Chef God of the Wuxia and Fantasy World

So good, so good.

Ling Chi nodded with a smile and handed the chopsticks to Nuwa. Nuwa, who was already craving the food, immediately devoured it. Although it was just a high-grade diamond-colored delicacy, it was just right for Nuwa's current level, so she ate with great relish and soon followed in Hongjun's footsteps, wandering around in the environment.

At this moment, Haotian and Yaochi, who were behind Hongjun, were in a terrible state. They were standing while others sat, and watching others eat. They were even more miserable than Empress Dowager Cixi, played by Zhao Lirong.

Seeing the two little ones drooling non-stop, Ling Chi couldn't bear it and casually took out two large, golden meat buns and tossed them over: "Stop staring, take these and eat!"

The two little ones instinctively caught the glittering golden meat buns and excitedly thanked the chef repeatedly, saying, "Thank you so much, Master Chef! Thank you so much, Master Chef!"

"Don't be shy, eat up!"

Watching the two little ones wolf down their food, Ling Chi sighed inwardly: Look at these two children, how badly has Hongjun abused them? So pitiful.

(Hongjun: ???)

……

After Hongjun and Nuwa had finished eating and drinking, Ling Chi washed and put away the cups and plates, then set out three cups of hot tea and asked, "Now that Fellow Daoist Hongjun has become a saint, what are your plans for the future?"

Hongjun took a sip of hot tea, seemingly savoring the taste of life, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Good tea." He paused, then continued, "After becoming a saint, I have already known my future path. As the saying goes, the Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Dao is forty-nine, and one is hidden away, which is a glimmer of hope for all living beings in the primordial world. Although these glimmers of hope will bring about changes in the fate of all living beings, in the long run, they will disrupt the order of the Heavenly Dao, thus causing the Heavenly Dao to collapse."

"Ah!?" Nuwa exclaimed in surprise. This was the first time she had heard of such a thing, and as a creature of the primordial world, she was naturally alarmed.

Ling Chi nodded: "The Heavenly Dao is incomplete and unable to govern the primordial world. As the first sage under the Heavenly Dao, do you perhaps intend to merge with the Dao to complete the Heavenly Dao?"

"Ah!?" Nuwa exclaimed again. She never expected that Hongjun, who had already become a saint, would still think of using his own fusion to complete the Heavenly Dao. If that were the case, would Hongjun still be Hongjun in the future?

Hongjun hadn't expected Ling Chi to guess his path, and couldn't help but sigh, "Fellow Daoist Chef is truly a wise confidant of the old Daoist."

Seeing that Hongjun had admitted it, Ling Chi shook his head and said, "Why bother! Fellow Daoist has already achieved sainthood and can live a carefree life. Why sacrifice yourself?"

Hongjun smiled slightly: "This is the old Taoist's way."

The implication is: Fellow Daoist, there's no need to persuade me any further; my mind is made up.

"..."

Chapter Eighteen: A Few Things About Zixiao Palace

Three thousand years later, Zixiao Palace gathered 2998 top powerhouses from the prehistoric world. The strongest among them were the Three Pure Ones, who were divided into three parts by Pangu's primordial spirit. Next were the two golden crows on the Sun Star, followed by Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun. Although the others were also very strong, they were all fighting alone and could not compare to those who banded together for warmth.

Then, at the very front of the Zixiao Palace, there were six prayer mats. As soon as they entered the Zixiao Palace, the Three Pure Ones sensed something and joined forces to snatch the first three prayer mats. The fourth and fifth prayer mats were snatched by Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun. Originally, Di Jun and Taiyi had a chance, but at this time they were leading the demon race of the world to fight against the Wu tribe. Firstly, they couldn't put aside their pride and snatch from others, and secondly, they wanted to form a good relationship with the listeners in the Zixiao Palace. So the sixth prayer mat was snatched by the fastest Kunpeng.

Although Di Jun and Tai Yi were somewhat annoyed, they did not come away empty-handed. At least they had a good chat with a fellow Daoist named Fu Xi. Fu Xi had the cultivation of a peak Great Luo Golden Immortal, which was by no means inferior to the two brothers. His gentle and refined demeanor and his erudite and talented cultivation impressed the brothers, and they chatted quite harmoniously for a while.

Just as Zixiao Palace was about to close, two rather disheveled people arrived.

These two were none other than Jieyin and Zhunti, who had come from the West. They exchanged a few pleasantries with the listeners in Zixiao Palace, and then squeezed forward. When they saw that there were only six people sitting on prayer mats in the huge Zixiao Palace, they immediately realized the importance of these six prayer mats.

