Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity

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“Uh-oh!” Ye Junlin stroked his chin. Since he was already here, he might as well pay a visit to Medicine King Valley. After all, there were benefits to be had.

“Master, here’s your herbal-flavored ice cream!” Bai Xiaoxi came running with her little legs.

Ye Junlin took it, scooped a bite, and praised, “Hmm, not bad! You’ve improved.”

“Hehe!” Bai Xiaoxi scratched her head, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

“By the way, Master has a task for you.” Ye Junlin pulled out a thick book titled “Comprehensive Pastry Making Guide,” a bonus from daily sign-ins, covering various pastry recipes.

This book was definitely a commercial secret; in his past life, it could’ve built a pastry empire!

“Master hopes you can learn something useful, not just for me but for yourself as well,” Ye Junlin said seriously.

Bai Xiaoxi opened the thick book, her eyes sparkling at the colorful illustrations of pastries, nearly drooling at the thought of tasting them.

Just thinking about being able to eat what’s in there made her so happy.

Indeed, Master was the best to the little mouse!

“Get to work.”

“Okay!”

Bai Xiaoxi hugged the thick book, full of energy as she rushed to the workstation, ready to put theory into practice.

Seeing such shameless behavior, Hong Qianye was dumbfounded, feeling her understanding of the world reset once again.

You wanted to eat that yourself, yet you had to find an excuse!

Ridiculously, this silly little mouse actually believed it!

Watching the petite figure busy at the workstation, Hong Qianye, rarely feeling pity, thought about the fate of this kid.

Here was a Great Ascension powerhouse with a special constitution, boasting a thousand capable followers. With such conditions, even in the Central Region, he could easily carve out a territory and start his path to dominance.

And yet, here he was, willingly turning into a cook, feeling utterly pleased and content while serving others!

Just when Hong Qianye felt sorry for Bai Xiaoxi’s fate, Ye Junlin, sitting across, had already set up a chessboard, smiling, “Good disciple, let’s continue. If you lose again, there will be consequences.”

Looking at the smiling silver-haired youth, Hong Qianye’s fists clenched in frustration; she wanted nothing more than to punch him hard.

You scoundrel, if you want to torment me, just say it directly! Why make me suffer through a chess game?!

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to spar with me in chess?” Ye Junlin’s smile turned chilling.

“Master, you’re joking,” Hong Qianye forced a laugh, feeling uneasy in her heart. “It’s an honor for me to play chess with you!”

There was no choice; even in her frustration, she could only keep it to herself.

At that moment, Hong Qianye suddenly felt that compared to that silly little mouse, his situation was far worse…

In the distance, Li Wujie, practicing the Chaotic Heavenly Sword Technique, glanced at the two figures playing chess under the willow tree. A flash of envy crossed his eyes as he sighed, “Indeed, Master’s favorite is still Senior Brother Hong.”

Heavenly Spirit City.

With Medicine King Valley about to open in a few days, a massive crowd of cultivators from all over had gathered here.

Whether in inns or taverns, they were at full capacity.

Walking down the street, you’d bump into a Foundation Establishment every five steps and a Golden Core every ten—such sights were common.

Although there were occasional conflicts among cultivators, they were swiftly quelled, as there were too many bigshots hidden here, and no one wanted to accidentally offend someone and end up a corpse on the street.

Dragon Gate Inn.

The place was bustling with noise and excitement.

Four hooded figures stood outside, gazing at the sign.

“Master, this is the largest inn within a hundred miles,” Li Wujie said respectfully. “We can stay here for a few days until Medicine King Valley officially opens.”

The leading figure, tall and straight, had thick silver hair hidden beneath his hood. Under the brim, a handsome face glowed with star-like brilliance.

Ye Junlin nodded, “Alright, let’s go with this one.”

While they could stay on the Kunpeng, that would get dull after a while. If they stayed at this inn, they could enjoy the local culture and hear stories of recent events.

“Gentlemen, please come in!” the waiter said, waving them in.

As Ye Junlin and his group entered, their hoods concealed their identities, so the other guests didn’t pay them much attention.

The reason for this was primarily to avoid disturbing the surrounding order; after all, in the entire Eastern Domain’s cultivation community, Ye Junlin’s group was far too recognizable. It was difficult to avoid drawing attention when they were together.

“Master, why do we need to hide?” Hong Qianye hesitated for a long time before finally mustering the courage to ask.

In her view, this formidable group didn’t need to care about outsiders’ looks. Anyone who dared gossip would be directly killed!

“Ah, given my current fame, I’m sure many fanatics will come. If my identity gets exposed, they would rush to ask for my autograph, and that would really trouble me,” Ye Junlin sighed.

Upon hearing this, Hong Qianye felt as if he had been choked; the muscles in his eyes twitched.

He had thought of countless reasons for this, but he never expected that!

“Indeed, I should never try to gauge his intentions with a normal person’s logic!”

“I was wrong! Completely wrong!”

Hong Qianye took a deep breath, filled with self-reproach as he rebuilt his mindset.

“Waiter, do you have any recommended dishes?” Ye Junlin settled down at a table on the second floor, lightly tapping his fingers on the surface, inquiring.

The waiter swiftly came over, beaming, “Sir, you’ve asked the right person! Let me recommend a few signature dishes from our restaurant, I guarantee they’re authentically delicious!”

As he spoke, he opened the menu and introduced, “Look at this dish—braised lion’s head. We sourced the head from a Nascent Soul Stage Howling Wind Lion. Our chef chops it off and roasts it over low heat, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender, juicy meat!”

“And this sweet and sour carp—this fish isn’t ordinary; it contains a trace of true dragon blood! Eating it is incredibly refreshing and flavorful!”

“Lastly, we have stir-fried beef, made from a Transformation Stage Azure Bull. After eating it, you’ll feel incredibly strong and invigorated!”

…

As the waiter introduced the signature dishes, he secretly observed Ye Junlin’s expression.

These dishes had quite a steep price, and while the foot traffic had increased recently, most cultivators wouldn’t be able to afford them, and once they saw the prices, they would turn back.

But this time, it felt a bit different.

At this moment, Ye Junlin wasn’t fazed by the exorbitant menu. He was someone who had seen grand occasions.

After all, at the grand banquet prepared by the Great Zhou, even the simplest dish cost a fortune; the standard tomato scrambled eggs used eggs from the Golden-Winged Roc!

As for the dishes the waiter introduced, they were just a bit creative, not ridiculously extravagant!

“How about this one? I think it looks really yummy!” At this moment, Bai Xiaoxi pointed to a dish on the menu called “Snowflake Jade Meat,” her curiosity piqued.

The waiter smiled, “Sir, you indeed have a good eye! This dish is made from the Extreme Ice Mouse, which hails from the frigid northern regions and loves to burrow into glaciers. Our chefs expertly handle it, resulting in exceptionally tender meat. Each slice is as translucent as snowflakes, hence the name. I suggest you use a hot pot to cook the meat!”

Bai Xiaoxi: “!!!”

Originally hungry, Bai Xiaoxi, upon hearing that cruel description, was so horrified she nearly collapsed on the ground.

“Sir, would you like this dish?” the waiter asked cautiously.

“No, no! I don’t want it!” Bai Xiaoxi frantically waved her hands, her voice shaking as if about to cry.

“Uh, ” the waiter’s expression turned strange; why was this little girl reacting so dramatically?

Wait, did I just see a furry mouse face?