Chapter 256: Canteen and chef (8K2 two-in-one)

How should I put this?

Although Li Qi felt that he wasn't rare, his identity was actually quite sensitive, so he wasn't too willing to reveal it.

But at this moment, hiding it would seem a bit too strange.

So, Li Qi changed his approach, showing a difficult expression: “What I cultivate is not the Human Dao, so the difference is quite big…”

“Oh, I understand. The higher-ups told you not to tell anyone else, right? Just like the way you communicate with the Lord of Pestilence? Alright, alright, I won’t ask anymore.” Liu Canzhi waved his hand.

Other people’s origins are inherently sensitive. It seems Liu Canzhi also knows not to ask too many questions, otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to be friends.

As for the Lord of Pestilence? He revealed his own origins, so he wasn't afraid of being targeted. What he was truly afraid of being targeted was his method of communication between two viruses across thousands of mountains and rivers.

This was the Lord of Pestilence’s true pain point. It’s likely that only he knows this, and if others were to discover it, they could easily dismantle the Lord of Pestilence’s brain, causing him to instantly collapse from a collective consciousness into countless viruses fighting independently.

At this moment, Liu Canzhi suddenly stopped: “Ah, we’ve arrived at the cafeteria! Come, I’ll take you in for a tour!”

Li Qi immediately looked up and saw an ancient-style building with ornate windows and flying stairs.

It occupied an area of a hundred paces from east to west and twenty zhang from north to south, appearing to be the normal size of a cafeteria.

A wooden sign hung on the door, with the words “Cafeteria” written in grand characters.

Liu Canzhi walked straight in, and Li Qi immediately followed.

“Although it’s a holiday, the items here are still available and can be taken freely. Inside, there’s a Spiritual Artifact called the Peng Hai Cauldron. It achieved the Fourth Rank in the Dao and is best at cooking. We all call him Brother Guo. Just choose your ingredients and give them to him if you want to eat something.”

“A pot? Is it a Spiritual Artifact that has awakened its own consciousness?” Li Qi was somewhat interested.

Liu Canzhi said as he walked: “Yes, Brother Guo cultivates the culinary arts among the Hundred Arts of the Human Dao. His craftsmanship is excellent. If the Materials are good enough, the dishes he makes can even have the same effects as Medicinal Pills of the same rank, and they don’t have Medicinal Pill toxins, making them extremely easy to absorb. He’s very powerful.”

“However, you’d best be clear when ordering. He loves to research new dishes. If you give him ingredients without explaining clearly, it’s easy for him to improvise. It’s best to explicitly state what flavor and cooking method you want, and don’t let him make his own decisions.”

As they spoke, the two entered.

The scenery before their eyes changed again.

The sky, fields, and gentle breeze and sun appeared before them.

Deer ran on the ground, rabbits, pheasants, and other animals all moved freely in the wilderness. You could even see lions preying on zebras!

Fish, frogs, and other things like aquatic insects swam in the river.

There were countless animals, everything imaginable!

There were various natural environments here.

There were grasslands, rainforests, swamps, plains, various types of forests, and even deserts and glaciers.

A ‘world’ occupying an extremely vast area.

This was absolutely a complete world!

The number of animals and plants was unexpectedly large, and their quality was extremely high!

Almost all of them were exotic beasts without innate spiritual intelligence. Ordinary ones were unranked, and the higher ones even reached the Eighth or Ninth Rank. All of them were beneficial to the body when eaten, not just ordinary meat.

Outside, they would be rare ingredients, all containing different Qi in their bodies. This world had an unknown number of animals.

In addition to animals, there were also plants.

It was covered with all kinds of plants, trees, medicinal herbs, and grains, all filled with a green aura. The fresh scent of various flowers and leaves came, making one feel refreshed and joyful. All kinds of exotic flowers and rare herbs competed in beauty, and any plant could find a suitable terrain for its survival here.

There were fields, forests, cliffs, and seawater. Different Qi concentrations gave rise to different plants and animals.

All the terrains Li Qi knew and didn’t know were here. Extreme terrains like spiritual fields, demonic abysses, and magma lakes were also present, and unique creatures, animals, plants, insects, and algae belonging to these terrains grew on them, everything imaginable!

