C15 Devour the Heaven and Earth

After waiting quite a while without a response, Chu Yang assumed that the God of Cookery wasn't online, so he went downstairs to grab some breakfast.

No sooner had he returned to his room than the God of Cookery sent a message.

God of Cookery: Are you there, pal?

Chu Yang: I am.

God of Cookery: My apologies for yesterday. I overlooked the instructions in the picture. I'm here to apologize...

Chu Yang was mildly taken aback. The God of Cookery seemed to have a high level of integrity, even coming forward to apologize on his own accord.

After a moment's thought, he replied courteously: "Don't worry about it, it's a minor issue, no apology necessary."

God of Cookery: How can that be? I must apologize for this oversight. I'm willing to compensate you with 5,000 soul stones for my negligence. Would that be sufficient?

At this, Chu Yang's eyes widened in disbelief.

Had the God of Cookery lost his mind? A packet of instant noodles was only ten soul stones – there was no need for a 5,000 soul stone compensation!

Was there some sort of scheme at play?

Chu Yang wasn't being overly suspicious; he simply couldn't make sense of the situation.

With caution, he responded politely: "Please, there's no need for such formality, pal. Consider the bowl of noodles a gift from me."

With that, Chu Yang promptly closed the chat window and opened his Amazon account.

Chu Yang: Jade Hare, are you there? I have an urgent matter!

It took a moment before Jade Hare replied: "What's the matter? I'm assisting my Master with fitting clothes."

Chu Yang had grown quite familiar with Jade Hare recently, so he got straight to the point: "Do you know the God of Cookery? What's he like?"

Jade Hare: The God of Cookery is really nice. He often treats me to delicious food.

Chu Yang: But... he's not mentally unwell, is he?

Jade Hare: Not at all.

Chu Yang: Have you heard any recent rumors about him?

Jade Hare: Actually, yes... Rumor has it that His Majesty tried his new braised beef noodles yesterday and it miraculously cured his anorexia. He's even requested more innovative dishes from him, threatening to relieve him of his duties as the Head Chef of the Imperial Kitchen if he doesn't comply. Isn't that fascinating?

Chu Yang: Huh, that's quite intriguing.

At this point, Chu Yang was well aware of the God of Cookery's intentions.

It seemed that the God of Cookery had been trying to trap him the day before!

Sadly for him, his plan had fallen through, and now, needing a favor from Chu Yang, he was eagerly trying to mend fences.

After expressing his gratitude to the Jade Hare, Chu Yang pondered his next move.

While he was mulling it over, the God of Cookery sent another message: "Pal, why the silence?"

Chu Yang didn't respond, but noticing the God of Cookery's seller's mark, he couldn't resist checking out his storefront.

The name of the shop was quite catchy, "The Heaven of Food," and it boasted a four-star rating.

The shop's inventory was predominantly food-related items.

It featured a variety of exquisite ingredients, an array of seasonings, and even a collection of recipes and secret formulas.

These items were reasonably priced, a stark contrast to the costly magical tomes.

Chu Yang browsed briefly but wasn't particularly interested. There's a saying that a gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen, and he certainly had no intention of playing the role of a domestic chef.

Just as he was about to exit the page, something caught his eye—a treasure in the God of Cookery's shop with a staggering price tag of 800,000 soul stones.

[Devour the Heavens and Earth]: This technique originates from the ancient mythical beast Taotie and was mastered by the original God of Cookery. It's said that when cultivated to Great Completion, one can wield the power to devour the heavens and the earth!

Chu Yang smirked at the description. Such grandiose claims were truly earth-shattering. If it were as formidable as advertised, the God of Cookery wouldn't need to curry favor with the Jade Emperor or settle for being a chef in the imperial kitchen.

Now here he was, putting this supreme grade technique up for sale. If the Ancestral Master were to find out, he'd likely turn in his grave!

Closing the page, Chu Yang reopened the chat and said pointedly, "Pal, I've always disliked being manipulated. If your apology is merely a ploy to extract inspiration from me, then save your breath."

