Chapter 163: Dao-Seeking Sect, You Are Going Too Far!
After Yun Zhi had assumed the role of acting sect leader, she visited the other four great immortal sects as per custom, bringing a very special gift along with her—she announced to them that the Taciturn Daoist Priest had gone into seclusion and that she was now in charge of the Dao-Seeking Sect.
The four other immortal sects were over the moon upon learning of the news. They finally didn’t have to deal with a lunatic. Moreover, Yun Zhi’s new position implied that she would no longer participate in the events restricted to disciples.
Every now and then, the Five Great Immortal Sects would organize activities for disciples and have them explore ancient cave domains. However, ever since Yun Zhi appeared out of nowhere, they reckoned it would be much more time-saving to hand the rewards directly to Yun Zhi.
Second Elder couldn’t shift his eyes away from Shangguan Yu, the captivating woman of his dreams. Although she had once rejected him, his memory of the pure and beautiful Shangguan Yu had left an indelible mark in his mind.
Noticing Second Elder’s fixed stares, Qiu Jin’an stepped forward and blocked his view with a stormy expression. “When does the contest start?”
First Elder replied, “According to the plan, we will begin with an opening ceremony, eat, and then it will be the contest.”
Qiu Jin’an remarked inwardly, That’s quite standard. As expected of Yun Zhi’s arrangement. She’s so much better than that bastard Taciturn Daoist Priest.
The last time he had visited the Dao-Seeking Sect, the Taciturn Daoist Priest had come up to him and immediately threw an arm over his neck, saying, “Brother, let’s go play at the brothel! My treat.”
Qiu Jin’an had shoved the Taciturn Daoist Priest away on the spot.
How could he have said something like that out loud? Shangguan Yu was still looking at him!
“Mmm? Where’s that young fellow who knows about the ancient civilization?” He was hoping to discuss some secrets from the ancient era with Lu Yang, such as how the expert who mastered Law Follows Swords died and whether the Heaven Mandate Immortal got his name because he was born on a day with sublime weather.
First Elder explained, “He went off to prepare the meals.”
“Oh.” Qiu Jin’an didn’t think much of it.
As the opening ceremony commenced, the disciples from the Dao-Seeking Sect and the Five-Elements Sect stood together and watched the higher-ups deliver their speeches.
Soon, they were dozing off.
First Elder recited his speech based on the script Lu Yang had written. “In order to implement the policy of moving forward together as the Five Great Immortal Sects, foster friendly exchanges between the Dao-Seeking Sect and Five-Elements Sect, promote the profound appreciation of the unity and camaraderie among the five sects, and build a strong foundation for mutual prosperity, I have five points I would like to expound on regarding the theme of this exchange.
“Firstly, implementing the policy of moving forward together as the Five Great Immortal Sects is both a historical necessity and a practical imperative. With the imminent arrival of the Ancient Great Era, ancient cultivators are awakening one after another. In the face of such grim challenges and unpredictable risks, the Five-Elements Sect should, and must, unite as one...”
Qiu Jin’an was flabbergasted. Although he had expected a vastly different speech this time, he didn’t expect such a prodigious disparity.
Last time, the Taciturn Daoist Priest had only said two sentences. “We would like to warmly welcome the Five-Elements Sect. Everyone is free to move around.”
When it was Qiu Jin’an’s turn to address the audience, he cleared his throat and spoke in a bright voice, “In this season where the sun shines brightly and all things are reborn, the Five-Elements Sect is very honored to be here at the Dao-Seeking Sect and witness the most advanced ideologies and theories in the cultivation world, which has been truly inspiring...”
After the leaders were done with their respective speeches, sparse and fragmented sounds of applause could be heard from the audience below, or as Eighth Elder put it, it was like “they couldn’t empty their bladder.”
On the stage, the leaders from both sides shook hands.
“Sect Leader Qiu, we will be looking forward to your guidance during this exchange.”
“You jest, First Elder. I hope the Dao-Seeking Sect will show us mercy.”
Both First Elder and Qiu Jin’an wore benign smiles on their visage, preventing bystanders from having any clues that they were secretly communicating with their spiritual consciousness.
