The entire sect is obsessed with love, but I'm the only one who's truly insane.

It wasn't until they tasted a meal prepared by a proper chef that the members of the Supreme Sect truly understood the difference between a professional chef and someone who simply filled their stomachs.

The ingredients they used were extremely ordinary, with less than one-tenth the spiritual essence of the Supreme Sect's own, but the spiritual essence they preserved was very perfect, with very little loss, and the ingredients had all the qualities of color, aroma, taste and spiritual essence.

Wushangzong Molin's stew and Lin Du's stir-fry were just made casually, because the ingredients had enough spiritual energy. He never worried about losing too much spiritual energy by cooking them casually, as long as they could feed the children.

If the culinary masters of the Tongtian Sect were to watch Lin Du and Mo Lin cook, they would probably be heartbroken by such a wasteful cooking method.

But now they had no time to spare, because everyone's cleavers and spatulas were practically sparking.

The Supreme Sect only has four people, so how could they eat enough for forty people? Is that reasonable? Anyone who didn't know better would think they were preparing a village-wide feast.

Yuan Ye is trying to persuade them to come to Dingjiu City, and it would be good if they came to their sect every day.

If all else fails, just give up someone who can cook.

They're not picky!

The price offered by the Supreme Sect members was very tempting to many members of the Tongtian Sect, but considering that the people were still in the Yifu Cave Heaven, they all refused.

"Our goal is to establish a new school of thought!" One of them said quickly, glancing at the grand feast that was about to emerge.

Yuan Ye and Yan Qing looked at this person suspiciously. Why did he look like... when they succumbed to their junior uncle's crooked doctrines?

"Ah, right, right! To establish a new school of thought! To promote the art of cooking!" The fat old man quickly stood at attention, his voice booming. Then, he turned around casually, wiping his hands on his apron. "Hey, Sheng Yan, you're here. We just started cooking and left you a bowl of rice."

Ni Jinxuan stared at the bowl of brightly colored food. "Is this the dish we just served?"

"Yes." Xia Tian nodded. "The spiritual essence is the same."

The money they gave included the cost of ingredients and cooking, and they even provided some ingredients from the Supreme Sect, including the Supreme Sect's classic spirit mushrooms.

The fat old man wasn't angry when he was exposed. He muttered to himself, "If the cook doesn't steal, the grain won't be harvested."

"Hey, Senior Sister, why have you been inside for so long? I heard that a lot of inheritances were revealed this time. Did you get a lot?" someone asked excitedly.

Sheng Yan shook his head. "No, I only accepted the inheritance of the Mandarin Duck Swords."

Yan Qing glanced at Sheng Yan again, then looked away before Sheng Yan noticed, her eyes slightly darkening.

"Let's go back, Master. Otherwise, no one will take care of the vegetables we grow on the mountain."

She bowed to the group from the Supreme Sect, then left with the food and her entourage.

"Our junior uncle... could he really have obtained nineteen inheritances?" Ni Jinxuan frowned, feeling that something was wrong, and turned to look at Xia Tianwu.

Xia Tianwu shook his head. Yan Qing and Yuan Ye exchanged a glance and chuckled.

Even Jinxuan doesn't believe it, so who can believe this?

Lin Du emerged later than anyone expected.

That night, the people of the Supreme Sect were resting in the separate courtyards reserved for the various sects. Lin Du, dressed in green, walked out of the ruins.

The area in front of him was empty, but Lin Du's gaze fell precisely on one spot. "Waiting for me?"

The space rippled slightly, and a jade-colored figure appeared in the desolate night.

"The time flow in the Lost Abode Grotto is at least three times that of the Cave of Enlightenment. You were inside for a month, which is equivalent to staying inside for three months. The most others have been inside is only seven days. How much inheritance have you obtained?"

"There's nothing I can do, I'm just too slow at understanding. Did you need something from me?"

Wei Zhi nodded. "Yes, let's make a deal, shall we?"

Lin Du glanced at the thin jawline peeking out from under his straw hat. "Tell me more."

"I will give you the technique to tame the essence of the Snow Essence Pill. I should be the only one in the entire Dongming Realm with such a secret method. And you, help me retrieve something."

"What?"

"If you pretend to be Snow Spirit, you should be able to fool Cold Moon Spirit's companion stone quite easily."

Lin Du tilted her head. She wondered why Wei Zhi had been so kind in reminding her; it turned out he had this in mind.

"The Cold Moon Spirit is even rarer than the Snow Spirit," Lin Du reminded him.

"I know," Wei Zhi paused, "the Cold Moon Secret Realm is about to open, but I can't get in."

Lin Du was taken aback. "The Cold Moon Secret Realm is about to open?"

"Yes, this year's winter solstice will be on the endless sea." Wei Zhi paused, "The highest realm is the Radiant Sun Realm, which I cannot enter."

His voice was low and sounded somewhat pitiful.

