In the Principality of Fabaria.
Yan Yan’s face was extremely grim.
Five days had passed, and not only had the sales of Salt Essence stagnated, but other high-end varieties were also becoming difficult to sell.
Himalayan Rose Salt, priced at 80,000 Belis per gram, was sixteen times more expensive than Salt Essence.
Despite its exorbitant price, people’s enthusiasm for purchasing it had never waned, with orders extending even three years into the future…
Yet, today, during deliveries, two establishments had surprisingly canceled their purchases.
“Are you certain?”
The hotel owner immediately stated, “Yes, I believe this high-end salt is too much of a burden for my establishment. I’ve decided to transfer the selling rights to other hotels with more capability.”
Upon receiving the news, Yan Yan immediately launched an investigation.
He discovered that those establishments had removed rose salt from their side dishes and introduced new, premium sushi dishes, also priced at over 300,000 Belis.
After an informant disguised as a customer tried one, he returned with slight shock, reporting, “The newly introduced sushi uses the same ingredients as before, but the taste has improved by at least two levels. Even at a price of 500,000 Belis per serving, people would still flock to buy it.”
Based on deductions.
They possessed a seasoning even more premium than Himalayan Rose Salt.
Not only Himalayan Rose Salt, but even other high-end salt products were facing intense competition, and market sales were beginning to show signs of sluggishness!
Although the Four Great Salt Merchants had not yet lost market share and were still earning their daily income, this phenomenon signaled one thing!
It meant that a highly competitive product had appeared in the market.
Yan Yan, with his exceptionally keen business sense, was so startled that he broke out in a cold sweat.
“Quick, we must get our hands on this mysterious seasoning!”
One day.
A heinous robbery occurred within Bavaria. A renowned restaurant suddenly announced its closure and barred all entry.
Three days later, when someone noticed something amiss and reported it, it was discovered that everything in the restaurant had been stolen.
All the staff and chefs were locked in the basement and remained unconscious until then.
The thief’s methods were highly skilled.
Furthermore, the restaurant owner and head chef were reported missing…
In a certain basement.
A bloodied chef served a plate of sushi, and beside him was the severely injured restaurant owner. These two were the missing individuals.
And before them, needless to say, was Yan Yan.
“Supervisor, the first dish used Himalayan Rose Salt, and the second used the sushi salt sold by the Gourmet Bank. Apart from the salt, the recipe is exactly the same.”
Salt-Baked Chicken!
A classic Hakka dish.
Legend has it that the Hakka people were frequently harassed by nomadic tribes and found it difficult to settle. During their migrations, they found it inconvenient to carry live poultry, so they would slaughter them and place them in salt packets for preservation and transport.
Upon reaching their new settlements, this method of preservation alleviated the predicament of insufficient raw materials, allowing them to eat directly and nourish their bodies.
The preparation is relatively simple: first, select a young chicken weighing no more than two catties, marinate it with salt, pepper, ginger slices, scallion knots, garlic, and cooking wine for an hour. Brush the bottom of the pot with oil, add the cut scallions, ginger, and garlic, and then place the marinated young chicken on top.
After precise dry steaming, sprinkle with boiling sesame oil, Sichuan peppercorn oil, and fermented black bean fish oil. This is the renowned salt-baked chicken.
However, due to geographical reasons, the preparation methods would also evolve.
First, the salt-baked chicken using Himalayan Rose Salt.
Yan Yan was very generous with his ingredients, using a full five grams of rose salt. The entire salt-baked chicken exhibited an alluring pinkish hue, even emitting a faint floral aroma.
He picked up a piece of tender chicken and put it in his mouth. The sensation of rose petals blooming filled his mouth.
“Mmm~ delicious!”
“No matter how many times I eat it, it’s always so irresistible!”
“Truly, with a high-quality seasoning, a chef can ascend to heights they would not otherwise reach!”
“We are not simply seasoning suppliers; we are gods who help chefs fulfill their dreams!”
The surrounding people immediately flattered him profusely.
They all sang praises of Yan Yan’s noble and great deeds.
Amidst the chorus of adulation, Yan Yan was somewhat losing himself, looking at the second salt-baked chicken with a hint of disdain.
“Unless… this is salt from the gourmet world!”
“But would salt from the gourmet world sell to you for 10,000 Belis per gram?”
That’s right.
According to their confession, this new product from the Gourmet Bank was only priced at 10,000 Belis.
Not only was the price one-eighth of Himalayan Rose Salt, but the taste was even superior. However, Yan Yan did not believe this. If it were truly a top-tier seasoning from the gourmet world, why would it only sell for 10,000 Belis?
Didn’t Zhang Wei have costs?
The risks of entering and exiting the gourmet world were exchanged for one’s life!
Thinking this, Yan Yan put the second salt-baked chicken into his mouth.
