69novels Chapter 68 Breaking Bad
Chapter 68 Breaking Bad
The first dish resembled sashimi and was called "Universal Raw Sliced Fish".
The fish slices were as thin as cicada wings, yet they had an eerie, starry-sky-like deep blue color, sprinkled with shimmering silver particles, and exuding a faint, saltpeter-like scent.
The second dish resembled a plate of pastries and was called "Flaming Ice Soul Cake".
The pastry is fiery red and uniquely shaped, but wisps of white, chilly air keep emanating from it, and the surrounding air is slightly distorted due to the temperature difference.
The last dish was a bowl of thick soup called "A Hundred Flavors Heart-to-Heart Soup".
The soup is a colorful mix of colors, and in the rising steam, one can almost smell dozens of complex aromas at the same time, such as floral fragrance, fruity acidity, burnt bitterness, and fishy saltiness, which makes it intimidating.
Xuanzi has always called himself "Shrek's number one chef" and enthusiastically cooks for Shrek's teachers and students, which is why they privately call him "Breaking Bad".
"Sect Leader Niu, don't be shy! Try it!" Xuanzi introduced enthusiastically, "Especially this fish, which is made from star-scaled fish from the cold pools of the far north, and is served with my specially blended Universal Powder. It gives you a sense of the vastness of the stars and the sea as soon as you taste it!"
This pastry, combining the elements of ice and fire, is extremely beneficial for forging your soul power! This soup, in particular, is a culmination of the essence of hundreds of herbs; one bowl will surely wash away all your troubles!
Seeing Xuanzi's expectant gaze, Niu Tian was caught in a dilemma.
He gritted his teeth, picked up a piece of "Universal Raw Fish" with his chopsticks, and put it in his mouth.
The next moment, Niu Tian's pupils suddenly contracted!
The silver particles crackled and exploded on the tip of my tongue, sending an extremely stimulating sensation straight to the top of my head, as if I were holding a ball of icy lightning in my mouth!
Then, the fishy sweetness of the fish meat and the sour and astringent taste of the rice noodles mixed together strangely, creating an indescribable taste disaster.
Even someone as strong as Niu Tian couldn't help but twitch his facial muscles.
"How is it?" Xuanzi asked with concern.
Niu Tian forced himself to swallow, squeezing out two words through gritted teeth: "...unique."
Unconvinced, he took another bite of the "Flaming Ice Soul Cake".
The intense spiciness of the outer layer explodes instantly, like swallowing a ball of fire!
Before he could even muster his soul power to resist, the ice-cold inner core suddenly erupted, and the extreme experience of ice and fire completely numbed his tongue, making it feel as if it no longer belonged to him.
Niu Tian drank a small sip of the final "heart-to-heart soup" almost as if he were going to his death.
In an instant, a tidal wave of extreme flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—overwhelmed his taste buds, and an inexplicable sense of melancholy and restlessness welled up in his heart, almost bringing tears to the eyes of this resolute sect leader.
Niu Tian swore that this was absolutely the most terrifying meal he had ever eaten in his long life!
Even when we ate the coarsest plant roots and stems or ate raw blood in the Starry Sky Forest back then, the taste was far less "vicious" than one ten-thousandth of the "exquisite" dishes in front of us!
This goes beyond just being unpalatable; it's more like a form of all-around torture for both body and mind!
He finally understood that the "creativity" of this Gluttonous Douluo was something that ordinary beings could not bear.
During the meal, Xuanzi continued to chat and laugh, constantly urging others to drink and eat, and subtly inquiring about Haotian Sect's views on the Spirit Transmission Tower.
Niu Tian had no time to try and extract information; he was using all his soul power to suppress the churning in his stomach and to maintain his facial expression so as not to break down.
They could only give vague answers and mumble "uh-huh" to get by.
The meal ended when Niu Tian was almost completely exhausted.
He forced himself to maintain the last vestiges of courtesy, thanked Xuanzi, and took his leave, his steps unsteady.
Walking on the streets of Shrek City, a night breeze blew, and Niu Tian felt as if the bizarre and fantastical taste nightmare from before was still lingering in his mouth.
At this moment, he missed the clear spring water and sweet wild fruits in the Starry Sky Forest.
After this battle, Niu Tian completely gave up the idea of routinely gathering information from within Shrek Academy.
Xuanzi's "hospitality" made him realize that Shrek City was full of hidden talents with different styles of doing things, and that seemingly ordinary actions might be hiding "murderous intentions".
He turned his gaze back towards the Spirit Pagoda, his expression becoming extremely solemn.
"We must find another way..." Niu Tian muttered to himself, his fear of the Spirit Pagoda deepening.
The task assigned by that great being in the divine realm is becoming increasingly urgent and challenging.
In the darkness of night, the figure of the Haotian Sect Master appeared exceptionally lonely and somber.
Before leaving, Niu Tian wrote two letters and asked the gatekeeper of Shrek Academy to deliver them to Wang Dong and Tang Zang respectively.
After Niu Tian left, Li Ren, the head of the Medicine Pavilion, patted Xuanzi on the shoulder approvingly.
Huo Biling (Biji) is the deputy head of their medicine pavilion, so he naturally has to do his best to protect her, both for public and private reasons.
When Xuanzi generously offered to cook for him as a thank you, Li Ren turned pale and waved his hands repeatedly. He practically used his movement technique to flee as fast as he could—Xuanzi's cooking was simply a deadly weapon, so potent that even a titled Douluo would be poisoned by it!
After learning of Li Ren's actions, Brigitte understood that it represented a tacit support for the Spirit Pagoda from some of the higher-ups within Shrek Academy.
In return, she handed over several improved pill formulas and gave him an extra precious Xuanbing Pill.
The previous one was already reserved for Ma Xiaotao to suppress her evil fire, but this one is suitable to be given to Ling Luochen, another genius in the inner academy and an ice-type soul master who is as famous as Ma Xiaotao.
Meanwhile, Tang Zang, who was lurking in the academy, was also trying to find out about the Spirit Transmission Tower.
Upon learning that Jiang Nannan, known as the "most beautiful girl in the outer academy," had also joined the Spirit Pagoda, a glint flashed in his eyes. He decided to change his strategy and try to pursue Jiang Nannan, hoping to get closer to the core of the Spirit Pagoda through this.
This naturally led to a fierce conflict with Xu Sanshi, another persistent suitor of Jiang Nannan.
The two fought openly in the Soul Arena. Tang Zang, relying on the rewards from the Asura God Trial and the cultivation boosted by secret techniques, steadily suppressed and defeated Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi was extremely frustrated. Tang Zang had first stolen his title as one of the "Twin Stars of the Outer Courtyard," a title he shared with Bei Bei, and now he was openly vying for the goddess he had been pursuing so desperately (although Jiang Nannan treated him and Tang Zang "equally" and remained indifferent to them).
His uncontrollable anger and disappointment led him to confide in his good friend Beibei.
The conflict quickly escalated, turning into a gimmick about the rivalry between the "new and old foreign language department twins".
Encouraged and anticipated by everyone, a spirit battle match between Beibei and Tangzang was put on the agenda.
On the day of the battle, the stands were packed with enthusiastic students.
Tang Ya even made a huge banner by hand, with the four characters "Beibei will win" written on it. She and Xu Sanshi held it up high on the left and right, creating a very enthusiastic atmosphere.
Huo Yutong, Xiao Xiao, and others also cheered for Bei Bei.
In the center of the arena, Beibei and Tangzang stood facing each other.
As soon as the referee gave the order, the two figures flashed at the same time. The violent lightning of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Martial Soul and the heavy power of the Clear Sky Hammer collided violently, bursting out a deafening roar!