Starting from the scattered cultivator family, daily intelligence

Chapter 97, The Predicament of Wanze Ridge Amidst the Poisonous Fog

“Master Buzhu, you can’t do this. The Qiankun Transformation Jar is a magical kitchen artifact of my Tai family. You can’t take it away.”

“The rules you set for the Spirit Cuisine Duel did not prohibit the use of Spirit Kitchen Artifacts. I have not violated the rules of the Spirit Cuisine Duel, so you cannot take away my Tai family’s Spirit Kitchen Artifact, the Qiankun Spirit Transformation Jar.”

In the main hall on the second floor of Xiankeju's general affairs building, Zhu Daochang used spiritual energy to deliver a Buddhist message to Tai Fu'an at Taijia Restaurant, which also circulated in the hall.

Tai Hongfei hurriedly and anxiously said, and then moved to put his Tai family's spiritual kitchen artifact, the Qiankun Spirit Transformation Jar, back into his storage bag.

However, no matter how he circulated his true energy or used his techniques,

The Qiankun Transformation Jar, which floated in the air and nurtured the spiritual essence of the Heavenly Origin Star-Picking Dew, remained motionless, just like a mountain that had taken root.

Zhu Daochang remained silent upon hearing Tai Hongfei's question, but looked at him with a cold expression.

With a single glance, Tai Hongfei, dressed in a fire-resistant black robe, was sent flying backward, crashing into the magic array barrier on the second floor of the Immortal Guest House's general affairs building. Blood gushed from his mouth, and he was severely injured.

This broke the rule that had prevented any cultivator from taking action against the Immortal Abode's General Affairs Building for hundreds of years.

"Master, please calm your anger!"

Upon seeing this scene, Liu Jiangya and the other seven high-ranking cultivators from the seven families, along with the owners of Xiankeju, not only showed no anger but also hurriedly and respectfully bowed to Zhu Daochang to apologize.

Then Liu Jiangya spoke to Liu Jiangxuan, the manager of the general affairs building of Xiankeju.

"Jiang Xuan banished Tai Hongfei of the Tai family, forbidding him from ever entering the Immortal Abode again."

"Yes," Liu Jiangxuan replied, bowing apologetically to Zhu Daochang. Then, his aged face contorted with anger, and he flew toward the heavily injured Tai Hong, clearing him out of the Immortal Guest Residence's general affairs building.

"The Spiritual Cuisine Duel is over. Put away the Qiankun Spirit Transformation Tube and come back to Lanxing Academy with me."

Zhu Daochang nodded slightly to Liu Jiangya and the others as they bowed, then spoke to Mu Yunsheng.

"Yes, Master Zhu." Mu Yunsheng bowed excitedly and replied. He had finally passed Zhu Daochang's spiritual cuisine duel test and kept his access token to Lanxing Academy. He then started walking towards the Tai family's spiritual kitchen artifact, Qiankun Hualing Pass.

On the judges' stage, when Long Liyou heard that Mu Yunsheng was leaving, she quickly ran down, walked up to him, and apologized apologetically.

"Brother Mu, I'm sorry. I messed up your first spiritual dish duel earlier. If it weren't for Brother Mu having a Dragon Tooth Water Element Porridge..."

"When Brother Muxiao finishes his first spiritual dish duel, he will be missing Granny Jiao's score."

"Fellow Daoist Long has said too much. Yun Sheng knows that Fellow Daoist Long was helping Yun Sheng earlier, so how could she blame Fellow Daoist Long?"

Mu Yunsheng replied to Long Liyou with a smile, having already accepted the Qiankun Transformation Jar that was floating in the air.

The Qiankun Transformation Jar, which Tai Hongfei had previously been unable to retrieve no matter what he tried, was taken by Mu Yunsheng with ease, without any resistance.

"Really? When will you be back, Brother Mu? We'd like to explore Qihe Market again. I heard that the Xuan Beast Sect's shops sent over some poisonous insects from Huangyuan Prefecture."

"We can go take a look together."

A happy smile appeared on Long Liyou's beautiful, fair face as she asked Mu Yunsheng with a smile.

"Well... I'm afraid I can't accompany Fellow Daoist Long for the time being. I'll wait until I have time later to accompany Fellow Daoist Long to stroll around Qihe Market."

Mu Yunsheng hesitated before speaking, glancing at Zhu Daochang who was waiting to the side, then bowing to Long Liyou, and then saying with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Long, Yun Sheng has other matters to attend to here, so I will take my leave now."

