Mo Qi was genuinely afraid the Pig Emperor would accidentally waste the Medicinal Cuisine.

So he quickly divided the three dishes and one soup into two portions, serving one to the Pig Emperor and keeping one for himself.

"Go ahead, eat."

After getting Mo Qi’s permission, the Pig Emperor leaped up, wagging its little tail joyfully as it drew near, opening its mouth to dig in.

Just then, a hand as withered as an eagle’s talon suddenly appeared, pinning the Pig Emperor to the dining table.

"This aroma... it’s intoxicating! How many years has it been? How many years since I’ve smelled something so wonderful!"

This was a withered, gaunt, and stooped old man.

He had a tuft of a goatee, and his hair and beard were completely white. His skin was wrinkled like old tree bark, and he looked for all the world like he had one foot in the grave.

At that moment, the old man’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the three dishes and one soup on the table. He was constantly taking deep breaths, swallowing his saliva, and greedily sniffing the aroma of the Medicinal Cuisine.

Mo Qi and the Pig Emperor were aghast. ’Who is this old man? How did he appear?’

Although they had already scanned their surroundings and confirmed it was safe, both Mo Qi and the Pig Emperor had kept their senses active at full strength.

After all, in an unknown environment, one had to maintain such a level of vigilance.

But before the old man appeared, they hadn’t sensed his presence at all.

It was as if he had materialized out of thin air.

’But if he just appeared out of thin air, where were the spatial fluctuations?’

Mo Qi suppressed his shock and immediately calmed himself, his thoughts racing.

He knew how powerful the Pig Emperor’s senses were. Back on the island, it could even detect the distant Palace Guard Army through the blockade set up by the Wolf Demon.

Yet this old man had arrived without a sound, without the slightest sign.

This meant the old man before them either possessed a powerful treasure capable of Concealing his Aura, or he himself was so powerful that he could deceive the Pig Emperor’s senses.

Either way, it was not a good thing for Mo Qi.

The Pig Emperor was going insane.

It was just about to eat the Medicinal Cuisine, only to be suddenly pinned down, unable to move.

The feeling was like being halfway through a bout of diarrhea when someone suddenly plugged the exit.

’It’s agonizing!’

The delicious food was right there, yet it felt a world away.

Although the old man’s hand was so thin it was just skin and bones, its strength was astonishing. No matter how the Pig Emperor struggled, it was useless.

"Pig Emperor, don’t move. This guy is a heavy hitter. If we piss him off, we’re both done for," Mo Qi sent a telepathic warning to the Pig Emperor.

Just a moment before, he had used his ability to sense living beings to briefly observe the old man, and was shocked to discover that within that seemingly decrepit body was a Life Force as vast as the sea.

If that immense, bursting aura were to erupt, it could probably blot out the sky.

’How terrifying!’ 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Mo Qi’s heart couldn’t help but lurch.

He had once observed the Wolf Demon, that powerful Demon Beast which had single-handedly intimidated hundreds of Immortals.

But compared to the old man before him, the Wolf Demon’s flame of life was like a firefly next to the bright moon—there was simply no comparison.

The Pig Emperor also seemed to realize something and quickly quieted down, not daring to move recklessly again.

But this silence didn’t last long before the Pig Emperor broke it.

The old man, without any hesitation, grabbed the steak with his bare hand and stuffed it into his mouth as if no one else was there.

The Pig Emperor instantly bristled with rage.

’You can hit me, curse me, humiliate me, but you absolutely cannot touch my food!’

"You classless old geezer! You old thief! Do you even dare to look this Emperor in the eye?!"

The Pig Emperor erupted. A mysterious, powerful aura burst forth from its body, slamming against the old man’s palm.

At the same time, the Pig Emperor’s body began to expand, trying to break free from the old man’s grip.

The old man’s brow furrowed slightly.

He hated being disturbed while he was eating.

’Hmph, that dumb-looking kid must be the one that crazy girl told me to wait for. This pig is his pet. Killing it probably wouldn’t be a big deal.’

Just as he was about to teach the Pig Emperor a profound lesson, he bit into the steak in his mouth.

SQUIRT~

A thick but not greasy juice shot out from the layers of meat. The rich, meaty aroma fiercely assaulted the old man’s taste buds, stunning him.

For a moment, his expression went slack and he froze on the spot, completely forgetting about the Pig Emperor.

’This flavor... this texture... it’s unprecedented! I’m fucking ascending to the heavens!’

The old man chewed the steak vigorously. It was pleasantly chewy, yet it didn’t get drier the more he chewed. Instead, it was as tender and smooth as water, filling his mouth with a wondrous fragrance.

It was as if his entire being was enveloped by the meaty aroma.

’Bliss!’

The old man was happy, but the Pig Emperor was miserable.

Despite the full force of its assault, the old man’s hand didn’t move an inch, as steady as a mountain.

It tried to use the expansion force from enlarging its body to pry open the old man’s hand, but found it was completely useless. It was almost strangled to death by the old man’s five fingers.

Terrified, the Pig Emperor quickly retracted its power, shrinking its body back to its normal size, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But it wasn’t ready to give up.

’Fine, so you’re strong, huh?’

’Then this Emperor will bestow upon you a "hymn of praise"!’

’This Emperor will make you puke out every last bite you ate!’

"You shameless old thief, snatching food is just so cheap! The karmic cycle of the heavens won’t forgive you, may the son you bear have no asshole!"

Mo Qi slapped a hand over his face. ’Is this guy going to get beaten to death?!’

"Noisy! Shut up!"

The old man shouted after swallowing his mouthful of steak.

But to Mo Qi’s surprise, he didn’t take any drastic action. He simply raised his other hand and pinched the Pig Emperor’s mouth shut, preventing it from speaking further.

"Mmph, mmph, mmph! (You beast! Let go of this Emperor!)"

Held in the old man’s grasp with its mouth pinched shut, the Pig Emperor kicked its four legs wildly. It felt like it was about to cry.

’This is so humiliating!’

’It was better when I was just pinned to the table.’

Seeing this, Mo Qi secretly dispersed the Power of the Dragon Vein he had gathered and breathed a sigh of relief.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to have a falling out and fight the old man.

Because his confidence was zero, and so were his chances of winning.

After finishing the steak, the old man looked at the remaining Medicinal Cuisine, his face full of anticipation.

Then he started eating the dishes and drinking the soup, feasting heartily.

"The wingtips of a Golden-Winged Roc. Cooked to perfection—crispy but not burnt. Full marks."

"The soup stewed from an Armored Profound Turtle. The broth is rich, and all the gamey taste is gone. Full marks."

"The head of a Three-headed Thunder Lion. Tender but not falling apart, the sauce is perfectly reduced into the meat. Full marks."

The old man critiqued as he ate, and soon he had finished the Pig Emperor’s entire share.

"Not bad, not bad at all. The most commendable part is that you’ve managed to perfectly preserve the medicinal effects within the Demon Beast meat."

The old man casually wiped the soup from his beard and, without batting an eye, put away Mo Qi’s portion of the Medicinal Cuisine.

"Little fellow, don’t say I’m taking advantage of you. I am the master of this mountain range. You can take anything you want from here. As for what you can get, that depends on your own ability," the old man said, smacking his lips and savoring the aftertaste of the Medicinal Cuisine with a look of satisfaction.

Mo Qi felt nothing inside, and even wanted to let out a sarcastic laugh.

’You’re the master of this mountain range? I’m the fucking master of the Immortal Realm, then!’

’Give me back my Medicinal Cuisine, and you can go to the Immortal Realm, mention my name, Mo Qi, and take whatever you like. How about that?’