Chapter 285: Suddenly Looking Back, the World Falls Silent

Previously, since there had been only one path all along, no choice was needed, but now three passages appeared, so a decision had to be made—after all, one person could not walk all three paths at once.

Moreover, no one knew what lay down each path, nor could anyone guarantee that after finishing one, they could return to try another.

Nobody wanted to give up their chance to others; if you took this path, and someone else found the opportunity on another, they certainly wouldn't wait patiently for you to come back before taking their own.

"Nisan, what's the other book?"

While others deliberated, Kamikawa Chiemi muted the livestream mic and quietly asked Kamikawa Zun, so no one else could hear.

She was naive, yes, but she understood the principle of not flaunting wealth—no one could know what Kamikawa Zun had obtained, or else other gods might come to seize it.

"A cookbook," Kamikawa Zun smiled.

"A cookbook?" Kamikawa Chiemi blinked in confusion.

From the book's placement beneath the red maple tree—and the fact it wasn't a Heaven-Earth imprint memory scene—Kamikawa Chiemi knew it was likely Su Daji had come here to recall the past, or that this valley was her place of quiet peace.

Just as a person, amid a hundred daily tasks, might choose a quiet spot to read or relax with a game, this valley was exactly such a place.

It was Su Daji's spiritual harbor, where she came to enjoy stillness, read books, and soothe her tense, weary soul.

She could understand the Book of Living Beings—that was learning knowledge.

But why a cookbook?

Was Su Daji planning to learn cooking, so when she rescued King Zhou, she could make him a meal?

Or did Su Daji simply enjoy cooking?

"Could it be… this is the Shanhaijing? Nisan, I've heard that China's Shanhaijing is actually a cookbook." Kamikawa Chiemi's eyes sparkled, believing Kamikawa Zun's "cookbook" was merely a metaphor—for the Shanhaijing.

Kamikawa Zun ruffled Kamikawa Chiemi's hair and replied softly:

"This isn't the Shanhaijing. It's a real cookbook, containing recipes for dishes that enhance beauty, prolong life, strengthen the body, and elevate bloodline potency."

"Take it back and cook when you have time—don't worry about taste; I glanced through it, and many recipes are for juices and desserts, explicitly saying they taste excellent."

"Most ingredients are ordinary and available in this world; for those you can't find, just ask Rikoi to retrieve them from the Void Demon Realm."

"Nisan, is this the legendary 'eat to grow stronger'?"

"Chiemi, that's actually… remarkably apt. Yes, exactly."

"Then you keep it yourself—don't give it to me. Focus on making recipes for yourself, or tell me which ones suit you, and I'll buy the ingredients and cook them for you."

Kamikawa Chiemi refused when Kamikawa Zun offered her this "cheat-level" cookbook.

Yet Kamikawa Zun still shoved it into her hands.

This book had always been meant for Kamikawa Chiemi; previously, with few script points, every point had to be used wisely, not wasted. Now that script points were plentiful, Kamikawa Zun, besides rewarding those who provided script points, naturally spent some to give his sister something wonderful.

The cookbook was crafted by Kamikawa Zun using countless script points—each dish prepared from it carried blessings that improved the body and bloodline.

Kamikawa Zun wished for Kamikawa Chiemi to live happily and carefree, but also to live long.

In this world, Chiemi was his only family…

Kamikawa Zun was now immensely powerful, rivaling gods and demons, yet in his eyes, no matter how strong he became—even if he commanded mortals to kneel, swept through the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, reversed the cycle of heaven and earth, and stood invincible above and below—what did it matter?

Even if he ruled all heavens, became Earth's strongest, and forged the Primordial Realm as the supreme world among countless realms—what did it matter?

Even if he attained the highest, the eternal, the sole existence, reposing atop the Ninth Heaven, gazing down upon the mortal realm—what did it matter?

In the end, he would still stand alone against the tides of human fate, watching loved ones grow old and fade, seeing family and friends turn to dust, burying them one by one, while he alone remained immortal.

The entire world would be empty—no familiar face ever again.

Humans live a hundred years.

Gods live ten thousand years.

Time rushes past…

Family, spouse, children, friends—even many enemies—all gone.

The world falls silent.

Kamikawa Zun did not want this future. He did not want to one day look back and find not a single familiar soul beside him. Such invincibility, such power—he did not need it, nor want it.

He cared only for family and friends; nothing else in his eyes mattered more.

He forged the Primordial Realm, defended against extraterrestrial invasions—not because he loved Earth, but because his family and friends lived there, because Earth had nurtured humanity, and thus nurtured his loved ones.

So to prevent regret, he must act now—no tomorrow, no day after, but from this very moment.

"Beauty enhancement?! Really? Then… then Nisan, can I give the dishes I make to Rikoi and Iori?"

As she spoke, Kamikawa Chiemi thought: if Nisan said no, she'd drop it—she wouldn't trouble him.

Kamikawa Zun didn't notice her inner thoughts.

His attention was fixed on her first half-sentence.

Chiemi, are you only focused on beauty enhancement? Of course girls would rather die than be unattractive—you didn't notice the body strengthening, bloodline enhancement, or even the taste?

Though he thought this, Kamikawa Zun smiled and ruffled her hair:

"Give it to them if you want—but no strangers. You know the rule: don't flaunt wealth."

He didn't stop her from sharing the recipes with friends; after all, her thoughts were no different from his—he wanted to protect family and friends, to give them the best, and Chiemi valued them just as deeply.

He couldn't wish to avoid a future where he stood alone, yet selfishly force Chiemi into the same loneliness.

He wanted the best for Chiemi—so she must be happy. How could she be happy without friends?

"Mm-hmm," Kamikawa Chiemi nodded sweetly.

While Kamikawa Zun and Kamikawa Chiemi spoke, some among the crowd had already chosen their passage.

Time waited for no one—the sooner one entered, the greater the chance to claim opportunity.

"Nisan, a third of them are gone. Let's hurry and choose—we don't want the opportunity snatched away."

"Then let's go. Chiemi, which path do you want?"

"Nisan, this is your opportunity—you can't let me pick randomly. Be serious. You choose."

"All three paths lead to unknown places—each has a one-in-three chance. Pick whichever you like," Kamikawa Zun smiled, curious whether Chiemi would choose the path he had secretly prepared with the opportunity.

"Nisan, if you say it like that, if I pick wrong and we lose our chance, you can't blame me, okay? I'm picking now."

Kamikawa Chie stepped forward, looked at the three passages, and murmured:

"How should we choose... Got it! Men left, women right, neither in the middle—Nisan, we pick the right one."

……8)