The endless sea voyage was like a boundless dream.
Waking up from the dream, the silhouette of Nine Regions could already be seen from afar.
Wang Lu stood on the side of the ship, thinking that the fifteen days journey across the endless sea seemed long but it actually passed by in a twinkling of an eye, which made him somewhat unwilling.
Of course, if he had to endure another half a month of drifting on the sea, no matter what, he would not be able to endure it.
The ship's condition was impeccable, with the finest hull design and the most exquisite decoration. Its cabin was filled with luxury goods of Western Continent, more than twenty charming and affectionate maids, as well as a number of silver and gold jewelries. Such an extravagant treatment was really not something a common king in the Western Continent could enjoy. Wang Lu has really enjoyed the hero's treatment from the Eastern City States.
The only thing that was unbearable was that, the food on the ship was too tragic… This was purely the mistake of the ghost cook Aya. She had confidently said that during the voyage, all the meal would be cooked by her. However, after that first day of braised chicken with wine, she wasn't able to cook another qualified dishes—the reality was, it was the only dish that she was able to cook decently, and after the first time, the mead has been used up, so she could not make the second.
Purely on her ability to decently cook that braised chicken with wine, Aya thought that she has already comprehended the essence of cooking, thus she was brimming with self-confidence. However, Wang Lu also didn't check her for a while. The result was, on the second day, he saw the improved look up at the starry sky version I, improved look up at the starry sky version II, and so on, which simply 'broadened' the people's view.
Wang Lu repeatedly praised Aya that she should not be a knight but become a country's alchemist. Give her a kitchen and enough ingredients and sooner or later she would be able to synthesize the philosopher's stone.
Towards this, Aya was deeply frustrated, but how could she become dispirited just because of a little setback? On the contrary, she became inspired and courageously marched forward.
For Wang Lu, by the third day, the situation was only getting worse. After a few attempts, Aya simply began to use the trial and error method to find the feeling of cooking. After wasting half of the food reserve in the cabin, her alchemy skill has once again refined something.
When it was several steps away from the human subject, driven beyond his limits of forbearance, Wang Lu put up his three feet sword defense using his chopstick, isolating Aya's dozens of unknown substances outside. At the same time, he angrily rebuked her, "Aya, if you have the ability, why don't you taste your own ghost matters? Your ingredient pick is not proficient, your seasoning is tyrannical, your heat control is subpar, and your spoon flipping is powerless! It's not even technically presentable, you're just going to spoil the good cooking materials in the ship! You're just indulging yourself in wishful thinking!"
Aya remained indifferent to this scolding, the perseverance in her eyes not reducing in the slightest.
Therefore, Wang Lu's tragedy could only continue. Logically, if anyone else encountered this situation, at worst, they would just change the person who cooks for them. There were more than twenty maids in the ship. Not only were they charming and affectionate, all of them also knew how to cook. One could just pick out randomly, even closing one's eyes, and the choice would be ten thousand times better than Aya. However, Wang Lu must not change her.
Because he was the one who proposed her to go back to Nine Regions! For this, Aya has given up the Knight King's identity and her sword Caliburn to go back with Wang Lu. If a woman has done these things for you, so what if you have to eat several of her philosopher's stones?
Fortunately, Wang Lu finally found a way to survive, because even if Aya was useless in many things, at least she was always reliable in one thing: her sword skill, which was master class. Of course, how could a legendary level swordsman have a poor level of sword skill? Thereupon, Wang Lu simply changed the recipe into grand sashimi feast. In addition to the variety of fresh fish sashimi, the ship's other ingredients could also be made into sashimi. Such as ham sashimi, sausage sashimi, pumpkin sashimi, broccoli sashimi… all of these has given a way of life for Wang Lu.
However, after eating sashimi every day for several days, Wang Lu eventually grew bitter. Therefore, when he saw the land in the distance, in his eyes, the silhouette of Nine Regions has turned into a pot of fragrant pork stew. Even though there seemed to be a mistake in the route—there was no harbor to be seen—Wang Lu was still filled with joy. In any case, for a quasi Jindan like him, harbor supply replenishment was not that important.
