Chapter 106: Going to the Eastern Sea to Get Some Seafood

You have soda in front of you. Chen Nuo said calmly.

Sun Wukong heard it, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly picked up the cup and took a big gulp.

At the moment his tongue touched the soda, it became even spicier!

Sun Wukong stared with his eyes, which turned slightly red, but he didn't cry like Qiong Xiao did; he held it in.

The spiciness faded, replaced by an indescribable sense of relief.

Refreshing!

Sun Wukong let out a long belch, his eyes showing contentment.

The previous lamb hot pot was too spicy for Sun Wukong, so he didn't really taste anything.

Sun Wukong impatiently picked up a slice of lamb, swished it in the white pot, put it in his mouth, and his eyes instantly lit up.

The thin, small meat slices, after being moistened by the white pot's base, became especially fragrant and rich; the smooth texture in the mouth and the tender bite were endlessly praiseworthy.

Leaving a lasting aftertaste.

Sun Wukong was eager to try, one piece after another.

Chen Nuo shook his head helplessly, putting the other dishes, meatballs, and such all in, nearly done frying.

"Don't just eat one thing; the others are not bad either." Chen Nuo said.

Sun Wukong glanced at the green vegetables, his eyes showing a hint of disdain; he was a meat-eater, but since his master had spoken, he still had to listen.

Reluctantly picking up a stem of tonghao, he dipped it in the sauce.

Trying a bite, his heart startled, and he began to chew unconsciously.

The sauce's flavor dominated, leaving only a hint of freshness to dispel the greasiness of the meat.

Fish balls, vermicelli, golden needle mushrooms, fresh shrimp, beef tripe.

One after another, the ingredients transformed in the hot pot's elevation.

Each one, both rich from the base and possessing a unique, captivating flavor, none of them bad.

Around the hot pot, body, heart, and stomach were all warm and cozy.

With one more person eating, Chen Nuo also had an appetite, eating quite a bit more.

The hot pot is like this: the livelier, the more its charm is shown.

Chen Nuo took a sip of Peach Soda, watching Sun Wukong burying his head in dry rice, and asked: "Speak up, what happened today that you came again?"

Sun Wukong quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, put down his chopsticks, and hehe laughed: "Master, I came because I missed you."

"Nonsense, I still don't know you?" Chen Nuo rolled his eyes and said: "The Peach Banquet will start the day after tomorrow; now should be your busiest time, yet you came—could it be something else?"

How does the master know the exact time of the Peach Banquet?

Sun Wukong was startled, but after thinking it over, he felt relieved: the master, with such vast divine powers, how could he not know about the Peach Banquet?

Sheepishly scratching his head: "This time, I really have something to ask; I beg the master to help me."

"Speak." Chen Nuo today won many useless things in the lottery, but still had one or two useful ones, and his mood was still not bad.

As long as it's not excessive, I'll help if I can; after all, he's also my disciple, isn't he?

"The Queen Mother ordered the Peach Banquet to have three hundred and sixty-five dishes; I racked my brains and only came up with two hundred and seventeen. This time I came to ask the master if he could teach me another one hundred and forty-eight dishes today, so I can complete this task."

One hundred and forty-eight dishes?!

Less than a day?

Unfilial disciple!

Chen Nuo had a black line on his face, desperately suppressing the urge to slap Sun Wukong to death.

"You calculate it yourself—just making one hundred and forty-eight dishes, how long would that take!" Chen Nuo said through gritted teeth.

This Sun Wukong really isn't low-maintenance; even if he's not like the original fighting and killing, even cooking can stir up a heap of trouble.

"Isn't one dish just the time of one cup of tea? It's not that long!" Sun Wukong rolled his eyes and actually started calculating.

"One hundred and forty-eight dishes,

it seems... it really seems..."

Sun Wukong beamed: "That's quite a lot."

You actually knew that too, Chen Nuo was speechless for a moment.

When you learned one dish and got stuck practicing, how many days did you practice? Don't you have a rough idea in your heart?

One hundred and forty-eight dishes is definitely impossible, but Sun Wukong is after all my disciple; I should help, so I will help.

Lowering his head, looking at the central hot pot and the array of dishes, Chen Nuo had a sudden inspiration.

"Wukong, as your master, I have one dish that can replace countless dishes, solving your current dilemma."

After guidance, Sun Wukong left the Chaos Residence happily, leapt up, and flew toward the Eastern Sea.

Upon entering the Eastern Sea, he found the Dragon Palace; the gatekeepers were still the same two.

Seeing Sun Wukong, the shrimp soldiers and crab generals said enthusiastically: "Isn't this the Immortal Ascendant? What wind blew you here?"

Sun Wukong thought for a moment, then recalled.

"Oh, it's you guys; how are you? Did the Eldest Dragon King give you your salary silver?"

Upon hearing this, the shrimp soldiers and crab generals became even happier: "Paid, paid long ago; the Great Immortal left, and the Dragon King paid right after."

"Good." Sun Wukong nodded: "Come on, take me to find the Eldest Dragon King; I have important matters."

"Alright!"

The crab general led Sun Wukong to the Great Hall.

The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea glanced casually, was stunned, then quickly got off the dragon throne, and said respectfully: "Oh dear, isn't this the Immortal Ascendant? What wind blew you here?"

Sun Wukong:...

So you dragons' way of greeting is all the same, huh?

"Coming here isn't a big deal at all — just tell me how many crabs, shrimp, and scallops you have in the Eastern Sea. If you lack even the most ordinary kind with spiritual awareness, I, Old Grandson, have an urgent need for it."

Although I obtained the method from my master, some ingredients are still not provided.

"Seafood?" The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea laughed.

In his Eastern Sea domain, he lacks everything except these things.

"Immortal Ascendant, however much you want, you shall have!" The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea declared with domineering grandeur, waving his hand and issuing orders that would last a hundred years.

"Huh? Eldest Dragon King, you're already a Taiyi Golden Immortal?" Sun Wukong suddenly noticed the Eastern Sea Dragon King's cultivation level.

"Yes." The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea replied, then gratefully looked toward Sun Wukong: "This is still thanks to the Immortal Ascendant's peaches of immortality."

"Otherwise, relying solely on the modest dragon aptitude, breaking through to Taiyi Golden Immortal would still require a thousand years or so." The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea sighed deeply.

I never expected that in the Buddhist Sect's plan, this monkey whom they all disregarded would actually bring great wealth to the Dragon Clan.

Sun Wukong nodded slowly; eating peaches of immortality normally is indeed quite effective.

"It's nothing but a trifling effort." Sun Wukong casually shook his head; to him, this was utterly commonplace.

He could eat it anytime — even now, just the same — and he himself had a large pile of them on his person.

"And I don't know why the Immortal Ascendant needs so much seafood?" The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea finally voiced his confusion.

"This is because I'm serving as the Imperial Kitchen chef in the Heavenly Court, and the Peach Banquet is coming up soon. I fear these ingredients won't be enough, so I came to you, Old Dragon King, to ask for some."

"Serving as... Imperial Kitchen?!"

Ao Guang looked somewhat dazed.

The Immortal Ascendant's cultivation is at least that of a Taiyi Golden Immortal — the Heavenly Court is being far too extravagant, isn't it?

If it were in their Dragon Palace, aside from having the combat power of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, everyone else would surely be appointed as Upper Generals.

No wonder it's the Heavenly Court — but will the Immortal Ascendant actually cook?

One must know that the Imperial Kitchen is certainly not an idle post.

As the Immortal Ascendant just mentioned, the Peach Banquet requires only the highest culinary arts from the Three Realms to be worthy of the task.