Chapter 3. The divine cooking system.

Li Chen had endured excruciating torment on the Path of Reincarnation, so when a familiar tugging sensation gripped his consciousness, it sent chills down his spine. Could this be a sign of the same agony? The thought alone was enough to unsettle him.

As he struggled to understand the force pulling at his mind, a sudden, fierce kick struck his side, propelling him through the air once more.

Absorbed in the sensation, Li Chen had not noticed Li Wei approaching. The kick hit him squarely in the ribs, and he was certain it had fractured them, given the tremendous force behind it.

Agony exploded throughout his body as he slammed into the wall and fell face-first to the ground, coughing up blood, much of which splattered onto the jade dragon amulet he wore. The amulet soaked up the blood, its glow intensifying, but once again the bright sunlight concealed this from any onlooker.

Meanwhile, the amulet against Li Chen's skin grew warmer, and the pull on his consciousness intensified. Yet, the searing pain that coursed through him overshadowed this mysterious sensation.

Li Wei, indifferent to Li Chen's suffering, stepped forward. With a nudge of his foot, he flipped Li Chen onto his back and then stomped on his chest. A jet of blood sprayed from Li Chen's mouth, arcing through the air before splashing back onto his face, with more landing on the jade dragon amulet.

"Pathetic. How dare a piece of trash like you disobey my orders? You're truly seeking death," Li Wei sneered, his voice heavy with disdain.

Li Wei's animosity towards Li Chen had deep roots. Li Chen's emergence as a prodigy had overshadowed Li Wei, who, as the eldest son of the clan leader, had once been the front-runner to succeed his father, Li Cheng. Li Chen's brilliance had diminished Li Wei's status, and despite his efforts, he could not outshine his younger brother.

However, Li Chen's failure during the summoning was a reprieve for Li Wei, removing the obstacle that had thwarted his ambition. Yet, the bitterness of the past lingered, fueling Li Wei's cruelty.

"Look at you, so pathetic. Do you honestly believe someone like you is worthy of mingling with the clan's jewel?" Li Wei uttered with a sneer of contempt.

When Li Chen's summoning fell through, shattering the Li clan's hope of having a member bond with a high-tier system spirit, they were astonished beyond belief as Li Jing accomplished the unimaginable by summoning a high-tier system spirit, leaving everyone in shock.

Li Jing had always been seen as a delicate and frail girl, seemingly lacking the talent required to bond with a high-tier system spirit. Yet, she achieved what Li Chen could not, elevating her status to the treasure of the Li clan.

Upon hearing Li Wei's mocking words, Li Chen started to mutter something indistinctly.

"What's that? You want to apologize now?" Li Wei taunted, noticing Li Chen's mumbling.

But Li Chen ignored him, continuing to mumble inaudibly.

This unexpected reaction from Li Chen caught Li Wei off guard, prompting him to lean in closer.

"What?" he inquired, tilting his head towards Li Chen.

"Oh, I was merely inquiring about the last time you bathed. Your leg reeks," Li Chen retorted with a mocking tone as Li Wei brought his face nearer to catch the muttered words. Li Chen's voice, while not particularly loud, was clear enough for the crowd to overhear his comment.

Li Chen's words sent the crowd into an uproar, exchanging shocked glances.

"He's lost his mind," one person exclaimed, taken aback.

"Not just lost his mind; he's gone too far and truly enraged Li Wei," another chimed in.

As expected, Li Wei's face flushed with fury upon hearing Li Chen's taunt.

"YOU!" he bellowed, lifting his leg to deliver another punishing stomp to Li Chen's chest.

"Enough!" An authoritative voice thundered, halting Li Wei in his tracks.

"Elder Li Feng!" the gathering of disciples exclaimed, bowing in unison.

A man with the bearing of the late sixties, distinguished by high cheekbones and penetrating brown eyes, emerged from the crowd.

'Ah, timely intervention to prevent my heart from being crushed,' Li Chen thought with relief upon seeing the man.

"Uncle," Li Wei uttered, swiftly withdrawing his leg from Li Chen's chest as he turned to face the man, bowing his head in deference.

With Li Wei's foot no longer restraining him, Li Chen, despite the intense pain racking his body, managed to rise to his feet.

"Uncle," Li Chen greeted, also bowing respectfully toward the man.

Elder Li Feng held a prestigious position within the Li Clan. He was the first elder, as well as Li Cheng's elder brother. He was once next in line for the clan leadership until his younger brother Li Cheng triumphed over him, leaving him with the title of first elder.

