Volume One: First Steps into the Dao Chapter Seventy-Six: The Small Cauldron Stirs

As Ye Junze idly swiped through the projection, he soon discovered that the menu was actually categorized. On the left side of the projection was a series of neatly organized menu columns: Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Hunan cuisine, and numerous other domestic culinary styles were all clearly labeled.

Realizing this, Ye Junze thought to himself, “So the senior was right after all—the entire first floor really does serve only domestic cuisine.”

“Well, let’s take a good look at what to eat,” he mused, once again focusing his attention on the projected menu before him.

...

Ye Junze scrolled through the dazzling array of dishes for quite some time before finally resisting the urge to order everything. Taking into account his appetite and the dishes he craved most, he selected a few items and then confirmed his order, settling in to wait for their arrival.

Opposite him, Lin Xin, apparently a frequent visitor, made her selections with practiced ease, confirming her own order in no time and waiting contentedly as well.

Seeing that Ye Junze had finished ordering, Lin Xin asked, “Did you get your order in, junior?”

Ye Junze nodded. “Yes, I’m done.”

At his reply, Lin Xin made a swift gesture across the projection. Immediately, Ye Junze watched as the entire projection vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

With that done, Lin Xin smiled. “Alright, let’s wait. Usually, the food here at the school cafeteria arrives quite quickly.”

Recalling the swift deliveries he’d experienced in the dorm before, Ye Junze nodded in agreement.

Lin Xin soon found a few topics to discuss, and the two began to chat idly while they waited for their meals.

...

Lin Xin burst into laughter at a funny story Ye Junze had just told. “Haha, you really are amusing, junior.”

Ye Junze waved his hand, about to say something, but was interrupted by the sudden scene before him.

Following his gaze, he saw a familiar opening appear on their table—a portal identical to the one he’d seen in his dorm after ordering meals. As soon as the portal emerged, the dishes they’d ordered began to materialize one after another.

In a matter of moments, every dish had arrived, and then the portal on the table slowly faded away.

Delighted by this, Lin Xin exclaimed, “Finally! Junior, dig in before it gets cold—it’s best hot!”

“Thank you, senior. You too,” Ye Junze replied gently to her caring words.

Driven by hunger, Ye Junze wasted no time and began to eat. The first bite brought him immense satisfaction, as if his hunger were instantly swept away.

Seeing how much he was enjoying the food, Lin Xin chuckled and gently reminded him, “Slow down, junior. There’s plenty—don’t choke.”

Realizing his eagerness had been noticed, Ye Junze paused, a little embarrassed. “I was just too hungry. Don’t just watch, senior—you should eat too.”

Lin Xin smiled, replying softly, “Alright,” and began her meal as well.

The two focused on the food in front of them, falling into a companionable silence. Occasionally, Lin Xin would offer Ye Junze a taste of her dishes, and he would do the same in return. Their exchanges were limited to these moments.

“So delicious.”

“This one’s great too—have some more, junior.”

“Sure, and you try this, senior.”

...

And so, in this friendly and harmonious atmosphere, the two gradually finished their meal.

Feeling a satisfying fullness, a contented smile spread across Ye Junze’s face.

“At last, I’m full,” he said with satisfaction.

Lin Xin smiled back. “Good, then your stomach shouldn’t be rumbling anymore, right?”

Ye Junze grew embarrassed at her teasing. “Senior, you’re making fun of me again.”

She laughed. “Well, I’m full too. I suppose it’s about time we head back?”

Ye Junze, realizing they had nothing else to do, thought it best to return early and devote more time to cultivation. He replied, “Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”

“Let’s go, then.” With that, Lin Xin rose from her seat and headed out.

Ye Junze stood and followed her.

Both thinking of returning quickly, they exchanged only a few words along the way, their pace neither hurried nor slow as they made their way toward the dormitory.

It wasn’t long before the dormitory building came into view, and Ye Junze felt a wave of relief—they were finally back.

