221: Curse Worsening and Gourmet Cell Diagnosis

Lu Chuan finally saw He Jingrui's condition, and his heart tightened.

He Jingrui's face was as pale as paper, his breathing was weak, his clothes were tattered, and although several wounds on his body had stopped bleeding and even formed a thin layer of dark red scabs,

cold beads of water constantly seeped from his skin, and the strong, deep-sea stench continuously emanated from him.

“The Merman Curse… it’s worsened!”

Lu Chuan instantly understood the reason.

Looking at his injuries, he must have encountered a fierce battle, leading to an over-exertion of power, stimulating his Gourmet Cells, and causing the previously suppressed curse to rebound and even mutate!

“System, activate ‘Gourmet Cell Diagnosis’!”

Lu Chuan didn't hesitate for a moment, silently chanting in his mind.

In an instant, an imperceptible glimmer flashed deep in his eyes, and his consciousness was once again drawn into that strange, blood-red world.

Irregular spheres, shimmering with an unusual light, flowed ceaselessly, like breathing stars rapidly traversing the sky.

At this moment, Lu Chuan's mind stirred, and he quickly approached one of these “stars.”

The sight was similar to what he had seen last time, yet subtly different.

The “star” shimmered with three colors of light: green, red, and gold, with the green infinitely approaching gold.

Lu Chuan shook his head, withdrew, and then once again used his “Gourmet Cell Diagnosis” ability.

This time, He Jingrui's body in his vision seemed to become translucent, revealing a strange green energy, constantly emitting a chilling aura, entrenched within all his cells.

That was the mutated Merman Curse.

It was eroding He Jingrui's Gourmet Cells and attempting to assimilate his life energy!

“As expected!”

Lu Chuan's expression was grave.

Hu Xuan, standing nearby, felt a special and obscure fluctuation emanating from Lu Chuan when he activated his ability, and his expression subtly shifted, a glint flashing in his eyes.

He stared at Lu Chuan, his lips moving, almost blurting out,

“This is… ‘Gourmet Cell Diagnosis’?! An ability that only top ‘Gourmet Doctors’ in other worlds have a chance to master?! How could this kid…?”

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Lu Chuan instantly became incredibly complex, filled with scrutiny and shock.

Lu Chuan, however, didn't notice Hu Xuan's abnormality; after the diagnosis was complete, his heart was burning with anxiety, and he stood up, enduring the discomfort and pain in his internal organs.

“I must deal with this immediately!”

With that, he picked up He Jingrui and strode into the shop.

Hu Xuan, Shadow, and Ding Xinyang didn't know what Lu Chuan intended to do, so they quickly followed.

The group swiftly entered the Midnight Diner, and the indigo cloth curtain fell again, isolating the bloody and deathly silence outside.

Lu Chuan carefully laid He Jingrui on the floor, then strode into the kitchen.

Hu Xuan and the other two tried to follow him into the kitchen, but Lu Chuan slammed the kitchen door shut with a “bang” and locked it from the inside.

“...What's going on?”

Ding Xinyang, a little scared, moved a few steps away from Shadow, then cautiously asked Hu Xuan.

“He's probably preparing to treat He Jingrui...”

Hu Xuan replied casually.

At this moment, he was still thinking about the astonishing ability Lu Chuan had just displayed, his eyes somewhat unfocused as he looked at the tightly shut kitchen door.

Upon hearing this explanation, Ding Xinyang couldn't help but scratch his scalp, his gaze moving back and forth between the kitchen door and He Jingrui on the floor.

Treating He Jingrui... why would he need to go into the kitchen... what in the world do those two have to do with each other!!!

...Compared to the bloody battle in the alley, fighting the Little devils with his nascent Nameless Fist Technique and leg techniques,

the kitchen, at this moment, was Lu Chuan's familiar main battlefield.

After taking several deep breaths until the pain in his chest and abdomen subsided, he smoothly transitioned into the role of the strongest chef in the current era.

His gaze was focused and sharp as he quickly scanned the various ingredients and cooking utensils in the kitchen.

“High-energy, yang, full of vital life force... and ingredients that can soothe agitated cells and neutralize the yin-cold properties of the curse...”

Lu Chuan's brain worked rapidly; the “Gourmet Cell Diagnosis” ability granted by the system not only allowed him to see the problem but also instinctively guided him to the solution.

He continuously recalled various medicinal food recipes, trying to select the most suitable one.

Finally, his expression softened.

He immediately communicated with the system.

The next moment, several pieces of venison, emitting a faint warmth and seemingly glowing with a subtle red light on their surface, appeared out of thin air.

These were hindquarters from a type of deer with fire patterns all over its body, which Lu Chuan had named “Fire-Patterned Deer,” found deep in the valley after exploring the world beyond the Yinhua Mountain rift. They contained abundant yang energy and nutrients.

Since he couldn't finish eating it all at the time, Lu Chuan had asked the system to preserve it using appetite coins.

He hadn't expected it to come in handy now.

Of course, the system had also preserved other more nourishing and delicious exotic ingredients, not just the fresh meat of the Fire-Patterned Deer.

Following the Fire-Patterned Deer, several other auxiliary ingredients, also from another world, appeared out of thin air.

There was “Moonlight Rice” that could calm the mind, “Earth Vein Root” that was gently nourishing, and a small bottle of “Hundred Flavor Nectar” that could enhance cell activity.

Lu Chuan looked at these ingredients, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.

With his current culinary skills, ordinary ingredients from this world could no longer satisfy him.

Only the strange and wonderfully effective ingredients from other worlds could make him eager to hunt.

Recalling the vast valley that stretched for thousands of miles and the countless exotic species living within it, Lu Chuan's heart filled with joy.

“Never mind, never mind, the main thing is to get down to business.”

He shook his head, cast aside distracting thoughts, and began to concentrate on preparing the ingredients.

His incredibly skilled movements and precisely selected ingredient pairings were already etched into his culinary instincts.

The clanging of spatulas began, and a strange aroma, a blend of intense heat and fresh fragrance, started to permeate this small kitchen... In the kitchen, various phenomena unfolded.

The hindquarters of the “Fire-Patterned Deer” were sliced into thin, cicada-wing-like pieces by Lu Chuan’s precise knife work, each piece seemingly containing flowing magma and emitting a gentle warmth.

Nearby, the “Moonlight Rice” soaked in clear water, reflecting a soft, pure glow under the light, as if moonlight itself had condensed within it.

The “Earth Vein Root” was pounded into a paste, exuding a fresh, post-rain forest aroma.

And the “Hundred Flavor Nectar” swirled in a bowl, its peculiar fragrance perfuming the entire kitchen.

Lu Chuan’s gaze was intensely focused; the world in his eyes contained only the ingredients before him and the stove fire.

He tossed the wok with one hand, while the other scattered ingredients like a dancing butterfly, his movements fluid and possessing a strange rhythm.

The stove fire, under his precise control, was sometimes fierce like a volcanic eruption, and other times gentle like a kitten's lick.

Under the influence of his “Mind Bug” talent, the timing of each ingredient's addition and the transition of the heat were all executed with perfect precision.

This was not just cooking; it was more like an artistic creation.