Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’ Chapter 712: The process is completely wrong, but the result seems fine.

"Brother Li... he actually consumed it!"

Huang Donglai remained in a state of shock, but witnessing this development, he couldn't help but recoil slightly.

"How does it taste?" Tian Xun inquired, her face filled with anticipation.

Ying Bing stayed silent, her hand idly stroking her waist, which caused the large-headed doll charm on her belt to let out a mournful cry.

"...Mhm." Li Mo exhaled deeply, his complexion turning a vivid red, before he finally gave a nod.

"Good heavens, Brother Li actually nodded!"

Huang Donglai’s eyes widened with utter disbelief.

"Is it truly that good? Then why are you shedding tears?"

The autumn-water clarity of Ying Bing’s eyes shimmered, reflecting a hint of joy, yet she tilted her head in confusion as she observed Li Mo's pained expression.

"You might be unaware, but there exists a level of deliciousness so intense it brings one to tears. Honestly."

Li Mo spoke with a solemn expression, though as the words left his mouth, his tongue appeared to swell, making his speech increasingly garbled.

Huang Donglai’s face paled slightly. Brother Li, those look exactly like the symptoms of being poisoned!

It wasn't exactly a toxin; rather, it shared a bizarre resemblance to the effects of 'Face-Disfiguring Powder'. After all, while the ingredients were precious treasures, their combination had sparked a strange chain reaction...

The sheer complexity of it was something even Huang Donglai found baffling!

Meanwhile.

Observing from a distance outside, Shang Qinqing, Qin Yuzhi, and Tian Miao all gasped in unison, struggling to hold back their laughter.

The 'Wife-Fortune Little Tyrant', the peerless and unrivaled Young Master Li in the eyes of the world, was currently speaking with a heavy slur while maintaining a dead serious face. Those who didn't know him well could never have imagined he possessed such a side...

"Hey, why is everyone gathered here?"

Murong Xiao returned from his errands, his face a mask of confusion, exhaustion, and existential dread.

"Wait, don't enter just yet. Li Mo is... having a meal."

Shang Qinqing kindly blocked his path, showing consideration for the little monk’s junior disciple.

"Excellent, this humble monk happens to be famished as well, I'll just—"

"It was prepared by Little Bing'er."

"Hiss..."

Murong Xiao’s feet froze instantly. He bowed his head and began to retreat, whispering to himself:

"The Abbot mentioned that Brother Li possesses immense courage and unwavering perseverance. It appears he was absolutely correct."

Murong Xiao was lucky to have been stopped before crossing into the courtyard.

However, Huang Donglai was already being beckoned by Tian Xun:

"You there... Young Master Li's companion, you should have some as well."

"He's... not hungry, haha."

Li Mo interjected, throwing a meaningful glance toward Huang Donglai.

Was she joking? Even with his hundred-calamities-indestructible physique and a constitution immune to poisons, his tongue was currently swollen. What would happen if a normal person tried it?

Oddly enough, under any other circumstances, Old Huang would have vanished into thin air by now.

"I'll eat it!"

A spark of grim determination ignited in Huang Donglai's gaze.

He looked like a soldier trapped in a cornered position, burning his bridges and gambling everything on one last stand!

Young Li was moved: "Old Huang! My appetite has grown quite large lately; this single pot isn't even enough for me. I've already made other arrangements for your meal, you only need to—"

"There is no need!"

Huang Donglai grabbed the 'hodgepodge stew' that Tian Xun offered: "Fortune favors the brave! There can be no breakthrough without destruction! I cannot spend my entire life in retreat!!"

"Is this... the strength of your friendship?"

Tian Xun rubbed her head, completely lost. How did a simple meal suddenly turn into such a display of burning passion?

Though it was bizarre, the girl didn't dwell on the thought.

"Consume it while it's still hot."

She immediately pressed the spoon into Huang Donglai’s hand.

"..."

Despite his grand speech, as he stared into the bowl of vibrantly colored 'hodgepodge stew'—which looked more lethal than the rarest toxins from the Valley of Ten Thousand Venoms—he couldn't help but gulp nervously.

