Some time later, the Cloud Governor emerged from the Celestial Restaurant with a brand-new Bronze Realm, thus becoming an instant advertisment for the restaurant and its Divine Cook.

Many of the lined-up customers had met the Governor and knew his former cultivation with their own senses. Now, they saw the result of another divine recipe produced by the Divine Cook.

"Congratulations on your Ascesion, Could Governor!" the Noble next in line exclaimed, without restraining himself.

"Many thanks, Lord Tianshan. However, this is not my own achievement. You should know who made this possible." The Cloud Governor answered in a modest tone, then stepped away, directly into his residence.

The Noble frowned, while digesting the warning. His senses kept scanning the next customers who emerged from the Bronze Gate, comparing them with the memories he had of them before. Most of them gained modestly, a minor realm or so, while a few gained several levels. But nobody else received another promotion into Bronze Realm.

'Warning received, old friend.' he mused inward. It appeared that Ascensions were not a pure wealth transaction, not that he expected such.

His mind ran forward, sifting through the knowledge he already had about the Celestial Restaurant and the now famous Divine Cook.

While not a convential Sect, and definetly not a religion or a family clan, there were requierements asked for Ascension, some of which were already speculated by prior customers of different Gates.

Politeness was a strong and pretty much verified demand. The golem itself said it not long ago.

What else though?

"Father?" his foolish son asked while eying the gate with eagerness.

"Do not speak or look at anybody, in this place. Is that clear?" the Noble ordered in a stern voice.

Hurried nodds, even from his heir followed.

Sighing inward, Lord Tianshan eyed the guardian golem and nodded gently.

Space shifted and the group found itself in a different universe, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and cold winds. On a stone platform overlooking the valley below, there was a wooden pavilion and a pair of benches.

He slapped his son over the head before the boy could ruin everything with an innate demand.

"Let's have a seat. Write your questions down if you have any." the Noble commanded as he sat his family at the table.

A minute later, a young blonde man with piercing-blue eyes appeared at their table and measured every person in the group with a strange gaze.

"Divine Cook!" the Noble said with a respectful voice.

"That's me. And you must be Lord Tianshan, a Titled Noble over 47 Provinces here in Middle Heavens. Pretty rich too, I would pressume?" the Divine Cook asked in a mild voice.

The Noble almost agreed by reflex, before remembering who he was talking to, and why he was here.

"We have come seeking enlightenment, Divine Cook. As for wealth, I'm certain you're already a hundred times richer than us." the Noble answered in a modest tone, while hinting at the disappearance of those hundred Throne Authorities and their presumed wealth.

Surprisingly, the Divine Cook only smirked and shook his head. "Those Authorities didn't carry much wealth on them, Lord Tianshan. Then again, what need would mind-controlled puppets have for wealth?"

"I see. Despite their Bronze Realms, they were only death soldiers in the end." the Noble realized with a frown.

Many Noble Houses used death soldiers to conduct trade negociations with obtruse parties, in various forms going from hostake-taking to convoy raiding and personnel removal. And those death soldiers rarely carried anything of value during suicide missions.

"Then again, they did carry a wealth of Bronze Realm cultivation on them. Here at the Celestial Restaurant, we never fail to diggest our enemies. Energy is energy, in the end." the Divine Cook answered with a joking tone.

'Only he isn't joking at all. Corpse refinement? Soul pills? Bloodline extraction? Beast upgrades? Possibly all of them and more. A hundred Bronze Realm bodies could be refined in a thousand ways, perhaps just as precious as any ancient inheritance.' the Noble thought at lightspeed.

Seeing his wife writing a bunch of questions on her jade tablet, the Noble cringed inward. Really? Now you have questions?

The Divine Cook noticed as well, and rose an eyebrow in wonder.

"I know you value politeness, Divine Cook. I don't really trust my family to respect that, thus..." he explained in an awkward voice.

"Hah! An excellent method though. Now, let's see what we have to work with..." the blonde man answered while tapping everyone at the table with his right hand.

Almost surprised, the Divine Cook turned towards the youngest member of the family, his daughter called Dalia. "Not even a thousand years old, and already in True God Realm? And Flower Dao too!"

The woman nodded, barely daring to glance at the famous cook.

The Noble also nodded, glad to see his daughter's talent recognized. Even though Flower Dao was mostly useless, every cultivation realm meant power.

The cook seemed to want to continue, then he stopped. "A waiter will come soon to take your orders. Meanwhile, I have to finish the war. Damn fools, I only want to cook in peace..."

With those ominous words, the Divine Cook vanished without a trace.

Several seconds later, a Silver Realm woman appeared beside their table. "Esteemed customers, what you like to order today?" she asked in a plain tone.

Before his son could utter something stupid, the Noble smacked his head, and then forced his eyes towards the ground. "The Divine Cook already knows what will fit us best, lady waiter. Here, take this storage ring and feel free to tell us if we need to pay more." he spoke in his best polite voice, while handing over half of his House wealth, nearly anything liquid enough to move. From scrolls and books to paintings and sculptures, rare herbs or beast cores, plus the giant treasury of coin and spirit stones accumulated over eons. Family always came first.

The waiter smiled widely, and weighed the ring in her hand as if considering something. "Interesting choice, Lord Tianshan. I'm also curious what my husband cooked for you."

As the female waiter vanished, the Noble glared at his stupid son. "This is the last warning. I can have another son, but I don't have another treasury to sell."

His wife stored her silly tablet, taking the warning as intended. He could also have another wife.