A Bite of Douluo Continent

The white spirit ring pulsed slowly, its color gradually deepening until it finally transformed into a white spirit ring tinged with yellow.

"System, what does this mean?"

Qi Han was somewhat confused. Was this a ten-year soul ring or a hundred-year soul ring?

[Host's First Soul Skill: One Cut in Two. This soul skill is bound to the host's swordsmanship level. Swordsmanship is divided into five levels: Beginner, Proficient, Master, Perfect, and Divine, corresponding to ten-year, one-hundred-year, one-thousand-year, one-thousand-year, and one-hundred-thousand-year soul rings, respectively. As the host's swordsmanship level increases, the age of this soul ring will increase accordingly.]

[The host's current level is: Beginner. As you are about to reach the Proficient level, your Soul Ring is white with a hint of yellow. Please continue to improve your swordsmanship.]

"So that's how it is," Qi Han realized. It seemed that his swordsmanship was still a bit short of proficiency. If he could improve to proficiency, his soul ring would turn yellow.

As I was thinking, the system notification sounded again.

[Host has absorbed the system's soul ring. Current soul power level: 11. Soul power cap unlocked. Stored reward: Soul power level +1 available. Use now?]

"Use it!" Qi Han said without hesitation.

A stream of heat flowed through Qi Han's meridians, and the soul power in his dantian increased again.

My soul power level is now level twelve.

As Qi Han's soul power level increased, he was gradually able to clearly feel the increase in the soul power within his body.

With a thought, the first spirit ring that was pulsating on the kitchen knife suddenly lit up, and a cold silver blade light appeared on the knife.

Qi Han swung his sword, and the blade's light instantly fell to the ground, carving a trench about two meters long.

The ravine wasn't deep, only about half a meter, but this was just the power of a soul skill that hadn't even reached a hundred years old. One could imagine how terrifying the power of this strike would be if it continued to improve.

However, this strike also consumed a great deal of soul power. Qi Han had finally managed to fully recover his soul power, but this attack instantly reduced it by half.

In other words, given his current state, this soul skill can only be used a maximum of two times.

However, Qi Han was still very satisfied. With a casual slash, he created a two-meter-long trench. What more could he ask for?

And this is just the first link in the chain.

The return journey was smooth. Qi Han did not encounter any powerful soul beasts and left the outer area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest before dark, settling down in a small village outside the forest.

The small village has very few original inhabitants; the rooms are mostly vacant and reserved for Soul Masters to rent.

Such small villages are ubiquitous outside the outer area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest.

The next day, Qi Han got up very early, rented a carriage, and headed back to Shrek City along the same route.

The round trip only took one day, which left Qi Han, who had originally planned to take two days off, feeling somewhat lost.

Looking at the wooden sign hanging at the entrance of the small shop that read "Two days off," Qi Han fell into deep thought.

Should I open for business or not?

Forget it, let's not open it.

Qi Han remembered the two-star recipe, Tomato Beef Brisket, which he couldn't claim yet, and silently decided to spend the whole day in the training space.

Dongpo pork knuckle, let's get it!

[An error has occurred; the pig's knuckle was not completely dehaired. Please start over.]

[An error has occurred; the pork knuckle was blanched for too long. Please start over.]

[An error has occurred. The sugar was not caramelized long enough, resulting in an unsuitable caramel color. Please start over.]

...

When Qi Han emerged from the system space, it was already night. He lay drowsily on the bed, the aroma of Dongpo pork still lingering in his mouth.

The next day, Qi Han took a rare day off and slept until noon.

Zhou Long opened the shop door wide, and his resentful face appeared before Qi Han.

"Boss, you took two days off. Do you know what I've been through these past two days?"

Two days!

Having not eaten delicious fried rice for two whole days, Zhou Long felt he had lost all motivation to cultivate.

Knowing that Qi Han was opening today, Zhou Long didn't even cultivate properly all morning, rushing to queue up early just to be the first to eat the egg fried rice he had been longing for.

Qi Han smiled slightly, "We have new dishes today."

New dish?

Zhou Long's eyes lit up, and his gaze instantly turned to the wall next to him where the menu was hanging. After searching for a while, he quickly settled on the brand-new price list.

Dongpo Pork Knuckle - 100 Gold Soul Coins/serving

"One hundred gold soul coins?!" Zhou Long couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, even for him, such a price was somewhat unbearable.

Qi Han nodded without explaining.

The raw material for Dongpo pork knuckle provided by the system is the foreleg of the century-old Guixiang pig. This kind of Guixiang pork has a light osmanthus fragrance in its meat, without any fishy smell. It has the characteristics of thick skin, lots of tendons, high collagen content, lots of lean meat, and is not greasy. It is most suitable for making Dongpo pork knuckle.

A pig only has two forearms, so selling it for 100 gold soul coins isn't expensive.

Chapter Twenty-One: The Unrest Caused by Dongpo Pork Knuckle

Zhou Long tried hard to glean something from Qi Han's expression.

The boss was joking, right?

What kind of dish can sell for 100 Gold Soul Coins?

At this price, you could easily buy some less-than-ideal rare and precious medicinal herbs.

However, Zhou Long was disappointed to find that Qi Han's expression remained as calm as ever, clearly indicating that there was no problem with the price of the Dongpo Pork Knuckle for one hundred gold soul coins.

hiss...

