A so-called alliance was nothing more than everyone tucking their blades away for a moment. Once the small fry were cleared out, they would eventually start stabbing each other in the back.
So, whether he expressed a stance or not didn't really matter; everyone was well aware of the situation.
Maintaining a facade of peace was enough.
Chen Zhou still had designs on the dragon vein beneath the provincial capital, so he didn't want to burn bridges just yet.
Yin Wudao likely felt the same, unwilling to let a fisherman profit while the snipe and the clam grappled.
As for the other demons and fiends, Chen Zhou could tell that even those who responded were harboring their own schemes.
These old fossils who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years wouldn't be foolish enough to trust Yin Wudao just because of a few words.
They were simply forced by the situation. How could a sixth-stage dare to oppose a seventh-stage? Were they tired of living?
They would agree for now and resort to feigned compliance when the time came.
"Since the Lord of Two Domains and the sea prince have no objections, I shall take your silence as tacit agreement."
Yin Wudao wasn't bothered. He raised his cup with a smile. "Come, serve the dishes."
At his command, teams of palace maids filed in like flowing water, carrying various delicacies.
With their blood-red long fingernails, the palace maids lifted the covers, and an exotic fragrance that stirred the soul instantly filled the hall.
The meat on the plates was exactly what Chen Zhou had seen earlier in the kitchen.
However, this time it had been meticulously prepared by the imperial chefs and supplemented with more precious ingredients, making it look, smell, and taste exceptional.
The demons in attendance smelled this exotic fragrance, and one by one, their eyes grew hazy as they began to drool.
Only Song Zi'an, standing behind Chen Zhou, saw his face darken instantly.
"An absolute waste of heavenly resources!"
Song Zi'an gritted his teeth. Looking at the plate in front of Chen Zhou—which seemed decent enough to others but was riddled with flaws in his eyes—his chef's perfectionism flared up.
"To use such crude, intense flash-frying for such top-tier ingredients is simply a travesty."
"My Lord, this cannot be endured," Song Zi'an whispered. "Such garbage is not fit for your mouth."
Chen Zhou chuckled. "Then, what do you suggest?"
Without a word, Song Zi'an unslung the big black pot from his back and set it right on the table.
"Allow me!"
Song Zi'an's sudden movement immediately drew the eyes of everyone in the hall.
At such a solemn and high-end night banquet, someone suddenly setting up a big black pot was a sight that was, frankly, a bit unseemly.
Yin Wudao raised an eyebrow, watching with great interest.
Cangming also frowned, wondering what this human was up to.
Song Zi'an didn't care what others thought; his eyes were only on the ingredients.
He expertly prepared the pot. He didn't use ordinary fire; instead, he pressed his palm against the bottom of the pot, and a plume of pure spirit fire rose up.
He dumped the dish in front of Chen Zhou into the pot.
"Remove the impurities, retain the essence."
The spatula in Song Zi'an's hand flew, his movements as fluid as a mountain stream, carrying a unique rhythm.
He took out several special seasonings he had brought along—powders made from spirit grasses he had gathered back on Zhenlong Mountain.
As he stir-fried, the exotic aroma shifted again.
It became subtle, profound, carrying a serenity that struck directly at the soul.
The meat in the pot began to glow.
Not figuratively, it was actually emitting light.
A faint golden glow enveloped the dish. The surrounding demons swallowed hard, the scent hooking the gluttonous urges in their bellies until they were ready to revolt.
However, seeing the dream demon piglet lying on Chen Zhou's table, no one dared to approach. They could only watch with wide, hungry eyes.
A moment later, the spiritual meal was ready.
"My Lord, please enjoy."
After finishing, Song Zi'an put away the pot, wiped his hands, and quietly returned to his place behind Chen Zhou, as if the dazzling master chef from a moment ago wasn't him.
Looking at the translucent slices of meat that looked like works of art, Chen Zhou picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
It melted the moment it touched his tongue, and a warm current instantly surged through his body.
【You have consumed Specially Made Heart-Clearing Soul-Settling Meat (Special)】
【You have gained the Soul-Settling state. Mental resistance +50%. Can briefly suppress the agitation of symbiotic death qi within the body and soothe distortions at the soul level.】
【Remaining Time: 72 hours.】
Chen Zhou's eyes lit up.
A spiritual meal cooked with top-tier precious ingredients was indeed delicious, almost worthy of those scenes in old animations where one bite makes your clothes explode.
But the effect was even more astounding.
The previous pork hock only gave a Serene buff, but this had directly become a Soul-Settling buff.
His mental resistance had quintupled, and it could even soothe the death qi agitation of a seventh-stage. The duration was as long as three days.
While these buffs weren't extremely useful for an evil spirit like him, who was himself the source of death qi, for the cultivators of this world who were tortured by death qi, this was a divine medicine.
The descendant of the Heavenly Chef truly had first-rate skills.
If he could achieve this level with just precious ingredients, what about natural treasure-grade ones?
Chen Zhou began to look forward to when he would have him fry up those unaging pine nuts.
"So fragrant..."
A low murmur came from the side.
Chen Zhou turned and saw that Yin Wudao's gaze had also been drawn over, his eyes holding a hint of surprise.
As for Cangming, he had been staring at him from the start, but now his gaze was so burning it was as if he wanted to devour him.
That fragrance, capable of soothing soul distortions, held a lethal temptation for Cangming, who suffered deeply from the black spots.
Chen Zhou smiled and raised his wine cup toward Yin Wudao.
"Prince, how is the skill of my chef?"
"Does seeing him remind you of any old acquaintances, Prince?"
Yin Wudao retracted his gaze, his expression showing no cracks.
"Your Excellency's chef indeed possesses extraordinary skill."
"However, I have grown up in the deep palace. Though I have tasted all the delicacies of land and sea, I follow the principle that a gentleman stays away from the kitchen. How could I possibly know any chef?"
Yin Wudao didn't take the bait and steered the conversation back to recruitment.
"On the contrary, Your Excellency is surrounded by many talented people. If you are willing, I can reserve the position of Grand Superintendent of the Imperial Kitchen for your capable subordinate."
Chen Zhou remained calm. Since the other wouldn't bite, he wouldn't either, speaking in circles.
"The Prince is too kind. He is used to a wandering life and cannot stomach the rules of the palace."
The two of them continued to dance around each other.
However, it was at this moment that a change occurred.
Beside them, Cangming stared fixedly at the remaining meat on Chen Zhou's plate.
He couldn't take it anymore.
That longing originating from the depths of his soul overwhelmed his reason.
He grabbed the unprocessed, ordinary dish on his own table and shoved it into his mouth.
He tried to find the same serenity within it.
However, food prepared by an ordinary chef could only bring a false sense of numbness.
The suppression failed, and the backlash doubled.
"ROAR—!!!"
Cangming suddenly let out a violent roar. The black spots on his body erupted, spreading across him like ink. His originally azure scales instantly turned pitch black.
"Your Highness!"
The Clam Maiden beside him tried to step forward to check on him.
"Get lost!"
With a swipe of his claw, Cangming ripped the Clam Maiden in half.
Blood splattered across his face, but he didn't care.
At this moment, his eyes were only on Chen Zhou.
He wanted the spiritual meal in front of Chen Zhou, and he wanted to get closer to that dragon aura that he both feared and craved.
"Give it... give it to me!!!"
Cangming completely lost control and lunged.
Kicking up a massive wave, he leaped over the tables and charged toward Chen Zhou in a frenzy.
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