Chapter 56: Qin Zhan Doubting Life

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Qin Zhan Doubting Life

"He’s my friend. He means no harm."

Lu Wu tilted her head, bumping it against Huohuo’s.

She casually handed a bowl of ice powder to Qin Zhan.

"Brown sugar and watermelon ice powder. Try it."

Faced with Lu Wu’s enthusiastic recommendation and Huohuo’s clear gaze, Qin Zhan, who wasn’t a big fan of sweets, took the bowl and scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

’This stuff looks pretty ordinary.’

Qin Zhan’s attention was focused on Huohuo.

This entirely red bird was very different from a Fiery Fire Sparrow; it gave him a distinctly more dangerous feeling.

As his mind was pondering, his teeth instinctively began to chew.

The moment the smooth, cool ice powder stimulated his taste buds, it successfully reclaimed Qin Zhan’s attention.

GULP!

With a roll of his throat, the spoonful of ice powder went down.

Qin Zhan looked at the bowl in his hand in disbelief. The way he looked at Lu Wu was now completely different.

"How is it?"

Lu Wu asked with a smile.

’With the system involved, even a simple bowl of ice powder is enough to give the Cultivators of the Green Origin Realm a little shock.’

"It’s amazing."

Qin Zhan took another spoonful, eating it very slowly this time.

The cool, smooth ice powder was steeped in brown sugar syrup, making it sweet but not cloying.

The crisp, sweet watermelon added a richer texture to the bowl, cutting through the thickness of the brown sugar.

What surprised Qin Zhan even more was that as he ate the ice powder, the fire poison in his body was being dispelled.

’This ice powder is the perfect counter to the Fire Secret Realm.’

’When Boss Lu makes a move, you know it’s the real deal.’

Deciding that using a spoon wasn’t satisfying enough, Qin Zhan simply lifted the bowl and started slurping it down like a storm.

SLUUURP!

The large bowl of ice powder was finished by Qin Zhan in the blink of an eye.

"So refreshing!"

A heroic feeling washed over Qin Zhan.

In that moment, his soul ascended.

With his whole body feeling comfortable, the circulation of his Spiritual Power sped up, and his cultivation even improved slightly.

"Boss Lu, another bowl!"

Lost in his food, Qin Zhan had completely forgotten about the Fiery Fire Sparrows.

"CHIRP!"

Something landed on Qin Zhan’s head.

Having just witnessed the worldly wonder of Fire Rock Crystals raining from the sky, Qin Zhan hopefully felt the top of his head, only to find an ordinary rock.

Hmm...

It wasn’t entirely ordinary.

This rock was stained with a bit of dried bird droppings.

The peculiar fragrance of feces made the sharp-nosed Qin Zhan quickly let go.

Looking at the white spot in the palm of his hand, Qin Zhan’s mouth twitched.

’What the heck? Why am I being treated so differently?’

"Huohuo says you need to get in line. They were here first."

Lu Wu pointed to the Fiery Fire Sparrows in front of her stall to remind him.

"Fine."

Qin Zhan’s burst of anger lasted all of a second.

He dejectedly walked to the back of the line. Looking at the Fiery Fire Sparrows in front of him, which seemed like he could crush them with a single stomp, he shifted his feet and stood a little farther away.

One of the great illusions in life is thinking you can turn the tables.

In reality, rushing in would just be feeding.

The line of birds moved forward slowly. After the sparrows had been served their ice powder, Huohuo stood among its flock and chirped, "CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP!" The other birds, as if injected with chicken blood, craned their necks and responded with great vigor.

Then, the flock of birds scattered, flying off in all directions.

Qin Zhan watched the birds gradually disappear from sight, then looked at Lu Wu, who was currently ruffling Huohuo’s feathers, and hesitated.

His skill in beast language wasn’t great, but he could barely make out some of the meaning.

That special little bird seemed to be ordering the flock of Fiery Fire Sparrows to find the humans in the Secret Realm.

’Why look for humans?’

’To roast and eat them?’

Qin Zhan, who had fallen from the pride of his generation to someone living at a bird’s mercy, silently held his tongue.

’It’s a "better you than me" situation.’

He believed that the Cultivators who entered the Secret Realm were already prepared to die at any moment.

’I’ll pray for them.’

"I’ll take five bowls of ice powder."

