Bad news kept coming.
"Two Springs was attacked, and the tens of thousands of allied soldiers stationed there were buried by crows. Bogang is missing."
"Dili Shenxian's Xiao Hu was killed. Judging by the corpse, he died in the crow attack."
"The fifth on the Black List, Huang Tu, has fallen."
"The attacker was likely the Commander of the Cloud Country, the Hound of Blood!"
When this news arrived, the entire allied army was shocked! The Black List reacted even more violently!
"Impossible! Senior Huang Tu's strength is evident. How could he not even save his life after dozens of life-and-death duels!"
"The Hound of Blood, who is that?"
"Bogang's location is top secret. There must be an insider leaking information."
...
Zhang Wei calmly brewed his soup. The Phoenix Koi, after being processed, yielded a lot of good things. Bright yellow roe, tender fish meat, the chewy marrow from the spine... Even the cheek meat was top-grade. The two fish eyes had petrified. After cleaning, Zhang Wei obtained two high-quality sapphires.
Slurp~~~
Zhang Wei took a sip. "Fresh!"
"It's a shame its flavor is too prominent to balance, making it unsuitable for the Wuxiang selection."
"However, for making ordinary fish soup, it's absolutely perfect!"
Compared to ordinary carp, the Phoenix Koi's flesh was extremely thick and firm, remaining in perfect squares even when cut at room temperature. The fish oil was pure white, the fish meat tender and white, with a net-like pattern formed by residual blood. The blood of the Phoenix Koi was also a top-tier ingredient, possessing extremely high oxygen-carrying capacity. It was said that when prepared properly, it could significantly extend a person's endurance.
"A treasure from head to tail!"
He simply simmered it, using only ordinary seasonings apart from salt crystals. To prevent unknown synergistic effects from the ingredients, Zhang Wei abandoned his imaginative approach, which was quite frustrating.
"Chef, the Speaker is awake."
"Mm, bring her over."
Soon, the Skin Doll and Mo Du arrived.
"Try it, it tastes very good."
The Skin Doll beside them licked her lips. Since Zhang Wei praised it, they could imagine how good it must be.
Zhang Wei smiled. "There's still plenty of fish. You try some too."
"This is for the Speaker's recovery. Perhaps not."
Mo Du immediately said, "Senior, don't say that. Food is meant to be shared."
"This..."
The Skin Doll ultimately couldn't resist the temptation. Zhang Wei's cooking method was meticulous. He first disassembled the fish, thoroughly separating the internal organs, bones, fins, and head. He removed parts with particularly mixed flavors and pre-cut the bones for simmering to ensure the marrow fully integrated. The fish meat for simmering was sliced beforehand to ensure it absorbed the flavor. This technique was only applicable to large fish. Fortunately, the Phoenix Koi had few bones, allowing for this preparation method. This ensured thorough contact between the fish meat and the hot broth, leading to a highly integrated flavor...
Zhang Wei removed the perfectly cooked fish meat and arranged it on a plate. He added the four-leaf clover and seasoning sauce, then poured the steaming hot broth over it. The Koi soup was thus completed.
"This four-leaf clover is also an ingredient from the Cloud Country. Its flavor is fresh and perfect for seasoning soup."
"The people from the Cloud Country say seeing a four-leaf clover is a symbol of luck. If you see one in the wild, you'll have a whole day of good fortune."
[Dish completed!]
[Lucky Koi Soup]
[Replication Time: 120 days]
[Effect 1: Nourishing Fish Soup]
[Nourishes the body and mind. After simmering, the nutrients are extracted comprehensively, nourishing all the diner's internal organs.]
[Effect 2: Vitality Restoration]
[Greatly replenishes vitality, enhances the body's self-healing abilities, combats fatigue, and strengthens the central nervous system.]
[Effect 3: Brain Nourishment]
[The soup's effects are even more potent on the brain. Long-term consumption aids in intellectual development.]
[Effect 4: Minor Luck]
[This dish can make people lucky~~]
"It can make people lucky... Does luck really exist..."
"At least in this world, it absolutely does!"
"In that case, I must try it too."
He prepared an extra portion. The three of them sat at the table together. Just then, a messenger ran over frantically: "Wolf Butcher ambushed a Flying General of the Cloud Country and succeeded, killing the enemy on the battlefield!"
"But the Cloud Country's Flying General unleashed an extremely terrifying move before his death. It's said that all the clouds within several kilometers were completely destroyed!"
"Both armies suffered countless casualties."
"The shockwaves and airflow traveled for dozens of miles. At the epicenter of the battle, a mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke and dust rose... the power was terrifying!"
Zhang Wei said in surprise, "Mushroom cloud?"
"Uh... your description is very apt."
A mushroom cloud is formed by an explosion, and the more powerful it is, the clearer it becomes. In fact, when Zhang Wei was a child, setting off firecrackers with gunpowder would also produce a mushroom-shaped puff of smoke a meter high.
"That mushroom cloud... did you see it?"
"Yes, it was too conspicuous."
"How high was it, and what was the state of the clouds?"
The messenger replied, "It was probably several thousand meters high, blocking out the sun. The clouds were intensely dark!"
Zhang Wei fell silent. Based on this description, the explosive power was at least around 300 tons of TNT equivalent. While not comparable to a nuclear bomb, it had the power of a munitions depot detonation. What level was Makabaka? Sixty? Or sixty-five? According to the energy level calculation, combat power would triple every ten levels. If one reached level one hundred, they would truly be a human nuclear bomb!
"How are Wolf Butcher and the others? Any casualties?"
"A'Shou and Hua Lianhu protected Qingcheng and the Tailor, sustaining serious injuries."
"Qingcheng and the Tailor suffered minor injuries."
"Wolf Butcher was injured during the fight and then blown dozens of kilometers away. His condition is very bad now."
Zhang Wei sighed. "It's good they're not dead."
"Hurry and bring them back. The fish soup is still hot."
The messenger immediately left. Zhang Wei looked at the two of them and said, "Let's not wait for them. Let's start."
The fragrant golden fish soup wafted through the air, gently caressing the olfactory systems of the three. The food cells within their bodies stirred as if sensing something, causing their blood to flow faster, their stomach acid to secrete madly, and their gastrointestinal rumbling sounded like drumming.
The soup went down their throats.
!!!
Mo Du and the Skin Doll's eyes widened! How to describe this taste! It smelled fresh, but the flavor was overwhelmingly rich! The moment it touched their lips and teeth, the taste impact shot directly to their brains! In short. It was intoxicating!
"So delicious!"
"This taste is like a hundred carp stewed together. Eating it feels like fish are swimming in my mouth!"
"And... such a rich soup has no fishy smell at all. Instead, beneath the rich flavor, there's a fresh scent of vegetables."
"Could it be... that's the seasoning from the four-leaf clover!"
Boiling! Nutrients poured into their cells like a torrent! Together with the deliciousness, a torrent formed within their bodies!