Wait a minute, where is my master?

In the second layer of the Qingmu Secret Realm, within the black and white chessboard.

The little Taoist, leading Zhao Dabao and the other two, stood quietly on a round platform, waiting for the remaining Cultivators to enter.

This round platform was entirely paved with black slabs, about a hundred meters in diameter, with a delicate small fountain at its center.

Above the fountain, a black rhombus-shaped Crystal Soul undulated in mid-air, silently floating there.

On the ground of the platform, the five big characters "A, B, C, D, E" were evenly carved around the Crystal Soul, imprinted onto the black slabs.

After Jin Xu's group of four entered the chessboard, they were automatically teleported to the position behind the character "A."

"Temple master, this thing seems to contain a dense concentration of Wood attribute Spiritual Energy!"

Little White couldn't stay still even for a moment.

While waiting, she drank all the globules of water on her face and ran next to the black Crystal Soul, calling out to Jin Xu with her little nose huffing and puffing.

Upon hearing this, the little Taoist's profound eyes shimmered with a faint silver light. Channeling his Spiritual Eyes, he observed carefully and found that the black Crystal Soul indeed harbored a vast amount of Wood Attribute Spiritual Energy.

The Wood Attribute Spiritual Energy at the very center had already condensed into a pool of liquid.

Moreover, the item was not hidden or concealed in any way; it was carelessly placed there as if intentionally tempting Cultivators to take it.

"If a Cultivator who enters here lacks the strength and doesn't manage to get many waist tokens, and also becomes greedy... Directly smashing their own faction's Crystal Soul to take away the Wood Spirit Liquid inside could also be a choice," Jin Xu suddenly thought.

Of course, he wouldn't do such a thing. As a Taoist with a "well" in his home, the little Taoist had a clear goal: to earn enough Qingmu Points and then exchange them for the Seven-orifice Exquisite Heart Fruit with that bull.

On the other side, while Jin Xu and Little White were focused on the black Crystal Soul,

Yu Yaoer, still holding a plate of sweet and sour pork rib-shaped Pills, was asking Zhao Dabao if he wanted to try the dish and give her some feedback.

"Miss Yu, it's not that I, Elder Zhao, don't want to give face. It's just that..."

Fatty Zhao moved his feet towards Jin Xu's direction while he thought about how to phrase his words in his mind.

At the same time, he was silently thinking: "I understand the reasoning, and I've seen sweet and sour pork before. With the Taoist's cultivation and status, everything he has should be treasured. But why do I feel a chill down my spine and a sense of panic every time I see these dishes?

And why is this plate of Pills called 'sweet and sour pork ribs'?"

Zhao Dabao had moved next to the little Taoist, while Yu Yaoer, holding her platter, casually walked over.

Jin Xu, who was observing the black Crystal Soul, suddenly noticed two more people beside him.

He retracted his Spiritual Eyes, slightly turned his head, glanced first at Yu Yaoer holding the plate with a clear and foolish expression, and then at Fatty Zhao, whose forehead was already sweating.

Realizing that his demon pet was likely enticing someone to try the dish again, he was about to intervene and stop her.

Just then, the characters "B, C, D, E" carved on the black slabs lit up one after another, and the Blazing Sun Sword Sect Cultivators dressed in fiery red uniforms were continually teleported in.

Fatty Zhao, who had been trying to find the right words for quite some time without success, saw this scene and immediately showed a look of joy on his round face.

He waved at the last Sword Cultivator who entered, called out loudly, "Junior Master, I'm over here, come quickly."

Then he turned to Yu Yaoer, still holding the white porcelain platter, and said, "Miss Yu, I, Elder Zhao, am too fat and not in good health, so I can't eat anything sweet. However, my Junior Master loves sweet and sour things by nature, and he will surely provide you with some good advice."

The Little Fish Demon, hearing Zhao Dabao say that he didn't eat sweets, looked slightly disappointed.

Then, he deftly pulled out a plate of Pill-shaped Three Fresh Food from the red jade bracelet and said nonchalantly, "Elder Zhao, if you couldn't eat sweets, you should have said so earlier. You were hesitating and beating around the bush, and I thought something was wrong.

It's okay, the new dish I was experimenting with in the kitchen isn't just this sweet and sour pork loin. Here, this one isn't sweet."

Zhao Dabao stared gaping, looking at the dish that still made his heart tremble and his back chill—the Pill-shaped dish.

In the distance, the Junior Master, hastening over after hearing the call, was still unaware of what he was about to experience, wearing a joyous expression on his face.

Meanwhile, the Taoist Jin Xu, after hearing the conversation between his demon pet and Fatty Zhao, simply couldn't hold back.

He burst out laughing.

Little White, who had been sniffing around the black Crystal Soul, saw Yu Yaoer pull out a new dish and immediately lunged forward to hug the Little Fish Demon's arm coquettishly, saying, "Miss Yu, let me help you taste test the dishes."

The dishes prepared by Yu Yaoer might not taste good, but the ingredients she used were certainly generous.

Jin Xu had once curiously asked Little White why she was always eager to eat the dishes prepared by Miss Yu, even though they were… that way.

The Husky had replied philosophically, "If you think of the things Miss Yu cooks as normal food, your heart would definitely struggle to accept them. But if you think of them as terrible-tasting Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures packed with Spiritual Energy, then you can never have too much!"

At the time, the Taoist remained speechless for quite a while after hearing this.

"No, you've already eaten quite a bit when I was stir-frying in the kitchen just now, Little White, and every time you taste test, all you say is that the taste is all right but lacking in Spiritual Energy," Yu Yaoer firmly refused with a plate of food lifted by water, decisively rejecting the Husky.

Little White: "(•̥́ˍ•̀ू)"

At that moment, the Junior Master, accompanied by the cultivators of the Blazing Sun Sword Sect, gathered from all around.

"I am Lu Yiqian from the Blazing Sun Sword Sect, greetings to the senior."

Hong Mei, the Sword Cultivator, first greeted Jin Xu with a respectful bow and then curiously glanced at Little White on the small platform and the white porcelain plate held up by water currents summoned by Yu Yaoer.

"Blazing Sun Sword Sect ***, greetings to the senior!"

The other cultivators, following suit, bowed in unison.

As the highest in cultivation and generation from the Blazing Sun Sword Sect on this Secret Realm expedition, the Junior Master had already warned his fellow disciples that the Taoist before them was entirely out of their league.

So, everyone was very polite.

Jin Xu struggled to contain his amusement but also politely returned the gesture to the group.

"Jin Xu from the small platform outside of Gusu City, the modest temple on Little Platform Mountain."

After exchanging greetings, the Junior Master turned to Fatty Zhao beside the Taoist and asked, "Dabao, what was the rush in calling me over? Does Senior Jin have any arrangements for the trial?"

The first half of Hong Mei's question was directed at Zhao Dabao, but the latter half inevitably shifted back to Jin Xu.

"No, with the Taoist here, our black side is sure to hold the winning ticket. I didn't call you over for that, Junior Master."

Zhao Dabao first wiped the sweat beads off his forehead, then gestured languidly towards Yu Yaoer and said, "This is Miss White, and this is Miss Yu; both are close to the young Taoist.

Miss Yu loves cooking and has come up with a few new dishes, looking for people to taste test.

I remember you have a sweet tooth, Junior Master, so I specially called you over."