The Golden Lotus Hall buzzed like a hive as cultivators leaned forward, eager to see who dared handle the basket of hissing silver eels. Several chefs from the surrounding sects had already backed away, muttering about the eels' violent temperament. One chef in green robes tried to grab an eel with chopsticks, only to yelp as a spark of blue lightning leapt up his arm, singeing his sleeve.
Bai Yue squeaked in terror. "Senior Lin, they're still alive!"
Lin Tian ignored the chaos, calmly inspecting the basket. The Spirit Thunder Eels twisted and coiled over one another, scales glittering under the lanterns like liquid silver. Each tiny spark snapping across their bodies sent faint ripples through the qi in the room, like invisible waves.
Nearby, Elder Lu crossed his arms, grumbling. "This is madness. Nobody cooks those things except crazy fishermen—and even they get shocked half to death."
Lin Tian's eyes narrowed in thought. "Thunder qi has an unstable nature. But if you bleed it out properly and neutralize the charge with certain herbs…"
Bai Yue leaned closer, shivering. "Certain herbs like… what?"
Lin Tian didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his spice kit and pulled out a bundle of thin, pale stems bound with red string. Bai Yue peered at it and made a face. "Is that… bitter lightning root?"
"Exactly," Lin Tian said. "It drains static qi. Very useful. Tastes awful, though."
He plucked the first eel from the basket. It immediately snapped around, fangs bared, sparks crackling along its jaw. The crowd gasped. But Lin Tian held it firm, his grip deft and precise. He used the back of his cleaver to strike a quick tap against a spot just behind its skull. The eel stiffened, shuddered, and went limp.
A wave of murmurs swept through the hall.
"He… knocked it unconscious?" a sect leader whispered.
"Impossible!" another hissed. "Thunder eels fight until death!"
Lin Tian ignored them all. With rapid movements, he bled the eel along its belly seam, draining silvery ichor into a waiting bowl. Sparks danced along the knife blade but failed to jump to his skin. Bai Yue winced with every sizzle.
After cleaning the eel, Lin Tian filleted it into slender strips. He rinsed the flesh in a solution of bitter lightning root steeped in spirit vinegar, watching the last arcs of residual lightning flicker and fade.
Meanwhile, chefs from the other sects hesitated at their stations. Some stared at Lin Tian in awe; others glared, as though trying to memorize his every motion. One chef whispered furiously into his sleeve, likely sending a sound-transmission talisman back to his sect elders.
Bai Yue clasped his hands together. "Senior Lin… is this going to taste terrible? Because that bitter root is worse than old medicine dregs."
Lin Tian cracked a faint smile. "Trust me."
Once the eel was cleaned, Lin Tian heated his wok until it glowed faintly red. He poured in spirit oil, which rippled like liquid gold under the heat. Into the shimmering pool he tossed finely chopped garlic, star anise, and crushed mountain pepper. Steam billowed upward, filling the hall with a fragrance sharp enough to make nearby cultivators blink and cough.
Lin Tian worked with perfect timing. He seared the eel slices until their edges curled and crisped, shimmering with an iridescent sheen. Next came a splash of icefruit essence, sending a fine mist of frost across the sizzling wok. The aroma shifted from blazing heat to a cool, bracing sharpness.
Elder Han, who'd arrived to watch, muttered, "He's blending heat and cold again. Just like with Hu Yan's dish."
Lin Tian scooped the eel slices into a porcelain bowl and arranged them in a delicate spiral, each piece draped over the next like overlapping petals. He poured a final drizzle of bright jade-green sauce over the top—a blend of sweet plum paste and finely ground frostleaf. The dish glowed faintly under the lantern light, as though holding a pulse of hidden lightning.
A hush fell over the hall. Even the other chefs stood frozen, watching him.
Lin Tian stepped back. "Done."
The contest judges—a panel of elders from various sects—approached cautiously. One elder, wearing robes embroidered with crimson cranes, eyed the bowl as though expecting it to bite him.
