Chapter 1838: Embarrassment

The keyboard system seemed to sense his dissatisfaction and reminded him on the holographic screen, "Don't underestimate food. No matter how strong you are, there will always be stronger beings in this world. But a delicious dish can help you conquer those far superior in status, position, or power, which other skills can hardly achieve."

Zu An glanced sideways, "Who told you that food can conquer much more powerful beings?"

It made no sense, no matter how he thought about it.

"This conclusion was drawn from rigorous big data comparisons. In many stories, imperial princesses and noble young ladies often fall in love with a young man because of a simple roasted chicken. That is the power of food," the keyboard replied.

Zu An was bewildered.

"What kind of data are you analyzing? Are you reading novels?"

The keyboard offered no further response.

Helpless, Zu An began to examine the so-called gourmet system. It was quite simple: as long as he had the corresponding recipe or had personally tasted a dish, he could create that dish in its most delicious state. The system also provided many basic recipes.

The keyboard thoughtfully added a small line: "Keep it up! Use your culinary skills to conquer noble princesses and young ladies, and also powerful men. No other skill can achieve this."

Zu An considered this. Even a special skill like "Goddess's Kiss" usually only worked on the opposite sex. If he mastered it, he couldn't very well go around kissing other men, could he?

Food, however, was different; both men and women would appreciate it.

Zu An's mood brightened slightly. All in all, this trip had been quite fruitful.

Lost in thought and exploration along the way, he unknowingly reached the Blood Demon's floor. Unlike his previous descent, where the room was filled with bloody mist and dirty blood flowed on the ground, the entire space was now spotless, without a single drop of blood visible.

Not even the smell of blood lingered.

Clearly, the seeping blood had been completely purged by the Demon Suppressing Formation.

"Serves it right!"

Thinking of his previous battle with the Blood Demon in the lower levels, his expression turned grim. He wondered how powerful its true form was, given that even the Demon Suppressing Formation couldn't completely eradicate it, only seal and suppress it.

He continued upwards, finally arriving at a glowing portal, the very place he had entered from.

He leaped upwards, and a mysterious yet familiar aura enveloped him, seemingly checking whether he was an escaped demon. A terrifying power poised to strike.

He forced a mouthful of fresh blood up and spat it out with a gasp.

The women gasped in alarm, immediately forgetting everything else and rushing to check his injuries.

Chu Chuyan even handed him the remaining medicinal paste she had just prepared.

"I'm fine, just a small injury. I'll be good after some rest," Zu An said with a "pale" smile.

In a certain void, Mi Li opened her eyes and exclaimed, "You scoundrel!"

"You're spitting blood, and you call it a small injury!" The women bustled around, some fetching medicine, some channeling vital energy to him, and others offering him water.

Zu An felt a pang of apology. "Thank you all, I really am fine now."

Except for Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, the women then realized they were all huddled tightly around Zu An, and their expressions instantly became a little awkward.

"Why are you the only one who came out? Where's the girl named Jing?" Yun Jianyue's voice rang out. *This brat usually flirts with everyone, but now he's probably scared, right? I, as his elder sister, have to clean up his mess.*

"She was critically injured and is in a deep sleep," Zu An hesitated before taking out the pendant and telling them Jing Teng lay inside the jade coffin.

The women's expressions shifted slightly. They had initially felt a bit jealous of Jing Teng, but seeing her current state, they became sorrowful instead.

"What exactly happened?" Yan Xuehen couldn't help but ask.

Zu An then recounted his journey through the lower levels of the great tomb, naturally omitting any intimate interactions with Jing Teng and her sister.

The women gasped in astonishment. They had never imagined there were so many terrifying beings in the lower levels of the great tomb, especially the Unnamable One, which left everyone dumbfounded.

Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, with their higher cultivation, felt it more deeply. They had previously thought they were only inferior to Zhao Hao and were among the world's top figures, but now they realized how utterly narrow-minded they had been.

Everyone was curious about how Zu An had dealt with such terrifying beings. Zu An didn't hide anything, telling them about the skill he had obtained from the keyboard. These were his closest companions, so there was no need to conceal it.

