Hotpot Delicacy, The Gluttonous Old Rascal!

On the Sun Star, within the Sun Palace, golden light blazed brilliantly. His Majesty Dijun sat upright on the throne at the head of the hall, faint True Sun Fire swirling around his form.

Taiyi stood at his side, the Chaos Bell Prototype in his hand exuding a heavy, oppressive pressure.

Below, Bai Ze, clad in a gray-green Daoist robe and holding a scroll of beast-hide records, bowed respectfully as he reported.

"Reporting to His Majesty Dijun and His Highness Taiyi, your subordinate has led several Great Luo Demon Sages across the four domains of the Primordial Wilderness, persuading various tribes to submit to the Demon Race."

"The Black Eagle Tribe in the east, the Fire Crow Tribe in the south, and the Black Snake Tribe in the north have all surrendered, offering their tribal spiritual materials as tokens of fealty, willing to await orders from the Heavenly Court."

"The Bear Tribe and the Ape Monkey Tribe in the central region are still watching, claiming they will decide only after the second lecture at the Purple Xiao Palace, once they see the stance of other great powers."

"Only the Three-Headed Flood Dragon Tribe at Dragon Breaking Mountain in the west refuses to submit. Their chieftain even gravely wounded two of our Primordial Unity Golden Immortal demon generals."

"Your subordinate has already ordered the Lion Camel Tribe and the Black Wolf Tribe to surround them tightly, awaiting Your Majesty's command on whether to annihilate them."

Listening to Bai Ze's report, Dijun tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne, pondering as he spoke.

"The Three-Headed Flood Dragon Tribe is so blind to the times. After the second lecture at the Purple Xiao Palace, send Taiyi to suppress them—kill the chicken to warn the monkeys."

"As for the tribes still watching, there's no need to pressure them. Give them time to consider. Once the Demon Race makes a strong showing at the Purple Xiao Palace, they will submit on their own."

Taiyi nodded in agreement from the side. Bai Ze then reported on the cultivation progress of the Demon Race's cultivators and the mining status of the Innate Spiritual Veins.

Dijun listened to everything until it was nearly finished, then, together with Taiyi and several core Demon Sages, he transformed into a streak of light wreathed in True Sun Fire, flying toward the chaotic Purple Xiao Palace.

Not just them—

As everyone rushed toward the Purple Xiao Palace, within the Purple Xiao Palace at the edge of chaos, Haotian was busy cooking hotpot.

Boiling water from an Innate Spiritual Spring churned in a Bronze Cauldron, emitting fine white steam.

He tossed in cubes of Black Tiger Beast leg meat, cut into even pieces.

This Black Tiger Beast was a ferocious beast previously suppressed in the northern Primordial Wilderness. Its meat was firm and rich in Innate Earth Attribute Spiritual Qi, making it perfect for boiling.

Then, he opened several jade bottles and sprinkled in seasonings one by one: chili powder ground from Innate Spiritual Peppers—spicy but not harsh.

A sauce brewed from Spiritual Fruits—sweet with a hint of freshness—followed by a scattering of various spices, and finally a few drops of high-soup base blended from Innate Spiritual Liquid.

Instantly, the aroma of spicy, numbing, and savory flavors spread completely, even the lingering Dao resonance in the hall seemed touched by the lively, smoky air.

Jade Pool held the Twelve-Petal Pure World White Lotus, its purifying halo gently intertwining with the Ren Water Spiritual Qi around her.

She leaned close to the pot, her almond eyes sparkling, her nose lightly sniffing the fragrance.

"Senior Brother, this hotpot smells so different from the raw spiritual meat in the Primordial Wilderness—it's so unique! Is it almost ready? I can't wait any longer."

"Wait a little longer. The Black Tiger meat needs to boil for a full year to absorb the seasoning thoroughly, or it will have a gamey taste inside."

Haotian smiled as he took out two pairs of Mutton-Fat Jade Chopsticks and two White Jade Bowls from his storage spiritual treasure, handing one pair to Jade Pool beside him.

He then circulated his mystic art, sealing his cultivation to the Golden Immortal realm, and added, "Remember to seal your cultivation too. The spiritual energy of Innate Spiritual Beast Meat is too strong; only after sealing can you taste the layers of seasoning."

Jade Pool quickly nodded, pinched her fingers to form a seal, and sealed her cultivation to the Golden Immortal realm. Taking the jade chopsticks, she stared eagerly at the pot.

After a year passed, she couldn't wait to pick up a piece of meat, blew on it, and popped it into her mouth.

