pjbooks Chapter 252 The First Decree of the Divine Chef's Palace
Chapter 252 The First Decree of the Divine Chef's Palace
The rocking chair swayed gently, making a creaking sound.
Lin Fan did not open his eyes or speak. His divine sense, like a warm tide, gently brushed over He Yuzhu, who was kneeling on the ground.
He could "see" that the causal thread belonging to the mortal world within He Yuzhu's body had been completely severed. The last bit of connection with his family was also severed by his own hand, turning into a wisp of pure protective thought, which remained on his sister.
He Yuzhu now is like a piece of unpolished jade that has been washed clean of all impurities, with a clear mind and untroubled thoughts.
Only such a person can single-mindedly walk the supreme path of enlightenment through food.
"good."
After a long while, Lin Fan finally uttered two words.
The voice was soft, but to He Yuzhu it was no less powerful than a divine decree, causing his entire soul to tremble. He knew he had passed this test.
Get up.
"Mr. Xie."
He Yuzhu stood up and remained respectfully standing to the side with his hands at his sides, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Lin Fan kept his eyes closed, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the rocking chair, one tap after another, as if he were pondering something.
"The Divine Chef's Hall controls all the world's rarest ingredients, using food to cultivate one's Dao," Lin Fan said slowly. "Do you understand the meaning of the words 'rare ingredients'?"
He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed, saying, "This disciple is dull-witted, please enlighten me, sir."
"As spiritual energy revives, all things in heaven and earth are nourished. Plants and trees will develop spirituality, beasts will awaken intelligence, mountains and rocks will contain spiritual essence, and rivers will gather spiritual fluid." Lin Fan's voice was unhurried. "These are spiritual materials."
"Ordinary ingredients can only fill the stomach. But spiritual ingredients, when consumed, can strengthen the body, prolong life, increase cultivation, and even cleanse the marrow and transform the body. This is the foundation that your Divine Chef Palace wants to lay for this new era."
He Yuzhu was deeply moved.
He used to only know that cooking required good ingredients, but he never imagined that the "ingredients" in this world could be classified in such a wonderful way.
Consuming it can increase one's cultivation level!
Isn't this the legendary magic of immortals?
"Master, where should this disciple go to find these spiritual materials?" He Yuzhu asked excitedly.
"Go." Lin Fan didn't answer directly, but simply raised a finger and pointed outside the courtyard. "Your path is not about me telling you where to find it, but about yourself—to discover it, to discern it, and to comprehend it."
"Mountains and rivers, dense forests and deep abysses—wherever spiritual energy gathers, there are treasures. Your nose, your tongue, and your heart, so devoted to the art of food, are your best compass."
As soon as he finished speaking, a leaf from the World Tree drifted down from the canopy and landed right in front of He Yuzhu.
On the leaf, light and shadow danced, and a miniature map of China slowly emerged. Countless points of light, varying in size, flickered across the map, some of them noticeably brighter than the others.
"These places have particularly rich spiritual energy, and the newly grown spiritual materials are of the highest quality. You can start here," Lin Fan said calmly. "Remember, your Divine Chef's Hall is not just an organization for treasure hunting, but also an organization for setting rules."
"The emergence of spiritual materials inevitably attracts countless covetous eyes. Your responsibility is to find them, identify them, and then establish a set of rules for their 'consumption.' What grade of spiritual material should be consumed by what kind of people, and what value should it bring out? Whether it is used to prolong the lifespan of mortals or to help cultivators break through, the 'timing' involved is where the authority of your Divine Chef Hall lies."
He Yuzhu trembled violently.
He finally understood Lin Fan's deeper meaning.
This is hardly a job for him to be a cook!
This is clearly giving him the power to allocate all cultivation resources in the world!
The Divine Chef's Hall may seem to be in charge of food, but in reality, it controls the lifeblood of all cultivators! Anyone who wants to advance further or obtain higher-level resources must abide by the rules of the Divine Chef's Hall.
This power is boundless!
"Disciple...understands!" He Yuzhu's voice trembled slightly with excitement as he knelt down again. "He Yuzhu will never fail your trust, Master! I will surely establish an ironclad order for the cultivation of talent throughout the world!"
"Hmm." Lin Fan seemed a little tired, and waved his hand. "Go. This is your first decree."
His voice rang directly in He Yuzhu's mind.
"Head west to the Qinling Mountains. There lies the first cornerstone of your Divine Chef's Palace. Find it, refine it, and only then will you truly begin your journey into the 'Great Way of Food'."
"Disciple receives the decree!"
He Yuzhu kowtowed deeply, then stood up, picked up the leaf of the World Tree that carried the map, bowed deeply to Lin Fan, turned around and strode out of the courtyard.
His silhouette showed no trace of confusion, only a resolute and high-spirited determination to head towards the main road.
The courtyard returned to silence.
Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes, looking in the direction where He Yuzhu had disappeared, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
The path he pointed out to He Yuzhu was one never before trodden. It was about using ordinary culinary skills to harness the extraordinary principles of spiritual energy, ultimately achieving the "Way of Food." This path was difficult, but once traversed, the rewards would be limitless.
To him, this was nothing more than a small pawn in his grand "Earth Project".
But for He Yuzhu, this was his entire destiny.
Lin Fan's divine sense once again spread out like mercury, enveloping the entire planet.
He "saw" that Fang Qingxue had returned to her family headquarters in an ancient European castle, where a huge storm was brewing.
He "heard" that Zhang Sanfeng had already stepped onto the snow line of Kunlun Mountain. All the beasts and birds in the mountain fell silent and lay prostrate, as if welcoming the return of an ancient Taoist ancestor.
He "senses" that Ares and Aiolia, the two gods of war, are hovering 10,000 meters above the most bustling city in North America, their cold gazes locked on a skyscraper that is frantically devouring the city's energy.
A new era has begun.
And he only needs to lie here, quietly watching, occasionally adjusting the direction of the chess pieces.
This feeling is not bad.
At least, it's much more interesting than sleeping alone in the endless void.
He closed his eyes again, a faint smile playing on his lips, and fell into a deep sleep once more.
For him, setting rules for the world might ultimately be just a way to allow himself to sleep more soundly and for longer.
After all, a peaceful and undisturbed slumber was the only pursuit of this being who had slept for countless eons.