Primordial Era: From the Creation Lotus to the First Disciple of the Three Pure Ones

Chapter 69 Cooking Mythical Beasts

Leaving the fierce and war-torn land of the Houtu tribe, the three masters and disciples once again immersed themselves in the vast and desolate primordial landscape.

The aura of calamity still lingered, but Qinglian's state of mind was subtly different from when she traveled alone last time.

Previously, he was alone, carrying the expectations of Kunlun, and harboring the desire to explore the path ahead and the vigilance against the great calamity. He took each step cautiously and deeply, comprehending the profound mysteries of the laws of heaven and earth and the cruelty under the great calamity.

This time, he has two more energetic apprentices by his side, who occasionally cause trouble but are sincere and eager to improve.

The purpose was also purer—to show them the primordial wilderness and verify what they had learned.

Although a heavy responsibility of being a teacher suddenly fell on my shoulders, I strangely felt a weight lifted from my heart, along with the ancient loneliness I felt when I was alone and the innate sense of alienation from all things.

A sense of leisure and tranquility, rarely seen before, and a genuine, down-to-earth charm emerged within me.

Yes, the warmth of everyday life.

Even Sun Wuzhen and Ao Guang vaguely sensed this change.

Master was still as profound and powerful as ever, with a harmonious aura, but his brows seemed to have lost some of the coldness and aloofness he had during his seclusion, and gained a touch of indescribable gentleness and—a kind of meaning that they couldn't quite put their finger on, but which they found exceptionally comfortable.

While traveling, Qinglian no longer always silently comprehends the laws of heaven and earth. Occasionally, she will take the initiative to speak, casually pointing out the strange and magnificent mountains and rivers she passes by, and telling some ancient tales and legends about the origins of many spiritual beasts.

When he rests and adjusts his breathing, he no longer sits down and enters a meditative state, wandering in the void. Instead, he observes the grass, trees, flowers, and even the seemingly ordinary birds and beasts around him.

They cast a gaze that was scrutinizing and weighing, as if assessing some undiscovered potential qualities in these things.

On this day, they came to a huge swamp with abundant water plants and a vibrant atmosphere.

In the swamp, a group of strange creatures, resembling deer but with a single antler on their heads, covered in jade-like scales, and able to walk on water without sinking, were leisurely frolicking. Their forms were elegant, and their aura was pure.

It was none other than the mythical beast Fuzhu recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas! Legend has it that the appearance of this beast often foreshadowed floods, but it was actually gentle in nature.

"Wow! Master, look! That deer looks so peculiar! It even glows!"

Sun Wuzhen's golden eyes gleamed as he pointed at Fuzhu and exclaimed, gripping his iron cudgel, eager to test its strength, "Looks like the meat should be quite chewy!"

Ao Guang licked his lips as well. Dragons have an innate appetite for aquatic creatures: "Their scales are like jade, their blood and qi are pure. Perhaps steaming them would be delicious?"

As Qinglian looked at the elegant Fuzhu, the legend of them foretelling floods did not come to mind.

Rather, it was some obscure record in the later "Classic of Mountains and Seas" and the imagination of later gluttons—he stroked his chin, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

He murmured, "The horn of the 'Fuzhu' can be used in medicine, and its meat is said to be a perfect balance of fat and lean, with a fine texture that doesn't become tough even after long cooking. The best cut is the live meat from the back of the neck, which is sliced ​​and cooked in hot pot; it's tender, chewy, and bursting with juice."

Sun Wuzhen: "???" Ao Guang: "!!! Hot pot—hot pot food?"

Before the two disciples could even react to what "scalding" meant, Qinglian had already made her move!

With fingers pointing like a sword, he lightly touched the swamp! A refined azure sword aura, imbued with the essence of creation and destruction, silently swept past!

*Pfft!* The most magnificent Fuzhu, which was drinking water with its head down, didn't even have time to react. Its single horn on its forehead went numb slightly, and it instantly lost all its life force. Its huge body slowly went limp, with a trace of confusion in its eyes.

With a single, precise finger strike, Qinglian annihilated his primordial spirit without harming his physical body in the slightest, and without alerting the other Fuzhu.

With a flick of her sleeve, Qinglian collected the massive corpse of Fuzhu. She nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, its essence hasn't been depleted, and the flesh remains in optimal condition. Let's go find a quiet place."

Sun Wuzhen and Ao Guang looked at each other, puzzled, but seeing the hint of expectation in their master's expression, they obediently followed.

She found a secluded valley with beautiful mountains and clear waters, where a spring gurgled. Qinglian waved her hand to set up a simple concealment spell, and then—under the dumbfounded gaze of her two disciples—she began to operate.

He first joined his fingers like knives, using the incomparably exquisite power of creation as his blade, like the most skilled butcher, to dissect the enormous corpse of Fuzhu!

Skin is skin, bone is bone, and flesh is flesh! The movements are fluid and graceful, full of a strange beauty.

Especially when removing those two large, marble-like pieces of flesh from the back of his neck, his gaze was as focused as if he were dealing with a work of art.

He then took out a purple-gold Bagua furnace (slightly modified) that he usually used to refine elixirs, poured in spring water, and slowly heated it with the gentlest "gentle fire" of the Samadhi True Fire.

Then he took out several pieces of jade imbued with spiritual energy and cut them into jade plates and bowls as thin as cicada wings.

As the water gradually boiled, Qinglian placed the paper-thin, almost transparent slices of Fuzhu meat into the boiling spring water, giving them only a light rinse!

The slices of meat instantly curled up, changed color, and emitted an indescribable, unique aroma that blended the fragrance of herbs and the pure aroma of meat!

I picked up a piece, dipped it in a simple sauce made from the juice of several unknown herbs that I carried with me, and put it in my mouth.

Qinglian closed her eyes slightly, savoring the moment.

The next moment, his eyes blazed with an astonishing light!

"Indeed! The Classic of Mountains and Seas was right! It's fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry, tender and bouncy, melts in your mouth, and contains a pure, refreshing essence that is very beneficial for nourishing the body! Wonderful! Wonderful indeed!"

Seeing their master's blissful expression and smelling the irresistible aroma of the meat, Sun Wuzhen and Ao Guang's mouths were already watering! Their cravings had been completely awakened!

"Master—Master—let me, Old Sun, have a taste!"

Sun Wuzhen scratched his ears and cheeks, impatiently stretching out his hairy hands.

"Master—Disciple—Disciple also wants—" Ao Guang also stared longingly, the dragon race's desire for delicious food was completely activated.

Qinglian laughed heartily and divided the cooked meat slices among her two apprentices. The two eagerly stuffed them into their mouths, their eyes widening instantly!

"Ugh!!!" Sun Wuzhen gasped for breath from the heat, but couldn't bear to spit it out, and shouted incoherently.

"Delicious! Even better than the banquet in the Dragon Palace!"

"Delicious! So delicious! Master! This—this—" Ao Guang was so moved that he almost cried. This taste completely overturned his understanding of "eating"!

Compared to this, the so-called delicacies at the Dragon Palace banquet are nothing but dirt and rubble!

In a whirlwind, the most prized parts of the enormous Fuzhu were almost entirely consumed by the three masters and their disciples.

Sun Wuzhen patted his round belly, burped, and was still not satisfied;

Ao Guang carefully licked the sauce off his fingers, savoring the taste.

From then on, the style of the three travelers' journey changed abruptly!

It's no longer just about traveling, experiencing, and gaining insights; it has added an important daily activity—searching for the mythical beasts from the later "Classic of Mountains and Seas"!