Volume One: The Celestial Cloud Palace Chapter Seventeen: A Hearty Feast

Chapter Seventeen: A Feast

Dense schools of fish surged, molten lava splashed, and the serpent-tailed firefish, mouths full of sharp teeth, swarmed toward Zhou Hao like starving ghosts. At this moment, Zhou Hao was battered and bloodied, his entire body weak; even his eyes drooped barely open, his consciousness teetering on the edge of oblivion. The seven kings of the serpent-tailed firefish tormented him as they pleased, showing no mercy.

“Ah!”

The serpent-tailed firefish tore into Zhou Hao’s body like mad creatures, blood spraying everywhere, the sounds of chewing rising and falling. Each fish that tasted his flesh glowed, for it was the body of an immortal, infused with the power of the nine-petal Fire Lotus—an incomparable nourishment for these fish.

The agony jolted Zhou Hao awake from his daze, and suddenly he remembered the Immortal Summoning Jade Yun Fang had given him. In dire moments, he could shatter it and Yun Fang would appear to save him. With great difficulty, Zhou Hao fumbled for the jade token, his hands chewed by the fish, but at last the Immortal Summoning Jade was broken.

A crisp sound rang out, and fragments of green jade fell as a burst of pure light shone. The seven kings of the serpent-tailed firefish were startled, for an overwhelming aura emanated from the light, threatening to destroy them in an instant.

With a thunderous roar, the pure light transformed into a human form—the appearance of Yun Fang. He had white hair and a youthful face, his spirit shining brightly. With a single palm, immense power erupted, sending all the serpent-tailed firefish flying. The air was filled with crimson fish, and the seven great ones dove deep into the water, their strength and intelligence allowing them to sense Yun Fang’s might. To them, he was a demon incarnate, driving them to flee for their lives.

“Master...” Zhou Hao was extremely weak. Seeing Yun Fang appear, his taut nerves relaxed completely, and he fainted at once. The exposed white bones on his shoulder were shocking, his legs mangled and bloody, his whole body riddled with wounds like a withered branch—he was on the verge of death.

Yun Fang quickly infused him with thick immortal energy to sustain his life. He opened a small white jade bottle and took out a golden immortal pill, no bigger than a pea, exuding a strange fragrance. As soon as it touched Zhou Hao’s lips, his eyes slowly opened, his spirit somewhat restored.

“Here, my disciple, this is the Vitality Elixir. Take it, and you’ll recover swiftly!” Yun Fang smiled at Zhou Hao and fed him the pill.

The pill melted instantly in his mouth, and Zhou Hao immediately felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. His flesh shone with golden light, and the wounds chewed by the serpent-tailed firefish healed rapidly. Within a few breaths, Zhou Hao was completely restored, as though nothing had ever happened.

Dressed in white, his features delicate, the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth spoke with shame and trepidation, “Master, I’ve disgraced you—almost died here.”

“Silly child, how could I blame you for this? I know everything that happened. With your current cultivation, you could never defeat the king of the serpent-tailed firefish. But you slew one, didn't you? That shows you’ve made great progress. Still, never take such risks again. If you lack strength, focus on your cultivation. Understand?” Yun Fang patted Zhou Hao’s head.

“Yes, Master, you’re right. I’ll heed your words,” Zhou Hao nodded.

“Oh, I nearly forgot—we have so much food here! Come, my disciple, let’s have a barbecue today!”

Yun Fang glanced around and found that the fish he had just sent flying were all dead; the lake’s surface was covered with serpent-tailed firefish, bellies up.

With a single palm strike, thousands of fish perished!

“Wow, Master, you’re incredible! With so many fish, how long will we be eating?” Zhou Hao swallowed hard.

The master and disciple transformed into master chefs. Yun Fang waved his hand, and blazing flames erupted in the air—the Dao Fire cultivated by immortals, capable of burning all creatures below its realm.

Zhou Hao picked up iron skewers and roasted fish over the flames. Within the blazing firelight, the serpent-tailed firefish quickly became crispy outside and tender inside, their aroma drifting irresistibly.

“Chopped scallions.”

“Cumin.”

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“Wasabi.”

“Soy sauce.”

…

The coordination between Yun Fang and Zhou Hao was perfect; their roles seemed to have swapped. Zhou Hao’s culinary talent shone—after all, he had once been a cook in the mortal army, and cooking had truly been an art for him then.

One must learn, and ask, and ask again!

A white porcelain plate the size of a table was placed on the lava ground, filled with roasted serpent-tailed firefish, now even more fragrant with seasonings.

The master and disciple sat facing each other, and, drawn by the rich aroma, each grabbed a fish and began to eat.

“Awu—” With a mouthful, Zhou Hao was filled with happiness. The serpent-tailed firefish was so delicious that he thought this immortal realm was indeed extraordinary—even the fish were explosively tasty. Since ascending the throne in the mortal world, Zhou Hao had tasted delicacies from mountains and seas, every kind of rare food. In time, his palate had grown numb, but today, a single fish from the immortal realm rekindled his passion for gourmet food.

“Mmm, excellent! My disciple, you seem to have studied food quite a bit. These mortal seasonings paired with serpent-tailed firefish are an absolute match—ah, so delicious!” Yun Fang ate with oil dripping from his mouth, showering Zhou Hao’s cooking with praise.

“Master, to be honest, I was a true connoisseur in the mortal world. I put a lot of effort into cooking, but these immortal ingredients are beyond compare—I’ve never tasted such delicious fish before!” Zhou Hao feasted, hands and mouth busy.

“Haha, good! Who would’ve thought I’d take on a disciple who can cook—my future is full of culinary delights!”

