Li Fan heated a small pot of rice porridge in the kitchen and carried it out.
Steam billowed, and the fragrance assailed their nostrils.
"Smells so good! So good!"
Mu Qianning's beautiful eyes lit up. That alluring fragrance sent every gluttonous worm in her body crawling out.
"Just smelling this fragrance, I can already feel the incomparably rich spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth... What precious heavenly treasure was this cooked from?"
Wei Yushan was even more shocked—and filled with anticipation!
"More than that... More than just a precious heavenly treasure. Didn't you notice? That wispy aura rising up is actually shaped like a qilin!?"
Yu Qishui's entire body trembled. He was trembling violently from head to toe.
The three of them all focused their gazes on it. Sure enough, as wisps of steam rose from the rice porridge, an invisible Dao Rhyme transformed into a qilin that was actually dancing!
"According to legend, only pills capable of shaking Heaven and Earth can produce such an auspicious phenomenon, right?"
Wei Yushan murmured, practically unable to speak.
Seeing their expressions, Li Fan smiled faintly as well.
His culinary skills, after being tormented by the system, had long since reached a pinnacle. No matter how ordinary the ingredients were, once they fell into his hands, he could turn them into exquisite delicacies.
He was still very confident about that.
"I just made some rice porridge. Go ahead and eat."
He took out bowls, filled one for each of them, and handed them over.
The three of them—Wei Yushan and the others—instantly perked up, their eyes blazing as they swallowed hungrily!
After taking the porridge, Yu Qishui's hands trembled. He opened his mouth and eagerly gulped it down!
Wei Yushan and Mu Qianning were no different!
They devoured it ravenously!
"It's truly too delicious!"
Even a refined lady like Mu Qianning finished an entire bowl of porridge in only a few gulps.
"Oh no!"
At that moment, Yu Qishui suddenly cried out!
In that instant, all the spiritual power within his body suddenly came alive!
He even felt his body, which had been withered for over a century, suddenly gush with vitality like a spring bursting forth in a desert. His vigor was returning!
His organs surged with vital essence, and his life force thunderously reached the peak of his prime!
He almost wanted to throw back his head and roar at the sky!
Moreover, the Shackles that had gone unbroken for centuries suddenly burst open at this moment!
Nascent Soul Perfection broke through the Shackles and entered the Spirit Severing Stage!
At this moment, he had completely become a Spirit Severing Stage powerhouse!
Moreover, his aura was still rising at incredible speed.
Spirit Severing First Heaven!
Spirit Severing Second Heaven!
Spirit Severing Ninth Heaven!
He had directly crossed an entire major realm from the Nascent Soul Realm, reaching the realm of Spirit Severing Ninth Heaven!
At this moment, he practically wanted to throw back his head and roar at the sky!
At the same time, Wei Yushan's expression also shook. He abruptly closed his eyes, and the Shackles hidden somewhere within his body shattered with a boom!
His aura soared straight upward!
Boom!
He leaped directly from Nascent Soul Eighth Heaven into Nascent Soul Ninth Heaven!
Immediately afterward, even the boundary between the Nascent Soul and Spirit Severing realms was thunderously crossed!
Spirit Severing First Layer!
Spirit Severing Second Layer!
He reached Spirit Severing Seventh Heaven directly!
Beside them, Mu Qianning's beautiful eyes suddenly trembled as well. She entered the Nascent Soul Realm, her aura surging abruptly as she shot from Golden Core ninth heaven to Nascent Soul Ninth Heaven!
She had crossed an entire major realm!
What... What was going on?
She was utterly stunned.
What heaven-defying treasure had she eaten?
"Master... Qian Ning..."
Wei Yushan was overwhelmed with excitement. Looking at Yu Qishui and Mu Qianning, he was too moved to speak.
To step from Nascent Soul into Spirit Severing in one stride and break through several layers in succession—what kind of heavenly opportunity was this?
It was heaven-defying!
"These grains... I'm afraid that even a single one would be worth an astronomical sum!"
Yu Qishui spoke solemnly and drew a deep breath.
His life force had now recovered to its peak, and he could reproduce the glorious state of his prime at any time. However, with Senior Li here, he did not dare act rashly.
"Worth an astronomical sum..."
Mu Qianning murmured. Something worth an astronomical sum, yet Senior Li had just said... he had merely made some rice porridge?
This... this was a truly supreme figure, wasn't he?
"Are you thirsty?"
Seeing that the three seemed somewhat off, Li Fan feared that the porridge might have scalded them. He said, "Haste makes waste. You ate too quickly. Have a cup of tea."
As he spoke, he poured a cup of tea for each of them.
The three accepted the cups with utmost respect.
Yu Qishui downed his in one gulp. In an instant, a flash of brilliance appeared in his old eyes, and his face lit up with joy!
As the tea entered his mouth, his entire mind suddenly seemed to undergo a baptism. In a flash, he saw every single detail of his cultivation with perfect clarity.
