Chapter 520

Chapter 520: Tan Tiandi in the Second Pit

“Xi Qi, come out! I promise I won’t hit you!”

The Ink Demon shouted, “Stop with the nonsense! After so many days of speeding up my cultivation a hundred times, using the Kunpeng Decree, of course, I need to refine more talismans.”

“Alright, if you have talismans ready, bring out a stack of treasure talismans,” Li Hui thought to himself, “Is it really necessary to be so awkward for my first time taking a girl out to dinner?”

“Don’t underestimate me! All similar treasure talismans can merge to enhance their grade, and then I can cultivate them using the monster-conjuring talisman. I borrowed some innate demonic blood from the azure bull, but he ate all the ginseng and he shou wu. I was about to mention that I need to find more feed for this big guy.” Xi Qi tightly held onto the demon talismans; it’s not like a father could sell his own children, right?

“I knew it! Why does Little Azure look so wilted?” Li Hui slapped his forehead, wondering how Xi Qi managed to convince the azure bull to let him draw blood, leaving nothing behind in the Kunpeng Decree except those essential treasures.

Since being robbed by his sister-in-law last time, he had a psychological shadow, so he hadn’t stored anything in the treasure cabinet. Now it appeared the Kunpeng Decree wasn’t safe either.

“Help needed!” Li Hui said, “No worries, we rely on our skills to eat. This city doesn’t seem small; there must be wealthy merchants and officials stashing treasures. I don’t believe we can’t come up with enough money to treat the girl to a fine meal.”

Yang Jiuzhen’s cheeks turned rosy as she shook her head, “Supporting fast cultivation consumes a lot, plus the Xuanhuang Certainty Stones are unparalleled treasures; I should be the one treating you to the feast.”

“Don’t be polite! You helped me dig up talisman power in the Ancient Battlefield and retrieved the ancient heavenly vessel for me on Flying Peak, so you deserve a reward. Watch how I gather the money for our meal.” Li Hui had already spotted several locations, and with a flick of his hand, he grabbed two bags of Miao Jade. There were indeed a few secret chambers in this city, although not many. Those ritual artifacts turned to scraps the moment they came into his possession, filling the gaps of the silver snake bracelet.

“It’s you taking care of me!” Yang Jiuzhen smiled coyly, realizing how special Li Hui was to her. Even a fool could see that, and she felt very happy.

“Let’s head to Fude Residence.”

Under the dark moon, chaos reigned everywhere, and the city faced a decline in all industries; taverns had fewer customers.

As soon as the two arrived, they tossed their bags onto the table with great flair, causing Miao Jade to spill out. Then, with a flick of their wrists, dozens of boxes filled with various refining materials piled up like small mountains.

“Bring out the signature dish! I know your restaurant has high-quality spiritual materials; don’t try to deceive me. Let the chef put in some effort!” Li Hui genuinely wanted to treat himself to a good meal.

“Honored guest, let me summon the master chef right away!” The waiters greeted them with cheerful smiles. If they couldn’t make money off this generous patron, they would be left starving.

Li Hui and Yang Jiuzhen went up to the top floor, where they could enjoy the night view and recite poetry to the skies. But that was in the past; the present world held no enchanting sights to behold, and standing so high to recite would only attract spirits.

The two sat opposite each other, neither being overly formal; the dishes would surely come out quicker than they could eat. Cultivators tended to abstain from food or fast for months, even years, but when they did eat, they would finish everything in the pot.

Xi Qi called out, “Tell the chef to make hundreds of dishes for me and Qing’er.”

A few hundred dishes seemed like a small order to Li Hui; today, he aimed to eat a thousand. He waved his hand, grabbing treasures from the hidden chambers around the city, letting loose amidst the bounty!

“Ha! This soup is great; bring me three more!”

“This spiritual rice doesn’t taste good; it has a hint of dark haunting flavor. Take it away, take it away!”

“Dragon fungus, little spiritual frogs, three-leaf grass; this dish is amazing! Bring as much as you have!”

