Primordial Era: From the Creation Lotus to the First Disciple of the Three Pure Ones

Chapter 70 The Classic of Mountains and Seas is a Cookbook!

What if you encounter a strange beast called Zheng, which resembles a red leopard, has five tails and one horn, and whose sound is like striking a stone?

Just as Sun Wuzhen was about to rush forward to fight, Qinglian quickly stopped him: "Wait! This beast's meat is said to be sour and tough, but its horn is the essence of fire spirit. When ground into powder, it makes an excellent barbecue seasoning! Let me get it!"

As a result, Zheng was knocked unconscious, and only his horn was taken from him. He woke up in a daze and fled.

Encountering a strange beast (lù) that looks like an ox, has a snake's tail and wings, and dies in winter and lives in summer?

Ao Guang thought that the fish tail might be suitable for making soup, but Qinglian shook her head: "No, no, its taste is sour and sweet, and it will not cause any harm if eaten."

Take the ribs, roast them slowly over a low flame until the fat sizzles, sprinkle with caramel powder, and they'll be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—that's the best way to make them!

Moments later, the aroma of grilled ribs filled the mountains and forests.

When you encounter Yingzhao, who has a human face and a horse's body, tiger stripes on his body, and bird wings on his back?

Sun Wuzhen thought this thing looked strange and probably didn't taste good.

Qinglian pondered for a moment and said, "The meat of this beast may be of average quality, but the tips of its wings are where wind spirits converge, making them incredibly tender and smooth. They can be stir-fried, resulting in a crisp and chewy texture!"

Yingzhao was chased around like a chicken in a frenzy, and finally, with great pain, had a small section of her wingtip clipped off.

Qinglian seemed to have opened the door to a new world, trying, verifying, and improving upon the various culinary fantasies of later generations about the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" in this real prehistoric world.

His cooking skills have become increasingly refined.

Sometimes they use the Samadhi Fire to precisely control the temperature for grilling, sometimes they use the earth's spiritual spring water to scald the meat, and sometimes they use the power of creation to shake the meat to make it more tender—they even start to pay attention to "plating," using spiritual herbs and immortal garnishes to strive for a perfect combination of color, aroma, taste, and shape.

Sun Wuzhen and Ao Guang became loyal fans of their master's cuisine and the most active providers of ingredients.

Its two eyes have practically become a food radar. When it sees any strange-looking beast, its first reaction is no longer "Is it powerful?", but "Is it delicious?"

"Master! Master! Look! That thing that looks like a pig but is covered in thorns! It'll be crunchy when roasted!"

""

"Senior brother, wait! That seashell in the water over there is glowing! It looks very fresh! Master, should we steam it or cook it in a hot pot?"

"Wow! That big bird's legs are so thick! Master, I think they're enough to feed us for three days!"

Whenever this happens, Qinglian would stop her disciple, who was about to lose control, with a wry smile, carefully examine him, and then take action herself.

His technique is precise; he either takes only the desired parts (such as the horns, ribs, and wing tips of the Yingzhao), or he ends the life instantly like Fuzhu, avoiding pain and maintaining the best quality of the meat. He never kills indiscriminately.

In his words, "All living things in heaven and earth should be taken from in a proper way and consumed in moderation, only then can they be in harmony with nature."

However, their journey in search of delicious food was not without its challenges.

Some of the strange beasts are extremely powerful, even reaching the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. Wuzhen and Ao Guang need to work together to "obtain ingredients," and the battles become the best training.

Some of these strange beasts possess bizarre supernatural abilities, such as deadly poison or illusions, making the "hunting" process extremely dangerous, but also honing one's reaction and coping skills.

To Qinglian's even greater surprise, during his search for seasonings, he actually found many spices that would become familiar to later generations!

One by one, seemingly ordinary, unnoticed innate spiritual roots (of lower grade) are scattered among the mountains and forests.

