During the time the sea urchin soup was simmering, Bai Qiu had nothing to do but watch the seconds slowly tick by.
It couldn’t be helped.
His cooking skills were genuinely terrible.
If he accidentally lost track of the cooking time, what he’d end up drinking probably wouldn’t be sea urchin soup anymore—it would be… something else entirely.
Every few minutes, Bai Qiu would quietly lift the wooden lid off the large iron pot to check on the soup’s progress.
After twenty-five minutes of simmering, he lifted the lid one final time.
“Whoosh…”
A dense cloud of white steam billowed upward, carrying with it an intensely rich aroma that lingered in the air.
Bai Qiu knew it was ready.
Without hesitation, he reached in with his bare hands and lifted out the steaming porcelain bowl.
The sea urchin roe had completely dissolved during the cooking process, transforming into a shimmering golden-orange bisque.
The black truffle had likewise melted into the broth, becoming an inseparable part of its rich, savory flavor.
What had originally been a full bowl of water after adding the sea urchin roe and black truffle had now reduced to only half a bowl of concentrated seafood soup.
Bai Qiu picked up a spoon, scooped out a mouthful, gave it a token blow to cool it…
Then eagerly took a sip.
With his current physique, even if he gulped down the still-steaming soup—which was easily over 90°C—he wouldn’t suffer the slightest burn.
Of course, he still preferred enjoying food in the most comfortable way possible.
Normally, he wouldn’t be so impatient…
Unless he simply couldn’t help himself.
The bad news…He had forgotten to add salt.
The good news…It was still unbelievably delicious.
Bai Qiu’s eyes lit up.
The flavor… Was even better than every gourmet dish he had ever eaten before.
The rich, velvety broth flooded his mouth, continuously stimulating every one of his taste buds.
Reluctantly, he swallowed.
The moment the soup reached his stomach, it was absorbed almost instantly.
Its energy flowed through his bloodstream, spreading into every corner of his body.
A warm current, as though it reached deep into his very bones, washed over him.
This bowl of soup didn’t merely strengthen his attributes and physique.
Every imperfection within his body was rapidly being refined.
His hair became smoother, softer, and glossier.
His skin became flawless, free of even the slightest impurity.
The speed at which he absorbed and released mana increased.
His muscles, tendons, and bones all became tougher, while his control over his own strength grew even more precise.
Even his internal organs seemed to come alive.
His heart pounded with the force of spring thunder.
His senses—smell, taste, touch, hearing, and sight—were all elevated in an instant.
The refreshing sensation surpassed that of Mist Sea Tea by thousands upon thousands of times.
It was an improvement without a single blind spot.
Even Bai Qiu found the effects astonishing.
At this point… The only thing that probably hadn’t improved was his cooking.
Then again… Perhaps he had accidentally invented the most delicious dish in the world.
(…Who knows?)
“I can’t hold back anymore…”
Bai Qiu grabbed the porcelain bowl with both hands and drank the remaining scalding seafood soup in one gulp.
For the first time in his life… He had completely surrendered to his most primal instincts.
Feeling his body grow stronger without the slightest burden, Bai Qiu forcibly resisted the urge to immediately cook another batch.
Instead, he carefully focused on sensing exactly how much the soup had enhanced him…
And, more importantly, determining the maximum amount his body could absorb in a single sitting.
Several minutes later, Bai Qiu slowly opened his eyes.
He had found the answer.
At most, he could absorb the equivalent of seventeen bowls of seafood soup like the one he had just finished.
That was roughly 85% of a single portion of Meteoric Abyssal Sea Urchin Roe.
Those seventeen bowls of soup could also keep him completely energized without needing to eat or drink for twenty-four hours.
“For now, no one knows I possess something this valuable while I’m inside my room aboard the cruise ship.”
“But once we reach the Shattered Celestial Realm, That’ll be a different story.”
“It could easily attract unnecessary trouble.”
Bai Qiu muttered to himself.
