"Vines?"
"Floating in the sky?"
[Discoverable Ingredient Found: Magical Pea Vine]
[Capture Level: 195]
[Description: A wondrous pea vine hanging from the Vegetable Heaven, renowned as an invitation to paradise. The vine is immense, typically spanning 10-30 kilometers in length, with individual leaves the size of a football field.]
[Description: The vines possess strong self-healing abilities and are resistant to drought, cold, low temperatures, and electric shocks… not only are they difficult to damage, but they also support independent ecosystems.]
[Description: While the edible value of the pea vine is relatively low, various culinary applications can be developed from it, such as leaf juice and giant peas, with flavors and effects comparable to Level 5-10 ingredients.]
[Description: When dried, its weight is similar to styrofoam, making it an excellent material for shipbuilding. It has a high burn value and can also serve as high-quality firewood after drying. The vine's outer skin can be woven into vine armor, offering exceptional resistance to throwing, chopping, and impact.]
...
A capture level of 195!
Aside from its edible level being only 5-10, everything else about it was like a treasure.
According to the data, its volume was astonishing.
Length (30,000 meters) * πr² (800 square meters) = 24 million cubic meters!
Excluding minor errors, the volume was around 20 million cubic meters. The density of styrofoam is between 0.1 and 0.3.
This meant that if stored and dried, a single vine could provide Zhang Wei with 1.8 million tons of high-quality timber, or 3 million tons of firewood.
This alone would solve the immense demand for firewood in the Northern Territory!
"Moreover, besides timber and firewood, there are benefits like leaf juice and magical giant peas. It's definitely a very important resource!"
"Speaking of which, to store something like this, simply severing it at the root should be enough, right?"
Zhang Wei landed on a leaf.
Following the blueprint from the Treasure Hall, Zhang Wei easily found the vascular supply pipes at the root of the leaf.
He gently cut into it, and a stream of light green leaf juice flowed out.
"Good tea!"
"It's a bit bitter, but it has a unique flavor. With a little development, it could be a good beverage."
"For such a large vine, it should be possible to extract 500,000 tons of leaf juice. This quantity would be enough to supply the Human Realm."
"Given this taste, selling it at 60 Berries per liter bottle would be feasible. If marketed well, selling it for over 300 wouldn't be a problem."
Zhang Wei operated a high-end restaurant on Planet Blue.
Most of his competitors, apart from their establishments and pretentiousness, produced garbage, yet still sold at prices similar to his.
This was all thanks to two words: Marketing!
As long as he linked this leaf juice with rarity and exclusivity, it would be easy to add an extra zero to the price.
Wait!
The electromagnetic waves here were a bit strange!
Zhang Wei instantly dodged!
A large opening appeared in the spot where he had just stood.
A part of the magical pea vine's skin ripped open, transforming into a long, fanged wooden snake, its mouth filled with sharp teeth like those of a shark!
---
[Discoverable Ingredient Found: Evil Bean Wood]
[Capture Level: 46]
[Description: A carnivorous plant that parasitizes the Magical Pea Vine, capable of mimicking various plants. It has enticing beans on its head, which it uses to lure prey and attack.]
[Description: Its beans are highly nutritious, making them an excellent choice for soups or as a paste.]
---
Zhang Wei felt a strange tremor beneath his feet. These snake-like bean woods rose up, their bodies rapidly becoming round and appearing more robust!
Mimicry!
Similar to Illusionary Transformation, it was a transformation ability initiated by plants.
Normally, they lay dormant here, using their mimicry skills to constantly wriggle on the vines, relying on parasitism for the minimal nutritional requirements to sustain their life during lean times, and hunting animals for growth and development.
This was a trap set by a colony of Bean Woods!
Roughly estimated, there were dozens of Bean Woods here, appearing to be a pack-hunting species.
"But their levels are still too low..."
Dozens of giant mouths filled with fangs lunged forward!
But the moment before they touched Zhang Wei, they were blocked by a golden, resplendent light. A few of the more aggressive ones shattered, their seemingly sharp fangs scattering everywhere.
Thought Manifestation: Golden Bell Shield!
The Golden Bell Shield was now more robust, and the golden light more condensed.
Creatures of this caliber were no match for the damage inflicted by the Golden Bell's rebound.
"Aside from the mimic beans, there's nothing else on them that can be utilized."
"In that case, as long as the beans aren't damaged, it's fine!"
Instantly!
An invisible wave of sword energy swept across, and the Bean Woods were successively cut into pieces!
