The most solemn and dignified sacred venue of the Saints in all heaven and earth, the Purple Sky Palace, had taken a sudden turn.
What should have been a high-level gathering for discussing the Dao and expounding the profound—where they competed not only in cultivation but also in gravitas—had been turned into a roadside hot-pot stall by that bubbling Purple-Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace, brimming with red chili oil.
"Slurp..."
A thoroughly uncouth slurping sound rang out.
Nuwa no longer looked the least bit like the dignified future Saint.
Her slender jade hands, usually used only for forming incantations and casting spells, now gripped a pair of jade chopsticks with practiced ease. She lifted a slice of Phoenix Wing Tip, coated in red oil and giving off a rich aroma, and put it into her mouth.
Numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant.
Four extreme flavors burst across her tongue in an instant, then slid down her throat, turning into a surging warmth that spread through her limbs and bones, exhausted from listening to the Dao.
"It's so hot, but... it's really delicious!"
The spice brought fine beads of sweat to Nuwa's forehead, and her lips grew red and glistening. She fanned herself with one hand, yet couldn't help reaching for another bite with her chopsticks.
There was no helping it.
This wasn't merely satisfying her appetite. It was a comfort to her very soul.
Fuxi stood beside her, his imposing face full of conflict and helplessness.
He still held the divining yarrow stalk he used to deduce the secrets of heaven, but now it dangled awkwardly in midair.
Should he pull his sister to her feet?
He didn't dare.
Interrupting a glutton while they were eating could have dire consequences.
Should he join in?
He couldn't bring himself to swallow his pride, especially with so many eyes watching.
"Gulp."
Fuxi's Adam's apple bobbed as his eyes kept drifting toward the pot.
Could the aroma really have that much power?
As it turned out, it could.
The power of this top-grade Innate spicy hot-pot base had been enhanced by the system into a rule-level assault.
As the Innate Divine Fire within the Purple-Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace continued to burn, the domineering aroma began to spread exponentially.
It ignored the barriers of the Law of Space and barged into the nostrils of every mighty being, stirring the most primal desire deep within their souls.
After all, these mighty beings of the Primordial World had long since practiced Grain Avoidance. In their daily lives, they did little but absorb clouds and mist or gnaw on a couple of hard Spirit Fruits and Immortal Pills.
Their palates had long grown dull.
Who had ever seen anything like this?
It was a dimensionality-reducing blow.
Not far away.
Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi had been sitting bolt upright with the Earth Book in his hands, the very picture of a sage who had attained the Dao.
But the aroma was like a hook, tugging his rock-steady Dao Heart this way and that.
He glanced around. Everyone was pretending to meditate, but their eyes were darting about.
"Ahem."
Zhen Yuanzi cleared his throat, put away the Earth Book, straightened his robes, and stood with a solemn expression.
He didn't directly say he wanted to eat. Instead, he walked with measured steps toward the corner where Taiyuan sat.
"Boundless Heavenly Dao."
Zhen Yuanzi saluted. Though his gaze was fixed on the slices of meat bobbing in the pot, he spoke with an air of righteousness:
"Daoist Taiyuan, I just saw you evolve a world in your dream. The laws within were exceptionally profound, and seemed to share much in common with my Great Dao of Earth. So I've taken the liberty of coming over to seek your guidance."
What a perfectly dignified and impeccable excuse.
Taiyuan was scooping out a batch of just-cooked North Sea Black Jade Flood Dragon Waist Slices with a slotted spoon. At Zhen Yuanzi's words, he looked up.
A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
If you want to eat, just say so. Scholars always have to beat around the bush.
"So it's Daoist Zhen Yuanzi. My apologies for not recognizing you sooner."
With a casual wave of his hand, Taiyuan conjured a brand-new set of Top-grade Innate Jade Bowl and Chopsticks onto the table.
"Seeking guidance on the Great Dao can wait. As the saying goes, there's nothing a hot pot can't solve. If there is, then have two."
"Come, sit down and eat while we talk. These waist slices have just cooked, and they're at the perfect temperature. They're wonderfully nourishing."
Zhen Yuanzi's face reddened slightly, and he looked a little embarrassed, but his body was honest.
"Since you've so kindly invited me, then I'll... gladly accept."
With that, he swept his robe aside and sat down boldly, his chopsticks striking like a tiger diving from the mountain as he deftly snatched a large piece of meat.
With Zhen Yuanzi taking the lead, everyone else's defenses crumbled in an instant.
Especially Ancestor Hong Yun.
He was naturally carefree and famously good-natured. Now that he saw his friend Zhen Yuanzi sitting down, how could he possibly hold back?
Just as he was about to get up, he saw Taiyuan already beckoning to him with a smile.
"You there, Daoist in the red robe. Could you be Ancestor Hong Yun?"
"You look kind, and I feel we'd get along. Come, come—I've saved you a good seat."
Taiyuan's seemingly casual greeting held a deeper meaning.
Hong Yun was destined to meet a tragic end. Bringing him into Taiyuan's circle now was like giving him a protective charm.
And it would be a nice way to get under Kunpeng's skin, too.
Hong Yun was taken aback, then delighted. He hurried over with a cheerful laugh.
"Daoist, what a straightforward offer! Then I won't stand on ceremony!"
In no time at all,
that sacred corner of the Purple Sky Palace had become a lively, bustling scene.
The brothers Jieyin and Zhunti had completely let loose by now.
Gone was the deeply troubled expression Zhunti usually wore. In its place was an ingratiating smile as he carried plates of sliced Top-grade Spiritual Material between the big shots.
"Come, come, Daoist Zhen Yuanzi, here's some Top-grade Snowflake Beef. Elder Brother specifically asked for it just now."
