Swallowed Star 2: Land of Origin

The Fire Realm Restaurant was bustling under the flurry of snow, with many guests present.

Inside the kitchen pavilion, Suo Zi was focused on cooking. Over two decades had passed, and he had already become one of the main chefs at the Fire Realm Restaurant. After all, the owner, "Black Butcher," rarely cooked, leaving the main chefs and many disciples to handle the cooking.

"Okay, serve it all now," Suo Zi finished preparing a Fire Realm Feast.

"Yes," an attendant who was waiting nearby immediately delivered the renowned 'Fire Realm Feast' to the guests.

Suo Zi then relaxed.

As a main chef, he needed to prepare some important dishes himself, while ordinary dishes could be delegated to his junior brothers and sisters.

"Having become a head chef, I've earned quite a few more Primal Chaos Crystals. After a few more decades, I'll be able to purchase enough resources to try for a breakthrough," he thought every time he counted his increasing savings, filled with anticipation for the future.

"Brother Suo Zi, your brother has come. He's calling you over," a voice came from outside the kitchen pavilion.

"Okay." Suo Zi walked outside, where being a head chef meant he wasn't too busy.

Familiarly, Suo Zi walked into a hall, where dozens of guests were seated apart from each other, with Suo Yun sitting in the primary seat.

"Suo Zi," Suo Yun called out.

Suo Zi walked over.

"Today I'm hosting a feast for many brothers in the tower," Suo Yun laughed heartily, "You must cook personally! Your skills are much loved by our Thousand Mountain Tower brothers."

"The skills of the tower master's brother, we are all well aware," someone commented.

"It's tough on Brother Suo Zi!" the numerous guests around laughed. Almost all those invited by Suo Yun were from the Void True Gods of Thousand Mountain Tower.

Suo Zi smiled amicably, familiar with handling guests over the long years, "I'll make sure everyone is satisfied. I'll go cook now."

"Go ahead with your work, and come join us for a drink afterward," Suo Yun instructed.

"Okay." Suo Zi then left the hall.

"Tower Master Suo Yun, why don't you bring your brother to join us at Thousand Mountain Tower?"

"Lord Qiu, you don't know, my brother wants to stay with his master and learn the art of cooking. He really doesn't want to come to Thousand Mountain Tower," Suo Yun was one of the thirty-nine tower masters of Thousand Mountain Tower, which clearly spoke of his high status as he chatted and dined with the members.

Suo Zi returned to the kitchen pavilion and received a detailed menu via a transmission token. Some simple dishes were delegated to his junior brothers and sisters, but many main dishes required his personal attention.

"Arriving in Huyang City over two decades ago, Suo Yun has completely changed," Suo Zi had grown up with Suo Yun in the tribe, and he could sense the changes in Suo Yun within Huyang City, "Now, I find it hard to tell whether his words are true or false."

"He frequents the Fire Realm Restaurant not because of me but to chance upon Lord Luo He," Suo Zi knew this very well, "He was recruited by the Dark Forces of Thousand Mountain Tower and promoted to tower master because of Lord Luo He."

Over the past two decades, Suo Zi had seen numerous guests come and go, sensing the intangible influence of Lord Luo He.

Because of Lord Luo He, many eternal true gods were willing to come to the Fire Realm Restaurant.

Because of Lord Luo He, the Fire Realm Restaurant had expanded its premises several times over, greatly improving business.

Because of Lord Luo He, Suo Zi himself had received vigorous cultivation from the owner.

"Lord Luo He has arrived," suddenly, the attendants at the Fire Realm Restaurant all perked up, passing the message around.

"Lord Luo He has arrived?" Suo Zi also looked outside the pavilion, instantly spotting the figures of Luo Feng, Morosa, and Moyu Qingyan approaching in the distance, with the owner "Black Butcher" already moving forward to greet them.

...

"Supreme," the Black Butcher was extremely enthusiastic and respectful.

He too had struggled to get to the Land of Origin by passing through cycles of reincarnation, and his days had improved significantly only because Luo Feng enjoyed visiting the Fire Realm Restaurant. It was during these past two decades that he was able to quickly accumulate resources.

He did not mind being humble, what he feared was the absence of hope. Previously, while operating the restaurant for many long years and being oppressed by dark forces, he hardly made much profit, sometimes even operating at a loss.

These past two decades of good days had amassed more wealth than he had accumulated in all the preceding years combined, naturally enabling him to buy resources to aid his cultivation.

"Black Butcher, your Fire Realm Feast is getting better and better. If I don't come for a while, I start craving it," Luo Feng said with a smile.

"It's my honor that the Supreme enjoys it. I will get to the kitchen now and strive to do even better," the Black Butcher grinned broadly, his smile genuine, "Supreme Shang and the others are at the old place."

Luo Feng nodded and flew towards the familiar hidden pavilion.

During the flight, when some of the Fire Realm Restaurant attendants and many guests saw Luo Feng, they showed great respect, including the overly respectful 'Suo Yun.'

"This is Suo Yun, joining the dark forces. His and Suo Zi's paths are completely different," Luo Feng noted all the faces effortlessly.

For Suo Zi and Suo Yun, Luo Feng was still quite concerned.

After all, they were among the first creatures he saved upon his arrival in the Land of Origin and had also arrived in Huyang City at the same time as him; Luo Feng was quite interested in their future development.

However, joining the dark forces was something Luo Feng did not quite appreciate.

"Sigh."

Luo Feng approached the secluded small building.

