Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 649 The Soul of the Cauldron is overjoyed
The complex runes on the bronze cauldron flickered, but a large portion of them were not fully activated.

Even so, the cauldron still shone brightly, like a giant furnace, burning away the gloom in the sky above the entire City of All Beings.

Seeing this, Yang's left cheek twitched, and he turned around and ran backward, swinging his arms and even using his hands and feet. He no longer cared about his dignity. Tentacles tore open from under his flesh, and he ran faster than a dog.

This isn't to blame the dignified leader of the Spirit God Cult for being a coward. Imagine a three-meter-tall gorilla, its body shimmering with golden light, wielding a flaming bronze cauldron and smashing it down on you. Would you not run? Only a complete idiot wouldn't.

Not only did Yang Zuo want to run away, but even Omeprazole and the others were terrified by this scene.

The strength of this group has completely exceeded their comprehension.

Everyone's fighting peacefully with cold weapons, and then this guy suddenly transforms into Sun Wukong, and then, without any martial ethics, pulls out a magical artifact from a fantasy novel. Who can stand that?

"Trying to run away?! That won't do!"

Seeing that Yang Zuo was about to run away, Xiao Ran formed a hand seal and used a spell. As a wisp of spiritual power quickly locked onto Yang Zuo, Xiao Ran pinched his fingers together.

"Lock!"

Yang Zuo suddenly felt his footing sink and almost stumbled and fell to the ground. When he looked back, he saw that a chain had appeared out of thin air on the ground.

Strangely, the chains were not locked to himself, but to his shadow.

This is a technique created by Xiao Ran after he glimpsed the third level of the Soul Cultivation Technique and his understanding of the Dao of Techniques was elevated to another level.

Shadow Lock.

It's similar to their family's previous Spirit Binding Technique, but after Xiao Ran upgraded it, the target is no longer the person, but the shadow.

This makes it easier and less likely to be broken free.

One chain after another flew out from the ground, binding Yang Zuo's shadow tightly. Yang Zuo's body became heavier and heavier, and he was trapped in place, unable to move.

"You bastards, if you dare kill me, the spirits will curse you, and you will all die a horrible death!!"

Realizing he had nowhere to run, Yang Zuo turned around fiercely, his two large, bell-like eyes sweeping over everyone present.

"Warning! You are cursed by the Beast [Spiritual Mark]!!"

[Divine Mark]: When you appear within the range perceived by the spirits, their gaze will notice you, and they will hold you accountable for your evil deeds!

Anyone caught in Yang Zuo's gaze received an alarm notification.

Omeprazole and the others looked strange, and Dodge regretted it even more, wishing he hadn't exposed himself so early.

But Wu Man didn't care about any of that.

"What kind of bullshit spirit is he? Even if he came, he would just be a dish on my plate."

As they were speaking, Wu Man's large cauldron crashed down upon them.

Yang Zuo still wanted to make a last-ditch effort. Two huge ghostly hands opened behind him, trying to grab the falling bronze cauldron. But before the two ghostly hands could get close, they were illuminated by the golden firelight on the cauldron, and the two huge hands turned into candies, snacks and pastries of various colors, which were scattered on the ground.

With a loud "Boom!!", a bright light flashed before everyone's eyes, and a pale golden luster rippled outwards from the center of the explosion like ripples on the surface of water.

The shockwave arrived so suddenly that many people were caught off guard and were immediately thrown backward.

The half-dead Yao beasts were also swept up in it and instantly swallowed up in the bright light.

"Oh no, I don't want to die!!"

Someone in the crowd screamed and started flailing their arms and legs with their eyes closed, but the expected pain did not come.

As the white light gradually dimmed, everyone looked closely and found themselves unharmed. But when they looked up again, they were stunned.

"This……"

When Omeprazole and the others looked around, they were stunned and stood there. All around them was steaming hot, and the Yao beasts and Yang Zuo had disappeared without a trace. The houses around them had changed drastically.

One of the beginners couldn't resist reaching out and breaking off a piece of the hot plaster from the wall in front of him. Under the suspicious gazes of the others, he carefully put it in his mouth.

"Hmm, is it really bread?? It tastes pretty good..."

After the newcomer was confirmed, everyone's expressions became even more peculiar.

Looking around, everything within a 400-meter radius of Wu Man had been turned into food.

Hmm... what an obscure word.

Even Xiao Ran and the others thought Wu Man's move was too strange.

Looking around, the houses are made of bread, covered with a layer of meat sauce; the trees and leaves are chocolate; the stones on the ground have become meat buns; and the roof tiles have become all sorts of strange and wonderful dishes.

