Chapter 623: Man Gu's Nascent Soul

It didn't surprise Lu Yang that the mastermind had grafted the ancient barbarians' history from Immortal Fairy onto Ying Tianxian. The author of the demon beast cookbook had already been changed from Immortal Fairy to Ying Tianxian, and since the suppression of demon beasts by the ancient barbarian bloodline could not be erased, Ying Tianxian simply had to be made the progenitor of the ancient barbarians. Only this could explain the bloodline suppression.

Mang Gu's appearance was ruggedly handsome for a man, but if a woman had his features, it would be terrifying. One could only say that Ying Tianxian was lustful and had unique aesthetic tastes. This was the most logical explanation.

After Immortal Fairy recounted her various misdeeds among the ancient barbarians, Jiang Lianyi realized her memories had been tampered with. What a terrifying method.

“Brother Lu, who is this…?” Mang Gu looked at Jiang Lianyi confusedly; in his memory, he hadn't seen this person at the Wen Dao Sect.

“She’s a new member of our Heavenly Court Sect, one of the Four Sovereigns, the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor, Jiang Lianyi.” Since they were all from the Heavenly Court Sect, there was no need to hide anything. Furthermore, Mang Gu had personally witnessed his unfortunate resurrection of Immortal Fairy and knew more than the elders.

Mang Gu stumbled back several steps, his pupils constricting in utter shock. Even his recently achieved Nascent Soul stage showed signs of instability. He had been in seclusion for the past two months, focusing on breaking through, and was unaware of the earth-shattering changes in the outside world.

“Pho-pho-pho-pho-pho-phoenix Clan… ” Mang Gu’s lips trembled, as if he’d seen a ghost, unable to articulate clearly.

Lu Yang patted Mang Gu’s shoulder, signaling him to calm down, and pushed him into the barbecue restaurant. He pressed him onto a stool, and Mang Gu gulped down two large pots of tea before finally calming down slightly.

Upon seeing Lu Yang arrive, Master Liu treated him with reverence, as if worshipping an ancestor, while secretly sending a message to the Sect Master and Immortal Fairy, telling them to come quickly.

“It seems Junior Brother Mang has been diligently cultivating lately, staying in seclusion and losing contact with the outside world. Many things have happened recently…” Lu Yang smiled and methodically recounted his experiences in the Demon Realm.

Mang Gu looked at Lu Yang with admiration. This was truly a role model; when would he ever reach such a level? The sages say that one should remain calm during major events, and Brother Lu was precisely such a person. In contrast, he had been so flustered upon seeing a living Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor. It was truly inappropriate, and he needed to reflect!

“Second Boss, you’re here?” Immortal Fairy and the Sect Master arrived, covered in dust from the breeding farm.

“Could this person beside you be the legendary Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor, Elder Jiang?” the Sect Master asked cautiously, noticing the woman sitting quietly beside Lu Yang. Although he had been working at the breeding farm and barbecue restaurant for a long time, he hadn't forgotten his original identity as Sect Master; collecting and integrating intelligence were things he excelled at. For example, he recently gathered information that prices at the Food Stall Alliance were set to rise, the Hotpot Alliance planned to launch new dishes, a new fried skewer shop had opened on the commercial street, and the Demon Nation had been established, among other things. Combining this information, it wasn't difficult to guess that the person beside Lu Yang was the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor, whose appearance had changed.

Jiang Lianyi’s gaze bypassed the Sect Master and fell upon Immortal Fairy, her eyes narrowing and her tone unfriendly: “You are the one who almost condensed an Immortal Dao Fruit and prevented Sister Immortal from resurrecting?”

Immortal Fairy broke out in a cold sweat, repeatedly saying he wouldn't dare, and nearly knelt down. When facing the Grand Imperial Advisor of Great Yu, he still had the confidence to contend, but against Jiang Lianyi, he could feel the vast difference between them. This was not an opponent he could deal with by self-destructing; if he were to confront her directly, he would surely be defeated!

