Forge a path to success

Mr. Gray: "The familiar local cuisine tastes just like home~ 78 points."

Chu Hengkong ate another fruit: "I really didn't expect you could cook."

"My grandfather taught me how to cook when I was little," Qingxia said proudly. "Whether it's fighting or cooking, I'm the best in the city!"

"Good boy, good boy."

Qingxia squatted down with a smile so that Chu Hengkong could touch her head. Not far away, Ji Huaisu suddenly intensified his attack, his face contorted with rage: "Damn it, just you wait, the main course will be ready soon! Aaaaaah!"

"Miss Ji, we'll wait, so please go around the stove. It feels like the pot is melting."

Chu Hengkong offered words of comfort while walking around to the fourth stove.

Yes, there are also contestants working at the fourth stove, because there are not only three female contestants participating in this cooking challenge—there is also the glittering silver-eyed demon!

"After complaining non-stop the whole way, being able to cook a meal in peace feels like a vacation," Vande said.

"With a physique like yours, you can cook, or even carve chocolates?" Chu Hengkong joked. "Let me see you—holy crap!"

Chu Hengkong exclaimed in surprise, and gasps of astonishment echoed around him. Vande's cooking was beyond description; he had created a 20cm-tall chocolate castle!

The main structure is sculpted from blocks of milk chocolate, decorated with snowflakes made of white chocolate, and translucent sugar shards serve as glass throughout the castle. Shaved fruit forms the grass, fruit trees, and the rainbow behind the castle. This castle is virtually identical to the iconic building of the Flying Swallow Amusement Park. Vandal extends his tentacles and places a five-pointed star-shaped sugar ball atop the castle's spire.

"Done." It glanced at the amusement park map. "It's a one-to-one replica of the structure in the map. It should be pretty close."

"Is this something you can figure out just by looking at a picture?!" Gulibo exclaimed in shock.

“What’s the fuss about? There are plenty of recipe books that teach how to make chocolate molds,” Van der said. “You can just make a few minor adjustments to the mold.”

"Completely incomprehensible!"

Chu Hengkong then realized that Fan De was probably a guy with super strong hands-on skills... Come to think of it, he could even make a calamity wrist on the spot, so making a chocolate castle would be no problem for him at all!

"How is this possible..." Qingye's face turned deathly pale. "My chocolate is actually not as good as Vande's...!"

"The taste is what matters! The presentation is just decoration!" Qingxia shouted.

"The taste is also based on the recipe, so I guess it won't be too bad..." Vande muttered.

It cut a few pieces of castle and placed them on a small plate. Chu Hengkong stuffed a mouthful in, then suddenly fell silent. After Banningtik finished eating, he immediately stood up and applauded. Mr. Grey was filled with awe, and the Great Seal began wiping his eyes.

"It's a work of art. 100 points!"

"This is too good. I can only give it a perfect score."

The seasoning is slightly lacking in personal touch, but otherwise it's undeniably excellent. I'll write a separate review about it later. Good job!

Even the pet giant salamander nodded repeatedly: "Waaaaa (100)."

"Really?" Van der licked his lips. "Wow! It smells pretty good!"

Qingxia staggered to Zaza's car and collapsed next to Qingye with a thud. Two dazed sighs came from inside the car.

"My cooking skills have been defeated by Vander..."

"I think I'll just retire from the culinary world from now on..."

"You two can't even compare to a mere eye demon; your culinary skills still need improvement!" Ji Huaisu said confidently. "Watch closely! This is the kind of chocolate dish that belongs to a young lady!"

She placed the trembling pot on the judges' table and opened the lid with the force of ripping off a card. The three judges were immediately startled, for inside the pot, a chaotic black substance was boiling and writhing, and as the bubbles burst, all sorts of gruesome debris could be seen floating and sinking!

“The bud of the divine tree, what is this?” Banningtik’s face turned pale.

"This is my original dish, fried chocolate porridge, made using all the ingredients!"

“Oh my god,” said Mr. Gray.

