Curse Reply: I'm going to fight the Myriad Corpse Immortal, the highest level one!

The atmosphere around Gourmet Star also contains clouds, and they are clouds shaped like cotton candy.

Xia Jie used a tearing motion to attack the clouds.

As he pierced through the first cloud, his mouth tasted cloyingly sweet—it was the flavor of roasted marshmallows, with a hint of caramel, as if someone had stuffed an entire bonfire party into the cloud.

The second cloud is strawberry flavored, the third is mint chocolate, and the fourth is probably rum-soaked cherry.

By the time he broke through the eighth cloud, the taste on his tongue had become a jumbled mess, indistinguishable between sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy; he only felt his lips and tongue tingling and numb.

The little deer was about three hundred meters to his left and front, her body slightly curled up, legs tucked in, and arms pressed close to her torso to reduce her surface area exposed to the wind. A thin layer of magical energy appeared on her body, which, while eliminating air friction, generated an upward electromagnetic force, like an invisible parachute slowing her descent.

As a result, one less fiery meteor appeared in the sky.

Xia Jie looked down and saw the caramel-colored Pudding Mountains rapidly enlarging beneath her feet. The ridges were soft and rounded, their surfaces gleaming with an amber luster, like a giant block of non-metallic material just poured from a mold, and they were trembling slightly, rising and falling like breathing.

This mountain is probably indeed alive.

Golden syrup rivers flow through the valleys between the mountains, with tiny bubbles floating on the surface. Each bubble bursts, releasing a rich, sweet fruity aroma.

Although they were still hundreds of meters apart, he had already tasted part of the mountain's flavor using his colorless and formless domain.

Xia Jie spread his arms wide, using his body as elbows, allowing himself to face the earth in the most comfortable posture. A breeze swept past him, and the fresh air shone brightly in his ears.

His eyes were unfocused, his mind drifted into the realm, and he concentrated on experiencing this beautiful and delicious world.

The wind was a bit loud, so Xia Jie told the wind: Bro, keep it down.

The request transformed into ripples of the heart, spreading outwards, and then the flow of air suddenly became gentle, and gravity also became soft.

Then the second meteor disappeared as well.

Rather than falling, Xia Jie is now more like slowly sinking in water, the scorching air transformed into the gentlest caress under the call of the love of the roots.

He slammed his head into the ground, his head lightly touching the top of the Pudding Mountains.

The pudding surface sank to a depth of about 0.5 ticks under his weight, then bounced back up after Xia Jie lay flat, like a spring mattress, and bounced him back to a standing position.

As Xia Jie bounced back from the ground, she adjusted her movements and shifted her center of gravity, managing to stand firmly.

Lu Ziyun was about twenty meters away from him, hovering precisely 1.3 meters above the top of Pudding Mountain.

She stepped onto the pudding-like surface, took two steps, and the surface of the pudding under her feet first left a shallow indentation, which then slowly bounced back.

She squatted down, poked the ground with her finger, dipped it in the slightly sticky icing, and put it in her mouth to taste.

"Caramel flavor, is it because too much gelatin was added or it was overcooked?" She looked up at Xia Jie. "More than the sensory taste, I'm curious about what the taste of love feels like."

"It depends on the type of love. For example, love between lovers can be divided into two feelings: heart-fluttering and excitement."

As Xia Jie answered, she looked around.

"Little Deer, don't you feel the mountain shaking?"

The little deer also felt it; the pudding-like surface beneath her feet was indeed trembling at a rather obvious rate, much stronger than the mountain tremors she had observed as she fell, with a dull yet powerful rhythm, like something forcefully striking a drumhead.

She turned her head.

On the shadowy side of Pudding Mountain, a colossal beast, about four stories tall, was slowly approaching them. It had no title displayed and was not a player.

Its body was covered with thick, caramel-colored scales. With each step it took, crumbs of icing from the edges of its scales would fall, leaving a trail of icing behind it.

