Chapter 27 The Way of the God of Cookery
Failed combinations make people frown, while successful creations bring surprises.
The only pity is...
The ingredients, after being processed a second time, did not unlock any new pages in the encyclopedia.
Before we knew it, the eastern sky was already turning a pale white, and the campfire gradually died down, leaving only wisps of smoke.
"Tang Chuan, didn't you sleep all night?"
Xiao Wu rubbed her eyes and sat up from the hammock. Her nose twitched, and she was a little dizzy from the mixture of various strange smells in the air.
"What's this smell?"
"It smells so good... Hmm? But it also smells so strange..."
She saw various kinds of fruit and roasted meat displayed next to Tang Chuan, as well as many strangely colored failed products.
Although Tang Chuan was somewhat tired, his eyes were unusually bright.
"I tried out a new way to use my Spirit skill."
"Here, have a taste."
As he spoke, Tang Chuan picked up a few honey-scented bellflower fruits and a handful of Moonlight Spring water in a container of Blue Silver Grass and handed them to Xiao Wu.
"These are all edible, and they taste pretty good."
"Don't touch those weird ones."
Tang Chuan pointed to the failed products on the side, and the Blue Silver Grass spread over them, devouring them completely.
"Tasty!"
Xiao Wu jumped off the hammock, took the honey-scented bellfruit, took a bite, and her eyes lit up.
She took another sip from the Moonlight Spring. The cool, sweet water, carrying a faint trace of Spirit power, flowed into her limbs and bones, sweeping away her slight morning fatigue.
"This is delicious too!"
"If it tastes good, drink more."
Tang Chuan smiled and stretched.
Although the exploration that night consumed a great deal of Spirit and mental energy, it was of extraordinary value.
Not only did they gain a basic understanding of the techniques for secondary processing of ingredients, but they also delved into the specific effects and potential of their first Spirit skill.
From simple replication to the fusion and creation of unique features.
It's not just a Spirit skill that replicates ingredients; it's a creative platform full of endless possibilities.
The more ingredients included in the ingredient encyclopedia, the stronger the Spirit skill.
The Way of the God of Cookery.
Perhaps the ultimate goal is to become the master of creation, capable of coordinating all things and evolving all flavors...?
This thought stirred Tang Chuan's heart.
Looking at the Soul Hunter Forest where the first rays of dawn were just beginning to break, Tang Chuan's eyes were filled with anticipation.
There are so many unknown ingredients waiting for him to discover, record, combine, and create even more new ingredients.
"Let's go, Xiao Wu."
Tang Chuan stood up, and together with Xiao Wu, they tidied up the campsite. The Blue Silver Grass net bag contained the successful test results from last night, and they walked briskly into the depths of the forest.
They encountered many Spirit Master teams along the way.
Seeing Tang Chuan and Xiao Wu, two teenagers, walking alone in the Soul Hunter Forest, they all cast surprised glances, but no one bothered to ask them anything.
"Tang Chuan, look at this!"
Xiao Wu pointed to a damp rock wall where several deep purple vines had fluorescent edges on their leaves, and transparent sap would seep out when touched with a fingertip.
"This glows!"
Xiao Wu excitedly tugged at the vine, and Tang Chuan immediately stepped forward, his Blue Silver Grass wrapping around the vine.
As the food is consumed, the "Ingredient Encyclopedia" page lights up:
[Ingredient: Shadow Vine]
[Origin: Soul Hunter Forest, Territory of the Thousand-Year-Old Shadow Leopard]
[Duration: 180 years]
[Features: Flexible vines, long-lasting fluorescent leaves, and detoxifying components in the sap]
[Effects: Can be used as a rope for nighttime illumination; the juice, when mixed with antidote berries, enhances the antidote effect; the vines, when woven into a net, can trap Spirit Beasts under a hundred years old.]
"A thousand-year-old ghost-patterned leopard?"
Upon seeing the illustration, Tang Chuan felt a chill and quickly pulled Xiao Wu back, moving away from the area.
Faced with a thousand-year-old leopard-type Spirit Beast known for its speed, Tang Chuan felt it was better to play it safe.
During the retreat, Xiao Wu discovered dew-collecting grass by the stream.
