Chapter 354: The Use of Magic

The Yangzhou Cauldron lay deep beneath the soil of the rear mountain of Lingyin Temple, its consciousness sunk in a long slumber, unaware of the passage of time, and also unaware when it might once again see the light of day and resume its mission…

Hm?

Suddenly, the soil surrounding it became unusually "active," a gentle yet irresistible force enveloped it, pushing it upward, upward… a long‑missed pressure, and then… light!

The next instant, a warm palm gently pressed against its cauldron body.

A familiar and supreme aura surged in instantly!

The recognition process faced no hindrance, responding almost instinctively.

Buzz—!

Blazing yet non‑glaring light burst from the cauldron, instantly drawing the eyes of all nearby tourists and monks.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, within the light, a massive silhouette slowly coalesced and appeared.

It was a colossal beast formed of turtle and snake, its Turtle Shell heavy, patterns esoteric like the primordial formation of heaven and earth, the snake head held high, eyes deep as an ancient cold well, its whole body exuding a settled aura of water and earth—Xuanwu!

Xuanwu seemed just awakened from long slumber, lazily letting out a huge yawn.

It shook its head, its gaze drifting slowly, finally landing on Yu Lin and Jin Wu before it.

Without waiting for Yu Lin and the others to speak, its massive body moved forward step by step at an extremely slow pace, matching the stereotypical sluggishness of a turtle.

Then, that huge head lowered in a slow‑motion manner, gradually, gradually, as if it took a full minute to complete the motion.

A voice heavy with drowsiness and speaking slowly rang out:

"Xuan… Wu… have… seen… master…"

Yu Lin looked at its lagging demeanor, nodded and said, "Hmm, get up, no need for all these formalities. Following me has no rules; just do whatever feels comfortable."

"As for the other matters, let Jin Wu explain them to you in detail." He pointed at Jin Wu beside him, then added, "There are also three other fellows; later Jin Wu will take you to meet them."

"Alright?"

Xuanwu, upon hearing that, had the still‑drowsy eyes suddenly flash brightly!

The next second, its sluggish movement suddenly accelerated!

The massive body "swish" straightened in an instant, the lowered head quickly lifted, the prior laziness vanished, and its speech speed returned to normal, even a bit urgent:

"Really? Is comfort all that matters? If so, I won't pretend to be slow anymore!"

Yu Lin: "…………"

So it was an act? Good fellow, looks honest, but quite shrewd.

Jin Wu, unable to hold back laughter, said, "Xuanwu, rest assured."

"With your abilities, if even the master can't solve something, you're probably quite a handful. Don't forget, the master is Da Yu's teacher!"

Xuanwu, hearing that, as if enlightened, patted his Turtle Shell and said, "Indeed, indeed! Look, I just woke up, my mind's still a bit hazy!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, let's go!"

His voice was resonant, his movements crisp, a world apart from the earlier turtle.

Suddenly, a flash of light on his body caused the massive form to shrink rapidly, eventually becoming palm‑sized, then with a light leap he perched precisely on Jin Wu's soft hair, like an exquisitely shaped hairpin.

Yu Lin, seeing this, no longer hesitated; with a thought, he tucked the restored ancient Yangzhou Cauldron into his arms, a cauldron‑shaped pattern on his chest flickering briefly.

He said to Jin Wu, "Alright, I'll leave this to you. Call me when you find clues to other cauldrons."

"Got it."

As the words fell, his figure vanished like a phantom, leaving no trace.

Only Jin Wu remained, with the suddenly lively "little turtle" perched on his head, facing a crowd of gaping tourists frantically filming with phones and a few monks with complex gazes, repeatedly chanting "Amitabha."

Jin Wu glanced at the scene, felt the curious wiggling little hand of Xuanwu atop his head, and smiled helplessly.

Forget it, explaining would be too troublesome.

He flickered, instantly turning into a golden streak of light, like a second sun rising then abruptly waning, carrying Xuanwu as they vanished into the sky.

As for the remaining commotion and explanatory work…

Hm, the local government will handle it.

Two days later, Satan indeed arrived as promised, appearing before Yu Lin.

However, the two were not in a hurry to head straight to Hell; Satan said that since they had come to the East, it would be unreasonable not to sample authentic local cuisine, strongly suggesting they first enjoy a lunch.

Hm, actually he just wanted to eat.

So the two arrived at the entrance of a restaurant locally renowned for its authentic homestyle dishes.

Seeing the winding queue at the door, Satan, the Lord of Hell, also had to blend in, honestly standing in line.

They waited over an hour before finally being led inside by a waiter.

This hour of waiting was still far shorter than before.

The reason was simple: the restaurant owner's son, somehow recently, had mastered a spell!

It wasn't through a formal cultivation academy, nor did his family have any hidden cultivation background.

So, how did he learn it?

This is thanks to Yu Lin's previously publicly uploaded The Tai Ping Essential Art.

The youngster clearly possessed both talent and insight, with a pure nature, so he researched some fire‑controlling techniques, applied them directly, and incorporated them into his family's restaurant.

However, if he harbored any ill intent, turning The Tai Ping Essential Art into a demonic art… would be worse than keeping things as they are.

"Is that also your handiwork?"

Following Yu Lin's gaze, Satan also saw in the back kitchen a young figure deftly wielding faint fire‑walking magic, precisely controlling the wok's flame, causing a stir‑fried meat dish to blaze, and raised an eyebrow to ask.

Yu Lin lifted the tea on the table, took a sip, neither confirming nor denying, and said, "Close enough."

"But if they truly have someone to thank, it should be another person."

He was referring to Zhang Jiao, who truly wished to spread knowledge and ultimately become the Dao through his own body.

Satan nodded knowingly, without probing further.

When several signature dishes that were perfect in color, aroma, and taste were brought out, Satan picked up his chopsticks, but did not start eating immediately; instead he looked at Yu Lin, his scarlet eyes carrying a hint of mockery, and said in a lyrical, aria‑like tone:

"Opening knowledge to mortals without charge, igniting the spark of civilization's advancement... A being capable of such deeds, even in the oldest myths, would be honored as a 'Holy'."

He leaned forward slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting: "You're right, aren't you? Our dear—Holy Yu Lin?"

Yu Lin's hand holding the chopsticks paused, and he glanced at him expressionlessly:

"... As long as you're happy."

He was too lazy to argue with this chaos‑fearing Lord of Hell, and simply picked up a glossy, fragrant piece of stir‑fried pork with a mix of fat and lean and shoved it into his mouth.

The meat was char‑fragrant and tender, the spiciness just right, the richness of bean‑paste melding perfectly with the fresh scent of garlic shoots... The flavor was indeed quite good.

Especially under the precise enhancement of the young chef's Fire Method, the wok's vigor was abundant, the heat control was masterfully flawless, bringing the ingredients' potential to its utmost.

No wonder the line at the entrance was so long; channeling cultivation power into culinary art is truly a dimensional‑reduction strike.

When they were full and satisfied.

After paying, they then headed toward Hell.