Chapter 33

The person who arrived was Du Qingxi. Dressed in a black veil that accentuated her slender figure, she stood gracefully at the door, her hair neatly coiled into a bun, her face unadorned, exuding a cold and pure beauty.

"South Barbarian Nether Realm trial?"

Looking at Du Qingxi standing outside the door, Chen Xi was puzzled. Having grown up in Songyan City, he naturally knew everything about the South Barbarian Nether Realm trial.

In the vast South Barbarian Mountains, a peculiar space with extremely harsh conditions would appear every three years.

There, the aura of malevolence soared, and there was no vegetation. A grayish-white hurricane blew constantly, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night. Most importantly, the spiritual energy in the South Barbarian Nether Realm was depleted, turning it into a desolate, abandoned land. For cultivators who relied on absorbing spiritual energy, this place was practically a hell!

However, after a thousand years of exploration, people gained a new understanding of the South Barbarian Nether Realm.

This space indeed had no living beings, but it was home to a type of fierce and bloodthirsty malevolent beast, with strength roughly equivalent to the peak of the Later Heaven realm. Inside these beasts, there was a precious malevolent pearl, whose use was unknown, but its value was astonishing.

Once, a cultivator took a malevolent pearl to the capital of the Great Chu Dynasty, Jinxiu City, and sold it for a sky-high price of a hundred spirit crystals!

When this news reached Songyan City, it caused a sensation. When the South Barbarian Nether Realm appeared again, almost all the cultivators in Songyan City rushed there. However, strangely, only cultivators at the Later Heaven and Early Heaven realms could enter safely. Other cultivators were stopped by an invisible force as soon as they stepped into the edge of the South Barbarian Nether Realm.

Because of this, the major academies and family forces in Songyan City, along with the General's Mansion, jointly initiated the South Barbarian Nether Realm trial. They encouraged the young generation with Early Heaven realm cultivation to participate in the trial.

Firstly, they could obtain malevolent pearls, and secondly, in the harsh environment of the South Barbarian Nether Realm, they could hone their survival skills and combat techniques.

Most crucially, many families and academies used the number of malevolent pearls obtained as a standard to evaluate their disciples. Those who obtained more pearls could become core disciples, enjoying resources that ordinary disciples could only dream of, and also receive a substantial amount of wealth.

Furthermore, for the top three who obtained the most malevolent pearls, the General's Mansion would issue an invitation to join the Chu Soul Guard branch in Longyuan City!

"The South Barbarian Nether Realm is filled with malevolent aura, and the spiritual energy is depleted. Moreover, it is teeming with malevolent beasts, and combat will be constant. To survive there, cultivators must carry a large amount of spirit stones and medicinal pills; there is no other way."

Du Qingxi's voice was cold and sharp, like her icy and snowy demeanor, leaving no room for doubt. She continued, "I called you here to cook for me in the South Barbarian Nether Realm. I have already prepared the ingredients and cooking utensils for you. Now, I will introduce you to two people."

"Hold on, when did I agree to go to the South Barbarian Nether Realm?" Chen Xi frowned, disliking the feeling of being ordered around.

Du Qingxi replied matter-of-factly, "You are a spirit chef apprentice hired by Qingxi Winehouse, and this is one of your duties."

"But why me?" Chen Xi continued to ask.

"You are Old Ma's disciple, and your cultivation is sufficient to enter the South Barbarian Nether Realm. Who else meets these conditions besides you?"

Du Qingxi seemed slightly displeased by the question, her eyebrows furrowing. "Stop talking nonsense. After we return from the South Barbarian Nether Realm, I won't treat you badly."

With that, she turned and walked away, seemingly unwilling to explain further to Chen Xi.

"Fine, if I have to go, I'll go. I've always wanted to see what the South Barbarian Nether Realm is like."

Chen Xi thought for a moment and followed her. Du Qingxi was right; before leaving Songyan City, he was still a part of Qingxi Winehouse. Since he was receiving a salary, he should fulfill his duties.

More importantly, he had been in seclusion in the small black room for months, practicing his culinary skills, and the value of the ingredients he used could be described in astronomical terms. Du Qingxi had never asked for anything in return, which made Chen Xi feel a bit uncomfortable. The saying "a man who eats another's food is short of words" probably described this feeling.

...

The backyard of Qingxi Winehouse was where Du Qingxi usually secluded herself for cultivation. The environment was tranquil and elegant, and few people other than some attentive servants could enter.

When Du Qingxi brought Chen Xi into the courtyard, two young men were waiting.