Zhou Long grinned; the price made him feel like his savings were about to run out.

But...I want to try the boss's new dish!

After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Long gritted his teeth.

"Boss, I'd like a cucumber salad, a small portion of fried rice with egg, and a Dongpo pork knuckle."

I, Old Zhou, want to see why this so-called Dongpo pork knuckle is so expensive!

Qi Han nodded, noted down the guests' orders, and headed to the kitchen.

It seems we need to hire waiters as soon as possible, otherwise we'll be too busy.

I'll put up a notice board at the entrance after I'm done with my work at noon.

The cucumber salad was quickly served to Zhou Long. The long-awaited sour and spicy flavor instantly cheered up his taste buds, which had been sullen for two days.

Not long after, Qi Han brought over the braised pork knuckle and fried rice with egg.

Dongpo pork knuckle takes a long time to prepare, so the fact that it can be served in such a short time is naturally thanks to the system's advanced technology.

Zhou Long immediately turned his gaze to the Dongpo pork knuckle in Qi Han's hand.

After all, it cost him a full one hundred gold soul coins.

The Dongpo pork knuckle is served on a plate with a tall lid that completely covers it.

Zhou Long took two deep breaths, but the lid seemed to be very airtight. The only smell in the air was the familiar aroma of fried rice, and the so-called Dongpo pork knuckle flavor did not leak out at all.

Qi Han couldn't help but smile when he saw Zhou Long's impatient look.

It's time for you all to experience the olfactory bomb I felt in the training space yesterday!

He slowly opened the lid, and as the lid opened a crack, an enticing aroma of meat instantly rushed out from inside the lid and entered Zhou Long's nostrils.

Before Zhou Long could even react, the lid had already been opened by Qi Han, and the aroma of meat instantly filled the entire dining area, lingering for a long time.

Gurgle.

Suddenly, someone's stomach growled loudly, as if some strange switch had been flipped, and the dining area was filled with the rumbling of the guests' stomachs.

Zhou Long blushed and touched his stomach, his eyes shining as he looked at the Dongpo pork knuckle in front of him.

The perfect caramel coloring covers the pigskin, making it as plump as solidified fat and giving it a crystal-like texture.

A few sprigs of cilantro were added to the edge of the pork knuckle as a garnish, making the Dongpo pork knuckle less monotonous and adding a touch of freshness.

Zhou Long skillfully used chopsticks to peel off the skin of the pork knuckle. The skin was not as hard as he had imagined; instead, it was extremely soft and tender, completely different from the pork skin he remembered.

Peeling back the soft, chewy pork skin releases an even stronger aroma of meat, as if the rich fragrance hidden inside the Dongpo pork knuckle has been activated.

The tendons in the pork knuckle had turned a yellowish-brown color. They were soft and tender but had not completely lost their chewiness. Zhou Long carefully picked up some, the pork skin was slightly sticky, and then he picked up a piece of pork knuckle with tendons and skin and put it in his mouth.

Soft, chewy, and bouncy.

Zhou Long chewed on the pork knuckle, savoring the aroma of the meat, and couldn't help but close his eyes, revealing a look of enjoyment.

As Zhou Long finished eating the pork knuckle, a surge of heat flowed from his stomach, spreading throughout his limbs and bones, instantly accelerating the flow of soul power within his meridians.

Zhou Long cultivates the Tang Sect's Xuan Tian Gong, which allows his soul power to circulate faster than ordinary cultivation methods. After eating the pork knuckle, his soul power circulation speed has increased even further, adding a full 50% to his cultivation speed.

this...

Zhou Long suddenly opened his eyes, his tiger-like eyes filled with shock. He didn't bother to savor the deliciousness of the dish, and swallowed the whole Dongpo pork knuckle in a few bites. He then sat cross-legged on the ground and began to meditate with his eyes closed.

Meditation should not be easily disturbed. The reason Zhou Long dared to do so was mainly because there were five or six Tang Clan disciples in the shop at that moment.

Seeing Zhou Long's unusual behavior, several fellow disciples exchanged glances, then, forgetting their meals, got up and went to Zhou Long's side to protect him.

If anyone were to try to disturb Zhou Long at this moment, they would be attacked without hesitation by these Tang Clan disciples.

The small shop suddenly became somewhat chaotic.

Qi Han seemed to have guessed something, but he didn't say anything. He simply postponed cooking the dishes for these Tang Sect disciples and served the dishes for the other guests first.

Fortunately, Zhou Long's meditation did not last long. Soon he opened his eyes, and a surge of soul power emanated from his body, bringing a hint of joy to his eyes.

He had been stuck at the level 59 bottleneck for a year without breaking through, but now, relying on Qi Han's Dongpo Elbow, he managed to break through and succeeded in one fell swoop.

Now, his soul power level has reached level sixty. He only needs to absorb a sixth soul ring to become a Soul Emperor.

With a laugh, Zhou Long quickly finished the rest of his fried rice, then politely thanked Qi Han and the other Dharma Protectors before drifting away.

Those 100 gold soul coins were totally worth it!

After consolidating his cultivation and absorbing the soul ring, Zhou Long will probably be busy for the next few days.