The sun set and the moon rose, enshrouded in a Spiritual Mist.
As one of the Four Great Sects of the Mountain and Sea Empire, the Void Sect naturally occupied a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land.
The evening breeze rustled past, carrying a refreshing air that would invigorate anyone's spirit, yet Mo Qi felt a coldness he had never known before.
His heart was cold, his spirit numb.
He sat slumped against the low wall of the courtyard, facing the Jade Bottle, his eyes lifeless and his face pale and drawn.
Not far away was a patch of dried blood, glaringly red.
The day's events replayed endlessly in his mind: the jeers and taunts from Wang Hao and his cronies, the resolute silence in Fang Min's eyes.
"Idiot!"
"Lowly servant!"
"Worthless Kitchen Hand!"
"We're not from the same world!"
"The only reason I wasted so much time with you was for that pathetic bit of Cultivation Resources you had!"
Every sentence, every word, was like a sharp blade repeatedly carving into his heart.
"Why would you do this to me?" Mo Qi muttered. "If you didn't want to be with me, you could have just said so. I, Mo Qi, am not some petty fool who can't take a hint, nor am I the type to demand repayment for my kindness. And I'm certainly not shameless."
"You passed the test and have a better future now. I wouldn't have stood in your way. I certainly wouldn't have pestered you. I would have only wished you well."
"But why... why did you have to bring your new lover here to trample all over my dignity?!"
"I may only be a Kitchen Hand, Mo Qi, but I'm still a man who stands tall! Fang Min, I'd really like to see what your heart is made of!"
"And Wang Hao! I'll show you who the real trash is. A dragon among men? Hmph, then I'll become a dragon slayer!"
Mo Qi took a deep breath and shakily pushed himself to his feet. His back straightened, resembling a sky-piercing Long Halberd—unstoppable!
Giving up had never been his style. Though he had no talent for Cultivation, Mo Qi believed that if he could even accomplish something as close to a Divine Technique as splitting a single hair into thirteen thousand six hundred strands, what else was beyond his reach?
No one could have imagined that the "Demon Chef," a man who would one day shake the world and be both loved and hated by countless people, would awaken his resolve to pursue the Martial Dao on this ordinary night.
Picking up the Jade Bottle from the ground, Mo Qi uncorked it. Inside lay three white, peanut-sized Elixirs, and a refreshing fragrance wafted out.
'My path on the Martial Dao shall begin with these three Spiritual Essence Pills.'
One pill for Friendship Powder. Two for Friendship Destroyer. Three for Enmity Resolved!
Mo Qi told himself that once he consumed these three Spiritual Essence Pills, the next time he saw Fang Min, they would be nothing but strangers.
It wasn't that he coveted the Elixirs; it was a ritual, akin to cutting one's sleeves to sever ties.
The Elixir melted the moment it entered his mouth. But Mo Qi had never cultivated before, let alone cleared his meridians. The Medicinal Power of the Spiritual Essence Pill had no channel to flow through and release, so it rampaged wildly within his body.
Mo Qi wasn't worried. He had experienced similar situations many times before.
No matter where you went, there was never a shortage of rich people.
People just like Wang Hao, with his prominent family and obscene wealth. Otherwise, he never would have casually tossed Mo Qi three Spiritual Essence Pills.
After all, each Spiritual Essence Pill was worth a fortune! Many Independent Cultivators with low Cultivation might never be able to afford a single one in their entire lives.
There were many other "nouveau riche" types like him in the Void Sect.
Because of Mo Qi's culinary skills, many of these "nouveau riche" would bring him Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures—items that countless others coveted—and have him cook them into ordinary food, merely to satisfy their gluttonous desires.
As the saying goes, "Behind vermilion gates, meat and wine rot, while on the road, people freeze to death." This was even truer on the path of the Martial Dao.
When these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were turned into ordinary food, their medicinal effects didn't just vanish. The Chaos Scripture could extract and purify those effects from a distance, nourishing Mo Qi.
This was why, despite never practicing any Cultivation Technique, Mo Qi had been able to temper his physique to its current state.
Those "nouveau riche" didn't care about the medicinal effects. They just assumed that because Mo Qi had no Cultivation, the effects were lost during the cooking process. In any case, they only cared about the taste.
The Chaos Scripture could also absorb the medicinal effects of Elixirs, which was why Mo Qi wasn't worried that the Spiritual Essence Pills would cause him any trouble.