Li Qi had never seen such a grand display before. He widened his eyes, surveying this beautiful world.

“This is the cafeteria. Just catch or pick what you want to eat, then bring it to Brother Guo,” Liu Canzhi said casually, then walked into a nearby field and pulled out a few giant grains that Li Qi didn’t recognize.

They were truly enormous. They looked like rice, but they were extremely long and slender, a full foot long and two fingers wide.

He pulled out two and got up from the field: “Alright, today I’ll eat Golden Tooth Rice. What will you eat, Brother Li? My treat today!”

Li Qi was still immersed in the grandeur of this cafeteria when he suddenly heard this, woke up, and looked astonished: “Ah? Does eating here cost money?”

Liu Canzhi rolled his eyes: “Nonsense, where does eating not cost money?”

Then, he continued: “However, the price is already very cheap. Where can you find a Fourth Rank grand chef to cook for you outside? Not to mention this entire world of spiritual plants and exotic beasts. An ecosystem has formed here, so it can operate on its own without special maintenance. It was a cafeteria specially built by Imperial Academy’s Chancellor who spent a lot of money to hire a powerful Shaman Dao practitioner. It was built entirely according to the Heavenly Dao, and the ecosystem operates stably on its own, so the cost is very low, and the effect is good, much better than eating outside.”

As he spoke, Liu Canzhi raised his head and recited: “Food nourishes people, all relying on the five grains. The essence of food makes the human body plump and long-lived. Those who eat richly will have strong bodies, and their spirits will be healthy. With a strong physique and spirit, there is a solid foundation. Therefore, the Sage said, ‘Food is not too fine, nor is minced meat too thin.’”

“Eating is a major part of cultivation, very important and not to be underestimated. I see that your Inner World is small, clearly you haven’t eaten well. You should make up for it in the future, just like this Golden Tooth Rice I’m eating.”

“This rice gathers Earth Qi and Jin Qi (Metal Energy) to grow, and when it grows, it’s like a small sword, straight and slender. Eating it allows one to experience the essence of Metal. As an alchemist, I need to deal with metal objects all day long, so eating this is best.” He introduced the long rice he was holding.

Then, seeing Li Qi not speaking, he pointed to the distance again.

In the distance, there were two large oxen, four zhang tall at the shoulder, a full dozen meters, majestic and huge, looking formidable.

However, there was a person beating these oxen.

The battle was extremely violent, a complete head-on clash. The two oxen were bleeding from their heads and howling, beaten by a pair of bare fists, but the person didn’t relax, grabbing their horns and swinging the two oxen like windmills, then smashing them onto the ground!

Only when the oxen were completely out of Qi did he carry and drag both oxen, one in each hand, and walk into the distance.

Liu Canzhi pointed: “Look, that’s a Cultivator of the Martial Dao. They need to eat meat with abundant Qi and blood. What kind of cultivation method do you have? Go choose something suitable.”

Li Qi looked at this scene, then at the Golden Tooth Rice in Liu Canzhi’s hand, and understood: “So that’s how it is, I understand.”

He understood. The Human Dao places great importance on diet, believing it to be a great supplement to cultivation, and it actually seems to be true. They can effectively improve and consolidate their cultivation by eating.

A person’s life is about drawing power from the outside world to sustain oneself.

Indeed, it is in the same vein as the Human Dao, drawing from the outside to nourish oneself.

However, Shaman Dao cultivation doesn’t pay much attention to eating. There’s no real need for food; not eating is fine, and eating is mostly just to satisfy one’s cravings.

Looking at it this way, Shaman Dao is truly… desireless. Li Qi only now realized that since he started cultivating, he hasn’t had much need for various resources, or for Spiritual Artifacts. It seems he’s completely indifferent to external resources.

His Dao path is entirely about constructing his own Inner World, building this Inner World bit by bit from the rules, constantly adding his understanding of the Dao, and then perfecting his world through his understanding.

It’s entirely about walking his own path, with demands on Heart-Nature far exceeding those for resources.

It seems that as long as there are rules, power appears out of thin air.

