Shi Huagu was thoroughly shocked, and even Huo Huashen, who had been maintaining his silent, expert persona the entire time, could keep up the act no longer.
The barbecue shop's business was plain for all to see. Demand vastly outstripped supply, raking in wealth faster than outright robbery.
Even up until closing time, people still queued outside. One could readily imagine just how wildly popular it was.
As a mighty Body Integration cultivator, what earthly delicacy had Shi Huagu not tasted? He had eaten dishes far more delicious than these grilled skewers—dishes whose ingredients were worth a fortune and could hardly be bought even with spirit stones.
Unlike this barbecue shop, where every ingredient could be found in a regular market.
Ordinary ingredients, sold at exorbitant prices—the profit margins were astronomical.
The profit of a single barbecue shop was not enough to move Soul Formation or Body Integration experts.
But what if barbecue shops were opened across the entire Central Continent?
That would yield unimaginable profits. Anyone would be tempted.
And most crucially, he was still burdened with a debt of one billion. If he failed to repay it, he would be struck by lightning once a month.
He needed money desperately right now!
Fortunately, Shi Huagu was prudent and steady, not letting himself show too much excitement. Suppressing his inner eagerness, he said, "Your esteemed cult's barbecue business is naturally superb. Our Nine Nether Cult also possesses businesses, but compared to this shop, they fall vastly short."
Whether smuggling or running a zoo, neither could match a barbecue shop for pure windfall profits—dozens of times the investment.
Most importantly, this was a legitimate business with no fear of official scrutiny. That was entirely unlike the Nine Nether Cult, which had practically no legal industries, the closest being the funeral business.
Even the funeral business was risky. A certain senior member of the Nine Nether Cult had been skilled in refining corpses and had the sudden brainstorm to dig up corpses buried by clients to refine them.
Somehow, the clients caught wind of it and promptly reported them to the authorities.
Fortunately, the Nine Nether Cult had acted decisively, pushing that fool out as a scapegoat and severing all ties with him.
"The question is, how can this be expanded to the entire continent?" Shi Huagu continued. "I consider myself to have eaten plenty of barbecue, yet none compares to what I had today. Your cult must possess unique roasting techniques and recipes, not to mention the crucial secret aphrodisiac method. Can all of these truly be scaled across the continent?"
Cult Master Shi possessed a sharp eye; with just a moment's thought, he pinpointed the difficulty of expanding across the nation.
Lu Yang let out a soft chuckle. "Our barbecue seasoning recipe hails from antiquity. It is only natural that Cult Master Shi had never tasted it before.
"Please follow me."
Lu Yang rose and led Shi Huagu to the backyard, where he showed him the automatic barbecue grill and the Automatic Skewering Array, leaving Shi Huagu thoroughly amazed.
As expected of the Heavenly Court Cult's Young Cult Master—his preparations were extraordinarily thorough.
"The automatic barbecue grill was crafted by Protector Duobao. As for this Automatic Skewering Array..." Lu Yang showed a subtle, meaningful smile.
"Where did this Automatic Skewering Array come from?"
"This array was crafted by several Body Integration chang ghosts under our Cult Master's command," Lu Yang revealed, delivering another piece of shocking news.
Shi Huagu's pupils constricted slightly.
Body Integration chang ghosts! That was the highest cultivation realm known among chang ghosts.
One could only refine a chang ghost if their own cultivation was an entire major realm higher.
That meant the "Cult Master" Lu Yang spoke of was a mighty Tribulation Transcendence expert!
The Heavenly Court Cult truly possessed a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator!
"May I ask who your esteemed cult's Cult Master is...?"
Rather than answering directly, Lu Yang smiled and asked, "I wonder if Cult Master Shi has heard of Dao Seeking Sect's Yun Zhi?"
Shi Huagu had secretly gathered a great deal of intelligence regarding the Five Great Immortal Sects, which naturally included Yun Zhi, who overshadowed even the leaders of the Five Great Immortal Sects.
According to his deductions, Yun Zhi had already reached the late stage of Tribulation Transcendence. Reaching such a realm at such a young age made her a tremendous obstacle in the struggle of the Golden Age to seize the opportunity of immortality—a most formidable opponent!
"Our Cult Master once fought Dao Seeking Sect's Yun Zhi, and their cultivation was evenly matched."
