Chapter 76: The Teacher Revitalizes the Cultivation World (76% complete)
The master chef stands on the stage.
He, an old ghost who had lived for over two thousand years, actually felt a little scared at this moment.
How long has it been since he saw such bright sunshine and such clear eyes?
I can't remember.
Over the years, peering out through the narrow perspective of the ring, he always felt a blurry sense of distance, as if through a thin veil, clearly reminding him that he no longer belonged to this world; he was merely a wisp of consciousness clinging to life.
He originally thought that meeting Xiao Tingyuan, an upright, kind, and exceptionally talented disciple, was his greatest fortune. He poured all his heart and soul into passing on his skills. Although he verbally urged his disciple to grow up and avenge him, in reality, he preferred to watch his junior grow freely according to his own destiny rather than letting his disciple take risks.
A thousand years have worn away his edges, and he thought he should be able to let go of the past.
But all of this was unexpectedly shattered, and the obsession and ambition that had been dormant for two thousand years were rekindled.
About a month ago, he was meditating in the void of the ring space when suddenly a shock swept through the void space. He subconsciously used his spiritual power to resist, but his Mahayana stage cultivation was as flimsy as paper and had no effect whatsoever.
In an instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Could it be that his obsession had dissipated, leaving him unable to maintain his consciousness? That shouldn't be the case; he hadn't even finished training his disciple yet, so there must have been some warning signs.
Or did his enemies recognize that Tingyuan's cooking style bore his mark? He had tried his best to keep his own style from getting involved when teaching, allowing Tingyuan to develop his own approach, yet he was still discovered?
Amidst a multitude of thoughts swirling within him, he drifted into a familiar slumber, filled with endless doubt and resentment.
Outside the ring space, Xiao Tingyuan seemed to sense something and called out twice but received no response. He instinctively felt that this silence was different from usual, so he quickly called 1314.
1314 calmly said, "No need to worry, this is his opportunity," which put his mind at ease.
Although he was very concerned about the disappearance of the God of Cookery, he trusted 1314's judgment.
Meanwhile, the God of Cookery opened his eyes again and found himself outside the ring.
He subconsciously touched his waist and felt light and grounded, unlike anything he had ever felt before.
He lowered his head in disbelief, then his eyes widened.
His figure was reflected in the radiant spirit stone floor, which was definitely not normal! Even the mirror he conjured in the ring space could not project a wisp of his consciousness.
But now he actually has a physical form.
While he was lost in thought, he heard rhythmic footsteps ahead.
There were several different voices, but the rhythm was surprisingly consistent.
What happened next was both unexpected and expected by the chef.
The young girl who often played with Su Xiaoyao, the rumored disciple of the Heavenly Evolution Dao Ancestor, "Jun Laiye," stood in front of him.
The group, led by her, included people of all ages, and several pairs of eyes stared at him with curiosity.
"Xiao Fei, right? He's quite skilled at using cooking as a means of cultivation." Granny Shuzhu squinted at the white-bearded old man in front of her, who looked much like her.
"Not bad, he has the potential to ascend, but his luck is a bit lacking," another elderly man with a long beard commented, scrutinizing him.
“Indeed, he is more qualified than you,” Grandma Shuzhu retorted habitually.
The old man was displeased: "Hey, Shuzhu, do you not know how to talk without me?!"
“That’s true.” Shu Zhu said dismissively. “I don’t know what use Xiao A Hui has for letting you stay in Tianyan Academy. The talismans you draw are outdated. After ten thousand years of evolution, the things you created have been updated and replaced. When you go to class, who knows who will teach whom.”
"How can you talk like that? I, Langdu, am the progenitor, do you even know what that means? Before you criticize me, you should think about yourself first. Do you even recognize the rocks that have evolved over the past ten thousand years? Do you know how to use the improved forging methods?" The old man crossed his arms and launched into his usual sarcastic mode. "Maybe even a twenty-something girl knows more than you do now. The cultivation world isn't the barren one you used to live in. Aren't you weapon cultivators supposed to be very particular about contact with all things? I want to see how a consciousness left behind by a lineage can contact all things. You don't know anything, do you? Did you have to cram a lesson plan before class? No way, no way?"
