Ineffective Complementary Food and Ineffective Common Sense

In the cellar, the wispy, hair-thin grey-white flame, emitting strange [hunger] fluctuations, flickered like a candle in the wind, weak yet persistent. Its tip was fixedly "staring" at the bowl of Chaos Spirit Milk and Fruit Paste in Ling Ye's hand.

Ling Ye held the bowl, his arm stiff, his expression frozen as if by ice.

Feed... feed it?

Use his "son's" baby food to feed a pendant that was possibly an ancestor of the multiverse, whose origins were so terrifying that even Madam was wary of it?!

The scene was too much to bear, he dared not imagine.

But if he didn't feed it?

The [hunger] fluctuations from the flame, though weak, carried an undeniable, primal craving, as if from the very beginning of life. There was even... a trace of imperceptible... grievance? Like a child who had been hungry for a very, very long time.

Ling Ye felt like he was about to split.

On one side was his "current son," Ling Xiaoye, crying out to be fed, his little mouth open, waiting.

On the other side was the pendant flame, possibly an "ancestor," projecting the thought of "I want some too."

Beside them, a bellyband flashed with red light, clearly protesting with the thought, "No one is allowed to touch the cub's food!"

What was all this?!

Ling Xiaoye, not receiving his next spoonful of paste, pouted, on the verge of wailing again.

Ling Ye's head throbbed. He instinctively wanted to stuff the spoon into his son's mouth to stabilize the situation—

However, the moment the spoon was about to touch Ling Xiaoye's lips!

The wispy grey-white flame, as if provoked by this act of "favoring one over the other," suddenly... flickered!

An extremely faint, yet supremely majestic and [----] wave of power rippled outwards like a disturbance!

Crack!

The spoon in Ling Ye's hand... instantly... turned into the finest... white powder... and rained down...

Along with the bit of paste in the spoon, it also vanished into nothingness!

Ling Ye: "!!!"

Su Wanqing: "!!!"

Bellyband: "!!!" (Its red light flickered out in fright)

Ling Xiaoye: "(⊙_⊙)?" (His mouth still open, but the paste was gone?)

Silence descended upon the cellar.

Only the wispy flame continued to flicker weakly, as if it had just swatted a fly, still transmitting its stubborn [hunger] fluctuations.

Ling Ye looked at his empty hand and the powder, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat!

This... this wasn't a negotiation...

It was... a command?!

He had no doubt that if he dared to feed Ling Xiaoye first next time, it wouldn't just be the spoon that would be annihilated!

This pendant ancestor... was not to be trifled with!

Ling Ye swallowed with difficulty, forcing a smile onto his face that was uglier than a cry, an extremely fawning expression. He looked at the wispy flame (and mainly at the pendant) and said cautiously, "You... you first... you first..."

His trembling hand held the fragrant bowl of Chaos Spirit Milk and Fruit Paste, and with extreme slowness, as if offering a divine artifact... he extended it towards the wispy flame.

The bellyband erupted with a desperate mental projection of [No! The cub's food!], but it didn't dare make any further drastic moves.

The tip of the flame seemed to "sniff" the rich energy and aroma up close, and it flickered even more joyfully.

Then, under the extremely tense gaze of Ling Ye, Su Wanqing, and the bellyband—

The tiny flame lightly touched the surface of the perfect fruit paste in the bowl.

There was no explosion, no annihilation.

As soon as the paste came into contact with the flame, it was like encountering the most efficient disintegrator. It instantly turned into an extremely pure stream of energy, emitting a hazy white glow, which the wispy flame... slurped up like noodles... with a "slurp"!

The small bowl of fruit paste vanished in the blink of an eye!

The flame seemed to "sway" with satisfaction, its size appearing... solidified by a tiny bit? Its glow also seemed to brighten slightly?

The [hunger] fluctuations it transmitted... had weakened... but... had not completely disappeared?!

As if... it had only whetted its appetite?!

Ling Ye looked at the empty bowl, then at the wispy flame that seemed to still be unsatisfied, the corners of his mouth twitching wildly.