"Is… is it safe?" he demanded.
Lin Tian gestured. "Safer than fighting it raw."
Summoning all his courage, the elder picked up chopsticks and lifted a single piece of eel to his lips. He tasted it, and his eyes widened.
"…It's… light," he breathed. "Cool. Crisp. But then, there's a warmth under it. And the bitter edge is gone!"
Another elder tasted a slice and gasped. "My dantian just… tingled! As if a burst of pure qi surged through it. But gentle. Controlled."
Elder Lu blinked. "It's… medicinal?"
Lin Tian nodded. "Spirit Thunder Eel meat is rich in natural lightning qi. Dangerous if uncontrolled. But prepared properly, it stimulates minor meridian flow without damage. It's like a mild internal refinement through food."
Bai Yue slapped his cheeks in wonder. "Senior Lin… you're turning cuisine into cultivation techniques!"
Several sect envoys pushed forward, demanding tastes. One old master from the Mistflower Sect took a careful bite, then burst out laughing. "Young man! I haven't felt this much spirit power from a dish since my youth!"
A storm of chatter erupted in the hall. Sect leaders conferred in urgent whispers. More than one pair of eyes glanced toward Elder Han, suddenly evaluating the Ironbone Sect in a new light.
Lin Tian simply wiped his cleaver and stood quietly as a tide of attention swept over him. His face remained calm, but inside, a fire of ambition burned bright. In his past life, food was just art and survival. Here, it could be power, medicine, diplomacy—even a weapon.
For a moment, he allowed himself a faint, satisfied smile.
.....
In the Golden Lotus Hall, the atmosphere had shifted entirely. Sect envoys no longer treated the Ironbone Sect as a ragtag group of mountain bumpkins. Instead, people huddled in tight clusters, glancing at Lin Tian with wary respect—or outright desire.
Lin Tian wiped down his station methodically. Bai Yue fidgeted beside him, looking both ecstatic and terrified.
"Senior Lin," he whispered, eyes darting around. "Did you hear them? They're talking about alliances! And spirit herb exchanges! And… and… marriage proposals!"
Lin Tian blinked. "Marriage proposals?"
Bai Yue waved frantically toward a group of sect elders on the far side of the hall. "That elder from Violet Petal Sect said you'd be a perfect son-in-law for their second daughter!"
Lin Tian stared at him. "I'm a chef. Not a bridal gift."
Bai Yue puffed his cheeks. "That's how powerful your food is, Senior Lin! You're a cultivation resource!"
Before Lin Tian could answer, Elder Han strode over, his expression grave despite the spark of triumph in his eyes."Lin Tian. We need to talk."
Bai Yue ducked behind a pillar. "I'll… just… not be here…"
Elder Han drew Lin Tian aside, away from the crowd. His voice dropped low. "Listen carefully. You've done incredible work today. But this is exactly where things get dangerous."
Lin Tian tilted his head. "Because they want my recipes?"
Han nodded. "Some sects will offer alliances. Others will try to poach you. A few might send assassins to avoid competition altogether. Your cooking's not just food anymore—it's a cultivation advantage. And the bigger that advantage looks, the more risk you bring."
Lin Tian's gaze hardened. "Then I'll get stronger. And so will the sect."
Han gave a slow, approving nod. "Good. Because we're already getting requests for private banquets. The Seven Star Pavilion wants to hire you to cater a foundation establishment breakthrough ceremony. The Green Willow Sect is asking about medicinal dishes for elder injuries. And Violet Cloud—"
He broke off as a slender figure in violet robes approached, moving with the quiet grace of a stalking cat. It was Jin Lian, the same envoy who'd threatened Lin Tian in the kitchen days earlier.
Jin Lian inclined his head with polite coolness. "Ironbone Sect. Chef Lin."
Elder Han's face darkened. "Envoy Jin. What business brings you back so soon?"
Jin Lian folded his sleeves. "A peaceful one—for now. Violet Cloud Sect has reconsidered. We no longer wish exclusive rights to your recipes. Instead… we wish to commission a grand feast."
