Chapter 207: Retreat 1

“Xiaoxu.” Zhen Yuan called in a concerned voice.

He didn’t expect his wife to cry as soon as he began eating.

With a confused face, he reached for his chopsticks, ready to taste the same dishes.

However, before the food reached his mouth, a beautiful hand grabbed his wrist and the double shook his head.

’Brother Yuan, you have killed me but I still have to save you from yourself.’ Shen Xu thought with more tears in his eyes.

A moment later, he swallowed the food and involuntarily sighed in relief.

“Brother Yuan, you don’t have to cook from now on.” Shen Xu didn’t beat around the bush.

Before eating, he didn’t worry too much about the taste.

He felt he could tolerate it even if the food was too salty or too peppery.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the range of how things could go wrong.

If asked to describe the meat he had just tasted, Shen Xu wouldn’t know where to start.

Objectively, the meat wasn’t under or over seasoned, it wasn’t too tough or too soft but the taste was unlike anything Shen Xu had ever eaten or imagined.

Thinking about it now, he shuddered and looked at Zhen Yuan with a shocked expression.

’How did he produce that indescribable taste from ordinary ingredients?’ He wondered but didn’t dare to ask.

With his mental state at near collapse, Shen Xu felt he couldn’t withstand any more shocks.

“It doesn’t taste good?” Zhen Yuan asked with a thoughtful expression.

“Brother Yuan, you are good in everything but cooking…” Shen Xu shuddered.

On Earth, lovers often lied to each other when it came to the taste of ’home cooked’ meals.

However, Shen Xu didn’t dare.

He felt his soul would fly if he dared to put another bite of food into his mouth.

’I never thought I would say this but brother Yuan’s cooking has almost made me afraid of food.’ The double thought and couldn’t help but glare at Zhen Yuan.

“Are you okay?” Zhen Yuan asked, looking at his lover’s pale face and angry glare.

Shen Xu sighed when he heard the question.

He truly appreciated the thought but he hoped Zhen Yuan would never step into a kitchen another day in his life.

’How scary.’ He thought.

“Brother Yuan, I will put away these dishes. Let’s have something else.” Shen Xu said and without waiting for Zhen Yuan’s response, he collected the food and replaced it with some others he had previously cooked.

“I am sorry.” Zhen Yuan said in a contrite voice.

Hearing this, Shen Xu chuckled and playfully pinched his lover.

“I am glad.” He said.

“Glad?”

“I always have a feeling that everything you can’t do is because you have never chosen to try.” Shen Xu started and quickly continued.

“Brother Yuan, can you promise that you won’t learn how to cook?”

“Don’t you want me to redeem myself?” Zhen Yuan asked and Shen Xu shook his head.

“I like it when you do things for me but I want cooking to be something that I exclusively do for you. I want you to have something that you can’t do for yourself.” The double said and Zhen Yuan couldn’t help but feel a little distressed.

They originally formed a taoist contract because Zhen Yuan wanted an exclusive alchemist.

Unexpectedly, the pills were becoming more and more ineffective.

This made Shen Xu feel sad and confused.

Although he knew their relationship had already moved past the initial reason, he was nevertheless uncomfortable.

It was because of this that he was desperate to hold on to something that he could actually do for Zhen Yuan.

“Xiaoxu, I promise. You can cook for me until we are old and grey.” Zhen Yuan said in a solemn voice.

“Who is going to be old and grey?” Shen Xu rolled his eyes and the mood immediately improved.

After eating and drinking wine, the couple double cultivated for another month before going into seclusion.

As originally planned, Shen Xu didn’t try to advance.

Instead, he went to the library and began studying- alchemy, weapon refining, and spiritual cooking.

After that, he went to the simulation room and began simulating his masteries.

Time passed and in the blink of an eye, it was thirty years later.

On this day, Shen Xu stretched with a satisfied smile on his lips.

“My realm is finally stable.” He muttered.

Before his retreat, Shen Xu was a fourth level alchemist, weapon refiner, and spiritual chef.

