《Gourmet Style Beast Taming》


 Chapter 1 - 1: Food Spirit World

    1 Chapter 1: Food Spirit World


    Trantor: 549690339


    [This book now has image illustrations enabled, please upgrade the Starting Point Reading app to thetest version to ensure a good reading experience]


    ¡°A peculiar world.¡±


    After enduring a throbbing pain in his temples for three long hours, finally receiving the only gift from his predecessor ¨C memories, Qin Lang let go of his head-holding hand and was muttering quietly.


    There was good news, and there was bad news.


    The good news was that he had transmigrated into a body as handsome as that of a reader. The original owner had the same name as Qin Lang, he died from cardiac arrest three hours ago due to failing to birth a food spirit after five years of culinary school. He was only fifteen, an orphan.


    Well, it seemed there was more than one piece of good news.


    As for the bad news¡­


    Like the ¡°Food Spirit¡± he just mentioned.


    This, was not Earth.


    Confirming that his head no longer ached, and that he had received all the memories of his predecessor down to the time when he was in kindergarten, wearing split-crotch pants and stealing kisses from girls beside him with no omission, Qin Lang took a deep breath and sprang up from the bed.


    ¡°Whish!¡±


    As the curtains were drawn open, Qin Lang poked his head out of the window, observing this new world.


    Outside the window were skyscrapers identical to those on Earth, bustling traffic just like Earth.


    The only difference was that when Qin Lang scanned over the crowd below, he asionally saw something beyond his understanding.


    Those were elves, each one different from the other, dancing midway in the air following their masters closely.


    ¡°Yuan Feng Cooking Training ss, guaranteed sessful education, will help you easily be the next Spirit Chef!¡±


    An expressive advertisement with a hefty voice-acting cost interrupted Qin Lang¡¯s thoughts. He looked up, his gaze tuning into the electronic screen on the wall of the high-rise building opposite.


    On the screen, a beautiful female actress was wearing a clean chef uniform, smilingly introducing the cooking institution Yuan Feng.


    Oh, he remembered, his predecessor had learned culinary skills there.


    Listening somewhat absentmindedly to the actress heap praises on Yuan Feng Cooking Training ss, a touch of mncholy appeared in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go back, huh.¡± He sighed softly, couldn¡¯t resist scratching his messy long hair, then casually picked up a pure ck hair band on the side table, tying his hair at the back of his head with practiced movements, a bit unfamiliar.


    When onees to this world, then one must adapt to it.


    It¡¯s easy to say, but not easy to do.


    Especially since he was a winner in life in his previous life, and now he¡¯s just woken up in a strange new world.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no other choice, is there?¡±


    Regaining his mood, Qin Lang moved away from the window and walked to a desk in the room.


    On the desk, book after book was left open, every book on the bookshelf had yellowed pages and broken book covers. Any book picked and opened, the pages were filled with densely packed annotations and notes.


    Birth and Origin of Food Spirits


    Fundamentals of Cuisine and Spirit Chefs


    Cultivation Methods of Spirit Chefs


    ¡­


    One nce was enough to tell that his predecessor was a hardworking and serious youngster.


    It¡¯s just that his talent was a bitcking.


    ¡°It seems you really wanted to be a Spirit chef¡­¡± Qin Lang slowly pulled out a book, ¡°What is a Food Spirit,¡± and opened the first page, ¡°in this respect, we are simr.¡±


    Even though he had learned everything from the memory of his predecessor, there were some things that he wanted to confirm through books himself.


    ¡°If this transmigration is reciprocal¡­ then you, kid would probably dieughing.¡± As Qin Lang read the words on the book page, he muttered, ¡°After all, you¡¯ve hit the jackpot with the lifelong culinary experience of Yan Huang¡¯s youngest Special ss 1 chef, along with more umted wealth than you could ever spend.¡±


    He no longer spoke, his head bowed, flipping through the pages, corrting the content with his memories, thereby understanding this bizarre and chaotic world.


    After an unknown amount of time, Qin Lang had flipped through the book containing all the basic knowledge about food spirits from beginning to end. Slowly, he closed it, cing it back where it originally was out of habit.


    ¡°Food Spirits, Spirit Chefs¡­¡± Qin Lang sat in a chair with his eyes closed, a finger lightly tapping the table as he organized his yet-to-settle scattered thoughts.


    This is a new world, known as the Food Spirit World.


    It has a level of technological development simr to Earth and in many other aspects shows striking simrities, only the approach to culinary arts is drastically different from Earth¡¯s.


    None of the dishes Qin Lang was familiar with could be found here.


    But this ce has a culinary system that not only rivals Earth¡¯s but also converges in certain ways.


    Not only that, but this world also contains extraordinary powers.


    There are beings known as food spirits, often simply referred to as spirits.


    They are said to naturally manifest in the food when a chef with exceptional culinary skills pours their soul and spirit into their cooking.


    Once a food spirit is born, it will not dissipate. It automatically forms a contract with the chef that created it and they will never part.


    Once a chef owns a food spirit, they are no longer an ordinary chef.


    They will bear the title of Spirit Chef, possessing higher social status henceforth.


    This is so because food spirits possess magical powers.


    They not only assist Spirit Chefs in cooking more delicious food but also possess remarkablebat capabilities.


    Yes,bat!


    In this slightly outrageous world, Spirit Chefs and food spirits are the pinnacle of the extraordinary pyramid.


    The experience of his previous life was rather tragic.


    His parents died, leaving the young him with savings that theoretically couldst a lifetime if he were frugal.


    But his dream was to be a Spirit Chef. Having no talent or base in cooking, he could only achieve this dream by paying for expensive training courses.


    ording to his previous body¡¯s memory, he attended five different cooking training institutes and after five years of striving, he still failed to bring a food spirit to life. Instead, he had almost spent all of his parents¡¯ savings.


    What was left to Qin Lang was a small, though certified, piece of property and savings less than ten thousand.


    ¡°So¡­ I need to be a Spirit Chef first.¡± After sorting out his thoughts, Qin Lang suddenly opened his eyes.


    Since he is here, he might as well ept it.


    In his past life, cooking was his only skill, and the same was true for the original upant of his body too.


    So, the path lying in front of him was actually clear and singr.


    Luckily, his cooking skills were far better than the original host¡¯s, and on the matter of bing a Spirit Chef, Qin Lang never thought he could fail.


    With his culinary skills, how could he lose?


    ¡°ording to the memories and the book, to create a food spirit, I need to pour my spirit into the cooking andplete a delicious dish.¡±


    ¡°I need to go grocery shopping first!¡±


    Taking all the remaining money with him, Qin Lang walked out of the door.


    Although his previous body¡¯s savings were limited and grocery shopping would add to the already tight financial situation, he had no other option.


    Not only did he need to buy, but he also needed to choose high-quality ingredients.


    Without good ingredients, how can one cook the most exquisite dishes?


    It¡¯s said that the strength of a food spirit has a significant corrtion with the taste of the food itself.


    In that case, at the very least, he needed to get some boiled cabbage with water!

 Chapter 2 - 2 Egg Fried Rice Really Glows

    2 Chapter 2 Egg Fried Rice Really Glows


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Oh! Does Little Qin have guests at home?¡±


    Qin Lang, who was carrying bags of groceries, ready to go home, paused in his steps and quickly recognized the voice. It was Aunt Zhou, who lived in the same building.


    ¡°I bought these to practice cooking.¡± Qin Lang responded casually.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I forgot you¡¯re a chef.¡± Aunt Zhou nodded with understanding and chuckled, ¡°Carry on then. Remember to refrigerate any leftover ingredients. They spoil quickly in this weather.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the reminder, I will.¡± Qin Lang nodded and quickly went upstairs.


    Only after closing the door of his home did he release his load of bags with spread arms, his face gaining some life again.


    He did not know why his predecessor was so well liked by the neighbors. He had already met many neighborhood folks like Aunt Zhou who greeted him on his way back from the market.


    Despite having his predecessor¡¯s memories, Qin Lang was worried about revealing himself, so he responded vaguely.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to know this ce a bit better; then I can interact with people he knew.¡± Qin Lang muttered, shaking his hands that were marked by the weight of his bags, before swiftly entering the kitchen with his groceries.


    As a chef, the previous upant was certainly qualified.


    The house was small, but the kitchen was kept very clean, spacious enough, and equipped with allmonly used utensils.


    Once the marks on his hands had faded, Qin Lang ced the fresh ingredients he had bought from the market on the counter.


    These included a freshly ughtered old hen and duck, pork hocks, lean meat, and ham¡ªeverything he needed, even the star of the show for the boiled cabbage dish.


    With every ingredient he took out, Qin Lang¡¯s face twitched in a painful manner.


    In the Food Spirit World, the quality of ingredients greatly affected their price.


    Ordinary ingredients were inexpensive, but if you sought high-quality ones, the price would be significantly higher.


    That¡¯s why the seeminglymon ingredients cost Qin Lang over a thousand yuan.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Once I be a Spirit Chef, I¡¯ll find other ways to make money.¡± Qin Langforted himself, then picked up the cleaver and started preparing the ingredients with smooth, flowing motions.


    Although the previous owner was poor, his knife was quite good.


    The ingredients were nched and stewed in a pressure cooker for an hour¡­


    Qin Lang patted the lid of the pressure cooker, ¡°Thank God for technology.¡±


    If he had used a traditional simmering method, this process would have taken six hours.


    The day lily would¡¯ve wilted by then.


    He picked up a book at random to pass the time. About fifty minutester, he smelled an aroma wafting around the kitchen; even the pressure cooker couldn¡¯tpletely contain it.


    The scent was heavy with the vors of the old chicken and duck, the unique aroma of the pork hock, and the distinctive smoky vor of the ham, enticingly prating Qin Lang¡¯s nostrils.


    It was hard to imagine how rich the aroma would be when he finally opened the pressure cooker.


    As a chef, it was such moments that Qin Lang loved the most.


    Smelling the aroma of delicious food made him feel as if he wasmunicating with it.


    He put down the book, took a few steps to the counter, then started processing the raw meat and cabbage while the broth was still cooking.


    He minced the meat, mixed it with water into a paste, and shaped the cabbage to look like a flower bud. Then it was time to open the pressure cooker.


    Inhaling greedily the scent that instantly filled the kitchen like an explosion, displeasure washed away from Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    A soup like this was worth the hour-long wait.


    He plucked the ingredients out of the soup and cooled it by cing the pot in a water bath. He then gradually added the meat paste to absorb the impurities in the soup. After filtering twice, the previously murky soup became crystal clear.


    The clear soup was ready.


    Afterward, he put the cabbage and clear soup together in the steamer to stew for half an hour.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    As Qin Lang smelled the rich and pure aroma of the meat soup, he was gripped by hunger. He casually picked up a gelled pork hock that had been cooked in the soup and began eating.


    The pork hock had been stewing in the pressure cooker for a full hour and was extremely tender. The meat slid off the bone and the skin outside was white and tender. The gtin in the middle had also been cooked until it was soft and translucent.


    ¡°Quickly mix in some dipping sauce and roll it in¡­mmm.¡± Qin Lang said as he prepared one for himself.


    Soon, the pork hock, awash in the shiny brown dipping sauce and decorated with bright red pepper kes on its surface, was in his mouth.


    After indulging in a fine meal and satisfying his craving, Qin Lang casually opened the steamer.


    With this, the preparation of Boiled Cabbage with Water could be consideredplete.


    However, for this particr dish, there was one more step that was as crucial as the dot in the character ¡°ýˆ¡±.


    An attractive porcin te was brought over, onto which the steamed cabbage was ced upright in the center, and then the clear soup was poured out from the spout, trickling down from the tip of the cabbage.


    Immersed in the soup, the cabbage slowly unfolded, just like a tightly closed bud blooming into a flower in the water, an overwhelmingly beautiful sight.


    Boiled Cabbage with Water, done!


    ¡°Come forth! My Food Spirit!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face was full of indomitable confidence.


    One second¡­


    Five seconds¡­


    Ten seconds¡­


    Qin Lang fell silent.


    If he was not mistaken, he had probably failed, right?


    He, a Special ss 1 chef, had failed to summon the Food Spirit?


    Still unwilling to concede defeat, he waited a little longer. Looking at the exquisite Boiled Cabbage with Water still on the table, Qin Lang sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just eat it myself.¡± He brought the porcin te to himself, ¡°it¡¯s still missing a staple.¡±


    If he remembered correctly, there were leftover rice and fresh chicken eggs in the refrigerator.


    The unexpected failure left him feeling a little disinterested; might as well just make some Egg Fried Rice to appease himself.


    He took out the ingredients from the refrigerator and got busy again.


    Mix the leftover rice with egg yolks until evenlybined, fry the egg whites and set them aside, add the rice into the pan, and stir-fry until each grain is separate, then add the fried egg whites and continue to stir-fry.


    This proficiency ingrained in him allowed him to be somewhat oblivious while stir-frying.


    The master who had guided him on the path to bing a chef in his previous life had taught him Egg Fried Rice as his first gourmet dish.


    Egg Fried Rice is verymon, but it encapstes the test of the heat control and it is not umon for apprentices to practice on it.


    The master had a bad temper, and each mistake he made would result in a scolding, but he was actually very responsible, a typical softie at heart.


    Even after leaving that restaurant and bing a Special ss 1 chef, Qin Lang still held a deep sense of gratitude towards his master.


    However, he will probably never see him again.


    As Qin Lang was stir-frying the Egg Fried Rice which was about to be served, it was as if he was stirring in his inexplicable confusion about his mysterious time travel and his unresolved failure to create a Food Spirit.


    He did not notice that an extremely slight glow had somehow appeared around his body.


    The glow was brightest at his forehead and then diffused all over his body.


    After the stir-frying was finished, Qin Lang quickly ted the steaming Egg Fried Rice from the pan.


    The rich and thick egg vor had already filled the entire kitchen during the stir-frying process, and each grain of rice on the ted Egg Fried Rice was wrapped in golden egg liquid, clearly individual yet visibly soft.


    The moment the ting was finished, a blinding golden light suddenly burst from the Egg Fried Rice.


    An overwhelming suction exploded from the Egg Fried Rice, as though it intended to drain Qin Lang¡¯s vitality.


    ¡°Since when does Egg Fried Rice shine?¡±


    Qin Lang simply felt his mind go nk, his body growing weaker and weaker.


    Finally, everything went ck before his eyes, and he fainted.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    bonus content:


    [Boiled Cabbage with Water]


    [Egg Fried Rice]

 Chapter 3 - 3: The First Food Spirit

    3 Chapter 3: The First Food Spirit


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Gurgle~¡±


    The moment Qin Lang woke up from his unconsciousness, an unusual sound swiftly echoed near his ears.


    He weakly turned his head toward the source of the sound, only to snap up from the ground the next moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡±


    Qin Lang cried out in surprise, hastily scrambling toward the corner of the kitchen.


    However, the owner of the voice came closer again, a look of concern in his eyes.


    ¡°Gurgle~¡±


    ¡°I¡­ you¡­¡±


    Qin Lang shook his head slightly, memories from before he fainted came rushing back.


    He made a te of egg fried rice, then the fried rice started glowing.


    Next, he suddenly felt weak all over, everything went ck, and he fainted.


    Upon waking up, he was greeted by this little fellow.


    A semi-transparent, milky white spherical body with a small face like a yolk inside, a pair of fluffy yellow ears, an oval-shaped tail, altogether an incredibly weird-looking creature.


    It seemed a little simr to the process of Food Spirit birth described in the books.


    Now, when he finally calmed down, he could feel an unseen link between himself and the creature in front of him, which allowed them to understand each other¡¯s intentions.


    So¡­ This is his Food Spirit? Born from the Egg Fried Rice?


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes suddenly filled withplex emotions.


    The birth of a Food Spirit meant that he had be a Spirit Chef, he had reached his goal.


    But the effort he put into making Boiled Cabbage with Water failed, whereas a simple Egg Fried Rice seeded¡­


    It felt a bit like fate was having fun at his expense.


    A wave of unprecedented hunger washed over him, causing Qin Lang to set aside his thoughts for now.


    ording to the books, the birth of a Food Spirit consumes the vital essence of a Spirit Chef, causing exhaustion and hunger which probably resulted in his fainting.


    He didn¡¯t have the energy to greet the little creature; he struggled to stand up and lurched towards the counter with the egg fried rice.


    The dish that gave birth to a Food Spirit should theoretically stay intact ¨C just like the rtionship between the eggshell and the creature inside it¡­


    Qin Lang looked at the empty te, momentarily stunned.


    Could it be¡­


    He turned to gaze at the little creature on the side.


    ¡°Gurgle~¡±


    When Qin Lang looked at it, the little creature rotated its body, its yolky face rolling a few times before turning its back to Qin Lang, seemingly a bit embarrassed.


    It was just born, it was also very hungry!


    Qin Lang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Right now, he was quite relieved that he had also cooked Boiled Cabbage with Water.


    He dashed over to the living room in a few steps and began gulping down the food and the remaining ingredients like an old hen and duck.


    ¡°Gurgle~¡±


    Hearing the sound, he paused in his action, turning to look at the food spirit which seemed somewhat embarrassed.


    Every now and then, it stole nces at the food in front of Qin Lang before looking away again.


    It was hungry again¡­


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Qin Lang tore off a chicken drumstick and passed it to the food spirit, then buried his head back in his meal.


    Letting out cheer, the little food spirit quickly rushed over.


    Soon, only empty tes and bones were left in front of him.


    After he had his fill, Qin Lang finally had time to pay attention to his food spirit.


    ¡°You¡­¡± As he looked at the creature in front of him, who was doing the same, he was at a loss for what to do.


    Despite having lived two lives, he had no experience dealing with such a situation.


    However, the Food Spirit took the initiative to rub against Qin Lang¡¯s hand, marking the official greeting.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Qin Lang hesitantly reached out and patted the creature¡¯srge ears.


    The feel of it was unusual, fluffy and light as a feather.


    As he watched the adorable creature in front of him, his voice unconsciously softened; ¡°My name is Qin Lang. Since you¡¯ve just been born, let me give you a name.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle~¡±


    Under the connection of heartfelt feelings, Qin Lang felt the little fellow in front of him eagerly awaiting its name.


    It seemed that the newborn creature, too, wished to have its very own name.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you¡­¡± Qin Lang¡¯s voice trailed off for a moment, and then, considering that the little creature was born from egg fried rice, a name quickly came to mind, ¡°Dan Bao?¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    He really sucked at naming things.


    ¡°Gurgle~¡±


    Unexpectedly, the little guy seemed excited, flipping and spinning in the air. Its eggy-face continuously bobbing, as if ricocheting within its body like a ping-pong ball, seeming to really like this name.


    Upon seeing its unique expression of excitement, a smile crossed Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Although it was born from egg fried rice, in such a short period of time, he had already grown fond of this little food spirit.


    ¡°Dan Bao?¡± Qin Lang called out tentatively again.


    Consequently, Dan Bao¡¯s aerial dancing became more intense, until it crashed into Qin Lang. After he caught it in his arms, the little fellow finally calmed down slightly.


    Looking at Dan Bao, an idea shed across Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    From his understanding, the rank of a food spirit can range from one-star to seven-star.


    The newborn Dan Bao was a one-star food spirit. The characteristic of this was a tiny light point, like a satellite, rotating around it incessantly.


    Two-stars would mean two light points spinning around, and so on.


    However, the magic of food spirits was mainly embodied in their skills.


    Food spirit skills were divided into food skills andbat skills.


    Each food spirit had only one food skill. There was no offensive ability, but it could assist the spirit chef in cooking.


    Thebat skills of a food spirit started from one-star and increased with each additional star.


    So, Dan Bao should have a food skill and abat skill.


    ¡°Dan Bao, what is your food skill?¡± Qin Lang asked in a soft, expectant tone.


    As a chef, he naturally cared more about the food skill than thebat skill.


    ¡°Grumble Gurgle~¡±


    The food skill was Fresh Full! This could make any ingredient reach its freshest state!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eggy-face rolled around, bearing an expression that seemed slightly boastful.


    Make any ingredient reach its freshest state?


    After pondering this for a moment, Qin Lang fetched a leftover section of green onion from the kitchen.


    The green onion section was already a bit wilted.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s give it a try!¡±


    On Dan Bao¡¯s eggy-face appeared a hint of seriousness, and with a mighty puff, it blew at the green onion section.


    In the blink of an eye, the green onion section became as green and vibrant as if it had just been plucked, even the onion smell, which had faded considerably, became strong again.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of magical.¡± Witnessing this, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    Fresh ingredients could significantly improve the taste and vor of a dish.


    While Dan Bao was using its skill, Qin Lang felt a force being drawn from the top of his head.


    It was the Shen Ting acupoint, corresponding to the first vein of the Seven Star Vein ¨C Tian Shu, which was naturally open.


    One vein could nurture one spirit. The food spirit and the star vein were closely connected. Any use of skills required the spiritual power stored in the star vein by the spirit chef to be used as an energy source.


    And spiritual power could be regained by the spirit chef through meditation.


    The spirit chef and the food spirit depended on each other, connected by the star vein.


    ¡°And what about yourbat skill?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but ask further.


    ¡°Gurgle Gurgle~¡±


    Thebat skill was Full Firepower! It could spit out mes to attack!


    After introducing its power, Dan Bao took a deep breath, as if ready to disy its skill in ce to Qin Lang.


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop!¡± Feeling the fluctuation of spiritual power in the Tian Shu Star Vein, Qin Lang promptly held onto Dan Bao to stop it.


    Don¡¯t burn down the house. It¡¯s the only valuable thing I have left!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going to the Spirit Chef Association for registration!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle~¡±

 Chapter 4 - 4: Food Fight and Spirit Battle

    4 Chapter 4: Food Fight and Spirit Battle


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Spirit Chef Association¡­ found it!¡±


    After several subway changes following the directions on his phone, Qin Lang let out a sigh of relief, looking at the spectacr building with a unique design in the distance.


    ¡°Glug, glug~¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s oval-shaped tail swayed in the air, forming circles in its wake. The yolk-like head rotated swiftly within its body, radiating an eager anticipation.


    Throughout the journey, this adorable little creature had attracted quite a lot of attention.


    ording to iplete statistics, the number of Spirit Chefs in the Food Spirit World made up only one percent of the total poption.


    Even so, Dan Bao was particrly endearing.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Qin Lang prodded Dan Bao¡¯s rotund body, ¡°we¡¯re going to register now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that once you officially register as a Spirit Chef, you can buy ingredients through the Spirit Chef Association¡¯s channels at a ten percent discount, with no delivery charges. Plus, there are certain ingredients that you can only get from the Association.¡±


    As he said this, a look of anticipation suddenly spread across his face.


    For a chef, what could possibly be more exciting than quality ingredients?


    Surely it¡¯s discounted ingredients with free delivery!


    When he arrived at the entrance door of the Spirit Chef Association, the prominent signboard caught his eye with eight shining characters written on it: Dongxia City Spiritual Chef Association.


    Dongxia City, Tianhua State, was where Qin Lang was now.


    In confident strides, Qin Lang walked into the Spirit Chef Association through its automatically open gate.


    The path to bing a Spirit Chef begins here!


    ¡­


    ¡°The journey of a Spirit Chef begins here!¡±


    Inside the Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association, a young man with bushy eyebrows held his Food Spirit in one arm and in the other, his newly awarded Spirit Chef Badge. His face held a fervent determination.


    After two grueling years of culinary lessons under his father¡¯s strict supervision, he had finally mastered his family¡¯s heirloom dish and given birth to his own Food Spirit!


    ¡°I want to make a deration to all the Spirit Chefs in the world.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes brimmed with what people often call a ¡°chuuni syndrome,¡± ¨C ¡°The greatest Food Spirit trainer, no, master trainer!¡±


    ¡°That person is me!¡±


    ¡°Ssh~¡±


    The Food Spirit cradled in the young man¡¯s arms also revealed its excitement at this moment.


    It was going to be the Food Spirit of the most powerful Food Spirit trainer!


    ¡°To make a Food Spirit stronger, you need to keep fighting,¡± the young man gazed at his gleaming Spirit Chef Badge with eyes brighter than the badge itself, ¡°Now that I¡¯m an official Spirit Chef, I can challenge other Spirit Chefs through the Association¡¯s channels!¡±


    His gaze rapidly scanned the surroundings, ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s worthy to be the future food spirit training master¡¯s first opponent!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That three-star Food Spirit over there is too strong, let¡¯s find another one!¡±


    ¡°That one¡¯s a two-star Food Spirit¡­ let¡¯s change again!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The young man quickly focused on a figure who had just entered the Association.


    A one-star Food Spirit was fluttering beside him.


    He¡¯s the one!


    The young man bobbed his head forcefully, then quickly strode towards the newly arrived Qin Lang.


    ¡­


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯d like to inquire about the Spirit Chef registration¡­¡± Qin Lang approached a staff member at the entrance, intending to learn about the registration process when another hand grabbed him.


    ¡°My name is Zhao Chen. Please fight a Food Spirit battle with me!¡±


    Qin Lang: ¡°???¡±


    He turned to look at the young man who appeared a few years younger than him, a puzzled expression on his face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not familiar with the rules of a Food Spirit battle, I can exin it to you!¡± Zhao Chen eagerly began.


    ¡°I know.¡± Qin Lang waved dismissively.


    He had looked up this part in a book beforeing here.


    There are two types of Spirit Battles.


    The first involves the Food Spirit assisting the Spirit Chef in cooking. The final dish determines the oue of the battle.


    The second type is abat battle, with the Spirit Chef and Food Spirit fighting together and the result of thebat deciding the winner.


    The former is referred to as the Food Fight, and thetter is the Spirit Battle.


    No matter the result of the Food Spirit Battle, it can always speed up the growth of the Food Spirit, and quickly enhance the Food Spirit Star Level.


    Therefore, to promote the growth of their own Food Spirits as quickly as possible, Food Spirit Battles are verymon in this world.


    But before that¡­


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, an unregistered Spirit Chef can¡¯t engage in Food Spirit battles. And I haven¡¯t registered yet,¡± Qin Lang said calmly, ¡°Could you tell me where to register?¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes lit up even more.


    It seems this person, just like him, has just formed a Food Spirit.


    This kind of guy, is just right to be his first opponent!


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there! It¡¯s right over there!¡±


    He enthusiastically led Qin Lang towards the registration counter.


    Once the registration isplete, he can battle with this opponent!


    Thinking of this, Zhao Chen quickened his pace.


    Qin Lang silently followed, nodding in satisfaction.


    That¡¯s good, no need to bother the staff member anymore.


    As for the battle with this little guy¡­


    If it¡¯s a Food Fight, he would be interested in giving it a try.


    If it¡¯s a Spirit Battle¡­.


    Definitely next time.


    The registration process for a Spirit Chef isn¡¯tplicated, you just need to prove that you indeed have a Food Spirit and have formed a contract with it.


    After recording his identity information, a brand new Spirit Chef Badge was quickly handed to Qin Lang by the staff member.


    ¡°Hello! This is your Spirit Chef Badge. Please keep it safe. If it gets lost, you can report the loss and rece it at any Spirit Chef Association.¡± The staff politely said with a sweet smile. ¡°The back of the badge has your unique Spirit Chef number.¡±


    Qin Lang nced at the number on the back of the badge, nodding slightly, he then asked, ¡°With this badge, I can enjoy a 10% discount on ingredients and have them shipped for free, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The staff member nodded, ¡°You can use the Spirit Chef Badge to enter the Association¡¯s certified Food Material Market to buy ingredients. All ingredients are sold at 10% off the market price, and you also can enjoy free delivery to your door.¡±


    Hearing the staff member confirm these perks, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Having received his badge, he prepared to leave.


    ¡°Okay, fight me quickly!¡± Zhao Chen can¡¯t wait anymore.


    Oh right, almost forgot about this matter.


    Qin Lang looked at Zhao Chen, ¡°Food Fight or Spirit Battle?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a Spirit Battle!¡± Zhao Chen said without any hesitation, ¡°A true man¡¯s fight must be a bare-knuckled one!¡±


    Qin Lang turned around, ¡°Thank you for your help, see you next time!¡±


    Huh?


    Zhao Chen just stood there, nkly looking at Qin Lang¡¯s retreating figure.


    This guy¡­ does not want to fight with me?


    At this moment, a sh of insight came into Zhao Chen¡¯s not-so-bright mind.


    He remembered Qin Lang had specifically asked if he could get a discount on ingredients and free shipping when he received his Spirit Chef Badge.


    A moment of illumination hit him, and he suddenly said.


    ¡°If you win against me, I¡¯ll give you a thousand dors!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s steps stopped suddenly.


    A thousand dors, that almost covers the cost of the ingredients for Boiled Cabbage with Water.


    ¡°Dan Bao, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Gululu~¡±


    The only response he received was an excited sound from Dan Bao.


    Well then.


    Qin Lang silently walked up to Zhao Chen.


    ¡°Come.¡±

 Chapter 5 - 5: The First Battle of the Food Spirit

    5 Chapter 5: The First Battle of the Food Spirit


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Dan Bao, do you know what a Spirit Battle is?¡±


    ¡°Gudoo?¡±


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s question, Dan Bao¡¯s yolky face turns left and right.


    He¡¯s just a newly born Egg Fried Rice Food Spirit, how could he know about this?


    ¡°The so-called Spirit Battle is using yourbat skills to fight against your opponents.¡± Qin Lang caressed Dan Bao¡¯s soft ears, ¡°Through battles, you can grow faster and advance into a Two-star Food Spirit.¡±


    After hearing this, Dan Bao¡¯s yolky face starts to oscite, and his eyes light up.


    ¡°Guludoo!¡±


    It doesn¡¯t matter whether he fights or not, he wants to quickly be a Two-star Food Spirit!


    Just like animals need to eat to grow, upgrading their star level is an instinct for Food Spirits.


    Seeing that Dan Bao is not averse to fighting, Qin Lang breathes a sigh of relief, and gestures to Zhao Chen, who is already standing on the battlefield with his arms crossed and an arrogant look on his face, and his Food Spirit, ¡°This is our opponent in the next battle.¡±


    ¡°Duloo?¡±


    With a serious expression, Dan Bao¡¯s small face gazes intently at the white Food Spirit next to Zhao Chen which has plush fur and two goat horns on its head.


    Is this his next opponent?


    It seems to be quite formidable.


    But with Qin Lang there, it will definitely not lose to the other party!


    ¡°Gudoo Gudoo!¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s put our fullest effort to win this battle together!¡±


    A battle spirit also appears in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    The kind of battle where Food Spirits fight each other?


    Although he wasn¡¯t very interested before, standing on the stage right now, he is somewhat excited and hopeful.


    ¡°Qin Lang, are you ready?¡±


    Seeing Qin Lang and Dan Bao stepping onto the battlefield, Zhao Chen shouts loudly.


    Before Qin Lang could answer, the referee who had been waiting by the side annoyed said, ¡°Boy, you stole my line.¡±


    He briskly takes a few steps to the center of the field, reviews both sides of the contestants and says, ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Gang, the referee of the 5th battle field. Before the Spirit Battle starts, I want to reiterate the rules.¡±


    ¡°The 5th Spiritual Battle field is a beginner¡¯s field, only suitable for one-star and two-star Food Spirits to fight.¡±


    ¡°Since both of you only have one Food Spirit, the rules of this Spirit Battle are simple. When one side cannot continue to fight or concedes defeat, it is considered a loss, while the other party wins.¡±


    ¡°Any questions?¡±


    Qin Lang and Zhao Chen shake their heads at the same time.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Jiang Gang fiddles with the whistle hanging on his neck, ¡°Get ready!¡±


    ¡°Tian Shu, lend me your strength, protect!¡±


    As Jiang Gang¡¯s voice falls, Zhao Chen shouts, and a splendid Seven Star Map emerges behind him. The moment the Seven Star Map appears, energy storms appear in circles around him, looking phenomenally cool.


    Only the first star in the Seven Star Map behind Zhao Chen is glowing, all the other six stars are dim.


    The same Seven Star Map appears in his eyes, and the Seven Star Map behind him shines for a moment, then turns into a transparent light membrane that envelops Zhao Chen. It protects Zhao Chen like an eggshell.


    Seeing Zhao Chen¡¯s transformation, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes shimmer with an entric light.


    Food Spirits have skills, just as Spirit Chefs have their own abilities, which are the Spirit Master Techniques.


    Every Spirit Chef¡¯s body harbors seven Star Veins. Aside from the Tian Shu Star Vein that opens naturally, the subsequent Star Veins need to be opened gradually with the help of a Food Spirit¡¯s power.


    When the first, fourth, and seventh Star Veins are opened and a contract with a Food Spirit has been formed, a Spirit Chef can respectively acquire a Spirit Master Technique.


    What Zhao Chen is showing right now is the first Spirit Master Technique, Star Spirit Protection.


    This ability can provide a shield for the Spirit Chef to prevent them from being affected by the Food Spirit¡¯s battle, and also share senses with the Food Spirit to ensure timelymunication during battle.


    It is the basis for Spirit Battles.


    And through the memory of his original body, Qin Lang understood how to use it as well.


    ¡°Tian Shu, lend your strength, guard!¡±


    Qin Lang calmly spoke, and in the next moment, the same Seven Star Map spread out behind him, enveloping him all over.


    Under the Star Spirit Protection, he shared senses with Dan Bao, his reaction speed reaching a level of synchrony with Dan Bao. He could react instantaneously in the midst ofplex battles and give Dan Baobat instructions.


    Qin Lang looked at the somewhat nervous Dan Bao floating in front of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, the opponent is also a one-star Food Spirit like you, only with onebat skill.¡±


    ¡°If you win this battle, the 1,000 points earned are all for you to make yummy food!¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Thinking about the delicious Egg Fried Rice made Dan Bao¡¯s fighting spirit shoot up to the extreme in an instant!


    ¡­


    ¡°Weiwei, a battlefield is vacant, we can start the Spirit Battle now!¡±


    A girl ran excitedly to another girl, ¡°The Yuan Feng Cooking Training ss is truly effective. Within half a year, it made me sessfully summon my first Food Spirit. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this day for so long!¡±


    ¡°Eh? What are you watching?¡±


    Du Weiwei watched another battlefield, ¡°That boy seems to belong to the Zhao family.¡±


    ¡°The Zhao family that possesses the inherited recipe ¡®Boiling Mutton¡¯?¡± The girl¡¯s face showed interesting expressions, ¡°It¡¯s said that with family recipes, just practicing enough can result in the stable summoning of Food Spirits, but such recipes are often very precious.¡±


    She looked curiously and soon noticed the other person on the battlefield, ¡°Eh? Why is he there too?¡±


    ¡°Do you know the opponent¡¯s Zhao family member?¡±


    ¡°Previously at the Yuan Feng Cooking Training ss, we learned cooking together. He dropped out a while ago. It¡¯s said that he has been to four different training courses and has been learning to cook for five years, but he still couldn¡¯t summon a Food Spirit.¡± The girl¡¯s gaze fell on the Food Spirit in front of the boy, ¡°I thought he had gone to other training institutes, but it seems he has summoned a Food Spirit sessfully after all.¡±


    Listening to herpanion, Du Weiwei looked at Qin Lang, ¡°So Xiaoyu, who do you think will win?¡±


    ¡°The one from the Zhao family.¡± Qi Xiaoyu answered without thinking, ¡°After all, his Food Spirit came from the family recipe.¡±


    ¡°Then shall we wait until this battle is over before we start ours?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I have already reserved a battlefield. A little dy won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    They talked as they walked briskly towards the battlefield where Qin Lang and Zhao Chen were.


    ¡­


    ¡°Countdown to three, Spirit Battle begins.¡±


    After both sides had activated their Star Spirit Protection, Jiang Gang shouted loudly and began the countdown.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Dan Bao, don¡¯t rush to use yourbat skill. Try if you can trick the opponent into revealing theirs first.¡± Qin Lang initiated a spiritual conversation with Dan Bao, ¡°We each only have onebat skill. Whoever exposes it first will suffer the greater loss.¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It turned out that this was also an important aspect of battles.


    His Spiritual Chef is really capable!


    Got it!


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Yangyang, this is our first battle. Let¡¯s trample the opponent market!¡± Zhao Chen was waving his fists, his eyes glowing with raging fighting spirit, the entire person seemed to be on fire.


    Starting from this battle, let¡¯s build our unbeatable legend!


    ¡°P!¡±


    The Food Spirit belonging to Zhao Chen responded with a grunt, showing dancing mes in its eyes.


    It red aggressively at Dan Bao, who red back unyieldingly.


    A spark of lightning seemed to sh through the void!


    ¡°One! Beep¨C¡±


    The second the countdown ended, a sharp whistle cut through the sky.


    The Spirit Battle officially begins!

 Chapter 6 - 6 The Importance of Knowledge

    6 Chapter 6 The Importance of Knowledge


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Yangyang, Barbaric Collision!¡±


    As the Spirit Battle began, Zhao Chen immediately issued his attackmand.


    At the same time, he swung his fist powerfully in the direction of Qin Lang and Dan Bao, as if this could somehow increase his sense of involvement.


    Following Zhao Chen¡¯smand, his Food Spirit moved simultaneously.


    It swiftly bowed its head, pointed its horns at Dan Bao, and then, like a cannonball fired from the cannon, it dashed towards Dan Bao in an instant.


    Its size was not much different from Dan Bao, but the momentum of this collision was quite astonishing, and a sharp breaking sound could be heard as it flew through the air!


    ¡°The first Combat Skill he used is Barbaric Collision, this Food Spirit has good potential.¡± Jiang Gang, who blew the whistle to start the battle, didn¡¯t leave the field. After seeing Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit¡¯sbat skill, he silently nodded.


    However, its Spirit Chef seemed to be not very good at givingmands.


    The only drawback of the Barbaric Collision is that it¡¯s extremely difficult to change direction during the process.


    The distance between the two Food Spirits was too great. Using Barbaric Collision as a first move was not a smart idea.


    Jiang Gang could not help but look at Qin Lang on the other side.


    If only this Spirit Chef named Qin Lang knew a bit about the Barbaric Collision¡­


    ¡°Wow, this skill seems very powerful!¡± Qi Xiaoyu, who was outside the arena, grabbed Du Weiwei¡¯s hand, ¡°I think Zhao¡¯s Spirit Chef could win!¡±


    ¡°Who said he could win?¡± Du Weiwei pointed at Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s forehead with one finger, ¡°After we go back, try to learn more aboutmon Combat Skills.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Qi Xiaoyu curiously looked towards Qin Lang.


    As Du Weiwei had be a Spirit Chef a year earlier than her and had earned a ce in the top four in the Dongxia City Youth Training Competition, she naturally trusted her judgment more.


    ¡­


    Barbaric Collision, huh¡­


    Looking at the opponent who was about to crash into himself and Dan Bao, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes shed.


    Food Spirits have no concept of race, each one is unique.


    Even if the same dish is cooked by different Spirit Chefs, the resulting Food Spirits, their form and skills will differ.


    However, the types of Food Skills and Combat Skills are limited.


    If his memory served him right, the drawback of the Barbaric Collision skill was¡­


    ¡°Dan Bao, elevate!¡±


    Qin Lang instantly issued themand.


    At the same time, Dan Bao quickly raised its height and soon appeared above the opponent¡¯s charging path!


    ¡°You think you can escape?¡± Zhao Chen shouted, ¡°Yangyang, turn¡­ uh¡­¡±


    His face suddenly fell.


    ording to the feedback provided by the Food Spirit, this skill seemed to be¡­


    Unable to change direction?!


    ¡°Next time remember to close the distance first before using Barbaric Collision.¡± Qin Lang voiced with a smile, simultaneously instructing Dan Bao through mental sense.


    ¡°Now! Full Firepower!¡±


    ¡°Gudululu!¡±


    Dan Bao spun around, quickly aimed at the opponent still charging directly beneath, inhaled deeply, and the space between its tiny face and body instantly surged with zing mes!


    Immediately after, it puffed out its small mouth, blowing ferociously at the opponent¡¯s Food Spirit!


    mes flooded out like a fan, rapidly increasing the temperature of the battlefield. A Rolling Heat Wave spread far and wide, the horrific heat from the central area made everything seem distorted!


    This was Dan Bao¡¯s Combat Skill, Full Firepower!


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    As the sea of fire subsided, a faint sound was heard in the middle of the field,


    Zhao Chen¡¯s originally fluffy and white Food Spirit was scorched into a tiny ck piece of coal, falling from the sky.


    (?©n?)


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Outside the battlefield, Qi Xiaoyu drew in a sharp breath, ¡°Is Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit that powerful?¡±


    Was this the same guy who in her memory had changed five training sses in five years of learning to cook but never birthed a Food Spirit?


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Du Weiwei agreed and nodded her head, ¡°The ¡®Full Firepower¡¯ skill has strong output. That Spirit Chef must have studiedbat skills as well, understanding the w in ¡®Barbaric Collision.''¡±


    ¡°It seems like I need to put more effort into mybat skills from now on,¡± Qi Xiaoyu said with a grin. ¡°Weiwei, will you tutor me?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but let¡¯s have a battle first,¡± Du Weiwei, pulling Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s hand, led her toward an empty battleground.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I suddenly feel that I need more preparation?¡± Qi Xiaoyu grimaced.


    Having watched a battle, she realized that Spirit Battles were not as simple as she had thought.


    She had been somewhat hasty in her first Spirit Battle.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote to regret now,¡± Du Weiwei unveiled an evil smile. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been looking forward to this for a long time? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°No!!!¡±


    ¡­


    Jiang Gang stepped forward adeptly, counting down from five to confirm that Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit had lost itsbat power.


    The next moment, a piercing whistle resonated throughout the field.


    ¡°The winner of this round is Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°Dulu!¡±


    Having defeated his opponent, Dan Bao immediately flew to Qin Lang for a hug.


    ¡°Well done!¡±


    Qin Lang embraced Dan Bao, and the next moment, as if sensing something, he looked toward the center of the field.


    A tiny point of light suddenly appeared in the sky above the center of the field, then split into two, falling toward Dan Bao and the opponent¡¯s Food Spirit.


    It was inly apparent that the portion heading for Dan Bao wasrger.


    Was this what was known as Star Power, the reward after a Food Spirit battle?


    Qin Lang, seeing this glow merge with the points of light around Dan Bao, asked curiously, ¡°Dan Bao, how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Gudu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It felt like it was one step closer to bing a Two-star Food Spirit!


    Is this what it feels like to be stronger?


    Loved it! Loved it!


    ¡­


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thousand bucks I promised you!¡±


    Although Zhao Chen was a bit impulsive, he kept his word.


    After the battle ended, at the doorway of the Spirit Chef Association, he dejectedly gave the money to Qin Lang.


    Seeing Qin Lang unceremoniously pocket the money, Zhao Chen¡¯s heart ached.


    After bing a Spirit Chef, his parents had given him quite a bit of allowance.


    But giving away a thousand like this still hurt.


    But more painful to Zhao Chen than this was that his dream had capsized before he could even set sail.


    ¡°Wait until I¡¯ve figured out Food Spiritbat skills. I¡¯ll challenge you again!¡± He spoke angrily. ¡°I won¡¯t quit until I¡¯ve defeated you!¡±


    Again?


    Qin Lang rolled his eyes, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter.¡±


    On the other hand, adorable little eyes of Dan Bao beside him quickly lit up.


    After absorbing the Star Power, it was now very interested in battles.


    Battle! Rise in rank!


    Be a Two-star Food Spirit ASAP!


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯srge ears, amused and exasperated, ¡°You can get Star Power from both Spirit Battles and Food Fights. We don¡¯t necessarily need to fight. I¡¯d prefer to have a Food Fight with other Spirit Chefs¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to have a Food Fight with a Spirit Chef?¡±


    A voice appeared behind Qin Lang.


    The next moment, Du Weiwei, leading Qi Xiaoyu with the same dejected expression as Zhao Chen, approached Qin Lang.


    ¡°In that case, how about a Food Fight between the two of us. What do you say?¡±

 Chapter 7 - 7: Food Fight Challenge

    7 Chapter 7: Food Fight Challenge


    Trantor: 549690339


    Upon looking at the youngdy in front of him, Qin Lang¡¯s face exhibited a hint of surprise.


    He had some recollection of these two young girls.


    During his fight with Zhao Chen, these two were spectating at the edge of the battlefield. They disappeared without a trace after the battle ended.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never participated in a Food Fight before, so I want to try,¡± said Qin Lang, looking at the girl who had asked the question.


    ¡°In that case, I, Du Weiwei, challenge you to a Food Fight.¡± Du Weiwei pulled out a special device, inserted her Spirit Chef Badge into a groove, and handed it to Qin Lang, ¡°Do you ept?¡±


    This device, known as the Duel Initiator, allowed for challenges to be made without having to be at the Spirit Chef Association.


    Once the badges of both parties are inserted into the device and they have selected the type of duel, the information is uploaded to the Spirit Chef Association¡¯s database, allowing them to schedule the date and location of the duel online.


    Whether it¡¯s a Food Fight or a Spirit Battle, you need to perform in the special arenas provided by the Spirit Chef Association to acquire Star Power.


    Qin Lang knew how to use the Duel Initiator, but had been reluctant to buy one because it was rather expensive.


    ¡°I ept.¡±


    Without hesitation, he epted the Duel Initiator from Du Weiwei, preparing to insert his own badge.


    This could be considered an unforeseen gift; Qin Lang certainly would not refuse it.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    A soft yell caused Qin Lang to halt his actions.


    He looked up at the other girl standing next to Du Weiwei. It didn¡¯t take long for him to remember his former ssmate, ¡°Qi Xiaoyu, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, Weiwei has been a Spirit Chef for a year now, and she¡¯s even made it to the top four in the Dongxia City Youth Training Competition!¡± Qi Xiaoyu unabashedly rained on her best friend¡¯s parade, ¡°Don¡¯t agree to her challenge so easily, she might cream you!¡±


    ¡°Such a small achievement really isn¡¯t worth mentioning,¡± Du Weiwei pinched Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s soft waist, which caused thetter to scream in pain, ¡°Moreover, the trainingpetition was a Spirit Battle, it had nothing to do with Food Fight.¡±


    She has been a Spirit Chef for a year?


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes shifted to the Food Spirit floating next to Du Weiwei.


    Unlike Dan Bao, there were two glorious stars revolving around this Food Spirit¡¯s body.


    This was a Two-star Food Spirit.


    He certainly wouldn¡¯t win this in a Spirit Battle.


    But in a Food Fight, cooking skills of the Spirit Chef matter more than the aid from the Food Spirits.


    Hence, the impact wasn¡¯t significant.


    ¡°Although I have unlocked my second Star Vein, I don¡¯t yet have a second Food Spirit,¡± Du Weiwei said calmly. ¡°In a Food Fight, all Food Spirits can use their Food Skills. We have the same number of Food Spirits, so it is fair.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded slightly; it was as he had learned from his recollections.


    ¡°Qi Xiaoyu, thanks for your warning.¡± He inserted his badge into the Duel Initiator, ¡°But I still choose to ept.¡±


    Upon seeing Qin Lang ept the challenge, a smile spread across Du Weiwei¡¯s face, ¡°ording to the rules, the challenged party selects the food fight event. Which one did you choose?¡±


    Upon hearing Du Weiwei¡¯s words, Qin Lang started pondering.


    A Food Fight is a contest of culinary excellence.


    There are simply too many factors that go into judging the quality of a dish. If the food from both parties vary greatly, it would be difficult to ascertain the winner objectively.


    Therefore, conventional food fightse with certain limitations.


    There are five officially recognised Food Fight events by the Spirit Chef Association: restrict the total cost of ingredients used in cooking, restrict the theme of the cuisine, choose ingredients from the Food Fight warehouse provided by the Association, limit the use of a certain ingredient during the cooking process, and restrict the opponent from using a certain ingredient.


    And Qin Lang¡¯s choice was¡­


    ¡°Restricted Ingredient Value.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Du Weiwei looked surprised, ¡°Are you sure you want to choose that?¡±


    No wonder she was taken aback; this was the least chosen of the five Food Fight events.


    Since Spirit Chefs aren¡¯t typicallycking in funds, they prefer to use expensive ingredients to make more delicious food.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Qin Lang nodded calmly.


    He didn¡¯t know if other Spirit Chefs were rich or not, but he knew that he was very short on money.


    And for a Food Fight, the ingredients have to be bought with their own money.


    After confirming Qin Lang¡¯s choice, Du Weiwei shook her head helplessly, ¡°Then let¡¯s start the draw.¡±


    The same food fight event can have several specific subsets.


    For instance, the ¡°Restricted Ingredient Value¡± chosen by Qin Lang, its subset is the different maximum price limits.


    After having chosen the food fight event, the two are to determine the specifics of the Food Fight through drawing lots.


    Upon setting, a roulette wheel appears on the screen of the Duel Initiator.


    After the rapid spinning of the roulette wheeles to a halt, the pointernds on the number 1000.


    This means that during this Food Fight, the total value of all ingredients used should not exceed one thousand.


    Both parties confirmed, Du Weiwei used the Duel Initiator to schedule, ¡°The Food Fight will be held at Spirit Chef Association at 3 p.m. the day after tomorrow, is that okay?¡±


    A Food Fight can¡¯t begin immediately like a Spirit Battle. Normally, there would be at least 24 hours of preparation time from making the challenge to the actual start of the fight, and different Food Fight events require different amounts of preparation time.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Lang nodded without hesitation.


    Soon after thepletion of the Food Fight challenge, he bid them goodbye.


    ¡°We have one more thing to do next,¡± walking down the road, Qin Lang twisted his head to look at Dan Bao, who was flying about beside him, brimming with energy, ¡°which is to find a stable source of ie.¡±


    Turning its yolky face about, Dan Bao inquired, puzzled, with a query mark depicted in midair.


    ¡°Hoot?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Zhao Chen.¡±


    Qin Lang ruffled Dan Bao¡¯srge ears, ¡°As a Spirit Chef, there are numerous ways to make money. But as I just became a Spirit Chef, I have yet to establish credibility, so many routes to earn money aren¡¯t feasible right now.¡±


    ¡°The most suitable for us right now is to find a job at a restaurant, as a resident Spirit Chef.¡±


    In the Food Spirit World, restaurants are different from those on Earth.


    What determines the fame of a restaurant isn¡¯t any three-star Michelin rating, it¡¯s the level and quantity of resident Spirit Chefs at the restaurant.


    For resident Spirit Chefs, they¡¯re only required to leave a single dish at the restaurant they work.


    The Spirit Chef only need to step in when a food guest orders this dish. At other times, it¡¯s rather leisurely.


    Speaking of working in a restaurant, Qin Lang is an old hand at it.


    ¡­


    ¡°Sorry, we need a Spirit Chef with more experience to work here.¡±


    The person in charge of the restaurant spoke calmly, ¡°Mr. Qin, you just registered today, which does not meet our requirements.¡±


    Qin Lang: ¡°¡­¡±


    This development was somewhat unexpected.


    The other party merely nced at his Spirit Chef information and decisively rejected it.


    ¡°Hoot Hoot!¡±


    Qin Lang was rejected, which really angered Dan Bao.


    My Spirit Chef¡¯s cooking skills are top-notch!


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Qin Lang patted Dan Bao¡¯s head, addressing the person in charge, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Upon saying that, he walked directly out of the restaurant.


    ¡°Hoot!¡±


    Dan Bao followed, and was still somewhat unconvinced.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s try another.¡±


    Qin Lang merelyughed it off, pacifying Dan Bao as he proceeded to search for another restaurant in need of a resident Spirit Chef on his phone.

 Chapter 8 - 8 Hanging Position Spirit Chef

    8 Chapter 8 Hanging Position Spirit Chef


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This one seems quite good, no?¡±


    Soon, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Gurulu?¡±


    Dan Bao quickly pressed its face against Qin Lang¡¯s, its little eyes curiously staring at the cellphone screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s this one.¡± Qin Lang pointed to the screen, ¡°Starlight Restaurant has just opened for business and urgently needs a Hanging Position Spirit Chef with remuneration to be discussed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that far from here, should we go take a look?¡±


    ¡°Guluru du!¡±


    Dan Bao shook its head in agreement, up and down.


    Following the navigation, the two of them soon arrived at a restaurant called Starlight Restaurant.


    The ce wasn¡¯t big, but it was clean and tidy with well-arranged tables and chairs.


    After looking at the situation inside through the floor-to-ceiling window, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    It wasn¡¯t business hours at the moment, so he went and knocked on the tightly closed front door.


    ¡°Coming! Coming!¡±


    A somewhat rough voice came. Soon a middle-aged man with a goatee opened the door, nced at Qin Lang, ¡°Young man, we¡¯re not open yet, if you want to order, you have to wait awhile.¡±


    ¡°I am here to apply for the Hanging Position Spirit Chef.¡± Qin Lang pointed to the job advertisement on his mobile, ¡°Saw the vacancy on the job-hunting website.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The goateed man looked surprised,¡±Can I see your Spirit Chef Badge?¡±


    ¡°Here it is.¡± Qin Lang took it out and handed it over.


    ¡°Come in first.¡± The goateed man took the badge and pulled Qin Lang inside, ¡°Take a seat anywhere. Want something to drink? Juice or tea?¡±


    ¡°Just water will do. Thank you.¡±


    Soon a ss of water was brought in front of Qin Lang, the goateed man smiled, ¡°Hang on there young man, I am going to check your Spirit Chef info.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang picked up the water ss and took a sip, watching the man with the goatee check his information on theputer at the front desk.


    Not long after, the goateed man returned and handed the Spirit Chef badge back to Qin Lang. ¡°Young man, since you don¡¯t have any professional titles, I can only offer the standard sry of a regr Spirit Chef. A hundred and fifty a day for retainer fee, and fifty-fifty split on the profits of dish sales. What do you think?¡±


    Qin Lang took the badge, listened to the words of the goateed man; his face showed some surprise.


    This was higher than the industry average he knew.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Lang nodded quickly.


    This man¡¯s straightforwardness made him quite likeable.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test your dishes then.¡± The goateed manughed, ¡°Come to the kitchen with me, after cooking a dish, let¡¯s talk about the pricing of the dishes.¡±


    ¡°This will affect your future ie, so you have to put your best foot forward, young man~¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Qin Lang had a thought, ¡°Boss, what kind of dishes does the restaurantck at present?¡±


    ¡°No need to call me ¡®boss¡¯, my name is Luo Hui, just call me Uncle Luo.¡± Luo Hui waved his hand, hearing the subtext in Qin Lang¡¯s words, ¡°You are pretty confident, boy! So, whatever Ick, you can make?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll be frank. Our restaurant is currentlycking in seafood dishes, especially various kinds of fish dishes. So¡­¡± Luo Hui nced at Qin Lang, ¡°Can you prepare it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang affirmed without hesitation.


    ¡°Good, we have various ingredients in our kitchen. If you can¡¯t find what you need, I can ask the Spirit Chef Association to deliver the necessary ingredients.¡± Luo Hui chuckled, with his arms crossed and an expectant look on his face.


    As they talked, the two had entered the kitchen and arrived in front of the ingredients storeroom.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s bass.¡± Qin Lang, with keen eyes, spotted severalrge Bass in the seafood area.


    ¡°They were delivered today.¡± Seeing Qin Lang had already got some ideas, Luo Hui couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°You going to use this one?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Holding the lively floundering bass in his hand, Qin Lang instantly decided on the dish he was going to prepare.


    ¡°What other ingredients do you need? Just let me know.¡± Luo Hui generously offered, showing he didn¡¯t mind the cost.


    ¡°The rest are just side ingredients.¡± Qin Lang shook his head, looking at the bass, ¡°Having it as the main ingredient is enough.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Luo Hui chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s a separate kitchen next door that offers great privacy. You can cook there.¡±


    After saying that, he turned and left.


    When Luo Hui left, Qin Lang knocked the bass out with the dull side of a knife and ced it on the cutting board. After preparing the side ingredients, he nced expectantly at Dan Bao by his side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡±


    ¡°Purr purr!¡±


    Dan Bao rolled twice in the air, its yolk-like face filled with anticipation.


    Only when a Spirit Chef utilizes vacant star veins can a new Food Spirit be born from their cooking. Therefore, Qin Lang didn¡¯t need to worry about any unexpected mishaps during the uing cooking process.


    ¡°The dish we¡¯re about to make is called Steamed Bass.¡± He tapped on Dan Bao¡¯s head, ¡°First, help me restore the side ingredients to their freshest state.¡±


    Hearing that it could also lend a hand, Dan Bao became more excited.


    It flew above the ingredients and began to blow on the scallions and ginger, among other things.


    Freshness to the fullest!


    While Dan Bao was helping, Qin Lang expertly scaled and gutted the unconscious bass, using salt to uniformly scrub both sides of the fish.


    Watching Qin Lang¡¯s movements, Dan Bao cocked its head.


    ¡°Purr?¡±


    ¡°The skin of the bass secretes a slimy substance, which can amplify the fishy smell of the dish.¡± Qin Lang exined while washing the salt-scrubbed fish in a basin, ¡°Scrubbing it with salt can remove the slime, thus eliminating the fishy smell.¡±


    Seeing Dan Bao still staring nkly at the bass in mid-air, Qin Lang said in resignation, ¡°Stop daydreaming, help me turn the steamer on.¡±


    Following Qin Lang¡¯s direction, Dan Bao quickly located the steamer, poking the switch with its round fluffy tail.


    While Dan Bao was turning on the steamer, Qin Lang had already skillfully split the cleaned bass open from the belly, thering meltedrd evenly on the skin.


    Green onions were cut into long sections, ginger into slices, spread on the bottom of the fish te, with two crossed chopsticks under the fish.


    As the excited Dan Bao flew back, the sight of Qin Lang¡¯s actions brought a puzzled expression to its face again.


    ¡°Purr purr?¡±


    Why were there chopsticks underneath the fish? Could they also be eaten?


    ¡°Of course, chopsticks can¡¯t be eaten.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, holding the fish te while cing it in the steamer and exining, ¡°The method of steaming involves heating the ingredients with steam.¡±


    ¡°cing chopsticks under the fish raises it slightly, letting the steam creep in from the bottom, which speeds up the steaming process and ensures even heating.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it works?


    Dan Bao nodded as if it vaguely understood.


    Cooking sure wasplex!


    Back at his cutting board, Qin Lang wielded his knife like the wind, swiftly slicing scallion, ginger, and chili into shreds.


    He then started a fire, mixed soy sauce with water, added onion, ginger, and green onion sections, and a few pieces of rock sugar to make a delicious soy sauce.


    Shortly after, a savory fish aroma wafted from the steamer. Although it wasn¡¯t particrly strong, the delicate aroma wound its way into one¡¯s nostrils, stirring up an irresistible appetite.


    ¡°Mmm~¡±


    ¡°Purr~¡±


    Qin Lang and Dan Bao both leaned over the steamer, their faces wearing matching contented expressions.

 Chapter 9 - 9: The Stunning Steamed Bass

    9 Chapter 9: The Stunning Steamed Bass


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This fish is quiterge, so the steaming time should be appropriately extended, nine minutes should be about right.¡±


    After estimating the time, Qin Lang quickly brought out the fish te from the steamer.


    The texture of the fish on the te haspletely transformed from when it entered the steamer, appearing tender and white, as if one could simply pick it up along its clear texture with a pair of chopsticks.


    The fresh aroma of the steamed bass filled the entire kitchen the moment the steamer was opened, the delicious-scent made Dan Bao salivate, looking eagerly at the bass.


    Want to eat¡­


    ¡°Hold on a little longer, I¡¯ll make you something delicious after the interviews are done,¡± Qin Langforted the gluttonous Dan Bao while adjusting the fish on the te, adding the shredded garnish, and pouring on hot oil.


    As the fish skin tightened rapidly under the hot oil, the fragrance of the fish erupted even more vigorously, mixing with the savoury scent from the shredded green onions, red peppers, and ginger as they met the hot oil, creating a rich andyered aroma.


    ¡°Perfect!¡±


    Sshed with boiling soy sauce from the pot, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let Uncle Luo Hui have a taste.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Old Luo, are you treating me as an outsider?¡±


    In the restaurant, a middle-aged man with sses sat across from Luo Hui, ¡°I heard about your new shop opening from other old friends.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for a hanging position chef, why didn¡¯t you turn to me?¡±


    ¡°Old Li, I didn¡¯t want to bother you as I know you¡¯re busy.¡± Luo Hui coughed lightly, ¡°Besides, my small shop can¡¯t amodate big Buddha like you.¡±


    ¡°An outstanding chef is a big Buddha?¡± Old Li shook his head helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re too stubborn, never admitting when you need help.¡±


    ¡°Your menu hardly offers any seafood.¡± He pointed to the menu in front of him, ¡°Birds in the sky, animals onnd, fish in the sea, how can you run a restaurant without a variety of dishes?¡±


    ¡°I have a hanging position chef who can cook seafood dishes.¡± Luo Hui touched his nose, ¡°He¡¯s currently preparing a trial dish in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Old Li sharply noticed Luo Hui¡¯s expressions.


    He knew his old friend too well, Luo Hui always unconsciously touched his nose whenever he felt guilty.


    After a moment of silence, Old Li suddenly asked, ¡°Does this hanging position chef have a title?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°How many years has he been a spiritual chef?¡±


    ¡°He just registered¡­¡± Luo Hui coughed lightly, ¡°But I think he¡¯s quite confident¡­¡±


    His voice gradually lowered.


    ¡°You dare to let such a neer be a hanging position chef?¡± Old Li sighed, ¡°Never mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll taste the trial dishter as well.¡± He looked at Luo Hui, ¡°If his cooking skills aren¡¯t up to par, don¡¯t force it. Let me hang the position here, I don¡¯t need a retainer fee, only a share of the profits, deal?¡±


    Just as Luo Hui was about to say something, he suddenly turned his attention towards the kitchen.¡±


    Qin Lang brought the dish and ced it in front of Luo Hui, ¡°Steamed Bass, Uncle Luo Hui, please give it a try.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he curiously looked at the man who had been staring at him since he stepped out of the kitchen.


    Who is this?


    Old Li¡¯s scrutinizing gaze shifted from Qin Lang to the Steamed Bass.


    A look of surprise appeared on his face.


    This fragrance¡­


    This presentation¡­


    He couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with it.


    ¡°This fish is excellent!¡±


    After tasting it, Luo Hui¡¯s praise made Old Li¡¯s gaze intensify.


    Without hesitation, he picked up a piece of fish belly, dipped it into the brown soy sauce, and put it into his mouth.


    Salty and delicious, with a hint of sweetness.


    A slight chew, the tender fish melts in the mouth, the fresh and non-greasy vor fills the mouth and nose, the taste is just right, giving Old Li the impulse to apud the dish.


    Such culinary skills¡­


    A newly registered Spirit Chef?!


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!!!


    ¡°It¡¯s settled!¡±


    While Old Li was still in shock, Luo Hui mmed the table, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Qin Lang.


    ¡°The retainer fee remains the same, but in profit sharing, it¡¯s you nine, me one!¡±


    ¡°A 9 to 1 profit share?!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face showed a look of surprise.


    A Spirit Chef can participate in differentpetitions.


    Ranking in thepetitions can gain different titles.


    An excellent chef who acquires the title of Spirit Chef, the prevailing market share for a hanging position is a 70-30 split.


    The level above the excellent chef is the outstanding chef, who could take ny percent of the dish selling profit when they hang a position at a restaurant.


    As for the higher titles, the restaurants make no profit but have to pay an exorbitant hanging fee.


    In other words, Luo Hui is currently offering him a profit shareparable to an outstanding chef.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, are you sure you want to give me such a high profit share?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but double-check.


    ¡°Ask him whether it¡¯s high or not.¡± Luo Hui, with a smile on his face, pointed across the table towards Old Li.


    ¡°It¡¯s not excessive.¡± After quietly putting down his chopsticks, Old Li looked at Qin Lang with aplex look, ¡°For this dish alone, it¡¯s worth a 9 to 1 split.¡±


    ¡°What precocious talent.¡± He gave a soft sigh, turning to Luo Hui, ¡°With such a Spirit Chef on board, I¡¯m relieved. But Old Luo, you can never have too many hanging position chefs. Won¡¯t you really let me hang my tag?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, you better go now.¡± Luo Hui waved his hand to usher out his guest.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Knowing his old friend¡¯s temperament, Old Li did not press further. He took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Qin Lang, ¡°Young man, your steamed bass has left a deep impression on me. We may meet again in the future. Here¡¯s my business card.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang took the card and saw the words ¡°Li Hong¡± were imprinted in silver, with a small line of text underneath.


    Outstanding Chef.


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes widened, only then realizing why Luo Hui had said to ask him whether the 9 to 1 split was high.


    As an Outstanding Chef, he was certainly qualified to assess.


    When he looked up again, Li Hong had already left.


    Luo Hui, next to him, finished enjoying the bass with great satisfaction, his face content, ¡°I¡¯ve truly never tasted a dish like this, it¡¯s entirely different from any fish I¡¯ve had before.¡±


    ¡°I can already imagine, having such a dish as Steamed Bass on the menu, we¡¯d certainly attract plenty of food guests who enjoy eating fish to our new restaurant.¡±


    Even though the steamed bass has a 9 to 1 split, food guests aren¡¯t going to order just one dish, so the customer flow it brings will be enough for him to make a huge profit.¡±


    ¡°What about pricing it at 1199 per serving for good luck?¡± Luo Hui looked at Qin Lang, ¡°Minus the cost, we can make almost a thousand in profit from each serving of steamed bass.¡±


    The cost of one bass is two hundred because this world¡¯s ingredient prices are on the higher side.


    As for the thousand in profit¡­


    ¡°I have no objections.¡± Qin Lang decisively spoke.


    Dan Bao, next to them, had his eyespletely lit up.


    They¡¯re making money now!


    We can buy all kinds of ingredients to make delicious food!


    ¡°Hanging position dishes are reserved a day in advance, add a contact number, I¡¯ll notify you one day in advance.¡± Luo Hui chuckled, ¡°Given the quality of this dish, we can only supply ten portions a day, not more.¡±


    Qin Lang smiled and nodded without any objections.


    Making money is good, but he didn¡¯t want topletely devote his time to it.


    With ten portions a day, he could make nine thousand a day.


    Given his current expenses, it¡¯s more than enough.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    End of the chapter bonus content:


    [Steamed Bass]

 Chapter 10 - 10: Dan Bao’s Joy

    10 Chapter 10: Dan Bao¡¯s Joy


    Trantor: 549690339


    The two quickly exchanged contact information, and then Qin Lang hesitated for a moment before abruptly speaking, ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, I wanted to ask you something. If in the future, because of other matters, I¡¯m unable to continue as a hanging position chef, would you ept this?¡±


    If possible, Qin Lang intended to travel and explore more of this new world, rather than being confined to one ce, so he couldn¡¯t maintain this position for a long time.


    ¡°Dongxia City is quiterge, but after all, it¡¯s only a corner of the world.¡± Luo Huiughed heartily, ¡°With your culinary talent, you¡¯re bound to go further in the future. My small restaurant can¡¯t hold you back.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re unable to cook, you can choose an honorary position. I look forward to seeing your photo on the wall of Starlight Restaurant in the future.¡± Luo Hui pointed to the wall, which was currently bare.


    Deciding to put it on the wall¡­


    The expression on Qin Lang¡¯s face was strange.


    An honorary position meant being in the position but not cooking, the restaurant only borrowed the reputation of the person.


    The prerequisite for such a position, of course, was to have some fame.


    You at least have to have a title.


    He suddenly had an idea and asked, ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, why did you refuse Mr. Li Hong when he wanted to take up a position in the restaurant? Even if you¡¯re worried he won¡¯t have time, shouldn¡¯t you have allowed him to take up an honorary position.¡±


    Every restaurant would want an Outstanding ss cook.


    ¡°Hmm, let me think about it.¡± Luo Hui pondered for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because I believe that integrity of friendship ispromised, once it¡¯s tainted with personal interests.¡±


    ¡°A chef hanging position and restaurant owner is essentially a profitable rtionship.¡± He chuckled, ¡°If Li Hong really joined my restaurant, it would make me feel ufortable interacting with him. So I would rather earn less money than have my old friend to be used.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    Friendships turning sour due to money was indeed not umon.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Uncle Luo Hui, I should be going now.¡±


    Rubbing the obviously hungry Dan Bao, who was eyeing the empty te of steamed bass, Qin Lang knew the little fellow was hungry and made a quick excuse to leave.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Luo Hui cheerfully watched Qin Lang leave.


    Upon leaving Starlight Restaurant, Qin Lang held Dan Bao, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Gulu lulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    He¡¯s about to eat delicious food!


    After the spirit battle, Dan Bao was already quite hungry.


    After assisting Qin Lang in making the steamed bass, it grew even hungrier.


    At this point, everything it saw looked like food.


    ¡°I¡¯m also hungry.¡± Qin Lang patted his stomach, ¡°There¡¯s an Association-certified food market on the way home where we can get a 10% discount with the Spirit Chef Badge, and they can also help us deliver it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping, then cook some delicious food at home!¡±


    Dan Bao rapidly nodded its head up and down.


    ¡°Gu lu du!¡±


    Dan Bao wanted to eat egg fried rice!


    ¡°No egg fried rice, we don¡¯t have any leftover rice.¡± Qin Lang coughed lightly.


    Dan Bao blinked, looking somewhat bewildered.


    What was that about?


    ¡°Gu lu?¡±


    ¡°Just-cooked rice won¡¯t work.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s ears, ¡°Over time, the starch in leftover rice ages and revitalizes, bing more resilient and distinct. Only such rice can be used to make the perfect egg fried rice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll cook rice tonight, and we¡¯ll have leftover rice for egg fried rice tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Gulu lulu!¡±


    Hearing that egg fried rice would be avable tomorrow, Dan Bao¡¯s egg-like face whirled round in excitement.


    Great!


    Seeing the cute little Dan Bao, a smile crept onto Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    The dish that gives birth to a Food Spirit is known as the Origin Cuisine of that Food Spirit.


    Each Food Spirit has a deep love for its Origin Cuisine because eating more of it can slightly elerate its growth.


    Of course, the increase is insignificant, far less effective than the eleration due to Star Power.


    Also, while Food Spirits can taste other kinds of food, they get a special buff when they consume their Origin Cuisine, which makes it taste even better to them.


    Hence, there is a sound theory behind why Dan Bao loves Egg Fried Rice.


    Considering this, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but question his past self for deciding to birth a Food Spirit by cooking Boiled Cabbage with Water.


    Leaving the strength of the resulting Food Spirit aside, if he had to feed it several servings of Boiled Cabbage with Water every day¡­


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it.


    ¡°You, on the other hand, are easy to take care of.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, patting Dan Bao¡¯s head.


    Not only is it cute, but it only needs to be fed Egg Fried Rice.


    Having such a Food Spirit, when he thought about it, was pretty good.


    ¡°Gudululu?¡±


    Dan Bao tilted its head, looking at its Spirit Chef.


    Why was he suddenlyughing?


    As Qin Lang and Dan Bao chatted andughed, the Food Material Market was already in sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s so big!¡±


    Looking at the plethora of ingredients avable, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    This Association-certified Food Material Market was just like a shopping mall.


    The temptation of choosing ingredients here for a chef was irresistible.


    He showed his Spirit Chef Badge to the guard at the gate and quickly went in with Dan Bao.


    With its little yolk-colored face spinning in its body, Dan Bao looked around at all the different ingredients, showing a curious expression.


    ¡°Glugudu?¡±


    ¡°What to eat¡­ That¡¯s a good question.¡± Qin Lang pat Dan Bao¡¯s head. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    Dan Bao swayed its head left and right, looking at Qin Lang with a helpless expression.


    ¡°Dululu gugu¡­¡±


    Ever since it was born, it had only eaten Egg Fried Rice. How would it know what other choices there were?


    ¡°I almost forgot.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll decide.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make some Fried Pork in Scoop, stir-fry some Seasonal Vegetables, and make some soup. Should be enough for the two of us.¡±


    Even though he was a Special ss 1 Chef in his previous life and had even participated in cooking for a State Banquet, when Qin Lang was cooking for himself, he preferred not to go too fancy, leaning more toward homestyle dishes.


    But homestyle didn¡¯t mean he would skimp on himself.


    He hadn¡¯t celebrated bing a Spirit Chef yet, how about¡­


    ¡°Making Oxtail Soup? What do you think?¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯srge ears, seeking its opinion.


    Dan Bao blinked its naive eyes.


    It knew what Seasonal Vegetables were alright, as they were vegetables in season.


    But what was Fried Pork in Scoop? Or Oxtail Soup?


    Whatever, if it didn¡¯t understand, it would just wait to eat.


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s okay with you,¡± Qin Lang nodded. ¡°Apart from today¡¯s dishes, we need to buy somemonly used ingredients for home as well. Since you have your Food Skill, we don¡¯t have to worry about ingredients going bad.¡±


    ¡°Gudulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s little face showed a deep understanding, swaying up and down. Its round tail started wagging.


    Being able to help Qin Lang made it super happy!


    However, Dan Bao quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°Gudululu du?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, the first Food Fight is the day after tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face became serious. ¡°We have to prepare for that as well, at least confirm the dishes and practice a bit.¡±

 Chapter 11 - 11: The Main Ingredients of the Food Fight

    11 Chapter 11: The Main Ingredients of the Food Fight


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°First, let¡¯s buy the beef.¡±


    As they spoke, they had already reached the area dedicated to selling beef.


    As expected of an Association-certified Food Material Market, the ingredients are kept in a cold chain throughout their transportation, and all kinds of certificates areplete, clearly indicating the quality of the ingredients.


    Qin Lang picked up a piece of beef tenderloin that had already been cut open, allowing for a clear view of the snowke-like fat marbling. After looking at it for a bit, a pleased expression appeared on his face.


    This quality could rival that of Australian-grade M10 beef.


    ¡°How much for the beef tenderloin?¡±


    ¡°2100 per jin.¡± The salesperson nced at Qin Lang, a smile on her face, ¡°How much do you need, young man?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look at something else,¡± Qin Lang replied, calmly setting the meat back down.


    Were the high costs a problem of the ingredients?


    No, it was his own problem.


    After inquiring about the price of other parts from the same cow, Qin Lang sensibly chose another cow of slightly lesser quality.


    This time, the price finally dropped to three digits.


    Telling himself constantly that he¡¯d have money once he made the Steamed Bass tomorrow, Qin Lang, holding back his heartache, chose some cuts and asked the salesperson to weigh and pack them. He looked at an oxtail that was ced in the corner and asked, ¡°How much for this?¡±


    ¡°This? Well¡­¡± The salesperson nced at it and nonchntly waved a hand, ¡°Not many Spirit Chefs buy oxtail. Since you¡¯re buying so much, I¡¯ll just give you this for free.¡±


    Qin Lang: ¡°¡­¡±


    The price of the same ingredient might vary across different regions.


    For instance, if the locals in a certain ce don¡¯t eat animal innards, the prices there would naturally be much cheaper than in other regions.


    The current situation should be simr.


    This salesperson¡¯s indifferent attitude towards oxtail indicated that almost no one in Dongxia City ate it.


    Without any hesitation, he pointed to the cow he saw at the beginning, ¡°Can you throw in the tail from that one too?¡±


    ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re a good guy,¡± The salespersonughed, ¡°Come back more often to give us business.¡±


    ¡°Definitely!¡± Qin Lang nodded earnestly.


    If you¡¯re giving these away every day, I¡¯lle every day!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dan Bao. Let¡¯s look at other ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Gudoo!¡±


    ¡­


    By the time Qin Lang and Dan Bao returned home, all the ingredients they had picked out at the Food Material Market had already been delivered right to their door.


    After signing for the delivery, he excitedly moved the various ingredients to the kitchen.


    Dan Bao followed him all the way, only taking a look around once they were in the kitchen.


    ¡°Guduloo?¡±


    Through their heartfeltmunication, Dan Bao could feel that although Qin Lang seemed calm on the surface, he had been excited ever since getting hold of those two oxtails.


    Was there something special about oxtails?


    ¡°Oxtail is a very valuable part,¡± Qin Lang quickly skinned and chopped the oxtails with his knife while happily exining, ¡°Its fat content is lower than other parts and it does not evenly distribute in the meat, but it has more cogen.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s bone marrow inside the oxtail bones, which can make the oxtail taste richer and thicker, so it¡¯s suitable for stewing or making soup.¡± He smiled while putting the chopped oxtails into a small bowl and turned to look at Dan Bao, ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you taste the oxtail soup that will be cookedter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got some ideas about what dishes we¡¯ll choose for the day after tomorrow¡¯s Food Fight,¡± Qin Lang pointed at the oxtails in the basin, ¡°Its the main ingredient.¡±


    ¡°But first, let¡¯s cook today¡¯s dishes!¡±


    Dan Bao quickly looked eager.


    After washing the rice, adding water, and turning on the Rice Cooker, Qin Lang returned to the counter. He added cold water and cooking wine to the basin of oxtails, then sliced Polygonatum and ginger, and washed and prepared goji berries and dried tangerine peel.


    ¡°Guloo?¡±


    Looking closely at the Polygonatum and ginger ced on the table, a puzzled expression crossed Dan Bao¡¯s face.


    These two ingredients look quite simr!


    ¡°This is Polygonatum, also known as Tiger Ginger,¡± Qin Lang pointed at the slightly whiter Polygonatum slices, ¡°It has practically no smell, and it tastes rather sweet.¡±


    ¡°This is ginger.¡± He then pointed at the other one, and pinched a slice for Dan Bao to smell, ¡°Can you smell it?¡±


    In just an instant, a ginger scent with a hint of spiciness hit the nostrils.


    Dan Bao quickly flew backward in fright.


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s adorable reaction, Qin Langughed heartily, then began prepping the other ingredients.


    Seeing Qin Lang cutting the pork tenderloin into thick slices, Dan Bao twisted his body and approached again.


    ¡°Gulu?¡±


    ¡°The oxtail needs to be soaked in water to remove the blood. While we wait, we can prepare the second dish, Fried Pork in Scoop.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Remember we bought a lettuce? That¡¯s for the third dish, the oyster sauce lettuce.¡±


    As he spoke, Qin Lang had cut the pork tenderloin, ced it in a small bowl, added salt and mixed well, then began to make the sauce.


    Two big spoonfuls of white sugar, two big spoonfuls of rice vinegar, appropriate amounts of salt, soy sauce and sesame oil.


    By the time Qin Lang finished the sauce, Dan Bao came back to his senses and excitedly approached Qin Lang.


    Fresh lettuce can be made even fresher with Food Skill!


    It¡¯s time to use his Food Skill again!


    ¡°Gulu dudu!¡±


    ¡°Even though the lettuce was already very fresh when we bought it, I believe it will taste even better with your Food Skill.¡± Qin Lang nodded earnestly.


    Upon receiving Qin Lang¡¯s affirmation, Dan Bao¡¯s little face glowed with happiness.


    ¡°Next, we need to soak the starch fully, which will be used for the batter for our Fried Pork in Scoopter.¡± Taking out a packet of potato starch, Qin Lang exined as he worked, ¡°Use more water than you would for dough making, stir a little, then let it rest.¡±


    A puzzled look appeared on Dan Bao¡¯s face.


    Dough making? What¡¯s that?


    ¡°Gu du?¡±


    Qin Lang put the dough aside to rest, ¡°Dough making is another pastry technique. Next time I¡¯ll make you delicious big meat buns, and then you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    While others are painting cakes, Qin Lang is painting buns.


    ¡°Gu du!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up immediately.


    Big meat buns!


    It sounds delicious!


    ¡°Now, we can turn back to the oxtail.¡±


    Qin Lang moved the basin containing the oxtail in front of him and pointed at the water in the basin.


    After soaking, the mixture of water and cooking wine in the basin had turned red.


    ¡°See, the blood has been soaked out.¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    This was so mysterious.


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s little face, Qin Lang¡¯s mood became cheerful, and he continued with the next steps.


    Add the oxtail and scallion and ginger to cold water. Bring it to a boil over high heat, skim off the froth, then fish out.


    Heat the pan and add some oil. Stir-fry the oxtail with ginger slices, then put the oxtail, polygonatum pieces, goji berries, and dried tangerine peel into the pressure cooker. Add water, cooking wine, and salt.


    Seeing Qin Lang close the lid of the pressure cooker, Dan Bao¡¯s face was full of anticipation.


    Will they be ready to eat soon?


    ¡°Gu du lu?¡±


    ¡°The pressure cooker needs half an hour.¡± Qin Lang spread his hands, ¡°This is still good. If it¡¯s slow-cooked over low heat, it will take two hours.¡±


    It¡¯s going to take so long before they can eat!


    Dan Bao¡¯s little head drooped suddenly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. During this time, we can prepare the other two dishes, so we can enjoy all three dishes at the same time.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that long now, does it?¡±


    ¡°Dulu!¡±


    That¡¯s right, there are two more dishes!


    Dan Bao¡¯s ears twitched, and his face lit up with anticipation again.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    End of the chapter bonus content:


    [Oxtail Soup]


    [Fried Pork in Scoop]

 Chapter 12 - 12 Mealtime

    12 Chapter 12 Mealtime


    Trantor: 549690339


    Seeing Dan Bao bounce back, Qin Lang cheerfully prepared the shredded carrots, ginger, onions, andtro on a te and ced it in front of Dan Bao.


    ¡°Purring!¡±


    It¡¯s my turn to perform!


    Seeing these ingredients, Dan Bao instantly perked up, blowing forcefully, rejuvenating the slightly wilted shredded ingredients to be distinct and fresh.


    ¡°Great job!¡±


    Qin Langplimented enthusiastically before reaching for the basin containing the soaked cornstarch.


    The cornstarch by now had sunkpletely underwater, giving a firm touch on the fingers.


    It¡¯s thoroughly soaked.


    After pouring out the excess water, he started applying the batter.


    He mixed three spoonfuls of soaked cornstarch and half a spoonful of water, following this ratio he added the sliced pork tenderloin and tossed them together until every slice was fully coated with the batter.


    Only with such batter-dipped Fried Pork in Scoop could the deep-fried meat achieve a crusty exterior and a tender interior.


    When the oil reached 70 degrees Celsius, he unfolded the slices of pork and slipped them into the pot.


    Before Qin Lang couldplete this step, the aroma wafting from the Fried Pork in Scoop sizzling in the pot tantalized the senses.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao was salivating greedily, waiting eagerly for the moment when Qin Lang would scoop it out of the pot.


    ¡°It¡¯s not ready yet, wait a bit longer.¡± Qin Lang said, trying to hold back hisughter as he looked at the eager little fellow with watery eyes, he cated it, ¡°Haste makes waste.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    I don¡¯t want hot tofu! I want the Fried Pork in Scoop!


    Qin Lang was even more amused by this.


    The oil temperature rose rapidly to 80 degrees Celsius, as Qin Lang continued encouraging Dan Bao and quickly put the pork slices back into the pot for an extra 15 seconds of frying.


    After removing the excess oil, he left only a bit of oil in the pot, added shredded ginger, shredded carrot, the fried pork and the previously prepared sauce, tossed and stirred a few times, then added shredded onions andtro, and tossed a couple more times.


    ¡°Done~¡± Seeing Dan Bao almost in tears from anticipation, Qin Lang quickly served the Fried Pork in Scoop. ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s hot¡­¡±


    Looking at Dan Bao, who had promptly snatched a piece of Fried Pork in Scoop, Qin Lang felt his warning was in vain.


    Would a creature capable of breathing fire fear a bit of heat?


    Watching Dan Bao eat was quite entertaining.


    Its little yolk face hidden in its transparent body would emerge when eating.


    A touch of magic.


    Qin Lang served two bowls of rice from the rice cooker, cing one bowl in front of Dan Bao. ¡°Try it with rice.¡±


    Having said that, he picked up a sauce-drenched slice of Fried Pork in Scoop, blew on it to cool it down, and took a bite.


    The sweet and sour sauce was refreshing and bnced out the greasiness well, allowing the strong fragrance from the deep frying to explode in the mouth at the first bite.


    The soaked cornstarch batter, under high temperature, formed a crust that was hard and crisp. The sauce made it soften slightly, resulting in an amazing texture.


    The pork tenderloin inside retained its original vor and tenderness because of the enclosed crust, such that even the juice was plentiful.


    Paired with a mouthful of rice¡­


    ¡°This taste, I could eat it for a lifetime and not get tired of it.¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and sigh.


    ¡°Purr Purr!¡±


    Dan Bao, who had just discovered a whole new world of vors, heartily agreed.


    Having eaten a couple of mouthfuls of rice along with the Fried Pork in Scoop, Qin Lang, with a little reluctance, put down his chopsticks and took out a lettuce leaf from the vegetable basket.


    ¡°The Oxtail Soup will take a while longer, in the meantime, we can make the oyster sauce lettuce.¡±


    Although the Fried Pork in Scoop continued to tempt Dan Bao, it quickly retracted its head into its body and then hurriedly moved closer to Qin Lang.


    ¡°Glug!¡±


    Check out my freshness!


    Seeing Dan Bao skillfully use the food skill to make the lettuce even fresher, Qin Lang¡¯s face was filled with smiles.


    With Dan Bao¡¯spany, even the cooking process became more fun.


    As one of the home-style seasonal vegetable dishes, oyster sauce lettuce was notplicated to prepare.


    While Dan Bao was offering his help, Qin Lang started the stove to boil water and make the oyster sauce for the lettuce.


    A spoonful of oyster sauce, two spoonfuls of light soy sauce, a pinch of pepper, and a spoonful of cornstarch.


    The taste of the vegetables was light, so thickening it would allow for more sauce to stick, enhancing the taste.


    Finally, arge spoonful of water was added, and it was stirred until blended evenly.


    Setting aside the prepared oyster sauce, Qin Lang took the lettuce that Dan Bao had processed, cutting off the roots and quickly washing it.


    The water that had been boiling in the pot was now ready.


    A spoonful of salt was added for an underlying vor, a spoonful of oil was added to keep the lettuce green and vibrant after nching. The lettuce was then put in the pot, nched to sixty percent cooked, and ted.


    Until it was put on the te, the lettuce kept its green freshness, its surface shining with water glow, which looked especially tempting under the light.


    Just by the colour, it stimted one¡¯s appetite.


    He heated oil in the pot, fried the minced garlic that Dan Bao had prepared until it was fragrant, added the oyster sauce and stirred until the sauce was bubbling and thick.


    Amid the steaming heat, the fresh aroma of the oyster sauce mixed with the scent of pepper prated into the nostrils, just like a tempting elf, making one crave food.


    ¡°Dish is ready!¡±


    Looking at the expectant eyes of Dan Bao, Qin Lang evenly poured the sauce over the lettuce and then brought the te to the table, ¡°Try it?¡±


    ¡°Dudu Gugu!¡±


    Dan Bao cheered and quickly leaned over and carefully picked up a piece of lettuce.


    The next moment, its eyes were shining.


    It¡¯s so delicious!


    Timing it right, Qin Lang opened the pressure cooker,dled out two bowls of simmered oxtail soup, ced them in front of himself and Dan Bao, and then sat down.


    Unlike the fragrance of Fried Pork in Scoop, the aroma of the oxtail soup was mellow and rich.


    The milky-white soup was slightly thick, with a few red goji berries floating on top. There were also a couple of pale yellow Polygonatum slices and light brown oxtail. The collision of colors made it mouth-watering.


    He took a light sip, and Qin Lang squinted his eyes in satisfaction.


    The cogen in the oxtail melted into the soup after being cooked under high pressure. The freshness of the beef and the richness of the marrow, coated in cogen, lingered more clearly on the tongue.


    The slight sweetness from the Polygonatum and goji berries added freshness to the oxtail soup, bringing about a rich but not greasy taste.


    ¡°Duru!¡±


    Dan Bao carefully took a sip of the soup, revealing an expression simr to Qin Lang¡¯s.


    The oxtail soup is really good!


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Seeing how happy Dan Bao was eating, Qin Lang¡¯s face was full of smiles.


    Nothing was more gratifying than the eater being satisfied with his own cooking.


    Qin Lang picked up the tender, boneless oxtail and put it in his mouth.


    The oxtail, full of cogen, was not firm, and the crevices in the texture were filled with the delicious soup.


    The stronger beef vor from the meat burst out with the chewing, filling the mouth.


    A piece of oyster sauce lettuce, paired with rice, went into his mouth.


    The aroma of garlic, fried in oil, was not overpowering, mixing with the fresh taste of oyster sauce, and the crisp, sweet texture of the lettuce, it instantly brightened Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    The mix of saltiness and sweetness blended perfectly, instantly wiping away the lingering taste of the oxtail soup. Paired with full-grained rice that had a slightly stic texture, it truly was a pleasure.


    Next, it was time to feast.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    End of Chapter Bonus Content:


    [Oyster Sauce Lettuce]

 Chapter 13 - 13 Food Recommender

    13 Chapter 13 Food Rmender


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Starlight Restaurant, here it is.¡±


    An old man with a hunched figure stopped on the street, looked up at the signboard of Starlight Restaurant, and walked in.


    It was dinner time, and there were quite a few diners in the restaurant.


    But seeing this old man, Luo Hui¡¯s expression was serious. He stopped his work immediately and walked up to him.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing, wee.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard there is a dish called Steamed Bass in your restaurant?¡± the old man asked calmly, ¡°I¡¯d like to reserve it. I want to try it tomorrow noon.¡±


    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡± Luo Hui quickly nodded, watching the old man leave the restaurant.


    This old man was a Food Rmender in Dongxia City.


    Food Rmenders, are certified food appraisers by the Spirit Chef Association. The delicious food that gets their approval has the opportunity to be famous quickly through the promotion of the Spirit Chef Association.


    If Mr. Zhou Qing approves the Steamed Bass, it will certainly be a significant advantage for Starlight Restaurant, which has just opened recently.


    Luo Hui¡¯s feelings wereplex.


    The old man had evidently known about the dish Steamed Bass, so he specifically came to try it.


    The only person who could have informed him about this dish must have been Li Hong who was present during the food taste testing.


    This guy¡­


    Luo Hui couldn¡¯t help but smile, he returned to the restaurant and continued his work.


    ¡­


    After enjoying a wonderful dinner, Qin Lang washed his bowl and chopsticks, then sat on the couch reading a book with Dan Bao in his arms.


    There were still many things about the Food Spirit World he needed to understand. Learning is an endless process.


    As long as Dan Bao could stay by his side, it was enough for him to be happy.


    The peaceful moment between the man and the spirit was soon interrupted by the ringing of a phone.


    Looking at the caller ID, Qin Lang quickly sat up, and Dan Bao obediently moved to the side of the phone.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, it¡¯s me.¡±


    From the other end of the phone, Luo Hui¡¯s heartyughter came quickly, ¡°Little Qin, reserve six servings of Steamed Bass for tomorrow. Four for lunch and two for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s the first day, diners are all trying it out. I believe that from tomorrow onward, it¡¯ll be easy to book all ten portions a day.¡±


    Six on the first day?


    Qin Lang was slightly surprised.


    Based on earning nine hundred per dish, that equated to five thousand four hundred.


    Not only had he earned back the money he spent on groceries today, but he had also made a good profit.


    A smile spread across his face, ¡°Alright Uncle Luo Hui, I will definitely be there on time tomorrow.¡±


    After saying a few more words on the phone, Luo Hui hung up.


    Putting down his phone, Qin Lang rubbed his face.


    A lot had happened today.


    Crossing over to this strange world, birthing his first Food Spirit, experiencing his first Spirit Battle, sessfully applying for the Hanging Position Chef at Starlight Restaurant¡­


    Each and every experience was something he had never had before.


    He began to wonder if all this wasn¡¯t just an overly realistic dream.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Noticing Qin Lang¡¯s preupation, Dan Bao burrowed out from his embrace and rubbed against Qin Lang¡¯s cheek.


    Feeling the impossibly real sensation, Qin Lang gave a self-deprecatingugh.


    How could a dream be this real?


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s go to sleep in the room.¡± He whispered, then suddenly remembered something.


    Food Spirits could enter the Star Veins of the Spirit Chef and be re-summoned at any time.


    But since he formed a contract with Dan Bao, he had never once tried it.


    ¡°Dan Bao, let¡¯s try it. You enter my Star Vein.¡± Qin Lang touched his Tian Shu Star Vein on his forehead, activated the spiritual power in his Star Vein as per his memory, and connected with Dan Bao in front of him.


    Apanied by a faint light, Dan Bao¡¯s figure disappeared in the living room.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang felt something extra inside his Tian Shu Star Vein.


    ¡°Dugudu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s voice sounded directly in his mind, expressingfort. It seems that it enjoyed the feeling of being in the Star Vein.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, rest in the Star Vein tonight,¡± said Qin Lang, seizing the opportunity.


    However, to his surprise, Dan Bao disagreed upon hearing what Qin Lang had conveyed via telepathy.


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    ¡°You want toe out?¡± Qin Lang was somewhat taken aback, but stillplied with Dan Bao¡¯s wishes, summoning it out from the Star Vein.


    The Seven Star Map shed briefly in the void before vanishing ¨C Dan Bao had reappeared in the living room.


    It hurried into Qin Lang¡¯s arms, curled upfortably, a nce of satisfaction on its face.


    ¡°You want to sleep with me?¡± Qin Lang asked with intrigue.


    Generally, the Star Vein, being the birthce of Food Spirits, was supposedly their most secure dwelling.


    However, Dan Bao appeared to be somewhat different.


    Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    After washing up briefly, Qin Lang ushered Dan Bao into his bedroom and went to sleep.


    Just when Dan Bao, whose eyes were closed, suddenly opened them with a jolt.


    ¡°Gududulu Gududu!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The leftover rice has been put in the fridge. We¡¯ll have egg fried rice in the morning.¡±


    Only then did Dan Bao close its eyes, lying down peacefully to sleep.


    ¡­


    Early next morning, a fully energetic Dan Bao squirmed from Qin Lang¡¯s arms and started spinning excitedly in midair.


    It was time to eat some egg fried rice!


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    After washing up briefly, Qin Lang walked into the kitchen with Dan Bao in tow.


    As soon as he got out the leftover rice and chicken eggs, Dan Bao hurried right up.


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    This was its Origin Cuisine. So, it was essential for it to engage in the process!


    ¡°Please freshen up these two eggs for me then,¡± Qin Lang said smilingly as he ced the eggs before Dan Bao.


    If Dan Bao volunteered, he wouldn¡¯t want to disappoint the little fellow.


    After Dan Bao had put in considerable effort, Qin Lang picked up an egg and skillfully tapped it against the brim of a bowl, separating it into the yolk and egg white, then mixed the rice and the yolk evenly.


    All through the process, Dan Bao watched with great interest.


    Perhaps it was because the Origin Cuisine held a special significance for it.


    Rice, after being mixed, is covered evenly with egg mixture. While in hot oil, the egg mixture quickly forms a golden film on the surface of the rice. With each stir, every single grain was clear, like shards of gold dancing in the pan.


    ¡°Dulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up keenly.


    It was almost time to eat!


    ¡°There¡¯s onest step,¡± Qin Lang chuckled, pouring the previously sieved egg whites back into the pan for a final round of stir-frying with the rice.


    Watching this scene, Dan Bao cocked its head, puzzled.


    Why were the egg whites sieved first and poured back in afterward?


    ¡°Gududu?¡±


    ¡°To make the egg whites more tender,¡± Qin Lang patiently exined while serving the egg fried rice, ¡°An extended heating time tends to spoil the taste of egg whites. So, sieving half-way helps reduce their heating time.¡±


    ¡°Try it.¡± Qin Lang put a serving of egg fried rice before Dan Bao and watched it with anticipation.


    The sight of the egg fried rice from its memories had Dan Bao screeching in joy before it pounced on it.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang picked up another serving, put a spoonful in his mouth, and after a brief savour, nodded in satisfaction.


    The taste remained the same as before.

 Chapter 14 - 14: The Threshold of the Cooking Contest

    14 Chapter 14: The Threshold of the Cooking Contest


    Trantor: 549690339


    After breakfast, one man and one spirit set out.


    First, they made a round in the Food Material Market and picked up a few good oxtails before arriving at the Starlight Restaurant.


    The lunch service time hadn¡¯t started, Luo Hui noticed Qin Lang and quickly greeted him, ¡°Little Qin, you¡¯re here early.¡±


    ¡°I just went to the food market to get some produce this morning, so I came over early.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Luo Hui nodded approvingly, ¡°It¡¯s always best to get produce in the morning, the earlier the fresher.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared your bass.¡± He pointed towards the kitchen and then lowered his voice, looking around, ¡°When you steam the bass at lunch today, you must go all out.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, don¡¯t worry, I always put my all into every dish.¡± Qin Lang replied earnestly.


    Me, Qin Lang, professional!


    ¡°The four food guests who have booked for lunch today include one special individual.¡± Luo Hui exined, ¡°That person is a Food Rmender, which I think is a great opportunity for you.¡±


    Qin Lang was slightly stunned.


    This touched on his knowledge blind spot.


    Having not yet be a Spirit Chef, there were things that he could only understand from experience, not just from reading.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, could you borate?¡±


    ¡°No problem, service hasn¡¯t started yet, take a seat!¡± Luo Hui sat Qin Lang down and then looked at him seriously, ¡°Little Qin, I think you¡¯re a Spirit Chef with a lot of talent in cooking.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re able to cook dishes like steamed bass is proof enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just be a Spirit Chef, given time, you will definitely shine.¡±


    ¡°So, you must be thinking about participating in cookingpetitions, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Cookingpetition?¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°I am indeed interested.¡±


    The so-called cookingpetition is actually a series of Food Fights against other contestants to gain honor.


    Titles of honor for Spirit Chefs are earned throughpetitions.


    The treatment varies greatly for Spirit Chefs with different titles.


    Moreover, participating in cooking contests can also earn Star Power, which helps Food Spirits grow faster.


    Qin Lang, who¡¯s interested in food fights, naturally wouldn¡¯t reject cooking contests.


    ¡°Given your current situation, you can only participate in City-level cookingpetitions, and regarding higher-levelpetitions, you¡¯ll naturally get to know once you achieve a certain ranking in the city-levelpetitions.¡±


    Luo Hui took a sip of water and continued to exin, ¡°The Dongxia City Cooking Competition is held every three months, and the nearest one is a week from now.¡±


    It¡¯s just a week left, good thing Uncle Luo Hui told me today.


    Expectation welled up in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Can I register now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Luo Hui shook his head, ¡°There are certain requirements for entering the City-level Cooking Competition.¡±


    ¡°This has to do with the Food Rmenders I mentioned earlier.¡±


    ¡°There are three levels of Food Rmenders, from low to high they are First-Level, Second-Level, and Third-Level.¡±


    ¡°Each Food Rmender has an exclusive Food Rmender Badge, which they award to the Spirit Chefs they approve of. Once you acquire three local First-level Food rmender badges, you can register for the City-level Cooking Competition.¡±


    ¡°There are a total of eleven First-Level Food Rmenders in Dongxia City, their challenges are all different. I believe that you have the skills to earn the recognition of at least three of them.¡±


    Luo Hui, with aforting tone, said, ¡°But a week is a bit rushed, perhaps you might consider participating in thepetition three months from now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve digressed.¡± He pped his forehead, ¡°The Food Rmender who¡¯sing today has quite a reputation in Dongxia City, as he himself is also a reputed Spirit Chef who excels in cooking fish dishes.¡±


    ¡°His name is Zhou Qing, he specializes in cooking fish dishes, and he likes to challenge Spirit Chefs with fish dishes.¡±


    ¡°So if your steamed bass pleases him, it will be easier for you to get his Food Rmender Badge in the future.¡±


    A warmth welled up in Qin Lang¡¯s heart as he understood the intention behind Luo Hui¡¯s reminder.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Luo Hui.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time to start the service. Go and get ready!¡± Luo Hui waved his hand.


    ¡°Ok!¡± Qin Lang nodded and headed to the kitchen.


    Get three First-Level Food Rmender Badges in a week to participate in the City-level Cooking Competition?


    ¡°Dan Bao, do you want to participate in the cookingpetition with me?¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s little yolk face wobbled up and down, its eyes shining with light.


    After spending these two days cooperating with Qin Lang in cooking dishes, it had fully experienced the joy of cooking.


    Moreover, participating in cooking contests will also grant Star Power.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we¡¯ll have to work hard.¡± Qin Lang hugged Dan Bao, his face disyed confidence, ¡°Three months might be a bit long, if possible, I¡¯d like to participate in the cookingpetition next week.¡±


    ¡°So after tomorrow¡¯s Food Fight, we¡¯ll make time to visit the Food Rmenders in Dongxia City!¡±


    ¡°Gulululu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded in approval.


    It had also heard Luo Hui¡¯s words.


    To im acquiring three badges in a week is rushed, Dan Bao was the first to disagree.


    You have no idea about the skills of my Spirit Chef!


    ¡°Only need to cook four servings of steamed bass for lunch, it¡¯s pretty easy.¡± Qin Lang pulled out the auxiliary ingredients and started nning the afternoon¡¯s tasks while talking, ¡°Tomorrow is the Food Fight, so in the afternoon, let¡¯s return home and practice the dishes we¡¯ve prepared.¡±


    ¡°Gudululu!¡±


    Hearing this, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The oxtail soup from yesterday left a deep impression, it wondered what kind of delicious food to expect for the afternoon.


    Seeing Qin Lang ce ginger, scallions, and other auxiliary ingredients on the table, Dan Bao knew it was time to lend a hand.


    Ah, fresh and full!


    ¡­


    ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing, pleasee in.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯m just an ordinary food guest.¡± Zhou Qing waved his hand, found an empty seat, and sat down, ¡°The steamed bass I ordered yesterday, and a bowl of rice, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment, please.¡± Luo Hui nodded slightly and then quickly went into the kitchen.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing is here. The next serving of steamed bass should be served by you.¡± Entering the kitchen, Luo Hui reminded him.


    Understanding that Luo Hui was giving him an opportunity to show off in front of the Food Rmender, Qin Lang didn¡¯t refuse, ¡°I understand!¡±


    With all the preparations done in advance, a serving of steamed bass would take no more than ten minutes.


    Soon, Qin Lang carried the steaming hot steamed bass out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing, this young man, Qin Lang, is our hanging position chef here at the restaurant. He made the steamed bass.¡± Luo Hui introduced with a smile and then signaled Qin Lang with his eyes.


    Qin Lang got the hint, he put the te in front of the old man, ¡°Please enjoy, feel free to provide any feedback.¡±


    This was thest order for lunch, he stood to the side and quietly observed the old man.


    White-haired, simple but wrinkle-free clothing, and barely any smile lines.


    Such elderly people were often quite strict.


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of evaluation this old man would give his dish.


    Although he was a special ss 1 chef in his previous life, Qin Lang would not look down on the people of this world. If the other party could provide constructive suggestions, he was willing to humbly ept.

 Chapter 15 - 15: Praise for Zhou Qing

    15 Chapter 15: Praise for Zhou Qing


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhou Qing didn¡¯t mind the chef watching him from the side.


    Many Spirit Chefs in Dongxia City knew that he had a penchant for tasting fish dishes cooked by other Spirit Chefs.


    There were quite a few Spirit Chefs who tried to please him, hoping to get a Food Rmender Badge from him.


    But he had his own judging criteria, and would never be influenced by others.


    The reason he came here was simply becausest night, an outstanding chef named Li Hong told him that there was a special fish dish here with a unique cooking method.


    So, he came.


    As simple as that.


    Zhou Qing first slowly moved the te, observing the Steamed Bass from all angles while getting a sense of the dish¡¯s aroma through sniffing.


    ¡°The color is good, the simple addition of shredded vegetables gives it ayered color.¡± He calmly started, ¡°There¡¯s no fishy smell, only a rich fragrance.¡±


    One of the keys to cooking fish dishes is to remove the fishy smell.


    So far, this dish did an excellent job in this regard.


    This piqued Zhou Qing¡¯s interest.


    He served himself a bowl of rice then picked up his chopsticks ready for the steamed bass.


    For his first bite, Zhou Qing picked up the shredded vegetables on top of the fish, dipped it in the brown sauce of the fish dish, and put it in his mouth.


    Upon the moment of tasting, he experienced the salty and fresh vor of the fermented bean sauce, which was also slightly sweet.


    Sugar was added to the savory sauce?


    This was somewhat unexpected because such a method incredibly resulted in a good vor.


    The fine carrot shreds tasted crisp and fully vored in the sauce.


    Zhou Qing slightly nodded in approval.


    Many Spirit Chefs presented dishes merely for the sake of appearance, gaining some approval from Food Rmenders, but to Zhou Qing such practices were pretentious andcked substance.


    But this steamed bass dish in front of him did not have this issue. Even the simplest side ingredient was prepared perfectly by the chef.


    After a bite of rice to cleanse his pte, Zhou Qing¡¯s second bite was from the skin of the fish belly.


    Most people think that the belly and cheek of a fish are the best parts, but Zhou Qing differs.


    He likes to eat fish skin.


    And this is also a part that is easily overlooked in the cooking of fish dishes.


    Artfully using his chopsticks, he separated a piece of fish skin from the fish belly, dipped it in fermented bean sauce, and put it in his mouth.


    Hmm?


    Zhou Qing¡¯s eyes widened.


    The fish skin was soft and tasty, normally, this part should have a stronger fishy taste, but at this moment, he couldn¡¯t detect the slightest bit of it.


    But none of these were the point.


    From the moisture of the fish, he could deduce that this dish was prepared using a method simr to boiling.


    With this method, the skin of the fish would soften first, and would overcook easily.


    But the fish skin in his mouth was surprisingly firm and chewy!


    This was something Zhou Qing admitted that he could not achieve.


    After another mouthful of rice, Zhou Qing finally reached for the flesh of the fish belly.


    With a gentle pinch, the flesh of the fish belly perfectly separated from the rib of the fish.


    Zhou Qing dipped it into the fermented bean sauce and ced it in his mouth. With slight smacking, the fish flesh melted in his mouth.


    ¡°Such tender fish flesh.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    To achieve such tenderness, where the whole piece of flesh could be lifted with chopsticks yet melts upon tasting, required a very high level of control in the cooking process.


    And in terms of vor, the rich salty and fresh vor of the fermented bean sauce didn¡¯t overwhelm, the original taste of the fish flesh was the star, the unique fresh sweetness gave the fish-loving Zhou Qing a refreshing feeling.


    He slowly put down his chopsticks.


    At this moment, what captivated him was not the steamed bass, but the Spirit Chef whom he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to before, the one who cooked this steamed bass.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Upon hearing Zhou Qing voluntarily asking for Qin Lang¡¯s name, a smile spread across Luo Hui¡¯s face.


    Being able to leave an impression on the Food Rmender ahead of time had achieved their goal.


    Qin Lang reacted just as swiftly, ¡°Sir, my name is Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Zhou Qing nodded solemnly, ¡°If you have fewer than three badges, you¡¯re wee to take my test.¡±


    With that, he turned his attention back to the steamed bass in front of him.


    If previously he had been appraising it out of professional habit, then now, it was time to purely enjoy the delicious food.


    Qin Lang did not disturb him any further, quietly following Luo Hui into the kitchen.


    ¡°That went well.¡± Luo Hui was all smiles, ¡°Having left an impression on him, it will certainly be easier to obtain the Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    ¡°As for the addresses of the Food Rmenders in this city, you can find them on the Association¡¯s official website.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    After tomorrow¡¯s Food Fight ends, he would visit Mr. Zhou Qing first, then gradually pay visits to the other Food Rmenders!


    After a conversation, Qin Lang bid his goodbye and left the restaurant to return home.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao followed Qin Lang into the kitchen, its eyes filled with eager anticipation.


    The oxtail dish for the Food Fight!


    It, having skipped lunch, had already begun to drool!


    Seeing its adorable greedy appearance, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start preparing for the Food Fight!¡±


    ¡­


    The two steamed bass dishes at dinner time also received unanimous praise from the food guests.


    The ten for tomorrow were quickly reserved, and those who weren¡¯t able to do so would have toe earlier to reserve for the day after tomorrow.


    This made Luo Hui feel increasingly sure that giving Qin Lang a 90% profit share was a wise decision.


    After cooking the steamed bass, Qin Lang, with Dan Bao following him, left for home to continue learning more about the Spirit Chef.


    As for the dish he prepared for the Food Fight, Qin Lang believed that this dish would surely surprise the girl named Du Weiwei tomorrow.


    In a blink of an eye, it was the next day.


    After finishing the lunch business cooking, Qin Lang left the restaurant.


    Instead of going home, he went straight to the Food Material Market certified by the Spirit Chef Association.


    ¡°Back for more meat?¡±


    The butcher recognized Qin Lang at a nce and greeted him with a heartyugh, ¡°We¡¯ve just got a few new cows, the oxtail parts are right here. What kind of meat do you want today?¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t understand why this young man had a special preference for oxtail, since he would buy meat worth thousands each time, the butcher didn¡¯t mind tacking on a few oxtails that weren¡¯t worth much.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not buying meat today.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°I¡¯m only buying oxtail.¡±


    Butcher: ¡°???¡±


    Are you not following the routine?


    ¡°Then you might as well buy some meat, and I¡¯ll give you the oxtail for free!¡± The butcher waved his hand generously.


    ¡°No can do.¡± Qin Lang spoke helplessly, ¡°I need it for the Food Fight, and it¡¯s a Food Fight item with a limited ingredient value.¡±


    Each Food Fight event had its clear stiptions.


    In a Food Fight with a limited ingredient value, it¡¯s required to purchase ingredients from the Food Material Market certified by the Spirit Chef Association.


    Not to mention being given away for free, not even the exclusive discount for Spirit Chefs is allowed.


    Otherwise, it could vite the principle of fairness.


    Knowing that it was for a Food Fight, the butcher could understand Qin Lang¡¯s request.


    No, he still couldn¡¯t understand.

 Chapter 16 - 16 Red Braised Oxtail

    16 Chapter 16 Red Braised Oxtail


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Kid, you sure about this?¡± The sales guide shook his head in dismay, ¡°For this kind of project, you can totally use cheaper meats, such as fish, pork, or poultry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Qin Lang picked out the best piece and handed it to the guide, ¡°This one.¡±


    ¡°This one must weigh about five to six jin.¡± The guide took it and weighed it, ¡°Although oxtail is quite cheap, the quality of the cow from which this piece came is not low, so its unit price is over one hundred yuan per jin.¡±


    As he weighed, he quickly announced the urate price, ¡°812 yuan, kid, what¡¯s the maximum price you drew?¡±


    ¡°The maximum is one thousand, just enough.¡± Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction, ¡°This is it.¡±


    Sales guide: ¡°???¡±


    Wait, is this the main ingredient?!


    ¡°Could you pack it for me?¡± Qin Lang smiled at the doubt in the guide¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Give me your Spirit Chef badge for registration. We¡¯ll deliver it to the Association at the fastest speed.¡± The sales guide didn¡¯t say much, operated something after taking Qin Lang¡¯s badge, and said, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Taking back his badge, Qin Lang turned around and headed for the next area.


    In addition to the oxtail, indispensable assistant ingredients couldn¡¯t be missing.


    These are rtively cheaper. Even if he chose some higher-quality ones, it wouldn¡¯t cost much.


    After all the selections, the total value of the ingredients was 888 yuan.


    Merely by looking at this lucky number, Qin Lang felt that his first Food Fight should definitely go smoothly.


    Upon exiting the Food Material Market, he met Du Weiwei head-on.


    ¡°Have you¡­ just finished choosing ingredients?¡± Du Weiwei blinked, asking tentatively.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Are you going to pick now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Du Weiwei paused before speaking, ¡°For this Food Fight, I will give it my all, so you should showcase all your strength as well.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    With the Food Fight approaching, they didn¡¯t chat much and soon went their separate ways.


    By the time Qin Lang and his Food Spirit arrived at the Spirit Chef Association, there was only half an hour left until the start of the Food Fight.


    Unlike the Spiritual Battlefields, the venue of the Food Fight stands alone.


    In the center are two standardpetition kitchens, each spanning 100 square meters. The exterior walls can adjust their transparency to ensure privacy, and name tes of Qin Lang and Du Weiwei were hanging on the doors.


    Outside the kitchen, there are the judges¡¯ seats and audience seats.


    Unlike the clear victories in Spiritual Battles, the oue of the Food Fight is decided by dedicated judges after tasting the dishes from both sides.


    Depending on the scale of the Food Fight, the number and level of judges will vary.


    The Food Fight between Qin Lang and Du Weiwei is a beginner-level one, with five beginner-level judges.


    The judges hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but there were already people in the audience seats.


    ¡°Qin Lang! Over here!¡± Qi Xiaoyu waved excitedly.


    Qin Lang approached.


    He could understand why Qi Xiaoyu came here to spectate.


    But¡­


    Qin Lang nced at Zhao Chen, who stood beside him with his arms crossed, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To cheer you on.¡± Zhao Chen said arrogantly, ¡°Before losing to me, you cannot lose to anyone else.¡±


    Yep, same familiar delusions of grandeur.


    ¡°Well, thanks then.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, what dish are you nning for today?¡± Qi Xiaoyu leaned closer, ¡°Come on, spill the beans?¡±


    Qin Lang hesitated for two seconds, and under Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s expectant gaze, he calmly said, ¡°Please wait and see.¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu: ¡°???¡±


    Did your response take two seconds because of a Cooldown?


    ¡°Come on, spill. I know the dish that Weiwei is preparing!¡± Qi Xiaoyu giggled, ¡°If you tell me what you¡¯re preparing, I¡¯ll tell you about¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, a dangerous voice suddenly came from behind.


    ¡°Qi! Xiao! Yu!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu shivered with a start, turning to look awkwardly at the deadly face of Du Weiwei standing behind her. Yet, she still couldn¡¯t escape her fate of getting her soft flesh pinched.


    Ignoring the two young girls¡¯ squabbling, Qin Lang quickly stood up and walked towards the kitchen, along with Dan Bao, the moment he noticed the three men and two women seated in the judges¡¯ seats.


    Meanwhile, Du Weiwei released Qi Xiaoyu, and with her food spirit, she stood in front of another kitchen on the other side.


    ¡°I am the lead judge of this Food Fight, Zhou Yun,¡± said the middle-aged man leading the judges. He nced at the two contestants and added, ¡°The authority of the lead judge and the deputy judges is equal. The only added responsibility for the lead judge is that they host the Food Fight.¡±


    ¡°The theme of this Food Fight is ¡®Limited Ingredient Value,¡¯ and the total value of all ingredients used by both contestants must not exceed one thousand yuan.¡±


    ¡°The ingredients for the Food Fight have been delivered to your respective kitchens. You are not allowed to bring any additional ingredients. Now, let¡¯s announce the total value of your ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, your ingredients¡¯ total value is 888 yuan.¡±


    ¡°Du Weiwei, your ingredients¡¯ total value is 945 yuan.¡±


    ¡°The total value of the ingredientsplies with the rules. As per the Junior Food Fight rules, the total cooking time should not exceed two hours,¡± dered Zhou Yun calmly. ¡°The countdown begins now.¡±


    A digital countdown appeared on the screen in front of the judges¡¯ seats, showing ticking numbers.


    Qin Lang and Du Weiwei hesitated no more and turned to walk into their respective kitchens.


    The Food Fight begins!


    ¡­


    Upon reaching his workstation, Qin Lang began taking an inventory of his ingredients.


    Ginger, green onions, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, celery, star anise, bay leaves, green Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili, dried hawthorn, various seasonings, and the most important, oxtail.


    Not even one item was missing.


    With these ingredients, he would be cooking a traditional dish from Shaanxi.


    It¡¯s called Red Braised Oxtail.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Even though he¡¯d eaten his fill of a delicious meal yesterday afternoon, Dan Bao was still looking forward to the meal with eager anticipation.


    Rushing next to Qin Lang, it began to puff air towards the ingredients.


    Look at my fresh and full ingredients!


    While Dan Bao was eagerly helping, Qin Lang was deftly working his knife, quickly peeling the oxtail, cutting it into chunks, washing it several times, and then soaking it in water mixed with Baijiu.


    The smell of the oxtail can be quite strong, so it¡¯s important not to skimp on this step.


    Soaking it thoroughly to remove blood can be an effective way of eliminating the strong smell.


    While he waited for the blood to soak out, Qin Lang quickly sliced the ginger, cut the green onion into sections, and ced them in a small dish. After that, he fired up the stove.


    The cooking process of oxtail requires tender sugar color, and this is the perfect time to prepare it.


    The tender sugar color is light and slightly sweet, serving both as a colorant and a seasoning.


    He added arge spoonful of crystal sugar and a small amount of water into the pot, stirring it slowly with the spat in a constant direction.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    The ever-helpful Dan Bao, having finished dealing with the side ingredients, curiously watched the process.


    It had seen this step yesterday.


    However, it still found the process of sugar turning caramel-colored and losing in sweetness utterly fascinating.


    As the sugar syrup began turning thick from thin amid the dense, small bubbles erupting in the pot, the water was quickly evaporating, leaving behind an increasingly deep-colored syrup.


    A special caramel aroma wafted out from the pot during this process, releasing a sweet scent, making the eager Dan Bao at the side sniff with curiosity.


    ¡°If we win this Food Fight, I¡¯ll make you a delicious caramel pudding tonight.¡± Laughing at Dan Bao¡¯s greedy face, Qin Lang made a promise.


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes sparkled even brighter, filled with anticipation.


    We must win!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Color egg chapter content at the :


    [Red Braised Oxtail]

 Chapter 17 - 17: Qin Lang Makes an Appearance

    17 Chapter 17: Qin Lang Makes an Appearance


    Trantor: 549690339


    When the big bubbles in the pot began to simmer, and the sugar syrup turned to a coffee color, Dan Bao¡¯s head started to sway up and down.


    Under Qin Lang¡¯s guidance yesterday, it had already learned how to recognize the various stages of preparing caramel.


    Now is the perfect time to add water!


    ¡°Gudululu!¡±


    ¡°Good job, you¡¯re learning fast,¡± Qin Lang praised, then with a scoop in one hand stirring non-stop and a pot of water in the other, he gradually poured it in, turning up the heat to bring it to a boil.


    Served in a small bowl, there was a perfectly made tender caramel color.


    With thepletion of the caramel color, the oxtail had also soaked up arge amount of blood. Qin Lang cleaned the oxtail and proceeded to the next step.


    nching.


    A sufficient amount of water was added to the pot. Qin Lang ced the oxtail and cooking wine into the cold water, then turned up the heat until it boiled and skimmed off the froth.


    The moment the pot lid was lifted, the tantalizing aroma of meat pervaded the air, stimting the appetite.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up. Just smelling the meaty scent was enough to make it feel somewhat hungry.


    However, it also knew that there was still a long way to go before this dish could be finished.


    Qin Lang quickly removed the oxtail and then heated up some oil in a pan, adding scallion and ginger, star anise, bay leaves, green Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili, and hawthorn dried into the mix.


    The scent of the spices mixed with dried chili was instantly released by the heated oil,ing out so strong as to be somewhat choking.


    Having learned its lesson from yesterday¡¯s practice, Dan Bao acted swiftly and kept its distance right away.


    Not until Qin Lang turned up the power of the range hood did it dare toe closer again.


    Seeing the apprehensive look on Dan Bao¡¯s face, Qin Langughed and added the oxtail along with a reasonable amount of dark soy sauce for stir-frying to the pot.


    The nched oxtail began to gradually release a meaty aroma during the stir-frying process. Mixed with the previous scent, the smell was less irritating and began to have a tempting allure.


    When he saw that the oxtail in the pot had adequately changed color, Qin Lang once again added light soy sauce, regr soy sauce, and yellow wine and continued to stir-fry over medium heat.


    With the addition of more seasoning, the aroma became even more vibrant during the stir-frying process.


    Spices have always been the soul that unleashes the vor of meat.


    The mouthwatering Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but swallow its saliva.


    It¡¯s still too early, patience is needed!


    After finishing the stir-frying, noticing Dan Bao swallowing its saliva, Qin Lang rubbed its big ears as a sign offort, then added water to the pot, covering the ingredients.


    After adding the caramel color, he high-heated it until it boiled, skimmed off the froth again, and then switched to a low heat.


    Next, it was a long waiting period.


    ¡°Gurulu~¡±


    Dan Bao shook its head helplessly.


    It would have to wait for an hour!


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Qin Lang set the kitchen timer, then took out a book from his bosom, sat next to the pot holding Dan Bao, and watched the oxtail inside.


    As time went by, the scent of the oxtail became so strong that even the pot lid could no longer contain it, and it gradually filled the entire kitchen, lingering for a long time.


    Only when the rm clock rang did Qin Lang put away his book and head towards the counter.


    He chopped the carrots into chunks and halved the shiitake mushrooms.


    He removed various ingredients from the pot, added these two things, and once again put on the pot lid.


    After waiting another twenty minutes, then adding celery, seasoning, and reducing the sauce, the dish would finally beplete.


    Doing the math, it just took two hours.


    Qin ¡°Deadline Warrior¡± Lang.


    ¡°Ding¡ª¡ª¡±


    A prompt sounded in the kitchen.


    A look of surprise crossed Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Had Du Weiwei finished her dish?


    ¡­


    Emerging with the specially made Kitchen Cab Car from the Spirit Chef Association, Du Weiwei nced at the still-closed kitchen on the other side and let out a sigh of relief.


    Shepleted her dish first.


    Having been in previous Food Fights, she knew that finishing one¡¯s dish first in a Food Fight gave the Spirit Chef a certain advantage.


    This way, her chances of winning would also be slightly higher.


    For some reason, her opponent, who had only recently be a Spirit Chef, made the Second-star-vein Du Weiwei feel uneasy. This calm fellow wasn¡¯t as simple as he seemed.


    However, she wouldn¡¯t be easily defeated either.


    A confident smile appeared on Du Weiwei¡¯s face.


    Her choice for this Food Fight had been unexpected, but among her best dishes, there was one that met the ingredient cost requirement.


    Over the past two days, she had been diligently preparing for this Food Fight, repeatedly practicing cooking this dish with her Food Spirit.


    She, who had been a Spirit Chef for longer, wouldn¡¯t be easily defeated by Qin Lang!


    She muttered encouragements to herself, pushed the Kitchen Cab Car in front of the judges, and announced, ¡°Esteemed judges, my Food Fight dish is ready. Please taste.¡±


    She opened the Kitchen Cab Car, presenting the five exquisitely ted dishes to the five Food Fight judges.


    There was still one dish left in the Kitchen Cab Car.


    ording to the Food Fight rules, the number of dishes prepared must be one more than the number of judges. The extra portion is meant for the opponent to taste.


    After the judging votes are concluded, thepetitors in the Food Fight will taste each other¡¯s dishes.


    If there are any objections to the judging results after tasting, exnations can be sought from the judges. But barring exceptional circumstances, the results would not change.


    Closing the Kitchen Cab Car, Du Weiwei turned to face the nodding judges while introducing with a smile, ¡°The delicious dish I have prepared is called Crab & Cheese Baked Noodles, its key features are¡­¡±


    As they listened to Du Weiwei¡¯s introduction and tasted the dishes, the five judges quickly formed an overall evaluation.


    However, since Qin Lang¡¯s cooking hadn¡¯t finished, they could only keep their evaluations to themselves for now.


    Once the judges finished their small portions, they set them aside. The judge leader, Zhou Yun, signaled and said, ¡°Tastingplete. Voting will take ce once the other Spirit Chef finishes cooking.¡±


    Knowing the process, Du Weiwei nodded with a smile and waited on stage.


    In the audience seats, Zhao Chen stopped folding his arms across his chest.


    As Du Weiwei sessfullypleted her cooking, and the countdown drew terrifyingly close to zero, he started getting restless.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t Qin Lang going to run out of time?¡± He asked nervously, ¡°If he runs out of time, does he automatically lose?¡±


    ¡°I am not ¡®hey¡¯!¡± Qi Xiaoyu rolled her eyes in annoyance. Then she gestured, ¡°ording to the Food Fight rules, running out of time is an automatic loss.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°What a pity. I wanted to see Qin Lang give Weiwei a hard time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually supporting Qin Lang?¡± Zhao Chen expressed surprise, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be supporting Du Weiwei?¡±


    ¡°What would a Chuunibyou like you understand?¡± Huffed Qi Xiaoyu, her arms crossed, ¡°I was given a hard time by Weiwei, I naturally hope someone will pay her back in kind!¡±


    ¡°After someone gives her a hard time, I can thenfort her. Hehe!¡±


    Zhao Chen silently averted his gaze.


    Women are indeed scary.


    ¡°Eh! He¡¯s out! He¡¯s out!¡± Qi Xiaoyu gasped, ¡°With just a few minutes to spare. That was close!¡±


    Zhao Chen quickly turned to the boy pushing out the Kitchen Cab Car onto the stage, his fists tightly clenched.


    My rival, before I defeat you, you can¡¯t lose!

 Chapter 18 - 18 Food Fight Results

    Chapter 18: Food Fight Results


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Respected judges, please taste it.¡±


    Qin Lang served the dishes to the five judges, ¡°This dish is called Red Braised Oxtail.¡±


    After saying that, he quietly stood beside Du Weiwei, waiting for the judges¡¯ evaluations.


    ¡°Is that all you¡¯re going to say?¡± Du Weiwei whispered, ¡°During the judges¡¯ tasting process, you can introduce the dish more.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°But I think, this should be enough.¡±


    A slight noise caught Du Weiwei¡¯s attention.


    She turned her head towards the judging panel, and her eyes widened involuntarily.


    The five judges were tasting the dishes with satisfying expressions on their faces.


    When they tasted her dish earlier, they had no expression on their faces!


    This¡­


    Suddenly, Du Weiwei had a bad premonition.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Zhou Yun, who had tasted the Red Braised Oxtail, exhaled a murky breath, wiped his mouth and then took a sip of water. He looked at Qin Lang with slightly strange eyes.


    As the chief judge, Zhou Yun already knew the ingredients prepared by both parties in advance.


    When he learned that Qin Lang used the unpopr oxtail as one of the ingredients, he was not very optimistic.


    However, when he actually tasted the soft and gummy oxtail filled with delicious sauce and the savory taste of meat, it changed his perspective entirely.


    The oxtail could actually be this delicious?


    Once this Food Fight was over, he could also buy some to try cooking it himself.


    Other judges sessively finished tasting. Zhou Yun regained his senses and spoke aloud, ¡°Tasting of both dishes is nowpleted, now it¡¯s time for the judges to vote. As the presiding judge, I will cast the final vote.¡±


    ¡°Voting begins!¡±


    As Zhou Yun¡¯s voice fell, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly became tense.


    The female judge sitting at the leftmost of the panel smiled, ¡°I vote for Qin Lang. This dish called Red Braised Oxtail was a pleasant surprise.¡±


    One vote for Qin Lang!


    Du Weiwei¡¯s hands tightened slightly, Qin Lang taking the lead made her more nervous, and she watched the second judge carefully.


    ¡°I also choose Qin Lang.¡± The male judge pushed his sses and spoke without any hesitation.


    Two votes for Qin Lang!


    ¡°I choose Qin Lang.¡± Yet another judge spoke.


    Three votes for Qin Lang!


    When three out of five judges give their votes, the result of this Food Fight was already decided in advance.


    Weiwei slowly loosened her tight hand, her face wore a slightly regretful expression.


    Did she lose?


    In fact, when she saw the judges tasting her dish, she had a faint premonition. But when the premonition came true at this moment, she still felt hollow inside.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao excitedly circled around Qin Lang¡¯s head.


    They won!


    They won the Food Fight!


    Seeing Dan Bao so excited, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± In the audience seats, Qi Xiaoyu looked at Du Weiwei standing on the stage, wishing she could hold her in her arms immediately.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you support Qin Lang?¡± Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but speak.


    ¡°None of your business!¡± Qi Xiaoyu red at Zhao Chen sharply and turned away.


    Zhao Chen shook his head.


    Women are really strange.


    Then, he looked at Qin Lang with some admiration.


    Indeed, he was a great rival!


    Even if the victor was already decided, the remaining judges still had to make their votes.


    As expected, the result of voting was unanimous, Qin Lang won unanimously.


    ¡°Now is the stage where both parties taste each other¡¯s dishes.¡± Zhou Yun calmly said, ¡°If you have objections to the voting results, you can raise them.¡±


    ¡°This is my Crab & Cheese Baked Noodles, please taste it.¡± Du Weiwei, without any dy, opened the kitchen cab car, served her dish to Qin Lang, and then stared at Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen cab car.


    Even if she lost, she wanted a clear understanding.


    What was the taste of the dish that the opponent had made that allowed the five judges to vote unanimously?


    ¡°Red Braised Oxtail, please try it.¡± Qin Lang served a portion to Du Weiwei.


    Unlike Du Weiwei, he kept two portions in his kitchen cab car.


    Thest portion was prepared for Dan Bao.


    After the judging was over, Dan Bao happily approached and tasted the final portion of Red Braised Oxtail, looking thoroughly satisfied.


    Qin Lang also began to seriously taste Du Weiwei¡¯s dish.


    The picked out crab meat and crab roe were baked with cheese and noodles.


    The method was somewhat simr to Baked Crab Treasure, and the texture of the noodles was akin to pasta.


    The unique milky and slightly salty vour of the cheese, coupled with the fresh taste of the crab, fully enveloped each strand of al-dente noodles.


    In his previous life, this would have been a speciality of an Inte-famous restaurant.


    On the other side, Du Weiwei was amazed as she swallowed her first bite of oxtail.


    The gap was that wide?


    The rich meaty aromabined with the various spice¡¯s vours, the soft oxtail replete with cogen, the taste was astonishingly good, and with every bite, juice squirted between her lips and teeth.


    After finishing one piece of the oxtail, Du Weiwei couldn¡¯t help but look at Qin Lang, her eyes darted towards the satisfied Dan Bao beside him.


    She hesitated for a moment, then subconsciously looked towards her own Food Spirit.


    Indeed, she didn¡¯t even prepare a portion for her Food Spirit.


    At this moment, Du Weiwei¡¯s Food Spirit was quietly flying in the air, stealing nces at the Red Braised Oxtail in her hand, but obediently restraining its desire to taste it.


    Du Weiwei smiled faintly, and presented her te to her Food Spirit, ¡°You can taste it too.¡±


    Watching her own Food Spirit cheerfully tasting the food, she sighed inwardly.


    She had lost in every aspect.


    ¡°Once both sides have finished tasting each other¡¯s dishes, is there any objection to the voting results?¡± Zhou Yun calmly opened his mouth, his gaze turned to Du Weiwei.


    Usually, the one who objects is the loser.


    Du Weiwei shook her head slightly, ¡°No objections.¡±


    Zhou Yun nodded and then announced loudly, ¡°In that case, I dere the winner of this Food Fight to be¡­¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang!¡±


    As Zhou Yun¡¯s words fell, a ball of light quickly appeared in the void, splitting into two, heading towards Qin Lang and Du Weiwei.


    ¡°Doodle!¡±


    Dan Bao excitedly approached, absorbing the ball of light that belonged to it. The star orbiting around it became even brighter, its eyes full of joy.


    The feeling of getting stronger was here!


    ¡°Weiwei don¡¯t cry, hug-¡±


    After the Food Fight ends, Qi Xiaoyu ran up to hug Du Weiwei


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to cry.¡± Du Weiweiughed and pushed Qi Xiaoyu away, then approached Qin Lang, ¡°Thank you, this Food Fight has taught me a lot.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang scratched his head.


    Did he do something?


    ¡°Not bad, you are indeed a worthy opponent in my eyes, Zhao Chen, only by defeating you can I prove my strength!¡± Zhao Chen confidently approached, ¡°I want to challenge you to a Spirit Battle, how about it?¡±


    He was not the same as he was a few days ago!


    ¡°No time.¡± Qin Lang rolled his eyes, ¡°I have to go to the restaurant where I¡¯m doing my internship.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow I have to visit a Food Rmender.¡± Qin Lang rejected once again without mercy.


    Du Weiwei fell silent on the side.


    Interning at a restaurant, visiting a Food Rmender.


    These are things that she couldn¡¯t do with her current cooking skills.


    But that¡¯s okay, she will work harder to improve her cooking skills.


    Along with her Food Spirit.


    Du Weiwei turned her head, sharing a smile with her own Food Spirit.


    Chapter end bonus content:


    [Baked Crab Treasure]

 Chapter 19 - 19: Puzzled Salesperson and Special Training

    Chapter 19: Puzzled Salesperson and Special Training


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Fu Guan, what are you up to?¡±


    A voice brought Fu Guan back from his daydreams.


    He nced at the salesperson in the adjacent mutton area, ¡°Old Tang, how were your sales today?¡±


    ¡°About the same as before.¡± Tang You spread his hands and came over to sit next to Fu Guan. ¡°Compared to beef, the cost of mutton is lower. I envy you for having such high daily sales.¡±


    The salespersons¡¯ earnings are tied to the sales, and the revenue of the beef area that Fu Guan was in charge of was among the highest in the whole food market, naturally making his cut the highest too.


    It was dinner time, the market was rtively quiet, and the two salespersons started chatting.


    In a good mood, Fu Guan began, ¡°Guess what, a Spirit Chef came to the beef area to buy ingredients for a food fight today. Guess which part of the beef he bought?¡±


    ¡°I guess it was the beef tenderloin.¡± Tang You answered without hesitation, ¡°Spirit Chefs take food fights very seriously, so they naturally choose the best ingredients.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Fu Guan smiled mysteriously. ¡°This Spirit Chef chose oxtail.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tang You¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Doing a food fight with oxtail as an ingredient?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it was even the main ingredient.¡± Fu Guan was about to tell his colleague more about the situation when customers came to the beef area, forcing him to pause their chat.


    ¡°It¡¯s Judge Zhou!¡± Fu Guan quickly recognized this judge from the Spirit Chef Association.


    This was a rare guest!


    A smile quickly appeared on his face, ¡°What would you like, Judge Zhou?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to check the oxtail.¡± Zhou Yun answered calmly. He scanned the disy case in the beef area, quickly making his selection. ¡°Please wrap these two for me.¡±


    Oxtail?


    Judge Zhou is also interested in oxtail?


    Fu Guan was a bit curious, but he didn¡¯t show it, and he packed Zhou Yun¡¯s order after it was weighed.


    Watching Zhou Yun leave, he saw a woman quickly approaching.


    A smile appeared again on Fu Guan¡¯s face, ¡°Judge Qi, what would you like to buy?¡±


    ¡°Two oxtails.¡± The woman asked calmly and then quickly made her selection from the disy case.


    Fu Guan:¡±???¡±


    Oxtail again?


    ¡°Okay.¡± Fu Guan was full of questions, but he weighed and charged for her order, then packed it.


    Not long after Judge Qi left, another judge from the association hurried over.


    Without waiting for him to speak, Fu Guan took the initiative to ask, ¡°Judge Zhang, would you like to buy oxtail too?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Judge Zhang chuckled and scratched his head, ¡°It seems they were quicker than me. If there are two left, I¡¯ll take them both.¡±


    Fu Guan started weighing, but this time he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity. ¡°Judge Zhang, could you tell me why several judges have bought oxtail today?¡± ¡°Today we jointly judged a food fight.¡± Judge Zhang smiled, ¡°One of the Spirit Chefs cooked a dish with oxtail and won the food fight.¡±


    ¡°After tasting his dish, I¡¯ve gained a new appreciation for this ingredient and wanted to try making it myself.¡± Judge Zhang waved at another judge walking towards him, ¡°Old Li, you¡¯rete, there¡¯s no more oxtail!¡±


    ¡°Can a single old man like you eat two oxtails by himself? Come on, give me one.¡± Judge Li chuckled and took one from Judge Zhang, which made thetter puff out his beard and re at him.


    Hearing Judge Zhang¡¯s words, Fu Guan was thunderstruck.


    Was it the young man named Qin Lang?


    Did he really use oxtail as the main ingredient and win a food fight?!


    ¡°Thest steamed bass is finished. I¡¯ll go home first!¡±


    Standing outside the Starlight Restaurant, Qin Lang waved to Luo Hui, who was still busy inside.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve worked hard!¡± Luo Hui cheerfully nodded.


    In the only two or three days that Qin Lang worked at the restaurant, business visibly improved.


    This made him look at Qin Lang with favourable eyes.


    ¡°You are the one who¡¯s been working even harder, Uncle Luo Hui.¡±


    Qin Lang turned around, holding Dan Bao as he walked home.


    ¡°Bulooro!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s little face excitedly spun a few circles within its body, its eyes full of anticipation as it looked at Qin Lang.


    It did not forget what Qin Lang said during the food fight.


    If they won the food fight, he would make a dessert called caramel pudding tonight!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t forget.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s big ears, ¡°but before making caramel pudding, we need to do a little special training.¡±


    Dan Bao blinked.


    Special training? What is that?


    ¡°To create the crunchy caramelyer on the surface of the caramel pudding, it¡¯s best to use a me spray gun.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°We don¡¯t have one at home, and I don¡¯t n to buy one.¡±


    ¡°Yourbat skill, Full Firepower, can produce a me attack, and the way you spray the me can be changed through training.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head, ¡°Who says only food skills can assist Spirit Chefs in cooking?¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    Sobat skills can also be used in cooking?


    This means that not only can it help Spirit Chefs keep the ingredients fresh, but it can also help in other ways?


    ¡°Bulooro!¡±


    1 want special training!


    Dan Bao¡¯s face was full of anticipation.


    ¡°There¡¯s a spacious park on the way home, we can do the special training there.¡± Qin Lang smiled and suggested. The two of them soon arrived at the park Qin Lang was talking about.


    ¡°First, try to reduce the power of Full Firepower!¡±


    Standing on a stone high tform in the park, under the dim street light, Qin Lang began to direct Dan Bao¡¯s special training.


    Dan Bao nodded seriously, took a deep breath, and suddenly a me churned inside its body.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    A huge fan-like me spread rapidly in front of the vacant ground as it exhaled. The golden red me was brilliantly stunning in the night, with sparks bursting out like fireworks and a rolling heat wave spread outwards.


    The Full Firepower Dan Bao used this time was clearly less powerful than the one it used during the Spirit Battle. It was clear that it had taken Qin Lang¡¯s words to heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great!¡± After feeling the temperature of the me, Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not enough.¡± He continued, while making gestures with his hand, ¡°The Full Firepower you¡¯re using now has an attack range this big. Next, you can try to concentrate the me.¡±


    ¡°Bulooro!¡±


    Concentrate the me more!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes were shining bright, understanding Qin Lang¡¯s meaning in an instant.


    It blew towards the empty field again, this time the fan of me was about half the size as before.


    ¡°Very good!¡± Seeing Dan Bao make such great progress in just one attempt, Qin Lang didn¡¯t hesitate to praise, ¡°Let¡¯s continue! When the me is concentrated into a straight line, we can make caramel pudding!¡±


    ¡°Bulooro!¡±


    Caramel pudding!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes shone again.


    For caramel pudding, we must go all out in special training!


    Check out my Full Firepower!


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20: Caramel Pudding and Flavor Value

    Chapter 20: Caramel Pudding and vor Value


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    With a light blow from Dan Bao, a me as thin as a finger spurts out urately under its control. The converged me sshes around after colliding with a stone, rapidly ckening the stone¡¯s surface.


    It¡¯s like the me from a blowtorch.


    This is the result of its two-hour training.


    ¡°Special trainingplete!¡±


    Qin Lang looked at the ckened stone and nodded satisfactorily.


    The fire control trained to this extent can already assist in making caramel pudding.


    More importantly, Dan Bao has learned to better control itsbat skills during this process.


    Slowly standing up, Qin Lang shook his somewhat numb legs and embraced Dan Bao that flew towards him.


    Not only Dan Bao worked hard in special training, but also he, the Spirit Chef.


    After all, the power for Dan Bao¡¯s use of any skilles from the spiritual power in the Tian Shu Star Vein.


    In order for Dan Bao to maintain continuous training, Qin Lang also had to meditate and recover throughout the process.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s little head, ¡°Now we go home to make caramel pudding.¡±


    ¡°Doo Gulu!¡±


    Expectation quickly filled Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    After two hours of special training, it had be increasingly interested in the delicious food that it could participate in!


    The man and spirit quickly returned home following the guidance of the street lights.


    ¡°Doo Gulu Doo?¡±


    Seeing Qin Lang go into the kitchen with only milk, chicken eggs and white sugar from the refrigerator, Dan Bao looked somewhat puzzled.


    Is that all?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, these are enough.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head.


    Dan Bao expressed a curious look.


    ¡°Doo Goo Doo?¡±


    When do I get to breathe fire?


    ¡°That will be thest step.¡± Qin Lang replied seriously, while cracking three eggs into a bowl, ¡°What you are going to do is like the finishing touch of the caramel pudding.¡±


    Is it that important?


    Dan Bao nodded heavily, looking super serious.


    ¡°Doo Gulu Doo!¡±


    I will definitely do a good job!


    ¡°I believe you certainly can.¡± Qin Lang encouraged with a smile, then sprinkled some white sugar into the bowl.


    He then stirred the sugar and eggs using an egg beater, turning it into slightly thickened egg liquid.


    He added 300ml of warm milk into the bowl, thoroughly mixed the twoponents, and then strained them.


    The milk¡¯s temperature at this step can¡¯t be too high, or it would turn into egg drop soup.


    Dan Bao approached and smelled the milk fragrance lingering in the air, a curious look on its face.


    ¡°Goo Doo?¡±


    There are no solid residues, why strain it?


    ¡°To filter out the bubbles produced during mixing.¡± Qin Lang exined gently, ¡°Otherwise, the final caramel pudding will have a lot of bubbles inside, and the taste will change a bit.¡±


    Dan Bao nodded with an expression of understanding yet not quite understanding.


    Even though there were only three ingredients, there was still a lot to learn about caramel pudding!


    After the pudding liquid was set aside for a while, Qin Lang looked at the expectant Dan Bao, ¡°Next, we will make the caramel liquid.¡±


    A mixture of white sugar and water in a two-to-one ratio was simmered over low heat.


    When the sugar turned into a deep caramel color, a little water was added and brought to a boil again to be caramel liquid.


    He slowly poured the caramel liquid into the bottom of the cup-shaped mould. The clear, brown and slightly viscous texture made Qin Lang nod in satisfaction.


    Smelling the caramel aroma spreading in the air, Dan Bao¡¯s little face also showed a contented look.


    The pudding liquid that had sat for a while was slowly poured into the mould, then sealed with aluminum foil with a few venttion holes poked through, and ced on a baking tray.


    Water was added to the bottom of the baking tray, and it was put into the oven.


    ¡°The next step would require waiting for forty minutes-¡± Qin Lang set the oven temperature to 180 degrees, then left the kitchen holding Dan Bao, ¡°During the waiting process, we can read a bit.¡±


    Settled on the sofa, Qin Lang picked up an unfinished Spirit Chef book from the tea table to continue reading, while Dan Bao curled up in Qin Lang¡¯s arms, rubbing against him from time to time.


    One human and one spirit cuddling together, it was a warm scene.


    ¡°vor Value?¡± Seeing the content of his interest, a curious look appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face, ¡°So the strength of a Food Spirit can be measured in this way.¡± ¡°Gududu?¡±


    Dan Bao blinked, propped up its body with itsrge elliptical tail, and looked at the words on the page, but soon showed a troubled expression.


    It couldn¡¯t read the words¡­


    Noticing Dan Bao¡¯s action, Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°Let me exin it to you.¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded satisfactorily.


    ¡°The strength a Food Spirit can exert depends on two elements.¡± Qin Lang stretched out a finger to point at the words in the book, reading aloud as he moved his finger, ¡°Star Vein Spiritual Power Value and Food Spirits Taste Value.¡±


    ¡°The total amount of spiritual power contained in a Spirit Chef¡¯s Star Veins is fixed, and meditation can only recover the consumed spiritual power, it cannot increase its upper limit.¡±


    ¡°The only way to increase it is by unlocking more Star Veins.¡±


    ¡°When only one Star Vein is owned, the Star Vein¡¯s spiritual power value is 100.¡±


    ¡°If the second Star Vein is unlocked, then the spiritual power value of both Star Veins bes 125.¡±


    ¡°As more Star Veins are unlocked, the Star Vein spiritual power value will continue to increase.¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Gududu?¡±


    So once Qin Lang unlocked the second Star Vein, its own strength would also be enhanced?


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Qin Lang gently touched his forehead, ¡°But only after you be a Two-Star Food Spirit, can I unlock the second Star Vein ¨C Tian Shu.¡±


    Dan Bao nodded thoughtfully.


    Got it!


    After it became a Two-Star Food Spirit, Qin Lang would be able to unlock the second Star Vein!


    Once Qin Lang unlocked the second Star Vein, the Star Vein spiritual power value would increase!


    If the Star Vein spiritual power value increased, its strength would be even stronger!


    Then what was this Food Spirits Taste Value?


    ¡°Gududu?¡±


    ¡°Food Spirits Taste Value is determined by the Taste of the Origin Cuisine.¡± Qin Lang spoke softly, ¡°The more delicious the Origin Cuisine, the higher the Food Spirits Taste Value it will have.¡±


    ¡°However, Food Spirits Taste Value may overflow, because the maximum Taste Value varies at different stages for each Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°A One-Star Food Spirit can have a maximum Taste Value of 100 points, with each increase of one star, the maximum Taste Value increases by 100 points.¡±


    ¡°For example, if the actual Taste Value of the Origin Cuisine is 150 points, then the Taste Value of the Food Spirit at the One-Star stage would only be 100 points, and it would only reach 150 points at the Two-Star stage.¡±


    Immediately a look of concern appeared on Dan Bao¡¯s face.


    What¡¯s the use of reaching the Seven-Star stage if the Taste Value of the Origin Cuisine is not high?


    ¡°Gudugu?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there is a way to increase the Taste Value of a Food Spirit.¡± Qin Lang confidently smiled, ¡°When a Spirit Chef improves the Deliciousness of the Origin Cuisine, the Taste Value will be synchronously increased when the Food Spirit eats it.¡±


    ¡°So, this requires the continuous improvement of a Spirit Chef¡¯s culinary skills.¡±


    So the Taste Value could be increased.


    Dan Bao breathed a sigh of relief immediately.


    It had full confidence in Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills, it believed that increasing its Taste Value would not be a problem.


    ¡°The Product of Taste Value and Spiritual Power Value is the Combat Power Value of a Food Spirit.¡±


    The kitchen timer rang at this moment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the caramel pudding ready first.¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    bonus content:


    [Caramel Pudding]


    [French Caramel Pudding]

 Chapter 21 - 21 Flavor Value of Dan Bao

    Chapter 21: vor Value of Dan Bao


    Trantor: 549690339


    As Qin Lang opened the oven, a strong milky aroma mixed with the unique scent of caramel wafted rapidly from the oven, assaulting both Qin Lang and his Food Spirit, the Dan Bao.


    It was a sweet aroma that Dan Bao had never experienced before, even with its most favorite scent-eggs.


    In just an instant, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but salivate, its eyes fixated on the baking tray that Qin Lang was holding out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, there is still the most critical step that requires your participation,¡± Qin Lang reminded with a smile. He carefully took the moulds from the baking tray, removed the tin foil, and ced them in ice water to cool the pudding inside by making contact with the outer walls of the mould.


    After a moment, he used a small knife to separate the pudding from the mould along its inner walls, and then inverted a te over the top of the mould.


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s time to witness a miracle,¡± Qin Lang cleared his throat softly.


    Dan Bao was all attention, its eyes wide open, not missing any movement made by Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang swiftly flipped the mould and te and then picked up the mould.


    The pudding inside easily separated from the mould and appeared in the center of the te.


    Duang-


    The bottomyer of the pudding had a pale yellow shade, it was shining, tender, and its bounciness was clearly visible to the naked eye.


    The topmostyer of the pudding was the light brown of caramel, which was the caramel liquid poured into the mould first. Now, after baking, it had integrated with the pudding, evenly tinting ayer on the pudding. It looked irresistibly enticing.


    A portion of the caramel liquid had not been absorbed into the pudding and was now poured out along the edges of the pudding and formed a shallowyer in the te when the mould was overturned.


    The rich aroma of the caramel pudding had filled the entire kitchen.


    Qin Lang calmly sprinkled ayer of white sugar onto both caramel puddings and then turned his gaze to Dan Bao, who was ready and excited, ¡°It¡¯s time for your performance!¡±


    Caramel pudding generally falls into two types.


    One is where the caramel liquid tinges the pudding, adding the vor of caramel to the pudding, which is the traditional caramel pudding.


    The other is modeled on French Baked Brill ¨C ayer of white sugar is sprinkled on the surface of the pudding, and a caramelyer is formed through baking or heating with a blowtorch.


    The former integrates the caramel taste into the pudding, each bite is filled with the fragrance of caramel. Thetter¡¯s caramel vor can¡¯tpletely integrate into the pudding, but the hard caramelyer created gives a unique taste.


    Qin Lang¡¯s method belongs to the traditional caramel pudding.


    But by sprinkling white sugar, it also incorporates the feature of French caramel pudding.


    ¡°Fire it up with a weakened version of Full Firepower and roast the sugar on the surface!¡±


    Dan Bao understood immediately and took a deep breath.


    Countless small mes appeared from the crevices of its face and body, and with a blow from Dan Bao, they turned into slender mes.


    As soon as the mes touched the white sugar, the separate granules of white sugar melted due to the heat, quickly bing caramelized.


    Without waiting for Qin Lang¡¯s order, Dan Bao turned his head and aimed its mes at the other caramel pudding.


    Soon, the white sugar on both caramel puddings had cooled and formed a crispy caramelyer of tan color.


    The strong caramel aroma blended with the sweet taste of the pudding. Under the light, the caramelyer on the surface of the pudding glistened slightly, and theyer of caramel liquid at the bottom of the te also shone with an appetising glow.


    ¡°We can start eating now.¡± Qin Lang took out a small spoon, first used the back of the spoon to lightly tap the caramelyer on the surface of the caramel pudding, breaking it into small pieces, and then ced it in front of Dan Bao, ¡°Would you like to try it?¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s little head, which had been peeking out impatiently from its body, flew forward eagerly to taste this caramel pudding which it had had a hand in making.


    Not bothering with the little guy, Qin Lang scooped up a spoonful of caramel pudding mixed with broken caramelyer and put it into his mouth.


    The crispyyer of caramel felt like hard candy and, as it was very thin, it easily crumbled during the chewing process, adding texture to the velvety caramel pudding.


    The fragrance of caramel mixed thoroughly with the milky aroma inherent to the pudding, instantly filling his mouth and nose.


    Bringing a sense of happiness to the taster through sweetness is the essence of desserts.


    Soon, both of them wore identical expressions of contentment.


    After enjoying the caramel pudding to their heart¡¯s content, Dan Bao felt that today¡¯s two-hour special training was absolutely worth it.


    Looking at Qin Lang, who had started to clean the tableware, it suddenly remembered the ¡°vor value¡± mentioned earlier.


    ording to what Qin Lang had said earlier, the maximum vor value for Dan Bao, currently at the One-Star stage, was 100 points.


    Has my own vor value reached its limit?


    ¡°Gududu?¡±


    It swiftly sidled up to Qin Lang, blinking its eyes inquisitively.


    ¡°Your vour value?¡± Qin Lang ced clean tableware onto the rack, then affectionately ruffled Dan Bao¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯ll pay a visit to Mr Zhou Qing tomorrow and swing by the Spirit Chef Association for a test on the way.¡±


    Having understood the circumstances surrounding vour value, Qin Lang was curious to know what Dan Bao¡¯s current vour value could be.


    While he had confidence in his cooking skills, he was unsure about the standards of vour value.


    Without measurement, everything remained a mystery.


    ¡°Guduu!¡±


    With anticipation, Dan Bao bobbed its head.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s get some sleep,¡± Qin Lang cradled Dan Bao in his arms. ¡°We¡¯ve got a visit to Mr Zhou Qing nned for tomorrow, so we need to recharge tonight.¡±


    After washing up with Dan Bao, they bothy down on the bed.


    ¡°Good night, Dan Bao~¡±


    ¡°Gululu-¡±


    Early next morning, Qin Lang, having eaten breakfast, set off from home with Dan Bao.


    He had already alerted Uncle Luo Hui, the steamed bass would be prepared during evening dinner service.


    This way, he had ample time to pay a visit to Food Rmender Zhou Qing.


    But, before the visit, Qin Lang was nning a vour value test at the Spirit Chef Association with Dan Bao.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    After collecting the 200 yuan test fee, a staff member led Qin Lang and Dan Bao to the testing area.


    The testing area had a ssntern-like container, which was open.


    ¡°Food Spirit, enter.¡±


    Following Qin Lang¡¯s confirmation, Dan Bao obediently flew into thentern.


    Thentern closed after Dan Bao entered, and small lights began to flicker rapidly.


    The test had begun.


    After setting up the tool, the staff member crossed his arms, showing interest in Qin Lang, who had unconsciously tightened his grip.


    There were many Spiritual Chefs who had their Food Spirit¡¯s taste value measured right after it was created.


    Based on his experience, this spiritual chef, who had registered just three days ago, would have a Food Spirit with a taste value inevitably between sixty and seventy.


    A Food Spirit could not be produced if the Origin Cuisine didn¡¯t have a taste value of at least 60.


    Although this was just one of the birth conditions for a Food Spirit, the limitation, in most cases, was the cooking skill of the Spiritual Chef.


    While thinking this, the staff member shifted his eyes to the screen that now disyed the results.


    [Food Spirit Taste Value: 100]


    Staff member:¡±???¡±


    He widened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at Qin Lang, his face filled with astonishment.


    A spiritual chef for only three days, and he¡¯s already hit the one-star ceiling?!


    Qin Lang let out a sigh of relief, holding Dan Bao who had just flown out of thentern, and gave a cheeky grin.


    A taste value of 100, huh¡­


    Unexpected, but within reason..

 Chapter 22 - 22: Zhou Qing’s Test

    Chapter 22: Zhou Qing¡¯s Test


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°118 Linjiang Road¡­¡±


    Qin Lang, holding Dan Bao, searched for the address of the Food Rmender he found on the official website of the Spirit Chef Association.


    Eventually, he stopped in front of a standalone vi with arge garden.


    Being among the only eleven First-Level Food Rmenders in the entirety of Dongxia City really dide with its perks.


    When would he and Dan Bao be able to live in a vi like this?


    After a sigh of appreciation, Qin Lang approached and rang the doorbell on the iron gate.


    ¡°Ding dong~¡±


    After the doorbell, a figure quickly emerged from the vi and walked briskly towards Qin Lang.


    The moment the iron gate was opened, they both froze.


    ¡°Judge Zhou Yun?¡± Qin Lang blinked, surprised to see the judge from his Food Fight the previous day.


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Zhou Yun recognized the young man he had just met yesterday. His demeanor was softer than during the Food Fight. ¡°What brings you here, Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°I came to visit Mr. Zhou Qing,¡± Qin Lang politely responded, then blinked.


    Zhou Yun, Zhou Qing¡­


    Both had the same surname, Zhou¡­


    ¡°So, you¡¯re here to see my father. Please,e in,¡± Zhou Yun¡¯s words confirmed Qin Lang¡¯s suspicion. He ushered Qin Lang in, ¡°You¡¯re here for the Food Rmender Badge, right?¡±


    ¡°My father is currently fishing in the backyard, wait in the living room for a while, I¡¯ll fetch him.¡±


    ¡°You can fish in the backyard?¡± Qin Lang was stunned.


    Just how wealthy was this family?


    ¡°A small tributary of the Xiayun River happens to pass through our backyard,¡± Zhou Yun said,ughing. ¡°My father loves to fish, so when he learned about this vi with a backyard suitable for fishing, he used his lifetime savings to buy it.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully.


    Tianhua State featured a mountain and two rivers. The mountain was Bailing, and the rivers were Xiayun and Dulu. They flowed around either side of the mountain.


    The Xiayun River almost split Tianhua State in two, passing through three cities ¡ª Dongxia City being one of them.


    As he watched Zhou Yun leave, Qin Lang took a sip of his tea, offered some of the snacks on the table to Dan Bao, and patiently waited.


    After some time, Zhou Yun reappeared in the living room.


    But now, his expression held a hint of something strange. ¡°Do you know how to fish?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang blinked, ¡°A little bit.¡±


    Having learned to fish, he had a better understanding of the habits of fish, which was somewhat helpful for cooking fish dishes. Although he was not an expert, he knew his way around a fishing rod.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Zhou Yun smiled. ¡°My father wants you to apany him to fish.¡±


    There was a hint of confusion in his heart.


    His father had never been like this with Spiritual Chefs before. What had changed today?


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Qin Lang didn¡¯t mind, just shrugged. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any fishing gear.¡±


    ¡°We have a spare set in the storeroom. 1¡¯11 get it for you.¡± Zhou Yun quickly brought out a reserve fishing gear set and handed it to Qin Lang. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the backyard.¡±


    After passing through the manicured nts in the backyard, Qin Lang soon saw the tributary that passed through.


    About five meters wide, it was crystal clear, with a good number of fish swimming around.


    Next to it was arge stone where an elderly man with white hair dressed casually sat motionless with a fishing rod in his hand.


    This was Zhou Qing, the Food Rmender Qin Lang was here to visit.


    There was a small stool next to Zhou Qing¡¯s stone probably prepared for Qin Lang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you here.¡± Zhou Yun lowered his voice, then quietly left.


    Qin Lang nodded, gave Dan Bao a ¡°shhh¡± gesture, then slowly sat down on the stool.


    Dan Bao curiously looked around, then watched as Qin Lang baited the hook, picked a spot, and cast the line.


    Zhou Qing also seemed to be subtly watching Qin Lang¡¯s actions. Seeing that Qin Lang did a good job, a smile appeared on his face.


    The two began to wait quietly.


    Soon, Qin Lang¡¯s fishing float started to twitch.


    A fish had taken the bait.


    After feeling the force of the fish tugging the line, Qin Lang swiftly lifted his fishing rod. Amid the ripples on the surface of the water, a small crucian carp was struggling wildly.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up, and he cheered quietly, delighted that Qin Lang had caught a fish.


    Qin Lang removed the fish from the hook, looked at it for a moment, and then released it back into the water.


    ¡°Why did you let it go?¡± Zhou Qing suddenly asked.


    ¡°The fish is too small, it¡¯s better to let it grow a bit more,¡± Qin Lang replied honestly.


    He seemed satisfied with Qin Lang¡¯s answer and a smile spread across Zhou Qing¡¯s face.


    Soon, his own fishing float also started moving.


    A Bass weighing about two pounds.


    After putting the bass in his bucket, Zhou Qing looked at Qin Lang and suddenly asked, ¡°Did you cook a dish with oxtail in yesterday¡¯s Food Fight?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang wasn¡¯t surprised about Zhou Yun sharing this information.


    ¡°I thought your specialty was Steamed Bass, but it seems there¡¯s more to your skills,¡± Zhou Qing said, his gaze falling on the stream in front of them. ¡°There are more than a dozen edible fish species in this stream, including those naturally found in the Xiayun River and those I¡¯ve added and raised here.¡± ¡°Catch a fish and cook a dish that satisfies me using that fish,¡± Zhou Qing looked at Qin Lang, ¡°If you can do this, I¡¯ll grant you the Food Rmender badge, okay?¡±


    After taking a good look at the fish in the stream, Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The species here were not particrly rare, all weremon edible fish.


    This challenge didn¡¯t seem too difficult.


    With fresh bait, Qin Lang was more focused than before as he cast his line again, patiently waiting.


    Zhou Qing didn¡¯t leave immediately but watched Qin Lang with interest, crossing his arms.


    About twenty minutester, Qin Lang¡¯s float moved again.


    Feeling the stronger tugging force transmitted from the fishing rodpared to thest time, he knew for sure that it wasn¡¯t a small fish this time.


    After allowing the fish to pull on the line for a while, Qin Lang quickly pulled the line in.


    Soon, a Mandarin fish that weighed about three pounds emerged, struggling fiercely.


    A mandarin fish?!


    Qin Lang blinked.


    ¡°There are only a few mandarin fish in here, and you managed to catch one,¡± Zhou Qingughed. ¡°1 released a few carnivorous fishes, so the other fish species would be more active, and their meat would be better.¡±


    The catfish effect, huh?


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding. ¡°1¡¯11 cook using this Mandarin fish then.¡±


    ¡°The meat of carnivorous fish is usually more delicious. I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± Zhou Qing nodded as Qin Lang put the Mandarin fish into his bucket. He then threw a handful of bait into the water, attracting numerous fishes to scramble for food.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the kitchen.¡±


    Zhou Qing¡¯s kitchen was equipped with everything needed and even had a dedicated food supply warehouse full of variousmon ingredients.


    ¡°Do you need any other ingredients from the Food Material Market?¡± Zhou Qing asked.


    ¡°No, this is already veryprehensive,¡± Qin Lang responded satisfactorily.


    At those words, Zhou Qing turned and walked out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Then, i¡¯ll leave it to you..¡±

 Chapter 23 - 23: Squirrel Mandarin Fish

    Chapter 23: Squirrel Mandarin Fish


    Trantor: 549690339


    Speaking of dishes made from Mandarin Fish, there¡¯s one dish that has to be mentioned.


    It¡¯s a ssic dish of Suzhou Cuisine, the Squirrel Mandarin Fish.


    The moment Qin Lang got his hands on this Mandarin fish, it was the first dish he thought of.


    The moment Qin Lang picked up his kitchen knife, Dan Bao moved closer, his face filled with curiosity.


    The ingredient Qin Lang had obtained was something Dan Bao had never seen before.


    This means that the dish Qin Lang is about to prepare is a new one!


    ¡°Gududu?¡±


    ¡°This dish is called Squirrel Mandarin Fish.¡± Qin Lang smiled, and skillfully began to descale and gut the fish, ¡°When it¡¯s done, it looks like a squirrel.¡±


    The Squirrel Mandarin Fish is divided into two types, one is Yuanbao-shaped, and the other is shaped like an actual squirrel.


    The former looks like a Yuanbao with the fish head facing upwards and the fish body curling up, symbolizing good luck. Thetter, which is shaped like a squirrel, is more often seen in restaurants as it has life-like details.


    Cooking a fish to look like a squirrel?


    There are dishes as interesting as this?


    Dan Bao blinked, with curiosity showing on his tiny face.


    Qin Lang skillfully ran the knife close to the fish¡¯s dorsal fin, deboning to divide the fish body into two, then remove the spines on the sides.


    ¡°Dan Bao, help me prepare the scallions and ginger.¡± As Qin Lang requested, he began to score the two halves of the fish.


    He first scored diagonally, then vertically, to elongate the pieces of fish.


    If preparing the yuanbao shape, the knife needs to tilt more, so each slice of fish can open up as much as possible. If shaping it to look like a squirrel, the knife should only tilt slightly, shorter slices of fish make the shaping process easier to control.


    This cutting technique is also known as the Lychee Cutting Technique. After heating, the skin of the fish curls up, revealing distinct morsels of fish that resemble lychees, making the dish particrly attractive.


    On the other side, Dan Bao already adeptly selected the scallions and ginger from the side ingredients and started to prepare them with great effort.


    They finished at the same time.


    The two halves of the fish were put into a bowl with water, chopped scallions and ginger, and cooking wine, for a brief marination.


    With a gentle shake, the scored fish looked like it had bloomed. The thin slices of fish were trembling in the water, which made a stunning sight.


    Dan Bao leaned in, with his eyes widened, staring at the fish meat in the water as if he was amazed.


    ¡°Dan Bao, help me with these oranges.¡± Qin Lang handed several oranges to Dan Bao.


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    Dan Bao took the oranges and began to prepare them with great concentration.


    While Dan Bao was busy with the oranges, Qin Lang had already started another phase of the preparation.


    Both halves of the fish were arranged to form the body and therge tail of the squirrel, while the short fin part at the back of the fish gill formed the squirrel¡¯s head.


    The whiskers of the squirrel are formed by the rib bones from the belly of the fish.


    After assembling a squirrel head forter use, it was about time to finish marinating the fish for deodorization.


    After shaking off the water, two halves of the fish were put into the cornstarch. Once each shred of fish was well coated with cornstarch, the excess starch was shaken off, and the fish was spread out skin side down to rest for a few minutes.


    This step is called ¡®nourishing the paste¡¯.


    During this resting period, the dry cornstarch on the surface of the fish would absorb the moisture in the fish, forming a tightyer of starch.


    During the deep-frying process, the starchyer quickly hardens, bing dense, much like a micro steamer, perfectly retaining the tenderness of the fish.


    Only then can the Squirrel Mandarin Fish achieve a crispy exterior and tender interior.


    While the fish was resting, Qin Lang had not been idle either.


    The preparation of the sauce needs to be done in advance.


    If you wait until after the Squirrel Mandarin Fish is fried to prepare the sauce, the newly fried fish would have already started to cool, failing to generate the sizzling sound when served.


    The sizzling sound, reminiscent of the squirrel¡¯s cries, is an integral part of this dish.


    After receiving the prepared oranges from Dan Bao, Qin Lang quickly peeled them and used a juicer to extract the juice.


    He was preparing a sweet and sour sauce, but to improve the final taste, he added orange juice to it.


    Orange juice was added to the pan, then a pinch of salt, the white sugar and the white vinegar were poured in at a 1:1 ratio.


    As soon as the pot started to bubble, he added cornstarch slurry to thicken the mixture, and then kept it on low heat to maintain its temperature.


    The process took only a few minutes, and meanwhile, the fish¡¯s body was covered in slurry.


    He heated up the pan with oil, and slowly ced the fish, fixed with toothpicks to retain its shape, into the pan.


    In an instant, apanied by a crisp sizzling sound, countless tiny bubbles erupted from the fish.


    A rich aroma from the oil frying burst out in the process, causing Dan Bao to take a deep breath, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face.


    ¡°We¡¯re just getting started,¡± Qin Lang said with a smile, scooping up hot oil and continuously pouring it over the surface of the fish to even out the heat. Once the fish was set in its shape, he took it out.


    The scooped-up fish presented a light yellow color. As the fish skin heated and curled up, it also spread out, looking as delicate and fluffy as squirrel fur, and there was a continuous emergence of a rich aroma.


    The prepared squirrel head was slightly coated with cornstarch, then fried in the oil until golden, and finally scooped out.


    The oil temperature was higher at this point.


    The fish body was put in again to be deep fried; in just an instant, a strong aroma burst out from the pan.


    This aroma had the unique fragrance of deep-fried starch as well as the fresh fragrance of fish.


    The light yellow color on the fish¡¯s body gradually deepened during the frying process, eventually turning into a beautiful golden color.


    Dan Bao unconsciously swallowed his saliva.


    It looks so delicious!


    As it is, it seems tasty!


    The fish was taken out, and the squirrel¡¯s head, body and tail were arranged into shape. Qin Lang carefully poured the previously prepared sweet and sour sauce over every inch of the Squirrel Mandarin Fish.


    The fish was still hot from frying, and when the sweet and sour sauce was poured over it, it gave off a burst of sizzling sounds.


    The Squirrel Mandarin Fish, ready!


    ¡°Father, I thought you knew Qin Lang, and his test would be easier,¡± said Zhou


    Yun at the dining table, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect you to give him such a test.¡±


    Cooking one¡¯s own caught fish is a process filled with randomness.


    The type of fish cannot be determined, nor can the quality of the fish that is caught be determined.


    Therefore, it¡¯s more difficult than cooking a specific type of fish.


    Thetter is the way Zhou Qing used to test the Spirit Chef in the past.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Zhou Qing calmly sipped his tea, ¡°I believe he has the potential.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Yun nods, then changes the subject, ¡°Father, what was that special invitation you received the other day?¡±


    ¡°The Leaping Fish Banquet in Mingjing Province,¡± Zhou Qing looked at Zhou Yun, ¡°1 visited Mingjing Province many years ago and made a few old friends there. They invited me toe and see this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s two months away. After the city-levelpetition is over, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go see it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhou Yun sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t take time off as a Food Fight Judge for the Association, otherwise, I¡¯d also have a chance to experience it.¡±


    A sizzling sound interrupted their conversation.


    Smelling the strong aroma that quickly wafted over, both father and son of the Zhou family expressed surprise in their eyes.


    They turned their heads together and looked at Qin Lang carrying the fish tter.


    cing the fish tter on the dining table, Qin Lang smiled slightly.


    ¡°The Squirrel Mandarin Fish, please taste.¡±


    End Chapter Teaser:


    [Yuanbao-Shaped Mandarin Squirrel Fish]


    [Schematic Mandarin Squirrel Fish]

 Chapter 24 - 24: Fish Scale Badge

    Chapter 24: Fish Scale Badge


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Is this a Mandarin fish?!¡± Zhou Yun blinked, staring intently at the dish on the table, a look of astonishment on his face.


    No matter from which angle it was viewed, the dish looked so simr to a squirrel.


    As a Food Fight Judge, he had seen many uniquely ted dishes, but he had never seen such a dish before.


    Everyone knows that a fish and a squirrel have disparate forms, so what kind of ting technique was able to fuse the two together?


    Zhou Qing,pared to Zhou Yun, was much moreposed.


    Although he was initially surprised, his intimate familiarity with fish quickly helped him discern the details.


    ¡°Is the squirrel¡¯s head made from the little fin area behind the fish¡¯s head?¡± Zhou Qing nodded slightly, ¡°It¡¯s surprising how simr it looks from this angle. This is something I¡¯ve never discovered before.¡±


    With careful observation, he quickly picked up on more details.


    Were the fish slices made by meticulous knifework and coated with starch before being deep-fried?


    He hadn¡¯t expected that this cooking technique could be applied to fish.


    At this moment, Zhou Qing was somewhat d that he chose to test Qin Lang in this way, as thetter had once again surprised him.


    Since it was cooked by deep-frying, it was normal for the dish to have a strong aroma.


    However, Zhou Qing noticed that the fragrance wasn¡¯t purely from the deep-fried starch.


    It also contained the fresh taste characteristic of Mandarin fish.


    If the scent of fried starch was overpowering, Zhou Qing would be dissatisfied with the dish.


    But at this moment, the fresh taste of the fish was just right, which made him nod in approval.


    What was even more ingenious was that the fragrance also had a hint of citrus.


    At a nce, Zhou Qing could roughly ascertain that the citrus scent came from the sauce poured on the surface.


    The slightly sweet and sour scent of the orange perfectly counterbnced the greasiness of the fried starch, an undoubtedly scoring point for the dish.


    Both visually and in terms of aroma, the dish was wless.


    The golden squirrel was lifelike and vibrant, and could hold its own among the tings of all the dishes Zhou Qing had ever seen.


    It didn¡¯t overly emphasize mboyance, but nailed vivacity.


    It was excellent.


    Zhou Qing picked up his chopsticks.


    His first bite was from the squirrel¡¯s tail.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Apanied by a very slight crunch, a piece of fish was cleanly snapped off, leaving a small portion of fish skin exposed at the end.


    This made Zhou Qing nod in approval.


    He knew what this signified.


    It represented Qin Lang¡¯s outstanding knifework.


    Only with each cut precisely made on the fish skin, without cutting through it, could each piece of fish break cleanly from its base.


    Otherwise, fragments of the fish slice would remain, causing an unpleasant dining experience for food guests with obsessivepulsive disorder.


    Coincidentally, Zhou Qing was somewhat obsessivepulsive.


    This made him have an even better impression of the dish.


    Biting into half of the fish piece, Zhou Qing slowly chewed.


    The initial taste was sweet and sour.


    The thickly-dressed sweet and sour sauce adhered better to the outer coating of the starch, its citrusy sweet and sour vor stimting the senses and enhancing the appetite.


    After a bit of chewing, the taste underwent a new change.


    The crispy outer shell made of deep-fried starch had a slight stickiness, a result of its loose outeryer being permeated with the sweet and sour sauce, lessening any greasy vor while adding richness to the texture.


    Contrasting with it was the juicy tender fish meat inside.


    Zhou Qing couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize the half piece of fish left on his chopstick.


    Through the cross-section, the juicy and tender state of the inner fish meat was clearly discernible.


    Could the cooking time really be controlled so well?


    He couldn¡¯t help but praise it a little.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Yun silently picked up his fifth strip of fish with his chopsticks.


    It¡¯s so good.


    While his father was still savoring the taste, he quickly snatched the opportunity to eat more.


    Zhou Qing noticed his son¡¯s sneaky action and immediately red at him.


    Afterwards, Zhou Qing slowly stood up and walked towards a cab at the side, pulling out a badge from within.


    ¡°This badge is unique to me, the Fish Scale Badge.¡± Zhou Qing handed the badge to Qin Lang seriously, ¡°You cooking gained my approval, now, I will give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Qin Lang took the badge, examining it carefully.


    This is a bronze badge, the front of it is decorated with fish scale patterns and an image of a leaping koi fish, the words ¡°Dongxia City-Fish Scale¡± were etched at the bottom.


    Is this the First-Level Food Rmender Badge?


    He cherishingly held the Fish Scale badge close to his chest, a smile of joy surfacing on his face.


    Getting the first badge was an auspicious omen.


    He hoped that acquiring the next two badges would be just as smooth sailing.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    He got the Food Rmender badge!


    Sensing Qin Lang¡¯s joy, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but cheer.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost noon, why not stay for a quick lunch.¡± Zhou Qing suggested with a smile.


    After tasting the Squirrel Mandarin Fish cooked by Qin Lang, his fingers were itching to show off his skill.


    ¡°Then, 1¡¯11 take you up on your offer.¡± Qin Lang nodded politely, anticipation shining in his eyes.


    He also wanted to see just how good the Food Rmender who was said to excel in cooking fish dishes, actually was.


    During lunch, both host and guest were greatly entertained.


    Zhou Qing, who had spent a lifetime cooking fish dishes, naturally wasn¡¯tcking in skill.


    More importantly, his culinary style embodied many local cooking methods and philosophies of the Food Spirit World.


    The cooking styles of the two worlds could not be judged as better or worse than the other, but each had their own distinctive characteristics honed through long-term development.


    Therefore, tasting Zhou Qing¡¯s dishes greatly stimted Qin Lang.


    ¡°Grandpa Zhou, I will take my leave now.¡±


    After the meal, Qin Lang¡¯s addressing of Zhou Qing had be more affectionate.


    ¡°Alright, feel free to drop by any time.¡± Zhou Qing said with a smile.


    The exchange at the dining table had not only impacted Qin Lang, but also him.


    Every insight from this insightful young man always brought him fresh perspectives.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing you at the cookingpetition in a week.¡±


    ¡°I definitely will.¡± Qin Lang nodded and left Zhou¡¯s house.


    During lunch, Zhou Qing had ryed some information about other Food Rmenders to him.


    Although it was just some general precautions that did not delve into any secrets, it still gave him more confidence in obtaining the other two Food Rmender badges.


    As for how to get the Food Rmender badges next, he already had a n.


    Zhou Qing watched Qin Lang leave and slowly withdrew his gaze.


    ¡°Father, what ce do you think he will take in the city-level cookingpetition in a week?¡± Zhou Yun already took it for granted that Qin Lang would sessfully get the three badges.


    The eleven First-Level Food Rmenders were also the eleven final judges in the city-level cookingpetition.


    Zhou Qing must have made an urate judgment of Qin Lang¡¯s capabilities.


    ¡°What rank?¡± Zhou Qing shook his head, ¡°Competition rankings involve elements of luck. If the assigned task does not fit one¡¯s strengths, it is difficult to fully unleash their abilities; I can¡¯t say for sure.¡±


    ¡°But one thing I can assure.¡±


    ¡°In no time, you will see him in the provincial-level events..¡±

 Chapter 25 - 25 Daisy Garden

    Chapter 25: Daisy Garden


    Trantor: 549690339


    Since he still had time before the restaurant¡¯s evening operating hours, Qin Lang took a detour to the Food Material Market.


    As usual, he made his way to the Beef Area, but before he could start selecting, he noticed the tour guide staring straight at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Qin Lang touched his face, ¡°Is there a flower on my face?¡±


    ¡°Did you win yesterday¡¯s Food Fight¡­?¡± Fu Guan stared at the familiar young man, opened his mouth, and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Did you win with the oxtail?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, somewhat curious, ¡°Flow do you know?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, suddenly a lot of Spirit Chefs were buying oxtail, 1 found out from their chatter.¡± Fu Guan helplessly pointed at the ingredients in the disy case, ¡°Look, today¡¯s oxtail is all gone.¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±???¡±


    This was something he hadn¡¯t expected.


    The eager little face of Dan Bao beside him also drooped listlessly.


    Darn it!


    The delicious Oxtail Soup is gone!


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get some beef brisket then.¡±


    Qin Lang quickly selected a few pounds of good-looking beef brisket and asked Fu Guan to pack it up.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, tonight I¡¯ll make you Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao tofort him.


    ¡°Gududu?!¡±


    Dan Bao instantly perked up.


    What, what?


    Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles?


    It sounds delicious!


    ¡°You¡¯re going to love it,¡± Qin Lang dered confidently.


    He had discovered that Dan Bao wasn¡¯t a picky eater.


    Sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty, as long as the food was cooked well, it loved all vors.


    It was very easy to feed.


    When all the purchased ingredients were packed and the delivery address was filled out, Qin Lang then left the Food Material Market and headed to Starlight Restaurant.


    Seeing Qin Lang, Luo Hui immediately pulled him into the restaurant.


    ¡°How was it? Did you get Mr. Zhou Qing¡¯s badge?¡± Luo Hui asked with concern.


    Qin Lang¡¯s heart warmed, and he took out the Fish Scale Badge from his pocket and showed it to Luo Hui.


    The copper edges of the badge shone in the light, the stacked fish scale pattern on the front refracted a dazzling glow, and the koi fish in the center was lifelike, as if it would jump out of the badge.


    ¡°I knew you could do it.¡± Seeing the badge, Luo Hui smiled, ¡°For a Spirit Chef, getting the first First-Level Food Rmender Badge is just the beginning of the culinary journey. Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Luo Hui.¡± Qin Lang carefully put away the Fish Scale Badge, ¡°Tomorrow, I will visit the next food rmender and attempt to secure the second badge.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡± Luo Hui widened his eyes.


    Earning one badge via strength doesn¡¯t mean one can easily earn the others.


    Because each food rmender¡¯s assessment content is different.


    A person can specialize in one area, but it¡¯s impossible to excel at everything.


    After all, there¡¯s a limit to a person¡¯s energy.


    So when he heard that Qin Lang had just obtained a badge today and nned to try for the next one tomorrow, Luo Hui was quite surprised.


    ¡°Are you nning to participate in the City-level Cooking Competition next week?¡± Luo Hui realized something.


    ¡°Yes, I want to give it a try.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously.


    Seeing Qin Lang like this, although Luo Hui wasn¡¯t optimistic, he didn¡¯t discourage him.


    ¡°Who is the food rmender you n to visit tomorrow?¡± He patted his chest, ¡°If it¡¯s a food rmender I¡¯m familiar with, maybe I can provide you with some information.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Luo Hui.¡± Qin Lang smiled, not refusing the other¡¯s good intentions, ¡°Tomorrow I n to go to Daisy Garden and visit Ms. Song Hui.¡±


    ¡°Daisy Garden¡­¡± Luo Hui fell silent for a moment, looking at Qin Lang with a strange look in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±


    Daisy Garden, a renowned private garden within Dongxia City.


    Although privately owned, it is open to the public all year round; as long as visitors do not damage any nts, they are wee toe for free sightseeing and enjoyment.


    The garden houses a variety of flowers, but the most abundant is the small daisy, hence the name ¡°Daisy Garden¡±.


    For Spirit Chefs, Daisy Garden holds another significance.


    The owner of Daisy Garden is one of the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders in Dongxia City.


    She is Ms. Song Hui, the person Qin Lang just mentioned.


    However, the problem is that Song Hui specializes in desserts, so the assessment is usually rted to desserts.


    Furthermore, her desserts are predominantly flower-themed.


    For Spirit Chefs who are not adept at desserts, this is nothing short of a nightmare.


    Didn¡¯t Qin Lang do his homework in advance?


    Luo Hui couldn¡¯t help but start to worry.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not joking.¡± Seeing Luo Hui¡¯s concern, Qing Langughed casually, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Luo Hui, I also have a little knowledge about desserts.¡±


    ¡°You even know about desserts?¡± Luo Hui looked surprised.


    It seems that Qin Lang is aware of the uing challenge of visiting the Daisy Garden and is not as unprepared as he feared.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then good luck.¡± Luo Hui waved his arm in the air, ¡°Although Ms. Song Hui¡¯s assessments are strict, she has a very gentle personality, and she is very beautiful¡­ hehe¡­¡±


    Seeing Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s expression, this time it was Qin Lang who looked confused.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, you¡­¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, there used to be so many Spirit Chefs chasing Ms. Song Hui, they could stretch from the east of Dongxia City to the west!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Qin Lang was rendered speechless, shocked to see this side of Uncle Luo Hui.


    Just as he was about to say something, a familiar voice came from outside the restaurant.


    ¡°Is Qin Lang here?¡±


    Hmm?


    Qin Lang turned his head to look at the door and quickly saw Du Weiwei and Qi Xiaoyu standing shoulder to shoulder at the entrance.


    There was also an adolescent boy with them.


    How did they find this ce?


    As Qin Lang looked puzzled, Luo Hui chimed in at this moment, ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention, these three are your friends, right? They came here looking for you at noon.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ve also ordered the Steamed Bass for tomorrow.¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±????¡±


    He quickly walked to the door, with curiosity on his face, ¡°How did you find this ce?¡±


    ¡°The Spirit Chef-inmand is no secret, it¡¯s rather an important advertising point for the restaurant, so we naturally found out.¡± Weiwei looked at Qin Lang, ¡°Mainly I wanted to find out, have you sessfully gotten the badge?¡±


    From Qin Lang¡¯sments yesterday, she had been concerned about this.


    ¡°I have.¡± Qin Lang nodded and showed the badge again.


    ¡°A fish scale badge?¡± Looking at the badge sparkling in the sunlight, Weiwei pursed her mouth a bit, ¡°I am looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s steamed bass.¡±


    After speaking, she pulled Xiaoyu and left.


    Feeling the pressure against her peers of the same age who were once considered excellent, she felt she had to strive even harder!


    ¡°Hey hey hey!¡± Xiaoyu waved to Qin Lang as she was being pulled by Weiwei, ¡°I¡¯ve also made a reservation, I¡¯ll be here for sure tomorrow!¡±


    With two girls gone, Qin Lang looked at Zhao Chen, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have already earned a Food Rmender badge, that¡¯s great!¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Only a person like you is worthy to be my opponent.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Qin Lang! Fight with me!¡±


    ¡°No time.¡± Qin Lang turned around and left.


    ¡°Eh?¡±

 Chapter 26 - 26: Another battle with Zhao Chen

    Chapter 26: Another battle with Zhao Chen


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, thest Steamed Bass is ready.¡±


    After catching up on the noon order, Qin Lang stepped out of the kitchen and waved to Luo Hui.


    ¡°You worked hard.¡± Luo Hui hurried over, ¡°You still need to visit the Food Rmender tomorrow, do I really not need to tell the food guests who have booked Steamed Bass for tomorrow, to postpone their lunch reservation to dinner time?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t mention ahead of time, so naturally I can¡¯t dy the meal of the guests who have already reserved due to personal matters.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I will arrange your reservations for the next few days in the evening.¡± Luo Hui smiled, ¡°I think in theing days, you may have to visit other Food Rmenders.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you so much Uncle Luo Hui.¡± Qin Lang nodded appreciatively.


    Regardless of whether he seeds in obtaining the Second Badge tomorrow, he will have to visit other Food Rmenders afterwards.


    Scheduling the cooking of Steamed Bass exclusively during dinner service time was a tremendous help to him.


    ¡°Qin Lang, you have finished work, right?¡±


    A voice rang out at this moment.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Qin Lang looked helplessly at Zhao Chen, who popped out of nowhere.


    ¡°I missed outst time, and I won¡¯t let this chance pass, 1 want to have a Spirit Battle with you!¡± Zhao Chen earnestly dered.


    ¡°That kid has been wandering around here during dinner service time, so why don¡¯t you just agree?¡± Luo Hui, who enjoyed the drama, cheerfully suggested.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Taking a nce at the time, Qin Lang reluctantly nodded, ¡°But at this time, are there any vacant battlefields left at the Association?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, 1 have already reserved one in advance!¡± Zhao Chen patted his chest confidently, his eyes shining brightly after receiving Qin Lang¡¯s definite response.


    The chance for him to redeem his past defeat had finally arrived!


    His first battle after debut ended in defeat to Qin Lang, which was a massive blow to him.


    But after some deep reflection, he had done a lot of preparation work in this period.


    Not only did he familiarise himself withmon Combat Skills, but he also did some in-depth research on the Combat Skill ¡°Barbaric Collision¡± used by his Food Spirit and the Combat Skill ¡°Full Firepower¡± used by Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit.


    This time, he¡¯s confident that the issues fromst time won¡¯t resurface!


    So this time, he¡¯s sure to be victorious!


    To continually surpass opponents stronger than oneself, that¡¯s the quality a Food Spirit trainer should have!


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s set off then.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    It was just a detour to the Association.


    Previously, he was just not very interested and furthermore, he was indeed very busy.


    But now that Zhao Chen had initiated so actively, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to continue refusing.


    Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit, Yangyang, and Qin Lang¡¯s Dan Bao exchanged a look, as if a spark shed by where their gazes met.


    Thinking of thest time it was roasted into a charcoal, Yangyang¡¯s eyes filled with fighting spirit.


    This time, it and its invincible Spirit Chef would definitely redeem their past humiliation!


    The same battle spirit burned in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    A swift battle in order to return as soon as possible to eat the Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles cooked by Qin Lang!


    Soon, Zhao Chen and Qin Lang arrived at the battlefield within the Association.


    By coincidence, the referee for this Spirit Battle was still Jiang Gang fromst time.


    ¡°You two again?¡± Jiang Gangughed.


    Only a few days had passed since the previous Spirit Battle, and he could still remember these two.


    Thest Spirit Chef called Zhao Chen had lost because he didn¡¯t understand the Combat Skills. He wondered if he would learn his lesson this time.


    After repeating the rules as per custom, Jiang Gang bellowed, ¡°The countdown begins, Spirit Battle starts!¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Borrow strength from Tian Shu, guard!¡± x2


    Both sides of the Spirit Battle activate the Star Spirit Protection simultaneously, their Food Spirits confronting each other from a distance, their fighting spirit escting in their eyes.


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°One¡­ Spirit Battle begins!¡±


    With the sharp whistle tearing through the silence in the field, both Food Spirits move at the same time!


    Regardless whether it¡¯s Dan Bao¡¯s Full Firepower or Yangyang¡¯s Barbaric Collision, their effective attack ranges are shorter than the distance between them at the moment, making the actions of both Food Spirits surprisingly identical.


    Quickly closing the distance!


    A confident glimmer shes in Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes, quicklymunicating with Yangyang through their psychic connection.


    ¡°Yangyang,bat skills are divided into three major types. Their ¡®Full Firepower¡¯ is a Nature-based Combat Skill. Our ¡®Barbaric Collision¡¯ is a Fighting-based Combat Skill.¡±


    ¡°Nature-based Combat Skills are versatile in form, usually with a longer attack range.¡±


    ¡°Although Fighting-based Combat Skills have a shorter attack range and mostly require closebat, they can more easily disable the opponent once they hit!¡±


    ¡°Ourst defeat was because the ¡®Barbaric Collision¡¯ couldn¡¯t change its direction, leaving you in a stiff state and you bore the full force of ¡®Full Firepower¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fear the mes because of this. Short-term contact won¡¯t immediately result inbat incapability.¡±


    ¡°Utilize the training we¡¯ve done these past few days, and take them by surprise!¡±


    On the other side, Qin Lang is alsomunicating with Dan Bao.


    ¡°This time Zhao Chen did not let his Food Spirit use ¡®Barbaric Collision¡¯ immediately, it seems they have learned their lesson. In that case, we should also go all out!¡±


    All their exchanges happened in an instant and the two Food Spirits made new moves.


    Confirming that his opponent has entered the attack range of his ¡®Full Firepower¡¯, Dan Bao takes a deep breath.


    From Qin Lang¡¯s Tian Shu Star Vein, spiritual power gathers in Dan Bao¡¯s body. It transformed into swirling mes in his translucent body.


    With an all-out st, the mes even covered its little yolk face.


    In the next moment, Dan Bao violently spits out all the mes within its body!


    A rapidly exploding Fire Line instantly spreads out like a fan, transforming into an overwhelming sea of mes!


    The rolling heat wave quickly sweeps through the whole field, and Yangyang is positioned right at the center of the sea of mes.


    Watching the reddish mes rapidly expand in his line of sight, Yangyang¡¯s mind quickly shed back to the previous failure, boiling the fighting spirit in its eyes!


    ¡°Barbaric Collision!¡±


    Apanied by Zhao Chen¡¯s voice echoing in his mind, Yangyang¡¯s body reacted as if it had been given an enormous propelling force, shooting towards Dan Bao¡¯s direction past the sea of fire like a cannonball!


    The speed of the ¡®Barbaric Collision¡¯ skill will gradually slow down during its execution, and its power will also gradually decrease.


    So right at the moment of execution, Yangyang is at its fastest!


    The surging sea of mes was quickly torn open by the powerful wind brought by the rapid collision, creating arge hole!


    Yangyang¡¯s white fur quickly ckened under the high temperature, but it was far from losing itsbat capability!


    When the mes in front of it dispersed, Dan Bao, once again filled with mes, appeared in front of Yangyang!


    Seeing everything synchronized, Zhao Chen shouted, ¡°Last hit! Barbaric Collision!¡±


    The previously dwindling ¡®Barbaric Collision¡¯ from Yangyang was unleashed again, following the same direction.


    Like a cannonball elerating midway, it crashed towards Dan Bao with terrifying force!


    The response came in the form of a column of fire spouting from Dan Bao¡¯s mouth, like heavy artillery!


    ¡°Full Firepower, Convergence!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A thunderous explosion echoes through the battlefield!


    Jiang Gang is intently watching the dust kicked up by the collision in the arena.


    Who won?

 Chapter 27 - 27 The Little Girl on the Swing

    Chapter 27: The Little Girl on the Swing


    Trantor: 549690339


    When the dust in the arena finally settled, two Food Spirits were already lying on the ground.


    Yangyang¡¯s all-white fur was burnt to a crisp again, and arge bump grew on Dan Bao¡¯s head.


    ¡°The countdown begins in five seconds!¡± Jiang Gang swiftly stepped forward, observing both Food Spirits¡¯ conditions, ¡°Five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ two¡­¡±


    Just as he was about to say ¡®one¡¯, his countdown stopped abruptly.


    Dan Bao, swaying unsteadily, took off from the ground.


    Although still a bit dizzy, it clearly hadn¡¯t lost itsbat capability entirely.


    On the other hand, Yangyang¡¯s eyes were already spinning.


    (q_ o)


    A sharp whistle echoed throughout the battlefield.


    ¡°The winner of this round is Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the great match.¡± Qin Lang quickly stepped forward to hold Dan Bao, rubbing the bump on its forehead.


    With the first-person perspective provided by the Star Spirit Protection, he very clearly saw what had happened in the final collision.


    Dan Bao¡¯s cluster version of Full Firepower hit Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit squarely.


    The cluster version was more concentrated in power, and Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit was not in its full form after breaking through the sea of fire, hence it lost itsbat power immediately.


    Yet, due to inertia, Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit collided heavily with Dan Bao, and it also gave Dan Bao a big jolt.


    Following Jiang Gang¡¯s announcement of the Spirit Battle result, Star Power condensed from the sky and fell onto the two Food Spirits.


    When the particle of light merged with the small stars swirling around Dan Bao, the stars brightened, and Dan Bao¡¯s spirits also lifted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have also specially trained your Food Spirit¡¯s Combat Skills.¡± Zhao Chen lifted his Food Spirit and looked solemnly at Qin Lang, ¡°You¡¯re indeed my most formidable opponent.¡±


    During these few days of special training, his Food Spirit had mastered a special way of fighting, chaining two phases of Barbaric Collision after the first.


    He originally thought that with this fighting style, he could settle old scores and defeat Qin Lang.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected that Dan Bao¡¯s Full Firepower would have made such great progress!


    It managed to gather scattered me attacks to such an extent!


    ¡°Special training?¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    The training Dan Bao did to avoid having to buy a me Spray Gun, does that also count?


    ¡°Anyway, 1 will continue to train and improve with my Food Spirit in order to challenge you again!¡± Zhao Chen said before decisively turning and leaving.


    ¡°Uh¡­ alright then.¡± Qin Lang looked at Dan Bao, who had already regained its spirit and whose bump was gradually healing under the replenishment of its Spiritual Power, ¡°Shall we go home?¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded, and its eyes lit up instantly.


    Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles!


    ¡°All, youth is such a wonderful gift.¡±


    With arms crossed and watching the receding figures of the two boys, Jiang Gangughed.


    In just a few days, both of them had made noticeable progress inparison to theirst Spirit Battle.


    Continually growing and improving with their Food Spirits, that¡¯s what¡¯s appealing about being a Food Spirit trainer!


    By the time Qin Lang left the Association, it was alreadypletely dark.


    The street lights by the roadside were lit, casting white halos onto the ground.


    Human and spirit chatted as they walked until Dan Bao¡¯s gaze suddenly shifted towards the roadside.


    That was the park where Dan Bao had practiced Full Firepower before.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Lang asked half-jokingly, ¡°Do you want to train again this evening?¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s head shook gently, prompting Qin Lang to look carefully.


    Under Dan Bao¡¯s guidance, Qin Lang noticed a figure sitting on a swing in the park.


    He couldn¡¯t see the other person¡¯s face in the dim light, but they were wearing a skirt, so it was probably a young girl.


    Before Qin Lang could say anything, Dan Bao had already flown over to the girl.


    So Qin Lang, who wasn¡¯t eager to interact with strangers, had no choice but to follow along.


    As he got closer, he realized the little girl was even smaller than he had imagined, probably less than ten years old.


    Even though thew and order situation in Dongxia City was very good, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for a girl of such a young age to be out alone at night.


    In addition to¡­


    Seeing that Dan Bao flying around the little girl, Qin Lang sighed internally.


    The atmosphere hade to this, he¡¯d better ask about her situation.


    ¡°Little sister, aren¡¯t you going home now that it¡¯s so dark outside?¡±


    The little girl pulled her gaze back from chasing Dan Bao, nced at Qin Lang, then looked again at Dan Bao.


    The air seemed to freeze in that moment.


    Since he was here, naturally he had to find out. Qin Lang decided to try a different question.


    ¡°Are your parents nearby?¡±


    The response was still the girl ncing at him before looking away.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Qin Lang¡¯s expression quickly turned to one of pity and heartache, ¡°Can¡¯t you speak?¡±


    Hearing this, Dan Bao by the side also couldn¡¯t help but show a sympathetic expression, nuzzling the little girl¡¯s hand.


    The little girl:¡±¡­¡±


    Qin Lang met with a spirited roll of the little girl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I can talk!¡±


    It was good that she was speaking, Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Okay then, have you had dinner yet since it¡¯s sote?¡±


    The little girl hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head.


    Apparently worried that Qin Lang might think she couldn¡¯t speak again, she added, ¡°I have already eaten.¡±


    However, the moment after she spoke, the sound of her stomach growling punctuated the quiet of the park.


    Qin Lang watched as the little girl¡¯s blush began at her chin and gradually spread to her forehead, her whole face flushed bright red as if about to emit smoke, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    He quickly hit the electronic mokugyo twice.


    And with Qin Lang¡¯sughter, the little girl¡¯s face became even redder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to eat something. Let¡¯s fill your stomach first,¡± Qin Lang shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just eat things given by strangers,¡± The little girl pouted.


    ¡°You have a sense of vignce, well done,¡± Qin Lang pointed at a shop not far away, ¡°There¡¯s a dessert shop over there, we can buy it there, you can rx now, can¡¯t you?¡±


    The little girl hesitated for a moment.


    She was truly starving.


    The man¡¯s Food Spirit looked so cute, he must be trustworthy¡­ right?


    She decided to trust him a little bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m borrowing it, I¡¯ll pay you back in the future!¡± The little girl spoke earnestly, standing up from the swing.


    Qin Lang was slightly taken aback.


    The little girl in front of him did not seem like an ordinary child from her speech and dress.


    He had no idea how she ended up here.


    The two of them walked into the dessert shop, and as soon as they opened the door, the scent of baking wafted in.


    The smell made a relieved expression appear on the little girl¡¯s face.


    Qin Lang nced around the shop and then turned to the little girl.


    ¡°Pick whatever you like,¡± he said.


    The little girl was quite straightforward. She carefully looked over the rows of shelves with a discerning eye that didn¡¯t match her age, and then picked up one bag and handed it to Qin Lang, ¡°This one.¡±


    ¡°Daisy Ripple Cake?¡± Qin Lang took it, faintly smelling the fragrance of daisies wafting from the packaging.


    It looked quite like a cookie, with distinctive ripples on the surface, a good appearance, and a not too high price.


    After willingly purchasing it, they returned to the park.


    End of Chapter Bonus Content:


    [Cookie]

 Chapter 28 - 28: Reasons for Running Away from Home

    Chapter 28: Reasons for Running Away from Home


    Trantor: 549690339


    Feeling evidently hungry, the little girl couldn¡¯t wait to open her package and take a bite as soon as she climbed onto the swing.


    However, after only one bite, she couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°It wasn¡¯t sealed properly, it absorbed too much moisture from the air making it less crisp.¡±


    Immediately, after the little girl took another bite, she couldn¡¯t help but murmuring, ¡°The scent of daisy is too strong, the proportion of the ingredients must be wrong.¡±


    The little girl was nibbling like a hamster, but every two bites, she would critique the Daisy Ripple Cake.


    Seeing her serious critique, Qin Lang who was standing nearby couldn¡¯t help but be curious.


    Is this little girl too picky?


    But her critique sound quite professional.


    He took a piece and chewed it twice, trying to see how this Daisy Ripple Cake tasted.


    Immediately, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes widened.


    Every assessment the little girl made matched perfectly with the Daisy Ripple Cakes.


    Surprisingly, she wasn¡¯t merely talking nonsense, but actually tasted the shorings of this dessert.


    While Qin Lang was stunned for a moment, the little girl had already finished thest piece and was licking the crumbs off her fingers.


    Qin Lang was taken aback.


    He thought that the little girl was being picky and might not eat anymore.


    ¡°We can¡¯t waste food.¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s doubt, the little girl murmured, ¡°Even though it¡¯s not good.¡±


    Such an interesting little girl.


    Qin Lang smiled and sat down on the other side of the swing, nning to find out more about the little girl¡¯s situation.


    After eating the food bought by Qin Lang, the little girl seemed to have gained some energy, and her guard against him had lessened.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Qin Lang asked quietly.


    ¡°My name is Su Zhi.¡± Su Zhi gently poked Dan Bao with her finger and answered casually.


    Su Zhi, huh¡­


    Knowing the name of the little girl, Qin Lang continued to ask, ¡°So, Su Zhi, why are you here all alone?¡±


    At Qin Lang¡¯s question, Su Zhi paused in her actions.


    ¡°Actually, I snuck out on my own.¡± Lowering her head, she said softly, seeming somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Runaway?¡± Qin Lang was confused.


    He thought Su Zhi got lost or separated from her parents, but it turned out otherwise.


    ¡°Why did you sneak out?¡± His expression became serious, ¡°Your parents must be worried.¡±


    Su Zhi must have been out for several hours now; her parents should be very anxious, right?


    ¡°My mom won¡¯t worry about me!¡± Su Zhi blurted out indignantly, ¡°She¡¯s probably still busy with her own stuff, not even noticing that I¡¯m already not at home.¡±


    ¡°Why would you think like that?¡± Qin Lang was a bit helpless.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s always been like this!¡± Su Zhi wiped her tears with her sleeve, murmuring, ¡°Every promise she made to me, she didn¡¯t fulfill because she was busy.¡±


    ¡°She said she would take me to the park for a pic, but in the end, she left me alone in the restaurant!¡±


    ¡°She promised to take me shopping, but ended up buying a bunch of dresses 1¡¯11 never wear, then was busy with her own stuff!¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±¡­¡±


    Seems she¡¯s engaging in a humble brag? Not certain, let¡¯s listen more.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that quite good?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but say.


    Even Dan Bao agreed, nodding enthusiastically.


    Getting to eat whatever and having an endless supply of new clothes.


    That¡¯s so great!


    ¡°But those are not what I want.¡±


    Su Zhi hung her head; tears swirling in her eyes.


    ¡°I want my mom to apany me doing crafts, I don¡¯t want to keep asking for leave from parent-child handicraft sses because she doesn¡¯t have time!¡±


    ¡°I want to go with my mom to the park to feed the pigeons, 1 heard that if you hold the corn kernels in your palm, they will fly onto your hand!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat alone in the restaurant under everyone¡¯s gaze; no matter how delicious the dishes are, it doesn¡¯t taste good without my mom!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want ssmates to envy my endless new dresses. 1 just want to try them on one by one with my mom and only buy the best-looking one!¡±


    Su Zhi¡¯s voice choked up as if trying to pour out all the grievances buried in her heart.


    ¡°Gudong gudong¡­¡±


    Dan Bao rubbed Su Zhi¡¯s hand, its eyes gradually shifting from envy to sympathy.


    The dishes cooked together with Qin Lang taste so much better.


    The battles fought together with Qin Lang make it much more vigorous.


    It tried to put itself in her shoes, imagining a life without Qin Lang¡¯spany and shrank its head involuntarily.


    That¡¯s too scary!


    A handkerchief appeared next to Su Zhi¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wipe your tears.¡± Qin Lang spoke helpless.


    After she had dried her tears and blown her nose, he asked again, ¡°What about your dad?¡±


    On hearing this question, Su Zhi¡¯s eyes reddened again.


    Qin Lang had a bad feeling.


    It seemed he had asked something he shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Cough cough, let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Deciding to skip this question, he quickly diverted Su Zhi¡¯s attention, ¡°Now that it¡¯s getting dark, regardless of anything, you should not be going out alone at this time.¡±


    ¡°Time to go home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t run away from home again in future; it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Su Zhi hesitated and eventually frowned slightly and nodded reluctantly.


    She impulsively ran away from home because of her anger and ended up in this park unintentionally.


    Facing thepletely unfamiliar environment, Su Zhi is actually a little regretful.


    But she was still holding a grudge in her heart.


    ¡°Do you remember your mom¡¯s phone number? I¡¯ll lend you my phone to call her.¡± Qin Lang took out his phone, asking, ¡°Let here pick you up.¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± Su Zhi nodded, took the phone and entered the number.


    She then hesitated, handed the phone back to Qin Lang, ¡°Big Brother, you talk?¡±


    Qin Lang nodded understandingly.


    It was normal for a child who had just done something wrong not to dare to speak directly to their parents.


    The phone quickly connected, and a gentle female voice came from the other side, however, she sounded somewhat anxious, ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡±


    Without thinking, Qin Lang blurted out, ¡°Are you Su Zhi¡¯s mother? Your daughter is with me¡­¡±


    Su Zhi:¡±???¡±


    Her eyes widened as she looked at Qin Lang, feeling that something was off about his words.


    ¡°Ah, no, 1 meant to say she has run away from home and 1 happened to run into her¡­We are together right now,e pick her up quickly.¡± Realizing his mistake, Qin Lang quickly exined.


    There was a silence on the other side, followed by a question about their location.


    ¡°We are in the park at 203 Guixia Road.¡±


    After giving their location, the other side replied with ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon¡±, and then hung up.


    ¡°Your mother should be here to pick you up soon.¡± Qin Lang turned to Su Zhi after the call, ¡°As you can see, she is not ignorant of your disappearance due to her busyness; she is very anxious.¡±


    Su Zhi nodded. Can¡¯t help tightening her grip on Qin Lang¡¯s sleeve..

 Chapter 29 - 29 Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles

    Chapter 29: Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles


    Trantor: 549690339


    They didn¡¯t have to wait long. A car sped up and screeched to a halt at the roadside, tearing through the tranquil night with the piercing sound of its brakes.


    A woman in a long dress got out of the car and started looking anxiously towards the park.


    ¡°Is that your mom?¡± Qin Lang turned to ask Su Zhi, who was beside him.


    Su Zhi pursed her lips and nodded.


    Looking at the familiar figure not far away, her heart was filled with apprehension and unease.


    Once he checked that the figure was indeed her mother, Qin Lang led Su Zhi out of the shadows, waving at the woman, ¡°Over here!¡±


    ¡°Zhi Zhi!¡± As soon as the woman saw Su Zhi, she ran over and hugged her tightly, ¡°Do you know how worried I¡¯ve been about you!¡±


    The woman was young and beautiful, her pretty face full of maturity. Her eyes radiated a gentle, warm quality. Right now, her face was full of concern and worry, even her voice was trembling slightly.


    Seeing her mother, Su Zhi released the emotions she had been suppressing all this while, like a bursting dam. She held her mother tightly, breaking down in loud sobs.


    Qin Lang and Dan Bao exchanged a smile, preparing to turn around and leave.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The woman called out to Qin Lang. She then turned to arrange her look, tugged Su Zhi along, and walked towards Qin Lang, ¡°Sorry for the trouble that my daughter has caused you.¡±


    ¡°No problem, 1 just happened to be passing by.¡± Qin Lang replied with a smile, not minding at all.


    ¡°Mummy, I used brother¡¯s money just now to buy a bag of Daisy Ripple Cakes.¡± Su Zhi suddenly tugged at her mother¡¯s dress and whispered.


    ¡°Thank you. Let me pay you back for her.¡± The woman immediately reached for her wallet.


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    Qin Lang wanted to reject, but he could see the steadfastness on the woman¡¯s face under the dim street lights. So he reluctantly epted the money.


    After another round of appreciation, the woman left with Su Zhi.


    Qin Lang watched their car grow distant, and only then did he turn and head home.


    On the way back, Dan Bao seemed very happy.


    On one hand, they had helped the runaway Su Zhi connect with her family, which felt like a good deed, on the other hand, Dan Bao was delighted because it could soon eat Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles after getting home.


    ¡°You worked hard in today¡¯s Spirit Battle.¡± Qin Lang said with a smile while stroking Dan Bao¡¯s big ears, ¡°After we get home, 1¡¯11 put more beef brisket for you!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up at once.


    More beef brisket!


    Does Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles have an egg in it?


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    ¡°Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles doesn¡¯t have eggs in it, but 1 can fry some eggs to add to it.¡±


    ¡°The white part of the fried egg is very fluffy and absorbs all the delicious soup after it soaks in it¡­¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao quickly interrupted Qin Lang.


    Stop making me drool, let¡¯s go home fast!


    Qin Lang chuckled and sped up their journey home.


    His own stomach was starting to feel empty with all the food talk.


    Upon returning home, Qin Lang and Dan Bao quickly signed for the various ingredients delivered from Food Material Market.


    Seeing Qin Lang panting with exhaustion as he carried the bags of ingredients, Dan Bao looked at him with concern.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Are you tired?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Qin Lang ced the bags on the kitchen counter, and then began to talk, ¡°Speaking of which, one of the three types of Combat Skills is known as the ¡®Mind Type¡¯.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a mind-type skill called ¡®Thought Wave¡¯ in Combat Skills, which can remotely control objects with thought power. If you can acquire this skill after your promotion, it will be much easier for us to move things in the future.¡±


    ¡°However, the newbat skills obtained after promotion are random, so we can only fantasise about it.¡±


    As Qin Lang spoke, he had already sorted out all the ingredients and set aside those that were required to prepare the Tomato Beef Brisket Noodles.


    ¡°Thought Waves, huh¡­


    If I possessed this skill, 1 could surely assist Qin Lang even better, right?


    Dan Bao quietly noted the name of this battle skill, then quickly stepped forward to assist Qin Lang with the food preparation.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to process the tomatoes,¡± Qin Lang said with a smile. ¡°In Tomato Beef Brisket, frozen tomatoes are easier to draw juice from during cooking, so I specifically bought frozen ones.¡±


    ¡°If you were to use Fresh Full, they would simply revert to their pre-frozen state.¡±


    So, there were ingredients that cooked better after being frozen?


    Dan Bao nodded thoughtfully, feeling enlightened.


    While attending to other ingredients, it observed Qin Lang¡¯s actions.


    Fresh beef brisket was cut into chunks the size of knuckles, then ced in cold water with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine.


    As the water was heating up, Qin Lang took the frozen tomatoes, scoring a cross on the surface, loosened the skin with boiling water, peeled it off and cut the tomatoes into small pieces.


    Onions were diced, and ginger was sliced and set aside.


    Just as the water in the pot began to boil, the preparation of the other ingredients was about to bepleted.


    Dan Bao seemed excited as it eyed the thick scum forming in the cooking pot.


    It had noticed that Qin Lang followed a simr process whenever he dealt with meat ingredients.


    Next, he should skim the foam and remove the beef brisket!


    ¡°Gurgling sounds!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, Dan Bao, you¡¯re very smart!¡± Qin Lang praised Dan Baovishly and, after taking out the beef brisket, his tone shifted. ¡°However, there¡¯s a little difference this time.¡±


    Saying this, he ced the beef brisket into a pressure cooker.


    ¡°Beef brisket has lots of sinew, which lends it a loose structure.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, many dishes cooked with beef brisket aim to render it more tender, to better bring out its unique texture.¡±


    ¡°After nching, the beef brisket should be kept warm throughout the cooking process. Otherwise, the meat could shrink, affecting its texture.¡±


    In the meantime, Qin Lang had already added the prepared tomato chunks, diced onions, and sliced ginger to the pressure cooker, filled it with hot water until the ingredients were submerged, and then added a spoon of cooking wine and dark soy sauce.


    Seeing Qin Lang close the lid of the pressure cooker, Dan Bao knew it was time to wait again.


    ¡°Half an hour.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    Time sailed by and, when Qin Lang opened the pressure cooker half an hourter, a rich aroma enveloped the kitchen with the rising steam.


    The aroma bore the unique sweet and sour taste of tomatoes, subtly tinged with a hint of onion that, like green leaves cradling blossoms, lent an irresistible allure to the aroma of beef brisket hanging in the air.


    Dan Bao swallowed and was already drooling just from the smell.


    Checking on the beef brisket which had been tenderly stewed in the pressure cooker and the tomatoes that had virtually disintegrated, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction, and then transferred the Tomato Beef Brisket from the pressure cooker into a wok.


    If one desired the dish to have discernible chunks of tomato, they could add freshly cut tomatoes at this stage, but Qin Lang preferred adding chunks of potato instead.


    After adding salt, sugar, and pepper for seasoning, he covered the wok and simmered it on low heat.


    Then, Qin Lang turned his gaze to the fresh chicken eggs, which had beenid on the table much earlier.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s gaze, Dan Bao felt excited.


    Finally, it was time for eggs to take the spotlight?


    ¡°Next, we¡¯re going to fry some eggs.¡± Noticing Dan Bao¡¯s eager expression, Qin Lang gave its giant ear a little rub. ¡°It¡¯s another way of cooking eggs.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    Anticipation!


    Content for the end-of-chapter novelty egg:


    [Tomato Beef Brisket]

 Chapter 30 - 30 Runny Fried Egg

    Chapter 30: Runny Fried Egg


    Trantor: 549690339


    In another pot, heat the oil over high heat.


    There are two key points to frying a perfect fried egg, first, the oil shouldn¡¯t be too thin, second, be aware of the oil temperature when the egg is added.


    If the oil in the pan isn¡¯t thick enough, only the bottom will be fried and the sides will not, resulting in a less fluffy and soft fried egg, which will also have a worse texture and won¡¯t absorb the soup well.


    If the oil is not hot enough when the egg is added, the fried egg won¡¯t set quickly, leading not only to a poor shape, but also an overcooked and less tasty yolk.


    The shape of the bottom of the pan is also important. A recessed bottom helps form a round contour for the fried egg.


    Wait until the oil in the pan starts to smoke slightly, then turn the heat down to medium and add an egg.


    In just an instant, a crisp and pleasant sizzling sound is heard in the pan.


    The egg white quickly bes white and the edges begin to bubble under the heat of the hot oil.


    The adequate oil temperature allows the bubbles to set swiftly. After the air in the bubbles dissipates, the set bubbles shrink back, making the fried egg even fluffier.


    The rich aroma of the fried egg also rapidly bursts in this process, making Dan Bao at one side couldn¡¯t help but sniff, lightening up with delight.


    What a wonderful smell!


    ¡°Wait a little longer and you can eat.¡± Qin Lang said with a smile, seeing Dan Bao¡¯s greedy look, ¡°Not only can the fried egg be put into the tomato beef brisket, but it can also be eaten directly. I¡¯ll let you try one in a bit.¡±


    Dan Bao nodded eagerly.


    It can¡¯t wait to eat!


    While talking, Qin Lang used a spat to fold the round fried egg, turning it into a small pouch shape, constantly adjusting it until the shape was stable.


    Turn it over after one side is fried. The fried egg is ready after both sides are golden brown.


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s expectant look, Qin Lang sprinkled a bit of chili powder on top and ced it in front of it.


    ¡°How about a taste?¡±


    ¡°Roar-¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s yellow egg face popped out of its body and took a big bite of the steamy fried egg.


    The chili powder spread evenly on the surface of the egg, adding a hint of saltiness and spiciness to it. The crispy outside and tender inside egg white even had a clear ¡°crunch¡± sound in the moment it was bitten.


    The moment the egg white was broken, the internal egg liquid, which has not solidified thoroughly yet, slowly oozed out.


    The runny fried egg, fresh out of the pan, is not only devoid of any bad odor but is also filled with a rich eggy aroma. Seeing the egg liquid gradually soaking the egg whites, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but take another bite, enjoying an unprecedented satisfaction.


    The fried egg is super delicious!


    While Dan Bao was busy satisfying its craving, Qin Lang reproduced the process, frying the remaining eggs into fried eggs one by one and then adding them into the pot.


    The fried eggs don¡¯t need to be boiled too long in the pot. About five minutes is enough for them to get the perfect texture.


    During this short five minutes, Qin Lang has already nched the noodles and veggies and ced them in two bowls.


    Finally, he poured the tomato beef brisket with its broth over the noodles. A bowl of vorful tomato beef brisket braised noodles was thus ready.


    Dan Bao has finished the fried egg, its face showing a bit of lingering satisfaction. The moment it saw the now ready tomato beef brisket noodles, it cheered and pounced on it.


    Qin Lang smiled and picked up the other bowl of noodles. He watched Dan Bao eat while he savored his own.


    The handmade noodles were smooth and chewy. Even though it was a type he¡¯d never tasted before, the texture was just as good as the handmade noodles on Earth.


    Now, fully soaked in the somewhat thick soup of tomato beef brisket, and paired with tender brisket and vorful potatoes, the noodles gave a richyered texture and taste, tremendously satisfying.


    The slightly sour taste of the tomatoes perfectly integrated with the umami taste of the beef, creating an extremely fulfilling sensation in the mouth.


    After swallowing the noodles, Qin Lang picked up a fried egg.


    The fried egg, which had been stewed in the soup of tomato beef brisket for five minutes, looked distinctly different from when it was just fried. The golden surface now had a tinge of reddish-brown, and soup flowed out the moment it was picked up.


    One bite and the rich soup of the tomato beef brisket perfectly mixed with the no longer crispy but still soft egg white.


    The yolk, after being stewed in the soup, was no longer runny. However, it offered a different taste when dipped in the delicious soup of the tomato beef brisket.


    From the expression on Dan Bao¡¯s face, it was clear that it also found the taste of the fried egg very appealing.


    Next, it was time for them to eat.


    After they had finished eating and digested their food, the weary pair quickly fell asleep, waking up the next day.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Qin Lang sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes, he looked at Dan Bao who was flying around the room full of energy after a good night¡¯s sleep, and showed a hint of amusement, ¡°Today we are going to visit Miss Song Hui at the Daisy Garden, and try to earn our second badge.¡±


    ¡°Doodle-doo!¡±


    With expectation sparkling in its eyes, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t wait to set off right away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, we need to be at the restaurant to cook for lunch and dinner.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°So I am nning to visit them during the afternoon break.¡±


    ¡°With four hours to spare, facing the dessert challenge shouldn¡¯t be hard.¡± His voice shifted, ¡°We still have some tomato beef brisket leftover from yesterday, how about we have tomato beef brisket noodles for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Though they had it just the night before, it wasn¡¯t tired of it!


    It still wanted more!


    ¡°This time, let¡¯s try making it as braised noodles.¡±


    ¡°Gulululu!¡±


    Braised noodles!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes gleamed even brighter.


    That sounds delectable!


    It had never imagined that tomato beef brisket noodles coulde with such varieties, exciting!


    Qin Lang walked to his counter and poured the tomato beef brisket that had been refrigerated overnight into the pot.


    On low heat, he heated up the beef brisket and then added water to make soup.


    One by one, he added dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white sugar, salt, and other seasonings, and then added the hand-rolled noodles that he didn¡¯t cook yesterday, adding enough soup to cover the noodles.


    As the saying goes, everything can be made into braised noodles, and many leftovers can be transformed into delicious dishes when made into braised noodles.


    ¡°Wait for eight minutes, then we can eat.¡± Qin Lang casually covered the pot, looking at Dan Bao on the side.


    ¡°Doodle-doo!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s yolky little face bobbed up and down, revealing a drooling expression.


    Just smelling the gradually rich aroma in the air was enough to make it feel hungry.


    After breakfast and a short rest, Qin Lang and Dan Bao quickly appeared in front of the Starlight Restaurant.


    ¡°Little Qin, did you go visit Miss Song Hui this morning?¡± Luo Hui asked curiously as he opened the door.


    ¡°Not yet, I n to go in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good too. You¡¯ll have more time in the afternoon,¡± Luo Hui encouraged as he walked with Qin Lang to the kitchen, ¡°I hope that by the time for dinner, 1¡¯11 see you bringing back Miss Song Hui¡¯s exclusive daisy badge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confident we will.¡± Qin Lang nodded, and there was a look of determination on Dan Bao¡¯s face too.


    bonus:


    [Runny Fried Egg]


    [Braised Noodles]

 Chapter 31 - 31: Song Hui’s Test

    Chapter 31: Song Hui¡¯s Test


    Trantor: 549690339


    After some casual conversation, the business day of Starlight Restaurant began.


    In the back kitchen, Qin Lang started to get busy. Outside the restaurant door, Du Weiwei, Qi Xiaoyu, and Zhao Chen entered the restaurant together.


    The two women had already booked their Steamed Bass for the day before and their intention was to learn from Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills.


    As for Zhao Chen, he couldn¡¯t resist ordering the bass after he saw the twodies¡¯ reservation.


    The three people who had gotten to know each other sat together at the same table.


    Waiting for the Steamed Bass toe up, Qi Xiaoyu teased with a giggle, ¡°I¡¯m guessing he didn¡¯t agree to fight with you, did he?¡±


    ¡°No, he agreed!¡± Zhao Chen smirked, with a ¡°you guessed wrong¡± expression.


    ¡°What?¡± Qi Xiaoyu blinked, looking somewhat surprised, ¡°When did you wrestle with him? Surely it wasn¡¯tst night!¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhao Chen nodded with pride.


    Looking at his expression, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you win?¡±


    Du Weiwei, sitting on the side, also pricked up her ears at this point.


    ¡°Qin Lang won.¡± Zhao Chen sighed, ¡°He is indeed my arch-rival, even though my Food Spirit and 1 have be stronger through prolonged training, we still just fell short.¡±


    ¡°But! I believe I won¡¯t lose the next time!¡± Confidence filled his eyes.


    Qi Xiaoyu:¡±¡­¡±


    Du Weiwei:¡±¡­¡±


    Why did this sound so familiar?


    The attention of the three was quickly drawn by the three servings of Steamed Bass that were brought up, and they stopped discussing the previous topic.


    Looking at the dish in front of her, distinctively different from the Red Braised Oxtail, Du Weiwei expressed surprise in her eyes. She shared part with her Food Spirit and then ced a piece in her mouth with her chopsticks.


    After just one bite, the astonishment in her eyes couldn¡¯t be dispelled.


    No wonder he could have earned the Fish Scale Badge, this fish dish was too delicious!


    On the side, Qi Xiaoyu and Zhao Chen were also not faring any better, they werepletely engulfed by the dish.


    By the time Qin Lang came out of the kitchen after midday cooking, Du Weiwei and the others had already left.


    After saying hello to Luo Hui, he and Dan Bao, following the instructions on his phone map, headed to Daisy Garden.


    On the way, Dan Bao, with a curious tilt of his little head, nudged Qin Lang. ¡°Gududulu?¡±


    The Food Rmender in Daisy Garden, Song Hui, seemed to be testing desserts.


    So was the dish to be prepared this time the Caramel Pudding fromst time?


    If a Caramel Pudding was to be made, his full firepower was already ready!


    Dan Bao was hopping up and down in excitement and anticipation in mid-air.


    ¡°Not sure, after all, we don¡¯t know what kind of challenge the other party will pose.¡± Qin Lang stroked Dan Bao¡¯s big ears, ¡°But the dessert made this time will definitely not be worse than Caramel Pudding.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Dan Bao¡¯s ears twitched and anticipation surfaced on his face.


    If the dessert used for the test was delicious, he must make Qin Lang make a few more servings!


    He had to try some too!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make an extra serving for you,¡± Qin Lang smiled knowingly, seemingly guessing Dan Bao¡¯s little thoughts.


    Hooray!


    Dan Bao wagged his big tail briskly and quickly caught up.


    A momentter, they stopped their steps.


    Daisy Garden was right in front of their eyes.


    From a distance, the Daisy Garden looked like a crystal pce, built entirely of translucent ss. Inside, it was like spring all year round, filled with a wide variety of flowers in all colors, many of which were too unique to be named.


    As Qin Lang approached, a mix of flower fragrances rushed up to meet him. ¡°Gulp!¡±


    Unable to resist, Dan Bao took a big sniff, a blissful smile spreading across his face.


    So fragrant!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we have to ring the bell,¡± Qin Lang said, pressing the doorbell gently.


    Shortly, a figure emerged from inside.


    Recognizing the familiar figure instantly, he widened his eyes in surprise.


    It¡¯s her?!


    Despite the dim light the previous night, which hadn¡¯t allowed him a clear look, the woman¡¯s unique presence stood out like a brightmp in the dark, enabling Qin Lang to easily recognize her.


    Wasn¡¯t this Su Zhi¡¯s mother fromst night?


    Could she possibly be the Food Rmender, Song Hui?!


    The woman also found Qin Lang slightly familiar and after a moment, she recognised, ¡°You¡¯re the young man fromst night, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°Wee, pleasee in,¡± the woman revealed a slight smile, opening the door, ¡°Our meeting was quite rushed yesterday, 1 should have invited you over to our ce. But how did you find this ce?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I intended to visit Ms. Song Hui, the Food Rmender, today. 1 had no idea you lived here,¡± Qin Lang paused slightly before asking, ¡°Are you¡­¡± ¡°I am Song Hui.¡± A look of surprise crossed Song Hui¡¯s face, ¡°What a pleasant coincidence.¡±


    In the conversation, they had already stepped into the Daisy Garden.


    From the inside, the Daisy Garden was even more beautiful. Flowers of various hues beautifully adorned the ce, making it seem like a sea of flowers.


    In the very center of the Daisy Garden stood an exquisite western-style house.


    ¡°Since you are here to undertake the challenge to earn the Food Rmender Badge, then let¡¯s prepare for the test at my house,¡± Song Hui spoke softly, ¡°Zhi Zhi is also at home, she will be delighted to see you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Qin Lang nodded, then realising theplex expression on Song Hui¡¯s face, he curiously asked, ¡°Ms. Song, how is Su Zhi doing now?¡±


    ¡°She is still upset with me,¡± Song Hui sighed lightly, ¡°How embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Qin Lang shook his head, recalling Su Zhi¡¯s words from the night before, he couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°Ms. Song, perhaps if you could manage to spend more time with her despite being busy, things might improve?¡±


    ¡°But the Daisy Garden needs my attention, and as a Food Rmender, there is also plenty of official work to do,¡± Song Hui¡¯s voice wasced with helplessness, ¡°The garden was initially just a hobby and 1 hadn¡¯t expected it to grow thisrge.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to entrust the care of these flowers to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Qin Lang nodded understandingly.


    Both mother and daughter have it tough.


    ¡°Pleasee in,¡± Song Hui said, opening the door of the house.


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion,¡± Qin Lang responded, slipping off his shoes and stepping inside.


    Upon entering the vi, he saw Su Zhi sitting at the dining table, eating some unknown dessert with an unhappy expression.


    Hearing the noise, Su Zhi turned her head towards the entrance, her face registering surprise.


    She jumped off the stool and ran over to Qin Lang, ¡°Big Brother Qin Lang, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful coincidence,¡± Qin Lang chuckled, and began to exin what had transpired.


    Watching Su Zhi¡¯s spirits lift instantly upon seeing Qin Lang, Song Hui¡¯s eyes brightened, and she gently asked, ¡°Zhi Zhi, are you willing to be a part of your Big Brother Qin Lang¡¯s test?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Although she was still upset with her mother, Su Zhi nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°In that case,¡± Song Hui turned to Qin Lang, ¡°your challenge is to make a dessert that will cheer Zhi Zhi up..¡±

 Chapter 32 - 32: Desserts Made from Lard

    Chapter 32: Desserts Made from Lard


    Trantor: 549690339


    What dessert will make Su Zhi happy?


    Qin Lang blinked his eyes and then turned his head to look at Su Zhi who was beside him.


    Apparently, this test question was riddled with uncertainty.


    The evaluation she made after tasting the Daisy Ripple Cakest night was evident ¨C she was very picky about desserts.


    After finding out Song Hui¡¯s identity, Qin Lang somehow understood Su Zhi¡¯s performance yesterday.


    The question was, what kind of dessert could possibly make a little girl like her happy?


    ¡°Can I ask Su Zhi what kind of dessert she would like first?¡± Qin Lang asked cautiously.


    ¡°You can.¡± Song Hui nodded.


    ¡°Su Zhi, what kind of dessert do you like? I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± Qin Lang slightly bent over and asked her closely.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Su Zhi knew that the more detailed she was, the more it would help Brother Qin Lang. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°1 like desserts that are crisp, have a strong aroma, and if it¡¯s exquisite and good-looking, that would be even better.¡±


    Crisp, rich aroma, and beautiful appearance.


    Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    Although the caramelyer of Caramel Pudding could be considered crispy, what Su Zhi wanted was probably not that kind.


    Soon, Qin Lang had an idea.


    ¡°Well, wait a moment. I¡¯ll let you taste it when I¡¯m done.¡± Qin Lang smiled and touched her little head, then stood straight and turned to Song Hui on the side, ¡°I¡¯ve decided what to make.¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Song Hui nodded slightly, then led Qin Lang into the kitchen, ¡°There are ingredients and utensils formon desserts here. Do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡°I am missing one ingredient.¡± After having looked over everything, Qin Lang spoke somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°I need pork fat, about one pound.¡±


    ¡°Pork fat?¡± Song Hui blinked.


    It was the first time she had heard that this was needed to make a dessert.


    In her experience, most desserts she made used butter.


    However, Song Hui didn¡¯t ask any further questions and immediately called the Food Material Market.


    A momentter, she hung up the phone and looked at Qin Lang, ¡°It will be delivered in three minutes.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing Su Zhi poking her head out from the kitchen door and looking over anxiously, Qin Lang smiled at her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will be fine.¡±


    Three minutes passed quickly. Song Hui received a call and stepped out for a moment,ing back with a bag of high-quality pork fat and ced it on the counter.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your performance.¡±


    With all the ingredients prepared for Qin Lang¡¯s challenge, Song Hui left the kitchen and also took the curious Su Zhi with her.


    The spacious kitchen was left only to Qin Lang and Dan Bao.


    ¡°We¡¯re starting now.¡± Qin Lang took a deep breath and ced the pork fat on the cutting board, ¡°First step, refiningrd.¡±


    In regr desserts, butter is indeed the primary fat used, whilerd is mostmonly used in cooking dishes.


    But in a significant branch of desserts, one can hardly spot butter.


    That was the traditional Chinese pastry.


    This world hasrd, but it was processed.


    That kind ofrd didn¡¯t meet Qin Lang¡¯s needs, so he had to refine it himself. ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Dan Bao leaned over to see what Qin Lang was up to, with a curious look on his face.


    What will he make today?


    ¡°A dessert called Lotus Seed Paste.¡± Qin Lang was introducing it while rapidly cutting the pork fat into mahjong-sized pieces, ¡°I think it should meet Su Zhi¡¯s preferences.¡±


    Lotus Seed Paste, huh¡­


    Dan Bao pseudomorphically noted this name, his eyes filled with anticipation.


    As long as it¡¯s made by Qin Lang, it must be delicious!


    He boiled water over high heat, put the pork fat into the pot with cold water, added cooking wine.


    Seeing Qin Lang do this familiar nching action, Dan Bao was somewhat confused.


    ¡°Gududu?¡±


    Is this a dessert or a dish being prepared?


    ¡°You reminded me,¡± Qin Langughed, ¡°After fryingrd from pork fat, the remaining fragrant pork grease can be sprinkled with a little salt and it bes a rare delicacy.¡±


    What? What?


    Excitement sparked in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    Pork grease can be a delicacy?


    His Spirit Chef was really amazing.


    Can¡¯t wait to try it!


    As their mind and spirit were interchanging, water started to boil over the high heat producingrge amounts of steam, and a thinyer of foam was clearly visible.


    nching was used to remove the off-vor and blood foam from the pork fat, resulting in a more refined and purerd.


    About a minute after the water came to a boil, Qin Lang skimmed off the foam, removed the pork fat, added more water, and then returned the pork fat to the pot.


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s eager expression, heughed, ¡°Very soon, now let¡¯s prepare scallions and ginger.¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    It¡¯s my turn now!


    Dan Bao¡¯s spirit lifted, he hovered over the scallions and ginger that Qin Lang had taken out and began to blow forcefully.


    They smelled oh-so-fresh!


    ¡°Well done,¡± Qin Lang encouraged after Dan Bao used the Food Skill. He then began cutting the scallions into sections and slicing the ginger.


    Therd being rendered was to be used in the preparation of the Lotus Seed Paste, so not much scallion and ginger was needed. A moderate amount added in the middle andter stages of refining therd would be enough to eliminate the smell.


    While the ginger and scallions were ready, the water in the pot began to boil quickly again on high heat.


    The pork fat floated on the surface of the water, full of bubbles. Amidst the rising mist, one could faintly smell the fragrance of therd.


    Qin Lang reduced the heat and patiently stirred with a spoon.


    As time passed, the water and therd that had melted into it formed a milky-white liquid.


    As the water in the pot diminished, the resulting steam was still rich, but the aroma of therd became increasingly profound.


    Unable to resist, Dan Bao took a sniff and then involuntarily drooled.


    Therd smells so good!


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s greedy little face, Qin Lang freed a hand to pat its ear, ¡°When the steam decreases, it means that the water in the pot is almost gone, after that the rendering ofrd will speed up.¡±


    Because Qin Lang didn¡¯t add too much water, this stage came quickly.


    Under Dan Bao¡¯s eager gaze, the steam in the pot really became thinner and thinner.


    Apanied by the rich aroma ofrd, the milky-white turbid liquid in the pot gradually turned clear and the pork fat visibly shrank.


    After adding the previously prepared scallions and ginger and simmering over low heat, he continually pressed down on the pork fat with a sieve, scooping the purerd into a container ced nearby. He quickly filled arge bowl.


    The pork fat in the pot turned into pork grease and mixed with the fried fragrant scallions and ginger. After filtering, Qin Lang left it on a te on the side.


    After sprinkling salt on it, he picked up a piece and tasted it. Experiencing the crispy texture and the rich aroma, he nodded in satisfaction.


    It¡¯s just out of the pot, the texture is just right.


    Qin Lang ced the te in front of Dan Bao, who had been swallowing saliva since earlier.


    ¡°Wanna try?¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao cheered and started gobbling without holding back.


    Leaving Dan Bao to enjoy its delicious food, Qin Lang looked over to the table next to him.


    Next up, he would make the Lotus Seed Paste.


    The bonus content for this chapter:


    [Rendering Lard]

 Chapter 33 - 33: Lotus Blossoms, Butter Fragrance Comes

    Chapter 33: Lotus Blossoms, Butter Fragrance Comes


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Click click-¡±


    The freshly fried pork grease was still steaming. Even though it had been filtered once, its surface still sparkled brightly under the light.


    This greasiness didn¡¯t put people off at all. Instead, it shone together with the golden-brown surface, making it mouth-watering.


    The pork grease was only seasoned with a bit of salt, but thebination of its crispy texture and rich, savory aroma was enough to satisfy Dan Bao.


    On the other hand, Qin Lang ced a big bowl full of porkrd into ice water, letting therd cool quickly through the bowl walls.


    The purerd transformed at an extremely fast speed into a soft and creamy solid, resembling white jade mutton fat.


    Next, time to puff up the pastry!


    In Chinese dessert, puffing up the pastry is a very important step.


    Under high temperature, the water pastry is like being deep-fried among the oil pastry, forming a unique crispy texture.


    The oil in the oil pastry is absorbed, creating a distinctyered effect in the water pastry.


    ¡°Gudong!¡±


    Dan Bao, having enjoyed the pork grease, excitedly flew over.


    The small portion just now was merely a snack for it.


    Seeing that Qin Lang was finally starting to make the lotus seed pastries, it looked forward to it eagerly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no job for you in the next steps, so just watch from the side.¡± Qin Lang instructed, and began to get busy.


    He mixed medium-gluten flour, water, andrd in a 53:1 ratio. After a quick stir, he divided it in half, and added red yeast rice powder to one part for color.


    He then kneaded the dough forcefully until the surface was smooth.


    The more the dough was kneaded, the more uniform the mixture of water, oil, and flour, resulting in a better end product.


    By the end of the kneading process, the dough with red yeast rice powder turned a light shade of red, while the other dough retained its natural white color.


    Qin Lang wrapped the two pieces of water pastry dough in cling film and left it to rest. Without stopping, he started making the oil pastry.


    On the side, Dan Bao went up and carefully observed the water pastry dough. ¡°Gudong?¡±


    Why was it wrapped in cling film?


    ¡°To make the water pastry dough more stic,¡± Qin Lang replied while fully mixing the low-gluten flour andrd in a 2:1 ratio. ¡°Otherwise, the water pastry dough would easily break during the puffing process, affecting the aesthetics of the final product.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it was.


    Dan Bao nodded in understanding, although it didn¡¯t fully grasp the concept.


    Unfortunately, its food skill didn¡¯t seem useful in this situation.


    Watching Qin Lang evenly mixing the oil pastry and forming it into small pieces, it couldn¡¯t help but think about thebat skill ¡®Thought Waves¡¯ that Qin Lang mentioned before.


    If it had thatbat skill, it could be of more help to Qin Lang!


    Thinking of this, Dan Bao became even more eager to breakthrough to two stars.


    However, thinking about how the newbat skill awakened after promotion was uncontroble, it hung its head in distress.


    There were already thousands of discoveredbat skills, the probability of awakening a specific skill was too small.


    Qin Lang, on the other hand, waspletely unaware of what was going through Dan Bao¡¯s little head.


    At this moment, he divided the prepared oil pastry into twenty small balls of the same size, each weighing 6 grams, and divided the prepared date paste into ten small balls, each weighing 8 grams.


    The puffing process in Chinese desserts includes small pastry puffing andrge pastry puffing.


    Small pastry puffing involves first dividing the pastry and oil pastry into small pieces before puffing each piece. Large pastry puffing involves puffing first, then cutting the puffed pastry into small circr pieces with a round cutter. The former is more delicate, and thetter is more efficient.


    At this moment, Qin Lang chose the former method.


    After preparing the oil pastry and date paste, the pre-rested water pastry dough had already reached an excellent state.


    He divided the two-color water pastry dough into pieces, each weighing 8 grams. The puffing process officially began.


    ¡°Gudoo?¡±


    Whates next?


    Looking at the round lumps on the table, Dan Bao stopped thinking about skill questions and refocused on Qin Lang¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Watch closely.¡±


    Qin Lang ttened out a light red Water Pastry dough ball, enveloped it around the Oil Pastry dough ball to form arger round lump, sprinkled some flour onto the pastry board, then began to roll it out with a rolling pin.


    Under the rolling pin, the Water Pastry and the Oil Pastry were quickly rolled into a long strip. The pre-proving process had prevented any breakages during this stage, disying exceptional sticity.


    After the Water and Oil Pastry dough had been rolled thin enough, they were folded into threeyers, rolled again into a strip, folded into threeyers again, rolled once more into a strip, and finally folded into twoyers, creating a square pastry dough.


    The 3-3-2 folding method meant that the pastry dough had eighteenyers internally.


    If the pastry dough were to be cut in half at this stage, the denselyyered cross-section would be crystal clear.


    Qin Lang¡¯s fluid movements left Dan Bao with its mouth hanging open in awe. And this was just the beginning.


    Qin Lang repeated the process, preparing another piece of uncolored pastry dough and Oil Pastry.


    He then stacked the two differently colored pastry doughs and rolled them together!


    After slightly rolling out the twoyered pastry, he used his fingers to press and extend the edges, then brushed ayer of egg whites onto the white surface as a binding agent and ced the date paste in it to serve as the stuffing.


    With the white pastry inside and the red pastry on the outside, the date paste was wrapped up and the excess dough pinched off, adjusting the shape to make it more rounded.


    One, two, three¡­


    In the end, ten Lotus Seed Pastries sat plump and round on the pastry board, looking delightfully appealing.


    The Lotus Seed Pastries needed to be frozen for ten minutes to enhance the solidification of therd, making the flowering process more apparent during deep frying.


    After cing the Lotus Seed Pastries in the freezer, a thought crossed Qin Lang¡¯s mind, ¡°If we sessfully get the Daisy Badge, we can celebrate tonight by making egg yolk crisps.¡±


    Egg yolk crisps?!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up even brighter.


    Just by hearing the name, it knew it was something it was fond of!


    ¡°Gudoo!¡±


    ¡°Not so fast, let¡¯s finish the Lotus Seed Pastries first.¡± While it was freezing, Qin Lang and Dan Bao started to chat.


    After ten minutes, they took out the Lotus Seed Pastries.


    With the pinched-off part down, a knife was used to cut three uniform scores in a flower pattern on the other side, dividing the Lotus Seed Pastry into six petals.


    The depth of the centre of the scoring had to reach the stuffing, while the edges had to be controlled for length.


    If the lengths were too short, the deep-fried Lotus Seed Pastries would not be able to bloom fully.


    If the lengths were too long, the petals would fall off during the deep frying process, resulting in poor aesthetics.


    This part required experience.


    When the melted butter oil reached 50% of its temperature, ader was ced under the pastries with the scored side up, and they were lowered into the Lotus Seed Pastries.


    Another spoon was used to scoop up the oil from the pot, pouring it into the centre of the scoring to promote petal opening.


    As the oil sizzled in the pot, hot oil continuously gurgling with small bubbles. Dan Bao¡¯s eyes grew bigger as the Lotus Seed Pastry¡¯s petals began to unfold. The date paste, exposed to the hot oil as the pastry unfolded, continued to burst forth a rich sweet date fragrance, mixed with the unique aroma of the pastry, simr to petals adorning a budding flower.


    In hot oil,yer uponyer, Lotus Seed Pastries bloomed beautifully.


    The Lotus Seed Pastries were ready!


    Easter egg content at the end of the chapter:


    [Lotus Seed Pastries]

 Chapter 34 - 34 Daisy Badge

    Chapter 34: Daisy Badge


    Trantor: 549690339


    Outside the kitchen, inside the living room.


    Song Hui and Su Zhi were quietly waiting for Qin Lang to finish cooking.


    As time ticked away, the atmosphere in the living room gradually became awkward.


    Su Zhi kept clenching her small hands and then releasing them, seemingly worried about Qin Lang who was working hard in the kitchen.


    Her gaze wandered aimlessly around the living room, but she always avoided the ce where Song Hui was sitting.


    Meanwhile, Song Hui looked at her daughter several times, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say.


    After a long while, it turned into a deep sigh.


    The moment she realised her daughter was missing yesterday, it felt as if the sky had fallen for her.


    Fortunately, during her most panicked moment, her daughter was found by the young man named Qin Lang in the kitchen and hadn¡¯t encountered any danger.


    She thought that everything would be over once she calmed her daughter down, and there would be no more problems.


    However, the impact of this runaway incident did not end as she hoped, but turned into her daughter¡¯s tears and coldness, leaving her unsure of what to do, when she was busy again this morning.


    As a Spirit Chef specializing in desserts, Song Hui had the ability to make delicious desserts.


    In the past, a piece of dessert was enough to cheer her daughter up for a long time.


    But this time, it seemed the desserts were not as effective.


    Perhaps as Qin Lang said, it was all because she didn¡¯t spend much time with her daughter, leaving her all alone.


    But she is a Food Rmender, she has her own responsibilities, and there is therge Daisy Garden to manage.


    Can she just abandon these responsibilities at will?


    Song Hui rubbed her forehead, the woman who usually appeared gentle but firm, finally revealed a hint of helplessness and despair in front of her daughter.


    Maybe in terms of being a mother, she wasn¡¯t really sessful.


    Only when the footsteps came from the kitchen door did she manage to raise her head and look at Qin Lang who was carrying a tray of delicate desserts.


    Along with Qin Lang¡¯s footsteps, there came a strong aroma that Song Hui had never encountered before.


    This smell uplifted her spirits a bit, temporarily pushing away her previous thoughts.


    As a Food Rmender, she could tell a lot from this smell in an instant.


    The smell of date paste, the unique scent ofrd.


    So he needed the pork fat to rece butter for making desserts?


    And this unique smell¡­ from frying?


    A dessert made by frying?


    For a moment, she became more expectant of the answer sheet Qin Lang was going to hand in.


    The next moment, as Qin Lang ced the dessert tray in front of the mother and daughter, Song Hui saw the full picture of the dessert.


    She unconsciously widened her eyes.


    Theyers of light pink and white petals were countless, intoxicating people like a blooming flower bud, and at the very center of the petals, the dark red date paste was constantly releasing a hint of heat, giving off a rich aroma of dates.


    The green leaf-shaped dessert te that Qin Lang had specifically chosen highlighted the tender color of the lotus seed paste even more.


    Just from its appearance and the smell, Song Hui could roughly judge that this dessert wouldn¡¯t disappoint.


    This kind of dessert, made by such a young Spirit Chef?!


    If not told, based solely on its appearance, she might even think it was a new work from a renowned dessert master.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Su Zhi¡¯s surprised shout brought Song Hui back from her shock.


    She saw her daughter eagerly cradling a piece to taste, and then nced at the young man standing nearby, her face revealing a hint ofplexity.


    Because Qin Lang had helped her find her daughter yesterday, she felt a sense of gratitude towards him.


    When she learned that he hade to visit the Food Rmender to obtain a badge, Song Hui had hesitated.


    Making a dish that would make Su Zhi happy was not only a way of lowering the difficulty level for Qin Lang, but also a chance to soften the rtionship between mother and daughter.


    Su Zhi was still young and, despite her pickiness about desserts under her mother¡¯s influence, she was not as strict as her mother.


    In addition, Song Hui could see that Su Zhi really liked Qin Lang.


    Therefore, as long as the desserts made by Qin Lang were good enough, it was almost guaranteed that Su Zhi would be happy.


    If Qin Lang passed the test, Su Zhi would be happy, and their mother-daughter rtionship would have a chance to improve: three birds with one stone.


    However, at this moment, Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills were a bit unexpected to her.


    Elegantly, Song Hui gently pinched a piece of lotus seed paste and delicately nibbled the outermost crisp petal.