Lin Tian narrowed his eyes. "A feast?"
"A demonstration. For our elders, inner sect disciples, and select guests. Our sect leader desires proof that your dishes truly stabilize cultivation bottlenecks."
Han snorted. "And if we decline?"
Jin Lian's smile was faint. "Declining would… reflect poorly on Ironbone's reputation. It might suggest your cuisine is nothing but a rumor."
Han opened his mouth, fury building. But Lin Tian touched his arm lightly. "I'll do it."
Han stared at him. "Are you mad?"
Lin Tian met his eyes steadily. "We can't hide. If we're strong, we should show it. Besides, if I can cook for Violet Cloud, word will spread faster than any rumor. And the more sects see me cook… the harder it'll be for anyone to move against us in the shadows."
Han exhaled through his nose like a bull. "…Fine. But you'll have bodyguards every step of the way."
Jin Lian's eyes glimmered with something unreadable. "Excellent. My sect will arrange a date." He bowed, then glided away like mist.
Han rubbed his temples. "You realize you're volunteering to step into a tiger's den, right?"
Lin Tian slid his cleaver into its sheath. "Good. Tigers are delicious."
After the contest concluded, Ironbone's group finally left the Golden Lotus Hall and wandered back into Whitefog City's streets. Bai Yue skipped along beside Lin Tian, swinging a bag of candied spirit fruit.
"Senior Lin, I still can't believe you just agreed to cook for the Violet Cloud Sect! Aren't they the ones who tried to buy you—and threatened you when you said no?"
Lin Tian gave a soft laugh. "It's better to face enemies in the open than let them scheme in the shadows. Besides…" He reached over and plucked a piece of candy from Bai Yue's bag. "…I'm curious how far I can push cooking in this world. How many bottlenecks can I break? How many injuries can I heal? I want to see how far a chef can rise."
Bai Yue chewed his lower lip. "…To immortality?"
Lin Tian didn't answer right away. He stared up at the banners waving over the high city walls. Sunlight glinted off spirit jade rooftops. Merchants hawked wares. The world was so much bigger than any kitchen he'd ever worked in—and far more dangerous.
At last, he said quietly, "I don't know if food alone can make someone immortal. But maybe it can keep me alive long enough to find out."
That evening, Elder Lu herded them into a modest inn near the city gates. Lin Tian dropped his travel pack and flopped onto a straw mat. His cleaver leaned against the wall beside him, polished to a silvery sheen.
Bai Yue settled beside him, poking at the rice in a wooden bowl. "Senior Lin… will you be safe at Violet Cloud Sect?"
Lin Tian sighed. "Probably not. But they'll think twice about trying anything overt with so many witnesses. And if they're honest customers… maybe they'll become an ally."
Bai Yue hugged his knees. "This is so complicated. I thought cultivators just fought with swords, not menus."
Lin Tian's mouth quirked. "Swords are easy to block. Poison in a soup bowl—that's harder to see coming."
Bai Yue shuddered. "Don't joke about that!"
Lin Tian leaned back against the wall. Despite everything, his mind churned with new possibilities. Thunder eel techniques. Demonic flesh recipes. Healing dishes. If cooking were a cultivation path, he'd walk it. And if the sects of this world tried to steal his secrets, he'd sharpen both his knives and his cultivation until no one could.
He closed his eyes as the lantern's light flickered across the walls.
Somewhere, deep in the city, he imagined Jin Lian sending reports to unseen masters. Plotting. Preparing. But Lin Tian only smiled faintly.
Because whatever lay ahead… he'd face it on his terms.
....
Dawn broke over Whitefog City in a cascade of gold and pink, brushing the sky above the marble walls with delicate color. Lin Tian woke early, gathering his tools into neat bundles. Cleavers wrapped in oiled cloth. Spice pouches are tied shut. Tiny porcelain jars filled with rare sauces he'd brewed himself over the past few nights at the inn.
