Chapter 8: A Taste of Humanity
After leaving the Xingdou Great Forest and confirming he had put a safe distance between himself and Huo Yuhao, Xiao Qiang felt momentary relief. With Alex unlikely to steal Tianmeng away for now, he could finally focus on the next step of his plan. First things first, however—he needed food.
Xiao Qiang entered a lively barbecue restaurant, the aroma of sizzling meat drawing him in. He raised his hand and placed an order with the waiter.
"One beef, one mutton, and a portion of lettuce. Thanks."
As he waited, Xiao Qiang deliberately revealed his three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—allowing the aura of a Soul Master to radiate subtly around him. It was a simple precaution, ensuring the staff wouldn't dare cheat him on portion sizes.
With the ingredients served and sauces laid out, Xiao Qiang began grilling the mutton. The meat crackled over the fire, its surface gradually crisping while rich oils oozed and hissed into the flames. Once perfectly grilled, he plucked a juicy strip of mutton, dipped it into the prepared sauce, and wrapped it in a fresh lettuce leaf.
The first bite was heavenly.
"Not bad," he murmured with satisfaction. "This place knows what they're doing."
While enjoying his meal, Xiao Qiang split part of his consciousness into his spiritual sea. It was time to wake the sleeping soul beast inside.
"Brother Tianmeng, wake up."
"Urgh… what is it now? Can't you see I'm sleeping?"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's grumpy voice echoed in his mind. Though the silkworm was still in his larval form, his tone was filled with annoyance. Yet, Xiao Qiang paid no mind to his irritation.
"Well, here's the thing," Xiao Qiang said calmly. "You mentioned before that during your million years of cultivation, you were always feeding on the Ten Thousand Years of Mysterious Ice Marrow, right? I've never tasted that stuff myself, but from the name, I can guess—it's some kind of extremely cold ice element… probably not very flavorful."
Tianmeng blinked. "Yeah, so?"
"I just figured… you've been eating that same thing for a million years. That's like… being on a bland diet for ten thousand lifetimes. Even if it's nutritious, wouldn't you get tired of it? So I thought, why not let you try some human food? Who knows, you might enjoy it."
Tianmeng stared blankly for a second. "Wait, wait. You woke me up… just to treat me to human food?"
"Exactly. Life's too short—or in your case, too long—to eat the same thing forever. I thought you might want a change."
The ice silkworm looked stunned, his previous impatience vanishing in an instant.
"Ah… my bad then. I thought you were gonna pester me about something else." He rubbed his fuzzy head in embarrassment.
"No worries. Just use my senses for now. Try this."
Tianmeng synced with Xiao Qiang's body using spiritual consciousness. Within seconds, he had learned how to manipulate the chopsticks—no doubt a side effect of his powerful mental strength. Following Xiao Qiang's example, he dipped a strip of mutton into the sauce, wrapped it in lettuce, and took a bite.
Then, silence.
A moment later, Tianmeng's voice rang out like thunder.
"This… this… THIS IS TOO DELICIOUS! What the hell is this?! Why didn't you show me this earlier?!"
He trembled with emotion, his normally lazy demeanor replaced by unfiltered excitement. A million years of monotonous meals had never prepared him for this. It was as if he had just discovered what living truly meant.
"I'm glad you like it," Xiao Qiang said with a soft smile, his voice echoing in the spiritual sea.
Of course, he had expected this reaction. After all, there were two parts to a soul beast: the "soul," and the "beast."
And what do beasts crave above all? Salt.
In the wild, animals will evolve bizarre and dangerous methods to get salt. Mountain goats scale sheer cliffs to lick salt off rocks. Carnivores fight over the organs of their prey—rich in essential nutrients and, crucially, salt.
Human delicacies, high in oil, sugar, and salt, are virtually non-existent in nature. To a soul beast like Tianmeng, human food wasn't just tasty—it was intoxicating. The difference between a wild wolf and a loyal dog? Sometimes, all it takes is a salty, fatty treat.
"Boss! Give me five more servings of meat! No, ten! Same with lettuce!" Tianmeng barked through Xiao Qiang's mouth.
But Xiao Qiang quickly cut him off.
"Uh, Brother Tianmeng… I'd love to keep feeding you, but there's a slight problem."
"What is it?"
"Well… this is still my body. And no matter how strong I am, I only have one stomach. If I suddenly stuff down ten portions, I'm gonna explode."
"Oh…" Tianmeng froze. "Yeah, that's… a problem."
"If only I had a soul skill that could enhance digestion," Xiao Qiang muttered wistfully, mostly for show. "But alas, I'm just a Soul Master. I don't have the ability to create soul skills yet."
Tianmeng pondered this, resting his fuzzy chin on his stubby hand. "A soul skill… that boosts digestion…"
Xiao Qiang raised an eyebrow in his mind. "Wait, could you?"
Suddenly, realization dawned on him.
"That's right! How could I forget? Brother Tianmeng! You're the first million-year soul beast in the history of Douluo Continent! No one else has reached that milestone! Others might not be able to create a soul skill, but you… you're different!"
"Even the most powerful Titled Douluo might not be able to create their own soul skill, but you've cultivated for a million years! You're not some ordinary 100,000 or 300,000-year soul beast! You're the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm!"
Xiao Qiang's voice grew impassioned as he praised the silkworm with wild enthusiasm.
"And let's be honest—if you told other soul beasts that you created a soul skill yourself—one unrelated to your innate skills—who would dare to look down on you? They'd be stunned!"
Tianmeng opened his mouth to object but no words came out. Xiao Qiang's confidence and admiration poured into him like a tide, impossible to resist.
He suddenly imagined himself in front of the soul beasts of the Far North, especially her—the Ice Empress. The proudest being in his heart. If she saw him now—strong, skilled, capable of creating new soul skills…
Tianmeng could almost picture her expression shifting, her respect rising.
His blood boiled with renewed motivation.
"Don't worry, Xiao Qiang! I've got this! I'll show you what a million-year soul beast can do!"
"I knew you could do it, Brother Tianmeng! You never let me down!"
In the depths of the spiritual sea, Xiao Qiang's smile widened. Everything was proceeding exactly according to plan.
Tianmeng was now fully invested.
Not just because of food… but because Xiao Qiang had planted a seed in his heart: pride.
And with pride as fuel, even a lazy, sleepy silkworm could burn with passion.
The plan was working perfectly.