Does the power brought by his Inner World come from nothing?

The amount of resources he absorbs and the abilities he possesses are completely mismatched.

He hasn’t done anything crazy like frantically absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

The Qi Li Qi has truly absorbed from the outside world so far has never been about quantity, just like absorbing the Qi of the Four Symbols of Heaven. A single wisp is enough. This wisp is like a sample.

As long as he has this sample, he can construct this Qi in his Inner World, and his Inner World will gain this Qi.

Although he couldn’t take it out, Li Qi could feel that this Qi truly existed, and his Inner World had indeed become stronger because of it, and he could also display different Divine Qi, such as the Five Sacrifices Divine Qi he used before.

It’s completely different from the Martial Dao and the Human Dao. They seem to gain as much as they eat.

But what he possesses is far more than what he eats.

Li Qi couldn’t help but feel doubt and surprise at the Shaman Dao methods he had taken for granted.

Where did this extra part come from?

For example, during the Guangyang Grand Ritual, he absorbed a portion of the hundreds of thousands of Qi from Guangyang, and then replicated a Guangyang in his Inner World.

What is this? Pure idealism? Creation ex nihilo?

Or is it just a miniature model, and the feeling of having a Guangyang is merely an illusion?

He couldn’t understand.

The cultivation method that used to feel so familiar now seemed strange at this moment.

His cultivation method… hides a secret he cannot understand?

Through the comparison with the Human Dao, Li Qi felt not only the differences between the two Dao paths but also an increasing sense of confusion.

He could understand the Human Dao.

After all, the principle of becoming stronger by absorbing from the outside to nourish oneself is very simple and aligns with his understanding of certain forms of cultivation.

But with Shaman Dao, which doesn’t need anything yet can become increasingly strong, where does his extra power come from, and what is its source?

He couldn’t figure it out.

However, now was not the time for secluded contemplation. Seeing Liu Canzhi picking some fruits and carrying a rabbit, preparing to find ‘Brother Guo,’ Li Qi had no choice but to put this doubt aside.

He would think about it after returning.

So, Li Qi casually picked some crops according to his cultivation method, wanting to try the effect.

What he was most familiar with was the Qi of the Four Seasons. This was the foundation of his Dao when he entered the Ninth Rank. He had collected the Divine Qi of the Four Seasons to open the heavens back then.

As the saying goes, ‘Violets for spring meals, millet paste for summer meals, gourds and sauces for autumn vegetables, and white wine to dispel winter chill.’ These were also preserved vegetables containing the Qi of the Four Seasons. He also casually got some meat, caught a few fish, and a chicken. That was it.

The fish and chicken resisted, especially the chicken, which was almost at the Ninth Rank. Its resistance was very fierce, and its pecking speed almost reached the speed of sound. Fortunately, Li Qi was already at the Eighth Rank, so he just reached out and subdued it.

He checked, and the price of this item was indeed not expensive, only a little over a hundred coins. Compared to the luxurious cost of this place, it was indeed the price level of a student meal.

And since someone else was paying, there was even less burden.

After choosing the ingredients, they followed Liu Canzhi for over twenty li, and Li Qi saw the ‘pot.’

To be honest, Li Qi would rather call it a spherical radio telescope than a pot.

You know the Heavenly Eye, like that.

This thing occupied too much space! Even the mountains looked tiny beneath this pot, as if it could boil the sea. How could it stir-fry dishes?

Walking closer, he could see the students gathering.

They must be students who stayed behind for extra classes during the holiday, about thirty of them. Four or five were from other Dao paths, and the rest were all from the Martial Dao.

Uh… it must be that Martial Dao Cultivators eat more and are reluctant to leave this grand cafeteria, right?

That guess seemed quite reasonable.

They arrived at the base of the radio telescope and saw a corpulent胖子.

This胖子 looked thirty or forty years old, but he had a fair, beardless face and delicate skin. The flesh on his body was like a water balloon, and his skin was fair and thin. It jiggled, looking very pleasant to touch.

Moreover, there wasn’t just one of this胖子.

Dozens of identical胖子 were facing different directions and talking to different people.