Instantly!
Yan Yan’s expression froze!
“This salt… it looks no different from ordinary salt… but why is the taste of this salt-baked chicken so amazing!”
With one bite.
There were no extraneous flavors whatsoever. Even the inherently salty taste of the salt-baked chicken was incredibly light.
Yet, incredibly, the inherent flavor of the salt-baked chicken was amplified. Yan Yan felt as if he were in a trance.
He saw the young chicken running in a field covered with green onions, and as he dug through the roots, he discovered fresh ginger. The subtle spiciness perfectly counteracted the unique gamey flavor of the free-range chicken, and the black pepper formed a perfect symphony with the meat.
“The saltiness of the salt is very light… yet it brings out the flavor of the ingredients to the fullest, even elevating it by several levels…”
“This is definitely an ingredient from the gourmet world; such a fantastical seasoning could never exist in the human world!”
“If I could get my hands on this… what is this salt called?”
His assistant replied, “Sushi Salt.”
“If I could control the origin of this sushi salt, or its harvesting method, our entire business group could reach new heights! For that, I would even deploy resources from the gourmet world!”
However, it was still too early to say anything concrete, as they hadn’t identified whether this salt was synthetic or natural, nor its origin or main ingredients.
They still needed to employ some intelligence-gathering methods first.
………………
……
On the other side, Zhang Wei had found a snake’s nest tens of thousands of meters deep and was descending slowly using his Wind Riding technique.
【Discoverable Ingredient: Barba Mos】
【Capture Level: 44】
【Edible Level: 15】
【Habitat: Snake’s Nest】
【Description: A mammal with a strange appearance, possessing a large shell rarely found in mammals, with extremely high defense. Externally, it resembles a three-headed lizard, living in herds with extremely large numbers.】
“Hm? A creature from the original work?”
A dense group of Barba Mos were on the move, with dozens of them visible at a rough count.
Facing creatures with little to no culinary value, Zhang Wei casually collected over a hundred of them and lost interest.
Zhang Wei deactivated his Wind Riding technique and used gravity to descend rapidly.
Under normal gravity and air resistance, a person’s descent speed would be maintained between 160-240 kilometers per hour. Here, however, Zhang Wei’s descent speed increased to over 450 kilometers per hour.
The friction between his descent and the wind even generated a slight warmth.
Boom!!
Boom!!
Every hundred meters, Zhang Wei would land on a protruding stone bridge or tree trunk, briefly observing the terrain.
At a depth of tens of thousands of meters, Zhang Wei took approximately 15 minutes to reach the bottom.
【Discoverable Ingredient: Ruby Crab】
【Capture Level: 48】
【Edible Level: 65】
【Description: More than its strength, the Ruby Crab is known for being difficult to find. A crab covered in a ruby shell, it is a top-tier ingredient sought after by the elite in the high-end market. Not only is its taste unparalleled, but it also possesses an elegance and refinement unattainable by ordinary ingredients.】
Zhang Wei was overjoyed.
Finally, he had found good stuff. These Ruby Crabs were not only numerous but also plump and well-formed.
They clearly appeared to be old crabs that had survived for many years, and in terms of both taste and meat yield, they were far superior to younger crabs.
He scooped up a Ruby Crab the size of a cartwheel and pulled off one of its hind legs.
The joints between the rubies were connected by tender flesh and soft joints, which were the weak points in the defense of these crustacean creatures.
“Huh?”
“Even the crab legs contain such abundant crab meat!”
Zhang Wei slurped, and a piece of meat, resembling a crab stick, was drawn out from within the shell. It was soft and springy, with a slight brininess characteristic of land crabs.
This brininess was not unpleasant; instead, it enhanced the sense of taste, truly achieving perfection in color, aroma, and flavor!
Putting it in his mouth, Zhang Wei exclaimed, “It’s quite good even eaten raw!”
“You could add a little wasabi, soy sauce, and black vinegar as a dipping sauce… the taste would definitely be even more exquisite!”
“Crab roe tofu… beer steamed crab… salt-baked… steamed… spicy… curry…”
Zhang Wei instantly thought of over a dozen different preparation methods, each of which seemed like it would be incredibly delicious.
This Ruby Crab had such high compatibility!
Such good quality ingredients should absolutely not be missed. Given the quality and elegance of the Ruby Crab, selling it for 350,000 Belis per kilogram would be no problem at all. The Impact Turtle, with the same edible level, only sold for 220,000 Belis.
A Ruby Crab the size of a cartwheel weighed at least 70 kilograms, similar to an adult male, but most of it was its hard, heavy shell, with only about 20 kilograms of crab roe and meat.
Although the meat was only worth 7 million Belis, its precious ruby shell was highly prized by jewelers, and could certainly sell for a similar price. The selling price per crab should exceed 15 million Belis.
