Chapter 100: The Storm Approaches

"Gulp..." Jiang Tian swallowed hard. A Heaven Cultivator... the temptation was simply too great, so great that he now looked at Chen Yun as if the man were a delicious feast.

"Impossible! How could such a dish exist in this world? I don't believe it!" Long Fei turned pale with shock. His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the sofa, shouting, "You must be lying to me, right? Let me tell you, deceiving me is the same as deceiving the Emperor. Deceiving the Emperor is a capital offense, and capital offenses mean execution by firing squad!"

"Hmph, it’s death either way, so feel free to try. My life is of no consequence, but if you drive a Heaven Cultivator to become an enemy of the Empire, do you think the Emperor will spare you?" Chen Yun sneered. "You had better make a decision quickly. If you push me too far, I can't guarantee that once I break through and perfect this dish, I won't be able to mass-produce Heaven Cultivators. If I go to the Star Empire or the Snowy Plains Empire to serve them, you will become the sinner of the Heavenly Dragon Empire."

Long Fei panicked. He had calculated every possibility, but he never expected that this Chen Yun could actually create a dish capable of elevating someone to the level of a Heaven Cultivator. It was completely beyond his expectations. He couldn't gamble, and he didn't dare to. If what Chen Yun said was fake, it would be fine, but what if it were true? What if such a dish really existed?

If Jiang Tian truly became a Heaven Cultivator, given his father’s current attitude toward the General, and if he himself had driven Chen Yun to his death, Long Fei was certain that Jiang Tian would seek revenge. The Heavenly Dragon Empire could not withstand the retaliation of a Heaven Cultivator, nor could the planet of Rugby. In Rugby, even a first-level Heaven Cultivator was an absolutely invincible existence.

Long Fei knew clearly how the planet of Rugby had been born. Historical records stated that tens of thousands of years ago, a peerless master named Qiu Ganlan had transcended the realms of Heaven Cultivator, Immortal Refiner, and Saint Origin to reach the level of a Divine Hermit. He had long since transcended this universe, capable of creating entire worlds with a wave of his hand. Rugby was simply a planet that Qiu Ganlan had created out of boredom. He had also created all things, the cycle of life, and firmly etched his invincible image into the memories of the first humans. The Demon-Locking Tower was also a divine artifact he had left behind to suppress the planet. Besides serving as a training ground for the four major sects, it had the function of forcibly teleporting anyone who broke through to the Heaven Cultivator realm to a higher-level world within one hour of their breakthrough. The reason was simple: on Rugby, a Heaven Cultivator was absolutely invincible.

Long Fei dared not gamble. If Jiang Tian really became a Heaven Cultivator, even if he could only stay on Rugby for an hour, it would be more than enough time to avenge Chen Yun.

"Heh... heh..." Long Fei’s face turned deathly pale as he managed a hollow laugh. "Fine, you win. I will report this matter truthfully to my father. Long Lan, let's go!"

"Oh..." Long Lan glanced at Long Fei, then at Jiang Tian, and finally at the calm-faced Chen Yun. As she followed, she muttered softly, "I actually wanted to taste the food Chef Chen made..."

Watching the royals depart, Chen Yun collapsed onto the ground. Although he had gained the upper hand, they were royalty, after all, and the pressure they exerted was immense.

***

"Chen Yun, are you alright?" Seeing Chen Yun slump down, Zhang Lang quickly helped him up.

"I'm fine, my legs just went weak. I'll be fine after a rest." Chen Yun waved his hand and looked at Jiang Tian. "General, I am sorry, I have implicated you."

"What are you talking about?" Jiang Tian glared. "The Emperor has long been displeased with me. He wanted to use Long Fei to weaken my influence. If not for my Jiang family's ancestral teaching to be loyal to the throne for generations, I would have rebelled long ago. This imperial family is no longer what it once was; they are selfish and disregard the lives of others for their own benefit. There is nothing left that makes them worthy of the Jiang family's service."

