356: Understanding Yin and Yang, comprehending the universe

The freshly cooked stir-fried wild vegetables were vibrantly green, the leaves spread out like jade, glistening warmly with light brown soy sauce. Their color was clear, moist, and not greasy, making them look instantly refreshing.

The hot oil brought out the fresh fragrance of the wild vegetables, mixed with a faint aroma of soy sauce. It wasn't strong or pungent, but stimulated saliva upon smelling, filled with natural freshness.

Zhou Yan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and put it into his mouth.

The wild vegetable was juicy upon entering his mouth, its refreshing flavor dissolving on his tongue. The root was crisp, tender, and succulent, making a satisfying crunch when bitten, carrying a natural sweetness.

The leaves were soft, waxy, and delicate, neither tough nor bitter, and despite soaking up the broth, they remained refreshing.

With one bite, crispness and softness intertwined, freshness and clarity merged. Simple yet incredibly satisfying, his mouth was filled with the fresh taste of the mountains, growing richer and sweeter with every chew.

“Meow~.”

A cat's meow interrupted Zhou Yan's rare moment of enjoyment. Zhou Yan frowned, planning to silence the Black Cat, but suddenly caught sight of something unexpected.

“That guy is actually drooling?”

Zhou Yan watched it stare unblinkingly at the plate of stir-fried wild vegetables in his hand, finding it strange.

So he moved the dish next to the Black Cat and shook it. Sure enough, its gaze followed the plate closely, and it drooled even more.

The cat's current state was very strange; it looked untamed yet showed a dullness, as if its brain stem were missing, making it seem even slower than a common wild cat.

“To still be attracted by my cooking even in this state, it seems my Heavenly Venerable Zhou's cuisine is truly unrivaled.”

After teasing the Black Cat, Zhou Yan brought the dish back. He had no intention of sharing his delicious food with an enemy cat that had previously harmed him.

But after only two bites, Zhou Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened.

“Wait! My food can affect it, so does that mean—”

Zhou Yan looked again at the drooling Black Cat.

According to the usual “protagonist plot,” he should now use the gourmet food to tame this strangely behaving Black Cat, cultivate a relationship, help it regain its spiritual intelligence, make it a special companion, and allow it to play a crucial role in the future decisive battle against Schrödinger.

In some works, it might even develop into a Cat Girl storyline, adding a romantic subplot for himself.

So... Zhou Yan rubbed his chin, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

Five minutes later.

“Mmm, delicious!”

In the clearing, Zhou Yan was still sitting and enjoying a meal, only the dish had changed.

As for the little Black Cat that was previously suppressed, it had vanished.

Where did it go?

Naturally, it had come to “share the meal” with Zhou Yan.

Banquet Name: Forest Interlude.

Obtained Tags: [Qiankun (Red)], [Imperial Tutor (Red)], [Curiosity (White)].

Banquet Scale: Fifth-tier.

Banquet Dishes: 4 Stars+.

Banquet Satisfaction: 5 Stars+.

Currently Held The Truth of Eating: 1.

Zhou Yan drank the meat broth with a spoon, sighing tearfully.

“I am too wicked... *slurp*, how could I eat a kitty... *slurp*, but it's really delicious.”

He sadly sniffled, scraped the bowl clean, and finally poured in some clear water, swirled it around, and drank the last bit, oil slicks and meat scraps included.

That's right, instead of the usual taming plot, Zhou Yan chose the most efficient and convenient method.

This was an experience he had gained previously when consuming a Demon Venerable, and it was his first reaction upon realizing that gourmet food could affect the Black Cat.

Since it could attract the opponent, it at least indicated that the Law of Consumption could barely treat it as a cooking ingredient.

Facing such a highly resistant and unkillable opponent, Zhou Yan, relying on his years of experience as a gamer, immediately provided the optimal solution.

Turn it into Materials and just eat it.

Zhou Yan first used the Power of Law to grind it down to a sliver of health, then precisely timed it, heating the pot and oil the moment the opponent died. After a flurry of activity, a pot of meat broth was ready.

After consuming it, he not only gained The Truth of Eating again but also got rid of a major nuisance.

If there was one regret, it was the lack of a kill reward.

Full and satisfied, Zhou Yan looked at the Law of Consumption, which had reached 70% progress. If he raised it by another 10%, he could use the Comprehension Increase Card to directly acquire a new Law.

Even his cultivation base loosened again due to the Law's advancement, reaching the third layer of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, just a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the Late Stage.

As for this Truth of Eating, it should, as usual, be able to exchange for some Law comprehension, and judging by the tags, it should be the Law of Qiankun.

“But Imperial Tutor is a tag too? I was clearly still a Saint, yet this time the Imperial Tutor effect manifested.”

It was getting late, and Zhou Yan planned to collect his reward and depart immediately. He had already been delayed for half a month and couldn't afford any more delays.

Diving into his consciousness, he found the familiar pure white space and the small, texture-mapped light sphere.

The difference was that this time there was no affinity exchange segment; he only heard a voice shout “F,” and a large turntable immediately appeared, with dazzling rewards surrounding a draw button.

“Is it because of its state, or because of Schrödinger? Never mind, being able to save the trouble of talking is always good.”

Zhou Yan rubbed his hands together and scrutinized the rewards on the turntable.

All rewards came with random Law progress; the rest varied.

Life and Death, Qiankun Slash, Qiankun Rotation, Yin and Yang Wisdom Eye, Yin and Yang Walker.

“Five skills or Divine Abilities? Good heavens, that's more than the Demon Venerable provided.”

Zhou Yan swallowed.

He remembered “Qiankun Rotation”; the Tree Zombie in Zombie City had used this move.

It seemed this cat was indeed related to the mastermind behind Zombie City, or rather, it was Schrödinger's doing.

This ability was indeed excellent; it could reverse others' abilities and seemingly allow summoned beasts to seize others' abilities.

“Qiankun Slash” also looked formidable; the move that had previously caused him intense pain was likely this one.

The other items listed alongside them must also be extraordinary.

“Forget it, thinking more won't help. I can only take one anyway, so I'll just draw.”

Zhou Yan pressed the button, and the turntable spun rapidly, accelerating faster and faster. He watched the abilities flash by and couldn't help but hold his breath.

This truly was a case of a blessing in disguise. Speaking of which, how many cats did Schrödinger keep? Was there a chance to capture a few more and complete this set of abilities... And could the same ingredient yield these items again?

While he was brainstorming, the turntable slowly stopped. When the introduction of the new ability flooded his Sea of Consciousness, Zhou Yan paused slightly, then relaxed.

“It turned out to be this... that's fine, but doesn't this count as Karma?”

The Eastern Extreme.

This was a desolate region, located even further east of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, more primitive than a primeval forest. Giant trees stood tall, and high mountains were everywhere.

On a towering ancient tree, there was surprisingly a wide platform, where many Prodigies had already gathered.

Many of them had participated in the Three Sects Martial Competition, and there were also many new faces.

Long Tianxing sat alone meditating on the edge of the platform, far away from the crowd.

On the other side, Bai Ling and Xuanyuan Qingyao stood facing each other in the center of the platform. There was no one around them either, but unlike Long Tianxing, people avoided them due to fear of their imposing presence.

“Nickname, Long Tianxing's state is very strange,” Bai Ling transmitted via voice.

Xuanyuan Qingyao replied using voice transmission as well.

“He has already reached Core Formation Perfection, and is only one step away from the Nascent Soul stage.”

“According to the relevant literature regarding the Child of Destiny, he must have encountered something before coming here.”

“Therefore, it's best if we don't disturb him right now.”

Bai Ling felt a little helpless upon hearing this.

They didn't know many of the people on the platform. The rest were either intimidated by their presence or harbored ill intentions, clearly viewing them as rivals in the Eastern Extreme Secret Realm.

After finally seeing an acquaintance, the person was acting “autistic.” It seemed they could only wait for Zhou Yan to arrive before making contact, but Zhou Yan had yet to appear.

There were only a few days left until the Eastern Extreme Secret Realm opened. They had already toured the vicinity of the Eastern Extreme over the past few days, but Zhou Yan was nowhere to be found, leaving them unsure of what to do.

“Nickname, do you think Brother Zhou won't come?”

“No,” Xuanyuan Qingyao answered quickly, her tone decisive. “He will definitely come.”

Bai Ling could only shake his head internally and continue staring blankly at the surrounding scenery.

At this moment, on a slightly thinner branch not far from the platform, Shi Suiyan stood leaning against the tree, draped in a black robe.

She looked westward with slight worry, when suddenly, she sensed a familiar mark.

She abruptly sat upright and sped toward that direction, her eyes shining brightly.

“He's here!”