Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Cooking
"Your son-in-law? But I heard your Saintess from the Alchemy Land rejected that demon boy. So, why are you here again?"
Dimidium spoke, his gaze unyielding.
Xion chuckled in response. "Haha... Brother you know how things are. The Saintess is still young and immature. In her nativeness, she didn’t realize how valuable the Destiny’s Child was to her. So I must request Brother Dimidium to send the boy to my Holy Land. And I also heard you don’t like the boy that much. So why don’t you hand him over to the Alchemy Land? We will take very good care of him."
Patriach Xion’s words were sly and hard to refute.
However, Dimidium shook his head in denial.
"I’m afraid you’re misinformed, Brother Xion. The Destiny’s Child is well treated here. Seraphina personally takes care of him. If he goes to your Land of Medicine and Herbs now, his growth will stagnate. And I’ve heard that the Saintess of Fire, Flama, often creates more explosions in alchemy than on the battlefield. I fear that boy would only get fried in the process. That is why we cannot send him there."
It was a plain rejection that soured the expressions of Xion and the woman beside him.
They had hoped to bring the Destiny’s Child back home with great expectation, but the Patriarch of the White Lotus gave them no face.
The air suddenly grew tense. Both sides locked eyes, silent hostility flaring between them.
"Enough!"
One of the five Supreme Elders suddenly interrupted in a thunderous voice. The old man’s holy aura spread like an invisible blanket, suffocating the couple and forcing the Core Disciples to their knees. Even some Elders could hardly withstand it.
From this alone, it was clear that his cultivation was unfathomably deep, his power vast.
"Xion, Melina," the old man addressed the couple domineeringly, "it seems your elders forgot to teach you proper manners. The way you intruded upon the holy prayer platform is pure blasphemy."
"P-please forgive my husband’s rudeness, Elder," the woman said, struggling hard against the pressure. "But our Supreme Elders instructed us to bring the boy back. So I think you should reconsider twice."
"Hmph..." the old man snorted, retracting his aura. "Those old fools... can’t they stay busy with their cauldrons?"
Xion straightened and cupped his fists.
"Elders, with all due respect, we laso need the Destiny’s Child just as much as you do. So please reconsider."
There was a hidden meaning in those words that most present could not understand. But those who did turned silent, an unseen understanding passing between them.
The old man also calmed down.
"We received the messages they sent," he said. "But the discussion about the boy’s future will be decided in the upcoming Seven Saintesses Competition. Until then, he will remain here and learn from us. Do you have any problem with this arrangement?"
Xion and Melina did not dare refuse any longer.
"Thank you for your understanding, Elder Steiner. We’ll inform our Supreme Elders of your decision without delay. But may we at least meet the boy before we leave?"
Supreme Elder Steiner nodded. "Go ahead. But don’t reveal what he shouldn’t know. Understand?"
"Yes."
---
Early in the morning, Seraphina Dawnlight was seen cultivating inside a closed chamber where the spiritual energy was extremely rich and abundant.
As she breathed in and out, visible streams of spirit energy had manifested around her. For a low rank Cultivator this scene was impossible to imagine. To see such dense spiritual energy was a very rare occurance.
Any knowledgeable person could say her breathing Technique was flawless. She absorbed spirit energy like a whirlpool.
But all of sudden, she opened her eyes from cultivation
The place should have been quiet, like every other morning, but today she heard movement outside her personal room.
Curious, she stepped out with an elegant stride, the ornaments on her garments producing soft chimes.
What she saw outside stunned her.
Vahn was cooking on the stove where usually Zephya would prepare meals for herself. As a high-level cultivator, Seraphina no longer needed food. The energy of nature itself filled the gap for nutrition to keep her body running. Even going months without eating was no problem.
She walked over from behind and asked,
"Vahn, what are you doing? Where is Zephya?"
Vahn turned around immediately. He had a spatula in his hand and a cooking apron tied around him.
He smiled and replied, "Saintess, you’re already awake. Good. Today I wanted to make something good for you to eat. Please, have some."
He offered her to seat before the low table.
On the low wooden table, various dishes were arranged neatly. Meats, Vegetables, Soup and a few more.
Everything look clean and fresh.
The salivating aroma of juicy meat and fresh vegetables drifted through the air.
Yet Seraphina softly rubbed her temple.
"This isn’t necessary, Vahn. Mortal food doesn’t interest me anymore. I can’t even remember the last time I ate."
But Vahn interrupted firmly,
"That’s not good, Seraphina. Even if we become immortal, we shouldn’t forget the pleasures of our body. Otherwise, how can we truly feel alive? Without emotions and desires, wouldn’t immortality feel empty?"
Seraphina was stunned by his words. She had never heard such a perspective before.
They sounded simple, yet she understood the profound meaning hidden within.
An emotionless immortal. A desireless immortal. Should they really abandon everything just to live longer? What did true immortality mean?
As she thought about this, her mind suddenly touched upon something deeper, like a spark of realization.
She was in a state of epiphany.
She immediately closed her eyes and became still, almost like a statue. Only the faint rhythm of her breathing proved she was alive.
Vahn recognized her condition. He had heard of such legendary epiphanies before. In this rare state, one’s cultivation and comprehension speed multiplied manyfold. Those stuck at bottlenecks could even achieve breakthroughs.
That was why he didn’t disturb her. Instead, he quietly admired her beauty up close. She was like a flawless work of art.
Her focused expression, the delicate curves of her temple, her natural red lips— ahem...
Feeling guilty for staring too long, Vahn sat down and returned to preparing the food he had made using Earth’s recipes.
Steamed dumplings, fried rice, miso soup.
They might sound ordinary, but in his hands—hands blessed with godlike cooking skill—these dishes transformed into a feast worthy of the heavens.
Even he found himself salivating, eager to take a bite.