Li Cheng rarely made public appearances, a tendency that worsened following Li Hua's death. Consequently, Li Feng assumed responsibility for many of the clan's affairs, leading many to view him as a de facto clan leader.

"Both of you have disappointed me greatly," Elder Li Feng reprimanded, his voice tinged with both anger and disappointment.

Li Chen and Li Wei, standing before Elder Li Feng, could feel the weight of his disapproval bearing down on them. They kept their heads lowered, eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to meet his piercing gaze.

"Li Wei, as the older sibling, it is your responsibility to set a good example instead of instigating fights," Li Feng said, his gaze fixed on Li Wei, who kept his head down.

"I sincerely apologize to Uncle for my wrongdoings," Li Wei said apologetically.

"Hmm," Li Feng murmured with a nod before turning his attention to Li Chen.

"And you, Li Chen, you should know better than to speak disrespectfully to your senior," he scolded Li Chen.

"I apologize to Uncle," Li Chen said apologetically, bowing towards Li Feng.

"If I hadn't arrived here early enough, you would have put your life in danger, and Li Wei, you would have killed your brother. I had expected more from my nephews," Li Feng continued, his scolding tone tinged with a hint of sadness.

'Oh, I believe you mean you arrived after enjoying the spectacle for a while.'

Li Chen pondered to himself contemptuously, However, he was not foolish enough to voice his thoughts out loud.

"Now, both of you, apologize to each other," Li Feng ordered.

Both Li Chen and Li Wei frowned upon hearing this. It was clear that neither of them wanted to apologize to the other. However, seeing the stern expression on Li Feng's face, they were compelled to comply. Li Wei, as the senior, went first.

"I apologize to my brother, Li Chen, for taking things too far," Li Wei said in a detached tone, reluctantly bowing to Li Chen. It was evident that his apology did not come from the heart.

"Sorry for my earlier words," Li Chen reciprocated, matching Li Wei's insincere tone.

"Good, good," Li Feng nodded with satisfaction.

"Take this. It will help with your injuries," Li Feng said, handing a vial of healing potion to Li Chen.

"Thank you, Uncle," Li Chen expressed his gratitude as he took the vial and swiftly consumed its contents.

As soon as he consumed the potion, a warm sensation enveloped his body, causing Li Chen to feel a wave of relaxation as his injuries began recovering visibly and swiftly.

"Both of you are dismissed. I do not want to see a repeat of this incident," Li Feng declared upon witnessing Li Chen taking the potion.

Both Li Chen and Li Wei nodded in acknowledgment and turned to leave.

"And why are the rest of you still here? Leave immediately!" Li Feng bellowed at the crowd.

Startled by Li Feng's angry outburst, the onlookers quickly dispersed.

Li Chen harbored no fondness for Li Feng. As far as he was concerned, Li Feng was a hypocritical imposter, projecting a false image of righteousness. However, at present, Li Chen has more pressing matters to attend to. He could feel a pull in his consciousness growing stronger, prompting him to hasten back to his room.

Li Chen resided in the inner part of the Clan, occupying the building where his deceased mother once lived.

Arriving swiftly, Li Chen paid no mind to the dead leaves scattered around the vicinity. Without hesitation, he rushed into his room.

As he entered, Li Chen hurriedly sat down on his bed and removed the jade dragon amulet from around his neck. The amulet had grown increasingly hot as it absorbed more of his blood, its glow intensifying with each drop.

A sense of relief washed over Li Chen as he felt the tug on his consciousness diminish significantly upon removing the amulet. The prospect of undergoing the cycle of Reincarnation once more was terrifying.

Now free from the amulet's influence, Li Chen carefully examined it.

The jade dragon amulet had reverted to its normal state once Li Chen had taken it off.

Taking a moment to study the amulet, Li Chen found no reactions or changes.

"Why did it react like that earlier?" Li Chen couldn't help but wonder.

Having worn the jade dragon amulet for as long as he could remember, he found the sudden change perplexing.

Curiously, Li Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand and smeared it onto the jade dragon amulet, hoping to elicit a reaction.

As the blood made contact with the amulet, it quickly absorbed it, causing the amulet to emit a radiant glow.

BOOM!

The amulet exploded, engulfing the room in a blinding light that forced Li Chen to close his eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity, the intense light finally began to fade away, allowing Li Chen to cautiously open his eyes.

To his astonishment, he found a large holographic screen displayed before him.

┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓

YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE DIVINE COOKING SYSTEM. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THE SYSTEM SPIRIT?

[YES] / [NO]

┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