A Bite of Douluo Continent

Tang Qianqiu had been hiding from him for decades, and he never knew why. Now that they had finally met and he had the chance to hear Tang Qianqiu explain himself, Tang Qianqiu was being evasive and changing the subject.

That's it.

Qi Poxiao sighed softly.

If this guy doesn't want to talk, there's no need to ask anymore.

"There's nothing wrong with that little shop. Cao Rang intervened secretly. The shop owner meant no harm, neither to the Tang Clan nor to Shrek Academy." Raising an eyebrow at Tang Qianqiu, Qi Po Xiao was curious about the Tang Clan's thoughts. "What about your Tang Clan? What are your thoughts?"

"Yu Hua speculates that the little kid must have a powerful force supporting him. This force has never appeared before, but it doesn't seem to have any ill intentions towards our Tang Clan. So we should choose to be on good terms with them, such as having more Tang Clan disciples dine at that little shop," Tang Qianqiu said after thinking for a moment.

"A powerful force?" Qi Po-xiao remained noncommittal. "Shrek Academy is just an ordinary advanced soul master academy. What power or influence is none of our business."

Ordinary...

Tang Qianqiu's face twitched.

This old bastard still wants Versailles in front of me.

"Speaking of which, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament is in a month, right?"

“Not bad.” Qi Po-xiao nodded slightly. “This year’s Soul Fighting Tournament will be held in Star Luo City.”

“Xingluo City…” Tang Qianqiu’s eyes showed a hint of reminiscence. “I remember we participated in the competition in Xingluo City back then. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there. I should go and take a look around. It seems that the Xingluo City branch has encountered some minor problems.”

"You're going too?" Qi Po-xiao glanced at Tang Qian-qiu. "Then please protect the younger generation of my Shrek Academy. The Star Luo Empire has been quite unstable lately. Since you're going, I don't need to make this trip."

"Ah, I'm getting old. These old arms and legs are getting weak, and I'll be buried soon. It's better not to travel long distances."

"Old bones and limbs? You looked just like this decades ago, you shameless old codger. And what happened? You crushed me with a broken cloud spear. I don't believe you for a second."

Tang Qianqiu rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

I don't want to see that old geezer, out of sight, out of mind!

Qi Po-xiao silently took a bite of the candied hawthorn and sighed softly.

"These days, nobody believes you when you tell the truth."

Chapter 107 New Mission and New Story (Fourth update before release)

The lunch break ended quickly. After watching the three employees leave the shop, Qi Han silently closed the door.

"System, what's the progress of main quest five?"

Main Quest Five: Becoming Famous

Make sure 95% of Shrek City's original residents know about the shop's existence.

Mission Description: It's time to conquer a city with your culinary skills!

Quest Rewards: 3 random recipes, 1 three-star random recipe, +5 Soul Power Level

Task progress: 67/95

It's already at 67%?

Qi Han was startled.

I remember when I first came back from the Forest of Kale, I was only 35% complete on the fifth main quest.

How could it have almost doubled in such a short time?

The unusual sight of a sheep hidden inside a fish caused quite a stir, and the takeout business also made the Hanshi (Cold Food Festival) shop famous. As a result, the shop's popularity is currently increasing rapidly.

Rapid improvement phase...

Qi Han's heart skipped a beat. "System, do you mean I can complete my main quest five soon?"

No, based on the current rate of increase in brand awareness, it is expected to reach around 85% within five days. However, once brand awareness reaches around 85%, it will likely hit another bottleneck, at which point the rate of increase in brand awareness will further decrease.

Qi Han pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, "So, system, you can predict when I will complete the mission?"

Based on the current situation, barring unforeseen circumstances, the task is expected to take approximately one month to complete.

It really needs another month?

Qi Han couldn't help but click his tongue slightly.

Qi Han has now completed all the tasks except for the fifth main quest, and has claimed all the rewards. Except for the four two-star selectable recipe fragments, he has basically used up all the system rewards.

"System, are there any side quests or time-limited quests?"

[The new side quests will unlock after completing the sixth main quest. The trigger conditions for each time-limited quest are different; please try them out yourself.]

"So you mean I should forget about side quests and just rely on luck for timed quests?"

[Although that's not what the system meant, the host is correct.]

A woman's mouth.

It seems that we can't expect to complete any tasks in the short term. For now, we can only wait for the completion of the fifth main quest.

With a thought, Qi Han entered the carving training space.

Fortunately, there are no new recipes to learn in the next month, so I can have enough time to practice my carving skills.

In reality, a month is equivalent to 1,800 days in the training space. Even after deducting time spent working and sleeping, it's still about 1,000 days, nearly three years. Let's see how much the carving skills can improve.

...

A month can feel like it goes by very quickly, or it can feel very slow.