Zhunti's eyes gleamed with longing, but seeing that all six seats were occupied, his face grew anxious. He glanced at Jieyin, who looked distressed, and said with grief and indignation, "Brother, we brothers have endured countless hardships to reach this place for the sake of the Western beings, yet we don't even have a seat. We are truly ashamed before the Western beings!"

In the rear hall of Zixiao Palace, Hongjun's face twitched when he heard Zhunti's lament, while Ling Chi chuckled and gave Zhunti a thumbs up for his wit.

Zhunti directly linked his coming to listen to the Dao to the cause of the Western beings, thus occupying the moral high ground of the entire West. The hidden meaning was: Hongjun is the main person responsible for the West becoming what it is today. Now that we have come here to listen to the Dao, if you do not give us some compensation, even if you become a saint, you will have to bear the karma of the destruction of the entire West, and you will not be able to make any further progress in your cultivation.

That double entendre was quite skillful.

While Hongjun was considering compensation for the West, everyone in Zixiao Palace showed disdain. Only Hongyun, sitting on the fifth futon, looked at Zhunti with a complicated expression. As a well-known good-natured person in the prehistoric world, he was indeed somewhat wavering, but he could also sense that this futon seat was a great opportunity and he really couldn't bear to give it up.

Hongyun was, after all, a Great Luo Golden Immortal. Although he usually did good deeds, he also knew how to prioritize and choose between great opportunities and doing good deeds.

Seeing Hongyun's expression, Ling Chi nodded secretly. Although Hongyun was a kind-hearted person, she wasn't willing to do every good deed. If she really stood up to offer her seat without thinking, like in many fantasy novels, that would be too much of a Mary Sue scenario.

In the cruel world of the primordial world, a Mary Sue wouldn't last three days. Hongyun's ability to carve out such a great reputation isn't based on a Mary Sue-like style, but on his immense strength. Currently, Hongyun's cultivation level is among the very top tier in the Three Realms. Although he lacks powerful innate spiritual treasures for protection, his peak Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation is enough to deter 99.9999…% of the beings in the primordial world from acting recklessly. It is precisely because of this foundation of strength that Hongyun dares to act like a kind-hearted person.

At this moment, he was absolutely certain that the futon represented a great opportunity, and he was unwilling to give it up to a complete stranger for no reason, unless he had suddenly lost his mind.

On the other side, after performing a crying scene, Zhunti saw that the six people on the prayer mats remained unmoved, and he became anxious: What's going on? Was my acting not good enough? Are these six bastards sitting here all heartless? Are my elder brother and I destined not to sit on the prayer mats?

Just as Zhunti was growing impatient and Jieyin's face was becoming increasingly sorrowful, Hongyun suddenly stood up and said, "Fellow Daoist, there's no need for this. It's just a seat; you can have it."

"..."

Everyone was stunned, staring at Hongyun as if he were a fool. Zhen Yuanzi, sitting next to him, was even more shocked and was about to pull him back when Zhunti pounced on the fifth prayer mat like a hungry tiger, then sat down with a thud, twisting and turning, and said gratefully, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Hongyun, for giving up your seat. Fellow Daoist Hongyun truly cares for the common people. Knowing that my brother and I came for the sake of the people of the West, you actually gave us your seat. It is truly touching. I thank you on behalf of the people of the West."

Upon hearing Zhunti's words, everyone's faces displayed a truly fascinating expression, staring at Zhunti as if they had just eaten shit. What the hell... could this be done?

A hint of confusion flashed in Hongyun's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, his expression changing instantly. He couldn't believe he had actually given up his seat for Zhunti. He wanted to back out, but Zhunti had already sat down and said some nice things. If he were to take the seat back, although it wasn't impossible, this was Zixiao Palace. What if he caused trouble and angered the Sage? Moreover, Zhunti looked disheveled yet expectant, making him even more reluctant to take back the seat. He could only grit his teeth and accept it.

In the rear hall of Zixiao Palace, Ling Chi turned to look at Hongjun, who was resting with his eyes closed, and sighed: That unlucky Hongyun really got kicked by a donkey.

Hongjun is also being unfair. Why did he replace Nuwa on the prayer mat with Zhen Yuanzi, yet still leave Hongyun with a pit? Couldn't he have chosen someone else?

However, he didn't want to get too involved in Hongjun's affairs. After all, Hongjun had spent three thousand years explaining the path to sainthood to Nuwa, and the favor he owed was too great. Ling Chi could only restrain his temper.

In the main hall of Zixiao Palace, Zhunti had just sat down when he looked around. Zhen Yuanzi, on his left, was staring at him with a very unpleasant expression. If it weren't for Hongyun holding him back from behind, he probably would have punched him.