The entire process was full of twists and turns. Although the women knew he had emerged safely, their hearts still pounded nervously at each perilous detail.

Upon learning of this miraculous keyboard-derived skill, their beautiful eyes sparkled with wonder. The more powerful their beloved became, the happier they were.

Only Yan Xuehen frowned. "Wait, you couldn't have gained such a skill without paying a price. Did Miss Jing become like this to save you?"

She had witnessed the side effects of his keyboard-derived abilities before, and had… helped him recover in a certain way.

Zu An shook his head. "No, I happened to have another skill that could offset the cost of that ability, but unfortunately, it was all used up this time to save the Demon Suppressing Formation."

Pei Mianman comforted him, "Zu An, you did the right thing. Otherwise, if those terrifying beings had escaped, it would have been a catastrophe for all living creatures. Even though we are not from this world, we couldn't just stand by and watch."

Even Yun Jianyue nodded. Although her allegiance was to the Demonic Cult, she had her own pursuits and principles. She was completely different from the anti-human demons in the great tomb, so she was naturally pleased to see this outcome.

"I can't believe Miss Jing is a Demon Suppressing Talisman that has existed for countless years," Qiu Honglei murmured, lost in thought. She felt a pang of guilt, remembering how much they had bickered along the way, only to discover that Jing Teng had silently sacrificed so much to save all of humanity. "Zu An, you must save her."

Zu An nodded. "I'll do my best. I can only stabilize her injuries for now. I'll have to find other methods later to see if I can heal her."

Just then, Chu Chuyan suddenly said, "Zu An, didn't you use... that method to save her? Miss Jing clearly has feelings for you; she probably wouldn't refuse."

As she spoke, her face flushed. Back then, after she used a forbidden technique, her meridians shattered, and she was despairing and waiting to die. He had repeatedly used that method to warm her, pulling her back from the brink of death and even helping her cultivation advance.

"What method?" The others looked at her with confusion and curiosity.

Zu An coughed awkwardly and had to explain, "I already used it, but it could only stabilize her injuries, not heal her. That being's attack principle is too profound; I'm still too weak right now." He thought, *I couldn't hide it after all. How embarrassing.*

Hearing his words, Chu Chuyan raised an eyebrow. It seemed she had underestimated him.

Seeing the two speak in riddles, the other girls felt their hearts itch with curiosity. Xie Daoyun couldn't help but shake Chu Chuyan's arm, pressing, "Sister Chu, what exactly is this amazing method?"

Although Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue didn't participate, they pricked up their ears, equally curious.

Chu Chuyan's expression was a little uneasy. "It's not convenient to tell you."

"You can tell me, can't you?" Pei Mianman pulled her aside.

Chu Chuyan hesitated for a moment, then whispered into her ear.

Qiu Honglei knew they were close friends, and her pride initially prevented her from intruding. However, since it concerned Zu An, she couldn't suppress her gossip-fueled curiosity and quietly moved closer to them.

Chu Chuyan hesitated, thinking it wouldn't be good to show favoritism or risk offending her. So, she simply pulled Qiu Honglei over and told them the truth.

Soon, the three women turned around, their faces flushed, and glared at Zu An.

Anger value from Chu Chuyan: 110, 110, 110...Anger value from Pei Mianman: 110, 110, 110...Anger value from Qiu Honglei: 119, 119, 119...

*I was here first! This secret realm was supposed to be a sweet journey for me and Zu An. How could another woman invade our personal space right in front of us? This is infuriating!*

From a distance, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen, with their profound cultivation, naturally heard Chu Chuyan's whispers clearly. They couldn't help but look at Zu An with strange expressions. *This guy is truly a human seed-sower. How long has it been since he went down, and he's already gotten involved with another beautiful girl?*

Anger value from Yan Xuehen: 110, 110, 110...Anger value from Yun Jianyue: 110, 110, 110...

Xie Daoyun couldn't help but feel a little wronged. Why did everyone else know but not her?

She had no choice but to address Zu An. "By the way, Brother Zu, what about the Ghost King? You didn't mention him at all when you were talking just now."

Zu An was speechless.