"It's fine for it to be held today. Senior, what should I call you now? Old man or Blood Faction Leader?" Ace pondered for a moment before asking.
"You can just call me by my name Taylon."
"Senior Taylon, please lead the way to the venue." Ace requested politely with a slight bow.
Brimstone who had some matters to discuss with Ace however took the initiative and suggested to lead the way. Brimstone was about to call for a horse carriage, but Ace who had other intentions in mind stopped him before he could do so.
"Senior Brimstone, why don't you show me around the Valent city, even though I've been here for around a week now, I have yet to admire the beauty of the Valent city."
"Father, why don't we just show him around Valent city, it would be fun to lead someone around in Valent city." Serena accepted the request before her father could even ponder about it, leaving him with no choice but to comply with the suggestion from the younger generation,
"Does it seem like I have a choice? Since there's still a few more hours, why don't we bring him to the Dragon Boat Pavilion." Brimstone suggested, only for Taylon to stare at him in surprise.
"Are you sure about that? Just one meal there for the few of us will be equivalent to the weekly income of your entire family."
"Everything comes at a price. Since I've invited Ace to represent the Lim family and get a good placing in the sword tower event, it's only right of me to give him the best treatment I can." Brimstone replied as they left the Lim family and walked into the bustling streets.
The streets were crowded, but not a single road stall was to be seen unlike the usual scenarios from what Ace remembered. In place of the road stalls were stalls with every equipment built in, even the food sold were cooked with high quality ingredients and equipment.
Of course, all this came at a higher price. Unlike the cultivation world Ace came from, the standard currency here was the middle grade spirit stones unlike the low grade spirit stones used in the cultivation world Ace was from.
With each middle grade spirit stone being worth a hundred low grade spirit stones, the vast difference between the two cultivation worlds could be seen. The standard currency of low grade spirit stones were only used by cultivators in auction halls and pavilions, middle grade spirit stones were only used for auctions or purchasing of cultivation resources.
For just food, only silvers were used as a cheap form of currency.
To think that the cultivation world I came from is actually this far behind in just our lifestyle. With this difference, it's no wonder that the Four Domains are the peak cultivation realms in the Divine realm.
"Ace, what are you thinking about?" Serena couldn't help it but ask Ace after a few minutes, he was lost in his own thoughts and even though Brimstone warned his daughter not to disturb Ace, she intentionally did the opposite of her father's instructions,
Hearing someone calling for him, Ace reacted subconsciously with a nod and turned around, only to see Serena whose face was only the distance of a palm away from his.
Realising the awkward situation, Serena turned away immediately. The blush on her face betraying her thoughts as Brimstone took the initiative to save his daughter from this embarrassing moment.
"Ahem, Ace, why don't I tell you about the origin of the Dragon Boat Pavilion which even my Lim family doesn't dare to offend." Brimstone broke the awkward moment with a change of topic smoothly, something only those that engage in serious conversations usually can do.
"Alright, I would like to know more about the Dragon Boat Pavilion as well and how it still maintains the queue without an end despite the exorbitant prices." Ace replied as he took a few steps away from Serena.
"You see...the Dragon Boat Pavilion was created by one of the few spiritual chefs that were recognised in the Divine realm, not only was he one of the strongest cultivators, the food that he cooks can also help a cultivator to strengthen the body and even nourish and provide it with an immense amount of spirit energy."
"While it only takes his disciples a few minutes to whip up a lavishing set of dishes, the queue they enjoy and income they generate has never broken. Yet, never once has that spiritual chef made a true appearance himself. That's right, the reputation of a spiritual chef was more than enough to make the courts fear the Dragon Boat Pavilion."
"Senior Brimstone, is that all you have to say? Right when I was expecting an epic story that stands out more than this?" Ace joked around, only to realise that Brimstone seemed to have something else to add on.
"It's a long story, but I guess it's fine to share it with you. After all, just the sword tower event alone might take you six months in there, or even longer." Brimstone said in a casual tone, only for Ace to be shocked by his words.
"Six months or even longer? I can't wait that long! Regardless of what happens, I must leave the sword tower within half a year's time." Ace shared his true thoughts, Brimstone pondered for a moment before replying, "If that's the case, then you might have to speed up your progress in the sword tower event or…"
"Young fella Ace, just go for it, the Nirvana Sect will be under my care. If you have any message for me, just let me know through telepathy, you should be able to contact me with the mental energy you've just cultivated." Jay's voice sounded in Ace's head, surprising him to a certain extent without him revealing it to those around him.
"Jay, please convey this to the others. Regardless of where I am right now, I'll always be watching after them. As for the benefits that I promised them every month, just let them know that it'll always take place. If they doubt my words, let it be, they'll understand after half a month's time that I'm left with no other choice as well."
Ace had so much more to say, words of concern, instructions for the sect and even...but now, he had to stop speaking before he loses control over his emotions.
"I understand." Jay replied.
"Senior Brimstone, if I really do get myself a good place, I hope that the rewards will be much more than what you had prepared for me. I'm tired of this, I'm returning home with the throne." Ace said coldly before making his way down the street, Brimstone and the rest catching up behind him.
Taylon who had been behind Ace this entire time noticed that he was conveying a message through telepathy, the surprise on Ace's face though subtle, was noticed by him as well. By remaining silent, it was a form of concern he had for Ace.
"So, about the Dragon Boat Pavilion..."
The person who built up the Dragon Boat Pavilion was a mortal even until the age of seventeen. He had a passion for cooking and even cultivators were willing to pay him the deserved amount for his food. But all this changed one day when some mad scientist conducting experiments of the human body slaughtered his parents.
The chef became an orphan overnight and was soon found by the mad scientist who was dissecting his parent's bodies. He was supposed to be dead, but right at the last moment, a blast of energy was expended by his body which destroyed everything around him, creating a large crater that shocked the entire Divine realm at that point of time.
He awakened as someone who is in the Four Domains realm, his cultivating progressing at a rapid rate and in just ten years time, he was a Half Saint, in another five years, he was a Minor Saint, in another ten years, he was at the peak of the Minor Saint realm, breaking through to the Saint realm in another three years.
Time passed quickly and at the age of eighty, he made a breakthrough to the Great Saint realm and became a legendary spiritual chef that can whip out delicacies that contained more benefits than even Saint grade elixirs themselves.
When asked why he was still cooking despite being a Great Saint, he would always give the same answer.
"It's because becoming a great chef was the last wish my parents had for me."