He clearly saw that his frenzied breakthroughs earlier had left many flaws in his cultivation. Yet once the tea entered his stomach, those flaws vanished, and his cultivation became even more harmonious and natural!
This was an immense grace!
Without this cup of tea, their future cultivation would very likely have run into major problems!
Now, their Dao foundations were all solidified.
Yu Qishui was even more shaken. This Senior Li truly had eyes as sharp as fire. Their cultivation was genuinely as clear to him as if he were looking through fire and water. That was why he had said they were being too hasty to eat hot tofu!
He could not help but bow deeply and say, "Senior Li, I will never forget your great kindness and virtue!"
Seeing this, Wei Yushan and Mu Qianning hurriedly knelt and bowed as well!
Li Fan was directly stunned.
Damn, was that really necessary?
It was only a bowl of porridge and a cup of tea.
Were the cultivators of this world sick in the head?
These three were probably just paupers from the cultivation world, the kind who could not even afford a meal.
They even had to rely on a mortal for charity. How pitiful.
"No need for this, no need for this. Meeting one another is fate. These were merely small favors."
Li Fan shook his head and said, "Get up, all of you. I won't be seeing you out."
Hearing this, Yu Qishui and the others all sighed inwardly. In the end, their fate had run its course.
The karma between this Senior and their Lihuo Sect had probably ended here.
"Thank you, Senior. We'll take our leave."
Yu Qishui bowed deeply.
The group turned and left. Before departing, Mu Qianning could not help looking back. Summoning her courage, she said, "Senior, Qian Ning... may I still come visit you in the future?"
Her beautiful eyes were filled with hope.
Yu Qishui and Wei Yushan's hearts instantly leaped into their throats, and they became extremely nervous.
Facing someone like Senior Li, how could she casually make such an excessive request? If she displeased him, the Lihuo Sect would be doomed beyond redemption!
But Li Fan merely smiled. He did not have a bad impression of Mu Qianning, so he said, "Of course you can."
Having such a great beauty come visit him often would be an enjoyable thing no matter how one put it.
Mu Qianning was instantly overjoyed and nearly jumped. A blush spread across her face as she said, "Thank you! Thank you for granting my request, Senior!"
Li Fan saw them out of the Small Courtyard and watched them leave.
"Qian Ning, your master truly broke out in a cold sweat for you just now!"
After leaving Li Fan's residence, Wei Yushan finally relaxed and let out a breath.
"Qian Ning's receiving this promise from Senior Li is the very fortune of her Dao in this life. Qian Ning, you must come pay your respects to Senior Li more often in the future!"
Yu Qishui was even more delighted. Although Senior Li had not agreed to look after the Lihuo Sect, with Qian Ning around, if the Lihuo Sect truly encountered some insurmountable obstacle, would not everything be resolved with a mere lift of his hand?
This was truly a supreme blessing!
Mu Qianning was also somewhat excited. She said, "Actually, I think Senior Li is a very easy person to get along with. He really... doesn't put on any airs as a senior."
Her beautiful eyes were full of longing. He possessed power capable of reaching Heaven and Earth, yet lived in seclusion in a mountain village. He was so modest and refined, without the slightest trace of arrogance. This was the kind of cultivator she had imagined a true practitioner to be.
"By the way, Qian Ning, you've already reached Nascent Soul Ninth Heaven?"
Wei Yushan spoke again.
At the mention of their realms, all three became incredibly excited.
"Yes, I've reached the perfection of Ninth Heaven. And I feel that the Dao Rhyme from that cup of tea is still inside me. There's still room for comprehension!"
Mu Qianning was thrilled.
"Hahaha, with Senior Li merely lifting a hand, our Lihuo Sect is destined to flourish. I've even broken into Spirit Severing Seventh Heaven!"
Wei Yushan was brimming with confidence. Now, even across the entire Fire Kingdom, their Lihuo Sect could absolutely no longer be considered a third-rate sect.
"Master, what about you?" he asked Yu Qishui.
Yu Qishui smiled and said, "Your master spent longer than you did accumulating in the Nascent Soul Realm, so I built up a little more. I've now reached Spirit Severing Perfection and gained three hundred years of lifespan!"
Hearing this, Wei Yushan could only sigh deeply. "Senior Li truly is a godlike figure!"
Before they realized it, they had already reached the entrance to the village.
"Hmm? Something's wrong!"
Suddenly, Yu Qishui furrowed his brows. A divine gleam flashed through his eyes as he looked toward the sky!
In midair, a red radiance gradually appeared. Flames dyed half the sky red, and at the heart of those flames, a mighty middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, looking down arrogantly at the people below!
"Lie Huo Mountain's Yin Xiaokong!"
Wei Yushan's voice sank!
This middle-aged man was none other than the Mountain Lord of Lie Huo Mountain!
He had actually found them here!
Before you continue