Before the Demon Lord could speak, Du Heng had time to shovel a few mouthfuls of rice. He’d have to be full on his way to the underworld! Du Heng felt a pang of despair. Was it easy for him? Had he had a horrible nightmare? In his dream, he fought with a chicken and cooked a meal, only to wake up before the food even reached his mouth?

If only it had been a dream. Du Heng knew it wasn’t. Everything that happened was too real, leaving him unable to refute it. Just now, for example, as he ate his rice, he could feel each plump grain bursting against his teeth.

Eating, of course, was so relaxing. After a few chews, Du Heng realized the rice here was better than any other he’d ever tasted. The soft, sticky texture, combined with the fresh, tender flavor of the Brahma Chicken kept him going. He ate mouthful after mouthful, unable to stop.

Yan Buhui sensed something amiss upon arriving at the cave. First, his beloved pet, General Brahma, hadn’t come out to greet him. Second, the cave was thick with the smell of food. If this weren’t the prison of the Demon Realm, Yan Buhui would have thought he’d walked into a restaurant.

Yan Buhui’s brows furrowed as he scanned the cave with his spiritual sense. “Where’s my General Brahma?” Yun Zhonghe hesitated. “It…” Du Heng burped untimely. “…it smells so good.”

Du Heng himself didn’t know why he was kneeling on the ground. Yan Buhui’s face was as gloomy as ink. He glanced at the bare chicken in the wooden basin, then at the plate of Kung Pao Chicken on the stove, which had barely been touched. Yan Buhui’s voice was as cold as ice: “Is this my General Brahma?”

Du Heng looked up at Yan Buhui and nodded guiltily. He had no right to speak in front of the pet’s owner.

Yan Buhui’s expression shifted, and his fists clenched tightly, his joints cracking. Du Heng couldn’t help but shrink his neck at the sound. He felt like a little quail. If the Brahma Chicken tried to peck at him, he could fight back no problem. But he not only fought back but also ate it. Du Heng felt guilty as hell.

Yan Buhui snorted coldly and asked Yun Zhonghe, “Why is he still alive? Didn’t I tell you to kill him and use his flesh and blood for medicine?”

Yun Zhonghe was incredibly straightforward and frank: “I couldn’t bear it.” After all, they were from the same sect, and Du Heng had served him for years. Even if he hadn’t done anything, he had worked hard. It was still a life, and Yun Zhonghe couldn’t bear it.

Yan Buhui raised his palm, and Du Heng felt a gust of wind rushing towards him. The world spun, and his body was carried heavily towards the cave behind him. With a dull thud, Du Heng felt like a small melon being smashed against the wall. His internal organs ached violently, his vision went black, and he almost fainted.

 Yan Buhui said coldly, “Now that he’s dead, he can be used in medicine. If I’d known he was so despicable, I shouldn’t have listened to you healers defending him after swallowing the Phantom Sky Pearl. I should have taken his life then!” Yun Zhonghe calmly looked at the collapsed Du Heng, his eyes filled with pity.

Yan Buhui said, “What are you still standing there for? Why don’t you hurry up and refine the Out-of-Body Pill? Don’t try to be like your Inner Sect brothers who procrastinate. My patience is limited.” Yun Zhonghe’s voice trembled unnoticed as he heard Yan Buhui talk about his fellow disciples. “What have you done to my fellow disciples?”

Yan Buhui said, “The healers in Medicine King Valley all possess unique skills, but they’re a bit too squeamish. I’ve gathered all the ingredients for the Out-of-Body Pill for them, and they’re all making excuses…” Yan Buhui glanced sinisterly at Yun Zhonghe, who saw the bloodlust in his eyes and the bloodstains on his sleeves.

 Yan Buhui said, “I know refining the Out-of-Body Pill is difficult. I’ll give you time, I’ll give you a chance.” Yun Zhonghe trembled slightly. “The most taboo in alchemy is distraction. With the Demon Lord guarding here, I have no time to refine the pill.” Yan Buhui chuckled. “You said the same thing as your senior brothers.”

Yan Buhui stood up and took two steps toward Yun Zhonghe. A red light glint flashed in his eyes. “You’ve been in our Demon Realm for so long, yet Medicine King Valley hasn’t responded. You should know your sect’s attitude towards you. If you know what’s best for you, refine the Out-of-Body Pill well, and I’ll let you go. If you don’t, I’ll send you on your way now. Your attendant just left, so you’ll have someone to accompany you on your journey to the underworld.”

Yun Zhonghe was about to say something when he heard a rustling sound behind him, followed by a suppressed cough. He and Yan Buhui looked in shock at where Du Heng had fallen. He watched in astonishment as Du Heng sat up!

Du Heng opened his mouth and began to vomit, spewing out all the food he had just eaten. After vomiting up all his food, he clutched his chest with a bitter face, “I’m not even full yet, and I’m already throwing it up again…”

Yun Zhonghe pushed Yan Buhui aside and practically leaped over to Du Heng. He grasped Du Heng’s hand, and felt his pulse, slightly cold and trembling. Yun Zhonghe was incredulous: “How is that possible? You’re just a Qi cultivator. How could you withstand a blow from a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? How is that possible?”

