Chapter 1057: Unbroken Past 26

Although Ji Yuan never held an overly lofty view of himself, he had, by now, truly achieved unity with the Dao. Simply cooking a dish was something he could do as well as the world's finest chefs, especially since he used such extravagant ingredients.

Using the fish brought by the old dragon, supplemented with other ingredients from the small pavilion, Ji Yuan prepared a full basin of winter mustard greens stewed fish. It was served in a white jade basin, slightly smaller than the stone table. He also steamed a pot of rice, and then the group gathered in the courtyard to eat.

"How does it taste? My skills haven't gotten rusty, have they?"

Ji Yuan stretched his limbs and was the last to pick up his bowl and chopsticks. In the fragrant courtyard, everyone's expressions seemed quite satisfied.

"Salty and savory, delicious with a hint of sweetness—truly exquisite!"

The old dragon, holding his bowl, tasted the food and praised Ji Yuan's cooking skills endlessly.

Hu Yun, on the other hand, barely had time to speak. He frantically shoveled mouthfuls of rice, winter mustard greens, and fish into his mouth, his cheeks bulging. Such a meal was a rare treat, a once-in-a-millennium opportunity, so he had to eat his fill, simply mumbling "delicious."

Lu Shanjun held his bowl and served himself, appearing refined on the surface but feeling incredibly excited inside. As he chewed, he was filled with happiness; this was his first time eating a dish prepared by his master.

"Master, this is the finest dish your disciple has ever tasted!"

"Zao Niang also finds it exceptionally delicious!"

Zao Niang ate the most elegantly, her eyes practically squinting in delight.

"Haha, that's great!"

Ji Yuan immediately felt satisfied and promptly began to eat.

However, not long after eating, Hu Yun, who was about to serve himself more rice, suddenly froze. A vein pulsed on his forehead, and he quickly put down his bowl, dashed to the door, opened it, and swiftly ran out. His voice only reached them from a distance.

"I'll be right back, save some for me!"

Hu Yun quickly chewed the food in his mouth, traveling swiftly as if shrinking the ground beneath his feet. He was extremely annoyed, wondering why something had to happen precisely at that moment.

Within a few breaths, Hu Yun appeared outside the Sun family's residence. He glanced over, seeing lights on in their house, sensing their aura seemed normal, and hearing the Sun family's voices and laughter.

Hu Yun took a few steps, walking to a woodpile behind a civilian house. He flicked a grain of rice from the corner of his mouth into his mouth, all while frowning at a large yellow dog resting behind the woodpile.

This dog was not only exceptionally spiritual but also enchanted by Hu Yun, giving it extraordinary perceptive abilities. The moment Hu Yun appeared, it immediately opened its eyes and stood up.

Hu Yun squatted down and patted the large yellow dog. The dog whined a few times, seeming very happy.

'Was it just a feeling?'

Hu Yun patted the dog's head, then rose with a slight frown. He lightly leaped into the Sun family's courtyard, looked around various parts of the house, but found nothing unusual. Finally, he went to the Sun family's ancestral hall.

Gently pushing open the door, a lingering scent of incense wafted out. Hu Yun walked directly inside, his gaze sweeping over several ancestral tablets before stopping on two large ones.

'Someone has been here!'

Hu Yun narrowed his eyes. He detected no lingering scent or aura, nor did he divine anything. However, he possessed a rare spiritual intuition, a Heavenly Heart Resonance, yet it seemed his trip had been in vain.

Hu Yun was in no hurry to leave. He sat cross-legged in the ancestral hall, closing his eyes to concentrate. After a while, he opened his eyes, but still found nothing, which left him somewhat puzzled. It seemed more likely that a powerful individual had passed through, noticed the Sun family's unusual fate, and merely took a look before departing.

After waiting a while longer and repeatedly confirming that the Sun family was safe, Hu Yun decided to return for dinner. After all, that basin of fish, though seemingly plentiful, wouldn't last long.

In an inn not far from Tianniu Fang, the scholar named Hong, lying on his bed, slowly opened his eyes. He mused, 'As expected of the fox immortal who once learned from both Mr. Ji and the Sage of Literature, her spiritual perception is incredibly keen; I was almost detected.'

The scholar felt he had been extremely cautious, even flawless, yet he was still detected by the fox immortal. Indeed, the fox immortal was extraordinary and clearly connected to the Sun family.

