Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

Nighttime • Jingzhu Cave Heaven

By the shimmering lakeside, a large copper pot was erected, with fiery red charcoal burning fiercely at its center, releasing crackling sparks.

Thinly sliced pieces of precious birds and rare beasts lay on ice, neatly arranged in front of the table.

King Jing, smiling, dipped a stack of tender slices of meat into the pot, and after boiling thrice, he fished them out, wrapped them in greens, and ate. A look of enjoyment appeared on his face as he turned back to Yi Chen and Lin Luo with a smile,

"The warmth of the mortal world's cuisine truly warms the heart. I wonder if Hidden Dragon Taoist and Lady Lin Luo are accustomed to this food?"

"Your Highness, not good." Yi Chen put down his chopsticks and shook his head regretfully, which made King Jing's smile freeze for a moment.

"What's wrong? If the Taoist is not accustomed, I can have the spread removed immediately and replaced."

"There's no need for that. It's just that if I get used to the delicacies of Jingzhu Cave Heaven, nothing else will be tasty in the future."

Upon hearing these words, everyone, including the wife of King Jing and Lin Luo, laughed softly. King Jing, with a play on words, said, "My doors will always be open for the Taoist, no matter when."

Yi Chen pretended not to understand, thinking, what are you talking about, King Jing? A man like you opening his doors to me – I am not Jay Chou.

If it were Daoist Lin Luo, he might consider taking a look.

Of course, these thoughts couldn't be spoken aloud. Yi Chen immediately started to ramble, diverting the topic elsewhere.

As everyone was eager to form connections amidst laughter and lively conversation, with round after round of food being served, King Jing clapped his hands, ordering the attendants to clear away the spread and present the Spirit Fruits and Spiritual Tea, then dismissed everyone not involved.

The scene before him caused a jolt in Yi Chen's spirit; he knew the actual feast was about to begin.

King Jing waved his hand, and two copies of a thick ledger appeared in front of Yi Chen and Lin Luo's tables.

Yi Chen and Lin Luo exchanged glances, and upon casually flipping through the ledger, both revealed a look of pleasant surprise.

The figures were higher than Yi Chen had estimated.

"Your Highness, this is too much."

"Indeed, I have taken out ten percent from my own share as a token of appreciation for the Taoist," King Jing responded.

In the end, the glaring figure of 11,000 drops of Gold essence dazzled Yi Chen's eyes.

11,000 drops of Gold essence, when converted into Contribution Points of the Free Heaven, amounted to 110,000 points – a fortune that an ordinary family of three wouldn't be able to earn from farming since the Human Emperor era to the present day.

Even all the wealth Yi Chen had earned since leaving the mountains did not amount to so much.

Red wine, white faces, gold, black hearts.

Indeed, money can be earned again once it is gone, but with no conscience, one can earn even more.

"I have a second piece of good news," continued the King. "Before the Taoist's magical duel, I had already sent people to gather information about the Kirin Holy Boots, hoping to present it to you before the Great Qin Legal Assembly as a boost. Sadly, heaven did not favor our plans, and it didn't arrive in time. Fortunately, with your remarkable cultivation, you still triumphed over Xue Lingzi."

"Now, I have the Kirin Holy Boots, and they should reach you in about five days or so, though it may be sooner or later."

Seeing the twinkling eyes of the wife of King Jing, Yi Chen immediately showed an 'excited' expression, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The excitement in Yi Chen's eyes wasn't forced at all. King Jing was indeed generous, offering payment first and goods later — a person with whom he could interact.

"Your Highness, you haven't mentioned the third piece of good news," Lin Luo said, her wide sleeves covering her face as she drank a cup of fine wine with a gleam in her eyes. "Today, before meeting with the Emperor, it was decided that you will be proclaimed Crown Prince of Great Qin in five days. Such wonderful news deserves the opening of a jar of Jinglei Bamboo Wine to celebrate!"

