Monsters Die When Killed-Chapter 53 - 29: Snake Spirit Yara’s Little Cooking Class
In the Centipede’s Nest.
Clad in a Dharma Robe with a Magic Sword in his right hand, Zhang Fucheng’s brow was tightly furrowed, his usual placid expression gone. He stood at the center of a protective ring of Armored Guards, holding an Array Disc in his left hand. On its surface, blue-green Spiritual Light flowed from revolving Talismans, releasing waves of ripples that shielded them from the various illusions and mental attacks caused by the high-spirituality radiation in the area.
—Even Resentful Spirits possessed a mental attack like ’Spirit Sound,’ so it was only natural that Monsters and Evil Demons far more advanced than them would have one as well. This ability, known as ’Suppression’ or ’Spiritual Pressure,’ could completely destroy an ordinary person’s mind before a battle even began.
Seasoned Warriors could certainly resist this Spiritual Pressure, but it was far too wasteful to expend such skilled fighters in combat against Demon Fiends.
This was why the major Academies dispatched professors to various regions to assist local forces in suppressing Demon Fiends—only with the support of a human Transcendent wielding Extraordinary Power could these valiant guards face Demon Fiends head-on.
Of course, while this ability seemed to place great restrictions on humans, there was a very simple solution to the problem.
Just take a 20mm anti-materiel rifle and blast the Demon Fiend to bits from a hundred meters away!
Without a doubt, Spiritual Pressure wasn’t a Spiritual Shield; it couldn’t stop bullets. After all, not every Demon Fiend had the ability to dodge projectiles, and the advancements in human weaponry were no joke.
However, if a Demon Fiend appeared in tight spaces like narrow alleys or the sewer system, the combination of a Transcendent and guards was still the optimal solution.
"This is the Demon’s Nest."
The lead White Emperor Guard stepped forward, checking if any other dangers were hidden within the Black Moss. After confirming there wasn’t another Wood Centipede, Zhang Fucheng advanced, Array Disc and Magic Sword in hand, to cautiously observe the Centipede Eggs at the center of the nest.
He also discovered clear traces of a human presence—a few faint footprints on the moss, which were rapidly vanishing as the moss regenerated.
’...Just as the Centipede Demon Beast’s Demon Core was taken, the Spirit Vein Crystal from this Dark Spiritual Vein has been taken as well.’
’Hm, a few Centipede Eggs are missing too. But he didn’t destroy all of them? That’s truly strange...’
Using his Spiritual Vision to inspect the nest’s condition, Zhang Fucheng reached out and touched one of the Centipede Eggs. He could sense the abundant Life Force within them. Without a doubt, if placed in a suitable environment, all these eggs would hatch and produce a brood of young Wood Centipedes... For a Powerhouse capable of killing a Wood Centipede, this shouldn’t be a difficult task.
Even for someone like that, a swarm of Wood Centipedes would be a considerable asset. Besides, who was to say that in the coming age of great conflict, these Wood Centipedes wouldn’t become even stronger?
’An unknown Transcendent, likely at the Awakened Level.’
Suppressing his doubts, Professor Zhang’s expression grew stern. He could vividly picture the scene in his mind: the person slaying the Wood Centipede, tearing through its carapace to retrieve the Demon Core, then arriving at the nest completely unscathed to take the Centipede Eggs and the Spirit Vein Crystal.
Thinking of how effortlessly they must have accomplished this, he couldn’t help but murmur to himself, ’To slay a mature Demon Fiend in its breeding season in such a short amount of time... That level of strength is likely not far off from a Celestial Master without their full armament.’
Granted, the resurgence of Spiritual Qi had not yet begun in earnest, so even the Saints who followed the Heaven-Reaching Saint Path of Cultivation were stuck at their current level. Moreover, many of the Saints were simply scholars and administrators who had not chosen to walk the distracting Dao of the Extraordinary.
’But to take that first step into the Extraordinary through one’s own power, in an age where the path to the heavens is severed, is a sign of talent that undoubtedly makes one a hero of this generation!’
’Compared to the Demon Fiend, this "hero" who struck it down is far more worthy of our attention!’
’I must report this to the Saints.’
