After a long pause, Niu Gao slowly spoke.
"This matter is of great importance; I cannot make the decision alone."
A smile flashed in Tang San's eyes. He pressed his advantage, saying, "To be on the safe side, why don't we invite the Breaking Clan and the Speed Clan as well? We can discuss it together. With the three clans joining forces, our chances of winning are much greater, and we can share the spoils afterward."
"Very well." Niu Gao nodded, raised his hand to summon his disciple, and said, "Pass on my order to immediately summon Clan Chief Yang Wudi and Clan Chief Bai He to a meeting. Tell them that there is an important matter to discuss, concerning the survival of the three clans."
The disciple accepted the order and hurriedly departed.
Niu Gao looked at Tang San with a solemn expression, "Let me make this clear from the start: if we're really going to take action, everything must be foolproof. If anything goes wrong and it implicates our entire clan, I won't be able to face the elders and young masters of my clan."
"Sect Leader Niu, rest assured," Tang San said confidently. "I have a complete plan. I'm just waiting for the other two clan leaders to arrive so we can discuss the details. I guarantee that Shen Yifeng will not return alive and will leave no future trouble for the three clans."
His hands, hanging by his sides, tightened slightly, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
The first step was finally completed.
Once all three races gather, this net of encirclement and slaughter will be completely woven.
On the other side, Shen Yifeng returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the couch, and slowly circulated his Soul Power.
After several matches in the qualifying rounds, his Soul Power improved significantly, bringing him one step closer to the Soul Emperor realm.
He examined his meridians internally, watching the five Soul Ring slowly rotate. He couldn't help but wonder what his sixth Soul Skill would be after the breakthrough.
Just as he was concentrating and preparing to break through the bottleneck, faint spatial ripples suddenly appeared in the room.
The figure of the Star Abyss God King slowly emerged, standing before him with his hands behind his back, and said with a smile, "Long time no see. Before I knew it, you had already completed the First Trial."
Shen Yifeng suddenly opened his eyes, his face full of astonishment, "I've finished the First Trial?"
He was completely unaware of any signs of the assessment, assuming that the divine test would not begin until after the finals.
"That's right." Star Abyss God King nodded. "Your divine test was inherently linked to the bond between Lan Xuanyu and Gu Yuena. Over the past few days, your primal resonance has become increasingly solid, so you naturally passed the First Trial. It wasn't difficult, but it wasn't easy either; it was just an appetizer."
Shen Yifeng raised an eyebrow, not expecting the divine test to take this form.
Star Abyss God King looked at him, his tone carrying a hint of meaning, "By the way, let me remind you, Lan Xuanyu is not as simple as she seems on the surface. In terms of true strength, she might even be a few levels more powerful than Gu Yuena. Don't underestimate her."
Shen Yifeng understood in his heart, but remained expressionless on his face.
He knew perfectly well that Lan Xuanyu was no ordinary character; she was clearly the embodiment of the old Dragon God.
Although Gu Yuena is the Silver Dragon King, she is still a step behind in terms of the purity of the Dragon God Origin. Star Abyss God King didn't point this out, and he was happy to play dumb.
"What is the Second Trial?" Shen Yifeng asked casually.
Star Abyss God King smiled, his figure gradually fading away. "No rush, you'll know when you break through to Soul Emperor."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent again, as if the meeting had just been an illusion.
Shen Yifeng lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then regained his composure and closed his eyes again.
Now that the First Trial is over, the most urgent task is to break through to the Soul Emperor level.
Shen Yifeng was still grumbling to himself, "I passed the First Trial just like that, and I didn't even get a divine artifact as a reward. It's too stingy."
Just then, a commotion broke out outside the door. Two familiar voices clashed, shattering the silence of the night.
" Lan Xuanyu, get out of here! What kind of rubbish is this? The oil isn't even cooked through! How dare you bring it here?" Gu Yuena's tone was clearly dissatisfied, and her usually cold voice held a rare hint of anger.