    The thin crust had be crispy during the frying process, and with each chew, a subtle ¡°crack¡± sound resonated between her lips and teeth.


    The crust¡¯s uniqueyered texture did not require much taste embellishment. The mere scent of the crust, vorful without being greasy, was enough to make it an exquisite delicacy that amazed Song Hui.


    If the mere outer crust was this impressive, what about the date paste filling in the heart of the flower?


    Song Hui carefully bit into the brownish-red date paste filling inside, her face showed a look of surprise.


    The date paste exposed at the opening of the petals, activated by hot oil, was full of a rich aroma, and also carried a hint of oiliness.


    Although the date paste inside had not directly contacted the hot oil, it dide into contact with therd that quickly seeped out of the crust during the frying process.


    The aroma ofrdbined with the sweet vor of the date paste in the process.


    One bite of date paste, two types of vors.


    These two vors meld together with each chew, in just the right proportion.


    Just tasting the outeryer that is slightly oily, just tasting the inneryer that is slightly dry.


    Mixing the two, just right.


    After slowly savoring a piece of lotus seed paste, the look on Song Hui¡¯s face changed when she turned to Qin Lang.


    ¡°¡±What is this dessert called?¡± She asked softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Lotus Seed Paste.¡± Qin Lang answered.


    ¡°Lotus seed paste, huh¡­¡± Looking at the pastries resembling lotus flowers blooming on the dessert te, wless in color, aroma, and taste, Song Hui nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s a good name.¡±


    ¡°Zhi Zhi, do you think this dessert should pass?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Su Zhi had just finished her second piece, her hand reaching for the third piece of lotus seed paste stopped. She looked at Qin Lang, and after a moment, nodded vigorously, a smile on her face, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Since Su Zhi thinks it¡¯s okay, congrattions, you¡¯ve passed.¡± Song Hui got up and walked to a room, quickly taking out a badge shimmering with a metallic sheen under the light, and handed it to Qin Lang, ¡°This is the Daisy Badge.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Qin Lang took the badge and examined it.


    It was a copper badge, with the same outer shape and size as the Fish Scale Badge, but on the front, it was green like a gardenwn sprinkled with small daisies.


    A golden ribbon diagonally divided the face of the badge into two, and arge daisy was intricately carved on the lower right, each petal etched out in detail.


    At the bottom, there were decorations and ¡°Dongxia City ? Daisy¡± engraved on the ribbon.


    This was the exclusive badge of Food Rmender Song Hui, the Daisy Badge!

 Chapter 35 - 35 Sweeter than Desserts

    Chapter 35: Sweeter than Desserts


    Trantor: 549690339


    After acquiring the badge, Qin Lang looked up at the wall clock hanging in the living room.


    The whole process of making the lotus seed paste had taken quite a bit of time.


    At this moment, nearly two hours had passed since he had arrived at Daisy Garden.


    Dinner service time was approaching, and he needed to return to make steamed bass.


    Noticing Qin Lang watching the time, Song Hui took the initiative to ask, ¡°Do you have other matters to attend to?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m currently a hanging-position Spirit Chef at a restaurant.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    ¡°I see.¡± Song Hui nodded, then showed a regretful expression, ¡°I had intended to personally cook a meal to express my gratitude, after all, you helped me find Su Zhi yesterday.¡±


    On the side, Su Zhi wiped her mouth, also revealing a somewhat reluctant expression on her face.


    ¡°Miss Song, you are too polite.¡± Qin Lang shook his head, ¡°I was just passing by, and 1 didn¡¯t do much.¡±


    He nced at Su Zhi, understanding that the mother-daughter rtionship would quickly return to its previous state once he left.


    After a moment of hesitation, Qin Lang slowly spoke, ¡°Miss Song, it may be out of line for me to interfere too much in your affairs, but I have a suggestion that you might want to consider.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, go ahead.¡± Song Hui shook her head, looking at Qin Lang.


    She was aware of the problems between her and her daughter.


    At this moment, she could not think of any way to resolve this conflict, perhaps Qin Lang¡¯s advice could offer a solution.


    ¡°I understand that as a Food Rmender, and also managing Daisy Garden, you are very busy.¡± Qin Lang paused, ¡°This often leaves you unable to spare time to apany Su Zhi, who is at an age where she needs yourpany.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Song Hui nodded.


    ¡°However, 1 believe that sometimes work and apanying a child are not necessarily mutually exclusive.¡± Qin Lang recalled an experience of a friend from a past life.


    She was a single mother who was also his coworker.


    She was busy as well, but to take care of her child, she chose to bring her child to work.


    At first, the friend was worried that the child would disturb her colleagues, but it turned out that the child was very well-behaved. Not only did she not bother others, but she also developed a strong interest in cooking from observing the chef in the kitchen at an early age.


    Thinking of this, Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Have you ever asked Su Zhi what she wants to do in the future?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Song Hui shook her head, looking at her daughter on the side, ¡°Su Zhi is still young, I had nned to wait until she¡¯s older to discuss this¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to be a Spiritual Chef.¡± Su Zhi interrupted Song Hui¡¯s words, voluntarily speaking, ¡°I want to be a Spiritual Chef like Mum, using flowers to make delicious desserts!¡±


    ¡°Su Zhi¡­¡± Upon hearing Su Zhi¡¯s words, Song Hui was touched.


    So her daughter has always regarded herself as her future goal¡­


    ¡°Miss Song, since Su Zhi also wants to be a Spiritual Chef like you in the future, you can start nurturing her in this aspect.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°I am not very familiar with the fusion of flowers and desserts, but 1 am aware that understanding flowers is indispensable.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Song Hui nodded in agreement.


    This was also one of the reasons why she personally nurtures the flowers in Daisy Garden every day.


    ¡°When you are usually tending to the flowers in Daisy Garden, you can bring Su Zhi along. For her, it¡¯s a process of familiarizing herself with flowers, and it may also alleviate some of your work burden.¡± Qin Lang paused, ¡°More importantly, it will increase the time you spend together on a daily basis.¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s suggestion, Song Hui¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    She had been too indulgent with Su Zhi before, almost raising her in a honey jar, and would not let Su Zhi participate in theborious process of nurturing the flowers.


    Now, Qin Lang¡¯s suggestion seemed to have opened a new door for her.


    Right!


    If sheckedpany due to being too busy, why not let her child apany her?


    However, there was one more question left, whether her daughter¡­


    ¡°I am willing!¡± Before Song Hui could ask, Su Zhi had already grabbed the hem of her skirt, ¡°1 am willing to help nurture the flowers in Daisy Garden with Mum!¡±


    ¡°Usually, when you¡¯re cooking delicious food, you can also let Su Zhi participate more.¡± Qin Lang continued to suggest.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Song Hui bent down, gently hugging her daughter, ¡°From now on, Su Zhi will be Mum¡¯s little helper-¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Su Zhi nodded vigorously, a smile appearing on her face, her dimples making her look cuter than any dessert.


    Seeing her daughter finally willing to get close to her, Song Hui revealed a relieved smile.


    She stood up again, gratefully looking at Qin Lang, ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    The problem between Su Zhi and her mother had been resolved, he could now leave at ease.


    ¡°Miss Song, Su Zhi, it¡¯s gettingte, I should take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Song Hui nodded, then seemingly remembered something, ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    She quickly walked to the constant temperature showcase, selected a few small packages of various kinds of desserts, packed them carefully in an exquisite box, and handed it to Qin Lang, ¡°These are the desserts 1 made, try them and see if you like them.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know how to show my gratitude for your advice, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°How could I?¡± Qin Lang held the box, looking at the eagerly anticipating Dan Bao on the side, and smiled, ¡°I am looking forward to trying the desserts made by Miss Song.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Song Hui, smiling, opened the door for Qin Lang, ¡°Feel free toe again sometime.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Brother Qin Lang!¡± Su Zhi politely waved at Qin Lang, her eyes filled with admiration.


    Brother Qin Lang is so amazing, he easily resolved the conflict between herself and her mother!


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Qin Lang put on his shoes, helped Song Hui close the door, and then walked out of Daisy Garden with Dan Bao.


    As he closed the main gate of Daisy Garden, Qin Lang could faintly see Su Zhi poking her head out of the vi window.


    Waving at her, Qin Lang took a bag of desserts out of the box, looking at Dan Bao on the side, looking like a little glutton, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just eat three pieces of lotus seed paste?¡±


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    Dan Bao shook her head.


    Just three pieces.


    I, Dan Bao, am not even close to being full!


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat these while we head to Starlight Restaurant.¡± Qin Lang opened the dessert bag.


    He picked up one piece and put it in Dan Bao¡¯s mouth, then Lord eximed.


    The familiar shape was unmistakably a Daisy Ripple Cake.


    Watching Dan Bao enjoying the dessert, making an utterly satisfied expression, Qin Lang took a piece and tasted it himself.


    The rich aroma of baked milk, coupled with a light scent of daisies.


    The two vorsbined perfectly, overflowing in his mouth as he chewed.


    The taste was crunchy and full of vor, sweet but not greasy.


    After finishing the piece, Qin Lang understood why Su Zhi had chosen the Daisy Ripple Cake at the dessert shopst night.


    This was probably the dessert that Miss Song was best at making.


    ¡°Indeed, she is a Food Rmender who bears the name of the daisy on her badge..¡±

 Chapter 36 - 36: Zhen Niu Pavilion

    Chapter 36: Zhen Niu Pavilion


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Luo Hui stared wide-eyed at the second badge Qin Lang had just pulled out, so shocked that he didn¡¯t even notice when his rag dropped to the floor.


    After all, the young man had just gotten his first badge yesterday!


    And now, he had acquired the second one today?


    Since when did those picky and strict Food Rmenders be so amodating?


    What¡¯s more, the Fish Scale Badge the boy received yesterday was a test of skills in cooking fish dishes, but the Daisy Badge he had today was for dessert dishes.


    The contrast between the two badges was far too stark, wasn¡¯t it?!


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, rx.¡± Qin Lang put the Daisy Badge away, picked up the rag and handed it back to Luo Hui, ¡°I¡¯ve got some desserts with me, do you want to try some?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m kinda hungry¡­¡± Luo Hui washed his hands, taking a bag from Qin Lang.


    Once he put a piece in his mouth, Luo Hui¡¯s face seemed to light up with nostalgia, ¡°This taste is so familiar¡­ did Song Hui make this by herself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, feeding Dan Bao and taking a bite himself.


    ¡°How did Song Hui give you so many desserts?¡± Looking at the packed boxes next to Qin Lang, Luo Hui was somewhat envious.


    In her youth, Song Hui had countless admirers. As someone who disliked taking advantage of others, she would return the gifts from her admirers with her homemade desserts, and then politely reject their confessions.


    As a result, her delicious desserts only attracted even more admirers¡­


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Qin Lang briefly described what had happened.


    ¡°I see.¡± After hearing this, Luo Hui couldn¡¯t help sighing, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for Song Hui.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, her husband passed away and she raised her daughter alone¡­¡± Qin Lang began to say, subconsciously.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Luo Hui looked at Qin Lang oddly, ¡°Who told you that Song Hui¡¯s husband passed away? He just transferred to Mingjing Province for work.¡± Qin Lang:¡±¡­¡±


    So why did Su Zhi¡¯s eyes turn red when he mentioned her fatherst night? Thankfully he hadn¡¯t brought it up in front of Song Hui; that would¡¯ve been rude.


    ¡°I initially thought that acquiring three badges within a week was too ambitious for you.¡± Luo Hui¡¯s face was aplex mix of emotions, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect you to get two Food Rmender Badges in just two days.¡±


    ¡°There are still four days left until the city-level cookingpetition begins.


    You only need to get one more badge to qualify¡­¡± Luo Hui nced at Qin Lang, suddenly feeling that this wouldn¡¯t be difficult for the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already decided who the third Food Rmender I want to visit is.¡± Qin Lang said, confidence in his smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re nning to go tomorrow?¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s smile, Luo Hui instantly felt something was amiss.


    ¡°Yes, I want to strike while the iron is hot.¡± Qin Lang nodded naturally.


    At this, Dan Bao let out a ¡°gurgle¡± sound, demonstrating its faith in Qin Lang. ¡°You call this striking while the iron is hot?¡± Luo Hui couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    Getting three Food Rmender Badges in three consecutive days.


    Is he even human?


    But remembering that Qin Lang had already gotten two badges in two days,


    Luo Hui felt that Qin Lang could indeed pull it off.


    ¡°The third rmender you¡¯re going to visit, who is it?¡± he asked curiously. ¡°Mr. Fu Hang of Zhen Niu Pavilion.¡± Qin Lang replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Food Rmender Fu Hang¡­¡± Luo Hui stroked his goatee, deep in thought.


    Fu Hang, he was also a First-Level Food Rmender in Dongxia City.


    And he was known for his beef dishes.


    As a result, his tests were often based around beef dishes.


    Beef¡­


    Luo Hui looked at Qin Lang.


    Previously, during Qin Lang¡¯s absence, he had a brief exchange with Du


    Weiwei, who hade to look for Qin Lang.


    Thus, he knew that Qin Lang had participated in a Food Fight with Du Weiwei. In that Food Fight, Qin Lang used an oxtail to prepare Red Braised Oxtail and won.


    So, it seems that Qin Lang is quite proficient in cooking beef.


    ¡°This Food Rmender¡¯s test should be quite suitable for you,¡± Luo Hui nodded, then changed the subject. ¡°But isn¡¯t Zhen Niu Pavilion quite far from your ce? How did you think of visiting them?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the Food Rmender Badge, there¡¯s an extra reward if 1 pass the Food Rmender¡¯s test,¡± Qin Lang replied with a shy smile.


    This brings us to the Zhen Niu Pavilion, established by the Food Rmender Fu Hang.


    Fu Hang doesn¡¯t just excel in cooking various beef dishes; he¡¯s also extremely particr about the quality of his beef.


    Zhen Niu Pavilion, is a ce that Fu Hang devoted his entire life to, in pursuit of the ultimate beef dining experience.


    Zhen Niu Pavilion has a unique positioning.


    It¡¯s not exactly a restaurant, but Fu Hang does cook beef there for his guests.


    It¡¯s not a farm either, but Fu Hang does raise high-quality beef cattle there.


    It¡¯s not a market, but Fu Hang does sell beef to Spiritual Chefs he approves of.


    It¡¯s not a club, but there¡¯s a group of beef lovers who regrly meet up there.


    Moreover, Zhen Niu Pavilion also serves as the ce where Fu Hang, the Food Rmender, conducts his evaluations.


    As long as one can pass the test set by Fu Hang, they can take away one kilogram of beef from any part of the cattie.


    Do you know how expensive top-quality beef from the Food Spirit World can be?


    Do you know how poor Qin Lang is?


    Do you know how thrilled Qin Lang was when he heard the news from Zhou Qing?


    ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡± Luo Huiughed heartily, ¡°Then you should be careful. Fu Hang¡¯s beef isn¡¯t that easy to get!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have all your appointments for tomorrow¡¯s main course dishes arranged during the dinner service time, so you have the whole daytime to challenge.¡± He patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Good luck!¡±


    ¡°For cooking beef, I have great confidence,¡± Qin Lang answered, nodding vigorously.


    That one kilogram of beef, he was determined to get it!


    As the serene moonlight bathed every corner of Dongxia City, Qin Lang, who had finished cooking Steamed Bass for the dinner service hour, was walking home along the streets with Dan Bao.


    Dan Bao was different tonight.


    It was flying left and right, constantly circling Qin Lang¡¯s head and asionally ncing at him, as if trying to remind him of something.


    ¡°Stop it! I¡¯m getting dizzy from your spinning,¡± Qin Lang, who was bothered by Dan Bao, gently grabbed him and tucked him into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t forgotten about the egg yolk crisp I promised you!¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao instantly cheered.


    In the afternoon, while waiting for the Lotus Seed Paste to cool down, Qin Lang told Dan Bao about a Chinese dessert called egg yolk crisp and promised to make it for him once they get the Daisy Badge.


    Just hearing the name alone, Dan Bao knew this dessert was meant for him!


    Seeing that Qin Lang hadn¡¯t forgotten, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation.


    ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Qin Lang mumbled softly, ¡°To make egg yolk crisp, we¡¯ll need some ingredients that are not avable at home.¡±


    He looked up at a store not far away and smiled, ¡°We¡¯re almost home. This store should have the ingredients we need. I¡¯ll buy them and make it for you once we get home!¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes filled with anticipation.jpg

 Chapter 37 - 37 Egg Yolk Crisp

    Chapter 37: Egg Yolk Crisp


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Creak-¡±


    With a soft sound of the door opening, Lang Qin and Dan Bao, who had been busy all day, returned home.


    In Qin Lang¡¯s hand were various ingredients bought from the store downstairs, ready to be used to make egg yolk crisps.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Showed Dan Bao, not a trace of tiredness, energetically flying towards the kitchen first.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± Qin Lang closed the door with a smile and followed suit.


    Soon, a man and a spirit appeared in the kitchen.


    Seeing Qin Lang take out a bag of salted egg yolks from the shopping bag, Dan Bao squinted its eyes eagerly.


    It¡¯s starting!


    ¡°Luckily the store sells salted egg yolks, otherwise we¡¯d have to start from making salted duck eggs and we wouldn¡¯t have anything to eat tonight.¡± Qin Lang spoke with a bit of relief, then ced the salted egg yolks in a small bowl and soaked them in Baijiu.


    The salted egg yolk has a fishy taste, and soaking it in Baijiu can make the final taste of the egg yolk crisp more perfect.


    This step takes about 20 minutes.


    While waiting for the salted duck eggs to soak, Qin Lang began to methodically prepare the water pastry and oil pastry.


    The preparation of egg yolk crisps and lotus seed paste is simr, except this time no colouring is needed, so the water pastry doesn¡¯t need red yeast rice powder and doesn¡¯t need to be split in half.


    Seeing Qin Lang wrap the water pastry dough with cling film and ce it to the side, then divide the oil pastry into small portions of 15 grams each, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    I know these, they¡¯re small pastries!


    Qin Lang had exined the difference to him in the afternoon.


    If it were arge pastry, the pastry should be split into small pieces after puffing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you learn fast.¡± Qin Lang praised Dan Bao, ¡°Egg yolk crisps and lotus seed paste are both made using small pastries.¡±


    After dividing the oil pastry into portions, the soaking of the salted egg yolks also came to an end.


    He took the salted egg yolks out of the Baijiu, ced them separately on the baking tray and put them into the oven to bake at i6o¡ãC top and 12O¡ãC bottom for 10 minutes.


    While baking, Qin Lang took out a box of ready-made bean paste filling and divided it into small balls of 20 grams each.


    The small reddish-brown balls carried the unique fragrance of bean paste, causing Dan Bao to immediately move in closer.


    What is this?


    Let me have a smell!


    ¡°Ding!¡±


    Apanied by the crisp sound from the oven, the set baking time ended.


    Qin Lang opened the oven door, a rich aroma of baked salted egg yolk mixed with a hint of liquor quickly gushed from the oven, instantly filling the kitchen and diverting Dan Bao¡¯s attention from the bean paste filling.


    Hmm¡­


    The salted egg yolk smells better!


    It leaned close to Qin Lang¡¯s side, its eyes full of expectation, watching as Qin Lang took out the baked salted egg yolks.


    The baked salted egg yolks had evaporated the Baijiu they had absorbed earlier and high temperatures had brought out more vors. The bright yellow surface fizzed with pale yellow foam, that was the moisture being baked out.


    ttening a ball of bean paste filling, he carefully wrapped it around a baked salted egg yolk. After closing the opening and shaping it into a ball, Qin Lang moved on to the next one.


    Soon, the table was lined with bean paste balls, each filled with a salted egg yolk and noticeablyrger than before.


    As the salted egg yolk became wrapped in bean paste filling, the strong aroma in the kitchen lessened a bit. Even so, it still made Dan Bao sniff from time to time, its face a picture of longing.


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s greedy look, Qin Langughed and patted its little head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there aren¡¯t many steps left. You¡¯ll be able to eat it soon.¡±


    After finishing, he took off the cling film from the well-rested water pastry and divided it into small portions of 20 grams each.


    All the prep work was thusplete.


    Looking at the already portioned water pastry dough and oil pastry dough, Dan Bao knew that next came the process ofminating them.


    ¡°Gululu?¡±


    Is thisminating process the same as the one in the afternoon?


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not the same.¡± Qin Lang picked up a piece of water pastry and an oil pastry, and started to exin as he worked. ¡°For the lotus seed paste we made in the afternoon, because we need two different colored pastries, a single pastryyer shouldn¡¯t be too thick.¡±


    ¡°The pastry for the lotus seed paste isyered in a 3-3-2 pattern, but the general approach for small pastries isn¡¯t toyer but to roll instead.¡± As he spoke, Qin Lang had already enveloped the oil pastry with the water pastry, rolling it into a slim, tongue-like strip.


    He then rolled the strip up like a carpet, rotated it by 90 degrees, ttened it back into a long strip, and rolled it once more.


    Using this method to roll the dough twice actually results in moreyers than the 3-3-2 method used in the lotus seed paste.


    He proceeded to prepare the rest of the pastry dough in the same way, then covered them all with cling film to rest for ten to twenty minutes.


    The filling of the egg yolk crisp, beingrger, required the pastry to be thinner in order to fully encase it. This made the resting step even more crucial.


    The waiting time passed quickly with enjoyable chatter between the man and the spirit.


    After the rest, the ends of the two swirled strips of pastry dough were folded backwards, then rolled out into the circr pastries with a rolling pin. They then enveloped the previously-made bean paste and salted egg yolk filling, sealing the pastries and tidying up their shapes.


    Around ten round, plump egg yolk crisps, as if by magic, appeared neatly arranged on the baking tray under Dan Bao¡¯s watchful eyes, all sealed sides down.


    Exactly ten.


    ¡°We can have five tonight, and the remaining five will be our breakfast tomorrow, okay?¡± Qin Lang made the proposal.


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Dan Bao quickly nodded in agreement.


    The thought of having egg yolk crisps for breakfast the next morning filled it with bubbling joy.


    ¡°Brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with some ck sesame¡­¡± Qin Lang spoke, continuing his work.


    With that, the egg yolk crisps were no longer monochrome.


    ¡°Make a small hole now, and it¡¯s ready to go into the oven!¡± He pulled out a toothpick and poked a small hole in each egg yolk crisp to let the inside breath, before popping the tray into the oven.


    The top heated at 23O¡ãC, and the bottom at 17O¡ãC, for 20 minutes.


    ¡°Ding!¡±


    As the oven pinged again, so did Dan Bao¡¯s cheer of joy echoed throughout the room.


    Finally, after waiting for so long, they could eat!


    ¡°Stay back a bit from the oven door.¡± Qin Lang reminded with a smile as he pulled open the oven door.


    Immediately, a rich savoury scent filled the kitchen.


    There was the aroma of the crisp pastry, the sweetness of the bean paste, the richness of the salted egg yolk. The surface¡¯s egg wash and sesame adding the enchantment of egg and sesame to make the scent even richer.


    It was a tantalizing aroma that made one impatient to pick one up and start tasting right away.


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Dan Bao couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. As soon as Qin Lang put down the tray, Dan Bao took a big bite, the yellow oval bud popping out from its spherical body.


    Well, it didn¡¯t fear the heat anyway.


    With just one bite, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes filled with heart shapes.


    This taste, it loved it!


    Qin Lang carefully picked one up and blew on it to cool it before taking a bite.


    The outeryer was crisp and multyered from baking. The bean paste and salted egg yolk inside were moist but not dry, with a rich and soft taste.


    As he chewed, the textures blended together, and the rich savoury smell blossomed in his mouth.


    Amazing-

 Chapter 38 - 38 Unexpected Situation

    Chapter 38: Unexpected Situation


    Trantor: 549690339


    After savoring the egg yolk crisps, Qin Lang carefully stored the remainder, washed up with Dan Bao, and they both quickly slipped into slumber.


    The story fast-forwards to the next morning.


    Qin Lang woke up early, quickly washed up with Dan Bao, and then took yesterday¡¯s egg yolk crisps as a breakfast on the go. They soon set off in the direction of Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    The distance to Zhen Niu Pavilion from Qin Lang¡¯s home stretched across almost half of Dongxia City, and it would take a few hours by public transportation and subway.


    Taking into ount the time for the test, they should just about be able to reach Starlight Restaurant before dinner service time.


    A few hourster, Qin Lang arrived at Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    Seeing the magnificent giant bull-shaped building and the high-quality beef cattle visible everywhere within the fences, Qin Lang instantly felt like he was broadening his horizons.


    Even in his previous life, he had seldom been to such professional top-grade beef ranches.


    And the fact that such a ce existed in Dongxia City, which was just an average city in the Food Spirit World, showed the high regard people in this world had for delicious food and ingredients.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Through the fence, Dan Bao looked at the calm-faced bulls with a thick sense of curiosity.


    This was the first time it had seen live cows; before this, it had only gone with Qin Lang to buy beef at the Food Material Market.


    So, that¡¯s what cows look like-


    Those two horns resemble Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit a bit¡­


    It continued looking around until Qin Lang called out to it, prompting it to quickly follow along.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    As Qin Lang walked towards the entrance of Zhen Niu Pavilion, a staff member came over. ¡°This is Zhen Niu Pavilion. Do you have a reservation?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­no, I came to visit Mr. Fu Hang to ept the Food Rmender Badge challenge. I¡¯m a Spirit Chef.¡± Qin Lang quickly exined, ¡°That doesn¡¯t require reservation, does it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed it doesn¡¯t. Please wait a moment while I contact Mr. Fu Hang.¡± The staff member nodded and then picked up the pager to ry the situation.


    Soon, the staff member looked at Qin Lang with a somewhat odd expression. ¡°Mr. Fu Hang said that you may enter Zhen Niu Pavilion now. However¡­there might be some unusual circumstances regarding your challenge.¡±


    ¡°What kind of circumstances?¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s heart sank, and his face turned nervous.


    ¡°Mr. Fu Hang will exin the details to you.¡± The staff member didn¡¯t borate, but simply indicated for Qin Lang to enter.


    Given the circumstances, Qin Lang had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and follow the staff member inside the giant bull-shaped building.


    Soon, inside a spacious and bright meeting room, Qin Lang saw Fu Hang.


    He was a muscr man, as sturdy as a bull, with intricately trimmed facial hair above his lips. His hair was tied back, and his features exuded a chivalrous appeal.


    But Fu Hang wasn¡¯t the only person in the meeting room; there was also a man in his twenties sitting off to the side.


    It looked like they had been having a pleasant conversation before Qin Lang arrived.


    ¡°Young man, are you here for the Food Rmender Badge challenge?¡± Fu Hang stood up and walked to Qin Lang, his towering figure exuding an intense pressure.


    ¡°Indeed, Mr. Fu Hang.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Fu Hang stroked his chin, with a hint of regret in his voice, ¡°Well, ordinarily, when a Spirit Chefes for the Food Rmender Badge challenge, I, as a Food Rmender, would arrange it immediately, but¡­¡±


    He pointed to the young man sitting off to the side. ¡°This young man came earlier than you, and he¡¯s also here for the Food Rmender Badge challenge.¡±


    ¡°Usually, a Food Rmender wouldn¡¯t conduct multiple challenges on the same day.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ unless you don¡¯t mind, perhaps you coulde back tomorrow?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Lang turned to the young man, who greeted him with a friendly smile. ¡°Next time, try toe a bit earlier, little brother.¡±


    Qin Lang scratched his head, disying a look of helplessness.


    With only a few days left until the next City-level Cooking Competition, he hadn¡¯t yet gathered enough Food Rmender Badges to participate in thepetition. So, it was natural that other Spirit Chefs could also be rushing to collect their badges in these few days.


    This situation was to be expected.


    It¡¯s just that, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to get here. It took several hours tomute, and now his trip seemed to be in vain¡­


    Fu Hang also couldn¡¯t help but disy a look of regret.


    Because of the rule that winners of the challenge receive an extra kilogram of beef, more Spirit Chefs visited him than other Food Rmenders. Every time a cookingpetition was about to start, simr situations would ur.


    Actually, there was another solution: to let these two do the challenge at the same time.


    But the moment he saw Qin Lang, Fu Hang rejected this idea.


    Qin Lang was too young.


    It would be difficult for such a young boy to have a high skill level in cooking beef.


    On the other hand, the other Spirit Chef who hade to visit him was a rising star in the culinary world who hadn¡¯t yet gathered three badges. His cooking skills weremendable.


    If two Spirit Chefs performed the same challenge simultaneously, the contrast in their skill levels would make the lesser chef appear even less impressive, and would lower their chances of getting the badge.


    Considering Qin Lang¡¯s interests, it would be better to have hime again tomorrow.


    ¡°Alright, Mr. Fu Hang, 1 wille a bit earlier tomorrow. I apologize for the disturbance today.¡±


    In the end, Qin Lang decided to call it quits for the day.


    Visiting other Food Rmenders was an option, but he was rather tempted by the additional kilogram of beef.


    After excusing himself, Qin Lang turned to leave the meeting room, but nearly collided with another figure entering the room.


    ¡°Huh?¡± That person noticed Qin Lang and quickly showed a surprised expression. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Upon taking a closer look, Qin Lang also showed a look of surprise.


    The person in front of him was someone he had encountered several times before: it was the guide from the beef area of the Food Material Market, Fu something¡­ he wasn¡¯t quite sure about his name.


    Wait¡­


    Fu?!


    ¡°Xiao Guan, do you know this young man?¡± Fu Hang inquired.


    ¡°Uncle, this is the Spirit Chef I mentioned to you before, the one who won the Food Fight using an oxtail.¡± Fu Guan turned to look at Qin Lang. ¡°You came here for my uncle¡¯s Food Rmender Badge challenge, right? Did you pass?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t started yet.¡± Still amazed at how small the world was, Qin Lang exined the situation to him.


    On the other end, having heard Fu Guan¡¯s words, Fu Hang fell into contemtion.


    Was it him?


    When his nephew had mentioned this before, he had taken an interest in the Spirit Chef who had cooked using an oxtail.


    Winning a Food Fight wasn¡¯t a big deal, it could just mean thepetitor was weak.


    But after the Food Fight, the judges had flocked to Fu Guan¡¯s beef area to buy oxtail, indicating that the dish made with oxtail was beyond ordinary.


    This resulted in Fu Hang getting a new understanding of Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills.


    It seemed that although the kid was young, his cooking skills weren¡¯t as low as he had thought!


    In that case¡­


    Fu Hang looked at the young man, then at Qin Lang, and suddenly gave a cheeky smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°The challenge¡­ both of you will take it simultaneously..¡±

 Chapter 39 - 39 A Piece of Beef Tenderloin

    Chapter 39: A Piece of Beef Tenderloin


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The test will be conducted by you two at the same time.¡±


    Upon hearing Fu Hang¡¯s words, Qin Lang was momentarily stunned on the spot.


    Not having to run a fool¡¯s errand is definitely a good thing.


    But¡­ to undergo the test simultaneously?


    Qin Lang had never experienced or heard of such a situation before.


    He didn¡¯t even know whether this would make the test easier or harder.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look at Dan Bao beside him.


    Dan Bao, on the other hand, took the initiative to nuzzle Qin Lang¡¯s face in response.


    My Spirit Chef is the best!


    The young Spirit Chef who was sitting on the other side couldn¡¯t help but stand up at this moment.


    Unlike Qin Lang, this young Spirit Chef had done a lot of homework in advance.


    Hence, he knew what it meant when Fu Hang said that the two would be tested simultaneously.


    It meant that in Fu Hang¡¯s view, the difference in their cooking skills was not significant.


    This young man, who is several years younger than him and hasn¡¯t even reached adulthood, has such a strong cooking skill?


    For the first time, he carefully looked at Qin Lang.


    ¡°You two, follow me.¡± Fu Hang left the meeting room and led the two of them somewhere else.


    ¡°Uncle, can Ie along to watch?¡± Fu Guan, who hadpletely forgotten why he hade here, also became interested in this test that would be simultaneously conducted by these two Spirit Chefs.


    ¡°Alright, you cane too.¡± Fu Hang agreed without looking back.


    And so, Fu Guan hurriedly followed along with a giddy smile on his face.


    Although it wasn¡¯t a Food Fight, it was, in a sense, a confrontation between two Spirit Chefs.


    For Fu Guan, who isn¡¯t a Spirit Chef but aspired to be one, such a duel was very appealing to him.


    The group of four quickly arrived at the area in Zhen Niu Pavilion specifically dedicated to the Food Rmender Badge test.


    ¡°You guys wait for me here.¡±


    After sweeping his gaze over the two Spirit Chefs who were about to be tested and mulling for a moment, Fu Hang turned around and headed towards an alloy door in the corner of the area, which was engraved with the exclusive logo of Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    As he opened the alloy door, cold air quickly transformed into a thick white mist that gushed out.


    Fu Hang, however, walked again the cold air, disappearing within the alloy door.


    ¡°That¡¯s the low-temperature storage area where my uncle specifically stores beef.¡± Fu Guan casually exined, ¡°Because my uncle treasures this beef very much, he has specially created a top-level refrigerated environment for them.¡±


    Qin Lang and the other Spirit Chef nodded to show that they understood.


    Afterwards, the young Spirit Chef initiated the conversation, ¡°My name is Tang Xie.¡±


    Realizing that the other party was talking to him, Qin Lang politely responded, ¡°My name is Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, huh.¡± Tang Xie nodded, mentally noting down this name before speaking again, ¡°Mr. Fu Hang giving us the test simultaneously means that we¡¯ll bepetitors from here on.¡±


    ¡°Having the test together does not mean that only one Food Rmender Badge will be granted. Both of us could receive it, or neither of us could.¡±


    ¡°But since we¡¯repleting the same test at the same time, there¡¯s naturally a distinction of superiority.¡±


    ¡°The one who performs better will appear even better with the contrast of the other person and has a bigger chance of obtaining the badge, but if it is the other way round¡­¡±


    ¡°The one who performs worse will seem even worse in contrast to the other person.¡± Qin Lang picked up the conversation, his expression bing slightly serious, ¡°and the chance of obtaining the badge bes even lower.¡±


    Once Tang Xie mentioned it, he too realized this problem.


    ¡°Correct, that¡¯s how it is.¡± Tang Xie nodded calmly, the look in his eyes bing morepetitive as he looked at Qin Lang. ¡°Since Mr. Fu Hang has made this decision, I will go all out in this Food Rmender test.¡±


    With a sh of aqua blue light, two Food Spirits appeared beside Tang Xie.


    ¡°Me too.¡± Qin Lang nodded without hesitation.


    Though he had fewer Food Spirits, he was no less formidable in spirit.


    Their gazes met in the middle of the room, and it seemed as if a spark had passed between them.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    The sound of the alloy door closing caused them to withdraw their gazes and look towards Fu Hang, who had just walked out of the low-temperature storage area.


    Fu Hang was holding arge piece of beef in his hands.


    ¡°You recognize this, right?¡± Fu Hang held up the beef in his hand and chuckled.


    ¡°Beef tenderloin.¡±


    Tang Xie and Qin Lang spoke at the same time, their eyes revealing different emotions.


    A hint of joy surfaced in Tang Xie¡¯s eyes.


    As one of the mostmonly used parts of a cow for cooking, he had repeatedly practiced cooking beef tenderloin before his visit.


    It seemed that Fu Hang was nning to use this piece of beef tenderloin as the test, which was undoubtedly a major advantage for him.


    It was as if he had bet on the right question before the examination.


    At the same time, Qin Lang seemed a bit troubled.


    There are just too many dishes that can be made from beef tenderloin¡­


    Picking one is truly a tough choice.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve guessed it, this is the content of your test.¡± Fu Hang nodded, skillfully cutting off all the fat from the beef tenderloin before splitting therge piece of meat into two equal halves.


    This piece of beef tenderloin had obviously been frozen and thawed for more than 24 hours. Although the surface was still slightly cold, it fully disyed the soft and tender texture of the meat.


    ¡°Come, have a look at this marbling!¡±


    After ncing at the cut side, Fu Hang smirked and showed the cut side of the beef to Tang Xie and Qin Lang.


    The color of the meat on the cut side was brighter than that of ordinary beef, indicating that grain-fed was used during the fattening period of the cow¡¯s life.


    The white marbling crisscrossed the deep red beef like the pattern of marble.


    That was the fat in the beef.


    Qin Lang stared carefully and couldn¡¯t help but admire it.


    The beef tenderloin is located at the rear part of the cow¡¯s body, close to the spine.


    This part of the body contains the least amount of fat, but it is also the tenderest part.


    In Western cooking, it¡¯s also referred to as the filet.


    The notion that this lean cut of beef could have such intense marbling suggests a high quality in other parts of the cow.


    This was indeed the ce in Dongxia City that offered the highest quality beef.


    ¡°This is Carls Cattle that I imported from the Lon Region, originally hailing from Carls State in the Lon Region, with a grain feeding period that exceeds 500 days.¡± Fu Hang bragged, ¡°And I personally took care of its feeding.¡±


    Speaking of his proudest achievement, Fu Hang grew more talkative. ¡°This feed is also my exclusive recipe, consisting of more than a dozen different grains, and even needing adjustments ording to different stages of grain feeding¡­¡±


    After a thorough introduction, Fu Hang approached Qin Lang and Tang Xie. Looking down at them with his nearly 1.9-metre-tall body from above, he exerted a tremendous pressure.


    ¡°So, I implore you to perform to the best of your abilities and not to ruin such good beef.¡±


    Saying that, he handed over the two pieces of beef tenderloin wrapped in cling film back to them.


    ¡°You can only use this as the main ingredient, you can choose the additional ingredients from the ingredient storage room over there.¡± Fu Hang crossed his arms and looked at them, ¡°Make a dish that will satisfy me, and I¡¯ll award you with my Food Rmender Badge ¨C the Teng Niu Badge.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that simple..¡±

 Chapter 40 - 40: Qin Lang’s Choice

    Chapter 40: Qin Lang¡¯s Choice


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    After hearing Fu Hang¡¯s test requirement, Tang Xie responded excitedly before striding towards the ingredient storage room.


    This kind of test that only specifies the main ingredient and allows room for creativity was too simple for him, who had prepared several beef tenderloin dishes in advance.


    In just a moment, he knew which one to choose.


    Although he didn¡¯t know Qin Lang¡¯s abilities, he would go all out just as he would in any fight.


    He would choose the most challenging dish among those nned!


    With his strongest skills, he would smoothly obtain the Teng Niu Badge!


    Opening the door to the ingredient storage room, seeing all the various supplementary ingredients, Tang Xie turned to nce at Qin Lang who was still standing in ce.


    Why wasn¡¯t heing?


    Forget it, forget about him!


    The early bird gets the worm!


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang was still standing in his original position.


    He looked at the beef tenderloin in his hands, and all sorts of dishes made with beef tenderloin surfaced in his mind.


    For a while, he found it hard to decide which one to go with.


    ¡°Guin?¡±


    Dan Bao came up, nudging Qin Lang¡¯s face gently with its round tail.


    What delicious food is he going to make today?


    ¡°Cook¡­¡± Turning to look at Dan Bao, Qin Lang paused.


    The next moment, a burst of insight shed in his mind, bringing forward an idea of a dish.


    ¡°Alright, decided!¡± Qin Lang smiled, nodded at Fu Hang, and quickly headed towards the ingredient storage room.


    ¡°Gulu?¡±


    Dan Bao cocked its head in confusion, hurrying to catch up.


    He was hesitating just now, so why was he so decisive now?


    What is the delicious food that he is nning to cook?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re going to love it.¡± Qin Lang replied, oozing confidence.


    Dan Bao loves egg fried rice the most, followed by food that includes chicken eggs.


    The dish that he was going to make happened to involve chicken eggs.


    The part known as beef tenderloin is often called filet in western cuisine.


    But in Chinese cuisine, it has another name ¡ª beef fillet.


    What Qin Lang was about to make was the ssic Cantonese dish, Silky Egg Beef Fillet.


    A delicious dish that Dan Bao could never resist.


    When the duo entered the ingredient storage room, Tang Xie, who had arrived before them, was already leaving with a bag of ingredients.


    As they crossed paths, Tang Xie went into a nearby enclosed kitchen, whilst


    Qin Lang began choosing his ingredients.


    Seeing Qin Lang head towards the chicken eggs, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    No wonder Qin Lang said that he would like the dish!


    Even before starting, it had already begun to look forward to it.


    Soon, Qin Lang selected the ingredients and entered another enclosed kitchen.


    He didn¡¯t start with the ingredients right away, but started by rinsing the rice to cook it.


    In Chinese cuisine, dishes always seem tock something without rice to apany them.


    Seeing that it was almost lunchtime, how could he leave himself hungry?


    After setting up the rice cooker, Qin Lang began preparing the ingredients.


    Silky Egg Beef Fillet, the essence lies in the word ¡®Silky¡¯.


    The egg mixture is tender and savoury; the beef fillet is sulent, juicy in every bite.


    So, even using the tenderest part of the beef, the tenderloin, is not enough. It also needs to be marinated.


    Qin Lang quickly sliced the beef tenderloin into small strips down the grain, then cut it crosswise into small pieces. cing it in a bowl beside him, Qin Lang looked up at Dan Bao, who was curiously watching and eager to attempt, ¡°Prepare the green onions.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Received!


    Dan Bao, who had cooperated with Qin Lang many times, flew to a green onion immediately after receiving Qin Lang¡¯s instruction. It blew hard on the green onion.


    Fully fresh!


    While Dan Bao was busy, Qin Lang added clean water to the beef in the basin. After washing it several times, he picked it up, squeezed out the water, and put it in a bowl.


    He added an appropriate amount of salt and potato starch, mixing so that each piece of beef was coated in starch. After a quick rub, he set it aside to marinate.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao had finished its task and flew back.


    Seeing Qin Lang crack five or six chicken eggs into a bowl, adding salt and pepper, and quickly stirring, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    So many eggs!


    A dish made with so many eggs must taste good!


    Just looking at the egg liquid glistening under the light, Dan Bao wanted to drool.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the cooking process for this dish is quick.¡± Qin Langughed at the sight of the egg-loving creature, set aside thepletely beaten eggs, then took out a small bowl.


    Adding two spoonfuls of starch, the right amount of water and one spoonful of cooking oil, he stirred them all into a starch slurry forter use.


    Then he took the green onion that Dan Bao had just processed, and quickly chopped it into fine bits to useter.


    The preparation phase, simpler than usual, came to an end.


    He turned on the heat and added some clean water in a frying pan.


    When the water was slightly boiling, he put the processed beef tenderloin into the pan to separate the pieces. This allowed each piece to separate from each other, while also initially nching them.


    During this process, the color of the beef slowly shifted from dark red, lightening under the light to a lustrous shine. The visual appeal alone offers an immediate impression of its amazing tenderness.


    Moreover, the savory aroma of beef was released with the heat, enveloping the steam rising in the kitchen.


    That most original and rich vor of the meat tantalizes the senses. Just the smell alone had the somewhat hungry Qin Lang and Dan Bao swallowing in anticipation.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost ready.¡± Qin Langforted Dan Bao again, ¡°The batch isrge. Let¡¯s divide it into two portions. One will be for Mr. Fu Hang to taste, and one for us to share.¡±


    Dan Bao nodded obediently, its face full of anticipation.


    Uponforting Dan Bao, Qin Lang scooped out the beef which had separated out, and then washed the frying pan clean.


    He added the previously prepared starch slurry into the pan. As the water gradually evaporated and the slurry turned into a paste, he poured the eggliquid onto it, and then spread the beef on top.


    ¡°Sizzle-¡±


    Apanies by a soft hissing sound, the scent of eggs and beef gradually arose from the pan.


    Looking at this scene, Dan Bao became more serious.


    This was the look of intent focus on the food!


    Qin Lang had a simrly serious expression.


    That¡¯s because the next step was the essence of Silky Egg Beef.


    To ensure that the finished dish is soft and smooth, controlling the heat is critical.


    This dish may not have many steps, but the effort required is definitely not a little.


    Raising and slowly spinning the t-bottomed pan, he used the slurry to conduct heat evenly to the egg liquid and beef.


    Once the egg liquid on the bottom waspletely cooked and could no longer slide, he used chopsticks to lift the bottomyer to ensure even heating.


    Over time, the aroma of eggs and beef filled the kitchen and lingered for a long time.


    It was a pure vor without much seasoning, but it was enough to stir your appetite.


    Sprinkle green onions on top, and it¡¯s finished.


    Almost at the same time that Qin Lang finished making the Silky Egg Beef, a ¡°ding¡± sound came from the kitchen.


    The rice was ready.


    Qin Lang and Dan Bao looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m sure this dish will satisfy AAr. Fu Hang.¡±


    The bonus chapter content at the :


    [Silky Egg Beef]

 Chapter 41 - 41: The Champion from the Neighboring City

    Chapter 41: The Champion from the Neighboring City


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Uncle, which of their dishes do you find more delicious?¡±


    Outside the kitchen, Fu Guan curiously nced at the closed kitchen doors on either side and asked.


    ¡°How should 1 know?¡± Fu Hang rolled his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not too familiar with either of their cooking skills, but I assume neither are bad, so I¡¯m letting them both go through a test.¡±


    ¡°As for the specifics, 1 have to taste their food to find out.¡± he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the side of the table, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.


    ¡°Uncle, can I taste the food with youter?¡± Fu Guan swallowed his saliva, unable to help himself, ¡°It¡¯s already lunch time¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh! You little rascal.¡± Fu Hang took a amused nce at his nephew, ¡°If there¡¯s any leftover, you can taste it, but don¡¯t interfere with my tasting.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Hearing his uncle¡¯s consent, Fu Guan immediately rejoiced and nodded eagerly.


    ¡°By the way, what are you here for today?¡± Fu Hang asked.


    ¡°All! I almost forgot.¡± Fu Guan pped his own forehead, suddenly remembering his main purpose of this visit, ¡°Uncle, a Spirit Chef learned that I¡¯m your nephew and asked me to deliver a letter to you.¡±


    With that, he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Fu Hang.


    ¡°A letter? Why didn¡¯t he contact me directly?¡± Fu Hang raised an eyebrow, took the letter and opened it to read.


    After a while, his face showed a trace of interest, ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, what is it? Can you tell me?¡± Fu Guan asked curiously.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inconvenient.¡± Fu Hang put the letter aside, ¡°It¡¯s a Spirit Chef from our neighboring city, Danju. After finding out about my Zhen Niu Pavilion, he wants to participate in the next Beef Tasting Banquet held at Zhen Niu Pavilion.¡±


    Every year, Fu Hang hosts a Beef Tasting Banquet at Zhen Niu Pavilion, inviting Spirit Chefs whose skills he acknowledged to enjoy top-notch beef.


    Looking at the time, the next Beef Tasting Banquet will soon begin, right after the city-level cooking contest.


    ¡°This Spirit Chef named Lei Ke is not simple.¡± Fu Hang pointed at the letter with a fascinated look on his face, ¡°A month ago, in the city-level cooking contest of Danju City, he won the championship and earned the second-level Food Rmender badge of Danju City.¡±


    ¡°And he will participate in the uing city-level cookingpetition here.¡±


    ¡°Dragon crossing the river, huh.¡± Fu Guanmented, ¡°It seems like he¡¯s preparing for the provincial-level cooking contest.¡±


    Provincial-level cooking contests, which are more superior than city-level ones, require five badges from second-level Food Rmenders for eligibility.


    However, unlike the first-level Food Rmenders, there is only one second-level Food Rmender per city.


    There are only two ways to obtain a badge from a second-level Food Rmender.


    The first is to win the city-level cooking contest and get the badge directly from the local second-level Food Rmender.


    The second is to visit the local second-level Food Rmender¡¯s ce.


    However, visiting a second-level Food Rmender isn¡¯t as easy as visiting the first-level ones. Not only are there certain thresholds to meet, but the test will also be much more difficult.


    So the overall difficulty of both methods is akin.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Fu Hang nodded, ¡°The threshold set by our city¡¯s second-level Food Rmender, Li Yuantu, is having two badges from second-level Food Rmenders. Since Lei Ke only has one, he can only gain another by winning thepetition.¡±


    ¡°But with his participation¡­¡± He rubbed his temples, ¡°it will be tougher for our local Spirit Chefs of Dongxia City to win the uing city-level cooking contest.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, will you invite Lei Ke to the Beef Tasting Banquetter?¡± Fu Guan asked.


    ¡°No rush.¡± Fu Hang replied calmly, ¡°Since he will participate in the city-level cooking contest in a few days, as one of the eleven judges, 1 will naturally get a chance to see his strength, being the champion of Danju City.¡±


    ¡°If he gains my approval, 1 will invite him then.¡±


    ¡°If not, he can forget about it.¡±


    Fu Guan nodded in agreement.


    Having delivered the message, he had fulfilled his duty.


    Soon after, a door of one of the kitchens was opened.


    Apanied by the rich aroma wafting out from the kitchen, Tang Xie walked out carrying a seemingly exquisite dish. He ced it before Fu Hang and Fu Guan.


    ¡°Mr. Fu Hang, this is a dish I prepared using beef tenderloin, the Beef Fruit Package. Please have a taste!¡± Tang Xie noticed that Qin Lang had not yete out of the kitchen, which made him feel smug.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Fu Hang sniffed the air, catching a uniquely baked smell, and turned his gaze to the dish before him. It was a meal asrge as two fists with a lightly charred cover of baked pastry. He looked at it with interest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this cooking method before, but this is my first time seeing it.¡± he smiled, ¡°The inside of the beef is cut into slices and stacked with fruit slices, cheese slices, and other ingredients. The whole thing is then wrapped in a pastry and baked together in the oven?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tang Xie nodded.


    ¡°While the method isn¡¯t difficult, it requires a lot of attention to detail. After all, it¡¯s not easy to get the inner ingredients to a perfect state without ncing at them.¡± Fu Hangmented briefly, then took a knife and cut the Beef Fruit Package in half.


    As soon as the outermostyer of pastry was sliced open, the strong aromas of the various ingredients inside instantly burst forth, as if being ignited.


    Rich scent of beef, various fruits, salted cheese with a milky aroma¡­


    These scents mixed together, quickly spreading throughout the nearby area.


    Fu Guan on the side couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    As expected of a dish made by a Spirit Chef, it was way better than his own cooking skills.


    Thinking that he would be able to taste it soon, he was already looking forward to it.


    In contrast to his nephew¡¯s explosive reactions, Fu Hang remainedposed.


    He carefully distinguished the aroma in the air, and then picked up his fork to start tasting the dish slowly.


    The outer crust was rather crisp due to the baking, but the inner part absorbed the grease from the beef and the juice from the heated fruits, adding a unique vor to it.


    The beef was perfectly cooked and its delicate texture was well preserved.


    The melted, salty cheese and juices oozing out of the fruit due to the heat infiltrated through the crevices in the texture of the beef, infusing it with additional vors, while the resulting soft, sweet fruit also offered an unexpectedly good taste.


    Under the nervous gaze of Tang Xie, Fu Hang slowlyid down his fork after tasting it.


    ¡°A very delicious dish.¡±


    In the end, he nodded approvingly.


    Hearing Fu Hang¡¯s praise, Tang Xie breathed a sigh of relief and broke into a smile.


    At that moment, another kitchen door ¡°squeaked¡± open.


    This made Tang Xie, who was about to say something, hold his tongue and look over.


    Qin Lang walked out step by step, holding a te of food, and stopped in front of Fu Hang.


    He nodded towards Tang Xie and then spoke.


    ¡°Silky Egg Beef Fillet, Mr. Fu Hang, please have a taste.¡±


    bonus content:


    [Wellington Steak]

 Chapter 42 - 42 Teng Niu Badge

    Chapter 42: Teng Niu Badge


    Trantor: 549690339


    After introducing the dish, Qin Lang stepped aside, waiting for Fu Hang to review it.


    However, he could still smell the strong scent in the air, causing an almost imperceptible twitch on his face.


    Indeed, the aroma of the Silky Egg Beef was alluring, but the Beef Fruit Package cooked in the oven surpassed it by far in terms of fragrance intensity.


    This was the difference made by the cooking method, and it was unavoidable.


    The aroma of Tang Xie¡¯s dish would to some extent mask and impact the presentation of the aroma of the Silky Egg Beef.


    However, the most impressive aspect of Silky Egg Beef lies in its vours and texture.


    Thinking about these, Qin Lang felt more confident.


    He should pass, right?


    While Qin Lang was seemingly calm but nervous inside, Fu Hang also began his appraisal.


    After rinsing his mouth with a special mouthwash that he had prepared in advance to remove any lingering taste left by Tang Xie¡¯s Beef Fruit Package, Fu Hang began to seriously observe the dish called Silky Egg Beef, which was made by Qin Lang.


    A momentter, astonishment could be seen in his eyes.


    Although the aroma had been somewhat affected, as he approached, he still clearly identified the unique aroma of Silky Egg Beef hidden beneath the strong scent of the Beef Fruit Package.


    The smell of egg, green onion, and the umami of beef.


    The perfect fusion of the three, like a gurgling spring in the mountains, did not create the overwhelming tidal waves as Beef Fruit Package did, but moisturized everything subtly, tickling Fu Hang¡¯s olfactory nerves.


    Under the light, the surface of the beef had a touch of lustrous sheen, looking tender and juicy, while the attached silky egg was a pale yellow, seemingly trembling slightly with Fu Hang¡¯s intensifying breath.


    It was difficult to imagine what the texture would be like once these silky eggs entered the mouth.


    The vibrant green onions also seemed to add a touch of term to the dish, rendering the Silky Egg Beef with a vibrant color.


    At this moment, Fu Hang only had one thought in his mind.


    Eat!


    He wanted to taste this dish he had never seen before and see what it tastes like!


    First, he picked up a chopstick-full of Silky Egg Beef and put it into his mouth.


    After a slight chew, Fu Hang¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    The Silky Egg Beef was mild in taste.


    Besides salt and a little pepper, no other seasonings were added.


    But mildness and savouriness did not conflict.


    Upon entering the mouth, an incredibly rich savoury taste exploded in Fu Hang¡¯s mouth.


    The egg was extremely tender, releasing its aroma with every chew. The beef was tender and juicy, and the pure umami taste of beef overflowed in the mouth with every burst of juices.


    This was a dish that provided Fu Hang with ultimate enjoyment in both vour and texture.


    More remarkably, it almost perfectly captured the original vour of the beef.


    This waspletely contrary to the Beef Fruit Package cooked by Tang Xie.


    The philosophy of beef cooking hidden in this dish resonated with Fu Hang, a Food Rmender who spent his lifetime pursuing higher quality beef.


    After a bite, his gaze turned to the rice on the side.


    This was the rice served by Qin Lang.


    After tasting a bite of Silky Egg Beef, Fu Hang had an intuition that experiencing it with the rice would bring a more wonderful experience.


    That being so¡­


    He lifted the rice bowl in one hand, put a chopstick of Silky Egg Beef on the rice, letting the tiny amount of gravy from the Silky Egg Beef soak briefly into the rice, and then shoveled both into his mouth.


    The soft eggs roamed freely among the stic rice grains as he chewed, with the juices from the beef mixing with the rice.


    The original aroma of the rice waspletely released through thisbination, bringing Fu Hang an incredible touch of delight.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but shout out loud, then realizing his outburst, he swiftly cleared his throat to hide his excitement.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡±


    Fu Hang put down his chopsticks and left, returning quickly with two copper badges shimmering purple in the light. He handed them to Qin Lang and Tang Xie, ¡°Your cooking has met my expectations; I¡¯m presenting you both with the Teng Niu Badge.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Lang epted the badge and began to examine it closely.


    Identical in shape and texture to the two badges he had received before, the design on the front of the Teng Niu Badge was dramatically different ¨C a silhouette of a bull raising its foreleg, against the backdrop of a delicate marbling of beef.


    The ribbon at the bottom carries an inscription, this time it reads ¡°Dongxia City ?Teng Niu¡±.


    This is Fu Hang¡¯s exclusive badge, the Teng Niu Badge.


    With the addition of Fish Scale, Daisy, and Teng Niu badges, Qin Lang is now eligible to enroll in the City-level Cooking Competition taking ce four dayster.


    Thinking of this, he can¡¯t help but break into a grin.


    ¡°Gudong!¡±


    On the side, Dan Bao joyfully hoots.


    Acquiring the Teng Niu Badge signifies it¡¯s finally time to dig in!


    ¡°Eat up.¡± Qin Lang ces another serving of Silky Egg Beef in front of Dan Bao, filling up its bowl heartily.


    Watching the little creature relishing its meal, he feels an inner joy.


    Discounting the badge, on the other hand, Tang Xie seems somewhat absent-minded.


    He notices the unusual reaction of Fu Hang when tasting Qin Lang¡¯s cuisine.


    ¡°Mr. Fu Hang, hold on a moment.¡± After a moment of pondering, he can¡¯t help but call out to Fu Hang, ¡°In your opinion, who cooked the more delicious dish, me or young brother Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Fu Hang nced at Tang Xie, ¡°This isn¡¯t Food Fight, there¡¯s no need for such a deration.¡±


    ¡°But 1 want to know.¡± Tang Xie persisted.


    ¡°Then it depends on whether Qin Lang wants to know or not.¡± Fu Hang looked towards Qin Lang.


    ¡°I also want to know.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, intrigued.


    He had already noticed the dishes Tang Xie made.


    A fusion of something like a hamburger and a Wellington steak¡ªit was quite intriguing.


    He wondered which would be more delicious in Fu Hang¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If the two of you have no objections, then I¡¯ll say it.¡± Fu Hang scanned the two of them, then spoke without hesitation, ¡°Given the choice between the two dishes, I¡¯d prefer Qin Lang¡¯s Silky Egg Beef.¡±


    Such a response brought more joy to Qin Lang, but left Tang Xie somewhat dejected.


    Although he realized from Fu Hang¡¯s reactions while tasting both dishes, he had sort of anticipated it.


    But at the moment Fu Hang announced it, he found it iprehensible.


    Wasn¡¯t his Beef Fruit Package superior in vor?


    And the ingredients Qin Lang used to cook his dish were so basic¡­


    What kind of magic did his Silky Egg Beef possess?


    While Tang Xie was still stunned, a bowl of rice topped with a thickyer of Silky Egg Beef and a pair of chopsticks was put in front of him.


    ¡°Want to taste?¡± Qin Lang offered with a friendly smile.


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    Tang Xie took the chopsticks and bowl and with an inquisitive mind, he started to earnestly taste the Silky Egg Beef.


    After a few bites, his confusion turned into understanding.


    This time around, he felt no regret about his defeat..

 Chapter 43 - 43 Selection of Meat and Food Fight

    Chapter 43: Selection of Meat and Food Fight


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Gululu-¡±


    Feeling satisfied, Dan Bao swayed in the air, thenzilynded on Qin Lang¡¯s head.


    With a light ¡°plop,¡± its round and chubby tail drooped lifelessly, bumping into the small braid Qin Langbed at the back of his head.


    (^)


    After indulging in a meal of silky egg beef apanied by rice, Dan Bao¡¯s little face was filled with happiness.


    Qin Lang supported Dan Bao with one hand, a smile also emerging on his face.


    After Fu Hang and Tang Xie granted them the Teng Niu Badges, they finished the rest of the delicious food for lunch.


    Qin Lang also tasted the Beef Fruit Package that Tang Xie prepared.


    Frankly, the taste was indeed very good.


    But his silky egg beef still edged it out.


    Among the four people, the happiest was Fu Guan, who got off easy.


    Coming here together, he not only witnessed the culinary skills of the two Spirit Chefs, but also got to enjoy a splendid meal.


    The richly vored beef fruit package was beyond delicious, but it was Qin Lang¡¯s silky egg beef that truly broadened Fu Guan¡¯s horizons.


    Now he understood why Qin Lang¡¯s victory with oxtail in the Food Fight led judges to flock to his Beef Area to buy oxtail.


    ¡°Alright,¡± after tidying up the aftermath, Fu Hang stood straight and turned again towards the corner where the alloy door was marked with the Zhen Niu Pavilion logo, ¡°You two follow me, you can pick a kilogram of beef from the low-temperature storage area!¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    Wasn¡¯t this the moment he had circumnavigated other Food Rmenders to visit Fu Hang for?


    Top-quality beef, a choice of any part up to one kilogram!


    Meanwhile, Tang Xie, who stood on the side, was also revitalized, showing an expectant look.


    He wasn¡¯t as poor as Qin Lang, but the quality of beef here at Fu Hang¡¯s was better than that sold in the Food Material Market certified by the Association, an irresistible attraction for every Spirit Chef.


    The two followed him, passing through the icy mist flowing from the alloy door, entering Fu Hang¡¯s mysterious low-temperature storage.


    The interior space of the storage was muchrger than it looked from the outside. Countless shelves filled several stories, with tags clearly marking the beef species, grain-fed days, parts, and various detailed data on each shelf.


    What was indeed a ce for storing beef gave both Qin Lang and Tang Xie a luxurious feeling.


    ¡°The temperature here is very low to preserve the beef. You two should be careful not to catch a cold,¡± Fu Hangughed, proudly pointing to the grand shelves, then waving his hand boldly, ¡°One kilogram, choose freely!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fu Hang.¡±


    The two thanked him simultaneously, then moved forward to carefully discern the quality of the beef and pick the parts they wanted.


    The temperature in the storage was very low, but it couldn¡¯t cool down the excitement in their hearts.


    ¡°Which one to choose¡­¡± Looking at the varied types of beef before him, Qin Lang, as a chef, felt a happy worry.


    He was very unfamiliar with the beef varieties in this world, having never studied them.


    So to judge the quality, he could only go by the fat marbling and the color of the beef.


    Dan Bao, who was perched on his head, also took flight again to help Qin Lang in his selection.


    Soon, Dan Bao¡¯s gazended on a piece of meat.


    Unlike the otherrge pieces of beef, this one had a long, slender cut surface, almost symmetrical on both sides, with the fat marbling simr to snowkes. It was exceptionally beautiful.


    Moreover, there was a clear white line in the middle, just like the veins of a leaf.


    This made Dan Bao, who judges by the looks, immediately fond of it.


    ¡°Gululu?¡±


    What meat is this?


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Qin Lang stepped forward, picking it up to examine closely, his face showing a look of wonder, ¡°Such exquisite beef short ribs!¡±


    Beef short ribs, taken from the chest rib area of the cow, specifically the area of the 6th to 8th ribs.


    When left with the rib, it¡¯s also referred to as Cowboy bone.


    The piece in Qin Lang¡¯s hand had already been boneless and finely trimmed.


    Just at a nce at its rich marbling, he could imagine how this piece of beef, simply grilled over a me, could burst out with a spectacr aroma and richness.


    Suddenly, Tang Xie¡¯s voice came from the side.


    ¡°Mr. Fu Hang, 1 want this piece.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Eye round, you have a good choice!¡± Fu Hang took a nce, estimated the weight in Tang Xie¡¯s hands to be exactly one kilogram,ughed, ¡°Alright! Give me your address, and I¡¯ll have it delivered to your home.¡±


    To preserve the taste, the beef should not be repeatedly defrosted, and needs to be transported through a cold chain throughout.


    Tang Xie hurriedly nodded, giving his address, his face filled with anticipation.


    Seeing that Tang Xie had finished selecting, Qin Lang smiled, ¡°We¡¯ll take this piece of beef short ribs.¡±


    He roughly estimated the weight, just a kilogram.


    As for how to prepare this short rib¡­


    He already had an idea in mind.


    After the registration waspleted, Qin Lang and Tang Xie said their farewells and left Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    At the entrance of Zhen Niu Pavilion, just as the two were about to part ways, Tang Xie suddenly spoke up, ¡°Qin Lang, this is my third Food Rmender Badge, what about you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my third one too,¡± Qin Lang responded.


    ¡°The third¡­¡± Tang Xie revealed an unsurprised expression, ¡°It seems like you and 1 will be registering for the City-level Cooking Competition in four days.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face showed more anticipation, ¡°Exchanging ideas with chefs from different ces has always been my dream.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I have a suggestion.¡± Tang Xie took out the Duel initiator from his pocket, ¡°Before the City-level Cooking Competition starts, how about we have a Food Fight?¡±


    He was defeated by Qin Lang in a carefully prepared challenge, which left Tang Xie, who had always thought his cooking skills were unparalleled among his peers, somewhat frustrated.


    In his view, Qin Lang was so young and maybe just happened to excel at silky egg beef, that¡¯s why he performed extraordinarily in the challenge.


    Therefore, he wanted to have a Food Fight with Qin Lang.


    Of course, this was about defeating Qin Lang to regain his confidence in a Food Fight, but also to probe Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills.


    After all, they would bepetitors in the City-level Cooking Competition in a few days.


    ¡°Sure, 1 ept.¡± Estimating that the timing was not too rushed, Qin Lang readily nodded, ¡°By the rules, I choose the Food Fight topic?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­l choose the Limited Cuisine Theme.¡± After thinking for a while, Qin Lang spoke decisively.


    Now that he had an ie from the temporary position, he wasn¡¯t exactly poor now and wanted to try other Food Fight themes.


    The two quickly inserted their Spirit Chef Badges into the Duel initiator, and once it was set up, a rapidly spinning roulette wheel appeared on the Duel initiator screen.


    When the wheel stopped spinning, the pointer was pointing at the area marked ¡°Exquisite.¡±


    Dishes have to be exquisite?


    Qin Lang blinked.


    An unexpected topic indeed!


    End-of-chapter bonus content:


    [Introduction to Beef Parts]

 Chapter 44 - 44: Registration for Cooking Contest

    Chapter 44: Registration for Cooking Contest


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Exquisite?¡±


    Seeing the result of the draw, Tang Xie¡¯s face also showed a surprised expression, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect to draw such a theme.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our Food Fight.¡± Tang Xie looked at Qin Lang, etching a fighting will in his face.


    ¡°So am I.¡± Qin Lang responded with a nod.


    ¡°The Food Fight schedule is set, it will be the day after tomorrow, at two in the afternoon. The location is the Spirit Chef Association.¡± Tang Xie gave Qin Lang¡¯s Spirit Chef Badge back to him, retrieving the Duel Initiator. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, see you the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to register for thepetition at the Spirit Chef Association?¡± Seeing Tang Xie turning and walking away, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but remind.


    ¡°No need!¡± Tang Xie waved his Duel initiator, ¡°1 can register with this.¡±


    Is it that simple?


    Qin Lang stroked his chin, turning to Dan Bao on one side, ¡°Do you think we should buy a Duel Initiator too?¡±


    ¡°Gudululu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded in agreement.


    It seems quite convenient.


    ¡°Just so happens, well get one after we register at the Spirit Chef Association.¡± Qin Lang quickly made a decision.


    A Duel Initiator costs over ten thousand, which he could now afford.


    There¡¯s still plenty of time. Even with a few hours¡¯ journey, they could still reach Starlight Restaurant before the dinner service time, just in time to register first.


    Though he didn¡¯t know when the registration deadline for thepetition was, thepetition was only a few days away, so the earlier, the better.


    Soon, Qin Lang and Dan Bao hopped on the subway, heading to the Spirit Chef Association.


    A few hourster, the duo stood in front of the Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association.


    ¡°City-level Cooking Competition Registration¡­¡± Qin Lang quickly found out the location of the registration point by asking the reception staff and headed there with sure steps.


    He did not want to miss such a good opportunity for chef interaction.


    Moreover, if he could get a ranking and earn the title of Excellent Chef, not only would he get higher discounts when buying ingredients in the Food Material Market, but his working conditions and social status would also greatly improve.


    Dan Bao, following closely behind, was also very excited.


    Qin Lang¡¯s participation in the city-level cookingpetition means that it can gain more Star Power to speed up its growth, and also that it can taste the delicious dishes cooked by Qin Lang again!


    ¡°Gudululu!¡±


    Let¡¯s go for it!


    Soon, the duo arrived at the registration point.


    The receptionist was a female staff member with hefty eye bags.


    ¡°Registering for the city-level cookingpetition?¡± The staff member yawned, taking Qin Lang¡¯s Spirit Chef badge, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re early, a minuteter and¡­¡±


    ¡°Registration would have closed?¡± Qin Lang asked nervously.


    ¡°I would have gone off work.¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±¡­¡±


    Dan Bao:¡±¡­¡±


    ¡°However, the registration for thepetition is indeeding to a close. Because we need to inform everyone in advance of the theme for the first round of scoringpetition, registration will close two days before thepetition starts, i.e., the day after tomorrow.¡± The staff member casually mentioned as she checked Qin Lang¡¯s personal details.


    Is it the same day as the Food Fight¡­


    Upon hearing this, Qin Lang nodded, relieved that his badge had arrived just in time.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    The staff member nced at the information for a second before her eyes widened, she turned to look at Qin Lang as if she had seen a ghost, her attention suddenly piqued, ¡°You¡¯ve been a Spirit Chef for just a week? And you got the Food Rmender Badges for three consecutive days?!¡±


    When the badge is conferred by a Food Rmender, it also gets recorded in the database, visible to the staff on their backend.


    The personal experience of obtaining a badge for three consecutive days was particrly eye-catching.


    ¡°Ahem, 1 did prepare quite thoroughly in advance.¡± Qin Lang modestly chipped in.


    ¡°You¡¯re the second person I¡¯ve seen with such a feat during this registration period. Impressive.¡± The staff member looked at Qin Lang with admiration and continued registering him.


    ¡°Who was the first?¡± Qin Lang became curious.


    ¡°I can¡¯t reveal that, but you¡¯ll definitely see him during thepetition, you might even end uppeting against him.¡± The staff member chuckled, returning the badge to Qin Lang, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re registration is done.¡±


    Qin Lang collected his badge thoughtfully, with an image of Tang Xie shing through his mind.


    Was it him?


    But he didn¡¯t know many Spirit Chefs; it could be anyone.


    Checking his badge to make sure it was in order, he got up to leave with Dan Bao only to be stopped by the staff member.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The staff member took out a brochure from a cab, ¡°This is the introduction to this City-level Cooking Contest. Don¡¯t you want it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Lang smacked his forehead, inwardly admonishing his own oversight.


    Although he knew the general situation of the City-level Cooking Contest, he didn¡¯t know much about the specific rules and rewards.


    He almost forgot about the most important thing.


    Taking the brochure and thanking the staff member, Qin Lang made sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything else before he left the registration point with Dan Bao.


    After purchasing his own Duel Initiator from the Spirit Chef Association, the duo returned to the Starlight Restaurant.


    As he walked, he started flipping through the brochure to familiarize himself with the City-level Cooking Contest.


    Dan Bao joined in, though he couldn¡¯t understand a word, he pretended he did, asionally nodding his head.


    After a quick skim through the whole brochure, Qin Lang had a deeper understanding of the City-level Cooking Contest.


    The City-level Cooking Contest consists of three rounds.


    The first round is the Scoring Competition.


    Based on the theme drawn in advance, all Spirit Chefpetitors cook their dishes, which are then scored by a panel of judges. No matter how many chefs participate, only the top eight are selected to advance.


    The second round is the Elimination Competition.


    The top eight chefs draw lots andpete in pairs, resulting in the top four.


    The third round is the Ranking Competition.


    The top four chefs battle it out for ranking and crown the champion.


    Thepetition rules were notplicated; Qin Lang understood them quite easily.


    What piqued his interest more was thepetition reward.


    As long as one makes it to the top eight of the City-level Cooking Contest, there are rewards. Moreover, the rewards get more and more stunning as one ascends in ranking.


    Thepetition reward consists of four parts: Title Reward, Point Reward, Badge Reward, and Stars tone Reward.


    Anyone who enters the top eight of the City-level Cooking Contest gets the Excellent Chef title.


    ording to specific rankings, the top eight chefs can receive different Cooking Contest points.


    The first-ce winner can get loo points, second to fourth ce winners can get 50 points and fifth to eighth ce winners can get 20 points.


    The Cooking Contest points can be used to redeem rare ingredients not sold anywhere else at the Spirit Chef Association; only by getting a ranking in thepetition can one earn these points.


    The list of redemption options in the brochure was filled with top-notch ingredients, making Qin Lang¡¯s eyes redden.


    Apart from that, the winner of the City-level Cooking Contest will receive a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge personally from Mr. Li Yuantu, the vice president of Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association, and the city¡¯s only Second-Level Food Rmender.


    If one umtes five Second-Level Badges, they can qualify for higher-level cookingpetitions!


    Regarding the final Starstone reward¡­


    Qin Lang and Dan Bao looked at each other ¨C both were eager.


    Such a great reward!

 Chapter 45 - 45 Starstone

    Chapter 45: Starstone


    Trantor: 549690339


    Under normal circumstances, Star Power can only originate from a food fight or spirit battle between Spirit Chefs. The distribution of Star Power depends on the oue of the battle.


    It seems like a special rule in this world, it can¡¯t be plundered, only the Food Spirit that has a contract with the Spirit Chef can absorb the Star Power belonging to the Spirit Chef.


    And the Stars tone, is a magical gem.


    It contains a great amount of leaderless Star Power.


    Any Food Spirit can absorb the Star Power inside once in contact with the Starstone, thus elerating its growth.


    Without a doubtpared to the normal food fights and spirit battles, this is a more efficient way to improve.


    However, Starstones are very precious.


    They are not products of nature but rather treasures made by the Spirit Chef Association in a special way.


    There is only one way for the Spirit Chef to get the Starstone.


    That is to participate in variouspetitions and achieve good results.


    The Spirit Chef Association has a very strict control system for Starstones.


    Not only does every Starstone have a strict traceability system, but the way to get Starstone rewards is also entirely different from other rewards.


    Starstone rewards must be absorbed under the supervision of the staff of the Spirit Chef Association immediately upon receipt.


    This measure is taken to preventpetitors from reselling Starstones, leading to illegal cirction of Starstones.


    Moreover, the Starstones are distributed to the Spirit Chef ording to the rounds of thepetition, rather than given out as a final reward.


    This practice is meant to use up the prepared Starstone rewards for thepetition more effectively, reducing the risk of storage.


    In this city-level cookingpetition,petitors ranked fifth to eighth will receive 1 Starstone reward, fourth ce will get 2, third ce will get 4, second ce will get 7, and first ce will get 11.


    After the top eight are determined in the scoringpetition, the eightpetitors will receive 1 Starstone for ces fifth to eighth.


    After the top four are determined in the eliminationpetition, the fourpetitors will receive the remaining 1 Starstone for the fourth ce.


    After the rankingpetition determines the top two, they will receive the remaining 5 Starstones for the second ce.


    Then, the top two will decide the first ce and will get the remaining 4 Starstones for the first ce; thest two will decide the third ce and will get the remaining 2 Starstones for the third ce.


    After carefully flipping through the booklet, Qin Lang and Dan Bao¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation.


    Their initial focus was on participation, but now they had a higher goal in mind.


    They must achieve as high a ce as possible in thispetition!


    Qin Lang is not sure how much Star Power a single Stars tone contains, nor how much Star Power is needed to upgrade a one-star Food Spirit to two stars.


    But if he could win 11 Starstones at once, it might give Dan Bao a chance to be promoted directly to two stars.


    And the opening of a Spirit Chef¡¯s Star Vein is closely rted to the star level of the Food Spirit.


    In order for Qin Lang to open the second Star Vein and be qualified to contract a second Food Spirit, there is only one condition:


    That is, the first Food Spirit must be promoted to two stars!


    ¡°Gudurulu!¡±


    A me of fighting spirit ignited in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    He¡¯s aiming for the first ce!


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best together!¡±


    Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s ears, and his face also showed fighting spirit.


    In his previous life, he had participated in many cookingpetitions.


    He, Qin Lang, has never lost!


    Even if he has to face the Spirit Chefs of this world, Qin Lang will not back down.


    As they spoke, Qin Lang and Dan Bao were already standing at the door of the Starlight Restaurant.


    Looking at Luo Hui, who was busy tidying up the tables and chairs inside the Starlight Restaurant, preparing to start the dinner service, they smiled at each other and walked in.


    A momentter, Luo Hui¡¯s surprised shout was heard from inside the Starlight Restaurant.


    ¡°You got another badge?!¡±


    ¡°I am Qin Lang, I need to sign here, right?¡±


    At the entrance of Qin Lang¡¯smunity, a man and a spirit returning home after the dinner service time from preparing Steamed Bass at the Starlight Restaurant bumped into the transporter who was delivering beef to their doorstep at the scheduled time.


    After signing for the beef delivered from Zhen Niu Pavilion, they returned home with high expectations.


    ¡°Gudoo?¡±


    Is there some delicious food?


    Expectation was written all over Dan Bao¡¯s little face.


    Two nights ago, after earning the Fish Scale Badge, Qin Lang made Tomato Beef Brisket Noodlesplemented with a perfectly runny fried egg, which was incredibly delicious.


    Last night, after acquiring the Daisy Badge, Qin Lang made a delicious egg yolk crisp, which left Dan Bao more than satisfied.


    Today, they received the Teng Niu Badge and got some high-quality beef.


    Following the previous pattern, wouldn¡¯t Qin Lang make some delicious food tonight too?


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not making food tonight.¡±


    Qin Lang ced the beef in the refrigerator¡¯s freezerpartment.


    Eh?


    Eh?!


    Dan Bao looked keenly as the beef was ced in the fridge, not the kitchen. A look of disappointment shed across its small face.


    ¡°Only kidding.¡± Seeing this, Qin Lang chuckled and rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s small head, ¡°Do you remember me asking Uncle Luo Hui for a half-day off before leaving the restaurantst night? We¡¯re not needed for lunch service tomorrow.¡±


    Dan Bao blinked, then quickly recalled that little matter it hadn¡¯t given much thought to.


    That¡¯s right!


    Qin Lang has already obtained three Food Rmender Badges, thus qualifying for the city-level cookingpetition.


    So what is the day off tomorrow for?


    As Dan Bao gazed at him curiously, Qin Lang cleared his throat and put on a serious expression, as though making a grand announcement.


    ¡°In celebration of our joint effort in acquiring all three Food Rmender Badges and qualifying for the city-level cookingpetition, I have decided to take you on a pic tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Gudoo?¡±


    Dan Bao tilted its yolk-colored face within its body.


    What¡¯s a pic?


    ¡°A pic is¡­¡± Seeing that Dan Bao didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the word, Qin Lang paused before continuing, ¡°We¡¯ll take a variety of delicious things and go y in the countryside!¡±


    ¡°Guloo!!!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up in an instant.


    Keyword One: A variety of delicious things!


    Keyword Two: y!


    Both are its absolute favourites!


    They can pic! So cool!!


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s sudden interest in a pic, Qin Lang continued his description.


    ¡°We can spread arge tablecloth on thewn and ce all the prepared food on it, eating whatever we want.¡±


    ¡°We can also find a spot near a river to have our pic, so we can not only y in the water but also have a chance to catch a fish, which we can then roast.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more, we can also bring a barbecue grill and grill meat outdoors.¡±


    ¡°The beef short ribs we selected today are one of the best cuts of beef for grilling. The densely marbled beef short ribs will sizzle and ooze oil the moment they¡¯re exposed to the me.¡±


    Watching Dan Bao¡¯s glowing eyes and uncontroble drooling, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t helpughing.


    ¡°We need to get up early tomorrow morning to prepare for the pic.¡±


    ¡°So we need to rest early tonight!¡±


    ¡°Guduloo!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded vigorously.


    Forget about what to eat tonight, it was time to sleep!

 Chapter 46 - 46 Second Food Skill

    Chapter 46: Second Food Skill


    Trantor: 549690339


    The following morning dawned.


    Qin Lang woke up amid asional thuds from his chest.


    With one hand he stilled Dan Bao¡¯s attempts to keep thudding and burst out both exasperated and amused, ¡°Enough, enough, I¡¯m awake.¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao cheered once, the small yolk head was filled with anticipation.


    They were going for a pic today!


    ¡°Be patient,¡± Qin Lang sat up from the bed, pulling on clean clothes while exining, ¡°The focus of our pic today is barbecue, but we also need to prepare some other foods for the pic.¡±


    ¡°Besides food, we also need things like pic nkets, portable barbecues, and so on.¡±


    In the midst of their conversation, Qin Lang had changed and headed to the washroom to freshen up.


    The next moment he poked his head out from the bathroom, looking at Dan Bao.


    ¡°Oh right.¡±


    ¡°The issue of the barbecue¡¯s fire source, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Qin Lang gave a thumbs up, ¡°I trust you!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t because the barbecue stove was too heavy to carry.


    ¡°Gudududu?¡±


    A fire source?


    With a tilt of Dan Bao¡¯s little head, its eyes lit up quickly.


    Got it! Use full firepower for barbecue!


    Thinking about how today¡¯s pic involved him so much, Dan Bao was even more eager.


    An hourter, having prepared everything for the pic, Qin Lang and Dan Bao set off,den with bags and bundles.


    Their destination was a ce called Willow River Park.


    A river called Yun Yue River, branching off from Xiayun River, flowed through the park, so clear you could see the bottom and even drink directly from it.


    Arge number of willow trees were nted by the Yun Yue river, hence the park¡¯s name.


    The ce was beautifully scenic with clean air, perfect for outings.


    And it was very close to Qin Lang, only a ten-minute walk away.


    So as soon as the talk about outdoor pics came up, Qin Lang immediately thought of it.


    Today was a work day, so there weren¡¯t many people in the park, but to avoid disturbing others with the aroma of barbecue, Qin Lang and Dan Bao chose a rtively secluded spot by the Yun Yue River.


    No sooner had the pretty checkerboard pic nket been spread out than Dan Bao excitedly hurled himself onto it, rolling gleefully over the soft grass through the nket.


    Dan Bao¡¯s rolling was quite unique.


    His internal yolk face and outer body rolled separately, seemingly totally unrted to each other.


    Because of this special way of rolling, after a few whirls, Dan Bao became somewhat dizzy and finallyzed about on the pic nket honestly.


    Qin Lang held back hisughter, scooped him up, and put him in a corner of the pic nket, then began to take out the various things he had prepared from his bag and ce them on the pic nket.


    The washed lettuce leaves for wrapping the barbecue were neatly ced in a bamboo basket, tworge bottles of mixed fruit juice from Qin Lang¡¯s secret recipe would be the drink of the day, the seasonings for the barbecue, and the prepared snacks and other food were all indispensable.


    When all of these wereid out before him by Qin Lang, the dazed Dan Bao instantly perked up.


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Delicious food!


    In an instant, it regained its energy and flew to Qin Lang¡¯s side. Though it made no sound, there was a clear sense of urgency in its little eyes.


    Having failed to eat the delicious food it wantedst night and endured till now, it was nearly starved!


    Spirit Chef! Are you really going to let your super, incredibly cute Food Spirit starve to death?


    ¡°We¡¯ll start right away.¡± Seeing Dan Bao in such a state, Qin Lang could not help butugh.


    He casually handed out a homemade fruit bowl cake made before departing to Dan Bao to fill its belly. He then took out a metal wire barbecue grill from his bag and assembled it next to the pic nket.


    Finally, Qin Lang took out from another bag the main course of the day that had already been prepared earlier.


    The prime beef short ribs from Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    Thanks to the ice packs, the beef shorts ribs were still in a chilled and fresh state.


    Knowing the right way to maintain the tenderness and juiciness of frozen beef during defrosting was a must for any chef.


    Last night, Qin Lang did not ce the beef in the freezer but in the fridge to be thawed slowly by refrigeration. This method kept the meat juices and vor locked within the meat, preventing them from being lost during defrosting.


    Afterward, under room temperature, defrosting the beef for one or two hours would retain the meat at its optimal state for cooking.


    Qin Lang chopped the short ribs neatly into pieces, each about five mm thick. Looking at the cutting surface, you could clearly see the fine marbling.


    This thickness allowed the short ribs to get grilled quickly, but it still gave you the satisfaction of eating juicy, mouthful meat. Given the fat content of the short ribs, there was not even a need to use extra oil during the grilling process.


    Since the ribs were beautifully ced on arge te, they could thaw for the second time at room temperature. After that, Qin Lang looked at Dan Bao, who was jumping in excitement, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded vigorously, a look of earnestness on its small face.


    It was about to handle the heat production in the following barbecue session.


    Qin Lang had already exined to it on the way; this would be a special training for it.


    A good chef must be able to control the heat precisely.


    Although it was not an excellent chef, it was an excellent assistant to the chef!


    Therefore, having mastered Full Firepower, abat skill, it aimed to turn this skill into its ¡°Second Food Skill,¡± which could be of assistance to Qin Lang!


    ¡°Come, aim your fire at this spot.¡± Qin Lang pointed at the area directly beneath the grill, ¡°Your me should radiate outwards evenly from the center of the grill.¡±


    ¡°Under this condition, the meat grilled on a metal grill will be the most delicious.¡±


    After exining to Dan Bao what needed to be done, Qin Lang moved to the side to avoid the mes being spat out identally.


    Dan Bao took a deep breath, and as Qin Lang sucked away the spiritual power in its Tian Shu Star Vein bit by bit, clusters of fire suddenly appeared from the gap between its head and body.


    The next moment, Dan Bao breathed out sharply, and the fire gathered inside its mouth and spurted out as a me line.


    The special training in the past for the caramel pudding came in handy at this moment.


    Dan Bao¡¯s control over Full Firepower, thebat skill, had improved significantly since it was born. The first time it spurted out mes, it precisely hit the metal grill of the barbecue.


    However, the metal grill instantly turned red under the mes.


    Moreover, the area of the grill with the highest temperature was not at the center.


    ¡°Lower the temperature, adjust the position.¡± Feeling the rolling heatwave rushing towards him, Qin Lang intuitively stepped back a couple of steps, guiding Dan Bao in adjusting its fire control.


    ¡°No, no, no, the angle of adjustment is not right¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you try to reduce the power slightly¡­¡±


    ¡°Now the position is right, but the temperature is still too high ¡­¡±


    ¡°No, this is too low¡­¡±


    ¡öI 11


    Two hourster, Qin Lang, who had his spiritual power sucked away several times, shakily shook his numb legs from sitting cross-legged for so long. Looking at Dan Bao, who was urately heating the metal grill with its mes, he gave a satisfied nod.


    ¡°We can start barbecuing now..¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47 The Charm of Grilled Beef Short Ribs

    Chapter 47: The Charm of Grilled Beef Short Ribs


    Trantor: 549690339


    At Qin Lang¡¯s words, Dan Bao¡¯s face lit up with joy.


    After two full hours of special training, the firepower demand could finally be met!


    Now, it was time for Dan Bao to show off his skills!


    Seeing Qin Lang sprinkle some ck pepper on the previously thawed beef short ribs before cing it on a metal grill, Dan Bao¡¯s spirits rose in an instant. Was it time to grill the meat?


    Receiving an affirmative look from Qin Lang, Dan Bao took another deep breath, then blew out a stream of fire with all his might, maintaining the stability of the me just as he¡¯d been trained to do.


    Under the heat of the me, the white snowke patterns on the side of the beef short ribs in contact with the metal grill quickly melted, turning into luscious oil that glossed each texture of the meat, making a sizzling sound in a very short time.


    The evenly ground sea salt and ck pepper soaking into this oil was intensely activated, quickly integrating into the textures of the beef.


    The meaty aroma, mixed with a slight milk fragrance, explosively burst forth from the beef short ribs on the metal grill mere seconds after being fired. The robust scent forcefully flooded into Qin Lang and Dan Bao¡¯s nostrils.


    Dan Bao was salivating. Driven by the overwhelming aroma of the meat, the me he was breathing became somewhat unstable due to his excitement.


    Upon realizing his mistake, Dan Bao quickly suppressed his cravings, refocusing his attention on controlling the heat.


    He surreptitiously nced at Qin Lang and noticed his calm demeanor, which eased his worries.


    It was just a briefpse of control; it shouldn¡¯t affect the taste of the grilled meat¡­


    Qin Lang reached out to pat Dan Bao¡¯s head with one hand, while the other hand used tongs to flip the beef short ribs that had been seeping juice and shrinking at the edges due to the heat.


    The side that had been grilled was no longer the blood red of raw meat but was now an attractive light brown, punctuated by intersecting deep brown sear marks slightly embedded into the meat.


    This contact between the beef short ribs and the metal grill ensured even heating and enhanced the Maird reaction, speeding up the development of the beef¡¯s vors.


    ¡°Sizzle¡­¡±


    The sizzling sound, which had been gradually softening, sharpened once more after Qin Lang flipped the meat.


    Residual oil on the metal grill elerated the melting of the oil on the other side of the meat. A smoother grilling process following the flip made the rich aroma surge out like a torrential flood.


    Both Qin Lang and Dan Bao were getting a bit fidgety amidst this intoxicating meaty aroma.


    The thinly sliced beef short ribs, which didn¡¯t need to be flipped again, could be eaten directly once the second side reached a simr level of doneness as the first.


    Qin Lang used a pair of cooking scissors to cut therge beef short ribs into several small pieces, fed one to Dan Bao, who had already stopped the mes and was drooling, and then picked up another small piece to taste it himself.


    The next moment, the eyes of both man and spirit radiated bright lights.


    The meat juice perfectly locked in during grilling burst out instantly as they chewed. The slightly milk-scented, savoury meat taste blended perfectly with the ck pepper used as a seasoning, offering their taste buds an extraordinary experience.


    The original vour of the beef and the unique taste of ck pepper fused together, instantly overflowing in their mouths and amplifying the satisfaction of eating meat through their olfactory senses to an extreme degree.


    The grilled beef short ribs were tender yet firm, and its chewy texture was ineffable.


    If they had been cut a bit thicker, the texture would have been stodgy. If they had been cut a bit thinner, the delight of eating meat would have beenpromised.


    Under Qin Lang¡¯s control, the fine detail of thickness infused soul into the grilled meat.


    High-end ingredients often only require the most basic cooking methods.


    These premium beef short ribs, cultivated by the Food Rmender, Fu Hang, underwent just simple seasoning and cooking but have already offered an unparalleled wonderful experience to both man and spirit.


    But this wasn¡¯t the end yet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush.¡±


    Stopping Dan Bao, who was about to snatch another piece of meat, Qin Lang smiled as he picked up a small piece of meat, dipped it in some self-made barbecue dipping sauce, wrapped it in lettuce, and then handed it over to Dan Bao.


    ¡°Aah-¡±


    With a sparkle in its eyes, Dan Bao¡¯s little head popped out of its body and bit the grilled meat wrapped in lettuce.


    Qin Lang followed suit and shoved some into his mouth.


    At first bite, there was nothing too special, but as he chewed, the roast meat wrapped inside the lettuce was revealed. When crispy, fresh lettuce mixed with roast meat, a whole new culinary experience exploded between his lips.


    The freshness of the lettuce excellently neutralized the greasiness of the meat. The salty and spicy grilled meat dipping sauce moderatelypensated for the ndness of the lettuce. It didn¡¯t conflict with the vor of the meat itself at all, insteadplementing it perfectly.


    It was undeniably roast meat, but with this way of eating, it had a different taste.


    ¡°Want to try this way?¡± Qin Lang opened a food box revealing thin-sliced melons inside. He took out a piece and stacked it with the roast meat before feeding it to Dan Bao.


    ¡°And this one.¡± Qin Lang opened another food box like a magician, taking out a thin piece of translucent steamed noodle skin. After brushing on some barbecue sauce and adding spicy cabbage, he wrapped the grilled meat and handed it to Dan Bao.


    ¡°And also¡­¡±


    One after another, different ways of eating grilled meat were disyed in Qin Lang¡¯s hands.


    Both he and Dan Bao ate with great satisfaction.


    A full kilogram of beef short ribs ended up in their stomachs.


    The remaining kilogram, which he didn¡¯t bring out of the fridge, Qin Lang nned to possibly use in the cooking contest.


    If he didn¡¯t need it there, he could have another feast.


    After quickly cleaning up, Qin Lang and Dan Baozily leaned against a willow tree nearby.


    The afternoon sunlight was just perfect. The clear water of the Yun Yue River flowed gently. The sound of it in their ears was soft, and the dancing shadows of the tree fell on Qin Lang¡¯s handsome face and on Dan Bao in his arms.


    After resting for a while, they frolicked by the river.


    Until a shout came faintly from the other side of the park.


    ¡°Selling oranges-Big and sweet oranges-¡±


    As the shout got closer, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but look over.


    Dongxia City didn¡¯t produce oranges, so good quality ones were scarce.


    Seeing the elderly man slowly walking towards him and the pole on his shoulders, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The quality of these oranges was indeed good.


    ¡°Dan Bao, you go y first. I¡¯m going to pick some oranges.¡± Qin Lang left Dan Bao and walked towards the old man, ¡°Old man, let me check out your oranges.¡±


    ¡°All right, young man, feel free to choose.¡±


    The old man stopped happily and put down his pole for Qin Lang to pick.


    Left by the riverside, Dan Bao looked around and its eyes lit up.


    It spotted a crab slowly climbing out of the river.


    Dan Bao had never seen an animal that walked sideways before.


    It couldn¡¯t resist getting closer, trying to greet this creature with tworge ws.


    The crab didn¡¯t appreciate the gesture and aimed for Dan Bao¡¯s dangling tail with a lightning-fast grab of its w.


    ck-


    ¡°Loo!!!¡±

 Chapter 48 - 48: The Inspiration behind Food Fight

    Chapter 48: The Inspiration behind Food Fight


    Trantor: 549690339


    Adding it all up, a week had already passed since Dan Bao¡¯s birth.


    But this was the first time Qin Lang had heard Dan Bao cry out in such a pitiful manner.


    So much so that his heart tightened, and overlooking his orange selection, he stood up and ran towards the river without hesitation.


    However, the next moment, upon seeing Dan Bao¡¯s predicament, a look of worry froze on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Looking at Dan Bao, continuously spewing fire towards its own tail, his face filled with bewilderment.


    ¡°¡­Dan Bao?¡±


    ¡°Gudong¡­¡±


    It hurts¡­


    Dan Bao sadly stopped moving, looking earnestly at Qin Lang, the yolk of its small face filled with grievance.


    As the fire subsided, Qin Lang finally noticed a crab clinging to Dan Bao¡¯s tail. Despite being cooked by the fire, changing its shell to a red hue, the cooked crab¡¯s w was still tightly clenching onto Dan Bao¡¯s big tail.


    Dan Bao¡¯s originallyrge tail seemed to have visibly swollen by a ring¡¯s worth.


    Quickly stepping forward and delicately prying open the crab¡¯s w and tossing it aside, Qin Lang cradled Dan Bao, struggling between anger and amusement, gently rubbing its tail. ¡°How did you get yourself caught by a crab?¡±


    ¡°Gudong, gudong¡­lulu¡­¡±


    Dan Bao gazed at its evidently swollen tail, tearfully recounting what had just happened.


    Listening to this, Qin Lang finally understood.


    Of course, even though Dan Bao was a Food Spirit, it had just came into existence recently, and mentally spoke more like a child, hence it would be curious about many things.


    As a creature it had never seen before, Dan Bao wasn¡¯t aware that the crab¡¯s ws would cause pain when it clenched onto something. It got too close, which is why it ended up in this predicament.


    ¡°In the future, when you see something you¡¯re not familiar with, don¡¯t get too close,¡± said Qin Lang, consoling Dan Bao in a helpless tone. He then took out a healing ointment used for Food Spirits from his medical bag, squeezing a bit out and spreading it evenly over Dan Bao¡¯s inflicted area.


    As Food Spirits often have to engage in fights, injuries are inevitable.


    Normally, the best way to treat a wounded Food Spirit is to keep it in a Star Vein for recuperation.


    However, Qin Lang had discovered early on that Dan Bao didn¡¯t seem to like being in the Star Vein, preferring to stay by his side.


    Thus, he prepared some healing ointment.


    This healing ointment was a shimmering transparent gel, slightly greenish in color. Upon application to Dan Bao¡¯s injured tail, the shiny particles would quickly seep into the injured area, visibly speeding up healing.


    Soon, Dan Bao¡¯s tail hadpletely returned to its original state.


    Feeling no more pain from the prior injury, and rather a coolingfort from the healing ointment, Dan Bao rapidly regained its vitality.


    It once again approached the roasted crab on the ground, ring at it fiercely.


    It was this fiend, that had clenched onto its tail with its w.


    Looking at the pouting Dan Bao, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we can cook a few crabs to vent our anger.¡±


    ¡°Gudong?¡±


    Dan Bao turned its head, a look of surprise on its face.


    This ugly creature, could it be eaten?


    ¡°Of course, if prepared properly, crabs can be very delicious,¡± said Qin Lang. He stopped Dan Bao from trying to bite the roasted crab, ¡°This one won¡¯t do, it¡¯s been burnt by your fire.¡±


    ¡°Young man, do you still want these oranges or not?¡±


    Perhaps it was because Qin Lang had been gone for too long, the elderly man couldn¡¯t help but call out loudly.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ming!¡±


    Qin Lang quickly responded, and ran back to the old man.


    Halfway there, a spark suddenly shed across Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    Crab¡­ oranges¡­


    In an instant, he thought about the Food Fight against Tang Xie tomorrow afternoon.


    The theme of the Food Fight was ¡®exquisite*.


    And a dish prepared using crab and orange, could perfectly meet this requirement.


    ¡°Old man, could you weigh my selection?¡± Qin Lang suppressed his internal thoughts and spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already weighed them for you.¡± The old man chuckled, ¡°rounding off, it¡¯s fifty-two yuan.¡±


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    After paying, Qin Lang took a bag of heavy oranges from the man¡¯s hand.


    Watching the old man trudge off with the goods, Qin Lang cheerfully tousled Dan Bao¡¯s head.


    ¡°Dan Bao, you did a good job.¡±


    ¡°Gudu lu?¡±


    Dan Bao cocked its head in confusion.


    When did it do something good?


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of the dish for tomorrow¡¯s Food Fight.¡± Qin Langughed mysteriously, then peeled an orange and tore off a slice, handing it to Dan Bao, ¡°Here¡¯s your reward.¡±


    ¡°Ah-¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao happily took the orange from Qin Lang and tossed it into his mouth. After a few bites, it disyed a satisfied expression.


    The oranges grown by the old man were indeed delicious.


    After the pic, Qin Lang and Dan Bao tidied up their things and went to the Starlight Restaurant to cook today¡¯s special dish before dinner service time.


    Back at home, the duo practiced the dish they were preparing for tomorrow¡¯s Food Fight several times and then went to bed early.


    Time flew by, and the agreed upon time for the Food Fight on the second day soon arrived.


    After finishing the steamed bass he cooked for lunch service, Qin Lang bid his farewells to Uncle Luo Hui and rushed off to the Spirit Chef Association with Dan Bao.


    Seeing Qin Lang, Tang Xie, who had arrived at the Food Fight venue early, got up and quickly walked over, his eyes burning withpetitiveness.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our Food Fight.¡±


    During the previous challenge at Zhen Niu Pavilion, he had lost to Qin Lang.


    Even though it was a Food Rmender challenge and the win or loss didn¡¯t matter much, a loss was still a loss.


    He was a verypetitive person. Now that he had suffered a defeat, he had to win back his honor squarely.


    Despite the requirement for the Food Fight being somewhat unexpected, he had put a lot of effort into continuous practice during these two days and was fully prepared for this fight.


    This time, he would not lose!


    ¡°I feel the same,¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously.


    Dan Bao and he were not taking their opponent lightly. They had practiced the dish they were going to make today three times the previous night!


    Dan Bao agreed, nodding its head.


    It had tasted the delicious food Qin Lang prepared yesterday.


    It was a vor it had never tasted before.


    Even more importantly, it got to eat crab meat. It could finally get its revenge!


    Seeing the judges entering and taking their seats one by one, the two men stopped talking and quickly walked to the Competitive Standard Kitchen designated for them by their nametes.


    Just like before, their Food Fight would be decided by the votes of five junior judges.


    ¡°I¡¯m Huang Shu, the head judge for this Food Fight,¡± the woman leading the judges looked at both men, ¡°The main judge and the deputy judge have the same weight. The main judge just takes on more hosting duties.¡±


    ¡°This Food Fight has a limited food theme. The theme is ¡®exquisite¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Spiritual chefs, based on your understanding of the topic, please cook the corresponding dishes.¡±


    ¡°After both sides have submitted their ingredients for inspection and they have been delivered to your respective kitchens, ording to the junior Food Fight rules, the total cooking time should not exceed two hours,¡± Huang Shu stated calmly, ¡°Let the timing begin.¡±


    The screen in front of the judges¡¯ seats started the countdown.


    Without hesitation, Qin Lang and Tang Xie entered their respective kitchens.


    The Food Fight began!

 Chapter 49 - 49: Qin Lang’s Food Fight Dishes

    Chapter 49: Qin Lang¡¯s Food Fight Dishes


    Trantor: 549690339


    The atmosphere among the judges bes instantaneously rxed when the two Spiritual Chefs enter the kitchen.


    ¡°Abstract theme: delicate.¡± One of the judges says with a grin, ¡°Thest time I judged for this theme was literally thest time.¡±


    ¡°Can you change your habit of saying such baloney, Old Zhou?¡± another judge remarks humorously with resignation before turning to the other three judges. ¡°Old Li, you¡¯ve been part of several ¡®Food Fights¡¯ involving Tang Xie, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Tang Xie could im victory in the Food Fight this time as well?¡±


    Tang Xie, among the Spirit Chefs of Dongxia City, has risen to fame through Food Fights.


    His experience with Food Fights is quite extensive. Since turning into a Spirit Chef, he participated in more than one Food Fight per week on average, and has an impressive win rate. Many judges from the Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association have dealt with him before.


    ¡°Hard to say.¡± The judge surnamed Li furrows his brows, pondering for a bit before slightly shaking his head. ¡°The themes in Tang Xie¡¯s previous Food Fights had nothing to do with the current one, and the dishes he presented in the Food Fights I was involved in didn¡¯t quite align with this theme.¡±


    ¡°That said¡­¡± The judge surnamed Li paused, looking curiously at Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen on the other side. ¡°This Spirit Chef appears to be a new face.¡±


    ¡°ording to historical Food Fight records, he has participated in one Food Fight and won it¡­¡± After checking through the data in his hands, he turned to the other judges, ¡°Has any of you been involved in the judging of that particr Food Fight?¡±


    ¡°I was.¡± The normally silent female judge volunteers, ¡°This Spirit Chef is quite talented.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Judge Qi, do you know him?¡± The other judges all cast their curious nces over.


    ¡°He previously used a rarely utilized part of beef- the oxtail, for a Food Fight with a limited ingredient value.¡± Judge Qi said evenly, ¡°I have tasted the dishes he has cooked. He¡¯s better than one would expect of a novice Spirit Chef.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡± A reminiscence of the Red Braised Oxtail he made that time shes across Judge Qi¡¯s mind as she speaks with the barest hint of an odd expression, ¡°The dishes that this Spirit Chef named Qin Lang cooks don¡¯t seem to align with the themes very well either.¡±


    ¡°Well be in for a show then.¡± Old Li chuckled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss the participating Spirit Chefs too much before we have tasted their dishes.¡± Huang Shu interjects calmly, her gaze sweeping over the tightly shut doors of the two Competitive Standard Kitchens as she harbors a hint of curiosity.


    i wondered what kind of dishes these two Spirit Chefs will bring out today.


    ¡°There¡¯s some good news.¡±


    Inside the kitchen, Qin Lang was busily carving designs onto the surface of an orange without even lifting his head.


    ¡°Guh?¡±


    At the sight of Qin Lang, Dan Bao, who had been watching the crabs bound in string with slivers of ginger on their bellies in the steamer nearby, turned around with curiosity etched onto his face.


    What¡¯s the good news?


    ¡°We are likely going to finish before our opponents in this Food Fight.¡±


    During his exnation, Qin Lang finished carving thest orange.


    After stretching, he picks the top off the separated orange, scraped the pulp into a small bowl and leaves a small amount of juice in the orange shell.


    Qin Lang reattaches the top of the orange back onto the orange pot, which had been carved with intricate designs, and sets it down gently on the table.


    On the table, there are already seven other so-called orange pots.


    The patterns carved on each pot are distinctively different.


    All this, had been done within the fifteen minutes it took to steam the crabs.


    The main reason why he practised making this dishst night was to regain this level of familiarity.


    After dealing with the orange pots, Qin Lang opens the steamer nearby, revealing sixteen steamed crabs with vibrant red shells and pincers.


    With the billowing steam, a rich fragrance of crab suffuses the kitchen instantly.


    The savory but not fishy smell of the crab alone brings a satisfied smile to his face.


    Meanwhile, Dan Bao swallows quietly at the sight.


    For a moment, the wonderful taste he experienced from tasting this dishst night seemed to return to his mouth.


    Watching Qin Lang¡¯s subsequent actions, it couldn¡¯t help but hold its breath.


    Facing these sixteen steamed crabs, Qin Lang took a deep breath, then quickly donned gloves and took one from the steaming basket.


    He skillfully cut off the crab legs and ws, ced the crab meat in a small bowl, and put the remaining shell in another te. Then he opened the top shell of the crab and started to remove the crab roe, crab paste, and crab meat.


    This was a process made easy with experience, and Qin Lang, with his exquisite culinary skills, was no stranger to it.


    Soon, all sixteen crabs in the steaming basket were precisely dismantled.


    A full bowl of steaming crab roe, crab paste, and crab meat made Dan Bao, who was watching the entire process with great interest, swallow once again.


    At this time yesterday, it couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to start eating.


    But it didn¡¯t today, one reason was because this was an important Food Fight, and the other reason was that Dan Bao, after having tasted the final vor, knew:


    Though the crab is delicious now, it has not yet reached its most delicious moment.


    ¡°Dan Bao?¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s call quickly snapped Dan Bao back to reality.


    Seeing the scallion and ginger passed to it, brightness once again surged in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    It¡¯s time for me, Dan Bao, to show off my skills again!


    Watch my freshness!


    Huh-


    While handing the scallion and ginger to Dan Bao, Qin Lang had already started heating up the wok.


    When the oil was about sixty percent hot, the scallion and ginger, after being processed by Dan Bao, were in their optimal state.


    The scallion was cut into pieces, and ginger was sliced. They were fried in the hot oil until slightly yellow, then taken out. The heat was turned down, and the crab shells were added.


    As the hot oil and crab shells came into contact, the oil in the pot gradually took on a red hue amidst the rolling bubbles.


    At the same time, an amazing crab aroma seemed to permeate the savory oil.


    When the hot oil in the pot turned into a clear, orange-red color, the crab oil was ready.


    Carefully draining the oil from the hot and fragrant crab shells, Qin Lang picked up the crab roe, crab paste, and crab meat he¡¯d separated earlier, and began stir-frying the crab powder.


    Unlike regr crab powder, he also needed to add a small amount of orange pulp during the stir-frying process.


    When the stir-frying was finished, the rich crab and sweet orange vors filled the entire kitchen. The crab powder was then put into the eight prepared orange pots.


    A mixture of rice wine, rice vinegar, and water was poured into the bottom of the steamer. The orange pots were ced in the steamer.


    Then came a twenty-minute wait time.


    ¡°Choose ripe,rge oranges for this. Cut off the top of the orange, remove the pulp, leaving a bit of juice. Fill with crab paste and meat, then cover it with its stemden top. ce it in a small steamer, steam it with wine, vinegar, and water. Serve with vinegar and salt.¡±


    This descriptiones from the book ¡°Shanjiaqinggong,¡± written by Lin Hong from the Southern Song Dynasty Shaoxing Era.


    This dish is called Crab-Stuffed Orange.

 Chapter 50 - 50: What is Exquisite

    Chapter 50: What is Exquisite


    Trantor: 549690339


    Twenty minutes passed in a blink of an eye, amidst the asional wafts of citrus aroma emanating from the steamer.


    Under the expectant gazes of Dan Bao, Qin Lang slowly opened the steamer. Along with the burst of steam, there emerged an intoxicatingly rich, extraordinary fragrance.


    The aroma was dominated by the scent of crab; the profound richness of the crab roe and crab paste effortlessly blended with the lightness of the crabmeat, further enhanced by the fresh scent of oranges and the unique fragrance of rice vinegar and rice wine.


    All these elements fused together, creating the bewitchingly distinctive experience that was the Crab-Stuffed Orange.


    Having ced the eight portions of Crab-Stuffed Oranges from the steamer onto individual tes, each designed to securely hold one serving without any wobble, Qin Lang put them all into the Food Fight kitchen cab car. He nced at Dan Bao beside him, ¡°Shall we go out now?¡±


    Dan Bao nodded vigorously, his face full of anticipation.


    Qin Lang had prepared a total of eight servings of Crab-Stuffed Oranges!


    Minus the six meant for the Food Fight judges and the opponent, the remaining two were for Qin Lang and himself!


    Once the Food Fight ended, he could finally taste this dish that was so delicious that once was never enough!


    In another kitchen adjacent to Qin Lang¡¯s.


    Just as Qin Lang had predicted, Tang Xie had not finished his cooking yet.


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    A notification sound rang in Tang Xie¡¯s kitchen, causing a slight pause in his actions.


    He straightened up, grabbed a towel from the side to wipe his sweaty forehead, a more cautious look in his eyes.


    Qin Lang had finished already?


    There were about fifty more minutes left in the two-hour cooking time limit was this guy super-fast or what?


    A regr Food Fight might be one thing, but this time¡¯s Food Fight theme was ¡°exquisite¡±.


    He nced at the dish in front of him, which was starting to take shape, his expression slightly tense.


    Faced with this theme, the first thought that came to Tang Xie was to perfect the aesthetics of the dish.


    Moreover, there happened to be a dish he knew that met this requirement.


    ¡°Exquisite¡± meant continuous improvement.


    Even if the dish waspleted, one could constantly refine it in details, making it more sophisticated.


    Therefore, Tang Xie was ready to finish his dish at the veryst minute before the time limit.


    But Qin Lang¡¯s early finish had somewhat disrupted his rhythm.


    The experienced Tang Xie knew very well: The longer the time interval between thepletion of twopeting dishes, the more disadvantageous it would be for the one finishedter.


    As judges kept savoring the earlier dish, it would undoubtedly make a deeper impression in their minds.


    Thus, the n might need to change a little.


    Looking at the two Food Spirits fluttering around him, Tang Xie made up his mind.


    ¡°We need to speed up too!¡±


    Outside the kitchen, the five judges, who had been waiting for a long time, were each upied with their own activities.


    Unlike Spirit Battles, Food Fights inevitably had waiting time before the dishes were served.


    As professional judges, they could not just sit idle during this waiting period.


    After their initial chitchat, the five judges passed the time in their own ways.


    In the middle seat, the chief judge, Huang Shu, was engrossed in reading a gourmet food magazine.


    Sitting next to her, the female judge surnamed Qi, who had participated in the judgment of Qin Lang¡¯s previous Food Fight, was taking out her makeup bag to touch up her makeup.


    The chatty Judge Zhou was engrossed in his phone, scrolling through a social media app, asionally cracking a mysterious smile.


    As for the other two male judges, they were engaged in hushed whispers, discussing something.


    Thissted until they heard a notification tone from the judging panel in front of them.


    Here it is!


    In an instant, their expressions turned solemn, transitioning into judging mode.


    Regardless of Huang Shu¡¯s magazines, Judge Qi¡¯s makeup bag, or Judge Zhou¡¯s phone, they all swiftly and discreetly tucked these items into the drawers of the judging panel. The remaining two judges who were huddled together also separated at once, not letting Qin Lang, who was wheeling out his kitchen cab car, notice a thing.


    ¡°Skilled¡±


    ¡°Good day to you, esteemed judges.¡± Qin Lang once again admired the professionalism of the Food Fight Judges, he steadily pushed the kitchen cab car in front of the judging panel, ¡°My Food Fight dish is ready.¡±


    While speaking, he nced at the closed kitchen door on the other side, sensing a sense of predictability.


    Preparing the Crab-Stuffed Orange was not a quick process.


    Yetpared to the Food Fight topic of ¡°Exquisite¡±, the cooking speed was considerably swift.


    Turning back, Qin Lang, along with Dan Bao, served the dish onto five tes from the kitchen cab car and put them in front of the five judges.


    ¡°Crab-Stuffed Orange, please enjoy.¡±


    While he was not garrulous, he was also not terse in his speech.


    Given that they were ustomed to Spirit Chefs who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to sing praises of their own dishes, Qin Lang¡¯sconic manner, apart from Judge Qi who had already seen it once, took the other judges by surprise.


    However, their attention was primarily focused on the dish before them.


    After observing for a moment, various expressions appeared on the faces of the five judges.


    They silently began tasting.


    ¡°Exquisite¡±, as a theme, belonged to the abstract group of Food Fight themes.


    Everyone has a different interpretation of such an abstract theme.


    The five judges certainly would not unify their interpretation, achieving so-called consensus.


    The Food Fight¡¯s charm lies in the Spirit Chef¡¯s expressing their understanding of the theme through their cooking. This is best reflected in the served dishes.


    For instance, the main judge, Huang Shu, did not deem ¡°exquisite¡± to mean the appearance of the dish, but the refined taste of the dish.


    More specifically, she preferred delicate, understated vors.


    Therefore, when she smelled the Crab-Stuffed Orange, she was instantly surprised.


    The light, refreshing aroma of the rice wine and rice vinegar blended with the scent of the orange.


    All of this acted as the background, emphasizing the brilliant and impressive crab aroma.


    Just smelling this aroma, Huang Shu was tempted to taste it all at once.


    She slowly picked up a crab powder stuffed orange from the te beside her with her chopsticks, its unique sheen from the crab oil sparkling under the lights, and took a bite.


    An intensely rich umami vor instantly spread throughout her mouth.


    Throughout the entire process of cooking the Crab-Stuffed Orange, not a pinch of salt was added. Hence, the crab powder that Huang Shu tasted still retained the authentic taste of crab.


    The crab meat was fresh with a hint of natural sweetness, the crab roe and paste were even richer in vor. The two blended perfectly during the preparation of the crab powder, further enhanced by the addition of the orange flesh by Qin Lang, which brought about a few delightful changes.


    The orange flesh, with its hint of tanginess and sweetness, perfectly offset the brininess of the crab meat. Additionally, it subtly amplified the freshness of the crab meat.


    With every bite, a trace of rice vinegar and rice wine lingered in her mouth, refusing to dissipate for a long time.


    These hints of vors did not mix into the overall taste of the Crab-Stuffed Orange. However, they attach themselves like a shadow, fiddling with Huang Shu¡¯s olfactory nerves, and together with her taste buds, induced a thrilling sense of delight.


    Huang Shu¡¯s eyes widened in an instant.


    This was a dish thatpletely aligned with her understanding of ¡®exquisiteness¡¯!

 Chapter 51 - 51: Dragon and Phoenix Carving

    Chapter 51: Dragon and Phoenix Carving


    Trantor: 549690339


    Unlike Huang Shu¡¯s understanding of the word exquisite, the female judge surnamed Qi sitting next to her has a different perspective on it.


    In Qi¡¯s view, being exquisite is an attitude.


    It¡¯s like the afternoon tea she enjoys every day, the cakes she bakes and then tastes carefully, her uniquely styled ne, or her current makeup that makes her look bright and charming.


    Put another way, it can be called elegance.


    Yet when the crab-stuffed orange was ced before her, the dish was so exquisite that she became less concerned with maintaining her own elegance.


    The carved patterns on the outside of the orange, the contrast between the orange of the container and the white of the porcin te under the light, the tempting colour of the crab powder inside, the clearly visible crab roe, crab paste, crab meat and orange flesh.


    Upon seeing this, she was instantly captivated and her appetite was whetted.


    Not to mention the unique and rich but fresh aroma that was already permeating the surroundings.


    Judge Qi didn¡¯t hesitate. She picked up a small spoon, scooped a spoonful from the orange container and, despite her effort to slow down for the sake of elegance, she still appeared eager to taste it.


    After a brief taste, Judge Qi¡¯s eyes bulged suddenly.


    There it is again, that same sensation!


    The familiar feeling she had a few days ago when tasting Qin Lang¡¯s red braised oxtail resurfaced in Judge Qi¡¯s mind.


    The indescribable taste left Judge Qi lost in its vorful world for a while.


    How exquisite¡­


    It¡¯s too exquisite!


    The next moment, Judge Qi¡¯s tasting speed suddenly increased.


    Meanwhile, Judge Zhou, known for his garrulousness and who was sitting next to Judge Qi, had yet to start tasting the dish.


    He was still carefully observing the patterns carved on the outer wall of the orange container.


    Eventually, Zhou nodded approvingly.


    Seeing these exquisite patterns was like looking at exquisite patterns themselves.


    In his eyes, exquisiteness naturally referred to the appearance of the ingredients.


    The appearance of this dish in front of him was certainly worthy of the word ¡®exquisite¡¯.


    Just when he was about to taste this uniquely scented dish, he caught sight of the orange container in Judge Qi¡¯s hand out of the corner of his eye.


    The pattern¡­ It¡¯s different?


    His gaze shifted once again to the other judges¡¯ containers, and the surprise on his face grew more intense.


    At first nce, there wasn¡¯t a single container that was the same.


    It¡¯s a pity that everyone was in the midst of tasting, so it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to inspect the other judges¡¯ containers.


    Nevertheless, this dish of Qin Lang¡¯s was secretly given a few more points in Judge Zhou¡¯s mind.


    Judge Zhou scooped a spoonful of crab powder into his mouth, and the next moment, his eyebrows raised slightly.


    This taste¡­


    Significant extra points!


    At the farthest end from Judge Zhou sat the one who had previously mocked him for his verbosity, a judge surnamed Zhang.


    At this moment, the orange container in Judge Zhang¡¯s hand was almost empty.


    Among the five judges, he was eating the fastest.


    For Judge Zhang, the definition of exquisite is most straightforward and blunt.


    What is exquisite?


    Exquisite is good!


    If it tastes good and makes you feel satisfied, it¡¯s exquisite!


    Whether or not this crab-stuffed orange is exquisite?


    If you were to ask Judge Zhang this question, he wouldn¡¯t even bother to answer.


    Stop asking, I¡¯m eating!


    Judge Li, who was sitting between Judge Zhang and Huang Shu, was likewise tasting the Crab-Stuffed Orange at this moment.


    After deeply sniffing the peculiar aroma that filled the air, his face expressed a degree of wonder.


    His understanding of ¡®exquisiteness¡¯ was more inclined towards taste.


    What kind of dish can be regarded as having an exquisite taste?


    In his opinion, it at least couldn¡¯t be a dish that is filled with a lot of spices and has an overbearing meaty aroma.


    The aroma of such a dish is like a burly man hastily rushing up to give you a bear hug, too passionate and rough that Judge Li finds it hard to ept.


    But being too light is also not good.


    Delicious food stresses the unity of color, aroma, and taste. ¡®Aroma¡¯ forms a very crucial part of it and a dish that barely has any aroma is soulless.


    The dish in front of him, named Crab-Stuffed Orange, seemed to perfectly hit Judge Li¡¯s taste preference for dishes.


    The vor of the crab was fresh with no fishiness, possessing the richness of crab roe and the freshness and sweetness of crab meat.


    The orange was sweet and cleared the greasiness, its sourness perfectly blending with the rice vinegar scent, stimting one¡¯s appetite. Its sweetness mixed harmoniously with the rice wine scent, pleasing one on smelling.


    When Judge Li put a mouthful of Crab-Stuffed Orange into his mouth, all his senses seemed to be activated at that moment.


    His eyes were filled with bright colors, but deep in his pupils, there was a touch of regret.


    Among the five judges, he had participated in Tang Xie¡¯s Food Fight judging the most and had a pretty good understanding of this recently rising Spirit Chef besides appreciating him a lot.


    However, this time Tang Xie might have encountered the toughest opponent in his Food Fight career.


    As time went by, the five judges quicklypleted tasting Qin Lang¡¯s Crab-Stuffed Orange.


    But they did notmunicate with Qin Lang at all, nor did they reveal their thoughts on the dish.


    Because another Spirit Chef hadn¡¯t finished his cooking, any biased act at this moment would go against their professionalism as Food Fight Judges.


    Qin Lang was also well aware of this. He took a portion of Crab-Stuffed Orange from the kitchen cab car for Dan Bao to enjoy, while he quietly stood in ce, waiting for Tang Xie toplete his cooking.


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    After about ten minutes, an alert sound came from the front of the stage.


    The gazes of the five judges and Qin Lang simultaneously turned to the kitchen door on the other side as Tang Xie, pushing the kitchen cab car, slowly walked out.


    By this point, the aroma of the Crab-Stuffed Orange had dispersed throughout the entire Food Fight venue, and due to the venue beingrge enough, the remaining scent was minimum.


    Tang Xie took a discreet sniff, and although he could smell a little, it wasn¡¯t very distinct.


    There was a fleeting twinge of disappointment in his eyes, but his face remained expressionless.


    Walking calmly to the front of the judges¡¯ seats, Tang Xie took out the dishes from the kitchen cab car, ced them in front of the five judges one by one, then returned to his ce, revealing a courteous smile and began talking eloquently.


    ¡°Respected judges, this is my cooked dish called Dragon and Phoenix Carving.¡±


    ¡°The cooking process of this dish is quiteplicated. Firstly, you need to¡­¡±


    Like a conductor, as the five judges were tasting his Dragon and Phoenix Carving, heid out the entire process of cooking the dish, perfectly ending his exnation as thest judge finished tasting.


    Tang Xie concluded with a polite smile, turned his gaze to Qin Lang who was stunned on one side.


    Never seen it before, have you?


    This was the secret weapon he had devised from dozens of Food Fights.


    Although he finished cookingter, with the exnation he had just given, he was certain that the judges¡¯ impression of his dish wouldn¡¯t be much worse than Qin Lang¡¯s. Not only did he make up for the disadvantage of finishingter, but he could potentially turn the tables.


    However, Tang Xie hadpletely overlooked that something seemed to be off about the expressions of the five judges in the field.


    He had tried his best to make his dish leave a deeper impression in the judges¡¯ hearts, but this previously unbeatable technique seemed to have failed to have the intended effect this time.


    ¡°Taste testing of both the dishes has beenpleted.¡±


    Huang Shu hid all her emotions, and spoke calmly.


    ¡°Begin the voting..¡±

 Chapter 52 - 52: Scoring Competition Theme

    Chapter 52: Scoring Competition Theme


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°¡±The voting begins.¡±


    Upon hearing these four words, Tang Xie¡¯s waist stiffened in an instant.


    A look of anticipation surfaced on his face.


    The countless scenes of him and his Food Spirit practicing the Dragon and Phoenix Carving over the past two days, at this moment, kept shing in his mind.


    The high winning rate Tang Xie managed to maintain in dozens of Food Fights in the past owed to the tricks and strategies he came up with, but it was mainly due to the fact that he prioritized every Food Fight and carried out extensive preparation before each one.


    Not to mention, the opponent of this Food Fight was a novice Spiritual chef who beat him at Zhen Niu Pavilion, even though they were not well-known.


    To recoup a victory, Tang Xie strived harder than ever before.


    This Dragon and Phoenix Carving was his answer!


    He, Tang Xie, was still the perennial winner of Food Fights!


    This Food Fight was bound to be his victory!


    ¡°I vote for Qin Lang.¡±


    A voice rang out at this moment, like a bucket of cold water pouring over Tang Xie¡¯s head.


    Tang Xie¡¯s expression froze, he couldn¡¯t help but look at the judge who had just spoken.


    He vaguely recalled. This judge¡¯s surname was Zhang, who had previously participated in a few of his Food Fight evaluations.


    Judge Zhang¡­voted for Qin Lang?


    Why?


    Judge Zhang noticed Tang Xie¡¯s puzzled expression but didn¡¯t reply.


    The Dragon and Phoenix Carving was not to his taste, he was unsatisfied with it, there needn¡¯t be so many reasons why.


    Without getting an answer, Tang Xie quicklyposed himself, and looked at Judge Li, who was sitting next to Judge Zhang, expectantly.


    Out of all five judges present, he was most familiar with this one.


    During a private encounter, Judge Li even said with a smile that he had high hopes for him.


    His vote should¡­


    ¡°I also vote for Qin Lang.¡±


    The familiar voice of Judge Li sounded, like another bucket of cold water pouring on Tang Xie¡¯s head.


    Tang Xie was somewhat stunned.


    Qin Lang got the second vote¡­


    Even Judge Li, who was most familiar with him and had high hopes for him, cast his vote for Qin Lang?!


    ¡°I also vote for Qin Lang.¡±


    Bypassing Huang Shu, who was the main judge, the serene voice of Judge Qi sounded from the other side.


    Three votes¡­


    The result of this Food Fight was already apparent.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Judge Zhou, on the other side, showed a moment of hesitation.


    The sophistication of the Dragon and Phoenix Carving was in no way inferior to the Crab-Stuffed Orange and was even superior in some ways.


    The vivid dragon and phoenix gave him a sense of enlightenment.


    Although the taste of Qin Lang¡¯s dish was better, in Judge Zhou¡¯s mind, it only made them evenly matched.


    Looking at the three judges who had already voted, Judge Zhou knew his vote was unimportant.


    After a moment of contemtion, he made his decision.


    It can be seen as a constion vote.


    ¡°I vote for Tang Xie.¡±


    However, Tang Xie was not consoled.


    There was only one thought in his mind at this moment.


    What kind of dish did Qin Lang create?!


    ¡°Thest vote goes to Qin Lang.¡± Huang Shu calmly said, ¡°The voting has concluded. The participants may now exchange dishes for tasting. If there are objections after tasting, they may be put forward.¡±


    Unconcerned about the final vote, upon hearing these words, Tang Xie quickly turned his gaze to Qin Lang.


    Or rather, to the dish in Qin Lang¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Crab-Stuffed Orange, please enjoy.¡± Qin Lang calmly said, handing the te in his hand to Tang Xie.


    ¡°Dragon and Phoenix Carving, please enjoy.¡± Tang Xie took a deep breath, took out the te prepared for Qin Lang from his kitchen cab car, and exchanged it.


    The mutual tasting between the Food Fight participants began at that moment.


    Qin Lang took the dish known as Dragon and Phoenix Carving from Tang Xie¡¯s hand, his eyes expressing a touch of surprise.


    From afar, he had noticed the exceptional presentation of Tang Xie¡¯s dish.


    Now, up close, even he felt astounded.


    Dragon and Phoenix Carving is a soup dish.


    Within the clear and unpolluted soup, there is a cucumbert that had been intricately carved into a green dragon. The fine carvings even include the textures on every scale, making it look lifelike, as if it were a dragon swimming beneath the water.


    On the surface of the soup, a phoenix is drawn. The phoenix has a strong sense ofyering as if it¡¯s a vivid ink painting. The phoenix spreads its wings to interact with the green dragon in the soup, as if they are greeting each other.


    On Earth, in the art of coffee making, there is a skill called Latte Art that creates patterns on the surface of coffee.


    As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, the east already had a more sophisticated tea technique, called Tea y.


    In contrast to Latte Art, Tea y is better suited to presenting traditional patterns such asndscapes and birds.


    What Qin Lang is witnessing now is a technique originating from the Food Spirit World that is simr to Tea y.


    Such an interesting technique.


    Curiously, Qin Lang picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of soup and tasted it.


    The next moment, his expression became a bit strange.


    This dish¡­


    Perhaps due to the technique used, the soup in Dragon and Phoenix Carving was quite thick.


    But this thick soup, there did not seem to be much highlight in terms of taste.


    So, this dish has a high aesthetic quality, but taste-wise, it was pretty average.


    It was not evenparable to the Beef Fruit Package that Tang Xie had cooked before.


    Qin Lang quietly put down the dish dubbed Dragon and Phoenix Carving.


    This dish is nice to look at, but that¡¯s all.


    On the other hand, Tang Xie had also tasted Qin Lang¡¯s Crab-Stuffed Orange.


    As he ate, the ambiguity in his heart gradually faded.


    This dish also fits the theme of ¡°exquisite¡±, but it¡¯s much better than his own.


    Losing to such a dish was not a disgrace.


    Before the cookingpetition began, discovering such a formidable opponent was indeed¡­


    Tang Xie felt a bit helpless, but his desire to fight grew stronger.


    He had lost twice now, but there should be more opportunities in the cookingpetition.


    Next time, he will not lose again!


    ¡°Do either of you contest the result of the Food Fight?¡± Huang Shu asked once again.


    ¡°No.¡± Tang Xie shook his head without hesitation.


    On the other side, Qin Lang also indicated that he had no objections.


    ¡°Both sides of the Food Fight have no objections to the vote. So, I dere the winner of this Food Fight as Qin Lang!¡±


    Apanied by Huang Shu¡¯s deration, a shining light gathered in the sky, splitting into two and flying towards Qin Lang and Tang Xie.


    Dan Bao cheered as it rushed to receive the Star Power that belonged to it.


    At this moment, both Qin Lang and Tang Xie¡¯s phones rang simultaneously.


    Qin Lang picked up his phone and saw that it was a new email.


    The sender of this email was the organizer of the Spirit Chef Association¡¯s Cooking Contest.


    The content of the email was to inform the Spirit Chefs participating in thepetition about the theme of the first round of the Scoring Competition two dayster.


    The theme for the first round of the Scoring Competition is Vegetables.


    ¡°You and I probably received the same email.¡± Tang Xie took the initiative to speak, his eyes looking at Qin Lang filled with a challenging spirit, ¡°Would you like topete again in the scoringpetition two dayster?¡±


    ¡°Vegetables, I am very good at that.¡±


    Qin Lang looked at the email again and smiled subtly.


    Vegetables, huh¡­


    Very coincidentally, 1 am also quite good at it.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    bonus content:


    [Latte Art]


    [Tea y]

 Chapter 53 - 53: A Flash of Inspiration

    Chapter 53: A sh of Inspiration


    Trantor: 549690339


    By the time Qin Lang¡¯s Food Fight with Tang Xie had ended, it was close to the dinner service at the Starlight Restaurant.


    Even as he entered the restaurant, the expression on Qin Lang¡¯s face was still one of pondering.


    Seeing this, Luo Hui, who was cleaning and preparing inside the restaurant for dinner service, couldn¡¯t help showing a look of surprise.


    Qin Lang had mentioned when he left at noon that he was participating in a Food Fight in the afternoon.


    Could it be that¡­


    ¡°Little Qin, did you lose the Food Fight this afternoon?¡± Luo Hui couldn¡¯t help asking.


    From what he had seen, Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills were not those of a newbie Spirit Chef, but rather of a seasoned Spirit Chef.


    Could someone like Qin Lang lose in a Food Fight?


    ¡°Eh?¡± Luo Hui¡¯s question brought Qin Lang back to reality. He looked at Luo Hui, shook his head and responded, ¡°No, 1 won the Food Fight this afternoon. What I was thinking about is the first round of the city-level cooking contest that¡¯sing up the day after tomorrow.¡±


    So that¡¯s what it was.


    An understanding look appeared on Luo Hui¡¯s face.


    Now that the cookingpetition was approaching, there wasn¡¯t much time left.


    At this point, it was only natural for Qin Lang to start preparing for the first round of the scoringpetition.


    Wait a moment¡­


    At that thought, Luo Hui pulled out his phone and checked the Spirit Chef Association website.


    A short whileter, he couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°The theme for the scoringpetition is vegetables?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Qin Lang, unsurprised.


    While letting all thepetitors know about the theme through email, the Competition Center of the Spirit Chef Association would also publish the final list and first round theme of the city-level cooking contest and begin their media promotion early.


    ¡°This could be troublesome,¡± Luo Hui said as he pulled out a chair to sit, his brows furrowing as he began to analyze for Qin Lang, ¡°The theme of vegetables leaves little room for variation and the dishes are likely to be simr.¡±


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be an issue if it was a lvipetition. But in a unique situation like the scoringpetition where the theme makes it hard to show off skills, the final scores given by judges are likely to be close.¡±


    ¡°That could lead to more variables when selecting the top eight yers from the final scores.¡±


    After a pause, Luo Hui turned to look at Qin Lang. ¡°Do you know how to cook vegetable dishes?¡±


    All three Food Rmender Badges Qin Lang had earned seemed unrted to vegetable cuisine.


    However, considering the variety of dishes Qin Lang was capable of, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he did know how to cook vegetable dishes.


    ¡°Yes, I can,¡± Qin Lang nodded in confirmation.


    Being a contestant in some culinarypetitions in his past life, he could anticipate the problems just as Luo Hui did.


    He had spent his entire journey back deep in thought, trying toe up with the most suitable dish he could cook.


    But he didn¡¯te across a satisfactory choice.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Luo Hui sighed, ¡°When I was younger, I participated in a few city-level cooking contests.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to listen, 1 have some experience to share regarding the scoringpetition.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Luo Hui, please tell me.¡±


    Instead of pondering on his own, he¡¯d better listen to Luo Hui¡¯s experience.


    Even if these experiences didn¡¯te in handy, they might inspire him in some way.


    ¡°The city-level cooking contest is divided into a scoringpetition, an eliminationpetition, and a rankingpetition,¡± Luo Hui started slowly, ¡°The judges for both the elimination and rankingpetitions are the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders of Dongxia City.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the case for the scoringpetition.¡±


    ¡°The judges for the first round of the cooking contest are the senior judges from Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully.


    The previous two Food Fights he had been in had five primary judges because both he and his opponent were title-less Spirit Chefs.


    If a titled Spirit Chef participated in a Food Fight, depending on the specific circumstances of both parties, different judges would be appointed,. More primary judges could be arranged, or even higher-ranked judges could be appointed.


    Above senior judges were First-Level Food Rmenders, followed by Second-Level and Third-Level Food Rmenders.


    The Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association had a total of thirty senior judges who would be responsible for scoring the first round of the city cooking contest.


    ¡°There are a total of¡­¡± Luo Hui checked the list again, ¡°twenty-six participants.¡±


    ¡°All twenty-six participants will be cooking vegetable dishes, which means the thirty senior judges in the venue will have to sample dishes from all of them. No matter how good the dishes are, the judges are bound to be tired.¡±


    ¡°Even a person with excellent memory will find it difficult to remember and differentiate the taste of twenty-six vegetable dishes.¡±


    ¡°So at this point, we need dishes that can really grab the judges¡¯ attention.¡±


    ¡°This ¡®grabbing¡¯ might be executed through the dish presentation. It could also be through the unique taste of the dish itself, or anything else for that matter,¡± Luo Hui paused and looked at Qin Lang seriously, ¡°The point is, you need to have your own unique features to stand out from the twenty-six vegetable dishes and make the judges remember you.¡±


    Dishes with unique features¡­


    Qin Lang pondered.


    At that moment, he came up with quite a lot of vegetable dishes.


    It had to be said, Luo Hui¡¯s words gave Qin Lang some inspiration.


    At least he had a direction now, which helped narrow down his choices.


    As for what to choose exactly, he¡¯d just have to figure it out slowly when he got home after work.


    ¡°You can take a day or two off tomorrow,¡± Luo Hui said with a chuckle as he watched Qin Lang with a thoughtful look in his eyes, ¡°You need to prepare wholeheartedly for the uing city-level cooking contest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Luo Hui.¡±


    Qin Lang smiled gratefully, and even Dan Bao, who was quietly listening to their conversation, showed Luo Hui a friendly look.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Luo Huiughed, stood from his chair and stretched, ¡°The dinner service is about to start, and with all this talking, I haven¡¯t finished my preparations!¡±


    He resumed his work and a yful smile appeared on his face, like he had thought of something.


    ¡°Speaking of¡­¡± Luo Hui started as he used a broom to sweep the dust off the floor, ¡°This scoringpetition is bound to be interesting.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Qin Lang asked with a look of curiosity.


    ¡°From what 1 know, there are several judges amongst the thirty senior ones who prefer to eat meat.¡±


    ¡°Having them sample and judge twenty-six vegetable dishes will be quite a challenge.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be there to watch thepetition, but I can follow the live broadcast in the restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Just thinking about their expressions puts a smile on my face.¡±


    So that¡¯s why.


    Qin Lang smiled.


    Indeed, some people prefer meat dishes and are not fond of vegetables¡­


    Hold on!


    It was as if lightning had suddenly struck across Qin Lang¡¯s mind, he was momentarily stunned.


    Vegetables¡­


    Meat-loving judges¡­


    He might have just figured out what dish he should cook for the scoringpetition!

 Chapter 54 - 54: The Winter Melon That Turned

    Chapter 54: The Winter Melon That Turned


    Into Pork Skin


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, I¡¯m heading home now!¡±


    Havingpleted the cooking of the Steamed Bass for the evening, Qin Lang waved a farewell to Luo Hui, who was still busy inside the restaurant.


    ¡°Prepare well for thepetition day after tomorrow. I¡¯m looking forward to your performance!¡± Luo Hui also waved back at Qin Lang, but soon got upied with the customers¡¯ calls.


    Releasing his gaze from Luo Hui, Qin Lang stepped to leave the restaurant.


    The next moment, his facial expression turned somewhat peculiar.


    At the entrance of the restaurant, Qin Lang saw three familiar silhouettes.


    ¡°What brings you guys here?¡± He couldn¡¯t help ask.


    ¡°You are worthy of being my rival. You¡¯ve collected the three Food Rmender Badges to participate in the cooking contest so quickly,¡± Zhao Chen, crossing his arms, disyed an expression stating ¡®Only someone like you can qualify as my opponent¡¯. ¡°As such, I need to work harder.¡±


    ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll give you a surprise!¡±


    He confidently expressed, seemingly brewing some n in his mind.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, give it your best shot.¡± Seeing Zhao Chen¡¯s secretive demeanor, Qin Lang gave him an insincere encouragement, ¡°You came to tell me this?¡±


    ¡°Let me do the talking.¡± Unbearable to the situation, Qi Xiaoyu on the side interjected, ¡°I managed to get three Inner Circle VIP Tickets for thepetition the day after tomorrow, offering the best view in the cooking contest arena!¡±


    She took out the three tickets, shaking them in front of Qin Lang, ¡°Weiwei, a certain chuunibyou dude, and I will be there cheering for you, do your best and don¡¯t get eliminated in the scoringpetition!¡±


    ¡°Hey! What chuunibyou dude are you talking about?¡± Zhao Chen, on the side, couldn¡¯t help butin, only to be ignored.


    Standing beside Qi Xiaoyu, Du Weiwei also spoke out, ¡°Good luck for thepetition.¡±


    Witnessing Qin Lang¡¯s name on the contestants¡¯ list, she became increasingly aware of the gap between their culinary skills.


    No one knew better than they did how intimidating it was for Qin Lang to get the three Food Rmender Badges at such a speed.


    It could be said that they have witnessed Qin Lang morph from registering as a Spirit Chef to reaching this stage in just a few short days.


    ¡°Thank you all.¡± Realizing the intent of the trio, Qin Lang expressed gratitude, ¡°I will try my best not to be eliminated in the first round.¡±


    Remembering the inspiration sparked from Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s words during dinner service time, he overflowed with confidence.


    If it¡¯s that dish, it should stand out in the scoringpetition.


    Qualifying for the top eight shouldn¡¯t be a major issue.


    The trio had onlye to cheer Qin Lang and inform him that they would be watching thepetition from the inner circle.


    After a brief conversation, they bid farewell.


    Zhao Chen seemed to have some words left unsaid, but Qi Xiaoyu covered his mouth and dragged him away.


    Watching the trio disappear, Qin Lang smiled faintly, quickly heading back home with Dan Bao.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Upon closing the door, Dan Bao rubbed Qin Lang¡¯s face, a curious expression on its little egg yolk face.


    Due to their heartfeltmunication, it had already guessed that Qin Lang had a n for the dish in the scoringpetition.


    So, what kind of dish would it be this time?


    It was very curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very special vegetable dish.¡± Qin Lang cheerfully exined, ¡°It¡¯s sort of hard to describe at the moment. How about 1 prepare it once and you have a taste?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just in time, I also need to cook a few times for practice before thepetition.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Sparkling excitement rose instantly in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    You can taste it now!


    Watching Qin Lang select the ingredients he needed from the refrigerator and head into the kitchen, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up as he hurriedly followed.


    Vegetables, this is the best scene for fresh ingredients to shine!


    Soon, the man and spirit were busily working in the kitchen.


    The ingredients chosen by Qin Lang were not many; the main ingredients were just arge piece of winter melon and a box of tofu. The auxiliary materials includedmon ones like green onions, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon.


    ¡°Hoo~¡±


    Seeing the winter melon ced in front of him, Dan Bao very conscientiously started blowing air towards it.


    After so many cooking experiences, the man and spirit¡¯s tacit understanding had already been honed.


    While Dan Bao was busy, Qin Lang gently poured a box of tofu onto the chopping board, keeping its shape intact. He then trimmed off the tougher outer part, leaving the softer inside. Using the kitchen knife, he meticulously shaped it into a uniform square shape, then divided it into small square pieces two fingers wide.


    After that, he cut them into pieces about five millimeters thick.


    Almost at the same time Qin Lang was skillfully preparing the tofu, Dan Bao had also used his Food Skill to get the winter melon,plete with its skin, into the best possible condition.


    ¡°Very good.¡± When he reached out to take the winter melon in front of him, Qin Lang noticed Dan Bao¡¯s little eyes ¡°begging for praise¡± and gave his encouragement ordingly.


    So, Dan Bao¡¯s little head immediately started excitedly bobbing up and down.


    He voluntarily flew over the green onions and ginger, continuing to blow air over them.


    Qin Lang gently moved the freshly cut tofu to the corner of the cutting board with the blunt side of the knife, ced the winter melon in the center of the cutting board, and started to peel it quickly.


    The dark green skin was quickly separated from the winter melon under Qin Lang¡¯s steady knife strokes and dropped into a nearby garbage can. The light green flesh near the skin was also separated and kept by Qin Lang.


    After hollowing out the core of the winter melon, therge piece of melon was transformed quickly in Qin Lang¡¯s hands. In just a few moments, it became small square pieces two fingers wide, just like the tofu he had cut earlier. Then, Qin Lang cut it into slices simr in thickness to the tofu.


    ¡°Gulp?¡±


    Dan Bao, having already finished with the green onions and ginger, was now curiously looking at the tofu and winter melon slices on the cutting board.


    These uniformly sliced pieces of food made him think of a toy called building blocks he had seen a few days ago.


    What kind of vegetarian dish is this?


    ¡°Wait a moment, and you¡¯ll see.¡± Qin Lang spoke as he set the sliced winter melon aside and started to deal with the light green winter melon flesh left earlier.


    These parts of the melon that are closer to the skin are harder and more resilient than the inner flesh.


    After slicing these pieces to about the same size as the tofu slices but slightly thinner, Qin Lang nicked a cross on each piece of the green winter melon and then carefully colored them with dark soy sauce.


    The light green color was immediately saturated by the deep color of the dark soy sauce, turning into a deep brown. The faint smell of soy sauce wafting into the air made Dan Bao sniff his nose involuntarily.


    He put the pan on and heated the oil.


    When the oil was about fifty or sixty percent hot, he added the soy sauce-colored winter melon slices.


    ¡°Sizzle-¡±


    In an instant, the water inside the winter melon slices began to boil under the hot oil, turning into numerous tiny bubbles that escaped into the air.


    The fried winter melon with a slightly scorched surface wobbled with the movement of the chopsticks picking it up, reflecting an enticing oily sheen under the light.


    As the moisture left during the deep frying, the originally hard and resilient green winter melon seemed to have some loose and soft texture.


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes widened.


    This somewhat resembles¡­


    Pork skin?!

 Chapter 55 - 55 Vegetarian Braised Pork

    Chapter 55: Vegetarian Braised Pork


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Indeed, it looks like pork skin.¡±


    Facing Dan Bao¡¯s curious questions, Qin Lang calmly revealed the answer.


    ¡°This dish is called vegetarian braised pork. As the name suggests, it¡¯s a vegetarian dish that remarkably resembles braised pork.¡±


    ¡°The winter melon that looks like pork skin is only a start.¡±


    Turning vegetarian ingredients into braised pork?!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes widened again.


    Although this slice of winter melon does resemble pork skin, what about the meat?


    It couldn¡¯t help but look at the prepared slices of winter melon and tofu nearby. Could it be using these?


    ¡°Gudu?¡±


    ¡°You guessed right.¡± Qin Lang said with a smile. Then, he stacked four slices of tofu and four slices of winter melon to form a block, covering it with the deep-fried winter melon slice as pork skin.


    Shape the edge, then bundle up the ingredients securely with a thin cord, following the cross cut made earlier.


    In this way, a piece of ¡°pork belly¡± with alternatingyers of fat and lean meat was formed.


    Simrly, after making sixteen such mock pork belly, Qin Lang put them aside, letting Dan Bao observe them curiously while he started the next steps.


    Stir-fry white sugar in a pan with low heat and a small amount of oil until it melts.


    Vegetables won¡¯t naturally have a meaty vor, so if you want to give them a taste simr to meat, you have to cook them like meat dishes.


    Braising is a cooking method that adapts well to different ingredients and can be used on a variety of foods.


    Even without any meat, dishes made in this way can also have a savory umami taste, very simr to meat dishes¡ªwhat we call the taste of meat.


    On this basis, choose ingredients that have a rtively light taste and would easy to be covered by the braise. These will create a texture simr to pork belly, and thus creates a convincing fake braised pork.


    When all the white sugar in the pot ispletely melted and starts to bubble, turning gradually into a deep red-brown caramel, quickly pour in a small bowl of hot water to stop the caramelization. Stir well then set it aside forter use.


    Heat the oil again. After the oil is hot, add scallion and ginger, star anise, cinnamon and other spices. Stir fry until they release their fragrance, then pour the caramel back into the pot. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, and salt.


    Put the mock pork belly in the pot. Add water until it covers the ingredients, then cover the pot and simmer over low heat.


    All the steps are the same as making braised pigs.


    Forty minutester, the man and the spirit returned to the stove.


    ¡°Ready to witness the vegetarian pork belly?¡±


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s question, Dan Bao nods its head eagerly.


    ¡°Gudu!¡±


    I want to see, I want to see!


    ¡°Ta-da~¡±


    Qin Lang took off the pot cover. As hot air gushes out, everything in the pot gradually became clear.


    The mock pork belly, that has turned entirely brown, appeared before them.


    The tofu is lighter in color. Its light brown color is almost exactly the same as the fat part of the braised pork.


    The winter melon is darker in color. Its deep-brown color also makes it resemble the lean part of the braised pork.


    Even after such a long stewing period, the mock pork belly, tied with the thin cord, didn¡¯t fall apart and maintained its regr shape.


    With the previously fried ¡°pork skin¡±, it looks just like tantalizing braised pork, trembling slightly in the pot.


    ¡°Gudu-¡±


    Dan Bao swallowed hard, sniffing the rich aroma floating in the air, bing increasingly impatient.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, let me reduce the sauce.¡± Qin Lang reassured, then turned up the heat.


    The soup in the pot evaporates rapidly, but the delicious vors within became more concentrated.


    Only when the sauce has thickened, Qin Lang skillfully dishes up.


    He ces the mock pork belly on a te. After cutting off the thin cords, he drizzles the thickened sauce over them, adding a shiny ze to the surface.


    And thus, a dish of vegetarian braised pork waspleted.


    ¡°Would you like to taste it?¡±


    Qin Lang smiled, picked up a piece and put it in eager Dan Bao¡¯s mouth, then took another piece for himself.


    After a brief chew, he nodded slightly.


    Compared to real braised pork, vegetarian braised pork has a slightly lighter meat vor, but the seasoning is almost the same, making the difference between the two not obvious.


    Whether it¡¯s tofu or winter melon, they¡¯re both saturated with the vorful broth at this moment. After a long time of stewing, the soft texture could bring about an experience no less than braised pork. The deep-fried ¡°pork skin¡± is chewy yet crispy, creating a wonderful taste.


    After the initial vor of the braised sauce gradually faded, the aftertaste could faintly bring out the unique bean vor of tofu and the sweetness of the winter melon.


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    Dan Bao tasted a piece of vegetarian braised pork with a doubtful expression on his face.


    He couldn¡¯t taste the vor of vegetarian dishes at all!


    If it were not for watching Qin Lang cook, he would really think it was meat.


    No way, I need to eat another billion pieces to verify!


    Seeing Dan Bao blissfully enjoying the vegetarian braised pork, Qin Lang smiled.


    He still had a day¡¯s time and could further adjust and optimize this dish.


    For example, making the texture of the pork belly more realistic, or making the meat vor of vegetarian braised pork richer.


    He was curious about what kind of evaluation the thirty judges would give to this dish in the day after tomorrow¡¯s scoringpetition.


    On this night, not only Qin Lang was preparing for the city-level cookingpetition the day after tomorrow, but also twenty-five otherpetitors on the list.


    In his home practice kitchen, Tang Xie¡¯s gaze shone brightly, unobscured by the night.


    He had lost to Qin Lang twice, and there wouldn¡¯t be a third time!


    As for the otherpetitors¡­


    Tang Xie¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, with a touch of arrogance.


    Except for a few unfamiliar ones, the rest were almost all his defeated opponents!


    Continue to train hard!


    Tang Xie encouraged himself in his heart, then joined the two Food Spirits dancing around him to immerse themselves in the adjustment and preparation of the dishes again.


    At his side, food scraps had piled up into a small mountain.


    And that non-local Spirit Chef, whose background was unknown to Tang Xie, was now busy in the kitchen of a restaurant in Dongxia City.


    ¡°Knock, knock, knock.¡±


    The restaurant owner came to the kitchen door and knocked on the door beside him.


    ¡°Lei Ke, it¡¯s closing time.¡±


    Hearing the sound, Lei Ke in the kitchen lifted his head, revealing his bright brown eyes.


    He looked at the restaurant owner and calmly said, ¡°ording to our previous agreement, I just need to make the day¡¯s ten special dishes, and this kitchen is mine to use.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but do you want to continue?¡± The restaurant owner couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯ve already been in the kitchen all night, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Not enough.¡± Lei Ke shook his head, with a seemingly burning fighting spirit in his eyes.


    He was the champion of the Danju City cookingpetition, and he didn¡¯te here for fun. His goal was the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge of the champion.


    A scoringpetition, how is merely advancing to the top eight enough?


    He wanted to take first ce in the scoringpetition!


    He wanted to im the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge without any doubt!


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Seeing Lei Ke like this, the restaurant owner helplessly shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the keys with you. Don¡¯t forget to lock the door when you leave.¡±


    bonus content:


    [Vegetarian Braised Pork]


    [Braised Pork]

 Chapter 56 - 56: The Opening of the Cooking Contest

    Chapter 56: The Opening of the Cooking Contest


    Trantor: 549690339


    The city-level cookingpetition, set to begin three monthster, has not only captured the hearts of all the spiritual chefs in Dongxia City, but also garnered the attention of ordinary people not involved in the culinary world. Due to the peculiarity of Food Spirits, people in this world pay great attention to everything rted to Spirit Chefs.


    Jobs that are popr among the public, such as celebrities and inte celebrities, are naturally favored by Spirit Chefs.


    Watching variouspetitions involving Spirit Chefs has be a popr form of recreation for ordinary people in the Food Spirit World, and the rted industries are all thriving.


    Thousands of tickets to watch the event on-site were sold out in just an hour after being released. Those who were unable to get the tickets sighed in despair and had to settle for watching the live broadcast of thepetition.


    The theme for the first round of scoringpetition that had been announced was also hotly debated.


    Many Spirit Chefs came forward, stating that the theme ¡®Vegetables¡¯ gave very little room for creativity and was even more challenging.


    This made people more curious about how the twenty-six contestants would tackle this challenge in the scoringpetition.


    In the midst of widespread discussion and attention across the city, two days passed swiftly.


    On the day of the Dongxia City cookingpetition, Qin Lang woke up early. After changing into a new chef¡¯s uniform, he walked out of his door with Dan Bao.


    ¡°Little Qin is setting off!¡±


    ¡°Little Qin, cheer up! I¡¯ll be watching yourpetition on TV!¡±


    Neighbors he ran into on the street greeted him, their faces full of sincere wishes.


    ¡°I will,¡± Qin Lang, who had gradually be ustomed to these familiar faces from his memories, showed a friendly smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone, I will do my best to achieve a good ranking!¡±


    After bidding them farewell, Qin Lang and Dan Bao headed straight for thepetition venue¡ªthe Dongxia Arena, built specially by the Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association for thepetition.


    Not just the cookingpetition, but also the tri-monthly trainingpetition held by Dongxia City takes ce here.


    The two do not conflict, each held at a different time.


    The Dongxia Arena is an open-air building in the shape of a cylinder.


    It is colored yellow all over, with the words ¡®Dongxia Arena¡¯ hanging high up.


    As he approached the arena, a wave of anticipation and nervousness filled Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    In his previous life, he was the youngest Special ss 1 chef in Yan Huang, even participating in the preparation of state banquets.


    But now, he is just an unknown, newly-promoted Spiritual Chef.


    His opponents are no longer inheritors of the eight major cuisines, experienced national banquet chefs or The Three Stars¡¯ head chefs, but Spirit Chefs who possess talents different from his previous life but just as dazzling. This is a new beginning!


    Qin Lang took a deep breath.


    ¡°Dan Bao, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Gudu!¡± <li>??</li>


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, wee to Dongxia Arena!¡±


    In the center of the arena, the host¡¯s passionate voice echoed across the whole arena through a loudspeaker, rallying cheers from the audience filling the seats.


    ¡°The Dongxia City Cooking Competition, held every three months, is about to begin.¡±


    ¡°In everypetition, Spirit Chefs with enough strength will demonstrate their culinary skills and their passion for cooking to prove themselves on this arena.¡±


    ¡°I believe, this won¡¯t be an exception.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s give the warmest apuse to the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders in Dongxia City!¡±


    As the host gestured grandly, the eleven people sitting on the side seats stood up and waved to the audience amidst the thunderous apuse.


    Zhou Qing, Song Hui, and Fu Hang, who gave Qin Lang the Food Rmender Badge, were among them, and the other eight Food Rmenders each had their unique traits.


    ¡°The eleven Food Rmenders will serve as judges in the uing elimination and ranking matches, whereas the judges for the scoringpetition are¡­¡±


    ¡°The thirty senior judges from Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee them with the same enthusiastic apuse!¡±


    As the host¡¯s hand moved to seats on the other side, the thirty judges seated there also stood up and greeted the audience amidst thunderous apuse.


    ¡°And today, under the assessment of these thirty judges, are our twenty-six contestants!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s cheer and p for them with the greatest enthusiasm!¡±


    All eyes of the audience focused on the twenty-six people standing in a row in the center of the venue.


    Various names of the contestants were heard in the cheers and apuse, echoing throughout the Dongxia Arena.


    Standing among the contestants, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but feel tense.


    Although he had participated in cookingpetitions in his past life, he had never seen such grandeur.


    Looking at thepetitive standard kitchens, each with an area of one hundred square meters, identical to the ones used in Food Fights and already set up in advance, Qin Lang¡¯s heartbeat quickened.


    It was a feeling of excitement.


    Vaguely, Qin Lang heard his name being called in the cheers.


    Mixed in with the deafening cheers, the sound seemed exceptionally clear.


    He looked in a certain direction and saw a few familiar figures on the stands closest to the arena.


    It was Qi Xiaoyu and the others who had managed to get VIP tickets.


    He nodded in the direction of the three who were waving at him, and shifted his gaze to the middle-aged man with a firm face and robust figure who was addressing the crowd.


    Li Yuantu, the deputy chairman of the Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association, was also the only Second-Level Food Rmender in Dongxia City.


    This deputy chairman Li was not one for verbose speeches, his speech was rather brief.


    After Li Yuantu¡¯s speech, the city-level cookingpetition officially kicked off amid the enthusiastic apuse of the thousands of spectators. All the judges swore to judge each contestant¡¯s dishes fairly and justly.


    ¡°The scoringpetition theme this time, after a prepetition draw, has been finalized as a restricted cuisine theme. The theme this time is Vegetables!¡± The host announced loudly, ¡°All twenty-six contestants have submitted the ingredients needed for thepetition in advance, and they have been verified by the association to meet the requirements of the theme!¡± ¡°These ingredients have been transported into thepetitive standard kitchens, each tagged with the corresponding contestant¡¯s name!¡±


    ¡°The scoringpetition will officially start in five minutes, and the cooking time is limited to within three hours.¡±


    ¡°Please enter your respectivepetitive standard kitchens. You have one chance to verify the ingredients before thepetition.¡±


    ¡°After thepetition starting bell rings, the walls of thepetitive standard kitchens will automatically turn opaque.¡±


    ¡°We look forward to your performance!¡±


    Among the cheering crowd, Qin Lang and Dan Bao entered thepetitive standard kitchen with his name on it.


    The transparent kitchen wall allowed everyone outside to see him clearly.


    Standing in front of the kitchen counter, his gaze scanned over each ingredient, condiment, and seasoning he had prepared. After confirming everything was in order, Qin Lang slowly closed his eyes.


    The key techniques of making vegetarian braised pork went through his mind over and over again.


    Five minutester.


    With the ringing of thepetition¡¯s starting bell, the walls of the kitchen turned opaque.


    Qin Lang opened his eyes..

 Chapter 57 - 57: Intense Scoring Competition

    Chapter 57: Intense Scoring Competition


    Trantor: 549690339


    With all twenty-six contestants entering the arena, the outdoors of the twenty-six Competitive Standard Kitchens became opaque in the countdown, leaving the audience in the Dongxia Arena unable to see the inside, and their enthusiasm cooled down a bit.


    Spiritual Chef cooking requires time, so in a cookingpetition, the audience has to go through a long wait before the first Spiritual Chefpletes cooking and leaves the kitchen.


    Not every single one of the audience members has such patience. Therefore, to make the cookingpetition more entertaining, a preliminary performance is necessary, also presenting a considerable challenge to the host¡¯s skills.


    Of course, the host of the city-level cookingpetition is top-notch.


    ¡°Now, twenty-six contestants have entered a heated phase of cooking, let us look forward to the diverse dishes they prepare!¡± The host¡¯s passionate voice recovers some warmth in the atmosphere.


    And his next sentence ignites cheer and apuse from the audience on thepetition venue.


    ¡°We have invited two outstanding-level trainers for thispetition, they will provide us with an exciting exhibition match next!¡±


    The title awarded in a cookingpetition is ¡°Cooker¡±, and the title given in a trainingpetition is ¡°Trainer¡±. Both titles share a consistent prefix.


    Outstanding-level trainers are rare in Dongxia City.


    Now, two have appeared to perform an exhibition match, instantly sparking the audience¡¯s enthusiasm.


    After the host finishes speaking, a battlefield slowly rises in an area far from the twenty-six Competitive Standard Kitchens, the Seven-star Map behind the two confrontational people on the battlefield lights up four stars, leading to cheers from the audience.


    Spiritual Chefs who activate four Star Veins and own four Food Spirits!


    This means they all wield the Spiritual Chef¡¯s second Spirit Master Technique: the Spirit-ignite Power!


    Unlike the most fundamental Spirit Master Technique, Star Spirit Protection, the Spirit-ignite Power can bless the Food Spirit, making the fierce battle even more captivating.


    This will make the exhibition match highly entertaining.


    Soon, the two powerful Spiritual Chefs summon their respective Food Spirits, bringing a visual feast for the on-site audience amid shouts and cheers.


    Unlike a Food Fight, before the start of a cooking contest, in addition to submitting cooking ingredients for the Spirit Chef Association to check, the Spiritual Chefs also need to inform about the estimated cooking time so that the organizer can better schedule thepetition.


    Therefore, it is usually not the case where the preliminary show is still going on while a spiritual chef has finished cooking already.


    After the performance¡¯s culmination, the audience¡¯s enthusiasm gets reignited by the ring of a ¡°ding-¡± sound before it cools down.


    The first Spiritual Chefes out of the kitchen pushing a cart!


    ¡°The first one to step out of the kitchen is our contestant Xiao He!¡± The host¡¯s voice swiftly raises as he briskly steps towards Xiao He who has pushed a kitchen cab car in front of thirty judges, handing a microphone to him.


    Xiao He, a slightly chubby young man looking around twenty years old, is overjoyed and excited as he feels the focus of the onsite audience and sees his close-up shown on the electronic screen above.


    To stand out in the scoringpetition, Xiao He ns toplete his dishes at the fastest speed.


    Being the first one to exit the kitchen, he will naturally leave a deeper impression on the judges.


    For this, he specifically selected a vegetarian dish with short cooking time.


    Everything is as he has expected¡ªthe first one to finish is him!


    The judges will undoubtedly have a stronger impression of him, and their scores are naturally more weighted.


    Striving to calm himself down, Xiao He lifts the microphone.


    ¡°I am honored today to let all thirty judges taste the dish I have prepared.¡±


    ¡°This dish is called Jade-like Vegetable Heart.¡±


    After introducing the name of the dish, Xiao He, maintaining his facial smile, presents the dish divided into thirty portions from the kitchen cab to the judges. Each portion is notrge. Then he returns to his ce.


    After slight bow, he starts exining about the dish.


    His deep and rhythmic voice, amplified by the sound system, reverberates throughout the arena, coupled with the real-time close-ups of the judges tasting projected on the electronic screen, these scenes make the audience salivate as if they could taste the vor Xiao He describes.


    After a while, Xiao He¡¯s exnation ends, and the thirty judges also finish their tastings. Following a few judges giving theirments, thepetition enters the next round.


    ¡°The judges have one minute to finalize their scores. We will disregard the highest and the lowest scores, and take the average of the judge¡¯s scores as the final score for contestant Xiao He!¡±


    The host speaks out loud, and at the same time, another ¡°ding-¡± bell rings.


    Another Spiritual Chefes out of the kitchen pushing a kitchen cab.


    However, this Spiritual Chef¡¯s expression seems somewhat unnatural.


    He shares the same idea with Xiao He, just that he is a step toote.


    ¡°Our contestant Li Yang has alsopleted his dish!¡± The host quickly approaches, ¡°Contestant Li Yang, please wait. Once the previous contestant¡¯s final score is calcted, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Li Yang calmly nods, standing at a side waiting.


    One minute quickly passes.


    Scores from the thirty judges are ready.


    After ncing at the electronic screen in hand, the host speaks out loud.


    ¡°Congrattions to our contestant Xiao He, his final score is¡­¡±


    After deliberately pausing, under the tense atmosphere of the whole venue, the host¡¯s voice elevates.


    ¡°85.3 points!¡±


    Hearing this final score, Xiao He takes a sigh of relief, a satisfied smile surfaces on his face.


    Based on the circumstances of the previous years, this score is likely to make the top eight.


    ¡°Thank you, judges!¡± He speaks out loudly and then leaves.


    Li Yang feels the pressure, but still maintains his facial expression as he walks towards the judges¡¯ seats with the food trolley.


    His final score is 82.9.


    The alerts for two contestantspleting their dishes one after another seem to make the remaining twenty-four contestants in the Competitive Standard Kitchens cooking feel a tad nervous.


    They all speed up their cooking simultaneously, and not long after Li Yang, the third Spiritual Chefes out of the kitchen,pushing a cart.


    Following him are the fourth, the fifth¡­


    Except for a Spiritual Chef not proficient in vegetables whose score is below 80 points, the scores of other Spiritual Chefs are generally above 80 points; however, none of the Spiritual Chefs achieved more than 90 points.


    Until a contestant named Zhu Ming exits the kitchen.


    This delicate-looking female contestant stuns everyone with a vegetarian dish named ¡°Shattered Jade Flower¡±, achieving a final score of 91.2.


    Shattered Jade Flower is a traditional recipe from the Zhu Family, a renowned Spiritual Chef family with a highly esteemed reputation in the chef circle of Dongxia City.


    Zhu Ming, the one who brought out this dish, soon gets recognized as the most promising talent of the younger generation in the Zhu Family.


    Based on the scoring in previous city-level cooking contests, Zhu Ming¡¯s score almost guarantees her the first ce..

 Chapter 58 - 58: Qin Lang Makes his Appearance

    Chapter 58: Qin Lang Makes his Appearance


    Trantor: 549690339


    Looking at the ranking of contestants¡¯ scores disyed on another electronic screen next to the big screen, a touch of pride appeared on Zhu Ming¡¯s face as she saw the score difference she had created with all the contestants behind her.


    As a new generation of the famous Spirit Chef Family, she should be the best among her peers.


    ¡°Thank you, judges!¡±


    After politely bowing to the thirty senior judges on the Judges¡¯ Seats, Zhu Ming left the arena with a smile on her face and sat in the yers¡¯ Spectator Seats specially prepared for contestants.


    The contestants who had alreadypleted the judging and were sitting in the Spectator Seats all cast jealous nces at her, but Zhu Ming ignored them all and held her head high like a proud swan.


    Following Zhu Ming, new yers took the stage one after another, but none of their scores threatened Zhu Ming, which made her even moreposed.


    ¡°Ding¡ª- ¡±


    Another bell rang, signalling the opening of Tang Xie¡¯s kitchen door.


    With a tense face, Tang Xie walked out and cast his first nce at the electronic screen showing the current yer rankings.


    Disappointment flickered in Tang Xie¡¯s eyes when he didn¡¯t see the name he was looking for.


    Has Qin Lang not finished yet?


    If that¡¯s the case, let him take the lead this time!


    Then, his eyesnded on Zhu Ming¡¯s name.


    Not too familiar, surname Zhu¡­


    Could it be from the Zhu Family?


    Never mind, it¡¯s not important.


    Although 91.2 points was high, Tang Xie was confident he could score higher with the dish he prepared today.


    Taking a deep breath, he hurriedly pushed his Kitchen Cab Car to the front of the Judges¡¯ Seats.


    ¡°Hello, respected Judges.¡±


    Tang Xie adjusted his facial expressions and voice to his best, then began speaking slowly in a steady rhythm, ¡°Today, I prepared a dish called ¡®Lovesickness¡¯. Please allow me to present it to you.¡±


    Upon finishing speaking, he slowly opened the door of the Kitchen Cab Car, and delivered exquisitely prepared dishes that were still steaming to the judges present.


    Under the close-up camera, the audience in the arena saw all the details of this dish for the first time.


    For a moment, exmations echoed all around.


    Lovesickness is an exceptionally exquisite-looking dish.


    It consists of very finely cut, various colored vegetables woven into a beautiful bird¡¯s nest. Inside the nest, a couple of lifelike mandarin ducks are carved out of vegetables.


    Vegetable threads, Sounds like ¡°Thinking.¡±


    This dish not only has a refined appearance, but also a beautiful implication.


    If the taste does not let down, then this dish getting high scores is nearly certain.


    Zhu Ming, sitting in the yers¡¯ Audience Seats with a slightly concentrated gaze, couldn¡¯t help but sit upright.


    This dish made her feel threatened.


    With the start of the judges¡¯ tasting, Tang Xie¡¯s introduction echoed all over Dongxia Arena.


    His tone was soft and steady, yet his eyes sparkled with confidence.


    This Lovesickness was not like the Dragon and Phoenix Carving of thest time.


    It not only had a stunning appearance but also an unimpeachable taste.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give a warm apuse for contestant Tang Xie!¡±


    After the tasting section ended, the host¡¯s voice echoed enthusiastically across the Dongxia Arena, taking over the recently finished introduction of Tang Xie¡¯s dish.


    ¡°Subtracting the highest and the lowest scores, the final score of contestant Tang Xie is¡­¡±


    The host¡¯s voice dragged on for a little longer than usual.


    Tang Xie couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists.


    He wanted to know very much how he had scored.


    Many in the audience were also tense just like him.


    This tense atmosphere continued until the host no longer kept them in suspense and bluntly announced Tang Xie¡¯s score.


    ¡°92.4 points!¡±


    That¡¯s solid!


    A look of joy quickly spread across Tang Xie¡¯s face.


    He didn¡¯t believe that Qin Lang could make a dish with a higher score!


    Meanwhile, Zhu Ming in the spectator seats stared at the new name appearing on the electronic screen above her, her eyes widening as she watched Tang Xie walk confidently towards her, apetitive spirit rising in her eyes.


    How annoying!


    Tang Xie did not notice the resentment from a certain girl in the yer¡¯s spectator seats. He found an empty seat and sat down, his eyes burning as he watched Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen.


    He was looking forward to Qjn Lang¡¯s performance.


    Thepetition time ticked away.


    One contestant after another left the kitchen, but unfortunately, no score above 90 appeared again.


    In the end, only the kitchen doors of Qin Lang and Lei Ke remained tightly shut.


    ¡°Ah, all vegetables, that¡¯s just¡­¡±


    After submitting the score of the twenty-fourth contestant, a chubby judge in the Judges¡¯ Seats couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly.


    The microphone was not on, so only the other judges in the vicinity could hear him.


    This judge was named Zhang Hua, and from his structure, one could tell that he has a great propensity for meat.


    And that was indeed the case.


    Judge Zhang Hua needs to eat quite a bit of meat every meal and does not like vegetables.


    However, due to his professional duties, he had to eat now.


    After twenty-four courses of vegetables in a row, even if each serving was notrge, and two of them was exceptional, overall it still wasn¡¯t a friendly experience.


    If he wasn¡¯t afraid of being caught on camera, his frustration would have been written all over his face.


    ¡°Who could argue with that?¡±


    Another judge sitting not far from Zhang Hua still looked gentle, but the voiceing from his lips was as mncholic as Zhang Hua¡¯s.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we remove the vegetable theme from the scoringpetition next time?¡±


    ¡°Food Fight, lvi matches would be okay with just two tastings.¡±


    ¡°A theme like this in a scoringpetition is really giving us a hard time.¡±


    And this judge¡¯sints were echoed by many others.


    ¡°In thest scoringpetition, the theme was ¡®sweet¡¯, I felt like I was in jail the whole time.¡± A judge who disliked sweet food couldn¡¯t help butin. ¡°What can thatpare to? The year before, the scoringpetition theme was ¡®spicy¡¯, it was absolutely torturous!¡± Another judge¡¯s face involuntarily showed a hint of fear.


    This judge couldn¡¯t take spicy food, and almost all contestants interpreted ¡®spicy¡¯ as high spiciness.


    Well¡­there was one female contestant who didn¡¯t interpret ¡®spicy¡¯ as a high level of spiciness.


    She came to thepetition in a spicy chef¡¯s outfit, resulting in a chorus of boos.


    ¡°Other cities¡¯ cookingpetitions seem to have already removed such themes from their scoringpetitions. We Dongxia City should follow suit sooner rather thanter.¡± Another judge chimed in.


    ¡°Ding¡ª- ¡±


    Another bell sounded.


    ¡°Alright, there is a new contestanting out, focus on your own work.¡± The most prestigious senior judge in the arena spoke up.


    So the other judges stopped discussing this issue and turned their attention to the 25th Spiritual chef, pushing a cart into the arena.


    In the yer¡¯s spectator seats, Zhu Ming, who had been keeping an eye on her strong opponent, Tang Xie, noticed that he suddenly sat up straight, his eyes sparkling with fighting spirit as he watched the arena.


    ¡°Coming out of the kitchen now is our contestant, Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look forward to the dish he is bringing!¡±

 Chapter 59 - 59: The New Highest Score

    Chapter 59: The New Highest Score


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Respectable judges, greetings.¡±


    Qin Lang took the microphone, bowed slightly, then started unloading te after te of the meals he had prepared from his kitchen cab car, delivering each to the judges before him.


    He didn¡¯t bother introducing anything.


    But as each serving of deep chestnut-colored Vegetarian Braised Pork appeared under the sunlight gleaming enticingly without disying a hint of oiliness, yet an irresistible charm prompting onlookers to taste it immediately, the audience erupted with exmations of astonishment.


    Not just the audience, even the thirty senior judges present widened their eyes with some unable to resist leaning forward to scrutinise the dish before them.


    Having already seen the diverse designs of vegetable dishes presented by the previous twenty-fourpetitors, they thought they wouldn¡¯t be surprised by the appearance of a dish again.


    But was this¡­


    Meat?


    A meat dish appeared under the theme of vegetables?!


    No, impossible.


    Everyone knew very well that such a situation could not ur.


    All ingredients would have been sent to thepetition organizers for inspection prior to thepetition.


    And Spirit Chefs couldn¡¯t bring any ingredients into the kitchen when they enter, otherwise, it¡¯s considered a foul.


    The very fact that this young Spirit Chef dared to openly serve this dish meant there was no issue with it.


    This was a meat dish made from vegetables!


    On the yers¡¯ Spectator Seats, the expressions of astonishment showed on the faces of thepetitors.


    Tang Xie closely observed the perfectly crafted replica of pork belly, drawing a cold breath involuntarily while his eyes revealed anticipation.


    Great!


    No wonder he is a Spirit Chef who has beaten me twice!


    He was eagerly awaiting the final score of Qin Lang¡¯s dish.


    The tens of thousands of audience members in the spectator scats started discussing eagerly.


    Under the close-up on the big electronic screen, they weren¡¯t able to tell that it was a vegetable dish.


    So how will this vegetable dish that closely resembled a meat dish taste like?


    They naturally shifted their gaze towards the judges in anticipation.


    As the audience couldn¡¯t taste the dishes in thepetition, they could only rely on the evaluations of the judges to understand the dish better.


    After serving thest prepared Vegetarian Braised Pork dish to thest judge, Qin Lang calmly returns to his original position.


    ¡°Vegetarian Braised Pork, please enjoy.¡±


    Even in a cooking contest, Qin Lang maintained his sinct style simr to a Food Fight.


    However, the host did not intend to let him go easily.


    As the judges began the tasting section and Qin Lang remained silent, the host actively approached him.


    ¡°Thank you, contestant Qin Lang, for bringing us this spectacr Vegetarian Braised Pork.¡±


    His face revealed a curious and probing expression, ¡°I believe many people in the audience, including myself, are extremely curious about this dish. I want to know if this dish that closely resembles meat has a meaty taste. Qin Lang, have you tasted it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have tasted it.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°And how does it feel?¡± The host asked with a smile.


    ¡°During the cooking process, I used the traditional seasonings and special cooking techniquesmon in meat cooking, like Star Anise and Cinnamon.¡± Qin Lang thought for a moment before answering, ¡°I preserved the original taste of the vegetables andyered on top of that vours that are simr to meat dishes.¡±


    ¡°I believe,pared to vegetables, there should be more food guests who enjoy meat dishes. Preparing vegetarian dishes that taste like meat will make it easier for them to ept vegetables.¡±


    ¡°But you will only know that you are eating vegetables if you retain the original taste of the vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Well said!¡±


    Before the host could start speaking, a voice rang out from the direction of the judges¡¯ seats.


    Zhang Hua, with his chubby figure, turned on the microphone before him, speaking as he slowly rose from his seat.


    Before him, there was a te with only a small bit of gravy left.


    The Vegetarian Braised Pork that was initially neatly ced in the center of the te had all entered his stomach.


    ¡°This is a dish that surprised me a lot.¡± Taking a deep breath, he looked at Qin Lang and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°When I first tasted it, the dish was salty, umami-rich, and the taste felt as soft as pork belly, but upon closer tasting, there was a fragrant soy taste from the tofu and a refreshing taste from the winter melon.¡±


    ¡°It did indeed have a unique meaty vor, and this vor wasn¡¯t just superficial, I believe it must have been cooked for a long time for the taste topletely seep into the ingredients.¡±


    ¡°This dish¡­¡±


    Zhang Hua looked at Qin Lang, his eyes contained a hint of appreciation.


    For someone who enjoyed meat dishes like him, tasting such a dish under the theme of vegetables, it indeed brought immense joy and feelings from the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°I really like it!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Judge Zhang Hua, for your evaluation!¡±


    The host spoke out loud after Judge Zhang Hua had returned to his seat.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang also made a slight bow towards Zhang Hua, showing gratitude.


    ¡°I also want to say something¡­¡±


    Another judge got up and briefly shared his opinion of the dish.


    Then, it was the next one¡¯s turn.


    Many judges appeared to be interested in Qin Lang¡¯s dish and more critiques appearedpared to otherpetitors¡¯ dish tasting sections, with some even excitedly asking Qin Lang a few questions.


    Such interaction didn¡¯t usually happen often.


    Eventually, the tasting and evaluation section came to an end.


    After the one minute scoring time, the host looked at the electronic screen in his hand, with a sh of surprise in his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give the warmest apuse to congratte contestant Qin Lang, after removing the highest and lowest score, his final score is¡­¡±


    ¡°93.0!¡±


    As the host finished speaking, the audience broke out into cheers and apuse.


    Hearing this score, Qin Lang let out a sigh of relief, bowing towards the judges before leaving the stage.


    Noticing the trio waving at him, he didn¡¯t head to the yers¡¯ Spectator Seats but instead went towards the VIP Spectator Seats where they were.


    ¡°You got the highest score!¡± Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s face was full of excitement, she cheered and patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Howe I never noticed how good your cooking skills are when we were in the training ss!¡±


    ¡°There is still onepetitor yet to take the stage.¡± Qin Lang humbly replied, ¡°Before the final score rankings are released, everything is unknown.¡±


    Dan Bao standing obediently by the side had glowing eyes and a hopeful smile.


    The first ce will surely be ours!


    ¡°As I expected, you¡¯re my worthy rival!¡± Zhao Chen crossed his arms, ¡°But I won¡¯t be envious of your aplishments in the culinary world, for I will defeat you on the training path someday!¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Qin Lang encouraged in his usual manner.


    Standing to the side, Du Weiwei remained silent, her eyes held a hint of envy.


    It had been over a month since she opened her Second Star Vein.


    But a second Food Spirit had yet to emerge.


    If only she had Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills, how great would that be..

 Chapter 60 - 60 Lei Ke’s Terrible Strength

    Chapter 60: Lei Ke¡¯s Terrible Strength


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the yers¡¯ spectator seats, Tang Xie looked at Qin Lang, who had note to the spectator seats but was casually chatting with the trio. An intense desire topete surged in his eyes.


    This was the third time.


    He had already lost to Qin Lang three times in their duels.


    This proved that he was still insufficient and needed to work harder.


    Next time, he definitely would not lose again!


    ¡°Ding¡ª- ¡±


    With the sound of the bell, thest closed kitchen door finally opened.


    A young man, about 20 years old, with a head full of unruly hair tied up by a bandana, pushed out a kitchen cab car calmly with his deep brown eyes. ¡°Contestant Lei Ke has finished his cooking!¡±


    ¡°He is the only contestant from outside the local area in thispetition. Let¡¯s see what kind of dish he has brought from Danju City!¡±


    With all eyes from the venue on him, Lei Ke remained calm.


    Everything was under his control.


    Even being thest to appear was all part of his n.


    He was confident to shine under the spotlight and secure the first ce in the first round of scoring!


    After pushing the kitchen cab car in front of the judges¡¯ seats, Lei Ke gave a slight bow to the thirty judges in the venue, took the microphone handed over by the host, and slowly said, ¡°Thirty judges, please taste my dish¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    With a light noise, the door of the kitchen cab car next to Lei Ke quickly opened.


    A Food Spirit hovering beside Lei Ke emitted a milky white halo.


    The halo spread out like water ripples, causing the thirty dishes in the kitchen cab car to fly out all at once andnded steadily in front of the thirty judges in the field.


    ¡°Su Shang Ping Lake.¡± Lei Ke didn¡¯t utter the name of his dish until it was all presented.


    ¡°Gulp gulp!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes in the spectator seats suddenly lit up.


    That was the wave of thought, thebat skill!


    The verybat skill it wished to awaken!


    ¡°Dear, you will have the wave of thought,¡± Qin Langforted the envious-looking Dan Bao.


    Zhao Chen, who was sitting next to him, heard the conversation between the owner and the spirit, and his eyes flickered slightly.


    As expected of his rival, he already had ns for the secondbat skill. Indeed, the Food Fight was nothing but his farce!


    Afterforting Dan Bao, Qin Lang turned his eyes to the big screen and carefully examined Lei Ke¡¯s dish.


    Su Shang Ping Lake was a soup dish.


    Its presentation carried an atmosphere.


    In the midst of the rising mist, the light aqua soup shimmered with bright water light.


    At the bottom of the clear soup, a ball of golden color reflected like noontime sun in theke.


    And through the close-up shots on the high-definition giant electronic screen, the clearly visible details of that ball of golden color allowed Qin Lang to quickly recognize what ingredient it was.


    Golden Ear.


    It was a type of fungi that was not asmon as the silver ear but was highly nutritious. Its golden-like color and brain-like shape made it very distinctive. Soaking a ball of Golden Ear in clear soup?


    Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    This dish indeed showed some simrities with Boiled Cabbage with Water.


    The texture of the Golden Ear itself was superb, the rich gtinous texture made it particrly crispy and smooth. As it was chewed, the vor of the Golden Ear would surge from the inside, making it more vorful with each bite.


    Of course, what was more important was the secret within the clear soup.


    Qin Lang¡¯s expression became more serious.


    In the field, after serving the dish, Lei Ke slowly started speaking as the judges began to taste it.


    ¡°This Su Shang Ping Lake is an original creation of mine.¡±


    ¡°To cook it, you need nine different kinds of fungi, nine different kinds of bamboo shoots, nine different kinds of wild vegetables, and a top-quality Golden Ear.¡±


    ¡°One of the nine fungi is extremely rare, I searched all over Tianhua State without sess, and only found a few in Beihu State to the north of Tianhua State. Three of the nine types of bamboo shoots also required a lot of effort to find.¡±


    ¡°These nine wild vegetables belong to the nine cities within Tianhua State, which also includes the Lanxia Vegetable of Dongxia City.¡±


    ¡°Combining their freshness into soup, adorned with the supremely ptable Golden Ear.¡±


    ¡°This, is my understanding of vegetables.¡±


    The words of Lei Ke weren¡¯t many, but in just a few sentences he painted a picture of a Spirit Chef who passionately scours the mountains and ins in search of ingredients.


    His words caused a whirlwind of discussion among the numerous audience members in the stands.


    Qin Lang felt the pressure surge within him.


    Nine types of mushrooms, nine types of bamboo shoots, nine types of wild vegetables and a Golden Ear.


    When it came to ingredients, Lei Ke¡¯s dishpletely outssed his vegetarian braised pork.


    He sighed slightly, already prepared mentally.


    A momentter, Lei Ke¡¯s scoring segment came to an end.


    ¡°Let¡¯s congratte contestant Lei Ke, his score is¡­¡±


    The host nced at the electronic screen in his hand, his face couldn¡¯t help but show signs of surprise.


    ¡°94.1 points!¡±


    ¡°As expected.¡± Hearing this score, Qin Lang shook his head reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯ve lost.¡±


    ¡°Gulu¡­¡±


    Dan Bao, who had just been ecstatic, now couldn¡¯t help but show a dejected expression.


    ¡°No matter, victory and defeat aremon ce in war.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head, soothing him with a smile.


    The novelty of his vegetarian braised pork had won the judges over with its distinct appeal.


    But sometimes just this is not enough.


    Ingredients are not the be-all and end-all of a dish, but it can¡¯t be denied, they have a significant effect on the final presentation of the dish.


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Dan Bao rubbed against Qin Lang¡¯s cheek, looking at Lei Ke in the center of the field, a stubborn expression filled his little face.


    Next time we will prepare more thoroughly, we must win!


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded heavily, a battling spirit ignited in his eyes.


    Faced with such a formidablepetitor, he also needed to showcase his true potential.


    Meanwhile, Tang Xie on the yers¡¯ spectator seats, had long since discarded his previous disinterest in Lei Ke.


    He frowned and stared at the gradually unfamiliar figure in the field.


    This is a strong opponent!


    Aside from Qin Lang, the city-level cookingpetition has produced a second powerful adversary he had to consider.


    On the other side, Zhu Ming was slightly pursing her lips, her tightly clenched hands were faintly white.


    As the rising star of the Zhu family, she came with a determination to win only to be surpassed one after the other.


    This was a big blow to her.


    ¡°Hu!¡±


    Zhu Ming exhaled a weary breath, gradually adjusting her state of mind.


    In that case, let me have a proper fight with you three!


    With the end of Lei Ke¡¯s scoring segment, the twenty-sixpetitive standard kitchens quickly descended, revealing the vast field.


    The host took a deep breath and announced loudly.


    ¡°I dere, the first round of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition has ended.


    Now to announce the final scoring rankings!¡±


    ¡°Let us wee the twenty-six contestants onto the stage, with a round of apuse!¡±


    With the host¡¯s announcement, the audience erupts with thunderous cheers and apuse.


    ¡°Qin Lang, hurry up, hurry up!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu urged hastily, with Zhao Chen and Du Weiwei both looking towards Qin Lang.


    Even though they hadn¡¯t secured first ce in the scoring segment and felt a bit regretful, they viewed this result as an incredible achievement.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang nodded, bringing Dan Bao quickly back into the field.


    Soon, the twenty-six contestants lined up in a row..

 Chapter 61 - 61: The Next Opponent

    Chapter 61: The Next Opponent


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°All contestants are present, and now it¡¯s time for me to announce the final score rankings!¡±


    ¡°In the Scoring Competition, the twenty-sixth ce is awarded to Zhang Yue, with a score of 77.4!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice fades, a female contestant slowly steps forward.


    She manages to squeeze out a dry smile, but there is no hiding the disappointment in her eyes.


    Twenty-sixth ce may sound decent, but in reality, she¡¯sst.


    She takes the participation medal from the host and hangs it around her neck. Zhang Yue nces at the otherpetitors and mutters to herself.


    She still has a long way to go.


    ¡°Zhang Yue, do you have anything to say?¡±


    Hearing this, Zhang Yue takes the microphone from the host and takes a deep breath.


    ¡°I will participate in the next City-level Cooking Competition and hope that I will achieve better results!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give Zhang Yue a warm round of apuse and our best wishes!¡± The host takes back the microphone, slightly smiling, ¡°In the nextpetition, we hope to see Zhang Yue going further.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue and announce the score of the next contestant!¡±


    ¡°In the Scoring Competition, the twenty-fifth ce is awarded to Qi Yu, with a score of 78.3!¡±


    The host approaches another contestant and gives them their participation medal.


    Next, the twenty-fourth, twenty-third, twenty-second cements are announced, and so on.


    Finally, the ninth-ranked contestant receives thest medal from the host and leaves the stage in disappointment.


    Only eight contestants remain on the field.


    They are the ones who advanced in this Scoring Competition.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give a warm round of apuse to the eight contestants still on-site who advanced to the next round!¡±


    Instead of revealing the rankings right away, the host slightly smiles.


    ¡°As the top eight of the Scoring Competition, you all will equally receive advancement rewards.¡±


    As his words fade, two figures slowly step onto the stage, each carrying an alloy box that is tightly sealed.


    These people are none other than the remarkable trainers who performed a warm-up match while the twenty-six Spirit Chefs were preparing their dishes.


    The warm-up match was a side job for them. These two potent Spirit Chefs¡¯ main task was protecting the precious gems in the alloy box.


    Under numerous gazes, the alloy box is gradually unlocked and opened. The contestants are met with eight gemstones, cut like glittering diamonds and filled with a blue and purple neb. Dove-egg-sized gemstones appear through the close-up camera in front of thousands of audience members.


    The moment of their appearance, all eight Spirit Chefs can feel the instinctual craving of their Food Spirits towards them.


    They arc precious Starstones that only the Spirit Chef Association can bring out, which contain a great amount of Unowned Star Power.


    ¡°Contestants, please pick one each and absorb it on-site!¡± The host loudly instructs.


    All eight contestants quickly step up to choose their Starstone from the soft cloth in the box and return to their original spots.


    ¡°This is a Starstone.¡±


    Qin Lang inspects carefully, can¡¯t prevent a look of amazement from appearing in his eyes.


    It is more beautiful than any gem he has seen in his past life.


    Feeling the excited mood from Dan Bao beside him, Qin Lang can¡¯t help butugh, handing over the Starstone.


    ¡°Gudou!¡±


    Yay!


    Dan Bao cheers, quickly drawing close.


    As the star surrounding it touches the Starstone, a burst of Unowned Star Power, much richer than one victory in a Food Spirit Battle, explodes from the Starstone, flooding into the star around Dan Bao.


    In an instant, Dan Bao shows an extremelyfortable expression.


    It feels as if it has soaked in a warm bath, feeling warm all over.


    By the time the Starstone ispletely transparent, appearing like a diamond, the star around Dan Bao has visibly brightened a lot.


    Sensing the change in Dan Bao, an expectant look appears on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t know how many such starstoncs would be needed for Dan Bao to level up from one star to two stars.


    ¡°After absorption, please put the starstones that lost their Star Power back.¡±


    The host¡¯s reminder brought Qin Lang back to his senses.


    Even the starstones that have been absorbed are collected back?


    The control is really strict.


    Originally nning to keep the starstones as souvenirs, he shook his head and, like other contestants who had finished absorbing, put the starstone back in the box.


    It was not until this moment that the two stern-faced elite trainers breathed a sigh of relief.


    Then, they took the box and left the venue without lingering.


    The absorption of the starstones happened midway through the announcement of the judging results, like a small interlude.


    But it hadpletely ignited the will to fight among the top eight contestants.


    Just advancing from the scoringpetition and getting such a precious starstone, what kind of generous rewards would follow if they continued to advance?


    For a moment, the eight contenders standing side by side exchanged nces, their eyes burning with a strong desire to win.


    They want to keep winning!


    That¡¯s exactly what the host wants to see.


    The host¡¯s voice rose again. ¡°Now, let us announce the scoring situation of the eight contestants who have advanced from the scoringpetition!¡±


    ¡°Eighth ce, Xiao He, with a score of 85.3!¡±


    As the host finished speaking, a glimmer of light gathered out of thin air and then flew toward Xiao He, who had walked out two steps.


    This was Star Power.


    Not only can it be obtained from Food Spirit fights, but it can also be awarded for advancing inpetitions.


    Watching his Food Spirit cheerfully embrace the iing Star Power, Xiao He couldn¡¯t help but show a relieved expression on his face.


    He was just a tiny bit away from being eliminated.


    The ninth ce contestant scored 85.1.


    In previous years, this score would have been enough to advance smoothly. But there was an abnormal number of high scores this time.


    With this in mind, he couldn¡¯t help but look at the four contestants in the field who scored over 90 points.


    He just hoped he wouldn¡¯t encounter them in the uing eliminationpetition.-


    Thinking about this, Xiao He¡¯s face suddenly twitched.


    ording to the draw rules of the eliminationpetition, his hope seemed unlikely toe true.


    Damn!


    Well, make the best of the worst.


    Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t run into Lei Ke!


    ¡°Seventh ce, Bai Fang, 86.5 points!¡±


    ¡°Sixth ce, Qiang Xiaofeng, 87.9 points!¡±


    ¡°Fifth ce, Zhang Chen, 88.6 points!¡±


    ¡°Fourth ce, Zhu Ming, 91.2 points!¡±


    ¡°Third ce, Tang Xie, 92.4 points!¡±


    ¡°Second ce, Qin Lang, 93.0 points!¡±


    ¡°First ce, Lei Ke .1 points!¡±


    As the host announced the rankings from eighth to first, the crowd responded with increasingly enthusiastic cheers and apuse. The higher a Spirit Chef¡¯s rank, the more Star Power they would receive.


    Even though Dan Bao had just absorbed more Star Power from the starstones, Dan Bao wasn¡¯t picky at all. It happily flew up high, weing this bundle of Star Power that had at least two or three times the amount received from a Food Spirit battle.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang was curiously observing the other seven contestants.


    Besides Lei Ke who he had had some understanding of because he performedter and Tang Xie who he already had severalpetitions with, he wasn¡¯t familiar with the other contestants.


    And his opponent in the second round of the eliminationpetition will be one of them..

 Chapter 62 - 62: Elimination Competition Theme

    Chapter 62: Elimination Competition Theme


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qin Lang¡¯s curiosity did notst for long.


    After announcing the ranking of the eight contestants who advanced to the semi-finals, the host started thest segment of the day.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the first round of the Dongxia City Cooking Contest has ended, but¡­¡± the host paused momentarily, then his voice became more excited, ¡°we have one more section today.¡±


    ¡°Namely the draw lot for the second round of the eliminationpetition happening in five days!¡±


    ¡°Now, please look at our big screen!¡±


    Following the host¡¯s words, both the eight contestants on stage and the tens of thousands of audience members below all turned their attention to therge electronic screen in the sky.


    The screen was now divided into three regions: left, middle, and right. The portraits of the eight contestants appeared on the left and right while differentpetition types showed up in the middle.


    As the host ordered, the three areas of the screen began to scroll swiftly.


    Soon, the scrolling on the left stopped. A portrait of a pretty female contestant appeared on the screen.


    She was Zhu Ming, the fourth ce in the scoringpetition.


    Zhu Ming, who had mentally prepared, clenched her fists slightly and calmly watched the still scrolling screen for her opponent.


    Even more nervous than her, were the four contestants ranked behind her.


    The ranking of the scoringpetition did have an effect on the draw for the elimination round.


    The scored contest¡¯s top four appeared on the left side of the screen, while thest four appeared on the right side.


    The contestants on the same side would not meet in this round.


    Suddenly, the scrolling on the right side of the screen stopped.


    Zhu Ming¡¯s opponent revealed to be Qiang Xiaofeng, the sixth in terms of scoring.


    Looking at the result of the draw, aplicated look immediately appeared on Qiang Xiaofeng¡¯s face.


    Among the four opponents he might face, Zhu Ming, ranked fourth, was obviously easier to deal with than the others.


    However¡­ this rtively easy opponent was also a strong one.


    For him, it would be a tough battle.


    Qiang Xiaofeng¡¯s gaze was firmly locked on the middle area of the screen, which was still scrolling for thepetition project, praying that it would be a topic advantageous to him.


    A momentter, thepetition project scrolling stopped.


    [Limited Ingredient Value]


    ¡°The first round of the Elimination Competition in five days, Zhu Ming vs. Qiang Xiaofeng!¡± the host¡¯s voice appeared timely, ¡°Theirpetition topic is Limited Ingredient Value, now our screen will roll again to draw the specific rules for their Food Fight!¡±


    Almost at the same time when the host finished his words, the scrolling on the screen paused on the number ¡°2000¡±.


    ¡°Limited Ingredient Value, under two thousand yuan!¡±


    ¡°Both contestants have five days to prepare. Let¡¯s look forward to their showdown in five days!¡±


    As he saw the drawn topic, Qiang Xiaofeng heaved a sigh of relief.


    He was good at this topic, maybe he could prepare more and get a chance to beat Zhu Ming¡­ probably.


    ¡°And now let¡¯s proceed to the next draw!¡±


    Very soon, another top-four contestant was picked.


    It was Lei Ke.


    His opponent was determined a momentter.


    Xiao He, who ranked eighth in the scoringpetition, suddenly nked out when he saw his portrait appearing on the screen.


    Damn it!


    What you¡¯re afraid of alwayses true!


    The two contestants ranked fifth and seventh heaved a sigh of relief at this moment and couldn¡¯t help but mourn for Xiao He for a second.


    Thepetition between Lei Ke and Xiao He was decided on the topic of Limited Cuisine Category, the specific theme being fish.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see which contestants for the third round of the Elimination Competition!¡±


    After briefly introducing the battle between Lei Ke and Xiao He, the host spoke out loud.


    The screen started scrolling again.


    Momentster, seeing the slowly settling portrait on the left, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes suddenly widened.


    ¡°Gulu gulu!¡±


    It¡¯s us!


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded his head, staring at the contestant portrait on the right that had not yet been determined.


    Whom amongst the two leftover contestants would be his opponent?


    Also staring at the screen were the fifth and seventh contestants who had not yet matched opponents, Zhang Chen and Bai Fang.


    For both of them, there weren¡¯t many choices to make regarding the opponent.


    If not facing Qin Lang, it would be Tang Xie.


    Bai Fang showed an indifferent expression.


    In his view, no matter who he was to face out of these two, it would be hard for him to pass the eliminationpetition.


    So, it didn¡¯t matter who the opponent would be.


    Zhang Chen, on the other hand, was silently praying to be matched against Qin Lang.


    He knew Tang Xie well.


    They had fought in many Food Fights, and he had never won against him.


    Tang Xie had be a psychological shadow for him, so Zhang Chen thought maybe he had a chance against a different opponent.


    ¡°Ding¡­ ding¡­ ding¡­¡±


    With the electronic sounds echoing, the contestant¡¯s screen on the other side of Qin Lang finally settled.


    The contestant ranked fifth in the scoringpetition, Zhang Chen!


    Qin Lang subconsciously nced at Zhang Chen, who was standing not far away. Seeing his exhrated expression, he scratched his head without realizing it.


    He¡¯s¡­ so happy to face me?


    Never mind, let¡¯s see whatpetition project we have drawn instead.


    Qin Lang¡¯s gaze returned to the electronic screen.


    Eventually, the scrolling in the middle section of the screen stopped. The project that appeared on it made him show a surprised look.


    It was a new project he had never experienced before.


    [Warehouse Self-selection Ingredients]


    ¡°Warehouse self-selection of ingredients¡± didn¡¯t mean that the Spiritual Chefs were to select ingredients in a warehouse.


    The warehouse referred to here indicates a given ingredient library.


    The Spirit Chef Association used randombinations to form hundreds of fixed ingredient libraries.


    Each ingredient library contained three types of meat, three types of vegetables, three types of anciry ingredients, and one random ingredient.


    Once an ingredient library was drawn, besides the ten ingredients in the library, the spiritual chefs could only use the basic seasonings for cooking.


    This was the rule for warehouse self-selection ingredients.


    Among fivepetition types in one-on-one matches, this type was the easiest one to mess up.


    After all, there were too many uncertainties.


    Zhang Chen on the other side also looked nervous.


    He had fought with this project several times, so he knew its difficulty very well.


    He only hoped that the ingredient library drawn would allow him to perform normally.


    Under their anxious gazes, the middle area of the screen began scrolling again and quickly stopped at a number.


    097.


    This meant they had drawn the 97th ingredient library.


    ¡°The third round of the eliminationpetition will be carried out by contestant Qin Lang and contestant Zhang Chen!¡± The host spoke loudly, ¡°Theirpetition project is the Warehouse Self-selection ingredients!¡±


    ¡°I believe everyone knows that this project involves a great deal of uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°So, lets¡¯ see what ingredients are included in their number 97 ingredient library!¡±


    Text soon emerged in the middle of the electronic screen.


    [Contents of Ingredient Library N0.97:


    Meat Ingredients: Beef brisket, chicken drumsticks, pork hind leg


    Vegetable Ingredients: Carrots, tofu, rapeseed


    Anciry Ingredients: Big onion, ginger, garlic


    Special Ingredient: Rosemary]


    Qin Lang turned his gaze away.


    He would have to prepare well for the next five days..

 Chapter 63 - 63: Want to Learn? I’ll Teach You

    Chapter 63: Want to Learn? I¡¯ll Teach You


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    After a dull thud, Luo Hui casually tossed the handheld firework to the side,ughing heartily, and gave Qin Lang a bear hug, ¡°Congrattions, you got second ce in the scoringpetition, advancing smoothly!¡±


    Qin Lang was torn betweenughter and tears as he pulled off the streamers that hadnded on his head, but a warm feeling welled up in his heart, ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, thank you.¡±


    ¡°How many steamed bass dishes do we have tonight?¡±


    He rolled up his sleeves, nning to do his preparation work as usual before the start of the dinner service time.


    Fortunately, dinner sendee had not started yet just after the scoringpetition had ended, so he rushed straight from the Dongxia Arena.


    ¡°None.¡± Luo Hui patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, grinning, ¡°There won¡¯t be any from now on.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Qin Lang blinked, ¡°What do you mean, Uncle Luo Hui?¡±


    Had he been fired?


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, after advancing to the top eight, you are already an Excellent Chef.¡± Luo Hui crossed his arms, ¡°Although the title hasn¡¯t been bestowed yet, it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°Spirit Chef Qin Lang, I officially invite you to be the honorary hanging position chef of our restaurant.¡± Luo Hui took on a serious tone as he looked at Qin Lang.


    Honorary hanging position chef¡­


    Qin Lang was stunned.


    This meant that he did not need to cook the retainer dishes, and he did not even need toe to the restaurant, yet he would receive a stable monthly ie that was quite substantial.


    ¡°As for the retainer fee¡­¡± Luo Hui paused slightly, ¡°How about one hundred thousand per month?¡±


    ¡°One hundred thousand?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    Even for a Distinguished Chef, such a high honorary retainer fee is extremely rare.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, this is an investment.¡± Luo Hui let out a mysterious smile, ¡°I believe you can go even further.¡±


    ¡°You have a great chance of bing a Distinguished Chef, or even reaching a higher level.¡±


    ¡°So, from this perspective, I am making a big profit.¡±


    This was the decision he¡¯d made after watching Qin Lang¡¯spetition live today.


    Such a talented young man should not be left to gather dust in his small restaurant.


    Qin Lang remained silent for a bit before aplex look appeared on his face.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, thank you.¡± He looked deeply into Luo Hui¡¯s eyes, ¡°I ept.¡±


    He would not stop here, so leaving was inevitable.


    But Qin Lang hadn¡¯t expected that the one to propose this wouldn¡¯t be himself.


    Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s words seemed reasonable, but the help at this critical moment meant much more to Qin Lang than the future honor when he earned a higher title.


    Moreover, Qin Lang knew very well that many of the restaurant¡¯s food guests came specifically for his steamed bass dish.


    If he left, the poprity of Starlight Restaurant would certainly decline.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, without the steamed bass, the restaurant doesn¡¯t have a standout fish dish, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Luo Hui scratched his head and thenughed, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll just hire a few more hanging position chefs who are good at fish dishes.¡±


    Qin Lang could only shake his head helplessly.


    Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.


    Not only is Luo Hui the owner of the restaurant, but he¡¯s also a very skilled spiritual chef, cooking all the dishes apart from the retainer dishes.


    Instead of watching Luo Hui go to other skilled chefs for help with fish dishes, why not¡­


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, let me teach you how to make steamed bass.¡±


    The key to steamed bass is actually not that difficult, it¡¯s just mastering the deodorization step and timing.


    Given Luo Hui¡¯s cooking skill, he should be able to learn it in no time.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Now it was Luo Hui¡¯s turn to widen his eyes.


    ¡°What¡­did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Teach Uncle Luo Hui how to make steamed bass.¡± Qin Lang said calmly, ¡°This dish is so popr, if I teach you how to make it, the restaurant¡¯s poprity shouldn¡¯t suffer too much¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Luo Hui vigorously shook his head, ¡°Are you willing to teach me how to make this dish?¡±


    Qin Lang blinked his eyes.


    Oh, forgot.


    In this world, perhaps due to the existence of Food Spirits, Spirit Chefs hold the secrets to their cooking methods even more dearly.


    Hence the existence of family recipes.


    That¡¯s also why the tuition fees at culinary training institutions are extremely high.


    In his previous life, though there were a few, with the development of self-media tforms, sharing traditional culinary skills for more people to learn became the mainstream.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, steamed bass is not difficult.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Feel free to learn it, it¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Luo Hui hesitated for a moment, then heavily nodded his head, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll learn.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t teach anyone else.¡±


    Qin Lang felt bothughter and tears.


    Well, let him be.


    The two quickly moved into the kitchen. Under Luo Hui¡¯s watchful eye, Qin Lang demonstrated the cooking process of steamed bass and exined the key points in detail.


    Luo Hui¡¯s cooking experience was very rich, he could grasp many things at one point.


    After Qin Lang¡¯s demonstration, his first attempt at cooking steamed bass was already 60-70% as good as Qin Lang¡¯s.


    Tasting his own cooked steamed bass, Luo Hui¡¯s face was full of admiration.


    When had he ever cooked such a delicious fish dish?


    Moreover, many technical points Qin Lang mentioned could not only be used in this steamed bass.


    For example, removing fishy smells, mastering heat levels etc., all these could be used in almost all fish dishes.


    With this experience, Luo Hui was confident that when he cooks other fish dishes in the future, at least they wouldn¡¯t be too fishy and hard to swallow as before.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much problem now.¡± After tasting Luo Hui¡¯s cooked steamed bass, Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, practice a few more times and it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°The dinner service is about to start, you go ahead and be busy, Uncle. I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Luo Hui was still savoring his cooked steamed bass, it wasn¡¯t until Qin Lang was about to leave the restaurant that he suddenly came to his senses and shouted towards Qin Lang¡¯s back, ¡°I¡¯ll transfer this month¡¯s retainer fee to youter.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Qin Lang had no doubts, waved his hand and left Starlight Restaurant with Dan Bao.


    When he had walked several hundred meters, his phone suddenly rang with a notification.


    There was a new message.


    Sure enough, the message read: ¡°Your ount has received a transfer of 3,100,000 yuan.¡±


    Looking at the string of numbers, Qin Lang rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again at the unchanged numbers, he couldn¡¯t help showing a puzzled expression.


    Why is there an extra 3?


    Dan Bao, who had already learned to recognize some words, leaned over and tapped the text at the bottom of the phone screen with his big tail.


    ¡°Goo!¡±


    There were more words here!


    Qin Lang nced over and saw a line of text from the sender: ¡°The extra is the tuition fee.¡±


    ¡°Tuition fee¡­¡±


    Qinng¡¯s expression was somewhat strange.


    Maybe he should earn money by selling recipes?


    With this thought quickly dismissed from his mind.


    Never mind, cooking is more interesting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Dan Bao, let¡¯s go to the Food Material Market.¡± Qin Lang stretched, ¡°We should stock up on the ten types of ingredients from storage No.97, and for the next five days, we¡¯ll do closed-door preparation for the eliminationpetition at home!¡±


    ¡°Goo!¡±


    What is closed-door?


    Never mind, not important.


    There¡¯s delicious food!

 Chapter 64 - 64: Spirit Executor’s Badge

    Chapter 64: Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qin Lang¡¯s closed-door training n could not be carried out smoothly.


    All thanks to a certain adolescent.


    On the second day of the closed-door training, Qin Lang, who was pondering over ten ingredients on the table about how to match them, received a call from Zhao Chen.


    Awhile ago, unable to resist Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s enthusiasm, he exchanged numbers with the trio.


    But before this call, they had not contacted each other by phone.


    On the other end of the phone, Zhao Chen mysteriously mentioned that there was something important to tell Qin Lang, and asked him toe out.


    After considering it, Qin Lang decided to go and see, in a way to clear his mind.


    Because he was having trouble deciding what dish to choose for the eliminationpetition.


    If it¡¯s just about making a decent dish, with Qin Lang¡¯s cooking experience, it¡¯s possible using ingredients from Food Chest N0.97.


    But as this is a decisive eliminationpetition, Qin Lang didn¡¯t dare to ck off.


    At present, Qin Lang has two main ideas.


    The first one was to use pork hind leg to make Fried Pork in Scoop.


    Missingtro and green onion, but other ingredients are avable in Food Chest No.97.


    As for the starch, it is treated as basic seasoning, not restricted.


    However, Fried Pork in Scoop made from pork hind leg will be slightly inferior in taste.


    The second one is to make a dish of carrot stewed beef brisket with carrots and beef brisket.


    Althoughcking in star anise, cinnamon, and other spices, but having rosemary, the taste of the dish is still decent.


    Other ideas, after trying, one by one, were rejected by Qin Lang.


    And these two methods are merely alternatives to Qin Lang.


    He hoped to find a better choice, but he didn¡¯t have any ideas at the moment.


    Instead of staying stuck, it¡¯s better to go out and take a breather.


    After tidying up, Qin Lang, apanied by Dan Bao, arrived speedily at the gathering point Zhao Chen mentioned.


    It was the za in front of amercial building.


    Not only Zhao Chen was standing there, but also Qi Xiaoyu.


    ¡°Qin Lang! Over here!¡± Qi Xiaoyu was the first to see Qin Lang and waved at him.


    Qin Lang walked quickly to the two of them, his gaze turned toward Zhao Chen, who was standing with his hands behind his back and a mysterious smile on his face. ¡°What¡¯s the big thing you mentioned on the phone?¡±


    He vaguely remembered that a few days ago, Zhao Chen said he would give him a surprise.


    Most likely, it¡¯s the same matter he was about to bring up now.


    ¡°This guy wouldn¡¯t say anything, insisting on waiting for you to show up.¡± Qi Xiaoyu rolled her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Heh heh~¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s face became more cryptic, ¡°Watch carefully!¡±


    He slowly extended a hand from behind his back, flipping open one side of his wide-open coat to reveal a badge hanging on the inside of his coat with a hook.


    Before Qin Lang could react, Qi Xiaoyu gasped from the side, ¡°You got the Spirit Executor Badge?¡±


    Pleased with Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s reaction, Zhao Chen gave her an approving look, then took down the badge and waved it in front of Qin Lang.


    ¡°The Moon Rose Badge, 1 got it!¡±


    Oh-These cringy lines.


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but examine the badge in Zhao Chen¡¯s hand.


    It was a copper badge with a vine splitting down the middle, depicting stars and a moon on one side, and a design resembling a rose on the other. The words ¡°Dongxia City ¨C Moon Rose¡± were carved on the front ribbon.


    In this respect, it was somewhat simr to a Food Rmender Badge.


    However, in shape, the two were different.


    The Food Rmender Badge is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, like a shield.


    The badge in Zhao Chen¡¯s hand was sharper at the top, and the middle and bottom parts were of simr width, looking more like the tip of a sword.


    As Qi Xiaoyu said, this was a Spirit Executor Badge.


    Spirit Executor, full name Food Spirit Executor, is a position in the Spirit Chef Association that is on par with a Food Rmender.


    They too can challenge Spirit Chefs and grant their own recognized certificates ¨C Spirit Executor Badges ¨C to Spirit Chefs who pass their tests.


    The Spirit Executor and the Food Rmender are different.


    A Food Rmender¡¯s test targets a Spirit Chef¡¯s culinary skills, corresponding to the Spirit Chef¡¯s path of cooking.


    But the Spirit Executor¡¯s test is for a Spirit Chef¡¯sbat capability, corresponding to the Spirit Chef¡¯s training path.


    Their uses are also different.


    The Food Rmender Badge is proof of eligibility to participate in cooking contests.


    The Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge is proof of eligibility to participate in trainingpetitions.


    They both have levels one, two, and three, and the number needed for different levels ofpetition is exactly the same.


    Thinking about this, a hint of surprise appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    He received the Food Rmender Badge due to his rich cooking experience from his previous life.


    But Zhao Chen, who only has a one-star Food Spirit, obtained a Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge¡­


    Is it that easy to get a Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge?


    Should he also give it a try?


    ¡°Hmph~¡± Seeing Qin Lang finally showing the expression he wanted to see, Zhao Chen¡¯s nose almost lifted to the sky, ¡°This Moon Rose Badge, 1 got it after challenging Mr. Liu Xuan, a Spirit Executor, three times!¡±


    ¡°It represents that the strength of a Spirit Chef has been recognized!¡±


    ¡°It represents the first step for a Spirit Chef to be the strongest trainer!¡±


    ¡°Puff!¡±


    Zhao Chen¡¯s Food Spirit, Yangyang, nodded in agreement, then looked at Dan Bao next to Qin Lang with a somewhat challenging gaze.


    Now that it has been recognized by a Spirit Executor, it will never lose to Dan Bao in a rematch!


    Dan Bao red back, not willing to show weakness.


    It has obtained three Food Rmender Badges together with its Spirit Chef!


    If it¡¯s about quantity, who can outdo whom?


    A thoughtful look appeared on Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s face at the side.


    The Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge¡­


    It seems she heard Weiwei mention it.


    Ah! She remembered!


    Qi Xiaoyu raised her head, looking at Zhao Chen with an odd expression in her eyes.


    ¡°Qin Lang, don¡¯t believe him!¡± She spread her hands, ¡°The difficulty of the test for the first Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge has been lowered.¡±


    ¡°Trainingpetitions and cooking contests are different. Older Spirit Chefs are much stronger than young ones. This is also reflected in cooking contests, but it will not affect the fairness of thepetition.¡±


    ¡°So unlike cooking contests, trainingpetitions are divided into two types.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, trainingpetitions for all age groups.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, youth trainingpetitions for Spirit Chefs under 25, referred to as Youth Training Competitions.¡±


    ¡°Participation in city-level trainingpetitions requires three local First-ss Spirit Executor Insignias.¡±


    ¡°But city-level Youth Training Competitions only require one local Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge to register.¡±


    ¡°And because it¡¯s for youth, the threshold is lower.¡±


    ¡°Normally, at least a three-star Food Spirit is needed to get a Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge, but for the first one, as long as you perform well, a one-star Food Spirit may have a chance to achieve it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t re at me.¡± Qi Xiaoyu red back at Zhao Chen who was puffed up because he was exposed, ¡°Do you dare to obtain the second Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge in Dongxia City?¡±


    Zhao Chen immediately put out his fire.


    The second Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge. A Spirit Executor will not give any leeway on it.


    With his ability, he doesn¡¯t stand a chance at all.


    Damn it!


    So that¡¯s how it is.


    Qin Lang came to his senses, his gaze looking a bit odd at Zhao Chen.


    Seeing this, Zhao Chen decided to change the topic.


    Apart from the Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge, I have another thing to tell you all, that¡¯s why I called you here..¡±

 Chapter 65 - 65: Fun Competition

    Chapter 65: Fun Competition


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Upon hearing Zhao Chen mention another matter, Qin Lang got a bit interested.


    Qi Xiaoyu by his side also put up an attentive look, ready to listen.


    ¡°Look!¡± Zhao Chen pointed at the towering skyscraper behind him, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Shi Qi Commercial Building.¡± Qi Xiaoyu pointed at the wall of the building, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it have the words ¡®Shi Qi¡¯ written all over it?¡±


    Qin Lang on the side also nodded in agreement.


    The Shi Qi Commercial Building is one of the Shi Qi Group¡¯s properties.


    The Shi Qi Group is one of themercial giants in the Food Spirit World. Not just in the Samiya region, where Tianhua State is located, but even in other regions, it has its presence.


    This business conglomerate spans various fields and has a significant impact on the Food Spirit World.


    ¡°Exactly, this is the Shi Qi Commercial Building!¡± Zhao Chen nodded assertively, ¡°Did you notice that there are exceptionally more people visiting the Shi Qi Commercial Building today?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Qui Xiaoyu looked around at the crowded people with surprise, ¡°1e here often, but normally there aren¡¯t so many people.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a weekday now, but there are more people here than on holidays.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re having some sort of discount or promotional event today?¡± Qi Xiaoyu guessed.


    ¡°Yes, there is an event, but it¡¯s not a sale.¡± Shaking his head, Zhao Chen magically pulled out a leaflet.


    ¡°Ta-da~¡±


    ¡°In half an hour, the Shi Qi Group will host a funpetition at the top floor of the Shi Qi Commercial Building!¡±


    ¡°Registration for this funpetition is still open.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s join together!¡±


    ¡°A funpetition?¡± Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡±


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang on the other side was stroking his chin, disying a pondering expression.


    A so-called funpetition is a non-official event, different from training or cooking contests.


    Thepetition could either be Food Fight, Spirit Battle, or other funpetition methods.


    However, funpetitions can be of two types: those authorized by the Spirit Chef Association and those not authorized.


    The Spirit Chef Association authorizes funpetitions mainly based on the qualifications of the organizer.


    Once the qualifications meet the standard, they will authorize the funpetition and send representatives to supervise thepetition.


    The advantage of being authorized is that like the officialpetitions, you can also earn Star Power in funpetitions. If thepetition is not authorized, it is just amonpetition event.


    The funpetition hosted by the Shi Qi Group certainly qualifies for authorization.


    Therefore, the funpetition is somewhat tempting to Qin Lang.


    However, Dan Bao is just a one-star Food Spirit. If thepetition demands skill strength, he won¡¯t stand a chance to win.


    Plus, he is in the preparation stage of the second round of the cooking contest¡¯s eliminationpetition.


    Being distracted by participating in the funpetition¡­


    It doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea, does it?


    While Qin Lang was troubled, Zhao Chen gave a sly grin and said, ¡°This funpetition hosted by the Shi Qi Group is only open to rookie Spirit Chefs who have registered their first Food Spirit less than a month ago.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Qin Lang lifted his head suddenly.


    If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no worry aboutcking in skill strength.


    However, regarding the time¡­


    He¡¯s still a bit distracted.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s distracted expression, Zhao Chen had a face like ¡°I told you so¡± and continued, ¡°The content of this funpetition isn¡¯t Food Fight or Spirit Battle, it¡¯s apetition called the Tacit Challenge.¡±


    ¡°Both the Spirit Chef and the Food Spirit need toplete corresponding tasks. With tacit cooperation, they race a route full of challenges towards the finish line.¡±


    ¡°The first one to arrive will be the winner of thepetition.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the point!¡± Zhao Chen waved a finger, showing a mysterious smile, ¡°Do you know what the first prize of this funpetition is?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Xiaoyu quickly asked.


    Being a busybody herself, she was already itching to participate after hearing this.


    ¡°The prize for this funpetition is¡­¡± Zhao Chen paused for a moment, ¡°A Mind Stone.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You mean the Mind Stone that, if worn during the Food Spirit¡¯s star ascension, ensures a hundred percent awakening of mind-type war skills, and is worth a million and is priceless?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one!¡± Zhao Chen nodded, looking at Qin Lang.


    He heard with his own ears that Qin Lang had already begun nning his Food Spirit¡¯s secondbat skill.


    If you¡¯re interested in mind-type skills, you certainly won¡¯t refuse a Mind Stone, will you?


    Anticipation began to build in Zhao Chen¡¯s heart.


    Join me in the funpetition for the third face-off!


    The reason he was able to receive the Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge for the third time, after three consecutive tests by the Spirit Executor¡¯s, was because he and his Food Spirit had undergone lengthy and torturous special training!


    The first Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge indeed had a lower difficulty level to obtain, but it certainly was not an easy feat.


    Zhao Chen was able to get it because he had indeed made significant progress in his skills!


    He was no longer the person he was during the second encounter!


    And as for Qin Lang, he must have neglected the training of his Food Spirit while preparing for the cooking contest.


    Allow me to push you forward, my arch-rival!


    As he thought this, Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes began to sparkle with anticipation.


    Qin Lang blinked.


    In his mind, the phrase ¡°worth a million and priceless¡± echoed over and over.


    Dan Bao blinked its eyes.


    It¡¯s mind echoed with ¡°hundred percent awakening of mind-type war skills¡±.


    ¡°Count me in!¡±


    ¡°Chicka-chick!¡±


    Both the man and his spirit responded without hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯m number seventeen!¡±


    In thepetition venue set up at the rooftop of Shi Qi Commercial Building, Qi Xiaoyu, who had just finished her registration, shed a grin, ¡°My birthday is on the 17th, this must be a good omen!¡±


    She looked at her Food Spirit fluttering beside her and nodded firmly.


    She would not lose in the tacit challenge!


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Zhao Chen crossed his arms, revealing the number pinned on his chest, ¡°Number sixteen marks the birthday of Yangyang. So that¡¯s my lucky number, I¡¯ll be the one to im first ce!¡±


    Ignoring these two, Qin Lang strapped an eighteen-numbered card to his waist and began going over thepetition rules on a board near the entrance with Dan Bao.


    This funpetition could be broadly divided into three challenges: blindfolded ball catching, obstacle oveing, and free sprinting.


    All the participating Spirit Chefs start from amon starting point,plete these three challenges in order, and can move on to subsequent challenges without waiting for otherpetitors.


    The first one toplete these challenges and reach the finish line will be the winner.


    A momentter, the loudspeakers on the pitch came to life.


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Would all 23 contestants please prepare yourselves!¡±


    ¡°The authorized funpetition hosted by the Shi Qi Group ¨C the Shi Qi Cup Rookie Tacit Challenge is about to begin!¡±

 Chapter 66 - 66 Let’s go!

    Chapter 66: Let¡¯s go!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Come on,e on!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Amidst a mor, Qin Lang, along with twenty-two other contestants stood at the starting point of thepetition venue.


    Outside thepetition venue, a crowd gathered, drawn in by the pervasive publicity of the Shi Qi Commercial Building.


    Although not asrge scale as a regrpetition, this event by the Shi Qi Group would be fully filmed and editedter for promotional purposes through thepany¡¯s channels.


    This had been confirmed with each of the contestants.


    The host of the event stood on a lift, slowly rising up to a high tform at the side of the venue, then raised the microphone and began with a passionate voice, ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, wee to the funpetition sponsored by the Shi Qi Group ¡ª Shi Qi Cup Rookie Tacit Challenge!¡±


    ¡°Shi Qi Group, as a responsible and ountable enterprise, is dedicated to supporting the Spirit Chef Association and to provide more encouragement for the rookie Spirit Chefs¡­¡±


    After borately praising the organizer, the host got to the point.


    ¡°We have a total of twenty-three contestants in thispetition, and they all share onemon point¡­¡± He paused briefly as portraits of the contestants appeared on the electronic screen behind him before he continued, ¡°All of them obtained their first Food Spirit and became Spirit Chefs less than a month ago!¡±


    ¡°In the world of Spirit Chefs, they are just starting!¡±


    ¡°Now, they are about to undertake a challenge of tacit understanding with their partners, whom they¡¯ve just gotten acquainted with but will rely on for the rest of their lives!¡±


    ¡°The twenty-three contestants in the field, are you¡­ ready?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re ready!¡±


    Among the twenty-three people, Zhao Chen¡¯s shout was particrly clear.


    ¡°Then now¡­¡± The host slowly began, matched with the numbers appearing on the electronic screen behind him, starting the final countdown for thepetition.


    ¡°Five¡­¡±


    All twenty-three contestants drew their eyes back, taking up their respective positions, staring at a vacant tform not far away.


    That was where they would undertake the first challenge.


    The first challenge, blindfolded catch.


    As the name suggests, Spirit Chefs would blindfold themselves and stand in a fixed area with a basket, and the Food Spirits would throw small balls towards the direction of the Spirit Chefs from another fixed area in the field.


    The Spirit Chefs needed to judge where the balls would fall and catch them in the basket. The first to catch ten would move on to the next challenge.


    And the way for them to do this while blindfolded was not by identifying positions from sounds.


    ¡°Four¡­¡±


    ¡°Star Spirit Protection, shield!¡±


    At the countdown of four, a Seven Star Map appeared behind Zhao Chen and several other contestants.


    The ability to share senses with Food Spirits granted by the Star Spirit Protection was what this challenge was about.


    Even blindfolded, Spirit Chefs could observe their surroundings through the eyes of their Food Spirits.


    To observe themselves from the perspective of a Food Spirit, then adjust their stances to catch the balls.


    It sounded easy, but it posed a challenge for the newbie Spirit Chefs.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    As the host continued to countdown, more contestants had the Seven Star Map appear behind them and initiated their Star Spirit Protections.


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    In the field, only Qin Lang had yet to activate his Star Spirit Protection.


    Gazing at the other Spirit Chefs who had already activated theirs, Qin Lang shook his head helplessly.


    What¡¯s the rush?


    There were three challenges in thispetition, with no chance to recover spiritual power in between.


    Star Spirit Protection consumed a small amount of spiritual power, but it was still a consumption nheless.


    He crouched slightly, assuming a starting position, and gave a nod to Dan Bao, whose eyes were aze with the spirit ofpetition.


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    At the sound of the starting pistol, Qin Lang forcefullyunched himself forward, racing to the location of the challenge with Dan Bao.


    Perhaps because the other Spirit Chefs had concentrated their efforts on Star Spirit Protection, he had focused all his energy on the sprint. Qin Lang was the first to arrive, choosing the one closest to the passage that led to the next challenge from among the ten contestant areas.


    Advantage +1.


    ¡°Star Spirit Protection, shield!¡±


    Standing within the designated area for Spirit Chefs, Qin Lang slowly initiated his Star Spirit Protection while putting on a blindfold with the help of a staff member.


    As he reached out for the basket to catch balls towards Dan Bao, Dan Bao already had the first ball in its mouth.


    This was the first time Qin Lang was observing himself through the eyes of Dan Bao.


    Although it was a new experience, he was quite confident in himself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡±


    Qin Lang spoke through mentalmunication, giving Dan Bao a firm nod in its direction at the same time.


    mes flickered rapidly in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes. The next moment, it tossed the ball in its mouth into the air, spun around, and its rotund tail urately hit the ball as if it were a bat.


    Meanwhile, it took another new ball from its basket with its mouth.


    This was the way Qin Lang had nned for Dan Bao to throw the balls after observing thepetition venue beforehand. It was very suitable for Dan Bao, who had a flexiblerge tail.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡±


    With Dan Bao¡¯s forceful hit, the small ball flew almost along a straight line in the air towards Qin Lang.


    Catch to the left¡­


    Thinking he had roughly predicted where the ball wouldnd from Dan Bao¡¯s perspective, Qin Lang mentally guided himself and quickly moved the basket in his hand to the left.


    But just a momentter, he realized something was off.


    Because what he saw was a mirror image, he should move to the right instead!


    Although he managed to correct himself, the moment¡¯s hesitation caused him to miss the first ball.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s go again!¡±


    After encouraging Dan Bao, Qin Lang quickly regained hisposure.


    Dan Bao, with a ball in its mouth, didn¡¯t pause. After tossing a ball up and spinning around to hit it, it picked up another ball as it smacked the previous one hard.


    ¡°Here ites!¡±


    Qin Lang shouted quietly. This time, he made his move without hesitation after he had locked onto his target.


    ¡°Thud¡­¡±


    After a soft sound, Qin Lang felt the basket in his hand lighten slightly.


    He caught one!


    And the view from Dan Bao confirmed this.


    Nine more to go!


    Battle spirit rose in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    The other Food Spirits in the field weren¡¯t much slower than Dan Bao, and they also began throwing balls.


    Because of their different forms, their ways of throwing balls varied greatly.


    For example, Zhao Chen¡¯s Yangyang used its horns to flip the balls high and throw them, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s Food Spirit had a slender tail like a little devil, which could wrap around the balls and swing them out.


    There were also some Food Spirits in the field that had arms, tentacles, or other forms. They were also throwing balls in their own ways.


    Most of the other Spirit Chefs, who seemed to be undertaking this kind of challenge for the first time, appeared somewhat ragged.


    Soon, one of the contestants was the first toplete catching ten balls. He cheered and then ran off to the next challenge venue with his Food Spirit.


    Hearing the host¡¯s congrattory voice, Qin Lang, who had just caught his tenth ball, took off the blindfold, put down the basket, and closely followed the first contestant to the next challenge venue.


    Charge on!

 Chapter 67 - 67: Make way

    Chapter 67: Make way


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The contestants in thepetition venue have sequentiallypleted the first challenge and have entered the second challenge!¡±


    ¡°Compared to the first challenge, the second challenge¡¯s difficulty is much higher!¡± the host¡¯s voice boomed from the high tform, ¡°Because all the challenges here are meticulously designed by the Shi Qi Group!¡±


    ¡°Tailored to the specialties of Spirit Chefs and Food Spirits, the obstacle course consists of nine obstacles.¡±


    ¡°Some of these obstacles require the joint efforts of both, while others can be passed individually.¡±


    ¡°Only when both the Spirit Chef and Food Spirit pass an obstacle can they proceed to the next one!¡±


    ¡°So, all the newbie Spirit Chef contestants, give it your best shot!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice echoed throughout thepetition venue, Qin Lang and Dan Bao arrived at the second obstacle.


    Behind them, the first obstacle was a series of two transparent tubes, onerge and one small, each about ten meters long.


    Therger tube was just wide enough for Qin Lang to crawl through, while the smaller tube was quite narrow even for Dan Bao, limiting its flight capabilities.


    At the moment, they were in the lead, just slightly ahead of the first contestant who caught ten balls, the gap was not big.


    And the second obstacle in front of them¡­


    With the help of the staff, Qin Lang put on a backstrap equipment that weighed roughly ten pounds.


    There was a sturdy rope on this equipment, with the other end tied around Dan Bao.


    In front of them was a metal rod up to ten meters long and as thick as an arm.


    ording to the rules, Qin Lang needed to walk on the metal rod from one end to the other.


    It doesn¡¯t sound too hard.


    However, the weight of the equipment on the contestant¡¯s body was not evenly distributed, one side was noticeably heavier than the other.


    This off-center gravity needed to be bnced by the vigorous pull of the Food Spirit.


    The Food Spirit, is the bncing rod of the Spiritual Chef.


    ¡°Come, this way!¡±


    Qin Lang felt the direction of his shifting center of gravity, then signaled Dan Bao to fly to the other side.


    Understanding Qin Lang, Dan Bao quickly tugged on the rope, trying to bnce Qin Lang¡¯s center of gravity.


    ¡°The force is a bit too much¡­¡±


    ¡°Now it¡¯s a bit too little¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s just right!¡±


    After a simple trial, Qin Lang stood steadily at the starting point of the metal rod, looked at the previous contestant who was wobbling near the quarter point of the route, and slightly shook his head.


    The contestant didn¡¯t even attempt to practice beforehand and just stepped on the metal rod with his Food Spirit.


    Going this fast indeed gives him a speed advantage, but there¡¯s a high chance of falling off.


    If they fail to clear an obstacle, they¡¯ll have to start over from the beginning.


    Ignoring others, Qin Lang took a deep breath and started to walk slowly forward with Dan Bao.


    One step¡­ two steps¡­


    Through the slight adjustments of Team Star Spirit Protection, although there were a few wobbles halfway through, they managed to walk to the other end of the metal rod without any major incidents.


    The contestant who rushed ahead failed to maintain bnce and fell, starting the second obstacle all over again.


    Qin Lang is now temporarily in the first ce.


    However, there are several contestants not far behind him.


    Therefore, after removing the weight with the help of the staff, Qin Lang didn¡¯t dy and headed to the next challenge with Dan Bao.


    The third obstacle was a row of five rotating discs.


    Each disc was made of multipleyers and rotated at different speeds in different directions.


    Qin Lang needed to pass through them one by one and walk to the other end of the roulette wheels.


    Dan Bao¡¯s obstacle was a vortex wind pressure belt above Qin Lang¡¯s head.


    That was a wind vortex with swirling and irregr gales.


    For a one-star Food Spirit, this wind pressure belt could significantly affect its flight ability.


    At first, both of them were struggling to move forward, but as more contestants entered this obstacle, they encountered some problems.


    ¡°Huh¡ª¡±


    A burst of blue light erupted from the eyes of a Food Spirit inside the vortex wind pressure belt. Apanied by a low chant, a vast gale surged around it, intertwining with the swirling winds within the vortex wind pressure belt. Combat Skill: Wind Singing Whirlpool!


    Following the collision of two types of storms, the Food Spirit enveloped by it was no longer carried away by the storm inside the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt and was able to move freely through the channel.


    However, the aftermath of the storm¡¯s collision made the already raging Vortex Wind Pressure Beit unstable.


    As a result, the other Food Spirits still in the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt suddenly fell into trouble.


    Dan Bao, which had already been having a tough time advancing, was swept up by a whirlwind in an instant.


    ¡°Goo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-¡±


    Apanied by a series of cries, Dan Bao spun quickly in the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt for several rounds. It finally managed to break free, but it was already a little disoriented.


    Qin Lang, having sessfully passed the third obstacle after hard struggle over the fifth roulette wheel, heard Dan Bao¡¯s exmation and instantly looked up to the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt above him.


    ¡°As you can see, the contestant who¡¯s currently in the lead has reached the third challenge of the second round,¡± the host overseeing the whole situation, began to speak a bit hastily, ¡°and it seems like there¡¯s a slight issue.¡± ¡°Contestant Zhu Geduan¡¯s Food Spirit has a Combat Skill called Wind Singing Whirlpool. This ability can counteract the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt in the third challenge, giving his Food Spirit a significant advantage when passing this obstacle.¡±


    ¡°However, due to the use of this skill, there¡¯s fluctuation in the wind pressure within the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt. The internal storm has be more unstable, which has greatly increased the difficulty for other Food Spirits to pass!¡±


    ¡°In thispetition, attacking each other is not prohibited among Spirit Chefs, so Zhu Geduan¡¯s actions are not against the rules. How will the other contestants react? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    Aftermunicating with Dan Bao and hearing the host¡¯s introduction, upon understanding what had happened, Qin Lang looked at the contestant named Zhu Geduan with a frown.


    ¡°Hehe, this round is mine!¡± Zhu Geduan confidently crossed the fifth roulette wheel. He even pushed Qin Lang as he passed by, ¡°Move it!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyebrows unbunched, he gave a modest smile.


    ¡°Dan Bao, Full Firepower, cluster!¡±


    The moment Dan Bao, which had just readjusted its status and had been holding back, heard Qin Lang¡¯smand, its eyes lit up.


    Looking at the Food Spirit that was conjuring up a storm in front and moving easily through the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt, it disyed a smirk, then it took a deep breath and exhaled.


    Like a cannon, a fire pir as thick as an arm was shot out from Dan Bao¡¯s mouth.


    The peripheral part of the fire pir was peeled awayyer byyer under the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt, dispersing into fading sparks. However, the most high-temperature firepower at the center went straight through one by one spirit and urately hit the Spirit that was about to pass through the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt.


    The spirit let out a terrified cry, and next moment it was swallowed by the terrifying fire.


    ¡°Thud-¡±


    Burned to a charcoal ck, it fell from the exit of the passage. Under Dan Bao¡¯s attack, it lost all itsbat power.


    Qin Lang patted a stunned Zhu Geduan next to him, then voluntarily stepped aside.


    ¡°You go first..¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68: Battle of the Free Sprint

    Chapter 68: Battle of the Free Sprint


    Trantor: 549690339


    Zhu Geduan¡¯s mouth quivered a little.


    Letting him go first¡­


    How can thepetition continue if the Food Spirit loses itsbat capability?


    What¡¯s up with this guy¡¯s Food Spirit? Everyone has a One-star Food Spirit. How can his Food Spirit knock out his own with one hit?!


    Does this make sense?


    ¡°It¡¯s Full Firepower!¡±


    Just as numerous question marks popped up in Zhu Geduan¡¯s mind, the host above spoke again, ¡°Contestant Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit doesn¡¯t act rashly, but when it does, it exhibits immense strength!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the typical state of Full Firepower. It can be seen that Qin Lang and his Food Spirit must have undergone long-term training for this Combat Skill, making it even more powerful!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, that Food Spirit¡¯s radiance is also quite strong. 1 think it must be because Qin Lang often takes his Food Spirit to train for Spirit Battles!¡±


    ¡°Contestant Zhu Geduan¡¯s Food Spirit has lost itsbat capability. ording to thepetition rules, he will unfortunately be eliminated!¡±


    Upon hearing the host¡¯s words, Zhu Geduan quickly steps forward to hug his Food Spirit, retracting it back into his Star Vein while ring fiercely at Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang, I¡¯ve got you in my sights!


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t pay him any heed, he waved a hand towards Dan Bao, who sessfully flew out of the Vortex Wind Pressure Belt, and then the chef and spirit hurriedly moved on to the next obstacle.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s legsnded on a tform, letting out a slight sigh of relief.


    Into his ears, came the suddenly strained voice of the host.


    ¡°Let us congratte contestant Qin Lang for being the first to ovee the second challenge obstacle. Now he will undertake thest challenge of this funpetition ¡ª the Free Sprint.¡±


    ¡°If he only surpasses the final one-kilometer track and reaches the finish line with his Food Spirit, he can win First ce in thispetition and a Mind Stone worth a million!¡±


    ¡°However, the gap between the other contestants and Qin Lang is not great. They are also about to ovee the second challenge. Can Qin Lang maintain his First ce position? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    Not waiting for the host to finish, Qin Lang has already stretched his legs wide and rushed towards the finish line.


    In the following few obstacles of the obstacle leap, he didn¡¯t pull far ahead from the other contestants.


    Almost immediately after Qin Lang started, new figures stepped on the tform, sprinting in the direction of Qin Lang without hesitation.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao suddenly eximed, subconsciously spewing out a me that melted an ice crystal falling towards Qin Lang¡¯s step.


    It red at the Food Spirit who had followed from behind, nning to take it out with one concentrated Full Firepower st.


    ¡°Preserve your strength.¡±


    Qin Lang, running at full speed, intervened with a psychic impulse to stop Dan Bao.


    The third challenge, the Free Sprint, seems to only require a thousand-meter sprint.


    But in reality, it¡¯s far from simple.


    Because in this process, Spirit Chefs and Food Spirits can freely attack each other.


    At thest moment, when there are no other difficulties, it is inevitable for everyone to trip each other up.


    This is the ¡°free¡± aspect of the Free Sprint.


    After going through all those obstacles, the Spiritual Power within his Star Veins were not plentiful.


    He cannot allow himself to be goaded by other Spirit Chefs at this point.


    He will not make a move unless he is absolutely forced to.


    With his attack halted, Dan Bao flicked a nce at the Food Spirit that had thrown the ice crystal, and then cautiously watched the other Food Spirits, ready to intercept any that tried to attack him and Qin Lang.


    Just at this moment, a cry suddenly reverberated from behind.


    ¡°Qin Lang, here Ie!¡±


    The next moment, a figure burst forth with immense speed, rushing toward Qin Lang.


    It was Zhao Chen.


    He was panting heavily, yet his eyes were zing with fighting spirit.


    The bted arrival, Zhao Chen, didn¡¯t encounter Qin Lang at all during the obstacle leap.


    The reason being, he kept missing his Food spirit, Yangyang¡¯s thrown balls.


    Not until he sessfully caught ten balls did Zhao Chen push his Food Spirit, Yangyang, to pursue the front-runners as fast as they could, finally catching up at the Free Sprint stage.


    A momentter, he has managed to catch up with Qin Lang.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s somewhat surprised expression, Zhao Chen felt a touch of smugness in his heart.


    He was a man destined to be the world¡¯s top trainer, not only training Food Spirits but also himself!


    Just a simple run? Piece of cake!


    ¡°Qin Lang, the first ce is mine!¡±


    Zhao Chenughed heartily, and with an explosive burst from his legs, his running speed somehow increased again, even faster.


    In a blink, a few meters suddenly stretched out between the neck-to-neck pair, a distance that only continued to widen.


    The finish line was now in close sight for the twopetitors.


    Watching Zhao Chen¡¯s receding figure, Qin Lang¡¯s face pulled into a strange expression.


    That guy¡­ he runs really fast.


    ¡°Gobble!¡±


    Watching Zhao Chen and Yangyang overtake him, Dan Bao became immediately agitated.


    Damnit!


    Its Mind Stone!


    Even though it was merely waking up to Mind Type abilities at full capacity, rather than Thought Waves, it was still incredibly significant for Dan Bao, who had always hoped to awaken his Thought Waves.


    Sensing Dan Bao¡¯s thoughts, Qin Lang shed a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will win.¡±


    While exerting every ounce of his energy to run, he pointed ahead and called out, ¡°Go!¡±


    The remaining Spiritual Power was just enough for Dan Bao to perform a full-power burst once.


    Now was the time to use it!


    ¡°Suck-¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes shed with determination as he drew a sharp breath, then locked onto Yangyang in front of him and breathed out with great force!


    ¡°Whoosh-¡±


    Along with the sound of mes surging into the air, the impact of Full Firepower was unleashed in an instant towards Yangyang.


    Stop right¡­


    There!!


    In response to the heat wave rolling in from behind him, Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes sparked with resolve.


    Qin Lang, I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for a long time!


    ¡°Yangyang, use the results of our training and defeat it!¡±


    As he shouted, Yangyang, suspended in the air, called out and a light bloomed around his body.


    The next moment, Yangyang brushed past the column of fire Dan Bao had spat out, flying sideways with the force of a heavy cannon.


    Combat skill¡ªBarbaric Collision!


    However, when Yangyang executed the skill this time, there was a touch of nimble grace that seemed to contradict its savage nature.


    After the speed of Barbaric Collision decreased, Yangyang¡¯s body gradually turned, and then elerated again like a heavy cannon!


    Secondary Barbaric Collision!


    Previously, when Yangyang used this technique, he could only elerate in the same direction twice.


    But this time it was like a drift, turning sharply in the air with the help of secondary eleration, neatly avoiding the pir of fire while quickly attacking towards Dan Bao!


    This was the result of Zhao Chen and Yangyang¡¯s relentless training over the past few days!


    Zhao Chen turned his head, a smug expression crossing his face.


    My secondary Barbaric Collision can now change direction.


    Can your Full Firepower beam version do the same?


    The next moment, his expression froze slightly.


    Dan Bao turned his head, and the spit-out column of fire rotated with him, instantly swallowing the Yangyanging head-on.


    Like adjusting the angle of the me when barbecuing.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    Yangyang was once again burnt to a crisp and fell to the ground.

 Chapter 69 - 69: Mind Stone

    Chapter 69: Mind Stone


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Let¡¯s give our warmest apuse and congratte contestant Qin Lang for achieving first ce in this whimsical and authorised event ¡ª the Shi Qi Cup Rookie Tacit Challenge, sponsored by the Shi Qi Group!¡±


    The host¡¯s passionate voice echoed inside and outside the Shi Qi Commercial Building, which served as thepetition venue at the very top.


    Among the loud apuse of therge audience, Qin Lang slowly ascended to the highest point of the award podium.


    At his side, the contestants who came second and third cast envious nces at him.


    Not far away, Zhao Chen, whose Food Spirit had lost itsbat capability in a skirmish with Qin Lang and was disqualified just a step away from the finish line, crossed his arms. His face showed no envy, but instead was filled with fighting spirit.


    Who would have expected Qin Lang to secretly undertake special training with his Food Spirit while preparing for the Cooking Contest.


    He and his Food Spirit had tried so hard, yet they were still one step away from defeating Qin Lang.


    He was a worthy adversary indeed!


    Next time.


    Next time I will definitely surpass him!


    Zhao Chen vowed silently.


    ¡°All¡­the obstacle race was too hard.¡± Standing next to Zhao Chen, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I maintained the lead while blindfolded, but in the obstacle race, I hardly passed through any obstacles in one go.¡±


    Even the Food Spirit with a little devil¡¯s tail by her side was feeling dejected at the moment, drooping its head in disappointment.


    Looking at Qin Lang, who had collected amemorative medal and an exquisite gift box from the host, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s face was tinged with envy, ¡°Qin Lang has made a fortune this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± She seemed to have an idea, her eyes lighting up. She reached out and tapped the side of Zhao Chen, ¡°What do you think, wouldn¡¯t it be reasonable for Qin Lang to buy us a meal as a reward for his sess?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhao Chen shook his head without hesitation, ¡°Not at all unreasonable!¡±


    He had lost to Qin Lang, so there was nomore reasonable cause to dine at Qin Lang¡¯s expense!


    ¡°Hehe, leave it to me!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu, with her hands behind her back, hopped over to Qin Lang, who was walking towards them after a group photo, ¡°Qin Lang, congrattions on getting the Mind Stone!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t hold back his smile.


    Next to him, Dan Bao had already excitedly opened the gift box for the first-ce prize, and took out a strange-looking gemstone to wear around its neck.


    It was a diamond-shaped gemstone, with exquisite cutting marks on the surface, which reflected a dazzling burst of light under the light. It seemed to glow as it moved.


    This clear and colorless gemstone, like a diamond, contained a pink, heart-shaped energy formation within that could be seen upon close inspection.


    This was a supportive gemstone naturally born and extremely rare ¨C the Mind Stone.


    When worn during the Star-raising process, the Mind Stone would automatically activate. The power it contained would influence the newbat skill that the Food Spirit was about to awaken, ensuring that this new skill would be a Mind Typebat skill.


    Looking at this beautiful gemstone and feeling the power it contained, Dan Bao had already decided that it wouldn¡¯t take it off for a single second before the Star-raising process.


    ¡°Hehe, after getting such a great prize, Qin Lang, don¡¯t you think you should celebrate?¡± Seeing Qin Lang in a good mood, Qi Xiaoyu didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal her intentions, ¡°Treat us, treat us! I want avish meal!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Qin Lang looked at Qi Xiaoyu, then at Zhao Chen who was nodding in agreement at his side.


    With a light smile, he nodded clearly, ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°Without going for avish meal, let me cook instead!¡±


    Though he hasn¡¯t been in this world for a long time, Qin Lang saw the two as his friends indeed.


    The joyous event of obtaining the Mind Stone was worth celebrating with friends.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu and Zhao Chen¡¯s faces lit up with anticipation.


