BXBX NOVEL Chapter 114 - 114: Let’s See How Well You ‘ve Grown
In fact, Lu Xuan’s decision was made out of caution.
Although he wasn’t certain what Tian Chong Temple was up to, if the temple truly harbored an evil entity, he was confident in resolving it promptly.
“Dang, dang, dang…”
The sound of the temple bell rang out, seven times in succession, signaling the start of the Buddha’s Birthday ceremony.
Disciples of Tian Chong Temple served up row after row of vegetarian dishes, each exquisitely prepared and presented on jade plates.
The chopsticks and bowls on the table were also carved from white jade, flawless in every aspect.
Above the clouds, the powerful cultivators chatted and laughed jovially.
Within the Pure Land Paradise, the people were in high spirits, enjoying the festivity.
At Feng Yangzi’s table, a gray-robed female master stood up and raised her glass with a smile:
“Today, as Tian Chong Temple hosts this banquet, our gathering here is a twist of fate. I toast to everyone present.”
She was an elder from the Seven Dust Temple, named Liao Shan, with a cultivation level in the mid-stage of Body Integration. “Master Liao Shan speaks truly.”
“Indeed, our gathering here is a form of destiny.”
“Absolutely.”
The others responded in agreement.
Feng Yangzi looked at the powerful beings around him and then at the wine in his cup, bracing himself as he drank.
His Ancestral Master had warned about the vegetarian dishes, but the wine should be safe, right?
“Ah, excellent wine, excellent wine!”
An elder in a brocade robe put down his cup, exclaiming in admiration, “This wine, robust yet gentle, fiercely strong yet compassionately soft, embodies two distinct qualities simultaneously…
Although it’s my first time tasting it, I can sense a hint of Buddhist intent in it. Truly extraordinary.”
“Huang Long, your discernment is as sharp as ever.”
Daoist Yu Ding, with an expression of admiration, commented, “This wine is brewed from the fruits of the Vajra Tree in front of the Bodhisattva Hall in Tian Chong Temple, capturing the essence of ‘Buddha’s compassionate heart, yet skilled in subduing demons’.”
“If I’m not mistaken, the wine we’re drinking has been aged for at least thirteen hundred years.”
The elder referred to as “Huang Long” was the highest-ranking individual there, a Mahayana mid-stage cultivator.
Huang Long, who originally was a humble woodcutter, stumbled upon a fallen dragon in the forest one day. Seizing the opportunity from the dragon’s corpse, he underwent a transformation and embarked on the path of cultivation. His surname being Huang and having a dragon-related encounter, he chose the name “Huang Long Zhenjun” after attaining enlightenment.
Daoist Yu Ding was known for his love and knowledge of wine. As he started discussing wines, the others joined in, expressing their views and showcasing their expertise.
Feng Yangzi, not joining the conversation, seized this opportunity when everyone was busy boasting to each other, and quickly guzzled down half a pot of wine. He intentionally let go of his restraint on alcohol to keep his spirits high.
The Dao Evolution Sect’s two public figures, Qing Yangzi and Feng Yangzi, both had some degree of social anxiety. Qing Yangzi was somewhat better, being the leader of a sect and often attending various meetings surrounded by Mahayana and Transcendent Stage cultivators. He was more accustomed to grand occasions and less flustered in critical situations.
Feng Yangzi, on the other hand, primarily handled external visitor reception for the sect and did not have as many experiences as Qing Yangzi.
As the saying goes, ‘Wine emboldens the meek.’ Feng Yangzi felt more at ease after drinking.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s begin our meal,” Liao Shan, the female master, smiled. “Sure.”
“Indeed.”
The others agreed.
As Liao Shan raised her jade chopsticks towards a pastry on the table, a pair of white jade chopsticks swiftly snatched it before she could.
Liao Shan was puzzled.
Turning her head, she saw Feng Yangzi awkwardly chewing the pastry, managing a polite yet embarrassed smile, mumbling, “Ah, I was a bit hungry…”
Liao Shan, thinking Feng Yangzi was famished from a long journey, didn’t dwell on it.
As she reached for another pastry, the sound of “ding ding ding ding” rang out.
Feng Yangzi, seizing the moment she was distracted, swiftly cleared the entire plate of pastries.
Not only Liao Shan was a victim.
Daoist Yu Ding was about to pick up a serving of vegetarian noodles when Feng Yangzi’s chopsticks darted in, spiraling the noodles with broth into the air and slurping them down in one go.
A cultivator named Dan Tai, intending to pick a bean roll, watched in dismay as it was pierced through before his chopsticks even touched it.
Several crisp sounds followed as Feng Yangzi skewered all the bean rolls on his chopsticks, cleaning the plate in one swift motion.
The guests at Tian Chong Temple were well-known cultivators, naturally adhering to etiquette.
Especially at this table of powerful beings, where decorum dictated a leisurely meal accompanied by friendly conversation.
No one expected Feng Yangzi, like a ravenous ghost, to nearly clear half the table of vegetarian dishes in a blink.
However, some reacted quickly.
Huang Long Zhenjun, a Mahayana-period cultivator and the most senior gourmet present, finally made his move. He quickly picked up a piece of vegetarian goose before Feng Yangzi could.
But the next moment, Feng Yangzi’s chopsticks landed on the very piece selected by Huang Long Zhenjun.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Feng Yangzi pressed the vegetarian goose back onto the plate.
The atmosphere tensed.
Huang Long Zhenjun’s expression cooled slightly, lamenting the lack of manners in the younger generation.
His wrist flicked, and the jade chopsticks vibrated, emitting a faint dragon’s
roar.