Having helped Lu Wu meet a small part of her sales quota, Qin Zhan squatted on the ground, eating his ice powder.

Ever since entering the Secret Realm yesterday, he had been on edge, worried that something might happen to Lu Wu and also afraid of being ambushed by some unknown entity. He’d had no time at all to tend to his own appetite.

Now that he was safe, Qin Zhan ate to his heart’s content.

His favorite was the peach ice powder. The combination of sweet peach juice and the smooth texture of the ice powder filled his breath with the fresh aroma of peaches after he ate it.

The Earth Core Fruit ice powder was the one Qin Zhan found most intolerable.

The flesh of the Earth Core Fruit was very hard; it was tough on the teeth.

Although the ice powder itself was delicious, with every bite, he had to grind and chew for what felt like an eternity just to crush the Earth Core Fruit enough to swallow.

However, he noticed that the flock of Fiery Fire Sparrows from earlier had mostly eaten the Earth Core Fruit ice powder. Such a delicacy was indeed more suited for the merciless iron beaks of the Fiery Fire Sparrows.

After satisfying his cravings, Qin Zhan felt like he had been reborn.

The surrounding environment was still harsh, but the lingering coolness in his body restored his vitality.

"Boss Lu, do you need any help?"

Qin Zhan proactively went over, but in reality, he wanted to observe Huohuo up close.

’This bird... it’s quite unusual. I can’t even tell what species it is.’

"In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to peel these fruits for me."

Things spoiled easily in the high temperature, so all the fruit Lu Wu had prepared when she opened her stall today had been given to the Fiery Fire Sparrows.

It was already the second day. Lu Wu felt that some human Cultivators should have been able to find this place by now.

Lu Wu’s goal was to have every Cultivator who came here buy a bowl of ice powder.

Her ice powder was honestly priced for young and old alike, and everyone who tried it said it was good.

"It’s no trouble. I’d be happy to help."

Qin Zhan formed a hand seal and used his Mana to peel the fruit, his eyes constantly stealing glances at Huohuo.

Unfortunately, Huohuo completely ignored Qin Zhan.

A human the bird doesn’t like, the bird won’t even spare a glance.

"CHIRP!"

Being fed all sorts of fruit by Lu Wu, Huohuo only wanted to snuggle up to her.

A human the bird likes, the bird is willing to give its all and then some.

After all the fruit was prepared, Lu Wu poured the ice powder mix into a pot, getting ready to add water and melt it.

"Boss Lu, let me help you heat that."

Qin Zhan, seeing something that needed to be done, volunteered eagerly.

He opened his palm, and an orange-red flame appeared in it.

This was a sub-flame separated from a Spiritual Fire nurtured by the Holy Sword Sect, something only the most outstanding disciples in the Sect could obtain.

Qin Zhan didn’t feel it was beneath him to use a Spiritual Fire to heat a pot.

"Ah..."

After glancing at the flame, Lu Wu shook her head with a hint of disdain.

’This flame looks like it can’t compare to mine.’

"No need. I have my own."

As she spoke, Lu Wu snapped her fingers. The Golden Glaze Flame appeared at her fingertip and was then sent beneath the large pot.

Lu Wu controlled the temperature, put the lid on the pot, and waited quietly.

...

Qin Zhan fell silent. Qin Zhan shut down. Qin Zhan turned around, squatted on the ground, tore at his hair, and furiously poked his One World Communication to contact Lou Xiaotian and Jiang Yunhe.

"Bro, where are you? I found Boss Lu! She made a new dish, and it’s incredible! You guys have to get over here!"

’Good bros should suffer Boss Lu’s blows together.’

’These days, are Spiritual Fires just some dime-a-dozen commodity? How does Boss Lu have one too?’

’And the grade of that Spiritual Fire looks higher than mine... no... it looks even higher grade than the mother flame back at the Holy Sword Sect!’

"CHIRP!"

Huohuo let out a mocking chirp.

Under Qin Zhan’s resentful gaze, it opened its beak and spat out a small flame.

A golden-red flame drifted down and directly swallowed Qin Zhan’s puny little flame.

’The bird wouldn’t even deign to look at such a pathetic little flame.’

’Utter trash!’

’Yep, another Spiritual Fire more powerful than his.’

Qin Zhan learned to hide his sorrow with a smile.