On the smooth, mirror-like black marble countertop of the kitchen island sat a perfect lump of dough, glowing with the warm luster of jade, like an ancient jade stone in slumber.
Ling Ye gripped the "Fragment of Buzhou Mountain," a length of jet-black material covered in profound, twisted patterns and radiating a terrifying aura that seemed capable of suppressing the ages. His wrist dipped slightly, and his movements were as casual as flattening a lump of mud in the park.
The rolling pin... came down.
"Puff."
A faint muffled sound, like a boulder sinking into the depths of the sea.
There were no sparks flying as imagined, nor did the countertop collapse. The terrifying "short club," powerful enough to crush galaxies and slightly alter a planet's rotation, instantly shed the soul-trembling aura on its surface the moment it touched the dough, as though a hundred rivers had returned to the sea! All that remained was its extreme physical weight!
The rolling pin pressed down!
Under the crushing force of that absolute physical weight, the smooth, pliable dough was like the most docile lamb, utterly incapable of resisting! It was instantly flattened and stretched!
Ling Ye rotated his wrist with extreme casualness, his movements smooth and natural, carrying a rhythm that had returned to simplicity. The impossibly heavy "Buzhou Mountain rolling pin" seemed weightless in his hands, each roll precise and steady.
"Puff... puff... puff..."
Faint, rhythmic sounds of crushing echoed through the quiet kitchen.
Under Su Wanqing's dazed gaze, the perfect lump of dough rapidly and evenly spread beneath the rolling black "rolling pin," like silk smoothed by an invisible palm! Its thickness visibly grew thinner! Thinner! Thinner still!
In just a few breaths, the fist-sized lump of dough had been rolled into a sheet... so thin it was nearly transparent, like a cicada's wing!
The sheet covered most of the kitchen island! Its texture was unbelievably uniform, and it was so thin that the patterns in the black marble beneath could be seen clearly! Under the ceiling lights, the entire sheet radiated a warm, restrained jade-like luster, like the finest thin slice of glazed crystal! A pure fragrance, blending the fundamental scent of wheat with an indescribably gentle chaotic aura, quietly spread through the air!
Once the sheet was rolled out, Ling Ye casually leaned the "Buzhou Mountain rolling pin," which radiated an invisible heaviness, against the corner of the island... with complete nonchalance!
"Thud!"
A dull, light sound rang out. The "short club" was leaning there, clearly not touching the edge of the countertop, yet the entire island, and even the floor beneath their feet, seemed to... sink slightly downward by a fraction! It was as though an invisible hill had been placed there!
Su Wanqing's heart jolted violently along with that "thud"! Looking at the world-ending weapon leaning against the island like an ordinary firewood stick, she felt her breathing grow more difficult.
Ling Ye, however, paid it no attention. He picked up a chef's knife from the island's knife rack... one that looked incredibly sharp but was probably little more than a toy in his eyes. A flash of steel flickered!
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
It was so fast that only afterimages remained!
The sharp chef's knife seemed to have come alive in his hand! Its edge swept across the wafer-thin giant sheet with unparalleled precision. The movements were casual, yet carried the effortless, natural rhythm of an antelope hanging its horns!
After only a few strokes, the enormous jade-like sheet had been divided into countless evenly sized, nearly perfect diamond-shaped pieces! Each one was as thin as paper, its edges smooth as a mirror!
Su Wanqing's vision blurred from watching. Her mouth hung slightly open, and she had already forgotten her fear, leaving only pure shock! This knife work... it was divine!
Ling Ye set down the knife and picked up a clean... stainless-steel soup basin? He casually swept the diamond-shaped pieces into it. The jade-like pieces collided with one another, producing crisp, pleasant tinkling sounds like jade striking jade.
Then he walked to the sink and turned on the faucet. Rushing tap water poured into the basin, submerging the small pieces. He stirred them casually with his hand, as though washing ordinary dried noodles.
Washing away... nonexistent loose flour?
After finishing all that, Ling Ye carried the basin of "jade pieces" back to the island with a series of soft slapping footsteps. He took out a brand-new... double-handled soup pot and set it on the built-in induction stove in the island.
He turned on the heat.
Without choosing any complicated setting, he directly set it to maximum power.
He filled the pot with water from the sink, pouring it in with a rushing sound.
His movements flowed together seamlessly, practiced like those of a househusband who had done this thousands of times.
Su Wanqing held her breath and stared without blinking. She had a feeling that what came next would be even more shocking than the rolling.
Under the induction stove's maximum power, the clear water quickly roiled and boiled, white steam rising into the air.
