The news that Mo Qi had taken over a mountain peak and opened a restaurant quickly spread throughout the Void Sect.

The Medicinal Cuisine became a hot topic of discussion among many disciples during their breaks from cultivation, and the rumors grew more and more outrageous.

Some said that Mo Qi had comprehended an unconventional technique from the "Medicinal Cuisine Record," creating Medicinal Cuisine even more potent than elixirs. A single bite could help someone break through to the next realm.

Others claimed Mo Qi was the reincarnation of the Kitchen God, and his Medicinal Cuisine was so delicious you could swallow your own tongue.

The restaurant’s rules also circulated: each Medicinal Cuisine dish cost one hundred contribution points, which could be paid with one Third-Level Spirit Medicine or ten Second-Level Spirit Medicines.

Rumor had it that Mo Qi was accompanied by a master servant who could defeat dozens of Elite Disciples at once.

Plus, Yang Ming and Yu Liang were there to hold down the fort.

So, no one should ever cause trouble in his restaurant. Otherwise, no matter who they were, they would be thrown off the mountain.

Some people believed the rumors, but naturally, others didn’t.

"What a joke. Millennia ago, the brilliant expert who wrote the ’Medicinal Cuisine Record’ was astonishing, and even he gave up on it. On what grounds could a good-for-nothing former kitchen hand successfully create Medicinal Cuisine? And a single bite helps you break through? Why not just say a single bite makes you an immortal?"

"Exactly. Maybe Ancestor Yu Liang pulled some strings for him behind the scenes. He’s a cook, so I can believe his food tastes good. But to say it can make people break through? I’m not buying it."

"If you don’t believe it, you can go try it for yourselves," some people argued in Mo Qi’s defense.

"Try it? Are you insane? One hundred contribution points is enough for two months of my cultivation resources! Only a fool would spend that many contribution points on a single dish."

"I bet the people who were thrown off the mountain were the ones who realized they’d been scammed, got furious out of shame, and went to confront Mo Qi. Who knew the restaurant would abuse its power and suppress them with force? We don’t want to be suckers. You go eat if you want. We’re not going."

These two completely different attitudes split people into two camps: those who had eaten Mo Qi’s Medicinal Cuisine and those who hadn’t.

Those who had eaten it felt the others were missing out on a huge opportunity. They became Mo Qi’s most loyal supporters, praising the Medicinal Cuisine while working harder than ever to earn contribution points just to afford another meal.

Those who hadn’t eaten it didn’t believe in the so-called Medicinal Cuisine from the bottom of their hearts. They were convinced the others were shills hired by Mo Qi to trick them into spending money.

For a time, Mo Qi became a mysterious Medicinal Cuisine Grandmaster in the eyes of many, but also a swindler who unscrupulously exploited his fellow disciples in the eyes of others.

Compared to the disciples, who had incomplete information, the upper echelon of the Void Sect, who knew the whole story, were completely shaken.

"That old fellow Yang Ming had clearly reached the end of his lifespan. His vitality was withered, and it would have been a feat just to keep from dying, let alone breaking through to a new realm. But then he just broke through without any warning at all. As soon as he came out of seclusion, he was dead set on siding with Mo Qi, even forcing Wang Xinglong and Xu He to apologize for him. Do you think this has something to do with the Medicinal Cuisine?"

Several of the big shots who had once fought to take Liu Hui as their disciple gathered to discuss the matter.

"Let’s put that aside for a moment. I have something even stranger to tell you. Remember Liu Hui? I’ve investigated. Just a month ago, he was merely an Outer Disciple at Refining Essence Eighth Heaven. He also suffered from severe Innate Weaknesses and a serious deficit in his vitality. It was impossible for him to have any kind of Dragon Blood Talent."

The speaker was a ruddy-faced old man, and his words immediately caused a huge uproar.

"How is that possible? In just one month, he went from Refining Essence Eighth Heaven to the Refining God Realm! Heavens, what on earth did he go through?!"

"And how were his Innate Weaknesses cured? Where did the Dragon Blood Talent come from?"

"What else did your investigation uncover?"

Everyone’s gazes focused on the ruddy-faced old man.

The old man said in a deep voice, "A month ago, Liu Hui and Mo Qi didn’t know each other; they were complete strangers. The turning point was the day they met. Although I don’t know the specific details, Liu Hui underwent a world-shaking transformation after that day, and he himself became Mo Qi’s subordinate."

"Furthermore, I received reliable intelligence that the last person Yang Ming saw before he went into seclusion was Mo Qi."

Everyone sucked in a cold breath, their minds involuntarily replaying the scene when they had competed for Liu Hui.

They had spoken up, even threatened Mo Qi, telling him to give Liu Hui his freedom.

At the time, Yang Ming had said, "Use your heads before you act. There are some people you’re better off not offending. Otherwise, when you find yourself begging them for help in the future, it’ll be quite embarrassing."

It had seemed like a baffling statement at the time, but thinking back on it now, it was incredibly thought-provoking.

"Could it be... the reason Yang Ming was able to break through his shackles in his twilight years was all because of Mo Qi? Or rather, because of his Medicinal Cuisine? Is that why Yang Ming would protect him at all costs?!"

"And Liu Hui’s Innate Weaknesses, his Dragon Blood Talent, and his massive cultivation increase... was that all because of Mo Qi, too? Is that why he willingly acknowledged him as his master?!"

The atmosphere instantly froze. The faces of the various big shots were grave, and also a little embarrassed.

They hadn’t forgotten how dismissive they had been of Yang Ming’s warning.

"Hmph, me, beg him? That’ll happen when the sun rises in the west."

"Exactly. A snot-nosed brat who hasn’t even grown all his hair yet. I could crush him with a single finger. Beg him? What a ridiculous fantasy."