The well water looked normal, as if it had just been boiled and was emitting wisps of white steam. When someone leaned over to take a look, the well water looked clear and transparent, but when they got closer to smell it, they could actually smell a fresh and fragrant aroma.

Some people, not believing in superstition, took out a bucket, filled a bowl with water, and drank it, only to find that it was actually chicken soup.

The chicken soup was clearer than water, yet its delicious flavor made it impossible to stop eating.

"Idiot!!"

At this moment, someone exclaimed, "This chicken soup actually adds attributes! All attributes +1!"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked. They tried it without believing it and sure enough, they felt their attributes increase by 1 point after a short while.

Although it's only 1 point, it is still an improvement.

However, although this chicken soup is delicious, its attribute-boosting effect only lasts for one time.

Fortunately, it was soon discovered that the walls, stones, trees, and bricks here were not only food, but also granted certain attributes when consumed.

At this point, everyone couldn't resist. Although they hadn't been able to complete the side quest, the delicious food in front of them could enhance their attributes, so whether or not they could complete the side quest wasn't that important.

Anyway, they didn't have much hope in the first place, so what they had to eat right now was the most practical thing.

"That...I..."

Huang Le, who was standing not far away next to Jin Chanzi, was already drooling with envy. Seeing this, he pointed ahead and mumbled something, looking embarrassed to say anything.

"Let's go try it together."

This time, the old demon Qinghai didn't stop him. He even took the initiative to pull Huang Le down to enjoy some delicious food.

As for Jin Chanzi and Dai Long, they did not taste it.

They wouldn't touch the food until Wu Man explained what it was all about.

The aroma around them grew stronger, and in the center where Wu Man stood, the large cauldron remained in place, with hot bubbles continuously rising from it.

Wu Man had already changed into a chef's uniform, holding a huge soup ladle in her hand. She stood on the large cauldron and tapped it under her feet.

"Dong dong dong..."

Everyone looked up and heard Wu Man shout, "Assorted Delicacies Stew, those who want to eat, hurry up!"

Upon hearing that there was something even more delicious, Omeprazole and the others rushed forward.

The aroma from the cauldron grew stronger and stronger. Wu Man pointed to the broken bricks and tiles beside her, which had turned into naan bread: "Line up, line up, one serving per person. This stuff is very nutritious, so don't eat too much."

Upon hearing this, everyone became less polite and lined up with their naan bread, eagerly watching Wu Man standing on it.

Xiao Ran walked to the side without making a sound, glanced at the contents of the cauldron, and saw that it was a light golden soup with a rich aroma and a faint herbal scent.

"How about it? Want to try some later?" Wu Man turned to look at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran didn't respond to that question. Instead, she examined the large cauldron with her eyes, finding it increasingly extraordinary. So, she asked via telepathy, "Is this... the power of the cauldron?"

He remembered that when Wu Man confronted the Locust God last time, he seemed to have relied on this cauldron to absorb the Locust God's power and turn it into two cotton candies. Now it seems that Wu Man's control over this cauldron has become much stronger, which makes him curious about the origin of this cauldron.

"You've got a good eye, kid."

Wu Man didn't hide anything from Xiao Ran and quietly told her about the properties of the cauldron.

Grade A Cursed Item: [Soup Cauldron - Inspiration Chef]

Ingredients: 3281/40000
Privilege 1: The Might of the Peak

Consumed 500 ingredients.

When a user activates this privilege, they are granted a powerful invulnerability effect. Under this state, the user is immune to most control skills and negative status effects, moving freely and as unshakeable as a mountain.

Privilege 2: The Cauldron Embraces Heaven and Earth

When faced with a powerful attack, the user can activate this privilege, turning the [Soup Cauldron] into a giant black hole that completely swallows the enemy's attack.

The limit for consuming food must not exceed the limit for consuming other ingredients.

Privilege 3: Fire that Transforms the Stove

Activating this privilege will ignite the stove-like fire within the [Soup Cauldron], transforming any object that comes into contact with the flame into food.

The stronger the enemy, object, cursed item, etc., swallowed into the cauldron, the higher the efficiency of the transformed food.
Privilege 3: One Cauldron of Heaven and Earth

Consume 3000 ingredients to activate all privileges and double the effects of all privileges.

Launch an over-the-top attack on the target ahead.

If you can kill it, you will get 50% of the food consumed back and a feast effect will be generated.

Bonus Perk: [Feast]

Centered on itself, it unleashes a flame of creation, transforming all objects (ineffective against humans).
Wu Man secretly told Xiao Ran about the properties of the [Soup Cauldron], which made Xiao Ran gasp: "Just like the pen in my hand, it's an A-grade cursed item, a heaven-defying item that can change the form of any object and even the rules."