A huge bubble burst open, and something resembling a miniature hand bone flew out of the pot and landed on Mr. Gray's forehead. The giant seal silently retreated half a meter, only to be grabbed back by Ji Huaisu. She poured a full bowl for each of the three judges and Chu Hengkong: "Come on, don't be shy, everyone have a taste!"

Chu Hengkong didn't feel guilty at all; after all, he had eaten things that were even uglier than this more than once. He picked up the bowl, took a bite, and then didn't touch it again.

"Dude! Hang in there, buddy!!!" Vande screamed.

Ji Huaisu was puzzled: "Is it because it's so delicious that you're enjoying it with your eyes closed...?"

"Obviously not!!!"

"Here, Mr. Grey, you should try some!"

Mr. Gray trembled as he watched the bowl of indescribable, charred black substance approaching, his fur turning slightly black. He quickly placed the bowl in front of the giant salamander pet and gently advised, "Waaah, could you taste it first to check the saltiness?"

The blue giant salamander chewed a couple of times with a smacking sound, then slammed its big head into the rice bowl with a thud, and didn't make a sound.

"Waaaaah!!!" Mr. Gray was heartbroken.

Prosecutor Banningtik took three deep breaths, and with great courage picked up the half-melted spoon and took a sip.

"poisonous……"

"Prosecutor Banningtik—"

At that moment, the fearless seal had already taken a sip of chocolate porridge. It shakily stretched out its paw, seemingly trying to write something, but only managed to leave a twisted mark on the ground before its eyes rolled back and it fainted.

"Shopkeeper, please!"

Chu Hengkong remained standing there, as if his soul had gone to a higher place to serve the supreme being. Ji Huaisu looked left and right, and saw the prosecutor writing a distorted "0" with his hand dipped in sauce, Mr. Gray silently holding up a sign to write "0", and then he saw the last vertical line carved by the sea seal, and suddenly he understood.

"So I got 100 points!"

"You got zero, you bastard!!!"

Chapter 318 Watching Fireworks from a Boat

At night, a lone boat rests in the middle of the lake. The boat is brightly lit, and the shadows of the people sitting around it are reflected on the bamboo curtains, while steaming smoke drifts out of the windows.

"Is my cooking really that bad...?"

Ji Huaisu lay slumped on the table, his eyes vacant. Everyone around him turned away, unable to utter a single word of comfort.

Chu Hengkong had just opened his mouth when he spewed out a cloud of black smoke like a sorcerer. He quickly closed his mouth and used his spirit to comfort him, saying, "Don't say anything more, let's eat the hot pot first."

"I don't believe it! This mistake was just due to lack of experience; I'll practice more—"

"Absolutely not." "Give up." "Please stop." "You'd better never cook in your life." "Don't ask me to taste your dishes."

Miss Ji was pierced through the heart by a series of clean, precise blows, falling to the ground like snow-white ash. Van Der proclaimed, "Brothers and sisters, witness! An evil soul has been destroyed here!"

"I'll scald you to the bottom of the pot, you stinky squid."

"You don't believe me when I tell you you're evil. Ugh! It's so tight!"

Van der scrambled across the table, dodging Ji Huaisu's long chopsticks, weaving between dishes of sugar and jam. In the center of the table, a large pot of chocolate had just boiled, and various slices of fruit and vegetables were piled high like colorful ice blocks.

Chocolate fondue might sound like a bizarre dish at first glance, but it's actually a traditional specialty of Fei Yan. Local gardeners have come up with a creative way to grow fruits and vegetables perfect for dipping in sugar. These "Fei Yan fruits" are tasteless on their own, but when paired with syrup and chocolate, they have a texture similar to potato chips or sugar syrup, making them well worth a try.

“If you freeze it, it’s like a high-class sashimi…” Sethlen froze a plate of paper-thin fruit slices. “When you put them in the pot, they make a ‘whoosh’ sound, and the little animals love it.”

Qingxia placed the fruit slices into the pot, and the rising steam from the hot and cold mixture solidified on top of the pot, becoming a temporary ice sculpture.

