su Han recognized Zhao Yang, whom he had instructed back in Lingzhou City, as well as Lu Feifei and others he had met in the Central State.

"Elder, you honor the Celestial Demon Sect with your presence. We beg your forgiveness for not providing a more fitting welcome."

The moment Su Han and his companions steadied themselves, Yu Su stepped forward and welcomed Su Han with deep respect.

Su Han chuckled and shook his head. "On the contrary, I’m the one troubling your esteemed sect."

"You are too kind, Elder. It is an honor for our entire sect that you are willing to pass through our territory."

After the incident at the ruins, Yu Su felt an even deeper reverence for this unfathomable Elder Guo.

She even secretly suspected that this Elder Guo’s cultivation might be beyond the Creation Realm.

As a result, her words were naturally tinged with even greater adoration.

Su Han gave a noncommittal smile and turned his gaze to the middle-aged man beside Yu Su.

Seeing Su Han’s gaze, Yu Su realized she had yet to introduce the man beside her.

"Elder Guo, this is my junior martial brother, Ji Mie. He is the current Sect Leader of the Celestial Demon Sect."

Su Han glanced at Sect Leader Ji Mie and nodded in admiration. "This junior brother of yours has certainly surpassed his senior."

’He saw through my concealment with a single glance?’

Sect Leader Ji Mie’s heart went cold. His reverence for the Elder his senior martial sister had spoken of grew even deeper, and he hastily bowed.

"I, Ji Mie, pay my respects to Elder Guo."

Su Han smiled and nodded. "There’s no need for such formalities. This is my first time visiting the Celestial Demon Sect. I wonder if Sect Leader Ji Mie would allow me to take in the sights?"

’Since I’m here anyway, I might as well look around and see what a Major Sect is really made of.’

’I was able to find dozens of Skill Trees in a minor place like Lingzhou City. A sect as massive as the Celestial Demon Sect must have plenty, right?’

Ji Mie and Yu Su exchanged a look, nodded, and concealed the astonishment in their eyes.

"Of course, Elder. We are at your disposal."

After dismissing the other disciples, Ji Mie and Yu Su personally led Su Han on a tour of the Celestial Demon Sect.

Naturally, they didn’t take him to the sect’s restricted areas. The tour was mostly limited to the residences of the Outer Sect and Inner Sect disciples and the scenery of the seven main peaks.

’Perhaps it was because they didn’t enter the courtyards where the disciples lived. Of course... it was more likely that the average disciple’s comprehension of their craft was not profound enough to meet the conditions for forming a Skill Tree.’

After a full tour, Su Han had yet to find a single Skill Tree.

As noon approached, a female disciple in the robes of the Celestial Demon Sect’s Inner Sect came to report something to Ji Mie.

Sect Leader Ji Mie glanced at the sky. Seeing that Su Han seemed to be enjoying the tour and was not yet finished, he hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Elder, it is now noon, and the Spirit Chefs have prepared lunch. Perhaps you would care to eat first and tour the remaining areas afterward?"

Su Han nodded, happy to go along with his host’s arrangements.

The group walked to the reception hall reserved for the Celestial Demon Sect’s most honored guests, where they took their seats, host and guests assuming their proper places.

As dish after dish—made from a combination of various Spiritual Birds, Spirit Beast meat, and numerous Spirit Plants—was brought out, Su Han couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

’Back when I was the Crown Prince in Lingzhou, I thought I was living a life of luxury, eating the finest delicacies in the mortal world.’

’But now, having come to the Central State and seen the fare at the Celestial Demon Sect, I finally realize how poorly I used to eat!’

’Look at this spread! The color, aroma, and flavor are in no way inferior to what my own royal chef used to make. And especially the Spiritual Qi infused in the food... that’s a level of craftsmanship that the chefs in Lingzhou couldn’t match in eight lifetimes.’

Marveling inwardly, Su Han accepted Sect Leader Ji Mie’s invitation, picked up his chopsticks, and tasted a piece of meat.

The Spirit Beast meat melted the moment it touched his tongue, transforming into a stream of pure Spiritual Qi that flowed into his Dantian and Qi Sea after a single Circulation through his meridians.

With just a single bite, Su Han felt the Spirit Platform within his Dantian and Qi Sea tremble, nearly causing him to break through to the Divine Sea Realm on the spot.

This was, of course, partly because his Spirit Platform had already reached Perfection and he was on the verge of a breakthrough anyway. But the spiritual dish prepared by the Spirit Chef truly possessed a miraculous quality of its own.

’I don’t seem to have Spirit Chef among my skills,’ Su Han mused. ’Perhaps I can find an opportunity to... learn their techniques.’

’You only live once. A man shouldn’t have to shortchange his own stomach, right?’

As he was thinking this, he glanced over at Sect Leader Ji Mie and Yu Su. They were watching him with nervous expressions as he sampled the food, terrified that their hospitality might be found wanting.

Just as he was about to nod in praise under their expectant, cautious gazes, Su Han saw something behind Sect Leader Ji Mie, and his eyes abruptly narrowed.

This sudden change in his expression made both Sect Leader Ji Mie and Yu Su’s hearts skip a beat.

"Elder... is something amiss?"

Sect Leader Ji Mie watched Su Han cautiously, suddenly feeling an urge to cry.

’To host this unfathomable grand Elder, he had gone so far as to draw upon the Celestial Demon Sect’s most precious resources to prepare the finest spiritual dishes they could offer.’

’They hadn’t even been willing to serve this during the sect’s three-hundred-thousand-year grand celebration, and this grand Elder was *still* not satisfied?’

Su Han paused for a moment, then looked at Sect Leader Ji Mie and shook his head.

"No, the food is quite good. The Spirit Chef’s skills are decent."

Ji Mie: "..."

’Decent?’

’Is it just about the Spirit Chef’s skills?’

’Don’t you think the Jiao Dragon Meat is a little more valuable than the chef’s technique?’

But then, on second thought, Sect Leader Ji Mie suddenly recalled the legend about the Beggar Gang.

’Legend has it that the mysterious leader of the Beggar Gang once slew a True Dragon with the Eighteen Dragon-Slaying Palms. If that’s true, then as an elder of the Beggar Gang, he’s probably eaten True Dragon meat before, hasn’t he?’

’If so... it’s understandable that he wouldn’t be impressed by mere Jiao Dragon Meat.’

A wave of helplessness washed over him. For the first time... he, the leader of a top-tier Major Sect, felt his own sect was coming up short.

’It seems... there’s really no comparison at all!’

As he was thinking this, he suddenly noticed that Elder Guo’s gaze seemed to be fixed on something behind him.

He instinctively glanced out the window, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Turning back, Sect Leader Ji Mie looked cautiously at Su Han.

"Elder... is there a problem with something behind me?"

Su Han shook his head and pointed out the window.

"Don’t you think," he said, "that your tree over there is quite beautiful?"

Sect Leader Ji Mie: "..."

Yu Su: "..."

Su Xiao’Er: "..."

’Here it comes!’

’There it is! That familiar look my Crown Prince gets!’