Chapter 170
Hundreds of densely packed mouths all let out the exact same sound at that very instant.
It was a deep, guttural noise, like it came from the chest cavity of some ancient creature, sending wave after wave of reverberations through the entire space:
Burp.
Burp… burp…
Jian Yunlan’s hand paused mid-chop.
Even Taotie’s grip on the Greed, Wrath, Delusion, and Arrogance Halberd faltered slightly.
This… did that mean it was full?
The two of them simultaneously looked up at the mouths in the sky.
The blood-red sky that had been completely dyed in carnage began to disperse. It was like a pair of hands had swept away the clouds, revealing the night sky behind it—and even a full moon.
The howling, ghostly wind quieted into a gentle breeze, and the snow-covered ground regained its pristine clarity.
But the most surprising thing was the hundreds of massive mouths…
Jian Yunlan rubbed his eyes in disbelief, making sure he wasn’t seeing things or hallucinating.
—Those countless gaping mouths, one after another, slowly began to close… and then collapse.
“Collapse” might not have been the perfect word, but it was the best Jian Yunlan could think of to describe what he saw. Those gigantic mouths seemed to have all life suddenly drained from them. They shriveled up rapidly, like flowers withering in an instant.
And at the center of each wilted “petal,” something began to fall.
It was a cluster of light.
Jian Yunlan could clearly see that within that ball of light, two people were wrapped.
…The light was so intense that he normally wouldn’t have been able to keep his eyes open.
But somehow, peering through the multicolored veil of the Chef God Domain, Jian Yunlan’s vision had become remarkably sharp. Even from such a distance, he could see the details at the center of that glowing mass with crystal clarity:
One of them was a lean, cloaked adult male who looked semi-conscious. Despite the hood, Jian could just barely make out his face—it was the mercenary, Mu Dongsheng. The other figure was much smaller, barely larger than a swaddled infant, with flaming red hair and a round, snow-white baby face—except this baby had three mouths on it.
All three mouths were still smacking, with drool dripping down.
It was Yun Wen.
Jian Yunlan didn’t know why, but deep in his gut, he just knew—that red-haired infant was the once top-tier pollutant, Yun Wen.
And soon, the mechanical voice of the Chef God System confirmed it:
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the main quest of the “Abnormal Era” plane: successfully separated the top-tier pollutant Yun Wen from Mu Dongsheng’s body and soul, rescued Mu Dongsheng, and purified Yun Wen to restore it to its original form!]
Looking closely, Jian Yunlan could now see that the half of Mu Dongsheng’s face that had once been ravaged by corruption had completely returned to normal.
So… Yun Wen really had left Mu Dongsheng’s body?
…Wait a minute. How did he even know any of this?
Jian Yunlan’s mind filled with a giant question mark. Not long ago, he didn’t even know the names “Mu Dongsheng” or “Yun Wen,” let alone anything about pollutant corruption.
The Chef God System helpfully cleared up his confusion:
[Because Host had been too passive in completing main quests, the system helpfully uploaded all “Abnormal Era” storyline information directly into your brain~ No need to thank us~]
[Also, the reason the Chef God System seems unusually chatty right now is because you’re inside the Chef God Domain! All system info and broadcasts are now transmitted directly to your brain without any filters or mute options, hehehe~]
Jian Yunlan: “…”
Fine. Whatever.
The two figures inside the light orb were still descending, but the light around them cushioned their fall, slowing their descent.
They were getting closer and closer to Jian Yunlan and his Chef God Domain—close enough that they were nearly falling right into the rainbow-hued domain.
So close that Jian Yunlan could already see the flickering flames at the red-haired infant’s temples, and those round, gleaming eyes…
At that moment, Taotie had already flown to Jian Yunlan’s side. His expression was indifferent, but the halberd tip of Greed, Wrath, Delusion, Arrogance was pointed steadily at the glowing orb, ready to strike at the first sign of trouble.
And the Chef God System kept chattering away:
[Ah~ Lord Taotie, we know you’re very protective of your master—er, your partner—but there’s no need to be so tense. The main questline of “Abnormal Era” has been completed! All that’s left is for Host to reach out and catch the baby~]
[Once the Host catches the infant, the plane’s corruption will be completely eradicated, the “Abnormal Era” storyline will be fully cleared… and both of you will be instantly transported (#@!@&*…) out of this plane &!~@ and rewarded!!]
But halfway through the message, the previously cheerful, steady voice of the Chef God System suddenly warped.
The mechanical tone grew sharp and shrill, laced with distorted electric noises and a hint of eerie, mocking laughter.
Both Jian Yunlan and Taotie furrowed their brows instantly.
Then—for a heartbeat—the Chef God System went silent.
In the very next moment, both Jian Yunlan and Taotie felt the floor beneath their feet abruptly give way.
—They had been standing inside the fully constructed kitchen of the Chef God Domain, complete with solid tiled flooring, gleaming kitchenware, fresh ingredients, and a transparent ceiling, all bathed in the glow of rainbow-colored light.
