Fan Wubing went down the mountain with Gu Lan.

Although Gu Lan's curvy figure was a sign of an unhealthy body, it perfectly matched the aesthetic preferences of most men.

Coupled with her exotic look of blonde hair, blue eyes, and deep-set eye sockets, along with her bold and unconventional attire of tight short sleeves and shorts, her turning heads rate maxed out as soon as she entered Weiri City.

Before they went down the mountain, Fan Wubing had suggested to Gu Lan that it would be best to wear an additional piece of clothing or a cloak outside, but Gu Lan was naturally inclined to connect with nature and wasn't used to covering up too much.

After feeling those blatant, scorching stares from everyone, Gu Lan said helplessly,

"Junior Brother Fan, you were right. I really don't understand, just a mere ten pounds of flesh at the front and back, what's there to see."

Fan Wubing laughed and said,

"Senior Sister Gu, don't overestimate the conduct of ordinary people."

"Do you like it too, Junior Brother Fan?"

This question did stump Fan Wubing a bit. However, after all, Fan Wubing wasn't truly a pure-hearted fourteen-year-old boy, so he said nonchalantly,

"I have a narrow mind, unable to accommodate both the great path and women simultaneously."

He didn't directly say whether he liked it or not, leaving these words for Gu Lan to ponder over.

The two walked through the market, acquiring a large batch of tools that satisfied the needs for various culinary skills, along with various spices and dried goods... Though they were immortal materials, using them to assist, enhance aroma and flavor, was still necessary.

He remembered how Luo Qingyao once said that the immortal food prepared by high-level Immortal Chefs was exquisitely beautiful, but the taste was hardly commendable, merely serving the purpose of benefiting the body and soul.

It's not that the Immortal Chefs didn't want to improve the taste, but rather, the more additional ingredients added to immortal food, the more unstable it became. Thus, most immortal food tasted bland or even had the raw, gamey, or bizarre flavors of the ingredients themselves.

With "Star Devouring, Moon Chewing" and "Tongue Desire," Fan Wubing wasn't worried about failing to trigger the effects of immortal food, so he only had to consider how to add more depth to the flavors.

Once everything was nearly procured, they found the best restaurant in Weiri City to learn from the masters.

...

Immortal Crane Tower.

In the private room labeled "Auspicious," Fan Wubing glanced at the menu handed over by the attendant and said,

"Bring one serving of every dish you have in this restaurant."

The attendant was stunned for a moment; he had never seen anyone order like this, so he asked,

"Sir, there are 108 dishes at Immortal Crane Tower, do you really want all of them?"

Fan Wubing didn't bother to explain more and simply put on the airs of an extravagant wastrel,

"Why, afraid the young master can't pay up?"

He immediately laid out a few Low-grade Spirit Stones,

"Not to mention those golden branches and jade leaves, I can even pay with the Spirit Stones used in the Cultivator families."

Having over six thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones from selling self-service Barbaric Blood Pig feasts in the Peach Branch Small Profound Realm, Fan Wubing was indeed quite confident now. He didn't want to haggle over such matters with the attendant, so he acted the part of the extravagant spoiled brat.

After all, only a spoiled rich kid would order like this,

"Remember, get your best chef to cook!"

The attendant, seeing this, dared not delay and quickly forwarded the request to the kitchen.

Gu Lan, quite puzzled, said,

"Junior Brother Fan, you can cook immortal food, why do you need to eat this mundane food?"

Of course, he couldn't say he was trying to learn. Fan Wubing put on an air of a scholarly man and said,

"We cultivators, once we leave the mortal world, tend to think that anything associated with the mortal world is not good, but we're completely unaware that everything is nurtured within the mortal world. We often speak of foundation, but the affairs of the mortal world are also the foundation for the path of cultivation, aren't they?"

Hearing these words that were wrapped in clouds and mist, Gu Lan subconsciously added her understanding,

"Could it be... returning to simplicity?"

"Exactly! All forms of Dao eventually lead to the path of returning to simplicity. So while immortal food is good, let's not forget the food of the mortal world. This is the fundamental principle of our cultivators. So even if I ascend to the Immortal Peak, I often come down the mountain to taste the true essence of the mortal world."

Gu Lan suddenly realized and said,

"I have learned a lot! Junior Brother Fan, you truly deserve to be the main chef personally selected by Sect Leader Zhenren. For decades, I've been toiling with my back to the soil, day and night, yet I am not as insightful as you."

She believed it wholeheartedly and genuinely!

Seeing Gu Lan's genuine demeanor, Fan Wubing felt a pang of guilt. Deceiving such a pure-hearted senior sister, his conscience felt a little uneasy, and he thought to himself, next time, he should help her improve her physique.

...

"Food is served!" The attendant walked briskly into the "Auspicious" private room, carrying three steaming dishes, "Sir, these three dishes are called Three Flavors of Steam, namely Steamed Lamb, Steamed Bear's Paw, and Steamed Venison Tail!"

The three hot dishes were placed in front of Fan Wubing,

"Please, take your time and enjoy!"

With that, the attendant left. However, he left a small gap in the door when he closed it. He peeked through the gap slightly and saw Fan Wubing grabbing a lamb and gobbling it up inside the room.

The scene was like a storm sweeping through, as if sucking the meat from the bones,

The attendant was startled and ran off hurriedly.

Who eats food like this!? Must be possessed by a starving ghost!

[You have consumed food, expected increase in maximum life value by 0.1 points]

["Tongue Desire": You consumed "Steamed Lamb" and acquired its cooking method]

At this stage, the additional life value from eating such ordinary food was no longer important; the key was the cooking method.

Seeing Gu Lan staring at him with wide eyes, without blinking, Fan Wubing asked,

"Senior Sister Gu, aren't you going to try it?"

Gu Lan shook her head and smiled,

"No need. I have just taken a Grain Avoidance Pill, so I don't have an appetite. But watching you eat reminds me of my younger brother."

"Oh? Is Senior Sister Gu's brother also in the Eternal Immortal Sect?"

Gu Lan shook her head,

"Over thirty years ago, he died in the war between Shuiyong Country and Fenglan Country. At that time, he was about your age and often went several days without eating anything. So, whenever he could eat something, he would be like you."

"Senior Sister Gu, I'm sorry."

Gu Lan laughed and said,

"It's alright, it's all in the past thirty years ago."

The Cultivation Realm is like this; people often see those stories in picture books, where immortals create miracles, and divine couples and stories of elegance, shock, or romance abound, with a single sword opening the Celestial Gate... Yet the Cultivation Realm itself is not that way, more often, there are stories of the common people and minor cultivators struggling to survive.

But eating, well, should always be a joyful matter.

With 108 dishes being brought continuously, several attendants were serving them together.

Fan Wubing ate everything that was served, wasted nothing, and finished everything clean. This made the shopkeeper think he was a reincarnation of a starving ghost, causing great anxiety, and he came several times to check.

Finally, when Fan Wubing finished learning and left with a full belly, the shopkeeper could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

In this way, Fan Wubing also left the attendants at Immortal Crane Tower with a legendary story to tell proudly each time they chatted with others.

Who could have imagined that someone could eat all 108 dishes of Immortal Crane Tower within a mere two hours?

Stories like these always change in the telling, from one person to another.

Some say it was the Food God incarnate, others say it was a starving ghost.

This is just a small and interesting story in a small, unremarkable city within the Cultivation Realm.

The Cultivation Realm, it operates this way, night and day, never resting.

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