39: Chapter 39: After a thousand years of fasting, a pot of braised pork caused a Nascent Soul cultivator's Dao Heart to shatter!

The sandstorms in the Taklamakan Desert had ceased, but the aroma of braised pork in the air grew stronger and stronger.

Elder Qing Rou reluctantly withdrew her gaze from the J-20, her eyes resembling those of a lifelong bachelor beholding a peerless beauty, tinged with a hint of imperceptible greed and regret.

She licked her lips, forcefully swallowing the words "I really want to take it apart" back into her stomach, and reverted to being that gentle, generous, and harmless Elder of the Spirit Herb Hall.

"Seniors, the cars are here!"

Although Lei Keming’s shoulders were nearly falling apart from Elder Huoyun’s pats, the smile on his face was brighter than the desert sun.

With a wave of his hand, ten specially modified Hongqi bulletproof sedans slowly drove up and stopped at the end of the red carpet.

"What is this?"

Elder Huoyun circled the sedan twice, reached out, and knocked on the hood, producing a crisp "clang-clang" sound.

"There is no spiritual energy fluctuation, and it has four round wheels underneath... Is this the mount of you mortals? Does it not need to be fed fodder?"

"It drinks oil; no grass needed."

Jiang Chen walked over, opened the car door, and gestured for them to enter.

"Seniors, please get in. The head chef in the cafeteria has mastered the heat to perfection; if that braised pork gets cold, the texture will be three parts worse."

Upon hearing "braised pork," Elder Huoyun stopped studying the wheels and dove into the car at the fastest speed of his life.

As soon as he sat down, Elder Huoyun’s butt squirmed restlessly, and he pressed his fingers firmly into the leather seat beneath him, his face full of astonishment: "Soft! So soft! This texture is delicate and warm; could it be the skin of a thousand-year-old cartilage beast? And I can't even see any stitching!"

At this moment, the driver in the front row silently turned on the air conditioning.

A gust of cool air blew precisely onto Elder Huoyun’s flushed face.

"Eh? There's wind?" Elder Huoyun took a sharp breath toward the vent and said in shock: "It requires no spirit stones to operate, yet inside this iron box, one can freely control the aura of frost? And even adjust the direction of the wind? Wonderful! This kind of mechanism is truly ingenious!"

The motorcade drove majestically toward the interior of the base.

...

Half an hour later, Base Cafeteria No. 1.

This was originally the dining area for special forces, but today it had been temporarily converted into the venue for the Taichu Holy Land welcome banquet.

The long tables were filled with large stainless steel basins.

Note, large basins, not plates.

Braised pork, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, Mapo tofu, boiled fish... all of them were heavy-oil, heavy-salt, carbohydrate-exploding hearty dishes.

For this group of cultivators who had been fasting for hundreds or thousands of years, drinking dew and eating pills all day, this flavor full of the "scent of human life" (industrial seasonings) was simply a dimensional strike.

"Gulp."

It was unknown who swallowed their saliva first, but it sounded exceptionally loud in the quiet cafeteria.

"Everyone, don't be polite."

Jiang Chen held a pair of chopsticks, picked up a trembling piece of braised pork with a perfect ratio of fat and lean meat, and set an example.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Here, if you aren't enthusiastic about eating, there's something wrong with your thinking. Dig in!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

A red blur flashed by.

The chopsticks in Elder Huoyun’s hand danced into an afterimage, precisely clamping onto the largest piece of meat and shoving it into his mouth.

"Mmph!"

Elder Huoyun’s eyes widened instantly.

The fat burst in his mouth, the savory saltiness of soy sauce mixed with the sweetness of rock sugar, instantly assaulting his taste buds that had long since become bland.

"This thing... how is this thing so silky?"

Elder Huoyun shouted indistinctly, tears actually welling up in the corners of his eyes, "This texture... is ten thousand times better than the fasting pills I refine! This is the Dao! This is the Great Dao of Food!"

"Pfft—"

A strange sound suddenly came from the side; Jiang Chen unscrewed a large bottle of ice-cold cola, and countless bubbles surged in the dark brown liquid.

