When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

"Lord! Something terrible has happened! Young Master... Young Master is missing!"

"What did you say?!"

Biden abruptly stood up, causing the servants standing in the study to tremble.

His face gradually darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table. "Explain yourself! When did he disappear? Where did he go?"

The steward was sweating profusely. "Reporting to the city lord, I didn't see the young master when I brought him breakfast this morning... I asked the servants in the courtyard, and they all said that after you confined him to his quarters, he caused a huge scene, and then... he hasn't come out since. But... but just now this old servant dared to go in and check, and the room was empty, only the window was open..."

Upon hearing this, Biten closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

We don't need these idiots to answer.

He knows his son too well.

He used to be quite obedient, but in recent years he has become increasingly unruly, with a stubborn and rebellious streak. The more something is explicitly forbidden, the more he will do the opposite, and he is becoming more and more lawless.

Given the current situation, there is only one possibility...

Biden's pupils contracted sharply, and anger and panic surged in his heart. Others might not know, but he knew very well that anyone could go to the Valley of the Dark Heart to try their luck, but Bi Shi... his son, absolutely could not go!

"Mobilize forces immediately! No, I'll go myself!" He grabbed his personal magical artifact hanging on the wall and strode out of the mansion. "Don't make a sound yet, send people to secretly guard the entrance to Youxin Valley!"

-

At the same time, Chu Xianlan received a warm invitation from He Jingxuan, who insisted that he taste the Tianjian Sect's special method of roasting beast meat.

Chu Xianlan didn't really want to taste it.

The Golden Core stage demon beast had a bumpy, lumpy skin that looked like a rascal toad, making one hesitant to think about its taste.

He tried to politely decline, saying, "Oh, Brother He, this is too much trouble..."

"Hey! Brother Chu, you're too kind. It's nothing!" He Jingxuan, afraid he'd run away, grabbed his arm and turned back to call out, "Brothers—!"

At his shout, the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect understood immediately. Their eyes blazed with the desire to cook, and they eagerly stripped off their outer armor and upper garments!

"?"

Chu Xianlan was dumbfounded.

Wait a minute, it's just grilling some meat, why did everyone suddenly have to have their clothes ripped off??

He Jingxuan revealed his muscular upper body, put his hands on his hips, and said, "This is an essential survival skill for our Heavenly Sword Sect when we go out for training. The technique is unique and the taste is exceptional! Today, I'll definitely show you!"

A group of well-built sword cultivators chanted "Heave-ho, heave-ho," transforming their natal spirit swords, capable of slicing through iron like mud, into boning knives. In a few swift movements, they lit a fire, heated oil, skewered meat, sprinkled on seasonings, and the result was a golden-brown, sizzling, and fragrant dish that made even the neighboring Shuangyun City drool with envy.

"Come on, Brother Chu, eat!"

He Jingxuan's eyes were filled with an irresistible desire to share.

The aroma of the meat from the Golden Core stage beast wafted through the air. Chu Xianlan took it blankly, her gaze sweeping over the shirtless sword cultivators around her. She murmured, "You've worked hard. Why don't you put your clothes on first?"

He Jingxuan didn't seem to care, raising his chin. "But I think it's very sacred!"

Chu Xianlan: "..."

Okay, whatever makes you happy.

After all, the Heavenly Sword Sect meant well, and we couldn't spoil their fun.

Under He Jingxuan's incomparably sacred gaze, he forced himself to take a bite.

...Oh ho?

The meat was tender and juicy, with absolutely no fishy smell as I had imagined, and the seasoning was just right.

Chu Xianlan's eyes lit up. She chewed and turned to look at him, sincerely praising, "Brother He, your cooking is excellent."

"Haha, I knew Brother Chu and I would get along well," He Jingxuan said with a beaming smile, scratching his nose with the back of his hand.

"To be honest, my childhood dream was to become a food cultivator, traveling the world and tasting all kinds of flavors! Unfortunately, my father insisted that it was a heretical path and dragged me back to the mountain gate to practice swordsmanship every day. Cough, I digress. Brother Chu, eat as much as you like, there's plenty!"

