Eating Right After the Dao Ancestor Leaves? This Spicy Hot Pot is Too Delicious!

Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

For mortals, this was a period of immense change, but for the great beings within the Purple Heaven Palace, it was merely a long and agonizing "cramming" session.

Finally.

The purple energy above the high platform slowly receded.

Old Ancestor Hongjun stopped lecturing. Even he had been driven to near madness by the snoring that had lasted for three thousand years.

Without the usual parting words of encouragement, he simply stated:

"This lecture is concluded. It will resume in three thousand years. You may leave or continue your quiet cultivation within the palace."

Before he even finished speaking.

Hongjun's figure vanished into the air like a bubble. His speed suggested he was in a bit of a... hasty retreat.

He needed to find a quiet place to calm himself and figure out how to fix the subsequent plot deviations.

As the Saint's oppressive aura dissipated.

The tension that had gripped the Purple Firmament Palace for three thousand years finally eased.

"Hoo..."

Countless heavy breaths filled the air.

The great beings were all pale and listless, as if they had just survived a life-or-death battle.

Although they had absorbed countless spiritual energies and their bodies were not hungry, the fatigue and thirst from the depths of their Primordial Spirits were all too real.

The Three Pure Ones gathered. Laozi remained with his eyes closed, meditating. Primordial Heavenly Lord, with a dark expression, tidied his slightly disheveled robes. Sovereign of Heaven was busy polishing the Qingping Sword.

Di Jun and Tai Yi were pulling aside a few Yao Race great beings, conversing in low tones. They were clearly seizing the opportunity to build connections, though they also looked quite drained.

In the midst of this deathly silent, weary hall.

In a corner.

Taiyuan stretched luxuriously, his joints cracking like popping beans.

"What a comfortable sleep!"

His voice was full of energy and spirit, a stark contrast to the dejected figures around him.

Jieyin and Zhunti rubbed their sleepy eyes and awoke, feeling refreshed and invigorated, their cultivation greatly advanced. They looked at Taiyuan with admiration.

Following Big Brother really means winning without even trying!

"Big Brother, I'm hungry," Zhunti said, patting his stomach. It was a reflex. Although Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals didn't need to eat, after three thousand years of watching delicious food in his dreams, his appetite was acting up.

"Hungry? Then let's eat!"

Taiyuan chuckled, waved his sleeve, and put away the tea set and leisurely chair.

Immediately after.

With a loud "clang."

A massive cauldron, enveloped in purple divine fire and inscribed with Innate Eight Trigrams runes, was heavily slammed onto the hall floor.

[Innate Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace]

This was a top-tier cauldron for refining Nine Revolutions Golden Pills, but Taiyuan was now using it for a different purpose.

He skillfully patted the bottom of the furnace, and Innate Divine Fire erupted.

Then, from who knew where, he produced a large bucket of bright red, oily, pungent, and spicy base, which he poured directly into the cauldron.

"Sizzle—"

The hot oil churned.

An incredibly potent, aggressive, and fragrant aroma, mingled with the spiritual fluctuations of Innate spiritual materials, instantly swept through every corner of the Azure Firmament Palace like a nuclear explosion.

This scent was a mixture of countless rare Honghuang divine peppers, spiritual fruits, and premium beef tallow fermented over eons.

Fragrant!

So fragrant!

For the beings of the Great Desolation who had eaten grain-abstaining pills and breathed in the northwestern wind (spiritual energy) for countless years, this was a devastating blow.

The great beings who had been discussing the Great Dao moments before all twitched their noses.

On the Three Pure Ones' side, Primordial Heavenly Lord was about to take a immortal pill when his hand trembled upon smelling this aroma, nearly dropping the pill.

Before anyone could even process what this smell was.

Taiyuan, as if performing magic, produced platters of thinly sliced meat, as delicate as cicada wings and with textures like works of art.

"Come, come, these are the kidney slices of the North Sea Black Jade Flood Dragon, these are the fatty slices of the South Bright Leaving Fire Pig, and this is a ten-thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum caught at the foot of Buzhou Mountain..."

Finally, he specifically presented a plate of wing tips radiating multicolored divine light, with crystal-clear meat.

"And this, the main event, Phoenix Wings! It's said to be a feather... oh, no, meat shed by some blind Pure-blooded Phoenix."

Taiyuan introduced them as he dropped the meat into the bubbling red oil.

In no time, the aroma of meat mingled with spices, upgrading once more.

"Gulp."

Inside the great hall, someone swallowed audibly. In the quiet environment, it sounded exceptionally jarring.

Nuwa, who had been preparing to leave, found her feet stuck to the ground as if glued, unable to move.

She had attained enlightenment by observing Taiyuan's dream. Now, smelling the scent that only existed in dreams, an instinctual craving overwhelmed all her composure.

"Sister, no! That's..." Fuxi tugged at Nuwa's sleeve, trying to remind her to maintain her goddess-like image.

But it was no use.

Nuwa seemed possessed, or perhaps she was following some guidance from the Dao. Acting on an impulse, she turned around and walked step by step towards that corner.

"Um... Fellow Daoist?"

Nuwa stood beside the enormous alchemical furnace, watching the meat slices tumble inside. Her pretty face flushed, and she seemed a bit flustered.

Taiyuan was stirring the contents of the pot with a pair of long jade chopsticks. He looked up and saw Nuwa, showing no surprise. Instead, he greeted her warmly, as if seeing an old neighbor.

"Yo, Fellow Daoist Nuwa, right? It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early."

"Come, come, come, just need an extra pair of chopsticks."

With that, Taiyuan casually tossed her a pair of jade chopsticks and a Cold Jade Spirit Bowl. He then picked up a perfectly cooked slice of five-colored meat with his chopsticks, placed it in the bowl, and handed it over.

"Try this Phoenix Wing. The heat is just right. This thing is full of collagen, good for beauty and skin, makes your skin tender and dewy."

Nuwa subconsciously took the bowl and chopsticks.

Looking at the tantalizingly fragrant meat slice in the bowl, and then at Taiyuan's encouraging gaze.

She gritted her teeth, thinking: I can't attain any enlightenment anyway, might as well have a satisfying meal!

And so.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands of people.

The future first female Saint of the Great Desolation, the cold and stunning Goddess Nuwa.

Actually, without any regard for her image, squatted beside the enormous alchemical furnace, picked up a slice of meat coated in red oil, and put it into her cherry-like mouth.

The next second.

Her eyes lit up.

Two rosy blushes instantly bloomed on her face, from the spiciness and from the sheer delight.

"Delicious!"

These two words shattered the worldview of everyone present.

Meanwhile.

Primordial Heavenly Lord, who was stuffing a dry pill into his mouth, saw this scene. He was so enraged that his face turned the color of liver. The pill in his hand was crushed into powder.

"What kind of behavior is this! Utterly unbecoming!"

"This is the Dao Ancestor's dojo! The Purple Heaven Sacred Realm!"

"They're actually... actually gathering to eat hot pot?!"

"Truly... a disgrace to refinement!"

Although he was scolding, Primordial Heavenly Lord's Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed.

It smells so good...