Bai Yue sat cross-legged on the straw mat, yawning hugely. "Senior Lin… must we leave so early? Violet Cloud's mountain is half a day's ride…"
Lin Tian tested the edge of his smaller knife. "The earlier we go, the fewer eyes follow us. Besides, I want time to study their sector terrain. If things go badly, knowing the roads matters."
Bai Yue paled. "You're… expecting things to go badly?"
Lin Tian slipped the knife into a leather sheath. "Always plan for the worst. Then be pleasantly surprised."
Elder Lu grumbled as he stomped into the room, already armored in his dark Ironbone Sect robes. "Bah! Everything's politics nowadays. Back in my youth, you settled insults with sword light, not invitation scrolls."
Lin Tian slung his pack over his shoulder. "Sword light is expensive. Ingredients are cheaper."
Lu blinked. "…Debatable."
By midmorning, they were riding out of Whitefog City in a small caravan led by two Ironbone outer sect disciples carrying short spears. Elder Lu trundled behind them on a sturdy mule, muttering curses whenever a wheel hit a rut in the road.
The route wound upward into misty peaks. Violet banners appeared occasionally, tied to pine trunks or fluttering from stone outcrops, marking the territory of the Violet Cloud Sect.
Bai Yue leaned closer to Lin Tian as they rode. "Senior Lin… if they try to kidnap you, what do we do?"
Lin Tian smirked. "Hope they're hungry."
Bai Yue stared. "That's your plan?"
Lin Tian shrugged. "A chef always works with what he has."
By early afternoon, they arrived at Violet Cloud's gates—a towering pair of purple-lacquered doors set into cliffs as smooth as porcelain. White mist billowed from unseen streams, giving the entire mountain an ethereal glow.
A group of Violet Cloud disciples emerged in perfect formation. Jin Lian stood at their head, his violet robes immaculate. His gaze lingered on Lin Tian's pack. "You brought your tools?"
Lin Tian nodded. "I don't trust other people's kitchens."
Jin Lian's mouth twitched. "Understandable." He gestured elegantly. "Welcome, Ironbone Sect. The elders await you."
Violet Cloud's inner grounds were unlike anything Lin Tian had yet seen. Pale marble walkways wound through fields of lavender spirit flowers. Ponds mirrored drifting clouds, reflecting tiny fish with glimmering fins. Delicate bridges arched across cascades of water flowing through channels cut into the stone.
Bai Yue stumbled along beside Lin Tian, eyes wide. "It's like a palace in a painting…"
Lin Tian's sharp gaze swept the surroundings, noting guard placements, hidden corridors, and quiet spaces ideal for ambushes. Every beautiful feature doubled as potential terrain for traps.
Soon they entered a round pavilion whose roof glowed faintly with a sheen of violet light. Inside waited seven Violet Cloud elders seated behind a low table carved of pure white jade. Each wore robes embroidered with silver stars.
Jin Lian bowed deeply. "Honored elders, this is Lin Tian of Ironbone Sect."
An elderly man with snow-white hair and hooded eyes inclined his head. "Young man. Your reputation has stirred much talk among the sects." His voice was soft yet carried hidden steel. "We have heard of your dishes capable of easing meridian blockages. We wish to test such claims."
Lin Tian inclined his head. "Name the ailment. I'll try to help."
The white-haired elder tapped a fan lightly against his palm. "Our Third Elder, Madam Shu, has suffered for twenty years from fluctuating qi in her middle dantian. Alchemists have tried and failed. Physicians have failed. Will your… culinary arts… accomplish what medicine cannot?"
The air in the pavilion seemed to freeze. Bai Yue sucked in a sharp breath. Elder Lu shifted his weight, one hand drifting toward the hilt of his sword.
Lin Tian stood unruffled. "I'll need to examine the patient."
A slender woman with streaks of silver in her dark hair stepped forward, her face pale but composed. Her aura flickered erratically, qi pulses stuttering through her meridians like misfiring lightning. Lin Tian studied her with practiced eyes.
