When Bai Suyi was young, she had once been injured in an accident.
The lingering injury had never fully healed and remained hidden within her body.
Every year, it would flare up once, causing Bai Suyi untold suffering.
Even after she joined the Nine Spirits Sect and became a cultivator, it had hardly improved.
But now...
Bai Suyi had merely smelled the hot pot.
Yet the lingering injury inside her was already showing signs of improving.
This shocked Bai Suyi.
Her lingering injury had not improved for years.
Even Gongsun Yue, the sect master of the Nine Spirits Sect, had said that curing it would probably require several kinds of heavenly treasures to be refined together into a pill.
Could all these seemingly haphazard ingredients in the hot pot actually be heavenly treasures?
Bai Suyi could not help thinking this.
The others' expressions were also changing in various ways.
"Huh? Why did just smelling this hot pot make my blood and Qi flow so smoothly and leave me feeling so refreshed?"
Xu Changfeng was utterly amazed.
"My cultivation, which has stagnated for years, seems to be showing signs of progress too."
Dongfang Su also spoke.
Every single person present who had smelled the hot pot could feel a clear change in their body.
Those with lingering injuries found their conditions improving.
Those whose blood and Qi had been obstructed immediately felt them flowing smoothly.
Those whose cultivation had stagnated also showed signs of breaking through.
As for Li Chenyuan and the other youngsters, their faces glowed with health, and they brimmed with vitality.
"Don't just sit there. Go on, dig in."
Ye Qingyun urged them on, picking out a piece of meat first and eating it with great relish.
Hot pot had been Ye Qingyun's favorite food.
Since coming to this world, he had made it a few times too.
But he had always eaten alone, with Damao joining him at most.
Eating hot pot alone simply lacked that feeling, so Ye Qingyun had never really enjoyed it to the fullest.
This time was different.
So many people were gathered around one big pot, eating hot pot.
Now that was satisfying.
This was how it should be.
"Sect Master Xu, Your Majesty, I won't stand on ceremony, then."
Chu Yanyu giggled and was the first to pick a glistening, soft piece of something out of the pot.
She did not know what it was, but it looked delicious.
She popped the whole thing into her mouth.
Chu Yanyu's cheeks immediately reddened.
"So spicy!"
She panted while frantically fanning her mouth.
Seeing her like this, everyone became a little too frightened to reach in with their chopsticks.
"Is it very spicy?"
Xu Changfeng asked with a frown.
He always ate light meals and disliked even strongly flavored food.
Let alone something this spicy.
He had an instinctive aversion to it.
Chu Yanyu was too overwhelmed by the spice to speak.
"Dad, I'll try it first."
Xu Jing'er had long since run out of patience. She picked up a piece of beef and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Delicious! So spicy!"
Xu Jing'er immediately cried out in surprise.
Like Chu Yanyu's, her cheeks quickly flushed red.
Li Chenyuan and Zhao Wangchun also started eating in turn. They fared better than Xu Jing'er; although they found it spicy too, what struck them more was how delicious it was.
"This is far too delicious!"
The chubby Zhao Wangchun exclaimed again and again.
Of the group, he was the one who knew food best, and he had always loved fine cuisine.
But this hot pot was a delicacy unlike anything he had ever eaten.
Both its texture and its flavor were utterly novel to him.
He could not stop praising it!
Nor could he stop eating!
"Is it really that good?"
Xu Changfeng looked doubtful, but he was growing tempted too.
"Sect Master, hurry and try it. It's really delicious!"
Li Chenyuan spoke up too.
"Then I'll give it a try. If it's too spicy, I simply won't take any more."
With that thought in mind, the solemn Xu Changfeng also picked up a vegetable leaf.
He did not want meat, and he thought a vegetable leaf would taste milder.
Seeing this, Ye Qingyun wanted to warn him, but he was a step too late.
The moment the leaf entered his mouth, Xu Changfeng's expression changed.
Fuck!
This is way too spicy!
No! I have to hold it in!
I'm a grandmaster, the master of a sect. I absolutely cannot show weakness in front of His Majesty and the juniors.
Xu Changfeng forced himself to endure it, still chewing slowly and giving a slight nod.
"Mm, it tastes quite good."
Everyone looked at him.
"Sect Master, your face..."
Li Chenyuan opened his mouth.
"What's wrong with my face?"
Xu Changfeng froze.
"Dad, your face is even redder than mine. Your forehead's sweating too."
Xu Jing'er pointed out.
Xu Changfeng: "..."
Ye Qingyun smiled. "Sect Master Xu, the vegetables in this hot pot are actually the spiciest, because they absorb flavor and oil more readily. Almost all the spice ends up in them."
The corners of Xu Changfeng's mouth twitched, and he nearly cursed aloud.
Why the hell didn't you say so sooner?
Great, now I've left myself no graceful way out.
"Hehe, interesting, very interesting. I must try it too."
Dongfang Su could no longer resist either.
"Your Majesty, please let your subordinate try it first."
Guyue hurriedly stopped him.
"It's fine. Sect Master Xu and the others have all eaten it. Why can't I?"
Dongfang Su waved a hand, then picked up a morsel with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
After two chews, Dongfang Su's eyes lit up.
"Delicious indeed!"
As emperor, he had eaten countless fine foods and had long since grown tired of them.
But this hot pot gave Dongfang Su a taste unlike anything he had experienced before.
It was an indescribable flavor.
Though spicy, its heat was pleasant.
Even more remarkable was that, despite the many ingredients in the pot, none clashed. Instead, they mingled into a unique delicacy.
"Truly an unsurpassed delicacy of the mortal world!"
Dongfang Su could not help praising it.
Guyue looked shocked.
His Majesty had not shown such an expression in many years.
He hurriedly tried a mouthful too.
"Tsk, tsk, it really is delicious."
Now Bai Suyi was the only one who had yet to touch her chopsticks.
It was not that Bai Suyi did not want to eat. In fact, she very much wanted a taste.
But she looked at the churning red oil in the pot, the jumble of ingredients cooking together, and everyone dipping their chopsticks into it.
Bai Suyi instinctively recoiled.
She had been obsessive about cleanliness since childhood. Eating from the same pot as other people was something Bai Suyi found hard to accept.
"Susu, aren't you eating? This is really delicious."
Chu Yanyu had eaten until her head was covered in fragrant sweat and her lips were red.
Bai Suyi smiled awkwardly.
"I'll pass. You all go ahead."
"All right, then."
Chu Yanyu continued feasting.
Seeing everyone enjoying the food made Ye Qingyun happy too. He was far more enthusiastic than on previous occasions when he had eaten hot pot.
Unfortunately, Damao and the rabbit had been crouching nearby for ages without getting anything.
Before long, all the food in the big pot had been eaten.
Zhao Wangchun still seemed unsatisfied. He lifted the pot, intending to drink a few mouthfuls of the hot pot broth.
Ye Qingyun hurriedly stopped him.
This guy really is reckless. He even wants to drink the hot pot broth. Isn't he afraid the overpowering taste will kill him?
Unable to drink the hot pot broth, Zhao Wangchun reluctantly put the pot down.
"Everyone, was the meal to your satisfaction?"
Ye Qingyun asked with a beaming smile.
"Yes, absolutely!"
"Delicious!"
"This is truly the most enjoyable meal I have ever had!"
Everyone lavished praise on it, still wanting more.
Just then, Li Chenyuan's expression suddenly changed.
"My cultivation..."
Boom!!!
Li Chenyuan felt as though a ball of fire were burning in his belly.
The next moment, he broke straight through to the next realm.