Lu Yang deeply regretted ever entertaining the thought of entering the kitchen.
After receiving the Immortal Fairy's imprint, he had felt a connection form with the kitchen, realizing that a single thought could take him inside.
So Lu Yang had entertained that thought—and had ended up right inside the kitchen.
Lu Yang turned on his heels and bolted, shoving hard against the double doors.
Alas, possessing only a mortal body and a meager cultivation stage, his attempt to push the doors open was no different than a mayfly trying to shake a giant tree—completely futile.
Lu Yang shoved with every ounce of strength he could muster, but the doors did not budge an inch.
To say nothing of a mortal body, even an immortal physique would have been useless. Otherwise, why hadn't Immortal Ying Tian and the other three left back then?
Why had Immortal Ying Tian and the others, upon waking, dragged out Immortal Jiuchong—who had encouraged the Immortal Fairy to cook—and beaten him black and blue in secret?
Everything happened for a reason.
"Junior Brother, what are you running from?" Yun Zhi asked, perplexed.
The Immortal Fairy was the only one among the Five Ancient Celestials skilled in culinary arts—the sole celestial chef under the heavens. Having the chance to eat food she prepared was an opportunity to be treasured; why would he not cherish it?
Moreover, ancient lineages had been severed over the ages, and no one knew how ancient cultivators cooked. Only a living fossil like the Immortal Fairy could recreate ancient culinary techniques.
During the Five Elements Sect's last visit, the Immortal Fairy had labored to prepare an entire banquet. Before Yun Zhi even had a chance to eat, the enraged Sect Master of the Five Elements Sect had flipped the table.
As for things like pouring salt for twenty seconds, that was likely just a matter of ancient cooking habits.
As for the Immortal Cult's dangerous immortal treasure cooking utensils, the cult had probably refined and enchanted them after acquiring them; the original utensils surely hadn't been so perilous.
Besides, this was also a rare learning opportunity that ought to be treasured.
A spiritual chef was immensely popular wherever they went. Yun Zhi believed that if Lu Yang could learn even ten or twenty percent of the Immortal Fairy's skill, he would be able to traverse the Central Continent without hindrance.
Lu Yang was just about to open his mouth and explain when the Immortal Fairy interrupted him.
"Exactly, what are you running for? It's rare for this immortal to be willing to cook a meal for you. This is treatment only celestials receive!"
The Immortal Fairy furrowed her brow, dissatisfied with Lu Yang's reaction. Then, as if she had figured something out, she came to a sudden realization.
"Oh—I get it. You think this immortal's status is too exalted, that I shouldn't lower myself to cook for you, and that eating it would weigh on your conscience, right?
"Aiya, don't worry about it! This immortal isn't so particular. You've been following me for so long—don't you know what kind of person I am by now?
"Come, let this immortal borrow your body for a bit! I'll return it once I'm done cooking. It won't delay your meal!"
Unable to touch physical objects, the Immortal Fairy needed to temporarily borrow Lu Yang's body.
"Junior Brother, let Senior use it," Eldest Senior Sister said, finding the Immortal Fairy's request quite reasonable.
Lu Yang was still thinking of putting up some resistance, but hearing Eldest Senior Sister say this, he blanked out for a split second.
And in that brief moment of distraction, the overjoyed Immortal Fairy seized control of his body.
Lu Yang could only watch helplessly as the Immortal Fairy made use of his body.
"This body's resilience is really lacking. It can't even withstand an explosion, so you won't be able to eat dishes that are too high-grade," the Immortal Fairy said with a hint of disdain.
Lu Yang's body was undeniably top-tier among those at the Golden Core stage, but such a level was far from sufficient in the eyes of the Immortal Fairy.
"Hold on a second! Why would cooking involve explosions?" Lu Yang asked, instantly alert.
The Immortal Fairy found his reaction strange. "That's completely normal, isn't it? Don't people always say that the pinnacle of deliciousness explodes across your taste buds the instant it touches your tongue?"
Lu Yang: "..."