One of them also came towards Li Qi.

The胖子’s belly jiggled as he smiled and looked over, greeting them from afar:

“Yo, Master Alchemist Liu, weren’t you one of the first to run off when the holiday started? Why are you back during the holiday? A rare guest! Who is this next to you?”

“New classmate, named Li Qi, here to get familiar with the academy. Come, Brother Guo, Golden Tooth Rice, Dragon Branch Millet, Speckled Red Beans. Today I’m having porridge, with less water and more fire! Come, Li Qi, say hello to Brother Guo and tell him what you want to eat.”

“Li Qi, right? Alright! Come, tell Brother Guo what you want to eat. There’s no dish in the world that your Brother Guo can’t make! Today, I’ll let you taste my craftsmanship!” Saying that, this胖子 clapped Li Qi on the shoulder: “With your Brother Guo here! In this cafeteria, if you have any problems, just come to me. There’s nothing I can’t handle!”

Li Qi finally understood why he was called Brother Guo.

This pot had such a Jianghu aura.

“Ahem, Senior Peng Hai…” Li Qi looked embarrassed, trying to say something politely, but this only made Peng Hai Cauldron angry.

“Hey! You’re being distant, aren’t you? What’s with ‘Senior’? Come on, call me Brother Guo!” He patted Li Qi’s head.

Alright, whatever makes you happy…

Regardless of Brother Guo’s temperament, after Li Qi called him Brother Guo, he satisfiedly took Li Qi’s ingredients and went to process them.

Li Qi also learned the other party’s name. It was exactly the reverse: he was called Guo Peng Hai.

It really was… a pun that should cost money.

Soon, Brother Guo made delicious food.

The kind that glows.

It really glowed.

The tableware brought over contained Liu Canzhi’s porridge.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a dazzling light shone through, almost blinding. In the Milky Way, there was a faint white Qi, with faint five colors.

“This is… porridge?” Li Qi’s eyelids twitched, his expression subtle.

“I told you, Brother Guo’s cooking is excellent. Oh, right, I remember you chose fish? What dish did you order?” Liu Canzhi asked Li Qi, holding his porridge.

“I didn’t order anything. I said ‘whatever’,” Li Qi replied.

Upon hearing this, Liu Canzhi gasped!

Then, he stopped drinking his porridge, grabbed Li Qi, and prepared to run: “You said ‘whatever’?! Didn’t I tell you! You must say exactly what you want to eat, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely do not say ‘whatever’!”

“It’s still not too late to leave now. Once the dishes are served, you won’t be able to run. Brother Guo hates it when people leave food behind!”

Li Qi was bewildered.

Judging by the aroma and the light just now, it should taste very good. What’s wrong with a new dish?

But before he could run two steps, Liu Canzhi suddenly let go of Li Qi, silently turned around, ran to the side, and ate his own porridge.

“How did you end up here? I thought you were still at the original spot, I had such a hard time finding you. Here, the fish you wanted! I refined it using the Four Seasons Qi method, and then used chicken broth to draw out the flavor. It’s definitely good!” Brother Guo walked over to Li Qi excitedly, carrying a plate of food.

Li Qi naturally thanked him: “Thank you… Brother Guo.”

“No need to thank me, just try it!” He excitedly handed the covered dish to Li Qi, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

Li Qi was also very curious about what it was.

Then, he opened the lid.

Dazzling golden light! As blinding as ever, Li Qi’s eyes couldn’t even open the moment the lid was lifted.

Li Qi couldn’t help but feel a little confused.

When everyone came to the cafeteria together for meals during the start of school, what would this thing look like?

Would it make this place look like a disco? Like a disco ball flashing crazily in a dance hall?

It’s very possible.

As he thought this, the light gradually dissipated, and in front of him, a pie appeared.

It should be a pie, but the filling was on the surface of the crust, not inside.

The fish he had just caught was cut in half and stuck on top of the pie, its eyes staring intently at him.

They really were staring intently, not lifeless. The fish eyes even flickered with a strange light, as if their gaze could speak, sending a chill up Li Qi’s spine.