    They wouldn¡¯t consider Qin Lang cooking for them as a slight, not by any stretch.


    After all, this guy was ranked second in the scoringpetition.


    ¡°By the way, invite Du Weiwei as well.¡± Qin Lang proactively suggested.


    Without one of the three, the group wouldn¡¯t feelplete.


    ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 give her a call.¡± Qi Xiaoyu nodded, picking up her phone and walking to the side.


    ¡°Ring, ring-¡±


    A ringing tone sounded in the quiet kitchen.


    Immersed in the culinary training, Du Weiwei frowned and looked up, her face showing a trace of restlessness.


    Like Zhao Chen, her household also had a heritage dish.


    She hadn¡¯t used this dish when the first Food Spirit was born, but it could be used for the second Food Spirit.


    However, the dish was challenging to make. Despite her lengthy training, she still couldn¡¯t get the second Food Spirit to appear sessfully.


    She nced at the caller ID on the phone, and the restlessness in Du Weiwei¡¯s heart gradually subsided.


    Why is Xiaoyu calling herself at this time?


    As she answered the phone, her face gradually changed with the voiceing from the other end.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±


    Du Weiwei quickly answered and then hung up the phone.


    She put the phone in her pocket and quickly cleaned up her somewhat messy kitchen. She then looked at the Food Spirit that was flying around and smiled warmly, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard these couple of days.¡±


    ¡°Ummm-¡±


    The Food Spirit shook its head to indicate it wasn¡¯t tired, then affectionately rubbed its face against Du Weiwei¡¯s.


    Du Weiwei extended her hand to stroke her Food Spirit, and walked with it toward the kitchen exit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going to eat something delicious. Qin Lang is going to cook to celebrate receiving the Mind Stone!¡±


    Du Weiwei¡¯s Food Spirit¡¯s eyes lit up.


    That Spirit Chef with fabulous cooking skills?


    Exciting!


    ¡°Chop, chop, chop-¡±


    The sound of the knife hitting the chopping board echoed continuously in a kitchen, resonating in the spacious and clean space.


    Inside the kitchen, a Spirit Chef in his twenties and his Food Spirit were busy.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s still missing!¡±


    This Spirit Chef was quite fussy about his dishes. No amount of test cooking has satisfied him yet.


    ¡°Time for a break.¡±


    Seeing his somewhat fatigued Food Spirit beside him, he knew he had been pushing too hard. After finishing yet another test run, he slowly spoke up.


    He put the Food Spirit back into the Star Vein and then the Spirit Chef stretched out azy yawn, pulling out his phone to casually browse through. After a while, his scrolling finger paused.


    ¡°An interestingpetition held by Shi Qi Group?¡± He saw the familiar figure on the award podium in the apanying picture of the news and clicked into it without hesitation.


    After carefully reading the news, he let out a low chuckle.


    ¡°At a time like this, you still have the will to participate in otherpetitions?¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, Qin Lang¡­¡± He slowly put down his phone, ¡°I will let you know the consequences of being distracted during the preparation stage of ourpetition.¡±


    Summoning his Food Spirit, which had already regained its energy, Zhang Chen returned to the table.


    After the Scoring Competition had ended, he watched the rey of the live broadcast immediately.


    After finding out about the high-scoring dish that Qin Lang had produced in the Scoring Competition, Zhang Chen felt slightly less worried about Qin Lang.


    This guy just created a vegetarian dish, cleverly made to resemble meat.


    This time, he won¡¯t have the chance to take such a shortcut!

 Chapter 70 - 70: Qin Lang’s Sauce

    Chapter 70: Qin Lang¡¯s Sauce


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Wow! This is your house!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu, who entered Qin Lang¡¯s house, widened her eyes, looking around like a curious baby.


    Zhao Chen was also doing the same on the side.


    However, there was a trace of exploration in his gaze, as if he was trying to learn more about his rival through Qin Lang¡¯s home situation.


    ¡°My house is not big, feel free to sit anywhere,¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    ¡°Okay, but Weiwei should be arriving soon,¡± Qi Xiaoyu chatted cheerfully.


    Not long after she finished her words, the doorbell of Qin Lang¡¯s house rang.


    Standing outside was Du Weiwei, who came straight here after getting Qin Lang¡¯s address.


    ¡°Excuse my intrusion,¡± Du Weiwei showed a polite smile, handed a bag in her hand to Qin Lang who opened the door, ¡°Congrattions on winning first ce in the funpetition.¡±


    You¡¯re too kind.¡± Qin Lang looked and found a craft ornament. He did not refuse and epted it, e in first.¡±


    ¡°Weiwei, I was just talking about you!¡± Qi Xiaoyu leaned in cheerfully and took Du Weiwei¡¯s arm, turned to look at Qin Lang, ¡°Qin Lang, before you start cooking, can we take a look at your kitchen?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Du Weiwei¡¯s eyes lit up, and she looked at Qin Lang expectantly.


    She was also curious about the environment in which this peer of hers, whose cooking skills far surpassed her own, had practiced.


    ¡°I also want to see!¡± Zhao Chen, who was studying Qin Lang¡¯s curtains, immediately dropped them and rushed over when he heard this.


    Every aspect of a Spirit Chef rtes to cooking, and so does strength.


    Therefore, understanding Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen is called knowing oneself and the enemy!


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang nodded briskly.


    There was nothing in his kitchen that he couldn¡¯t show to others.


    The four of them entered Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen together. Seeing the kitchen that, while notrge, was well kept, the three of them were surprised once again.


    ¡°Theyout of your kitchen is somewhat simr to mine.¡± Qi Xiaoyu looked around and spoke cheerfully.


    Zhao Chen next to her didn¡¯t speak, but he leaned in and took a closer look, like a spy stealing information.


    Meanwhile, Du Weiwei looked around and her gaze quickly focused on the bottles and cans ced in a cooler corner away from the window, in the corner of the table.


    What are these?


    In Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen, these were the only things she couldn¡¯t identify.


    So Du Weiwei curiously leaned in, squatted down, and picked up a can carefully. She looked at the light brown sauce inside that she couldn¡¯t identify the ingredients of, and finally her gaze fell on thebel on the bottle.


    ¡°Mushroom¡­Beef¡­Sauce?¡±


    ¡°Oh, those are some seasoning sauces I made myself.¡± Noticing Du Weiwei¡¯s actions, Qin Lang exined with a smile, ¡°Adding some homemade sauce when cooking can make the dishes taste better.¡±


    He had no choice but to do so.


    This world did not have the same sauces as his previous life, but sometimes he needed to use them when cooking.


    So he had to concoct them himself.


    Fortunately, Qin Lang had a little knowledge in this aspect.


    At least most of themon sauces, he could concoct himself.


    ¡°Homemade sauces?¡± Upon hearing this, Du Weiwei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    She had never thought about such a thing.


    She barely used the sauces sold on the market, let alone making them herself.


    But thinking about Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills, Du Weiwei felt this seemed like a reasonable thing.


    Perhaps his culinary skills were so good that regr sauces you¡¯d find in the market wouldn¡¯t meet his standards. Did he need to make his own, then?


    Compared to Du Weiwei¡¯s spection, Qi Xiaoyu was more straightforward.


    ¡°Can I try some?¡± Her attention was already on the Mushroom Beef Sauce in Du Weiwei¡¯s hand.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Lang smiled as he took a spoon from the nearby tableware cab and gave it to Du Weiwei, Qi Xiaoyu, and the approaching Zhao Chen. He then picked out several other sauces for them, ¡°There are a few other sauces here, you can try them too.¡±


    His face held a look of anticipation.


    He wondered what the people of the Food Spirit World would think of


    Earth-based sauces.


    The first thing the three tasted was the Mushroom Beef Sauce from Du Weiwei¡¯s hand.


    After she took a spoonful of it to taste, Du Weiwei was the first to show a look of astonishment.


    The delightful vor of the beef and the unique mushroom vor were perfectly blended in the sauce. There seemed to be a lot of oil on the sauce¡¯s surface, but upon tasting it, it wasn¡¯t greasy at all.


    She could even imagine how incredible the vor would be if this Mushroom Beef Sauce was used in cooking or as a condiment for meals.


    Who knew that the taste of gourmet food could be enhanced by improving the condiments!


    Without a doubt, this was like opening the door to a new world for Du Weiwei.


    ¡°Let me try this one!¡± After tasting the Mushroom Beef Sauce, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes practically glowed, and she quickly looked at another opened jar.


    ¡°Chopped Chili Sauce?¡± Qi Xiaoyu looked at thebel on the jar, then scooped up some of the vibrantly red, visually pleasing chopped chili and put it in her mouth.


    The next moment, her adorable little nose crinkled.


    The sour and spicy vor of the chopped chili was too much of a shock for Qi Xiaoyu, who had never tasted it before.


    She grimaced in difort, but momentster, her face rxed.


    This sour and spicy vor, as if by magic, instantly whetted her appetite.


    When Qi Xiaoyu carefully tasted it again, she found herself unable to stop and wanted another bite.


    ¡°What does this Chopped Chili Sauce taste like?¡± Zhao Chen, who was next to her, curiously extended his spoon towards the sauce.


    Momentster, Zhao Chen disyed the same expression as Qi Xiaoyu.


    Roasted Chili Sauce, Sweet Wheat Paste, Minced Garlic Chili Sauce¡­


    The group of three savored the unique vors of the sauces and became somewhat lost in the experience.


    Finally, their gaze fell on the only sauce Qin Lang had not let them taste.


    Thest row of sauces in the farthest corner of the table piqued their interest significantly.


    They all turned to Qin Lang with an air of curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that 1 don¡¯t want you to taste it, but this sauce was prepared quitete, so it may need about a week to fully develop its vor.¡± Seeing their expressions, Qin Lang exined with a helpless shake of his head.


    He took out a bottle and showed it to them.


    ¡°Doubanjiang?¡± Qi Xiaoyu read out thebel curiously, ¡°What does this sauce taste like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a salty and spicy sauce,¡± Qin Lang gave a brief introduction, ¡°The sauces you just tasted have different uses ¨C some are good for cold dishes, some are suitable as dips, and some are used as vour enhancers.¡±


    ¡°As for the Doubanjiang, it is the soul of seasoning in many dishes.¡± Qin Lang put the Doubanjiang back in ce, chuckled, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to start cooking now.¡±


    ¡°Just wait and enjoy the food.¡±


    bonus content:


    [How to Make Doubanjiang]

 Chapter 71 - 71: Banquet and Inspiration

    Chapter 71: Banquet and Inspiration


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a pity 1 didn¡¯t get to taste the vor of Doubanjiang.¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu, sitting in the living room, spoke a bit regretfully, and then suddenly her eyes lit up.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Qin Lang said that the Doubanjiang will be ready in a week?¡±


    ¡°Adding up the days, by then he should have finished the City-level Cooking Competition.¡±


    ¡°After he gets good results, he¡¯ll invite us over for dinner, and wouldn¡¯t we be able to taste the vor of the Doubanjiang then?¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Zhao Chen nodded seriously.


    Using the intuition of an adolescent, he was convinced that the thing called Doubanjiang might be Qin Lang¡¯s secret weapon.


    They definitely need to find an opportunity to try it.


    ¡°You two¡­¡± Du Weiwei looked at the two of them, her face showing a strange expression.


    A momentter, she shook her head and sighed softly, ¡°Alright, but next time you visit, you must bring a gift, otherwise it would be quite impolite.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, today we came in a hurry¡­¡± Qi Xiaoyu stuck out her tongue.


    When she saw that Du Weiwei had brought a gift, she realized her own carelessness.


    Fortunately, Qin Lang didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°By the way, Weiwei.¡± Remembering something, Qi Xiaoyu took Du Weiwei¡¯s hand, ¡°Are you still busy practicing that dish these days?¡±


    As best friends, Qi Xiaoyu was very clear about Du Weiwei¡¯s situation.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Du Weiwei nodded, ¡°Maybe my talent in cooking is indeed not high, I¡¯ve been practicing for almost a month and I haven¡¯t made much progress.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Her tone changed, and there was a different look in her eyes, ¡°Now I have some new inspiration.¡±


    After tasting the various sauces prepared by Qin Lang, Du Weiwei had a new understanding of seasonings.


    In the past, she focused all her attention on the ingredients and somewhat neglected the seasonings.


    Now, looking at it from a different angle, some of the problems she couldn¡¯t understand before seem to have answers.


    After she goes back and incorporates these new ideas into her cooking, maybe she could be sessful this time?


    Thinking this, Du Weiwei looked in the direction of the kitchen, her lips pursed slightly.


    Qin Lang had given her new inspiration, and she didn¡¯t want to owe him a favor.


    Quietly remembering this matter in her heart, Du Weiwei took her gaze back and continued to chat leisurely with Qi Xiaoyu and Zhao Chen.


    A momentter, the sound of Qin Lang¡¯s voice came from the kitchen.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡±


    The casual chat of the three people came to an abrupt end.


    The mixed aroma of various delicious dishes that had wafted from the kitchen to the living room made them unable to suppress their cravings.


    Soon, everyone began to serve the cooked dishes to the dining room.


    Since there were four people and four adorable Food Spirits dining together, the dishes prepared by Qin Lang were plentiful.


    Six meat, four vegetables, and one soup filled the entire dining table.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Qi Xiaoyu stopped Zhao Chen who was about to reach for his chopsticks, and she took out her phone with a grin, ¡°How can you not take a photo and post it to friends circle with such great dishes?¡±


    ¡°Click, click!¡±


    After shooting from various angles, she put away her phone, pping her hands lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    The hungry group immediately tucked in.


    Zhao Chen picked up arge chunk of pork belly coated with glutinous rice flour, which he had been eyeing for a while, and without hesitation, he put it in his mouth.


    The next moment, an astonished expression appeared on his face.


    This meat¡­


    The surface of the glutinous rice flour fully absorbed the juice from the meat. It¡¯s soft and glutinous, yet does notck the delicious taste of saltiness and freshness.


    The fatty part of the pork belly melts in the mouth, not leaving a bit of greasiness at all.


    The lean part is not tough, it separates along the grain of the meat with just a slight pressure, turning into shredded meat in the chewing process. Mixed with sticky rice powder and fatty meat, it brings an exquisite taste.


    ¡°What¡¯s this dish called?¡± He scooped a mouthful of rice while serving a chopstick full to the drooling Yangyang. All the while, he asked curiously.


    ¡°That one is Steamed Rice Flour Pork.¡±


    ¡°And this one?¡± Qi Xiaoyu pointed with her chopsticks to a dish she had just tried on the other side, also looking curious.


    ¡°Oyster Sauce Lettuce.¡±


    Sitting on the other side, Du Weiwei didn¡¯t speak. She was still immersed in the surprise of the new delicious food, looking in astonishment at the Fried Pork in Scoop that she had bitten off with her chopsticks.


    The outside was crispy and aromatic while the inside was tender and juicy. Combined with the wonderful sweet and sour sauce, this dish gave Du Weiwei a culinary experience she had never before encountered.


    So delicious¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but finish the half piece of Fried Pork in Scoop left on her chopsticks, scooped up a mouthful of rice, let the soft rice mix with the residual taste between her lips and teeth in the chewing process, releasing the sweet fragrance of rice.


    ¡°What is this dish?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask softly.


    ¡°This is Fried Pork in Scoop.¡± Qin Lang replied with a smile.


    Fried Pork in Scoop, huh¡­


    Du Weiwei nodded slightly.


    This dish had made a deep impression on her.


    She put down her bowl and chopsticks, served a bowl of soup from the center of the dining table, and took her time to taste it.


    The cubed white radish had been fully cooked, distinguishable but melting as if about to dissolve as soon as it entered the mouth. The exquisite control of the heat was astonishing, and the full absorption of umami turned simple radish into a gourmet dish.


    The pieces of spare ribs selected from the rib part could easily separate from the bone, the soft tender meat entered the mouth without any roughness.


    Having tasted the ingredients in the soup, she sipped the soup, the taste that gathered all the essence and deliciousness made Du Weiwei¡¯s eyes light up instantly.


    This mostmon Cantonese-style radish spare rib souppletely conquered her.


    ¡°This is Radish Spare Rib Soup.¡± Without waiting for Du Weiwei to ask, Qin Lang proactively introduced it, then he pointed to the dish Qi Xiaoyu was tasting, ¡°This is Spicy Stir-Fried Kidney.¡±


    ¡°So this is called Spicy Stir-Fried Kidney.¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu clicked her tongue, and couldn¡¯t help but pick up another piece of kidney that looked like a blooming flower.


    Each knife mark on the kidney was kept at an indistinguishable distance to the naked eye, even the depth of the cuts was almost exactly the same. Under such an extreme knifework, this Spicy Stir-Fried Kidney not only has a better taste but its aesthetic appeal is also greatly elevated.


    After looking for a while, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but exim


    ¡°Qin Lang, your knifework is exceptional!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but reveal a few surprised colors, ¡°This is my first time seeing a dish with such good knifework!¡±


    ¡°This is just basic.¡± Qin Lang shook his head slightly, ¡°The real test of knifework, at least, is with dishes like Wen Si Tofu.¡±


    ¡°Wen Si Tofu?¡±


    Du Weiwei, Qi Xiaoyu, and Zhao Chen all turned their gazes towards Qin Lang, showing curious expressions.


    The three of them had never heard of such a dish.


    ¡°Wen Si Tofu is a very peculiar soup dish, it requires cutting tofu into hair-thin strips, pairing it with vegetable strips, and¡­¡± Qin Lang briefly exined, but as he spoke, his voice began to lower.


    The ingredients required for Wen Si Tofu shed one by one in his mind.


    These ingredients, one by one, corresponded with those in the 97th food ingredients library.


    The light in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes got brighter and brighter.


    He was so focused on wanting to use beef brisket, chicken drumsticks, and pork hind leg as the main ingredients, he hadpletely forgotten about this trump card!


    The content of the easter egg chapter at the end of this chapter:


    [Steamed Rice Flour Pork]

 Chapter 72 - 72: The Kickoff of the Elimination Competition

    Chapter 72: The Kickoff of the Elimination Competition


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Cut the tofu into strands as thin as hair?!¡±


    Even though Qin Lang¡¯s voice was getting lower, Qi Xiaoyu, with her keen hearing, caught the crucial point. She couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes, showing a surprised expression, ¡°Qin Lang, are you joking?¡±


    That is soft tofu!


    It could crumble under the slightest pressure. How could such a delicate ingredient be cut into strands as thin as hair?


    Even with all her imagination, she couldn¡¯t picture it.


    Du Weiwei and Zhao Chen on the side showed simr expressions.


    They also couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of knifework could cut tofu into hair-thin strands.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see it in the future.¡± Qin Lang smiled mysteriously and didn¡¯t say much, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start eating!¡±


    With Qin Lang¡¯s prompt, the three switched their focus back to the delicious food in front of them.


    Let¡¯s eat!


    After a joyful meal, the three said their goodbyes shortly after dinner.


    ¡°Next time, 1 definitely won¡¯t lose.¡±


    Standing outside the door, Zhao Chen looked back at Qin Lang and once again dered confidently.


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Qi Xiaoyu, standing on the side, pulled Zhao Chen away, and after waving at Qin Lang, she followed Du Weiwei.


    Watching the three leave, Qin Lang slowly closed the door.


    ¡°Gudulu!¡±


    The Wen Si tofu that was cut into hair-thin strands!


    The moment the door closed, Dan Bao rushed over, rubbing its face against Qin Lang¡¯s. The curiosity was apparent on its eggy face.


    Being familiar with its Spirit Chef, Dan Bao knew that Qin Lang probably had ns to cook this dish in the uing elimination round!


    Recalling the skeptical expressions of the three at dinner, Dan Bao huffed.


    You know nothing about my Spirit Chef!


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll go with the Wen Si tofu.¡±


    Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head and smiled.


    Every cloud has a silver lining.


    Wen Si tofu¡¯s main ingredient is tofu, garnished with a bit of vegetable strands.


    The garnishing vegetable strands can be carrots and rapeseed from the 97th ingredient warehouse.


    As for the soup for the Wen Si tofu, there are poor, regr, and luxury versions.


    The poor version directly uses seasonings to make a clear soup for cooking the Wen Si tofu.


    The regr version uses a whole chicken to make chicken clear soup, which naturally tastes better.


    As for the luxury version, the ingredients added inside are more sophisticated andplex.


    The chicken legs in the 97th ingredient warehouse can be used to make soup. The turbidity in the soup can also be removed using pork hind leg meat minced into a paste, resulting in excellent chicken clear soup.


    This way, the special ingredient rosemary in the ingredient warehouse would be left out.


    But the rules did not stipte that the special ingredient must be used.


    From any perspective, it is appropriate to use Wen Si tofu topete in the elimination round.


    Thinking about their doubtful expressions, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but wear a mischievous smile on his face.


    He was looking forward to the expressions on their faces when the Wen Si tofu would be presented.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start practicing now.¡±


    ¡°Gudulu!¡±


    Dan Bao cheered and followed.


    Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.


    On the fifth day after the first round of the City-level Cooking Competition scoringpetition ended, the second round eliminationpetition unfolded in the Dongxia Arena.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡±


    The familiar host, holding a microphone in hand, echoed his voice over the arena.


    ¡°Wee to the Dongxia Arena!¡±


    ¡°Today, the second round of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition will take ce here!¡±


    ¡°Four one-on-one Food Fights will determine the top four of thispetition!¡±


    ¡°The winner advances, the loser is eliminated.¡±


    ¡°The brutal eliminationpetition is about to begin!¡±


    ¡°First, let us wee the eleven judges of this round of the eliminationpetition, the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders of Dongxia City, with the warmest apuse!¡±


    In the deafening cheers and apuse within the venue, the eleven Food Rmenders stood up and waved to the audience.


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s wee today¡¯s eight contestants with the same warm apuse!¡± Qin Lang reverted his gaze from the three familiar figures among the Food Rmenders and waved towards the audience amidst the apuse and cheers.


    He could hear his name being chanted from the audience, significantly louder than during the first scoringpetition.


    The eight contestants had been busily preparing over the past few days, and with the increasing views of the rey of the first scoringpetition, this round ofpetition also gained more attention.


    Qin Lang had wowed the judges with his Vegetarian Braised Pork in the scoringpetition, finishing second in the scoring, and inevitably gained a lot of attention.


    However, the attention he received was not the most.


    The spotlight on Qin Lang was overshadowed by the storm that Lei Ke caused.


    As Lei Ke surprisingly clinched the first ce in the scoringpetition, his championship record in the Danju City Cooking Competition was eventually dug up by people with intentions.


    Lei Ke thus transformed from an overlooked outsider to the most hopeful contestant for the championship.


    It is quitemon for Spirit Chefs to participate inpetitions in different cities to gain more Food Rmender Badges, so people didn¡¯t hold any prejudice against Lei Ke just because he wasn¡¯t a local.


    However, Lei Ke¡¯s record had brought significant pressure to the other seven contestants, including Qin Lang.


    After the host had warmed up the crowd, the first eliminationpetition started quickly.


    Fourth-ranked Zhu Ming vs Sixth-ranked Qiang Xiaofeng.


    Their contest was to limit the ingredients¡¯ value to under two thousand yuan.


    Today¡¯s pre-show performance was not a Spirit Battle, but a famous singing and dancing troupe from Tianhua State was invited to deliver a spectacr performance for the audience.


    After the performance ended, Zhu Ming was the first to leave the kitchen, followed closely by Qiang Xiaofeng, presenting their meticulously prepared dishes to the eleven Food Rmenders.


    At the end of the judging, Zhu Ming won with eight votes, leaving Qiang Xiaofeng despondently exiting the field.


    As the first eliminationpetition came to an end, the atmosphere in the contestant¡¯s viewing area, which had achieved slight relief due to the singing and dancing performance, tightened once again.


    Lei Ke walked out calmly, stepping onto the stage step by step.


    Xiao He, ranked eighth in the scoring, had a bitter expression on his face.


    Their contest was a restricted food theme, fish.


    However, cooking fish dishes was not Xiao He¡¯s forte.


    Facing Lei Ke who had scored first in the scoringpetition and was the champion of the Danju City Cooking Competition, he had no chance of winning.


    But after all, thepetition had to proceed.


    Xiao He rubbed his face fiercely, trying to rx his facial expression as much as he could before quickly walking down the contestant¡¯s entrance pathway. The results of the second round of judging were predictable.


    Lei Ke cooked three different types of fish using different methods as sky, mountains, and rivers, creating a creative dish called ¡°Mountains, Rivers, and Sky¡±, earning eleven votes.


    After Xiao He left thepetition venue without getting a single vote, Lei Ke once again left an impression of his chef skills,parable to a formidable adversary, in everyone¡¯s hearts in the field.


    Following closely behind was the third round of eliminationpetition.


    Qin Lang vs Zhang Chen.


    The Warehouse Number 97, self-selected ingredients from the warehouse..

 Chapter 73 - 73: Threading a Needle

    Chapter 73: Threading a Needle


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The third elimination round has begun!¡±


    In the arena, the host who had presided over two rounds of elimination seemed to be infected by the suspense of thepetition, his voice growing more passionate.


    ¡°Thepetitors are Qin Lang, who ranked second in the Scoring Competition, and Zhang Chen, who ranked fifth.¡±


    ¡°Both contestants have entered the Competitive Standard Kitchen, let¡¯s look forward to their performances!¡±


    ¡°Our audience present here and in front of the screen can send their well wishes for the two contestants to our official hotline. Your well-wishing messages might have a chance to appear on our big electronic screen!¡±


    The host gestured towards the screen where messages were scrolling, then transitioned, ¡°And now, let¡¯s enjoy a spectacr performance by the Yunhua Dance Troupe!¡±


    Several beautiful women in dance dresses appeared atop a rising tform, escting the cheers from the audience who were anticipating the culinary skills of the Spirit Chefs.


    The Competitive Standard Kitchen isted all the noise from the outside world.


    Inside the kitchen, Qin Lang and Dan Bao were busy working.


    In the pressure cooker, Qin Lang had peeled, deboned, and pounded the chicken drumsticks into a paste, which was now cooking alongside the bones to extract the maximum vor into the soup.


    In front of Qin Lang was a box of tofu that was yet to be opened.


    Depending on the coagnt used, tofu can be categorized into salted tofu, gypsum tofu, and glucono deltactone tofu, each with distinct textures.


    For the best cooking result, Wen Si Tofu required the softest texture of all ¨C the glucono deitactone tofu.


    The tofu in ingredient box number 97 wasn¡¯t categorised in detail, providing ample room for Qin Lang to demonstrate his skills.


    The sophistication of Wen Si Tofu started from how the tofu was taken out of its package.


    After peeling off the seal, the box was inverted with the opening facing downwards. Using a t knife, the bottom of the box was delicately sliced off. Once done, the sides were gently lifted.


    The whole block of glucono deitactone tofu was then wlessly presented on the cutting board.


    After trimming the rough and uneven edges, Qin Lang took a deep breath, ready to split the tofu horizontally into two equal parts.


    To make fine strips from tofu, first it needed to be thinly sliced. The soft texture of the tofu sticks to the knife due to gravity, hence it was better to have thinner tofu pieces for efficient cutting.


    The knife had to be gently pushed inward, slightly inclined. This way, the two halves of the tofu would unevenly lean on either side.


    After splitting, the top half was kept aside forter use.


    Qin Lang quickly dipped the entire knife into the running water to wet its surface. Standing in front of the tofu, he took a deep breath.


    And shed down!


    ¡°Thud! Thud! Thud!¡±


    The rapid chopping sounds of de touching the cutting board echoed in the expansive Competitive Standard Kitchen, bing the sole sound within.


    Dan Bao, who was standing by, held his breath. He was afraid to disrupt the focused Qin Lang.


    Just after a few breaths, about one-tenth of the tofu had been sliced.


    Unlike other food ingredients that naturally fall to the other side of the knife after slicing, the extremely soft glucono deitactone tofu cannot maintain its shape after being sliced, cling onto the knife in a soft and sagging manner.


    This made the sliced part of Qin Lang¡¯s tofu appear more like tofu paste rather than tofu slices.


    It was difficult to determine the exact thinness of the tofu slices and make any adjustments on the spot, which was the key challenge of handling Wen Si Tofu.


    Only with plenty of practice could one confidently perform this near-blind slicing.


    But Qin Lang¡¯s knife did not stop.


    Once the slicing started, it couldn¡¯t be interrupted midway. Otherwise, inconsistent thickness would ur in the tofu slices.


    Only bypleting the slicing in one go could the overall stability be ensured.


    Under the continuous sound of the chopping, Qin Lang¡¯s knife, as straight as a ruler, steadily and slowly moved towards the other side of the tofu. It wasn¡¯t until about ny percent of the tofu was sliced that his knife finally stopped.


    With a swipe to the side, the remaining uncut tofu was discarded.


    Thest section of tofu was too small to apply the necessary force correctly, which could affect the precision of the slicing.


    A certain amount of discard was necessary to ensure a better overall presentation.


    What remained on the cutting board appeared more like tofu paste than proper slices. It barely retained its shape.


    However, when Qin Lang gently poured a bowl of water over it to wash off the scattered pieces and smooth it slightly, the shape of the tofu slices soon became clear. They looked as if they were stacked like spread-out ying cards.


    After inspecting it carefully, he nodded in satisfaction.


    He was performing normally.


    After making a slight adjustment, Qin Lang quickly started his second round of slicing.


    The previously sliced tofu was now, in this second round of slicing, to be transformed into tofu shreds as fine as hair.


    Discard the first slice, align the cutting edge and the de, and once again the sound of chopping echoed in the silent kitchen.


    When slicing near the end, the remaining part was also discarded, and what was left on the cutting board was the finely shredded tofu.


    Qin Lang gently ced the shredded tofu into the clear water, then turned his head to start working on the remaining half block of tofu using the same method.


    He needed to prepare at least twelve portions, which was quite a lot of work.


    Soon, the rhythmic sound of chopping filled the air again.


    Meanwhile, Dan Bao was inspecting the finished tofu shreds a little bit nervously.


    Under the gentle wavering of water, the thin tofu shreds started to gradually spread out. Under the light, they were distinctly visible, numerous and fine as hair, floating in the water, light, and soft.


    Such tofu shreds were so fine that they could be threaded into a needle, which was astonishing.


    After admiring the tofu shreds for a while, Dan Bao turned his attention back to Qin Lang, who was intently slicing tofu.


    Completely absorbed in the task, both the chef and his spirit weren¡¯t even aware when the bell indicating that the opponent hadpleted his dish rang out.


    Zhang Chen hadpleted his cooking first.


    Outside.


    Shortly after the dance performance ended, the door of the Competitive Standard Kitchen in which Zhang Chen was working slowly opened.


    Pushing his kitchen cab car, Zhang Chen nced at the still-closed door of Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen before calmly looking towards the eleven Food Rmenders on the Judges¡¯ Seats.


    A hint of joy shed undiscoverably in his eyes.


    During the five-day preparation period, Qin Lang had divided his attention between the fun game and thepetition.


    In their elimination round, he hadpleted his cooking first.


    By capitalizing on this advantage and the dish that he had intricately prepared for this elimination round, Zhang Chen believed that the final victory would belong to him.


    Taking a deep breath, Zhang Chen suppressed all his thoughts, walked to the Judges¡¯ Seats where the eleven Food Rmenders were seated, and deeply bowed after taking the microphone from the host. ¡°Greetings, respected Food Rmenders. The dish I bring today is called ¡®Seize Every Opportunity¡¯.¡±


    Putting down the microphone temporarily, he opened the kitchen cab car and started serving dishes to the Food Rmenders..

 Chapter 74 - 74: Seize Every Opportunity

    Chapter 74: Seize Every Opportunity


    Trantor: 549690339


    After presenting his dish, Zhang Chen returned to his spot and continued to introduce his dish.


    ¡°This dish, Seize Every Opportunity, uses both beef brisket and pork hind leg. As is widely known, the texture of beef brisket is loose and contains many cavities. 1 have thinly sliced the pork hind leg along its grain and filled these cavities one by one.¡±


    ¡°That is the origin of the name of this dish.¡±


    ¡°The specially treated beef brisket went through several cooking procedures, resulting in a dish that embodies both the vors of pork and beef.¡±


    ¡°The pork hind leg is low in fat content, making it slightly tough to chew. However, its blend with the beef brisket allows it to fully absorb the fat from the brisket, fundamentally changing its taste and texture.¡±


    ¡°In turn, this gives the beef brisket more depth during cooking, enhancing its vor.¡±


    ¡°Aside from this, the dish also contains¡­¡±


    Zhang Chen evidently had his introduction well-prepared, delivering it with perfect facial expressions and tone.


    As he introduced his dish, close-ups of the eleven food rmenders tasting his food were projected onto the big screen.


    The fine details of Seize Every Opportunity were disyed on a high-definition electronic screen for every audience member to see.


    Although it looked like a piece of beef brisket, cleaving it revealed a unique dish, its cut surface filled with snowke-like patterns. It caused an immediate uproar in the audience.


    The snowke pattern resembled that found in high-quality beef, but was in fact thin strands of pork that stood out due to their different color after cooking.


    Concealing the pork hind leg within the beef brisket¡¯s cavities showed mastery of cooking skill, rendering the audience in awe.


    Hearing the gasps from the crowd, the delight in Zhang Chen¡¯s eyes intensified.


    He felt he was tantalizingly close to victory.


    A momentter, all eleven food rmenders had finished tasting, and his introduction ended at just the right time.


    The host hurried out with a smile on his face. ¡°ording to thepetition¡¯s data, Zhang Chen has obtained a total of three First-level Food Rmender Badges in Dongxia city: the Grey Feather Badge, Deer Antler Badge, and Fish Scale Badge.¡±


    ¡°We now ask Ms. Zhang Ting, Mr. Liu Yunju, and Mr. Zhou Qing to provide theirments on Zhang Chen¡¯s dish today!¡±


    This is an exclusive segment of the eliminationpetition, one that the contestants from the previous two rounds of elimination have also experienced.


    As the Food Rmenders who granted the badges and thus the right to participate in thepetition, they have the mostplete understanding of the contestant¡¯s culinary skills and can provide detailed evaluations.


    Zhang Chen subtly clenched his hand, remembering how he had obtained his badges from each of the three Food Rmenders.


    Out of the three Food Rmenders, Mr. Zhou Qing was the strictest. Zhang Chen only passed his test on the second attempt, and even then, Zhou Qing believed that there was still room for improvement in his cooking skills.


    Mr. Liu Yunju is well-known for his pleasant disposition. Even though he tests unconventional cooking with wild ingredients, he would patiently provide guidance for the test candidate to learn something new.


    Ms. Zhang Ting was legendary for her entric temperament and difficult personality. However, she tested skills in preparing poultry, which was Zhang Chen¡¯s forte. As a result, he passed her test on the first try and smoothly obtained the Grey Feather Badge.


    All three Food Rmenders had their unique characteristics, and Zhang Chen wasn¡¯t sure what kind ofments they would give for his Seize Every Opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Ms. Zhang Ting was a short-haired woman with sharp facial features. She looked at the finished dish of Seize Every Opportunity in front of her and then nced at the contestant that she had some memory of.


    ¡°Compared to the dish you prepared for my test, the seasoning of this Seize Every Opportunity has significantly improved. However, 1 believe if you reced the pork hind leg meat with chicken drumsticks, this dish would be even better.¡±


    At these words, the facial expressions of other Food Rmenders turned somewhat strange.


    It was said that Ms. Zhang Ting had been chased and scared to tears by a chicken when she was young and had since developed an immense interest in poultry ingredients.


    It was anyone¡¯s guess whether this interest originated from love or resentment.


    ¡°Let me say a few words.¡± Mr. Liu Yunju adjusted his sses and expressed his usual kind smile. ¡°This dish is extremely innovative. I¡¯ve never heard of such a method before. Is this your original creation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is a dish I created on a whim, using the ingredients avable in the No. 97 ingredient repository,¡± Zhang Chen replied with a smile.


    ¡°This is a very interesting dish with a high level of cooking difficulty, but its vor is well worth the effort.¡± Liu Yunju gave his evaluation.


    It was now Mr. Zhou Qing¡¯s turn to evaluate.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken¡­¡± Zhou Qing looked at Zhang Chen calmly. ¡°It was a year ago when you passed my test. At that time, 1 expressed my opinion that your culinary skills needed improvement, and that you barely qualified for the Fish Scale Badge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zhou Qing, I have taken your advice to heart.¡± Zhang Chen¡¯s face showed a sincere expression.


    ¡°Now a year has passed.¡± Zhou Qing nced at the consumed dish of Seize Every Opportunity in front of him. ¡°Your improvement is much greater than 1 expected.¡±


    At Zhou Qing¡¯s evaluation, Zhang Chen showed a look of surprise and delight.


    Although Zhou Qing didn¡¯t give any specificments on this dish, his words ¡°you¡¯ve improved more than I expected¡± were already enough!


    ¡°All three Food Rmenders have given their evaluations. At this point, contestant Qin Lang has yet to emerge from the Competitive Standard Kitchen. Let us wait and see, what dish will he bring us!¡± The host eximed aloud.


    For a moment, countless eyes were drawn to the kitchen where Qin Lang was.


    Inside the Competitive Standard Kitchen, Qin Lang had finished slicing all his tofu and cut the rapeseed and carrots into fine strands simr to the tofu. He nched them in hot water.


    The soup he had been simmering on the side was almost ready.


    He turned off the heat, scooped out the ingredients, and then gradually added in the pork hind leg that was minced to a mush. When the minced pork cooked and rose to the surface, he carefully scooped it out with a slotted spoon, leaving a pot of clear chicken clear soup.


    Sampling it with a small spoon, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    Although constrained by the avable ingredients, making this soup somewhat unauthentic, its final presentation didn¡¯t differ much from the chicken clear soup he was familiar with.


    It was just right to use it as the soup base for the Wen Si Tofu.


    He poured the chicken clear soup into a pot, heated it over low heat until nearly boiling, and then gradually added in a water and starch mixture. While adding this, he lightly stirred with a spoon.


    To get the best results from the Wen Si Tofu, a veloute was necessary.


    If the soup was not thick enough, the tofu and vegetables would sink to the bottom, affecting the presentation. Too thick, and it would affect the taste.


    Striking the right bnce requires experience.


    He added the drained tofu and vegetables and continuously stirred them with the back of a spoon, hugging the surface of the soup, thus separating the tofu and vegetable strandspletely within the soup.


    When the cooking time was about right, hedled the Wen Si Tofu into the pre-heated soup bowls.


    ¡°All done!¡±


    Qin Lang exhaled lightly. Only then did he realize that Zhang Chen hadpleted his cooking while he was engrossed in his work.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it is our turn now.¡±


    ¡°Gudulu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded solemnly, his face determined and battle-ready.


    bonus:


    [Wen Si Tofu]

 Chapter 75 - 75: Stunning Skills

    Chapter 75: Stunning Skills


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Squeak-¡±


    With a gentle sound, the door of the meticulously fashionedpetitive standard kitchen slowly opened.


    Qin Lang, who was wheeling a trolley, immediately attracted the attention of the entire audience.


    This situation did not arise during the scoringpetition.


    For one thing, there were twenty-six contestants who had appeared one after another in the scoringpetition.


    On the other hand, Qin Lang got more attention because of his performance in the scoringpetition.


    Moreover, just then, his opponent had presented a very impressive dish.


    Under such circumstances, everyone wanted to know what kind of dish Qin Lang was going toe up with in response.


    Despite Qin Lang¡¯sposure, he cannot help but feel somewhat tense under so many scrutinizing eyes.


    Noticing the Spirit Chef¡¯s mood, Dan Bao immediately drew near tofort Qin Lang with affectionate nudges.


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    I¡¯m here too!


    Comforted by Dan Bao, Qin Lang¡¯s mood gradually calmed down.


    Pushing his kitchen cab car, he strode towards the judges¡¯ seats.


    As he passed by Zhang Chen, Qin Lang slightly nodded at his opponent, then stopped, took over the microphone handed over by the host, and said, ¡°Hello, eleven food rmenders, the dish I have brought today is called Wen Si Tofu.¡±


    Tofu?


    Zhang Chen, who was listening with his ears pricked, could not help but reveal a surprised expression on his face.


    There was indeed such an ingredient in the No.97 ingredient library, but he hadn¡¯t considered using it.


    Upon hearing the name of Qin Lang¡¯s dish, would the main ingredient be tofu?


    The eleven food rmenders in the judges¡¯ seat were highly interested in the dish Qin Lang was about to present, especially Zhou Qing, Song Hui, and Fu Hang who were familiar with Qin Lang, and they showed an eager anticipation.


    What kind of dish that rted to tofu?


    What would that be?


    Also showing curiosity were the tens of thousands of viewers.


    But among these tens of thousands of spectators, three people could hardly believe their ears when they heard what Qin Lang said. They were Du Weiwei, Qi Xiaoyu, and Zhao Chen.


    ¡°Did Qin Lang mention the dish that is cut from tofu into thin threads like hair?¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Did he really do it? And is he using this dish for thepetition?¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Zhao Chen shook his head without hesitation, ¡°Absolutely impossible!¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t even dare to think of such a dish. How could his arch-nemesis have made it so easily?


    ¡°But he did make it.¡± Du Weiwei stared wide-eyed at the close-up shots of the Wen Si Tofu that Qin Lang held up and murmured to herself.


    A moment of stunned silence was followed by bursts of exmation from the audience.


    Is that¡­


    Tofu?!


    It seemed like an ordinary soup dish, filled with countless swirling threads that even gave it a somewhat muddy appearance at first nce.


    But when you recall the word ¡°tofu¡± that Qin Lang had just mentioned and look at those white threads as thin as hair strands, a sense of shock naturally arises.


    With this shock in mind, when you look at the entire dish more carefully, the red and green threads hidden amongst the countless white ones seem to hold some extraordinary secrets.


    Tofu¡­


    Everyone began to recall in their minds their impression of tofu.


    That kind of ingredient that snaps as soon as you pinch it after cooking and needs to be scooped up with a spoon for easier eating.


    Cutting that kind of ingredient into strands as thin as hair?!


    What kind of hellish difficulty is this!


    What¡¯s even more outrageous is that this unimaginable dish is right in front of them!


    At this moment, all eyes were on the eleven Food Rmenders in the field.


    They all had one question in mind.


    Were those white threads really tofu?


    In the field, Qin Lang quickly served up the Wen Si Tofu and returned to his original position.


    Should he say a few more words?


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    In the previous two elimination rounds, thepetitors seemed to have said quite a lot.


    Perhaps he could also introduce this dish.


    For example, it was cut from tofu¡­


    Never mind, the Food Rmenders should be able to guess it from the name of the dish.


    Or perhaps he could mention that the soup was made from chicken drumsticks?


    Never mind, the Food Rmenders should be able to taste the fresh vor of the chicken.


    Then he wouldn¡¯t introduce it.


    Qin Lang stood in ce, returning to his usual ¡°not very talkative¡± mode.


    This time, the host, who was supposed to liven up the atmosphere in the field, did not go forward to chat with Qin Lang.


    Seeing the close-up shots of Wen Si Tofu on the screen above, this experienced host had his first mental drift during his ten-year hosting career.


    By the time the host¡¯s attention was drawn away from Wen Si Tofu, the tasting of this Wen Si Tofu by the eleven Food Rmenders had already concluded.


    Darn it, he was going to get docked pay!


    The host was startled and quickly returned to his hosting duties, ¡°The Food Rmenders have finished tasting. ording to the information from thepetition organizer, Qin Lang has received three First-level Food Rmender Badges in Dongxia City, namely the Fish Scale Badge, Daisy Badge, and Teng Niu Badge!¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s invite Mr. Zhou Qing, Ms. Song Hui, and Mr. Fu Hang to givements on Qin Lang¡¯s dish, Wen Si Tofu, today!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first this time.¡± Zhou Qing slowly put down his spoon, and a touch of regret appeared on his face, ¡°I¡¯ve eaten many dishes using tofu as an ingredient.¡±


    ¡°But this probably will be the most memorable one.¡±


    ¡°To cut tofu into hair-thin threads, this knifework is absolutely impressive.¡±


    ¡°But this dish is not just about showing off skills.¡±


    ¡°The silky tofu has apletely new texture, truly melts in your mouth.¡±


    ¡°And the freshness of the chicken soup enhances this dish a lot.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, once again, you amazed me.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Qing couldn¡¯t help but think of what he said to his son Zhou Yun after Qin Lang¡¯s visit, ¡°It won¡¯t be long before you see him in the provincial-levelpetition.¡±


    He looked at Qin Lang, smiling with encouragement and expectation, ¡°1 look forward to seeing you on a bigger stage.¡±


    Feeling the goodwill from this elderly man in front of him, Qin Lang nodded heavily.


    Zhang Chen next to him looked a bit ufortable.


    Although Zhou Qing¡¯s evaluation of him was positive, the gap between the previous and current evaluations was quite significant.


    The vastly different evaluations from the same Food Rmender indicated something.


    This made him, who had been confident of winning, feel unprecedented pressure.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± Song Hui smiled.


    If you know Song Hui well, you¡¯d notice that she had been smiling a lot moretely, and overall, she seemed to be much more rxed.


    ¡°This dish, in terms of appearance and taste, has given me an indescribable amazement.¡±


    ¡°Thest dish that amazed me this much was the Lotus Seed Paste that Qin Lang cooked during my test.¡±


    ¡°I hope you continue to amaze me. I¡¯m really looking forward to your performance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn!¡± Fu Hang next to himughed, ¡°I only have one thing to say.¡±


    ¡°At the Beef Tasting Banquet at Zhen Niu Pavilion one weekter, 1¡¯11 invite you..¡±

 Chapter 76 - 76: The Advancer

    Chapter 76: The Advancer


    Trantor: 549690339


    Only those Spirit Chefs highly recognized by Fu Hang could be invited to the Beef Tasting Banquet at the Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    This invitation, given in front of thousands of audience, sufficed to demonstrate Fu Hang¡¯s level of approval for Qin Lang.


    In the audience, Lei Ke, who had advanced to the second round of the eliminationpetition, had not yet left.


    At the moment, he was looking at the younger figure in the field, his face grave.


    Wen Si Tofu¡­


    During the previous Food Rmenders¡¯ tasting section, he was glued to the close-up on the big screen, thinking about a problem.


    If he was the one to cut the tofu, could he cut it to such a degree?


    Lei Ke, well aware of his own knife skills, had the answer in his heart.


    No, he couldn¡¯t.


    Something he couldn¡¯t do, yet this Spirit Chef younger than him could do.


    This alone was enough for Lei Ke to take the other party seriously.


    Moreover, he had previously asked someone to send a message to Fu Hang. He hasn¡¯t gotten a reply yet, but Qin Lang had received the public invitation from Fu Hang to the Beef Tasting Banquet at the Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    Lei Ke paid great attention to this banquet.


    Because other Food Rmenders would also be present, and there was a good chance that Mr. Li Yuantu would appear too.


    Having a good rtionship with them would help a lot with Lei Ke¡¯s entry to the next city to obtain a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.


    Now he hadn¡¯t received an invitation yet, but Qin Lang had. The everpetitive Lei Ke felt a surge of fighting spirit in his heart.


    Qin Lang, I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you in the third round of the rankings match.


    In the field, as the three Food Rmenders who had awarded Qin Lang a Food Rmender Badge finished theirments in turn, the host, holding a microphone, spoke loudly.


    ¡°All dishes from both contestants have been tasted!¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s move on to the voting section!¡±


    ¡°Please let the eleven Food Rmenders in the field vote on the dishes of the two contestants!¡±


    ¡°The contestant with the highest number of votes will advance to the next round, and the one with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated!¡±


    After introducing the voting process, the host signaled for the eleven Food Rmenders to vote in turn.


    ¡°I choose contestant Qin Lang.¡± The Food Rmender who was first on the left leaned into the microphone and made his choice without much hesitation.


    Then came the second, the third¡­


    All eleven Food Rmenders excelled in different types of dishes, posing different challenges to the Spirit Chefs, and had different principles and considerations for tasting dishes.


    But at this moment, their voting results were surprisingly consistent.


    ¡°I also choose contestant Qin Lang.¡±


    Ms. Zhang Ting, who wasst on the right, spoke calmly, putting an end to the voting decision.


    Qin Lang, eleven votes!


    In the field, Zhang Chen, who was watching the Food Rmenders vote one by one, pressed his lips slightly, a look of disappointment on his face.


    He had thought that Qin Lang¡¯s participation in otherpetitions during the preparation period was due to underestimation.


    But it turned out to be because he was too weak, not needing to go all out to prepare.


    But he was not willing to ept this.


    He wanted to taste, wanted to know how stunning that Wen Si Tofu really was.


    ¡°The Food Rmenders havepleted the voting! Now, please let the two contestants taste each other¡¯s dishes!¡±


    Hearing this, Zhang Chen took out thest Seize Every Opportunity dish from his kitchen cab car and handed it to Qin Lang. ¡°Seize Every Opportunity, please have a taste.¡±


    ¡°Wen Si Tofu, please have a taste.¡± Qin Lang courteously handed over thest Wen Si Tofu to Zhang Chen, then took the Seize Every Opportunity dish.


    After cutting a piece and tasting it, an odd look appeared on his face.


    So, that¡¯s what ¡°Seize Every Opportunity¡± means?


    He could probably guess the other party¡¯s approach.


    The other side¡¯s dishes faced off against Wen Si Tofu, it could be said that it was like hitting the muzzle of a gun.


    Zhang Chen from the other side also put a bite of Wen Si Tofu in his mouth at this moment.


    Then, his face appeared amazed, and this amazement quickly turned into an increasingly intense mncholy.


    The gap¡­ It¡¯s so huge.


    ¡°Let¡¯s congratte contestant Qin Lang with the warmest apuse for winning the final victory in the third eliminationpetition!¡±


    ¡°Gududu!¡±


    Looking at the Star Power converging in mid-air, Dan Bao let out a cheer and started to absorb it.


    The moment of the final oue in the lvipetition segment and Food Fight, Star Power will appear.


    After the two contestants absorbed the Star Power and exited the stage, the host quickly followed up, ¡°Next, let¡¯s invite the two contestants of the fourth eliminationpetition, contestant Tang Xie who came third in the Scoring Competition and contestant Bai Fang who came seventh, to enter the stage!¡±


    The two contestants who had been waiting for the game walked slowly from the two sides of the yer passage, ushering in another wave of apuse and cheers.


    Qin Lang, who had already returned to the audience, was surrounded by the trio.


    ¡°Oh my god! You actually made tofu sliced into hair strands!¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t believe it till now, ¡°This is just too amazing!¡±


    ¡°Just so so.¡± Qin Lang modestly replied.


    ¡°Congrattions on advancing.¡± Du Weiwei smiled and said.


    ¡°As my nemesis, victory is a matter of course.¡± Zhao Chen, who was standing aside with his arms crossed, had an ¡°as it should be¡± expression.


    Qin Lang gave a wry smile and watched the fourth eliminationpetition while chatting with the three.


    The match between Tang Xie and Bai Fang didn¡¯t offer much suspense either.


    Thepetition item they drew was Limited Cuisine Theme, amon topic in Food Fights, and Tang Xie, a Food Fight veteran, had far more experience than Bai Fang.


    In the end, with a score of 8:3, Tang Xie advanced to the Rankings Match with a five-point advantage.


    The top four of the Scoring Competition all advanced, and thest four were all eliminated, a situation that often happened in pastpetitions, especially in thispetition where the top four of the Scoring Competition all scored over 90 points.


    ¡°With the end of the four eliminationpetitions, let¡¯s give a warm apuse to wee the four advancing yers.¡±


    ¡°The first to advance, contestant Zhu Ming!¡±


    ¡°The second to advance, contestant Lei Ke!¡±


    ¡°The third to advance, contestant Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°The fourth to advance, contestant Tang Xie!¡±


    Every time the host read out a name, a spotlight would be cast into the yer passage, following the corresponding advancing yer who had been waiting for a long time to the center of the field.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s invite our two outstanding trainers to the stage to present the advancement reward for the eliminationpetition ¨C the Starstone!¡±


    Familiar figures walked out, bringing with them a heavily sealed metal box to the four contestants.


    ¡°Gudududu!¡±


    Starstone!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up in an instant.


    The huge progress it had made after absorbing that Starstone when advancing in the Scoring Competition before finally made itpletely fall in love with this dazzling gem like a star cloud. Now that it could absorb one more, it was too good!


    Knowing that if Qin Lang could continue to advance next, it would be able to absorb even more, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but cast a nce at Qin Lang.


    His Spirit Chef, he definitely can do it!


    Sensing Dan Bao¡¯s thoughts, Qin Lang clenched his fists and waved in the air.


    ¡°Let¡¯s work hard together!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded heavily and then flew up to absorb the power of the Starstone.


    After the four contestants returned the starstones, which had beenpletely absorbed, the host¡¯s voice rang out again as the two outstanding trainers left the stage.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s draw lots for the Rankings Match!¡±

 Chapter 77 - 77: New Competition Event

    Chapter 77: New Competition Event


    Trantor: 549690339


    Ranking Competition Drawing!


    Upon hearing the host¡¯s words, the faces of the four Spirit Chefs who had just absorbed the Starstones grew solemn.


    This is the moment that will determine the order of the final rankingpetition among the four of them, the importance of it is beyond question.


    ¡°Please turn your attention to our big screen!¡±


    The host pointed upwards towards the electronic screen in the air.


    At this moment, the electronic screen was no longer disying any images. Instead, it had four sections across from left to right.


    ¡°The rankingpetition will take ce in three days,sting for two days, with two matches each day.¡±


    ¡°The two sections on the left of the big screen form Group One, and the two sections on the right form Group Two.¡±


    ¡°We will soon determine the contestants of Group One and Group Two through a random draw.¡±


    ¡°On the first day, the first match will be between the two contestants of Group One, and the second match will be between the two contestants from Group Two;¡¯


    ¡°On the second day, in the first match, the losers from both groups willpete against each other. The winner takes the third ce, while the loser takes the fourth one!¡±


    ¡°In the second match of the second day, the winners from both groups willpete, with the winner dered the champion, and the loser as the runner-up!¡±


    ¡°Now that the rules have been introduced¡­¡± The host dragged out his words, then shouted, ¡°Begin the draw!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice echoed throughout the arena, the individual contestant icons on the screen started to roll.


    The entire arena fell into an intense atmosphere at this moment.


    ¡°Ding


    With a ring, the contestant icon in the leftmost section stopped rolling.


    Qin Lang s breath hitched.


    He was in Group One!


    He stared intently at the section to his right, unable to stop his hands from clenching into fists.


    Who would be his opponent?


    A momentter, another electronic sound rang out.


    The contestant icon in the second section finally stopped rolling.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Tang Xie, who was standing next to Qin Lang, raised his eyebrows slightly as he saw his own icon. Abativeness ignited in his eyes.


    The second contestant in the same group was him!


    Was he going to fight Qin Lang again?


    He was looking forward to it!


    At the moment when Tang Xie¡¯s icon stopped rolling, rhe icons of the two contestants in Group Two had also stopped.


    Lei Ke and Zhu Ming.


    Seeing the drawing results, Lei Ke slightly narrowed his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t end up in the same group as Qin Lang¡­


    No big deal.


    If Qin Lang was strong enough, they would naturally meet in the championshippetition on the second day.


    If Qin Lang was not strong enough, then he was not worthy to be his opponent.


    Zhu Ming on the other side looked at the screen, her lips tightening slightly.


    For her, this was undoubtedly the worst draw.


    But Zhu Ming did not lose her will to fight because of this.


    She was the type to rise to the challenge when faced with a stronger opponent. Now that she hade across Lei Ke, she would give it her all and show her strongest side!


    ¡°The drawing results for the four contestants have been finalized!¡± The host looked at the big screen and dered loudly, ¡°The first match of the rankingpetition in three days will be between contestant Qin Lang and contestant Tang Xie, while the second match will be brought to you by contestant Lei Ke and contestant Zhu Ming.¡±


    ¡°They have three days to prepare.¡±


    ¡°So now, let s see thepetition subjects for the first day¡¯s two ranking matches!¡±


    ¡°The first draw will be for the two contestants in Group One! ¡±


    As the host¡¯s words fell, the image on the big screen changed in sync.


    The icons of Qin Lang and l ang Xie appeared on the two sides of rhe screen, while the middle area disyed rolling phrases.


    ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ stop!¡±


    Apanied by the host¡¯s countdown, the phrases finally came to a halt.


    [Fixed Ingredient]


    After clearly seeing the phrase, Qin Lang¡¯s face lit up with a surprised and delighted expression.


    This was a new category he had yet to try.


    And one he was very much looking forward to for thepetition.


    Competition Category: Fixed Ingredient. Spirit Chefs must incorporate rhe drawn ingredient into their cooking.


    In anotherpetition category ¨C Limited Cuisine Theme, the detailed drawing includes themes like fish and poultry.


    The two seem simr, bur there are differences.


    Firstly, Fixed Ingredient specifies the type of ingredient. For instance, pork tenderloin and beef brisket are two different items. On the other hand, Limited Cuisine Theme¡¯s corresponding theme restriction is broader. Both pork tenderloin and beef brisket would fall under the livestock category.


    Secondly, Limited Cuisine Theme requires adherence to the theme. If the theme drawn is livestock, then the corresponding livestock ingredient chosen must be the primary ingredient. But for Fixed Ingredient, there is no such requirement.


    As long as the corresponding ingredient is used in the cooking, it¡¯s allowed, whether or not it¡¯s the main ingredient.


    On the other side, Tang Xie¡¯s hands involuntarily clenched slightly.


    Fixed Ingredient, huh¡­


    He hadn¡¯t encountered this category many times and didn¡¯t have much experience with it.


    Facing his old rival Qin Lang, this wasn¡¯t good news at all.


    His only hope was that the fixed ingredient would be something he was good


    at¡­


    Tang Xie thought about this just as he saw the phrase on the screene to a second stop,


    [Chicken Breast]


    So it¡¯s chicken breast¡­


    Wait, chicken breast?!


    Tang Xie¡¯s eyes suddenly burst with gleaming light.


    He abruptly turned to look at one of the two Food Spirits by his side.


    That was his first Food Spirit, and by sheer coincidence, the Origin Cuisine of this Food Spirit happened to require chicken breast.


    Although Spirit Chefs don¡¯t receive any bonus effects from cooking their own Food Spirit¡¯s Origin Cuisine, Tang Xie had spent a long time practicing and improving this dish in order to increase rhe vor Value of his Food Spirit, eventually helping his first Food Spirit reach the maximum vor Value of 200 points for Two-star Food Spirits.


    One could say, this dish was Tang Xie s specialty!


    He turned to look at Qin Lang standing next to him, a light of self-confidence in his eyes.


    ¡°Qin Lang, this time, 1 will not lose to you again!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Qin Lang took his gaze away from the big screen, and his expression became a bit puzzled after hearing Tang Xie¡¯s words.


    He was not sure where Tang Xie¡¯s self-confidence came from.


    But just so happened, he was also pretty confident.


    Chicken breast is not such a high-grade ingredient.


    Its meat is too firm, with not much fat content.


    No matter how delicately you cook the whole chicken, the chicken breast would always end up as the poorest on the tastiness scale.


    Under such circumstances, a dish that could continue to be passed down using chicken breast as the main ingredient wouldn¡¯t be simple.


    In every previous Food Fight andpetition, Qin Lang had to mull over the choice of dishes for a good while.


    But not this time.


    Because the moment he saw chicken breast, a dish automatically surfaced in Qin Lang s mind.


    Choosing it, there¡¯s no way he could go wrong.


    After thepetition categories for Qin Lang and Tang Xie were determined, the categories for Lei Ke and Zhu Ming were also quickly established.


    Seeing the category, Zhu Ming¡¯s eyes lit up with joy.


    Limited Ingredient Value, 500 yuan.


    This was the lowest tier in the Limited Ingredient Value category.


    Looking at the dishes Lei Ke had made in the past, the nextpetition would be to her advantage.


    Lei Ke beside her first furrowed his brows, then quickly rxed them.


    Just a limit on ingredient value.


    That wouldn¡¯t stump him.


    After determining thepetition subjects for the first day of the rankingpetition in three days, the eliminationpetition came to a close following the host¡¯s closing remarks.


    Leaving the Dongxia Arena, Qin Lang looked at the three people behind him enthusiastically looking at him, and smiled helplessly.


    ¡°We<sup>1</sup> re going to my house, to make Wen Si Tofu!¡±


    ¡°Hooray!¡±

 Chapter 78 - 78: Qin Lang’s Dream Hen

    Chapter 78: Qin Lang¡¯s Dream Hen


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s really delicious-¡±


    At Qin Lang¡¯s house, Qi Xiaoyu had just patted her tummy, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.


    After having a bowl of Wen Si Tofu, she felt a sense of bliss.


    ¡°During thepetition, because of the limited ingredients, the soup we made was not at its best.¡± Qin Lang took a sip of Wen Si Tofu with a smile, nodding with satisfaction, ¡°This time, it¡¯s better.¡±


    When cooking at home, there were hardly any restrictions.


    In celebration of their advancement in the eliminationpetition, Qin Lang had purposely added numerous superb ingredients to the soup.


    While it wasn¡¯t the mostvish, it was definitely more exquisite than the general chicken clear soup.


    The primary attention in Wen Si Tofu is given to the texture of the tofu, whereas the deliciousnesspletely depends on the soup.


    When the soup is well-cooked, naturally the taste of Wen Si Tofu leaps dramatically.


    ¡°All you know is eating.¡± Du Weiwei, sitting next to them, couldn¡¯t help but smack Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s belly,pletely forgetting that she hadn¡¯t objected to this at all when Qi Xiaoyu had made the suggestion.


    The two girls yfully began to tussle while Zhao Chen, who was dining with them, silently put down his cutlery and looked at Dan Bao next to Qin Lang, then at his own Yangyang.


    Both Food Spirits were born around the same time, but at this moment the stars surrounding Danbao shone much brighter than those around Yangyang.


    This was primarily due to the two Starstones that Qin Lang had acquired.


    Newbie Spirit Chefs usually couldn¡¯t directly participate in thepetition, let alone rank in it.


    But Qin Lang, relying on his incredible culinary skills, made it happen.


    It was like overtaking in a curve, drastically elerating Danbao¡¯s star growth.


    This development made an urgency surge in Zhao Chen¡¯s mind.


    As the future¡¯s mightiest training master, how could he allow his rival to leave him far behind?


    It is time to start the Food Spirit Trial!


    Qin Lang nced at Zhao Chen who was periodically in deep thought and then nodding with conviction.


    What kind of weird idea was this guy who had a second-kind syndrome brewing?


    After a hearty meal, all three knew that Qin Lang needed to prepare for the uing ranking battle, so they bade their farewell and left.


    Watching them leave, Qin Lang looked at the dimming sky and gently patted Danbin who had approached him, ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed early today. We are making a trip tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Goo-glub?¡±


    Dan Bao tilted his head, a puzzled expression visible on his face.


    They¡¯re about to enter the ranking fight, so what are they going out for?


    ¡°For the next dish, the quality of the chicken breast significantly impacts the final taste of the dish.¡± Qin Lang started seriously, ¡°Even though it¡¯s the same cut of chicken, the chicken breast, the quality varies between different breeds and individual chickens.¡±


    ¡°So, to defeat Tang Xie, I need to personally select the best chicken breast.¡±


    The various breeds of chicken in the Food Spirit world are different from those on Earth. As for this aspect, Qin Lang was not familiar with it and his original identity was just a chef who hadn¡¯t reached the phase where he had to consider the breed quality or ingredient quality.


    So for Qin Lang, selecting the ingredients also posed a challenge.


    Considering Tang Xie¡¯s overflowing confidence, he was being very cautious about the next match.


    ¡°The careful chef.¡±


    I see¡­


    Dan Bao, as if struck by a sudden realization, nodded his head.


    Yeah!


    They can go out and y tomorrow!


    ¡°Sleep time!¡±


    Qin Lang, holding Dan Bao with him, walked towards the washstand.


    A momentter, the chef and his Spirit quickly fell asleep.


    The next morning came through the blink of an eye.


    Qin Lang woke up early and went to the Spirit Chef Association-certified food market.


    This ce had the richest variety of chicken breeds, which made it convenient for him topare.


    Under the disdainful gaze of the poultry section guide, Qin Lang began to gently feel the chicken breasts of different chickens, judging their differences in quality.


    Chicken breasts that are too small won¡¯t do, and those that are too big aren¡¯t necessarily good either.


    The sticity is equally important and needs to be felt by lightly pressing with the fingertips.


    Just before the poultry section guide was about to call the police with his mobile phone, Qin Lang finally lit up, his gaze fixed on one breed of chicken.


    It was a breed called the ¡°Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken¡±.


    The quality of the breast meat of this particr breed perfectly met Qin Lang¡¯s needs.


    Truly a dream chicken, just like so.


    ¡°Hello, I want five pounds of Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken¡¯s breast¡­¡± Qin Lang spoke while looking up and meeting the gaze of the guide, slightly taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°All, this¡­nothing.¡± The guide silently put down his mobile phone.


    Turns out that the young man in front of him was selecting ingredients.


    With his odd actions before, the guide thought¡­


    ¡°Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken is a top-grade chicken breed, and its original habitat is the Wuhe State, located in the southwest of Tianhua State,¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯sck of understanding about the breeds of the ingredients, the guide took the initiative to introduce them.


    ¡°Wuhe State has a developed water system, Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chickens are free-range near the riversides. Their dietary structure and level of activity are notparable to ordinary chicken breeds, they can even fly over rivers in short distances.¡±


    So, these are chickens that can fly across rivers.


    Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully.


    No wonder the breast meat of this chicken breed ispletely different from other breeds.


    ¡°Old Chen, are you introducing your pet chicken again?¡±


    Just as the guide was about to continue his introduction, a familiar voice came from Qin Lang¡¯s side.


    ¡°Fu Guan, aren¡¯t you supposed to be looking after your beef section?¡± Chen, the guide, couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    ¡°I saw a familiar face, so I came to say hello!¡± Fu Guan grinned and pped Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Congrats, brother Qin Lang. You got through the elimination round! 1 watched yourpetition live stream all the way through!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Fu.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    Ever since he was tested as a Food Rmender at Zhen Niu Pavilionst time, he had be more familiar with this beef section guide.


    Getting through the elimination?


    Chen, the guide who was nearby, heard their conversation and began looking at Qin Lang more carefully.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but now that he saw the young man in front of him was indeed one of the four participants who had advanced from the city-level cookingpetition¡¯s elimination round.


    If he remembered correctly, it should¡¯ve been the third round.


    That¡¯s right!


    The guide surnamed Chen suddenly remembered, the young man¡¯s nextpetition item was fixed ingredients.


    And chicken breast is the fixed ingredient.


    He¡¯s quite a big customer!


    It¡¯s not like Qin Lang would necessarily buy a lot of chicken breasts.


    However, the city-level cookingpetition had a very high attention level. If Qin Lang could make a good dish using chicken breasts, then the number of customers buying chicken breasts would skyrocket in a short period!


    With increased sales, the guide¡¯s ie would naturally improve.


    But for the guide surnamed Chen, the most important thing wasn¡¯t this.


    As Fu Guan said, the Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken was his beloved chicken.


    Because the only breeding base for Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken in Dongxia City was run by his family.


    If the chicken breast that Qin Lang used was from the Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken¡­


    Thinking of this, Chen, the guide, looked at Qin Lang with an intense eagerness.


    He swiftly walked up, shoved Fu Guan to the side, and warmly grabbed Qin Lang¡¯s hand, ¡°Brother Qin Lang, I didn¡¯t recognize you before, but I¡¯ve been following you for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, if you n to use the breast meat of the Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken for the next match, I have even better options.¡±


    ¡°We can directly go to the breeding base of the Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken, and you can take whichever one you like!¡±

 Chapter 79 - 79 Wuhe Breeding Base

    Chapter 79: Wuhe Breeding Base


    Trantor: 549690339


    Hearing what the Chen surnamed guide had said, Qin Lang blinked and subconsciously nced at Fu Guan standing beside him.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s name is Chen Kai.¡± Fu Guan gave a disgruntled look at Chen Kai who had pushed him aside and started introducing him, ¡°He¡¯s the only one in Dongxia City who owns a Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken Farming Base.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not lying, he sells the good ones but there are certainly better ones at his breeding base.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s apetition, the ingredients should be as good as possible, you might want to consider visiting the breeding base.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully.


    Fu Guan didn¡¯t need to lie to him, so Chen Kai, the guide, seemed reliable.


    Visit the breeding base?


    That sounded like a good idea.


    ¡°Brother Chen, where is your breeding base? Can I go in and have a look?¡±


    ¡°The breeding base is not far from here, you can get there quickly by taxi.¡± Chen Kai chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t leave here, but it¡¯s fine, my father is in charge of the breeding base.¡±


    ¡°If you want to go, 1¡¯11 tell him in advance, you can naturally get in when you get there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Chen.¡± said Qin Lang politely.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal!¡±


    After a few more exchanges, Qin Lang got the address from Chen Kai and hailed a taxi straight to Chen Kai¡¯s breeding base.


    The breeding base was named Wuhe.


    It was said that Chen Kai¡¯s ancestors came from Wuhe State. After settling in Dongxia City, they asionally missed their hometown and introduced their local chicken breed to Dongxia City, thus the name of the breeding base.


    Soon, Qin Lang arrived at the poultry farm.


    With Chen Kai¡¯s prior notice, he was able to enter without any hindrance.


    Soon, an old man with white hair came forward to greet him, ¡°You must be the young brother Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Chen.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded, looking at Chen Ming, the owner of Wuhe Breeding Base and Chen Kai¡¯s father.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told about the purpose of your visit by Xiao Kai.¡± Chen Ming began cheerfully, ¡°Shall I show you around our breeding base first?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Qin Lang, nodding.


    Even though there were only two days left for thepetition prep, understanding the habits of the ingredients was also important for a chef, so Qin Lang didn¡¯t mind spending time on this.


    ¡°Here, this is our hatching center.¡± Chen Ming, leading Qin Lang, soon walked into a substantial t building nearby.


    The building was split into differentpartments, each with a warm glow seeping through the door cracks.


    Chen Ming pointed at abel on one of thepartment doors, ¡°The eggs in thispartment were allid eleven days ago.¡±


    Then, he pointed to thebels on otherpartments, ¡°The eggs collected in the hatching center are arranged in differentpartments ording to the time they were collected.¡±


    ¡°In this way, we can adjust the hatching temperature daily to keep the eggs at the best hatching conditions at different times.¡±


    ¡°Do chicken eggs require different temperatures at different hatching stages?¡± Qin Lang asked, surprised.


    This was the first time he had heard of such a thing.


    ¡°The temperature difference isn¡¯t reallyrge, it won¡¯t fluctuate more than one degree.¡± Chen Ming exined with a smile, ¡°But when we adjust it ording to the temperature curve we summed up, the chicks hatched are noticeably healthier.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s educational.¡± Qin Lang felt a sense of undisguised admiration.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go inside and have a look.¡±


    As Chen Ming opened the door, the warm light from thepartment flooded out.


    Qin Lang and Dan Bao quickly followed, moving into the light-filledpartment.


    Racks of eggs, all ced in individualpartments under incubation, appeared before them. Each of the eggs was being illuminated by the warmingmp from the top and bottom.


    The radiant warm lights intermingled, casting a warm glow across the entirepartment.


    There were also various testing instruments on the side, conducting real-time detection of the indoor temperature and the state of each egg.


    This was the first time Qin Lang had seen a breeding base that managed the egg hatching process to such a precise extent.


    Dan Bao pressed its eyes against the thermal ss cover of the incubator rack, carefully observing the upright eggs which, under the warm light, revealed the faint outline of an embryo.


    There were so many eggs here!


    ¡°Dan Bao?¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s call snapped it out of its mesmerized state, Dan Bao finally noticed that Qin Lang and Chen Ming were about to leave.


    It reluctantly looked back at rows of eggs and quickly followed.


    A chick rearing area, a breeding chicken mating area, a broiler chicken ughter processing area¡­


    Under Chen Ming¡¯s leadership, Qin Lang visited several sections of the Wuhe Breeding Base, finally reaching his destination.


    The mature chicken free-range area.


    ¡°The Phoenix Tail Chicken is not aplete meat chicken breed so its growth cycle is slightly longer.¡± Chen Ming began as he opened the protective fence gate, ¡°Between three and five months, is the time when the quality of the chicken meat is the best.¡±


    ¡°In this free-range area for mature chickens, all are Phoenix Tail Chickens in this stage.¡±


    ¡°To simte the natural conditions of Wuhe State where they originate, we particrly chose a location near a tributary of Xiayun River for the breeding base, such that the Phoenix Tail Chickens can be free-ranged by the riverside¡­¡± halfway through his exnation Chen Ming suddenly pointed, ¡°Look at that over there.¡±


    Qin Lang turned his head and saw a Phoenix Tail Chicken with a thinyer of light brown feathers and long, gorgeous tail feathers gracefully gliding from across the river,nding elegantly on the bank and strutting about.


    ¡°This chicken can fly, so its free-range area can be veryrge.¡± Chen Mingughed, ¡°Feel free to choose any chicken here!¡±


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡± said Qin Lang, nodding as he moved towards a group of Phoenix Tail Chickens strolling by the riverside.


    After the tour, he had gained some understanding about the habits of Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chickens.


    Combining this knowledge with the general knowledge of selecting poultry, Qin Lang felt he could pick the one he admired the most.


    There were hundreds of Phoenix Tail Chickens within the mature chicken free-range area, but it didn¡¯t take Qin Lang long to find a particr one. Because it was too eye-catching.


    The tail feather of this Phoenix Tail Chicken was more slender than the others, and the chicken itself was considerablyrger.


    It stood quietly on a tree branch, calmly watching its counterparts below.


    The way it held itself reminded one of a king of chickens looking over his subjects.


    More importantly, the front chest of this Phoenix Tail Chicken was high and upright, in contrast to the other Phoenix Tail Chickens, the difference seemed to be that of a muscle man and a skinny dog.


    ¡°Uncle Chen, that one¡­¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but point at the Phoenix Tail Chicken.


    ¡°Nice eye, you¡¯ve picked out our Chicken King at first nce.¡± Chen Mingughed heartily, ¡°This Phoenix Tail Chicken flies the highest in this free-range area, and it almost flew away a few times.¡±


    ¡°We even had to raise the fence of the free-range area because of it!¡±


    ¡°If you want to take away this Chicken King, I have no objection.¡±


    ¡°But 1 can¡¯t catch it in a short while, why don¡¯t¡­ you give it a try?¡±


    Qin Lang looked at Dan Bao, apetitive spirit shing across his face.


    ¡°Okay!¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80: Chicken King, Don’t Run!

    Chapter 80: Chicken King, Don¡¯t Run!


    Trantor: 549690339


    A Spirit Chef isn¡¯t just a chef whose culinary skills surpass those of ordinary chefs.


    They¡¯re also bearers of extraordinary powers, able to manifest all sorts of miraculous abilities through using the Food Spirits to do what ordinary folks can¡¯t.


    For example¡­


    Catching a flying Chicken King.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    What should we do?


    Under the tree where the Chicken King perched, Dan Bao looked up at the Phoenix Tail Chicken King, who sat in arrogant dismissal of all other beings from his lofty ten-meter perch, and couldn¡¯t help but voice out his question softly.


    ¡°Let me think¡­¡± Qin Lang also tilted his head up, his eyes identally met those of the Chicken King and felt its arrogance, which made him eager to cook it, ¡°Aha! I have an idea!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll ger close to it slowly, then you¡¯ll burn all of its feathers!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Burn the feathers?


    Will that do any good?


    Dan Bao turned his head to look at Qin Lang, his face full of doubt.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°Phoenix Tail chickens aren¡¯t born with the ability to fly like you. Their flight capabilities are a result of evolution, mainly owing to the buoyancy of air¡­¡±


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s increasingly bewildered look, Qin Lang decided to skip the exnation, ¡°In short, without the feathers on its wings, a Phoenix Tail chicken can¡¯t fly.¡±


    ¡°Once it can¡¯t fly, we ll have a much easier time catching it.¡±


    That¡¯s how it works!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.


    He understood!


    ¡°But keep in mind, this is thepetition s ingredient. We can¡¯t hurt it yet,¡± Qin Lang coughed lightly, quickly reminding, ¡°This is also a practice for your Full Firepower. You need to chase it through the air, burn off all its feathers, but without hurting rhe body of the Phoenix Tail Chicken King.¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s little face suddenly became serious.


    Not only can this tactic catch rhe Phoenix Tail Chicken King, but it also can improve his Combat Skill.


    The Spirit Chef¡¯s wisdom indeedes with good intent!


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Understood!


    ¡°Borrow power from Tian Shu, protect!¡±


    Qin Lang muttered to himself, and in rhe next moment, he silently activated the Star Spirit Protection.


    Looking up again at the Phoenix Tail Chicken King in the sky, Qin Lang quickly issuedmands in his heart, ¡°Move closer carefully!¡±


    Dan Bao ascended gingerly, doing his best to make his approach seem as casual as possible, avoiding eye-contact with the Phoenix Tail Chicken King.


    The Phoenix ¡®Lail Chicken King shivered.


    lr felr like there was a malicious soul out to harm it!


    And it seemed like the type that would strip its clothes¡­no, pluck its feathers.


    Under this inexplicable premonition, the Phoenix Tail Chicken King couldn¡¯t help but look around until its gaze locked onto Dan Bao who was edging closer to it.


    ¡°Shoot, it¡¯s discovered us!¡±


    Qin Lang, who had his eyes on the Phoenix Tail Chicken King all along, was taken aback.


    What sharp intuition! Truly worthy of being called Chicken King!


    ¡°No need to continue the act, move in quickly!¡±


    Upon receiving new instructions, Dan Bao quickly turned around, his gaze meeting that of the Phoenix Tail Chicken King.


    A moment of silence passed, then it unleashed its maximum speed and hurtled toward the Phoenix Tail Chicken King!


    ¡°Cluck?!¡±


    The Phoenix Tail Chicken King¡¯s body shook, quickly spreading its folded wings and exerted force to fly higher in an attempt to escape.


    Ah!


    Wings!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The distance between Dan Bao and the chicken was now within range of his Full Firepower attack.


    The words Qin Lang shared echoed in Dan Bao¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Now¡¯s the time! Full Firepower!¡±


    ¡°Suck-¡±


    Dan Bao took a violent sniff, and a huge me arose between the gap of its face and body.


    ¡°Hoo!¡±


    With another puff, the me turned into a zing fire line, shooting at the Phoenix Tail Chicken King.


    Target: The opened wings of Phoenix Tail Chicken King!


    The Phoenix Tail Chicken King felt the wave of heating from below, and it pped its wings even more vigorously.


    However, the next moment, an expression of astonishment that had never urred in its king-like life surfaced on its face.


    Why do I feel so light when pping the wings?


    Why am 1 still falling even though I¡¯m pping my wings?


    Where is this unpleasant burnt smelling from?


    Why do I feel so chilled when I¡¯m in heatwaves?


    Its small head was filled with big doubts.


    It wasn¡¯t until it saw its one-sided wing burnt without many feathers from the corner of its eyes.


    The next moment, a heartbreaking scream echoed in the air.


    ¡°Cluck!!!¡±


    The Phoenix Tail Chicken King glided with the one-wing still feathered, barely maintaining a bnce on the ground, and then bolted with its long legs spread wide.


    The king is not in his prime today, run!


    ¡°Chicken King, don¡¯t run!¡±


    After a few steps, the Phoenix Tail Chicken King was firmly locked by two hands.


    ¡°Cluck?!¡±


    What, there is help on the ground too?


    Chicken King is shocked and angry!


    It angrily turned around to look at the human who held it down, but the moment itid eyes on him, the Phoenix Tail Chicken King shivered unconsciously.


    A kind of fear from its blood made the Phoenix Tail Chicken King instantly lost all its motivation to fight.


    It is the bloodline repression of the cook on the ingredients!


    The Phoenix Tail Chicken King rolled its eyes and fainted.


    The king¡¯s life is over-


    While Qin Lang and Dan Bao were preparing for thepetition two dayster, theirpetitor appeared in the Food Material Market.


    Tang Xie took a good look around and then proficiently arrived at the chicken meat section in the Food Material Market.


    He went straight up to Chen Kai, who was organizing the disy case, ¡°Brother Chen, is the meat 1 reserved avable yet?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured! I do things properly!¡± Chen Kaiughed heartily, leading Tang Xie to a corner and then opened a fresh cold storage cab, ¡°Here is 10 catty of Purple Crown Chicken breast meat brought overnight from Bai Lu Mountain City, take a look!¡±


    Tang Xie tried it and nodded satisfactorily.


    The Purple Crown Chicken from Bai Lu Mountain City is as famous as the Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken.


    This chicken is free-range in a mountain named Bai Lu Mountain in Bai Lu Mountain City. Since it often eats a special fruit from the mountain, its crown gradually turns purple, and its meat quality also changes ordingly.


    Different cooking needs require different ingredients.


    For Qin Lang, the best option is the breast meat of the Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken.


    But for Tang Xie, the Purple Crown Chicken from Bai Lu Mountain is his best choice.


    However, this breed of chicken is very rare in Dongxia City, and there is no specific breeding base.


    Therefore, in order to get rhe best quality Purple Crown Chicken, Tang Xie found Chen Kai, whom he had known for several years as soon as thepetition ended, and through his channels, he contacted the best Purple Crown Chicken breeding base in Bai Lu Mountain City.


    Although it dyed him for most of the day, it was all for the sake of achieving victory in the rankings match with the best cooking skills.


    ¡°The quality is very good, send it to my home directly.¡± After a thorough inspection, Tang Xie slowly spoke up.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    Chen Kaiughed. Tang Xie gave him quite a bit of money for acting as a middleman and this deal was very profitable.


    Suddenly, Chen Kai seemed to remember something and looked at Tang Xie teasingly, ¡°By the way, your opponent bought chicken breast meat here. Do you want to know what breed he bought?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know, and you won¡¯t tell me.¡± Tang Xie calmly took out a card, ¡°Besides, no matter what ingredients he chooses, I will win thispetition.¡±


    ¡°Swipe the card, pay the bill .¡±

 Chapter 81 - 81: The Ranking Competition Begins

    Chapter 81: The Ranking Competition Begins


    Trantor: 549690339


    Three days ¨C neither long nor short.


    For the four advancing contestants immersed in their closed-door preparations, the time seemed to pass in a blink of an eye.


    But for the countless people following the ranking match, these three days felt incredibly long.


    During these three days, the situations of the four eliminationpetitions became hot topics for countless people over tea and mealtime.


    However, unlike the controversy that followed the conclusion of the scoring contest, the most discussed this time was not the champion of the Danju City Cooking Competition, Contestant Lei Ke, and his innovative dish, ¡°Mountains and Clouds,¡± but rather Qin Lang¡¯s Wen Si Tofu.


    Having tofu cut into thin threads was something that almost no chef had thought of doing before.


    But when Qin Lang showcased such fantastic knifework in thepetition, other Spirit Chefs became curious and couldn¡¯t help but start experimenting themselves.


    Fact proved that Dongxia City still had some talented people.


    In just two days, a few Spirit Chefs who are known for their knifework managed to do simr tricks.


    But most posts were Spirit Chefs sharing their failed attempts on social tforms.


    Their failures prompted even more Spirit Chefs to begin experimenting.


    A bizarre Tofu Thread Cutting Challenge swept through Dongxia City, even showing trends of expanding to neighboring cities.


    Normally, a city-level cookingpetition would not attract attention from other cities, as every city has its own city-level cooking contest.


    Only a higher level, provincial-level cookingpetition would attract the attention of all cities in the province.


    However, due to the Tofu Thread Cutting Challenge, Qin Lang started gaining some cross-border poprity.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen!


    In Dongxia Arena, the host¡¯s mood was as high as ever.


    ¡°After the two thrilling rounds of scoring and eliminationpetitions, there are only four contestants left in this Dongxia City Cooking Competition!¡±


    ¡°They are:


    ¡°From Danju City, contestant Lei Ke, who aims to earn his second


    Second-Level Food Rmender Badge!¡±


    ¡°From Dongxia City, the dark horse of this Cooking Competition, contestant Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°From Dongxia City, contestant Tang Xie, the Food Fight Devil with a hundred Food Fight experiences!¡±


    ¡°From Dongxia City, the new generation Spirit Chef from a renowned Spirit Chef family, contestant Zhu Ming!¡±


    ¡°At this moment, they are going topete in a two-day top-four ranking match!¡±


    ¡°Today, we are going to witness the birth of the winners¡¯ and losers¡¯ groups!¡±


    ¡°First up is the duel between two contestants!¡±


    ¡°Theirpetition project involves a fixed ingredient, detailed as chicken breast.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give our warmest apuse to contestant Qin Lang and contestant Tang Xie, anticipating a fantastic collision of their culinary arts!¡±


    Amid a resounding apuse and cheer from the entire arena, Lei Ke and Zhu Ming temporarily left to prepare at the yers¡¯ Spectator Seats. Qin Lang and Tang Xie, under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, stepped into the twopetitive standard kitchens at the center of the arena.


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    With the electric bell ringing, the outer walls of the twopetitive standard kitchens instantly turned opaque.


    The first round of the ranking match began!


    After the ringing of the electric bell, a prearranged warm-up performance by thepetition¡¯s organizing center started immediately.


    This time, the performer was Zhang Xi Yue, a famous Food Spirit performer from Tianhua State invited by thepetition organizing center. As a Spirit Chef with three Food Spirits, Zhang canmand her Food Spirits to cooperate and create mind-blowing special effects through Combat Skills.


    When she appeared in the middle of the stage via the rising tform, directing her three Food Spirits to embark on a wonderful performance prepared in advance to the rhythm of beautiful music, the cheers and apuse from the audience were non-stop, making the warm-up effect unparalleled.


    In thepetition standard kitchen, unaffected by the outside world, Qin Lang and Dan Bao started cooking for the day.


    After finishing all the preparations, both Spirit Chef and Food Spirit came to the workbench.


    On the chopping board, therey a piece of chicken breast,rger and seemingly more resilient than the average piece.


    Typical chicken breasts only weigh around two to three ounces, but this one weighed a hefty five ounces.


    In a cookingpetition, there¡¯s no need for excessivelyrge serving sizes; just this piece of chicken breast alone, if cooked and divided into twelve portions, would be more than enough.


    It was taken from the Phoenix Tail Chicken King that Qin Lang and Dan Bao had brought back from the Wuhe breeding base and was the main ingredient for today.


    After simply cutting off the fascia on the surface of the chicken breast, Qin Lang took a deep breath and pulled out a second kitchen knife from the knife rack beside him.


    Qin Lang gripped the two identical kitchen knives in his hands, with the des facing upwards and the backs downwards, and began to quickly and continuously beat the chicken breast in front of him.


    There are three marvelous dishes in Sichuan cuisine that have earned the reputation of ¡°eating chicken without seeing chicken.¡±


    These three dishes are Chicken Tofu, Furong Chicken Slices, and Snowke Chicken.


    What Qin Lang is preparing today is thettermost, known as the ¡°Souffle of the Chicken World,¡± the Snowke Chicken.


    Its ingredients are simple, but the preparation process is veryplicated.


    The hardest part is beating the chicken breast into minced meat.


    You must use the back of a knife to ¡°beat¡±, and not use the de to ¡°chop¡±, because it requires patience to remove the tendons inside the meat. Using the de would cut off the tendons along with the meat, making them inseparable.


    Even using two cooking knives, this process still takes over twenty minutes.


    Ordinary people would feel their hands sore from beating for so long, but luckily, the spiritual power in a chef¡¯s star veins has a nourishing effect on the body.


    This is the key reason why he could steadily proceed with the preparation of the chicken balls after two consecutive days of training.


    With one hand he beat with the back of the knife, and with the other, he removed the tendons from the minced meat with the tip of the knife.


    Twenty minutester, all that remained on the chopping board was a pile of delicate light pink chicken breast paste.


    Qin Lang transferred the meat paste to arge bowl and walked to the stove by his side.


    The green onion sections and ginger slices had been boiled in water and cooled down to room temperature after such a long time.


    After straining out the onions and ginger to leave just the ginger scallion water, he poured a little bit into the chicken breast paste in the bowl repeatedly, stirring it up and down to let the meat paste fully absorb the water. ¡°Glug!¡±


    With its big fluffy tail, Dan Bao nudged a small bowl full of eggs beside it, indicating that they had been adequately freshened.


    I am Dan Bao, your best helper in the kitchen!


    ¡°Very well done.¡±


    Qin Langplimented with a smile, set the freshly whipped chicken breast paste aside, and began to separate egg whites from the eggs.


    Add the egg white to the bowl, dip your hand into the egg white and squeeze firmly, cut off the connecting tissue in the egg white, add it to the chicken breast paste, and then stir again.


    After the paste has been stirred evenly again, add in the water starch mixed with pea starch for the third round of stirring.


    With each addition of water, the chicken breast paste absorbed arge amount of water in every nook and cranny, and its texture started to be pasty.


    Lastly, add a spoonful of chicken soup made from other parts of the Phoenix Tail Chicken King, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stir well until evenly mixed.


    After the lengthy process of preparing the chicken mixture, Qin Lang shook his somewhat sore arms and re-adjusted his state.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Cheer up!


    With a nudge of Qin Lang¡¯s cheek, Dan Bao¡¯s big tail wagged with anticipation.


    Only the final step remains!


    The contents of the bonus chapter at the end of this chapter:


    [Snowke Chicken]

 Chapter 82 - 82 Golden Silk Mockingbird

    Chapter 82: Golden Silk Mockingbird


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qin Lang took a deep breath and began the next steps.


    A hot pot with cold oil, after allowing the oil to soak the walls, he poured it out, then added an appropriate amount of olive oil into the pot.


    On low heat with cold oil, he gently poured the chicken paste into the pot, stirring with a spat until the paste solidified, transforming into fluffy clouds of chicken.


    In this process, an amazing savoury chicken smell continuously burst from the pot, making Dan Bao on the side involuntarily swallow, as if he was experiencing the taste of the Snowke Chicken that he had tasted over the past two days.


    te the dish, and sprinkle it with finely diced cooked ham.


    The simple addition of diced ham made the fluffy chicken tremble slightly.


    The deep red ham and the white chickenplemented each other.


    The Snowke Chicken, done!


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    An electric bell sound echoed in Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen the moment the Snowke Chicken was finished.


    This meant that his opponent had finished cooking!


    ¡°A step behind huh¡­ that¡¯s not a big issue.¡±


    Qin Lang skillfully ced the prepared dishes into the kitchen cart, and then looked at Dan Bao on the side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded heavily.


    In this battle, it and its Spirit Chef would surely win!


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    After the spectacr performance by famous Food Spirit performer Zhang Xi Yue ended, without giving the excited audience any chance to lose their emotions, a clear bell sound echoed through the entire arena.


    The moment they heard the ringing, the audience seats broke into cheers.


    Because it symbolised that a Spirit Chef had finished cooking!


    Thepetitive standard kitchen belonging to Tang Xie slowly opened at this moment.


    With a solemn expression, Tang Xie exuding confidence, pushed his kitchen cart and stepped out.


    He felt that his cooking state today was unprecedentedly good.


    And finishing his dish before Qin Lang was also a good sign.


    He chose his best dish and selected the best ingredients to cook in his best state.


    Like the timing, location, and people all on his side, he couldn¡¯t think of why he would lose!


    ¡°The one who finished cooking first, is our contestant Tang Xie!¡± The host spoke with a loud voice, holding the microphone, ¡°Let us¡­¡±


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, another bell sounded.


    Thepetitive standard kitchen belonging to Qin Lang also opened at this moment!


    The time it took for both Spirit Chefs to finish cooking was so close!


    For a moment, the entire venue boiled with excitement!


    Everyone started to look forward to what dishes these two Spirit Chefs would present today.


    ¡°We see that contestant Qin Lang has also finished cooking his dish!¡± The experienced host wasn¡¯t affected at all, and smoothly segued his narration, ¡°The cookingpletion time of both contestants was close, but contestant Tang Xie was faster.¡±


    ¡°So ording to thepetition rules¡­¡± The host nced at the two contestants, who had pushed their carts beside him, then slowly said,¡±Contestant Tang Xie will proceed with the tasting section first, while contestant Qin Lang will have to wait for a while.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded nonchntly and made a gesture of invitation towards Tang Xie.


    He had noticed that Tang Xie was exceptionally confident today.


    So he was also curious about what dish Tang Xie had prepared.


    Tang Xie advanced with pride and pushed the kitchen cab forward a few steps, respectfully nodded at the eleven judges before taking the microphone.


    ¡°Respected food rmenders, the dish I brought today is called ¡®Golden Silk Mockingbird¡¯.¡±


    As Tang Xie¡¯s voice fell, Zhang Ting, the food rmender corresponding to the Grey Feather Badge among the judges, looked up at Tang Xie, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.


    Among Tang Xie¡¯s three First-Level Food Rmender Badges, one is exactly the Grey Feather Badge.


    And he initially obtained the Grey Feather Badge by using this very Golden Silk Mockingbird dish.


    Therefore, Zhang Ting was quite familiar with Tang Xie¡¯s dish.


    It is not a simple dish at all.


    Despite her pickiness towards delicious food, she very much recognises this particr dish.


    This contestant named Qin Lang might be in trouble!


    Zhang Ting turned her gaze to Qin Lang next to her, her eyes full of exploration.


    The Wensi Tofu that Qin Lang cooked in the previous round left a deep impression on her.


    In addition to the surprising aspect of the tofu being sliced into thin shreds, the chicken soup seasoning also gave Zhang Ting a pleasant surprise.


    So¡­


    What kind of dish will Qin Lang bring this time?


    Will this dish exceed the Golden Silk Mockingbird that she admired so much?


    She was very curious.


    However, while Zhang Ting was still pondering, Tang Xie had already served the prepared dish and ced it in front of the eleven food rmenders.


    Looking at the Golden Silk Mockingbird in front of her, a look of surprise shed in Zhang Ting¡¯s eyes.


    Tang Xie¡¯s culinary skills seem to have improved.


    As Tang Xie served the dish, all the spectators in the hall also got to see the true face of the dish known as the Golden Silk Mockingbird through the close-up camera.


    For a moment, gasps of surprise were heard all around the arena.


    The Golden Silk Mockingbird.


    Just like its name, the dish looked like a golden bird. Under the high-definition camera, one could even observe the fine golden threads and clear patterns of weaving on its surface.


    After the dish was served, the eleven food rmenders began their tasting, and Tang Xie¡¯s introduction also started at this moment.


    ¡°The Golden Silk Mockingbird, it uses the Purple Crown Chicken, a specialty of Bai Lu Mountain City.¡±


    ¡°The Purple Crown Chicken, due to its unique living conditions and diet, has different characteristics from other types of chicken. The muscle fibers in their breast area are slender and stic, the chicken meat has a higher fat content and a unique vor.¡±


    ¡°In this dish, 1 boiled the chicken breast in advance, separated the meat into shreds, then, following the exclusive folding weaving technique of Dongxia City, 1 wove it into a golden canary.¡±


    ¡°The purpose of weaving is not just for aesthetics.¡±


    ¡°The folding weaving technique creates a three-dimensional woven structure, but there are certain gaps between each thread.¡±


    ¡°Incorporating this special weaving technique into cooking allows the soup to evenly soak each strip of meat and tofu, finely seasoned, allowing the chicken breast meat to transform in this process.¡±


    ¡°In order to hold the shape of the golden canary made of the chicken breast thread, I filled in other parts of the Purple Crown Chicken, which is rich in fat, on the inside. As the cooking continues, the fat from these parts will melt into the chicken breast meat.¡±


    ¡°As we all know, the fat content of chicken breast meat is very low, resulting in a tough and not very good taste.¡±


    ¡°My method, however, canpletely change the taste of the chicken breast,¡± Tang Xie¡¯s face showed confidence and pride.


    The constant gaspsing from the audience as he spoke proved he had the right to be confident and proud.


    In the yers¡¯ spectator seats, Lei Ke was staring at Tang Xie for the first time.


    Before this, among all the contestants in the Dongxia City Cooking Competition, only Qin Lang, who had presented his Wensi Tofu, had received Lei Ke¡¯s approval, being considered worthy topete with.


    Now, it seemed that there would be one more.


    It¡¯s true that you can¡¯t underestimate any Spirit Chef from any city!

 Chapter 83 - 83: Is this Chicken Breast?!

    Chapter 83: Is this Chicken Breast?!


    Trantor: 549690339


    While listening to Tang Xie¡¯s introduction, Qin Lang was carefully observing the details of the Golden Silk Mockingbird disyed on the screen, a hint of admiration appearing on his face.


    This is quite an interesting dish, with a preparation process for the ingredients even moreplex than that of the Snowke Chicken.


    No wonder Tang Xie was so confident after getting this theme.


    This dish surpasses any other dish Tang Xie has presented before.


    However¡­ a fighting spirit arose in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    The cooking of a dish does not mean the moreplex and difficult it is, the better.


    Complexity is for the final presentation of the taste; in the end, apetition of delicious food is still apetition of vor.


    And he was confident in his Snowke Chicken.


    During Tang Xie¡¯s presentation, eleven Food Rmenders had finished tasting the dish.


    ¡°Our eleven Food Rmenders have finished tasting yer Tang Xie¡¯s dish! Now, let¡¯s have yer Qin Lang enter the dish tasting section!¡± the Host announced loudly, holding a handheld microphone, and then signaled Qin Lang to start.


    In the eliminationpetition, the Food Rmenders who grant the Food Rmender Badge to the yers would form an evaluation after the tasting section, but there is no such section in the ranking match.


    For the viewing effect, the Food Rmenders still need to give evaluations, but their evaluations will be included in the voting decision section.


    Therefore, after Tang Xie¡¯s dish tasting was over, Qin Lang¡¯s dish tasting would immediately begin.


    After hearing the host¡¯s words, Qin Lang stepped forward a few steps and arrived in front of the Judges¡¯ Seats.


    Taking a deep breath, he slightly bowed towards the Judges¡¯ Seats.


    ¡°Greetings to the eleven Food Rmenders, the dish I brought today is called Snowke Chicken.¡±


    After announcing the name of the dish, Qin Lang opened his kitchen cab car, carrying out servings of the dish to ce in front of the Food Rmenders.


    Under the synchronized close-up camera, the white chicken, like rolling clouds, embellished with tiny diced ham, appeared in everyone¡¯s field of vision, even the details of the gentle swaying with the te as it was served were so clear.


    The Dongxia Arena fell into a stir once again, due to the dish that Qin Lang had served.


    Unlike Tang Xie¡¯s dish, Qin Lang¡¯s dish didn¡¯t look like a main course, but rather like a dessert, the white portion resembling delicate cream.


    Tang Xie, standing aside afterpleting his tasting section, stared at the dish on the screen, his mouth unconsciously agape.


    What on earth did Qin Lang make?


    This Snowke Chickenpletely exceeded his predictions, to the extent that Tang Xie felt like the two of them had been given different themes.


    If he recalled correctly, wasn¡¯t the fixed ingredient project supposed to include chicken breast?


    Where is the chicken breast?


    The dark red particles sprinkled on top could be identified as diced ham based on the details.


    Since that wasn¡¯t the chicken breast, where was the chicken breast?


    Or¡­ was it hidden inside that cotton candy-like delicate food?


    Tang Xie¡¯s gaze was fixed on the dish Qin Lang had cooked, somewhat uncertain for a moment.


    A familiar feeling filled his heart.


    He wouldn¡¯t¡­ lose again, would he?


    No way! Absolutely impossible!


    He had even taken out the Golden Silk Mockingbird, there was no way he could lose!


    After serving the dish, Qin Lang returned to his starting position.


    This time, the Host did not forget to ask his question.


    Taking advantage of the time when the eleven Food Rmenders had started tasting, he quickly walked to Qin Lang¡¯s side, ¡°yer Qin Lang, thispetition requires adding chicken breast to the cooking. But so far, I have not seen the presence of chicken breast in this dish. Can you exin where exactly you added it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Qin Lang responded with a slight smile. ¡°The diced cooked ham sprinkled on top of this dish is used to enhance the vor andyers of taste in the dish.¡±


    He paused slightly before continuing, ¡°All the other parts are made of chicken breast.¡±


    The entire arena fell silent in that moment.


    The next second, the arena was filled with numerous exmations.


    That¡¯s chicken breast?!


    They looked at the cloud-like delicate chicken in the te with incredulous eyes.


    It seemed to have no rtion whatsoever to chicken breast.


    And this feeling was so familiar.


    In thestpetition, hadn¡¯t they also been unable to believe that the white, countless thin strips could be carved from tofu?


    In the yers¡¯ Spectator Seats, Lei Ke¡¯s expression turned serious.


    He stared intently at Qin Lang in the field.


    This guy, he had surprised him again!


    After the end of the eliminationpetition, Lei Ke, driven by hispetitive spirit, secretly tried to cut tofu.


    However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t achieve the same effect as Qin Lang.


    This Snowke Chicken that Qin Lang had brought today gave him aplete feeling of cluelessness.


    Just how was the chicken breast transformed into such a cloud-like lightness?


    This question appeared in Lei Ke¡¯s mind and wouldn¡¯t disappear.


    But one thing was certain.


    He was looking forward to his battle with Qin Lang even more.


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s exnation, Tang Xie stood rooted to the spot.


    How was the chicken breast transformed into this state?


    And what would the texture of chicken breast in this state be like?


    For a moment, he felt an urge to immediately taste the Snowke Chicken.


    However, ording to the rules, this would be dyed until after the voting section.


    The Snowke Chicken was small in quantity, so there wasn¡¯t enough time for the Host to ask another question. Very quickly, the Food Rmenders signaled that they had finished tasting.


    ¡°Both yers¡¯ dishes havepleted the tasting!¡± As soon as the final Food Rmender finished tasting, the Host announced loudly, ¡°So now, let us proceed directly to the Food Rmenders¡¯ evaluation voting section!¡±


    Adding evaluations to the voting section meant that the Food Rmenders not only needed to name the yer they favored, but also had to provide a justified reason.


    At that moment, countless audience members in the Audience Seats turned their attention to the Food Rmenders.


    Among these two dishes, the Golden Silk Mockingbird was more visibly stunning, while the Snowke Chicken, like a cloud of chicken, still held a veil of mystery in everyone¡¯s mind.


    They all wanted to know, just which dish was superior.


    More importantly, they wanted to know what the vor of these two dishes would be.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± The first Food Rmender seated to the left of the Judges¡¯ Seats smiled and took the initiative to speak, ¡°I had heard previously about yer Tang Xie¡¯s Golden Silk Mockingbird, but this is the first time I have tasted it.¡±


    ¡°The chicken breast woven into the bird was filled with fatty parts of the chicken on the inside. By cooking it, the fat permeated the strands of chicken breast, changing its texture, and the external seasoning gave it a fresh taste.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very interesting dish, I really like it.¡±


    ¡°As for yer Qin Lang¡­¡± His gaze turned toward Qin Lang, carrying a hint of curiosity, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how to cook chicken breast into such a state.¡±


    ¡°Just like with the Wen Si Tofu in thestpetition, you are very good at transforming ingredients into apletely new shape, thus giving them apletely new texture.¡±


    ¡°This Snowke Chicken, gave me a surprise.¡±


    ¡°So, my vote goes to Qin Lang!¡±


    Qin Lang bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude for the Food Rmender¡¯s recognition..

 Chapter 84 - 84: Upgrade! Two-star Food Spirit!

    Chapter 84: Upgrade! Two-star Food Spirit!


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡±


    Fu Hang, sitting on the left second seat, brought the microphone closer to himself.


    ¡°To cut to the chase, my vote also goes to Qin Lang.¡±


    As Qin Lang once again bowed his head in gratitude, he began his own evaluation.


    ¡°The cooking I agree with is that which best showcases the ingredient¡¯s own deliciousness.¡±


    ¡°Both dishes were equally astonishing, but Tang Xie¡¯s dish was somewhatcking in this aspect.¡±


    ¡°Although you used the other parts of the chicken as stuffing for the Golden Canary to ensure the pure taste of the chicken, the seasoning used in cooking was too strong and somewhat overpowered the main ingredient.¡±


    ¡°On this point, Qin Lang did better.¡±


    ¡°I always stick to one point.¡±


    ¡°Light seasoning and the dish¡¯s freshness do not conflict.¡±


    Fu Hang put down the microphone, signaling that he had finished speaking.


    ¡°Thank you for your evaluation, Mr. Fu Hang,¡± Tang Xie said with a humble expression.


    Yet his mood was inevitably somewhat low.


    His first confrontation with Qin Lang took ce under Fu Hang¡¯s test.


    And whether it was then or now, Fu Hang always considered him inferior to Qin Lang.


    More importantly, Qin Lang has already received two votes, whereas he has not received any.


    Is the gap between their dishes so big?


    Luckily, the third Food Rmenderpleted his evaluation quickly and finally voted for Tang Xie.


    This lifted Tang Xie¡¯s mood again.


    There¡¯s still a chance of winning!


    The fourth, the fifth¡­


    Each Food Rmender, starting from their own preferences, gaveparative evaluations and final choices of the two dishes.


    Theparison of votes between Qin Lang and Tang Xie came to 6:4.


    Only thest vote was left, but the oue was already clear.


    The final vote was cast by Zhang Ting, the Food Rmender sitting on the far right.


    ¡°This is a voting decision that makes it very difficult for me to choose,¡± Zhang Ting said, looking troubled.


    The other Food Rmenders understood andughed.


    ¡°I once awarded Tang Xie the Grey Feather Badge, and the dish he cooked at the time was this Golden Mockingbird.¡±


    ¡°Having tasted it again today, 1 can feel that after a few months, Tang Xie¡¯s cooking skills have improved and this Golden Mockingbird is better than before.¡±


    ¡°In theory, this improvement deserves encouragement, and also deserves my vote.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I must vote in ordance with my heart and give it to Qin Lang,¡± she regretted.


    In his Snowke Chicken, 1 didn¡¯t see any chicken, but 1 tasted the entire freshness of one chicken.


    ¡°This is an experience I¡¯ve never had before, it shocked me greatly.¡±


    Tang Xie was slightly silent.


    Although the victory was already decided, for thispetition, Zhang Ting was clearly the most authoritative judge.


    Even she voted for Qin Lang, which was enough to prove that he was indeed better than him.


    ¡°The voting section is over!¡±


    ¡°Now, please have both contestants taste each other¡¯s dishes! If there are no objections, the results of thepetition will be officially announced!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice dropped, Tang Xie turned to Qin Lang.


    Through the words of eleven judges, he probably knew about Qin Lang¡¯s Snowke Chicken.


    However, some things needed to be tasted personally to understand.


    ¡°Snowke Chicken, please taste it.¡±


    ¡°Golden Mockingbird, please taste it.¡±


    After the dishes were exchanged, Tang Xie scooped up a spoonful of chicken with diced ham from Qin Lang¡¯s dish and hurriedly put it in his mouth.


    The fluffy and tender chicken melts in your mouth, leaving a rich chicken vor on the lips and teeth that gradually blends with the diced ham as you chew, offering ayered experience in both taste and texture.


    So this is how chicken should taste¡­


    Tang Xie reluctantly put down his te, looking at Qin Lang.


    ¡°I admit defeat.¡±


    After Qin Lang¡¯s duel with Tang Xie, the second round of the ranking matches followed immediately.


    Thepetition, which has a restrained ingredient value of less than 500 yuan, does pose a limitation for Lei Ke who has been using multiple high-grade ingredients in his previous dishes.


    However, this limitation only prevents him from getting all eleven votes.


    Zhu Ming, whopeted to her utmost potential in the face of pressure from Lei Ke, still failed to defeat this great viin from Danju City, losing with a regrettable final vote of 3:8.


    The first day ofpetition ended.


    Under the guidance of the host, the four contestants returned to the stage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s congratte Qin Lang and Contestant Lei Ke for winning today¡¯s match and advancing to the winner¡¯s group!¡±


    ¡°They will bepeting for the championship tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°At the same time, let¡¯s give a warm apuse to Contestant Tang Xie and Zhu Ming, their excellence is undoubted as they havee this far!¡±


    ¡°And tomorrow, they willpete for the third ce in this game!¡±


    In the midst of the enthusiastic cheers and apuse from the audience, the host paused, ¡°Before drawing tomorrow¡¯spetition items, may Qin Lang and Contestant Lei Kee forward.¡±


    ¡°You two will receive in advance the full seven Chengxing Stone reward meant for the second ce, minus the two previously received, giving a one-time reward of five Chengxing Stones!¡±


    Hearing the host¡¯s words, Tang Xie and Zhu Ming both showed envious expressions.


    Five Chengxing Stones, which is more than the sum of the two previous advancement rounds.


    Qin Lang and Lei Ke stepped forward simultaneously, taking five Chengxing Stones each from the two outstanding trainers holding the Chengxing Stone special alloy box.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Excitement sent Dan Bao¡¯s little head bouncing around inside his body like a ping-pong ball.


    Five Chengxing Stones!


    This is definitely his biggest gain so far!


    ¡°Come!¡±


    With five dazzling Chengxing Stones in his hand that shone like a star cloud, Qin Lang¡¯s face glowed with anticipation.


    He wondered how far Dan Bao would be from reaching two stars after absorbing these five Chengxing stones at once.


    One piece, two pieces, three pieces¡­


    The star cloud within each Chengxing Stone dissipated, turning into a colorless gem. The star surrounding Dan Bao became brighter and brighter with each Chengxing Stone absorbed.


    By the time he had absorbed the fourth stone, the star by Dan Bao was as bright as a small bulb. Even under the brilliant daylight, its light could not bepletely hidden.


    This striking scene drew everyone¡¯s attention to Dan Bao.


    Is this¡­


    The Spirit Chefs in the audience, who had experienced simr rate up experiences with Food Spirits, all had their eyes shining.


    Qin Lang took a deep breath, his eyes filled with excitement as he handed thest Chengxing Stone to Dan Bao.


    Dan Bao also became serious. It nced at the Mind Stone it had hung around its body and quickly came closer.


    In the end, the fifth Chengxing Stone lost its color.


    And the star next to Dan Bao exploded with dazzling light!


    This light enveloped Dan Bao¡¯s body, also reflecting on the Mind Stone he carried with him.


    The colorless outeryer of the Mind Stone melted away like ice under the sun, and the faint pink heart-shaped power within quietly merged with the slowly dividing star in the light.


    In the end, the light faded.


    There were two shining stars near Dan Bao.


    Food Spirit, Two Stars!

 Chapter 85 - 85 - Rare

    Chapter 85: ¨C Rare


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°A new development has arisen in the arena!¡±


    The Host¡¯s voice raised slightly.


    ¡°Congrattions to contestant Qin Lang, his Food Spirit has broken through to two stars!¡±


    ¡°Will this affect the uing winner¡¯s grouppetition tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    Lei Ke, who had put back the Starstone into the metal box, turned to nce at Qin Lang.


    A Food Spirit breaking through to two stars, huh¡­


    Considering the number of Starstones Qin Lang has gotten, his Food Spirit indeed should have broken through.


    Being an experienced recipient of quite a few Starstones, Lei Ke was very interested.


    An intrigued expression inevitably appeared in his eyes.


    After the breakthrough of such a worthy opponent, Lei Ke was looking forward to whether he would gain more strength.


    Amid the apuse of congrattions from the entire audience, Qin Lang gradually regained his senses.


    Two Stars!


    Dan Bao had finally broken through to two stars!


    He had been anticipating this day for a while, and now it had arrived faster than he expected, making him unable to hide his joy.


    Were it not for the multitude of eyes on him at the moment, he would have eagerly examined Dan Bao¡¯s changes after the two-star breakthrough.


    However, for the time being, he managed to calm his excitement with the Host¡¯s ensuing words.


    ¡°Next, we will have the draw sessions for the winner¡¯s group and the loser¡¯s grouppetitions for tomorrow. Through this draw, the four contestants will determine thepetition items!¡±


    ¡°This means, they only have less than twenty-four hours of preparation time! This is more urgent than any previous round!¡±


    ¡°This urgency is one of the difficulties of the ranking matches, as well as a test for any Spirit Chef¡¯s skills!¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s start the draw for the loser¡¯s grouppetition!¡±


    With the Host¡¯s words, the yer icons of Tang Xie and Zhu Ming quickly appeared on both sides of the big screen.


    There was no need for a yer draw this time, but the tense atmosphere did not alleviate a slightest.


    Tang Xie and Zhu Ming both clenched their hands and fixated their gaze on the scrolling list at the center of the screen.


    There was less than one day left for preparation, and it would be disastrous if they encountered a troublesomepetition task.


    In the end, the rolling list slowly stopped.


    The vast Dongxia Arena seemed to have been paused at this moment.


    [Limited Ingredient Value]


    Seeing the final fixed list, Tang Xie and Zhu Ming let out sighs of relief.


    Rtively speaking, this list offered plenty of room for maneuvering, and the preparation time would not be too long.


    In this circumstance, even with less than a day¡¯s preparation time, they could exert their full strength as much as possible.


    ¡°Thepetition task forpetitors Tang Xie and Zhu Ming is ¡ª Limited ingredient value!¡± The Host¡¯s voice broke the silence in the arena, making all audiences cheer in realization, ¡°Next, let¡¯s start the draw for details!¡±


    The list rolled again and eventually fixed on [2000].


    The expressions on Tang Xie and Zhu Ming became even more rxed.


    Although a price under two thousand still had restrictions, most standard dishes were already included in this range.


    For both of them, this was undoubtedly another piece of good news.


    Looking at each other, a fighting spirit emerged in both their eyes.


    Although they both lost in their groups, the third ce was still worth the fight!


    ¡°Next, we will start the draw for the winners group!¡± The host immediately initiated the draw for the winners group without any pause after the losers group¡¯s draw had ended.


    Qin Lang and Lei Ke faced each other, then simultaneously looked towards the rolling list above.


    At this moment, Qin Lang experienced the same tension that Tang Xie and Zhu Ming had felt earlier.


    Though Lei Ke had gone through this once, the anticipation in his eyes was no less intense knowing his opponent was Qin Lang, a Spirit Chef he hade to highly regard.


    Unsurprisingly, the draw for the winners group attracted more attention than that for the losers group.


    The tense atmosphere in the arena seemed to have thickened even more than before.


    Until the list scrolling on the screen slowly stopped with a sound of an electronic beep.


    [Limited Cuisine Theme]


    Seeing this task, both the expressions of Qin Lang and Lei Ke subtly changed.


    Limited Cuisine Theme was one of the mostmon tasks in allpetitions and also had the most detail options.


    Different details carried different difficulties.


    Therefore, it held significant variables.


    But, what would be the detail they ended up drawing this time?


    Neitherpetitor cked off after determining thepetition and fixated their eyes on the list, which began scrolling again.


    At this moment, the tens of thousands of audience members collectively held their breaths, fearing their breath might affect the list on the screen.


    There were tens of thousands of details under the category of Limited Cuisine Theme.


    Lei Ke and Qin Lang ¨C which detail would the forting championship fightnd on?


    Under the nervous stares of countless people, the list on the screen stopped.


    [On-the-spot performance)


    Seeing these four words, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyes.


    What kind of theme was this?


    Lei Ke, who was next to him, also looked surprised when he saw these four words.


    It was apparent this was the first time he had ever drawn this theme.


    However, Lei Ke had much morepetition experience than Qin Lang. After a brief thought, he quickly figured out the specific requirements of this theme. He couldn¡¯t help but reveal a look of anticipation.


    ¡°Contestant Lei Ke and Qin Lang have drawn a Rare Theme!¡± After a short surprise, the Host¡¯s voice suddenly surged, ¡°The Rare Theme is one of the nine draws under the Limited Cuisine Theme category, with a draw probability of less than one in a thousand!¡±


    ¡°The two contestants are both unlucky and fortunate!¡±


    ¡°Because the Rare Theme ¨C On-the-spot Performance, is extremely difficult!¡± The Host took a deep breath, ¡°In the second round tomorrow, both contestants will have to perform twice in the On-the-spot Performance style immediately after the drawing!¡±


    ¡°Even the time for finding and preparing ingredients would be included in the three-hour limit for cooking.¡±


    ¡°If the preparation time for the Ranking Competition is less than one day.¡±


    ¡°Then, the preparation time given to these contestants is zero!¡±


    Upon hearing the Host¡¯s introduction of the specific requirements of the theme, Qin Lang, who wasn¡¯t proficient in Food Fight, finally understood the horror of this theme.


    Complete uncertainty.


    Although the scope would significantly shrink as the draw for the second time wouldn¡¯t be among tens of thousands under Limited Cuisine Theme, the Spirit chefs wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare for each individual topic.


    Especially when there was less than a day left to prepare.


    For a moment, even with countless recipes in his mind, Qin Lang felt a sense of helplessness.


    And this helplessness,bined with the surprise of Dan Bao¡¯s breakthrough to two stars, left Qin Lang dumbfounded in ce.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lei Ke patted his shoulder after the draw ended that he snapped out of it.


    ¡°You are an opponent worth noting,¡± Lei Ke wore a look of anticipation, ¡°I look forward to our battle tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I will go all out,¡± Qin Lang nodded emboldened.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 86 - 86: Tianxuan

    Chapter 86: Tianxuan


    Trantor: 549690339


    For the four participants preparing for tomorrow¡¯spetition and the countless residents of Dongxia City who are interested in the city-level cooking contest, this night is destined to be a sleepless one.


    Whether it be the dishes they presented in today¡¯s two matches, or the ranking battle they will be fighting tomorrow, they have all sparked a lot of discussion.


    Among them, the championship fight between Qin Lang and Lei Ke has drawn the most attention.


    One of them is a dark horse that emerged from Dongxia City, showing remarkable culinary skills at a young age. The storm he sparked with his ¡°Wen Si Tofu¡± lingers on and continues to intensify.


    The other hails from Danju City, a formidable Spirit Chef who once won the Danju City Cooking Contest. Since the start of thepetition, he has maintained an unbeatable momentum, leaving allpetitors in the dust.


    With the odds of drawing the rare theme less than one in a thousand, everyone is eagerly anticipating what sparks will ignite between these two contestants.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang and Dan Bao, located right at the epicenter of the storm, are at this moment deeply immersed in another surprise.


    ¡°Is it really Thought Wave?!¡±


    Qin Lang looked at Dan Bao with excitement, seeking confirmation again.


    ¡°Gudulu!¡±


    Dan Bao happily nuzzled against Qin Lang¡¯s cheek and then turned his gaze to the side of the road, his expression bing slightly serious.


    With the spiritual power in Qin Lang¡¯s star vein being drawn out, halos of creamy-white light radiated rapidly in all directions from Dan Bao at the center.


    The next moment, under Qin Lang¡¯s gaze, the garbage scattered by the roadside began to slowly rise into the air and flew straight into a nearby trash can.


    Combat Skill: Thought Wave.


    Though it¡¯s not been used in battle, its unique object maniption ability is unmistakably authentic.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Qin Lang hugged Dan Bao, rubbing its big ears as encouragement, his eyes sparkling with light.


    The types ofbat skills varied widely.


    The currently catalogedbat skills amount to nearly two thousand, and asionally, new skills are discovered and cataloged.


    The number of Combat Skills for three types are roughly equal, among them, there are 623 discovered Mind-type War Skills.


    Dan Bao, who had received the Mind Stone, would certainly awaken a


    Mind-type War Skill, but the probability of specifically awakening Thought Wave, the very skill he wanted the most, from these 623 Mind-type War Skills, was still very low.


    That said, the odds of drawing a rare theme are even lower.


    ¡°Every bit of luck counts after all.¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but reveal a look of expectation.


    With Dan Bao having Thought Wave, it means that it can help him do more things in the future.


    Like controlling a kitchen knife to cut vegetables, or helping him wash vegetables, or helping him prepare ingredients¡­


    Is this really abat skill? It¡¯s definitely more like a Food Skill!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Qin Lang nced at the Dongxia Arena nearby.


    After leaving the arena, he couldn¡¯t wait to go home and promptly delve into Dan Bao¡¯s condition. Now that he roughly understood the situation, it was time to go home.


    ¡°Gududu?¡±


    Can we activate the second star vein now?


    Dan Bao asked in anticipation, remembering the words Qin Lang had said earlier.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Qin Lang nodded, an expectant look on his face, ¡°As soon as we get home, the first thing to do is to try activating the second star vein, Tianxuan.¡± ¡°But before that, we need to go to the Food Material Market.¡±


    ¡°Gudu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded in understanding.


    The final match for the championship is tomorrow, they certainly need to do some preparation indeed!


    ¡°Who said that preparation was for tomorrow¡¯s match?¡± Qin Lang shook his head mysteriously, ¡°It¡¯s for our newpanion.¡±


    Tomorrow¡¯s match is actually ast-minute re-draw, and with less than a day¡¯s time, it¡¯s impossible to make any thorough preparation.


    Instead of doing so, why not take it easy and give birthing the second Food Spirit a try?


    If a second Food Spirit is truly sessfully birthed, wouldn¡¯t an additional Food Skill help with tomorrow¡¯spetition?


    Dan Bao blinked, and then his eyes suddenly erupted with expectant light.


    The second Food Spirit!


    After opening the second star vein, Qin Lang became eligible to cultivate the second Food Spirit.


    Dan Bao believed with Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills, he could certainly easily do it!


    In this way, they were about to wee a new partner!


    Wondering what kind of food andbat skills this new partner would have.


    Also unsure about the new partner¡¯s personality, whether he would be easy to get along with.


    When that timees, he could invite it to eat his favorite egg fried rice!


    But the Origin Cuisine of the new partner definitely wouldn¡¯t be that, not even sure if it would love to eat¡­


    Dan Bao began to look forward to it on his own, his yolky little face disying a mix of worry and joy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, let¡¯s go shopping first!¡± Guessing Dan Bao¡¯s thoughts, Qin Lang rubbed his big ears, his face couldn¡¯t help but reveal a look of expectation, ¡°Buy various ingredients, try out more dishes.¡±


    The human and spirit set off in the direction of the Food Material Market.


    Night time.


    Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes were tightly closed.


    A soft and bright light kept flickering on the Shen Ting Acupoint on his forehead, slowly spreading to Qin Lang¡¯s face along an unseen trajectory.


    Finally, the light settled on Qin Lang¡¯s brow.


    Apanied by a hardly audible ¡°crack¡± sound, Qin Lang felt some kind of blocked power in his brow being unlocked, followed by a slightly inted feeling.


    It was the second location within the Seven Star Vein ¨C the Tianxuan Star Vein.


    Soon, the Tianxuan Star Vein was opened to the same degree as the Tian Shu Star Vein.


    And the two star veins seemed to resonate with each other, strengthening both simultaneously and allowing them to contain more spiritual power.


    After opening the second star vein, spiritual power value increased from 100 to 125.


    This not only meant that Dan Bao could use skills for longer, but also implied hisbat power had been enhanced.


    As Qin Lang opened his eyes, a figure emerged from the Tian Shu Star Vein location.


    It was the very Dan Bao who had entered the star vein in the midst of breakthrough to provide Qin Lang strength.


    Dan Bao could sense the vacant Tianxuan Star Vein right now.


    However, it had no connection with that star vein and couldn¡¯t enter it.


    ¡°Gululu?¡±


    How to open the third star vein?


    Thinking of there being seven star veins in total, it couldn¡¯t help but curiously inquire.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for the third star vein.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head, ¡°That requires both the first and second Food Sprites to reach three stars.¡±


    The opening of the Star Vein has its unique rules.


    To open a new star vein, all existing Food Spirits need to reach the corresponding star level.


    Even if a Food Spirit reaches a star level higher than the required, the others don¡¯t reach it, the Spirit Chef cannot breakthrough.


    For example, the opening of the fourth Star Vein requires all three previous Food Spirits to reach four stars. Even if one Food Spirit reaches five stars or higher, but the other Food Spirits can¡¯t reach four stars, it can¡¯t be opened either.


    For a Spirit Chef, opening the second Star Vein is easiest, requiring only one Food Spirit to reach two stars.


    But the difficulty of opening subsequent Star Veins will be increasingly high.


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Then quickly birth a new partner!


    Dan Bao urged excitedly.


    ¡°Alright!¡±

 Chapter 87 - 87: The Secret Object

    Chapter 87: The Secret Object


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Wee to Dongxia Arena!¡±


    ¡°Today is the final day of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition. After two rankingpetitions, the final ranking of the top four in thispetition will be determined.¡±


    ¡°Will contestant Tang Xie or Zhu Ming be the third ce?¡±


    ¡°Will contestant Qin Lang or Lei Ke be the champion?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    ¡°The firstpetition to be held is between Tang Xie and Zhu Ming. Theirpetition involves a limited ingredient value of two thousand yuan!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee the two contestants to the stage with a round of apuse!¡±


    Already poised to set forth from the yers¡¯ spectator stands, Tang Xie and Zhu Ming rose and, amidst roaring apuse and cheers, walked through the yer passage to the stage.


    Lei Ke crossed his arms and watched the departing figures, then turned his gaze to Qin Lang at his side with a slight lift of his brows.


    What¡¯s up with this guy¡­?


    Sitting on the other side of the spectator seats, Qin Lang¡¯s expression bore an aura of destion.


    If one looked closely, they could spot the dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes were somewhat bloodshot.


    Even Dan Bao, his spirit, was unlike its usual, full of vigor ¨C instead lounging on Qin Lang¡¯s head with his tail drooping, a tiny, confused yolk-filled head.


    Master and spirit, both were puzzled by one question.


    Why hadn¡¯t the second Food Spirit been born after trying tens of dishesst night?


    This is unscientific!


    After bing a Spirit Chef, Qin Lang had learned quite a bit of knowledge through various channels.


    There were three prerequisites for a Spirit Chef to birth a Food Spirit.


    First, the Spirit Chef needs an unupied Star Vein.


    Second, the vor Value of the Spirit Chef¡¯s cooked dishes must reach 60 points.


    Third, the Spirit Chef needs to invest Consciousness and Spirit into the cooking process.


    For the first condition, he, who had just opened the Tianxuan Star Vein, naturally met the requirement.


    For the second condition, 60 points was not a problem for him, considering his knowledge of vor Value.


    So, the only reason he could not birth a Food Spirit was because he didn¡¯t invest enough Consciousness and Spirit.


    However, this was even harder for him to understand.


    Last night, in cooking every dish, Qin Lang was fully engaged and even maintained strict focus on the stove during the waiting time, leading to hisck of energy today.


    If such focus does not count as investing Consciousness and Spirit, what does?


    He also tried recalling the process of Dan Bao¡¯s birth.


    At that time, he was frying egg fried rice, and due to the repetitive nature of the task, his mind wandered a bit.


    That was when Dan Bao was born.


    Could it be that too much focus actually prevents a Food Spirit from forming, and that he should let his mind wander a bit?


    Thoughts floating in his head, he yed out one scenario after another¡ª but all ended in failure.


    If dedication yielded nothing, distraction was even less likely to seed.


    By the end of the night, Qin Lang waspletely deted.


    It was said that for other Spirit Chefs, the difficulty lies in the vor Value when ites to birthing a Food Spirit.


    Why was it different for him?


    ¡°Snap out of it, Qin Lang!¡±


    A shout jerked him back to his senses.


    Looking in the direction of the call, he saw it came from a stranger seated nearby.


    Seeing Qin Lang turn toward him, the man enthusiastically waved an arm, ¡°You must be the champion!¡±


    A supporter of mine?


    Qin Lang nodded in gratitude to the man and sat up straight.


    He shook off his fatigue to regain focus.


    He couldn¡¯t birth a Food Spirit in one night? No matter, he could figure out that problemter.


    But the city-level cookingpetition had gone this far and it had not been easy at all.


    He needed toe to his senses and face theingpetition in the best state possible.


    ¡°Dan Bao, let¡¯s win this final round together!¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Softly voicing his resolve, Qin Lang rekindled his fighting spirit, his words rousing a spark in Dan Bao as well. Dan Bao rubbed against his hair, and nodded repeatedly with her small head.


    As this was the final day of thepetition, the organizers had arranged even morevish pre-game performances than before. After a series of performances, Tang Xie and Zhu Ming stepped out of the kitchen one after another.


    Clearly, both participants were pulling out all the stops for this finalpetition.


    Tang Xie presented his Golden Silk Mockingbird dish once again.


    There was no rule against presenting the same dish twice, and the price of the Purple Crown Chicken met the criteria for the limited ingredient value, so Tang Xie didn¡¯t need to put in a lot of preparation to present this dish. After all, he had prepared it in the previous round against Qin Lang.


    This was his specialty dish after all.


    Zhu Ming, on the other hand, showed no signs of backing down either.


    As if anticipating that Tang Xie would present the Golden Silk Mockingbird, Zhu Ming presented a dish which was no less amazing: ¡°Brocade Cloud Embroidery¡±. Its exquisite appearance elicited constant gasps of astonishment from the audience.


    When it came to the vote by the Food Rmenders, there was a close tie in votes for both of them, and neither could pull ahead.


    This time, Ms. Zhang Ting cast the decisive vote in favor of Tang Xie.


    Zhu Ming was narrowly defeated and ced fourth.


    Tang Xie narrowly won, securing third ce.


    When the twopetitors returned to their seats, the audience erupted again, filling the entire arena with apuse and cheers.


    This roar of apuse was crystal clear, the names ¡°Qin Lang¡± and ¡°Lei Ke¡± could be distinctly heard. It was from the tens of thousands of their supporters in the audience.


    ¡°The next event to be held is the final round of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition!¡± the host said in his loudest voice, ¡°Yesterday, both contestants drew a Rare Theme: On-the-spot performance!¡±


    ¡°In ordance with the rules of the theme, both contestants will draw a secondary theme from a fixed pool!¡±


    ¡°Once the drawing isplete, thepetition will start immediately.¡±


    ¡°Please note that because this theme is special, the time contestants use to choose and collect ingredients will be included in the three-hour cooking time!¡±


    ¡°There is an Association Certified Ingredient Market next to the arena, and contestants can leave the arena to choose ingredients, but if you need ingredients that are not for sale or other items necessary for cooking, you will need to figure that out on your own.¡±


    ¡°And now¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee contestants Qin Lang and Lei Ke to the stage with our warmest apuse!¡±


    Upon hearing the host¡¯s words, Qin Lang, who had adjusted his state to its peak, picked up a backpack, put it on, and walked onto the yer passage.


    Yesterday, Qin Lang did not prepare much for today¡¯spetition.


    But he did note empty-handed either.


    During his attempts to birth the second Food Spirit, he took the time to study the corresponding rules of the Rare Theme: On-the-spot performance, and briefly looked through the apanying fixed theme pool.


    In his backpack were various homemade sauces.


    Other than these, all other cooking necessities could be bought. He would leave it to the ingredient market.


    Hmm?


    Lei Ke¡¯s gaze fixed on the backpack behind Qin Lang. Hearing the faint sound of jars and bottles clinking within, he narrowed his eyes.


    Secret condiments or something?


    No wonder you¡¯re a contender worthy of my acknowledgement, Lei Ke, you¡¯ve got such a secret weapon.


    It¡¯s a coincidence, I have one too!


    Rummaging underneath his chair, he pulled out a suitcase and, with a long stride, trailed after Qin Lang towards the yer passage.


    Quick Entrance: [Monthly Ticket] [Vote]

 Chapter 88 - 88: Unexpected

    Chapter 88: Unexpected


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Both contestants have ascended the stage, and judging by the items they bring with them, they are well-prepared for this match.¡±


    The host chuckled and looked at Qin Lang and Lei Ke.


    ¡°So now, are you two contestants ready?¡±


    ¡°The moment the second round of draw results are confirmed, the countdown for this match shallmence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡±


    Lei Ke weighed the box in his hand, a confident expression disyed on his face.


    With his secret seasonings at hand, no matter the theme drawn, he could handle it with ease!


    ¡°I¡¯m ready too.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded, and his gaze inevitably turned to the screen in the air.


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of theme would be drawn in the second round of draw.


    ¡°Both contestants are ready, so now, let¡¯s proceed with the final theme drawing for this match!¡±


    With a sweeping gesture from the host, the words on the screen began to roll quickly.


    Tang Xie and Zhu Ming, who had alreadypleted thepetition and obtained their final rankings, stared intently at the screen.


    The two contestants standing in the field now had each defeated them separately yesterday.


    At the moment, they were very concerned about which of the two would win.


    The numerous audience members in the seating area held their breath at this moment, Qi Xiaoyu, seated in the VIP inner field area, couldn¡¯t help but grasping Du Weiwei¡¯s forearm tightly.


    But Du Weiwei was so absorbed staring at the electronic screen in the field that she didn¡¯t notice the pain in her arm at all.


    The eleven Food Rmenders on the judges¡¯ seats each disyed expectant facial expressions.


    Even with their wealth of judging experience, they had never encountered the rare theme of on-the-spot performance.


    Just this theme alone was enough to tickle their interest, let alone the remarkable culinary skills of the two Spirit Chefs in the arena.


    Naturally, the two contestants about topete in the field were the most nervous.


    Qin Lang tightly held his backpack with one hand and couldn¡¯t help but tighten his face.


    On the other side, Lei Ke rubbed the handle of his suitcase slightly, his thoughts unknown.


    As the words scrolled, the atmosphere in Dongxia Arena became more and more tense.


    Until, the words on the screen finally stopped.


    [Home]


    Seeing this term that was so short it was just one word, Tang Xie couldn¡¯t help but gasp for breath.


    This is an abstract theme!


    Following the rare theme: on-the-spot performance, they had drawn the most difficult abstract theme for on-the-spot performance.


    He put himself in their shoes and immediately felt the terrifying difficulty.


    Fortunately, the theme he drew was simple.


    Simrly expressing relief was Zhu Ming beside him.


    The theme they drew was much simplerpared to what Qin Lang and Lei Ke drew.


    The moment this theme was revealed, the audience seats were filled with murmurs.


    Obviously, they were shocked by such a theme.


    But beyond the shock, there was anticipation.


    How would the two contestants conceive a dish, find ingredients and cook within three hours with such an abstract theme?


    As for Qin Lang and Lei Ke in the field, they had no more time to catch their breath.


    Simultaneous to the theme freezing on the screen, the sound of an electric bell echoed.


    The three-hour countdown, begins!


    Lei Ke, carrying his briefcase, hurried off towards the Food Material Market without a word.


    However, his expression wasn¡¯t quite as rxed as before.


    Getting an abstract theme in the second round of draw was also unexpected to him.


    But for Lei Ke, the trouble wasn¡¯t in interpreting this theme.


    The moment he saw the theme, he already had an idea of what dish he was going to prepare.


    And, that dish was indispensable.


    But one of the ingredients required for that dish was a specialty of Danju City which couldn¡¯t be found in the Food Material Market.


    Lei Ke had his way of procuring the specialty within the given time, but it would cost him precious cooking time.


    He should make it in time.


    Even if Qin Lang were to finish earlier, the real taste difference could never bepletely eliminated by time.


    Lei Ke muttered to himself, couldn¡¯t help but nce back at Qin Lang before he temporarily left the arena.


    To his surprise, Qin Lang was still standing in ce.


    This guy¡­


    Lei Ke withdrew his gaze and disappeared out the entrance.


    ¡°Gudoo?¡±


    After Lei Ke left, Dan Bao went to Qin Lang¡¯s side and rubbed Qin Lang¡¯s cheek with its big tail, a worried expression on its face.


    With their heartfeltmunication, Dan Bao could sense the emotional turmoil under its Spirit Chef¡¯s calm facade.


    Without knowing the reason, it wanted tofort him with all its might.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Standing in ce for about ten minutes, Qin Lang let out a deep breath, and his face became lively again.


    Home¡­


    This was indeed an unexpected theme.


    He gradually came to his senses, but his drifting thoughts still lingered on that memory buried deep within him.


    This abstract theme had awakened his dormant memories of home.


    Subconsciously reaching into his bag and touching a certain bottle, Qin Lang¡¯s heart steadied.


    Like Lei Ke, who knew immediately which dish he had to cook once he saw this theme, he also knew what dish he should cook in thispetition.


    Looking at a worried Dan Bao, Qin Lang gave aforting smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going to pick out some ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded heavily, following closely behind Qin Lang.


    Unlike Lei Ke, everything Qin Lang needed could be found in the Food Material Market.


    After making their purchases, he and Dan Bao hurried back to the arena and entered the Competitive Standard Kitchen.


    Half an hour passed.


    Qin Lang began cooking, and Lei Ke had yet to return to the arena.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got this in the bag!¡±


    In the audience seats, Qi Xiaoyu excitedly patted Du Weiwei¡¯s thigh, ¡°Qin Lang is already inside! Lei Ke hasn¡¯t even returned yet. Qin Lang is definitely going to finish first! Advantage is ours!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Du Weiwei nced helplessly at her best friend, knocked her hand off her thigh and looked towards Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen, her brow furrowing slightly.


    ¡°I just have this feeling that something is off about Qin Lang.¡±


    After awakening its Thought Waves, Dan Bao could help much more.


    Despite theck of a second Food Spirit creation fromst night¡¯s cooking, Dan Bao had gained lots of experience in assisting with ingredient preparation using Thought Waves.


    At the moment, it was controlling the water to wash the ingredients and treating fresh ingredients with its Fresh Full, while also asking curiously.


    ¡°Gululu?¡±


    What dishes are we making today?


    ¡°Today, we¡¯re making a dish called Twice-Cooked Pork.¡±


    Qin Lang replied in a soft tone, a faint nostalgia on his face.


    In his hand was arge piece of pork belly, with the pork skin side downwards as he seared it in a heated pan.


    After searing the pork skin to lessen the gamey taste, he scraped off the charred surface with a kitchen knife, washed it clean, put it into cold water, added scallion and ginger, as well as cooking wine, and slowly simmered it on low heat.


    Havingpleted all this, Qin Lang took out a bottle of sauce and ced it on the countertop.


    There was abel he hand-wrote on the ss bottle.


    Three characters were written on thebel.


    Doubanjiang.


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 Chapter 89 - 89: Living Creatures

    Chapter 89: Living Creatures


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The meat needs to be boiled for half an hour.¡±


    As the meat boiled in the pot, Qin Lang began to prepare the other ingredients while fondling Dan Bao.


    He smashed the green garlic with the side of the knife and sliced it at an angle, then cut the capsicum frutescens in half, setting them aside forter.


    After preparing the ingredients, Qin Lang leaned against the side table. He propped his chin with one hand, quietly watching the asional steam rising from the pot, smelling the faint fragrance of the meat drifting with the steam.


    ¡°This scene is so familiar.¡±


    He suddenly sighed with a smile, as if he had gone back a long time ago.


    Back then, he would also support his chin like this, watching the pot while waiting for the meat to cook.


    At this moment, Qin Lang felt a sudden urge to find someone to share his thoughts with.


    Thankfully, he had Dan Bao.


    ¡°Do you know why 1 chose twice-cooked pork as a theme?¡± Qin Lang asked softly.


    Dan Bao shook its little head, its small face filled with confusion and curiosity.


    It also wanted to know what the connection was between this dish called twice-cooked pork and the abstract theme of ¡°home.¡±


    ¡°Because when 1 was young, my mother used to love making this dish for me.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s gaze passed the stove and rested on the jar of Doubanjiang on the other side of the table. And then he began to speak freely.


    ¡°I have been tutored by many skilled and respected culinary experts in my journey as a chef.¡±


    ¡°But this Doubanjiang, this is not something they taught me.¡±


    ¡°This is the recipe my mother taught me. The Doubanjiang we make tastes different than others.¡±


    ¡°My mother isn¡¯t a chef, her cooking skills are pretty ordinary.¡±


    ¡°But the twice-cooked pork, that¡¯s something she made really tasty.¡±


    ¡°Whenever I did something praiseworthy as a child, my mother would reward me with arge te of twice-cooked pork.¡± Qin Langughed, ¡°I could finish an entire half-jin of meat with some rice.¡±


    ¡°As 1 grew up, I became a chef.¡±


    ¡°To improve my cooking skills, I traveled everywhere, visiting renowned chefs and exchanging culinary experiences.¡±


    ¡°The frequency of my home visits thus reduced.¡±


    ¡°Each time I went home, my mother would cook arge te of twice-cooked pork for me, just like when 1 was a child.¡±


    ¡°I still remember¡­¡±


    As Qin Lang rambled on about his memories, Dan Bao quietly leaned in, listening attentively.


    Time ticked away, and half an hour quickly passed.


    As the kitchen timer ran out, Qin Lang stopped talking.


    He quickly approached the stove and opened the lid. As he fished out therge piece of pork belly that had been cooked until it turned grey-white, a strong meaty aroma drifted towards him.


    After the meat cooled down, he chopped it into thin slices the thickness of a coin.


    Next, he heated a wok and added some oil. As he added the sliced pork belly, he sprinkled in some Sichuan peppercorns and stirred, then spoke again rather abruptly.


    ¡°Dan Bao, do you know why twice-cooked pork is called twice-cooked pork?¡± Dan Bao took a nce at the pork belly in the wok that had gradually turned brown and was releasing a strong meaty aroma, and couldn¡¯t help but swallow. It pondered for a bit, and then its small eyes lit up.


    ¡°Gudu Gudu Lulu-¡±


    Is it because the meat is boiled and pulled out to be cut into slices, and then sent back into the wok for stir-frying?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, exactly.¡± Qin Lang nodded. He added Doubanjiang, slices of ginger, and fermented ck beans to the wok once the pork fat had been fried out. As he continued to stir-fry, he quietly resumed his story.


    ¡°Once, 1 hadn¡¯t been home for over two years, wandering around in other ces.¡±


    ¡°When 1 returned home, my mother made me a te of twice-cooked pork. As I ate, she scolded me. She said¡­¡±


    He paused for a second.


    ¡°She said even the meat knew to go back to the wok, why didn¡¯t I know to go home?¡±


    His voice deepened.


    ¡°Iter found out, she had been diagnosed with a serious illness at that time.¡±


    ¡°But by the time I came to know, it was toote.¡±


    ¡°Glug¡­¡±


    A look of sadness involuntarily appeared on Dan Bao¡¯s little face.


    It felt its Spirit Chef¡¯s low mood at this moment, so it could only rub against him tofort him.


    Qin Lang squeezed Dan Bao with his free hand to signal that he was okay.


    After expressing his suppressed emotions, Qin Lang stopped talking and continued his cooking work in silence.


    He sauteed the pork belly until the vors had thoroughly prated the meat, then added cooking wine, a spoonful of white sugar, and capsicum frutescens.


    After bringing out the savoury aroma, he added chopped green garlic and stir-fried it until it was just right, then he added a bit of rice vinegar on the edge of the wok.


    These familiar steps made him inexplicably feel as if he wasn¡¯t in the Competitive Standard Kitchen of the City-Level Cooking Competition in the Dongxia Arena of the Food Spirit World, but was in the familiar kitchen at his home on Earth.


    Gradually, as the cooking process was nearing its end, a gentle light began to emerge around Qin Lang.


    The soft and subtle light enveloped him as if he was draped in a radiant veil, and the brightest part of this veil was his recently manifested Tianxuan Star Vein at the center of his forehead.


    Qin Lang waspletely oblivious to all of this.


    Standing beside him, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the sight.


    Could a Food Spirit be about to be born?


    It wanted to alert Qin Lang, but it was afraid that it might have guessed wrongly and would unnecessarily distract Qin Lang from his cooking. Or, if it had guessed correctly, it could disrupt the process of the newpanion¡¯s birth. Thus, it could only continue watching anxiously from the side.


    Finally, Qin Lang served the Twice-Cooked Pork, after adding the rice vinegar and stir-frying, onto a dish.


    Twice-Cooked Pork, serving time!


    Just as he put down his spat, the Twice-Cooked Pork on the dish suddenly burst into a dazzling light.


    This¡­


    Stunned, Qin Lang felt a familiar feeling of power drain, and his face changed slightly.


    Food Spirit, being born?


    At this time?!


    Before he could react, the power drain from the Twice-Cooked Pork intensified.


    After opening the Second Star Vein, the physical strength of a Spirit Chef would have been replenished and nourished by spiritual power. Normally, he would not pass out like when he had gathered his first Food Spirit.


    But the previous night, Qin Lang had tried several times to cook with full concentration. Coupled with the emotional ups and downs due to his earlier reminiscing, his mental state was not stable.


    In the end, he barely managed to see the light rise from the Twice-Cooked


    Pork, taking a form gradually. The next moment, everything went ck before his eyes, and he passed out again.


    ¡°Glug!¡±


    Crying out in surprise, Dan Bao quickly used thought waves to support Qin Lang¡¯s falling body, letting himy t on the ground.


    After confirming that their Spirit Chef had only passed out due to the effort of gathering a Food Spirit, Dan Bao breathed a sigh of relief and turned toward the existence that was gradually taking shape in the air.


    It was a round and brown Food Spirit, with a tail like a meatbail behind it.


    There were one red and one green chili-like elongated ears on its head, and a pair of big eyes that were simrly red and green respectively.


    Above the Food Spirit¡¯s head hovered a transparent bubble, inside which, a light green light gathered into the shape of a little chili.


    The Second Food Spirit gnashed its sharp little tiger teeth, turning its attention to the Twice-Cooked Pork on the table for the first time.


    That was its Origin Cuisine. Feeling unprecedentedly hungry just after being born, it had only one thought.


    And that was to have a feast!


    ¡°Cha-ka-bam!¡±


    It cheered and rushed towards the Twice-Cooked Pork, but bumped into an invisible wall.


    ¡°Thump-¡±


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    The bonus content at the end of this chapter:


    [Twice-Cooked Pork]

 Chapter 90 - 90: Citrus Embrace

    Chapter 90: Citrus Embrace


    Trantor: 549690339


    The second Food Spirit unexpectedly crashed into that invisible wall, a look of confusion appearing on its face.


    Dan Bao secretly heaved a sigh of relief and flew to the second Food Spirit¡¯s side.


    ¡°Gudugu-¡±


    You can¡¯t eat this, it¡¯s the dish that Qin Lang is using for thepetition!


    It swayed its big tail, with its egg yolk head bopping up and down in its body, trying to tell the second Food Spirit the importance of the Twice-Cooked Pork.


    Seeing the second Food Spirit still looked confused, Dan Bao pointed with its big tail towards Qin Lang who was lying on the ground.


    ¡°Gudugu!¡±


    That¡¯s Qin Lang, our Spirit Chef!


    Qin Lang¡­


    The second Food Spirit turned to look at the unfamiliar human.


    An invisible tether connecting the two elicited a natural feeling of affinity from the second Food Spirit towards Qin Lang.


    Is he the Spirit Chef that made me exist?


    Is this food I want to eat very important to him?


    A conflicted expression appeared on the second Food Spirit¡¯s face.


    The sensation of hunger caused it great difort, but if the dish is important to the Spirit Chef, it would have to restrain itself.


    Amidst the conflict, the bubble-wrapped pale green chili light sphere on its head started to flicker, gradually shifting to red, then back to green, repeating this cycle.


    ¡°Chakacha!¡±


    Alright, I won¡¯t eat!


    Dan Bao released a sigh of relief.


    It could understand the newpanion¡¯s hunger, after all, it had experienced it before.


    But Qin Lang had fainted, they had no idea when he would wake up.


    So if the Twice-Cooked Pork was eaten, they might not have a chance in thispetition anymore.


    After using Thought Waves to put the Twice-Cooked Pork into the kitchen cab car for safekeeping, Dan Bao nuzzled up to the second Food Spirit.


    ¡°Gudugu-¡±


    Once Qin Lang wakes up, he will definitely make something delicious for you!


    While Dan Bao wasforting the second Food Spirit, it was worriedly looking at the timer.


    More than an hour of cooking time had passed.


    There was less than two hours left until the end of thepetition.


    ¡°There is less than two hours left until the end of thepetition!¡±


    As the pre-arranged warming-up performance ended, the host spoke loudly, his gaze inadvertently drifting to the entrance of the arena.


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang has been cooking for more than half an hour, while our contestant Lei Ke has yet to return!¡±


    ¡°ording to the feedback from the Food Material Market, Lei Ke has selected some ingredients, but the ingredients from the Food Material Market were not enough to meet his needs.¡±


    ¡°At this moment, he is probably still on the road looking for ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Can he sessfully find the required ingredients within three hours and finish cooking the corresponding dish?¡±


    Countless eyes in the audience, following the host¡¯s words, turned towards the direction of the entrance.


    Time was passing by the minute, about ten or so minutester, a cheer suddenly erupted from the audience stands.


    Then, more and more cheers burst forth.


    In the entrance of the arena, a figure was seen entering from the light, carrying a massive snake-skin bag.


    It was Lei Ke, who had been away for a long time.


    ¡°Contestant Lei Ke is back!¡± the host¡¯s voice suddenly rose, ¡°In the snake-skin bag on his shoulder, there should be the ingredients he went off to collect!¡± ¡°What could these ingredients be?¡±


    ¡°We can only find out after Contestant Lei Ke finishes cooking.¡±


    ¡°However, one and a half hours of the allocated cooking time for thepetition have psed. Can contestant Lei Ke finish his dish, let us¡­¡±


    The host paused, as he saw Lei Ke walking straight towards him, extending his hand. Without thinking, the host handed the microphone over.


    ¡°An hour and a half is enough,¡±


    Lei Ke took the microphone and said calmly.


    He handed the microphone back to the host, nced at the countdown on therge screen, and turned to walk towards hispetitive standard kitchen.


    And this calmness of Lei Ke infected the tens of thousands of spectators in the audience seats.


    Thunderous apuse and cheers echoed in the Dongxia Arena for a moment.


    The cooking of the two Spirit Chefs was still unfinished, thankfully thepetition organizers had nned many warm-up performances just in case this would happenst night.


    Soon, two attractive female performers came on stage, once again capturing the attention of all the viewers.


    Time passed bit by bit.


    Two hours into thepetition.


    Two and a half hours into thepetition.


    Only half an hour left, and the two contestants had not yete out.


    The eleven Food Rmenders on the Judges¡¯ Seats looked at me and 1 looked at you, unable to help but frown.


    Rare themes usually appear on higherpetition stages.


    For the city-levelpetitions, which are the lowest level in cooking contests, it might be a bit too demanding.


    No one knew whether these two contestants couldplete it.


    In the audience seats, Qi Xiaoyu was no longer as confident as before.


    Although Qin Lang had entered the kitchen nearly an hour earlier than Lei Ke.


    But until now, he still hasn¡¯te out.


    Although some dishes indeed require a lot of time, this wouldpletely eliminate the advantage of going first.


    ¡°Believe in him.¡±


    Du Weiwei patted Qi Xiaoyu on the shoulder, her gaze focused on Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen.


    As such a long waiting time passed, there was already quite a stir in the audience seating area.


    Knowing that the warm-up performance would not help much in this situation, the host gritted his teeth, intending to use his own skills to maintain the atmosphere in the field. The next moment, a bell rang like heavenly music, echoing over the entirepetition venue.


    ¡°Ding¨C¡±


    The host let out a huge sigh of relief, and the audience, who were somewhat exhausted from waiting, instantly perked up.


    Their eyes turned to the two kitchens in the center of the venue.


    However, the next moment, the atmosphere in the field became a bit weird.


    Because the person who came out first was not Qin Lang, who was an hour ahead, but Lei Ke, who spent half thepetition time searching for ingredients.


    Lei Ke calmly pushed his kitchen cab car out of the kitchen, but he couldn¡¯t help but nce at another kitchen which was still tightly closed.


    He was already prepared for Qin Lang to finish cooking much earlier than himself.


    He didn¡¯t expect that despite his dy, he was still faster than Qin Lang.


    The more so, the heavier his heart became.


    The longer the time spent on the dishes, the moreplex they usually are.


    So, he must not treat it lightly.


    Pushing the kitchen cab car to the Judges¡¯ Seats, Lei Ke took the microphone and slowly said, ¡°Good day to the eleven Food Rmenders. Today, the dish 1 am bringing is called Citrus Embrace.¡±


    Citrus Embrace¡­


    Hearing the name of this dish, most people in the field showed a baffled expression.


    But there were also a few who showed a face of realization and expectation.


    Because this dish is quite famous in some respects.


    Among these people were the well-informed eleven Food Rmenders.


    Just by hearing a dish¡¯s name, an approximate image of the dish floated in their minds.


    Danju City is famous for two things, one is the local special spice, Danxia Grass, and the other is the Golden Red Tangerine, which can only be grown locally for the most authentic taste.


    Citrus Embrace, a dish that blended two Danju City specialties with superb cooking skills, is the most legendary dish of Danju City.


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 Chapter 91 - 91: Revival

    Chapter 91: Revival


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Kchk¡­¡±


    Inside Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen, the voice of the Second Food Spirit sounded somewhat feeble.


    It weaklynded on the table, its outline appearing slightly blurred.


    It was obvious that its condition was very poor at this moment.


    Dan Bao looked at the Second Food Spirit and then at Qin Lang, appearing at a loss.


    The two Food Spirits had initially been chatting, but not long after, the Second Food Spirit began to show signs of weakness.


    This condition gradually worsened until it reached the current state.


    Dan Bao did not know the cause of this condition, and Qin Lang had not yet awakened.


    Just as it was bing anxious, Dan Bao caught a glimpse of Qin Lang¡¯s finger moving.


    ¡°Grumble!¡±


    Hang in there, Qin Lang is waking up!


    It nudged the Second Food Spirit, quickly flying towards Qin Lang and gently pping its tail against Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    After a few moments, Qin Lang slowly came to his senses.


    ¡°Grumble grumble-¡±


    Without waiting for Qin Lang to understand what was happening, Dan Bao urgently told him everything that had happened.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Lang instantly shook himself awake.


    He quickly opened the kitchen cab car and served portions of


    Twice-Cooked Pork.


    ¡°Quick! Eat all of these!¡±


    ¡°Tasting Section is over!¡±


    Outside the kitchen, the dishes belonging to Lei Ke have been tasted by all eleven Food Rmenders in the Judges¡¯ seats.


    After tasting, a satisfied look appeared on all of their faces.


    The Host¡¯s gaze turned towards Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen and he spoke loudly.


    ¡°There are still fifteen minutes left in the contest. The alert bells should have already gone off in Qin Lang¡¯s Competitive Standard Kitchen. Let¡¯s all wait for Qin Lang to finish his dishes!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the audience, who had just been amazed by Lei Ke¡¯s dishes, turned their attention to the other Competitive Standard Kitchen.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Lei Ke¡¯s Citrus Embrace amazing?¡± murmured Qi Xiaoyu anxiously from the VIP spectator seats. ¡°Oh, no¡­I¡¯ve got a terrible feeling.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Du Weiwei was fed up with her loudly chattering friend. She pinched Xiaoyu¡¯s waist and snapped, ¡°Just watch thepetition quietly!¡±


    Ignoring Xiaoyu¡¯s protest, she turned her gaze to the kitchen where Qin Lang was preparing his dishes.


    Lei Ke¡¯s recent dish had delivered quite a shock to her.


    When the intact orange peel was removed, it was actually a replica orange made from various ingredients.


    It was like magic.


    Without Lei Ke revealing it, no one could¡¯ve discerned any issue with the orange.


    As for its taste, the facial expressions of the eleven Food Rmenders spoke volumes.


    So¡­


    What on earth is Qin Lang doing?


    ¡°Grumble¡­¡±


    I was wrong¡­


    Looking at the Second Food Spirit, which had quickly recovered after finishing all the Twice-Cooked Pork, Dan Bao instantly understood the reason for its weakness.


    Turns out it was just starving¡­


    It never crossed his mind, considering that Dan Bao itself had been very hungry before but was never as weak due to it.


    ¡°For a newly born Food Spirit, eating a portion of Origin Cuisine is a very important ritual,¡± Qin Lang gently stroked Dan Bao¡¯s big ears, and looking at the Second Food Spirit who had already recovered, he quietly spoke, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t eat for a long time, there¡¯s even a risk of the Food Spirit dissipating.¡±


    This was something that Qin Lang hade to understand after he became a Spirit Chef.


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, Dan Bao felt even more guilty.


    It had stopped their newrade from eating the Twice-Cooked Pork, almost harming it.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional,¡± Qin Lang sighed with a helpless smile, then looked at the Second Food Spirit flying towards him, ¡°Would you forgive Dan Bao?¡±


    After eating all the Twice-Cooked Pork and having a full meal, the Second Food Spirit regained its energy.


    It nced at the guilt-ridden Dan Bao, then quickly turned its head to look in another direction.


    ¡°Chkm chkm-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you off the hook this time!¡±


    Dan Bao breathed a sigh of relief, his face still showing a guilty expression.


    I¡¯ve decided! From now on, I¡¯ll take better care of our new partner and let it have all the delicious food!


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but cast his gaze on the head of the second Food Spirit.


    After those words were spoken, the bubble light on the second Food Spirit¡¯s head suddenly turned from light green to light red, slowly recovering back to light green only after a few breaths.


    This piqued his interest.


    Compared to Dan Bao¡¯s unique appearance, the look of his second Food Spirit was more conventional.


    Except for the bubble light on top of its head.


    And this bubble light could actually change colors.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time for research.


    ¡°Wee to the team,¡± Qin Lang carefully reached out to touch the second Food Spirit, only patting its head after making sure it wasn¡¯t resisting.


    Unlike Dan Bao, the second Food Spirit¡¯s body was covered in soft fur, and its round tail was as fluffy as a lump of cotton, but its long ears were smooth, shiny like chili peppers on the surface.


    Given its Origin Cuisine, Qin Lang stared at its green and red ears and mused.


    Green Garlic and Capsicum frutescens?


    ¡°Shall I give you a name?¡± Qin Lang suddenly asked.


    ¡°Cha-ka!¡± The second Food Spirit¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It really envied that Dan Bao had its own name.


    It also wanted one.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Qin Lang looked at the second Food Spirit.


    Its two ears looked like chili peppers, and the glowing part inside the bubble light on its head also resembled a small chili pepper.


    This little guy looked spicy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call you Spicy then!¡±


    Qin Lang made the decision.


    Those who struggle with naming follow such simple and in principles.


    But judging by Spicy¡¯s reaction, it really liked it.


    ¡°Cha-ba!¡± Spicy nodded heavily, its two little fangs gleaming under the lights.


    After naming Spicy, Qin Lang was about to ask about its Food Skill and Combat Skill when an electronic bell rang out suddenly.


    ¡°Ding dong-¡±


    ¡°There are only fifteen minutes left in thepetition. Contestants, please be mindful of the time.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Dan Bao quickly widened its eyes.


    Bad news!


    Thepetition is almost over!


    And the dish Qin Lang had prepared¡­


    Even Spicy, who had already learned about the situation from Dan Bao, couldn¡¯t help showing a worried expression.


    Baked pork was eaten by itself, how about thepetition of Spirit Chef¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qin Lang grinned.


    When he woke up, there were only twenty minutes left of thepetition.


    That wasn¡¯t even enough time to boil pork, let alone recreate baked pork.


    So, when he hesitated and gave the baked pork to Spicy, he was already prepared to give up on thepetition.


    But he didn¡¯t regret it too much.


    Because he has a new partner now.


    And that¡¯s more important than winning the city-level cookingpetition.


    ¡°If we lose, we lose. We can grab the championship in three months!¡±


    Qin Langforted the two slightly disheartened Food Spirits, then took no more notice of thepetition and turned his curious gaze to Spicy. ¡°What¡¯s your Food Skill?¡±


    Spicy tapped into its hidden power.


    ¡°Cha-cha-ba-ka!¡±


    Cooking eleration!


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 Chapter 92 - 92: Limit

    Chapter 92: Limit


    Trantor: 549690339


    Time ticked away by the second.


    Offstage, on the big screen, the countdown minute number was finally altered from ¡±01¡± to ¡°00¡±.


    The second hand changed from ¡°00¡± to ¡°59¡±, and then began to slowly fall back.


    ¡°Last minute countdown!¡±


    There was a tense note in the host¡¯s voice.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened in the kitchen, but contestant Qin Lang has not yet left the Competitive Standard Kitchen.¡±


    ¡°ording to the rules of the game, if contestant Qin Lang is overtime, contestant Lei Ke will directly win this game!¡±


    ¡°Now the final ten-second countdown!¡±


    ¡°Ten¡­¡±


    Listening to the host¡¯s countdown, staring intently at the door of Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen, Lei Ke did not take pleasure in the potential victory without a fight.


    On the contrary, he looked slightly displeased.


    He came to the Dongxia City Cooking Contest for the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge granted by Mr. Li Yuantu.


    But it is also to exchange ideas with powerful Spirit Chefs and improve his culinary skills.


    This kind of victory was not what he wanted.


    He pulled out Citrus Embrace, his ace in the hole, not for such a rash victory!


    Qin Lang¡¯s performance in previous rounds flicked through his mind.


    A Spirit Chef like Qin Lang would never avoid a fight now.


    ¡°Whatever the reason is, I will have a match with you for sure,¡± Lei Ke murmured.


    Even if there was no chance in this game, he wouldpete with Qin Lang in a Food Fight.


    ¡°Nine¡­¡±


    The tens of thousands of audience members in the stands seemed to have forgotten their breath.


    In the tense atmosphere, they each clenched their lips, held their breath, and kept their eyes firmly locked on Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen, hoping that the closed door would open before the countdown ended.


    For the spectators, they would rather see a fantastic contest than a conclusion without suspense.


    ¡°Eight¡­¡±


    ¡°Come out,e out!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s clenched fists rested on her thighs, staring at the kitchen that had not yet opened, muttering quietly to herself.


    This time, Du Weiwei didn¡¯tin about her friend¡¯s impatience.


    Because she couldn¡¯t help biting her lip, holding her breath and watching the door in the arena.


    Although she didn¡¯t speak, the shouting echoing in her heart seemed to resonate with Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s murmuring.


    ¡°Seven¡­¡±


    Tang Xie couldn¡¯t sit still among the yers¡¯ spectator seats.


    He got up abruptly, came to the railing with his hands tightly clenching the protective railing, with his upper body slightly leaning forward, staring at the door.


    Deep down in his heart, Tang Xie hoped Qin Lang could beat Lei Ke.


    After all, Qin Lang was the man who had once defeated him. If he lost to Lei Ke, it would mean arger gap between him and Lei Ke.


    On the contrary, if Qin Lang defeated Lei Ke, then by rounding it off, he and Lei Ke were on equal terms.


    ¡°Six¡­¡±


    The eleven Food Rmenders on the Judges¡¯ Seats were staring at Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen, too.


    Zhou Qing, Song Hui, and Fu Hang, who had awarded Qin Lang the badge, were showing distressed expressions.


    In their view, Qin Lang could go farther.


    If he didn¡¯t demonstrate his ability in this battle and suffered such a rash defeat, it would be a pity.


    ¡°Five¡­¡±


    With only five seconds remaining, could Qin Lang really step out of the kitchen before the end?


    Inside Dongxia Arena, everyone held their breath at this moment.


    Not just in the arena, but even outside it, countless audience members watching the live broadcast stopped what they were doing to stare at the close-up of the door on their screens.


    ¡°Little Qin, hurry up ande out!¡±


    Inside Starlight Restaurant, Luo Hui clenched his hands, his face was especially tense.


    It was a pity to lose because he couldn¡¯tplete his dish after getting this far.


    ¡°Four¡­¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    A bell ring echoed in the entire arena.


    The countdown on the big screen locked on the extreme time of ¡°00:00:01¡±.


    At a moment when everyone thought the oue was already settled, Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen door slowly opened.


    In the huge Dongxia Arena, there was only the low rumble of the wheels of the kitchen cab car as it was pushed out.


    The next moment, a cheer that almost overturned Dongxia Arena erupted!


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang has sessfullypleted his dish!¡± The host shouted with the loudest voice, a look of surprise also on his face, ¡°Just one second to the end of thepetition!¡±


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s the tasting section of Contestant Qin Lang¡¯s dish!¡±


    Lei Ke looked at Qin Lang who walked to his side, his eyes fell on the second Food Spirit fluttering next to Qin Lang.


    The second Food Spirit has been born¡­


    Then let me see, how strong you really are!


    A fiery war intention ignited in his eyes, and he voluntarily backed away, giving the stage to Qin Lang.


    Listening to the continuous cheers around them, both Qin Lang and Dan Bao had expressions of absolute relief on their faces.


    Spicy, who had never experienced such a scene, instinctively moved closer to Qin Lang after looking left and right, and the green light ball over her head seemed to have a tendency to turn red again.


    Noticing Spicy¡¯s action, Qin Lang smiled and rubbed this hero who helped him sessfullyplete the dish.


    The types of Food Skills are also limited, and there are much fewer than Combat Skills, only a hundred or so.


    And Food Skills have an important characteristic that Combat Skills do not possess, and that is exclusivity.


    Different Food Spirits from the same Spirit Chef must have different Food Skills.


    This characteristic ensures that in the limited types of Food Skills, a Spirit Chef won¡¯t have two Food Spirits with ovepping abilities, and a Spirit Chef can possess up to seven of these hundreds of Food Skills.


    For Spirit Chefs with different preferences and habits, the rtive strengths and weaknesses of these hundreds of Food Skills are different.


    But there are always some Food Skills that every Spirit Chef covets.


    Culinary Skill: Cooking eleration is one of them.


    This skill can elerate all cooking processes without external intervention.


    The so-called no external intervention refers to the Spirit Chef not needing to intervene midway.


    For example, the waiting time after sending food into the oven, the waiting time after sending food into the steamer, and also¡­


    The half-hour stewing time of Twice-Cooked Pork.


    As for processes like stir-frying, dealing with ingredients, etc., they can¡¯t be elerated using the Cooking eleration skill.


    This skill will not enhance the taste of the dish in any way, but it allows the Spirit Chef to always be one step ahead in Food Fights and Cooking Competitions.


    It was relying on this special Food Skill that Qin Lang significantly shortened the cooking time for Twice-Cooked Pork, and finallypleted this dish, which normally takes over half an hour, amidst the thrilling countdown.


    Of course, the Cooking eleration skill is not without its drawbacks.


    It is the fastest Spiritual Power consuming skill among all Food Skills.


    Just by elerating for twenty-five minutes, all of the 125 points of Spiritual Power inside Qin Lang¡¯s Tianxuan Star Vein waspletely drained.


    Pushing the kitchen cab car to the Judges¡¯ Seats where the eleven Food Rmenders were located, with the help of Dan Bao¡¯s thought waves, the dishes in the kitchen cab car were delivered to the Food Rmenders. Qin Lang put on a confident smile.


    ¡°Twice-cooked pork, please taste..¡±

 Chapter 93: Lingering Thoughts

    93 Chapter 93: Lingering Thoughts


    Twice-cooked pork...


    Hearing this unfamiliar dish name, the tens of thousands of people in the arena did not decrease their anticipation for Qin Lang''s dish in the slightest.


    Because every dish that Qin Lang has presented in the past has had names that werepletely unfamiliar to everyone.


    Their gazes all simultaneously turned towards the close-up shots on the big screen.


    In those close-up shots, thin slices ofyered pork belly were emitting steaming heat.


    The fatty part of the pork, after stir-frying, clearly shrank and reflected a tempting, and not in the slightest bit greasy, light from its light brown colour under the light.


    The lean meat part was of a deeper colour, and the lines of the meat were depicted under the high-definition camera, making the audience have the impulse to immediately send it into their mouths.


    The long and thin pork skin subtly bounced as it was picked up by chopsticks, the visibly stic and glutinous texture made countless people involuntarily swallow their saliva.


    The green garlic and Capsicum frutescens adorning the pork belly, the bright red and lush green colours forming the most visually striking colourbination.


    All of these gave people an intuitive feeling.


    This dish must be delicious.


    Just by looking at the dish, the audience was already so excited, not to mention the Food Rmenders who were smelling the strong scent and couldn''t help but deeply inhale it at this moment.


    The rich meaty scent, the strong smell of green garlic after it''s cooked, and the rich spicy fragrance of the Capsicum frutescens after stir-frying.


    Three rich scents, blended together by some indescribable, mysterious scent, continuously tantalised the Food Rmenders'' keen sense of smell.


    Seeing this dish named Twice-Cooked Pork and smelling its dominant richness, the Food Rmenders simultaneously surged with strong appetites.


    In silence, they all picked up their chopsticks from the side.


    The tasting section started.


    Contestant Lei Ke stared dreamily at the Twice-Cooked Pork on the screen.


    Compared to his Citrus Embrace, this dish seemed to be overly simple.


    Did Qin Lang spend over two hours on such a dish?


    Did he present such a dish in apetition for the championship?


    Was this dish more than meets the eye? Or did Qin Lang have other intentions?


    Lei Ke didn''t know.


    He only knew that he had an irresistible desire to taste this dish named Twice-Cooked Pork.


    Couldn''t the tasting section hurry up?


    It''s as if they heard Lei Ke''s heartfelt wish, the speed of the eleven Food Rmenders tasting the Twice-Cooked Pork suddenly increased after they carefully tasted the first piece.


    No, you couldn''t even call that tasting anymore.


    They picked up the rice that Qin Lang had paired with the Twice-Cooked Pork, a mouthful of rice with a piece of Twice-Cooked Pork, at a lightning-fast speed, under the gaze of tens of thousands of people in the arena and countless people outside, they rapidly devoured the Twice-Cooked Pork.


    This, was scarfing down food!


    At this moment, they no longer seemed like the Food Rmenders who decided the fate of the contestants while sitting at the judges'' seats, but ordinary people having dinner at home after being hungry.


    Only after finishing all the Twice-Cooked Pork and the rice did they regain their usualposure and calmness.


    Lei Ke''s mouth, which was open, hadn''t closed since the moment the Food Rmenders began scarfing down the food.


    This...


    He couldn''t help but recall the posture of the eleven Food Rmenders when they were slowly tasting and appreciating his Citrus Embrace dish.


    For a moment, he doubted that these eleven Food Rmenders had switched souls while tasting the Twice-Cooked Pork.


    Well done, Qin Lang!


    He solemnly looked at the very calm young man next to him, who seemed to have anticipated this scene early on.


    He really was someone not to be underestimated!


    "The tasting section for Contestant Qin Lang ends!" Although the host was also surprised by the Food Rmenders'' performances, he quickly regained his senses right now, "Both contestants'' dishes have already been tasted by the eleven Food Rmenders."


    "Now then, we enter the evaluation and voting section for thispetition!"


    "I have a question for contestant Qin Lang!" Almost the moment after the host had finished speaking, a Food Rmender from the judges'' seats couldn''t wait to speak.


    "This question might seem a little offensive, but I can''t help myself."


    "If it''s inconvenient for you, you can choose not to answer."


    He paused slightly, then said seriously, "In your dish of Twice-Cooked Pork, I tasted a seasoning that I''ve never tasted before."


    "The unique taste of that seasoning enchanted me, and itplemented the rich but not greasy, lean but not dry pork belly, greatly enhancing the deliciousness of this dish."


    "Can you tell me what that seasoning is?"


    This Food Rmender looked at Qin Lang with intense curiosity in his eyes.


    The arena quieted down a bit at this moment.


    In the context of the Food Spirit World, such questioning was somewhat impolite.


    But considering the identity of this Food Rmender, everyone could understand.


    He was the granter of the Secret Badge, Chen Ang, the well-known master of sauces in Dongxia City, who loved to study various seasonings.


    For him,ing across a new seasoning was like finding a treasure.


    At this moment, everyone was curious as to how Qin Lang would respond.


    Would he refuse to answer, or disclose some unknown secret of the Twice-Cooked Pork?


    If he refused, everyone would understand.


    If he said something...


    I will be all ears!


    "There''s nothing inconvenient about it." Qin Lang said with a slight smile.


    Under the fiery gazes of everyone, he spoke slowly and reminiscently, "That is the Doubanjiang that my mother taught me when she was alive."


    "The Twice-Cooked Pork I made with it was my favorite food when I was a child."


    "Therefore, after drawing the theme ''Home'', the first thing I thought of was Twice-Cooked Pork."


    The parents of Qin Lang''s original body also died, and they had not associated with other rtives for a long time.


    So, Qin Lang''s words wouldn''t cause any impact.


    "Doubanjiang, huh..." Chen Ang nodded thoughtfully.


    Of course, he would not go so far as to inquire about the specific recipe for Doubanjiang.


    With his curiosity satisfied, he gave his vote without hesitation.


    "I vote for Qin Lang."


    "Contestant Lei Ke''s Citrus Embrace showcased extraordinary skills and exquisite control of the ingredients."


    "I have had the privilege of visiting Danju City and tasted the Citrus Embrace cooked by an outstanding chef, I think the Citrus Embrace you made today is better than his."


    "But the surprise and emotion it brought, doesn''tpare to Qin Lang''s Twice-Cooked Pork."


    "Using that sauce called Doubanjiang to bring out the more wonderful taste of pork belly, infusing a simple dish with soul¡ªit''s the work of simplicity and elegance. This aligns with my philosophy of delicious food."


    Upon hearing Chen Ang''s evaluation and vote, Qin Lang and Lei Ke both bowed slightly towards Chen Ang to show respect.


    As they straightened up, although Lei Ke was a little frustrated because the first vote belonged to Qin Lang, he wasn''t too nervous.


    Through their dialogue, he roughly understood.


    The strength of Qin Lang''s Twice-Cooked Pork was in using a special sauce called Doubanjiang.


    Winning over Chen Ang, who was obsessed with sauces, with that sauce was within reason.


    However, the other Food Rmenders have different evaluation standards.


    The real show was yet toe.


    -----------------


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 94 - 94: Old Wind

    Chapter 94 -94: Old Wind


    "Citrus Embrace, is quite an unusual dish."


    After Chen Ang cast his vote, another Food Rmender approached the microphone and began, "The difficulty of cooking this dish is high, and the entire process is very meticulous, requiring great patience."


    "Today, on this stage, I saw Contestant Lei Ke execute it perfectly."


    " Lei Ke hails from Danju City, where the specialty dishes are very much in line with today''spetition theme."


    "Contestant Qin Lang, your performance today was astounding. I must admit that I also appreciate the dish called Twice-Cooked Pork, and your use of the seasonings taught by your family is indeed in ordance with thepetition requirements."


    "If I must choose between the two..." The Food Rmender paused slightly and nced at Qin Lang apologetically, "Sorry, I am leaning more towards Lei Ke."


    "This is a culinarypetition stage, and I hope to see the showcase of more cooking techniques."


    "Therefore, my vote goes to Lei Ke."


    "Thank you for your support, Mr. Duan." Lei Ke smiled and gave a slight bow.


    " I cast my vote for Qin Lang." Song Hui calmly picked up the microphone and spoke, "In my opinion, the Twice-Cooked Pork prepared by Qin Lang today has reached a very high level."


    "Because when I tasted the Twice-Cooked Pork, it seemed as if I felt a wave of emotion called ''yearning''."


    At Song Hui''s evaluation, some of the other Food Rmenders looked surprised, and others disyed expressions of "So that''s how it is".


    They had simr feelings while tasting, but the perception was not clear enough to be sure.


    After all, this is only a city-level cookingpetition.


    Even in provincial level cookingpetitions, Spirit Chefs who can pour their emotions into their dishes are rare.


    Lei Ke, standing at the side, narrowed his eyes slightly and could not help but look at Qin Lang.


    Has Qin Lang''s Twice-Cooked Pork almost reached that level?


    He became more curious about Qin Lang''s Twice-Cooked Pork.


    What exactly is it like?


    After Song Hui, the next Food Rmender immediately began to evaluate the performances of the two contestants.


    In the end, he gave his vote to Lei Ke.


    The votes were 2:2. It was a tie.


    After that Food Rmender, the remaining Food Rmenders one by one announced their final vote.


    The tally of Qin Lang and Lei Ke was changing amidst the increasingly tense atmosphere in the arena.


    2:3¡­


    3:3¡­


    4:3¡­


    4:4¡­


    5:4¡­


    The votes of the two contestants were in a deadlock, the difference between the two was not more than one vote.


    Suddenly, there were just two judges left in the arena.


    Their scores would determine the final oue of the championshippetition.


    Who would taste victory?


    In the yers'' spectator seats, Tang Xie''s hands clenched tightly on the railing, his hands were white with the strain but he barely noticed.


    "Who do you think will win?" Zhu Ming had somehow moved next to him and broken the silence.


    "I don''t know," Tang Xie shook his head.


    He hoped more for Qin Lang''s victory.


    But after seeing the dishes of the two contestants, if he was a judge, he would choose Citrus Embrace.


    Zhu Ming nodded slightly, looking at the two contestants in the arena.


    "Huh?"


    Her expression changed slightly.


    Almost in unison, cheers erupted from all around the arena.


    The score between Qin Lang and Lei Ke had reached 6:4!!


    The gap in votes sprung open at this moment!


    The result of thepetition was determine at this moment!


    "Thest vote doesn''t seem to be that important," Fu Hang, who was thest to vote this time,ughed, lifted the microphone, and said, "But in any case, I still have to perform my duty as apetition judge."


    In the midst of thunderous apuse, Fu Hang calmly turned his gaze to the two contestants.


    "Qin Lang''s Twice-Cooked Pork reminds me of the pure joy that delicious food brings."


    "It''s very simple, so simple that you can''t discern much of the ting or technique."


    "But it has something more important than any of those things ¡ª"


    "It''s delicious."


    "So I''m giving it my vote."


    Fu Hang paused ever so slightly, "And Contestant Lei Ke, your culinary skills demonstrated in this contest are clearly on par with those of a city-level culinarypetition champion, perhaps even superior. It''s just that you happened to face a stronger opponent."


    "So..." Fu Hang gave a small smile, "For the Zhen Niu Pavilion Beef Tasting Banquet in a few days, like Qin Lang, you too are eligible to participate."


    "Thank you for your evaluation, Mr. Fu Hang." Despite the invitation to the banquet he had hoped for, Lei Ke couldn''t feel much excitement at the moment.


    He had lost.


    Lost to this dark horse that he''d never heard of before, who had distinguished himself in this Dongxia city level cookingpetition¡ªQin Lang.


    But Lei Ke is not someone who can''t ept defeat.


    He wanted to lose in a manner he could clearly understand.


    "The judging by the eleven Food Rmenders hase to an end!"


    "Now, please, the two contestants should taste each other''s dishes. If you have any objections to the voting results, you can voice it in this section!"


    He wanted to taste for himself, and find out, just how delicious this Twice-Cooked Pork that defeated his own creation and received unanimous des from the Food Rmenders, is.


    "Citrus Embrace, please!"


    Finally, what he had been waiting for!


    Lei Ke''s spirits lifted.


    He wanted to taste for himself, and find out, just how delicious this Twice-Cooked Pork that defeated his own creation and received unanimous des from the Food Rmenders, is.


    "Citrus Embrace, please!"


    "Twice-Cooked Pork, please!"


    The two contestants exchanged dishes and began tasting.


    In the center of the te, which looked like a blooming flower, an intact-looking tangerine appeared in front of Qin Lang.


    The tangerine had a golden-red skin, not like any variety of tangerine known to Qin Lang. However, from earlierments by the judges, it wasn''t hard to figure out that this was a Golden Red Tangerine, a specialty of Danju City.


    After picking it up and examining it, Qin Lang finally spotted small incision marks around the stem of the fruit.


    He slowly peeled the tangerine. The interior resembled that of a normal tangerine, yet at the same time, it waspletely different.


    An expression of surprise appeared on Qin Lang''s face.


    This Citrus Embrace really did have some simrities to Dragon''s Chant Strawberries.


    The outer shell of the Citrus Embrace was crafted from tangerine juice and white sugar syrup, forming countless white fmentous strands resembling the fibrous membranes in a tangerine segment.


    These strands were the roots of another Danju City specialty - the Danxia Grass, which is also used for its aromatic properties.


    Qin Lang gently cracked open the sugary shell to reveal the steaming shrimp inside, which emitted a tantalising aroma.


    "Would you like to try?"


    He broke the Citrus Embrace into three parts, sharing them with the eager Dan Bao and Spicy.


    "Gurgle!"


    "Crunch!"


    On the other side, Lei Ke picked up a slice of the hot and fragrant Twice-Cooked Pork and without any hesitation, put it in his mouth.


    As he chewed, the vourful pork, distinct Doubanjiang taste, spicy Capsicum frutescens, and aromatic green garlicmingled in his mouth like a harmonious symphony.


    It felt as if he was lying on the hay in his hometown, feeling the wind from the fields and savouring the smell of the earth carried by the breeze.


    Picking up some rice from a side, he took a big mouthful along with the Twice-Cooked Pork.


    Maybe I should go home after the end of my trip to Dongxia City~


    Thought Lei Ke.


    -----------------


    Shortcut to: [Monthly ticket][Rmendation ticket]


    Easter egg at the end of this chapter: n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Dragon''s Chant Strawberry]

 Chapter 95 - 95: Distant Radiance

    Chapter 95: Distant Radiance


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The ten-day Dongxia City Cooking Competition has officially drawn to a close!¡±


    ¡°Let us give a warm round of apuse and cheers to invite the top four contestants onto the stage!¡±


    ¡°Next, we willmence with the rewarding process of the rankingpetition!¡±


    On-site, the host began with a high-spirited voice.


    In the audience seats, the cheer burst like thunder, echoing his voice.


    ¡°Participants ranking from the fifth to the eighth will receive 20 cookingpetition points and the title of an ¡®Excellent Chef¡¯!¡±


    With the host¡¯s speech ending, the four contestants who were seated in the audience and watching the rankingpetition all exhibited envious expressions towards the four people in the arena.


    Although they too received considerable rewards, the final glory did not belong to them.


    ¡°The fourth ce in thispetition goes to???? ¡±


    ¡°Contestant Zhu Ming!¡±


    ¡°She will be rewarded 50 cookingpetition points along with the ¡®Excellent Chef¡¯ title!¡±


    Amid the suddenly escting cheers and apuse from the crowd, Zhu Ming waved towards the audience, turned around, and walked up to the fourth podium which had already been set up behind her.


    A rich Star Power gathered from the sky, rushing toward her quickly after she settled down.


    That is the Star Power for the fourth ce in the city-levelpetition.


    ¡°The third ce in thispetition goes to ¡±


    ¡°Contestant Tang Xie!¡±


    ¡°He will also be rewarded 50 cookingpetition points, the ¡®Excellent Chef¡¯ title, and in addition, he will receive two pieces of Starstone!¡±


    Tang Xie moved in response, striding quickly to the third podium, and an even stronger Star Power went straight to him right after.


    ¡°The second ce in thispetition goes to???? ¡±


    ¡°Contestant Lei Ke!¡±


    ¡°As Lei Ke already holds the ¡®Excellent Chef¡¯ title, he will be awarded 50 cookingpetition points!¡±


    Lei Ke quickly positioned himself on the second podium, bathed in the Star Power, and couldn¡¯t help but nce at the first podium that remained vacant.


    The atmosphere in the arena seemed to freeze at this moment.


    All eyes were focused on the only young figure next to the host who had not yet stepped onto the award podium.


    ¡°The winner of thispetition is ¡±


    This time, the host prolonged his speech a bit further, and the voice that exploded after the pause reached an unprecedented height.


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°With the warmest apuse and cheers, let¡¯s congratte him on winning the championship!¡±


    ¡°He will be awarded 100petition points, the title of ¡®Excellent Chef¡¯, four pieces of Starstone, and the ¡®Second-Level Food Rmender Badge¡¯ bestowed by Mr. Li Yuantu!¡±


    In the midst of cheers that almost overturned thepetition venue, Qin Lang turned around, and in the gaze of the other three, he walked step by step up to his rightful position.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    We won the championship!


    Excitement and anticipation crossed Dan Bao¡¯s yolky little face.


    ¡°Squawk!¡±


    Spicy blinked its eyes. Although it was not quite clear about the meaning of bing the champion, it showed a smile along with Dan Bao.


    But this smile quickly turned into a surprise.


    This was because it found itself involuntarily flying towards that bright light in the sky.


    Not until the stars surrounding itself touched the Star Power of the champion, did the surprised expression on Spicy¡¯s face gradually turn into one of delight.


    What kind of power is this?


    It felt like it had grown a lot in an instant!


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    Dan Bao, who was on the side, dispelling the Thought Waves chuckled silently.


    All this star power went to Spicy as an apology.


    Patting the two Food Spirits, Qin Lang took a deep breath and waved vigorously towards the crowded audience seats.


    ¡°Next, we invite the deputy chairman of the Dongxia City Spirit Chef Association, and second-level Food Rmender from Dongxia City, Mr. Li Yuantu, to present the awards to the top-fourpetitors in this event!¡±


    Amidst the warm apuse, a well-built middle-aged man with distinct facial features slowly advanced to the awards¡¯ podium.


    This deputy chairman, who had been absent after the opening remarks, was now looking at the four in the field with a gratified gaze, and then slowly walking towards Qin Lang.


    ¡°Congrattions on your excellent of achieving first ce.¡± Li Yuantu softly opened his voice, then took a badge from his breast, his expression bing more solemn.


    ¡°My Food Rmender badge is named the Distant Light badge!¡±


    ¡°1 hope that you will hold this badge, and in the not-too-distant future, you will shine with your own light.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Li Yuantu!¡± Qin Lang spoke loudly, then received the badge with both hands.


    The Distant Light badge is a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.


    The edge structure of this badge is moreplicated than the first-level Food Rmender Badge, and it¡¯s not made of bronze but crafted from pure silver.


    On the front of the badge, half of a red sun is hidden behind the sea, and the other half shines upon the sea surface. It is like a ship¡¯s rudder, moving forward toward the rising direction of the sun.


    Gazing at the exquisite and beautiful badge, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    This was the first Second-Level Food Rmender Badge he had ever received, and its symbol was quite suitable for him.


    He carefully ced the badge above the three first-level Food Rmender Badges that were already arranged in a line on his chest. Afterward, he slightly bent over so that Li Yuantu put the gold medal for the champion around his neck.


    Lei Ke on the side was watching somewhat enviously.


    He thought that the Distant Light Badge should have been his.


    The light of fighting spirit flickered in his eyes.


    The threshold set by Mr. Li Yuantu was to have two second-level Food Rmender Badges, but not all second-level Food Rmenders had the same threshold.


    Of course, there are also Food Rmenders with rtively low thresholds for examination.


    Next, he will find a way to get another Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, and then return here to get the one belonging to Li Yuantu!


    Seeing Li Yuantu, who finished awarding Qin Lang, walking towards him, Lei Ke slightly bows so the other can ce the silver medal for second ce around his neck.


    Standing upright again, Lei Ke looked into Li Yuantu¡¯s eyes: ¡°Mr. Li Yuantu, after I have collected two Second-Level Food Rmender Badges, 1 will visit you once again.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t give up on the Distant Light Badge!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Li Yuantu smiled, ¡°I¡¯m very wee and looking forward to it.¡±


    After that, Li Yuantu turned to Tang Xie and Zhu Ming on the side and presented them with the medals for the third and fourth ces.


    The cookingpetition points and the title of Excellent Chef are not awarded on the spot. Instead, they are conferred through the backstage of the Spirit Chef Association immediately after thepetition ends.


    Thus, after Li Yuantu¡¯s award ceremony, the two outstanding trainers re-emerged on stage.


    They brought the Starstones belonging to the first and third ces. In total, six pieces!


    As for the Starstones of the second and fourth ces, they were already awarded during the previouspetition stages.


    Qin Lang took out four Starstones from the alloy box, looked at Dan Bao and Spicy, and thoughtfully considered.


    Before, when there was only one Food Spirit, of course, everything belonged to Dan Bao.


    Now he has two Food Spirits, and the issue of how to distribute arises.


    Quick ess: [Vote] [Rmendation]

 Chapter 96 - 96: Test of Skill

    Chapter 96: Test of Skill


    Trantor: 549690339


    After momentary pondering, Qin Lang split the four starstones into two.


    ¡°Glug!¡±


    I don¡¯t need it!


    Dan Bao shook his yolk-like head, although instinctively craving for the starstones, he unhesitatingly pushed Qin Lang¡¯s hand holding two starstones with his big tail towards Spicy.


    Give all four to Spicy!


    Spicy¡¯s food skill yed a crucial role in securing this victory.


    Besides, Spicy is still at one star.


    If Qin Lang were to unlock the third star vein, both food spirits need to progress together!


    Seeing Dan Bao behave like this brought a smile on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Indeed, this was a better arrangement, but the fact that Dan Bao was so understanding and suggested it proactively made Qin Lang feel very gratified.


    ¡°Spicy, absorb it.¡±


    After confirming that Dan Bao had willingly given up on absorbing the starstones this time, Qin Lang handed all four starstones to Spicy.


    ¡°Chomp!¡±


    Spicy,ying his eyes on the starstones for the first time, gulped and quickly moved in to absorb it.


    Following, he noticed Dan Bao watching him from the side.


    Spicy opened his mouth, then awkwardly turned his head away.


    (¡°v¡°¡ª)


    ¡°Crunch¡­¡±


    Thanks this time¡­


    Qin Lang stroked his chin, watching the glowing bubble above Spicy¡¯s head turn red again, he fell into deep thought.


    His second food spirit sure had an interesting personality.


    As the city-level cookingpetition came to an end, the tens of thousands of audience in Dongxia Arena left, turning the bustling arena once again into a quiet one, with only few sanitation workers doing the cleaning.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know! When it was thest ten seconds of the countdown, I almost died out of nervousness!¡±


    Under some trees next to Dongxia Arena, Qi Xiaoyu red at Qin Lang, and burst into a chuckle, ¡°But congrattions are in order, champion!¡±


    Du Weiwei, standing beside them, didn¡¯t utter a word, but her gazended on the second food spirit flitting around Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang had just promoted his first food spirit to two stars yesterday, and today he already sessfully obtained a second food spirit?


    Compared to Qin Lang, she who became a spirit chef a year earlier, still hadn¡¯t birthed her second food spirit yet.


    Thinking of this, a seed ofpetitiveness started to sprout in Du Weiwei¡¯s heart.


    She also needs to hurry up!


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Qin Lang looked at the two girls in front of him, suddenly remembered something, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Zhao Chen?¡± It felt like something was missing with one of their trio absent.


    Furthermore, not just today.


    Yesterday, during his first ranking match with Tang Xie, he didn¡¯t seem to have seen Zhao Chen around either.


    ¡°It seems that you gave him a bit of a shock, and he went off to undergo special training.¡± Qi Xiaoyu waved her hand nonchntly, ¡°He mentioned it a few days ago, then disappeared for several days.¡±


    ¡°I originally wanted to invite him to watch the ranking matches together, but 1 couldn¡¯t reach him.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what happened.¡± Qin Lang nodded in understanding, and then heaved a slight sigh, ¡°Such a pity.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡± Du Weiwei curiously asked.


    ¡°I initially wanted to challenge him to a spirit battle.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Du Weiwei couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I remember that before, every single time Zhao Chen wanted to challenge you for a spirit battle, you¡¯re reluctantly agree, why are you the one seeking him now?¡±


    ¡°I get it!¡± Qi Xiaoyu smirked, ¡°Qin Lang¡¯s food spirit is already two stars, a spirit battle with Zhao Chen now is aplete rout!¡±


    Upon saying that, she suddenly remembered her own experience, and her smile froze.


    Damn! 1 seem to be the one who was routed by Du Weiwei!


    ¡°So, that¡¯s the reason¡­¡±


    Du Weiwei looked at Qin Lang thoughtfully, a hint of eagerness appeared in her eyes.


    Previously, her Food Spirit was of two stars, whereas Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit was of one star.


    Thus, she had never proposed to engage Qin Lang in a Spirit Battle.


    But now, Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit had also reached two stars, equivalent to the strength of her own Food Spirit.


    Thinking of this, Du Weiwei and her Food Spirit exchanged nces.


    ¡°If you want a Spirit Battle, how about going against me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Qin Lang blinked, realizing that the two girls might have misunderstood something.


    His proactive desire to engage Zhao Chen in a Spirit Battle was not to allow Dan Bao, who had already broken through to two stars, to bully Yangyang, who was still at one star.


    Don¡¯t forget that in addition to Dan Bao, he also has another Food Spirit.


    Spicy not only has the Food Skill of Cooking eleration but also possesses a very interesting Combat Skill.


    He wanted to give Spicy a chance to fight in a Spirit Battle and test the effect of its Combat Skill.


    But¡­


    Let Dan Bao go into a Spirit Battle with Du Weiwei¡¯s Food Spirit?


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but look at Dan Bao, which was showing a look of anticipation.


    Speaking of which, since awakening his second Combat Skill, Thought Waves, Dan Bao had yet to have any experience in using it in battle.


    However, it had plenty of experience using it for cooking.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Qin Lang agreed since Du Weiwei had proposed it.


    Dan Bao was in need of a little practice.


    But Spicy¡¯s Spirit Battle couldn¡¯t be overlooked either.


    He turned to look at Qi Xiaoyu, who was preparing to watch the show, ¡°How about we also have a Spirit Battle?¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s expression of anticipation froze slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to bully me just because Zhao Chen isn¡¯t here?!¡± She opened her eyes wide, ¡°I¡¯ve been cheering you on in every match, and this is how you repay me?¡±


    ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s not that serious¡­¡± Qin Lang scratched his head, pointing at Spicy, ¡°What 1 meant was, I intend to use my second Food Spirit to battle against you.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Qi Xiaoyu looked at Spicy with surprise, then nced at her own Food Spirit.


    From their brief chat, she already knew that Spicy was created during thest cookingpetition, and that was why Qin Lang took such a long time.


    So¡­


    This is a newborn Food Spirit with no battle experience?!


    Qi Xiaoyu, who had been bullied by Du Weiwei many times before and thought she had extensive battle experience, was strongly captivated!


    Was it her turn to enjoy the taste of bullying this time?


    ¡°Deal!¡± Qi Xiaoyu spoke confidently.


    At this, Du Weiwei developed several worry lines on her forehead.


    Was this idiot forgetting that although the Food Spirit had just been born, Qin Lang¡¯s Spiritual Power had already reached 125, so his overallbat power was still stronger than hers¡­


    Oh well, since Qi Xiaoyu had been bullied by her so many times before, being bullied once more was no big deal.


    ¡°Then when are we going to have the Spirit Battle?¡± Du Weiwei looked at Qin


    Lang, ¡°Youpeted today, do you still have the energy for a Spirit Battle? Or shall we schedule it for tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it today.¡± Qin Lang assessed his condition.


    Although his Tianxuan Star Vein was depleted in the final cooking process, it had been a good while since then and it had already recovered considerably. Dan Bao and Spicy, who were eager to try, didn¡¯t seem like they could patiently wait until tomorrow.


    ¡°I can recover a bit more through meditation on the way to the Spirit Chef


    Association. 1 should be ready after that.¡±


    He took out the Duel Initiator he had bought but hadn¡¯t used yet, embedded his emblem in it, and then handed it to the girls, ¡°Let¡¯s ce a reservation first, then let¡¯s go!¡±


    Shortly after, preparations for both Spirit Battles wereplete.


    The battle against Qi Xiaoyu was scheduled earlier, while the battle against Du Weiwei would beter.


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 Chapter 97 - 97 Bite Mark

    Chapter 97: Bite Mark


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Old Ginger, it¡¯s almost dinner time, and you haven¡¯t been home to have a meal with your family for over a week now, right? I¡¯ll take over and host the uing Spirit Battle for you, you can go home with ease!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, work is important, but so is family. Forget Old Li, he¡¯s unreliable. I¡¯ll host it for you, I guarantee everything will go smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Hey! What are you saying, Old Zhang? I¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, both of you are equallypetent. Old Ginger, leave this to me, go home and spend some time with your wife and kids!¡±


    In the Spirit Chef Association¡¯s lounge specially prepared for the Spiritual Battle Judges, Jiang Gang looked sardonically at his officious colleagues, ¡°If you guys really have so much free time, why not ask the boss to assign more work to you?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­¡± The others were at a loss for words.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s almost time, I¡¯m heading out.¡± Jiang Gang grumbled and made his way past his colleagues, putting on the exclusive uniform of a Spiritual Battle Judge, and walked out of the lounge with his whistle around his neck.


    But there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.


    It all started half an hour ago when the battle system assigned him to judge two battles.


    Those were just ordinary Spirit Battles between Spirit Chefs, not very strong on either side.


    But one person¡¯s name was quite special.


    Qin Lang.


    Jiang Gang remembered, he had once been the judge of his Spirit Battle.


    Surprisingly, in such a short time, this young novice had be the champion of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition, beating the champion from the neighboring city, a truly impressive achievement.


    In the afternoon, Jiang Gang was proudly showing off his past dealings with the city-level champion, Qin Lang, to his colleagues on his mobile phone while watching the livestream. Then, by evening, he once again received a request to judge Qin Lang¡¯s Spirit Battle.


    The judges were randomly assigned by the battle system, so it was all a wonderful coincidence.


    But after he mentioned this casually, his colleagues began to ¡°kindly¡± persuade him to go home.


    It was a painfully obvious plot.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, Old Ginger, wait up, I can still sit in the stands and watch, right?¡± One of the judges, seeing that he couldn¡¯t take over, rushed up to follow, ¡°Who said that judges can¡¯t be spectators?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! We¡¯ll go too!¡± The other judges chimed in as well.


    They were all curious about the one who had just won the Dongxia City Cooking Competition that afternoon.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t disturb me when I¡¯m judging.¡±


    Jiang Gang ignored them and soon arrived at the designated battlefield.


    Three figures were standing there, one of them was the familiar Qin Lang.


    ¡°Count of three, Spirit Battle begins!¡±


    When he actually stood in front of Qin Lang, Jiang Gang didn¡¯t start any idle chat as expected. Instead, he quickly got into judge mode. When both sides of the Spirit Battle were ready, he gave a loud shout.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Borrow the power of Tian Shu, guard!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu confidently yelled out, her seven-star map lighting up with just one star behind her.


    Her Food Spirit was dark red, with a long thin tail and horns like a little demon, and a pair of small pink wings, all in all, it looked quite cute.


    The moment the seven-star map wrapped around her, a sh of seven-star light passed through Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Xiu Xiu, it¡¯s our time to shine!¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit was just born, we can¡¯t possibly lose to it!¡±


    ¡°Bring out your experience of being abused by Little Glutinous Rice, this time it¡¯s our turn to beat them down!¡±


    ¡°Jiyah!¡±


    Food Spirit Xiu Xiu nodded heavily, looking at Spicy, who was floating by Qin Lang¡¯s side at the other end of the Spiritual Battlefield.


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Borrow the power of Tian Shu, guard!¡±


    Qin Lang calmly activated the Star Spirit Protection, and began tomunicate with Spicy, who was still a little unused to the first use of Star Spirit Protection.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, believe in mymand, we can definitely win!¡±


    ¡°Chaba!¡±


    Spicy nodded, and the bubble-like light orb of intertwined red and green colors above its head revealed its anxious mood.


    This was its first Spirit Battle since it was born, it must win!


    Spicy eyed Xiu Xiu on the other side, their gazes happened to meet.


    At the moment their eyes intersected, it seemed as if a spark shed through the void!


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao, who was watching the battle from afar, cheered loudly for Qin Lang and Spicy.


    It sneakily nced at Du Weiwei and her Food Spirit not too far away.


    After the battle between Qin Lang and Qi Xiaoyu, it will have to fight with Du Weiwei¡¯s Food Spirit!


    Jiang Gang took a look at the Food Spirit chosen by Qin Lang and his gaze was slightly concentrated.


    He had noticed during the live broadcast of thepetition that Qin Lang already had a Second Food Spirit.


    At this moment, he was also very curious about what kind ofbat skills this Food Spirit possessed.


    ¡°One¡­ Spirit Battle begins!¡±


    ¡°Beep¡ª ¡±


    With a sharp whistle piercing the sky, both Food Spirits sprang into action almost simultaneously.


    ¡°Xiu Xiu! Quickly approach!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu put one hand on her hip and pointed forcefully towards Qin Lang.


    The Food Spirit that understood her intentions let out a low cry, and in the next moment it used its wings, which actuallycked flight capabilities, to achieve its fastest flying speed, heading towards Spicy.


    ¡°We also quickly approach!¡± At the same time, Qin Lang issued instructions, his face showing a touch of caution, ¡°Be careful of the opponent¡¯s tail!¡±


    Despite having known each other for so long, although Qin Lang had not had a Spirit Battle with Qi Xiaoyu, he still knew about her Food Spirit¡¯sbat skills.


    Combat Skill: Power Whip.


    This is a melee skill, initiated by that meter-long tail of Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s Food Spirit.


    In the process ofunching, Xiu Xiu¡¯s tail will elongate to about two meters, therefore, the attack range of this ability is only two meters.


    One must not underestimate its power just because the attack range is short.


    If the Power Whip skill hits a Food Spirit of the same level three times, it will cause thetter to lose its attack power.


    Moreover, theunching speed of this skill is extremely fast.


    If it was a skill with arger attack range, one could expend Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s Food Spirit by attacking from a distance.


    But regrettably, the attack range of Spicy¡¯sbat skill was notrge.


    ¡°Chak ka!¡±


    Despite it being its first battle, Spicy was brave.


    It let out a loud shout and flew towards Xiu Xiu at the highest speed.


    The distance between the two Food Spirits rapidly shortened as they flew towards one another.


    Ten meters¡­


    Five meters¡­


    Two meters!


    In the blink of an eye, Spicy had already entered Xiu Xiu¡¯s attack range!


    ¡°Power Whip!¡±


    Even though she was not sure why Qin Lang chose to get close knowing her Food Spirit¡¯sbat skills, at this moment Qi Xiaoyu was thrilled.


    This was a victory simply handed to her!


    As she shouted out, in the battlefield, Xiu Xiu¡¯s tail suddenly elongated to two meters.


    ¡°Shuo!¡±


    Apanied by the sharp sound of whistling wind, Xiu Xiu¡¯s tail quickly thrust towards Spicy!


    That slender tail instantly transformed into a dark red whip, with the triangr part at the end stabbing sharply like a snake¡¯s head!


    Facing the rapidly erging shadow of the dark red whip, Spicy heard Qin Lang¡¯s loud shout echoed in its mind and ears.


    ¡°Now! Lucky Bite Mark!¡±


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 Chapter 98 - 98: Non-evidence

    Chapter 98: Non-evidence


    Trantor: 549690339


    At themand of Qin Lang, Spicy opened his mouth, revealing his sharp fangs which were partially exposed even when his mouth was closed.


    Apanied by the energy drawn from Qin Lang¡¯s Tianxuan Star Vein from afar, Spicy¡¯s sharp little fangs suddenly erupted in a bright, colorful glow, as if filled with some magical power instantly!


    The next moment, Spicy bit fiercely at the long tail that was aimed at him!


    Simultaneously, the tail¡¯s striking force also hit Spicy¡¯s body.


    ¡°Bang


    With a muffled noise, Spicy was flung away by the strength of the tail strike, rolling in the air several times before barelying to a halt.


    There was a shallow wound at the corner of his mouth ¨C the mark of the blow he had taken when he had braced himself against the tail with his teeth.


    A wound like this wouldn¡¯t be enough to incapacitate Spicy, but its fighting spirit red more intensely after the first injury. It quickly turned its head to the opponent on the other side.


    However, in the next moment, the fighting spirit in Spicy¡¯s eyes dissipated, giving way to a dazed expression.


    Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s Food Spirit was already copsed on the ground, unmoving.


    On its long tail, two bite marks that continued to emit colorful light were highly noticeable.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Jiang Gang, who had witnessed the entire scene silently, rubbed his face and muttered in disbelief, ¡°What kind of luck is this?¡±


    He quickly walked to Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s Food Spirit, looked at Xiu Xiu whose eyes were already spinning, and began the countdown as per the rules.


    Five seconds passed.


    ¡°Beep


    ¡°Spirit Battle over, Qin Lang wins this Spirit Battle!¡±


    ¡°What just¡­ happened?¡± Holding her Food Spirit in her arms, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s face was filled with bewilderment.


    The battle ended just like that, with Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit taking a bite at Xiu Xiu?!


    And thatbat skill.


    Lucky Bite Mark?


    Qi Xiaoyu had been studying variousbat skillstely, but remembering thousands of them would not be an easy task, and she had yet to learn about the more obscure ones.


    Like this Lucky Bite Mark¡ªshe¡¯d never heard of it.


    ¡°The fighting-basedbat skill, Lucky Bite Mark, has a slight chance of instantly incapacitating the opponent after a sessful hit. The actual probability varies with the difference in strength between the two sides.¡±


    Du Weiwei, holding her Food Spirit, walked onto the field. She looked at Spicy in surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your second Food Spirit¡¯sbat skill would turn out to be this.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    She turned her gaze towards Qi Xiaoyu, suppressing a peculiar smile.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but it felt as if she had said it all.


    Already stunned due to her swift defeat in the Spirit Battle, Qi Xiaoyu looked utterly defeated.


    ¡°So¡­ was my luck just that bad?!¡±


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t expect it to be effective the first time either.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head, unable to hold back hisughter, ¡°I was nning on trying it three times to see just how slim this ¡®small probability¡¯ actually was¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Qi Xiaoyu clutched her chest, looking hurt, ¡°Stop talking!¡±


    Who had she offended to deserve such bad luck?!


    Du Weiwei was rendered speechless and then looked at Qin Lang, ¡°But the Lucky Bite Mark has great limitations. It requires closebat, and whether the effect can be triggered or not depends entirely on luck.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Qin Lang nodded


    Every skill has its pros and cons.


    At the One-Star Stage, Food Spirits are limited as they only have onebat skill.


    This limitation can only be eliminated after the Food Spirit achieves Two or Three Stars, gaining two or threebat skills, which can then bebined and developed through self-discovered battle techniques.


    So the fights between One-Star Food Spirits are more like minor skirmishes.


    Moreover, Spicy¡¯s Lucky Bite Mark is more like a war tactic that relies heavily on otherbat skills.


    This tactic, when used alone, depends entirely on luck.


    So, until Spicy reaches Two Stars, it should avoid participating in Spirit Battles.


    While Du Weiwei and Qin Lang were talking, Spicy, in a daze from absorbing the Star Power gained from victory, finally came back to its senses.


    Use abat skill, take a bite at the opponent.


    And that¡¯s¡­ victory?


    So this is a Spirit Battle!


    Its bicolor, red and green eyes, lit up immediately.


    In an instant, it fell in love with the feel of the battle.


    This feeling was simply too great!


    It wanted to experience this a billion more times!


    ¡°Guluru!¡±


    Well done!


    Dan Bao, who was off the field, flew in, snuggled up to Spicy, gave a gentle rub, and then flew towards Qin Lang.


    ¡°Gudong!¡±


    Now, watch me next!


    ¡°Cha-ka!¡±


    Go for it! Don¡¯t lose!


    Watching Dan Bao¡¯s departing figure, Spicy flew out of the arena and her eyes, without batting, keenly kept track of Qin Lang and Dan Bao on the battlefield, worried for the next battle.


    On the other side, Qi Xiaoyu, whose bloodline had been approved, left the stage after a double shock, hugged Xiu Xiu, sat down in the spectator seats, and, with puffed cheeks, watched Du Weiwei and Qin Lang in the arena.


    The Spirit Battle had not yet started, but the discussion among other people nearby caused Qi Xiaoyu to perk up her ears.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Du Weiwei? Qin Lang¡¯s opponent is her; this battle will be interesting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve presided over a few of her spirit battles. Du Weiwei has a Food Spirit whose Combat Skills of awakening twice can bebined together. The power is far greater than the sum of the parts.¡±


    ¡°I watched the live broadcast yesterday. Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit just leveled up to two stars yesterday. Preparing for the championship battle today, presumably, he has not had the chance to train his Food Spirit in this aspect.¡±


    ¡°Training and cooking are two separate paths after all; it¡¯s not that simple to focus on both at the same time.¡±


    H H


    Qi Xiaoyu recognized one or two familiar figures from the crowd and quickly confirmed their identities.


    These were other Spirit Battle Judges from the Association!


    Unexpectedly, they also came to watch the match; it appeared that Qin Lang was getting a lot of attention.


    Weiwei¡¯sbined battle skills, huh¡­


    Qi Xiaoyu looked at Du Weiwei and her eyes filled with curiosity.


    During their battles, Weiwei had never revealed that kind of skill.


    After all, she and her Food Spirit were too weak and could not even force Du Weiwei to use her second Combat Skill.


    Recalling how easily Qin Lang defeated her, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but snort.


    I hope Weiwei uses herbined Combat Skills and wipes the floor with him.


    On the field, Jiang Gang looked at the two who were about to engage in the second Spirit Battle.


    There was no need to discuss Qin Lang.


    As for Du Weiwei, she has somewhat of a reputation in the Dongxia City¡¯s Spirit Chef Association.


    She had some simrities with Tang Xie in that regard.


    Du Weiwei¡¯s fame was earned through Spirit Battles.


    Though she didn¡¯t have a second Food Spirit, under the lvi Food Spirit battle rules, she had a high winning rate.


    Just like his colleagues in the Spectator Seats, Jiang Gang also thought that Qin Lang has small chances of winning.


    But they would still only know after the match.


    ¡°The Spirit Battle format you two have chosen is the lvi Food Spiritbat. Both of you can only send out one Food Spirit and can¡¯t change in the middle of the match.¡±


    ¡°Once a Food Spirit ispletely out ofbat capability, the Spirit Battle is over.¡±


    ¡°So now¡­¡±


    Jiang Gang looked at Qin Lang and Du Weiwei, who had already prepared themselves, and tightly held the whistle in his hand.


    ¡°Three count starts, the Spirit Battle begins!¡±


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 Chapter 99 - 99 Combination

    Chapter 99: Combination


    Trantor: 549690339


    [Additional update for the chief of the mountain full of pine nuts]


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    With each count echoing across the field by Jiang Gang, standing on either side of the battle arena, Qin Lang and Du Weiwei, who had already activated their Star Spirit Protection, were looking at each other from a distance.


    Equally locked in a gaze were Dan Bao and Little Glutinous Rice ¨C Du Weiwei¡¯s food spirit ¨C both ready to give their all.


    Little Glutinous Rice¡¯s appearance was just like a creamy-white, plump little ball, simr to a dumpling, with short, chubby extremities. This orbiting motion made it different from other food spirits, giving it a sensation of trotting in the air.


    A streak of electricity seemed to sh through the void at the moment when Dan Bao and Little Glutinous Rice locked eyes.


    ¡°Start!¡±


    ¡°Beep¡ª ¡±


    With a sharp whistle echoing in the air, both spirits increased their speed and moved towards each other.


    ¡°Little Glutinous Rice, unleash a Gale Sweep!¡±


    ¡°Mhm-yi!¡±


    With a loud yell from the sprinting Little Glutinous Rice, its body rapidly shed a light aqua glow.


    Invisible gusts of wind gathered around its body to the point where you could almost see the shape, which boosted Little Glutinous Rice, making it travel even faster!


    In just an instant, Little Glutinous Rice covered a distance of several tens of meters and appeared in Dan Bao¡¯s attack range earlier than expected!


    At that exact moment, Dan Bao was also within the attack range of Little Glutinous Rice!


    The sudden eleration disrupted Qin Lang and Dan Bao¡¯s attack rhythm, causing Dan Bao to be momentarily taken aback. This gave Little Glutinous Rice the opportunity to strike first.


    ¡°Little Glutinous Rice! Release the Coldflow Breath!¡±


    The moment Du Weiwei gave themand, streams of cold air quickly emerged from around Little Glutinous Rice¡¯s body.


    Centered around its body, the cold air quickly condensed the surrounding air, creating a patch of cold fog, which blurred its own shape slightly.


    The next moment, Little Glutinous Rice gently blew in the direction of Dan


    Bao. The sweeping cold air, like a series of invisible dragons, tumbling and bringing frost, quickly rushed towards Dan Bao!


    Even though he was caught off guard, Qin Lang¡¯s reaction was just as swift. ¡°Full firepower!¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯smands, Dan Bao quickly snapped back to consciousness. After a deep breath, it spewed searing mes towards Little Glutinous Rice.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Apanied by the low hum of the air suddenly heating and expanding, a wave of heat rushed towards Little Glutinous Rice with the red mes, as if the temperature of the entire battlefield had risen dramatically at that moment.


    The power of this attack far surpassed Dan Bao¡¯s full firepower explosion at the One Star Stage.


    That¡¯s because after Dan Bao¡¯s promotion, itsbat power as a food spirit also got a massive boost!


    In the subsequent series of booming explosions, the cold air and the mes finally collided and crushed against each other in the air.


    As white smoke emerged from the sh of the two spirits, finally, all the cold air dissipatedpletely, and in the void, only harmless sparks remained. Du Weiwei¡¯s gaze slightly hardened. ¡°Gale Sweep!¡±


    ¡°Mhm-yi!¡±


    Little Glutinous Rice promptly responded. With the aqua light reappearing, the gale winds under its control rapidly extinguished the remaining sparks in the air and continued relentlessly towards Dan Bao.


    ¡°Try the Thought Waves!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes flickered, looking at the sweeping gale winds, his eyes filled with the same eager anticipation as Dan Bao¡¯s.


    Now was the time to see the power of the newly awakened secondbat skill! Thought Waves, thisbat skill could not only build a thought-force wall for defense but also control objects for attacking or even directly manipte opponents. This ability was exceedingly versatile.


    Although it would be challenging for Dan Bao, now a Two Star Food Spirit, to directly control opponent Little Glutinous Rice, the other two methods wouldn¡¯t be affected.


    ¡°Grumble!¡±


    With a loud cry from Dan Bao, facing the rapidly approaching gale winds, a milky white halo spread around it, transforming into a light white thought-force shell covering its entire body.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The next moment, the wind swallowed Dan Bao¡¯s figure.


    The manifold effects of the storm and Thought Power shed in the air, stirring up countless dust clouds on the battlefield.


    ¡°Just as I thought¡­¡± Seeing Dan Bao forming a Thought Power shell, an anticipated look surfaced in Du Weiwei¡¯s eyes.


    Thebat skill was employed by Dan Bao to assist Qin Lang in presenting dishes to the Food Rmenders during the tasting stage of thest afternoon match.


    Considering that Dan Bao had acquired a Mind Stone in the funpetition and had awakened to Thought Waves, this was a normal development.


    In her mind, she envisioned the scene of the collision between Full Firepower and Cold Breath. Despite the smoke still lingering, she seemed to have already seen the oue of this sh.


    Given that¡­


    ¡°Little Glutinous Rice! Use that move!¡±


    ¡°UmYi!¡±


    Having just summoned a Gale, Little Glutinous Rice responded, and a light blue glow began to pulsate rhythmically with the cold current alongside him.


    The Gale encapsted the Cold Flow, and the two entities rapidly fused together into one at an extreme speed.


    At that moment, the light blue glow in the air transformed into a light blue color.


    ¡°Here ites! It¡¯s that move!¡±


    In the audience seats, several Spirit Battle Judges, observing this scene, startedughing and discussing amongst themselves, anticipation shining in their eyes.


    Sitting not far away, Qi Xiaoyu, hearing the words of the Judges, also looked towards thepetition field with added curiosity in her eyes.


    She had seen two of Du Weiwei¡¯sbat skills before.


    However, she had never seen this knock-out.


    Was this a Combined Battle Skill?


    She wondered about its power.


    She reached out her hand and touched her fully recovered Xiu Xiu, her expression tense.


    Who would prevail under this strike?


    Watching the scene from the other side of the field, Spicy¡¯s little face tightened. This strike looked powerful, but she didn¡¯t know if Dan Bao could handle it¡­ Hmph! She wasn¡¯t worried about Dan Bao. She was worried about Qin Lang! Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Little Glutinous Rice fiercely blew in the direction where Dan Bao was located amid the center of the rising dust.


    ¡°Hoo!¡±


    A bluish ice storm spewed out of its mouth like a heavy cannon.


    The storm quickly dispersed the dust while wreaking havoc, conjuring a hint of circling frost in the surrounding void, and carrying a terrifying force, it thundered towards Dan Bao which, although its Thought-force shell was not entirely shattered, was almost depleted of its power.


    Combined Battle Skill ¨C Coldflow Storm!


    In thepetition field, a surprised expression shed across Qin Lang¡¯s face. As a Two-star Food Spirit, Little Glutinous Rice possesses only twobat skills ¨C Gale and Cold Breath.


    However, what it was disying now was not any single one of these two skills, but seemed more like a fusion of the two.


    So, was this the Combined Battle Skill that could be mastered upon having multiplebat skills?


    ¡°Dan Bao, Full Firepower focus! Protect yourself with Thought Waves!¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    After taking a deep breath, countless swirling mes appeared between Dan Bao¡¯s head and body. The milky glow spread and the shell of Thought Power just on the brink of shattering ¨C was instantly fixed and reinforced.


    Immediately after, it fiercely spat out mes. Wrapping in high temperatures, it exploded like a heavy cannon, facing the rapidly erging Coldflow Storm in its view!


    The two powerful attacks collided instantly!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Shortcut: [Monthly Pass][RmendationTicket]

 Chapter 100 - 100: Anticipation

    Chapter 100: Anticipation


    Trantor: 549690339


    [Extra update for Alliance Leader, Mountain Full of Pine Nuts]


    In the arena, the concentrated mes and frost burst into brilliant red and blue lights, drowning out all other illumination in thepetitivendscape and bing the sole vision in everyone¡¯s sight.


    The aftermath of the collision, even more intense than before, morphed into a sweeping gale that surged across the entire arena, even showing signs of spreading beyond the grounds. However, this attempted spread was quickly neutralized by an invisible force at the edge of the arena.


    Very quickly, it appeared that the battle between the red and blue lights had been decided. The blue light began to constantly push towards Dan Bao¡¯s direction.


    ¡®Full Firepower¡¯ was powerful, but it still seemed somewhatcking in the face of the ¡®Coldflow Storm¡¯ formed by thebination of the two battle skills.


    However, the blue light¡¯s advancement wasn¡¯t swift. Before it could envelop Dan Bao¡¯s figure, the glow faded due to the exhaustion of its attacking power and eventually dissipated.


    Dan Bao let go of its protective shield of thought power, allowing the frost condensed on the outer shell to scatter onto the ground.


    It looked again at Little Glutinous Rice on the opposite side, its eyes filled with a burning desire for battle.


    Such a powerful opponent!


    ¡°Thought Wave, attack!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s voice echoed in Dan Bao¡¯s mind.


    An ivory halo rippled around it, transforming into an invisible yet tangible wave of thought power, quickly hurtling towards Little Glutinous Rice.


    ¡°Whoo-¡±


    An unprovoked sound of wind tearing through the air whistled towards Little Glutinous Rice.


    ¡°Dodge quickly!¡± Du Weiwei shouted.


    However, Little Glutinous Rice, which had justunched abined battle skill, seemed a bit depleted and reacted a beat slower.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Apanied by a dull sound, Little Glutinous Rice crashed onto the ground.


    (q_ q)


    ¡°Countdown to five!¡± Jiang Gang quickly stepped forward, shouting, ¡°Five¡­four¡­three¡­two¡­one¡­¡±


    Until Jiang Gang counted to one, Little Glutinous Rice still hadn¡¯t managed to fly up from the ground.


    ¡°Beep


    A whistle sounded and Jiang Gang gave the final verdict of this spiritual battle.


    ¡°In this spirit battle, Qin Lang wins!¡±


    ¡°Dudu!¡±


    Dan Bao wagged its tail happily, its face carrying a hint of relief.


    Thebined battle skill used by Little Glutinous Rice was indeed formidable!


    It could feel that if it had let that strikend on itself, it might have been the one to lose itsbat power in the end.


    Having already obtained two battle skills, would it also havebined battle skills in the future¡­


    While Dan Bao was absorbing the Star Power of the victor, it began to daydream.


    ¡°Cha-cha-¡±


    They won!


    Spicy quickly flew towards the arena, her face still carrying a hint of excitement.


    When the two powerful attacks collided and the Cold Flow Storm took the upper hand, her heart was on the edge.


    Fortunately, Dan Bao was the one to win in the end.


    Looking at the lingering worry on her buddy¡¯s face, Dan Bao¡¯s own face showed a touch of appreciation.


    ¡°Gulu?¡±


    Were you worried about me?


    ¡°Cha?!¡±


    Spicy¡¯s expression briefly froze before she vehemently turned her head aside.


    (¡°v¡°¡ª)


    ¡°Cha-cha!¡±


    You must have seen wrong!


    Seeing the rapidly reddening bubble of light above Spicy¡¯s head, Dan Bao¡¯s face disyed a knowing look.


    On the other side, Du Weiwei who had recalled Little Glutinous Rice back into the Star Vein to rest, looked a little strange.


    She looked at Qin Lang who had walked up to her, opened her mouth and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Your first Food Spirit¡­ Your vor value wouldn¡¯t have already reached 200 points, would it?¡±


    She had noticed during their battle.


    The two food spirits¡¯ attack collision, the one at a disadvantage was always Little Glutinous Rice.


    The first time Cold Breath confronted Full Firepower, it failed topletely extinguish it.


    The second time, the Gale Sweep faced Thought Waves and failed to break the thought power shield.


    The finalbined battle skill was supposed to eclipse the single battle skill, but under Dan Bao¡¯s full firepower bundle, it barely managed to gain an advantage.


    She and Little Glutinous Rice, who spent more time focusing on spiritual battles, had a moremanding grasp of their battle skills than Dan Bao.


    So the only exnation is that Dan Bao has a much higherbat power value than Little Glutinous Rice, indicating a significant disparity between their abilities.


    Thebat power value is jointly determined by the food spirit¡¯s taste value and the spiritual power value.


    Since both of them are spirit chefs with two-star veins open, there shouldn¡¯t be any difference in spiritual power. Therefore, the only difference could be in the taste value.


    This¡­


    Qin Lang scratched his head.


    He suddenly remembered that he had not had time to test the taste value of Dan Bao after the star upgrade, and he hadn¡¯t tested Spicy¡¯s taste value either.


    ¡°That should be it.¡± Jiang Gang folded his arms andughed, ¡°thebined battle skill is not something a mundane battle skill canpete with.¡±


    With his vast experience as a spiritual battle judge, the only thing that could cause this scenario is the significant taste value disparity between the two.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s expression, Jiang Gang quickly guessed that he hadn¡¯t conducted the taste value test.


    ¡°There is a specialized instrument for taste testing in the lounge over there, why don¡¯t you give it a shot?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang nodded, beckoning to Dan Bao and Spicy who were huddled together, ¡°Come! Let¡¯s go and test your taste values!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Taste value test!


    Dan Bao suddenly became fully engrossed, its eyes filled with anticipation.


    Thest time it tested its taste value was when it was at one star.


    At that time, its taste value was 100 points.


    ording to Qin Lang, the maximum taste value would increase to 200 points when upgrading from one star to two stars.


    So now, it could potentially have a taste value of 200 points.


    But what the actual number is¡­


    Of course, there is only one way to find out. A taste test!


    Different from Dan Bao¡¯s excitement, Spicy tilted its head and wore a puzzled expression on its face after hearing the taste value test proposal.


    ¡°Cha baa?¡±


    What is taste value?


    Being new to this world, Spicy had many questions.


    Instinctively, it looked toward Dan Bao.


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s reaction, it was apparent that Dan Bao knew what taste value was.


    Perhaps it ought to ask Dan Bao?


    But before Spicy could decide, Dan Bao had already cozied up, eagerly exining the concept to Spicy.


    ¡°Gurgle doo doo!¡±


    Let me tell you what a taste value is¡­


    Listening to Dan Bao¡¯s exnation, Spicy had an epiphany, its face also filling with anticipation.


    Ah, so there¡¯s something called thebat power value!


    Already keenly interested in spiritual battles, it quickly developed a curiosity about its own taste value.


    ¡°Cha ka-¡±


    I should thank you then-


    With Dan Bao¡¯s expectant gaze, Spicy shyly turned its head away.


    Looking at the glowing red bubble on top of its head, Dan Bao, giggling, flew towards Qin Lang with Spicy in tow.


    ¡°I also want to have my taste value tested!¡± dered Qi Xiaoyu as she quickly walked up to the stage and came over to Qin Lang and Du Weiwei. ¡°When I just got my food spirit, I measured it once. Maybe it has increased since?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll do it together.¡± Du Weiwei replied with a nod.


    The three of them followed Jiang Gang into a lounge next to the spiritual battlefields.


    Soon, Dan Bao, which had entered the testing area first, took flight, and its taste value was disyed on the screen nearby.


    [200]


    As expected.


    Seeing the result, Du Weiwei seemed unsurprised.


    With her status as the winner of the city-level cookingpetition, this seemed appropriate.


    Shortcut: [Monthly Vote] [Rmendation Vote]

 Chapter 101 - 101: Strategy

    Chapter 101: Strategy


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Crack-ack!¡±


    It¡¯s my turn! It¡¯s my turn!


    Seeing the fresh Test vor Value after Dan Bao being tested, Spicy, who stood by, was getting impatient.


    ording to the vor Value knowledge Dan Bao just told her, she could have up to 100 points of vor Value as a one-star Food Spirit.


    What would her vor Value be?


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Jiang Gang, who was responsible for controlling the tester, chuckled on the side.


    However, he already had a guess about Spicy¡¯s vor Value.


    After all, he knew that Spicy was a Food Spirit born out of Twice-Cooked Pork.


    Twice-Cooked Pork was the dish that won Qin Lang the champion title in the Dongxia City Cooking Competition. How could its vor Value possibly be less than 100?


    So, actually, there was no need to test Spicy¡¯s vor Value.


    A momentter, when Spicy walked out, her vor Value was disyed on the screen.


    [ioo]


    ¡°Crack-a-boom!¡±


    Seeing that her taste value had reached the limit of a one-star food spirit, an exuberant expression showed up on Spicy¡¯s face right away.


    She didn¡¯t notice at all that no one around her was surprised by her vor Value.


    ¡°Gurlulu-¡±


    Dan Bao shook its head from the side.


    Spicy still knew little about their Spirit Chef¡¯s culinary skills.


    After spending more time, it would be, like itself, unfazed by reaching the vor Value limit.


    Be aloof. Keep it cool.


    Qin Lang ruffled Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s heads, revealing a smile.


    Though it wasn¡¯t much of a suspense, testing the new vor Values of the two Food Spirits was like witnessing their growth.


    And, just because their vor Value can reach the limit now doesn¡¯t mean the vor Value of their future Food Spirits will max out each time they star-up.


    Even though Qin Lang had reached Special ss 1 in his previous life, there were more Special ss 1 chefs, and he didn¡¯t think his culinary skills were unrivaled.


    The pursuit of delicious food is endless.


    ¡°Alright, my turn to test!¡± After Qin Lang finished his test, Qi Xiaoyu eagerly stepped up with Xiu Xiu.


    Soon, Xiu Xiu flew out of the tester and the number on the screen changed.


    [69]


    ¡°Yay! It¡¯s increased by 7!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu saw the new vor Value and immediately revealed a satisfied expression.


    She doesn¡¯tpare herself with a freak like Qin Lang.


    An increase in a Food Spirit¡¯s vor Value means that her culinary skills of cooking Xiu Xiu¡¯s Origin Cuisine have improved.


    When she first tested after her Food Spirit was born, the result was 62. Now, it¡¯s 69.


    To increase 7 vor Value points in just 20 days, she already considers it excellent.


    ¡°Weiwei, want to give it a try?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Du Weiwei hesitated for a moment then shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t need to.¡±


    For one thing, she tested a few days ago and there¡¯s a low chance of improvement in such a short period of time.


    On the other hand, after seeing the vor Value of Dan Bao, she was a little reluctant to let Qin Lang know her Food Spirit¡¯s vor Value.


    ¡°Huh Yi~¡±


    Little Glutinous Rice rubbed Du Weiwei¡¯s hand. The look in its big eyes was full of anticipation.


    It wanted to give it a try.


    ¡°Come on! Look, Little Glutinous Rice also wants to test!¡± Qi Xiaoyu chuckled, grabbing Du Weiwei¡¯s hand and shaking it.


    ¡°This¡­OK, then.¡±


    Seeing this, Du Weiwei nodded.


    ¡°Emyee!¡±


    Little Glutinous Rice cheered, flying into the Testing Area and then quickly returned.


    Soon, its vor Value appeared on the screen.


    [137]


    This vor Value was far from reaching the upper limit of a Two-star Food Spirit.


    This meant that the gap between Little Glutinous Rice and Dan Bao¡¯s Combat Power Value was not small when they fought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Weiwei, we will train our cooking skills together!¡± Qi Xiaoyu, standing by her side, pulled Du Weiwei¡¯s hand, her face full of determination.


    Although she wasn¡¯t measuring up to Qin Lang, the maniac, she, who had been somewhat ck in the past, was still stimted by Qin Lang.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Du Weiwei hugged Little Glutinous Rice and nodded.


    Not only did she need to improve Little Glutinous Rice¡¯s vor Value, but also hurry up and generate her Second Food Spirit.


    ¡°Dang dang dang-¡±


    Closing the front door and turning on the light, Qin Lang looked at Spicy, who was curiously looking around, and revealed a warm smile, ¡°This is the home of Dan Bao and me, and now it¡¯s your home too.¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Let me show you around our house!


    Dan Bao enthusiastically began.


    And this time, Spicy obediently followed.


    The innocent Spicy now understood the meaning of home.


    ¡°Hoo~¡±


    Taking the opportunity of the two Food Spirits leaving, Qin Lang copsed onto the sofa to rest for a while. He then sat up and opened the box that he had been carrying, cing it on the tea table.


    Inside, there was the city-level Cooking Competition champion medal he had taken off after the award ceremony, three First-level Food Rmender Badges, and the Distant Light Badge gleaming silver under the light.


    He was already the champion of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition¡­


    So what should he do next?


    Carefully thinking about it, less than a month had passed since he crossed to this world.


    The reason he could adapt so quickly was not only because he got the original body¡¯s memory and skipped much of the process of exploration and understanding but also because he started striving for the City-level Cooking Competition shortly after he crossed over.


    When you have a goal, you don¡¯t overthink many things.


    Now that this short-term goal waspleted, what Qin Lang felt besides joy was the confusion he had been suppressing before.


    ¡°Ding dong-¡±


    The ringing of the phone interrupted Qin Lang¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui?¡±


    ¡°Haha, congrattions on winning the city-levelpetition!¡± Luo Hui¡¯s heartyughter came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Because you are working in the restaurant, there were especially many food guests tonight, I¡¯ve been busy until now only to find some free time!¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Lang showed a slight smile, ¡°That¡¯s good, how¡¯s the practice of Steamed Bass going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve practiced it many times.¡± Luo Hui smiled, ¡°Although there¡¯s still room for improvement, it can already be sold. I¡¯ve lowered the price a bit, so the sales are pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, 1 almost forgot the real matter.¡± Luo Hui was talking, suddenly remembered something, and quickly turned the topic back to the purpose of this call, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a gift for you and have sent it to your mailbox, which you may need.¡±


    ¡°All?¡± Qin Lang blinked, looking for it in his mailbox while asking, ¡°What gift?¡±


    ¡°A travel guide for the eleven cities in Tianhua State, excluding Dongxia City.¡± Luo Huiughed, ¡°I haven¡¯t been to other states, but I know other cities in Tianhua State very well.¡±


    While Luo Hui was talking, Qin Lang had already seen the gift Luo Hui sent in his mailbox.


    It was a very detailed travel guide.


    Detailing which local restaurants have what featured local foods worth trying, which ces are worth visiting and ying in, and what ingredients can be obtained locally were all clearly listed.


    ¡°Having obtained the Distant Light Badge, 1 think you¡¯ll try to get other badges next, which means you¡¯ll definitely need to go to other cities. This guide should be of help to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Luo Hui.¡± Qin Lang gratefully replied.


    The gift from Luo Hui was also a guiding light.


    He suddenly realized that he didn¡¯t seem to havee to the point where he was confused about his future path.


    Shortcut to:[Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 102 - 102: Banquet Invitation

    Chapter 102: Banquet Invitation


    Trantor: 549690339


    After brief casual conversation with Luo Hui, Qin Lang hung up the phone.


    Yet his spirits were high and he was not the same as before the call.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    Having flown around the home getting a feel for its nooks and crannies, Dan Bao returned to Qin Lang¡¯s side with an expectant look on its face.


    Previously, when Qin Lang received the Food Rmender Badge, he would prepare a celebratory feast.


    Now that he had won the city-level cooking contest and received an even higher Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, surely there ought to be another celebration, right?


    So, there will be delicious food, right?


    Spicy, who was nearby, also came over.


    Although it hadn¡¯t been part of the previous celebrations, upon hearing Dan Bao mention delicious food, it too perked up with interest.


    ¡°Indeed, we should celebrate.¡± Qin Lang hugged the two little fellows and rxed into a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s give tonight a pass though. It¡¯s a bitte now, and today with the cookingpetition, the birth of a Food Spirit, and two Spirit Battles, I¡¯m honestly a bit tired.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, let¡¯s all celebrate our championship together!¡±


    ¡°Let me think about what we can do to celebrate.¡± He released the two Food Spirits and counted off on his fingers, ¡°Mr. Fu Hang gave us a kilogram of beef short ribsst time, of which we still have half a kilogram left!¡±


    ¡°I initially thought to use it in cookingpetitions but never had a chance to do so in any of the subsequent challenges.¡±


    ¡°So, we could have another barbecue.¡±


    ¡°In addition, we have cookingpetition points as well.¡±


    Qin Lang opened the Spirit Chef Association mobile app to his profile, where his cookingpetition points showed a total of 100, a sight that gave him an expectant look.


    ¡°From what I understand, the points won inpetitions are cumtive and can be used in higher levelpetitionster.¡±


    ¡°But spending these points doesn¡¯t affect the total.¡±


    ¡°Competition points are divided into cookingpetition points and trainingpetition points, gained from two different types ofpetitions.¡±


    ¡°What they can be redeemed for also differs.¡±


    ¡°Cookingpetition points can be exchanged for various rare and exotic ingredients, while trainingpetition points can be used to acquire some resources that Food Spirits need for growth.¡±


    Qin Lang stopped speaking for a moment, then looked at Dan Bao. ¡°For example, we can redeem the Mind Stones we won earlier, which are hard to buy from the outside world, using trainingpetition points.¡±


    ¡°ck?¡±


    Should we participate in the trainingpetition, then?


    Spicy, who was on the side, asked expectantly.


    ¡°With our current strength, we are just not ready.¡± Qin Lang shook his head. ¡°Forget about the trainingpetitions, even in the Youth Training Championship, we wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve good results with our current strength.¡±


    Seeing the discouraged look on Spicy¡¯s face, he reassured it, ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart. Our strength will increase. If we have the opportunity to take part in trainingpetitions in the future, we certainly won¡¯t miss it.¡±


    Spurred on by Qin Lang¡¯s encouragement, Spicy¡¯s ears gradually picked up, reviving its motivation.


    ¡°1 drifted off topic,¡± Qin Lang said, returning to the issue of cookingpetition points. ¡°The ingredients we can get by redeeming cookingpetition points could give us a lot of advantages in Food Fights and other cookingpetitions. So we need to save up some points just in case they are needed.¡±


    ¡°But we have 100 points which willst us a long time. So, let¡¯s redeem some good stuff to celebrate our championship. For example¡­¡±


    ¡°These top-grade ck tiger shrimps, caught off the coast of Yn Province, and flown to the home within eight hours of being caught! They can be redeemed for one point per five kilograms!¡±


    ¡°Then there are these top-grade hairy crabs from Mengze Province. A female crab weighs as much as eight ounces, and you can get ten crabs with two points!¡±


    ¡°Besides those, there is this¡­¡±


    Even though Qin Lang had perused the redemption list before, he didn¡¯t have any points then.


    But now, he had points to redeem!


    For a chef, there was no greater happiness than this!


    Meanwhile, the two Food Spirits, upon hearing about the delightful dishes Qin Lang nned to cook with these ingredients, drooled with anticipation.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s control ourselves and only redeem ten points for now.¡±


    Finally, with a decisive hammer of judgment, Qin Lang redeemed his most desired ingredients using ten points.


    As for the remaining 90 points, let¡¯s save them for now.


    These ingredients are all fresh when delivered, and Dan Bao has the ability ¡°Fresh Full¡±, which can ensure they are ready when needed.


    Seeing the ¡°Exchange Sessful¡± on the screen, Qin Lang gives a heartyugh.


    ¡°These ingredients will be delivered tomorrow morning, we will have a feast tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    ¡°Chuckle!¡±


    The two Food Spirits are infected by Qin Lang¡¯s happiness. Thinking that there will be a variety of delicious food tomorrow, they start cheering.


    ¡°Ding dong!¡±


    Before the man and two spirits could finish their cheering, an alert sound came from the phone.


    This sound is different from the previous ringtone, it¡¯s the notification sound for a new email.


    ¡°Is Uncle Luo Hui sending me another email?¡± Qin Lang curiously opens the email to check and his face shows surprise, ¡°It¡¯s not from Uncle Luo Hui.¡±


    The email was sent from Zhen Niu Pavilion¡¯s official ount.


    The title of this email instantly piques Qin Lang¡¯s interest.


    [Zhen Niu Pavilion Beef Tasting Banquet Invitation]


    He remembers that when he was looking into Zhen Niu Pavilion, he indeed heard about such a banquet.


    During the eliminationpetition, Mr. Fu Hang also said that he would invite him to the next Beef Tasting Banquet.


    But receiving an invitation on the night of the end of the city-level cookingpetition, couldn¡¯t help but make Qin Lang admire Mr. Fu Hang¡¯s efficient way of doing things.


    As Qin Lang opens the email, a high-quality electronic invitation pops up.


    As he starts reading, Dan Bao and Spicy quickly gather around.


    Despite recognizing some of the characters, the densely packed text in the invitation still leaves Dan Bao somewhat perplexed.


    Let alone Spicy, who doesn¡¯t recognize any characters at all.


    Still, the two Food Spirits acted as if they understood everything, looking very involved. They even nce at each other asionally to see who looked more authentic.


    [Dear Spirit Chef Qin Lang:


    We sincerely invite you to the annual Beef Tasting Banquet held by Zhen Niu Pavilion. At this banquet, Mr. Fu Hang will present the best beef to everyone, and together, we will experience the charm of the top grade beef.


    The banquet is scheduled for three days from now, and we look forward to your presence.


    Zhen Niu Pavilion]


    ¡°Three dayster¡­ the best beef¡­¡± Qin Lang rubbed his chin, ¡°That seems to be better quality meat than our beef short ribs.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    We must go!


    Dan Bao rubbed against Qin Lang, with anticipation on its face.


    The beef short ribs are already so delicious, what would better quality beef taste like?


    Let it have a taste to evaluate!


    ¡°Of course we will go.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Such an event is not to be missed, and also¡­ Lei Ke must have received an invitation as well, right?¡±


    He suddenly thought of Fu Hang mentioning during this afternoon¡¯spetition that Lei Ke would also be invited.


    If he were to run into Lei Ke at the Beef Tasting Banquet, he could actually ask for advice on how to earn other Second-Level Food Rmender Badges.


    Shortcut: [Monthly Ticket] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 103 - 103: Fighting Spirit

    Chapter 103: Fighting Spirit


    Trantor: 549690339


    After replying to the invitation email, it was alreadyte in the night.


    ¡°We should rest early.¡± Qin Lang let out a tired stretch, looking at the two Food Spirits, ¡°Spicy, are you going into the Star Vein to rest?¡±


    ¡°Chaba!¡±


    No!


    Spicy shook its head adamantly.


    Earlier, when Dan Bao was showing it around at home, it mentioned that it sleeps with Qin Lang every day.


    It didn¡¯t want to go into the Star Vein!


    It wanted to sleep with Qin Lang too!


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Qin Langughed, rising from the sofa and heading towards the washroom, ¡°Let¡¯s go brush up, and then we¡¯ll all sleep together.¡±


    For some reason, he made the assumption.


    Future Food Spirits might be influenced by Dan Bao and dislike entering the Star Vein.


    ¡°Invitation to the beef tasting banquet, huh¡­¡±


    In another location in Dongxia City, Lei Ke leaned against a window in a quiet room, reading the new email he had just received, lost in thought.


    This trip to Dongxia City had exceeded his expectations.


    He originally intended to win the Dongxia City Cooking Competition and get his second Second-Level Food Rmender Badge and used the Zhen Niu Pavilion¡¯s Beef Tasting Banquet as an opportunity to aim for another Second-Level Food Rmender Badge from another city.


    But things didn¡¯t go as nned. In the end, the emergence of Qin Lang robbed him of the championship.


    However, the Beef Tasting Banquet was still crucial to attend.


    On one hand, not only people from Dongxia City were invited to the Beef Tasting Banquet, but also excellent Spirit Chefs and Food Rmenders from nearby cities. If he could connect with them, it would pave the way for him in unfamiliar cities.


    This could aid his subsequent acquisition of other Second-Level Food Rmender Badges.


    On the other hand, the Beef Tasting Banquet was also a tform for Spirit Chefs to show off their skills.


    Fu Hang would present the top-grade beef and personally cook it for the guests to enjoy.


    But other Spirit Chefs also had the opportunity to handle top-grade beef, and the dishes they cooked would be given to the guests for tasting, providing a chance for a face-off.


    And three dayster, Qin Lang would appear on that stage.


    Lei Ke might be able to ept failure, but that doesn¡¯t mean he was willing to fail.


    Get up where you fall.


    In the Beef Tasting Banquet three dayster, he would duel with Qin Lang again.


    After replying to the email, Lei Ke stretchedzily and headed back into his room.


    ¡°Better get an early night¡¯s sleep tonight, need to keep pushing tomorrow.¡±


    Early the next morning, Qin Lang was rudely awakened by the ring of his phone.


    The top-grade ingredients he¡¯d redeemed had arrived.


    The news dispersed his sleepiness instantly, and he leaped from bed, hastily washed up, and went to receive them with the two excited Food Spirits in tow.


    Five kilograms of top-grade ck tiger shrimp, ten breeds of top-grade hairy crabs, a kilogram of top-grade fresh matsutake, and a custom set of ten non-local specialty fungi.


    This was everything Qin Lang had exchanged for using 10 points.


    The items weren¡¯t many, but they were all of excellent quality and hard toe by in the local Food Material Market.


    Plus, there was another kilogram of beef short ribs left fromst time¡­


    As Qin Lang arranged all these ingredients on the table in the living room, he couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    It¡¯s said that even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice.


    Looking at these high-grade ingredients, his DNA was stirred.


    ¡°We definitely can¡¯t finish all this today, we should divide it up¡­¡± While he was talking, Qin Lang divided the ingredients, ¡°We can go for another pic at noon, and this time let¡¯s finish off the remaining beef short ribs!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Beef short ribs!


    Dan Bao swallowed, the scene of thest pic where it and Qin Lang experimented with various barbecue methods popping into its mind.


    That¡¯s right, Spicy hasn¡¯t tasted it yet!


    Excitedly, it huddled up next to Spicy.


    ¡°Gududu lulu~¡±


    Let me tell you- Pics are such fun¡­


    Under Dan Bao¡¯s description, even the normally indifferent Spicy couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    It sounds, so amazing!


    ¡°We found the pound of beef short ribs to be a bit insufficientst time, and this time we¡¯ve added Spicy, so we need to prepare more.¡± Qin Lang nced at the other ingredients that had just arrived, and couldn¡¯t help reaching over to touch the fresh matsutake mushrooms packed in the bag.


    Each of the four matsutake mushrooms was over fifteen centimeters in length. Qin Lang had never seen suchrge matsutake in his previous life. When he saw that they only needed three Cooking Competition Points to redeem, he did not hesitate at all.


    He peeled off theyers of cling film and picked up a matsutake, which still had the fresh scent of soil, rubbing it against his face. A sense of bliss crossed Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use two at noon! Let¡¯s try grilled matsutake!¡±


    ¡°Chaka?¡±


    Is this thing really tasty?