The two engaged in a heated exchange, which Jun Huilian was used to. However, there was a dumbfounded culinary master in front of her waiting for an explanation, so she stopped the two old people whose mental age was no more than three years old.
"snort!"
"snort"
Neither of the two elderly people was willing to give in to the other, but they calmed down a little for her sake.
With the fighting over here, the chef finally managed to press his jaw back down from where he had smashed it to the ground.
Was he hallucinating or was he experiencing auditory hallucinations?
He was a Mahayana practitioner during his lifetime, this shouldn't be happening!
If this isn't a dream, then the person before me...
Shuzhu shares the same title as the first weapon-refining master to ascend to immortality 20,000 years ago.
Fu Xiu, Lang Du, Pi Zu... the literal meanings are easier to understand now.
This...this!
He couldn't even muster the courage to doubt them.
Whether it was the magnificent palace decorated with exquisite sacred artifacts as consumables, the group of people in front of him whose power and strength were unfathomable and whose aura was completely above his, or his trust in the connections of the first disciple of the Heavenly Evolution Dao Ancestor, he unexpectedly accepted the massive amount of information with ease.
"Junior Xiao Fei greets all seniors." He bowed solemnly.
"Stop with the formalities. We'll all be colleagues from now on. Why bother with seniors and juniors? If you're really so respectful of elders, then don't try to steal my students," the old man said, waving his hand.
Grandma Shuzhu scoffed, "That's all you're good for. You still have to rely on others to give up your place in the student body."
"I was just saying it! Humility! Don't you understand humility? You old woman, you don't know anything, so don't talk nonsense!" the old man shouted.
He didn't appear to have a superior or aloof status at all.
Grandma Shuzhu didn't argue with him. Instead, she said to Jun Huilian, "Little Huilian, when my students' grades surpass his, you'll have to give me double the movie and TV series resources."
"Of course, I promised you." Jun Huilian's smile remained unchanged; she was happy to see this kind of healthy competition.
She looked at the old man on the ferry and smiled, "The teachers who teach better will receive generous rewards in due time."
The old man's drooping eyelids concealed the glint of shrewdness in his eyes.
He's about to write the course descriptions, and he can put some effort into making his courses stand out at a glance, thus attracting students to choose him!
The rigid Shuzhu is definitely not as clever as him!
Unbeknownst to him, his old rival was observing him and immediately saw through his wicked intentions.
After much thought, Shuzhu realized that he could only manipulate the course promotion, so she couldn't fall behind.
Each of them was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and surprisingly, they didn't argue for a while.
This gave the chef a chance to figure out the reason.
Jun Huilian had no intention of patiently explaining everything to him from beginning to end; he simply told him—
All the teachers here come from a tradition passed down from 10,000 years ago, and they cover almost all subjects.
The few students who study cooking or minor in cooking have no one to teach them.
Because the pioneer of the path of enlightenment through cooking was Xiao Fei, the legendary chef who caused a sensation two thousand years ago, and no one had tried this approach before.
Tianyan Academy seeks to hire the best teachers in each field, so she summoned him.
The master chef stammered, "So, I was discovered the moment I set foot on this island?"
"It doesn't just start from the moment you set foot on this island." Jun Huilian smiled. "So, would you like to accept this job offer?"
The God of Cookery was about to agree immediately. Who wouldn't want to have more contact with the inherited consciousness left behind by an ascended great being? Although the great beings might insult each other, the cultivation principles they occasionally revealed in their words were enough for an ordinary cultivator to advance a whole new level.
But he harbored a small selfish motive.
He asked, "What will I receive if I accept this invitation?"
Jun Huilian easily saw through his thoughts: "This island is a sacred artifact forged by my master. It is inherently isolated from the Immortal Realm and the Cultivation Realm, which is why you were able to escape the eyes of the Heavenly Dao. But in reality, you only have a wisp of broken consciousness left. You only temporarily shielded yourself from the Heavenly Dao's investigation by hiding in the ring space. Once a being who defies fate appears, it will attract eighty-one heavenly lightning bolts. Not to mention having a physical body, you won't even be able to protect your soul at that time."
The God of Cookery was somewhat disappointed. Although he knew in his heart that coming back to life was almost impossible, if even the beloved disciple of the Heavenly Dao Ancestor couldn't do it, then there was really no hope.