'So, it means She Ji's approach to Sun Yiqiu must have been tacitly approved by the fox immortal; otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to develop mutual affection! This also implies that during the lightning strike on Banana Leaf Mountain, the fox immortal wasn't protecting some mountain god with old ties to her sect, but was specifically protecting She Ji!'

The scholar's eyes flickered slightly, his thoughts churning.

'Does she know of my existence? If the situation is this intricate, were I in her shoes, I would certainly reveal it. This means the fox immortal knows I am here! And to take it a step further, are her arrangements for the Sun family long-standing, or are they recent? Most likely recent, and naturally, they wouldn't be targeting She Ji.'

The scholar turned over in bed, his right hand gripping the quilt slightly, and his eyes narrowed.

'While this fox immortal is troublesome, she isn't entirely impossible to deal with. However, she has that white deer and the true dragon of the sea backing her. Even without Mr. Ji's direct involvement, which might have distanced the dragon race from her, it's rumored that the white deer is a disciple of Mr. Ji, effectively making it a fellow disciple of the fox. It certainly won't stand idly by. Does the white deer know about this as well? And those ancestral tablets in the Sun family's ancestral hall are not simple either.'

The scholar recalled what he had just seen. The moment he noticed the "Heaven and Earth tablet," he immediately sensed its extraordinary nature. While many people in this world revere Heaven and Earth, it is highly unusual for an ordinary household to specifically set up a tablet for their worship.

As the scholar pondered, he felt a slight headache coming on and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

"Ah, what a hassle..."

Yet, after that sigh, a hint of excitement flickered deep in the scholar's eyes. If many of these arrangements were indeed targeting him, though incredibly thorny, the thought of who he was up against made him tremble slightly from within. This was not fear, but a surge of exhilaration.

This was an existence that inherited the ancient path of the Peerless Immortal from a millennium ago. What level of cultivation, what kind of methods would they possess? And how much of the Peerless Immortal of Heaven and Earth's legacy had they received?

'I couldn't achieve enlightenment in the same era as Mr. Ji, but if I can contend with and defeat his successor, I can still glimpse his profoundness, and perhaps even surpass him!'

The scholar's face could no longer remain calm, and a smile of intense exhilaration involuntarily appeared at the corners of his mouth.

'If you want to deal with me, then let me contend with you. She Ji, oh She Ji, don't assume you can rest easy!'

In the Louxuan Cloud Sea of the Heavenly Realm, Mi Huang, in his true form, held a wine cup, his body trembling slightly, a smile of exhilaration on his face. He then raised the cup and drained its contents in one gulp.

The scholar named Hong was Mi Huang, and the one currently in the Heavenly Realm was also Mi Huang. Their connection was akin to an external incarnation yet distinct, blurring the lines between true body and manifestation. Although the distance prevented the Heavenly Mi Huang from knowing every single event, the intense feelings of excitement and anticipation were empathetically transmitted, making it impossible for him to control himself.

"My esteemed brother, while that person's sermon just now was somewhat interesting, there's no need to be so excited, is there?"

"Hahahaha, I just suddenly felt excited, I couldn't help myself! Life is fleeting; it's not often one encounters something truly exhilarating!"

The others all chuckled upon hearing this.

"Brother Mi Huang, your cultivation has gradually reached a supreme realm, and your lifespan is immeasurable. Why do you speak in such a way?"

"Drink, drink!" "Hahaha, indeed! I heard that soon the Solitary Jade Fairy will perform her cloud-sea dance, whose elegance is renowned throughout the Three Realms. Rather than watching a projected image, I intend to see it up close. Would any of you care to join me?"

"Naturally, we'll go together!" "Count me in!"

"And me, hahahaha!"

"You all go ahead; I'll follow shortly!"

The others gradually left their seats. After lingering for a while, Mi Huang rose with a hearty laugh, a jade gourd in his hand. Slightly tipsy, he swayed as he trod upon the clouds and departed. His heart was stirred, and his suppressed arrogance manifested in his cloud-treading steps, as he drank and softly chanted like a song.

"Holding a gourd, treading clouds to meet the Mystic Immortal, three parts tipsy, three parts wild abandon. The cloud sea's waves engulf heaven and earth; drunkenly I lie in my dream, the sole immortal! Ah, hahahahahaha!"

Few heard the poem, but his unrestrained laughter shook the surrounding cloud sea, reaching many passing cultivators from various paths and drawing curious glances. Some speculated as to his identity, while others, sensing the wild arrogance in his laughter, secretly praised him as a being of exceptionally high ambition.