With the greeting out of the way, the awkwardness between the four young cultivators and the middle-aged woman took hold of them again. Li Lang’s group looked around, with no one wanting to have the first word. The elder just stoically stood there like a statue.

After some time, the elder broke the silence.

“It’s been some time, Li Lang, Long Yi. I can’t say I’m happy about our reunion considering who you’re with,” the elder’s last words were said while pointedly staring at Sima Xue.

“Elder Cao, I hope you are in good health,” Li Lang replied with a bow. “You may be jumping to conclusions. It’s a long story, after all.”

“Well, I have some time to listen to your excuses as to why you’re associating with this demonic cultivator that allegedly framed you. That, plus the fact of your rapid progress is especially concerning. Just so you remember, I put myself on the line to defend you. Have you forgotten my warnings?”

The elder’s stark contrast of tone almost made Li Lang flinch. Elder Cao had always been so kind to him during his time in Spirit Grove. It felt weird that she acted so hostile, but also understandable at the same time, considering she found him associating so closely with demonic cultivators. The fact their cultivation had skyrocketed since she last saw them was the last nail in the coffin. It left no question in Elder Cao’s mind that they had gone against her warnings and dabbled in demonic cultivation.

“Elder Cao, I can’t exactly tell you everything here. I ask that you consider where we are. There’s no point in holding any enmity here,” Li Lang tried to explain.

He couldn’t exactly tell her everything, especially because they were currently posing as people who had switched over to demonic cultivation to blend in. It was what they decided to explain why they had progressed so rapidly in their cultivation. Otherwise, even demonic cultivators would be alarmed at the fact two boys with grade-one aptitude had reached the late stages of Energy Gathering before the age of twenty.

Protecting this information caused Li Lang to make an on-the-spot decision. A decision to lie.

“The only thing I can tell you is that we no longer have any animosity toward Ling Xue. There’s no point considering we live in Polarity City now. It’s neutral grounds, after all. I still respect you, Elder Cao and Spirit Grove.”

The elder grunted and looked away. She didn’t say anything in particular, but for those who knew her, her stern expression softened.

Before their conversation could continue, Elder Cao suddenly glanced in one direction down the street. She spotted her companions who had likely just finished their errands.

“In that case, I hope we have the opportunity to sit down and have a long chat once this auction is over. I’m staying at the Haze Mist Inn. Come find me after the event if you want to explain yourselves.”

With those words, the elder swiftly moved to regroup with her fellow sect members. From the distance, Li Lang could make out the green robes of the other Spirit Grove cultivators. He even spotted a few familiar faces who he couldn’t put a name to right away.

“Let’s go,” Li Lang urged his group to keep moving. “The elder excused herself so we wouldn’t come into conflict with the other members, so we shouldn’t let her efforts go in vain.”

Just as Li Lang had noticed the other party, the Spirit Grove disciples noticed him as well. More specifically, only a select few did. Those who had spent some time with him. That was because Li Lang no longer had the characteristics of a large head. It wasn’t so easy to recognize him.

“Is that who I think it is?” a young master with green robes exclaimed, increasing the intensity of his fanning to match his emotions.

“What are you looking at, Lu Hong? I don’t see anything,” a portly young man inquired.

“That’s because you’re too short, Zhang Bai. Of course, you’re not seeing anything past this crowd,” another person interjected on behalf of the first man. “I believe Lu Hong is talking about that brat with the big head. Though it doesn’t seem like his head is that large anymore.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Hmm, are you guys sure? It’s been years since we last saw him. If that guy doesn’t have a large head, it could just be a lookalike.”

“Don’t be stupid. I, Pei Fong, may be mistaken, but how could Young Master Lu Hong of the Lu Clan be mistaken?”

The trio didn’t get to argue long before Elder Cao reunited with the group. She was the elder responsible for watching over them, and none dared to talk over her.

“What are you all standing around for? If you’re done, then let’s start heading back.”

“Yes, elder!” all the Spirit Grove disciples, not just the young master trio, replied with vigor.

Meanwhile, Li Lang’s group had already evacuated the area. They were currently sitting down inside a large restaurant. It spanned several floors, and the aroma that seeped out from the kitchen made one’s stomach grumble. It wasn’t just because their chefs were skilled, but because of all the valuable ingredients they used.

These ingredients came with a corresponding price. It was high enough to make Li Lang drop the menu upon reading it.

“You’re kidding, right?” he whispered over to Sima Xue with a strained tone. “A hundred and twenty Qi stones for a simple bowl of rice? That’s daylight robbery!”

Having read the same menu, even Wei Ping and Long Yi gave questioning looks at Sima Xue.

“M-maybe we should go elsewhere? This p-place seems to c-cater to those in a higher realm,” Wei Ping said, as he glanced around at the other customers.

Everyone else in the restaurant was an adult. They were all at least in the Foundation Establishment realm. It was a scene that befitted the name of Polarity City as a cultivator center.

“Oh, come on, guys. The food they serve here is all made from Earth-grade ingredients, at the very least!”

“A luxurious feast is the last thing we need to indulge in right now,” Li Lang quipped. “There’s still an auction on the horizon. Why would I waste my money here?”

“Earth-grade ingredients aren’t just for pleasure! Not only do they nourish the soul, they also relieve you of cultivation fatigue. Many say regularly eating these high-quality foodstuffs aids in cultivation as well!”

“We aren’t in the position to rely on something so expensive, yet can’t be verified for its efficacy!”

“You promised me tofu pudding, and I want the tofu pudding from here.”

Having been reminded of his promise, Li Lang lost some wind in his sails. At the time he requested her help in the pocket realm, he knew he had to pay a price.

Well, if it’s just once, I can still handle it. Plus, I can investigate if these foods actually have an effect on cultivation.

“Fine, fine. I’ll order your tofu pudding, but nothing else.”

Having gotten her wish, Sima Xue quickly switched over from tantrum mode to satisfied mode. The table of four placed their order for one serving of tofu pudding and it instantly came, as if to tell them to hurry up and relinquish their table.

The pudding they brought came in a wooden bucket the size of a jug. Sima Xue got straight into it and scooped some into her bowl.

“Can you three not stare at me like that when I’m eating?”

Immediately, the gazes of the three boys scattered.

The sound of other customers filled the room, as Li Lang tried to think up a way to ask her to share some of it. He needed to place it into Ruby for further analysis, but with how excited she seemed, he hesitated.

Instead, he spent his time observing the other guests. All their meals appeared normal, with roast poultry and fine wines, but the aroma was much more fragrant than normal. It had a charm to it that made one salivate. All the high and mighty cultivators around him were stuffing themselves full at a rapid pace.

“Hey!” a voice shouted, waking the three young men from their thoughts. “You guys can have some, you know?”

“Are you sure?” Li Lang asked.

“Yeah, it’s no fun eating by yourself. Come on and try it out. It’s as good as I remembered it to be.”

Seeing her push the tub of tofu pudding toward them, the trio relented and partook in some pudding. Li Lang swiftly used his spoon to break up the pudding and had Ruby absorb some at the same time. Then, he finally tried some, and the moment it entered his mouth, he was stunned.

The experience wasn’t simply just food. A warm flow of Qi traveled down his stomach, along with the food. Unlike during cultivation, his body didn’t resist it, causing no pain or discomfort. Instead, he felt the energy slowly being distributed to every single one of his cells. It felt his body glowing, releasing that rush of energy back into the world.

He took another look at the other guests after his discovery. He found many among them had an older appearance. It was hard to tell their age from that alone, but the consistency did not escape his attention.

They’re not just stuffing themselves for pleasure. Could this really be helpful in one’s cultivation somehow?