At that moment, all the floors, walls, and the rainbow-hued glow surrounding them—vanished in an instant.
Jian Yunlan stepped into nothingness.
The moment he was engulfed by weightlessness, a piercing alarm blared in his ears:
[Infinite Planes Overlapping… %%??~··19??@ Alert! Alert! Run! Run now!!!]
Time suddenly stretched into a surreal, sluggish flow.
As he fell, dragged down by gravity, Jian Yunlan looked up at the sky—and a profoundly eerie scene burned itself into his retinas:
That red-haired infant’s face—so close now—was rapidly shifting through a myriad of expressions.
Crying, laughing, terror, rage, madness… As though countless similar yet distinct souls from different timelines and realities were all converging on this singular moment, overlapping into the infant’s tiny body for the briefest of seconds.
Beneath that fair, innocent face, something bulged hideously—like a monster trying to tear its way out of the fragile shell.
The baby’s three mouths stretched wide, crying out, wailing or perhaps calling for help: “Ah… aahh…”
But then, the sound of fabric ripping echoed through the air.
The infant’s face—was torn in half.
One after another, massive, grotesque monsters began pouring out from the split in the child’s body, in ways that defied all logic—an endless stream, as if the fissure in that body led to countless parallel realities all at once.
The sky, which had just revealed the moon and starlit night, was once again engulfed by a blood-red fog. This time, the crimson clouds were denser, darker—like layers of rotting flesh and coagulated blood—blanketing the entire sky in an instant, smothering every trace of light.
Once more, those familiar yet alien gaping mouths filled the sky.
They looked identical to what Jian Yunlan had seen moments ago—but this time, something deep inside him trembled with fear.
Each mouth was chewing—endlessly. And if one looked closely, they could see severed limbs inside them, dismembered heads, eyeballs, organs—chunks of raw, bloody flesh from countless species.
…Not long ago, Jian Yunlan could look at these massive mouths and joke without fear: “Pollutants? Just a little too enthusiastic, that’s all.”
But now, faced with these same mouths—he could say nothing.
This… was pollution. Pure and simple. Nothing more. Nothing less.
They were not guests.
Mu Dongsheng’s body fell to the ground. Thankfully, the descent was slow, and he seemed to be only asleep—not injured.
But the red-haired infant’s body, after being split apart, deflated like a balloon—completely shriveled. The only thing left was the faintest trace of tears at the corner of its eyes.
And then, from the rift in that ruined body, people began to crawl out.
Jian Yunlan blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him again—but no. It was real.
People.
One by one, they emerged from the infant’s hollow corpse—fifteen in total. All dressed like mercenaries, their faces weary and travel-worn. Some were men, others women.
If Jian Yunlan had paid more attention to the Multiverse Livestream Channel, he would’ve recognized them immediately—all fifteen were once famous streamers across the planes.
—Some had been celebrity anchors, others were anonymous titans who specialized in conquering various fictional worlds. Without exception, every single one of them had, like Jian Yunlan, voluntarily entered this apocalyptic plane in an effort to halt its collapse.
Unlike Jian Yunlan, who had been busy minding his food stall, they had been methodical from the start—gathering intel, following the storyline, trying to complete the plot’s arc. Back then, their eyes had burned with ambition and hope. They’d been so confident, so certain—they’d swore they would become the saviors of the multiverse.
And yet, this… was the result.
The fifteen of them raised their heads to look at the sky above.
After a long silence, they began whispering among themselves:
“You failed too?”
“Yeah, same here.”
“The top-tier pollutant just went berserk… heh. What rotten luck.”
“Looks like we’re all gonna die here.”
“All parallel planes overlapping into one… I only read about it in textbooks. Never thought it’d happen to us.”
After that, no one said a word.
They just stared blankly at Jian Yunlan.
Their eyes were hollow, numb—utterly consumed by despair.
They had failed.
All of them had.
And this world—was doomed.
Someone’s lips moved.
Strangely, even at such a distance, Jian Yunlan could clearly read their expressions, their lips, their words.
And something inside his chest shivered.
“…”
The weightlessness around him lasted only a second.
In the next instant, Jian Yunlan felt himself stop falling—he had landed on something warm.
At the same time, a clear, piercing cry rang out beside his ear.
Roar—
Taotie revealed his true form: a fearsome beast so massive it blocked out the sky and sun, and caught Jian Yunlan with perfect ease.
As if flames from the deepest pits of hell had been ignited, fire burst to life around Taotie without even a breeze. Under the overwhelming pressure of the beast’s aura, even the terrifying pollutants in the sky suddenly fell silent.
Taotie’s tone carried a hint of mockery, laced with amusement:
“Human, just focus on running your little food stall. All the danger in the world—that’s this lord’s problem.”
His golden eyes lazily glanced at Jian Yunlan, but the moment they made contact, something seemed to short-circuit in the great beast’s composure.
“Wait a minute—why do you look like you just lost your husband?”
“…This lord is still here, you know?!”