"What?!"
Shi Huagu's eyes widened in shock. This Heavenly Court Cult Master's cultivation truly bordered on the miraculous.
Only someone of that caliber was qualified to serve as the Heavenly Court Cult's Cult Master.
Previously, Shi Huagu had assumed that with so many slumbering members, the Heavenly Court Cult's strength was vastly diminished compared to the past. Today's revelation completely shattered his prior assumptions.
Perhaps the Heavenly Court Cult was not as mighty as the ancient Heavenly Court, but it was certainly superior to their Nine Nether Cult.
Making contact with the Heavenly Court Cult had indeed been a brilliant decision!
"Furthermore, this fire seed is a brand-new True Fire researched and developed by our cult. Not only does it elevate the skewers' flavor to an even higher level, but it also boasts aphrodisiac effects!"
Lu Yang raised a flame in his palm—the fusion of Three-Flavor True Fire and Pure Yang True Fire.
Shi Huagu examined the flame closely with his divine sense and discovered that it was truly a brand-new True Fire, not belonging among the One Hundred and Eight True Fires. It bore traces of Samadhi True Fire and Pure Yang True Fire, yet only traces.
Pure Yang True Fire certainly had no aphrodisiac properties.
It seemed the Heavenly Court Cult, though quiet and seemingly inactive on the surface, had secretly laid down move after move on the chessboard, simply waiting for the pieces to fall!
Otherwise, why would they deliberately develop a new True Fire just for barbecue?
"Young Cult Master, these matters should not be displayed to outsiders! These were originally meant to be our Heavenly Court Cult's means of expansion and the foundation of our intelligence network!" the Fifth Elder advised with a frown.
Lu Yang, displeased by the Fifth Elder's comment, countered, "No matter. In antiquity, the Heavenly Court and the Nine Nether shared close ties. Now that we have met the Nine Nether Cult, helping them restore their ancient glory is only reasonable. Even if the Cult Master and Master learn of this, they will not blame me.
"Besides, our Heavenly Court Cult has few members. Even if all of us were deployed, how many barbecue shops could we open?"
The Fifth Elder fell silent. Since the Young Cult Master was willing to shoulder the responsibility entirely on his own, he, as a Heavenly Court Protector, could hardly say more.
Shi Huagu was deeply moved. He had never imagined the Nine Nether Cult had such a wealthy relative.
This Young Cult Master was noble and upright, willing to risk reprimand from the Cult Master and Dou Tianzun just to help the Nine Nether Cult.
Lu Yang turned back around, a warm smile returning to his face as though no disagreement with the Fifth Elder had just occurred. "Cult Master Shi heard that as well. Although I am Tianzun's disciple, there are still matters in which I cannot make the final call entirely on my own. However, that does not affect our cooperation.
"The recipe for the barbecue seasoning and the method for laying out the Automatic Skewering Array can be provided to your cult free of charge."
A sweep of divine sense was enough to grasp seventy to eighty percent of the principles behind the seasoning and the skewering array anyway. There was no need for Lu Yang to be secretive about them; offering them freely was a convenient favor to the Nine Nether Cult.
"As for the automatic barbecue grills and the fire seeds, I can supply them to your cult in regular, fixed quantities. In return, our Heavenly Court Cult requires sixty percent of the profits."
The Fifth Elder had placed restrictions on the automatic barbecue grills that could not be cracked.
And the fire seeds required Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou to produce them personally.
Opening the barbecue shops had been proposed by the Heavenly Court Cult after all, so taking the lion's share of profits was understandable, which Shi Huagu acknowledged.
Even so, considering his status, he could not simply accept Lu Yang's initial offer: "You take forty, we take sixty!"
"Our Heavenly Court Cult takes sixty percent," Lu Yang replied calmly.
"A fifty-fifty split!"
"Our Heavenly Court Cult takes sixty percent."
Lu Yang held firm, giving Shi Huagu no room for negotiation.
Knowing he held no leverage, Shi Huagu gritted his teeth and stopped bargaining, accepting Lu Yang's proposed profit-sharing terms.
The two discussed several finer details and quickly finalized the agreement.
"A pleasure doing business with you." Lu Yang smiled brightly and shook his hand.
Chapter 330