Its four legs are as thick as pillars, and when it lands, the pudding-like ground is deeply dented, leaving footprints that are difficult to erase. The act of walking itself creates constantly undulating waves of pudding.

Due to the limitations of the Internet, all intelligent beings can receive more or less protection. Since it can appear here as food, it means that it is an unintelligent AI.

The giant beast turned its lowered head toward them, its nostrils flaring as it exhaled a cloud of golden heat.

Xia Jie raised her right hand, palm facing up.

The golden heat dissipated as it drifted towards him. The giant beast's nostrils twitched twice more, then it lowered its head, brought its massive cheek close to Xia Jie, and rubbed against his shoulder.

The force was very light, only slightly heavier than when a cat rubs against someone. Considering the size of that giant beast, it was already extremely gentle.

"Is this your 'love's influence'?" Little Deer took a step back. "Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a hypnotic app that turns you into a permanent Star Wrath user."

"That's how conceptual abilities work; if you don't like it, don't play."

Xia Jie patted the giant beast's chin; it was sticky to the touch, like a freshly baked candied sweet potato.

"It thinks I smell good, so I make it think I shouldn't be eaten and should be treated as a friend. Given the logic of its bionic AI, it wouldn't say things like 'Brother, you smell good' or 'Friends taste good'."

The giant beast gave a low groan, slowly turned around, and walked back into the depths of the Pudding Mountains.

The little deer watched the giant beast disappear behind the ridgeline, then turned back to look at Xia Jie.

"Your ability to find food is practically a cheat code. A restaurant that prioritizes skill and strength would really become a buffet here, with delicious food falling from the sky."

"It's not just about finding food; it's like having cheat codes in every aspect."

Xia Jie muttered to herself.

Over the next few days, they traversed less than 1% of the low-risk outermost area of ​​the Gourmet Continent.

The surface of Sprite Lake is crystal clear, with tiny bubbles constantly rising in the sunlight.

When those bubbles rise to the surface and burst, they carry a cool lemon scent. At the same time, the dense carbon dioxide bubbles create a high-frequency crackling sound as the water flows, which feels like the comfort of cleaning your ears with a cotton swab.

The little deer squatted on the shore, scooped up a handful, and as it tasted it, its eyebrows slightly raised and its Adam's apple bobbed. Then, looking up at the mint-leaf-shaped clouds slowly drifting across the lake, it uttered a short but clear assessment:

"Pass."

Xia Jie also tried it, and the moment it entered her mouth, it felt like her entire brain had been doused with ice water. The aroma of seven or eight kinds of citrus fruits exploded on her tongue at the same time, and the coolness lingered in her throat for a full ten seconds.

He glanced at the few players floating in the middle of the lake.

Those people lay directly on the water's surface, letting the bubbles carry their bodies as they slowly rotated, their faces radiating a serene peace that seemed to say "world peace" and "no regrets in this life."

One of them waved and greeted them enthusiastically, his sparkling water glass reflecting the bright sunlight. His appearance reminded Xia Jie of an old friend who had won the revival match.

Although the restaurant itself encourages violence, most of the time the players are quite harmonious. After all, the common food in these low-risk areas is too plentiful and the creatures are too weak, so there is really no need to fight.

The Chollez Dam spans the outlet of Sprite Lake, blocking part of the water flow and forming a small waterfall with a vertical drop of about five meters.

Yes, the dam itself is a giant chocolate-coated ice cream bar, studded with tiny bits of nuts and chocolate chips. It melts slightly in the sunlight, gleaming deliciously, and every few minutes a few crumbs peel off the edges and fall into the maple sap river below.

Several players were squatting at the bottom of the dam, catching the debris with cups, which looked like some kind of ritualistic check-in.

The Fire Dragon Valley, a hundred kilometers away, presents a completely different scene. Because the fire dragons are killed and roasted by players as soon as they spawn, it is also known as Roasted Dragon Valley by long-term guests.