"Alright, then Brother Mu, remember to come and find Long'er whenever you have time. This is a sachet that can pass through the Dragon's Poison Array."

Long Liyou nodded with disappointment in her eyes, took the sachet she was carrying from her body, and handed it to Mu Yunsheng.

Chi Shujiao sat on the judges' platform. When she saw the sachet that Long Liyou handed her, her expression changed in shock. She wanted to get up and stop him, but when she saw Zhu Daochang next to her, she held back and muttered helplessly to herself.

"How can a girl's sachet be given away so casually? He is just a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a second-tier low-grade spiritual chef disciple. He is worthy of Long'er."

"I just hope that when I get back to Longsai, that old man Long Shengxie will find out that his granddaughter Long'er came out with me and ended up losing her heart. I hope he won't cause me any trouble."

Chi Shujiao thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowing in distress, feeling that being an elder was sometimes quite difficult.

"Okay~" Mu Yunsheng replied with a smile, took the sachet with Long Liyou's body fragrance, and walked towards Zhu Daochang with excitement in his heart.

From this day forward, he can finally cultivate alongside a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a second-tier low-grade spirit chef.

In the hall on the second floor, the cultivators who came to watch the spiritual cuisine duel to broaden their horizons also felt a sense of admiration and envy as they watched Mu Yun Sheng accept the Tai family's spiritual kitchen artifact, the Qiankun Spirit Transformation Jar, and walk towards Zhu Dao Chang.

Today's duel over spirit food will likely become a topic of much conversation among them in the future.

At the same time, Mu Yun Sheng also appeared in the eyes of the major cultivators in Qian Yuan Prefecture. He was no longer the unknown, low-level rogue cultivator of Qian Yuan Prefecture.

"Young friend Mu, congratulations! If you have time in the future, you are welcome to visit my Liu family and exchange ideas with my fellow disciples on the cultivation of the spiritual culinary arts and the spiritual alchemy arts."

"Young friend Mu, you are welcome to visit my Yiqi Chaoyang Sect when you have time. Chaoyang Peak of my Yiqi Chaoyang Sect is a unique feature of Qianyuan Prefecture."

"Young friend Mu is welcome to visit my Qu family's home..."

On the judges' platform, Liu Jiangya and the other six people smiled as they watched Mu Yunsheng walk over, and they all started chatting and laughing.

They showed no arrogance befitting the seven top cultivator forces of Qian Yuan Prefecture, but instead remained warm and calm towards Mu Yun Sheng.

Seeing this scene, Mu Yunsheng looked at the cultivators gathered in the hall on the second floor, and at the sighs and envy on the faces of Wu Zhiyuan, Gu Luoping and the others, and at Liu Jiangya and the other seven who were so warm and friendly to him.

For no apparent reason, he recalled the scene when he first came to the Xiankeju General Affairs Building to participate in Zhu Daochang's disciple-acceptance and fate-testing ceremony.

Also in this place, in the main hall on the second floor of the Xiankeju General Affairs Building, is the preparation of the Bitter Spirit Rejuvenating Noodles.

However, unlike that day, he was still wearing a long robe made of ordinary cloth, but no cultivator looked at him with disdain and mockery, unwilling to communicate with him.

There were no cultivators like Tai Fu'an who jumped out to question him about where he got the information, in an attempt to make things difficult for him.

"So even the upper-level cultivators in Qian Yuan Prefecture treat everyone equally. Is this the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

Mu Yunsheng murmured to himself, a smile appearing on his lips. He did not become complacent despite the warm and friendly treatment from Liu Jiangya and the other seven.

He knew very well that Liu Jiangya and the other six were very enthusiastic towards him, including the admiring sighs and envy of the surrounding cultivators, such as Wu Zhiyuan and the others in the hall.

This was all because Zhu Daochang was standing behind him at that moment.

"As expected, in the cultivation world, everything is still based on strength. The arts of cooking and cultivation are all derived from it to help cultivators cultivate better."

With a clear mind and a respectful smile on his face, Mu Yunsheng bowed respectfully to Liu Jiangya and the other six, expressing his gratitude. "Thank you, Senior Liu, thank you, Senior Chi..."

Zhu Daochang stood to the side, seeing that Mu Yunsheng showed no arrogance despite Liu Jiangya and the others' warm and friendly treatment, and a sense of satisfaction rose in his eyes. After Mu Yunsheng returned the greetings to Liu Jiangya and the other seven, he said, "Let's go!"

After saying that, Zhu Daochang started to leave.

