The crowd held their breath as they descended the ancient stone steps, layer by layer, for their destination lay deep beneath the Hall of Heaven and Earth.
After walking for a full half-hour, they finally entered a stone chamber.
Inside the chamber, an elder sat cross-legged.
Though referred to as an elder, he did not appear aged. On the contrary, his complexion was radiant, his gaze sharp, and his deanor vigorous.
Beside him sat several other elders.
The foremost among them was none other than Qin Lan, the only Saint in the Heavenly Domain.
The remaining elders were no ordinary figures either—each was a Half-Saint.
Such was the foundation of the Heavenly Domain's foremost power!
Those eting Qin Lan for the first ti were utterly astonished to see their revered ancestor in such peak condition.
Truly, a Saint was a Saint indeed!
"We pay our respects to the Ancestor," they chorused.
Even Qin Yi, the Island Master, knelt reverently before the elder.
"Rise, all of you," Qin Lan said with a wave of his hand, a gentle force lifting Qin Yi and the others to their feet.
"I imagine you are all curious as to why I have summoned you here," Qin Lan remarked warmly, without a trace of condescension despite his venerable status.
"Follow ."
With a smile, he clasped his hands behind his back and pushed open a side door in the chamber.
The group followed him inside.
Beyond the door lay another stone chamber.
Its walls were carved with intricate runes, and at the intersections of these patterns flickered several dim soul lamps.
At the center of the room, atop a stone table, stood a single lamp—distinct and solitary.
Qin Lan's eyes burned with excitent as he fixed his gaze upon it.
"Behold," he said.
With a sweep of his hand, the faintly glowing soul lamps on the walls extinguished, plunging the chamber into darkness.
But not complete darkness.
As the other lamps dimd, a faint, flickering glow could barely be discerned from the lamp on the stone table.
The light was incredibly faint—imperceptible under normal conditions—visible only in this utter blackness.
At the sight of this faint glimr, Qin Lan trembled with emotion. The great Saint’s eyes even reddened slightly.
To the shock of all present, he dropped to his knees before the lamp in reverence.
The Ancestor’s sudden prostration left the others stunned and uneasy. None knew what the lamp signified, leaving them frozen in uncertainty, their hands and feet restless with nervous energy.
Only Qin Yi, the Island Master, had so inkling of its significance.
The mont he saw Qin Lan kneel, realization dawned on him.
"Ancestor... Ancestor, could this be—?"
His voice trembled as he spoke, his body shaking uncontrollably before he, too, fell to his knees.
"Indeed. It represents that one!" Qin Lan affird, his voice thick with emotion.
Even with prior expectations, Qin Yi’s pupils constricted at the confirmation.
"What are the rest of you waiting for? Kneel at once!" Qin Yi barked at Qin Zhiyu and the others behind him.
Though they still did not grasp the lamp’s full significance, the sheer reverence shown by Qin Lan and Qin Yi made it clear that its origins were extraordinary. Without hesitation, the group dropped to their knees.
All knelt in unison, their gazes fixed upon the faintly glowing lamp.
"An unextinguished fla... This ans that one is currently within the Heavenly Domain!"
Old Man Qin Lan asked excitedly.
"Yes!"
Qin Yi, who was in the know, trembled all over, his face filled with tension.
"Ancestor, Island Master, could you tell Nan'er what this lantern truly represents?" At this mont, Qin Nan, who was kneeling on the ground, couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.
"Silence! Is this sothing you're qualified to know?"
Qin Yi imdiately scolded in a stern voice.
"Now, now, Yi'er, don't be like that," Qin Lan said disapprovingly. "The reason I called these youngsters back is precisely to share these matters with them. After all, the future belongs to them."
"Yes, Yi'er was wrong."
Qin Yi lowered his head and sighed before adopting a solemn expression. "Do you all rember that exceptional ancestral decree of our Qin family?"
Everyone nodded gravely.
This decree was instilled in every Qin family mber from birth.
It was rather peculiar—every Qin clansman had to learn how to cook.
In fact, if you lacked talent in cultivation within the Qin family, it wasn't a big deal. But if you didn't know how to cook? You'd be kicked out in an instant.
Under such circumstances, every mber of the Qin family, including the younger generation like Qin Nan and Qin Zhiyu, had beco masterful cooks—especially when it ca to preparing wild ga, which they elevated to an art form.
In short, when it ca to power in the Heavenly Domain, the Qin family of Heaven-Earth Island might humbly downplay their status as the foremost force.
But when it ca to cooking? Well, no apologies—the Qin family was undeniably number one!
User Comments
0 comments from readers