“Master, you’re teasing me. How can I bring my mortal skills to the immortal realm? They’re hardly worth mentioning.”

“The immortal realm is just a tedious world for cultivators, not as exciting as mortals imagine. I think the mortal world is far more interesting—every trade produces its own experts, and every aspect of daily life is refined. I have longed for the mortal world, but alas, I have no way to descend.”

“No way to descend? How is that? Even with your Golden Immortal cultivation, you can’t return to the mortal world?” Zhou Hao asked in confusion.

“It’s not a matter of cultivation, but a major event concerning the link between the two realms. Mortal beings can ascend to the immortal realm through cultivation or fate, but immortals cannot enter the mortal world—it would cause panic and chaos,” Yun Fang said seriously.

“So that means I can never return to the mortal world?” Zhou Hao felt anxious at the thought.

“Not necessarily.” Yun Fang saw Zhou Hao’s worried face and quickly explained, laughing, “Immortals can descend, but only with approval from the Celestial Capital, and usually for special missions—such as searching for disciples or recovering lost ancient relics. They must complete the task within a set time and return.”

“In the mortal world, immortals must disguise themselves, never revealing their true form. They must act discreetly and never display immortal powers before mortals. In short, mortal beings must never learn of the existence of another world,” Yun Fang said.

“No wonder. No wonder, though I heard many tales of immortals and ghosts as a child, I always thought they were stories to amuse children or pure fiction. So that’s the reason,” Zhou Hao’s anxiety gave way to understanding.

…

In no time, the master and disciple had finished the massive plate of food, but there were still mountains of serpent-tailed firefish, both roasted and raw.

“Burp!”

Zhou Hao let out a satisfied belch, feeling his whole body filled with energy. He ran along the wall of the earth’s core, starting to “take a walk.”

Yun Fang had disappeared, leaving Zhou Hao another Immortal Summoning Jade as he departed.

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The Immortal Sword was drawn, its blade gleaming like frost. Zhou Hao practiced swordplay in the molten lake, lightly tapping the surface, the sword slicing through the scalding water, its ethereal ringing echoing through the world beneath the lava.

The Cloud Veil Sword Technique—man and heaven as one. Zhou Hao wielded his sword with ease, sword light flickering, cold and intimidating. With a roar, pillars of molten fire shot up from the lake’s surface, but they rose and fell quickly, showering Zhou Hao in lava.

He felt no heat—on the contrary, he felt a chill, for his strength was still too weak. In the Cloud Veil Immortal Palace, he was still at the bottom, and his master was controversial. This identity as Yun Fang’s new disciple forced him to strive harder, lest he be bullied.

“No, I must become stronger—I must! In the past, Cao Shuang and Su Qing helped me, but I am an immortal too. I can’t always rely on others for protection—that’s the act of a coward. I must use my own strength to protect myself and earn respect!” Zhou Hao clenched his fists, the Immortal Sword in his hand blazing, and practiced the Cloud Veil Sword Technique once more.

Time hurried by, and ten years passed just like that. Zhou Hao’s hair grew thick, his features unchanged—still delicate and fair—but his immortal power had soared. Now, even the low-ranking disciples could sense the aura radiating from him.

For ten years, Zhou Hao had tempered his body with fire essence, reaching an extraordinary level of toughness. His rapid accumulation of immortal power was closely tied to this training.

“Hm, Master told me not to enter the lake and provoke its creatures when I lack strength. But simply staying here and quietly cultivating won’t bring true growth. I might as well descend again and test myself against the serpent-tailed firefish kings—see how far I’ve come.”

Staring at the bubbling, red-hot molten lake, Zhou Hao rubbed his hands. In ten years, he had practiced swordplay, tempered his body, accumulated immortal power, and even roasted and eaten thousands of serpent-tailed firefish. Compared to ten years ago, he felt utterly transformed—now, even facing those behemoths, he had the power to fight!

With that thought, Zhou Hao’s blood boiled. He was tired of solitary cultivation; he craved something to unleash his passion—he wanted adventure, he wanted battle.

With a splash, Zhou Hao leapt into the lake and charged toward the depths of the molten lava, his speed even surpassing that of the serpent-tailed firefish. He plunged deep, searching everywhere for the kings of the serpent-tailed firefish, a true warrior at heart.

“Huh, what’s this...?”

Suddenly, Zhou Hao discovered a massive skeleton stretched out ahead. It looked like fish bones, but the tail bones were long and thin.

“Could this be the skeleton of a serpent-tailed firefish king?” Zhou Hao wondered.

A roar echoed, and a massive golden fish swam out from behind the skeleton. It resembled a shark, but had two sharp fangs and its back was lined with seven or eight deadly spikes instead of fins.

The golden fish’s fangs were stained with blood, though clearly not its own. Its eyes were crimson, its aura menacing, and its huge body smashed the bones of the serpent-tailed firefish king as it moved.

Then Zhou Hao saw something even more terrifying—the golden fish was surrounded by skeletons and torn-up serpent-tailed firefish kings. Clearly, it had devoured their flesh and left the bones behind!

“Oh? New food has arrived?” The fish spotted Zhou Hao and spoke in human words.

“You...what kind of fish are you?” Zhou Hao was stunned—the golden fish was so monstrous it could even speak.

“Heh heh, come into my belly and I’ll tell you,” the fish sneered, shocking Zhou Hao even further.

In the next instant, the fish opened its bloody maw, its steel teeth glinting coldly, fresh blood dripping, the stench overwhelming.

Zhou Hao’s eyes flashed cold, his fists clenched, and with a shout he charged straight at the golden fish. The latter was surprised—a creature so small dared to attack it head-on.

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