The outer courtyard of the Clear Water Sect, typically a bustling training ground where hundreds of disciples swung heavy iron training swords, had been forcibly cleared. Not a single ordinary student was permitted within a half-mile radius of the primary gate. The only individuals present were the highest-ranking authorities of the mountain, and right now, they were acting as a glorified waitstaff.
Grand Patriarch Han stood near a massive, intricately carved bronze brazier that had been hauled out from the inner sect’s main dining hall. The brazier was fueled not by ordinary wood, but by Searing Vermilion Charcoal—a rare, low-grade spiritual fuel that burned with a steady, smokeless heat, perfectly suited for rendering the dense, Qi-packed tissues of high-tier spiritual beasts.
Beside the brazier, Chief Butcher Gao was completing his work with the artistic focus of a master surgeon. His glowing, Qi-infused carving knives sliced through the massive four-hundred-pound Iron-Tusk Wolf carcass with effortless grace. Because he was an expert at Stage 5: Orifice Opening, Gao could project fine, needle-like threads of pure physical energy from his fingertips, separating the tough, sinewy muscle fibers from the delicate bone structure without losing a single drop of the nutrient-rich spiritual marrow.
Ssssssss.
The first slab of premium marbled wolf loin hit the heated bronze grate. An intoxicating, rich aroma instantly blossomed across the marble courtyard, cutting through the heavy scent of mountain mist and defensive arrays.
Ren sat neatly on a raised jade platform that Patriarch Han had frantically ordered his disciples to construct. She had her fluffy white tail wrapped perfectly around her paws, her golden-blue eyes watching the cooking process with the sharp, calculative focus of a lead developer monitoring a system deployment. Internally, her stomach was letting out repeated, muffled growls that her fortified Stage 3: Organ Fortification could barely suppress.
"Sacred Envoy," Patriarch Han said smoothly, stepping forward with his head slightly bowed. He held a small, polished wooden tray containing three jade bottles. "Our head chef has brought out our sect's most treasured condiments. This is Thousand-Leaf Earth-Spiced Salt, mined from the deepest veins of the Azure Cloud mountain range. It is naturally infused with Earth-attribute Qi, which will help stabilize the intense, violent energy of the Level 8 Viper meat. We also have Sweet Spirit Honey, harvested from the hives of Third-Grade Cloud Bees. May we apply them to the roast?"
Ren let out a short, approving huff, tilting her head.
Patriarch Han felt a massive wave of relief wash over his ancient chest. He turned to Chief Butcher Gao, nodding sharply. "Apply the Earth-Spiced Salt to the Viper fillets immediately! And use the Spirit Honey to glaze the Wolf ribs! Do not let a single piece dry out!"
Gao worked like a man possessed. He laid out the pristine, pale-white fillets of the Obsidian-Scale Viper. The serpent's flesh was remarkably translucent, shimmering like raw jade under the moonlight. Because Ren had killed it with a precise, thermal-stress strike from her Fox Fire, the inner meat had been perfectly preserved, completely untouched by the venom that usually contaminated a viper's biology upon death. As Gao dusted the meat with the golden Earth-Spiced Salt, the crystals dissolved instantly into the flesh, sealing in the raw spiritual energy.
Within twenty minutes, the first course was ready.
Elder Mo, still heavily wrapped in spirit-soothing bandages, stepped forward with a large, polished jade platter. His hands shook slightly—partly from his fractured Qi core, and partly from the sheer proximity to the creature that had triggered a divine intervention. He lowered the platter onto the jade platform right in front of Ren, dropping to one knee immediately after.
"Please... please enjoy, Divine Sovereign," Mo stammered, keeping his eyes firmly glued to the floor.
Ren didn't wait. The culinary aroma was overwhelming her animal instincts. She leaned forward and took her first bite of the glazed Iron-Tusk Wolf rib.
The moment her sharp teeth sank into the meat, a literal explosion of flavor and raw energy detonated inside her mouth. The Sweet Spirit Honey had caramelized beautifully over the dense, rich fat of the wolf, creating a perfect contrast to the savory, wild texture of the spiritual muscle. Thanks to the expert butchery, the meat practically dissolved on her tongue.
But the real magic happened the moment the food reached her stomach.