As he spoke, he took out one porcelain bowl after another.
Fortunately, anticipating the unexpected, he had brought ten bowls this time.
That meant he could steam ten bowls of seafood soup at once.
Once they were finished, he could simply pour them all into the bucket he used to store spring water.
That way, he’d have plenty of seafood soup prepared in advance to drink while leveling.
Thinking was one thing.
Doing was another.
Bai Qiu immediately got to work.
Before he knew it… Two and a half hours had slipped by.
…………..
Although Bai Qiu had become quite adept at preparing the soup, accidents were inevitable during the voyage.
For example, monsters would occasionally attack the cruise ship again, causing the entire vessel to lurch violently.
His makeshift stove, however, remained as steady as a mountain.
The iron pot and the seafood soup inside were another story.
They nearly tipped over.
Fortunately, Bai Qiu reacted instantly, using both his telekinesis and Wind Manipulation to stabilize the pot and the bowl, preventing even a single drop of soup from spilling.
After securing his cookware, Bai Qiu couldn’t help feeling annoyed.
Which idiot went up to the deck to enjoy the breeze and attracted another monster this time?
But when he casually glanced toward the balcony…
He froze.
A gigantic eyeball was pressed tightly against the window, staring unblinkingly into his room.
To be more precise… It was staring at his iron pot.
“…”
Bai Qiu silently withdrew his earlier complaint.
Fortunately, the System’s blue guardian—the giant constructed from data—was stationed on the deck.
Whenever monsters attacked, the ship’s violent shaking rarely lasted more than twenty seconds.
That allowed Bai Qiu to continue simmering his soup in peace.
What finally interrupted him after another two and a half hours…
Was a knock at the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Bai Qiu frowned.
Logically speaking, the aroma shouldn’t have been able to reach outside his room.
Still, he decided to see who it was.
Before opening the door, however, he made a few preparations.
Using Wind Manipulation, he swept all the steam and lingering fragrance filling the room toward the balcony.
Only then did he walk to the door and open it just a crack.
Standing outside was a young man dressed in a tight blue combat suit.
Bai Qiu recognized him immediately.
Seeing the cheerful smile on the man’s face, Bai Qiu relaxed his guard slightly.
“What is it?” Bai Qiu asked.
He no longer considered the man much of a threat, but he had no intention of inviting him inside.
After all… There was still a pot of seafood soup simmering behind him.
“You’re pretty cold, huh?” The young man shrugged casually.
“Well, whatever.”
“I’m here to invite you to a late-night gathering.”
“A gathering?” Bai Qiu looked puzzled.
“That’s right.”
“The people who stayed up wandering around tonight started chatting, and somehow the conversation turned to wanting a midnight snack.”
As he spoke, he took out a large slab of meat.
It was the flesh of a transcendent beast.
“So we figured we’d invite a few high-level players and have a proper feast.”
“Everyone brings one piece of transcendent-grade food.”
“We’re meeting in Room 1981.”
“What do you think?” After saying that, he grinned broadly.
Before Bai Qiu could answer, however…
The young man’s nose twitched.
His eyes widened in surprise.
“Damn, brother… you smell amazing.”
“So you’ve already started making your midnight snack?”
“…”
Bai Qiu was momentarily speechless.
After calculating every possible detail… He had forgotten one thing.
The aroma of the seafood soup was still lingering on his own body.
Seriously… Does this guy have the nose of a bloodhound? He could smell that?
Then… An idea suddenly flashed through Bai Qiu’s mind.
He struggled to suppress a smile.
“Yeah.”
“I’m simmering a little soup.”
“It’ll be ready soon.”
“I’ll head over afterward.”
“Oh, alright then.”
The young man didn’t notice anything unusual.
He simply waved goodbye and turned to leave.
After closing the door, Bai Qiu walked back toward the enormous pot of seafood soup.
The moment he thought about what he was about to do…
He could barely stop himself from laughing.
— The end of the Chapter–
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