This passage describes the discovery and tasting of a legendary soup called "Century Soup." It details the arduous journey into a glacier, the captivating aroma of the soup, the intense cravings it triggers, and the protagonist Zhang Wei's actions to manage the situation. The soup is then distributed and consumed, leading to overwhelming bliss and vivid sensory experiences for all present. Zhang Wei also reveals his ability to replicate the soup, a claim met with astonishment.
The passage begins with Zhang Wei and his team exploring a passage within a glacier. They are searching for "salt essence," a valuable commodity. The narrative then shifts to the discovery of the "Century Soup," which emanates an irresistible aroma that deeply affects everyone present, especially an elder named Xifeng, for whom the soup represents a lifetime of effort.
The soup is described as incredibly clear, appearing as a shimmering pool. The intense desire to consume it triggers a primal, almost monstrous transformation in some individuals, driven by their "food cells." Zhang Wei intervenes, using his "chef form" and sword energy to subdue the frenzy, inflicting minor but painful cuts to restore their composure.
After calming the crowd, Zhang Wei announces his intention to share the soup, reserving some for backup and allocating a portion to Xifeng's original organization. He notes the surprisingly small quantity of soup produced from vast amounts of ingredients, comparing its essence and clarity to his own dish, "Wu Xiang."
The system prompts Zhang Wei about the "Century Soup," identifying it as a collectible ingredient with a capture level of 60. He proceeds to "collect" the soup multiple times, noting that each collection reduces the replication time. He then distributes the soup, about 240ml per person.
Upon tasting, individuals experience overwhelming happiness, some exhibiting a "silly" and "lewd" grin. Zhang Wei himself tastes the soup and is transported by the vivid sensory recall of thousands of ingredients, experiencing them as if they were alive. He notes a peculiar phenomenon where people involuntarily chew the soup, overwhelmed by the intense flavors.
After the tasting, everyone feels revitalized. Xifeng expresses his gratitude, lamenting that there isn't more. Zhang Wei then confidently states that the Century Soup can be replicated, even comparing its difficulty to his own "Wu Xiang" dish, a claim that stuns everyone present.
Here is the translation:
The passage opened into a network of tunnels, and recalling the unexploited salt walls from years ago, Zhang Wei issued a bounty for their discovery.
Salt essence was a hard currency, and one could never have too much!
There was no need to worry about sales or shelf life; it would take over a thousand years in a dry environment for it to solidify again, requiring regrinding.
Entering the great glacier.
Flickering lasers erupted on the ice!
The incomparably divine aroma of the Century Soup stimulated everyone present!
"The moment I smelled it, thousands of delicious images appeared in my mind, as if a soul was contained within!"
Xifeng was moved to tears!
Because for every ingredient that appeared in his mind, there was a clear memory!
Those years of chasing ingredients, watching the display case grow longer and larger, was like nurturing his own child.
Now, the culmination of two generations' seventy years of hard work… that taste…
was his life!
His life!
While the others didn't share Xifeng's journey, they were equally captivated by the aroma! If they could have just one sip, their lives would feel complete.
"Look!"
"That pond!"
A delicate stream within the display case, exuding an irresistible allure!
Was that the Century Soup?
So clear!
More transparent and pure than water! If it weren't for the aurora it emitted, it would be indistinguishable.
The moment they saw the Century Soup, an unexpected incident occurred!
A greedy desire to devour, impossible to suppress, erupted from the team of over five hundred people. It was the craving of their food cells!
Regardless of their power level, their bodies immediately began to contort into grotesque forms.
Fangs!
Claws!
The devil's power was unleashed.
The appetite devil, the collective consciousness of the food cells within, became clearer the higher the purity of the cells.
But these cells were scattered throughout the body, living their own lives in isolation. Thus, communicating with the appetite devil was an extremely arduous task.
However, these cells would unite on certain specific occasions.
Severe hunger!
Life-or-death crisis!
Or… encountering an irresistible delicacy!
Clearly, the Century Soup, a perfect fusion of a century's worth of rare produce, had moved them completely!
Eat!
That was the only thought in everyone's mind!
"Everyone, let's calm down!"
Zhang Wei stood before them, his golden aura and the dancing sword energy forming an insurmountable wall!
Those with stronger control managed to halt, while those who followed instinct crashed into the whirlwind of blades!
Flesh and blood scattered!
Screams erupted one after another!
"I apologize, I only wanted to awaken you."
"The sword energy I used were fine cutting beams, entering the flesh by three inches! It wouldn't damage bones or tendons, but it would inflict the pain of a severed finger."
Single-handedly, he blocked the path of over five hundred people.
His presence was unmatched!
Seeing that most had regained their senses, Zhang Wei dispelled his National Chef form and the illusion of sword shadows.
"Mr. Zhang Wei… just now…"
"We are truly sorry, we…"
Though in pain, though drooling, the injured still managed to control their desires.
Zhang Wei stopped their apologies.
He then said, "Since I invited everyone here, it's to share the Century Soup with you. However, I must first tally the quantity and set aside a certain reserve."
"Also, this place is technically the original property of Xifeng's organization. Although I have acquired it… I've decided to allocate one-tenth for Xifeng to manage freely."
Xifeng choked back a sob, "Boss…"
This Century Soup was a gift from heaven and earth, and also the result of the efforts of the Century Preservation Association.
The soup was priceless, yet Zhang Wei was willing to share a portion…
This went beyond a simple employer-employee relationship. Furthermore, the great glacier had been sold to Zhang Wei long ago.
Zhang Wei was indifferent; all he desired was to collect it!
