Chapter 285: Eagle-Cow Fish, Nose Bleeding!

"I think Brother Lan shouldn't mind!"

A surprisingly casual reply!

The two burly brothers exchanged a flicker of surprise, as if they had never expected this outer sect junior brother to remain so unperturbed.

They had both entered the sect for over five years!

They had assumed that facing Lan Yu, this direct disciple of Shenxiao Sect, even an outer sect elder would need to show due respect.

They expected this junior brother to beg in abject apology—but instead, they got this utterly unexpected response.

Xie Wanwan stood to one side!

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, her bright eyes betraying a faint trace of anxiety.

Pang He's face wore an even more smug smile.

Such a dismissive remark toward Lan Yu.

If he chose to spread it, with Lan Yu's influence, it would be no trivial matter.

Among Shenxiao Sect's outer disciples, Lan Yu had countless followers; his every move could sway the decisions of outer sect elders.

There had been precedents before: brothers or close kin of direct disciples were often specially summoned into the inner sect.

Direct disciples already had the power to interfere with inner sect selections!

And furthermore!

The eight peak masters of the inner sect were all outstanding direct disciples who had risen above the rest.

Pang He's smile grew even more pronounced.

"Could it be, Brother Yu, that you hold Brother Lan Yu in no regard?"

This Yu Ke seemed yet unaware of just how exalted and terrifying the status of a direct disciple truly was.

And this gathering? The one making the decision is none other than Brother Lan Yu.

They've never met before. Given Lan Yu's cold disposition, he'd likely ignore Yu Ke entirely—a mere nobody.

But if I speak up on his behalf, I might still leave a good impression.

It's not my fault—he's Zhou Liang's friend.

Pang He chuckled, eager to fan the flames further.

"Brother Yu, shouldn't you offer an apology?"

Yu Ke smiled after hearing this:

"Brother Pang, you're not Brother Lan Yu—how would you know what he thinks?"

Pang He opened his mouth to reply—

But unexpectedly!

Lan Yu, beside him, spoke calmly:

"It's nothing."

His tone was utterly indifferent, as cold as his slightly vertical pupils.

It cut Pang He off mid-sentence; even he looked startled—Lan Yu rarely responded at all.

Pang He dared not speak further.

Xie Wanwan was also taken aback—they'd been seated for an hour already.

Yet!

Brother Lan Yu had only greeted them upon entering, then sat in icy silence ever since.

All of them sat on pins and needles, not daring to relax for a moment.

The dishes on the table had barely been touched; they sat upright, waiting.

Lan Yu's deep, indifferent vertical pupils showed no expression.

Yu Ke smiled: "Thank you, Brother Lan!"

Lan Yu gave a slight nod in return.

Xie Wanwan watched this scene, her gaze shifting between Yu Ke and Lan Yu, a quiet surprise stirring within her.

As she studied Yu Ke again, her earlier anxiety had prevented her from truly observing him—now her eyes widened in disbelief.

She suddenly realized: Brother Yu seemed utterly transformed. His former dullness and silence had vanished, replaced by a gentle composure.

His skin was paler, his eyes more lively.

And… somehow, he looked more handsome!

Had she simply never noticed Brother Yu before?

How could the change be so drastic?

The old Brother Yu had been like a lump of wood—every day, nothing but cultivation.

He hadn't seemed to care about Pang He's provocation, his face only wearing a faint smile.

Pang He could only turn away, lips curling in annoyance.

Yu Ke smiled at the two beside Xie Wanwan: "Sister Xie, who are these two?"

Xie Wanwan snapped back to herself and quickly introduced them:

"These two are brothers from the Ruan family of Tangyang Lake, from the Ruan Clan—a renowned cultivation house. They've trained for six years and both reached the peak of the Second Ladder. Among outer disciples, their strength is exceptional."

The Ruan brothers exchanged a glance, then bowed with grandeur, each announcing their names:

"Ruan Zicheng!"

"Ruan Zibai!"

Yu Ke heard their names and mentally dubbed them "Success and Failure" brothers.

"Yu Ke, greetings to you both, Senior Brothers!"

"We're not worthy!"

Beside Lan Yu, a woman in a palace gown spoke at once, her voice clear and melodious.

"Ren Xue, greetings, Senior Brother Yu."

She smiled warmly, her tone friendly.

Yu Ke returned her smile, silently pondering her status.

That Ren Xue sat right beside Lan Yu among them spoke volumes about her standing.

Xie Wanwan added:

"This is Ren Xue, from the Ren family of Tangyang Lake. Brother Yu must have heard of them—she's only been in the sect three years, yet already reached the peak of the Second Ladder. She's practically stepped one foot into the inner sect."

