Chapter 150: Chapter 147: An Extraordinary "Lantern Festival
’To eat or not to eat?’
The old man hesitated.
His thousand-plus years of experience told him that this whole stunt Mo Qi was pulling was complete nonsense.
’How could Elixirs possibly be boiled or fried?’
He had watched the entire process with his own eyes. It was exactly like a mortal rolling sweet dumplings for the Lantern Festival—identical!
But what Mo Qi said had a certain logic to it. In principle, one couldn’t make a rash judgment without tasting it first.
Looking at the chopsticks Mo Qi offered and then at the two plates of steaming "Elixirs," the old man simply couldn’t bring himself to take one, much less eat it.
Just then, two young men walked over.
"Senior, why don’t you let us try?"
The old man had a sudden thought. ’What a great idea!’
These two happened to be in the Refining God Realm, making them the perfect test subjects for the Divine Tempering Pill.
"Fine, go ahead and eat."
The two young men walked up to the two plates of "Elixirs," one on each side.
"I like boiled sweet dumplings."
"I’ll try the fried ones."
Neither of them used chopsticks; they just reached out with their hands.
"Wait!" Mo Qi stopped them.
"Losing your nerve, kid?" the old man sneered, his eyes narrowing.
Mo Qi shook his head and sized up the two young men.
"You’re both at the Refining God Ninth Heaven, not far from the Purity Realm. Before you try these, I suggest you prepare everything you’ll need for a breakthrough."
The two men stared blankly for a moment, then broke into wide grins and started laughing.
"Buddy, we’re not trying to laugh at you, but seriously? You think these sweet dumplings of yours can make us break through?"
"Yeah, even though we’re at the Refining God Ninth Heaven, we both have special bloodlines. Breaking through to a new Great Realm isn’t that easy. Forget that your sweet dumplings are just *called* Divine Tempering Pills; even a real Divine Tempering Pill couldn’t make us break through right now."
Mo Qi shrugged and said no more.
’I’ve said what I needed to say. Whether they believe me or act on it is none of my business.’
"Alright, stop wasting time. Hurry up and try them," the old man urged. He then shot a glance at Mo Qi. "If they really do break through, I will personally provide all the resources they need!"
The young men each grabbed a "sweet dumpling" and tossed it into their mouth.
"Chew it!" Mo Qi quickly shouted, seeing them tilt their heads back to swallow the dumplings whole.
’Huh? Chew it? Isn’t this supposed to be an Elixir?’
’Shouldn’t it dissolve the moment it enters my mouth?’
’Fine, we’ll chew it. Might as well pretend we’re actually eating sweet dumplings.’
The moment they bit through the "sweet dumplings" and the filling flowed out to envelop their taste buds, the mocking, contemptuous expressions on their faces froze solid.
’Oh, heavens, what is this flavor?’
’How can something so delicious exist in this world!’
The boiled sweet dumpling was light and refreshing. Paired with its incredibly chewy yet non-sticky skin, it felt as pleasant as bathing in a spring breeze!
The fried sweet dumpling was crispy but not greasy. With one bite, the filling burst in his mouth, unleashing an intense, rich aroma that was full of power.
SMACK! SMACK!
Their jaw muscles twitched rapidly as their chewing grew faster and faster.
Their eyebrows danced, their eyes narrowed to slits, and the corners of their mouths curled up at an exaggerated angle.
It was the face of someone lost in bliss, completely unable to pull themselves away!
Even after they’d swallowed the "sweet dumplings," the two continued to smack their lips, the taste lingering, unwilling to awaken from their delicious dream.
"Incredible! I wouldn’t trade that for anything!"
"The finest delicacy on earth!"
The old man’s face darkened at their praise.
’Are you two describing the "sweet dumplings," or a woman?’
Gulping, the two men licked their lips. Their eyes gleamed, and their gazes toward the "sweet dumplings" were filled with a crazed fervor.
Just as the two were about to pounce on the plates to fight for more, a scorching warm current began to spread outward from their abdomens.
A flush crept over their faces as the overwhelming aura of the Refining God Ninth Heaven erupted uncontrollably from their bodies.
"Oh no, I’m about to break through!"
"Me too!"
The two turned pale with shock and looked to Mo Qi for help. Breaking through right now was not part of their plan.
’Who would have thought that boiled and fried sweet dumplings could actually make them break through?’
When a Refining Divine Being breaks through to the Purity Realm, the phenomenon known as the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top will draw upon the power of heaven and earth to cleanse their mortal coil, a process that requires a massive amount of Spiritual Energy to absorb.
This kind of breakthrough normally requires extensive preparation, but it was now too late for that.
If they missed this chance to break through, it wouldn’t just be a lost opportunity; it could trigger a backlash, leading to unimaginably severe consequences.
Mo Qi wore an innocent expression. "Why are you looking at me? I warned you, but you didn’t believe me. Besides, didn’t the senior say he would help you?"
The two men had no choice but to turn to the old man with miserable expressions.
"Achieve Unity of Heart and Mind, focus on Holding the Dantian, and wait for the breakthrough. Leave the rest to me!"
The old man shot Mo Qi a deep look. With no time to investigate the cause, he waved his wide sleeve, and countless Spirit Stones flew out to surround the two young men.
"Gather!"
With a low shout, all the Spirit Stones shattered, transforming into Spiritual Energy that converged above the two men’s heads.
Seeing this, the two young men finally relaxed, sat down cross-legged, and began their breakthrough.
After finishing all this, the old man walked over to Mo Qi.
He looked at him, then at the "sweet dumplings" on the plates.
’Could it be that these "sweet dumplings" are actually something special?’
Both young men possessed special bloodlines. Though not of a particularly high grade, they still held a significant advantage over ordinary people.
Thus, the commotion from their breakthrough was considerable, and it soon attracted the attention of two other old men in the main hall.
"Is someone breaking through here?"
The two old men followed the sound and walked in, their gazes falling upon the two young men.
"Their qi and blood are vigorous, and their breakthroughs are accompanied by strange phenomena. Their foundations are solid. They are rare talents indeed." They stroked their beards and nodded in satisfaction.
"We’ve had our eye on these two. While they were close to the Purity Realm, they should have still been some ways off from a breakthrough. Why is it happening now?"
The old man responsible for testing Mo Qi didn’t know how to explain, so he could only recount what had just happened.
"What? Are you saying they each ate a sweet dumpling and then started to break through?"
The two old men pointed at the plates in front of Mo Qi, their faces etched with disbelief.
The old man who had tested Mo Qi sounded resigned. "As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s the truth."
If they didn’t know his character so well—that he was a man of strong principles—the other two elders would have thought he was joking.
And so, the three old men gathered around the two plates of "sweet dumplings," staring intently at Mo Qi.
Mo Qi rubbed his nose, took out two more pairs of chopsticks, and offered them over along with the first pair.
"Seniors, please try the Elixirs."
Staring at the tender white and glistening golden sweet dumplings on the plates, the word "Elixirs" sounded incredibly jarring.
However, with the two young men’s breakthrough as a precedent, they did not refuse this time.
All three chose the "Boiled Divine Tempering Pill."
The moment it entered their mouths...
SNAP!
All three pairs of chopsticks were bitten in half at the same time.
The three old men’s reactions and expressions were identical to those of the two young men.
The only difference was that each of them now had a piece of a broken chopstick in his mouth.
Lost in the exquisite flavor, they didn’t seem to notice. Instead, with blissful expressions on their faces, they continued chewing, crunching down on the chopsticks along with the "Boiled Divine Tempering Pill."
CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