This little bit... wasn't even enough to fill its teeth?!

The energy contained in that bowl of paste was enough to make an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator explode several times over! Just how picky was this ancestor's taste?!

And at that moment, Ling Xiaoye, whose food had been snatched away, finally reacted belatedly—

His food! It was gone! Eaten by that strange flame!

"Waaah--!!!!!!"

An unprecedented, earth-shattering cry, filled with immense grievance and anger, erupted! The sound was so loud it almost shook the cellar ceiling!

The little one's face turned red as he cried, kicking his limbs wildly, tears rolling down like pearls from a broken string!

[Wah--! Bad guy! Stole my food! Daddy's bad!] The bellyband also erupted with intense, shared feelings of sorrow and anger, its red light flashing violently!

Ling Ye's ears were assaulted by this dual demonic sound, his temples buzzing, feeling like they were about to explode!

"Stop crying! I'll make you more! Another bowl!" Ling Ye fumbled, trying to placate him, picking up the small metal ball from the ground and shaking it desperately, "Quick! Make another bowl! No! Make ten bowls!"

However, the metal ball remained unresponsive, the cloud patterns on its surface dim and lusterless, as if making that one perfect supplementary food had exhausted all its energy.

[Insufficient energy... unable to activate... please charge...] An extremely faint, intermittent electronic voice emanated from inside the small ball.

Charge?!

Charge with what?! Where is there electricity here?! Does he have to use his Chaos Origin Qi?! But his current state...

Ling Ye was about to collapse!

And that wisp of small flame, after absorbing the first bowl of fruit paste, seemed to have tasted something good. The [Hunger] fluctuation became noticeable again, and the tip of the flame began... turning towards... the one who was crying his eyes out... Ling Xiaoye?!

As if evaluating the "energy source's"... deliciousness?!

Ling Ye was scared out of his wits. He clutched the wailing Ling Xiaoye tightly in his arms and repeatedly said to the wisp of flame, "No! You can't eat this! This is your... your grand-nephew?! (The seniority seems messed up) Anyway, you can't eat him! I'll find another way! I'll get you something to eat right away!"

He was frantic, like an ant on a hot pan, his eyes frantically scanning the dark cellar, trying to find anything that could possibly substitute for "supplementary food"!

Moldy straw? No! His ancestors probably wouldn't approve!

Mouse droppings? Even less likely!

Dirt?...

Just as he was about to despair, even considering whether he should cut off his own flesh to try (though it probably wouldn't work)--

His gaze suddenly locked onto... in the corner of the cellar... that forgotten... worn-out cloth bundle!

Right!

The cloth bundle!

There were so many strange and unusual things inside! Surely there was something edible! Or something that could create food?!

He grabbed it like a drowning man reaching for a straw, lunging over and inverting the bundle, shaking it frantically!

"Clatter—"

A pile of miscellaneous items fell out of the cloth bundle, scattering all over the floor.

There was a shriveled fossil of "old starter," a rusty broken sword, incomprehensible jade slips, herbs emitting strange odors, and a few lumps that looked like ore...

Not a single thing looked edible!

Ling Ye's eyes turned red with anxiety as he fruitlessly rummaged through the pile of junk.

The wisp of flame's [Hunger] fluctuation grew stronger, already impatiently "licking" the air, emitting a dangerous aura.

Ling Xiaoye's cries grew louder.

The bellyband's red light flickered in despair.

Su Wanqing trembled in fear.

At this moment of utter chaos--

Ling Ye's fingers accidentally touched... a black, palm-sized object covered in honeycomb-like holes, looking like... volcanic rock?

As the "volcanic rock" touched his finger, it actually... slightly... heated up?

And... transmitted an extremely faint... [Wheat Fragrance]? And... a [Fermented] aroma?!

Ling Ye froze and instinctively picked up the "volcanic rock."

It was warm to the touch and heavy.

What... what is this thing?