    Watching Qin Lang¡¯s action, Spicy blinked his eyes and looked at the matsutake with curiosity.


    It looks very ordinary?


    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you try it.¡± Qin Lang gave a mysterious smile, put the matsutake down, and then turned to look at the big bag of various mushrooms next to it, ¡°We¡¯ll leave these ten types of mushrooms.¡±


    For the ¡®Ten-Mushroom Bundle¡¯ worth two points, Qin Lang chose ten types of fungi that do not exist on Earth.


    Rather than tasting, it¡¯s better to say that he wants to familiarize and study them.


    He¡¯ll cook themter to see what they taste like.


    If they taste good, they might be part of future dishes.


    ¡°Hairy crabs are not suitable for outdoor pic use, we¡¯ll save them forter.¡±


    ¡°Gurulu¡­¡±


    No crabs for the pic¡­


    Hearing this, Dan Bao, who was expecting some, immediately showed a disappointed expression.


    It thought it could eat a lot of crabs!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when wee back tonight we can make the hairy crabs into a delicious dinner.¡± Qin Lang ruffled Dan Bao¡¯s head.


    ¡°Gurulu?¡±


    Will it be Crab-Stuffed Orange?


    Dan Bao suddenly raised his head, its expression turned from disappointment into surprise.


    It still remembered the wonderful taste of thest time.


    ¡°No.¡± Qin Lang shook his head, turned to Spicy who was curious and smiled, ¡°I n to make another delicacy tonight, it¡¯s called Crab Roe Fried Rice.¡±


    Crab Roe Fried Rice?


    Spicy and Dan Bao blinked, looked at each other, and then showed a look of anticipation.


    It sounds delicious.


    ¡°Five pounds of ck tiger shrimp is quite a lot, we can¡¯t eat them all in one meal, we can save some for tonight.¡± Looking at the ck tiger shrimp, each one as big as his own palm, Qin Lang considered for a moment, ¡°There are many ways to eat ck tiger shrimp.¡±


    ¡°We can remove the vein, skewer them on an iron stick, and make them into grilled shrimp.¡±


    ¡°We can also make them into shrimp slides and grill them on a semi-spherical grill.¡±


    ¡°If we bump into the old man who was selling orangesst time, we can buy some oranges and make Orange vored Shrimp for you in the evening.¡±


    ¡°We can also¡­¡± As Qin Lang spoke, he divided the shrimp into portions for the lunchtime pic and the rest to be eatenter.


    Meanwhile, Dan Bao and Spicy had unconsciously shed tears of anticipation from the corners of their mouths while listening to Qin Lang¡¯s exnation.


    All these delicacies sound so delicious!


    I want to eat¡­


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s finish the advance preparation for the pic, then we can set off!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    I will take care of the food preservation!


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    I¡¯ll hasten the cooking!


    Both Food Spirits cheered and followed Qin Lang into the kitchen to start the preparations for the pic.


    Quick ess:[Monthly Pass],Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 104 - 104: Matsutake Mushroom

    Chapter 104: Matsutake Mushroom


    Trantor: 549690339


    [Extra update for Light Spring Flow Sovereign!


    Inside Willow River Park.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    Dan Bao raised a piece of beef short ribs already cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors and finished grilling with his thought waves. The surface of the ribs glistened with enticing oil, he dipped it in the sauce and wrapped it in lettuce.


    Immediately afterward, watching the grilled meat flying towards it, Dan Bao¡¯s little head instantly popped out of its body.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    It chewed happily, a satisfied smile spreading on its face.


    The taste was as great as always!


    What was even more important was that Dan Bao, now with the power of thought waves, could manage everything without Qin Lang¡¯s help!


    Se??ch ?ew?o?e? ,o?g o? ?oo?l?


    On the other side, Qin Lang, seeing Dan Bao being self-sufficient, handed Spicy who was salivating at the sight ¡ª a roast meat likewise wrapped in lettuce, and said with a smile, ¡°Here you go- eat slowly!¡±


    Spicy opened her mouth wide, revealing two cute little fangs, and took a big bite of the lettuce-wrapped roast meat.


    As she chewed, her heterochromatic eyes glowed as red and green intertwined in the air bubble above her head to reflect the shock and joy she felt from tasting this unfamiliar delicious food.


    Seeing both food spirits enjoying their meal, Qin Lang turned his attention to the other ingredients nearby, with a smile on his face.


    After the pic began, he started with the familiar beef short ribs. The remaining ingredients had yet to be touched!


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with three slices of matsutake!¡± Qin Lang swallowed his saliva, using tongs to mp three matsutake slices that were slightly thicker than coins. ¡°Dan Bao, lower the heat.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Understood!


    Having just finished the grilled meat, Dan Bao¡¯s expression instantly turned serious as Qin Lang brought out the matsutake slices.


    Although it didn¡¯t know what this ingredient was, its familiarity with Qin Lang told it that the ingredient that made Qin Lang act like this was anything but ordinary.


    ¡°Whoosh-¡±


    Dan Bao spewed out a me with Full Firepower, whichnded at the bottom of the baking tray.


    It had improved in its control over itsbat skill, so the chances of mistakes due to distractions, like what happened when it was grilling meatst time, were virtually non-existent now.


    Through heartfeltmunication, the baking tray quickly heated up to the temperature Qin Lang wanted.


    Spicy, who had swallowed her grilled meat, looked curiously at what was happening.


    Would that seemingly ordinary ingredient taste good?


    Just as she had this question, a ¡°sizzle¡± sound came.


    That was the sound of the freshly sliced matsutake falling onto the baking tray anding into contact with the leftover oil from grilling meat, creating an explosion of noise.


    Apanying the sound was a unique fresh scent, like the earth and vegetation mixing together after a rain in the forest, as pure as a clear spring and as cool as a mountain stream.


    Spicy stared wide-eyed.


    This scent!!!


    In an instant, her tears uncontrobly flowed out from the corners of her mouth.


    Qin Lang chuckled, his gaze falling on the baking tray.


    As the heat was conducted, the moisture inside the fresh matsutake evaporated, causing the thin matsutake slices to shrink, reduce in volume, and start to curl upward slightly.


    During this process, the shrinking volume seemed to have turned into aroma, enveloping the surroundings with the exclusive scent of matsutake.


    Qin Lang took a deep breath, a delighted expression appearing on his face.


    It¡¯s this vor.


    It was a scent that starkly contrasted the usual mushroom aroma.


    Once tasted, it can be remembered for a lifetime.


    When the matsutake was nearly ready, Qin Lang flipped the three slices. The side that had been in contact with the baking tray revealed itself.


    The matsutake slices had turned a light yellow, with some areas stained brown. The smooth surface was covered in fat, and under the sunlight, it had a glossy texture.


    At the same time, more aroma was released from the matsutake, causing Dan Bao and Spicy at the side to salivate uncontrobly.


    Just from the smell, they could already imagine how delicious it would be the moment these matsutake slices entered their mouths.


    ¡°High-end ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods.¡±


    Qin Lang imitates the tone of a broadcaster, opening his mouth slowly.


    Every time he cooks Matsutake mushrooms, he likes to do just this.


    It is not for anything else, just to set the scene.


    Once the other side is heated and shrunk in the same way, causing the lifted Matsutake to be t again, he simply sprinkles a little salt. Then, the Matsutake fried in cow¡¯s oil is ready to be eaten.


    ¡°Wanna try?¡±


    Qin Lang picked up two pieces, one each for Dan Bao and Spicy, before popping thest piece from the baking tray into his mouth.


    The Matsutake tasted springy and tough when it entered the mouth, and chewing it felt as thick and tender as abalone. A little salt seasoning, coupled with the rich dairy and meat aromas of the beef¡¯s oil left over on the baking tray from the beef short ribs, was an ultimate delight.


    Unlike other ingredients, the taste of Matsutake can vary greatly depending on the cooking method used.


    Due to limited resources, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t find melted butter to make the ssic Melted Butter Fried Matsutake. However, Matsutake fried in cow¡¯s oil had its own unique taste.


    Besides¡­


    Qin Lang took out another piece of Matsutake and handed it to Dan Bao who had already enjoyed a piece of Matsutake and showed a satisfied expression. ¡°Here you go, it¡¯s full of freshness!¡±


    ¡°Gulu?¡±


    Dan Bao tilted his head, but still skillfully blew on the Matsutake.


    Qin Lang took back the Matsutake, cut it into three pieces with scissors, picked up a piece, dipped it in soy sauce, and popped it straight into his mouth.


    The Matsutake sashimi had a dense and substantial taste.


    The raw matsutake had a hint of natural pungency, but upon careful tasting, this pungent vor dissipated, leaving behind the natural sweetness and vor of the matsutake.


    ¡°Come and try this way of eating it.¡±


    Looking at the two drooling little ones, Qin Lang dipped the remaining two pieces in soy sauce, and passed them over.


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    After eating the Matsutake sashimi, Spicy¡¯s eyes lit up again.


    Comparing the two methods, it found thetter to be more delicious!


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao at his side quickly finished eating, his face showing a bit of a struggle.


    Although Matsutake sashimi was also very delicious, it preferred Matsutake that was cooked.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to have different preferences.¡± Qin Lang magically pulled out an egg, ¡°But you¡¯ll definitely like the way I¡¯ll cook next.¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Egg!


    The moment Dan Bao saw the egg, its eyes lit up.


    Can Matsutake also be paired with an egg?


    ¡°Of course it can.¡± Qin Lang found a small bowl, broke the egg into it, and mixed the yolk and egg white. He then spread it on the surface of the Matsutake. ¡°Fire up!¡±


    Dan Bao sprayed fire to heat the baking tray, but had its eyes fixed intently on the Matsutakeid on the baking tray.


    The spread egg mixture quickly solidified under the heat, thinly encasing the Matsutake. An intense eggy aroma then hit their noses.


    It was Dan Bao¡¯s favorite. Just by smelling the familiar aroma of the egg, it felt an urge to gobble it up immediately.


    However, soon, Dan Bao found that the aroma was undergoing a more fascinating change.


    That was the unique aroma emitted by the Matsutake wrapped in the egg mixture under the heat transfer. At this moment, it mingled with the eggy aroma, bursting out an iparable surprise.


    Dan Bao swallowed its saliva.


    Right now, it had only one thought.


    That was to take a bite!


    Quick entrance: [Monthly Pass][Rmended Ticket]


    Extra content at the end of this chapter:


    [Melted Butter Fried Matsutake]

 Chapter 105 - 105: Fragrant Incense

    Chapter 105: Fragrant Incense


    Trantor: 549690339


    [Additional update for Light Spring Echo]


    ¡°Alright! Done shooting this scene!¡±


    Not far from Qin Lang¡¯s location in Willow River Park, a teenage girl meticulously inspected the scenery she had been capturing with her camera, nodding in satisfaction.


    These beautifulndscapes can be used to open the next video. This should garner more positive reviews from fans!


    The girl was named Jiang Bai, and she was a food video producer on D Site.


    D Site is simr to Earth¡¯s B Site.


    In the Food Spirit World, D Site had a vast user base worldwide, with numerous producers who gain followers and poprity by posting well-crafted content.


    Among all the sections, the Food Zone undoubtedly had the highest poprity.


    Jiang Bai¡¯s username on D Site was ¡°Wanting to Drink Dove Soup-ing.¡± She was considered a minor food video producer, but still managed to garner tens of thousands of active followers, thanks to the poprity of the Food Zone.


    Se??ch ?ew?o?e? ,o?g o? ?oo?l?


    She was no Spiritual Chef. The attraction of her videos was her food reviews.


    A few days ago, Jiang Bai saw a message from a fan about a restaurant near Willow River Park. It was said that they offered a dish worth trying.


    The restaurant was conveniently located in her neighborhood, so Jiang Bai arrived early, nning to shoot the local scenery before filming the food review, and then edit it all at home.


    After the video was posted, the fans would surely be touched by her diligence!


    There weren¡¯t many video producers who could consistently put out videos every three days and cater to all requests!


    Ilehe!


    Jiang Bai showed a smug smile, but soon scratched her head in confusion..


    She had gotten distracted filming the scenery and seemed to have wandered off to a rather remote area.


    Although she lived nearby, she hadn¡¯t visited Willow River Park many times.


    Which way to go now¡­


    Just as she was about to use the GPS on her phone, Jiang Bai suddenly sniffed the air.


    What is that smell?


    Being a food review video producer, Jiang Bai¡¯s sense of smell and taste were exceptionally sharp!


    Although the smell was faint, her food radar was activated!


    It¡¯sing from that direction!


    Soon, Jiang Bai discerned the direction of the fragrance and followed it.


    The fragrance grew stronger the closer she went.


    A look of surprise quickly spread across Jiang Bai¡¯s face.


    This smell¡­ is it Matsutake mushroom?!


    Jiang Bai¡¯s family was quite well off. She once tried a dish made with Matsutake mushroom. The taste was so memorable, she still remembered it vividly.


    She instantly recognized the smell, and even quickened her steps.


    Delicious food, I¡¯ming!


    Although the Matsutake mushrooms were quiterge, two were still not enough to satisfy one human and two food spirits.


    After enjoying the mushrooms, a not yet satisfied Qin Lang took out another bag.


    In the bag were ten ck Tiger Shrimp, skewered from head to tail and cleaned of their shrimp line, and a lot of crushed ice for freshness.


    He shook off the crushed ice from the shrimp, asked Dan Bao to give them a quick blow, and then ced them on the baking tray.


    Time to grill the shrimp!


    With mouths watering after savoring the Matsutake mushrooms, Dan Bao and Spicy watched as the shrimp on the baking tray gradually turned from light gray to pink.


    ¡°It looks delicious!¡±


    A surprised exmation voiced out the thoughts of Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Attracted by the aroma, Jiang Bai, who had been curiously peeking over, joined them.


    Her gaze fell on the ck Tiger Shrimp on the baking tray, slowly turning pink, and she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off them.


    Suchrge shrimp¡­


    Dongxia City doesn¡¯t produce this kind of shrimp, right?


    Taking a bite of such a shrimp must be incredibly satisfying¡­


    She, who had been hungry all morning and was nning to fill her stomach at the restaurant she was going to evaluate, was now salivating.


    ¡°Hello, can I buy one of these shrimps from you¡­¡± she began, looking up at the young man grilling the shrimps. But as soon as she recognized his face, her voice came to a abrupt halt.


    ¡°Qin¡­ Qin Lang?!¡±


    As a food vlogger in the Food Zone of D Site, Jiang Bai had followed the Dongxia City Cooking Competition closely!


    She watched Qin Lang fight his way to victory and had long been a fan of his. Unfortunately, Qin Lang didn¡¯t have any public social media ounts for her to follow.


    Now, encountering Qin Lang here, she felt a certain excitement in her heart.


    He¡¯s really here, in person!


    ¡°Hello.¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    He wasn¡¯t too surprised to be recognized.


    From yesterday to today, he had been recognized quite a few times. Some people even asked for a photo together.


    Thankfully, the Dongxia City Cooking Competition was only moderately famous, so it didn¡¯t interfere with his daily life.


    Noting her asional nces at the grilled shrimp on his baking tray, Qin Lang graciously sprinkled some chili powder and seasonings on a skewer and passed it to her, ¡°Care for a taste?¡±


    ¡°Really? Can 1?¡± Jiang Bai was a bit overwhelmed. She epted the shrimp and said, ¡°Thankyou!¡±


    This was a grilled shrimp prepared by the Dongxia City Cooking Champion!


    As it was still piping hot, Jiang Bai didn¡¯t eat it immediately. She examined it closely first.


    The shells of the shrimp meat had been removed during the process of deveining. The incisions made in the middle of the back caused the shrimp meat to open on both sides after being cooked, much like a blossoming flower.


    The sizeable ck Tiger Shrimp had not lost much moisture during the cooking process. The pinkish shrimp meat was coated with red chili powder, making it look especially tempting.


    The front end of the shrimp¡¯s head had also been cut off, and the inedible parts like the stomach were all removed. The swimmerets under the shrimp¡¯s head were also removed, leaving the crispy shell and the delicious roe or tomalley inside.


    By the looks of it, all parts seem edible!


    She blew on it to cool it slightly before cautiously taking a bite.


    The very next moment, she widened her eyes in surprise.


    Like all seafood, freshness is as crucial as the cooking process itself.


    This grilled shrimp conveyed a sense of freshness, much like that of a catch cooked on a beach.


    Its taste ¨C the live bounciness of the shrimp meat and absolute freshness ¨C left her impressed.


    The chili powder¡¯s spiciness, aroma, and saltiness served as perfect additions, elevating the vor of the grilled shrimp.


    Jiang Bai couldn¡¯t resist biting into the head of the shrimp.


    The crispiness of the shrimp head is contrasted by the creamy tomalley inside. Combined with the small amount of shrimp meat inside, it offered a rich andyered taste.


    Even if it was just a simple grilled shrimp, Qin Lang made it perfect by getting the seasoning and grilling time right, leaving Jiang Bai astonished.


    Truly worthy of being the city-level champion!


    She lifted her gaze, her eyes now carrying a sense of admiration towards Qin Lang.


    So impressive!


    ¡°How much for the grilled shrimp?¡± she opened her purse, ready to pay.


    ¡°Oh, no need.¡± Having savored the grilled shrimp, Qin Lang shook his head when he heard her, ¡°I brought the Food Spirits out for a pic. We have ample ingredients.¡±


    It¡¯s only one shrimp. He did not care much about it.


    ¡°Then¡­ thank you!¡±


    Jiang Bai blinked and sat obediently on the grass nearby.


    She was surprised at how down-to-earth the Dongxia City Cooking Champion was in person.


    Watching Qin Lang engaging and enjoying food with the two Food Spirits, an idea shed through Jiang Bai¡¯s mind.


    She wanted to capture this moment and edit it into her video!


    ¡°Would you mind if I filmed this?¡±


    Quick links:[Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]


    Omake chapter content:


    [Charcoal Grilled ck Tiger Shrimp]

 Chapter 106 - 106: Shrimp Slide

    Chapter 106: Shrimp Slide


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°In a shot?¡± Qin Lang nced at the camera in Jiang Bai¡¯s hand, ¡°What do you mean?<sup>11</sup>


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m an up-owner on D Site¡­¡± Jiang Bai briefly introduced herself, then said with a grin, ¡°I¡¯m thinking to include the scene of our encounter in my next video!¡±


    ¡°An up-owner¡­¡± Under Jiang Bai¡¯s guidance, Qin Lang opened D Sire and gazed at rhe familiar-looking webpage, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    Such a tform actually exists in this world.


    It¡¯s quite interesting.


    ¡°Grumbling-¡±


    As Dan Bao used its thought waves to separate a skewer of grilled shrimp from the skewer and send them into its mouth, it nudged Qin Lang with its tail, its face filled with anticipation.


    Can 1 appear in the video as well?


    That sounds like fun!


    ¡°Crackling!¡±


    Spicy nodded in agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Seeing the enthusiasm of rhe two Food Spirits, Qin Lang readily agreed.


    It¡¯s just a cameo, nothing big.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Jiang Bai cheered and lifted her camera to start shooting.


    Ignoring Jiang Bai, Qin Lang and the two Food Spirits finished the remaining grilled shrimps before he took out a small box.


    This was thest delicacy they had prepared for the pic.


    After recing the grill with a baking tray featuring many semi-spherical hollows, simr to octopus ball baking trays from his previous life, Qin Lang signaled for Dan Bao to start preheating the tray with its me as he opened the box to reveal the food inside.


    With Qin Lang¡¯s permission, Jiang Bai moved her camera closer.


    The box contained something that looked like a translucent paste.


    Upon close examination, one could see that within the paste were many bits that looked like shrimp meat.


    ¡°Is this made from shrimp meat?¡± Jiang Bai couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity.


    ¡°This is called shrimp slide, made by mincing shrimp meat and mixing it with other seasonings.¡± Qin Lang briefly exined as he brushed the baiting tray with oil, then used a small spoon to scoop out the shrimp paste and fill it into the semi-spherical hollows on the tray.


    Jiang Bai didn¡¯t ask any more questions and lifted her camera to focus on the baiting tray.


    Under the watch of the camera, the shrimp slide in the tray rapidly turned from light grey to pink, emanating a unique aroma.


    ¡°It seems that seasoning rhe shrimp in this way makes it even more fragrant than simply grilling it.¡± Jiang Bai muttered under her breath, nodding in approval.


    She was curious about the taste of the shrimp slide but felt shy about asking.


    ¡°Have a taste.¡± Qin Lang filled a small dish with two of them and passed it to her, along with a small fork and a dipping dish, ¡°This is pomelo vinegar, it goes really well with shrimp slide.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Jiang Bai looked gratefully at Qin Lang, deciding to give Qin Lang a few more shots in today¡¯s video.


    She speared the bouncy-looking shrimp slide with the small fork and dipped it lightly into the pomelo vinegar as suggested by Qin Lang. After lightly blowing on it she put it into her mouth.


    The next moment, her eyes lit up again.


    This is delicious!


    On the other hand, Qin Lang and the two little ones also began to enjoy the delicious fried shrimp slide.


    The ck Tiger Shrimps made into shrimp slide perfectly retained the toughness of the shrimp meat, while the salt and pepper added during the preparation process gave the shrimp slide its own vor, without needing too much additional seasoning.


    Dipped in the mildly sour and refreshing pomelo vinegar, it was indeed a rare delicacy.


    Qin Lang, after finishing one, nodded in satisfaction.


    So wonderful ¨C


    This fulfilling pic was extremely satisfying to both Dan Bao, who had experienced it once already, and Spicy, who was trying it for the first time.


    After shooting all the material she wanted, Jiang Bai didn¡¯t disturb the two spirits any longer. After exchanging contact information with Qin Lang, she joyfully fled the scene.


    After cleaning up the trash left by the pic, Qin Lang leanedzily against the trunk of a willow tree, allowing the shadows of the leaves to flicker over him as he watched the two little ones frolicking nearby.


    ¡°Oranges for sale- Big and sweet oranges-¡±


    The familiar cry caught the dozing Qin Lang¡¯s attention.


    He looked at the old farmer approaching with a pole over his shoulder, a smile on his face.


    The oranges looked as good quality as thest time, so he could buy some more.


    ¡°Old man, 1¡¯11 buy some more oranges!¡±


    Qin Lang stood up and swiftly walked towards the old man.


    A fruit farmer who worked all day wouldn¡¯t have leisure to pay attention to a cooking contest.


    But he recognized the young man who had taken care of his business not long ago, showing a kindly smile, ¡°Young man, how many do you want this time?¡±


    Qin Lang nced at the remaining about twenty pounds of oranges on the shoulder pole, and spoke without hesitation, ¡°I ll take them all.¡±


    With Dan Bao¡¯s Fresh Full, there¡¯s no need to worry about them going bad.


    With Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Waves, there¡¯s no need to worry about not being able to carry them.


    The MVP of the day, Dan Bao.


    ¡°All of them?¡± The old man s smile brightened, ¡°Ok, then 1¡¯11 give you a discount, a total of eighty yuan will do.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After paying, he took the big bag of oranges handed over by the old man, and Qin Lang turned his head to look at the approaching Dan Bao and Spicy, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, should we go home?¡±


    ¡°Purr!¡±


    We¡¯re home!


    Dan Bao gently put the twenty pounds of oranges controlled by Thought Waves on the ground, a delighted look was on his face.


    H helped the Spirit Chef once again, and also honed its Combat Skill.


    It was like killing two birds with one stone, it made a big profit!


    Spicy, who was standing by, nced at Dan Bao, a hint of envy flickered in his eyes.


    Whether it was grilling meat, processing ingredients, or moving stuff today, it didn¡¯t seem to have done much. But Dan Bao was always able to lend a hand to Qin Lang.


    This made him kind of nervous.


    Would Qin Lang think that he was useless?


    After closing the door, Qin Lang put down the backpack filled with various pic items, and looked at the clock hanging on the wall.


    There were still a few hours before dinner time.


    He could spend this time on something else.


    For instance, studying those ten unfamiliar types of fungi.


    ¡°Spicy, there¡¯s going to be quite a bit of use for Cooking eleration next. I hope you don¡¯t mind helping.¡±


    In order to try out several cooking methods before dinner time, using Cooking eleration was necessary.


    ¡°Chacka?¡±


    Spicy¡¯s head shot up, his eyes wide and bright.


    So he was actually useful!


    He followed Qin Lang with a cheer into the kitchen.


    ¡°Purr!¡±


    I want to go too!


    Dan Bao eagerly followed.


    The fungi needed to be kept fresh too!


    The man and two food spirits in the kitchen soon busied themselves.


    With every passing minute and second, Spicy, through constantly using Cooking eleration during this process, felt an even stronger sense of belonging to Qin Lang.


    For Spicy, who had just been born yesterday, everything seemed somewhat urgent.


    Fortunately, the kindness of Qin Lang and Dan Bao made him feel more at home.


    By the time dinner rolled around, Spicy¡¯s rtionship with Qin Lang had noticeably warmed.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work!¡±


    Looking at the two Food Spirits who had apanied him in trying out new fungi, Qin Lang smiled.


    After trying various methods of cooking, he now had aprehensive understanding of these fungi.


    In the future, he might add these fungi to his recipes, to improve and optimise his dishes.


    This was quite a significant gain.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket | [Rmendation Ticket]


    Bonus chapter content at the end of this chapter:


    [Making Shrimp Slide!

 Chapter 107 - 107: Dismantling the Crab

    Chapter 107: Dismantling the Crab


    Trantor: 549690339


    Patting his now empty stomach, Qin Lang looked at the lively Hairy Crab in the aquaculture tank beside him, ¡°We can start preparing dinner now.¡±


    ¡°Tonight, we¡¯ll use the Hairy Crab to make Crab Roe Fried Rice, and then make Orange vored Shrimp with oranges and ck Tiger Shrimp.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    ¡°Chuck!¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy showed the same expression on their faces.


    They want to eat-


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with¡­¡±


    Qin Lang was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by a ringing sound.


    ¡°Ding dong-¡±


    It was a text message from Jiang Bai, who had just exchanged contact information at noon.


    Jiang Bai: ¡°Chef Qin, I¡¯ve already uploaded today¡¯s video! You can take a look if you¡¯re interested-¡±


    Following the text message was a link.


    ¡°The video is already uploaded?¡± Qin Lang was interested, clicked on the link, was redirected to Jiang Bai¡¯s homepage on D Site, and began to watch hertest video.


    No other reason, mainly to see if she had captured his good looks.


    Hearing about the video, the two Food Spirits quickly thought of the girl they had encountered at noon, and they naturally gathered to the left and right of Qin Lang, watching along with him.


    The beginning of the video showed carefully chosen angles of the scenery.


    Willow River Park was already beautiful, and it looked even more stunning through Jiang Bai¡¯s lens.


    Clearly, her filming skills were not bad.


    After the scenery, Jiang Bai came into the frame, briefly introduced the destination of the trip, and then the footage of her chance encounter with Qin Lang appeared.


    Since it had just been released not long ago, there were only a few sporadic bulletments on the video. But when Qin Lang¡¯s face appeared in the video, the bulletment area was immediately filled with enviousments.


    Seeing one of thements saying ¡°I¡¯m going to walk in Willow River Park every day,¡± Qin Lang pinched his chin.


    It seems that they will have to change ces for their next pic.


    The video ended soon. Qin Lang watched with great interest. Even after the segment where he made a brief appearance ended and Jiang Bai began evaluating the food, he still watched intently.


    Jiang Bai¡¯s evaluation was not professional, but her choice of words was meticulous, making it easy for the viewers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the food. This alone was enough to attract people.


    After watching Jiang Bai¡¯s video, Qin Lang casually hit the follow button, opened the next video, and nned to cook after watching it.


    However, he forgot that sometimes the next video could turn into countless others.


    Outdoor area, Game Area, Song and Dance area, Beauty area¡­


    Videos from different sections were presented in front of Qin Lang, a new user on D site.


    However, these sections, which were heavily trafficked in his previous life, couldn¡¯tpare to the Food Zone in terms of attention here.


    One after another, fascinating videos gradually made him forget about the time.


    ¡°Chack!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    It was not until the two Food Spirits nudged him that Qin Lang realized he had unknowingly watched for an hour.


    ¡°Hiss!¡± he quickly put down his phone.


    D Site is addictive!


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s make Crab Roe Fried Rice!¡±


    Qin Lang scooped out a few Hairy Crabs, re-tied them, ced them on slices of ginger, and put them into the steaming basket.


    ¡°Spicy, will you speed things up a bit?¡±


    ¡°Chack!¡±


    I¡¯m on it!


    Spicy flew to the front of the steaming basket. An invisible force enveloped the steaming basket, making the Hairy Crabs inside turn red at an elerated speed.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang was not idle. He began to rinse the rice and prepare it to be cooked.


    At the same time he started the Rice Cooker having washed the rice, the crabs, which normally would have needed to be steamed for about fifteen minutes, were already done due to Spicy¡¯s Cooking eleration.


    With Spicy, he didn¡¯t have to worry about cooking taking too long.


    He took the crabs out of the steaming basket. Qin Lang cut the string from one of them and handed it to Dan Bao next to him, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s dismantle the crab together!¡±


    By the time Dan Bao learned how to dismantle a crab with Thought Waves, that would be one less trouble for him.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Easy peasy!


    With full confidence, Dan Bao used its psychic power to levitate the perfectly steamed crab, then proceeded to follow Qin Lang¡¯s movements in dismantling the crab step by step.


    However, after removing the crab cap, the control became somewhat difficult.


    Dan Bao¡¯s thought waves can manipte objects, but the maniption is like using a pair of tongs to mp onto an object.


    To be more precise, like using fingers to manipte objects, it would require a higher level of control of thought waves.


    Having awakened its psychic power not long ago, Dan Bao didn¡¯t achieve that level.


    But it was too embarrassed to speak up.


    As the great helper in cooking for the Spirit Chef, how could it fall short!


    Therefore, with a burst of determination, Dan Bao began to delicately try.


    It imitated Qin Lang in cutting off the crab legs and then used thinner parts to prod out the meat in the crab leg.


    Just like learning to thread a needle for the first time, it missed a few times before it finally seeded.


    After the crab leg meat was carefully pushed out, Dan Bao¡¯s tense expression was slightly eased.


    It began to follow Qin Lang¡¯s next move, extracting the crab meat from the honeb-like body of the crab.


    This process required even more precision, and many times, Dan Bao nearly smashed the crab shell due to excessive force. It was a stumbling road.


    By the time it had finally managed to clean a hairy crab, Qin Lang had alreadypleted the separation of all the remaining crabs.


    How slow¡­


    Dan Bao¡¯s head drooped in disappointment, feeling that it hadn¡¯t been very helpful.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great already.¡±


    Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s big ears, his face bearing an encouraging smile.


    He had noticed the difficulty Dan Bao faced in handling the crabs and realized that thought waves weren¡¯t as flexible as he¡¯d imagined.


    However, he kept silent because he saw how hard Dan Bao was trying.


    This was certainly a way to train Dan Bao in a way.


    ¡°Next time there¡¯s a simr situation, I¡¯ll need your help again!¡± Qin Lang said earnestly.


    Dan Bao lifted its head, rubbing against Qin Lang¡¯s hand, and quickly perked up from the encouragement given by the Spirit Chef.


    Next time when it¡¯s dismantling a crab, it would definitely be faster!


    It should at least catch up to half of Qin Lang¡¯s speed!


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    I want to help too!


    Spicy eagerly proposed itself.


    Seeing Dan Bao dismantle the crab made it also eager to give it a try.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have your chance to help in a while.¡± Qin Lang ced the separated crab meat, crab roe, and crab paste aside. After cleaning the crab shell, he started the next step.


    Crab roe fried rice is essentially stir-fried crab powder mixed with rice.


    So the main point is to stir-fry the crab powder.


    But to make a fine te of crab powder, a lot of attention to detail is required.


    Heat up the wok, add oil, scallion, ginger, and crab shells, slowly simmering it for an hour on low heat.


    ¡°Hang in there, Spicy.¡±


    After stir-frying for a moment, Qin Lang closed the pot lid. Searching for a suitable spot for meditation nearby, he began to restore the spiritual power in his star veins.


    Simply elerating this process required draining the Tianxuan star vein twice.


    Luckily, since the opening of the second star vein, the speed of restoring spiritual power through meditation had increased.


    A momentter, Qin Lang lifted the lid of the pot.


    The crab shell inside didn¡¯t seem to change much, but the vegetable oil added earlier turned bright and golden, with a vivid color and a rich crab vor.


    Filter out the crab shells, scallion, and ginger, and the crab oil is ready.


    Pushing away the two little ones who kept sniffing around, Qin Lang gave a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, it¡¯s still a long way to go.¡±


    Shortcut to: [Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 108 - 108: Nickname

    Chapter 108: Nickname


    Trantor: 549690339


    As Qin Lang spoke, he poured the crab oil back into the pan for heating, and then added minced ginger to fry until it was fragrant.


    Next, he added in the crab roe and crab paste.


    As he stirred, the crab roe and crab paste blended into the crab oil, releasing their inner oils and emanating an astonishing aroma.


    The crab roe and crab paste are rightly considered the most exquisite parts of a crab.


    The scent that erupted from both ingredients immediately brimmed throughout the kitchen, causing the two already drooling creatures to continually swallow saliva while watching the pan with eagerness.


    ¡°You two little foodies.¡± Qin Langughed heartily and swiftly added crab meat andrd.


    With therd¡¯s fragrance joining the mix, the originally fresh crab scent seemed to grow more abundant and robust.


    Theyered aroma was increasingly tantalising.


    While stir-frying, he added cooking wine and vinegar to remove any fishy smell, then let it slowly simmer on low heat.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    My turn!


    At this moment, Spicy was immensely grateful for its cooking eleration food skill.


    This meant that it could enjoy the delicious food much sooner!


    Once Spicy had finished doing the eleration, Qin Lang added salt, sugar, and white pepper into the pan for seasoning, before dishing it out.


    A portion of crab roe waspleted.


    Looking at the exquisite crab roe dish that emanated a robust crab aroma, Qin Lang raised an eyebrow slightly, as for some reason he thought of the videos on the D Site he just watched, where a lot of Spirit Chefs showcased their cooked dishes in video format.


    He suddenly had a thought.


    Why not¡­


    Give it a try?


    Looking at the reactions from Dan Bao and Spicy earlier, it seemed like they didn¡¯t mind being on camera, even quite enjoyed it.


    Plus, being a city-level culinary Champion of Dongxia City, he already had a certain level of fame, which would make starting this project a bit easier.


    Given the unique circumstances of this world, making cooking tutorial videos might not be appropriate.


    However, if he just made vlogs to share delicious food like other Spirit Chefs, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    If he gains poprity, it could serve as an additional ie. Even if he didn¡¯t gain as much poprity, he could use the D Site as a tform to share and record life snapshots.


    The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.


    Looking at the two little creatures eagerly tasting the crab roe, Qin Lang rubbed his chin.


    Perhaps skip crab roe fried rice.


    Maybe start with orange-vored shrimpter?


    ¡°You two, wait a bit!¡±


    He came back to his senses and stopped the two little creatures, who were set on finishing the crab roe, and spoke with amusement, ¡°This is crab roe fried rice; the rice isn¡¯t even served yet!¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s right!


    Dan Bao and Spicy halted their ravaging, looking imploringly at Qin Lang as he moved towards the rice cooker, wishing he would speed up.


    ¡°Crab roe fried rice involves blending the prepared crab roe with rice.¡±


    ¡°Because eating crab roe alone can be a bit greasy, but adding rice is a great way to bnce that.¡±


    Qin Lang spoke while bringing out the rice from the rice cooker.


    He poured a bowl full of crab roe directly on top of the rice. As Dan Bao and Spicy desperately swallowed their saliva, he started vigorously mixing tobine both evenly.


    Then, the crab roe fried rice was divided into three bowls.


    The crab oil andrd from the crab roe permeated every grain of rice, perfectly absorbed with no residue, and the crab meat, crab roe, and crab paste filled the gaps amid every grain of rice. Every mouthful was full of crab meat.


    After scooping up a spoonful and taking it into his mouth, the taste of the crab¡¯s freshness and strong aroma, as well as the delightful texture of the firm rice and strands of crab meat mingling during the chewing process, gave Qin Lang an utterly satisfied expression on his face.


    Next to him, Dan Bao and Spicy had already finished a small bowl in silence.


    No need for any side dishes. The crab roe fried rice was enough to keep them deeply engrossed in their meal.


    Before long, a hearty bowl of crab roe fried rice waspletely polished off by the three of them.


    Feeling the return of fullness, all three showed satisfied expressions.


    ¡°I still need to cook orange-vored shrimpter.¡± Qin Lang remembered the idea he just had and sat up, ¡°But, before that, I have an idea 1 wanted to discuss with you two.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Chomp?¡±


    Seeing the two little creatures¡¯ hopeful eyes at the mention of orange-vored shrimp, and their curious expressions upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words.


    What idea?


    ¡°I n on bing an up-loader, like Jiang Bai I met today at noon, posting some prerecorded videos on the tform.¡±


    Qin Lang began to share his thoughts.


    ¡°I see that Jiang Bai updates a video every two or three days.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to update as frequently, we can do it sporadically and focus on sharing.¡±


    ¡°The content of the videos¡­ our daily meals. What do you guys think?¡±


    Make videos?


    Dan Bao blinked.


    It remembered the video it had watched earlier, the one it had been in.


    It had already learned many characters and clearly saw that in the floatingments of the video, someoneplimented it for being cute!


    This made Dan Baopletely receptive to the idea of making videos.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Great!


    Dan Bao was the first to express its stance.


    Spicy looked at Dan Bao, then turned his head to the side.


    (-v¡°¡ª)


    ¡°Cha ka cha ba ka!¡±


    1 didn¡¯t really want to be in the video, I just simply want to help the Spirit Chef!


    Seeing the blushed light bubble above Spicy, Qin Lang and Dan Bao exchanged knowing smiles.


    ¡°Since neither of you object, let¡¯s do it!¡±


    ¡°From now on, both of you will y the role of mukbang in the videos.¡± Seeing the puzzled faces of the two, Qin Lang exined, ¡°that is, I¡¯ll film you two eating delicious food.¡±


    Both of them finally understood and simultaneously revealed an excited expression.


    We can be in the video again!


    ¡°The first video will be the orange vored shrimp that I¡¯m makingter.¡±


    ¡°But before that¡­¡± Qin Lang took out his phone, ¡°we have to change our D Station nickname.¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s current D Station ount was registered earlier today under Jiang Bai¡¯s guidance.


    The current ount nickname was a string of numbers randomly generated during the website registration.


    Having such a D Station nickname as an up-loader was too hasty.


    Fortunately, he had one chance to change the name for free.


    ¡°What should we change the name to¡­¡±


    Looking at the name-changing interface on his phone, Qin Lang fell into thought.


    Use his real name directly?


    It¡¯s feasible, but a nickname that¡¯s the same as a real name would seem a bit awkward.


    Owner of Dan Bao and Spicy?


    It sounds interesting, but if other Food Spirits jointer, he¡¯d have to spend money to change the name.


    Other nicknames shed through Qin Lang¡¯s mind, but he rejected them one by one.


    Then¡­


    It seemed as if a spark of lightning crossed Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    He suddenly remembered why he had transmigrated from his past life.


    He didn¡¯te to this world due to an ident or major emotional swings like the former host. His transmigration was quite abrupt. If there was anything unusual, it was probably that before he transmigrated, he touched a card of unknown origin.


    That card was called¡­


    [Traveler]


    Qin Lang quietly typed these two characters in the nickname input box and clicked OK.


    Shortcut Entrance: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]


    Content of the Easter egg at the end of this chapter:


    [Crab Powder]

 Chapter 109 - 109 Video

    Chapter 109: Video


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start making Orange vored Shrimp!¡±


    Having changed the name, Qin Lang stretched and stood up, walking over to the kitchen counter.


    On the counter, there were the ck Tiger Shrimps that he had prepared when he made the Crab Roe Fried Rice earlier.


    These ck Tiger Shrimps had already been defrosted and processed by Dan Bao.


    And now, it was time to cook them.


    He deveined the ck Tiger Shrimp, removed the head, kept the shrimp meat, and used kitchen paper to wipe off the surface moisture.


    Afterpleting this step, he marinated them in Ginger Scallion Water, Cooking Wine, and salt for ten minutes.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    Spicy magically stepped forward, enveloped the small bowl filled with shrimp with her Cooking eleration power.


    The shrimp meat, the surface water of which had been absorbed by the kitchen paper, quickly absorbed the water in the cooking wine and ginger scallion water, and this process dissolved the source of the fishy smell inside.


    A momentter, the marinating wasplete.


    Patting Spicy¡¯s head encouragingly, Qin Lang took the shrimp, filtered out the moisture, added a spoonful of raw starch to mix evenly, and set it aside for use.


    He cut oranges into small pieces and peeled the green peas, handing them to Dan Bao to blow on.


    He heated the wok to boil water, then added a small spoonful of salt after the water had boiled.


    He nched the green peas in the pot, then added the shrimp meat.


    After simmering for about half a minute, he scooped out the green peas and shrimp together.


    At this point, the surface of the green peas was no longer hard, softened and began to give off a fresh and pleasant bean aroma, and the color of the shrimp meat changed from a light gray to a pink. The bouncy texture of the shrimp meat was especially pleasing to the eye.


    Having tasted Shrimp Slide for lunch, Dan Bao and Spicy could not help but swallow their saliva when they saw such bouncy shrimp meat.


    Even though they had already consumed a serving of Crab Roe Fried Rice, at that moment they were still overtaken with a strong desire to taste the shrimp.


    He heated the wok with oil, added scallion and ginger to enhance the aroma and then added the cut orange pieces to stir-fry a few times. The hot oil stimted the orange aroma from within the orange pieces and burst out with the full orange juice. Then, green peas and shrimp were added to stir-fry.


    At the same time as the orange fragrance and the fresh smell of shrimp mixed, stir-frying quickly with hot oil, he added sugar and salt for seasoning and quickly stirred up a thin slurry to evenly coat the shrimp.


    Orange vored Shrimp, ready to serve!


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush!¡±


    Stopping the two little ones who were about to rush up and feast, Qin Langughed, ¡°Forgot what we just said?¡±


    Oh right, they had to film the video!


    The two hurriedly remembered and obediently stepped back.


    Having already had the Crab Roe Fried Rice, they could still bear with it in the face of such delicious food at this moment.


    Qin Lang opened the camera function on his phone, found several angles, and started taking pictures of the hot Orange vored Shrimp.


    ¡°This angle is good¡­¡±


    ¡°This angle is not bad either¡­¡±


    ¡°Dan Bao, you control the phone in the air with Thought Waves to get a top view!¡±


    ¡°Yes, this effect is perfect.¡±


    A few minutester, Qin Lang looked at the raw footage on his phone, nodding in satisfaction, then pointed his phone at the Orange vored Shrimp, ¡°You two, go ahead and taste.¡±


    Letting the two food spirits do a taste test video, that was typical of him.


    Only then did Dan Bao and Spicy dare to step forward and start eating with relish.


    When they had almost finished eating, Qin Lang finally put away his phone and finished filming. He picked up a remaining piece of shrimp with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.


    The shrimp, still warm, was covered with a thinyer of orange vor ze, and the sweet and sour taste was incredibly appetizing and refreshing.


    With a slight chew, the bouncy taste of the shrimp meat rapidly exploded in his mouth, and with it, the hidden sweetness of the ck Tiger Shrimp was also released.


    This sweetness perfectly blended with the sweet and sour orange juice, like two skilled dancers joining forces, presenting a wonderful dual dance performance.


    The addition of green peas added a touch of smoothness and softness to the overall taste of the dish.


    After finishing the remaining Orange vored Shrimp, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s edit the video together and then upload our first video as content creators!¡±


    ¡°Editingplete!¡±


    Having reviewed the video he spent an hour editing, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    Although it didn¡¯tpare to Jiang Bai¡¯s edited videos, the overall presentation was quite good.


    Let¡¯s just post it like this!


    He opened the creator¡¯s backstage of D Site and uploaded the edited video.


    [Delicious Orange voured Shrimp)


    After a few minutes of review, the backstage showed that his video was sessfully uploaded.


    ¡°Alright, now others can watch our video!¡± Qin Lang reached out to ruffle the curious Dan Bao and Spicy who had leaned in close. An idea sparked in his eyes, ¡°By the way, let¡¯s send this video to Jiang Bai.¡±


    As far as he knew, Jiang Bai was the only user he knew on D Site, perfect for scoring him a like!


    Having quickly forwarded the video link, Qin Lang closed his phone, dismissing it for the time being.


    Based on his past life experience, it would take some time for the video to reach a wider audience.


    So, he decided to wait a week before checking on its progress.


    By the time he finished editing the video, the night had grown deep.


    It was time for bed.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, let¡¯s freshen up and go to bed!¡±


    ¡°Gudurulu-¡±


    ¡°Cha cha ba-¡±


    ¡°Puchi-¡±


    In another part of Dongxia City, inside a room decorated in pink, Jiang Bai, dressed in a cute pajamas, was browsing throughments left by her fans in the backstage.


    Seeing the eleventhment expressing sympathy for the restaurant she had critiqued, she couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.


    Interestingly, the dish she had reviewed in that restaurant was also shrimp-rted.


    Objectively speaking, that dish was indeed delicious.


    But before Jiang Bai had gone there, she had tasted the ck tiger shrimp grilled by Qin Lang.


    Having tasted something even more impressive, her impression of the dish naturally declined.


    Her nimble fingers were quickly typing a response to her fans. Suddenly, her phone vibrated.


    A popup appeared at the top of the screen.


    [You have a new message from Chef Qin]


    Oh!


    Jiang Bai blinked and quickly sat up.


    Chef Qin was the nickname she had given to Qin Lang.


    In the Food Spirit World, the term ¡°Chef¡± is a term of respect for a Spirit Chef with excellent culinary skills. It was perfectly suited for Qin Lang.


    Seeing that there was a reply from Qin Lang, Jiang Bai, the little fan, was immediately excited. Has Chef Qin seen the video she posted? What would be his reaction?


    Jiang Bai was a little thrilled.


    However, after reading the message, the excitement on Jiang Bai¡¯s face turned into a daze.


    Huh?


    Chef Qin¡­ uploaded a video?!


    She absently clicked on the link, then finally realized what was happening.


    Qin Lang has be an Uploader too!


    Seeing that Qin Lang had ¡°o¡± followers, Jiang Bai instantly followed him without a second thought.


    I am the first fan!


    Only after she clicked follow did she btedly notice Qin Lang¡¯s username.


    ¡°Traveler? Sounds quite mysterious!¡± Jiang Bai muttered to herself while watching the video shared by Qin Lang.


    Hmm¡­ the editing is a bit rough.


    The picture is a bit blurry.


    It appears to be shot either with a phone or non-professional equipment.


    Jiang Bai critiqued from a professional perspective, then giggled.


    Who cares! Any filming technique is fine with Chef Qin¡¯s cooking skills!


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]


    End chapter Easter Egg content:


    [Orange Scented Fried Shrimp]

 Chapter 110 - 110: Storms

    Chapter 110: Storms


    Trantor: 549690339


    When Jiang Bai saw the orange vored shrimp appearing in various angles on the screen, and being devoured by the two food spirits with much gusto, he painfully clutched his stomach.


    Damn!


    Midnight poison!


    Not good! I can¡¯t suffer alone!


    Jiang Bai turns to post the video link in his fan group, then promptly turns on do-not-disturb mode,pletely ignoring the outraged voices that explode in the group a few minutester.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it a way of bringing traffic for Chef Qin.¡±


    Looking at Qin Lang¡¯s fan count changing with each refresh, Jiang Bai chuckles.


    Oh yes!


    Almost forgot to like!


    Jiang Bai raised his hand to like Qin Lang¡¯s video.


    ¡°Eh? The dove has a new video?¡±


    A young man is sitting at home, eagerly opening a new video posted by an up host he follows, and starts watching.


    He is a die-hard fan of the D site up host ¡°Want to Drink Dove Soup¡±, also known as Jiang Bai. He particrly enjoys his video style.


    Looking at the start of the video, the young man couldn¡¯t help mumbling, ¡°This ce called Willow River Park, the scenery is quite good! If I have the chance to go to Dongxia City, I¡¯ll have to check it out.¡±


    Following that, he saw the encounter between Jiang Bai and a spirit chef named Qin Lang.


    ¡°Dongxia City Cooking Competition champion?¡± Curiosity filled the young man¡¯s face, ¡°I wonder how much better his cooking is than mine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I¡¯m not in Dongxia City, otherwise I could let the dove taste my skills!¡±


    After watching Jiang Bai taste the food cooked by Qin Lang, the young man sniffed, ¡°After all, I am also a magnificent spirit chef!¡±


    He continued watching the subsequent evaluations until the video ended.


    As usual, he liked the video, then opened the silent fan group, wanting to see what other fans thought of the new video.


    However, he quickly realized that many fans were angrily admonishing Jiang Bai.


    Seeing the disjointed chat records, the boy sighed.


    Scrolling.


    It took him a while to see the start of everyone scolding the dove.


    It was a video link that the dove had shared in the group.


    Upon opening the video, the young man quickly recognized the host of the video as the person who had appeared in the dove¡¯s new video just now.


    The Dongxia City Cooking Competition champion named Qin Lang?


    His interest piqued, he started to watch patiently.


    Seeing the dish called ¡®orange vored shrimp,¡¯ the boy couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    It looked very tasty.


    It seemed there were oranges and shrimp at home. Should he try to replicate it?


    The boy decided to act immediately; he followed this ount nicknamed ¡°Traveler,¡± then put his phone down and dashed to the kitchen.


    After dropping the video in the fan group, Jiang Bai refreshed Qin Lang¡¯s homepage, then returned to the backstage, continuing to interact with his fans.


    She had no idea just how terrifying her fans were.


    ming her didn¡¯t work, so one of the fans in the group said, ¡°We can¡¯t be the only ones to suffer,¡± and everyone spontaneously started to share Qin Lang¡¯s video.


    A yed ten, ten yed a hundred.


    As the champion of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition, Qin Lang, whose ount was not yet verified, had it massively shared and his fan count started to rise rapidly.


    After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Bai, who was interacting with her fans until she got a bit tired and was preparing to sleep, had her phone shook violently.


    A silver banner whizzed past from the top of the page.


    [Vera 0205 supports Up Flost ¡°Traveler¡± with a Silver Treasure Box and leaves a message: Get a better device next time, I love watching.]


    ¡°Hiss-¡±


    Jiang Bai sucked in a breath, her sleepiness instantly gone.


    This is a D site bigwig, how did she notice Qin Lang, who just became an up host today?


    Jiang Bai¡¯s face took on a hint of envy.


    This is a Silver Treasure Box!


    ording to the treasure box rules on D Site, the Silver Treasure Box could be seen by all users living in the same state as the up-owner¡­


    She opened Qin Lang¡¯s profile in a hurry, noticed his fan count already exceeding hers, and gasped once again.


    ¡°Hiss-¡±


    The day rolled over to the next.


    Since he didn¡¯t enable notification permissions on D Site, Qin Lang had a peaceful night¡¯s sleep,pletely oblivious to what had happened.


    ¡°At noon, I¡¯ll prepare Twice-Cooked Pork and Egg Fried Rice for you all!¡±


    After spending the entire morning reading the books left behind by his original self on the balcony, Qin Lang made a clear-cut decision about the lunch menu.


    Um¡­ it was a bit dry, so he could simmer a pot of Mushroom Meatbail Soup.


    Perfect.


    The two Food Spirits naturally had no objections to such a n.


    After all, Egg Fried Rice and Twice-Cooked Pork were their respective Origin Cuisines.


    And the Mushroom Meatbail Soup sounded really tasty.


    Soon, one human and two spirits were bustling in the kitchen.


    The first dish Qin Lang started preparing was the Mushroom Meatbail Soup.


    The three-fat, seven-lean pork was finely chopped into ground meat amidst the constant sound of chopping in the kitchen. It was then mixed with salt, a little light soy sauce, and starch, soaked in Ginger Scallion Water and kneaded until firm.


    Once the ground meat fully absorbed the water, it was pressed at the bottom of the special stew pot for Nanchang y Pot Soup,yered with soaked shiitake mushrooms, filled with water up to 80 percent full, and seasoned with salt and MSG.


    The lid of the stew pot was closed, and the pot was ced in another pot for simmering.


    Cantonese Cuisine is famous for its soups, but it is certainly not the only one.


    Nanchang y Pot Soup is known for its special way of stewing soup.


    The most ssic of all is this Mushroom Meatbail Soup.


    The process of stewing the soup is a bit long, taking about an hour.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t n to speed things up with Spicy yet.


    Because he still had Twice-Cooked Pork and Egg Fried Rice to cook.


    After removing the hair and odor from therge piece of pork belly, he added Scallion and Ginger Cooking Wine to stew it.


    Seeing this familiar scene, Spicy¡¯s red and green colored eyes suddenly lit up.


    It¡¯s time to make Twice-Cooked Pork!


    ¡°Speed it up!¡±


    Seeing Spicy¡¯s impatient look, Qin Lang grinned and pointed at the closed lid of the pot.


    Spicy rushed forward, using the power of Cooking eleration to envelop the pot stewing the pork belly.


    As the spiritual power was drained bit by bit, the pork belly in the pot was being cooked at an elerated pace.


    The twenty-five-minute maximum eleration ended quickly, and with the Tianxuan Star Vein now empty, Qin Lang took out a bowl of leftover rice and a few chicken eggs from the fridge.


    Now, it was Dan Bao¡¯s turn to have his eyes light up.


    Egg Fried Rice!


    Under Qin Lang¡¯s smooth actions, the leftover rice and egg yolks were quickly mixed together.


    The wok was heated, and the egg whites were stir-fried.


    The egg whites turned into soft clouds in the wok, their fresh egg fragrance mixing with the savory aroma of the pork belly from the pot nearby, creating a tantalizing smell.


    The egg whites were removed from the wok, and the leftover rice was added and stir-fried until each grain was separate. The egg whites were then re-added, stir-fried a few more times, and the steaming Egg Fried Rice was ready to serve.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    The Egg Fried Rice is ready!


    Dan Bao approached excitedly, even yfully nudged Spicy with his big tail.


    Let¡¯s eat together, the Egg Fried Rice is delicious!


    Spicy had heard Dan Bao mention the delicious Egg Fried Rice many times, but this was the first time he saw it.


    Inhaling the rich egg aroma in the air, he couldn¡¯t help but drool a bit.


    It indeed looked very delicious.


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 Chapter 111 - 111: Opening

    Chapter 111: Opening


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ka-Cha Ka-Ba Ka!¡±


    I¡¯m only trying it to see which one is better, not because 1 want to eat it!


    Spicy, with a red bubble of light above her head, takes small bites to taste.


    Feeling the overwhelming aroma in her mouth, a satisfied look appears on Spicy¡¯s face.


    Egg fried rice is indeed very delicious.


    Seeing theirpanion enjoy his Origin Cuisine, Dan Bao instantly brightens up.


    Soon, the cooking of the twice-cooked pork is alsopleted.


    ¡°Ka-Cha!¡±


    You should try it too!


    Spicy gorgeously swallows a piece of twice-cooked pork and then pushes the te towards Dan Bao.


    Although the egg fried rice is delicious, the twice-cooked pork is even better!


    Dan Bao doesn¡¯t argue with Spicy about this, after all, these are their respective Origin Cuisines, their feelings about them naturally differ.


    He delightfully picks up a piece of twice-cooked pork, eats it with egg fried rice, and finds that thebination tastes even better.


    ¡°Dinner time!¡±


    Qin Lang, havingpleted cooking, sits by the dining table, and together with the two little spirits, enjoys the lunch.


    Suddenly, the abundant portions of egg fried rice and twice-cooked pork disappear without a trace under the ravenous appetite of the person and the two spirits.


    ¡°Spicy, give it another eleration.¡±


    The spiritual power within the Tianxuan Star Vein has almostpletely recovered during mealtime, Qin Lang points towards the pot still simmering with mushroom meatbail soup.


    ¡°Ka-Cha!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    Spicy quickly flies to the front of the pot.


    Cooking eleration, activate!


    Within a few breaths, the mushroom meatbail soup, which was already simmering for nearly half an hour, has now been cooking for more than an hour.


    ¡°Come on, have a taste!¡±


    Qin Lang carefully brings out three stewing dishes, helps the two little spirits by pouring into bowls for them, and then himself picks up a spoon to start tasting.


    Through more than an hour of stewing, the rich mushroom umami taste and the full savoriness of the meatballs are released the moment the dish is unveiled.


    The fat-to-lean meatballs seasoned and stirred, then stewed for over an hour, have reached the point of melting in the mouth. Just a tiny sip leaves the entire deliciousness of the pork lingering on the lips and teeth.


    The mushrooms have absorbed the soup¡¯s moisture during the stewing process. As soon as you eat it, you feel a little softness, and with a slight bite, the soup bursts out, making the taste utterly delightful.


    After tasting the mushroom and meatballs, take another sip of the soup that, in the small stewing dish, embodies the essence of all ingredients. A wave of warmth spreads from the stomach to the body, bringing a sense offort all over.


    ¡°So satisfying!¡±


    Qin Lang happily sighs.


    After thoroughly enjoying the mushroom meatbail soup, the two little spirits nod in agreement.


    Having a bowl of mushroom meatbail soup after twice-cooked pork and egg fried rice, this taste is simply divine!


    After the meal, once the dishes are cleaned and put away, Qin Lang sits on the living room¡¯s couch and begins flipping through a new book about Food Spirits.


    ¡°Guru-¡±


    Seeing this, Dan Bao skillfully flies to the backrest of the couch, nestling next to the head of Qin Lang who¡¯s leaning against the couch.


    That way, he can read the book along with Qin Lang.


    ¡°Ka-Cha!¡±


    Seeing this scene, Spicy blinks.


    Quickly, she sets her sights on the open spot on the other side of Qin Lang¡¯s head.


    Excitedly, she flies towards that spot andnds there. She then looks at Dan Bao for a moment before quickly shifting her gaze away.


    Noticing the little movements of the two Food Spirits, Qin Lang¡¯s mouth curls up into a smile.


    One person and two spirits, leaning on each other, as the afternoon passes by swiftly.


    Dinner was Braised Beef Noodles.


    After dinner, Qin Lang stretched and his face showed a look of anticipation.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the Beef Tasting Banquet at Zhen Niu Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°It was mentioned in the invitation that Mr. Fu Hang will personally cook the top-tier beef at the Beef Tasting Banquet. I wonder what the situation will be like then.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Meat!


    Spicy cheered, just after it had a hearty meal of Braised Beef Noodles, it seemed to be a bit hungry again.


    ¡°Although we are attending the banquet, we also need to make some preparations.¡± Qin Lang said with a slight pause, ¡°It is said that at the Beef Tasting Banquet, the invited Spirit Chefs can present their understanding of beef.¡±


    ¡°This is also a way of culinary exchange.¡±


    ¡°Although not every Spirit Chef is required to cook, if the dishes cooked can be recognized by most people in the field, Mr. Fu Hang will give generous rewards.¡±


    ¡°So, I want to give it a try.¡±


    Dan Bao rubbed Qin Lang¡¯s arm, a curious look on his face.


    ¡°Guru?¡±


    Which beef dish are we going to make?


    So far, Qin Lang has made many beef dishes.


    Oxtail Soup, Red Braised Oxtail, Tomato Beef Brisket, Silky Egg Beef Fillet, Grilled beef short ribs¡­


    These delicious foods shed through Dan Bao¡¯s mind one by one, making Dan Bao could not help but swallow.


    It thinks that every dish is very delicious.


    It¡¯s also not sure which one Qin Lang will choose this time¡­


    ¡°This time 1 n to make a new beef dish.¡± Qin Lang smiled mysteriously, ¡°This beef dish is not less delicious than those 1 made before, and to some extent, it can further reflect my understanding of beef.¡±


    New dish?


    Dan Bao and Spicy both showed curiosity.


    ¡°You will know what kind of dish it is tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang kept them in suspense, ¡°It¡¯s not too early, let¡¯s rest early today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long way from here to Zhen Niu Pavilion, we have to leave early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°There are so many people!¡±


    The next day, when Qin Lang arrived at Zhen Niu Pavilion, he couldn¡¯t help eximing when he saw the familiar Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    Unlike thest time, today¡¯s Zhen Niu Pavilion is decked out withnterns and banners, with the doors wide open.


    A red carpet stretches from therge door all the way to the entrance of the main building under the giant bull¡¯s head of Zhen Niu Pavilion, with many figures standing at the entrance of Zhen Niu Pavilion chatting.


    Qin Lang even saw members of the media.


    ¡°Gudong-¡±


    The cow is dressed up!


    Dan Bao looked at the beef cattle he had seenst time, now this cow was tied with a red ribbon, making it look somewhat festive.


    And it¡¯s not just this cow, all the cows in the outdoor feeding ground of Zhen Niu Pavilion are now tied with simr ribbons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Qin Lang smiled, and walked onto the red carpet.


    As a Spirit Chef who had just won the city-level cookingpetition a few days ago, Qin Lang¡¯s appearance attracted the attention of many people at the scene, and even made the media reporters throw away their current interview targets ande over.


    ¡°Who is he? He looks young but seems to be quite famous.¡± A young man at the entrance of the venue nced in Qin Lang¡¯s direction, a look of curiosity on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at his young age, his cooking skills are not simple.¡± The person next to him smiled, ¡°He was the champion of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition that ended three days ago.¡±


    ¡°And the Wen Si Tofu Challenge you asked me about earlier, it was because of him too.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s the one who cut the tofu into strips?¡± The young man showed a realization, no longer looking down on Qin Lang because of his age, but exposing a look of admiration.


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    The content of the easter egg for this chapter:


    [Mushroom Meat ball Soup]

 Chapter 112 - 112: Mountain of Meat

    Chapter 112: Mountain of Meat


    Trantor: 549690339


    Not only local Spirit Chefs were invited to Fu Hang¡¯s Zhen Niu Pavilion Beef Tasting Banquet.


    In the past, many Spirit Chefs like Lei Ke, who came from other ces for the exchange and enhancement of their culinary skills or for the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, intersected with Dongxia City.


    Fu Hang always included them on the invitation list.


    Zhen Niu Pavilion Beef Tasting Banquet held great allure for the Spirit Chefs. Many of them, even if they were far away, would choose to participate.


    People who didn¡¯t know Qin Lang before, now had a preliminary understanding of him after querying theirpanions.


    As Qin Lang arrived at the entrance of Zhen Niu Pavilion, a young stranger hurriedly walked towards him.


    ¡°Hello, I am Wang Yi from Yutu City.¡±


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Qin Lang.¡± Qin Lang shook hands with Wang Yi, looking surprised.


    Yutu City was also within Tianhua State, just like Dongxia City.


    However, Yutu city and Dongxia city were not neighboring cities, they were quite far apart.


    It seemed that the influence of Zhen Niu Pavilion Beef Tasting Banquet was bigger than he had imagined.


    ¡°I just heard that you are the champion of this year¡¯s Dongxia City Cooking Competition?¡± Wang Yi said with a friendly smile, ¡°1 traveled to Dongxia City half a year ago and was also the champion of a cookingpetition, two terms before you.¡±


    The champion from two terms ago?


    Qin Lang expressed his respect, ¡°Impressive.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more impressive.¡± Wang Yi shook his head humbly, ¡°I arrived in Dongxia City yesterday and tried out the famous Wen Si Tofu Challenge which is very popr here.¡±


    ¡°My knifework is still far from that level,¡± he scratched his head with a smile, ¡°I still need to participate in various culinary exchanges to improve myself as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°To get the five Second-Level Food Rmender Badges required for the Provincial-level Cooking Competition, I still have a long way to go!¡±


    ¡°Can I ask, how many badges have you already gotten?¡± Qin Lang asked out of curiosity on hearing this.


    ¡°Three,¡± Wang Yi didn¡¯t hide, ¡°At first, I got the Ling Yue Badge awarded by my hometown, Yutu City. Then I went to Qingyang City, which is adjacent to Yutu city.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too difficult to get a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge in Qingyang City.¡± After stating hisint, Wang Yi continued, ¡°Then 1 came to Dongxia and participated in the Cooking Competition. I was lucky that the tasks I drew were what 1 excelled in. I won the championship and received the Distant Light Badge.¡±


    ¡°I received my third badge a while ago in Miredi City, south of Dongxia City.¡±


    ¡°As for the remaining two, I n to try my luck in the eastern part of Tianhua State after this Beef Tasting Banquet in Zhen Niu Pavilion.¡±


    There was a hint of anticipation in Wang Yi¡¯s eyes, ¡°There are five months until the annual Provincial-level Cooking Competition. If I want to participate in this session, I need to speed up.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡± Qin Lang led out his sincere blessing.


    So the Provincial-level Cooking Competition is in five months¡­


    He quietly remembered this point.


    After chatting with Wang Yi for a while, Wang Yi spotted another acquaintance and quickly excused himself to go towards that person.


    Qin Lang wasn¡¯t idle either.


    After Wang Yi left, many Spirit Chefs from other cities took the initiative to chat with him.


    Through these exchanges, Qin Lang had gained some more hands-on understanding of the surrounding cities.


    He found it quite beneficial.


    As the start time of the Beef Tasting Banquet at Zhen Niu Pavilion approached, Lei Ke finally arrived.


    In front of the closed Pavilion door, he walked up to Qin Lang and candidly asked.


    ¡°Will you be going on the stage for the beef cooking exchange this time?¡±


    Upon hearing Lei Ke¡¯s question, Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    At his reply, Lei Ke showed a content smile, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t continue the conversation and moved aside. He crossed his arms, leaned against a pir and looked thoughtful.


    In the past two days, having wrapped up the cooking contest, he had not ckened, hoping to secure victory in his match with Qin Lang to prove himself.


    Learnt from Qin Lang¡¯s experience of preparing Twice-Cooked Pork in the finals, This time, Lei Ke¡¯s dishes were not asplex as Citrus Embrace, the cooking process was straightforward, but it brought out the unique features of the ingredients fully.


    He believed that he would not lose this time.


    As time trickled by, more and more invited guests arrived.


    Not only were they highly-skilled Spirit Chefs approved by Fu Hang, but there were also Food Rmender from various ces who had personal connections with Fu Hang, as well as numerous well-known social elites.


    Soon, the time for the Beef Tasting Banquet to begin came.


    The tightly shut doors of the Zhen Niu Pavilion finally opened.


    sts of chilly mist issued from the interior as the door was opened.


    Out from the embracing mist, came Fu Hang, dressed in chef¡¯s whites.


    This was a dress that he, as a Food Rmender, rarely wore in public.


    But everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed behind him.


    A food trolley, upying an area of over ten square metres, came into view.


    On the trolley was a pile of shattered ice formed into a two-person tall iceberg, the surging cold mist had been gushing out from it.


    The icy mountain was piled high with beef from various cuts, the stunningly intricate marbling on every cross-section of beef could impress anyone.


    This sight was visually overpowering.


    Seeing the reactions of the crowd, Fu Hang nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°The Zhen Niu Pavilion¡¯s Beef Tasting Banquet this year,mences!¡±


    ¡°This time for the tasting, we have top-ss Karls Cattle from Lon region and Crescent Moon Pattern Cattle bred from the local Samiya region, harvested after 6oo days of grain feeding and unveiled for the first time!¡±


    Fu Hang stirred up anticipation with just one sentence.


    The Karls Cattle needs no introduction, its quality is well-recognized as it has been imported from the Lon region all the way to the Samiya region.


    The Crescent Moon Pattern Cattle, originated from the Xiyue State in the Samiya region, is also one of the top breeds of beef.


    The new breed, a hybrid of these two cattle breeds, has stirred the anticipation of the entire audience instantly.


    Every year, new breeding cattle breeds would be unveiled during the Beef Tasting Banquet.


    This is the charm of the Food Rmender Fu Hang!


    ¡°The savoring of fine food lies in eating, not talking.¡±


    Laughing heartily, Fu Hang said, ¡°I am going straight to the cooking!¡±


    He is indeed not one for long speeches.


    On the makeshift outdoor cooking tform, Fu Hang, with his robust arms, lifted a huge, oblong piece of meat with sparse marbling patterns and ced it on the counter.


    The moment it hit the chopping board, the piece of beef bounced back rapidly, even appearing to jump, showing its extraordinary sticity.


    It was from the tail end of the sirloin, a part that wrapped the beef tenderloin.


    Although it contained a lower fat content ¨C just like the tenderest beef tenderloin ¨C it offered a different taste.


    Those who were invited to this Banquet would naturally be familiar with the different parts of beef, so Fu Hang did not provide an introduction and picked up his slender deboning knife.


    The expression of everyone in the room instantly filled with anticipation.


    The quality of this new breed of beef, the answer would soon be revealed.


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 Chapter 113 - 113: Open Air

    Chapter 113: Open Air


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The more exquisite the beef, the simpler the cooking method.¡±


    Fu Hang swiftly removed the membrane from the surface of the sirloin steak, and then cut approximately a kilogram from the prime part of it. He skillfully sliced the sirloin into thin, translucent pieces.


    ¡°This piece of sirloin went through a rigorous cultivation process and its quality is absolutely guaranteed. So, we can confidently use the treatment method that best showcases its strengths.¡±


    ¡°Raw.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not advisable for the elderly and children to eat too much.¡±


    As Fu Hang spoke, he swiftly processed the sirloin and had his assistants serve the delicious dishes to the guests.


    Qin Lang took his share, a look of curiosity on his face.


    Even though the dish was raw, it didn¡¯t mean they were gnawing directly on the beef.


    Fu Hang prepared something simr to a sd, with some ingredients and sauces mixed in.


    Indeed, it was a simple preparation method.


    Qin Lang carefully savored the dish, a look of awe on his face.


    Simple preparation, but not simple vors.


    The various ingredients gave the raw sirloin a variety of different textures and vors, but it didn¡¯t overshadow the sirloin, instead, it highlighted the charm of the sirloin.


    It was sweet, tender, and not at all fishy.


    ¡°You guys have a taste.¡±


    With a smile, Qin Lang shared the remaining part with the drooling Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Not far away, Song Hui quietly took arge portion of the remaining sirloin sd from Su Zhi¡¯s hand. ¡°You heard Uncle Fu Hang say, children should eat less.¡±


    Seeing her pouting daughter, Song Hui pinched her cheeks, ¡°You can eat more of the other dishester.¡±


    As Su Zhi began to smile again, Fu Hang returned the remaining piece of sirloin to the iceberg, and then took anotherrge piece of beef.


    ¡°Rumble!¡±


    It¡¯s beef short ribs!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the familiar long, narrow strip and the intricate snowke pattern.


    ¡°No.¡± Qin Lang shook his head to the side, ¡°This is feather meat, it¡¯s also called beef neck side.¡±


    ¡°Rumble?¡±


    A big question mark appeared in Dan Bao¡¯s small mind.


    Beef neck side? What¡¯s that?


    ¡°This is the finest part of the beef shoulder rib. As for its specific taste, you¡¯ll know once you taste it.¡±


    Qin Lang did not borate, as Fu Hang had already begun to cook.


    ¡°The feather meat is rich and tender.¡± Fu Hang started cooking while exining, ¡°This piece of meat can be cut thick or thin, but for fatty beef, thin slices are more appropriate.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too thick, it¡¯ll be greasy.¡±


    In the middle of speaking, he had already split therge piece of feather meat into slices about five millimeters thick.


    ¡°And the most suitable cooking method for it is grilling!¡±


    ¡°Sizzle-¡±


    Apanied by the sharp sound of hot oil, pieces of sliced feather meat were spread out on the grill. Under the me¡¯s heat, the rich fat of the meat melted instantly, and an astonishing aroma of meat erupted, filling the entire outdoor area.


    Portions of the grilled feather meat were served to the guests with the help of the assistants.


    The feather meat was ced on a piece of toasted thin sliced bread.


    The fluffiness of the bread was fully soaked by the rich fat of the feather meat, making it exceptionally tempting. Thebination of the feather meat and bread reduced the greasiness and made it more appetizing.


    Qin Lang cut a piece with his knife and tasted it, nodding continuously.


    Mr. Fu Hang¡¯s approach was not difficult, but the simplicity of the cooking demonstrated his perfect control over the temperature of the beef.


    He quickly divided the remaining part into three, allowing Dan Bao and Spicy to also savor the vor.


    Beef tenderloin, rib eye, beef brisket¡­


    The beef, divided ording to different parts, was cooked by Fu Hang using simple cooking methods that maximized the texture and vor of each part. The dishes were served to the guests, receiving universal apuse.


    For the Spirit Chefs present, this was also a teaching experience, a rare opportunity to grow in their culinary skills and knowledge.


    When thest part was cooked and given to the guests, Fu Hang put the deboning knife back into the knife holder, ¡°Seeing you all eating so well, I¡¯m getting hungry too.¡±


    There was kindlyughter throughout the venue.


    Fu Hang managed the portions well; each part of the beef only had enough for one or two bites for each guest.


    Thus, the guests got to taste several dozens of dishes with different vors, but were still left with a lingering taste.


    On the small mountain made of broken ice, there was still plenty of top-quality beef from different parts.


    He hadpleted the opening of the Beef Tasting Banquet.


    Now, the more exciting part wasing.


    ¡°It seems that everyone here hasn¡¯t had their fill yet!¡± Fu Hangughed, ¡°So, next, the stage will be left to those of you here!¡±


    ¡°Today, anyone who wants to showcase their cooking skills can make use of the beef on this iceberg to create their specialty dishes, showing their understanding of beef.¡±


    ¡°Every person whoes up on stage will have their dishes judged by everyone else present. If they¡¯re satisfied with the dish, they¡¯ll give you a positive review!¡±


    ¡°The guest who receives the most positive reviews after cooking today will be the winner of this beef stage. And of course, the winner will get a reward.¡±


    As Fu Hang waved his hand, an assistant led out a robustly built crossbred cattle from the other side.


    ¡°This is another crossbred cattle that¡¯s exactly the same as the one we tasted today, from the breed to the cultivation environment!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the reward for today¡¯s winner!¡±


    As Fu Hang¡¯s words fell, the eyes of all the Spirit Chefs in the venue ignited.


    As the saying goes, seeing is believing.


    The most effective and simplest way to determine the quality of a new breed of cattle is to cook it into a delicious dish and taste it.


    Just now, Fu Hang had used his superb culinary skills to let everyone present appreciate the quality of this new breed of cattle.


    From any perspective, it could definitely be considered top-tier.


    And now, Fu Hang had brought out another cow of the same breed and told everyone that all they needed to do was receive the most rave reviews in the uing showcase to take this cow home.


    This temptation was irresistible to any of the Spirit Chefs.


    ¡°However¡­¡± Seeing that the enthusiasm in the venue had been fully mobilized by him, Fu Hang pointed at the open-air venue around him, ¡°Spirit Chefs who want toe up need to take note, there¡¯s no enclosed space here.¡±


    ¡°You all need to cook outdoors!¡±


    As he said this, a smug look appeared on Fu Hang¡¯s face.


    Even though he was a Food Rmender, he was also an obsessed Spirit Chef.


    The extravagant beef tasting banquet at the Zhen Niu Pavilion had purpose.


    Increasing the influence of the Zhen Niu Pavilion was one aspect.


    He also took the opportunity to learn from the experience of other Spirit Chefs.


    Upon hearing this, those Spirit Chefs who were attending for the first time showed a hint of hesitation, while others who had attended before were calm, apparently having anticipated this.


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 Chapter 114 - 114: Show off Skills

    Chapter 114: Show off Skills


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qin Lang was somewhat surprised by Fu Hang¡¯s words, but in his view, this was a good thing.


    Although cooking on stage without any cover would expose his cooking process to everyone¡¯s eyes.


    But the cooking processes of the others would also be exposed to his eyes.


    In order to win that cow, no one would likely hold back their abilities.


    In this way, Spirit Chefs could learn and draw from each other.


    Lei Ke, who was standing not far from Qin Lang, quickly calmed down.


    However, his thoughts differed from Qin Lang¡¯s.


    He was not worried about his cooking process being exposed to others because he would constantly innovate and quickly improve his cooking methods.


    No one could learn his strongest cooking method, because he was forever on the path to bing stronger.


    His gaze inevitably fell upon Qin Lang.


    So¡­ this time, he could watch Qin Lang¡¯s cooking in person?


    He was eager to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    Fu Hang¡¯s reminder did not dampen everyone¡¯s enthusiasm.


    A young man quickly stood out from the crowd, took the beef tenderloin from the iceberg, and began his own cooking process under the watchful gazes of the crowd.


    Two Food Spirits fluttered around him.


    One of them kept circling over the young man¡¯s head during his cooking process, sprinkling a brilliant glow that enveloped the young man and the ingredients he was working on.


    This was the first time Qin Lang had ever seen another Food Spirit deploying a Food Skill.


    After all, during past Food Fights andpetitions, a Spirit Chef¡¯s cooking process would not be known to the public.


    Soon, Qin Lang recognized the Food Skill that the Food Spirit was using.


    Food Skill: Concentration Enhancement.


    This skill could help a Spirit Chef remain steady and maximize their abilities during cooking. This Spirit Chef using this skill right from the start was clearly nning to go all out.


    His other Food Spirit was also using a Food Skill during the cooking process, simr to the Full Freshness, with the Spirit asionally blowing a few puffs of air onto the beef tenderloin.


    And each time the Food Spirit blew, the already tender beef tenderloin seemed to be even softer.


    Noticing this detail, many of the Spirit Chefs on the field, including Qin Lang, showed a grave expression.


    Food Skill: Ingredient Sublimation.


    This skill could modestly enhance the most prominent features of the ingredient.


    The most prominent feature of beef tenderloin is its tenderness, so this Food Skill could make the beef tenderloin even more tender.


    The first Spirit Chef to make a move surprisingly possessed such a threatening Food Skill. It seemed that thispetition would be intense.


    Suddenly, the first Spirit Chefpleted his cooking.


    His dish was divided into smaller portions and delivered to each guest by his assistant.


    ¡°This is a special dish that I prepared for this Beef Tasting Banquet, Lotus Bag Tenderloin.¡± The Spirit Chef spoke softly, introducing the dish he had cooked. ¡°The tenderest tenderloin in beef is wrapped in lotus leaves, infusing the beefpletely with the aroma of lotus leaves.¡±


    ¡°The aroma of lotus leaves activates the deepest vour of the beef.¡±


    ¡°Please enjoy.¡±


    As he talked, the crowd in the field had begun tasting it.


    Qin Lang also received a portion.


    It was a piece of beef tenderloin wrapped and tied up in lotus leaves. A strange and wonderful aroma was currently seeping out through the gaps in the leaves.


    As he cut the tied string, the fresh scent of lotus and the robust smell of beef exploded from the opened lotus leaves, making both Dan Bao and Spicy swallow in unison.


    It looks and smells so delicious¡­


    Qin Lang attentively savoured the beef tenderloin, a cut that maintained a surprising tenderness despite being cooked to well-done. He relished the delectable taste on his lips and teeth, a taste mixed with the scent of lotus leaves, his face involuntarily betraying a look of approval.


    While unquestionably augmented by the Food Spirit¡¯s culinary skills, it was, even more, an exhibition of the Spirit Chef¡¯s own culinary prowess.


    The formidable strength of the firstpetitor, the first Spirit Chef to cook, gave Qin Lang a sense of pressure.


    ¡°Time for me to have a go!¡±


    No sooner had the first Spirit Chef finished cooking than the second, unable to restrain himself any longer, hurried up onto the stage.


    The cut he chose was beef brisket.


    With the cooperation of his Food Spirit, this Spirit Chef¡¯s culinary talent in no way fell short of the first chef¡¯s. His dish, called Zhajiang Beef Brisket, brought out the loose texture of the brisket to the fullest, with every mouthful bursting with juicy vour, receiving universal apuse.


    Following him were the third, fourth¡­


    Spirit Chefs, one after another, passionately disyed their signature cooking styles in front of all. Their diverse array of Food Spirit Skills gave Qin Lang a real eye-opener.


    Those who receive invitations from Fu Hang to participate in the Zhen Niu Pavilion¡¯s Beef Tasting Banquet are never weak.


    They had mostly received a second-level Food Rmender Badge, or they don¡¯t have a badge but possess corresponding culinary skills to that of a city-level champion.


    Even though it was not called apetition, it was a face-off at a higher level than the City-level Cooking Competition.


    It also served as a chance for the Spirit Chefs to learn from each other.


    As a Spirit Chef demonstrated his cooking, the other chefs often observed intently, absorbing nutrients that could improve their own culinary skills from the chef¡¯s cooking.


    Lei Ke watched quietly as a Spirit Chef cooked on the stage, but his eyes asionally nced towards Qin Lang.


    Isn¡¯t this guy going up to the stage?


    He really is patient.


    In that case, I¡¯ll go first!


    After the Spirit Chef cooking finished and Lei Ke tasted his dish, he got up and strode towards the cooking station in the middle of the space.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take over for the next cooking,¡± said Lei Ke.


    Qin Lang put down the te in his hand and watched Lei Ke on the stage with a serious look.


    After witnessing the cooking of dozens of Spirit Chefs, he was curious to see what kind of dish Lei Ke would bring.


    Standing on the cooking station, Lei Ke took a deep breath and then turned around to choose arge cut of beef from the numerous cuts still on disy in the mock iceberg behind him.


    However, his choice surprised many of the Spirit Chefs in the room.


    It was the beef neck.


    Unlike the cuts beside the neck, this cut was somewhat inferior due to its texture, so few chefs who had already cooked chose it as their main ingredient for the show.


    Because of this, therge piece of beef neck in Lei Ke¡¯s hand was quite intact.


    Seeing Lei Ke¡¯s choice, Fu Hang crossed his arms and wore an interested look. Lei Ke, the champion of the Danju City¡¯s Cooking Contest, impressed him significantly, even though Lei Ke fell short in the Dongxia City Cooking Competition a few days ago.


    The beef neck, edging the rib eye, is a well-used part of the cow, full of connective tissue.


    It has an eye-catching marbling, but it is rather chewy.


    Cooking it to the right vour isn¡¯t easy.


    During Fu Hang¡¯s cooking demonstration, he used a stewing method.


    By simmering the beef in a pressure cooker, the connective tissue was thoroughly tenderized.


    However, Fu Hang had a strong feeling that Lei Ke¡¯s cooking method would bepletely different from his.


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 Chapter 115 - 115: Fierce Fire

    Chapter 115: Fierce Fire


    Trantor: 549690339


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lei Ke picked up the deboning knife, swiftly severed therge chunk of beef neck meat, and then, following the orientation of the muscle fibers, cut it into strips about a finger¡¯s thickness.


    After cutting it, it¡¯s time for marination.


    After using themon seasonings provided on the cooking station to make the base marinade, Lei Ke, to everyone¡¯s astonishment, pulled out a bottle of liquor from his bag.


    Among the crowd were those who knew a thing or two about alcohol.


    The bottle of alcohol in Lei Ke¡¯s hands had an rmingly high alcohol content of 70%.


    Lei Ke, in a very generous fashion, poured the entire bottle of liquor into the marinade.


    After a brief period of marination, Lei Ke took out a special wooden skewer from his bag.


    ¡°Eeyah!¡±


    One of his Food Spirits let out a soft chant. As Lei Ke held the strips of beef neck meat in one hand and the wooden skewer in the other, a faint light emerged from his body.


    The same light appeared at the tip of the skewer.


    In the next moment, the cogen-rich beef neck meat was pierced instantaneously by the ordinary skewer, the entire process was as smooth as stabbing into the mud, without the slightest hesitation.


    Culinary Skill: Kitchen Utensils Amplification.


    During the process of cooking the ingredients, this Culinary Skill can greatly improve the efficiency of the tools in cooking the ingredients.


    It can turn a kitchen knife into an iron-cutting de, capable of slicing through tough bones, or transform a simple wooden skewer into a sharp stick.


    Lei Ke¡¯s Food Spirit actually has such a Culinary Skill?


    Qin Lang showed a hint of surprise.


    Another new Culinary Skill that he encountered for the first time.


    Not to mention the cooking skills demonstrated by these Spirit Chefs earlier, just the various Culinary Skills he has seen sessively, made him feel that the trip was worthwhile.


    After all the beef neck meat strips were skewered, Lei Ke took a deep breath and turned the heat on the grill to the maximum.


    The charcoal in the grill, under fullbustion, reached a slightly twisted state due to the extremely high temperature.


    Faced with all this, Lei Ke remainedposed.


    When the grill waspletely heated, he didn¡¯t hesitate to put the skewered beef on it.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Apanied by a low booming sound, a me of red and blue intertwined rose from the skewer, reaching a meter high in the air.


    Apanied by the explosive aroma of liquor and the strong smell of roasted beef, the rising me slowly diffused over the entire area!


    Exmations rose from all around the area. Guests near the cooking station, feeling the heat wave surging towards them, quickly retreated a few steps.


    Ignoring the surroundingmotion, Lei Ke¡¯s eyes, at some unknown time, were filled with an eerie blue light.


    The same light appeared around his other Food Spirit.


    Culinary Skill: Ingredient Insight.


    This skill could help a Spirit Chef understand the subtle changes in the ingredients during the cooking process, thus better controlling the state of the ingredients.


    With the help of the Culinary Skill, Lei Ke ignored the raging me, disregarded the burning air, and carefully observed the constantly changing state of the roasted beef neck skewer on the grill.


    The next moment, he scooped up a handful of white sesame seeds and sprinkled it on the skewer.


    The white sesame seeds glided through the billowing mes, emitting its unique fragrance under the heat, before uniformly settling onto the surface of the beef neck meat, which had been seared to release its rich internal fats.


    The sizzling cow oil kept the white sesame seeds from slipping off the skewer, further unlocking the rich sesame fragrance and allowing it to seep in between the textures of the meat.


    As the alcohol in the beef began to burn and evaporate, the me seemed to reduce slightly, gradually receding.


    Just as everyone let out a sigh of relief, Lei Ke¡¯s mouth turned up into a smile.


    He quickly flipped the skewer, and the once-fading me rose furiously again.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With another low boom, Lei Ke grabbed another handful of sesame seeds and sprinkled them on.


    ¡°Roaring me Beef, please taste!¡±


    As he shouted, the fiery skewer of beef was moved away from the grill, and only then did the me slowly extinguish to reveal the lusciously grilled brown beef, its surface glistening tantalizingly with oil.


    From a distance, Fu Hang¡¯s eyes lit uppletely at this moment.


    Igniting the alcohol within the beef to allow deeper nuanced cooking, finely treating the beef from within, so as to improve the texture disadvantage caused by the rich connective tissues of the neck part?


    No, it wasn¡¯t just that.


    Alcohol itself can also remove the unpleasant smell from the meat and enhance its vor. This is like killing two birds with one stone.


    He took the Roaring me Beef handed to him by his assistant, and his face showed renewed interest after a careful examination.


    This skewer is not ordinary!


    Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the seemingly ordinary wooden skewer was made from the heartwood of a tree called Yellow ze Wood.


    After drying and grinding the heartwood of the Yellow ze Wood into powder, it bes a spice. This additional step has added an extrayer of vor to the neck meat.


    He took a big bite.


    The fusion of these two elements was surprisingly good.


    An expression of admiration appeared on Fu Hang¡¯s face.


    Among all the dishes cooked by the guests so far, Lei Ke¡¯s Roaring me Beef gave him the greatest surprise.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look at the other guests in the venue. From their expressions, Fu Hang could guess that their thoughts were probably simr to his.


    Such a talent, Lei Ke.


    His strength is indeed extraordinary.


    ¡°Qin Lang.¡±


    Lei Ke, who had stepped off the stage, stared straight at Qin Lang and spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone in the venue to hear.


    ¡°I would like to see your understanding of cooking beef.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the guests who knew about the recent match between the two people immediately showed interest. Those who were unfamiliar also looked interested after a simple introduction by those around them.


    This time, it was clearly Lei Ke who had initiated the challenge.


    Would Qin Lang ept it?


    The rematch between the two of them would certainly be exciting, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Qin Lang put down the skewer in his hand and weighed a bag he had brought with him.


    Then, apanied by two food spirits, he stepped towards the cooking station.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    As Qin Lang stepped onto the cooking stage, all the guests in the open-air venue looked over simultaneously.


    Whether it was those who had learned about Qin Lang in the past Dongxia City Cooking Competition, or those who only first heard of this suddenly emerging champion of the recent Dongxia City Cooking Competition today, all wanted to see what dish he would present.


    This was especially after Lei Ke, who had previously lost to him, had presented the impressive Roaring me Beef.


    Many also noticed the bag that Qin Lang was carrying, specting that it might contain his secret seasonings for cooking beef.


    Just like the startling Doubanjiang he used to win the championship.


    Facing the numerous gazes on him, Qin Lang took a deep breath and ced the bag he had been carrying on the table.


    Next, he took out the object which had been the subject of everyone¡¯s spection.


    Looking at the thing with a tangerine exterior and a white interior, not a few people were stunned.


    Is this¡­


    The peel of an orange?


    That which Qin Lang had prepared for today¡¯s cooking was actually this?


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 Chapter 116 - 116: Orange Peel

    Chapter 116: Orange Peel


    Trantor: 549690339


    After taking out the orange peel, Qin Lang didn¡¯t pay attention to the slightly surprised looks from the crowd.


    He calmly took the beef tenderloin from the iceberg behind him.


    Tenderloin?


    Fu Hang¡¯s eyes overflowed with interest.


    After Lei Ke showcased such an astonishing dish of Roaring me Beef, his anticipation for Qin Lang¡¯s cooking had significantly increased.


    Seeing that the beef tenderloin Qin Lang was using was the same cut he used to make Silky Egg Beef Filletst time, Fu Hang¡¯s expectations soared once again.


    Silky Egg Beef Fillet didn¡¯t incorporate orange peel, Fu Hang was certain of that.


    So, this time, Qin Lang should be presenting apletely new beef tenderloin dish.


    The same Qin Lang who had surprised himst time with a tenderloin dish, would he bring a new surprise this time?


    He was very much looking forward to it.


    After taking the beef tenderloin, Qin Lang didn¡¯t immediately start working, but instead passed the tenderloin to Dan Bao by his side.


    As Dan Bao started blowing on the beef tenderloin, the Spirit Chefs in the arena who recognized its Food Skill, immediately showed envious expressions.


    Food Skill: Fresh Full.


    Just as Qin Lang was envious of the Food Skills of other Food Spirits, many Spirit Chefs were equally covetous of Fresh Full.


    The beef tenderloin preserved at low temperature had its freshness retained to the utmost degree, but how could itpare to the freshness level adjusted to the peak state by Fresh Full?


    While Dan Bao was handling the tenderloin, Qin Lang trimmed some of the white part off the orange peel with a horizontal knife and then shredded it into thin, long strips.


    He sprinkled salt on the cut orange peel, tossed it until it softened slightly, squeezed out the water with force, mixed it with honey, and set it aside forter use.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    It¡¯s ready!


    As Qin Lang turned around, Dan Bao, controlled by Thought Waves, had already carefully set the handled beef tenderloin on the chopping board.


    Beef cooking had begun!


    As Qin Lang¡¯s gaze fell on the beef tenderloin, all the guests in the arena also turned their eyes to it.


    They all wanted to know, what would Qin Lang do next?


    ¡°Thump, thump, thump¡­¡±


    A series of rapid chopping sounds were sent out quickly after Qin Lang picked up his kitchen knife.


    Therge beef tenderloin was quickly sliced into thin strips in a few breaths.


    The simple yet decisive movements were pleasing to the eye, but keeping in mind that the young man in front of them once sliced tofu as thin as hair, the crowd didn¡¯t seem too surprised with his knifework right now.


    He put the shredded beef into the bowl, sprinkled a little baking soda, mixed it slightly, then added salt, sugar, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce, tossing it vigorously before adding water and egg white to continue tossing it, allowing the moisture to bepletely absorbed by the beef.


    Watching Qin Lang¡¯s movements, many Spirit Chefs on the scene showed a thoughtful look.


    Their cooking skills were all impressive. Even though their cooking techniques were different, they could still understand the purpose of others¡¯ cooking.


    ¡°Using baking soda to treat the beef, hmm¡­¡± Fu Hang rubbed his chin, his face showing a contemtive expression, ¡°The beef is acidic, so it¡¯s neutralized using an alkaline substance?¡±


    He had not thought of this method before.


    As for how much this method would enhance the beef, he believed that Qin¡¯s subsequent cooking would give him the answer.


    Not far away, Lei Ke was also intently observing Qin Lang¡¯s movements. Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s proficient and swift tossing, his pupils contracted slightly.


    He had a feeling that this tossing gesture was not simple.


    Seeing the beef gradually absorb the moisture during the tossing process, a realization crossed his face.


    As he suspected.


    This tossing, it was with intent.


    The image of the moisture gradually infiltrating between the beef tenderloin, making the already tender meat even more tender and smooth, instantly shed across his mind.


    This was a technique that Lei Ke had not mastered yet. Seeing Qin Lang deploying it now, he revealed a look of surprise and delight.


    Should he try it out when he gets back?


    In just a moment, Lei Ke thought of five or six dishes that could utilize this technique.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t raise his head, unaware that the Spirit Chefs in the field had gleaned quite a lot from his mere act of adding seasonings and mixing them.


    Even if he knew, he wouldn¡¯t mind.


    After all, he had learned quite a bit from the cooking of the other Spirit Chefs.


    As they say, ¡°an eye for an eye¡±.


    Having allowed the beef to fully absorb the water and egg white through his kneading, Qin Lang tossed in some potato starch, gave it another quick knead, then ced it in the refrigerator provided beside him.


    ¡°Spicy.¡±


    After closing the refrigerator, Qin Lang called out.


    ¡°Snap!¡±


    Understood!


    Spicy, who had been stationed nearby, nodded at him. A formless force then welled up inside, enveloping the beef tenderloin inside the refrigerator.


    The sight of this stirred up envy in many Spirit Chefs in the field.


    Cooking eleration!


    This Food Skill was one of the most desirable among the seven Food Skillbinations for any Spirit Chef.


    Seeing that Qin Lang had both Cooking eleration and Fresh Full, quite a number of Spirit Chefs showed faces as sour as lemons.


    As Spicy started speeding up the chilling process for the beef tenderloin, Qin Lang also started on a new set of preparations.


    He took from Dan Bao the freshly prepared chili peppers and coriander¨Call cut into pieces and put aside¨Cand then began mixing his sauce.


    Here ites!


    The eyes of the crowd once again gathered on Qin Lang¡¯s hand.


    The seasoning, in any dish, is important.


    Different Spirit Chefs had different habits in using seasonings.


    Some love using a particr seasoning in every dish; some never used a particr seasoning and instead used others to achieve a simr effect.


    There were also Spirit Chefs who had a fixedbination of seasonings.


    So, to the other Spirit Chefs at the same level as Qin Lang, how he seasoned held great reference value.


    One spoon of rice wine, one spoon of light soy sauce, one spoon of sesame oil, a pinch of salt.


    His extremely simple seasoningbination made many Spirit Chefs in the field, who had been expecting Qin Lang to use a dozen seasonings or even a secret recipe at this stage, show disappointed expressions.


    However, their disappointment quickly turned to anticipation.


    Because after Qin Lang set aside his sauce, he took the beef tenderloin¡ªwhich had been quickly chilled by Spicy¡ªout from the refrigerator.


    The tenderloin¡¯s surface was now icy cold while its inner meat structure had contracted tighter around the absorbed moisture.


    The process resembled resting the dough during bread making.


    When the cooking oil was halfway heated, he added the beef straight in, and slowly yet steadily rotated his spat, separating the individual beef strips from each other.


    The fragrance of beef, provoked by the hot oil, gradually permeated the open-air venue. Lifting his hand, Qin Lang fished out the attractive pale-gray beef strips. Their surfaces shimmered enticingly under the sun.


    Then, he added the chili peppers and the orange zest into the same pot he used to fry the beef strips.


    He stirred it all together, put in the sauce, and finally added the coriander.


    It¡¯s ready to be served.


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 Chapter 117 - 117: Stunning

    Chapter 117: Stunning


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    As Qin Lang proceeded with his cooking, the expressions of the guests in the room began to gradually ze over.


    It was not that his cooking method was particrly special.


    It was just¡­


    Qin Lang¡¯s cooking speed was faster than they had expected.


    One minute?


    No, not even a minute.


    So fast that the Spirit Chefs in the venue didn¡¯t have time to ponder the details of Qin Lang¡¯s cooking process before it was already over.


    Looking at the dish brought forward by the assistant, many of the Spirit Chefs were still in a daze.


    Until Qin Lang¡¯s voice echoed through the venue.


    ¡°Eighteen-Second Beef, please enjoy.¡±


    Eighteen-Second Beef?


    This somewhat direct and peculiar dish name forced everyone in the room to recall Qin Lang¡¯s cooking process.


    From the moment the beef returned to the pan and was stir-fried with other ingredients until it was served, it was exactly eighteen seconds.


    Lei Ke, with a scrutinizing gaze, carefully inspected the Eighteen-Second Beef cooked by Qin Lang.


    Between the orange-peel shreds and the brown-grey beef shreds, there sparkled the fiery red Capsicum frutescens and the lush greentro, their mere hint of color enough to make one¡¯s mouth water.


    The vibrant and contrasting colors made the dish in front of them all the more appetizing.


    Simultaneously experiencing the intense visual impact, Lei Ke also smelled the rich, aromatic fragrance wafting from the te.


    The slightly sour taste of the orange peels had already dissipated after being marinated in honey, reced by a natural and refreshing sweetness.


    This sweet aromabined perfectly with the pure meaty smell of the beef, with the spicy vor of thetro and Capsicum frutescens as the embellishment, making it enticing and unique.


    Surrounded by the murmurs of admiration, he didn¡¯t hesitate to reach out with his chopsticks.


    As the intense aroma assailed his nostrils, Lei Ke swiftly ced a mouthful of beef into his mouth.


    Along with the beef, he also got a pinch of finely choppedtro and a thin strip of orange peel.


    The beef tenderloin, after undergoing Qin Lang¡¯s unique marination and treatment, and being mixed with plenty of water using a hand-kneading technique, was full of a smooth and delicate texture. With even the slightest bite, abundant and delicious juices spurted out into his mouth, creating a soulful resonance with his taste buds.


    The extremely short cooking process not only cooked the beef to perfection but also locked in its intrinsic vor to the highest degree.


    But this was not all there was to the dish.


    Whether it was thetro, which emitted a unique aroma but lost its irritant after stir-frying, or the unique vor created by the fusion of the sweet honey and the astringent orange peel, all were maximally stimted during the chewing process, blending in with the taste of the beef.


    It was just like a flower bud, needing green leaves to set off its beauty.


    These distinct vors formed differentyers that belonged to the dish, and thisyering further highlighted the umami of the beef itself.


    At this moment, this umami was transferred from Qin Lang¡¯s hands to Lei Ke¡¯s gustatory senses.


    Crafting a delectable dish that embodied their values and then delivering it to the taste buds of their food guests; this was the bond between a chef and their guests.


    The first Spirit Chef who came out also used beef tenderloin and made a dish called Lotus Bag Tenderloin.


    Because he had the Food Skill: Ingredient Sublimation, the beef tenderloin he cooked was unimaginably tender.


    But at that moment, Lei Ke was astonished to find that without the Food Skill, Qin Lang, relying solely on his techniques, managed to achieve simr results, and even slightly exceeded it.


    His cooking skills and unique culinary artistry triumphed over the enhancement provided by the Food Skill.


    It appeared that hispetitor was far more formidable than he had imagined.


    He silently savored his food until there was no more of the small portion of Eighteen-Second Beef left on his te, before a hint of regret appeared on his face.


    ¡°The culinary demonstration segment is over!¡±


    Fu Hang burst outughing and returned to the stage.


    His gaze swept over every Spirit Chef who had taken the stage, lingering for a slightly longer time on Qin Lang and Lei Ke.


    The performance of these Spirit Chefs also greatly benefited Fu Hang. After the end of this beef tasting banquet, he would probably need to enter closed-door training for a while to fully absorb all the culinary knowledge he had learned.


    But for now¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m very pleased to have seen a total of twenty-three excellent Spirit Chefs showcase their individual understanding of beef.¡±


    ¡°And the dishes they cooked have already found their way into your stomachs.¡± Fu Hang¡¯s smile widened as he said this.


    The other banquet guests also broke into smiles at this.


    Qin Lang was not thest contestant to cook. After him, several other contestants also took the stage in turn.


    With over twenty different dishes plus the ones Fu Hang cooked at the beginning, even though each dish was small in portion, everyone was now full.


    ¡°I believe that after tasting these dishes, everyone has their own answer to which dish is the best of the banquet.¡±


    Fu Hang paused slightly and pped his hands.


    Soon, an assistant brought a voting box and handed out paper and pens to each guest.


    ¡°Anonymous voting, write down the name of the Spirit Chef you choose and then drop it into the box.¡± Fu Hangughed, ¡°We will count the votes after. The one with the most votes will be today¡¯s winner, and they get to take the cow home, simple rules, right?¡±


    Seeing the same smiles and anticipation on everyone¡¯s faces, he pped his hands again, ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡±


    The venue quickly quieted down, with only low murmurs of discussion and the faint sound of writing.


    Looking at the nk piece of paper in his hand, Lei Ke gripped his pen tighter.


    Acknowledging the strength of a rival is also part of progress and practice.


    He told himself this in his heart and then without hesitation, wrote down Qin Lang¡¯s name.


    After finishing, he took a deep breath, folded the paper in half, quickly walked up to the voting box, and dropped in his choice.


    On the other side, the Spirit Chef Wang Yi, who had spoken with Qin Lang before the banquet started, was now struggling with his decision.


    He too had taken the stage during the culinary presentation segment, and had prepared a dish that reflected his full understanding of beef.


    His dish received manypliments, and Wang Yi also believed it to be one of his best performances.


    However, objectively speaking, his dish was not the standout among all the dishes presented.


    Whether it was Lei Ke¡¯s Roaring me Beef, Qin Lang¡¯s Eighteen-Second Beef, or dishes made by other Spirit Chefs¡­


    So, who should he give his vote to?


    Wang Yi appeared contemtive, but after a moment, his expression turned determined.


    He had made his decision.


    Wang Yi wrote down his own name on the paper, folded it, and walked towards the voting box.


    He was well aware that even with his vote, it would be hard for him to be the winner of the banquet.


    But¡­


    In his view, the most important thing in the journey of being a Spirit Chef was self ¨C acknowledgment.


    In his heart, his best performance today was the most excellent.


    Wang Yi muttered to himself, then cast his vote into the box.


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 Chapter 118 - 118: Voting

    Chapter 118: Voting


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s vote for Brother Qin Lang!¡±


    Nearby, Su Zhi tugged at Song Hui¡¯s skirt.


    As a family member apanying Song Hui, Su Zhi didn¡¯t have the right to vote.


    Looking down at her daughter standing beside her, Song Hui¡¯s face broke into a gentle smile.


    This was not a cookingpetition, and she was not sitting in the judges¡¯ seats as a Food Rmender, bound to maintain neutrality. Instead, she was simply a guest invited to the Gourmet Tasting Banquet.


    So, for this one time, she could afford to bend the rules a little with her vote.


    She gently tousled her daughter¡¯s hair and handed over the paper and pen to Su Zhi. ¡°You can write down the name and cast this vote.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Su Zhi¡¯s eyes sparkled as a radiant smile graced her face.


    She quickly wrote down Qin Lang¡¯s name on the paper and excitedly jogged towards the ballot box.


    Her excitement came not only from casting her vote for her favorite Qin Lang, but also from experiencing the profound sense of duty associated with her first vote as a Food Rmender.


    Gazing at Su Zhi¡¯s retreating figure headed towards the ballot box, Song Hui folded her arms and a joyous smile spread across her face.


    Interacting with her daughter like this was truly something special.


    A short whileter, ail the guests were done voting.


    The counting of the votes was up next.


    An assistant brought out a whiteboard. Every time a vote was announced, a tally was made alongside the corresponding Spirit Chef¡¯s name.


    ¡°Ye Qing, one vote!¡±


    ¡°Lei Ke, one vote!¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, one vote!¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, one vote!¡±


    H H


    A few minutester, with the extraction of thest ballot, the counting of votes ended.


    All eyes focused on the whiteboard.


    The person with the highest number of votes was¡­


    Qin Lang!


    He had received a whopping 42 votes.


    Next to him was Lei Ke with 36 votes, followed by the other Spirit Chefs.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    We won!


    With a cheer, Dan Bao rushed into Qin Lang¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Epic!¡±


    An entire cow!


    Spicy¡¯s eyes were fully lit, and the thought of savouring so much meat made it drooling with anticipation!


    Holding the little duo, Qin Lang broke into a smile.


    It seemed like for the foreseeable future they wouldn¡¯t need to worry about running out of meat.


    ¡°Eighteen-Second Beef is an excellent dish.¡±


    Looking at Qin Lang in front of him, Lei Ke articted earnestly.


    ¡°Once again, you have won.¡±


    ¡°But 1 won¡¯t stop here. We will definitely face off again.¡±


    ¡°I, too, am looking forward to our next match.¡± Qin Lang agreed with a nod, and then asked, ¡°So, you are leaving Dongxia City next?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lei Ke nodded calmly. ¡°With the conclusion of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition and Beef Tasting Banquet at Zhen Niu Pavilion, my visit to Dongxia Cityes to an end.¡±


    Then, his tone shifted.


    ¡°However, 1 didn¡¯t aplish everything I set out for during this trip, so I might return here in the future to make up for what I¡¯ve missed.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    The regret he was referring to was getting the Distant Light Badge. After all, Qin Lang had overheard bits of Lei Ke¡¯s conversation with Mr. Li Yuantu when the badges were being presented.


    ¡°I left Danju City after became the champion of the city¡¯s cooking contest. It has been half a year now,¡± Lei Ke initiated the conversation,¡± Your Twice-Cooked Pork made me homesick.¡±


    A look of longing came over the face of the young man. ¡°Next, I¡¯ll probably go home for a visit, and then continue my challenge.¡±


    ¡°For the Provincial-level Cooking Competition in five months¡¯ time?¡± Qin Lang had a hunch.


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Anticipation gleamed in Lei Ke¡¯s eyes. ¡°A new city champion is born every three months. And there are twelve cities in Tianhua State alone. Therefore, on arger scale, the honor of being a city champion is not as high as one might think.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a starting point.¡±


    ¡°Each and every Spirit Chef on the path of cooking starts as a city champion, and gradually climbs to higher honors.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in agreement.


    From his interactions with the Spirit Chefs from other cities and his understanding of the Food Spirit World during this period, Qin Lang knew that very few city champions would stay in their city for long. For higher-levelpetitions and stronger culinary skills, they would embark on their own journey.


    To other cities in their own state, to other states, or even¡­


    Leaving Samiya region to embrace new challenges in other areas.


    The same applies to the training path.


    ¡°In the remaining five months, 1 am confident I can receive the remaining four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges.¡± Lei Ke spoke calmly.


    His words had no trace of arrogance.


    This was his conclusion, borne out of aprehensive understanding of his own abilities.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll definitely participate in the next Provincial-level Cooking Competition.¡±


    Lei Ke looked at Qin Lang. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Unless something unforeseen happens, our next face-off will be then,¡± Qin Lang responded confidently.


    ¡°I am looking forward to it!¡± Receiving Qin Lang¡¯s straightforward answer spurred a spirited gleam in Lei Ke¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So am I.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Lei Keughed, and after taking a few steps away, he waved at Qin Lang, ¡°See you at the Bai Lu Mountain Arena in five months!¡±


    Bai Lu Mountain Arena, located in Bai Lu Mountain City of Tianhua State, is the highest mountain in Tianhua State, Bai Lu Mountain.


    Located at the peak of Bai Lu Mountain, Bai Lu Mountain Arena is not only the venue for Bai Lu Mountain City¡¯s city-levelpetitions but also the venue for the provincialpetitions of Tianhua State.


    ¡°See you at Bai Lu Mountain Arena.¡± Qin Lang waved back.


    Watching Lei Ke exit, Qin Lang turned to Dan Bao and Spicy, who were also filled with anticipation for the provincialpetition due to his conversation with Lei Ke.


    ¡°The banquet has ended. It¡¯s time to go home.¡±


    After saying this, he nced at Zhen Niu Pavilion in the distance.


    As the most outstanding guest in the Beef Tasting Banquet cooking demonstration, Qin Lang was given the cow promised by Fu Hang.


    However, this didn¡¯t mean he had to lead the cow home himself.


    Fu Hang gave him two options.


    The first was to take it home himself and manage its storage.


    The second was to let Fu Hang assist with the butchering and freezing; he could collect the meat from Zhen Niu Pavilion when needed or contact Fu Hang for delivery if he was out of town.


    The first method was more suitable for Spirit Chefs who had storage facilities, so without hesitation, Qin Lang chose the second option.


    The cow was butchered and divided into different parts under his watchful eye, then stored in a dedicated area of the cold storage. He only took five pounds of beef brisket for the time being, delivered directly to his home by Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    The rest could be dealt withter.


    Dan Bao and Spicy bobbed their heads in agreement, both their faces alight with eager anticipation.


    By the time they would reach home, the five pounds of beef brisket should be there.


    One could only wonder what kind of delicious food Qin Lang would conjure up using beef brisket tonight?


    ¡°Tonight we¡¯ll have Red Braised Beef Brisket.¡±


    Hearing the new dish¡¯s name, the little ones¡¯ anticipation grew even greater.


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 Chapter 119 - 119: Trial

    Chapter 119: Trial


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°We¡¯re home!¡±


    After several hours of switching between buses and subways, the trio, one human and two spirits, finally returned home.


    Cheering, Qin Lang, cradling the five pounds of recently delivered beef brisket, made a beeline for the kitchen.


    Anticipation filled his eyes.


    At the Beef Tasting Banquet, while tasting the beef brisket, Qin Lang had found that the tenderness of the mixed breed cow¡¯s brisket was even better than he had imagined.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that Eighteen-Second Beef wasn¡¯t suitable for brisket, he¡¯d have loved to try cooking with this new breed¡¯s brisket right then and there.


    But it was not toote now.


    With that thought, Qin Lang was quite eager to start.


    He cut about two pounds of the beef brisket, put the remaining portion in the fridge.


    ¡°Alright, time for us to get busy.¡±


    Qin Lang skilfully cut the beef brisket into chunks and put them in cold water to be parboiled.


    Dan Bao and Spicy looked at each other, quickly flew to the chopping board, and started helping Qin Lang with the cooking.


    While Qin Lang and the two little ones were bustling around, a basement door that had been closed for a week was opening in a pricey mansion in Dongxia City.


    A young man with a headscarf walked out from the suffocatingly dusty door.


    Faint scars marred his face. His clothes, unwashed for a week, were dirty and old, and his body exuded an odd smell, a mix of sweat and filth.


    His current appearance wasn¡¯t particrly good to say the least.


    But the brightness in the young man¡¯s eyes was as bright as a zing torch.


    Next to him was a round Food Spirit with white curly fur and two curled horns on its head. The condition of the Food Spirit wasn¡¯t much better than that of its Spirit Chef.


    Aside from the filth and dishevelment, the star that was noticeably brighter than before echoed the bright eyes of the young man.


    ¡°Young Master Zhao Chen! Have you made it through?¡± An elderly butler in his uniform quickly made his way over, a look of surprise on his face.


    Ignoring the boy¡¯s dirt, he swiftly brought him near to examine him closely, then heaved a huge sigh of relief, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the date today?¡± Zhao Chen quickly asked.


    ¡°July 4th,¡± the butler promptly responded.


    The 4th of July, huh¡­


    Zhao Chen quickly calcted in his heart and breathed a sigh of relief.


    d he made it out in time, he hadn¡¯t missed that important event.


    Then, as if he remembered something, he pulled out a stone with a special marking from his pocket and held it up high.


    ¡°I¡¯vepleted the toughest trial of the training master!¡±


    The old butler¡¯s face looked a bit strange.


    In some Spirit Chef families, there were ways to elerate the growth of their Food Spirits.


    These methods were not about promoting growth, but rather about enduring multiple increased hardships. Therefore, these methods were also referred to as trials.


    In essence, they were extremely difficult special training.


    Zhao Chen¡¯s family, the Zhao family, also had one such method.


    Zhao Chen had been in closed-door training in the basement for seven days, in order toplete this trial in one fell swoop.


    Although it was impressive that he could endure andplete it, this trial was far from being ¡°the toughest trial of the training master¡±.


    Leave it be.


    The old butler was very familiar with his young master¡¯s character, he yed along and replied, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, young master.¡±


    As a result, Zhao Chen looked even prouder.


    That day, when he saw Qin Lang win thepetition with his Wen Si Tofu and acquire his second Starstone, he felt a sense of urgency.


    Unable to catch up with Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills, if he continued like this, he would certainly be left far behind by the person he considered his arch-rival.


    Therefore, Zhao Chen made up his mind to take the special trial in his family ahead of time.


    The trial was originally designed for a two-star Food Spirit, and given his circumstances, it was extremely difficult for him toplete.


    Over the past week, Zhao Chen had reached his limits several times and considered giving up.


    But each time, when he thought of Qin Lang, his determination renewed his strength to carry on.


    With the help of the trial, Yangyang¡¯s abilities also improved substantially.


    Zhao Chen looked at the star beside Yangyang.


    Its brightness was even greater than that of Dan Bao after hepletely absorbed the second piece of Starstone.


    At the thought, a measure of anticipation stirred in Zhao Chen¡¯s heart.


    It was time for another match with Qin Lang!


    Watching a determined Zhao Chen about to head out the door, the old butler blinked his eyes.


    ¡°Young Master, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fight my sworn enemy!¡±


    ¡°But are you really going to go dressed in that outfit?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the kitchen has been instructed to prepare your favorite dishes¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll rest for a night and then fight my enemy with peak condition. It¡¯s a form of respect for him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, see you tomorrow.¡±


    Qin Lang put down the phone with a peculiar expression.


    Finally, Zhao Chen, who had been missing for a week, reappeared.


    But food was still more important.


    Watching the two enjoying their red braised beef brisket, Qin Lang smiled and put a piece in his mouth.


    The tender and soft beef brisket exploded with vor in his mouth, the gushing meat juice overflowing with deliciousness, the wonderful concert ying in between his teeth, bringing pleasure from his taste buds to his mind.


    No doubt, this new breed of cattle was personally cultivated by Mr. Fu Hang.


    After enjoying the upgraded version of the superb mixed breed beef brisket with the two little spirits, Qin Lang cleaned up the dishes and returned to the bedroom with Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Participating in the Zhen Niu Pavilion¡¯s Beef Tasting Banquet and emerging as the winner to receive a whole cow as a prize was certainly a joyous asion, but it was also tiring as the journey was quite long.


    After briefly interacting and chatting, a person and two spirits fell asleep.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.


    The meeting ce agreed upon with Zhao Chen was still the za in front of the Shi Qi Commercial Building where they had previously held the funpetition.


    Qin Lang initially thought that Zhao Chen merely wanted to engage in a Spirit Battle, but upon arrival, he discovered that Du Weiwei and Qi Xiaoyu were also on the invitation list.


    Waving at the three, Qin Lang quickly covered the distance through the crowd.


    At this moment, Zhao Chen, who was brimming with confidence on the phone the day before, was staring very seriously at Qin Lang, with his hands folded and the two Food Spirits following closely behind him.


    After making arrangements with Qin Lang on the phone the previous night, Zhao Chen immediately dialed the two girls. Only then did he find out that during the seven days he was in closed-door training, Qin Lang¡¯s strength had once again taken a quantum leap.


    And now that he was witnessing it with his own eyes, he could confirm it.


    ¡°Are you ready for the Spirit Battle?¡± Qin Lang looked at Yangyang, who was beside Zhao Chen, whose star brightness had increased but was still quite a distance away from two stars, and asked.


    ¡°1 think we could dy our match a bit,¡± Zhao Chen took a deep breath, swiftly changing his decision, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until my Food Spirit reaches Two Stars to have the Spirit Battle!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang nodded with a broad smile.


    It seemed that for quite a long time toe, Zhao Chen would not actively challenge him again.


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    easter egg content:


    [Red Braised Beef Brisket]

 Chapter 120 - 120: Watching the Match

    Chapter 120: Watching the Match


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu, who was standing to the side, couldn¡¯t help butugh at Zhao Chen¡¯s refusal to fight back.


    ¡°Qin Lang, you wouldn¡¯t know! Zhao Chen was bragging on the phone to mest night about how he was going to defeat you!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was now¡­¡± Zhao Chen felt a bit self-conscious after hearing Qi Xiaoyu say this, his voice getting quieter.


    ¡°Pffft-¡°¡®, Du WeiWei on the side also couldn¡¯t help but startughing, ¡°If we¡¯re not having a Spirit Battle, why don¡¯t we go around the shopping mall? There¡¯s a new drink shop there. My treat!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Qi Xiaoyu let out a dramatic gasp. ¡°WeiWei, you¡¯re being generous! Any good news?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not usually stingy!¡± Du WeiWei lightly pinched Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s waist and spoke with a beaming smile, ¡°But you¡¯re right, there is something exciting.¡±


    ¡°What good news?¡± Qin Lang and Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but look at her curiously.


    Not answering directly, Du WeiWei allowed her Tianxuan Star Vein to flicker with a glint of a smile, and the next moment a new Food Spirit formed next to Little Glutinous Rice.


    It was a Food Spirit whose body had a green color akin to jade, with a transparency that made it look fresh and moist. Its whole body was spherical, but it looked more like a cabbage, its wide leaves epassing the lower part of its body with only its smooth head visible.


    ¡°Its name is Little Jadeite.¡±


    Second Food Spirit!


    Understanding dawned on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    He had heard that Du WeiWei had been striving for a long time for the birth of this Spirit. It seemed that she had finally seeded.


    ¡°Congrattions!¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°This makes me want to work harder and get a second Food Spirit as soon as possible.¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s face showed a bit of envy as he looked at Little Jadeite and Spicy.


    ¡°WeiWei, how could you not tell me about such good news!¡± Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes sparkled as she rushed forward to interact with Little Jadeite, ¡°Hello, this is my Xiu Xiu-¡±


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    Xiu Xiu quickly went forward and greeted Little Jadeite.


    As they were best friends, the two Food Spirits were already very familiar with each other.


    Upon seeing this, Dan Bao and Spicy shared a nce before joining them.


    They even roped in Yangyang who was standing at the side.


    Watching the six Food Spirits gathered together whispering in harmony, smiles also appeared on the four people¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, into the shopping mall.¡± Qi Xiaoyu urged as she pulled Du WeiWei inside, ¡°We can¡¯t waste the opportunity of WeiWei treating us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qin Lang nodded and followed Du WeiWei and Qi Xiaoyu.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± Zhao Chen quickly followed after, ¡°I still have one more important thing to tell!¡±


    Distracted by Du WeiWei¡¯s diversion, he had almost forgotten. His reason for asking the three out this time was not just to have a fight with Qin Lang.


    ¡°We can talk about it over drinks!¡±


    ¡°Okay, you can say it now.¡±


    The scene of six Food Spirits enjoying drinks and snacks together in the drink shop of the mall brought a lot of attention, and the three people sitting next to them all focused their eyes on Zhao Chen.


    ¡°What important thing? Is it another funpetition somewhere?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Thest time Zhao Chen spoke of something important, it was a funpetition.


    If it was the same thing this time, he, who currently didn¡¯t have any ns, might just participate.


    ¡°No, no, no- This important event is much bigger than a funpetition.¡± After a sip of his mixed juice in front of him, Zhao Chen¡¯s face showed a mysterious smile, ¡°At the same time when the Dongxia City Cooking Competition was held, anotherpetition that attracts more attention was also taking ce in Tianhua State.¡±


    A more attention-grabbingpetition?


    Hearing this, Qin Lang and Qi Xiaoyu showed a look of confusion, while Du WeiWei seemed to be thinking, as if she had guessed something.


    Without letting everyone ponder too long, Zhao Chen quickly revealed the answer, ¡°Thispetition, is the Provincial Training Competition of Tianhua State!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, considering the time, the annual Provincial Training Competition should have started a while ago.¡± Du WeiWei nodded.


    Only then did Qin Lang understand what Zhao Chen was talking about.


    The Provincial Training Competition, not the Youth Training Competition.


    This Spirit Battlepetition for Spiritual Chefs of all ages was still quite far away from Qin Lang, so he hadn¡¯t paid it any attention.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Qi Xiaoyu yawned, ¡°Not to mention thepetition has started and we can¡¯t sign up. Even if we could, we wouldn¡¯t qualify to sign up, right?¡±


    That¡¯s a high-levelpetition for which you need to have five second-level Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badges to enroll.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Zhao Chen shook his head, ¡°Of course not to sign up for thepetition.¡±


    ¡°For trainers to grow and improve, just having Spirit Battles in istion is definitely not enough!¡± He raised his voice a bit, ¡°Watching actual strong warriors fight can also be very helpful to us!¡±


    He took out four tickets from his pocket and ced them on the table, ¡°The day after tomorrow is the final championship game of the Tianhua State Training Competition, these are four tickets 1 bought in advance for the event!¡±


    ¡°Bai Lu Mountain City isn¡¯t far from Dongxia City, just a few hours by train.¡± Zhao Chen crossed his arms, ¡°If you guys want to go, we can buy the tickets together.¡±


    ¡°What do you say?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go to Bai Lu Mountain City with us and witness the grandeur of the Provincial Training Competition?¡±


    Listening to Zhao Chen¡¯s words, thoughts seemed to be racing through Qin Lang and the other two¡¯s minds.


    ¡°Thispetition invites many Spiritual Chefs from the training path. We can exchange and learn from them, and the trip will definitely be worthwhile!¡± ¡°True warriors are born through battle!¡±


    At this point, a fighting spirit burned in Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Recognizing the gap between him and Qin Lang, he wasn¡¯t discouraged, but instead, he was even more determined to catch up with Qin Lang, whom he saw as his rival.


    This trip to Bai Lu Mountain City would be a great opportunity.


    ¡°I want to go and watch!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu was the first to make a decision.


    She had always been fond of lively events. Thinking of all the Spiritual Chefs gathering in Bai Lu Mountain City, she couldn¡¯t help but feel the anticipation.


    ¡°If Xiaoyu is going, then I will go too.¡±


    Having said that, Du WeiWei took a sip of her drink, and made her decision.


    Having justpleted the synthesis of her second food spirit, she needed a lot of battles to improve.


    At this time, Bai Lu Mountain City with its many Spiritual Chefs was indeed a good choice.


    Another reason was that Zhao Chen¡¯s words had hit a chord.


    Indeed, progress on the training path can¡¯t be achieved in istion.


    Little Glutinous Rice¡¯sbined battle skills were inspired by watching many formidable Food Spirits inbat.


    And to be a Spiritual chef in the Provincial Competition, you had to be extremely strong.


    Watching their battles would also be a form of practice for Du WeiWei.


    Seeing the agreement of the two girls, Zhao Chen¡¯s face showed more anticipation, and his gaze turned to Qin Lang.


    ¡°Qin Lang, will youe to Bai Lu Mountain City with us?¡±


    Both girls¡¯ gazes also turned to Qin Lang at the same time.


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 Chapter 121 - 121: White Deer

    Chapter 121: White Deer


    Trantor: 549690339


    Qin Lang took a sip of the beverage in front of him, losing himself in the taste whilst being deep in thought.


    If the finals of the provincial-level cookingpetition were taking ce in Bai Lu Mountain City right now, he would definitely want to go check it out, but as for the provincial trainingpetition¡­


    Honestly, Qin Lang wasn¡¯t that intrigued.


    But he couldn¡¯t help but recall the guide full of information from all over the ce that Uncle Luo Hui gave him a few days ago.


    Bai Lu Mountain, the highest peak in Tianhua State.


    Because of this, it was chosen as the venue for the provincial-level events.


    Bai Lu Mountain City is a city located on the base and halfway up the Bai Lu Mountain. Due to its location, the people of Bai Lu Mountain City are more transient than other cities, fostering a unique culture and cuisine.


    When he read about Bai Lu Mountain City in the guide, Qin Lang was seized by an urge to visit.


    And now, it seemed like he had an opportunity.


    Lost in thought, Qin Lang unconsciously turned his gaze to Dan Bao and Spicy who were by his side.


    ¡°Chip chop!¡±


    Let¡¯s go!


    Noticing Qin Lang¡¯s gaze, Spicy responded with expectant eyes.


    It had enjoyed the feeling of the Food Spirit Battle from the previous fight, and was naturally very interested upon hearing about stronger Food Spirits taking part in the Spirit Battle.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    Let¡¯s go together!


    Dan Bao¡¯s focus was slightly different from Spicy¡¯s.


    While it was looking at the guide with Qin Lang, it had heard him mention that Bai Lu Mountain City had a lot of local food that it had not tasted yet.


    It wanted to give them a try.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Seeing that both Food Spirits wanted to go, Qin Lang made a decision.


    ¡°When should we buy the train tickets?¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Qi Xiaoyu cheered, ¡°The four of us will go together!¡±


    ¡°Leave the ticket buying to me.¡± Du Weiwei waved her mobile with a warm smile, ¡°It¡¯s a bit rushed if we leave today, so we can get train tickets for tomorrow. We¡¯ll perfectly reach the finals the day after arrival.¡±


    The arrangement was approved by the others, and after a few lines of conversation and confirming their itinerary for the next day, the group who had bought the train tickets parted ways.


    There were many things they needed to do tonight.


    Like saying goodbye to friends and family before setting off, and packing their luggage.


    The next day.


    ¡°Qin Lang! Over here!¡±


    Seeing Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s figure waving enthusiastically at him, Qin Lang elerated his steps towards her with a luggage and two Food Spirits.


    Due to the excitement from the uing trip, the three of them were unable to fall asleep until verytest night after packing their bags.


    As a result, Qin Lang still had slight dark circles under his eyes.


    ¡°Where are Zhao Chen and Du Weiwei?¡± Approaching Qi Xiaoyu who was waiting alone at the designated meeting point, Qin Lang opened the conversation.


    ¡°They should be arriving soon, right?¡± Qi Xiaoyu scanned around her, quickly spotting a familiar figure, ¡°Ah! They¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°Weiwei! Over here!¡±


    No long after Du Weiwei arrived, Zhao Chen reached the train station too.


    The train set off in the afternoon. After fixing lunch locally, the quartet quickly got on the crowded train past the ticket checkpoint.


    ¡°Have you guys noticed, there¡¯s an unusually high number of people on this train?¡± Sitting on the train, Qi Xiaoyu murmured after observing her surroundings, ¡°They even sold a lot of standing-only tickets!¡±


    ¡°Good thing we bought our tickets in time.¡± Du Weiwei, who had also made the same observation, felt a sense of relief, ¡°Standing for hours is definitely not a pleasant experience.¡±


    Qin Lang and Zhao Chen nodded in agreement. Thetter chuckled, ¡°This train goes directly to Bai Lu Mountain City. So, everyone on it has the same destination as us.¡±


    ¡°There really are a lot of people.¡± Looking around, Qin Lang felt that the level of crowding on the train couldpete with that of the Lunar New Year rush in his previous life.


    If there were so many passengers on just this one train, he could only imagine how bustling Bai Lu Mountain City, their destination, would be.


    ¡°Woo¡ª ¡±


    The sound of the train¡¯s whistle echoed in the distance. The train trembled as it slowly started its journey.


    With idle conversations and anticipation amongst the four, the train sped through fields and forests, crossing rivers andkes, and finally approaching their destination after several hours.


    A massive mountaintop piercing into the clouds appeared before the eyes of Qin Lang and the others, growing progressivelyrger in their field of view.


    The peak and arge section of the mountain was covered in white snow, with greenery and scattered houses starting to appear further down.


    The lower they got, the more houses could be seen. At the foot of the mountain, it had already evolved into a bustling city.


    With the train entering the station, they saw a huge banner weing them to Bai Lu Mountain City.


    They had arrived at Bai Lu Mountain City.


    ¡°Phew! Finally here.¡±


    Stepping out of the train station, Qi Xiaoyu breathed in the fresh air and stretchedzily, ¡°I¡¯m starving!¡±


    After sitting for several hours, it was already time for dinner.


    ¡°Once we¡¯ve dropped our luggage at the hotel we booked, we¡¯ll go have dinner together.¡± Du Weiwei held onto Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s hand, proposing with a warm smile.


    ¡°Bai Lu Mountain City, I¡¯m here!¡± A proud cry made the two girls instinctively distance themselves from the turban-wearing boy next to them.


    On the other side, Qin Lang slowly put down his phone.


    The phone now held a few beautiful pictures of golden-red sunset over the snow-capped mountains.


    ¡°Stop hollering, let¡¯s head to the hotel!¡± He patted Zhao Chen who was next to him, dragging his luggage to quickly catch up with the two girls.


    ¡°Wow, this hotel is really nice!¡± The foursome reunited in the hotel after leaving their luggage. Qi Xiaoyu chatted cheerfully, ¡°It¡¯s both value-for-money and good. Qin Lang, you must have searched for this hotel for a while!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a rmendation from a senior.¡±


    Zhao Chen was responsible for buying event tickets, Du Weiwei was in charge of the train tickets, so he voluntarily took on the task of booking a hotel.


    With Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s guide, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find a suitable hotel.


    The hotel was quaintly decorated and veryfortable to stay in.


    Most importantly, it was located at the foot of Bai Lu Mountain.


    A few hundred meters away was the cable car that went straight up to the mountaintop, and there was amercial district nearby too.


    Upon Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s insistence, she and Du Weiwei stayed in a twin room, while Qin Lang and Zhao Chen stayed in two single rooms.


    ¡°There is a street nearby known for its unique local food. They say the street is full of various food stalls.¡± Qin Lang, who had done his homework, saw the trio¡¯s eyes light up, ¡°How about we have our dinner there tonight?¡±


    ¡°Race you there!¡± Qi Xiaoyu was the first to respond, pulling Du Weiwei towards the hotel entrance.


    Without a word, Zhao Chen quickly followed their steps.


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 Chapter 122 - 122: Mountain Summit

    Chapter 122: Mountain Summit


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll take two of these.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Just a moment!¡±


    The tall stall ownerughed heartily and briskly started preparing the food in his hands.


    Qin Lang quietly watched the stall owner ce a ball of dough in a t frying pan coated with thin oil, then quickly tten it into a pancake shape and stuff it with filling and sauce.


    A few minutester, a golden brown pancake was ready, cut into small pieces by the stall owner with a spat, wrapped in paper, and handed to Qin Lang.


    Then, the stall owner immediately started making the second one.


    This delicacy, known as ¡°Fragrance Cake¡±, has simple cooking steps that need no concealment. However, Qin Lang could guess from the rich andplex aroma emanating from the paper bag that the added sauce must be the stall owner¡¯s secret recipe.


    After skewering two pieces of Fragrance Cake from the bag with a wooden stick and feeding them to the two drooling little ones beside him, Qin Lang smiled and did the same for himself.


    The baking soda added to the dough gives the Fragrance Cake a loose and soft structure. The heat-induced dposition of baking soda adds a slight alkaline taste to the cake, which not only does not diminish its vor, but even enhances it.


    Theplex fillings and sauces in the pancake fully blend with the dough as you chew, creating a constantly changing sensation due to the salivary amse breaking down the starch.


    It¡¯s indeed a not-to-be-underestimated delicacy.


    Looking at the Food Spirit dancing next to the uncle, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Uncle, is the Origin Cuisine of your Food Spirit Fragrance Cake?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± The uncle roared withughter, ¡°1¡¯11 let you in on a little secret: every stall owner on this food street, their Food Spirit¡¯s Origin Cuisine is their best dish!¡±


    Watching the uncle call each piece of information a ¡°secret¡±, but not lowering his voice at all, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    It was indeed interesting.


    ¡°Qin Lang, look what delicious food I found!¡±


    Having queued for a while at another stall, Qi Xiaoyu finally bought another type of delicacy. She happily walked over with Du Weiwei, bought another Fragrance Cake from the stall owner, and then handed over an extra portion of the delicacy she bought to Qin Lang.


    Along the way, they were all sharing the delicious food they discovered like this.


    ¡°This one 1 found is also good, have a try!¡±


    Not long after, Zhao Chen also returned with another delicacy that he was particrly fond of.


    Thus, the four of them walked deeper into the food street while chatting andughing.


    This was bound to be an interesting food journey.


    ¡°Ah- I¡¯m so full!¡±


    Touching his round belly, a few traces of satisfaction appeared on Zhao Chen¡¯s face.


    Hiszy Food Spirit, Yangyang,nded and settled on his shoulder, nodding with its delicate curved horns in agreement.


    Not far away, the three others and the five Food Spirits were in no better shape.


    It¡¯s only normal to feel like this after wandering down a food-filled street.


    ¡°I checked the map and we¡¯ve only covered a third of this food street.¡± Du Weiwei looked at the yet-to-be-reached part of the food street, her face filled with expectation, ¡°It seems like for the rest of the time, we don¡¯t have to worry about what to eat.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can walk back to the hotel after we¡¯re full, consider it a walk.¡± Qin Lang smiled and turned to look at Zhao Chen, ¡°By the way, when does the finalpetition start tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Two in the afternoon!¡±


    Being reminded of this, Zhao Chen immediately perked up.


    ¡°The finals are divided into four rounds. The first round decides the seventh and eighth-ce winners, the second round decides the fifth and sixth, the third round decides the third and fourth, and thenes the much-anticipated championship battle. The tickets for these four rounds are sold separately.¡±


    ¡°Which round did you buy tickets for?¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s thest championship battle!¡± Without any hesitation, Zhao Chen stated, ¡°The other rounds can simply be watched on rey after thepetition. Only the championship battle is a must-see!¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, this is the hardest match for which to buy tickets, and 1 was able to act quickly and bought tickets before the trials started!¡±


    Upon saying this, Zhao Chen revealed an expression that said, ¡°Praise me¡±.


    ¡°The Championship match of the Provincial Training Competition, huh¡­¡±


    An anticipation started to show on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    He was indeed curious about the strength of the powerful Spirit Chefs.


    Time flew, and soon it was the next day.


    The four set off early, took the cable car directly to the top of Bai Lu Mountain, heading in the direction of the summit.


    As the city quickly retreated below them, they were reced by lush forests, and various animals could be faintly seen moving in the forest.


    As the cable car continued to ascend, the forest began to evolve into hardier scrubs, snowfields and forests began to blend, and the silhouettes of elven-like white deer could asionally be glimpsed darting among the merged scenery.


    That¡¯s how Bai Lu Mountain got its name.


    Here, white deer are viewed as spirits of the snowy mountains.


    Continuing upwards, when the traces of the white deer could no longer be seen, they saw an enormous structure that took up more than half of the mountaintop.


    It, like a ship at full sail, was reflecting the cold light of its exterior wall under the unprotected sunlight.


    They had arrived at Bai Lu Mountain Arena, the only venue for provincialpetition in Tianhua State.


    The cable car had its advantages and disadvantages.


    The advantage was naturally to enjoy the scenery of Bai Lu Mountain, while the disadvantage was its slow speed.


    Even though they set off early, it was around noon when Qin Lang and his friends arrived at the Bai Lu Mountain Arena, not long before entrance time.


    Detail-oriented Du Weiwei had anticipated this and prepared food for them to have lunch. After eating, they quickly found their seats.


    Thanks to Zhao Chen, they not only had tickets but also ideal viewing positions.


    ¡°Wow! Will the contestants bepeting right there?¡± Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at arge area in the center of the field, ¡°This is muchrger than the Dongxia Arena.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this hugepetition space is prepared only for the battle of two Spirit Chefs.¡± Zhao Chen nodded, a look of anticipation on his face, ¡°One day, 1 will also stand on such a field, or even arger one!¡±


    Although Du Weiwei didn¡¯t say anything, her eyes revealed a simr ambition to Zhao Chen.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    I also want topete on such a field!


    With glowing eyes, Spicy showed an eager expression.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Lang rubbed its head, his expression calm.


    By collecting five second-level Food Rmender Badges from this province, he would be eligible to participate in the Provincial Cooking Competition.


    Don¡¯t forget, the cookingpetitions were also held here.


    As time passed, more and more audience members began to fill the seats.


    Unlike Qin Lang and his friends, who came to watch the match unprepared, among these spectators, signs and other conspicuous items bearing the names ¡°Zhou Tianhao¡± or ¡°Zhang Sheng¡± could be seen everywhere.


    These were the two contestants who were about topete for the title and runner-up positions.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 123 - 123: Finals

    Chapter 123: Finals


    Trantor: 549690339


    Noticing this, Qi Xiaoyu grinned at the other three. ¡°So who do you think will win?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I think Zhang Sheng¡¯s chances are better!¡± Zhao Chen answered without hesitation. ¡°Of his four Food Spirits, three have already reached five-star rank and are not far away from activating the fifth Star Vein, while Zhou Tianhao only has two five-star Food Spirits.¡±


    Having paid attention to the entire provincialpetition, it was not difficult for him to have a clear picture of the situation of these two yers.


    ¡°I have a different opinion.¡± Du Weiwei calmly analyzed, ¡°Zhou Tianhao is better at using Combined Battle Skills than Zhang Sheng. In the previous matches, he even demonstrated a Combined Battle Skill formed by three separate battle skills.¡±


    ¡°If this match is a multiple-versus-multiple style, Zhou Tianhao has a huge advantage.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken about Zhang Sheng¡¯s¡­¡±


    Watching the two Spirit Battle enthusiasts heatedly discuss who would be the champion, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyebrows.


    He had crammed real hard the night before, and was just barely able to keep up with their discussion.


    The rules of the trainingpetition were much different from those of the cookingpetition.


    For example, even though each match in the trainingpetition was much faster than a cooking contest, it had a longer schedule to give thepetitors more time to recover and prepare.


    In the trainingpetition, situations where ranking matches were held consecutively in two days as in the city-level cookingpetition would never happen.


    Besides, the lottery method for picking opponents in the trainingpetition was different from the cooking contest.


    In the trainingpetition, next round¡¯s opponent would be decided by drawing lots after the previous round had ended. As there was no need forpetitors to prepare their dishes in advance, the specificpetition subject would not be immediately decided but drawn before the match began.


    This was somewhat simr to Qin Lang¡¯s on-the-spot performance with a rare theme.


    Thest differencey in thepetition subjects.


    There were five subjects for a regr cookingpetition: Limited Ingredient Value, Limited Cuisine Theme, Warehouse Self-Selection Ingredients, Fixed Ingredient, and Limit Opponent¡¯s Ingredients.


    While in the trainingpetition, there were only three subjects: Receable Wheel War, Multibination Battle, and Full Line-up Combination Battle.


    In the Receable Wheel War, each yer would decide which of their Food Spirits to y. Each time they could only send out one spirit to fight against the opponent¡¯s spirit.


    The spirits could be reced at any time during the match as long as they had not lost theirbat power. Spirits that had been reced could also return to the field until they had lost theirbat ability.


    The special force field of the battle arena, known as ¡®Constant Strength¡¯, would prevent them from using up their power out of thin air and also couldn¡¯t recover mid-battle. The match would only end when one side¡¯sst Spirit lost itsbat power.


    Thispetition subject was also applicable to matches where the number of Food Spirits on each side was different.


    For the Multibination Battle, there would be a second drawing to decide the minimum number of Food Spirits the contestants should have. This should be a figurerger than 1 which would determine the number of Food Spirits each side should send into battle.


    For example, if one yer had five Food Spirits and the other only had four, in this subject, they would draw lots to decide whether to send 2, 3, or 4 Food Spirits into the battle simultaneously.


    The victor would be the one who was able to knock out all the Food Spirits of the other yer.


    In the Full Line-up Battle, both yers would directly dispatch all their Food Spirits at the same time to determine the winner. If the number of their Food Spirits was the same, this would be no different from getting the maximum number in the Multibination Battle.


    However, if the number of Food Spirits on each side was different, then the Full Line-up Battle would turn into a many-vs-few match, where the side with more Food Spirits would have an overwhelming advantage.


    The rules of the trainingpetition, therefore, made the number of Food Spirits a major factor in determining the victory. Because of this, the strength of thepetitors in the trainingpetition needed to be well-matched.


    In the city-level trainingpetition, the number of Food Spirits apetitor possessed should be no less than three.


    In the provincial trainingpetition, it should be no less than four.


    The restriction that only a Spirit Chef below the age of 25 could participate did not apply to the Youth Training Competition.


    Neither Du Weiwei nor Zhao Chen was able to decide who they thought would win finally.


    After all, the drawing for the subject of the match had not started. The different subjects drawn would also greatly affect the final result of the battle.


    But one thing they both agreed on was that the battle would definitely be fantastic.


    ¡°The audience seats are already packed!¡±


    The astonishment of Qi Xiaoyu interrupted their discussion.


    ¡°Ten minutes before the start of the match.¡± After looking at the time, anticipation painted on Du Weiwei¡¯s face intensified.


    Time ticked by and, within the tense and anxious atmosphere of the audience seats, those ten minutes just flew by.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Wee to the Finals of the Tianhua Province Training Competition!¡±


    Along with a sudden hearty voice echoing in the arena, the host appeared on the rising stage, catching everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s wee with the warmest apuse¨C


    Zhou Tianhao from Tianhua Province¡¯s Shanzhong City who, under our watchful eyes, has made his way step by step to the present!


    And Zhang Sheng from Yn Province, who was once the runner-up in the Yn Province Training Competition!¡±


    Amid the thundering apuse, two figures emerged from the yer Passage.


    The Finals were about to begin.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    Seeing the two contestants in the middle of the battle arena, Zhao Chen excitedly stood up from his seat.


    While Du Weiwei remained seated, unlike Zhao Chen, her clenched fists clearly showed her concentration on the match.


    In contrast, Qi Xiaoyu and Qin Lang¡¯s reactions were more like those of casual spectators.


    ¡°Do you want some?¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu handed some snacks she had prepared in advance to Qin Lang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some.¡±


    Qin Lang calmly grabbed a handful and, after feeding the eager-looking Dan Bao, used the snacks to pacify the overly excited Spicy.


    ¡°This match will be judged by the president of the Tianhua Province Royal Chef Guild, the only three-level Spirit Executor in Tianhua Province, Mr. Qu Cheng!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee him with the most enthusiastic apuse!¡±


    Three-level Spirit Executor!


    At this moment, even Qin Lang and Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but sit up straight.


    Was that Tianhua Province¡¯s only Third-level Spirit Executor Badge conferred by that man who gradually ascended on the rising stage?


    In the increasingly intense cheers and apuse, Qu Cheng slowly walked to the center of the arena. Behind him, the Star Map was interweaving in dazzling light, stars shining brilliantly.


    The Six-bright-one-dim Seven-star Map demonstrated his astonishing strength.


    Spirit Chef with six activated Star Veins!


    Even without a single Food Spirit appearing, his majestic Spiritual Power was more than enough to suppress everything in the arena.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s draw thepetition subject!¡±


    There was no need for loudspeakers. Qu Cheng¡¯s voice, with the support of his Spiritual Power, was loud enough to fill the arena.


    On the enormous screen above, the names of the three subjects were scrolling rapidly until Qu Cheng gave a low shout of ¡®Stop¡¯, and they came to an abrupt halt.


    [Multibination Battle]


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 Chapter 124 - 124 Burning Spirit

    Chapter 124: Burning Spirit


    Trantor: 549690339


    Upon seeing thepetition topic, Zhou Tianhao, sitting on one side of the venue, inadvertently revealed a hint of surprise in his eyes, while the expression on Zhang Sheng¡¯s face subtly changed on the other side.


    In a situation where his entire lineup was overwhelmingly superior to Zhou Tianhao¡¯s, thest thing he wanted was a multiple-on-multiple group battle full of unknown variables.


    ¡°Continue the draw!¡± With Qu Cheng¡¯smand, the words fixed on the big screen disappeared, reced by new words that rolled quickly.


    One could vaguely see that there were three kinds of words, representing!2], [3], and[4], respectively.


    They would determine the number of Food Spirits that the two contestants could send out in this match.


    Without giving the tension in the arena a chance to dissipacate, Qu Cheng called halt after a moment¡¯s roll.


    The final number was[3].


    This meant that both sides would choose three out of the four Food Spirits for a group battle to determine the champion.


    Zhang Sheng let out a sigh of relief.


    If they had drawn a 2, his advantage of having one more Five-Star Food Spirit than Zhou Tianhao would bepletely wiped out.


    This result was one he could ept.


    With a thought, Zhang Sheng¡¯s Tian Shu Star Vein, Tianxuan Star Vein, and Tianji Star Vein all glowed faintly and three Food Spirits slowly materialized in the convergence of the light.


    Around these three Food Spirits, five glowing stars were orbiting.


    Five-star Food Spirits!


    The moment this scene clearly appeared on the big screen, the arena immediately erupted with countless cheers. Many of Zhang Sheng¡¯s supporters even shouted out his name at this moment.


    On the other side, Zhou Tianhao calmly looked at his powerful opponent, and the three star veins, Tian Shu, Tianxuan, and Tianquan, flickered faintly.


    Without summoning the Food Spirit from the third star vein, he chose to summon the Food Spirit from the fourth star vein, clearly having a particr intention in mind.


    Three spheres of light converged next to Zhou Tianhao, turning into three Food Spirits.


    Two five-stars, one four-star.


    At a nce, seemingly at disadvantage, yet the cheers from the audience for him were just as intense.


    As both contestants sessively summoned their battlers, Qu Cheng calmly stated, ¡°Countdown five seconds, the match begins.¡±


    ¡°Five¡­¡±


    The atmosphere in the arena suddenly became tense.


    ¡°Borrow from Tian Shu, defend!¡± x 2


    Two lowmands,ing one after the other, from Zhang Sheng and Zhou Tianhao.


    As the Seven Star Map appeared in their eyes, identical Seven Star Maps appeared in the eyes of the six Food Spirits in the arena.


    When Star Spirit Protection is applied to multiple Food Spirits, it binds all the Food Spirits and the Spirit Chef¡¯s consciousness together.


    The two sides were five hundred meters apart, yet each other¡¯s reflections were visible in their eyes, as if sparks were shing in the intertwining of their gazes.


    ¡°Four¡­¡±


    As Qu Cheng continued the countdown, the mood in the arena became increasingly oppressive and tense, like the calm before a storm.


    The audience seats were silent, countless spectators dared not even breathe.


    Qin Lang tightly hugged his two Food Spirits,pletely devoid of his previous casualness.


    While everyone¡¯s emotions were stirred, the countdown neared its end.


    ¡°One¡­ The match begins!¡±


    With a shout, both sides made their moves at the same time.


    But their actions were not to approach the opponent immediately, but rather¡­


    ¡°Four Heavens Transformation, Ignite!¡± x 2


    Apanied by two forceful shouts that echoed across the venue under the influence of profound spiritual power, thepetitors on both sides of thepetition venue underwent radical transformations simultaneously!


    Tian Shu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan.


    In this moment, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s Four Heavens Star Veins exploded with an unprecedented dazzling light.


    Immediately after, streaks of crimson mes ignited by spiritual power crisscrossed around his body, transforming into a storm of mes thatpletely enveloped him.


    In an instant, Zhou Tianhao became a ¡°Fire Man¡± burning with crimson mes, these mes swept up in the energy storm engrossing him.


    At the same time, one of the two five-star Food Spirits by his side suddenly manifested mes of the same color.


    The moment these mespletely wrapped it, this Food Spirit loudly cried out.


    ¡°Ping Su!!!¡±


    The next instant, its body shape underwent rapid changes under the gaze of fifty thousand spectators in Bai Lu Mountain Arena.


    Its body became enormous, easily ten timesrger than other Food Spirits, and at various spots on its body, one after another mysterious light pattern illuminated!


    Under swirling crimson mes, this Food Spirit experienced a powerful and mysterious transformation!


    The same star veins lighted up on Zhang Sheng who was on the other side.


    However, unlike Zhou Tianhao, the mes burning around Zhang Sheng were like ghostfires, presenting a ghastly blue color. This made Zhang Sheng, who was simrly engulfed by these mes, emit an entirely different aura than Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°Si Cha!!!¡±


    One of Zhang Sheng¡¯s three five-star Food Spirits cried out to the sky and at this moment, its body likewise swelled abruptly under the wind. It instantly exhibited a terrifying momentum, bathed in a blue me, with equally mysterious but wholly different light patterns visible around it.


    With the escting power of both sides confronting each other across space, the entire battlefield suddenly gives rise to one wave of a violent gale after another!


    Is this¡­


    A second Spirit Master technique only for masters who have opened the Fourth Star Vein and produced a corresponding Food Spirit.


    The Spirit-Ignite Power!


    ¡°Bothpetitors have simultaneously deployed the Spirit Master Technique: Spirit-lgnite Power!¡±


    As thepetition officiallymenced, Qu Cheng didn¡¯tment anymore, focusing entirely on refereeing the match, while the host by his side undertook the task of providingmentary on the match.


    At this moment, both sides, bathed in blue and red mes, swiftly collide. Apanying the intense rumble, the host¡¯s impassionedmentary synchronously echoed within the arena.


    ¡°The twopetitors have different types of Spirit-lgnite mes. Zhou Tianhao¡¯s Spirit-lgnite mes, called Shining Battle Fire, are capable of increasing the all Combat Skills¡¯ effectiveness and proficiency. Zhang Sheng¡¯s Spirit-lgnite mes, titled the Fresh Intent Fire, are capable of enhancing vor Value regardless of its upper limit!¡±


    ¡°What kind of consequence would the sh of these two types of Spirit-lgnite mes generate? Let us wait and see!¡±


    As the host gavementary, the spectators¡¯ enthusiasm was ignited by the rising twin colored mes at the center of the field.


    All at once, cheers and screams crescendoed, with many die-hard fans of bothpetitors shouting their names to cheer them on.


    Sitting at the spectator seats, Qin Lang was indifferent to these noisy sounds.


    He held two Food Spirits in his arms while staring intently at the swiftly shingpetitors at the center of the field.


    Spirit-lgnite Power.


    The two outstanding trainers invited by Dongxia City also mastered this ability and showcased it in the exhibition match earlier.


    However, Qin Lang in the kitchen at the time didn¡¯t see it, and there¡¯s a substantial difference between the deployment by four-star Food Spirits and five-star Food Spirits.


    Strictly speaking, this was the first time Qin Lang witnessed such power in person.


    It belongs to the Spirit Chef, the deeper level of power.


    He failed to notice that Spicy, curled up in his arms, was also staring unblinking at thepetitors at the center of the field.


    Her heterochromatic eyes were reflecting the dual-colored mes.


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 Chapter 125 - 125: Belonging

    Chapter 125: Belonging


    Trantor: 549690339


    Before arriving in Bai Lu Mountain City, Qin Lang encountered some content rted to Spirit-ignite Power in the books rted to Food Spirits.


    The so-called Spirit-ignite Power was essentially the burning of the Spiritual Power in the Star Vein in a short period of time, thus awakening the greater potential of the Food Spirit.


    The reason why it required activation of the Star Veins in four ces and the birth of the fourth Food Spirit before it could be used was that the process of igniting the spirit would cause some damage to the Star Veins.


    Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, and Tianquan, the four Star Veins, had a peculiar resonance. This resonance would work after they were activated at the same time, greatly enhancing the Star Veins themselves.


    The original meaning of ¡°Four Heavens Transformation¡± referred to this wonderful connection between the four Star Veins.


    Star Veins that have been strengthened will not be harmed by the process of Spirit Ignition. This is the basis for the continuous use of Spirit-ignite Power.


    The me produced during the process of Spirit Ignition was called Soul Burning Fire; it was not a natural fire element and could directly burn materials, but when attached to a Food Spirit, it could bring more unique effects.


    The Fresh Intent Fire that enhances the vor Value, the Shining Battle Fire that strengthens the Combat Skills, and the Armament Fire that transforms into a physical entity.


    The three different types of Soul Burning Fire constituted a brand new system exclusive to Spirit-ignite Power.


    At this moment, the two Food Spirits that were colliding at a speed that was hardly visible to the naked eye, the momentum of the one in the gloomy blue was obviously suppressing the other.


    This was the equivalent growth of Combat Power Value brought about by the increase in vor Value.


    However, the one in red did not fall into a disadvantage because of this. The Shining Battle Fire allowed the five Combat Skills of the Food Spirit bathed in red mes to be unprecedentedly enhanced.


    This enhancement was enough to bridge the gap in Combat Power Value between the two.


    No matter what kind of Soul Burning Fire, the overall enhancement it gives to the Food Spirit is simr.


    However, the same Soul Burning Fire does not yield the same power when used by different Spirit Chefs.


    As Du Weiwei mentioned before, Zhou Tianhao was more skilled in Combined Battle Skills.


    Combined with the Shining Battle Fire that can enhance Combat Skills, he has currently maximized this advantage.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    After a few minutes of standoff and collision, apanied by a roar that echoed throughout the field, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s Food Spirit, bathed in red mes, suddenly erupted terrifying fluctuations.


    It was a Combined Battle Skill formed by the perfectbination of three Combat Skills, and at this moment, under the enhancement of the Shining Battle Fire, it made the opponent feel like they were facing a great enemy.


    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao let out a loud shout, his eyes shing with a sharp light like a knife.


    Hidden by the Food Spirit wrapped in Soul Burning Fire, and having previously had a very low presence in the battlefield, the other two Food Spirits now simultaneously released all their power.


    Under the watchful eyes of all, these two Food Spirits each used two Combat Skills, and incredibly, in a very clever way, constructed a new Combined Battle Skill made of abination of four Combat Skills.


    Thebination of four Combat Skills allowed its terrible power fluctuations and the Food Spirit amplified by Shining Battle Fire to equally dominate the scene in a short time.


    The skill hasn¡¯t exploded yet, but the terrifying pressure is already heading towards Zhang Sheng on the other side.


    Seeing this, there was an uproar from the Audience Seats.


    This was a method that Zhou Tianhao had never used before!


    Obviously, this was his trump card reserved for the Championship Battle!


    In the Audience Seats, Du Weiwei was excitedly waving her hands, ¡°I told you, Zhou Tianhao would win!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet!¡± Zhao Chen snorted and watched Zhang Sheng nervously. Zhang Sheng, cheers!


    Faced with such a fierce oppression, Zhang Sheng¡¯s face was unprecedentedly solemn, but he didn¡¯t just sit and wait for death.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve already won?¡±


    He let out a loud shout, and the sullen blue me that wrapped around his body seemed even more intense at this moment.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    The Food Spirit supplemented by the Fresh Intent Fire burst out with a defiant war intent. The momentum it forcibly raised was like a blooming once again at its peak; beside it, two Five-Star Food Spirits that had not received a blessing also disyed their respective Combined Battle Skills.


    Three Food Spirits, with tremendous power, unequivocally plunged into the torrent where Zhou Tianhao¡¯s two powerful Combined Battle Skills meet!


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    Apanied by a deafening, terrifying roar, an endless gale swept across the battlefield of a thousand meters radius and headed unstoppably towards the Audience Seats.


    As gasps rose from the Audience Seats, a soft light membrane had already risen from the edge of the battle field, dissolving all the surging energy with an immovable force.


    After this hit, there were no extra sounds in the field, only the smoke and dust stirred up like a fog covering everything that happened on the battlefield.


    The Audience Seats suddenly fell silent.


    Who won in this final sh?


    The smoke gradually dispersed, and the soaring light from both sides had already dissipated.


    The two Food Spirits supplemented by Soul Burning Fire returned to their original state.


    All three of Zhang Sheng¡¯s Food Spirits had alreadynded, while Zhou Tianhao¡¯s three Food Spirits were still soaring high in the sky.


    ¡°Countdown to five!¡±


    Qu Cheng, who had been standing on the sidelines watching the battle, reced the Host¡¯smentary at this moment. He slowly walked up to Zhang Sheng¡¯s Food Spirit and began to count down.


    Until the countdown ended, Zhang Sheng¡¯s Food Spirits still could not fly again.


    Zhang Sheng¡¯s confident face appeared visibly lost on the close-up camera.


    However, more people had already turned their attention to the other side of the battlefield.


    A moment of silenceter, there was a cheer that rocked the field.


    The Champion of the Tianhua State Training Competition was born!


    ¡°Zhang Sheng¡¯s strength is not weak, he just met a stronger opponent.¡±


    Sitting on the cable car back to the hotel, Du Weiwei held her two Food Spirits in her arms, her eyes filled with excitement, ¡°As evidenced, Combined Battle Skills are very important in Spirit Battles!¡±


    ¡°No wonder Zhou Tianhao canbine Combat Skills of different Food Spirits into Combined Battle Skills!¡±


    ¡°If only my Soul Burning Fire type were Shining Battle Fire after I opened the fourth Star Vein¡­¡± Du Weiwei said with excitement on her face.


    Qin Lang, sitting behind Du Weiwei, had a few whimsical ideas upon hearing this.


    No one can maintain their calm after witnessing such an intense battle, even him. His interest in Spirit Battles and trainingpetitions was heightened at this moment.


    Spirit-ignite Power can be used to boost any Food Spirit in battle, but it is not the Food Spirit but the Spirit Chef that determines its type.


    As an exclusive ability of Spirit Chefs, the type of Soul Burning Fire for each Spirit Chef is determined at the moment the fourth Food Spirit is born, and it will never change thereafter.


    For a moment, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but wonder what type of Soul Burning Fire he would have in the future.


    ¡°Instead of that, I¡¯m more curious about how strong the third Spirit Master Technique that a Spirit Chef can have after the birth of the seventh Food Spirit is.¡± Zhao Chen crossed his arms, his face full of anticipation, ¡°That¡¯s the strongest state of the Food Spirit, surpassing the Spirit-ignite System and the Five Great Star System!¡±


    Qin Lang raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhao Chen.


    His focus was not on the third Spirit Master Technique.


    But on¡­


    ¡°Star System?¡±

 Chapter 126 - 126 System

    Chapter 126: System


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The so-called Star System is an independent special system, outside of Spirit Master Technique, that can give Food Spirits new forms and powers.¡±


    Inside the cable car, Zhao Chen had a profound expression on his face.


    ¡°There are five types of Star Systems, collectively known as the Five Great Star Systems. Each can provide Food Spirits with a power as mighty as the Soul Burning Fire.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, the ways and rules of amplifying power varies for each Star System.¡±


    ¡°So there is such a power¡­¡± Qin Lang felt as if he had unlocked the door to a new world.


    He initially thought that he needed to activate the fourth Star Vein to gain this transformative power for Food Spirits.


    But it seemed that it might not necessarily be the case.


    Then, he asked the most crucial question.


    ¡°So how can I master these so-called Star Systems?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­this¡­¡± Zhao Chen was stumped.


    Clearly, he didn¡¯t know this either.


    ¡°Compared to the Spirit-ignite Power, the Star System seems to be even more distant to us,¡± Du Weiwei sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°It is said that the Star Systems are closely rted to regional-levelpetitions. One has to at least reach that level to qualify for specific information about the Star Systems.¡±


    Regional-levelpetitions, huh¡­


    Qin Lang was thoughtful.


    Those are even higher levelpetitions than the state-level events.


    It seemed that to gain a clearer understanding of everything rted to the Star System, he would at least need to qualify for regional-levelpetitions.


    But that still seemed a bit distant for him at this moment.


    At the very least, he needed to first stand on the stage of a state-level event.


    Regardless, this gave Qin Lang quite a bit of motivation.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    We will participate in the regional-levelpetition together!


    Spicy rubbed its hand against Qin Lang¡¯s, both of its differently colored eyes shining brightly.


    The light orb above its head was constantly shifting between red and green.


    This shifting indicated that it was extremely emotional, and ever since the finals, Spicy had maintained this state for quite some time.


    Not only did those two re-ups of Soul Burning Fire ignite the passion of the audience, they also ignited the little one¡¯s desire for Spirit Battles.


    It was eagerly looking forward to conquering its opponents with powerful strength, just like those two Food Spirits!


    ¡°Gurulu-¡±


    Let¡¯s work hard together!


    Dan Bao rubbed itself against Spicy and then Qin Lang¡¯s hand.


    Seeing each of the Food Spirits on both sides of the battles utilizingbined battle skills made up of at least twobat skills, it, having twobat skills as well, was also bing more intrigued withbined battle skills.


    Qin Lang rubbed the two little ones¡¯ heads, a hint of a smile on his face. ¡°It seems I need to pay more attention to the news about the trainingpetitions.¡±


    After watching thispetition, he suddenly found Spirit Battles to be quite interesting.


    ¡°Hehe~¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s change, a pleased expression appeared on Zhao Chen¡¯s face. He felt as though he had sessfully ¡°brought the other back on the right track¡±, ¡°Why focus on the news? Just directly participate in thepetition!¡±


    ¡°Compete?¡±


    The words of Zhao Chen caused confusion among the other three.


    The trainingpetition in Tianhua State had just finished, where could they participate?


    ¡°The Bai Lu Mountain Arena is not only the arena for Tianhua State¡¯s province-levelpetition, but also for Bai Lu Mountain City¡¯s city-levelpetitions,¡± Zhao Chen exined, ¡°Four days from now, the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition will start, and the registration has not yet closed.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to stand on the stage of the Bai Lu Mountain Arena?¡±


    ¡°This is the fastest way!¡±


    With his arms crossed over his chest and a glint in his eyes, Zhao Chen said, ¡°Humph, it¡¯s quite a loss to run from Dongxia City to Bai Lu Mountain City just to watch a few minutes of a match.¡±


    ¡°What could be more exciting than stepping onto the field yourself and participating in a trainingpetition?¡±


    ¡°As long as we get a Spirit Executor Badge from Bai Lu Mountain City, we can register for thepetition!¡± As the cable car passed halfway up the mountain, Zhao Chen pointed to a building located there,¡± Our aim is there!¡±


    At the behest of Zhao Chen, Qin Lang and the others noticed a huge square building on the mountain side, its outer walls covered with translucent ss. It was like a huge block of ice standing amidst the wind and snow.


    Above the building, there were five prominent characters.


    ¡°Cold Snow Training Ground?¡± Qi Xiaoyu read out, her gaze turned back to Zhao Chen, ¡°What ce is that?¡±


    ¡°Last night, I studied the material for all the Spirit Executors in Bai Lu Mountain City.¡± Zhao Chen grinned, obviously pleased with the homework he had done in advance.


    ¡°The registration deadline is in two days, so we need to get a Spirit Executor Badge within these two days.¡±


    ¡°The next two days¡¯ visiting appointments for other Spirit Executors have been fully booked, but there are some vacancies for Mr. Liu Shuang¡¯s Cold Snow Training Ground due to its geographical location.¡±


    ¡°So we don¡¯t have any other choice.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Du Weiwei, looking through the ss of the cable car, gazed at the Cold Snow Training Ground with interest, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    She had once participated in Dongxia City¡¯s Youth Training Competition and naturally had received the Dongxia City¡¯s Spirit Executor Badge.


    She was familiar with this process.


    Qin Lang and Qi Xiaoyu, who had not received the Spirit Executor Badge before, couldn¡¯t help but show their interest at this moment.


    It sounded¡­


    Pretty good.


    ¡°Since no one has any objections, let¡¯s go with this n!¡± Zhao Chen punched the air, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hotel and rest. Tomorrow we head to the Cold Snow Training Ground. We¡¯ll take on Mr. Liu Shuang¡¯s challenge and get his First-ss Spirit Executor Insignia!¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, keep it down!¡± Alerted by the eyes of all the people in the cable car, Qi Xiaoyu quickly grabbed Zhao Chen and pushed him back into his seat, nervously ncing around.


    Every moment spent with this guy raised the risk of getting socially humiliated¡­


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu shrugged off her thick coat and stretched.


    ¡°The foot of the mountain is warmer.¡±


    The others agreed.


    Due to the altitude of Bai Lu Mountain, the top and bottom of the mountain hadpletely different climates.


    Descending in the cable car, the group experienced a sudden change from winter to summer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading to Food Street.¡± Du Weiwei took Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m hungry after sitting in the cable car for a few hours.¡±


    Qin Lang and Zhao Chen nodded in agreement.


    After changing out of their winter clothes, the group headed to Food Street to enjoy a hearty meal.


    They didn¡¯t stick around the one third of the stalls they¡¯d visited yesterday, but headed straight for the stalls they hadn¡¯t tried before.


    The new culinary experiences had them all raving.


    The next morning, Qin Lang¡¯s group once again boarded the cable car.


    This time, their destination was not the Bai Lu Mountain Arena at the peak of Bai Lu Mountain, but the Cold Snow Training Ground halfway up the mountain.


    The Cold Snow Training Ground was a training facility funded and built by Mr. Liu Shuang specifically for training the battle skills of Spirit Chefs, and it was also the ce where he conducted the tests for the Spirit Executor Badges.


    Today, it weed four new visitors.


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 Chapter 127 - 127: Melt Cavern

    Chapter 127: Melt Cavern


    Trantor: 549690339


    The master of the Cold Snow Training Ground, Mr. Liu Shuang, is a sociable middle-aged Spirit Executor.


    Upon learning their intentions, Liu Shuang¡¯s gaze swept over the four teens before him.


    ¡°Let me be clear, the Spirit Holder Exam is challenging.¡±


    ¡°Since none of you have obtained the Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge from Bai Lu Mountain City, this assessment will be reduced to match the standards of the Youth Competition.¡±


    ¡°But, there will still be difficulties.¡±


    ¡°So, during the assessment process, there¡¯s a possibility of getting injured.¡±


    ¡°Despite this, are you still willing to take part in my examination?¡±


    ¡°We are!¡±


    Their unanimous determination made Liu Shuang nod in affirmation.


    ¡°In that case,¡± Mr. Liu Shuang¡¯s voice softened, ¡°first, summon your Food Spirits so that 1 can gauge your abilities.¡±


    Qin Lang nced at his threepanions.


    Dan Bao and Spicy rarely returned to the Star Vein, always apanying him, so naturally, they didn¡¯t need to be re-conjured.


    On the other hand, Du Weiwei and Little Glutinous Rice got along exceptionally well, and only needed to nurture the New Food Spirit in the Star Vein.


    Whereas Zhao Chen had summoned Yangyang in advance, Qi Xiaoyu had Xiu Xiu retreat into the Star Vein instead.


    Or rather, Xiu Xiu seemed to prefer being inside the Star Vein.


    Soon, six Food Spirits appeared in the center of the field.


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Liu Shuang carefully examined each of the six Food Spirits in front of him, quickly reaching a decision, ¡°Tang Huo! Zhou Qi!¡±


    ¡°Coming! Master!¡±


    Among the dozens of people using the training equipment inside the Training Ground, two people stopped their exercises and hurriedly started to move towards them.


    Soon, Tang Huo and Zhou Qi reached Liu Shuang¡¯s side, curiously examining the four people in front of them.


    They had already heard that these four people were here to participate in the Spirit Holder Exam and were trying to obtain their local Spirit Holder¡¯s Badge for the first time.


    As disciples within the Cold Snow Training Ground, the two were familiar with the next phase of the assessment.


    After calling the two, Liu Shuang pointed at Zhao Chen and Qi Xiaoyu, ¡°You two, follow Tang Huo to the Cold Ice Melt Cavern. The details of the assessment will be exined by him.¡±


    ¡°You two must do well, the Cold Ice Melt Cavern is no joke!¡± Tang Huoughed menacingly, then gestured them, ¡°Follow me!¡±


    Zhao Chen and Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but look at Qin Lang and Du Weiwei.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a special test for me.¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s face showed a bit more confidence, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead first, you guys just wait for my sessful return!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry, give it your best shot!¡± Du Weiwei ignored Zhao Chen, grabbed Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s nervous hand, and reassured her.


    Thetter nodded heavily, ¡°Then 1¡¯11 go!¡±


    They followed a young man named Tang Huo and left the scene.


    ¡°As for the two of you¡­¡± Liu Shuang turned his gaze onto Qin Lang and Du Weiwei, patting the shoulder of the youth called Zhou Qi, ¡°This is my disciple, Zhou Qi, who possesses two two-star Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Zhou Qi chuckled, and in a sh, two two-star Food Spirits gathered beside him.


    ¡°Each of you chooses one of Zhou Qi¡¯s two-star Food Spirits to fight against. If you win, you will obtain the Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Zhou Qi will only use one of his two-star Food Spirits, but you can use all of your Food Spirits to battle.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Lang and Du Weiwei immediately turned their eyes to Zhou Qi¡¯s two Food Spirits.


    At first nce, it was not easy to assess the strength and weakness of the two Spirits.


    ¡°Should 1 go first?¡± Du Weiwei seemed eager to give it a shot.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    Since Du Weiwei was willing to go first, why not let her test Zhou Qi, the Spirit Chef¡¯s overall strength?


    ¡°Then, 1 choose this one.¡± Du Weiwei didn¡¯t hesitate and pointed at one of Zhou Qi¡¯s Food Spirits.


    It was obvious that she had chosen arbitrarily.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s proceed to the battle stage,¡± Zhou Qi gestured towards the standard Battle Arena.


    ¡°I will be the referee for your match.¡± Before them, Liu Shuang stepped onto the Battle Arena, ¡°Come on!¡±


    Both of them stood at their respective spots on the Battle Arena, while Qin Lang stood outside the stage, carefully observing the match.


    After a countdown of five, a shrill whistle tore through the sky.


    The battle, begins!


    ¡°Err¡­ Brother Tang Huo, what exactly is the content of our exam?¡±


    As they watched the boy named Tang Huo, leading them away from the Cold Snow Training Ground towards the top of the mountain, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°We will get there in no time.¡± Instead of answering, Tang Huo just chuckled.


    Thus, Zhao Chen and Qi Xiaoyu had no choice but to continue following him.


    A momentter, they finally reached a location halfway up the mountain.


    It was a cave entrance, just high enough for a single person to enter. Looking inside from the exterior, they could only see darkness and nothing else inside.


    The entrance to the cave was like a demonic mouth. asionally, chilling winds would sweep through it, producing high-pitched, wailing sounds.


    This sight made Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s hair stand on end.


    Even Zhao Chen, who was usually fearless, couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Take this,¡± Tang Huo handed them both shlights that he had prepared in advance, ¡°Go in from here, cross the Melt Cavern ande out the other side, then the exam will be deemed clear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the exit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, also, take this,¡± he handed them each an object that looked like an rm, ¡°If you can¡¯t hold on anymore, just press this, and I wille to find you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that also means the exam is a failure.¡±


    ¡°Any questions?¡±


    We¡¯re supposed to go in from here?


    Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but switch on the shlight, shining it into the cave.


    With the bright beam of light from the shlight, they could see a little more of the cave¡¯s interior.


    But that was about all they could see.


    This Melt Cavern seemed deeper than she had anticipated.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    A confident voice came from Zhao Chen who was standing beside her.


    Qi Xiaoyu pursed her lips as thoughts of hesitation and retreat slid away, ¡°I have no problem either!¡±


    She certainly didn¡¯t want to lose to Zhao Chen, who was always caught up in his fantasies.


    ¡°Then good luck to you!¡±


    Tang Huoughed, gesturing for them to start their trial.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhao Chen took a deep breath and was the first to step into the dark cave entrance.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± Seeing Zhao Chen about to disappear into the darkness, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s heart pounded as she hurried to catch up.


    As soon as they disappeared into the dark cave entrance, Tang Huo stretchedzily, a pensive look on his face.


    It¡¯s strange.


    The examination Master usually gives to Spirit Chefs with only one-star Food Spirits isn¡¯t the Cold Ice Melt Cavern, so why has it changed this time?


    Could it be because there are two of them this time?


    Tang Huo seemed to realize something, a look of interest appearing on his face.


    I wonder if they can make it out of the Melt Cavern together?


    Well, now it¡¯s time for him to move.


    Tang Huo walks briskly through the snow, heading towards the exit of the Melt Cavern.


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 Chapter 128 - 128 Test

    Chapter 128: Test


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡±


    On thebat stage of the Cold Snow Training Ground, Du Weiwei¡¯s breaths were slightly rapid.


    The dim and lightless Star Spirit Protection shield disyed her immense exhaustion during this battle.


    With a Combined Battle Skill at her disposal, along with a numerical advantage of two against one, she should have dealt with her current opponent swiftly.


    However, this young man called Zhou Qi turned out to be stronger than she had anticipated.


    Not only did his Two-star Food Spirit also possess Combined Battle Skills, but it also held an advantage in vor Value.


    Meanwhile, her side¡¯s additional Little Jadeite was a newly-born One-star Food Spirit, providing limited assistance under such circumstances.


    This was a tough fight, but fortunately, she had glimpsed the light of victory.


    ¡°Two¡­One¡­¡±


    ¡°Beep


    Liu Shuang¡¯s five-second countdown ended. Zhou Qi¡¯s Food Spirit on the field that hadnded didn¡¯t move, having lost itsbat power.


    This signaled that the final victory of this battle belonged to Du Weiwei.


    ¡°Well done, you¡¯ve passed the test.¡± Liu Shuang nodded subtly, ¡°As for the Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge, we¡¯ll present it when all yourpanions havepleted their tests!¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Du Weiwei nodded, recalling her two equally exhausted Food Spirits into her Star Vein, and walking over to Qin Lang, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    After giving a reminder, she sat on a chair nearby to meditate and recover her consumed Spiritual Power.


    ¡°I will.¡± Qin Lang nodded earnestly.


    Having watched the previous battle, he also realized the formidable strength of Zhou Qi.


    Was it just Du Weiwei¡¯s bad luck that she picked a stronger Food Spirit?


    No, Qin Lang leaned towards the possibility that Zhou Qi¡¯s two Food Spirits were simrly strong.


    Or, to predict the worst, the Food Spirit that Zhou Qi had yet to summon might possess even greater power.


    Anyway¡­


    ¡°We need to give it our all.¡± With a serious tone, Qin Lang looked at the determined Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    Let me take a bite at it!


    Spicy, with a solemn face, exposed her little tiger teeth, seemingly ready to rush forth and take a bite at the opponent.


    A single bite would bring down the opponent!


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    1 will also go all out!


    Knowing that time was of the essence, and this might be the only chance for Qin Lang to obtain the Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge and participate in the Youth Training Competition in Bai Lu Mountain City three dayster, Dan Bao also became serious.


    This fight would allow no room for failure!


    As Qin Lang ascended the battle tform and stood where Du Weiwei had been, Zhou Qi on the other side had already recalled the Food Spirit that had lost itsbat power into his Star Vein, and proceeded to summon another Two-star Food Spirit.


    His expression was fairly calm, undisturbed by the loss in the previous fight.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Zhou Qi spoke in a low voice as a brightly shining Seven Star Map appeared behind him.


    On Star Spirit Protection, it starts.


    ¡°1 could say the same.¡± Qin Lang replied calmly, with the Seven Star Map showcasing two stars appearing behind him and reflecting in his eyes.


    The same Seven Star Map appeared in the pupils of Dan Bao and Spicy.


    At this moment, under the effects of the Star Spirit Protection, their minds werepletely connected.


    ¡°Countdown to five, battle begins!¡± Liu Shuang nced at both sides beforemencing the countdown.


    ¡°Five¡­four¡­three¡­two¡­one¡­¡±


    ¡°Beep


    With the clear whistle suppressing all other sounds on the Training Ground, the duel between Qin Lang and Zhou Qi officiallymenced.


    Right at the beginning, Zhou Qi¡¯s Food Spirit made the first move.


    It was a pitch-ck Food Spirit that resembled a fog cloud without a specific shape, except for a pair ofrge red eyes. Despite its elusive nature, it moved rather speedily.


    The moment it approached Dan Bao and Spicy, Dan Bao, who was responsible for ranged attacks in the team, also made a move.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    With a low growl, it swiftly moved to meet the ck Fog Food Spirit.


    When they were roughly twenty meters apart, Dan Bao suddenly took a deep breath, and mes began to rise from the crevices between his head and body.


    Just as it was about to get closer and spew out the mes, the ck Fog Food Spirit abruptly stopped and stared at Dan Bao with wide eyes.


    Its eyes seemed even redder at this moment, and simultaneously a pair of illusory red eyes appeared behind it, looking at Dan Bao in unison.


    Qin Lang¡¯s heartbeat suddenly elerated.


    Sharing the vision with Dan Bao, when the other side looked, he felt a sudden, inexplicable fear in his heart.


    What is this?


    In just an instant, Qin Lang knew the answer.


    Mind-Type War Skills, Fear Intimidation!


    Although he had realized this, Dan Bao, who was taking the hit face-on, was not able to recover immediately.


    The umted mes that were supposed to be released faded slowly within Dan Bao¡¯s body.


    ¡°Cackles!¡±


    The ck Fog Food Spirit had a triumphant look in its eyes, and at almost the same time the Fear Intimidation came into effect, it made a new move.


    A blob of ck fog separated from its body, and like a solid w, it stirred up a gust of wind and violently wed at Dan Bao, who was still standing in ce. Fighting-Based Combat Skills, Ferocious w Strike!


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    A cry echoed in the arena.


    But that cry was not made by Qin Lang, but by Zhou Qi.


    The ck Fog Food Spirit paused slightly before feeling a gust of wind on its side the next moment!


    It was the One-Star Food Spirit that it previously ignored!


    Seeing the One-Star Food Spirit directly pounce on itself, the ck Fog Food Spirit subconsciously wanted to dodge back.


    However, the next moment, human-like shock appeared in its pair of red big eyes.


    It¡­couldn¡¯t move?!


    ¡°Crack¡ª ¡±


    The sound of shattering rang out at this moment.


    It was the sound of the Ferocious w Strike shattering upon collision with an invisible barrier.


    Along with this sound, a mysterious smile surfaced on Dan Bao¡¯s face.


    ¡°Rustle-¡±


    The faint sound of footsteps in the quiet Melt Cavern was extraordinarily clear. In the dark Melt Cavern, two beams of light constantly scanned all around. Controlling these two beams of light were Zhao Chen and Qi Xiaoyu.


    The two had been walking in this ce called the Cold Ice Melt Cavern for a while.


    ¡°All!!!¡±


    At one moment, Qi Xiaoyu suddenly screamed and jumped up from her spot. ¡°All!¡±


    This sudden change startled Zhao Chen. He let out a soft cry, then pointed the shlight at Qi Xiaoyu, rolling his eyes in frustration, ¡°What are you jumping around for?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help reaching out and grabbing a corner of Zhao Chen¡¯s clothes. ¡°1 just saw a ck shadow sh by in the shlight¡¯s beam¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re seeing things.¡± Zhao Chen felt a little creeped out, but still said


    confidently, ¡°You definitely saw things.¡±


    ¡°¡­What about now?¡± Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s voice suddenly dropped, and she gripped Zhao Chen¡¯s clothes even tighter.


    Zhao Chen didn¡¯t say anything.


    Because he had also heard the faint sound that had suddenly appeared inside the Melt Cavern.


    That sound was definitely not their footsteps or breathing.


    ¡°What are you dawdling for? Run!¡±


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 Chapter 129 - 129: Cold Snow

    Chapter 129: Cold Snow


    Trantor: 549690339


    The moment Full Firepower went out, Dan Bao had already awakened due to Qin Lang¡¯s continuous shouts.


    But Qin Lang did not let Dan Bao show signs of being awake, nning to use the enemy¡¯s scheme against them.


    So, the current scene unfolded.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Before the ck Fog Food Spirit could react, Spicy¡¯s tiny tiger fangs, shining with a colorful glow, ruthlessly bit down on it.


    Even though the ck Fog Food Spirit looked like a cloud of fog, under Spicy¡¯s Lucky Bite Mark, it couldn¡¯t escape.


    One bite down, the ck Fog Food Spirit screamed, its body instantly bearing two small bite marks from the tiger teeth.


    But unlike the first time Spicy used this ability, the remaining energy bite mark didn¡¯t shine with the same colorful light as Spicy¡¯s tiny tiger teeth. Instead, it dissipated at a visible speed.


    This was a case where the Lucky Bite Mark didn¡¯t work.


    The ability was naturally low in probability to begin with, not to mention that the odds would also decrease correspondingly when it was a One-star Food Spirit against a Two-star Food Spirit. It was normal for it not to seed at once.


    Aside from the special effect, the damage caused by the Lucky Bite Mark was not significant.


    ¡°Chaka?¡±


    It¡¯s not stunned?


    Upon seeing that its opponent had not passed out after being bitten, Spicy looked surprised, as if thinking it inconceivable.


    The next moment, the surprise in Spicy¡¯s eyes turned into anger.


    ¡°Chabaka!¡±


    Why didn¡¯t you faint!


    Her small tiger teeth were again shining with colorful light, without hesitation, Spicy bit the Thought Waves-constrained ck Fog Food Spirit once again.


    Didn¡¯t faint¡­


    Another bite!


    Still not unconscious¡­


    Keep going!


    Hence, Spicy held its breath and kept biting the ck Fog Food Spirit again and again, longing to see the moment it took effect.


    Of course, the ck Fog Food Spirit couldn¡¯t just sit and wait for death.


    It wanted to fight back.


    However, every time it moved its big eyes towards Spicy, intending to use Fear Intimidation, an invisible force always made it turn around, its back facing Spicy.


    Fear Intimidation was a powerful skill, but it required eye contact tounch.


    And the massive constraining force from the surrounding Thought Waves made the Ferocious w Strike skill also lose itsunch condition. It needed to reach out first, but now, the ck Fog Food Spirit was tightly tied up by Thought Poweryers, unable to do so.


    If the gap in the Combat Power Value between the two was smaller, the ck Fog Food Spirit might have been able to break free from the constraint.


    However, Dan Bao¡¯s Combat Power Value had already reached the peak of a Two-star Food Spirit.


    With its only two skills restrained, the ck Fog Food Spirit could only scream while being bitten over and over by that One-star Food Spirit with shining tiger teeth.


    In itsrge red eyes, a series of emotions appeared, akin to a human¡¯s, from anger to surprise, to despair and finally to numbness.


    End it quickly!


    The disadvantage of Spicy¡¯s skills, under Dan Bao¡¯s strong control, no longer existed.


    In the end, after who knows how many bites from Spicy, the ck Fog Food Spirit finally passed out cleanly and simply when a colorful tiger tooth mark appeared on its body.


    (q_ o)


    At some point, the field had fallen into a bizarre silence.


    Whether it was the referee Liu Shuang, the opponent Zhou Qi, or Du Weiwei, who had just recovered her Spiritual Power, and had watched in amazement, none of them knew what to say for a moment.


    ¡°This way of fighting isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    Qin Lang rubbed his chin, satisfied.


    He thought of it on a whim without expecting it to actually work.


    ¡°So have 1 passed the test?¡±


    Qin Lang turned his head, looking at Liu Shuang.


    ¡°Deal.¡± Liu Shuang shook his head with a resigned, wry smile.


    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡±


    Heavy breathing echoed in the silent Cold Ice Melt Cavern.


    ¡°We should be alright.¡± Zhao Chen gasped, a touch of relief in his face, ¡°Those guys probably didn¡¯t catch up.¡±


    Although they didn¡¯t know what it was, the unusual noise kept appearing around them. The unknown was the most terrifying.


    ¡°There seems to be light ahead.¡± Zhao Chen turned off his shlight, confirmed it wasn¡¯t an illusion created by the shlight, and breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°The exit must be up ahead!¡±


    He seemed rather excited, but turned his head to look at Qi Xiaoyu and suddenly faltered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    At this moment, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s face was unusually flushed, her breath weak, and she wore a pained expression.


    She nced at Zhao Chen, opened her mouth to say something, but seemed tock the strength to speak.


    ¡°Peep-peep-peep!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s constantpanion, Xiu Xiu, looked panicked and helpless, finally resorting to pleading looks directed at Zhao Chen.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Chen reached out his hand and lightly touched Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s forehead. Shock crossed his face.


    Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s forehead was icy.


    Looking at Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s rtively thin clothes, he seemed to understand.


    The temperature inside the cold Ice Melt Cavern was even lower than the snowfields on the mountainside.


    Clearly, Qi Xiaoyu hadn¡¯t anticipated the nature of the test and so, for the sake of aesthetics, hadn¡¯t worn bulky cold-weather gear.


    Without hesitation, he removed his warm, thick jacket and wrapped Qi Xiaoyupletely within it.


    ¡°Yangyang!¡±


    He gave a low shout, and Yangyang understood, pressing itself against Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s forehead.


    Yangyang¡¯s soft, thick curls provided far better instion than Xiu Xiu¡¯s.


    ¡°Brr¡­¡± Without his coat, Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t suppress a shiver. He then helped Qi Xiaoyu up, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here fast!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± As her body temperature stopped falling, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯splexion improved slightly, and she regained some strength. As she made her way towards the exit, leaning on Zhao Chen, she spoke haltingly, ¡°You¡­ will¡­ catch a cold¡­ too.¡±


    ¡°I am going to be the world¡¯s greatest Food Spirit training master in the future! A little cold is no big deal!¡± Zhao Chen raised his voice, only to let out another uncontroble shiver.


    ¡°Pfft~¡±


    A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s mouth, but unusually, she didn¡¯t refute Zhao Chen.


    She suddenly found that this seemingly delusional guy was not so annoying after all.


    The light ahead gradually grewrger, until it became an opening big enough for a person to pass through.


    From outside the opening, Tang Huo waved at the two of them.


    ¡°Congrattions on passing the challenge.¡± Noticing Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s condition, Tang Huo hurriedly continued, ¡°The training ground has hot water and a shower room, you should take a hot shower.¡±


    Zhao Chen nodded his head, and with the help of Qi Xiaoyu, sped up his steps.


    Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something, ¡°Brother Tang Huo, is there something strange in the Cold Ice Melt Cavern?¡±


    ¡°You mean this?¡± Tang Huo casually took out a nondescript miniature loudspeaker, pressed it lightly, and a familiar voice came out.


    ¡°Congrattions to the four of you for passing my test.¡± Liu Shuang smiled as she looked at the four people standing in front of her, then took out four identical insignia and presented them, ¡°This is the recognition you deserve.¡±


    In the center of the copper blue insignia, a dazzling hexagonal snowke was adorned with bells and a red ribbon. At the tip of the insignia, a strand of white corresponded to the snow on the peak of Bai Lu Mountain.


    First-Level Spirit Executor Insignia ¨C Cold Snow.


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 Chapter 130 - 130: Emergency

    Chapter 130: Emergency


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Xiaoyu, how are you feeling now?¡±


    Du Weiwei held Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s hand, her face filled with worry and anxiety.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± A rejuvenated Qi Xiaoyu waved her hand, ¡°After taking a hot bath, I feelpletely recovered!¡±


    ¡°More importantly, I got the Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge!¡± She clutched the Hanxue Emblem with undeniable affection, her eyes glowing.


    This was her first Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge, and she nned to treasure it dearly.


    Upon seeing that Qi Xiaoyu was indeed fine, Du Weiwei finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Not far away, Qin Lang hung the Hanxue Emblem on his chest and looked over at Liu Shuang, ¡°Mr. Liu Shuang, 1 have a question.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Why were the four of us subjected to two different types of trials?¡±


    Hearing this question, the other three badge recipients couldn¡¯t help but look at Liu Shuang.


    They were curious about this as well.


    ¡°I see.¡± Liu Shuangughed, ¡°Subsequent Spirit Executor Badges mainly test strength. Still, the first badge in a city examines many things.¡±


    ¡°You and Du Weiwei, as owners of Two-star Food Spirits, meet the standard for the City Youth Training Competition. As long as you have the strength, you can earn the Badge and participate in thepetition.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Chen and Qi Xiaoyu do not have Two-star Food Spirits and therefore do not meet the standard for the City Youth Training Competition, but I¡¯m willing to give them a chance to prove themselves.¡±


    ¡°This opportunity entails demonstrating something beyond strength to earn my approval.¡±


    ¡°Specifically, qualities such as bravery, unity, perseverance, effort, and others.¡±


    When Liu Shuang reached this point, he turned to Zhao Chen, smiling, ¡°Making it through the Melt Cavern equates to passing the test, which referred to both of you. In reality, if you had abandoned Qi Xiaoyu when she wasn¡¯t feeling well and left the cavern by yourself, you would have failed the test.¡±


    ¡°As an outstanding trainee master, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d abandon apanion!¡± Zhao Chen crossed his arms and revealed a proud expression.


    Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully.


    So, the Spirit Executor¡¯s test involved more than just strength.


    No wonder the four individuals with different abilities underwent different testing methods.


    On the other side, Du Weiwei patted Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s head, both women sharing an understanding smile.


    ¡°Squeak-¡±


    In the middle of everyone¡¯s conversation, the door to the Cold Snow Training Ground opened slightly. A white-haired boy entered with the outdoor chill, quickly noticing the activity here and hastening over.


    ¡°Dad, do we have guests?¡±


    ¡°Did you return from your Food Fight?¡± Liu Shuang nced at the boy, ¡°What was the result?¡±


    ¡°I won again!¡± The boy grinned.


    Liu Shuang nodded, a prideful look on his face. He patted the white-haired boy¡¯s shoulder and introduced him, ¡°This is my son, Liu Tianchen.¡±


    ¡°These four came for the Badge Trial, and their tests are now done.¡±


    Liu Tianchen¡¯s gaze hovered over the badges hanging on each person¡¯s chest.


    All four passed?


    Such a situation was rather umon.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    As he greeted them, he curiously examined the four participants.


    When his gazended on Qin Lang, Liu Tianchen paused momentarily, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re of simr age, there should be moremon ground to converse about.¡± Liu Shuang chuckled. He was about to say something else when his phone rang, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ail chat first?¡±


    He answered the call, swiftly walking towards a corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to get the Hanxue Emblem so you can participate in the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition in three days, right?¡± Once Liu Shuang had left, Liu Tianchen began the conversation.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Du Weiwei nodded.


    ¡°We came from Dongxia City.¡± Zhao Chen spoke, a hopeful look on his face. ¡°I hope 1 have the chance to make it into the top four this time!¡±


    He had already asked Du Weiwei, who didn¡¯t have significantly stronger skills than him when she made it to the top four in the previous Dongxia City Youth Training Competition.


    So, he also had a chance.


    Are they really from Dongxia City?


    An odd expression shed across Liu Tianchen¡¯s eyes, confirming a suspicion in his mind. But upon hearing Zhao Chen¡¯sterments, his expression took a peculiar twist. ¡°Um¡­ it might be a bit difficult.¡±


    ¡°Every Youth Training Competition is unique. Sometimes, the overall strength of thepetitors is high, which makes it difficult to enter the top four. Sometimes, the general level of skill is low, making it rtively easy to make it to the top four.¡±


    ¡°This year¡¯s Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition, however, might be one of the most challenging in recent times.¡±


    ¡°Because of the recently concluded Provincial Training Competition?¡± Qin Lang caught on to something, asking involuntarily.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Liu Tianchen nced at Qin Langt, ¡°You came from afar, perhaps nning to participate in this Youth Training Competition after watching the Provincial Training Competition, right?¡±


    ¡°The Provincial Training Competition has attracted Spirit Chefs from all over Tianhua State who are interested in the training path. Of course, there are many with thoughts simr to yours.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ve acted faster than you.¡±


    ¡°At least ten days ago, Spirit Chefs from other areas have been obtaining the local Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge. This is one reason many Spirit Executor Badge examination slots are fully booked.¡±


    As the son of a Spirit Executor, Liu Tianchen naturally knew more about what was going on behind the scenes.


    With Spirit Chefs from different regions participating, the number ofpetitors will undoubtedly increase significantly.


    It goes without saying that getting into the top four will be much more challenging.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just here to make up the numbers.¡± Qi Xiaoyu didn¡¯t seem to mind much, speaking with a grin, ¡°After all, I never expected to ce. Participation is key.¡±


    Merely earning a Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge as proof of her ability was already quite satisfying for her, a newly minted Spirit Chef.


    ¡°Although the difficulty of making it into the top four has increased, it¡¯s still a great opportunity topete against Spirit Chefs from different regions.¡± Du Weiwei spoke calmly, her spirit not dampened by Liu Tianchen¡¯s words.


    ¡°As for the trainingpetition, we just need to do our best.¡± Qin Lang patted the somewhat frustrated Spices,forting it, ¡°If we don¡¯t ce this time, there will be a next time.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll give it my all!¡±


    Zhao Chen pumped his fists, speaking earnestly.


    The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the room ¨C it was Liu Shuang returning from his phone call, his expression now more serious and solemn. ¡°There¡¯s an urgent meeting at the Association headquarters, and I need to be there.¡± He patted Liu Tianchen¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll leave these four guests in your hands.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± Liu Tianchen nodded, watching as his father hurriedly left, he murmured, ¡°I wonder what the rush is about.¡±


    He then turned his attention to Qin Lang and the others.


    ¡°Since you n to participate in the Youth Training Competition, shall I lead you to the Spirit Chef Association to register?¡±


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 Chapter 131 - 131: The Long Queue

    Chapter 131: The Long Queue


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Whoa! Is this the Spirit Chef Association of Bai Lu Mountain City?¡±


    Looking at the architecture sprawling on the mountainside before her, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t resist eximing with admiration.


    Although the other three didn¡¯t vocalize their astonishment, identical looks of surprise spread across their faces as they took in the towering building.


    Spirit Chef Associations exist in every city, each with distinctive appearances and architectural styles.


    The Spirit Chef Association in Bai Lu Mountain City, which stood before them now, had a stylepletely distinct from the one in Dongxia City.


    To Qin Lang, the building had hints of the churches from his past life. However, unlike a church, there was no cross atop the highest point of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association. Instead, there was a colossal snowke.


    In the middle of the snowstorm, it seemed to bring an air of tranquility and hope.


    ¡°Pretty awesome, huh?¡± Liu Tianchen stood with his arms crossed, attaching a proud look, ¡°Once there was apetition for the best-looking Spirit Chef Association buildings among all the cities in Tianhua State. Our own Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association achieved an impressive third ce.¡±


    ¡°And what ce did Dongxia City get?¡± Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°If I remember correctly¡­ 1 think it was tenth?¡±


    The group fell silent momentarily.


    There are only twelve cities in Tianhua state, alright!


    Dongxia City, can you have some dignity!


    ¡°Let¡¯s not freeze out here.¡± Liu Tianchenughed cheerily, ¡°We should get inside and register quickly.¡±


    With just one day left for the registration, a long queue was forming at the signing up station of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, confirming Liu Tianchen¡¯s words.


    The number of participants for this Youth Training Competition was quiterge.


    After about half an hour of waiting, the four finallypleted the registration process.


    Without leaving the Spirit Chef Association immediately, they sat in its warm indoor lounge, flipping through the promotional pamphlets they received post registration.


    ¡°The rules are pretty much the same as those of the Youth Training Competition in Dongxia City.¡±


    After a while, Du Weiwei closed her pamphlet.


    Having taken part in the Youth Training Competition once, she was quite familiar with it.


    The other three hadn¡¯t participated in the Training Competition before, so they took a little longer to read. But they eventually finished reading the details.


    Qin Lang gently closed his pamphlet, revealing an expression of contemtion.


    Compared to the trainingpetition that¡¯s open to all age groups, the Youth Training Competition is on a smaller scale.


    Its course is very straightforward, divided into two rounds.


    The first round is the Selection Battle.


    The essence of the Selection Battle is simr to the Scoring Competition in Cooking Contests, which is a widespread selection process for determining a fixed number of candidates who get to advance, filtering them from arge number of contestants.


    However, due to the differences between the Spirit Battle and Food Fight, the detailed rules for the two aren¡¯t the same.


    The Scoring Competition is where they draw the same topic in advance, letting all the contestants cook their dishes on the same stage. Professional judges would give their scores, and the final advancement list is decided based on the scores.


    In the Selection Battle, contestants have more autonomy.


    The Spirit Chef Association would arrange ten Spiritual Chefs as ¡°Selection Battle Standards¡±. These Spiritual Chefs¡¯ food spirits have simr strength. But due to the differences in each Food Spirit¡¯s skills, their strong points and weaknesses vary.


    Contestants can freely choose to challenge up to two of the ¡°Selection Battle Standards¡± for a lvi Food Spirit battle to demonstrate their skills.


    Professional judging panels would give scores based on multiple factors, such as the time taken by the contestant to defeat the opponent and the skills disyed during the battle. The higher score will be taken as the contestant¡¯s final score.


    Eventually, the top four contestants based on scores will advance to the next round.


    The second round is the rankingpetition. Its specific rules are simr to the previous Cooking Contest Ranking Competition, with the only difference being that the Food Fight has now be a Spirit Battle.


    Given that the Spirit Battle is of a shorter duration, and the Youth Training Competition is on a smaller scale, the rankingpetition for the four contestants will bepleted within a day.


    They will determine their positions as winners or losers andpete for their final rankings within a day.


    The sinctness of the Youth Training Competition reflects not only in thepetition scale but more in the rewards given.


    Since the Selection Battle directly advances to the top four, only the top four contestants of the Youth Training Competition can receivepetition rewards. So,pared to the trainingpetition open to all age groups, the rewards in the Youth Training Competition will be fewer.


    The first thing on Qin Lang¡¯s mind was the Starstone reward.


    The first-ce winner can receive ten Starstones, second ce gets six, third ce gets three, while the fourth-ce finisher only gets one.


    Also, following the principle of phased rewards, when the Selection Battle ends and the top four advance, they will receive one Starstone assigned to the fourth-ce contestant. After the subsequent Ranking Competition, contestants in the winners group can receive an additional five Starstones belonging to the second-ce winner.


    In the subsequent rankingpetition, the losers group fights for third ce and gets an additional two Starstones, while the winners group fights for first ce and wins an extra four Starstones.


    Perhaps to encourage teenage Spirit Chefs to grow faster, the Starstone reward hasn¡¯t been significantly reduced.


    However, other rewards have visibly diminished.


    In terms ofpetition points, the first-ce winner can only receive 50 trainingpetition points, and the second to fourth ce winners receive only 20 points each.


    The value of the trainingpetition points is equivalent to that of the cookingpetition. If it were the city-level trainingpetition for all ages, the championship points would be 100, the same as the score Qin Lang received for winning the city-level championship.


    So, the Youth Training Competition¡¯s points reward is definitely reduced by half.


    In terms of title rewards, only the Spirit Chef who takes the first ce can get the title of ¡°Excellent Trainer¡±. The second to fourth ce winners have no title awards.


    As for the Second-ss Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge¡­


    The championship reward of the City-level Youth Training Competition doesn¡¯t include this.


    However, as apensation, the City-level Youth Training Competition Champion will receive a special reward not avable for the City-level Training Competition Champion.


    That is, they¡¯ll directly obtain the qualification to participate in the Provincial-level Youth Training Competition.


    Compared with the City-level Training Competition, where the champion still has to collect four other Second-ss Spirit Executor¡¯s Badges to participate in the Provincial-levelpetition, the advancement process of the Youth Training Competition is much simpler.


    After learning about all the rewards of the Youth Training Competition, Qin Lang felt somewhat disappointed, but it wasn¡¯t a total letdown.


    Apetition that can bepleted in just a few days is still pretty great.


    ¡°Phew¨C¡±


    Liu Tianchen briskly walked up to them and whispered, ¡°I just went to ask around, there are already more than fifty contestants registered.¡±


    This was the Youth Training Competition, where having twenty participants in a past event was considered pretty exceptional.


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.


    The participants of this season were really impressive, weren¡¯t they?


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared myself for the possibility of being eliminated in the Selection Battle.¡± Qi Xiaoyuid down her pamphlet, shrugging indifferently, ¡°By the way, have you guys chosen your opponents for the Selection Battle?¡±


    The details of the ten ¡°Selection Battle Standards¡± for the selection battle were also announced in the pamphlet.


    All of their food spirits were two-star food spirits, with differentbinations ofbat skills.


    On hearing this, the faces of Qin Lang and the other two turned contemtive.


    ¡°I choose number 5 and number 7!¡± Zhao Chen dered fiercely, ¡°1 feel they¡¯re the strongest!¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±¡­¡±


    Du Weiwei:¡±¡­¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu:¡±¡­¡±


    Liu Tianchen:¡±¡­¡±


    You really live up to your name, Adolescent Teenager!


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 Chapter 132 - 132: Hot Pot

    Chapter 132: Hot Pot


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°For me, I¡¯ll choose number 3 and 9.¡±


    Du Weiwei spoke, her calm demeanor reflecting her experience with Spirit Battles selection and her extensive experience.


    After stating her choices, she continued, ¡°There are many criteria for scoring in the selection battle, but the main points stille from the time taken to defeat the opponent and the disy during the process.¡±


    ¡°For instance,bined battle skills or the higher ability to apply battle skills, these are bonus points.¡±


    ¡°So when choosing opponents, you need to consider their battles skills and try to choose those that can better showcase your strength. This way, it¡¯s easier to get a higher score.¡±


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t have enough strength to defeat an opponent?¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but mumble, ¡°I don¡¯t know where that big idiot, who only has a One-star Food Spirit like me, gets his confidence.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t defeat them, there¡¯s another way to calcte the score, which is based on the time you held on beforepletely losing.¡± Du Weiwei smiled, ¡°But in that case, the score will be lowered ordingly.¡±


    ¡°No worries. If you don¡¯t have any expectations, you won¡¯t be disappointed!¡± Qi Xiaoyu shrugged, ¡°I choose number 4. and 8. Xiu Xiu¡¯s battle skills will have a wider scope against them.¡±


    Next, the three turned their attention to Qin Lang, who had yet to make his choice.


    Qin Langfortingly petted Spicy¡¯s head.


    Obviously, in a selection battle where only one Food Spirit can be dispatched for battle, letting Dan Bao, who was a Two-star Food Spirit, participate would yield better results.


    However, that would mean Spicy, who was eager topete and had a strong interest in Spirit Battles, would have to watch from the sidelines.


    ¡°Chaka¡­¡±


    I¡¯ll cheer for you all then¡­


    Spicy nuzzled against Qin Lang¡¯s hand, quickly adjusting his attitude.


    At this moment, he was indeed weaker than Dan Bao.


    However, this spurred on hispetitive spirit.


    He had to quickly be a Two-star Food Spirit, to catch up with Dan Bao!


    ¡°Gurulu-¡±


    1 will definitely go all out!


    Dan Bao nuzzled against Spicy, his little head brimming with a strong will to battle.


    If they could advance to the top four or even higher, they would be given another Stars tone reward!


    Spicy had already absorbed four pieces of Starstone before, with a few more, he could reach Two-stars just like him!


    This wasn¡¯t only for Spicy but also for him.


    Once Spicy reached Two-stars, the two Food Spirits could evenly split the subsequent Star Power!


    This way, his progress would also speed up a lot.


    Seeing the harmonious interaction between the two Food Spirits, allowing each other to grow without any conflict over Star Power, Qin Lang smiled and made his choice.


    ¡°I choose number 1 and 2.¡±


    Since it was Dan Bao going into the battle, he should choose opponents that can much more greatly disy the Full Firepower and Thought Waves.


    The Food Spirits of these two Spirit Chefs have nature-basedbat skills of ice and snow.


    Ice and fire are forces that repel each other. It would naturally be clearer when disyed, which would help in getting higher scores.


    Seeing that the four had made their decisions, Liu Tianchen on the side smiled, ¡°At that time, I¡¯ll be sitting in the audience seats, cheering for you.¡±


    ¡°Right, aren¡¯t you participating?¡± Qi Xiaoyu asked curiously.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Liu Tianchen summoned his Food Spirit.


    It was a white spherical Food Spirit, half-transparent all over. It had two unique ears made of snowkes, and on its head was a small ice crystal crown, making it look quite adorable.


    Near the Food Spirit was only one star in orbit. Judging from the brightness of the star, this Food Spirit was recently born.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not strong enough to try the challenge. I need to train more first,¡± he said, stretching his handsnguidly, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it about time for lunch?¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t brought it up, 1 would¡¯ve forgotten¡­¡± Qi Xiaoyu responded with a pained expression, rubbing her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry¡­¡±


    During the challenge, she exerted a great amount of energy due to insufficient clothing for the cold.


    However, the acquisition of the badge and registration for thepetition had distracted her, so she hadn¡¯t noticed her hunger.


    Now, with Liu Tianchen¡¯s mention of lunch, her hunger suddenly became almost unbearable.


    Not just Qi Xiaoyu, but the other three and their six Food Spirits who had gone through the challenge were also starving.


    ¡°My house is nearby. Everyonee have lunch together!¡± Liu Tianchen suggested excitedly, ¡°We are all Spirit Chefs, time to show off our culinary skills!¡±


    ¡°Leave the lunch problem to me,¡± Qin Lang interjected with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared for this.¡±


    As they curiously watched him, Qin Lang then pulled out from therge bag he was carrying¡­


    A cooking pot.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been secretly carrying a cooking pot all along?!¡± Qi Xiaoyu was stunned


    ¨C for a moment, so taken aback that she almost forgot she was hungry. ¡°I thought you¡¯d brought food!¡±


    ¡°A chef carrying a pot wherever they go is quite logical¡±, Qin Lang responded with a light chuckle, ¡°and you surely need a pot to make food.¡±


    In fact, he¡¯de up with this idea while riding the cable car and noticing the heavy snowfall over Bai Lu Mountain.


    The pot he carried was not an ordinary one.


    The interior was divided into twopartments by a curved metal piece, reminiscent of the Taoist yin and yang symbol.


    This was a Yuanyang pot.


    ¡°This is a custom-made pot, isn¡¯t it?¡± Liu Tianchen curiously examined the pot, taking an interest. ¡°Can it cook two different types of food at the same time?¡±


    ¡°More or less, but not exactly,¡± Qin Lang replied, grinning mischievously. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to your ce, and I¡¯ll make something for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Lunch is ready!¡±


    In Liu Tianchen¡¯s home, five people were seated around a dining table.


    In the middle of the table was Qin Lang¡¯srge pot, ced on an induction cooker for heating.


    Currently, the pot contained two distinct broths, each of a different color.


    One side boasted a ming red color, and the floating dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns conveyed a considerable level of spiciness.


    The increasingly emit spicy and rich aroma could not be ignored.


    The other side held a muddy white soup, but it was just as extraordinary.


    Using ingredients from Liu Tianchen¡¯s house, Qin Lang had made a pork stomach chicken soup. The rich vor greatly impressed Qi Xiaoyu as she had a quick taste.


    Around the Yuanyang pot were tes of neatly cut and arranged ingredients: tender tripe, shrimp slides, slices of fat mutton, beef, along with a variety of finely prepared vegetables.


    After swishing a slice of tripe seven or eight times in the pot, Qin Lang dipped it into a sauce dish filled with garlic and choppedtro soaked in vorful oil, then popped it into his mouth.


    The crispy tripe, nched in the spicy red soup, carried a hint of garlic and the fresh aroma oftro, offering a melodious symphony of vors as it was chewed.


    He hadn¡¯t tasted this familiar vor for a while and sighed with nostalgia.


    Watching the other four people eagerly eating, and their seven Food Spirits waiting for their treats, Qing Lang turned to look outside at the snowfall.


    This heavy snowfall is perfect with hot pot.


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 Chapter 133 - 133: Picking Stars

    Chapter 133: Picking Stars


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ah- This is really delicious!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu leaned back in her chair with a content expression.


    Her cheeks glowing red, not due to a bout of cold, but because of the warmth from eating hot pot.


    Initially, she found the numbing spicy soup base hard to amodate. However, as she ate, she began to feel warm all over, as though the invading chill had miraculously been dispelled, and she gradually fell in love with this sensation.


    Apart from all the ingredients on the table, the one she adored the most was the thinly-sliced beef. It required only a brief nching before it was ready to eat. Ascertaining its edibility was ridiculously simple ¨C one simply waited for it to change colour entirely.


    The beef, after being cooked in the spicy soup base, was surprisingly free from any greasiness. The bnced proportion of fat and lean meat created an exquisite taste during the chewing process.


    The thin slicing technique reduced the cooking time for the beef and retained the inherent delectability of the meat to the maximum extent. The marbled textures of the meat absorbed the essence of the aromatic and numbing spicy soup base. Combined with the dipping sauce, it was simply too divine for words.


    Qi Xiaoyu felt that she could eat a billion more mouthfuls if her stomach weren¡¯t so painfully full already.


    On the other side, Zhao Chen, who had arger appetite, was also reaching the end of his meal.


    He dumped thest te of mutton slices into the numbing spicy soup, waited until the pink hue of the raw mutton fully vanished to be reced by an enticing dull white and slight grey-brown, before scooping them out with a slotted spoon and cing them in the oil dish to soak, then transferred half of them into a small bowl nearby.


    With oily smears still around her mouth, Yangyang let out a cheer and resumed eating with gusto.


    Considering mutton dishes as her original favourite cuisine, she naturally had a special fondness for mutton.


    Zhao Chen too had a significant liking for mutton.


    He popped a piece of mutton slice into his mouth and savoured its sulence, a look of appreciation fluttered across his face.


    Controlling the mutton¡¯s strong vour is essential when cooking mutton.


    If the muttony taste is too overpowering, it can be difficult to swallow and could even induce nausea.


    However, if the muttony taste were altogether absent, the ¡°soul¡± of the mutton would be lost.


    Therefore, bncing the muttony taste is extremely crucial.


    The thinly sliced mutton, by reducing the cooking time, allowed the overpowering muttony vour to bergely dissipated during cooking. The muttony taste left in the mutton naturally reduced. Meanwhile, the various spices in the soup base yed a key role in suppressing the overpowering taste, making the fresh mutton easily delectable without any additional processing.


    Combined with the vour of mixed crushed garlic and chopped coriander in the oil-dipping sauce, these tastes gradually fused together during chewing and overflowed in the mouth, creating an indescribably wonderful sensation.


    Having finished thest te of mutton slices, Zhao Chen rubbed his distended stomach, nced at Yangyang who was also satiated beside him, and decided to call it a day.


    Meanwhile, Du Weiwei picked out the cooked wild vegetables from the clear soup pot, put them into her mouth directly, and simrly revealed a satisfied look.


    The reason she was still eating was not because of having arge appetite, but simply because she ate slowly.


    The wild vegetables, a local specialty of Bai Lu Mountain City, were somewhat crisp and tender. This unique texture and a hint of fresh vour amazed her.


    When these fresh voursbined with the clear soup made from pork stomach and chicken, they absorbed more delicious taste while undergoing a new transformation.


    Without needing any dipping sauce, merely eating it directly, Du Weiwei waspletely smitten by this wonderful taste.


    She lightly rubbed her slightly bloated stomach and reluctantly set down her chopsticks.


    She wanted to eat a billion more times.


    Let Xiaoyu say it!


    She thought to herself, then covertly snuck a nce at Qi Xiaoyu sitting next to her.


    Liu Tianchen¡¯s gaze swept over the four individuals in front of him, before eventually resting on Qin Lang, who was also full and leaning back in his chair.


    A notion began to form in his mind during the hotpot meal and by now, it had be an overwhelming impulse.


    It¡¯s time to reveal my true identity!


    Under the gaze of the four individuals, Liu Tianchen rose from his chair.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    In thergest meeting room of the Spirit Chef Association, Liu Shuang couldn¡¯t help but stand up, his expression serious, ¡°Chairman, are you sure?¡±


    The chairman of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, the only second-level Spirit Executor in the local area, Xu Qingmo, rubbed his eyebrows, and handed a sealed bag to Liu Shuang, ¡°You can see for yourself.¡± Liu Shuang took the bag, but before he even had a chance to inspect it closely, the door of the meeting room was abruptly opened.


    Figure after figure entered in session, all of them sharing the same identity ¨C they were the Spirit Executors of Bai Lu Mountain City.


    Unlike Liu Shuang, who had constructed the Cold Snow Training Ground halfway up the mountain, the other first-level Spirit Executors all lived in the city area at the foot of the mountain, so they arrived a bitter.


    ¡°Chairman, is it true what you said on the phone?¡± The lead figure spoke anxiously, but his gaze quickly fell on the bag in Liu Shuang¡¯s hand.


    The gazes of the other Spirit Executors also gathered on it in unison.


    Within that in transparent sealed bag, under all those focused gazes,y a postcard. On it was an odd ck symbol.


    It was a fancy mask, but the location of the eye holes had been reced by the shape of hands. At where the nose bridge of the mask should be, there was a depression like a gem mount, and its upper contour outlined a glowing gem.


    And the shape of that gem, everyone present was very familiar with.


    It was the outline of a Starstone.


    As they looked at the two hands reaching for the gem in the symbol, the hearts of everyone present seemed to be tightly squeezed by an invisible grasp.


    This symbol was¡­


    The world-ss criminal organization, Star Hunter!


    ¡°Chairman, isn¡¯t that¡­¡± A Spirit Executor couldn¡¯t help but begin, ¡°The prophetic letter from the legends?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Qingmo slightly nodded, a stern look in his phoenix eyes, ¡°This is the notorious prophetic letter of the Star Hunters.¡±


    The crowd exchanged nces.


    Naturally, they were not unfamiliar with this globally well-known criminal organization.


    ording to rumors, this criminal organization has a very special tradition. They would send a prophetic letter to the target before each operation.


    It¡¯s as if sessfully executing the actions even under the target¡¯s full preparation was a great thrill for the Star Hunter organization.


    The validity of the prophetic letter was half a month.


    That is to say, the Star Hunter organization would definitely act within the next fifteen days after the prophetic letter is received.


    And their target was none other than the Starstone.


    This was an organization that specializes in stealing the Starstone, which is controlled solely by the Spirit Chef Association!


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, everyone take a seat. We need toe up with a strategy next.¡± Xu Qingmo waved his hand, indicating for the other Spirit Executors to be seated.


    The Spirit Executors sat down one after another, the expressions on their faces growing more serious.


    At their level, they had vaguely heard some rumors.


    There was a reason why the Spirit Chef Association held the Starstone in such high regard.


    Behind the Starstone,y an enormous secret.


    Therefore, they cannot afford to lose!


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 Chapter 134 - 134: Countermeasures

    Chapter 134: Countermeasures


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Within the fifteen-day validity period of the notice, I think the only thing that can attract the Star Hunters¡¯ interest is the uing Youth Training Competition,¡± Liu Shuang spoke solemnly in the meeting room.


    The other Spirit Executors didn¡¯t speak, but by their expressions, they apparently agreed with this judgment.


    Since the Star Hunters were only interested in the Starstone, they would certainly be interested in the neen Starstones offered by the Youth Training Competition.


    ¡°These Starstones will be transferred from the association¡¯s headquarters tomorrow,¡± Xu Qingmo frowned. ¡°From tomorrow until the end of the Youth Training Competition or until all Starstones are used up, we need to be on high alert.¡±


    ¡°Chairman, maybe we can take the initiative and strike first?¡± another Spirit Executor suggested. ¡°How did the Star Hunters send this notice? Can we find them based on this and arrest them?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I¡¯ve thought of this.¡± Xu Qingmo shook her head. ¡°The notice was delivered by a little girl. She was rewarded with candy to deliver the letter.¡± ¡°The girl never saw the actual sender, and the only fingerprints on the notice belong to the girl.¡±


    ¡°I have also checked surveince from the surrounding area; the person was standing in the blind spot of the cameras.¡±


    ¡°So, using this clue to find them is unrealistic.¡±


    ¡°What cunning creatures!¡± the Spirit Executor sighed, abandoning the idea of actively searching for them.


    ¡°Can we¡­¡± another Spirit Executor hesitated and then spoke, ¡°Dy the Youth Training Competition?¡±


    ¡°Will the problem be solved if thepetition only begins after half a month?¡± ¡°Dying thepetition is no longer an option and could likely cause a more dreadful negative impact.¡± Xu Qingmo sighed, ¡°Firstly, the Starstones sent by the Association¡¯s headquarters are almost here; it is impossible to return them at this time.¡±


    ¡°So, even if we dy thepetition, the Starstones will still be in the Association¡¯s hands, and we will not only be unable to avoid this, but instead we will need to deploy additional security forces.¡±


    ¡°This is only one aspect of it.¡± Liu Shuang began to voice his concern upon remembering something, ¡°This year¡¯s Youth Training Competition is somewhat special.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Xu Qingmo took out another printed report and distributed it among the Spirit Executors. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    As everyone in the room began reading the report, she spoke softly, ¡°The number of participants in this year¡¯s Youth Training Competition is over sixty, which is four or five times more than the previous years.¡±


    ¡°And all these extra participants are basically from other cities in Tianhua State, and even one from out of state.¡±


    ¡°Tickets for the Audience Seats for the Duel and Rankingpetitions also sold out quickly. ording to backstage statistics, 52% of these audiences are from other ces, even surpassing local audiences.¡±


    The whole room went silent.


    They knew the reasons well.


    The recent Tianhua State trainingpetition that just ended yesterday must be the cause of this.


    Star Hunters, who had not shown up in Bai Lu Mountain City before, chose to operate here probably because of this timing.


    If there were only local yers and local audiences, then postponing thepetition could still be feasible to some extent. However, with so many foreign yers and audiences, the negative impact of dying thepetition could be muchrger.


    ¡°Therefore, the Youth Training Competition must proceed as usual,¡± Xu Qingmo spoke solemnly, then her expression slightly rxed, ¡°Fortunately, the Star Hunters are only interested in the Starstones.¡±


    ¡°As they imed, in the hundreds of crimesmitted by the Star Hunters in the past, there have been no incidents of casualties.¡±


    ¡°So, we don¡¯t have to worry about the safety of the audience and contestants, we just need to go all out to protect the Starstones and stop the actions of the Star Hunters.¡±


    ¡°Chairman, didn¡¯t Mr. Qu Cheng leave our city this morning, right after the provincial trainingpetition?¡± another Spirit Executor suddenly thought of something, her eyes lighting up, ¡°If he can return to Bai Lu Mountain City¡­¡±


    The faces of the other Spirit Executors also showed hopeful expressions.


    Chairman of the Tianhua State Association, Level Three Spirit Executor, a powerful Spirit Chef Qu Cheng who has opened six Star Veins.


    With him here, all criminal activities of the Star Hunters will be thwarted.


    ¡°In fact, I have already reported the situation to him,¡± Xu Qingmo shook her head. ¡°Mr. Qu Cheng can¡¯t make it; he has other matters of higher importance to deal with.¡±


    ¡°And the timing of this notice is very cunning.¡± Xu Qingmo pointed to the notice on the table, ¡°It arrived almost as soon as Mr. Qu Cheng had just left.¡±


    ¡°It seems that they are certain Mr. Qu Cheng will not be able to return.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± A Spirit Executor couldn¡¯t help but m the table.


    Although they had heard of this organization before, this was their first encounter.


    For a moment, they felt as if there were eyes watching them all the time, giving them an ufortable sensation.


    ¡°Chairman, should we inform the Vice-Chairman about this?¡± Liu Shuang couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°If it¡¯s just us, I¡¯m worried about the loss of the Starstones.¡±


    ¡°No need, let her rest at Luxing Garden,¡± Xu Qingmo¡¯s eyes softened a bit. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, we do have assistance.¡±


    She looked towards the meeting room door, ¡°Come in!¡±


    The meeting room door was pushed open, and a figure walked in slowly.


    Even though he wasn¡¯t tall, his presence inexplicablyforted the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of the situation.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao, who had just be the provincial training champion yesterday, looked at the people in the meeting room.


    ¡°Before the end of the Youth Training Competition, I will stay in Bai Lu Mountain City to assist with security.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You are Qin Lang¡¯s fan?¡±


    After listening to Liu Tianchen¡¯s statement, Qi Xiaoyu opened her eyes wide. She nced at him, then at Qin Lang, a strong curiosity on her face.


    Zhao Chen slightly stroked his chin, pondering why he doesn¡¯t have any fans.


    Even Du Weiwei showed surprise and disbelief on her face.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been following you for a while!¡± Liu Tianchen nodded, looking at Qin Lang, who was sitting upright in surprise, his eyes filled with fighting spirit, ¡°1 want to have a Food Fight with you!¡±


    ¡°I advise you to think it over,¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°Qin Lang is the champion of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Liu Tianchen nodded, ¡°But I still want to have a Food Fight with you!


    I want to see how big the gap between us really is!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Qin Lang gradually regained hisposure, nodding, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know how this youngster from another city came to know about him, he wouldn¡¯t decline a Food Fight delivered to his door, ¡°I choose the Limited Cuisine Theme.¡±


    Qin Lang took out the Duel Initiator, the two embedded the Spirit Chef Badges. After finishing the corresponding adjustments, the theme quickly stopped rolling and was decided.


    [Pasta]


    Quick ess: [Monthly Tickets] [Rmendation Tickets]

 Chapter 135 - 135: Pie in the Sky

    Chapter 135: Pie in the Sky


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± Liu Tianchen has an expectant look on his face afterpleting the process of the Food Fight challenge. It seems as if he has been longing for this fight for a long time, ¡°In two days, I will bring out my strongest strength!¡±


    ¡°I will also bring out my strongest strength.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously, but quickly changed the subject, ¡°Can you tell me now, how did you start following me?¡±


    He was quite curious about this.


    ¡°It¡¯s the D Site!¡± Liu Tianchen replied matter-of-factly, and saw Qin Lang with a puzzled look, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how many fans you have on D Site?¡±


    Qin Lang was taken aback for a moment.


    D Site¡­


    Frankly speaking, he hadpletely forgotten about this.


    After uploading the video of the Orange vored shrimp, he thought he was just a nobody. The video didn¡¯t make much of a ssh in a short time, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it afterwards.


    After attending the Beef Tasting Banquet at Zhen Niu Pavilion, anding to Bai Lu Mountain City on Zhao Chen¡¯s proposal, hepletely forgot about the video he uploaded on D Site.


    Almost five days had passed since he uploaded the video.


    Qin Lang took out his phone in silence and opened D Site, an app he hadn¡¯t essed in five days.


    However, someone was quicker than him.


    After finding out about Qin Lang¡¯s D Site nickname from Liu Tianchen, Zhao Chen immediately found Qin Lang¡¯s homepage and couldn¡¯t help crying out, ¡°470,000 fans?¡±


    ¡°So many?¡± Qi Xiaoyu and Du Weiwei were surprised and quickly huddled in front of the screen before looking at Qin Lang in astonishment.


    Qin Lang was also very surprised.


    ¡°I only posted one video, how could there be so many fans?¡±


    Could it be that the active users on D Site in this world were at such a high level?


    This didn¡¯t seem right. If that were the case, Jiang Bai wouldn¡¯t have just a few tens of thousands of fans.


    ¡°I know the answer to this question.¡± Liu Tianchen smiled, ¡°Because a top D Site user saw your video and sent you a Silver Treasure Box.¡±


    ¡°The top three most valuable gifts on D Site are the Bronze Treasure Box, Silver Treasure Box, and Golden Treasure Box. When these three types of boxes are given, they are disyed in a pop-up banner. Other users who see the banner have a chance to click into your homepage to watch your video.¡±


    ¡°The Bronze Treasure Box allows all online users in the city of the broadcaster to see the banner, the Silver Treasure Box extends the range to the state of the broadcaster, and the Golden Treasure Box extends the range to the entire region.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully.


    This Bronze, Silver, and Golden Treasure Box are not things from his previous life¡¯s D Site.


    It is actually a gift from a reading tform called Starting Point that is simr. ¡°So it¡¯s because of that box that I have gained so many fans?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Liu Tianchen nodded, ¡°But 1 didn¡¯t get to know you because of the Silver Treasure Box. Instead, 1 saw the video shared by Dove!¡±


    Dove¡­ is that referring to Jiang Bai?


    Qin Lang suddenly realized.


    With all this, the story of how he gained hundreds of thousands of fans in five days became clear.


    He first sent a message to Jiang Bai to express his thanks. Then, with the help of Liu Tianchen, he found the record of the Silver Treasure Box he received five days ago.


    Vera0205, ording to Liu Tianchen, is a famous rich woman active on D Site.


    Qin Lang saw the message she left when she sent the gift, and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Traveler: ¡°Thank you, big guy, I¡¯ll go buy new equipment right away.¡±


    After returning the message, Qin Lang opened the only video under his homepage, the Orange vored shrimp.


    The familiar video seemed slightly unfamiliar due to the barrage of openingments.


    [Warning: If you don¡¯t have snacks near you, run! Don¡¯te in!!]


    ¡°Grumble?¡±


    Is this our video?


    Dan Bao quickly came over, and soon saw its appearance in the video.


    ¡°Creak?¡±


    What do these words mean?


    The nearby Spicy blinked, looking confused.


    It hasn¡¯t had time to learn to read yet. On the other hand, Dan Bao, who has been around longer, can recognize most of the characters.


    The two Food Spirits huddled together, with Dan Bao whispering an exnation of what the barrage meant. Spicy just nodded as if it understood, and upon hearing that someone wasplimenting it, it immediately showed a surprised expression. The bubble on its head started turning red.


    Afterwards, Qin Lang who had just finished watching the video saw a barrage ofments at the end demanding more videos, and rubbed his chin.


    Thanks to the help of the rich woman, umting poprity was much easier than he thought.


    In that case, he should schedule the second video to be released in the next two days.


    But also, he had to find time to buy some filming equipment.


    In retrospect, even he felt the quality of the first video was a bit too poor, and there were quite a few rtedints in the barrage.


    So for future content, he needs to pay attention to this aspect too.


    ¡°Qin Lang, I¡¯ve followed you too!¡± Qi Xiaoyu cheerfully waved her mobile phone, showing the followed interface.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ve followed too!¡± Zhao Chen clicked follow without hesitation.


    Keeping an eye on your rival¡¯s every move, starting from following his D Station ount!


    Du Weiwei didn¡¯t say anything, quietly clicked follow, and even threw in a coin for good measure.


    ¡°Thanks for your support then.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    After dinner, the five of them chatted for a while and cleared up the tables and tableware together.


    Seeing that it was almost time for the cable car to depart down the mountain, the four of them, Qin Lang included, soon excused themselves.


    ¡°Be careful on your way!¡± At the entrance of the house, Liu Tianchen waved at the four, ¡°See you at the Spirit Chef Association in two days!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Qin Lang responded loudly, and together with the other three, they walked out into the snow.


    By the time they returned to the hotel at the foot of the mountain, it was already in the afternoon.


    Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s cold hadn¡¯t fully subsided, and Zhao Chen had also caught a cold after lending his coat to Qi Xiaoyu.


    Du Weiwei, who was staying in the same room as Qi Xiaoyu, was responsible for taking care of her.


    As for Zhao Chen¡­ Qin Lang prepared some cold medicine for him. With an adolescent¡¯s constitution, a rest in the afternoon should be enough for his recovery.


    Once he ensured that the otherpanions were unharmed, Qin Lang, along with Dan Bao and Spicy, went alone into a nearby mall.


    He nned to buy a suitable set of filming equipment nearby.


    In his previous life, Qin Lang had some knowledge about this. Although the brands of electronic products in the Food Spirit World were different, it was easy to tell whether they were good or not by testing them.


    Through the rmendations of theprehensive shopping guide and his own trials, Qin Lang quickly set his eyes on a set of equipment that wasn¡¯t cheap.


    He was quite flush at the moment, so he didn¡¯t hesitate much before paying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can go back to the hotel now.¡±


    Hanging the camera around his neck, Qin Lang motioned for the two Food Spirits to follow.


    Spicy quickly followed him, but Dan Bao¡¯s attention was drawn to a conversation between a father and son next to a toy store.


    ¡°Dad, I want to buy thetest ¡®Super Chef¡¯ figurine!¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, I¡¯ll buy it for you next time!¡±


    This conversation made Dan Bao feel strangely familiar.


    Especially that ¡°next time¡±.


    It remembered that Qin Lang had said this phrase before.


    When was that¡­


    A sh of light crossed Dan Bao¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Grumble!¡±


    Big meat buns!


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 136 - 136: Meat Bun

    Chapter 136: Meat Bun


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Meat Buns?¡±


    Upon hearing Dan Bao¡¯s words, Qin Lang uncharacteristically felt a pang of guilt.


    He didn¡¯t intend to make empty promises, he simply forgot about the words he said offhand before.


    He remembered the first time he made Fried Pork in Scoop, where he mentioned kneading dough and promised to make big meat buns for Dan Bao if he had the chance.


    However, up to now, he still hadn¡¯t done it.


    ¡°In that case, 1 will make big meat buns for both of you tonight!¡± Qin Lang quickly made a decision on what the night¡¯s dinner would be.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Hooray!


    A look of excitement appeared on Dan Bao¡¯s face.


    Looks like he needs to keep an eye on dishes Qin Lang mentions but never prepares, so he can eat more delicious food!


    So, he thought to himself.


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Can¡¯t wait to eat the big meat buns!


    Spicy also appeared to be very expectant on the side.


    Even though it didn¡¯t hear Qin Lang¡¯s previous promise, it found the keyword that interested it the most in this new food name.


    Meat.


    Meat dishes, always taste good!


    ¡°Perfect, with Spicy¡¯s Food Skill, making big meat buns can be much faster.¡± Qin Langughed while looking at Spicy, then beckoned, ¡°Let¡¯s quickly go back to the hotel then!¡±


    The man and two spirits hastened their return.


    Possibly considering Qin Lang¡¯s status as a Spirit Chef, Luo Hui had rmended many hotels in his guide that have their own kitchens where one can cook their own food.


    The ce where they¡¯re staying now is also like this.


    After buying the necessary ingredients from the certified Food Material Market nearby, in the kitchen of the hotel suite, Qin Lang, watched by the two Food Spirits, lined up the ingredients one by one on the counter.


    ¡°I n to make the big meat buns we¡¯ll prepareter the subject of our second video,¡± Qin Lang didn¡¯t immediately begin, he instead began discussing it with Dan Bao and Spicy, ¡°and it would be a good opportunity to test out our recently purchased video equipment. What do you guys think?¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy exchanged a nce.


    They thought about the number of audiences praising them in thements of the previous video, and they simultaneously nodded.


    This time, they would have to perform even better on camera!


    Seeing that the two little ones had no objections, Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°If that¡¯s so, let¡¯s begin the first step of making big meat buns, kneading the dough.¡±


    While he spoke, he already cut open a brand newrge bag of medium-gluten flour and poured it into the bowl. A small cloud of white smoke billowed up from the bottom of the bowl, causing Dan Bao and Spicy, who were trying to peek into the bowl, to quickly retreat.


    Only when the white smoke settled did the two little ones dare to approach again.


    While this was happening, Qin Lang already poured warm water into another bowl, dissolving yeast, aluminum-free baking powder, and a little white sugar in it.


    Following a two-to-one ratio of flour to water, he poured the warm water into the flour a little at a time, stirring while adding.


    Before long, under the watchful eyes of the two little ones, the fine-grained flour in the bowl turned into a slightly yellow, fleecy amalgamation.


    Qin Lang added a spoonful ofrd, then dipped his clean hands into the bowl, starting to knead with all his might.


    As Qin Lang¡¯s kneading continued, the bits and pieces of dough in the bowl slowly came together, gradually mixing evenly on the inside and achieving the ¡°Three Lights¡± state often seen when finished kneading dough on the outside.


    The Dough is smooth, doesn¡¯t stick to the bowl, and doesn¡¯t stick to hands.


    Once the dough is kneaded, Qin Lang covered the opening of the bowl with cling film, then handed the bowl to Spicy who was on standby nearby, ¡°Cooking eleration.¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    Spicy nodded with conviction, then burst forth with a strange power from within, elerating the dough¡¯s proofing process in the bowl.


    Meanwhile, Dan Bao also received a task.


    That¡¯s because Qin Lang had started preparing another keyponent to the big meat buns ¨C the ground meat.


    Compared to the often exercised hind legs of a pig, the front legs move less, resulting in a higher fat content and finer texture of the meat.


    Such meat, finely minced, will be more juicely packed.


    Arge piece of pork foreleg meat bought from the Food Material Market is restored to the freshest state under the effect of Fresh Full, and then quickly skinned by Qin Lang, sliced and chopped into fine pieces of meat.


    Ifpletely chopped into a meat paste, the texture of the ground meat thatcks the grainy feel may not be as good.


    The minced meat is ced in a bowl, seasoned with light soy sauce, salt, MSG, pepper, thirteenth spices, cooking oil, oyster sauce, a bit of white sugar, cooking wine, and even scallion and ginger water is added in batches to mix evenly.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    The cabbage is ready!


    A small bowl contains chopped cabbage, which flies in front of Qin Lang.


    That¡¯s the result of Dan Bao processing it with Fresh Full, then controlling the kitchen knife to chop with Thought Waves.


    ¡°Great!¡±


    Qin Lang praises and then directly pour the chopped cabbage into the meat filling and continues to mix evenly.


    ¡°ck!¡±


    Mine is also ready!


    It seems that Spicy didn¡¯t want Dan Bao to take all the credit.


    It quickly pushed forward a dough basin. With its Cooking eleration and natural passing of time, this dough had been fermenting for about forty minutes.


    ¡°Spicy is also excellent!¡±


    Adhering to the principle of fairness, Qin Lang also praised Spicy.


    He put the well-stirred ground meat into the refrigerator to chill, then pulled the basin closer to check on the dough fermentation.


    Just a short while had passed, and the dough in the basin had already changed significantly.


    The dough initially at the bottom of the basin that had not touched the basin wall had now increased in volume by more than twofold. Not only was it clinging to the basin wall, but it had also formed a convex arch in the middle.


    Tearing open the dough along its contact with the basin wall, one can easily see countless honeb-like holes inside.


    These swelling holes, caused by the anaerobic fermentation of yeast producing gas, are why the dough expands and are also key in making big meat buns fluffy and soft.


    A thinyer of dry wheat flour is sprinkled on the table case. The fermented dough is pulled out of the basin and ced on the table case for kneading again to degas and reduce its volume. Then it is rolled into a strip and divided into evenly sized pieces.


    Ten¡­Twenty¡­Thirty!


    Looking at the many dough portions, Dan Bao blinked.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Aren¡¯t that many big meat buns too much?


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Zhao Chen and the others are still resting, they probably haven¡¯t had dinner yet, I¡¯ll make their share too.¡±


    For four people and six food spirits, thirty buns are more than enough.


    Cover the divided dough pieces with a damp cloth and let them rest for five minutes.


    When the wet cloth is removed, the dough pieces had expanded several times more than before, looking plump and pleasing.


    Taking the ground meat out of the refrigerator, Qin Lang quickens his actions.


    He rolls the dough pieces into a skin with a certain thickness, stuffs the meat filling in it, pinches out beautiful pleats, and neatly arranges them one by one in the steaming basket next to him.


    Close the steamer¡¯s lid and let them rest for ten minutes.


    After the buns have further increased in volume, turn on the heat and steam on high for fifteen minutes.


    Thanks to Spicy¡¯s eleration, the above two steps arepleted in just a minute.


    The eyes of the two food spirits are firmly fixed on Qin Lang¡¯s hand, which is on the steamer¡¯s lid.


    Are they ready yet?


    Quick ess:[Monthly Tickets] [Rmended Tickets]


    Special content at the end of this chapter:


    [Fresh Meat Bun]

 Chapter 137 - 137:102

    137 Chapter 137: Remote Sorrow


    "The buns are steamed and ready."


    Watching two Food Spirits approach him with the hunger of kittens, Qin Lang chuckled helplessly, picking up his camera. "Don''t forget about this."


    Oh yeah, they need to record it!


    The two Food Spirits just remembered - they had a task at hand.


    Despite the tantalizing aroma of the big meat buns permeating through the steamer and into the air, thinking about the captivating video they could shoot that would be viewed by many rendered them with enough motivation to stifle their hunger.


    As Qin Lang lifted the lid of the steamer, a thick fog carrying the heady aroma of the meat buns quickly filled the entire kitchen.


    Carefully, he lifted a tray of big meat buns and activated his camera to start gathering footage.


    "This angle should work..."


    "Let''s try here..."


    "You two can enter the shot now."


    "Dan Bao, get us an overhead shot with the camera!"


    "..."


    After themotion, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    "Dig in!"


    Upon hearing this phrase, the two famished Food Spirits lunged towards the steamer, each picking up a delicious big meat bun to taste.


    Their fierce eating stylebined with their cute appearances made Qin Lang even hungrier just by watching.


    Having the Food Spirits host a mukbang was definitely a smart choice.


    After filming for a while, Qin Lang put down the recording equipment.


    He had gathered all the footage he needed, and all that was left was the editing.


    But before that...


    He took a meat bun from the steamer, no longer scalding to the touch. After blowing on it, he took a big bite.


    He bit right through the soft and fluffy bun, revealing the glossy, juicy ground meat glistening under the light.


    The inside of the bun was a light brown color, its porous texture absorbing the juices from the meat, making it moist and inviting.


    The fluffy and supple structure not only elevated the bun''s taste but also allowed salivary amse arger reaction surface, elerating the conversion of starch to maltose during mastication.


    The increasingly sweet bun coupled with the salty fresh taste of the meat juice interweaving in his mouth quickly gave rise to an astonishing vor.


    Even though his first bite didn''t contain much meat, the bun itself was already impressive enough.


    The second bite, which included both the bun and the meat, brought about another transformativeyer of taste and texture.


    The finely granted tender meat mixed with the fresh cabbage created a beautiful dance of vors between the bun and its filling.


    After devouring a big meat bun, a satisfied look appeared on Qin Lang''s face.


    Hmm... I should have a billion more!


    ...


    "Um...Weiwei, what time is it now?"


    In the twin room where the two girls were staying, Qi Xiaoyu stirred awake, sat up from the bed, and rubbed her eyes.


    "It''s five-thirty." Du Weiwei nced at the time, then sat up and held Qi Xiaoyu''s hand. "You''ve just woken up, how do you feel?"


    "I''vepletely recovered now!" Qi Xiaoyu hugged Du Weiwei, grinning from ear to ear. "What shall we have for dinner?"


    "The first thing on your mind after waking up is food, that means you''re truly better." Du Weiwei responded with a smile. Just as she was about to propose their dinner ns, two notification sounds interrupted her.


    The notifications came from Du Weiwei and Qi Xiaoyu''s phones.


    Both of them instinctively picked up their phones and soon saw the notice.


    [The UP master "Traveler" you''ve subscribed to has released a new video.]


    "Qin Lang has released a new video?" Qi Xiaoyu murmured, clicking on the link which led to Qin Lang''s newly released video.


    Du Weiwei put down her phone, leaned in to the screen of Qi Xiaoyu''s phone, and watched along.


    A momentter, the room fell silent. The gradually quickening breaths and the sounds of the two girls subconsciously swallowing saliva became distinctly noticeable.


    "This background is the independent kitchen in the hotel." Du Weiwei suddenly spoke.


    "Shall we... go find him?" Qi Xiaoyu''s eyes were sparkling, clearly eager at the idea.


    Ding-Dong~


    A message alert sounded.


    A new message from the group chat that Qin Lang had created for the four on the messaging app.


    Qin Lang: I''ve cooked dinner for you all. [Picture]


    "Let''s go!"


    One look at the steaming meat buns was enough for Qi Xiaoyu to spring out of bed and dart towards the door.


    "Wait! You haven''t changed out of your pajamas!"


    ...


    "Sigh."


    A dejected teenagery on his bed, sighing from time to time.


    He was facing a dilemma.


    Or rather, his family was facing a dilemma.


    The 17-year-old, who had just been gifted with his first Food Spirit and had be a Spirit Chef, thought he could help his family, but his father mercilessly refused.


    He nced at his floating Food Spirit, hugging it and quietly grumbled, "Dad still treats me like a kid. Even though I''m a fully capable Spirit Chef."


    "Goo~"


    The Food Spirit rubbed its Spirit Chef, offering its own form of constion.


    "What bothers me the most is, everything Dad said is true," his face looked even more despondent, "Even though I''m already a Spirit Chef, my cooking skills aren''t impressive enough to help him solve this crisis."


    "I want to help Dad, what should I do..."


    He hung his head low, visibly dispirited as he cuddled his Food Spirit.


    "Ding ding ding~"


    A notification rang from his discarded phone.


    The teenager temporarily lifted his head, picking up his phone to check the alert.


    [The UP master "Traveler" you''ve subscribed to has released a new video.]


    Traveler?


    The teenager pondered for a while, then it struck him.


    A few days ago, he had watched Wei La 0205''s Silver Treasure Box on the D Site.


    He had followed the Treasure Box banner, and by following the UP master who got it, he''d gotten a chance to participate in the lottery. He''d casually followed the UP master named "Traveler".


    Although he only won experience points...


    After clicking follow, the teenager had taken a look at Traveler''s videos. The Orange vored Shrimp tempted him, so he didn''t unfollow.


    Though the teenager didn''t take this to heart, since he used D Site often and followed at least a dozen UP masters every day.


    Seeing Traveler''s new video, the depressed teenager curiously clicked open.


    "Delicious Big Meat Bun?" He read the video title under his breath and started watching.


    Ignoring the few bullentin boardments that were popping up, the teenager''s first notice was the new delicacy called Big Meat Bun.


    The white appearance, seemed like it was some kind of pasta.


    Wait... pasta?!


    The teenager sat straighter, his distracted attitude had now be focused.


    His family''s problem was precisely rted to this.


    Soon, the teenager finished watching the video, swallowing hard, excitement gleaming in his eyes.


    A daring idea formed rapidly in his mind.


    Maybe, he could try his luck?


    -------------


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 Chapter 138 - 138: Guess

    Chapter 138: Guess


    Trantor: 549690339


    Thinking that he should go ahead, the boy exited the video and entered the Traveler¡¯s homepage.


    Then, he clicked on the private message icon.


    This way, he could speak directly with the Traveler.


    After formting his thoughts, he described the trouble his family was facing in the private message and expressed that he was hopeful the Traveler might be able to help.


    [¡­ If you¡¯re willing to help, I can offer ]


    The boy reluctantly wrote down all the pocket money he had saved over the years.


    He hoped that this amount could move the Traveler¡­


    Checking the message twice more, he finally clicked ¡®send¡¯.


    After sending the message, the boy let out a sigh of relief, but with it came a new sense of nerves.


    He then opened Qin Lang¡¯s most viewed video to collect information that might give more insight into the uploader.


    Before long, he found a user named ¡°Dove¡± in the earliestments. It seemed to be another video uploader.


    By following the trail, the boy jumped to Jiang Bai¡¯s homepage and began viewing corresponding videos.


    After rewatching the video where Jiang Bai meets Qin Lang, the boy breathed a sigh of relief.


    If the video wasn¡¯t scripted, the uploader named Qin Lang seemed to be quite easy-going in his private life.


    That being the case, it increased the likelihood of him epting the boy¡¯s request.


    Failing to find any more leads, the boy turned off his phone.


    In his eyes was something called ¡°hope¡±.


    [The ¡°Traveler¡± you follow has published new videos]


    Seeing the notification shown on his lit-up phone, the actions of Liu Tianchen, who had been preparing for a Food Fight in the kitchen scheduled in two days¡¯ time, slightly paused.


    ¡°Qin Lang has updated a new video? At this hour?¡±


    He cleaned his hands and started checking up on his phone.


    ¡°Bu Yi~¡±


    Liu Tianchen¡¯s Food Spirit also leaned into the screen with curiosity.


    Both the spirit and its humanpanion quickly finished watching the video.


    Liu Tianchen swallowed, ¡°These big meat buns look so delicious.¡±


    The Food Spirit nodded in agreement.


    Just watching their two friends enjoy a hot pot lunch together was already making it feel hungry.


    ¡°But this may spell trouble for us.¡± Liu Tianchen became a bit serious at the thought. ¡°The big meat buns ¨C they are a type of pasta.¡±


    Pasta was the theme for his uing Food Fight with Qin Lang.


    ¡°I think Qin Lang may use it as his dish for the Food Fight.¡± Liu Tianchen drew the conclusion, ¡°The good thing is that he is also a YouTuber, so we have advanced knowledge of this important intelligence.¡±


    Although the opponent was strong, Liu Tianchen had chosen to challenge him and would fight with all his might.