"This is Duanmu Ze, from the Duanmu family in Longyuan City," Du Qingxi pointed to the man in white and introduced him briefly.

Chen Xi looked up and was taken aback.

Duanmu Ze was undoubtedly a tall, elegant, handsome, and noble man. His white clothes were pristine, and he exuded a graceful demeanor. His thin lips were lightly pursed, and his reserved smile could make thousands of young girls scream in excitement.

However, Chen Xi was not concerned about these things. What he cared about was Duanmu Ze's family background.

Although Du Qingxi's introduction was brief, the names of the eight major sects, three academies, and six families in Longyuan City, which were widely discussed in the streets, were well-known to Chen Xi.

These forces were all deeply rooted, with histories dating back over ten thousand years, far surpassing the thousand-year-old Li family in Songyan City.

The Duanmu family was one of the six major families, so Chen Xi naturally felt surprised when facing Duanmu Ze, a member of the Duanmu family. With his good looks and prestigious background, Duanmu Ze must be quite famous in Longyuan City, right?

"Qingxi, isn't this person a bit unreliable?"

Duanmu Ze glanced at Chen Xi, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. His tone was calm but carried a hint of arrogance. He really couldn't understand why Du Qingxi would bring a spirit chef apprentice into their group.

Born into a wealthy family, Duanmu Ze saw spirit chefs as skilled in cooking, but ultimately, they were still lowly servants. How could they mix with people like himself?

Because of this, although Du Qingxi had already instructed him not to mind, Duanmu Ze still felt extremely displeased when he saw Chen Xi, as if Chen Xi's presence was an insult to his status.

His brief words left a bad impression on Chen Xi, who no longer bothered to greet him. On the contrary, he hoped Du Qingxi would also find him unreliable, so he could leave without having to stay with this arrogant peacock.

However, to Chen Xi's disappointment, Du Qingxi did not do so. She ignored Duanmu Ze and turned her gaze to the other young man, continuing, "This is Song Lin, from the Song family in Longyuan City."

Song Lin was also quite handsome, but he was clearly a very lazy person. His hair was messy, his clothes disheveled, and his eyes half-closed. He leaned lazily against a tree in the courtyard, looking drowsy.

Upon being introduced, Song Lin weakly waved his hand and mumbled, "Hmm, I heard Qingxi mention you, but let's chat after I get some sleep..." As he spoke, his head nodded, and he fell back asleep.

Indeed, Song Lin's family was also one of the six major families.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi's heart stirred, and he suddenly realized something. One of the six major families was the Du family. Could Du Qingxi be a member of the Du family?

This possibility was high.

People tend to gather with those of similar backgrounds. Judging from Du Qingxi's attitude towards Duanmu Ze and Song Lin, the three of them clearly belonged to the same circle, though their personalities differed.

"A simple South Barbarian trial, yet it attracts three members of the major families in Longyuan City. Could there be some secret behind it?"

Chen Xi felt puzzled, suddenly realizing that his trip to the South Barbarian Nether Realm might not be as simple as he thought.

"Qingxi, are you really going to bring him along?"

Seeing Du Qingxi ignore him, Duanmu Ze felt secretly angry but maintained a calm expression. He frowned and said, "I heard that the South Barbarian Mountains are filled with demonic beasts and are extremely dangerous. Bringing him along, if we encounter some unforeseen circumstances, wouldn't that endanger his life?"

Chen Xi remained silent, sighing inwardly. If you want to get rid of me, just say it directly. Why come up with such flimsy and ridiculous reasons? These young men from major families are truly hypocritical.

"Finished?" Du Qingxi asked expressionlessly.

Duanmu Ze's expression froze, then he put on a serious face and said, "Qingxi, I'm just thinking of his well-being."

"Finished talking, let's go." Du Qingxi remained unmoved, turning to leave.

Seeing this, Chen Xi also left. He didn't want to stay with Duanmu Ze, who might say something unpleasant out of anger.

Watching the two leave the courtyard one after the other, Duanmu Ze's usual smile vanished, and his face turned extremely sour.

"Hmm, let's go too." Song Lin rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned weakly.

"I won't let that boy off so easily." Duanmu Ze's face was dark, and he gritted his teeth, "I want to see if Qingxi dares to turn against me for a lowly servant!"

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PS: The past few days have been nerve-wracking due to the new book rankings. I've been checking the list dozens of times a day, and seeing the rankings drop bit by bit has been extremely stressful, making it hard to focus on writing. From today on, I'll stop doing this and focus on writing, aiming to provide the best content for everyone.