And as the ship continued to approach the land, Wang Lu seemed to really able to smell the meat fragrance, but also the degree of cooking the dog meat was just right! A moment later, standing on the deck of the ship, Wang Lu was surprised. Because he saw that on the beach, there was a woman in a simple dress with a heroic posture stirring a pot. From inside it came the seductive aroma of a large piece of boiling meat. It was a pot of braised dog meat. And the woman was actually...
"Zen Master Dog Meat, Xiao Qi?"
Although he was just murmuring to himself, the still miles away Xiao Qi actually looked up to him and smiled. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. Finally, you came."
While speaking, her figure moved. The next moment, she and the pot were already on the ship with the speed that made people click their tongue.
"Although I wasn't too early in coming here, you came just at the right time. I've been waiting for you for half a month, but when I just caught a black dog and cooked it, you actually appeared. Since you're here, then help me finish it. And after that, you can go back with me. Your Master has been waiting for you like crazy."
While saying that, Xiao Qi put the pot on the deck and fished out eating utensils from her mustard seed bag. After handing over a pair of chopsticks to Wang Lu, she also offered one for Aya who stood behind Wang Lu.
"You're Aya, right? I have heard so much about you. Today we finally met. Do you want to taste my craft?"
Aya was stunned for a moment, furrowed her brows, and actually beckoned her hand to refuse.
With Aya's temper, it was rare for her to display such a noble and elegant gesture. In Wang Lu's view, her rejection to the offer this time was simply because this peer was her enemy. Compared to her alchemy products, this dog meat was enough to turn her worldview upside down from her obviously distorted small head.
Xiao Qi didn't care too much. After setting the tableware, she began to munch the meat heartily while at the same time said to Wang Lu, "In view of the fact that both of our eating speed is quite fast, I'll just cut the long story short. When you previously asked for a marriage leave in Western Continent, your elders empathized with your toil in Western Continent that they allowed you to do so."
"However, you can also guess that after finishing the business in the Western Continent, once you return, there would be a mountain-like pile of things that need to be done. And since you played an indispensable role in the Western Continent affair, there are a lot of things that you need to participate in. Dragging from ten days to half a month is alright, but you actually dragged things out for a whole month, inevitably people in Nine Regions would wait for you anxiously. There are many people waiting for you at the harbor where your ship would dock, luckily, you bumped into me, and just when I was cooking the dog meat."
With that, she and Wang Lu had already finished cleaning up the pot. After putting the utensils back, she stood up and said, "We should be going now, I think it should be about time."
Wang Lu curiously asked, "What do you mean by it should be about time? And what about my ship?"
"Relax, it won't go missing. Later, the Union of Ten Thousand Immortal people will help you collect it. In short, you just need to go with me." With that, Xiao Qi clasped Wang Lu's wrist, but at the same time, Aya also clasped another wrist of Wang Lu.
Seeing Aya's serious face, afraid that there would be a misunderstanding, Wang Lu explained, "This is my Master's friend, there's no affair between us."
At the same time, he inwardly thought, "If I really have an affair with Xiao Qi, I wouldn't have gone so far to look after you, right?"
Aya actually didn't care. She just looked at Xiao Qi from top to bottom, and then became suspicious. "Could it be that… you are…?"
Before she could finish, Xiao Qi had already interrupted her, "This poor monk is Dog Meat. This is the first time we met. See you later."
With that, she disappeared without a trace along with Wang Lu, which caused Aya to gawk for a moment. Although she definitely could stop them with her strength, she did not do so.
After a while, Aya said with a smile, "So it's you…"
At the same time, Wang Lu only saw a blur as Zen Master Dog Meat pulled him across a very far distance. until finally, they arrived at a noisy place. When he looked around, what he saw completely surprised him.
"What is this place? Why are there so many people?"
The amount of people was not a terrifying thing, the thing that scared him was that almost all of the people here were very influential and powerful.
The Great Elders of Kunlun Immortal Sect, the Preservers of Ten Thousand Arts Sect, the Inspectors of Shengjing Sect… Any one of them has a resounding reputation, similar to Spirit Sword Sect's Heavenly Sword Hall Elders. At this time, Wang Lu saw that there were over a hundred of them!
