Chapter 961: Chapter 961

The kitchen of Jialan Celestial Mountain was not large, after all, cultivators could take Diet Pills, and usually, few people used the kitchen. However, there were always exceptions. For instance, those from the Divine Buddha Sect like Cinian preferred not to take Diet Pills whenever possible.

Siheng had not yet entered the kitchen when he smelled the wafting aroma. Yun Yubai was tending to the fire and immediately stood up to greet them with a respectful bow, "Celestial Sovereign!" He felt a strong sense of admiration for Siheng. After all, Siheng had used his own cultivation and spirit to repair the Demon Ruin, a feat and magnanimity that he could never match.

Yun Jianchu waved her hand, "No need for formalities." The mother and son had an awkward status, and now they were temporarily residing in Jialan Celestial Mountain, safe only under Siheng’s protection. Seeing Yun Jianchu’s casual behavior, she felt a bit embarrassed: "Mother, you must not be disrespectful in front of the Celestial Sovereign."

Yun Jianchu rolled her eyes. You’re still his cousin; what’s so disrespectful about that? But she had her own troubles now. Yun Yubai continued, "The pearl divine chicken is precious. Mother took the liberty of catching one and stewing it without consulting you. Although it was for... Nanli Divine Sovereign, it was indeed her own decision. Please forgive her, Celestial Sovereign."

He bowed his head, not daring to look at Siheng. "It’s a trivial matter," Siheng said with a gentle gaze. "Just consider this place as your own home from now on."

"I knew it, Little Heng wouldn’t fuss over such a thing," Yun Jianchu nodded in satisfaction. Yun Yubai was taken aback. He looked up and met Siheng’s gaze, feeling very puzzled. The Celestial Sovereign had been absent from the Immortal World for a thousand years, and he was either unfamiliar or not very close with most of them. Siheng’s eyes had always been indifferent. Why did the look he was giving him now seem so strange?

Hearing his mother call "Little Heng" again and again, he felt even more perplexed. Yun Jianchu knew Yun Yubai was extremely intelligent and quickly chuckled, "Don’t be so nervous. I stayed in Nanli’s body for so long, and she said we’re all family now. Since we’re family, Little Heng has to be polite to me, right?"

Yun Yubai’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Just because of that? But Siheng clearly didn’t want to dwell on this topic anymore and asked Yun Jianchu to show him how the chicken soup was coming along. "This way, please!" Yun Jianchu gestured.

She opened the pot lid, and the aroma of chicken became even more intense. Even Siheng, who usually wasn’t tempted by food, felt his mouth watering. He swallowed hard, wanting to lift the lid of the stew pot to take a look. Yun Jianchu quickly grabbed his hand, "You can’t. The pearl chicken soup must be stewed with the lid on for five days. You must not open the lid during the process. If you do, the spiritual energy will dissipate."

Siheng was taken aback, "So particular?"

"Exactly. After it’s done and served, you still can’t open it until everyone is seated and the door is closed. Only then can you open it. In this way, the spiritual energy will spread throughout the room, maximizing its effect," Yun Jianchu explained confidently.

She then closed the pot lid again and checked the fire, her expression very serious. Siheng smiled, "I didn’t expect you to have this skill."

Yun Jianchu proudly raised her chin, "I have many strengths. Being part of your family, you won’t be at a disadvantage."

Siheng’s smile deepened, "Then I’ll thank A’Li and the children on their behalf."

Yun Jianchu quickly told him there was no need to be so polite. The kitchen was warm and cozy. The two extremely beautiful people standing together were like a dreamlike painting. Although they had Nanli’s connection, being so close made Yun Yubai, who was watching, feel something was amiss.

While he was lost in thought, Yun Jianchu rolled up her sleeves, tore the remaining cooked chicken leg meat into shreds, stir-fried it with seasonings, and mixed it evenly. Her movements were efficient and without any hesitation, showing she was indeed a master chef.

She served the chicken leg meat shreds, placed two pairs of chopsticks, and invited the two to sit down: "Come and taste it!"

Yun Yubai felt a chill: "Mother, this is Jialan Celestial Mountain’s pearl divine chicken. How can I eat it?"

"Well," Yun Jianchu handed him the chopsticks, "The divine chicken is his, but the dish is made by me. It’s even."

Yun Yubai was both amused and touched by her logic. But looking at the chicken leg meat shreds in front of him, he was moved. This was made by his mother...

Even if others called him shameless, he had to take a bite. But he still had to wait for Siheng to start eating first.

Siheng thought it was just an ordinary dish and took a small bite. His usually indifferent expression changed significantly. From shock to doubt, and then back to shock.

"Is the taste off?" Yun Yubai followed suit and tasted it. He also widened his eyes in surprise. This... this... was incredibly delicious!

It was no exaggeration to say that this was the best dish he had ever tasted in his life! The chicken leg meat was cooked to perfection, tender and flavorful, and the savory and spicy sauce complemented the chicken’s freshness and texture perfectly!

It was delicious enough, but the spiritual energy of the chicken leg meat hadn’t been lost at all. After swallowing it, he felt his Dantian warming up. Both of them looked at each other in shock.

They hadn’t expected much, but Yun Jianchu’s dish was incredibly tasty. Seeing that the two were silent and not eating, Yun Jianchu was taken aback: "What’s wrong with you? At least tell me if it’s good or not."

Although she hadn’t cooked for a long time, her skills shouldn’t have declined, right? Unfortunately, she was now a scarecrow and couldn’t taste anything.

Siheng came to his senses and nodded slightly, "Delicious."

On the other side, Yun Yubai had already shed two streams of tears and exclaimed, "So delicious!!!" He abruptly put down his chopsticks and stood up.

Yun Jianchu was stunned: "What’s going on? Is it good or not?"

Yun Yubai wiped the tears from his face and said, "Such a delicious dish deserves to be paired with wine! I’m going back to the Seven Peaks Sect to dig up the wine I buried five hundred years ago to go with this dish!"

Yun Jianchu was dumbfounded. It... it wasn’t that serious, was it?

Who knew that Siheng also put down his chopsticks and asked, "What kind of wine?"

A good dish deserves good wine!

"I created it myself, the Ten-Complete Tonic Wine," Yun Yubai said, "Five hundred years is long enough!"

Siheng then said, "Let’s go then."

The chicken leg meat shreds were a cold dish, and it wouldn’t take much time for them to make a round trip. The two quickly agreed.

Yun Jianchu’s mouth twitched, "Take me with you!"

Siheng replied, "The chicken soup is still stewing; you have to stay here and tend to the fire."

"..." Yun Jianchu gnashed her teeth in frustration.

But even though Siheng left, he specifically asked Chu Yang to look after Jialan Celestial Mountain. Chu Yang readily agreed.

However, Yun Yubai’s departure with Siheng did attract quite a bit of attention. But with Siheng’s current status and strength, some people muttered to themselves but didn’t dare to voice their thoughts.

"Junior brother, where are you going?" The Master of Crimson Glow Peak had just finished meditating with the help of the mountain’s spiritual energy, and his injuries had greatly improved, making his complexion much better.