Although Xue Xi and the many War Gods had helped wipe out the Beast Tide's strongest forces, the Beast Soldiers and Beast Generals had scattered and fled without anyone to command them. They couldn't all be eliminated in a short while. After catching some crabs and lobsters, Xue Xi returned alone.
When she arrived at the HR Alliance's commercial building, she let Xu Xin know she was safe, then bought over ten billion worth of ingredients and packed them into the Universe Pot on the spot.
Ignoring the staff's astonished expressions, Xue Xi flew out of the city on her sword, called Little Wolf over, and happily headed home.
Meanwhile, after helping deal with the aftermath of the Beast Tide, Luo Feng called Xu Xin for a while before returning home. His younger brother, Luo Hua, had long since recovered the use of his legs, and Luo Feng seemed to have temporarily lost his purpose. But the shock of the Beast Tide that day was still fresh in his mind. He resolved to put an end to the Monster crisis and protect his family—and the Earth.
With a new goal in mind, he packed a few of Xue Xi's delicacies that he'd stored away, slung on his backpack, and said goodbye to his family before setting off alone to train in the Wilderness Zone. His destination was the Australia Continent, one of the Three Great Forbidden Lands.
When Xue Xi returned to the restaurant, she saw two people waiting outside. She'd seen them online before: the legendary Hong and Thor.
Hong wore a white robe and sat at a small table outside the restaurant, resting with his eyes closed. Thor, meanwhile, leaned against the glass window, curiously studying the menu inside and figuring out what delicious dishes he should order.
When the two saw Xue Xi descend from the sky, they exchanged smiles, then stood and came over to greet her. "Shopkeeper Xue Xi, you've kept us waiting for ages! Come on, come on—let us try your cooking!"
The strongest and second-strongest people on Earth had blocked her entrance to get a meal. What could Xue Xi do? She opened the door and ushered the two big shots inside. The onlookers outside sensibly stayed put.
Xue Xi rolled up her sleeves, put on her chef's uniform, and asked, "What'll it be, gentlemen?"
Hong strolled over and took a seat in the middle. Thor hastily sat down opposite him. "Big bro, what do you want to eat?"
"Can't you rein in that impatient temper of yours? She just got back from a trip. At least let her rest for a bit." Only then did Thor rub his gleaming bald head and look at Xue Xi, who stood with her arms folded. "Sorry about that, young lady. We're in no hurry. Take a break first!"
Xue Xi gave a quiet snort. "The strongest really is something else. You know how to make people feel comfortable, whether in word or deed. Well, never mind. I've already put on my uniform, so hurry up and name your dishes. I'm hungry too, so I'll make everything at once."
Thor ignored the little girl's sarcasm. He'd only heard that they could order, so he looked to Hong expectantly. Hong nodded and glanced at the menu. "In that case, we won't hold back."
He pointed to a serving of Lijiang Baba, a filling dish. Xue Xi stared at him in surprise. "Just one serving?" Thor was also taken aback. He stammered as he looked at Hong. "Big bro, isn't just one dish a little too few?"
Hong shook his head and made a crossing-out gesture. "You misunderstand. I mean, one serving of everything except that!"
Thor's eyes lit up, while Xue Xi's lips twitched. All right, maybe they'd both underestimated their composed big brother.
Thor chimed in, "Same for me!"
So Xue Xi set to braising, stir-frying, pan-frying, deep-frying, marinating, stewing, and boiling. Half an hour later, all twenty-one dishes were served on tables pushed together. Hong and Thor had ordered ten apiece, and Xue Xi had made herself a Braised Pork Knuckle.
The aroma of food filled the restaurant. Outside, the onlookers saw a dazzling spread of beautifully arranged dishes, like a grand imperial banquet, each one a feast for the eyes and the nose.
Thor's eyes gleamed with excitement. The aroma teased his taste buds, and a string of saliva slipped from the corner of his mouth. He grabbed his chopsticks and shouted, "Let's eat!" Then he devoured the food like a tornado tearing through a parking lot.
Hong shook his head, unable to watch Thor's atrocious table manners. He gracefully kicked Thor off the table, then explained to Xue Xi, who was savoring her Braised Pork Knuckle in small bites and staring in astonishment, "He's not usually like this. He's pretty normal. He just suddenly went crazy today. Don't mind him."
Xue Xi was about to say it was fine when Hong picked up a pair of chopsticks and started sampling the dishes himself. After just one bite, he began eating faster and faster, though he still managed to keep his manners elegant.
Thor, who had climbed back up while rubbing his backside, muttered, "What's that supposed to mean? At least I'm not smacking my lips. You're even faster than me!"
Then he restrained himself a little and got back to the food. The two were eating with gusto when a blinding golden light suddenly appeared above the cash register nearby.
Thor held a bowl of Lamb Paomo and shoveled it into his mouth, going "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" as he ate. He looked toward Xue Xi, while Hong, his mouth at the rim of his coffee cup, also turned his attention to her.
As for Xue Xi—yes, she'd finally won a prize. It had taken a total of 132 servings of Braised Pork Knuckle. She'd even developed a physical reaction to the sight of it before she finally won. Tears filled her eyes as she felt the changes taking place inside her.
A warm sensation flowed through her body, improving her genes, bloodline, and natural aptitude. After a while, the golden light faded.
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