"Wow, this looks fun!"

"Your control over the water element has improved; you've made progress," Ji Huaisu praised.

Sethlen scratched his head and chuckled, "I've been training too... little by little, trying to take control of myself..."

Vande grabbed a piece of fruit peel and slurped it down: "Last time Qingxia wasn't there, and this time Shizhong has disappeared again. There are never enough people when we eat hot pot."

"Shax wasn't there either time..."

"Next time we meet, I'll invite him along."

"Who knows when we'll get together again?" Qingye swirled her wine glass. "Let's not worry about those who are absent. The important thing is for everyone here to have fun!"

The lights reflected in the lake, shimmering on the water in the evening breeze. She sat by the window, gazing at the night view, a sense of leisurely pleasure washing over her. No one was in a hurry to eat, as the fireworks display wasn't until an hour later. They had secured the best spots early, ready to enjoy the view from the lake after their meal.

This kind of carefree, unhurried time is the essence of a holiday; whether chatting or playing games, you can enjoy it to the fullest.

"It's as if we're all going to be separated again," Chu Hengkong laughed.

"That's the reality, isn't it? Gulibo and Sethlen will stay in the city-state, and the others have their own goals. Once this matter is over, everyone will go their separate ways again," Qingye said. "Only Mr. Chu and the other two will stay together, right?"

"Not necessarily," Ji Huaisu said lazily. "I still have a great mission to carry out. Maybe one day I'll discover an ancient knightly tradition and fly over there in a flash."

“Your important mission doesn’t seem to be making any progress.” Qingxia poked her cheek. “It’s still the same as when you left.”

"Get your claws off me, you're so annoying." Ji Huaisu rolled her eyes. "I'm different from you barbarians. When we knights reach level 4, we need to bind the wind element to our bodies..."

"Isn't it... transforming into the wind?" Sethlen asked in astonishment. "Free wind is all about elemental transformation."

The Supreme Path Point 4, Free Wind, can be called the freest point in the world, its unique characteristic being that it can become a whirlwind that can travel between dust islands. These people move much more easily than those on the neighboring road; they don't need cars or wings, and they can go wherever they want. Sethron hosted several Free Wind guests during his months at the amusement park, and without exception, they were all colorful elemental beings; he had never seen one with a physical body.

“That’s the general situation, but my profession is a bit special. It’s all about self-discipline. If you’re already a pure elemental being and can’t control yourself, what’s the point of discipline?” Ji Huaisu sighed. “So if you want to reach level 4, you have to seal your power in your mount and only use it when needed. Either find a suitable mount or create an elemental creature from scratch.”

"I always thought our path as a 'disabled soul' was already quite arduous, but I didn't expect you, Sister Huaisu, to be just as formidable." Qingye said, enjoying the show.

"Exactly! Why do I have to have a mount? I've never ridden a horse since I started out, and now you're suddenly saying I need an animal companion that can possess my power?" Ji Huaisu complained bitterly. "Besides, I'm too strong, okay? Even if a level 3 or 4 beast is willing to be my mount, it can't handle me!"

“Considering that you will be even stronger after your transformation, the physical attributes of this Sealed Wind mount may be close to five…” Vande’s eyes were strange. “Are you interested in asking the Great Seal if it works?”

"The store manager would never ride it. It gets tired after running 500 meters."

"Instead of hoping for a divine steed to descend from the sky and sign a contract with me, it's more practical to make it myself by hand..." Ji Huaisu took a big gulp of chocolate, "But I don't know biology... Biology is so hard..."

Chu Hengkong recalled the large number of animal illustrations the girl had bought earlier, and realized that Ji Huaisu had been preparing for her ascension. It seemed that Olek's words had indeed come true; Ji Huaisu was extremely strong at the third stage of particle saturation, but it was precisely because of her strength that she was unable to ascend.

"I think we should try a different approach," Chu Hengkong said. "The mythical beasts in the book are far away, but you have samples worth studying right here."