The Ren family!

"The Ren family…" Yu Ke thought briefly, recalling the clan.

Like the Xie family, the Ren family thrived by leveraging natural advantages—mountains for resources, waters for bounty.

But while the Xie family built wealth on mineral deposits, the Ren family became famed across three continents for the rich aquatic harvests of Tangyang Lake, their fortune immense.

Another little rich girl!

Ten little girls, nine are rich—one's extra rich.

"Greetings, Sister Ren!"

The last of the five was Pang He—Xie Wanwan wisely didn't introduce him.

Yu Ke didn't greet him either, too lazy to bother.

Some people simply can't be friends—no need to waste words.

Yu Ke silently mused: among those at the table, aside from the gentle Xie Wanwan, all were tied in some way to Tangyang Lake.

Tangyang Lake spanned three hundred thousand li.

The Lan family was unquestionably the lake's dominant power—and Lan Yu, its future master, his nobility and authority self-evident.

Another Shenxiao Sect direct disciple!

Now he understood why the others treated him with such reverence.

After Yu Ke took his seat, the entire table fell silent again.

Lan Yu closed his eyes lightly, saying nothing; the others all instinctively hushed themselves, afraid to disturb him.

Though the dishes were lavish, most remained untouched—only Lan Yu's plate showed signs of having been eaten from.

Yu Ke smiled inwardly—he'd come here purely to "freeload and feast."

Everything on the table was perfectly arranged!

He'd been starving for a while.

Yu Ke immediately began eating, savoring the delicacies.

Each dish was extraordinary—color, aroma, and flavor perfect, as befitting Zuijiang Yue.

He'd expended great physical energy today; his stomach growled loudly.

Most striking of all was the centerpiece dish:

"Steamed Eagle-Cow Fish."

Over a foot long, its flesh remained a vivid red even after steaming.

The Eagle-Cow Fish could grow up to two feet—small, yet as powerful as a tiger; its roar was as loud as an ox's, and when leaping from water, it could fly dozens of zhang through the air—a rare spiritual beast.

Its meat was exquisitely tender; consuming it significantly strengthened blood, qi, and sinews, making it one of the most coveted cultivation materials.

Remember this!

Even the Dragon Horse, though extraordinary, could not be classified as a spiritual beast—only as a strange beast.

This dish before them? A "spiritual fish"—its value immense.

This is what true wealth looks like.

Estimating the value of this meal, it must have cost several thousand spirit stones.

He looked up at the others at the table, his gaze finally settling on Lan Yu, silently wondering that only someone of Lan Yu's status and wealth could afford such an extravagant expense so easily.

None of the others at the table had taken more than a few bites.

But Yu Ke simply acted as if nothing were amiss and began "eating his fill."

The dishes before him visibly diminished.

At that moment!

The only sounds at the table were Yu Ke's chewing and swallowing.

Lan Yu opened his eyes again; a flicker of confusion passed through his vertical pupils, but he quickly calmed and closed them once more.

Yu Ke seemed unaware of Lan Yu's gaze—he focused entirely on the food before him, picking up a piece of fish and savoring it slowly. The flesh melted on his tongue, rich and fragrant, tender yet resilient, prompting him to exclaim:

"A delicacy of the mortal world!"

With each bite of fish, Yu Ke felt his blood and qi surging, a warm current coursing through his body.

"Amazing!"

Yu Ke was truly starving—he devoured everything like a storm.

He continued sampling the other dishes, each uniquely exquisite, many of them excellent for nourishing the body.

Not long after!

He had already consumed half of the eagle-falcon fish, which had arrived nearly whole.

He felt a growing heat in his body, his blood and qi swelling as if he'd drunk strong liquor.

He immediately activated his cultivation technique, channeling spiritual power to cleanse the discomfort, trying to quell this sudden surge of heat.

Pang He noticed this!

A mocking smile curled on his lips, his eyes brimming with contempt for Yu Ke.

"What a country bumpkin—he doesn't even know the nature of the eagle-falcon fish and dares to eat so much."

In his view, though delicious, the eagle-falcon fish was extremely hot-natured, powerfully stimulating blood and qi—even a cultivator at the Second Tiers could not overindulge.

Xie Wanwan watched Yu Ke devouring greedily, wanting to warn him, but ultimately held her tongue.

She feared her words might embarrass him, especially in this setting.

Even the Ruan brothers, renowned for their body cultivation and massive physiques, dared not eat much of the eagle-falcon fish.

