"Sect Master, I shall take my leave now."

At this moment, Li Zhoujun said to Mu Taiyu.

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"Take care, Mountain Lord Li," Mu Taiyu replied with a smile.

Then, Li Zhoujun, with Su Nan, stepped onto the Aoxue Flying Sword and soared towards Cloud Dwelling Mountain under the watchful eyes of the other Mountain Lords.

Amidst the clouds.

It was Su Nan's first time flying at such a height. After a brief moment of fear, she couldn't help but marvel at the breathtaking scenery of the Dao Heaven Sect below. She turned to Li Zhoujun, who stood behind her in a flowing green robe, hands clasped behind his back, and asked, "Master, when will I be able to fly on a sword?"

Li Zhoujun smiled and said, "Once you reach the sixth level of Qi Refining, you'll be able to sustain short flights on a sword."

"Great!" The young girl's eyes were filled with anticipation.

In the blink of an eye, Li Zhoujun controlled the Aoxue Flying Sword and landed in the courtyard of Cloud Dwelling Palace atop Cloud Dwelling Mountain.

"Wow, Master, such a large palace! Did you live here all by yourself before?" Su Nan asked curiously, her small face full of wonder as she looked at the vast and majestic Cloud Dwelling Palace.

"Yes, but from now on, there will be one more person," Li Zhoujun nodded.

"Master, where will I sleep tonight?" Su Nan blinked her bright, watery eyes.

"Hahaha, wherever you like," Li Zhoujun chuckled, amused by Su Nan's adorable demeanor.

"That's great!"

Su Nan laughed heartily, her innocence shining through.

"Today, take a good rest. I'll cook a meal, and tomorrow we'll start your training," Li Zhoujun said.

Su Nan widened her eyes in surprise, "Master, someone as powerful as you can cook? How about I cook instead, and you can taste my cooking skills!"

Li Zhoujun laughed, "It's rare for you to offer, so go ahead."

Su Nan was taken aback.

Really? This master doesn't play by the rules...

***

An hour later.

In the side hall of Cloud Dwelling Palace.

At the dining table.

Li Zhoujun looked at the pitch-black 'delicacies' on the table, lost in thought.

Su Nan stood to the side, her face flushed red.

"Are you sure this is edible?" Li Zhoujun's mouth twitched as he said, "You little rascal, on your first day on the mountain, you're already trying to poison your master..."

"What! It's my first time cooking, but I put a lot of effort into it!" Su Nan protested, a bit upset, and picked up her chopsticks to taste her own dish.

The next moment, Su Nan's face changed completely, turning dark.

"Is it good?" Li Zhoujun asked curiously.

"Uh..."

Su Nan nodded with difficulty, then turned her head and vomited.

Li Zhoujun: "..."

"Master, why don't you try it? It's actually not that bad... ugh..."

Su Nan said, turning her head to vomit again.

Li Zhoujun, looking skeptical, got up and walked out of the side hall.

Then, with a swift step, Li Zhoujun entered the forest of Cloud Dwelling Mountain.

After wandering through the forest for a while, Li Zhoujun found an old hen clucking under a tree.

"Cluck cluck, you useless Mountain Lord, here to drool over me again?" The old hen mocked, its chicken face full of disdain upon seeing Li Zhoujun.

Li Zhoujun's face darkened at the words.

Forty years, and this old hen had been living quite the arrogant life.

Originally, this creature was caught by his master from the foot of the mountain to nourish him, but who would have thought his master would die in a great battle later on.

The old hen broke free from the straw binding its feet and hid in the forest of Cloud Dwelling Mountain, rich with spiritual herbs.

Years later, when Li Zhoujun encountered the old hen again, he tried to catch it for soup, only to find it had reached the third level of Qi Refining!

Needless to say, Li Zhoujun, a mere mortal at the time, was chased around the mountain by the old hen.

To make matters worse.

Since then, whenever the old hen was bullied by other monsters in the mountain, it would find Li Zhoujun to vent its anger, treating him as a punching bag!

To everyone's surprise, the old hen had now broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and could speak human language!

Li Zhoujun knew that if it weren't for his status as the Mountain Lord of Cloud Dwelling Mountain, the old hen would have killed him long ago.

Although a Mountain Lord being killed by a chicken demon would be disgraceful, the Dao Heaven Sect wouldn't let the old hen off the hook.

The old hen seemed to know this too, so it only bullied and occasionally robbed Li Zhoujun.

[Ding: System has detected a bully old hen, issuing a mission for the host to bring the old hen to justice, rewarding the host with a portion of Orleans roast chicken seasoning!]

Hearing the system's words, Li Zhoujun's eyes lit up as he looked at the old hen. Orleans roast chicken!

That was a distant taste...

Meanwhile, the old hen, seeing Li Zhoujun's gaze, became furious, "You useless fool, what kind of look is that?! Are you looking for death?!"

As it spoke, the old hen's feathers stood on end.

"Look, a colorful rooster!"

Li Zhoujun suddenly pointed behind the old hen.

The old hen's eyes lit up, and it quickly turned to look in the direction Li Zhoujun pointed.

Thud!

With a dull thud, the old hen felt a heavy blow to the back of its neck.

It turned back to see Li Zhoujun holding a wooden stick high, a triumphant smile on his face.

"You sneaky..."

The old hen managed to say before everything went black, and it fell to the ground with a thud.

[Ding: Shame on you, host, you have reached the Elemental Infant stage, yet you still enjoy being sneaky? Where did you leave off in 'The Cultivation of a Master' that I taught you?]

"You wouldn't understand the joy of being sneaky," Li Zhoujun chuckled, dropping the stick and picking up the old hen by its feet, "System, where's my seasoning?"

[Ding: System has issued the reward, 'Orleans roast chicken seasoning.']

[Orleans roast chicken seasoning]: Delicious, can be extracted by the host at any time.

[Ding: Although the host was a mortal before and couldn't use storage treasures, now that the host has cultivation, it's recommended to get a storage treasure so system rewards can be directly stored.]

"That's easy," Li Zhoujun said, taking out five storage rings from his pocket, refining them all, and wearing one with a blue gemstone on his right hand.

Then, Li Zhoujun looked at the unconscious old hen with a reluctant expression, "Although you've bullied me for forty years, I've grown fond of you. Maybe I'll add an extra fire later."

If the old hen were awake and heard Li Zhoujun's words, who knows if it would jump up and sing, "Thank you for listening to me..."

***

Half an hour later.

Li Zhoujun, holding an Orleans roast chicken skewered on a stick, appeared in the side hall.

As soon as he entered, he was hugged tightly.

"What are you doing, you little rascal?" Li Zhoujun asked in surprise, looking at the girl in his arms.

"Woo woo woo, I thought you were mad at me for my cooking and didn't want to talk to me anymore..." The girl cried, tears streaming down her face.

Li Zhoujun's mouth twitched, "Although your dark cuisine is indeed terrifying, I'm not that kind of person. At most, I'd just cook something myself and tease you about it. Why would I abandon you?"

Su Nan: "..."

---

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan