171: Chapter 171 Top-quality ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods.

The crack in the sky had not healed, but the oppressive feeling that could annihilate one's Divine Soul had strangely vanished.

Replacing it was a fragrance.

A domineering, rich, fresh aroma that seemed to stir the most primal instincts of all living beings.

Just a few breaths ago, what floated outside the Heavenly River Sword Sect's Mountain Protection Grand Array was a 'Shielding Giant Crab' capable of erasing this entire world. It brandished its massive 'Censorship Scissors' made of garbled code. Each snap of its claws was accompanied by a 'beep—' warning of silence, and any Law it touched would instantly turn into a grayish-white mosaic.

Sect Master Li Xuanji stood with his broken life-bound Flying Sword in hand, his face covered in blood, his gaze resolute. The Mountain Protection Grand Array behind him was on the verge of collapse, and the sword formation of three thousand Disciples had suffered over half casualties. At that moment, he had already prepared to burn his Lifespan and detonate his Nascent Soul, hoping only to preserve a single spark of hope for the Sect.

"You beast! Even if I perish today, I will shatter one of your teeth... Huh?"

Li Xuanji's roar of defiance, ready to face death, suddenly twisted on the last word, turning into a confused grunt.

The flames of his Nascent Soul, which had been halfway ignited for self-destruction, for some reason, suddenly lost the desire to explode at this moment. Instead, they seemed to be... anticipating something?

Li Xuanji looked up blankly.

In his field of vision, the terrifying giant crab originally composed of countless '□□□' characters and Void Realm garbled code was undergoing a transformation so shocking it could shatter a Cultivator's worldview.

The dull gray carapace, symbolizing 'the indescribable' and 'rule erasure,' was rapidly shedding its Death Qi, replaced by a tempting, glossy orange-red hue. The once sanity-draining 'mosaic armor' now had clear, defined textures, having transformed into a premium crab shell brimming with collagen!

Especially those massive pincers that had once sheared through the Grand Elder's Flying Sword—where was their former ferocious Killing Intent? They were now clearly two pieces of crystal-clear, plump, and even slightly quivering... premium crab meat!

"Gulp."

In the deathly silent battlefield, someone, after extreme tension, let out an audible, loud swallow.

The sound was like a stone breaking the calm surface of a lake.

Immediately after, a series of successive 'gulp' sounds followed. From Outer Sect Disciples to inner Sect elites, even the Grand Elders who had abstained from food for years, surviving only on morning dew and purple Qi, found their Adam's apples bobbing uncontrollably.

It wasn't their Dao Heart being unstable.

It was just... too fragrant!

This aroma wasn't the scent of mundane food. It was a 'temptation' imbued with the rules of the Great Dao. It was the fatal attraction released when high-dimensional informational states were violently cracked and transformed into 'nutrition' comprehensible to lower-dimensional beings.

On the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion, Li Mo slowly put away the spring and autumn brush in his hand.

He looked out the window at the colossal creature that had now fully completed its 'ingredient transformation.' On the System panel before his eyes, lines of golden text were slowly fading.

【Target reconstruction complete.】 【Original attributes: Dimensional Auditor (unseeable, untouchable, unspeakable).】 【Current attributes: Special Grade Hairy Crab (thin shell, thick meat, bursting with roe).】 【Note: This ingredient is rich in high-dimensional rule fragments. Consumption can not only satisfy hunger but also supplement the brain (on a physical level). Recommended to consume while hot; it will become fishy when cold (rule backlash).】

"Indeed," Li Mo gently pushed open the window, letting the rich crab aroma flood into the musty Scripture Pavilion. "As long as your thinking doesn't slip, there's always a way. If you dare show a health bar, I dare write you into a recipe."

He looked down at the Treasure-Seeking Rat, Squeak, by his feet.

This little rat, usually only interested in Spirit Stones and ancient treasures, was now acting like a maniac. Clinging to the windowsill, its drool had already soaked a large patch of the floor. Its small eyes gleamed with a fierce green light, and it emitted impatient 'Squeak' sounds, as if saying, "Boss! Is it time to eat? Is it time to eat?!"

Even the human-skin book 'Little Black,' which always exuded a sinister aura, had opened its cover. Its pages rustled, spontaneously displaying simple drawings of knives, forks, and napkins on its blank pages, clearly also driven mad by hunger.

"Don't rush, there's one final step."

Li Mo smiled faintly, his gaze turning towards the sky.

The giant crab, its size comparable to a main mountain peak, was now floating aimlessly in mid-air, having lost its 'attack designation.' Its rule core had been rewritten to 'deliciousness,' making its sole purpose for existence now 'to be eaten.'

"A crab this big... steaming preserves the original flavor, but for these unsophisticated Cultivators, it might be a bit too rich."

Li Mo muttered to himself, raised his right hand again, and made a 'sprinkling salt' motion in the air.

Simultaneously, he activated the blue entry he had extracted from a leisure book titled *Records of Western Regions Customs*, one he had always considered useless—

【Soul Seasoning (Great Perfection)】!

The next moment, everyone in the Heavenly River Sword Sect witnessed a scene they would never forget.

The originally clear high sky suddenly changed, clouds churning. But what descended from these changing clouds was not a Lightning Tribulation, nor a rain of fire, but a... powder rain.

Golden powder, carrying a strange, exotic fragrance, drifted down like golden snowflakes.

It was 'cumin' evolved from the rules of the Great Dao. It was 'sea salt' condensed from Spiritual Qi. It was 'Sichuan pepper powder' ground from Void Realm lightning.

These seasonings, composed of pure energy, evenly coated the massive 'orange-red giant crab.' Stimulated by the seasonings, the high-dimensional spiritual power contained within the crab instantly boiled, emitting a sizzling sound. It was as if the heavens and earth themselves were a giant oven, hosting an epic open-air barbecue.

"High-end ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods."

Li Mo's voice was soft, not carrying far, but the words seemed to become some universal truth. Through the System's adjustment, they resonated directly in everyone's minds.

Boom——!!!

The giant crab finally lost its power of levitation and plummeted like a meteor.

It did not crash into the Mountain Protection Grand Array, for the moment the array sensed the 'food delivery,' it very sensibly automatically split open a gap, like opening a large mouth waiting to be fed.

The crab landed heavily on the Sect's main square.

The earth trembled; dust rose.

But no one coughed, for the dust was filled with a maddeningly delicious meaty aroma.

The battlefield fell into dead silence.

Everyone maintained their combat stances from the previous second, the light of their Magic Treasures flickering, but their expressions had completely shattered.

An inner Sect steward closest to the crab still held a 'Blazing Explosion Talisman' ready for mutual destruction. He stared dumbly at the crab leg before him, thicker than his entire body. A crack had opened at the joint, revealing snow-white, jade-like, crystal-clear crab meat, dotted with a few specks of golden 'Great Dao Cumin.'

The steward's throat moved.

As a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, his heart should be like still water, unmoved by external things. But now, his body betrayed his will. Or rather, this was a desire from the very level of his existence—every cell in his body was roaring: Eat it! Eating it will bring evolution!

Trembling, he reached out his hand—not to attack, but as if guided by a ghost... to pick off a piece of meat.

The piece was warm, with a pleasantly springy texture, emitting a faint white glow.

"Is... is this the beast's trick?" the steward muttered, a flicker of struggle in his eyes, instantly drowned by ravenous hunger.

He opened his mouth and took a fierce bite.

"Mmph!"

The steward's pupils instantly dilated.

The moment it entered his mouth, there was no imagined fishy or gamey taste. Instead, an indescribable, fresh sweetness exploded on his taste buds! The meat was tender and juicy, melting in his mouth like a warm current rushing down his throat to his stomach, then transforming into a torrent of pure spiritual energy that violently surged into his Meridians!

Just one bite!

*Crack!*

The Middle Stage Bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Stage that had trapped the steward for a full ten years was pierced as easily as a piece of paper by this immense energy!

Boom!

His aura surged violently—Late Stage of Foundation Establishment!

The steward stood there, his mouth greasy, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Bro... broken? I just took one bite of crab and I broke through?"

He suddenly looked up at his fellow Sect members around him, raised the remaining half-piece of crab meat in his hand, and shouted hoarsely:

"It's edible! It's edible!! Brothers! This thing is a great tonic! Better than the 'Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir' refined by the Grand Elders!!"

This shout completely lit the fuse.

The frozen scene instantly shattered.

"What? It's edible and helps you Breakthrough?"

"Move aside! I'm a Body Cultivator, I have a big appetite, let me test it for poison first!"

"Bullshit! You were hiding in the back earlier, now you're first in line for food? Taste my Azure Cloud Sword Technique—Meat-Slicing Style!"

"Revered Master! Lend me your life-nurturing alchemical fire! This crab claw is too hard, I need to roast it!"

The tone had completely deviated at this moment.

The once tragic and solemn Cultivation battlefield instantly turned into a frenzied food-grabbing scene.

Those usually dignified and aloof Elders also cast aside their image. The Elder from Blaze Peak directly summoned his treasured 'Blazing Fire Cauldron,' not for Alchemy, but to catch the golden crab roe flowing from the giant crab's body.

"Quick! Quick, bring the jade bottles! This isn't oil, this is liquefied Dao essence!" The Elder was so excited his beard trembled.

As for Sect Master Li Xuanji, he still hovered mid-air, holding his broken sword, his expression a sight to behold.

He looked down at the Disciples below, who were pouncing on the food like starving wolves, then at the massive, fragrant 'spoils of war' before him. The dignity of a Sect Master made him feel he should show some restraint.

But just then, a palm-sized piece of crab roe, dislodged in the chaos, flew up and, by sheer coincidence, landed right in front of him.

Li Xuanji caught it instinctively.

The crab roe presented a noble amber color, seemingly flowing with golden runes within.

"This is... the core of that monster?" Li Xuanji was inwardly shocked; this thing had been a terrifying existence capable of shearing space earlier.

But that overwhelming, mind-piercing exotic fragrance made him unconsciously lick his lips.

"For the sake of the Sect, this Revered Master... will lead by example, investigating the weaknesses of this object."

Li Xuanji gave himself a mental excuse, then opened his mouth and swallowed the piece of crab roe.

Rumble—

The next moment, Li Xuanji felt as if his brain had been struck by a giant hammer. Immediately after, countless profound and obscure pieces of information exploded in his Sea of Consciousness. This wasn't ordinary spiritual energy; these were rule fragments modified by Li Mo!

The threshold of the 'Soul Transformation Stage' that had troubled him for centuries melted away like ice and snow before this piece of crab roe.

Li Xuanji suddenly opened his eyes, two beams of golden light shooting from them.

He didn't speak, just silently put away his broken sword, then took out from his Storage Ring... a set of cutlery forged from ten-thousand-year-old Profound Iron that he had apparently collected at some point.

"By this Revered Master's decree!"

Li Xuanji's voice, loud and clear, echoed across the entire area, carrying an unprecedented authority and... urgency.

"The entire Sect is to enter 'Highest Level Combat Readiness'! All Disciples, inner and Outer Sect alike, immediately cease Cultivation and devote yourselves to... this feast!"

"Today, no one leaves until this 'Extradimensional Demon' is completely devoured!"

"Also... where is the imperial kitchen? Bring out all the aged vinegar jars! Now!"

Watching the Sect below, now completely immersed in revelry, Li Mo inside the Scripture Pavilion nodded in satisfaction.

He casually pulled a book titled *Compendium of Cultivation World Spiritual Plants* from the shelf. Flipping through it, he said to the anxiously scratching Squeak beside him:

"Go on, I saved the best piece for you, right at the crab's heart. That's the logical core of the '404 Divine Beast.' Eating it will make you smarter; hopefully, you won't be so stupid after."

"Squeak!"

Squeak transformed into a streak of light, shattering the window as it shot out.

Li Mo leaned back in his rocking chair, listening to the clamor outside, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Crisis averted, and we've solved the Sect's resource problem for the next fifty years in the process."

"However..."

His gaze fell on the cover of the book in his hand, and he frowned slightly.

"After finishing such a huge crab, what should we eat next...?"

"Moreover, after eating something containing high-dimensional rules, these natives' bodies... should develop some 'interesting' side effects, right?"

Thinking of this, the amusement in Li Mo's eyes grew deeper.

After all, in the original setting, that crab came with a 'silencing' attribute. If there weren't some indigestion-like reactions after eating it, *that* would be unreasonable.

"I hope it contributes a few new entries for me as well."

Li Mo closed the book, his achievements and name remaining hidden.