Soon, the New Year's Eve dinner was being served all across Small Mountain Village.
Men and women, young and old, gathered around the tables, which were laden with all kinds of delicacies.
Blanched Chinese broccoli, sweet-and-sour pork, mapo tofu, chicken stewed with mushrooms, tangyuan and dumplings, braised ribs, pork stewed with vermicelli, four-joy meatballs, braised prawns...
Every household had brought out its signature dishes, and the tables were full. On top of that, there was a whole spread of local specialties, like Braised Wings of Three-Winged Fierce Deer, fried Spacetime Worm, and softshell turtle soup.
Their savory aroma filled the air!
And on top of everything else, Uncle Zhang had generously brought out the aged liquor he'd kept for ten years. He'd set a jar on every table, adding even more to the festive mood.
"Dinner's ready!"
The villagers dug in.
Laughter and chatter filled the tables, the whole place alive with excitement.
"Come on, everyone, let's have a drink. Here's to a smooth and lucky year ahead!"
Uncle Zhang spoke up, and everyone promptly raised their bowls, poured in the aged liquor, and drained them in one go.
"This liquor... it's heaven-defying... This vintage must be measured in hundreds of millions of years, right?"
Chen Dong felt utterly refreshed. The Mugwort Bath had already washed away all the ominous taint he'd accumulated over the years. Now, with a drink of liquor, he felt energy erupt throughout his body, continuously opening up new realms in his Dao Landscape!
The ghosts in his Dao Landscape had already been wiped out after he entered Small Mountain Village. Now, he surged forward without a trace of hesitation.
He saw a man striding across mountains and rivers, his bearing noble and imposing. The Nine Great Creation Topographies gathered around him. He stood shoulder to