A hazy glow enveloped the spatial ring in Chen Mo's hand.
The next instant, it vanished.
"That's it?" Chen Mo blinked in confusion.
Before he could process what had happened, Chen Yiyi had already snatched the ring from his hand, her excitement palpable.
"Let me see!" she exclaimed, immediately channeling her spiritual sense inside.
A moment later, her eyes widened.
"Wow! The items appeared inside!" she gasped.
Chen Mo's brows shot up. "Really?"
As the ring's owner, he hadn't sensed the slightest disturbance.
"Here, take a look for yourself." Chen Yiyi tossed the ring back to him and eagerly proceeded to make her own purchase.
Of course, she was caught off guard when the same cold, emotionless voice echoed in her mind.
Chen Mo inspected the contents of the ring, his heart filled with shock. The items had indeed materialized inside, while a significant number of spirit crystals had disappeared.
Before he could dwell on it further, a tantalizing aroma filled the air.
Chen Yiyi sniffed, her curiosity piqued. "What is that smell?"
Chen Mo followed the scent and soon spotted Luo Chuan nearby. His expression turned odd.
"Look over there." He gestured.
Chen Yiyi followed his gaze—then froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"No way… The boss is actually cooking?!"
As the thought sank in, she couldn't resist moving closer, dragging Chen Mo along with her.
"Did you get everything?" Luo Chuan asked casually as they approached.
"Yeah," Chen Mo nodded.
"The items in my shop work exactly as described," Luo Chuan stated. "There are no false claims."
Chen Mo coughed awkwardly. "Boss, how could we ever doubt that?" He forced a smile.
Truthfully, he hadn't questioned the products at all—because he had already experienced their effects firsthand.
When his attempt to divine Luo Chuan's fate had backfired, he had suffered severe internal injuries. But after drinking a single bottle of Coke, his body had fully recovered within seconds.
If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he would have thought such an effect was impossible.
And yet, that miraculous Coke had cost only ten spirit crystals.
He no longer dared to underestimate any item in this store.
Luo Chuan didn't respond. Instead, he turned his focus back to the Colored Glazed Chicken in front of him.
The first step of making Lotus Leaf Colored Glazed Chicken required roasting the skin until it turned a perfect golden hue.
By now, the process was nearly complete.
Under the steady flame, the chicken's skin sizzled, releasing beads of fat that dripped into the fire with a satisfying sizzle.
The scent thickened in the air—rich, savory, utterly mouthwatering.
Chen Yiyi's eyes glazed over.
It smelled too good.
She felt as if her stomach was launching a full-scale rebellion, demanding immediate satisfaction.
Even Chen Mo wasn't faring much better.
They had both been on the run from the beast tide for quite some time. If Luo Chuan hadn't appeared when he did, they might have been forced to burn through their life-saving trump cards.
Now, faced with this heavenly aroma, their hunger was impossible to ignore.
"The heat is just right," Luo Chuan murmured.
He withdrew the roasted chicken from the flames and reached into his system storage space.
When his hand re-emerged, it held a single lotus leaf.
It was like carved jade, glowing with a faint, ethereal radiance.
Chen Mo and Chen Yiyi, still staring at the chicken, suddenly froze.
Their eyes locked onto the lotus leaf—then widened in sheer disbelief.
"Heaven-Piercing?!"
Chen Mo's breath hitched, his heart pounding wildly.
Tongtianhe.
A legendary plant with only one effect—
It connected one's fate to the heavens, vastly increasing the success rate of divining destiny.
The master of the Heaven's Secret Pavilion had one—just one—and treated it with the utmost reverence. Even his direct disciples weren't allowed to touch it casually.
And now…
This priceless treasure was being used for cooking.
For cooking.
Chen Mo felt a sharp pang in his chest, as if something inside him had shattered.
Luo Chuan raised an eyebrow.
Heaven-Piercing?
He had no idea what that was, but from their reactions, it was clearly no ordinary ingredient.
Still, it didn't matter.
All that mattered was—
His system was incredible.
Smirking to himself, he continued his preparations without hesitation.
After all, in the kitchen of Origin Mall, the ingredients provided by the system were never anything less than extraordinary.
By now, he had gotten used to it.