It was as if the fish would jump up and bite him at any moment…

“Uh… Stargazy, Stargazy Pie?” Li Qi muttered subconsciously.

This so-called new dish, why does it look so similar?

“Stargazy Pie?” Brother Guo fell into deep thought upon hearing the name.

Then, he clapped his hands and burst into laughter: “Hahahahaha! What a great name! Stargazy Pie, vaguely in the clouds, seeing only the wild geese flying away, the stars like a belt—what a beautiful scene, what a wonderful image! It perfectly captures the essence of my dish. Good brother, you’ve truly come up with an excellent name! From now on, this dish shall be called Stargazy Pie!”

Seemingly very satisfied with the name Li Qi had given, he patted Li Qi’s shoulder: “Good brother! I’ll remember this favor of you naming my new dish. Hurry and eat!”

Li Qi looked down at the pie.

He gave an awkward smile.

He had to eat the dish he ordered, even if it meant shedding tears.

However, he picked up a piece with his hand and put it in his mouth.

“Hmm?” Li Qi chewed a few times.

The taste was clearly very good.

It was fresh, fragrant, soft, and tender, without any fishy smell. The taste was exquisitely delicious, rich, and the texture was excellent. It didn’t feel like a flatbread at all; instead, it was more like eating fish maw, very springy and tender.

Moreover… a very comfortable Four Seasons Qi flowed from his mouth into his body, nourishing his Inner World.

This, was he exaggerating?

Li Qi swallowed a piece and couldn’t help but exclaim, “This thing is actually quite tasty.”

“Tasty?!” Liu Canzhi, who was nearby, widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief!

“I don’t believe it!” He immediately rushed over, tore off a small piece with his hand, and put it in his mouth.

Then, his face immediately turned green. He quickly covered his mouth, ran out, and vomited profusely, throwing up everywhere, feeling as if he was going to throw up his bile.

Li Qi was very puzzled.

He picked up another piece in front of Peng Hai Cauldron and ate it.

It was indeed delicious, slightly salty and fresh, soft and chewy, and the taste was quite good.

“This… Is it that exaggerated? Isn’t this very tasty?” Li Qi frowned, feeling a bit strange.

His sense of taste should still be quite ordinary, right?

On the other hand, Peng Hai Cauldron was trembling with excitement!

“High mountains and flowing water, a timeless bosom friend! I originally thought that the Imperial Academy was full of ordinary people, and that no one would appreciate my ‘White Snow and Spring Sun’ skill. I didn’t expect to meet a true bosom friend today!”

“In the vast past, and the endless future, over three thousand years, countless rises and falls—this meaning is only for a bosom friend to hear! Good brother! Little brother Li, you are my bosom friend!” Peng Hai Cauldron was extremely excited: “Finally, someone can taste the wonder of my new Dao path!”

“From now on, you eat here for free! Outside, you tell others that Guo Peng Hai is your Dao brother, and I’ll cover you from now on. Only you in this world can understand me. Although your cultivation is still shallow, you are my only fellow Daoist!”

“Little brother Li! Let’s ignore that vulgar person Liu Canzhi. Come, you and I, brothers, let’s have a good talk. I still have many dishes waiting for you to taste!”

Peng Hai Cauldron was in a great mood and pulled Li Qi, ready to leave.

Li Qi glanced back at Liu Canzhi.

His brother was still sprawled on the ground, vomiting uncontrollably. He probably wouldn’t recover anytime soon.

Uh… it wouldn’t be good to disturb him, would it?

Then he couldn’t very well refuse Guo Peng Hai in front of him. Perhaps he should just go in and eat, and then come out to find Liu Canzhi after he finished eating?

Since the decision was made, he would do so.

Li Qi didn’t refuse, but simply held the plate of Stargazy Pie and followed Peng Hai Cauldron forward.

Peng Hai Cauldron pulled Li Qi, and with just a few flashes, they arrived at the side of the large pot.

Here, Li Qi saw many ingredients.

These ingredients were all suspended in the air, with a hot Qi constantly swirling around them, seemingly in the process of cooking.

This… was Peng Hai Cauldron’s operating room?

