.

Liang Yuexin did not refuse Zhu Rong's offer to eat something, since it had been a long time since she had actually eaten.

From the time she had been in a coma until now, she hadn't eaten anything and didn't need to, as her body had been nourished through the spiritual Qi infused into it.

Even though she didn't need to feed her body, she still wanted to eat something good for her own pleasure.

It was something she had been used to for far too long, so regardless of hunger, she wouldn't hold back from tasting something delicious.

This was normal for all cultivators at the beginning, once they reached a stage where they no longer needed to eat, they would still do so to satisfy their desire.

Over time, this habit faded.

In fact, many cultivators who had reached the fourth or even fifth stage had often gone years without eating regular food.

The only things they would consume willingly were high level spiritual dishes, which not only tasted better but also contributed to their cultivation base to some extent.

The same went for spiritual fruits and other cultivation resources. Only in these cases did these experts bother to put something in their mouths; for the rest, they didn't care about satisfying the desire to eat.

That said, not everyone was like that. Some turned it into a kind of tradition, and every so often during the year, if they weren't busy cultivating or managing other matters, they would take the time to enjoy a good meal.

This naturally made the profession of chef skilled in spiritual dishes very popular.

These were cultivators who had reached high levels in their culinary craft and were capable of creating dishes infused with spiritual energy, making them not only more delicious but also good for those who ate them.

The higher the rank of the chef, the more expensive, delicious, and powerful their food would be.

It was a profession that, although popular for various reasons, few mastered at a high level.

In fact, the number of Master chefs was less than half that of other professions, not only because it was difficult to reach such a rank, but also because it required practicing with increasingly higher level ingredients, something far too costly even for them.

As a result, almost no one ever reached the level of a Grandmaster.

In fact, there were only two known chefs who had reached it: one in the Elven Empire, and another in the Human Empire, working under the imperial family.

But few knew that there was another individual who had reached that level, and that was none other than Zhu Rong.

During his travels in his past life, while searching for resources for forging and cultivation techniques, he frequently came across high level ingredients.

This, combined with the fact that he already had a solid foundation as a chef and that one of the few things he still enjoyed at the time was tasting ever more delicious dishes, led him to focus on this path whenever he had the chance, gradually improving his culinary skills and eventually reaching the rank of Master Chef.

At that moment, they were in a garden outside the residence on the mountain, at the edge of the forest.

Night had fallen, and although they were in the secret realm, the starry sky could still be seen for some reason.

The atmosphere was calm, and with no noise or beasts around after the mass slaughter of the corrupted creatures some time ago, it felt even quieter and more serene.

In this setting, near a small lit fire, a female figure of hidden but evident beauty sat comfortably on a chair, staring ahead at a figure a little further away.

He was working at a small cooking station near the fire, preparing various ingredients.

Many of those ingredients were ordinary, at least at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they contained strong traces of spiritual energy.

She sat silently, her eyes admiring the mastery with which the other was preparing everything.

She remembered how she had once mocked him when he claimed his cooking was second to none, even going so far as to say he could make any woman fall to her knees with his culinary skills.

Back then, she had thought he was just boasting, and given his exaggerated words, it was hard to take him seriously.

But now, she had her doubts.

She also had some culinary skills, but she wasn't a chef, only someone who was capable of preparing few decent dishes.

She wanted to help him, but Zhu Rong had told her he would handle it and that it was a good opportunity to show her his abilities.

Seeing him so confident, she stepped back to watch what he would cook, and before she knew it, she was completely captivated by his culinary skills.

With her limited culinary knowledge, she could tell these were no ordinary skills; she could say for sure he was a spiritual chef, a very high level one.

This was confirmed even more when he finally started finishing everything.

A strong and inviting aroma began to slowly spread in the air, enveloping the surroundings like a warm caress. It was a scent that seemed capable of awakening the senses, of teasing the soul itself.

Without even realizing it, she felt something stir within her, a familiar yet strangely new desire, stronger than ever.

A hunger that was not just physical, but something deeper, almost instinctive.

After some time, which seemed like forever to her, he finally turned around, calmly wiping his hands.

In front of her now stood a round table set with a variety of dishes that seemed from another world.

There were simple dishes made from spiritual beasts' meat, still warm and juicy, their aroma mingling with a faint golden steam.

Next to them, some more elaborate preparations glowed with their own light, and finally, the one that caught her attention most, a simple looking bowl containing three spheres that looked like snow, condensed with various colors, topped with a cherry.

She had no idea what this dish was, but she couldn't wait to try it.

Each dish gave off a different fragrance, yet together they created a perfect harmony, so intense that even the surrounding Qi seemed to vibrate in response.

For a moment, she didn't know whether she was looking at food… or works of art.

It was only when she heard Zhu Rong sit at the table that she snapped out of her daze and couldn't help but notice that he had placed a third chair there.

"Hm? Why did you prepare three seats?" she asked, but at that instant she felt a subtle fluctuation of energy in the air, and caught a glimpse of a beam of light emerging from Zhu Rong's body, leaping onto the chair and quickly taking the form of a woman.

Eh?

The moment the woman appeared, Liang Yuexin's mind froze.

It wasn't because of the woman's transcendent appearance, but because of her aura.

The woman's aura was subtle, giving off no spiritual energy fluctuations, making it impossible to tell whether she even had a cultivation base. If she hadn't seen her with her own eyes, she probably wouldn't even know she was there.

Yet her draconic instincts went into overdrive, sensing an immense danger emanating from her.

Her instincts were razor sharp and even more strong after the awakening she had recently undergone, so she could still feel something from her.

This caught her off guard.

She realized the sense of danger wasn't because the woman intended harm; in fact, she wasn't doing anything at all. It was simply her existence that radiated it.

But this oppressive sensation vanished immediately the next moment when the woman's eyes fell on the dishes in front of her.

"Ah, Master, it's been so long since I've had the chance to eat the dishes you prepared," she said, her regal and immortal aura transforming into a more playful one as she gazed hungrily at the food.

Zhu Rong smiled at her words and said,

"Hehehe, don't worry, I prepared plenty so you can eat as much as you want," he said, then turned toward Liang Yuexin, who currently hand a expression full of various emotion.

Zhu Rong could only shake his head, expecting that something like this might happen.

"She's Yuan Lan, my longtime companion and loyal right hand," he said, finally bringing her out of her trance.

She looked at him, then at Yuan Lan, who looked away just long enough to nod before turning right back to the food, ready to dive in.

She finally managed to calm her mind for a moment and thought back over the words she had just heard, quickly coming to a conclusion.

As soon as she did, her eyes widened, and she quickly turned to the woman and said,

"Wait, your right hand? Don't tell me…

she is the Lunatic Rose!"

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