“Qiu Jin’an, get back to the Five-Elements Sect! The Dao-Seeking Sect does not welcome you. Look at how hypocritical you are. Have you forgotten how we, the Dao-Seeking Nine, beat you up in the past?”
“Nine of you against one of me? Does the Dao-Seeking Sect not care about saving face anymore? Do you really think I care to come to your sect, the gathering place for a bunch of demons, devils, and ghosts? Just wait until I subdue demons and exterminate devils and spread my news of victory throughout the cultivation world!”
In the real world, both of them were smiling sincerely all this while.
“Sect Leader Qiu, shall we go for lunch together?”
“Haha, I’ve long heard that nothing compares to the food in the Dao-Seeking Sect. This will surely be an eye-opening experience.”
As the group made their way to the dining hall, Qiu Jin’an saw a disciple using a youtiao to hammer nails, each strike producing a resounding clang and sparks everywhere.
Then, he saw a disciple toss a jianbing into the air, where it instantly grew so big that it blocked out the sky.
He also saw a disciple preparing egg soup. The silver pot turned black and began to melt, while the egg soup condensed into a single green droplet.
In a way, it was indeed eye-opening.
Surely the Dao-Seeking Sect won’t be making me eat something like this, right? Qiu Jin’an was on tenterhooks as he tried to comfort himself that he wasn’t a sinner who deserved such punishment.
Finally, the group arrived at a luxurious restaurant. A delightful aroma assailed their nostrils even from a distance. Laid before Qiu Jin’an was a spread of dishes rich in color, fragrance, and flavor.
“Looks like I’ve wrongfully blamed the Dao-Seeking Sect.” Qiu Jin’an sighed in relief.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy donned a white apron and a tall hat, looking the part.
She introduced the dishes. “This is fermented tofu, carefully prepared from the finest loin of Ice Plains Elephants and morning dew from the herb garden. I have combined them both with an ancient secret technique for extraordinary results.” She was eager to see their reactions. “Why don’t you have a taste?”
Qiu Jin’an lifted the lid from the plate, and a golden light shot into the sky, almost blinding him as immortal music echoed in his ears ceaselessly. He turned around and saw a group of people performing a music ensemble. “What’s going on?”
“Musical performance. For the ambiance,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy explained.
Qiu Jin’an didn’t think much of it as he picked up a pair of chopsticks and grabbed a piece of tofu. Just as he was about to place it in his mouth, he saw wisps of smoke emitting from where his chopsticks touched the tofu, which was melting at an alarming rate.
Plop! The tofu fell back down.
Qiu Jin’an blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy urged him by the side, “You need to eat it quickly, else the fermented tofu will soon burn through the plate and table.”
Qiu Jin’an suppressed the urge to flip the table and decided to try another dish.
He lifted the lid of a small tea bowl, revealing a milky white fish soup, garnished with two green leaves that made it look even more appetizing.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy introduced, “In our sect’s Tai Lake, there is a fish called the Blue-Water Fish that dates back to ancient times. It must be cooked immediately after it leaves the water, or it will turn bad after six hours. I fished it up from Tai Lake at dawn, and with my meticulous culinary skills, I have preserved the maximum freshness possible. Give it a try.”
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Then, Qiu Jin’an saw a small green fish swimming in the soup, even leaping out and leaping back in, sending ripples across the surface of the soup. A drop of fish soup even splashed onto his face.
“...Isn’t your fish meat a bit lively?” Qiu Jin’an suppressed his urge to flip the table once again.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy explained, “The fish you saw isn’t actually alive. It’s a fish spirit crafted from the Blue-Water Fish’s skeletal frame with ancient techniques. Just poke it with a spoon and it will dissolve.”
Qiu Jin’an cautiously prodded the small green fish with a spoon, and sure enough, it dissolved into the soup, enhancing its flavor by another level.
So I did wrongfully blame him after all, Qiu Jin’an thought.
He took a small sip and immediately spat it out. “It’s so salty? How much salt did you add?!”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy gave it a serious thought. “Twenty seconds.”
Qiu Jin’an slammed the table. Shooting to his feet, he roared, “Dao-Seeking Sect, you are going too far!”