In the cultivation world, when it comes to diet, people are roughly divided into the "Grain-Abstaining School" and the "Spiritual Food School".

The former focuses on using the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth to guide cultivation, pursuing purity and innocence; the latter believes that all things have spirits, and the essence contained in spiritual plants and demonic beasts, when properly cooked, can nourish the body and assist in cultivation, making it an indispensable part of the Great Dao.

"Come, Godfather, you should have some!"

He Jingxuan grilled a new batch of meat skewers and enthusiastically handed them to Yi Chen.

Chu Xianlan naturally knew that her master was a staunch believer in abstaining from grains, and was about to refuse on his behalf when Yi Chen had already raised his hand to accept the food handed to him by He Jingxuan.

"Hmm?" Chu Xianlan asked in confusion.

Yi Chen stared at the beast meat skewers for a while, then, to his disciple's surprise, he brought them to his mouth and took a bite without any expression.

Chu Xianlan: ? ?

He couldn't be mistaken, could he? Master actually ate it?

Having followed Master for so many years, this seems to be the first time I've ever seen Master eat in person.

Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but in Chu Xianlan's deeply ingrained understanding, Yi Chen is someone who truly doesn't "eat" the food of the mortal world.

To put it bluntly, I don't have those worldly desires.

In the past, at Taiyi Sect and Yujing Pavilion, the master was the unreachable Immortal Lord Jixue, and there was a high wall of awe between them.

As a disciple, one can only ever look up to someone.

There's nothing wrong with looking up.

Chu Xianlan also sincerely hoped that her master could always be like the moonlight hanging in the sky.

However, sitting by the warm campfire, listening to He Jingxuan and his group chatting and laughing not far away, he suddenly realized that this feeling of eating side by side with his master was novel, but... not bad either.

"Master, is it alright?" Chu Xianlan asked lightly, resting her chin on her hand and tilting her head.

Upon hearing this, Yi Chen looked at him and frowned, as if he was carefully sensing something.

"A bit greasy."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xianlan couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Then, he naturally reached out his hand to his master, palm up, with a mischievous yet considerate smile on his lips.

Yi Chen clearly didn't immediately understand the meaning of his action. His gaze first fell on the disciple's clean palm, and then he looked up at his expression.

"If Master doesn't like the food, may I take care of the rest for you?"

In this regard, Chu Xianlan truly had no psychological barriers. Putting aside how many leftovers he ate as a child, even after joining the Taiyi Sect, he would occasionally share a cup with Xiao Huandu to drink water. Men, after all, are usually quite rough around the edges when it comes to trivial matters.

The flames leaped and burned in the boy's smiling eyes, and also into the eyes of another boy.

Yi Chen slowly shifted his gaze, feeling that this was inappropriate.

Since it's food that I've already eaten, how can I...

Just then, He Jingxuan came over humming a little tune and called out from afar, "Brother Chu, do you still want some meat...?"

Suddenly, Yi Chen fed the string of beast meat in his hand to Chu Xianlan's mouth.

"Hmm."

Chu Xianlan blinked, and then, taking advantage of her master's hand, bit down on it.

Seeing this, He Jingxuan paused, sensing an inexplicable atmosphere between his brother and godfather that made it impossible for outsiders to intrude. He opened his mouth, but then swallowed his words.

hiss.

A surge of heat suddenly welled up in He Jingxuan's chest.

He understands the importance of quality time with his child and won't disturb them.

"Su Yun, where are those herb gatherers? Aren't they coming to eat?" He Jingxuan turned to ask his fellow disciple who was busy working beside him.

"I didn't notice, Senior Brother."

This Tianjian Sect disciple named Su Yun was He Jingxuan's number one fan. He wiped his sweat, looked around, and said, "They probably think everything is alright for now and are looking for a quiet place to hide. They all seem to be quite quiet."