Culinary Dao

After savoring it for a long time, Thor slowly set down his teacup and gave his evaluation to the expectant Xue Xi: "The tea soup is clear and bright, the color is pleasing, and it tastes mellow and elegant upon entering the mouth, with a lingering fragrance. Fourth sister, your tea-brewing skills are truly impressive!"

Hearing the praise, Xue Xi curled her lips upward and put her hands on her hips: "Hahaha, of course! Who do you think I am? I am the God of Cookery of the new era; brewing a cup of tea is just a piece of cake."

Thor's expression suddenly changed; he felt a thunderous roar erupt in his mind, as if he himself had transformed into the lightning constantly flashing within it.

Violent, swift, and majestic—the various traits of lightning seemed to bloom in Thor's eyes, and a strange sensation began to derive from his already peak-level lightning domain.

Thor's eyes widened, his pupils reflecting thousands of lightning bolts, while the roar of thunder echoed in his ears.

Xue Xi shrugged as she watched Thor enter a state of enlightenment, then looked toward the two people approaching side-by-side: Luo Feng, clad in his Cloud-Pattern Battle Armor, and Hong, dressed in white robes.

"I was wondering why that guy Thor wasn't replying in the group chat after calling out for so long; turns out he beat us to it and started drinking first."

"Exactly, exactly. Second brother, you're being too unkind!"

The two teased Thor as they walked, but Xue Xi quickly held a finger to her lips to signal for silence, using telepathy to transmit to them: "Brother Hong, Luo Feng, second brother just drank the Cloud Mist Tea and has entered a state of enlightenment. Don't make any noise; drink the tea and experience it for yourselves."

Hong and Luo Feng looked at the teacups set out on the table, exchanged a glance, and nodded at Xue Xi to show they understood.

The two sat down on either side of Xue Xi and drank the brewed Cloud Mist Tea with great anticipation.

Luo Feng was not a tea connoisseur, but he could still taste the fresh, fragrant aroma of the clouds and mist on his lips and teeth, and a look of enjoyment appeared on his face.

Hong had long since stopped being an assassin, turning instead to the path of self-cultivation. His state of mind had continuously settled, reaching a realm where his heart was infinitely vast and inclusive of all things. He had abandoned his old habit of drinking alcohol and had instead fallen in love with Eastern tea.

His treasury was filled with teas from all over the world, and he drank a different variety every day, never repeating a single one for an entire month.

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

Xue Xi also grabbed the handle of her cup and opened her small mouth to drink the clear, glowing tea soup.

The taste was fresh, mellow, and long-lasting. After finishing, the fragrance remained in her mouth, and Xue Xi felt as if she were amidst the clouds and mist, with the chirping of cicadas and birds echoing in her ears, leaving her body and mind feeling relaxed and content.

A satisfied groan escaped her heart, and she couldn't help but give herself a thumbs-up: As expected of me!

Opening her eyes, she saw that Hong and Luo Feng had also sunk into enlightenment just like Thor, and Xue Xi felt a burst of culinary inspiration erupting in her own mind.

She reached out and clenched her palm, causing the distant door to close on its own. Xue Xi walked into the kitchen: Chef God Domain, activate!

In an instant, various kitchen utensils began to move as if they had a spirit, and even the ingredients cleaned themselves and lay on the cutting board, waiting for the knives to slice them.

A fierce fire element blazed in the stove, and water appeared out of thin air in the empty pot, gradually spreading from the bottom upward.

Xue Xi closed her eyes, the teachings of Yi Yin constantly surfacing in her mind. The Red Grimoire moved on its own, flipping page by page from the Cat Ear Noodles on the first page to the Cloud Mist Tea at the end; the cooking of these past days flashed clearly before her eyes.

The Gourmet Anchor outside began to flicker, and the frequency grew faster and faster. At a certain moment, Xue Xi suddenly vanished from this space, just like every time she received a cultivation reward. The ingredients and utensils floating in the kitchen slowly drifted down, the flames extinguished, and the water disappeared, as if everything before had been a hallucination—yet the dozens of steaming, freshly cooked dishes served as proof of everything.

In a daze, Xue Xi found herself back in the colorful space, but the difference was that the massive Gourmet Catalog was nowhere to be seen in the sky. As she stood there blankly, she felt a weight in her hands.

Looking down, she saw the Red Grimoire wrapped in golden patterns, appearing incredibly noble. Xue Xi curiously flipped through the Gourmet Catalog.

Ever since the book entered her mind on the first day, she hadn't touched it with her own hands. Holding it now, she felt a sense of stability in her heart.

However, upon opening the first page, Xue Xi noticed something wrong. She remembered that the first page of the book should have been the information display page for the Gourmet Anchor, but the first page in her hand depicted a picture of a kitchen—it was the very scene of Yi Yin imparting his teachings during her Chef God enlightenment.

The image filled the entire left page, while the right side contained a few lines of small text.

Heaven and earth opened, three thousand Great Daos; the successor of the Culinary Dao shall cultivate the Culinary Dao Laws, become the master of the Gourmet Culinary Dao, and attain the status of Chef God!

Xue Xi suddenly realized that this picture was just like the Chaos Stele in Chaos City; it was used to help one comprehend the laws recorded upon it. The difference was that the Gourmet Catalog recorded Culinary Dao Laws that were unheard of in the Original Universe!

Xue Xi became somewhat confused. This catalog was just an ordinary book that cost a few dozen credits in the library; what changes had occurred after it traveled through time with her to give it so many magical functions? It was even like the Chaos Stele, the supreme treasure of the human race. Was it a fortuitous encounter, or...