Chapter 16: The Proper Way to Approach It

Standing still, Qin Lang closed his eyes and entered a state of inner vision. The Traveler’s Book remained as calm as when first discovered, quietly floating within the internal space of the Tianxu Star Vein, without any movement.

With a casual gesture, Qin Lang summoned the Traveler’s Book into his hands. He opened to the first page and carefully examined the details of the landscape painting, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. He was certain that the scene in the painting corresponded to his current location. According to his earlier speculation, the Traveler’s Book should have shown some change under these circumstances, yet it remained inert.

What was missing?

Staring at the scenery within the book, a sudden inspiration struck him. Could it be... the angle? If he positioned himself at the same angle as depicted in the painting, what would happen?

Hurriedly exiting his inner vision, Qin Lang circled the stone dove statue, adjusting his stance bit by bit until the view before him perfectly aligned with the image in the Traveler’s Book.

“Gulu?”

The egg creature in his arms emitted a questioning sound. Since entering the park, it had been baffled by the chef’s strange behavior.

“I’m looking for a special angle,” Qin Lang smiled.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound echoed in his mind, causing him to pause. That sound...

Excitement gleamed in Qin Lang’s eyes. It was the sound of pages turning!

He closed his eyes again and quickly entered his inner vision. The moment he gazed at the Traveler’s Book, he knew his guess was correct. The book was glowing!

With a flick of his hand, the Traveler’s Book flew into his palm. The first page flipped open on its own, the landscape painting replaced by a clear photograph, indistinguishable from the scene he had just aligned himself with.

At the bottom right corner of the page appeared a small green checkmark.

Did this signify completion?

A spark lit Qin Lang’s eyes as he eagerly began flipping through the book.

This time, the previously unmovable first page turned effortlessly. The second and third pages of the Traveler’s Book revealed themselves before him.

His gaze settled on the second page. Unlike the vivid landscape of the first, the second page was starkly simple, featuring only a magnificent deep purple circular gemstone at its center.

Yet upon seeing the familiar gem, Qin Lang couldn’t help but gasp softly. “This is...”

Tentatively, he reached out and touched it, then exited his inner vision to find the very same gemstone resting in his palm.

Examining the gem closely and cross-referencing with a brochure, his expression grew increasingly delighted.

“It’s a Clear Star Stone!”

The egg creature blinked and looked toward the gemstone lying just within reach. For some reason, it felt an irresistible attraction to the stone’s beauty, swallowing nervously.

“Gulu?”

“The Clear Star Stone is a unique gem infused with abundant star power,” Qin Lang explained with a smile. “The strength of a food spirit depends on its attributes and combat skills, but most importantly, its level.”

“There are four ways to increase a food spirit’s level.”

“First, by naturally absorbing star power from the environment. The efficiency depends on the surroundings, usually resulting in very slow progress — sometimes it takes decades to level up once in the late stages.”

“Second, through combat with other food spirits. Regardless of victory or defeat, the intense battle atmosphere allows rapid absorption of a large amount of star energy, with the winner absorbing even more.”

“Third, by consuming origin cuisine — the original dishes from which a food spirit derives. For example, your origin dish is egg fried rice. Each time a food spirit consumes its origin cuisine, it gains a small boost.”

“However, the effect of origin cuisine has limits, only the first two or three consumptions per day are effective; it can’t increase indefinitely.”

“And finally, the Clear Star Stone.” Qin Lang looked at the gem in his hand and spoke softly, “The Clear Star Stone can be directly absorbed by a food spirit, rapidly raising its level, but it is extremely rare and expensive.”

He hadn’t expected that by locating the landscapes in the Traveler’s Book, he could obtain such a costly and precious item.

“Here you go.” Seeing the eager look on the egg creature’s face, Qin Lang smiled and handed over the Clear Star Stone. “Just swallow it.”

The egg creature’s yolk-like head eagerly popped out of its shell and swallowed the gleaming Clear Star Stone in one gulp.

“Awooo!”

Brilliant starlight shimmered around the egg creature before fading away moments later.

Although its form remained unchanged, Qin Lang could clearly feel it had grown stronger.

He scanned it again with his phone, and new data appeared.

[Type: Food Spirit]
[Level: Lv7]

[Taste Attribute: Salty]
[Element Attribute: Fire]
[Food Skill: Freshness Full]
[Combat Skill (excluding self-taught): (Fire) Breath of Flame]
[Experience Points: 1/100]

“It jumped six levels in one go,” Qin Lang said with a pleased expression. “If we find another one, it might even reach one star.”

“Egg spirit, let’s head home!”

“Gulu!”

-----------------

In his bedroom, Qin Lang sat under the glow of a desk lamp, carefully sketching with a brush on a sheet of white paper.

On the empty spot of the nearby desk, the egg creature sat quietly, holding its breath and watching him intently, afraid to disturb him.

Time passed slowly, and the once blank paper soon filled with flowers, grass, and trees. Qin Lang closed his eyes for a moment’s pause, then switched brushes to outline a particularly vibrant flower at the center of the scene.

This flower stood tall and proud among the surrounding plants. Its petals radiated outward in four colors: crimson, orange-red, pink, and white. It resembled a lotus but grew from the soil.

After finishing the last stroke, Qin Lang set down his brush and exhaled deeply.

“Finally done.”

A top-tier chef not only needs superb culinary skills but also must have some proficiency in carving, calligraphy, and painting to present dishes with the utmost beauty.

Qin Lang’s artistic skill was far from exquisite, but he could depict the scenery from the Traveler’s Book well enough for anyone to recognize at a glance.

Indeed, this was the image on the third page of the Traveler’s Book.

After removing the Clear Star Stone, the second page of the book had turned completely blank, while the third page now displayed a landscape similar to the first.

Thanks to the evening’s experience, Qin Lang had roughly grasped how to use the Traveler’s Book.

The first and second pages depict the same scene; by finding the scenery recorded on the first page, one can unlock the second page and obtain its item.

By the same logic, locating the scenery on the third page would grant access to the fourth page’s item and reveal the contents of the fifth page.

Regardless of the book’s origin, it had become an indispensable asset to Qin Lang.

Or, one might say...

A golden key to fortune?