However, when he tried to communicate with the Chaos Scripture as usual, a sharp pain shot through his mind, as if someone had stabbed a needle through his head.
"AHH!"
Mo Qi screamed, clutching his head. Then his eyes rolled back, and he passed out cold.
What he didn't know was that after he fainted, the Chaos Scripture in his mind—which he had mistaken for a "wonton" recipe book—automatically opened its cover. A streak of golden light flew out and merged into his body.
Afterward, the Chaos Scripture closed again, as if nothing had happened.
...
When Mo Qi regained consciousness, his nose felt itchy. A sneeze of his own making startled him awake.
"Haha, Brother Mo, why are you sleeping outside?" A grinning girl in shabby clothes with a grimy face was squatting in front of Mo Qi, holding a foxtail weed in her hand.
Clearly, the sneeze was her handiwork.
"Ruyan? How come you have time to visit today?" Mo Qi shook his head. His memories were a jumble, as if something new had been added, but he didn't have time to dwell on it, instead focusing his attention on the girl before him.
The girl's name was Liu Ruyan, and she had known Mo Qi for nearly five years.
Their meeting had been a complete accident. At the time, Mo Qi had just taken over the position of cook and was hiding in the back mountains experimenting with new culinary techniques.
Liu Ruyan had appeared like a wild, refugee child, a complete mess. She had followed the aroma, found him, and without a word, devoured the entire, still half-cooked dish.
For that, Mo Qi, who was just a kid himself back then, had gotten into a fight with Liu Ruyan. He had despised the wild girl; after all, he had spent several nights preparing those ingredients.
Afterward, Liu Ruyan seemed to latch onto Mo Qi, constantly seeking him out to either steal his food or snatch it outright. Over time, the two somehow became friends.
Liu Ruyan told Mo Qi that she was a handmaiden to some important figure in the Void Sect.
Seeing her miserable state, Mo Qi took pity on her and began looking after her like a little sister, often cooking delicious food for her to improve her meals.
Liu Ruyan was never shy about it. Like a little glutton, she would pester Mo Qi to make all sorts of delicacies for her every time she came.
"I missed you, of course," Liu Ruyan said, grabbing Mo Qi's arm and helping him up.
As she helped him, she caught sight of the bloodstain his body had been hiding, and a cold glint flashed in the depths of her bright eyes.
"Pfft!" Mo Qi reached out and lightly rapped Liu Ruyan on the head, scolding with a smile, "You little rascal. I think your mouth was just getting greedy. Don't try to fool me."
Liu Ruyan cried out in mock pain and clutched her head. Her gaze cleared, and she playfully stuck out her tongue. "But I really did miss Brother Mo."
"Alright, alright, whatever you say." Mo Qi affectionately ruffled Liu Ruyan's hair, and much of the gloom that Fang Min had caused began to dissipate.
He went inside his house and brought out a large bag of special snacks he had prepared long ago, stuffing it into Liu Ruyan's hands.
"Ruyan, this is for you. Brother Mo can't have you stay for a meal today."
"Huh?" Liu Ruyan took the snacks. These delicacies, which would normally have thrilled her, held no appeal today. "Why not?"
Mo Qi's expression turned serious. "Because today, Brother Mo is going to take the entrance examination."
THUD!
The bag of snacks fell to the ground. Liu Ruyan was stunned.
'Take the entrance examination? Did the sun rise in the west?'
She clearly remembered Mo Qi saying he had no interest in practicing martial arts or pursuing the Dao. His dream was to carry on Uncle Niu's culinary arts and become a Kitchen God.
'Could it be because of what happened yesterday?'
Liu Ruyan's small, grimy face grew unprecedentedly solemn as she became lost in thought.
Mo Qi, however, thought she was worried about him. His heart warmed, and he said with a smile, "Don't worry, your Brother Mo is strong. The entrance examination won't be a problem for me."
Liu Ruyan snapped back to her senses, pumping her fist with a wide grin. "Of course! Brother Mo is the best!"
'The entrance examination? She wasn't the least bit worried he would fail.'
Because she was the only person who had ever seen him chop down trees and split firewood.
And she was the only one who had ever witnessed him single-handedly stir-frying with a wok the size of a small house, tossing tens of thousands of pounds of ingredients that fluttered up and down like butterflies, all cooked to perfection.
