Chapter 647: Monkey

After chatting for a while, they agreed to hold a banquet in three days.

The group's atmosphere grew even more lively, and even the lurkers were @ed out.

Kiri Nai: "I'll head over right away to prepare—this time, the dishes will surely satisfy everyone."

Liu Maoxing: "Already prepared in Dalaotian!"

Su Xiao: "Wow, I'm excited! I wonder if your cooking has improved since your ascension, Liu Maoxing—is your Spirit Treasure chopping even tastier?"

Liu Maoxing: "Of course it'll be tastier. 【Image】 The Ancestral Master engraved a Divine Art of Culinary Light onto the Spirit Treasure—don't eat your tongues off when you taste it."

Kiri Nai: "How envious!"

Zhang Taixuan: "You can send me a knife too, Kiri Nai. I'll engrave it for you—as a reward for all the meals you've prepared. With time and cultivation, your culinary skills will advance rapidly."

Kiri Nai "577": "Thank you, Dao Jun brother! 【Red Envelope】"

Su Xiao: "Ying ying ying, Dao Jun brother, I want one too!"

Komari: "【Disgusting】 Su Xiao, act normal."

Ye Hei: "Yeah, girls whimpering is tolerable, but you turning into a whimper monster? I'm going to subdue you as a demon. 【Great Heavenly Dragon】"

Fa Hai: "... Ye Tian Di, that's my technique!"

Ye Hei: "It's mine now. 【Demon, I can see right through you—you're not human!】"

Fa Hai: "Then don't blame this monk! 【I am Tian Di—I shall crush all enemies!】"

Ye Hei: "..."

Komari: "My eyes are burning—stop the image battles. Let's @ Su Xiao instead."

Su Xiao: "... Aren't I a girl?"

Kurogane: "You forgot—you're the comic relief."

Su Xiao: "... 【Crow flies by】"

Su Xiao: "I'm a beautiful girl too! This is discrimination! This is outright discrimination!"

Zhang Taixuan received the knife Kiri Nai sent, engraved it with the Divine Art of Culinary Light, ended the chat, then notified Sun Wukong of the An Tian Conference.

"An Tian Conference?"

"They're calling it the An Tian Conference?! I remember when I was imprisoned under Mount Wuzhi, the Heavenly Court held an An Tian Conference. If Dao Jun is hosting this one now, isn't he slapping the faces of the Jade Emperor and Buddha?"

"Dao Jun is truly brilliant!"

Zhang Taixuan smiled lightly: "Enough. The Jade Emperor and Buddha are relics of the past—we must look to the future."

He patted Sun Wukong on the shoulder and walked away directly.

Sun Wukong's mood was far from calm like Zhang Taixuan's—he couldn't sit still, flipping head over heels in excitement.

Zhang Taixuan returned to Dalaotian, activated his magic power, suppressing the Thirty-Three Heavens; the Dragon-Mirror of Illusions operated at its limit, turning even the Thirty-Three Heavens into illusions.

"Buddha and the Jade Emperor are truly the supreme leaders of their realm—remarkable indeed. This Spirit Treasure can only suppress Buddha and his group for a hundred years," Zhang Taixuan marveled. "But a hundred years is enough. By then, my strength will have reached a level they cannot imagine."

He casually sealed the Thirty-Three Heavens to one side and no longer paid them any attention.

He turned his thoughts inward, gazing into his Sea of Suffering, where the three manifestations of the Three Pure Ones were absorbing immortal energy, their power steadily growing—already at Great Sage Eighth Layer, nearing Great Sage Perfection.

"In a little while, I'll need to face the True Emperor Tribulation."

The Hinoe World.

"Ding ding ding, Hinoe, I'm back!" Fujiwara Chika's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Sigong Hinoe. "Hinoe, let's go spirit-hunting—I found another great spot!"

Since being saved by Sigong Hinoe, Fujiwara Chika had frequently visited the Sigong household.

And, for reasons unknown, perhaps due to her carefree nature.

She hadn't learned her lesson—instead, she became obsessed with the supernatural, constantly inquiring and inviting Sigong Hinoe to go spirit-hunting with her.

Sōsaku Aya frowned and said: "Miss Fujiwara, Miss Hinoe is the daughter of the Sigong family—she won't go to such dangerous places!"

"Huh...?" Fujiwara Chika was puzzled. "Not going? But Hinoe's a Yin-Yang Master, right?"

Sigong Hinoe denied: "I'm not a Yin-Yang Master!"

Fujiwara Chika sniffed: "You're lying, Hinoe. Martial Arts can't kill ghosts—I asked around."

Sigong Hinoe sneered inwardly: "Of course those martial arts can't kill ghosts. My martial arts have nothing to do with them."

But the thought of explaining this to Fujiwara Chika made her feel burdened.

Fujiwara Chika was too curious.

She was nothing but a curious child—explain one thing, and she'd immediately want to know the next, and it would never end.

Sōsaku Aya was equally exasperated.

Only after Fujiwara Chika finally left, satisfied, did Sigong Hinoe have time to discuss the An Tian Conference with Sōsaku Aya.

"Is Dao Jun really that powerful?" Sōsaku Aya gasped. "He suppressed the Tian Di and Buddha of an entire world? Miss Hinoe, shouldn't we enshrine a statue of Dao Jun at home?... It'd surely work better than those gods and Buddhas!"

Sigong Hinoe's eyes lit up: "Good idea. I'll tell Su Xiao right away—ask her to carve a statue of Dao Jun."

She changed the subject: "Aya, come with me to the An Tian Conference—I'll introduce you to some of my friends."

Sōsaku Aya was startled: "Miss Hinoe has a lot of friends?"

Sigong Hinoe sniffed, slightly annoyed: "Aya, you make it sound like I can't make friends. Let me tell you—I've made many! Lin Daiyu from ancient times, the shrine maiden Kikyo—everyone is incredibly powerful!"

Sōsaku Aya was stunned: "Lin Daiyu? Isn't she the female lead of a classical Chinese novel?"

Sigong Hinoe nodded: "Yes, that Lin Daiyu. But the current Lin Daiyu isn't like the original—she's terrifying. I'm not even sure I could beat her."

Sōsaku Aya was amazed: "Even characters from classical novels have joined?"

Sigong Hinoe smiled lightly: "What's so strange about that? It's perfectly normal. At the banquet, you'll sit with me. There's something amazing coming—Dao Jun brother is giving each group member a Flat Peach. I'll share some with you."

Sōsaku Aya: "Peach of Immortality? The kind that grants immortality?"

Sigong Hinoe shook her head: "No, those are the highest grade. Dao Jun brother keeps those for his inner circle. We're lucky to get the lowest grade—this is already a tremendous fortune."

Saying so, she briefly introduced the lowest-grade peaches.

Hayasaka Ai listened, her eyes lighting up: "Young Lady, this is practically a pie falling from the sky."

Sigong Kaguya nodded: "That's why everyone's looking forward to it. Ai, what clothes do you think I should wear? Or should I have a nicer outfit custom-made?"

"Whatever Young Lady wears, you'll look adorable!"

"Hayasaka!" A faint blush flashed across Sigong Kaguya's pretty face. "I asked you to think of a plan, not to flatter me!"

Hayasaka Ai understood, and said: "I get it, Young Lady wants a certain someone to notice you. How about this — we still have three days, and there's nothing else to do, so let's go shopping for clothes. I promise I'll dress you up beautifully."

Sigong Kaguya's secret thoughts were seen through, and her flawless, jade-white face turned even redder, yet she did not retort.