He spent the entire afternoon busy in the kitchen.
When Ning Rongrong and the others arrived at the dining room, the sight that greeted them made their eyes widen in unison.
The ten-meter-long dining table was laden with delicacies, many of which Ning Rongrong and the others had never seen before.
In the center was a golden, glistening roasted whole lamb, its skin so crispy that one could see the shimmering oil, exuding an inviting aroma of spices.
Beside it were plates of exquisitely shaped pastries; Xiao Ze had even molded them into shapes like flowers and small animals.
Xiao Ze also made many drinks.
"You made all of this by yourself?" Ning Rongrong's mouth was slightly agape, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Of course." Xiao Ze nodded. Even with his spirit power and strong body, it was still very tiring. He had spent a full four or five hours cooking. Luckily, he could use his spirit power to ensure the food tasted as fresh as when it was just made, otherwise the dishes made earlier would have been inedible.
Ning Rongrong, feeling a little distressed, hugged Xiao Ze, "You worked so hard."
Although Ning Rongrong's chest wasn't large, her scent was intoxicating, making Xiao Ze almost lose himself.
In the end, it was Ning Rongrong who pushed Xiao Ze away.
At this moment, Ning Rongrong also knew how to reward Xiao Ze in the future; she couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth.
Indeed, her small size was also very cute.
Water Binger uncharacteristically lost herself, her ice-blue eyes slightly wide.
She hadn't expected Xiao Ze's cooking skills to be even more impressive than she had imagined.
Water Binger had already started learning to cook with Meng Yiran. Water Binger was very intelligent, but clumsy with her hands, so she needed more time to learn.
Seeing what Xiao Ze made today, Water Binger felt that she might never be able to create such dishes even if she studied her whole life.
She stared at the steaming, rich soup in front of her. The soup was slightly yellow and emitted a rich aroma she had never smelled before.
"Try it, this is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, made by simmering over a dozen precious ingredients like sea cucumber, abalone, and fish maw."
"Let's eat later, it's just too amazing. I never thought Xiao Ze could make so many delicious dishes." Water Binger swallowed, immediately pulling out her small notebook to start taking notes.
Xiao Ze chuckled, Bing'er was still so eager to learn.
Beside them, Zhuqing had already taken a bite of a golden pastry. The sound of the crispy crust breaking was clear and pleasant, and the custard that flowed out made her unconsciously narrow her eyes.
"This is an egg yolk pastry, it's very delicious, but eat a little less. It's a bit sweet and rich. If you eat too much, you won't be able to enjoy the other delicious things."
On the other side, Dugu Yan was already impatiently trying the spicy and fragrant boiled fish slices, sticking out her tongue from the spice but unable to stop her chopsticks: "Hiss… delicious, so satisfying, just a bit spicy."
"It's alright, I didn't make it too spicy." Xiao Ze knew that none of the girls could handle too much spice, so all the dishes were mildly spicy, just enough for flavor.
What amazed everyone the most was the Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish, fried until golden and crispy, then drenched in a bright red sauce, absolutely perfect.
There was also a three-tiered cake with exquisite sugar flowers on top, so beautiful that people almost couldn't bear to eat it.
The girls sat together, enjoying themselves. Seeing their happy faces, Xiao Ze felt that his afternoon of preparation was well worth it.
Ning Rongrong scooped up a spoonful of crystal-clear Mango Pomelo Sago with a silver spoon. The sweet mango and coconut milk melted on her tongue. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she unconsciously cupped her cheeks with her hands.
"Mmm… this texture is so good, and the taste is excellent. What an amazing drink, I've never had anything like it."
The sago pearls bounced between her teeth, and the slight bitterness of the bursting pomelo segments perfectly balanced the sweetness.
There weren't many delicacies on Douluo Continent, let alone such drinks; they preferred to drink alcohol.
Even the alcohol was mediocre. If only Xiao Ze knew how to make good alcohol, he would make a fortune.
At the same time, exclamations of delight rose and fell around the dining table.
"Wow! This Green Bean cake is so delicious, sweet and soft."
"This Tiramisu is also very tasty. Although it looks dark, the cream flavor is genuinely good."
"The strawberry milkshake is so creamy."
…
The sun set, painting the sky with an orange-red glow.
After everyone had eaten their fill, they lazily sprawled on the lounge chairs on the balcony.
Ning Rongrong contentedly rubbed her slightly bulging belly, her eyes narrowed: "Ah… I can't move, I ate too much today. I feel like I'll gain several pounds tomorrow. Darn Xiao Ze."
Xiao Ze's mouth twitched: "I didn't make you eat that much." It was also the first time Xiao Ze had seen Ning Rongrong eat so much; after many dishes, she still ate a lot of desserts.
It seemed her stomach was divided into two.
The others also didn't feel like talking anymore.
After a moment of silence, Water Binger spoke softly: "Xiao Ze, what do you plan to do after the Soul Master Competition ends?"
Hearing this, everyone looked over.
"Become a god," Xiao Ze said casually.
"Become a god?!!!" Water Binger and the other two were startled, especially Huo Wu, who sat up completely.
"Uh… aren't you surprised?" Huo Wu asked.
"We already know. What's there to be surprised about? With Xiao Ze's abilities, he will definitely become a god in the future, and he might even help us become gods," Ning Rongrong shook her head.
"That confident?" Huo Wu was puzzled.
"Aren't the special plants you ate effective?"
"Very effective." Huo Wu nodded emphatically. Her cultivation speed had directly doubled.
Now she felt she could increase her spirit power by four or five levels a year, much more than before.
"Well, there you go."
"But becoming a god seems a bit too ethereal, doesn't it?" Shui Yueer said.
"It's not ethereal." Xiao Ze shook his head, "In the distant overseas, there is a Sea God Island. On Sea God Island, there is a place of inheritance for a Sea God. Yue'er, Bing'er, if you two work hard, you might become Sea Gods. A Sea God is a First-Rank God."
Hearing this, Water Binger and Shui Yueer's eyes widened.
"Is there really such a thing?" Shui Yueer asked, swallowing.
"Of course there is, but I don't think Bing'er might be suitable. Your talent might not be enough," Xiao Ze said seriously.
"Ah… it would be great to succeed, but if not, then so be it," Water Binger didn't insist.
"What about me?" Huo Wu asked, she also wanted to become a god.
"I don't know. For places of inheritance, Douluo Star definitely has more than just Sea God Island. You can go look for them later; some special places might have them. For example, the Extreme North Land."
Water Binger nodded upon hearing this: "The Extreme North Land is very mysterious, there might really be something there. It's said that even a Titled Douluo cannot reach the innermost parts."