Though Yu Ke felt the discomfort in his body, he did not stop lifting his chopsticks.

Ren Xue also glanced over curiously—the food on the table was almost entirely consumed by this Yu Ke.

She found it amusing, far more interesting than Pang He's pretentious restraint.

Her gaze lingered especially on the eagle-falcon fish—the most expensive dish on the table, so valuable that even she had to consider it carefully.

And!

Among the outer disciples, dishes made from such spirit beasts were priceless and rarely available, for they not only strengthened tendons and bones and boosted blood and qi, but also greatly aided cultivators stuck at bottlenecks.

For cultivators at the Second Tiers, the eagle-falcon fish offered substantial benefits.

Known as "Nutritional Supplementation!"

Yet!

Ren Xue also knew this dish appeared here solely because of Lan Yu's presence.

As an inner sect true disciple, Lan Yu's status was exalted.

The manager of Zuiyue Pavilion had specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare this delicacy as a sign of respect.

Lan Yu himself had entered the sect eight years ago and had long since achieved Foundation Establishment; his current realm was likely nearing the Fourth Tiers—this fish held no value for him, but was a great tonic for the others.

However!

This fish must not be eaten in excess—it would cause trouble!

Such a potent tonic!

Even for the Second Tiers, it was too much to handle.

Weak constitution cannot bear such supplementation!

At best, nosebleeds; at worst, unconsciousness.

Pang He merely waited for Yu Ke to humiliate himself.

Yu Ke paid no attention to the others' expressions.

The precious fish flesh, once swallowed, transformed into surging spiritual qi, raging within him.

Yu Ke's countless acupoints, like awakened treasure mountains, trembled violently; spiritual qi flowed through his meridians, connecting dantians into a magnificent "autumn rain."

As the spiritual qi gradually digested!

The seven hundred and twenty acupoints glowed like moonlight on a full-moon night, activating the Great Heavenly Cycle. The heat of the qi softened, flowing gently along the established meridian paths, nourishing every inch of skin, every drop of essence and blood.

Scattered into heaven!

Settled upon earth!

Within the major acupoints, the luster of pearl and gem brightened further.

"Huh—"

Yu Ke exhaled slowly.

And behold!

Yu Ke's complexion shifted subtly between flush and normal, finally settling into calm, as if he had just undergone a purification, now clearer and more luminous.

He slowly exhaled a turbid breath, the redness on his face completely vanished, returning to normal.

Lan Yu, witnessing this, his vertical pupils twitched slightly, then returned to stillness.

Pang He could hardly believe it.

Ren Xue's face showed surprise; she silently marveled—the immense spiritual power and blood qi contained in half an eagle-falcon fish was an extreme burden even for a Second Tiers cultivator; a misstep could trigger internal spiritual chaos.

Yet Yu Ke had effortlessly dissipated this violent surge, thanks to his profound foundational cultivation and exceptional control of spiritual power.

She reevaluated Yu Ke, realizing this cultivator at the Second Tiers possessed a depth and solidity of foundation far beyond ordinary outer disciples.

The person Xie Wanwan had invited was clearly extraordinary?

But why had no one ever heard of him before?

Xie Wanwan's face lit up with delight.

She had not misjudged Brother Yu!

Pang He felt deeply resentful, especially at the astonished glances from the others.

His own cultivation matched Yu Ke's—both were at the peak of the Second Tiers, both possessed the divine "Golden Skin and Jade Meridians"!

Pang He muttered inwardly—could it be the fish itself?

He couldn't resist, picking up a large chunk of fish meat; its crimson hue made his heart tremble slightly.

He clearly remembered that last time, just a few small bites had already strained his meridians.

Yu Ke himself felt unprecedented ease—he could clearly sense every acupoint in his body rejoicing.

He placed another piece of eagle-falcon fish into his mouth.

Seeing how effortlessly Yu Ke handled the tonic power of the eagle-falcon fish, Pang He could no longer contain his impulse—he decided to try it himself.

He swallowed a large chunk whole!

Instantly, it burned like fire; his meridians prickled with pain.

He urgently activated the "Yang Tian Gui Zhi" technique, attempting to resolve the surging blood and qi through the Great Heavenly Cycle.

But the tonic power of the eagle-falcon fish was too overwhelming—even his cultivation could not withstand it.

His face grew redder and redder.

Finally, he could no longer hold back.

He felt a hot stream trickling from his nose.

He reached up to wipe it.

Opposite him, Xie Wanwan and Ren Xue couldn't help laughing.

Pang He looked down—his hand was covered in blood.

(End of Chapter)