Fang Qingzhi had never witnessed such a magical spectacle.
For cultivators, constructing a mansion was merely a task of moderate difficulty. However, the instantaneous transformation of a dilapidated thatched hut into a sturdy stone cottage was an entirely different story. Not to mention the sudden appearance of clothes and food out of thin air.
There was a stark difference between creating something from existing materials and conjuring it out of nothing, which represented a completely distinct realm of cultivation.
Initially, she surmised that a great cultivator might be amusing themselves at her expense, stealthily retrieving items from a storage ring. Yet, she detected not the slightest spatial fluctuation; everything materialized as if from nowhere.
To summon food out of thin air, complete with its colors and flavors, was a feat achievable only by a cultivator at least at the Transformation Stage, right? Or perhaps even a Harmonization Stage cultivator?
Fang Qingzhi remained uncertain.
Even her master, the God Transformation Stage old demon Qingxuan Daoist, was incapable of such a deed. While he could transmute ingredients into prepared dishes, he couldn't conjure food from nothing. Of course, it was possible that her master had simply never studied such techniques. After all, cultivators at the Foundation Stage could dispense with grain.
The enticing aroma of the food stirred Fang Qingzhi's cravings. Ever since her cultivation was abolished and she could no longer disperse grain, she had been unable to consume the poisonous flesh of demonic beasts.She had to rely on wild fruits and roots from the mountains to stave off hunger.
This situation couldn't persist indefinitely. Fang Qingzhi cautiously poked half her head out from under the bed and summoned the courage to call out:"Which senior is casting this spell? I, Fang Qingzhi, dare to ask senior to reveal yourself."
The surroundings fell silent, with only the sound of the torrential rain pounding against the bamboo window.
After a moment of quiet reflection, Fang Qingzhi decided it was better to emerge from under the bed. Although fear lingered, she reasoned that if the other party possessed such power, resistance would be futile. Just moments ago, her foot had been lightly nudged, and the senior's hand had been warm, seemingly mocking her for hiding under the bed yet exposing her foot...
At this thought, Fang Qingzhi bit her lower lip, her face flushing red.
Death was but a matter of fate.
She crawled out from under the bed and scanned the room, finding no suspicious figures. Her gaze ultimately settled on the lavish dishes on the table.
" Gulp—!"
The sound of swallowing saliva echoed in unison with the growling of her stomach.
She twisted and sat down at the table, staring at the delicacies without making a move.
Instead, she cupped her fists and kowtowed, respectfully saying,"If senior is unwilling to show yourself, could you please inform Qingran whether these foods are safe for her to consume? If senior does not grant permission, Qingran would sooner starve to death than dare to touch what belongs to senior."
With these words, Fang Qingzhi sat down before the table laden with food, closed her eyes, and assumed a meditative posture.
...
For lunch, Chen Pingan simply stir-fried tomatoes and eggs.
When he returned and checked his phone, he saw that Fang Qingzhi had emerged from under the bed and was now meditating in front of the dining table. Her body trembled, beads of sweat glistened on her flushed face, and her nostrils flared as she struggled to resist the temptation of the food before her.
"What kind of posture is this?" Chen Pingan chuckled.
Who meditates in front of a table full of food? Exercising willpower? This girl's chin was almost touching the roasted chicken.
[Fang Qingzhi requests permission to consume the nutritious meal. Do you approve?]
A dialog box popped up.
"Does this still require my consent? So strict?"
Chen Pingan shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips as he selected 'agree.'
On the screen, Fang Qingzhi seemed to hear something and opened her eyes, her face lighting up with delight.
"Thank you, senior!"
"My goodness, there's even sound!"
A clear and pleasant female voice suddenly rang out, startling Chen Pingan. He had initially assumed the game was silent, as there was no background music, so he hadn't turned on the sound. It was only after activating the volume that he realized there were realistic ambient sounds, such as the crackling of a burning fire in the stove and the sound of the rainstorm outside.
But he had never anticipated that Fang Qingzhi would have a dedicated voice actor.
Sure enough, this small studio spared no effort in their production!
Chen Pingan continued to watch the girl eat.
At first, Fang Qingzhi ate in small, delicate bites, but soon her chopsticks moved faster and faster, gradually transforming into a wolfish appetite. The speed at which she consumed the food left Chen Pingan dumbfounded.
Only a game character could eat so rapidly.
...
After finishing her meal, Fang Qingzhi picked up the small square napkin beside her and wiped her mouth. Blushing, she bowed her head in gratitude, "It has been a long time since I, your junior, have tasted such delicious food. Senior's great kindness will never be forgotten by Qingran."
As she meditated with her eyes closed, she suddenly heard a "may."
That sound was like the voice of the Great Dao, piercing straight into the soul.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a giant golden character made of aura floating above the rice—"OK."
This was clearly a sound transmission technique.
Condensing aura into characters was something many cultivators could achieve.
However, this aura font was not formed by mobilizing the surrounding aura but appeared out of thin air. This meant that the aura font was transmitted alongside the sound technique, and it was unknown how far away this senior was when sending the sound.
Fang Qingzhi inwardly gasped, realizing that this senior was becoming more enigmatic by the moment. But for now, this senior seemed to harbor no ill intentions.
"Senior, I shall attend to the dishes."
Fang Qingzhi picked up her plate and walked out the door.
Outside, it was raining heavily, the sky shrouded in dark clouds. The dense rain reduced visibility to less than five meters, and apart from the crackling of the rain and the distant rumble of thunder, all was silent.
"The rain has intensified even more..."
Fang Qingzhi glanced at the sky, a flicker of gratitude emerging in her heart.
If it weren't for the senior who had bestowed this mansion upon her, her dilapidated thatched cottage would surely have been destroyed by the downpour long ago.
The mansion featured a small corridor outside. She followed the eaves to the side and quickly located the wooden barrel placed outside the door yesterday. Originally used to collect rainwater for drinking, it was now brimming, conveniently allowing her to wash the dishes.
[Fang Qingzhi is washing the dishes]
[Fang Qingzhi's favorability +5, currently 10]
"Not bad, you can actually wash dishes? A favorability system isn't surprising either."
Chen Pingan felt the game was becoming increasingly intriguing.
The characters were lifelike, and there were numerous interactive elements.
How had he never come across this game online before?
Seeing that the identity and physical examination reports would still take a few minutes to generate, Chen Pingan began exploring other features and soon discovered a new continent.
He had initially assumed the game's map was limited to the area near the small house, but this was far from the truth—the game featured a vast map! Expanding the map fully, Fang Qingzhi's location appeared as a small circle, with a green dot representing her. The surrounding area was shrouded in black mist, indicating unexplored territory.
In addition to the lit area near the small house, a clan-like building on the map was also free of mist, bearing three golden characters—Qing Yun Sect.
"Huh? This must be the clan Fang Qingzhi once belonged to."
Chen Pingan frowned. If Fang Qingzhi was a disciple of the Qing Yun Sect, why wasn't she at the sect? How had she ended up in such a sorry state? Moreover, this place wasn't far from the Qing Yun Sect, which was located at the peak of another mountain, while this spot was at the mountain's foot—just a short distance for cultivators.
There must be a wealth of stories behind this...
He retracted the map, and his expression suddenly changed.
Near the small house's vicinity on the map, five red dots appeared, swiftly moving toward Fang Qingzhi's location!