Eldest Senior Sister nodded inwardly, committing the Immortal Fairy's words to memory.
These had to be words of wisdom gained from Senior Fairy's vast experience; as a junior, she needed to learn with an open mind.
"Study hard this time, and I might just groom you to inherit my mantle!" the Chief of the Immortal Lineage said to the Second-in-Command of the Immortal Lineage.
The Second-in-Command of the Immortal Lineage was trembling with trepidation.
"With this body of yours, you can't handle dishes that are too difficult. Let me think... Ah, right, scrambled eggs with tomatoes then!" After brief consideration, the Immortal Fairy quickly made up her mind.
Lu Yang breathed a small sigh of relief. Why didn't she say so earlier? He knew how to make that dish too. It was as simple as could be; surely the Immortal Fairy couldn't cause any disasters with that.
"What was kept in this jar again?" The Immortal Fairy lifted the lid of a medicine jar, and a pungent odor surged forth.
Inside the spiritual space, Lu Yang felt the world spin around him. He wobbled twice and passed out.
"What was inside the jar..."
Wholeheartedly focused on cooking, the Immortal Fairy failed to notice Lu Yang's abnormal state.
Control of Lu Yang's body currently rested with the Immortal Fairy. Whether Lu Yang was unconscious or not had no bearing on her ability to use his body.
"See? When beating eggs, you have to whisk vigorously, like this," the Immortal Fairy explained the steps, while Eldest Senior Sister listened attentively from the side.
"The egg mixture goes into the scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and the remaining eggshells can be boiled into soup. As the saying goes, 'the original broth digests the original food'—this is the principle at work."
Eldest Senior Sister nodded from time to time, thinking that ancient cooking methods were truly worlds apart from those of today, and that there was still much to learn.
Her ability to attain her current level of cultivation was inseparable not only from her natural comprehension, but also from her diligent habit of eager inquiry.
It was merely that nowadays, there were very few things left for her to learn.
...
When Lu Yang slowly woke up, he found himself sitting upright at the dining table. Before him lay the dishes prepared by the Immortal Fairy, and seated gracefully across the table was Eldest Senior Sister.
"You're awake? You were running around in Guhuai Town holding down the fort, and when you came back without even resting, you fought Tao Yao. You must have been exhausted and dozed off," the Immortal Fairy kindly explained, worried Lu Yang might be confused about what happened.
The Immortal Fairy really had a way with cooking: the scrambled eggs with tomatoes were an enticing blend of red and yellow, vibrant and dazzling, their fragrance wafting up to whet the appetite.
A simple home-cooked dish had actually been given a stunning presentation by the Immortal Fairy.
As for the eggshell soup sitting off to the side, Lu Yang automatically chose to ignore it.
Lu Yang's appetite was thoroughly stirred. He picked up a piece of tomato with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.
"How is it? Are the eggs good?" the Immortal Fairy asked, looking at Lu Yang full of anticipation.
"Huh? Eggs?" Lu Yang remembered that what he had picked up was clearly red!
"Yep! I mixed some chili powder into the eggs."
Lu Yang: "..."
Just how much chili powder did you put in to turn the eggs as red as tomatoes?!
His vision went black, and he passed out from the sheer heat.
"Why did you fall asleep again...? Ah, could it be a chili allergy?" the Immortal Fairy fretted anxiously.
Remembering that Lu Yang could handle spicy food, Yun Zhi analyzed from the side, "It is likely that the dish contains too much spiritual energy, knocking him unconscious from the rush. Still, this is a good thing; it will help him gradually absorb the spiritual energy in the food and solidify his cultivation."
The chili powder was a treasured item kept by the Fairy—a genuine celestial delicacy.
"I see! By the way, how is my cooking?"
Yun Zhi daintily picked up a piece of egg and chewed slowly. A fiery heat surged forth, the spiritual energy contained in the chili crashing against her taste buds with an endless, lingering finish.
"Exquisite."
"That's a relief! I was worried my culinary skills had slipped."
Chapter 316