    ¡°So now, we need to practice even harder!¡±


    ¡°BuYi!¡±


    Seemingly inspired by the fighting spirit shown by Liu Tianchen, the Food Spirit nodded heavily.


    ¡°Ziya~¡±


    With a serious look on his face, Liu Shuang walked into the house.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back home. Have you had dinner yet?¡± Liu Tianchen walked out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Liu Shuang shook his head.


    ¡°Then try the food 1 just prepared and give me some feedback!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Taking the dishes prepared by his son, Liu Shuang¡¯s serious expression melted like snow. His hunger drove him to wolf down Liu Tianchen¡¯s dinner, and afterward, he gave his suggestions.


    Seeing his son carefully noting down each of his suggestions, Liu Shuang hesitated for a moment before speaking, ¡°Tianchen, the Association has some important matters to deal with, so 1 might not be able toe home from tomorrow onwards. This will likelyst until the Youth Training Competition ends.¡±


    ¡°Your work is important, Dad.¡± Liu Tianchen nodded understandingly. ¡°My senior brothers and 1 will manage the dojo.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I am having a Food Fight with Qin Lang the day after tomorrow. The theme is pasta.¡±


    ¡°Even though I can¡¯t be there to watch, 1 will cheer for you.¡± Liu Shuang patted Liu Tianchen¡¯s shoulder. The pressure brought by the Star Hunter notice seemed to alleviate quite a bit at that moment.


    ¡°I dere! These big meat buns are my new favorite!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes were gleaming as she held up her big meat bun, a look of bliss on her face.


    Although she could already imagine how delicious the buns would be from just watching the video, she only realized she had severely underestimated them when she was actually biting into one.


    On the other hand, Zhao Chen didn¡¯t say a word. He was several bites into his fourth big meat bun.


    As Qin Lang had predicted, the Adolescent had slept off his cold, and now he was back to his vibrant self, eating voraciously.


    Du Weiwei leisurely finished her second bun and, looking curiously at Qin Lang, asked, ¡°Does the big meat bun count as pasta? Will you be using it for your Food Fight the day after tomorrow?¡±


    Upon hearing her question, Qi Xiaoyu and Zhao Chen simultaneously stopped eating, their curious gazes fixed on Qin Lang.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Qin Lang rubbed his chin.


    He had considered this question while making the buns.


    However, in his view, making big meat buns tonight was simply to fulfill his promise to Dan Bao and had nothing to do with the Food Fight.


    He had already filmed the bun-making process and uploaded a video about it and he presumed Liu Tianchen must¡¯ve seen it.


    So, during the Food Fight, he nned to surprise thetter.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Qin Lang answered honestly. ¡°If 1 don¡¯te up with any other choice by the time of the Food Fight, 1 might use it.¡±


    Du Weiwei, catching the meaning between his words, nced at Qin Lang in surprise, ¡°It seems 1 can look forward to tasting new dishes.¡±


    ¡°What kind of guessing game are you two ying?¡± Qi Xiaoyu blinked, finishing the bun in her hand. ¡°Qin Lang¡¯s Food Fight is the day after tomorrow, and the Youth Training Competition is the day after that. Shouldn¡¯t we rx and have fun somewhere tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°All you think about is having fun.¡± Du Weiwei yfully smacked Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s head, ¡°Don¡¯t you have to prepare for the Food Fight and the selectionpetition?¡±


    ¡°Hey~¡± Qi Xiaoyu waved her off, ¡°The more one is under stress, the more one should rx. This is calledbining work with rest!¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling you already have a ce in mind, don¡¯t you?¡± Du Weiwei raised an eyebrow, knowing her best friend better than anyone else.


    ¡°Correct!¡± Qi Xiaoyu chuckled, ¡°Today, when i was on the cable car, I noticed a snow slope mid-mountain at Bai Lu Mountain that seems perfect for skiing. Apparently, there are ces nearby where you can rent skiing gear too.¡± ¡°Skiing, wow!¡± her face was full of anticipation, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys want to try it?¡± At that, Du Weiwei appeared tempted.


    Noticing her best friend wavering, Qi Xiaoyu enthusiastically took Du Weiwei¡¯s arm,¡±Doesn¡¯t Little Glutinous Rice¡¯sbined skills have something to do with ice and snow? Training on a snow-covered slope would be most appropriate.¡± ¡°Well¡­ alright.¡± Du Weiwei was sessfully convinced.


    Next, Qi Xiaoyu turned her gaze towards Zhao Chen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s face took on a proud look. ¡°As an excellent training master, skiing is a must-have skill.¡±


    With that said, all three of them turned their eyes to Qin Lang.


    Seeing Dan Bao and Spicy, who were eager to join in, Qin Lang shrugged.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


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 Chapter 139 - 139 Skiing

    Chapter 139: Skiing


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This slope is indeed perfect for skiing.¡±


    Qin Lang shielded his face from the sunlight with his gloved hand, standing at the highest point of the snow slope, overlooking the whole stretch.


    The vast expanse of white filling his vision caused a hint of excitement to sh across his face.


    Morning is the best time to ski.


    ¡°Shall we begin?¡± He checked his face mask, adjusted his goggles, and turned to the two Food Spirits beside him.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    I¡¯m ready!


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Let¡¯s do this!


    The two Food Spirits nodded simultaneously, showing just as much anticipation for this new skiing experience.


    Skiing gear in the Food Spirit World wasn¡¯t much different from his past life, with the only difference being an extra piece of equipment.


    A special carrier tied around the waist of the Spirit Chef, much like a baby stroller, which could hold Food Spirits.


    With this carrier, Food Spirits didn¡¯t have to fly and personally experiencing the thrill of skiing heightened their sense of participation.


    Dan Bao and Spicy were now attached on either side of Qin Lang¡¯s waist.


    This brand-new experience made them both a little nervous.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have experience in skiing.¡± Sensing their anxiety, Qin Lang gave them a reassuring smile. Then, he leaned forward slowly, the tail of his snowboard slightly lifted as he embedded it into the snow.


    His body began to slide downward as the angle between the snowboard face and the slope decreased under the pull of gravity.


    As his body leaned back and the tail of the snowboard re-embedded itself into the slope, the sliding motion naturally came to a halt.


    This basic skiing movement alone had Dan Bao and Spicy wide-eyed.


    To them who were used to flying, being pulled along in a slide was indeed a novel experience.


    After a few attempts, Qin Lang, encouraged by the increasingly excited cheers from his twopanions, began to change his moves.


    He shifted the angle of the snowboard with a simple push of his foot, turning his straight-down trajectory into a diagonal slide.


    The speed of his descent suddenly increased, but Qin Lang maintained his calm.


    He twisted his other foot, realigning the angled snowboard and continued to force it to the other side.


    This caused him to slow down and then speed up again, sliding in the opposite direction.


    A clear¡±


    ¡°Getting a feel for it?¡±


    Once again stopping his descent by embedding the tail of the snowboard into the slope, Qin Lang, with a smile looked at the increasingly excited Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s pick up the pace!¡±


    He again began his descent, leaving a ¡°Z¡± path on the snow slope, performing broader movements as he went on.


    The angle of the snowboard became steeper, the speed faster, but his movements seemed more fluid.


    Qin Lang swiftly switched between straight runs, S bends, jumps, and grabs as if he were a leaf dancing in the wind.


    The cold wind, carrying frost and snow, hammered against him, but his thick windbreaker protected him. Experiencing the adrenaline rush from this rapid descent, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but let out an exhrated shout.


    ¡°Wuhu!!!¡±


    His sound resonated through the vast snow slope, apanying the equally excited shouts from Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Who would have thought that Qin Lang is so skilled at skiing.¡± Qi Xiaoyu widened her eyes, watching the agile figure downhill.


    Watching him, she couldn¡¯t help but yearn to duplicate his free run down the slope.


    ¡°Xiaoyu! You have to hold me!¡±


    Du Weiwei¡¯s panicked and somewhat horrified voice came from her side, causing Qi Xiaoyu to sigh.


    Being aplete sports numbskull, really, makes it all the harder for her to be free.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Qi Xiaoyu, gaining momentum with her ski poles, quickly slid towards Du Weiwei who was not too far off.


    With a swift motion, she pulled up Du Weiwei, who was about to fall over again, and chuckled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you snowboarding is better for beginners? But you insisted on skiing just like me.¡±


    Du Weiwei red at her bestie resentfully.


    She initially thought skiing would be easier because she would have ski poles to steer her way but it turned out to be an entirely different story.


    The feet that wore the skis seemed to have a mind of their own. A slight twist could make the parallel boards swiftly form an 8-shape. As she glided, the angle kept widening until¡­ *WHAMi* she fell t on her face.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you switch to a snowboard?¡± Xiaoyu suggested earnestly, ¡°Look, both Qin Lang and Zhao Chen are using snowboards.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stick with skis!¡± Du Weiwei puffed her cheeks stubbornly.


    She refused to believe she couldn¡¯t master it!


    ¡°Alright, alright. Then you need to start from the very basics with me.¡± Qi Xiaoyu giggled, ¡°First, ce the skis horizontally across the slope, then 1 will teach you how to walk on them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, just like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­not bad, well done!¡±


    H ii


    With Xiaoyu¡¯s patient guidance, Du Weiwei finally got the hang of skiing a bit, or at least she was able to bnce herself decently during simple gliding.


    She cautiously skiied on her own, and as timepsed, her face lit up with excitement.


    Little Glutinous Rice and Little Jadeite, who were situated at Du Weiwei¡¯s waist, cheered animatedly. Finally, one person and two spirits got to experience the joy of skiing.


    But this joy didn¡¯tst long.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s speed up~¡±


    At some point, Qi Xiaoyu had slid behind Du Weiwei. Both of her hands were on Weiwei¡¯s shoulder and her whispered words made Du Weiwei¡¯s beaming face stiffen.


    ¡°Wait a second ¡­ huh?¡±


    Feeling the push from behind and suddenly picking up speed, Du Weiwei let out a cry of rm.


    ¡°Huh!!!¡±


    ¡°Skiing is stimting only when it¡¯s fast!¡± Qi Xiaoyuughed joyfully, pushing her ski poles to quickly catch up with Du Weiwei, who was frantically waving hers. ¡°Steady yourself or you will fall again!¡±


    ¡°Qi! Xiao! Yu!!!¡±


    Weiwei¡¯s voice sounded a little sharp due to her panic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared-¡± Qi Xiaoyu wore a teasing smile, skilfully controlling her skis to keep herself near Du Weiwei at all times. Her eyes, too, never left her friend.


    The girls¡¯ughter echoed continually around the ski slope.


    ¡°Qin! Lang!¡±


    The loud shout made Qin Lang halt his course.


    He followed the source of the sound, his face twitching involuntarily.


    A figure descended at an incredible speed, stirring up a cloud of snow before it reached his location within moments.


    Zhao Chen elegantly twisted his snowboard, kicking up a flurry of snow as he abruptly stopped near a vacant spot.


    Gazing at the nearby Qin Lang, his eyes were filled with the desire topete.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your skiing skills to be quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°Given that, would you like to have a skiing contest with me?¡±


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    [Skiing Video Clip]

 Chapter 140 - 140: Showdown

    Chapter 140: Showdown


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Facing Zhao Chen¡¯s challenge, Qin Lang chose to fight without hesitation.


    It¡¯s time to show the real skills!


    ¡°Hehe~¡± Zhao Chen looked around and quickly pointed to a bush about three kilometers down the snow slope, ¡°We will start from here on the count of three, racing to that bush. How about it?¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    Qin Lang observed the route between the two points without any objections.


    ¡°Ready!¡± Zhao Chen took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­ One!¡±


    ¡°GO!¡±


    The moment the words fell, the two of them, bursting with energy, turned their snowboards at the same time.


    Under the influence of gravity, their speed increased from zero, apanied by the howling of the cold wind, they quickly reached an incredible speed!


    Qin Lang continued to use the side-slipping move in his snowboarding, but as the angle increased, his track was no longer jagged. Instead, with the addition of more techniques, his track resembled a vertical wave.


    With such agile movements, the speed of his snowboarding got faster and faster, but always remained under control.


    ¡°Just this isn¡¯t enough!¡± Zhao Chen, who was maintaining ateral distance from Qin Lang, shouted with a hint of pride, ¡°Watch how I overtake you!¡±


    As he spoke, his sliding movements gradually increased in size, the snowboard was perfectly aligned with the direction of sliding, reaching its maximum speed.


    Straight sliding!


    And it¡¯s continuous straight sliding!


    Only when his falling speed reached the controble limit, would Zhao Chen slightly turn the snowboard to slow down, then correct the snowboard direction by jumping.


    In this way, his speed suddenly increased a bit, and the distance between him and Qin Lang began to gradually widen.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Charge!


    ¡°Cha ba!¡±


    We can¡¯t let them overtake us!


    This scene stirred thepetitive spirits of Dan Bao and Spicy. The two Food Spirits urged Qin Lang on enthusiastically.


    ¡°It¡¯s just getting started!¡±


    Qin Lang chuckled, apetitive gleam in his eyes as well.


    His movements silently changed from the previous style of only using the rear edge to cut into the snow slope while side slipping, alternating between the front and rear edges. Then, the size of the movements increased.


    The original wave-like snowboarding track no longer had any sharp points but turned into a series of ¡°S¡± shapes all connected together. As Qin Lang¡¯s movements changed, his speed also increased. He quickly caught up with Zhao Chen in front of him, once again, running side by side with him.


    ¡°Worthy of being my arch-nemesis! How about this then?¡±


    Zhao Chen grunted as he kept straight-sliding while leaning slightly forward.


    This movement changed his center of gravity, making the process of elerating from slowing down during straight-sliding faster. The slightly downhill board head not only didn¡¯t hinder his downhill fall but like a ship breaking through the waves, it tore a gap in the cold wind and snow.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    Amid the howling wind, Zhao Chen¡¯s speed instantaneously became even faster, shooting straight towards the bush like an arrow from a bow.


    Although it seemed slow, it happened in the blink of an eye. By now, the two had traversed half the distance with their constantly shifting speeds.


    Qin Lang¡¯s lips slightly pursed, making his expression beneath the goggles and face protector a bit serious.


    If that¡¯s the case, then he would have to show his true abilities.


    ¡°Hold on tight, we¡¯re about to speed up!¡±


    After warning the two Food Spirits, Qin Lang¡¯s movements became bigger and bigger.


    His body became more and more inclined with each turn, and through the snowboard attached to his legs, this inclination was synchronized onto the board, causing the board to cut into the slope at a steeper and steeper angle, eventually resembling the edge of a de.


    The track of the snowboard silently changed.


    It started bing thinner and more defined, like a pencil line left on the snow from a previously brushed trajectory.


    The lessened touch point of the board against the slope, pushed Qin Lang¡¯s speed to new heights.


    Even the snowstorm couldn¡¯t catch up with him, swirling only behind him.


    Carving skiing!


    Cheered on by the two Food Spirits, Qin Lang quickly caught up with Zhao Chen, who was ahead.


    The two of them were only five hundred meters away from the bush that marked their endpoint!


    ¡°Worthy of being my arch-nemesis!¡±


    Even though he was already speeding up to his maximum, there was not a trace of defeat on Zhao Chen¡¯s face, ¡°Then let me show you, my secret weapon!¡± ¡°Yangyang, Barbaric Collision!¡±


    What?


    Qin Lang looked towards Zhao Chen in astonishment.


    Because he only had one Food Spirit, Yangyang wasn¡¯t hanging by his side like Dan Bao and Spicy, but rather was fixed in the position of his stomach.


    At this moment with Zhao Chen¡¯smand, Yangyang immediately initiated Barbaric Collision towards the endpoint.


    The burst of thrust in an instant, transferred to Zhao Chen¡¯s body through the equipment binding the person and the spirit together, causing Zhao Chen¡¯s sliding speed to explode instantly.


    No longer slowing down by turning the board, he controlled the board like an arrow pointing at the bush and went straight toward the destination under Yangyang¡¯s guidance.


    This was the final sprint!


    ¡°Gu lu!¡±


    Oh no!


    ¡°Cha ka!¡±


    He overtook us!


    Seeing this scene, the two Food Spirits were anxious.


    Unfortunately, they did not have simr skills and couldn¡¯t help Qin Lang elerate to catch up to Zhao Chen.


    So one could use Combat Skill to speed up when skiing?


    Qin Lang felt as if he had opened the door to a new world.


    Watching Zhao Chen getting closer and closer to the finish line, he didn¡¯t panic.


    While calmly twisting his body and observing the surroundings, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    He saw a stone tform protruding from the snow slope not far below.


    This tform was also covered with thick snow, and its location¡­


    ¡°This is it!¡±


    Qin Lang shouted, adjusting his position and quickly approaching the tform.


    The moment he rushed up the tform, he felt a sense of extra gravitying from his soles.


    This was due to the illusion caused by the return of the weightlessness feeling from the previous slide as the tform¡¯s slope got smooth.


    The next moment, the extra weight turned intoplete weightlessness.


    As the snowboard left the tform, Qin Lang was in the air.


    He was flying!


    ¡°Dan Bao! Thought Waves!¡±


    The moment he flew up, Qin Lang squatted slightly to reduce his air resistance, while yelling at Dan Bao to make his move.


    ¡°GuLu!¡±


    Understood perfectly by Dan Bao, Thought Power was released from him as the center, quickly enveloping Qin Lang.


    Thought Waves could not explosively exert a huge amount of thrust like Barbaric Collision.


    But it could slow Qin Lang¡¯s fall, and in the air with only air resistance provide him with a continuous eleration!


    ¡°I¡¯ve won!¡±


    Watching the bush not more than a hundred meters away, Zhao Chen shouted, his eyes filled with excitement.


    He finally won against his arch-nemesis for once!


    However, the next moment, his excitement froze on his face.


    A shadow fell from the sky, dropping into the bush first.


    Zhao Chen: ???


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 Chapter 141 - 141: Splashing Water

    Chapter 141: Sshing Water


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Is this reasonable? No, it¡¯s not!¡±


    Zhao Chen stomped, his face full of disbelief.


    ¡°This was supposed to be a ski race. You were clearly flying!¡±


    ¡°What 1 did was simply use the tform to jump,¡± Qin Lang justified, ¡°it just so happened that mynding point was the finish line.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Qi Xiaoyu chimed in, looking thrilled with the situation, ¡°Who asked you to use your Food Spirit Skills first? If you lose, you lose.¡±


    Zhao Chen huffed, ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s have anotherpetition next time!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always losing when I¡¯m around,¡± Qi Xiaoyu teased mercilessly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on and return our equipment,¡± Du Weiwei chimed in with a pinch to Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s waist, sounding a little annoyed.


    Having finally mastered the basics of double skiing, she was initially quite happy.


    However, the joy had turned into a scare because of Qi Xiaoyu.


    She was determined not to let Qi Xiaoyu get close to her when skiing in the future!


    She was almost traumatized by the experience.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Qi Xiaoyu spread his hands and headed towards the spot to return the ski equipment.


    Qin Lang and Zhao quickly followed.


    The six Food Spirits had been separated from their Spirit Chefs, now they were quietly whispering to each other, sharing the thrilling experience of skiing.


    Soon, all their equipment was returned.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve had our fun, it¡¯s time to prepare for the Youth Training Competition,¡± Du Weiwei stretched leisurely.


    However, her best friend didn¡¯t seem to have heard her.


    ¡°Wow, look over there!¡± Qi Xiaoyu tugged at Du Weiwei and pointed somewhere.


    Following the direction of Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s finger, Qin Lang and the others quickly spotted a group of people ying not far away.


    They filled their bowls with water and threw it upward above their heads, spattering the water across the sky.


    The water, leaving the bowl in an arc, evaporates into frost before hitting the ground, due to the cold wind.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    Zhao Chen watched several times but still couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Simrly, Du Weiwei did not speak but her face showed astonishment.


    Qin Lang touched his chin, his face disyed an expression of intrigue.


    He didn¡¯t expect that people in this world would y the game of ¡°throwing water into frost¡±.


    Noticing the curiosity of his Food Spirits, Dan Bao, and Spicy, he smiled, ¡°Shall we get closer to watch?¡±


    There were no objections from the others, and they followed Qin Lang quickly.


    The group of people ying with water stopped their actions.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Qi Xiaoyu took the initiative to greet, ¡°we came from Dongxia City. May we watch the spectacle of water turning into mist again? You guys are amazing! How did you do that?¡±


    Hearing Qi Xiaoyu¡¯spliments, several youths blushed with pride. One of them waved his hand, ¡°Ali, why not show our guests from Dongxia City!¡±


    ¡°Let me handle it!¡± Aliughed. ¡°Keep your eyes wide open!¡±


    He approached a fur-covered thermos ced on the ground, poured the water into the bowl, and then moved to an open space with the steaming water in his hand.


    Taking a deep breath, he flung the bowl backwards, the water tracing an arc in the air before turning into a dense mist and dispersing in the cold wind.


    Watching this phenomenon closely from start to finish was far more spectacr than they could have imagined.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but exim and apud. ¡°Amazing!¡±


    Zhao Chen was more direct.


    ¡°Can I try?¡± the adolescent asked eagerly, moving to stand in front of Ali.


    ¡°You can,¡± Ali scratched his head, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, but it¡¯s a little dangerous.¡±


    ¡°The bowl is filled with freshly boiled water, if not thrown properly, it can scald you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t cold water more prone to freeze?¡± Du Weiwei who was carefully observing suddenly asked, voicing the question she had.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ali shrugged. ¡°Cold water doesn¡¯t produce the same effect, only hot water works.¡±


    The other youths shook their heads, clearly, they all knew how to do it but not why it worked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the vapor from the water that turns into frost, not the water itself,¡± Qin Lang exined as he approached them. ¡°Cold water doesn¡¯t produce vapor, so it cannot form frost. Hot water, on the other hand, produces vapor quickly, hence the frost.¡±


    ¡°There are specific temperature requirements for it.¡±


    ¡°If the environmental temperature is above minus twenty degrees, or the water temperature is below ny degrees, it will be difficult to achieve.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it works,¡± Du Weiwei contemted and then suddenly understood.


    Qin Lang¡¯s exnation had also aroused the attention of the youths who were originally ying with the water.


    ¡°You seem to know a lot, do you know how to y this game too?¡± Ali curiously handed him the bowl, ¡°Give it a try?¡±


    ¡°I want to try it too!¡± Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t wait to join in.


    ¡°You can use mine,¡± another youth graciously offered his bowl.


    ¡°Okay, 1 will give it a try,¡± Qin Lang epted the bowl from Ali, poured a bowl of water for himself, and walked to an open area.


    As he felt the gazes of everyone on him, he smiled, ¡°Even if you fail to turn the water into frost, you won¡¯t necessarily get hurt. You just need to tilt the bowl instead of pouring it over your head.¡±


    ¡°The secret is to be fast!¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, Qin Lang had already thrown the water in his bowl into the air, making arge circle.


    The scorching water sshed out due to centrifugal force, and water vapor on the surface rapidly gathered into frost in the low temperature. As the pressure on the surface of the water droplets lowered, new water vapor was produced and was again turned into frost.


    This cycle repeated until the water droplets were entirely transformed into frost.


    The faster the speed, the stronger the centrifugal force, the more dispersed the water droplets, and the faster the freezing process happens.


    This process urred within an instant, and the effect¡­


    A circle of dense frost formed around Qin Lang, obscuring his body. Under the light, the edge of the frost circle cast a golden halo, appearing incredibly stunning.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Now, it was Ali and his friends who were left in awe.


    Even their most skilled friend could hardly achieve such a spectacr effect.


    ¡°My turn!¡±


    Zhao Chen filled his bowl with water, seeing Qin Lang¡¯s sess, he couldn¡¯t sit still anymore.


    He quickly walked to another open space, and copied the way Qin Lang had done it, throwing the water.


    A look of exhration appeared on Zhao Chen¡¯s face amidst the thick mist.


    Although his result was not as great as Qin Lang¡¯s, he was sessful for sure.


    ¡°We want to try too!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu and Du Weiwei moved forward quickly, ready to give it a try.


    The others were having a st but Qin Lang had already quietly retreated to one side.


    From his past life in the North, Qin Lang had already grown tired of such games.


    Seeing the eager Dan Bao beside him, he passed the bowl.


    ¡°Would you like to try using thought waves?¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Yes!


    Dan Bao controlled the small bowl and flew to the open space.


    Spicy quickly followed.


    ¡°Cha cha cha!¡±


    Even though I don¡¯t have the ability to manipte thought waves, I can use my beak to throw the bowl!


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 Chapter 142 - 142: Inspiration

    Chapter 142: Inspiration


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°All! I had so much fun today!¡±


    On the cable car going down the mountain, Qi Xiaoyu stretchedzily, her face full of joy.


    ¡°Indeed, it was fun, if you didn¡¯t make me ski.¡± Du Weiwei said softly, obviously still bothered by the scare Qi Xiaoyu had given her.


    ¡°Hehe~¡± Qi Xiaoyu shook Du Weiwei¡¯s arm, her big eyes blinking.


    ¡°Alright, I forgive you.¡± Seeing Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s expression, Du Weiwei reluctantly said, ¡°But when we get back, we need to start preparing for the uing Spirit Battle.¡±


    She looked towards Qin Lang, ¡°You also need to prepare for your Food Fight tomorrow, right? Are you going to use the big meat bunts or other pasta dishes?¡±


    ¡°Other pasta dishes.¡± Qin Lang replied with a hint of a smile, ¡°ying out here gave me some inspiration. I¡¯ve already figured out what surprise I want to give Liu Tianchen.¡±


    ¡°I told you so! Thebination of work and y is beneficial!¡± Qi Xiaoyu giggled, then curiously looked at Qin Lang, ¡°What¡¯s the surprise? Can we taste it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll taste the dish on your behalf, no other reason than ensuring my nemesis does not lose.¡± Zhao Chen dered earnestly.


    Du Weiwei did not speak, her eyes were also on Qin Lang.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been ying all morning, it¡¯s time to eat lunch back at the hotel.¡± Qin Lang gave a mysterious smile, ¡°I¡¯ll make the dish for tomorrow¡¯s Food Fight for you to try for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Hooray!¡± x3


    After enjoying a delightful lunch made by Qin Lang, the other three all eximed for another serving.


    After eating, the four of them started preparing for the uing Food Fight and Spirit Battle.


    Time flew by and the next day arrived.


    The day for the scheduled Food Fight with Liu Tianchen arrived.


    When they arrived at the Spirit Chef Association in Bai Lu Mountain City halfway up the mountain by cable car, Liu Tianchen was already waiting at the Association¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± He looked at Qin Lang, his eyes filled with a burning desire to fight-


    In the past few days, Liu Tianchen absorbed all his father¡¯s suggestions, improved the dishes he prepared, and now the taste was much better than two days ago.


    He poured all his efforts into this Food Fight, now it was time to see how big the gap between him and Qin Lang was.


    A big meat bun, huh¡­


    Thinking of the new video he had repeatedly watched during his idle time over the past two days, a hint of anticipation appeared on Liu Tianchen¡¯s face.


    Today, he should be able to taste it.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang nodded and went into the Association with Liu Tianchen.


    Following them were Du Weiwei, Zhao Chen, and Qi Xiaoyu as spectators.


    When they arrived at the designated Food Fight venue, they didn¡¯t wait long before the judges entered the venue one by one.


    Unlike before, this time there were seven junior judges in attendance.


    The number and level of Food Fight judges depends on the circumstances of the two Food Fighters.


    Qin Lang was no longer just an ordinary rookie Spirit Chef. He was now a recognized Excellent Chef, hence the change in the scale of judging.


    If two Excellent Chefs engage in a Food Fight, there will be nine junior judges.


    If top-tier Excellent Chefs fight, there will be senior judges.


    ¡°I am Huang Liang, the chief judge of this Food Fight.¡±


    Huang Liang nced at the Food Fighters standing in the middle of the venue, his gaze lingering a moment longer on Liu Tianchen.


    He knew Liu Shuang¡¯s son, Liu Tianchen.


    Of course, this would not affect the impartiality of the Food Fight voting.


    ¡°This Food Fight¡¯s topic is Limited Cuisine Theme, specifically pasta dishes.¡± ¡°ording to the rules of Junior Food Fight, the total cooking time must not exceed two hours, and the dishes must fall within the pasta category.¡± Huang Liang paused for a moment, ¡°And now, the time starts.¡±


    The countdown in front of the judges¡¯ seats started as soon as Huang Liang finished speaking.


    Qin Lang and Liu Tianchen looked at each other and quickly entered their respective kitchens.


    The culinary battle of the two Spirit Chefs began.


    After the two Spirit Chefs entered the kitchen, the atmosphere among the judges in their seats eased a little.


    The seven judges started to chat quietly.


    ¡°Mr. Liu Shuang¡¯s son is really keen on Food Fights.¡± One judge smiled, ¡°Since bing a Spirit Chef, this is his fifth Food Fight.¡±


    ¡°And his winning rate is not low either.¡± Another judge, who was clearly familiar with Liu Tianchen, spoke, ¡°He has won three out of the four previous fights.¡±


    ¡°After all, he¡¯s the son of a Spirit Executor. Although Mr. Liu Shuang is stronger in terms of Spiritual Battle Power, a powerful Spirit Chef definitely won¡¯tg behind in terms of the vor Value of Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡°However, this time he might have met his match.¡± Hearing the conversation of his colleagues, Huang Liang smiled, ¡°After all, he is facing an Excellent Chef who is also a Spirit Chef. Furthermore, he is not an ordinary Excellent Chef.¡± ¡°Oh? Huang, do you know him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the champion of the recent Dongxia City Cooking Competition.¡± Huang Liang shook his head helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys pay attention to the cookingpetitions in other cities?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been following the Provincial Training Competitions recently¡­¡± Another judge scratched his head awkwardly, ¡°A city-level cooking champion, huh? Looks like Liu Tianchen might lose this time.¡±


    ¡°Winning or losing is a small matter.¡± Huang Liang shook his head, ¡°Even failure is a form of growth. Instead, I look forward to seeing what kind of pasta dishes these two can bring.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, especially since you, Old Huang, love pasta dishes.¡± The judges who knew Huang Liangughed.


    Elsewhere in the audience, Qi Xiaoyu, with anticipation in her eyes, asked, ¡°What do you guys think? What would be Liu Tianchen¡¯s reaction when he realizes Qin Lang isn¡¯t making a big meat bun?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m also quite looking forward to it.¡± Du Weiwei, imagining Liu Tianchen¡¯s possible reaction, couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth andugh.


    ¡°But on a serious note, the Food Fight dish that Qin Lang prepared really tastes amazing.¡± Zhao Chen swallowed, as if the wonderful taste of the dish immediately appeared in his mouth as he thought about it, ¡°I just had it yesterday, and 1 want it again today.¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± said Qi Xiaoyu, propping up her cheek, looking at the kitchen where Qin Lang was, and began to ponder, ¡°We need to find a reason to have Qin Lang make it again.¡±


    The dish is called Scallion Oil Noodles.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start making the dough.¡±


    In the kitchen, Qin Lang, who hadpleted the preparation, stretched and poured a full bag of high-gluten flour into a bowl, added a little salt, and added cold water a little at a time to mix.


    The dish he prepared for the Food Fight was Scallion Oil Noodles.


    When he went out with the other three yesterday and saw water sshing and freezing, Qin Lang suddenly thought of this dish.


    Besides using the word ¡°sshing¡±, there¡¯s not much corrtion between the two.


    But sometimes inspirationes unreasonably.


    The fact was, Qin Lang wanted to eat Scallion Oil Noodles.


    Unlike the former big meat bun, the hand-pulled noodles used in Scallion Oil Noodles don¡¯t require leavening, nor do they require the dough to be fluffy. Therefore, very few ingredients are needed when making the dough.


    Using high-gluten flour ensures that the hand-pulled noodles are chewy, and the salt enhances the sticity and stretchability of the wet gluten.


    For hand-pulled noodles, that¡¯s enough.


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    easter egg content:


    [Hand-pulled Noodles]

 Chapter 143 - 143: Astonishment

    Chapter 143: Astonishment


    Once all the cold water was added into the flour basin, the flour had bepletely fluff under Qin. Lang s stirring.


    Next was the process of kneading this fluffy flour into a dough.


    After the ¡°three lights¡± method, seal the basin with cling film and let it rx for about ten minutes.


    The rxation process allows for the fullbination of internal moisture with the dough.


    The dough must have good toughness so that it doesn¡¯t break during the subsequent pulling process.


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    It¡¯s my time to shine now!


    Without Qin Lang having to say much, Spicy, who has already been limated to the process several times, activates the mysterious eleration power on the dough.


    After the ten-minute eleration ends, Qin Lang uncovers the cling film, takes out the dough and puts it on the table to continue kneading.


    The dough that has been rxed is noticeably softer to the touch, making the kneading process much more effortless.


    When rhe surface of the dough shines with a smooth and delicate texture, the kneading phasees to a close.


    Divide the dough into bun-sized pieces, roll each piece into a strip, brush the surface with oil and then cover with a damp cloth, letting it rest for half an hour.


    After resting, tten the dough and roll it into a rectangr shape, press three to four lines with chopsticks and start pulling.


    Once the dough is stretched to lengths of one or two meters, tear it along the lines.


    One liangpi (cold skin) noodle is thuspleted.


    Following the same method for the rest of the dough, Qin Lang¡¯s gaze fell on the other side of the table.


    Next, it was time to make the Scallion Oil Noodles.


    The cooking process for Scallion Oil Noodles is extremely simple.


    Excluding the time spent making liangpi, it only takes few minutes.


    ¡°Gurgle gurgle gurgle!¡±


    Everything is ready!


    Under the control of the Thought Waves, a basket of bok choy that has been freshly processed falls in front of Qin Lang.


    On the other side, therge pot of water that Dan Bao is responsible for boiling is already bubbling.


    Put the liangpi into the pot to cook for two minutes, use the time to mix aged vinegar, light soy sauce, and sugar into a sauce, adding it to therge bowls prepared to hold Scallion Oil Noodles.


    When rhe liangpi is cooked, scoop it up with a perforateddle into the bowls.


    Cut off the roots of the bok choy to separate the leaves, throw them into the pot to parboil for thirty seconds and then rake them out, arranging them around the cooked liangpi.


    Finally, in the bowl add minced garlic, sections of green onion, white sesame seeds and chili powder, mound these seasonings in the center of liangpi.


    Looking at the rapidly assembled bowls of Scallion Oil Noodles, the red of the chili powder and the green of the bok choypliment each other beautifully, Dan Bao and Spicy both swallowed hard.


    Only onest step left!


    Looking at the elevenrge bowls lined up in front of him, Qin Lang began to heat up the oil in the wok.


    Seven bowls for the judges, one for the opponent.


    t he remaining three are for him and the two littlepanions.


    When the oil began to lightly smoke, he scooped some with adle and spilled it over the prepared seasonings.


    ¡°Sizzle-¡±


    The sound of oil echoed instantly throughout the kitchen, along with the rich aroma released by the mix of chili powder, white sesame seeds, minced garlic, and green onion sections as they reacted to the hot oil.


    Following that, was the second spilling of oil.


    ¡°Sizzle-¡±


    In the crisp sound of oil, the seasonings mixed with the hot oil swiftly sank, starting to filter through the gaps in rhe liangpi into the base of the bowl, infusing rhe liangpi with a deeper level of vor.


    Next, came the third spilling of oil.


    ¡°Sizzle-<sup>11</sup>


    Under rhe sweeping heat, rhe liangpi contracted quickly, echoing rhe trick of fried dough in terms of texture changes, the minor internal structural adjustment making for a chewier taste.


    After the three spills of hot oil, a bowlful of fragrant scallion oil noodles that made one¡¯s mouth water waspleted.


    Qin Lang proceeded the same way, pouring hot oil onto the other ten portions and then put them all into the kitchen cab car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can go our now.¡±


    ¡°Ding ¡ª¡±


    On the other side, as Qin Lang stepped our, a notification sound came from within Liu Tianchen¡¯s kitchen.


    ¡°Qin Lang s cooking is done already? That was quick!¡± Liu Tianchen, engrossed in his cooking, is nor disturbed, ¡°But my cooking is finished too.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s see just how big the gap is between me and Qin Lang!¡±


    lie quickly res up, cing the dishes one by one into the kitchen cab car and pushing it out the door.


    ¡°Greetings to the seven judges.¡± Qin Lang bows slightly and then opens the kitchen cab car.


    Under rhe control of the Thought Waves, servings of Scallion Oil Noodles are delivered to the judges¡¯ seats.


    Feeling rhe rich aroma hitting their faces, expressions of surprise emerge on the seven judges¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Scallion Oil Noodles, please taste.¡±


    ¡°Ding ¡ª¡±


    in the sound of a bell, Liu Tianchen emerges with his cart.


    He happens to hear Qin Lang¡¯sst sentence, his expression suddenly bes interesting.


    It¡¯s nor big meat buns?!


    ¡± Pfft ¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu, who is sitting in the audience seats, covers her mouth and startsughing after seeing Liu Tianchen¡¯s expression, ¡°I knew 1 should have brought Qin Lang s shooting equipment to record this moment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too much!¡± Du Weiwei next to her can¡¯t help butugh as well and lightly pats Qi Xiaoyu¡±s shoulder.


    Zhao Chen next to them is not interested in what the two women are focusing on.


    lie takes a sniff, even sitting in the audience seats, he can still smell the aroma of the Scallion Oil Noodles.


    So hungry¡­


    The judges¡¯ seats are very quiet.


    So quiet that the sound of each judge ¡°slurping¡± their noodles is exceptionally clear.


    Liu Tianchen looks at the somewhat barbaric eating gestures of the seven judges, his face twitching slightly.


    Pushing the kitchen cab car, he stands next to Qin Lang and whispers, ¡°The Food Fight dish you presented isn¡¯t big meat buns?¡±


    ¡°That was just dinner rhe day before yesterday and video material.¡± Qin Lang shrugs.


    So that¡¯s how it is.


    Liu Tianchen thinks he¡¯s been too naive.


    Smelling the rich aroma filling rhe air at this moment, he can¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    Just from smelling this aroma, he has an intuition that this dish called Scallion Oil Noodles that Qin Lang presents will be delicious.


    Once the voting decision is over, he is going to have a good taste.


    Soon, rhe seven judges finish the small servings of Scallion Oil Noodles prepared by Qin Lang.


    ¡°Liu Tianchen, you can start now.¡± Huang Liang takes out mouthwash ro rinse the residual vor of Scallion Oil Noodles from his mouth, signaling for Liu Tianchen to present his dish.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Liu Tianchen takes a deep breath and delivers rhe dishes from his kitchen cab car ro rhe judges¡¯ seats.


    ¡°¡®This is my Beef Noodle Soup, please taste.¡±


    Avery simple dish name, rhe ingredients itself are notplicated either.


    Although Qin Lang hasn¡¯t tasted it yet, he can roughly guess how it¡¯s made just from the appearance and the name of the dish.


    At the judges¡¯ seats, Huang Liang picks up a thinly cut piece of beef, pairs it with hand-made noodles and purs ir into his mouth, a look of surprise appears on his face.


    This kid Liu Tianchen, his cooking skills sure have improved quickly.


    He had participated in one of his Food Fights before, and he remembered the level of culinary skills Liu Tianchen demonstrated at the time.


    Now tasting his Beef Noodle Soup, he could taste the care and progress Liu Tianchen made in his cooking.


    If his opponent was not the city-level champion Qin Lang, but an ordinary Excellent Chef instead, he might actually stand a chance at winning.


    Mr. Liu Shuang¡¯s son, really is something else.


    Huang Liang finishes the bowl of noodles, nodding his head satisfyingly.


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    Bonus Content at rhe end of this chapter:


    I Scallion Oil Noodles]

 Chapter 144 - 144: The Second One

    Chapter 144: The Second One


    Trantor: 549690339


    After Huang Liang, the other six judges also finished tasting the Beef Noodle Soup in front of them.


    ¡°Next, we will vote.¡±


    Huang Liang exchanged a nce with the other judges before he spoke slowly.


    ¡°As the lead judge, I will votest.¡±


    As his words died away, the judge seated at the far left of the judges¡¯ seats was the first to speak, ¡°My vote goes to Qin Lang.¡±


    One vote for Qin Lang!


    Liu Tianchen subtly clenched his hands due to nervousness.


    Even if the hope was slim, he still wanted to win!


    ¡°I also vote for Qin Lang.¡±


    The vote from the second judge made his grip even tighter.


    ¡°My vote goes to Qin Lang.¡±


    This was the third judge.


    ¡°Qin Lang.¡±


    When the fourth judge also announced Qin Lang¡¯s name, thest ray of hope in Liu Tianchen¡¯s heart disappeared. He slowly released his clenched hands and took a deep breath.


    Qin Lang got the majority of votes, he had lost.


    It¡¯s okay to have lost to the city-level cooking champion, it¡¯s normal.


    He silentlyforted himself in his heart, his eyes looked at the three judges who had not yet voted.


    Was there a single vote that would go to him?


    ¡°Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°I choose Qin Lang.¡±


    Finally, Huang Liang, who was votingst, looked at Liu Tianchen, who was increasingly despondent. He sighed softly in his heart, ¡°A^y vote also goes to Qin Lang.¡±


    Unanimous vote!


    ¡°Next, the Food Fight participants will taste each other¡¯s dishes. If there are any objections to the voting results, they can be filed.¡±


    The moment has finallye.


    Liu Tianchen perked up.


    He handed a bowl of Beef Noodle Soup to Qin Lang, ¡°Please try it.¡±


    ¡°Scallion Oil Noodles. Please try it.¡± Qin Lang smiled and handed a te of Scallion Oil Noodles to him.


    On top of the white pulled noodles, the red chili powder and the green bok choy created a strong color contrast, which made the colors of the Scallion Oil Noodles richer.


    Liu Tianchen picked up the chopsticks and quickly mixed the Scallion Oil Noodles, letting the pure white pulled noodles moisten in light brown sauce and scattered chili powder, revealing an even more temptingplete dish.


    During this process, he noticed something unusual.


    The noodle ingredient used by Qin Lang for his Scallion Oil Noodles, he had never seen it before.


    Could it be¡­


    A thought quickly formed in his mind, causing Liu Tianchen to widen his eyes, and without hesitation, he grabbed a long strand of pulled noodle with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.


    ¡°Slurp-¡±


    He found out that this wide noodle was longer than he had imagined, it seemed to have no end, he had no choice but to bite it off, then he started chewing.


    Soon, the unique, chewy taste of the pulled noodles burst forth as he chewed.


    A mix of salty, spicy, and a touch of aged vinegar, coupled with the unique aroma of the noodles released in the process of chewing, the simplebination gave Liu Tianchen a feeling he could not resist.


    After finishing a mouthful, he picked another chopstick full and put it into his mouth, now understanding why the judges were eating in such an unrestrained manner earlier.


    These noodles, they¡¯re really delicious!


    On the other side, Qin Lang was also tasting Liu Tianchen¡¯s Beef Noodle Soup.


    The noodles Liu Tianchen used were handmade noodles avable in stores, leaving out the steps like kneading the dough, which was the key reason why he wasn¡¯t slower than Qin Lang.


    The thinly sliced beef seemed to have been through a brine process after being cut, bringing a rich umami taste, which paired quite well with the chewy texture of the noodles.


    As for the clear soup¡­


    That seemingly simple soup also gave Qin Lang quite a surprise.


    The seasoning was quite unique, a mix of sour, sweet, and salty, simr to the taste of Borscht.


    But this was a clear soup.


    For a moment, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t guess what specific seasonings were used, but when paired with the noodles and beef, the overall taste was great.


    With his appetite whetted, he ¡°slurped¡± and finished the bowl of noodles in front of him quickly.


    ¡°The Scallion Oil Noodles taste really good.¡±


    At the same time Qin Lang finished eating, Liu Tianchen, who was on the other side, could not help but put down his chopsticks with a sense of loss. Then, he asked the question he had been guessing, ¡°The wide and long noodles in the Scallion Oil Noodles, did you make them yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°I see, no wonder it¡¯s so chewy and delicious.¡± Liu Tianchen nodded in realization, ¡°My dad also once said that if you want to make great noodle dishes, you¡¯d better understand how to make the dough.¡±


    ¡°If you can master the kneading process and consider how the noodle changes during seasoning and cooking, it will greatly help with cooking noodle dishes.¡±


    ¡°It seems that after this time, 1 need to learn how to knead dough.¡± Liu Tianchen¡¯s face beamed with excitement, recing his previous disappointment, ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, let¡¯s have another match!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always wee.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°It appears there are no objections.¡± Seeing the two in jovial conversation, Huang Liang spoke up, ¡°I dere that the winner of this Food Fight is


    ¡°Qin Lang!¡±


    As his words fell, the radiance of the Star Power in the air fell onto the two of them.


    This Food Fight ended with the victory of Qin Lang.


    After leaving the Food Fight venue, the five of them did not leave the Spirit Chef Association immediately.


    ¡°Qin Lang, are you nning to obtain the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge of this city?¡±


    Liu Tianchen¡¯s question took Qin Lang by surprise.


    Oh right!


    He was so busy with the Youth Training Competition that hepletely forgot about this.


    In every new city, he could try to earn a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge in that city to prepare for the provincial-level Cooking Competition.


    ¡°What¡¯s the qualification requirement for the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge in Bai Lu Mountain City?¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, you just need to have a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge from anywhere in the Tianhua State, then you can directly visit Mrs. Yunqi, who is a Second-Level Food Rmender.¡± Liu Tianchen looked at Qin Lang, ¡°You already meet the requirements.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, you need to hurry!¡± Qi Xiaoyu cheerfully said, ¡°This is a great opportunity to get your second Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    ¡°I indeed need to n something.¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    The Selection Battle is tomorrow, it¡¯s a bitte to go now.


    But there is a three-day break between the Selection Battle and the Ranking Battle, enough time to go and try to visit this Second-Level Food Rmender named Yunqi.


    ¡°Tianchen, thank you for reminding me!¡±


    Qin Lang patted Liu Tianchen¡¯s shoulder, showing gratitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Liu Tianchen smiled, ¡°Tomorrow is your Selection Battle, I have already bought the tickets, you guys have to do your best!¡±


    ¡°Definitely!¡± x4


    With the Selection Battle imminent, the four of them did not waste much time and quickly took the cable car down the mountain.


    Watching the four of them leave, Liu Tianchen stretchedzily, nning to go home to study how to knead dough.


    A hand patted his shoulder from behind.


    Liu Tianchen turned his head, a look of surprise on his face, ¡°Dad?¡±


    Liu Shuang, who had appeared behind him unknowingly, smiled, ¡°I watched the rey of the Food Fight, you did well.¡±


    ¡°But¡­I lost.¡± Hearing his father¡¯s praise, Liu Tianchen hung his head in frustration.


    Liu Shuang shook his head.


    ¡°You may not have noticed it.¡±


    ¡°Every one of the seven judges, and even your opponent,pletely cleaned off the Beef Noodle Soup you made.¡±


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 Chapter 145 - 145: Adjustment

    Chapter 145: Adjustment


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡±


    The impassioned voice of the host echoed across the Bai Lu Mountain Arena, capable of amodating fifty thousand people, amplified by the sound system.


    ¡°Wee to the youth trainingpetition of this Bai Lu Mountain City!¡±


    ¡°Youth is the future, like a rising sunrise.¡±


    ¡°Thus, young Spirit Chefs need a new stage to show off their ir.¡±


    ¡°Born under such intentions, the Youth Training Competition for Spirit Chefs under twenty-five will always uphold its original aspiration.¡±


    ¡°At this Youth Training Tournament, the number of participants surged to an unprecedented sixty-seven! Arger number of participants signifies a higher difficulty for advancement in thepetition. However, 1 believe that the contestants wouldn¡¯t be intimidated because of this!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee these sixty-seven participants onto the stage with our warmest apuse!¡±


    Amidst the thunderous apuse and enthusiastic cheering, the sixty-seven contestants walked out from the yer passage and stepped onto thepetition venue.


    ¡°Wow! There are so many people!¡± Qi Xiaoyu, standing among the contestants, couldn¡¯t help but whisper in amazement as she looked at the densely packed audience seats.


    Standing in the middle of the field with all eyes on her was apletely different experience from sitting in the audience and watching thepetition.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, just do your best.¡±


    The voice of Du Weiwei, who was standing next to her, also lowered.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Qi Xiaoyu nodded seriously.


    This was her first time on such a big stage. Of course, she had to show her best side and not lose face in front of thousands of people!


    ¡°The first game for Training Master!¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement from the other side, ¡°Yangyang, we must give our best shot and show our style!¡±


    ¡°Blub blub!¡±


    Yangyang seriously nodded, his eyes flickering with the same fighting spirit as his Spirit Chef.


    ¡°Gururu-¡±


    So many people are watching-


    Looking at the many eyes on him, Dan Bao suddenly felt nervous.


    In cookingpetitions, he only needed to assist Qin Lang inpleting the cooking as Qin instructed. However, in trainingpetitions, his performance was the key to victory.


    The two feelings were different.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just follow mymand as in our previous Spirit Battles.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head and his face lit up with determination as he watched the densely packed audience.


    ¡°Cluck!¡±


    Keep it up!


    Spicy seriously cheered for Dan Bao.


    ¡°Cluck cluck chuck-¡±


    It¡¯s not for you! It¡¯s because if you win this round, I¡¯ll have a chance to yter!


    After ncing at the gradually reddening bubble light cluster above Spicy¡¯s head, Dan Bao nodded.


    I get it, 1 get it-


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee Ms. Xu Qingmo, the President of Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, with the same warm apuse to deliver the opening speech!¡±


    Upon hearing the host¡¯s words, a look of surprise flitted across Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    ording to the usual practice, the president of a city¡¯s Spirit Chef Association is a second-level Spirit Executor, and the vice president is a Second-Level Food


    Rmender.


    Are both the president and vice president of Bai Lu Mountain City females?


    This is unusual.


    He couldn¡¯t help but direct his gaze towards the chairman¡¯s stage.


    On the chairman¡¯s stage, a middle-aged woman with neat short hair switched on the microphone and began to speak slowly in a steady voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m delighted to see so many young Spirit Chefs participate in this Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Tournament.¡±


    ¡°I hope all of you can maintain your best condition and leave the most wonderful stage in Bai Lu Mountain City.¡±


    ¡°And I, along with thirteen other first-level Spirit Executors of Bai Lu Mountain City, will do our utmost to safeguard the order of thispetition!¡±


    As she spoke thest sentence, Xu Qingmo¡¯s voice seemed a bit heavier, her calm eyes like still water swept over the audience, seemingly carrying a hint of deterrence.


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Xu Qingmo, for your speech. Next, we¡¯ll exin today¡¯spetition.¡±


    As Xu Qingmo ended her speech and switched off the microphone, the host¡¯s voice rang out again.


    ¡°What we¡¯ll have today is the first round ¨C the Selection Battle ¨C of this Youth Training Tournament!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve carefully selected ten Spirit Chefs ofparablebat power from within the Association to serve as the Selection Battle Standards for this Selection Battle.¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice died down, the ten Spirit Chefs sitting nearby appeared on the big screen hanging above the field.


    With the audience¡¯s apuse and cheering, the ten Spirit Chefs stood up one after another and waved to the audience in acknowledgment.


    The host¡¯s exnation continued.


    ¡°Each contestant must choose two of these ten Selection Battle Standards as their opponents, with both sides only allowed to each send out one Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°The Food Spirit sent out by the Selection Battle Standard is fixed, while the contestants are free to choose any of their Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡°The association selected twenty referees with extensive experience in adjudicating Spirit Battles who will score each Spirit Battle.¡±


    As the host reached this point, the image on the big screen quickly switched to the twenty referees waving from their seats on the other side.


    ¡°Deducing the highest and lowest score, the average score from the referees bes the contestant¡¯s score after the battle with the Selection Battle Standard.¡±


    ¡°Each contestant will battle with two Selection Battle Standards and hence, will have two scores. The highest score out of these two will be the contestant¡¯s final score.¡±


    ¡°The final scores of the sixty-seven contestants will be ranked, and the top four contestants will advance to the next round!¡±


    With the host announcing the rules, the atmosphere at the site instantly became tense.


    At previous Youth Training Tournaments, there were only around a dozen participants.


    Four out of a dozen advancing is a normal elimination rate.


    However, this Selection Battle is a bit special with several times more contestants than before.


    Despite this, thepetition format won¡¯t change because of it.


    Only four will advance out of sixty-seven.


    The terrifying elimination rate stirred up intense anticipation in the spectators¡¯ eyes. At the same time, fierce determination ignited in the eyes of the contestants on the stage.


    ¡°To avoid continuous fights from affecting the Food Spirits¡¯ optimal state, both the contestants and Selection Battle Standards will not have back-to-back battles.¡±


    ¡°Before the start of thepetition, the sixty-seven contestants have already submitted their choices of two Selection Battle Standards based on which we¡¯ve finalised the appearance schedule for the Selection Battle.¡±


    ¡°Now, please watch the big screen!¡±


    As the host¡¯s echoing words ended, the corresponding appearance schedule was disyed on the big screen.


    ¡°As a special situation where there are arge number of contestants, we¡¯ve ordingly adjusted the schedule.¡±


    ¡°The Selection Battle, which normally takes one day, will be spread over two days.¡±


    ¡°Twenty rounds will be conducted in the morning each day, with forty-seven taking ce in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°The two Spirit Battles for the same contestants won¡¯t be scheduled on the same day.¡±


    After hearing the host exin the schedule, the audience burst into cheering when they saw the densely packed appearance schedule on the big screen, which was several timesrger than before.


    Buying a ticket for the Selection Battle of this Youth Training Tournament is a real bargain.


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 Chapter 146 - 146 Competition

    Chapter 146: Competition


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°The first selection battle of the day is about to begin, we call upon contestant Zhong Lichen to the stage, who will be battling with selection standard No.3. We request contestant Chen Ke, who will participate in the second round, to wait in the yer passage.¡±


    ¡°Other contestants can watch the battles and prepare from the contestant preparation seats!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice faded, the contestants gathered on the battlefield orderly moved towards the contestant preparation area, leaving behind only Zhong Lichen, who would be the first to fight, and the N0.3 Selection Battle Standard who stepped out from another section of the arena.


    Qin Lang and his threepanions sat together in the contestant preparation area, quietly discussing as they checked the match schedule.


    As contestants, they didn¡¯t know the specific details of the schedule any earlier than the audience, which added more uncertainty to thepetition.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the eleventh round,¡± by the looks of Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s face, she was nervous, ¡°That¡¯s a bit fast!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the fourteenth round, quite close to yours,¡± Zhao Chen nced at the schedule and showed an eager look, ¡°1 can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Upon hearing Zhao Chen¡¯s words, Qi Xiaoyu rolled her eyes mockingly, then turned to Du Weiwei, ¡°Weiwei, what about you?¡±


    ¡°¡®twenty-first round,¡± Du Weiwei had a somewhat helpless expression on her face, ¡°Although it doesn¡¯t start until the afternoon, it¡¯s the first match of the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯mst,¡± Qin Lang shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m in the sixty-third round.¡±


    While the quartet were discussing their match timings, the first selection Battle was formally starting in the arena below.


    Zhong Lichen sent out a Two-Star Food Spirit, without anybined battle skills.


    His disyed strength wasparable to that of Selection Battle Standard


    No.3, but he was able to restrain the opponent with hisbat skill configuration. It took him three minutes to defeat them.


    During Zhong Lichen¡¯s turn, the Judge Panel had already started scoring him. Shortly after Zhong Lichen¡¯s battle ended, the host quickly got his score for this round.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s give a big round of apuse to congratte contestant Zhong Lichen!¡±


    ¡°Our twenty judges have determined a final score of 88.3 based on contestant Zhong Lichen¡¯s demonstrated abilities in the battle!¡±


    Zhong Lichen seemed satisfied with his score. He smiled and waved to the audience in front of the close-up camera on the big screen.


    ¡°Now, we will request contestant Zhong Lichen to temporarily step down, and invite contestant Chen Ke to the stage. We ask contestant Zhang Ziehen, who is participating in the third round, to wait in the yer Passage!¡±


    Just as the contestant called Chen Ke stepped onto the stage, in the contestant preparation area, Qin Lang curiously turned to Du Weiwei, ¡°What¡¯s the rtive significance of this score in the selection Battle?¡±


    ¡°As long as you defeat the opponent, the score will be no less than 80. Additional points are added based on various indicators above this basis. 88.3 is a good score,¡± Du Weiwei paused slightly, ¡°When I ranked in the top four at the earlier Dongxia City¡¯s Youth Training Competition, my score was 89.4.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more intense this time around. I think you¡¯ll need at least 90 points to make it to the top four.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    Afterparing himself with Zhong Lichen, who just fought, he felt he had a good chance of scoring over 90 points.


    This could be seen as a piece of good news.


    With the end of the first match, the contestants who hadn¡¯t yet appeared were a mixture of tion and worry. With Zhong Lichen as a yardstick, they were able to gauge their own capabilities more clearly.


    Zhong Lichen, who returned to the contestant preparation area, predictably attracted the attention of the other contestants.


    Before long, Chen Ke, the contestant for the second round,pleted his Selection Battle as well.


    Compared to Zhong Lichen, Chen Ke was slightly less capable. The battle was more protracted, and he finally secured a score of only 87.1 points.


    Immediately after him, the fourth contestant started preparing while the third contestant took the stage.


    The matches proceeded as scheduled, and soon it was the turn of the tenth contestant to take the stage.


    A visibly nervous Qi Xiaoyu had to go to the yer passage to prepare.


    ¡°Go Xiaoyu!¡± Du Weiwei grabbed Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s hand and encouraged her with an assuring smile, ¡°Don¡¯t stress out too much, just give it your best shot.¡±


    ¡°You can do it!¡±


    Qin Lang and Zhao Chen also cheered for her.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu took a deep breath, and with a visibly lighter demeanor she waved at Qin Lang and the others, then turned and walked towards the yer passage.


    A few minutester, the preceding contestant hadpleted their Selection Battle.


    It was Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s turn to take the stage.


    She had pre-emptively chosen Selection Battle Standards No.4 and No.8 ¨C today she would be battling thetter.


    For Qi Xiaoyu who only had a One-Star Food Spirit, this was bound to be a difficult fight.


    Under the watchful eyes of Qin Lang and the others, Qi Xiaoyu and Xiu Xiu eventually managed to hold out for two minutes against the No.8 Standard, thanks to their strong whip ability for medium-range attacks, and even managed to wear down the opponent¡¯s Two-Star Food Spirit to a certain extent.


    Her score was 67.9.


    Contestants that couldn¡¯t defeat the standard would score between 60 and 80 points. Given that, her score was already excellentpared to another contestant with a One-Star Food Spirit who appeared before her.


    Qi Xiaoyu, who wasn¡¯t entirely optimistic about advancing to the next round and was only participating in the Youth Training Competition to prove herself, seemed more relieved after getting her score.


    She retracted the incapacitated Xiu Xiu back into the Star Vein. When she returned to herpanions, her face showed a trace of relief, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll be battling Standard N0.4,1 want to try my best to get a higher score than today!¡±


    ¡°You can do it!¡± Du Weiwei held Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s hand and nodded earnestly.


    Before long, it was Zhao Chen¡¯s turn to wait in the yer passage.


    ¡°Let me show you guys the extent of my capabilities!¡± Zhao Chen left this sentence behind and, with Yangyang in tow, swiftly headed towards the yer passage.


    ¡°What an egomaniac.¡± Qi Xiaoyu mumbled as she watched Zhao Chen walk away, rolling her eyes.


    As the thirteenth contestantpleted his match, it was Zhao Chen¡¯s turn.


    While the adolescent was overtly confident, his demonstrated strength was undeniable.


    Having undergone a unique trial in his home, Yangyang was considerably stronger than before.


    Even though he ultimately couldn¡¯t bridge the power gap between his One-Star Food Spirit and a Two-Star Food Spirit to win, Yangyang, relying on his powerful mobility and flexible positioning, managed to significantly deplete the opponent¡¯s power before being incapacitated.


    Zhao Chen¡¯s final score was 74.7.


    Securing such a score even in defeat earned him a generous apuse from the audience.


    ¡°I lost, but notpletely!¡± Zhao Chen proudly proimed upon returning to the contestant preparation area, ¡°Wait until I get Two stars, 1¡¯11 definitely shine at the next Youth Training Competition!¡±


    This self-confidence made Qin Lang and the others, who had prepared topliment him, remain silent instead.


    He didn¡¯t need any praise.


    The Selection Battles for the twenty contestants took a bit over an hour.


    Uponpletion of the twentieth Selection Battle, the morning schedule came to a temporary close.


    After a break of two hours, the afternoon schedule began.


    And it was Du Weiwei who took the stage first.


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 Chapter 147 - 147: The First Battle

    Chapter 147: The First Battle


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Let¡¯s give our warmest apuse to congratte contestant Du Weiwei!¡±


    ¡°Her final score is ¡±


    ¡°913 points!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Xiaoyu excitedly jumped up from her contestant preparation seat when she heard the score.


    Zhao Chen and Qin Lang next to her couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    A momentter, Du Weiwei returned to the contestant preparation seat.


    She looked in a good mood, apparently very satisfied with this score.


    ¡°I calcted it, this score is currently the second highest, the highest score is only 0.1 points higher than yours!¡± Qi Xiaoyu grabbed Du Weiwei¡¯s hand, ¡°I think you¡¯ll definitely progress to the next round!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it¡± Du Weiwei smiled wryly, ¡°But, I did perform better than thest Youth Training Competition.¡±


    ¡°During thest Youth Training Competition, Little Glutinous Rice had just developed somebined battle skills, but they had not been fully utilized.¡± ¡°But this time, Little Glutinous Rice has trained itsbined battle skills very proficiently.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably for this reason that theprehensive score this time has increased a lot.¡±


    After analyzing her situation, Du Weiwei turned to look at Qin Lang on the other side, ¡°Among the four of us, you are the only one who hasn¡¯tpeted yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the 63rd match, I guess I¡¯ll have to wait for another two hours.¡± Qin Lang said helplessly.


    ¡°Gurulu-¡±


    We will definitely get a high score!


    Dan Bao rubbed against Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Before thepetition, it seemed very nervous.


    But after the start of thepetition, watching one contestant after another, not only did Dan Bao stop being nervous, but instead was filled with fighting spirit.


    It thought it could do it!


    ¡°We¡¯ll work hard together.¡± Qin Lang patted Dan Bao, and then patted Spicy who was attentively watching thepetition on the other side.


    ¡°Queka?¡±


    What¡¯s up?


    Feeling Qin Lang¡¯s touch, Spicy took its attention away from the contestants in the arena and curiously looked at Qin Lang.


    Watching the twenty-odd spirit battles that have taken ce, it felt that it had learned a lot.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, keep watching.¡± Qin Lang smiled and handed the snack to Spicy¡¯s mouth, ¡°Ah-¡±


    Spicy caught the snack in its mouth and turned to continue watching thepetition.


    The snacks were delicious, and thepetition was exciting.


    The Youth Training Competition was awesome!


    Under the gaze of the contestants and 50,000 spectators in the audience, the tense selectionpetition continued.


    One by one, the contestants showed their strongest food spirits on this stage, demonstrating their most powerful capabilities, and then gained their scores under theprehensive consideration of the judge panel.


    As time passed by bit by bit, the expressions of Qin Lang¡¯s group gradually became serious.


    After Du Weiwei, there were many strong contestants in the afternoon selectionpetition.


    Every few contestants, there was a contestant born with a score exceeding 90 points.


    Under such circumstances, Du Weiwei¡¯s original second ce ranking couldn¡¯t be maintained.


    The 37th contestant, Li Xiaoyu, achieved a score of 91.6 points and temporarily ranked first, causing Du Weiwei¡¯s ranking to drop one ce.


    And Li Xiaoyu¡¯s first ce did notst.


    The 51st contestant, Hao Yifan, scored 92.0 points and became the new temporary first ce holder, making Du Weiwei rank fourth.


    Seeing herself in the fifth position, Du Weiwei couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Although she was considered very talented in spirit battles in Dongxia City, she was stillcking when looking at the whole Tianhua State.


    ¡°Weiwei, it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s another selectionpetition tomorrow.¡± Qi Xiaoyu hugged Du Weiwei andforted her in a soft voice, ¡°There¡¯s still a chance to advance if you score higher tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯tfort me.¡± Du Weiwei shook her head and hugged Qi Xiaoyu, ¡°I did my best in this battle, it¡¯s hard to get a higher score in the next battle.¡±


    ¡°Besides, other contestants might perform exceptionally.¡±


    ¡°Rather thanforting me, you might as well cheer for Qin Lang.¡± She smiled, turned her head to look at Qin Lang, ¡°It¡¯s up to you now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Qin Lang nodded, his face somewhat serious.


    There are four contestants ahead of Du Weiwei.


    He must exceed at least one of them to have the possibility of being in the top four.


    Considering that in tomorrow¡¯s selectionpetition, there¡¯s a possibility that someone could get a higher score for the second time, his score must be as high as possible.


    Compared to food spirits of other Spirit Chefs, Dan Bao has both disadvantages and advantages.


    The disadvantage is that it has not mastered thebined battle skills yet.


    The advantage is that Dan Bao¡¯s vor value has reached 200 points, apart from Zhu Quan¡¯s three-star food spirit, no other contestant¡¯sbat power value canpete.


    As for the specific score, they would only find out after trying.


    After Zhu Quan, subsequent contestants took the stage one by one.


    Fortunately, no more contestants with scores over 91 appeared.


    Until Qin Lang¡¯s turn.


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s wee contestant Qin Lang to the stage with warm apuse!¡±


    ¡°ording to Qin Lang¡¯s choice andpetition arrangement, he will be battling against the 1st benchmark today!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice echoed again, the arena erupted with warm apuse.


    Amidst the apuse, Qin Lang stood at his designated position in the battle area.


    ¡°Queka!¡±


    Cheer up!


    Spicy earnestly rooted for Dan Bao before voluntarily entering the Star Vein.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    I will definitely go all out!


    Dan Bao nodded seriously, turned its gaze to the opponent not far away.


    The 1st benchmark is a middle-aged man. After summoning his two-star food spirit, he shouted at Qin Lang, ¡°Young man, be careful!¡±


    Qin Lang nodded calmly.


    The two battle skills of the first benchmark¡¯s food spirit shed through his mind at high speed.


    Battle Skill: Ice de Rotation.


    Launch multiple ice des to attack opponents. The ice des have a returning flight trajectory. If the ice de returns to the caster¡¯s hand after attacking, it can recover the spiritual power consumed by the skill.


    Based on his observations of other contestants battling against the 1st benchmark, the opponent can release three ice des simultaneously.


    Battle Skill: Fractal Mirage.


    Summon multiple false duplicates at the same time to confuse opponents.


    ording to Qin Lang¡¯s observation, this skill is probably the first food skill of the 1st benchmark¡¯s food spirit, so it¡¯s quite proficient.


    It can summon up to five duplicates.


    To achieve a high score through a quick battle, both he and Dan Bao need to go all out.


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 Chapter 148 - 148: Full Strength

    Chapter 148: Full Strength


    Trantor: 549690339


    The battles of the tournament were officiated by thirteen rotating Spirit Executors, and at this moment a middle-aged woman named Guan Li was presiding over the match between Qin Lang and the number one benchmark.


    After ncing at the number one benchmark and confirming that the opponent was in top form, Guan Li¡¯s gaze finally fell on thebat-ready Qin Lang.


    ¡°Countdown of five, the match begins!¡±


    ¡°Five¡­¡±


    ¡°Go, Qin Lang!!!¡±


    Hearing this familiar cheer, Qin Lang¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but turn to the nearby contestant preparation area. Du Weiwei and the others, who were previously sitting at their respective seats, were now standing by the guardrail, cheering loudly for him.


    ¡°Four¡­¡±


    ¡°Dan Bao, let¡¯s show our strongest power next.¡± Qin Lang gave Dan Bao a rub and spoke softly.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    With a firm nod, Dan Bao looked at the opponent on the other side, ready for the uing Spirit Battle, a burning look of eagerness in its eyes.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Use the power of Tian Shu, shield!¡± x2


    Waves of energy swept up, forming a storm that encased Qin Lang and the number one benchmark. The seven-star map that lit up its two stars disappeared in a sh, transforming into a protective membrane that enveloped their entire body.


    The Star Spirit Protection was released almost simultaneously by both Qin Lang and the number one benchmark!


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    As the countdown continued, the cheers and apuse from the audience slowly faded away, creating a calm before the storm.


    ¡°One¡­ the match begins!¡±


    As Guan Li finished the countdown, the audience¡¯s suppressed enthusiasm suddenly erupted. The abrupt shift from calm to excitement resulted in thunderous apuse and intermittent cheers from ail over the stands.


    On the battlefield, the two tautbatants made their move the moment the countdown ended.


    ¡°Speed up the approach!¡±


    With the execution of Qin Lang¡¯s instruction, the flying speed of Dan Bao suddenly increased significantly.


    The opponent¡¯s Food Spirit was doing the same thing.


    The host, standing on a high tform overlooking the entire arena, providedmentary during the battle.


    ¡°The Food Spirits of both contestants are currently in the approach stage.¡±


    ¡°In the tournament, the initial distance between the two contestants is one hundred meters, so approaching each other is almost everyone¡¯s choice at the beginning of the match.¡±


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit has elerated! Knowing in advance about thebat skills of the number one benchmark¡¯s food spirit, it seems he already has aprehensive n!¡±


    In the battlefield, which spans a hundred meters, the distance between the two Food Spirits was rapidly closing.


    Fifty meters¡­


    Thirty meters¡­


    Twenty meters!


    Almost the moment the two Food Spirits reached a separation of twenty meters, the number one Food Spirit made a move.


    ¡°Maha!¡±


    With a violent flick of its broad tail, three curvy ice des quickly formed in the strong wind and, spinning rapidly, theyshed out towards Dan Bao in a character formation.


    ¡°The Food Spirit of the number one benchmark has used its skill, Ice de Returning! It has repeatedly employed thisbat skill to overpower its opponents in previous fights. How will contestant Qin Lang respond!¡±


    How to deal with the opponent¡¯s skill, was already discussed between the two before the match began.


    ¡°Dan Bao!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Faced with the rapidly erging ice des, each roughly as long as its body, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes were filled with solemn determination.


    It took a mighty breath, and streaks of red mes rose up, rapidly ascending through the gaps between its head and body along with the rising air currents.


    ¡°It¡¯s Full Firepower! Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit has the power of Full Firepower!¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    At the very moment the mes reached their peak, Dan Bao forcefully spat a column of fire, as thick as an arm, at the first iing ice de.


    The moment that column of fire was expelled, an astonishing heat wave erupted at the site, and a Rolling Heat Wave swept across the entire battlefield.


    The ice de that was hit directly began to melt from its center, evaporatingpletely in an instant.


    [Amazing skill proficiency! Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit not only has a high degree of firepower cohesion but also a terrific center temperature!]


    Whilepletely evaporating an ice de, Dan Bao¡¯s head has already turned toward another ice de. The pir of fire that it spewed also began to twist, like a ming whip, it fiercely swung at the second ice de on the other side!


    After simrly melting the second ice de, the fire pir slowly fell on the third ice de which was less than a meter away from Dan Bao.


    All three ice des hadpletely disappeared, while Dan Bao was undamaged.


    [What a beautiful disy of skills!]


    Seeing this, many referees on the judge panel nodded slightly and recorded something on the charts in front of them.


    Such subtle skill control is obviously a big plus.


    Dan Bao continued to elerate closer during the first sh between the two Food Spirits.


    With the white fog left behind by the three melting ice des, the distance between Dan Bao and the first Food Spirit had already closed to about ten meters.


    ¡°Fractal Mirage!¡±


    The first Benchmark¡¯s face turned slightly solemn, quickly indicating his Food Spirit to respond.


    ¡°Ma ma!¡±


    The first Food Spirit¡¯s body twisted in mid-air, the next moment it split into six.


    Only one of these six was the first Food Spirit¡¯s real body, the rest were all illusions meant to confuse the opponent.


    With the proficiency of the first Food Spirit, the illusions had already reached a level impossible to discern with the naked eye!


    [The first Food Spirit used the Fractal Mirage! Can Qin Lang break through the fog and find the real body of the first Food Spirit? He has a secondbat skill that has not been revealed yet, let us wait and see!]


    Upon seeing the first Food Spirit unfold its Fractal Mirage as expected, a hint of relief appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    ¡°Dan Bao! Thought Waves!¡±


    ¡°Gu lu!¡±


    Dan Bao responded with a sound, and a milky halo quickly erupted from his body.


    As the halo spread outward, an invisible force like a long whip, fiercelyshed towards the first Food Spirit and its five illusions.


    Qin Lang and Dan Bao¡¯s tactics were simple.


    Since it was impossible to figure out which was the illusion.


    Then just hit them all!


    [It¡¯s Thought Waves! Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit¡¯sbat skill is the Thought Waves! It seems that the first Food Spirit is in danger!]


    Among the howling gale, five of the six Food Spirits shattered in mid-air.


    In the midst of the billowing smoke, the first Food Spirit¡¯s real body noticed the danger and quickly retreated under the direction of the first Benchmark.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡±


    The moment the Fractal Mirage was broken, Qin Lang shouted lowly.


    ¡°Dan Bao, now!¡±


    ¡°Gu lu!¡±


    Dan Bao shouted lowly, his eyes shing with excitement.


    It took a deep breath, and the next moment a pir of fire as powerful as a cannon spewed out from above.


    The red me, carrying a terrifying temperature and rampant heat waves, swept over the retreating first Food Spirit in an instant.


    ¡°Ma ma!!!¡±


    Gazing at the rapidly erging me in front of him, the first Food Spirit cried out in shock. Before it could make any resistance, the fire pir swallowed it up.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    When the fire pir dissipated, apletely charred ball fell to the ground.


    (q_ q)


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 Chapter 149 - 149: Provisional List

    Chapter 149: Provisional List


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Congrattions to Qin Lang, who has won this round of the selectionpetition!¡±


    The host spoke up loudly.


    ¡°The judges are scoring now, let¡¯s wait for a moment.¡±


    As his voice settled, the close-up camera on the big screen focused on the judges¡¯ area.


    In front of the camera, some judges had thoughtful expressions on their faces, appearing to weigh how to score Qin Lang¡¯s earlier battle, while others had already written down their scores.


    Watching the scoring process undoubtedly heightened the tension in the arena.


    Qin Lang held Dan Bao, who had returned to his side, his breath still.


    Spicy, who had been summoned again, and Dan Bao who had fought, felt the same.


    In the contestant¡¯s spectator seats, besides the three Du Weiwei, who were anxious about Qin Lang¡¯s score, many other contestants also showed a serious look.


    Qin Lang¡¯s straightforward fight put a lot of pressure on them.


    His score might not be low¡­


    ¡°Qin Lang will definitely enter the top four.¡±


    At some ce in the audience seats, Liu Tianchen held his Food Spirit in his arms confidently.


    ¡°Although there is nobinedbat skill, the vor Value of Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit is very high, and the proficiency of exhibited skill is not low.¡±


    He said confidently, but there was a hint of tension in his gaze that was tightly locked on the youngster in the arena; even his Food Spirit was the same.


    When all twenty judges hadpleted their scoring, the host got the final score.


    ¡°All right! Now the score for Qin Lang is in this pad in my hands!¡± The host lifted the pad in his hands, ¡°How many points do you think Qin Lang will get?¡±


    Maybe because the selectionpetition was drawing to a close and the estimated time still had plenty of surplus, his chatter increased.


    Suspenseful remarks instantly provoked murmurs from the audience.


    Knowing when to stop, the host began to speak with a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s congratte Qin Lang with the warmest apuse. His final score is¡­¡±


    Qin Lang and the two Food Spirits held their breath at this moment.


    In the yers¡¯ spectator seats, all three Du Weiwei clenched their fists together.


    The expressions of other contestants also became more serious.


    At the moment when the audience seats wentpletely silent, the host¡¯s voice suddenly raised.


    ¡°91.8 points!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s expression suddenly rxed, and in the next moment, he looked about joyfully.


    Past!


    At this moment, his score was temporarily ranked third after Zhu Quan, who had received 95.2 points, and Hao Yifan, who had received 92.0 points!


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± In the contestant preparation seat, Qi Xiaoyu threw Xiu Xiu into the air, holding onto Du Weiwei next to her with both hands, her face showing a joyful colour.


    Du Weiwei rubbed her head and looked at the young man who was slowly exiting the arena, she also inevitably expressed a moment of joy.


    Although her chances of advancing to the next round seemed slim, it was also nice for her teammate to move on.


    Zhao Chen rested his hands on the fence and snapped his head to look at


    Yangyang next to him, ¡°We need to work harder.¡±


    ¡°p!¡± Yangyang nodded seriously. Seeing Dan Bao, with whom it had fought several times, showcase such strong abilities in the arena, it also felt a kind of yearning.


    In order to advance to two stars, we must strive hard!


    When Qin Lang returned to the contestant preparation seat, there were many more eyes on him than before.


    With the battle just now, he proved that his prowess shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    Thest four contestants took the stage one by one, but their scores weren¡¯t high enough to threaten the top four spots.


    After the conclusion of the first daypetition for all contestants, the host¡¯s impassioned voice resounded throughout the Bai Lu Mountain Arena.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give the warmest apuse to all the contestants who have presented themselves on this stage today to encourage them!¡±


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s look at the current top four contestants after the first day¡¯s selectionpetition!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice faded, four names quickly appeared on the big screen.


    [First ce: Zhu Quan, 95.2 points]


    [Second ce: Hao Yifan, 92.0 points]


    [Third ce: Qin Lang, 91.8 points]


    [Fourth ce: Li Xiaoyu, 91.6 points]


    ¡°Those who didn¡¯t make it to the top four, don¡¯t worry, everyone will have another chance topete tomorrow. In the two rounds, we will only take the highest score for the final result.¡±


    ¡°Now 1 dere that today¡¯spetition is over!¡±


    ¡°For tomorrow¡¯spetition, 1 hope that everyone can shine even brighter on this stage!¡±


    It was evening by the time Qin Lang and the others had chatted with Liu Tianchen after thepetition and returned to the hotel at the foot of the mountain in the cable car prepared specifically for the contestants.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the top four, Qin Lang, hurry up and cook something tofort those of us who didn¡¯t make it!¡± As soon as they got back to the hotel, Qi Xiaoyu startedining, pulling Du Weiwei along.


    ¡°That¡¯s only reasonable.¡± Zhao Chen solemnly nodded in agreement.


    Du Weiwei didn¡¯t speak, but her expression also suggested eagerness.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Qin Lang was quite happy with his high scoring from the first round, ¡°I¡¯ll make Squirrel Mandarin Fish for everyone to celebrate!¡±


    ¡°Squirrel Mandarin Fish? What kind of dish is that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the dish 1 made when 1 got my Fish Scale Badge.¡±


    ¡°We want to eat!¡± x3


    Qi Xiaoyu nced at Zhao Chen who was busily eating, and at Du Weiwei on the other side who was savoring her food, then quickly picked up thest shred of fish on the Squirrel Mandarin Fish with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.


    As she chewed, she could feel the crispy outeryer cracking and the juicy inside of the fish meat releasing a unique savoury vour in her mouth, her face instantly showing a blissful expression.


    What magnificent cuisine!


    She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Qin Lang.


    She really wanted to see just how many dishes this guy had in his repertoire.


    ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡± Du Weiwei put down her chopsticks and turned to Qin Lang, ¡°I¡¯m in the seventh round of the second day of selection battle. Which round are you in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the fourteenth round tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth before answering, ¡°Like you, I¡¯ll also be in the morning.¡±


    Du Weiwei turned to look at Qi Xiaoyu.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the thirty-fourth round.¡± Qi Xiaoyu shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the fifty-second round.¡± Zhao Chen put down his bowl and volunteered the information.


    ¡°In that case, we need to start preparing for tomorrow¡¯spetition tonight.¡± Du Weiwei¡¯s expression was full of determination.


    She knew it would be difficult to improve her score, even by 0.1 point ¨C the requirements for improvement were considerable.


    But since she was here, she had to give it a go.


    ¡°I need to train too!¡± Qi Xiaoyu pumped her fist, ¡°Target for tomorrow, higher score than today!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence, my goal is the same.¡± Zhao Chen firmly nodded, ¡°Surpassing oneself, bing stronger, that¡¯s what a qualified trainee master should do!¡±


    Looking at the enthusiastic trio, Qin Lang shrugged.


    ¡°Before you start your training, you three should do the dishes first.¡±


    ¡°The cook doesn¡¯t wash the dishes, this makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±x3


    Their enthusiasm was instantly extinguished.


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 Chapter 150 - 150: Caution

    Chapter 150: Caution


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, wee to Bai Lu Mountain Arena!¡±


    With the host¡¯s same opening remarks as yesterday, more enthusiastic apuse and cheers than the day before have been aroused.


    After yesterday¡¯s selection battle, anyone could see the value of this year¡¯s City Youth Training Competition in Bai Lu Mountain City.


    In the past, scoring ny points was enough to rank in the top four and qualify for advancement in city-level youth trainingpetitions. This time, the number of contestants scoring over ny points reached double digits.


    Such fiercepetition means greater pressure for the contestants, but it also means a more excitingpetition for the audience.


    The audience who couldn¡¯t buy tickets and could only watch the live broadcast online regretted it deeply, while those who got the tickets looked forward even more to today¡¯s performances.


    There was no need to repeat thepetition rules which had been already introduced yesterday, so thepetition started earlier.


    A few minutester, the first contestant initiated the battle with the selection battle standard.


    Soon, it was the turn of the seventh contestant, Du Weiwei.


    Encouraged by the three Qin Langs, she took a deep breath and stepped onto the battlefield from the yer passage, putting on a more intense fight with Little Glutinous Rice than yesterday.


    Perhaps under pressure, Du Weiwei performed beyond her normal level, obtaining a final score of 91.5.


    This score, 0.2 higher than yesterday¡¯s, allowed her to surpass the previous fifth-ce holder and be the current fifth in scoring.


    However, having used up both selection battle opportunities meant that she no longer had the chance to move on to the next round.


    Facing thefort of the three Qin Langs, Du Weiwei responded quite optimistically.


    But the refusal to admit defeat in her heart made her determined to score more than 91.5 in the next city youth trainingpetition.


    After Du Weiwei, it was Qin Lang¡¯s turn soon.


    This time, Qin Lang was up against benchmark contestant number 2.


    The benchmark¡¯s power was as strong as that of number 1. His Food Spirit had abat skill, Cold Breath, identical to Little Glutinous Rice, and another fighting-basedbat skill that could increase his agility.


    Atst, in the collision of ice and fire, Qin Lang won again.


    Perhaps because of going all out in yesterday¡¯s selection battle, Qin Lang¡¯s score in his second selection battle did not increase but remained at 91.8, simr to his previous score.


    Thus, his ranking did not change, and he remained in third ce.


    Afterwards, one contestant after another took the stage.


    The contestant in the temporary fourth ce, Li Xiaoyu, also had his second selection battle in the morning. Apparently unsatisfied with his current fourth-ce score, he reced his previous two-star Food Spirit to try to get a higher score in the second battle.


    In the end, in an atmosphere full of tension, Li Xiaoyu obtained a new score.


    91.7 points.


    Just a bit short of the third-ce Qin Lang.


    After twenty contestantspleted the selection battle, the more exciting afternoon session came.


    In the spotlight, Zhu Quan, who scored the highest yesterday and exhibited a three-star Food Spirit, took the stage again.


    He chose the same Food Spirit as yesterday¡¯s, but disyed greater strength than yesterday. It seemed as if he had held back yesterday.


    Finally, his score was 96.0.


    In the circumstances where his score was already far above that of the other contestants, his act of updating his score again gave the other contestants a close-up feeling of suffocation.


    Suddenly, it was Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s turn to enter the spotlight.


    It was obvious that she did her best to prepare for today¡¯s selection battlest night.


    After obtaining a score of 67.9 in the first game, she achieved an excellent score of 68.4 this time.


    An increase of 0.5 points was already quite significant.


    Qi Xiaoyu was indeed very satisfied with this score. She returned to the contestant preparation seat with her face beaming, hugging Du Weiwei¡¯s arm and whispering to her.


    Then, it was Hao Yifan¡¯s turn again.


    Perhaps because of the pressure from Zhu Quan or because he loosened up due to his temporary second rank, Hao Yifan¡¯s performance in his second selection battle was not as good as his first.


    His final score was just 91.6. ording to the rules, his final score would be calcted as 92.0, the score of his first selection battle, which allowed him to keep the second ce.


    Although the scores of the top four fluctuated, the ranking did not change.


    When many people thought they were going to advance, the unexpected happened.


    It happened to a female contestant named Xia Yun, whose score in the first selection battle was 90.3.


    This score was quite good in previouspetitions, but not enough to allow her to advance in thispetition.


    Perhaps she nned to preserve her energy but did not expect thepetition to be so intense this year. She substituted a stronger two-star Food Spirit today.


    In the end, with the Food Spirit ending the battle cleanly with a set ofbined battle skills, Xia Yun scored a high score of 92.4.


    A new second hybrid, had appeared!


    For a moment, the face of Li Xiaoyu, who sat in the contestant preparation seat, seemed a little ugly.


    Unable to surpass Qin Lang, he became the fifth ce after Xia Yun¡¯s breakthrough.


    Even Qin Lang had a touch of anxiety on his face.


    He was still fourth, but if another yer like this appears¡­


    After Xia Yun, it was Zhao Chen¡¯s turn.


    The adolescent and his Food Spirit, Yangyang, tried their best, but his final selection battle score was identical to yesterday¡¯s, which left him quite unsatisfied, murmuring about making a triumphant return next time.


    In the end, all sixty-seven contestants hadpleted the second selection battle.


    What Qin Lang was worried about did not happen.


    Although some people had higher scores in the second round, they didn¡¯t threaten his fourth ce.


    ¡°Now, taking the highest score of the two selection battles as the final score, let¡¯s look at the final scores of all the contestants!¡±


    In the host¡¯s passionate voice, the leaderboard appeared on the big screen above the venue.


    This leaderboard initially disyed the ranking of all sixty-seven contestants, but soon retained only the top four.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give our warmest apuse and congrattions to the top four contestants in the selection battle!¡±


    ¡°First ce: Zhu Quan, with 96.0 points!¡±


    ¡°Second ce: Xia Yun, with 92.4 points!¡±


    ¡°Third ce: Hao Yifan, with 92.0 points!¡±


    ¡°Fourth ce: Qin Lang, with 91.8 points!¡±


    ¡°They will advance to the next ranking round,peting for the top four rankings!¡±


    With the continuous voice of the host, the big screen picture changed.


    Four advancing contestants¡¯ photos appeared.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s invite the four contestants who have advanced toe on stage!¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, go quickly!¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but push Qin Lang excitedly.


    Qin Lang nodded, followed the other three contestants, and quickly walked into the yer¡¯s passage.


    Soon, the four of them stood in the middle of thepetition venue.


    ¡°Now, please wee Ms. Xu Qingmo, President of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, and thirteen Spirit Executors together to present the top four rewards to the four contestants: Starstones!¡±


    Huh?


    Qin Lang blinked.


    He couldn¡¯t help but nce at Xu Qingmo, who was walking down the chairman¡¯s stage carrying an alloy box with a solemn face, and the thirteen spirit executors who gathered around her.


    Selection battle promotion¡­


    Does it need to be such high specification?


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 Chapter 151 - 151: Powerful Enemy

    Chapter 151: Powerful Enemy


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the audience seats.


    A man wearing a baseball cap, his face concealed in the shadow of the cap¡¯s brim, quietly watched the magnificent lineup of those escorting the Starstones on the close-up camera on the big screen.


    The moment the alloy box was opened, and four pieces of Star stone revealed their splendid hues, the entire venue erupted in deafening cheers.


    The man in the baseball cap sat quietly in his seat, looking out of ce amongst the fervent audience who were standing and waving their arms excitedly.


    He remained still until the four pieces of Starstone werepletely absorbed by the four contestants who made it this far. He did not make a move.


    Only when the depleted Starstones returned to the alloy box and he saw Xu Qingmo and the thirteen Spirit Executors visibly sigh in relief, did his expression show some liveliness.


    A fleeting look of mockery crossed his face. The man stood up, not at all concerned about the contestant draw that was going to take ce after the absorption of the Starstones, and he walked straight towards the exit of the arena.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    I¡¯m not far from Two-star!


    Upon absorbing the Starstone again, Spicy¡¯s eyes glittered with excitement.


    It could feel a vigorous power revolving within its body, like it was about to cross a threshold and enter a whole new level.


    ¡°Indeed, not far off.¡± Qin Lang, looking at the glowing star beside Spicy andparing to when Dan Bao advanced to Two-star, nodded.


    With another one or two Starstones, Spicy could also be promoted to Two-star.


    ¡°Grrrr~¡±


    That¡¯s great!


    Dan Bao, content, rubbed against Spicy, a look of anticipation on its face.


    What would be Spicy¡¯s secondbat skill after it was promoted to Two-star?


    ¡°The four advancing contestants have already received their respective rewards. With thepetition approaching its end, a thrilling segment is about to begin!¡±


    The host¡¯s words brought the thoughts of Qin Lang and his two Food Spirits back to thepetition.


    Upon hearing this, the cheers from the audience became even more intense.


    ¡°That is¡­¡± The host¡¯s words trailed off for a moment, then suddenly increased in volume, ¡°the draw for the ranking match to be held three dayster!¡±


    ¡°The ranking match will have fourpetitions. The four contestants will be divided into two groups. First, there will be two intra-group battles which will decide the winners and losers. Then, there will be a battle between the winners and losers to determine First ce and Third ce.¡±


    ¡°Now please look at the big screen!¡±


    As the host spoke, the big screen in the venue quickly divided into four areas. The backgrounds of the two areas on the left were red, and the backgrounds of the two areas on the right were blue; each area had a rolling disy of the contestants¡¯ portraits.


    The four contestants showed different reactions upon seeing this scene.


    Zhu Quan, the strongest contender, was as calm as still water.


    After confirming that no other contestants had three-star Food Spirits in this match, he has already seen the championship trophy as his.


    With his strength, he could stand out even if he participated in the provincial youth trainingpetition. Attending the city-levelpetition now due to personal reasons was mere formality for him.


    The other three contestants, including Qin Lang, had only one idea in their heads.


    That was to absolutely not be grouped with Zhu Quan.


    Perhaps it was fear manifesting itself as reality. Apanied by a beep, the contestant¡¯s portrait in the first area on the left of the big screen came to a halt.


    Zhu Quan.


    ¡°Contestant Zhu Quan is in the Red Group!¡± The host announced loudly, ¡°Next, we will draw the second contestant in the Red Group. Once the two contestants in the Red Group are confirmed, the two contestants in the Blue Group will simrly be confirmed.¡±


    ¡°Which contestant will be facing Zhu Quan? Let us wait and see!¡±


    In the contestant preparation area, Du Weiwei and the others were also nervously watching the big screen.


    ¡°Weiwei, what ce do you think Qin Lang will ultimately get?¡± Qi Xiaoyu pulled Du Weiwei¡¯s arm, unable to help herself from asking.


    ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, he should end up in Fourth ce.¡± Du Weiwei pondered for a moment before honestly sharing her thoughts, ¡°Unlike the Selection Battle, the Ranking Match tests the strength of all Food Spirits and not just one Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Even Hao Yifan, who scored closest to Qin Lang in the Selection Battle, has two two-star Food Spirits. But Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit has not yet reached two-star, which puts him at a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°I was stopped at Fourth ce back then, because I didn¡¯t have a second Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with your opinion.¡± Zhao Chen crossed his arms at his chest.


    He always considered Qin Lang as his rival. At this moment, ironically, he had the highest expectations for Qin Lang.


    ¡°Aside from Zhu Quan, who has a three-star Food Spirit, I believe Qin Lang has a way to handle the other two contestants. So 1 think he can get Second ce.¡± ¡°Of course, the prerequisite is that he won¡¯t be in the same¡­umph!¡±


    Zhao Chen¡¯s speech was cut short when Qi Xiaoyu covered his mouth.


    ¡°Jinx!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu looked in exasperation at the big screen in the center of the venue and couldn¡¯t help butin.


    While the three of them were speaking, the second contestant in the Red Group on the big screen was locked.


    It was unmistakably Qin Lang.


    Zhao Chen rubbed his head, his face showing a rare embarrassed look.


    Qi Xiaoyu and Du Weiwei exchanged nces and then both deeply sighed.


    In the arena, as Zhu Quan¡¯s teammate was confirmed, Hao Yifan and Xia Yun beside him both breathed sighs of relief. They then looked at each other, sparks seemed to fly through the air between them.


    After Qin Lang and Zhu Quan¡¯s portraits were locked, their portraits were also locked in ce.


    They will be the Blue Group, engaging in their own intra-grouppetition.


    Qin Lang, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help turning his head to look at Zhu Quan.


    A young man with purple hair, who looked a bit older than him.


    In the previous two Selection Battles, Zhu Quan had only shown one three-star Food Spirits.


    Judging from only two points lighting up on his Seven Star Map, it could be inferred that Zhu Quan¡¯s other Food Spirit is likely a two-star Food Spirit.


    In contrast, Qin Lang only has one two-star Food Spirit and one one-star Food Spirit.


    In the battle three dayster, the chances of victory seem slim ¡­


    As if sensing Qin Lang¡¯s gaze, Zhu Quan turned to look at Qin Lang, then nodded calmly.


    ¡°Contestants Zhu Quan and Qin Lang will be the Red Group in the Ranking Match, and will have their intra-grouppetition first in three days!¡± ¡°Contestants Hao Yifan and Xia Yun will be the Blue Group in the Ranking Match and willpete after the Red Group!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look forward to the wonderful performances these four contestants will bring us!¡±


    ¡°The grouping draw for the Ranking Match is over!¡±


    ¡°I hereby announce, the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition


    First Round Selection Battle has ended!¡±


    ¡°See you all in three days!¡±


    With the host¡¯s impassioned closing remarks, the two-day Selection Battle drew to its conclusion.


    Returning to the contestant preparation area, Qin Lang was quickly surrounded by Du Weiwei and the others.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qin Lang, it¡¯s all about participation!¡± Qi Xiaoyu patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, then red at Zhao Chen, ¡°It¡¯s all this jinx¡¯s fault!¡±


    Looking at the three of them, their faces full of anxiety, Qin Lang felt a warm feeling in his heart.


    ¡°No matter who the opponent is, i will go all out.¡±


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 Chapter 152 - 152: Tracing

    Chapter 152: Tracing


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    I want to practicebined battle skills!


    After arriving back at the hotel by cable car, Dan Bao shouts with fighting spirit.


    On the way back, Du Weiwei shared all her understandings ofbined battle skills in order to help Qin Lang improve before thepetition and increase his chances in the uing matches.


    With Dan Bao¡¯s vor Value, if he could master a powerfulbinedbat skill, he could certainly bring out stronger power.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang rubbed Dan Bao¡¯s head.


    ¡°ording to Du Weiwei, abined battle skill is not as simple as abination of two battle skills. It requires an understanding of the two battle skills, and then merging these understandings together to create a newbination skill.¡±


    ¡°Only in this way that abination skill can achieve an effect greater than the sum of its parts.¡±


    ¡°You have mastered the ¡®Full Firepower¡¯ skill very proficiently, you must have your own understanding of it, right?¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded earnestly.


    Now he can easily gather the me to the desired degree and adjust the temperature and direction of the me freely, as if it were his arm.


    More importantly, in the continuous training, he felt that it was much easier to control the mepared to before. Many things that required careful control can now be achieved with a thought. This must be thebat skill insight Qin Lang was talking about.


    ¡°In that case, what we need to train next is Thought Waves.¡± Qin Lang spoke solemnly, ¡°Thought Waves is your secondbat skill, and you haven¡¯t trained it for a long time.¡±


    ¡°If you can also have some insights into Thought Waves, I think yourbinedbat skill may be born.¡±


    ¡°I checked, and the training of Thought Waves mainly starts from two directions.¡± Qin Lang waved his lit-up phone, obviously prepared, ¡°The first direction is divided attention control.¡±


    ¡°Controlling multiple targets with Thought Power, and making these targets show different movements, is amon training method for Thought Waves.¡±


    ¡°The second direction, besides that, is the degree of precision.¡±


    ¡°Using Thought Waves to achieve smaller scale and more flexible control is also a reflection of the proficiency of Thought Waves.¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Crack the crab!


    Spicy suddenly recalled the process of Dan Bao using Thought Waves to crack the crab and interjected a sentence at this moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, cracking crab is a way to train precision.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°and divided attention control can be trained by doing other operations while cracking the crab.¡±


    Speaking of which, the issue goes back to cooking.


    ¡°I used points to exchange for Hairy Crab, it¡¯ll be delivered to the hotel soon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make crab roe fried rice tonight, and you¡¯ll be in charge of handling the crab.¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    With anticipation in his eyes, Dan Bao quickly nodded.


    He was overjoyed to have another chance to devour crabs and train Thought Waves at the same time!


    ¡­Several hourster¡­


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Dragging Du Weiwei to the dining table, Qi Xiaoyu stared wide-eyed at the big bowl of crab powder in the centre of the table.


    Feeling the fragrant crab scent hitting her face, she swallowed hard, ¡°What is this delicious dish?¡±


    ¡°Rice with crab roe.¡± Qin Lang dished out arge bowl of rice, mixed in the crab roe, and handed it to Dan Bao, who was a little tired and dazed from picking apart dozens of crabs. ¡°Everyone worked hard during the selection fights these past two days. Let me make you something delicious.¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu quickly sat down, followed Qin Lang¡¯s manner of serving rice with crab roe, and then took a spoonful into her mouth.


    Feeling the distinct and full-bodied texture of the rice wrapped in the fragrance of crab oil, along with the wonderful taste of crab meat and crab roe filling the spaces between the grains of rice, her face immediately turned slightly intoxicated.


    ¡°This is too blissful!¡±


    Du Weiwei, who was also experiencing this crab feast for the first time, nodded in agreement.


    Crabs were, of course, included among the aqua-culture products abundant in Dongxia City.


    But it was her first time eating such a delicious crab.


    Normally ady with refined table manners, she couldn¡¯t resist speeding up her eating pace.


    On the other side, Zhao Chen, silent throughout, saw his half bowl of rice disappearing fast.


    Only after serving a bowl to a fellow diner, Qin Lang started enjoying the meal leisurely.


    The other three also summoned their own Food Spirits and joined in the feast.


    After finishing the meal, Qi Xiaoyu put down her chopsticks, rubbed her stomach, and expressed a look of contentment.


    Then, she turned to look at the others, ¡°What are your ns for the next three days?¡±


    ¡°I n to find suitable opponents for a few Spirit Battles while the contestants from other cities are still here.¡± Chunchen put down his chopsticks, revealing a burning desire for battle. ¡°I¡¯ve got my eye on several contestants who got eliminated from the selection fights. I can challenge them one by one over the next three days.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re really unfortunate to be targeted by you.¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but make a teasing remark, then she turned to Du Weiwei, ¡°Weiwei, what about you?¡±


    ¡°My youth trainingpetition has ended, so the next three days will be rare rxation time.¡± Du Weiwei smiled, ¡°This is my first time in Bai Lu Mountain City, so naturally, I want to explore more.¡±


    ¡°Once I get back to Dongxia City, I¡¯ll have to start working hard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go shopping with you then!¡± Qi Xiaoyu said happily, linking arms with Du Weiwei.


    Then, all three turned to look at Qin Lang.


    ¡°For the next three days, I¡¯ll have Dan Bao and Spicy do some targeted special training to get stronger before facing Zhu Quan.¡± Qin Lang put down his chopsticks, ¡°Also, I n to visit Luxing Garden.¡±


    ¡°Luxing Garden?¡± Du Weiwei and the other two looked puzzled.


    ¡°Liu Tianchen mentioned before that the second-level Food Rmender in Bai Lu Mountain City, Mrs. Yunqi, lists a second-level Food Rmender Badge as a requirement for her test.¡±


    ¡°So, having the Distant Light Badge already, I don¡¯t have to participate in Bai Lu Mountain City¡¯s cookingpetition. I can try to get her second-level Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    ¡°Given this opportunity, I naturally want to grasp it, at least to give it a try.¡± Qin Lang grinned, ¡°And Luxing Garden is where Mrs. Yunqi resides and holds her tests.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s a beautiful garden full of ginkgo trees and often home to the spirits of Bai Lu Mountain ¨C the white deer.¡±


    ¡°During our cable car ride up the mountain, I don¡¯t recall seeing such a garden, do you?¡± Du Weiwei recalled and asked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t see it from this side of the mountain, as Luxing Garden lies on the other side of Bai Lu Mountain.¡± Qin Lang shook his head, ¡°Anyway, I n to visit there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°If 1 can pass the test directly, that would be nice. If not, I can set aside some preparation time to attempt the test a second time.¡±


    Qin Lang had never tried a second-level Food Rmender test, but he assumed that it would be more difficult than the first-level tests he had previously attempted.


    So right now, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to pass.


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 Chapter 153 - 153: Apricot Fragrance

    Chapter 153: Apricot Fragrance


    Trantor: 549690339


    Early the following morning, Qin Lang left the hotel with his two Food Spirits.


    To reach their destination, they first needed to take a public bus across half of Bai Lu Mountain City, and then take a cable car up the mountain from the other side.


    On the way to the bus station, the two Food Spirits attracted quite a bit of attention from passersby.


    Because at this moment, their appearances were somewhat peculiar.


    Around Dan Bao, five steel balls irregrly circled under the control of Thought Waves, each following a different flight trajectory.


    Spicy, on the other hand, was repeatedly attempting to bite the steel balls.


    It appeared to be some sort of y, but in reality, it was a special training that Qin Lang hade up with on the spot for the two Food Spirits.


    The multiple steel balls were used to train Dan Bao¡¯s ability to control Thought Waves while being distracted.


    And Spicy¡¯s attempts totch onto the steel balls was a form of exercising its Lucky Bite Mark.


    On the way to visit Mrs. Yunqi, they didn¡¯t forget to train the two Food Spirits.


    A true master of time management.


    A few hourster, riding a cable car to the side of Bai Lu Mountain, Qin Lang saw a rumored garden filled with ginkgo trees.


    Perhaps due to the colder temperature halfway up the mountain, the ginkgo leaves, which should have gradually turned yellow only after October, had alreadypletely turned into a golden hue.


    In the vast snow, the golden ginkgo forest stood as the most beautiful adornment; even the snow that had umted on the branches felt incredibly beautiful.


    As Qin Lang approached, the sight of numerous white elves shuttling among the woods entered his view. Their figures disappeared in the snow, elusive to the eyes.


    These slender white deer were a species unique to Bai Lu Mountain.


    Qin Lang stopped in front of a wooden sign that read ¡°Luxing Garden.¡±


    The two obedient Food Spirits apanying him also temporarily halted their respective training.


    Luxing Garden, they had arrived.


    Through the iron gate, a detached wooden house hidden among the ginkgo trees could be seen.


    Thinking that a Second-Level Food Rmender, on the same level as Mr. Li Yuantu, resided in there, Qin Lang¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but be a little serious.


    He rang the doorbell and then waited at the door.


    ¡°Ding dong


    The doorbell startled a white deer not far away.


    It turned its head to nce at Qin Lang, then hopped a few steps and disappeared into the depths of the forest.


    But after a short while, it turned around and returned in the direction of Qin Lang.


    Next to the white deer now was a woman in a white dress.


    Her linen-colored hair was ited and hung over one shoulder. The end of her hair was draped across her chest, intertwining with the decorations on her dress. In her hand, she held a bamboo basket that seemed to contain something.


    She looked up in Qin Lang¡¯s direction, then began to walk towards him, step by step.


    Qin Lang recognized her at a nce. The woman was the Second-Level Food Rmender of Bai Lu Mountain City, who he had previously looked up ¡ª the vice president of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, Mrs. Yunqi.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Yunqi, I¡¯m from Dongxia City, and I¡¯d like to try and pass your Food Rmender assessment.¡± As soon as she opened the iron gate, Qin Lang politely stated his intention.


    ¡°A Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    Yunqi¡¯s voice was very pleasant, like the clear sound of a bubbling spring.


    ¡°Here it is.¡± Already prepared, Qin Lang took out his Distant Light Badge and handed it to her.


    Having briefly examined the badge, Yunqi returned it to Qin Lang,¡±Follow me.¡±


    Qin Lang followed closely behind Yunqi, but a look of surprise soon shed across his face.


    He had originally thought that Yunqi would lead him to the wooden house, asking him to cook dishes ording to her requirements.


    However, after walking a few steps, Qin Lang realized that their destination was the ginkgo woods.


    The white deer that had previously been following Yunqi was now walking not far from Qin Lang.


    It didn¡¯t seem to be scared. On the contrary, it was curiously staring at Qin Lang.


    Dan Bao and Spicy approached it curiously, attempting tomunicate with it.


    ¡°Gulu Gudoo-¡±


    ¡°Chaka Baka~¡±


    ¡°Yo~¡±


    It¡¯s unclear whether they can understand each other, but from the way the white deer actively reaches out its head and allows the two food spirits to rub its grey antlers, it seems like a friendlymunication.


    Even Qin Lang can¡¯t help but turn to look.


    There have always been rumors in Bai Lu Mountain City that the white deer from Bai Lu Mountain are human-like, thus they have been regarded as sprites.


    Now it seems, the rumors might not be false.


    ¡°Can you climb trees?¡±


    Suddenly, Mrs. Yunqi asked, pulling Qin Lang back from his thoughts.


    He turns his head to look at Mrs. Yunqi¡¯s back, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Mrs. Yunqi stops and hands the basket she¡¯s holding to Qin Lang, ¡°Then, help me pick some Gingko fruits.¡±


    Qin Lang takes the basket, lifts the cloth covering it, only to find it filled with Gongko fruits.


    The round, slightly yellowish fruits seemed quite cute.


    The basket wasn¡¯t full of Gingko fruits, perhaps Mrs. Yunqi was picking them before Qin Lang arrived.


    Now that Qin Lang was here, this job was passed onto him.


    Carrying the basket to the nearest Gingko tree, Qin Lang touches the robust tree trunk.


    It¡¯s clear, these Gingko trees have seen many years, and the lush branches and spotted bark tell their own stories.


    The Gingko fruits within reach have been carefully picked off, only the unreachable branches wereden with the fruits.


    With the help from the Food Spirits¡¯ thought wave, the picking process is significantly elerated.


    Meanwhile, Spicy could fly to the ces that Qin Lang could not reach, and send string upon string of Gingko fruits to him.


    With the busy work of the human and the spirits, therge bamboo basket was soon filled and heavy.


    ¡°Mrs. Yunqi, they¡¯re picked.¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Mrs. Yunqi turns and walks towards the cabin.


    Qin Lang jumps down with the basket and quickly follows.


    As the cabin door opens, a warm flow of air mixed with the scent of books flows out from inside, driving away the outdoor wind and snow.


    Qin Lang curiously surveys everything in the house, his eyes quickly drawn to the wall-to-wall bookshelf full of various books.


    His predecessor loved reading, so Qin Lang¡¯s house is filled with all kinds of books.


    However,pared to what¡¯s in front of him, those were mere novelties.


    ¡°Just put the basket on the tea table.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Qin Lang snaps back to reality, cing the bamboo basket on the tea table.


    Mrs. Yunqi sits in a chair, pours herself a cup of tea, and then looks at Qin Lang.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s gaze on the book-filled shelf, she doesn¡¯t seem surprised.


    ¡°My second-level Food Rmender¡¯s exam criteria isn¡¯t high, but isn¡¯t exactly easy either.¡± She continues slowly, ¡°You need to cook a dish I¡¯m satisfied with, one of the ingredients in the dish should be the Gingko fruits you just picked.¡±


    ¡°Aside from that, there¡¯s no requirement for what other ingredients you can use, however¡­¡±


    Qin Lang listens attentively.


    He knows this ¡°however¡± is probably the crux of the challenge.


    Quick Entrance:[Monthly Votes][Rmended Votes]

 Chapter 154 - 154: Poetic

    Chapter 154: Poetic


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°But aside from the ingredients, there¡¯s another requirement.¡±


    Yunqi walked to a wall full of books, carefully selected one, and handed it to Qin Lang. ¡°The dish you¡¯re going to cook needs to rte with this book.¡±


    A dish rted to the content of a book?


    Linking the two wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    He might as well see what this book was about first.


    With a serious look on his face, Qin Lang took the book and began to flip through it.


    Dan Bao and Spicy also peeked out from both of his shoulders, trying to offer him their advice.


    The book Yunqi handed to him was called ¡°Poems in the Wind¡±.


    Upon flipping through it briefly, Qin Lang found it was a collection of poems from this world.


    Some poems were styled with an ancient ir, while others bore a more modern touch.


    If so, he just had to make a dish that matched with one of the poems. It wasn¡¯t entirely impossible.


    He began to read each poem in the collection and match them to dishes from the vast library of dishes in his mind.


    This process was bound to take some time, Yunqi didn¡¯t seem to mind waiting.


    She took out another book, sat back down, poured herself a cup of tea, and began reading while sipping her tea.


    After a while, Qin Lang, having browsed through half of the poem collection, had his gaze fixed on a certain page.


    It was a poem about a deer, written in a free, poetic style.


    The scenery it painted was somewhat simr to that of the ¡°Deer Cry¡± in the ¡°Book of Songs¡± from his previous life.


    A dish rted to ginkgo came to mind like a sh of electricity.


    He slowly closed the book he was holding.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve got an idea,¡± Yunqimented, sipping on her tea, her gaze moving from the book to Qin Lang. ¡°The kitchen is over there. The ingredients in the pantry should be more than enough for you to use.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Qin Lang nodded, picking up the ginkgo fruit and striding toward the kitchen.


    The two Food Spirits quickly caught up, their eyes filled with the same curiosity.


    What kind of dish would Qin Lang cook this time?


    After selecting the appropriate ingredients from the pantry, Qin Lang stood in front of the table and started to get busy.


    He shelled the fresh ginkgo, soaked them in alkaline water, then carefully skinned them.


    He boiled water, nched the peeled ginkgo to remove the bitter taste, then in a separate pot boiled them until they were slightly soft, and set them aside forter use.


    Then, Qin Lang started processing arge piece of pork fat on the table.


    ¡°Gurgle Gurgle-¡±


    I know this, it can be used to renderrd, and also to make delicious pork cracklings.


    Dan Bao leaned over to Spicy, chimed in and exined.


    ¡°Crack?¡±


    What are we going to cook next?


    Spicy couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity.


    ¡°The next dish is called Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo,¡± Qin Lang responded while cutting the pork fat into mahjong-sized pieces. ¡°Although the cooking process for this dish isn¡¯tplicated, the ting is quite involved.¡±


    Fine food is relished for its texture and presentation.


    Confucius Mansion Cuisine is the epitome of this principle.


    The Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo, originated from Confucius Mansion Cuisine, is an outstanding example.


    Using the mildly toxic ginkgo to create a dish, it¡¯s a delicacy if consumed in moderation, but a poison if overindulged.


    After proficiently rendering therd, Qin Lang sprinkled a small pinch of salt on the pork cracklings and ced them in front of the two little spirits, ¡°Eat up.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Pork cracklings!


    Dan Bao cheered, quickly drawing close.


    It has been quite a while since it had such a meal!


    Beside it, Spicy had already been enticed by the rich aroma from the stewingrd. At this moment, its speed was hardly slower than Dan Bao¡¯s.


    Both their heads leaned close to the te as they ate cheerfully.


    With the cookedrd set aside to cool, Qin Lang began the other part of the task in preparing the Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo.


    ting.


    He added a full two pounds of white sugar into a small amount of water and put it into the pan. When the sugar was thoroughly melted into a clear syrup, he poured it into a chilled container through a sieve.


    The entire piece of clear, bubble-free sugar quickly solidified within the container.


    As Qin Lang overturned a palm-sized piece of sugar and fixed it on the table, Dan Bao and Spicy exchanged nces before leaning in.


    From Qin Lang¡¯s increasingly solemn demeanor, they could guess that the next step was not going to be easy.


    As expected.


    Qin Lang picked up a tiny, sharp file and swiftly began to carve the piece of sugar.


    With each wave of the file, pieces of sugar crystal fell off.


    The previously square piece of sugar began to gradually change shape under the fileing.


    As time ticked away, the expressions on Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s faces grew more and more surprised.


    A deer crouching on the ground slowly took shape in Qin Lang¡¯s hand.


    Outside the kitchen, Yunqi took a sip of her tea and put down the book she was reading.


    Then, she pulled out her ownptop and began to examine Qin Lang¡¯s background information.


    With her authority as the vice president of the Spirit Chef Association of Bai Lu Mountain City, all of Qin Lang¡¯s experiences since bing a Spirit Chef came up without any difficulty.


    This is something Yunqi always did for every Spirit Chef that came for her assessment.


    Only by understanding the past history of a Spirit Chef could she make a more urate judgment when tasting their dishes. This has always been Yunqi¡¯s practice.


    Soon, a look of surprise surfaced on Yunqi¡¯s face.


    This Spirit Chef¡¯s progress was unexpectedly fast.


    He had consecutively won three First-level Food Rmender Badges in Dongxia City in three days, and then won the championship in the Dongxia City Cooking Competition?


    And now, he hasn¡¯t even been a Spirit Chef for a full month?


    Yunqi had encountered many talented Spirit Chefs, but none at the level of Qin Lang.


    She opens the video archives of the cooking contests stored in the Spirit Chef Association¡¯s system and watches with interest.


    She sees Qin Lang presenting vegetarian braised pork in the Scoring Competition, and Wen Si Tofu in the Elimination Competition, as well as the Snowke Chicken and Twice-Cooked Pork that Qin Lang prepared in the Rankings Match.


    Closing the video, Yunqi now had an understanding of Qin Lang¡¯s cooking style.


    This will be important evidence in her determining whether his dishes are qualified to receive her Second-Level Food Rmender Badge ¨C the Deer Spirit Badge.


    Yunqi sweeps through the record of Qin Lang¡¯s experiences after winning the Dongxia City Cooking Competition, and her face immediately turned into shock.


    ¡°Huh? The youth trainingpetition started?¡±


    She pped her forehead, suddenly feeling she wasn¡¯t doing her job as vice president of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association properly.


    She didn¡¯t know anything about thepetition hosted by the Association.


    But knowing now is better than never.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how the select fights are going.¡± she pulled up the rey video and began to examine it, ¡°So manypetitors? Must be the influence of the provincial trainingpetition.¡±


    Yunqi skimmed through the video and quickly pulled the progress bar to the time when the four contestants advanced.


    Watching Xu Qingmo, surrounded by thirteen spirit executors, personally hand a piece of the Starstone to each contestant, Yunqi frowned.


    Something¡¯s wrong.


    The Association chairman was keeping something from her!


    Quick ess: [Monthly Tickets][Rmendation Tickets]

 Chapter 155 - 155: Speculation

    Chapter 155: Spection


    Trantor: 549690339


    Inside the Spirit Chef Association of Bai Lu Mountain City, a meeting was underway.


    There was a total of fifteen attendees: the Association president Xu Qingmo, thirteen Spirit Executors, and the Provincial Training Champion Zhou Tianhao who had not left Bai Lu Mountain City yet.


    While the public was stirred up with discussions about the recently concluded select-duelpetition, the atmosphere in the meeting room was notably heavy.


    ¡°The Star Hunters didn¡¯t make a move.¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head in frustration, ¡°I¡¯ve been lying in wait in the audience seats for two days, and nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably what the Star Hunters wanted to see.¡± A Spirit Executor clenched his fist tightly, ¡°If we catch those despicable guys, they must be brought to justice!¡±


    ¡°I can already imagine the Star Hunters mocking us as we prepare for battle.¡± Another Spirit Executor gritted his teeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not certain, maybe the Star Hunters originally nned to act, but upon seeing so many of us, chose to abandon their ns?¡± A rather optimistic Spirit Executor interjected.


    Others in the room agreed with his thought process.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down!¡± Xu Qingmo looked at her subordinates whose spirits had shifted, slightly frowning, ¡°We¡¯re dealing with a world-ss criminal organization!¡±


    ¡°No matter why they did not take action during the select-duelpetition, within the validity period of the Notice, we must adopt the most meticulous attitude for defense.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the reason they didn¡¯t act might be linked to the quantity of the Starstones.¡± Liu Shuang, seated on the opposite side, spoke slowly after some thought. ¡°Their target is the Starstones; it makes sense that they would want as many as possible.¡±


    ¡°There were only four Starstones in the select-duelpetition, perhaps they are nning to strike when there are more Starstones at stake.¡±


    ¡°If one were to name the time when the most Starstones are at stake¡­¡± Another Spirit Executor added, ¡°It would be when the victors of the Rankings Match are decided.¡±


    ¡°Two days from now, thepeting teams from the morning Rankings Matches will each receive the Starstones belonging to second ce in advance


    The remaining Starstones for the second ce are six subtracted by the one already awarded.


    TWo contestants receiving rewards would mean the Association has to bring out ten Starstones at once.


    For the final Ranking Match in the afternoon where the final ranks of four contestants are determined, the number of Starstones the Association would bring out is actually less, only six in total.


    If it were to be based on the number of Starstones, pinpointing the Star Hunters¡¯ timeline should not be difficult.


    ¡°This hypothesis does make sense¡­¡± Xu Qingmo slightly nodded in agreement after some thought, ¡°We must continue to maintain vignce over these few days and not take it lightly. On the morning of the Rankings Match two days from now, we should arrange for more Association personnel to be stationed within the arena.¡±


    ¡°This is our first confrontation with the Star Hunters, we must absolutely apprehend them!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Thirteen Spirit Executors chorused.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to battle them.¡± Zhou Tianhao clenched his fists, ¡°Let theme, I¡¯m waiting!¡±


    ¡°Ring, Ring¨C ¡±


    A frantic sound of a phone call echoed inside the meeting room.


    Realizing the ringing sound wasing from her own phone, Xu Qingmo¡¯s expression changed subtly.


    There aren¡¯t many people who could call her during a meeting.


    Upon seeing the caller ID, she looked even more anxious.


    ¡°You all discuss the specific strategies first, I need to take this call.¡±


    Leaving her words hanging, Xu Qingmo quickly walked into the small meeting room next door with her phone. After closing the door, she answered, ¡°Asu¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell me truthfully, did something go wrong during the Youth Training Competition?¡± Yunqi¡¯s pleasant voice traveled through the phone.


    ¡°No major issues.¡± Xu Qingmo reflexively rebutted without giving it much thought.


    It fell quiet on the other end of the line. After a moment, Yunque¡¯s voice carried a little more seriousness, ¡°No major issues, yet it requires so many guards for just four Starstones?¡±


    ¡°You watched thepetition footage?¡± Xu Qingmo finally realized, she scratched her head in frustration, ¡°Aren¡¯t you usually not interested in the trainingpetition?¡±


    ¡°I happened to catch it.¡± Yunqi replied calmly, ¡°So, there really is a problem, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Xu Qingmo knew she couldn¡¯t hide it any longer, she let out a sigh and said, ¡°The Star Hunters organization sent us a Notice.¡±


    The line went silent.


    The oppressive atmosphere seemed to be transmitted through the phone line.


    Xu Qingmo sighed, ¡°Alright Asu don¡¯t be mad, I do have backup help. Zhou Tianhao, who just won the Provincial Training Championship, has volunteered to stay in Bai Lu Mountain City to assist.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just like you, a Four-Vein Spirit Chef with five-star Food Spirits.¡± Yunqi¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, getting colder, ¡°So you would rather ask a stranger for help, than me?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xu Qingmo was momentarily at a loss for words.


    ¡°I will be present at the Youth Training Competition two days from now.¡±


    Yunqi left her with those words before hanging up the call.


    Xu Qingmo rubbed her forehead and heaved a sigh.


    The threshold to bing a First-Level Spirit Executor is to have at least two Four-star Food Spirits.


    The requirement to be Second-Level Spirit Executor is to possess at least two Five-Star Food Spirits.


    But the qualifications to be a Food Rmender are not based on power, instead emphasising on cooking and food evaluation capabilities.


    In a typical Spirit Chef Association of a city, a duo of primary and deputy directors, which are the Second-Level Spirit Executor and Second-Level Food Rmender of the city, govern the association.


    This protocol implies that the president of the Spirit Chef Association usually is the most powerful within the association.


    However, Bai Lu Mountain City is somewhat different.


    Few people know that the elusive Second-Level Food Rmender, who is usually in thepany of the White Deer is the only Spirit Chef in the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association who has opened up his fifth Star Vein.


    But¡­


    ¡°Asu, you can¡¯t intervene anymore¡­¡±


    After roughly shaping the form of a deer with a file, the finer details came alive beneath Qin Lang¡¯s knife.


    A strikingly life-like Sugar Crystal Deer was born.


    Its transparent body shone brightly under the light, prompting Dan Bao and Spicy to examine it closely in awe.


    Ignoring the two ones lost in fascination, Qin Lang took the previously prepared and simmered ginkgo nt, promptly beginning the next stage of cooking.


    After heating the wok, he addedrd and white sugar, stirring it until the color turned reddish. He then added clear water, honey, and osmanthus honey, finally adding the ginkgo fruit.


    As Qin Lang slowly stirred the ginkgo fruit on low heat, a rich aroma enveloped the room with the heat, making Qin Lang and the two little ones look intoxicated.


    When the broth in the pot thickened and was evenly coated on the surface of the ginko fruit, he removed it from the heat.


    With the glistening and plump Ginkgo fruit dispersing around the Sugar Crystal Deer sculpture, a profound and exquisite Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo was prepared.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have Mrs. Yunqi taste it now.¡±


    Qin Lang carefully held the Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo and walked out of the kitchen.


    Shortcut Entrance: [Monthly Tickets] [Rmendation Tickets]


    End of Chapter Easter Egg Content:


    [Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo]

 Chapter 156 - 156 Deer Spirit

    Chapter 156: Deer Spirit


    Trantor: 549690339


    As Qin Lang came out with the dishes, the aroma which originally filled the kitchen started to disperse towards the living room as the kitchen door opened.


    In the living room, Mrs. Yunqi, whose face showed deep thought, gradually snapped back to reality under this scent.


    ¡°Your dish is ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    For some reason, he felt a change in the atmosphere inside the room.


    But this did not prevent him from presenting the dish in his hands to Mrs.


    Yunqi, ¡°Mirs. Yunqi, this Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo is a dish I cooked,bining a poem from ¡®Poems in the Wind<sup>1</sup> called ¡®Deer Shadow¡¯. Please taste it.¡±


    ¡°Deer Shadow?¡± Mrs. Yunqi looked at the Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo in front of her, which was refined like a piece of art, with a sh of brilliance in her eyes.


    The book of poems she brought out was, naturally, familiar to her.


    She could effortlessly recite every poem in it.


    The poem called ¡®Deer Shadow¡¯ outlines the poet¡¯s freedom when living with a herd of deer. Mrs. Yunqi, establishing Luxing Garden and living leisurely on the mountainside of Bai Lu Mountain, was equally affected by this poem.


    Qin Lang choosing it among so many poems was somewhat surprising to Mrs. Yunqi.


    The answer given by Qin Lang was equally unexpected to Mrs. Yunqi.


    After watching Qin Lang¡¯s previouspetition videos, she knew he was a spiritual chef who was good at turning ingredients into unexpected appearances, thereby giving them apletely new taste.


    She had thought the answer Qin Lang would give her would also be like that.


    But this dish called Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo gave her a different feeling.


    The clearly discernible ginkgo fruit was casually scattered beside the carved white deer.


    Under the white deer¡¯s lifelike backdrop, this casual ting did not seem perfunctory, but had an unexpectedly exquisite feel.


    The round, slightly yellow ginkgo fruit¡¯s surface was shiny and glossy under the light. Mrs. Yunqi could clearly see the osmanthus trapped in the soup, and could also smell the scent of osmanthus and honey that filled the air.


    Honey, osmanthus, ginkgo¡­


    A strange look shed in Mrs. Yunqi¡¯s eyes.


    She picked up a ginkgo fruit with chopsticks and put it in her mouth.


    The rich and sweet taste caused her taste buds to quiver the moment the soup on the surface of the ginkgo fruit touched her tongue.


    It was a crisp, clear taste. The addition ofrd added a bit of heaviness and smoothness, but it didn¡¯t bring too much greasiness.


    The sweet honey and osmanthus honey integrated with the freshness seeping from the ginkgo were quickly overflowing between her lips and teeth.


    As Mrs. Yunqi gently chewed, the ginkgo¡¯s crispy and resilient texture exploded quickly.


    The perfectly timed cooking process made it easy to bite open the ginkgo, but its essence prevented it from bing soft. The ginkgo exploded into a richer texture because of its internal structure.


    As the ginkgo became fragmented between her lips and teeth, the internal freshness and sweetness was slowly released. After nching and removing the bitter taste, what remained was a memorable sweetness.


    After eating one, Mrs. Yunqi¡¯s face reflected a sense of surprise.


    Ginkgo was not an ingredient that wasplex to cook.


    But it was extremely rare to prepare it so deliciously.


    What a feat, to get everything just right.


    She turned to look at the young man standing aside waiting for her to announce the assessment results, suddenly asking, ¡°Did you notice something?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the taste of chrysanthemum and fritiry bulbs in the tea, 1 have indeed noticed,¡± Qin Lang responded genuinely.


    When Mrs. Yunqi took her first sip of tea, Qin Lang realized there was something special about the tea.


    Both chrysanthemums and fritiry bulbs have lung-clearing, throat-moistening, and cough-relieving effects.


    That¡¯s also why Mrs. Yunqi only drank tea herself and didn¡¯t offer him any.


    And Qin Lang¡¯s choice of Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo also considered this aspect.


    Ginkgo itself has lung-clearing, cough-relieving effects.


    The honey and osmanthus paired with it produce the same effect.


    ¡°You are a very excellent Spirit Chef,¡± Mrs. Yunqi said with an additional smile on her face.


    Besides the overt requirements of the test, this too was taken into ount by Mrs. Yunqi.


    A Spirit Chef, in essence, is still a chef.


    And as chefs, they should always have the food guests in mind.


    Whether it¡¯s being careless and not noticing the issue with the tea, or noticing but not taking it into ount, if the Spirit Chef attempting the challenge ends up using ingredients in their dishes that counteract the cough-relief properties, they would fail this round.


    She rose to her feet and entered another room, shortly after returning with a badge.


    ¡°Your cooking skills have earned my approval.¡±


    ¡°This Deer Spirit Badge is now yours.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Qin Lang hadn¡¯t anticipated such a smooth journey.


    He happily collected the Deer Spirit Badge and examined it under the light.


    As a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, the Deer Spirit Badge shares the same silver texture and stunning frame as the Distant Light Badge, but the internal pattern is entirely different.


    Set against a serene snowy night, the white silhouette of a ginkgo tree merges with falling snowkes. Beneath the tree, a white deer seems to be looking back or perhaps gazing into the distance. In the bottom left and right corners of the image, fragmented ginkgo leaves bear a golden hue.


    At the bottom of the badge, the words ¡°Bai Lu Mountain City ? Deer Spirit¡± shimmer in silver on a red ribbon.


    Second-Level Food Rmender Badge ? Deer Spirit!


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you should leave now.¡± After handing over the Deer Spirit Badge to Qin Lang, Mrs. Yunqi showed no intention of asking him to stay.


    She returned to her seat, continuing to savour the taste of Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo, her eyes slightly distant as though lost in thought.


    Seeing this, Qin Lang, along with the two Food Spirits, departed without disturbing her.


    Only Mrs. Yunqi remained inside the house now.


    Without realising it, she had consumed all the ginkgo fruit on her te.


    ¡°So few?¡± Mrs. Yunqi couldn¡¯t help but mutter, then chuckled with resignation, ¡°Are they afraid I¡¯ll get poisoned?¡±


    ¡°But, 1 need the toxins of the ginkgo fruit to suppress my own problems.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Seeing the Deer Spirit Badge in Qin Lang¡¯s hand, Zhao Chen and the others couldn¡¯t help but widen their eyes.


    They knew that Qin Lang was visiting Mrs. Yunqi, the Second-Level Food Rmender in Bai Lu Mountain City, but they didn¡¯t expect him to get the second Second-Level Food Rmender Badge so effortlessly.


    ¡°This is too quick, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but exim under her breath, ¡°This is a Second-Level Food Rmender¡¯s test!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s more difficult than a First-Level Food Rmender¡¯s test,¡± Qin Lang agreed with a nod.


    Previously, the tests for the First-Level Food Rmenders typically only had one requirement.


    For example, the Fish Scale Badge required cooking fish; the Daisy Badge, desserts; the Teng Niu Badge, beef.


    But for the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, there are requirements for both the ingredients and the dish itself, increasing the challenge significantly.


    He had yet realised that Mrs. Yunqi¡¯s test had hidden requirements, making it three in total.


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s expression became even more stunned.


    The key point is that the Second-Level Food Rmender tests are more difficult?


    The real question is, why can you still pass so quickly despite the increased difficulty?!


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 157 - 157: Counter War

    Chapter 157: Counter War


    Trantor: 549690339


    Getting the Deer Spirit Badge seems like a minor episode.


    Qin Lang¡¯s training with the two Food Spirits continues as usual.


    Time flies by, and in no time it¡¯s two dayster and the Rank Matches are about to start.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the Bai Lu Mountain Youth Training Tournament¡¯s venue ¨C the Bai Lu Mountain Arena!¡±


    Amidst the resonating sound of the host¡¯s excited voice, the audience breaks into waves of cheers and thunderous apuse.


    The over hundred consecutive exhrating Spirit Battles from the selectionpetition have fermented over these three days, thoroughly igniting the passion and anticipation of all spectators.


    It is said that after the tickets for the Rank Match were on sale, fifty thousand tickets sold out in less than three minutes, a terrifying speed for Bai Lu Mountain City.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s look at the big screen!¡± The host points to the big screen in the air, and the profiles of the four advancing contestants appear on screen. ¡°Today, the four contestants will¡­¡±


    Unlike the tightly scheduled selectionpetition before, today¡¯s Rank Matches consist of just four rounds, split between the morning and afternoon.


    One Spirit Battle might be over within a few minutes, so the host has to interject more frequently to maintain the heat and extend thepetition duration.


    After introducing the content of today¡¯s uing matches, the big screen starts to rey the battle videos of the four advancing contestants from the selectionpetition. Although the matches were three days ago, revisiting them with the host¡¯smentary is still quite engaging for the audience.


    In the Contestant Preparation Seats, Qin Lang and the other three contestants are not distracted, and are making their final preparations and adjustments before the matches.


    ¡°Gurulu¡­¡±


    It would be great if I could master the Combined Battle Skills.


    With a look of nervousness and frustration on his face, Dan Bao looks at the Three-stars Food Spirit beside Zhu Quan in the distance.


    Over the past two days, under Qin Lang¡¯s guidance, it has undergone various trainings in Thought Waves.


    Now, its speed and agility in shell peeling is no less superior to Qin Lang¡¯s.


    Like Full Firepower, Dan Bao too has started to get the hang of using Thought Waves, attaining an intuitive understanding of them.


    But, it has not yet been able to create Combined Battle Skills as it had previously envisaged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qin Lang rubs Dan Bao¡¯s head, ¡°I checked with Du Weiwei, Little Glutinous Rice took a full two months from practice to creating Combined Battle Skills. You¡¯re already moving pretty fast, maybe all you need for creating Combined Battle Skills is an opportunity?¡±


    But Dan Bao isn¡¯tforted by Qin Lang¡¯s words.


    ¡°Gurulu-¡±


    But thepetition is imminent¡­


    Its little head is hanging low.


    If it can¡¯t master it before thepetition, then what¡¯s the point of these three days of training?


    ¡°Working hard is to leave yourself without regrets.¡± Qin Lang speaks softly, ¡°Up to this point, we¡¯ve already done very well.¡±


    These past few days watching the two little ones train, he too hase to understand this point.


    Even if Dan Bao masters the Combined Battle Skills, it would still be difficult for a Two-star Food Spirit to defeat a Three-star Food Spirit.


    Let alone the fact that Spicy is only a One-star Food Spirit.


    The hope of winning this battle is already slim to begin with. It can be a goal and motivation, but there¡¯s no need to be overly obsessed about it.


    In the end, it has only been a month since he became a Spirit Chef. Competing now against others who have been Spirit Chefs for several years or even longer, is still a bit premature.


    Thispetition is just for gaining experience.


    ¡°Snap!¡±


    We¡¯ll just do our best!


    Spicy nods in agreement and, unusually, takes the initiative to snuggle up to Dan Bao.


    Qin Lang also rubs Spicy¡¯s head and cracks a little joke to ease the tension, ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous, who knows, maybe Spicy can bite the other two Food Spirits unconscious in two bites?¡±


    Spicy and Dan Bao look at each other and their nervousness seems to lessen considerably.


    Time ticks away. After reying andmenting on all the videos from the selectionpetition featuring Qin Lang and Zhu Quan who are about topete, the host finally stops dragging it out.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s give a warm round of apuse to invite our contestants Zhu Quan and Qin Lang on stage! Next, they will bring us the first thrilling duel of the Rank Matches!¡±


    Amidst deafening cheers and apuse, Qin Lang and Zhu Quan look at each other and then rise to walk towards their respective entrances to the Competition Venue.


    Soon, the two contestants stood on both sides of thepetition venue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, the contest that the two contestants will be participating in is¡­¡± As the host¡¯s voice trailed off, a rolling banner appeared in between the avatars of Qin Lang and Zhu Quan on the big screen above.


    The atmosphere in the entire arena seemed to freeze at that moment, and under the tense gaze of countless people, the banner finally settled down.


    [Full Lineup Combination Battle]


    ¡°It¡¯s a full lineupbination battle! This means that the two contestants will pit all their Food Spirits against each other in an all-out battle to determine the winner of this match!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    In the audience seats, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but stomp her foot.


    Du Weiwei next to her also helplessly shook her head.


    For Qin Lang, whose both Food Spirits were weaker than his opponent¡¯s, there was a glimmer of hope in a Wheel War strategy to use the weak to defeat the strong. If it¡¯s a direct 2V2, his chances of winning are almost zero.


    ¡°Go, my rival!!!¡±


    Zhao Chen, who was standing next to them, stood up, cupping his hands at the sides of his cheeks in a megaphone-like fashion, and yelled loudly.


    ¡°A full lineupbination battle huh¡­¡± Qin Lang looked at the two little ones beside him, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it our all!¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Responding to him were the high-spirited voices of the two Food Spirits.


    On the other side, a blue light shed beside Zhu Quan as he summoned his other Food Spirit for the first time in this Youth Training Tournament.


    As everyone had predicted, it was a Two-star Food Spirit.


    Moreover, the starlight around the Two-star Food Spirit was very weak, as if it had just been promoted recently.


    Although opening up the Star Vein requires all Food Spirits to reach a certain star level, many Spirit Chefs still have a particr focus during the nurturing process.


    Zhu Quan¡¯s situation was obviously the case.


    ¡°The referee for this match is Spirit Executor Zhou Xin.¡± The host waved at the middle-aged woman who was walking into the arena.


    ¡°Both sides, prepare.¡± Zhou Xin took a nce at the two contestants on both sides of thepetition venue, ¡°Countdown starts from five, the match begins.¡±


    ¡°Five¡­¡±


    The gaze of the two contestants standing a hundred meters apart in the arena crossed.


    It was as if an electric light had momentarily shed in the void.


    ¡°Four¡­¡±


    ¡°Borrow power from Tian Shu, defend!¡± x2


    Qin Lang and Zhu Quan simultaneously unfolded their respective Star Spirit Protection.


    A whirlwind blew around the two contestants, who were fully ready, and they were tacitly confronting each other in the air.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    Zhou Xin¡¯s steady countdown was like a small hammer tapping at every audience member¡¯s heart. Countless people held their breath, waiting for the battle about to begin in the arena.


    Qi Xiaoyu and Du Weiwei held hands tightly. On the side, Zhao Chen was swinging his clenched fist in the air, as if trying to transmit his power to Qin Lang across the distance.


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°Beep¡ª ¡±


    The sharp whistle echoed through the air.


    The match between Qin Lang and Zhu Quan began!


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 Chapter 158 - 158: Tactics

    Chapter 158: Tactics


    Trantor: 549690339


    As the whistle echoed throughout the venue, Qin Lang and Zhu Quan, positioned on opposite sides of thepetition field, simultaneously gave instructions to their Food Spirits.


    ¡°Approach!¡±


    The Food Spirits from both sides soared like meteors across the sky, rapidly closing in on each other.


    Eighty meters¡­


    Fifty meters¡­


    A sh of color streaked across the eyes of Qin Lang, Dan Bao, and Spicy all at once.


    Now is the time!


    In team battles, apart from thebat power of each Food Spirit, the cooperation between them and pre-arranged tactics are equally important. Before thepetition item was drawn, Qin Lang and his IWo Spirits had already considered the possibility of a 2V2 situation, and established the most suitable tactic for them.


    That is to focus on the weaker opponent first, aiming to disable Zhu Quan¡¯s two-star Food Spirit!


    If they can achieve this, then Zhu Quan¡¯s three-star Food Spirit will have to face a two against one situation, providing Qin Lang¡¯s side with a distinct advantage.


    Of course, achieving this will be difficult.


    To disable a two-star Food Spirit under the watchful eyes of a three-star Food Spirit is no simple matter.


    Fortunately, Qin Lang also has his advantages.


    Given that the three-star Food Spirit¡¯s abilities were already shown in previousbat matches, there is the potential for a surprise preemptive move based on this knowledge.


    Furthermore, they would least expect that the firstbat skill of Spicy, a mere one-star Food Spirit, would be the special skill ¡®Lucky Bite Mark¡¯, which has the potential to directly disable a Food Spirit.


    Still, such a tactic carries a certain degree of uncertainty.


    The specifics of the opponent¡¯s two-star Food Spirit¡¯sbat skill remain unknown, as does the effectiveness of Spicy¡¯s ¡®Lucky Bite Mark¡¯.


    But that¡¯s okay.


    All these uncertainties will soon be certainties.


    ¡°Thought Waves, Propel!¡±


    The instruction from Qin Lang echoed in the minds of his two Food Spirits in an instant.


    Dan Bao, already prepared, had a brief flicker of a white halo that enveloped both itself and the nearby Spicy; an invisible force formed an aerodynamic shell.


    Along with the powerful surge of Thought Power, it functioned as a booster that greatly enhanced their speed from behind. In an instant, the speed of the two Food Spirits was enhanced.


    With this eleration, Dan Bao¡¯s speed became equivalent to that of Yangyang when executing ¡®Barbaric Collision¡¯!


    Three days ago, Dan Bao was unable to aplish this. But as the proficiency of ¡®Thought Waves¡¯ improved, it could now use ¡®Thought Waves¡¯ to achieve even more!


    Thirty meters¡­


    Twenty meters¡­


    Ten meters!


    The two small Spirits and the opponent¡¯s Food Spirit had instantly entered each other¡¯s attack range!


    [It¡¯s Thought Waves! Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirits used Thought Waves for a surprise eleration! An excellent move! What is his intention? Let¡¯s wait and see!]


    A slight surprise shed across Zhu Quan¡¯s face, followed by a smug smile as he seemed to understand something from the trajectory of Qin Lang¡¯s two Spirits.


    ¡°They want to eliminate Gu Li first. He Ke, go and block that two-star Food Spirit!¡±


    As his voice echoed in the minds of his two Spirits, the two-star Food Spirit called Gu Li paused its forward charge and put some distance between itself and the three-star Spirit, He Ke.


    Meanwhile, He Ke let out a roar and charged towards the approaching Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Sa Cha!!!¡±


    A thick, purple electric arc surged from around He Ke, forming erratic trails in the air apanied by a terrifying ¡®crackle¡¯ as it charged straight towards Dan Bao!


    This was He Ke¡¯s fastest battle skill from his three skills arsenal: Wrath of Thunder and Lightning.


    Seeing He Ke use this skill, neither Qin Lang nor his Spirits showed any surprise.


    Because with other skills, He Ke may very well be unsessful in his interception.


    ¡°Grill!!!¡±


    Dan Bao swung fiercely, tossing the close-by Spicy away. At the same time, it took a deep breath and a re ignited within its body. It then sted a jet of fire towards the oing electric arc.


    Firepower Full st-Cluster!


    The pirs of fire, like heavy artillery, carried a rolling heat wave and shed with the electrical arcs in an instant.


    Apanied by bursts of roaring sounds, endless smoke and dust surged in thepetition venue, and an unchecked energy storm swept in every direction.


    [Firepower full st and Wrath of Thunder and Lightning! The long-distance sh between the two contestants¡¯ Food Spirits! Let¡¯s see who will gain the upper hand in this collision? It¡¯s contestant Zhu Quan!]


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    Dan Bao retreated slightly, a painful expression appearing on its face.


    In front of it, an invisible barrier quietly shattered.


    On its body¡¯s surface, tiny purple electrical arcs were wandering across.


    It was clear that in the previous collision, Dan Bao had been at a disadvantage. However, its performance had already been enough to astound its opponents. Zhu Quan, on the other side, saw this through his Food Spirit¡¯s perspective and was slightly taken aback.


    It blocked it?


    A two-star Food Spirit blocked a full attack of a three-star Food Spirit?


    Only if theirbat power values didn¡¯t vary significantly could this be exined.


    This two-star Food Spirit¡¯s vor value, even if it hadn¡¯t reached the maximum limit of two hundred, was likely not far from the limit, right?


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    The voice of another Food Spirit, Gu Li, echoed in his mind.


    Zhu Quan followed the sound and quickly caught sight of Qin Lang¡¯s other Food Spirit.


    The seemingly insignificant one-star Food Spirit that had previously been tossed aside by Qin Lang¡¯s two-star Food Spirit, under the residual effects of He Ke¡¯s collision with the two-star Food Spirit, was rolling over and over, coincidentally flying near Gu Li.


    From Gu Li¡¯s voice, Zhu Quan could sense the other¡¯s eagerness.


    Clearly, Gu Li was very keen to eliminate this one-star Food Spirit to prove itself in the battle.


    ¡°Gu Li! Sand Wheel Traces!¡±


    Zhu Quan issued instructions without hesitation.


    ¡°Squeak!!!¡±


    Gu Li¡¯s eyes shed with excitement. A revolving wheel made of sand and gravel quickly coagted behind it, then rapidly spun towards the seemingly not too intelligent, Spicy!


    The sharp breaking the wind echoed on the field. The sand wheel, carrying a blurry trail of residual imagery, had almost instantly reached in front of Spicy! [Contestant Zhu Quan¡¯s other Food Spiritunched a fierce attack on Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit! Can Qin Lang¡¯s one-star Food Spirit withstand this blow?] ¡°Crack? ¡±


    The revolving wheel of sand and gravel, seemingly crashing into an invisible barrier before it hit Spicy, shattered in an instant.


    ¡°Cha cha!!!¡±


    Spicy, who previously appeared dazed, had a burning fighting spirit in its eyes at this moment!


    An invisible force erupted from behind it, breaking through the shattered sand in front of it. Spicy, like a cannonball leaving its muzzle, fiercely crashed into Gu Li!


    [It¡¯s Qin Lang¡¯s two-star Food Spirit¡¯s Thought Waves! It had been wrapped around the other Food Spirit the whole time, only to erupt suddenly at this moment! Perfect control!]


    ¡°Squeak?!¡±


    Gu Li¡¯s eyes widened, astonished by this sudden turn of events.


    A pair of fangs shimmering with multicolored lights rapidly erged in its eyes.


    The first bite¡­ the second bite¡­


    Post special training, Spicy instantly bit four or five tooth marks on Gu Li.


    And, one of them was shing a colorful light.


    Bite mark, activated!


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 Chapter 159 - 159: Sudden Change

    Chapter 159: Sudden Change


    Trantor: 549690339


    [It¡¯s Lucky Bite Mark! I did not expect Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit¡¯sbat skill to be that! Lucky Bite Mark has taken effect, and Zhu Quan¡¯s one Food Spirit has lost itsbat capability!]


    [With this unexpected attack, Qin Lang won a two-to-one advantage!]


    The big screen began slowly reying everything that had just happened while sporadic cheers erupted from the audience seats.


    For them, a fight that was not one-sidedly suppressed by Zhu Quan, but instead Qin Lang scoring first, made it much more exciting.


    ¡°There really is hope!¡± Qi Xiaoyu tightly held Du Weiwei¡¯s hand, her face again filled with excitement and tension.


    She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe during thest series of exchanges.


    While Du Weiwei¡¯s face was equally filled with excitement.


    She also did not expect that Qin Lang could make it to this point.


    Although he did not masterbined battle skills before the match, the two days of special training Qin Lang had for the two Food Spirits was obviously effective.


    ¡°Well done, worthy of my arch-enemy!¡± Zhao Chen found a g from somewhere that had ¡°Cheer for Qin Lang¡± written on it, he waved it vigorously, shouting, ¡°Charge!¡±


    Qin Lang breathed a sigh of relief when the previously set tactical ns worked.


    Next, the only opponent left was¡­


    With the splendour of two Food Spirits, Qin Lang¡¯s gaze locked onto Zhu Quan¡¯s only remaining three-star Food Spirit.


    ¡°Such a beautiful tactic.¡± Zhu Quan nced at Qin Lang from afar, seemingly taking his opponent seriously for the first time, ¡°But such a small trick will not work repeatedly.¡±


    ¡°He Ke! Take them down!¡±


    ¡°Sa Cha!!!¡±


    He Ke roared, his eyes burning with battle spirit and anger.


    Having been defeated by two weaker opponents under his watch was equally a humiliation for him.


    By way of revenge, he was going to show off his greater strength!


    His appearance shed in mid-air, instantly duplicating into two identical selves, then charged straight for Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Combat Skill- Strength Duplication!


    Thisbat skill seemed simr to the Fractal Mirage used by number one benchmark Food Spirit before, but there was a fundamental difference.


    Strength Duplication only has one, but this duplicate can possess some of the original¡¯s power!


    ¡°Sa Cha!!!¡±


    Two angry shouts came simultaneously from He Ke¡¯s original and duplicate mouths, and dark purple energy balls on the ws of the two He Kes started to radiate a profound color as they spun, seeming to have purple arcs roaming within, terrifying beyond words.


    Combat Skill- Wrath of Thunder and Lightning + Combat Skill- Shadow Ball.


    Combined Combat Skill- Shadow Thunder Fury!


    In the two previous Food Fights, He Ke used this move to settle opponents instantly.


    In his anger, he wasn¡¯t going to hold back anymore.


    [After losing one Food Spirit¡¯sbat power, Zhu Quan¡¯s counterattack has be even more fierce! With his Food Spirit disying its full power, how will Qin Lang respond?]


    In the blink of an eye, the horrifying pressure swept over the two Food Spirits as two dark purple energy balls were shot at Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom¨C¡±


    There was a constant low rumble in the air, and Qin Lang¡¯s expression instantly became serious.


    There was no way to dodge.


    This ability had a certain lock-on effect, and the flight speed was extremely fast, so it had already arrived close to the two Food Spirits in an instant.


    ¡°Block it!¡±


    At this moment, all he could do as a Spirit Chef was to continue encouraging the two Food Spirits in his heart.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    Facing such a terrible attack, Dan Bao¡¯s face still did not show any fear.


    Layer uponyer of invisible thought power turned into a solid barrier, blocking Dan Bao and Spicy, protecting them firmly. At the same time, Danbao took a deep breath.


    A dazzling firelight rose from its body. Under the stir of full effort, even its eyes and mouth were burning with firelight at this moment.


    This firelight illuminated the oppressive dark purple that faced it, like the light of dawn.


    The golden-red me transformed into a pir of light like a cannon, exploding in a breath and headed towards the two energy balls that were flying face to face.


    Boom!


    A horrific explosive sound reverberated through the entire venue.


    With the terrifying energy storm swirling, sparks and arcs of electricity sttered at the center of the collision. Dark light sshed and shattered, stirring up endless dust and smoke.


    ¡°Whoosh¨C¡±


    One figure flew out from the dust and smoke first,nding heavily on the ground.


    That was Spicy, the first of the three Food Spirits to lose itsbat capability in the collision.


    Then, the second figure flew out andnded on the ground.


    That figure was Dan Bao, who had persisted longer than Spicy, but still could not win in the collision. In the end, it also lost itsbat capability.


    The smoke and dust gradually dissipated, revealing He Ke¡¯s figure.


    Except for a burnt mark on its body, there were no major injuries.


    He Ke, who had exerted all its strength to perform thebined battle skill, was much stronger than Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Beep¨C¡±


    The whistle blew.


    Zhou Xin, the Spirit Executor serving as the referee, stepped forward. After checking the situation of the three Food Spirits that had lost theirbat capability, he made the final decision.


    ¡°Zhu Quan wins.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give a warm apuse to congratte contestant Zhu Quan for winning this match!¡± The host¡¯s voice rose in excitement.


    In the apuse, Zhu Quan calmly returned Gu Li to his Star Vein. He looked at Qin Lang, who had taken back both of his Food Spirits into his Star Vein, ¡°You were a worthy opponent.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± Although he lost, Qin Lang was not overly disheartened.


    He had observed the performance of the two Food Spirits.


    They had already given their all.


    That was enough.


    Both returned to the contestant¡¯s preparation seat. Soon, the entire battle was reyed and exined in slow-motion on therge screen.


    The two little ones, who had regained some energy and returned from the Star Vein, focused on their previous performance while in Qin Lang¡¯s arms. They were whispering to each other, feeling that some ces could have been done better.


    After the rey of this battle, the analysis and rey of the match between contestants Hao Yifan and Xia Yun started. Afterwards, both contestants went on stage for the second match of the ranking tournament.


    Both were also engaged in a 2V2 match.


    One of Xia Yun¡¯s two Food Spirits was very strong, but the other was not too strong. Although she scored higher in the selection match, she did not have an advantage in terms of average strength.


    The strengths of Hao Yifan¡¯s two Food Spirits were closer to each other, and there was some cooperation between them.


    In the end, the battle between the two ended with Hao Yifan¡¯s victory.


    Qin Lang and Xia Yun entered the losers¡¯ group,peting for the third ce.


    Zhu Quan and Hao Yifan entered the winners¡¯ group,peting for the championship.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give the warmest apuse to congratte contestants Zhu Quan and Hao Yifan for entering the winners¡¯ group!¡± The host¡¯s voice was still passionate, but there was a trace of concern in his eyes.


    ¡°Now, please wee Ms. Xu Qingmo, the president of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, to present the Starstone reward to the contestants in the winners¡¯ group!¡±


    The moment the host¡¯s voice fell, there were shouts of surprise from the audience.


    Countless noisy points suddenly appeared on the big screen above the venue.


    When the noisy points disappeared, the screen only showed a special logo resembling a gorgeous mask.


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 Chapter 160 - 160: Armed

    Chapter 160: Armed


    Trantor: 549690339


    As the strange mask pattern appeared on the big screen, an uproar greater than before erupted from the audience seats.


    Apparently, this wasn¡¯t arranged by the hosts.


    Xu Qingmo and the thirteen Spirit Executors who had just left all had their expressions turn grave instantly.


    They had been waiting for so long, and what was bound toe has finallye.


    They summoned their respective Food Spirits, vigntly watching the surroundings, guarding the alloy box in Xu Qingmo¡¯s hand.


    The box contained ten Starstones for the winner¡¯s group, they couldn¡¯t afford any mishaps.


    Elsewhere in the audience, Zhou Tianhao, disguised as an ordinary spectator, looked around with a serious expression on his face.


    At the previous Spirit Chef Association meeting, they analyzed the potential situations of the Star Hunter. The most likely way for them to infiltrate the arena was to disguise themselves as spectators from various ces.


    Right now, he felt that anyone around him could be a Star Hunter.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, due to the attack on Bai Lu Mountain Arena, thepetition is temporarily suspended. Please follow the staff members and orderly evacuate the venue, waiting for further notice,¡± the host announced loudly through the microphone and led the four contestants to the emergency exit at the edge of thepetition venue, ready to evacuate with them at any moment.


    Staff members who were already stationed among the audience sprang into action quickly, they picked up loudspeakers and began directing a orderly evacuation.


    Although the Star Hunters in the past have never harmed innocent bystanders, the Spirit Chef Association has also madeprehensive preparations in this regard.


    On the other side of the audience, Qi Xiaoyu and her two friends looked at each other in surprise.


    ¡°What does that symbol mean?¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice amid the noise of the surrounding audience.


    ¡°That¡¯s the international criminal organization¡ªStar Hunters,¡± Zhao Chen answered first, and then raised his fist determinedly, ¡°It¡¯s time for us as trainers to uphold justice!¡±


    ¡°We should just follow the staff safely evacuate.¡± Du Weiwei shook her head, looking towards Qin Lang who followed the host to the edge of the venue, ¡°The contestants will evacuate via different routes. We don¡¯t need to worry about Qin Lang¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°Ok!¡± Qi Xiaoyu held Du Weiwei¡¯s hand, pulling the eager Zhao Chen and they followed the staff members towards the emergency exit.


    ¡°Look over there!¡±


    The sudden exmations came from ail around, making the evacuating trio of Du Weiwei couldn¡¯t help but look in the direction pointed by others.


    A ck meteor ripped through the sealed dome of Bai Lu Mountain Arena and traced a graceful parab in the sky that headed straight towards Xu Qingmo. ¡°Four Heavens Transformation, Ignite!¡±


    Seeing the rapidly erging ck light in front of her, a ruthless glint shed in Xu Qingmo¡¯s eyes. The Seven Star Map, illuminated by four stars, ignited quickly behind her, turning into bright purple mes that enveloped her body.


    ¡°PATHON!!!¡±


    Standing next to Xu Qingmo, four five-star Food Spirits swelled straight into the air, meeting the ck light in the bright purple mes.


    The bright purple mes, under the control of the Food Spirits, instantly transformed into a solid me shield, whileyers of mes swirled in the opposite direction, turning into ws howling through the air toward the ck light.


    Burning Spirit Fire-Armament!


    ¡°Boom!!!!¡±


    Apanied by a deep booming sound, the ck light that collided with Armament fire seemed to be ignited, instantly shooting out dense gray smoke in all directions.


    These special smoke shrouded Xu Qingmo and the thirteen Spirit Executors in an instant, making it impossible for anyone to see clearly the situation on the battlefield. They could only hear the shouts and collisions in the smoke.


    ¡°Damn you!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao, who hadn¡¯t evacuated with the rest of the spectators, yelled in a low voice, took off his mask that had been covering his face, soared into the air bathed in red mes, and quickly entered the smoke.


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape!¡±


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    With a loud noise, the smoke that filled the arena finally dissipatedpletely.


    The figure engaged in battle with everyone became clear as the smoke dispersed.


    He was someone wearing a mask identical to the emblem of the Star Hunters, d in a cloak that dragged along the ground, with one hand resting behind his body.


    His body was enveloped in a light blue Fresh Intent Fire, and strange light flickered in his eyes.


    Behind him, four stars lit up in the Seven Star Map, indicating he had only activated four Star Veins. Nevertheless, the Five-Star Food Spirit bathed in Fresh Intent Fire stood against two Spirits endowed with Soul Burning Fire, constituting Xu Qingmo and Zhou Tianhao!


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    Standing at the entrance of the evacuation passage, fully prepared to evacuate at any moment, Qin Lang watched in astonishment, his eyes filled with bewilderment.


    It was as if he had encountered an incredible event.


    A terrifying attack in this world?


    Or some other sudden change?


    ¡°That¡¯s a Star Hunter.¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s confusion, Hao Yifan spoke up. ¡°They are a world-ss criminal organization wanted by the Spirit Chef Association. They have nned and executed hundreds of Starstone robberies worldwide.¡± ¡°Stealing Starstones?!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s gaze fell on the Starstone in the distance, heavily protected in the middle of the arena, still somewhat confused. ¡°Ten Starstones are a lot for us, but wouldn¡¯t they offer limited upgrades for Four-star food spirits and higher?¡±


    Would such a powerful Spirit Chef be dispatched just for ten Starstones?


    ¡°Star Hunters¡¯ actual target isn¡¯t the Starstone itself.¡± Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, Zhu Quan shook his head. ¡°ording to rumors, they rob Starstones to reproduce them, disrupt the existing order, and the seizure of the Starstones is just to get samples for their experiments.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the reason?¡± Qin Lang eximed in enlightenment.


    That made sense.


    If a way to reproduce Starstones is found, Starstones can be created continuously, which would justify dispatching such a powerful Spirit Chef.


    Looking at the increasingly fierce confrontation not far away, he wore a worried expression.


    ¡°Will we get caught up in this?¡±


    ¡°Probably not.¡± Xia Yun, who was closely watching the fight in the arena, took the initiative to speak up. ¡°Although the Star Hunters are notorious for their Starstone heists, they are known not to harm innocent civilians. There are even rumors they go out of their way to ensure civilians aren¡¯t affected, though I can¡¯t vouch for their authenticity.¡±


    ¡°The rumors about protecting civilians must have been spread deliberately by the Star Hunters.¡± Zhu Quan sneered. ¡°But indeed they usually don¡¯t involve bystanders, so let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    Hao Yifan and Xia Yun nodded in agreement.


    Looking at such a top-notch duel without being implicated was something not to be missed.


    Bright battle fire, fresh fire and armed fire.


    All three Soul Burning Fires were present. It was a rare asion.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Langforted Dan Bao and Spicy, holding them both in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see how it goes.¡±


    His gazended on the bright purple me soaring into the sky, sometimes turning into ws tearing, sometimes into spikes piercing, or des shing.


    Was this the Armament Fire among the three Soul Burning Fires that he had not seen before?


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 Chapter 161 - 161: Dance of the Wind

    Chapter 161: Dance of the Wind


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡±


    Staring at the man bathed in a mysterious blue me before him, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face was filled with frustration.


    As a Spirit Chef who has opened four Star Veins, and possessing a Five-Star Food Spirit, hemanded a formidable Spirit-ignite Power. Even as a champion of the provincial trainingpetition,bined with Xu Qingmo, a second-level Spirit Executor, they were being suppressed.


    The opponent¡¯s other three Food Spirits were also incredibly powerful, outnumbering and suppressing all the Spirit Executors and their Food Spirits in the field.


    Such a situation would have been inconceivable in the past.


    Yet Zhou Tianhao also understood the reason for this predicament.


    The vor Value of Food Spirits!


    The greatest headache for high-level Spirit Chefs was the improvement of vor Value in their Food Spirits.


    Once the vor Value reaches three hundred, it bes difficult to increase further.


    Zhou Tianhao believed that besides the training path, he was not too bad on the cooking path either.


    However, the vor Value of his Five-Star Food Spirit still hadn¡¯t reached four hundred.


    Xu Qingmo, at his side, had a vor Value close to him.


    But the Star Hunter in front of them, his Food Spirit¡¯s vor Value had definitely exceeded four hundred, and far beyond.


    Zhou Tianhao even suspected that the opponent¡¯s Food Spirits Taste Value had already reached the upper limit of Five-Star Food Spirits, five hundred.


    Such a high vor Valuebined with the Fresh Intent Fire, which proportionally disregards the upper vor Value limit, was like a tiger with wings added.


    Not only this Food Spirit, but the vor Value of the opponent¡¯s other Food Spirits was also absurdly high.


    This was his ability to suppress everyone with his lone power!


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    Apanied by a loud bang, the Food Spirits of Zhou Tianhao and Xu Qingmo, imbued with Soul Burning Fire, were once again repelled.


    The status of the two Food Spirits had be extremely poor. The burning Spirit Fire around their bodies dimmed and eventually gradually dissipated.


    Their enchantment had ended.


    Looking at the Star Hunter, still bathed in the mysterious blue me and taking step by step towards Xu Qingmo, a touch of resentment and helplessness shed across everyone¡¯s faces.


    He was indeed a strong member of a world-ss crime organization.


    ¡°The Starstone is mine.¡±


    Reaching for the alloy box containing the Starstone, the Star Hunter spoke his first words since the start of thepetition. His voice was surprisingly young beneath his concealed face.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    A voice, clear as mountain spring water flowed, followed by a harsh sound.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The Star Hunter¡¯s eyes narrowed, the next moment his figure swiftly retreated.


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    A Food Spirit engulfed in a zing red me charged towards him at a swift speed. The next moment, it collided with Five-Star Food Spirit of the Star Hunter enveloped in Fresh Intent Fire.


    A series of fierce Combat Skills erupted from the Food Spirit in the red me. The terrifying power was earth-shattering, making the Star Hunter¡¯s Food Spirit taste the bitterness of being suppressed for the first time.


    Shining Battle Fire!


    Yet, this Burning Spirit Fire was not released by Zhou Tianhao.


    In the raging storm, a lean figure, enveloped in a sky-high red me, gradually emerged from the passage.


    On her body, red marks like burns gradually rose with the release of the Burning Spirit Fire.


    Yunqi, who had also arrived at the Arena, made her move!


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Looking at the graceful figure that suddenly appeared, Qin Lang was shocked.


    He couldn¡¯t rte the second-level Food Rmender with a weak body that needed tea to stop her coughs, with the woman who, with five starlights of the Seven-star Map, was currently wreaking havoc.


    Mrs. Yunqi¡­


    So powerful!


    Zhu Quan and Xia Yun, who joined from other regions, showed the same confusion. Only the local Hao Yifan blinked, a thrilling look appeared on his face, ¡°Mrs. Yunqi has made her move! The Star Hunter is bound to be defeated this time!¡±


    ¡°Although she rarely shows up, she is the strongest in the Spirit Chef Association of Bai Lu Mountain City!¡±


    In the arena, Yunqi¡¯s cold eyes were locked on the Star Hunter.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, stay!¡±


    ¡°Pana!¡±


    At the same time, her five-star Food Spirit roared towards the sky, a raging battle spirit burned in its eyes.


    A swirling energy ball quickly emerged in front of it.


    With the added Shining Battle Fire, a terrifying wave quickly surged from the energy ball, giving an intense sense of heart palpitations even before the explosion.


    ¡°A¡­a fourfoldbat skillbo?¡± Zhou Tianhao looked slightly confused and shocked.


    There is such a strong yer in the Spirit Chef Association of Bai Lu Mountain City!


    The words Xu Qingmo told him during thest deployment meeting before the match started, resurfaced in his mind at this moment.


    ¡°The Association has onest step prepared, I can¡¯t tell you now, because if possible, I don¡¯t want her to make a move.¡±


    ¡°But if she really does make a move, the Star Hunter won¡¯t be allowed to act!¡±


    ¡°Keep me here?¡±


    Even faced with such a strong enemy, his food spirits kept falling back, but the voice of the Star Hunter remained calm, without any panic.


    With the addition of Yunqi, his other food spirits also faced greater pressure.


    Seeing that the situation was beginning to be one-sided in favor of the Association, the Star Hunter closed his eyes and pulled out a strange gem pendant from his bosom and lifted it high.


    Inside the clear gem, seven golden stars were integrated into one, forming a seven-star map. There were hazy golden dots escaping from the seven stars, forming a unique shape.


    ¡°Thrum!!!¡±


    With the appearance of this gem, another five-star Food Spirit of the Star Hunter, who had not been ignited with Soul Burning Fire, let out a loud roar, its body covered in a thinyer of golden mist.


    What¡­ what is that?


    Witnessing this strange scene, the first-level Spirit Executors present all looked puzzled and confused. Even Zhou Tianhao, the champion of the Provincial Training Competition, wore a look of astonishment.


    Only Xu Qingmo, the second-level Spirit Executor, and Yunqi, the second-level Food Rmender, their pupils contracted the moment they saw the gem in the Star Hunter¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Everyone, give it your all!!!¡±


    Xu Qingmo shouted, instructing his Food Spirits to explode with all their strength.


    ¡°Pana!!!¡±


    Yunqi¡¯s Food Spirit roared, the concentration speed of the fourfoldbat skillbo increased to the max, soon concentrating into a fist-sized group before like a cannon, shot towards the Star Hunter.


    The other strong yers also reacted quickly, releasing all their might as soon as they heard Xu Qingmo¡¯s instructions, attempting to interrupt the opponent¡¯s weird state.


    Facing the attacks that had covered all possible evasion space, the Star Hunter moved his lips.


    ¡°Morning Star Blessing, Radiance Ceremony.¡±


    It seemed like time slowed down at that moment. His voice resonated with the mist light in the gem in his hand and then created a strange resonance with the surrounding space.


    ¡°Mountain Crevice Cutoff, Soaring Wind Cry, Silent Abyss, Hidden de.¡±


    ¡°Thrum!!!¡±


    The five-star Food Spirit covered in golden mist, lit up with golden light at this moment.


    Under the resonance of the Star Hunter¡¯s voice and under the cover of the fierce attacks that seized all space, it transformed at an extremely fast speed, the momentum increasing incessantly.


    The Star Hunter pointed the gem he was holding towards the front.


    ¡°Wind Dance ¨C Wind Silence.¡±


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 Chapter 162 - 162: Awakening

    Chapter 162: Awakening


    Trantor: 549690339


    As the final words of the Star Hunter fell, a Food Spirit, now disying a brand-new form, took the ce of itsrades who were surrounded by Fresh Intent Fire, and stood against the nket of attacks.


    Facing Yunqi¡¯s most potent strike imminent, this Food Spirit solemnly pushed out a cyan-colored light sphere.


    Within the sphere, it seemed as if boundless winds were violently sweeping and rolling, containing power oscitions that cause one¡¯s heart palpitations and an unprecedented pressure.


    This force was terrifying, even more so than Yunqi¡¯s eruption!


    Eventually, this cyan-colored sphere came in contact with the fourbined battle skills unleashed by Yunqi¡¯s Food Spirit.


    Time seemed to stand still at this moment.


    Next, a deafening terrifying boom echoed endlessly in the Bai Lu Mountain Arena, capable of holding fifty thousand audiences.


    Waves of gale emanated outward from the collision¡¯s epicenter, sweeping across the entire venue, causing the gs at the edge of the field embroidered withpetition symbols to p wildly.


    Luckily, under the staff members¡¯ direction, the audience had alreadypleted an efficient evacuation and were unaffected.


    The moment after the sh, endless smoke and dust started to roll up; de-like storms surged from within the cyan light group, indiscriminately sweeping the entire field like a curtain of rain!


    One by one, the Food Spirits lost theirbat capability and fell to the ground under this terrifying attack, while those who had activated Star Spirit Protection were likewise forced to retreat.


    By the time the dust settled, there was no trace of the Star Hunter in the field.


    Only the battlefield marked with clear tracks of the wild wind, proof of the ferocity of the fight that had just taken ce.


    Yunqi nced at the alloy box, still intact in Xu Qingmo¡¯s hand, and exhaled a sigh of relief as she extinguished the radiant mes around her.


    Line upon line of scarlet burns dissipated slowly on her body, but the speed of its fading was even slower than the burning of the Soul Burning Fire, looked somewhat grotesque.


    ¡°Cough, cough-¡±


    Yunqi covered her mouth and coughed violently, herplexion visibly whitening.


    A look of worry and anxiety quickly appeared on Xu Qingmo¡¯s face.


    She hastily supported Yunqi and waved to Qin Lang and the other three, who were dumbfounded.


    ¡°Come over!¡±


    Opening the alloy box and revealing the intact ten pieces of Starstone inside, Xu Qingmo turned to Zhu Quan and Hao Yifan, ¡°each absorb five, immediately!¡± The two understood the seriousness and quickly summoned their Food Spirits to absorb the energy of the Starstones.


    After a moment, the ten Starstones turned transparent, and the two returned them.


    ¡°What happened today must not be leaked out!¡±


    Xu Qingmo closed the alloy box and warned, then she quickly left with Yunqi. Qin Lang and the others looked at each other, not knowing what to do. ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± Liu Shuang squeezed out a smile and waved to them, ¡°The venue has been damaged, and the next two ranking matches will probably be postponed. Just wait for subsequent notifications about the details¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t leak out anything about what just happened, especially the final power of the Star Hunter!¡±


    Although Liu Shuang himself didn¡¯t know what it was, he could guess from the solemn expressions of both the President and the Vice President that this matter was probably highly significant.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Qin Lang and the others nodded, no longer lingered, and turned towards the exit.


    However, they couldn¡¯t help but whisper about everything that had just happened.


    ¡°What was the power the Star Hunter revealed at the end exactly?¡± Hao Yifan clenched his fists and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    The power that could let Food Spirits transform and produce a stronger attack, and possesses the strength to fight five veins with four, had him yearning for it.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not hard to guess.¡± Zhu Quan, walking at the front, paused slightly, ¡°The Star Hunter hasn¡¯t opened the Seventh Star Vein yet, and that kind of power is far from the Spirit-ignite Power.¡±


    ¡°The only match would be¡­¡±


    ¡°The Star system?¡± Qin Lang interrupted.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Zhu Quan nced at Qin Lang and continued to walk away.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know which one of the five star systems they use.¡±


    ¡°Awakening Chant ¨C an exclusive star system for the Lon Region.¡±


    Inside the meeting room of the Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, Xu Qingmo¡¯s face didn¡¯t look too good, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect that the Star Hunter could control the power of the star system.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s the star system.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao came to a sudden realization, with a hint of fervor in his eyes.


    As the champion of the provincial event, he will try to get other third-level Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badges after getting one, so as to gain qualification to participate in the regional trainingpetitions.


    There, he will alsoe into contact with the power of the star system.


    ¡°This might be a good thing.¡± Yunqi coughed lightly, theplexion of his fair face regained some colour, ¡°Those who control the star system can be traced.¡±


    ¡°With his ability, it¡¯s almost impossible for him to get the star system at the regional trainingpetitions, so the only way he could possibly obtain the star system is¡­¡±


    ¡°Through the regional cookingpetitions.¡± Xu Qingmo rubbed his eyebrows, ¡°That¡¯s why his Food Spirits Taste Value is so high.¡±


    ¡°He must have participated in the previous regional cookingpetitions in the Lon region.¡± Yunqi sighed slightly, ¡°But chasing across regions exceeds our authority. We should report it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xu Qingmo nodded.


    ¡°President, Vice President.¡± Liu Shuang nced at the two of them, ¡°There are still two ranking matches left in the Youth Training Competition, given the current situation, should we postpone¡­¡±


    ¡°No postponement.¡± Xu Qingmo responded without hesitation, ¡°Post an announcement on the official website, tell the citizens that the Association has repelled the Star Hunter organization. The afternoonpetition will be dyed for one hour for repairing the facilities damaged in the arena, and then proceed as usual.¡±


    The disturbance caused by the appearance of the Star Hunters must be pacified by the victory of the Association. Nothing boosts morale more than proceeding with thepetition as usual.


    The failure of the Star Hunters to obtain the ten Starstones will only shift their focus to the remaining six.


    The Starstone should be consumed as soon as possible to avoidplications.


    ¡°But¡­ the star system they control¡­¡± A Spirit Executor couldn¡¯t help but voice out, looking worried.


    ¡°The recovery speed of the Star System is slower than the Spirit-ignite Power.¡± Yunqi responded calmly, seemingly familiar with the Star System, ¡°They won¡¯t be able to use the Awakening Chant in the afternoonpetition.¡±


    ¡°If we wait for their star system to recover, things will only get worse.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The Spirit Executor sighed in relief, quickly nodding, ¡°1 have no further questions.¡±


    The other Spirit Executors also expressed their agreement.


    The emergency meeting soon ended.


    Left in the meeting room, Xu Qingmo helped Yunqi stand up, her expression not any more relieved despite the repulsion of the Star Hunters.


    ¡°Worrying is useless.¡± Yunqi leaned back into Xu Qingmo, resting her head on her shoulder and said softly, ¡°If it reallyes to that¡­ abandon the Starstone.¡±


    There was something she didn¡¯t mention to the Spirit Executors.


    The Awakening Chant is just one of the five star systems.


    What if the Star Hunters controlled more than one star system?


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 Chapter 163 - 163: Delay

    Chapter 163: Dy


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Qin Lang, has the Star Hunter been defeated?¡±


    As soon as Qin Lang stepped out of the Bai Lu Mountain Arena, he was surrounded by Zhao Chen and the others who were nervously waiting outside and refused to leave Qin Lang behind.


    In their view, Qin Lang who had dyed so long before leaving the arena, must have seen more of the situation of the fight between both parties.


    ¡°Yes, the Star Hunter has been driven back and the Starstone has been preserved.¡± Qin Lang nodded, signaling the three to be assured.


    ¡°So will thepetition be postponed?¡± Du Weiwei couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°It should be postponed.¡± At the thought of the mess inside the arena after the fight, Qin Lang felt that a dying of several days was not impossible.


    Just as he was about to voice his guess, Zhao Chen at his side took out his mobile phone and took a look at it, then made a low exmation, ¡°The Association has issued a notice!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the three of Qin Lang quickly logged onto the official website of the Spirit Chef Association.


    Sure enough, the official notice had already been released.


    The gist of the notice was that the Association sessfully repelled the attack of the Star Hunters, managed to save the Starstone from the Star Hunters, and that the afternoonpetition would be dyed for one hour for venue repair.


    So soon?


    Qin Lang scratched his head.


    It was a good thing he hadn¡¯t voiced his guess, or else the embarrassment would be too swift.


    ¡°Since thepetition will only be dyed for one hour in the afternoon, we won¡¯t be going down the mountain at noon.¡± Du Weiwei, who had originally nned to take the cable car down the mountain as soon as Qin Lang came out, quickly changed her mind. ¡°We will have a meal at a nearby restaurant at noon and continue thepetition in the afternoon.¡±


    The other three naturally had no objections.


    The Association responded very quickly. The audience who had evacuated the venue in advance hadn¡¯t even had a chance to take the first cable car down the mountain before they received the notice that thepetition would continue in the afternoon.


    The appearance of the Star Hunter sparked a lot of discussion, but it didn¡¯t cause a worse impact.


    Time flew by, and soon the afternoon ranking match was about to start.


    Arriving early at the Contestant Preparation Seat, they saw the mess inside the venue from the earlier battle disappeared as if it had never happened. The four contestants who had witnessed the battle couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the efficiency of the Spirit Chef Association.


    Perhaps because of the earlier ordeal, the atmosphere among the four contestants in this rankingpetition, which would decide the final ranking of the Youth Training Competition, was unexpectedly harmonious. They would asionally have a few exchanges while waiting for the host to deliver their warm-upmentary.


    This made the audience who noticed the situation in the Contestant Preparation Seat look a little strange.


    The decisive moment wasing, why were they still chatting?


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s wee with the warmest apuse-¡±


    ¡°From Dongxia City, it¡¯s contestant Qin Lang who has got this far with a two-star Food Spirit and a one-star Food Spirit!¡±


    ¡°From Danju City, it¡¯s contestant Xia Yun, who came in second ce in thebat selection event, losing to contestant Hao Yifan!¡±


    ¡°Thepetition these two contestants will participate in will determine the third ce in this Youth Training Tournament. The winner will be the third ce in this tournament, and the loser will be the fourth ce!¡±


    ¡°Who among these two will win? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    Amid the thunderous apuse and cheers from the audience, Qin Lang stood at his allocated position in thepetition venue, looking distantly at Xia Yun on the opposite side.


    What Xia Yun said to him on the Contestant Preparation Seat was echoing in his mind.


    ¡°I heard that you defeated Lei Ke in the Dongxia city cookingpetition? 1 know that fool well, as a fellow townsman, I¡¯m going to take revenge for him this time!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s face bore a confident smile.


    Seeking revenge is not that easy!


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to draw thepetition format for the two contestants!¡±


    Apanied by the host¡¯s voice, the big screen above, already repaired, disyed the avatars of Qin Lang and Xia Yun.


    With everyone holding their breath, the word between the two avatars finally settled.


    [Receable Wheel War]


    ¡°Congrattions to the two contestants for drawing the Receable Wheel War!¡± The host¡¯s voice became more impassioned, ¡°ording to the rules of this format, only one Food Spirit can be deployed by each contestant at a time.¡±


    ¡°While the Food Spirit has not lost itsbat capability, it can be reced with another Food Spirit forbat. A Food Spirit that has lost itsbat capability can no longer be deployed.¡±


    ¡°The final winner of the Wheel War will be determined only when all the Food Spirits of one side have lost theirbat capabilities!¡±


    ¡°This is the first time in this Youth Training Tournament that the Receable Wheel War has taken ce. Let¡¯s look forward to the excitingpetition brought by the two contestants!¡±


    The Receable Wheel War, huh¡­


    Qin Lang withdrew his gaze from the big screen in the sky and turned to Dan Bao and Spicy who were eager to try, ¡°Proceed as nned!¡±


    ¡°ck!¡±


    1¡¯11 go first!


    Spicy¡¯s face was filled with expectation.


    ¡°Coo coo!¡±


    Go, Spicy!


    Dan Bao rubbed against Spicy, his face encouraging.


    On the other side of thepetition venue, Xia Yun, who had summoned two Food Spirits, had just finishedmunicating with her Food Spirits as well.


    ¡°The referee for this match is Food Rmender Du Hong!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice sounded, a burly man with steady and powerful steps walked to the center of the venue and spoke through a megaphone.


    ¡°Contestants, get ready!¡±


    With Du Hong¡¯s voice trailing off, Spicy quickly moved forward, flying to the designated area for the Food Spirits to battle.


    On the other side, Xia Yun¡¯s slightly weaker Food Spirit also flew out at this moment.


    As soon as the Food Spirits of both sides designated for the first round of the battle were confirmed, whispers began to spread among the audience.


    ¡°Why is Spicy going out first?¡± A nervous Qi Xiaoyu tugged at Du Weiwei¡¯s arm, her face full of bewilderment. ¡°Spicy is only a one-star Food Spirit, can it win?¡±


    ¡°I think, Qin Lang¡¯s goal should be to wear down his opponent.¡± Looking at Spicy in the field who was showing off her little tiger teeth, Du Weiwei wore a thoughtful look, ¡°The unpredictability of Spicy¡¯s Lucky Bite Mark is too strong and unsuitable to be kept until the end where thepetition¡¯s result is at stake.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether Spicy¡¯s Bite Mark takes effect or not, with Dan Bao who can consistently perform at a high level covering, Qin Lang¡¯s chance of winning this match is greater.¡±


    Seeing Qi Xiaoyu, who still seemed somewhat confused, Du Weiwei shook her head, ¡°Just imagine, if Qin Lang were to first send out Dan Bao and could not defeat both of Xia Yun¡¯s Spirits, leaving only Spicy to face the not-quite-at-peak two-star Food Spirit¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another reason.¡± Zhao Chen added from the side, ¡°The Lucky Bite Mark requires closebat to take effect. Among Xia Yun¡¯s two Food Spirits, only the one currently deployed might possibly be approached by Spicy.¡±


    The Food Spirit that got Xia Yun the second ce in thebatpetition, both itsbat skills are long-ranged.


    Qi Xiaoyu sighed, ¡°I get it now that you¡¯ve both exined.¡±


    All three of them turned their eyes towards the venue in the direction of Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang, Go for it!


    ¡°Count down from five, the game starts!¡± After confirming that both contestants were ready, Du Hong shouted and started the countdown.


    ¡°Whistle¡ª¡±


    After the count of five, a sharp whistle cut through the entire venue.


    The game begins for Qin Lang vs Xia Yun!


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 Chapter 164 - 164: Enlightenment

    Chapter 164: Enlightenment


    Trantor: 549690339


    On the exterior of Bai Lu Mountain Arena, situated at the peak of Bai Lu Mountain, the bitter wind swirled carrying a shower of snowkes that fell upon the venue¡¯s outer walls.


    This snow umted at a visible speed on the external walls, forming fist-sized and palm-sized snowballs. Then, they swiftly slipped down the smooth, sloping structure of the external wall to the foundation of the building, where they built up as a ring of snow around the arena.


    Every day, there would be dedicated staff responsible for clearing these umtions of snow at the Bai Lu Mountain Arena, a process that usually took one to two hours.


    Such weather was unique only to this mountain in the entire Tianhua State.


    At this moment, with the referee¡¯s countdown ended, inside the arena, the silence of the audience seats suddenly erupted with enthusiasm, standing in stark contrast to the snowstorm outside. It was as though these were two different worlds.


    Amid the deafening cheers, Spicy and Xia Yun¡¯s first Food Spirits swiftly moved closer to each other.


    Upon spotting the flickering star next to Spicy, no trace of carelessness shed across Xia Yun¡¯s face.


    In the previous battle against Zhu Quan, Qin Lang had demonstrated this Food Spirit¡¯sbat skill. Although it only had onebat skill, it was the intriguingly effective Lucky Bite Mark.


    Who could ignore this metaphysical skill that hinges on luck?


    ¡°Furry, Foggy Transfer!¡±


    ¡°Pabu!¡±


    Responding to Xia Yun, her Food Spirit Furry, a grey fluffy body, suddenly transformed into a mass of insubstantial ck fog, expanding several times in size.


    Despite appearing foggy, after undergoing the transformation, Furry¡¯s flight speed did not lessen but increased, rushing towards Spicy instantly.


    Combat Skill: Foggy Transfer.


    [Xia Yun¡¯s Food Spirit has used Foggy Transfer! This skill transforms the Food Spirit into a ck fog form, making it immune to meleebat skills while also boosting its speed!]


    ¡°Ready for Lucky Bite Mark!¡±


    At this moment, Qin Lang issued his instructions.


    Though only a portion of Spicy¡¯s sharp little fangs was revealed without fully opening its mouth, they were already gleaming with an array of colours.


    Gazing at the rapidly expanding ck fog in front of its eyes, filling its entire vision, there was not a hint of fear or retreat within its gaze.


    Before the match, Qin Lang had analysed for it that while the opponent was in the state of using Foggy Transfer, they could indeed be immune to the meleebat skill Lucky Bite Mark which was simr.


    But in such a state, the opponent could not initiate an attack either.


    So, there was no need to worry.


    The moment the opponent initiates its attack would be the moment Spicy counterattacks.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Letting out a loud sound, Spicy quickened its pace, rushing into the ck fog instantly.


    Observing Qin Lang¡¯s response, Xia Yun¡¯s pupils contracted slightly as she changed her instructions without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Furry, Thunderbolt Continues to Strike!¡±


    ¡°Pabu!¡±


    Apanied by the trembling of the ck fog, a resonating humming sound continued to emit.


    The next moment, the ck fog dissipated.


    Canceling the Foggy Transfer state, Furry once again appeared, already behind Spicy.


    ¡°Pabu!!!¡±


    With a loud yell, Furry¡¯s figure abruptly elerated, like a heavy cannon, and fiercely collided into Spicy.


    ¡°Watch your back!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s warning had been ryed to Spicy¡¯s mind the moment Furry appeared. However, Furry moved extremely fast, and before Spicy could turn around and attack, Furry had already harshly collided into it.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Furry, who had passed through Spicy¡¯s side, rebounded rapidly like hitting an invisible barrier in mid-air, and crashed into Spicy once again.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    Within a small spherical range, the rebounding of Furry continued, striking Spicy from different angles each time. In a blink of an eye, it had attacked four to five times.


    [It¡¯s Thunderbolt Continues to Strike, a meleebat skill delivering fast sessive attacks in a small range! Although not very powerful, its attack speed is astonishing, reaching more than five times per second!]


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Under the continuous impact, Spicy, struggling to maintain bnce, seemed rather dishevelled. It attempted to bite its opponent angrily, only to find that due to the very fast rebound speed of the opponent, it had often moved from its original position before Spicy could bite.


    Feeling the pain on its body and its gradually decreasing strength, visible disappointment emerged on Spicy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Dan Bao spontaneously connected the Star Spirit Protection, which originally connected only Qin Lang and Spicy. Its anxious voice quickly rang in Spicy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Think about our special training! Pull yourself together! You can do this!¡±


    Special training¡­


    A bit of spirit was roused in Spicy.


    Over the past three days, whenever Dan Bao used multiple steel balls to train Thought Waves¡¯ multitasking control, its special training content was trying to bite flying steel balls.


    At the beginning, Spicy could hardly manage to bite once even after tens of attempts.


    Later on, it could consecutively bite steel balls.


    The opponent it faces now is muchrgerpared to those small steel balls.


    Compared to the unpredictable flight paths of the steel balls, the rebounding trajectory of its current opponent is trackable.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Spicy was knocked away again, spinning uncontrobly in the air.


    It struggled to control the bnce of its body, and fixedly stared at its opponent¡¯s position.


    Furry collided once again with an invisible barrier in the air and rebounded toward it like a pinball.


    Spicy¡¯s eyes pop wide open.


    It saw something!


    Time, seemed to slow down at this moment.


    The opponent¡¯s linear trajectory became clear.


    Prediction!


    Predicting the opponent¡¯s action trajectory, rather than attacking the opponent¡¯s current position!


    At this moment, countless sessions of biting the steel balls during training transformed into near instinctive abilities.


    Spicy felt that it had a deeper impression of Lucky Bite Mark.


    Without hesitating, it bit towards its oing opponent.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Spicy was knocked away again, but the deep bite marks on Furry¡¯s body were exceptionally clear.


    Although the bite marks quickly dissipated without taking effect, the injury it caused Furry was so real.


    [Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit has begun its counterattack!]


    ¡°Pabu!¡±


    Furry cried out in pain, and threw itself hard towards Spicy again.


    Over and over again.


    However, unlike before, in the ensuing collisions, Spicy was managing to leave a deep bite mark on Furry¡¯s body almost every other time.


    Force is mutual.


    As Furry sped up its charge towards Spicy, it also increased the power of the bite marks it received.


    ¡°Thump!¡±


    Apanied by a dull sound, Spicy ultimately fell feebly to the ground.


    ¡°Cha¡­Ka¡­¡±


    I¡­did my best¡­


    (q_ q)


    ¡°Pabu!¡±


    Furry, covered in bruises and cuts itself, showed no joy of defeating its opponent. Instead, it backed away from the fainted Spicy nervously.


    A white light shed, and the copsed Spicy was promptly summoned back to the Star Vein by Qin Lang.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Heforted Spicy who was resting within the Star Vein, then turned his gaze to Dan Bao. ¡°Go for it!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded heavily, its eyes zing with fighting spirit as it entered the battlefield.


    ¡°Furry, return!¡±


    Knowing that Furry would be at a disadvantage against Dan Bao, Xia Yun took the initiative in recalling her Food Spirit.


    In this way, the not yet incapacitated Furry would still have the opportunity to battle againter on.


    Xia Yun¡¯s stronger Food Spirit took flight, confronting Dan Bao.


    ¡°Go, Second Fatty!¡±


    ¡°Thump Ahh!!!¡±


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 Chapter 165 - 165: Mind Bound

    Chapter 165: Mind Bound


    Trantor: 549690339


    Seeing Xia Yun unhesitatingly pull Furry back to the edge of the ring, there was a sh of disappointment in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    Before the match began, Qin Lang had analyzed the situation of Xia Yun¡¯s two Food Spirits, taking his own Food Spirit¡¯s condition into consideration.


    The Food Spirit that had just entered the ring was easier for either Spicy or Dan Bao to deal with.


    The closebat attack of the opposition provided Spicy with the opportunity to deploy the Lucky Bite Mark, while the Foggy Transfer, immune to fighting-basedbat skills, was entirely useless against Dan Bao.


    Face to face with Furry, much of whose energy had already been consumed by Spicy, Dan Bao had an entirely realistic chance of attaining a critical hit that would incapacitate it.


    Conversely, Xia Yun¡¯s other Food Spirit not only had control of two long-range, nature-basedbat skills, it had abinedbat skill which was extremely powerful.


    ¡°First,pletely defeat Xia Yun¡¯s second food spirit. The first food spirit won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Watching Xia Yun swap his Food Spirits, Qin Lang¡¯s expression remained utterly calm.


    The moment the match began, the edge of the arena was enveloped in a strange glow which prevented Food Spirits within its range from recovering any energy, unless they entered the Star Vein.


    Yet, if a Food Spirit entered the Star Vein, it would be seen ascking thebat capability to return to the field.


    Therefore, Xia Yun swapping his Food Spirit would not allow the one which had been exhausted to recover while the other one fought.


    The opponent¡¯s recall was a clear sign that the first Food Spirit was unable to drain much of Dan Bao¡¯s energy, so they simply nned to exhaust Dan Bao with the second Food Spirit.


    After a consuming battle, even if the second Food Spirit was eliminated, the first Food Spirit still had a chance to return to the stage and face an exhausted Dan Bao.


    This clever n was amon strategy in Receable Wheel Battles.


    ¡°Guin!¡±


    The one answering Qin Lang was Dan Bao, voicing his eager war cry.


    No matter the opponent, he would crush them!


    [yer Qin Lang and yer Xia Yun swap all their Food Spirits who enter the field! However, the previous Food Spirit of yer Xia Yun still has thebat power to return to the field and currently has an advantage. Let¡¯s see how yer Qin Langbats this situation!]


    In the face of a crowd, Dan Bao and the opposing Food Spirit, called Second Fatty, had already narrowed their distance down to about 50 meters.


    A white halo circted around Dan Bao¡¯s body, transforming into an invisible barrier that enveloped his body. Propelled by an unseen force, Dan Bao, like a shuttle cutting through a gale, rapidly closed the distance to Second Fatty.


    ¡°Again this move.¡± Seeing Qin Lang use a move she¡¯d seen in his battle against Zhu Quan, Xia Yun let out a low hum. ¡°Want to use the same tactics to catch me off guard? Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    ¡°Second Fatty! Multi-stage Fire Whip!¡±


    ¡°Dong Ahh!¡±


    Second Fatty roared, and immediately six whips made of mes extended from his body like tentacles, each one over a dozen meters long.


    The ming whips thrashed in the air, covering all avable space in the vicinity. They exploded with a sharp sonic boom, locking Dan Bao¡¯s approach with a terrifying st of high temperature.


    [It¡¯s a Multistage Fire Whip! This is the signature skill of yer Xia Yun¡¯s second Food Spirit! yer Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit also has a me typebat skill. Will the imminent sh be a collision of me against me? Let¡¯s wait and see!]


    ¡°Hss¡ª¡±


    Faced with the all-epassing red mes, there was no sign of retreat in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    He drew a sharp breath, and his body filled up with roaring mes, reminiscent of a backfire.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the Thought Waves transformed into a barrier that pierced through the engulfing mes like a long needle.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Apanied by a deep explosion, the six ming whips, which previously blocked all avable space, simultaneously attacked the Thought Power barrier!


    Unlike Dan Bao¡¯s Full Firepower, the Multistage Fire Whip, despite being a nature-basedbat skill of the me type, contained a certain amount of physical attack.


    ¡°Squeak¡ª¡±


    Amid the teeth-grating sound of collision, cracks started appearing on the Thought Power barrier. The speed at which the cracks spread exceeded the speed at which Dan Bao could repair them with Thought Waves. Eventually, the entire Thought Power barrier shattered!


    Unsurprisingly, Dan Bao had already set his sights on the very center of the whip, where Second Fatty¡¯s body was located, at the moment the barrier was shattered.


    ¡°Huff¡ª¡±


    A column of fire with pent-up energy, analogous to a heavy artillery, spurted out from Dan Bao¡¯s mouth in an instant, carrying even more frantic and converging mes, heading straight for Second Fatty!


    ¡°Thump ahh!¡±


    A look of severity shed in Second Fatty¡¯s eyes. He quickly converged six strands of fire whips into one, like six chopsticks bundled together, then spun them into a tight nylon string-like structure, transforming them into a me stick, and smashed it at the fire column!


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    Apanied by the red firelight illuminating the entirepetition venue, a rolling heatwave swept across the entire field in an instant as the two mes typebat skills collided!


    At the center of the firelight, Dan Bao remained in ce, while Second Fatty was flung back several meters amidst the breaking of the multi-segmented fire whip.


    Although Second Fatty seemed to be at a slight disadvantage in this collision, let¡¯s not forget that the multi-segmented fire whip had already shattered the Thought Waves-made barrier before it collided with Dan Bao¡¯s full firepower.


    ¡°Second Fatty, Combined Battle Skills!¡±


    Nearly the moment Second Fatty steadied himself, Xia Yun¡¯sposed instruction arrived.


    If the previous round of exchanges was to test the waters, it¡¯s now time to get serious!


    ¡°Thump ahh!!!¡±


    With a roar from Second Fatty, six ming whips appeared once again!


    However, this time the me whip disyed had a peculiar purple-red hue in the air. If observed carefully, one could see that the whip was not only enshrouded with red mes but also with pulsating purple electric arcs!


    The whip connected at one end to Second Fatty¡¯s body and in an instant, when Dan Bao couldn¡¯t prevent it, the other end brutally collided together!


    ¡°Boom boom boom boom boom¡ª¡±


    Apanied by low, resonating sts, a gigantic purple-red energy sphere formed at the other end of the united whip as the glow of the six whips dimmed.


    Combat Skill-Multi-segmented Fire Whip + Combat Skill-Thunder Strike


    Combined Battle Skill-Thunder me Cannon!


    The six fire whips converged into the barrel of the heavy cannon, from which this dreadful attack was forcefullyunched.


    The thunder me column, which was about half a meter thick, covered Dan Bao at an utmost speed!


    Combinedbat skill, huh¡­


    Facing a rapidly expanding patch of purple-red, a strange glint emerged in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    Innumerable scenes shed in his mind at this moment, as if he had entered a wonderful state to such an extent that he didn¡¯t hear Qin Lang instructing him to use Thought Waves as a booster to dodge sideways.


    These scenes included various asions where he practiced full firepower, Thought Waves, and impressive Food Spirit battles he had witnessed before.


    In the end, the scene fixed on the Food Spirit of the Star Hunterunching a green light ball called Wind Dance¨CWind Silence, which shattered countless attacks in an instant and seriously injured many strong yers from the Association.


    Convergence, then explosion.


    It seemed as if some shackles shattered at this moment.


    A golden-red light forms in an instant, more brilliant than stars, concentrating to the extreme.


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


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 Chapter 166 - 166: Flame Explosion

    Chapter 166: me Explosion


    Trantor: 549690339


    With a violent and shrill roar echoing across the entirepetition venue, the fifty thousand spectators in Bai Lu Mountain Arena witnessed a golden red me expanding like a globe from nothingness.


    At the moment of collision with the me, the energy pir filled with thunder and me was swallowed up like a ck hole, causing only minor ripples. Not only did it not dissipate the golden red mes, it made the terrifying power even more turbulent.


    In the next moment, endless dust and smoke surged upwards rapidly under the rise of heat, and then dispersed gradually in the higher sky, forming a huge mushroom cloud.


    The rolling waves of air turned into a terrifying storm, which formed a shape under the outline of dust and smoke, spreading out in circles from the center of the explosion.


    [Brilliant counterattack! In the face of Xia Yun¡¯s powerfulbined battle skills, Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spiritunched an equally powerful attack! This is a power that Qin Lang has never used before!]


    What is that?


    Xia Yun¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    She had thought that afterunching thebined battle skill, if it didn¡¯t directly defeat Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit, it would surely suppress it swiftly.


    After all, Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit did not possessbined battle skills, it only had a very high vor value which also granted it a greaterbat power value.


    But at this moment, this terrifying strike showcased Qin Lang¡¯s strength.


    Could it be¡­


    A terrible thought emerged in her mind and she couldn¡¯t shake it off.


    Did Qin Lang, who had not mastered thebined battle skill in the morning, mastered it in the span of one afternoon?!


    Qin Lang was also surprised.


    This surprise, however, was apanied by a sense of relief and fear.


    Naturally, he was aware of thebined battle skill possessed by Xia Yun¡¯s Food Spirit.


    And before thepetition, Qin Lang and Dan Bao had discussed how to dodge and avoidbined battle skills.


    After all, on Dan Bao¡¯s part, a direct counter to abined battle skill was not possible.


    When Dan Bao didn¡¯t respond to his instruction to dodge just now, being on the verge of being swallowed by that purplish-red energy pir, Qin Lang¡¯s heart felt like it was about to jump into his throat.


    Unexpectedly, Dan Bao gave him such a big surprise.


    Thebined battle skill, which had not been born previously, was born!


    But none of this was surprising.


    Dan Bao¡¯s two skills had already been elevated to an intuitive level through past training.


    It had long had the qualifications to havebined battle skills.


    However,bined battle skills require some inspiration andprehension.


    The battle with the high-levels of the Star Hunter and the Spirit Chef Association gave it inspiration.


    Under the pressure of the thunder-fire cannon, the birth of thebined battle skills was naturally formed.


    And at the moment of the birth of thebined battle skills, both Dan Bao and Qin Lang naturally understood its name.


    Combat Skill: Full Firepower + Combat Skill: Thought Wave


    Combined Battle Skill: Thought Bound me Burst!


    Feeling the cheers from Dan Bao in his mind, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but swing his fist in the air.


    ¡°Go Dan Bao! Thought Bound me Burst!¡±


    At this moment, he was also an excited adolescent.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    The dust blocking its body disappeared, and Dan Bao, looking at the adversary who was prepared for battle on the other side, had strong anticipation in its eyes.


    A golden-red dot of light was quickly forming beside it.


    The dot was notrger than a knuckle, and because of the inexperienced casting, it did not form a perfect sphere, but had an elliptical shape instead.


    However, the power of the me, condensed to the extreme, possessed an awe-inspiring potency.


    Re-exerting this blow, Dan Bao had a premonition.


    In the future, it could further condense these golden-red light spots to be more concentrated and powerful, and it might even be able to simultaneously condense several light spots for attack.


    However, for now, it can¡¯t do this yet.


    The Thought Wave turned into infinite force, propelling that light point to elerate to its peak instantly.


    Like aet streaking across the sky, the light left a golden-red tail in the air, reaching its opponent in a sh.


    It¡¯s over!


    In Dan Bao¡¯s eyes, a fiery desire to fight surged.


    ¡°Do you think you can defeat me like this?¡± Xia Yun shouted loudly. Her eyes showed seriousness but not an ounce of fear, ¡°Thunder Fire Cannon!¡±


    ¡°Dong Ah!!!¡±


    Second Fatty shouted to the heavens, and the whip intertwined with six arcs of electricity and me once again emerged, glowing brightly.


    Like a flow, this glow originated from Second Fatty¡¯s body, following along the whip to the other end, eventually converging into a terrifyingly potent purple-red light sphere.


    The Thunder Fire Cannon reemerged!


    [Qin Lang, the contestant, is using a brand-new Combined Battle Skill! The Combined Battle Skills of the Food Spirits of both contestants are about to sh. Who will win this fight? Let¡¯s wait and see! ]


    All of this happened in a split second. As the golden-red light spot attacked, thebined battle skill of Second Fatty had already charged up, roaring again and exploding in a dazzling purple-red light column.


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    The terrifying explosion echoed around the arena for a long time, stirring up endless smoke and dust, concealing everything on the battlefield.


    Who won?


    Countless spectators fell silent at this moment, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.


    ¡°Qin Lang will win! He definitely will!¡± Qi Xiaoyu clenched Du Weiwei¡¯s hand and her small face was full of anxious expressions.


    Du Weiwei, who was beside her, nodded her head and said solemnly, ¡°Yes. He will.¡±


    With Dan Bao¡¯s vor Value andbined battle skills, its power has now reached the peak of a Two-star Food Spirit.


    Even considering the unfamiliarity with the newly-bornbined battle skills, it¡¯s enough to defeat the current opponent.


    On this point, Du Weiwei, who also controls thebined battle skills, was very confident.


    However, at the same time, she sighed slightly in her heart.


    With this, Little Glutinous Rice has been left behind by Dan Bao¡­


    ¡°Qin Lang must win!¡±


    At some point, Zhao Chen had swapped out his headband for a new one reading, ¡°Qin Lang Must Win¡±. He waved a g with Qin Lang¡¯s name on it, his face flush with excitement.


    As expected of his worthy adversary, once Yangyang bes a Two-star, and masters thebined battle skills, he¡¯ll definitely have another bout with Qin Lang!


    Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, a somewhat charred figure flew in an arc in the air,nding heavily from the cloud of dust.


    (o_ q)


    Seeing that Food Spirit, the entire audience fell silent, soon erupting into cheers.


    Xia Yun¡¯s Food Spirit lost itsbat capabilities in the collision just now!


    [One of Xia Yun¡¯s Food Spirit was eliminated! Qin Lang has leveled the ying field against Xia Yun¡¯s advantage! The remaining Food Spirits of both contestants will face the final showdown!]


    With a heavy face, Xia Yun withdrew Second Fatty, who had lost hisbat capability, into the Star Vein. She looked at Furry, who still had some stamina left.


    ¡°Go on, regardless of the win or loss, fight with all your might!¡±


    ¡°Pabu Pabu!¡±


    Furry nodded heavily, bravely flying into the center of the arena.


    A littleter, apanied by yet another thunderous sound, Furry drew a gorgeous parab in the air, trailing a thread of smoke, following in the footprints of itspanion.


    (q_ q)


    ¡°Smack!¡±


    Dan Bao, who flew back to Qin Lang¡¯s side, wagged its tail and met Qin Lang¡¯s raised palm with a high-five,pleting their very own celebratory gesture.


    We won!


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 Chapter 167 - 167: Suggestions

    Chapter 167: Suggestions


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Let¡¯s give our warmest apuse to congratte contestant Qin Lang, who defeated contestant Xia Yun and won this match. This means that Qin Lang has be the third-ce winner of this Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Tournament!¡±


    The host¡¯s passionate voice echoed throughout thepetition venue.


    Amidst the wave of cheers, Zhu Quan, seated in the contestant preparation seat, thoughtfully watched Qin Lang waving to the audience.


    ¡°Such a powerfulbined battle skill.¡±


    Observing Qin Lang¡¯s fight allowed him to easily draw this conclusion.


    The strength of abined battle skill depends on the number of battle skillsbined.


    Abined battle skill formed by fusing three battle skills is much more powerful than onebined by two battle skills.


    However, besides this, thepatibility between battle skills and the different ways ofbining them also lead to different power levels for thebined battle skill.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think of his fight with Qin Lang in the morning.


    Without a doubt, in that fight, Qin Lang didn¡¯t disy abined battle skill, and it wasn¡¯t because he was hiding his abilities.


    So, there¡¯s only one truth.


    Thisbined battle skill was mastered by Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit after the morning match ended, and even potentially, mastered just now.


    Thinking about this, Zhu Quan nced at Xia Yun, who was walking dejectedly back to the contestant preparation seat, with a strange look on his face.


    Although the Lucky Bite Mark didn¡¯t take effect in the fight, contestant Xia Yun¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t very good.


    This thought shed through Zhu Quan¡¯s mind, but his main interest was still Qin Lang.


    The vor Value of that Food Spirit is very high, probably reaching the limit of a Two-star Food Spirit. Once it gains more mastery over thebined battle skill, it would be a formidable opponent among Two-star Food Spirits.¡±


    Watching the host, who had begun a slow-motion rey of the recent fight and detailedmentary, an idea emerged in his mind.


    Perhaps, after thepetition ends, he could¡­


    After leaving the venue, Qin Lang didn¡¯t return directly to the contestant preparation seat.


    Because he saw Qi Xiaoyu, sitting in the front row of the audience, continuously waving at him, as well as the adolescent enthusiastically waving a g beside her.


    Reaching the audience seats, Qin Lang was quickly surrounded by the three.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± Zhao Chen waved his fist in the air, his face full of excitement, ¡°Yourbined battle skill is extremely powerful, able to defeat opponents one after another.¡±


    ¡°Once Yangyang reaches Two stars, I¡¯ll also have a strongbined battle skill!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao nodded at Yangyang, encouraging it to work hard.


    Having just mastered the Psychomaic me Explosion, Dan Bao was still full of excitement.


    ¡°h!¡±


    Yangyang nodded vigorously, its eyes filled with the same longing as its own Spirit Chef.


    ¡°Chakah-¡±


    I also want to have abined battle skill-


    Having recovered some of its energy and left the Star Vein, Spicy spoke enviously.


    ¡°Soon.¡± Qin Lang ruffled Spicy¡¯s head with a smile.


    ProtSecuring third ce, meant he would still receive two pieces of Starstone.


    And given Spicy¡¯s current state, one or two pieces of Starstone would be enough for it to sessfully breakthrough to Two stars, and gain its second battle skill.


    If the second battle skill and the Lucky Bite Mark arepatible enough, then with more intensive training, it can be like Dan Bao too.


    ¡°The fight just now, you two worked hard.¡± Holding the two little critters in his arms, Qin Lang made his promise, ¡°After we take the cable car down the mountain and return to the hotel, I¡¯ll make you guys some new delicious food.¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    ¡°Chakah!¡±


    Hearing about delicious food, both Food Spirits¡¯ faces immediately showed anticipation.


    What will this round of delicious food be¡­


    ¡°I want some too!¡± Qi Xiaoyu, who was nearby, perked up her ears and quickly came over.


    ¡°And me!¡± Zhao Chen waved his fist, ¡°Never reject a good fight or delicious food!¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t saying that before.¡± Du Weiwei smiled slightly, looking at Qin Lang. Although she didn¡¯t raise the same point as the previous two, her intention was the same.


    ¡°No problem! Consider it as a celebration!¡± Qin Langughed heartily.


    The group chatted idly while watching the rey andmentary of the game in the arena.


    Time was ticking away.


    After the analysis of the battle between Qin Lang and Xia Yun, the championship battle between Zhu Quan and Hao Yifan began under the watchful eyes of the crowd.


    The two were drawn into a 2V2 match.


    It was a fight without much suspense.


    Compared to Zhu Quan, who had a three-star Food Spirit, Hao Yifan¡¯s gap was not small.


    Although he struggled for a while with his own efforts, he still ended up regretfully defeated.


    Thus, the first and second ces were decided.


    ¡°Let¡¯s greet with the warmest apuse and cheer, and invite the president of Bai Lu Mountain City Spirit Chef Association, Mrs. Xu Qingmo, and deputy president Mrs. Yunqi together to present the awards to the winners of this Youth Training Tournament!¡±


    The awarding ceremony this time has a greater lineup than before, but everyone in the field clearly understood why.


    It was to guard against the resurgence of the beaten Star Hunter.


    The four contestants were invited back on stage, and they went to their respective ranks announced by the host.


    Mrs. Xu was responsible for presenting the first and second prizes, while Mrs. Yunqi presented the third and fourth prizes.


    ¡°Well done.¡± Looking at Qin Lang who had just earned his Deer Spirit Badge, Mrs. Yunqi hung his medal for him and grew a little more cheerful.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    With the medal in his hands, Qin Lang wore a blissful expression on his face.


    It was a bronze medal with ¡°Third ce in the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Tournament¡± engraved on the back. The front center depicted a golden me surrounded by three differently colored and shaped mes.


    Blue, red, and purple, each symbolizing its unique meaning.


    Fresh Intent Fire, Shining Battle Fire, and Armament Fire.


    ¡°Go ahead and absorb it.¡± After hanging the medal, Yunqi smiled and opened the alloy box in her hand, revealing two Starstones embedded on the base.


    This was the prize for the third ce.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Sensing the excitement and longing from his two Food Spirits, Qin Lang carefully got the Starstones, then handed one to Spicy, which had just absorbed the Star Power from getting the third ce in thepetition, causing the stars around it to shine a bit brighter.


    ¡°Ka-chak!¡±


    Spicy¡¯s voice was full of joy.


    It moved closer to the Starstone, connecting the stars around it to the Starstone, and absorbed a great amount of unimed Star Power within at an incredibly fast speed.


    The stars around it visibly became brighter at a rapid pace.


    Soon, very soon!


    Seeing the brightness that was the same as when Dan Bao advanced, Qin Lang was overjoyed.


    Soon, the Starstone in his handpletely dimmed.


    And the stars around Spicy already reached their maximum brightness.


    It seemed like it just needed to absorb a little bit more Star Power to break throughpletely.


    And in Qin Lang¡¯s hand, there was still one Starstone.


    Just as he was about to bring the remaining Starstone closer, Yunqi¡¯s voice, containing a hint of amusement, slowly drifted over.


    ¡°I suggest that you give this Starstone to the other Food Spirit, don¡¯t let the one-star Food Spirit break through now.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±


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 Chapter 168 - 168: Ascending Stars

    Chapter 168: Ascending Stars


    Trantor: 549690339


    If anyone else had made such a suggestion, Qin Lang might have considered whether their intentions were good or bad.


    But Mrs. Yunqi is such a powerful Spirit Chef, she also once gave him the test for the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, there¡¯s no reason for her to harm him.


    So, Qin Lang quickly withdrew the Starstone in his hand, signalled Spicy to wait, then politely turned to Yunqi, ¡°Mrs. Yunqi, why is that?¡±


    ¡°Lucky Bite Mark is indeed a goodbat skill, but its advantages and disadvantages are too obvious. There aren¡¯t manybat skills that can be matched with it, and it¡¯s very difficult to directly awaken apatiblebat skill.¡± Mrs. Yunqi got straight to the point. ¡°Third ce gets 20 Training Competition Points.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes brightened, understanding now.


    If Spicy were to upgrade his star level at this moment, a random skill will appear among allbat skills, and it¡¯s not guaranteed to bepatible with its currentbat skill.


    For instance, if Spicy awakens a skill akin to ¡®Full Firepower¡¯ like a fire spraying ability, it would naturally be hard tobine with the ¡®Lucky Bite Mark¡¯, thus abinedbat skill couldn¡¯t be created.


    However, to want to interfere with the awakening of a newbat skill and awaken it in a certain wanted direction is not impossible.


    When Dan Bao upgraded, it carried a Mind Stone, which is the best example.


    There are quite a few simr props.


    Although Qin Lang doesn¡¯t have one at the moment, he can exchange it for the 20 Training Competition Points earned from attaining third ce at the Spirit Chef Association!


    However, Starstone needs to be consumed on the spot and cannot be taken away.


    If Qin Lang makes this choice, he will have to give the remaining Starstone to Dan Bao to absorb.


    ¡°What do you two think?¡± After analyzing the situation, he turned to the two little ones, deciding to go with their opinions.


    Spicy¡¯s face looked torn. It was just one step from two stars and it couldn¡¯t wait to upgrade immediately. But thinking about the difficulty of having abinedbat skill if the awakenedbat skill didn¡¯t match, it wasn¡¯t so eager to upgrade anymore.


    In this dilemma, the light orbs above its head turned green and red alternately.


    Finally, Spicy made a decision.


    ¡°Chachaka!¡±


    Give the Starstone to Dan Bao first!


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    I¡¯m fine with anything!


    Dan Bao nodded agreeably. As it looked at the Starstone in Qin Lang¡¯s hand, it couldn¡¯t help but swallow.


    It had been quite a while since itst absorbed a Starstone. Although it willingly gave it to its friends who haven¡¯t reached two stars yet, it still coveted the Starstone.


    After all, Starstone had a natural attraction to Food Spirits.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    Qin Lang gave the Starstone to Dan Bao. After the absorption wasplete, he put the two pieces of Starstone back into the base of the alloy box together.


    Yunqi smiled, her gaze turning to Xu Qingmo.


    The four Starstones belonging to Zhu Quan had also beenpletely absorbed.


    Until all the Starstones werepletely absorbed, no Star Hunter appeared.


    This slightly rxed the two of them who had been on edge.


    All the Starstones inside the Association have beenpletely absorbed.


    The operation of the Star Hunter this time has failed.


    ¡°Qin Lang, what are you looking at?¡±


    On the downhill cable car, Zhao Chen curiously leaned over to Qin Lang.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at the Association¡¯s Competition Points Exchange interface.¡± Qin Lang pointedat the screen on his phone and smiled. ¡°The 20 Training Competition Points I gained from obtaining third ce have arrived, and it can help me exchange for the treasures to help Spicy upgrade.¡±


    ¡°Let me give you some advice!¡± Zhao Chen took out his own phone, then opened the corresponding exchange interface.


    Although he doesn¡¯t have anypetition points, he doesn¡¯t need any permissions just to browse the interface.


    Both Du Weiwei and Qi Xiaoyu, who were sitting upfront, also started helping out.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Qin Lang didn¡¯t reject their kindness and continued his search for the neat things he could redeem with 20 trainingpetition points, head bowed.


    Dan Bao and Spicynded one on each of his shoulders.


    Earlier, Qin Lang had won the Mind Stone in a funpetition organized by the Shi Qi Group. He¡¯d led Dan Bao to the first ce there and the stone could now be exchanged for just 10 trainingpetition points.


    Apart from this, there were Martial Arts Stones and Nature Stones of the same value.


    The names gave away their uses: they were gems meant to solidify the newly awakened battle skills of the Food spirit into either the Martial Arts or Nature categories.


    But their full names were actually the First-Level Mind Stone, First-Level Martial Arts Stone, and First-Level Nature Stone, collectively known as First-Level Skill Stones.


    Above them, there were second- and third-level skill stones.


    The Second-Level Skill Stones could solidify more specific types of skills.


    For example, the Second-Level Nature Stone: me could turn awakened skills into me-type Nature battle skills. The Second-Level Martial Arts Stone: Charge could codify those skills into charge-type Martial-Arts battle skills. The Second-Level Mind Stone: Illusion could fixate the skills into illusion-type Mind skills.


    On the other hand, Third-Level Skill Stones could directly specify a particr battle skill to awaken.


    Without a doubt, the higher-grade Skill Stones were also more expensive.


    The exchange points for Third-Level Skill Stones were at least in triple digits. The exact value greatly varied depending on the skill, and Qin Lang even saw some four-digit ones out there. They were far beyond what he could afford now.


    The values of the Second-Level Skill Stones fluctuated depending on the type, too, but quite a few were in double digits, which meant that Qin Lang could trade for several different kinds.


    After a round of discussion, Qin Lang finally set his sights on a Skill Stone that happened to require exactly 20 training event points to redeem.


    Second-Level Martial Arts Stone: Mobility.


    Mobility-type Martial Arts skills could greatly enhance a Food Spirit¡¯s agility,pensating for the limitations of the Lucky Bite Mark.


    This was not the only option. For instance, Qin Lang could choose the Second-Level Mind Stone: Illusion to confuse his opponents by illusion-type skills, allowing Spicy to approach them. Other Skill Stones were also pretty decent.


    But all of those cost more than 20 points.


    ¡°This is it.¡± Qin Lang finally clicked ¡®confirm exchange¡¯. ¡°The delivery is quite fast. We can receive it once we get off the cable car.¡±


    ¡°Your Spicy is just a bit away from reaching two stars, right?¡± Zhao Chen felt generous. ¡°How about my Yangyang has a Spirit Battle with it?¡±


    ¡°Wham!¡± Yangyang¡¯s eyes were burning with strong will to fight.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a dull thud, Yangyangnded heavily, its body marked with bite marks. One of them was radiating colorful glow which was slowly fading.


    ¡°It took effect after only three bites, you¡¯re quite unlucky!¡± Qi Xiaoyuughed the liver-faced Zhao Chen, and totally forgot about her painful experience when the bite took effect with just a single bite.


    Qin Lang ignored theughing duo, watching with trepidation as Spicy absorbed Star Power in the air, the star growing bright with harsh white light.


    A pentagonal gem hung on Spicy¡¯s body, with a light that looked like a fist mark in it. At this moment, bathed in soft white light, the gem quietly melted away. The fist-like light fell into the glow, merging into the second star Spicy had split from itself.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    The next moment after the white light dispersed, Spicy disappeared in a sh and the very next moment, he found himself tucked in Qin Lang¡¯s arms. Looking happy with himself, Spicy caught Qin Lang¡¯s eye.


    Combat Skill: Instant Teleportation!


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 Chapter 169 - 169 Miscalculation

    Chapter 169: Miscalction


    Trantor: 549690339


    Combat Skill: Instantaneous Movement.


    Thisbat skill can instantly change the position of the Food Spirit, enabling a leap-like behavior without leaving a trace during the process.


    Compared to other action types of fighting-basedbat skills, Instantaneous Movement is the most unexpected. But like any other powerfulbat skill, ites with its drawbacks.


    Just like the Food Skill: Cooking eleration, it consumes an enormous amount of spiritual power.


    After determining that Spicy had awakened her two-star powers, Qin Lang put the skill into practice with the cooperation of the others, and finally obtained more detailed information about Instantaneous Movement.


    In terms of frequency of use, the minimum interval between consecutive uses of Instantaneous Movement is one second, and it can be possibly reduced with further proficiency.


    The consumption of Instantaneous Movement is proportional to the distance moved, not the number of uses. After Qin Lang¡¯s research, it was finally determined that when Spicy is at full spirit power, the total distance of Instantaneous Movement is about one hundred meters.


    It could teleport one hundred meters at once, or teleport one meter a hundred times.


    This means that Instantaneous Movement can be used more flexibly in short-distance dodging and maneuvering.


    Besides, Instantaneous Movement cannot carry others or other items. Only the Food Spirit itself can be transferred.


    Interestingly, the bubble light cluster on top of Spicy¡¯s head seems to be unable to follow the teleportation due to its separation from the main body.


    Therefore, an interesting situation arose where after Spicy teleported, the bubble light cluster would slowly catch up from its original location.


    Fortunately, the bubble light cluster cannot be attacked, nor will it cause any adverse feedback to Spicy. It is like the light emitted by a shlight, a manifestation of Spicy¡¯s emotions.


    After verification, Qin Lang hugged Spicy, his joy indescribable.


    Despite its drawbacks, there¡¯s no doubt that Instantaneous Movement is the pinnacle among all action-type skills and is perfect as Spicy¡¯sbat skill.


    He already pictured Spicy teleporting unexpectedly in front of the opponent, and using short-distance teleports to leave teeth marks on the opponent from various angles.


    Bite your head in one go, then bite your tail in the next¡­


    What do you call an unbeatable defense!


    Tactical lean back.jpg


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    So awesome!


    Dan Bao had an envious look on his face.


    It could imagine that if Spicybined these twobat skills into a newbined battle skill, it would be no less powerful than the Psychomaic me Explosion it had just mastered recently.


    Unlike the one-time explosive Psychomaic me Explosion, Spicy¡¯s fighting style is more agile and peculiar.


    Feeling the envy of hispanion, Spicy got even happier, and the bubble light cluster on her head began to faintly redden.


    ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s time to eat something delicious after training, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qi Xiaoyu suggested yfully.


    She was more interested in the new dish that Qin Lang nned to cook for celebrating their third ce in the Youth Training Competition.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s eat,¡± Qin Lang waved his hand and headed back to the hotel.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting


    Along with the elongated voice, Qin Lang carried arge te of sliced roast duck to the other three, cing the duck on the table.


    Thest time he was making buns in the kitchen, Qin Lang found this hotel¡¯s kitchen had a wide range of cooking utensils, even including a hanging oven for roasting.


    He had thought of this delicious dish at that time, but hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to make it.


    Now, as the Youth Training Competition has ended and their Bai Lu Mountain City trip is about to conclude, the idle Qin Lang finally thought of this dish.


    ¡°Wow!!!¡±


    Looking at those pieces of roast duck rotating like petals arranged on the te, Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes.


    Just this ting was enough to surprise her.


    Not to mention as Qin Lang came out, the rich aroma of the roast duck had already aggressively snuck into her nose, making her salivate.


    On the side, Zhao Chen didn¡¯t utter a word, quickly picked up a piece and put it into his mouth, starting to eat.


    ¡°This is not how you eat Peking duck.¡± Watching Zhao Chen¡¯s foodie ways, Qin Lang did not know whether tough or cry, ¡°Dan Bao!¡±


    ¡°Gulu~¡±


    Dan Bao responded, cing the condiments carried by thought waves on the table.


    Shredded green onions, cucumbers, and the soul of Peking duck ¨C sweet wheat paste.


    Besides these, there were also some freshly steamed pancakes.


    Zhao Chen, who had already reached out for the second piece of Peking duck, and the two women who were about to pick up their chopsticks, halted their actions.


    ¡°Watch carefully.¡± Qin Lang put on a pair of disposable gloves, carefully peeled off ayer of pancake, then picked up two pieces of tender Peking duck meat along with two pieces of Peking duck skin, shimmering with a golden hue and glistening with oil and dipped them in sweet wheat paste before cing them in the middle of the pancake.


    After adding shredded green onions and cucumber, he rolled up the pancake and folded it in the middle of the Peking duck roll, then took a satisfying bite.


    As Qin Lang chewed, the toughness of the pancake, the juicy and tender duck meat, the crisp skin, and the crunchy and refreshing shreds of onion and cucumber all met the unique taste of sweet wheat paste in his mouth. It all overflowed between his lips and teeth, intertwined to form a wonderful symphony of vors.


    He couldn¡¯t help but slightly squint his eyes, a satisfied look on his face.


    This was the familiar taste he was longing for.


    ¡°Have you learned your lesson?¡± After finishing his food, Qin Lang looked at the trio with a smile.


    Zhao Chen and the others looked at each other, and the next moment, they all started their attempt.


    ¡°ck!¡±


    La La picked up a pancake, a troubled expression on her face.


    How to roll the Peking duck?


    The next moment, the duck meat automatically flew into the sweet wheat paste, picked up a generous amount, and then together with shredded onion and cucumber, they flew toward La La¡¯s pancake, quickly rolling up.


    La La¡¯s eyes lit up, she swallowed the prepared Peking duck roll in one bite, and while chewing she could not help but nce at the giggling Dan Bao.


    ¡°ck-¡±


    Thank you¡­


    She turned her head somewhat shyly, the bubble of light above her head once again turned red.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    You¡¯re wee!


    Dan Bao seemed to be quite excited, turning to look at the four Food Spirits looking eagerly at them, the pancakes, Peking duck, shredded onion, and cucumber started to dance in mid-air.


    The thought waves after special training were perfect for rolling Peking duck!


    At the back door of Bai Lu Mountain City¡¯s Spirit Chef Association,


    President Ms. Xu Qingmo, along with thirteen Spirit Executors, were escorting an alloy box and handing it over to a staff member from headquarters responsible for receiving the used Starstones.


    As the staff member¡¯s car disappeared down the mountain road, Xu Qingmo felt the dark clouds that had been hanging over her heart for the past few days finally starting to disperse.


    She turned to look at Zhou Tianhao by her side.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, thank you for your selfless help to the Association.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°As a qualified Spirit Chef, it¡¯s my duty to fight crime organizations that disrupt order. This is the principle my father taught me since childhood.¡±


    Next, he scratched his head, ¡°Since the crisis of Star Hunter has been resolved,


    I will leave Bai Lu Mountain City tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xu Qingmo nodded with a smile.


    On the winding road down the mountain, a car adorned with the emblem of the Spirit Chef Association and responsible for receiving Starstones, had an employee whose corners of the mouth curved up into a smirk.


    He took out a glossy and beautiful mask and put it on, seemingly about to attend a grand ball.


    A Star Hunter, never misses.


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    Extra Content at the end of the chapter:


    [How to eat Peking Duck]

 Chapter 170 - 170: Before Departure

    Chapter 170: Before Departure


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This roasted duck is really delicious!¡±


    Zhao Chen gets more and more skilled at rolling pancakes. He can quickly roll up a stuffed pancake in just a few moves. After rolling up the roasted duck, he directly puts it into his mouth, chewing and enjoying it, his hands not stopping.


    By the time he finishes one pancake, he is able to roll two more.


    One pancake is for his own mouth to keep it constantly filled, while the other is shoved into Yangyang¡¯s waiting, wide-open mouth.


    When ites to eating, he¡¯s really dedicated.


    ¡°Phew¡ª ¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu rubs her belly on the side, opening her mouthnguidly, ¡°Qin Lang, 1 feel like I¡¯ve put on weight after our trip around Bai Lu Mountain City!¡±


    Despite her seemingly pitiful condition, the happiness on her face indicates her satisfaction with the food she had enjoyed today.


    At her side, Du Weiwei has already eaten her fill, but she has not stopped rolling roasted duck for her food spirit, as this too is a process of deepening mutual feelings.


    ¡°Are we going back to Dongxia City tomorrow?¡± While she is rolling roasted duck for the food spirit, she asks.


    ¡°I have no objections.¡± Qin Lang nods.


    Although he doesn¡¯t have any rtives in Dongxia City, everything he¡¯s familiar with is there.


    After his mother died in his past life, he developed a habit of returning home to check on things after spending some time outside.


    Even in this new world, he doesn¡¯t want to give up this habit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any objections either.¡± Zhao Chen speaks vaguely with his mouth full of roasted duck.


    During these past days while Qin Lang was preparing for the rankingpetition, Zhao Chen hasn¡¯t been idle either.


    He has visited, one after another, those spirit chefs who showed considerable strength in the selectionpetition, but failed to advance. In the short span of three days, he has participated in dozens of spirit battles.


    No one would expect that an adolescent could be so persistent.


    Having achieved his goal of confronting spirit chefs from various ces in the Tianhua State, and participating in the city-level youth trainingpetition with his buddies, Zhao Chen is content with their trip to Bai Lu Mountain City.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Qi Xiaoyu, resting her head on her hand, grins, ¡°Shall we go shopping tonight for mementoes to take home?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhao Chen and Du Weiwei respond immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also go and take a look.¡± Qin Lang nods.


    He has already obtained the best souvenir from this trip.


    That is the Deer Spirit Badge and the medal from the youth trainingpetition which he earned by passing the test.


    However, buying some souvenirs for his neighbors is a good idea.


    Maybe he could also prepare a gift for Uncle Luo Hui and share his travel experience with him?


    With this thought, Qin Lang¡¯s face shows a trace of a smile.


    ¡°Ding Ding¡ª ¡±


    The sudden sound of his phone ringing and the slight vibration of the phone in his pocket interrupt Qin Lang¡¯s musings.


    ncing at the caller ID, he raises his eyebrows.


    The caller is Zhu Quan.


    At the end of the youth trainingpetition, Zhu Quan had taken the initiative to exchange contact details with him. Now that he is calling, Qin Lang wonders what it might be about.


    ¡°Hello, this is Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear?¡± Zhu Quan¡¯s dignified voicees over the phone, ¡°The Star Hunters sessfully stole the Starstone.¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±???¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it already fully absorbed?¡± He couldn¡¯t help asking in a low voice.


    ¡°The Star Hunters stole the Starstone after it had absorbed all the Star Power.¡± Zhu Quan¡¯s voice carried a hint of helplessness, ¡°It seems this is the first time the Star Hunters have done such a thing, everybody was caught off guard.¡± An empty Starstone?


    A thoughtful look crosses Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    He recalls the intelligence Zhu Quan had shared before.


    The Star Hunter Organization steals Starstones, not for the Star Power contained within them, but to research how to replicate the Starstones.


    Perhaps their research has made new progress, so now even an empty Starstone is enough for their research?


    He wonders what course of action the Association will take in response to this situation.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s attention quickly shifts to Zhu Quan.


    ¡°I merely overheard it when 1 went to receive my qualification certificate for the provincial youth trainingpetition. 1 thought I¡¯d share it with you, but it¡¯s not the main reason 1 called.¡± Zhu Quan¡¯s voice carries a hint of levity, ¡°I want to challenge you to a spirit battle. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°A spirit battle?¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s voice involuntarily rises slightly, attracting the inquisitive gazes of Zhao Chen and the others.


    ¡°Correct.¡± On the other end of the phone, Zhu Quan¡¯s face is poised for battle, ¡°After spending three years in deep mountain training, this is the first time I¡¯ve participated in a spirit battle rtedpetition.¡±


    ¡°I had hoped to spar with more powerful spirit chefs, to hone myself and be stronger. I didn¡¯t expect that the youth trainingpetition wouldn¡¯t bring any improvement at all!¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±¡­¡±


    Although Zhu Quan is telling the truth, why does Qin Lang feel like hitting someone?


    No big deal, Qin Lang has only been a spirit chef for one month.


    Qin Lang silently reassures himself.


    Zhu Quan is still speaking on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°However, you gave me a surprise.¡± Zhu Quan speaks slowly, ¡°Your other food spirit should have reached two-stars as well, right?¡±


    ¡°Added to the newbined battle skill that your previous two-star food spirit hasprehended, I assume your strength now surpasses that when we shed in the morning.¡±


    ¡°So, I want to challenge you to prove this!¡±


    Truly a zealot for battle.


    Qin Lang inwardlyins, and instinctively nces at Zhao Chen.


    These two are very simr.


    ¡°Alright, but I¡¯ve already purchased train tickets to leave Bai Lu Mountain City tomorrow afternoon¡­¡±


    ¡°We can have the battle tomorrow morning!¡±


    Before Qin Lang can finish speaking, Zhu Quan cuts in.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s settled.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes reveal a hint of battle spirit.


    The two quickly agree on a specific time, and the call ends shortly afterward.


    Zhao Chen and the others, who had been listening in, quickly gather around.


    ¡°A spirit battle with Zhu Quan?¡± Du Weiwei shows interest.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nods, looking at Dan Bao and Spicy, both showing eagerness.


    Though they don¡¯t say it, heart-to-heart Qin Lang knows that they are not satisfied with their third ce in the youth trainingpetition.


    The primary reason he agreed to this spirit battle is to give the two little ones another chance to prove themselves.


    Even though it cannot change the determined ranks of the youth trainingpetition, if they can perform better than before, it would be a significant boost for the two little ones.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning? Then let¡¯s go and watch it together!¡± Qi Xiaoyu is inexplicably excited at the prospect of some excitement.


    ¡°Count me in.¡± Zhao Chen nods seriously.


    This battle is not to be missed.


    Qin Lang shakes his head with an amused smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping for souvenirs first.¡±


    The following morning, at the Spirit Chef Association Spirit Battle Grounds in Bai Lu Mountain City.


    ¡°Five seconds to start!¡±


    With the referee¡¯smand, the staring contest between Qin Lang and Zhu Quan from their respective designated areas seems to spark electrical currents in the space between them.


    Since Zhu Quan initiated the Spirit Battle, Qin Lang had the right to choose the mode of the battle.


    Wherever you fall, you should get back up.


    Thus his choice was a 2V2 fight.


    As the countdown progresses, the two nearly simultaneously deploy their Star Spirit Protection.


    ¡°Beep¡ª ¡±


    With the echo of the sharp whistle, the second battle between Qin Lang and Zhu Quan begins!


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 Chapter 171 - 171: Ambush

    Chapter 171: Ambush


    Trantor: 549690339


    The moment the whistle sounded, the Food Spirits on both sides began to move.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    With Dan Bao¡¯s exmation, an invisible wall of telekic force encased itself and Spicy, then exerted a burst of thrust to elerate them both like a rocket towards their opponents.


    Repeated strategies obviously wouldn¡¯t surprise an opponent, thus facing Zhu Quan who had previously battled, Qin Lang chose to directly elerate the approach.


    This move again?


    A glimmer shone in Zhu Quan¡¯s eyes.


    He remembered how, in yesterday¡¯s Spirit Battle, his rhythm was disrupted by this unexpected charge from Qin Lang, and carelessly allowed his Food Spirit, Gu Li, to lose itsbat capability.


    The same strategy wouldn¡¯t seed a second time!


    ¡°He Ke! Block them with a clone!¡±


    ¡°Gu Li! Give it your all!¡±


    After themand echoed out, the two Food Spirits of Zhu Quan responded simultaneously.


    ¡°Sa Cha!¡±


    With a loud shout, He Ke split into two, heading towards the rapidly approaching Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Two arcs of electricity, as thick as arms, erupted from its original body and clone¡¯s ws. They intertwined irregrly mid-air, like the fury of a lightning god enshrouding all!


    ¡°Sizzle!¡±


    The fighting spirit of Gu Li on the side was even higher. A gale rolled around it, entwining with countless tiny earthy-yellow sandstones to form a sandstorm capable of grinding everything to dust, instantly erupting towards Dan Bao and Spicy!


    Combat Skill: Sand Trace Wheel + Combat Technique: Wind Song Vortex.


    Combinedbat technique: Endless Sandstorm!


    A touch of frustration was in Gu Li¡¯s heart. Although his strength was not as powerful as hispanions, it also mastered thebinedbat skills.


    In yesterday¡¯s battle, due to a moment of carelessness, it did not even have the chance to use thebinedbat skills, and lost the battle capability because of the effect of Spicy¡¯s Lucky Bite Mark!


    Therefore, when this fight began, it immediately unleashed itsbinedbat technique, as if to demonstrate that it wasn¡¯t weak!


    The fine and rough sandstones were wrapped in the gale, like countless sharp des. They were like ferocious beasts that could tear everything apart, erupted almost at the same time as the two arcs of electricity in front of Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Facing this terrifying force, the fighting spirit burned in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    A gold-red light spot, which had unknowably gathered in front of it, now turned into a golden-red rainbow light to meet the two powerful attacks at Dan Bao¡¯s thought.


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    The fierce booming echoed in thepetition venue, and a wave of energy swept through the whole ce.


    In the central area of the collision, the telekic barrier around Dan Bao had shattered, but both it and Spicy were unharmed.


    On the other side, He Ke blocked the residual effect of the collision for Gu Li, and the two Food Spirits remained uninjured.


    Along with the sounds filled with the fighting spirit, an intense battle kicked off as the smoke cleared.


    ¡°Sa Cha!¡±


    Under Zhu Quan¡¯s instruction, He Ke¡¯s original body and clone both brought forth swirling dark purple energy balls in their ws, attacking Dan Bao with theirbinedbat technique.


    Faced with a three-star powerful enemy, Dan Bao¡¯s expression was more confident than before. Two gold-red light spots gathered around its body, and with the push of telekinesis, they dragged out afterimages and stirred piercing sounds of wind breaking!


    Apanying two booming sounds, the two-burst Psychomaic me Explosion collided with the two Shadow Thunder Fury cast by He Ke, grinding against each other and eventually quietly vanishing into thin air.


    Compared to He Ke, who is a three-star, Dan Bao¡¯s strength was slightly inferior. Its body was flown out in the aftermath of the collision, and an arc of electricity, like a venomous snake, closely followed as if seeking to end thebat.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    An invisible telekic barrier immediately blocked the arc of electricity and shattered.


    Dan Bao steadied its body in the air. Sensing its rapidly sliding physical condition, it looked at He Ke who had chased out of the dust, and was temporarily unable to use the power to clone, the fighting spirit burned in its eyes.


    They could fight!


    Even if the enemy was a three-star Food Spirit, under the power of Psychomaic me Explosion, it wouldn¡¯t be as powerless as it was yesterday!


    Meanwhile, Spicy¡¯s battle was also underway.


    Using the remnants of the collision to elerate, it had already reached close to Gu Li.


    This move again?


    Desire for battle was zing in Gu Li¡¯s eyes.


    The loss of hisbat capability yesterday was partly due to his underestimation of the enemy and partly due to hisck of knowledge about the enemy¡¯s skills.


    Now that he knew that the opponent in front of him possessed a closebat skill like Lucky Bite Mark, he would by no means let his opponent get close to him.


    And his two rangedbat skills could well enable him to achieve this!


    ¡°Squeak!!!¡±


    Gu Li yelled out, with the raging wind centered around him forming into a violent storm vortex, encapsting the approaching Spicy, thus stopping Spicy from getting closer, as if mired in a bog.


    A significant amount of sand and gravel was converging behind him forming a massive roulette wheel that was rapidly rotating towards Spicy.


    Battle desire was burning brightly in Gu Li¡¯s eyes.


    This time, he would not lose hisbat capabi¡­


    He blinked his eyes only to find that his opponent who was in the storm had disappeared.


    ¡°Be careful behind! It¡¯s instant teleportation!¡±


    The Spirit Chef¡¯s warning echoed simultaneously in Gu Li¡¯s mind.


    Behind him?


    Gu Li was taken aback, the next moment he felt a familiar pain coursing through his tail.


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Sharing his vision with the Spirit Chef, he immediately locked onto his opponent who had suddenly appeared behind him. The sand wheel, which was tumbling forward, abruptly changed its direction, grazing past his tail position and violently head towards Spicy who suddenly appeared behind him!


    ¡°Squeak?¡±


    It hasn¡¯t taken effect yet?


    Watching the rapidly fading three bite marks, a trace of regret flickered in Spicy¡¯s eyes, the next moment his figure disappeared instantly in ce, evading the terrifying sand wheel strike while appearing above Gu Li¡¯s head.


    I¡¯ll bite again!


    Feeling the pain on the top of his head, Gu Li let out a painful cry.


    ¡°Wrap yourself in the gale!¡±


    Zhu Quan¡¯s voice brought Gu Li quickly to his senses.


    A storm was revolving around him, tightly wrapping around his body.


    If Spicy tried to bite Gu Li, it would inevitably be swept up by this gale!


    ¡°Squeak?¡±


    You can¡¯t take this, can you?


    Spicy, who had only bitten seven or eight times, distanced himself, dodged the sand wheel attack, and looked at Gu Li unhappily with his big eyes while avoiding the sand wheel attack.


    However, the next moment, Spicy¡¯s gaze was drawn to He Ke not far away.


    During the battle between the four Food Spirits, their distance was getting closer.


    This gave Spicy a bold idea.


    Its figure flickered again, disappearing in ce.


    The btedly-returned bubble light ball that had finally managed to return to Spicy, was once again slowly heading towards some direction.


    That was¡­


    In He Ke¡¯s direction!


    While Gu Li treated the disappearance of his opponent like facing a great enemy, Spicy appeared behind He Ke as silently as a phantom using instant teleportation.


    1 bite!


    Taking advantage of He Ke¡¯s dyed reaction, it bit him fiercely.


    Eh?


    Looking at the bite mark shing with colorful lights, Spicy fell into deep thought.


    It¡­it worked?!


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 Chapter 172 - 172: Return Journey

    Chapter 172: Return Journey


    Trantor: 549690339


    Looking at He Ke, who suddenly fell from the sky with his eyes starting to circle, the venue became quiet for a moment.


    Whether it was Dan Bao, who had already conjured the next Psychomaic me Explosion ready to collide with He Ke¡¯s attack, or Gu Li, who had just realized Spicy¡¯s position after teleporting, or even Spicy who caused all of it, they all stopped their actions.


    Standing on the side of thepetition venue, Zhu Quan¡¯s expression was wonderfully vivid.


    The Lucky Bite Mark¡­ worked?


    After attacking Gu Li so many times without effect, it worked on He Ke, who had one star higher?


    As he concluded, he felt as if he was dreaming.


    Could it be any more outrageous?!!


    The expression on Qin Lang¡¯s face on the other side was not better than Zhu Quan¡¯s.


    Looking at the bewildered Spicy staring at He Ke, his face couldn¡¯t help but twitch.


    The facts prove that despite several ws, the Lucky Bite Mark is indeed a game-changer under certain circumstances.


    With Zhu Quan¡¯s three-star Food Spirit out ofbat ability and only Gu Li left facing both Spicy and Dan Bao, the oue of this match is already unspoken.


    ¡°We won! We really won!¡± Qi Xiaoyu on the audience seats was swinging her arm excitedly, then she sighed, and opened her mouth regretfully, ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If only Qin Lang could have defeated Zhu Quan like this yesterday.¡±


    If Qin Lang had defeated Zhu Quan in that match, his ranking wouldn¡¯t have been third, it would have likely been first.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as if.¡± Du Weiwei pinched Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s cheek, ¡°Because of the prize for third ce in the Youth Training Competition, Qin Lang was able to let his Food Spirit level up, defeating Zhu Quan.¡±


    ¡°The truth proved that my rival is very strong!¡± Zhao Chen crossed his arms nearby and levitated his chin high, showing an unfathomable expression.


    Opponents Qin Lang had faced before shed across his head.


    At the Scoring Competition of Dongxia City Cooking Competition, Lei Ke defeated Qin Lang and won first ce, butter at the Rankings Match, Qin Lang defeated Lei Ke in return.


    At the Rankings Match of the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition, Zhu Quan defeated Qin Lang and won the championship, but the Spirit Battle the next day ended with Qin Lang¡¯s victory.


    The fact is, nobody can defeat a rival for long. Even being ahead for a short period of time, you¡¯ll be caught up by the rival one by one.


    Except for me!


    Zhao Chen¡¯s chin raised even higher.


    Even though my rival is strong and has defeated me many times, 1 will definitely defeat him in the future and continue to do so!


    ¡°I lost ¨C and it was quite unexpected.¡±


    In the field, Zhu Quan, who voluntarily admitted defeat, walked in front of Qin Lang,ughing and shaking his head.


    He wanted to have an evenly matched showdown with Qin Lang, but he didn¡¯t expect that it would end like this.


    ¡°You might say I was lucky.¡± Qin Lang scratched Spicy¡¯s head, speaking sheepishly.


    ¡°My master always teaches me that luck is also part of strength.¡± Zhu Quan shook his head seriously, ¡°A loss is a loss. The Lucky Bite Mark is abat skill that relies on luck to demonstratebat power. This is strength.¡±


    Zhu Quan¡¯s attitude earned Qin Lang¡¯s fondness for this young man who he had not interacted much with before.


    He voluntarily asked, ¡°What are your ns up next?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Zhu Quanughed, ¡°The Provincial Level Youth Training Competition is held once a year, just like other provincial levelpetitions. The next one is in six months.¡±


    In six months?


    Qin Lang raised his eyebrows.


    Suddenly, he thought of the provincial-level cookingpetition that would take ce in five months.


    Are these two ¡­ so close together?


    He couldn¡¯t resist asking his doubts.


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s confusion, Zhu Quan chuckled.


    ¡°Trainingpetitions, cooking contests, and youth trainingpetitions of the same tier have the same schedule mainly because trainingpetitions and youth trainingpetitions are all spirit battle-rted events, so they are half a cycle apart from each other.¡±


    ¡°As cooking contests and trainingpetitions are the most concerned types ofpetitions, they would also be half a cycle apart.¡±


    ¡°This means that the cooking contests will often be close to the schedule of the youth trainingpetition. Considering that some contestants might participate in bothpetitions, their schedules won¡¯t ovep.¡±


    ¡°This pattern may not be noticeable in city-levelpetitions that take ce every three months, but it bes very clear in the long-term provincial-level and regional-levelpetitions.¡±


    So, that¡¯s why it is.


    So, that¡¯s why the provincial-level cookingpetition and provincial youth trainingpetition are only a month apart?


    Qin Lang felt like he learned something new.


    ¡°Unlike the city youth trainingpetition, the provincial youth trainingpetition will be muchrger.¡± Expectation appeared on Zhu Quan¡¯s face.


    ¡°This year¡¯s Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition had 67 contestants due to special circumstances, but every provincial youthpetition usually has numbers reaching in the hundreds.¡±


    ¡°With your strength, winning first ce in city youth trainingpetitions in other ces should be no challenge.¡± He looked at Qin Lang, speaking seriously, ¡°1 really look forward to seeing you in the provincial youth trainingpetition.¡±


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Provincial Youth Training Competition!


    Spicy spoke excitedly, seemingly envisioning a greater stage for her to perform on.


    Qin Langforted an excited Spicy and after a moment of thought, he nodded, ¡°I will give it my best shot.¡±


    His mindset,pared to before, had somewhat changed.


    On one hand, Qin Lang had to admit the magical power, the spirit-ignite power and the mysterious star system power that Star Hunter had demonstrated, he now had higher expectations and yearnings for such fantastic powers.


    It was the romance inherited by the transmigrated.


    On the other hand, it was Spicy¡¯s anticipation for battles.


    Although he did not understand why this little chap had inexplicable confidence and yearning as soon as it heard about battles, since Spicy was his Food Spirit and as its Spirit Chef, it was proper for Qin Lang to fulfill its desires.


    As for the final aspect¡­


    After using 20 trainingpetition points to exchange for a second-level martial arts stone ¨C action, and then getting a secondbat skill that was a very good match for Spicy, Qin Lang realized that perhaps this was the correct path for a Spirit Chef to train their Food Spirits.


    Otherwise, it¡¯s difficult to form an effective and powerfulbined battle skill solely relying on randomly awakenedbat skills.


    Acquiring skill stones or other treasures that can assist Food Spirits, aiding their advancement and increasing their power ¨C is this the training path?


