63: The Sin of Pride

Seeing that Han Fei insisted on not tasting the tea, Princess Luna could only regrettably instruct the maid to put away the white god clear tea.

"How should I deal with this tea?" Princess Luna couldn't help but feel slightly troubled.

After the white god clear tea leaves were steeped in spiritual water, they could only be preserved for three days.

After three days, not only would the luck-boosting effect be lost, but even the tea water would lose its fragrant flavor and become extremely bitter.

Naturally, Han Fei was unaware of the trouble weighing on Princess Luna's heart.

At this moment, his attention had been captured by the cooking competition taking place on the stage.

Following a series of delightful mini-games, the highly anticipated God of Cookery Competition finally began.

One-Star Gourmet Hunters from Tianhe City and over a dozen surrounding cities now stepped onto the stage, ready to display their understanding of ingredients and their pursuit of flavor without reservation to everyone present.

On the competition floor, various cooking stations were neatly arranged, and each table was laden with a dazzling array of fresh ingredients.

From rare fish and shellfish from the deep sea to exotic fruits from the mountains and forests, the variety was vast and dazzling.

After being cleaned by specialized staff, they were quietly placed on the plates, waiting to be transformed into works of art for the dining table by skilled hands.

Among the contestants, some lowered their heads, gazing intently at the ingredients in their hands, as if trying to listen to the ingredients' inner voices.

Others already held knives, moving them like artists wielding paintbrushes, the tips tracing elegant arcs in the air.

In the surrounding audience seats, food enthusiasts whispered and discussed, speculating about the delicacies that were about to be created.

Giant display screens erected on both sides of the arena captured and magnified every minute action of the contestants during the preparation process in real-time.

This allowed every spectator to enjoy this dual feast of sight and taste to the greatest extent possible.

As the saying goes: the layman watches the excitement, while the expert watches the technique.

Han Fei, having inherited Liu Yueer's insight, could naturally and easily see through to the essence of the culinary world.

This ability allowed him not only visual enjoyment while watching the competition but also spiritual resonance and culinary exchange.

At this moment, the lights on the competition floor were brilliant, and the participating chefs were like magicians, transforming ordinary ingredients into mouth-watering works of art.

Amidst the flashing knives and dancing flames, Han Fei's gaze followed intently, his focused and appreciative expression seeming to pierce through the arena's noise and reach the core of the culinary art.

Liu Yueer, who was beside him, was equally immersed in this feast of sight and cuisine.

The two occasionally exchanged glances; without needing words, they could read the admiration and critique for each dish in the other's eyes, sharing a mutual understanding and pleasure known only to true experts.

Although Princess Luna had some knowledge of cooking, she was far from reaching a professional level.

Her understanding of cuisine was limited to appreciating its appearance and enjoying its taste.

Therefore, the ingenious concepts and technical contests hidden behind the dishes were no different from juggling acts to her, failing to capture her interest.

While the God of Cookery Competition was in full swing.

In a corner seemingly forgotten by the world.

A deep, secluded palace, bathed in black and gray light and shadow, stood in the void.

Time here seemed to stand still, and the air was filled with an extremely oppressive aura.

Sin of Jealousy, this terrifying existence among the Seven Deadly Sins, was now trembling and kneeling prone on the cold, hard ground, like a slave who had committed an unforgivable offense.

His eyes, which had once flickered with the flames of jealousy, were now deeply buried by fear, and he dared not show the slightest disrespect toward the person above him.

His hands, stained with sin, were now pressed tightly against the ground along with his head, as if he sought to merge himself into this desperate gloom.

Before this silent repentance, only a gray throne, carved from ancient stone, stood in silent solemnity.

It seemed to have witnessed the passage of countless years, its surface covered with weathered patterns, as if every mark concealed a story from the past.

Seated upon the throne was a man dressed in a suit.

His face was resolute like a sculpture, and the aura he exuded seemed to freeze the very air.

His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, were now gravely scrutinizing several cards slowly floating before him.

Complex and mysterious inscriptions were engraved on every card.

The inscriptions rotated gently on the cards, emanating an indescribable energy fluctuation.

If the high-ranking officials of Eagle Country saw the person seated on the throne, they would surely tremble with fear.

