Chapter 157: You Asked Dao Sect Bully People Too Much

After Yunzhi became the acting sect master, she visited the other four immortal sects as per custom, bringing a special gift. She informed everyone that Daoist Buyu was in secluded cultivation, and she was now managing Dao Sect.

When the four great immortal sects heard this news, they were overjoyed; they finally wouldn't have to deal with that lunatic anymore.

Moreover, Yunzhi becoming the acting sect master meant she would not participate in disciple activities. The five great immortal sects would periodically hold disciple activities, allowing disciples to explore ancient ruins and grotto-heavens. However, ever since Yunzhi's sudden emergence, there had been no need to hold such events, causing great embarrassment to the other four sects. It was more practical to just give the rewards directly to Yunzhi and save time than to host the activities.

Upon seeing Shangguan Yu, who had long captivated his heart, the Second Elder’s eyes went wide. Although Shangguan Yu had once rejected the Second Elder, he still couldn't forget her pure beauty.

Seeing the Second Elder staring intently at Shangguan Yu, Qiu Jin'an stepped forward, blocking his view, his face ashen. "When does the competition start?" he demanded.

The First Elder replied, "According to the plan, we'll first have the opening ceremony, then eat, and then the competition."

"How orderly," Qiu Jin'an thought to himself. "This must be Yunzhi's arrangement; it's far better than that scoundrel Daoist Buyu's." During his last visit to Dao Sect, Daoist Buyu had immediately thrown an arm around his neck and said, "Brother, let's go. I'll take you to a brothel; my treat." Qiu Jin'an had promptly pushed Daoist Buyu away. "Was that something to say out loud? Shangguan Yu was watching!"

"Hmm? Where's that young man who understood ancient civilizations?" Qiu Jin'an had wanted to discuss some ancient mysteries with Lu Yang, such as how the last powerful cultivator who mastered the "Speak and it shall be done" technique died, or whether Ying Tianxian was named so because she was born on a day with exceptionally good weather.

The First Elder explained, "He went to prepare the meal."

"Oh," Qiu Jin'an replied, not thinking much of it.

On the podium, disciples from Dao Sect and Five Elements Sect stood together, listening to the elders speak. Soon, they started to doze off.

The First Elder, reading from the speech Lu Yang had prepared, stated: "To implement the policy of the five great immortal sects advancing together, to promote friendly exchanges between Dao Sect and Five Elements Sect, to foster a deep understanding of the friendship among the five great sects throughout the entire sect, and to lay a solid foundation for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, I will address five points concerning the theme of this exchange meeting.

"First, implementing the policy of the five great immortal sects advancing together is both a historical necessity and a practical need. With the arrival of the ancient era and the successive revival of ancient cultivators, facing the grim situation and various uncertain and unpredictable risks and challenges in the Central Continent, the five great immortal sects should, and must, remain united..."

Qiu Jin'an was astonished. Although he had expected the speech to be very different from the last one, he hadn't anticipated such a drastic change. Last time, Daoist Buyu had only said two sentences: "Welcome to Five Elements Sect. Everyone, feel free to do as you please."

When it was Qiu Jin'an's turn to speak, he cleared his throat and announced loudly: "In this bright and vibrant season, the Five Elements Sect is honored to visit Dao Sect and witness the most advanced thoughts and theories in the cultivation world, which has been profoundly inspiring..."

After two rounds of speeches from the leaders, scattered applause erupted from below the stage. As the Eighth Elder put it, it sounded like "a dribbling stream."

On stage, the leaders of both sides shook hands.

"Sect Master Qiu, please guide us generously during this exchange."

"First Elder, you jest. We humbly ask Dao Sect to show mercy."

With kindly smiles on their faces, the First Elder and Qiu Jin'an exchanged pleasantries, while others remained completely unaware of their telepathic communication.

("Qiu Jin'an, get back to your Five Elements Sect! Dao Sect doesn't welcome you. Look at your hypocritical self! Have you forgotten how our Nine Sons of Dao Sect beat you up back then?")