And just as the professor from Zhengyi Academy was reverently dubbing the unknown Transcendent a "hero"...
A certain Mr. Su Zhou, who wished to remain anonymous, had just finished a shower and was now at home, using a large pot to cook Centipede Egg Soup.
[Snake Spirit Yara’s Culinary Corner]
-First, prepare two giant Centipede Eggs (1400g). Trim off the root-like structures, place them in a basin, and add a suitable amount of salt water to wash the outer mucus layer clean.
-Wash until the egg’s surface is no longer slimy to the touch. Finally, wipe with a paper towel. This will effectively reduce any earthy flavor.
-After cleaning, coat the surface with blessed Holy Water mixed with ginger juice (or lemon juice). Submerge in a 5% Wood Spirit Liquid solution, then use an Exorcism Rune to kill the Spiritual Energy within the Centipede Eggs. The Holy Water and Wood Spirit Liquid mixture will lock in the now-ownerless Spiritual Energy, preventing it from dissipating and making it easier to absorb later.
-Once this is done, replace the Wood Spirit Liquid solution (the used solution can be set aside to water a Wisdom Tree seedling later) and bring the fresh solution to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, sprinkle in spices (bay leaves are recommended), apply a Blessing, and finally, add the Centipede Eggs. Boil on high for 10 minutes. The goal of this step is to turn the broth green as the Life Force from the eggs infuses the soup. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
-After boiling on high, reduce to medium-low heat. Add sliced ginger and red dates, and simmer for 30 minutes. The purpose of this step is to thicken the broth. Three minutes before removing from the heat, add goji berries and any other seasonings to taste.
A delicious Wood Spirit Liquid Centipede Egg Soup is now ready to be served. (1,595 Kcal + 165 units of Spiritual Power restored) (1 standard Resentful Spirit Fragment = 10 units)
"Delicious!"
Su Zhou, whose body had been worn down to little more than skin over muscle from the previous battle, took a sip of the soup, and his eyes lit up. He took another. A light, refreshing sweetness spread through him, transforming into a gentle warmth in his stomach that soothed his ravenous hunger.
The Wood Spirit Liquid was taking effect. Many of the injuries from the battle that hadn’t fully healed on their own now began to slowly close. A faint current of Spiritual Power swept through him, causing a pleasant, tingling sensation to spread across his entire body.
Su Zhou then used a knife to cut off a small piece of the Centipede Egg and popped it into his mouth. It had a firm, savory, and springy texture. After chewing a few times, he swallowed. It felt incredibly substantial. Under the converting power of his Perfect Body, the abundant nutrients made Su Zhou’s body recover at a visible rate. The sharp contours of his muscles began to soften under a new layer of fat, restoring their previous smoothness.
"Aren’t you having any, Yara?"
Su Zhou took another sip of soup. ’The Wood Centipede Egg is a strange thing, somewhere between a plant and an animal. Paired with the Wood Spirit Liquid, the broth is incredibly refreshing and not at all greasy. Once you start drinking it, you just want more!’
He was starting to regret not bringing all the Centipede Eggs back. But then he reconsidered. ’Leaving aside whether I could have even carried them all, if I eat them all myself, then that’s the end of it. But if the Zhengguo Government can start farming Wood Centipedes, won’t I be able to eat this every day in the future?’
’A man’s gotta think long-term.’
In response to Su Zhou’s question, Yara simply smiled as she watched him, shaking her head gently. "Until you grow stronger, I can only accept your Blood Offering. Besides, I grew tired of this kind of food in a bygone, ancient era."
"Is that so? How enviable."
After finishing off the entire large pot of soup, along with two Centipede Eggs, Su Zhou’s body had more or less returned to a normal state, and both his Spiritual Power and physical vitality had increased slightly.
’I’ll cook the remaining two Centipede Eggs into soup for Mom, Dad, Aunt Wen, and Qiming.’
With this in mind, Su Zhou stood up and walked over to the Wood Spirit Liquid solution he’d set aside after washing the Centipede Eggs. His stomach full and his thirst quenched, his heart pounded with excitement. ’A man is fed and watered.’
’Next, it’s time to water and fertilize the tree!’