But beneath his skin, his pulse beat steadily. Du Heng was still alive! Yun Zhonghe finally smiled. He whispered, “Fools have their own luck. Perhaps the Phantom Sky Pearl protected you. It’s good to be alive…” Yan Buhui’s voice echoed, “Oh? Not necessarily?”

Yun Zhonghe’s expression darkened upon hearing this. He stepped in front of Du Heng and said, “Master Demon Lord, why must you kill him? Cultivators accept opportunities as they come. The Phantom Sky Pearl entered Du Heng’s body on its own, it was not Du Heng trying to get it. Why must you kill him?” Yan Buhui stepped forward with such force that Du Heng felt as if a hundred kilograms of rice were weighing him down, and suffocating him.

Yan Buhui taunted, “You’re protecting him. You spoke up for him before, and now you’re still trying to protect him. Anyone who doesn’t know would think you two are up to something shameful.” Yan Buhui’s gaze flickered between Yun Zhonghe and Du Heng. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in his hand, and a dagger fell straight down in front of Du Heng and the others, piercing the ground.

 Du Heng whispered to Yun Zhonghe, “What does he mean? Does he want us to kill him?” Yun Zhonghe replied, “You’re overthinking it…”

Yan Buhui sneered, “Since the Phantom Sky Pearl is protecting this fool, and I haven’t killed him once, it proves he’s not destined to die. So, I’ll give you two a choice. Only one of you can leave this cave. See this dagger? Only one of you can survive.”

Du Heng was bewildered. “Is he crazy? Didn’t he want you to help him refine the elixir? Now he wants to watch us kill each other?” Yun Zhonghe said, “The Demon Lord is inherently cruel, sensitive, and suspicious. He’s kidnapped so many of our brothers; he doesn’t need me to refine elixirs for him.”

Du Heng stared at the dagger on the ground for a moment before coming to a conclusion: “Hmm… The Demon Lord is ill.” Yun Zhonghe agreed wholeheartedly, but Demon Lord Yan Buhui was far more powerful than the two of them. A madman is already formidable, but a madman with exceptional combat power is even more terrifying.

 Yan Buhui stood cheerfully beside the simple stove. He leaned against it with an air of authority, ignoring the rice and diced chicken on top. He looked even better than a model on a catwalk. He crossed his arms and smiled, “Let’s see if your fellow disciples’ camaraderie can overcome reality. Don’t worry, I’ll give you one hour. If you don’t act by then, I’ll randomly pick one of you and send you on your way.”

Yan Buhui added, “Oh, this dagger is called the Soul-Severing Blade. Even if one of you has the protection of the Phantom Sky Pearl and the other is a true disciple of the Medicine King Valley, you wouldn’t be able to withstand it piercing your heart. Yun Zhonghe, your cultivation is far superior to Du Heng’s. For the sake of fairness, I will now restrain your cultivation.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a spiritual light appeared in Yan Buhui’s hand and fell upon Yun Zhonghe, causing his aura to grow heavier. Yun Zhonghe’s face paled, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Du Heng supported him. “Are you okay? You look terrible.” Yun Zhonghe said, “My cultivation has been suppressed. Now my level is about the same as yours.”

Du Heng asked weakly, “Are you… going to kill me?” Yun Zhonghe replied with difficulty, “Medicine King Valley forbids killing fellow disciples. I won’t kill you on my own initiative.”

Yan Buhui laughed heartily. “I like this kind of scenery. You guys continue.”

Du Heng raised his hand and said, “Um… can you promise me one thing first?” Yun Zhonghe frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the dagger on the ground. He had seen Du Heng kill and prepare the chicken just now. He could bet that if Du Heng fought him with all his strength, he would probably be killed like the Brahma Chicken.

 Yan Buhui raised an eyebrow cheerfully: “Go ahead.”

Du Heng said, “Can I have a meal? I’m so hungry.” Yan Buhui’s expression froze. He turned to look at the stove next to him: “Still thinking about eating at this hour? You’re truly an ant!”

Yun Zhonghe was also helpless: “It’s already this hour, don’t worry about food.” He’s the fish on the chopping board, and he’s never seen a fish on the chopping board crying out for food.

Du Heng was sullen: “But I’m really hungry. I just vomited up everything I ate.” His tone was filled with grievance. He was a foodie, and he believed that food should be properly digested to justify the effort put into making it. Those who waste food should be struck by lightning!

 Yan Buhui looked at the spiritual rice with disdain. His eyes fell on the Kung Pao Chicken. He reached out two fingers and pinched a peanut. “Is this something humans can eat?” Du Heng said, “It’s delicious. Try it and you’ll see.”

Yan Buhui casually tossed the peanut into his mouth. “Make your choice carefully. You’re almost dead, and yet you still have so many demands? Don’t you feel guilty?”

Du Heng: “…Waste food and you’ll be struck by lightning. You know nothing!”

Du Heng was about to finish his thought when a thunderclap erupted from outside the cave. The thunderclap was so loud it seemed to explode overhead! Du Heng clutched his head and shouted, “Look! The God of Food is angry!”

Yun Zhonghe smacked Du Heng’s head. “What nonsense! The Demon Lord is about to break through! He’s about to overcome his tribulation!”