Xun Er's First Time Cooking!

Several days later, Gu Long pushed open the door to the Quiet Room. His aura had completely stabilized at the level of a One Star Dou Zong, and his gaze had grown deeper and more restrained.

He slowly walked into the courtyard and saw Xun Er practicing a palm technique.

Her figure danced gracefully, and the Dou Qi flowing through her movements was quite smooth and harmonious. She had clearly begun to master her Five Star Dou Spirit cultivation.

"Brother Gu Long, you've come out of seclusion!"

Xun Er withdrew her stance and hurried over in delight.

"Mm." Gu Long nodded slightly. His gaze swept across the courtyard before a thought suddenly occurred to him. "I've just mastered a Dou Technique. Let me show you."

As he spoke, he did not circulate much Dou Qi. He merely raised his right hand casually and lightly pressed it toward an open patch in one corner of the courtyard.

In an instant, that space seemed to freeze solid!

An invisible pressure emerged from nowhere, and the air gave off a low hum.

Immediately afterward, a nearly transparent energy form condensed in an instant, faintly outlining the shape of an enormous palm!

The lines on the palm were blurry, yet it radiated an unusual sense of control and confinement, as though that entire stretch of space had fallen completely under its dominion.

Void Great Hand Seal!

The giant palm descended gently without touching the ground, yet the bluestone slabs within its range silently sank half an inch.

It left behind an incomparably clear indentation of a massive palm print, its edges smooth as a mirror!

Even the air within the palm print's range seemed to turn thick and heavy.

The entire process was silent, without any earth-shaking explosion, yet this only made the technique's condensed and terrifying power even more apparent.

And this was merely Gu Long using it casually, without exerting his full strength.

Xun Er's beautiful eyes widened. She could clearly sense the terrifying power contained in that strike—a preliminary control over and oppression of space!

This was absolutely not the kind of might a Earth Tier Dou Technique could possess.

"Brother Gu Long, this... this is a Heaven Tier Dou Technique?" Xun Er's voice carried a trace of shock.

"Heaven Tier Low Rank, Void Great Hand Seal."

Gu Long dispersed the palm print, his tone calm.

"I'm not yet proficient with it. It should prove useful against enemies in the future."

Looking at the deep palm print in the bluestone slabs, Xun Er gained a more direct understanding of Brother Gu Long's strength.

Having broken through to the Dou Zong realm and mastered a Heaven Tier Low Rank Dou Technique, Brother Gu Long now probably did not fall short of those elders in the Inner Academy at all.

She felt both proud and seized by the urge to do something for him.

Seeing that the sky was growing late, an idea suddenly struck her. "Brother Gu Long, you've worked hard cultivating! Tonight... tonight, let Xun Er cook!"

She remembered how happy she had been every time Brother Gu Long made something delicious for her.

Now that Brother Gu Long had successfully broken through, she also wanted to make something with her own hands to express her feelings.

Hearing this, Gu Long looked at her with slight surprise.

Xun Er came from the Ancient Clan and had been clothed in fine garments and fed lavishly since childhood. When had she ever needed to cook for herself?

He was rather curious to see what this young lady of the Ancient Clan could make.

"Are you sure?"

The corner of his lips lifted in an almost imperceptible curve.

"Of course!"

Xun Er patted her chest with complete confidence.

"I've watched Brother Gu Long do it so many times. I learned it ages ago! Just wait and see!"

With that, she excitedly ran toward the kitchen.

Gu Long did not stop her. He sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard with great interest, his Soul Power silently spreading over like a wordless observer.

Before long, clattering sounds rang out from the kitchen.

"Oil first... mm, it should be like this..."

"How was this fish supposed to be handled again? Scale it... remove the innards..."

"How much salt? One spoonful? Or two?"

"Ah! The fire's too strong!"

Things were fairly orderly at first, but soon a burnt smell began to spread from the kitchen, accompanied by Xun Er's flustered, hushed cries.

She had clearly overestimated how much she had "learned" from watching. Actually doing it was an entirely different matter.