"But tell me, Chen Yun, was what you said just now true or false?"

"A bit of both," Chen Yun sighed. It seemed the temptation of being a Heaven Cultivator was too strong. He guessed that if he had admitted it was entirely true, even if Jiang Tian didn't attack him now, he would eventually be tempted during a time of crisis. It seemed he needed to increase his strength as soon as possible. It was just level 60, right? He was already level 15, and he was still... damn, he was still a long way off.

"I can indeed make such a dish, and it doesn't require sacrificing lives, but the success rate is too low. At my current level, there is at most a one-in-a-million chance. However, I expect that as my cultivation realm improves, or once I reach the level of a Master Chef, the probability will increase significantly." Chen Yun thought for a moment; for his own safety, this was the only way to answer.

"One in a million..." Jiang Tian was deeply disappointed. The odds were even lower than his own chance of breaking through; it was essentially the same as saying nothing.

"Grandfather, you know how hard it is to break through to the Heaven Cultivator realm. Little Chen is already doing quite well. A Master Chef capable of creating a dish of this caliber—you must realize that even those three old fogies in the palace can't do it." Jiang Shan, seeing his grandfather's disappointed face, persuaded him. He had also been startled by Chen Yun's words. If it were true, he was certain his grandfather would harbor ulterior motives, and such motives would lead to a rift—a rift that would be the start of becoming enemies. Jiang Shan didn't want a rift to form between his grandfather and such a promising genius. Hearing Chen Yun's explanation, he felt relieved.

"Yes, it is my own obsession. Becoming a Heaven Cultivator is never easy." Jiang Tian smiled. "However, the Emperor is highly suspicious. Even if he believes you this time and lets you go, he won't necessarily do so next time. Chen Yun, be careful during this time. I suspect the royal family will spread what you said, and then countless forces, both overt and covert, will come after you, forcing you to make this dish."

"That would be perfect," Chen Yun said with a smile. "I’m looking forward to it. True powerhouses are born in the face of life and death. If they want my life, I will take theirs!"

"Good!" Jiang Tian clapped his hands and laughed. "Unfazed by difficulties, forging ahead against the wind—Chen Yun, you have the heart of a powerhouse; your future is bound to be limitless! It seems Rugby will soon see another level 10 cultivator."

***

"Thank you for the compliment, General." Chen Yun lowered his head. A level 10 cultivator? What was that? Only level 60. His goal was not merely to be a level 10 cultivator, but to reach level 100 and go home—to return to his true homeland, Earth!

"Chen Yun, for your safety, I will take the dish you prepared. I will bring it to the Imperial Capital and have the Imperial Auction House handle it. The money from an auction there will be much higher than here. I won't take a single cent; it will all be yours. To become a powerhouse, having the heart of one is not enough; you must have sufficient cultivation resources. I will provide that for you! Furthermore, these 10 Sky Crystals are your starting capital. Young man, I believe in you. Keep it up!"

When Long Fei returned to the Imperial Capital and the palace, he reported the matter to his father.

The Emperor of the Heavenly Dragon Empire wore an inscrutable expression. After contemplating for a while, he said, "Regardless of whether his words are true or false, this man cannot be left alive. Since he cannot be used by us, he is our enemy and must be eliminated."

"However, the Jiang family has operated for many years and is unfathomable; now is not the best time to move against them. Instead, spread the word about this matter. When the time comes, there will be no need for us to do it ourselves; others will naturally do it for us."

"As for Jiang Tian, let him be arrogant for a little longer. I received news this morning that someone saw an Ultraman flying on a sword, rapidly shrinking to the size of an ordinary person. He must have obtained the item that allows him to transform into an Ultraman. I have already sent people to investigate."

"Once I capture that person who can transform into an Ultraman and seize the item, crushing Jiang Tian will be as easy as crushing an ant."