The next day, Zhang Shaozhong was pondering in the courtyard how to "recharge" the Boundary Stone with Chaos Qi when the Demon Lord strolled over and kicked the stone bench in front of him.

"Boy, where shall we dine today?" the Demon Lord asked, arms crossed.

Zhang Shaozhong didn't even look up: "Senior, can we get down to business first? The Boundary Stone is waiting to be recharged."

"Hmph, sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood."

The voice of Master Xuanji came from the side.

He appeared out at some point and was standing in front of a spiritual herb, pretending to observe it. "The crab meat lion's head from that Huaiyang cuisine restaurant yesterday still has room for improvement. If it could be cooked with crab demon meat containing water elemental power, the taste would be even better."

Zhang Shaozhong looked at the two speechlessly: "Seniors, we're here to find our way home, not to conduct culinary research..."

Ye Meier poked her head out of the house: "Exactly! Master, you two are practically food critics!"

Ling Qingxue also came out and said helplessly, "Master, there is still no new information from Elder Long. Should we take the initiative to investigate the locations he mentioned earlier?"

The Demon Lord waved his hand: "What's the rush? The Valley of Reincarnation and the Land of Return aren't going to grow legs and run away. But a new Sichuan restaurant opened in the west of the city; I heard their signature boiled beef uses a special breed of beef tenderloin..."

Master Xuanji nodded in agreement: "That makes sense. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Understanding more about the things and customs of this world may be helpful in finding the power of space."

Zhang Shaozhong almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

What is all this nonsense?!

In the end, unable to resist the two bigwigs, the group went to the newly opened Sichuan restaurant.

While waiting for the food, the Demon Lord banged on the table and urged, "Waiter! Hurry up and bring the food!"

Well, they've even learned how to call someone "waiter".

Master Xuanji carefully studied the historical anecdotes behind the menu, pondering: "This 'Kung Pao Chicken' is actually related to Qing Dynasty officials? Even ordinary food carries history."

The dishes arrived, and the Demon Lord eagerly picked up a slice of boiled beef, scalding it so much he gasped for breath but couldn't bear to spit it out: "Delicious! This spicy and savory flavor is much more enjoyable than being burned alive by the flames of the Demon Realm!"

Master Xuanji took a small sip of the boiled cabbage soup and commented, "The broth is clear, yet the flavor is rich and mellow. It is a masterpiece of simplicity, returning to the essence of nature, and subtly in accordance with the Way of Heaven."

Zhang Shaozhong couldn't help but interrupt: "Seniors, can we talk about something serious? Like, how do we get to the Valley of Reincarnation?"

The Demon Lord said nonchalantly, "A mere illusion array, I can break it with a flick of my finger." He then picked up another piece of spicy blood curd with his chopsticks.

Master Xuanji slowly wiped his mouth: "A place where space is distorted must have signs. After we finish our meal, we can go to the market to buy some essential supplies."

The so-called "essential supplies" turned out to be a purple clay teapot that Xuanji Zhenren had his eye on, saying it would preserve the aroma of tea when brewing it; while the Demon Lord bought a whole bunch of self-heating hot pots of various flavors, saying it was "for unforeseen circumstances."

On the way back, Zhang Shaozhong couldn't help but complain to Ling Qingxue, "Qingxue, was your master like this before?"

Ling Qingxue looked embarrassed: "In the past, Master only drank the Dew and ate the Spirit Fruit, spending his days comprehending the Great Dao."

Ye Meier leaned closer: "The old demon was even more outrageous before, drinking blood wine and eating raw meat, claiming that was the only way to maintain his demonic nature!"

Zhang Shaozhong sighed deeply as he watched the two big shots arguing about whether sweet or savory tofu pudding was better.

The next day, Zhang Shaozhong decided that he had to get down to business no matter what.

He took out the Boundary Stone and placed it on the table: "Seniors, we must come up with a plan today. If this stone isn't recharged, it'll really become a brick."

The Demon Lord glanced at it: "What's the rush? I observed the celestial phenomena last night and discovered some unusual activity in the southeast, which may indicate an opportunity."

Zhang Shaozhong was taken aback: "Really?"

Master Xuanji nodded: "There are indeed faint spatial fluctuations. However..."

He then changed the subject, saying, "I've heard there's a century-old roast duck restaurant in the south of the city that offers a limited quantity each day."

Zhang Shaozhong: "..."

The final agreement was reached: to scout the southeast direction in the morning and have Peking duck for lunch.

Upon arriving in the southeastern suburbs, they indeed discovered an abandoned factory with slight spatial distortion.

Upon investigation, it turned out to be just an abandoned wreckage, its energy long since depleted.

The Demon Lord was quite satisfied: "Not bad, this place has heavy yin energy, which is suitable for storing the self-heating hot pots I bought."

On the way back, Xuanji Zhenren suddenly stopped in his tracks as they passed a dessert shop.

“This shop…” He stared at the mango crepes in the window, “with its unique shape and bright color, it seems to contain some kind of… way of pleasure.”

Zhang Shaozhong almost fell over: "Senior, that's a dessert!"

Finally, the five of them sat down in the dessert shop again.

The Demon Lord scooped up a spoonful of tiramisu and frowned: "Too sweet! It's not as spicy as hot pot."

Master Xuanji, however, was very interested in Mango Pomelo Sago: "The combination of sago and mango is refreshing and delicious, which is in line with the principle of yin and yang in balance."

Ye Meier whispered in Zhang Shaozhong's ear, "I think they're hopeless."

Ling Qingxue ate her double-skin milk pudding in small bites and said softly, "It's better than them thinking about going back to the cultivation world all day long."

Looking at the two big shots enjoying their meal, Zhang Shaozhong suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Seniors, what do you think... if we used spatial power to preserve food, or instantly teleport takeout, wouldn't that be amazing?"

The Demon Lord's eyes lit up: "That makes sense! If we could use spatial magic to instantly transport the hot pot from Sichuan, we'd guarantee it would taste exactly like the real thing!"

Master Xuanji pondered and said, "Perhaps we can study how to infuse spiritual energy into ingredients to both preserve their deliciousness and provide benefits for cultivation."

Zhang Shaozhong: "..."

Well, now even the research direction has gone astray.

When Zhang Shaozhong returned home that evening, he looked at the still dusty and gray Boundary Stone and felt like crying.

Night Enchantress patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, at least they're not thinking about taking us back now."

Ling Qingxue comforted her, saying, "Take it slow, there will always be a way."

At this moment, the Demon Lord shouted from the living room: "Boy, come and see how to use this 'Meituan' app! I'm going to order all the delicious food in the city!"

Xuanji Zhenren responded from his study: "Let's study this 'Ele.me' first; it's said to deliver faster."

Zhang Shaozhong resignedly pulled out his phone: "Here it comes... Seniors, you need to register an account first..."