Yang Jiuzhen exclaimed, “Senior Brother, the ‘Dragon Steams the World’ dish is delicious, but the price is so high. We don’t have to spend so much in the Ren Water Continent since we don’t have the dark moon yet.”

“The calamity’s reach is growing wider; it might reach the Ren Water Continent anytime. You need to cultivate as fast as possible,” Li Hui reminded, all while hastily consuming his meal.

“Really? That would be terrible! A meal would cost a fortune. I’ll have to borrow money when I return, just to sample exquisite delicacies from the major royal cities and various sects.”

“Hahaha, doing that is surely not a loss; once you set out on your journey home, I will sponsor a meal for you.” Li Hui laughed heartily, casually grabbing a heap of scraps and tossing them about, saying, “This is a tip; if you run out of ingredients, hurry to other taverns and buy more. Tell the kitchen to serve quickly, and if the chefs aren’t enough, go hire more!”

The demand for food was proportional to strength, especially now that he had reached thirty-three layers of the Qi of Taiqing, expanding the acupoints in his body multiple times. Even though he was eating a lot now, it still couldn’t satisfy the several acupoints in his stomach.

Li Hui felt hungrier and suddenly realized that the spring beneath his feet had become heavy, exclaiming in his heart, “Oh no? Incredible! So eating can replenish the Qi of Taiqing; however, after transporting the size of the small celestial circuits, I stored the Murky Qi in the spring. I guess I need to return and use the Dai Character Stele to cultivate.”

“Senior Brother, what’s wrong?” Yang Jiuzhen noticed something was off with Li Hui’s expression.

“Ha, I need to eat more. I wonder if I can empty those secret chambers that have been sealed for years in the city!"

“Truly worthy of being the cultivator who defeated Xiang Chitian! Your consumption levels are unfathomable; I admire you deeply!” Yang Jiuzhen gave a thumbs-up, seeing Li Hui’s slight smile while digging in, causing her appetite to grow even more.

After enjoying the delicate dishes, they began feasting on large portions of fish and meat, piling everything in a special copper basin onto the broad table, ensuring they had plenty of spiritual wine.

Three hours later, Li Hui had devoured half of the ingredients accumulated by the tavern. The waiter shyly said, “Sir, the items you took are not enough to cover the bill.”

Yang Jiuzhen had long finished eating, savoring the flavor while cultivating to refine impurities and enhance her cultivation.

“Is that all gone?” Li Hui said, feeling unsatisfied.

These foods processed by spiritual chefs were easier for the body to absorb than spiritual energy itself, usually tantamount to receiving all the chefs’ assistance in cultivation. Ordinary cultivators seldom experienced this kind of feast, able to eat for three hours at a stretch being very rare.

At that moment, both Li Hui and Yang Jiuzhen looked up simultaneously, their expressions shifting instantly as they transmitted a message from a thousand miles away: “You two are enjoying yourselves so leisurely while we’re struggling outside, eating in the wind and sleeping in the open. Who would have thought you’d be gorging here?”

“Tan, why aren’t you off making a fortune in the Yuan Chen Heavenly Mansion? Why the interest in this Great Summer Capital?”

“Is there still a chance for anyone to make a profit in the Yuan Chen Heavenly Mansion? The safest route is now a complete mess after you went through; I brought cultivators in and suffered heavy losses. Other routes can’t be approached without great powers, and even Hongfa wouldn’t return if sent in.”

“Modesty!” Li Hui wiped his greasy mouth and adjusted his clothing, saying, “If you are willing, it wouldn’t be impossible to carve out a second path in the Yuan Chen Heavenly Mansion. Since you’re here, why not join me in making some fortune? I recently observed the Barbarian Nation from afar and discovered the geographical features corresponded to the records of the Ancient Dynasty marked in the Earth Axis Hall on Wan Nest Island’s staircase. After thorough investigation, you won’t guess what I found? Hey! I uncovered a splendid and prosperous world! Brother Tan, you are meticulous; why not calculate the two characters ‘Zi Xu’?”

“Are you referring to Zi Xu?” Tan Tiandi halted in his tracks, feeling as though the heavenly secrets had suddenly become clear; he had a strong connection to this Zi Xu.