Chapter 779: Chapter 256: Soul Cultivator’s Opportunity
The dining hall.
A gaunt old man glared at Ning Zhuo: “Is it you, the pockmarked-face brat, asking me to cook on the spot?”
Ning Zhuo hurriedly cupped his hands: “Thank you, senior, for your help.”
“Hmph.” The old man glanced at Ning Zhuo with a proud demeanor.
He was the head chef of Cangyang Villa, though trapped in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation for life, his skills as a Spirit Chef were unparalleled.
Ning Zhuo sat in front of the old man.
Many male concubines in the dining hall cast curious, envious, cautious, and jealous glances toward Ning Zhuo.
The Spirit Chef brought out a large bronze cauldron, pouring a great quantity of Nether River water inside.
He beckoned with his hands, activating the Netherworld Ghost Fire, to burn the bronze cauldron.
The cauldron shuddered, and the river water inside quickly boiled, as the steam rose, accompanied by faint sounds of ghost weeping and snake hissing, eerily chilling.
The Spirit Chef took out a piece of Mystic Turtle Shell, rubbed it in his palm, grinding the shell into an ash-gray powder.
He added the powder, simmered the cauldron water briefly, then immediately poured in a large amount of ingredients.
Soon afterward, he halted the ghost fire, concluding the creation of the Spirit Food.
Within the bronze cauldron already lay Nether River Yellow Spring Soup, its surface as deep black as ink jade, upon closer inspection, appeared to have numerous lingering souls twisting within the soup.
Ning Zhuo took out a soup spoon, scooped a mouthful beside the massive bronze cauldron, and placed it into his mouth.
Upon tasting, it was as though he swallowed a bronze shard, one sprouting green rust.
Struggling to force himself to swallow, Ning Zhuo’s throat lingered with a strong iron stench.
After finishing all the soup, his tongue and lips bore a bronze hue.
Nonetheless, his soul foundation surged. After days of consuming Spirit food each meal, Ning Zhuo’s soul foundation now reached three hundred times that of an ordinary person!
The Spirit Chef watched Ning Zhuo endure, braving through eating the entire cauldron of soup, and glanced him up and down: “Good, you finished my dish, not bad, kid.”
“Yet, you directly ate it all, not giving me face, is my cooking truly so delectable?!”
The Spirit Chef’s temper was strange, appreciating Ning Zhuo for gulping it all down, yet reproaching him for eating too straightforwardly, denying the chef of the pleasure of torturing his guest.
“Look at my second dish!” The Spirit Chef continued his cooking.
He first took out a large cauldron, performing a ritual around it, soon forming a thundercloud and purple Qi vortex within the cauldron.
The Spirit Chef stepped on the mystic path, murmuring, forming an oral seal. Simultaneously, he threw in Mystical Bird Tear Crystal, chopped into fragments with his palm, all tossed into the cauldron.
He employed Martial Arts Dragon Claw Hand, repeatedly pounding the cauldron, adding many more ingredients.
Some ingredients rapidly melted; others floated and sank, stubbornly.
Suddenly, the Spirit Chef let out a low breath, an explosion like a thunderbolt erupted within the cauldron, then a huge plume of black smoke rose swiftly, hovering over the rafters, like a thick layer of clouds condensed.
The scent of scorching filled the air, prompting Ning Zhuo and others to strongly suspect the Spirit Chef failed the Spirit Food creation.
But as the Spirit Chef waved his sleeve, clearing the smoke, he sported a smug cold smile, fetching several pieces of black brittle from the cauldron bottom.
It was Spirit Food—the Three Lives Broken Tooth Brittle.
“This is too hard!” Ning Zhuo tried placing it in his mouth but his cheeks strained so much they were cramping, unable to bite.
He turned a pleading gaze toward the Spirit Chef.
The old man crossed his arms, seeing Ning Zhuo’s predicament, then smiled smugly: “Can’t even chew this, kid, you still want to learn to order dishes from others?”
Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but let out a humph, revealing the youth’s unwillingness to yield.
He did not use a spell but performed the Demon Skill, condensing fine blood vessels on his cheeks, greatly enhancing his bite force.
With this, he managed to gnaw off a small piece of the black brittle, truly like chewing on black iron.
The problem was, the black brittle tasted like rotten lotus seed pod, a putrid sour smell that nearly made Ning Zhuo retch.
Each swallow made Ning Zhuo feel his adam’s apple grinding with iron and stone.
His stomach met an unprecedented challenge; these pieces of black brittle were truly too difficult to digest.
Yet such Spirit Food, if resolved with mana, would substantially reduce effectiveness!
Ning Zhuo could only clutch his stomach, enduring faint pain.
The Spirit Chef looked at him mockingly.
“Not good, if I continue eating, my stomach might not digest, too burdensome, could cause embarrassment.” Ning Zhuo suddenly inspired, urged the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique.
His stomach suddenly swelled by thirty percent, its surface full of tangled muscles, digestion ability receiving Demon Skill enhancement, soaring by several times!
Under such circumstances, the black brittle was gradually digested.
The stomach pain slowly abated.
Ning Zhuo ate slowly, accommodating his digestion ability, eventually avoiding embarrassment.
The Spirit Chef saw Ning Zhuo actually finished the entire Three Lives Broken Tooth Brittle, his expression slightly eased, he gave a confirming remark: “You have some qualification, to taste my gourmet.”
Upon hearing the words “gourmet,” Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his eye.
Ultimately, he completed five servings of Spirit Food; his belly swelled, forcing him into a half-seated, half-lying position, bearing the envious or puzzled gazes of those around.
Envious because Ning Zhuo spent his grades without regard, exchanged for ample Netherworld Cuisine, greatly enhancing his soul foundation, remarkably effectively.
Puzzled because many used grades to exchange for elixir pills, to enhance the production of Yang Energy, thereby improving their grades, in a positive cycle. Why did Jiao Ma, by mere “luck,” snatch the forty-seventh spot, to just waste and slack like this?