"Too much hot qi building, then sudden drops into cold," he murmured. "Your organs are stuck in a cycle of fighting themselves. It's like pouring boiling oil into ice water over and over."
Madam Shu blinked. "…That's an accurate description."
Lin Tian straightened. "I'll prepare a dish to harmonize both extremes. But you'll need to trust me completely."
One of the other elders scoffed. "You think a meal will cure what decades of medicine could not?"
Lin Tian's eyes gleamed. "I don't think. I know."
They escorted Lin Tian to Violet Cloud's grand kitchen—a marvel of polished counters, jade cooking tools, and copper stoves shaped like lotus blossoms. Servants stood ready at attention, awaiting orders.
Lin Tian surveyed the room, then gave curt commands. "Boil icefruit essence. Steam sweet lotus seeds. Bring me the tenderest mountain carp you have."
The disciples scattered, returning moments later with baskets and jugs. Lin Tian worked quickly, filleting carp into translucent sheets so fine they looked like silk. He steeped lotus seeds in icefruit syrup, cooling their fiery nature. Into a small copper pot, he poured stock simmered from demon beast bones, carefully skimming away any bitter froth.
Elder Lu and Bai Yue hovered anxiously at the doorway. Jin Lian watched in perfect silence, eyes glittering like unsheathed blades.
As Lin Tian worked, an aromatic steam filled the chamber—soft, fragrant, tinged with subtle sweetness. It wasn't overwhelming heat or piercing cold, but a delicate balance of both.
Lin Tian plated the dish: layers of fish gleaming like mother-of-pearl, draped with pale lotus seeds, and a translucent broth that shimmered faintly with light blue radiance. He carried it into the pavilion and set it before Madam Shu.
"Eat while it's hot," he said gently.
She tasted a single spoonful. Her breath caught. A faint glow suffused her skin.
"My dantian… it's warm… but not burning…" She closed her eyes, and for the first time in decades, her qi pulsed in a steady, gentle rhythm. "It's… stable."
An audible ripple of gasps spread among the elders. One elder slammed his palm on the table, rattling teacups. "Impossible!"
Lin Tian folded his arms. "Cooking is chemistry. Chemistry is alchemy. It's all about balance."
....
Silence hung thick in the pavilion after Madam Shu set her chopsticks down, her hands trembling—not from pain, but from relief.
"My qi flow… It's calm," she whispered, pressing her palm to her abdomen. "There's no tearing, no fluctuation. It feels like… I've forgotten what stillness was."
The other elders stared. Some with awe. Others with unease.
Lin Tian offered a shallow bow. "I used lotus essence to cool the fire and spiritfish to guide the qi's rhythm. The sweetness steadies fluctuations while the broth nourishes depleted meridians."
An elder with graying sideburns leaned forward, suspicion sharpening his tone. "That's not normal food. That's a cultivation technique disguised as cuisine."
Lin Tian met his gaze without flinching. "It's both."
Madam Shu took another bite, her face flushing with vitality. "This… feels like an elixir, not a meal."
One of the younger elders whispered, "What kind of chef is this…?"
Jin Lian, who had watched the entire process in silence, stepped forward. "Chef Lin's methods are impressive. But surely, such dishes cannot be made often, no?"
Lin Tian answered evenly, "The more I cook, the better I understand how to shape qi with ingredients. Give me a kitchen, and I'll give you results. The only limit… is how far I'm allowed to go."
Jin Lian's lips twitched. "Allowed?"
"Cultivated food isn't just a novelty. It's a force. And every force has a price." Lin Tian turned to the elders. "You asked me here to prove myself. I've done that. So now I'll ask you—what are your intentions?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
The white-haired elder—the sect master, Lin Tian, realized, steepled his fingers. "We want your art, Lin Tian. We want you… to become a core member of Violet Cloud Sect."
Bai Yue gasped from behind a pillar.