It was an open valley with a ground of light brown stone slabs, or more precisely, rocks that had been repeatedly baked by high temperatures.

In the center of the valley, several metal roasting forks, as long as flagpoles in a playground, lay horizontally. Huge chunks of meat with marbled cuts hung from the forks, coated with some kind of dark red sauce. The oil dripped onto the charcoal fire below from time to time, stirring up a puff of fragrant white smoke.

A person was standing next to the roasting fork.

The man was wearing an apron with the words "Today is another day of hard hunting" printed on it. He held a half-meter-long bone knife in each hand and was flipping a piece of meat. He looked to be about thirty years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. His hair was tied in a bun, and his skillful movements gave him an air of "I've been doing this for two hundred years."

If I get a little older, I might be able to call myself the Barbecue Master.

Little Deer walked over and greeted him: "Hey! Old Wei!"

The chef, referred to as Old Wei, looked up, grinned upon recognizing the newcomer, and said, "Hey, Little Deer! Long time no see. Where have you been lately?"

"We've met our match." Little Deer pointed backward in Xia Jie's direction with her thumb. "We lost the duel."

Old Wei's gaze fell on Xia Jie, looking her up and down, and he gave her an approving look without asking any further questions.

"Let's have some grilled meat to cheer ourselves up. The dragon meat was just slaughtered this morning, it's fresh and smells amazing."

He said, slicing off a large, thin piece of meat with a bone knife. The cut surface of the meat was a perfect pink, and the fat at the edges curled slightly in the warmth. "You're a regular customer, so I'll give you a 20% discount today."

"A discount at a free restaurant?" Little Deer chuckled.

"It's all about the presentation." Old Wei tossed the slices of meat onto the stone slab, and with a sizzle, the aroma rose. "Besides, with my culinary skills, the dragon meat I roast can glow. One bite is worth three thousand meals outside."

Xia Jie took the rolled-up slice of roasted meat that Lao Wei handed her and put it in her mouth.

"WTF, ice!"

The moment the meat entered his mouth, a warm current spread from his esophagus to his limbs, and his body temperature instantly rose by more than ten degrees. He felt warm all over, like a person who was about to freeze to death finding a hot spring, or like being embraced by a warm young woman, a warmth that came from the depths of his soul.

"How is it?" Old Wei asked.

Xia Jie swallowed the dragon meat and gave a serious evaluation: "Happiness value +30, rating: the best of the best."

Old Wei burst into laughter, his face contorted like a dragon, a scene of pure joy akin to finding a kindred spirit amidst a beautiful landscape.

After leaving Roasted Dragon Valley, they crossed a vinegar plain where dumplings were raining down. Each dumpling was the size of a palm, falling densely from the violently rising gray-white clouds, landing silently and as light as a feather, piling up on the ground to form a thick dumpling carpet.

Every hour, the dumpling rain would be interrupted for a brief minute, during which players would seize the opportunity to rush into the vinegar field, scoop up a bunch of dumplings like they were scooping fish with a net, and stuff them into their portable containers.

They say that dumplings picked within this minute taste the best.

A pair of players who looked like siblings were arguing about whether to dip their dumplings in vinegar or ketchup. Their voices could be heard clearly from dozens of meters away. Some passersby joined the discussion, while others chose to walk around them.

Further ahead, there is a bubble water waterfall that runs through the mountain range.

The waterfall has a drop of about twenty meters, and the sound of the water echoes in the valley, filling the entire space with white noise.

The splashing water carried dense carbon dioxide bubbles, and the mist enveloped the entire valley, refracting rainbow patterns in the sunlight.

The air humidity here is very high, feeling almost like a sauna without heat, and the air is filled with a sweet, sugary aroma.