"Indeed, such joyous news warrants each of us opening a jar of Jinglei Bamboo Wine to celebrate," Yi Chen immediately agreed, and below the table, the girl with purple hair placed her hand on her rounded thigh, sneakily giving Yi Chen a thumbs up.

With the atmosphere set, both King Jing and his wife exchanged glances and cheerfully agreed, pushing the mood to its climax.

...

...

It was the third watch of the night, and the stars in the sky were not yet asleep.

Yi Chen smacked his lips, looking at the newly added Origin Point on his status panel with a pleased smile.

Zero-yuan purchase Origin Points were delightful.

Having consumed Jinglei Bamboo Wine on numerous occasions, his body had gradually adapted to the stimulation of the wine. A jar was no longer enough to generate an Origin Point. His astonishing feat was all thanks to his good disciple Qin Qingyun's help.

After Yi Chen performed yet another impressive feat of drinking directly from the bottle, he received a resounding applause from everyone.

At that moment, Qin Qingyun, who was sitting respectfully to the side, had a stroke of inspiration and aided him divinely.

She grabbed a jar of Jinglei Bamboo Wine from in front of King Jing and ran it over to Yi Chen's table, transferring the jar King Jing had barely touched to him, hoping Yi Chen would show off once more.

After consuming two jars of Jingle Bamboo Wine at the same time, Yi Chen's bold display once again earned him praises. However, for some reason, Yi Chen felt that the expressions on King Jing and his wife's faces were a bit strange at the time.

Right, the taste of the Jinglei Bamboo Wine King Jing had seemed a bit off, and his body felt somewhat hot, but this anomaly was quickly suppressed by Yi Chen's cultivation body, and no ripples were stirred.

"Good disciple, nicely done."

Yi Chen, burping from the wine, staggered towards the direction of the Honghu Courtyard, ending up at Mingxiang Building.

Damn it, he, a cultivator at the level capable of matching a Dao Mastery monk, had actually lost his way.

But having come, he decided to rest easy, and stepped through the grand entrance of the Fragrant Pavilion.

He had inquired about the evening's event well in advance. It was said that a renowned master of sword dance would perform a dance holding onto the hilt, incredibly impressive. Lord Tan Lang wanted to witness it himself.

Besides, having already made a divine appearance and put on a grand display, it would be akin to hiding his light under a bushel if he did not grace a crowded place with his presence.

As the champion of the Great Qin Legal Assembly, Lord Tan Lang's attendance was a certainty, especially given his close ties with King Jing. As long as those in charge weren't boneheads, they'd make room for Yi Taoist regardless of the timing, and it had to be a private booth.

With his current status, he didn't even have to show displeasure. Others would naturally take action on his behalf to vent his frustration. In fact, to seize the opportunity to please him, several groups might even fight among themselves.

This was the value of the Hidden Dragon Taoist, whose standing could now rival True Monarchs.

The arrival of Yi Chen elevated the atmosphere of Fragrant Pavilion to a new climax that night, and the palm dance by the one known as Gongsun Fairy was an eye-opener for him.

"If the Lord has interest, you may come to my room tonight and we can discuss the Dao," whispered a sweet and enchanting voice into Yi Chen's heart. Gazing at the white-robed fairy before him, looking at her cool and distant face, he couldn't help but feel somewhat listless.

Is this what it means to possess the value of a Dao Mastery True Monarch? You have no idea just how forward those fairies chased after by other cultivators can be.

He looked at the sycophantic smiles of the people around him and whether they were sincere or not, no one dared to show the slightest dissatisfaction in his presence. Gazing at all the falseness around him, he suddenly felt disinterested.

It seemed that playing the big shot in front of ordinary cultivators no longer gave him any thrill; he found them just noisy.

"The higher one climbs, the lonelier one becomes. I wonder how lonely those few at the very pinnacle of the Human Realm are, much like the Millennium Emperor."

