Turns out It Really Was Chapter 19!

You had to admit, whether clothes looked good depended mostly on who wore them.

It was just a very ordinary tracksuit.

Yet on Lazuli, it looked so special...

So incredibly good.

When Lazuli came out after her shower, she found that Mo Yuan had already made several dishes.

The aroma of the food drifted freely through the air.

It stirred up the hungry little beasts in Lazuli's stomach.

Mo Yuan hovered in front of the stove, wielding a spatula longer than his own arm as he quickly stir-fried the food.

Before long, he had finished another dish.

After serving it, Mo Yuan lifted the lid off the pot beside him.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Amid the bubbling, white steam rose from the pot.

The tempting aroma quickly spread, filling the entire space.

"That smells so good!"

Lazuli quickened her pace as she walked over.

In the pot, thick sauce bubbled away. Cubes of pork belly and eggs fried until they had a tiger-skin pattern had turned an enticing reddish color from the sauce.

Looking at the meat in the pot, with its tempting color and aroma, Lazuli couldn't help swallowing. She was eager to taste it.

"Cutie, what delicious dish is this?"

Lazuli kept her expression calm, but the corner of her eye never left the pot.

"Big sister, this is red-braised pork and Tiger Skin Eggs."

Mo Yuan answered in a childish voice.

"What does red-braising mean? What does it taste like? Is it sweet or salty?"

Lazuli's question had an ulterior motive.

Was she hinting at me?

Mo Yuan knew exactly what Lazuli wanted. She wanted a taste, but was too embarrassed to ask.

And she certainly hadn't been subtle about swallowing her saliva!

But how could Mo Yuan let her get what she wanted so easily?

She'd teased him for so long earlier. He had to tease her back.

Mo Yuan's eyes darted around as he put on an innocent expression.

"Red-braising is when the dish turns this color. You need to caramelize rock sugar to make the color, then use light and dark soy sauce. It tastes savory and fresh, with a little sweetness."

Mo Yuan picked up a piece of pork belly. The piece was about half a palm in size, coated in thick sauce, and looked absolutely appetizing.

"Look, big sister. I picked the best piece of pork belly. It's thirty percent fat and seventy percent lean, which gives it the best texture. It's neither greasy nor tough."

"Then I simmered it over low heat for an hour. The excess fat has rendered out, and the lean meat has become so tender it practically melts in your mouth."

"And look at the skin. After simmering for so long, it's become springy and soft. One bite, and the springy, tender skin, the rich but not greasy fat, and the soft, flavorful lean meat all burst in your mouth."

As he spoke, Mo Yuan popped the pork belly into his mouth.

Then he closed his eyes and let out a deeply satisfied "Mmm~."

Lazuli: "..."

Her fists clenched!

That face, which had seemed so adorable just a moment ago, now looked utterly detestable.

Though Mo Yuan had his eyes closed, his Mind's Eye was open. Seeing Lazuli clench her little fists, he quickly opened his eyes.

"Big sister, why don't you try some too and see if you like it?"

Mo Yuan quickly took out a small plate, served a piece of red-braised pork and a Tiger Skin Egg, then poured a spoonful of sauce over them.

Then he handed it to Lazuli.

Lazuli stared blankly at the plate in her hands.

For some reason, she felt as if a breath were caught in her chest, neither rising nor falling. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

There was nothing for it. She could only turn her anger into an appetite.

Picking up the red-braised pork, Lazuli opened her little mouth and took a bite.

It was springy and tender. After simmering for so long, the pork practically melted in her mouth. She didn't even need to chew; a press of her tongue was enough to make it dissolve.

The spices and rich pork flavor blended perfectly. Lazuli felt as though every one of her taste buds had exploded.

The deliciousness made her close her eyes and savor it.

Seeing Lazuli's reaction, Mo Yuan silently gave himself a "Yay."

He'd nipped the crisis in the bud.

Tease her and run. What a thrill!

With the crisis averted, Mo Yuan turned up the heat and reduced the sauce for the red-braised pork a little more.

He'd made a lot of it—a whole big pot.

There was no helping it. With his appetite, if he didn't make a lot of each dish, he'd spend ages cooking every day.

They'd come to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train, not to learn how to cook.

After stir-frying two more simple dishes, it was time to eat.

Lazuli had been unable to hold back for a while now.

She'd polished off that piece of red-braised pork and the Tiger Skin Egg in just a few bites.

But the appetite they'd stirred up refused to go away.

Lazuli decided she'd have an extra bowl of rice with this meal!

Mo Yuan had steamed plenty of rice too.

After all, red-braised pork without rice had no soul.

The rice soaked up the thick, reddish sauce and became even more tempting.

Mo Yuan picked up a rice bowl bigger than his head and began devouring his food.

For a while, the clatter of bowls and chopsticks and the sounds of chewing and swallowing went on without pause.

Lazuli made good on her promise to have an extra bowl.

She ate two full bowls of rice.

Of course, she was using a normal-sized rice bowl.

She hadn't felt much while eating, but once she'd finished, Lazuli felt her stomach growing fuller and fuller.

Lazuli rubbed her slightly rounded belly.

Her face was full of worry.

If she kept eating like this, she'd probably gain weight...

If Mo Yuan knew what Lazuli was worrying about, he'd surely have laughed out loud.

With how much they exercised each day, gaining weight was out of the question. She'd be lucky not to lose any.

After the meal, Mo Yuan felt the temperature had dropped a little.

If it had been fifty degrees before, it was probably around thirty now.

And the temperature was still falling, at a very rapid pace.

In less than ten minutes,

it had dropped to minus fifty degrees.

The leftover food on the unwashed plates on the table had frozen solid in that short time.

Fortunately, they were already full.

Otherwise, they'd have had to eat an "ice banquet."

Lazuli seemed a little sensitive to the cold. Her delicate body trembled slightly.

Seeing this, Mo Yuan used his superpower to conjure two thick sets of clothes.

"Big sister, put this on."

Mo Yuan handed the clothes to Lazuli.

But Lazuli shook her head and refused.

Minus fifty degrees was certainly cold, but it wasn't enough to harm a cultivator's body.

It would just make things uncomfortable and put their willpower to the test.

Since she was here to train, Lazuli didn't want to rely on outside help to avoid the challenge. After all, this was part of training too.

Mo Yuan understood what she meant and put the clothes away.

"Big sister, how about we fight?"

After eating his fill, Mo Yuan felt full of energy with nowhere to put it.

Now that the temperature had dropped, moving around would help warm Lazuli up too.

Besides, training wasn't just about exercise. Fighting was part of training as well.

It could help him gain better control over his strength.

If exercise increased his strength, then fighting helped him control it.

After a day of training, Mo Yuan felt that he'd grown quite a bit stronger. Now, he planned to consolidate his strength through battle.

Only strength that he could fully control truly belonged to him.