Just as he had barely stood firm, he saw Peng Hai Cauldron bring out several dishes, and with a wave of his hand, a table appeared. He then placed these oddly shaped foods onto it!

“Come, come, come! Little brother Li, let’s eat! Since you are my bosom friend and fellow Daoist, there’s no need for many words. Let’s use eating to talk!” Peng Hai Cauldron said, looking at Li Qi with anticipation.

What else could Li Qi say?

If he said he wouldn’t eat now… he’d probably be beaten to death, right?

However… the appearance of these foods was really not great.

Most of the food he brought out, like Stargazy Pie, emitted a strange aura, and you could tell at a glance that they came from the same cooking method.

“Come, come, eat, don’t be shy!” Peng Hai Cauldron urged Li Qi, while waiting for him with a hopeful gaze.

“Uh, Brother Guo, before I eat, I want to ask, what… is going on?” Suddenly encountering this, Li Qi only felt bewildered, and his appetite was almost gone.

“You eat, and I’ll tell you as you eat! We are bosom friends, so I naturally won’t hide anything from you!” Peng Hai Cauldron waved his hand, promising.

Seeing this, Li Qi couldn’t say much more. What else could he say?

Eat then.

He began to eat. He had to admit that although the dishes in front of him looked bizarre, somewhat like Cthulhu roast chicken octopus, Stargazy Pie, strawberry mango Mapo Tofu, etc., the taste was surprisingly good.

While eating, he also listened to Peng Hai Cauldron’s explanation.

According to Peng Hai Cauldron, this was a new attempt at his Dao path.

He walks the Dao of Food.

As the saying goes, among human Dao, the nation is the greatest.

Within a nation, the people are the foundation, and food is paramount to the people, which is the great mandate of the world.

And the Dao of Food is divided into two paths.

One path is agriculture, with farmer Cultivators responsible for land systems, seed breeding, and other such matters.

Another path is called diet, anciently known as ‘Shanfu’ or ‘Paozheng’, now called chef, and is one of the food officials.

There was an ancient Sage named ‘Hou Ji’, who was a food official. The ‘Ji’ in ‘Jiangshan Sheji’ (nation and society) comes from this, referring to food.

Peng Hai Cauldron walks the second path, the Dao of Diet.

The Shanfu manages the king’s food, drink, meals, and delicacies to nourish the king, queen, and crown prince. He can distinguish the names of meats and identify the flavors of a hundred items.

Whenever the king is served, the meal includes six grains, six livestock, six clear drinks, one hundred and twenty kinds of delicacies, eight rare treasures, and one hundred and twenty jars of sauces. The king eats once a day, with twelve cauldrons, and all items have their own cutting boards, accompanied by music. The Shanfu offers the sacrifice, tastes the food, and then the king eats.

The one who clears the dishes is also the Shanfu. When speaking of the various officials, the Shanfu is considered a subordinate official of the ‘Zai’ (prime minister), as both ‘Zai’ and ‘Shan’ are names of food officials.

It is enough to show how high the status of food officials was, even the earliest ‘Zai’ was a food official.

Even the modern Prime Minister evolved from a food official.

The original meaning of ‘Zai’ was ‘to butcher meat’. Whether slaughtering livestock or bringing back hunted game, the ‘Zai’ was responsible for distribution, butchering the meat, and sharing it with everyone.

One can see how high the status of food officials was.

Although the Shanfu’s status was not as high as the Zai’s, it was not too low either.

Ancient texts record: “The Shanfu personally clears the sacrificial meat and cutting board, and the sacrificial meat and cutting board are the most esteemed.” This means that the Shanfu was responsible for the sacrificial meat and cutting board, and these were the most honorable parts of any dining table.

This is Peng Hai Cauldron’s origin.

Of course, this is just a general overview. Peng Hai Cauldron would certainly not reveal his detailed origins, such as where his cultivation method came from or how he obtained it. These are certainly not to be spoken of to outsiders.

Moreover, he is a Spiritual Artifact that has gained sentience, so he would naturally be even less likely to speak of these things externally.

What is ‘origin’?

A person’s Dao path, as they walk it, from where it began, what they encountered, and the results of the journey, all leave your footprints.

