In the abandoned palace, Bai Wushang waited for a minute or two but received no response.

  "Looks like this Gourmet God Altar isn't an AI. It's too rigid, only able to answer specific questions..."

  Bai Wushang pondered silently, then shook his head with a wry smile, thinking to himself:

  "Forget it, forget it. I've already gone through something like transmigration; my worldview was shattered long ago. No need to get to the bottom of things and pursue some ultimate truth."

  "Right now, I just need to figure out: what can the Gourmet God Altar give me? How can it help me?"

  "For example, this Tier 1 Gourmet God Chest – the Transcendent Recipes, Gourmet God Items, and Gourmet God Secret Techniques inside – what do they each do?"

  [Hint: Transcendent Recipes are top-tier gourmet formulas created by the Gourmet God, intended only for consumption by transcendent creatures. Their effects cover healing and recovery, advancement and evolution, genetic mutation, physique enhancement, ability improvement, beauty and grooming, etc. They will assist the Host in cultivating the most powerful pet beasts.]

  [Gourmet God Items: Special items infused with the Gourmet God's power, mostly single-use consumables.]

  [Gourmet God Secret Techniques: Mysterious skills created by the Gourmet God. Once mastered, the Host can gain special food ingredient processing abilities.]

  Three lines of small text appeared one after another.

  Bai Wushang gradually adapted to this mode of communication. After reading carefully, he suppressed the questions in his mind and decided to open the chest first to see for himself.

  He reached for the seven-colored flame; it wasn't hot.

  The exquisite, white-porcelain-like Gourmet God Chest landed in his hand. It felt cool and silky smooth, its material indistinguishable.

  Without hesitation, Bai Wushang lifted the lid.

  A brilliant light flashed, blinding him for two or three seconds.

  "What could it be?"

  With anticipation, Bai Wushang refocused his attention and looked closely.

  Inside the chest lay only a single sheet of yellowed parchment.

  Bai Wushang picked it up and found it covered in dense, golden characters he couldn't understand at all.

  Just as confusion began to rise, the yellowed parchment suddenly vanished.

  At the same time, Bai Wushang felt a slight sting in his brain, as if enlightened, and a piece of information appeared—

  [Recipe]: Temptation Rat[Ingredients]: 1 fresh rat carcass (any species / Mid-stage Juvenile / died within three hours with relatively intact body) + 10g Ink Bamboo Leaves + 5 stalks Phantom Grass + 1 bloom Alluring Fragrance Flower + 300ml clear water + Soul Power of Spirit User level Late-stage or higher[Procedure]: Gut and clean the rat carcass, stuff Ink Bamboo Leaves into the belly and stitch loosely → Crush Phantom Grass and Alluring Fragrance Flower completely, add to a pot of cold water, stir evenly until purplish-red → Place rat carcass in the pot, simmer over low heat, continuously infusing Soul Power. Once the liquid is fully reduced, turn off heat and remove from pot.[Description]: A delicacy for the tongue, fatally attractive to Juvenile-level snake-type creatures. Specific effects depend on the actual completion quality of the recipe.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "So this is a Transcendent Recipe?"

  Bai Wushang mulled over the information, somewhat dazed.

  It seemed this recipe called "Temptation Rat" had a simple function: luring snake-type creatures.

  In the transcendent world, whether it be alchemists, artifact refiners, talisman makers, formation masters, or other auxiliary professions, or various natural treasures, fruits, and medicinal stones found in the wild, similar effects could potentially be achieved.

  However, this was the first time Bai Wushang had heard of special recipes resembling human cuisine, with strict ingredient and process requirements, solely for consumption by transcendent creatures.

  "If there really are Transcendent Recipes with effects like advancement, evolution, and mutation, as the description mentioned, then this might be an entirely new path of cultivation... a treasure trove belonging only to me..."

  At this thought, Bai Wushang trembled all over, every cell buzzing with excitement.

  His life goal was simple: get stronger, survive.

  Only the strong have the power to control their own destiny, rather than becoming targets for others to kill and plunder.

  Striving to calm himself, Bai Wushang repeatedly told himself to practice restraint, to abandon greedy desires and illusory assumptions. The future was always the future; his focus should be on the path beneath his feet, growing steadily step by step.

  After calming down, Bai Wushang posed a new question to the altar:

  "Are there other ways to obtain these Gourmet God Chests?"

  [Hint: The standard way to obtain Gourmet God Chests is by exchanging Gourmet Cells obtained through offering sacrifices. A Tier 1 Gourmet God Chest requires 100 Gourmet Cells, Tier 2 requires 300, Tier 3...]

  [Gourmet Cells: Special genetic tissues found within transcendent creatures. The rarer and stronger the individual, the more Gourmet Cells it possesses. They are automatically extracted upon killing. Gourmet Cells are the only offering accepted by the Gourmet God and can be used to exchange for Gourmet God Chests.]

  [Supplementary Note: Only the Host, or pet beasts contracted with the Host, can hunt for Gourmet Cells by killing transcendent creatures.]

  [Once Gourmet Cells from a certain species have been hunted and extracted, individuals of the same species at the same level or lower will not yield them again. Individuals of the same species at a higher level will yield the difference after deducting the previously obtained Gourmet Cells.]

  "Killing transcendent creatures yields Gourmet Cells... which can then be exchanged for Gourmet God Chests..."

  Bai Wushang immediately recalled what happened earlier and had a realization:

  "No wonder killing the first Hungry Zombie gave 1 Gourmet Cell, while the second, third, and fourth yielded nothing. The fifth was a Mid-stage Juvenile and gave another 1 Gourmet Cell. So that's how it works!"

  The altar's explanation was clear and direct, and Bai Wushang quickly understood the logic.

  Currently, he held only 2 Gourmet Cells, far from enough to exchange for a Gourmet God Chest.

  As for alternative ways to obtain chests, like the "Gift of the Gourmet God", Bai Wushang asked, but the altar gave no response.

  Looking over the thirteen surrounding statues yielded no new discoveries.

  "This altar seems to only be for drawing chests..."

  Bai Wushang studied it a while longer, even trying to bring items from the outside world into the altar space, but it was completely impossible.

  "Forget it. My physical body is still in danger. That's enough for now. I need to go back!"

  His vision went dark, then brightened. Bai Wushang returned to reality, regaining control of his body.

  Inside the cave, Mu Xiaoxiao was still asleep. The firelight flickered brightly; all was well.

  "Let's organize my thoughts. First, the secret of the Gourmet God Altar will be my greatest support and must absolutely not be exposed... Hmm... The ability of my pupils to appraise transcendent creatures is probably a derivative support function. Let's just call it the Eye of Cognition for now. That also needs further investigation..."

  "Also, the 'Temptation Rat' Transcendent Recipe. I need to find a chance to gather the ingredients and make it, to confirm its actual effectiveness..."

  "...As for now, I should focus on meditating to recover my mental state. Once daylight comes and the zombie horde retreats, this valley should be temporarily safe. Then, I'll perform my Natal Summoning first. With the help of a pet beast, I can figure out a way back to the academy..."