Ling Ye lifted the basin of "jade pieces" and, without even looking, casually... poured every diamond-shaped piece in the basin, along with the washing water, all at once... into the boiling soup pot!
"Splash—!"
Scalding water flew in every direction!
The instant those small pieces, radiating a jade-like luster and containing a gentle chaotic aura, fell into the boiling water—
"Weng—!"
The entire kitchen seemed to tremble ever so slightly!
An indescribable, vast yet gentle aura of life's origin, accompanied by the purest fragrance of wheat and grain, erupted from the boiling soup pot like an ancient god awakened from slumber!
The steam rising above the pot was no longer white. Instead, it was suffused with a faint chaotic halo that shimmered with starlight! The boiling water inside instantly turned a warm amber color! Countless tiny chaotic points of light, like fragments of stars, rose and fell and spun within the soup!
The diamond-shaped pieces rolled and unfurled in the amber broth! Rather than becoming soft and mushy like ordinary noodles, they seemed to have been infused with life, growing even more crystalline and translucent! Their jade-like luster flowed across their surfaces, their edges curling slightly as they released an enticing fragrance and a dao rhythm that seemed to cleanse the soul!
A strange fragrance, warmer and richer than the Chaos Spirit Tea from before, as though it could nourish all things and return them to simplicity, domineeringly swept through the entire villa! Several green plants on the windowsill that had originally looked somewhat wilted instantly became glossy and verdant beneath the fragrance, their branches and leaves unfurling at a speed visible to the naked eye! Even the dust permeating the air seemed to be purified and settle under its influence!
Su Wanqing greedily breathed in the fragrance that soothed even her soul. She felt warmth spread through her entire body, and the last traces of chill and fatigue left over from the previous night were completely dispelled. The new power within her became docile and abundant, as though it were soaking in a hot spring!
It smelled incredible! This was absolutely flatbread soup fit only for immortals!
Ling Ye, however, seemed accustomed to the scene. He picked up a long-handled soup ladle and casually stirred the pot. Looking at the pieces floating and sinking in the amber soup like fragments of jade and stars, he slightly furrowed his brows, as though something was missing.
"Tsk," he muttered with a hint of displeasure. "It's bland."
As he spoke, under Su Wanqing's dazed gaze, he naturally extended two fingers once more into the worn cloth bag that had remained by his feet and rummaged around.
Then he pinched up a small amount of... something that looked gray and dusty, like some kind of mineral powder? The powder was neither metal nor jade. Its color was chaotic, and countless tiny specks of stardust seemed to be appearing and vanishing across its surface, radiating an origin aura even heavier than the "origin qi powder" from before, as though it were the Earth Embryo Membrane itself!
With extreme casualness, as though sprinkling salt, Ling Ye gently shook that small pinch of chaotic-colored "Xirang Dust" into the boiling flatbread soup!
"Sizzle..."
A deeper sound rang out, like the pulse of the earth.
The instant that pinch of powder dissolved into the pot, the chaotic starlight in the amber broth blazed brighter! The soup grew thicker and more concentrated, its color deepening into a restrained amber gold, as though it contained the essence of the entire earth! The strange fragrance that had returned to simplicity rose once more, carrying an supreme dao rhythm that nourished all things and stabilized their foundations! The jade-like pieces seemed to come alive, happily rolling through the soup as they absorbed the essence of the Xirang Dust!
Su Wanqing's reason, along with the fragrance that had risen to its utmost intensity and the golden starlight churning in the pot, snapped apart once more!
She stared at the flatbread soup radiating divine light. Saliva poured from her mouth, and her stomach uncontrollably let out thunderous growls! A desire a hundred times stronger than when she had licked the bottom of the bowl the previous night surged against her will like a prehistoric beast!
Just then, Ling Ye seemed finally satisfied. He picked up a large soup bowl, an ordinary white porcelain one, and ladled out a full bowl of flatbread soup glowing with chaotic golden light. The amber-gold broth was crystalline and translucent, the jade-like pieces glimmering within as steam rose and the strange fragrance assailed the nose!
Carrying the bowl, he walked to the sofa and sat down.
Then, under Su Wanqing's intensely yearning gaze, Ling Ye picked up the spoon, scooped up a spoonful of flatbread soup, brought it to his lips, and gently blew on it.
"Slurp..."
The clear, satisfied sound of drinking soup, accompanied by the fragrance of supreme dao rhythms, echoed through the living room.
Su Wanqing stood beside the kitchen island as though immobilized by a spell, staring fixedly at the bowl in Ling Ye's hands. Her body trembled violently from her overwhelming desire and restraint! The fragrance burrowed into her mind like a hook, tugging so hard that her soul nearly left her body!
