The time reached noon.

Cheng Shan was somewhat helpless, still without success.

"It seems the recipe needs adjusting."

He removed the fishhook, and the splashes from the struggling bone-eating fish wet his sleeve.

After releasing the spirit fish on the spot, he summoned his friend list, preparing to seek assistance from the experts in the group chat.

In their group, there were quite a few well-known Spirit Chef Party players who regularly exchanged various food handling methods and cooking techniques in the chat.

Among them was the chef who pioneered spirit chef gameplay by capturing the "Silver-Tailed Fish" in the Bright Star Sea Area years ago.

Finding the chef's avatar, he opened a private chat and explained his ideas.

The other party quickly replied, expressing unfamiliarity with this ingredient, asking him to wait while he checked library materials for a response.

Two hours later, Cheng Shan received the information from the chef.

Opening the message, a detailed recipe list unfolded before his eyes:

[Moon Hidden Silver Scale - Special Bait]:

Main ingredient: Moonlight Grass (3 grams).

Secondary ingredients: Half Moon Grass Juice (10 milliliters), Star Sand (1 grain).

Energy catalyst: Dew Condensation Liquid (5 drops)

Note: Consulted a professional Fishing Faction player, who suggests wrapping a nearby Fluorescent Fern Root around the fishhook to simulate the natural food form. Additionally, many spirit fish are very sensitive to non-natural synthetic metals, so it's recommended to try a bone hook.

...

Sending thanks, Cheng Shan immediately took action.

The Trading House interface unfolded in his mind.

Upon inputting "Moonlight Grass," varying quality and prices of Spirit Plants were listed on the Trading House interface.

Many pictures still had dewdrops, auto-screenshot by the Trading House when players listed them.

Star Sand, however, was ready.

He took out a glass bottle from his Space Bag and poured out one grain.

Half Moon Grass Juice required fresh squeezing, Cheng Shan took out a mortar, and as he crushed two silvery leaves, a cool fragrance immediately spread.

Next was purchasing Level 1 spiritual material, Dew Condensation Liquid.

Once ready, Cheng Shan summoned a knife and cut a tender Fluorescent Fern Root from the plant next to him.

Light blue juice seeped from the broken root, which he incorporated into the bait mixture, then kneaded into fish bait.

The last step was changing the fish hook.

He retrieved a piece of bone from the bag, a toe bone preserved from the last Snow Spirit Deer dish, hard as iron.

Yet in front of his knife, it was easily shaped into a fishhook.

Finally, the Fluorescent Fern Root was wrapped around the bone hook.

Everything was ready; Cheng Shan cast the rod.

The arc drawn by the fishing line startled a few birds, falling into the water with ripples spreading out.

Cheng Shan sat cross-legged on the shore, gently holding the rod with both hands, breathing softly.

The Fluorescent Fern Root unfolded in the water like a truly living thing, swaying with the flow.

Time seemed to stretch.

Uncertain how long passed, the fishing line suddenly tightened.

Unlike the previous bone-eating fish's rough tearing, it was like something was tentatively knocking.

The Eagle-Headed Demon Perception extended, quickly clarifying the underwater world in his mind.

Sunlight penetrating the lake created hazy light columns at the depths.

A silver-white spirit fish gracefully circled the bait; its scales resembled moonlight flowing every tail wag leaving fine light dust.

Its eyes were like two moons, changing fullness with the viewing angle.

This was exactly the Moon Hidden Silver Scale he sought.

Cheng Shan didn't act recklessly, slightly loosening the reel, allowing the Moon Hidden Silver Scale to swim near the bait.

Occasionally letting it nibble gently, giving ample space for biting.

As fishing faction players say: The more spiritual the creature, the more respectful space it needs.

The Fluorescent Fern Root's faint light outlined a winding trajectory underwater.

About three minutes later, when the line trembled again, Cheng Shan's wrist exerted sudden force. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Beast, come up!"

The freshly hooked Moon Hidden Silver Scale had no time to twitch and escape before Cheng Shan's Barbaric Force forcibly drew it out of the water.

The airborne Moon Hidden Silver Scale traced a perfect arc, its tail flicking off droplets continuously.

Spiritual Eyes Attribute activated, the right-hand knife swiftly emerged.

With one slash, it severed the Moon Hidden Silver Scale's lifeline, successfully killing it.

"Hahaha, it's done."

...

An hour later, Cheng Shan returned to Imperial Tomb Village.

Ready to start crafting the Heavenly Light Banquet.

For this, he had meticulously prepared for over three months, gathering rare ingredients everywhere.

As for the last ingredient, he'd borrowed it through chat group friends.

Now everything was ready: safe Imperial Tomb Village was the perfect place to cook.

He opted for a secluded open space in the East District, far from the bustling teleport zone.

With a thought, beams of light flickered, and the entire set of cooking utensils appeared out of thin air.

First landed was the Feng Wood Cooking Platform, derived from the tree heart of millennia-old Fenghuo Wood.

Golden flame-like patterns naturally formed amid the wood's grain. When ingredients are placed on the surface, the wood automatically secretes amber tree sap that perfectly locks in the ingredients' freshness and spirituality, releasing more spiritual material during cooking.

Followed by five uniquely shaped stoves.

Next were the pre-prepared ingredients.

The three main materials were personally sought by him.

Respectively:

Moon Hidden Silver Scale (Firefly Lake), Frost Fire Dragon Heart (Volcano Secret Realm), Star Dome Ray Wings (captured in Bright Star Sea Area).

Supplementary materials: Thorny Sand Snow Forest, Frost Fire Pepper, Fog Concealing Mushroom, Golden Thread Spirit Bamboo Shoot, Seven-Colored Xiebei, Earth Vein Fat...

Plus a total of 39 various spices.