Chapter 585 | Demonic Beings? Obviously Auspicious Omens!

Chen Zhou looked at the jade platter in Yu He’s hands.

The sophora dishes on the platter were exquisitely arranged. The sophora cake had been sliced into thin pieces and stacked in the shape of a blooming lotus. Unknown spiritual herbs were interspersed between the petals, and a layer of amber sauce was drizzled over it, emitting a faint golden glow.

Yu He placed the jade platter in front of Chen Zhou, then took a step back and bowed deeply.

“Lord, this is the first course of the full sophora banquet I have specially prepared for you: Golden Lotus Averting Calamity.”

“I have incorporated the broken divinity you bestowed upon me earlier. It has been refined in Dingnai Hall into blank divinity and completely integrated into this dish of delicacies.”

Chen Zhou nodded slightly, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a sophora petal into his mouth.

The petal melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and a cool current of air rose from the tip of his tongue. Chen Zhou could feel the divinity within his body vibrating gently, as if responding to a call.

To put it simply, it was incredibly delicious.

A system notification immediately sounded in his sea of consciousness.

【You have obtained a piece of broken blank divinity.】

Chen Zhou had never been one to indulge in gluttony, but at this moment, he remained impassive as he brought several more mouthfuls to his lips.

【You have obtained a piece of broken blank divinity.】

...

Yu He stood by the side, his palms sweating from nervousness.

He considered his culinary skills to have reached the pinnacle, and he could find ways to satisfy even the most fastidious of diners. However, to be honest, he felt quite uncertain about cooking for the Lord.

After all, the Lord was no ordinary mortal. Thus, he had poured all his heart and soul into this, exhausting almost everything he had learned in his life to research how to make the sophora cake even more delicious.

In the entire City of the Wrongfully Dead, no one was more nervous than him.

Chen Zhou ate unhurriedly, chewing and swallowing every bite slowly. Everyone in the courtyard fell silent, staring at him in unison.

It wasn't until the entire platter of Golden Lotus Averting Calamity had been finished that Chen Zhou finally set down his chopsticks.

“Not bad.”

Yu He breathed a long sigh of relief, his entire body relaxing as he wore a rare smile of liberation.

“It is my honor that the Lord likes it.”

He straightened his back and turned to return to Dingnai Hall, his steps much lighter than when he had arrived.

Chen Zhou withdrew his gaze and calculated in his mind. After finishing the entire dish, the system had prompted him eight times, totaling exactly eight pieces of broken blank divinity.

He used six of them to synthesize two pieces of condensed blank divinity. After a moment of thought, he merged the remaining two pieces of broken divinity directly into his hatred divinity.

He then continued the fusion, elevating the hatred divinity to the complete stage in one go.

Hate Fire was one of his most commonly used offensive methods. Its defense-ignoring characteristic was quite useful, and it could also absorb the hatred of the Seed of Resentment hosts to strengthen its burning effect.

However, as his grade increased, his enemies’ grades also grew higher. The numerical power of the Hate Fire was beginning to seem insufficient.

The moment the two pieces of broken divinity merged into the hatred divinity, the system notification sounded again.

【Divinity fusion complete.】

【Hatred divinity (broken) → Hatred divinity (condensed) → Hatred divinity (complete).】

【Your Hate Fire has been upgraded.】

【Unlock conditions for Seven Emotions Fire (Divine Technique) have been met: Complete hatred divinity (1/1).】

【Current progress: 1/7.】

【If you continue to collect the same type of divinity, Hate Fire can be upgraded to Seven Emotions Fire.】

【Seven Emotions Fire: The seven emotions can all be turned into fire; the seven fires can all incinerate the soul.】

【The god who commands the Seven Emotions Fire... The seven emotions and six desires of mortals are all your fuel. When the seven fires are gathered, they can burn away all manner of karma.】

Chen Zhou felt the Hate Fire surging within him. The temperature of the flames was more than a level higher than before, and it had gained a new characteristic.

【Hatred Infection】

【The hatred in the heart of a target burned by Hate Fire will be amplified. The stronger the hatred, the more powerful the burning effect. If the target dies while under the effect of Hate Fire, the flames will randomly spread to surrounding hostile targets.】

This was equivalent to adding a self-circulating reinforcement mechanism to the Hate Fire, and it could even be further upgraded to the divine technique level in the future.

Chen Zhou satisfiedly withdrew his divine sense and looked back at the crowd in the courtyard.

At this time, Yu He brought out the second dish. While the sophora cake was for Chen Zhou’s exclusive enjoyment, everyone else had a portion of the rest.

The second course of the full sophora banquet was Heart-Clearing Sophora Dew.

A white jade bowl was placed before everyone, containing a soup as clear as water. A few complete sophora petals floated on the surface, spinning gently in the broth and emitting a sweet fragrance.