Unfortunately, Lin Du viewed the pity of those who were not his own with a rational eye, saying, "The cultivation technique alone is not enough; we need to pay more."

Wei Zhiqi laughed, "How is that not enough? You're almost assimilated by the Snow Essence Pill and have lost your original essence. If you devour the essence of the Snow Essence Pill, you will not only master all of the Snow Spirit's innate skills and techniques, but you will also break through to the Radiant Sun Realm in one fell swoop."

He said that, but he had already pulled out a glittering seashell from somewhere and tossed it to Lin Du, "Deposit."

Lin Du was quick-witted and nimble-fingered. After taking it and opening it, she found it filled with all sorts of pearls and gems from the seabed, so dazzling that they could almost blind her poor eyes. But they were worth a lot of money, though.

"Deal. See you on the winter solstice this year." Lin Du instantly flashed a standard customer service smile. "Is there anything else, Master?"

Wei Zhi gave her a deep look. "Do you need me to give you the cultivation technique first?"

When he threw the thing to her, Lin Du almost missed it by just grazing the edge. After opening the shell, she quickly closed her eyes, and now there are still small tears on her eyelashes. Her vision has obviously deteriorated and she is sensitive to light.

Lin Du tilted her head and thought for a moment. She entered the Dao at the age of thirteen, established her foundation in a hundred days, and formed her core in a year. She is twenty-five this year.

The youngest person ever recorded to have reached the Nascent Soul stage was Hou Cang, who was thirty-nine years old.

Lin Du felt she needed to calm down; at least she needed to figure out the nine chess games she had been looking at.

"No need. I've never liked taking advantage of others. We'll just deliver the goods when the time comes." Lin Du nodded slightly to Wei Zhi. "Then, farewell."

Wei Zhi watched Lin Du's retreating figure, lowered his eyes and smiled, the brim of his bamboo hat casting a shadow on his face. "Lin Du, I have cultivated in the far north for decades and have never seen Xue Ling's shadow."

Lin Du didn't stop walking, lightly deflecting Wei Zhi's suspicions, "Perhaps Xue Ling is also afraid of you, this dragon."

Wei Zhi raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Lin Du found the courtyard where the disciples of the Supreme Sect were located, and encountered Xia Tianwu and Ni Jinxuan, who had somehow sensed her footsteps and come out.

She suddenly sighed softly, looking troubled. "How about we go to a nearby town for a late-night snack?"

Ni Jinxuan's eyes were burning with excitement. "Junior Uncle! How much inheritance did you receive? It's said that no one has ever stayed inside for as long as Junior Uncle."

Lin Du raised his hand and easily created a barrier. "I have eighteen seniors to teach me."

Nine chess games, eighteen seniors. Although most of them did not pass on their exclusive techniques, the Daoist principles and understanding of the Great Dao within them benefited Lin Du far more than any exclusive techniques.

"However, they did not teach me the unique martial arts techniques I created; I just stayed inside and soaked in the atmosphere."

After Lin Du came out, only two soul beads remained broken on the octagonal circular platform.

One was Su Ke, a master of array formations who had already passed away, who passed on his life's insights into array formations to Lin Du. The other was Wu Wei, a master of internal martial arts who had already ascended to immortality, who passed on to her the methods of using the body's energy points, as well as his insights into various internal martial arts such as Tai Chi.

"Wow, that's strange," Ni Jinxuan exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Then that Tongtian Sect cultivator must have received two inheritances. She's really lying."

After listening to Ni Jinxuan's explanation of the whole story, Lin Du lowered his eyes in surprise and pondered, "Is that so?"

This grand feast perfectly embodies the essence of "playing dumb to fool the enemy," implying that even if the sky falls, she, being the tall one, will hold it up.

She smiled. It was best if this person wasn't her rival.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Xia Tianwu said. "Junior Uncle, let's take your pulse first."

Lin Du took a step back. "I just finished receiving the inheritance, and I'm a bit tired and hungry right now. My pulse is probably unstable. How about I eat and rest before you take my pulse?"

"Junior Uncle," Xia Tianwu said coldly, "Jin Xuan doesn't believe a word you say."

Ni Jinxuan nodded in agreement.

Lin Du sighed softly. The child is grown up; he can't be fooled anymore.

"Speaking of which, I just learned something: the Frost Moon Secret Realm will open this winter solstice."

The news released by Lin Du did indeed attract the attention of the two.

This Cold Moon Secret Realm is a small world drawn by the Cave Bright Realm. It appears once every thousand years. Spiritual plants are extremely rare and precious, all of them being over a thousand years old. There are many mineral mountains inside, and rare minerals are sought after by cultivators. They are excellent materials for formations and weapon refining. Furthermore, there are two inheritance palaces within it, making it a blessed land in the hearts of many.

"Let's go together," Lin Du, the bandit leader, extended a friendly invitation.