[Storage Complete: Evil Bean Wood]
[Replication Time: 85 days]
---
The prompt sounds continued to chime. These Level 46 creatures were too immature in front of Zhang Wei.
The mimic beans growing on the giant Evil Bean Woods were tiny, the only value detected by the Treasure Hall.
"Their shape is somewhat similar to green beans. The tender outer skin has a strong aroma, suggesting their prey are herbivores."
He peeled open the pod, revealing round, lustrous small beans inside, looking like the finest pearls.
They felt soft and springy to the touch, seemingly full of moisture.
Perhaps... they could be eaten raw?
He popped one into his mouth...
Crunch~
Crunch~
Soft yet chewy, with a faint salty taste!
"These are delicious, like edamame with drinks, making you want to eat another one as soon as you finish one."
"They're definitely a high-quality snack!"
"No processing required, they can be eaten directly."
"They seem to be very nutritious as well. Just one small bean is equivalent to three kilograms of ice plain yak meat."
"It's a shame, though. One Evil Bean Wood only produces a few hundred grams of mimic beans, which isn't enough to eat."
He glanced at the sky, where the pea vine was gradually blurring.
Zhang Wei knew it was time for business.
Half-Element!
Thunder Leap!
Lightning was also affected by gravity, and Zhang Wei's propulsion carved a beautiful arc through the air.
With each Thunder Leap, Zhang Wei could ascend over 1,500 meters!
In just over ten leaps, Zhang Wei plunged headfirst into a raging cumulonimbus cloud. The violent airflow tore at him, and the lightning within his water vapor seemed to find an outlet, pouring into Zhang Wei incessantly.
It felt like countless little kittens gently licking him, ticklish, with a slight tingling and mild stinging sensation.
"Comfortable!"
"This feeling..."
Zhang Wei felt a surge of blood, almost unable to resist pulling down his pants.
Business first!
Breaking through the thunderclouds, Zhang Wei found the root of the Magical Pea Vine.
It was much thicker here than the vine's end, with various root systems deeply embedded in the clouds.
Simply competing in destructive power...
Finding a suitable angle, Zhang Wei summoned his largest cleaver, infusing it with all his strength.
"Full Power!"
"Cleaver Strike!"
"Break!"
The sword energy tore across, and the resilient vine, grown under lightning and storms, split open with a gaping maw, spewing thick green juice.
However, the Magical Pea Vine healed itself with the green juice. In just a few breaths, it returned to its previous state.
Only the color at the wound was more vibrant, clearly indicating it was newly formed.
"As expected, for my current strength, the Level 195 Magical Pea Vine is still too challenging!"
Let's try again!
Zhang Wei took a deep breath.
The Devouring Technique was completely released, maximizing his physical abilities!
National Chef's power was fully summoned!
Heart Fire: Desire! All attributes increased!
Charging up, Wind and Thunder power fully unleashed!
Zhang Wei's entire body swelled, his radiance making him appear god-like.
Piercing wind...
Raging electrical energy...
Zhang Wei attempted to merge with this natural world, to control and wield the power bestowed by nature.
Hoo~
Haa~
His strength gradually climbed. This was Zhang Wei's most powerful attack to date!
With the enhancement of Heart Fire, the cleaver became as real as if it truly existed!
The strongest strike!
A strike that transcended limits!
The sword energy shot out, colliding with the Magical Pea Vine with a thunderous roar.
Countless birds flew in panic, colliding with each other, while beasts looked around in terror, unaware of what was happening.
The violent tremors spread for dozens of miles, still deafening!
The bark of the Magical Pea Vine splintered, its fibers let out cries under the pressure of the energy, and the vine's roots tightened violently, as if enduring indescribable pain.
As it advanced, the volume of the energy was rapidly consumed!
The energy and the vine were both resisting!
Disperse!
After the sword energy was completely depleted, half of the vine's connection remained!
Zhang Wei panted heavily. At this point, another identical attack would complete the storage.
Unfortunately, Zhang Wei could barely lift his hand now, let alone deliver the same strike.
"Damn it... still a long way off!"
It was torture to have such a valuable item right before him and be unable to store it, especially when he desperately needed it!
Ultimately, he was still too weak.
Should he give up?
He was too unwilling!
The extreme cold of the Ice Hell required sufficient heating. Zhang Wei had contracted all eleven logging areas for clearing. Aside from the monetary cost, Zhang Wei's purchase volume had already driven the market price of firewood to an extremely high level, rapidly depleting their stock.
