thefictionvixens Chapter 111 Xuanzi's Care
Chapter 111 Xuanzi's Care
Xuanzi watched from the side, beaming with joy and nodding repeatedly.
After the match, he waved his hand and said, "Kids, you've worked hard! Come with me today, I'll treat you to a big meal!"
"Elder Xuan, let me invite you," Dai Yueheng said politely.
Xuanzi glared at him and patted his chest: "Why are you being so polite with me! I'm in a good mood today, I'll show you what I can do!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the expressions of the seven monsters, led by Ma Xiaotao, all changed.
"No, there's no need to trouble Elder Xuan to cook for us!" Gongyang Mo was the first to speak, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
"Yes, yes, Elder Xuan, you've already worked so hard training us!" Xi Xi quickly chimed in.
Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the same fear in each other's eyes.
Ma Xiaotao forced herself to remain calm and said, "Elder Xuan, we can just go to the cafeteria, you..."
They will never forget that day.
That was shortly after the previous Seven Devils were finalized. Xuanzi, in order to express his care for them and to "nourish them and solidify their foundation," enthusiastically offered to cook for them himself.
That day, the kitchen became Xuanzi's testing ground for creativity.
The stove was filled with strange and unusual ingredients: unknown fungi that shimmered with a ghostly blue light, strange fruits with seven colors, the heart of some kind of soul beast that was still throbbing slightly, and jars of powder and sauce that emitted a strange smell.
Xuanzi wore an apron covered with various ingredients and held an exaggerated black iron ladle, wielding it freely among the pots and pans.
He would sometimes concentrate deeply in thought, and sometimes, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, he would add some kind of "secret ingredient," muttering to himself:
"Hmm... This 'Netherworld Ghost Mushroom' is cold in nature, so it needs to be paired with 'Blazing Sun Pepper' to balance the yin and yang."
"The pit of the Seven Emotions Fruit must be removed, leaving only the pulp; otherwise, the emotional fluctuations will be too great."
"This 'Hundred Flavors Bee' honey is quite good, let's add some 'Forget-Me-Not' juice..."
Ma Xiaotao and her six companions were arranged to wait in the restaurant.
At first, they were full of expectations—after all, it was the Gluttonous Douluo, a level 98 Super Douluo, who personally prepared the dish, which must be a rare delicacy.
Until the first strange smell wafted out of the kitchen.
Gongyang Mo wrinkled his nose and whispered to Xixi beside him, "Can you smell it? This smell..."
Xi Xi's face turned pale: "It's a bit...special."
Dai Yueheng sat upright, trying his best to remain calm, but the slight twitching at the corner of his eye betrayed him.
Ling Luochen simply closed his eyes and concentrated, attempting to temporarily block his sense of smell with his ice-attribute soul power, but the effect was minimal.
Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan had already quietly moved their chairs back.
Ma Xiaotao forced herself to remain calm and reassured everyone, "Master Xuan is very knowledgeable and experienced; the ingredients he used must be extraordinary, so it's normal for the taste to be a bit unique..."
Before the words were finished, Xuanzi's booming voice rang out: "The first dish—'Seven-Colored Glazed Heart-Soothing Soup'!"
He walked out carrying a huge soup basin. The liquid in the basin had a strange, ever-changing seven-colored light, and some translucent, crystal-like flakes floated on the surface, slowly rotating.
"This soup is made by simmering seven rare medicinal herbs with different properties, along with a century-old crystal lotus root."
Xuanzi proudly introduced, "After drinking this, it can calm the mind and soothe the nerves, harmonize the conflicting attributes of your soul power, and greatly benefit your future cultivation! Here, one bowl for each of you!"
As the ladle is placed into the bowl, iridescent light ripples within the porcelain bowl.
Seven pairs of eyes were fixed on the soup bowl in front of them, and no one touched it for a moment.
"Why aren't you drinking it? It'll be more effective while it's hot!" Xuanzi urged.
As the vice-captain, Dai Yueheng gritted her teeth and took the first bowl, closing her eyes to drink a sip.
His body visibly stiffened at that moment.
Dai Yueheng's face flushed red, then turned white, and the veins on her forehead throbbed slightly.
He used immense willpower to avoid vomiting on the spot, instead swallowing it down and then quickly gulping down the water from the glass.
"How is it?" Xuanzi asked expectantly.
"...Thank you for your trouble, Elder Xuan." Dai Yueheng squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.
With the vice-captain's "demonstration," the others had no choice but to follow suit.
Ma Xiaotao held her breath, gulped it down, then covered her mouth tightly, tears welling up in her eyes instantly.
Gongyang Mo drank slowly, his face scrunched up, and his whole body trembled slightly.
Xixi was quite clever; she only took a small sip, but even that small sip made her feel as if her tongue had temporarily lost its sensation.
Ling Luochen suffered the most. After taking one bite, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. It took her three breaths to swallow it with difficulty, and then she slumped onto the table, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan, on the other hand, had expressions of resignation to their fate. They toasted at the same time and then lunged at the kettle.
"Excellent! The appetizer soup worked well!" Xuanzi nodded in satisfaction, then turned and went back into the kitchen. "The main course will be here soon!"
"An appetizer...soup?" Gongyang Mo's voice was trembling with tears.
The nightmare has only just begun.
"The second one—'Ice and Fire Glazed Lamp'!" Xuanzi lifted the cover.
The plate contains red and white crystalline blocks stacked into a small tower shape.
The red parts are steaming hot, radiating a scorching heat; the white parts are chillingly cold, with frost forming on their surface.
At the boundary between red and white, wisps of cold and heat intertwine, forming a hazy mist.
"This dish uses ice from the far north and volcanic crystals as the main ingredients, supplemented with thirty-six kinds of medicinal herbs. It is steamed and dried nine times, and then solidified using my unique method."
Xuanzi pointed to the dishes, reciting them with great familiarity, "When eating them, you should taste both the red and white colors at the same time to experience the wonder of ice and fire originating from the same source and complementing each other. This has a remarkable effect on strengthening the body and expanding the meridians."
This time, even Dai Yueheng hesitated.
"Come on, come on, don't be shy, one piece for each person, we must eat red and white together!" Xuanzi personally served the food, leaving no room for refusal.
The moment that piece of "glass" entered their mouths, everyone understood what it meant to experience "a double shock of ice and fire".
The outer red part is extremely hot and spicy, as if it will burn through your mouth, like swallowing a mouthful of burning charcoal.
Before the soul power could suppress it, the inner white part suddenly melted away, releasing an extreme chill that pierced the soul, carrying a hint of mint and a certain bitterness.
Two extreme forces collided, exploded, and merged in the mouth... Many people's facial expressions completely collapsed at this moment.
The next dish is "Starry Sky Jade Broken Stew" (deep blue sauce coating silver, crackling pieces of meat).
"A Bag of Intertwined Flavors" (Wrapped in the stomach of a certain soul beast, containing dozens of finely chopped ingredients, each flavor of which changes randomly)
"Seven Emotions Exquisite Roll" (after eating it, your facial expressions will change uncontrollably in a short period of time)... One "creative" dish after another was served.
Each dish is a new and unique "taste torture".