Even with Mo Ti Zhun’s careful guidance, Feng Miao Jun would likely have had little success.

With this new motivation, Feng Miao Jun’s treatment of Yun Ya was indeed different. Previously she had been like a puppet on strings, but now she was attentive and considerate, immediately bringing out two plump chickens she had cleaned, preparing to make an energy-filled breakfast. Yun Ya found it amusing, yet also marveled at her strong will to survive.

How should she prepare them? As she examined the two unfortunate birds, Yun Ya uttered just one word: “Roast.”

The White Elephant Mountain Range had just entered winter, and the pheasants had stored up fat since autumn. Using them for soup would be too greasy, but roasting them on skewers would be perfect.

She skewered them on tree branches and roasted them over the fire. No additional oil was needed—these two well-fed mountain pheasants sizzled and dripped oil on their own. Under Yun Ya’s guidance, Feng Miao Jun collected the drippings. Chicken fat was fragrant and extremely high in calories, useful for future cooking.

Then she patiently brushed on various seasonings. Cumin and chili powder were standard, and the aroma of seasoned chicken meat wafted for ten li, attracting several sneaky badger demons. But Yun Ya’s illusion was crafted so cleverly that they could only smell the fragrance but couldn’t see the two people, nor find a way into the cave.

Before the whole chickens were fully cooked, she brushed honey on them twice more before taking them off the fire. Once applied, the roasted chicken skin became sweet and crispy, and the flavor gained complexity. Feng Miao Jun first presented the larger one to her newly appointed master, showing respect without any psychological burden.

For her, staying with Yun Ya not only meant survival but also greatly benefited her cultivation. Her fear had immediately been dispelled by seven or eight tenths. As for whether Yun Ya would discover her deeper secrets, that was a matter for the future, best left to fate. Perhaps by then she would have the power to protect herself?

She wasn’t an optimist, but she certainly wasn’t blindly pessimistic either. People must survive, by whatever means necessary. She thought of Yun Ya as her superior, and herself as an employee, earning wages based on completed work.

Thinking this way, Yun Ya didn’t seem quite so frightening anymore.

Feng Miao Jun moved the other roasted chicken in front of herself, learning from Yun Ya by using a small knife to slice and eat it.

She would have preferred to tear into it with her hands, but eating with oily hands would be too unrestrained. In front of such a high-caliber handsome man, any woman would unconsciously start to restrain herself, wanting to display a more elegant side.

Food and attraction were basic human nature, and her cultivation was too shallow, yes, too shallow. When beauty was before her eyes, she couldn’t maintain a heart unmoved by beauty.

Feng Miao Jun stared at Yun Ya while taking a bite of chicken.

Hmm, delicious!

Her culinary skills were truly improving.

At this moment, she completely forgot that someone else had controlled the cooking time—she had merely followed orders.

Yun Ya glanced at her occasionally.

This young girl had excellent intellect and reflexes, with a thorough understanding of human emotions. Whatever reason Mo Ti Zhun had for letting such a talent go, it was his loss.

Yun Ya differed from him. There were few things he cared about anymore, but his techniques for winning people’s hearts were superb. He understood that only by using both inducement and threat could he make someone wholeheartedly work for him. After all, what Feng Miao Jun desired was merely a trifling effort for him. With this layer of self-interest, she would be even less willing to expose him.

Three days passed quickly. Yun Ya’s injuries improved day by day, and Feng Miao Jun became increasingly comfortable with his body, not even bothering to feign embarrassment anymore. After all, what hadn’t she seen?

Well, she hadn’t seen the essential parts, to be fair.

On the morning of the fourth day, while changing his bandages, Feng Miao Jun noticed that the purple scabs from the burns had fallen off, revealing tender, pinkish-new skin beneath. Evidently, in another two or three days, it would be completely healed.

Most importantly, it seemed there wouldn’t be any scars left at all.

How many girls would envy Yun Ya’s physique? In her world, extensive body burns would require skin grafting to repair, and one surgery was insufficient—there would need to be a third, a fifth, even dozens!

In comparison, the wound on his chest was healing more slowly. Internal injuries required long-term recuperation. After changing his bandages multiple times, Feng Miao Jun had a feeling that his heart and lungs seemed weaker than his other organs, thus the life force they displayed wasn’t as strong.

He must have suffered some previous injury. In this world, there were many special elemental forces, like the fire poison of the Fire Spirit, which would continue to linger if not completely extracted, hindering the body’s natural healing. That being the case, the injury troubling Yun Ya must be formidable, perhaps even stronger than the Fire Spirit.

Hmm, she was starting to worry a bit about her own life.

But one thing excited her greatly: Yun Ya had indeed faithfully taught her the Sun-Feasting Technique. After three days of practice, she wanted to give it a thumbs-up every day. The difference between a secret method and common techniques recorded in ancient books was truly night and day—the speed of gathering spiritual energy into the body was at least thirty percent faster. During these three days, Yun Ya had even answered one of her cultivation questions. What had puzzled her for ages was resolved with just a bit of his guidance, leading to her sudden enlightenment.

This was the value of a brilliant teacher.

Having received these benefits, she couldn’t help feeling some resentment toward Mo Ti Zhun. If he had been a bit more generous, her path of cultivation wouldn’t have been so arduous. Of course, she also understood that Yun Ya wanted her to appreciate the vast difference between Mo Ti Zhun and himself, to make her wholeheartedly dependent on him. She had to admit, this approach was very effective.

This was also why she needed to leave Jin’s capital—there, she couldn’t get guidance from a brilliant teacher. Mo Ti Zhun wouldn’t teach her, and others wouldn’t dare teach the State Preceptor’s disciple.

The Spider King’s little scouts had come seven or eight more times, but with decreasing frequency and increasing intervals between visits. As time passed, Spider-King gradually gave up on catching the culprit. After all, an enemy who could battle the Fire Spirit in the depths of magma would have cultivation at least equal to its own. In four or five days, such a person would likely have vanished without a trace.

Feng Miao Jun did think about the Cliff Mountain Underground Palace: “The barrier between the underground palace and the sea of fire has been broken through. I wonder how the Spider King is faring now?” They could run away from such a major incident, but the Spider King’s lair was built right above the sea of fire. Who knew if it and the Fire Spirit—two neighbors who normally never met—could get along?

Yun Ya chuckled: “Probably not well. I suspect it had to surrender the underground palace to the Fire Spirit.” Fighting alone, how could the Spider King have any chance against three Fire Spirits? The most likely outcome was that it had to give up its nest, which was probably one reason why it hated the main culprit, Yun Ya, to the bone.

Just as they were talking, a tremendous sound suddenly came from the distance, deafening to the ears.

Almost simultaneously, the ground beneath their feet shook violently. The earthquake measured at least six on the intensity scale. Rocks fell from the cave ceiling in a continuous shower, giving the impression that it might collapse at any moment.