As the deer passed by, it casually scooped up a handful of water droplets from the end of the waterfall, took a sip, and then squinted its eyes in satisfaction, its eyelashes fluttering slightly, as happy as a dead horse that had just realized it had successfully stirred up trouble.

The Cheese Canyon that followed made them stay longer than expected.

The canyon walls are made of golden, hard cheese, with holes the size of mouse holes on the surface, making it a perfect place for Jerry to live.

At the bottom of the canyon flows a pale yellow river about three meters wide, which is melted cheese paste, warm and thick, with a uniform and rich sheen on the surface as it flows slowly.

Several giant slices of bread floated on the river like natural floating islands. Several players were squatting on the edge of the bread slices, scooping up cheese with spoons and kneading it with other ingredients on their bodies.

The little deer squatted on the bank, used its magic wand to test the "water" temperature of the Cheese River, and then uttered some rather uncivilized words with satisfaction.

"A foot bath is just right."

She took off her boots and soaked her feet in the cheese sauce, which crackled and sizzled, releasing a fragrant aroma.

A player who was munching on a small loaf of bread walked by, glanced down at the golden liquid at her feet, and looked at her with a subtle envy in his eyes. Xia Jie guessed that he was an old friend from the porridge bar.

The Pumpkin House and the Milk Hot Spring are not far apart, connected only by a chocolate bean path.

The Pumpkin House is a huge orange pumpkin with its interior hollowed out by the long-term residents. It is about two stories high, with the patterns on its shell clearly visible, and the doors and windows are all located on the pumpkin's natural ridges.

Laughter and the clinking of cutlery could be heard from inside the room from time to time.

The milk hot spring consists of dozens of circular, milky-white pools. The water is always kept warm, with a thin layer of milk skin floating on the surface. Occasionally, bubbles rise from the bottom of the pool and burst, releasing a warm, milky fragrance.

Several people were chatting while soaking in the hot spring. One of them had his head resting on the shore, holding a cup of wild dog milk in his hand, looking as relaxed as if he had been soaking in the hot spring for a hundred years.

Perhaps it really has been soaking for a hundred years.

Xia Jie and the other person glanced at it from afar but did not linger.

A rainbow of sugar mist stretched for tens of kilometers across the boundary between the plains and the mountains. It wasn't a real rainbow, but rather an effect created by sunlight shining through a band of seven-colored sugar mist suspended in the air.

The sugar mist is extremely fine and dense, floating in the wind like clumps of scattered colorful cotton. When you reach through the sugar mist, your fingertips will feel a subtle, sweet sensation, like you've just squeezed a piece of fruit candy and then let go, leaving a very faint sweet fragrance on your fingertips.

The golden apple tree stood alone at the end of the sugary rainbow.

The tree is not tall, about the thickness of two people's arms, and its golden crown is adorned with a dozen or so pure golden apples.

A wooden sign stood at the base of the tree, with the words "How would you divide it among the Greek gods?" written crookedly, along with other small messages.

Next to the wooden sign sat a little boy, enjoying a bite of one of the golden apples. The flesh exposed at the bite mark was translucent amber in color, shimmering with a subtle luster in the sunlight.

The deer picked two and continued on their way with Xia Jie.

Ice Cream Mountain is a famous landmark in the low-risk food production area, and its outline can be clearly seen from the plains.

The mountaintop was covered with a thick layer of creamy snow, and small flags could sometimes be seen stuck in the gentle slopes of the snow, marking various flavors of trail markers.

The little deer stopped halfway up the mountain, used its magic stick to knock off a piece of vanilla-flavored snow, put it in its mouth, took a bite, its eyebrows twitched slightly, but it quickly returned to a calm expression, continued walking uphill, and found a piece of ice cream snow marked "Limited Edition Supreme Taro Flavor" on the side before stopping with satisfaction.

Looking due south from the steep snow-capped peaks tens of thousands of meters high, you can see the coastline in the far distance.