Jiang Lianyi withdrew her gaze, sparing Immortal Fairy. “Never mind. You are merely a pawn pushed out by others; what’s the use of bothering you?”

Immortal Fairy felt as if he had received a great pardon.

Seeing the atmosphere was somewhat tense, the Sect Master quickly stepped in to smooth things over, bringing out a plate of roasted lamb skewers. “These are our improved lamb skewers, please have a taste.”

Upon taking a bite of the skewer, Lu Yang was slightly surprised. This improvement method was unusual; it was even tastier than before!

Mang Gu was a bit dejected; their Barbarian BBQ had lost.

“How was this achieved?”

The Sect Master brought out another plate of raw lamb skewers. Lu Yang hadn't observed carefully when he first walked in, but with the Sect Master's hint, he quickly realized the difference in these skewers.

“There’s no bloody smell, and just looking at the meat skewers gives a sense of peace. Are these blessed lamb skewers?”

The Sect Master humbly smiled and said, “More or less. These were prepared under the guidance of Master Shi Chan from the Hanging Temple. By chanting the Rebirth Mantra while slaughtering the livestock, their resentment was eliminated, and the meat's quality was elevated to a new level.”

Lu Yang nodded in praise. This was a problem he hadn't considered. It seemed this unseen fellow cultivator Shi Chan was truly brilliant, his wisdom on par with Meng Jingzhou’s, and second only to his own.

“There’s certainly room for promotion,” Lu Yang mused, thinking of the popular ‘Again BBQ’ chain outside. If skewers blessed with the Rebirth Mantra were added, and the taste further improved, their business would likely reach new heights.

Jiang Lianyi also found the skewers delicious: “Pretty good skewers, but not as good as mine.”

Lu Yang broke out in a cold sweat. Jiang Lianyi’s cooking could make even the Immortal of Time experience a life review; who with insufficient cultivation would dare eat her skewers? Fortunately, Jiang Lianyi had no intention of showing off her skills and didn't plan to demonstrate her cooking, which made Lu Yang breathe a sigh of relief.

Master Liu and Master Gao worked swiftly, and soon plate after plate of skewers were grilled.

“Come, let’s celebrate Junior Brother Mang’s breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage!” Lu Yang proposed, and each person raised a cup of tea.

“Wait a moment,” Mang Gu said apologetically.

Just as Lu Yang and Jiang Lianyi were wondering why, Mang Gu summoned his Nascent Soul. Mang Gu’s Nascent Soul was remarkably mature, with the body of an infant but the face of a fifty or sixty-year-old.

Mang Gu stuck three lamb skewers in front of his Nascent Soul and bowed to it: “Ancestors above, please partake of this meal.”

The ritual was complete.

“Junior Brother Mang, your Nascent Soul looks quite mature…” Lu Yang’s eyelid twitched slightly. What kind of strange Nascent Soul was this? He looked at Jiang Lianyi, who also shook her head, indicating she had never seen such a situation.

Mang Gu chuckled sheepishly. “Isn’t my Golden Core an Ancestral Golden Core? It allows me to invite ancestors to possess my body and aid me in battle. After shattering the Golden Core and forming a Nascent Soul, the Nascent Soul takes on the appearance of an ancestor. However, the appearance is random, and the face often changes, so it’s uncertain which ancestor it will become.”

“Regardless of who it becomes, they are all ancestors, so I thought I should offer a sacrifice before eating?”

Lu Yang: “…”

“Does your Nascent Soul have any specific function?”

“Yes, it does. Whichever ancestor my Nascent Soul resembles, I gain that ancestor’s characteristics.”

“If an ancestor was known for spatial magic during their lifetime, then I can use spatial magic. If an ancestor was known for speed, then my speed will increase.”

“That’s incredible! So, what was the ancestor you’re currently worshipping known for during their lifetime?”

“This ancestor was very formidable. They followed an Immortal during the ancient times and were known for their simple mind.”