Chapter 706

“Uncle Zhang?”

When Lu Qing saw the old man’s face clearly, he asked uncertainly.

The old man’s body trembled. He lifted his head, and when he saw Lu Qing, the wooden basin in his hands slipped and fell to the ground.

“Is… is that you, Ah Qing?”

The eldest son of Grandfather Zhang—Uncle Zhang—stared in disbelief at the young man before him.

“It’s me, Uncle Zhang. I’ve come back.”

Lu Qing stepped forward and gently supported the old man.

“It really is you, Ah Qing! I thought this old man would never live to see you return.”

Feeling the warmth of Lu Qing’s hand, the old man finally realized this wasn’t a dream—Lu Qing had truly come home. Tears welled up in his eyes.

“I was wondering who kept coming over to clean the place. So it was you, Uncle Zhang.”

Lu Qing helped the old man toward the house.

“This old man’s too old to work the fields now. There’s nothing much to do at home, so I come by every few days to tidy up. Couldn’t just let the old family house fall to ruin.”

Uncle Zhang rambled on as they walked. Lu Qing only listened quietly, without telling him that the house was under the protection of a Formation he had laid—one that would keep it pristine for centuries.

When they entered and Uncle Zhang saw Xiao Yan and Xiao Li, he brightened instantly.

“Ah, Xiao Yan and Xiao Li are back too! Good, good! Everyone’s come home.”

“Uncle Zhang.” Xiao Yan hurried over to help him.

“Good, good. This is truly good.”

The old man smiled, full of heartfelt relief. Years ago, before Xiao Yan had gone to guard the Sacred Mountain, everyone in Jiuli Village had already noticed her changes—but there was nothing they could do. Now, seeing her smile again beside Lu Qing, Uncle Zhang felt deeply content.

“And this young lady?” he asked, noticing Han Lingshuang. Her beauty startled him for a moment.

“This is Palace Master Han Lingshuang of the Cold Water Palace, one of the Four Great Secret Realms,” Lu Qing introduced.

Han Lingshuang bowed gracefully. “Greetings, Elder Zhang.”

She could see at a glance that he was just an ordinary old man, but since both Lu Qing and Xiao Yan treated him so warmly, she was careful not to show even a hint of arrogance.

“Good, good. All good children,” the old man chuckled.

Having never left Jiuli Village his entire life, he had no idea what the Four Great Secret Realms were. But seeing such a beautiful, well-mannered young woman made him genuinely happy—unaware that Han Lingshuang was likely older than he was by far.

As they chatted, Uncle Zhang asked where Lu Qing had been all these years and why he had been gone for so long. Lu Qing gave a simple explanation—enough to make the old man stare in stunned silence.

He had thought Lu Qing must have been cultivating in some distant province—but to think the young man had left this world altogether to explore the starry heavens beyond was beyond his imagination.

“Ah Qing, you’re really a celestial now! Not even the gods in the storybooks could roam the stars like you!”

The old man couldn’t picture such a sight, but he knew it was something only a true immortal could do. Strangely, Lu Qing’s unchanged youthful face didn’t shock him—after all, both Xiao Yan and Doctor Chen had looked the same for decades. Everyone knew that once a cultivator reached a certain level, their appearance stopped aging.

“I’m still far from being a true immortal,” Lu Qing said with a laugh.

After a while, Uncle Zhang stood up. “Well, since you’ve guests, this old man won’t bother you longer. Ah, but can I tell the others in the village that you’ve returned?”

“Of course,” Lu Qing nodded. “This time, I’ll be staying for quite a while.”

“That’s good, very good.” The old man smiled broadly. “There are many youngsters in the village now. They all grew up hearing stories about you, Ah Qing. They’ll be thrilled to know you’ve come home.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Uncle Zhang.”

After he left, Xiao Yan turned to Lu Qing. “Brother, Uncle Zhang’s health…”

“No worries,” Lu Qing said. “I checked just now. He’s still strong—should live several more years. I’ll help adjust his condition later; he’ll be fine.”

When he had supported Uncle Zhang earlier, Lu Qing had quietly examined him with his Spiritual Sense. Though aged, the man’s body was in good shape.