With over ten thousand pounds of strength in a single arm, a mere entrance examination was nothing. Even the most monstrous geniuses of his generation in the Void Sect couldn't compare to him on that point alone.
"Then I won't bother you anymore, Brother Mo! Good luck!" Liu Ruyan snatched the snacks from the ground, darted out of the house like the wind, and quickly disappeared.
Watching the impetuous, seemingly-never-growing Liu Ruyan, Mo Qi just smiled and shook his head.
In that moment, Liu Ruyan had already appeared on a mountaintop over three miles away.
If Mo Qi knew that Liu Ruyan had covered such a distance in just a few breaths, he would be utterly shocked. This was a feat no ordinary master could achieve.
All traces of playfulness were gone from Liu Ruyan now. She raised a hand and gently wiped her face. The grime vanished, revealing a countenance so beautiful it was breathtaking.
Slender, phoenix-like brows framed a pair of eyes as brilliant as the stars. She had a delicate, elegant nose, rosy cheeks with a faint blush, and cherry-red lips that seemed moist enough to drip water. Her flawless, seed-shaped face was framed by skin as white as snow.
'Fang Min, you pathetic fool. You have no idea what you've thrown away. But that works out perfectly for me. Brother Mo is mine now.'
'And Wang Hao... to think you forced my Brother Mo to cough up blood. You're lucky nothing serious happened to him. Otherwise, even if the Third Elder protected you, I would have killed you! But just you wait. Someone will take care of you.'
Liu Ruyan gazed affectionately in the direction of Mo Qi's home for a moment, then her figure flickered and vanished from sight.
'Brother Mo, Ruyan will be waiting for you.'
...
After Liu Ruyan left, Mo Qi immediately calmed his mind and began to sort through his jumbled memories.
'The Creation Golden Body Technique?' A new Cultivation Technique had appeared in his memory, one that seemed tailor-made for him.
Instead of cultivating meridians, it cultivates the physical body. Nourish the body with Spirit, enter the Spirit with the body, comprehend all techniques, and forge an Indestructible Golden Body.
As Mo Qi understood it, to put it simply, he had to constantly eat, constantly collect Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects, and constantly nourish his physical body—treating himself as a Spiritual Object to be raised and continuously strengthened.
As for "comprehending all techniques," he didn't understand that part. Perhaps his Realm was too low. He could only take it one step at a time.
According to the description of the Creation Golden Body Technique, the initial stage of Cultivation required undergoing nine metamorphoses to cleanse the mortal coil and for the physical body to become a Spirit.
Only when the physical body became a Spirit could one be considered to have taken the first step. This was called the Nine Transformations into Spirit.
The first transformation was Spirit Communication. No matter which direction Mo Qi's Cultivation took, and regardless of whether he cultivated his meridians, anyone who stepped onto the path of the Martial Dao first had to sense the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
He hadn't been able to sense it before, but the excruciating pain in his mind from last night had brought him more than just the Creation Golden Body Technique; it also left him with a feeling of enlightenment.
By calming his mind and focusing his spirit, he could feel a special kind of Energy filling the air around him. And within his body, a massive amount of this Energy was compressed into every strand of his flesh and blood.
If he wasn't mistaken, this Energy was the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
It was precisely because of this Spiritual Energy suffusing his body that he could generate over ten thousand pounds of force with a single swing of his arm.
Once he understood this, the first of the Nine Transformations into Spirit was achieved as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
The Spiritual Energy that had previously been merely compressed in his flesh and blood now, under the guidance of the Creation Golden Body Technique, completely fused with him.
In just a quarter of an hour, he had cultivated the First Transformation Spirit Communication to the stage of Great Success.
After all, over the years, an uncountable amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures had passed through his hands to become food. The Chaos Scripture had stockpiled a massive reserve of Medicinal Power and Spiritual Energy for him.
If not for the fact that he could no longer rely solely on Medicinal Power and Spiritual Energy for Cultivation after the second transformation, Mo Qi probably could have broken through several transformations in one go.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Mo Qi stood up. The excess Spiritual Energy in his body crackled and popped as it rubbed against itself.
He felt his entire body brimming with power. His physique was more than twice as strong as before.
He abruptly clenched his fist, and the air itself seemed to explode with a deafening BOOM.
'So powerful! I feel like I could shatter a mountain with one punch!' Mo Qi was starting to like this feeling.
But he knew that shattering a mountain was impossible. It was just an illusion caused by the rapid increase in his strength.