Chapter 99 The God of Cookery's Nine Tests, Test Two: Thousand Threads of Flavor
"Little one, do you think that 'tasting hundreds of herbs, eating hundreds of flavors, and distinguishing all kinds of materials' means you have to eat all the food in the world?"
"How could that be!"
"How could I, a god, be so heartless?"
"Even I, a god, dare not claim to have tasted all the food in the world, let alone a mere Spirit Master like you!"
As he spoke, the God of Cookery shook his head and explained, "The successor I have chosen is to master the way of cooking in the world, not to be a food storage person."
"The way of food begins with taste."
"The essence of taste lies in recognition."
"The core of the first test lies in taste and knowledge."
"It opens the door to knowledge for you and lays the foundation for the way of food and the appreciation of all flavors."
"Hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands are all figurative terms. You have already identified so many ingredients, with their vastly different types, properties, and effects, which is enough for you to begin to build a basic understanding of the system of food philosophy and to grasp the connection between taste and knowledge..."
"That's enough!"
When it came to the nature of the divine test, the God of Cookery was unusually serious for a moment, before starting to act nonsensically again: "If you were really required to taste all the things in the world, how long would it take to test you?"
"I'm still waiting for my vacation!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Chuan suddenly understood.
Oh, I see. I was just overthinking things.
The core of the first test is cognition rather than exact quantity. The divine test focuses more on understanding the essence and establishing a correct cognitive system, rather than mechanically completing quantitative indicators.
"certainly!"
The food critic suddenly changed his tone and smiled mysteriously: "The mission of this 'Ingredient Compendium' is not over yet. We will continue to include any new ingredients you encounter in the future."
"For the God of Cookery, it's more than just an illustrated guide..."
"oh?"
Tang Chuan's curiosity was piqued, and he pressed on, "What else does it have?"
"Eh~"
The God of Food raised his jade spoon, interrupting him, and a profound smile appeared on his face: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. You will know in time."
Let me keep you in suspense for now!
Seeing that the God of Food was unwilling to say more, Tang Chuan wisely stopped asking and kept the matter in mind.
It seems that the "Ingredients Guide" has a deeper function. Perhaps, as I guessed before, it will unlock functions such as medicinal cuisine recipes in subsequent assessments?
Just as I was thinking, the God of Cookery spoke again.
"Of course, you'll get a reward for finishing the first test ahead of schedule!"
The God of Food raised his hand and pointed, and a golden light entered Tang Chuan's brow: "The lifespan of the previous God-given Soul Ring has increased by another 10,000 years, so it should be about 180,000 years now."
"I never expected you would want such a soul skill."
"As expected, he truly deserves to be the successor I have chosen!"
"hey-hey!"
"My judgment is truly excellent!"
As he spoke, the God of Cookery chuckled twice, then announced, "Your affinity with the God of Cookery has increased by 20%, so the reward for the first test will be doubled."
"Hmm..."
"The rewards for the God-given Soul Ring have already been distributed ahead of schedule, so let's leave it at that for now!"
As the golden light entered his body, Tang Chuan felt his soul power increase, a warm feeling spread through his body, and his soul power flowed more smoothly.
"Thank you, senior!"
"Don't thank me yet, you'll experience the reward later."
"Now, your second test will be announced!"
The phantom of the God of Food straightened his expression slightly, and with a light touch of the jade spoon, an extremely solemn divine voice appeared in Tang Chuan's Spiritual sea.
"The second of the God of Cookery's nine tests: Thousands of strands of flavor!"
"Assessment criteria: Ultimate control lies in the smallest detail."
"It requires a blade made of ordinary iron to process any hundred kinds of ingredients into a state of fine silk, as thin as hair and uniform."
"And using this thousand strands as a base, a single dish is prepared."
"The flavor must penetrate every strand, be even and clear, and there must be no difference."
"The assessment will last for five years. Upon completion, you will be rewarded with a divinely bestowed Soul Ring and a 10% increase in affinity with the God of Food. If you complete it ahead of schedule, the reward will be even greater."
Tang Chuan carefully considered the assessment content.
To process hundreds of ingredients with a simple iron blade to the point of being shredded into countless strands, while ensuring even flavor absorption, undoubtedly requires the ultimate training in control, patience, and knife skills.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, the God of Cookery chuckled, realizing that his serious demeanor had vanished again.
"How is it, little one?"
"Doesn't it feel much harder than the first exam?"
He twirled the jade spoon in his hand in mid-air, the golden light on the rim shimmering, and quipped, "This is the essence of the way of food!"
"Knife skills and the ability to infuse flavor are the foundation of all delicious food!"
"Without good knife skills and precise control of flavor, how can it be called gourmet food?"
"This is the second test!"
"It tests your ultimate control over knife skills and flavor absorption!"
"A blade made of iron is not like a divine weapon. To cut meat into shreds as thin as hair and each shred must be even, it takes three to five years of hard work to develop the precision in your hands."
"What's even more difficult is getting the flavor into it."
"The flavor must permeate every strand; even a touch too salty or a touch too bland won't pass must be acceptable, not even half a point off!"
However…
The God of Food suddenly changed his tone, pointing at Tang Chuan with his jade spoon: "I have complete confidence in you!"
"You managed to finish your first exam ahead of schedule, kid."
"This second exam will probably take you five years, which is just a piece of cake for you!"
"Keep it up!"
"I will not treat you unfairly!"
Hearing the God of Cookery's unreliable encouragement, Tang Chuan was both amused and exasperated, but also felt much more at ease.
He seized the opportunity and explained his long-held idea of creating a food delivery platform to collect the power of faith to the God of Food.
"...Using food as a link, we will build a widely accessible network so that more people can conveniently enjoy delicious food and experience the satisfaction and happiness it brings."
"Based on this... wouldn't this be considered a convergence of faith?"
"Yo!"
"That's a brilliant idea!"
The God of Food's eyes lit up as he listened, and he slapped his jade spoon against his palm, his voice full of excitement: "Using food as a medium, let's weave a grand net of human warmth and life!"
"Integrating faith into daily life, finding it hidden in the flavors... this idea is exactly to my liking!"
"Little guy, how did your brain get so big?"
The God of Cookery became more and more smug as he spoke, shaking his jade spoon and boasting, "Indeed, my judgment is excellent!"
"I picked one at random and found a talent that's one in a million!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
As he spoke, the God of Cookery burst into laughter, saying without restraint, "Look! Now that's what you call a successor with vision!"
"Let's see what Shura chose..."
"well!"
It's a long story!
"It's shameful for a descendant of a god-king to have his mind affected by his own divine servant!"
"I'm different!"
"When it comes to choosing people, I am absolutely the best in the divine realm!"
The God of Food couldn't stop being narcissistic. When he talked about Shura, he thought of his own divine servant and winked mysteriously at Tang Chuan: "Little guy, I also left some treasures on Douluo Star."
"To support your grand ambitions, I've decided to give you a little surprise!"
"As for the specifics, I'll keep it a secret for now."
"You'll find out soon enough, and I guarantee you'll be overjoyed!"
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[end of the chapter]