But he was unwilling to do something like possession, otherwise he would have tricked naive young cultivators into forming contracts with him two thousand years ago, and he wouldn't have lived alone in the empty ring space for so many years.
“However,” Jun Huilian changed the subject.
She first lowered the chef's expectations, then randomly introduced another unexpected surprise.
"The Heavenly Dao of the cultivation world does not acknowledge your existence, but it's different if you go to the Upper Realm. The Heavenly Dao of the Immortal Realm unconditionally acknowledges all cultivators who ascend from the cultivation world."
The culinary master was pleasantly surprised: "Can I continue to train?"
Since sealing himself inside the ring space, he has been unable to cultivate as a consciousness, and his cultivation at the Mahayana stage has made no further progress.
“Of course, a consciousness cannot cultivate, but your disciple can.” Jun Huilian spread his hands. “Senior Langdu has a long-lost rune that can make your contract with Xiao Tingyuan stronger. As long as you trust each other, the day he ascends will be the day you are reborn.”
It sounds ridiculous to place one's hopes for a new life on someone else, but the contract happens to be with Xiao Tingyuan.
The chef was inexplicably filled with confidence.
The deal was done, and he became one of the teachers at Tianyan Academy.
Below the stage, Xiao Tingyuan, who was somewhat prepared for this unexpected situation, was genuinely happy for the God of Cookery.
"But the ancestor's appearance this time will be recorded and spread, and his enemies will know that he has not perished. The ancestor has an impulsive personality, so I have to persuade him carefully not to be tricked out of the island by tactics such as provocation." Xiao Tingyuan transmitted his voice to 1314.
This is what he really thinks, and he's used to saying it to 1314.
1314 gazed lovingly at its honest host across the void.
Honey, compared to that cunning old fox who has the protection of an academy professor and can hide in his ring space even in danger, it seems like you're in greater danger.
Xiao Tingyuan was stunned.
It seems so.
No one knew about his relationship with the God of Cookery before, but after today's opening ceremony, everyone will know that he will be receiving instruction from the God of Cookery. There are very few people studying culinary arts at Tianyan Academy, and he is the most famous one.
Xiao Tingyuan's smile was a little stiff.
1314 smile.
[Honey, there aren't many people studying culinary arts in the upcoming courses. Before, no one knew you were his apprentice, but now everyone does. And you're a rare culinary genius. Even if they don't know your relationship with him, they can guess that he will definitely teach you all his skills. You're the most suitable candidate! So keep up the good work!]
[Main Quest Issued: Survive]
Task details: The meaning is literal. If you have limited understanding, feel free to ask 1314! 1314 will be happy to answer your questions!
Task Rewards: 200 Experience Points, 200 Points
The quest log, which had been silent since landing on the island, suddenly changed.
Xiao Tingyuan was speechless: "No way, is it that exaggerated? The main quest is surviving?"
[Friendly reminder: Don't leave the safe zone until your cultivation level is high enough!]
He knew without a doubt what the "safe zone" 1314 was referring to was.
It seems he won't be able to leave the island anytime soon.
Fortunately, there are reliable universities to support them, so outsiders dare not act rashly.
After being shocked, Xiao Tingyuan fell silent, grieved as he uttered the word "survival".
Survive! Cultivate! Strive to be the best!
Unbeknownst to him, he had actually sailed onto Su Xiaoyao's route.
He was originally just a laid-back young man.
He was thinking about how to share his future experiences with his two friends after the opening ceremony when he heard the crowd erupt in another explosion.
"What?! That...that's the Venerable Langlanglang, the Venerable Langdu?"
If the appearance of the master chef shocked everyone, then the teachers who took the stage one after another were breathtaking.
"My God, my eyes! Who is standing on the stage right now? That golden light of merit is so dazzling!"
"Before I was blinded by the golden light, I seemed to see a sword, a legendary sword that only a sword saint could possess..."
The opening ceremony ended in complete silence.
What followed was an even more lively official start of classes.
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Author's note: I'm back to writing after finishing moving!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:24:14 on March 6, 2024 and 00:08:52 on March 12, 2024!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Qing Si Cheng Xue (1 landmine);
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Gutang (20 bottles); Mingli (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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