"Apart from those of their own rank, no one can converse with them or dare to mask their true thoughts in their presence. Their beautiful pretenses are seen through at a glance, and beneath all that grand attire, it's like watching a monkey exaggeratedly twerking at you."

Who would converse with a monkey on equal terms, truly treating it as a kindred spirit to talk to, or as a friend?

"Perhaps, this is why later figures like the Human Emperor, Daozun, Tian Buddha, and the Lord of Soldiers chose to leave this world. When you can see the world's pattern at a glance and your every thought can materialize instantly without anyone to talk to, even an enemy, what a terrifying thing it is."

With these thoughts in mind, Yi Chen arrived in high spirits but left in despair, exchanging a few polite words with the crowd before deciding to leave. Playing here seemed less appealing than returning to fish...

This time, he truly returned to his Crane and Turtle Chambers.

Walking along the long street, as he walked, Yi Chen suddenly looked up and came to a halt.

At the end of the street, a wisp of mist spread, and a stunning woman holding a paper umbrella, as if stepping out of a painting of court ladies, slowly approached him.

The woman was exceptionally beautiful, her charisma indescribable, at times appearing like a vibrant young girl with bright, affectionate eyes, and at others transforming into a cool, detached beauty, her aloof gaze beyond mundane reach. All the wonderful fantasies one could have about the female form seemed to find an answer in her.

The beautiful proportion of her long legs was second only to that of Daoist Lin Luo.

The scene was bizarre and eerie. The mysterious woman had only just appeared, and the world around seemed to fall into silence.

In the past, Yi Chen would have drawn the Dragon-Slaying Sword and been on full alert, but now, looking at the light mist sealing the space, he didn't even feel like drawing his weapon.

It was laughable, the one who should be running was the mysterious woman before him.

Yi Chen puffed out his chest and walked forward undeterred.

"Lord Tan Lang, would you be interested in discussing a deal with me in solitude? Whether we reach an agreement or not, I am at your disposal tonight," the dreamlike voice came from the stunning woman ahead, her lips slightly parting with an indescribable, seductive allure.

"At your disposal? Do you mean as I see fit?" Yi Chen cracked a slight smile.

"Of course, I have a twin sister who looks nearly identical to me. With Lord Tan Lang's cultivation, you're not afraid I might devour you, are you?"

"No, no, no, you are mistaken, Daoist. I'm not afraid; I just don't see the point in dealing with a sneaky rodent."

"You may not know this about me, but there are three types of carriages I refuse to ride," said Yi Chen, tilting his head, his smile growing more ferocious.

"Firstly, I don't ride in carriages drawn by horses that have been kicked around, as their performance greatly diminishes, affecting the travel experience. It makes me cough."

"Secondly, I don't take public carriages that pick up passengers off the street because of my kind heart; so many people kicking and riding them, and if I were to kick it once more, my conscience wouldn't allow it."

"Lastly, I don't use carriages that have been in accidents, even if they're repaired because they pose a significant safety risk."

"Unfortunately, the body you possess violates all of my taboos, and your poor attempts at provocation really underestimate me."

With a single glance, Yi Chen could see the mismatch between the woman's soul and her body, hinting at an eerie specter. He didn't wait for her to reply, moving quickly to make a forward strike. The beauty's head instantly vanished into her chest; a torrent of Extreme Origin burst forth, annihilating a fleeing fragment of soul, and then he continued striding forward without a backward glance.

….

….

Meanwhile, under the same starry sky.

A woman with the head of a snake and body of a human walked slowly into a Buddhist temple in the Eastern Region. The human part was unmistakably the body of the Star of Calamity.

She looked at the three big characters of Joyful Buddha Temple and chuckled. A circle of impenetrable darkness enveloped the entire temple, as if detaching it from the world altogether.

As the darkness spread, a serene Buddhist chant resonated: "Amitabha, which Daoist friend is affronting our Joyful Buddha Temple?"