The Thick Soup Ocean occupies a large area in the southern part of the planet. The sea surface is a thick, creamy color, and the waves move much slower than those of a normal ocean. Each time it crashes against the shore, it leaves a thin film on the beach, which is quickly absorbed by the sand.

The air was filled with the warm scent of mushrooms and herbs; taking a breath made my stomach instinctively contract.

Looking up at the sky, the legendary ingredient "the sun" moves slowly across the zenith of the Gourmet Star, its light always warm and bright. The ten suns that are refreshed after being eaten ensure that one side of the world never sees dusk.

After descending the mountain, Xia Jie leaned against a giant almond-shaped rock wall at the foot of Ice Cream Snow Mountain, chewing on a small piece of mint chocolate-flavored ice cube that she had broken off from the mountaintop, feeling the cool sensation as it slowly melted on her tongue, her thoughts drifting to a distant ocean of thick soup.

"Are you full?" Little Deer sat down next to him.

"Yes." Xia Jie chewed the ice cubes.

He looked down at his hands:

"Before I came here, I thought this kind of restaurant was a dog-eat-dog world where you fight for food, but all the players I met along the way were eating their own food, and at most they would exchange a few words over dipping sauce."

"Because these people are the leisure type."

The deer gazed into the distance.

"The rules of the meritocratic restaurant do allow for food grabbing, but when you actually get to this planet, most people will find that the food itself is more interesting than fighting. True meritocracy can only be seen in the rare ingredient areas deep in the continent."

"What about the seventh rule, 'the door opens inwards'? Is it really a repeat of Zhongli faking his death?"

"Yes, it's just creating a fuss."

The deer smiled.

"To put it simply, there's a door in the center of the Gourmet Continent that opens inwards to the outside world. Anyone who tries to push it outwards will be teleported into the atmosphere and thrown around again. It's that simple."

After speaking, she was silent for a while, then pulled the magic staff out of the snow, stood up, and patted the cream crumbs off her pants.

"It's about time we went, I've had enough to eat."

Xia Jie also got up from the rock wall, his body also covered with food scraps.

As he stood up, the small piece of caramel on his collar, the few drops of cheese splattered on his cuffs, and the meat juices and syrup stuck to his trousers at his knees all reluctantly left his body.

"Walk."

The two initiated the network teleportation.

With a flash of white light, the two were back in front of the simple wooden door.

The signboard is still there, and the lonely door panel on the wall is still there. Everything outside the door is the same as before you went in. The ground is an orange-yellow inflatable mat, and there is a faint smell of rubber mixed with a sweet fragrance in the air.

The wooden door closed gently behind them with a soft "click," the latch returning to its original position.

The little deer stretched lazily, patted its belly, and then turned its head to look at Xia Jie:

"Your ability is really useful; not a single gourmet creature has attacked us these past few days."

"This kind of ability shouldn't be considered rare in the metaverse."

Xia Jie raised her eyebrows.

"If you want it, you can just make a wish on the online platform."

The little deer thought about it seriously for two seconds, then shook its head.

"No."

She turned the magic staff around, resting the tip on the ground, placed her hands on the end of the staff, and lowered her gaze to her feet:

"I think the Mythical Beast Amber can do even more."

"I'll talk about changing the core ability after I've developed the Mythical Beast Amber to its fullest potential."

"Are you serious?"

"Seriously."

The fawn raised its head, its eyes burning with intense light.

"These past few days, I've often thought about that lightning blade form that you so easily dismantled, and I've realized there's still a lot that can be improved. At least, I won't change cards until I reach my peak."

Xia Jie looked into her eyes and nodded slightly:

"The dream is commendable, but it lacks a bit of extravagance."

"Let's part ways here." Little Deer picked up the Ruyi Cudgel again.

"I'm going back to my personal space to train for a few years. You'll feel more comfortable exploring the competitions and entertainment in the metaverse based on your own interests. Your personal AI can also act as a guide, so I won't compete with it."