A Bite of Douluo Continent

On the cleaver, four spirit rings, one black and one purple, pulsed rhythmically, slowly moving forward to make way for the fifth spirit ring that had just formed.

The white light condensed into a ring, and its color gradually deepened from white. Under Qi Han's excited gaze, it first turned yellow, then purple, and finally the purple slowly deepened into a rich and deep purplish-black.

This is…

Qi Han was familiar with this color. Before his swordsmanship reached the perfect level, his first spirit ring was also the same color. This color meant that the spirit ring was only one step away from becoming a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.

"Ruyi, what are the soul skills and bound techniques corresponding to my fifth soul ring?"

"Fifth Soul Skill: Unbreakable, its effect is that the attack ignores 30% of the enemy's defense." Ruyi said softly, "The bound skill is thickening sauce and pouring sauce. Thickening sauce and pouring sauce is divided into five levels: beginner, proficient, master, perfect and return to simplicity, which correspond to the ten-year to one hundred-thousand-year level of the soul ring respectively."

Qi Han was initially pleasantly surprised by the effect of his fifth soul skill. After all, this soul skill could be used in combination with the other four soul skills, and the effect was quite strong. Sure enough, he was following the path of a one-hit wonder, breaking through all laws of the world with a single strike.

Upon hearing about the skill bound to the fifth spirit ring, a look of realization dawned on his face.

It turned out to be the case.

Thickening is the process of adding a prepared sauce to the pot just before cooking is finished, or pouring it over the dish after it has been served in a bowl or plate. It is one of the basic techniques in the cooking process, and Qi Han was not surprised that it could become one of the skills for binding a soul ring.

It not only increases the viscosity and thickness of the soup, allowing the broth to better blend with the food, but also adds a rich broth to every piece of food, enhancing the texture and flavor of the dish. Furthermore, it adds a glossy sheen to the dish. When a dish is thickened, the sheen of the starch makes the color more lustrous, giving it a more appetizing appearance.

Therefore, this skill has been widely used in various cooking methods and has endured to this day.

Among the three-star dishes that Qi Han has mastered, whether it is Jade Dragon Tendon, Dinghu Vegetarian Dish, Wensi Tofu, or Hibiscus Chicken Slices, they all make extensive use of thickening techniques. Being able to master these dishes is enough to make Qi Han's thickening technique reach a near-perfect level.

After obtaining his fifth spirit ring, Qi Han's spirit power level also increased from level 50 to level 51. He then reached out and claimed another reward from the limited-time mission.

Four-star recipe: Zilong Removes His Armor.

After habitually receiving the recipe, I checked my inventory. Neither the Peony Fish Slices I had obtained before nor the Zilong Armor Removal I had obtained now showed the "unlearnable" message. As I became a Soul King, the long-awaited four-star recipe could finally be learned.

Subconsciously, Qi Han reached out to open the four-star recipe, but he suddenly remembered the mistake he had made by acting too quickly before, and his hand stopped in mid-air.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Ruyi, is it better for me to start learning now, or when I get back?"

"I suggest you go back."

well.

Qi Han silently withdrew his hand, glanced at the peony fish slices with lingering affection, and then closed the task page.

This time, he chose to believe Ruyi.

Sitting on the reef, enjoying the sea breeze, Qi Han waited for Gulu to regain its spirits. Holding the lively Gulu, Qi Han gently scratched its head and chin, silently deciding to give the little guy extra food when they got back.

If it weren't for it, I might really be gone this time.

The appointed time with Xu Hai arrived quickly. Seeing the familiar ship appear in this sea area and head straight for the island, Qi Han stood up with a smile on his face.

I'm going home.

Chapter 438 Four-Star Recipe, Immersive Food Experience (Bonus Chapter 3/3 for Level 2 Breakthrough)

"When will the teacher be back...?"

Ye Lingqing casually grabbed a plate of fried rice for her dinner that night, then sat down in the dining area to eat while muttering to herself.

Even the others gradually learned how to cook fried rice, and as Qi Han's disciple, he had mastered it long ago with Qi Han's personal guidance.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Since Qi Han hadn't taught Ye Lingqing anything new when he left, Ye Lingqing could only look at the ingredient encyclopedia or cultivate for a while to pass the time, except for helping her master run breakfast every morning. Before she knew it, it was the last day of her teacher's leave, but her teacher still hadn't returned.

"Won't they be delayed on the way?" After finishing his meal and cleaning up the dishes, he sat down, propped his head up with his hand, and thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Probably not, they'll probably be back tonight."

After all, teachers always keep their promises.

Huh?

Just as he was thinking this, Ye Lingqing suddenly noticed a figure outside the Cold Food Festival Gate. Upon seeing the familiar figure, he immediately stood up in surprise.

"The teacher is back!"

Ye Lingqing jogged over to open the door for Qi Han, then looked at Qi Han and asked, "Teacher, are you done with your work?"

"Yes." Qi Han, covered in dust from his journey, strode into the shop, his face showing anticipation and eagerness. "I'll go upstairs to take care of something first..."

