Upon confirming that she would participate in the battle, Elder Fanxin finally signed in relief. Still, he eyed No-Food Goddess. "No-Food, your complexion doesn't look very good. Would you like me to examine you?"

At that moment, Qi Yuan leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Just tell him you can eat seven fish in one sitting and your body's in great shape!"

Right now, only one thought occupied his mind: feed No-Food Goddess as quickly as possible and restore her body to normal. That way, the Heavenly Pillar would be repaired, and he could continue his visualization.

"I can eat seven fish in one sitting. My body is perfectly fine. There's no need to trouble any of you. Please leave," No-Food Goddess said stiffly, clearly seeing them out.

Elder Fanxin's expression turned strange. For some reason, he felt that No-Food Goddess was behaving rather oddly today.

Thus, he emphasized once more. "The battle at the Ascending Dragon Grounds is in half a year. No-Food Goddess, please do not be absent. It concerns the fate of the Mortal Heart World."

"Okay."

After saying that, No-Food Goddess vanished, fusing into the Heavenly Pillar. Only a group of stunned ancient gods remained behind.

The Venerables discussed in hushed tones.

"Was that really No-Food Goddess?"

"Strange... It felt like she was talking to someone the whole time."

"You felt that too?"

Elder Fanxin frowned as well. "I felt the same, but I detected no one."

He was a Mythic, his sheer, terrifying strength placing him far above the rest. No one should have slipped past his sight.

Beside him, Lingzhong froze, seemingly preoccupied. Could it be...?

Worry rose in his heart. He felt that things were not so simple.

***

At the same time, Qi Yuan followed No-Food Goddess back to the bamboo hut.

He sighed morosely. "My lifelong reputation is ruined. I actually became a thief for a day. If I was going to steal something, couldn't it at least be something classy? Immortal pills, fairy undergarments, a celestial god's chainmail... Instead, I stole pots and pans!"

When he and No-Food Goddess arrived in the surrounding areas, all the shops were shut tight. Living up to her decisiveness and domineering attitude, she simply went in and took the pots and pans.

Unusually, No-Food Goddess argued back. "They worship me, and I protect them. These can count as offerings."

Qi Yuan urged impatiently, "Forget it, that's not important. Let's make braised fish!"

Truthfully, he was also curious. Why would the Heavenly Pillar recover just because she ate something? If that was the case, why didn't she eat normally? Finally, he could find out what was going on.

"Alright."

"Finally, I get to be a base commander!" he said eagerly.

Very soon, under Qi Yuan's guidance, No-Food Goddess caught seven fish. After slitting their bellies and removing the organs, she scraped off the scales.

As for Qi Yuan, he sat to the side, enthusiastically issuing commands.

"The kitchen knife was a waste. Looks like it'll just gather dust again."

"Scrape more carefully. There's still half a scale left."

"Cooking is all about color, aroma, and taste. You cut these fish pieces unevenly, your knife skills are lacking."

"Too little chili. Add more." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Haa... You're the worst student I've ever taught when it comes to cooking."

At this moment, No-Food Goddess looked just like an ordinary mortal woman. At last, with great difficulty, a plate of braised fish was completed.

Qi Yuan praised the charred fish, "Not bad. For your first time, this is already excellent."

First scold, then praise. The combination of both was the true path.

Then, he urged. "Hurry and eat some. See if your body improves."

He was very curious about the principle behind the Heavenly Pillar.

No-Food Goddess frowned, hesitating.

Qi Yuan kept coaxing her, "Don't look at how bad it looks. It actually tastes pretty good."

After all, cultivators could eat any food, no matter how terrible it tasted. Moreover, the dish was made under his guidance. There was a limit to how bad it could be.

No-Food Goddess stared at the plate of fish. Picking up a piece of meat with the chopsticks, she drew it to her lips. Her brows knitted tightly, resistance filling her eyes.

Qi Yuan encouraged. "Don't worry, it's not poisonous. You won't get sick from eating it."

No-Food Goddess stared deeply at Qi Yuan, then forcefully stuffed the fish into her mouth. Her face instantly turned pale, as if she had suffered a grievous injury.

Qi Yuan froze. Does it warrant such a big reaction?

He asked anxiously, "Is it that bad? If it's really awful, don't eat it. Maybe it's the pan. Let's switch pans and cook another batch."

Qi Yuan then reached out to pat her back. However, his hand passed straight through her. The two of them were separated by time and space.

She trembled slightly, her brows drawn so taut it was frightening. "It's fine."

In one swift motion, she forced the fish down her throat. She acted as if she were swallowing poison—no, something even more excruciating than that.

Qi Yuan's expression changed. He believed it now. No-Food Goddess truly had anorexia, and not the ordinary kind. She had such an extreme reaction from eating a piece of fish?

Completely baffled, he asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"

The woman in red seemed unsteady. In the next moment, she collapsed onto the bamboo mat, her eyes closed, beads of hot sweat forming on her forehead. Strangely enough, she seemed very cold, shivering faintly from time to time.

The sudden turn of events left Qi Yuan even more baffled. How could a Mythic fall just from eating fish?