    Unlike the cooking path, he has much to learn in this aspect.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± After receiving Qin Lang¡¯s definitive reply, a confident smile appeared on Zhu Quan¡¯s face, ¡°In the provincial youth trainingpetition, it will not be so easy for me to be defeated.¡±


    By half a yearter, Gu Li should be three stars, and owning two three-star Food Spirits, he also would qualify to open his third star vein and give birth to his third Food Spirit.


    By then, his power will not beparable to now.


    Without lingering, Zhu Quan led his Food Spirit, which had fully absorbed the star power, and turned to leave.


    Watching him leave, Qin Lang swung his gaze towards Zhao Chen and his twopanions who had walked over to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, back to Dongxia City.¡±


    Quick Entrance: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 173 - 173: Encounter Again

    Chapter 173: Encounter Again


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Finally, we¡¯re heading home.¡±


    After cing the suitcase on the train¡¯s luggage rack, Du Weiwei stared out at the station sign and the regional promotional billboards she saw when she arrived at Bai Lu Mountain City by train.


    ¡°Weiwei, what do you think? Will mom and dad like this souvenir?¡± Qi Xiaoyu, who was standing next to her, was excitedly holding a prepared souvenir, seeking advice.


    ¡°Toote for that, even if they don¡¯t like it, you can¡¯t change it after getting on the train, can you?¡± Du Weiwei¡¯s words made Qi Xiaoyu¡¯s face fall, but she quickly chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your parents will like it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Qi Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her souvenir and eagerly anticipating her parents¡¯ reaction upon receiving it.


    This is the first souvenir she has ever bought on a trip!


    Sitting opposite them, Qin Lang was also gazing out the window, but his gaze seemed a bit distant.


    After obtaining the second Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, he needs to try to obtain the remaining three as soon as possible to prepare for the provincial-level cookingpetition.


    Besides, he also has to participate in a city-level youth trainingpetition in Tianhua State and win first ce to qualify for the provincial-level trainingpetition.


    So it seems that the uing months will be quite busy.


    ¡°Excuse me, that¡¯s my seat, can I get through please?¡±


    The faintly familiar voice made Qin Lang quickly regain his attention, and he couldn¡¯t help but look in its direction.


    When he clearly saw the other person¡¯s face, he was slightly taken aback and quickly stood up.


    Sitting next to Qin Lang, Zhao Chen, who was near the aisle, seemed to spring up as if there were springs under his buttocks.


    Du Weiwei looked over at the sound, her mouth agape in surprise and her face carried the same expression of astonishment.


    Even Qi Xiaoyu widened her eyes, unable to resist whispering, ¡°The provincial training champion, Zhou Tianhao?¡±


    ¡°Shush!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao looked around, put his index finger to his lips to signal them to keep quiet, then smiled and walked past Qin Lang to sit down in the window seat.


    ¡°Seems like you all know me.¡±


    Noticing that the other four people seemed to know each other, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face gained a trace of apology, ¡°1 like the window seat, so when I booked the ticket, I just randomly chose a window seat, I hope it won¡¯t interfere with your conversation.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Qin Lang and the others quickly shook their heads.


    As for this powerful spirit chef who had just be the champion of the provincial trainingpetition, their curiosity had barely had time to surface.


    Traveling with him on the train, their journey should not be lonely.


    ¡°Actually, I also know you guys.¡± After stowing his baggage, Zhou Tianhao smiled, ¡°You guys participated in the youth trainingpetition, right?¡±


    His gaze fell on Qin Lang, who had made the deepest impression on him by advancing through the rankingpetition and ultimately obtaining third ce, ¡°Yourbinedbat skills have a lot of potentials. You can develop them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Qin Lang felt somewhat ttered.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao was also delighted, as it was obviously pleased with the recognition of a powerful spirit chef.


    ¡°ck!¡±


    I will also get mybinedbat skill soon!


    Spicy, on the other hand, was nodding fiercely.


    At this moment, it had already mastered teleportation, constantly adjusting its position and executing lucky bite marks continuously at close quarters.


    But this was not abinedbat skill.


    The so-calledbinedbat skills are more like a fusion of two skills, which can achieve an effect where one plus one is greater than two.


    Zhou Tianhao chuckled, shifting his gaze to the other three. Although they didn¡¯t leave as deep an impression as Qin Lang, he pointed out the traits of their food spirits, proving that he indeed remembered them.


    ¡°Big Brother Zhou, we only participated in two selection fights; why do you remember us so clearly?¡± Qi Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help asking after Zhou Tianhao finished describing their characteristics, ¡°I have already forgotten most of the participants who took part.¡±


    As she said this, she looked somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°In order to assist the Association against the Star Hunters, 1 happened to be disguised as an audience member, mingling with the crowd.¡± Since the Star Hunter incident was over, there was no need to hide it, so Zhou Tianhao revealed it. His words then took a turn.


    ¡°Moreover, even if it were not for this reason, 1 usually keep an eye on all kinds of news andpetition situations rted to spirit battles.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, my favorite is the selection fight.¡± Heughed, ¡°Because in the selection fight, there are manypetitors, some of whom can provide significant insights.¡±


    ¡°Even if thosepetitors are much weaker than you?¡± Du Weiwei asked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Yes, I believe that imagination is the greatest miracle.¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke sincerely, ¡°This has nothing to do with strength. Even the samebat skill can be different in the hands of different trainers, and it can be strengthened in different ways.¡±


    ¡°For example, thebat skill Full Firepower.¡± Maybe because he most remembered Qin Lang, he pointed at Dan Bao, ¡°Qin Lang¡¯s attempt was to have the mes generated by Full Firepower converge, causing it to have greater power.¡±


    ¡°But 1 have also seen changes such as a food spirit rotating to release Full Firepower to form a fire ring attack, increasing its range to make it arge-scale fire curtain, and so on.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, the situation of thebat skill is different under different changes.¡±


    ¡°So far, the known number ofbat skills has reached four digits. Remembering their strengths and weaknesses is enough to formte corresponding strategies in ordinary battles, but in higher-level battles, just this is far from enough.¡±


    ¡°So, I need to continuously understand different spirit chefs¡¯ ways of usingbat skills, thereby increasing my own experience and incorporating them intobat.¡±


    Seeing the four of them pondering over his words, Zhou Tianhao smiled slightly and stopped talking.


    Experience¡­incorporation¡­


    Although Zhou Tianhao was talking about spirit battles, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but think about cooking.


    He thought of his previous life.


    In his previous life, he was the youngest Special ss 1 chef in China. His culinary skills improved so quickly because he loved to eat.


    He traveled everywhere, tasted local delicacies, learned from local chefs with outstanding culinary skills, and thenbined all of these experiences, and his cooking skills were continuously improved.


    Among the Special ss 1 chefs, he learned the most misceneous things. He had some understanding of all kinds of cuisines, and he had dabbling in both red and white case cooking.


    After obtaining the Special ss 1 certificate, his cooking skills almost stagnated.


    Because he had his own business and couldn¡¯t find the same feeling amidst the busyness.


    By the time he realized this, he had already traversed to this world.


    The experience of cooking¡­


    At this moment, it seemed he had found more meaning in traveling.


    When Qin Lang returned from his thoughts, Qi Xiaoyu and the others were already excitedly asking Zhou Tianhao other questions.


    This provincial training champion was more approachable than they had imagined, patiently answering their questions, even giving them some tips onbinedbat skills.


    Soon, they touched on the topic of Spirit-ignite Power, which was of the greatest curiosity to the four of them, who had yet to unlock their fourth-star vein.


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 Chapter 174 - 174: Evolution

    Chapter 174: Evolution


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Spirit-ignite Power?¡±


    Zhou Tianhao revealed a ¡®I knew you would ask this¡¯ expression, ¡°Go ahead, what do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°Is it true that the type of Soul Burning Fire is rted to the potential of the Spirit Chef himself? Is there a way to change the type of Soul Burning Fire?¡± Du Weiwei couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Potential is a very abstract concept.¡± In response, Zhou Tianhao couldn¡¯t help but stroke his chin, ¡°The form of the Soul Burning Fire is determined at the moment when the Food Spirit is born in the Tianquan Star Vein, and it is a very fascinating process.¡±


    ¡°By that time, you will naturally know what kind of Soul Burning Fire you have, and this process cannot be influenced by external forces.¡±


    ¡°As for changing the type of Soul Burning Fire¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head, ¡°At least I¡¯ve never heard of such a method.¡±


    Hearing this, Du Weiwei nodded disappointedly.


    She is a bit worried that her future Soul Burning Fire may not match her Food Spirit Combat Skill system.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    Seeming to see Du Weiwei¡¯s concern, Zhou Tianhao reassured her.


    ¡°Igniting the Soul Burning Fire is the true beginning for the trainer. By that time, it is entirely possible to make adjustments ording to the different types of Soul Burning Fire.¡±


    No, your words are notforting at all!


    Hearing that the real start is igniting the Soul Burning Fire, the expressions of the four, Qin Lang, copsed at once.


    ¡°Hahaha-¡±


    Seeing their changing expressions, Zhou Tianhao scratched his head awkwardly.


    ¡°Is it true that the augmenting effects of the three types of Spirit-ignite Powers are simr?¡± Zhao Chen raised his hand on the side, looking obedient like a good student in front of Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded, ¡°But because the directions of augmentation are totally different, such aparison is rough, so they are merely simr, not equal.¡±


    ¡°If the Soul Burning Fire happens to align with your own expertise, the effect will naturally be better than the other two.¡± Zhou Tianhao paused, ¡°Aside from this, the augmentation of the Soul Burning Fire is not static.¡±


    ¡°When the fifth, sixth, and seventh Star Vein are developed and concurrently amodate Food Spirits, the augmenting effect of the Soul Burning Fire will enhance.¡±


    This is new knowledge that the four of them didn¡¯t know about!


    The four of them, Qin Lang, opened their eyes wide and silently made a note of this.


    Although they can¡¯t make use of it now.


    ¡°There¡¯s another question¡­¡±


    Thinking of the fight between the Star Hunter and the Association powerhouse yesterday, Qin Lang hesitated a bit but couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Big Brother Zhou, how much do you know about the Star system?¡±


    He originally wanted to directly ask what Star system the Star Hunter used, but considering Mr. Liu Shuang¡¯s reminder that this matter should not be spread, he did not ask directly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Zhou Tianhao looked at Qin Lang unexpectedly, and then realized that Qin Lang was also present at the fight that day, looking enlightened.


    He propped up his head and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°As for the Star system, my understanding is not much either. This is content that only those who have participated in regional-levelpetitions have the chance toe into contact with.¡±


    ¡°Our world is divided into five different regions, and each region¡¯s regional-levelpetition is rted to a different Star system.¡± ¡°So there are five Star systems in total.¡±


    Five Star systems!


    Zhao Chen mentioned this before, but he only knew this much. Now hearing that Zhou Tianhao seemed to know more, the four of them perked up their ears immediately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have too high expectations of me.¡± Seeing the eager desire for knowledge in the four¡¯s eyes, Zhou Tianhao helplessly shook his head, ¡°I only know the name of our Samiya Region¡¯s exclusive Star system.¡±


    And the name of the exclusive Star system for the Lon Region that he just heard about yesterday.


    He added silently in his heart.


    This involves information rted to the Star Hunter. After considering it, Zhou Tianhao decided to act as if he didn¡¯t know.


    The name of the Samiya Region¡¯s exclusive Star system?


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±


    Seeing the four¡¯s growing curiosity, Zhou Tianhao gave a slight smile.


    ¡°Origin Evolution.¡±


    The journey on the train seemed to pass quickly amidst casual conversations.


    By the time the four little curiosity boxes had finished asking all the questions in their hearts, half of the journey back to Dongxia City had already passed. Traveling with the newly crowned champion of Tianhua State was definitely a whole new experience for the four of them, Qin Lang.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The train passed through a lush primeval forest, and Qi Xiaoyu, looking out the window, couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    Then she seemed to remember something and waved at Qin Lang, ¡°Come on,e on, get your filming equipment out!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Qin Lang quickly dug out the filming equipment from his luggage and handed it over.


    Seeing Qi Xiaoyu and Du Weiwei, who were excitedly filming the scenery along the way, he stroked his chin and suddenly took out his mobile phone.


    Seeing the equipment, he suddenly remembered that he was a content creator. Taking advantage of not having arrived at Dongxia City yet, Qin Lang logged into his D Station ount to check it out.


    Perhaps because the second video used better filming equipment, the number of likes andments was almost double that of the first video.


    But Qin Lang didn¡¯t gain many new fans. After all, the new fans from before were boosted by the exposure of the Silver Treasure Box.


    After seeing ament that said, ¡°This kitchen background looks like an inn 1 know, I¡¯m going to steal a bun¡±, Qin Lang stroked his chin.


    Next time, he would blur out the background.


    After reviewing the new video, he opened the backstage as he did before.


    Seeing the 99+ messages, Qin Lang nned to nce at the message list and leave it at that.


    But soon, his scrolling motion stuttered, as his thumb slowly slid back up.


    The fleeting word ¡°help¡± caught Qin Lang¡¯s interest.


    [Dear Traveler, 1 hope to get your help.


    Since my great-grandfather¡¯s time, my family has been running a pasta shop in Qingyang City for decades, which has a certain reputation in the entire Qingyang City.


    But recently, there has been a significant crisis in my family¡¯s pasta shop: another pasta shop has suddenly risen recently and ispeting with mine. Originally, thepetition between the two was just about attracting food guests, but a while ago, thepetition suddenly escted.


    The other party formally proposed to the Catering Association to have a Food Fight with my pasta shop, with the loser handing over all their recipes to the winner, never to enter the catering industry again.


    Because of some special reasons, this match cannot be declined.


    And ording to the rules of the Catering Association, both sides of the fight need to each choose a Spirit Chef to participate, it doesn¡¯t have to be a Spirit Chef who is employed by the restaurant itself.


    The other party¡¯s Spirit Chef is the city champion of Qingyang City.


    1 don¡¯t want to watch the pasta shop that my great-grandfather has run go down in history, but our family can¡¯t find a Spirit Chef stronger than the other party¡¯s.


    I happened to see yourtest video and got the idea to seek your help.


    If you are willing to help, I can give you two thousand yuan as a thank you.


    I know this request is very bold, and this money is not much for you, but this is everything I can offer.


    I hope you can give a reply after seeing this, thank you very much! ]


    After reading, Qin Lang rubbed his temples.


    ¡°Food Fight¡­ it can be like this?¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly vote][Rmendation vote]

 Chapter 175 - 175: Decision

    Chapter 175: Decision


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Apart from elerating the growth of Food Spirits, and making their star levels rise faster, Food Fights or Spirit Battles aremonly used as wagering methods in daily life to achieve particr goals.¡±


    After learning about the situation from Qin Lang, Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly, ¡°I have also encountered many simr situations.¡±


    Then, he nced at Qin Lang with some surprise, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect that you are the cooking champion of Dongxia City. It seems that your talent in cooking is higher than in Spirit Battles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much.¡± Qin Lang modestly shook his head, then humbly asked, ¡°Does the Spirit Chef Association approve of such Food Fights and Spirit Battles?¡±


    ¡°No, so no Star Power is gained regardless of the oue.¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head, ¡°But the Spirit Chef Association has no ground to oppose or ban such bets.¡±


    After understanding the situation, Qin Lang wore a thoughtful expression.


    There was one thing he didn¡¯t say.


    That was his next journey was already nned.


    After returning to Dongxia City for a few days of rxation, he was going to visit Qingyang City next.


    On the one hand, Qingyang City is located to the west of Dongxia City and is close by.


    On the other hand, from what he understood, and from Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s guide, the Second-Level Food Rmender test in Qingyang City is the hardest among all cities in Tianhua State.


    Qin Lang was interested in this.


    When ites to cooking, he has always liked to face challenges head-on.


    If everything was normal, he could only express his inability to help the fan who sent him a private message. But since he was already nning to go to Qingyang City, he could check out the situation on his way.


    He wouldn¡¯t immediately agree or refuse. Making a decision after understanding the situation more urately would be more appropriate.


    ¡°Qin Lang, are you going to help the fan with the bet?¡± Qi Xiaoyu, who heard the whole process, asked curiously.


    ¡°1 can¡¯t make a decision yet.¡± Qin Lang shrugged, then picked up his phone to reply.


    [Traveler: You can leave your contact information, and 1 may go to Qingyang City in a few days. I will make a decision then.]


    After replying, he put his phone back in his pocket and continued to chat with others.


    In a spacious kitchen, a somewhat thin boy stood in front of a table, kneading dough vigorously.


    Next to him, a Food Spirit was dancing lightly, asionally shing faint light, infusing the boy¡¯s hands with mysterious power as he kneaded the dough.


    With the enhancement of this mysterious power, the thin boy¡¯s hands seemed able to shape the dough quickly without exerting much effort.


    Culinary Skill: Dexterity Enhancement


    This special food skill can make the hands of the Spirit Chef more dexterous, and also endow them with more significant strength.


    It¡¯s only valid for handling food ingredients.


    After kneading for a while and being satisfied with the dough in his hands, Zhao Wenchang wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, checking the other dough resting nearby.


    ¡°Still not enough.¡± He shook his head, about to turn around to continue working, his eyes filled with anxiety.


    Thepetition between the two noodle restaurants was getting closer and closer.


    During this time, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s parents tried various methods, and used their connections to contact those Spirit Chefs whose cooking skills were not inferior to theirpetitors, but they often hit a wall.


    What made Zhao Wenchang angry was that these failures were not due to other reasons, but because thepetitor had reached out to those Spirit Chefs in advance, offering them enough rewards to remain neutral in this matter.


    ¡°The damned Liu family!¡±


    He kneaded the dough in his hand with force, grinding his teeth in a hushed tone.


    Looking back now, ever since their restaurant¡¯s food supply was threatened, forcing them to agree topete, Zhao¡¯s Noodle House had been on the back foot.


    The newly opened noodle restaurant wanted to swallow their family¡¯s generations-old business, and would stop at nothing to achieve this.


    He mmed the dough in his hand onto the countertop in frustration.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Sitting on a chair nearby, Zhao Wenchang carelessly ignored the flour residue on his hand, tousling his hair, a look of dejection on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless, it¡¯s pointless to cram at thest minute.¡±


    A few days ago, upon learning about thepetitor¡¯s selected participant, he actively challenged the cooking champion of Qingyang City through a Food Fight.


    The vast gap between the two made him realize that this was not something that could be made up for by a few days of hard practice.


    ¡°Is there any other way¡­¡±


    He lowered his head, murmuring dejectedly.


    The Food Spirit approached Zhao Wenchang and rubbed his cheek,forting him in its way.


    ¡°Dingdong¡ª ¡±


    A message notification from a mobile phone broke the silence in the kitchen.


    Zhao Wenchang¡¯s eyes refocused, he picked up his phone, and quickly saw the source of the notification.


    [The UP host you follow, ¡°Traveler¡±, has replied to your message.]


    Traveler has replied?!


    Zhao Wenchang immediately sat up straight, his eyes gleaming, his face filled with expectation and nervousness.


    A while ago, he had watched thetest video from the UP host with the ID of ¡°Traveler¡±. After realizing that this cooking champion from Dongxia City excelled in pasta dishes, he had messaged him on a whim.


    After sending the message, Zhao Wenchang had been waiting for a long time, checking every few hours to see if the other party had replied.


    But as the UP host had not replied for several days and thepetition was getting closer, his expectations turned into disappointment, and he finally gave up hope, nning to help his family in other ways.


    Now, the other party had responded!


    Zhao Wenchang felt hopeful, but also nervous, fearing that what he had been waiting for was a refusal from the other party.


    Soon, the message Qin Lang replied disyed before his eyes.


    The other party wasing to Qingyang City in a few days?


    Zhao Wenchang¡¯s eyes widened, and the expectation on his face turned into surprise.


    There¡¯s still time!


    ¡°Dear passengers, please note, the train has now arrived at Dongxia City station, passengers who need to get off at this station, please take all your belongings and get off the train in an orderly manner¡­¡±


    Listening to the repeating announcement on the train, Zhou Tianhao smiled and looked at Qin Lang and the others, ¡°It was an interesting journey, but now it¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going, brother Zhou?¡± Du Weiwei asked.


    ¡°Xieyu City.¡± Seeing the puzzled expressions on their faces, Zhou Tianhao exined, ¡°It¡¯s a city close to Tianhua State within Mingjing Province. I n to start a new journey from there.¡±


    ¡°Mingjing Province is by the sea, and there is argeke like Jumping Fish Lake, these are scenes you can¡¯t see in Dongxia City.¡± He grinned in anticipation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the sea before.¡± Qi Xiaoyu looked forward to it, ¡°If I get the chance, I want to go and see.¡±


    Seeing that the train was about to depart, she hurriedly pulled Du Weiwei and waved at Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Goodbye, Brother Zhou!¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, thank you for your guidance.¡± Qin Lang spoke seriously, ¡°I hope we have the chance to meet again.¡±


    ¡°When we meet again, you will definitely see mybined battle skills!¡± Zhao Chen confidently dered from the other side.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small world.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao waved at the four of them.


    ¡°Until we meet again.¡±


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 Chapter 176 - 176: Stir-fried with Green Onions

    Chapter 176: Stir-fried with Green Onions


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Finally home!¡±


    Opening the door to a home that had been left uninhabited for more than a week, Qin Lang felt a sense of relief wash over him as he looked at everything familiar in front of him.


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    The two Food Spirits cheerfully flew into the house, helping Qin Lang carry his luggage inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do a big clean-up!¡±


    Touching the thinyer of dust that had umted on the tabletop, Qin Lang quickly made a decision.


    ¡°Gululu-du!¡±


    I¡¯ll take care of this!


    Dan Bao immediately nodded, implying it was up for the task.


    With the Thought Waves it could control voluntarily, it could clean up the dust at its fastest pace!


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Latt and I will take care of unpacking.¡±


    Watching the broom and cloth dancing in the air as though enchanted, Qin Lang suddenly felt that awakening Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Waves was his wisest decision.


    Such a relief.


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Let¡¯s unpack!


    Seeing that Dan Bao had already begun to get to work, Latt promptly urged him on.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Qin Lang opened his suitcase, sorted out each item, and ced them in their respective ces with Latt.


    Half an hourter, the bustling of the man and two spirits ended.


    The house had been thoroughly cleaned, not even the tiniest corners had a speck of dust.


    ¡°Finally done.¡± Looking at the setting sun outside the window, Qin Lang stretched, ¡°1 was thinking of going to see Uncle Luo Hui, but he should be busy at dinner time, so I guess I¡¯ll go see him tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what food ingredients we have in the fridge first, let¡¯s solve the hunger problem.¡±


    With the mention of food, the two little ones immediately perked up, eagerly following Qin Lang into the kitchen, showing none of their previous exhaustion from cleaning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    Qin Lang sorted through and organized a bit.


    ¡°There are still two out of the four Matsutake mushrooms I exchanged before¡­¡±


    ¡°There are still several pounds of the Mixed-Breed Beef 1 got from Mr. Fu Hang¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? There¡¯s also an old hen?¡±


    Quickly having an idea, Qin Lang put the three types of ingredients on the table.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat the remaining two Matsutake mushrooms tonight, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Good!


    Latt nodded earnestly.


    Previously, it hadn¡¯t thought that this ugly-looking food would be tasty, but recalling the wonderful taste fromst time, it couldn¡¯t help but salivate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try a different way to eat this time.¡± Qin Lang put the old hen and Matsutake together, ¡°Make a Matsutake Chicken Soup!¡±


    ¡°Gululu?¡±


    A new way to eat?


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes also lit up, he looked at Latt, their faces full of anticipation.


    ¡°As for the beef¡­¡± Qin Lang weighed therge chunk of beef, ¡°How about making Stir-fried Beef with Scallions? 1 don¡¯t think I¡¯ve made this dish for you two yet.¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Good!


    Hearing that there was beef to eat, Latt was even more excited.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a vegetable dish as well, so we have a meat, a vegetable, and a soup¡­¡± Qin Lang looked at Dan Bao, ¡°I saw some tomatoes just now, how about making Tomato and Scrambled Eggs?¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Yay!


    Dan Bao cheered immediately.


    There are eggs!


    Qin Lang nodded satisfactorily.


    Both Food Spirits were quite easy to please.


    One is happy with just eggs, the other only needs meat.


    The next Food Spirit should be as easy to keep as these two!


    Well, it seems rather far off for now.


    With his apron on, Qin Lang rolls up his sleeves.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started then, we¡¯ll start with the Matsutake Chicken Soup!¡±


    Making soup takes time, once you¡¯re done with the initial steps, you can let it simmer slowly while you prepare the other dishes.


    By the time thest two dishes are finished, have Spicy speed up the soup, and it¡¯ll be ready to serve at the same time as the other dishes.


    Perfect.


    Normally, all the ingredients in the fridge are used up before going on a long journey.


    This old hen has been frozen in the fridge for over a week, rendering the meat unsuitable for cooking.


    But that¡¯s not a big problem when you have Fresh Full at your disposal.


    With a gentle puff from Dan Bao, the frozenyer on the old hen melted quickly, visibly returning the stiff meat to the sticity of a freshly ughtered chicken.


    Chop the old hen into pieces, nch in cold water with green onion, ginger, and cooking wine, then ce the nched chicken pieces into warm water in a separate pot.


    Add only green onion sections and slices of ginger, then simmer on low heat.


    ¡°Let it braise.¡±


    Having taken care of the preliminary steps for making the soup, Qin Lang picks up the Matsutake mushrooms, washes them under running water, scrapes off the surface with a ceramic knife, slices them, and sets them aside.


    Then, his eyesnd on the beef that Dan Bao has optimised to the ultimate freshness with Fresh Full.


    ¡°Thud, thud, thud¨C¡±


    With the rhythmic sounds of the knife falling, the beef is evenly sliced into thin pieces.


    In a small bowl, mix a spoonful of cooking wine, two spoonfuls of soy sauce, MSG, pepper, white sugar, and baking soda. Toss the beef in the mixture, then seal with oil.


    ¡°Ten minutes.¡±


    Qin Lang ces the small bowl in front of Spicy.


    Spicy, already adept at coordinating with Qin Lang, proficiently employs its force of Cooking eleration onto the beef in the bowl. The acidic beef¡¯s reaction to baking soda is sped up, and the texture of the beef changes quickly.


    While Spicy is working, Qin Lang takes the green onions already prepared by Dan Bao and starts cutting them into segments with a rolling cut.


    Heat up the pan with oil, then put the white and green parts of the onion in the pan and stir fry.


    ¡°Sizzle¨C¡±


    With the crisp sound of stir-frying, a unique yet non-irritating aroma of green onion gradually wafts out of the pan, filling the kitchen.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    It¡¯s ready!


    Spicy pushes the beef next to Qin Lang. Sniffing curiously, a look of drooling longing quickly appears on its face.


    It smells amazing!


    Without even being cooked yet, it already concluded that it would surely love this dish called Stir-fried Beef with Scallions!


    Soon, the nicely sauteed white and green parts of the onion produce a savoury aroma, and Qin Lang takes them out and sets them aside.


    He pours a reasonable amount of oil into the pan and heats it over-high heat.


    He cups the bowl filled with marinated beef and upends it into the pan. With a sizzling sound, a meaty aroma quickly permeates the pan.


    The meaty aroma wasn¡¯t strong at first, but as Qin Lang kept stirring to separate each slice of beef, allowing them to change colour on both sides, it quickly grew richer, filling the entire kitchen and making both Food Spirits swallow in anticipation.


    The rich aroma of the beef didn¡¯t drown out the earlier aroma of the onions; instead, the two merged together, bing even more enticing.


    When the beef is sufficiently stir-fried, Qin Lang adds the previously removed onion whites and greens along with some soy sauce and rice vinegar for seasoning, stirs, and then takes it out of the pan.


    The no longer crispy onion sections lie amidst the tantalizingly brown beef, their stark whiteness and verdant greenness hardly diminished at all, providing the perfect garnish to the dish.


    As he takes the dish out of the pan, the aroma of the beef rolls forth, bullying its way into every nook and cranny of Qin Lang and the two Food Spirits¡¯ olfactory senses. Coupled with the scents of the onions, it weaves a tantalising harmonious symphony.


    Unable to restrain themselves any longer, Dan Bao and Spicy swoop in, their eyes eagerly on the prepared dish, eager to give it a go.


    ¡°You may only taste a bite, and wait for the other dishes.¡± Qin Lang smiles.


    Both little creatures nod their heads in unison.


    Just one bite!


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    Today¡¯s Bonus Chapter Content:


    [Matsutake Chicken Soup]


    [Stir-fried Beef with Scallions]

 Chapter 177 - 177: Emergency

    Chapter 177: Emergency


    Trantor: 549690339


    Although they were eager to take a bite, both Food Spirits restrained themselves and only had a few bites before reluctantly returning to Qin Lang¡¯s side.


    That¡¯s because they both needed to use their Food Skills in the cooking process that would follow.


    A qualified Food Spirit should never be distracted while cooking!


    ¡°Let¡¯s make Tomato and Scrambled Eggs next.¡±


    ncing at the chicken soup still simmering in the pot, Qin Lang took tomatoes and chicken eggs out of the refrigerator. After Dan Bao processed them, he began to cook the next dish.


    The tomatoes were cut intorge chunks and small chunks separately, then set aside in a bowl.


    He heated the pan, added a little salt and pepper, and slowly stirred the eggs until they solidified and took shape. After that, he removed them from the pan and set them aside.


    As the eggs were stirred and solidified, a rich eggy aroma slowly rose from the pan with the heat, making Dan Bao¡¯s eyes light up in an instant.


    This was the vor it was most familiar and infatuated with!


    ¡°This time, the scrambled eggs taste different from before.¡± Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s expectant expression, Qin Lang continued the next steps methodically.


    He added the chopped tomatoes, a suitable amount of salt, white sugar, and light soy sauce into the pan. Once the tomatoes became soft and produced juice, he added the eggs back in. Then, he stirred them together, letting the eggs fully absorb the sauce.


    Lastly, he added a small amount of garlic paste and chopped green onions, gave the dish a brief stir, and then took it off the heat.


    And just like that, a home-cooked dish of Tomato and Scrambled Eggs was ready.


    ¡°Would you like a taste?¡±


    Seeing that Dan Bao was already salivating, and Spicy also showed a look of interest, Qin Lang broke into a smile and picked up some food to feed them.


    Seeing the ted expressions on the Food Spirits¡¯ faces, he also served himself a helping.


    The eggs perfectly assimted the vor of the tomatoes, resulting in a unique tangy, salty, and rich taste. The hint of sweetness further enhanced the umami taste of the dish.


    After taking a bite, one cannot help but yearn for more.


    ¡°Paired with rice, it¡¯s absolute perfection.¡± Qin Lang swallowed, ncing at the sauce at the bottom of the te.


    In the stir-frying process, he intentionally cooked the tomatoes a little longer. This way, there was more sauce, which was perfect for mixing with rice.


    ¡°Next up is the Matsutake Chicken Soup. Dinner will be ready very soon!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s gaze shifted to the Matsutake Chicken Soup still simmering on the stove.


    Approximately half an hour had passed while he was cooking the previous two dishes.


    ¡°Speed it up by half an hour.¡±


    Qin Lang signaled Spicy to elerate the soup. After removing the lid of the pot, the fragrant smell of chicken soup immediately filled the air. He took out the green onion sections and ginger slices, adding the prepared matsutake slices.


    ¡°Speed it up by another ten minutes.¡±


    Seeing that Spicy still had energy left, Qin Lang gave the instruction with a smile.


    With the promotion to two stars, Spicy¡¯s vor Value limit increased to 200 points. Although it had not been tested, it was expected to have reached the limit.


    This meant that its Combat Power Value had doubled, likewise the time for using the Food Skill for eleration had naturally increased.


    As he lifted the lid of the pot again, the slices of matsutake softened in the soup, their surfaces glossy and moist. They absorbed and released a unique matsutake vor into the chicken soup.


    Last but not least, he adjusted the taste by adding a bit of salt. The Matsutake Chicken Soup, a simple recipe that maximized the deliciousness of its ingredients, was now ready.


    ¡°Time to eat!¡±


    He brought the three dishes to the table, served three big bowls of rice, and they all gathered around the table, ready to savor the meal, the two spirits, and the human.


    Qin Lang picked up a piece of the previously untasted Stir-fried Beef with Scallions and put it into his mouth.


    The moment the still steaming beef entered his mouth, the rich vors of the surface sauce and the beef juices blended together and instantly burst forth on his taste buds.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t tasted the green onion sections, their savory aroma had already infused into the beef, rioting in his mouth and nose alongside the natural umami of the beef.


    The tender beef required only a gentle chew to release a burst of delectable juices. The fantastic, effortless taste sensation gave Qin Lang an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.


    The stir-fried Beef with Scallions was indeed of top-tier quality; it was a standout evenpared to those he had made in his previous life.


    After swallowing a bite of beef, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but scoop up a spoonful of rice, allowing the resilient, well-cooked grains encased within the lingering delectable vors to burst forth with an equally wonderful aftertaste.


    Not only did the Tomato and Scrambled Eggs go well with rice, but so did Stir-fried Beef with Scallions.


    As Qin Lang pondered, he spooned a few doses of Tomato and Scrambled Eggs¡¯ sauce onto the rice, stirred it together with Tomato and Scrambled Eggs using his chopsticks.


    Both Dan Bao and Spicy paused in unison.


    Clearly, they had not anticipated this way of eating!


    ¡°You should try it too,¡± Qin Lang chuckled, seeing their eager expressions. He poured the same sauce over the rice in front of them.


    With the unique sweet and sour taste of Tomato and Scrambled Eggs added, the rice seemed to be even more appetizing.


    As Qin Lang gently chewed, each grain of rice danced on his tongue with the juicy tomatoes and rich, savory scrambled eggs, an indescribable delight to taste.


    With thebination of the two dishes, he quickly finished arge bowl of rice andnguidly spooned up the still-steaming Matsutake Chicken Soup, which radiated a delicious blend of matsutake and chicken vor.


    With time, the delicacy of the chicken hadpletely permeated into the soup, intertwined with the unique vor of matsutake. Just a light sip brightened Qin Lang¡¯s eyes instantaneously.


    The vors of the mushroom and chicken melded together perfectly, the wonderful taste reaching the back of his mind. The warm chicken soup flowed through his throat and into his stomach, like a warm surge rushing towards his limbs and trunk, giving him an incredibly soothing sensation.


    Drinking soup after a meal; such a delightful taste.


    After expressing his admiration, Qin Lang picked up a piece of matsutake and put it in his mouth.


    The soup-braised matsutake had apletely different vorpared to grilled, fried, or sashimi preparation methods.


    A gentle bite made the chicken soup absorbed by the matsutake burst forth in his mouth, mingling with the deepest vor of the matsutake, apletely different taste sensation.


    Unlike other mushrooms, matsutake has dense flesh, which offers quite a chew and a fulfilling taste when eaten.


    After Qin Lang picked up a piece of chicken and chewed it together, this sensation elevated to a new level.


    The chicken, simmered for an hour, showed no signs of dryness. Its fresh and tender meat was brimming with juices. The wonderful taste of the chicken interwoven with the texture of the matsutake created a pleasing expression on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    ¡°It might be worth exchanging points for more matsutake.¡±


    ¡°Other top-tier ingredients can be exchanged and tasted too¡­¡±


    Qin Lang instantaneously thought of some attractive ingredients he had seen in the Cooking Contest Points Exchange list which he had not exchanged yet.


    Immediately, his expression became bitter.


    Although 100petition points were not few, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough if he goes on like this.


    Points were crucial; he needed to find an opportunity to participate in more Cooking Contests.


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    This chapter¡¯s bonus content:


    [Tomato and Scrambled Eggs]

 Chapter 178 - 178: Shocking News

    Chapter 178: Shocking News


    Trantor: 549690339


    The next morning, Qin Lang headed to the Starlight Restaurant with his two Food Spirits and prepared gifts.


    Last night, he had already called in advance to schedule his visit, so when he stood at the entrance of the Starlight Restaurant, he saw Luo Hui¡¯s familiar figure through the closed ss door.


    ¡°Knock knock knock¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Creak¡ª ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Luo Hui strode forward to open the door, ¡°Come in,e in.¡±


    He pulled Qin Lang into the restaurant and sized him up, a smile appearing on his face, ¡°It seems like this was a very meaningful trip. I¡¯ve prepared some freshly squeezed juice for you, try some.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang handed over the gift box in his hands with a smile, ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, these are some specialties I bought in Bai Lu Mountain City, 1 hope you will like them.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will like them.¡± Luo Hui took the box and immediately showed a pleasant surprise, ¡°The gingko leaf carvings from Bai Lu Mountain City are famous. The blue-bellied fish balls are also a local featured food, 1 haven¡¯t had them for quite a few years.¡±


    ¡°Take a seat.¡± He happily epted the gift box and walked towards the fridge, ¡°I¡¯m very interested in your travel experiences, make sure to tell me all about it.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Soon, the two of them started a conversation.


    ¡°I watched the live broadcast of the previous provincial trainingpetition.¡± Luo Huiughed heartily, ¡°As soon as the selection match phase began, I set my sights on Zhou Tianhao as the champion, and it turned out just as expected.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Brother Zhou¡¯s capabilities are quite strong.¡± Qin Lang nodded approvingly, thinking of their conversation on the train he added, ¡°And he has a great personality too.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Luo Hui looked at Qin Lang in surprise, ¡°So you¡¯ve interacted?¡±


    ¡°We happened to sit together on the training back.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°I see.¡± Luo Hui understood and quickly changed the topic, ¡°By the way, I heard that there was an unexpected incident at Bai Lu Mountain City¡¯s Youth Training Competition? Were you present at the time?¡±


    Unlike the provincial trainingpetition, Bai Lu Mountain City¡¯s Youth Training Competition was a city-level event. Luo Hui, who was far away in Dongxia City, wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to it. He just heard about it from a random food guest.


    ¡°Yes, there was an unexpected incident.¡± Qin Lang shook his head amusedly, ¡°The Star Hunter organization appeared, trying to steal the Starstone.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Luo Hui widened his eyes in surprise. With his experience, he was naturally familiar with the Star Hunter organization, ¡°That is a world-ss criminal organization. Were you in the audience seats then? Did they seed in their action?¡±


    ¡°I was not in the audience seats.¡± Qin Lang shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Although the Star Hunter organization hasn¡¯t had a record of hurting innocent people, they are a criminal organization and should not be underestimated.¡± Luo Hui breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Qin Lang continue.


    ¡°I was at the contestant preparation seat.¡±


    Luo Hui:¡±???¡±


    ¡°The Star Hunters were repelled on the spot, they didn¡¯t get the Starstone, but it¡¯s said that they made another move after thepetition and took away the Starstone that had depleted its Star Power.¡± Qin Lang shared what he had learned about the situation.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Luo Hui rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then looked at Qin Lang, ¡°Did you participate in the Youth Training Competition and qualify for the rankingpetition?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did, and 1 ended up in third ce.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t bring the medal to show you.¡±


    ¡°Getting third ce in your first Youth Training Competition is excellent.¡± Luo Huiughed, ¡°Your opponents were all Spirit Chefs older than you with ample training experience. It¡¯s not easy to defeat them¡­¡±


    ¡°After thepetition, 1 had a Spirit Battle with the first-ce contestant and I won.¡± Qin Lang took a sip of juice and confidentlymented.


    Luo Hui:¡±???¡±


    He defeated the first-ce winner after thepetition?!


    He looked at the two Food Spirits encircling Qin Lang, each with two stars, and his face showed a surprised expression.


    He had fully recognized Qin Lang¡¯s culinary talent.


    But it was the first time he knew that Qin Lang was just talented in training as well.


    ¡°It seems that in a while, you could be the champion of the city¡¯s Youth Training Competition.¡± Luo Hui sighed, deeply feeling the gap between a prodigy and an ordinary person, ¡°So, are you nning to participate in the provincial Youth Training Competition in half a year¡¯s time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously, ¡°But since the provincial Youth Training Competition and the provincial Cooking Contest are so close together, I¡¯m worried about one affecting the other.¡±


    ¡°So, I will wait a few months until I am fully prepared, then decide.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good n.¡± Luo Hui nodded in agreement. Then, as if he had thought of something, he looked at Qin Lang in bewilderment, ¡°Wait, why did youe back? You could have attempted the Second-Level Food Rmender test, right?¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, the test for Second-Level Food Rmender in Bai Lu Mountain City only requires one Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, which you have.¡±


    He looked at Qin Lang thoughtfully.


    Could it be that Qin Lang attempted it but couldn¡¯t pass, so he nned to return and prepare more before attempting it again?


    That would be a possibility¡­


    Looking at the badge that Qin Lang pulled out from his bosom, Luo Hui felt a buzz in his head and his thoughts became slightly disjointed.


    Bai Lu Mountain City?Deer Spirit.


    That was¡­ the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge from Bai Lu Mountain City!


    He widened his eyes as he looked at Qin Lang in utter disbelief.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± He took a deep breath, finally managing to articte, ¡°In one week, you not only watched the provincial trainingpetition and participated in the Youth Training Competition but also acquired a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge?!¡±


    What efficiency!


    Though he had already witnessed Qin Lang¡¯s capability of acquiring three First-Level Food Rmender Badges in three days, getting the


    Second-Level Food Rmender Badge was way more difficult than acquiring the first level one.


    And he got it so easily?!


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously, ¡°Ms. Yunqi¡¯s test was indeed quite challenging.¡±


    Since he had brought out the Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo, it must have been quite a challenge.


    ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Luo Hui massaged his temples.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t won any awards in the cookingpetitions, his best achievement was reaching the top 8 in the city-level cookingpetition and obtaining the title of Excellent Chef.


    But his friend Li Hong had participated in the provincial cookingpetition and obtained the Outstanding Chef title.


    Therefore, he was very clear about the difficulty of the Second-Level Food Rmender test.


    If he remembered correctly, Li Hong had spent a full three months in the kitchen preparing to make a dish that one Second-Level Food Rmender would approve of, almost driving himself into a depression.


    Why did Qin Lang pass the test so easily?


    Suddenly, Luo Hui came up with a daring thought in his mind.


    At this rate, could it be that Qin Lang will¡­?


    Collect all five Second-Level Food Rmender Badges in just one or two months?!


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case, probably he happened to master a dish that met the test requirements of the Second-Level Food Rmender in Bai Lu Mountain City.


    Right, it must be that.


    ¡°Where are you nning to get the next Second-Level Food Rmender Badge?¡±


    ¡°Qingyang City.¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Luo Hui sucked in a breath.


    The most difficult Second-Level Food Rmender test in Tianhua State?!


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 Chapter 179 - 179: Commission

    Chapter 179: Commission


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Qingyang City¡­¡±


    Luo Hui wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t.


    He had already given his travel guide to Qin Lang, so Qin Lang should know how difficult it is to take the Second-Level Food Rmender assessment in Qingyang City.


    There¡¯s amon saying passed between Spirit Chefs in Tianhua State, about how the only way to get a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge in Qingyang City is by winning it in apetition.


    The unique Second-Level Food Rmender status holder had reportedly had the chance to be a Third-Level Food Rmender but chose to give it up as he did not want to be transferred to another state.


    So, although his assessment was still at the second level, it was already close to the difficulty of the third level.


    Thinking of this, Luo Hui couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth.


    Little Qin¡¯s courage was truly admirable.


    ¡°You can do it.¡± He gave an encouraging look and patted Qin Lang on the shoulder. ¡°When are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Probably the day after tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang thought for a moment before giving his answer.


    It would be best to take a couple days of rest now.


    Last night, he used 8 Cooking Competition Points to exchange for some good ingredients. He would spend the next couple of days indulging in good food at home with his two Food Spirits!


    Also, he could get a few kilograms of beef from Mr. Fu Hang too.


    When he thought about the weight of a whole cow, Qin Lang felt that consuming the cow from the Beef Tasting Banquet award was a daunting task.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, huh¡­¡± Luo Hui stroked the stubble on his chin. ¡°I have a friend in Qingyang City. Could you help me deliver something to him if it¡¯s not too inconvenient?¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡± Qin Lang agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Let me know before you leave, and 1¡¯11 give you what needs to be delivered as well as his contact information.¡± Luo Huiughed.


    ¡°My friend is a local in Qingyang City, and he¡¯s been running a restaurant for a long time. He¡¯ll be able to help you out since you¡¯ll be a stranger in town.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle Luo Hui,¡± Qin Lang gratefully nodded.


    This trip to Qingyang City was a solo one, Zhao Chen and hispanions wouldn¡¯t being due to their own affairs.


    Traveling alone, it¡¯s certainly much more convenient to have acquaintances around.


    After a while of chatting, Qin Lang said his goodbyes and left.


    He spent the next couple of days rxing at home.


    Knowing that Qin Lang was headed to Qingyang City, Qi Xiaoyu, Du Weiwei, and Zhao Chen made another visit under the guise of ¡°seeing him off¡±, but their actual motive was to get a meal before Qin Lang left.


    This time, Qi Xiaoyu and Zhao Chen did not forget to bring gifts.


    The five kilograms of beef that Qin Lang got from Mr. Fu Hang made Zhao Chen and hispanions vow toe back for more next time.


    Time flew by, and soon, the day of his departure arrived.


    ¡°The train¡¯s not too crowded, that¡¯s good.¡±


    After boarding, Qin Lang looked around and sighed in relief.


    He held onto two Food Spirits and then looked out the window.


    After the train¡¯s whistle blew, Qin Lang felt a force pushing him into his seat.


    The view outside the window began to move in reverse, faster and faster.


    Dan Bao and Spicy, who had taken a train before, did not react too much. They curiously watched the new scenery from Qin Lang¡¯s arms.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang silently pulled back his gaze and turned on his phone.


    Once he arrived in Qingyang City, he had two things to do.


    The first was toplete Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s request and deliver an item to his friend in Qingyang City.


    The item was ced in arge box and was currently on the luggage rack. Out of politeness, Qin Lang didn¡¯t open it, his job was just to deliver it.


    The second task was to contact the fan who had asked for his help and get a better understanding of the situation.


    After all, seeing is believing. He had to fully understand both sides¡¯ circumstances before deciding whether to help with the requested dispute. Not surprisingly, when Qin Lang opened the D Site tform, he saw that the fan had replied, expressing his gratitude and leaving his contact information. His name was¡­ Zhao Wenchang, huh?


    Qin Lang dialed the number that Zhao Wenchang had left.


    The call connected quickly.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m ¡®Traveler¡¯.¡± Qin Lang looked around and lowered his voice out of embarrassment.


    Using his D Site nickname out loud did feel a bit odd.


    ¡°Traveler!¡± A young voice came from the other end of the line, filled with excitement. ¡°When will you being to Qingyang City?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m already on the train to Qingyang City,¡± Qin Lang replied calmly. ¡°You¡¯re already on your way?!¡± The voice of Zhao Wenchang had a hint of surprise. ¡°When will you arrive, Traveler? I¡¯lle and pick you up!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Considering that he might not be familiar with the roads when he arrives and could use a guide, Qin Lang didn¡¯t refuse Zhao Wenchang¡¯s kindness. ¡°1¡¯11 arrive at Qingyang City Station in two hours.¡±


    ¡°However, 1 haven¡¯t agreed to represent your noodle restaurant yet. I need to learn more about the situation before 1 make a decision.¡± He added.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Zhao Wenchang¡¯s voice came through the phone, full of determination. ¡°I¡¯m already so grateful that you¡¯reing to Qingyang City.¡± Actually, it¡¯s just on the way¡­


    Qin Lang murmured to himself, then quickly agreed on the details about how to recognize each other when they meet.


    After he hung up the phone, Qin Lang thought for a moment and took out another note.


    On it was the contact information of Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s friend.


    He nned to call him now and arrange a time to deliver the package.


    So¡­ Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s friend is called Zhao Junzhang?


    1 should probably call him Uncle Zhao.


    Come to think of it, Zhao Wenchang is also a Zhao¡­


    Could they be rted?


    As Qin Lang dialed the number, heughed.


    How could that be possible!


    ¡°Fantastic!¡±


    After ending the call, Zhao Wenchang sprang up from his seat, his fists pumping with excitement and a look of joy on his face.


    With Traveler taking action, they were sure to win this fight!


    Although the opponent also invited a city-level cooking champion, Zhao Wenchang had carefully studied Qin Lang¡¯s previouspetition videos. As a Spirit Chef, he was convinced that Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills were stronger than their opponent¡¯s!


    Even though Qin Lang hadn¡¯t decided whether to help their restaurant yet, Zhao Wenchang didn¡¯t mind.


    He would win over Qin Lang with actions and sincerity!


    ¡°I must tell dad the news first, if he¡¯s willing to give a bonus as a token of appreciation, our chances of winning will be even greater.¡± Zhao Wenchang made up his mind, quickly left his room, and approached a middle-aged man.


    ¡°Dad! I¡¯ve found help! I can help our restaurant!¡±


    ¡°How sure are you that your helper can win?¡± The man massaged his temples, looking doubtful. ¡°1 called a friend from Dongxia City a few days ago, asking him to send over some special seasonings and ingredients.¡±


    ¡°With those, we might have a chance against Jihe.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Ding dong ding¡ª¡±


    The phone rang. The man picked up while waving at Zhao Wenchang, signaling him to go back to his room.


    Zhao Wenchang fell silent, his excitement cooled down by the cold water.


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 Chapter 180 - 180: Face-to-Face Meeting

    Chapter 180: Face-to-Face Meeting


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Blue shirt and ck jeans¡­¡±


    Stepping away from the crowded tform, Qin Lang scanned the crowd waiting for arrivals outside the station, quickly spotting a teenager about his own age.


    The other party spotted him at the same time, vigorously waving in his direction.


    ¡°Traveler!¡±


    Upon hearing this voice, Qin Lang immediately felt a wave of embarrassment that made him want to hide his face.


    He quickly walked up to the boy, ¡°Zhao Wenchang?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Zhao Wenchang nodded vigorously, ¡°What does the Traveler n to do next?¡±


    ¡°Just call me Qin Lang.¡± Qin Lang rubbed his forehead, using this gesture to conceal the embarrassment on his face.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Wenchang, who had done his research, was naturally familiar with Qin Lang¡¯s real name, ¡°Have you booked a hotel yet? I can help you if you haven¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I have, at Qingyun Hotel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very close to my family¡¯s shop!¡± Zhao Wenchang¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°It¡¯s a


    10-minute walk.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed close.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°In that case, 1¡¯11 go to the hotel to drop off my luggage first, then go to your family¡¯s shop to get a handle on the situation, okay?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenchang, who should have been thrilled about Qin Lang¡¯s willingness to understand the situation, showed a hesitant expression on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Noticing Zhao Wenchang¡¯s abnormality, Qin Lang furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Qin Lang, I may not be able to take you to our family¡¯s shop right now.¡± Zhao Wenchang solemnly admitted, ¡°Because I still haven¡¯t convinced my dad¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang blinked, showing a puzzled expression.


    Zhao Wenchang took a deep breath, leading Qin Lang towards the station as he exined the situation.


    By the time the two got into a taxi to the hotel, Qin Lang had a basic understanding of the situation.


    Facing an impending duel which could risk losing the operating license and the family¡¯s noodle recipes, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s father, the shop owner, was anxious. However, he didn¡¯t want Zhao Wenchang to get involved.


    Therefore, Zhao Wenchang approached Qin Lang without consulting his father.


    After epting Qin Lang¡¯s call, Zhao Wenchang tried to discuss the matter with his father, but it was not taken seriously.


    After understanding the situation, Qin Lang let out a sigh.


    Such obstinate parents were indeed not umon.


    ¡°It looks like you need to reach an agreement with your father first.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best to convince my dad.¡± Zhao Wenchang nodded earnestly, tightly clenching his fists.


    Looking out at the rapidly receding scenery, Qin Lang quickly remembered that after contacting Zhao Wenchang, he had also contacted uncle Luo Hui¡¯s friend.


    Knowing Qin Lang¡¯s purpose, Luo Hui¡¯s friend warmly assured him that he was free at any time and left an address for him.


    Since Zhao Wenchang had a little issue, Qin Lang decided toplete uncle Luo Hui¡¯smission first.


    ¡°Do you know where 35 Meihua Street is?¡± Qin Lang turned to look at Zhao Wenchang, ¡°I n to go there after dropping off my luggage at the hotel.¡±


    ¡°35 Meihua Street¡­¡± Zhao Wenchang opened his mouth, staring at Qin Lang in astonishment, ¡°That¡¯s my family¡¯s noodle house!¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±???¡±


    He remembered carefully that Luo Hui¡¯s uncle¡¯s friend named Zhao Junzhang did mention that the location was a restaurant called ¡°Zhao¡¯s Noodle House¡±.


    Noodle House¡­


    Zhao Wenchang¡¯s surname is also Zhao¡­


    ¡°Such a small world!¡± Qin Lang eximed, turning to look at the still bewildered Zhao Wenchang, ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between you and Zhao Junzhang?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my dad¡­¡± Zhao Wenchang suddenly went silent.


    He suddenly remembered that his dad had said a friend from Dongxia City would deliver some special seasonings and ingredients to resolve the current crisis.


    And Qin Lang was the cooking champion of Dongxia City.


    He seemed to realize something and couldn¡¯t help taking a sharp intake of breath.


    ¡°A senior of mine asked me to deliver it.¡± Qin Lang pointed at therge box he was carrying and shrugged, ¡°It looks like 1 still have to go to your family¡¯s noodle shop.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put our stuff down at the hotel first.¡± After getting over his initial shock, Zhao Wenchang seemed more excited.


    He suddenly had a good idea.


    ¡°This is the ce.¡±


    After dropping off their luggage, under Zhao Wenchang¡¯s lead, they quickly arrived at Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.


    It was a standalone building, the exterior walls were painted with faux wood grain, and its cozy color scheme and design made it rather unique. Although it looked new, some details proved that it had a bit of history.


    ¡°You wait here for a bit, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Zhao Wenchang opened the outdoor seating area that also belonged to Zhao¡¯s Noodle House, gesturing for Qin Lang to wait. Then, he took a deep breath and went inside.


    Qin Lang¡¯s gaze moved away from Zhao Wenchang¡¯s retreating figure and started taking in the surroundings.


    On their way here, Zhao Wenchang exined to him in detail the cause of the duel.


    Thepetitor of Zhao¡¯s Noodle House is a restaurant called Liu¡¯s Noodle House.


    Thetter is a rising star, operating for less than a year but has already enlisted many titled hanging position chefs, attracting a lot of food guests with their overwhelming advertisements, and challenging Zhao¡¯s that has been operating for several generations.


    After that, they set their sights on Zhao¡¯s, trying to be the number one noodle house in Qingyang City.


    With a legacy that spans several generations, Zhao¡¯s has many delicious noodle recipes, which are precisely what Liu¡¯s, a neer whocks background, needs.


    Therefore, the other party used some dishonorable means, forcing Zhao Junzhang to agree to the duel, in an attempt to acquire Zhao¡¯s noodle recipes.


    ording to Zhao Wenchang, Liu¡¯s were clearly very aggressive.


    So, Qin Lang nned to further investigate the matter.


    Seeing an old man walking by, Qin Lang rose to his feet and greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Sir, I would like to ask you something¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Entering the shop, Zhao Wenchang quickly made his way to Zhao Junzhang, ¡°I¡¯ve invited a Spirit Chef. If he can represent our shop in the duel, we will surely defeat our opponents!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Zhao Junzhang frowned, ¡°Wenchang, you¡¯ve just be a Spirit Chef, you don¡¯t understand the skill gap between a city-level cooking champion and a regr Spirit Chef.¡±


    ¡°You might have met some Spirit Chefs with better skills than yours, but it doesn¡¯t mean they have any hope of winning!¡±


    ¡°Jihe is widely recognized as one of the strongest champions of the city-level cookingpetitions in recent years, and he specializes in pasta. The number of Spirit Chefs in Qingyang City who could beat him in a duel are very few, and they have all been reached out to by the Liu family and will not participate.¡±


    Zhao Junzhang ended up raising his voice unintentionally as he went on.


    He who was already under immense pressure, was finding it hard to control his restlessness.


    Calm down, calm down.


    Zhao Junzhang took a deep breath to suppress his inner agitation, waving his hand at his son, ¡°Let the Spirit Chef you invited leave, we don¡¯t need him!¡±


    Zhao Wenchang looked at his father, and suddenly spoke, ¡°Even if he¡¯s bringing the seasonings and ingredients that Uncle Luo Hui sent?¡±


    Zhao Junzhang¡¯s hand froze in mid-air.


    Shortcut: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 181 - 181: Stairs

    Chapter 181: Stairs


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Grandpa, I have no further questions. Thank you.¡±


    Qin Lang sat back in his seat, waving with a smile at the passing old man.


    From querying passersby, he could deduce that everything he heard from Zhao Wenchang was true.


    This time, indeed the restaurant called Liu¡¯s Noodle House was aggressively expanding, and the fact that the owner of Zhao¡¯s Noodle House was a friend of Uncle Luo Hui swayed Qin Lang to Zhao¡¯s side.


    He wouldn¡¯t mind helping, as far as he was able, and participating in thepetition on behalf of Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.


    As he made this decision, Qin Lang saw Zhao Wenchang hurriedly approaching from the restaurant entrance.


    This time, there was a man who looked very much like Zhao Wenchang, a middle-aged man walking in front of him.


    Qin Lang had guessed who it was without needing an introduction.


    Zhao Wenchang¡¯s father, Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s friend, Mr. Zhao Junzhang.


    ¡°You¡¯re Qin Lang, aren¡¯t you? Luo Hui has told me about you.¡± Zhao Junzhang greeted him with a warm smile, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±


    Behind him, Zhao Wenchang gave Qin Lang a wink, signifying that things had been arranged.


    Soon, the three stepped into the restaurant.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Spirit Chef Wenchang invited would be you. It¡¯s really a surprise.¡± Zhao Junzhang handed a ss of water to Qin Lang and began nervously, ¡°Do you have those items Luo Hui asked you to bring?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all here.¡± Qin Lang handed the box he¡¯d been carrying to Zhao Junzhang.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Zhao Junzhang carefully received it, set it on the table, and opened it, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    As the box opened, an array of bottles and jars appeared before them.


    This was the first time Qin Lang had seen the contents of the box, and he quickly recognized them as seasonings and ingredients from Dongxia City and other cities.


    Themonality amongst these ingredients was that they were hard to find in Qingyang city.


    After checking all the items, Zhao Junzhang let out a sigh of relief.


    With these rare local seasonings and ingredients, he could cook a special pasta dish, bringing a surprise victory.


    He then realized that Qin Lang was here for two reasons. Not only did Luo Hui ask him to deliver ingredients and seasonings but also participating in thepetition at the invitation of his son.


    These two purposes conflict with each other to some extent.


    With this thought in mind, Zhao Junzhang feels a bit troubled again.


    ¡°I heard from Wenchang that you¡¯re good at pasta dishes?¡± Zhao Junzhang, concealing his thoughts, posed the question casually.


    ¡°I would say that I¡¯m fairly knowledgeable about them.¡± Qin Lang answered modestly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not just an ordinary skill.¡± Zhao Wenchang butted in, ¡°Qin Lang is the cooking champion of Dongxia City!¡±


    Cooking champion of Dongxia City?


    Zhao Junzhang was slightly shocked.


    He hadn¡¯t taken Zhao Wenchang¡¯s words to heart, and Zhao Wenchang hadn¡¯t had time to reveal Qin Lang¡¯s identity.


    Although he had asked Luo Hui in Dongxia City to help collect the seasonings and ingredients, he did not tell him about his own predicament, so Luo Hui mentioned Qin Lang as a trustworthy young man, without mentioning the glory he had won.


    Having found out that the young man in front of him was also a city-level cooking champion, Zhao Junzhang¡¯s mindset changed rapidly.


    Perhaps, he could let him give it a try?


    But considering that thispetition was about the noodle house his family had operated for years, he hesitated again.


    Could a city-level cooking champion from Dongxia City outshine Jihe in pasta dishes?


    Unfamiliar with Qin Lang, he wasn¡¯t sure about this.


    Seeing Zhao Junzhang¡¯s ambivalence, Qin Lang took the initiative, ¡°Uncle Zhao, I heard from Wenchang that you need these seasonings and ingredients to make a special pasta dish?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Junzhang nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a special pasta dish that my father invented after traveling all over Tianhua State. Because of the limitations of ingredients and seasonings, we¡¯ve never publicly sold this pasta in our Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.¡±


    ¡°Which means, Liu¡¯s Noodle House doesn¡¯t know its existence.¡±


    Surprise victory, huh¡­


    Qin Lang understood his n. ¡°May 1 have the honor to taste this special pasta dish?¡±


    ¡°I heard Uncle Luo Hui say that you¡¯re very good at pasta dishes. So, I hope you could taste the pasta 1 cooked and give some advice.¡±


    Tasting each other¡¯s pasta dishes?


    Zhao Junzhang suddenly understood the implicit meaning of Qin Lang¡¯s words.


    It was a Food Fight, but not any standard Food Fight.


    Through thisparison, they could naturally judge which was better: the pasta dish Qin Lang prepared, or his.


    If Qin Lang really could cook better pasta, he would naturally abandon his n and invite Qin Lang to represent Zhao¡¯s Noodle House in thepetition instead.


    Realizing that he was giving him a chance to save face, Zhao Junzhang was immediately fond of the young man in front of him.


    ¡°Of course, no problem!¡± Heughed heartily, ¡°It¡¯s just lunchtime now, shall we start?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m actually a bit hungry.¡± Qin Lang had no objection.


    ¡°Come,e, Qin Lang, this way please.¡± Zhao Junzhang led the way to the kitchen of the noodle house, ¡°There are several independent kitchens here where you can cook undisturbed.¡±


    Now, it was Zhao Wenchang¡¯s turn to be puzzled, as he hadn¡¯t been speaking much.


    What¡¯s going on here?


    Half an hourter, Zhao Junzhang, carrying two dishes, walked briskly out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Is Qin Lang not finished yet?¡± He nced at the other closed independent kitchen, his expression thoughtful and hopeful.


    If possible, he actually hoped that Qin Lang¡¯s pasta would surpass his own.


    Because he knew clearly that the pasta he had prepared was a novelty, but in terms of taste, there was still a gappared to Jihe.


    This meant that his chance of winning was not high; he was just taking a risk. ¡°Dad, is this the secret weapon that grandpa left behind?¡± Zhao Wenchang walked quickly up, smelling the rich and unique aroma in the air, he couldn¡¯t help but look curious.


    He had never eaten this dish either.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Junzhang nodded slightly, ¡°This pasta dish is called Tianhua Cake. It¡¯s a special pasta dish that your grandfather created when he traveled all over Tianhua State and blended the specialty seasonings and ingredients from each ce.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just unique in the way it¡¯s made, it has an amazing taste as well.¡±


    ¡°I really want to have a taste.¡± Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t help remarking.


    No wonder his father saw it as the trump card.


    Now it was down to the pasta dish Qin Lang prepared.


    He looked at the kitchen where Qin Lang was still working, his heart full of anticipation.


    Would it be those big meat buns from the video?


    Or some other pasta dish?


    Under Zhao Wenchang and Zhao Junzhang¡¯s gaze, Qin Lang soon walked out from the kitchen.


    As he appeared, a group of huge dishes brought about an astonishing rich aroma.


    Controlled by Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Waves, the dishes settled gently on the dining table.


    ¡°Scallion Oil Noodles, please taste.¡±


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 Chapter 182 - 182: Demands

    Chapter 182: Demands


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Crunch¡ª ¡±


    Qin Lang had already tasted the pasta dish called Tianhua Cake, cooked by Zhao Junzhang.


    The thin and crispy exterior, the soft and fluffy interior, the insides of the edges of the cake created a vacuum effect, curving upwards like a small bowl to hold the stuffing in the middle.


    The stuffing that mixed with all sorts of ingredients was spread evenly on the cake, mixed with a special sauce made frompound seasonings. During the baking process, the two werepletely melded together.


    A pizza from another world, perhaps¡­


    While savoring the lingering taste in his mouth, Qin Lang¡¯s face expressed a hint of amazement.


    You have to admit, this pasta dish researched and developed by Zhao Wenchang¡¯s grandfather was indeed quite delicious.


    ¡°Mmm~¡±


    After finishing thest bite, Zhao Junzhang reluctantly put down his empty bowl.


    This was the most delicious pasta he had ever eaten, better than anything in Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.


    It was even better than the Tianhua Cake he specifically asked Luo Hui to make using a variety of seasonings and ingredients collected from all over the ce.


    Turning his gaze to Zhao Wenchang, who was still busily eating, Zhao Junzhang suddenly asked, ¡°Wenchang, which of these two pastas do you find tastier?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhao Wenchang lifted his head, looking at the nearly finished Scallion Oil Noodles and Tianhua Cake in front of him. After a moment of hesitation, he quickly gave his answer, ¡°1 prefer the Scallion Oil Noodles!¡±


    ¡°Really¡­¡±


    After hearing the same answer from his son, Zhao Junzhang finally made a decision.


    ¡°Qin Lang, young friend, would you be willing to represent Zhao¡¯s Noodle House in this duel?¡± he asked, pausing for effect, ¡°In return, you can learn all the pasta recipes from Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m willing.¡± Qin Lang nodded unexpectedly.


    He came here for this reason. Since he had already made up his mind, there was no reason to object.


    Nevertheless, the reward that Zhao Junzhang offered still surprised him.


    He could learn all the pasta recipes from Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.


    Keep in mind, the point of instigating this duel for Liu¡¯s was to get these recipes.


    As for these pasta recipes from the other world, Qin Lang was indeed very interested.


    ¡°Uncle Zhao, can you tell me about the details of the duel?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Zhao Junzhang nodded, ¡°The duel will take ce in two days, and the theme is fixed on pasta.¡±


    ¡°Although the duel is witnessed by the Catering Association and not the Spirit Chef Association, five judges from the Spirit Chef Association have been specially invited to ensure the fairness of thepetition through voting.¡±


    ¡°In two days¡­¡± Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully, ¡°In that case, there¡¯s plenty of preparation time.¡±


    Two days was enough?


    Zhao Junzhang looked at Qin Lang in surprise, ¡°Although the duel is in two days, there is one thing that needs to be determined right now.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Qin Lang asked curiously.


    ¡°This duel was initiated by Liu¡¯s Noodle House, so we at Zhao¡¯s Noodle house can make an additional request based on the fixed theme. This is where our advantage lies.¡±


    ¡°Because we hadn¡¯t yet decided who wouldpete in the duel, I never made this request. Now that you¡¯re representing Zhao¡¯s Noodle House in the duel, the right to make requests is also given to you.¡±


    ¡°Is there any request 1 can make?¡± Qin Lang pondered.


    ¡°In theory, yes.¡± Zhao Junzhang nodded, ¡°But both parties need to adhere to the request made; they cannot present clearly unfair demands targeting one party.¡±


    ¡°For example, requests that only non-local Spirit Chefs can participate in the duel, or bans on the reigning Qingyang City Cooking Champion are considered unfair.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Qin Lang nodded to show his understanding.


    He had no intention of making such odd demands to limit his opponent.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t n to manipte anything in this regard.


    ¡°My opponent is Jihe?¡± he asked curiously, ¡°Is he skilled at making pasta?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Junzhang¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°Jihe won the Qingyang City Cook-off Championship with a dish of pasta.¡±


    ¡°And his culinary skills are higher than those of previous city-level cooking champions.¡±


    A city-level cooking champion who specializes in pasta¡­


    Qin Lang thought back to his previous participation in the Beef Tasting Banquet at the Zhen Niu Pavilion.


    In that banquet, he had interacted with many spirit chefs at the city-level cooking champion level and gained a lot from them in the subsequent outdoor duels.


    He had an idea of what kind of request he wanted to make.


    ¡°My request is, an open-air public duel.¡±


    A brown-haired young man quickly walked into Liu¡¯s Noodle House.


    After closing the door, he turned his head towards the short, fat man with eyes squinted like slits, ¡°Why the rush to get me here? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Something big has happened.¡± The fat man¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°Zhao¡¯s Noodle House made a request for the duel.¡±


    ¡°What request?¡± The brown-haired young man remained calm. ¡°If it¡¯s a tantly unfair request, you can refuse it. There¡¯s no need to be so anxious.¡±


    ¡°But this request can¡¯t be counted as unfair¡­¡± The fat man let out a bitter smile, ¡°They¡¯ve requested an open-air public duel.¡±


    ¡°This means that both parties¡¯ cooking process must be made public.¡±


    The young man with brown hair paused for a moment and turned to leave, ¡°Then 1 suggest you find someone morepetent!¡±


    ¡°Jihe!¡± The short, fat man hurriedly rushed over and caught the hand of the brown-haired young man, squeezing out a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be too hasty, there¡¯s still room for negotiation.¡±


    ¡°We can increase the remuneration on top of the original one!¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Jihe scoffed, ¡°No matter how much you multiply your offering, it can¡¯tpare to my pasta-making method!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The chubby man wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°Who are we against? Who¡¯s representing Zhao¡¯s Noodle House?¡±


    ¡°A chef named Qin Lang. I¡¯ve never heard of him.¡± Sensing that Jihe¡¯s tone implies there was still room for negotiation, the fat man quickly spoke up.


    ¡°Qin Lang¡­¡± Jihe thought for a while as if something came to mind, ¡°He¡¯s the cooking champion of Dongxia City.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The fat man¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    He had already discreetly tapped on the spirit chefs specializing in pasta in Qingyang City, he didn¡¯t expect Zhao¡¯s Noodle House to bring in a city-level cooking champion from outside the city!


    ¡°If it¡¯s him, 1 agree to the open duel.¡± Jihe spoke calmly.


    His opponent was on the same level as him, so he didn¡¯t consider it a disadvantage.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± The fat man let out a sigh of relief, a relieved expression on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too soon.¡± Jihe nced at the fat man, ¡°I have one extra condition.¡±


    ¡°After winning, I want both Zhao¡¯s Noodle House¡¯s pasta recipes and the pasta recipes you own.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The fat man once again showed a hesitant expression.


    A momentter, he gritted his teeth, ¡°Fine!¡±


    Jihe nodded satisfactorily, turned around, and left Liu¡¯s Noodle House.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in restaurant management.¡±


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 Chapter 183 - 183: Confrontation

    Chapter 183: Confrontation


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the hotel room where Qin Lang was staying.


    ¡°All the noodle recipes in our family are here.¡± Zhao Wenchang carefully took out the recipes that his father had organized and handed them to Qin Lang.


    ¡°Thank you, let me take a look.¡± Qin Lang eagerly took them and began to carefully look them over.


    Watching Qin Lang read, Zhao Wenchang became increasingly anxious.


    Ultimately, he couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    ¡°Qin Lang, we can win using Scallion Oil Noodles, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give my all.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously, adding, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t n on using Scallion Oil Noodles topete.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Then what will you use?¡± Zhao Wenchang was taken aback.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but one thing is certain.¡± Qin Lang calmly remarked as he continued to scroll through the recipes, ¡°It will be better than Scallion Oil Noodles.¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s assured tone, for some reason, the heavy stone in Zhao Wenchang¡¯s heart slowly fell and his nervousness eased considerably.


    Time passed minute by minute, and soon Qin Lang finished reading the recipes.


    He let out a sigh of relief, a look of surprise appearing on his face.


    There were seventeen special noodle dishes in Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.


    Some of these dishes could find simr delicacies on Earth, but some of them werepletely new.


    Some of the techniques and ideas were extremely beneficial to him.


    Cooking is a process of integrating and prating. With Qin Lang¡¯s current cooking skills, noodle-making techniques are not necessarily only applicable to noodles.


    More importantly, Qin Lang already had an idea of what noodle dish to use for this duel.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished reading the recipes.¡± Returning the stack of papers to Zhao Wenchang, Qin Lang stood up, ¡°Next, we can start preparing for thepetition noodle dish.¡±


    Zhao Wenchang carefully put away the noodle recipes, watching Qin Lang head towards the hotel¡¯s kitchen. His mouth opened and closed, wanting to speak but stopping himself.


    He was full of curiosity about the food Qin Lang was going to prepare.


    ¡°You cane in too.¡± Qin Lang looked back at Zhao Wenchang.


    ¡°Eh?!¡± Zhao Wenchang blinked, ¡°Can I watch you cook?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see it in the open air cookingpetition in a couple of days anyway.¡± Qin Lang didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Besides, Uncle Zhao shared so many noodle recipes with me. If you want to learn this noodle dish, I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll learn!¡± Zhao Wenchang rushed into the kitchen, very excited.


    Although he still didn¡¯t know what it was, he had absolute confidence in the noodle dish that Qin Lang was going to use for thepetition.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡±


    On the open-air stage set up by the Catering Association, the host opened with a clear voice, attracting many passers-by.


    ¡°Today, two Spirit Chefs, representing Zhao¡¯s Noodle House and Liu¡¯s Noodle House respectively, will have a public culinary contest!¡±


    Upon hearing this, more bystanders stopped to watch.


    Many onlookers began to gather around the edge of the stage.


    ¡°In thispetition, the restaurant of the winning side will receive all the noodle recipes from the losing side, and the losing side will promise to stop operating the restaurant from then on!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the crowd around the stage grewrger.


    Such a brutalpetition was undoubtedly worth watching for the audience.


    Soon, the outdoor stage was surrounded threeyers deep.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s wee with warm apuse, the Spirit Chef representing Liu¡¯s Noodle House, Jihe!¡±


    Upon hearing this name, many in the audience were taken aback.


    The city¡¯s cookingpetition in Qingyang City had just ended recently, so they were certainly no strangers to this champion.


    Never had they expected that such an ordinary culinary showdown could get Jihe to participate!


    For a time, cheers and apuse echoed in waves.


    Sitting on the side of the stage, the owner of Liu¡¯s Noodle House, Liu Neng, showed a triumphant smile. His eyes were almostpletely closed, gleaming with delight.


    Looking at Jihe, who was standing in front of the tform amid the cheers, Liu Neng felt like victory was already beckoning to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee with the same warm apuse, the Spirit Chef representing Zhao¡¯s Noodle House in thispetition, Qin Lang!¡±


    The cheers and apuse for this slightly unfamiliar name were noticeably weaker.


    However, Zhao Junzhang and Zhao Wenchang, sitting on the other side of the stage, showed no signs of displeasure at all.


    They watched Qin Lang, who was slowly making his way to the tform, with excitement and anticipation. Their faces were full of confidence in him.


    This confidence came from the dish they had tasted over the past two days.


    The noodle dish that Qin Lang was going to use for this culinary duel had left the father and son duo with no doubt about his victory.


    Upon reaching the tform, Qin Lang curiously looked at Jihe.


    He was a stout young man, taller than Qin Lang. He looked to be in his twenties, with a serious face. His slightly upturned eyes made him seem somewhat grim.


    At the same time as Qin Lang was looking at Jihe, Jihe was also calmly sizing up Qin Lang.


    Before this, he had heard from another Spirit Chef that the city-level cooking champion from Danju City had gone to Dongxia City to participate in the city-level cookingpetition.


    He thought it was an easy win, but the Danju City cooking champion was defeated by a Spirit Chef from Dongxia City and lost the city-level cooking championship that was seemingly within grasp.


    This was why Jihe had an impression of Qin Lang.


    A dark horse, eh¡­


    Jihe¡¯s expression remained calm, but his eyes seemed to be filled with the burning mes of fighting spirit.


    Let¡¯s see how strong you really are.


    Next to him, three Food Spirits were dancing, meeting the gaze of Dan Bao and Spicy, who were full of fighting spirit next to Qin Lang.


    In the void, it seemed as if sparks shed between the gazes of the two parties.


    ¡°For the fairness of this match, we have invited five senior judges from the Spirit Chef Association!¡± The host¡¯s voice rose a few degrees, extending his hand towards the five people sitting on one side.


    The five senior judges each stood up, waved at the audience all around, and then sat down.


    Then, they began to talk in low voices, inaudible to the audience.


    ¡°The Catering Association¡¯spetition this time is quite formal, huh?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the owner of Liu¡¯s Noodle House wanted to expand his influence, so he sponsored extra money.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened, but our votes won¡¯t be swayed by this.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m more pleased that this is a publicpetition.¡±


    The five judges eximed together: ¡°Finally, we won¡¯t be bored waiting for the cooking process.¡±


    After introducing the five judges, the host turned his gaze to the two Spirit Chefs in the field, ¡°Are both sides ready?¡±


    At the host¡¯s words, Qin Lang and Jihe both nodded.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± The host elongated his voice, followed by a quick rise in volume, ¡°The culinary showdown between the two Spirit Chefs begins now!¡±


    The audience around the stage immediately erupted.


    Amidst roars of encouragement and cheers, both Spirit Chefs moved at once.


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 Chapter 184 - 184: Soup Dumplings

    Chapter 184: Soup Dumplings


    Trantor: 549690339


    The moment the duel began, Qin Lang and Jihe¡¯s actions were strikingly simr.


    They both picked up the flour they had prepared.


    In contests themed around pasta, kneading the dough is of utmost importance.


    Despite there being ready-made pasta avable in the market, it certainly would not be the choice of the two Spirit Chefs on the field, both of whom have won city-level cooking championships.


    Even in their choice of flour, the two differed.


    Qin Lang selected the high-gluten flour, which has a higher protein content. The protein in the flour,bined with water during the kneading process, forms gluten and directly influences the sticity of the dough.


    Jihe, on the other hand, chose medium-gluten flour.


    As they brought out their flour, the two also kept an eye on their opponent¡¯s kneading process out of the corners of their eyes.


    Simrly, the audience all around and the five judges sitting in the judges¡¯ seats are watching the movements of the two Spirit Chefs on stage with wide eyes.


    Public duels where the entire cooking process is visible are notmon.


    The kneading process for Qin Lang¡¯s dough was rtively simple. High-gluten flour and water were mixed uniformly in a ratio of 2:1. Once the dough presented a ¡°three lights¡± state, it was wrapped in cling film and set aside.


    In contrast, Jihe not only added the necessary water to his dough but also incorporated a lot of seasonings and other things whose details were unclear.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Qin Lang muttered softly, his gaze shifting away from the basin in Jihe¡¯s hands.


    Then, he began the following cooking steps.


    The pasta dish that Qin Lang nned to make today required careful dough preparation, but there were also many steps just as important. Were it not for the help of the Spicy Cooking eleration, he would have never opted to bring it out for such an asion.


    With this in mind, Qin Lang opened the foam box beside him, which kept his ingredients fresh, and brought out the ingredients he would be using next.


    Five¡­ten¡­fifteen¡­twenty¡­


    A total of twenty remarkablyrge female crabs were taken out of the foam box by Qin Lang amidst gasps of astonishment from the surrounding audience.


    Jihe, who was considering Qin Lang as a formidable opponent and giving his all, had already slowed his movements the moment Qin Lang opened the foam box and focused more of his attention on the ingredients Qin Lang brought out.


    Right from the start of thepetition, he had noticed the tightly sealed foam box next to Qin Lang.


    At this moment, seeing the size of those twenty hairy crabs, his pupils shrank suddenly.


    Did his opponent n to use hairy crabs for his pasta dish?


    And these weren¡¯t ordinary hairy crabs either.


    Having seen their size, Jihe was convinced that the local Food Material Market would never have such high-quality hairy crabs readily avable.


    The hairy crabs were obtained using Cooking Competition Points!


    A serious expression appeared on the face of Jihe, who, like Qin Lang, earned 100 points in the Cooking Competition after having won the championship.


    Qin Lang¡¯s decision to redeem ingredients with hispetition points for a contest like this was somewhat unexpected for Jihe.


    Fortunately, he also wasn¡¯tpletely unprepared.


    ncing at a small box next to him, Jihe refocused on his kneading process.


    The corners of his eyes flickered with a faint blue light.


    Culinary Skill: Ingredient Insight.


    This culinary skill, previously showcased by Lei Ke, has the ability to reveal deeper changes in the ingredients during the cooking process. It bes a game-changer for processes like kneading that seem simple but involve infra-level changes in the flour.


    That¡¯s why he dared to add several more seasonings and auxiliary ingredients to the kneading stage without worrying about a disaster.


    The hairy crabs did not only surprise Jihe.


    The five senior judges seated in the judges¡¯ seats were also shimmering in their eyes.


    The judges, working their way up from a junior level, didn¡¯t need any introduction to their discerning skills.


    With just one look, they could see the details of the twenty hairy crabs.


    ¡°Hairy crabs from Mengze Province, these were purchased with Cooking Competition Points, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s willing to use points to exchange for ingredients for a fight, this Qin Lang is not an ordinary person, huh?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard about him, if I remember correctly, he¡¯s the champion of Dongxia City¡¯s Cooking Contest. His cooking skills are also very superb.¡±


    ¡°I see, never thought that such an informal contest could draw two city-level cooking champions topete.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting interesting.¡±


    The group exchanges a few words in a voice only they can hear, quickly shifting their attention to Qin Lang.


    Before this, their attention was mainly on Jihe, who had a bigger reputation.


    Unfazed by the gasps around him, after putting the hairy crab into the steamer, Qin Lang quickly starts dealing with the old hen.


    This pasta dish also requires chicken soup!


    After quickly preparing and nching the old hen, he put it into the stew pot. Qin Lang then took out arge chunk of pork skin that weighed several pounds.


    Standing opposite him, Jihe, who had just finished kneading the dough, slightly furrowed his brow.


    Hairy crab, hen, pork skin.


    In just a short time, Qin Lang has already taken out three different kinds of ingredients.


    And these three ingredients, in his view, don¡¯t seem to have much relevance to each other.


    What kind of pasta is this guy going to make?


    While his mind was filled with thoughts, Jihe opened the box beside him and carefully took out the ingredients inside.


    Catching this out of the corner of his eye, Qin Lang slightly paused in his motion, his eyes filled with surprise as they swept over the ingredients in Jihe¡¯s hands.


    Is that¡­ pufferfish?!


    Jihe¡¯s pasta actually uses pufferfish?


    His expression immediately became more serious.


    If he wasn¡¯t seeing things wrong, this should be Jinwen Pufferfish from Wuhe State. After artificial breeding, it has almost no toxins, yet its delicious meat quality has not been reduced at all.


    This, too, is an ingredient that needs to be exchanged with cookingpetition points.


    Just from seeing this ingredient, Qin Lang can imagine that the final pasta dish must surely be outstanding in terms of freshness.


    Truly a formidable opponent.


    Of course, the pasta dish he prepared isn¡¯t bad either.


    He picked up the nched pork skin, his eyes filled with a confident look.


    Usually, there¡¯s only one possibility when pork skin is used in a pasta dish.


    And that is soup dumplings!


    By using the gtin in the pork skin to solidify the delicious soup and mix it with the filling, then adding it into a bun. As the bun heats up, the solidified gtin melts back into soup within the bun, creating a soup dumpling with noodle skin filled with delicious soup.


    And if it¡¯s a soup dumpling that uses hairy crab, there¡¯s also only one possibility.


    That is, crab roe soup dumplings!


    This, is the dish Qin Lang has prepared for thispetition!


    Qin Lang lowers his head again as he scrapes away the fat from the surface of the nched pork skin.


    Meanwhile, with the appearance of the pufferfish, cries of surprise once again echo around them.


    The absorbed Qin Lang, who was busy with his cooking, didn¡¯t notice that among the gasps, many revealed expressions of ¡°Just as 1 thought¡±.


    Seeing the pufferfish, they¡¯ve already guessed what dish Jihe was going to present.


    What he is going to present is the pasta dish that won him the championship of Qingyang City¡¯s Cooking Competition-


    Clear River Pufferfish Noodles!


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 Chapter 185 - 185 Pig Face

    Chapter 185: Pig Face


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Dad, Jihe actually brought out the Clear River Pufferfish Noodles.¡±


    Sitting on the side of thepetition venue, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s face quickly tensed up.


    He looked at Liu Neng on the other side, who crossed his arms and looked at him with a smirk. Gritting his teeth, he asked, ¡°Can we win?¡±


    ¡°At this point, you need to have confidence in Qin Lang.¡± Zhao Junzhang patted Zhao Wenchang¡¯s shoulder without revealing any emotions. ¡°Qin Lang¡¯s crab roe soup dumplings won¡¯t be inferior to Clear River Pufferfish Noodles. This is apetition where the strength is evenly matched.¡±


    ¡°As long as we¡¯ve chosen to trust Qin Lang, we should trust him all the way.¡±


    Zhao Wenchang drew a deep breath, a hint of shame appearing on his face.


    It was him who¡¯d invited Qin Lang to help, but now he was doubting hispanion¡¯s abilities because of the strength of their opponent.


    This couldn¡¯t go on.


    Zhao Wenchang muttered a phrase in his heart, quickly adjusting his mentality and fiercely ring back at Liu Neng on the other side.


    In thepetition venue, after pulling out the Jinwen Pufferfish, Jihe began processing it at a extremely fast speed, and then put the prepared pufferfish into a heated pot.


    A Food Spirit next to him muttered, its body shing with a faint light, letting an invisible force envelop the ingredients. On the pot with soup, the pufferfish meat melted into the soup at a visible speed, leaving only the fish bones.


    Jihe demonstrated his second Food Skill ¨C Ingredient Dposition.


    This is a skill that can quickly infuse the soup with stewed ingredients, producing a state of stewing for several hours.


    It doesn¡¯t work like Cooking eleration, which can work in all cooking processes, but it has a better effect than Cooking eleration under certain specific circumstances.


    Just like now.


    The pufferfish meat separated from the bone quickly turning into fish paste under the effect of Food Skill, and its umami vor was maximally released into the soup.


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, he then cut the pork skin in his hand into cubes, picked up a pot to boil water, and added the pork skin cubes and scallion and ginger cooking wine.


    ¡°Spicy, elerate!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    Spicy nodded heavily, in a blink of an eye, flew to the center of the big pot of chicken soup and the big pot of stewed pork skin. An invisible force shaded the two pots at the same time.


    Cooking eleration?


    Recognizing Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Skill, a hint of solemnity shed in Jihe¡¯s eyes that barely could be detected.


    I¡¯ve really met my match.


    However, since I have one more Food Spirit than him, the advantage in Food Skill is still on my side.


    Looking at thest Food Spirit that hasn¡¯t used its Food Skill yet, Jihe¡¯s eyes showed self-confidence.


    But in the next moment, his expression slightly faltered.


    He saw the perfectly steamed Hairy Crabs on the other side, and Dan Bao, who was dismantling twenty crabs at the same time.


    Looking at the flying crab legs and the crab meat, roe, and shells that werepletely dismantled in just a few minutes, Jihe¡¯s face twitched.


    He suddenly felt that there seemed to be no advantage in Food Skills.


    What the hell is using Thought Waves as Food Skill?!


    Under the effect of Cooking eleration, the stewing process of the pork skin cubes and the chicken soup that normally takes an hour was expedited.


    After filtering out the chicken meat and pork skin cubes and skimming off the floating oil while only keeping their soups, he send it to the freezer to be quickly refrigerated following the ratio of two parts pork skin soup to one part chicken soup.


    The processing of the pork skin jelly was temporarily finished. Qin Lang immediately took the separated crab meat, roe, and shells from Dan Bao¡¯s hands.


    Because it¡¯s crab roe soup dumplings, all the crabs Qin Lang used for cooking were female ¨C having only crab roe and not crab paste. However, the following steps are not much different from frying crab powder.


    With the crab shells, he fries to get crab oil, adds crab meat and crab roe for further frying, addsrd and seasonings to taste while frying.


    The crab meat stuffing, tempered withrd, slightly solidifies when it cools down. On the other hand, in the professional freezer, the cooling process of the pork skin jelly also ends.


    The served pork skin jelly is milky white, it shows excellent sticity, slightly jiggling when moved.


    ¡°Chaka chaka!¡±


    I¡¯m up!


    yfully, Spicy flew over the pork skin jelly with a spoon in her mouth, then dropped the spoon to let it fall naturally.


    ¡°duang-¡±


    With a gentle sound, the falling spoon actually bounced right back up.


    This astonishing scene caused the observant audience to gasp in surprise, and also made Jihe, who was preparing to process the dough for the second time on the other side after letting it rise, squint his eyes in shock momentarily.


    Such amazing resilience¡­


    He had witnessed Qin Lang¡¯s entire cooking process.


    Therefore, he knew the source of this resilience ¨C it was the jelly-like substance formed after the pork skin had solidified.


    With his culinary experience, he even vaguely guessed some things.


    For instance, once the solidified jelly-like substance is reheated, it would turn back into a delicious thick soup.


    This might be Qin Lang¡¯s intention.


    By using this method, was he trying to temporarily solidify the liquid chicken broth for easier handlingter on?


    Jihe felt a sense of his opponent¡¯s whimsical and imaginative cooking style.


    Yet, his opponent waspletely open about this valuable cooking experience, not caring at all whether he learned from it or not.


    Merely this magnanimity makes him quite admirable.


    In that case¡­


    Jihe picked up the well-rested dough, cing it in front of himself.


    I need to step up my game too!


    He turned his gaze to the third Food Spirit beside him that hadn¡¯t revealed its Food Skill yet.


    The Food Spirit gently called out, and the next moment, a faint glow emerged from Jihe¡¯s hands.


    Seeing this, Zhao Wenchang immediately sat up straight.


    In the previous Cooking Contest, Jihe¡¯s cooking process was carried out inside a Competitive Standard Kitchen invisible to the outside world. Therefore, it was only today that Zhao Wenchang learned that the opponent¡¯s third Food Skill was actually Skillful Strength Support, just like him.


    ¡°Ingredient Insight and Skillful Strength Support.¡± Zhao Junzhang on the side couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°No wonder Jihe is so good at making pasta. These two Food Skills are verypatible with the dough kneading process. Add in Cooking eleration that can speed up the rising process, it really is a Golden Combination.¡±


    Cooking eleration¡­


    Hearing his father¡¯s words, Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t help but nce at Qin Lang.


    Well, he has all three Food Skills.


    On the other side, Jihe, who is using the Food Skill to support both hands, took a bowl of filtered clear pufferfish soup that had been stewed.


    He dipped his hands briefly into the soup like a dragonfly skimming the water, then used a unique force to beat the dough, and finally kneaded it skillfully.


    Repeating this, his hands seemed boneless, disying a marvelous skill that kept eliciting gasps of admiration.


    As time passed, the dough in front of Jihe visibly grew a size, while the liquid level in the soup bowl gradually decreased.


    He was incorporating the clear pufferfish soup into the well-hydrated dough using a special technique!


    Qin Lang, who had prepared the filling for the crab roe soup dumplings by evenly mixing chopped pork skin jelly with cooked crab roe in a one-to-one ratio, was momentarily taken aback when he saw Jihe¡¯s movements.


    What¡¯s with the sudden show-off of skills?


    You should¡¯ve said so earlier!


    I would have busted out some dragon-beard noodles for a friendlypetition.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket I


    bonus content:


    ¡°Crab Roe Soup Dumplings¡±

 Chapter 186 - 186: Eating Method

    Chapter 186: Eating Method


    Trantor: 549690339


    Despite making fun of the situation, Qin Lang paused his work temporariLy and covertly observed hispetitor¡¯s actions.


    Slowly, he seemed to get the hang of it.


    Each time Ji He struck the dough, it was not a simple act.


    His forceful strikes prated the dough, making it quiver intensely. Through the quivering, he strategically ced small cavities within the inside of the dough that resembled air bubbles, keeping the pufferfish broth trapped within them.


    He was performing a special step that usually requires leavening agents, solely using his hands.


    Of course, being able to do this was inextricably linked to the different auxiliaries Ji He had added to the dough earlier. After his initial preparations, the structure of the dough had fundamentally changed, enabling his subsequent method to work effectively.


    The initial auxiliary ratio and the subsequent knuckle method were both indispensable.


    The result of such treatment was¡­


    The pasta made from the dough into which pufferfish broth was added would end up having a certain burst of juiciness in its taste.


    Interesting!


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Without the Food Skill of Skillful Strength Support, it would take him at least ten years of hard training to achieve what Ji He was doing right now. However, there were somemon elements in their techniques.


    The dough processing technique Ji He showcased at this moment gave him quite a few new ideas.


    Withdrawing his gaze, Qin Langposed himself and ced the dough, which had been wrapped in cling film and leavened for a good while, in front of him.


    Crab roe soup dumplings emphasized the filling, but the skin of the bun also required attention.


    Unlike meat buns, during the process of making soup dumplings, you can¡¯t add leavening agents like baking soda or yeast to the dough to increase its air pores. It needs to retain apact structure to encase the soup inside so-called ¡°dead dough¡±.


    Traditional crab roe soup dumplings had to berge enough to fill a te. To ensure that such arge soup dumpling doesn¡¯t burst during cooking, yet still maintains a thin skin that doesn¡¯t affect the taste, the skin must be rolledrge and evenly.


    It required not only experience and technique but also a sufficient proofing process to evenly distribute the moisture in the dough.


    One dough skin after another took shape swiftly in Qin Lang¡¯s hands. He then cautiously added the well-mixed filling,pleting the process of wrapping the buns.


    On the other side, Ji He¡¯s technique was also fully presented.


    After he had incorporated a small bowl of pufferfish broth entirely into the dough, Ji He scooped the dough, quickly picking little dough lumps and tossed them in a basket nearby.


    The aftereffects of Skillful Strength Support were still in y. During the process of plucking the dough lumps, Ji He rapidly kneaded them a few times. Despite the efficiency not decreasing at all,


    the shape of the gradually increasing dough lumps in the basket resembled a pufferfish to an extent.


    After all the lumps were plucked, Ji He put the dough lumps from the basket into a pot, scooped them up after they were well-cooked, and put them into a bowl of fresh pufferfish broth that had already been served nearby.


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    The instant Ji He finished cooking, a light sound was heard from Qin Lang¡¯s steamer, signalling the end of the preset steaming time.


    The cooking of thepetition on both sides was finished.


    The audience surrounding the high tform suddenly erupted with cheers and heated discussions.


    Although they might not necessarily know Qin Lang, anyone who understood cooking could tell how extraordinary his cooking skills were by watching his series of cooking processes.


    The mysterious Spirit Chef, Qin Lang, against Ji He, the recent champion of Qingyang City¡¯s City-Level Cooking Competition, was clearly an intriguing match.


    Now, both of their dishes had finished cooking.


    No one knew what verdict the five judges would give after tasting the dishes?


    With such anticipation, all eyes turned to the five senior judges seated on the judging stand.


    The judge seated in the center took the initiative to speak, ¡°Both of you finished cooking almost at the same time, but Ji He was a bit quicker, so we will taste his dish first.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding, turned on the instion function of the steamer, and gestured for Ji He to proceed.


    Ji He took a deep breath and served his Clear River Pufferfish Noodles to each of the judges.


    ¡°Clear River Pufferfish Noodles, please enjoy.¡±


    After a brief introduction, Ji He stood silently in front of the judge¡¯s stand.


    The five senior judges exchanged nces, their eyes filled with anticipation.


    The City-Level Cooking Competition¡¯s final battle was not judged by these senior judges, but by the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders of Qingyang City.


    Back then, they had been eager to taste this Clear River Pufferfish Noodles that had amazed the Food Rmenders one after another.


    They did not expect that by epting the invitation to thispetition, they would get the chance to finally satisfy their curiosity.


    After a moment of silence, the five judges picked up their soup spoons, scooped up a spoonful of lively noodles that resembled little fish staggering in the river along with the broth, and put them into their mouths¡­


    Soon, the Clear River Pufferfish Noodles in front of the five judges were all eaten up, right down to thest drop of the soup.


    Seeing their satisfied and blissful expressions, even the audience, who hadn¡¯t tasted the exquisite dish, seemed to be able to imagine the wonderful taste of this Clear River Pufferfish Noodles.


    ¡°Now, let us taste the dish by contestant Qin Lang.¡± The five judges quickly adjusted and rinsed their mouths with special mouthwash to get rid of the lingering taste, then turned their gaze to Qin Lang.


    Their eyes were still full of anticipation, not diminished by the delicious Clear River Pufferfish Noodles they had just tasted. Because they knew that like Ji He, Qin Lang too was a Spirit Chef who had won the City-Level Cooking Championship, and his culinary skills wouldn¡¯t be much weaker than Ji He¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s our turn now.¡±


    Qin Lang looked at the two critters beside him.


    In response, the two critters had confidence and determination in their eyes.


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Dan Bao rumbled softly, a white halo swirling around it. The halo, transformed into an invisible force, opened the lid of the steamer, put the steamed crab roe soup dumplings into tes one by one, and then served them in front of the judges.


    ¡°Crab roe soup dumplings, please enjoy.¡±


    Qin Lang quickly walked over to Ji He, smiling as he spoke.


    ¡°Crab roe soup dumplings¡­¡± Ji He murmured the name, curiously looking at the dumplings, which were sorge that each one covered an entire te, that were ced in front of the judges.


    At their level of culinary expertise, just by seeing each other¡¯s cooking process they could approximately predict the taste of each other¡¯s dishes.


    Using the deliciousness of crab roe and chicken soup to rival the deliciousness of pufferfish, huh¡­


    Ji He suddenly felt that he might not necessarily win this battle.


    Different from when they tasted Ji He¡¯s dish earlier, the five judges were somewhat silent as they looked at the crab roe soup dumplings before them.


    This was the first time they had ever seen such a peculiar type of dumplings.


    One question popped up in each of their minds.


    How do you eat these?


    ¡°Do we use the straw to suck?¡± One of the judges, noticing the apanying straw, couldn¡¯t help but specte.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded with a smile.


    ¡°The most suitable way to eat crab roe soup dumplings is to use a straw to puncture the top of the dumpling skin, suck the soup inside first, and then taste the dumpling skin and the crab roe filling.¡±


    The five judges exchanged nces and picked up their straws together.


    Let¡¯s dig in!


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 Chapter 187 - 187: Vote

    Chapter 187: Vote


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Slurp-¡±


    The sound of judges sucking the delicious soup from the crab roe soup dumplings echoed from the judges¡¯ seats.


    Seeing the five judges show a simr intoxicated expression as before when they tasted the Clear River Pufferfish Noodle, the crowd around started to whisper.


    Although they recognized that Qin Lang¡¯s cooking was also excellent, many people who didn¡¯t know him still favored Jihe to win the contest.


    But now, judging from the performance of the judges, the dishes cooked by the two Spirit Chefs are on a simr level?


    Sitting on the side of the High tform, the anxious expression on the faces of Zhao Junzhang and Zhao Wenchang was clear, while Liu Neng no longer remained aloof, and felt a great sense of crisis all of a sudden.


    ¡°Hoo-¡±


    Finally, the five judges on the judges¡¯ seats finished tasting Qin Lang¡¯s dishes.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s vote,¡± the judge in the center scanned between Qin Lang and Jihe with a peculiar look in his eyes before he announced solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll votest.¡±


    ¡°I choose Qin Lang.¡±


    After he finished speaking, the first judge on the left came forward, ¡°This crab roe soup dumpling not only has ingenious ideas but also has an excellent taste; I love it!¡±


    Qin Lang took the lead and got one vote, causing the murmuring of the spectators to grow louder.


    The father and son of the Zhao family were full of joy, while Liu Neng¡¯s face on the other side became increasingly difficult to maintain.


    ¡°I choose Jihe,¡± the second judge spoke slowly after a moment of thought, ¡°Both have soup in their dishes, but I prefer the freshness of the pufferfish.¡±


    Qin Lang and Jihe were on a 1:1 deadlock.


    ¡°I choose Jihe,¡± the judge on the right bypassed the one in the middle and spoke calmly, ¡°The pufferfish noodles are juicy and vorful, although it is pasta, it gives me the illusion of eating pufferfish meat, which is unusual.¡±


    1:2.


    At this moment, the excitement on the faces of the Zhao family¡¯s father and son receded somewhat and was reced by tension.


    If Jihe gets one more vote, the contest will end with Jihe¡¯s victory, and Zhao¡¯s Noodle House will have to pay a heavy price for this, not only giving all its noodle recipes to Liu¡¯s, but also ceasing to operate the restaurant forever.


    On the other side, Liu Neng¡¯s expression softened gradually and finally revealed a joyous look once again.


    Jihe¡¯s consecutive two votes boosted his confidence!


    At this moment, Liu Neng seemed to see the future where his Liu¡¯s Noodle House became the leading one in the pasta industry of Qingyang City.


    ¡°I choose Qin Lang,¡± the judge was in thought for a moment, eventually making his choice on the far right.


    ¡°Thebination of the freshness of chicken soup and crab roe, the soup of the crab roe soup dumplings suits my taste. After finishing the soup, eating the dumpling, thebination of the noodle skin and the crab roe filling also surprises me.¡±


    Qin Lang and Jihe¡¯s votes came to 2:2.


    Whether it was on the High tform or under the tform where the spectators were, everyone quietened down at this moment.


    No one had expected that the voting would be so intensely contested.


    Now, only thest judge had yet to express his opinion.


    And his choice would determine the final oue of this contest.


    The judge seated in the middle gave a wry smile.


    This was the predicament of being the lead judge.


    In a tight contest, the lead judge is likely to be the key voter who determines the final result.


    This certainly is an expression of power, but more of pressure.


    After all, this contest not only decided the culinary skills of the two Spirit Chefs, but also the survival of the two restaurants.


    ¡°Hoo¡ª¡±


    He exhaled a murky breath and slowly closed his eyes.


    Be fair and follow your heart.


    The oath when he became a Food Fight Judge resonated in his heart.


    The lead judge no longer considered all the external factors; the only thing left in his mind was the impression of the Clear River Pufferfish Noodles and crab roe soup dumplings.


    Taste, texture, appearance, savour¡­


    Comparing all the aspects one by one, the lead judge finally opened his eyes abruptly.


    ¡°I choose, Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°We won!!!¡±


    Almost the moment the judge¡¯s words fell, Zhao Junzhang and his father, who had been in high tension, screamed and jumped in joy.


    On the other side, Liu Neng slumped in his seat, throwing a frustrated punch in the air, his face full of unwillingness.


    Damn¡­just missed it by a bit!


    At the position closest to the High tform, the senior members of the Catering Association who had witnessed the contest were seated.


    With the final votes announced, they looked at each other and began to talk.


    ¡°Where did Zhao Junzhang find such a Spirit Chef?¡±


    ¡°This is somewhat beyond my expectation, I thought for sure Zhao¡¯s would lose this time.¡±


    ¡°I think this result is quite good. After this episode, Old Zhao¡¯s business will certainly be better.¡±


    Qin Lang and Jihe, the protagonists of the contest, looked at each other.


    Unexpectedly, there wasn¡¯t much disappointment or anger on Jihe¡¯s face, as if he had been prepared for the oue of the contest.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve saved one for me?¡± He looked at Qin Lang and suddenly asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Qin Lang personally handed thest crab roe soup dumpling to Jihe, ¡°Please enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Clear River Pufferfish Noodles, please enjoy.¡± Jihe served the dish he had prepared for Qin Lang, and then eager to taste the crab roe soup dumpling.


    He carefully poked a small hole at the top of the dumpling with a straw, then inserted the straw inside and took a gentle sip.


    ¡°Slurp-¡±


    The warm and delicious soup rapidly filled his mouth.


    The crab roe and crab meat from the best female crab preserved the most essence and delicious taste of the Hairy Crab. This vor waspletely activated under the heat of the crab oil during the stir-frying process, and then integrated into the soup during the steaming process.


    The delicacy of the chicken soup, like a piece of paper supporting the color, added a bit of freshness to the soup and presented the clear taste of the crab more naturally and vividly.


    The Crab roe and bits of crab meat that were sucked into the mouth with the soup brought a richer taste to the soup, and a sip left a long aftertaste.


    Jihe¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    When almost all the soup was consumed, the originally plump dumpling deted a bit. He pulled out the straw, carefully separated the dumpling with chopsticks, and mped the remaining soup together with the crab roe filling and noodle skin, and put it in his mouth.


    The skin of the dumpling was very chewy, each bite was filled with crab roe and crab meat, and the filling absorbed a lot of soup, which overflowed between the lips and teeth with each chew, giving an iparable sense of satisfaction.


    The noodle skin and filling intertwined repeatedly, the richyers of taste also amazed everyone.


    One dish, two ways of eating.


    Sipping the soup allows you to taste the richness of the soup, eating the dumplings lets you feel the chewiness of the pasta and the freshness of the filling. Although the food seemed ordinary in appearance, it gave a sense of wonder.


    After finishing the crab roe soup dumplings, a satisfied and admiring look appeared on Jihe¡¯s face.


    He was not wronged by his defeat against such an opponent.


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 Chapter 188 - 188: The Plan

    Chapter 188: The n


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Your culinary skills are impressive.¡±


    Jihe ced the te in his hands down, looking towards Qin Lang, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you before, the neer who defeated the Cooking Champion of Danju City, it seems you¡¯re more formidable than the rumors say.¡±


    ¡°Your culinary skills are also quite good.¡± Qin Lang put down the empty bowl in his hands, sincerely saying, ¡°These Clear River Pufferfish Noodles are the most unique pasta I¡¯ve ever tasted.¡±


    This was not a mere courtesy, but the true feelings of Qin Lang.


    With pufferfish, an ingredient of utmost delicacy, paired with Food Skills that allowed the essence of the pufferfish to fully integrate into the soup, the umami of the soup goes unsaid.


    But a pufferfish pasta taste simr to pufferfish meat, genuinely surprised Qin Lang.


    This unique tastees from various factors.


    Whether it¡¯s the special ingredients added during the kneading process, or the subsequent procedure of infusing clear pufferfish soup into the recipe, both methods transformed the texture and taste of the dough.


    If he had not watched Jihe¡¯s cooking process, even he would find it hard to believe that this was pasta.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    This is delicious!


    Dan Bao, who had a bite of the Clear River Pufferfish Noodles from Qin Lang, nodded seriously.


    Of course, it¡¯s still not as delicious as the food made by our Spirit Chef!


    ¡°Click!¡±


    Qin Lang is the best!


    Spicy agrees wholeheartedly.


    The two pets cast a concurrent nce at Jihe¡¯s three Food Spirits, eyeing each other.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to tter each other.¡± Jihe looked deeply at Qin Lang, ¡°You¡¯ll participate in this year¡¯s Provincial-Level Cooking Competition, right?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°I look forward to shing with you at the Provincial-level Cooking Competition.¡± After leaving these words, Jihe turned around and left with an air of nonchnce.


    The Food Spirits of Jihe quickly followed, turning their heads and giving Dan Bao and Spicy an expression of ¡°we¡¯ll fight again next time¡±.


    Qin Lang blinked.


    Following Lei Ke, this was already the second Spiritual Chef who had arranged to engage him at the Provincial-level Cooking Competition.


    If he kept this up, would all thepetitors be familiar faces at thepetition?


    He wondered this with a hint of amusement.


    ¡°Qin Lang! We won!¡± Zhao Wenchang quickly ran over to Qin Lang¡¯s side, the excitement on his face hadn¡¯t fully faded yet.


    ¡°We owe this victory to you.¡± Zhao Junzhang had a face full of smiles, ¡°Once we receive the pasta recipe from Liu¡¯s Noodle House, I¡¯ll make a copy for you.¡±


    Hearing Zhao Junzhang¡¯s words, Liu Neng¡¯s face darkened even more in the distance.


    ¡°These are the pasta recipes from Liu¡¯s Noodle House, though not as extensive as ours.¡± Zhao Wenchang handed the recipe in his hands to Qin Lang, revealing a grateful look, ¡°I really can¡¯t thank you enough for this time.¡±


    ¡°No need for such formality.¡± Qin Lang took the recipe and smiled, ¡°Participating in the duel is a form of exchange and improvement for me as well.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just about the duel.¡± A look of excitement spread across Zhao Wenchang¡¯s face, ¡°My dad has agreed to let me participate in the management of the noodle shop!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Qin Lang nced at Zhao Wenchang.


    Perhaps this incident had made Zhao Junzhang realize that his son wasn¡¯t as immature as he had imagined, that he had grown enough to help the family with some responsibilities. This change in mindset had made his attitude towards Zhao Wenchang shift.


    ¡°Congrats.¡±


    ¡°Heh, heh.¡± Zhao Wenchang scratched his head, ¡°We can talk about those management thingster, for now my mission is to be your guide!¡±


    ¡°What are you nning next?¡±


    ¡°My ns¡­¡± Qin Lang ced the recipe in his hand aside, revealing a thoughtful look, ¡°This is my first timeing to Qingyang City, I n to wander around Qingyang City and try the local special dishes.¡±


    ¡°Leave that to me!¡± Zhao Wenchang patted his chest, ¡°I¡¯ve grown up in Qingyang City since I was young, I¡¯m very familiar with everything here!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to rely on you.¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly, changing the subject, ¡°Besides, I n to visit the Second-Level Food Rmender in Qingyang City, Mr. Zong Nian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a proble¡­ huh?¡± Zhao Wenchang blinked, looking at Qin Lang, ¡°Who did you just say, you were going to visit?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zong Nian.¡± Qin Lang admitted, ¡°I n to try and earn the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge of Qingyang City.¡±


    ¡°Hiss-¡± Zhao Wenchang sucked in a breath, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think it over? Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test is quite challenging.¡±


    ¡°I know, the most difficult Second-Level Food Rmender assessment in Tianhua State.¡± Qin Lang nodded, indicating he had done his homework in advance, ¡°But I still want to give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Well then.¡± Seeing that Qin Lang was determined, Zhao Wenchang gave up on persuading him, and became curious instead, ¡°When are you nning to visit Mr. Zong Nian?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang pondered for a moment and quickly decided, ¡°For the assessment of the Second-Level Food Rmender, the sooner the better. I¡¯ll get myself in top condition today and visit him directly tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Mr. Zong Nian lives in a vi in the Qingyang Mountain Valley, I¡¯ll take you there tomorrow.¡± Zhao Wenchang readily agreed.


    ¡°Inside Qingyang Mountain Valley?¡± Qin Lang appeared thoughtful.


    Qingyang Mountain Valley is andmark of Qingyang City.


    In that mountain valley grows a special nt known as Qing Shinan. This nt continuously emits tiny green particles.


    As it¡¯s quite humid in the Qingyang Mountain Valley and there¡¯s constant fog, when the fogbines with these green particles, it appears a bit pale green.


    This pale green mist is harmless to the human body and quite peculiar.


    It¡¯s said that standing in the Qingyang Mountain Valley and looking at the sun through the green mist, you¡¯ll find a greenyer on the sun, hence the name of Qingyang Mountain Valley.


    And the name of Qingyang Cityes from Qingyang Mountain Valley.


    After learning about the wonders of Qingyang Mountain Valley from Luo Hui¡¯s travel guide, Qin Lang decided to go and see this masterpiece of nature sooner orter.


    Unexpectedly, this coincided with another purpose of this trip.


    After visiting Mr. Zong Nian tomorrow, perhaps he could take a detour to Qingyang Mountain Valley.


    ¡°Wait for me a moment, let me finish reading these recipes, and then we can go for a stroll in the nearbymercial district.¡± Qin Lang returned his attention to the pasta recipe in his hands.


    Compared with Zhao¡¯s pasta recipe, Liu¡¯s Noodle House¡¯s recipe is considerably fewer. Clearly, in this aspect, the newly opened Liu¡¯s Noodle House couldn¡¯tpare with the generational Zhao¡¯s Noodle House.


    This also exined why Liu¡¯s Noodle House was so eager to get the recipe from Zhao, even resorting to high-risk gambling.


    If they defeated Zhao, rendering Zhao¡¯s unable to continue operating their noodle shop, Liu¡¯s, which would have obtained the recipe, would have the potential to expand and strengthen, bing the best noodle shop in Qingyang City.


    Unfortunately, there are no if¡¯s.


    After reading through Liu¡¯s pasta recipes, Qin Lang stretchedzily, patting the two pets who had ced their heads on his shoulders during his reading and seemed to show a ¡°I understood¡± expression, indicating that he was done.


    Then, he looked at Zhao Wenchang who had been waiting for a long time on the side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s dinner time now. Let¡¯s go eat something.¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 189 - 189: Fireworks

    Chapter 189: Fireworks


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Boss, give me a Grilled Lantern, please.¡±


    After queuing for a while in front of a stall, Qin Lang, whose turn had finally arrived, pointed at a delicacy he had been eyeing for some time, and opened his mouth with anticipation.


    On his way here, he had already seen many tourists holding the Grilled Lanterns made by this stall.


    It is said to be one of the most famous snacks in Qingyang City. Thentern is not a realntern, but it refers to the food that looks simr to antern.


    ¡°Alright! Little brother, please wait a moment!¡±


    The enthusiastic stall owner chuckled, his hands working non-stop.


    With each plump delicacy ced on the grill, the rich aroma carried in the heat quickly rushed towards Qin Lang¡¯s direction.


    The rich aroma of beef bursting under grilling, the natural bean vour emitted by dried tofu after roasting, and the scent of various side dishes activated by the heat intertwined, making people salivate.


    Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, each sniffing with somewhat intoxicated expressions on their little faces.


    ¡°Your Grilled Lantern is here!¡±


    The stall owner shouted, and quickly handed over a freshly made Grilled Lantern to Qin Lang.


    Therge piece of dried tofu was folded into antern shape resembling a hexagonal prism using a unique technique. Its slightly charred surface was incredibly tempting.


    Inside thentern-shaped tofu, there was arge amount of stuffing, mainly marinated beef. It looked a bit like the grilled bean dried tofu in his previous life, but it was more borate.


    Thoughtfully, the stall owner also provided a small spoon for scooping out the filling directly.


    ¡°Give it a try.¡± Qin Lang scooped a spoonful of full beef filling into Spicy¡¯s mouth, who had been impatiently waiting for it.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    What about me!


    Not willing to show weakness, Dan Bao poked its head out of its body and opened its mouth.


    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t be forgotten.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, scooping another spoonful into Dan Bao¡¯s mouth.


    Only after the two Food Spirits had savoured the food did he scoop a spoonful to taste for himself.


    The taste of the beef and other ingredients stewed inside the closed tofu was better than expected. Along with it, there was abundant juice; a light chew left a lingering fragrance.


    As he scooped up the filling, the amount inside gradually decreased. At this time, he bit off a piece of the edge of the tofu which had a charred aroma. This way, the filling wouldn¡¯t leak out.


    Although it resembled grilled bean dried tofu, this way of eating was more like having a wafer ice cream¡­


    Savouring the chewy texture of the tofu in his mouth, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    No matter what it is like, it being tasty is all that matters.


    ¡°Qin Lang, try this!¡± Zhao Wenchang, who was queuing at another stall, returned with a new dish, ¡°Crispy Chicken Bone.¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±???¡±


    He had heard of Scented Chicken Bone, but what the hell was Crispy Chicken Bone!


    He took the Crispy Chicken Bone brought by Zhao Wenchang and looked at it curiously.


    Chicken bones, with bits of meat on the surface, appeared before him.


    Although the bones had some meat on them, the chicken bone was clearly the protagonist of this dish.


    Qin Lang put on a disposable glove and picked up a piece to examine it in the light.


    Soon, he discovered that there was much thought put into these chicken bones.


    They used wide and thin chicken shoulder des, fried in hot oil until they could easily be crushed, while retaining a small amount of meat.


    The rest of the meat wasn¡¯t wasted either; it was cut into strips, covered with breadcrumbs and fried into golden chicken strips, which were ced at the bottom.


    Qin Lang started tasting it curiously.


    ¡°Crunch crunch-¡±


    In the crisp sound, the thoroughly fried chicken bones with a little meat burst out strong vour between his lips and teeth.


    The taste was surprisingly simr to that of potato chips, but even more crispy.


    ¡°Crunch!¡±


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    Seeing Qin Lang enjoying his food, the two little ones quickly gathered around.


    They also wanted to eat!


    ¡°Alright, alright, there¡¯s enough for everyone.¡± Qin Lang shoved a few pieces into Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s mouths, then picked up a fried chicken strip to try.


    The chicken strip, coated in breadcrumbs, had a crispy exterior and a tender and juicy interior that made him involuntarily reveal a satisfied expression.


    This was amon way to prepare fried chicken, nothing special.


    But the cooking was perfectly timed, and it seemed there were special seasonings added to the breadcrumbs, making the taste of the fried chicken strip particrly rich.


    ¡°Try this too.¡± Without waiting for the two little ones to urge him on, he handed over the chicken strip.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there next.¡± Seeing that Qin Lang liked the food he rmended, Zhao Wenchang chuckled, ¡°Over there are several local foods I highly rmend-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Qin Lang nodded vigorously.


    The task for tonight was to eat all of the local foods!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A deep sound filled the air, causing the now sated Qin Lang, Dan Bao, and Spicy to involuntarily look in the direction of the noise.


    In the dim light of the surrounding stalls, a bright spark climbed into the air, finally blooming into numerous colorful dots at a high altitude, forming dazzling fireworks and illuminating the eyes of everyone who looked at it.


    Seeing the cheers from those around them and the crowd flocking towards the direction of the fireworks, Zhao Wenchang shouted, ¡°It¡¯s the Fireworks


    Festival! 1 heard earlier that the Fireworks Festival would be held nearby tonight!¡±


    ¡°The Fireworks Festival¡­¡± Looking at the fireworks that continued to rise and bloom in the sky, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    He looked at the two little ones beside him who were showing a look of anticipation, and shouted loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s go and watch!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s voice was drowned out by the cheers around them, but Zhao Wenchang nearby heard it clearly. He nodded aggressively and pulled Qin Lang towards a small path. ¡°Let¡¯s take a shortcut!¡±


    This was the advantage of being a local.


    They quickly jogged through the alleyways, and soon arrived at the site of the Fireworks Festival at White Stone Square.


    In the center of the field, the staff were lighting up big fireworks.


    ¡°Step back a bit,ds!¡± A staff member came over and instructed Qin Lang and Zhao to back off.


    ¡°Shi Qi Group?¡± Looking at the logo on the staff¡¯s chest, Qin Lang had a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°Yes, we at the Shi Qi Group sponsored this Fireworks Festival.¡± The staff member puffed out his chest with pride, ¡°There¡¯s going to be a massive firework soon, get ready!¡±


    Without him mentioning it, Qin Lang and Zhao had already noticed the huge firework being carried to the center of the field by four staff members.


    Amid the sporadic exmations from the crowd, the massive firework was quickly lit.


    ¡°Boom! Whistle¡ª ¡±


    After a deep explosion, there was a piercing whistling sound.


    A bright light rose rapidly to a height where everyone had to look up to see it. It then exploded rapidly, splitting into points of light that scattered in all directions.


    Before the crowd¡¯s cheers could get a chance to rise, those points of light exploded a second time, turning into multicolored fireworks, lighting up the entire sky, and bing the most spectacr scene of the night.


    After a moment of silence, cheers and apuse resounded from all directions, continuing non-stop.


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 Chapter 190 - 190: Fog

    Chapter 190: Fog


    Trantor: 549690339


    [Extra chapter for the alliance leader, Enchanting Night Traces]


    ¡°Crack, bing!¡±


    The Fireworks Festival was so amazing!


    Even after returning to the hotel, Spicy still seemed immersed in the excitement and joy from the Fireworks Festival. The bubble light group on her head kept shifting between green and red.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s yolk-like head swayed up and down, revealing an excited expression.


    Even at this moment, the rising and bursting images of the fireworks were still etched in his mind, not fading away with time.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance to attend such a festival again in the future, 1¡¯11 take you two with me.¡± Qin Lang held the two little ones, rubbing them gently and smiled, ¡°But now, it¡¯s gettingte, and we need to get to bed early.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re going to visit Mr. Zong Nian for the cooking examination, which is considered the most difficult Second-Level Food Rmender test in Tianhua State. We need to rest well for that.¡± Qin Lang said earnestly.


    Previously, to pass Ms. Yun Qi¡¯s examination, he had used Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo as a trump card, which demonstrated that the Second-Level Food Rmender test was much harder than the First-Level one.


    Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test is reputedly even more difficult than Ms. Yun Qi¡¯s, and Qin Lang had no assurance that he would pass.


    Facing this challenge, Qin Lang surprisingly felt a little eager to try.


    A Second-Level Food Rmender test which is close to the difficulty of a Third-Level one¡­


    He was filled with anticipation parallel to that of taking the Special ss 1 chef test in his past life.


    Under their mental connection, the two little food spirits sensed Qin Lang¡¯s current mood, exchanged a nce, then nuzzled Qin Lang simultaneously, expressing their encouragement.


    ¡°Time for washing, then sleep!¡±


    The next day came in a blink of an eye.


    After a restful night, Qin Lang, his mood now steady, walked out of the hotel with the two Food Spirits. Zhao Wenchang, was waiting for them outside the hotel, promptly greeted them, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve already arranged for the car.¡±


    Expectation was etched on his face. Although he had heard about the high difficulty of Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s Second-Level Food Rmender test, he had yet to reach that level, so he could not participate in the test and did not know its specifics.


    However, this time he was apanying Qin Lang, he was sure to have a first-hand look at the nature of this mysterious test.


    ¡°OK.¡± Qin Lang nodded and then got into the car with Zhao Wenchang.


    As the surrounding scenes zipped past, towering mountains soon came into sight. Between these mountains, a faint blue mist could be vaguely seen, enveloping the area.


    That was the iconic spot of Qingyang City, Qingyang Mountain Valley.


    However, the car did not continue towards it, but detoured around it.


    Qin Lang slightly paused, puzzled.


    ¡°Mr. Zong Nian lives in a ce called the Misty Mountain Vi.¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s bewilderment, Zhao Wenchang began to exin, ¡°Misty Mountain Vi is located on the other side of the valley, hidden and covered by the blue mist. We now need to go around Qingyang Mountain Valley.¡±


    ¡°There are indeed roads through the valley, but because of the many sightseeing tourists, it¡¯s very crowded.¡± The driver, with a chuckle, exined, ¡°Every year, a great number of tourists visit to witness the unique blue fog of Qingyang Mountain Valley.¡±


    ¡°However, for us locals, this blue fog has caused quite a few inconveniences in our lives.¡± The driver shook his head, ¡°The terrain inside the valley isplex, and the dense fog makes it very inconvenient formuting.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, the valley has now been developed into a scenic area, which has boosted the economy around it.¡± Zhao Wenchang countered with a smile.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± The driver uncleughed as well.


    The three chatted idly as they traveled, and soon the car went around the valley and stopped on a road.


    ¡°Here we are. You can get off here and follow the signs all the way.¡± The driver looked back at Qin Lang and waved, ¡°I saw yourbat with Jihe yesterday, you are a goodd, do your best!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, uncle.¡±


    Qin Lang waved back with a smile, watching as the driver drove off, then he looked around.


    The vintage wooden road sign read, ¡°Misty Mountain Vi.¡±


    ¡°We should go in this direction.¡± He pointed in the direction the sign indicated, then briskly set off. Behind him, the two little food spirits and Zhao Wenchang followed closely.


    The fog grew thicker up ahead on the path.


    Blue mist shrouded the other side of the road, veiling everything ahead with ayer of mystery.


    As they both stepped into the fog, even their view behind grew hazy.


    ¡°No wonder it is called Misty Mountain Vi.¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°If this fog was white, it would feel more mysterious.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why white?¡± Zhao Wenchang, following behind, asked in confusion.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Qin Lang shook his head.


    This world had no ¡°Master of Mystic Arts¡±.


    While talking, Qin Lang¡¯s stride slightly faltered.


    An outline of a manor appeared in front of them.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, we¡¯re here!¡± Zhao Wenchang¡¯s spirit lifted, ¡°I¡¯ve been here once before, this is where Mr. Zong Nian lives.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Qin Lang took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety and anticipation, and walked forward quickly.


    The manor in the mountain became clearer as they approached.


    Arriving at the manor¡¯s gate, seeing the words ¡°Misty Mountain Vi¡± on the wooden sign, Qin Lang knew they had arrived.


    ¡°Ding Dong¡ª ¡±


    A bell rang, and shortly after, a figure approached the wrought-iron gate.


    It was a robust middle-aged man with prominent features, a stern face giving off a formidable aura. His slightly grayish hair suggested his age might be greater than he appeared.


    Having seen a picture of him beforehand, Qin Lang and Zhao quickly identified him as the person they were visiting, the Second-Level Food Rmender of Qingyang City, Mr. Zong Nian.


    Walking up to Qin Lang and Zhao Wenchang, separated by the wrought-iron gate, Zong Nian calmly scanned the two and slowly asked, ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Zong Nian.¡± Qin Lang took the initiative to introduce, ¡°My name is Qin Lang, 1 am from Dongxia City, and 1 hope to take your test to earn the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge endorsed by you.¡±


    Having spoken, he nervously watched Zong Nian¡¯s reaction.


    Zong Nian, however, paused for a moment.


    ¡°To undertake my test, you need to have already earned two Second-Level Food Rmender Badges within Tianhua State.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already obtained them.¡± Qin Lang took out the well-prepared Distant Light Badge and Deer Spirit Badge.


    Zong Nian looked over both Second-Level Food Rmender Badges, then leisurely opened the wrought-iron gate, saying, ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°I came with Qin Lang.¡± Sensing Zong Nian¡¯s gaze on him, Zhao Wenchang chuckled awkwardly. Seeing no objection from Zong Nian, he heaved a small sigh of relief and followed Qin Lang in.


    It was clear that Zong Nian¡¯s somewhat off-putting demeanor had given him, who was still quite a novice in cooking, a considerable amount of pressure.


    ¡°Give me your Spirit Chef Badge.¡± Looking at Qin Lang in the vi living room, Zong Nian said, ¡°I need to first understand your past, because¡­¡±


    ¡°My test¡­ varies from each one.¡±


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 Chapter 191 - 191: Assessment

    Chapter 191: Assessment


    Trantor: 549690339


    [Additional Chapter for Guild Master Enchanting Night Traces]


    ¡°Qin Lang, what do you think the challenge Mr. Zong Nian gave you will be?¡±


    After Mr. Zong Nian left with Qin Lang¡¯s Spirit Chef Badge, Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t help but sit next to Qin Lang and quietly start a conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the answer to this question either,¡± Qin Lang responded with a shake of his head.


    A trial that varies from person to person¡­


    This feeling aligns with the toughest second-level food rmender test in Tianhua State.


    The question now is¡­


    After Mr. Zong Nian has reviewed his past situations, would the test be moreplex, or would it be simplified?


    Qin Lang was well aware of himself, his past achievements registered with the Spirit Chef Association were astonishing,pared to most spirit chefs.


    It was due to speed.


    From getting registered as a Spirit Chef, to obtaining three First-Level Food Rmender Badges for participating in the city-level cookingpetition, to winning the city-level cooking contest and getting his first Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, and eventually obtaining the second Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.


    This entire process took him only just over a month.


    Would Mr. Zong Nian, upon seeing such an impressive track record, be stimted to make the test more challenging, or deemphasize the difficulty of the test to make it easier for him to pass?


    Qin Lang was leaning towards the former.


    Soon, footsteps approached from afar.


    Mr. Zong Nian, who had finished examining Qin Lang¡¯s circumstances, had returned.


    ¡°A truly astonishing past,¡± Mr. Zong Nian remarked as he handed Qin Lang¡¯s Spirit Chef Badge back to him, his expression as calm as ever.


    However, when he first saw Qin Lang¡¯s past, it wasn¡¯t as easy for him to hide his initial reaction.


    ¡°Thank you for your recognition,¡± Qin Lang took the Spirit Chef Badge and nervously questioned, ¡°Mr. Zong Nian, what will my test be?¡±


    ¡°In Qingyang City, there are eleven First-Level Food Rmenders,¡± Zong Nian dodged the question and instead mentioned the situation of the Food Rmenders in Qingyang City.


    Qin Lang listened attentively.


    Generally, the number of Food Rmenders in a city is fixed.


    There is only one second-level food rmender, and eleven first-level food rmenders.


    This is the case in both Dongxia City and Qingyang City.


    ¡°And your test is¡­¡± Zong Nian calmly spoke, ¡°to meet the requirements of three of the First-Level Food Rmenders with just one dish and to satisfy me.¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±


    Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t help but draw a breath of cold air.


    He was taken aback just by hearing the requirements of this test.


    Would Qin Lang be able to pass such a test?


    He couldn¡¯t help but turn and nce at Qin Lang, who was frowning.


    Qin Lang was also surprised by such a test.


    To meet the challenge of three first-level food rmenders shouldn¡¯t be a difficult feat.


    However, if ¡°with just one dish¡± is added as a prerequisite, then the problem bes quite significant.


    This means that the dish needs to meet the challenging requirements of three First-Level Food Rmenders simultaneously.


    Yet the strengths and testing directions of the same-level food rmenders from the same city arepletely different.


    For instance, when in Dongxia City, Zhou Qing challenged fish cuisine, Fu Hang challenged beef dishes, and Song Hui challenged the rather niche field of desserts.


    There are also food rmenders who challenge poultry, sauces and other types of dishes.


    In short, there is never an ovep between the testing directions of any two food rmenders.


    While Qin Lang hasn¡¯t had time to understand the situation here in Qingyang City, it¡¯s likely to be the same.


    So, using a single dish to simultaneously meet three different testing directions presents a huge challenge for selecting the dish and may even require somepromise.


    This is where another difficulty lies.


    Compromising often means one can¡¯t exhibit one¡¯s best culinary skills.


    Yet this dish not only needs to meet the test requirements of three First-Level Food Rmenders, but also has to satisfy Mr. Zong Nian, who is a Second-Level Food Rmender.


    Qin Lang took a deep breath, feeling the true difficulty of the toughest Second-Level Food Rmender test.


    The only chance of breaking this test lies with the three First-Level Food Rmenders not making specifications.


    If he can choose any three of the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders, then he could flexibly choose them based on the dish he prepares, which would increase the possibility of passing the test.


    However, just as Qin Lang thought of this, Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s nextment doused Qin Lang in a bucket of cold reality.


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s one more requirement: Jiang Zhan must be one of the three Food Rmenders.¡±


    Jiang Zhan? Who is that?


    Qin Lang hadn¡¯t researched the First-Level Food Rmenders of Qingyang City, so this name was unfamiliar to him.


    Undoubtedly, fixing one of the Food Rmenders means one direction has been fixed.


    Again, the flexibility of the test decreases.


    And the difficulty increases.


    Qin Lang took a deep breath, ¡°Mr. Zong Nian, may 1 return home first to prepare for the test?¡±


    The content of Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test was truly unexpected. He hadn¡¯t prepared for this. He wasn¡¯t even aware who the First-Level Food Rmenders in Qingyang City were. He had no choice but to take leave first and get prepared before his next visit.


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Mr. Zong Nian calmly nodded, ¡°But you only have one week. Any longer and it will be considered as a test failure.¡±


    ¡°If you fail the test for a Second-Level Food Rmender, you won¡¯t be able to try again for three months.¡±


    One week¡­


    This preparation time was not particrly generous.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zong Nian. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± With a polite bow in his direction, Qin Lang headed towards the exit of the mansion.


    Only after he left the mansion did Zhao Wenchang, who had been trailing him, speak up in a muffled voice.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the difficulty level too high? Qin Lang, why don¡¯t we just give up?¡±


    ¡°There are twelve cities in Tianhua State, and you already have collected two Second-Level Food Rmender Badges. It definitely won¡¯t be hard for you to find a way to get three more!¡±


    ¡°No, I want to try.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes flickered with determination, ¡°Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s challenge is indeed difficult, even more so than 1 imagined. But if 1 don¡¯t even have the courage to attempt it, how can 1 ever improve my culinary skills in the future?¡±


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    We will do our best together!


    ¡°Click!¡±


    It¡¯s just a Second-Level Food Rmender Test, we will definitely get through it!


    Both Food Spirits were equally confident in Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang smiled as he clung to the two small spirits.


    There was something he didn¡¯t mention.


    Though challenging, the difficulty of Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test was still lower than that of the Third-Level Food Rmender¡¯s test.


    If he backed down now, how would he face the Third-Level Food Rmender¡¯s test in the future?


    If he didn¡¯t undertake the Third-Level Food Rmender¡¯s test, how would he enter a higher regional levelpetition than the provincial one and explore the fascinating Star System?


    ¡°By the way.¡± Qin Lang turned to Zhao Wenchang, ¡°What exactly does that Food Rmender named Jiang Zhan test?¡±


    Since Mr. Zong Nian specifically mentioned him, it couldn¡¯t be that simple.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang Zhan specializes in testing mutton dishes,¡± Zhao Wenchang scratched his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Mr. Zong Nian specifically appointed him. Could it be because Mr. Zong Nian knows that you¡¯re good at cooking mutton, so he is trying to decrease the difficulty a little?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Qin Lang looked a bit strange, ¡°It may be just the opposite.¡±


    In his past record, not a single dish he cooked involved mutton.


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 Chapter 192: Train of Thought

    Chapter 192: Train of Thought


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What?! You¡¯re saying you¡¯ve never cooked amb dish?!¡±


    Zhao Wenchang¡¯s surprised exmation echoed amidst a blue mist.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯ve never made it¡­¡± Qin Lang rubbed his face, ¡°I just never did when I participated in cooking contests and Food Rmender assessments.¡±


    He had made it a few times for himself privately.


    Including the fattymb rolls he had at a hot pot in Bai Lu Mountain City¡­


    At this point, he understood the intention behind Mr. Zong Nian reviewing his past records.


    Did he specifically choose a type of dish that he was not good at for his examination?


    Having identified the intention of the challenge, Qin Lang felt relieved.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was really bad at cookingmb, he just never had the opportunity to showcase it.


    It seemed that this was a misjudgment on Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s part.


    This could actually be an advantage.


    Did the dish he was preparing require the use ofmb¡­


    This would then make the choices of the other two First-Level Food Rmenders very important.


    Qin Lang pinched his chin and turned to Zhao Wenchang, ¡°Do you know anything about the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders in Qingyang city?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Zhao Wenchang nodded decisively, ¡°After all, I¡¯m also preparing to get my first Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    ¡°The First-Level Food Rmenders in our Qingyang City are¡­¡±


    The two walked and chatted.


    A momentter, as Zhao Wenchang finished introducing thest First-Level Food Rmender, Qin Lang seemed to mull over something and nodded.


    After the introduction, he had a better understanding of the situation of the Food Rmenders in Qingyang City.


    First of all, Mr. Zong Nian specifically assigned Jiang Zhan as a Food Rmender. He is exceptionally good at cookingmb. His assessment content is rted tomb, which is to prepare a dish that satisfies him usingmb.


    In conjunction with Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s request, it meant that Qin Lang had to usemb as one of the ingredients in the dish he chose and make Jiang Zhan satisfied.


    Aside from this, the remaining ten First-Level Food Rmenders each had their specialty.


    Mr. Yao Jian, a Food Rmender, has a reputation as a ¡°culinary artist¡± in the culinary circle of Qingyang City. His dishes are stylishly garnished, filled with elegance and artistic sense, which is the direction of his assessment¡ª the appearance and garnish of the dish.


    Mr. Qian Jin, a Food Rmender, excels in developing seasonings and marinating sauces. His new varieties of sauces have received extensive praise in the culinary scene of Qingyang City, and his assessment content is rted to this. He demands the Spirit Chef to innovate in terms of seasoning.


    Mr. Li Yunxi, a Food Rmender, opened thergest seafood farming base in the city by introducing a tributary of Xiayun River to Qingyang City, which was simr to Fu Hang. His assessment content is rted to seafood, and it includes fish, shrimp, and crab.


    Ms. Tian Hedan, a Food Rmender, loves vegetables due to her lifestyle habits and has a strong dislike for meat dishes. It is said that her dining table would never have meat on it, and this is also reflected in her Food Rmender assessment.


    Ms. Xi Chen, a Food Rmender, is skilled in cooking mountain delicacies such as mushrooms, ears, and shoots. Although she is often sent to the hospital due to this, she always believes that it is because she did not cook the ingredients thoroughly. Her Food Rmender assessment involves these types of mountain delicacies too.


    Aside from these, there¡¯s Mr. Ding Yan who excels in cooking beef, IVLr. Sun Yao who is good at cooking pork, Ms. Zhai Qiu who specializes in desserts, Ms. Xiang Qing who excels in cooking poultry, and Mr. Xu Fang who is skilled in making pasta¡­


    After understanding the situation of the eleven Food Rmenders in Qingyang City, Qin Lang already had some ideas in his mind.


    Firstly, Ms. Tian Hedan, who tested vegetarian food, could be directly excluded. In the case where the use ofmb is mandatory, she, who disliked meat dishes, would never be satisfied with the cooked dishes.


    Secondly, Ms. Zhai Qiu, who tested desserts, could also be ruled out.


    Combiningmb and desserts¡­ seems too good to be true.


    So, his test could be simplified as: picking two out of the remaining eight Food Rmenders, along with Mr. Jiang Zhan, to serve as his First-Level Food Rmender examiners.


    Choosing two dishes to be served withmb from the categories of garnish, sauce seasoning, seafood, mountain delicacies, beef, pork, poultry, and noodles.


    As his thoughts gradually aligned, Qin Lang had an epiphany.


    When he first heard about the assessment requirement from Mr. Zong Nian, even he, with his extensive cooking experience, felt somewhat at a loss.


    At this moment, he regained his confidence.


    If that¡¯s the case, not only does this test have a solution, but there is also more than one.


    The easiest to think of would be a challengebining mutton, pasta, and seasonings, for which he could use Lamb Paomo.


    He was confident that he could pass the test of the three first-level food rmenders with it.


    However, whether Lamb Paomo, as a traditional cuisine of northwest China, could satisfy Mr. Zong Nian, Qin Lang was not so sure.


    If the test failed, he would not be able to take it again within three months. With no chance for trial and error, Qin Lang felt he needed to be more cautious.


    Beef and pork¡­


    Both being livestock, there are rtively few dishes thatbine two or more types of livestock meat, as this approach is likely to cause conflicts between the vors of the various meats.


    Poultry¡­


    Though there is the possibility ofbination, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t immediately think of any dishes that use both mutton and poultry.


    Mountain delicacies, on the other hand, could bebined with mutton. Adding bamboo shoots or mushrooms during the cooking process of the mutton could further enhance the vor.


    As for seafood¡­


    Wait!


    Seafood?!


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes widened abruptly.


    A dish name shed across his mind like a bolt of lightning.


    Fish Belly Hidden Lamb!


    This dish meets the requirements of mutton, seafood, and mountain delicacies all at once,bining the ultimate deliciousness of fish and mutton.


    Because, mutton and fish are both delicious.


    Even facing the more demanding Zong Nian, Qin Lang was pretty sure that this dish would satisfy him.


    He¡¯s made up his mind, it¡¯s the one!


    Having decided on the dish to cook, Qin Lang immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    Next, he would try to practice a few more times, reach his best condition, and then visit Mr. Zong Nian again.


    After deciding on the dish, the seven days of preparation time suddenly seemed more than enough.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    He lifted his head, only now having the mind to observe his surroundings.


    Unknowingly, the two of them had reached the interior of a valley surrounded by mountains, enveloped in a light blue mist. Looking up at the sky, the sun, veiled by the mist, was turned into a sight that one could stare directly into, simultaneously being tinted a shade of blue.


    This was the unique blue sun view of the Qingyang Mountain Valley.


    ¡°How did we end up here?¡± Qin Lang curiously looked at Zhao Wenchang beside him.


    ¡°I was following you,¡± Zhao Wenchang was taken aback, ¡°After we walked out of the Misty Mountain Vi, you headed in this direction without hesitation. I thought you had seen the signpost¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Qin Lang nced at the visitors in the distance, who could be vaguely seen.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re here, it¡¯s also good to have a look around.¡±


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 Chapter 193: Adventure

    Chapter 193: Adventure


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±


    Upon entering the recreational area of Qingyang Valley, Zhao Wenchang looked around with a look of surprise on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Lang, who had never been to Qingyang Valley, asked casually.


    ¡°I was nning to take you to some of the most interesting attractions in the valley,¡± Zhao Wenchang sighed, pointing around, ¡°whether it¡¯s the Misty Roller Coaster or Jungle Bumper Cars, they¡¯re all a lot of fun. Unfortunately, they¡¯re all closed today.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we came at the wrong time?¡± Qin Lang shrugged, noticing all the attractions marked ¡®temporarily closed¡¯.


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Wenchang shook his head, ¡°These attractions do asionally close for maintenance, but never all at the same time.¡±


    ¡°And despite the closure of the attractions, there are still plenty of tourists here.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ maybe there¡¯s some event happening here that 1 wasn¡¯t aware of?¡± Zhao Wenchang, a local, quickly guessed.


    ¡°We could ask a tourist.¡± Qin Lang quickly approached a young woman, ¡°Excuse me, is there any special event in Qingyang Valley today? Why are all the facilities closed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The young woman brightened at the sight of Qin Lang and cheerfully responded, ¡°There¡¯s an interestingpetition happening in Qingyang Valley today. The Scenic Area management team is hosting it and because they¡¯re short-staffed, the attractions are temporarily closed.¡±


    ¡°Also, this funpetition is certified by the Spirit Chef Association and you can earn Star Power-¡±


    A funpetition?


    Qin Lang blinked.


    That was an unexpected yet inevitable answer.


    ¡°Gu-lu!¡±


    I want to participate!


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up immediately.


    It remembered participating in the Shi Qi Cup Rookie Tacit Challenge. In thatpetition, it teamed up with Qin Lang and they defeated their opponent,ing first.


    As a reward, it not only gained Star Power, but also a level one Mind Stone. With that Mind Stone, Dan Bao sessfully awakened the Combat Skill of Thought Waves during its Two Stars promotion.


    Because of this experience, Dan Bao was extremely enthusiastic about funpetitions!


    ¡°Cha-ka Cha-ba!¡±


    I want to participate too!


    Spicy, standing by the side, spoke up, unwilling to be outdone.


    Thest time Qin Lang and Dan Bao had participated in a funpetition, he hadn¡¯t been born yet.


    When he heard Dan Bao talking about that funpetitionter, Spicy regretted he couldn¡¯t participate.


    Now with a simr funpetition happening, it wouldn¡¯t miss it!


    ¡°I really am a terrible guide.¡± Zhao Wenchang pped his forehead in regret, ¡°I should¡¯ve known about this funpetition.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for you to overlook these, you¡¯ve been worried about your family¡¯s restaurant.¡± Qin Lang smiled and then turned to look at the young woman, ¡°Excuse me, where can we find out more about this funpetition?¡±


    ¡°I grabbed an extra promotional brochure for thepetition. Here, you can have it.¡± The woman handed Qin Lang a brochure from her bag, waved, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to go, bye-¡°.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Watching her leave, Qin Lang looked down at the brochure in his hand.


    ¡°Brave Cup Mist Adventure Race?¡±


    Seeing the name of thepetition on the brochure, he became interested.


    ¡°Oh, the Brave Cup.¡± Zhao Wenchang, standing nearby, had a sudden realization, ¡°Qingyang Valley hosts four to five different funpetitions each year and the Brave Cup is the most famous of them all.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the Brave Cup, we have to mention a famous spot in Qingyang Valley¡ªthe Brave Cave!¡±


    ¡°Legend has it that a long time ago, the thick fog in Qingyang Valley deterred the locals from entering, fearing they would get lost and not find their way back.¡±


    ¡°At that time, a brave citizen named Chou Chen ventured into the valley intending to draw a map of Qingyang Valley and leave markers along the way, disclosing the mysteries of the valley¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he seed?¡±


    Qin Lang shifted his attention from the brochure in his hands to Zhao Wenchang¡¯s words.


    This was much more fun than reading the dry introduction on the brochure.


    Dan Bao and Spicy felt the same.


    After all, the dense text on the leaflet made them dizzy.


    ¡°Of course he seeded, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be called ¡®Brave Man¡¯.¡± Zhao Wenchangughed, ¡°After that, the locals gradually developed Qingyang Valley and that¡¯s how we have everything we see today.¡±


    ¡°And that ¡®Brave Man¡¯, Chou Chen, not only left markers around Qingyang Valley and drew maps, he also repeatedly explored the mysterious green mist in the valley, uncovering more mysteries.¡±


    ¡°The Brave Cave is another one of his major discoveries, named in his honor. It¡¯s arge cave in Qingyang Valley that runs through the highest mountain in the valley, like a naturally formed tunnel.¡±


    ¡°The cave twists and turns, its total length exceeding five kilometers. The mysterious green mist of the outside world also exists within the cave.¡±


    There¡¯s also a legend associated with Brave Cave.¡± Zhao Wenchang spoke mysteriously, ¡°On his deathbed, the ¡®Brave Man¡¯ Chou Chen left a will saying that he left a treasure in the cave, and only the bravest explorers could find it.¡±


    ¡°Gu-lu-¡±


    ¡°Cha-ka-¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy looked forward in anticipation. After hearing Zhao Wenchang¡¯s story, they were eager to find Chou Chen¡¯s treasure.


    Mountain Bandit King¡­


    Qin Lang rolled his eyes, watching the duo beside him.


    ¡°In any case, tomemorate ¡®Brave Man¡¯ Chou Chen and to publicize his story, the authorities hold the Brave Cup Mist Adventure Race in Qingyang Valley Scenic Area every year.¡±


    ¡°All participants will enter the Brave Cave from one side and then exit from the other.¡±


    ¡°A speedpetition?¡± Qin Lang wore a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°No, speed is only one aspect.¡± Zhao Wenchang chuckled, ¡°If you only run the fastest and get out of the cave first, you can¡¯t get good results.¡±


    ¡°The organizingmittee has hidden a lot of ¡®Brave Treasures¡¯ in the cave. The participants need to find them and exit the valley with them.¡±


    ¡°The number of Brave Treasures found and the time to exit the valley will be added together to determine the finalpetition rankings.¡±


    ¡°The top three runners can win a three-day Fun Pass to Qingyang Valley Scenic Area, where all expenses are covered!¡±


    ¡°Let me check the deadline¡­¡± Qin Lang nced at the brochure in his hand, ¡°We have half an hour left to register. Let¡¯s go register now!¡±


    The prizes may not be substantial, but it¡¯s all in good fun, right?


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 Chapter 194: Treasure

    Chapter 194: Treasure


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°WenChang, have you ever participated in the Brave Cup Mist Adventure Race before?¡±


    Havingpleted the registration, Qin Lang looked at a huge cave shrouded in green mist and ck inside, not far away, and asked Zhao Wenchang who was beside him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to participate, but I only recently became a Spirit Chef,¡± Zhao Wenchang shrugged his shoulders, ¡°So, 1 haven¡¯t participated in this funpetition.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can give it a try now.¡± Seeing the other thirty-two contestants preparing to enter the cave, Qin Lang and the two little ones showed an eager expression.


    ¡°Even though my ability isn¡¯t strong, what exploration requires is a brave heart,¡± Zhao Wenchangughed, summoning his Food Spirit, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.


    ¡°Will the thirty-four contestants please get ready!¡± A deeply masculine voice came from the broadcast, ¡°The Brave Cup Mist Adventure Race is about to begin!¡±


    ¡°The organizer has equipped every contestant with the same adventure gear as the ¡®Brave One¡¯, we hope you all can venture into the cave as courageously as Chou Chen did in his time and explore the unknown world!¡±


    Several staff members immediately stepped forward to distribute the equipment bags to the contestants.


    Every bag had a shlight, apass, a bandage, a marker pen and a bottle of water.


    Did the brave Chou Chen really explore with these things back then?


    Qin Lang was skeptical of this.


    However, these things were indeed useful in a dark cave.


    ¡°Being brave explorers, in addition to safelying out from the other side of the cave, you have another important task toplete!¡±


    ¡°That is¨C ¡±


    ¡°To find the treasure that the Bravery left behind!¡±


    Surrounding spectators suddenly burst intoughter, making the atmosphere quite cheerful.


    Everyone knew that this ¡°treasure¡± was a prop ced inside the cave by the organizers.


    ¡°We¡¯ll split upter,¡± Zhao Wenchang nudged Qin Lang with his shoulder. ¡°This way we can find more of the brave treasure.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Qin Lang agreed readily, ¡°Just right, we can see who finds more of the brave treasure.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Zhao Wenchang was eager to try.


    The broadcast continued.


    ¡°The look of the brave treasures is easy to recognize, they are marked with our


    Brave Cup Mist Adventure Race logo!¡±


    ¡°These treasures are hidden in various ces within the cave, we hope that the thirty-four contestants can find them all, the more treasures you find, the higher your final score will be!¡±


    ¡°And now¡ª- ¡±


    ¡°The Misty Adventure Race, formally begins!¡±


    ¡°Good luck to you all, brave adventurers!¡±


    As the broadcast ended, the railings blocking the cave entrance were lifted by the staff members, and the thirty-four contestants, including Qin Lang and Zhao Wenchang, rushed in.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    As they entered the real darkness, the sound of shlights being switched on echoed in the silent cave.


    Thirty-four beams of shlight, momentarily illuminating the surroundings.


    However, as the beams scattered and the thirty-four contestants began to check different directions within the cave, the cave quickly returned to its dim state.


    Even though the time taken to get out of the cave was part of the final score, the contestants did not immediately start running.


    On one hand, this part of the score was much less than the score for finding the treasures.


    On the other hand, the cave floor was not as smooth as a track and running could easily lead to tripping and falling.


    While illuminating the ground to prevent tripping and carefully avoiding otherpetitors, Qin Lang quickly reached a turning point inside the cave.


    Unexpectedly, there were forks within the cave.


    But a naturally formed cave having forks was quite reasonable.


    Taking advantage of the fact that the other contestants hadn¡¯t noticed this area, Qin Lang didn¡¯t hesitate and directly chose one of the forked entrances to go in.


    ¡°Gulu¡­¡±


    So quiet¡­so dark¡­


    Dan Bao looked around somewhat fearfully, it began to feel scared as they really entered the cave.


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    You¡¯re so timid!


    Spicy, while shivering, tried to act nonchnt and mumbled, the light on his head shing between red and green.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, you two follow me.¡±


    Though Qin Lang felt a bit spooked, he did not disy his fear in front of the two Food Spirits. About ten meters in, he took out a marker and carefully drew a unique mark on the cliff.


    He made plenty of marks so he could retrace his steps even if he ended up in a dead-end¡­


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    A shadow suddenly lunged at him from a hidden corner in the cliff, causing Qin Lang to shiver and nearly drop his marker.


    ¡°Crack!!!¡±


    Spicy also jumped in fright, shing in an instant to hide behind Qin Lang, with itspletely red light bubble trailing leisurely behind from its previous location.


    ¡°Glorp!!!¡±


    Startled as well, Dan Bao reflexively spat out a pir of fire that engulfed the shadow that was lunging toward it.


    Looking at the shadow being devoured by the me, Qin Lang, fresh off a scare, took deep breaths and cautiously approached with his shlight.


    Seeing the scorched dummy lying on the ground, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    It nearly frightened him to death just now.


    What happened to the Misty Adventure Race? Why does it feel like an escape room?


    From the entrance where they came from, Qin Lang faintly heard the screams and shouts of other people.


    Clearly, quite a few contestants experienced simr scares.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, these are just dummies prepared by the organizers.¡±


    Noticing that the two young ones hadn¡¯t recovered from the scare, Qin Langughed, directly lifted the dummy, shook it in the air, and then threw it on the ground.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we continue onwards.¡±


    Thanks to Qin Lang¡¯s demonstration, the two Food Spirits quickly calmed down from their fright.


    ¡°Click ck!¡±


    If there are any more dummies, I will bite them hard with my Lucky Bite Mark!


    Dissatisfied with her performance just now, Spicy followed Qin Lang, speaking resentfully.


    Dan Bao vigntly watched its surroundings, guarding against simr dummies appearing again.


    ¡°Huh?¡± After a short walk ahead, Qin Lang paused.


    The shlight just swept over something shiny.


    He aimed the shlight at the direction from his memory, indeed seeing a metal gleam in the cracks of the cliff.


    ¡°Glorp!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    Dan Bao used its Thought Waves to control the shiny object and flew it into Qin Lang¡¯s hand.


    It was a gold coin, both sides of the coin were stamped with a hexagon and a fist symbol, which is the Brave Cup¡¯s symbol.


    ¡°The Brave Treasure is gold coins?¡± Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°It really has the feel of a treasure.¡±


    He pocketed the gold coin and continued deeper with the two young spirits.


    Shortly afterward, another metallic gleam appeared under his shlight.


    ¡°Click ck!¡±


    This time it¡¯s my turn!


    Spicy volunteered, appearing instantly before the shiny metal.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    It joyfully bit the gold coin.


    The next moment, shadows rose abruptly from all around!


    ¡°Crack!!!¡±


    ¡°Glurg!!!¡±


    ¡°Holy crap!!!¡±


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 Chapter 195: Export

    Chapter 195: Export


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ding¡ª ¡±


    A crisp metallic collision sounded in the silent and gloomy cave.


    ¡°The eighth one¡­¡±


    Qin Lang received the gold coin that had flown to him under the control of Dan Bao¡¯s thought waves, and heaved a sigh of relief.


    The organizers had indeed gone great lengths. At every hiding ce of the gold coin, they had set up a variety of scary props. If it were not for Dan Bao¡¯s thought power control that could fetch the gold coin without triggering the traps, exploring this dark cave would be unbearable.


    Looking at the blocked path ahead, Qin Lang shrugged, ¡°We can go back the same way and try our luck at the next fork.¡±


    This was when the markers they made on their way in became essential.


    The two little creatures hurriedly followed Qin Lang¡¯s steps, vigntly ncing around.


    After being scared several times, they now felt a sense of tension as if they were in a battleground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, there are footprints from our way in on the ground. We won¡¯t encounter any problems if we follow them,¡± Qin Langforted, a curious look crossing his face.


    ¡°I wonder how many gold coins the otherpetitors have gotten?¡±


    ¡°Chirp, are you ready?¡±


    In another location far from Qin Lang in the cave, Zhao Wenchang pointed a shlight beam at a glimmer of gold on a fissure in the cliff, his face showing a serious expression.


    ¡°Chirp-¡±


    By his side, a golden Food Spirit with a beaky face, and a pair of little wings on its round body, nodded its head seriously.


    ¡°Three¡­ two¡­¡±


    Zhao Wenchang began counting down.


    ¡°One, go!¡±


    Zhao Wenchang, who had been ready, ran quickly towards the direction of the glimmer.


    The Food Spirit, Chirp, flew high up, and exploded into a burst of tinum light the next moment. It was like a miniature sun appearing on the top of the cave.


    Combat Skill: Light Shatter!


    This was a nature-basedbat skill that could instantly dispel fog, camouge, and other effects. At this moment, its usage was more direct¡ªit served as a light source.


    Under this intense tinum light, every hidden thing in the dark was revealed. The hidden traps, which were usually difficult to detect, were no exception.


    Zhao Wenchang observed his surroundings by the light, stepping over a fine line that was hard to detect. He then reached out and, after avoiding several simr lines, easily got the gold coin.


    ¡°Sess!¡±


    Upon getting the gold coin, Zhao Wenchang retreated a few steps. Chirp in the air quickly dispersed its light and returned to his side.


    Maintainingbat skills of such arge range consumed a lot of spiritual power.


    ¡°That¡¯s the sixth one, keep it up!¡± Zhao Wenchang held Chirp in his arms and the shlight in his hand, continuing to walk towards the unexplored area of the cave.


    ¡°Bang Bang, Electromaic Traction!¡±


    In another location in the cave, a young girl wearing a duckbill hat swung her hand dramatically in one direction. It was as if what she was holding wasn¡¯t a shlight, but a battle g.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    A cute Food Spirit with shining purple patterns on its body roared. Streams of electricity danced around its plump body, generating an invisible maic field.


    ¡°Crack¡­crack¡­¡±


    Several subtle noises came from all around them.


    The next moment, simr electric arcs appeared in the darkness and began to flicker as if in response to the Food Spirit performing thebat skill.


    Combat Skill: Electromaic Traction.


    This nature-basedbat skill was able to create an electromaic field around the Food Spirit that could detect its surroundings and imprint targets within the field with electric arcs. This could act as a marker and cause slight paralysis.


    ¡°Well done!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Sha Luo, Rapid-fire Touch!¡±


    ¡°Ssss!¡±


    Another Food Spirit, with a sandy-colored body, roared by the girl¡¯s side. At high speed, three slender tentacles shot out from its body, pointing to the three spots flickering with electric arcs. It then swiftly wound them up and retracted.


    The triggered traps were toote to affect the girl and her Wo Food Spirits. ¡°Three gold coins in the bag!¡± After storing the gold coins, the girl shouted, ¡°We¡¯ve got eleven gold coins now!¡±


    The two Food Spirits at her side cheered in unison, expressing their excitement.


    ¡°As a descendant of the ¡®Brave One¡¯ Chou Chen, I, Chou Yun Er, will prove with my skill that I am the most formidable explorer!¡± The girl¡¯s face brimmed with confidence, ¡°And it starts with winning First ce in the Brave One¡¯s Cup!¡± ¡°New generation of beautiful young adventurers, set off!¡±


    The girl, holding her shlight, ran a few steps ahead and then tumbled.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    An hourter.


    ¡°We should go southwest¡­¡± Qin Lang took out thepass provided by the organizer and had a look at it using the shlight, ¡°The exit is in that direction.¡±


    ¡°Decided then! We¡¯ll take this fork!¡± He quickly chose the fork closest to the southwest from the three in front of him.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Let¡¯s collect more gold coins!


    Dan Bao called out loudly.


    ¡°Cackle!¡±


    I¡¯ll lead the way!


    Spicy responded enthusiastically.


    As time passed, the two little creatures grew ustomed to the dark environment, they were less afraid of the cave, and their courage grew as well.


    Dan Bao¡¯s thought waves could get the gold coin from a distance without triggering the traps, while Spicy¡¯s instant teleportation could allow him to escape unscathed after triggering the traps.


    Once the two have gotten the hang of the process, the efficiency of collecting gold coins had significantly improved.


    During the three-hourpetition period, one man and two spirits obtained a total of fifty-four gold coins. The heavy gold coins were put in a small bag that Qin Lang held in his hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s one over there.¡±


    Upon entering the fork, Qin Lang¡¯s shlight swept around, and it quickly picked up the metallic glint once again.


    ¡°Cackle!¡±


    Spicy dashed forward in a sh, grabbed the gold coin, quickly teleported back to avoid the triggered dummy trap, and handed the gold coin to Qin Lang.


    Their actions had be so deft that the hovering light bubbles couldn¡¯t react. ¡°Well done!¡± Qin Lang patted Spicy¡¯s head.


    While he was proud of Spicy¡¯s proficiency in teleportation, what pleased Qin Lang more was that the little guy had be braver during the exploration. ¡°Fifty-five, let¡¯s keep moving!¡±


    With shlight in hand, Qin Lang and the two little ones continued forward.


    Fifty-six¡­


    Fifty-seven¡­


    Upon receiving the fifty-eighth gold coin manipted by thought waves, Qin Lang looked around, ¡°Does it seem a bit brighter in the cave?¡±


    He turned off his shlight, and the faint natural light in the cave became more noticeable.


    This was not an illusion; there was indeed light!


    This meant they were very close to the exit!


    The two little creatures nced at each other, their faces filled with excitement.


    Finally, they reached the exit!


    ¡°It¡¯s that way!¡± After determining the direction with more light, Qin Lang turned on the shlight again and quickened his pace.


    After walking a dozen meters in the winding cave passage, the light shone on his face.


    Outside therge opening was the endpoint of the adventure race.


    ¡°Congrattions to yer Qin Lang, the seventh one to exit Adventurer¡¯s Cave!¡±


    Shortcut:[Monthly ticket]!Rmendation ticket]

 Chapter 196: The Road Idiot

    Chapter 196: The Road Idiot


    Trantor: 549690339


    Six contestants have already emerged from the cave ahead of me?


    Qin Lang was a little surprised.


    However, the order of emergence from the cave does not determine the final ranking in the Misty Adventure Race, the number of gold coins collected is more important.


    On an electronic screen nearby, the clearance times and the number of gold coins collected by the first six contestants were disyed. Among them, the contestant with the most gold coins had not exceeded fifty.


    ¡°Hello, please hand over the ¡®Brave Treasure¡¯ you have collected for my tally,¡± a Staff member walked up to Qin Lang and cheerfully pulled out a basket.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang poured the coins from the small bag into the basket. The rity of the ¡°nk¡± sound captured the attention of many audiences.


    When they saw the number of gold coins that Qin Lang turned in, there was suddenly a lot of whispering in the field.


    Although it hasn¡¯t been counted yet, Qin Lang¡¯s number of gold coins is obviously higher than others.


    Soon, the counting result came out.


    ¡°Qin Lang has found fifty-eight ¡®Brave Treasures¡¯ in the Brave Cave! Let¡¯s congratte him with a warm round of apuse!¡±


    After the count, Qin Lang went to sit down on a seat to one side.


    He did not see Zhao Wenchang¡¯s figure, so it seemed that he was still in the cave.


    The hidden cameras in various parts of the cave faithfully recorded the explorations of the contestants. Qin Lang soon found Zhao Wenchang¡¯s figure in one of the split screens.


    Judging from the small map, he was not far from the exit.


    In the picture, Zhao Wenchang was just collecting a gold coin, which allowed Qin Lang to see his way of collecting the gold coins.


    Breaking through by brightness?


    Recognizing the Combat Skill of Zhao Wenchang¡¯s Food Spirit, he looked surprised.


    He knew Zhao Wenchang¡¯s Food Skill, but he was unfamiliar with his Combat Skill.


    He didn¡¯t expect this.


    If that¡¯s the case, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s efficiency in obtaining gold coins should not be low.


    For a while, Qin Lang was curious about how the other contestants had obtained the gold coins.


    Different Spirit Chefs have differentbinations of Combat Skills, naturally leading to different ways of use.


    His gaze turned to other screens, and he began to observe with interest.


    As thepetition time went by second by second.


    After Qin Lang, one contestant after another walked out of the cave, after the count of their collected gold coins waspleted, for the time being no one exceeded Qin Lang.


    This made Dan Bao and Spicy quite happy.


    After all, they were the ones who did the job of collecting the gold coins.


    Suddenly, Zhao Wenchang walked out.


    After handing over his gold coins to the Staff member, he quickly walked towards Qin Lang, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe out this early!¡±


    ¡°I almost got dizzy in the cave, didn¡¯t expect so many bifurcations inside.¡±


    ¡°I saw that.¡± Qin Lang pointed to the screen with a smile, implying that he had seen the other¡¯s exploration process.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Just as aware, Zhao Wenchang scratched his head, ¡°I got fifty-five gold coins, seems like a high rank.¡±


    ¡°Almost exceeded me.¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I hope to make it into the top three, so 1 can get the three-day unlimited Scenic Area Fun Pass.¡± Zhao Wenchang looked forward with anticipation.


    While the two were talking, several more contestants came out of the cave.


    Soon, there was only onest contestant left in the cave out of the thirty-four contestants.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the picture of the contestant.


    It was a skinny female contestant, wearing a duckbill hat that made her face unclear in the dim cave. She was walking back and forth in the corridor with her two Food Spirits.


    ording to the positioning map on the side, she kept going in circles.


    Lost in the cave?


    The expressions on the audience¡¯s face became curious.


    Suddenly, the girl seemed to recognize a direction, grabbed a shlight, and ran hurriedly in that direction.


    She fell after a few steps.


    The expression on the faces of the audience became even more curious.


    After bumbling along like this, and after another full half hour, the girl finally found her way to the exit honestly by luck and walked out.


    The sunlight sshed on the pretty face under Chou Yun Er¡¯s duckbill hat, making her triumphant expression clear.''¡±! must have been the first one out, right?¡± Chou Yun Er crossed her arms, ¡°This is the power of a cute little adventurer like me!¡±


    The field suddenly went quiet.


    It was obvious that everyone was struggling to hold back theirughter.


    ¡°Congrattions to contestant Chou Yun Er, the thirty-fourth one to make it out of the Brave Cave!¡±


    Even the sound of the broadcast carried a touch ofughter.


    ¡°Thest one?¡± Chou Yun Er¡¯s expression froze.


    Damn it!


    How is this possible!


    1 am a descendant of the brave ones!


    ¡°Contestant Chou Yun Er, you can turn in your ¡®Brave Treasure¡¯ for me to count now.¡± A staff member approached with a grin.


    ¡°Ok!¡± Chou Yun Er took out a hefty bag, spilling its contents of gold coins with a ¡°tter.¡±


    The field fell silent once again.


    This¡­ This¡­ is so many?!


    Soon, the tally wasplete.


    ¡°Contestant Chou Yun Er has collected a total of seventy-three ¡®Brave Treasures¡¯ within the Brave Cave! Let¡¯s give her a round of apuse!¡±


    Seventy-three coins!


    Those yers anticipating thepetition results held their breath.


    An astonished look crossed Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Soon, he figured out why she was able to collect so many gold coins.


    Electromaic Traction!


    Not every gold coin would be hidden in crevices that could be directly illuminated with a shlight. Some might be hidden behind rocks or blocked by the explorer¡¯s position.


    It would be quite challenging to locate these coins with a shlight or other lighting methods, yet the special sensing ability of electromaic traction towards metal allowed for clear discernment.


    Although the girl before his eyes had a terrible sense of direction, her ability to find gold coins was impressive!


    Chou Yun Er quickly turned her attention to the screen disying the other contestants¡¯ results.


    Having noticed that she had collected the most gold coins, she seemed to get back her confidence as a cute little adventurer and walked confidently to a seat not far from Qin Lang.


    ¡°The final scores and rankings of the thirty-four contestants are now being announced!¡±


    A momentter, the voice of the broadcaster filled the air once again.


    ¡°In thirty-fourth ce, contestant Zhang Ji, with a score of 62.5!¡±


    ¡°In thirty-third ce¡­¡±


    ¡°In third ce, contestant Zhao Wenchang, with a score of 83.4!¡±


    ¡°In second ce, contestant Qin Lang, with a score of 86.1!¡±


    ¡°In first ce, contestant Chou Yun Er, with a score of 89.3!¡±


    As the rankings were rapidly announced fromst to first, Zhao Wenchang jumped up excitedly.


    One contestant had collected one more coin than he did, but he had emerged from the cave a full ten minutes earlier. In the end, his final score was only 0.1 point below Zhao¡¯s!


    ¡°I was almost fourth.¡±


    Zhao Wenchang blurted out, attracting resentful nces from the fourth-ce contestant.


    Qin Langughed and looked towards Chou Yun Er on the other side.


    Although she exited the cave almost an hourter than he did, she had collected too many gold coins. As a result, she was still awarded first ce in the end.


    ¡°Let¡¯s aim for first ce in the next funpetition!¡±


    Afterforting the disgruntled Dan Bao and Spicy, Qin Lang headed to the Chairman¡¯s Stage under the guidance of the staff to collect hispetition reward.


    A second cememorative medal and a three-day fun pass for the scenic area.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Tickets][Rmended Tickets]

 Chapter 197: Challenge

    Chapter 197: Challenge


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time participating in a funpetition.¡±


    On the way back, Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t help repeatedly looking at the third-cememorative medal they had won, a silly smile ying on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s my second time.¡± Qin Lang yawned and stretchedzily. ¡°It was rxing, next I should focus my efforts on gearing up for Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes!¡± Zhao Wenchang¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. ¡°I was so caught up in the funpetition, Ipletely forgot about such a crucial matter.¡±


    ¡°Will the Misty Adventure Race affect your preparation?¡± He looked at Qin Lang with a hint of worry.


    ¡°Worrying about it now is a bit toote, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qin Lang said in amusement, patting Zhao Wenchang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already have an idea of what dish to prepare for Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test.¡±


    ¡°So all that¡¯s left to do now is practice, so I can bring out the best during the actual test.¡± After a brief pause, Qin Lang continued, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take more than seven days to prepare. I should be ready to visit Mr Zong Nian in two days.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡± Zhao Wenchang blinked in surprise.


    If you knew that I didn¡¯t even prepare before going for Ms. Yunqi¡¯s examination, you wouldn¡¯t be so surprised.


    Qin Lang grumbled inwardly.


    Soon, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s attention quickly shifted from Qin Lang¡¯s n to visit again in two days, to another matter.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already decided on the dish to present?¡± Zhao Wenchang swallowed and asked, ¡°How about¡­ I stay over to help taste-test?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°But during the practice stage, I won¡¯t be using the finest ingredients.¡±


    For the real visit, he nned to use the ingredients he redeemed with his cookingpetition points to improve his odds of passing.


    Such ingredients should not be wasted during practice, otherwise even he would feel a pang of regret.


    ¡°I¡¯m not picky!¡± Zhao Wenchang said without hesitation.


    No matter the quality of the ingredients, the taste of a dish cooked by Qin Lang can never be bad!


    Time flew and two dayster arrived.


    Early in the morning, Qin Lang brought along the ingredients he¡¯d redeemed in advance with his cookingpetition points, and met up with Zhao Wenchang to catch a ride to the Misty Mountain Vi.


    He had already informed Mr. Zong Nian and the other three first-level Food Rmenders via email the day before about the time of his examination.


    So, when they arrived at the Misty Mountain Vi once again, not only did they meet Mr. Zong Nian, but also Jiang Zhan, Li Yunxi and Xi Chen, the three Food Rmenders.


    They specialize in mutton, seafood, and mountain delicacies respectively.


    ¡°Good day, Mr. Zong Nian, and to all three Food Rmenders.¡± Qin Lang greeted politely. Zhao Wenchang, who stood at his side, behaved as meek as a quail before these important figures.


    Jiang Zhan, a genial old man smiled broadly at Qin Lang, his eyes finally resting upon the ingredients that Qin Lang brought with him.


    ¡°Hignd Spotted Sheep from Song Sheng Province? And the finestmb brain meat?¡±


    Jiang Zhan, recognizing themb meat which required cookingpetition points to exchange,ughed heartily. ¡°I heard Mr. Zong Nian insisted that I should be one of the three you choose. It appears I¡¯m in for a treat today.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best to cook it well.¡± Qin Lang nodded earnestly, expressing his determination.


    ¡°The fish is fine.¡±


    Over at the side, Li Yunxi, who was on the quieter side in his middle years, focused his attention on therge carp brought by Qin Lang. After a briefment, he remained silent.


    ¡°Only mushrooms and bamboo shoots¡­¡± Xi Chen sighed after seeing the mountain delicacies prepared by Qin Lang, and like magic, produced a pack of pale yellow mushrooms. ¡°Would you like to try this new type of mushroom I recently discovered? It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely try it next time.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched slightly as he politely declined.


    He didn¡¯t want to end up in the hospital before he even started cooking.


    ¡°Then give it your best shot. If your dish meets my standards¡­ I¡¯ll give you this pack!¡± Xi Chen offered the pack of mushrooms, a pained expression on his face.


    Mr. Zong Nian and the other two first-level Food Rmenders barely managed to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Mr. Zong Nian coughed lightly, indicating that the conversation should end there.


    He looked calmly at Qin Lang, ¡°1 see you¡¯re fully prepared for the test.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°I am ready.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin then,¡± Mr. Zong Nian gestured towards the kitchen. ¡°If you can prepare a dish that satisfies all three of them plus me, you will receive my second-level Food Rmender Badge of Misty Mountain.¡±


    ¡°If you fail, you will not be eligible to participate in my Food Rmender test for the next three months.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Qin Lang took a deep breath, nodded slightly towards Mr. Zong Nian, and then, picking up the ingredients, made his way towards the kitchen.


    Dan Bao and Spicy followed closely, expressions of seriousness etched across their small faces.


    After Qin Lang entered the kitchen, Zhao Wenchang shifted his gaze back and resumed his silence.


    He blinked when he saw the four experts take their seats, found a spot himself and quietly followed Wei Qiu¡¯s lead in keeping silent.


    I wonder if Qin Lang can pass the test¡­


    He thought to himself, quickly affirming his thought.


    He absolutely can!


    Over the past two days, he had tasted several iterations of Qin Lang¡¯s dish called Fish Belly Hidden Lamb, and it was prepared for this test.


    Even with just the ordinary ingredients bought from the Food Material Market, the taste had astounded him. Now that premium ingredients from the points exchange were being used, the taste would undoubtedly be elevated to another level.


    If such a dish failed to pass Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test, he couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of dish would.


    Here¡¯s to you, Qin Lang. Good luck!


    Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t help but direct his gaze towards the direction of the kitchen again, quietly cheering Qing Lang on in his heart.


    ¡°Are you two ready?¡±


    Inside the kitchen, after setting the ingredients out, Qin Lang turned to the pair.


    ¡°Grunt!¡±


    I¡¯m ready!


    ¡°Cackle!¡±


    Me too!


    Reflecting on the practice sessions over thest two days with Qin Lang, the pair nodded in agreement.


    After cooking the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb together several times, they¡¯ve reached a high level of tacit coboration to efficiently prepare the dish.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡± Qin Lang took a deep breath, grabbed the live wriggling carp from the water bag, stunned it with the back of the de, and started preparing it.


    Fish Belly Hidden Lamb, as the name suggests, was about stuffing mutton inside the belly of a fish.


    The most important aspect of this dish was to debone the whole fish.


    Only by sessfully deboning the fish ¨C removing the main bone and rib bones without damaging the outer flesh and without cutting open the belly, as well as removing the gills and guts, could the mutton then be filled into the carp.


    Scaling the fish, removing the gills, puncturing the mouth to rotate and remove the innards, and finally inserting a long knife from the mouth of the fish to gradually separate the main bone.


    Cutting the connection between the head and main bone at the gills and gently removing the main bone after breaking the tail end of the fishpleted the deboning process.


    The trio took a collective sigh of relief.


    Shortcut to: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 198 - 198 Fish Belly

    Chapter 198 - 198 Fish Belly


    Chapter 198: Fish Belly


    Trantor: 549690339


    Once the most difficult step in the recipe for Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb waspleted, the subsequent steps became increasingly easy.


    The body of the carp, once the main bone was removed, inevitably copsed somewhat, akin to a deted tire. However, as Qin Lang filled the fish¡¯s belly with green onions and ginger, the carp¡¯s body puffed up slightly once more.


    Green onions and ginger would be removedter, sorge slices of ginger and knotted green onions were used. Following this, he began to rub cooking wine on the fish¡¯s body to remove any fishy smell.


    Once the fish was prepared, Qin Lang carefully ced it on a te and set it aside, allowing Dan Bao, with its cooking eleration skill, to speed up the marinating process.


    Meanwhile, he collected the shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and mutton from Dan Bao which had been prepared with the skill ¡®Fresh Full¡¯.


    The terrain in Song Sheng Province is primarily mountainous, featuring many original forests and rich natural resources. The shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and mutton that Qin Lang had exchanged points for all originated from this region.


    The wild shiitake mushrooms from the forest wererger, their brown caps were darker in color, and they had a natural, musty wood smell; while the wild bamboo shoots were smaller, their tender shoots beneath the husk were even more tender.


    Hignd Spotted Sheep, grazing in the forest, have a much more varied dietpared to ordinary grass-fed sheep, not only consuming grass but also various mountain delicacies.


    The regr consumption of mountain delicacies makes the mutton from the Hignd Spotted Sheep mild in vor, and the meat naturally has a faint, unique aroma. Moreover, the sheep living in the hignds get more exercise than those ordinarily raised, leading to a more abundant and rich texture of the mutton.


    Qin Lang had selected the tenderest part of the mutton, the neck, which is the cream of the cream of a premium breed like the Hignd Spotted Sheep.


    The fresh red mutton surface, its white fat texture is as rich and tempting as marble.


    Just by looking at the ingredients, the two spiritual little ones couldn¡¯t help but swallow.


    Even though they knew little about cooking, they could tell the clear difference between the ingredients used this time and those used during the training process.


    And the quality of the ingredients is a key factor affecting the taste of dishes.


    They found the ¡®Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb¡¯ they tasted before so delicious they wondered what the present dish would taste like.


    ¡°Thump, thump, thump¡ª¨C ¡±


    With the sound of knife hitting the board, the three kinds of ingredients were quickly cut into fine pieces and set aside.


    He then heated oil in a pan, added green onions and ginger, and began to stir-fry the diced shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots.


    The vtiles from the shiitake mushrooms and the bamboo shoots began to emerge in the hot oil, and the rising heat quickly mingled them, forming a distinctive pleasant aroma, which quickly spread throughout the kitchen.


    After finishing their tasks, Dan Bao and Spicy came over, their faces showing satisfaction and contentment as they smelled the pleasant aroma of the mountain delicacies.


    The aroma was even more pronounced than when Qin Lang had reached this stage in practicing the ¡®Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb¡¯; covered in the scent, the two miniatures had a wonderful feeling of being in a primitive forest.


    Next, their eyes fell on the diced mutton that had not yet been put into the wok.


    ording to their previous experience with the ¡®Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb¡¯, the scent would be even more inviting once the diced mutton was added in.


    Qin Lang did not disappoint their expectations.


    After the shiitake mushroom dices and the bamboo shoot dices were sauteed, he quickly poured the diced mutton into the pan and stirred it vigorously.


    The fat present in the tender neck meat rapidly contracted with the heat, the mutton fat gradually emerging and evenly wrapping themb pieces, which changed to a light brown color. Under the light, they radiated an inviting glow and emitted a strong and unique aroma characteristic of mutton.


    The pure and rich meaty aroma, mixed with the slight unpleasant smell of the mutton and the unique vor of the Hignd Spotted Sheep fed on the mountain delicacies, intertwined with the previously released aroma of shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, making the rich aroma in the kitchen more lively andyered.


    Simr to a transformation from a t painting to a three-dimensional one, smelling this wonderful aroma, a human and two spirits seemed to be ced in the forest in Song Sheng Province, seeing the beautifully spotted Hignd Spotted Sheep jumping around them.


    ¡°This is the first time the three of us have participated in Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test together, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Outside of the kitchen, Jiang Zhan, who was a little bored during the waiting process, looked at Li Yunxi and Xi Chen beside him, and smiled slightly.


    In Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test, part of the content is consistent. The Spirit Chef undergoing the test needs to satisfy three of the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders with one dish.


    Even the test that the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders from Qingyang City themselves bestow upon participants, differs from other cities.


    Although Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test is notoriously difficult, many brave challengers still want to climb this peak.


    Hence, the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders pay great attention to the selection of the one being tested.


    It is the first time that the Spirit Chef has chosen mutton, seafood, and mountain delicacies all at once.


    ¡°That Spirit Chef named Qin Lang has quite a bit of courage,¡± said Xi Chen, her head resting on one hand, a faint smile on her face. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve encountered a Spirit Chef who has chosen three types of ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, one would choose one type of ingredient, and another aspect to focus on, like ting or seasoning. If they excel at making pasta, they can choose that as well. This kind of choice can significantly reduce the difficulty.¡±


    ¡°And choosing three types of ingredients¡­¡± Xi Chen paused slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t know whether Qin Lang is truly skilled or merely fearless due to ignorance.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but nce towards Mr. Zong Nian, who sat calmly nearby.


    This is a Second-Level Food Rmender who has the qualifications to be promoted to the third level. He rejected his promotion simply because he does not wish to move to another state.


    If the current Third-Level Food Rmender of Tianhua State were to step down, Mr. Zong Nian here would undoubtedly be the likeliest sessor.


    Such a food critic, with incredible ability to appreciate fine food, can deduce most of the cooking process, down to the smallest detail, just by tasting a dish.


    Cooking various unrted ingredients together, even the faintest hint of disharmony can easily be detected by Mr. Zong Nian.


    ¡°Young man, it ismendable to have the courage to try new things,¡± Jiang Zhan chuckled, ¡°How can one improve their cooking skills without daring to experiment?¡±


    ¡°At least on this point, he is worth encouraging.¡±


    ¡°The difficulty is quite high, I¡¯m not very optimistic,¡± Li Yunxi, who sat beside Xi Chen, remained sinct.


    Zhao Wenchang, sitting on the side, listened to the discussion of the three First-Level Food Rmenders clearly. When he heard that the three food critics weren¡¯t very hopeful about Qin Lang¡¯s chances, he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists slightly.


    Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills are extraordinary!


    He had also tasted the ¡®Fish Belly Hidden Lamb¡¯ dish that Qin Lang cooked two days ago.


    The taste exceeded the limits of what Zhao Wenchang could describe in words.


    He could confidently say, it was the most delicious dish he had ever tasted.


    Even though he was trembling with fear sitting among the four notable figures, as a rookie, he couldn¡¯t help but speak in a low voice at this moment.


    ¡°Qin Lang¡¯s ¡®Fish Belly Hidden Lamb¡¯ will definitely pass the test!¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 199: The Hidden Sheep

    Chapter 199: The Hidden Sheep


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Oh? The dish Qin Lang is preparing is called ¡®Fish Belly Hidden Lamb¡¯?¡±


    Xi Chen¡¯s gaze shifted to Zhao Wenchang at his side, her expression taking on a tentative curiosity, ¡°Have you tasted it before?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s the most delicious dish I¡¯ve ever had!¡±


    Zhao Wenchang dered earnestly.


    The Food Rmenders neither agreed nor disagreed with this statement.


    They could see that Zhao Wenchang was a recent recruit to the Spirit Chefs, so it wasn¡¯t unusual for a novice to find Qin Lang¡¯s dishes the most delicious given his limited exposure.


    On the other hand, Xi Chen seemed interested, smiling at Zhao Wenchang, ¡°You seem very familiar with Qin Lang, how long has he been in Qingyang City?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been here for five days.¡± Zhao Wenchang answered honestly.


    ¡°Has he demonstrated any other culinary skills since arriving in Qingyang City?¡± Xi Chen continued to press on.


    Mr. Zong Nian and other three Food Rmenders visibly perked up, choosing to sit back and observe.


    In the test process, it¡¯s a good thing to have more understanding of the person being tested.


    Although the past experiences of Food Rmenders can be checked through Spirit Chef Badges, this only includes their record in Association sanctioned Food Fights, Spirit Battles andpetition history.


    ¡°Yes, he has.¡± Zhao Wenchang nodded.


    Though he was not sure why Ms. Xi Chen was interested in these details, Zhao Wenchang had a vague feeling that it might help Qin Lang, so he openly admitted, ¡°Qin Lang came to Qingyang City because I asked him to help my family¡¯s noodle shop.¡±


    ¡°Noodle shop?¡± Xi Chen blinked in surprise.


    Jiang Zhan, who had been silent by her side, chuckled, ¡°Is it Zhao¡¯s Noodle House? I asionally go there for breakfast, I¡¯m quite familiar with your father.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Zhao Wenchang nodded, briefly exining the grudge between his family¡¯s noodle shop and Liu¡¯s Noodle House.


    ¡°Liu¡¯s Noodle House sent Jihe to thepetition. In desperation, I had to ask Qin Lang for help, hoping he would represent Zhao¡¯s Noodle House in the contest.¡±


    ¡°Jihe?¡± Xi Chen turned to look at the others.


    The three First-Level Food Rmenders, were also the judges of the city-level cookingpetition where Jihe was named the champion. This was determined by them and the other First-Level Food Rmenders.


    Moreover, Mr. Zong Nian was the one who presented the award to Jihe.


    The cookingpetition in Qingyang City took ce half a month ago. The four of them were familiar with Jihe.


    They didn¡¯t expect a casual inquiry to involve the newly-crowned city-level cooking champion.


    A contest between Jihe and Qin Lang, huh¡­


    For this Food Fight which was not recorded in the Spirit Chef¡¯s experience, the four Food Rmenders simultaneously became interested.


    ¡°Jihe is quite proficient in making noodles.¡± Xi Chen¡¯s mind shed a vision of the Clear River Pufferfish Noodles made by Jihe, ¡°Who won in the end?¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang won three to two!¡± Zhao Wenchang confessed, puffing up his chest with pride.


    Even till this day, when Zhao Wenchang thought about how Qin Lang had helped secure victory for his family¡¯s noodle house, he still felt a surge of excitement.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xi Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and the other Food Rmenders also showed surprise.


    Jihe lost in a noodlepetition?


    ¡°Did Jihe serve his Clear River Pufferfish Noodles?¡± Li Yunxi suddenly asked, ¡°If not, he might have been careless.¡±


    The other Food Rmenders nodded slightly, obviously thinking that this exnation was more reasonable.


    Perhaps Jihe, unaware of Qin Lang¡¯s true capabilities, didn¡¯t fully utilize his skills in their contest?


    ¡°No, Jihe served his Clear River Pufferfish Noodles! But he still didn¡¯t win against Qin Lang¡¯s crab roe soup dumplings!¡± Zhao Wenchang shook his head.


    ¡°Qin Lang has previously demonstrated his skill in noodle dishes in a Food Fight.¡± Mr. Zong Nian, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.


    He was referring to the Food Fight in Bai Lu Mountain City where Qin Lang used Scallion Oil Noodles topete against Liu Tianchen. Because it was conducted within the Association, that Food Fight was recorded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Qin Lang to be so good at noodle dishes.¡± Xi Chenughed, ¡°But even though his skills in noodle dishes are so high and thebination of noodles and mutton is obviously higher, he didn¡¯t choose to test with Xu Fang who is with noodle dishes¡­¡±


    ¡°Does he think his seafood and wild specialties are stronger?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got me intrigued about Qin Lang¡¯s dish, the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb.¡± Jiang Zhan cheerfully nces in the direction of the kitchen.


    ¡°The name itself is quite interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Qin Lang seasons the diced ingredients with salt and cooking wine and stir-fries them. Then, he moves onto the next step.


    Filling.


    ¡®Fish Belly Hidden Lamb¡¯ refers to stuffing mutton inside a fish¡¯s belly and then cooking them together.


    Such a dish is referred to as a two-in-one dish.


    The deboned carp is like a pocket with a zipper. Qin Lang¡¯s task is to stuff the stir-fried diced ingredients inside it.


    After removing the scallion and ginger used for marinating, Qin Lang patiently starts the stuffing process with a spoon.


    Although it¡¯s called ¡¯fish belly¡¯, the deboned carp¡¯s spine and back also have spaces. Thus, the actual area avable for stuffing is greater than imagined.


    The carp¡¯s body swells gradually as the stir-fried diced ingredientspletely fill its inside.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    ¡°Chuckle-¡±


    The two pets look eagerly at the leftover diced ingredients after the stuffing ispleted, swallowing their saliva uncontrobly.


    Seeing their greedy expressions, Qin Lang smiles helplessly, ¡°You two can share it.¡±


    Getting the permission, the two pets cheerfully pounce on the leftovers. Just having the unfinished diced ingredients from the cooking process has them appear extremely satisfied.


    ¡°I exchanged extra ingredients for the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb. I¡¯ll cook it for you when you go back tonight.¡± Qin Lang announces this good news while two pets are cheering. He then takes out some pork caul fat and tightly wraps the entire carp in it.


    The pig caul fat helps shape the fish and gives it vor when it melts during the subsequent baking process. The fat permeates into the fish, adding a new aroma and further enhancing the taste just enough.


    Once the carp is wrapped with pig caul fat, Qin Lang takes kitchen aluminium foil to wrap the carp in anotheryer and ces it on a baking tray.


    Finally, it¡¯s put into the oven.


    ¡°Chuckle!¡±


    My turn!


    After greedily finishing off the final big mouthful, LaLa flies toward Qin Lang, preparing for the final eleration process.


    After setting the oven temperature to 190 degrees Celsius, Qin Lang pats LaLa.


    ¡°Half an hour.¡±


    LaLa nods its head in understanding. Then, an invisible force surges from its body and envelops the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb in the oven, wrapped inyers of aluminium foil.


    Soon, the half-hour eleration isplete.


    As Qin Lang once again opens the oven, a strong aroma that even theyers of foil cannot block, wafts out from the oven.


    The aroma includes the rich fragrance of pork fat and the freshness of fish. It also faintly carries the unique taste of mutton and the lively vor of shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots.


    Qin Lang puts on gloves and carefully takes out the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb and ces it on a te. He uses a small knife to unwrap the foil, revealing the golden roasted carp inside.


    The overwhelming aroma makes one person and two spirits swallow their saliva simultaneously.


    Fish Belly Hidden Lamb,pleted!


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    Content for this chapter¡¯s egg at the end:


    [Fish Belly Hidden Lamb]

 Chapter 200: Hidden in the Fog

    Chapter 200: Hidden in the Fog


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Four Food Rmenders, my dish is ready.¡±


    As Qin Lang carried the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb out of the kitchen, a thick and rich aroma dispersed at an astonishing speed.


    Sniffing this aroma, the expressions of the four Food Rmenders gradually changed.


    Such an intense and tempting aroma¡­


    It truly makes one unconsciously yearn for a taste!


    Even Zhao Wenchang, who was standing by the side, swallowed hard.


    Too familiar.


    For him, who had tasted Fish Belly Hidden Lamb several times already, this aroma was all too familiar!


    Yet amidst this familiarity, there was a tad bit of strangeness.


    Because this time, the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb that Qin Lang cooked, surpassed every previous time in terms of aroma.


    The full upgrade in the quality of the ingredients brought the dish to the next level.


    If possible, Zhao Wenchang also wished to join the tasting team.


    But that was simply impossible.


    ¡°To the dining room.¡±


    Zong Nian got up, leading the others to the dining table next to the living room.


    Soon, the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb meticulously cooked by Qin Lang was served in front of the four Food Rmenders.


    ¡°Fish Belly Hidden Lamb, please enjoy.¡±


    Qin Lang introduced briefly, waiting patiently by the dining table.


    ¡°I see the fish, but where are the mutton and mountain delicacies?¡± Jiang Zhan chuckled, ¡°Could it be that they are all hidden inside the fish¡¯s belly as the dish¡¯s name suggests?¡±


    ¡°Just open it and you¡¯ll know.¡± Xi Chen took out a dining knife and made an incision into the fish¡¯s belly.


    The very next moment, the expressions of all four Food Rmenders changed simultaneously.


    The aroma diffusing through the air changed!


    hidden inside the fish¡¯s belly ¨C mutton, Shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots ¨C they exploded with an unprecedented strong aroma upon the incision.


    The aroma, suppressed for a long time and then suddenly bursting forth, filled the surroundings almost instantaneously, intertwining with the original richrd and refreshing carp¡¯s aroma.


    The slightly gamey yet fresh mutton, the mushroom aroma overflowing from the Shiitake, the crisp and refreshing bamboo shoots, the rich and thickrd, and the pure and beautiful freshness of the carp ¨C all these came together, like vivid colors on a nk canvas, painting a vibrant picture.


    At this moment, the four Food Rmenders seemed as though they had been transported to an ocean of aroma, seemingly catching a glimpse of a mountain forest full of bamboo shoots and Shiitake mushrooms, and envisioning the herds of hignd spotted sheep grazing and frolicking amid the forest.


    A Hignd Spotted Sheep seemed startled by their presence, jumping away and sshing water on a dark-colored carp as it crossed a stream.


    The picturesque,yered aroma, caused the four Food Rmenders to show their appreciation all at once. Even Mr. Zong Nian, had a hint of surprise etched on his face.


    Xi Chen quickly divided the whole carp into four portions, moving one portion onto her own te, and began tasting it earnestly.


    She saw bits of mutton, Shiitake, and bamboo shoots scattered within the belly of the carp.


    Despite the considerable changes in color and state of the ingredients after cooking, Xi Chen could still easily identify them.


    As a Food Rmender specializing in mountain delicacies, she needed to taste the mountain delicacy portion first.


    Picking up a mix of Shiitake bits and bamboo shoot bits with her chopsticks, Xi Chen¡¯s almond-shaped eyes squinted pleasurably.


    The top-tier Shiitake and bamboo shoots hadpletely retained their original vors after stir-frying, yet they had an addedyer of vor.


    That was the rich mutton vor from themb fat released during stir-frying themb with them, which had remained on the surface of the Shiitake bits and bamboo shoot bits, and prated into their interior during the subsequent roasting process.


    That was the unique taste absorbed by the Shiitake bits and bamboo shoot bits when the freshness of the carp had seeped in during the roasting process.


    The freshness of the fish andmb blended wonderfully inside the already vorful mountain delicacies and overflowed between Xi Chen¡¯s lips with each chew.


    This freshness moved Xi Chen.


    ¡°I pass!¡±


    Without hesitation, she started eating voraciously.


    Although she loved mountain delicacies, she would never reject meat!


    Jiang Zhan, sitting beside her, also revealed a look of surprise after tasting the mutton she had sent to her mouth.


    The stir-fried mutton had fully exuded the sheep fat concentrated within, and some of it was absorbed by the shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, significantly reducing the greasiness of the mutton.


    The premium qualitymb brain meat was incredibly tender, and this tenderness was maximized under Qin Lang¡¯s perfect cooking skills.


    During the stir-frying process, the heat caused the surface of the mutton pieces to contract, locking in the abundant meat juice.


    Then, during the subsequent roasting process, the impermeable fish belly acted like a steamer, allowing the savoury vors of shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots to infiltrate the mutton under higher pressure, fully absorbing it while retaining its own juices without drying out due to roasting.


    Moreover, the deliciousness of the carp gradually permeated throughout the texture of the mutton, giving the mutton an indescribably amazing taste.


    What¡¯s even more impressive is that despite the multitude of vors, none overshadowed the main vor.


    The deliciousness of the mutton is the main course, the rest are secondary.


    ¡°It passed.¡±


    Jiang Zhan gave a slight nod, expressing his opinion second.


    On the other side, Li Yunxi maintained a calm expression, but his heart was churning with waves.


    This fish¡­


    He was actually able to taste two different vors in a single piece of fish!


    On the outside of the fish, there was the rich aroma of roasting and the unique vor of rich and heavy porkrd.


    The inside of the fish was filled with the unique taste of mutton, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots that permeated into the fish as a result of heat expansion.


    The difference was not just limited to this. The well-timed cooking made the roasted carp skin crispy and aromatic while the flesh inside was firm and tender.


    Lightly chewed, thepletely fish-free meat seemed to be able to seep out juice, which made Li Yunxi couldn¡¯t help but marvel secretly in his heart.


    ¡°It also passed for me.¡±


    He did not hesitate to give his own answer.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Zhao Wenchang, who was watching from the side, couldn¡¯t help but whisper a cheer.


    All three first-level food rmenders have passed!


    Dan Bao and Spicy looked at each other, their faces also filled with joy.


    Their Spirit Chef is the strongest!


    Qin Lang restrained his excitement and looked at Mr. Zong Nian who was sitting at the top.


    Now, only the final step of Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test remains.


    That is to satisfy Mr. Zong Nian himself.


    The three first-level rmenders who had already expressed their opinions also looked at Mr. Zong Nian.


    Under the nervous gaze of everyone, Mr. Zong Nian put down the chopsticks in his hand.


    The te in front of him was already empty.


    ¡°I deliberately chose amb dish for you, which you had never cooked in apetition or food fight before¡± Zong Nian looked at Qin Lang and slowly started, ¡°And you gave me a satisfactory answer.¡±


    He rose from his seat and walked step by step to Qin Lang, cing a badge embossed with a silver base, depicting a sunset, pavilions, towers, and pagodas hidden in the green mist, in Qin Lang¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Congrattions, you have obtained the Fog Hidden Badge.¡±


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 Chapter 201: Enjoyment

    Chapter 201: Enjoyment


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Qin Lang, you did it!¡±


    Upon leaving the Misty Mountain Vi, Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement and eximed, ¡°1 heard that only one or two Spirit Chefs manage to pass Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test every few years.¡±


    ¡°It was just by chance that one dish matched,¡± Qin Lang replied modestly, shaking his head, ¡°and plus, I¡¯ve never cooked mutton before, which must have misled Mr. Zong Nian.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, we finally have the Fog Hidden Badge.¡± He took out the newly obtained badge from his pocket, a look of joy spreading across his face.


    ¡°Bloop!¡±


    Third badge!


    ¡°Plonk!¡±


    Only two more to participate in the State-level Event!


    The badge in Qin Lang¡¯s hand reflected in the pupils of two little creatures, bringing a joyful sparkle to their eyes.


    ¡°We have pretty muchpleted our mission in Qingyang City.¡± Qin Lang patted the two Food Spirits, stretched and looked beyond the fog, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s time to enjoy the fun of traveling.¡±


    In the middle of speaking, he took out a card from his inner jacket pocket.


    The card had the logo of the previous Bravery Cup Fog Challenge and a prominent ¡°3 days¡± written on it.


    This was what Qin Lang earned a couple of days ago when he came in Second ce at the Bravery Cup, in addition to hismemorative medal.


    Free ess to the Qingyang Valley Scenic Area for three days.


    With this card, Qin Lang could enjoy any recreational facility within Qingyang Valley for free, and also enjoy free food in the Scenic Area.


    ¡°This n sounds good,¡± said Zhao Wenchang, taking out his own Fun Pass with augh, ¡°Shall we get going now?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Their pace quickened, and following the path they had previously taken, they swiftly made their way through the green mist and soon reached the Qingyang Valley Scenic Area.


    The Scenic Area was different from their previous visit. This time all the rides were open, and the asionalughter and screams made Qin Lang and Zhao Wenchang eager to try them.


    ¡°How about we try the Misty Roller Coaster first?¡± Zhao Wenchang looked around before quickly pointing to the ride that was generating the loudest screams.


    ¡°It looks like fun?¡± Qin Lang assessed it from afar, looking interested.


    Unlike roller coasters elsewhere, the one in Qingyang Valley actually wrapped around a mountain peak, with a part even going through the mountain like a tunnel.


    There were several sections where the roller coaster almost scraped the cliff.


    The sight was enough to make anyone, even Qin Lang, who was watching from afar, feel nervous.


    More importantly, Qin Lang noticed that these roller coasters had some special seats in addition to the typical ones.


    These seats were designed for Food Spirits.


    The existence of Spirit Chefs had impacts on every aspect of this world.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! The queue is getting longer; we should hurry!¡± Zhao Wenchang hastened towards the long line at the Roller Coaster counter.


    Even though they had a Fun Pass to enter for free, they still had to queue to swipe their cards.


    ¡°Can you save a spot for me?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s attention was drawn to a food stall nearby, ¡°I¡¯ll get some food. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Give me an Icy Lemon Water and a Giant Fried Skewer.¡± Zhao Wenchang quickly chose and then trotted off to join the queue.


    ¡°Giant Fried Skewer?¡± Qin Lang looked at the super size fried meat skewer disyed at the stall¡ªit was asrge as a forearm. He winced slightly, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Zhao Wenchang to be such a big eater.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some food first and join him.¡± Qin Lang saw the two little creatures also drooling, so he headed towards the stall at a brisk pace.


    To get in the best condition, he hadn¡¯t eaten anything in the morning but rushed straight to the Misty Mountain Vi with the two little creatures.


    After smelling the aroma of the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb while cooking, they were all hungry.


    ¡°Sir, 1¡¯11 have a Giant Fried Skewer¡­actually, make it two,¡± Qin Lang swallowed and decided to treat himself with one too.


    The Fried Skewers not only looked giant but also very appetizing with their golden brown, visibly crispy surface. The tantalizing meat aroma filled the air, constantly reminding Qin Lang how satisfying it would be to bite into one.


    ¡°Alrighty! Two Giant Fried Skewers for our brave explorers!¡± The stall owner, noticing the Fun Pass in Qin Lang¡¯s hand, winked at him with a yful smile, ¡°Here you go!¡±


    The freshly fried skewers were still steaming hot. The two skewers were packed into a takeaway bag and felt quite heavy when lifted.


    ¡°Also, onerge Icy Lemon Water, onerge Bubbly Orange Juice. Give me a Stuffed Beef Roll too¡­ and also one serving of Crispy Chicken Nuggets¡­¡± Qin Lang continued to order.


    ¡°No problem!¡± The stall owner quickly prepared the food that Qin Lang wanted and took the payment device, ¡°Swipe your card, please. You¡¯re our second explorer today.¡±


    The second one?


    Qin Lang handed him the Fun Pass, feeling somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll have another serving of Crispy Chicken Nuggets!¡±


    A voice piped up next to him, and a delicate, pale hand with another Fun Pass came into Qin Lang¡¯s view.


    Qin Lang turned to look and blinked in surprise.


    It was the girl who came in First ce.


    Her name was Chou Yun Er, right?


    No wonder he was the second ¡°explorer¡±.


    Since she too had a three-day Fun Pass, her presence here was not surprising.


    ¡°Coming up! It will be ready in no time!¡± The stall owner responded, returned Qin Lang¡¯s Fun Pass, and took Chou Yun Er¡¯s. He swiped it and began preparing the Crispy Chicken Nuggets.


    Huh?


    Chou Yun Er¡¯s attention was captured by the extra Fun Pass. She looked over at Qin Lang.


    She seemed to ponder for a moment before a light of realization came into her eyes.


    ¡°I remember now! You¡¯re the one who came in Second ce. Your name is¡­ Zhao Wenchang, right?¡±


    Qin Lang:


    ¡°Zhao Wenchang came in Third ce, my name is Qin Lang.¡± He shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m a bit face-blind¡­¡± Chou Yun Er patted her head, and then puffed up her chest, ¡°As a descendant of the brave Chou Chen, inheriting his ws is inevitable!¡±


    ¡°The brave Chou Chen was also face-blind?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    He already knew the rtionship between Chou Yun Er and Chou Chen when the awards were given.


    After all, when she got First ce, the proud Chou Yun Er wanted the whole world to know that she was the descendant of a brave warrior.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Chou Yun Er responded matter-of-factly, ¡°Chou Chen had four children, and he would often mix them up.¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±???¡±


    That¡¯s not something that face-blindness could excuse, right?!


    ¡°Your Crispy Chicken Nuggets are ready, here you go!¡± The stall owner handed the prepared meal to Chou Yun Er.


    ¡°Hehe~¡± Chou Yun Er epted the food and waved it in front of Qin Lang, ¡°This ce has really good Crispy Chicken Nuggets, you should try them. I personally rmend the sweet plum vor-¡±


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 Chapter 202: Through the Mountain

    Chapter 202: Through the Mountain


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll savor it.¡± Qin Lang sways the Crispy Chicken Nuggets in his hand, indicating he had also chosen this delicacy.


    ¡°Bye, then.¡± Chou Yun Er waved at Qin Lang and briskly joined the end of a queue of tourists nearby.


    Qin Lang nced at the amusement facility the queue was waiting for. emmm¡­


    A merry-go-round?


    He chuckled, shaking his head, and went to meet up with Zhao Wenchang with the two Food Spirits.


    ¡°Crunch.¡±


    Zhao Wenchang received a Giant Fried Skewer, blew on its surface, then bit off arge chunk, a satisfied expression on his face, ¡°The familiar taste.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve tasted it before.¡± Qin Lang picked up another skewer and took a bite.


    The batter fried to a golden-brown crispness was not thick, while inside was juicy white chicken. A single chew exploded with a rich vor that filled his mouth.


    Although machine-pressed into strips, Qin Lang could taste that they didn¡¯t use scraps of chicken, but premium parts like chicken leg meat.


    The ingredients were of high quality.


    He couldn¡¯t help but nod in approval, satisfied with this delicacy.


    ¡°That uncle has been a vendor in the Scenic Area for years. Every time I visit, I see him. His food has been the same all this while.¡± Zhao Wenchang took a big gulp of Icy Lemon Water. ¡°Although there¡¯s no innovation, it¡¯s quite a ssic.¡±


    ¡°The food in a Scenic Area doesn¡¯t need much innovation.¡± Qin Lang gives the Fried Meat Skewer to the two little ones, watching them leave teeth marks on it, and softly starts speaking, ¡°Because very few people woulde everyday, so there¡¯s no chance of getting tired of the food.¡±


    ¡°Making a specific type of food well means visitors will want to taste it again next time theye. That¡¯s when being a ssic is important.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhao Wenchang nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Let me taste the Crispy Chicken Nuggets.¡± Filled with curiosity, Qin Lang opened a paper box filled with roughly a dozen chicken nuggets with a brownish-yellow surface.


    The surface of the nuggets was evenly sprinkled with red seasoning powder.


    These were spicy vor.


    Picking up a piece with a bamboo stick and carefully cooling it, he couldn¡¯t wait to put the delicious smelling nugget into his mouth.


    ¡°Crunch.¡±


    The sound of teeth hitting the crispy surface of the nugget was particrly clear.


    A wave of warm juice burst from the surface cracks as soon as his teeth closed around the nugget, flowing in his mouth, nearly overflowing with a delicious vor.


    Contrasting with its crisp surface, the meat inside the Crispy Chicken Nuggets was unimaginably tender.


    The spicy seasoning powder added just the right kick to its deliciousness.


    To fry the nuggets to this standard, not only must the ingredients be good, but the cooking time had to be mastered through many attempts.


    Remembering what Zhao Wenchang had earlier said about the vendor having been here for many years, Qin Lang felt a sense of unexpected yet reasonable acknowledgment.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhao Wenchang took a bite of the Giant Fried Skewer with a grin, ¡°The Crispy Chicken Nuggets are good, right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed delicious.¡± Qin Lang took a sip of Bubbly Orange Juice, nodding in contentment, then asked with curiosity, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you get it?¡±


    ¡°Because there is more than one stall in the Scenic Area.¡± Zhao Wenchang winked, ¡°1 need to save some room in my stomach.¡±


    Looking at the food in his hands, Qin Lang suddenly felt he had acted rashly.


    But turning to see the two little ones who had already eaten half of the Giant Fried Skewer, he felt that he and the two Food Spirits were quite formidable.


    As they chatted and savored the food, the queue slowly moved forward.


    By the time they had only empty packaging left, it was finally their turn.


    With the help of a staff member, Qin Lang and Zhao Wenchang sat side-by-side, fastened their seatbelts, and took the necessary safety precautions.


    Dan Bao, Spicy, and Zhao Wenchang¡¯s birdie were put into special seats close to them, making it easy for both sides to see each other.


    The other passengers also took their seats, and soon the roller coaster was full again.


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve visited Qingyang Valley Scenic Area many times since childhood, this is only my second time on a roller coaster.¡± Zhao Wenchang properly sat down, gripping the handrails with both hands, beginning to chatter to relieve his nervousness.


    ¡°It was only four months ago during myst visit that 1 mustered enough courage to ride for the first¡­ Ahh!!!¡±


    With the sudden push and abrupt eleration of the roller coaster, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s words abruptly stopped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Qin Lang was much moreposedpared to Zhao Wenchang.


    After all, he had ridden roller coasters in his previous life many times.


    However, thatposure vanished as the roller coaster gradually rose to a height near the top of the mountain.


    From this height, the green mist of the valley was beneath the roller coaster.


    Looking up, one could once again see the blue sky and white clouds. Looking down, all you could see was the obstructing green mist.


    It was like traversing an unknown mysteriousnd, a wave of anxiety suddenly hitting.


    Next moment, the roller coaster that had risen to its highest point suddenly plummeted along the track.


    The strong sensation of weightlessness and the oing green mist made every passenger on the roller coaster let out a sudden gasp in fright.


    ¡°Alih!!!¡±


    It felt as if they were falling into a sea made of green mist. Unable to remain calm, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but shriek, faintly hearing the equally uncontroble cries of Dan Bao and Spicy not far away.


    A momentter, the roller coaster, hugging the mountainside, began its first turn.


    As the entire roller coaster tilted at an extreme angle, a thrilling sensation enveloped every passenger¡¯s heart.


    Qin Lang held onto the handrail with all his might, lifting his head slightly, and saw a shadow in the green mist, sending a shiver down his spine.


    That was the shadow of the mountain cliff the roller coaster was circling around!


    The roller coaster was clinging close to the mountainside at this moment, straight-line distance less than five meters, looking as if it might crash into it at any moment.


    Qin Lang had ridden many roller coasters, but this was the first time it was so thrilling.


    The other passengers also noticed the shadow of the mountainside almost overhead due to the roller coaster¡¯s tilt, their shrieks growing louder.


    Quite a whileter, Qin Lang felt the shadow gradually disappear into the mist, and the tilt of the roller coaster began to gradually lessen.


    Had the segment of the track clinging to the mountainside finally ended?


    He let out a huge sigh of relief, looking at Dan Bao and Spicy who were simrly frightened.


    ¡°I¡­1¡­¡± Zhao Wenchang, who was next to them, despite this being his second time, was scared to the point of being unable to form a sentence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qin Lang calms himself, ¡°The roller coaster is slowing down now, it should be going uphill and we have already moved away from that mountain.¡±


    Zhao Wenchang forced out a smile more painful than crying, ¡°That¡¯s the most terrifying part.¡±


    Huh?


    Qin Lang blinked, suddenly realizing that the roller coaster was returning to its original path afterpleting a circr track.


    As it elerated downhill, the shadow up ahead became clearer and clearer.


    ¡°Ahhh! We¡¯re going to crash!!!¡±


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 Chapter 203: Car Collision

    Chapter 203: Car Collision


    Trantor: 549690339


    There were many others who screamed and gasped, just like Qin Lang.


    The cliff became clearer and clearer in everyone¡¯s eyes, finallying so close that they could see the stone textures and the looming giant entrance.


    Apanied by a low explosion sound, the roller coaster burst into the pre-set tunnel track.


    Realizing it was just entering a tunnel, not hitting a mountain, the riders calmed down a bit, but the thrilling sensation persisted.


    The unique dense fog in the Qingyang Valley added to the thrill of the roller coaster.


    If they could see the entrance from a distance, the tension wouldn¡¯t be so high.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Qin Lang was also a little lost for words, ¡°This is too thrilling!¡±


    ¡°I am still scared the second time round.¡± Zhao Wenchang at his side took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then was taken aback by what he saw up ahead.


    ¡°Ahh!!!¡±


    There were plenty of others who screamed. Because in front of them¡­


    A giant stone was blocking the way, evenrger than the roller coaster!


    This time, there was no hole to go through. Under the light set up inside the tunnel, the stone got increasingly closer. The screams from the riders echoed around the tunnel, making the atmosphere even more eerie.


    Just as the roller coaster was about to collide with the stone, its track quickly twisted.


    With a strong sense of weightlessness, the roller coaster started tilting quickly and the track instantly moved along the side of the tunnel.


    The roller coaster and its riders were parallel to the ground in that moment.


    And this tilt was far from over, as the roller coaster track gradually climbed from the side of the tunnel to the top of the tunnel!


    The moment it reached the top of the tunnel, the roller coaster just barely missed the obstacle.


    It wasn¡¯t until the roller coaster track twisted from the top of the tunnel to the other cliff wall, then back to the bottom of the tunnel, that Qin Lang regained his senses.


    In his previous life, he had watched a video of Schumacher challenging a 360 degree tunnel roll, but he never thought he would have a simr experience¡­


    So¡­ thrilling!!!


    After the tension, a sense of excitement he had never felt before surged up in his heart.


    Qin Lang turned to look at Dan Bao and Spicy, and saw the bright light in their eyes.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Heh¡­¡±


    Once the roller coaster came to a halt, Zhao Wenchang staggered out of the ride, almost crying out in relief when his feet touched the solid ground again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯ll ride it again tomorrow!¡± Qin Lang said, as he staggered up to Zhao Wenchang, beaming.


    The three food spirits were flying in S-shaped trajectories in the air.


    ¡°Again?!¡± Zhao Wenchang looked distressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯ll be routine after a few more times.¡± Qin Lang patted Zhao Wenchang¡¯s shoulderfortingly, ¡°Shall we try something less intense to rx?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡± Zhao Wenchang straightened up, ¡°I just saw the carousel¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go bumper cars!¡± Qin Lang decisively interrupted Zhao Wenchang.


    ¡°Er¡­ okay?¡± Zhao Wenchang thought about it and it seemed he could ept bumper cars.


    The two of them, supporting each other, limped towards the long queue at the bumper car ticket booth. By the time they reached the end of the line, they had almost regained their bnce.


    The aftermath of the roller coaster ride was finally over.


    ¡°Bang Bang, Sha Luo, let¡¯s go on the bumper cars!¡± A voice that Qin Lang found vaguely familiar spoke from behind them.


    Qin Lang reflexively turned his head and quickly made out the familiar figure of Chou Yun Er.


    ¡°Huh? You are also queuing for the bumper cars?¡± Chou Yun Er waved naturally to Qin Lang, and quickly recognized Zhao Wenchang, ¡°All! You¡¯re the third ce Zhao Wenchang!¡±


    Thank goodness she recognized him this time, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but think to himself.


    ¡°I bumped into her while I was getting snacks.¡± He turned his head and exined to Zhao Wenchang.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Zhao Wenchang muttered in realization.


    ¡°You two know each other.¡± Chou Yun Er stood with her arms akimbo, winking before suggesting, ¡°Would you like to participate in a thrilling bumper car battle?¡±


    Thrilling¡­


    The moment he heard the word ¡®thrilling¡¯, both Qin Lang and Zhao Wenchang immediately thought of the roller coaster ride they had just been on.


    ¡°What kind of a battle?¡± Zhao Wenchang couldn¡¯t help but ask out, ¡°We just got off the roller coaster. Is this going to be more thrilling than that?¡±


    ¡°Huh? You guys actually dared to ride the roller coaster?¡±


    Chou Yun Er was surprised and let slip an expression that said ¡®you guys are awesome¡¯, but she quickly tried to conceal it as it didn¡¯t match her cute adventurer demeanor.


    ¡°A bumper car battle is where you¡¯re allowed to use thebat skills of the food spirits inbination with the bumper cars.¡± Chou Yun Er showed her small tiger teeth, ¡°You win if you overturn the other¡¯s bumper cars!¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t this affect ordinary visitors?¡± Qin Lang gasped.


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Wenchang shook his head, and nced at the bumper car pavilion in front of them, ¡°There are separate y areas in the bumper car pavilion designed specifically for such situations. It won¡¯t affect other visitors.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you say? Will youe?¡± Chou Yun Er looked at them expectantly.


    She had yed bumper cars before but never had a bumper cars battle with peers, something she had always wanted to try, so she decided to give it a shot this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite interested,¡± Zhao Wenchang said almost involuntarily, and then he flinched, ¡°But I only have one food spirit, so I am at a disadvantage.¡±


    Both Qin Lang and Chou Yun Er had two food spirits each.


    ¡°Participation is what matters most.¡± Chou Yun Er gave Zhao Wenchang aforting look.


    Zhao Wenchang¡¯s mouth twitched, he didn¡¯t feelforted at all.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s take part.¡± Qin Lang shrugged.


    He didn¡¯t mind, but both Dan Bao and Spicy seemed very interested in it.


    The entrance to the bumper car battle area was on the other side. Compared to the standard bumper cars, there were much fewer people queuing for the bumper car battle, and the inside area was muchrger.


    At this moment, there were already four or five spirit chefs inside the pavilion with their respective food spirits locked in a fierce bumper cars battle. The ¡°bang bang¡± sound of the collisions was non-stop.


    Qin Lang and his friends entered the field and each picked a bumper car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡±


    Chou Yun Er held onto the steering wheel, an eager expression lighting up her face.


    The second target of the cute adventurer, the bumper cars battle victory!


    The bumper cars started very quickly, and under Chou Yun Er¡¯s control, it quickly headed towards Zhao Wenchang.


    ¡°You are bullying me!¡± Zhao Wenchang cried out in grief, but he didn¡¯t back down. He tried to dodge it with a turn of the steering wheel and shouted, ¡°J0J0, Illuminate!¡±


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    Zhao Wenchang¡¯s food spirit suddenly rose, bursting out like a mini sun with bright light.


    This light dropped directly onto Chou Yun Er¡¯s face in a sh.


    ¡°All, I can¡¯t see!¡±


    Shortcut Entrance: [Monthly Pass][ Rmendation Ticket]


    Content of the extra chapter at the end of this chapter:


    [Schumacher¡¯s 360 degree tunnel roll]

 Chapter 204: Drifting

    Chapter 204: Drifting


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Ahhhl¡±


    Caught off guard by the blinding light, a certain beautiful young female explorer suddenly couldn¡¯t feel her ws.


    She instinctively steered the wheel to the other side with her eyes closed, just narrowly brushing past Zhao Wenchang, who was trying to dodge.


    Witnessing this, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s eyes lit up instead.


    This opponent wasn¡¯t as formidable as he had thought, was she?


    Looking at the two bumper cars so close they could touch, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s mind spun rapidly, and he instantly changed his evasive maneuver.


    He swiftly turned his steering wheel towards Chou Yun Er, hoping to seize the opportunity to overturn her directly.


    ¡°Bam!<sup>11</sup>


    A dull collision sound resounded the next moment, and the two bumper cars that bumped into each other shook violently.


    Chou Yun Er who was initially a bit panicked, clung tightly to the steering wheel, but her thoughts gradually returned as she was caught off guard.


    ¡°Ahh! Bang Bang, use Electric Power Strike!<sup>11</sup>


    Even though she was still yelling incoherently, she had given her Food Spirit instructions.


    Not good!


    Qin Lang, who hadn¡¯t had a chance to get closer, twitched at the corner of his mouth.


    Facing Chou Yun Er who had two food spirits, one of which was a two-star, Zhao Wenchang, who had already dodged, was actually thinking about retaliating¡­


    And at this moment, Zhao Wenchang¡¯s expression started to shift slightly.


    Earth-based Combat Technique: Electric Power Strike?


    At this distance?!


    However, it was already toote for him to turn the wheel.


    ¡°Chirp-chirp! Blinding Burst!<sup>11</sup>


    The chirp-chirp in the air understood, and once again erupted with dazzling light, projecting towards the eyes of Bang Bang, who was already shing with electricity, hoping to blind the opponent and temporarily prevent them from attacking.


    However, it was still one step toote.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a low growl, Bang Bang gathered the currents around him into several beams and shed straight at Zhao Wenchang¡¯s bumper car.


    ¡°Ahh!<sup>11</sup>


    Zhao Wenchang twitched as if shocked by electricity, with soot instantly appearing on his face and clothes. His hair turned into a frazzled mess, and he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    But he wasn¡¯t rhe only unlucky one.


    When Chou Yun Er gave the instruction, shepletely forgot that the two bumper cars were pressed against each other close .


    Although the part that bumped was a rubber bumper, the insting effect under supernatural electricity was not ideal.


    ¡°Ahhhl¡±


    Chou Yun Er also got shocked, although she was slightly better off than Zhao Wenchang, but shock-induced frizz was inevitable.


    Being shocked like this, she actually calmed down.


    Seeing Zhao Wenchang, who had turned into a frazzle-haired mess from the shock, Chou Yun Er revealed a dangerous smile, ¡°Sha Luo, Rapid-fire Touch!¡±


    The other Food Spirit that was standing by her side instantly shot out several tentacles that plunged into the underside of the bumper car. Combined with Chou Yun Er¡¯s twisting of the steering wheel, she retaliated with a forceful upheaval!


    Zhao Wenchang is out!


    Looking from the side, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but grimace.


    How brutal!


    ¡°Your turn!¡± Chou Yun Er shouted, pressing the elerator of the bumper car to the floor and rushing towards Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang looked at Bang Bang, who was once again sparking with electricity, and his expression changed slightly.


    He didn¡¯t want to experience the shock like Zhao Wenchang did.


    Better to retreat first, then find a chance to counterattack!


    Without saying anything further, he also pressed the elerator to the floor and turned to leave.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡¯¡¯


    Should we use a psycho maic me explosion?


    Dan Bao, flying in the air and following close behind Qin Lang, seemed eager to give it a try.


    ¡°No.¡± The corner of Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched.


    If he used the Psychomaic me Explosion, it wouldn¡¯t just be overturning a bumper car.


    The arena is about to be overturned.


    ¡°Spicy, use instant teleportation to ambush that One-star Food Spirit. Given your current strength, the probability of triggering Lucky Bite Mark should not be low when facing a one-star opponent.<sup>11</sup>


    Qin Lang could see that even though Chou Yun Er¡¯s Two-star Food Spirit was stronger, it was the One-star Food Spirit possessing the rapid-fire touchbat skill that was key to overturning the bumper cars.


    ¡°Cha-ka!¡±


    Understood!


    Spicy quickly nodded, disappearing in an instant. Only the bubble light cluster remained, swaying in ce momentarily before slowly flying back.


    ¡°Qin Lang, where do you think you¡¯re going!¡±


    Behind him, Chou Yun Er with her hair blown up looked quite excited.


    If she could overturn Qin Lang¡¯s bumper car, she would be the ultimate winner!


    Just as Chou Yun Er was eager to try, there was a sudden outcry from beside her.


    ¡°Sss!¡±


    Chou Yun Er was startled, quickly turning her head to look. She only saw a figure sh by, and Sha Luo, who was originally flying in the air, fell straight to the ground, losing herbat capability. A colorful tooth mark that had not disappeared was still on her body.


    ( a a )


    ¡°Bang bang?!¡±


    Bang Bang looked terribly frightened, nervously looking around.


    What was that thing that just shed by?


    ¡°Cha-ka!¡±


    Two sessful attempts!


    Having returned to Qin Lang s side, Spicy proudly announced her achievements.


    ¡°Good job.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    The Lucky Bite Mark has a higher chance of triggering against weaker opponents. The bigger the disparity in strength, the greater chance it triggers.


    A two-star biting a one-star, it¡¯s normal for it to be effective twice.


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s our turn to counter-attack!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes were filled with confidence.


    Without one Food Spirit to assist, the other party can¡¯t possibly overturn his bumper car while Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Waves are stabilizing the car body!


    However¡­ how should he counterattack?


    As Qin Lang was thinking, he had a bold idea.


    ¡°Dan Bao, use Thought Waves to speed up the bumper car!¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Easy peasy!


    Dan Bao was eager to execute the order. A milky white halo spread from it, blending into the surrounding void.


    An invisible force appeared at the rear of the bumper car, propelling it to continually elerate based on its existing speed.


    Feeling the gale in his face, Qin Lang felt as if he wasn¡¯t driving a bumper car, but a racing car instead.


    Although the space prepared for the bumper car fight was a bit wider, it couldn¡¯t withstand Qin Lang¡¯s reckless driving. Soon he saw the boundary of the arena.


    The other unknown Spirit Chefs around were surprised at such a wild yer.


    Is he going to fly out of the arena?


    For a moment, their attention was attracted by Qin Lang, and they even forgot about their own fights.


    Of course, Qin Lang wasn¡¯t nning to fly out of the arena.


    Eyeballing the distance, he took a deep breath and abruptly turned the steering wheel.


    ¡°Dan Bao, me Jet!¡±


    During the eleration process, Qin Lang had already told Dan Bao what to do next.


    At this moment, following hismand, Dan Bao quickly propelled the car with thought force while gathering a bright me at the rear of the bumper car. It shot out mes that were two to three meters long, like an extra thruster.


    This is called a special effect!


    As the speed of the car suddenly increased, Qin Lang¡¯s bumper car made a cool tail flick drift under his swift turn, quickly changing direction and returning the way it came. The mes spat from the rear of the car dragged out long fire lines in the arena, dumbfounding all the spectators.


    On the other hand, Chou Yun Er had just retracted thebat-ineffective Sha Luo back into her Star Vein. She turned her head to see Qin Lang, with his fire light, dashing towards her in a sh, leaving her in disbelief in that instant.


    ¡°Mother-¡®¡±


    Quick Links: [Monthly Tickets j[Rmendations]

 Chapter 205: Spectacular Scenery

    Chapter 205: Spectacr Scenery


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    In a pavilion near the bumper car ground, Chou Yun Er tidied up her somewhat messy hair, her cute face couldn¡¯t help but exude an expression of frustration.


    ¡°Damn, I was so close to winning.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t close at all.¡± Zhao Wenchang grinned at the side, not hesitating to rub salt into the wound, ¡°1 saw it with my own eyes, you were sent flying by Qin Lang, it was quite a sight.¡±


    ¡°The loser should shut up!¡± Chou Yun Er turned her head with murderous eyes, but she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter when she saw Zhao Wenchang¡¯s appearance.


    He looked slightly better than when he was struck by lightning, but his extreme frizzy and curly hair due to the shock, and the slightly dark and unclean face had greatly reduced Zhao Wenchang¡¯s charm.


    ¡°What are youughing at!¡± Zhao Wenchang grumbled resentfully, ¡°If my Food Spirit Jiujiu also had two stars, and if 1 had a Second Food Spirit, 1 wouldn¡¯t have lost so badly.¡±


    Watching the two bickering, Qin Lang sitting at the side burst intoughter, ¡°So, what amusement park ride are we going to try next?¡±


    ¡°I want to try the Foggy Pirate Ship!¡± Chou Yun Er¡¯s eyes lit up, turning to Qin Lang, ¡°How about you guys?¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, we were nning to try that ride as well.¡± Qin Lang nced at the pirate ship not too far away, filled with visitors being swung back and forth, moving through the green mist, and nodded slightly.


    He was quite interested in that ride.


    Compared to roller coasters, the thrill factor of the pirate ship is somewhat tamed.


    ¡°Give me a moment to rest¡­¡± Zhao Wenchang groaned, his body was still slightly numb.


    Getting electrocuted doesn¡¯t feel good at all.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing Zhao Wenchang like this, Chou Yun Er stuck out her tongue apologetically, ¡°Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t see you guys when 1 came to y yesterday.¡±


    ¡°You got the Fun Pass the day before and you used it yesterday?¡± Qin Lang asked, surprised.


    ¡°Of course, this Fun Pass is a reward earned by this beautiful explorer.¡± Chou Yun Er waved her Fun Pass triumphantly, her face beaming, ¡°An ancient saying goes ¨C enjoy the fruits of exploration sooner rather thanter.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang was preparing for his exam yesterday.¡± Zhao Wenchang on the side yawned, ¡°Coming today isn¡¯t toote.¡±


    ¡°Preparing for an exam?¡± Chou Yun Er looked puzzled, ¡°Was it for the Spirit Executor¡¯s exam?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Zhao Wenchang shook his head arrogantly, as if he were the one taking the exam, ¡°Qin Lang was preparing for the Food Rmender exam.¡±


    ¡°And, it was for the Second-Level Food Rmender exam.¡±


    A Second-Level Food Rmender exam¡­


    Chou Yun Er blinked and quickly shifted her gaze towards the Misty Mountain Vi on the other side of the scenic area, looking at Qin Lang in astonishment, ¡°You were actually taking Zong Nian¡¯s Food Rmender exam?!¡±


    This was quite unexpected.


    Who would have thought, this boy of about the same age as her, was actually a hidden big-shot.


    Although she has never participated in a Food Rmender exam, as a local of Qingyang City, Chou Yun Er was not unfamiliar with it.


    It¡¯s not that the exam¡¯s repute for difficulty set by Mr. Zong Nian that mattered, but the bar set to enter the exam in the first ce required the collection of two Second-Level Food Rmender Badges.


    In other words, Qin Lang has already won the City-level Cooking Competition at least once, and has collected at least two Second-Level Food Rmender Badges.


    ¡°So, did you pass the exam?¡± Chou Yun Er couldn¡¯t help but be curious.


    ¡°I passed.¡± Qin Lang smiled, pulling out the Fog Hidden Badge from his pocket.


    ¡°Wow! What a beautiful badge!¡± Chou Yun Er¡¯s attention was immediately grabbed by the dazzling silver base of the Fog Hidden Badge, her eyes immediately lighting up.


    She had never seen a Second-Level badge before.


    As of now, she only had a First-Level Food Rmender Badge and a First-ss Spirit Executor Insignia, and she has participated in the Qingyang City Youth Training Competition three times, with her best result being third ce.


    Following that, Chou Yun Er only realized the implication of Qin Lang obtaining a Fog Hidden Badge.


    This is the most challenging second-level Food Rmender test throughout the entire Tianhua State, and very few have managed to pass it before!


    The way she looked at Qin Lang now had a touch of admiration.


    ¡°Speaking of¡­¡± Zhao Wenchang, who was sitting nearby, looked at the Fog Hidden Badge and suddenly thought of something, ¡°Qin Lang, will there be a chance to taste your upgraded version of Fish Belly Hidden Lamb that you made for the test?¡±


    Thinking of the tantalizing aroma of the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb, which was more incredible than the one he cooked during the training, Zhao Wenchang, who had just devoured a giant fried skewer not too long ago, found himself hungry again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve exchanged for some extra ingredients, nning to cook it again tonight.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    Hearing the exchange between the two, Chou Yun Er found herself swallowing.


    The upgraded version of Fish Belly Hidden Lamb?


    A dish she had never heard of. But if it¡¯s passed Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s Food Rmender test, it must be even more delicious than any dish she had eaten before.


    If only she could have a taste¡­


    The idea suddenly popped into Chou Yun Er¡¯s mind.


    Seeming to see Chou Yun Er¡¯s longing, Qin Langughed, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to join us ¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Chou Yun Er¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± Chou Yun Er pondered a moment, then showed a firm expression, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to share a huge secret 1 discovered yesterday with you!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Qin Lang and Zhao Wenchang looked at each other before turning their eyes to Chou Yun Er.


    ¡°What secret?¡±


    ¡°While I was ying in the Qingyang Valley Scenic Area yesterday, 1 think I stumbled upon a treasure left by our ancestors!¡± Chou Yun Er said gravely.


    ¡°The treasure left by the ¡®brave¡¯ Chou Chen?¡± Zhao Wenchang looked puzzled, ¡°Are you referring to the gold coins prepared by the organizers?¡±


    ¡°Of course not that.¡± Chou Yun Er rolled her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m talking about the real, legendary treasure left by our ancestors!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a treasure?¡± Qin Lang looked interested, ¡°What could it be? Gold, silver, jewels, or something else?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s set out right now!¡± Zhao Wenchang was eager to leave, as if his body¡¯snguidness had suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°You can only see the treasure at dusk, it¡¯s not visible right now.¡± Chou Yun Er stood up too, ¡°Let¡¯s go and y on the foggy pirate ship in the meantime!¡±


    After ying in the Scenic Area until dusk, the trio climbed to the top of the mountain where the Brave Cave was located under the guidance of Chou Yun Er.


    The green mist here became thinner. To the west, a red sun was slowly setting, painting arge patch of clouds in the sky a fiery red color.


    Also tinted red was the dense green mist under their feet.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± said Chou Yun Er softly, then she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted towards the valley.


    ¡°Alih¨C ¡±


    The sound echoed in the mountains, rippling through the green mist and crimson cloud, unfolding like a breathtakingly beautiful painting.


    Qin Lang was mesmerized by the spectacle before his eyes that he had never seen before.


    So this was the treasure of the brave.


    Shortcut:[Monthly Pass]! Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 206: Unexpected

    Chapter 206: Unexpected


    Trantor: 549690339


    Standing above a green mist, beneath an evening glow, shouting fearlessly into a vast and mysterious valley was quite a thrilling experience.


    With Chou Yun Er leading, Qin Lang and his group, along with a few Food Spirits, continued to shout atop the mountain peak until the sun set and darkness fell.


    Chou Yun Er¡¯s home was also in the city and not too far from the hotel where Qin Lang was staying, so they were basically travelling back together.


    As they rode back, Chou Yun Er quickly got interested in the delicious food known as Fish Belly Hidden Lamb that she would get to tasteter.


    That was a dish that had passed Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test!


    Excitedly, she nudged Zhao Wenchang with her elbow, ¡°Tell me, what is this Fish Belly Hidden Lamb like?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve found the right person to ask!¡± Zhao Wenchang smirked, and opened, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t tasted the upgraded version of Fish Belly Hidden Lamb, I had the basic version of it many times when Qin Lang was training.¡±


    ¡°This dish is¡­¡± he started to described the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb based on his memories.


    During the cooking process of Fish Belly Hidden Lamb, Zhao Wenchang would purposely avoid watching, so most of what he spoke about was his tasting experience.


    As he recounted his experience, Chou Yun Er started to feel even hungrier.


    Luckily, she didn¡¯t eat much at the snack stalls in the scenic area, so she had saved her appetite!


    Soon, the three of them arrived at the hotel where Qin Lang was staying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fetch a package for a moment.¡± He signaled the two to wait in the lobby, then went to the front desk with the two little ones.


    ¡°Parcel?¡± As she watched Qin Lang¡¯s retreating figure, Chou Yun Er once again looked intrigued.


    ¡°I know about this.¡± Zhao Wenchang chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s a box of mushrooms sent by Miss Xi Chen.¡±


    ¡°For Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test, it¡¯s necessary to pass the examination of three first-level Food Rmenders with one dish. And the three first-level Food Rmenders that Qin Lang chose included Miss Xi Chen.¡±


    ¡°Before the test, Miss Xi Chen promised that if Qin Lang passed, she would give him some special mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Chou Yun Er gasped, ¡°I see, but you shouldn¡¯t eat Miss Xi Chen¡¯s mushrooms casually.¡±


    Even the Food Rmender herself often ended up in the hospital from eating the mushrooms, so it was easy to imagine how potent these mushrooms were.


    ¡°I believe that Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills will certainly handle these mushrooms well.¡± Zhao Wenchang spoke earnestly.


    ¡°What were you two talking about?¡±


    Soon, Qin Lang returned carrying arge box.


    Zhao Wenchang and Chou Yun Er took half a step back simultaneously as they saw therge box.


    ¡°Are you serious about taking a step back?¡± Qin Lang looked troubled, ¡°Let¡¯s go, to the kitchen attached to the hotel room.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Chou Yun Er nodded vigorously and quickly followed Qin Lang.


    Her excitement had already been fueled by Zhao Wenchang¡¯s detailed narration all the way.


    ¡°Hmm-¡±


    Chou Yun Er cautiously picked up a chunk of fish, along with bits of mutton, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots wrapped inside, and put them all into her mouth.


    Tasting the rich aroma and wonderful savory vor of the fish and mutton, her eyes immediately lit up.


    ¡°This is so delicious!¡±


    She seemed to have run out of words to describe her feelings at the moment, and after savoring it for a while, she finally eximed, ¡°Delicious.¡±


    ¡°No wonder it is Fish Belly Hidden Lamb cooked with top-quality ingredients, the taste is several steps above what I had before.¡± Zhao Wenchang took some rice with his chopsticks and ate it, his face full of satisfaction after chewing for a moment.


    ¡°As long as you like it.¡± Qin Lang smiled and put a piece of Twice-Cooked Pork into his mouth.


    Of course, the three of them couldn¡¯t possibly just eat one dish. He also prepared some home-cooked dishes to go with the Fish Belly Hidden Lamb, including Twice-Cooked Pork, which La La adores.


    Thest time he made Twice-Cooked Pork was a hit. Judging from the bubbles of light gleaming continuously atop La La¡¯s head, it was clearly very happy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡± Chou Yun Er tasted each dish on the table once, then contentedly consumed a bowl of mushroom chicken soup. ¡°I¡¯lle over for a free meal again tomorrow!¡±


    Feeling her decision wasn¡¯t received withplete eptance, Chou Yun Er quickly added, ¡°Mr. Li Yunxi¡¯s seafood breeding base is near my house. I¡¯ll bring the freshest seafood from there tomorrow!¡±


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t say no to a dinner guest who brought their own ingredients.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he smiled. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s use various kinds of seafood to cook a delicious feast tomorrow.¡±


    At that, Chou Yun Er and Zhao Wenchang swallowed hard.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Zhao Wenchang turned to Qin Lang, ¡°you¡¯re going back to Dongxia City once you use up the remaining two days on your Fun Pass, right?¡± ¡°Unless something unexpected happens, that should be the case,¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    At that moment, his phone rang.


    ¡°You guys continue eating,¡± Qin Lang waved his hand, picked up the phone, and stepped out of the dining hall.


    Seeing who the caller was, a surprised look appeared on his face.


    Mr. Zhou Qing?


    Now that he thought about it, thest time he had seen Mr. Zhou Qing was at the Beef Tasting Banquet at Zhen Niu Pavilion. However, they hadn¡¯t spoken much back then.


    Soon after that, upon Zhao Chen¡¯s suggestion, Qin Lang went to Bai Lu Mountain City. Barely a few days after his return, he hastily came to Qingyang City, with no opportunity to meet Mr. Zhou again.


    He remembered that during the test for acquiring the Fish Scale Badge, Mr. Zhou Qing had enthusiastically suggested that he drop by his house for a meal and for discussions in the future¡­


    In a certain sense, he has stood him up.


    Qin Lang felt somewhat embarrassed about it.


    He hoped that this call wasn¡¯t about that.


    In the midst of his spections, he answered the call.


    ¡°This is Qin Lang speaking, Mr. Zhou Qing,¡± he answered.


    There was amusement in Zhou Qing¡¯s voice over the phone. ¡°Your voice sounds pretty lively. It¡¯s been half a month since west met at Zhen Niu Pavilion. I hope your cooking skills haven¡¯t rusted away during this time.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Qin Lang replied confidently. ¡°As a chef, my cooking skills can¡¯t be allowed to stagnate. Over the past couple of weeks, I¡¯ve visited Bai Lu Mountain City and Qingyang City. Trying the local food there has given me more ideas about cooking.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯m relieved.¡± Zhou Qing sounded even more jovial now.


    Relieved?


    Qin Lang blinked, sensing that there was more to Zhou Qing¡¯s words than just the concern of a senior for a junior.


    ¡°How well do you know Mingjing Province?¡± Zhou Qing changed the topic.


    Mingjing Province?


    ¡°Mingjing Province is located in the southern part of Tianhua State. It consists of nine cities and has the longest coastline in the southern Samiya Region,¡± Qin Lang recounted his understanding of Mingjing Province. ¡°It is rich in river and seafood.¡±


    Of the twelve cities in Tianhua State, Qin Lang had gotten to know a lot through Luo Hui¡¯s travel guide. However, his understanding of the world beyond Tianhua State was rtively limited.


    ¡°Indeed, Mingjing Province is rich in river and seafood. It ranks first for seafood in the Samiya Region, and second for freshwater foodstuffs after Mengze Province,¡± Zhou Qing approved.


    ¡°So, how about joining this old man on a tour of Mingjing Province?¡±


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 Chapter 207: Jumping Fish

    Chapter 207: Jumping Fish


    Trantor: 549690339


    After hanging up the phone, Qin Lang returned to the dining table, appearing contemtive.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Zhao Wenchang blinked, asking curiously.


    ¡°Something unexpected happened.¡± Qin Lang shook his head helplessly, ¡°I can¡¯t wait until the day after tomorrow to leave, I need to return to Dongxia City the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thest day of the fun pass, you¡¯ll have to y for me.¡± Heughed as he waved the three-day fun pass, ¡°This way, you can y for four days.¡±


    ¡°If I could, I would rather you stay a little longer than y for an extra day.¡± Zhao Wenchang shrugged, ¡°But it seems you have matters that must be attended to, so it has to be this way.¡±


    ¡°Eh? So soon?¡± The expression on Chou Yun Er¡¯s face revealed her disappointment.


    She was still considering what excuse to use to get a meal the day after tomorrow¡­


    ¡°Something indeed needs my immediate attention back in Dongxia City.¡± Qin Lang sighed.


    Mr. Zhou Qing had just invited him on the phone to apany him to Mingjing Province to attend a seafood event called the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    The Leaping Fish Banquet, held once every three years, not only includes nine cities within the Mingjing Province but also invites Spirit Chefs from nearby states, making it a tremendously massive culinary exchange. Such an opportunity is hard toe by.


    The specific situation couldn¡¯t be clearly exined over the phone, but just the features mentioned by Mr. Zhou Qing filled Qin Lang with anticipation for this banquet.


    He didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity.


    And Mr. Zhou Qing was leaving in four days.


    If he were to return to Dongxia City the day after tomorrow, he would have to leave for Mingjing Province with Mr. Zhou Qing the day after the return, which seemed too hurried.


    So Qin Lang weighed it up and decided to return a day earlier, leaving a day for a more thorough preparation for the journey.


    Without inquiring in detail about the specific reason for Qin Lang¡¯s early return, Chou Yun Er and Zhao Wenchang showed understanding.


    After eating the prepared dinner together, leaving no leftovers, the two bid their farewells and left, leaving only Qin Lang and the two little Spirit Chefs. ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Is there some important matter?


    Dan Bao immediately turned his attention to Qin Lang, asking the doubt that had not been previously questioned.


    ¡°In a few days, we¡¯ll be leaving Dongxia City for Mingjing Province.¡±


    Qin Lang took the two little ones back to the room,y down on the softrge bed and looked up at the hotel ceiling with an excited look on his face.


    ¡°Both Bai Lu Mountain City and Qingyang City are within Tianhua State and are adjacent to Dongxia City, but Mingjing Province is in another state. I believe that there will be many different sceneries and foods from those in Tianhua State.¡± Qin Langughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Click!¡±


    1 want to go!


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s description, Spicy¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    Dan Bao next to him also nodded his head, expressing his own expectations.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go together when the timees.¡± Qin Langughed.


    ¡°We will go back to the Qingyang Valley Scenic Area again tomorrow, y all the amusement facilities that we didn¡¯t y today, and then buy some souvenirs for the return.¡±


    ¡°I have already purchased a train ticket for the return journey the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Now, we should rest early.¡±


    Qin Lang rubbed the two little ones, and after a brief wash, turned off the light and went to sleep.


    As time passed, it came to the morning two dayster.


    Qin Lang, dragging his luggage for the return trip, bid his final goodbyes to Zhao Wenchang and Chou Yun Er in the waiting hall.


    ¡°Be careful on the road.¡± Zhao Wenchang¡¯s face was full of reluctance, ¡°My dad also wanted to see you off, since our noodle house might have had to close if it wasn¡¯t for you. However, the shop has been really busytely¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°The train journey from Qingyang City to Dongxia City is just a few hours. Zhao¡¯s Noodle House has just defeated Liu¡¯s Noodle House and it¡¯s a good time to take business to the next level.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Wenchang nodded heavily, a look of expectation on his face, ¡°After you leave, I will also start to help with the family noodle house.¡±


    ¡°I hope someday I can be like you and get my first Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, and then start to travel to other cities, aiming for higher goals.¡± He said with anticipation.


    Durig their interactions, he hade to view Qin Lang as his role model.


    ¡°I believe that day wille.¡± Qin Lang was quite confident about this.


    ¡°The next goal for this beauty adventurer is to win the championship of the Qingyang City Youth Training Competition and earn the qualification to participate in the provincialpetition.¡± Chou Yun Er by the side spoke while giggling, ¡°I think we¡¯ll meet again in the future.¡±


    ¡°Keep it up.¡± Qin Lang turned to look at this girl who had insisted on seeing him off after only two days of acquaintance, giving a wry smile, ¡°I believe that one day, you will be a real adventurer, just like your ancestors.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Chou Yun Er enthusiastically waved her small hand, ¡°I¡¯ve also followed your D Site ount, I¡¯ll be watching every one of your videos from now on!¡±


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please note that the train to Dongxia City is about to leave, please check your tickets and get on the train as soon as possible.¡±


    The station announcement sounded at this moment, Qin Lang turned to look at the direction of the ticket gate, turned back to Zhao Wenchang and said, ¡°I should go now.¡±


    With that, he waved, apanied by two Spirit Chefs, he carried his suitcase and boarded the train back to Dongxia City.


    Dongxia City, Starlight Restaurant.


    As soon as he had put his luggage away at home, Qin Lang came here to inform Uncle Luo Hui that hismission had been aplished.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Jun Zhang to encounter such a major problem.¡± After listening to Qin Lang¡¯s recount, Luo Hui sighed, ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me anything about this, he only asked me to help him collect some nonmon seasonings and ingredients from Qingyang City.¡±


    ¡°This guy and I are alike in not wanting to bother others when we encounter problems, which is why we quickly became good friends when I was in Qingyang City, perhaps because of this.¡± Luo Huimented before turning to Qin Lang, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you were there.¡±


    ¡°Even without yourmission, uncle, I would have helped Zhao¡¯s Noodle House at Zhao Wenchang¡¯s request.¡± Qin Langughed, ¡°So, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Anyway, cheers to Zhao¡¯s Noodle House being saved from a crisis!¡± Luo Huiughed heartily, picked up his fruit juice, and touched his cup with the fruit juice in Qin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Right.¡± He suddenly seemed to remember something and turned towards Qin Lang, ¡°So, how do you feel after visiting Mr. Zong Nian in Qingyang City? You¡¯ve felt the difficulty of Zong Nian¡¯s test, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed very difficult, much more so than the Food Rmender test by Mrs. Yunqi.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve realized this, consider other Second-Level Food Rmenders. You still need three Second-Level Food Rmender Badges. I believe that with your skills¡­¡± Luo Hui¡¯s speech was abruptly cut off as he watched Qin Lang silently take out the Fog Hidden Badge.


