Barbecuing is a meticulous task, and by the time everyone was ready and Lu Yang and Lan Ting had returned with the laurel tree, it was already evening.

Lu Yang shouldering the laurel tree through the crowd was like a triumphant returning general, greatly admired, with exclamations of amazement rising and falling.

"Why carry back a laurel tree?"

"I heard it’s to be used as firewood for the barbecue."

"Ah? Can laurel trees be used like that?"

"They must be, since they were able to cut it down, it means the Tree Ancestor agreed to it."

Lu Yang split the laurel tree from the middle, then chopped it into smaller segments, dried them with fire to remove moisture.

He then tossed these laurel wood segments into a large pit that had been dug in advance, set up a rack over the pit, and placed the marinated demon rabbit on it.

With a flick of his fingertips, Lu Yang sent the Three Flavored True Fire into the pit. The segments of laurel wood caught fire upon contact, and according to Fairy Eternity’s experience, such aged laurel wood could burn all night, enough to roast the demon rabbit thoroughly.

As the segments of laurel wood burned, they released an intoxicating fragrance reminiscent of the laurel tree in bloom, transporting the Disciples of the Immortal Palace back to that season, utterly enchanting them.

As one of the founders of the "Come Back for Barbecue" establishment, Lu Yang’s barbecue skills needed no further mention, being considered unparalleled in the modern age, with only Man Gu who mastered the Corpse-Driving Spell able to challenge him, competing in culinary skills that were second only to Fairy Eternity!

Lu Yang covered every inch of the demon rabbit’s flesh with his Spiritual Sense, precisely controlling the heat of the Three Flavored True Fire, occasionally throwing a couple more laurel wood segments into the fire pit, creating a continuous crackling sound.

He ceaselessly brushed oil and turned the meat, ensuring that the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones reached a balance in taste and texture, with a hint of garlic and the freshness of spice permeating the meat.

Even the Automatic Barbecue Array had its limitations, and a demon rabbit of such immense size far exceeded the capability of the array, highlighting the value of experienced hands like Lu Yang’s in such a situation.

Basking in the warmth emanating from the fire pit, mingled with the scents of osmanthus and roasting meat, the Disciples of the Immortal Palace enjoyed each other’s company, their conversations full of laughter and joy.

Lan Ting sat next to Lu Yang, and without a word between them, she eventually dozed off until Lu Yang woke her.

"Junior Sister Lan, would you like to try some?"

Lan Ting opened her eyes to find the demon rabbit roasted to a golden color.

She tore off a piece of skin and flesh, and the juices beneath found an outlet, dripping down into the fire pit, sizzling as they fell.

Perfumed with the laurel wood’s smoke, the meat had lost all trace of gaminess.

The outer layer was crisp and made a satisfying crunch with each bite, offering a delightful texture. The lean meat was chewy, releasing a richer flavor the more one chewed. The aroma of osmanthus tantalized the taste buds, and when paired with the dipping sauce of sesame oil, soybeans, and sesame seeds prepared by Lu Yang, Lan Ting was fully awakened by the deliciousness.

Lan Ting licked her fingertips, clearly wanting more.

Seeing the expression on Lan Ting’s face, Lu Yang didn’t need her to say anything to know that the demon rabbit was perfectly roasted.

"Everyone, it’s ready to eat!"

"To the left is non-spicy, to the right is spicy, and the jar by the fire pit has the dipping sauce!"

The disciples of the Immortal Palace had been waiting for this moment. Surrounded by peers, there was no need to maintain the facade of an immortal; they swarmed forward to savor the long-coveted demon rabbit.

In the Cultivation World, where strength is revered, this principle was vividly displayed: those with higher cultivation levels rushed to the front, while those with lower levels had to wait their turn.

"It’s so delicious!"

"I’ve never tasted barbecue this good before."

"I’ve been to the headquarters of the ’Come Back for Barbecue’ store, but even their barbecue is not as delicious as Elder Brother Lu Yang’s!"

Even the pickiest cook among the senior sisters had to admit that Lu Yang’s barbecue skills were indeed superior to her own, far surpassing hers.

She was thoroughly defeated.

In civilian barbecue, cooking such a massive ingredient would normally result in a burnt exterior and an undercooked interior, but under Lu Yang’s control, streamers of Three Flavored True Fire penetrated the demon rabbit’s body, searing every inch of flesh just right.

Even Fairy Eternity couldn’t stop praising Lu Yang’s roasted demon rabbit.

"Little Yang really has some skill, letting the Three Flavored True Fire penetrate the demon rabbit, like bone-burrowing maggots, making even the bones crispy and fragrant, he has learned three parts of this immortal’s capability already."

Although it was a compliment, Lu Yang always felt something was amiss.

Nobody noticed that the petite Bai Ye weaved through the crowd, tore off a piece of rabbit meat, and quietly left to sit on a branch of the Laurel Tree Ancestor, eating until her mouth was greasy.

"Eh, it smells so good when roasted with our Laurel Wood?"

…

That night, none of the disciples from the Fairy Palace practiced their cultivation, eating to their heart’s content. Anyone who saw this scene wouldn’t associate these merry and feasting disciples with those ethereal fairies aloof from the secular world.

Lu Yang was also delighted. As a chef, his favorite thing was when diners praised his food.

Even without explicit compliments, seeing the junior sisters enthusiastically sucking on the bones, he knew his barbecue was a success.

"Yawn—so sleepy—" Lu Yang let out a big yawn. He felt like being lazy today and decided not to practice cultivation but to sleep directly instead.

The disciples of the Fairy Palace were also yawning prodigiously, disregarding their image and falling asleep wherever they lay.

With their level of cultivation, they wouldn’t freeze even if it snowed; they could sleep anywhere.

Had someone looked down from the sky, they would have noticed a huge pit in the center of the Fairy Palace, with burned-out laurel wood in the middle and countless disciples of the Fairy Palace lying around it.

As the moon transformed into the sun, Lu Yang felt the warm morning light on his face and struggled to move his eyelids, not especially eager to open his eyes. He hadn’t slept this comfortably in a long time.

"Who covered me with a blanket?" Lu Yang felt a blanket over his body and wondered which kind person did it.

Was it Junior Sister Lan?

Lu Yang opened his eyes groggily and struggled to crawl out of the "blanket," looking at the senior sisters and brothers around him, his mind still a bit foggy.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"I have a feeling that something’s off?" Lu Yang murmured to himself.

Suddenly, he dramatically realized the source of his discomfort.

"Why am I naked!"

Lu Yang raised his hand and his pupils dilated: "No… I’ve shrunk!"

What he thought was a blanket was actually his own clothes.

They just looked like a blanket because they were too loose after he had shrunk.

Lu Yang snapped to attention and looked at Lan Ting sleeping beside him.

In place of Lan Ting was a little girl around eight or nine years old.

Lan Ting had shrunk too!

Lu Yang looked around and saw that it wasn’t just Lan Ting, everyone present had shrunk!

Elsewhere, Luo Hongxia and Elder Zhu Hong were returning from Seek Dao Sect, with Luo Hongxia kindly consoling Elder Zhu Hong.

"Junior Sister, don’t be disappointed. Didn’t Yun Zhi say she’ll let you take it once she figures out Twin River?"

"You’ve been wanting a child for more than a day or two, so what’s a little more waiting?"

Elder Zhu Hong nodded noncommittally, not saying much.

Seeing this, Luo Hongxia knew she had been talking in vain all this way.

The two landed and saw Lu Yang standing bare-bottomed in the cold wind, as well as a ground full of little girls.

They were stunned speechless.