Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

Chapter 5383 Dividing the Work

Sizzle…

Strips of blood-red rhino meat were roasting over a fire, with oil dripping from them, filling the air with an irresistible fragrance. The scent was so rich it felt like a spell; anyone who smelled it instantly became hungry, drool dripping from their mouths.

“The smell!” Tang Wan-er exclaimed as she walked over.

Seeing the palm-sized strips of rhino meat on the grill, she couldn’t help but swallow hard. Most experts here hadn’t eaten anything in years, relying instead on medicinal pills for sustenance. After all, cultivators didn’t need to rely on food for energy.

But this was different—it was meat from a Fullmoon Gold Horn Rhinoceros, a rare beast with a primal chaos bloodline. When Long Chen suggested cooking it, no one refused, but none had expected it to smell this good.

It was naturally fragrant as it was the meat of a half-step Demon Emperor. Furthermore, as an alchemist, cooking was simple for Long Chen. He knew just what kind of ingredients to use to enhance the natural flavor of the meat.

“Aren’t you being a bit extravagant?” Ye Lingkong couldn’t help but speak up, eyeing the grill. “You’re using branches of the Fusang Tree as charcoal just to roast meat?”

When Long Chen proposed cooking the meat, Ye Lingkong wasn’t very interested, so he continued lying on the Qilin Horn Heaven Swallowing Sparrow’s head. But the bird was drawn over by the delicious smell, dragging him along.

As Ye Lingkong approached, he was stunned by what he saw. Thick branches—each as wide as an arm and etched with mystical markings—were burning brightly, releasing powerful flame energy. He seemed to recognize those markings.

Before this, Ye Lingkong had dismissed the idea because he knew how tough the meat of a half-step Demon Emperor could be; biting into it would likely shatter one’s teeth. But now, seeing the firewood, he realized Long Chen was serious. After studying the markings more closely, it dawned on him that they belonged to the legendary Fusang Tree.

The Fusang Tree was a treasure cherished by flame cultivators, each branch as precious as life itself. A sliver of wood as thin as a finger was as valuable as a city. Yet, Long Chen had used so much of it just for cooking. It was an extravagant use of a natural treasure.

“Hehe, what can I say? Only flames of this caliber can truly release the meat’s essence and lock in its flavor without wasting any. Good meat deserves good firewood,” chuckled Long Chen.

“Incredible!” Ye Lingkong was speechless.

Long Chen handed a cooked skewer to Ye Lingkong and said, “If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have dared to cut this meat. Here, the first skewer is for you.”

When Ye Lingkong received the meat skewer, his hand shuddered because of shock.

“Is this not a strip of the Moon Tree?” asked Ye Lingkong, stupefied.

Fusang Tree for firewood, Moon Tree for skewers—Long Chen’s methods were unlike anything he’d ever seen.

Even Ye Lingkong, the Left Emissary of the Wind God, had never eaten anything so luxurious. As he bit into the meat, the expected toughness wasn’t there; it broke apart like tofu, filling his mouth with a flavor so intense it seemed to reach his soul. After chewing a few times, the flavor struck his heart and spirit.

When he swallowed, a warm current flowed through him, shocking him. After looking at Tang Wan-er and the others, he gave Long Chen a thumbs-up, impressed.

Long Chen chuckled and didn’t say anything. He then handed the second skewer to Tang Wan-er, who had long since grown impatient. When she bit into it, her eyes widened. This was the best thing that she had ever tasted.

The grill was very large, and there were plenty of skewers. Because Long Chen was too lazy to hand them out one by one, he told everyone to take the skewers themselves. Although the Hidden Dragon Legion was composed of over seven thousand people, they ate barely a fraction of the enormous piece he had prepared.

Once everyone finished their skewers, they felt a sudden warmth spread through their bodies, almost like they were burning up.

“Everyone, don’t panic. Long Chen has activated the essence within the meat to stimulate the growth of your bodies. This won’t cause any damage to you, but it might take a while. You’ll get accustomed to it. Wind cultivators have weak physical bodies, and this helps to balance that. It’s highly beneficial,” said Ye Lingkong.

Ye Lingkong’s words showed just how impressed he was with Long Chen. He had never heard of this method before. If a wind cultivator could strengthen their body, then their fatal weakness would be gone. It was practically heaven-defying. When these female warriors grew up, their futures would be limitless.

“Then should we eat some more?” asked Xiao Yue excitedly.

“No,” Long Chen cautioned, “your bodies are too weak to handle more energy. Eating too much will only make you feel like you’re going to explode.”

All of the Hidden Dragon warriors, including Tang Wan-er, were flushed with excitement, eager to improve their bodies. They sat down to focus on digesting the energy.

Since there were so many skewers left, Long Chen took some and went to sit with Ye Lingkong. When he took out two jugs of wine and opened them, Ye Lingkong was shocked again.

“This wine… is this from the Wine God Palace?” asked Ye Lingkong.

Long Chen raised an eyebrow and said, “Yes, is there a Wine God Palace here in the Heaven Essence World?”

Ye Lingkong was a native expert. According to reason, he should have never left the Heaven Essence World in his lifetime. For him to recognize the Wine God Palace’s wine instantly drew Long Chen’s attention.

Ye Lingkong nodded and answered, “Yes, though it’s very secretive. Their disciples appear occasionally, and no one knows where their palace actually is.”

Long Chen sighed in mild disappointment but continued to drink with Ye Lingkong. After a while, perhaps because he had drunk a bit too much, Ye Lingkong sighed. “Brother, would you be interested in taking my seat?”

Long Chen was baffled, not understanding what he meant.

“To tell the truth, I’m not suited to be the Left Emissary of the Wind God. I’m under a great deal of pressure. It was only because I had no other choice that I thickened my face and accepted this position. But it’s really not for me,” explained Ye Lingkong.

“Isn’t there a Right Emissary as well?” Long Chen asked.

Ye Lingkong chuckled. “Her? She’s even less suited. We’ve barely spoken a handful of times in all the years I’ve known her.”

Looking at Long Chen, he added, “You’re wise beyond your years, a dean of the High Firmament Academy no less. I’m not asking you to leave the Academy; I just want you to stand in for me for a while. Even a few years would be a relief. I need a damn break.”

“You said that you’re not good with words, so what is your specialty?” asked Long Chen.

Ye Lingkong grinned. “Fighting, I suppose.”

Long Chen’s eyes lit up. “Perfect. Let’s split the work—you handle the fighting, and I’ll take care of leading and any social interactions.”

“Deal!” Ye Lingkong agreed with a laugh, and the two instantly hit it off.

After resting for a day, Tang Wan-er and the others were back to normal. Their essence, qi, and spirits had all strengthened, with their Blood Qi noticeably stronger. As time went on, this improvement would become more pronounced. Even before entering the Wind Domain Battlefield, they had gained a great advantage.

“Let’s go! Brother San will lead you to dominate the Wind Domain Battlefield!” Long Chen shouted heroically.

The Qilin Horn Heaven Swallowing Sparrow let out a loud cry and took flight, carrying everyone toward their next challenge.