The Narrow-Minded Xuan Yangzi

Gu Changge returned fully loaded. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard on Zizhu Peak, he looked over at the medicinal field and saw Lao Huang with his head bowed, tilling the spiritual soil, his thick tail flicking unconsciously.

Seeing the massive haul of monster beast meat in Gu Changge's hands, Lao Huang secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

With such an abundant supply of ingredients today, surely his old flesh wouldn't be targeted.

Just then, Gu Changge's gaze swept lightly across the medicinal field and happened to land on him.

"Ahem," Gu Changge coughed lightly, as if he had just remembered something, a barely noticeable smile on his face. "Lao Huang, I almost forgot about you."

The old ox shivered all over. He turned around with a miserable face, his bovine eyes full of the grief and indignation of someone whose worst fears had just been confirmed. "I knew it, I knew it. In the end, I still couldn't escape the blade... Please, go easy on me!"

With practiced skill, Gu Changge made a stroke through the air, taking a piece of the most succulent beef tenderloin. Life essence swirled around the wound, healing it instantly.

He casually tossed a bottle of Connate Spiritual Marrow, swirling with chaotic aura, to the old ox. "Here, to nourish your body."

Lao Huang skillfully caught the spiritual marrow. While grimacing from the pain of his wound, he carefully hid the marrow away.

Soon, cooking smoke curled upward in the courtyard.

Gu Changge waved his hand, and the ancient Myriad Laws Ruin Cauldron quietly appeared. With a mere thought, he completely suppressed and concealed the Emperor-tier pressure that originally circulated around the cauldron, which was capable of suppressing the heavens.

It became gentle and restrained, looking like nothing more than an ordinary large cauldron made of extraordinary materials. He drew upon the earth fire; quiet, deep blue flames burned beneath the cauldron, enveloping the Emperor-tier artifact without damaging it in the slightest.

Various top-tier ingredients met within the Emperor Cauldron. The majestic spiritual energy and essence were perfectly locked inside by the cauldron, slowly blending and catalyzing under the gentle roasting of the earth fire.

An indescribable exotic fragrance mixed with vast spiritual energy permeated the air. Almost tangible seven-colored radiant light rose and swirled at the mouth of the cauldron. Just inhaling a trace of the scent made one's soul feel at ease, caused the mouth to water, and made the spiritual energy within the body leap with joy.

Standing by the cauldron with his hands clasped behind his back, Gu Changge smelled the aroma. "Cooking with an Emperor Weapon really makes the food smell incredible."

There was the crystal-clear Quasi-Emperor dragon meat imbued with dragon essence, along with side dishes like the wing root meat of the Zhu Yan Divine Bird, the essence tenderloin of the Seven-Colored Divine Elk, and the fattiest, most tender hind leg meat of the Lightning Rabbit.

Right at that moment, the tightly closed door of the adjacent courtyard creaked open.

Sect Master Xuanyangzi leaned out from the doorway.

He was currently wearing a loose convalescent Daoist robe, with a hint of fatigue lingering between his brows from recently recovering from severe injuries.

It was obvious at a glance that he had suffered quite a bit of tempering from the Emperor projections inside the Eternal Paragon Tower.

However, at this moment, his nostrils flared continuously, and his eyes shone brightly. His expression was exactly like a cat that had caught the scent of fish; he did not look like someone who needed bed rest at all.

"Junior Brother Changge! What good stuff have you brought back this time? The aroma is spreading for miles!"

As Xuanyangzi spoke, he unceremoniously sauntered over and sat by the pot. His eyes stared fixedly at the rolling broth inside, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

Gu Changge unhurriedly prepared a dipping sauce. He raised his eyes to glance at him, his gaze pausing for a moment on the convalescent Daoist robe, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

"Senior Brother, your injuries... seem to have healed quite nimbly? From what I can see, your ability to follow a scent has recovered much faster than your cultivation."

