Chapter 2028: Wuji Shanmai

Bai Yuan and the two others generously bestowed upon the Yun Xiantai group a large amount of precious treasures, and the main reason behind this generosity was undoubtedly Ye Zhangqing.

After a brief and careful preparation, the Yun Xiantai team finally set out, officially bidding farewell to the Cooking King Immortal City and stepping into the mysterious vast Immortal Realm.

Time flew, and they had already spent a full ten years in the Immortal Realm.

During this period, due to their constant focus on closed-door cultivation to break through themselves, they had never had leisure to deeply experience and appreciate the unique local customs of the Immortal Realm.

Therefore, for this journey, everyone's heart was filled with irrepressible excitement and anticipation.

Especially concerning Ye Zhangqing, Bai Yuan and the two others comforted, saying there was no need to worry excessively.

You should know that when he left, he carried with him a large quantity of powerful life-saving items.

Even if he encountered enemies far stronger than the Immortal Emperor Realm, he still possessed considerable self-defense ability, ensuring his safety should not be a problem.

These words eased the originally anxious hearts of everyone somewhat, but deep down they still worried about Ye Zhangqing's safety.

If there should ever be a chance encounter later, they would surely try every means to inquire about his whereabouts, and if they could reunite with him, that would be even better.

The departure of the Yun Xiantai group did not stir up much of a wave in the Cooking King Immortal City; the many disciples inside continued as usual, those in seclusion persisted in their quiet cultivation to enhance their strength, while those cultivating focused wholeheartedly on honing their skills, pursuing higher realms.

The entire Cooking King Immortal City remained orderly, maintaining its usual tranquility and bustle as before.

Meanwhile, in the eastern region of the Wuji Shanmai in the Immortal Realm, when people gazed far into the distance, what met their eyes were endless, boundless mountain ranges.

This vast Wuji Shanmai was like a magnificent grand scroll, encompassing lakes, rivers, valleys, plains, and all manner of terrains.

Its occupied area was so large that it nearly accounted for one-fifth of the entire Immortal Realm, astonishing to behold.

Due to its treacherous terrain and harsh environment, few people ventured there, making it a paradise where numerous immortal beasts and demonic beasts could thrive and reproduce.

However, unexpectedly, in this remote place long devoid of inhabitants, at some point a massive city seemingly sprang up out of nowhere.

Inside the city, it was bustling and extraordinarily lively, with noisy crowds filling every corner.

Strictly speaking, calling it a 'city' seems somewhat forced, as it is indeed rather crude and rudimentary.

Although its occupied area is quite extensive, it actually consists of numerous simple spirit cities gathered and pieced together.

However, the city's population is truly not small; on those rough paths merely trodden by people, pedestrians throng in constant flow.

Fortunately, the eastern part of the Wuji Shanmai has long seen few visitors; otherwise, occasional passersby might suspect something amiss, even doubt whether they had taken a wrong turn, since before this no one had heard of a human settlement of such scale existing in the east.

Yet precisely such a place, hard to call a true city, stands here abruptly without any prior sign.

At the very center of this magnificent and imposing city stands a huge, imposing building.

That building towers into the clouds, like an immovable mountain, firmly rooted upon this land.

Above its main gate, two bold, dragon‑and‑phoenix‑style characters — 'Canteen' — are inlaid conspicuously, as if announcing to the world the importance of this place.

Here, without doubt, is the most bustling and prosperous spot in the whole city, where crowds gather thickly.

Whether at dawn or in the deep night, it is constantly packed with throngs of people, shoulder to shoulder, leaving no gap.

The noisy clamor rises and falls without cease, and occasionally a few impatient shouts can be heard.

"Finish eating and hurry out, do you not understand the rules?"

"That's right, there are so many people lining up behind."

Going further toward the rear courtyard, one sees only a sea of people, flowing incessantly.

Every person entering this place will skillfully take out from their personal space ring the various ingredients they have painstakingly hunted and gathered.

These ingredients are varied, ranging from spirit‑wreathed immortal beasts to ferocious vicious demonic beasts, and even some exceedingly rare exotic creatures seldom seen in the world.

At that moment, a burly man shouted excitedly to another man beside him.

"Brother Li, today my luck is through the roof—I actually managed to catch an immortal beast!"

The man addressed as Brother Li was none other than Li Chengshan, the former elder of Prison Immortal Town; hearing this, he instantly became interested and hurried over to investigate.

As expected, lying plainly before them was a huge immortal beast, its fur flashing with strange light.

He couldn't help but brighten his eyes and break into a grin.

The man who had successfully captured this immortal beast beamed with pride and delight, recounting his hunting experience at length.

"This guy is incredibly crafty, always hiding deep in the old mountains and forests; if it weren't for my keen eyes spotting its tracks and then relentlessly pursuing it for over a hundred thousand li, it would likely have escaped, but fortunately at the last moment I managed to seize it."

Having said that, he clapped his hands and then continued.

"These ingredients are yours to handle; I'll go first to line up in the front courtyard for a meal."

Having spoken, he turned and squeezed his way into the crowded throng ahead.

"Alright."

In the spacious rear courtyard, there stands a particularly eye‑catching huge fire chamber.

This fire chamber is obviously the result of careful renovation, making it stand out.

At this very moment, inside the fire chamber, Ye Zhangqing is seen fully focused, skillfully wielding his spatula and stir‑frying the food in the pot.

Speaking of which, this mysterious city that seems to have descended from the heavens and stands abruptly in the boundless Wuji Shanmai is actually connected to Ye Zhangqing by countless threads.

Over the past ten years, Ye Zhangqing alone has endured countless hardships in the Immortal Realm, constantly tempering himself and growing.

Yet unexpectedly, as the regions he ventured into became ever wider, the people following behind him also gathered like a snowball, increasing in number.

These followers formed a noisy, vast sea of people.

They closely followed Ye Zhangqing wherever he went, able to raise a mighty, surging wave of sound, a spectacle most impressive.

Faced with such a multitude of followers, Ye Zhangqing was initially at a loss.

Ultimately, having no other recourse, under the unanimous suggestion and encouragement of the crowd, he had no choice but to lead everyone to this vast, boundless Wuji Shanmai.

One important reason for choosing this place as a foothold is that its products are abundant, with all kinds of rare ingredients readily available.

Because of this, after a period of preparation and construction, this originally barren mountain range gradually developed into its current state.