"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, let me top up your cup of Enlightenment Tea. It'll soothe the spice!"
Jieyin was in charge of tending the fire and adding broth, his movements smooth and practiced. He was the very picture of a seasoned restaurant manager.
Was this really the same pair of poverty-stricken souls from the barren Western Lands?
They were more like two smooth-talking social butterflies.
Watching them eat, laugh, and grease their mouths with oil,
the handful of "elite" figures seated in the front row were utterly thrown off balance.
It wasn't just physical hunger; it was a sense of injustice, too.
Why were we sitting here practicing silence and chewing dry rations, while they were feasting over there?
Over with the Three Pure Ones,
Taiqing Laozi's eyes remained closed, but his flaring nostrils—almost lifting his beard toward the heavens—and his faintly trembling eyelids betrayed the turmoil within him.
The aroma.
It smelled incredible.
If he didn't have the image of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage to uphold, he would've used his spiritual sense to steal a bite.
Sovereign of Heaven was even more restless.
He had always been a forthright man who hated restrictions, and the hot-pot gathering's relaxed, carefree atmosphere was exactly to his liking.
This was practically the Dao-cultivating life of his dreams!
"Elder Brother, Second Brother..."
Sovereign of Heaven swallowed, just about to stand when a powerful hand pressed down firmly on his shoulder.
Primordial Heavenly Lord's face was black as the bottom of a pot, veins throbbing at his temples.
He stared at the lively scene as though watching a band of heretical fools who had rejected the proper way.
In his eyes, every mouthful of meat and every burst of laughter was a trampling of the dignity of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage.
A desecration of this sacred hall!
"Sit down!"
Yuanshi barked, his voice tight with barely contained fury.
"Sovereign of Heaven, you're the leader of a sect and part of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage! How can you consort with those feathered, horned, aquatic, and oviparous creatures?"
"This utter disregard for proper etiquette—what sort of conduct is that?"
Sovereign of Heaven was held in place. Though he was unhappy, he couldn't very well fall out with his Second Brother on the spot, so he could only sit there in silence, his eyes hooked on the hot pot.
Having held Sovereign of Heaven back, Primordial Heavenly Lord still hadn't let go of his anger.
He turned toward Taiyuan without making any effort to lower his voice, and spoke coldly with an air of superiority:
"Hmph."
"Those who cultivate the Dao should clear their minds, curb their desires, and absorb the spiritual essence of heaven and earth."
"To indulge in the pleasures of the palate and turn this pure Daoist sanctuary into a smoky mess is a lowly path indeed."
"Some people are probably cultivating not the Great Dao, but that utterly meaningless Hungry Ghost Path, aren't they?"
At those words,
the lively hot-pot gathering fell silent at once.
Zhen Yuanzi paused with a piece of meat between his chopsticks. The smile on Hong Yun's face froze, and Nuwa awkwardly set down her bowl and chopsticks.
After all, Primordial Heavenly Lord represented the Three Pure Ones, and their reputation carried great weight in the Primordial World.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Everyone's eyes turned to Taiyuan, eager to see how this mysterious mighty being from the Western Lands would respond.
Would he strike back, or swallow the insult?
Taiyuan didn't even look up.
At his leisure, he picked a slice of ten-thousand-year-old spirit fungus from the pot, dipped it in the specially prepared sesame oil and garlic sauce, and chewed slowly, savoring it with an expression of bliss.
Just as everyone thought he'd backed down,
he suddenly spoke, his tone lazy and tinged with casual mockery:
"You're right, Daoist Yuanshi."
"This lowly path really isn't suited to someone as lofty as you."
Taiyuan put down his chopsticks, lifted his wine cup, and took a sip. Only then did he lazily raise his eyelids and glance at Yuanshi:
"So, just stay over there and gnaw on your Grain Avoidance pills. Keep cultivating your purity and nonaction."
"By all means, don't come over. If even a wisp of this earthly smoke taints you and damages your Dao Heart, I'd be terribly at fault."
"Our temple is too small for a Buddha as grand as you, and we can't afford to entertain a true deity like you, either."
Not a single curse word in the whole speech.
And yet it hit like a bomb.
He had placed Primordial Heavenly Lord on a lofty pedestal as someone who had nothing to do with worldly pleasures, leaving him no way down.
He had also mocked him for being too proud to enjoy himself.
You look down on us?
Sorry, we never planned to invite you.
"You..."
Primordial Heavenly Lord's chest heaved with rage. He pointed at Taiyuan with a trembling finger, unable to get a single word out.
Being ignored like this was even more infuriating than being cursed to his face.
Just then,
everything suddenly changed.
Sovereign of Heaven, who had been held down the entire time, watched Taiyuan calmly fire back at his Second Brother. Two brilliant lights flashed in his eyes.
That temper!
That personality!
It was exactly his kind of thing!
"That's enough!"
Sovereign of Heaven rolled his shoulder, unleashing an incomparably sharp Sword Intent that shook Primordial Heavenly Lord's hand off him.
He sprang to his feet, disregarding Yuanshi's ashen expression, swept his sleeve, and laughed loudly:
"Second Brother, your Dao is rules. My Dao is freedom."
"If the Purple Sky Palace can host a discussion of the Dao, surely it can also host a gathering of friends."
"You can stay there, holding on to your lofty airs and your rules."
With that, Sovereign of Heaven ignored Yuanshi, who was nearly beside himself with rage, and strode toward the Purple-Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace.
As he walked, he called out to Taiyuan:
"Daoist over there! Save me a bowl and chopsticks!"
"I'm going to see for myself what this so-called 'lowly path' tastes like!"
At that moment,
the entire Purple Sky Palace fell utterly silent.
Had the Three Pure Ones split up?
All because of a hot pot?
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