    He suddenly widened his eyes and took in a sharp breath.


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 Chapter 208: Detailed Discussion

    Chapter 208: Detailed Discussion


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Examining the Fog Hidden Badge closely, once Luo Hui confirmed that it truly belonged to Mr. Zong Nian, something that could only be obtained by passing the most difficult Second-Level Food Rmender assessment in Tianhua State, he was dumbstruck.


    How long had Qin Lang been to Qingyang City?


    Only a scant week.


    And during this week, he had even assisted Zhao¡¯s Noodle House in a pastapetition against the cooking champion of Qingyang City.


    That is to say, the time he had to prepare for Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test amounted to no more than three or four days.


    That¡¯s why Luo Hui had just made that remark.


    In his view, the fact that Qin Lang had returned from Qingyang City in such a short time was surely because he had realized how difficult Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s assessment was. Unable toplete it in the short term, he must have chosen to give up.


    Luo Hui never imagined that the situation would bepletely different from his guess.


    Within such a short time, Qin Lang passed the assessment by Mr. Zong Nian, regarded as the most difficult Second-Level Food Rmender test in Tianhua State?!


    Luo Hui knew a thing or two about the specifics of that assessment.


    One dish to satisfy the demands of three First-Level Food Rmenders, and in addition, Mr. Zong Nian would make some adjustments to the assessment depending on the circumstances of the Spirit Chef taking the test.


    Such an assessment made Luo Hui¡¯s scalp prickle just listening to the description.


    If Qin Lang¡¯s smooth attainment of the second Second-Level Food Rmender Badge had given Luo Hui a new understanding of Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills, then Qin Lang passing Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s assessment made Luo Hui raise his estimation of Qin Lang another notch.


    ¡°Goodd.¡± After a long silence, Luo Hui suddenly drained the juice in front of him and stood up, his face jubnt.


    ¡°I have a hunch that after the provincial cookingpetition five months from now, the title you will receive may not be Outstanding Chef, but the one above that, Starlight Chef!¡±


    Initially, Luo Hui¡¯s highest expectation of Qin Lang was that he would participate in this year¡¯s provincial cookingpetition. As for what rank Qin Lang could achieve, he hadn¡¯t considered that at all.


    After all, in such apetition, Qin Lang would face other Spirit Chefs like himself who have collected five Second-Level Food Rmender Badges. Their culinary skills were far beyond those of the participants in the city-level cookingpetition.


    But now, Luo Hui felt that he could be more bold in his thinking.


    Giving Qin Lang a retainer fee of 100,000 a month was probably the most correct decision he had made in his life!


    ¡°Starlight Chef?¡± Qin Lang looked puzzled.


    This was the first time he had even heard of the rank of chef above Outstanding Chef.


    Now it seemed that both were rted to the provincial cookingpetition.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, can you tell me how to achieve the titles of Outstanding Chef and Starlight Chef?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Luo Hui smiled, ¡°To tell the truth, I only knew about this because of that fellow Li Hong.¡±


    ¡°With your culinary skills, you¡¯ll find out about this sooner orter.¡±


    His expression turned a bit serious, ¡°The difficulty of the provincial cookingpetition is extremely high. But that doesn¡¯t mean the scale of thepetition is small.¡±


    ¡°Every provincial cookingpetition has no less than fifty participants, and in contrast to city-level cookingpetitions, the process of the provincialpetition ispletely different.¡±


    ¡°If you make it into the top eight in the provincial cookingpetition, you can earn the title of Outstanding Chef.¡±


    The top eight in the provincial cookingpetition?


    Qin Lang nodded thoughtfully.


    So, Li Hong, who is already an Outstanding Chef, once made it into the top eight of a provincial cookingpetition?


    ¡°What about Starlight Chef?¡± Qin Lang asked curiously.


    ¡°Compared to Outstanding Chef, getting the Starlight Chef title is even more challenging.¡± Luo Hui chuckled, ¡°Only the champion of a provincial cookingpetition can get the title of Starlight Chef.¡±


    ¡°Provincial cooking champion?¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    Associating the corrtion between the titles in the cookingpetition and the trainingpetition, it seemed that Zhou Tianhao, having won the provincial training championship, should have received the title of Starlight Trainer.


    Then, Qin Lang remembered what Uncle Luo Hui had just said.


    Uncle Luo Hui thought he could get the title of Starlight Chef, meaning he thought Qin Lang could be the champion of the provincial cookingpetition?


    He immediately showed a somewhat embarrassed expression. ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, the championship of a provincial cookingpetition is not so easy to win.¡±


    More than fifty Spirit Chefs participate, each of them having obtained more than five Second-Level Food Rmender Badges within Tianhua State.


    The intensity of a provincial cookingpetition was self-evident.


    Even for Qin Lang, he didn¡¯t dare to be so confident.


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t do it this year, you¡¯ll certainly be able to in the next one or the one after.¡± Luo Hui chuckled, ¡°A provincial cooking champion in Tianhua State is crowned every year, but it¡¯s not every year that someone passes Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s assessment.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m looking forward to your performance at the provincialpetition.¡± He pped Qin Lang on the shoulder, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve obtained the Fog Hidden Badge, you only need to collect two more Second-Level Food Rmender Badges. Do you have a target in mind?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Qin Lang looked thoughtful, ¡°I was originally nning to go to Hongfan City and Danju City after passing the test in Qingyang City and get the Second-Level Food Rmender Badges from those two ces.¡±


    Previously, Lei Ke had invited Qin Lang to visit Danju City. Qin Lang was also interested, so he nned to make Danju City thest stop to win a


    Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, and then go straight back to Dongxia City to prepare for the provincial cookingpetition.


    Of course, that was his previous n.


    ¡°Did something unexpected happen?¡± Upon hearing the meaning in Qin Lang¡¯s words, Luo Hui became curious.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing invited me to attend a food festival called Leaping Fish Banquet in Mingjing Province. It¡¯s a rare opportunity for me, so I have to change my original travel ns.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Luo Hui smiled, ¡°It seems Mr. Zhou Qing really thinks highly of you.¡±


    ¡°Mingjing Province huh¡­¡± Luo Hui pondered for a while, then shook his head helplessly, ¡°I¡¯d thought about going to see the sea there before, but it didn¡¯t materialize.¡±


    ¡°1 don¡¯t know much about that ce, so I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve heard of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± He suddenly smiled, ¡°Coincidentally, Li Hong is also on the invitee list.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Li Hong is going too?¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    He suddenly remembered that this Outstanding Chef was indeed very good at cooking fish dishes. When he had appeared in Uncle Luo Hui¡¯s restaurant before, it was to help Starlight Restaurant out of its predicament due to theck of fish dishes.


    ¡°He gave you his business card before.¡± Luo Hui pped Qin Lang on the shoulder andughed, ¡°Now that¡¯s settled.¡±


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 Chapter 209: Mist Sculpture

    Chapter 209: Mist Sculpture


    Trantor: 549690339


    Mr. Li Hong will also be attending Leaping Fish Banquet, which is indeed good news for Qin Lang.


    This means that he has an acquaintance in the unfamiliar Mingjing Province.


    This is definitely somethingforting.


    Speaking of Mingjing Province, Qin Lang suddenly recalled something.


    During the train ride from Bai Lu Mountain City back to Dongxia City, he, Zhao Chen, and their thirdpanion traveled a distance with the provincial training champion, Zhou Tianhao.


    When they were parting, Zhou Tianhao mentioned that he would also be heading to Mingjing Province.


    Would he have a chance to see Brother Zhou Tianhao when he attended the Leaping Fish Banquet?


    Qin Lang was somewhat excited, but his main focus was still on the present.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, this is a souvenir I bought in Qingyang City.¡± He took out a beautifully packaged gift box and ced it in front of Luo Hui.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for gifts while visiting.¡± Luo Huiughed, but he quickly began to unwrap the gift.


    Upon opening the gift box, a exquisite light blue ornament was revealed.


    ¡°What a magnificent Mist Sculpture.¡± Luo Hui¡¯s eyes lit up. He carefully picked it up, ¡°I need to ce it in the most prominent position in my store.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    This special craft, known as Mist Sculpture, is made by collecting and depositing the blue mist in Qingyang Valley and sculpting it with a unique blend of materials.


    Since simr crafts cannot be found elsewhere, many people choose to buy it as a souvenir from their travels.


    Qin Lang was no exception.


    ¡°Uncle Luo Hui, it¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll be off.¡± After delivering the gift to Luo Hui, Qin Lang stood up, ¡°I¡¯m nning to visit Mr. Zhou Qing to find out more about the details of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Uncle Luo Huiughed, ¡°I look forward to hearing about your experiences in Mingjing Province when youe back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll capture the most beautiful side of the ocean for you.¡± Qin Lang replied earnestly.


    Leaving the Starlight Restaurant, Qin Lang soon arrived at Mr. Zhou Qing¡¯s house.


    ¡°Ding dong¡ª ¡±


    Not long after the doorbell rang, a figure hurried out of the house to open the door for Qin Lang.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou Yun, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Seeing the judge who had hosted his first Food Fight, Qin Lang smiled and greeted him, ¡°Is Mr. Zhou Qing fishing in the backyard?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhou Yun smiled, ¡°My father has recently had some new ideas for cooking fish dishes. Knowing that you wereing today, he¡¯s been busy in the kitchen preparing his skills.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to AAr. Zhou Qing¡¯s new ideas.¡± Qin Lang handed over the bag in his hand with a smile, ¡°This is a Mist Sculpture, a unique product from Qingyang City. I bought some as souvenirs on my way back, I hope you¡¯ll like them.¡±


    ¡°Mist Sculpture!¡± Zhou Yun¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°I¡¯ve been to Qingyang City on a business trip before, and I wanted to buy one, but I didn¡¯t have the time. This gift really makes me happy.¡±


    ¡°Come on in.¡± Taking the bag from Qin Lang, Zhou Yun quickly led him into the independent vi.


    ¡°Che ka?¡±


    Will there be delicious food tonight?


    Hearing the two people¡¯s conversation, Spicy looked uncertainly at Dan Bao who was by his side.


    ¡°Glug!¡±


    Yes!


    Dan Bao nodded seriously, his face filled with anticipation.


    When Qin Lang had first visited Mr. Zhou Qing, Spicy had not yete into existence.


    But Dan Bao had tasted Mr. Zhou Qing¡¯s cooking before.


    With the affirmation from Dan Bao, Spicy¡¯s eyes gradually lit up as well.


    There¡¯s going to be delicious food.


    Yay!


    The two Food Spirits quickly followed Qin Lang into the vi.


    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived?¡± Hearing the noise from the living room, Zhou Qing, who was wearing an apron, poked half his body out of the kitchen, ¡°Take a seat, the food is almost ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about the Leaping Fish Banquet at dinner.¡±


    After leaving a remark, he immediately went back into the kitchen to continue his work.


    Smelling the variety of delicious food in the air, and looking at the few dishes already disyed on the dining table, Qin Lang knew he didn¡¯t have much to interfere with. So, he smiled and started chatting cheerfully with Zhou Yun in the living room.


    During their casual conversation, Qin Lang learned that Mr. Zhou Yun had been promoted from a junior judge to a senior judge, and he offered his congrattions.


    Soon, Zhou Qingpleted thest dish, signaling the start of the meal.


    ¡°Come, try out these new dishes that I have been working on recently.¡±


    On the dining table, Zhou Qing cheerfully pointed at a golden fish dish.


    ¡°Is this silver carp?¡± Qin Lang, filled with curiosity, took a nce at the fish in the te, noting the fresh aroma mixed with a unique sweet smell, and couldn¡¯t help taking a bite.


    The surface of the silver carp was wrapped in ayer of tight flour coating. After being deep-fried, it was crisp and aromatic. The initial bite even carried a burst of sweetness.


    This vour was somewhat reminiscent of honey, but more subtle, and with it a fruity vour that Qin Lang was unable to identify. It perfectly bnced out the greasiness from the frying.


    Below the outer coating, the fresh and tender flesh of the silver carp erupted with astonishing wonderful taste with every bite. The fish was so juicy that Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but have an expression of satisfaction on his face.


    ¡°This is a very delicious dish.¡± Qin Lang voiced his genuine opinion.


    ¡°The Squirrel Mandarin Fish that you cooked before and some ideas that you mentioned during our conversation gave me some new insights, which led to this dish ¨C Golden Honey Silver Carp,¡± Zhou Qing openly shared withughter.


    ¡°The silver carp is marinated with home-brewed mixed honey and then coated with flour and deep-fried.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang revealed a sudden realization.


    He naturally wouldn¡¯t be able to easily discern the vor of home-brewed honey.


    And the method of marinating the fish in honey before frying, rather than pouring it on after frying, made the sweetness of the honey more subtle, but also blended better with the flour coating.


    ¡°Shall we try the next one?¡±


    During Qin Lang¡¯s absence, Zhou Qing clearly came up with quite a few new ideas. After introducing the Golden Honey Silver Carp, he immediately pointed to another dish.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang nodded, as his chopsticks extended towards the next dish.


    After tasting and giving his sincere opinions on four to five new dishes, Zhou Qing finallyughed and got to the point, ¡°I suppose you must have a lot of questions about the Leaping Fish Banquet, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zhou Qing.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°The invitation for the Leaping Fish Banquet was sent to me about a month ago,¡± Zhou Qing slowly put down his chopsticks, ¡°Coincidentally, it was the same day you attended my Food Rmender Assessment.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang understood with a nod.


    It was expected for an event that took ce every three years to send invitations in advance.


    The next moment, a question arose in Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    Why did Mr. Zhou Qing only invite him now?


    ¡°At first, 1 was nning to go on my own.¡± As if to address Qin Lang¡¯s doubts, Zhou Qingughed, ¡°But a few days ago, an old friend of mine who lives in Mingjing Province contacted me, which made me change my mind and decided to take you with me.¡±


    ¡°Because, this Leaping Fish Banquet is different from previous ones ¨C they have prepared a brand new tform for young Spirit Chefs to interact.¡±


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 Chapter 210: Labyrinth

    Chapter 210: Labyrinth


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zhou Qing.¡±


    Qin Lang expressed his sincere gratitude.


    Only then did he realize that Mr. Zhou Qing had changed his mind and nned to take him along after learning that the Leaping Fish Banquet had undergone new changes.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me,¡±


    Zhou Qing said with a smile.


    ¡°Under the new rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet, a new tform will be provided for Spirit Chefs under the age of 25 to showcase their abilities, and I don¡¯t know many Spirit Chefs under 25 who are good at cooking fish dishes.¡± ¡°I was wondering whether you would be avable given this sudden notice, but as it turns out, you just finished your travels in Qingyang City.¡±


    ¡°Such an important opportunity, even if I have other things, I would temporarily dy them.¡± Qin Lang said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing, what do I need to prepare for the new stage of the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡±


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Zhou Qing stroked his chin, ¡°This kind of change is a first for the Leaping Fish Banquet, so I¡¯m not sure about the specifics, but one thing is for sure.¡±


    ¡°The Leaping Fish Banquet is the most important culinary event in Mingjing Province, and its theme hasn¡¯t changed over the years: to explore more possibilities for seafood ingredients.¡±


    ¡°So the type of dishes you are good at, may all be useful.¡± Zhou Qing smiled, ¡°Both river and sea seafood are eptable.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous, there are still 20 days till the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± Zhou Qing paused for a moment, ¡°That should be plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the Banquet.¡±


    ¡°20 days?¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    He had thought that Zhou Qing would set off tomorrow, and that the Leaping Fish Banquet would start in just a few days.


    It seems that there¡¯s quite a lot of time.


    ¡°Could it be that the venue for the Leaping Fish Banquet is quite far from Dongxia City?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but be curious.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± Zhou Qing stroked his chin, ¡°While it is in Mingjing Province, the venue for the Leaping Fish Banquet is located in Yuehu City, more specifically on Jumping Fish Lake.¡±


    ¡°Jumping Fish Lake?¡± Qin Lang quickly recalled the corresponding knowledge in his mind.


    Jumping Fish Lake, one of the Twin Pearls of the South of the Samiya region.


    The so-called Twin Pearls of the South are two extremelyrgekes located in the southern part of the Samiya region, with the other located in Wuhe State, adjacent to Mingjing Province.


    Jumping Fish Lake is located in Yuehu City, and just thiske alone upies half the area of the city, with abundant aquatic resources.


    The most important thing, though, is its geographical location.


    The Xiayun River flows southward and eventually converges into Jumping Fish Lake, from which three tributaries flow into the sea.


    Leaving from Dongxia City, you only need to pass through Miredi City to reach Jumping Fish Lake.


    ¡°The reason 1 want to leave twenty days in advance is twofold,¡± Zhou Qing exined, ¡°Firstly, I n to take a cruise ship to Jumping Fish Lake.¡± ¡°A cruise ship?¡± Qin Lang was shocked for a moment, then his eyes lit up.


    Even in his previous life, he had few opportunities to travel by boat.


    Take a cruise down the Xiayun River to Jumping Fish Lake?


    That sounds like fun!


    And since the cruise ship would be rtively slower, it makes sense for Mr. Zhou Qing to leave in advance.


    ¡°Secondly, 1 n to visit some old friends along the way.¡± Zhou Qing smiled, ¡°Having be a Food Rmender, 1 haven¡¯t left Dongxia City for a long time, there are some old friends with whom 1 used to be quite close to, whom I haven¡¯t contacted for a long time.¡±


    ¡°1 understand,¡± Qin Lang noddedprehendingly.


    He was riding off Zhou Qing¡¯s invitation to the Leaping Fish Banquet, so naturally, he should adapt to Mr. Zhou Qing¡¯s schedule.


    ¡°In fact, my visits to old friends along the way might also help you,¡± Zhou Qing suddenly smiled, ¡°After winning the Dongxia City cooking championship, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thinking about collecting five second-level Food Rmender Badges to enter the provincial-level cookingpetition, right?¡±


    ¡°Our journey will pass through Miredi City.¡± He paused, ¡°The second-level Food Rmender in Miredi City, Miss Tang Mi, is one of my old friends whom I¡¯ve known for many years.¡±


    ¡°You have received the Daisy Badge, and Miss Tang Mi¡¯s examination also rtes to desserts. If all goes well, she may grant you the second second-level Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Zhou Qing!¡± Qin Lang expressed his gratitude.


    Although the second-level Food Rmender examination in Miredi City was not in his n, the significance of receiving any Daisy Badge for him would be the same, as they are all second-level Food Rmender Badges from Tianhua State.


    Furthermore, Zhou Qing also revealed the content of Miss Tang ATi¡¯s examination: desserts.


    With this in mind, he had more assurance in passing the examination.


    However, Qin Lang then cleared his throat, ¡°Err¡­ Mr. Zhou Qing, actually, 1 have already received my second second-level, Food Rmender Badge.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Qing was taken aback for a moment, and Zhou Yun, who had been quietly eating on the side, also stopped and looked at Qin Lang in disbelief.


    Without a doubt, Qin Lang¡¯s first second-level Food Rmender Badge was the Distant Light Badge.


    Just over ten days since the end of the Dongxia City Cooking Competition, Qin Lang had already received a second second-level Food Rmender Badge?


    ¡°Silly me.¡± Zhou Qing pondered for a moment and soon had an epiphany, ¡°You received the Deer Spirit Badge in Bai Lu Mountain City, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    He suddenly remembered that during their call yesterday, Qin Lang had mentioned his recent itinerary.


    He had visited Bai Lu Mountain City prior to visiting Qingyang City.


    Looking back, the second second-level Food Rmender Badge that Qin Lang had received could only havee from there.


    It certainly couldn¡¯t have been granted in Qingyang City, could it?


    Thinking of Zong Nian, a person he once had a brief encounter with in Qingyang City, Zhou Qing promptly dismissed the assumption.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°1 passed Mrs. Yun Qi¡¯s examination in Bai Lu Mountain City and received the Deer Spirit Badge.¡±


    As Zhou Qing thought.


    Zhou Qing nodded understandedly, ¡°If you could receive a badge from Miss Tang Mi, you would be missing only two of the five second-level Food Rmender Badges.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Qin Lang rubbed his head somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°If 1 am lucky enough to receive the second-level badge from Miss Tang Mi, I would be missing only one of the five badges.¡±


    ¡°How could it be one¡­¡± Zhou Qing reflexively spoke, but before he could finish his sentence, he realized something and abruptly stood up from his seat, ¡°You have also received the third second-level badge?!¡±


    Hold on!


    After winning the Dongxia City cooking championship, Qin Lang visited Bai Lu Mountain City and Qingyang City. Given that the Deer Spirit Badge he received in Bai Lu Mountain City was the second badge, the third badge¡­


    ¡°You passed Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s examination?!¡±


    ¡°I luckily passed,¡± Qin Lang said modestly, ¡°In fact, 1 used seafood in the process of passing Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s examination.¡±


    Upon receiving his confirmation, Zhou Qing was struck dumb for a moment. Zhou Yun, who was eating quietly by the side, looked at Qin Lang as if she was seeing him for the first time.


    Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills have reached this level?


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 Chapter 211: Seeing the Flower

    Chapter 211: Seeing the Flower


    Trantor: 549690339


    By the time Qin Lang left Zhou Qing¡¯s house and returned to his own, it waste at night.


    ¡°It¡¯s already nine o¡¯clock¡­¡±


    After ncing at the wall clock, Qin Lang murmured a word and quickly got his two littlepanions washed up and ready for bed.


    Having just returned to Dongxia City and then paid visits to Uncle Luo Hui and Mr. Zhou Qing, they were all somewhat exhausted.


    Sitting on the bed, Qin Lang picked up his cellphone, notifying Zhao Chen and the others of his return to Dongxia City while engaging in conversation with his two littlepanions.


    ¡°There are still twenty days until the Leaping Fish Banquet begins.¡± Qin Lang paused slightly before continuing, ¡°ording to Mr. Zhou Qing, he and Mr. Li Hong will be embarking on a cruise to Jumping Fish Lake the morning after tomorrow. We¡¯ll join them then.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Going on a cruise!


    Upon hearing this, Dan Bao showed an anticipatory look.


    He had witnessed the Xiayun River with Qin Lang, but he had never had the experience of cruising on it with a cruise ship before.


    ¡°Cheeka-cheeka?¡±


    What¡¯s it like on a ship?


    Spicy, tilting his head to one side, was equally curious about this means of transportation that he had never tried before.


    ¡°Cruising is not as easy as you might think,¡± Qin Lang chuckled wryly. ¡°If one¡¯s physical constitution is slightly worse, one might even experience seasickness¡­¡±


    He stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, looking at his two smallpanions.


    Food Spirits can fly, so they wouldn¡¯t feel the sway of the ship at all. How could they get seasick?


    ¡°Alright, never mind,¡± He shook his head and said, ¡°The ¡®Colorful¡¯ cruise ship we are to board can carry hundreds of passengers at once. Apart from us, there will be other tourists heading to Jumping Fish Lake. I imagine it will be quite lively.¡±


    Lively¡­


    Hearing this, the anticipation of the two littlepanions deepened.


    ¡°As for the itinerary, there¡¯s no need to worry too much with Mr. Zhou Qing and Mr. Li Hong there.¡± Qin Lang took a deep breath, ¡°What we need to be concerned about is the Leaping Fish Banquet itself.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    You can do it, Qin Lang!


    Dan Bao, nodding his head, had great confidence in Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills.


    ¡°The stage that Mr. Zhou Qing said was prepared for Spirit Chefs under the age of twenty-five is somewhat akin to a cookingpetition targeted at teenagers,¡± A hint of confidence emerged on Qin Lang¡¯s face, ¡°I can¡¯t lose when faced with my peers.¡±


    He was no more than twenty years old in his previous life, which meant that the opponents he would face at Jumping Fish Lake had the same amount of time learning to cook as he did.


    Even if his opponents were genius Spirit Chefs from all over Mingjing Province and the surrounding areas, he had no reason to lose.


    After all, he had the entire food system of Earth at his back.


    He was determined to be the champion of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    ¡°Ding dong¡ª¡±


    A message notification sound came.


    It was Zhao Chen and the others responding after seeing his message.


    Zhao Chen: ¡°It¡¯s perfect that you¡¯re back, Qin Lang. My Food Spirit has broken through to two stars! Let¡¯s have a battle, my arch-nemesis!¡±


    Qi Xiaoyu: ¡°Why wait for another day when we can do it now? 1 want to see Zhao Chen get crushed tomorrow!¡±


    Du Weiwei: ¡°Count me in.¡±


    Zhao Chen has reached two stars?


    A look of surprise crossed Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    This guy¡­ is really serious about it.


    Back in Bai Lu Mountain City, Qin Lang had noticed that although the adolescent was a bit nerdy, there was a strong determination in him. This was also the reason he could keep having Spirit Battles with his opponents for several days in a row.


    Breaking through to two stars so quickly without obtaining a Starstone was no small feat.


    It seemed that during his trip to Qingyang City, Zhao Chen had started torturing himself again.


    He had nned to meet up with the three of them and catch up on things tomorrow since he was leaving Dongxia City the day after. After all, he didn¡¯t know when he would see them again after tomorrow.


    With that in mind, Qin Lang smiled.


    Qin Lang: ¡°@Zhao Chen, let¡¯s pick a location.¡±


    Soon, amid Zhao Chen¡¯s grandiose pre-battle deration and the two girls¡¯ eager anticipation to watch the show, the four of them set a time to meet tomorrow afternoon.


    After agreeing on the time, Qin Lang fell into thought.


    His recent reunion with Zhou Qing made him realize that he was no longer a nobody in Dongxia City. He had established a certainwork of contacts.


    As such, he should be proactive in maintaining these rtionships.


    Ms. Song Hui and Mr. Fu Hang were also seniors who had taken good care of him along the way, and it would be best if he could say goodbye to them before he left.


    The journey to Mr. Fu Hang¡¯s Zhen Niu Pavilion was a bit far and would likely take too much time for a round trip. Moreover, he usually contacted him every time he returned to Dongxia City due to the beef stored there, so this time he just sent an email.


    As for Ms. Song Hui¡­


    It had been a while since hest visited Daisy Garden, perhaps he could go and see tomorrow morning?


    He wondered if Su Zhi was still having disagreements with Ms. Song Hui.


    After sending emails to the two First-Level Food Rmenders and receiving their positive responses, Qin Lang stretched, casually opened his D Site ount.


    Just as he entered the creator backend, he was bombarded with numerous messages, followers, and likes.


    More than ten days had passed since the release of his second video ¡°Big Meat Buns¡±, and all thements, whether in private messages or on the video, were urging him to post an update.


    ¡°I¡¯ll film a new video when I get some time in the next couple of days,¡± Looking at the overwhelming call for updates, Qin Lang decided to put the new video on the agenda.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep,¡± After checking through the important messages for the day after tomorrow, he put down his phone, held his two littlepanions, turned off the light and went to sleep.


    Time passed quickly, and the next morning soon arrived.


    With a carefully chosen mist sculpture in tow, Qin Lang and his two littlepanions arrived at Daisy Garden early after breakfast.


    The morning Daisy Garden was somewhat damp, and even from outside the fence, Qin Lang could clearly see the beautiful, dew-kissed flowers.


    After the doorbell rang, the petite figure of Su Zhi appeared before Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Brother Qin Lang, my mummy told mest night that you wereing.¡± Su Zhi, beaming with joy, led Qin Lang into the garden, clearly delighted with his arrival.


    ¡°Is Ms. Song Hui not here?¡± Qin Lang looked around but could not see Ms. Song Hui.


    ¡°Mummy is inside baking desserts, and she¡¯ll be done soon,¡± Su Zhi said, swinging the watering can in her hand, ¡°I¡¯m helping mummy water the garden!¡±


    It was then Qin Lang noticed that Su Zhi was dressed differently today.


    She was no longer dressed in her princess-like skirt. Instead, she was dressed morefortably in athletic attire.


    Her shoes were stained with mud, and there were wet spots on her clothes from watering the garden. While she looked a bit dishevelled, her smile was genuine and from the heart.


    It seemed that Ms. Song Hui was indeed changing how she interacted with her daughter.


    Qin Lang breathed a sigh of relief and then asked with a smile, ¡°May 1 help water the garden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Su Zhi cheerfully nodded, quickly picking up another watering can and delivering it to Qin Lang¡¯s hand, ¡°Let me show you, Brother Qin Lang, the different flowers have different watering methods!¡±


    ¡°It took me a whole week to remember all of this!¡±


    As she said this, Su Zhi proudly lifted her head.


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 Chapter 212: Farewell

    Chapter 212: Farewell


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Su Zhi is terrific.¡±


    Qin Lang patted the little girl¡¯s head as a sign of encouragement, and then finished the rest of the watering work with her.


    During this process, both Dan Bao and Spicy put in a lot of effort, making Su Zhi, who adored food spirits, even happier.


    When the watering was finished, Song Hui, who was baking desserts in the house, finished his work and came out with the dessert in hand.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe so early.¡±


    In a pavilion in the Daisy Garden, Mrs. Song Huiughed and picked up her teapot and poured a cup of flower tea for Qin Lang. ¡°This is flower tea made from petals that fell from the daisies in the garden and were sun-dried and after. It tastes lovely with dessert.¡±


    ¡°Let me try.¡± Qin Lang looked at the pale red tea in front of him, showing some interest. He put the remaining half piece of dessert in his mouth and took a sip.


    The flower tea entered his mouth, and the dessert quickly melted, releasing a sweet taste and a hint of floral fragrance. The scent of the flowers from the dessert intertwined with the flower tea, making this delightful experience even more longsting.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed delicious.¡± Qin Lang showed an amazed expression. After taking two bites, he remembered his purpose ofing and lifted a gift box at his feet, ¡°Auntie Song, this is a mist sculpture I bought after my trip to Qingyang City, I hope you like it.¡±


    ¡°You went to Qingyang City.¡± Song Hui smiled, took the mist sculpture, looked at it, and showed a delighted expression. ¡°My home needs an ornament, thoughtful of you.¡±


    She did not refuse this gift, which was not high in value but full of sincerity.


    ¡°Brother Qin Lang, you were on vacation this time!¡± Su Zhi suddenly understood and then showed a curious expression, ¡°Where were you?¡±


    ¡°I went to Bai Lu Mountain City and Qingyang City¡­¡± Qin Lang smiled and began to vividly describe his travel experiences to Su Zhi and Song Hui.


    Unsurprisingly, in this process, Song Hui was also shocked by the speed at which Qin Lang collected the Second-Level Food Rmender Badges.


    However, Su Zhi, who hadn¡¯t been exposed to these, was more interested in Qin Lang¡¯s skiing and adventure experiences. After listening, her big eyes were full of anticipation, as if she also wanted to explore ces outside Dongxia City.


    In the end, when Song Hui heard that Qin Lang was going to join Zhou Qing to attend the Leaping Fish Banquet in Mingjing Province and would pass through Miredi City on the way, she looked thoughtful.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your experiences to be so exciting after not seeing you for more than ten days.¡± She smiled and then said, ¡°If you are going to Miredi City, I might have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°Please say, Auntie Song,¡± Qin Lang politely started, ¡°as long as 1 can help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not aplicated matter.¡± Song Hui smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, ¡°When you go to Miredi City, you¡¯ll seek the local second-level food rmender, Miss Tang Mi, to try and get your fourth second-level Food Rmender Badge, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Miss Tang Mi is sort of my half mentor.¡± Song Hui showed a hint of nostalgia, ¡°I got a lot of advice from her when I first got into contact with desserts.¡± ¡°Could you help me deliver a letter to her when you meet her?¡± she exined, ¡°Althoughmunication is much more convenient now, Miss Tang Mi prefers paper letters.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang nodded without hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s not a problem at all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, then.¡± Song Hui sighed with relief and stood up, ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±


    She turned and left the garden and went into the house.


    After Qin Lang and Su Zhi chatted a bit, Song Hui returned to the pavilion with a letter and a business card, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang took the letter and carefully kept it, and then looked at the business card.


    The name on the card was Su Runian, along with his contact info.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    ¡°This is my husband¡¯s card.¡± Song Hui smiled, ¡°He works in Ye Zhi City. If your trip to Mingjing Province takes you through there, and you run into trouble, you can find him.¡±


    Was it Su Zhi¡¯s father?


    Qin Lang realized.


    Because of the near-misunderstanding before, he remembered it very clearly, the man had been transferred to Mingjing Province because of work.


    Remembering this, Qin Lang expressed his gratitude.


    At Song Hui¡¯s kind invitation, he stayed and had lunch in the Daisy Garden before leaving.


    ¡°Tweet¡ª ¡±


    The sharp whistle echoed over the openpetition venue. After counting to five, the referee of the Spirit Battle spoke up.


    ¡°Qin Lang wins this match!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, still a little bit short.¡± Zhao Chen said regretfully, and recalled his incapacitated Yangyang back into his star vein.


    After Yangyang¡¯s promotion to two stars, it awakened a fighting-basedbat skill named Gilded Guard, which put it in a very high defense state for a short time. Coupled with its previous Barbaric Collision, its threat had be a lot stronger.


    However, sadly, it lost to Spicy in the end and was bitten unconscious.


    Since Zhao Chen had advanced to two stars, but had not yet given birth to a second food spirit, Qin Lang did not take advantage of him and chose a one on one battle to decide the oue.


    Dan Bao had already beaten Yangyang many times, so it readily handed the old rival over to an eager Spicy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised at all about this conclusion.¡± Qi Xiaoyu, who strode up quickly, grinned, ¡°Zhao Chen, have you ever calcted how many times you¡¯ve been defeated by Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°Humph.¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s expression returned to calm, ¡°Qin Lang could beat me countless times. Still, 1 only need to defeat him once!¡±


    Qin Lang looked at him strangely, ¡°No problem, maybe next time, I could use my third pet to defeat Yangyang.¡±


    Zhao Chen:¡±???¡±


    ¡°Pff~¡± Du Weiwei, who was next to them, couldn¡¯t help butugh. She was amused by their conversation, ¡°There¡¯s a new drink shop nearby, shall we go try it out?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, I saw that the second cup is half price!¡± Qi Xiaoyu was clearly intrigued.


    Despite not seeing each other for a week, the foursome felt no unfamiliarity.


    After everyone picked their drinks, they sat around a table and started chatting.


    ¡°You¡¯re headed to Mingjing Province tomorrow?!¡± Once Qin Langpleted his future itinerary, Qi Xiaoyu was suddenly astonished, ¡°So abruptly?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    There are still neen days until the start of the Leaping Fish Banquet. But after the feast, Qin Lang may not immediately return to Dongxia City.


    Since he¡¯s going to Mingjing Province for the first time, he intends to look at the sea of this world.


    Moreover, he promised Uncle Luo Hui to take pictures of the prettiest side of the sea for him.


    ¡°In that case, take care on the road.¡± Du Weiwei looked deep into Qin Lang¡¯s eyes and said softly.


    ¡°Old enemy, the next time we meet, I will surely defeat you.¡± Zhao Chen chuckled, ¡°So, you cannot be easily defeated before that.¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t.¡± Qin Lang raised his drink with a smile, ¡°Cheers.¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


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 Chapter 213 - 213 Setting Sail

    Chapter 213: Setting Sail


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Woo¡ª ¡±


    A long sound of the steam whistle rang out, and Qin Lang, sitting in his own room on the cruise ship, felt a slight tremble beneath his feet, and his gaze involuntarily turned to the moving scenery outside the window.


    The ship was setting sail.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get our things together.¡± He smiled as he opened his suitcase, took out neatly stored clothes, and other items to tidy up, ¡°This journey is going to take several days.¡±


    With their hearts full of novelty, Dan Bao and Spicy excitedly began to help Qin Lang settle in.


    After sorting out their luggage, Qin Lang, apanied by his two spiritpanions, strolled onto the deck of the ship.


    Already, many passengers were grouping together in threes and twos, chatting casually and peering at the rippling surface of the Xiayun River that surrounded them.


    epting theplimentary snacks and drinks from a ship attendant, Qin Lang stood by himself at the side railing of the deck, lost in thought as he gazed at the view before him.


    The Xiayun River, known as the Mother River of Tianhua State, was undeniably magnificent.


    Looking down from the deck, Qin Lang could clearly see the asional fish and foaming waves beneath the surface of Xiayun River.


    He had never seen such clear river water in his previous life.


    Both Dan Bao and Spicy, who had never been so close to the Xiayun River, leaned their heads together, whispering and murmuring to each other, puzzling over something.


    Suddenly, a sh of silver under the water caught Qin Lang¡¯s attention.


    When he clearly got a look at what the silver was, his eyes widened in surprise.


    It was a carp, at least twice as big as the usual ones!


    Moreover, the scales of this carp were silver-white, and not the usual ink-colored back scales ofmon carps.


    ¡°Look over there!¡±


    He quickly directed Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s attention towards it.


    Seemingly startled by the noise from the deck, the silver carp that was curiously approaching the ship swiftly vanished from Qin Lang¡¯s sight with a single flick of its tail.


    Dan Bao and Spicy, who had turned their heads towards the disturbance, caught a glimpse of the carp¡¯s disappearing act.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    I¡¯ll catch it!


    Dan Bao openly volunteered.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Qin Lang shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s already gone far, and these kinds of carp are pretty rare, I think it¡¯s a bit of luck to see one at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, seeing a silver-white carp on the Xiayun River is a symbol of good luck.¡± A voice came from beside them.


    ¡°Mr. Li Hong.¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Li Hong adjusted his sses and looked at the river, ¡°Luo Hui told me about your aplishments yesterday.¡±


    ¡°When I first tasted your Steamed Bass, I thought you had some talent in cooking, but that was all.¡± He felt a bit nostalgic as he turned his gaze to Qin Lang, ¡°I never thought your cooking skills would be so advanced.¡±


    ¡°I still have a lot to learn.¡± Qin Lang modestly replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s good not to be blinded by the honor you¡¯ve already attained.¡± Li Hong showed an admiring expression, ¡°If we go by the rules of previous Leaping Fish Banquets, there¡¯s a chance we couldpete on the same stage.¡±


    ¡°But this year¡¯s banquet prepared a showcase specifically for young people, so there wouldn¡¯t be such an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°If I really have topete with all the Spirit Chefs in Mingjing Province who excel in cooking fish dishes, 1 don¡¯t have much chance of winning.¡± Qin Lang shrugged.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Li Hong was clearly very confident in Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills. He changed the topic, ¡°I just heard about a cooking exchange among young Spirit Chefs that you might be interested in.¡±


    ¡°What kind of cooking exchange?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°As you know, the final destination of the cruise ship, the Colorful, is Jumping Fish Lake, and the Leaping Fish Banquet will start in more than ten days.¡±


    Li Hong paused slightly, ¡°Apart from this, Mingjing Province is a culinary dreand for any Spirit Chef who specializes in aquatic dishes.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    Among the ingredients he could exchange with his cookingpetition points, many seafood and freshwater varieties were produced in Mingjing Province.


    Once he entered Mingjing Province, the exchange list would dynamically adjust.


    Ingredients native to Mingjing Province would cost fewer points to exchange, and some wouldn¡¯t require points at all, and could be directly purchased.


    However, the value of some ingredients from Tianhua State would increase correspondingly.


    After all, the transport cost of bringing in out-of-state ingredients in their best condition was not low.


    So, for a Spirit Chef proficient in cooking seafood, Mingjing Province was an excellent choice.


    ¡°For this reason, many Spirit Chefs among the passengers on the Colorful specializes in cooking aquatic ingredients.¡± Li Hong paused, ¡°Some of them have also received invitations to the Leaping Fish Banquet, and some are going just to watch.¡±


    ¡°And these Spirit Chefs are about to hold a small cooking exchange on the ship.¡± Li Hong smiled, ¡°As 1 got an invitation to the Leaping Fish Banquet, the organizer approached me, and AAr. Zhou Qing as well, but he didn¡¯t participate.¡±


    ¡°When I heard about this cooking exchange activity, 1 thought of you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Li Hong, thank you.¡± Qin Lang responded gratefully, ¡°But can 1 participate even though I haven¡¯t been invited?¡±


    ¡°The organizers said it¡¯s an exchange open to all cooks interested in cooking with aquatic ingredients.¡± Li Hong shrugged, ¡°So, I suppose it¡¯s open even for those who didn¡¯t get an invitation.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°I¡¯d like to go and have a look if 1 could join. 1 don¡¯t have much to do on the ship anyway.¡±


    Seeing that Qin Lang had epted the invitation, Li Hong nodded slightly.


    With about an hour left before the start of the cooking exchange, the two men chatted on the deck before walking together to the top of the ship¡¯s cabin.


    Arge open space had been set up there, currently serving as the venue for the cooking exchange activity.


    Surrounded by finely decorated embellishments, a banner hanging at the site read ¡°Aquatic Ingredients Cooking Exchange Conference¡±.


    Although it was just an event organized by the Spirit Chefs themselves, it looked quite formal.


    Qin Lang nodded slightly, his gaze filled with curiosity, as he surveyed the other Spirit Chefs who had already arrived.


    Some of them had boarded the ship from the pier at Dongxia City, but many more had boarded from upstream piers before the Colorful reached Dongxia City,ing from other cities.


    As a result, all faces were new.


    While Qin Lang surveyed the people in the venue, the other Spirit Chefs who had already arrived were also observing him and Li Hong.


    The gaze of one of the female chefsnded on Qin Lang, with a look of surprise in her eyes. After confirming his identity, her surprise turned into excitement.


    She walked up quickly, speaking assuredly with a voice full of doubt.


    ¡°You¡¯re the famous Traveler, aren¡¯t you?¡±


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 Chapter 214: Fish Roe

    Chapter 214: Fish Roe


    Trantor: 549690339


    Traveler¡­


    Hearing this familiar address, Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.


    No doubt, this must be one of his fans from D Site.


    Looking at the girl who appeared to be a few years older than him, he couldn¡¯t help but cough lightly, ¡°Just call me Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°OK, Traveler-¡± The girl responded with a bubbly giggle, her eyes glinting with a mischievous liveliness, ¡°My name is Si Wenwen, I¡¯ve been a fan of yours for ten years-¡±


    A fan for ten years, not bad at all.


    Qin Lang turned to Li Hong, who was looking a bit puzzled, and exined in a whisper, ¡°1 asionally upload some videos on D Site.¡±


    Li Hong was enlightened.


    He knew about D Site, but he never used these tforms.


    ¡°Well, you two chat then.¡± With a faint smile, he moved aside intentionally, trying not to disturb the conversation between Qin Lang and his fans.


    Qin Lang nodded slightly and then turned his attention to Si Wenwen.


    However, Si Wenwen¡¯s attention had shifted from him to Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    She eximed, quickly leaning in to get a closer look at the two little spirits, ¡°These must be Dan Bao and Spicy, they are so cute!¡±


    Si Wenwen turned to Qin Lang, seeking approval with a hint of anticipation, ¡°Can I touch them?¡±


    Qin Lang and the two small spirits shared a nce, then he nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Si Wenwen quickly reached out her hand towards the two, feeling the soft touch of Dan Bao and the fluffy feel of Spicy, revealing a satisfied expression.


    For some reason, seeing this, Qin Lang suddenly had a peculiar thought, ¡°Would your Food Spirit get upset if it knew you were touching Dan Bao and Spicy?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t summon your Food Spirit?¡± He asked casually with a strange look on his face.


    ¡°All?¡± Si Wenwen let go of the two little spirits and scratched her head shyly, ¡°I¡¯m not yet a Spirit Chef, I¡¯m just a cooking enthusiast.¡±


    ¡°I was traveling in Mingjing Province with my family, where the sea view is absolutely beautiful.¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s confusion, she took the initiative to exin.


    ¡°On the boat 1 met Zhou Ran.¡± Si Wenwen pointed to another girl standing on the other side who was chatting with some others, ¡°She was going to the Jumping Fish Lake for a banquet called the Leaping Fish Banquet¡­¡±


    At this point, her eyes lit up with realization, ¡°You were also on the boat for the Leaping Fish Banquet, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    Si Wenwen showed a ¡®1 thought so!¡¯ expression, then continued, ¡°After meeting Zhou Ran, she told me about the Cooking Exchange Activity about seafood cooking on the boat.¡±


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m not yet a Spirit Chef, I know how to cook fish.¡± Si Wenwen chuckled, ¡°So, 1 decided to join and see if I could improve my cooking and summon my own Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Understanding her situation, Qin Lang said earnestly, ¡°Keep going, 1 believe you can do it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Hearing encouragement from her favorite uploader, Si Wenwen was thrilled.


    Since Mr. Li Hong on the other side had started chatting with other Spirit Chefs, Qin Lang didn¡¯t feel the need to wrap up the conversation. While waiting for the event to officially start, he chatted casually with Si Wenwen.


    Time flew by and the audience swelled to about a dozen people.


    The exchange activity began promptly.


    ¡°Thank you all for attending this exchange activity!¡± A young man in a suit stepped onto the stage, surveyed the audience, gauged the headcount, and expressed his satisfaction with a smile, ¡°I am Qiu Yidong, the organizer of this event.¡±


    ¡°This activity aims to provide a tform for Spirit Chefs interested in seafood cooking to exchange their experience and spark new culinary inspiration¡­¡±


    Qiu Yidong quickly finished his rehearsed opening remarks and announced themencement of the session.


    ¡°Let me go ahead and pave the way.¡± Another Spirit Chef went on the stage with a smile and took over the microphone.


    Finally, the exchange has begun.


    Qin Lang watched the man on stage with anticipation.


    However, this anticipation quickly faded.


    That¡¯s because the guy didn¡¯t share anything cooking-rted, he didn¡¯t even use any cooking utensils. He just talked about his experience cooking seafood dishes and some very basic stuff.


    What¡¯s more, some of the details sounded exaggerated.


    Was this an exchange of cooking skills?


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but look around at the other attendees, but found that they didn¡¯t seem to mind, as if a cooking exchange was supposed to be like this. Soon, the first chef went off stage, reced by another girl.


    Listening to her talk, which was exactly like the first cook, Qin Lang furrowed his brows even deeper.


    He quickly realized that this exchange activity was not what he had imagined.


    He wondered what Mr. Li Hong thought about this sort of exchange activity.


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but nce at the back of Mr. Li Hong who was sitting in the front row.


    Being an outstanding cook, Mr. Li Hong was seated in the first row, which made it difficult for Qin Lang to read his expression from his seat.


    Time ticked by, and Qin Lang patiently remained seated.


    Although quite a number of Spirit Chefs took the stage afterwards, none of them said anything worthwhile, whichpletely disheartened Qin Lang from going on the stage for an exchange.


    Soon, the exchange part of the event ended.


    ¡°It seems everyone has learned a lot today.¡± Qiu Yidong went back on stage with a jovial smile, ¡°We, the Spirit Chefs, need these kinds of cooking exchanges to get the chance to improve together.¡±


    ¡°Apuse-¡±


    Amidst the sporadic pping, an almost imperceptible smirk spread across Qiu Yidong¡¯s face. ¡°I have prepared a little gift for everyone attending today, hoping you will like it.¡±


    With that, he waved his hand and some of the cruise ship¡¯s attendants rolled in a closed kitchen cab car.


    As the cab car opened, the exquisite dishes inside elicited gasps from the audience.


    Qin Lang nced over the food, which came in a variety of shapes.


    The dishes all had one thing inmon: they were all covered with ayer of a shiny ck food ingredient that sparkled under the light, like ck pearls piled on top of each other.


    That is¡­


    Qin Lang raised his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°This is the Premium tinum Sturgeon Caviar that, even in the first seafood producing Mingjing Province of the Samiya Region, is exclusively produced in Hanhai City.¡±


    The volume in Qiu Yidong¡¯s voice picked up a few notches, ¡°Today, everyone here can taste its wonderful vor!¡±


    ¡°What?! Premium tinum Sturgeon Caviar?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, it¡¯s the best quality caviar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never tasted it before, I didn¡¯t expect to get this lucky today!¡±


    Catching the wave of surprise sweeping the venue, Qin Lang showed some interest.


    From this perspective, it seems it wasn¡¯t a wasted trip after all.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Rmend]

 Chapter 215: Embarrassment

    Chapter 215: Embarrassment


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯ll take three please.¡±


    Qin Lang gestured to the waiter and picked out three servings from the kitchen cab car, each neatly adorned with Premium tinum Sturgeon Caviar.


    He handed two of them to the two little ones eagerly salivating at the sight.


    Thest one, he kept for himself.


    The two little ones, their mouths watering, devoured the food in one gulp. As they chewed and tasted the food, they looked blissful and contented. However, Qin Lang, unlike hispanions, took his time, carefully observing the small ingredient in his hand.


    The base was a soft cake baked to perfection and cut into a cylindrical shape. The cake was covered with various toppings meticulously cut into curved thin strands. At the very centre, in all its glory, were tiny, distinct grains of the caviar, arranged like stars around the moon.


    Under the bright lights, the caviar glistened with a radiant ck sheen, its exceptional quality evident to the eye.


    After examining it for a while, Qin Lang began tasting it leisurely.


    The bursting vor of the caviar, woven together with the taste of the various toppings and the subtly sweet soft cake, showcased aplex yet dazzling taste that made him nod approvingly.


    However, the very next moment, an event nearby made him furrow his brow and turn his head.


    ¡°Premium tinum Sturgeon Caviar!¡±


    Si Wenwen delicately picked up a piece of exquisitely designed food and began to examine it.


    The food had a base made of toasted crisp bread, decorated with several toppings. The caviar on top glistened under the light like ck pearls, casting a bewitching glow.


    Upon closer examination, Si Wenwen kept her gaze at each full and round piece of caviar, almost imagining the delicious taste as she bites into it.


    She swallowed her saliva and, without any further hesitation, took a big bite from half of it; one hand held the bread¡¯s crust, and the other supported it from underneath.


    As she chewed, the caviar¡¯s distinctive and rich taste was evident even amongst the other ingredients muddled in her mouth.


    An intoxicated look came over Si Wenwen¡¯s face. It was her first time tasting something so delicious.


    However, the very next moment, an unfriendly snicker passed over from the side.


    With a sneer, Si Wenwen followed the sound and found a boy not far from her who was making fun of her.


    He met her gaze with a mocking look, disying no intention to shy away when he caught her attention. Instead, he patted his friend¡¯s shoulder and said,


    ¡°Look, she doesn¡¯t even know how to appreciate caviar. Is she eating melon seeds?¡±


    Si Wenwen couldn¡¯t help but furrow her eyebrows


    She grew up in Hongfan City, where there were no seas or rivers, meaning seafood was scarce.


    She had hardly evere across caviar. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be eaten this way?


    Si Wenwen nced at the rest of the food in her hand, wanting to keep tasting it, but the guy¡¯s sneer left her feeling unsure.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The boy who made fun of Si Wenwen had a triumphant look on his face, almost as if he had won some kind of victory.


    Hisments drew the attention of many other Spirit Chefs to Si Wenwen¡¯s situation.


    ¡°As a Spirit Chef, knowing how to appreciate different kinds of food is a necessary skill,¡± one female Spirit Chef said while savouring a few caviar pearls, in a didactic tone. ¡°Caviar is supposed to be savoured, not chewed.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know basic dining etiquette; you¡¯re like a cow chewing a peony.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Si Wenwen¡¯s face changed slightly.


    She wanted to exin that she was not a Spirit Chef yet, but felt that doing so would only invite more ridicule.


    However, the next moment, she heard a familiar voice from the other side.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t born a Food Spirit yet. She¡¯s not a Spirit Chef.¡±


    Si Wenwen shuddered, inexplicably looking at Zhou Ran, who had just spoken, her face full of disbelief.


    Why?


    Why would Zhou Ran, whom she considered a good friend, expose her shorings at this moment?


    Zhou Ran averted her gaze, avoiding meeting Si Wenwen¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Zhou Ran, isn¡¯t she the one you brought here?¡± Said one Spirit Chef next to her, lowering his voice.


    ¡°We just happened to be on the same route. We don¡¯t know each other well,¡± Zhou Ran replied almost instantly, continuing to chat nonchntly with herpanion and no longer looking at Si Wenwen.


    Si Wenwen¡¯s eyes quickly dulled.


    ¡°Pff,¡± the Spirit Chef who had initially mocked herughed, ¡°I was wondering what¡¯s going on. So, you¡¯re not even a Spirit Chef. How did you have the nerve to join this event?¡±


    The other Spirit Chefs joined in.


    ¡°Exactly, ordinary people can¡¯t just participate in a Spirit Chef exchange.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even born a Food Spirit; you don¡¯t qualify to exchange with us.¡±


    Facing the mocking voices, Si Wenwen felt embarrassed and regretful. She didn¡¯t know why she, who had tried to keep a low profile, had be the center of attention, and couldn¡¯t find any words to refute thements.


    Indeed, she didn¡¯t know how to appreciate caviar, and she was not a Spirit Chef either¡­


    ¡°Mr. Qiu Yidong.¡± The woman who had been elegantly tasting the caviar swallowed herst bite and turned to Qiu Yidong. ¡°What do you think about this situation?¡±


    All eyes, including Si Wenwen¡¯s, were now on Qiu Yidong.


    Si Wenwen thought that the Spirit Chef who hosted this exchange and provided such expensive food for everyone to taste without any charges must be a generous person.


    If he expressed some kindness at this moment, her embarrassment would undoubtedly be greatly alleviated.


    But before she could ponder further, Qiu Yidong revealed a smile.


    ¡°This culinary exchange is an event for Spirit Chefs to exchange cooking techniques and insights.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t clearly express his intention, the emphasis on the words ¡°Spirit Chef¡± was evident.


    ¡°You heard him, didn¡¯t you? An exchange of cooking techniques and insights among Spirit Chefs.¡± The boy who had initially ridiculed her rolled his eyes and quickly summoned his Food Spirit. ¡°Are you a Spirit Chef?¡±


    The others didn¡¯t say anything, but their eyes on Si Wenwen were still intimidating.


    Si Wenwen¡¯s face turned pale. In her confusion, she turned again to look at Zhou Ran.


    But Zhou Ran paid no attention to her and had already moved away with herpanion.


    She awkwardly squeezed out a smile and stood still, not knowing what to do.


    At that moment, a hand appeared before her eyes.


    Qin Lang, noticing Si Wenwen¡¯s ufortable situation, had moved to her side. He took another piece of exquisite food adorned with caviar from her te.


    Then, to the surprise of both others and Si Wenwen herself, he calmly took a bite.


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 Chapter 216: Etiquette

    Chapter 216: Etiquette


    Trantor: 549690339 I


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Qin Lang had finished eating the food in his hands that the boy who had been mocking Si Wenwen came back to his senses. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m enjoying delicious food,¡± Qin Lang calmly answered.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t tasting, it¡¯s wasting food!¡± the boy scoffed. He nced at the two Food Spirits that were with Qin Lang, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a Spirit Chef, yet you don¡¯t even understand such basic things!¡±


    Qin Lang ignored the boy and turned his attention to Qiu Yidong who was beside him, asking suddenly, ¡°Mr. Qiu Yidong, do you think how you eat sturgeon caviar is important?¡±


    Qiu Yidong looked at this young Spirit Chef he didn¡¯t recognize, thought for a moment, then slowly replied, ¡°Good ingredients should be tasted in the best possible way. This is very important.¡±


    ¡°Understood, thank you for providing the dishes.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded and looked at Si Wenwen, ¡°This is a disappointing cooking exchange event. 1 think there is nothing here that can enhance your cooking skills, so it¡¯s time to leave.¡±


    Having said this, he turned and walked towards the exit.


    Watching Qin Lang leave, Si Wenwen felt a warmth in her heart, and her eyes welled up with tears.


    The person who helped her when her best friend betrayed her, and the others were mocking her, was Qin Lang. This was something she never expected. ¡°Yes!¡±


    She finished the remaining dishes in one go, red at the boy who was mocking her, and followed Qin Lang out without any hesitation.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    Qiu Yidong¡¯s expressions turned grave.


    Si Wenwen wasn¡¯t even a Spirit Chef yet, he didn¡¯t really care about her leaving.


    As for Qin Lang, someone he didn¡¯t recognize, Qiu Yidong didn¡¯t really care about him leaving either.


    But, the fact that Qin Lang was disappointed at the cooking exchange event was something that he, as the organizer, couldn¡¯t tolerate.


    Organizing cooking exchange events like this was something that he was proud of, it gave him a strong sense of aplishment, and now this feeling of aplishment was being denounced.


    ¡°You say, you¡¯re extremely disappointed at this cooking exchange event?¡±


    ¡°From my point of view, this doesn¡¯t qualify as a cooking exchange event at all.¡± Qin Lang shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just a lot of self-advertising with no real purpose.¡±


    Qiu Yidong¡¯s face turned a shade of green and then a shade of white, ¡°You can say these words because your cooking skills are great, right? How about having a Food Fight with me?¡±


    ¡°Not interested,¡± Qin Lang decisively replied.


    In the past, he never refused any Food Fight.


    But this time, he felt that the opponent was not worthy of being his opponent.


    ¡°In my opinion, he is afraid having learnt that Mr. Qiu Yidong was the champion of Danju City Cooking Competitionst year!¡± The female Spirit Chef who had been giving him a lecture earliermented.


    He wasst year¡¯s champion of Danju City Cooking Competition?


    Qin Lang nced at Qiu Yidong and looked away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡±


    Seeing the two ignoring her provocation and about to leave the venue, the female Spirit Chef¡¯s eyes filled with dissatisfaction, ¡°Hmph, let¡¯s not let those two uncivilized people spoil our mood!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s steps halted once more at the entrance of the venue.


    ¡°Etiquette isn¡¯t something that gets to be dictated by others, or makes one feel superior.¡± His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it resonated in the ears of all those present, ¡°Not causing others any difort, that¡¯s the true etiquette.¡±


    ¡°Everything you¡¯ve done is the antithesis of proper dining etiquette.¡±


    Qin Lang did not linger, and he left the venue with Si Wenwen who had a face full of admiration.


    With their departure, the venue fell silent.


    Qin Lang¡¯sst words echoed in their hearts.


    People who were initially arrogant now had their faces alternating between green and white, looking very ufortable.


    ¡°The young people today are really hot-blooded,¡± in one corner of the hall, a middle-aged man sipped his wine and shook his head. He then turned to Li Hong at his side, ¡°Li Hong, that boy was brought here by you, right?¡±


    ¡°A piece of advice for you, don¡¯t bring someone like this to an event like this next time, it makes all of us look bad.¡±


    ¡°And, I have a piece of advice too. Don¡¯t give me advice.¡± Li Hong calmly ced his empty wine ss on a tter held by one of the waiters. ¡°And, I¡¯m interested in cooking exchange activities, but not in bragging contests.¡±


    ¡°If the next event is going to be like this, don¡¯t invite me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The man with his face frozen in surprise.


    Watching Li Hong walking towards the door, his expression gradually turned grim.


    Who was that young man? Li Hong dared to offend him for that kid?


    ¡°Mr. Li Hong?¡±


    Qiu Yidong, realizing that Li Hong was leaving, felt a change in his expression. The several outstanding chefs who participated in the event were heavyweight figures that he had personally invited. Seeing one of them leaving, Qiu Yidong¡¯s face grew nervous.


    ¡°Step-¡±


    Li Hong stopped in front of Qiu Yidong.


    ¡°The young man who just left is named Qin Lang.¡± He calmly looked at Qiu Yidong, ¡°Remember this name.¡±


    ¡°Half a month ago, he defeated the current champion of Danju City Cooking Competition, Lei Ke.¡±


    Qiu Yidong¡¯s pupils shrank.


    Lei Ke¡­


    As a Spirit Chef of Danju City, he was naturally all too familiar with this name.


    This was the Genius Spirit Chef who was known as the strongest city-level cooking champion in recent years in Danju City. Even now, he didn¡¯t dare to im that he could beat Lei Ke.


    The boy who just left looked no more than in his teens and had the ability to defeat Lei Ke?!


    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± The female Spirit Chef¡¯s eyes widened and she couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t he dare face off against Mr. Qiu Yidong in a Food Fight?¡±


    Li Hong didn¡¯t respond, but asked Qiu Yidong again, ¡°How many second-level Food Rmender Badges have you obtained?¡±


    ¡°Three¡±, Qiu Yidong responded,ing back to his senses.


    ¡°How long did it take?¡±


    ¡°One and a half years.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Li Hong gave a whimsical smile, ¡°Qin Lang got three second-level Food Rmender Badges in less than a month.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Qiu Yidong couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    He had an incredulous look on his face.


    Only one who has obtained a second-level Food Rmender Badge knows how hard it is to achieve.


    Why could Qin Lang do it so quickly?


    On what grounds could he do it this quickly?


    Qiu Yidong was rooted to his spot.


    He suddenly realized that the boy who¡¯d left earlier, who didn¡¯t respond to his challenge wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t dare to.


    It was because he despised him¡­


    Looking at Qiu Yidong¡¯s slowly clenched fist, Li Hong chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will have a chance to face him off at the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    He did not linger, stepped out of the venue and left behind one sentence.


    ¡°By the way, I also thought that this cooking exchange event was very disappointing.¡±


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 Chapter 217: Transparency

    Chapter 217: Transparency


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Traveler, I truly appreciate your help this time!¡±


    Stepping out of the cooking exchange activity venue, Si Wenwen expressed her gratitude from the bottom of her heart.


    She found it difficult to imagine how embarrassing her situation would have been today if Qin Lang had note to her rescue.


    What troubled her more was that she had several days left on her journey. If things had deteriorated to the point that she had feared, she would¡¯ve had no choice but to shut herself in her room to avoid the people participating in the event.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Qin Lang didn¡¯t mind the little incident, ¡°They indeed behaved inappropriately, besides, you are my fan.¡±


    The so-called dining etiquette was initially designed to ensure that diners do not disturb each other, not as a symbol of the high ss.


    In his past life, Qin Lang had seen too many people who, knowing some dining etiquette of Western and French meals, acted superior and branded themselves as people of high ss. He never indulged such people.


    Because she¡¯s a fan¡­


    Si Wenwen was deeply moved.


    She had indeed followed an outstanding host!


    She made up her mind! When she got back, she would share her experience with other fans!


    As a host with hundreds of thousands of fans, Qin Lang naturally had fan groups. However, these were not set up by him, but by his fans.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t even know about this.


    ¡°However, you should really distance yourself from that friend of yours.¡± Although it was inappropriate to make such a suggestion, after some thought, Qin Lang still couldn¡¯t help but say it.


    ¡°I know.¡± Si Wenwen nodded heavily. Thinking of Zhou Ran¡¯s betrayal during


    the event, she gritted her teeth in anger.


    After spending several days together, Si Wenwen had thought that they have be good friends, but Zhou Ran did not feel the same way.


    This hurt her almost as much as being mocked during the event.


    ¡°Etiquette isn¡¯t dictated; it isn¡¯t a pedestal of superiority attained through its mastery either. It¡¯s about ensuringfort to others. That was a great point, Li Hong, who left the venueter, walked up to them and spoke.


    Looking at Li Hong, who had a hint of a smile on his face, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat guilty, ¡°Mr. Li Hong, did my leaving like that put you in an awkward spot?¡±


    After all, he had been attending the event with Li Hong and to some degree, his actions could have influenced Li Hong.


    However, there was no point in staying under such circumstances.


    ¡°Quite the contrary,¡± Li Hong shook his head, ¡°I wanted to leave as soon as 1 heard their so-called ¡¯exchange¡¯. Only out of courtesy did I stay.¡±


    ¡°Your departure gave me a good reason to leave.¡±


    Seeing that Li Hong didn¡¯t mind at all, Qin Lang breathed a sigh of relief.


    Indeed, Mr. Li Hong was still the same person he knew.


    Si Wenwen quickly excused herself and left so as not to disturb their conversation.


    Once back on deck, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Li Hong, are there many events like this, where people pretend to exchange their cooking ideas, but in reality, no real exchange happens?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there are many,¡± Li Hong nodded, ¡°On one hand, such events provide opportunities to meet more Spirit Chefs and expand one¡¯swork.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand,¡± Li Hong paused, and his tone became noticeably more sarcastic, ¡°there are always some people who treasure their skills way too much, hiding them from others, yet desiring to learn from others.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    In culinary exchange activities like these, participants could make appearances by just saying a few things that don¡¯t matter. But if someone were to share some key information, these participants would certainly be the winners.


    He was suddenly d to have decided against going on stage.


    Qin Lang had no objection to sharing his cooking skills and thoughts, which he learned in the previous life from Earth, with this world. But he was not doing charity, he expected an equal exchange.


    For example, in the outdoor cooking duels he held previously, where they could see each other¡¯s cooking processes, he was pretty content.


    -The outdoor duel you mentioned?¡± When Li Hong learned about Qin Lang¡¯s interest in such duels, he smiled, ¡°Rx, there will be plenty of opportunities for such modalities in the provincial-level cookingpetition.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    He did not actually know this.


    ¡°Do you mean that in the provincial-level cookingpetition, the Spirit Chefs do not have to cook inside thepetitive standard kitchen and all the cooking happens outside?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Li Hong shook his head, ¡¯¡¯But there¡¯s one thing you forgot. ¡±


    ¡°The walls of thepetitive standard kitchen automatically turn opaque once thepetition starts, but that doesn¡¯t mean that chefs have to cook out of sight.¡±


    ¡°The control to switch the transparency of the walls is in the hands of the Spirit Chefs. If they want to, they can make thepetitive standard kitchen transparent again, thereby only retaining its sound-proof effect.¡±


    That was true indeed.


    This rendered Qin Lang silent.


    In the previous city-level cookingpetition, he had not chosen to make the walls transparent partly because he had just arrived in this world not long ago and was still cautious, and partly because other contestants hadn¡¯t done so either.


    ¡°Why is it that no one activated the transparent mode in the city-level cookingpetition but they do in the provincial cookingpetition?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but ask again.


    ¡°The reason is quite simple,¡± Li Hong¡¯s facial expression was a bit odd, ¡°In a city-level cookingpetition, the impact is only within a city, so the waiting time of the contestants¡¯ cooking can be filled with other means to drive the audience¡¯s emotions.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    During his previouspetition, performances would begin every time apetitor entered the kitchen.


    ¡°But when the reach of thepetition is expanded to a province or even a region, performances can no longer maintain the hyde of the audience,¡± Li Hong shook his head, ¡°Thepetition is apetition because both participation of contestants and involvement of audiences are equally important.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s whypetitions at provincial level and above have a stiption that city-levelpetitions do not have.¡± He paused slightly, ¡°That is to say, you can earn additional points and a higher voting weight if you choose to cook in transparent mode in the process.¡±


    ¡°Contestants still have the right to choose whether to activate this mode, but if you do not start the transparent mode, you will definitely be at a disadvantage in thepetition. You will need better cooking skills to win.¡±


    Qin Lang suddenly understood.


    Nicely done!


    Just by introducing additional points and weight, the majority ofpetitors are forced to demonstrate their art in public, thus enhancing the spectacle of thepetition.


    Considering that many of hispetitors at the provincial-level cookingpetition would choose to cook outdoors, Qin Lang suddenly felt exhrated.


    You see, those who could stand on the stage of Provincial-level cookingpetition were all spirit chefs who have won five second-level Food Rmender badges. Watching their cooking process, Qin Lang was confident of learning a lot.


    Although this meant that his cooking process would be exposed to other Spirit Chefs, Qin Lang would not mind at all.


    Even if they really learned the cooking method of a dish, so what?


    People have a recipe pool, but he owns a recipe sea.


    How could he lose?


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 Chapter 218: Docking

    Chapter 218: Docking


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s interest in the provincial-level cookingpetition, Li Hongshun took the opportunity to share some of his own experiences from when he participated in thepetition.


    However, it had been ten years since Li Hong hadpeted, and the rules of thepetition had been gradually adjusted over the years. So, to Qin Lang, it could only serve as a reference.


    But, there was no doubt that after listening to this, Qin Lang developed a bigger desire topete.


    However, there was still quite some time before thepetition, so no matter how eager they were, they had to wait.


    As the conversation went on, Li Hong looked up at the sky and shook his head in resignation. ¡°1 had originally thought that the cooking exchange event would fill our stomachs,¡± he said.


    Qin Lang was silent.


    in a proper cooking exchange event, one would naturally take turns to cook on stage, and the food would be shared with everyone. Judging by this, everyone would certainly be satisfied, therefore, Li Hong¡¯s expectation was not wrong.


    Who would have thought that this cooking event would turn into a bragging


    session?


    Li Hong was not the only one who came on an empty stomach, he was also quite hungry now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room,¡± said Li Hong as he rolled up his sleeves and then made his way to the guest room. ¡°The rooms prepared for Spirit Chefs on the ¡®Colorful¡¯ all have kitchens, andmon ingredients can be purchased


    onboard. I¡¯ll cook for you.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Truth be told, he had never before tasted Mr. Li Hong¡¯s cooking stalls.


    He was nowpletely looking forward to it.


    ¡°Mr. Li Hong, maybe I can also make a few dishes for you to taste?¡±


    ¡°Good idea, I¡¯d love to taste what other dishes you have cooked,¡± said Li Hong, nodding enthusiastically. ¡°Speaking of tasting, why don¡¯t we invite Mr. Zhou


    Qing as well?¡±


    -Come to think of it, I suspect that Mr. Zhou Qing already knew that something was off about this cooking exchange event, that¡¯s why he declined without


    hesitation.¡±


    ¡°That might actually be right.¡± Qin Lang followed Li Hong, deep in thought. Mr Zhou Qing had far more experience than they did. Most likely, he saw what was happening from the start, which is why he didn¡¯t bother to get involved.


    ¡°That kid named Qiu Yidong, just a glimpse of him tells you he¡¯s a spector.¡± in Li Hong¡¯s dining room, Zhou Qing chuckled. ¡°If 1 had participated in such an event, it would have been quite embarrassing.


    He nced at Li Hong with an awkward look on his face. Leisurely, he picked up a chopstick full of the dish Fish Belly Hidden Lamb and put it in his mouth. After tasting it, he gave Qin Lang a thumbs up. ¡°So, this is the dish that got you the Fog Hidden Badge? It¡¯s truly amazing.¡±


    Li Hong was also so surprised that he forgot his embarrassment. He picked up a chopstick full of the same dish, and soon a surprised look appeared on his face. ¡°Fish andmb, to be honest, 1 have never thought of such abination. It¡¯s unexpected that these two ingredients, which seem totally unrted, can produce such a fresh taste whenbined.¡±


    -So, you see, innovation is the key to progress in cooking. Even though most results may not be satisfactory, a small part is enough,¡± Zhou Qing savored the dishes cooked by Li Hong in a delightful manner, -Your dishes haven¡¯t changed much since a few years ago.¡±


    Upon hearing Zhou Qing¡¯s evaluation, Li Hong suddenly became somewhat embarrassed.


    Qin Lang also felt a bit embarrassed.


    He wasn¡¯t innovative either, it¡¯s just that people didn¡¯t know.


    However, recently, with more exposure to the delicacies and new ingredients of the Food Spirit World, Qin Lang found himself bing more resourceful.


    He had plenty of inspiration, and given the opportunity, he felt he could base his innovations on existing Earth dishes and craft some creative ones.


    However, soon enough, Qin Lang began pondering the rtionship between


    Zhou Qing and Li Hong.


    Previously, Uncle Luo Hui mentioned in passing that when Mr. Zhou Qing first appeared at the Starlight Restaurant, he specifically ordered the Steamed Bass, which had a lot to do with Li Hong.


    The two had known each other for a long time.


    From their conversation just now, their rtionship seemed to be more than just acquaintances.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking about our rtionship?¡± When he heard Qin Lang¡¯s question, Zhou Qing chuckled. ¡°Ten years ago, I beat him in the provincial-level cookingpetition.¡±


    Huh?


    Qin Lang blinked in astonishment.


    This was an answer that he hadn¡¯t expected at all.


    After all, Zhou Qing was in his sixties, and Li Hong was only in his forties. Their rtionship seemed more like that of a mentor and a student.


    However, remembering that there were no age restrictions for the cookingpetition, and that an eighty-year-old contestant couldpete against an eighteen-year-old, Qin Lang thought it made sense.


    The three enjoyed the food, chatted freely, and most of the time, Zhou Qing and Li Hong share their experiences, while Qin Lang listened attentively at the side.


    Unlike Uncle Luo Hui, their footprints not only included Tianhua State, but also many surrounding states.


    Li Hong mainly travelled to the three states south of Tianhua that bordered the sea, and Zhou Qing had been even further away, having been to Mengze Province, where he saw the scenery of the primaryke in Samiya the Cloud


    Dream Lake.


    just listening to them describe these experiences opened up Qin Lang¡¯s mind in a whole new way.


    As the conversation wound down, Zhou Qing looked at Qin Lang. ¡°Tomorrow morning, the ¡®Colorful¡¯ will dock at Miredi City Pier, and it will be there for two days.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded, showing that he understood.


    The ¡®Colorful¡¯ was essentially a luxury sightseeing cruise ship.


    So there were many attendants on the ship to provide services for tourists, but the ship¡¯s speed was slow. In addition, it would stop for one to two days in each city, allowing tourists to get off and experience the local culture.


    Zhou Qing initially chose this ship for this reason.


    After all, he was going to meet some old friends in Miredi City. Choosing the ¡®Colorful¡¯ meant he didn¡¯t have to transfer.


    And these two days would be an opportunity for Qin Lang to acquire the fourth second-level Food Rmender Badge in Miredi City.


    Considering Qin Lang had sessfully passed the test and obtained the Fog Hidden Badge, both Zhou Qing and Li Hong believed that Qin Lang indeed had the potential to do it.


    ¡°I will do my best to win Miss Tang Mi¡¯s approval,¡± Qin Lang nodded sincerely. There was also a letter from Miss Song Hui to Miss Tang Mi in his suitcase.


    He mustn¡¯t forget it tomorrow.


    The time passed quickly, and it was the next morning.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Apanied by the long sound of a steam whistle, the ¡®Colorful¡¯ cruise ship in the middle of the river slowly approached the shore.


    Qin Lang had packed everything he might need for his trip to Miredi City in a portable backpack the night before. At this moment, he stood on the deck with the bag on his back. He watched as the pier on the riverbank gradually erged in his eyes, his face reflecting his anticipation.


    Another new city!


    Even though they were only staying for two days, once Qin Langpleted his test and got his badge, and if there was still time, Qin Lang decided to take a stroll in Miredi City to see if there were any special food or scenery to explore.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Focused on Qin Lang were two pair of eyes, also looking forward to a new experience. Every time they arrived at a new ce, they could taste a lot of new food with Qin Lang and have interesting new experiences.


    ¡°Shall we go together to meet Miss Tang Mi first?¡± Zhou Qing asked with a smile.


    Qin Lang took a deep breath and nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


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 Chapter 219 - 219. Reversal

    Chapter 219 - 219. Reversal


    Chapter 219:. Reversal


    Trantor: 549690339 I


    In Miredi City, there is a famous attraction called the Labyrinth Flower Sea.


    It is nted with hundreds of rare flowers, just like a sea of flowers.


    What is even more delightful is that these flowers have a peculiaryout, much like a well-arranged maze.


    The flowers that bloom in different seasons guide different paths, and all these paths eventually lead to one ce.


    That is a small house hidden in the deepest part of the Labyrinth Flower Sea, and also the destination of this trip for Zhou Qing and Qin Lang ¨C Miss Tang Mi¡¯s residence.


    ¡°This is¡­ the Labyrinth Flower Sea?¡± Standing in the outer area, Qin Lang widened his eyes and looked at the endless flowers in surprise.


    ¡°When I first came here thirty years ago, I had the same expression.¡± Zhou Qingughed lightly, a look of nostalgia appeared on his face, and an image of a dancing figure amidst the flowers emerged in his mind.


    Young Tang Mi¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Watching Zhou Qing gracefully step into the sea of flowers, Qin Lang quickly followed.


    The sweet fragrance of countless flowers intertwined together, lingering on every visitor entering the flower sea.


    If the scale of the flowers in the Daisy Garden is already astonishing, then this Labyrinth Flower Sea is indeed a spectacr sight for Qin Lang.


    Zhou Qing was obviously not visiting this ce for the first time, and he led Qin Lang along a small path through the flowers, bypassing the tourists posing for pictures, they quickly arrived at a small house hidden in the middle of the flower sea, which was blocked entirely by the flower sea from afar.


    The house was not big but very exquisite.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhou Qing stood at a distance and looked at the house, then walked to the door and rang the doorbell.


    ¡°Ding dong ¡±


    Listening to the sound of the doorbell, Qin Lang who was closely following couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath.


    Because he knew in advance that Miss Tang Mi¡¯s assessment direction was simr to Miss Song Hui¡¯s, which is also in the direction of desserts, he did a lot of preparations the night before. He reviewed the high-difficulty Chinese pastries that he is good at. Dan Bao and Spicy were very happy to eat.


    Now, it¡¯s time to test the adequacy of his preparation.


    Soon, the door was opened from the inside.


    A white-haired olddy with an extremely elegant demeanor opened the door and looked at them. Her gaze fixed on Zhou Qing, and a warm smile appeared on her face, ¡°So the old fellow came over?¡±


    ¡°I came to attend the Leaping Fish Banquet, and came to see you by the way.¡± Zhou Qing spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Just by the way, huh? Then you do not have toe.¡± An additional hint of girl-like mischief appeared in the olddy¡¯s eyes, and she pretended to be angry and began to close the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s been years, and you¡¯re still the same.¡± Zhou Qingughed, seemingly understanding that the olddy wasn¡¯t actually angry, and held the doorknob, ¡°Won¡¯t you invite me in to have a sit and taste your flower tea?¡±


    ¡°Shameless.¡± The olddy let go of the doorknob, ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Zhou Qing motioned to Qin Lang to go in together, and took the opportunity to introduce him to the olddy, ¡°This is Qin Lang, the champion of the cookingpetition in Dongxia City this year.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Tang Mi.¡± Qin Lang bowed slightly.


    ¡°Hello, handsome young man.¡± Facing the junior, Tang Mi¡¯s smile became warmer, ¡°Come in and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    The three quickly went inside, and Tang Mi started to busy herself with making tea to serve her guests.


    Soon, the sweet scent of flower tea drifted through the house.


    Qin Lang sniffed the aroma and couldn¡¯t help but show a surprised expression.


    The scent of this flower tea is quite simr to the flower tea made by Miss Song Hui.


    Thinking of the fact that Miss Song Hui once said that Miss Tang Mi was her half-teacher, he nodded thoughtfully.


    They didn¡¯t know about other aspects, but it was definitely inherited from the same line in terms of flower tea.


    Remembering Song Hui, Qin Lang took out a letter from his backpack and handed it to Tang Mi who just ced the teapot on the table, ¡°Miss Tang Mi, this is a letter from Miss Song Hui for you. She asked me to deliver it.¡±


    ¡°A letter from Ah Hui! I should read it carefully.¡±


    After pouring tea for Qin Lang and herself, Tang Miughed, fetched her reading sses, sat at the other end and started to read the letter.


    Zhou Qing and Qin Lang tasted their tea, without making a sound to disturb her, waiting quietly.


    Soon, the letter was readpletely, and Tang Mi¡¯s smile grew even brighter. It seemed that the content of the letter made her mood even better.


    She took off her reading sses, gave Zhou Qing a nce, then turned her gaze to Qin Lang, ¡°Let me guess, young man, did youe to me with this old guy Zhou Qing for the Second-Level Food Rmender Assessment?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang took out his Spirit Chef Badge and the Distant Light Badge, and handed them to Tang Mi.


    The threshold for Miss Tang Mi¡¯s test is also one Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.


    ¡°Then I have to take a good look.¡± Miss Tang Mi smiled and took the Spirit Chef Badge, then turned and walked towards the bedroom, ¡°You both can sit for a while.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing, did I interrupt your reunion with an old friend?¡± After Miss Tang Mi temporarily left the living room, Qin Lang scratched his head awkwardly.


    He had initially nned to wait until their reunion was over, and then bring up the assessment.


    He didn¡¯t expect Miss Tang Mi to bring it up uninvited.


    ¡°It is the duty of a Food Rmender to assess the culinary skills of Spirit Chefs, naturally you need to prioritize your responsibilities.¡± Zhou Qing took a sip of tea calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about these, just prepare your best for the assessment.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Upon hearing Zhou Qing¡¯s words, Qin Lang quickly concentrated on the assessment.


    He started to wonder about what kind of dessert question Miss Tang Mi would bring out for the assessment¡­


    A momentter, Ms. Tang Mi returned with a beaming smile and gave the Spirit Chef Badge back to Qin Lang, ¡°You¡¯re really an outstanding young man, actually able to pass Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising for Qin Lang to see she found out this information through the badge¡¯s back-end data, he humbly responded, ¡°It was sheer luck. Mr. Zong Nian¡¯s test was quite difficult.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The smile on Tang Mi¡¯s face deepened as she suddenly opened her mouth, ¡°Would you be interested in assuming a more challenging test?¡±


    Qin Lang:¡±???¡±


    Looking at the still affable Miss Tang Mi before him, he was stunned for a moment.


    How was he supposed to respond to that?


    Say he¡¯s not interested?


    If he didn¡¯t even have the courage to take the test, there was no way he could pass it.


    But if he said he was interested¡­


    It seemed like Miss Tang Mi genuinely nned to crank up the difficulty for him!


    Qin Lang took a look at Zhou Qing who was sitting next to him and had a somewhat strange expression, and he gritted his teeth, ¡°I am interested.¡±


    ¡°Very good, young people should be energetic.¡± Miss Tang Mi nodded with a smile, ¡°In that case, your assessment question is¡­¡±


    Her voice trailed off momentarily, and she turned to look at Zhou Qing who was leisurely sipping his tea to a side, ¡°Make a dish rted to flowers with fish ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Puff ?¡¯


    Zhou Qing spewed out the tea in his mouth.


    He coughed violently a few times, then raised his head in astonishment to look at Tang Mi, clearly not expecting Qin Lang¡¯s test to be rted to him.


    It¡¯s normal for Tang Mi¡¯s test to be rted to flowers, but it¡¯spletely unrted to fish dishes.


    What¡¯s more important, what about the desserts?!


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 Chapter 220: Anomaly

    Chapter 220: Anomaly


    Trantor: 549690339 I


    Not only was Zhou Qing stunned, but so was Qin Lang.


    lie suddenly had the feeling of having studied math all night on the eve of the college entrance exam, only to be told on the day that math had been reced with English.


    Thinking back to the night before when he had nervously reviewed Chinese pastries, Qin Lang thought he was really silly.


    ¡°So?¡± Ms. Tang Mi smiled as usual, ¡°Will you ept this challenge?¡±


    Qin Lang fell into deep thought.


    Fish ingredients and flowers¡­


    Because he was set to participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet, Qin Lang wasn¡¯tpletely unprepared to cook dishes with fish ingredients. However, none of the dishes he had prepared had any connection to flowers.


    Hold on¡­


    Fish? Flowers?


    Like a sh of lightning crossing his mind, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    There indeed was a fish dish connected to flowers!


    ¡°I ept!¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°But I need some time to prepare. I¡¯lle back tomorrow.¡±


    Even though he had an idea for the dish, it had been a while since he hadst cooked it, and unlike the Poetic Etiquette Ginkgo he¡¯d made before, this dish wasn¡¯t easy to cook.


    The Second-Level Food Rmender assessment deserved respect.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s no problem,¡± said Tang Mi, smiling.


    Qin Lang quickly bid farewell and left with his bag.


    lie had reserved a hotel room with a kitchen in Miredi City for the night, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about having nowhere to stay and practice.


    After Qin Lang left, Zhou Qing slowly came back to his senses.


    lie looked at Tang Mi somewhat bewildered, ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡± Tang Mi sipped her floral tea and spoke with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s bound to be fish dishes at the banquet, so 1 wanted to see how good he is.¡±


    Zhou Qing was at a loss for words.


    This reason was really convincing¡­


    What the hell!


    What does the Leaping Fish Banquet have to do with you, a Second-Level Food Rmender specializing in desserts!


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Seeing Zhou Qing¡¯s increasingly peculiar expression, Tang Miughed, before confessing, ¡°Actually, 1 was impressed that he passed Zong Nian¡¯s test, so 1 didn¡¯t want my test to be easily passed.¡±


    This reason was even more absurd.


    But in ordance with Zhou Qing¡¯s understanding of Tang Mi, he knew that she was probably really thinking this way.


    Being old friends for so many years, Zhou Qing naturally knew Tang Mi¡¯s determination.


    This friendly, dessert-savvy woman had a sharp edge deep in her bones.


    Yan Zhongde, the current Third-Level Food Rmender in Tianhua State, was advanced in age and had already mentioned a couple of years ago that he would retire and spend his twilight years at home.


    As a result, there would be a vacancy for the Third-Level Food Rmender position in Tianhua State.


    ording to the past practice of the Spirit Chef Association, when there is a vacancy for a Third-Level Food Rmender, they would first consider promoting from the Second-Level Food Rmenders in the state.


    If none were avable, they would consider from neighboring states. If that also doesn¡¯t work, they would finally consider parachuting a Third-Level Food Rmender.


    There¡¯s no possibility of promoting from neighboring states in Tianhua State, because there are Second-Level Food Rmenders who are qualified to be promoted to the Third-Level in the state.


    Moreover, there are two of them.


    Besides Zong Nian, who is eligible to be a Third-Level Food Rmender but refused because he didn¡¯t want to leave Tianhua State, Tang Mi, who is experienced and excels in desserts among the current Second-Level Food Rmenders, is also eligible for promotion.


    In this case, Tang Mi naturally has somepetitive mindset towards Zong Nian.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising to Zhou Qing that she wanted to indirectly have a smallpetition through a Spirit Chef who had passed Zong Nian¡¯s test.


    However¡­


    ¡°This is not very fair to Qin Lang.¡±


    Tang Mi was an old friend of Zhou Qing¡¯s, so he expressed his defense for Qin Lang very directly.


    ¡°Of course I know.¡± Tang Miughed, ¡°I¡¯m just giving him a try.¡±


    ¡°The interval for taking the Second-Level Food Rmender¡¯s test is three months. Even if he fails this time, he could take my test again before the Provincial-level Cooking Competition.¡±


    ¡°By then, I will conduct the test with the normal difficulty.¡±


    ¡°Moreover¡­¡± Tang Mi paused a bit, ¡°Given his cooking skills, two Second-Level Food Rmender Badges are not going to stump him. Maybe he doesn¡¯t need toe to me in three months, he may have obtained enough badges elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°So even though the difficulty of this test has increased, it won¡¯t affect him.¡± Tang Mi looked at Zhou Qing meaningfully, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what kind of answer this young man you value so much will give?¡±


    ¡°It seemed like he already had some ideas when he left.¡±


    At this, Zhou Qing fell silent for a moment.


    After being reminded by Tang Mi, he also thought of this.


    Qin Lang¡¯s demeanor when he left seemed confident.


    Fish and flowers¡­


    Zhou Qing really wanted to see what kind of answer Qin Lang would provide.


    ¡°Alright, just like before, you¡¯ve persuaded me one more time.¡±


    With matters regarding Qin Lang settled, Zhou Qing and Tang Mi began to chat about all the things that had happened since theyst saw each other, entering the stage of old friends¡¯ casual talk.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang who had just exited the Labyrinth Flower Sea, ran into a little problem.


    ¡°Why is there a Star Power fluctuation here?¡±


    Qin Lang followed his two Food Spirits in a certain direction until he finally stopped in a somewhat deste district.


    lie looked at the deserted surroundings, and couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    It was broad daylight, but Qin Lang felt a chill up his spine for no reason, lie had originally hailed a taxi and was on his way to the hotel he had reserved. However, halfway there, Dan Bao and Spicy suddenly started acting strange. ording to the two little ones, there was actually unowned Star Power in the vicinity!


    Star Power, obviously, wasn¡¯t something Qin Lang was unfamiliar with.


    It was a special energy that could elerate the growth of Food Spirits, only obtainable through official Food Fights and Spirit Battles, participating in officialpetitions hosted by the Association or in funpetitions authenticated by the Association.


    As for unowned Star Power that any Food Spirit could absorb, it indicated another special existence.


    Starstone!


    How could such power, controlled by the Spirit Chef Association, appear so randomly?


    With curiosity and suspicion, Qin Lang decided to get off the car early and proceeded in the direction sensed by Dan Bao and Spicy.


    lie originally thought it was just a misperception of the two little ones.


    But as he walked, Qin Lang noticed that the stars circling the two little ones were really getting brighter!


    Although the Star Power around the area was scattered, making the increase in brightness not too rapid, the further he walked in the direction sensed by the two little ones, the denser the unowned Star Power!


    But as the destination looked more and more deste, Qin Lang started to calm down.


    The increasingly deste destination¡­


    The increasingly dense unowned Star Power¡­


    Why does it seem like a trap?


    Should 1 retreat?


    Although the Star Power was tempting, he had a feeling that something would go wrong if he continued forward.


    Taking a deep breath to let go of his greed, Qin Lang suddenly turned around. ¡°Don¡¯t move! Put your hands up!¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


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 Chapter 221: Abandoned

    Chapter 221: Abandoned


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Upon turning around, Qin Lang was truly scared by the person who had appeared behind him unexpectedly.


    Fortunately, his mental state was always on high alert under such circumstances. Upon seeing the other¡¯s attire, he quickly signaled Dan Bao and Spicy not to act rashly.


    It was a woman in her twenties, holding a weapon simr to a gun in her hand, pointing at him.


    The exclusive insignia of the Spirit Chef Association on her chest allowed Qin Lang to quickly identify her identity.


    She was from the Miredi City Spirit Chef Association.


    ¡°I came in by mistake, there¡¯s been a misunderstanding.¡± Qin Lang honestly raised both hands,ining internally that he had indeed stepped into a trap.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s cooperation, the woman¡¯s stern face rxed slightly, but she did not lower the weapon pointed at him.


    ¡°I am Pei Yue from the Public Security Management Department of the Miredi City Spirit Chef Association.¡± The woman took out her credentials and began the routine questioning, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Are you a local resident of Miredi City? Why are you here?¡±


    Only after Qin Lang exined his circumstances, his reason for being here, and confirmed his identity with the Spirit Chef Badge, did Pei Yue slowly lower her weapon.


    ¡°Can I leave now?¡± Seeing Pei Yue putting down her weapon, Qin Lang rxed and quickly made his request.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, not yet,¡± Pei Yue shook her head, ¡°You have been inadvertently caught up in an unusual incident and cannot leave for now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang showed a helpless expression, ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything.¡±


    Except for absorbing a bit of unowned Star Power.


    He muttered to himself in his heart.


    ¡°Your Food Spirits have absorbed the Unowned Star Power around here, haven¡¯t they?¡± Pei Yue nced at the two Food Spirits beside Qin Lang, ¡°There is a problem with this Unowned Star Power.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s expression instantly became serious.


    How could Star Power have a problem?


    And Dan Bao and Spicy who absorbed the Star Power¡­


    He nervously monitored the condition of the two little ones, but found no anomalies.


    ¡°The more Star Power here is absorbed, the more agitated and irrational the Food Spirit bes,¡± Pei Yue exined, ¡°Because this Star Power was not normally created, the specific situation is still under investigation.¡±


    ¡°In thest two days, there have been several incidents of Food Spirits losing their senses, all rted to this. Your Food Spirits have not absorbed much and have not lost their senses for the moment, but there is still potential danger.¡±


    You must have noticed that there are no other people nearby,¡± Pei Yue gestured to the surroundings, ¡°The residents here have been temporarily relocated elsewhere, and because there are not enough people, the blockade is not yet fully implemented.¡±


    ¡°Lettingyou enter here, we also bear some responsibility, but I¡¯m sorry, for the time being, you can¡¯t leave.¡±


    Qin Lang fell silent.


    Now even if he was allowed to leave, he wouldn¡¯t leave.


    It was clear from her words that absorbing this Unowned Star Power had potential danger.


    ¡°May I ask, does the Association have a way to solve this potential danger?¡± Qin Lang began to ask seriously.


    Not yet, because such a situation has never urred in Miredi City before,¡± Pei Yue shook her head.


    Before Qin Lang could lose hope, Pei Yue¡¯s next words gave him hope.


    However, the Association has now sent professionals to examine the Food Spirits who have lost their senses and have a certain treatment n,¡± Pei Yue paused, ¡°If the reason for this Unowned Star Power is found, it should be able to be resolved.¡±


    ¡°And my colleagues and I have entered this area for this mission.¡±


    ¡°As long as there is a solution, it would be good.¡± Qin Lang breathed a small sigh of relief.


    He wouldn¡¯t want any danger for Dan Bao and Spicy.


    ording to the other party¡¯s words, as long as the Public Security Management Department found the reason for the Unowned Star Power, they could find a treatment method by tracing back.


    All he needed to do was wait.


    No, perhaps he could be more proactive.


    ¡°Miss Pei Yue, is there anything I can do?¡± Qin Lang asked seriously.


    Since he couldn¡¯t leave at the moment, helping the Association to find the root of the problem sooner would allow Dan Bao and Spicy to be treated sooner, and he could leave here earlier.


    Thinking of his earlier impulsiveness due to curiosity, Qin Lang deeply regretted it.


    Curiosity kills.


    ¡°You?¡± Pei Yue looked at Qin Lang with surprise.


    Such abnormal issues were typically handled by members of the Spirit Chef Association.


    However, thinking about it, Pei Yue felt a slight sense of interest.


    She had just used her portable device to check the past record of this Spirit Chef named Qin Lang who stood in front of her. There was no doubt about him, and he was also a young genius Spirit Chef.


    The strength of two Two-star Food Spirits was not weak, and they could actually offer a great help during the investigation process.


    Most importantly, the scope of this unusual incident was a bit broad, and the manpower of the Spirit Chef Association was indeed stretched thin.


    Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been a loophole in the blockade allowing Qin Lang to mistakenly enter.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll trouble you,¡± Pei Yue put away her weapon and took out two shining crystal stones to hand to Qin Lang, ¡°These are repelling stones temporarily made by the Association. Wear them and your Food Spirits won¡¯t continue to absorb Star Power.¡±


    Ojn Lang nodded, took the crystal stones, and put them on the two little elixirs.


    The Unowned Star Power was automatically repelled within a certain range around the crystal stones, keeping Dan Bao and Spicy in an environment where they could not touch the Star Power.


    ¡°Just follow me in the investigation. An extra person might help find clues faster.¡± Pei Yue¡¯s expressionpletely softened. She smiled at Qin Lang, took the lead in moving towards the direction with more dense Star Power, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about the situation on the way.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang followed closely behind.


    The two of them moved deeper, engaging in conversation as they went.


    Soon, Qin Lang came to understand the specific details of this unusual incident.


    Two days ago, a Spirit Chef¡¯s Food Spirit began to be frenzied and irrational, turning to the Spirit Chef Association for help.


    At that time, the Spirit Chef Association hadn¡¯t discovered the problem with the Unowned Star Power and assumed it was an issue with the Spirit Chef¡¯s Food Spirit itself. They tried various treatments, but none were very effective.


    Subsequently, several more Spirit Chef¡¯s Food Spirits exhibited simr symptoms, and none could be cured, causing the Association to take the matter more seriously.


    The development of the situation was faster than the Association¡¯s response. Almost at the same time as the Association was dispatched, the problematic Unowned Star Power erupted.


    In a hurry, the Spirit Chef Association first evacuated the public and began to block the city area covered by the Star Power.


    Afterwards, Qin Lang mistakenly entered the upletely blocked city area and met Pei Yue.


    ¡°The Star Power should be spreading from a source to the surroundings, the problem must be at the center of the sealed area,¡± Qin Lang concluded quickly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Pei Yue nodded, ¡°My colleagues and I started at different points from the edge and will meet again in the center.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the abandoned Star River Manufacturing Factory.¡±


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 Chapter 222 - 222 Factory

    Chapter 222: Factory


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Star River Manufacturing Factory?¡±


    Qin Lang turns to look at Pei Yue, revealing a questioning expression on his face.


    ¡°Mmhm, it was a light industry factory in Miredi City more than a decade ago,¡± Pei Yue nods, evidently very knowledgeable about the situation, ¡°When the Star River Manufacturing Factory was operating, many toys and daily necessities in Miredi City were produced there.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the Star River Manufacturing Factory should have been doing pretty well. Why was it abandoned?¡± Qin Lang asks curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± Pei Yue shakes her head, ¡°Zhou Xinghe, the boss of the Star River Manufacturing Factory, moved his entire family away from Miredi City after the factory was abandoned, and the reasons for the abandonment are varied and numerous.¡±


    Qin Lang nods thoughtfully.


    A factory that was mysteriously abandoned years ago, a mysterious force erupting without a clear exnation, it looks like everything is shrouded in a dense fog of mystery.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Pei Yue¡¯s footsteps slow slightly, pointing ahead at a solitary, abandoned factory looming in the distance.


    They¡¯re still quite a distance away from the factory, and there are no other buildings in the vicinity, making the factory seem all the more conspicuous.


    Its faded and dpidated outer wall bears visible traces of rust on the exposed metal.


    Discarded, broken parts buried under a thickyer of dust are barely visible across the ground.


    Only the dpidated sign hanging high on the factory building remains upright despite the onught of wind and weather.


    Star River Manufacturing Factory.


    Upon seeing the five big characters on the signage, Qin Lang realizes that they have arrived at their destination.


    The scattered, unowned Star Power intensifies subtly around them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡­¡± Pei Yue starts to lead Qin Lang directly inside, but abruptly swallows her words.


    A little ways off, two young men emerge from another street.


    The one in front is dressed in the same uniform as Pei Yue with a simr badge pinned to his chest. Upon noticing Pei Yue, he waves his hand and ambles over.


    The young man following him is dressed in casual attire and does not appear to be a part of the Spirit Chef Association. He looks around with interest, his handsome face brimming with curiosity.


    ¡± Pei Yue! How¡¯s your exploration going? Have you found anything?


    Once the two young men approach, the one in the lead starts to inquire.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t discovered anything so far,¡± Pei Yue shakes her head, then starts to introduce Qin Lang, ¡°This is my colleague Zhang Chuan, he¡¯s also part of the Public Security Management Department.¡±


    ¡°This is Qin Lang. He identally wandered into the sealed area and absorbed the Star Power here, hence he can¡¯t leave. Since he¡¯s willing to assist us with the investigation, I¡¯ve brought him along.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re also a stray wanderer?¡± The young man behind them chuckles and walks over to Qin Lang, pping his shoulder lightly, ¡°And here I thought I was the only one!¡±


    ¡°This is Qi Xian,¡± Zhang Chuan introduces him, ¡°He¡¯s also an idental entrant, and he¡¯s now assisting with the investigation.¡±


    ¡°I had no other choice, only by having you guysplete your investigation swiftly can I leave this ce,¡± Qi Xian shrugs helplessly, gives Qin Lang a wink, and says, ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Lang agrees, yet a peculiar feeling nudges at his mind.


    This Qi Xian seems pretty forward and familiar.


    At Qi Xian¡¯sints, a flicker of embarrassment crosses both Zhang Chuan and Pei Yue¡¯s eyes.


    After all, the Association holds a certain level of responsibility for the fact that people have identally wandered into the sealed area.


    ¡°On the way here, I discovered some clues,¡± Zhang Chuan quickly shifts the topic, looking towards Pei Yue.


    ¡°What clues?¡± Instantly, Pei Yue¡¯s interest is piqued, and she starts asking urgently.


    ¡°On the road I took here, I found some abnormal traces. From my preliminary judgement, they are likely caused by arge number of people evacuating and it happened within the past couple of days,¡± Zhang Chuan says solemnly, ¡°This indicates that there¡¯s a high possibility that this anomaly was man-made.¡± ¡°I was right there, near the traces and almost got arrested by Zhang Chuan as a suspect,¡± Qi Xian quips softly to Qin Lang, ¡°Talk about being wronged, I was just a little curious and took a closer look.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rough,¡± Qin Lang offers him a sympathetic nce.


    Ignoring the two assistants¡¯ murmurs, the discussion between Zhang Chuan and Pei Yue continues.


    ¡°A man-made anomaly¡­ people evacuating¡­¡± Pei Yue¡¯s expression grows increasingly serious, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like the work of a lone criminal. Was it a crime organization?¡±


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Zhang Chuan nods solemnly, ¡°And I already have a potential suspect in mind.¡±


    Hearing this, Qi Xian and Qin Lang, who are currently engaged in a quiet conversation, immediately fall silent.


    Pei Yue also has a look of anticipation on her face.


    ¡°I believe, it¡¯s the work of the Star Hunters,¡± Zhang Chuan states each word clearly.


    Without waiting for anyone to respond, he begins to assemble his rationale.


    ¡°Not too long ago, the Star Hunters made an appearance at the Youth Training Competition in Bai Lu Mountain City, which suggests that there¡¯s a high probability the Star Hunters are currently operating within the Tianhua State.


    ¡°The anomaly that urred here is rted to Unowned Star Power, and whenever we mention Unowned Star Power, the first thing thates to mind is the Starstone ¨C and the Starstone is¡­ ¡±


    ¡°The Star Hunters¡¯ target!¡± Pei Yue interjects without hesitation, her face fully resolute, ¡°I believe your spection is likely correct!¡±


    Listening to the analytical reasoning of the two Public Security Management personnel, Qi Xian, standing next to Qin Lang, subtly twitches the corner of his lips.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang slips into deep contemtion.


    Simply going by Zhang Chuan¡¯s reasoning, the Star Hunters are indeed under great suspicion.


    However¡­ he has personally witnessed the Star Hunters in action.


    There was one small detail that Qin Lang didn¡¯t realize until muchter.


    After the audience had been sessfully cleared from the scene, the Star Hunters¡¯ attacks notably intensified, gradually extending to the now vacant audience seats.


    They could have opted to give it their all right from the start and form a more formidable resistance against Zhou Tianhao and Xu Qingmo¡¯sbined forces. But they didn¡¯t.


    Clearly, they didn¡¯t want to involve innocent bystanders, which aligns with the rumors Qin Lang has heard about the Star Hunters organization.


    However, the current situation is evidently affecting innocent individuals ¨C those spiritually possessed chefs who have lost their rationality due to agitation.


    Moreover, the overwhelming Star Power has forced all the residents of this entire area to relocate temporarily, which doesn¡¯t align with the Star Hunters¡¯ typical modus operandi.


    Star Hunters is a criminal organization and cannot be judged by ordinary means.


    However, he just had this feeling.


    This incident might not necessarily be the work of the Star Hunters.


    Since these are merely insights and he has no substantiating evidence, Qin Lang stays silent for the moment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s check out the Star River Manufacturing Factory.¡± Zhang Chuan turns his gaze towards the factory, ¡°If everything goes as expected, that should be where the source is.¡±


    ¡°So, there are bound to be new clues at Star River Manufacturing Factory.


    The quartet quickly approach the factory¡¯s front gate.


    The gate is padlocked, but the rust-eaten lock is hardly a hindrance to their entry.


    After forcing the lock, Qin Lang and the others step into the factory, met by the stench of rust.


    A beautifully constructed ck mask is painted on the dpidated and patchy walls.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 223 - 223 - Trace

    Chapter 223: ¨C Trace


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Upon seeing the symbol upying nearly half of the wall that was unmistakably linked to Star Hunters, Qin Lang and hispanions gasped and donned different expressions.


    ¡°It was definitely the work of the Star Hunters!¡±


    Zhang Chuan, who had already inferred as such, was more convinced of this fact¡ªhis face showing a sort of hostile righteousness, ¡°This nefarious organizationmitted crimes in Bai Lu Mountain City, and now they have extended their reach to our Miredi City!¡±


    Pei Yue, standing next to him, didn¡¯t say anything, but her approving expression and nodding movements clearly revealed her agreement with Zhang Chuan¡¯s conclusion.


    On the side, Qin Lang furrowed his brows slightly.


    Everything right now points towards the Star Hunters organization.


    The more it appeared that way, the more he felt something was off.


    Take this freshly painted logo on the wall before him¡ªit was clearly done in recent days and very different from the worn and damaged walls around it.


    Would the Star Hunters go to such lengths?


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Qi Xian, standing aside, wore an even stranger expression than Qin Lang. He opened his mouth and finally couldn¡¯t help but voice his thoughts, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little too easy to find the conspicuously noticeable Star Hunters¡¯ logo the moment we push the factory gates open?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible that someone else is trying to pin this on the Star Hunters organization while using it to clear themselves of any suspicion?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not! Definitely no chance!¡± Zhang Chuan waved his hand resolutely, sporting an assured look, ¡°You guys may not understand the Star Hunters organization as I do!¡±


    ¡°The Star Hunters organization has a habit of sending out warnings beforemitting any crimes!¡± Zhang Chuan entuated his words, ¡°They are audacious and show no sign of keeping a low profile, contrary to what one would expect from a globally wanted criminal organization.¡±


    That said, Zhang Chuan motioned towards the logo on the wall, ¡°Drawing such a conspicuous logo on the wall is unthinkable for any other criminal organization, only the Star Hunters would do that!¡±


    Qin Lang scratched his chin, his expression thoughtful.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t have extensive knowledge of the Star Hunters organization. Upon hearing Zhang Chuan¡¯s analysis, his initial doubts were significantly swayed.


    The Star Hunters were indeed rather ostentatious. Could this really be their work?


    Perhaps he was overthinking. After all, they were dealing with a criminal organization-why would he firmly believe it¡¯s not the work of Star Hunters if innocent people were involved?


    Meanwhile, Qi Xian¡¯s expression grew even weirder.


    This weirdness onlysted a moment, and quickly he let out a subtle sigh and maintained a stern and just outlook, ¡°Brother Zhang Chuan, you are absolutely right!¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha! That¡¯s the ability of a peacekeeper!¡± Seeing no one else questioning, Zhang Chuan chuckled and there was a hint of pride on his face, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s look for more clues.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough that we have identified the mastermind, we also need to find the source of this Unowned Star Power to figure out a way to eliminate the negative effects.¡±


    ¡°The rest of our colleagues haven¡¯t arrived yet, they must be dyed on the way.¡± He nced through the factory door and quickly arranged the jobs, ¡°I¡¯ll group up with Pei Yue to search this area for clues.¡±


    He gestured an area that covered about 70% of therge factory space, ¡°The rest is up to the two of you. Let me know if you encounter anything unusual.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    -Leave it to me and Little Brother Qin Lang!¡± Qi Xian confidently thumped his chest.


    After the division ofbor, the quartet split up into two groups and quickly set off.


    ¡°Let¡¯s examine that partition first.¡± Qi Xian looked around and pointed to the partition closest to them.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang followed with his two littlepanions, and then asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Qi Xian, you¡¯re a Spirit Chef, right? Why don¡¯t you summon your Food Spirit to help?¡±


    ¡°Oh, 1 almost forgot.¡± Qi Xian pped his forehead with a good-naturedugh, then with a flicker of starlight, a Food Spirit appeared at his side.


    A Four-star Food Spirit?!


    With four stars surrounding the Food Spirit, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in shock, ¡°Did you already open four ces of Star Vein?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only opened three, this is the only Four-Star Food Spirit.¡± Qi Xian took out a Crystal Stone from his pocket, which looked just like the Repelling Stone Qin Lang had received.


    ¡°Brother Zhang Chuan only gave me one Repelling Stone, so I could only call upon the strongest to help.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    Since they entered the abandoned Star River Manufacturing Factory, the density of the Unowned Star Power reached its peak. If it weren¡¯t for the Repelling Stones assisting Dan Bao and Spicy to repel the Star Power, they would¡¯ve uncontrobly absorbed it all by now.


    It¡¯s a pity that they couldn¡¯t sense the density of the Unowned Star Power more clearly in here, otherwise, it would¡¯ve been a great help in finding the source of the problem.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Qi Xian smiled, ¡°With a Food Spirit around, even if danger arises, we can still handle it.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded.


    With a Four-Star Food Spirit apanying them, their sense of security skyrocketed.


    ¡°Creak ¡±


    The two of them pushed open thepletely rusted metal door of the partition, and clouds of dust shaken off by the vibration hit them in the face.


    ¡°No wonder this factory has been abandoned for over ten years.¡± Qi Xian sarcasticallymented, signaling his Food Spirit to blow the dust away.


    On the other side, Qin Lang and his littlepanions also blocked the dust with thought waves and nodded in agreement.


    Inside the partition were only somepletely broken production turning machines. The fractured metal arms and bearings were also severely rusted and were scattered across the floor, covered in dust.


    After a quick tour around the partition, Qin Lang shook his head and spoke, I don¡¯t see any issues.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of dust on the door, and all the joints are rusted.¡±


    ¡°There are no footprints inside from before we arrived¡ªeverywhere is covered in a thickyer of dust.¡±


    ¡°If the culprits had abdicated only a few days ago, there¡¯s no way they would leave without leaving any traces in such a dusty environment.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Qi Xian surveyed the ground, where only their footprints were present. He gave Qin Lang an appreciative look, ¡°Excellent judgment. I¡¯m confident that you surely have a lot inmon with Brother Zhang Chuan.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Qin Lang gave a shy smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go check the next partition.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Qi Xian nodded enthusiastically. Following Qin Lang out of the partition, they jointly opened the iron doors to the next partition together.


    One after another, they chatted leisurely while examining the areas assigned to them.


    In a factory that had been abandoned for over a decade, any recent marks were obvious at first nce. Thus, both of them were quite efficient in their search, just as Zhang Chuan and Pei Yue had been.


    Soon, the quartet gathered again in the clearing they started from after entering the factory.


    ¡°Every ce is covered in a thickyer of dust,¡± Zhang Chuan¡¯s face portrayed a mix of confusion and frustration, ¡°There are no traces of activity?¡±


    Pei Yue, standing beside him, pondered for a moment before replying.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not entirely without a trace.¡±


    Quick ess: [Voting Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 224 224: Clue

    Chapter 224 224: Clue


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Chuan, Qin Lang, and Qi Xian simultaneously turn their gazes towards Pei Yue.


    Pei Yue doesn''t beat around the bush, stamping her foot slightly, "This open space we''re in."


    Qin Lang and the others are stunned for a moment, then quickly react.


    This open space, which can be reached by just pushing open the factory''s main door, is different from the other factory rooms that are filled with dust.


    The white marble floor tiles have old spots and clear cracks that cannot be washed away. The walls all around are cracked with chunks of broken wall that could fall off at the slightest touch.


    There are traces on the ceiling where chandeliers once hung, but they are now gone, presumably broken and cleared away.


    All these conditions match up perfectly with the abandonment of the Star River Manufacturing Factory for more than a decade, save for one quite discordant detail¡ª


    There isn''t a speck of dust here.


    A factory that hasn''t been inhabited in over a decade without dust is the biggest issue!


    "We were careless, almost overlooked the most obvious clue." Zhang Chuan pped his forehead in annoyance, "There''s indeed something wrong here!"


    "The investigation just now wasn''tpletely useless". Pei Yue took a deep breath, "At least, we now know that the dust scenario is normal in all the factories, except this one".


    "The problem lies within this area we are upying!"


    "But this open space has nothing at all?" Zhang Chuan surveyed the area, which aside from the eye-catching Star Hunter logo on the wall, yielded nothing else. "And why would those damn Star Hunters clean this ce so thoroughly?"


    Qi Xian''s lips twitch slightly as he slowly says, "I''ve heard that the best way to cover up a ck handprint on white paper is to smear the entire paper ck."


    Hiding the ck handprint by smearing the whole paper ck...


    An idea shed in Qin Lang''s mind, "To cover up the traces they left while moving in a dusty environment?"


    Moving in dust would inevitably leave footprints, and anything touched would leave clear traces. But once all the dust is gone, these traces would disappear as well.


    Understanding dawned on both Zhang Chuan and Pei Yue at the same time.


    They finally understood what Qi Xian was hinting at, with their rich experience.


    "Crafty Star Hunters!" Zhang Chuan muttered, squatting down to examine every tile on the floor.


    If the opposing side used the method of removing all the dust to erase all the traces here, then this proves that there''s something here so important that they had to erase all traces of it.


    They ought to know that thisck of dust is akin to the "hiding a leaf in the forest" saying. They insist on doing it this way, which shows that they think that the risk of wiping out the dust is less than leaving traces behind.


    Pei Yue drew a powerful shlight from her waist, switched it on, and shined it up towards the ceiling, intending to check if there was anything amiss.


    Qin Lang and Qi Xian nced at each other and started examining the wall together.


    They first inspected the wall with the Star Hunter logo painted on it.


    After all, that''s the only clue the opposing side left behind other than cleaning up every speck of dust.


    Qin Lang approached carefully and began feeling the wall in search of some kind of mechanism.


    Qi Xian, on the other hand, took a few steps back, stroked his chin, and viewed the logo on the wall as a whole. Then he muttered under his breath, "The drawing is quite standard."


    "What?" Not being quite able to hear what Qi Xian said, Qin Lang couldn''t help but turn around and look in his direction.


    "Nothing." Qi Xian quickly shook his head, "Have you found anything yet?"


    "Not yet, I..." Qin Lang was about to say that he hadn''t found anything when suddenly his expression froze.


    "Whispers~"


    A faint sound reached his ears, and the ce his fingertips touched felt different.


    "There''s something here!"


    Lowly uttering, Qin Lang immediately draws the attention of the other three, who abandon their tasks to approach him.


    It was a very inconspicuous spot on the wall, covered by the ck part of the Star Hunter mask painted on by the oil, making it almost impossible to notice.


    But as Qin Lang''s hands leave the wall, the other three too notice the anomaly on there.


    "This is..."


    Zhang Chuan reaches out and forcefully pulls out a strip of cloth-like material, revealing a finger-sized hole in the ck-painted segment of the wall.


    Under the serious expressions of the three others, Zhang Chuan slowly unfolds the cloth strip and examines it on both sides.


    The next moment, his grave expression subtly transforms into one of bewilderment.


    "This seems to be just an ordinary strip of cloth?"


    "Could it be that someone just randomly found a strip of cloth to fill this hole in the wall, and it happened to be covered by the Star Hunter logo?" Pei Yue suggests.


    "There''s another possibility..." Qin Lang says slowly.


    "The problem isn''t the cloth, but that hole." Qi Xian picks up where he left off, slowly approaching.


    He carefully inserts a finger into the hole on the wall, feeling around for a while. His expression subtly changes.


    Click¡ª


    A crisp soundes from inside the wall. It is faint, but in the silence of the other three, it is incredibly clear.


    Empty empty empty empty empty¡ª


    The next moment, a deep rumbling soundes from below, along with the shaking beneath their feet.


    Before their astonished eyes, the previously t ground sinks in and forms a passage leading underground!


    "This¡­" Pei Yue starts in disbelief, "The Star River Manufacturing Factory didn''t have a basement section built back then!"


    "Obviously, this is where the source of the anomalies lies!" There''s a hint of excitement in Qin Lang''s voice.


    The problem with Dan Bao and Spicy can be solved!


    "Star Spirit Protection: Tian Shu Force!"


    Without another word, he activates Star Spirit Protection and leads the way, stepping on the stairway of the tunnel.


    Dan Bao follows closely behind, illuminating the surroundings with mes and forming an invisible force field with Thought Waves to protect Qin Lang upfront.


    Spicy carefully observes the surroundings, her two small fangs gleaming with colorful light, ready to perform Instant Teleportation the moment an enemy appears.


    The others don''t hesitate either and follow close behind on the stairway.


    At the end of the tunnel is a tightly shut metal door.


    Unlike the rusty metal doors outside that have been abandoned for over a decade, this door is almost brand new.


    "Dan Bao!" Qin Lang shouts in a low voice, "Full Firepower!"


    "Grumble!"


    Dan Bao responds by taking a deep breath.


    zing mes churn between cracks in its body and head, even its eyes filled with hot mes for a moment.


    The next moment, with an exhale from Dan Bao, the Golden Red me lights up the entire tunnel. Like a cannon, it charges towards the tightly shut metal door!


    "Boom!"


    With a deafening explosion, a hole is burned through the center of the door. The terrifying heat waves stir in the tunnel.


    "Crack!"


    Apanied by a harsh sound, Qi Xian uses Thought Waves to neatly divide the already damaged metal door into two.


    "Let''s go!"


    Bracing against the wind rushing towards them, Qin Lang is the first to charge through it.


    -----------------


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 225: The Real Culprit

    Chapter 225: The Real Culprit


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Click ¡±


    Apanied by a burst of hurried footsteps, the four people stepped through the entrance of the tunnel.


    The next moment, they all stopped in their tracks.


    What appeared before them was a sizable undergroundboratory. Every piece of equipment in theb was etched with signs of deliberate destruction and was now inoperable. Despite that, it was clear that the tech level here was far beyond what Star River Manufacturing Factory could produce.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually an entireb underground!¡± Pei Yue waspletely taken aback.


    The Public Security Management Department in Miredi City waspletely unaware of its existence!


    Qin Lang nced around and quickly walked to what seemed like a file cab, attempting to find some useful clues.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Having already reached a workstation, Zhang Chuan tried a few attempts before smashing a fist on the console. ¡°All the equipment here has been destroyed, especially the storage drives like disks.¡±


    ¡°This seems to be intact.¡± Qi Xian¡¯s voice came from the other side of theb.


    He was standing near a transparent ss vessel, pointing to the container connected to numerous pipes and devices, ¡°This is fully intact.¡±


    ¡°Let me check it out.¡± Zhang Chuan swiftly rose up and hastily walked over to Qi Xian.


    The ss container was empty, but some traces remained along its edges.


    It was a shiny viscous liquid, whose remaining traces enabled Zhang Chuan to sense an unowned Star Power equal to the intensity of Starstone.


    ¡°This¡­¡± An expression of shock gradually took over Zhang Chuan¡¯s face, ¡°Is this the source of the anomalous Star Power?!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± An excited look shed through Pei Yue¡¯s eyes, and she quickly walked over.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang, who had been looking for clues on the other side, also paused.


    They found the source?


    He quickly stood up but identally knocked over a cab next to him.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The sudden sound surprised the other three.


    Qin Lang smiled apologetically, then his gazended on a piece of paper that had fallen from the toppled cab.


    Paper documents, that¡¯s what he had been focusing on in his search.


    The criminal organization seemed to be exceedingly cautious, as he hadn¡¯t found any paper documents in the vicinity.


    But now with the cab overturned, a piece of paper originally hidden in some crevice appeared before him.


    Unable to resist, Qin Lang picked up the paper to examine it.


    The paper was covered in messy forms, with a purple crescent moon and a pentagram ovepping at the corner.


    Seeing the others walk over to him, Qin Lang handed over the piece of paper, ¡°I just found this. See if it¡¯s of any use.¡±


    ¡°A paper document?!¡± Zhang Chuan took the paper, scrutinizing it with growing excitement before eventually shaking his head, ¡°This is only a draft. Not much help.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s very important.¡± Qi Xian, standing nearby, looked at the symbol on the paper and his mouth curved up slightly. ¡°That symbol belongs to the Star Gathering.¡±


    ¡°The Star Gathering which has been attempting to obtain Star Power via fake fights and other underhanded means?¡± Pei Yue was well-informed about the crime organization pursued by the Association. She immediately recognized the symbol on the paper, ¡°This really is the symbol of the Star Gathering.¡± Then, she couldn¡¯t help speaking out, ¡°Could it be that this incident wasn¡¯t caused by the Star Hunter, but by the Star Gathering?¡±


    Zhang Chuan, who had previously been sure that the Star Hunter was the criminal, fell silent for a moment.


    Actually, after entering this ce, he had already begun to have doubts.


    The Star Hunter is a world-ss criminal organization that has not acted many times in the state of Tianhua.


    Could such an organization leave behind an obvious long-standingb in Miredi City?


    That didn¡¯t make sense.


    And now, they had finally found traces of another criminal organization.


    Unlike the Star Hunter, the Star Gathering is a crime organization that only operates in Tianhua State. Therefore, they have every reason to operate long-term in Miredi City.


    In addition, the Star Gathering is a criminal organization formed by a group ofwless people who covet Star Power. It totally makes sense that these anomalous unowned Star Powers are rted to them.


    So, the Star Hunter symbol on the factory wall, was it really used to frame and divert attention?


    ¡°Maybe it was indeed the Star Gathering.¡± Zhang Chuan hesitated, ¡°Regardless, the priority now is to protect this ce and let the Association send more people here.¡±


    ¡°The source equipment is intact, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to find a solution to these anomalous Star Powers.¡±


    Hearing these words, Qin Lang feltpletely relieved.


    The issues with Dan Bao and Spicy are solved!


    ¡°Miss Pei Yue, thank you.¡±


    Standing at the gate of Miredi City¡¯s Spirit Chef Association, Qin Lang sincerely expressed his gratitude to Pei Yue.


    After they found the hiddenb under the factory, the Association staff quickly arrived and took away the intact equipment.


    Since their Food Spirits had absorbed these anomalous Star Powers, Qin Lang was apanied by Pei Yue back to the Association.


    Everything went smoothly. The researchers who originally had thoughts on how to eliminate the negative effects of these anomalous Star Powers meticulously examined those equipment, and using them as a basis, quickly found a solution.


    Those Food Spirits that had lost their senses and be frenziedpletely returned to normal.


    And although Dan Bao and Spicy exhibited no visible changes, after testing with equipment, it was confirmed that their risk of absorbing anomalous Star Power hadpletely disappeared.


    What had disappeared along with it was the elerated growth of the two little ones due to absorbing the anomalous Star Power.


    For this point, Qin Lang had no objection.


    On the other hand, the investigation into the true culprit of this incident also yielded results.


    The other several investigators who didn¡¯t make it to the factory in time were all dyed by some clues they found on the way.


    After pooling these clues together andbining them with the paper document found as key evidence, the Association finally determined that the real culprit was the crime organization, Star Gathering.


    ¡°It¡¯s our duty.¡± Pei Yue gave a small smile, ¡°Actually, if we really consider it, you being identally involved in this incident was partly our responsibility.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because my curiosity got the better of me.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head sheepishly, then asked, ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Qi Xian?¡±


    ¡°The amount of anomalous Star Power absorbed by Qi Xian¡¯s Food Spirit was very small and can naturally dissipate over time, so he left early.¡± Pei Yue changed the subject, ¡°After you leave, we¡¯re going to get busy.¡±


    ¡°Although the investigation of this incident is almostplete, erasing the effects brought about by those anomalous Star Powers and pacifying the affected citizens is no easy task. ¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± A murderous intent shed across Pei Yue¡¯s face, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found traces of the Star Gathering, we¡¯re going to conduct a major operation to arrest them!¡±


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Qin Lang gave her a thumbs up.


    The operation to capture the Star Gathering wasn¡¯t of great concern to him.


    He needed to return to the hotel in preparation for the examination for bing Tang Mi¡¯s Food Rmender.


    Shortcut: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation]

 Chapter 226: Taking the Lead

    Chapter 226: Taking the Lead


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    In the outskirts of Miredi City, on a secluded and remote pier, dozens of men and women of diverse designs but uniformly dressed gazed at a boat slowly approaching.


    ¡°Whew!¡± Focusing on the boat, one of them abruptly let out a


    sigh of relief, a touch of ease appearing on his face, ¡°Finally, we can evacuate.¡±


    ¡°I guess, the Spirit Chef Association still probably has no clue till now.¡± He chuckled with a certainly smug expression on his face, ¡°They might still be dumbly looking for the traces of Star Hunters.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± Another woman annoyed, rolled her eyes and patted the precious instruments wrapped inyers beside her, ¡°It¡¯s all because you messed around that the Manmade Star Power got out of control and leaked out!¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much those instruments that could not be moved are worth?!¡± She nearly shouted as she said this.


    As the personnel in charge of finances in the organization, she felt drained at the moment.


    Those were the expensive instruments from an entireboratory!


    Because they were in such a rush and couldn¡¯t take them away, they had to destroy them on the spot!


    ¡°Alright, discussing this now is pointless.¡± The leader of the Star Gathering rubbed his temples and sighed, ¡°First, let¡¯s get on the boat and leave this ce. With the data and key instruments in hand, we can have another go.¡±


    ¡°But boss, we left our most important Manmade Star Power generator in theboratory which hasn¡¯t been damaged. Won¡¯t there be a problem?¡± Another man voiced his concern.


    The leader paused for a moment.


    Indeed, this was a problem.


    They had put a great deal of effort into building that device, and were it not for the leakage of the Manmade Star Power, they would have taken it with them at all costs.


    As for not damaging it, that too was a helpless move.


    The leakage of the Manmade Star Power had taken ce two days before, and if they had damaged the device serving as a container, the leak would have been much faster than it is now. In that case, everything would undoubtedly have been exposed to the Spirit Chef Association.


    Keeping it intact could dy the leak to some extent, buying them time to transfer.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, the boss is nning to return to take away the generator in the future!¡± Another man, who thought he knew the leader well, confidently said, ¡°Our undergroundbs are so hidden, they won¡¯t be able to find them at all!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, we have already diverted the attention, shifting the suspicion to the Star Hunters.¡± He chuckled, ¡°The Star Hunter organization has been sighted in Bai Lu Mountain City recently, they are the perfect scapegoats.¡±


    ¡°So, the Spirit Chef Association will probably focus on capturing the Star Hunter, overlooking the undergroundbs.¡±


    ¡°Looking at the time, the leakage should have ended by now, and after a while, nobody will pay attention to the Star River Manufacturing Factory, we can easily go back and retrieve the instruments!¡±


    These words from the man won considerable agreement from the group, and everyone suddenly looked at the leader with a gaze of admiration, one after the other.


    The leader of the Star Gathering stayed silent for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Spirit Chef Association. Even if they can¡¯t find the mechanism to open the tunnel, they might dig three feet into the ground to find theb directly.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, get on the ship.¡± Looking at the boat docked next to the pier, the boss exhaled.


    To ensure their safety, it might be best toy low in Tianhua State for a while and stay out of sight.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    A sharp sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out at this moment.


    The group that was preparing to evacuate instantly went intobat mode, summoned their Food Spirits, and looked around attentively, quickly locking onto a dark ray of light falling from the sky.


    ¡°Enemy attack!¡±


    The leader of the Star Gathering let out a low warning, a serious look appearing on his face.


    He was the first to release his Seven-Star Map lit up by stars, transforming into a man bathed in red mes. He directed his Food Spirit, who also bathed in mes and suddenly grew in size, to attack the dark light in the sky.


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    Apanied by a booming sound echoing throughout the pier, the storm erupting from the point of collision spread outwards. Like a smoke bomb exploding, the thick smoke instantly enveloped everyone on the scene.


    The leader of the Star Gathering and his Food Spirit were both thrown back. Not having a moment to react, he could already hear screamsing from the smoke and dust.


    ¡°Who is it!¡±


    There was a hint of panic in his voice.


    This was not how the Spirit Chef Association operated!


    Could it be that other criminal organizations got wind of this and n to engage in infighting?


    In an instant, other criminal organizations hiding in Miredi City shed through his mind one by one.


    Which bastard could it be?!


    The screams grew fewer and fewer as the smoke and dust were quickly torn apart.


    The ground was littered with his men, fallen and unconscious, but the boss of the Star Gathering couldn¡¯t care about them anymore.


    He saw a slowly floating blue light orb, as well as the figure behind the light orb wearing a gorgeous ck mask.


    That is¡­


    The leader of the Star Gathering couldn¡¯t find his words, and in the next moment, that light orb suddenly exploded, transforming into a fierce storm that engulfed the entire pier, sweeping everything away!


    ¡°Going by the coted and analysed intelligence, the criminals of the Star Gathering who are fleeing should be at this pier.¡±


    A catching squad consisting of hundreds of people, led by the president of the Miredi City Spirit Chef Association himself and apanied by several local first-level Spirit Executors, had already arrived outside the pier.


    President Zeng Shihai looked towards the nervous crowd behind him with hawk-sharp eyes, ¡°They are about to board the ship and leave Tianhua State. If they seed, we will not see thesewless fanatics for a long time.¡±


    ¡°But likewise, we will also lose the chance to bring them to justice!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to see that happen?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The crowd replied in a low voice but filled with intense fighting spirit.


    ¡°Good!¡± Zeng Shihai nodded satisfactorily, ¡°If so, we..¡±


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    A loud explosion sound came from the direction of the pier.


    Zeng Shihai paused for a moment, with his face dramatically changing.


    Although he had no idea what was happening, that direction¡­


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Taking the lead, Zeng Shihai activated his Spirit-ignite Power in an instant, bathed in purple mes as he dashed towards the direction of the pier.


    The local first-level Spirit Executors and many members of the Public Security Management Department followed closely behind him.


    The group moved at full speed, and soon arrived at the ce where the rumbling sound wasing from.


    Looking at the situation on the ground, their expressions turned a bit strange.


    Those criminal suspects they had prepared to arrest with so much firepower were now knocked out, bound tightly andid motionless on the ground.


    Zeng Shihai took a deep breath, quickly walked up to the leader of the Star Gathering and identified the man who had been wanted for a long time.


    Next, his gaze fell to the foot of the Star Gathering¡¯s leader.


    There was a gorgeous mask drawn in ck paint.


    And a line of small text under the mask.


    ¡°This time it was my doing.¡±


    (Last week¡¯s gift list is in the reader¡¯s circle, please check if your name is on the list if you participated)


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 Chapter 227 - 227 Peony

    Chapter 227: Peony


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    In the aftermath of the anomaly that urred at the pier, Qin Lang, who had returned to his hotel, remainedpletely oblivious.


    He was currently busy with his preparations. Having received all the ingredients needed for his practice dish, he orderly ced each one of them on the counter of his independent kitchen.


    ¡°Gurulu?¡±


    What dish are we making?


    After examining carefully, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, as it noticed the fish ingredient used this time was something they had not used before.


    /¡±This time¡­¡± Qin Lang knocked out the still-jumping grass carp and put it on the cutting board, ¡°this time, we are making Peony Fish Fillet.¡±


    When he heard the task was to cook a dish rted to flowers using fish ingredients, the first dish that popped into his mind was this one.


    The peony is an outstanding flower, brightening up the capital when it¡¯s in bloom.


    The Peony Fish Fillet dish perfectly meets the requirements of Miss Tang Mi.


    However, cooking this dish is not easy.


    As a ssic non-spicy dish from Szechuan cuisine that¡¯s featured in state banquets, the Peony Fish Fillet is indeed a dish with a high failure rate.


    Peony Fish Fillet?


    The eyes of Dan Bao and Spicy instantly lit up.


    They didn¡¯t know how difficult it was to cook this dish.


    But they knew this was a new dish for them.


    They were eager to taste it!


    ¡°Shall we get started?¡± Qin Langughed, suddenly remembering something, ¡°The Peony Fish Fillet is quite appealing. We can also film a new gourmet video at the same time.¡±


    Both of them nodded enthusiastically, as they were already fond of eating on camera, there was no objection from them.


    Shortly after, Qin Lang began his cooking process.


    He removed the head of the grass carp and filleted the fish body along its spine. After skillfully removing the fish bones and skin, Qin Lang ced one piece of fish filet on the chopping board and kept the other on standby.


    Next, it was time to showcase his knife skills.


    With his fast knife work, Qin Lang swiftly sliced into the fish, rapidly cutting the chunk of fish into thin, wide slices. Each slice glowed like crystal under the light, showing a slight transparent quality.


    Although Dan Bao and Spicy had witnessed Qin Lang¡¯s knife work countless times, their faces still showed pride each time they saw it.


    This is our Spirit Chef!


    Even though they were food spirits, they still couldn¡¯t see his limit.


    Shortly, in Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s eyes, a whole chunk of fish was sliced into three-millimeter-thick slices, followed by the second chunk of fish meat.


    A high-quality grass carp can easily exceed sixty centimeters in length, and after removing the head and tail, half a fish can easily be cut into more than a hundred slices. A whole fish can yield more than two hundred slices.


    Such arge quantity of fish slices, even forming seven to eightyers of petal-like big peonies, can be arranged into four pieces.


    After slicing, the fish slices were put into ice and saltwater, with added scallion, ginger, and cooking wine for soaking and marinating.


    The purpose is not just for removing fishy smell, but also for letting the fish meat contract under the low temperature to improve its texture, thus preparing it for further cooking steps.


    This requires a waiting time of¡­ over an hour.


    ¡°Spicy, over to you.¡± Qin Lang looked at the eager Spicy, ¡°Full speed ahead!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Understood!


    With a look of excitement on its face, Spicy took a deep breath before releasing an invisible power from its body. This power enveloped the fish meat soaked in the ice and salt water, hastening the marination and treatment process.


    After reaching two stars, Spicy could double the duration of its cooking eleration ability, where it now maxes out at 50 minutes.


    Adding the time taken during the application process and the time Qin Lang spent preparing other steps, the fillets quickly reached the required marination time.


    Marinated fish fillets, in order to make them even more crispy during the frying process, need to be coated with cornstarch. This is followed by tapping them, one of the two mostplex steps in the whole process of cooking the Peony Fish Fillet.


    Each starch-coated fillet was lightly tapped with a wooden stick. Under an appropriate level of force, the fillets gradually became thinner and spread out as if they were being ttened.


    With intentional force guiding the process, the spread-out fillets assumed a feather shape, and were finally slightly trimmed with kitchen scissors.


    This step required a fair amount of experience; even Qin Lang messed up two or three pieces before he found the feeling he had when he first cooked the dish.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    I want to do that too!


    Seeing aplete fan-shaped fish fillet take shape in Qin Lang¡¯s hands, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but itch to try it as well.


    It seems not that difficult, right?


    Maybe employing Thought Waves, I too could do it?


    ¡°You can give it a shot.¡±


    Qin Lang handed it a wooden stick, the encouragement clear in his gaze.


    Beating more than two hundred fish fillets himself? How long would that take?


    But with Dan Bao¡¯s help, the task bes much easier. Under multi-task circumstances, one Dan Bao could do the job of several others.


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    I also want toe!


    Seeing Dan Bao pitch in, Spicy wanted to join too.


    With a Spirit Chef supervising the process, Cooking eleration couldn¡¯t be used.


    But it could help to beat the fish fillets!


    Though it couldn¡¯t control the wooden stick, it could grip it with its mouth!


    ¡°All right, you two give it a try.¡±


    Qin Lang bnced a bowl of water, handed another wooden stick to Spicy, and then began to demonstrate at a slower pace how to beat the fillet without tearing it apart.


    After a while, the two little ones got the hang of it.


    ¡°Dut dut dut ¡±


    A series of muffled banging noises echoed in the kitchen.


    Now, Dan Bao already had a delicate control of the Thought Waves. After seven failures, it finally, perfectly, beat a thin, fan-shaped fish fillet.


    Just as it was cheering, Spicy¡¯s attempt ended in failure.


    Trying to control the force by gripping the stick in its mouth was a bit of an overreach.


    Dropping the stick in frustation, it flew over to Qin Lang, wanting somefort.


    ¡°Everyone has their strengths.¡± Qin Lang tousled Spicy¡¯s head, ¡°There will be other ces you can helpter.¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Okay!


    A spark lit up Spicy¡¯s eyes.


    There will be ces that require Cooking eleration?


    Its excitement onlysted for a second.


    As Dan Bao got more skilled, it wasn¡¯t content to just beat one piece, it gradually tried to beat two pieces, then three pieces and even more at the same time.


    By the time Dan Bao could handle ten pieces simultaneously, Qin Lang, satisfied, set down his wooden stick.


    Now that¡¯s what you call freedom for your hands! (Tactically leaning backwards.jpg)


    With such a powerful helper, a process that originally required a lot of time waspleted in just over an hour, and it also served as abat skill training exercise for Dan Bao.


    ¡°Two Birds with One Stone¡±


    The ruined fillets were set aside, and each remaining piece of fish was perfectly fan-shaped, almost like individual flower petals.


    At this point, the cooking of the Peony Fish Fillet was halfway done.


    Next up, was another incredibly tedious step in the cooking process of the Peony Fish Fillet ¡ª frying.


    To achieve the elegance of a peony flower, the oil-frying step is essential.


    Qin Lang needed to fry each piece of fish fillet into slightly curled petals, adjusting the level of curliness for differentyers to present a better looking final product.


    To do this, he had to ¡ª


    Drop them into the pot one by one.


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    Easter Egg for the end of this chapter:


    [Peony Fish Fillet]

 Chapter 228: Fish Slices

    Chapter 228: Fish Slices


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Heat the wok and add oil, slowly put a piece of fish into the oil when it¡¯s about fifty to sixty percent hot.


    ¡°Sizzle ¡±


    Apanied by a crisp oil sound, the hot oil in the wok immediately bubbles up around the fish.


    The moisture in the fish is quickly fried out, bing crispy while carrying a rich and tempting savoury scent which is encased in the hot air and rapidly roiled.


    That scentes from the naturally generated aroma when cornstarch is fried in oil, and the unique fragrance emitted from the fish. The fusion of just these two makes one¡¯s appetite open wide.


    Qin Lang stabilizes the fish fillet with chopsticks so that it bends and takes shape in the oil while deeply inhaling the aroma that permeates the air, showing a contented expression.


    Each fish fillet needs to be fried for two minutes, but during the process, it is not necessary to use chopsticks to support the fish all the time. The chopsticks can be released as soon as the fish takes a slight shape.


    This gives Qin Lang the opportunity to speed up the cooking.


    About a minute after frying, Qin Lang takes a sense of the state of the fish fillet in the pot and put away the chopsticks, ¡°One minute.¡±


    ¡°Click!¡±


    Clear!


    Spicy, who was on guard, quickly performed Cooking eleration,pleting a minute¡¯s eleration in an instant.


    After that, Qin Lang scooped out the fried fish fillet and put in the second piece.


    It seems that the speed did not increase much, but it actually reduced the cooking time by half.


    Moreover, the frequent use of Spicy¡¯s food skill not only consumes energy that can be replenished in time, it almost never wears out, but it can also improve the proficiency of food skills quickly.


    In one word, awesome!


    At this time, Dan Bao turns out to be idle.


    Seeing Qin Lang and Spicy working together seamlessly, it took over the atmosphere group, controlling the unused ingredients at the table as if ying with a ball.


    An hourter, fifty to sixty fish fillets were fried and set aside.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t fry all the fish fillets at once, because these were enough to be arranged into a not-too-small peony flower.


    However, before ting, they need to go through the process of re-frying.


    Although Qin Lang¡¯s cooking speed is already very fast, the first fried fish fillets have cooled down a long ago, and such semi-finished products cannot be served directly.


    For the cooking process that involvesplex and time-consuming frying steps, re-frying is extremely necessary.


    On the one hand, raising the oil temperature for a short duration can make the thoroughly fried fish fillet surface appear crisper than the inside, and on the other hand, it can make the fish fillet, which is in a different state due to the time difference, maintain the same state when ites out of the pot.


    The oil temperature rose to about eighty percent hot, all the fried fish fillets were put in at once, quickly taken out after a ten-second countdown, after the fragrant fish fillets shed the oil, they presented a more golden hue.


    Finally, a base was made with mashed potatoes, cordyceps flower or saffron was used as the pistil, and the fish fillets were inserted into the base ording to the different degrees of curvature.


    A peony flower with seven to eightyers of petals upied the entire te, appeared before Qin Lang and the two little ones.


    Then they poured on the prepared abalone sauce.


    The Peony Fish Fillet is done!


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Quickly film a video!


    Dan Bao swallowed his saliva. If it weren¡¯t for his senses telling him to take a video, he would have rushed up to eat.


    Spicy also appeared eager on the side.


    ¡°Just eat it.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°We¡¯ll film the next one.¡±


    After smelling the fried peony fish fillet for an hour, he can hardly hold back anymore.


    Anyway, there is more practiceter, and there is plenty of time to make up for it.


    Maybe, they can do even better than now.


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, Dan Bao and Spicy didn¡¯t hesitate to approach, each biting a golden fish fillet, and enjoying it leisurely.


    Qin Lang also wasn¡¯t willing to show weakness, he picked up a piece with chopsticks and put it in his mouth.


    ¡°Crunch ¡±


    ¡°Ding dong ¡±


    [Up host ¡°Traveler¡± you followed has released a new video]


    That night, hundreds of thousands of D site users following Qin Lang received a notification of his new creation.


    They couldn¡¯t wait to open their phones and enter the video titled ¡°A Combination Of Fish And Flower ¨C Peony Fish Fillet¡±. Momentster, they put down their phones in silence, with some jumping out of bed to start eating, or rolling on the bed wailing, ¡°Stop tempting mete at night!¡±


    Besides, some people noticed other content.


    ¡°Today, I went to visit Miss Tang Mi, a Second-Level Food Rmender in Miredi City. This Peony Fish Fillet is the dish for my test tomorrow. I hope I can pass smoothly.¡±


    As Qin Lang uttered these words, a multitude of question marks appeared instantly over the barrage.


    Isn¡¯t Miss Tang Mi a Second-Level Food Rmender who is good at desserts?!


    When did she start examining fish dishes?


    How absurd!


    In Danju City, on a farm in the suburban area.


    Looking at the jovial young man on his phone, Lei Ke gradually broke into a smile.


    Lei Ke didn¡¯t expect that Qin Lang would take up the challenge of the Second- Level Food Rmender in Miredi City.


    It seems that they might not meet each other in the short term.


    He cast a nce at the two silver badges hanging on the table beside him and smiled.


    In that case, let¡¯s meet again at the Provincial-level Cooking Contest!


    Lei Ke slowly stood up and began to pack up.


    It¡¯s time for him to start a new journey!


    ¡°Buzz-¡±


    A sudden buzzing from the phone made Lei Ke look back at the screen again.


    Along with the brilliant golden special effect, a dazzling gold banner whizzed across the top of the D site page.


    ¡± [Vera0205 supports UP Master ¡°Traveler¡± with a Golden Treasure Box and leaves a message: Good work, just a reward!]¡±


    ¡°A Golden Treasure Box?¡± Lei Ke was dumbfounded.


    Did all the D site users in the Samiya Region receive the Golden Treasure Box announcement?!


    Looking at Qin Lang¡¯s wildly increasing number of fans with each refresh, Lei Ke couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    Sheesh¡­


    He was green with envy.


    ¡°Crunch ¡±


    Tang Mi masticated the Peony Fillets in her mouth which were exploding with a strong savoury vour and an astounding crispy taste. She couldn¡¯t help but show a little surprise on her face.


    Although she is a Second-Level Food Rmender who is proficient in desserts, she has explored other types of dishes as well.


    Tang Mi has tasted many fish dishes, but few dishes, like the one in front of her, have amazed her with their appearance, savoury and taste.


    The exquisite Peony Flower shape was lifelike, even more beautiful than the Peony Flowers Tang Mi had grown herself.


    The intertwined aroma from the deep-fried fish was wonderfully enticing, rich but not greasy.


    The surprisingly crispy and exquisite taste,bined with the strong fragrance that overflows with each bite, gave Tang Mi an irresistible sensation.


    She had given Qin Lang a challenging task, but Qin Lang submitted a satisfactory answer within just one night!


    Zhou Qing, who was sitting next to her, put down his chopsticks,ughing and looking at Tang Mi.


    He had already guessed the oue of his old friend¡¯s test.


    Tang Mi slowly stood up, took out a delicate silver badge decorated with flowers, which was divided into two parts by a wavy boundary line. One side gradually changed from pink to green, and the other side was adorned with vividly colourful flowers. She handed it to Qin Lang.


    ¡°This Flower Sea Badge is yours now.¡±


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 Chapter 229: The Singing Whale

    Chapter 229: The Singing Whale


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°I guessed you would pass sessfully, but I did not expect you to present the Peony Fish Fillet. It was a pleasant surprise.¡±


    On their way back to the cruise ship, Zhou Qing wore a bright smile.


    ¡°I have a feeling that this Leaping Fish Banquet will be your moment to shine.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still a lot for me to learn.¡± Qin Lang humbly smiled with a touch of embarrassment.


    Zhou Qing didn¡¯t respond, simply looking increasingly satisfied.


    The car fell silent again. Qin Lang opened his cell phone to check the backend of his D Site ount. Dan Bao and Spicy huddled close to him, trying their best to understand what was happening.


    The magnate who had previously gifted him the Silver Treasure Box had done so again yesterday. This time, however, he received a Golden Treasure Box, a tier higher than the Silver Treasure Box.


    It just so happened that Qin Lang hadn¡¯t logged off immediately after uploading his content, and thus he witnessed his fan count skyrocketing at a terrifying speed.


    Now, his fan count had already surpassed one million, and it wasn¡¯t far from two million.


    Seeing this growth, perhaps he could break two million in the next couple of days.


    His previous three videos also experienced a surge in views, shares, and likes, especially thest one featuring the Peony Fish Fillet, which attracted countless onlookers.


    Compared to the previous two dishes, the Peony Fish Fillet was undoubtedly more technically demanding.


    Seeing how many fans were supporting him, Qin Lang felt touched. He wanted to formally thank the magnate by adding him as a friend, but it seemed the magnate wasn¡¯t interested in making friends, so he let it be.


    Currently, Qin Lang was looking at thements on histest video. He noticed that manyments in the barrage were concerned about whether he had passed Ms. Tang Mi¡¯s test, which made him thoughtful.


    When he had edited the videost night, Qin Lang had casually mentioned that the dish was rted to Ms. Tang Mi¡¯s test and that he would take the test today, so the fans¡¯ curiosity was quite normal.


    There were many enthusiastic fans who cared about this matter, and Qin Lang felt it was necessary to respond.


    Of course, the main point was to share the joy of receiving the Flower Sea Badge.


    ¡°Come closer, Dan Bao, Spicy.¡± Qin Lang switched his phone to camera mode, pinned the Flower Sea Badge he had just received to the most visible part of his cor, and took a group photo with the two little ones.


    After giving it a nce, he nodded in satisfaction, then posted a status on D Site.


    [Traveler: Honored to have served. [Picture]]


    Ignoring the growing number of likes, shares, andments, Qin Lang closed D Site. By the time he lifted his head, he saw the nearby pier and the docked ¡°Colorful¡± cruise ship.


    As the vehicle came to a stop, Qin Lang and Zhou Qing picked up their luggage and, waiting to board the ship, queued at the end of the long line at the pier.


    ¡°Everyone please have your luggage ready and avoid crowding the pier¡­¡±


    A somewhat familiar voice came from nearby, causing Qin Lang to instinctively look over.


    It was¡­


    ¡°Miss Pei Yue?¡±


    Hearing someone call her name, Pei Yue turned around. Seeing Qin Lang, she walked over hastily, a surprised expression on her face, ¡°So you¡¯re also a passenger on the ¡®Colorful¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°I am heading to Jumping Fish Lake.¡±


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a big culinary festival about to start there.¡± Pei Yue said with a sudden realization, then gave a slight smile, ¡°In that case, I wish you a smooth journey.¡±


    ¡°Thankyou, Miss Pei Yue.¡± Qin Lang thanked her, then asked curiously, ¡°Why are you here? Is it rted to yesterday¡¯s incident?¡±


    ¡°No, the Star Gathering has beenpletely rounded up, and I just happened to be patrolling nearby.¡± Pei Yue exined, but a strange look flickered in her eyes.


    Strictly speaking, the Star Gathering was not caught by them but by the Star Hunters¡­


    If the Star Hunters hadn¡¯t acted, the Star Gathering might have already boarded the ship and fled by the time they arrived.


    But Star Hunters organization is a criminal group itself, and to top it off, it¡¯s a world-ss crime organization. The Association thanking them was out of the question.


    However, there was no need to tell Qin Lang any of this.


    The whole Star Gathering has been rounded up?


    Qin Lang smiled at that.


    That¡¯s great news.


    Thinking of how the Star Gathering had been conducting such dangerous experiments in the abandoned factory, disrupting the normal life of many citizens, he felt they absolutely deserved to be punished.


    ¡°Alright, I need to patrol the next area.¡± With duties to attend to, Pei Yue didn¡¯t linger. After a brief chat, she waved goodbye to Qin Lang and left.


    ¡± What happened yesterday?¡± After Pei Yue had left, Zhou Qing, who had heard the two¡¯s conversation, asked curiously.


    ¡°This is what happened¡­¡± Qin Lang, realizing the Association hadn¡¯t asked him to keep it a secret, organized his thoughts and briefly exined yesterday¡¯s incident to Zhou Qing.


    ¡°I never expected such a twist.¡± Zhou Qing was surprised that Qin Lang had experienced such an incident and still managed toplete the test sessfully, but more than that he was d, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re alright. You need to be more cautious if you encounter simr situations in the future.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously.


    If he encountered unimed Star Power again in the future, he would report to the Association at the first opportunity!


    I, Qin Lang, am an upstanding citizen!


    As the queue ahead started moving, Zhou Qing and Qin Lang got their tickets checked and boarded the ship. They reunited with Li Hong, who had stayed on the ship and hadn¡¯te down.


    ¡°WOO¨C¡±


    A long whistle echoed across the river, as the ¡°Colorful¡± cruise ship set sail once again.


    In the next three days, it would travel directly to the end of this journey-jumping Fish Lake¡ªwithout stopping at any other point along the way.


    When the ¡°Colorful¡± cruise ship decelerated and docked at the shore again, the deck was already filled with passengers who had gathered their luggage and were preparing to disembark.


    Standing among the crowd, Qin Lang moved his gaze from the approaching pier to the immenseke that stretched beyond sight, resembling a sapphire embedded in the ground.


    From where he was standing, he could only see a small portion of theke.


    ¡°So this is Jumping Fish Lake¡­¡± he couldn¡¯t help but murmur.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qing nodded slightly, ¡°This is one of the threergest freshwaterkes in the Samiya region, Jumping Fish Lake.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bigger than I imagined.¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but marvel.


    ¡°There are twelve days left until the Leaping Fish Banquet starts. Since we¡¯re here, you can take this opportunity to see the scenery of Mingjing Province. It¡¯s quite different from Tianhua State.¡± Li Hong suggested with a smile.


    ¡°I will.¡± Qin Lang nodded earnestly, the two little animals by his side looking forward with eager anticipation.


    ¡°Look! It¡¯s a silver carp!¡± Aery of surprise came from the crowd.


    Qin Lang and the others followed the sound and happened to see a carp covered in silver scales leap from theke surface, refracting dazzling rays in the sunlight.


    ¡°It seems this journey will go smoothly.¡± Li Hong smiled.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Qin Lang disembarked along with the crowd, setting foot in Yue Hu City.


    Mingjing Province, here Ie!


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 Chapter 230 - 230 Shen He

    Chapter 230: Shen He


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    After leaving their luggage at the pre-booked hotel, Qin Lang, Zhou Qing, and Li Hong gathered once again in the hotel¡¯s lobby.


    ¡°Good thing we booked the hotel early,¡± Li Hong chuckled, ¡°I heard that all of the nearby hotels are already fully booked from now until the end of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Is it that serious?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    There¡¯s still twelve days until the Leaping Fish Banquet and all of the hotels are already booked?


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s a massive culinary exchange event that covers the entire Mingjing Province, and even other provinces are involved.¡± Zhou Qing chuckled, not surprised, ¡°Honestly, even a provincial-level cookingpetition may not be thisrge.¡±


    ¡°It seems that I will have a lot of interactions with other Spirit Chefs at this Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± Qin Lang spoke out excitedly.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Li Hong chuckled, ¡°Qin Lang, do you have any other ns? If not, Mr. Zhou and I are going to visit Mr. Shen He, a first-level food rmender in Yue Hu City. You cane with us.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Shen He?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s an old friend that I have known for many years.¡± Zhou Qing chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s the one who invited me to the Leaping Fish Banquet and who informed me in advance about the change of rules. Li Hong has also interacted with him.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I hope I can join you.¡± Qin Lang showed a somewhat eager expression.


    Just arriving in a new city, establishing a personalwork is very important.


    Moreover, since the other party was able to inform Zhou Qing about the adjustment to the Leaping Fish Banquet in advance, it indicates that he is very knowledgeable about the Banquet, which is a good opportunity for Qin Lang to understand the event.


    On the way, Qin Lang had asked Zhou Qing and Li Hong about this issue.


    However, the two of them did not tell him in detail.


    Not that they were deliberately secretive, but because each iteration of the Leaping Fish Banquet differs in format, and the creation of a Youth Group this year made it more mysterious.


    But one thing was certain, the culinary exchange method of the Leaping Fish Banquet is very unique andpletely different from Food Fights and cookingpetitions.


    This made Qin Lang even more curious about the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not a problem.¡± Zhou Qingughed, ¡°I have arranged the car, and we can go see my old friend together.¡±


    Qin Lang expressed his gratitude and then hopped onto the car with Zhou Qing and Li Hong.


    In a short while, they arrived at a single detached vi.


    Mr. Shen He was a bald old man, always wearing a warm smile on his face.


    He was very enthusiastic about the arrival of Qin Lang and the others.


    ¡°Zhou Qing, you old kid, it¡¯s about time you came.¡± Shen Heughed and patted Zhou Qing on the shoulder, then turned to look at Li Hong, ¡°Li Hong, it¡¯s been a while too.¡±


    Finally, his gaze fell on Qin Lang, ¡°Wee, young man, how should I call you?¡±


    ¡°Hello Mr. Shen He, my name is Qin Lang.¡± Qin Lang spoke politely.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± Shen Heughed heartily, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand at the entrance,e in, I¡¯ve prepared good tea!¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold back.¡± Zhou Qing chuckled, taking the lead to enter the house.


    Qin Lang and Li Hong quickly followed.


    Soon, the four of them were sitting in the living room, engaged in casual conversation after the servants poured the tea.


    After chatting with Zhou Qing and Li Hong about past experiences, the topic soon turned to the new face, Qin Lang.


    ¡°Young friend Qin Lang, are you nning to participate in the youth group exchange of the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡± Shen He said with a slight smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°But I¡¯m not very familiar with the rules or exchange format of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Old Shen, Qin Lang is the one I invited specially after receiving your call.¡± Zhou Qing by his side calmly sipped his tea, ¡°You were being secretive on the phone, now you have to tell us everything, right?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Shen Heughed heartily, ¡°Actually, in two days, ten days before the start of the Leaping Fish Banquet, the relevant rules will be made public anyway.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no harm in telling you now.¡± He paused slightly before continuing, ¡°The Leaping Fish Banquet is a seafood exchanging event held by Ms. Ye Cangqing, a third-level food rmender in the Mingjing Province, and it takes ce once every three years.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    He had learned this in advance from Zhou Qing and Li Hong.


    Because the Leaping Fish Banquet is organized by a third-level food rmender, this is why it has such a huge influence.


    ¡°In every Leaping Fish Banquet, the participating Spirit Chefs will rank themselves, but the original intention of the banquet is not forpetition, it¡¯s more focused on exchange.¡±


    ¡°So its exchange format will be vastly different from Food Fights and cookingpetitions.¡±


    ¡°And the exchange format for this Leaping Fish Banquet is even more special.¡± Shen He looked at the three curious faces and chuckled, ¡°Ms. Ye Cangqing believes that culinary exchange should not be limited to exchanges between Spirit Chefs.¡±


    ¡°Not just between Spirit Chefs?¡± Li Hong raised an eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°As an old saying goes, food is the foundation of the people.¡±Shen He paused slightly, ¡°In this world, there are a lot of Spirit Chefs, but even more people have not be Spirit Chefs, and they also have the pursuit and love for delicious food.¡±


    ¡°The Leaping Fish Banquet has grown to its current size and should have a stronger social responsibility, so this time the banquet will make a small attempt to let more ordinary people participate.¡± Shen He chuckled, ¡°These are Ms. Ye Cangqing¡¯s exact words.¡±


    ¡°As expected of a third level food rmender.¡± Zhou Qing showed admiration, ¡°So what is the exchange method for this Leaping Fish Banquet?¡±


    Shen He mysteriously smiled and said two words.


    ¡°Stalls.¡±


    Zhou Qing: ¡°???¡±


    Li Hong: ¡°???¡±


    Qin Lang: ¡°???¡±


    Looking at the surprised expressions on the three men¡¯s faces, Shen Heughed even harder, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking, setting up stalls.¡±


    ¡°All the Spirit Chefs participating in the culinary exchange of the Leaping Fish Banquet will set up stalls on the deck of the event venue ¨C ¡®Leaping Fish¡¯ cruise ship ¨C and serve the endless stream of food guests with delicious food for three days.¡±


    ¡°The Yue Hu City Spirit Chef Association will provide each participating Spirit Chef with support for ingredients. Spirit Chefs can purchase unlimited amounts of ingredients for their stalls and decide on the prices for their dishes.¡±


    ¡°During these three days, anyone can board the ship to taste the food and vote for their favorite dishes with different weightings.¡±


    ¡°This Leaping Fish Banquet exchange is divided into an all-age group and a youth group. The all-age group needs to prepare three different dishes for their stall, while the youth group only needs to prepare two.¡±


    ¡°The Spirit Chef with the highest votes in the all-age group and a youth group will be the winner of this Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± Shen He chuckled, ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it interesting?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very interesting exchange activity.¡± Zhou Qing looked interested, ¡°I¡¯ve never set up a stall before, I can try this time.¡±


    Li Hong, who was next to him, nodded slightly and was already thinking about which three dishes to choose.


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes gradually lit up.


    A stall exchange sounds so cool!


    Shortcut: [Monthly tickets] [Rmendation Tickets]

 Chapter 231: Target

    Chapter 231: Target


    Trantor: 549690339


    Frankly speaking, the exchange method of this Leaping Fish Banquet was somewhat unexpected to Qin Lang.


    Under such rules, many of the seafood dishes he had prepared beforehand


    could not be employed.


    Yet, Qin Lang did not resist the challenge of gastronomy. Although unexpected, he patiently began to analyze the issues needing attention for the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Thanks to his many years of exposure to the catering industry in his previous life, Qin Lang had some understanding of the operation of mobile stalls.


    Combined with his experience of visiting food stalls after arriving in this world, he quickly grasped some key points.


    The first is the speed of serving dishes.


    Normally in a culinarypetition, it is only necessary toplete the preparation of dishes within a specified time, and then send the dishes to judges for tasting.


    The speed ofpletion does have some effects, but not much.


    However, it¡¯s not the same when operating a stall.


    The patience of food guests is limited. They can¡¯t wait in a long line for an hour


    or even longer.


    Under normal circumstances, if the waiting time exceeds ten minutes, food guests might give up waiting in line. And considering all the stalls are together, if they abandon one stall, they can move to other stalls for tasting.


    Therefore, a fast serving speed is an enormous advantage, and it inevitably bes one principle for choosing foods.


    It would be even better if dishes could be prepared in batches and multiple portions could be served at once.


    A fast serving speed also has another advantage.


    That is, within the same time period, more food guests have the opportunity to taste the food you¡¯ve prepared which could possibly lead to more guests voting for you.


    Just imagine if a Spirit Chef is sluggish when running his stall, and only serve at most a hundred food guests in three days, no matter how tasty the food he cooked is, the most votes he can receive are just a hundred.


    Other than that, another crucial point.


    Is the price.


    As Mr. Shen He clearly stated, the Spirit Chef Association in Yue Hu City will be in charge of supplying all the ingredients for the Leaping Fish Banquet, but this supply is not free and needs to be purchased.


    And the price of the food provided by the stall is determined by the Spirit Chef themselves.


    Although it seems highly flexible, a careful analysis reveals an extreme restriction on the ingredients.


    The operation of the stall eliminates the possibility of using cookingpetition points in exchange for ingredients.


    And the top-tier ingredients avable for purchase are not cheap.


    Even if you don¡¯t make a profit and sell the food at cost, it¡¯s hard to make it eptable to all food guests.


    As for selling at a price lower than the cost¡­


    It¡¯s possible, but if there are too many food guests, the loss can be hard to bear.


    So, the seemingly unrestricted exchange method actually inherently limits the value of the ingredients.


    Or¡­ is there another way?


    Slight movement inside Qin Lang¡¯s heart.


    The youth group needs to provide two types of different foods for the stalls.


    The all-age group needs to provide three types of different foods.


    The final number of votes for a Spirit Chef is the sum of the number of votes for


    all their dishes.


    So, it seems feasible to prepare foods to cater for different consumption levels of food guests.


    One could be good value for money, using somemon ingredients.


    The other priced slightly higher, using better-quality ingredients.


    Well¡­ this could also be a good method.


    The third key point, is the guests¡¯ appetite.


    Given therge number of stalls, food guests naturally prefer to taste as many different foods as possible, but their stomach capacity is fixed, so they will inevitably make choices.


    At this point, the portion size of the food bes very important.


    Making a portion of food that can fill up a food guest directly might reduce the possibility of food guests going to taste food at other stalls, but food guests are not fools. They might refuse it outright if the portion is toorge.


    So reducing the portion size of the food is good for operating a stall.


    Looking from another aspect, having a smaller portion is also more cost-efficient, allowing for a lower price.


    After quickly analyzing and summarizing these three points, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes were shining brighter and brighter.


    With these constraints, he had some thoughts about the type of food to be presented at this Leaping Fish Banquet.


    However, Qin Lang was in no hurry to make a decision at that moment.


    After all, there were still twelve days before the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    He could fully explore the local foods of Yue Hu City while ying and then decide which two types of food to choose.


    At the end of the day¡­


    Although the Leaping Fish Banquet is a gastronomic feast for the entire Mingjing Province, the majority of the food guests are still locals of Yue Hu City.


    If the chosen foods can cater to the tastes of the locals, they¡¯re naturally more popr.


    ¡°Qin Lang?¡± Li Hong¡¯s voice brought Qin Lang back to his senses.


    ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking about the Leaping Fish Banquet and zoned out.¡± Qin Lang apologized with a smile, picked up the tea and took a sip.


    ¡°There is ample time, twelve days.¡± Shen He gave a slight smile, ¡°Rather than that, what do you think about cooking pasta with squid ink?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Mingjing Province, Xieyu City.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give a warm round of apuse to congratte participant Zhou Tianhao from Tianhua State for winning the championship of this cooking contest in Xieyu City!¡±


    With the host¡¯s passionate voice echoing throughout the venue, enthusiastic cheers and apuse came from all over the Xieyu Arena.


    Standing in the center of thepetition venue, Zhou Tianhao nodded to his opponents with a rxed smile on his face.


    As he remembered, his cooking talentwasn¡¯t that high when he initially became a Spirit Chef, but he had extraordinary talent in battles.


    Therefore, after several attempts, Zhou Tianhao eventually devoted all his attention to trainingpetitions and finally won the Tianhua State trainingpetition championship as a result of his hard work.


    But with the passage of time and growth in experiences, his cooking skills had been improving subtly non-stop.


    Once again participating in cooking contests which he hadn¡¯t done for a long time, although somewhat difficult, he won his first City-level championship.


    Zhou Tianhao¡¯s sudden interest in the path of cooking which he had previously neglected isrgely rted to the battle with the Star Hunter that day.


    He can¡¯t forget how the Star Hunter, with a Food Spirit Star Level simr to his, easily managed a two-on-one battle by relying on the vor Value dominating the scene.


    If he pays more attention to the path of cooking and enhances the vor Value of Food Spirit faster, he will also increase his strength in Spirit Battles.


    So for this trip to Mingjing Province, he has two goals.


    The first is to challenge the Third-level Spirit Executor of this province and obtain the second Third-level Spirit Executor Badge.


    The second is to strive to improve his cooking skills in Mingjing Province, trying to obtain five Second-Level Food Rmender Badges and participate in the Provincial-level Cooking Competition.


    Now, he haspleted the first step toward his second goal.


    Receiving the first Second-Level Food Rmender Badge from a Second- Level Food Rmender in Xieyu City, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s smile became brighter.


    He already had an idea of where to go next.


    The uing Leaping Fish Banquet in Yue Hu City is a good opportunity for culinarymunication.


    Fast Entrance: [Monthly Ticket] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 232 - 232 Granddaughter

    Chapter 232: Granddaughter


    Trantor: 549690339 I


    At Shen He¡¯s house, the conversation gradually lightened up among the four people.


    They were all Spirit Chefs, so naturally, their topics of discussion had to do with cooking.


    Though asionally sprinkled with some dark culinary ideas, interesting and worth-trying new ideas would also appear from time to time.


    ¡°Ding dong ¡±


    As they were engrossed in their conversation, the chiming of the doorbell interrupted their exchange.


    ¡°I will get the door.¡± Shen He seemed to know who it was and got up smilingly.


    When he returned, he was apanied by a young girl who appeared to be in her early teens.


    ¡°This is my granddaughter, Shen Qian.¡± Seated back down, Shen He introduced his granddaughter with a touch of pride, patting her, ¡°This is your Grandpa Zhou Qing and Uncle Li Hong.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Grandpa Zhou Qing, Uncle Li Hong.¡± Shen Qian greeted the two of them with a polite greeting, sitting beside Shen He.


    Shen He went on to introduce Qin Lang, ¡°Qin Lang here is around your age. He is also here for the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Hello!¡± Shen Qian turned towards Qin Lang and nced curiously at the two Food Spirits by his side.


    ¡°So this is your granddaughter.¡± Zhou Qing looked at Shen Qian with a new understanding, ¡°It¡¯s really like watching your girl grow up. 1 remember seeing her when she was just eight. 1 never thought she would have grown so much, 1 could hardly recognize her.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Zhou Qing, I remember thest fishing trip you took me on by the Jumping Fish Lake.¡± Shen Qian began nostalgically. She apparently held vivid memories of Zhou Qing.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Delighted that Shen Qian still remembered him, Zhou Qing let out a heartyugh, ¡°I remember your childhood dream was to be a Spirit Chef. Have you given birth to your first Food Spirit yet?¡±


    ¡°I already have Food Spirits! And not just one, but two!¡± Shen Qian smiled slightly. Then, with a shimmering sh, she summoned her two Food Spirits. Qin Lang¡¯s gaze tensed slightly.


    One of the two Food Spirits was actually a three-star.


    This girl, who was about his age, was pretty impressive.


    ¡°Qian has always been very interested in cooking since she was a child.¡± Shen He was beaming with pride, ¡°You know, she loved watching others cooking in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s always asking questions.¡± Zhou Qing also burst intoughter as he recalled, ¡°I remember once after eating a dish I made, she asked me about everything. She wanted to know how 1 cooked it.¡±


    ¡°I was young and naive then.¡± Shen Qian lowered her head, somewhat embarrassed.


    Sheter realized that such inquiries were inappropriate.


    ¡°No worries.¡± Zhou Qingughed it off, indicating that he didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°With our guidance, she started trying her hand at cooking when she was nine.¡± Shen He ruffled Shen Qian¡¯s hair, ¡°She gave birth to her first Food Spirit when she was ten.¡±


    A Spirit Chef at ten?


    Qin Lang looked surprised.


    In his previous life, at the age ten, he was still practicing flipping rice¡­


    No wonder her Food Spirit Star Level was higher than Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Shen Qian said nothing but straightened her waist quietly as her grandfather praised her, sitting up even straighter.


    ¡°Moreover.¡± The look of pride on Shen He¡¯s face deepened, ¡°Last year my Qian Qian won the championship at Yue Hu City¡¯s Cooking Contest. This year, she earned another Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s two.¡± Shen Qian hurriedly corrected, ¡°My friend and I went to Quanlin Cityst week and happened toe across a Second-Level Food Rmender. So we managed to grab our third Second-Level Food Rmender Badge.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shen He looked puzzled.


    As his granddaughter had just returned from Quanlin City, he had nned to introduce her to his old friends without asking about her trip in detail.


    He hadn¡¯t expected such a pleasant surprise.


    Instantly, Shen He¡¯s a smile grew even wider.


    ¡°Qian Qian really has a talent for cooking.¡± Zhou Qing nodded, then teased, ¡°So, you¡¯re bragging, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Shen Heughed unabashedly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you haven¡¯t had any grandchildren yet?¡±


    ¡°Wait for it, I will have a son asap.¡± Zhou Qing retorted.


    Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched a little. He mourned for Zhou Yun, who was still in Dongxia City.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect that in the next second, the topic would turn to him.


    ¡°Now that we mention it¡­¡± Shen He hesitated slightly, ¡°I still don¡¯t know much about Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills!¡±


    From the discussion earlier, this young man seemed to have many strange ideas about cooking. His cooking skills shouldn¡¯t be low.


    At this moment, he took the chance to ask the question he hadn¡¯t asked earlier. ¡°Are your cooking skills very impressive?¡± Shen Qian turned around and asked straightforwardly, ¡°Do you have a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge?¡± ¡°Well, I think they¡¯re not bad.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°As for the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, I collected four. However, they¡¯re all from Tianhua State.¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, Shen He blinked in surprise.


    He thought his granddaughter was already highly talented, but he didn¡¯t expect Qin Lang, who is of the same age as his granddaughter, to be this amazing too. Four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges?


    For a moment, he turned his questioning gaze to Zhou Qing.


    This old guy didn¡¯t mention a word just now?


    Zhou Qing shrugged.


    You didn¡¯t ask, so how am I supposed to bring it up?


    And the one asking the question, Shen Qian, paused for a moment after receiving Qin Lang¡¯s answer, and her eyes instantly lit up with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re so amazing!¡±


    She magically took out a Duel Initiator from some invisible ce.


    ¡°Please, have a Food Fight with me!¡±


    A Food Fight?


    Qin Lang was taken aback.


    How did we go from a casual chat to taking out Duel Initiator?


    And considering she didn¡¯t even have any pockets, where did she take out such a big Duel Initiator from?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡± Shen He chuckled, ¡°Since Qian gave birth to the Food Spirit, she has been very interested in Food Fights. Whenever she meets Spirit Chefs with advanced culinary skills, she wants to have a Food Fight with them. She always carries the Duel Initiator with her.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Li Hong, who enjoyed the spectacle, added, ¡°It¡¯s more than ten days before the Leaping Fish Banquet. It¡¯s a good idea to have a Food Fight for a warm-up.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhou Qing gave Qin Lang an encouraging look.


    Is it this impulsive?


    Qin Lang looked at the three people who were encouraging him in front of him, and then at Shen Qian, who was holding the Duel Initiator and sparkling in her eyes. He silently took out his Spirit Chef Badge, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Indeed, it¡¯s a good idea to have a warm-up Food Fight before the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    More importantly, he was also very curious about the cooking skills of the girl who became a Spirit Chef at the age of ten.


    ¡°What kind of Food Fight project do you choose?¡± Shen Qian took Qin Lang¡¯s Spirit Chef Badge and her badge and inserted them into the Duel Initiator. Then she started operating it skillfully.


    ¡°Just the mostmon Limited Cuisine Theme.¡± Qin Lang said randomly.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Shen Qian quickly set it and the Duel Initiator started the automatic draws.


    The draw was over.


    [Livestock]


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 Chapter 233: Lake View

    Chapter 233: Lake View


    Trantor: 549690339


    Livestock?


    Seeing the selected category, Shen Qian¡¯s brows raised slightly.


    Given Yue Hu City¡¯s unique geographical environment, the ingredients most proficiently used by the spirit chefs here are undoubtedly aquatic.


    But she wasn¡¯t overly worried.


    Having obtained three second-level Food Rmender badges, her culinary skills wouldn¡¯t be confined to a particr cuisine.


    Livestock, no problem.


    She only wondered if Qin Lang was good at it.


    Thinking of this, Shen Qian subconsciously nced at her opponent.


    When she saw the troubled expression on Qin Lang¡¯s face, she looked somewhat surprised.


    Could it be that Qin Lang wasn¡¯t skilled in cooking with livestock ingredients?


    As a spirit chef who has obtained four second-level Food Rmender badges, this shouldn¡¯t be the case.


    Qin Lang was indeed troubled.


    But his plight was quite different from what Shen Qian imagined.


    He was deciding what dish to cook for the Food Fight.


    Livestock is a broad ingredient category.


    The so-called ¡°Three Sacrifices and Six Livestock¡± refer to cows, sheep, pigs for the former, and horses, cows, sheep, chickens, dogs, pigs for thetter.


    The Three Sacrifices are included in the Six Livestock, still offering six types of choices.


    Not to mention, the number of dishes that can use them as ingredients is countless.


    Mastering too many types of dishes can sometimes be overwhelming.


    ¡°We meet for the duel at the Spirit Chef Association the day after tomorrow morning, okay?¡± Shen Qian asked to confirm the time, snapping Qin Lang back to reality.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Lang responded instinctively, then added, ¡°But I have an additional request.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°If possible, 1 hope this Food Fight can be held in Transparent Mode.¡± Qin Lang stated without hesitation.


    Transparent Mode?


    Shen Qian blinked.


    Of course, she knew what that was.


    The so-called Transparent Mode means that the exterior walls of the Competitive Standard Kitchen are set to fully transparent during the Food Fight so that the outside can easily see the entire cooking process of the Spirit Chef. Only the interaction of sounds and smells from inside and outside is blocked.


    Having obtained three second-level Food Rmender badges within a year, Shen Qian¡¯s goal is naturally a higher level than the city-level cooking contest ¨C a provincial-level cooking contest. At that point, cooking under Transparent Mode will be standard.


    Therefore, she wasn¡¯t resistant to the idea, especially since her current opponent had a simr skill level to her.


    Well, in her view.


    ¡°Okay, no problem!¡± Shen Qian agreed readily, ¡°I look forward to your guidance.¡±


    ¡°1 also look forward to our duel the day after tomorrow morning.¡± Qin Lang responded with a smile.


    Although he had previously partaken in outdoor duels, there was a distinct difference between those and a formal Transparent Mode duel in a Competitive Standard Kitchen.


    Getting familiar with the process during the Food Fight wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    ¡°Heh heh, I think I¡¯d like to watch your duel the day after tomorrow morning too. May I?¡± Shen He asked with a yful smile.


    ¡°Count me in.¡± Li Hong nodded slightly.


    ¡°Of course, 1 also want to watch.¡± Zhou Qingughed as he sipped his tea.


    Under normal circumstances, there are no restrictions on the audience seats for Food Fights. Anyone can watch a Food Fight, even if they don¡¯t know either of the participants.


    However, in Food Fights held in Transparent Mode, only the audience permitted by both participants can enter the audience seats to watch the battle.


    Qin Lang and Shen Qian naturally couldn¡¯t say no to the three men¡¯s requests.


    After dining together, the three men voluntarily excused themselves from Shen He¡¯s house, returning to the hotel.


    After spending some time in their rooms to digest, Qin Lang left again with the two little ones.


    Unlike before, this time he was wearing a camera on his chest.


    Thanks to the early preparations by Li Hong and Zhou Qing, the three people reserved the desired rooms before the hotel was fully booked. Plus, the location of the hotel was excellent.


    It only took a few minutes to walk to the shores of Jumping Fish Lake.


    Before, when disembarking from the pier, Qin Lang had to rush to the hotel to drop off his luggage. He didn¡¯t have time to appreciate theke¡¯s scenery fully. Now, he finally had a chance to do so.


    In the evening breeze, facing the evening glow, Qin Lang stood by the stone fence of theke, his hands propped on the railing as he looked out over the shimmeringke.


    At the end of his line of sight, at the junction between the water and the sky, Qin Lang could just make out a shadowy border.


    That was the other side of theke.


    Only at this moment could he trulyprehend the vastness of Jumping Fish Lake.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s take a group photo.¡± Qin Lang had a sudden idea. He held up the camera on his chest and smiled.


    The two little ones happily came to Qin Lang¡¯s left and right.


    Soon, a selfie with theke and the evening glow as a backdrop was done.


    Even without any subsequent editing, it was already an astonishing photo.


    In high spirits, Qin Lang took a few more photos. He then securely saved the photos stored in the device and strolled along thekeside with the two little ones.


    There were numerous pedestrians on the path within the stone fence.


    Some were locals who came here for a post-dinner stroll, while others were tourists like Qin Lang.


    Distinguishing between them was quite easy.


    Locals often walked in groups, mostly families, strolling with joyful expressions while chatting andughing.


    Many children ran around with snacks or toys, chasing yfully. They would stop at the call of their elders¡ªquite a warm sight.


    On the other hand, most tourists, like Qin Lang, were busy taking photos at different locations and angles,pletely engrossed in it.


    With so many pedestrians, naturally, there were street vendors about.


    Some simply ced a nylon bag on the ground, disying shiny toys or wind-up knick-knacks. Sitting on a small stool by the side, they attracted lots of children.


    Others sold slightly moreplex trinkets like Diabolos, performing tricks that often earned exmations of astonishment.


    Next to the stalls, many pedestrians also held identical toys, evidently inspired by the vendors¡¯ dazzling demonstrations.


    But once the same toys were in their hands, it became a rather embarrassing sight.


    Besides these toys, there were also plenty of food stalls.


    In an open area by thekeside, more than a dozen stalls stood a few meters apart in an orderly manner, each with quite a line of customers waiting.


    Even from afar, Qin Lang already caught a whiff of the rich aroma of various foods intertwined.


    This savory smell was the best signboard. Just by sniffing, Qin Lang and the two little ones, despite having eaten dinner, felt somewhat hungry again.


    There¡¯s a saying that snacks and main courses go to different stomachs.


    So would having eaten dinner affect Qin Lang and the others¡¯ snack appetite?


    Of course not.


    ¡°Come on; let¡¯s see what specialty snacks Yue Hu City has.¡±


    (Chapter 205 has added art.)


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation]

 Chapter 234 - 234 Practice

    Chapter 234: Practice


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll have a serving of pomelo fish cake!¡±


    Standing in front of the nearest food stall, Qin Lang, finally at the front of the line, couldn¡¯t wait to ce his order.


    ¡°Alright! Just a moment, young man!¡± The stall owner was a simple and honest middle-aged man, who gave Qin Lang a smile and continued with his cooking.


    In no time at all, a hot and freshly baked pomelo fish cake was wrapped in wax paper and handed to Qin Lang.


    It was about a centimeter thick and about the size of half a palm; a round pastry with a golden surface carrying hints of dark brown, its appealing oily sheen sparkled under the evening glow.


    A strong, tempting aroma wafted up to him.


    The fragrance carried the freshness of the pomelo and the richness of the pancake; besides this, there was also a clear scent of fish.


    ¡°Both of you, don¡¯t rush,¡± advised Qin Lang, tearing off two hefty pieces to hand to the impatient Dan Bao and Spicy. He then picked up what was left and took a bite.


    The texture of the fish meat interwoven within the pastry surprised Qin Lang with its unique tenderness.


    It was the special delicate texture unique to Longli fish.


    What was even more admirable was that the Longli fish meat in the pomelo fish cake was not entirely ground into a paste and mixed with flour, but was preserved in small chunks.


    As a result, the unique texture of the Longli fish was maintained to the fullest extent, preventing this ingredient from blending into the crowd.


    There were also some other auxiliary ingredients in the flour mixture, which even Qin Lang could not fully identify. These ingredients, some soft and some with a slightly hard texture, addedyers to the taste of the pomelo fish cake.


    Such a dish for only twenty yuan was quite reasonable.


    After all, even though Longli fish is not a precious ingredient, it is still a seafood product.


    In the seafood-rich Mingjing Province, sea fish are usually freshly caught the same day in coastal cities, and then transported to various other cities.


    The same items would be cheaper in the coastal cities.


    ¡°Come have a look! Don¡¯t miss our newly baked garlic grilled prawns!¡± The call from another stall nearby attracted the attention of the group, who had just enjoyed their pomelo fish cake.


    ¡°Three servings, please!¡±


    Seeing the giant prawns, which were several sizes bigger than prawns, split in half after deveining, evenly covered with garlic sauce, emitting an amazing fragrance on the grill, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    This also looked very appetizing.


    ¡°Ten yuan per serving, thank you for your patronage!¡±


    The owner of the small stall gave a hearty smile and quickly handed over three servings after Qin Lang had paid.


    The next round of tasting began.


    As soon as thest bit of prawn was finished, Qin Lang, without hesitation, headed towards the next stall.


    Weird-taste oysters, lemon-scented yellow croaker, spicy squid skewers¡­


    Various delicious foodspletely delighted Qin Lang and the two little ones.


    Before he knew it, Qin Lang had reached the busiest food stall.


    Standing at the end of the long line, he savored the various foods he had just sampled while thinking and reflecting.


    This had be Qin Lang¡¯s habit since he came to this world.


    For every new dish, he would ponder the unique culinary insight hidden within, and try to recreate it in his mind in his own way.


    This introspection helped him continually absorb and assimte new things, thus significantly enhancing his own cooking skills.


    By the time he had finished his reflections on the snacks he had just tasted, it was finally his turn in the constantly advancing queue.


    ¡°What would the customer like?¡± Qin Lang was slightly taken aback by the enthusiastic greeting of the stall owner.


    This stall owner was different from those he had previously encountered.


    There were three Three Star Food Spirits fluttering around him, busily assisting him in his cooking!


    It was not umon to see food stall owners who were also Spirit Chefs, but like the stall owner in front of him who obviously had the strength of three Food Spirits and yet still manned a stall, was quite rare.


    Also¡­


    The way he spoke was with a foreign ent, seeming not to be a local of Yue Hu City.


    ¡°Customer?¡± Seeing Qin Lang in silence, the stall owner spoke again.


    ¡°Alt! Sorry!¡± Qin Lang came back to his senses, ¡°Give me a serving of Vinegar Fish, an Explosive Carp Flower, and a serving of Wine Smoked Abalone.¡±


    Having said that, Qin Lang suddenly felt something was not quite right.


    The price of these three dishes seemed off?


    The cheapest was the dish called Vinegar Fish, priced at fifteen bucks, then came the Explosive Carp Flower, priced at fifty bucks, and finally, the Wine Smoked Abalone, priced at one hundred and twenty bucks.


    The three different prices seemed to categorize these dishes into different ranks, as if targeted at different demographics.


    With the powerful skills of the Spirit Chef himself and the foreign ent¡­


    A bold guess suddenly appeared in Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing Qin Lang ordered one of each dish with different prices, the stall owner immediately broke into a smile. After all, it was rare for customers to order such expensive dishes, ¡°You might have to wait a few minutes. Please feel free to give anyments after tasting.¡±


    Having said that, he began to get busy.


    Just as the man was busy, Qin Lang suddenly spoke up, ¡°Uncle, are you preparing for the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The stall owner, who seemed to be about forty, paused for a moment and looked at Qin Lang with a slightly off gaze, ¡°Are you also participating in the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡±


    For a moment, a hint of wariness appeared in the stall owner¡¯s eyes.


    However, noticing Qin Lang¡¯s age, this wariness quickly disappeared.


    At his age, he would be participating in the All-age Group.


    And Qin Lang, who seemed to be in his teens, obviously was participating in the Youth Group.


    There was nopetition between them, so there was no need to be on high alert.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to know the rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet in advance.¡± The stall owner rxed again and smiled kindly, ¡°That¡¯s right, I am indeed preparing for the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    Qin Lang suddenly realized.


    The specific rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet were supposed to be announced ten days before the banquet, which was the day after tomorrow.


    Thanks to Zhou Qing¡¯s connections, he learned the specific rules two days in advance.


    However, among other Spirit Chefs, there must also be plenty who figured out simr information.


    But what does opening a food stall now mean?


    ¡°Uncle, are you practicing running a food stall in advance?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The uncleughed, ¡°Running a food stall is quite different from regr cooking. I need to practice in advance, or I¡¯ll be at sixes and sevens when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Also, trying out in advance allows me to test the customers¡¯ reactions to different dishes. If any dish is not quite suitable, there is still time to change it now.¡±


    ¡°I see!¡± Qin Lang felt like he had been taught a lesson.


    His previous n was to determine the dishes he was going to prepare and practice in advance, and then run his food stall directly at the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    It seems his idea has quite a few gaps.


    Once he decides on the dishes, he should also try running a food stall in advance to get the hang of it.


    ¡°Uncle, thank you for your advice.¡± Qin Lang spoke sincerely.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really grateful, then give me your opinion.¡± The stall owner gave a hearty smile and handed the finished dishes to Qin Lang, ¡°Wanna have a taste?¡±


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 Chapter 235: Reunion

    Chapter 235: Reunion


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    After tasting the three dishes prepared by the stall owner, Qin Lang sincerely offered his suggestions and thoughts, receiving gratitude in return.


    So as not to disrupt the dining experience of the subsequent food guests, he did not linger.


    Although there were a few stalls he had not managed to taste from, Qin Lang was already full.


    So, it¡¯ll have to wait for next time.


    He took a leisurely stroll by thekeside. It was not until the sun hadpletely set and the world was shrouded in twilight that Qin Lang returned towards the hotel under the guidance of the streetlights.


    ¡°Once we get back to the hotel, shall we start preparing for the Food Fight in two days?¡± Looking at the contented expressions on the faces of the two little ones after they had eaten and drunk their fill, Qin Lang chuckled.


    As for the dishes for the day-after¡¯s Food Fight, he had an idea.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Is it a new dish?


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes sparkled. He was the first to ask.


    ¡°Hmm, indeed it is a new dish.¡± Qin Lang gave a mysterious smile, ¡°I believe Spicy will like this dish a lot.¡±


    ¡°Cha-ka?¡±


    Will I like it?


    Spicy, who was sitting at one side, immediately perked up. He moved closer to Qin Lang and rubbed against his cheek, urging him to reveal the dish with a gentle prompt.


    ¡°Cha-ba-ka!¡±


    Tell me quickly!


    ¡°This dish is called Beijing Fried Pork Fillet.¡± Qin Lang did not keep them in suspense for too long. He gave the answer under Spicy¡¯s urging, ¡°The main ingredient is pork, which is why I said you will definitely like it.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Are there eggs?


    Dan Bao at the side asked with a hopeful tone.


    ¡°We will make use of egg white, but not much.¡± Qin Lang outstretched his hand and patted Dan Bao, ¡°But tomorrow, I can make several dishes that involve chicken eggs.¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s spirits instantly lifted.


    Hmm, that¡¯s bnced now.


    Looking at the two little ones full of anticipation, Qin Lang smiled quietly.


    His choice of Beijing Fried Pork Fillet had no particr reason or inspiration behind it. He just suddenly thought of it, and this dish happened to meet the requirements for a livestock theme.


    Regarding the Food Fight that he was about to have with Shen Qian, Qin Lang always held a rxed andmunicative attitude.


    After all, the uing Leaping Fish Banquet was his main focus.


    Walking and chatting gaily with the two little ones, Qin Lang soon arrived at the hotel¡¯s lobby.


    To his surprise, a familiar figure came into sight.


    Qin Lang rubbed his eyes. After confirming that he was not mistaken, his face showed a surprised look.


    ¡°Zhou Tianhao, brother?!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Zhou Tianhao, who was processing his check-in at the front desk, turned around when he heard the sound. He quickly recognized Qin Lang, the young man he had met briefly during his travels, ¡°Qin Lang? You are here too!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang quickly approached, ¡°Brother Zhou, if I remember correctly, thest time we parted, you were heading to Xieyu City weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°My trip to Xieyu City just ended. I just arrived in Yue Hu City.¡± Zhou Tianhao sighed with a hint of relief, ¡°I¡¯m d I booked the hotel a few days in advance. I didn¡¯t expect it to be fully booked.¡±


    ¡°I almost had to sleep in the streets!¡±


    Hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s words, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Brother Zhou, how was your trip to Xieyu City?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which.¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face broke into a grin as he pulled out a silver-white badge from his pocket, ¡°Ta-da~¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Second-Level Food Rmender Badge from Xieyu City?¡± Qin Lang took a nce at the badge in Zhou Tianhao¡¯s hand and a surprised look appeared on his face, ¡°Brother Zhou, aren¡¯t you on the training path?¡±


    ¡°The two paths do not conflict. Didn¡¯t you also participate in the Youth Training Competition?¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled gently.


    ¡°During my battle against the Star Hunter, I realized my shorings in the Food Spirits Taste Value, so I will be working harder on this aspect moving forward.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang nodded understandingly.


    The Food Spirits Taste Value being a crucial aspect of a Food Spirit¡¯s strength, naturally cannot be overlooked.


    Since Brother Zhou is now venturing onto the culinary path and hase here at this time¡­


    A thought sparked in Qin Lang¡¯s mind, ¡°Brother Zhou, have youe to participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡±


    ¡± I knew your presence here would definitely be rted to the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, confirming his purpose, ¡°When I was in Xieyu City, conversing with other Spirit Chefs, I heard about the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Such a culinary exchange extravaganza may well help improve my cooking skills. Obviously, it¡¯s an opportunity I can¡¯t miss.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Zhou Tianhao scratched his head, ¡°The rules for the Leaping Fish Banquet seem to be announced the day after tomorrow, so I¡¯m a bit torn as to whether or not to participate.¡±


    ¡°I know about that.¡± Qin Lang responded without hesitation.


    When Mr. Shen He left, he did not request secrecy, and from his previous encounter with the stall owner, it seems quite a few people already knew the rules of this installment of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    ¡°Hello sir, your room is now avable. Here is your room keycard.¡± The hotel front deskdy handed over the room card with a smile.


    ¡°Thankyou.¡± Zhou Tianhao epted the card and slipped it into his pocket, looking expectantly at Qin Lang, ¡°Shall we go to the side bar and chat while we sit?¡±


    ¡°Although I can¡¯t offer you alcohol due to your age, I can treat you to a ss of juice.¡±


    ¡°Let me treat Brother Zhou instead. The knowledge about Spirit Battle that Brother Zhou shared with me thest time we met was very helpful.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    ¡°No no no, it¡¯s on me!¡± Zhou Tianhao waved his hand in a generous manner, appearing like someone with loads of money to spare.


    So Qin Lang didn¡¯t insist further.


    The two of them didn¡¯t return to their rooms. Instead, they sat in the small bar beside the hotel lobby, discussing the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    ¡°So the rules of this Leaping Fish Banquet are like this.¡± After listening to Qin Lang, Zhou Tianhao showed an enlightened look, ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that I am already twenty-six, right beyond the age limit for the youth group.¡±


    ¡°So, Brother Zhou, are you going to participate in the all-age group exchange?¡± Qin Lang asked subconsciously.


    ¡°No no no.¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head without hesitation, ¡°Thepetition in the all-age group is inevitably fiercer than in the youth group. There¡¯s no hope of winning the top prize.¡±


    With his current strength, he barely managed to clinch the city-level cooking championship, and his culinary skills are probably in the mid-bottom rank in the all-age group.


    Isn¡¯t that just asking for humiliation?


    ¡°So Brother Zhou, you are not participating in this culinary exchange?¡± Qin Lang said with a bit of regret.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll still participate, but not in this way.¡± Zhou Tianhao gave a mysterious smile, ¡°You only noticed that Spirit Chefs can set up stalls at the Leaping Fish Banquet, but forgot that food guests are also part of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± Qin Lang suddenly realized.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, are you nning to attend the Leaping Fish Banquet as a food guest?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t win, setting up a stall and cooking would consume a lot of energy. Instead of that, I might as well spend the three days tasting the culinary skills of other Spirit Chefs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Qin Lang agreed.


    However, he still chose to set up a stall.


    Opportunities to sh face-to-face with other Spirit Chefs were not many.


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 Chapter 236 - 236 Beijing Sauce

    Chapter 236: Beijing Sauce


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Meeting Zhou Tianhao really seemed to echo the words he saidst time they parted.


    The world is small, and they were bound to meet again.


    Just arrived in Yue Hu City, a travel-worn Zhou Tianhao didn¡¯t chat with Qin


    Lang for long.


    After learning about the rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet, which he was most interested in, he exchanged contact details with Qin Lang. They agreed to keep in touch while in Yue Hu City, and then he took his luggage to his hotel room.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang returned to his own room to practice the dishes for the


    Food Fight.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t just practice the Food Fight dishes.


    He also nned to ponder on the dishes he was going to present at the Leaping


    Fish Banquet during his free time.


    In the blink of an eye it was the morning of the third day.


    The time for Qin Lang and Shen Qian¡¯s agreed Food Fight had arrived.


    Early in the morning, Qin Lang, Zhou Qing, and Li Hong were already at the Spirit Chef Association in Yue Hu City. Shen He and Shen Qian, the grandfather and granddaughter duo, arrived even earlier.


    Qin Lang wanted to invite Zhou Tianhao to watch the fight, but unfortunately Zhou Tianhao nned to visit a second-level Food Rmender in Yue Hu City today ¨C in his words, he had to make the most of his time there.


    With their schedules conflicting, Qin Lang did not insist.


    ¡°Qin Lang, what kind of dish have you prepared?¡± Upon entering the Food Fight stage, there was some time before thepetition officially started. Shen Qian asked curiously.


    ¡°This dish is called Beijing Fried Pork Fillet,¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    ¡°Beijing Fried¡­Pork Fillet?¡± Shen Qian looked puzzled.


    It seems to align with the livestock-based theme, but it¡¯s hard to tell what it¡¯s like solely from the name of the dish.


    ¡°The dish I¡¯m making is called Red Cooked Beef Slices. It¡¯s one of the dishes I¡¯m best at, so be careful,¡± Shen Qian, not one to take advantage of Qin Lang, also hesitated to reveal the name of her dish.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely give it my all,¡± Qin Lang smiled confidently.


    The dish Beijing Fried Pork Fillet may look like an ordinary dish, but to perfect it is quite challenging.


    While the mo were chatting, the seven primary judges arrived one by one, taking their seats at the judges¡¯ seats.


    The Food Fight was about to begin.


    The two exchanged nces and quickly strode onto the stage.


    In the audience seats, Zhou Qing and the others were whispering to each other.


    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Li Hong, intrigued, watched the two who entered the Competitive Standard Kitchen after the head judge had announced the rule of the Food Fight.


    ¡°That dish Qin is making, the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet, have any of you tasted it before?¡± Shen He asked curiously.


    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± Li Hong shook his head slightly. ¡°However, Qin Lang is adept at a wide variety of cuisines, so it¡¯s normal that he hasn¡¯t shown all of them.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Shen He nodded. ¡°I think my granddaughter Shen Qian has a better chance of winning. I¡¯ve tasted her Red Cooked Beef Slices and it¡¯s really good.¡± ¡°Although I haven¡¯t tasted the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet, I¡¯m rooting for Qin Lang this time,¡± Zhou Qing chuckled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop here, they¡¯re starting.¡± The three of them stopped chatting and focused on the two Transparent Modepetition standard kitchens.


    In Qin Lang¡¯s kitchen, he was getting ready to cook the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet.


    Beijing Sauce refers to Sweet Wheat Paste.


    This sauce, which is a specialty of Beijing and made from wheat fermented through a process of ¡°three steamings and three sunnings¡±, has a sweet aftertaste despite its salty vor, hence the name ¡°Beijing Sauce¡±.


    There are many dishes using Sweet Wheat Paste, Beijing Fried Pork Fillet being the ssic one.


    And as for the Sweet Wheat Paste, Qin Lang had made some when he first arrived in this world, just in case he needed it.


    Coming to Yue Hu City for the Leaping Fish Banquet, he naturally didn¡¯t forget to bring the sauces he had prepared.


    The Beijing Fried Pork Fillet doesn¡¯t require much in the way of apanying ingredients, the green onion is usually enough.


    He kept the white part of the green onion and sliced it thinly,id it at the bottom of the te, and then started to prepare the pork.


    The pork was first sliced into thin pieces and then quickly cut into strips, which were then set aside in a small bowl.


    Having done all this, rather than moving on to the next step, Qin Lang, with a hint of curiosity, looked up at Shen Qian on the other side.


    Thanks to the transparent mode, even though separated by the external walls of twopetitive standard kitchens, he could still clearly see the movements of Shen Qian on the other side.


    She had skillfully cut the prepared beef into thin slices with her knifework and was now preparing to marinate them.


    Seeing the open me and roasting rack next to her, Qin Lang seemed to have some thoughts.


    The dish that Shen Qian prepared was called Red Cooked Beef Slices.


    ording to the normal naming of dishes, red cooked should be a method of cooking.


    He only knew about white cooked, this was his first time hearing about red cooked.


    But from Shen Qian¡¯s demeanor, he could deduce that this special cooking method probably involved open me roasting.


    And it seemed that she had other preparations. It was not as simple as roasting beef slices.


    Interesting.


    Qin Lang looked away and started to coat the pork fillet slices in battei.


    He added an appropriate amount of salt, white pepper, and cooking wine to the wide-mouth bowl containing the pork slices, quickly mixed it evenly, then added egg white and mixed it evenly again.


    When Shen Qian looked up at Qin Lang, she happened to see him adding egg white and beginning to mix.


    Egg white? Added to the pork fillet slices?


    Shen Qian¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly.


    Even though Qin Lang had quickly begun the next step, adding starch and a small amount of water to the pork slices for the third mix, the image of him adding the egg white was still in Shen Qian¡¯s mind.


    She knew that starch could tenderize the meat, and she had tried it in her own cooking.


    But mixing egg white with meat was something she had never considered. At that moment, the thought ¡°so you can try it this way¡± popped into her head. If only for this, she had gained something from this Food Fight.


    She could try it herselfter.


    Returning to her senses, Shen Qian set the beef slices she had been marinating aside and picked up a bag of fine pebbles.


    These pebbles, carefully chosen from the banks of Jumping Fish Lake, were all about the same size with a very smooth surface, and they were also very tough, not shattering immediately when heated.


    Sheid these pebbles neatly on the roasting rack, letting the open me roast them until they were hot. While she patiently waited, Shen Qian kept her eye on Qin Lang¡¯s next steps.


    After adding starch to the pork slices and mixing, the final ingredient he added was oil.


    This was to prevent the pork slices from sticking to each other during cooking, ensuring rapid separation.


    Shen Qian, who had a good grasp of cooking skills, quickly figured out the purpose of adding the oil. She then watched as a Food Spirit next to Qin Lang epassed the evenly mixed pork slices with an invisible force.


    This was¡­


    Culinary Skill: Cooking eleration?¡¯.


    Shen Qian revealed a surprised and envious expression.


    She didn¡¯t expect Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit to have such a culinary skill.


    Immediately after, Shen Qian thought of another problem.


    With the Cooking eleration skill, Qin Lang should be able to finish cooking very quickly.


    And the speed at which cooking ispleted does have some impact on the oue of the Food Fight.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Shen Qian exhaled softly, picking up the nearly marinated beef slices.


    It was time to speed up.


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 Chapter 237: Shredded Meat

    Chapter 237: Shredded Meat


    Trantor: 549690339


    Inside thepetitive standard kitchen, the two Spirit Chefs carrying out the Food Fight are fervently cooking their respective dishes. On the judges¡¯ seats, the seven judges are murmuring amongst themselves.


    I didn t expect this Food Fight to be conducted in transparent mode.¡± One of the judges remarks, a hint of delight mingling with his surprise as he curiously watches the two contestants cook, chuckling, ¡°At least we don¡¯t have to wait idly for the dishes to be done.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the waiting process during the Food Fight evaluations in the past could be quite boring.¡± Another judge nods in agreement, ¡°It¡¯s fine if there¡¯s no one in the audience seats; we can find ways to pass the time. But if there are people in the audience, we have to maintain our image.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± The third judge nces towards the audience seats, The one participating in the Food Fight this time is Shen Qian, the granddaughter of Mr. Shen He, right? It seems that Mr. Shen He takes it very seriously, evening to watch in person.¡±


    ¡°Shen Qian won the championship in our Yue Hu City-level Cooking Competition a year ago. By now, she has collected at least two second-level Food Rmender badges. Her strength cannot be underestimated.¡± Another judge starts slowly, ¡°Do you recognize her opponent?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The judge who spoke earlier shakes his head slightly, ¡°Because of Leaping Fish Banquet, there have been many new faces from other cities, and even other states, recently. Maybe this is one of them.¡±


    If Mr. Shen He came to watch in person, I suppose the opponent¡¯s strength won¡¯t be weak either.¡± The main judge slowly interjects, listening to the whisperings of his colleagues, ¡°Let¡¯s observe patiently.¡±


    The judges nod in agreement, again turning their focus towards the two contestants who are in the middle of their cooking.


    In the center of the field, aided by the spicy Cooking eleration, the marinating time of the pork tenderloin strips is greatly shortened. In less than a minute, Qin Lang once more picks it up and pours it into the slightly smoking hot oil.


    ¡°Sizzling¨C¡±


    Apanied by soft oil sounds, the enticing aroma of the meat slowly rises in the hot air, leading Dan Bao and Spicy to swallow their saliva after sniffing it.


    On low heat, when the portion of pork tenderloin strips that had been submerged in the hot oil has turned from tender pink to greyish white, Qin Lang uses the back of the spat to lightly press and rotate, separating the pork strips from each other. He then quickly stirs them to ensure they arepletely cooked.


    Waves of strong aroma follow, causing Qin Lang and the two small spirits to reveal an intoxicated expression on their faces.


    Even though they had eaten this many times before during practice, this pure meat aroma is just as appetizing and irresistible.


    After straining the oil from the pork tenderloin strips, Qin Lang adds a thinyer of oil again, looking at Shen Qian¡¯s actions while heating it up.


    On seeing this, his face immediately shows a hint of surprise.


    The bright me he saw just now has significantly subsided.


    Ayer of fine pebbles is spread on the grill, and the surface of these pebbles has turned slightly red under the scorching high temperature.


    Even though thepetitive standard kitchen istes the temperature, Qin


    Lang can still imagine how hot it must be inside the kitchen where Shen Qian is.


    But facing such high temperatures, Shen Qian remains unfazed.


    Next to her, a Food Spirit is pouring shimmering points of light into Shen Qian¡¯s hands. Under its support, Shen Qian swiftly slides a marinated beef slice across the surface of the pebbles, so fast that it creates an afterimage.


    ¡°Sizzle¨C¡±


    Only after the slice of beef has left the pebbles do the residual fats on the surface of the pebbles ignite small mes.


    Food Skill ? Speed Boost.


    This is a Food Skill that, like Skillful Strength Support, gives support to a Spirit Chef¡¯s hands, but the direction of the support is different.


    Under Qin Lang¡¯s astonished gaze, Shen Qian flips over the beef slice and slides it across the surface of the pebbles again.


    One round trip barely takes a breath¡¯s time.


    And the slice of beef she is holding haspletely transformed from its original deep red, with enticing patches of brown appearing. As the slice is slightly tightened, the juice inside the meat is locked in.


    So this is Red Cooked?


    Qin Lang feels he has gained new knowledge again.


    This method is somewhat simr to the grilled sausages with volcanic stones from his past life. They both use heat-conducting pebbles to indirectly heat up the ingredients.


    But the principles are different.


    Pebbles that have been heated to a slight red color are terrifyingly hot.


    Under such temperatures, even a momentary dy could lead to the ingredients being overcooked and inedible.


    The opponent¡¯s technique was not purely shy, rather it held significant practical meaning.


    The rapid searing to induce the Maird reaction could seal the juice and tenderness within the beef to the maximum extent. Whenpared to the open me, the heat from the pebbles undoubtedly offered a more uniform distribution.


    It was indeed an interesting technique.


    As he watched the opponent prepare the remaining beef in the same way, Qin Lang redirected his attention, adding tworge spoons of sweet wheat paste into the already heated thin oil, and started stirring and frying.


    Stir-frying paste?


    On the other side, Shen Qian was constantly watching Qin Lang¡¯s moves while cooking. Noticing Qin Lang¡¯s actions, she ced the piece of cooked beef in a te by the side and turned her gaze towards Qin Lang.


    Right from the beginning of thepetition, she had noticed that peculiarrge jar on Qin Lang¡¯s table.


    It clearly didn¡¯t resemble any seasoning she was familiar with, which suggested it was a homemade sauce made by Qin Lang.


    That sauce was finally being put to use, sparking a curiosity in her heart about its vor.


    She was looking forward to the session for tasting each other¡¯s cooking.


    With thoughts humming in her mind, Shen Qian continued her cooking.


    The process for Red Cooked Beef Slices wasn¡¯tplicated, but it did require a good level of skill.


    The work of seasoning was alreadypleted during the marinating process. After Red cooking, the presentation was simple, and the dish was ready. There was a sense ofplexity hiding in the simplicity.


    Even though Qin Lang had the Food Skill of Cooking eleration, Shen Qian was confident she could keep up with his pace.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang¡¯s cooking was nearingpletion.


    After frying the sweet wheat paste in hot oil to bring out its strong aroma, he added a little ginger scallion water, stirring it evenly. Then he returned the previously oil-drained pork tenderloin strips back to the pan for stirring and frying.


    Once every piece of the pork tenderloin strip was evenly covered with ayer of sweet wheat paste, he took it out of the pan carefully arranging the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet on top of the shredded green onions that were prepared earlier.


    Done with the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet!


    ¡°The rice is ready too.¡± Qin Lang opened the rice cooker that had been cooking rice from the start, scooping out eleven servings of rice and ced them alongside the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet in the kitchen cab car.


    Seven servings were for the judges, one for Shen Qian, and the remaining three were for him and the two little ones.


    ¡°Ding dong???? ¡±


    A prompt sound echoed within the Competitive Standard Kitchen.


    Qin Lang nced at Shen Qian, who had already pressed the ¡°Cooking Completed¡± button, and had stepped out of the Competitive Standard Kitchen, pushing her cart. He couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    He was a step behind.


    But it didn¡¯t matter much.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time for us to set off.¡±


    Qin Lang rubbed the heads of the two little ones and pushed the cart out of the kitchen.


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    End Of Chapter Bonus Content:


    [Beijing Fried Pork Fillet]

 Chapter 238: Astonishment

    Chapter 238: Astonishment


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Greetings esteemed judges, the dish I have prepared is Red Cooked Beef Slices.¡±


    Looking at Qin Lang who came outter, Shen Qian smirked with a triumph, revealing cute little tiger teeth. She then quickly turned towards the judges¡¯ seats, her expression instantly turning serious.


    After a brief introduction, she quickly presented her dish to the judges. The judges exchanged a look, then started using their chopsticks.


    It must be said, after witnessing the cooking process, their expectations for the dish had increased significantly.


    The extraordinary red cooking technique that Shen Qian had just disyed only increased their desire to taste the dish.


    Shen Qian, however, stood quietly in her ce, waiting for the judges toplete their tasting.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce the dish to them?¡± Qin Lang curiously asked. This was the first time he encountered a Spirit Chef who did not say a word during the tasting session of the judges, although he had always been like this in the past.


    ¡°In transparent mode, the judges have seen my entire cooking process.¡± Shen Qian¡¯s face was filled with confidence. ¡°So, it is now enough to win over the judges with the taste!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s perspective on Shen Qian suddenly included a few points of approval.


    There weren¡¯t many servings of the Red Cooked Beef Slices. Each judge had only several slices to taste, so it didn¡¯t take too long.


    From the intoxicated expressions of the seven judges, it was evident that Shen Qian¡¯s culinary skills were excellent.


    However, Qin Lang remained confident in his Beijing Fried Pork Fillet.


    Dear judges, this is the dish I have prepared, Beijing Fried Pork Fillet.¡±


    Qin Lang slightly bowed, and after a brief introduction he opened the kitchen cab car.


    Assisted by the thought waves of Dan Bao, a serving of Beijing Fried Pork Fillet, apanied with rice, flew to the judges in the middle of the venue.


    The head judge, Xu Can, rinsed his mouth to remove any lingering taste of the Red Cooked Beef Slices. He then looked at the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet in front of him with interest.


    The previous dish, Red Cooked Beef Slices, had left him with great admiration, thinking, ¡°No wonder she¡¯s Mr. Shen He¡¯s granddaughter, the once cooking champion of Yue Hu City.¡±


    Now, he was curious about what kind of delicious taste this Spirit Chef named Qin Lang, who hade from an unknown ce, would bring him.


    The deep brown sauce was evenly wrapped around the strips of meat. Under the light, its slightly sticky texture shimmered like enamel.


    ented by the white shredded green onions at the bottom, the dish¡¯s appearance became more impactful, eliciting an appetite just by looking at it. Meanwhile, a hearty meat fragrance merged with a unique sauce aroma. It unceremoniously barged into Xu Can¡¯s nostrils.


    Xu Can swallowed his saliva.


    In terms of appearance or scent, this dish of Beijing Fried Pork Fillet was in no way inferior to the Red Cooked Beef Slices he¡¯d just tasted.


    Unable to resist, he picked up a few pork tenderloin strips with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth.


    At that moment, Xu Can¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted.


    Itwas¡­sweet?


    The Red Cooked Beef Slices had a hot and spicy vor. During the tasting process, one of the judges who couldn¡¯t handle spices even took a couple of sips of milk to relieve the spiciness.


    That only made the sweet taste of the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet stand out even more.


    Unexpectedly for Xu Can, although the sweetness stood out, it did not be unbnced in the overall presentation of the dish. It perfectly melded with the slightly salty sauce.


    With each chew, the tender meat strips released a rich and delicious juice. After blending with the sauce on the outside, the sweetness yed the role of the green leaf that sets off the colors of the flowers. It made the delicious and salty vors more prominent, giving an astonishing sensation that almost made someone p their hands in admiration.


    After a mouthful, Xu Can looked at the rice on the side.


    Now, he understood why Qin Lang had paired it together.


    With every bite of rice, the lingering, rich sauce vour seemed to find a support, subtly immersed within the plump grains, lifting the already sweet and delicious taste of the rice up several notches.


    Amid the amazed and intoxicated expressions of the seven judges, the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet and rice on the te were all finished. Some of them even cleanly ate all of the shredded green onions.


    ¡°Next, we will proceed with the voting decision.¡± After another mouth rinse, Xu Can steadied himself, and spoke out loud, ¡°As the head judge, I will votest.¡± ¡°I vote for Qin Lang!¡± The first judge on the left couldn¡¯t wait to cast his vote, looking at Qin Lang with a gaze full of admiration.


    This judge was the one who had just relieved the spice with milk. He¡¯s not good with spicy food, preferring sweet vors, and Qin Lang¡¯s Beijing Fried Pork Fillet perfectly matched his tastes.


    So, for him, there was no need for hesitation about this vote.


    I¡­I¡¯m voting for Shen Qian.¡± The second judge was somewhat indecisive, but eventually cast his vote for Shen Qian after some hesitation.


    Both the culinary skills Shen Qian exhibited during her cooking process and the unique taste of her spicy and savory dish appealed greatly to him.


    ¡°I also vote for Shen Qian.¡±


    ¡°I vote for Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°I, too, vote for Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°Shen Qian.¡±


    The remaining four judges stated their choices one after another.


    The vote count tied at three-all.


    ¡°What are you guys¡­¡± Xu Can gazed at his six colleagues, showing a helpless expression.


    That really put him in a tough predicament!


    As the chief judge, he was always thest to vote, and this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d had to cast the decisive vote when the other judges¡¯ votes were evenly split.


    This was the duty of a prime judge.


    But this particr vote proved to be the most difficult one Xu Can had ever faced in his career.


    Whether it was the spicy Red Cooked Beef Slices or the sweet and salty Beijing Fried Pork Fillet, he loved both.


    If he really had to choose between the two¡­


    In the end, the easy-to-pair-with-rice attribute of Beijing Fried Pork Fillet became the final deciding factor that tilted Xu Can¡¯s scales.


    ¡°I choose Qin Lang!¡± Taking a deep breath, Xu Can made his decision.


    Four by three, Qin Lang won.


    In the audience, Shen He¡¯s face revealed a bit of surprise.


    Although he knew that Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills were not weak, the fact that Qin Lang had bested his granddaughter at her best Red Cooked dishes, still came as a surprise to him.


    ¡°How about that?¡± Zhou Qingughed heartily next to him and patted his old friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°He¡¯s a formidable young man.¡± Shen He nodded in approval.


    In the arena, the Food Fight entered the phase of tasting each other¡¯s dishes.


    ¡°Red Cooked Beef Slices, please taste.¡± Shen Qian served her prepared dish, her eyes eagerly on the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet in Qin Lang¡¯s hand.


    She has been in many Food Fights and hasn¡¯t always won, so even though she lost this time, Shen Qian wouldn¡¯t be discouraged.


    But she needs to know the reason why Qin Lang won!


    Taking the Beijing Fried Pork Fillet, Shen Qian didn¡¯t hesitate to pick up some with her chopsticks, pairing it with some rice and chewing it.


    The sulent vors of the meat juices and the unique savoury sauce,bined with the sweet vor of the rice, quickly melded together in her mouth. Her expression changed from initial curiosity to final admiration.


    Before long, Shen Qian set down her now empty te.


    In the face of such delicious taste, she didn¡¯t feel aggrieved by her defeat.


    (Gu Zhou Coldness, Jun Liyu, and Yue¡¯s Belief who won the first peripheral event haven¡¯t submitted their addresses yet, today is the deadline. The second peripheral event has been awarded, please pay attention to the reader¡¯s circle)


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 Chapter 239: Reward

    Chapter 239: Reward


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    On the other hand, Qin Lang was also tasting the Red Cooked Beef Slices prepared by Shen Qian.


    He had been very interested in this dish since he saw her unique cooking technique.


    The first thing that struck Qin Lang when he tasted a piece of beef slice was its spiciness.


    The spicy vor that had fully prated the beef, apanied by a rich aroma, gave Qin Lang a feeling of warmth throughout his body in just an instant.


    Underneath the dark brown exterior of the meat slice, the abundant juices and tender meat could be easily savored through chewing. The freshness and spiciness unique to top-tier beef intertwined, creating a unique and wonderful experience.


    At this moment, Qin Lang felt as if he was soaking in a hot spring on a cold winter day, experiencing a peculiarfort of both body and mind.


    What an amazing dish!


    After swallowing a piece of beef, Qin Lang was amazed and had a fuller appreciation of Shen Qian¡¯s culinary skills.


    Her cooking skills were on par with those of Lei Ke¡¯s.


    ¡± Gurgle


    ¡°Chomp-¡±


    The two little creatures couldn¡¯t help swallowing as they watched the remaining slices of beef in Qin Lang¡¯s hand droolingly.


    ¡°Here, you try too!¡± Qin Lang picked up two pieces and fed the creatures. Seeing them panting after finishing the beef, he burst intoughter.


    ¡°Your cooking skills are really impressive.¡±


    Outside the Spirit Chef Association, Shen Qian spoke earnestly, with a joy of finding a worthy opponent on her face.¡± The Leaping Fish Banquet ising up, let¡¯s fight again then!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang smiled and nodded.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Shen Qian seemed to remember something, and asked with curiosity, ¡°How long did it take you to get four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges?¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Qin Lang thought for a moment, ¡°Less than a month, I think.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Shen He couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Less than a month?¡±


    He abruptly turned his gaze to Zhou Qing and Li Hong, who were looking innocent on the side.


    These two guys hadn¡¯t mentioned this yesterday.


    As a First-Level Food Rmender, Shen He knew very well how difficult it was to earn four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges within a month.


    And because he had this understanding, he was even more astounded.


    Shen Qian, who had asked the question, also received a stipend from her employer.


    So¡­ less than a month?


    She originally thought that obtaining three Food Rmender Badges in a year was already a genius level achievement, but it turned out that there was always someone better.


    But soon, Shen Qian¡¯s expression shifted slightly, as if she had thought of something. ¡°Then, would you like to join me in the provincial-level cooking contest in Mingjing Province?¡±


    ¡°The provincial-level cooking contest in Mingjing Province?¡± Qin Lang blinked his eyes.


    Why would she suddenly bring up this?


    He hadn¡¯t even collected the five Second-Level Food Rmender Badges required for the Tianhua State cooking contest yet!


    ¡°Yes, the provincial-level cooking contest in Mingjing Province will be held in four months.¡± Shen Qian said excitedly.


    ¡°After the Leaping Fish Banquet, my goal is to travel to Crown Ling City and collect the remaining two Second-Level Food Rmender Badges along the way to qualify for thispetition.¡±


    ¡°Since you were able to earn four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges in less than a month, then it should be no problem to collect five once again in Mingjing province within four months.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to join me on the journey after the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡± Shen Qian asked excitedly.


    Being a Spirit Chef who is obsessed with the Food Fight, she was thrilled to meet apetitor of her age who was stronger than her.


    Shen Qian¡¯s thought process was simple. If Qin Lang could join her on the trip, she could have a Food Fights with him anywhere, any time!


    If the rules are still Transparent Mode in the uing Food Fights, she would be able to learn a lot from Qin Lang. It¡¯s not impossible for her cooking skills to improve drastically in the following four months!


    A useful sparring partner like this is worth seizing!


    ¡°Four monthster, huh¡­¡± Qin Lang thought for a while then shook his head helplessly, ¡°I may not be able to participate.¡±


    ¡°The provincial-level cooking contest in Tianhua State will start a little more than four months from now, and the dates for both contests conflict with each other, so I can only choose one.¡±


    If Qin Lang were to make a choice, he would naturally choose to participate in thepetition in Tianhua State.


    After all, he had been to the Bai Lu Mountain Arena once, and was quite familiar with it.


    Besides, after finally earning four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges, if he were to start over in Mingjing Province, wouldn¡¯t all the previous efforts be wasted?


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Shen Qian sighed, ¡°I was hoping we could travel together.¡±


    ¡°We could do that,¡± Qin Lang suddenly said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I heard that the sea view in Crown Ling City is the most beautiful in the entire Samiya region.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°So I initially nned to visit Crown Ling City after the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    Encouragingly, Zhou Qing, standing on the side, said with a smile, ¡°Traveling and seeing more things when one is young is a good thing. If I didn¡¯t have to work as a Food Rmender, I would have wanted to join you in watching the sea view in Crown Ling City.¡±


    ¡°Regrettably, I also have work to deal with afterward, and I have to return to Tianhua State after the Leaping Fish Banquet,¡± Li Hong said with the same regret.


    ¡°Although my goal is not the provincial-level cooking contest in Mingjing Province, our destinations are the same, so we can still travel together,¡± Qin Lang said with a smile as he looked at Shen Qian.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Shen Qian¡¯s eyes lit up again.


    Shen He, who was standing by, was satisfied with what he saw and nodded approvingly.


    He was aware of his granddaughter¡¯s uing trip.


    He had always been worried that Shen Qian would face troubles when traveling alone. Now that she had apanion, they could take care of each other.


    ¡°Buzz¡ª¡±


    The cell phone in his pocket vibrated slightly. Shen He looked at it and smiled, ¡°The rules for this Leaping Fish Banquet have been officially announced.¡±


    The others, hearing the news, quickly took out their phones to check.


    Even though they had already known the specific content of the Leaping Fish Banquet rules two days ahead, there might be some discrepancies in the official announcement, so they needed to exam it carefully.


    Qin Lang quickly skimmed through from the beginning, and soon confirmed that the rules of this Leaping Fish Banquet were roughly the same as what Shen He had mentioned earlier.


    Then, his gaze stopped at the bottom of the announcement.


    There, the rewards for the winners of the Leaping Fish Banquet were listed.


    This was something that Shen He had not mentioned before.


    The rewards for the winners of both the All-age Group and Youth Group were the same.


    A generous package of precious food specialties from Mingjing Province, a Winner Commemorative Medal, and¡­


    Cooking Notes (Replica) of Lady Ye Cangqing.


    Qin Lang¡¯s pupils slightly contracted.


    The cooking notes of a Third-Level Food Rmender, which must contain valuable information, were of great reference value to him.


    Compared to this, the first two rewards were minor.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lady Ye Cangqing to be so generous this time,¡± Shen He said in amazement, ¡°She has never offered her cooking notes as rewards in previous Leaping Fish Banquets.¡±


    ¡°This Leaping Fish Banquet is bound to be even more exciting!¡±


    An expectant look appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    He was determined to win the Youth Grouppetition!


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 Chapter 240: Lets Start

    Chapter 240: Let¡¯s Start


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Qin Lang¡¯s goal of participating in the Leaping Fish Banquet this time was to win the youth group championship.


    The moment he saw this reward, it undoubtedly greatly mobilized his enthusiasm.


    Of the five people present, except Shen He, all were to participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    So after the announcement was issued, they had no more thoughts for idle chat. ¡°Qin Lang, I will perform my best at the Leaping Fish Banquet!¡± Shen Qian waved at Qin Lang, ¡°Don¡¯t expect to defeat me as easily as this time!¡± The theme of the food fight this time is livestock. For Shen Qian, who lives in Mingjing Province, the best is undoubtedly seafood.


    Therefore, she was confident of bringing a better dish than Red Cooked Beef Slices at the Leaping Fish Banquet, and it was not impossible to defeat Qin Lang.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously, ¡°In these ten days, I will also prepare well for the Leaping Fish Banquet, just wait and see!¡±


    Set up a stall!


    He would set up a stall when he returned!


    ¡°So what should we sell?¡±


    In the hotel, Qin Lang, with his chin in his hand, sat at the desk, showing a thoughtful look.


    On a piece of draft paper in front of him, various dishes he knew were written messily.


    Dan Bao and Spicy on the side were looking at the draft paper as if they were looking at the Bible.


    Over such a long period, the two of them were now literate.


    So they knew that most of the densely packed dishes on this draft paper were ones they had not eaten before.


    No, it should be said that there weren¡¯t many dishes they had eaten!


    Now that Qin Lang¡¯s hero recipes¡­ no, the ocean of recipes were revealed!


    The two little ones looked at each other and reached a consensus at this moment.


    They had to find a way to get Qin Lang to make a few new dishes!


    Qm Lang didn¡¯t care about the nces between the two little guys, looking at the content on the draft paper, and the pen in his hand was nodding on the desk.


    Before, he had already roughly analyzed several key points to pay attention to when setting up a stall. After seeing the exact rules of the announcement, Qin Lang¡¯s ideas remained unchanged.


    Youth groups could only prepare two kinds of delicious dishes, so one of the dishes must reasonably priced, rtively popr, while the ingredients of the other could be somewhat higher, with the price a bit higher.


    After some thinking, Qin Lang drew out another piece of paper from the stack of draft paper on the table.


    On the paper were rows of prices, which Qin Lang had collected from the Association certified Food Material Market when he went grocery shopping the other day.


    Prices of ingredients are closely rted to local conditions.


    The price list ofmon ingredients in Yue Hu City found in Qin Lang¡¯s hands, where many of the prices werepletely different from those in Dongxia City¡¯. The price of livestock had risen slightly, while the price of seafood had dropped significantly, with prices of various river fish even decreased by more than 50%.


    This was because Jumping Fish Lake was in Yue Hu City.


    The aquaculture industry here was incredibly developed.


    The prices of seafood had also dropped a lot.


    While Yue Hu City was not near the sea, Mingjing Province was coastal.


    The Beautiful Bay to the south of the Samiya Region was known as the sea of blessings, with numerous varieties of seafood of very high quality.


    Many southern cities of Mingjing Province, led by Crown Ling City, which had excellent fishing environments, not only provided various seafood ingredients to all the cities in Mingjing Province each day, but also exported them to other provinces.


    So seafood was a high-quality, low-cost ingredient in Mingjing Province. However, the prices of mountain delicacies were quite a bit more expensivepared to other ces, as there were almost no mountains in Mingjing Province.


    Soon, Qin Lang had chosen the more affordable dish ¨C Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    Yes, Crab Roe Fried Rice was affordable.


    The best ce to get Hairy Crabs in the Samiya region was Mengze Province in the hearnd of Samiya, where Qin Lang had previously exchanged with his Cooking Competition Points.


    Next up were the Hairy Crabs from the Jumping Fish Lake.


    Their quality was slightly inferior, but the good ones could still be on par with the Hairy Crabs from the Yangcheng Lake in his previous world, making them excellent ingredients.


    Most importantly, they didn¡¯t need to be exchanged withpetition points. Qin Lang roughly calcted that if he cooked a portion of Crab Roe Fried Rice that was filling enough, the cost would be around two hundred yuan.


    Qm Lang had analyzed before that having a hearty portion in a stall might not be a good thing.


    Therefore, the portion of the Crab Roe Fried Rice had to be reduced. Soon, Qin Lang remembers the so-called ¡°one bite rice¡± he had eaten in some restaurants that emphasize style and petty bourgeoisie in his previous life. They were served in exquisite containers the size of a fist, the rice that could be finished in two or three mouthfuls, was paired with a variety of dishes on top, and a portion could sell for a dozen or twenty yuan.


    If he can keep the servings of crab roe fried rice to simr proportions, he can keep the cost to below twenty yuan.


    In this world, high-quality ingredients are expensive. Qin Lang had already pushed his limit by maintaining simr prices to his previous life.


    Another advantage of crab roe fried rice is that it can be cooked in batches.


    With Dan Bao around, shelling a crab would be convenient.


    The process of frying crab roe can be done inrge pots.


    Also, with reduced serving sizes, a pot of crab roe could be enough for hundreds of servings of crab roe fried rice.


    ¡°The first dish, crab roe fried rice!¡± Qin Lang circled ¡®Crab Roe Fried Rice¡¯ on the draft paper.


    Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s eyes lit up simultaneously.


    Although it is not a new dish, they also loved crab roe fried rice.


    In particr, Dan Bao always felt overly pleased as if he was avenging a dreadful enemy each time he ate it.


    ¡°Next is the second one.¡± Qin Lang once again fell into deep thought.


    Crafts are considered river seafood.


    So, seafood should be served next?


    With Fresh Full around, he had a massive advantage when cooking seafood.


    Should he make sashimi?


    Forget it.


    Qin Lang quickly dismissed that idea.


    This dish doesn¡¯t require much skill, it doesn¡¯t show off his culinary abilities, plus, not everyone can ept it.


    His gaze shifted to the price list beside him and he circled the seafood items.


    ¡°King Crab, ck Tiger Shrimp, Small Green Dragon, Beautiful Dragon (Wave Dragon)¡­¡±


    One after another, the ingredients were marked by him because they were of high quality but not outrageously expensive.


    In the end, Qin Lang stared at the entire page of circled seafood items and fell into deep thought.


    The struggle is real, folks!


    ¡°Why can I only make two dishes?¡± Qin Lang sighed in exasperation, ¡°With so many options, which ones should I choose?¡±


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s question, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    A great opportunity to trick Qin Lang into cooking a new dish!


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    I suggest trying each to see how they taste!


    ¡°In your dreams.¡± Qin Lang tapped Dan Bao¡¯s head.


    Making so much, can you finish it?


    ¡°Click!¡±


    Can we put them all in one dish?


    Spicy had a unique idea.


    ¡°Put them all in one dish?¡±


    At first Qin Lang was surprised, but then he became silent.


    Right, that seems like a good idea.


    Is there a suitable recipe for that?


    Of course, there is.


    His eyes became brighter and brighter, until he finally made up his mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a Seafood Medley with Sauce!¡±


    Only children make choices, adults choose everything.


    He quickly started to estimate the cost.


    Selling it by the pound, mixing the expensive and cheaper seafood can effectively lower the unit price.


    In this way, the cost can be reduced to a hundred yuan per pound¡­


    Qin Lang tossed his pen aside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set up the stall!¡±


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 Chapter 241: Setting Up a Stall

    Chapter 241: Setting Up a Stall


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    After deciding on the two dishes they would present at the Leaping Fish Banquet, Qin Lang and the two little ones began moring to set up a stall.


    But by the time they had purchased all the necessary ingredients and finished the initial preparations, the sun was already setting.


    This was precisely the time when the locals finished their dinner and went for a walk by thekeside.


    Hence, Qin Lang made the prompt decision to push his rented stall car to the open area where there were numerous snack stalls the other evening.


    Just a day had passed, but when Qin Lang arrived at the open space again, he found it far more bustling than before.


    The open space, which previously had only a dozen stalls, now had more than thirty tightly packed stalls. The mixed aroma of various delicious foods was much stronger than before, attracting arge number of passersby to stop.


    Although there were more stalls, it seemed that the stall owners had nned ahead, creating ayout simr to a food street.


    Qin Lang stopped in his tracks, looking at the food street in front of him, momentarily stunned.


    Where should he set up his stall?


    Fortunately, someone readily answered his question.


    ¡°Young man! You¡¯re here to set up a stall too, right?¡± The stall owner closest to


    Qin Lang noticed him pushing the cart and waved with enthusiasm.


    Qin Lang left tire cart where they were, signalling the two little ones to watch over it, then walked up to the stall owner. ¡°Sir, may I ask if it¡¯s still possible to set up a stall here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡± The stall owner pointed to a few unassuming empty stalls. ¡°We left some space for theters when nning, but¡­¡±


    He shrugged helplessly, ¡°These spots aren¡¯t great.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    It was only fair that those who came earlier got the better spots.


    He was only practicing how to run a stall and selling at cost, not making any profit, so the location didn¡¯t matter to him.


    Once he considered this, Qin Lang didn¡¯t care anymore.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± His voice trailed off slightly. ¡°By the way, why are there so many stalls today?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± The stall owner answered without hesitation, ¡°The rules of this year¡¯s Leaping Fish Banquet are so novel. We have never tried setting up stalls before, so we certainly need to practice first.¡±


    Obviously, this stall owner was here for the Leaping Fish Banquet too.


    Thinking about the official announcement of the rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet that was just released today, Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    It seemed that many Spirit Chefs had thought of practicing in advance.


    ¡°Thankyou, sir. You may go backto your business.¡± After expressing his thanks and not wanting to disturb the man anymore, Qin Lang returned to his stall car, pushed the car to one of the empty stalls with a rtively good location, and began to set up.


    First was the Seafood Medley with Sauce. Qin Lang had prepared a full ss tank, which was now being moved from the cart bucket to the car¡¯s built-in table with the help of Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Waves.


    The brown sauce just covered the mountainous pile of various seafood, with lemon slices, green onions,tro, and chilli sprinkle adorning the surface, making it extremely appetizing.


    A simple nce revealed more than five kinds of seafood in the medley, creating an urge to try it out.


    The king crab leg was so full that it was pressed against the inner shell without leaving any space, the octopus of half a fist size looked especially appealing with its round body, and the split lobster clearly showcased its plump shrimp meat¡­


    Even though it was not freshly-killed, the freshness was obvious.


    The other stall owners around Qin Lang had noticed his arrival early on. Even during the process of setting up their stalls, they kept ncing over at Qin Lang, curious about this neer.


    Seeing the freshness of his ingredients, their faces hardened.


    Such fresh ingredients¡­


    They felt a sense of threat.


    ¡°Young man, what¡¯s this delicious food you¡¯re selling?¡± Zhang Peng, the stall owner next to Qin Lang, spoke jovially. ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Seafood Medley with Sauce, one hundred yuan per jin.¡± Qin Lang announced the price and put up the corresponding sign in front of the stall.


    ¡°What is this medley thing? Give me a jin to taste!¡± Zhang Peng spoke without hesitation.


    Suspecting that Qin Lang was also preparing for the Leaping Fish Banquet, he realized that Qin Lang was selling at cost price, so he didn¡¯t haggle and simply scanned the QR code to pay.


    ¡°Thanks for your support, brother.¡± Qin Lang gave him a grateful nce.


    He felt a bit excited about his first stall sale.


    He took out a digital scale and a container for the food. After setting up the skin removal process, Qin Lang opened the ss tank, scooped out the seafood with adle, carefully picked out the lemon slices, and put it into the container to weigh.


    The main principle was honest operation.


    Soon, a jin was weighed.


    Qin Lang scooped up some sauce with a spoon, poured it into the container, packed it up and handed it to Zhang Peng.


    ¡°Ha ha ha, it¡¯s fate to share stalls.¡± Zhang Pengughed heartily, took the seafood with sauce from Qin Lang and couldn¡¯t wait to open it for tasting.


    He was curious about how this incredibly fresh-looking seafood tasted.


    Zhang Peng quickly picked up a piece of abalone.


    The abalone was not too big, just the size of a eight-head abalone, weighing about 600 grams for eight pieces.


    The plump abalone meat was cut into delicate patterns. The rich and supple texture caused these patterns to bloom. The parts that couldn¡¯t be eaten such as innards had been carefully removed. Even the shell was thoughtfully removed to avoid undue weight.


    Looking at the tempting brown sauce flowing between the creamy white texture of the abalone, Zhang Peng couldn¡¯t help swallowing a mouthful of saliva.


    As a local from Mingjing Province, he had eaten a lot of river and seafood since he was a child.


    Looking at this abalone, he could estimate its deliciousness at a nce.


    As long as the sauce was okay, it would definitely be amazing.


    With this thought, Zhang Peng could no longer hold back and put the abalone directly into his mouth.


    As he chewed, the firm and smooth texture of the abalone exploded in his mouth. The salty and spicy vor with a hint of lemon,bined with the perfect sauce made him open his eyes wide.


    Such a pleasure¡­


    He looked at the container in his hand again, with anticipation in his eyes.


    Let¡¯s try something else!


    Afterpleting the first sale, Qin Lang didn¡¯t pay attention to Zhang Peng, he efficiently took out a shoebox-sized stic container from the cart.


    Upon opening the container, it was filled with pre-prepared crab meat, crab roe, and crab paste.


    He plugged in his own power strip to the public high-power socket nearby, then connected the rice cooker and set it to cook.


    After all this, Qin Lang, somewhat unustomed, set up a portable gas stove, took out a pot of tempting orange pre-prepared crab oil and poured it into arge pot and quickly started to stir-fry the crab powder.


    Unlike the Seafood Medley with its faint aroma masked by the surrounding food stalls, as the crab powder was being stir-fried, a thick and fresh intertwined aroma of crab powder stimted by the hot oil rapidly spread all around.


    When the crab powder was ready with the help of the spicy heat and Qin Lang looked up, there were already more than a dozen people queuing in front of the stall.


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 Chapter 242: Fragrance of Crab

    Chapter 242: Fragrance of Crab


    Trantor: 549690339


    Yan Chao is a local of Yue Hu City.


    He is not a Spirit Chef, at most, he can be considered a cooking enthusiast. However, apart from cooking, he has an even bigger passion, which is tasting delicacies.


    Even though he enjoys cooking, how could itpare to the convenience of eating good food cooked by someone else?


    Being a local, Yan Chao is naturally familiar with the Leaping Fish Banquet. The 26-year-old him has attended five or six banquets that he can recall.


    When the rules for this Leaping Fish Banquet were announced, he was thrilled. In previous banquets, he could watch as an audience member, but he didn¡¯t have the chance to taste the exquisite food cooked by the master chefs.


    But this time at the Leaping Fish Banquet, not only can he freely sample the food, but he can also cast his sacred vote to help his favourite dish win!


    Praise be to Miss Ye Cangqing!


    While excited, Yan Chao was browsing a local online forum and noticed that many people mentioned how the number of food stalls nearby had suddenly increased, and the culinary skills of all were not low.


    Moreover, these stalls all have one thing inmon, the price of the food isn¡¯t low, but considering the quality of ingredients and cooking skills, they are very reasonable.


    He quickly rted this to the new rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet- setting up stalls!


    All these new stalls are perhaps preparing for the Leaping Fish Banquet!


    Upon this realization, without saying a word, Yan Chao rushed to the nearest openkeside area.


    In the past, there would be snack stalls set up here daily, but now with this development, perhaps many new stalls will appear.


    And indeed, it was as he thought.


    Seeing the crowded and bustling food street scale area, Yan Chao was d he hadn¡¯t eaten dinner.


    Now he can fill his stomach with a variety of delicacies!


    Feasting along the way, for Yan Chao, who loved tasting different food, it felt like he had entered paradise.


    In the past, this quality of food could only be obtained in more expensive restaurants; he couldn¡¯t afford such luxury daily due to his limited financial strength. He could asionally treat himself, but not regrly.


    Now, he could choose whatever he wanted, and eat till he was satiated! Although the prices were still a bit high, they are within his affordability. Thinking of these stalls continuing to exist before themencement of the Leaping Fish Banquet, and even increasing in number, Yan Chao couldn¡¯t help but feel happier and more grateful to Miss Ye Cangqing.


    While enjoying himself, Yan Chao smelled a peculiar aroma.


    Even amidst the mixed fragrances of various delicacies in the area, this sudden aroma stood out distinctly.


    Yan Chao sniffed, and his eyes lit up.


    It¡¯s the smell of crabs!


    He was too familiar with this scent.


    The Yue Huke also produces crabs, hence the price was not expensive.


    Every now and then, Yan Chao will buy two or three crabs.


    You don¡¯t need too many cooking steps, just simply boiling it would result in a splendid delicacy, what¡¯s even more valuable is there¡¯s no need to add any seasonings.


    The innate freshness and sweetness of the crab meat and roe were already stunning.


    For Yan Chao, who¡¯s just an average cook, this was indeed very favourable. Therefore, out of all the seafood ingredients, crab is Yan Chao¡¯s favourite. Throughout his journey so far, he hadn¡¯t seen any stalls cooking crabs. The smell of the crab that he just sniffed made Yan Chao follow the aroma immediately without any hesitation.


    Soon, he found the stall emitting the aroma.


    There was a ss tank covered with a lid on the stall, filled with various fresh seafood ingredients soaked in sauce, which sparked Yan Chao¡¯s interest.


    However, the price of a hundred yuan per jin calmed him down.


    It¡¯s not that he could not afford it, but it¡¯s better to observe for a while.


    Yan Chao¡¯s gaze quickly shifted to the young boy who was bustling around the stall.


    He was stir-frying a rich, orange-coloured dish in arge pot.


    The distinct aroma of crab was emanating from the food he was preparing. Yan Chao wanted to inquire about this dish still being prepared, but seeing the focus of the young chef, he swallowed his question.


    Even though the chef was young, Yan Chao didn¡¯t underestimate him.


    After all, two two-star Food Spirits were fluttering next to him.


    Moreover, if he had the confidence to participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet, his culinary skills certainly wouldn¡¯t becking.


    Thinking such a high-level chef, one should not disturb the cooking process lightly.


    With these thoughts, Yan Chao remained silent, simply watching with curiosity as the aromatic meal in the pot was continuously being stirred.


    The orange part should be crab roe.


    As he watched the stir-frying process, Yan Chao could vaguely see strands of tender, white crab meat and the darker-colored crab paste.


    He couldn¡¯t help but swallow again.


    Stir-frying these three ingredients together¡­


    Just picturing a spoonful of crab roe, crab meat, and crab paste going in his mouth gave him a satisfying feeling, not to mention any additional seasonings and extras.


    He had to taste this dish once it was ready!


    Luckily, he was the first one there!


    Yan Chao turned to see people queued up behind him and wore an expectant expression on his face.


    During his anxious wait, the young stall owner finallypleted the cooking steps and lifted his head.


    Meeting the stall owner¡¯s gaze, Yan Chao quickly asked, ¡°Boss, what is this dish? How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Crab roe fried rice, a bowl,¡± Qin Lang said, scooping the cooked rice into a cleaned, disinfected, delicate small bowl, covering it with ayer of crab powder, and cing it on the table, ¡°Twenty dors per bowl.¡±


    Twenty dors a bowl?!


    Yan Chao¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the bowl on the table that probably wasn¡¯t even asrge as his fist.


    Was it expensive?


    Of course not.


    Just theyer of crab roe on top alone was worth nearly half a hairy crab.


    He just felt the portion was a bit small, not even enough for one mouthful.


    However, considering he was already seventy percent full from tasting other foods before, Yan Chao felt the portion was eptable.


    ¡°Give me one!¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he immediately paid via a QR code.


    ¡°Enjoy. Please ce your used tableware in the basket to the side when you¡¯re finished,¡± Qin Lang said, handing him the bowl of crab roe fried rice and a spoon, and then pointing to the basket for collecting used tableware.


    Yan Chao carefully took the rice and stepped aside to make room for the next customer. He then began to savor the dish.


    Even though he deliberately slowed down, two spoonfuls was all it took to finish the small dish of crab roe fried rice.


    ¡°All¡­¡±


    Yan Chao scooped a full spoonful of the rice covered with crab powder and quickly put it in his mouth.


    After a few bites, an intoxicated expression appeared on his face.


    The crab meat, crab roe, and crab paste were fully stimted during the stir- frying process, releasing their rich taste and aroma. The moment the food entered his mouth, the wonderful vor overflowed in between his lips and teeth.


    The full grams of rice had a slight stickiness and sweet aroma that blended with the richness of the crab and brought a whole new culinary experience.


    After cing the empty bowl and spoon into the recycling basket, Yan Chao hurried back to the end of the line without a word, ready to queue up again.


    He wanted another bowl of crab roe fried rice!


    Well¡­ maybe he should also try the gravy seafood?


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 Chapter 243 - 243 Harvest

    Chapter 243: Harvest


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°I¡¯ll have another serving of the Crab Roe Fried Rice, and please weigh me out one pound of Gravy Seafood,¡± said Yan Chao.


    Yan Chao didn¡¯t have to wait too long. When it was his turn, he spoke without hesitation to Qin Lang, who was younger than expected.


    ¡°Right away. Please hold on,¡± responded Qin Lang, passing another packet of Crab Roe Fried Rice into his hands. He then began to weigh the seafood.


    The remaining food guests looked on, intrigued.


    Compared with the twenty yuan Crab Roe Fried Rice, the price of Gravy Seafood had significantly curtailed their appetite for buying more.


    Yet the Gravy Seafood, disyed in the most conspicuous ce, was hard to miss.


    As a result, many food guests, like Yan Chao before, had adopted a wait-and- see approach.


    Despite being at the head of the queue for the second time, Yan Chao was the first food guest to order Gravy Seafood.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s conscientious preparation and effort to keep the weight down, the people there developed an instant fondness for this young stallholder.


    ¡°Enjoy,¡± said Qin Lang, handing over a pound of Seafood Medley with Sauce to Yan Chao, packed and ready for consumption.


    By then Yan Chao had thoroughly enjoyed his second serving of Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    Even though he would have preferred another serving, considering the state of his wallet, he thought better of it once he took the Gravy Seafood.


    Unlike the Crab Roe Fried Rice, the Gravy Seafood was intended for takeaway in an eco-friendly disposable box. With no utensils to return, it was indeed convenient for those nning to take the food home.


    ¡°Hey there, could you tell us how the Gravy Seafood tastes?¡± another food guest asked Yan Chao.


    ¡°I¡¯m just about to try it out,¡± Yan Chao replied, nodding with a grin.


    Although the Gravy Seafood could be taken home, he wanted to taste it on the spot for the first time. If the taste was disappointing, he intended to confront the stallholder about it.


    However, Yan Chao knew this was highly unlikely. Given the deliciousness of the Crab Roe Fried Rice, it was hard to believe that another culinary creation by the same chef would be very far off the mark.


    And this was precisely why he decided to go for it.


    Under the curious eyes of the other food guests, Yan Chao felt a sense of lightness holding the Gravy Seafood.


    Without a word, he opened the takeaway box in his hand, grabbed the disposable chopsticks, and picked out an item at random.


    ¡°Wlioooa, this is a king crab leg, and a prettyrge one at that!¡± On recognizing what he¡¯d just picked up, an expression of delight appeared on Yan Chao¡¯s face.


    King crab, it¡¯s still considered crab, Yan Chao thought to himself.


    He¡¯d picked up a generous chunk of king crab leg, where most of the meat was located. The part near the joints which contained precious little meat, had been trimmed off in advance to leave around cylinder-shaped piece.


    The reddish exterior of the cooked leg crab became tinged with a brownish hue from the sauce, stirring Yan Chao¡¯s appetite.


    What he found most considerate was that nearly half the shell on the side had been removed. This not only meant less inedible shell adding to the weight, but also made it extremely easy to get the meat out.


    Just a flick of the chopsticks, and the bulging crab meat wedged between the shell and the flesh came off effortlessly. After dipping it gently in the soup added after the seafood was weighed, it was all ready to be savored.


    The satisfaction of consumingrge bites of king crab leg exceeded even the gastronomic delight of the Crab Roe Fried Rice he¡¯d just had.


    The tantalizing taste of the fresh, sweet crab meat, waltzing with the tangy soup in his mouth brought an expression of bliss to Yan Chao¡¯s face.


    It was a pity though that there was only one such piece of crab leg in Yan Chao¡¯s serving of Gravy Seafood.


    Even so, Yan Chao understood why.


    King crab was significantly more expensivepared with normal river crab.