After saying that, he picked up Gulu and quickly walked upstairs amidst Ye Lingqing's bewildered gaze.

"Oh, right." Qi Han paused, only then remembering to inquire about his disciple's situation, "How's the breakfast business been these past few days?"

"No problem." Ye Lingqing smiled more, feeling much more confident after five successful days of business.

"That's good." Qi Han paused for a moment, "Ling Qing, from now on, the breakfast business will be in your hands."

After showing his concern, he hurriedly ran upstairs.

Ye Lingqing: "???"

...

"Ruyi, are you really not going to tell me in advance what's so special about the four-star recipe?" Qi Han reached for the peony fish slices, then hesitated and stopped in mid-air, turning his head to look at Ruyi beside him.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.” Ruyi’s expression was a little strange. “But the teaching methods for four-star recipes and three-star recipes are completely different. You can’t understand it just by me telling you without experiencing it yourself.”

"So advanced?" Qi Han couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, then reached out to begin the training for the peony fish fillet. "Alright, then I'll..."

His words came to an abrupt halt. The instant the peony fish slices were opened, a white light filled his entire field of vision, followed by a dizzying spin.

From Ruyi's perspective, the view is entirely different.

As Qi Han opened the Peony Fish Slices, the recipe for Peony Fish Slices lit up with a dazzling white light. The white light instantly engulfed Qi Han, as if swallowing him into the recipe. As the white light dissipated, Qi Han also disappeared from the system space.

Ruyi watched this scene quietly until Qi Han disappeared, then she spoke softly, "Four-star recipe, Immersive Dining Experience."

"Four-star recipe: Botan fish fillets, the culinary realm is now open."

The light blue-haired loli waved her hand casually, and the same white light transformed into a threshold.

She strolled inside, and the system space briefly returned to its deathly silence.

...

"What's going on? Have I time-traveled again?"

After a dizzying moment, Qi Han felt as if he were lying on an unfamiliar bed.

This bed is far inferior to the high-tech bed provided by Ruyi.

As for why it's a feeling...

Because he couldn't open his eyes.

Strangely, he could clearly feel the touch of every part of his body, could feel that he was lying flat, and could feel that he was leaning against a bed that was fairly soft but just average for him, but he just couldn't open his eyes to look around or sit up from the bed.

Is this awkward?

He remembered that he had just opened the peony fish slices and should have entered the training space to train.

"You didn't time travel."

A voice appeared in his mind, which immediately calmed Qi Han down a bit.

He was all too familiar with Gu's voice.

"Ruyi, what exactly is going on?"

"That's the difference between four-star and three-star recipes," Ruyi explained casually. "Three-star recipes are taught by the remnant soul, where the dishes are personally taught by the remnant soul formed from the creator's blood and sweat. The characteristic of four-star recipes is that you are immersed in the food environment."

"Because four-star recipes are even more precious than three-star recipes, they embody the culmination of the creator's entire effort. Therefore, the creator's entire memory of creating four-star recipes will be preserved in the form of an illusion, allowing later generations to trace their origins. In other words..."

"Am I now in the memories of the creator of the Peony Fish Slices?" Qi Han seemed to understand something.

“That’s right. During the process of being immersed in the food realm, your senses will briefly enter the creator’s body. The body will only repeat everything that happened before, so you cannot control the original owner’s body. This is normal.”

It turned out to be the case.

Qi Han suddenly realized what state he was in.

However, on the other hand, if you're existing within the creator's memories, what if the recipe's creator did something inappropriate for children...?

"You can't be lewd!" Sensing Qi Han's thoughts, Ruyi was a little annoyed. "Of course, we'll skip over those unimportant things!"

Ok.

Qi Han shrugged.

Well, although being inside the creator's body meant I couldn't control my own body, it was like watching a rather unusual movie. But with Ruyi by my side chatting, it wasn't boring at all.

But then again...

This body…

Why aren't you opening your eyes yet?

"Ruyi, is the creator of the peony fish fillet asleep?" Qi Han couldn't help but ask.

"It shouldn't be that bad," Ruyi said uncertainly. "Even though it's a memory, it's still detailed and selective. Some unimportant things will be skipped, like sleeping, right?"

"Then how come this is..." Qi Han was about to continue complaining when he suddenly stopped.

Finally, something's happening!

"Squeak~"

As the sound of a wooden door being pushed open slowly reached his ears, Qi Han immediately fell silent.

What was that saying again?

The movie has started! Everyone, please be quiet!

As the wooden door was opened and then gently closed, a series of footsteps approached, the footsteps being quite soft, as if worried about disturbing the owner of this body.

Clearly, the footsteps belonged to a woman, since the footsteps of men and women are quite different.

As the footsteps drew closer, a faint floral fragrance reached the nose of the body's owner, which Qi Han sensed, further confirming his guess.

Amazing! This is the ultimate immersive movie-watching experience for all five senses.

What IMAX giant screen with Dolby sound? That's so lame!

Qi Han admired her in his heart, and then couldn't help but wonder about the relationship between this woman and the body's owner.

Are they a married couple? Or are they relatives or family members?

Or perhaps, what other kind of relationship is it?