Lin Xin, seeing it as well, smiled. “At last—we’re home.”

She waved to Ye Junze in farewell. “I’ll head in then, junior. See you next time.”

“Goodbye, senior,” Ye Junze replied, waving in return.

With that, Lin Xin turned and walked into the dormitory, heading for her room.

Ye Junze watched her go, then wasted no time himself, entering the building and returning to his own dorm.

Back in his room, Ye Junze first washed away the fatigue of the morning’s exertions. Once he was clean, he felt reinvigorated.

Clenching his fist to test his strength, he confirmed his energy had returned. Then, Ye Junze climbed onto his bed, ready to resume his cultivation.

In the Illusory Realm, Meng Yuan naturally sensed his arrival. Seeing him quietly focused on cultivation, Meng Yuan refrained from disturbing him, instead silently standing guard.

...

Time slipped by unnoticed during cultivation, and Ye Junze, immersed in his practice, had no sense of its passage. He simply continued to circulate spiritual energy throughout his body, following the prescribed method over and over, completing cycle upon cycle without end.

Yet as he completed another cycle, a strange sensation abruptly arose in his consciousness. It was this unusual feeling that pulled Ye Junze out of his meditative state.

Just as he was puzzling over this oddity, Meng Yuan, silent for so long, suddenly spoke: “There was a peculiar fluctuation of spiritual energy detected in the storage space. Would you like to investigate?”

Ye Junze was puzzled by the abrupt voice. “A spiritual fluctuation?”

He then recalled the strange sensation he’d just experienced. “Could there be a connection between the two?” he wondered.

“Best to check—it might be just as I suspect.” With that, Ye Junze addressed the air, “Let’s take a look.”

“Yes,” came Meng Yuan’s reply. “Beginning investigation.”

Ye Junze then felt a probing wave sweep through his body, searching.

Curious about what might be found, he was just about to ask when Meng Yuan spoke again.

“I’ve found it. If I’m not mistaken, this should be it,” Meng Yuan said.

He produced the source of the anomalous spiritual energy.

Ye Junze looked up—and there, floating serenely before him, was the familiar little cauldron he had bought at the market.

The moment the cauldron appeared, the strange sensation in his mind intensified many times over.

Perplexed, Ye Junze asked, “Meng Yuan, do you think that the odd fluctuation you mentioned—and what I sensed—are both coming from this cauldron?”

“Based on my investigation, that is highly likely,” Meng Yuan replied.

Hearing this, and feeling it for himself, Ye Junze nodded. “Understood.”

“But this cauldron was perfectly ordinary before—why has it suddenly become like this?” he mused aloud.

Meng Yuan, thinking he was being asked, answered honestly, “For now, I do not know.”

Ye Junze waved it off. “No matter. Since that’s the case, let me try to unravel this myself.”

With that resolve, he attempted to channel his spiritual energy into the cauldron.

The moment his energy touched the cauldron, his consciousness was plunged into a blank void.

Meng Yuan, ever watchful, immediately noticed the change and was about to act when Ye Junze’s expression shifted. His eyes, once clouded, now shone with a mysterious light, as if he’d entered a profound trance.

Seeing this, Meng Yuan calmed himself, refraining from interference, and silently stood guard.

Meanwhile, Ye Junze, upon connecting his energy to the cauldron, first experienced a blankness in his mind. Then, a multitude of strange consciousnesses flooded his thoughts.

He focused, seeking to perceive them more clearly.

After a while, he seemed to hear voices speaking to him, though he could not reply. The words were scattered and indistinct—“remake,” “vessel,” “rebirth,” “release.”

As Ye Junze pondered the meaning of these messages, light flashed, and the presence imparting these thoughts seemed satisfied. His consciousness returned.

Regaining his senses, Ye Junze’s gaze grew clear. He rested his chin on his hand, regarding the cauldron, lost in thought.