("Nine of you against me? Dao Sect has no shame! Do you think I'm eager to come to your sect, a den of monsters and demons? Just you wait; I'll vanquish evil and spread news of victory throughout the cultivation world!")

In reality, both men smiled genuinely.

"Sect Master Qiu, shall we go for a meal?"

"Haha, I've long heard that Dao Sect's food is exceptional. Today, I must experience it for myself."

The group walked to the dining hall. Along the way, Qiu Jin'an saw disciples hammering nails with fried dough sticks, producing clanging sounds and sparks. He saw a disciple throw a pancake into the air, and it instantly grew, becoming enormous and obscuring the sky. He also saw a disciple making egg drop soup; the silver pot instantly turned black and began to melt, while the egg drop soup condensed into a single drop of green liquid.

In a sense, it was indeed an eye-opening experience. "Dao Sect wouldn't make me eat something like that, would they?" Qiu Jin'an's heart pounded. He felt he didn't deserve such a fate.

Finally, the group arrived at an extremely luxurious restaurant. From afar, they could smell a delightful aroma, and before Qiu Jin'an lay a feast of delectable dishes, perfect in color, aroma, and taste. "It seems I've misjudged Dao Sect," Qiu Jin'an thought, relieved.

Immortal Fairy was wearing a white apron and a tall chef's hat, looking quite professional. She introduced each dish: "This is Stuffed Tofu, made with prime Ice Plains Elephant back meat. For the tofu, I used morning dew condensed from medicinal herbs in the herb garden. I combined these two with an ancient secret method, resulting in astonishing effects."

Immortal Fairy looked at the diners, eager to see their reactions. "Would you like to try?"

Qiu Jin'an lifted the lid covering the dish. A golden light shot up, dazzling his eyes, and he heard an unending celestial melody in his ears. He turned his head and saw a group of people playing instruments nearby.

"What are they doing?"

"Playing music," Immortal Fairy explained. "For atmosphere."

Qiu Jin'an didn't think much of it. He picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of tofu. Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, the part of the chopsticks that touched the tofu began to smoke and rapidly melt. With a "clatter," the tofu fell back onto the plate. Qiu Jin'an blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating.

Immortal Fairy reminded him from the side, "Eat it quickly, or the plate and table will be burned through by the stuffed tofu."

Qiu Jin'an suppressed the urge to flip the table and decided to try another dish. He uncovered a small teacup, which contained milky-white fish soup. Two green leafy vegetables floated on top, making the soup look even more appealing.

Immortal Fairy introduced it: "Our sect's Taihu Lake has a fish called the Azure Water Fish, an ancient relict species. This fish must be cooked immediately after leaving the water; it will spoil if left for more than three hours. At dawn today, I retrieved it from Taihu Lake, and through my careful cooking, I've maximized its freshness. Please, have a taste."

Then Qiu Jin'an saw a small green fish swimming around in the fish soup, even leaping out of the soup and jumping back in, creating ripples. A drop of soup even splashed onto Qiu Jin'an's face.

"...Isn't this fish a bit too lively?" he muttered.

Qiu Jin'an once again suppressed the urge to flip the table.

Immortal Fairy explained, "The fish you see is not a living creature. It's a fish spirit, created by me using the skeleton of an Azure Water Fish as a base and processed with ancient techniques. If you poke it with a spoon, it will automatically dissolve."

Qiu Jin'an cautiously poked it with his spoon. The small green fish indeed dissolved into the soup, making the milky-white fish soup even more delicious. "So, I misjudged her," Qiu Jin'an thought.

He took a small sip, then immediately spat it out. "It's so salty! How much salt did you put in?!"

Immortal Fairy thought seriously for a moment. "Twenty seconds."

Qiu Jin'an slammed the table, stood up abruptly, and roared, "Dao Sect, you've gone too far!"