Chapter 182
The Sundering Blade Pavilion Master stared at the roujiamo, dumbfounded.
Before she could process how it got there, her mouth moved on its own—taking a huge bite.
Crunch.
The crispy shell gave way to soft, fluffy bread, soaked through with braising juices. Each chew released another burst of savory broth, followed by the unbelievably tender pork knuckle.
—Ah, the pork knuckle!
Her soul felt purified. She wanted to sing praises to the heavens.
Pork knuckle!
The first bite delivered silky, piping-hot meat, its collagen-rich texture bouncing between her teeth. The flavors—umami, sweet, fragrant—unfolded in layers, harmonizing with the chewy flatbread.
Every mouthful was a symphony of wheat and meaty richness…
She tilted her head back, her body still on earth but her spirit ascending to the heavens, feasting among immortals!
“…”
Devouring the first roujiamo in seconds, she snapped back to reality.
Eyeing her silent colleagues, she dropped to the floor without hesitation.
Grinning like a fool, she scooped up the “vomit” into her arms: “This is gross, right? You don’t want it? Then I’ll take it all—hehe…”
The other three pavilion masters: “…”
You’re really that hungry?!
“Heh, you really aren’t picky,” the Jade Mist Pavilion Master sneered, distancing herself.
“This old man has no objections,” the Bright Void Pavilion Master said serenely.
The Pill Spirit Pavilion Master hesitated, then stayed silent.
But as they watched the Sundering Blade Pavilion Master’s ravenous display, disdain flickered in their eyes.
…Though their expressions were scornful, an inexplicable feeling gnawed at them.
A feeling of… cracking.
—Unlike the Sundering Blade Pavilion Master, who occasionally ate for pleasure, the other three had genuinely fasted for nearly a millennium. To them, all delicacies should’ve been indistinguishable from dirt.
But… why…?
Why did the sight of that steaming roujiamo—even knowing it was “vomit”—make their hearts itch like a cat’s scratch?
Why were their mouths watering uncontrollably?
Why did they feel a pang of loss watching the Sundering Blade Pavilion Master hoard the roujiamo—even wanting to snatch them back?
While the Jade Mist and Bright Void Pavilion Masters suppressed these urges, the Pill Spirit Pavilion Master couldn’t hold back.
His plump arm swiped through the air as he stormed forward. “STOP!!!”
The Sundering Blade Pavilion Master glared. “Why should I?”
The Jade Mist and Bright Void Pavilion Masters also turned to him, puzzled.
“…” Only then did the Pill Spirit Pavilion Master realize his impulsiveness. He’d exposed himself.
Sweating profusely, he scrambled for an explanation.
Finally, he muttered vaguely: “…I detect an unusual fragrance. This may be a rare alchemical ingredient. The candidate who made it might even be a prodigy.”
“Rather than letting the Sundering Blade savages ruin it, I should take it to Pill Spirit Pavilion for research.”
His lie grew smoother as he spoke, inspiration striking:
“As for that candidate—since none of you want him, I’ll take him as my personal disciple!”
With that, he summoned the head attendant, handed over his token, and ordered: “Tell that candidate to wait. Pill Spirit Pavilion will accept him!”
Head attendant: “…?”
Ignoring the bewildered attendant, the Pill Spirit Pavilion Master dropped to the floor, arms outstretched, scrambling to claim as many roujiamo as possible!
Naturally, the Sundering Blade Pavilion Master wasn’t pleased.
Shoving him aside, she roared:
“You fat oaf! Who are you calling a savage?! I’ve had enough of you! Spouting pretty lies just to steal my food?! OVER MY DEAD BODY!! And don’t think you’re the only one who can take disciples—”
She hurled her token at the attendant. “Tell him Sundering Blade wants him too! Let’s see who he picks!”
Head attendant: “…??”
The Pill Spirit Pavilion Master gritted his teeth. “Copycat!”
Sundering Blade: “Blubber whale!”
Pill Spirit: “Illiterate!”
Sundering Blade: “Moron!”
“…”
Both trembled with rage, clutching their roujiamo like enraged bulls, glaring daggers at each other.
The Pill Spirit Pavilion Master whipped out his Flame Spirit Ring. “You think you can hog the roujiamo? DREAM ON!”
The Sundering Blade Pavilion Master drew her Sundering Fang Saber. “Try taking them and I’ll carve you up!”
The next second—they lunged at each other.
A full-on brawl erupted!
This wasn’t playful sparring. Blades clashed, killing intent surged. Every move was lethal, every strike aimed to maim.
The Jade Mist and Bright Void Pavilion Masters: “…”
The Bright Void Pavilion Master took a deep breath, forming a lotus mudra with one hand. “The Buddha is merciful.”
The Jade Mist Pavilion Master maintained her aloof demeanor, merely flicking dust off her robes. “How petty.”
They stood serene, as if the chaos before them was beneath their notice.
But their composure didn’t last.
Because—
Amid the brawl, two roujiamo were sent flying by stray spiritual energy.
The snacks arced through the air, about to plummet off the platform—
The Bright Void and Jade Mist Pavilion Masters’ eyes snapped open, their gazes locking onto the roujiamo like starving hawks.
The unspoken rule of roujiamo:
First come, first served!
In an instant—they moved.
The Bright Void Pavilion Master shot forward like the wind, mouth wide: “Ah—”
The Jade Mist Pavilion Master drew her sword, soaring toward the other roujiamo: “Raaah—”
Thud. Thud.
Two roujiamo were caught mid-air.
Hovering, the two masters devoured their prizes like men starved for centuries, tears welling in their eyes.
Eight hundred years…
Eight hundred years of fasting—gone in a bite!
But… for roujiamo this delicious… worth it!!!
“…”
The head attendant gaped.
—These were the four most revered figures in Ten Thousand Spirits Sect, second only to the Immortal Lord!
Now, two were brawling over roujiamo, and two were lost in culinary ecstasy.
His hands trembled.
Is this real?!
Am I dreaming???
He pinched his thigh—then noticed the two tokens in his hand: one from Sundering Blade, one from Pill Spirit.
Both pavilions wanted that chef—no, candidate—as a personal disciple…
Dizzy, the attendant swayed on his feet.
His Dao heart was wavering.
Just as he steadied himself—two more tokens smacked into his chest.
From the Bright Void and Jade Mist Pavilion Masters.
Their voices rang out:
“Tell him Bright Void/Jade Mist will take him as a personal disciple! Pills, treasures—whatever he wants!”
Head attendant: “…”
Head attendant: “…………”
Ten Thousand Spirits Sect’s selections were rigorous. The pavilion masters never fought over disciples.
The previous record was one candidate—a once-in-a-millennium ice-fire Heavenly Spiritual Root—being contested by three pavilions. Even then, there’d been no brawling.
But now? All four pavilions were vying for a mixed spiritual root nobody!
The attendant could already imagine the uproar this would cause.
What is happening to the world?!
“…”
He took deep breaths, forcing his blood pressure down—until a glance at the trial grounds sent it skyrocketing again.
…While the pavilion masters descended into chaos, the candidates below had also mobbed the roujiamo guy, clamoring like beggars.
The sect’s millennia of dignity—destroyed by flatbread (roujiamo)!
With the Sundering Blade and Pill Spirit Pavilion Masters still fighting, and the other two eyeing the fray, the situation was spiraling out of control.
This was far beyond a mere attendant’s pay grade.
Wiping his sweat, he delegated the announcement to subordinates—then rushed toward the sect’s innermost sanctum.
…The Immortal Lord must intervene.