Soon, even with money, enough firewood would be unobtainable. This would inevitably lead to increased logging, potentially disrupting environmental and ecological balance.
Just as Zhang Wei rested briefly and his stamina recovered, the wound on the pea vine had also healed.
"Perhaps... there are two more ways!"
"Let me eat!
"Eat something exceptionally delicious and use the buffs from the food to break it open."
"Or..."
"Continuously attack, and with a large supply of food as backup, exhaust its repair fluid to the point of depletion."
Since leaving the Sinking Salt Wall, Zhang Wei hadn't found such a suitable gym for a long time, where he could freely unleash his strength and train his body.
Thinking of this, Zhang Wei felt a slight thrill!
He should have Warm Harbor leave a beacon; he definitely needed to visit often.
The sound of shaking...
was still ongoing!
---
On the other side of the Vegetable Sky.
Yun Shang Zhen Jun and others finally broke through the vast expanse of thunderclouds. The dazzling sunlight shone on their faces, gently dispelling the cold from their bodies.
"Finally, we see the sun again!"
"The light unique to the sky... we see it again!"
Yun Shang Zhen Jun's face was filled with indescribable nostalgia.
Qianshou Jian Dao: "It seems you were a resident of the cloud sea. What, is this not your home? Why did you leave your homeland?"
Mentioning this matter.
Yun Shang Zhen Jun's face was filled with unspeakable melancholy.
"My home, I can never return to."
"Can you tell us about it?"
Yun Shang Zhen Jun sighed and said, "My home is in another part of the Human Realm, tens of thousands of miles from here! Six months ago, a war broke out in my hometown, and unfortunately, I was on the losing side."
Tens of thousands of miles...
Six months ago...
Cloud World!
Qianshou Jian confirmed: "So, your hometown is the Cloud Kingdom above the Northern Territory?"
"This... you know?"
"We've heard a little. We recently went to the Northern Territory to attend a grand event, hosted by Zhang Wei, the King of Chefs in the Northern Territory."
"Zhang Wei..."
The mention of this name brought endless bitterness to Yun Shang Zhen Jun's heart.
His initial encounter with Zhang Wei was during the preliminary qualifiers, where he was captivated by Zhang Wei's imaginative 'After Failing the Exam, I Wrote a Poem About Chrysanthemums' and impressed by his talent!
He had used all his strength to recruit him, but perhaps due to the stringent conditions, Zhang Wei did not choose to serve the Cloud Kingdom.
However, thinking about it, with Zhang Wei's talent, why would he subordinate himself? He even possessed the ability to influence the course of the war. Perhaps for him, this war posed no crisis, and was as easy as sightseeing.
"I believe that since we are cooperating, it would be best to be honest about some matters."
"Especially since it's related to ingredient origins..."
Seeing their persistence.
Yun Shang Zhen Jun finally said, "In fact, I personally participated in that war. The plan to raid the Human Realm and capture chefs had been in the works for over ten years, and I was the head intelligence officer for the Cloud Kingdom!"
"My high-end restaurant, Shuiyun Tian, was established to gather intelligence."
"After the war failed, the Northern Territory Allied Forces demanded the trial of war instigators, seeking enough scapegoats to appease the anger and resentment of the casualties in Mocheng."
"And I was one of the most perfect candidates."
"I still remember the scene when the Sovereign announced the surrender, and the monarchy of the Cloud Kingdom collapsed and disbanded..."
Qianshou Jian said: "Did you escape? You don't seem to be missing any limbs, so you probably didn't fall into enemy hands."
"That's right, I escaped."
"As a member of the Winged Tribe, I possess mobility unmatched by my kin. In the entire Cloud Kingdom, aside from my elder brother Makabaka, no one has superior flying skills to mine."
So that explains it!
Yun Shang Zhen Jun's true identity was a fugitive from both the Northern Territory and the Cloud Kingdom, the kind who would be hunted across the continent.
To survive, Yun Shang Zhen Jun had no choice but to flee far from the Cloud Kingdom, crossing oceans in search of a place to take refuge.
He flew further and further... further and further...
He fled for a full half-year, drifting tens of thousands of miles, until one day, Yun Shang Zhen Jun's luck turned. While traveling in the Southern Continent, he discovered the Magical Pea Vine in the reflected sunlight!
It was a gift from the heavens!
When Yun Shang Zhen Jun first saw it, he felt like he was dreaming!