Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Following the departure of Chang'e and her entourage, one of the groups sitting nearest to Vahn could no longer contain themselves. Fortunately, unlike the vast majority of people within the hall, their leader, an androgynous man with flowing black hair framing green eyes and fair features, showed no obvious resentment as he remarked, "It would appear you possess quite the unique identity. My name is Tang Tianxia, the Immortal Bamboo Sovereign. These are my apprentices, Tang Dongxi and Tang Yaiba. We are pleased to make your acquaintance."

Though he didn't recognize the man's name and title, Vahn was aware of the general structure of the Jade Palace and its affiliate Communities. The Tang Clan and its derivative Tang Sect were the most prominent organizations due to their prominence in both the Heavenly and Mortal Domain. The name Tianxia was also associated with the material plane and political sovereignty, so, even if the man hadn't included his title, Vahn could assume he was one of the Divine Courtiers ruling over the mortal world.

Since the man hadn't gone out of his way to genuflect, Vahn maintained a relaxed and casual smile as he replied, "Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor. It's a pleasure to meet three of the Tang Sect's Ancestral Gods."

With a bit of assistance from Loi-chan, Vahn was able to grasp Tianxia's true identity. This seemed to surprise the jade-skinned man, but, other than curling the corners of his lips, he didn't show any particular signs of perturbation. Instead, he offered a slight nod before questioning, "Has the Sage Dragon's Hearth decided to affiliate themselves with the Jade Palace? If so, the Tang Clan is always looking to make new friends. I'm certain a partnership between our respective organizations can be mutually beneficial..."

"Hmmm..."

Caressing his chin as if he were actually considering the man's words, Vahn was, in fact, listening to Loi-chan divulge some of the man's deepest and darkest secrets. He was a mortal who had risen to become a God after receiving the Mandate of Heaven. Though it was rarely touched upon in many of the novels he had read, it was the Mandate of Heaven that allowed many of the Main Characters in Cultivation Novels to overcome countless trials and tribulations to become a God. It was basically an advanced form of plot armor, and, no matter how many mistakes they made during their ascent, it was only a matter of time before those with the Mandate of Heaven became one of the strongest and most influential individuals in their world.

Though Tianxia had converted to Buddhism after the proliferation of Wu Cheng'en's 'Journey to the West', his path to power was marred with rivers of blood and mountains of corpses. If they had met at some point in the past, Vahn probably would have killed him on the spot. Instead, he maintained a casual smile. After all, the path he had tread wasn't exactly built upon flowers and compromise.

"Your good intentions have been duly noted. If the opportunity presents itself, I'm sure we can work something out. For now, however, there are more pressing matters to attend..."

Seeing Vahn shift his gaze to the numerous groups paying close attention to their conversation, a soft chuckle emanated from Tianxia's throat. He was tempted to assert that men should be brazen and unconcerned with the machinations of their adversaries, but, having experienced a number of setbacks in the past, he elected not to. He was one strongest Immortals, but, when it came to raw power, he lagged far behind the Heavenly Domain's highest-ranking deities. This had bothered him quite a bit in the past, but, after failing to rise above Rank 13 after thousands of years, he eventually gave up trying to become the strongest and instead focused on becoming the most influential.

As that thought crossed his mind, Tianxia briefly focused his jade-green eyes on Fenrir and Mikoto. His intuition told him that he would be able to become much stronger with their "assistance", but, as someone who had once exhibited his lovers for the whole Heavenly Domain to see, Tianxia was well aware of Vahn's intentions. You didn't parade around remarkably beautiful women unless you were supremely confident in your abilities or specifically looking for trouble...

Shaking wayward thoughts from his mind, Tianxia returned his gaze to Vahn before pulling out a band of creamy brown prayer beads and softly musing, "There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desires..."

With Loi-chan revealing Tianxia's true thoughts, Vahn had to resist the urge to snort through his nose. He had never been particularly fond of people who played at being wise despite harboring thoughts and intentions that sharply contrasted their sayings. If Tianxia was confident he could get away with it, there would be nothing preventing him from taking everything he desired. Thus, while Vahn's initial impression of the man wasn't all that bad, Tianxia had effectively burned every bridge between them with his hypocrisy.

Unfortunately for the effeminate man, Vahn was remarkably good at concealing his thoughts from people he didn't particularly care for. He was absolutely terrible at hiding the truth from his loved one, but, in front of someone like Tianxia, he may as well be an ancient tome bound with wax paper and chains. The man had no hope of reading his thoughts and intentions. Thus, with a relaxed smile on his face, he casually retorted, "An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind..."

Surprised by Vahn's words, Tianxia opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He hadn't expected the former to counter his musings with another Buddhist saying, much less one carrying such implications. As a result, a nearly indiscernible glimmer of hostility flashed across his eyes as he internalized the notion that Vahn was an exceptionally dangerous individual...

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With several other important and distinguished figures arriving, the atmosphere within the banquet hall became increasingly festive. There were still people gawking at Vahn and his entourage, but, for the most part, everyone began focusing on themselves and their cliques. This included Tianxia, who, following their brief conversation, excused himself to converse with a few of his fellow Immortals.