"Yes, Senior Zhu." Mu Yunsheng bowed in response, and then followed him out of the Xiankeju General Affairs Building.

"Whose disciple is this? I don't recall any cultivator family with the surname Mu in Qian Yuan Prefecture. Could he be a disciple of some cultivator sect?"

After watching Mu Yunsheng and Zhu Daochang leave, Jiang Zhaoxing, the transmission elder of the Yiqi Chaoyang Sect, waited for a moment before looking at Liu Jiangya and the other six and asking them questions, his gaze mainly fixed on Chi Shujiao.

Upon hearing Jiang Zhaoxing's words, Zhou Qianshan and the other three looked at Chi Shujiao with questioning eyes.

"Don't look at me, this is the first time I've met him today. This kid who knows my Long'er doesn't know anything about me, just like you guys."

Chi Shujiao said, her eyes looking troubled as she glanced at Long Liyou, whose expression had fallen after Mu Yunsheng left.

She was also completely unaware of Mu Yunsheng's departure. Chi Shujiao could even imagine the scene when she returned to Longsai, where Long Liyou's grandfather, the Great Elder of Longsai, Long Shengxie, would question her.

"Don't even think about it. This Mu Yunsheng isn't a disciple of any powerful cultivator family in Qian Yuan Prefecture. He's just a low-level rogue cultivator from a place where we don't have spiritual lands to cultivate."

"Now I'm working in the Jade Void Spiritual Field, in my Liu family's spiritual field."

Liu Jiangya looked at Chi Shujiao and the other six people and said with a smile.

"He's just a low-level rogue cultivator from our Qian Yuan Prefecture! Where did he get the spiritual materials and the spiritual culinary arts he cultivated?"

Zhou Qianshan was shocked and looked incredulously at the Grade A Bitter Spirit Qi-Returning Noodles made by Mu Yunsheng in the Spirit Cuisine Duel Arena.

As a member of a family specializing in magical artifacts, he knew that no matter how many of the various arts of cultivation one possessed, they could greatly assist a cultivator's progress and earn the spiritual stone resources needed for cultivation.

However, when you truly enter the realm of cultivating all arts, every single one requires a massive amount of spiritual stone resources, whether it's a spirit weapon master, a spirit pill master, a spirit talisman master, or a spirit chef.

All of these require a massive amount of spirit stones to have any chance of successfully cultivating. Many cultivators have cultivated for five or six years, or even ten years, and are still far from being able to recoup the spirit stones they have spent on cultivating and practicing the various arts.

When Chi Shujiao and the others heard Liu Jiangya's words, their faces also showed surprise and astonishment.

"A dragon has emerged from among the rogue cultivators of our Qian Yuan Prefecture. I just don't know if this dragon will eventually leave with Master Zhu," Jiang Zhaoxing said with a sigh. Then he cast a spell to block out the surrounding noise and looked at Liu Jiangya and the others, speaking as he did so.

"Now, it is becoming increasingly difficult for our seven families to control the Poisonous Mist Wanze Ridge. Every year, many of our disciples die in the Poisonous Mist Wanze Ridge."

"The cultivators of Qiandao Lake Prefecture, including independent cultivators, have repeatedly charged into the poisonous mist of Wanze Ridge to fight against the cultivators of my seven families stationed there. This is known as the Poisonous Mist Bloodline."

"Therefore, the strength of the low- and middle-level cultivators and independent cultivators in Qiandao Lake Prefecture far exceeds that of our Qianyuan Prefecture. Among them, there are even some young cultivators who can be called geniuses, such as Tian Yaozi."

"His cultivation level is no weaker than the Foundation Establishment seed members of our seven families."

“If this continues, our seven families’ control over the Poison Mist Wanze Ridge will only weaken. We might as well learn from Qiandao Lake Prefecture and lift our restrictions on cultivators from Qianyuan Prefecture entering the Poison Mist Wanze Ridge.”

Liu Jiangya, Chi Shujiao, Zhou Qianshan, and the other four cultivators from the four families and one fortress frowned upon hearing Jiang Zhaoxing's words.

Huang Longyi, the law enforcement elder of the Xuan Beast Sect and a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, smiled. Seeing Liu Jiangya and the others frowning, he exchanged a glance with Jiang Zhaoxing and then spoke up.

“I think this method is good. The Poison Mist Wanze Ridge has been under the control of our seven families for many years, and the important and precious spiritual items there have long been collected by our seven families.”