However, his skills were only at the entry level and he couldn’t be considered a powerful master.

Thirty years later, Shen Xu dared to say that if he claimed to be the second ranked level four alchemist, weapon refiner, or spiritual chef, no one else dared to claim first.

Unfortunately, his soul power was currently not enough to support level five masteries.

Other than studying, Shen Xu often took time to stabilise his realm.

Because of this, his cultivation was not delayed and he was ready to advance to the mid-stage of the nascent soul realm.

“I wonder what brother Yuan is doing.” Shen Xu muttered and left simulation room.

Unfortunately, Zhen Yuan was in retreat and Shen Xu didn’t dare to disturb him.

’Next time.’ He thought and entered his training room.

Soon after, he sat cross-legged and began cataloguing his treasures.

Shen Xu had prepared four treasures – fire mist, flame liquid, fire crystal, and the fire spirit pearl.

Of the four treasures, the fire spirit pearl was the most precious and Shen Xu planned to use it to advance to the spirit transformation realm.

Putting that aside, he looked at the remaining three treasures.

’Should I refine the fire crystal first or the fire mist?’ He wondered, his brows creased in a frown.

Among the three treasures, the flame liquid was the worst,

However, Shen Xu didn’t look down on it.

Rather, he felt it was a good complement to the other three treasures.

After thinking about it for a long time, the double suddenly nodded.

“I will start with the fire crystal. If I am lucky, the fire qi in the crystal will be enough to advance to the late stage of the nascent soul realm.” He decided.

After deciding, Shen Xu put away the other treasures, prepared a big tub of spiritual lake water, and entered the tub to cultivate.

Ninety years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Shen Xu looked into his dantian and a beautiful smile curled his lips.

’I am about to break through.’ He thought and redoubled his efforts.

A moment later, fiery qi flowed along his meridians, completing a cycle and returning to his dantian.

This process repeated more than a dozen times before the qi in the dantian began churning.

Seeing this, Shen Xu took a deep breath and began absorbing the surrounding qi.

At the same time, he circulated his fire qi and ruthlessly impacted the barrier.

Once, twice, …, twenty-nine times.

Instantaneously, the double had a crack and the barrier broke, causing the dantian and meridians to widen.

Soon after, the roaring qi calmed down and Shen Xu sighed in relief.

“Late stage of the nascent soul realm.” Shen Xu chuckled with a happy look.

However, he forcibly suppressed his excitement and began stabilising his realm.

It was not until one year later that he achieved preliminary stability.

After this, he left the training the room and went to look for Zhen Yuan.

This time, luck was on their side.

“Brother Yuan.” Shen Xu called as soon as he entered the library.

“Xiaoxu.” Zhen Yuan stood with a happy expression.

“I miss you so much.” The double said, throwing himself into his husband’s arms.

“I have missed you too.” Zhen Yuan said, tightening his arms around his wife.

’I can’t get used to this.’ He thought.

For cultivators, retreating for hundreds or thousands of years was not uncommon.

However, neither Shen Xu nor Zhen Yuan could get used to it.

They desperately missed each other and wished they could become a pendant on their partner’s body.

“You have advanced two small realms. Congratulations.” Zhen Yuan said when he calmed down.

“The fire crystal was barely enough.” Shen Xu said, his eyes glistening from happiness.

“You have also advanced, congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

After that, Zhen Yuan lifted the person and rushed to their bedroom.

Soon after, an age-old song resounded in the bamboo hut and the two didn’t extricate themselves until five months later.

After getting out of bed, Shen Xu looked at Zhen Yuan with a curious expression.

“What’s wrong?” The man asked.

“Are you sure your body is not a furnace physique?” The double asked and Zhen Yuan chuckled in amusement.

“Why do you think so?” He asked.

“I advanced two small realms within a short time and my qi was inevitably a little vain. However, after five months of double cultivation with you, my qi is several times purer and more compact. My realm is basically stable.” Shen Xu said.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep