"Old Baise, I heard you were once part of the Immortal Phoenix Sect," Taiyang asked, breaking the silence in the room. Qiao Nan had already dozed off on his sister's shoulder, who was also sound asleep. Taiyang's curiosity flickered across his eyes as he bombarded the elder with questions as the latter sat opposite him. 

"Yes, young master. I was once one of the nine High Elders of the Sect, ranking below only the Sect Master and the two Supreme Elders," Baise replied without reservation, hoping to make a good impression.

"Oh, then why were you kicked out?" Taiyang asked, not mincing his words.

"Cough..." Baise couldn't help but hide his awkwardness behind his cough. Since leaving the sect, no one has dared to question him so bluntly. If it were anyone else, they would have already lost their head. However, he couldn't remain silent, considering the sparkle in Taiyang's eyes.

"It wouldn't be correct to say that I was kicked out, young master. It was my decision to leave the sect of my own accord," Baise replied, trying to maintain his composure.

 

Taiyang probed further, "Oh? What's the difference?"

Baise's face twitched. It took him all of his willpower to prevent himself from lashing out. He could have easily thought that Taiyang was deliberately provoking him if not for the young man's innocent expression.

 

 

“There's a lot. I left after arguing with the Sect Master,” Baise's face twisted with irritation as he recounted, “Even though I had served the sect for more than five hundred years, that shitty geezer refused to give me a mere thousand-year-old Immortal Ginger. He made excuses that it belonged to one of the Supreme Elders and was essential for his breakthrough. So, I left in a fit of anger." 

As he finished his story, he noticed Taiyang looking at him with a perplexed expression.

"Is everything okay, young master?" Baise asked.

Taiyang turned to him and inquired, "Old Baise, what is an immortal ginger?"

Dear ancestor!

Baise was shocked. "You haven't heard of cultivation herbs?"

"No, what are they?" Taiyang shook his head.

This time, Baise's jaw dropped to the ground. How could this otherworldly young man not know about something so basic in the world of cultivators? Maybe they were called something else in the higher realms?

He took a moment to organize his thoughts before explaining, "Master, you must be aware of the fact that as a cultivator becomes more powerful, the harder it becomes for him to break through. That's why they often use cultivation supplements like herbs or elixirs. These plants contain spiritual essence and are rare, growing only in specific locations. They come in different grades, depending on the amount of spiritual energy they store, such as spirit, quasi-immortal, immortal, quasi-ascendance, ascendance, and so on."

"And that ginger, whatever it was, was one of those herbs?"

"Yes, young master! That ginger was of immortal grade, and the spiritual essence it had accumulated over a thousand years could have allowed me to easily break through the late immortal realm!" Baise reiterated with great regret. Looking back, he should have just stolen it and escaped the sect. Although his reputation would have gone down the drain, it would have been worth it.

"Young master?" He suddenly turned to see Taiyang rubbing his chin, lost in thought.

"Cultivation herbs?"

I remember that old geezer forbidding me from relying on external aid, so I guess I haven't used these so-called elixirs. But what are these medicinal herbs, anyway? Something like a plant that absorbs spiritual essence...wait!

Baise watched as Taiyang slowly raised his right forefinger and drew an arc in the air.

"Whooossh!" The air trembled as the arc widened into a small, bleak black hole. It stood there, whirling with an aura of emptiness and desolation. "A Singular Pocket?!!" At seeing such an outrageous sight, Baise's eyes nearly popped out. A Singular Pocket was a higher form of spatial storage, a pathway to a separate dimension that could store almost anything and everything.

 

 

However, no one had seen anyone use it before, so its existence was always shrouded in uncertainty. But right now, there was no doubt in Baise's mind that Taiyang had just opened one up. He saw Taiyang place his right hand inside it and appear as if he was looking for something.

 

 

 

"Is this what you wanted, Old Baise?" Taiyang withdrew his hand, holding an object so radiant that it seared Baise's eyes. As soon as it appeared, a soothing fragrance began to permeate the room. The light gradually dimmed, and Baise was finally able to see the object clearly. "What is...uhhhhhhhhh!" In a flash, Baise rushed over and snatched something that resembled a wizened root from Taiyang's hands. "T-here's no-o doubt about it....thissss issss a Sovereign level Orchid Root!" The man, revered by many as one of the top immortal experts, was now literally drooling as he inspected the Orchid Root with trembling hands.

 

"Oh," Taiayaing exclaimed, taken aback by the man's sudden outburst. 

 

 

 

 

During his time at the palace, Taiyang received tributes from all over the realm. Unfortunately, no matter how valuable they were, most gifts didn't seem to please Taiyang, who could practically have anything he desired... except for just one thing. He considered most of these gifts useless and threw them into a different dimension, which he called 'The Trash Can.'

 

 

The root that Baise held in his hands was one of the worst items in that dimension. However, he hadn't expected Baise to go crazy over something like that.

 

 

 

"Umm, big brother Taiyang...?" Startled awake,  Yingyue turned to look at him. She looked adorable as she gently rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands. He shook his head, telling her not to worry.