Because this man had, single-handedly, killed three full A-Rank Experts from Eagle Country during that siege battle!

Since then, he had been given a title by the high-ranking officials of various countries, a title that inspired awe.

The strongest below S-Rank.

The leader of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Sin of Pride!

Sin of Jealousy knelt prostrate beneath the shadow of the throne.

Sin of Pride sat high above on the throne.

The difference in their status was like heaven and earth!

Sin of Pride's eyes, from beginning to end, never glanced at the figure kneeling before the throne.

His arrogant gaze was solely focused on the cards in front of him.

Suddenly, one card quietly released a faint light, causing Sin of Pride's gaze to instantly focus.

He reached out his hand, his movement slow and solemn, carefully pinching the card and slowly moving it closer to his eyes to decipher the strange symbols and hieroglyphs on its face.

"Third Hunter University..."

Murmuring softly, Sin of Pride's brow furrowed unconsciously, as if he had encountered something troublesome.

After a long time, Sin of Pride's gaze finally shifted slowly toward the corner that had been ignored all along.

There, Sin of Jealousy maintained his initial posture of utter humility.

His clothes were disheveled from kneeling for so long, seemingly an external manifestation of his inner anxiety.

"You..." Sin of Pride's voice echoed through the empty palace, deep as an ancient bell.

"Are you aware of where your mistake lies?"

These words were like a clap of thunder, instantly freezing the kneeling Sin of Jealousy like a statue.

"I, I..." He tentatively lifted his head slightly.

However, this action immediately drew a harsh reprimand.

"Who gave you the authority to look up?"

Sin of Jealousy's face instantly turned pale, and fear instinctively made him press his head even lower, almost merging with the ground.

"Lord Arrogance, I, I was wrong!" "Please forgive my stupidity, my ignorance..."

His apologies were accompanied by the trembling of his body, revealing endless fear and despair.

Sin of Pride watched him silently; time seemed to halt for more than ten seconds, and the entire space was filled with an invisible sense of oppression.

Finally, he spoke again, his voice carrying a hint of impatience and cruelty: "Answer my previous question, do you know your mistake?"

"N-no, I don't know..." Sin of Jealousy's voice was thin as a thread, filled with helplessness.

Hearing this, a heavy sigh escaped Sin of Pride's chest, mixed with unconcealed disappointment and contempt.

"Why should an existence as foolish as you continue to live in this world?"

This question was not only a reprimand for Sin of Jealousy but also seemed like an unreasonable challenge to the world itself.

Sin of Pride rose from the ancient throne.

He took a step, descending the stairs.

Step by step, he walked toward Sin of Jealousy.

His eyes fixed on the card he held, he slowly said: "After the last mission failed, didn't I emphasize to you all?"

"You only need to complete the tasks listed on the mission card."

"Do not do anything that is not requested on the mission card."

"Tell me, how many times did I emphasize this?"

Feeling Sin of Pride's approach and the suppressed rage in his tone.

Sin of Jealousy curled up on the ground, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, Lord Arrogance!" "I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry!"

He apologized hoarsely, using all his strength.

Each "I'm sorry" was accompanied by a heavy thud of his forehead hitting the ground, as if trying to mitigate the error he had committed.

That humble posture and those desperate pleas were in stark contrast to his usual arrogance, making it unbelievable.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Below are the detailed settings for the main scoring metrics in this text. Lore enthusiasts may read them, while others may skip them as they do not affect the main plot:

Martial Cultivation Comprehensive Score: This is a reflection of an individual's comprehensive Innate and Acquired abilities when learning, mastering, and advancing martial arts skills and the Martial Dao Realm. It is not only related to physical condition but also includes mental quality, Comprehension Ability, and other aspects.

It mainly covers the following areas:

Physical Quality: This is one of the most fundamental elements, involving strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. A good foundation in Physical Quality allows a Martial Artist to execute Martial Skills more smoothly, with agile and powerful movements, and better withstand the intensity of training and the consumption during combat.

Comprehension Ability: Comprehension Ability refers to an individual's capacity to understand and grasp the principles of martial arts and the essence of techniques. Practitioners with high Comprehension Ability can quickly capture key information from a Master's guidance or Martial Arts Secret Manuals, understand the intent and strategy behind a Move, thereby accelerating their learning progress and deepening their mastery of Martial Skills.