"What do you know?" Lan Xuanyu retorted immediately. " Yifeng loves the taste of my cooking. Your bland ribs are tasteless. He won't eat them."
The two argued and drew closer, almost coming to blows at the door. Helpless, Shen Yifeng rubbed his forehead and reached out to open the door.
The two people outside the door immediately fell silent, still glaring at each other. When they saw Shen Yifeng come out, they both changed their expressions and pretended to be nonchalant, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.
Shen Yifeng didn't speak, but turned to the side, gesturing for them to come in.
The two entered the room one after the other, each placing their food containers on the table.
Shen Yifeng glanced at the table and saw that Gu Yuena was holding a plate of garlic ribs, which were clear in color and had a delicate aroma; Lan Xuanyu was holding a bowl of braised pork, which was glossy and red, and looked very flavorful.
It was obvious that both of them had cooked the food specifically for him, vying to let him taste their cooking first, which is why they started arguing at the door.
Gu Yuena coughed lightly and spoke first, "It's freshly stewed. I thought you'd be working hard cultivating, so I wanted to give you something nourishing."
Not to be outdone, Lan Xuanyu pushed her bowl forward, "This is the best dish to eat with rice. You'll know once you try it."
The two were about to argue again when they saw Shen Yifeng's ambiguous smile, so they both held back and turned their faces away, their ears secretly getting hot.
Seeing this, Shen Yifeng was both annoyed and amused. He finally understood that these two weren't there to deliver food at all; they were clearly using cooking as an excuse to compete.
Shen Yifeng didn't say anything, but picked up his chopsticks and took out a piece of garlic pork ribs.
The meat is stewed until tender and falls off the bone, and the garlic flavor is perfectly infused—neither too strong nor too weak, leaving a subtle sweetness in the mouth after swallowing.
He nodded and picked up another piece of braised pork.
The fatty meat is stewed until it melts in your mouth, while the lean meat is firm and tender. The sauce coats the meat evenly, with a perfect balance of sweet and savory, and it's not greasy at all.
Lan Xuanyu and Gu Yuena stood on either side of the table, their eyes fixed on his face, full of anticipation, waiting for him to make his judgment.
Gu Yuena spoke first, her tone confident, " Yifeng, my ribs are cooked to perfection; they'll definitely taste better than hers."
"Nonsense," Lan Xuanyu retorted immediately. "My braised pork is the most flavorful. Yifeng will definitely like mine better, right?"
Shen Yifeng put down his chopsticks, looked up at the two of them, and chuckled as he asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?"
He didn't try to rank them, but simply said, "You both did very well. One was fresh and light, the other was rich and flavorful. They're completely different styles. If I had to choose one, I really couldn't."
Lan Xuanyu and Gu Yuena were both taken aback, their competitive expressions freezing for a moment.
Both of them were secretly calculating in their hearts that what he said was not wrong.
Garlic ribs are known for their light and fresh flavor, while braised pork belly is all about rich and savory taste. The ingredients and cooking methods are completely different, so they can't really be compared.
To truly test culinary skills, you have to cook the same dish to see who's the best.
Gu Yuena gently stroked the rim of the bowl with her fingertips, secretly making up her mind that she would choose the same dish to compete with next time, and she refused to believe that she would lose.
Lan Xuanyu narrowed her eyes, thinking to herself that next time she would definitely make Shen Yifeng say in person that she did even better.
Judging from the expressions in their eyes, Shen Yifeng knew this matter was not over.
He shook his head helplessly, picked up his chopsticks again, and said, "Alright, what are you all standing for? Sit down and eat together. If you keep arguing, the food will get cold."
The two exchanged a glance, then neither continued arguing, and sat down on either side of each other.
However, they couldn't help but secretly compete while picking up food, piling pieces into Shen Yifeng's bowl, and soon it was almost half full.