129: Chapter 129 Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you.

But the moment the maid left and the atmosphere in the living room returned to peace, the gentle and graceful aura around the middle-aged mature woman sitting on the sofa suddenly changed.

The soothing and loving warmth that had just pacified people completely vanished, replaced by an aloofness and sharpness that looked down upon all living beings and saw through the ways of the world, while a deeply hidden supreme coercion faintly leaked out, instantly freezing the air in the entire courtyard.

Her gaze swept lightly over Liu Yun aside, and then looked at Lin Ye, her tone calm and waveless, yet carrying an unquestionable scrutiny: "I have already carefully examined the two major vassal races of Yun'er's divine kingdom earlier."

"Indeed, all members have advanced to S-rank, their realms are complete, and their foundations are solid. However, the foundation of Yun'er's own vassal races has long been stuck at the peak of A-rank for many years. With sufficient accumulation and a profound foundation, breaking through to S-rank was naturally a matter of course, a matter of sooner or later."

"Ordinary high-tier cultivators, as long as they put in a little effort and match it with a sufficient amount of top-tier resources, can also achieve this step."

As her voice fell, her gaze landed on Lin Ye in front of her. Her clear eyes carried a bit of scrutiny and evaluation; there was no malice, but they were full of distrust: "And you, a half-grown brat, how can you make me believe you?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room instantly became subtle.

Liu Yun immediately wanted to open her mouth to defend, but was gently stopped by the middle-aged mature woman with a raise of her hand.

Facing her grandmother's blunt questioning and contempt, Lin Ye did not show the slightest panic or embarrassment, nor any youthful rage. With a straight posture and a calm expression, he spoke calmly and without servility or overbearingness: "Grandmother can choose not to believe my cultivation methods; after all, empty words are proof of nothing!"

"However, I can experiment on the spot and display my cultivation abilities publicly. True or false, strong or weak—seeing is believing, and everyone will know at a glance."

As his voice landed, Lin Ye's thoughts spun rapidly, and a brilliant way of corroboration suddenly arose. He spoke again with a very resolute tone: "Besides this, I have an even more direct method."

"Previously, I discussed the matter of cultivating the SS-rank Tree of Life with Aunt. As long as Grandmother is willing to gather the two core resources of primordial soil and spring of eternity, I can take action on the spot, successfully cutting, cultivating, and rooting the branches of the Tree of Life."

"Ordinary cultivators can only help vassal races break through bottlenecks; no one can cultivate ancient divine trees. As long as I can keep this Tree of Life alive, all doubts will naturally dissipate like smoke. Whether my methods are true or false, mediocre or divine, it will be clear at a glance."

These words were clear in logic and full of confidence, without a shred of boasting or exaggeration; every single word was the truth.

Hearing this, the middle-aged mature woman was slightly stunned, and then a faint, playful smile flashed across the depths of her eyes. Her sharp aura softened a little, and she gave Lin Ye a deep look: "You child are quite clear-minded, considering everything for Yun'er everywhere and single-mindedly wanting to consolidate the foundation of her divine kingdom for her. It was not in vain that Yun'er treats you like her own biological son."

"I indeed have the primordial soil and spring of eternity required for the Tree of Life to take root, but they were also exchanged by me at a great cost."

Her tone suddenly changed, and her prudence returned once again: "However, having lived for so many years, I never make aimless investments. Before seeing true capability, I will not easily take out such top-tier divine resources to take a vain risk."

She pondered slightly, and a moment later settled on a compromise, her tone carrying a bit of testing and certainty: "How about this."

"You finish your meal in peace first and rest properly. Later, you will pick a vassal race from one of the guards under my command and make a move to cultivate it once."

She raised her hand to point at the iron-blooded female guards standing around, her gaze locking onto Lin Ye: "If your cultivation methods are truly as miraculous and heaven-defying as Yun'er boasted, able to break through conventional cultivation limits and create surprises, I will not only dispel all doubts, but also take out all the resources for cultivating the Tree of Life to hand over to Yun'er, as well as heavily reward you. I will definitely not treat your ability unfairly."

These words were fair and just: verify abilities first, then grant opportunities. It neither lost the demeanor of an elder nor guarded the prudence of a top-tier powerhouse, making it impeccable.

Hearing this, Lin Ye did not hesitate at all and immediately nodded in agreement: "Very well. Everything will follow Grandmother's arrangement, and later I will naturally bring out my true capabilities to prove it."

His heart was open and aboveboard, and he was full of confidence. The Ancestral Tracing and Origin Nourishing talent was his greatest backing, something ordinary cultivators could far from reach, and he was simply fearless of any tests.

Seeing this, Liu Yun beside him completely put down her hanging heart, smiling helplessly as she shook her head.

She knew her mother's temperament well: always cautious, suspicious, and believing only in strength. No matter how others boasted, it was not as effective as a real result.

Now that the competition was set, it would instead allow her mother to thoroughly recognize Lin Ye's heaven-defying talent.

In less than a moment, several maids hurried over carrying layers of exquisite meals. Heavy meat and vegetable dishes, exquisite staples, and nourishing soups filled the entire dining table, steaming and overflowing with fragrance. A rich earthly aura instantly filled the entire living room, dispelling all the solemnity and oppression from just moments before.

Having spent days of high-intensity, mind-taxing bitter cultivation in the divine kingdom and attentively cultivating vassal races, Lin Ye was physically and mentally exhausted with an empty stomach, already hungry to the extreme.

Although he was ravenous, he still maintained a sense of propriety, taking the lead to raise his hand in deference, signaling Grandmother and Liu Yun to use their chopsticks first.

The middle-aged mature woman smiled faintly and shook her head gently: "You guys go ahead and eat. I have been in secluded cultivation for many years and have long since abstained from grain, having no need for mortal food."

Liu Yun also waved her hand and smiled gently: "I just ate some dim sum and am not hungry for the time being. Just eat to your heart's content."

Both of them politely declined, showing no intention of touching their chopsticks at all.

Since that was the case, Lin Ye no longer needed to restrain himself. He completely let loose and buried his head in a massive feast.

At this moment, he was hungry to the extreme and completely unable to care about a refined image. He wolfed down his food voraciously, his chopsticks rising and falling swiftly as a full table of dishes rapidly went down his stomach. That eating appearance was rough and eager, almost no different from a starving ghost reincarnating, looking exceptionally down-to-earth.

Sitting aside, Liu Yun found it both amusing and heartbreaking. While constantly raising her hand to pick exquisite meat dishes and soft, glutinous staples for Lin Ye, she softly exhorted: "Eat slowly, no one is fighting you for it, don't choke. If it's not enough, I'll have the back kitchen add more."

With his mouth stuffed with food, Lin Ye responded vaguely, but his hand movements did not stop at all as he continued to gorge with his head buried. In just over ten minutes, a large, full table of sumptuous meals had been mostly eaten by him, and the plates on the table were completely emptied.

After a whirlwind sweep, Lin Ye finally filled his stomach completely. The hollow and exhausted state of his whole body was swept away, and the warm food nourished his limbs and bones, making him instantly full of energy and confidence.

He put down his chopsticks, raised his hand to simply wipe the corner of his mouth, straightened his posture, and quietly sat properly aside to rest for a moment.

After a moment, his physical strength and spirit were fully restored to their peak state. Lin Ye did not delay any longer and took the initiative to speak, pulling the topic back to the previous test.

"Grandmother, I have finished resting and am in full condition, ready to begin at any time."