The Dao path is walked step by step, leaving footprints.

If your origin is discovered by someone, it means all the clues on your Dao path are perfectly clear. If you have enemies, then you are basically doomed.

In short, due to this natural origin, the Dao path he pursues is how to create more exquisite ‘meals’. To achieve this, he must ensure the harmony and proper balance of the meals and delicacies.

This requires enumerating various items such as gruel, sweet wine, dates, chestnuts, malt syrup, honey, wild vegetables, flour, elm, rabbit, dried meat, fermented rice, marrow, and fat.

As well as categories of soups, side dishes, sauces, and minced meats.

Names like boneless meat, prepared fish, candied peaches, and stacked hawthorns.

Distinctions like deer pickle, pork jerky, roasted chicken, and goose stomach.

These matters are humble, vile, and cumbersome, largely similar to the food compilations passed down in the world. In short, to summarize it in one sentence, it is:

“Exhausting the subtleties of Heaven and Earth, and the abundance of land and water, to form the foundation of self-cultivation.”

It is a manifestation of the human Dao drawing from all things to nourish oneself.

Peng Hai Cauldron has walked this path quickly and steadily, after all, he is a pot, and he successfully achieved a Breakthrough to the Fourth Rank along the way, even being able to cook at the Imperial Academy.

This was an immense honor. The Imperial Academy not only had students but also many teachers. Imperial Academy’s Chancellor himself was a dignified Third Rank, and cooking here offered him many benefits. He could also occupy a world of delicious food to refine himself. It seemed like an excellent position.

He used to think so too.

However, after working here for over three thousand years, he had a smooth journey, breaking through to the Fourth Rank, but he had been stuck there ever since.

No matter what, he couldn’t advance even half a step.

When impoverished, one seeks change. Peng Hai Cauldron felt that perhaps it was his own problem, and then began to try ‘new dishes’. This was when he started experimenting with new directions.

Clearly, these new dishes caused immense suffering to the Imperial Academy students, reaching the point where Liu Canzhi would change color at the mere mention of them. But a new path certainly had to be tried little by little.

And Li Qi was the first one who ate them and didn’t throw up.

So, Peng Hai Cauldron grabbed Li Qi’s shoulder, his voice trembling with excitement: “Little brother Li! You’re the first one to say my new dishes are delicious! What does this mean? It means someone finally understands me! It means my efforts aren’t in vain, they are indeed useful!”

Li Qi could understand the other party’s excitement.

It was like you’d been doing research for three thousand years with no results, but then suddenly, results appeared, and there was hope.

One could say Li Qi was his last straw.

“Brother Guo! Brother Guo! Your grip, your grip!” Li Qi was being held by the neck by the other party. Although he didn’t need to breathe, he felt like his bones were about to break.

“Oh, oh, sorry, a bit excited. Come, little brother Li, from now on, when you come here, eat whatever you want, but after you eat, I want to hear how you feel, in detail, my elder brother.”

“For example, the Stargazy Pie you ate today, how would you describe it? What did you feel?” He looked at Li Qi expectantly, waiting for his answer.

“I didn’t feel anything special, I just thought it was quite tasty. It was salty, fresh, soft, and tender. I don’t know why I feel differently from them, but the Four Seasons Qi inside felt very good, very soothing,” Li Qi said, tasting and describing his feelings after eating the meal.

“Anything else? For example, was there no spicy taste? I used chili to stimulate the fire Qi, corresponding to summer among the four seasons. Didn’t you taste any spiciness?” he asked again.

Li Qi shook his head: “Not a single bit of spiciness.”

“Good, I understand. Next, was there any astringent feeling in your mouth?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

“It’s something that makes your mouth feel tight.”

“If it’s that kind of feeling, no.”

“Besides that, how did it feel in your stomach? Was there any lingering sweetness or bitterness?”

“There was a lingering sweetness, but very little.”

The conversation between Li Qi and Peng Hai Cauldron continued.

The two exchanged questions and answers, with the cook continuously asking Li Qi for his post-meal impressions.

It seemed like it would last for a while.

The promised double update, combined into one, is presented.