Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 371 The First Day of This Realm

This lively scene instantly dispelled the alienation and unease brought about by the change of time and space.

Chen Anran went over first, picked up a bowl, and Fatty Li immediately filled it to the brim with porridge and stuffed it with two large steamed buns. Chen Anran nodded, walked to the side, found a stone step to sit down, and quietly began to eat.

With him taking the lead, the crowd abandoned their reserve and gathered around. Feng Wenzheng and Jiang Yan exchanged a smile and led their families forward as well. Daoist Tianbao sniffed, grabbed three large steamed buns without hesitation, scooped up a full bowl of porridge, and slurped down a large mouthful, gasping for breath from the heat, but beaming with delight: "Mmm! Delicious! Fatty, your cooking skills are almost as good as the head chef at your Immortal Cuisine Restaurant."

Qi Lan took a bowl, filled it with only half a bowl of porridge, picked up a steamed bun, and came to Chen Anran's side.

"This amazing feeling of relaxation... is it really okay?"

Chen Anran swallowed the last bite of steamed bun, then drank some porridge before looking up at Qi Lan. "In this area, I'm here, so everything will be fine."

He spoke calmly, with an unshakable certainty, as if he were simply stating a natural fact, like the rising and setting of the sun.

His absolute control over the 30-kilometer radius was the source of his confidence at that moment.

Qi Lan pouted, her amber vertical pupils glancing at him sideways, her tail sweeping impatiently behind her. "Fine, you're something else." She finished the steamed bun in a few bites, cleaned the remaining porridge in her bowl, and stood up. "And then? Master, now that you're full, what are you going to order us around for?"

Chen Anran put the empty bowl aside, stood up, and looked down towards the resort at the foot of the mountain: "Later, take some food and send it to Lingdang and Shitou down the mountain." He paused, then added, "Also, go check on Mo Han at Baicao Pavilion. Feng Changyuan and the others are busy settling in and adapting to the spiritual energy of this realm, so they might not have time to send timely messages."

Qi Lan snorted and crossed her arms. "You really know how to order people around. Have I become your errand girl?" Even as she said this, she turned and walked towards Fatty Li, calling out, "Fatty! Pack two more breakfasts—porridge, steamed buns, and side dishes—in a food container!"

Fatty Li responded loudly and quickly began to get to work.

Qi Lan carried the double-layered bamboo food box handed to her by Fatty Li. It felt heavy in her hand, and the warmth seeped into her palm through the bamboo strips. She didn't look at Chen Anran again, only saying "I'm leaving," before leaping away like a nimble black panther, disappearing into the shaded stone steps leading down the mountain in a few bounds. Only her pair of jet-black animal ears seemed to twitch unhappily before she vanished.

Chen Anran watched her leave, a faint hint of relief flashing in the depths of his eyes. Qi Lan may be sharp-tongued, but she is always efficient and reliable in her work.

In the square, people had finished their breakfast one after another. The atmosphere was no longer as tense and awkward as it had been at the beginning. There was more quiet conversation and people observing their surroundings.

Feng Wenzheng and Jiang Yan were gathered together, pointing at the distant mountains, seemingly discussing the geographical situation; Daoist Tianbao was pulling Shen Zui along, talking animatedly, probably sensing the difference in spiritual energy in this world; Wang Rui, Zhang Hao, Sun Wei and a few other young people were gathered at the edge of the square, excitedly and cautiously peering at the completely unfamiliar primitive landscape below the mountain.

Chen Anran watched Qi Lan's figure disappear at the end of the mountain path. Just as he was about to turn around to arrange other matters, he saw Jiang Yan's round figure swaying over in the discussion area, where fellow readers were chatting about the charm of Xianxia novels. This fat man was also dressed in a dark-colored, practical outfit today, but the fabric was clearly of higher quality. Instead of a jade pendant, he wore a small, exquisite storage bag at his waist, which was bulging with contents.

With his usual smooth smile, he walked to Chen Anran's side. Without saying a word, he first looked up at the hazy yet vibrant sky, took a deep breath, as if savoring some rare and exquisite wine. Then, he slowly turned his head, his right hand tracing the antique ring on his left hand.

A slender cigarette with a snow-white filter appeared between his fingers. The cigarette body was printed with a subtle logo of a modern high-end cigarette brand, which seemed out of place in the ancient square and his tight-fitting clothes.

Jiang Yan handed the cigarette to Chen Anran, his gesture as natural as if he were simply offering her a cup of tea.

Chen Anran was clearly taken aback, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the cigarette and Jiang Yan's smiling face.

"Want to try some?" Jiang Yan asked with a smile, his voice casual like that of an acquaintance. "I specially stocked up on this before I left. In my storage ring, I don't have much else, but this stuff," he patted the storage bag at his waist, a hint of pride flashing across his chubby face, "along with all sorts of fine wines, filling almost half the space. I figured that once we got here, we'd have spiritual energy, but these 'mundane' things to satisfy our appetites and refresh our minds would probably be hard to find for a while. Better safe than sorry."

Chen Anran was silent for two seconds before reaching out and taking the cigarette.

Chen Anran leaned slightly forward and lit a cigarette using the flame that swayed steadily in the breeze. He took a shallow drag, and the familiar yet slightly spicy smoke filled his lungs, creating a strange blend with the rich yet wild spiritual energy around him.

"The brand is good."

Jiang Yan lit one for himself, took a deep drag, squinted his eyes, and exhaled a smoke ring with a look of enjoyment, watching the smoke ring bend and dissipate in the wind.

"That's right, we specially picked them. They're strong and can last a long time." Jiang Yan clicked his tongue. "I just don't know if the 'soil' here can grow tobacco. If it can, maybe we can be self-sufficient in the future and produce some 'special supplies for the cultivation world.'" He joked, but there was a real businessman's calculation in his eyes.

The two stood side by side on the stone steps at the edge of the square, gazing at the completely unfamiliar, boundless mountain forest below. For a moment, neither of them spoke, only the flickering sparks of fireworks at their fingertips and the slowly dissipating smoke.

In the distance, Fatty Li was shouting as he cleared away the dishes, the Feng family members were checking their belongings, and the loud voice of Taoist Tianbao could be heard occasionally... Everything was busy and full of life.

Here, two men quietly smoked, as if performing a silent ritual, bidding farewell to the past and affirming each other's commitment to this new and unknown journey.

Chen Anran gently stubbed out the cigarette on the stone steps when it was almost completely burned out.

"Smoke it sparingly."

As he spoke, Chen Anran walked towards Lu Kong's direction. Lu Kong was standing alone at the edge of the square, his back to the crowd, also gazing at the distant, rolling mountains, his figure appearing somewhat lonely.

Chen Anran walked to his side but did not speak immediately.

"Uncle-Master." Lu Kong spoke first without turning around.