Chapter Three: The First Divine Transformation

With a hint of anticipation, Zhuang Xiaoyuan began to guide the warm aura entwined around the guardian spirit to flow into her own body. The gentle energy gradually approached, merging into her back and then gathering along her meridians at her chest. This time, the warmth was especially intense—dozens, perhaps even a hundred times stronger than ever before. Clenching her fists in excitement, Zhuang Xiaoyuan tried to steady her emotions, directing the comforting energy to blend with the mist swirling in her chest. That mist was the result of her persistent efforts since learning to communicate with her guardian spirit.

As the warmth surged in, the coiling mist suddenly erupted, quickly absorbing the influx of energy. Its rotation accelerated sharply, forming a nebula-like vortex at the center of her chest. With the vortex established, before Zhuang Xiaoyuan could even celebrate her unexpected advancement in divine power, a flash of golden light burst from the heart of the whirlpool. The light flickered and faded, revealing at the center of her divine core a single, quietly standing card.

She slowly opened her eyes, surprise and delight flickering in her gaze. Judging from her recent divine cultivation, her potential had now reached the lowest rank. Even if it was still the bottom tier, it was a world apart from the previous state where every step forward had felt impossible. Not only had her cultivation speed increased, but her divine power had also advanced—the beginner’s threshold had been crossed, and she had reached the first stage of divine training, the very foundation for becoming a warrior of divine arms. Although it was merely the lowest sub-faith level, with this pace, she believed she could continue to improve and grow. The successful condensation of divine power had finally given Zhuang Xiaoyuan hope that she could one day be a full-fledged divine arms warrior.

Yet what thrilled her most was not the leap in potential or the advancement in her divine level, but rather the card that had suddenly emerged from the heart of her divine vortex.

Unfolding her right hand, the card that had been standing within her chest now hovered over her palm. It was strikingly simple—front and back identical, each bearing the image of a beautiful girl. The girl had long orange hair tied into a neat ponytail for convenience, with two wisps curling inward at her cheeks, making her face appear even smaller and cuter. Her arms were crossed horizontally before her chest, right hand above, gripping a sharp short knife whose tip was cupped by her left palm.

But it was the girl’s eyes that truly captivated—violet-red irises, rare in themselves, and a gaze as piercing as a blade: earnest, persistent, resolute, and brimming with self-confidence.

At first glance, she seemed fiercely aggressive—knife in hand, eyes sharp as steel—yet she was clearly not born for battle. Her attire gave it away: a pure white set of short-sleeved top and long pants, fitting snugly and adorned with two orderly rows of five large buttons each, accentuating her figure. If one could look past her lovely face, curvaceous form, and imposing aura, they would see that her clothing was, unmistakably, a chef’s uniform.

"So this is my divine armament. Truly befitting the title of a Fantasy God," Zhuang Xiaoyuan murmured, instinctively understanding how to use the card the moment she touched it.

Her heart was far from calm as she gazed at the card—her very first. It had appeared just now, during the guardian spirit’s transformation. If there was one, there might be more to come, each bestowing her with new and varied abilities. Such power would become her crucial means of survival and protection in this perilous world.

"Let’s give it a try... Divine Armament—Descend." Grasping the card by its corner, Zhuang Xiaoyuan raised it high above her head. As the words left her lips, the card swiftly dissolved, transforming into motes of light that drifted behind her.

Unbeknownst to her, a human-shaped silhouette had appeared at her back. The glowing particles gathered between the figure’s outstretched hands, reforming the original card. In an instant, the card turned into a beam of golden light and shot into the figure. The silhouette then began to shift and, before her eyes, assumed the likeness of the girl from the card.

The transformed girl wore the exact chef’s uniform, her eyes closed, arms wide as if to embrace Zhuang Xiaoyuan. Golden light radiated from the figure and flowed into Zhuang Xiaoyuan, illuminating the entire room.

When the radiance finally faded, Zhuang Xiaoyuan had become the very image of the girl depicted on the card—dressed in pure white chef’s attire, her orange hair tied in a ponytail, a sharp kitchen knife held in her right hand.

She quickly calculated the time: from invoking the descent to completing the transformation, it had taken three seconds. Not slow, but still room for improvement—three seconds could be a fatal flaw in the heat of battle.

Slowly opening the eyes she had closed in the burst of gold, Zhuang Xiaoyuan marveled at her new body. There was no sense of unfamiliarity; it felt as if she had always been this way.

As memories surfaced in her mind, countless recipes, techniques for handling thousands of ingredients, and methods for crafting diverse seasonings all came to her effortlessly. Most striking was her heightened sense: the faint fragrance drifting in the air, the gentle aroma of rice from afar, and a unique scent approaching from just outside the door.

In this form, Zhuang Xiaoyuan had not only inherited the girl’s extraordinary culinary expertise and unrivaled artistry, but also her unique gift—the Divine Tongue.

Though the Divine Tongue primarily enhanced taste, taste and smell were intimately linked. Sharpening one inevitably heightened the other. This meant an unparalleled experience in the delights of fine cuisine, but an equally acute sensitivity to anything unpleasant.

As the special aroma drew closer, the door creaked open. Feng Guoqing entered, carrying a clay pot. At first glance he saw only a strange girl standing in the room—Zhuang Xiaoyuan herself was nowhere to be seen. He eyed the unfamiliar girl warily. "Who are you? Where's Xiaoyuan?"

"Uncle Feng? Oh, right, my appearance has changed." Zhuang Xiaoyuan looked at him in puzzlement, confused by his reaction, until she suddenly recalled her transformation. She had been so absorbed in the newfound abilities and senses that came with her new form, and its uncanny familiarity, that she had momentarily forgotten her outward appearance had changed.