"Gulp..." She swallowed with difficulty, and a yearning moan like the whimper of a small beast escaped her throat.
Ling Ye finally seemed to notice her nearly tangible "hunger rays." Holding the bowl, he paused and looked up at Su Wanqing.
Su Wanqing's heart instantly rose to her throat! Could it be... the great expert was finally going to give me a sip?!
Ling Ye's gaze remained calm and emotionless. He let it rest on her yearning face for a second, then looked at the enticing flatbread soup in his own bowl. After that, he casually... used the spoon to scoop up one piece from the bowl... the smallest one, thin enough to be almost transparent.
With a lift of his wrist, in a movement as casual as feeding a goldfish in a tank, he extended the spoon's solitary piece toward Su Wanqing.
"Here." His voice remained as flat as ever.
Su Wanqing: "..." She looked at the piece trembling on the tip of the spoon, radiating fatal temptation, then at Ling Ye's indifferent expression that seemed to say, "I'm giving you one to taste." A massive sense of grievance once again overwhelmed her reason!
But... her body's instincts were faster than her thoughts!
"Ahm!"
Like an arrow released from its bow, she lunged forward with fierce determination and snapped up the piece from the spoon! Her movement was as swift as a hunting leopard!
The piece melted the instant it entered her mouth!
An indescribable, gentle power, like the earth mother's deepest nourishment, spread through her mouth along with the pure fragrance of wheat! Warmth surged through her limbs and bones! She felt as though her bones were singing, her flesh and blood becoming denser and more solid. The new power within her, like roots planted in fertile soil, instantly became stable and weighty! Her mind grew clearer and calmer than ever before!
After swallowing one piece, that soul-hooking desire did not ease. Instead, it surged even more violently!
"I want more!" Su Wanqing abruptly raised her head, her eyes frighteningly bright!
Ling Ye had already withdrawn the spoon and continued drinking his soup on his own, as though he had merely tossed a piece of fish food.
Three kilometers from Yunqi Mountain, at the temporary command post.
In front of the enormous monitoring screen, the atmosphere could no longer be described as solemn. It was... a deathly, numb silence.
On the screen, the energy-readings curve representing the villa's kitchen had begun climbing slowly when Ling Ye started "kneading the dough." When he took out the black "short club" ("Fragment of Buzhou Mountain"), the curve suddenly shot upward by a large margin! Yet the instant that "short club" touched the dough, all the terrifying aura instantly receded, and the curve strangely dropped back to a stable level.
Next came the energy fluctuations caused by the flashing blade as he cut the pieces, followed by the gentle eruption of life force when he added water and boiled the noodles...
Until the instant Ling Ye sprinkled that pinch of "Xirang Dust" into the soup pot—
"Beep beep beep—!!!"
The shrill alarm once again tore through the silence! On the screen, the curve seemed to have been injected with a cardiac stimulant, instantly breaking through every preset threshold! The peak was so high that the entire screen turned a glaring crimson! Readings of a dense, concentrated life energy that seemed to bear the origin of the entire earth, accompanied by data showing an abnormal surge in spatial stability, frantically flooded the screen!
"Report! Energy readings in the target's kitchen... have exceeded the upper levels of 'Stellar Level'! They're approaching 'Galactic Level'! Energy form... extremely complex! Containing an ultra-high concentration of life origin... mixed... mixed with unknown 'Earth Embryo Membrane'-level chaotic origin energy... and..." The technician's voice became hoarse and distorted from extreme shock. Looking at the analysis results, his face was filled with absurdity. "...and... high-purity wheat starch hydrolysate?! Is... is this damn thing cooking soup noodles?!"
The command vehicle fell into complete silence. Everyone had been stunned by the bizarre analysis results.
Cooking flatbread soup... had produced a "Galactic Level" energy reaction?!
Just then, the extremely blurry optical footage of the villa's interior captured by the screen finally refreshed with a slightly clearer frame.
In the image, the target, Ling Ye, was holding a white porcelain bowl filled with rising steam and swirling golden light. Meanwhile, the president of Su Corporation, Su Wanqing, was lunging at the target in an almost frenzied manner, biting away... a glowing piece of something from the spoon? Her expression was twisted with a mixture of extreme yearning and... ravenous hunger?!
Thunderstorm stared fixedly at the blurry figure holding the bowl on the screen, then looked at Su Wanqing beside him, who appeared utterly deranged. An absurd thought, yet the only one capable of explaining the bizarre energy fluctuations before him, roared uncontrollably through his mind:
This guy... is he really damn well... cooking flatbread soup?!
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