Although these many people have gathered on a wide grassland, it still appeared overcrowded. Floating on the air above them was a golden platform which appeared majestic.
After observing for a while, Wang Lu finally remembered this place, and at the same time, everything became clear to him. "Southern Heaven Region? The Immortal Tomb? They're going to f*cking open the tomb? Is this the opening ceremony? Which means that I, as the greatest hero in the west, should speak on the stage? But when they looked for me, I can't be found, and at the same time, they could not postpone the ceremony just because of a disciple that has yet to reach Jindan Stage, so a lot of people are anxious?"
From the side, Xiao Qi laughed and clapped. "You have saved my strength from explaining it. Now that you know everything, then…"
Before she could finish, an elder quickly appeared in front of Wang Lu and grasped his hand. "That's enough. Let's go, or your speech's slot would be taken away by Shengjing Sect's disciple!"
Wang Lu was in a trance. Before he could even see the face of that elder, he was already grasped and pulled away. Fortunately, he recognized the voice, which belonged to his Third Elder, Fang He.
Being pulled by Fang He, Wang Lu could only see a blur, and in the blink of an eye, he has already arrived in midair. Clouds and mist curled up below his feet while the golden platform became resplendent before his eyes. He has arrived at the golden platform high up in the air.
There were many people on the golden platform. Moreover, they were even more influential than the people below. When Wang Lu swept his gaze, he could not help but suck in a mouthful of cold air.
All of the sect leaders of the top five super sects were all there!
Sect Leader of Spirit Sword Sect Feng Yin, Shengjing Sect's He Tu, Ten Thousand Arts Sect's Tian Lun, Kunlun Sect's Zhu Ri… as well as Royal Soldier Sect's Junshen Kuqin.
Among them, Royal Soldier Sect's Junshen Kuqin was the most unfamiliar to him. He wore a heavy armor with an airtight mask, not revealing anything behind it at all. Actually, even in his portrait, he was obscured by the mask, looking very mysterious. As a matter of fact, after the previous Sect Leader of Royal Soldier Sect, who was incomparably matchless, fell from the sky, this sect who many people scolded as a mad dog has been maintaining a low-key presence for dozens of years. Probably only this group of immortal tombs could make them appear.
And as Wang Lu observed the crowd, he also became the focus of attention of the people on the golden platform. Everyone there knew about his feats and achievements in the Western Continent. One by one, these several Supremes of Unity Stage cast their gaze towards this magical lead disciple of Spirit Sword Sect. Along with their gaze came the indistinct pressure, which was enough to stun an ordinary Daoist Master of Jindan Stage. However, Wang Lu seemed to be oblivious to all of that.
Because by Wang Lu's side, there was already a white-clothed woman with a ponytail who grasped the emerald green bamboo sword and shielded her disciple from these 'winds and rains'.
At this time, the voice of Daoist Master Feng Yin came over, "Alright, our lead disciple Wang Lu has arrived in time, so the agenda should be restored to the original. The third speaker would be Wang Lu."
When he spoke, he looked straight at the person who sat in the middle, who was also the most important person present, Supreme He Tu. He Tu went silent for a moment before lightly nodding. Then, he beckoned with his hand towards the side of the golden platform. A woman who has already sat cross-legged there stood up, and then respectfully retreated from the platform.
That woman was a Shengjing Sect's disciple, who was also the spokesperson scheduled to replace Wang Lu. Although Wang Lu didn't know what things she did in the Western Continent, since she was qualified to replace Wang Lu in giving the speech, clearly she has rendered amazing achievements. Unfortunately, her time to shine was wantonly plundered by Wang Lu, just like a bride who suffered insults right after marriage, unbearably miserable.
However, the woman seemed indifferent. After she got up, she let out a spring-breeze-like radiant smile.
"That is Qiong Hua." Wang Wu promptly introduced, "The lead disciple of Shengjing Sect."
The philosopher's stone, or stone of the philosophers is a legendary alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver