"This isn't real fish. And yet, it has the succulent richness of fresh fish. If I'm not mistaken, the main ingredient of this dish, 'Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate', is a white radish. It's been carved into the shape of a white jade carp using knife skills of unparalleled precision. But the fishy flavor inside the radish isn't fake in the slightest—it's the genuine taste of carp. The radish and fish flavor are flawlessly fused together. Add in the hints of ginger, scallion, and garlic—none of them overt, yet perfectly integrated. There's not the slightest trace of smoke or fire. It feels wholly natural, as though heaven-sent. Truly incredible."
There was no fish, yet it tasted exactly like fish—real, unmistakable fish. Yi Tianxing was certain of it. This was the flavor of carp, without a shred of illusion. That alone was miraculous.
On the surface, it was nothing more than a food sculpture. No other ingredients were visible. And yet, it had color, aroma, and taste all in perfect harmony. Even more astonishing, the dish seemed to possess spirit, vitality—an essence that couldn't be cooked out by ordinary hands. It was something Lai He had never achieved.
Yi Tianxing had to admit—the skills of the God of cuisine were truly extraordinary.
Shehou also took a bite. Instantly, a wave of bliss spread across her face and body. To put it simply: once you start eating, you can't stop.
With ivory chopsticks in hand, the two of them continuously assaulted the dish in front of them, mouths barely pausing for breath.
The food melted in their mouths. Every delicate flavor exploded on their taste buds.
As the food entered, Yi Tianxing felt his gourmet cells stir. It was like they had turned into gluttons, excitedly opening every pore of his body.
His gourmet cells began to activate. Streams of heaven and earth energy naturally flowed into his body. As his mind fully immersed itself in the deliciousness, his entire being became subtly connected to heaven and earth. Emotional fluctuations enhanced his ability to draw in spiritual energy, causing vast amounts of qi to flood into his body. His physical strength began to increase spontaneously.
He already possessed a base physical strength exceeding a million jin (approx. 500,000 kg), and now that number started to surge.
One thousand jin!
Two thousand!…
Ten thousand!!
At the same time, the energy infused in the dish also nourished his body.
Clearly, the ingredients used were anything but ordinary—rich in nutrients and energy beyond comprehension.
His Food Cauldron Life Aperture activated at full speed, subconsciously refining the essence of Dao contained within the dish.
Simultaneously, countless Dao runes intertwined within his blood and flesh, engraved into his physical being.
The transformation was so fast—even Yi Tianxing was alarmed. His body had never evolved this quickly. His gourmet cells seemed completely out of control—utterly berserk.
Never before had he felt his gourmet cells surge like this.
The speed at which he absorbed heaven and earth qi skyrocketed.
His increasing strength was shocking. Flesh, bones, blood—everything was strengthening by the second.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A series of crisp chimes echoed from within his body. The sound transformed into resonant waves, shattering impurities in his blood and flesh, crushing them into nothingness.
Inside his body, three precious cauldrons emerged—one black, one white, and a newly formed crimson cauldron. Each swallowed and exhaled enormous amounts of vital blood, continuously refining his body. The blood churned like a waterfall, golden in hue, circulating with mysterious power.
Within the black cauldron, a Diamond Dragon-Elephant suppressed the four directions.Within the white cauldron, a Peerless Bull Demon stood tall.And in the crimson cauldron, a blood-drenched Asura, wreathed in killing intent, stood silently. Around it, ghosts howled, and visions of mountains of corpses and seas of blood manifested.
Naturally, a stream of Asura power flowed into Yi Tianxing's flesh, engraving new Dao runes and further refining his body.
This was none other than his third-tier body-refining cultivation art—"Asura Undying Sutra", which used Asura power to temper the body. Under the coordination of the "Ninefold Mysterious Art", it perfectly merged with his prior body-tempering arts.
Under the power of the Ninefold Mysterious Art:
The Dragon-Elephant Law Runes from the black cauldron integrated into his limbs and torso. His arms and legs now shimmered faintly with dragon-elephant strength—powerful and extraordinary.
The Bull Demon Law Runes from the white cauldron merged into his spleen. Dao runes intertwined on its surface, making it sturdier and more indestructible.
These body-refining arts did not become useless after initial success. Instead, they began targeted enhancements on specific parts of his body. Over time, these locations would even begin to produce immortal substances, slowly pushing the body toward undying and eternal perfection.
Before they knew it, Yi Tianxing and Shehou had completely devoured the plate of Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.
Not a single scrap remained.
And that one dish alone had increased Yi Tianxing's physical strength by a full 200,000 jin.
His total strength now stood at over 1.2 million jin—a truly terrifying figure.
Just one meal—an increase of 200,000 jin of strength. If word got out, it would drive cultivators mad with envy. Of course, this was only possible thanks to his gourmet cells and Food Cauldron Aperture.
As for Shehou, she hadn't gained as much power, but the mental and physical benefits were obvious.
Her body relaxed completely. She was in utter bliss.
"Body Refining Tier Three: Crimson Cauldron Realm.
First Resonance: One million jin.
Second Resonance: Two million jin.
Reaching the next level requires enormous accumulation. No easy feat."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, acutely aware of the Food God's overwhelming culinary power.
Reaching the third tier of body refinement was one thing. But progressing further would require resources and trials that escalated geometrically. Still, the strength of body cultivators was indisputable.
"Excellent. Truly excellent! This is indeed the craft of a Food God. I'm in awe."
Yi Tianxing exclaimed with heartfelt admiration.
"Hehe, the guest speaks the truth. How could the Food God's craft be anything short of divine? You see, the Food God possesses a rare technique—the ability to extract the essence of ingredients and fuse them together. Take this Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate: although carved from radish, at the very start, he used a miraculous method to extract the spiritual essence of a real live carp and infuse it into the radish. That's what gave it the flavor and nutrition of real fish. The same goes for the other seasonings. All were infused using this method."
The clever little imp explained proudly.
"They call this technique the Spirit-Grasping Hand of All Things (万物摄灵手).
It allows the chef to draw out the essence from ingredients and perfectly integrate them. This ability marks the threshold of becoming a true Food God."
For example, by extracting the fish essence and merging it into the radish, the dish was boneless, yet retained the fish's flavor and nutritional value.
It was, frankly, divine craftsmanship.
"Incredible. Simply astonishing," Yi Tianxing murmured to himself.
Any skill, when pushed to its peak, could create miracles.
And this skill, when applied to gourmet cuisine, had immeasurable potential.
"Alright, I can't wait to taste the next dish."
Yi Tianxing smiled eagerly.
The nearby attendant wasted no time and unveiled the second course.
A brilliant light burst forth, revealing a golden ham. On its surface were twenty-four vivid full moons, as though hanging in a real night sky. Just looking at it evoked a sense of standing under a starlit sky.
"This is 'Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night'. It uses a ferocious beast-grade turkey leg as the base, and the tofu... well, that's something special too,"
the little imp said with a trace of envy.
The preparation was unique. The turkey leg was hollowed out with twenty-four round holes. Inside each hole, a special tofu ball was placed. The ham was then steamed shut. Once cooked, the tofu absorbed all the ham's flavor—and the ham was discarded. The dish was purely tofu.
Each piece of tofu had absorbed different aspects of the ham. Some turned golden, some red, others pure white—creating a vibrant, colorful presentation.
"How interesting."
Yi Tianxing picked up a snow-white tofu piece with his chopsticks.
Though it looked delicate and fragile, the tofu had a surprising resilience—no crumbling as he lifted it.
He put it in his mouth. It melted instantly. The flavor—soft tofu, savory ham, and a hint of sweetness—was unforgettable. His entire body opened like a flower, pores inhaling spiritual energy uncontrollably.
It was heavenly—pure delight.
"I'm gonna cry—it's so sour!"
Shehou took a piece—this one was dark in color. The moment she tasted it, a burst of sourness spread through her mouth. But strangely, she felt incredibly at ease. Being pregnant, she was extra sensitive to sour flavors, and this hit the spot.
"Whoa—spicy!"
Yi Tianxing tried another. This time, it was a fiery red tofu piece.
As soon as he bit down, an explosion of spice erupted in his mouth, completely different from the sweetness earlier. It was like being thrust into a world of extremes.