The moment she bit down, a wave of spiciness rushed straight to her taste buds. She couldn't help but hiss, her tongue tingling slightly.

But in an instant, the tenderness of the Black Tiger meat and the sweet freshness of the Spiritual Fruit Sauce surged forward, the spicy and savory flavors intertwining—far more flavorful than eating raw spiritual meat.

Ignoring the heat, she chewed in small bites, a bit of chili powder clinging to the corner of her mouth without her noticing, like a greedy child.

Watching her, Haotian smiled and picked up a piece of meat to taste as well.

The two of them ate piece by piece, but before they had eaten much, he frowned.

He had clearly added a lot of Black Tiger meat earlier, yet now only a small portion remained in the pot.

Even the bowl of Spiritual Fruit Sauce he had just filled was half empty.

He looked at Jade Pool, who was holding her jade chopsticks with two pieces of meat still lying in her bowl, and teased her.

"Junior Sister, your eating manner looks refined, but your speed isn't slow. Half the pot's meat is almost all gone thanks to you."

Jade Pool was startled, quickly put down her jade chopsticks, and counted on her fingers: "I only ate a dozen pieces! Senior Brother, look—there are still two pieces in my bowl!"

As she spoke, she raised her White Jade Bowl, and sure enough, only two pieces of meat remained, coated in fine chili powder.

The two exchanged glances, both puzzled. Jade Pool leaned close to the pot, reached out, and gently poked the rim, muttering softly.

"Could it be something strange about the Dao resonance in the Purple Xiao Palace? Why is the food disappearing so fast? I haven't even gotten full yet."

Haotian also found it suspicious. He raised his hand and took out another half-pot of Black Tiger meat from his storage spiritual treasure.

He also added a handful of tender spiritual plant leaves freshly picked from Penglai Immortal Island. These leaves were emerald green and tender; once boiled in the pot, they would release a faint, refreshing fragrance, perfect for cutting the spiciness.

But before half an incense stick's time had passed, the meat in the pot had again decreased by more than half, and only a few spiritual plant leaves floated on the soup's surface. Even the broth at the bottom had thinned by a layer.

"Strange, this is too fast..." Haotian was about to extend his divine sense to check for any anomalies nearby.

Suddenly, a light cough came from the void, and Hongjun's figure slowly materialized.

On the sleeve of his plain white palace robe, there was actually a faint trace of reddish sauce stain—barely noticeable unless one had sharp eyes like Haotian.

Hongjun's gaze fell on the bubbling hotpot, and his tone was deliberately casual: "Ahem... Haotian, my disciple, and Jade Pool, my disciple, what are you doing? Why is there such a unique fragrance in the hall?"

Haotian and Jade Pool suddenly understood. They exchanged a glance, both unable to suppress their laughter.

So it turned out that the mysterious disappearance of ingredients earlier was actually Master secretly snacking on them!

The two quickly rose and bowed, Jade Pool suppressing a smile as she said, "Greetings, Master! Your disciple was attempting to cook a delicacy called hotpot. If Master doesn't mind, would you care to try some?"

"Oh, an experimental dish?"

A flicker of interest passed through Hongjun's eyes, and with a wave of his hand, a pair of jade chopsticks and a jade bowl materialized out of thin air, his movements as practiced as if he had long been familiar with such tableware.

"Then let your master taste this hotpot and see what novelty this so-called hotpot ingredient can offer."

With that, he picked up a piece of Black Tiger Meat, blew on it to cool it, and sent it into his mouth. A trace of surprise instantly flashed in his eyes.

The layered flavors of numbing spice and fragrant heat surged forward, and with his cultivation sealed, his taste buds' perception was magnified without limit.

It even reminded him of the freshness of Chaos Spiritual Plants he had occasionally tasted in the early days of creation, far surpassing the monotonous spiritual fare of the Primordial Wilderness.

"Not bad, not bad. This Chili Powder has real kick, and the Spiritual Fruit Sauce cuts the heat well. Paired with the tenderness of Black Tiger Meat, it has a certain charm."

Hongjun rarely showed approval. He casually reached to the edge of chaos, plucked a spiritual plant still bearing morning dew, snapped off the old branches, and tossed only the tender leaves into the pot.

"Adding these tender leaves of a spiritual plant to the pot can bring a hint of fragrance and cut through the greasiness of the meat."

Haotian and Jade Pool nodded slightly. For the next several hundred years, the three of them gathered around the Bronze Hotpot, feasting heartily.