"We only need to guard the important spiritual sites in the Poisonous Mist Wanze Ridge, and let our subordinate cultivator forces guard the other spiritual sites, and lift the restrictions on cultivators from Qianyuan Prefecture entering the Poisonous Mist Wanze Ridge."

"Let them fight the cultivators who have invaded Qiandao Lake Prefecture. This will not only greatly protect the safety of our seven families, but also prevent our strength from weakening."

"In the future, if any cultivators in Qianyuan Prefecture emerge from the battles in the Poisonous Mist Wanze Ridge, we can also take them under the tutelage of our seven families."

"Tian Yaozi was just like that; he was taken in by Chongshui Yuan Palace, a Foundation Establishment power in Qiandao Lake Prefecture, and became one of Chongshui Yuan Palace's Foundation Establishment seeds."

"This matter still needs to be discussed by the Foundation Establishment cultivators of our seven families. We cannot discuss it further," Liu Jiangya said with a furrowed brow.

They lifted the restrictions on cultivators from Qianyuan Prefecture entering the Poisonous Mist Wanze Ridge, and recruited the outstanding cultivators who had fought their way out of the ravine to become disciples of the seven families.

This matter seems good, and it can greatly protect the strength of the seven families.

However, for the four families that are organized as clans—the Liu family of Spirit Pills, the Zhou family of Spirit Weapons, the He family of Spirit Talismans, and the Qu family of Spirit Fragrances—it is not suitable to introduce a large number of cultivators from outside the clan.

This would shake the foundation of the family.

Even though Longse, to which Chi Shujiao belongs, is not a family-based cultivator force, its unique xenophobia makes it even more xenophobic than family-based cultivator forces like the Lingdan Liu family.

“Yes, Fellow Daoist Jiang, Fellow Daoist Huang, this matter still needs to be discussed by the Foundation Establishment cultivators of our respective families. We will not say more about it.” Zhou Qianshan also refused.

Chi Liyou, Qu Nianfei, the Lingxiang Elder of the Qu family, and He Gongjing, the He family's Deputy Elder, also nodded in agreement.

Seeing Liu Jiangya and the other four's firm refusal, Jiang Zhaoxing and Huang Longyi felt a surge of anger and said no more.

"Our clan's cultivators have tracked down the whereabouts of the Heavenly Demon Child. Gentlemen, I will not keep you any longer. Farewell!"

At this moment, the Liu family token on Liu Jiangya's body flashed with a message. After checking it, he bowed to Chi Shujiao and the other six, and then left.

Before leaving, he made a special trip to the Spiritual Cuisine Duel Arena and took away a Grade A Bitter Spirit Qi-Returning Noodle, which Mu Yunsheng had made and which was still absorbing spiritual energy to strengthen its spiritual essence.

"Liu Jiangya, you despicable man, you put down this top-quality Bitter Spirit Qi-Returning Noodles, which I've been eyeing for a long time. You just leave, and what do you mean by taking it with you?"

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qianshan shouted angrily at Liu Jiangya, who was leaving, and then started chasing after him.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, Fellow Daoist Huang, farewell!" Chi Shujiao and the other two also bid farewell to Jiang Zhaoxing and Huang Longyi, and then left the Xiankeju General Affairs Building with Long Liyou.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, they... are truly foolish! Foolish! They only care about their own immediate interests." After Zhao Xing waited for Chi Liyou and the others to leave, he turned to Huang Longyi and angrily cursed.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jiang, they cannot stop it. This is the general trend, and it is the time for our two families to rise." Huang Longyi said coldly, and then left the general affairs building of Xiankeju together with Jiang Zhaoxing.

As the group of seven departed, the atmosphere in the second-floor hall, where cultivators had come to watch the Spiritual Cuisine duel and broaden their horizons, became lively, and they began to talk about the Spiritual Cuisine duel between Mu Yunsheng and Tai Hongfei.

And the fate of the Tai family.

"Unexpectedly, a little over a month ago, Fellow Daoist Mu came to Xiankeju to participate in Master Zhu's disciple-acceptance and fate-testing ceremony, but was harassed by the Tai family and had no choice but to leave in anger."

"A little over a month later, in the same office building of Xiankeju, Fellow Daoist Mu had already caught Master Zhu's eye, while the Tai family was punished by Master Zhu."

“Interesting, Brother Wu, don’t you think it’s exceptionally interesting?”

A smile appeared on Gu Luoping's face as he asked Wu Zhiyuan with a cheerful tone.

"Haha~ It's really quite interesting, *slap*." Wu Zhiyuan slapped his magic fan and replied with a laugh.

(End of this chapter)