[ Ding! High-Grade Cooked Spiritual Meat consumed. ]
[ Processing nutritional density... ]
[ Your fortified Stage 3 Organs are operating at 100% efficiency. ]
[ Converting raw biological nutrients into System Experience and World Qi! ]
Ren’s eyes widened. A sudden, deep current of liquid gold seemed to erupt from her stomach, shooting straight down her pathways. The energy was massive—far cleaner and more concentrated than the raw pills she had swallowed earlier. The cooking process, combined with the sect's specialized spiritual spices, had unlocked the latent power hidden deep within the beast's cells.
Chomp. Chew. Gulp.
Ren cleared the first platter in a matter of minutes, leaving behind only perfectly clean, white bones that didn't have a single shred of meat left on them.
Elder Mo frantically gestured to Gao, and a second platter was rushed forward. This one contained the grilled fillets of the Level 8 Obsidian-Scale Viper, lightly charred on the outside and dripping with translucent, shimmering juices.
Ren took a bite of the snake meat. Unlike the rich, heavy flavor of the wolf, the viper meat was incredibly clean, crisp, and carried a subtle, electric tingle that made her ears twitch. The Thousand-Leaf Earth-Spiced Salt worked exactly as Patriarch Han had promised; it acted as a stabilizing anchor, grounding the volatile, aggressive energy of the Level 8 predator and turning it into a smooth, manageable tide of power.
[ Ding! Level 8 Mini-Boss flesh processed. ]
[ Pure Viper Essence absorbed. ]
[ Experience Gained! +150 EXP! ]
[ Experience Gained! +200 EXP! ]
A massive stream of blue text began to cascade across her vision, scrolling so fast she could barely read the individual lines. The sheer volume of caloric and spiritual fuel she was taking in was forcing her dual pathways to accelerate at a breakneck pace.
[ Ding! Experience threshold reached! Level Up! ]
[ Host has reached Level 9 (Mortal Beast). ]
[ Experience Gained! Level Up! ]
[ Host has reached Level 10 (Mortal Beast - PEAK). ]
[ MAXIMUM BEAST LEVEL REACHED FOR CURRENT REALM. ]
Ren froze, a half-chewed piece of viper meat still in her mouth. Level 10 already?! Two levels back-to-back just from eating a well-cooked meal. Her past life as an analyst had told her that optimization was key, but she hadn't factored in just how much a human sect’s specialized culinary infrastructure could multiply her growth curve.
But the system wasn't done updating. The massive influx of Earth-attribute Qi from the spiced salt and the raw essence of the Level 8 serpent slammed into her secondary system—her cultivation pathway.
[ Ding! Cultivation Progress: Stage 3: Organ/Viscera Fortification [Complete 100%] ]
[ Cultivation Breakthrough! Host has entered Stage 4: Blood Boiling! ]
[ Cultivation Progress: Stage 4: Blood Boiling [In Progress 45%] ]
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
Ren’s heart let out two massive, thunderous beats that actually vibrated the air around her jade platform. Patriarch Han and Elder Mo both recoiled, their faces turning completely pale as they felt a sudden, terrifying spike in her spiritual pressure.
Beneath her snow-white fur, her newly produced, pure blood began to supercharge. It circulated through her cardiovascular network at five times its previous velocity, generating an intense, localized physical heat that began to actively burn away the final lingering microscopic impurities within her veins. She was now at the exact same cultivation stage that Wang Chen had been when he tried to tame her—but her foundation was flawless, backed by dense bones, fortified organs, and a system interface.
As the golden aura of her double level-up and cultivation breakthrough slowly receded into her fur, a massive, golden-bordered prompt snapped into existence directly in front of her eyes, completely overriding the rest of her interface.
[ SYSTEM MILESTONE ACHIEVED: LEVEL 10 REACHED. ]
[ Current System Points (SP): 450 SP + 100 SP (Level Up Bonus) = 550 SP. ]
[ Evolutionary Threshold Met. Unlocking the Primary Evolution Tree. ]
Ren’s breath hitched in her throat. She looked at her point balance: 550 System Points. She had officially passed the 500 SP baseline required to permanently alter her biological destiny.
The prompt shifted, revealing three glowing, magnificent silhouettes that began to rotate slowly in her mind's eye. Each choice represented a completely different path of absolute power, waiting for her command.
Patriarch Han, seeing the small white fox suddenly fall into a deep, unmoving trance while staring into empty space, immediately raised his hand to halt the butcher.
"Do not disturb her," Han whispered frantically, his voice shaking with absolute reverence. "She... she is communicating with the upper realms. The Sacred Envoy is about to ascend to a higher form of divinity!"