Either she could not control the heat properly, or the seasonings were hopelessly unbalanced. That poor fish, in particular, suffered a truly troubled fate.

As Gu Long "watched" Xun Er's little face in the kitchen become slightly blackened by smoke while she stubbornly and earnestly waved the spatula, a trace of amusement flickered in his eyes.

This girl, whose talent in cultivation and formations was extraordinary, possessed no particular talent for cooking.

About half an hour later, Xun Er emerged carrying a tray, looking somewhat uneasy.

Two dishes sat on the tray: one was a blackened, barely fish-shaped unidentified object, giving off a heavy burnt smell; the other was a plate of stir-fried greens, far too dark and glistening with oil.

"Brother Gu Long, would you like to try it?"

Xun Er placed the tray on the stone table. Her little face was full of anticipation, but also a touch of guilt, her fingers twisting uneasily together.

Gu Long looked at the charred fish that could only be called an "artistic masterpiece," then at Xun Er's eyes, as though she were awaiting judgment, and inwardly found it amusing.

He picked up his chopsticks and, without changing expression, lifted a piece that could barely be considered "fish meat" and put it into his mouth.

An incredibly complex, indescribable flavor exploded across his tongue!

Burnt bitterness, salty astringency, fishiness, and a bizarre sweetness that suggested she had added too much sugar...

Gu Long's chewing paused slightly. Then, without changing expression, he swallowed and nodded. "Passable. There is room for improvement."

Xun Er's eyes immediately lit up. She hurriedly picked up her own chopsticks and sampled the greens.

"Pfft—cough, cough..." The instant it entered her mouth, she could not help spitting it out. Her little face scrunched up. "So salty! It tastes awful!"

Only then did she realize just how generous Brother Gu Long's earlier assessment of "passable" had been.

Looking at the two "masterpieces" on the table, utterly lacking in color, aroma, and taste, Xun Er's little face instantly fell. Dejected, she said, "Sorry, Brother Gu Long, I... I'm so useless. I can't even make a proper meal..."

Seeing her aggrieved expression, as though she were about to cry, Gu Long shook his head and said gently, "It is fine. The thought is what matters. Cooking was never your specialty, so there is no need to force it."

With a wave of his hand, he moved the two disastrous dishes aside and rose to his feet. "I'll do it."

Just then, a little purple head suddenly popped up over the courtyard wall.

"Huh? What's that smell? Did something get burnt?"

Zi Yan sniffed hard with her delicate little nose. When her gaze landed on Gu Long, her face immediately broke into a grin.

"Gu Long! You're out of seclusion! Are you going to cook? I brought new treasures I found today to trade for food!"

She did not notice the subtle atmosphere at all, nor Xun Er's embarrassed and dejected expression.

Her eyes held only Gu Long and the delicious food he was about to make.

Gu Long looked at the suddenly appearing Zi Yan, then at the dispirited Xun Er beside him. He suddenly felt that this quiet courtyard had gained a little more liveliness because of their presence.

"Mm, I'll start now." He nodded at Zi Yan, then looked at Xun Er. "Come to the kitchen. I'll teach you."

Xun Er raised her head and looked into Gu Long's gentle eyes. Most of the gloom in her heart immediately dispersed, and she nodded firmly. "Mm!"

A short while later, sounds once again came from the kitchen, but this time, Gu Long was the one in charge.

Xun Er watched and learned seriously at his side, occasionally passing him seasonings as Gu Long's brief instructions rang out from time to time.

Zi Yan sat obediently on a stone stool in the courtyard, swinging her little legs as she stared eagerly toward the kitchen, waiting to be fed.

The air gradually filled with the truly tempting aroma of food, replacing the earlier burnt smell.

Night enveloped the little courtyard, while the lamplight was warm. The gravity of cultivation and the warmth of everyday life strangely blended together at this moment.

For Gu Long, having such a relaxing interlude amid his plans for greater matters was not bad at all.

As he skillfully worked the spatula, he thought that it was time to begin making contact with the Inner Academy and place the final piece for the impending eruption of the Falling Heart Flame.