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran couldn't help but sigh. Although she had the "dormitory manager's pen," her profession didn't seem to be compatible with this cursed item.

Only after I upgrade my paper crafting or barber professions to C-level will they truly be of use.

At this moment, the residents who had been scared away outside also quietly peeked out, drawn by the aroma.

Seeing the residents standing at a distance, hesitant to approach, Wu Man raised her ladle and said, "Everyone, those evil spirits have been vanquished. I have specially prepared a pot of delicious food for you all. Please don't be shy, come quickly, or you'll miss your chance."

Hearing Wu Man's shouts, the crowd looked at each other, but eventually, unable to resist the aroma emanating from the cauldron, some of the bolder ones ran over.

With one person taking the lead, others gradually joined in, and soon more and more people arrived, finding the houses around them, now turned into food, quite novel.

As more and more people gathered, everyone began to boldly try the food that had been turned from the house and the grass.

Crispy and delicious pastries, strawberry-flavored bread with fillings, and novel textures are making these people increasingly unable to resist.

They even occasionally let out bursts of laughter.

"Not bad, it seems your food exhibition was quite a success." Xiao Ran crossed her arms, looking quite pleased with herself. Others hadn't completed the side quest, but Xiao Ran had just finished it—or rather, she'd benefited from it.

He was judged to have completed the side quest simply because he had interfered with Yang Zuo.

It feels so good to not have to do anything yourself; no wonder everyone wants to be the boss.

Just then, Huang Le ran over, a meat bun in each hand, his mouth greasy from eating. He handed one to Xiao Ran and mumbled, "Oh my god, this is so delicious!"

Xiao Ran waved her hand, showing no interest in these ingredients.

Who knows what these ingredients are made of? Even if they are the most delicious delicacies, he wouldn't want to eat them.

But Huang Le didn't care. When he saw Xiao Ran refuse, he quickly persuaded her, "It's delicious, you should try it."

After receiving Xiao Ran's rejection again, Huang Le shook his head: "Then you'll miss out on the pleasure."

He then sat down and started eating heartily.

"Um... Boss, when will this soup be ready?"

At this moment, Omeprazole, Dodge, and the others were already impatient. They had been standing in line for a long time, and the soup in the big pot was getting more and more fragrant, making their mouths water.

"Hmm, that's about right."

Wu Man took a spoonful of soup and tried it, but as soon as he tasted it, he felt like something was missing, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

At this moment, Wu Man suddenly noticed Huang Le sitting on the ground eating a steamed bun. Seeing that he was looking down and occasionally sobbing, she used a soup spoon to lift Huang Le's chin: "Why are you crying?? My steamed bun isn't good??"

With red eyes, Huang Le shook her head and quickly wiped away her tears: "I...miss my grandma."

"Your grandma?"

"Yes, when I was a child, my family was poor. We were so poor that we ate only cabbage and tofu every meal. We rarely saw meat even a few times a month."

I only remember that year, my grandma took out a big piece of pork belly and steamed a pot of buns for me, with fried pork skin inside as well. They tasted exactly like your buns.

Huang Le's eyes seemed to recall a year when he was eating steamed buns and his grandmother gently stroked his forehead, telling him to eat slowly. Huang Le picked up a steamed bun and handed it to his grandmother.

But Grandma didn't eat; she just looked at her eldest grandson calmly.

"Grandma, these are the most delicious steamed buns in the world."

"When I grow up, I'll work hard to earn money and buy you lots and lots of steamed buns... Grandma... Grandma..."

The year Grandma passed away, Huang Le still loved eating steamed buns even after he grew up, but he never got to eat steamed buns with bits of pork skin again.

Looking at the longing in Huang Le's eyes.

Wu Man felt a sudden pang in his heart. As if possessed, he reached out and grabbed a tear in front of Huang Le, a tear filled with longing caught in his palm.

"No mistake, this is it."

Looking at the teardrop in her hand, Wu Man's heart beat faster and faster, as if she had inadvertently touched some kind of threshold. She carefully added it into the cauldron.

"Drip dong!"

The moment the tears fell into the boiling broth, the previously bubbling pot instantly quieted down. Wu Man's eyes widened as she watched the broth begin to shimmer with golden light. The light grew stronger and stronger until it bathed the entire pot in a golden hue. Wu Man was startled, but her surprise quickly turned to joy, and she trembled with excitement.

"The spirit of the cauldron is overjoyed! This soup... is done!!"

(End of this chapter)