Houtu eagerly took it from her. She didn't even mind that it was hot and immediately dug in.
Nuwa smiled warmly. "Thank you, young master. You've worked hard."
Taking the grilled meat, Nuwa held it in her hands and examined it closely.
Its color was golden, and it glistened with oil.
She gave it a light sniff. A series of unfamiliar, enticing aromas made her mouth water.
The flavor was bold, but it didn't overpower the fragrance of the meat.
Nuwa gently took a bite.
In an instant, the blended flavors of all the spices burst across her tongue!
The meat was neither greasy nor gamey, crisp on the outside and tender within!
It was delicious, with a flavor all its own.
As the saying went, this delicacy belonged in heaven; how many times could one hope to taste it in the human world?
Nuwa watched Houtu wolfing down the meat and shook her head with a soft laugh. This grilled meat was simply too tempting!
Even I can hardly resist, let alone Houtu, that little glutton.
Seeing Houtu about to finish a skewer in no time, Nuwa abandoned all restraint and began tearing into hers.
Her slender fingers gripped the skewer as she devoured the meat. A few bites later, she'd finished it.
She casually tossed aside the wooden skewer, but still seemed unsatisfied. Nuwa stuck out her small tongue and licked all the oil from her lips and the fragrant residue from her slender fingers.
"Do you have any more, young master? It's just so delicious."
Houtu had thought it merely smelled good, but after tasting it, the craving in her belly had been thoroughly awakened.
Jiang Ping gave a sweeping wave of his hand. "There's plenty! Eat your fill. But you two ladies will have to lend me a hand."
"Of course, young master. Just tell me what to do. I'll do anything."
"Good. These skewers are nearly done. Turn them a few more times. By the time you can't stand it anymore and want to eat them, they should be ready."
Houtu came over and stared at the grilled meat before her. It felt as if countless ants were crawling around inside her, leaving her restless with anticipation. She wished she could start eating right then and there.
The meat sizzled on the grill above the glowing red fruitwood charcoal.
Droplets of hot oil slowly slid down the plump meat's grain and fell onto the blazing charcoal, sending up wisps of smoke.
The distinctive scent of open-fire cooking drifted throughout the courtyard.
A closer sniff revealed the unique fragrance of fruitwood.
A deeper breath brought the savory aroma of grilled meat.
It was utterly intoxicating.
The charcoal had brought out the meat's rich aroma. A sprinkling of salt, pepper, and chili sauce added color and flavor, making it even more delicious and appetizing to behold.
Houtu's stomach rumbled impatiently, and the saliva in her mouth seemed to protest mischievously. Her cravings had long since been roused.
I can't take it anymore!
I want to eat now!
Houtu finally couldn't hold back. While Jiang Ping wasn't paying attention, she grabbed a skewer.
Ignoring the heat, she took a huge bite. She looked ferociously adorable!
Wow!
Amazing!
Her mouth filled with a searing warmth, and the sheer satisfaction made Houtu want to moan.
It really was delicious!
With the first chew, the flavor exploded!
With the second, she felt as though she were floating on air.
With the third, she felt like she was ascending to immortality.
Houtu felt her entire body growing light, her Nascent Soul warm and glowing. An unprecedented sense of comfort slowly spread through her Dao body.
Huh?
Why am I actually floating?
Where am I?
What happened?
Houtu was utterly bewildered and looked down.
In the courtyard, she was standing there like a fool, mouth agape and stuffed full of grilled meat.
Oil from the meat was dripping from the corner of her mouth.
Fortunately, Nuwa and the expert were both busy and hadn't noticed anything unusual about her.
Houtu was alarmed and uncertain. What was happening now was far beyond anything she knew.
Even though she didn't understand what was going on, her cultivation was still intact. The Witch Clan did not cultivate the Dao, but she often discussed it with Nuwa.
So she knew much more about cultivation than the other Ancestor Witches.
Could this be what Nuwa had called Nascent Soul Leaving the Body?
Houtu was overcome with joy.
She had finally reached this state!
Cultivators at the Heaven Immortal realm could achieve Nascent Soul Leaving the Body.
Unfortunately, the Witch Clan was born without Nascent Souls, relying entirely on their powerful physical bodies.
Although Houtu had been born different, her Nascent Soul was still exceedingly weak, equivalent to that of an Earth Immortal cultivator.
That was why she often sought Nuwa's guidance, hoping to find a suitable cultivation method to strengthen her Nascent Soul.
With Nuwa's help, Houtu had spent thousands of years trying every cultivation method, but none had increased her Nascent Soul's power by even the slightest amount.
She had been deeply disappointed and had given up hope.
Yet today, she had received such an incredible opportunity and blessing.
Even more unbelievable, the power of her Nascent Soul had increased by a full fifty percent!
It was nearly comparable to that of a Heaven Immortal cultivator.
Houtu considered it carefully, then suddenly understood. This had to be the expert's doing.
Only an expert could wield such heaven-defying divine powers, turning the mundane into the miraculous and making the impossible possible!
No wonder the expert had suddenly decided to grill meat for no reason. He had meant to bestow such an extraordinary opportunity and blessing upon me!
The expert truly is like a parent who gave me a new life!
The increased power of my Nascent Soul will greatly benefit my future cultivation.
Originally, I could have reached no higher than the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm.
To attain sainthood, the only possibility would be for the Twelve Ancestor Witches to set aside their grievances and willingly unite to help one of them succeed.
But although the Twelve Ancestor Witches had once been one, they were also separate individuals.
Over countless years, rifts had formed between them. Each had their own ideas, and there was no chance they would willingly merge.
As Houtu was thinking, a gust of astral wind suddenly swept past.
A sharp pain struck within her Nascent Soul.
Houtu came to her senses. Nascent Soul Leaving the Body was extremely dangerous, especially in her current state, when her Nascent Soul wasn't yet strong enough.
A Chaos Demon might seize the chance to devour her, or some other powerful being might casually destroy her.
She would then fall straight into a deep slumber, with no telling how many tens of thousands of years it would take for her to wake again.
Houtu didn't dare be careless. She hurriedly put the cultivation method Nuwa had once taught her into practice.
Her Nascent Soul's power gradually became as easy to command as her own limbs. Once she had mastered it, Houtu quickly guided her Nascent Soul back into her body.
As soon as it returned, she immediately felt much more grounded.
"Miss Wu? Miss Wu!"
"Ah, I'm here." Houtu was startled when she heard someone calling her and answered in a fluster.
Nuwa chided her, "Why are you spacing out? The young master and I called you several times, but you didn't answer."
Houtu hurriedly explained, "I wasn't spacing out. I'd just never tasted grilled meat this delicious before, and I got distracted for a moment."
"Oh, good. I was worried something had happened to you." Nuwa spoke as if hinting at something.
Houtu picked up on her hint and thought, The expert's actions are unfathomable.
Even though I've received such a great blessing, it seems I can't thank him to his face.
I can only keep this kindness in my heart. If I get the chance, I'll repay the expert one day.
"Miss Wu, why did you stop eating? You were so eager just a moment ago. This doesn't seem like you." Seeing Houtu looking so troubled, Jiang Ping teased her.
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