"Brother Luo He," Shang Tianyan and another eternal true god, Sang Shuiyun, were already at the door to meet him.

Moyu Qingyan was standing guard outside the little building.

Meanwhile, Morosa relaxed and walked to a small building nearby, instructing the Black Butcher, "Arrange some food and drink, you know my taste."

"Don't worry, I understand," responded the Black Butcher, who immediately set things up. After spending so much time together, he could sense that the servant 'Luo Sa' had an unusual relationship with Lord Luo He.

Right after, the Black Butcher, filled with fighting spirit, began to adjust his mindset, dedicating himself fully to preparing a Fire Realm Feast. After all, 'Lord Luo He' was his most important guest, and he had to be well attended to.

From a distance, Suo Yun watched Luo Feng enter the building and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Lord Suo Yun, is that Lord Luo He?" Lord Qiu looked from afar, his eyes filled with envy and reverence. As a core member of the Dark Forces' Thousand Mountain Tower, Lord Qiu was well aware... Lord Luo He was a top-tier figure in Huyang City, even the Five Great Families had to restrain themselves in front of him.

"Yes, it was Lord Luo He who saved my life. If it weren't for the divinity, my brother and I would have died long ago," Suo Yun exclaimed.

...

Inside the secluded building.

Luo Feng, Shang Tianyan, and Sang Shuiyun sat down.

Shang Tianyan chuckled, "Brother Luo He, when you called for me, I just happened to be at this Fire Realm Restaurant with Sang Shuiyun."

"You two really have a close relationship, always coming and going together," Luo Feng teased.

In the entire Huyang City, there were only two eternal true gods infatuated with the Dream Flower Tower Master, precisely Shang Tianyan and Sang Shuiyun. Though they were considered rivals in love, they actually got along quite well.

"Initially, Brother Shang and I were both loners in Huyang City, free from any attachments. That's when we got acquainted," Sang Shuiyun shook his head. "And now, I am still carefree without any ties, but look at him, establishing the Heavenly Flame Sect, tirelessly mentoring a whole bunch of disciples, acquiring a bunch of burdens, making him strain himself as well."

Sang Shuiyun had wings and always carried an air of decadence, as well as a somewhat reclusive nature.

"I have spent countless heart force on artifact refining, I have to pass it on," Shang Tianyan remarked.

"Why do you absolutely have to pass on your skills? In the whole Land of Origin, there are many artifact refining masters stronger than you. The loss of your artifact refining skills would just be a trivial matter," Sang Shuiyun said. "Don't overestimate yourself, we are just insignificant little waves in the Land of Origin."

"Even a little wave has its moment to ripple. With your decadence, you can't even count as a wave, just dust," Shang Tianyan replied.

"I am dust, and you are a wave," Sang Shuiyun shook his head. "Actually, even if you want to pass on your skills, taking a few disciples would have been enough. Establishing a sect and having all those sect concerns mean you can never truly be free. Luckily, you met Lord Luo He and for the past two decades or so, you've been relatively at liberty."

"Haha, I should thank Brother Luo He," Shang Tianyan looked at Luo Feng. "In the past, there were many things I couldn't extricate myself from, having to consider the whole sect. Now, the various powers hardly dare to go too far."

Luo Feng said, "Brother Shang, if you didn't care about the sect, didn't care about the disciples, you could be as carefree as Sang Shuiyun."

Sang Shuiyun nodded, "He's just foolish."

"If you can't speak nicely, then keep quiet. I need to discuss important matters with Brother Luo He now. You might as well leave," Shang Tianyan urged.

"I'm off," Sang Shuiyun said simply, standing up and leisurely leaving.

Luo Feng watched Sang Shuiyun go.

He could feel Sang Shuiyun's reclusiveness; in this world, it seemed like there was nothing Sang Shuiyun truly cared about, as if he were merely a passerby in the world.

"Sang Shuiyun's temperament, and you actually became friends with him," Luo Feng remarked.

"He and I are quite similar," Shang Tianyan said.

"Quite similar?" Luo Feng was surprised.

To him, Shang Tianyan and Sang Shuiyun seemed to have completely different temperaments, one loved making friends, and took great care in teaching disciples, managing the sect. Yet the other was extremely reclusive, caring about no one.

"In Huyang City, I understand him the best, and he understands me the best," Shang Tianyan smiled. "Perhaps that's why both of us are enamored with the Dream Flower Tower Master."

"I don't understand you two," Luo Feng shook his head.

More than two decades had also made Luo Feng's relationship with Shang Tianyan very good, and they were congenial in temperament. Luo Feng had compassion for the weak, and Shang Tianyan was also naturally compassionate towards the weaker ones, otherwise, why would he painstakingly teach his disciples?

They chatted over food and drinks, relaxed and at ease.

Suddenly—

"Buzz."

A small cosmic domain appeared in the Fire Realm Restaurant.

Luo Feng and Shang Tianyan turned their heads to look, their gaze piercing through the walls, seeing the restaurant owner 'Black Butcher,' who had just finished preparing the Fire Realm Feast. He had a sudden epiphany while fully committing to the feast and broke through the final barrier.

The Source of Law he mastered naturally formed a domain.

"I didn't expect this Fire Realm Restaurant's owner to have broken through, becoming an eternal true god," Shang Tianyan marveled.

"Preparing a Fire Realm Feast for us, and he actually broke through to become an eternal true god. This feast must be delicious," Luo Feng was somewhat greedy.