Meanwhile, Hua Feixue was completely lost in her own world.
The crispy slices broke apart the moment they touched her teeth, releasing a layered flavor that flooded her mouth.
A satisfying crunch. A rich, oily warmth. A clean, salty finish.
But the salt – it wasn’t ordinary.
It didn’t sting or scratch like beast-preserving salts used for hide curing.
This was soft, deep, and layered.
There was a faint oceanic breath to it, as if the breeze from a distant coastal cliff had been sealed within.
Then came something stranger.
A tingle spread across her tongue – not painful, not spicy.
It felt as though her taste buds were being gently tapped awake, coaxed into clarity.
A flickering sensation danced across her senses, the way a formation master might test the limits of a boundary.
Hua Feixue blinked.
Just as the taste should’ve faded, it changed again.
A chill.
Soft and clean, like inhaling snow-fed air from a mountain peak.
But with a hint of sweetness, too. Like the cool aftertaste left behind by certain frost-element pills.
It didn’t numb – it refreshed. Her tongue felt lighter.
Clearer.
Was this what immortals tasted in their heavenly banquets?
Hua Fexiue chewed with increasing speed, her hand diving into the bag like a squirrel preparing for winter.
One after another. Chip after chip.
’Is this really just a food? Why does it feel like I’m eating happiness itself?’ Before long, the inside of the bag had turned empty.
But that wasn’t enough.
Her fingers, now dusted with tiny golden crumbs and a thin sheen of oil, scraped the inside one last time.
Without hesitation, Hua Feixue licked them clean.
One finger. Then another.
She blinked halfway through.
“…Eh? Did I just…”
But she didn’t stop.
She even gave a final pop of her thumb as she pulled it from her mouth.
Across from her, Yue Xueyan stared quietly. Still as a statue.
In Yue Xueyan’s eyes, Hua Feixue behaved as if she had gone Qi-Deviant over food.
Hua Feixue patted her hands clean against each other before looking up.
“Senior Sister!”
“These potato chips… it’s beyond extraordinary! You have to try them!”
Her excitement was leaking out. She leaned forward, reaching out toward Yue Xueyan, intending to grab her wrist.
Just as her fingers were about to make contact –
Whoosh.
Yue Xueyan turned her wrist and shifted back half a step. Her sleeve rippled like water.
She had already seen it.
The glint of oil.
The sparkle of salt.
And heaven forbid – a faint trace of saliva!
“Stop.”
Hua Feixue’s hand froze in mid-air.
She pulled back quickly.
“Ah – ! I’m sorry, Senior Sister!”
“I didn’t mean – my hand – still had seasoning on it, didn’t it? Ahhh… I got too excited…”
“I just… I really wanted to share it with you…”
Her shoulders slumped a little, but her lips were still curved in a silly grin.
“These potato chips are dangerous, Senior Sister. Not only do they cost a lot of crystals, but they also make you forget your dignity…”
She rubbed her forehead. “I think, in terms of both taste and experience, this is by far the best product the store has offered.”
Yue Xueyan gave Hua Feixue a long, deadpan stare.
“How do you feel now, Feixue?”
Hua Feixue tilted her head, puzzled at first. But then, her eyes lit up as if a light bulb had gone off.
“Oh, you’re asking about its effect, right, Senior Sister?”
Yue Xueyan nodded.
“Honestly, I’m not sure, Senior Sister.”
“Aside from its amazing taste, I haven’t noticed any changes in my body. That’s all I’ve gotten from it.”
Yue Xueyan raised an eyebrow. ’No effects?’
She didn’t doubt Hua Feixue’s ability to sense spiritual changes. Her junior wasn’t careless, especially when it came to cultivation-related matters.
But it was also possible the effect was too faint, not something someone at Hua Feixue’s current realm could detect.
Still, having no effect at all? That was impossible.
Every single product in this mysterious store carried heavenly benefits. Even the cheapest item can grant someone an enlightenment.
A bag of Original Salted Potato Chips was not only the newest addition, it was also the most expensive product on the shleves.
It cost five crystals per bag. For something that looked even simpler than instant noodles, that price was too strange.
There was only one way to know the truth.
She walked to the counter and handed over five crystals. Just like that, they were gone.
Yue Xueyan could have bought two cams of Peach Oolong Tea if she just added a single more crystal.
Returning to the table, Yue Xueyan sat down, holding a bag of Original Salted Potato Chips.
She flicked her hand. A thin layer of ice briefly coated her fingertips, forming a small blade. With a clean slice, the top of the bag opened.
She reached inside and picked up a single chip.
It was very thin. The kind of thin that looked like it would crumble at the slightest breeze.
She took another and compared them.
Same shape. Same size. Same delicate thickness.
There was no flaw. No irregular cut.
’How?’
What sort of chef could make this?
These weren’t just thin slices. Every single chip in the bag was exactly the same. It was as if they had been measured one by one.
To reach this level of precision… it wasn’t just skill. It was mastery.
A form of art!
That chef must have complete control over their hands, their strength, and even their breath.
A single wrong movement would ruin everything. Eyes like hawks, hands like blades. A true expert.
Yue Xueyan squited her eyes slightly.
Just who made this?
She shot one of the chips into her mouth.
The taste was exactly as she expected – extra delicious.
A banger as always.
But as she chewed, the texture caught her off guard. It wasn’t just the flavor that was satisfying.
It was the crispness, the light crunch that made each bite feel like an experience.