He tentatively, carefully... offered the strange "volcanic rock" towards the impatient wisp of flame.

Might as well try anything, right?

The instant the tip of the small flame touched the "volcanic rock"—

Hiss—!

A faint sound.

The hard "volcanic rock" actually... visibly... became... soft... and expanded?!

The honeycomb holes on the surface grew larger, the color changed from black to brown, and an incredibly rich aroma of... freshly baked bread with natural yeast... instantly filled the entire cellar!!!

This... this rock... is... bread?! And freshly baked, too?!

Ling Ye was dumbfounded!

The wisp of small flame seemed pleased with this "bread stone," its flame tip flickered joyfully, and it began to "devour" it.

The "bread stone" shrank at a steady pace, emitting an enticing toasted fragrance.

Ling Xiaoye's cries gradually subsided. His little nose twitched, and with teary eyes, he looked towards the source of the aroma, his small mouth unconsciously smacking.

The bellyband's red glow also softened, conveying the thought, "Perhaps... it's not so bad?"

The crisis... seemed... temporarily resolved?

Ling Ye let out a long, cautious half-breath, feeling like he was about to collapse from exhaustion.

These tattered cloth bags... they really were full of bizarre things! Even the rocks were edible!

However, he hadn't even fully exhaled yet--

The little flame, which had been "gnawing" on the breadstone, suddenly... paused.

The [Hunger] fluctuation it transmitted... while still weakening... seemed to... transform into another... more complex... [----]?

As if... it had tasted something... familiar yet unfamiliar...

The tip of the little flame's tongue, no longer focused on "gnawing," began to... more carefully... "savor" and "perceive" this "breadstone"...

Its light flickered slightly, as if... recalling... something...

Then...

It abruptly...

Stopped "gnawing"!

The grayish-white flame...

Suddenly...

Became incredibly bright!!!

A surge of emotion, far more intense and complex than before, erupted from the flame like a bursting dam!!!

It was no longer simple [Hunger]...

But...

[Shock!]

[Disbelief!]

[Reminiscence!]

[And...]

[A feeling... as if it had found... a long-lost... relative from billions of years ago...]

[Excitement?!]

[And...]

[Immense...]

[Grievance?!]

The little flame ignored the remaining "breadstone" and abruptly... turned its direction!

Fiercely...

It "fixed" its gaze on...

Ling Ye!!!

An intensely powerful, almost tearful (?) thought, like a tsunami, surged into Ling Ye's mind:

[This scent...]

[It's this scent!!!]

[The scent of "home"!!!]

[You... where did you... get this?!]

[You know... "Daddy"?!!!]

[Hurry and take me to see Him!!!]

[Wah--!!! (As if it were truly crying) I want to go home!!! I want to find Daddy!!!]

Ling Ye: "???????"

Da... Daddy?!!

Another dad?!!!

What kind of situation was this?!!

Weren't these broken stones meant for eating?! How did eating them lead to finding a dad?!

He felt like he was going crazy from this endless stream of "family drama"!

And at that very moment.

In the corner of the cellar.

The "breadstone" that the little flame had "abandoned," still half-eaten...

Suddenly...

"Pfft..."

A soft sound.

A pitch-black, glossy, fingernail-sized... little beetle?

Slowly... crawled out... from a honeycomb hole...

It shook its wings, as if just waking up, its two tiny antennae twitching in confusion.

Then...

It noticed the small, agitated, radiant flame not far away...

The little beetle's antennae froze!

Immediately after...

It made a move that almost made Ling Ye's eyeballs pop out!

It actually...

Stood on its hind legs?!

Raising its two front legs...

As if putting its hands on its hips?!

Towards that terrifying little flame...

It let out a series of extremely faint, yet incredibly angry and disgusted...

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!!!" screeches!

Translating those sounds, it roughly meant:

[So noisy!!!]

[Which blind idiot?!]

[Dares to steal the [Void Fermented Bread] I worked hard to bake for three thousand eons?!]

[Can't a bug get any sleep?!]

[Pay up!!!]