But the momentum had already carried him too far.

He downed the contents in a single breath, swallowing everything instantly.

His eyes immediately rolled back into his head, and he collapsed onto the ground, stiff as a board, his head thumping against the floor like a bouncing ball.

Ying Bing: "?"

Li Mo: "Old Huang, oh, Old Huang..."

He quickly retrieved a Five-Aura Purple Spirit Pill for detoxification from his spatial treasure, but then he halted, noticing something strange.

A dark cyan radiance flared from Huang Donglai’s forehead, and an aura of decay radiated from his body—like a desolate autumn wind that withered every flower and living thing in its path.

And within that dark cyan light, images began to take shape...

"Those... aren't those the ingredients we just used?" Tian Xun was stunned, seemingly piecing together what had occurred.

Ying Bing looked puzzled for a moment: "Did he... just shatter the bottleneck of his Inner Realm?"

"Sister Bing, is it possible the meal we prepared can actually help people overcome their bottlenecks and skyrocket their Cultivation in one go??!"

Tian Xun was thrilled, though a bit skeptical.

This was no longer about whether the food was tasty; it was effectively a miraculous elixir!

Legend told of an ancient Culinary God who rose to fame in exactly this manner, establishing the legendary Culinary Dao, though his secrets had long been forgotten.

Had she accidentally rediscovered that ancient path?

"..."

Ying Bing narrowed her gaze. It certainly appeared that way, yet something felt fundamentally wrong.

Just as she was doubting the situation.

Another massive surge of Inner World Qi erupted right beside her!

And it was the fourth-layer Inner Realm!

Indeed, worried that this pot of stew might harm someone else, and knowing his grandparents would return shortly, Young Master Li had closed his eyes, lifted the pot, and gulped down every last drop.

It was common knowledge that he was currently starved for Heaven and Earth spiritual energy. Despite the indescribable nature of the stew, its components were of the highest quality.

Furthermore, the Eight-Nine Profound Art required the tempering of hardships; trials only served to make him more powerful...

Consequently...

Second Layer of the Inner Realm!

"Young Master Li broke through as well?" Tian Xun was delighted, though her confusion remained.

She had intended to interview him, but that seemed unnecessary now.

Cultivation insights from a genius: Check.

The Inner Realm phenomena of the two geniuses blanketed the entire Purple Sun Prefecture, persisting for a full hour. Countless peers felt a sense of shame at their own slow progress, sighing as they wondered why the 'Wife-Fortune Little Tyrant' was advancing at such a miraculous pace.

In the outskirts, at the Happy Hotpot restaurant.

The clashing Fourth-layer Inner Realm phenomena over the city, paired with the vision of dying flowers and a freezing, toxic aura, captured many people's attention.

However, two individuals remained as immovable as mountains.

Yuwen Cuojin was focused on his hotpot. Sitting across from him was a cheerful-looking old man who seemed to always be smiling, dressed in the simple garb of a carriage driver while he devoured slices of mutton.

This was Situ Ding, another Vice-Leader of the Demon-Summoning Cult.

"That boy Li Mo can no longer be called merely gifted. He walks a path never before seen in history, yet his advancement is terrifyingly quick."

Yuwen Cuojin spoke with deep emotion, though his voice held a dark undertone. Though he had survived the clash at the Imperial Capital, he had paid a heavy price; his vitality was ruined, and the Dao he once held had been shattered.

"Huang Donglai is equally remarkable. He has carved out his own unique path, and his character is quite to my liking. It is a shame... he cannot be brought to our side."

Situ Ding seemed more intrigued by Huang Donglai.

"And the remarkable people surrounding Li Mo are not limited to just Huang Donglai," Yuwen Cuojin remarked.

Situ Ding nodded in agreement: "That is usually how it goes—birds of a feather. Geniuses are naturally drawn to one another."

"If given enough time to mature, once Li Mo and his group truly reach our level, I fear there will be no one left who can stop them!"

"Indeed. This mission at the Shangqing Abyss Sect is one we cannot afford to fail!"