A clump of short trees bearing bright red, chili-like fruits exudes a faint fire elemental aura. The fruits are incredibly spicy, causing ordinary cultivators to experience swollen and painful lips and tongues upon contact, making them want to avoid them at all costs—the Innate Chili!

A meadow with small, white, umbrella-shaped flowers and garlic-clove-shaped roots growing underground, with a pungent, slightly poisonous aroma that repels insects and ants—this is the Wild Garlic!

A vine with small purple flowers and leaves that emit a unique and strong fragrance—Perilla frutescens!

There are also ginger-like rhizomes (Gynostemma pentaphyllum), brown fruits with a numbing taste (Zanthoxylum bungeanum), and woody fruits similar to star anise (Illicium verum).

These low-level spiritual roots, because their effects seem "useless" or even "harmful" and their spiritual energy is thin, are no different from weeds in the eyes of the myriad races of the prehistoric world and have never been valued.

But in the eyes of Qinglian, this "time traveler," it was a priceless treasure!

He treasured it dearly, carefully gathering it and nourishing it with the essence of the Azure Lotus of Creation. He transplanted it to a corner of the Qiankun Diagram, thus cultivating a small "spice garden." As a result, the master and disciple's recipes became even more diverse and abundant:

The grilled ribs were sprinkled with chili powder and Sichuan peppercorn powder, making them spicy, numbing, and fragrant. Sun Wuzhen ate them until his nose and eyes were running, but he still exclaimed that he enjoyed them very much.

The steamed manta ray (a strange beast that looks like a carp with the body of a fish and the wings of a bird) was covered with shredded ginger and minced garlic to remove the fishy smell and enhance the freshness. Ao Guang ate it so well that he couldn't bear to spit out even the bones.

The stir-fried chicken wings with perilla leaves have an enticing aroma and unique flavor; later, they even used a sugarcane-like root (Gan Zhe) to make sugar and create a sweet "Sweet and Sour Stone Armadillo" (a mythical beast resembling a rat, with tortoise feet, and a voice like a dog) —

The journey of the master and his two disciples became vibrant and lively, filled with laughter and mouthwatering aromas.

On this desolate land shrouded in the shadow of a great calamity, they seemed to have created a unique and warm "food paradise".

Qinglian's state of mind also found a different kind of calm amidst the swirling smoke.

He still comprehends the Great Dao, but that Great Dao no longer seems to be merely a cold law hanging high in the sky; it has also been integrated into the life and interest of mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, birds, beasts, and every bite and drink.

The way of creation can give birth to all things and also cook all things; its subtleties lie entirely in one's own mind.

As the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique was being practiced, it seemed to gain a touch of harmony and warmth.

On this day, the three of them had just finished a sumptuous dinner with the eggs of "Suanyu" (a strange beast that looks like a snake, has four wings, six eyes, and three legs, and whose eggs are exceptionally delicious) as the main ingredient, and were sitting around the campfire reminiscing about the meal.

Sun Wuzhen patted his belly, looked at the starry sky, and suddenly clicked his tongue and said, "Master, I think—that fox with nine tails running on that mountain over there—it looks so shiny and smooth—maybe it would be very nutritious to make soup—"

Upon hearing this, Qinglian almost spat out the mouthful of spiritual tea she had just drunk. She laughed and scolded, "You idiot! That's a nine-tailed fox! It has already developed intelligence and is no ordinary beast. How can you just stew it into soup?"

Be careful, or his ancestors might come after you!

Ao Guang, meanwhile, pondered earnestly: "Master, perhaps—we could talk? Trade her some fur with the meat we roast? I've heard that nine-tailed fox fur makes very warm scarves—"

The campfire crackled, illuminating the relaxed smiles of the three masters and their disciples.

On a distant mountain peak, a pure white fox with nine swaying tails seemed to sense something, shivered inexplicably, looked around in confusion, and silently disappeared into the depths of the forest.

The torrent of the great calamity still surges, but this simple joy originating from the everyday life of ordinary people has become a unique and warm landscape in the hearts of Qinglian and his disciples.