The leaves are as translucent as jade, and a crystal dewdrop rests in the heart of the leaf. When the sun shines on it, the dewdrop turns into a fragrant mist.
Tang Chuan fed the Blue Silver Grass.
The encyclopedia indicates that it is 230 years old. Its dew can stop bleeding and reduce inflammation. The dried leaves, when ground into powder, can also be used as a spice to remove the fishy smell.
The next two days, Tang Chuan and Xiao Wu only wandered around the outer edge of the Soul Hunting Forest, occasionally venturing a little deeper, and retreating when they encountered the territory of a thousand-year-old Spirit Beast.
They harvested a large number of common plants and fungi, as well as some small Spirit Beasts.
[Ingredient: Numb Tongue Coating]
[Ingredient: Inkblot]
[Ingredient: Soul-Gathering Flower]
[Ingredient: Iron Bone Ginseng]
[Ingredient: Rainbow Poisonous Mushrooms]
[Ingredient: Fragrant Pork]
[Ingredient: Cloud-Treading Deer]
[Ingredient: Iron-Backed Grey Wolf]
[...]
[...]
The progress of "Ingredients Guide" has increased from 8% to 13%.
Tang Chuan's first Spirit Ring also increased in age to 8,700 years due to absorbing many new ingredients and Spirit Beast meat, and the deep purple halo faintly turned black.
"This is..."
Tang Chuan approached the rock wall and used Blue Silver Grass to wrap around a small, pale green grass growing in a crevice in the rock.
As soon as the grass stalks devoured the three heart-shaped leaves, the "Ingredients Compendium" in the Sea of Spirit began to glow faintly.
"Xiao Wu, come and take a look at this."
Tang Chuan waved, and Xiao Wu skipped over. Her eyes lit up when she saw the clumps of clover growing in the cracks of the rocks.
"Clover for Refreshment?!"
"I never expected to find one in the Soul Hunter Forest!"
Xiao Wu grabbed a few clover leaves and stuffed them into her mouth, nodding as she ate, "Mmm, this is the taste!"
Tang Chuan smiled and focused his attention on the "Ingredients Illustrated Guide" in his mental sea.
[Ingredient: Heart-Clover]
[Origin: Wet area near the stream on the outskirts of the Soul Hunter Forest]
[Duration: 35 years]
[Characteristics: The leaves can soothe the mind, and the sap can stabilize Spirit power]
[Effects: When eaten raw, it can calm the mind and relieve mental fatigue after using Spirit skills. When dried, ground into powder, and added to tea, it can help low-level Spirit Masters stabilize their Spirit power fluctuations.]
"It's definitely a good product."
Tang Chuan nodded inwardly, feeling even more confident about his plan to sell tea drinks in Notting City.
"Xiao Wu, we should go back now."
"Ah?"
"So fast?"
Xiao Wu's smile faded. "I haven't had enough fun yet..."
"We agreed with Uncle Li, the coachman, for three days. Today is the third day. After today, we'll have to walk back."
Tang Chuan paused for a moment, then added, "We'll come back next time we need a Spirit Ring."
"All right."
Xiao Wu nodded, and the two walked out of the forest along the path they had come from.
Under the cover of night, the surrounding town was bustling with activity.
Lanterns hung at the entrance of the inn, and the owner of the general store was hawking medicine for wounds and insect repellent powder. Meanwhile, the coachmen gathered under the old locust tree at the entrance of town, waiting to pick up returning passengers.
Tang Chuan spotted the brown carriage that had brought them there at a glance.
Coachman Li Bo was leaning against the carriage shaft smoking when he saw Tang Chuan and Xiao Wu walking over, and his pipe paused for a moment.
"You two... actually came back on time?"
Uncle Li put down his pipe, leaned over and looked them over, then couldn't help but sigh, "I thought we'd have to wait a couple more days."
"Yeah, I was lucky."
Tang Chuan smiled and handed over the fare he had prepared beforehand. "Uncle Li has been waiting for a long time, here you go."
"Get in the car quickly!"
"If we leave now, we can reach Notting City by tomorrow morning."
Uncle Li took the copper Spirit coin and urged the two to get into the carriage. The wheels rolled and headed towards Notting City.
[end of the chapter]