“That’s a relief.” Xiao Yan exhaled softly. In recent years, she had already seen many of the elders of the village pass away. Uncle Zhang was among the few remaining close ones.

After relaxing a bit, she suddenly asked, “Brother, what are we having for dinner tonight? I want to eat your cooking again.”

“You’re already a sixth-transformation Golden Core cultivator, and you’re still such a glutton?” Lu Qing teased.

“But it’s been so long since I’ve had Brother’s cooking,” she pouted.

“Cooking is easy. I’ve got some special ingredients on hand—tonight, I’ll make you some Spiritual Food.”

He had only been teasing her; he would never refuse such a request.

“Spiritual Food?” Xiao Yan’s eyes lit up in curiosity. Even Han Lingshuang looked intrigued.

“It’s a style of cooking developed by cultivators in other worlds. You’ll understand once it’s ready.”

Lu Qing stepped into the kitchen. Since he was making Spiritual Food, the mundane cookware wouldn’t do. He brought out several artifact-grade utensils he had personally refined over the years and began preparing.

In less than an hour, a table full of dishes was ready.

“Wow! That smells amazing!” Xiao Yan’s eyes gleamed.

“All right, dinner’s almost ready. Xiao Yan, go invite Master over.”

“Okay!” Xiao Yan turned into a stream of light and flew off toward the half-mountain courtyard. Before long, she returned with Doctor Chen.

“Ah Qing, Xiao Yan said you cooked, so I had to come,” the old doctor said with a smile.

“Yes, Master. I learned a few unique cooking methods while traveling and gathered some rare ingredients. I’d like you to try them.”

He led Doctor Chen to the main seat.

“Oh? Culinary arts from another world? Then I must see this for myself,” Doctor Chen said with interest.

“Please wait a moment, I’ll bring out the rice.”

Lu Qing entered the kitchen again, lifting the lid from a large pot. Instantly, a refreshing fragrance filled the air.

Doctor Chen inhaled deeply—and froze. He peered into the pot.

“Ah Qing, this rice…”

Inside, every grain was half an inch long, translucent and glimmering with faint golden threads—like dragon teeth.

Even more astonishing, with just one breath of the aroma, Doctor Chen felt his long-healing injuries ease slightly.

As a sixth-transformation Golden Core cultivator, for him to feel recovery from the scent alone spoke volumes about the rice’s potency.

“This is Spirit Rice made from Golden Silk Dragon-Tooth Rice,” Lu Qing said with a smile. “It’s an exceptionally rare variety infused with Spiritual Essence. It nourishes even Nascent Soul cultivators. I was lucky enough to find some and thought I’d share it with everyone.”

He had obtained it from the treasure vault of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the Tianyuan Great World—one of many rare finds from his battles and raids. Among over a dozen kinds of Spirit Rice he had collected, the Golden Silk Dragon-Tooth Rice ranked among the finest.

“Spirit Rice that even Nascent Soul cultivators value?” Doctor Chen exclaimed, eyes shining.

Soon, Xiao Yan dished up bowls for everyone—even Wuxing and Bai Jiao, who had shrunk their forms to fit inside the house.

All eyes turned to Doctor Chen, who smiled and lifted his bowl. “No need for ceremony. Let’s eat.”

He took the first bite.

The moment the rice touched his tongue, a delicate sweetness spread through his mouth. As he swallowed, a warm current rose from his abdomen, coursing through his meridians—and his lingering wounds mended by more than half.

Xiao Yan, too, felt her depleted essence recovering swiftly. She had burned her life force fighting those three demons earlier, but just two bites of the rice restored much of what she had lost.

Han Lingshuang, meanwhile, was quietly astonished. To her, this Golden Silk Dragon-Tooth Rice was more miraculous than any pill or elixir she had ever tasted. Even her cultivation showed faint signs of progress after only two mouthfuls.

“Master, what do you think?” Lu Qing asked with a smile.

Doctor Chen sighed in awe. “No wonder even Nascent Soul cultivators prize it. Ah Qing, you’ve truly outdone yourself this time. Come, tell us—what are those worlds beyond the stars really like?”

At that, Xiao Yan and Han Lingshuang both leaned forward, eager to listen.

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