Combat Intuition: This is an intangible yet crucial ability, referring to the capacity to quickly make correct judgments and reactions during actual combat. A Martial Artist with good Combat Intuition can instantly read an opponent's intentions, anticipate and respond, and sometimes even unconsciously execute the best defensive or counter-attacking strategies.

Understanding of Martial Arts Secret Manuals: This involves the ability to comprehend various martial arts classics and technique descriptions. Martial arts knowledge is often contained within profound texts and diagrams. The ability to deeply understand this content, extract its essence, and put it into practice is an important criterion for measuring whether a person possesses a deep foundation in martial arts.

Mental Fortitude: This includes willpower, focus, patience, and the psychological resilience to face challenges. Strong Mental Fortitude allows practitioners to persevere through arduous training, remain undaunted by failure, maintain calm and determination, and perform at extraordinary levels during critical moments.

Adaptability and Innovation: In martial arts Cultivation, the ability to flexibly adjust training methods according to one's own conditions, and even innovate upon traditional techniques, is also a very important form of Aptitude. This requires practitioners to have an open mind and continuously explore a Cultivation path suitable for themselves.

Cultivation Comprehensive Rating:

The path of Immortality Cultivation is infinitely profound, involving the combined effect of many factors, among which Bone Structure, Spiritual Root, Immortal Opportunity, Comprehension Ability, State of Mind, and Lifespan are all important indicators that determine the achievements of a Cultivator.

Focusing on the following aspects:

Bone Structure: Bone structure is the basic Physique of the Cultivator, much like the root of the Cultivation tree. Robust bone structure means being able to withstand greater Cultivation pressure, having good adaptability and tolerance for Cultivating various Advanced Cultivation Techniques, which directly impacts the speed of advancement and the stability of the Realm.

Spiritual Root: As another manifestation of a Cultivator's talent, its importance is self-evident. Beyond the basic Five Elements Spiritual Roots, there are also various rare mutated Spiritual Roots such as wind, thunder, ice, and dark, each containing a unique energy conversion mechanism that grants the Cultivator distinct Cultivation characteristics. High-quality Spiritual Roots not only increase the absorption rate of Spiritual Qi but also allow for a deep and subtle perception of the minute changes between heaven and earth, enabling the Cultivator to achieve twice the result with half the effort when Cultivating Advanced Spells or unique Cultivation Techniques. They can even access Secret Realms unattainable by ordinary Cultivators and comprehend the ultimate truths of the world.

Immortal Opportunity: Immortal Opportunity concerns the opportunities and encounters a Cultivator has in the Cultivation world, including meeting experts for guidance, obtaining rare treasures, and entering ancient Secret Realms. Good Immortal Opportunity allows the Cultivator to avoid detours on the path of practice and acquire Cultivation resources and valuable experience more quickly.

Comprehension Ability: Comprehension Ability refers to the Cultivator's capacity to understand and Master Cultivation Techniques, Formations, Spells, and other Daoist Magic. Cultivators with high Comprehension Ability can realize the Great Dao from minor details, quickly grasp and apply new knowledge and skills, making it one of the keys to rapidly improving Cultivation.

State of Mind: The stability and sublimation of the State of Mind are crucial for practice. A powerful State of Mind helps the Cultivator remain calm when facing various temptations, dangers, and psychological challenges during Cultivation, remaining unmoved by external factors, which aids in Breaking through Bottlenecks and elevating the Realm.

Lifespan: A long Lifespan means the Cultivator has more time to Cultivate and explore the mysteries of practice. Especially on the path of Immortality Cultivation, which seeks eternal life, having sufficient Lifespan is the cornerstone for achieving higher levels of Cultivation.

Magic Comprehensive Rating:

The Magic Comprehensive Rating encompasses an individual's ability to Master and cast magic, including elemental affinity, magic perception, understanding of magic theory, Spell memory and innovation, and magic Formation drawing, all of which relate to the growth rate, magical power, and specialization degree of the mage in various fields of magic.

Focusing on the following aspects:

Elemental Affinity: Everyone has a different affinity for various natural elements (such as fire, water, wind, earth, etc.), which directly affects the efficiency and effectiveness of their control over corresponding elemental magic. High elemental affinity allows the mage to handle such magic with greater ease, consume less mana, cast faster, and achieve stronger effects.