Zhunti shrank his neck. This Zhen Yuanzi, with Hongyun's help, was not someone to be trifled with. He should not be provoked.

Looking to the right, there was a guy with a gloomy look and a hooked nose who didn't look like a good person. His cultivation level seemed to be about the same as his own, and he didn't seem to have any helpers.

Zhunti and Jieyin exchanged a glance, reaching a tacit understanding.

The next moment, Zhunti coldly shouted at Kunpeng: "This is a place where sages preach. You are clearly not a virtuous person. What right do you have to sit in this position? Move aside and let my elder brother take his seat."

Upon hearing this, Kunpeng was immediately enraged, but before he could react, Jieyin and Zhunti attacked him directly. Kunpeng had not expected anyone to dare to make a move in Zixiao Palace, so he was caught off guard and was sent flying by the two. Jieyin seized the opportunity to flash forward and landed directly on the futon.

The Kunpeng, which had landed to the side, was furious and roared, "Despicable scoundrel!"

Just as they were about to make a move, they suddenly felt a powerful aura appear in the hall. Only then did they realize that Hongjun had appeared on the high platform at some point. The entire hall immediately became extremely quiet, and everyone sat quietly in their seats, not wanting to cause any trouble.

"..." Kunpeng clenched his fists so tightly they almost bled. He glanced at Jieyin and Zhunti, as well as Hongyun sitting behind Zhenyuanzi, with an extremely cold look in his eyes. He took a deep breath and found a seat in the second row.

Hongjun glanced at everyone in the hall and said calmly, "From now on, let's follow this seating arrangement!"

Upon hearing this, Kunpeng felt a chill in his heart, knowing that his chance had completely vanished, and his resentment grew even stronger. He hated Zhunti, he hated Jieyin, and he hated Hongyun even more!

If it weren't for Hongyun's foolish act of offering his seat, how could he have lost it? All of this was triggered by Hongyun. He couldn't defeat Jieyin and Zhunti alone, and while he couldn't afford to offend Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun together, Hongyun mostly traveled the prehistoric world alone. In those situations, he only needed to act discreetly…

Hongyun suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, sensing a strong sense of malice. He didn't need to calculate to know who was after him. Putting himself in Kunpeng's shoes, he knew he would want to strangle him too; it was infuriating.

He was also angry with himself. Why did his brain suddenly go blank? He clearly didn't intend to give up his seat, so why did he change his mind in that instant? Although he came to his senses later, it was too late.

Is it fate?

Hongyun was completely baffled and had no time to think about it anymore, because Hongjun began to preach.

In the first lecture at Zixiao Palace, Hongjun began by explaining the cultivation of Qi and continued all the way to becoming a Golden Immortal. This included the cultivation systems of different races in the prehistoric world, and it was possible to cultivate from the weakest of any of them to the Golden Immortal realm. The amount of knowledge was enormous, and it took a full three thousand years to explain it all.

The weakest of the three thousand listeners present were all at the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. This knowledge was originally of little use to them, but everyone listened with rapt attention because it was a very complete cultivation system. As long as they understood it, they could teach any disciple, regardless of race, according to their aptitude and help them achieve the Golden Immortal realm.

Moreover, they could improve their own path by learning and consolidating this basic knowledge, which brought them unimaginable benefits. As a result, no one dared to be lazy, and everyone studied and mastered this knowledge very seriously.

When the three thousand years had passed, Hongjun stopped and said, "One thousand years from now, the Zixiao Palace will hold its second lecture. You may all disperse!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hongjun disappeared from the main hall. The three thousand listeners were filled with regret and bowed to the ground, saying, "Thank you, Master."

After the ceremony, the three thousand people left Zixiao Palace one after another. Before leaving, Kunpeng glared fiercely at Jieyin, Zhunti, and Hongyun, and said coldly, "I will never forget the hatred of usurping the throne!"

"..."

Watching Kunpeng's departing figure, Zhunti whispered, "Brother, what should we do? This Kunpeng is quite capable. Although we brothers are not afraid together, what if he plays dirty tricks..."

The guide looked sorrowful and sighed softly, "This matter was indeed my brother's fault, but for the sake of the sentient beings in the West, it was something we had to do. Even if we are tainted by such karma, we can only face the difficulties head-on."

Zhunti nodded repeatedly at what he said, but Zhen Yuanzi snorted coldly and dragged Hongyun away from Zixiao Palace.

"..." Jieyin and Zhunti looked at each other, their faces turning bitter.

It seems we've offended more than just Kunpeng!