"Research what? You? You're hilarious. What reference value do those off-the-book parts have?"

“Study the person across from you.”

"?"

Ji Huaisu looked up blankly, while the red-haired lady across the table stood tall and proud, her face beaming with confidence, as if to say, "Look at me, look at me!"

Qingye realized, "Ah, speaking of which, this guy is..."

"A fighting spirit that's always at its peak! First-rate adaptability! And an unparalleled ability to evolve!" Qingxia covered her face with her hand. "I, Qingxia, am a perfect being who can always reach the highest level of excitement!"

"Damn, even though she's arrogant, she's actually quite..." Ji Huaisu exclaimed, "Theoretically, they could even learn the Discipline Seal on their own! The compatibility is incredibly high!"

Qingxia put her hands on her hips: "So what? If you come begging to me now, I won't mind sharing some of your biological information~"

"Oh dear, Qingxia, we've been through so much together, why are you talking so formally..." Ji Huaisu pounced on her, stretching her paws. "What's so important about those photos? Give them to me!"

"Oh, so you dare to approach me instead of backing down?"

Three seconds later, Detective Ji was slammed to the ground with a thud, and Qingxia whistled while lying on her back.

"It fell down in just three seconds, how lame."

"Get lost, you're too heavy..."

"What's gotten into her? Why would she want to arm wrestle with Cheng Kongyi?" Vande squinted.

Chu Hengkong gloated: "Someone seems to have always had an unrealistic imagination about her arm strength, probably due to the illusion of winning arm wrestling in the past."

"Damn you, you petty jerk! You still hold a grudge about beating me once!"

Ji Huaisu suddenly flipped over and wrestled with Qingxia, the golden-haired and red-haired girls rolling around in the cabin. Qingye, afraid of being infected by the field of low intelligence, quickly looked away: "But is this really feasible? If we copy Qingxia's approach, there's a risk of information contamination, isn't there?"

“Blindly copying it won’t work, but we can ask Qingxia to help us revise it,” Fan De said. “Let Ji Huaisu collect more biological information that she wants as material, and let Qingxia simulate and run a design. Then she can make some minor adjustments based on the technique.”

The two girls who were playfully bickering stopped upon hearing this, and Qingxia blinked: "Fande, you seem to have a lot of experience..."

"Do you think I've collaborated with people from different disciplines countless times when writing papers? I'm an expert, okay? Trust me."

"Then Ji Huaisu, you'll have no choice but to repay with your body."

"Hey! Get out of here, you lecherous horse. I'll give you some of my belongings when I level up."

"So stingy~"

Chu Heng stepped aside to avoid being caught in the rolling tangle of the two. He looked at Qing Ye: "How are you?"

"I haven't honed myself to perfection in any aspect yet, so I plan to level up to 4 later." Qingye slurped up his noodles. "After leveling up to 4, I'll leave Huilong City to do the Moon Gazing Journey. I'll return to Shura Island whenever I level up to 5."

Chu Hengkong smiled and said, "You're planning to take direct action against the general. That's ambitious."

He knew Qingye's talent and backbone well. She was a genius that appeared only once in a thousand years, and she had also inherited the Night Walker's legacy, and even comprehended Chongming's Radiant Heaven Flow. After this girl ascended to the 5th level, she would be able to fight against a general of the 6th level. Qingye said she would not return to the island until she reached the 5th level, which probably meant that she would do something big as soon as she returned to Shura Island.

"If we can't even defeat a general, then changing Shura Island is just nonsense." Qingye wiped her mouth. "The patriarch will handle matters at the Martial Venerable level. If we can't even change the situation below the Martial Venerable level, how can we have the face to go home?"

"Good! Xiao Ye, you really have guts!" Qingxia gave a thumbs up. "But aren't you going to Heavenly Prison?"

"We must deal with Shura Island before we can go to Heavenly Prison," Vande pointed out. "You all know how much someone helped us get out of the wilderness, but the higher levels are their territory, and they won't be so kind as to let us through.