Elder Lu stepped forward immediately, his expression dark. "He belongs to the Ironbone Sect."
The sect master's gaze didn't shift. "Ironbone is a withered root barely clinging to the soil. You have no legacy, no resources, no power. What this boy offers should not rot in obscurity on a mountain."
Lin Tian's voice was soft but clear. "I'm not a seed to be transplanted. I grow where I choose."
The room tensed. One elder's knuckles whitened as they clenched a teacup. Jin Lian gave a gracious smile, but his fingers had inched subtly toward a talisman folded into his sleeve.
Then Madam Shu spoke again, voice quiet but firm. "Let him go."
All heads turned toward her.
She looked at the sect master. "He healed me when no one else could. Not with pills or fire, but with patience and understanding. That kind of mind doesn't belong in chains."
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then the sect master gave a shallow nod. "Very well. We will not force you, Lin Tian. But know this—many eyes will follow you from this day forward. Some friendly… others less so."
Lin Tian bowed. "Then I'll keep sharpening my knives."
They left the pavilion with an escort of silent disciples. Bai Yue kept nervously glancing behind them until the gates were finally in view. Elder Lu rode at the rear, his jaw clenched tight.
Only once the great violet doors shut behind them did Bai Yue explode. "Senior Lin! That was suicide! You rejected a core sect offer—what if they take it personally?!"
Lin Tian exhaled slowly. "They already took it personally the moment I didn't sell them my recipes."
"But—"
"I won't cook in a gilded cage, Bai Yue. That's not growth. That's slavery."
Elder Lu's gruff voice rumbled. "Boy's right. Better an honest stove in the dirt than a gold one wrapped in poison."
They traveled in silence for the next stretch of road, mist curling along the mountain paths. As the Violet Cloud banners faded into the distance, Lin Tian felt the tension in his shoulders ease slightly.
But something still gnawed at him.
Jin Lian's face. The way he hadn't looked surprised at being rejected. Almost as if… he'd expected it.
Back at Ironbone Sect, news traveled faster than spirit hawks. By the time Lin Tian returned, disciples lined the path up the mountain, cheering and holding up signs scribbled with awkward calligraphy:
"Our Chef Is Stronger Than Pills!""
Lin-Tian-zi! Lin-Tian-zi!"
"Please Cook For Me Next!"
Lin Tian walked straight-faced through the rowdy welcome, while Bai Yue grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. Elder Han stood at the top of the stone steps, arms crossed and lips twitching at the display.
"You return with both head and cleaver intact," Han said. "I suppose we can count this as a success."
"They made an offer," Lin Tian said. "I declined. They didn't kill me."
Han raised an eyebrow. "Yet."
"I'm aware."
The elder turned, motioning for them to follow. "Come. We need to talk. Things are moving faster than I like."
In Han's quiet study, Lin Tian sat before the incense burner as Han unfurled a scroll marked with half-faded sigils.
"Word's spreading. Your thunder eel dish stirred interest from at least five mid-tier sects. The Shu healing… that's what broke the damn dam. I've already received two invitations and three letters of veiled threats. One anonymous note said we should 'release the cook before something unfortunate happens to our cauldrons.'"
Bai Yue paled. "They're threatening our stoves?!"
Han continued. "We're gaining fame faster than we're gaining strength. That's dangerous. So here's what we're going to do…"
He tapped the scroll.
"We rebuild the Ironbone Sect kitchen. Proper tools. Defensive talismans. You'll begin training an inner-circle kitchen team. And—this is important—you'll cultivate with more focus. If someone decides brute force is the answer, I don't want our chef folding over like a leaf."
Lin Tian nodded slowly. "Then I'll need herbs. Materials. Special ingredients. I want to build a recipe archive. Track everything that works—and what it does to the body."
Han smiled grimly. "So be it. From now on… Ironbone will have a culinary path sect core."
Bai Yue gasped. "A… cooking cultivation division?!"
Lin Tian's gaze sharpened.
"No," he said. "We're building something bigger."