It has only been about a month since Qi Han arrived in Shrek City, but so much has happened. It feels like a long, long time has passed. But as the shop settled into its peaceful daily operations, the month has quietly slipped away, like a fleeting moment.

In peaceful times, everything becomes unnoticed.

The shop's staff consisted of Fuya, Ying Shuangshuang, and Ji Yunruo. After a month of training, both Ying Shuangshuang and Ji Yunruo had become very skilled at their jobs.

Needless to say, Ying Shuangshuang, this rich young lady, showed a side completely different from her family background. She was a far cry from her pampered self. Not only did she handle the takeout orders very well, but she would even help Fuya carry the plates in her spare time.

As a deliveryman, Ji Yunruo has become familiar with many residents of Shrek City through her daily travels through the streets and alleys. They greet each other when they meet, and she is noticeably more confident than when she first arrived at the store.

For the past month, the Tang Sect's leader had been staying at the Shrek City branch and had become a regular customer of the shop. Apart from his first appearance, he never wore that golden robe that immediately revealed his status again. Instead, he appeared in the shop in elegant casual clothes and would even chat with Fuya casually, showing no airs of a Limit Douluo.

Opposite him often sat an old man who looked like an ordinary farmer. The old man's face was full of the marks of time, but he looked extraordinary. It seemed that no one knew his identity, and they could only tell that he and Tang Qianqiu were practically equals.

To be able to interact with a Limit Douluo on equal terms, such a being is probably not someone to be trifled with.

Yu Lianxin also became a regular customer of the shop. Sometimes she would come to eat with an old woman, and sometimes if the old woman didn't come, she would pack a meal in a lunchbox to take home. She especially loved candied hawthorn and ordered steamed buns almost every meal.

Every time Yu Lianxin came to the shop, Qi Han would personally deliver the dishes she ordered, whether intentionally or unintentionally. When Fuya stared at him strangely, he would hastily make excuses such as "I was too busy to think straight." However, the clever Fuya had already seen through the clues, but she did not point it out.

Ever since the old woman first came to the shop and tasted Qi Han's cooking, her attitude towards Qi Han has become somewhat strange. Every time she comes, her gaze towards Qi Han carries a hint of scrutiny.

It's like watching a big bad wolf trying to trick its little white rabbit away.

The vast Shrek City has a permanent population of over eight million, and every day, different stories unfold.

The small shop occupies only a tiny, inconspicuous spot in Shrek City, but it has slowly become a meeting point for many stories in the city.

Just as the system predicted, the shop's popularity finally reached the requirement of the fifth main quest one afternoon a month later.

【Ding! 】

[A task has been completed by the host!]

Main Quest 5: Becoming Famous (Completed)

Task Rewards: 3 random recipes (claimable), 1 three-star random recipe (claimable), +5 Soul Power Level (claimable)

【Ding! 】

[Mission triggered!]

Main Quest Six: A New Beginning

Please travel to Xingluo City, the capital of the Xingluo Empire, as soon as possible to open a new shop and make 80% of the original inhabitants of Xingluo City aware of its existence.

Mission Description: A new storm has arrived; how can we stand still!

Quest Rewards: 6 random recipes, 1 three-star random recipe, +3 Soul Power Level

【Ding! 】

[Mission triggered!]

Side Quest 3: Teaching Cooking Skills

Please take on apprentices and teach them culinary skills at your new shop in Xingluo City, and ensure that your apprentices can independently support the operation of the shop in Xingluo City after you leave.

Task Description: A teacher is one who imparts knowledge, teaches skills, and resolves doubts!

Task Rewards: 1 three-star random recipe, 2 three-star selectable recipe fragments

【Ding! 】

[Mission triggered!]

[Limited-time task: Small shop location selection]

Please go to Xingluo City within three days to complete the site selection for the new store.

Task Description: The host already has money, so he probably doesn't need the storefront provided by this system!

Task Rewards: Store decoration of your choice, 1 three-star recipe fragment.

A series of system notifications sounded, but Qi Han's carving knife did not tremble at all. After the last cut, Qi Han's voice was more relaxed and carefree.

"The mission is complete? Looks like it's a double celebration."

Before him stood a newly grown pine tree, as thick as a forearm, proud and unyielding, impervious to all evil.

Chapter 108 Imperial Braised Pork and Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth (Fifth update before publication)

[Congratulations, host, your carving skills have reached the Proficient level!]

As the system's voice faded, Qi Han felt the carving knife in his hand get slightly warm and transformed back into a kitchen knife.

On the cleaver, two spirit rings, one purple and one yellow, flashed. The yellow spirit ring suddenly lit up and then instantly turned purple.

After a month, Qi Han's carving skills finally went from zero to proficiency, reaching the point where he could imbue the spirit plants with spirit.

Now he can carve all kinds of plants with both form and spirit, but as for animals, he is still lacking. Although he can carve them, they lack spirit.