So many high-quality items, and the Lingxian Sect just generously distributed them to their disciples as awards. Not to mention the sheer number of categories they created—it almost seemed like they invented awards just to give out more rewards!
This left the royal and sect representatives attending today's annual assembly utterly astonished. Many of the disciples who had come along couldn't help but entertain some rebellious thoughts, difficult to suppress.
If not for the presence of their own sect leaders and elders nearby, some might have already inquired about how to join the Lingxian Sect.
Fortunately, Lingxian Sect had no intention of showing off, and the award ceremony didn't drag on for too long.
Once the ceremony ended, all the Lingxian Sect disciples left the stage and took their seats. Special seating had been arranged for the disciples, directly opposite the guests—guests sat on the left, while the disciples were seated on the right.
Half an hour later, Liu Yunao returned to the stage to announce the conclusion of the award ceremony.
"And now, we move on to the highlight of our Lingxian Sect annual gathering—the New Year's Banquet!"
This banquet had been heavily promoted in the recent monthly newsletter of the Lingxian Sect. The members of the Spiritual Dining Hall had hyped it up to be something extraordinary, making all the disciples extremely excited. Cheers erupted from them in anticipation.
The external guests, however, were puzzled. They watched as the Lingxian Sect disciples cheered, their faces full of eager expectation, and couldn't help but feel curious.
Earlier, the disciples had received so many valuable rewards, yet their reactions hadn't been this enthusiastic.
A banquet? Just a meal? Why were they so thrilled?
However, many of the guests had done their homework on the Lingxian Sect and quickly connected this excitement to the renowned Lingxian Dining Pavilion down in Xiushui Village. Word was that the food served there wasn't just delicious—it could also cure ailments and extend one's lifespan.
But things like hunger, aging, and illness didn't really trouble cultivators, so they still couldn't quite grasp the disciples' excitement. Was there something more to this banquet?
As they pondered, many of the guests sipped their spiritual tea.
The Lingxian Sect had indeed spared no expense for this annual gathering, even serving rare spiritual tea to their guests. Many were left wondering how much of the sect's resources had been drained to host this event.
Elders and sect leaders from various factions couldn't help but shake their heads in disapproval.
Looking at Sect Leader Lin Xiao—who still had a youthful appearance—many had assumed it was just a facade, a way of maintaining a youthful image. But now they realized his mindset was just as naive. Such lavishness in running a sect—how could they sustain it in the long run?
However, their thoughts were soon interrupted.
"Look! What's that?" A young disciple from one of the sects couldn't hold back, pointing toward the sky in awe.
Everyone followed his gaze, and they saw seven-colored lotuses slowly floating toward them from behind Qingyun Peak.
Each of these seven-colored lotuses held a small bowl on top.
Before long, the lotuses floated down into the plaza, and each one drifted gracefully to a table, placing itself in front of every guest.
At that moment, Liu Yunao invited Ma Changlong to the stage, introducing him as a disciple of the Spiritual Dining Hall. Ma Changlong then began explaining how to enjoy the dish.
"This is the first course of the New Year's Banquet, prepared by our Lingxian Sect's Spiritual Dining Hall. It is called Seven-Colored Dip," Ma Changlong said confidently. Though he hadn't been in the sect for long, his years of culinary experience made him a natural under Jiang Youfu's tutelage. He had quickly advanced to the seventh stage of Qi Refining.
Normally, this task would have been handled by Jiang Youfu, the elder in charge of the Spiritual Dining Hall, but Jiang didn't enjoy public speaking and preferred to focus on his craft. Ma Changlong, as his disciple, had volunteered for the job.
Ma Changlong, who had once been a well-known "Ma Boss" in the mortal world, was completely at ease as he explained to the audience.
"Each petal of the seven-colored lotus has a unique flavor. You may pluck a petal and dip it into the specially prepared sauce in the center of the bowl to experience various fresh and delightful tastes."
With a slight motion of his hands, Ma Changlong gestured for everyone to begin tasting.
The crowd followed his instructions, plucking a petal from the seven-colored lotus in front of them. The sound of petals being plucked was soft but crisp. Each petal was no larger than half a palm, and its translucent edges glistened with tiny drops of juice.
A delicate fragrance filled the air, teasing everyone's senses. Unable to resist, the guests dipped their petals into the amber-colored sauce in the center of the bowl and took a bite.
Crunch.
The crisp sound of chewing echoed faintly, and everyone was immediately overwhelmed by an indescribable burst of flavor. The sweet, juicy flesh of the petal combined with the special sauce to create a taste unlike anything they had ever experienced before!
The petal didn't melt away immediately but instead gradually dissolved after being chewed a few times. As the juice slid down their throats, it left a cool, refreshing sensation in their chests.
And this was just the initial sensory experience.
If it were only the taste, the many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators present might have given it a nod of appreciation for its creativity and flavor, but nothing more.
However, after eating just one petal, they were utterly astonished!
Why? Because this wasn't just any delicacy—this was an exceptional spiritual dish!
They were familiar with spiritual food and had tasted it before, often in places like the Lingxian Dining Pavilion. But the effects of such foods on cultivators were typically negligible.
The spiritual energy in most dishes was minimal, not worth their time. Moreover, preparing spiritual food required ingredients rich in spiritual energy, something scarce in the Mortal Realm. Many large sects grew small amounts of spirit grain, but primarily for use in alchemical substitutes, not as regular food.
However, the Seven-Colored Dip they were now eating was completely different.
With just one bite, they could feel the rich, potent spiritual energy contained within!
Some of the lower-level disciples accompanying their elders had already begun sitting down to meditate and absorb the energy after consuming just one petal.
While the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators didn't need to meditate immediately, the spiritual energy they consumed was so pure and easy to absorb—far smoother than their usual methods of cultivation.
Instead of pausing to meditate, many of the more seasoned cultivators continued plucking and eating petal after petal until their seven-colored lotus was stripped bare, leaving only the core behind.
Some of the elders even started eyeing the nearly untouched lotuses sitting in front of their meditating disciples...