Magic Perception: Refers to the mage's ability to perceive the flow of surrounding magic power and identify magical fluctuations. Powerful Magic Perception allows the mage to more keenly detect the presence of magic in the environment; whether it is a hidden magic trap or a faint magic signal, nothing can escape its Dharma Eye. This is crucial for defense, dispelling curses, and finding magical resources.

Understanding of Magic Theory: A deep understanding of magical principles, history, and philosophy is the cornerstone for a mage's advancement. A solid theoretical foundation not only helps the mage Master new Spells more quickly but also encourages them to innovate theoretically, bringing new insights and technological Breakthroughs to the magical world.

Spell Memory and Innovation: Spells are the linguistic carriers for casting magic, and mages need to memorize a large number of complex incantations. Excellent memory ensures that the required incantation can be chanted quickly and accurately at critical moments. Spell innovation is a manifestation of the mage's creativity, allowing them to invent or improve incantations to make magic effects stronger or more flexible to use.

Magic Formation Drawing: Magic Formations are graphical structures that focus and guide magical power, serving as the basis for complex and large-scale magic casting. Accurately and quickly drawing Magic Formations not only requires precise manual skill but also a deep understanding of Magic Formation studies. Mages proficient in this skill can create or modify Magic Formations, greatly enhancing the effectiveness and versatility of magic.

Superpower Comprehensive Rating:

This is a comprehensive indicator used to evaluate an individual's Innate endowments and Acquired potential in developing and utilizing supernatural abilities.

It encompasses the following core elements:

Superpower Type and Intensity: The type of superpower an individual possesses (such as telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, time manipulation, etc.), and the original intensity of these abilities before training or enhancement. Different superpower types may require different physiological structures, mental characteristics, or energy sources, and the Superpower Aptitude assessment considers whether the individual possesses the basic conditions matching the specific superpower.

Awakening Potential: The likelihood of an individual triggering and manifesting their superpower, including when and how it occurs. This includes the timing, spontaneity, stability, and controllability of the Superpower Awakening, as well as the sensitivity to activating the superpower when facing specific situations (such as emotional fluctuations, life threats, special environmental stimuli, etc.).

Learning and Adaptability: The speed and efficiency with which an individual understands and Masters the operational mechanism of a superpower and applies it to practical scenarios. This involves insight into supernatural phenomena, innovative thinking, problem-solving ability, and the wisdom to flexibly adjust and optimize superpower usage strategies in actual combat.

Energy Regulation and Tolerance: The individual's ability to effectively absorb, store, convert, and release the energy required for the superpower, and the speed of recovery after high-intensity or prolonged use of the superpower. This includes control over the internal energy circulation System, sensitivity to and utilization rate of external energy sources, and resistance to the side effects of superpower use (such as physical exhaustion, mental fatigue, energy backlash, etc.).

Mental Fortitude and Moral Outlook: Superpower users need strong psychological resilience to cope with the social pressure, moral dilemmas, identity crises, and other psychological challenges brought about by superpowers. Furthermore, their moral outlook determines how responsibly they use their superpowers to avoid harm caused by misuse, including respect for others, reverence for life, and adherence to social rules.

Growth Potential and Evolutionary Possibility: Evaluating the future development potential of an individual's superpower, including ability upgrades, new ability unlocking, Fusion of different abilities, and even the potential for Breaking through the limits of the existing superpower System. This involves various complex factors such as genetic factors, environmental influence, personal will, and mysterious Opportunity.

Han Fei's Current Aptitudes:

[Martial Arts Aptitude: C-]

[Martial Arts Comprehensive Rating: 775]...

[Immortality Cultivation Aptitude: F+]

[Immortality Cultivation Comprehensive Rating: 89]...

[Magic Aptitude: S]

[Magic Comprehensive Rating: 23,578,233]...

[Superpower Aptitude: E+]

After consuming the Superpower Aptitude Enhancement Potion.

-> [Superpower Aptitude: D-]

[Superpower Comprehensive Rating: 688]

After consuming the Superpower Aptitude Enhancement Potion.

After Cultivating the Superpower Enhancement Secret Technique.

-> [Superpower Comprehensive Rating: 1,372]