C3 Personal Chef

It was bitterly cold...

Ye Feng awoke from his deep sleep, shivering from the chill that enveloped him. As his eyes fluttered open, the dim light of a flickering oil lamp came into view.

Bathed in the lamp's glow sat an old man, sipping wine and tearing into a piece of meat. A bamboo cane rested beside him, the same one wielded by the old man who had come looking for his chicken.

"You're awake? I didn't expect you to be such a heavy sleeper. You've been out for a whole day!" The old man eyed Ye Feng, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

Ignoring the old man's comment, Ye Feng surveyed his new surroundings with a frown. "Was it really necessary to knock me out and bring me here just because I stole a chicken from you? I could have just found a way to replace it!"

The old man chuckled at Ye Feng's grumbling. "Replace it? With what, your life? Do you have any idea how much effort I put into acquiring those chickens?"

Ye Feng noticed something peculiar about the long-haired chickens and ventured a guess, "Are those chickens exceptionally valuable?"

The old man's pride swelled at Ye Feng's curious gaze. He replied with an air of self-importance, "Absolutely. Have you ever heard of the Wailing Forest to the west?"

The Wailing Forest...

The name triggered a cascade of memories in Ye Feng. The Wailing Forest was one of the nine most fearsome forests on the Divine Martial Continent, vast in size and home to a host of formidable Devil Beasts and monsters. Most warriors wouldn't dare enter, and even those at the Common Mysterious Realm would only hunt around the edges. Only those with power beyond that realm would risk venturing deeper. Rumor had it that two fearsome adversaries resided in the heart of the forest, a place truly off-limits to humans.

With this knowledge, Ye Feng asked with uncertainty, "You don't mean to say these chickens were captured from the forest, do you?"

The old man gave a faint smile and a nod. "Unfortunately for you, you're correct. Now, do you still think you can afford to make amends?"

Ye Feng fell silent...

How could he possibly repay?

He wasn't even at the Body Tempering Stage yet. In plain terms, he was nothing more than a two-legged chicken in the eyes of Devil Beasts. Sending him to catch chickens in the Wailing Forest would be less merciful than simply giving him a quick stab with a knife.

With this in mind, a sly thought suddenly flashed through Ye Feng's mind. He quickly stepped back until his back was against the wall. Then, with a look of fear, he said to the old man, "Since you know I can't pay, why did you bring me here? You don't have any designs on me, do you? Let me tell you, I will never give in!"

The old man couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing Ye Feng's words and seeing him clutch his shoulders like a virtuous matron. He sprayed out a mouthful of wine in amusement.

"You little rascal, what kind of person do you take me for? I brought you here because your cooking is quite good. I'm particularly fond of your boiled cabbage and the other dish. One is visually appealing and the other pairs well with a drink. I've been eating in three shifts while you were asleep, worrying that you might not wake up before I finished. That would be most distressing!"

Once the old man had finished, Ye Feng finally understood why he had been abducted. He breathed a sigh of relief.

But before Ye Feng could fully relax, the old man added, "From now on, you'll cook for me honestly and practice your cultivation here. Once you break through to the Common Mysterious Realm, I'll let you go. If you never reach that stage, then you'll spend your life cooking for me!"

Ye Feng didn't reply to the old man's words, thinking to himself, 'If you won't let me go, can't I just escape on my own? I'm not an idiot!'

But as soon as this thought emerged, the old man responded as if he could read Ye Feng's mind.

"Don't even think about escaping. Without reaching the Common Mysterious Realm, you won't be able to open the Broken Dragon Stone at the cave's entrance. So, your best bet is to focus on cooking and cultivating!"

Hearing the old man's explanation, Ye Feng was resigned to his fate. His plans for escape hadn't even taken shape before they were squashed. What a formidable character!

Ye Feng lay on the stone bed, feeling a wave of depression wash over him as he pondered the uncertain date of his departure from this place. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Just before he had been knocked unconscious, the system had apparently granted him something...

After a bit of rummaging, Ye Feng finally discovered a novice gift pack in the system's inventory!

Upon opening the novice gift pack, three items materialized before him.

Divine Level Overlord Pill!

Effects of the Divine Level Overlord Pill: Upon consumption, one can achieve an increase in their realm and directly reach the pinnacle of that realm!

Special Attribute: It can only be consumed once in a lifetime!

The second item was a golden spatula!

Chef God's little golden shovel!

Purpose of the little golden shovel: An unparalleled spatula for cooking exquisite meals, exclusively used by the Chef God!

The third item was a pot!

Chef God Celestial Meteorite Pot!

Purpose of the Chef God Celestial Meteorite Pot: A legendary divine pot for preparing sumptuous meals, another exclusive item for the Chef God.

Staring at the assortment of items, Ye Feng was at a loss for words.

It seemed his fate was sealed to be a lifelong chef...

After swallowing the pill, Ye Feng drifted back to sleep, only to be rudely awakened by the pungent scent of soy sauce. To his dismay, it was the old man's smelly feet that greeted his eyes!

"Lazybones, get up and cook. Are you already slacking off on your first day?" the old man chided.

Ye Feng seethed internally but held back any outburst. He knew he was in the wrong and stood no chance in a fight against the old man, so he reluctantly got up to prepare the meal.

Having absorbed the pill's power overnight, Ye Feng's cultivation had soared to the peak of the Body Tempering Stage, making physical tasks trivial for him.

After serving the old man a breakfast of century egg and lean pork congee, the elder led Ye Feng through the cave to a scenic stone platform.

Surveying the desolate platform, the old man grinned mischievously and said, "Kid, I'm not one to freeload. I'll teach you a few tricks today. Just remember, don't step off this platform, or you can forget about sleeping tonight!"

Confused by the old man's cryptic instruction, Ye Feng inquired with a puzzled expression, "So, what am I supposed to do?"

The old man offered a faint smile and simply stated, "One word... Hide!"

With that, he picked up a rock and hurled it into the nearby woods. A sharp "crack" echoed, and in an instant, a barrage of pine cones and stones burst forth from the forest!

Ye Feng watched as a swarm of stones and pine cones hurtled towards him, causing his scalp to prickle. He braced himself to withstand the onslaught.

Thud! Thud!

The flurry of pine cones and stones pelted him, but Ye Feng felt it was no more bothersome than fleas nibbling on an elephant – he barely registered any pain. So, he resolved to endure all the subsequent attacks.

Yet, as the morning wore on, he began to sense that something was amiss. The defense became increasingly challenging. Despite having perfected the Body Tempering Stage, the Spiritual Energy he used for protection was woefully insufficient. As a result of the morning's depletion, Ye Feng found himself struggling to keep up.