 

 

 

"Old Baise-"

 

 

 

"Young master," Baise said, his voice quivering with emotion. "Could you please bestow this great item upon this lowly one? Although I know I am not worthy of such grace, I swear to pledge my allegiance to you for as long as I live!"Baise stomped his head on the ground and begged in a pleading voice. If he could harness the spiritual energy hidden in this root, who could stop him from ascending to a greater realm? Even he dared not imagine where his cultivation realm might end up.

 

 

Great item? What great item?  

 

Taiyang looked at him confusedly, not knowing how to deal with the situation. "There's no need, I was going to give this to you anyway, old Baise." He wasn't lying, he really had no use for such a trashy item.

 

 

 

"Y-young m-master?" Baise stood up and looked at Taiyang with teary eyes, causing the latter to take a step back. For a split second, his instincts seemed to scream danger.

 

 

 

Strange. It has been a long time since I felt this kind of danger. Is this old man some kind of hidden master?

 

 

But little did he know that, in that very moment, Baise had the irresistible urge to leap at him and cover him with kisses. Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself in the end.

"Young master, this old man vows to serve you with all his might for as long as he lives!" Baise declared, bending his head in servitude. "Please command me however you wish. These old bones will even traverse through fire for you!"

 

 

A troubled smile crept across Taiyang's face before he nodded at the man's determination. Although Taiyang had not accepted his service, the old man's attitude was still worthy of admiration. 

Just as he was about to ask Baise to stand up straight, a waiter entered the room, his steps trembling and his breath ragged. Spotting the lord of the establishment bowing his head to a young man, he gaped in astonishment and momentarily forgot what he had come to say.

 

 

"What's the matter?" Baise asked, glancing over his shoulder at the waiter with annoyance. He didn't appreciate interruptions, especially when he was in the midst of pledging his loyalty to his one and only liege.

 

 

"Aaah, s-sorry, my lord. I came to tell you that everything is ready."

 

 

"Oh?" Baise's eyes lit up as he glanced at Taiyang before replying, "All right, we'll be right there. Get los— I mean, you can leave now."

"Y-yes!" Like a criminal whose sins have been pardoned, the waiter quickly scrambled away, his back drenched in sweat.

 

 

 

"What did he mean, Old Baise?" Taiyang raised his eyebrows quizzically.

 

 

 

A smile appeared on the old man's face. He didn't say anything, just motioned for Taiyang and the two siblings to follow him.

 

 

 

-------------------***--------------------

 

The Vip Dining Hall...

 

 

 

As soon as one entered the hall, a very strange sight would present itself. Several people, dressed in luxurious clothing, could be seen gulping down trays of fresh dumplings with hot rice.

Yet, this wasn't the most peculiar fact about the place. One would notice that the said people were sobbing like little kids as their hands and mouths moved at a speed that the mind refused to register. The faces of some of them were also red with bruises. 

 

 

 

"What is happening here, Baise?" Taiyang questioned in a dumbfounded manner. The two young siblings were also looking around the hall with curious eyes, occasionally gasping at a few frantically running waiters who almost happened to collide with them.

 

 

 

Baise, hearing his name being called out, let out a bright laugh. "Hahahaha, young master, as you can see, these people are very happy to eat my restaurant's dumplings. It's not every day we serve such a delicacy. Not to mention, today they get to eat it for free, so they are trying to savor it as much as possible."

 

 

 

Almost everyone present flinched as they heard Baise's laugh. In their ears, nothing could be more wicked than this old demon's laughter.

 

 

 

"Then, why are they crying?" Taiyang said after pointing at them. 

 

 

 

"That's because they are overwhelmed with emotion, young master."

 

 

 

"??" 

 

 

 

Sensing his liege's confusion, Baise moves closer to one of the tables, "You, stand up."

 

 

 

"Y-YES!" A young man who was previously eating with gusto stood up with shaking feet. The young man had a somewhat handsome face, but one of his cheeks appeared to be bright red.

 

 

 

"Why don't you tell us why you are crying?" 

 

The young man trembled for a moment and immediately turned to face Taiyang. As if it was something rehearsed beforehand, he said, "Reporting to the young master, it had been this lowly one's dream to taste the special dumplings of the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant. When this one was young, he had heard tales of how heaven-defying these dumplings were. This one's grandfather once told him that it was his lifelong wish to experience the taste of these dumplings. And today....I have...finally fulfilled the dreams of my ancestors..." As the man neared the end of his speech, he couldn't control it anymore and began to snivel. Like a dam filled to the brim and waiting to overflow, his crying affected everyone else present, and soon the hall was filled with the sounds of dozens of adults bawling like children.

 

 

 

Taiyang was at a loss. This was the first time he had encountered something like this, so he turned to Baise to explain what was going on. But he found the latter looking around aimlessly, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

 

 

 

"B-big brother... let's go," he looked to his side to find Yingyue tugging at his sleeves. Qiao Nan also seemed a bit scared.

 

 

"Alright." Taiyang smiled. "Old Baise, we are leaving now."