Approaching, the quantity of Century Soup was far less than he had imagined!
"I thought there would be a whole pond…"
"Tens of thousands of tons of ingredients from the Century Preservation Association could only dissolve into such a small amount… If we're talking about its essence, it seems no less than my Wu Xiang!"
"And the clarity of this soup is already comparable to Wu Xiang! Perhaps I should consider combining the two."
As he approached, the system issued a prompt.
————————————
【Collectible ingredient discovered: Century Soup】
【Capture Level: 60】
【Description: Generated by a serendipitous combination of methane ice and the display case, it is the only one of its kind in the world.】
————————————
"Only a capture level of 60? The raw materials are in the 1-35 range, so it's not easy for this essence to reach level sixty."
"And these are things that level cannot measure."
He scooped up a ladleful.
The system issued another prompt.
【Collection complete: Century Soup】
【Replication time: 155 days】
Just scooping up a ladleful counted as a complete collection.
Not bad!
Continue!
【Collection complete: Century Soup】
【Replication time: 140 days】
……
……
【Replication time: 1 day!】
【Replication time: 1 day!】
At the bottom of the pool, there were about 110 ladlefuls of soup, each about two liters or more.
After Zhang Wei repeatedly collected, the replicas in the Treasure Hall didn't change much. After all, it was all from one pot, and there was almost nothing for them to complement each other.
However, the biggest benefit was that the replication time was compressed to one day, and the replication amount was slightly increased.
Now, Zhang Wei's daily output was about four ladlefuls, approximately eight liters, which was not a small amount.
Looking at the drooling crowd, Zhang Wei took out about sixty ladlefuls of Century Soup and divided them into over five hundred portions.
Instantly, a beautiful aurora once again illuminated the icy landscape.
The alluring aroma was like a fatal lover, and the power of appetite became uncontrollable again, everyone with a ferocious expression, struggling immensely!
Zhang Wei remembered when he was in the Cloud Country, he had released over a hundred of his dishes at once, each made repeatedly, with the Treasure Hall absorbing their merits and becoming perfect masterpieces.
The mixed aromas had directly sent half the camp into a zombie mode, crawling towards Zhang Wei even with broken legs and feet to taste those ultimate delicacies.
"Everyone, please, taste!"
The moment the division was complete, everyone received their 240ml portion of Century Soup, about half a bottle of mineral water!
Although it was in the icy wilderness, the soup was unaffected, maintaining a comfortably warm temperature.
Xifeng drank it down in one go, and a…
extremely exaggerated silly smile immediately appeared on his stunned face.
It was as if his intelligence had been instantly stolen.
And this silly smile looked lewd no matter how one looked at it!
Grinning widely, eyes narrowed, his philtrum stretched long…
Zhang Wei looked on with surprise. The effect of the Century Soup had been mentioned in the original work.
It was likely caused by an overflow of happiness.
"Is it really that powerful?"
Zhang Wei picked up a bowl and took a sip.
!
So clear!
Thousands of ingredients instantly appeared in his mind, as if they had come alive and were moving within his mouth.
"The ham pig is acting spoiled…"
"The Overlord Swordfish and the Yokohama Salmon are playing!"
"The Ice Cream Snow Mountain is covered in snow lotus tea…"
"The Luxury Corpse Lobster, the Nine-Headed Serpent, the Three-Legged Salamander…"
"And the Legion Gorilla is beating its chest in herds, proclaiming its claim to deliciousness!"
Ding dong~
A drop of soup fell from Zhang Wei's lips, like an echo lingering for three days, reverberating in this paradise of happiness.
This was a legendary taste destined to be recorded in history, capable of recalling forgotten moments of happiness!
Crack!
Crack!
The teeth of everyone present began to clatter.
"What's happening!"
"It's soup, yet I'm involuntarily chewing!"
"Could it be that the taste is so rich, it feels like glistening grilled meat covered in sauce!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
"Countless delicacies are appearing in my mouth, as if releasing the luxury accumulated from a hundred years of slumber!"
"Holy crap! You all look so ugly!"
"You too!"
Their mouths involuntarily curved into smiles. No one present could control this urge!
It was too satisfying, too delicious!
They couldn't help but want to laugh~~
Everyone looked so lewd!
…………
After a long while.
Everyone finally emerged from the enjoyment of the exquisite taste.
Besides its deliciousness, the Century Soup was an incredibly luxurious dish, with astonishing nutritional content.
Everyone who drank it felt invigorated.
Xifeng turned and looked back at the display case with deep emotion, then at his empty soup bowl.
He said sincerely, "Thank you!"
"Thank you to nature for its gift, allowing the efforts of my later years to reintegrate into my body."
"It's just a shame… if only there were a little more."
Xifeng licked his lips.
Savoring the unparalleled, luxurious taste.
The flavor was so potent that it could be clearly felt for three months after drinking it.
Zhang Wei smiled lightly, "Want to drink… of course, you can."
"No, no, no. There's only one display case, and methane water is a rare encounter. The soup might become a limited edition. The feeling of loss that comes with drinking it, knowing it's diminishing, is truly despairing."
Zhang Wei said, "No, the Century Soup can be replicated. Just because it's nurtured by heaven and earth doesn't mean I can't create it."
Everyone present was stunned.
Zhang Wei dared to make such a grand statement!
Although his skills were indeed unmatched in the mortal realm, did he really want to compete with nature?
And such a marvel, no matter how hard one tried, would be impossible to achieve, right?
Zhang Wei hid his disdain, using the most level tone possible, "Compared to my Wu Xiang, the difficulty of the Century Soup… is only average!"