The God of Cookery said sheepishly, "Pal, you're already in the know? I was backed into a corner and had to resort to such measures. I'm ready to make amends. All I ask is for a bit of guidance. If 5,000 soul stones don't cut it, take a look around my shop. Anything that catches your fancy, feel free to take it."

Chu Yang couldn't help but respond, "No thanks, I'm not interested in anything from your shop."

After a brief pause, the God of Cookery came back with an offer, "Pal, are you sure you won't reconsider? The pride of my shop, the 'Godly Skill of Devouring the Heavens and Earth', is yours for the taking, free of charge, if you're interested!"

Chu Yang joked, "Judging by the name, it sounds like a technique that involves a lot of eating. If I were to learn it, wouldn't I just end up being a foodie?"

The God of Cookery quickly defended the technique, "Pal, you mustn't underestimate this method. After ascending to the Celestial Realm, I was lucky enough to be taught by my Grandmaster. In less than a millennium, I reached the Heavenly Immortal state. Had it not been for the limitations on cultivation resources, reaching the Profound Immortal state would have been within reach!"

Chu Yang was momentarily taken aback. He knew that the ranks of Heavenly Immortals in the Heavenly Court were few and far between. From what the God of Cookery was implying, mastering this technique seemed as effortless as drinking a glass of water, even for a Transcended One.

Skeptical, Chu Yang asked, "You're willing to sell such a formidable technique? Aren't you worried about your sect's elders coming after you?"

The God of Cookery coughed and explained, "Well, to gather enough resources for cultivation, the Grandmasters have all put it up for sale at some point. Though the technique allows for rapid advancement, it heavily relies on cultivation resources. Many who learn it find they can't sustain the practice and end up switching to other techniques."

Chu Yang nearly burst into laughter, realizing the technique was practically a dime a dozen. No wonder the God of Cookery was offering it to him for free.

After their conversation, Chu Yang found the God of Cookery to be quite decent, despite his somewhat underhanded tactics. It seemed he truly had no other choice.

The wave of dissatisfaction that had been troubling Chu Yang's mind vanished in an instant.

Chu Yang: "Alright, considering your earnestness, I'll graciously accept your offer. What do you need?"

The God of Cookery was ecstatic and quickly responded, "Do you have any other flavors of instant noodles? I'd be willing to pay top dollar for them."

Chu Yang stroked his chin thoughtfully. There was indeed a variety of instant noodle flavors available. Seizing this chance to break into the Celestial market could be a sustainable venture.

If the God of Cookery were to promote it, leveraging the Jade Emperor's celebrity effect might just turn it into a bestseller!

Subsequently, Chu Yang cheerfully accepted the God of Cookery's request, promising to stock the other flavors of instant noodles as soon as possible.

[Ding! The God of Cookery has sent you the [Devour the Heavens and Earth]. Do you accept?]

"Accept."

The technique wasn't inscribed on paper. When Chu Yang retrieved the technique from the warehouse, a jade slip materialized in his hand.

Guided by the God of Cookery, Chu Yang crushed the jade slip.

At the sound of a faint crack, the jade slip dissolved into myriad points of light that coalesced into a beam and shot into Chu Yang's body.

"Hiss..."

A wave of dizziness washed over Chu Yang, and suddenly, his mind was filled with knowledge about cultivation.

"The crux of this technique is the act of 'eating'—consuming anything that can boost one's magical power and using the method to refine it into personal cultivation," he realized.

Having perused the technique's overview, Chu Yang couldn't help but laugh at the irony. It looked like he was destined to be a foodie!

Once he mastered the technique, Chu Yang went straight to the Great Monad's Amazon store.

In all of the Celestial Realm, only the pills from the Tushita Palace were the most conducive for cultivation.

Browsing through the store, Chu Yang followed the customer service's advice and purchased a bottle of Foundation Building Pills, priced at a thousand soul stones.

These pills were perfect for novices in the world of cultivation. Eager to begin, Chu Yang immediately swallowed one.