"What kind of poison is this? It’s boiling on its own?" Elder Qingxu shrank his neck in vigilance.

"This is called happy water, a divine tool for cutting through grease." Jiang Chen poured a large glass for everyone, "Taste it; not only is it non-toxic, but it can also cleanse the soul."

Elder Qingxu took a sip, half-believing and half-doubting.

Instantly, countless bubbles burst on his tongue, a sensation of stimulation he had never experienced before, like tiny electric currents wandering about.

"Burp—!"

Elder Qingxu let out a long, loud burp without any regard for his image, feeling a wave of coolness rush straight to his crown, so refreshing that his scalp tingled.

"This water... does this water actually contain the explosive power of thunder? Drinking it makes the whole body comfortable, as if giving the internal organs a massage! Good water! Another glass!"

"Delicious! Too delicious!"

This Elder Qingxu, who specialized in talismans and usually paid the most attention to his demeanor, couldn't care about his image at this moment. Holding the happy water in one hand and the rice in the other, he poured a ladle of red, shiny meat broth over it and ate until his mouth was oily. "This Daoist feels his Dao heart is somewhat unstable... If one were to eat this every day, who would still want to ascend?"

"What is that red square? It looks quite scary."

The Elder of the Artifact Refining Hall pointed at the Mapo tofu.

"That's called tofu, with Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers added," Jiang Chen introduced, "Stimulating, exciting."

The Artifact Refining Elder tentatively took a bite.

Two seconds later.

"Hiss—ha—!"

The Elder’s face was flushed red, sweat beading on his forehead, but the spoon in his hand simply could not stop.

"This pain... this burning sensation... actually makes me recall the years of refining artifacts in a volcanic crater! Refreshing! Another basin!"

Watching this group of high-and-mighty cultivation bigwigs, who were now nearly fighting over the last piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, Lei Keming stood in the corner and secretly wiped away sweat.

"Jiang Chen, we've got this."

Lei Keming whispered, "After this meal, we've at least maxed out their favorability. This bunch of people is easier to deal with than I imagined."

"Don't be careless." Jiang Chen gnawed on a chicken leg while staring at Elder Qing Rou, who had the most refined eating manners but the fastest hands. "Only after they're full will they have the energy to work. The main event is next."

...

After eating and drinking to their fill.

The ten Elders slumped in their chairs, rubbing their round bellies with expressions of having no regrets in this life.

"Everyone, let's digest."

Jiang Chen stood up and clapped his hands: "Next, we will proceed with the final entry procedure—a full-body physical examination, also known as verifying your identities."

"Physical examination?"

Elder Huoyun belched, picking his teeth, "Fine, we'll listen to the son-in-law. As long as you don't charge us for the meal, let alone a physical exam, I'll even perform breaking a boulder on my chest for you."

The group was taken to the base's medical center.

The area had been cleared, leaving only the top doctors and nurses.

The first item: Blood draw.

"Sir, please roll up your sleeve and clench your fist."

A young nurse held a tourniquet, looking somewhat nervously at the physical cultivation Elder sitting in front of her, whose muscles were as hard as iron blocks.

"Little girl, don't be afraid."

The Elder grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, "This old man’s physical body has long since been trained to the realm of Diamond Indestructibility. Ordinary weapons can’t hurt it in the slightest, and this thin needle of yours..."

"Let's try it." The little nurse, following Jiang Chen’s instructions, switched to the extra-large needle used by veterinarians to give injections to cows.

The Diamond Elder stretched out his arm with a look of disdain.

"Ding!"

A crisp metallic clanging sound rang out.

The needle bent.

And it bent at a ninety-degree angle.

Not even a white mark was left on the Elder’s skin.

"Hahahaha!"

The Elder laughed wildly, shaking the glass of the clinic room until it buzzed: "See that? This is called Diamond Indestructibility! You want to break my defense? Your mortal iron is still far from enough!"

The little nurse was so anxious she was about to cry, and she looked at Jiang Chen for help.