Next came the third course, the fourth, and the fifth.

Yu He brought them out one by one, each meticulously prepared, exquisitely arranged, and fragrantly aromatic.

Song Zi'an followed behind his master. While serving the dishes, he peeked at the Lord’s reaction. Seeing that the Lord had taken a few bites of every dish, he was also happy for his master.

The atmosphere of the victory banquet gradually became lively.

Wu Hai had drunk a few cups of wine, and his courage had grown. He stood up and raised his cup. “Ancestor, during this time in Cangzhou, I have slain demons, expanded our territory, and spread your great name throughout the entire province!”

He became more excited as he spoke, spittle flying everywhere. “Those monsters and ghosts who claimed mountains as their own were quite arrogant at first, but as soon as I revealed my White Bone Arhat dharma body, three demon kings were scared into kneeling and begging for mercy on the spot!”

“During this expedition, I have already displayed the divine might of our Bone Temple for you, Ancestor, making the people of Cangzhou look up to your great name with boundless admiration!”

Seeing Wu Hai shamelessly claiming credit, Cang Che also hurried to stand up. Not to be outdone, he said, “Lord Dragon Ancestor, in the Western Region, I have spent day and night—”

Before he could finish, Cang Yu gave him a cold look.

Cang Che choked on his words, but remembering that he had indeed completed the task assigned by the Dragon Ancestor, his confidence returned. He puffed out his chest and said.

“The task of greening the Western Region assigned by the Dragon Ancestor has been fully completed by me! The deserts of the Western Region have now all been turned into oases!”

After finishing, he peeked at Chen Zhou from the corner of his eye, hoping for a word of praise.

Tao Tuantuan slumped in her seat, not wanting to move at all. She closed her eyes and pretended to be a dead person.

She had been running around for over ten days to reclaim land in Cangzhou. She had finally managed to straighten out the administrative affairs of the province, only to be dragged to the banquet by her master as soon as she returned, without even getting to sleep in.

All she wanted now was to finish eating and go back to lie down.

Hong Ling sat beside her. While eating, she kept her head down, looking at a bamboo slip in her hand with her brow furrowed.

Duke Wen looked at these two disciples—one lazy by nature, the other a desperate overachiever—and couldn't help but sigh.

“Hong Ling, eat first,” he said gently.

Hong Ling looked up and gave an “Mhm,” but her eyes never left the slip.

Helpless, Duke Wen turned to Tao Tuantuan. “Tuantuan, you should eat a little too.”

Tao Tuantuan rolled over, turning her back to him.

Duke Wen: “...”

On the other side, Duke Martial had already started playing drinking games with Jing Hui, the Plague Rat, Wu Gou, and Shitou.

“Five prime ministers!”

“Six, six, six!”

“Eight horses!”

Duke Martial had the loudest voice, making the bowls and dishes on the table shake.

Jing Hui played with him expressionlessly, yet he won every time.

Shitou had been forced into the game by his master. He was a bit restrained at first, but after a few cups, he let loose and roared as loudly as Duke Martial.

The Plague Rat foolishly kept thinking he had won, letting out a series of sly laughs. “Lord Rat wins again! Baldy, you drink for me!”

Wu Gou pretended to lose every time, then gulped down the wine and let out a satisfied burp.

The soldiers of the Tianchi Plague Department and the surrendered generals of Cangzhou also began competing in drinking. Neither side was willing to back down, their wine bowls clinking loudly.

“You demons of Cangzhou are all just for show. The Lord didn't even have to act before you surrendered. Hmph, we soldiers of Tianchi Province are the ones who fought with real blades and spears!”

“Nonsense! We surrendered out of admiration for the Lord’s great name, a sincere desire to submit! Your Tianchi Province doesn't even grow a blade of grass; you're dirt poor. What's there to brag about?”

“You're the one talking nonsense! If you're not convinced, shall we test each other out?”

“Test away! Come on!”

The two of them began to go at it over their wine bowls.

Piao was buried in her food, her cheeks bulging. A small stack of empty plates had already piled up in front of her.

The Ugly Hag sat beside her, constantly placing food in her bowl, while Su Xue was on the other side, helping her rub her stomach to aid digestion.

“Eat slowly, eat slowly,” the Ugly Hag murmured.

Piao gave a muffled response and stuffed another large mouthful of Golden Buddha meat into her mouth.

Chen Zhou sat in the main seat, tasting the dishes Yu He brought out one after another while watching the lively scene in the courtyard.

The three provinces were now pacified, old friends remained, and several new faces had been added to the City of the Wrongfully Dead.

His power had grown from that tiny altar hidden in the Dead Man’s Forest into a behemoth spanning three provinces.

