The Culinary Dao

After savoring it for a long while, Thor finally set down his teacup. Facing Xue Xi's expectant gaze, he offered his verdict. "The tea is crystal clear and pleasing in color. It tastes mellow and refined, with a delicate fragrance wafting up as soon as it touches the lips. Fourth Sister, your tea-making skills are quite impressive!"

Hearing his praise, Xue Xi beamed and put her hands on her hips. "Haha! Of course! Do you know who I am? I'm the God of Cookery of the new era. Making tea is a piece of cake!"

Thor's expression suddenly changed. Thunder roared in his mind, and he felt as though he, too, had become one of the bolts of lightning flashing through it.

Fierce, swift, majestic—the many qualities of lightning seemed to unfurl before Thor's eyes. Within his Lightning Domain, already at its peak, a strange new sensation began to emerge.

Thor's eyes widened, and a thousand streaks of lightning seemed to flash in his pupils as thunder roared in his ears.

Watching Thor enter a state of enlightenment, Xue Xi shrugged and looked toward the two men approaching side by side. One wore Cloud-Pattern Battle Armor, and the other was Hong in a white robe.

"No wonder that guy Lei wasn't replying in the group chat, even after I called him over and over. He got here ahead of us and already started drinking!"

"Exactly! Second Brother, that's pretty unfair of you!"

The two teased Thor as they walked. Xue Xi hurriedly raised a finger to her lips, signaling for them to be quiet, then sent them a mental message. "Brother Hong, Luo Feng, Second Brother just drank the Cloud Mist Tea and entered a state of enlightenment. Don't make any noise. Have some tea and see what you experience, too."

Hong and Luo Feng looked at the teacups arranged on the table, exchanged glances, then nodded to Xue Xi to show they understood.

They sat down on either side of her and eagerly drank the freshly brewed Cloud Mist Tea.

Luo Feng wasn't a tea connoisseur, but he could still taste the tea's lovely, misty fragrance lingering on his lips and tongue. A look of contentment appeared on his face.

Hong had given up being an assassin many years ago and turned instead to cultivating his mind and body. His state of mind had steadily deepened until he reached the realm of Infinite Heart, embracing all things. He had abandoned his old drinking habits and grown fond of tea from the East.

His collection held teas from all over the world, and he drank a different kind every day, never repeating himself for a whole month.

Yet even with his discerning palate and wealth of experience, he found himself immersed in the lingering fragrance of the Cloud Mist Tea.

Xue Xi also took hold of her cup and opened her small mouth to drink the clear, glistening tea.

The flavor was fresh and mellow, with a long-lasting finish. After drinking it, a lingering fragrance remained in her mouth. Xue Xi felt as though she were surrounded by clouds and mist, with birdsong and cicadas chirping in her ears. Her whole body and mind felt at ease.

A satisfied sigh rose in her heart, and she couldn't help giving herself a thumbs-up. That's me for you!

When she opened her eyes, she saw that Hong and Luo Feng, like Thor, had sunk into contemplation. Xue Xi felt inspiration for her cooking begin to surge through her mind as well.

She clenched her hand, and the distant door closed on its own. Xue Xi entered the kitchen. Chef God Domain, unfold!

In an instant, the various kitchen utensils began moving as if they were alive. Even the ingredients cleaned themselves and lay on the cutting board, ready for the knives to slice them.

Intense fire energy blazed in the stove, while water appeared out of nowhere in the empty pot and gradually rose from its bottom.

Xue Xi closed her eyes. Yi Yin's teachings surfaced again and again in her mind, while the Red Grimoire began turning its pages on its own, from Cat Ear Noodles on the first page all the way to Cloud Mist Tea at the end. The dishes she had cooked over these past days played vividly through her mind.

Outside, the Gourmet Anchor began to flash, its rhythm growing faster and faster. At one particular moment, Xue Xi suddenly vanished from that space. Just as when she claimed her cultivation rewards, the ingredients and utensils floating in the kitchen drifted gently down, the flames went out, and the water disappeared. It was as if everything that had happened had been an illusion—but the dozens of steaming dishes she had prepared bore witness to it all.

In a daze, Xue Xi found herself once again in the multicolored space. This time, however, the vast Gourmet Catalog was nowhere to be seen in the sky. As she stood there, stunned, she suddenly felt something grow heavy in her hands.

Looking down, she saw golden patterns winding across the Red Grimoire, giving it a most noble appearance. Curious, Xue Xi opened the Gourmet Catalog.

Ever since the Great Book had entered her mind on the first day, she hadn't touched it with her own hands again. Holding it now made her feel much more at ease.

But the moment she opened the first page, Xue Xi realized something was wrong. She remembered that the first page should have displayed information about the Gourmet Anchor, but the page in her hands showed a picture of a kitchen. It was the very scene from her Chef God epiphany, when Yi Yin had passed on his teachings.

The picture filled the entire left page, while several lines of small text appeared on the right.

When Heaven opened and Earth was formed, the Great Dao divided into three thousand paths. Those who inherit the Culinary Dao must cultivate the Culinary Dao Laws, become the master of the Culinary Dao of food, and attain the Dao as the Chef God!

Xue Xi understood. The illustration was like the Chaos Stele in Chaos City, used to help people comprehend the laws recorded upon it. The difference was that the Gourmet Catalog recorded Culinary Dao Laws unheard of in the Original Universe!

Xue Xi grew puzzled. Wasn't this catalog just an ordinary book that cost a few dozen yuan at the library? What had happened to it when she traveled through time that gave it so many miraculous functions? It was even like the Supreme Treasure of the Human Race, the Chaos Stele. Was it a fortuitous encounter, or...