Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

The weather in the mountains was unpredictable: the sky had still been streaked with the sunset glow just a moment ago, but now it was overcast with thunder rumbling incessantly.

The raindrops, large as beans, pattered against the Wuge Tent.

The Wuge Tent was one of the magic artifacts commonly used by cultivators for camping in the wilderness; it was made from the bladder of a Wuge that had grown for over fifty years. Normally it was the size of a palm, but once activated with mana, it could rapidly expand to a size of more than a dozen feet square.

This special kind of tent could withstand extreme cold and heat, had excellent wind resistance, and was impervious to both water and fire. Thus every cultivator in a mountain-breaking team carried one, ensuring that they each had their own dwelling space when setting up camp at night.

Wang Chen lit a Luminous Stone lamp and hung it on the tent frame.

The Wuge Tent had a total of eight frames made from the spine bones of the Wuge—thin, light, yet extremely tough.

The soft light evenly illuminated the space inside.

The roaring thunder and torrential rain outside fully demonstrated the value of this small private space.

Wang Chen took out a charcoal stove from his Storage Bag.

The charcoal stove was very much like the coal-burning stoves from his previous life. Their function was completely the same, except that coal stoves burned coal briquettes, while charcoal stoves used wood charcoal as fuel.

It was said that the prototype of the charcoal stove was the Pill Furnace, which later had been simplified and adapted so that ordinary households could also use it as a compact cooking stove, very convenient for outdoor use.

Wang Chen flicked his fingers and produced a small flame, which he used to ignite the wood charcoal in the stove.

This type of charcoal was kiln-cured, made from camphorwood that was over a hundred years old, burned smokelessly with a strong flame, and also gave off a pleasant fragrance.

After the wood charcoal began to burn, Wang Chen placed a Mandarin Duck Copper Pot on the stove.

He then added clear water and seasonings to prepare a soup base to his liking, followed by lean meat, river fish, tofu, green vegetables, deep-fried tofu puffs, and pork rinds...

Many cultivators, after breaking through to the Mansion tier, no longer consumed meat or fish.

They nourished themselves with the purple essence of dawn and the lunar essence of night, regularly consuming yellow essence and Lingzhi mushrooms to satisfy their bodily needs.

Doing so, the impurities within the body could be greatly reduced, benefiting the cultivation practice.

But Wang Chen was different from them. His cultivation of the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Method required a large amount of food rich in spiritual energy and blood to supplement his body. Even if his cultivation level no longer increased, he needed to rely on these Spirit Foods to maintain his realm.

Otherwise, his Physique strength would decline.

Moreover, there was the most important point: although everything from his previous life was gradually being forgotten by Wang Chen, the genetic makeup of a citizen from the Great Gourmet Empire was firmly etched into his Divine Soul.

Even if he were reborn a million times, it would not disappear!

Wang Chen felt that even if he condensed a Golden Core and formed a Nascent Soul, he would still enjoy the pleasures of food.

Cultivation was about enjoying freedom and ease, not putting shackles on oneself!

The thick soup in the Mandarin Duck Copper Pot bubbled and boiled, an enticing fragrance spreading throughout.

Wang Chen took a deep breath and picked up his ivory chopsticks.

Hiss!

Just as he was about to feast, the curtain of the Wuge Tent suddenly opened from the outside.

"Taoist Friend Wang!"

The next moment, a graceful and tall figure flashed in.

Wang Chen put away his chopsticks with some irritation and asked, "Taoist Friend Li, what brings you here?"

The newcomer sat down opposite him without ceremony; her eyes sparkled like stars as she gazed at the hot pot on the stove, her expression betraying her craving. "Taoist Friend Wang, that's really not very considerate of you, hiding here and eating all by yourself!"

Wang Chen couldn't help but laugh and cry, "We're not eating communal meals, how can me cooking for myself be considered inconsiderate?"

The cultivator sitting across from him wore a sky-blue Taoist robe and had skin whiter than snow, with eyebrows painted like a picture, a refined nose, cherry lips, and dimples on her cheeks. Though she dressed as a man, she couldn't conceal her captivating beauty.

With a Daoist bun and a long sword on her back, she also exuded a bit of heroic spirit.

Li Yian, a Primary Tier female cultivator of the Purple Mansion, with unspecified lineage and age.

Within the mountain-breaking team organized by the Overmountain Association, there were very few female cultivators. Li Yian, at the Primary Tier of the Purple Mansion, was undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching among them, and usually attracted a lot of attention.

Due to her exceptional beauty and outstanding temperament, some of the Purple Mansion cultivators in the team had expressed their interest in her, both openly and secretly.

The Path of Cultivation to Immortality entails wealth, law, companions, and land, with "companions" referring to mentors, relatives, friends, and Taoist couples.

The journey of cultivation is long, and it is hard for mentors and relatives to stay by one's side until the end.

But a Taoist couple can.

An outstanding female cultivator like Li Yian would be welcomed and pursued by many, no matter where she went!

Everyone likes a beautiful woman, and Wang Chen was no exception.

However, his admiration for Li Yian was just that, without any intention of fawning over her.

Women would only slow down his cultivation speed!

Yet strangely, Li Yian was indifferent to others but looked at Wang Chen differently.

Throughout their journey, she had taken the initiative to approach Wang Chen several times.

Wang Chen was somewhat puzzled.

There were more than a hundred cultivators in the Purple Mansion realm within the Mountain-Breaking Team, and his cultivation level was nothing remarkable amongst them.

Wang Chen was now using his true appearance, which could only be said to be slightly better than the average person, and couldn't really be considered handsome.

As for his background, Wang Chen had even less to speak of.

The question arose, why would Li Yian favor him?

If it was because she liked something unconventional, there were other Purple Mansion cultivators who treated her ordinarily as well!

But to say that Li Yian had ulterior motives, with Wang Chen's powerful Divine Soul and sharp intuition, he couldn't feel it at all.

It seemed that she was just genuinely attracted to him!

Wang Chen did not believe he had such charm.

He didn't have any "charm attribute," after all.

Li Yian asserted righteously, "If you don't invite me to eat with you, that's just unkind!"

With a delicate wave of her hand, two jars of Spiritual Wine suddenly appeared beside the charcoal stove: "You treat me to hot pot, I'll treat you to Hundred Flowers Brew, how about it?"

What could Wang Chen say? He silently took out a new pair of ivory chopsticks and handed them to her.

Hundred Flowers Brew was a second-tier Spiritual Wine, a single cup's price could match the ingredients of the entire table.

No matter how you looked at it, he was getting the better deal.

Li Yian took the chopsticks, happily picked up a slice of thin Monster Beast lean meat, swished it a few times in the boiling broth, and then unabashedly dipped it into the sauce Wang Chen had prepared.

"Mmm~"

The beautiful cultivator beamed with curved eyes and a light dimple: "Taoist Friend Wang, you are the most gastronomically gifted cultivator I have ever met!"

Wang Chen shook his head and reached for a jar of Hundred Flowers Brew, uncorking it and pouring a cup for both himself and Li Yian.

The Hundred Flowers Brew contained the essence of myriad flowers, fragrant and full of spiritual energy, bringing a warm sensation to the stomach upon drinking.

In such a rainy night, with the presence of delicious food, fine wine, and a beautiful companion, even Wang Chen with his will of steel couldn't help but entertain a fleeting romantic thought.

He couldn't help asking: "Why?"

Li Yian smiled with her lips pursed: "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

Wang Chen shook his head: "Never mind."

They were just passersby in each other's lives; after crossing Jade Dragon Mountain, they would go their separate ways. Why bother looking for trouble?

He had become sentimental.

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The first update is here.