Cang Che was grabbed by the neck and hauled away by Cang Yu.

“Stop making a fool of yourself in front of the Dragon Ancestor,” Cang Yu whispered, his tone as cold as ice.

“I'm not! I just wanted to report to the Dragon Ancestor about the Western Region—”

“Reports are recorded by Lady Hong Ling. There is no need for you to speak to the Dragon Ancestor personally.”

“But I want to tell him myself—”

“You still want to?”

Cang Yu grabbed Cang Che by the collar and dragged him all the way to the Jianmu branch, throwing him inside.

“Listen to the Dragon Ancestor and go green Tianchi Province first. If I see you making a fool of yourself in front of him again, don't bother coming back.”

Cang Che tumbled in front of the teleportation light screen. Before he could protest, Cang Yu had already shoved him into the light.

With a flash of light, Cang Che disappeared.

Cang Yu brushed off his hands and returned to the banquet. His expression remained stern, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he moved his chair a bit closer to Chen Zhou while no one was paying attention.

At this moment, Yu He and Song Zi'an carried up a large cauldron.

The cauldron was as tall as a person, entirely bronze in color, with dense spiritual patterns carved on its body. The moment the lid was lifted, a rich scent of peaches permeated the entire courtyard.

Everyone at the table stopped their chopsticks simultaneously and turned to look at the large cauldron.

“What is that smell?” The Plague Rat twitched his nose, his eyes glazing over.

Poison-Wing also widened his eyes. “So fragrant!”

Yu He took a deep breath, walked to Chen Zhou, and bowed solemnly.

“Lord, these are the flat peaches you bestowed. They have been prepared into a dish called Longevity Flat Peach Soup.”

Chen Zhou looked into the cauldron.

It was filled with golden-yellow broth, in which pieces of soft, tender flat peach flesh floated. The surface of the peach flesh shimmered with a faint golden light. The broth was as thick as honey, bubbling and steaming.

Chen Zhou knew that the highlight of the night was about to begin. If their luck was good enough, the City of the Wrongfully Dead might gain another Wenchang Noble.

Thinking of this, Chen Zhou looked toward the children’s table, where Jiu'er was eating heartily while not forgetting to serve his companions, doing his best to look after every child.

As for the matter of luck, Chen Zhou was never worried.

“Please taste it, Lord.” Yu He presented a jade bowl with both hands.

He had begun researching this flat peach dish the day he received the old flat peaches. He had scoured the ancient recipe books Song Zi'an had brought back from Zhenlong Mountain and used dozens of different spiritual medicines for the proportions, failing no fewer than twenty times.

After every failure, he would eat the failed sample, analyze the cause of the failure, and then adjust the recipe.

It wasn't until this morning that he finally found the perfect ratio. Heart-fire had been used to stew it at the bottom of the cauldron for an entire day. The medicinal properties of the spiritual herbs and the spiritual energy of the flat peaches had completely fused, reaching his most satisfied state.

“Lord,” Yu He’s voice was slightly hoarse, but his tone was steady.

“For this flat peach meal, I selected eighty-four types of spiritual medicines as supplementary ingredients and slow-stewed it with heart-fire to gradually remove the stubborn scorching arid qi within the flat peaches, then filled it with the gentle nature of the spiritual medicines.”

“During the stewing process, the flat peaches’ own Wenchang noble qi would constantly dissipate. Therefore, I used a cauldron for cooking to reintroduce the dissipating Wenchang noble qi back into the cauldron, forming a cycle and ensuring that not a single trace of spiritual rhythm was lost.”

“By the seventh hour of stewing, the first pattern began to bloom on the flat peaches.”

“By the twelfth hour, the patterns covered the entire body of the peaches.”

“Now, it has been exactly sixteen hours.”

As Yu He finished speaking, a golden light shot up from the white jade bowl, illuminating the entire courtyard.

Within the light, a complete flat peach floated in the center of the cauldron. Its body was covered in fine golden patterns, and nectar-like juice flowed within them.

Surrounding the peach were dots of spiritual energy, like a swarm of fireflies dancing around the moon.

The fragrance was not that of fruit, but a composite scent of eighty-four types of spiritual medicines. Yet, it was not cluttered; it was layered. With every breath, one could taste a different flavor.

The first layer was the flat peach’s own sweetness, the second was the gentleness of the spiritual medicines, and the third was a mellow richness with a hint of fire.

Chen Zhou took the bowl and brought a spoonful to his mouth.

The peach flesh melted instantly, and a warm current of air rose from his stomach, surging into the depths of his sea of consciousness, making it much clearer.

Chen Zhou understood. Yu He’s skill was indeed beyond reproach. To be able to make such a exquisite delicacy out of a few shriveled, hard, and death-qi-filled old flat peaches was incredible.