"Beg him? Not in this lifetime."

"I would die before I begged him."

Those words still echoed in their ears.

When there were no clues, they couldn’t be bothered to think about it. Now that there were clues, they couldn’t help but overthink it.

If Mo Qi’s Medicinal Cuisine was truly the key to Yang Ming’s breakthrough, then their past "heroic declarations" were a deep pit they had dug for themselves.

Although their conditions were much better than Yang Ming’s had been, their bodies were already on a downward slope. It was only a matter of time before their own vitality withered.

In other words, in another thirty to fifty years, they too would face the fate of passing away in meditation at any moment, with almost no chance of a breakthrough.

After a long silence, the white-haired and white-bearded Elder of Skill Transmission couldn’t help but speak up. "Perhaps this is all just our speculation. Think about it, Mo Qi is just a cook who can’t even condense True Essence. What ability could he possibly have to help Yang Ming at the Peak of Vajra Realm break through to the Void Realm?"

"Even if he successfully created Medicinal Cuisine, a Spirit Medicine capable of helping someone at the Peak of Vajra Realm break through would have to be at least a Fourth-Level Spirit Medicine. With his cultivation, he wouldn’t have the ability to process a Spirit Medicine of such high quality."

"But what if it’s true?" The ruddy-faced old man’s single sentence shut the Elder of Skill Transmission up.

A deathly silence fell once more.

"Why don’t we go to his restaurant, try this so-called Medicinal Cuisine, and do a little digging while we’re at it?" someone suggested.

"I’m not going! I can’t afford to lose that much face!" The Elder of Skill Transmission turned his face away, refusing flatly.

"I’ll go!" The ruddy-faced old man’s eyebrows twitched. He was not far from the end of his lifespan and couldn’t afford to wait.

Rather than watch himself grow older day by day, stepping closer to death’s door and enduring both mental and physical torment, it was better to bow his head, admit his mistake, pay a small price, and trade it for a new lease on life.

In any case, in terms of seniority, Mo Qi was technically their junior brother. Apologizing to him wouldn’t be that humiliating.

"I... I’ll wait a bit longer."

"I’m in no hurry either."

The ruddy-faced old man’s decision made the rest of them resolve to stand pat and observe for a while. After all, he would be scouting the path for them.

If Mo Qi really had the ability, it wouldn’t be too late for them to apologize then. If not, there was no loss.

Meanwhile, Xu He ran over to Wang Xinglong to complain about his grievances.

After all, he had lost a hundred thousand contribution points and had nearly been stripped naked and paraded through the Void Sect.

"You’re saying that group of Elite Disciples not only didn’t cause trouble for Mo Qi, but were instead more than happy to spend one hundred contribution points to eat his Medicinal Cuisine?"

"That’s right," Xu He said, nodding.

"So that bastard Mo Qi actually managed to cook something up from the ’Medicinal Cuisine Record’?"

Xu He nodded again and said, "It must be true. Those guys are all as sly as foxes. They wouldn’t have turned on me at the critical moment if there was no benefit."

Wang Xinglong’s eyes narrowed as he mused, ’Could this be the secret that bastard Mo Qi obtained in the Wailing Abyss?’

’The "Medicinal Cuisine Record" is bullshit. That kind of nonsense is just to fool an idiot like Xu He.’

’How many years has it been? If the "Medicinal Cuisine Record" was really that magical, someone would have figured it out long ago. How could it be a good-for-nothing like Mo Qi’s turn?’

"Third Senior Brother, what should we do? Yu Liang and Yang Ming are holed up in that restaurant all day. We have no chance to get revenge." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

A cold glint flashed in Wang Xinglong’s eyes. "I have my own plans. Just give me your full cooperation when the time comes. Hmph, he won’t be jumping around for long. I’ll make him spit out everything he’s taken from us, a hundred, even a thousand times over!"

...

At this moment, Mo Qi was not as triumphant as one might imagine. He was glaring furiously at a skinny old man with a crew cut.

"I already said, we’re closed for the day."

"Oh, come on now. This old man came all this way following the fragrance. Hurry up and make a few of your specialties." The old man spoke with a wide grin, as if he hadn’t heard Mo Qi at all.

"Then let him go first!" Mo Qi looked at Liu Hui, who was pinned to the ground by an invisible force.

"No problem." The old man snapped his fingers, and Liu Hui instantly regained his mobility.

"ROAR!" Liu Hui bellowed as the Dragon Energy in his body erupted. He sprang up with a kip-up, his arms transforming into Dragon Claws as he swiped at the old man.

"Don’t!" Mo Qi, Yang Ming, and Yu Liang all cried out in alarm at the same time, but it was too late to stop him.

"Naughty!"

The old man chuckled softly. With just a single glance, Liu Hui was instantly frozen in mid-air. His Dragon Claws were a hair’s breadth from the old man, but it was as if an impassable chasm lay between them. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not cross it.

"Since you don’t want to stand, you might as well lie down."

As his voice fell, without any visible movement from the old man, Liu Hui was struck by an immense force and slammed to the ground, unable to move.

Normally, with his disciple being attacked, Yang Ming should have stepped in to help.

Yet at this moment, Yang Ming’s face was filled with terror, and his gaze toward the old man was filled with awe and reverence.

Even Yu Liang, a man of extremely high seniority, was trembling with disbelief on his face.

"Just who are you, and what do you want?" Mo Qi demanded.

He had taken in Yang Ming and Yu Liang’s reactions. Mo Qi knew that the old man before him was no ordinary person.

After all, even if the Sect Leader, Yun Xuzi, were here, Yang Ming and Yu Liang would not have reacted this way.