Without blushing or skipping a beat, Xuanyangzi straightened his robes and put on the airs of a Sect Master, speaking with righteous indignation. "Junior Brother, you are mistaken! As your senior brother, I am deeply concerned about the safety of our sect, so I came specifically to discuss important sect matters! This is my duty!"

Changing the subject, his tone immediately softened, and he chuckled. "As for this fragrance... Ahem, it is just a passing convenience. Nourishing my body will help me recover sooner, so I can better serve the sect!"

Saying this, he stared ardently at the ancient cauldron and could not help but praise it. "Changge, where did you get this cauldron? This aura, this material... one look and you know it is an absolute treasure for stewing meat and making soup!"

Unable to wait any longer, he picked up a pair of chopsticks, skillfully grabbed a piece of meat with clear marbling and a tempting aroma, swished it in the boiling soup pot, dipped it in sauce, and popped it into his mouth.

The meat melted in his mouth, an indescribable burst of savory flavor exploding instantly. Xuanyangzi narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. Just as he was about to savor it carefully, his expression drastically changed!

The pure energy the meat transformed into surged into his limbs and bones like a breached dam. The purity and sheer volume of this energy were several times stronger than any meat he had ever eaten before!

"This, this..." Xuanyangzi's eyes snapped open, pointing at the cauldron with a face full of shock, stumbling over his words. "Junior Brother! This meat... this energy... it is actually so much richer than what we had before?"

"Mmm! Tender! Smooth! Fragrant! Melts in the mouth and full of spiritual energy! Junior Brother, your culinary skills are truly unparalleled!"

As he chewed in intoxication, his gaze swept over to Lao Huang nearby, who was hugging the Connate Spiritual Marrow, absorbing it while secretly peeking at the pot. He immediately waved enthusiastically.

"Brother Ox! Do not just stand there drooling! Come over, come have a bite with us! We are all family here, do not be shy!"

To show his sincerity, he specially picked up a piece of meat that looked incredibly tender with his chopsticks and waved it enthusiastically at Lao Huang.

"Look at this meat, the color is so perfect, the marbling is amazing! Come have a taste!"

Lao Huang had been happily absorbing the spiritual marrow, scheming on how to hide this treasure well.

Hearing this, he looked up. His gaze landed on the familiar-looking piece of meat on Xuanyangzi's chopsticks, which even faintly carried his own unique origin aura. The smile on his face instantly froze. His bovine eyes widened into perfect circles, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Xuanyangzi!"

Lao Huang spoke word by word, his voice squeezing through gritted teeth, carrying suppressed fury.

"You! Better! Look! Closely! At! What! You! Are! Eating! Before! You! Speak!"

"That! Is! My! Meat!!!"

This angry roar exploded like thunder, startling Xuanyangzi so much that his hand trembled, and he nearly dropped his chopsticks into the pot.

Only then did he belatedly take a closer look at the meat he was holding. Feeling that familiar aura again, his face instantly filled with embarrassment, and he let out a dry chuckle.

"Uh... this... it is a misunderstanding, a pure misunderstanding! Brother Ox, calm down, please calm down! No wonder it was so chewy..."

Watching this scene, the corners of Gu Changge's mouth curled up slightly, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes.

This old rascal Xuanyangzi claimed it was a misunderstanding, but the mischievous glint he could not hide in his eyes and the deliberate waving of the meat clearly showed he was holding a grudge from being frightened by Lao Huang earlier, and was intentionally getting back at him here.

It was not that he had not seen clearly; he had seen it all too clearly and was deliberately angering the ox.

Lao Huang was so furious that two thick streams of white steam shot out of his nostrils. He turned his head away, hugging his Connate Spiritual Marrow, thinking viciously in his heart.

"Hmph! Cutting my meat and eating it right in front of my face! And you expect me to come over and eat it together?! Even if I starve to death today, even if I jump off this peak, I absolutely will not eat a single bite of your food! I have a backbone!"