Ling Chi did not participate in the various events in Zixiao Palace. For the past three thousand years, Ling Chi has been guarding Nuwa in a side room of the rear hall.

Nuwa has been in seclusion for three thousand years, and although no aura has been released, Ling Chi can sense that she is going through the final hurdle to becoming a saint. If she passes through, she will be free and unfettered; if she doesn't...

We can take that step later, no rush.

Seeing Hongjun return to the back hall, Ling Chi yawned and said, "Fellow Daoist Hongjun, do you and Hongyun have a grudge?"

“No.” Hongjun shook his head and said, “Although Hongyun has lost his sainthood, I will give him a chance, but whether he can seize it depends on his fate.”

"Ha, that sounds nice," Ling Chi scoffed. "You clearly wanted to eat meat, and you were about to get it, but I took the meat away and threw you a bone, telling you that there's meat on the bone too. Would you be happy with that?"

"..." Hongjun sighed softly: "Hongyun has shallow fortune and insufficient perseverance, so he cannot bear the heavy responsibility of becoming a saint. But I will make it up to him. Fellow Daoist Chef, just wait and see."

“I don’t care about these things,” Ling Chi said. “The main thing is that the Heavenly Dao is impartial, but Fellow Daoist Hongjun is leading the way in cheating. If this gets out, I’m afraid the entire prehistoric world will be unable to establish a proper order.”

“This is my karma, and I must repay it. As a result, Hongyun suffered losses. I can only devise a plan to compensate him tenfold,” Hongjun said. “Moreover, there is always a glimmer of hope under the Heavenly Dao. If Hongyun truly has great fortune and perseverance and successfully overcomes this tribulation, what harm is there in protecting his sainthood?”

Ling Chi shrugged: "You decide for yourself. Anyway, you'll be the Heavenly Dao from now on. What happens under the Heavenly Dao is just a matter of your thoughts."

Hongjun smiled bitterly: "The Heavenly Dao is the Heavenly Dao, and Hongjun is Hongjun. Even if I were to merge with the Dao, I could only act as a puppet of the Heavenly Dao and could not act on behalf of Heaven."

“You chose this path by chance, so you can’t blame anyone else,” Ling Chi said. “Actually, I’ve always been quite curious about your relationship with the Heavenly Dao. Why is the Heavenly Dao so fond of you? It showers you with top-grade spiritual treasures and made you a saint so early, yet you still have to merge with the Dao. Could it be that you are the Heavenly Dao’s illegitimate child?”

"..." Hongjun shook his head: "This is my secret, and it is inconvenient to tell you, fellow Daoist. I hope you will understand."

Ling Chi stroked his chin, recalling Hongjun's previous words and actions. As if he had thought of something, he nodded: "In that case, I will not pry. But what if you become the Heavenly Dao and the saints you choose cannot manage the prehistoric world well?"

Chapter Nineteen: Exchanging Innate Treasures for Chaos Treasures

“If that’s the case, I will bind them and forbid any sage from being born until immeasurable eons have passed,” Hongjun said.

He paused for a moment, then added, "If their disciples commit evil deeds in the prehistoric world, we will have to trouble Fellow Daoist Chef to punish them."

Ling Chi was slightly taken aback, then laughed and said, "I'm quite ruthless when I strike. If I destroy their lineage, you won't let them come back to deal with me, will you?"

Hongjun shook his head: "This old Daoist believes that you will know what you're doing."

The implication is that if one doesn't exercise restraint, things could get complicated.

Ling Chi smiled faintly: "That's hard to say."

……

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye, and the time for the second lecture at Zixiao Palace arrived. Zixiao Palace was still filled with three thousand listeners, but some of them had changed. They must have died in the calamities of the past thousand years. But whether it was a coincidence or not, there were still exactly three thousand people who came to listen to the lecture. It can be seen that Hongjun was quite obsessed with the 'three thousand disciples'.

In the second lecture, Hongjun began by talking about the Taiyi Golden Immortals and then continued all the way to the peak of the Daluo Golden Immortals. The lecture was still very comprehensive and took a full three thousand years. The timing was so precise that it was like a machine.

After the three thousand years of preaching ended, Hongjun left another one thousand years of gaps, and made it clear that the third preaching would be the last, hoping that the three thousand listeners present would not be too unlucky and would not be able to return to Zixiao Palace in a thousand years.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and resolved to remain law-abiding for the next thousand years, and then return alive to Zixiao Palace to hear the Dao.

Even ambitious figures like Di Jun and Tai Yi decided to endure for a thousand years, waiting to hear Hong Jun's final lecture before settling accounts with the Wu Clan.