Begin cutting!
Collect!
【Collection Complete: Ruby Crab】
【Replication Time: 135 days】
Ten!
【Collection Complete: Ruby Crab】
【Replication Time: 75 days】
Fifty!
【Collection Complete: Ruby Crab】
【Replication Time: 1 day】
【Total Weight: 85 kg】
Two hundred!
【Collection Complete: Ruby Crab】
【Replication Time: 1 day】
【Total Weight: 1750 kg, Meat Yield: 1025 kg】
………………
…………
As the collection was completed, the Ruby Crabs rapidly increased in size. Furthermore, due to the optimization of their advantages, the meat yield had increased from the initial 30% to over 58%.
The selling price had increased by at least thirtyfold!
Another variety with a price exceeding one hundred million!
However, Zhang Wei’s main objective was Meru’s Stardust!
The mysterious stone that sparkled with brilliant light…
Due to years of accumulation and a stable ecological environment, there were at least a thousand Ruby Crabs here. Ever since meeting Seitaro, Zhang Wei had felt that he should not excessively damage the ecological balance, as it would affect other species in the food chain.
In the end, Zhang Wei captured about 350 of them, mostly mature adults and a small number of young ones.
The underground area was not large, and Zhang Wei soon found his target in one spot.
There was no other way; that faint, shimmering glow could be seen from a great distance.
Standing at a high vantage point, Zhang Wei was stunned!
“This is Meru’s Stardust!”
“There’s so much of it!”
As far as the eye could see, tall Guanghua stone blocks were scattered, each dozens of meters high!
Most importantly, they were densely packed and occupied a vast area. There were at least several hundred stone pillars, with the smallest being the size of a coffee table.
How much was this!
【Discoverable Ingredient: Essence of the Ancient Food Vault – King’s MSG】
【Capture Level: 75】
【Edible Level: 175】
【Description: The essence of food produced by the collective sacrifice of powerful beasts that inhabited the Umami Sea in ancient times. It can be considered the most dominant top-tier seasoning, but if not for the fact that it would overshadow the most premium ingredients.】
【Description: A catastrophic natural disaster erupted in the ancient Umami Sea, causing land and sea displacement. A large amount of biological remains accumulated in one place, compressed by undersea volcanoes and the sea’s flavor, gathering the exquisite umami of the entire ocean.】
【Description: Through millennia of transformation, its essence manifested in a special fossilized form and eventually appeared in this area. Due to the unique nature of the Umami Sea and the unpredictability of natural disasters, the King’s MSG here might be the only surviving portion in the world.】
【Description: King’s MSG possesses extremely high hardness and self-sharpening properties, making its extraction extremely difficult. However, by using highly hard substances for abrasive consumption, it can be turned into a powder form for consumption. The harder the abrasive material, the more it will stimulate the deliciousness of King’s MSG.】
That’s right!
There was absolutely no mistake!
This must be Meru’s Stardust from the original work, but it hadn’t been given that name yet due to the era.
However, its property of requiring abrasive consumption confirmed its precious value.
“In the original work, the first generation Meru found the tooth of an ancient Dragon King, Delos.”
There are eight ruling beasts in the gourmet world!
They are the Wolf King Guineess!
The Bird King Emperor Crow!
The Snake King Queen Snake!
The Deer King Sky Deer!
The Whale King Moon!
The Ape King Bambina!
The Horse King Hercules!
And the Dragon King Delos!
Commonly known as the Eight Kings!
And the Dragon King Delos lineage is the most mysterious, known for their numbers. It is said that this species only grows one tooth in its lifetime, making them the strongest dragons!
“The Dragon King’s capture level is 6590, a number that is currently unimaginable for me!”
“And the first generation Meru discovered this fossilized ancient dragon tooth. As he lacked the ability to grind and forge it, he brought it back and handed it over to the second generation Meru for safekeeping.”
“Finally, Toriko retrieved Meru’s Stardust, and the second generation Meru, using Komatsu’s previous chef’s knife and the Dragon King’s tooth, forged a brand new chef’s knife that could cleave through tens of kilometers of mountains and hills with a casual swing.”
“Although the size of that dragon tooth was very small, it was enough to prove the powerful nature of Meru’s Stardust!”
“At that time, to grind that dragon tooth, a basin full of Meru’s Stardust seemed to have been produced… If that’s the case, to produce enough King’s MSG, a lot of super-hard materials will be needed to rub against it.”
“And the abrasive material needs to be sufficiently hard…”
Zhang Wei instantly recalled the Impact Turtles, known as the torpedoes of the sea, and the even more powerful Leo Dragon, which he had collected earlier.
But even the tooth of a newly hatched Dragon King cub was not on the same level as them.
“In any case, let’s move it back first.”