Fortunately, not that he would have minded keeping the girls company, Vahn wasn't left without a conversation partner. Erlang Shen had eventually shown up, and, while they weren't seated next to each other, that didn't stop the two of them from conversing until Huangdi made an appearance to announce the imminent arrival of the Jade Emperor and Empress Xiwangmu. This caused everyone to return to their seats, and, moments later, the hall had become silent as the distant yet loud echo of a drum reverberated off the surrounding walls.

Expecting the duo to make a grand entrance, Vahn was somewhat surprised when the Jade Emperor and his wife meandered into the hall without so much as an escort. Shortly thereafter, the duo took their seats before the Jade Emperor simply nodded towards a remarkably ancient-looking man with jade-green vestiments reminiscent of a court official from the Han Dynasty. He didn't even bother to give a speech. Instead, he just observed in silence with a serene, unperturbed smile on his face...

Unsurprisingly, the ancient-looking old man was none other than Zao Shin, the host of the banquet and one of the most senior Gods in the Jade Palace. He was even older than the Jade Emperor, and, similar to Hestia, represented perpetuity, good health, family, and the hearth. He was also the God of the Kitchen, and, according to many, his culinary skills placed him among the ten greatest chefs in the Divine Realm. Some even claimed he could raise the recently deceased by merely wafting the aroma of his food in their direction...

To Zao Shin's credit, the dishes brought out by the palace servants were among the best Vahn had ever tasted. Even Fenrir, who could be remarkably picky at times, was pleasantly surprised by many of the dishes brought out. It wasn't quite on the level of Rindo's cooking, but, considering the latter had a system that allowed her to exponentially and infinitely increase her proficiency in the kitchen, that wasn't too surprising. After all, she had functionally unlimited access to ingredients from other Records while Zao Shin was limited by the ingredients collected in the Heavenly Domain.

Noticing the relatively relaxed expressions on the faces of Vahn, Fenrir, and Mikoto, it wasn't long before Zao Shin approached them directly, an incomparably kind smile on his face as he asked, "Is there anything this old man can do to make your meal more enjoyable? I pride myself on preparing meals that people will remember fondly for years to come. If these dishes do not suit your palette, I am more than happy to prepare something else."

Though he was tempted to politely refuse, Vahn understood how prideful chefs could be when it came to the principles that guided their cooking. Thus, after a moment of consideration, he asked Sis to purchase a high-quality storage ring before filling it with rare ingredients and one of Rindo's personal cookbooks. He was curious to see what the elderly god could pull off if given the proper resources, so, with a relaxed smile on his face, he presented the ring and explained, "The quality of Zao Shin's food is beyond reproach. However, there are mountains beyond mountains and infinite expanses above even the Heavens themselves. This ring contains the records of the greatest Chefs in existence. There are also ingredients to prepare meals for more than three hundred people. I'm looking forward to tasting Lord Zao's version of these legendary dishes."

While others might have been offended by Vahn's words, Zao Shin went as far as to cup his hands in respect before presenting both hands to accept the ring. Impeccable customer service was one of the foundational pillars of preparing delicious meals, so, even if someone were to spit his food back in his face, Zao Shin would maintain his grandfatherly smile as he prepared a second course. After all, hatred does not cease through hatred and vindictiveness. It ceases through compassion, love, and tolerance...

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With the ingredients and recipes supplied by Vahn, it wasn't long before the banquet hall was filled with an intoxicating fragrance. Even the Jade Emperor couldn't help perking up as nearly every set of eyes followed the group of hungry-looking servants bringing Vahn, Fenrir, and Mikoto their meal. There were silver cloches covering each of the food items, yet, in spite of this, a subtle luminescence emanated from their surface as a powerful aroma followed the group through the hall.

When the cloches were finally removed, an aromatic eruption comparable to the big bang spread through the hall in an instant. Everyone in the hall immediately became deathly still, as, for a brief moment, everything in existence seemed to revolve around the dishes atop Vahn's table. When he picked up a piece to sample it, they felt as if they were watching an essential portion of reality itself being consumed...

Unsurprisingly, quite a number of Gods within the hall became offended when they noticed the disparity between the dishes they were being served and those being presented to Vahn. It didn't matter to them that he had provided both the ingredients and the recipe. They wanted a taste of the dishes he was being provided.

Fortunately, just as a few of the more brazen individuals were preparing to protest, a veritable tidal wave of servants flowed into the hall. Zao Shin had realized Vahn's intentions the moment he sent his intent into the spatial ring. He had also sampled the dishes himself, so, understanding just how chaotic things would become once the dishes were presented, he made sure to prepare enough for everyone in the hall before sending out the servants with Vahn's meal. As for himself, he personally carried a tray to the Jade Emperor, who, for the first time in hundreds of years, appeared genuinely excited to try something new...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The appearance of the Immortal Sects...!','I can totally imagine Zao Shin bowing to Rindo as his Master xD...','Seraphina would be proud...')