 

 

Without waiting for Baise's answer, Taiyang grabbed the young siblings' hands and made his way to the exit door.

 

 

 

"Young master, wait!" The old man shouted before quickly chasing after his liege, leaving behind many crying customers and stunned staff members.

       -------------------***--------------------

 

"Young master, please wait!" Just as they were about to pass through the exit door, an old man caught up to them, causing the trio to halt in their tracks.

 

 

 

"What is it now?" Taiyang raised his eyebrows in irritation. The old man was beginning to get on his nerves.

 

 

Sensing his displeasure, Baise spoke softly, "Young master, may I please be allowed to come with you?"

"No." A swift denial was spoken without any sense of hesitation. Although the old man had decided to become his servant of his own accord, Taiyang still hadn't acknowledged him. Besides, how the hell was he supposed to enjoy himself with an old man following him around?

 

 

 

Baise's shoulders slumped in dejection. He really wanted to follow Taiyang if possible, but he knew that the young man had not yet found him worthy. "Can you please tell me what you plan to do next?"

 

 

 

 

 

"Hmmm..." Taiyang thought for a moment before saying excitedly, "I'm thinking of joining this recruitment thingy of your sect.."

 

 

 

Baise's eyes widened, "WHAT?!"

 

 

 

 

Why is the young master going there? Is he planning to take over the sect by force? Wait, no. With his personality, it's not possible. Then why?

 

 

 

 

"What do you mean, why? As I said, I am thinking of becoming a disciple in your sect," Taiyang replied irritably.

 

 

 

 

"Wait, but how...? Why would you..." No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wrap his head around the reason why his celestial master would be interested in his sect, so he just decided to give up. Although it was the dream of many ordinary cultivators to become a disciple of the Immortal Phoenix Sect, his master was anything but ordinary.

 

 

 

 

Is this young master's way of playing around?

 

 

 

As he was lost in such nonsensical thoughts, he failed to notice Taiyang motioning for the siblings to tightly hold onto both his hands and smirking mischievously at their inquisitive eyes.

 

 

 

 

A flash of light soon enveloped them before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

 

 

 

"Young master...?" Baise raised his voice in shock. It seemed that the young man had teleported the three of them, leaving him behind. 

 

 

A wave of panic surged through his heart for a moment before a realization suddenly dawned on him. As he looked at the pulsating Orchid Root in his hand, an amusing idea flashed through his mind, causing him to smile excitedly.

-------------------***--------------------

An old man was seated beneath a waterfall. The water flowed down with great intensity, but as it approached the old man's head, it split in two and fell further away from him. As a result, not even the tiniest part of his silken white robe was stained with water.

 

 

The sight was strange, but the young girl standing twenty yards away from the waterfall remained composed, not moving a muscle as she waited patiently.

 

 

After a long time passed in peaceful silence, the old man finally opened his eyes. A gust of wind followed, causing birds to fly up and chirp in panic. With vigorous eyes unbefitting his old face, the old man spoke in a gentle voice. "Do you know why I have called you here?"

The girl thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I don't, grandmaster."

 

 

"Grandmaster, huh? When will you ever address this old man as your grandfather?" The old man received no reply. Sensing her unwillingness, he smiled ever so slightly. "You have already turned 19, haven't you, Shen Xi?"

The girl nodded.

"I still remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. You used to call this old man 'gramps' all the time back then," the old man reminisced fondly, laughing. If anyone who knew him saw him laugh like this, they wouldn't believe their eyes.

The girl frowned uncomfortably, but remained silent.

After a while, the old man stopped laughing and chose to adopt a serious expression. "Anyways, the reason I have called you here is to discuss your future."

"My future?" The girl tilted her head in confusion.

 

 

“Yes, it's time for you to gain experience. I have already taught you everything you need, but you won't reach your true potential until you fight your way to the top," the old man said in a solemn voice. The path of cultivation was treacherous, and to find one's Dao, every cultivator needed to depend on their own effort. External guidance and elixirs could only help so much. At least, that's how the old man thought.

 

The girl, it seemed, had some apprehensions but chose to nod her head in agreement in the end.

"So, I want you to go to the Immortal Phoenix Sect and compete with other talented individuals your age," the old man looked at the girl before continuing,"A few of your fellow clansmen have already been made inner disciples, as per my agreement with their Supreme Elders. But you, on the other hand, will have to go through this year's recruitment session to become a disciple because I want you to accomplish everything with your own effort."

 

 

"I understand," the girl bowed her head. She didn't mind not getting any sort of preferential treatment because she wasn't relying on it in the first place.

Seeing her response, the old man nodded his head in admiration, proud of his granddaughter's upbringing. "The recruitment session will start in three days, so I want you to leave before that. Do you have anything to say?"

"No."

"I see, you may leave now. " Just as those words left his mouth, the girl hesitantly looked at the old man for a second before her figure disappeared like wind.

"Although you have grown up so quickly, there are still a lot of things you need to figure out, my granddaughter," the old man muttered in a worried tone.  

Soon, the old man returned to his immovable statue form.