    Just by looking at the thickness of the corb, Yan Chao could tell that the variety of king crab used by Qin Lang was of high quality, which exined the higher cost.


    If all the seafood in Gravy Seafood were pieces of king crab leg, Qin Lang would be running a deficit.


    Plus¡­


    Yan Chao salivated as he looked at the other varieties of seafood in the box.


    The thought of getting to savour the tastes of various seafood in one dish was delightful!


    With a tinge of reluctance, Yan Chao closed the takeout box, deciding to enjoy the rest at home. He then gave a thumbs up with a grin, ¡°I highly rmend you all to try it out!¡±


    But actually, there was no need for Yan Chao to borate. The other food guests could read from his expression that the taste was beyond words.


    In the wake of this, there was obviously an increase in the number of people who ordered Gravy Seafood along with the Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    But even after closing his pack, Yan Chao wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave.


    He approached the busy Qin Lang and asked, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re preparing for the Leaping Fish Banquet, right? Will the stall still be operating for the next few days?¡±


    ¡°Yes, right up until the start of the Leaping Fish Banquet, I¡¯ll continue to run this stall,¡± Qin Lang replied with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s such great news!¡± Yan Chao felt delighted.


    He had asked the same question at all the stalls that he was happy with previously.


    Even though he had guessed where these new stallholders wereing from, it felt different hearing them confirm it.


    ¡°Well, boss, I¡¯lle again tomorrow.¡± Waving at Qin Lang, Yan Chao turned to leave towards the entrance of Food Street.


    Thinking about being able to have the delicious Crab Roe Fried Rice and Gravy Seafood for the next few days, Yan Chao couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    Quickly, though, he held his wallet and winced.


    The price of Gravy Seafood was a bit on the high side, and his wallet just couldn¡¯t afford it¡­


    But once the Leaping Fish Banquet is over, Qin Lang will stop running the stall and he might never be able to get Gravy Seafood again¡­


    After constant internal struggle, Yan Chao eventually made up his mind.


    Buy it!


    Better regret buying it now than forever regret not buying it!


    As the sun set, it started getting dark. The lights automatically came on, shining with the stall¡¯s lighting.


    Normally at this time, there would be a sharp drop in the number of people strolling by theke, and it would be time for the food stalls to close up.


    But today, the dark night was unable to conceal the poprity of Food Street.


    More and more locals and tourists found out about it, and came rushing over with their friends.


    With suchrge crowds, even if the customers were spread across many stands, there were still queues lining up in front of all the stalls.


    Their location was not great, but thanks to their long queues and the small bowls of Crab Roe Fried Rice that passerby would savor and then rave about with amazement, many people who were passing by would also join the queue.


    Truly, good wine needs no bush.


    Qin Lang and the two spirits had adjusted to the rhythm of running a food stall after three bouts of hasty and clumsy service crossing wires and tripping over each other.


    Spicy was responsible for counting how many had been sold, Dan Bao cleaned and sanitized the returned dishes using Thought Waves and Full Firepower, and Qin Lang took care of serving the Crab Roe Fried Rice and weighing the Seafood Medley with Sauce.


    Between the three, they managed to divide and conquer the tasks at hand smoothly and efficiently.


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 Chapter 244: The Banquet Begins

    Chapter 244: The Banquet Begins


    Trantor: 549690339????????????? ¡ã


    ¡°Sorry, the seafood medley with sauce is sold out.¡±


    Qin Lang pointed at the empty ss tank and spoke with a hint of apology. Despite his confidence in his cooking, the bustling conditions in Food Street tonight exceeded his estimates.


    The tworge tanks of seafood medley with sauce he had prepared in advance, a total of too kg, werepletely sold out, leaving behind just two empty tanks and a little soup at the bottom.


    Shame I¡¯mte, I heard the seafood medley with sauce here was delicious.¡± The food guest at the front of the queue showed a look of regret. ¡°I¡¯lle earlier tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Do you still have the crab roe fried rice?¡±


    ¡°We do.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    The prepared crab roe fried rice, made from cooked crabs, was selling out even quicker than the seafood medley with sauce.


    However, Qin Lang had noticed the situation early on and had made a call to have a new batch of hairy crabs, supplied by an Association-certified food market, delivered.


    The seafood medley with sauce requiredplex ingredient preparation ahead of time, while the crab roe fried rice did not have this problem.


    Using new ingredients, Qin Lang fried arge pot of fresh crab powder on the spot, refilled the shortage of crab roe and ensured that he would make it through the evening just fine.


    ¡°Give me two servings.¡±


    Coming right up.¡± Qin Lang quickly dished out two servings of crab roe fried rice and handed them to the customer.


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    We¡¯ve sold 1,000 servings of crab roe fried rice!


    Spicy, the one in charge of keeping track of sales, let out a cheer.


    Joy appeared on the faces of Qin Lang and Dan Bao, who had just finished cleaning a batch of tableware.


    A thousand servings of crab roe fried rice in one night.


    Together with the hundred kilograms of seafood mix that had sold out, their gross ie had reached 30,000 yuan.


    Although they were selling at cost price and made no profit, the sense of aplishment was indescribable.


    Looking at the remaining crab powder and live crabs, which could likely yield another 500 servings of crab roe fried rice, Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Keep it up, close up shop once we¡¯re sold out!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    The two little helpers cheered, despite their all-night workload, they were still full of energy.


    With the praise of each food guest, the crab roe fried rice was quickly sold.


    1,100 servings¡­


    1,200 servings¡­


    1,300 servings¡­


    1,400 servings¡­


    The live crabs were stir-fried by Qin Lang into thest big pot of crab roe. There was only half a pot left.


    With the night growing darker, the other stalls had started to close up.


    After the busiest period, the business operation of Food Street was nearing its end.


    Qin Lang was now greeted by a familiar customer.


    ¡°A serving of crab roe fried rice¡­ Huh?¡± Zhou Tianhao noticed this stall, came up and was just about to pay when he noticed Qin Lang and blinked, ¡°Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, if you hade a littleter, I would have sold out of my crab roe fried rice.¡± Qin Langughed as he served up a dish for Zhou Tianhao ¡°Trv it?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhou Tianhao took the dish with a smile and exined casually, ¡°I went to visit a Second-Level Food Rmender in Yue Hu City today, it took some time, I just finished the test and heard about the food street here, but I¡¯m still a bitte.¡±


    ¡°Wow~¡±


    As he spoke, he scooped a spoonful of crab roe fried rice into his mouth.


    The next moment, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes widened dramatically.


    The unique vour instantly filled his mouth, bringing an astonishingly delicious taste. Zhou Tianhao was greatly shocked by this indescribable savory sensation.


    This was his first time tasting Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills.


    After tasting it, Zhou Tianhao looked at Qin Lang with a different gaze.


    Although the gap in power between the young man in front of him and himself was not small, the gap in cooking was also significant.


    Is this what a genius with cooking talent is like?


    It¡¯s terrifying.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t notice Zhou Tianhao¡¯s shock; he was captivated by Zhou Tianhao¡¯s exnation. ¡°Brother Zhou, have you passed the second-level Food Rmender¡¯s assessment in Yue Hu City?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhou Tianhao finished the remaining crab roe fried rice and shook his head helplessly, ¡°It was still a bit too difficult for me, so I failed the test.¡±


    ¡°But the second-level Food Rmender is a good person. He gave me some suggestions about my dishes. It can also be considered a gain.¡± Zhou Tianhao optimistically smiled, ¡°Give me another serving of crab roe fried rice!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang smiled and served another dish.


    At this moment, there was no longer a long queue in front of the stall, so he could chat more with Zhou Tianhao, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the seafood medley with sauce I prepared has been sold out, otherwise you could have tried it.¡±


    I saw it.¡± Zhou Tianhao nced at the two empty ss tanks next to him, showed a regretful look on his face, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll be here earlier tomorrow.¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to prepare for the Leaping Fish Banquet, so he would have a lot of free time.


    After chatting for a while, Zhou Tianhao finished the second bowl of crab roe fried rice.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t want to take his money, but just as a new customer wasing, Zhou Tianhao quickly scanned a code to pay, waved goodbye casually, and left to take advantage of the still-open stalls and grab a quick meal.


    The remaining crab roe fried rice sold out gradually; Qin Lang checked the records of the payments, verified there were no errors and packed up the stall with the two little ones.


    The total turnover today was forty thousand.


    Considering that he didn¡¯t prepare enough ingredients and lost a lot of time due to inexperience at the beginning, and only opened the stall for a few hours in the evening, Qin Lang believed that if he opened the stall all day tomorrow, the turnover had a chance to break a hundred thousand.


    With the Leaping Fish Banquet approaching, he needed to set up the stall for three consecutive days. He needed to get used to such high-intensity stall work. Meanwhile, the current sales situation of the stall could also serve as a reference for that time, ensuring he would not overlook any details during preparation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hotel for a rest, it¡¯s been a tough night.¡± Qin Lang hugged Dan Bao and Spicy and patted them lovingly.


    ¡°Gulur~¡±


    Dan Bao shook the little yolk face in its body, indicating that it was not tired at all but happy instead.


    For it, helping to wash and dry the tableware was both assisting Qin Lang and practicing itsbat skills. It was like killing two birds with one stone.


    ¡°Chacha!¡±


    Spicy looked enviously at Dan Bao, then insisted that it was not tired.


    The envy was because itsbat skills were not as practical as Dan Bao¡¯s, but it also felt happy to be of help to Qin Lang.


    ¡°There are nine days left.¡± Pushing his cart on the way back, Qin Lang looked up at the bright moon in the sky, showing a look of anticipation on his face, ¡°It¡¯s getting close.¡±


    Time flew, and nine days passed.


    Thanks to the new rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet, the city had many more food stalls these days. This let the locals of Yue Hu City and tourists who hade for sightseeing plunge into a feast of delicious food in advance.


    Everyone was very clear that this feast was just a prelude.


    The Leaping Fish Banquet was the real moment of revelry.


    As countless people were eagerly waiting, a superrge cruise ship of nearly three hundred meters in length, with its deck as big as two football fields, docked at thergest pier in Yue Hu City.


    The words ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡± were painted on the body of the ship.


    The Spirit Chefs who had been waiting on the pier started to board the ship with their own stall carts.


    The long whistle of the ship echoed across the pier; the Yueyu Cruise Ship set sail.


    Its destination was the center of Jumping Fish Lake.


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 Chapter 245: In Trouble

    Chapter 245: In Trouble


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Watching the pier gradually shrink from his view, bing only a speck on the shoreline of the Jumping Fish Lake, Qin Lang slowly shifted his gaze away.


    On the oversized deck of the ¡°Yueyu¡± luxury cruise ship, were a dense crowd and a huge number of stall carts. A rough count by Qin Lang put the number above two hundred.


    At this moment, the staff members were in consultation with the Spirit Chefs participating in the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Every Spirit Chef who registered for the Leaping Fish Banquet would be assigned a random number. This number corresponds to a fixed position on the deck of the ¡°Yueyu¡± cruise ship, representing a stable stall for the chef for the next three days.


    Fair and reasonable.


    Soon, it was Qin Lang¡¯s turn.


    Under the guidance of a staff member, he pushed his stall cart to the corresponding spot.


    Qin Lang was lucky. His stall wasn¡¯t the best, but it definitely wasn¡¯t the worst either.


    An unremarkable stall¡­


    Qin Lang looked around. The Spirit Chefs who had determined their positions nearby were greeting each other, their friendly demeanor apanied by a hint of wariness.


    For neighboring stalls, thepetition was the fiercest.


    After making sure that Shen Qian, Zhou Qing, and Li Hong ¨C three people he knew, were not close by, Qin Lang heaved a sigh of relief.


    He decided to look for their stallster in the banquet, after establishing an advantage.


    Thanks to the efficient coordination by the staff, the two hundred or so stall owners soon arrived at their respective positions.


    At the same time, the speed of the ¡°Yueyu¡± cruise ship, which had been plowing through the waves, slowed down rapidly.


    A deep rumble echoed from underneath the ship during the noticeable deceleration that everyone on deck could feel.


    It was the sound of the anchor hitting theke bed.


    The next moment, the ¡°Yueyu¡± cut off its power and came to aplete stop.


    ¡°Wee everyone to the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    A gentle female voice surfaced over the loudspeakers, promptly calming the slightmotion on the deck.


    In the center of the deck, a tform rose slowly. Atop the tform stood a middle-aged woman who appeared to be impably cared for, smiling at everyone. Behind her stood dozens of distinguished men and women.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Ye Cangqing!¡±


    ¡°Second-Level Food Rmender Ms. Min Rou from Ye Zhi city is right behind her!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gu Wenquan, the Second-Level Food Rmender from Hanhai City is also here!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the person in charge of the Mingjing Province branch of the Shi Qi Group!¡±


    Murmurs of astonishment came from everywhere around Qin Lang, prompting him to raise an eyebrow.


    So many influential figures apanied her. It was indeed fitting for a Third- Level Food Rmender from Mingjing Province.


    Just this introductory scene made Qin Lang realize the high caliber of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    ¡°The rules for this Leaping Fish Banquet, as I believe, are already known to all of you, I won¡¯t repeat them,¡± Ye Cangqing began with a smile, holding the microphone. ¡°I only have one thing to say.¡±


    ¡°Please look.¡±


    With the conclusion of her words, twelve giant electronic screens, which had been set up around the deck in advance, simultaneously lit up.


    The images disyed on the screens were different, but the style was extremely consistent.


    All of them were scenes shot from a high altitude by drones in which a pier was at the center of each image.


    Those who were familiar with Jumping Fish Lake could tell at a nce that these twelve different piers were all the piers wrapping around theke.


    And at this moment, people crowded these piers, where numerous small cruise ships were docked.


    These small ships were identical in structure, with the pattern of a leaping fish on their hulls.


    The same pattern was emzoned on a g, fluttering in the wind atop the mast of the ¡°Yueyu¡±.


    This was the emblem of the Leaping Fish Banquet!


    ¡°Our twelve piers will be operating at full capacity for the next three days, ensuring safe passage for the citizens.¡± Ye Cangqing began slowly, ¡°Each of them is a judge for this Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    People regard food as their heaven, so show me your reverence for ¡®food¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yes!!!¡±


    A chorus of shouts echoed across the deck.


    Just a few short sentences,bined with the images on the electronic screen showing citizens lining up to board the cruise ships at the twelve piers, were enough to ignite the enthusiasm in most of the Spirit Chefs gathered there.


    Such a grand asion was a novel experience for many in the crowd.


    ¡°And now¡­¡±


    Ye Cangqing¡¯s voice paused slightly.


    ¡°The Leaping Fish Banquet begins!¡±


    With her words, the deck suddenly bustled with activity.


    Food guests had already boarded the ships and would soon arrive at the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡± in the middle of theke. Naturally, they needed to prepare in advance to provide their guests with delicious food that fully demonstrates their culinary skills as soon as they disembarked.


    Qin Lang raised himself on his toes slightly, his gaze directed towards theke beside him.


    The Leaping Fish Lake was vast. Located at the center of theke, Qin Lang could see the shorelines on both sides, but more of his view was filled with the vast expanse of ripplingke water.


    Theke water was very clear, and he could even see the schools of fish swimming at the bottom of theke.


    A strange sense of serenity filled his heart, as if his soul was being cleansed at that moment.


    Gazing at the cruise ships that were gradually emerging from the horizon and sailing towards them, Qin Lang shifted his gaze to the two little ones beside him who were full of anticipation.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to showcase the efforts of the past ten days.¡±


    Qin Lang began to move.


    One after another, the prepared ss containers were put on the stall car table with Dan Bao¡¯s help.


    His stall car was no longer the one he initially rented.


    After testing the waters for a few days, he realized that a customized car could effectively improve efficiency, especially for serving his specific dishes.


    Therefore, before officially participating in the Leaping Fish Banquet, Qin Lang enlisted the help of Shen Qian, a local, to find a specialized store and had a stall car made just for him.


    Aside from being able to hold an impressive five hundred jin of Seafood Medley with Sauce, the new stall car had room for a seafood cab that could store hundreds of Hairy Crabs.


    Once dozens of Hairy Crabs were put in the steamer, Qin Lang nced at Spicy. ¡°Click!¡±


    Cooking eleration!


    With an impressive rapport built over days of practice, Spicy naturally flew above the steamer and used an invisible force to envelop the steamer, elerating the Hairy Crabs¡¯ cooking process.


    The Hairy Crabs changed from their original grey-green colour to a vibrant red at a visibly fast speed.


    Dan Bao, standing by formands, timely controlled the steamer using Thought Waves. Under its telekic power, all the crabs were suspended in the air, and the steps of extracting crab roe, crab paste, and crab meat were performed at an astonishing speed.


    Within three minutes, all the Hairy Crabs had been disassembled, and the crab paste, crab roe, crab meat, and crab shells were separately set aside for use.


    ¡°Sizzle?? ¡±


    Apanied by the crisp sound of oil, the crab shells soaked in the pre-heated oil, releasing fine oil bubbles where they made contact with the hot oil.


    As Qin Lang adjusted the heat to slow cook the crab oil, Spicy¡¯s Cooking eleration already extended over. The hot oil in the pot changed from its original yellow color to an irresistibly tempting orange-red at a visibly fast speed.


    The rich aroma of crab oil wafted upwards, spreading dominantly and aggressively.


    The others were stunned at this sight.


    Thought Waves coupled with Cooking eleration¡­


    Who taught you to run a stall like this?!


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 Chapter 246: Covet

    Chapter 246: Covet


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Hello everyone, this is your adorable host, Little Orange!¡±


    On a small passenger cruise ship marked with the Leaping Fish Banquet logo, a lovely and cute girl held up a selfie stick, connected to simple live streaming equipment, and waved at the camera with a radiant smile.


    This girl is a host in the outdoor section of D Site, with countless fans due to her soft, cute voice and adorable looks, ranking in the top ten in poprity in Mingjing Province¡¯s outdoor section of D site.


    After starting her stream as always, she greeted the viewers in her live streaming room. After her fans rushed in, Little Orange officially began her opening speech.


    She maneuvered the camera to avoid other people from entering the shot, spun around to show her audience the environment behind her, then gave a sweet smile. ¡°Everyone, guess where Little Orange is now?¡±


    (Let¡¯s rule out Jumping Fish Lake first.)


    (That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no way Little Orange would be at the Leaping Fish Banquet at this time.)


    (Are you guys silly? I spotted the Leaping Fish Banquet logo in the frame.)


    (Honest guy upstairs, certified.)


    (¡­)


    Looking at the barrage of messages, Little Orange¡¯s mouth twitched a bit, ¡°That¡¯s right! You guessed it! I am now on Jumping Fish Lake, onboard the first passenger ship headed to the ¡®Yueyu Cruise Ship¡¯. And to give you guys who aren¡¯t in Yue Hu City a live broadcast of the grand scenery at the Leaping Fish Banquet!¡±


    ¡°The rules for this time¡¯s Leaping Fish Banquet are quite special. Some of you may already know, but I still need to introduce it to you all¡­¡± Little Orange started off cheerfully and casually exined the special rules for stalls at this Leaping Fish Banquet.


    With her lively expressions and soft voice, even the rule introduction did not seem boring at all.


    After the introduction, Little Orange¡¯s smile deepened, ¡°The superrge Food Street in the middle of Jumping Fish Lake, have you seen it before? Today, Little Orange will take you there to experience it!¡±


    This time, no one messed with the barrage messages, many fans expressed their interest.


    ¡°The staff exined earlier that for the smooth operation of this Leaping Fish Banquet, six boarding tforms have been temporarily set up on the giant ¡®Yueyu Cruise Ship¡¯.¡± Little Orange continued.


    ¡°These six boarding tforms are located at different positions on the ¡®Yueyu Cruise Ship¡¯ deck. After the passenger ship I am on reaches the boarding tform, the passengers on the ship can directly reach different parts of the deck from the tform.¡±


    ¡°This not only effectively ensures the order and safety of personnel dispersion but also allows the flow of people to be evenly distributed to every stall. It ensures the fairness of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    At this point, Little Orange couldn¡¯t help but show an admiring look,


    ¡± Wuwuwu, Ms. Ye Cangqing is really considerate, I¡¯m crying!¡±


    (Cry fast! If you don¡¯t cry, you¡¯re not a Samiyan!)


    (Such a cute loli, I can make three cry with one punch!)


    (If Little Orange cries, I¡¯ll apany her, wuwuwu!)


    (¡­)


    ¡°Humph! The room moderator, mute that person who wants to make me cry!¡± Little Orange stared angrily, then continued, ¡°There are a total of twelve piers by the Jumping Fish Lake. Depending on their location, they will board at fixed tforms.¡±


    ¡°The pier I boarded from is East Star Port, which corresponds to tform 3.¡±


    When the introduction reached this point, Little Orange suddenly turned around.


    ¡°Ta-da~ We have arrived!¡±


    Behind her, a giant cruise ship shimmered with the cold light of metal under the sunlight. The three characters ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡± were extraordinarily conspicuous.


    ¡°I will take you guys to witness the grand scene of stalls at the Leaping Fish Banquetter, you can send in the chat the foods you want me to try, and Little Orange will taste them for you!¡±


    Little Orange boarded the tform under the guidance of a staff member while sweetly speaking to the camera, ¡°But I¡¯m not a big stomach king, nor a wealthydy, so please go easy on me-¡±


    (Got it! Brothers, pick the main dishes, let Little Orange experience the malice of humanity!)


    (Got it! Brothers, pick the ones with huge portions, let Little Orange exercise her stomach!)


    (Got it! Brothers, pick the most expensive ones, let¡¯s bankrupt Little Orange!)


    (¡­)


    Little Orange¡¯s mouth twitched again.


    This group of viewers, negative reviews!


    Soon, Little Orange stepped onto the deck.


    The bustling scene that came into view made her open her mouth in surprise. It took her a while to recover, ¡°My heavens! So many stalls!¡±


    She aimed the camera at the stalls in front of her, scanned a circle, and exmations quickly filled the chat.


    ¡°The audience in the live-stream room can only see that there are many stalls here and each stall is ready with various exquisite dishes. But poor Little Orange has difficulty choosing!¡±


    ¡°Can you imagine the feeling of being surrounded by various scrumptious smells?¡± Little Orange put on a pitiful expression and rubbed her stomach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and find something to eat!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    A food guest has boarded!


    While Spicy was using Cooking eleration to help fry the crab powder, Dan Bao vigntly observed the surroundings and promptly reported the movement of the food guest.


    Qin Lang nced up and checked out his surroundings.


    The best position on the deck is undoubtedly near the six boarding tforms.


    His stall is about ten stalls away from the nearest entrance and exit of the boarding tform.


    Standing in his position, he could see the crowded crowd surging in from the entrances and exits of each boarding tform, first squeezing in at the nearest stalls, and then quickly moving towards the inner part.


    ¡°Perfect timing, the first pot of crab powder is ready.¡± Qin Lang nced at the orange-gold crab powder in the pot, brimming with a rich aroma, nodded with satisfaction, turned the fire to its lowest, and closed the lid of the pot to keep warm, waiting for the arrival of the first batch of food guests.


    ¡°There are really too many people.¡±


    Looking at the rapidly forming lines in front of each stall, Little Orange helplessly puffed out her cheeks.


    She¡¯s small and can¡¯t squeeze past those burly guys.


    She never imagined thating to the Leaping Fish Banquet would give her a sense of deja vu of scrambling for discount products with elderly people during a supermarket sale.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go further in.¡±


    Little Orange quickly thought of a way, ¡°Passenger shipse every twenty minutes, and the next one won¡¯t be here that soon, so the food guests who boarded the ¡®Yueyu Cruise Ship¡¯ aren¡¯t actually that many, it¡¯s just that it appears crowded at the entrances and exits.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start from the inner stalls, and do the opposite of what others are doing!¡± Little Orange¡¯s smile appeared quite smug, ¡°As expected of me, the smart and clever Little Orange!¡±


    Ignoring the ¡°shameless¡± and ¡°self-promotion¡± messages in the live-stream room, Little Orange cheerfully walked towards the inner part.


    Sure enough, as she predicted, after about ten stalls, the stalls in front no longer required queuing.


    Just as she was about to go deeper, the chat within the live-stream room suddenly became organized.


    (Little Orange, look at your right!)


    (Hurry and rush to the stall on your right!)


    (Surprise! There is such a good-looking guy at the Leaping Fish Banquet!)


    (¡­)


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Little Orange blinked, looked at a stall on her right guided by the chat.


    Qin Lang looked at the girl who stopped in front of his stall and smiled softly.


    ¡°Would you like some Crab Roe Fried Rice?¡±


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 Chapter 247 - 247’. Chapter 247: Doubt

    Chapter 247¡¯. Chapter 247: Doubt


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°One bite¡­ of crab roe fried rice?¡±


    Little Orange blinked.


    in a short moment, the name of the dish that the stall owner mentioned earlier had appeared multiple times in the live stream¡¯sments section. Clearly, t e audience, who loved a good show, had decided on the first dish they wanted to


    see.


    How hasty, she silently criticized her audience in her heart. Then, she stepped forward with a sweet smile, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m live streaming, you don¡¯t mind if I broadcast myself tasting your food, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    in fact, that was one of the reasons he had taken the initiative to stop her.


    ¡°HOW much does your crab roe fried rice cost? Is the serving size Mg?¡± Little Orange looked at the increasing number of ¡°one bite of crab roe fried nee¡±ments and asked.


    By the name, it seemed to be a main course.


    If the portion is toorge and she is full after eating it, then she will have to end today¡¯s live stream early.


    ¡°Twenty bucks a serving, as for the portion size¡­¡± Qin Lang took out a small elegant bowl for a disy, ¡°As you can see, ¡®one bite¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll take one!¡± Once she confirmed that the portion wasn¡¯t toorge, Little Orange no longer hesitated. She turned around with an ecstatic smile towards the camera and interacted with her audience, ¡°Then, let¡¯s start with tasting how this crab roe fried rice tastes, shall we?¡±


    However, discordant voices started appearing in thements.


    After all, the audience could see Qin Lang showing off the small bowl just now.


    (Twenty bucks for just one mouthful? Isn¡¯t that too expensive?)


    (Over here, twenty bucks can get us half-full if notpletely full!)


    (Isn¡¯t this stall just ripping people off? So expensive.)


    (¡­)


    Little Orange blinked her eyes.


    Is it expensive?


    She hadn¡¯t considered this too much. After all, as an anchor with a top-ten audience size in the Quanzhou Outdoor Area, her daily streaming ie was considerable. She just wanted her audience to be happy.


    Seeing the atmosphere in the live streamingment section starting to turn sour, Little Orange hastily made a joke with a lively smile, ¡°Wait until I give you guys a close-up of the food ¨C it¡¯ll make you drool!¡±


    ¡°Your crab roe fried rice is ready, please enjoy.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s voice rang out from


    the side.


    ¡°That was quick, it wasn¡¯t even thirty seconds.¡± Little Orange epted it with a smile. One look at the bowl and her eyes lit up.


    The surface of the small bowl was covered with ayer of orange. The fine crab roe was drenched in crab oil, shimmering like gold under the sunlight. The full and tempting shreds of crab meat were clearly visible in between.


    Moreover, an extremely rich aroma of crab hit her face, suddenly making her head feel empty.


    She quickly came to her senses and happily held the bowl close to the camera, ¡°Audience, you¡¯re up first!¡±


    in the live stream, the originally small bowl quickly filled up most of the screen. The high-definition camera faithfully recorded every aspect of the crab roe, causing the noisyments to momentarily calm down.


    Next moment, the direction of thements took a U-turn.


    (You guys are wrong, it¡¯s worth the price.)


    (Just the toppings on the surface require half a crab, right?)


    (My God, how satisfying would it be to eat this in one bite?!)


    (¡­)


    All sorts of gifts flew across the live stream, with countless viewers urging Little Orange to hurry up and try a bite.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll taste it on behalf of you all.¡± Little Orangeughed as she walked to the side of the stall. After fixing the camera she picked up an exquisite spoon.


    The aroma was even more overwhelming than what it looked like.


    She had been hungry for a while now.


    With one scoop, half of her crab roe fried rice was gone.


    After revealing the rice soaked in crab roe soup through the gaps, the visual impact was even greater on Little Orange.


    The tender and full rice grains collided with plenty of crab meat ¨C how wonderful would it be when they entered the mouth!


    Without any hesitation, she put it in her mouth. She instantly lifted her face slightly, half-closed her eyes, and revealed an expression of bliss. And this adorable lookbined with her slightly childish face immediately sent the live stream chat into a frenzy.


    (There it is! Little Orange¡¯s signature expression!)


    (Reject childish beauty standards, starting with you!)


    (He who hesitates is lost, I¡¯m directly going to call her my wife!)


    (¡­)


    After savouring the mouthful she had just eaten, Little Orange reluctantly put the leftover crab roe fried rice from the bowl in her mouth.


    Once she finished, she put the tableware in a basket for recycling on the side, and looked at the live stream seriously, ¡°I swear, this is the best harry crab I ve ever eaten! The delicious taste is indescribable.¡±


    (Thanks, I¡¯ve been drooling.)


    (My mom asked me why I was watching the live stream in the pool, I said that¡¯s because my tears from drooling ended up in there.)


    (Are you sure those are your tears, not your saliva, the one above?)


    (¡­)


    Thements expressed the viewers¡¯ envy and jealousy towards Little Orange. They could only regret not being in Yue Hu City, unable to personally attend this feast.


    Little Orange was cracking jokes with her audience, while the other food guests had also gradually made their way here, lining up in front of Qin Lang¡¯s stall. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not disturb this stall owner¡¯s business, let¡¯s move on to the next ce.¡± After a bit of small talk, Little Orange prepared to leave with a smile. The first tasting at the Leaping Fish Banquet was already so delicious, which made her look forward to the rest of the Leaping Fish Banquet with


    anticipation.


    (Wait a minute, have a taste of the other dish from this stall.)


    Ament with cool special effects slid across the live stream.


    That was Luo Mengyan, who had been at the top of her fan gift leaderboard for a long time. The special effects came with his high rank.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Little Orange had no objections to Luo Mengyan¡¯s suggestion. She, who initially intended to move on to the next stall, changed her steps and found herself back in the end of the line at Qin Lang¡¯s stall.


    ¡°We need to line up now, but there aren¡¯t many people.¡± She tiptoed up a little to take a look, ¡°There are only six people in front of us, it will be our turn very


    soon!¡±


    ¡°While I was tasting the crab roe fried rice earlier, I actually noticed the ss tanks on the table.¡± Little Orangeughed and spoke, ¡°Since Luo Mengyan is also interested, we¡¯ll try out another dish.¡±


    During her casual conversation with the audience, it was her turn once again very quickly.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m back to patronise your business!¡± Little Orange waved at Qin Lang with a beaming smile, ¡°Give me a pound of Gravy Seafood Medley!¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Qin Lang opened the lid of one of the ss tanks and began weighing it out.


    Seeing his meticulous weighing method, thements became lively once again.


    (This stall owner has good integrity, not only does he peel the seafood for takeaway, he also doesn¡¯t weigh the soup and the heavier lemon slices.) (Over here, many stalls don¡¯t even peel the seafood.)


    (Yeah, and they also use a very heavy packaging!)


    (¡­)


    Seeing thements, Little Orange didn¡¯t respond.


    She seemed to realise something and turned to look back, only to be surprised. Unbeknownst to her, more than twenty people had lined up behind her!


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 Chapter 248: The Competition

    Chapter 248: The Competition


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Here¡¯s your Seafood Medley with Sauce. Enjoy.¡±


    Qin Lang packaged the gravy seafood and handed it over to Little Orange.


    Receiving the hefty dish, Little Orange started fretting inwardly.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t the main course, wouldn¡¯t she be full after consuming all this seafood?


    However, Little Orange quickly devised a n.


    This dish was unlike the Crab Roe Fried Rice she had earlier. It was meant to be eaten cold and had been marinated in the sauce by the boss.


    While her cooking skills might not be the best, she was still aware of some basic knowledge.


    A dish like this, as long as it doesn¡¯t go bad, would taste even better as time passes.


    Of course, she couldn¡¯t resist tasting a bit, as she needed to showcase it to her live streaming audience.


    ¡°Wow! What arge portion!¡± With a n in mind, Little Orange widened her eyes in amazement. Upon opening the package, she held it up close to the camera, ¡°As usual, viewers eat first!¡±


    After seeing how much they missed out earlier, not many viewers were questioning the 100-yuan-per-jin price before seeing the dish. The moment the Gravy Seafood took over most of the screen, such doubts ceased to exist.


    For habitual food guests, the freshness of seafood is distinguishable at a nce. The various ingredients being identified in the sauce made everyonemend the fair dealing by Qin Lang.


    Of course, amidst this, the envious and salivatingments were inevitable. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you all taste it- ¡± Little Orange quickly picked up a creamy piece of food, partially immersed in the sauce, expressing her surprise, ¡°Wow! That¡¯s a huge oyster!¡±


    Oyster is a unique ingredient.


    Its freshness can be instantly determined.


    The longer its death time, the more its flesh will shrink after cooking.


    Only the freshest oysters can present such full meat.


    The oyster meat picked up by Little Orange was almost ten centimetres long, swollen like a water-filled balloon, and heavy. Sauce flowed over its creamy surface, making it delicious-looking at just one nce.


    On the other side of the live streaming room, countless viewers salivated involuntarily.


    This was¡­too tempting!


    ¡°You have to eat an oyster in one bite!¡± Little Orange shrieked like a foodie, before proceeding to shove the massive oyster into her mouth in one go.


    Her puffed-up cheeks bulged as she chewed, making her resemble a cute little hamster.


    As she chewed, Little Orange experienced an unprecedentedly wonderful taste.


    The salty and spicy sauces, with a hint of lemon sourness, immediately made the overall vour refreshing and appetising. There was not a hint of fishiness to the oyster. It was an amazing sweetness of the ocean and the meat that came as a pleasant surprise.


    These vours intermingled, making her involuntarily squint her eyes, again revealing that intoxicated and blissful expression.


    With her cheeks still puffed up, she looked even cuter.


    Thus, the live streaming room was again flooded with a wave ofments.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Having enjoyed the oyster magnificently, Little Orange closed the takeaway box and confidently dered, ¡°A dish like this has to be savoured slowly, so let¡¯s move on to the next one!¡±


    ¡°Boss, both of your dishes were delicious. Keep up the good work!¡± She shed


    Qin Lang a sweet smile and briskly moved onto the next stall.


    Qin Lang nodded in response and resumed serving the next food guest.


    He wondered about the poprity of this live streamer and if her broadcast could bring more customers to his stall in advance.


    However, Qin Lang wasn¡¯t too concerned, as he was just giving it a shot.


    Even without extra customer flow, he was confident that his cooking skills would make a name for him in three days.


    During his practice stall set-up, it only took him one night to be the most popr stall on Food Street, unmatched by any other stall for the next nine days.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have one jin of Gravy Seafood.¡±


    ¡°Just a moment!¡±


    South-west of Jumping Fish Lake, on Jinhua Pier.


    As one of the twelve piers tasked with transporting visitors back and forth for the Leaping Fish Banquet, the entrance was burgeoning with people.


    After the first batch of food guests departed, the crowd at the pier did not reduce but continued to grow with time.


    With the first wave of guests, more specific details about the Leaping Fish Banquet spread out.


    Some live streamers like Little Orange broadcasted the grandeur of the Leaping Fish Banquet, while some media reporters who were part of the first boarding group were already publishing news articles.


    Beyond that, ordinary food guests yed a significant role in spreading the influence of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Upon seeing these delicious and exquisite dishes that were usually hard toe by, not sharing a post in their social circle would be a shame!


    From one to ten, and ten to a hundred, these prospective passengers already had quite the understanding of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    And after understanding came endless anticipation.


    ¡°Old Zhou, a while ago I discovered an awesome stall, which is currently at the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡± Yan Chao patted the shoulder of another man standing next to him in the crowd, ¡°I must have you taste his cooking this time!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been chanting cheers for this stall in my ear several times.¡± The other manughed heartily, ¡°Fine, I will taste itter.¡±


    However, I still don¡¯t believe that the food he makes can bepared to the stall I experienced.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you try.¡± Yan Chao answered with a smile, full of confidence.


    Over the past nine days, he had bought a jin of Seafood Medley with Sauce from Qin Lang¡¯s stall every day, and, of course, apanying it was always the Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    Even after eating it for ten consecutive days, he wasn¡¯t tired of it at all.


    Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills had long conquered him.


    The man standing beside him now was his close friend of many years, named Zhou Wan.


    The two¡¯s friendship had a close tie with food. Like Yan Chao, Zhou Wan also enjoyed tasting various dishes.


    After first tasting the two dishes cooked by Qin Lang ten days ago, an impressed Yan Chao immediately shared the good news with his good friend and invited him to taste the delicacies at Qin Lang¡¯s stall together.


    Unluckily, Zhou Wan declined.


    Zhou Wan lived in another district which already had severalrge food streets. With the announcement of the rules for the Leaping Fish Banquet, several new stalls appeared overnight.


    It was impossible for Zhou Wan to have enough time to taste all the stalls, let alone travel a long distance to Yan Chao¡¯s area.


    In fact, he even invited Yan Chao to Tas his neighbourhood food street because there was a stall owner named Qi Xian, whose cooking was incredibly impressive to him.


    Now that the Leaping Fish Banquet was here and all the stalls were on the Yueyu Cruise Ship, the two decided to join together and assess which stall they each rmended was superior.


    ¡°Woo¡ª¡±


    The long whistle of the ship marked the next ferry docking.


    Both of them boarded the ship one after the other.


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 Chapter 249: Encounter Again

    Chapter 249: Encounter Again


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    When they first boarded the ship, all the stall owners on the deck had varying levels of location advantages, but essentially they were all starting from the same point ¨C the food guests did not know which stall had more delicious food, and therefore the chances for different stalls were simr.


    However, as they tasted the food one by one, the food guests began to form an idea about the standards of different stalls. More people would queue up in front of the stalls with more delicious food, and more people queuing up would inform thoseingter that the food of this stall was very good.


    And so a virtuous cycle was formed.


    On the deck, a long line had formed in front of Qin Lang¡¯s stall.


    Just as he had expected, the Crab Powder Fried Rice had aroused the strong interest of many food lovers. The small amount of food that could be finished in just a few bites would not burden the stomach, but the wonderful experience of mouthfuls of crab powder would not diminish in the least.


    Many people would buy two or three portions at a time, and because the tableware for Crab Powder Fried Rice needed to be collected, they would gather around Qin Lang¡¯s stall with small bowls in their hands to taste, and the food guests who asionally showed intoxicated expressions became another scenic line of the stall.


    Seeing them enjoying their food so much, who wouldn¡¯t feel tempted!


    As for the Seafood Medley with Sauce, it must be said that the increase in price did increase the purchasing threshold. Compared to the poprity of Crab Powder Fried Rice, the frequency of selling Seafood Medley with Sauce was much lower. On average, only one out of four or five food guests would buy it.


    But this did not prevent it from being highly praised.


    Seafood, after all, is all about freshness.


    High-end ingredients often only need the simplest cooking methods.


    Qin Lang¡¯s unique recipe for the sauce paired with high-quality and diverse seafood ¨C this conscientious operation and simple cooking methods left every food guest who bought and tastedpletely satisfied.


    And unlike other foods that need to be eaten immediately and are no longer delicious when they get cold, the Seafood Medley with Sauce could be taken home to share with family and friends, and it doesn¡¯t fill you up!


    With abination of all these factors, Qin Lang¡¯s stall was catching on at an incredibly fast pace.


    In just one hour, with three batches of tourists boarding the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡±, his business had already pulled ahead of the other stalls around him.


    As one could imagine, after three days of operation, this gap would only continue to widen.


    ¡°Give me a dish of Crab Powder Fried Rice, and weigh me a pound of Seafood


    Medley with Sauce.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Hearing the new customer¡¯s order, Qin Lang, without lifting his head, quickly got busy with his hands, along with his two little helpers.


    But when he handed the two dishes to the customer, he was slightly taken abackwhen he saw the somewhat familiar face, ¡°Brother Qi Xian?¡±


    ¡°You seem quite busy.¡± Qi Xianughed, his handsome face breaking into a bright smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to run into you at the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head.


    The young man in front of him had interacted with him in Miredi City, but Qin Lang and he hadn¡¯t exchanged contact information and hadn¡¯t been in touch since then.


    As for Qi Xian, the only thing Qin Lang remembered was that he was very strong, had three Food Spirits, and his strongest one was already a Four-star, much stronger than himself.


    Qin Lang was not particrly surprised that he hade to Jumping Fish Lake.


    After all, Miredi City and Yue Hu City are close to each other, and the Leaping Fish Banquet, such a grand asion, naturally carries no small attraction for Spirit Chefs.


    ¡°Before the Leaping Fish Banquet, I tried setting up a stall too.¡± Qi Xian held the food in one hand and made a spreading hand gesture with the other, ¡°It was really hard work.¡±


    ¡°Setting up a stall is indeed not easy.¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement, and then curiously asked, ¡°So, Brother Qi Xian, will you also set up a stall at the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Qi Xian elevated the food in his hand with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m a prettyzy person, so it¡¯s enough for me to just eat.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± Seeing the long line of people queuing behind him, Qi Xian voluntarily stepped aside and started to taste his food.


    Qin Lang nodded slightly and continued to serve his next customer.


    When he finished his work and looked up again at where Qi Xian had just been standing, the other party¡¯s figure had long since disappeared.


    ¡°Hey! Why haven¡¯t we found the stall of Boss Qin Lang yet?¡±


    Standing in the crowd, Yan Chao¡¯s face was somewhat disheartened.


    Maybe, he should have found out where Qin Lang¡¯s stall was before the start of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been looking all the way.¡± Zhou Wan gave Yan Chao a look of disdain, ¡°There are so many food stalls here, why can¡¯t we taste each one and look for the stall you¡¯re looking for in the meantime?¡±


    With that, he couldn¡¯t help rubbing his own stomach.


    In order to wee the Leaping Fish Banquet with the best conditions, he had not eaten anything sincest night.


    Now his stomach was empty, and being surrounded by the smell of various foods on the deck, he felt like he was about to be crazed by hunger.


    If not for the evil Yan Chao holding him back, with his speed, he would have tasted the food at least four stalls by now!


    ¡°I know you¡¯re hungry, but you need to resist.¡± Yan Chao spoke with a sincere tone, saying the most inhumane words, ¡°After eating other dishes, your stomach will be full, and when you taste Boss Qin Lang¡¯s Crab Powder Fried Rice again, you won¡¯t be able to grasp its essence.


    This was the conclusion Yan Chao had reached after his own trial.


    Although it might not look like much volume, but Crab Powder Fried Rice is, after all, a staple food. That slightly sweet rice at the entrance brings an unprecedented satisfaction to the hungry guests.


    If the stomach has food in it, it will still taste delicious when tasting, but it always feels like something is missing.


    So Yan Chao had long decided, no matter where Boss Qin Lang¡¯s stall was, he would start his journey at the Leaping Fish Banquet from there!


    And Zhou Wan was his best friend, so of course, he had to bring him along for the ride!


    ¡°But I¡¯m so hungry, aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Zhou Wan was a bit distressed,¡¯ How much further is that stall?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Yan Chao assured him, ¡°We¡¯ve already walked more than half of the deck, and the remaining area isn¡¯t much.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, I¡¯ve already seen several people walking past with Seafood Medley with Sauce!¡±


    Although simr dishes might exist at other stalls, Yan Chao was sure that he had not seen it wrong! That was the other dish from Boss Qin Lang¡¯s stall, the Seafood Medley with Sauce!


    ¡°Alright!¡± Hearing his old friend say this, Zhou Wan rubbed his stomach, ¡°It s strange, we haven¡¯t seen Qi Xian¡¯s stall either, have we?


    Zhou Wan had been yearning for the food from that stall owner for a long time and wanted Yan Chao to taste it as well.


    ¡°Look on the bright side, maybe the Qi Xian you¡¯re talking about didn¡¯t even participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡± Yan Chao gave a sly smile.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Zhou Wan looked helpless, ¡°If I ever meet that guy, I¡¯ll catch him and force him to set up a stall!¡±


    From not far away from the two, someone who was leisurely enjoying the Seafood Medley with Sauce perked up their ears, then inexplicably pulled a duckbill hat out of nowhere and put it on, pulling the hat brim down to cover the top half of his face, and turned to leave.


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 Chapter 250: Silhouette

    Chapter 250: Silhouette


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡± ¡°Wow, your ce is really crowded.¡±


    After waiting in line for what felt like forever, it was finally Zhou Tianhao¡¯s


    turn, he couldn¡¯t help but tease.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re here!¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°What would you like?¡± ¡°One crab roe fried rice and two pounds of gravy seafood!¡± Zhou Tianhao stated his orders with anticipation.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Qin Lang responded and got straight to work.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Tianhao looked around with amusement.


    The first night Qin Lang attempted to set up his food stall, Zhou had beente because he was visiting Yue Hu City¡¯s second-level food rmender, so he only got to taste the delicious crab roe fried rice but missed out on the gravy seafood.


    But that wasn¡¯t a problem. On the second day of Qin Lang¡¯s stall operation, he


    had already tasted it.


    The salty spicy sauceplimented by slight freshness and paired with the natural sweetness of the seafood, made Zhou Tianhao marvel at the heavenly taste and he fell in love with this unique delicacy instantly.


    In fact, he found that he preferred gravy seafood even more than the crab roe fried rice.


    ¡°Here you go!¡± Qin Lang handed the food to Zhou Tianhao.


    Zhou Tianhao first took a bite of the crab roe fried rice, scooping up all in his mouth with a ¡°gulp¡±.


    Chewing on the slightly sweet, chewy rice and the fresh, delicious crab roe, Zhou Tianhao felt his mood lighten up for the rest of the day.


    Indeed, choosing crab roe fried rice as the starter dish was a wise decision. Zhou Tianhao sighed to himself as he ced his tableware in the recycling basket.


    If he knew Yan Chao, they would likely have a lot inmon.


    With two pounds of gravy seafood in hand, Zhou Tianhao waved casually at Qin


    Lang.


    ¡°Keep up the good work, I¡¯m off!¡±


    He was off to taste other delicacies.


    ¡°This is the ce!¡± Following the direction of the people carrying the gravy seafood, Yan Chao quickly found Qin Lang¡¯s stall.


    Peeking through the crowded audience, he caught sight of the busy Qin Lang at work at the stall and his face lit up with joy.


    Owner Qin Lang, I¡¯m here to support your business again!


    in contrast to Yan Chao¡¯s excitement, Zhou Wan¡¯s face immediately drooped at


    the sight of the scene.


    ¡°This long queue?¡±


    Looking at the queue of dozens of people stretching and bending along the aisle, Zhou Wan was stunned.


    ¡°A long queue is a good thing,¡± Yan Chao patted Zhou Wan¡¯s shoulder unconcernedly, ¡°A long queue in front of the stall means the customers prefer this ce, it¡¯s a testament of the food being more delicious.¡±


    Zhou Wan agreed with Yan Chao¡¯s sentiment.


    Though the problem is¡­


    ¡°This means we have to wait for a long time!¡± Zhou Wan began tallying on his fingers, ¡°There are at least 60 or 70 people in line, two minutes per person, that¡¯s two hours. If the cooking time is longer, it could be all morning!¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about!¡± Yan Chao paused in mirth, ¡°Rest assured, the biggest attribute of the food sold at Qin Lang¡¯s stall is that the foodes out really quickly.¡±


    ¡°With this amount of people, it¡¯ll be our turn within half an hour!¡±


    Zhou Wan gave Yan Chao a ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡± expression.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in line here, I¡¯ll go to a stall nearby and buy some other food.¡± Zhou Wan began to look around, intending to buy some other food to satisfy his hunger.


    Although the queues at the other stalls weren¡¯t as long, the food looked equally as tempting.


    Most importantly, he was starving.


    ¡°No!¡± Yan Chao suddenly gripped Zhou Wan¡¯s shoulder tightly, ¡°Trust me ? buddy, your first bite of the crab roe fried rice will take you to another level!¡± Zhou Wan: ¡°¡­¡±


    I trust you, my foot!


    ¡°Look, while we were talking, two customers have already purchased their


    food.¡±


    Zhou Wan looked at the quickly moving queue and was rendered speechless.


    It¡¯s really that fast?!


    After about fifteen minutes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a serving of crab roe fried rice!¡± Zhou Wan took a deep whiff of the tantalizing aroma of the crab that was drifting out of the giant pot Qin Lang had in front of his stall. Hunger was already gnawing at him, and the smell had him salivating.


    He was eager to see what the food tasted like, seeing how Yan Chao had been so enthusiastic about it.


    ¡°Boss, one serving of crab roe fried rice, and three pounds of gravy seafood!¡± Ye Chao, who was standing behind Zhou Wan in line, ordered cheerfully.


    ¡°Just a moment.¡± Qin Lang answered calmly. He noticed Yan Chao, a regr customer, and gave him a friendly nod. Then, he began to serve the food.


    Zhou Wan turned around to look at Yan Chao suddenly.


    Gravy seafood, he had heard about it from Yan Chao, its high price of too yuan per pound made him hesitant, so he decided against buying it.


    To his surprise, Yan Chao bought three pounds at once!


    ¡°Chao, when did you be so generous?¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡± Yan Chao waved his hand with a smug smile, ¡°The gravy seafood doesn¡¯t have to be eaten immediately. You can take it home.


    ¡°Your sister-inw and nephew tried it before and this time they specifically asked me to buy more and bring it home!¡± Yan Chao revealed a smug grin, ¡°I told your sister-inw it was 200 a pound, so I made a cool 300. Don¡¯t let it slip.¡±


    ¡°We could do that, too?¡± Zhou Wan was shocked and instantly turned to face Qin Lang, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll have a pound of gravy seafood, too!¡±


    He was going to take it back home to fish for¡­ or rather, fish for extra pocket money!


    Qin Lang, who was faintly listening to their conversation, had a strange look on his face.


    So this is the life of a married man? Love it!


    ¡°Here are your orders of crab roe fried rice, enjoy.¡± Qin Lang handed over the two servings of crab roe fried rice to both of them and began to weigh the seafood.


    Receiving the crab roe fried rice, Zhou Wan¡¯s attention was instantly drawn to the exquisite small container in front of him. Seeing the crab roe generously heaped on top and smelling its rich aroma, he involuntarily salivated. Then, without any hesitation, he scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth.


    ¡°Ohwo~¡±


    After a slight chew, tasting the full-bodied vor of the crab in his mouth, Zhou Wan felt his empty and hungry body instantly filled.


    This middle-aged man, who showed signs of male-patterned baldness, felt a surge of happiness, as if he had never before experienced.


    ¡°How is it? I told you to trust me, didn¡¯t I?¡± Seeing his old friend¡¯s reaction, Yan Chao chuckled, also put a mouthful of the crab roe fried rice into his mouth, and nodded satisfactorily.


    Yeah¡¯ it¡¯s still that familiar wonderful taste.


    ¡°Boss, get me a serving of squid with silk threads!


    Being on a tasting spree of his gravy seafood, Zhou Tianhao quickly arrived at the other side of the deck.


    He stopped in front of a stall and ordered what he found most interesting of the three kinds of food they had. Then, with growing interest, he began to look around for his next target.


    Suddenly, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s pupils constricted, and the smile froze on his face. Among the crowd, he vaguely caught sight of a familiar figure.


    Was that¡­


    His heart beat quickened.


    It couldn¡¯t be wrong!


    Even though the person was dressed differently, Zhou Tianhao, who had previously had a lock- in with him, still recognized him by his instincts.


    It was him!


    The stall owner smiled and nodded, but when he looked up, his expression turned dumbfounded.


    Where did the customer who was just in front of the stall go?


    (The fourth round of peripheral events has started, the third round of peripheral draws has been made, and the collection of addresses for the winners of the second round ends today)


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 Chapter 251: Sly

    Chapter 251: Sly


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Damnit!¡±


    After swiftly moving through the crowd in a manner that belied his muscr build, Zhou Tianhao, having lost sight of his target, stopped in his tracks. His expression was unreadable.


    He was certain that his target had noticed his pursuit.


    Their response and their demonstrated ability to evade him almost confirmed their identity.


    This was Zhou Tianhao¡¯s second encounter with Star Hunter. Unlike their previous confrontation, this one was more covert, but it ended just like the first.


    ¡°Next time, you won¡¯t have this kind of opportunity,¡± Zhou Tianhao muttered under his breath. He then took a deep breath to regainposure, his expression blending seamlessly with the surrounding festive atmosphere.


    He turned around and bumped into a middle-aged man.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologised, stepping back reflexively.


    ¡°Hehe, no worries,¡± the middle-aged man responded with a warm smile, ¡°It¡¯s a lively day today. Collisions are inevitable in these crowds, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± replied Zhou Tianhao instinctively.


    ¡°Then dear young gentleman, I wish you a pleasant day,¡± The middle-aged man said with a faint smile as he passed Zhou Tianhao.


    Gentleman?


    Zhou Tianhao lightly raised his brows.


    Such a form of address wasn¡¯t typical in the Samiya Region.


    But he didn¡¯t pay it much mind.


    Being a seaport hub in Mingjing Province, it was normal to encounter travellers from various regions.


    Since he hadn¡¯t caught the Star Hunter, he decided to focus on tasting delicacies.


    Zhou Tianhao didn¡¯t notice that the middle-aged man¡¯s gaze seemed to change as they passed each other. It no longer held the wisdom of years and the mncholy of worldly experience but was filled with youthful vigor and¡­ a hint of mischief.


    He had changed his mind.


    Despite the exhausting nature of running a stall, winning the Leaping Fish Banquet right under the nose of a past opponent proved to be an appealing challenge.


    And he, was indeed fond of challenges.


    ¡°How was it? I didn¡¯t mislead you, did I?¡±


    At another corner of the deck, Yan Chaoughed heartily at Zhou Wan, ¡°Isn¡¯t the culinary skill of Boss Qin Lang significantly better than the other stalls?¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Zhou Wan rolled his eyes, ¡°Credit where credit¡¯s due.¡±


    With just the phrase ¡°credit where credit¡¯s due¡±, Yan Chao¡¯s smile markedly intensified.


    After tasting the much-coveted crab roe fried rice at Qin Lang¡¯s stall, they started to sample dishes from other food stalls together. While the dishes prepared by these stall owners were not bad, to say the least, and greatly surpassed average street food, they paled inparison to the crab roe fried rice.


    Consequently, even the stubborn Zhou Wan had to admit that Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills were indeed exceptional. He wanted to have another serving of the crab roe fried rice.


    And the gravy seafood in his hand.


    Zhou Wan nced at the takeaway box that he had been holding onto.


    As he intended to take it home for his family to try and hopefullynd some pocket money, he only stole a ck tiger shrimp to taste.


    But even just one ck tiger shrimp was enough to make Zhou Wan fall in love with the gravy seafood.


    Seeing Yan Chao¡¯s smug face, Zhou Wan grumpily admitted, ¡°I concede that Boss Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills are exceptional, but if the stall owner called Qi Xian were here, he would undoubtedly give Boss Qin Lang a run for his money.¡±


    After covering nearly all the food stalls on the deck, Zhou Wan was certain that Qi Xian did not participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    This disappointed him considerably.


    However, his previous statement was anything but mere stubbornness.


    Even though he had experienced Qin Lang¡¯s remarkable culinary skills, when he recalled the dishes Qi Xian, a young man who ran a stall near his house, prepared, he still believed that Qi Xian was no less talented.


    Such a pity that someone like Yan Chao would never have the opportunity to taste Qi Xian¡¯s culinary magic.


    Looking at Yan Chao on the side who seemed to be gloating, Zhou Wan felt a surge of superiority in his heart.


    I have tasted the delicacies you praise, but you¡¯ve never tried the ones I rmend.


    This round, the advantage is mine.


    The bustling deck grew quiet after thest group of food guests boarded the ¡®Yueyu Cruise Ship¡¯ and departed.


    ¡°Whew~¡±


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh, shaking his slightly numb arms.


    Despite their intense training in the past ten days, which led to strong rapport and a certain degree of familiarity with the demands of running a stall, the intensity of operating a stall during the Leaping Fish Banquet was on apletely different level.


    During the entire morning business hours, Qin Lang didn¡¯t have a moment to himself, his stall attracted queues of customers consistently. His imposing poprity induced looks of envy from other nearby stall owners.


    ording to the rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet, the nine sessions spread across three days would each have two hours allocated for rest and interaction during lunch and dinner.


    This period was divided into sessions of rest, adjustment, and interaction.


    The rest session was naturally for Spirit Chefs to recoup. Being humans and not robots, they too needed breaks to prepare for the subsequent strenuous stall operations.


    The adjustment sessionprised two aspects.


    The first aspect was food preparation, which needs no exnation.


    Used up ingredients needed replenishing, and any necessary pre-processing of food also needed to be hurriedly done during this time.


    Even though Qin Lang had prepared adequately, an entire morning¡¯s operation had depleted 70% of his stock. He needed to restock for the afternoon session.


    Most of the other Spirit Chefs were not as prepared as Qin Lang and were consequently in more of a predicament.


    It was said that there was even someone who ran out of supplies to replenish just one hour into the business, most likely because they hadn¡¯t made adequate preparations and seriously underestimated the amount of ingredients needed.


    The second aspect was stall adjustment.


    Let¡¯s not forget that each visiting guest received a voting ticket.


    The sacred vote they held dictated which Spirit Chef would emerge as the winner of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Although the official tallying would only be done after the third day, thepetition had already begun.


    The results from the first voting session were already avable.


    Spirit Chefs who were temporarily leading would be assigned better stalls in the next session.


    It was a ssic case of ¡®the rich get richer.¡¯


    The interaction session was for Spirit Chefs tomunicate with each other.


    During this session, one could choose to continue running the stall to cook for other participating Spirit Chefs, or choose to taste dishes, trying out delicacies cooked by other Spirit Chefs and engaging in conversation.


    Tasting dishes prepared by other Spirit Chefs was obviously a treat, but choosing to operate the stall had its advantages too.


    That¡¯s because during the interaction session, Lady Ye Cangqing, along with the other high-ranking officials apanying her, participated, providing an opportunity for them to sample your culinary creations.


    As all Spirit Chefs began to unwind, a host holding a loudspeaker ascended the high tform and announced the preliminary vote tally which reignited thepetitive energy among the participants.


    Qin Lang was listening attentively, a faint smile appearing on his face shortly after.


    It turned out that being well-prepared and making rational choices was indeed effective.


    Qin Lang, leading the Youth Group with 617 votes.


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 Chapter 252: Plan B

    Chapter 252: n B


    Trantor: 549690339


    This was just the first round on the first day of the three-day Jumping Fish Banquet.


    Many food guests held their tickets, but they didn¡¯t cast their votes immediately.


    After all, they couldn¡¯t possibly taste all the delicious food in one morning, and impulsive voting for a favored dish was rare.


    Under these circumstances, it was quite an aplishment for Qin Lang to have received the number of votes he did.


    This could be seen from the current second ce candidate in the Youth Group, who trailed behind him.


    That gentleman only received just over four hundred votes.


    In contrast, the current first ce in the All-age Group had already received over a thousand votes, drawing attention.


    His name was Qiu Longfei, a stranger to Qin Lang.


    However, from the discussions of others, Qin Lang learned that Qiu Longfei had participated in many provincial levelpetitions in Mingjing Province, his best result being second ce. He missed out on the championship by just a tiny margin.


    Given his track record, it made sense for him to have received this amount of votes.


    After all, the cumtive vote count for the All-age Group was the total of the votes for three different dishes.


    After the announcement of the rankings, it was time for the allocation and adjustment of the stalls.


    Guided by a staff member and amidst envious nces from other Spirit Chefs, Qin Lang and his two littlepanions pushed their food cart and arrived at their new stall.


    It was a stall right next to an entrance.


    This meant that one-sixth of the banquet¡¯s guests would see his stall first thing after embarking.


    Compared to their previous location, there was undoubtedly a muchrger crowd at this stall.


    Feeling the envious gazes of the other Spirit Chefs, Qin Lang, who had secured his food cart, stretched his waist and turned to Dan Bao and Spicy, ¡°Prepare for nB.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Understood!


    Dan Bao¡¯s yolk-like face was full of fighting spirit. ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Always ready!


    After a loud shout, Spicy felt as if he was already on fire!


    In n B, they would both have to contribute even more effort!


    n B was a contingency n Lang formed considering the possibility of customer traffic exceeding serving speed.


    Previously, in n A, Qin Lang was responsible for cooking the crab powder, serving the crab roe fried rice and weighing the gravy seafood. Meanwhile, Dan Bao was in charge of telekically disassembling crabs and washing dishes, while Spicy oversaw elerating the cooking and counting sales.


    The division ofbor among the two spirit creatures and Qin Lang was smooth and orderly.


    This arrangement was sufficient to handle most situations, even the massive influx of customers in the morning. Although it was busier than their prior practice session, they did not panic.


    However, with the increased customer flow at their new location, n A seemed insufficient.


    In the morning, Qin Lang was already operating at full capacity. If it continued into the afternoon, the customer flow could not be fully leveraged and would instead result in a longer line at their stall.


    If the queue got too long,ter arriving food guests would likely give up.


    In this case, Qin Lang¡¯s stall would be like a fishing with toorge a mesh size, unable to capture the boosted traffic and hence, wasting their advantageous location.


    n B was a more demanding coordination scheme.


    In this n, Qin Lang would alternate between cooking the crab powder and washing dishes. Serving the crab roe fried rice, weighing the gravy seafood, and disassembling crabs would all fall to Dan Bao, while Spicy would be in charge of cooking eleration.


    This n was suitable for situations withrge customer volume, but the workload for Dan Bao and Spicy would undoubtedly increase.


    Dan Bao was no longer washing dishes, but the tasks requiring his attention increased.


    Though Spicy was still in charge of cooking eleration, with the greater customer flow, the frequency of Cooking eleration would inevitably increase significantly, also making it more challenging.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Qin Lang raised his palm upturned.


    Dan Bao and Spicy each ced theirrge tails and long ears onto his palm. Together with a simultaneous shout, the two spirits seemed to be injected with a stimnt, reviving them in full spirits.


    ¡°We need to be more prepared this afternoon than we were this morning. I¡¯m afraid 500 kilograms of Gravy Seafood might not be enough, let¡¯s prepare 800 kilograms,¡± Qin Lang said as he jotted it down on his notebook. ¡°Gravy Seafood needs to be prepared in advance, so we can¡¯t ck off during our rest time.¡± ¡°We also need to ensure an adequate supply of Hairy Crab. It almost sold out this morning. Double the quantity for the afternoon.¡± After recording this, Qin Lang nced at the Rice Cooker next to him.


    ¡°Having tworge capacity Rice Cookers cooking in rotation is still not enough. We need two more. We mustn¡¯t run out of rice.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it.¡±


    He swiftly recorded the needed ingredients and ced his order.


    Five minutester, the ingredients were delivered to the front of the stall, attracting attention as they were piled into small hills.


    The ingredients were already stored on the Yueyu Cruise Ship, so gathering them was quick.


    The other Spirit Chefs did the same, as soon as they reached their new stalls, they restocked their ingredients as quickly as possible, fearing that they might miss out if they ordered toote.


    This scenario, of course, would not actually happen.


    The preparation for the Leaping Fish Banquet, which was backed by the power of the entire Mingjing Province, was extremely adequate.


    After adjusting, there was a half-hour rest period.


    Everyone needed to eat.


    Qin Lang used the delivered seafood to make a themed and delicious Seafood Fried Rice, which happily satisfied Dan Bao.


    Due to his love for rice, Dan Bao strongly suggested to sell this delicious food at the stall, but Qin Lang declined.


    Fried Rice is not like Fried Rice with Crab Powder. It is not suitable to be sold in small portions. A normal portion would be toorge, making it unfriendly for stall operation.


    The key point is the ingredients are a bit expensive. The cost is not cheaper than Gravy Seafood.


    Gravy Seafood can be taken home for the whole family to eat, but not Seafood Fried Rice.


    Therefore, eating solo¡­


    is out of the question.


    ¡°Qin Lang! My stall was too far from yours this morning, and I couldn¡¯t see what was happening here¡­¡± Shen Qian ran energetically to Qin Lang¡¯s stall, her eyes immediately falling on the Seafood Fried Rice in the pot, ¡°What are you eating?¡±


    ¡°Will you have a bowl?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the brief conversation, Shen Qian, looking satisfied, sat next to Qin Lang with arge bowl of Seafood Fried Rice.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Zhou Qing and Li Hong also arrived.


    Now there were two more people with bowls of rice.


    The four of them chatted while eating their Fried Rice.


    ¡°Impressive, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good with seafood.¡± Shen Qian looked at Qin Lang in surprise as she ate.


    On one hand, the bowl of Seafood Fried Rice she was holding was really delicious.


    On the other hand, Qin Lang¡¯s position-currently first in the Youth Group, had shocked her.


    Shen Qian was living at her grandfather¡¯s house, which was quite far from the hotel where Qin Lang and the others were staying.


    Plus, Shen Qian had been busy figuring out her recipes and practicing for the stall in these past few days, so she didn¡¯t know much about what was happening with Qin Lang.


    ¡°Actually, there are some tricks to running a stall.¡± Qin Lang grinned.


    Since he and Shen Qian were now friends, he didn¡¯t hide anything and shared all the tips he had gathered.


    Shen Qian showed a look of sudden realization after listening.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s so much to it. No wonder I only ranked third despite trying so hard.¡± She had just over 400 points, ranking third in the Youth Group.


    ¡°Even though you¡¯ve told me all this, don¡¯t think I will go easy on you. I¡¯m going to overtake you in the afternoon!¡± The young girl showed her little tiger teeth and waved her arm in a threatening gesture.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± Qin Lang was speechless.


    Under n B, he would let Shen Qian know what cruelty was.


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 Chapter 253: Communication

    Chapter 253: Communication


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°The next stage is the interaction phase between the Spirit Chefs.¡±


    After Qin Lang and Shen Qian exchanged their thoughts on setting up stalls, Zhou Qingughed and looked at the other three, ¡°Are you nning to be food guests, or stall owners?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be a food guest first.¡± Li Hong shrugged, ¡°I haven¡¯t even made it into the top ten in the All-age Group rankings, it¡¯s clear that there are always those better than you.¡±


    ¡°I want to taste the cooking skills of other Spirit Chefs, so I won¡¯t embarrass myself for now.¡±


    ¡°I also n to be a food guest, but my reasons are different from yours.¡± Zhou Qing smiled slightly, ¡°Before the second round begins in the afternoon, I have a lot of preparation work to do. If I were to be a stall owner during the exchange, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the stall owner.¡± Shen Qian put down her empty bowl and rubbed her stomach contentedly, ¡°Although I really want to taste Qin Lang¡¯s crab powder fried rice, I¡¯m already full.¡±


    ¡°I was a bit flustered this morning, but the delicious food did get a lot of good reviews from the food guests.¡± A confident smile appeared on her face, ¡°I want other Spirit Chefs to taste my cooking skills too!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to choose anymore.¡± Qin Lang helplessly shrugged, ¡°When I was adjusting the position of the stall car just now, I had already noticed the way other Spirit Chefs were looking at me.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Shen Qianughed, ¡°Who would have thought that you were first in the Youth Group, and that you would have a lead of over two hundred votes over second ce.¡±


    ¡°Everyone naturally wants to try the food you prepare.¡±


    ¡°You should just honestly set up your stall and wait for other Spirit Chefs toe!¡±


    Qin Lang shrugged his shoulders, not refuting.


    No matter which way he chooses to interact, he won¡¯t be at a disadvantage.


    Setting up a stall to host other Spirit Chefs is a bit more strenuous than visiting stalls to taste delicious foods, but there is a difference between Spirit Chefs and ordinary food guests.


    They don¡¯t just eat and leave, but engage in culinary exchanges with the stall owner during the tasting process, which is helpful and promotive for both parties.


    Moreover, Madame Ye Cangqing, the three-star Food Rmender of Mingjing Province and the organizer of the Leaping Fish Banquet, will also participate with other important figures from the banquet. After tasting the food he prepared, they can provide more referential and instructive opinions.


    Soon, an electric bell sound echoed in the air above the deck.


    This signifies the start of the interaction phase between the Spirit Chefs.


    Looking around the whole scene, it can be seen that about eighty percent of the Spirit Chefs left their stalls, choosing to taste the food of other Spirit Chefs as food guests.


    The remaining twenty percent stayed at their stalls, choosing to provide food as stall owners for interaction.


    Qin Lang had already prepared arge pot of crab powder in advance. The gravy seafood for the afternoon needs to be fully vored, so it¡¯s best to wait a bit longer, but the remaining one hundred or so pounds from the morning sale is more than enough for interaction.


    As the first in the Youth Group, he had long been noticed by many people. Not long after the electric bell rang, there were already more than a dozen people gathered in front of his stall.


    At the front, there was a teenager who appeared to be around twenty years old.


    He almost rushed to Qin Lang¡¯s stall the moment the electric bell rang, looking at Qin Lang with a defiant look.


    When he noticed Qin Lang¡¯s somewhat immature appearance, his eyes showed surprise and a stronger sense of defiance.


    Younger than himself?


    ¡°Hello, my name is Bai Hongrui.¡± Although the young man refused to admit defeat, he still showed the necessary politeness, ¡°I want to taste the food you have prepared.¡±


    ¡°Sure, which one would you like to try?¡± Qin Lang had a surprised expression on his face.


    He remembered this name.


    Currently, the youth group¡¯s ranking, the other party was in second ce.


    He was over two hundred votes lower than himself, and a few dozen votes higher than Shen Qian.


    He had thought that with the other party¡¯s strength, they would also choose to be a stall owner, but they had chosen to be a food guest.


    Bai Hongrui didn¡¯t speak immediately.


    He was observing.


    ording to his original n, in the first phase of the exchange activity, he should indeed choose the role of stall owner for the exchange.


    However, having seen the number of votes for Qin Lang, he changed his mind at thest minute.


    Bai Hongrui himself is a Spirit Chef famous in Mingjing Province, and has participated in provincial level cookingpetitions. Although he has not achieved particrly good rankings, his ability to obtain five second-level Food Rmender Badges shows his strength.


    Moreover, he had done a lot of preparation for the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Under such circumstances, he believed that in the Youth Group aimed at Spirit Chefs under 25 years old, no one would be stronger than him.


    He didn¡¯t expect to be pped in the face as soon as he arrived.


    Therefore, he was eager to taste what kind of food this Spirit Chef called Qin Lang had prepared.


    In the previous rankings, only the total number of votes could be seen, not the type of food.


    Strictly speaking, this was Bai Hongrui¡¯s first time seeing the food prepared by Qin Lang.


    Those pots upon pots of seafood soaking in the sauce, the diverse gravy seafood, attracted his attention first.


    Is this dish called gravy seafood?


    Seeing the two different price tags on Qin Lang¡¯s stall, Bai Hongrui immediately realized that this dish must be the more expensive one.


    Most Spirit Chefs, including Qin Lang, had thought of key points and hence differentiated the different target audiences during the stall setup.


    Bai Hongrui was no exception.


    Generally, the higher-priced dish requires more technical skills.


    And that was exactly what Bai Hongrui wanted to know.


    ¡°Give me a pound of gravy seafood!¡± Bai Hongrui made his decision.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a pound too.¡±


    ¡°And me!¡±


    The other Spirit Chefs who came around almost spoke up at the same time.


    Clearly, their thoughts were simr to Bai Hongrui¡¯s.


    This is the difference between Spirit Chefs and ordinary food guests.


    Ordinary food guests, seeing the price of gravy seafood, would instinctively choose the cheaper crab powder fried rice.


    But Spirit Chefs would think that since the gravy seafood is so expensive, it must be able to better showcase the level of the Spirit Chef.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang gave Dan Bao a look.


    Dan Bao understood. Pure white energy emanated from it, spreading outwards. The lid of the ss tank opened automatically, thedle hung in the air, picked up the seafood inside, shook it, packed it in the takeaway box, and weighed it.


    Dan Bao had seen Qin Lang do this series of steps countless times and had learned it a long time ago. Now it works smoothly and efficiently, even outperforming Qin Lang himself by a few points due to its ability to multitask.


    Once a portion got off the electronic scale, the next one was already on it.


    Seeing this scene, the Spirit Chefs who came around showed envious expressions.


    Thought Waves, huh!


    It is universally acknowledged that, not to mention the enhancement of ability after a Food Spirit has thisbat skill, the help it can provide in life and cooking is significant.


    Their own Food Spirits naturally also help during the stall setup, but in terms of efficiency, they are indeed less than Dan Bao, who has Thought Waves.


    After a morning of setting up stalls, everyone had already realized that deliciousness is only a part of the criteria for obtaining votes. It is equally important to let more food guests taste their own food.


    Just on this point, Qin Lang has already taken the upper hand!


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 Chapter 254: Astonishment

    Chapter 254: Astonishment


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Bai Hongrui received the takeout box that flew into his hand under the control


    of thought waves.


    This discovery with the thought waves made him understand one of the reasons why Qin Lang received more votes than himself.


    But mere quantity without quality wouldn¡¯t allow the opponent to get so many more votes than him.


    The taste of this gravy seafood is the key to the opponent¡¯s victory!


    Let me see what is contained within your delicious food!


    Thinking of this, a sharper look appeared in Bai Hongrui¡¯s eyes.


    He opened the takeout box and scrutinized the gravy seafood carefully.


    Although it could be directly observed in the ss tank, seeing it close at hand naturally felt more real.


    Although he just had a nce, something seemed off about Bai Hongrui¡¯s expression.


    instead of rushing to taste it, he used chopsticks to lift the seafood on the surface to take a look at the seafood soaked in the sauce, lying at the bottom.


    After examining every kind of seafood in the takeout box, Bai Hongrui¡¯s head jerked up to look at Qin Lang. ¡°Fresh Full?!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded and opened his mouth humbly, ¡°My Food Spirit¡¯s food skill is Fresh Full, which gives me somewhat of an advantage when cooking seafood ingredients, so I might have gotten a bit lucky.¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    This is my credit!


    Dan Bao wagged her big tail proudly.


    The other Spirit Chefs also discovered the exceptional freshness of the ingredients, and upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, the envy on their faces intensified.


    The mind-type war skill, Thought Waves, can at least be awakened through a


    skill stone.


    The Food Spirit¡¯s food skill, however, truly depends on luck.


    Bai Hongrui felt increased pressure.


    He stopped talking, picked up a piece of scallop meat and put it in his mouth, starting his tasting.


    The soft yet sweet scallop meat burst with juice in his mouth with each chew.


    The taste of lemon, the saltiness, and spiciness of the soup mixed together brought an unparalleled taste experience that earned Bai Hongrui¡¯s admiration.


    But at the same time, there was confusion in his heart.


    As he tasted the other seafood, this confusion grew.


    That¡¯s because this dish was too simple.


    Top-tier ingredients, simple process, boiled and soaked in specially prepared


    sauce, and it¡¯s ready to eat after a while.


    With such simple cooking steps, he could discern just with a bite.


    The sauce was just right, which was one of the highlights.


    But this waspletely different from the cooking he had in mind, which demonstrated one¡¯s culinary skills.


    But if judged impartially, was this food delicious?


    Bai Hongrui knew that in terms of deliciousness, it was no less than the dish he had carefully prepared withplex procedures.


    ¡°Did you rely solely on the freshness of the ingredients for victory?¡± Bai


    Hongrui couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I believe that for seafood, the cooking process doesn¡¯t need to be tooplicated.¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly, ¡°Especially when the ingredients themselves are high-end.¡±


    ¡°High-end ingredients often only need the simplest cooking method.¡±


    ¡°But in this case, how to distinguish the level of culinary skills?¡± Another Spirit Chef frowned and couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°Such simple cooking can be easily replicated.¡±


    Although the Fresh Full food skill is needed, there are other Spirit Chefs who possess this food skill. Even if they can¡¯t replicate exactly the same dish, they are totally capable of making something simr.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking too.¡±


    ¡°I agree too¡­¡±


    Quite a few Spirit Chefs nodded in agreement.


    They weren¡¯t trying to cause trouble for or target Qin Lang.


    Since it was a discussion, collisions of different opinions were inevitable.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t falter and smiled slightly, ¡°I believe that the most important thing about food is the color, aroma, and taste that it finally presents, not the process.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of the taste of this seafood dish?¡±


    The other Spirit Chefs fell silent.


    Thebination of Qin Lang¡¯s sauce and top-tier seafood ingredients was difficult to fault in terms of taste.


    ¡°Moreover¡­¡± seeing the other Spirit Chefs acknowledging this point, Qin Lang changed the subject, ¡°I have another dish at my stall, why not give it a try? ¡°I¡¯ll have an order of crab roe fried rice!¡± Bai Hongrui was the first to regain his senses.


    With this gravy seafood dish, he both conceded and disputed it.


    In terms of taste, hispetitor indeed did not fall short of him.


    But such a simple cooking process gave him a feeling of cutting corners.


    Therefore, he wanted to see if the other dish was also like this.


    Soon, an order of crab roe fried rice was served to Bai Hongrui.


    ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡±


    Looking at the crab roe fried rice in his hand that could be finished in one bite, Bai Hongrui felt a little dazed.


    The gravy seafood was sold by weight, which meant the food guests could choose their own portion size.


    Moreover, that wasn¡¯t for immediate consumption, it could be taken away to eatter.


    The crab roe fried rice that he now had in hand was theplete opposite.


    The portion size that could be finished in one bite put no pressure on the food guests at all.


    Bai Hongrui, having learnt about the importance of portion size in running a stall from his own practice, had made some adjustments to his dishes ordingly.


    However, this youngster who was even younger than him seemed more outrageous.


    Inhaling the rich scent of crab that was enveloped in the heat and rushing towards his face, and looking at the crab powder in front of him that was yellow with a hint of bright red colour, Bai Hongrui swallowed his saliva.


    Compared to the gravy seafood, the crab roe fried rice in front of him was clearly much more technologically advanced.


    Everyone considered cheap gourmet food to be low in technology and expensive gourmet food to be high in technology.


    Qin Lang was actually doing it in reverse!


    Taking a bite of the crab roe fried rice and slowly savouring it, Bai Hongrui fell silent.


    This taste¡­


    This taste!!!


    The rich crab vour fully fused with rice, an unprecedented strange feeling arose in his heart.


    If expensive gourmet foods were beingpared, the one he had prepared could rival Qin Lang¡¯s gravy seafood dish.


    But for low-priced gourmet foods, Qin Lang¡¯s crab roe fried rice was a total onught on his dish.


    The other Spirit Chefs, who had just been advocating that gourmet cooking should show more culinary skills, also fell silent at the moment.


    They couldn¡¯t distinguish the cooking method of this crab roe fried rice at a nce, which meant it was different from the gravy seafood just now and required a high level of technical skill.


    Crab meat, crab roe, crab paste.


    It¡¯s not hard to mix them, but it¡¯s not easy to perfectly interweave their tastes and textures.


    ¡°The cooking time for this crab roe fried rice should not be too short, right?¡± After a moment of silence, a calm middle-aged Spirit Chef slowly spoke, ¡°I can feel that the crab meat, crab roe and crab paste have been simmered for a long time to fullybine together.¡±


    ¡°That pot of yours must have a cooking time of at least one hour.


    The other Spirit Chefs came to their senses.


    Right!


    Low-priced gourmet is all about high turnover and low margins.


    With such a long cooking time, they can¡¯t sell very many!


    ¡°No need, ten minutes is enough.¡± Qin Lang said with a grin, ¡°My other food skill is Cooking eleration.¡±


    The assembled Spirit Chefs:¡±???¡±


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 Chapter 255: Suggestion

    Chapter 255: Suggestion


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    What Qin Lang said, was it within reason?


    Cooking eleration.


    Any Spirit Chef couldn¡¯t resist this Food Skill.


    The Fresh Full skill he showcased earlier was already enough to make many Spirit Chefs envious, thinking about how Qin Lang also possessed Cooking eleration, everyone felt like lemon slices in gravy seafood, sour and uncontroble.


    And with this, the biggest drawback of Crab Roe Fried Rice was gone.


    Bai Hongrui waspletely stumped.


    He now understood why Qin Lang¡¯s votes were higher than his, and by a considerable margin at that.


    Gravy seafood was simple, but Qin Lang had the perfectplement to it ¨C Fresh Full.


    Crab Roe Fried Rice wasplex, but Qin Lang had Cooking eleration, which matched it equally well.


    The two delicious foods perfectly matched Qin Lang¡¯s two Food Skills.


    The opponent had maximized his own advantages.


    Compared to him, Bai Hongrui was still far behind in this aspect.


    ¡°When considering delicious food, I didn¡¯t take the food skills into ount too much.¡± Bai Hongrui frankly spoke, ¡°In this regard, I am indeed far inferior to you.¡±


    ¡°I always thought that once the culinary skills were sufficient, food skills were not essential.¡±


    ¡°Such an idea, cannot do.¡± A voice came from the back of the crowd.


    Everyone was shocked and turned around.


    ¡°Ms. Ye Cangqing¡±


    The crowd parted into a path. Behind Ye Cangqing were several Second-Level Food Rmenders, who walked step by step to Qin Lang¡¯s stall.


    ¡°The Food Spirit and the Spirit Chef are always one.¡± Ms. Ye Cangqing smiled warmly, looking at Bai Hongrui who had just spoken, ¡°Therefore the Food skills mastered by Food Spirits and the culinary skills of Spirit Chefs themselves need not be deliberately distinguished.¡±


    ¡°For the final presentation of the delicious food, both are equally important.¡±


    ¡°I have learned.¡± Bai Hongrui showed a respectful expression and nodded, stepping aside.


    ¡°Such a youngd.¡± Ye Cangqing, smiling, turned her head to look at Qin Lang, ¡°These two dishes, one serving each please.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang was a little excited.


    This was the first time he was facing a Third-Level Food Rmender.


    Although it wasn¡¯t a test from her, he still felt the tension of being tested at this moment.


    After personally serving a portion of Crab Roe Fried Rice, weighing it and then a pound of gravy seafood, Qin Lang handed them to Ye Cangqing, saying, ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡±


    Then, he ced his folded hands on his stomach and stood awkwardly.


    Even though he had cooking experience from his past life, Qin Lang didn¡¯t believe his culinary skills could match the only Third-Level Food Rmender in Mingjing Province before him.


    So his awkwardness was definitely not an act.


    ¡°Rx,d.¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s awkwardness, Ye Cangqing gently told him to rx and then scooped a spoon of Crab Roe Fried Rice into her mouth.


    ¡°A very delicious dish.¡± After a moment, Ye Cangqing¡¯s smile became brighter, ¡°However, I think that it might be even better if paired with vinegar.¡±


    Well-deserving of a Third-Level Food Rmender.


    A look of surprise appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Crab Roe Fried Rice, paired with crab vinegar, indeed tasted better.


    As he was running a stall, Qin Lang had omitted this step.


    Anyone who knew about Crab Roe Fried Rice could easily judge this, but to urately point out the omission in this dish after just one bite, without any prior knowledge of Crab Roe Fried Rice, was something Qin Lang absolutely couldn¡¯t do.


    Apart from this¡­¡± Ye Cangqing¡¯s voice trailed off as if she was trying to remember the taste, ¡°Adding some spices during the preparation of the crab powder might cause an interesting change, like Snake Orchid, Red Hemp Seeds, wooden Crab Fight¡­¡±


    Ye Cangqing casually listed three, making the Spirit Chefs around them prick up their ears. Some even started to take notes.


    The spices Ms. Ye Cangqing suggested showed that they paired well with river crabs!


    This kind of trick is important knowledge!


    Qin Lang also looked thoughtful.


    None of these three were spices from his previous life. He had learned about the first two since he came here, but he had never heard of wooden Crab Fight. It was probably a local spice in Mingjing Province.


    Adding spices from this world to recipes from his previous world to further enhance the dishes ¨C this was an idea Qin Lang had considered before but hadn¡¯t tried yet.


    Ms. Ye Cangqing¡¯s suggestion provided him with a clear direction.


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance.¡± Qin Lang showed a grateful expression, ¡°I will try it out tonight and see what the result is.¡±


    He would add each of the three spices to the process of preparing the crab powder one by one to see the effects!


    If there¡¯s any improvement, the Crab Roe Fried Rice in the next two days will be even more delicious!


    The other Spirit Chefs looked at Qin Lang, their faces showing traces of envy.


    Improving under the guidance of a Third-Level Food Rmender was a rare opportunity for many Spirit Chefs.


    It was decided, they would also set up stalls for the next break and exchange session!


    Seeing the young man listen attentively to her advice, Ms. Ye Cangqing¡¯s expression softened even further.


    She opened the container of gravy seafood, and the next moment, she started tough, with a hint of reminiscence, ¡°Fresh Full, huh.¡±


    With just one nce, she had guessed Qin Lang¡¯s food skill and even figured out the cooking method of this Gravy Seafood.


    ¡°My first Food Skill was also Fresh Full.¡± Ms. Ye Cangqing smiled faintly, ¡°When I first became a Spirit Chef, I used this skill to get an advantage over my peers.¡±


    In Mingjing Province, which is rich in seafood and river fresh, this Food Skill had a massive advantage.


    She didn¡¯t give much advice for the Gravy Seafood dish.


    After all, the cooking procedure of this dish is quite simple and there¡¯s a limited space for improvement.


    After tasting the dishes, Ms. Ye Cangqing, apanied by the other Food Rmenders, turned around to taste dishes from the next stall.


    The Spirit Chefs who had tasted the two dishes at Qin Lang¡¯s stall didn¡¯t immediately leave.


    Using Qin Lang¡¯s two dishes as starting points, they enthusiastically discussed their own experiences with cooking seafood and river crabs. From time to time, other Spirit Chefs who came to sample their dishes joined the discussion after tasting, while some Spirit Chefs headed to the next stall after ending their discussions.


    In such an interesting atmosphere, time for the break and exchange session flew by quickly.


    Only when the electric bell rang again, indicating that the afternoon¡¯s operations were about to begin, did the Spirit Chefs in the middle of the discussion in front of Qin Lang¡¯s stall agreed on a time for the next exchange session to continue discussing the unfinished topic, and then reluctantly returned to their respective stalls.


    Having taken part in these discussions, Qin Lang had gained a lot from it.


    ¡°Coming to the Leaping Fish Banquet was definitely the right choice.¡± Stretching, he showed a satisfied smile.


    He had never experienced this kind of culinary exchange in his past life.


    Not to mention the rewards for the ultimate win, just the process of exchange itself was already tremendously beneficial.


    At this moment, he felt a little pity for Zhou Tianhao.


    As Zhou had chosen to participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet as a Food guest, he could not partake in such exchange activities, and the registration period was already over.


    Collecting his feelings, he looked at the crowd of people boarding the ship from the neighboring tform, and Qin Lang took a deep breath.


    ¡°Dan Bao, Spicy, we¡¯ve got to work hard this afternoon!¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    ¡°Chacha!¡±


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 Chapter 256: Recognition

    Chapter 256: Recognition


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°What a miscalction, I didn¡¯t expect the first batch of food guests this afternoon to be so crazy.¡±


    Standing at the end of a long queue, a girl with long ck hair and big ck sses puffed her cheeks, her face showing a hint of frustration and helplessness.


    However¡­


    The girl tiptoed a little bit, looking at the front of the queue she was currently in.


    There was a stall over there, and the shopkeeper who was busy at it was quite young.


    ¡°I did guess it right!¡± The girl murmured, a touch of joy on her face, ¡°I took the right bet!¡±


    The girl was Jiang Qianyi, a professional writer for a food-oriented self-media tform.


    Her job was to write about food-rted topics, which would be published on the self-media tform after editor¡¯s review.


    This kind of work relies heavily on real-time relevance.


    Publishing content that¡¯s in sync with the times, being one step ahead of colleagues, can attract more traffic and attention, and earn more money.


    The Leaping Fish Banquet, a g sweeping the whole Mingjing Province, is an event that no self-media in the food industry can miss.


    As early as this morning, arge number of self-media writers boarded the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡±, tasted various delicacies, and then wrote corresponding articles for publication.


    But Jiang Qianyi was smarter than other writers.


    She took a different approach and didn¡¯t write any food tasting evaluations in the morning.


    More than that, she didn¡¯t board the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡± to taste the food.


    Jiang Qianyi focused on the food guests waiting at the twelve piers to board the ship. She spent the whole morning recording the guests¡¯ expectations for the Leaping Fish Banquet and their evaluations when they returned from the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡±.


    With a unique perspective, her first article got a high number of likes andments, and won her editor¡¯s bonus.


    And this time, she was going to cover something different.


    The temporary voting rankings after the first round of the Leaping Fish Banquet were not only publicly presented among the participating Spirit chefs, but also disclosed to the public.


    Compared with the youth group, the all-age group received more attention.


    Just like the regr trainingpetition receives more attention than the Youth Training Competition.


    At this point, Jiang Qianyi¡¯s colleagues were probably already looking for the Spirit Chef named Qiu Longfei on the deck.


    But Jiang Qianyi used her connections to find out early about the Spirit Chef who currently ranks first in the youth group. She arrived an hour early at the pier corresponding to the boarding tform he was going to, and boarded the first batch of ferries in the afternoon.


    Yes, her target was Qin Lang.


    The reason she chose to focus on the less attention-grabbing Youth Group was partly because the audience of the self-media tform she works for is rtively young, and a young Spirit Chef like him could potentially pique their interest.


    On the other hand, and most importantly,


    Jiang Qianyi was not unfamiliar with the name Qin Lang.


    As a writer in the culinary field, Jiang Qianyi pays a lot of attention to the food zone of D Site.


    About half a month ago, she saw a Golden Treasure Box donation.


    Such a big donation will trigger notifications all over the Samiya region ¨C they¡¯re notmon. Noticing that the UP host awarded was from the food zone, Jiang Qianyi became interested.


    She watched all previous videos of that UP host, and through reviews andments, she learned loads of information about that UP host called ¡°Traveler¡±.


    That included his real name, Qin Lang.


    Because the UP host was not from Mingjing Province, but from the Tianhua State to the north of Mingjing, Jiang Qianyi simply mentioned him in one of her articles and didn¡¯t divulge much information about him.


    She thought she wouldn¡¯t have any real-life encounters with this young UP host.


    When she saw this name again listed first in the youth group, Jiang Qianyi decided on the spot: the theme of the second issue would be this!


    She could not only write about Qin Lang¡¯s performance at the Leaping Fish Banquet but also introduce his past experiences. She could easily produce a full article which would undoubtedly differ from those of her colleagues!


    Having thought of this, Jiang Qianyi touched the camera hanging on her chest. If she got his permission, she could even take a photo of him!


    Putting the photo in the article, she was sure the effect would be even better! After all, the boy named Qin Lang was indeed handsome.


    With this thought, the corner of Jiang Qianyi¡¯s mouth involuntarily curved upward, revealing a silly smile that seemed somewhat adorable in others¡¯ eyes. But very soon, Jiang Qianyi noticed something was off.


    Though she was able to take the first ferry of the afternoon, she was pushed to the back of the crowd because of her petite size. By the time she reached Qin Lang¡¯s stall, there were already over thirty people ahead of her.


    She was already prepared to line up for at least half an hour, but¡­


    Looking at Qin Lang within reach, Jiang Qianyi got a bit disoriented.


    It¡¯s only been a few minutes, why was it already her turn?!


    ¡°Hello, what can I get you?¡± Qin Lang, with gloves on, was washing the dishes at a sink nearby. His hands never stopped moving as he greeted Jiang Qianyi with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a pound of gravy seafood, and a portion of crab roe fried rice!¡±


    Jiang Qianyi quickly came to her senses and promptly ced her order.


    ¡°Alright, just a moment.¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly, and continued to do the dishes.


    Isn¡¯t it too rushed to wash the dishes and prepare the food at the same time? Jiang Qianyi mused.


    But very soon, she found that reality did not quite match her imagination. Someone else was preparing the food. Or rather, something else was doing it. Looking at the levitatingdle, the ss tank lid lifting on its own, the small bowl that automatically scooped rice and crab powder, the electronic scales that weighed ingredients automatically, Jiang Qianyi¡¯s mouth slowly opened wide. Finally, she turned her gaze to the food spirit that was hovering in the air. It¡¯s Dan Bao!


    As a fan of Qin Lang on D Site, Jiang Qianyi naturally remembered the two adorable food spirits Qin had.


    She¡¯d heard that some food spirits could master abat skill called Thought Waves, thereby realizing telekic control. They could help the Spirit Chef in everyday life. Obviously, what Dan Bao was showing right now was this ability.


    ¡°Thanks-¡±


    Stunned, Jiang Qianyi took the two dishes presented to her, looking at Qin Lang who had finished doing the dishes and turned to fry the crab powder, and the other food spirit fluttering beside him.


    Although busy, everything on the small stall seemed orderly.


    Jiang Qianyi moved to the side, made way for others, and then watched as the ten food guests behind her in line got their own delicacies in just two short minutes.


    This efficiency¡­ it¡¯s just amazing.


    Could this part be added to her article too?


    Jiang Qianyi pondered this while taking a spoonful of crab roe fried rice into her mouth.


    The next moment, an unparalleled delicious taste filled her mouth, taking her by surprise.


    This¡­


    This crab roe fried rice¡­


    Jiang Qianyi felt a rush of inspiration.


    She could definitely write out at least three hundred words just by describing this crab roe fried rice!


    After tasting the crab roe fried rice, Jiang Qianyi rified her intention. With Qin Lang¡¯s consent, she took a few photos of him and his stall before she said goodbye and left.


    In an open space on the deck, she tasted the gravy seafood while her hands were a blur on her cell phone, typing rapidly.


    A thousand-word article was uploaded half an hourter.


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 Chapter 257: Making a Name

    Chapter 257: Making a Name


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    On Sky Stone Dock, one of the twelve piers for the Leaping Fish Banquet, there was a foot-stomping Lolita dress-d loli in the queue. She gritted her teeth, watching the departing cruise ship, ¡°We were so close to boarding!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Abu, we¡¯ll catch the next one.¡± Little Orange held the loli¡¯s hand and shook her head helplessly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have slept that long.¡±


    ¡°That was my bust-enhancing nap!¡± The loli patted her t chest, her face full of regret, ¡°You well-endowed women wouldn¡¯t understand! ¡±


    ¡°Besides, when I woke up, the afternoon Leaping Fish Banquet hadn¡¯t even started!¡± She looked at the crowd around, ¡°They started queuing up an hour early! Is that reasonable?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we can take the third cruise.¡± Noticing the stares from the others, Little Orange quickly pulled the loli aside and signaled her to stop talking.


    See this Lolita dress-d loli? Her name is Yibu¡­ oh, wrong line.


    Yibu is a fervent fan of Little Orange and is the only fan Little Orange, who has severe social phobia, has actually met in person. They became acquainted online and usually called each other by their nicknames.


    After live-streaming all morning, Little Orange took a break from live- streaming in the afternoon. She and the now awake Yibu decided to head to the Yueyu Cruise Ship.


    Little Orange wanted to taste more of the food she hadn¡¯t been able to try that morning, and Yibu, having watched the yback of Little Orange¡¯s live stream, was hungry to tears.


    ¡® Little Orange, what was the most delicious thing you ate this morning? Take me there!¡± Yibu held Little Orange¡¯s hand, her face full of anticipation.


    ¡°The most delicious thing¡­¡± Little Orange recalled the food she had tasted that morning, ¡°I think it was Qin Lang¡¯s crab powder fried rice. The portion was small, but it was really tasty and worth tasting.¡±


    Qin Lang? This one?¡± Yibu turned her phone screen to Little Orange and pointed, ¡°The one ranked first in the Youth Group?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Little Orange blinked, ¡°There¡¯s actually a ranking like that?¡±


    Soon after, she nodded confidently, ¡°For sure!¡±


    In Little Orange¡¯s view, it made sense for the food cooked by Qin Lang to rank first in votes!


    ¡°Great, we¡¯ll go get the crab powder fried rice first!¡± Yibu encircled Little Orange¡¯s waist with one hand and patted her t chest with the other, ¡°I, a young gentleman, will cover our expenses this afternoon!¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    Little Orange was amused by Yibu and gently pushed her, ¡°What are you saying!¡±


    Hehe.¡± Yibu gave a chuckle, whipped out her phone again, and continued searching for information about the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Suddenly, an article appeared on her screen.


    The article was from a food media she followed, with a clickbaity title.


    ¡°The Dark Horse of the Leaping Fish Banquet Youth Group, Is Actually Him!¡±


    Author: Jiangjiang.


    Yay! Jiangjiang penned this article!¡± A hopeful expression appeared on Yibu¡¯s face.


    She liked every single one of their articles. She even followed them on social media, just so she could be the first one to read their articles.


    Spotting an article from her favorite author incited her to open it without hesitation.


    After reading the first line in the main section, Yibu tapped on Little Orange¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Little Orange, take a look, it¡¯s about Qin Lang!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Little Orange¡¯s interest was piqued.


    The two adorable young girls huddled together, staring at the screen.


    In addition to introducing the two dishes made by Qin Lang at the Leaping Fish Banquet, the article also includes many other details about Qin Lang.


    Wow! I never thought Qin Lang would be a fellow streamer!¡± Yibuughed and nudged Little Orange with her shoulder.


    ¡°There is still a difference between a content uploader and a live stream host,¡± Little Orange exined seriously, although there was a hint of surprise on her face.


    ¡°His D Site username is ¡®Traveler¡¯, let me look him up¡­¡± Yibu quickly found Qin Lang¡¯s D Site user page and followed him immediately. She disyed a triumphant grin, ¡°Following someone else in front of you is a form of ¡®ntr¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Little Orange gently pinched Yibu¡¯s waist and also followed Qin Lang, ¡°He¡¯s got three videos! Should we watch?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Yibu, of course, had no objections.


    The two girls nestled together, started with the first video, then the second, and finally the third.


    ¡°Woo ¡±


    The long whistle of the cruise ship sounded as the next ship docked at the shore.


    Having just finished watching the third video, both girls swallowed hard.


    Darn it, why did they watch gourmet videos without eating something first!


    ¡°Board!¡±


    Yibu pulled Little Orange onto the ship.


    If she didn¡¯t get a bite of that crab powder fried rice soon, she¡¯d starve her bust into oblivion!


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect the stall locations to change.¡±


    Aboard the deck of the Yueyu Cruise Ship, Zhou Tianhao, who had boarded the second cruise, showed a helpless expression.


    He had already noted the areas he had visited in the morning, nning to continue where he left off in the afternoon. However, when he arrived in the afternoon, all stall locations had changed.


    ¡°Huh?¡± A crowded queue not far away caught his attention. Upon closer inspection, Zhou Tianhao realized that the stall was Qin Lang¡¯s.


    ¡°It seems that Qin Lang has got a better stall location this afternoon.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°This must be a privilege for the temporary first ce in the Youth Group.¡±


    He, of course, had also seen the rankings.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s start with Qin Lang¡¯s stall. I¡¯m craving for the crab powder fried rice again.¡± Zhou Tianhao swallowed.


    For some reason, he had eaten crab powder fried rice every day recently, but he never got tired of it.


    Walking towards Qin Lang¡¯s stall, Zhou Tianhao quickly found that the queue was longer than he expected.


    ¡°Well, this queue is three times longer than this morning.¡± He muttered, looking surprised, ¡°Luckily, they serve food quickly.¡±


    From where he was standing, he could see the situation at Qin Lang¡¯s stall.


    Qin Lang had adopted a different division ofborpared to the morning. At this moment, Dan Bao was preparing the food using thought power, which greatly improved efficiency.


    Seeing this, Zhou Tianhao nodded with satisfaction, ¡°I was thinking about suggesting this to him, didn¡¯t expect Qin Lang had already thought of it.¡± Zhou Tianhao also has a Food Spirit possessing thebat skill, Thought Waves. He is very experienced in how to c¡­err¡­ train the Food Spirit¡¯s skills. At that moment, the whispered conversation of a few people in front of him caught his attention.


    He didn¡¯t intentionally eavesdrop, but words like ¡°Traveler,¡± ¡°D Site,¡± and ¡°uploader¡± reached Zhou Tianhao¡¯s ears.


    Zhou Tianhao was naturally aware of Qin Lang¡¯s D Site username, and he had even followed him.


    Upon hearing discussions about these topics in Mingjing Province, he looked surprised and couldn¡¯t help but tap the shoulder of the person in front of him, ¡°Excuse me, what are you guys discussing? Could you share it with me?¡± ¡°We are discussing this article. This stall owner called Qin Lang seems to be quite famous!¡± The man kindly showed Zhou Tianhao the article on his phone. After reading it, a strange expression crossed Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face.


    Three times more? This might just be the beginning.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Vote] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 258: New Stall

    Chapter 258: New Stall


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Zhou Tianhao didn¡¯t wait long at Qin Lang¡¯s stall.


    After tasting the crab powder fried rice he had been longing for, he cleanly turned and left, heading for the next stall.


    After all, Qin Lang is really busy at the moment. So, not disturbing him is also a kind of etiquette.


    Although the order of the stalls in the second round was entirely different from the first, Zhou Tianhao had a clear memory of the delicious food he had tasted in the morning, so finding new delicacies he had not tasted was not difficult.


    Starting at the best-located stall near the entrance tform, Zhou Tianhao went all the way inside, sometimes strolling around, sometimes tasting, and, when encountering stall owners who were not busy, would stop to exchange a few words with them.


    Zhou Tianhao had heard about the culinary exchange on the deck during the noon rest andmunication stage. Understanding this, he felt a bit regretful. If had chosen to set up a stall earlier, perhaps he could have had a more profound discussion about cooking with the other Spirit Chefs.


    But the registration for setting up a stall for the Leaping Fish Banquet had passed, and his way of learning and observing other delicious food contributed significantly to Zhou Tianhao.


    There is regret, but not much.


    Walking along, Zhou Tianhao reached the very center of the deck of the Yueyu Cruise Ship.


    The central area was supposed to be the busiest ce, but due to theyout of the venue, it was farthest from the six entrances, and paradoxically became the least crowded and worst location.


    Many food guests have filled their bellies on the way here, so the desire to purchase foods is not great by the time they arrive here.


    Therefore, Zhou Tianhao could clearly see that there were far fewer food guests queuing in front of the stalls herepared to the outer stalls.


    Under such circumstances, the long lines in front of a certain stall made Zhou Tianhao feel as if it stood out from the crowd.


    There¡¯s only one possibility for such a situation.


    The rival¡¯s culinary skills were far superior to other surrounding stalls.


    Given this, Zhou Tianhao, who had not yet filled his stomach, was naturally interested.


    If the opponent¡¯s food can really do so, then why didn¡¯t they get a good ranking in the morning and switch to a better stall?


    This was weird, very weird.


    He moved quickly, taking a few steps to the end of the line, waiting patiently.


    The service speed of this stall was not slow. Although there were more than twenty people in front of him, everyone had bought their food and left after a dozen minutes.


    Standing in front of the stall, Zhou Tianhao didn¡¯t order right away, instead, he looked at the busy middle-aged man in front of the stall.


    He furrowed his brows slightly.


    The other party gave him a very familiar feeling.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Before Zhou Tianhao could recall where this familiarity came from, the middle-aged man looked up and saw Zhou Tianhao. An affable smile appeared on his face, ¡°Young gentleman, we meet again.¡±


    Upon hearing the other¡¯s unique way of addressing him, Zhou Tianhao immediately recalled where he had seen the other before.


    In the morning, he found the trace of the Star Hunter, went to track him but got dumped, and then identally bumped into the man in front of him and had a brief chat with him.


    So it was him.


    But he didn¡¯t even set up a stall in the morning, did he?


    ¡°Hello,¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°I don¡¯t think I saw your stall this morning?¡±


    ¡°Because I started setting up my stall in the afternoon, this is my first round.¡± The middle-aged man shrugged casually, ¡°Young gentleman, you know, a good night¡¯s sleep is important for middle-aged men like me.¡±


    Well, did he sleep in on the first day of the Leaping Fish Banquet?


    Zhou Tianhao¡¯s gaze suddenly turned a bit strange when he looked at the middle-aged man.


    No wonder his stall was in the worst location.


    If he didn¡¯t set up a stall, naturally he would be rankedst in terms of votes.


    But these have nothing much to do with him.


    He was just a food guest who came to enjoy the food.


    ¡°Give me an Autumn de Lemon.¡± Out of the three dishes listed on the stall, Zhou Tianhao chose the one that interested him the most.


    ¡°Alright.¡± The middle-aged man nodded slightly, with his hands rapidly going through the cooking procedure, even finding time to chat with Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Young gentleman, it seems that you are also a Spirit Chef, didn¡¯t you sign up for a stall?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m better at fighting than cooking.¡± Zhou Tianhao gave a bitter smile, ¡°It was only after a recent battle with a powerful opponent that I realized cooking skills also have an impact on my strength.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± A look of confusion shed in the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes, ¡°Well then, you should thank your opponent.¡±


    ¡°I will do that in my own way.¡± Zhou Tianhao clenched his fist slightly, ¡°By capturing him!¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡± The middle-aged man showed a harmless smile, handing over a takeaway box, ¡°Your Autumn de Lemon is ready, please enjoy your meal.¡±


    ¡°By the way, my name is Luo Xian. It¡¯s nice to meet you, young gentleman.¡± The middle-aged man gave a mysterious smile, ¡°I believe, we will meet again soon.¡±


    ¡°My name is Zhou Tianhao.¡± Zhou Tianhao took the takeaway box with a smile.


    Although the other¡¯s way of addressing him was a bit peculiar, he could feel the kindness in his words.


    After getting the takeaway box, he turned and left the stall. While continuing to walk forward, he couldn¡¯t wait to open it.


    The next moment, his footsteps faltered slightly.


    Lying quietly in the tray was a whole autumn fish with the head and spikes removed, divided into two along the body, like a long, sharp de.


    The side with the skin had been barbecued and shrunk, with a unique golden hue on the grey-ck skin from grilling, glistening with oil under the sunlight, looking exceedingly inviting.


    The side with the fish meat was tender and white, as if biting lightly could separate it into small pieces along the grain, tasting its astonishing deliciousness and softness.


    A rich and amazing aroma of Autumn Fish,ced with tendrils of lemon fragrance, brashly and fiercely infiltrated Zhou Tianhao¡¯s nostrils as soon as he opened the tray, revitalizing him instantly.


    This dish¡­


    Zhou Tianhao didn¡¯t hesitate, he picked up a slice of fish meat and put it in his mouth.


    At first nce, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of lemon in the dish.


    But as soon as he took a bite, every inch of the Autumn Fish meat seemed to have a fresh sourness of lemon, making the deliciousness of the Autumn Fish itself stand out to the fullest.


    The rich aroma lingered on the tip of his nose, the amazing deliciousness overflowed between his lips and teeth, and the tender meat of the Autumn Fish coupled with the perfectly crispy skin after grilling burst out a marvelous taste that made Zhou Tianhao amazed.


    Having tasted a bit, a look of surprise appeared on his face.


    This cooking skill level¡­


    He needs to try the other two dishes from this stall!


    Zhou Tianhao didn¡¯t say a word and turned around to the end of the line in front of Luo Xian¡¯s stall again.


    When he stood in front of Luo Xian again, Luo Xian grinned.


    ¡°You see, I told you, we¡¯d meet again soon.¡±


    Quick Entrance: [Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 259: Explosion

    Chapter 259: Explosion


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Is business a bit too good this afternoon?¡±


    After busily operating his stall for more than an hour, Qin Lang began to sense that something was off.


    Even though he was temporarily ranking first in the youth group and even though he had secured a stall closest to one of the boarding tforms, the terrifyingly high customer flow still exceeded his expectations.


    The number of food guests lining up in front of his stall was more than five times that of the morning peak.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he and his two spirits had reassigned their tasks, he would surely be in chaos by now.


    Just as Qin Lang was wondering where these EXTRA clients came from, two beautiful girls showed up at his stall.


    One of them seemed familiar to Qin Lang ¨C she was a live-streamer from D Site.


    She was the first one to taste his food at his stall in the morning.


    Standing next to her was a girl dressed in Lolita.


    ¡°Two bowls of crab roe fried rice!¡± Darby, finally getting her turn, pointed at the price tag with one hand on her hip, ¡°And a pound of gravy seafood, please!¡±


    After boarding the deck, the rich aroma of various dishes wafted into her nostrils, making her, who was already drooling with desire, put on a mask of agony.


    Only God knew by what determination she had persisted until then.


    Little Orange, standing next to her, didn¡¯t ce an order, as one of the two bowls of crab roe fried rice that Yibu had ordered was for her.


    Even though she was also craving, she was slightly better than Yibu. Thinking about all other delicacies she had not tasted in the morning, she wisely decided against ordering gravy seafood.


    While watching the busy Qin Lang, Little Orange hesitated for a bit, before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you use D Site too, boss.¡±


    Hmm?


    Qin Lang momentarily paused his work and turned to nce at Little Orange.


    Had he been recognized?


    Noting Qin Lang¡¯s puzzlement, Little Orange pulled out her phone and opened Jiang Qianyi¡¯s article, ¡°Look, boss, this article introduces your situation and even calls you the biggest dark horse in this Leaping Fish Banquet!¡±


    Qin Lang wiped his hands and took a brief look at the phone handed over by her.


    After noticing the photo used by the author as the avatar, a wave of realization washed over his face.


    So, that¡¯s how it was.


    Just after he had begun operating in the afternoon, ady who imed to be a writer for a self-media asked for his permission to take photos.


    Having no qualms about it, Qin Lang had promptly agreed.


    Little did he know that within an hour, she had already published the article.


    This made Qin Lang grumble begrudgingly.


    Did all these code writers work with such dedication?


    After quickly scanning the article, Qin Lang also had a clearer understanding of the somewhat unusual increase in customer flow in front of his stall.


    The article, over a thousand words, not only provided a detailed ount of the two dishes at his stall but also included every detail about Qin Lang¡¯s public information in Tianhua State and the D Site.


    Thepliments were sovish that he was somewhat embarrassed.


    Because he was temporarily leading in the youth group, the increased attention to the article also led to its unexpected poprity.


    Because of this, arge number of food guests came attracted by its reputation.


    Being close to a boarding tform, his stall could only ount for one-sixth of the customer flow.


    But the food guests attracted by the reputation coulde from the rest of the tforms.


    As the two rarely ovepped, the number of food guests at Qin Lang¡¯s stall naturally increased even more.


    ¡°Thankyou for letting me know.¡± Qin Lang returned her phone to her and Dan Bao had also prepared the food for their order, ¡°Please enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Little Orange put the phone back into her pocket and, taking along the bowl of crab roe fried rice, she pulled Yibu, who was grinning gleefully, and moved aside.


    After finishing the bowl of crab roe fried rice in just two mouthfuls, her face showed signs of remembering and satisfaction.


    It¡¯s truly fulfilling to have a mouthful of rice full of crab powder when one is hungry.


    Even though Little Orange had already tasted it once, the feeling was even more overwhelming for Yibu, who was tasting it for the first time.


    Just one mouthful and Yibu¡¯s pupils nearly turned into heart shapes.


    ¡°Wiry is this so delicious!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but gasp, utterly bewildered by the extraordinary taste in her mouth.


    As a little rich girl, Yibu had tasted many delicacies.


    But this was the first time she had tasted something that captured the deliciousness of river crab so perfectly.


    ¡°No, I have to have another!¡± Looking at her empty bowl, Yibu didn¡¯t think twice before she got back in line.


    ¡°Hey hey hey, don¡¯t!¡± Little Orange helplessly stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t you still have the gravy seafood?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Yibu suddenly remembered that she had ordered another dish.


    Being also made by Qin Lang, the deliciousness of this dish would definitely not be less than that of the previous one!


    After finishing the crab roe fried rice, Yibu¡¯s anticipation of the gravy seafood greatly increased.


    She excitedly opened the to-go box and picked up a round octopus.


    The gravy seafood certainly did not let Yibu¡¯s hopes down.


    Feeling the surprisingly crispy and chewy texture of the octopus, the soup filled in the octopus, whose guts had been scooped out, burst out between her lips and teeth when munching. The feeling of unprecedented satisfaction instantly upied Yibu¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Ugh ugh, this is also so delicious!¡± At that moment, Yibu deeply regretted not being a professional foodie, as she was unable to describe her feelings in more detail.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s try something else.¡± Little Orange chuckled at Yibu and held her hand, ¡°I found many tasty foods this morning!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Yibu reluctantly closed the to-go box and, holding the bag like a precious treasure, followed Little Orange to the stall in front.


    The second round of business in the afternoon came to an end.


    With the food guests boarding the cruise under the organized arrangement of the staff of the Leaping Fish Banquet and leaving the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡±, there was no one lining up in front of the stall. Qin Lang and his two little spirits began to count the afternoon¡¯s sales.


    After counting, his expression became somewhat odd.


    Each round of operation time in the Leaping Fish Banquet was three hours.


    Under the condition of equal time, his total sales volume in the afternoon was three times that of the morning.


    If it weren¡¯t for Dan Bao sharing the workload and serving multiple dishes at the same time, he really couldn¡¯t handle it.


    Even so, the EXTRA ingredients prepared for the afternoon had almost been consumed.


    ¡°It seems like I need to prepare more for the evening.¡± Qin Lang shook his head helplessly.


    The evening was the peak time for the Leaping Fish Banquet in terms of footfall.


    On one hand, the food guests who had tasted the food at the Leaping Fish Banquet during the day would inevitably share their experiences with friends and family, thereby indirectly increasing the poprity of Leaping Fish Banquet.


    On the other hand, many people had to work during the day, so they could onlye in the evening.


    But before purchasing ingredients, he still needed to check the ranking of the votes after the second round.


    Soon, the staff began to announce.


    Qiu Longfei was still ranking first in the all-age group, with 4121 votes at present.


    Qin Lang was still ranking first in the youth group, with¡­


    3974 votes at present.


    Shortcuts: [Monthly Tickets][Rmendation Tickets]

 Chapter 260: Taste Testing

    Chapter 260: Taste Testing


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Almost at the same time as Qin Lang¡¯s vote count was announced, the other stall owners around them burst into a buzz.


    At the end of the first round, Qiu Longfei had just over a thousand votes. After getting a better stall and the attention of being temporarily first in the All-age Group, his votes tripled after the second round.


    While this increase in votes seemed a bit absurd, it was still considered reasonable.


    However, in contrast, Qin Lang¡¯s vote count directly increased five times after the second round.


    And he was just less than two hundred votes short of the first ce in the All-age Group.


    Keep in mind that the All-age Group has one more dish than the Youth Group! So the total votes for the All-age Group were the sum of votes from three dishes, naturally having an advantage over the Youth Group. The All-age Group¡¯s contestants are older and more experienced in cooking, the two different groups are iparable.


    And now Qin Lang, who was first in the Youth Group, is showing a momentum to surpass Qiu Longfei against the trends!


    For a while, many more Spirit Chefs turned their attention to Qin Lang.


    Even Qiu Longfei himself did the same.


    At the moment he heard the vote count, he couldn¡¯t help but frown and started to take the Youth Group seriously, which he had not been overly concerned about before.


    Even if he won the championship under such circumstances, but was surpassed by the first in the Youth Group, he would feel like he didn¡¯t live up to his name. After the ranking announcement, it was the second round of booth adjustment. Compared to the adjustment rule in the morning, this time, the Spirit Chefs would have more autonomy.


    As the defending champion of the Youth Group, Qin Lang could choose to stick to his current stall or switch to one of the other five other best stalls nearby the boarding tforms, which was equivalent to ateral transfer.


    But Qin Lang chose the former.


    Switching ces and re-establishing the eating utensils afterwards seemed a waste of time.


    There was nothing wrong with staying at the current spot.


    Under the circumstances of a small change in ranking, the choices of the majority of the Spirit Chefs were consistent with Qin Lang.


    However, some Spirit Chefs had drastic changes in rankings and needed adjustment.


    At the center of the deck, Luo Xian hummed a nameless tune, cheerfully pushing the stall car under the guide of the staff, and adjusted his stall to be closer to one of the boarding tforms.


    People tend to only focus on First ce, and even the second-ce Spirit Chef can hardly be remembered by people, let alone him, the goalkeeper who ranked eleventh in the All-age Group.


    Only a minority of people who ranked close to him and fell behind because of him would pay attention to this name, but that¡¯s about it.


    No one realized that a shark that only startedpeting in the second round had mixed in.


    And this shark¡¯s stall in the second round was the worst one out of all.


    During the rest period, Qin Lang prepared dinner for himself and the two little ones. As expected, Shen Qian, Zhou Qing, and Li Hong came to mooch off him. Dinner was a Shrimp and Vermicelli Casserole, and Qin Lang, who was generous with ingredients, added severalrge ck Tiger Shrimps. The smooth vermicelli and the fresh shrimp made the other three people praise endlessly, and in the end, they finished even the soup.


    After her conversation with Qin Lang, Shen Qian had some new ideas about setting up a stall and made corresponding adjustments in the second round in the afternoon.


    Ranked third before their conversation, she was able to secure an excellent stall in the second round, and with the increase in foot traffic and adjustments, she managed to surpass Bai Hongrui, who was second before, and became the new second ce.


    However, the gap in vote count between her and Qin Lang was still significant; pushing at full force, she barely got two thousand votes.


    This made her call Qin Lang a freak while eating his food.


    As for Zhou Qing and Li Hong, these two were fluctuating between nth and 20th in the All-age Group, so they had given up the idea ofpetition and their focus had shifted to discussion and exchange more.


    Li Hong noticed Luo Xian, a Spirit Chef whose name he had never seen before, suddenly dropping into the eleventh ce, but he just thought that thetter had performed exceptionally in the afternoon and didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it.


    After dinner, Shen Qian turned to Qin Lang, ¡°In the uing exchange session, are you still nning to participate as a stall owner?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Qin Lang considered for a moment, then shook his head slightly.


    ¡°Shall we go check out the other stalls together then?¡± Shen Qian lit up, and took the initiative to invite, ¡°I was a stall owner at noon, so I didn¡¯t get a chance to try the dishes from other stalls, I heard many of them serve fantastic food!¡±


    ¡°I n to stay at my stall and prepare for the third session tonight.¡± Qin Lang shrugged helplessly, ¡°Trying the food from other Spirit Chefs is important indeed, but ording to my n, that task is for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re staying at the stall, why not just go on and exchange as a stall owner?¡± Zhou Qing curiously spoke from the side.


    ¡°Because I n to experiment with some improvements on the Crab Roe Fried Rice.¡± Qin Lang shrugged, ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t have the time to entertain other Spirit Chefs.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Li Hong put down his bowl, nodding in understanding, ¡°Constantly improving and perfecting dishes, pursuing progress, that¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°But now that we are halfway through the Leaping Fish Banquet, isn¡¯t it a bit risky to suddenly try to improve the dishes?¡± Zhou Qing expressed a different opinion.


    The process of improving dishes will inevitablye with trial and error. Even if the Spirit Chef thinks it¡¯s better after the change, it doesn¡¯t mean the Food Guests will agree.


    Qin Lang has gotten off to such a smooth start, rushing to improve at this point might not be a wise choice.


    ¡°Learning by trial and error does indeed carry some risk under normal circumstances.¡± Qin Lang smiled honestly, ¡°But this afternoon, Ms. Ye Cangqing gave me some pointers, and I want to give them a try.¡± ¡°Who?!¡± Shen Qian, who had been quietly listening, suddenly widened her eyes, ¡°You say Ms. Ye Cangqing gave you some advice?!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded and looked at Shen Qian, ¡°I remember you chose to set


    up a stall at noon, didn¡¯t Ms. Ye Cangqing go to your stall?¡±


    ¡°¡­ She did.¡± Shen Qian suddenly fell silent.


    Ye Cangqing dide.


    She tasted the two dishes that Shen Qian prepared.


    However, throughout the process, she always maintained her gentle smile, without any change of expression, only said ¡°good luck¡± before she left.


    Advice?


    What was that?


    ¡°How did Ms. Ye Cangqing advise you?¡± Zhou Qing seemed a little bit excited.


    ¡°She suggested that I might want to try pairing Snake Orchid, Red Hemp Seeds, and Wooden Crab Fight with crab roe during the frying process, which is what I¡¯ll be trying next.¡± Qin Lang pointed to a big bag of spices next to him, ¡°I¡¯ve got them already.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhou Qing nodded in understanding, ¡°In that case, go ahead with your ns!¡±


    Once he found out that Qin Lang had received advice from Ms. Ye Cangqing,


    Zhou Qing naturally changed his opinion.


    The advice from a third-level Food Rmender was hard toe by.


    An electric bell rang through the air above the deck.


    That signaled the start of the exchange session.


    Once they learned what Qin Lang¡¯s arrangements were, the three of Shen Qian left without lingering, saying their goodbyes, and went to exchange ording to their own ns and ideas.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang looked at his two excited little ones.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started too!¡±


    Quick Links: [Monthly Tickets][Rmended Votes]

 Chapter 261: Innovation

    Chapter 261: Innovation


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    [May Leave Recement Update]


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it one by one, starting with the snake orchid.¡±


    Qin Lang opened therge bag on the table, and took out one of the three small bags from inside.


    In the bag was a spice that looked like dried flowers, its petals long and curved like a coiled snake.


    This spice exhibited a deep purple appearance, and when brought close to the nose, one could smell a scent somewhat simr to citrus.


    This was Snake Orchid, a spice that does not exist on Earth, but is quitemon in this world.


    A quick understanding of it emerged in Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    Snake orchid, is neutral in nature, slightly sour, and has a citrusy aroma.


    Adding it to the cooking process of the crab powder¡­


    In a sh, Qin Lang already had an idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shell the crab first.¡± He gave the steamed hairy crab, which was ready under Cooking eleration, to Dan Bao, and then started to heat oil in the pan.


    With Dan Bao¡¯s adeptness at shelling crabs, by the time the oil was heated, the hairy crab had already been dissected into crab roe, crab paste, crab meat, and crab shells.


    He started by adding crab shells to the hot oil, initiating the stir frying and cooking process of the crab oil.


    Masterfully exploiting Cooking eleration again, the hot oil in the pot turned from its original golden hue to an enticing bright red at a rate visible to the naked eye over low heat.


    After removing the crab shells, Qin Lang grabbed about ten snake orchid stems and fried them together with the minced ginger, which is used in the cooking process of crab powder.


    With the sizzling of oil, an unusual aroma burst forth under the stimtion of the hot oil, aggressively rushing to the face with the rising heat.


    The eyes of Qin Lang and the two little ones lit up at the same time.


    Having jointly prepared crab powder many times, they were already well versed in the taste of each cooking step and corresponding semi-finished product.


    But the aroma that emanated after adding snake orchid waspletely different from that of adding only minced ginger before!


    The aroma of minced ginger was permeated with strands of citrus scent, and at the same time, another mysterious and elusive aroma was present.


    The taste of snake orchid is only simr to citrus. As a spice, it naturally has its own unique vour.


    Identifying this faint exotic aroma, a smile emerged on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    This aroma was not unfamiliar to him.


    Although he had never added this spice to his own cooking before, he had encountered its vor numerous times in the many local delicacies that he had tasted in the past.


    Who knows what kind of change the taste of snake orchid will bring to crab powder after the cooking of crab powder ispletely finished.


    After frying the aroma out, Qin Lang neatly took out the increasingly shrivelled andpletely ckened Snake Orchid and the golden fried ginger, and then added the crab roe and crab paste.


    Considering the slight sourness of the snake orchid itself, Qin Lang slightly reduced the amount of vinegar in the process of cooking the crab powder. The other steps were exactly the same as those in the normal cooking process of crab powder.


    Soon, a te of crab powder, which seemed to have no changes on the surface, was ready.


    But smelling a faint additional exotic fragrance from the crab powder, Qin Lang knew that the vor of this crab powder must be different from the original one.


    ¡°Have a taste.¡± Qin Lang served it to the two little ones, and then began to taste


    it himself.


    The next moment, the eyes of one person and two spirits brightened simultaneously.


    As the two little ones eat Qin Lang¡¯s cooked food every day, their taste buds have be picky, and they have unknowingly developed a not weak food appreciation ability.


    As for Qin Lang, as a chef, he was certainly notcking in this respect.


    They quickly realized the difference between the modified version of crab powder and the original form.


    ¡°Does it taste a little like crab-stuffed oranges?¡± Qin Lang tasted it and spoke thoughtfully.


    Citrus and crab can make a good pairing, a fact proven by the dish Crab-Stuffed Orange.


    At this moment, the inherent smell of Snake Orchid, giving off essence of citrus, perfectly blends into the crab roe, granting it a unique hint of fresh sweetness. This sweetnessplements the natural taste of the crab, making it even more appealing and appetising.


    However, there is a notable difference.


    During this process, the gentle fragrance of Snake Orchid ys an interesting part. It acts like a glue, binding together two distinct vors and giving the crab roe a peculiar aftertaste.


    With its help, the taste of crab roe has indeed taken a mini leap.


    If quantified by the vor Value, this improvement would be at least a vor Value+5-


    ¡°Let¡¯s try the remaining two herbs!¡± said Qin Lang, eager to see more of his dish¡¯s enhancement since Ye Cangqing¡¯s suggestion turned out to be valid.


    Soon, the trio gets busy again.


    Red hemp seeds, a special spice that resembles sesame seeds in appearance but differs significantly in taste, possesses a deliciously strong fragrance of dried chili and can enkindle the unique, spicy numbing vor of Szechuan peppercorn. When added to the crab roe, the roe would carry a hint of hot taste. It gives a sensation of transforming crab roe into spicy crab.


    But after tasting, Qin Lang had to admit: it matched perfectly with rice.


    The distinctive spicy numbness, as long as appropriately used, doesn¡¯t ruin the deliciousness of the crab roe at all. The spicy numbness would be a delight for guests who enjoy spicy food.


    Although making spicy crab roe fried rice might seem unconventional, as spicy taste is rarely added in this local dish, Qin Lang from another world dered ¨C I am the mainstream!


    As for the Wooden Crab Fight, that gave Qin Lang a different kind of surprise. This is a chunky spice, crimson on the outside and looking a lot like a cooked crab at first nce.


    Its vor is also unique, somewhat a blend of sweet ginger and chili sauce. When chopped and mixed with crab oil for stir-frying, its vor transforms into something magical. Once it mingles with the crab¡¯s savouriness, the transformation brings about a synergy that¡¯s more than the sum of its parts. When added individually as a spice, Wooden Crab Fight delivers the greatest boost in vor!


    After trying out all three spices, Qin Lang¡¯s work is far fromplete.


    He still needs to try pairing the spices in a two-by-twobination and see if he can use all three at once¡­


    Only when the electric bell sounded again, announcing the end of themunication phase and the start of the evening¡¯s third operation, did Qin Lang snapped back from his intense experimentation.


    What¡¯s unfortunate is that the Snake Orchid is ipatible with the other two spices.


    When its vor shes with the hot taste, they seem to harm each other, unable to coexist.


    However, red hemp seeds can be paired with Wooden Crab Fight.


    While the former is primarily known for its numb spiciness, thetter also carries a hint of spiciness.


    Merging the vors of these two spices could further enhance the taste. Therefore, it¡¯s quite clear what Qin Lang needs to choose.


    He has decided to embark on the unconventional journey of making spicy crab roe fried rice!


    After deciding on the spices pairing, Qin Lang conducts some ratio testing and finally figures out the proportion for preparing the two spices.


    It may not be the best, but it¡¯s definitely the best he can do in such a short timeframe.


    Looking at the approaching cruise ship under the evening glow, Qin Lang is full of anticipation.


    He wonders how the guests would react to the newly-formted Crab Roe Fried Rice.


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 Chapter 262: Feedback

    Chapter 262: Feedback


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Hello, here is your crab roe fried rice order.¡±


    With a smile, Qin Lang handed a te of crab roe fried rice to the customer at the front of the queue, a touch of nervousness and anticipation flitting across his face.


    He didn¡¯t immediately ask Dan Bao to prepare the order for the next customer, but patiently waited for this customer to finish eating before asking with a faint smile, ¡°How does it taste?¡±


    The reason he was so attentive was that this customer was the first one of the third evening service.


    The dish this customer was tasting was the crab roe fried rice that Qin Lang had tweaked ording to the advice of Ms. Ye Cangqing during his downtime.


    Aside from himself, the customer before him was the very first taster.


    Even though he had reached the level of Special ss 1 chef in his previous life, Qin Lang still maintained a humble and cautious attitude towards his own innovations.


    The feedback from the customer at hand was, therefore, very important to him.


    The customer with the crab roe fried rice was Ma Pai, an office worker with a keen interest in delicious food.


    Having a strong interest in the Leaping Fish Banquet but being bound by work during the day, he could only keep updated about the banquet while at his workce.


    Such anticipation was like an itch in his heart that he could not scratch, distracting him so much that he was almost reprimanded by his boss.


    So, the moment he got off work, Ma Pai rushed to the pier. After queuing for more than an hour, he was finally able to board the first boat for the third evening service.


    It was not as though he had been idling all day. Even though he had never personally attended the Leaping Fish Banquet, Ma Pai already had a target dish in mind.


    That was a dish called crab roe fried rice, cooked by a Spirit Chef named Qin Lang.


    Thanks to the detailed article written by Jiang Qianyi about Qin Lang, who had been crowned first in the Youth Group, his poprity and discussion rate online skyrocketed within a day.


    This surge in poprity experienced another surge when he remained in first ce even after the second round, his score dangerously close to that of the champion in the All-age Group.


    Such a dark horse who had shaken the foundation of thepetition could not be foreign to Ma Pai.


    Through discussions and reviews from customers who had tasted Qin Lang¡¯s dishes, Ma Pai, who had yet to try any of them himself, could already imagine how delicious they would be.


    Ma Pai loved eating crab, but unlike other crab lovers, he only loved crab roe and crab paste.


    It was not that he didn¡¯t enjoy crab meat, it was simply because he wasn¡¯t well- versed in opening up a crab, which could be a bit of a hassle.


    As a result, he was instantly interested in the dish, whichbined crab roe, crab paste, and crab meat cooked together.


    At this moment, he swallowed his saliva as he stared at the delicacy before him.


    He had been waiting for this the entire day and he could finally taste it.


    As for the unusual courtesy shown by Qin Lang at this moment, as a new customer, he didn¡¯t notice it at all. He still assumed that the Spirit Chef was always this courteous, and didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    After greedily savoring the rich aroma of crab in the air, Ma Pai unhesitatingly brought the crab roe fried rice to his mouth.


    He had a big mouth, and the exquisite little bowl was emptied in just one mouthful.


    With every chew, his eyes bulged and an expression of joy and contentment spread across his face.


    The delicious and strong vor of the crab roe and crab paste filled his mouth the instant he tasted it, with the fine texture of the crab meat clearly identifiable but not a hint of it getting stuck in his teeth. With a tiny bit of force, it melted in his mouth.


    As he continued to chew, the rice mixed perfectly with it all, and the astonishment he felt became increasingly profound.


    What made Ma Pai even more excited was the spicy aroma that could be felt throughout the tasting process.


    The spicy aroma blended perfectly with the fresh taste of crab,plementing each other without diluting any vors. Instead, it intensified the taste, leaving his taste buds thoroughly satisfied.


    Wait ¨C spicy aroma?


    A look of confusion came over Ma Pai¡¯s face.


    He had read quite a few reviews and descriptions about this crab roe fried rice dish. Although these reviews came from different perspectives, the content was pretty much the same.


    He was certain that none of these write-ups mentioned any spicy aroma in the crab roe fried rice.


    Such a distinct vor and none of the reviewers had pointed it out?


    That gave Ma Pai the feeling that he too could be a good food reviewer.


    ¡°How does it taste?¡±


    Ma Pai was still considering this question when Qin Lang¡¯s query caught his attention.


    The taste?


    Did that even need asking?


    ¡°I really like its taste!¡± Ma Pai responded without hesitation before straightening up slightly and adding, ¡°I think the hint of spiciness is simply the icing on the cake!¡±


    That was something the other food reviewers did not mention.


    Nobody else mentioned it, and only he did.


    The feeling of superiority made Ma Pai feel quite content.


    A hint of relief shed across Qin Lang¡¯s face. He was about to exin how the crab roe fried rice was modified for the third evening service, but someone beat him to it.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with your taste buds?¡± Yan Chao, who was standing not far behind Ma Pai, couldn¡¯t help but retort upon hearing Ma Pai¡¯s evaluation.


    No one else could im he had tasted the crab roe fried rice as much as Yan Chao. He staked his reputation that there were not many people in the ce who had tasted the dish as often as he had.


    After all, even before the Leaping Fish Banquet had started, he had been trying the dish from Qin Lang¡¯s stall for ten consecutive days!


    So, Yan Chao was certain there was definitely no spicy aroma present in the crab roe fried rice. The fresh taste of the crab, in fact, came with a slight sweetness.


    The guy who¡¯d given the previous evaluation was simply talking nonsense!


    As an old customer, Yan Chao had noticed something was off the moment Qin Lang handed the crab roe fried rice to Ma Pai.


    His Boss Qin was usually not so considerate towards his customers. Seeing Qin Lang dy serving the other customers to wait for Ma Pai to taste the food, Yan Chao concluded that Boss Qin was giving Ma Pai special treatment.


    Therefore, he wrongfully thought Ma Pai must be an influential foodie.


    The evaluation Ma Pai gave, however, waspletely unexpected.


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten crab roe fried rice so many times, and not once did I taste any spiciness.¡± Yan Chao tilted his head slightly, ¡°Even before the Leaping Fish Banquet, I had already tasted Boss Qin¡¯s cooking many times!¡±


    Thetter part of Yan Chao¡¯s statement made his argument much more convincing.


    The other customers who did not know the truth were now looking at the first reviewer, Ma Pai, in a strange way.


    ¡°Hmph! That must be because your taste buds are faulty,¡± Ma Pai shot back, straightening his back even more. ¡°The spicy aroma is so obvious, how could you not taste it?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Ma Pai¡¯s words, in Yan Chao¡¯s opinion, were nothing but stubbornness. But before he coulde up with a retort, Qin Lang stepped in.


    ¡°Um, both of you, please stop arguing.¡± Qin Lang wore an odd expression, having not expected such a controversy to arise.


    ¡°Boss Qin, you tell us! Who¡¯s right?¡± Ma Pai couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Yan Chao too, looked over.


    The details of the dish were most familiar to Qin Lang, who thus had the most authority to judge.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± With a helpless shrug, Qin Lang said, ¡°Both of you are right.¡±


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 Chapter 263: Hot Discussion

    Chapter 263: Hot Discussion


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Improvements to the Crabmeat Fried Rice?!¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s exnation, Yan Chao and Ma Pai both gasped in surprise, as did the other food guests in the front of the line, their faces revealing expressions of astonishment.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°After interactions with other Spirit Chefs and guidance from Ms. Ye Cangqing, I had some new thoughts regarding the Crabmeat Fried Rice.¡±


    ¡°On the original basis, I made some adjustments to the ingredients of the Crabmeat Fried Rice, adding a bit of spicy vor to the taste.¡±


    Qin Langughed a bit embarrassedly, ¡°This is quite a bold experiment, so I hope that everyone can give me your feedback after tasting, allowing me to improve.¡±


    Adding spicy vor into the Crabmeat Fried Rice, if it had been in his former world, would definitely have been attacked and resisted by some traditionalists.


    So, as Qin Lang said, this was indeed a bold attempt.


    But in the eyes of other food guests, it was not quite the same.


    They could only marvel at the young and handsome Spirit Chef, who was also so modest, despite his great culinary skills.


    ¡°Boss Qin, you¡¯re too modest.¡±, even though I haven¡¯t tasted the previous version, I believe this improvement is a sess!¡±


    Ma Pai confidently spoke, then looked toward Yan Chao, who was arguing with him just now, ¡°Sorry, I was unaware that Boss Qin had improved the Crabmeat Fried Rice.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize, no need to apologize.¡± Yan Chao jovially replied, ¡°Who could have guessed that Boss Qin would improve his dish?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I would discover such a surprise on my return tonight.¡± He looked at Qin Lang with a hint of anticipation, ¡°Boss Qin, I will definitely give you my feedback, so can I get a serving of the Crabmeat Fried Rice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I also want to try it!¡±


    ¡°Give me one too!¡±


    The other customers around chimed in.


    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡± Qin Lang signaled Dan Bao with a nce.


    Understanding, Dan Bao began to serve the food with Thought Waves, just like in the afternoon.


    Soon, Yan Chao received hispletely new Crabmeat Fried Rice.


    ¡°Bro, tell us what¡¯s differentpared to the original version.¡± Ma Pai, who hadn¡¯t left yet, encouraged him to speak with a grin.


    Even though the new Crabmeat Fried Rice is better, not being able to taste the original version still left him with a touch of regret.


    This regret turned into a profound curiosity, which could be fulfilled with the words of the customer in front of him, who imed to have tasted the Crabmeat Fried Rice multiple times.


    The other customers felt the same.


    Being able to be the first in line to taste Qin Lang¡¯s food meant they either loved Crabmeat Fried Rice or were very curious about it.


    Like Ma Pai, they too hadn¡¯t tasted the original version.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± With so many people watching, Yan Chao¡¯s movements slowed down a bit.


    First, he carefully examined the appearance of the Spicy Crabmeat Fried Rice and then nodded slightly, ¡°On the outside, there¡¯s almost no difference from the original Crabmeat Fried Rice.¡±


    ¡°But in terms of vor.¡± Yan Chao sniffed a bit closer, ¡°There truly is a hint of spicy scent that wasn¡¯t there before.¡±


    Afterparing the appearance and smell, he, holding back his eagerness, finally took a big bite of the Crabmeat Fried Rice.


    ¡°Wow~¡±


    Just like Ma Pai, Yan Chao finished the serving of Crabmeat Fried Rice in one bite.


    However, he chewed slowly, his face showing a mix of entrancement, contemtion and surprise.


    This vor¡­


    Once it entered the mouth, the spicy vor that exploded was far clearer than the one he¡¯d smelled before. Yet it did not overshadow the delicious natural vor of the crab, but rather, it enhanced it in a harmonious way.


    Did it taste a bit less sweet?


    Yan Chao carefully savored it.


    In the previous Crabmeat Fried Rice, apart from the natural sweet vor of the crab, there was an additional hint of sweetness.


    When Qin Lang cooked the crab, he didn¡¯t hide anything. Yan Chao had once seen Qin Lang cook the crab and he added a bit of white sugar in the process.


    This additional sweetness came from that sugar and it enhanced the vor.


    Maybe during the improvement process, less sugar was added, or perhaps none at all.


    Yan Chao spected in his mind.


    However, he was only a foodie and couldn¡¯t discern more than this. Apart from noticing this single change, the remaining feeling was just¡­


    Delicious!


    The impression of the original Crabmeat Fried Rice was now swiftly reced by the Spicy Crabmeat Fried Rice in Yan Chao¡¯s mind.


    As Ma Pai had mentioned, this spiciness was like the final touch to a dragon painting. The taste not only awakened the taste buds but also made the Crabmeat Fried Rice even more delicious.


    ¡°The improved version is better than the original!¡± After tasting, Yan Chao gave his judgement.


    Following that, he couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration.


    The original Crabmeat Fried Rice was already tremendously breathtaking, yet incredibly Boss Qin could take it a step further based on that. Although he received guidance from Miss Ye Cangqing, his inborn talent for culinary arts cannot be concealed.


    Seeing Qin Lang, who was younger than his own son, Yan Chao was ovee with emotion.


    Simultaneously, the news that Qin Lang¡¯s Crabmeat Fried Rice had been improved, and that the spicy version was better than the original, spread from the front to the back of the line.


    Little Orange and Yibu at the end of the queue exchanged nces.


    After tasting in the afternoon, the two women decided to keep eating on the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡± that evening.


    They were both unanimous about what to eat first.


    That was Qin Lang¡¯s Crabmeat Fried Rice!


    Now, before they could eat it, the two of them received such astonishing news.


    They were extremely surprised.


    Simrly surprised were the viewers in Little Orange¡¯s live streaming room.


    Yes, Little Orange started live streaming again in the evening.


    After clearly hearing the discussions from the front via her audio device, the live chat started scrolling rapidly.


    (I haven¡¯t even tasted the original version, and you¡¯re telling me there¡¯s now a spicy version?)


    (Thank goodness I tasted the original version this afternoon. I have no regrets now!)


    (Please reveal your address immediately, will ship some local specialties to you.)


    (I¡¯m still at the pier. I should be able to taste the spicy version tonight. Exciting!)


    (¡­)


    In the morning live stream, Qin Lang was an unknown youngster. But as the day went by, he has quickly be well-known at the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    There were many viewers in the live streaming room who had tasted the Crabmeat Fried Rice, so when the news of the Crabmeat Fried Rice being improved came out, it immediately stirred up a heated discussion.


    After ncing at the live chat, Little Orange¡¯s face was filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Boss Qin changed the Crabmeat Fried Rice into a spicy version! Even though the previous version was also delicious, it was a bit too subtle for me.¡±


    She loves to eat spicy food.


    But Yibu next to her couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Oh no! I can¡¯t eat spicy food!¡±


    ¡°No problem, you can give your portion to me.¡± Little Orange opened her mouth, grinning, ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to eat it for you reluctantly.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it!¡± Yibu red at her, ¡°For the sake of delicious Crabmeat Fried Rice, I can tolerate a little bit of spiciness!¡±


    Raised on her tiptoes to check the constantly moving queue, a hint of nervousness appeared on Yibu¡¯s face.


    It shouldn¡¯t be too spicy, right?


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 Chapter 264: Hiss Ha

    Chapter 264: Hiss Ha


    Trantor: 549690339


    The two lovely girls didn¡¯t have to wait too long. With Qin Lang¡¯s stall operating smoothly, serving the food guests was not drastically slower than it was in the afternoon.


    While Little Orange was interacting with fans in the live streaming room, the two of them unknowingly moved from the end of the queue to the front.


    Due to the request of the followers, the camera in the live streaming room was no longer focused on Little Orange¡¯s youthful and pretty face, but on the close-up of Qin Lang¡¯s busy stall.


    Little Orange grumbled indignantly off-screen, ¡°This is my live streaming room eh! You all don¡¯t want to watch me but want to see Boss Qin instead!¡± (We can see Orange every day, but each sight of Boss Qin is precious.) (Orange, you need to recognise the fact that this is clearly Boss Qin¡¯s exclusive stall live streaming room.)


    (I couldn¡¯t agree more with thement above; how dare you, Little Orange! You¡¯re trying to im Boss Qin¡¯s live streaming room for yourself!)


    (¡­)


    Using another phone to ess the live streaming room, Little Orange saw the scrollingments, scrunched up her nose cutely, and snatched the selfie stick from Yibu¡¯s hand, ¡°You audacious followers, you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, a loud explosion echoed in the live streaming room as a special effect of an aircraft carrier taking off exploded onto the screen.


    Colorfulments zooming past in a stream: ¡°I want to see Boss Qin.¡±


    ¡°You guys are right.¡± Little Orange casually refocused the camera on Qin Lang¡¯s stall. ¡°Wee to Boss Qin¡¯s stall live streaming room, I¡¯m your live stream secretary, Little Orange.¡±


    Her quick change in attitude revved up the energy in the room, adding to the lively atmosphere.


    Amidst theughter, Little Orange and Yibu found themselves at the front of the stall.


    There were no other food guests in front of them, which excited Little Orange, while Yibu looked a little nervous.


    ¡°Boss Qin, two servings of crab roe fried rice please!¡± Little Orange waved, showing her cute dimples.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Qin Lang calmly replied, and then added, ¡°The crab roe fried rice has been adjusted. Feel free to give feedback after tasting.¡±


    He remembered some of the customers who had bought crab roe fried rice from the stall in the morning and afternoon, and he would always mention this to them when they returned for another taste.


    Noticing the selfie stick in Little Orange¡¯s hand, Qin Lang had a thought.


    The live stream had started? This was indeed good news.


    Through the live stream, the news of the crab roe fried rice being improved could spread faster, saving him the trouble of exining repeatedly.


    Although in front of the camera, Qin Lang was still calmly working, and soon two servings of the improved crab roe fried rice slowly flew to Little Orange and Yibu, controlled by the Thought Waves of Dan Bao.


    ¡°Everyone, this is the new crab roe fried rice!¡± When it came to the tasting section, Little Orange aimed the camera at the crab roe fried rice, giving a high- definition close-up shot.


    The small portion of crab roe fried rice, only the size of a fist, took up most of the live streaming screen when the camera zoomed in. The enticing sheen of the crab roe under the night light energized everyone in the live streaming room, eliciting exmations.


    (I thought I wouldn¡¯t be tempted after tasting the crab roe fried rice, but look, I¡¯m more eager now!)


    (Just by looking at the screen, I can taste the crab roe fried rice again. So frustrating!)


    (Currently in line at the pier, jumping up and down impatiently!)


    (The guy jumping on the pier, so that¡¯s you!)


    (¡­)


    On the surface, it doesn¡¯t look much different from the previous version.¡± Suppressing her desire to dig in, Little Orange introduced it to the followers who hadn¡¯t tried the new version, ¡°But if you pay attention, you can smell a hint of spicy fragrance that wasn¡¯t there before.¡±


    After a deep sniff, Little Orange¡¯s face instantly immersed in bliss.


    As a spice lover, just smelling it made her feel like she was being conquered by this dish.


    Amazing!


    Meanwhile, Yibu looked torn with craving but also apprehensive on the other side.


    The crab roe fried rice made by Boss Qin still had the familiar enticing aroma, but the clear hint of spiciness made Yibu, who couldn¡¯t handle spicy food, hesitate even more.


    To eat or not to eat¡­


    While she was hesitating, Little Orange couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    ¡°Next, I¡¯ll taste it for you all to see what¡¯s different about this improved crab roe fried rice!¡± Little Orange spoke to the camera, adjusted the selfie stick, and started eating with both hands free!


    Immediately after, Yibu and countless followers in the live streaming room watched as Little Orange quickly finished the small bowl of rice, showed the iconic blissful expression, relished the taste for a while, then suddenly opened her eyes wide, ¡°Incredible!¡±


    ¡°The spicy vor is just right. Not only does it blend seamlessly with the original taste of the crab roe, but it also brings out a richer seafood vor in the crab roe. With the rice, it gives me an elevated feeling!¡±


    ¡°I dere, the original crab roe fried rice has lost favour in my eyes! The improved version of crab roe fried rice is the real treasure!¡±


    Little Orange¡¯s impulsive words coupled with her vivid expressions were undoubtedly persuasive, immediately firing up the discussion in thements section.


    (In line at the pier, jumping up and down impatiently once again!)


    (In line at the pier, I met a fellow brother, now we¡¯re jumping up and down together!)


    (Although I haven¡¯t tried the original, I can¡¯t miss the improved crab roe fried rice. I¡¯m taking a night flight to Yue Hu City!)


    (I¡¯m trekking to Yue Hu City overnight!)


    (¡­)


    Meanwhile, Yibu on the other side, under the impact of Little Orange¡¯s evaluation and the tempting aroma, hadpletely made up her mind.


    Without any more hesitation, she scooped up a big spoonful of crab roe fried rice and put it in her mouth!


    Hmm!


    The next moment, Yibu¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    As the crab roe fried rice hit her pte, a familiar taste with a hint of novelty instantly exploded in her mouth.


    It was a brand new experience that was more delicious than the previous crab roe fried rice. Itpletely conquered Yibu¡¯s taste buds in an instant, as if she was immersed in a kingdom of crabs, her face immersed in bliss.


    It was only after finishing the fried rice that Yibu btedly felt a burning sensation in her mouth.


    A burst of heat spread through her body, apanied by beads of sweat that unknowingly broke out all over her body, a thin flush quickly spread over her pale face.


    ¡°His~Ha~¡±


    Unable to bear it, Yibu took a deep breath to cool the burning sensation in her mouth.


    ¡°You okay, Yibu?¡± Although Little Orange was streaming live, she kept a close watch on her friend who couldn¡¯t handle spicy food. Seeing Yibu¡¯s unusual reaction, she asked with concern.


    I m okay.¡± Yibu smacked her lips. After the spiciness had passed, she felt an irresistible longing, ¡°I want¡­ another serving?¡±


    (Sessfully defended my thesis, typing at the speed of life or death, another updateing up shortly)


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 Chapter 265 - 265 Dark Horse

    Chapter 265 Dark Horse


    Trantor: 549690339


    In the end, Yibu didn¡¯t order another Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    Because during the queueing process of the two girls to taste, the long line behind them had already made it impossible to see the end at a nce.


    Even though Qin Lang had significantly improved his speed of serving food guests, they would still have to wait for over twenty minutes if they were to re-queue.


    The two girls had ns to taste some new dishes tonight, so they decided toe back next time.


    However, after tasting the upgraded version of Crab Roe Fried Rice, Yibu seemed to have turned on some strange switch.


    During the subsequent tasting of other dishes, Yibu no longer rejected spicy food, but instead actively requested to taste it with Little Orange.


    Although a slight spiciness would make her face red and pant heavily, Yibu seemed to be irresistibly drawn to the food, repeating this process in front of her fans in the live streaming room, resulting in an explosive show.


    Qin Lang, who was too busy to even clone himself, would not know about Yibu¡¯s newly acquired taste for spicy food after trying the spicy version of Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    Nighttime business was better than daytime.


    On weekdays, more customers came in the evening than during the day. Knowing that Qin Lang had improved his Crab Roe Fried Rice, those who had tried it before decided toe again.


    Both new and old food guests arrived, leaving Qin Lang¡¯s stall in a rather awkward situation.


    He sold out of ingredients.


    Even though he had prepared more ingredients than for the afternoon session, the ingredients for the Crab Roe Fried Rice sold out before the end of the third session.


    Luckily, there were only several minutes left before the end, so the impact was minimal.


    The remaining guests, disappointed, chose to take away the Gravy Seafood instead.


    This caused the Gravy Seafood, which was normally not sold out in one night, to disappear at an extremely fast rate, leaving the ss cylinders empty.


    ¡°Ding ¡±


    The sound of the electric bell echoed over the deck of the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship,¡± signaling the end of the third session.


    ¡°Last pound, just right.¡± Thest guest standing before Qin Langughed, taking a pound of Gravy Seafood from Qin Lang. ¡°I¡¯lle and line up earlier tomorrow, I must try this Crab Roe Fried Rice!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare more for tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang wiped sweat he didn¡¯t have from his forehead, heaving a sigh of relief while looking at his stall, which was now left with only empty ss cylinders.


    It was horrifying.


    He thought that improving the Crab Roe Fried Rice at night would have some impact on its sales and had even prepared for leftovers.


    Unexpectedly, there was indeed an impact, but it waspletely opposite to what he had anticipated.


    It was already a weekend tomorrow and the day after, and the customer flow would be even more terrifying than today. It seems he needs to prepare more ingredients aspared to tonight.


    Seeing the customers leaving under the guidance of the staff, Qin Lang smiled.


    During tonight¡¯s business, the majority of the guests stated that the new Crab Roe Fried Rice was more delicious, which was enough to prove that his improvement was a sess.


    However, different voices also existed.


    A small number of guests expressed that the new dish was tasty, but they preferred the original taste.


    So, Qin Lang had a new idea.


    That was to provide two versions of Crab Roe Fried Rice for guests to choose from during tomorrow¡¯s business.


    The reason why this was not done today was mainly due to the limitations of the cooking environment.


    Each time Crab Roe Fried Rice was fried, arge pot was required. To provide different versions, two different types of Crab Roe needed to be fried.


    This required two stoves, but Qin Lang¡¯s stall car only had one.


    It should not be a problem to add another stove temporarily after negotiating with the staff tomorrow.


    He can also prepare Crab Vinegar for guests with different tastes to add by themselves.


    Previously, he didn¡¯t add vinegar mainly because he was already busy, and adding another workload would be too much. After all, different guests have different tastes, and asking each of them ¡°Do you want vinegar?¡± would waste a lot of time.


    However, after learning about the situation of other vendors from his customers tonight, Qin Lang realized that this issue could be easily solved by simply leaving it to the customers.


    Just ce the vinegar on the table,bel it ¡°Add at your own discretion,¡± and let the customers handle it themselves.


    If they like vinegar, they can add more, if they don¡¯t, they can add less or not add at all. Even if their cooking skills aren¡¯t good, it¡¯s not too difficult for the customers to handle this simple task.


    He stillcks experience in managing a stall!


    ¡°Spirit Chefs, hello everyone!¡±


    While Qin Lang was pondering, the customers staying on the deck had already left in an orderly manner under the guidance of the staff, leaving only the stall owners and their stalls.


    Ye Cangqing¡¯s gentle voice echoed throughout the deck with the help of the loudspeaker, attracting everyone¡¯s attention to the High tform at the center of the deck.


    ¡°The first day of operations is over, I saw your hard work, and also saw the satisfied smiles of the customers.¡± Ye Cangqing said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°I trust that you have all gained something from this hard work.¡±


    ¡°Now, I will announce the ranking of the Leaping Fish Banquet on the first day!¡±


    Here ites!


    All the Spirit Chefs¡¯ hearts skipped a beat.


    Although a temporary ranking is announced after each session, the ticket ranking on the first day is obviously more important.


    ¡°The ranking of the Youth Group is as follows.¡± Ye Cangqing slightly paused.


    A look of anticipation shed across Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Judging from the feedback received from the improved Crab Roe Fried Rice, he should still be in the first ce. However, it¡¯s still unclear what the exact number of votes is.


    ¡°First ce, Qin Lang, 10,232 votes!¡±


    This horrifying number of votes caused a gasp from the other Spirit Chefs.


    At the end of the second session, Qin Lang¡¯s votes were barely close to four thousand, but he managed to garner more than six thousand votes in just the third session alone?!


    He has broken the ten-thousand mark!


    Qin Lang took a deep breath, a joyful expression ying across his face.


    As for the reason for the sudden increase in votes, he had vaguely guessed it.


    It¡¯s because of the improved Crab Roe Fried Rice!


    Each guest received one vote each time they boarded the ship, so the same guest could receive up to three votes on the first day.


    This is why the number of votes increases over time, as old customers also vote for their favourite food with their newly acquired votes.


    Improving the food, and sessfully at that, naturally garnered more votes from the old customers.


    Not caring about the whispers below, Ye Cangqing on the high tform calmly spoke, ¡°Second ce, Shen Qian, 4,256 votes!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± On the other side of the deck, a nervous Shen Qian waved her hand excitedly.


    After the third session, her votes had doubled, and this already made her very satisfied.


    Then, Ye Cangqing continued to announce the ticket rankings of the other Spirit Chefs in the Youth Group. Bai Hongrui was still third, but the gap between him and Shen Qian had widened to over five hundred votes.


    After announcing the ranking of the Youth Group, Ye Cangqing began to announce the ranking of the All-age Group.


    With just one sentence, an uproar broke out on the deck.


    ¡°First ce, Luo Xian, 10,023 votes.¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Vote] [Rmendation Vote]

 Chapter 266: Chuunibyou

    Chapter 266: Chuunibyou


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    [Resumption of updates in May]


    In a wave of astonishment, a middle-aged man located somewhere on the deck slowly lifted his head.


    He was Qiu Longfei, who had got the most votes in the All-age Group in the previous two rounds.


    At this moment, Qiu Longfei waspletely bewildered.


    Having fewer votes than Qin Lang, the first-ce winner in the Youth Group, was already outrageous enough.


    What was even more bizarre was that the hosts seemed to have gotten his name wrong.


    The moment Qiu Longfei had this thought, Ms. Ye Cangqing¡¯s voice sounded again.


    ¡°Second ce, Qju Longfei, with 9742 votes.¡±


    Qiu Longfei:


    So, they didn¡¯t misread the names?!


    Qiu Longfei¡¯s gaze suddenly sharpened as he swiftly scanned the surroundings, trying to find the person who had surpassed him, named Luo Xian.


    It didn¡¯t matter anymore that Qin Lang scored higher than he did at this moment, he sensed a more serious threat.


    The prize for the All-age Group winner might not be his anymore!


    However, the name Luo Xian was unfamiliar to most people present. For a while, everyone found it difficult to associate the name with the corresponding Spirit Chef.


    Ms. Ye Cangqing was still announcing the ranks, yet the situation with the first-ce winner of the All-age Group being reced wouldn¡¯t be easily smoothed over.


    In the midst of everyone¡¯s thoughts, the first day¡¯s event concluded.


    ¡°Tomorrow and the day after are weekends. You will face a bigger challenge,¡± Ye Cangqing looked at everyone with a smile on her face and said, ¡°Good luck.¡± After saying that, she turned and left with the other guests.


    ¡°Phew!¡± Qin Lang stretched and nced at Dan Bao and Spicy who looked quite tired. So, he embraced them both and said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard today. Let¡¯s rest together.¡±


    ¡°Gurulu-¡±


    Great!


    Dan Bao¡¯s yolk-like head nodded, and besides fatigue, there was a trace of joy on its face.


    The training to enhance their Combat Skills was endless. The formation of Combined Battle Skills was just one phase.


    At this moment, it could clearly feel that its proficiency in thought waves had greatly improved after a day of stagnation.


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    I can still continue!


    Spicy nced at Dan Bao and then slightly lifted its head with a slight sense of pride.


    Next to it, the light of two stars seemed to be a little brighter than before.


    Star Power and Starstone can elerate the growth of Food Spirits, but aside from these external factors, Food Spirits can also naturally grow through training.


    Spicy¡¯s workload seemed to be less than Dan Bao¡¯s, but in a day¡¯s work, it had been helping Qin Lang with the stir-frying of Crab Powder over and over again, exhausting its Spiritual Power each time.


    This resulted in its growth being even greater than Dan Bao¡¯s.


    ¡°That¡¯s something for tomorrow,¡± Qin Lang gently patted Spicy¡¯s little head, ¡°Today¡¯s event has ended.¡±


    ¡°To facilitate the Spirit Chefs¡¯ rest, ¡®Yueyu Cruise Ship<sup>1</sup> has prepared a room for the night for every Spirit Chef participating in the Leaping Fish Banquet,¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face was filled with anticipation. ¡°This is a super luxury cruise ship; the rooms they prepare wouldn¡¯t be anything less.¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, the two little ones were just as eager as him.


    After a whole day of exertion, they could finally rest!


    After cleaning up his stall car and leaving it on the deck, Qin Lang was quickly led to his own assigned suite by a staff member.


    This was much better than the hotel he booked himself. Not only were all facilities avable, but the Jumping Fish Lake under the moonlight could also be seen clearly through the window.


    The moonlight was bright, Qin Lang in his pajamas, sat propped against his bed after washing up. Dan Bao and Spicy were perched on either side of him, together with him, they browsed through the news on his phone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that just improving the crab roe fried rice would generate so much discussion.¡± Seeing his name mentioned in many articles rted to the Leaping Fish Banquet, Qin Lang¡¯s face revealed surprise, ¡°No wonder business was so good in the evening.¡±


    You could imagine, business tomorrow will probably be even better than tonight.


    After all, it¡¯s the weekend, among the guests boarding the ship there will be quite a few family groups.


    After all, a family outing aligns perfectly with the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    ¡°We need to work even harder tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang rubbed his cheeks against the two little ones on his shoulders, feeling the ticklish sensation on both sides of his face, and smiling, ¡°As Ms. Ye Cangqing said, tomorrow will bring an even bigger challenge.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    For the two little ones, as long as they were with Qin Lang, even the toughest challenge seemed not at all daunting.


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s another thing we should look out for.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s gaze fell on another news item.


    ¡°Twice overturned first ce? The mysterious dark horse, Luo Xian!¡±


    This was an article introducing the Spirit Chef who ranked first in the all-age group tonight, a person called Luo Xian.


    With Luo Xian bing first in the all-age group, the attention he received suddenly skyrocketed.


    Some observant people noticed from the first round¡¯s ranking list, which didn¡¯t include his name, an astonishing conclusion ¨C this Spirit Chef named Luo Xian, it seems, did not participate in the morning¡¯s first round of business.


    Letting fly in one round, and then reversing to first ce.


    This storyline that even dramas rarely dare to plot was actually unfolding in real life, making the name Luo Xian greatly talked about.


    Qin Lang remembered that after the second round of thepetition, during the break, Li Hong had mentioned him. At that time, his rank was eleventh.


    To get to the eleventh ce with just one round and undesirable stall conditions, and then to scoop up the most on-site votes with his new ranking, surpassing the current first-ce holder in the all-age group, this Spirit Chef named Luo Xian was indeed formidable.


    Qin Lang had a feeling that by the end of tomorrow morning¡¯s first round, the probability of the other party surpassing him in votes would be high.


    After all, the difference in votes between the two was less than two hundred.


    ¡°He sure is a strong opponent.¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help murmuring, ¡°Thankfully, I¡¯m in the youth group, so we aren¡¯t seriouspetitors.¡±


    ¡°As nned, during the two exchange sessions tomorrow, we¡¯ll y the role of food guests, tasting the delicious foods from other Spirit Chefs¡¯ stalls.¡± Qin Lang looked expectant, ¡°If Luo Xian chooses to set up a stall, we¡¯ll be able to taste his delicious food!¡±


    Just after this, he opened another article.


    It was a piece written by a media person who had happened to taste all the dishes Luo Xian served at his stall. At a time when Luo Xian was not yet on anyone¡¯s radar, he randomly tasted those dishes, was greatly amazed, and as a result, wrote down this article.


    With Luo Xian bing famous overnight, this earliest article introducing his dishes suddenly soared in poprity, gaining arge number of likes and shares.


    No doubt that media person must have been on cloud nine.


    However, that¡¯s not the point. The focus is on the three types of dishes introduced in the article, which Luo Xian presented.


    Qin Lang started to read the article attentively.


    The three dishes that Luo Xian served, in order of price from low to high, were Autumn de Lemon, Blue Spear, and Ocean Emblem¡­


    Wait a minute¡­


    Qin Lang raised an eyebrow.


    Why do the dish names of this Spirit Chef called Luo Xian sound a bit pretentious?


    (The list ofst week¡¯s peripheral winners is out, also the list of winners for the Maymemorative gift box, everyone, quickly check if you¡¯ve won)


    (Update madness today! Starting with five chapters!)


    Quick Links: [Monthly votes][Rmendation votes]

 Chapter 267 - 267 Crab Vinegar

    Chapter 267 Crab Vinegar


    Trantor: 549690339 I


    Despite being rtively quirky, Qin Lang had a decent understanding of the three dishes Luo Xian made, thanks to the descriptions in the article.


    At the same time, he also decided that he would definitely taste the food prepared by the other party tomorrow to see how high his culinary skills were. After a long and exhausting day, Qin Lang¡¯s tightly wound spirits suddenly loosened, and an unimaginable fatigue quickly set in.


    After reading the article introducing Luo Xian, he tossed his phone to the side of his bed, cuddled up with the two little creatures, and fell asleep quickly. In a blink of an eye, it was next morning.


    Throughmunication with the staff members, Qin Lang sessfully set up another temporary stove next to the original one at his stall.


    In this way, two kinds of crab roe fried rice with different vors could be provided simultaneously.


    In terms of ingredients, having learned from the experience the day before when he ran out of ingredients prematurely, Qin Lang prepared twice as many ingredients as he did for the third sessionst night.


    After all, whatever was not sold in the morning could still be sold in the afternoon.


    There was still some time before the start of the fourth session, during which Qin Lang was preparing gravy seafood while carrying out another preparation which was not done before.


    That was, preparing crab vinegar.


    Crab vinegar is made from ordinary balsamic vinegar, and the process of making it requires a lot of finesse.


    A good crab vinegar recipe can elevate the taste of crab meat to another level, and since Qin Lang decided to provide crab vinegar to his food guests, he obviously won¡¯t ck off in this aspect.


    ¡°Spicy,e help!¡± Qin Lang called out to Spicy, who was ogling the seafood in the ss tank with envy, thenmenced his work.


    He ced peri leaves and tender ginger at the bottom of the pot, added soy sauce, honey, and water in a 3:1:1 ratio, heated the mixture on low heat until it began to bubble, turned off the heat, strained it, and let it cool.


    When the sauce cooled down to room temperature, he added balsamic vinegar to it in a 1:1 ratio, then stirred it evenly, and finally squeezed in some lime juice. A portion of crab vinegar with a refreshing fruity aroma capable of dispelling the cold and enhancing the freshness of the food was ready.


    He poured the crab vinegar into a prepared vinegar bottle. Qin Lang tasted it and, finding that the structure of the bottle allowed the crab vinegar to flow out evenly, he nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    ¡°Click-¡±


    Noises came from the two little creatures at his side.


    Looking at the two envious little beings, Qin Lang shook his head helplessly. He almost forgot that they had not tried the crab roux fried rice with vinegar. ¡°There¡¯s still some time, let¡¯s fill our stomachs a bit.¡± In no time, Qin Lang fried two pots of original and spicy versions of crab roe and handed out the food to the two little ones after adding a few drops of the crab vinegar, ¡°Have a taste.¡±


    While the two little creatures were cheerfully eating ravenously, he filled up two bowls for himself.


    First, the original version.


    The peculiar sweet-sour taste of crab vinegar infused into the crab roe, instantly activating the rich vour of the crab, enhancing the overall taste and giving it aplementary feel.


    Pairing spicy fried rice with crab vinegar wasn¡¯t bad either.


    The fresh sour taste of lime did not conflict with the wooden crab fight and red hemp seed in the crab roe fried rice. Thebination of the three created a unique blend increasing both the sour and spicy vours and making the original deliciousness of the crab roe clearer.


    It¡¯s such a delicacy that makes your taste buds memorize the vor the first time you taste it.


    ¡°I think the food guests will definitely like it.¡± After tasting, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    The two little creatures, with their faces full of satisfaction, wholeheartedly agreed to this statement.


    ¡°Ding- ¡±


    The electric bell rang.


    Once again, Miss Ye Cangqing made her appearance and, after a few encouraging words, announced the start of the second day of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    In the distance, the cruise ships sailing towards the ¡°Yueyu¡± were now faintly visible.


    A shipload of food guests was about to arrive.


    Aboard a cruise ship heading to the ¡°Yueyu¡±, a man and a woman stood side by side, gazing at theid out ¡°Yueyu¡± gradually erging in their line of sight. The man turned his head to look at Jiang Qianyi, asking with a smile.


    Jiangjiang, which stall are you nning to visit first today?¡±


    ¡±Just strolling around.¡± Jiang Qianyi¡¯s eyes flicked, speaking with a casual tone, ¡°Maybe if I¡¯m lucky, I¡¯ll discover a new dark horse just like you.¡±


    ¡°A dark horse isn¡¯t that easy to find. If a Spirit Chef hasn¡¯t made a name for themselves on the first day, there¡¯s little chance for them on the second day ¡± The man shook his head slightly, a hint of smugness in his eyes.


    Cheng Yuansen, dubbed ¡°Forest¡±, was a writer for another independent media outlet.


    After identally tasting Luo Xian¡¯s cuisine, he wrote an entire article about him. At the time, Luo Xian hadn¡¯t earned the temporary first ce honor, nor had he attracted much attention.


    With Luo Xian¡¯s overnight fame, he too had gained a lot of traffic.


    Cheng Yuansen and Jiang Qianyi used to work together and knew each other, so they chatted together after meeting on the deck.


    ¡°I have seen the articles you¡¯ve written these past two days, none of which mention Luo Xian.¡± Cheng Yuansen smiled faintly, ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, your first destination today should be Luo Xian¡¯s stall.¡±


    ¡°Writing about Luo Xian now, although a littlete, could still attract some traffic. Cheng Yuansen spoke in a suggestive tone.


    After all, he was the first writer to mention Luo Xian.


    Thinking about this, Cheng Yuansen¡¯s back straightened a tad.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Seeing herpanion¡¯s demeanor, Jiang Qianyi responded in her usual nonchnt and casual tone.


    Visit Luo Xian¡¯s stall and write an article about him?


    As a writer for an independent media outlet, Jiang Qianyi would naturally do this, but it wasn¡¯t necessarily her top priority.


    After all, she was already one step behind.


    If she couldn¡¯t discover the dark horse in advance, publishing rted articles would just be catching the tailwind, with little return.


    She had another target instead.


    It was Qin Lang.


    As an independent media writer, Jiang Qianyi had her own sources of information.


    ording to her knowledge, Qin Lang had made some changes to the crab roe fried rice again today after introducing the improved versionst night.


    Jiang Qianyi was more interested in this than in Luo Xian.


    Continually improving dishes at the Leaping Fish Banquet was a risky move.


    What made Qin Lang make such a decision?


    If possible, she even wanted to take a few minutes of his time for an exclusive interview.


    Cheng Yuansen was unaware of Jiang Qianyi¡¯s thoughts.


    Looking at Jiang Qianyi¡¯s indifferent expression, he sneered internally.


    It¡¯s all an act! It must be an act!


    She must be secretly envying his good luck.


    Cheng Yuansen¡¯s interview target for today was also confirmed.


    It would be Qiu Longfei, who was currently ranked temporary second in the all-age group.


    Being surpassed, for the Spirit Chef who had won many honors in the Provincial-level Cooking Competition, must be a difficult thing to bear.


    How would Qiu Longfei respond? What was his opinion on this? If he could understand these, he could write another article that could generate significant heat.


    The two writers each had their own thoughts, revealing nothing.


    Soon, the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡± was within sight.

 Chapter 268: The Bet

    Chapter 268: The Bet


    Trantor: 549690339


    Seeing Jiang Qianyi board the tform, Cheng Yuansen felt a stirring in his heart and calmly spoke.


    ¡± Jiangjiang, how about we make a bet?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jiang Qianyi turned her head to look at Cheng Yuansen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see whose article has the most poprity today.¡± Cheng Yuansen¡¯s voice was tinged with mirth, ¡°The loser treats the winner to dinner.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, saves me dinner money.¡± Jiang Qianyi slightly nodded, indicating her consent to this small bet, then merged into the crowd, quickly disappearing from view.


    Is she that confident?


    Cheng Yuansen was taken aback and then focused his attention in another direction on the deck.


    Next, he was going to meet Qiu Longfei.


    As one of the first food guests to board, Jiang Qianyi didn¡¯t need to wait long before seeing Qin Lang, the familiar figure busying himself at the stall.


    ¡°Hello, Boss Qin!¡± Jiang Qianyi greeted him with a smile, ¡°I heard there are some changes to the Crabmeat Fried Rice today?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Yesterday some guests thought the original version was more delicious, so today I prepared both versions and guests can choose for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have two servings of Crabmeat Fried Rice, one of each kind.¡± Jiang Qianyi didn¡¯t hesitate and then attentively surveyed the situation at the stall.


    Adding a vor seems simple, but Jiang Qianyi, who was somewhat familiar with Qin Lang¡¯s preparation process, knew it was not that easy.


    Seeing the additional stove at the stall, she put on a ¡°just as I thought¡± expression.


    In an already demanding situation, he increased his workload for the feedback


    of a few guests¡­


    Boss Qin really is a conscientious Spirit Chef!


    Jiang Qianyi made a mental note of this, deciding to mention it in the uing article she was writing.


    Then, out of the corner of her eye, Jiang Qianyi spotted something new on the countertop.


    It was a transparent ss bottle filled with a brown liquid.


    There was also a wooden sign next to it.


    ¡°Crab vinegar, to be used with the Crabmeat Fried Rice, self-service.¡±


    Jiang Qianyi¡¯s eyes narrowed instantly.


    Self-service?


    This approach is not umon in street food stalls.


    Given the variety of customer preferences, allowing guests to decide the amount of certain seasonings is quite convenient for the stall owner.


    However, such practices were rare at the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    And for a good reason.


    To a Spirit Chef, the seasoning process is a crucial aspect of cooking.


    Under no circumstances could they leave this step to the guests.


    If the guests added too much or too little seasoning, resulting in a decrease in the dish¡¯s deliciousness, who would be responsible for that?


    Therefore, Qin Lang¡¯s decision was daring in the context of the Leaping Fish


    Banquet.


    Jiang Qianyi had already thought of mentioning this point in her article as it was bound to stir up quite a discussion.


    However, she also had a concern.


    If other Spirit Chefs did not do this, it implied giving the guests a hand was not


    a good idea.


    Qin Lang taking such a bold adjustment was indeed bold, but would it actually yield good results?


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    ¡°Your two servings of Crabmeat Fried Rice, please enjoy.¡± Qin Lang acted as ? Dan Bao¡¯s trantor, ¡°The one in the red bowl is the modified spicy version.¡¯ ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Qianyi snapped back to attention, taking the two servings of Crabmeat Fried Rice, which didn¡¯t look very different on the surface, from Dan


    Bao.


    Inhaling the strong savory scent, a satisfied expression crossed her face.


    This is the scent!


    During the third roundst night, Jiang Qianyi missed out, not being able to taste the spicy Crabmeat Fried Rice.


    ¡°Today she finally got her wish.


    Without any hesitation, Jiang Qianyi was the first to scoop up a spoonful of the original Crab Roe Fried Rice and put it in her mouth.


    The familiar scrumptious vor exploded between her lips and teeth, causing her eyes to narrow in satisfaction and a low hum to escape from her lips.


    Having such delicious Crab Roe Fried Rice when hungry brought her immense satisfaction.


    After having a taste, Jiang Qianyi turned her attention to the Spicy Crabmeat


    Fried Rice.


    Once the taste in her mouth had faded a bit, she tried the improved version forparison.


    Although there had been many discussions about the two versions online, trying the improved version was still a shock to Jiang Qianyi.


    She couldn¡¯t handle spice very well, but the spiciness in the improved Crab Roe Fried Rice wasn¡¯t exaggerated, making it very friendly for her.


    More importantly, the spiciness awakened her taste buds, making the fresh vor of the crab even clearer. It was as if this kick of spice had elevated the Crab Roe Fried Rice to a whole new level.


    This was truly unforgettable.


    Afterparing the original and improved versions, ideas for her article began to form in Jiang Qianyi¡¯s mind.


    Just this alone was enough for her to write 500 words!


    However, there was still one important thing she hadn¡¯t tried yet.


    That was the all-new seasoning called Crab Vinegar.


    Should she help herself¡­


    Jiang Qianyi picked up the vinegar bottle and carefully poured a few drops on the remaining Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    The scent of the refreshing sourness wrapped in the rich aroma of the Crab Roe Fried Rice gave Jiang Qianyi a slight bounce in her spirits.


    There was something unusual about this Crab Vinegar¡­


    As she pondered, she had already scooped up the remaining Crab Roe Fried Rice in the small bowl and put it in her mouth.


    Just like before, she first tried the original version.


    The moment it entered her mouth, Jiang Qianyi squinted her eyes.


    This taste¡­


    The original Crab Roe Fried Rice with Crab Vinegar had a sense of lightness to its rich vor.


    It was as if the originally heavy earth had adorned a deep blue sky, theyers became clearer, and the taste of the Crab Roe Fried Rice became more abundant.


    Jiang Qianyi had thought that Crab Roe Fried Rice was already amazing, but she didn¡¯t expect it to have so many variations.


    Without any hesitation, she put the Spicy Crabmeat Fried Rice with Crab Vinegar in her mouth.


    The very next moment, a look of pleasure appeared on Jiang Qianyi¡¯s face, and her body trembled slightly.


    The taste of Crab Vinegar and spiciness wasn¡¯t a simple sum of one plus one equals two, it was a case of one plus one equals more than two.


    The refreshing sourness, the rich freshness, and the clear spiciness all intertwined, giving Jiang Qianyi the illusion of catching fat Hairy Crabs by Jumping Fish Lake.


    This¡­


    Jiang Qianyi took a deep breath, calming her fluctuating emotions.


    After savoring the two types of Crab Roe Fried Rice, she had not forgotten her original purpose.


    ¡°Boss Qin, can I take a few minutes of your time for a quick interview?¡± Qin Lang nced at the queue that was not too long at the moment, lightly patted the heads of the two little ones, ¡°You two keep going.¡± Then, he took off his apron and stood in front of Jiang Qianyi, ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang had already recognized the person in front of him, who happened to be Jiangjiang, the writer who had written an article about him.


    Spending a few minutes to cooperate with an interview was no big deal.


    ¡°Alright, my first question is¡­¡±


    Jiang Qianyi quickly asked the questions she had prepared in advance.


    Half an hourter, an article titled ¡°Beneath the Four Types of Crab Roe Rice Lies a Strive for Culinary Perfection!¡± was born.


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 Chapter 269: Reaction

    Chapter 269: Reaction


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    [Make-up updates for all my leaves in May]


    ¡°Yibu, where should we start our culinary adventure today?¡±


    On the deck, Little Orange, who is on the third cruise ship to the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡±, turns her head to look at Yibu beside her.


    The selfie stick in her hand was already working, and the live streaming had already begun.


    ¡± Didn¡¯t we agree that we would try the skills of the Spirit Chef named Luo Xian?¡± Yibu hooked Little Orange¡¯s hand with a smile on her face, full of expectation.


    Mmm¡­


    Let¡¯s hope the dishes he prepares are spicy as well!


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Little Orange nodded.


    Luo Xian is currently First ce in the All-Age Group, and this first ce is quite legendary, as he was able to make aeback from behind, so his culinary skills must be very high.


    However, when the viewers in the live streaming room heard the discussion between the two women, they started to stir.


    (Boss Qin: You called someone else sweetie-pie yesterday, and today you¡¯ve thrown yourself into someone else¡¯s arms.)


    (Boss Qin: If Orange is going to act like this, it would be better if she just ignored me. It makes me look like I¡¯m making a fuss over nothing.) (Boss Qin is about to storm the live streaming room!)


    (¡­)


    ¡°What¡¯s this!¡± Looking at the yfulments from viewers in the live streaming room, Little Orange couldn¡¯t help but pout, ¡°Boss Qin wouldn¡¯t do that! After tasting Luo Xian¡¯s delicious food, I still want to line up to taste the improved version of the Crab Roe Fried Rice!


    She is chatting leisurely with the viewers when suddenly Yibu at her side nudges Little Orange¡¯s arm. ¡°Orange, Orange, look at this!


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Orange turned her head to look at the mobile phone screen raised by Yibu. An article title looming big and eye-catching on it.


    ¡°The Four Types of Crab Roe Rice Represent a Relentless Pursuit of Culinary Excellence!¡±


    ¡°Four Types of Crab Roe Rice?!¡± Little Orange blinked her eyes.


    For a moment, the image of Qin Lang appeared in her mind.


    The most popr dish at Qin Lang¡¯s stall has long been one of his trademarks.


    The crab roe fried rice mentioned in this article couldn¡¯t be referring to anything else.


    But¡­


    What the hell is ¡®four types¡¯?


    Including the original version and the improved version, there are only two types altogether, right?


    This string of titles also appeared in the live streaming room, triggering a lot of discussion among thements.


    Clearly, Little Orange isn¡¯t the only one who is confused.


    Just then, ament caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    (I¡¯m already in front of Boss Qin¡¯s stall, the Crab Roe Fried Rice has changed again!)


    A wave of excited chatters ensued as everyone saw thisment, and the wholement section erupted.


    Meanwhile, Little Orange had just finished reading the entire article and understood what had happened.


    ¡°I know the situation!¡± Seeing thements in the live streaming room, she quickly spoke up, ¡°Boss Qin has introduced a unique seasoning called Crab Vinegar today, providing a brand new taste when it¡¯s paired with Crab Roe Fried Rice.¡±


    ¡°And this Crab Vinegar is added by the food guests themselves!


    ¡°The four vors refer to the original and spicy versions, with or without Crab Vinegar.¡±


    Upon hearing Little Orange¡¯s exnation, those in the live streaming room who were puzzled about the ¡°Four Types of Crab Roe Rice¡± had their questions answered.


    But a new confusion arose.


    (Add your own seasonings. It¡¯smon at snack stalls, but the chefs in the Leaping Fish Banquet are all talented Spirit Chefs. Can you really add your own seasonings?)


    (But it sounds great. This means I yed a part in the preparation of the Crab Roe Fried Rice, right?)


    (I¡¯m even more curious about that seasoning called Crab Vinegar. What is it? I know vinegar, but what¡¯s Crab Vinegar?)


    (¡­)


    With all these questionsing at her, Little Orange found it hard to keep up, and eventually threw the link to the article in the live streaming room.


    After reading the article, more and more viewers in the live streaming room urged Little Orange to hurry up and give it a try.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Little Orange blinked her eyes.


    ¡°Orange, let¡¯s change the n! I also want to go to Boss Qin¡¯s stall!¡± Yibu next to her shook Little Orange¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s change the n, go to Boss Qin first, then to Boss Luo!¡± After considering, Little Orange decided to go with the flow.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    At this moment, a low voice came from the side. ¡°I overheard you talking about Boss Qin. What happened to his stall?¡±


    It was a middle-aged man with a curious face, who was apparently not unfamiliar with Qin Lang¡¯s stall.


    ¡°Uncle, this is what happened.¡± Little Orange smiled and exined the situation.


    ¡°There¡¯s something new again, Crab Vinegar!¡± Much to no surprise, the man showed a thrilled and expectant expression.


    ¡°Huh? Uncle, what happened to your ear?¡± Yibu, who is observant, noted that the middle-aged man¡¯s ear was very red. She couldn¡¯t help but asked in curiosity.


    ¡°Um¡­ nothing, just identally bumped into something when I was going out.¡± The manughed awkwardly and quickly covered his ear, ¡°Thankyou, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°What a strange uncle.¡± After watching the man go talk to his family not far away, Yibu took her gaze back. Looking at the approaching Yueyu Cruise Ship, she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and shook Little Orange¡¯s hand, ¡°Crab Roe Fried Rice, here Ie!¡±


    On the other side, Yan Chao took his hand off his ear and spoke to his wife, ¡°I . heard that Boss Qin is preparing a unique seasoning for Crab Roe Fried Rice. It¡¯s called Crab Vinegar.¡±


    ¡°Does your ear still hurt?¡± Xia Yue, Yan Chao¡¯s wife, suddenly asked.


    ¡°Not at all, doesn¡¯t hurt a bit!¡± Yan Chao responded without hesitation, causing his son, Yan Feng, to stifle augh.


    ¡°Let this be a lesson!¡± Xia Yue huffed slightly, her gaze full of anticipation as she looked towards the Yueyu Cruise Ship, ¡°I must savor it this time.¡± Seeing that his wife didn¡¯t n to press the issue, Yan Chao finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    The reason he feels this way is because of Qin Lang¡¯s surging poprity.


    When Qin Lang first started his stall, Yan Chao brought home some Gravy Seafood for his wife and son to share. They both liked it, so his wife often asked Yan Chao to bring some home.


    As a henpecked husband without any personal spending money, Yan Chao made up a story and imed that the Gravy Seafood cost 200 yuan per pound. Since Qin Lang sells his food at cost, and given the quality of his ingredients, two hundred yuan per pound isn¡¯t outrageous, so Xia Yue didn¡¯t suspect anything.


    Xia Yue is often busy with work, often working overtime and traveling. Plus,


    Yan Chao deliberately hid the fact from her, so she had been kept in the dark for such a long time.


    However, all good things muste to an end. Yesterday, Qin Lang won First ce in the Youth Group for three consecutive rounds, and his poprity exploded. Plenty of news and information about him surfaced, including info about the prices of his dishes.


    Xia Yue came across the true price of the Gravy Seafood by chance after work yesterday.


    So that was the start of Yan Chao¡¯s troubles.


    Not only was his secret stash confiscated, he got an earful and a tweaking of his ear.


    A glimpse of Yan Chao¡¯s status within his family is very telling.


    Looking at the approching ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡±, Yan Chao rubbed his ear. What kind of vor would it be with the unique Crab Vinegar paired with Crab Roe Fried Rice?


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 Chapter 270: Jealous

    Chapter 270: Jealous


    Trantor: 549690339


    [Updating for May leave]


    ¡°Young gentleman, we meet again.¡±


    At Luo Xian¡¯s stall, Luo Xian watched as Zhou Tianhao approached him, revealing a warm smile, an odd glint in his eye shing briefly.


    ¡°Give me one of each of the three dishes.¡± Zhou Tianhao had tasted the food at Luo Xian¡¯s stall before, as he spoke familiarly, then added, ¡°You overtook first ce faster than I thought.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s thanks to the appreciation of the food guests.¡± Luo Xian replied in a very cheerful manner, skillfully prepared the three dishes and handed them to him, ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡±


    ¡°Oh right.¡± As Luo Xian handed over the food, he casually asked, ¡°How¡¯s your investigation going?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found that damn criminal yet, but I will keep looking.¡± Zhou Tianhao answered with a righteous look on his face, ¡°1 will not stand by while evil slips away before my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Such a justice-minded gentleman, but please do be careful when dealing with ruthless criminals,¡± Luo Xian advised kindly, waving goodbye to Zhou Tianhao as he turned and walked away.


    A smug grin shed across his face as Luo Xian watched Zhou Tianhao walk away.


    Turning to the next food guest, his smile immediately warmed again.


    ¡°Good morning, what would you like to try?¡±


    Walking through the crowd with food on hand, Zhou Tianhao appeared deep in thought.


    After running into the Star Hunter at the Leaping Fish Banquet, he reported the matter to the Spirit Chef Association of Yue Hu City out of caution.


    But without solid evidence, the Spirit Chef Association was unlikely to take Zhou Tianhao¡¯s findings seriously.


    Since then, Zhou Tianhao had been more vignt at the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Though he hadn¡¯t found any more traces of the Star Hunter, he had an intuition that the Star Hunter hadn¡¯t left, and was even right by his side.


    Building on this intuition, he had once again found traces of the Star Hunterst night!


    Though he was still unable to continue the investigation just like before, this had no doubt encouraged Zhou Tianhao.


    As long as he persisted, there would be a breakthrough.


    With this mindset, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s mood lifted instantly.


    That night, when he stopped at Luo Xian¡¯s stall, his smiles were noted, and Luo Xian casually chatted with him, during which Zhou Tianhao revealed some of his findings.


    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t mention the name ¡°Star Hunter¡± as it might frighten this kind-hearted man named Luo Xian.


    This was a world-ss crime organization!


    ¡°I should check out Little Qin¡¯s stall next.¡± Zhou Tianhao rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    It wasn¡¯t until the third night of the Leaping Fish Banquet that he had heard of Qin Lang¡¯s improved Crab Roe Fried Rice.


    Regretfully, he decided to be the first to taste it the next day.


    Although he had walked past Luo Xian¡¯s stall first due to the rearrangement of the stalls, trying the spicy version of Crab Roe Fried rice was still his one fixation.


    Opening the hot box, he put the Autumn de Lemon into his mouth, savoring the singr delicacy and fresh sour taste, a look of admiration appearing on his face.


    Whose cooking was better, Qin Lang¡¯s or Luo Xian¡¯s?


    ¡°Boss Qin, I rushed to your stall the moment I boarded the ship!¡±


    Standing at Qin Lang¡¯s stall, Little Orange defended herself,pletely forgetting her original n of tasting Luo Xian¡¯s food first.


    Knowing that Qin Lang couldn¡¯t see the barrage ofments in her live streaming room, Little Orange slightly turned her camera off him when she spoke.


    Without a doubt, thements were not praising her.


    Indeed, they weren¡¯t.


    (¡°Hetui¡­This fickle woman!¡±)


    (¡°Don¡¯t stop me, I¡¯ll tell Boss Qin the truth!¡±)


    (¡°Can¡¯t believe you would do this, Little Orange! Now that I see your true colors, I¡­ like you even more!¡±)


    (¡°¡­¡±)


    Qin Lang was blissfully unaware of the barrage of criticism in the live streaming room.


    Seeing a familiar customer, he revealed a friendly smile, ¡°You could try the Crab Roe Fried Rice with crab vinegar today.¡±


    ¡°Give me a spicy Crab Roe Fried Rice!¡± Little Orange ordered without hesitation.


    ¡°I want two!¡± Yibu quickly put in her order.


    Having only one serving yesterday left her craving a second one, so she decided to order two at once today.


    She thought the spiciness of the Crab Roe Fried Rice cooked by Qin Lang was far superior to that of the other dishes.


    The one here is the most delicious!


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded and soon, Dan Bao prepared the Crab Roe Fried Rice for the two women.


    As they moved aside to savor their food, a family standing behind them stepped forward.


    ¡°Boss Qin, I¡¯ll have six orders of Crab Roe Fried Rice, three original and three spicy!¡± Yan Chao cheerfully ordered.


    Although he thought the spicy version tasted better, he wanted to taste the original version again.


    His wife and son hadn¡¯t tried the Crab Roe Fried Rice, and naturally, they should taste both versions.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang acknowledged as usual, introduced the crab vinegar, then curiously asked, ¡°What happened to your ear?¡±


    Yan Chao was taken aback,¡±¡­¡±


    He rubbed his ear slightly, ¡°I identally bumped into something on my way out, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang nodded, looked at Yan Chao¡¯s wife standing next to him, and had somewhat guessed what had happened.


    After all, he had overheard Yan Chao and Zhou Wan¡¯s loud discussion back then.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Xia Yue nced at the menu, and without hesitation, said, ¡°We¡¯ll also take five kilos of Gravy Seafood.¡±


    True to the woman who manages the household finances.


    Qin Lang confirmed the order and then continued working.


    At the side of the stall, Little Orange, who had finished half of her Crab Roe Fried Rice, ignored the barrage of ¡°Full¡±ments in her live streaming room, carefully dripped a few drops of crab vinegar on her rice, and took a spoonful of it.


    No surprises there, she was once again swept away by the deliciousness that filled her mouth.


    ¡°My goodness, just a few drops of crab vinegar elevated the taste of the Crab Roe Fried Rice up another level.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration after tasting it, causing another round of pity from the people in the live streaming room.


    Yibu, who was standing by her side, had also finished the first serving of her Crab Roe Fried Rice and was currently adding crab vinegar to her rice.


    Little Orange took one look and unconsciously gasped, ¡°Yibu, did you pour too much?!¡±


    ¡°This vinegar tastes great, I¡¯ll add some more.¡± Unlike her usual nodding when eating spicy food, this time Yibu was eager and vibrant.


    Little Orange watched as Yibu finished off her serving of Crab Roe Fried Rice with four to five times the amount of crab vinegar that she had added, then showed a blissful expression. She couldn¡¯t help but gasp again.


    A woman who loves vinegar¡­ is truly terrifying!


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 Chapter 271: First Sight

    Chapter 271: First Sight


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    [May Leave Make-Up Update]


    When Qin Lang once again raised his head in realization, the two girls, Little Orange, and Yan Chao¡¯s family had already left his stall, their destination unknown.


    In front of him stood Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°Big brother Zhou, would you like to try my improved crab roe fried rice?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly, ¡°Give me one of each.¡±


    Before long, two servings of crab roe fried rice were delivered to Zhou Tianhao¡¯s hands.


    As for the crab roe fried rice, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s memory lingered on the second event from yesterday afternoon.


    In just one night, not only had the crab roe fried rice been presented in an entirely new version, but it could also be seasoned with crab vinegar; this gave him the impression that he hadn¡¯t visited Qin Lang¡¯s stall in a long while.


    This sparked a pinch of interest in Zhou Tianhao¡¯s heart.


    On his way over, he¡¯d already eaten all three dishes he had bought from Luo Xian¡¯s ce.


    To be fair, aside from Autumn de Lemon, both of the other dishes were subtly more delicious than Qin Lang¡¯s crab roe fried rice.


    But now, Qin Lang¡¯s crab roe fried rice had been improved.


    He was unsure which would be superior after the improvement.


    Zhou Tianhao lifted the original version of crab roe fried rice, scooped a spoonful without adding crab vinegar, savoured it for a while then affirmed his previous judgment.


    Indeed, it was slightly inferior to Luo Xian¡¯s dishes.


    Next, he picked up the crab vinegar and brought it close to his nose to smell it.


    The crab vinegar had a sour but not stimting scent, fresh and aromatic, which raised Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyebrows.


    This aroma¡­


    Was quite interesting!


    He estimated his own taste, added few drops onto the crab roe, then stirred it with a small spoon. He then tasted the remaining crab roe fried rice.


    ¡°Oh wow!¡±


    As soon as it went in his mouth, the uniquely fresh sour taste intertwined with the rich vour of the crab roe itself, creating a unique and wonderful taste that made Zhou Tianhao¡¯s pupils slightly contract.


    This taste¡­ was as equally outstanding as Luo Xian¡¯s dish called Blue Spear.


    Zhou Tianhao made a judgement in his heart.


    With the aid of crab vinegar, the taste of crab roe fried rice was greatly enhanced.


    Merely adding one seasoning could achieve such effect ¨C Zhou Tianhao¡¯s admiration for Qin Lang deepened.


    His little brother¡¯s culinary skills were even more profound than he had thought.


    Without further ado, Zhou Tianhao started tasting the spicy version of the crab roe fried rice.


    Quickly, he came to a conclusion again.


    The spicy version of the crab roe fried rice, without the crab vinegar, was as good as the original version with the crab vinegar, at least in his opinion.


    After the spicy version of the crab roe fried rice has been seasoned with crab vinegar, its taste could evenpare to that of Ocean Emblem ¨C Luo Xian¡¯s most expensive and skillfully made dish.


    This can¡¯t be!


    Zhou Tianhao was increasingly looking forward to the sh between these two.


    ¡°Little Qin, do you know a Spirit Chef named Luo Xian?¡± Zhou Tianhao took the initiative to ask with a smile.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°I was nning to get the chance to experience his culinary skills today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tasted all three of his dishes. In my opinion¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao honestly told Qin Lang about the judgement he had just made.


    His words left Qin Lang in deep thought.


    The original crab roe fried rice vored with crab vinegar was theplete taste of the crab roe fried rice.


    On the other hand, the spicy version was an improvement he had made under the guidance of Ms. Ye Cangqing.


    The taste of the spicy version of the crab roe fried rice with crab vinegar surpassed the taste of the original version from his previous life.


    This delicious taste was on par with that of Luo Xian¡¯s Ocean Emblem?


    Qin Lang¡¯s curiosity towards Luo Xian¡¯s three dishes was piqued even more.


    ¡°Thankyou, big Brother Zhou,¡± Qin Lang expressed gratitude, ¡°I will visit Mr. Luo Xian¡¯s stall during the lunch exchangeter.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Zhou Tianhao bid his farewell with a hearty wave, satisfied that his goal had been achieved.


    It was a pity that he didn¡¯t participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet as a stall owner; he was unable to take part in the exchange activity and missed a good show.


    Time slipped away by the second and soon the morning business came to an end.


    As the sound of an electric bell echoed in the air above the deck, the food guests left the venue in an orderly manner under the guidance of the staff.


    As soon as he finished counting the remaining ingredients with the two little ones, Qin Lang breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thanks to the plentiful preparations made in advance, the remaining ingredients were more than enough. The staff would only need to supplement a bit in the afternoon.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s announce the voting results after the end of round four!¡± The host¡¯s voice quickly silenced everyone on-site who were mildly agitated.


    Qin Lang turned his head towards the High tform, with curiosity on his face.


    He wondered how many votes he had gotten and how many votes Mr. Luo Xian had received.


    His curiosity was quickly satisfied.


    Qin Lang was still the top-scoring candidate in the Youth Group, currently holding more than eighteen thousand votes. The rate at which his votes increased during the fourth round yet again drew attention.


    However, what was even more astonishing than his progress was Luo Xian¡¯s.


    Luo Xian¡¯s total votes amounted to over twenty-one thousand. His votes doubled in the fourth round. As soon as histest vote count was announced, there were gasps of surprise heard everywhere in the field.


    Just the votes that Qin Lang and Luo Xian received in the fourth round alone were already close to twenty thousand. This affected all the Spirit Chefs on-site.


    Most Spirit Chef¡¯s vote increasespared to yesterday showed a decline rather than an increase.


    Therefore, when the rest period was over and the exchange stage began, each Spirit Chef could not sit still. They went to the stalls of Qin Lang and Luo Xian, wanting to see what kind of magic their dishes held.


    However, the Spirit Chefs who arrived at Qin Lang¡¯s stall would not be able to get the answer they were looking for.


    That¡¯s because during today¡¯s exchange session, Qin Lang was a food guest.


    Having skipped lunch, he went early to line up at Luo Xian¡¯s stall.


    Luo Xian was nowhere to be found until the electric bell signalling the start of the exchange session rang, upon which he casually returned to his own stall.


    Qin Lang could not help but to scrutinise the middle-aged man who approached.


    With a gentle smile on his face, the man exuded a sense of warmth and calmness. A strange, stable quality radiated from him, making one unable to help but think, ¡°This man has had a wealth of experiences and knowledge.¡±


    Luo Xian, too, noticed Qin Lang, who was standing at the front of the queue at his stall.


    A sh of an unnoticed smile passed through his eyes.


    ¡°You must be Qin Lang,¡± Luo Xian greeted Qin Lang with a beaming smile, ¡°You have such amazing culinary skills at such a young age. I really envy you.¡±


    ¡°You tter me. I¡¯m merely standing on the shoulders of giants,¡± Qin Lang humbly responded.


    Behind him stood the entire world of food culture, after all.


    ¡°The shoulders of giants, huh¡­¡± Luo Xian chuckled, ¡°Even so, climbing onto the shoulders of giants is not an easy task.¡±


    He stopped delving into the topic, changing the subject, ¡°What would you like to taste?¡±


    ¡°One of each, please.¡± Qin Lang answered without hesitation, then he scanned the QR code to pay.


    Autumn de Lemon, twenty-five yuan each.


    Blue Spear, eighty-eight yuan each.


    Ocean Emblem, two hundred yuan each.


    ¡°Please wait.¡±


    With a gentle smile, Luo Xian bent his head and got busy.


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 Chapter 272: Acidity and Alkalinity

    Chapter 272: Acidity and Alkalinity


    Trantor: 549690339


    [May Leave Request Update]


    It was not long before Qin Lang had three savory dishes which overflowed with a rich aroma that made his mouth water, delivered into his hands.


    Having intentionally skipped lunch, the smell alone was enough to make Qin


    Lang feel hungry.


    He stepped aside to allow others toe forward, and then quietly started tasting the food.


    The first to be opened was the Autumn de Lemon.


    Among the three dishes Luo Xian presented, this was the cheapest, and its main ingredient, was the recognizable Saury.


    At this time of year, during the transition between summer and autumn, when the saury enters its spawning period, the fat content is higher. During the cooking process, the flesh does not easily be dry, maximizing the drsy of its thick and full texture.


    This is one of the seafood abundantly produced in Mingjing Province.


    As these recalls pass through his mind, Qin Lang also carefully observes the food in the lunchbox in front of him.


    After beheading and tail removal, removing the main bone and internal organs, removing the side fins and dorsal fins, and removing the spines, the parts of the saury that cannot be eaten or affect the taste are all removed. What remains are two thick pieces of fish meat, which look like des from the outside.


    Looking at it this way, although the character ¡°Chop¡± in the dish¡¯s name is a bit childish, it seems to fit quite nicely.


    The pan-fried saury skin is highlighted by a prominent caramel color against a gray-ck background, the crispy texture can be clearly seen. There are a few traces of half-transparent fat at the junction of the fish skin and fish meat, followed by the white and tender fish meat.


    A rich aroma of grilled fish assails the senses as soon as the lunch box is opened and carries the unique vor of saury, along with a touch of perfectly bnced lemon scent.


    In terms of both appearance and taste, this is a mouthwatering dish.


    Without any further hesitation, Qin Lang picks up a piece and puts it into his mouth.


    ¡°Crunch-¡±


    The moment the perfectly grilled fish skin entered his mouth, he heard a clear, crisp sound through the bone conduction. That crunchy sound gave Qin Lang a tickle at the back of his head, creating a strangely satisfying feeling.


    The thick, boneless fish meat, with its strong aroma, gradually releases its own delicious vor during chewing.


    The natural citrus vor of lemon does not stand out too much, nor does it grab attention. However, it seems to be constantly lingering around the lips and teeth, staying in every inch of the fish meat, perfectly removing any hint of the grilled fish¡¯s greasiness while bringing a new aroma to the grilled fish.


    After tasting it carefully, Qin Lang slowly opened his eyes.


    Baking, is not really a difficult way to cook.


    Under such simple cooking, Luo Xian can bring out the deliciousness of the saury to such an extent, which is terrifyingly amazing.


    ¡°Eat up ¡± Seeing the two little ones who hade up close, staring at the remaining saury drooling in the lunch box, Qin Lang was dumbfounded, and gave them the remaining portions of fish.


    For Qin Lang himself, just one bite was enough for him to understand the culinary skills within this dish.


    ¡°I have a question!¡± Just as Qin Lang was feeding the two little ones, another Spirit Chef who had just tasted the Autumn de Lemon, asked with curiosity, ¡°Is saury and lemon some kind of fixedbination?¡±


    ¡°I have never tried it this way before, but thebination of the two seems to


    be unexpectedly good.¡±


    Upon hearing this question, other Spirit Chefs eagerly cast their gazes to Luo


    Xian, expecting him to provide an answer.


    ¡°in my opinion, yes,¡± Luo Xian opened his mouth with a smile, ¡°I really like to experiment with differentbinations of ingredients. Although, I sometimes end up making a terrible concoction, there are also asional surprises.¡± Hearing this, there was a burst of friendlyughter.


    ¡°Thebination of saury and lemon was an idental discovery of mine.¡± Luo Xian shrugged, ¡°Afterwards I kept researching the proportions ot the two, which led to the Autumn de Lemon.¡±


    Qin Lang, after watching for a while, slowly opened his mouth, ¡°Ido know a bit about this.¡±


    ¡°Saury contains a weakly alkaline amine that tends to bring a certain fishy smell.¡± Faced with the gaze of others, Qin Lang calmly replied, ¡°Citric acid in the lemon can neutralize it to be tasteless ammonium salt.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡±


    ¡°NowI understand.¡±


    The other Spirit Chefs, upon hearing this, showed expressions of sudden realization, looking all at once at the boy much younger than them with admiring eyes.


    True to form as number one in the Youth Group, a dark horse not overshadowed too much by Luo Xian, the other party actually possessed such knowledge!


    ¡°Avery novel perspective.¡± Luo Xian¡¯s eyes lit up, a look of delight on his face,¡±This is my first time seeing such an approach to analyze the mystery of ingredients pairing.¡±


    ¡°Just a lucky guess.¡± Qin Lang modestly smiled, having no sense ofcency for having done so.


    After this small interlude, the Spirit Chefs in front of Luo Xian¡¯s stall began a new round ofmunication, Qin Lang was partly listening while he opened the second box of food in his hand.


    The Blue Spear, priced at 88 per serving, revealed its full image in front of him.


    It was a piece of fish bone curved like a long spear, slender and sharp on both sides, cylindrical in the middle, with concave spaces.


    This was a vertebra of arge fish.


    At this moment, more than half of the spines on one side of the fish vertebra were embedded in sapphire-like pedestal, like a long spear prating the sea. This bizarre design made it difficult for Qin Lang to take a bite at first.


    But soon, he realized the delicacy¡¯s ingenious trick.


    In the concave part of the fish vertebra, there was a semi-transparent sauce like spinal fluid. When served on the food at the bottom which looked like sapphire but was actually simr to jelly, it could then be tasted.


    Although blue is the color that most suppresses appetite, this Blue Spear captivated with its exquisite appearance, making one momentarily forget about it.


    Unlike the Autumn de Lemon, the Blue Spear barely exuded any aroma.


    This was a cold dish.


    Qin Lang scooped a bit of the jelly-like food and tasted it silently.


    The jelly was tender and smooth, melting in the mouth at the slightest chew, bursting forth with a strong vor of fish.


    This fresh taste didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of a fishy smell, but came with a strange freshness.


    That was the vor of the sauce spread on the surface of the jelly.


    The sauce, seemingly colorless and transparent like spinal fluid, contains several mixed fruit vors and other condiments that are hard to detect.


    This delicacy¡­


    As Qin Lang savored it, a hint of surprise emerged on his face.


    He couldn¡¯t distinguish the ingredients used.


    The same doubt surfaced in the hearts of other Spirit Chefs who were tasting this delicacy.


    ¡°Sir Luo Xian, may I ask what ingredient was used in this Blue Spear?¡± one person could not help but ask aloud.


    ¡°The Blue Spear is made from the backbone of Bluefin Tuna and a sauce made from Gorgeous Salmon¡¯s meat.¡± Luo Xian did not hide anything and exined with a smile.


    It turns out that two different types of fish were used as ingredients, so it¡¯s no wonder he couldn¡¯t tell.


    in addition to his sudden realization, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but admire Luo Xian.


    Whether it¡¯s the Bluefin Tuna or the salmon, both aremon types of seafood. Luo Xian is truly impressive forbining the two to create such a cleverly designed dish.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Vote of Rmendation]

 Chapter 273: The Feast Ends

    Chapter 273: The Feast Ends


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten our bet, have you?¡±


    On a pier beside Jumping Fish Lake, Jiang Qianyi, who was lined up early, looked at the man in front of her whose face didn¡¯t look so good, and waggled her mobile phone with a grin.


    The screen of the phone disyed an article written by Jiang Qianyi today, on Qin Lang.


    After fermenting for a morning, this article had umted tens of thousands of reposts and nearly a hundred thousand likes, along with thousands ofments.


    Such heat was considered pretty high for self-media.


    ¡°Abet is a bet.¡± Cheng Yuansen grumbled, ¡°You were impressive this time, but next time I¡¯ll find news more explosive than yours.¡±


    ¡°Before that, you should first honour your bet.¡± Jiang Qianyi stretchedzily, ¡°Remember to invite me to dinner after the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    After sharing the remaining Blue Spear with the two little ones, Qin Lang quickly opened the third lunch box.


    Unlike the previous two dishes, the lunch box used for the Ocean Emblem is of higher grade and extremely well sealed.


    The moment the lunch box was opened, the restrained savoury smell suddenly erupted from the box, rushing toward Qin Lang like a gale.


    That unrestrained savoury smell was interwoven with different ingredients. Carrying an extremely enticing intesity, it made Qin Lang, who hadn¡¯t had enough, couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    Then, he saw the full view of the dish called the Ocean Emblem.


    It was a pancake, about the size of a palm, that was fried crispy and golden brown on both sides, about two palms thick.


    What was most striking was the strange and mysterious patterns on both sides of the pancake, which were of different colours, like a mysterious emblem.


    These patterns, like different parts of concentric circles, twisted on the surface of the pancake, greatly enhancing the charm of the golden brown pancake.


    As Qin Lang observed this dish more carefully, the surprise on his face became increasingly intense.


    These differently coloured patterns were not painted on, they were formed by the colours of different ingredients mixed into the pancake.


    The reason they all resembled arcs of concentric circles was that the seemingly pancake-like dish was not fried as Qin Lang knew it to be.


    It was rolled up with very thin ¡°Noodle skins¡± covering various seafood ¡°Ingredients¡±.


    With an attitude of exploration, Qin Lang picked up the Ocean Emblem and took a bite.


    ¡°Crunch?? ¡±


    The crunchy skin sound rang out, but Qin Lang felt as if he had bitten into a mouthful of meat.


    Despite seemingly a pancake, the actual flour content of it was far less than Qin Lang had imagined; what filled and supported the pancake were various kinds of seafood cut into thin slices and rolled up.


    Sea cucumber, lobster meat, abalone meat¡­


    Qin Lang tried to discern while chewing but he couldn¡¯t fully make out all the ingredients. However, he was certain that the types of seafood used in there were definitely more than ten.


    What was even more amazing was that the tastes of all these different seafood werepletely intertwined, surprisingly without any sh, but instead giving a sense of perfect unity.


    ¡°Even though I haven¡¯t tasted your dishes, I heard that you made a dish called gravy seafood, which also uses a lot of seafood.¡±


    Luo Xian¡¯s voice came, bringing Qin Lang back to reality.


    Looking at Qin Lang, Luo Xian gave a small smile, ¡°In this regard, it¡¯s quite simr to the Ocean Emblem.¡±


    ¡°But you do it better than me.¡± Qin Lang sincerely replied.


    He only processed these seafood and immersed them in the same sauce, whereas Luo Xian truly integrated various types of seafood in the process of cooking.


    On this point, he was inferior to Luo Xian.


    ¡°Ha ha ha, after all, I have more cooking experience than you. If we were the same age, you would be more impressive.¡± Luo Xian seemed very happy hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words.


    An idea struck Qin Lang, ¡°Mr. Luo Xian, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°The names of the three dishes you presented¡­ Why do they sound so¡­¡± Qin Lang hesitated for a moment, but still expressed his feelings, ¡°juvenile?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± The corners of Luo Xian¡¯s mouth twitched imperceptibly, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because I have a heart that is younger than my appearance?¡±


    Seeing Qin Lang seemingly intending to continue on this topic, Luo Xian quickly interjected, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get back to discussing seafood.¡±


    After tasting Luo Xian¡¯s three dishes, Qin Lang and the other Spirit Chefs exchanged views at the stall for a while before quickly saying their goodbyes.


    ording to his previous n, for the remaining two days of the exchange time, he intended to taste the dishes of the other Spirit Chefs and proactively engage in discussions with them.


    They might have received fewer votes than him, but that didn¡¯t mean that their dishes and cooking philosophies weren¡¯t worth learning from.


    Qiu Longfei, who currently ranked second in the All-age Group; Shen Qian, who currently ranked second in the Youth Group; Bai Hongrui, who currently ranked third¡­


    The cooking styles of these Spirit Chefs were varied and each had their own merits.


    The exchange process with them was equally pleasant.


    So pleasant that when the sound of the electric bell rang again signaling the end of the exchange stage and the start of the fifth session of operations in the afternoon, Qin Lang was left longing for more.


    ¡°Are you two full?¡±


    Standing at his stall, Qin Lang turned to look at Dan Bao and Spicy, whose faces radiated satisfaction.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Both of them nodded in agreement.


    During Qin Lang¡¯s exchanges with the other Spirit Chefs just now, he had been in charge of the discussions, while Dan Bao and Spicy had been responsible for eating.


    The variety of delicacies left the two little guys thoroughly satisfied.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re full, it¡¯s time to work hard this afternoon.¡± Qin Lang expertly began to prepare the ingredients for the afternoon. ¡°There will be more customers in the afternoon and at night, and I¡¯ve already seen an article discussing Crab Vinegar online.¡±


    ¡°I suspect more customers will being to our stall to taste it.¡±


    ¡°Gurulu-¡±


    ¡°Chaka-¡±


    The two of them shook their heads helplessly.


    More customers meant more work, a bittersweet problem indeed.


    The fifth round¡­ the sixth round¡­ the seventh round¡­ the eighth round¡­


    Atst, the ninth round!


    Two days passed in a whirlwind of busyness.


    In the subsequent time, Qin Lang made no more adjustments to his Crab Roe Fried Rice and Gravy Seafood.


    With his Crab Roe Fried Rice, which customers could customize by adding their own Crab Vinegar, and the unimaginably fresh Gravy Seafood that customers could take home to enjoy with their families, Qin Lang won the favor and abundant praises of numerous food guests.


    By the end of the three-day Leaping Fish Banquet, he had be well-known throughout Yue Hu City, and even the surrounding city area was no longer unfamiliar with his name.


    The only one who could overshadow him was Luo Xian.


    This foreigner, said toe from the Lon Region, made an astonishing appearance at the Leaping Fish Banquet and likewise earned the support of many food guests.


    Numerous food guests cast their decisive vote for the two of them, pushing their vote totals to a level that left the other Spirit Chefs far behind.


    As the familiar sound of the electric bell echoed across the entire deck, the food guests left the Yueyu Cruise Ship with reluctance.


    The final session of the Leaping Fish Banquet ended.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Tickets] [Rmendation Tickets]

 Chapter 274: Notes

    Chapter 274: Notes


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Thank you all for disying your culinary skills and understanding of delicious food at the Leaping Fish Banquet over the past three days.¡±


    Ye Cangqing¡¯s gentle voice echoed once again across every corner of the deck of the ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship¡±. ¡°Over these three days, I saw the effort each of you put in, and every vote cast by the food guests affirmed your contributions.¡±


    She gently shook the list in her hand, her smile deepened, ¡°Next, I will announce the winners of the Youth Group and the All-age Group who received the highest affirmations from food guests in the past three days.¡±


    The Spirit Chefs gathered on the deck quieted down, their gaze subtly falling on two people in the center of the scene.


    There were few surprises in the announcement of the winners.


    ¡°Congrattions to Qin Lang for winning the award in the Youth Group.¡±


    Amid the surrounding apuse, Qin Lang walked out, a smile on his face.


    Although he had anticipated it, he was still very happy to truly receive this honor. Moreover, bing a winner of the Leaping Fish Banquet meant he would receive cooking notes from Ms. Ye Cangqing.


    In the two days of exchanges, he had already gained a lot. Having received the cooking notes, his gains would only multiply.


    In the crowd, Zhou Qing and Li Hong exchanged nces.


    When inviting Qin Lang to join them, neither of them had thought that Qin Lang would make it this far today.


    However, recalling their experiences with Qin Lang, they felt that it was only natural for him to win.


    This was a boy with extremely high talent.


    ¡°There is still very much I need to learn from everyone.¡± Qin Lang said humbly as he took the microphone, ¡°There is much room for improvement in my cooking skills.¡±


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, the other Spirit Chefs in the Youth Group looked at each other, recalling the votes they were far behind Qin Lang in the past three days, they fell silent.


    You¡¯re already this good, and there¡¯s still much room for improvement?


    ¡°What a terrifying guy.¡± Shen Qian crossed her arms, looking at the boy on the stage, her eyes filled with admiration.


    Before the Leaping Fish Banquet, she had hoped topete with him in her best category of seafood dishes.


    But after tasting Qin Lang¡¯s crab roe fried rice once, this idea quietly disappeared.


    The current she, was not his match.


    Thinking about Qin Lang apanying her on the way to Crown Ling City, she could not help but show a smile of anticipation on her face.


    With such a free cooking training partner, when she truly stood on the stage of the provincial-level cookingpetition, her cooking skills would surely improve a lot, wouldn¡¯t they?


    After announcing the winner of the Youth Group, Ye Cangqing smiled slightly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s congratte Luo Xian, who has be the winner of the All-age Group.¡±


    As Ms. Ye Cangqing¡¯s voice fell, Luo Xian walked out with steady steps. His face wore a calm smile without any excessive excitement from being the winner.


    ¡°The Leaping Fish Banquet provided me with a meaningful stage.¡± Luo Xian took the microphone from the staff member and slowly began to speak, ¡°For me, setting up a stall to entertain so many food guests was also a first.¡±


    ¡°It was a joyful experience.¡± Luo Xian put down the microphone, indicating that he had finished speaking.


    There was a subtle sh in Ye Cangqing¡¯s eyes.


    In front of her, this Spirit Chef from the Lon Region showed no signs of pressure. The way he stood and spoke on the stage seemed to be excessively steady.


    As if¡­ He had faced Food Rmenders of this level more than once before and had long gotten ustomed to it.


    Ye Cangqing had tasted Luo Xian¡¯s three dishes as well.


    From his current performance, that might not be his limit.


    An interesting guy.


    Ye Cangqing had a hunch that she might hear the name Luo Xian again in the future.


    ¡°Woo¡ª- ¡±


    The lengthy sound of a steam whistle reverberated at the pier by theke.


    The ¡°Yueyu Cruise Ship,¡± which had hovered over theke for three days, slowly approached its berth to ultimately make aplete stop.


    Stepping off the ship with others, Qin Lang finally felt the solidity of the ground beneath his feet after three days.


    However, unlike before, he now had a goldenmemorative medal around his neck as he disembarked. The medal had the symbol of a leaping fish on one side, while the other side was engraved with the words ¡°Leaping Fish Banquet Winner Commemorative Medal.¡±


    In addition to that, he held a notebook tightly in his hand.


    The orange-brown leather cover of the notebook had the same Leaping Fish Banquet symbol.


    This was his other reward as the winner of the Leaping Fish Banquet, and the one he valued the most¡ªYe Cangqing¡¯s culinary notebook.


    ¡°What a wonderful experience this has been, though it was a bit challenging.¡± Luo Xian, holding a notebook simr to Qin Lang¡¯s, passed by him with a smile. ¡°I hope we will meet again.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Luo Xian, will you stay in Mingjing Province after this?¡± Qin Lang asked curiously.


    If convenient, he would be delighted to exchange culinary skills with him.


    No,¡± a glint of amusement crossed Luo Xian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Regrettably, I am headed for Wuhe State next.¡±


    ¡°Then, we shall meet again if fate allows.¡± Qin Lang replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice.


    ¡°There will be a next time.¡± Luo Xian, waving to the tall figure approaching quickly, smiled, ¡°Young gentleman, being able to see you again before leaving Mingjing Province is certainly pleasant news.¡±


    Qin Lang looked at Zhou Tianhao approaching, feeling somewhat curious.


    For some reason, Luo Xian addressed Zhou Tianhao differently from everyone else.


    Recalling his somewhat peculiar dish names¡­


    Mr. Luo Xian sure was an odd character.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving Mingjing Province?¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s attention was caught by Luo Xian¡¯s words.


    ¡°Wuhe State, that¡¯s my next destination.¡± Luo Xian shrugged. ¡°Actually, I was nning to go there initially but decided to make a detour when I heard about the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Safe journey then.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly.


    ¡°And best of luck in apprehending that desperate criminal,¡± Luo Xian said, his tone filled with a sense of justice.


    ¡°I will. In fact, I have already picked up his trail!¡± A sense of excitement filled Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face. ¡°He may think he¡¯s left no trace, but justice has a way of finding its mark!¡±


    ¡°Next, he¡¯s likely to head to Lanqiu City. This time, I won¡¯t let him get away!¡±


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Luo Xian offered, his advice heartfelt, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I will take my leave.¡±


    Saying this, Luo Xian didn¡¯t stick around and turned to leave.


    As he turned, his shoulders twitched slightly, as if he was struggling to hold back hisughter.


    But Zhou Tianhao, who had already turned to face Qin Lang, failed to notice this little detail.


    ¡°Congrattions on your win, Qin Lang.¡± Zhou Tianhao patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m heading to Lanqiu City tonight to investigate the Star Hunter and that¡¯s why I came to the pier ahead of time to say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Suddenly, it dawned on Qin Lang.


    But¡­ Lanqiu City?


    Wasn¡¯t that where he and Shen Qian were headed next?


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket] [Rmended Ticket]


    The content of this chapter¡¯s post-credit scene:


    [Plot Illustration: Leaping Fish Banquet Winner]


    [Ye Cangqing cooking notes]

 Chapter 275: Farewell

    Chapter 275: Farewell


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Safe journey, Brother Zhou.¡±


    As Zhou Tianhao left, Qin Lang put down his waving hand.


    He didn¡¯t tell him that they share the same destination, Lanqiu City.


    After all, Zhou Tianhao was leaving tonight, so he couldn¡¯t tag along in such a rush.


    By the time he reaches Lanqiu City, Zhou Tianhao might not be around anymore.


    ¡°Next, Li Hong and I are going back to Tianhua State.¡± Zhou Qing strolled towards Qin Lang and began to speak slowly.


    He recognized Zhou Tianhao, but they were not close, so he didn¡¯t join the conversation between Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou Qing, Mr. Li Hong.¡± Qin Lang looked at them both, his face somewhat reluctant. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡±


    ¡°We have already booked tickets for tomorrow morning. We are taking the train back,¡± Li Hong smirked, ¡°We have been away in Mingjing Province for a long time. We both have other matters to attend to and can¡¯t dy any longer.¡± ¡°Qin Lang, are you sure you will not be joining us on the journey back?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s sure!¡± Shen Qian answered before him, with hands behind her back and a smile on her face, ¡°We are going to Crown Ling City together!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t pass up this chance for culinary practice!


    ¡°Qianqian, stop messing around.¡± Shen He, who hade to pick up his granddaughter, shook his head and pulled Shen Qian away. ¡°Don¡¯t let Qianqian affect you. Make a decision that suits you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve decided to stay in Mingjing Province.¡± Seeing Shen Qian¡¯s pitiful expression, Qin Lang forced a smile, ¡°This ce, abundant of marine life, deserves more exploration. Plus, I promised Uncle Luo Hui to capture the most beautiful seascapes for him.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Shen Qian cheered loudly.


    Her training partner is not going anywhere!


    Shen He, standing next to her, didn¡¯t say anything but had a more rxed expression.


    Although he did say that Qin Lang should make his own decision, from his perspective, he would naturally hope that Qin Lang could stay in Mingjing Province for some time.


    Having a talented Spirit Chef of the same age around would certainly provide motivation and drive for Shen Qian, and the two of them can look out for each other during their travels.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t try to convince you further. You¡¯re not new to travelling,¡± Zhou Qing nodded slightly. ¡°Just be careful, and don¡¯t forget about the Tianhua State Cooking Competition in four months.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I will definitely return before the start of the Tianhua State Cooking Competition.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°I stillck one badge for the Second- Level Food Rmender, so I need to take some time to get it!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think one Second-Level badge would be a problem for you.¡± Zhou Qing shook his head.


    On this matter, he had total confidence.


    ¡°You won the youth group contest today and tomorrow you two are leaving Mingjing Province,¡± said Shen He with a smile. ¡°I have prepared a feast for tonight. Let¡¯s enjoy it together! Consider it a practice and celebration!¡± Although it was quitete into the night, Shen He¡¯s invitation was epted by all. The party of five soon left the pier and headed towards Shen He¡¯s home.


    Late at night, back at the hotel, Qin Lang sat at his desk with the orange-brown leather-bound notebook in front of him.


    ¡°Gulu~¡±


    I want to see too!


    Dan Bao was flying unsteadily in the air before slowlynding on the desk.


    Having just enjoyed a feast, it seemed to have be slightly heavier, causing its yolk-like little face to hang low for a moment uponnding, yet bouncing back up after a few tries before finally stabilizing.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    I want to see too!


    Seeing Dan Bao by the notebook, Spicy couldn¡¯t fall behind, and shily positioned herself on the other side of the book. The glowing bubble slowly hovered above her, changing color from green to red intermittently, reflecting her perturbed emotions.


    She had been through the toil of three days and finally obtained the glory of victory.


    Thinking about how the notebook could improve her skills as a Spirit Chef and help her make even more delicious food, anticipation filled Spicy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Can you two even read it?¡± Qin Lang chuckled and then turned his attention back to the notebook. He carefully opened it to the first page.


    His eyes were greeted with a row of neat handwriting.


    ¡°I hope you find what you¡¯re looking for. ¨C Ye Cangqing¡±


    The ck handwriting left faint impressions on the paper. It was obviously written by hand.


    Looking at it, Qin Lang felt as though he could hear Ye Cangqing¡¯s encouraging words again.


    This was his first encounter with a Third-Level Food Rmender. Her approachability had left a deep impression on him.


    Well then, time to see if there¡¯s anything useful for me in this notebook.


    Qin Lang¡¯s expression became serious as he gently turned to the second page.


    From the second page onwards, the notebook was filled with lines and lines of records.


    They appeared somewhat fragmented and, judging by the asionally marked dates, there was a considerable time span between some entries.


    The notebook contained not only variousbinations of seasonings and ingredients, tastes and dishes tried and tested by Ye Cangqing herself, but also introductions to ingredients and notes on delicious food from various ces.


    It was clear that Ye Cangqing had travelled extensively.


    She had visited most of the states in the Samiya Region and left detailed introductions to the local customs, allowing Qin Lang to get aprehensive understanding of the region.


    Ye Cangqing had even briefly visited the Sokol Region, which is across the sea from the Samiya Region, and left some brief notes about it.


    Although this was still a distant prospect for Qin Lang, it was interesting to learn about nheless.


    By the time Qin Lang flipped to thest page of the notebook, it waste into the night.


    Despite wanting to look through the notebook again thoroughly, he gave up the idea when he noticed the two little ones who had fallen asleep at some point.


    The value of this notebook exceeded his expectations and needed to be explored slowly, so there was no need to rush.


    After carefully putting away the notebook, Qin Lang quietly picked up the two little creatures and carefully put them on the bed. After a quick wash, he also climbed into bed.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    With a soft sound, the room plunged into darkness, with only the moonlight streaming through the gap in the curtains.


    Despite having gone to bedte, Qin Lang woke up early the next day.


    It was because Zhou Qing and Li Hong were leaving Yue Hu City.


    ¡°Even though you are young, you should still pay attention to getting enough rest.¡± Seeing the slight dark circles under Qin Lang¡¯s eyes, Zhou Qing standing next to the entrance of the station with a luggage briefcase,ughed.


    ¡°Last night, I was in the room engrossed in reading Ms. Ye Cangqing¡¯s notebook.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s not usually like this.¡±


    ¡°I can understand.¡± Li Hong, who was standing to the side, nodded in agreement. ¡°Upon receiving such a reward, it¡¯s only natural to want to finish reading it at the earliest.¡±


    ¡°The next time we meet might be at the Tianhua State Provincial-level Cooking Competition.¡± Zhou Qing patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Keep it up!¡±


    The announcement for checking the tickets resounded inside the station. He waved at Qin Lang and Shen He who hade to see them off, and then proceeded towards the checkpoint with Li Hong.


    Watching their retreating figures, Qin Lang nodded firmly.


    ¡°You can count on it.¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 276: Northern Hill

    Chapter 276: Northern Hill


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Both sides have finished tasting each other¡¯s dishes and there are no objections to the results of the Food Fight.¡±


    The main judge who was sitting in the middle of the judges¡¯ seats slowly spoke, ¡°I hereby dere, Qin Lang is the victor of this Food Fight!¡±


    With the main judge¡¯s words falling, Star Power gathered in the void, dividing into a big and a small group, flying towards the man and woman in the field.


    ¡°The steamed ribs with rice powder are really delicious.¡±


    Shen Qian signaled her Food Spirit to absorb Star Power while tasting the ribs that were steamed to the point that the meat fell off the bone and melted in her mouth, showing a satisfied expression.


    As the defeated side of the Food Fight, she did not show any signs of disappointment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that thebination of meat and rice flour, heated with steam, could have such a peculiar taste. I have learned something new.¡±


    ¡°The pan-fried crispy ribs you made are also very good.¡± Qin Lang looked at two little ones grappling for a piece of golden crispy fried ribs and smiled, ¡°What theme should we choose next time?¡±


    ¡°Next time¡­¡± Shen Qian put down the empty steamer and stretchedzily, ¡°Did you forget that we are leaving today?¡±


    ¡°I did forget.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head.


    Two days had already passed since they bid farewell to Zhou Qing and Li Hong.


    Instead of heading straight to Lanqiu City, Qin Lang had a good time exploring Yue Hu City under the leadership of Shen, the Tour Guide, and savored various local specialty foods.


    As a return, Qin Lang had four Food Fights with Shen Qian in these two days.


    Though they were called Food Fights, they were more like an exchange of culinary skills.


    Shen Qian learned a lot of new things, while Qin Lang used the knowledge he had learned from Ms. Ye Cangqing¡¯s notes during the process.


    For example, with these steamed ribs with rice powder, he added a new spice during the marinating process, and made some adjustments to the original seasoning ratio, thus enhancing the overall taste.


    ¡°We are leaving at noon, you haven¡¯t packed yet, have you?¡± Shen Qian started with a strange expression, ¡°If we miss the ferry, we¡¯ll have to buy new tickets.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qin Lang focused, ¡°With Thought Waves, it won¡¯t take more than a few minutes to pack.¡±


    ¡°Thought Waves are convenient.¡± Shen Qian showed an envious expression, ¡°As soon as Piggie Squad advances to three stars, I¡¯ll get it a second-level Mind Stone: Mind Movement to see if it can awaken this skill.¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡±


    Beside Shen Qian, a pink Food Spirit with a cute pig¡¯s nose and four short legs, but no ears, raised its head and squealed. It looked no different from a little pig.


    This is one of Shen Qian¡¯s two Food Spirits, the two-star, named Piggie Squad. At this moment, it had a confident look on its face, obviously feeling that it could also awaken Thought Waves.


    ¡°Caw!¡±


    Next to Piggie Squad, a ball-shaped gray-green Food Spirit lifted up one round and plump w and clicked on Piggie Squad¡¯s body, as if encouraging it.


    Its body shone with a chilly glow under the light, like a natural armor, with three stars circling around it.


    This was Shen Qian¡¯s other Food Spirit, Shrimp Ball.


    Its name and appearance make it easy to identify the Ingredients of the Origin Cuisine, just like Dan Bao, it¡¯s simple and direct.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the hotel first, see you at the pier.¡± After a nce at the time, Qin Lang didn¡¯t dy and left.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Watching Qin Lang¡¯s departing figure, Shen Qian turned her head to look at the two Food Spirits beside her, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and check our luggage. We¡¯ll be away for a long time, so we can¡¯t forget anything.¡±


    An hourter, the two met again at the pier with their luggage.


    Besides them, Shen He was also there to see them off.


    ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s not my first time traveling.¡± Seeing the worried Shen He, Shen Qian sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve heard all this many times.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Shen He, who had been babbling, smiled wryly, stopped talking, turned his head to Qin Lang and said, ¡°Little Qin, please take care of Qianqian on the road.¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I be the one taking care of him?¡± Shen Qian puffed out her cheeks, ¡°After all, I¡¯m two months older than Qin Lang.¡±


    Shen He gave Shen Qian a ¡°you know you¡¯re ying dumb¡± look.


    After a few days of contact, he found that Qin Lang was significantly more mature than Shen Qian of the same age, so it was obvious that in the uing journey, his granddaughter would be the one being taken care of.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Shen. We¡¯ll take care of each other on the way.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    Shen He nodded approvingly, looking at the cruise ship docked at the pier with the word ¡°Flowing Cloud¡± engraved on the hull, ¡°Herees the ship.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, we agreed that you muste to Crown Ling City to watch mypetition at the Mingjing Province Cooking Contest!¡± Shen Qian stared at Shen He.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s my precious granddaughter¡¯s first time on the provincial-level stage, I, as a grandpa, will definitely be there.¡± Shen Heughed heartily.


    ¡°Wlioo ¡±


    An elongated horn red at the pier, as if urging the tourists who hadn¡¯t boarded the ship to hurry up.


    Seeing this, Shen Qian didn¡¯t speak again, waved at Shen He, and quickly boarded the ship with Qin Lang.


    When the ¡°Flowing Cloud¡± set sail, they put their luggage away, went on deck, and could still see Shen He standing on the pier watching the ship sail away.


    Shen Qian did not speak, her hand gripping the railing slightly tightened and her eyes turned a bit red.


    It wasn¡¯t until the pier waspletely out of sight that she regained herposure, returned to her usual self, and looked at Qin Lang who was enjoying theke view and asked, ¡°When will we disembark again?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning.¡± Qin Lang had done a lot of homework for the uing trip, ¡°Tomorrow morning the ship will dock on the Bei Qiu River, we will disembark there, go through Lan Qiu Forest, and arrive at Lanqiu City.¡±


    The Xiayun River flows into the Jumping Fish Lake, and from its source, it is divided into three different river routes.


    Among the three different river routes, Bei Qiu River runs through the northern part of Lanqiu City, where we¡¯ll disembark and head southwest, going through the primitive forest, Lan Qiu Forest, to reach the city area of Lanqiu City.


    This is not the closest route to Lanqiu City.


    The East Xian River, one of the three river routes, can directly reach the urban area of Lanqiu City without having to go through Lan Qiu Forest.


    However, this is also why Qin Lang did not choose it.


    In the northern part of Lanqiu City, there is a lush primeval forest known as Lan Qiu Forest. Named after its hilly terrain, it is also a famous tourist area in Lanqiu City.


    Qin Lang, who stayed in Mingjing Province, was traveling with a rxed attitude and naturally didn¡¯t want to miss such a ce.


    As for Qin Lang¡¯s choice, Shen Qian has no major objections.


    There are still several months until the Mingjing Province Cooking Contest, so there¡¯s no rush.


    Plus, she has never been to a primeval forest before, which sounds quite exciting.


    ¡°We¡¯re not disembarking until tomorrow morning¡­¡± Shen Qian rested her elbow on the railing, propped her cheek in her hand, and began to think about how to pass the boring time on board the ship.


    Not far from the two, several young men and women looked over, whispering from time to time, then eventually walked straight over to the pair.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you, Boss Qin?¡±


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 Chapter 277: Comparing Again

    Chapter 277: Comparing Again


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Hearing the other party¡¯s words, Shen Qian silently stepped back, giving Qin


    Lang a ¡°I¡¯m handing it off to you¡± look.


    After gaining so much attention at the Leaping Fish Banquet, Qin Lang had been recognized several times and was getting used to it.


    Of course, Shen Qian can¡¯t help but grumble.


    She, the one who got second ce in the Youth Group, was never recognized¡­


    ¡°Are you Miss Shen Qian? The second ce winner in the Youth Group.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me!¡±


    Shen Qian¡¯s voice rose slightly, and she took a big step forward, giving the girl who recognized her a ¡°you did good¡± look.


    Noticing Shen Qian¡¯s small gestures, Qin Lang had a hint of amusement in his


    eyes, ¡°I¡¯m Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°Wow! It really is both of you!¡±


    Once their identities were confirmed, the group of teenagers showed their excited expressions and quickly crowded around.


    ¡°Boss Qin, I¡¯ve tried all four types of crab roe rice!


    ¡°So did l! The gravy seafood was delicious!¡±


    II II


    They, who were of simr ages to Qin Lang and Shen Qian, enthusiastically expressed how much they loved the food that Qin Lang and Shen Qian presented at the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    Qin Lang indeed found these people vaguely familiar, although he couldn¡¯t


    quite remember them.


    ¡°Thank you for liking the food I made.¡± Qin Lang courteously responded.


    ¡°Indeed, thankyou for your support.¡± Shen Qian said with an amused smile.


    It was so rare for her to be recognized, her heart was filled with joy, along with


    a few flutters of excitement.


    ¡°Have you guys had lunch yet?¡± Shen Qian casually asked.


    It was lunchtime, hence her question.


    However, after she asked, the few boys and girls in front of her fell silent at once, looking at Qin Lang and Shen Qian with a somewhat odd look.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± A curious Qin Lang asked, noticing their unusual behavior.


    ¡°Oh! These days have been so torturous for us!¡± The leading boy eximed, then started to exin why.


    The group of three boys and two girls in front of them was from Xiyun City, another city in Mingjing Province, located west of Lanqiu City.


    They were all food enthusiasts, and two of them had even be Spirit Chefs, though their Food Spirits had just emerged.


    Knowing about the Leaping Fish Banquet, the five of them decided toe to


    Yue Hu City together.


    At the three-day Leaping Fish Banquet, they tasted many dishes that they had never tasted before, which was like paradise for any food enthusiast.


    But the problem was, the Yueyu Banquet was over.


    And all the Spirit Chefs who¡¯d set up stalls at the Yueyu Banquet would not be doing so anymore.


    That meant they wouldn¡¯t be able to taste that delicious food again.


    The five of them felt like they had plummeted from heaven to hell and hadn¡¯t recovered in two days. They were even struggling to swallow moremonce food.


    The reason they were on the deck was that they weren¡¯t interested in the food provided on the cruise ship and decided toe out for some fresh air. However, not long after they came out, they saw Qin Lang and Shen Qian. After hearing about their situation, Qin Lang and Shen Qian looked at each


    other.


    Now they somewhat understood why the group had looked so peculiar before. It was probably akin to encountering the author of a book when suffering from a cliffhanger.


    But Qin Lang didn¡¯t have a good solution for their situation.


    Cook them the crab roe fried rice again?


    Wouldn¡¯t that just exacerbate their loss of appetite?


    Perhaps it would be more natural to let them recover on their own after a few days.


    On the other hand, Shen Qian, who was standing nearby, rubbed her chin and her eyes lit up. ¡°I have an idea!¡±


    In an instant, all six eyes turned towards her.


    ¡°I have also experienced a decline in appetite before, so I have some experience.¡± Shen Qian appeared quite confident.


    ¡°Eating some more stimting food can quickly recover your appetite! For example, sour or spicy food. Other than that, there is another way¡­¡±


    Shen Qian drew out herst word, looking at Qin Lang.


    Seeing Shen Qian¡¯s starry-eyed look, Qin Lang had an ominous feeling.


    Based on his understanding of Shen Qian, her appearance meant¡­ ¡°Qin Lang, let¡¯s have anotherpetition!¡± Shen Qian put her hands on her chest, ¡°Let¡¯s have these five be the judges, what do you think?¡±


    As expected.


    Qin Lang showed an ¡°as expected¡± expression, pete in what? You didn¡¯t finish what you were saying earlier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it now.¡± Shen Qian started speaking with a cheerful smile, ¡°There are some foods that smell disgusting but taste wonderful. From my experience, after eating these foods, no matter how much you¡¯ve lost your appetite, it will instantlyrecover.¡±


    ¡°This is called Contrast Therapy!¡±


    ¡°How about it, do you guys want to try?¡± Shen Qian looked towards the five people, ¡°If you want to try it, then be the judges for me and Qin Lang! We¡¯llpete using the theme of ¡®smells disgusting, tastes wonderful¡±.¡±


    A big question mark appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s forehead.


    Are you serious?


    Can delicious food that reeks somehow cure ack of appetite?


    What even is Contrast Therapy?


    Howe he¡¯s never heard of it before?


    Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but look at the five people.


    Such an outrageous proposition, they should refuse, right?


    They should, right?


    They should¡­


    ¡°Great! We want to try!¡± The five people exchanged nces and nodded as one.


    Qin Lang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Eating anything would only harm you!


    The five peoplepletely ignored Qin Lang¡¯s expression, their minds now full of anticipation.


    Are there really foods that smell disgusting but taste wonderful?


    They don¡¯t know, at least they¡¯ve never heard of it.


    But, a dish prepared by the Spirit Chefs who ranked first and second at the Youth Group of the Leaping Fish Banquet, must not be disappointing.


    Is the focus supposed to be on ¡°smelling disgusting ?


    No! The focus is ¡°tastes wonderful¡±!


    How could something delicious smell so bad that it¡¯s unbearable? At most, it doesn¡¯t whet your appetite.


    That¡¯s a minor problem!


    Moreover, witnessing theirpetition and acting as the judges is also fun!


    They cannote up with any reason to refuse!


    Qin Lang paused for a moment and then sighed softly.


    At one side, both Dan Bao and Spicy looked scared.


    The two little ones quickly came together and started whispering.


    ¡°Chaka ba?¡±


    Did you bring that stuff?


    ¡°Gulu gudulu¡­¡±


    Yes, I personally packed it in the suitcase¡­


    ¡°Chaka¡­¡±


    We¡¯re screwed then¡­


    After the Food Spirits finished their conversation, they cast sympathetic looks at the five people.


    Theypletely have no idea what they¡¯ re about to experience!


    ¡°Come on! Qin Lang! Let¡¯s show you the special food I¡¯ve mastered!¡± Shen Qian looked expectant.


    After she happened to taste this type of food once and regained her appetite, Shen Qian actively learned and mastered its cooking method.


    Although it smells strange, the food truly tastes amazing!


    She hasn¡¯t thought about it before, but suddenly remembering it now, she immediately wanted to show Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang looked at Shen Qian who was filled with expectation and his expression was weird.


    If you also possess a food that smells disgusting but tastes wonderful like I do, then this situation is simply¡­


    Too cool and awesome!


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 Chapter 278: Sour Bamboo Shoots

    Chapter 278: Sour Bamboo Shoots


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Next, I¡¯m going to make a delicacy called Mysterious Dumplings!¡±


    Inside the cruise ship room, Shen Qian announced with expectancy and enthusiasm to the five boys and girls about the dish she was going to make, ¡°Just wait here for a bit, it will be ready soon!¡±


    After that, she turned to look at Qin Lang, ¡°Have you decided what you¡¯re going to make?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± Qin Lang looked at the five people who were eagerly awaiting and even starting to salivate, showing a satisfied expression.


    Concerning foods that smell bad but taste delicious, Changsha Stinky Tofu from Hua Xia should be the first thing thates to mind.


    But this dish only shed in Qin Lang¡¯s mind for a moment before he rejected it.


    Despite the abundance of small stalls selling stinky tofu on the street, most of the stinky tofu they sell is a simplified version, with insufficient fermentation time and missing vors, in other words¡ª


    Itcks soul.


    To properly ferment a pot of traditional stinky tofu, it takes more than two months, and the longer the fermentation time the better.


    Apparently, in some of Changsha¡¯s old restaurants, there still exists a real ¡°hundred-year brine¡±.


    Such a delicacy requires extensive preparation time.


    Ever since Qin Lang crossed over to this world, it has only been two months, so it¡¯s simply impossible for him to make qualified stinky tofu.


    Therefore, the dish he intends to make is another famous food that smells bad but tastes delicious¡ªLuosifen.


    The longest preparation time for the ingredients in Luosifen is about a month for the sour bamboo shoots, but Qin Lang had prepared some in advance and brought them along when packing his luggage.


    In addition, there are also some sour string beans he had pickled.


    These ingredients are just right for making Luosifen.


    Moreover, this is not the first time Qjn Lang has made it.


    When the sour bamboo shoots were just done pickling, he eagerly made it once to taste the long-missed vor, and incidentally left a deep psychological scar on both Dan Bao and Spicy.


    The two little ones are still traumatized from the experience, and that¡¯s why they feel apprehensive now.


    ¡°The dish I¡¯m going to make is called Luosifen.¡± Qin Lang revealed a mysterious smile, ¡°Although it smells bad, I believe you guys will fall in love with its vor.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Shen Qian looked at Qin Lang with skepticism.


    The theme for this showdown is quite niche and was decided on a whim by Shen Qian herself. Can Qin Lang pull out a matching recipe under such circumstances?


    But remembering the wide variety of dishes that Qin Lang presented during theirst two battles, she felt that if anyone could do it, it would be Qin Lang.


    After all, this guy always seems to have a solution for everything.


    But this time, Shen Qian has confidence in herself!


    ¡°After losing so many times to you, I won¡¯t let myself be defeated so easily!¡± Shen Qian folded her arms across her chest.


    She won¡¯t easily concede in this category of unique foods.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the kitchen.¡± Qin Lang smiled and motioned for Shen Qian to follow him.


    The cruise ship is not like a hotel, not every room has a kitchen, but it does have onergemunal kitchen for every two rooms.


    Qin Lang and Shen Qian¡¯s rooms just so happen to share the same kitchen, which makes it a perfect ce for their public duel.


    The other five people, who are the judges, will wait in the room for the tasting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The two went into the kitchen and quickly either purchased or found all the necessary ingredients for their dishes.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Looking at the two sealed ss jars on Qin Lang¡¯s worktable, Shen Qian stroked her chin, her face bing more solemn. ¡± What are these?¡±


    During the Food Fight two days ago, Qin Lang had made Twice-Cooked Pork.


    So, Shen Qian knows very well that Qin Lang excels in preparing marinades and his sauces often have unique vors that give the dish a special effect during cooking.


    Now, Qin Lang has brought out two at once!


    This made Shen Qian feels like she was facing a formidable opponent.


    ¡°Sour bamboo shoots and sour string beans, want to try?¡± Qin Lang enthusiastically offered the two ss jars to her.


    Normally during apetition, they wouldn¡¯tmunicate, but their duel is centered on exchange, so they don¡¯t strictly adhere to the rules.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a taste.¡± Shen Qian was indeed very curious, and wasn¡¯t shy in showing it.


    She took the two ss jars, opening the one containing the sour string beans first.


    Looking at the pickled beans in their yellow-green hue, small segments that were coated with juice, and smelling the piquant sour vor, Shen Qian¡¯s eyes lit up.


    They certainly looked quite good.


    She picked up a clean pair of chopsticks and carefully picked up a piece to ce in her mouth.


    The string beans, after pickling, were thoroughly watered and not at all dry. The salty and spicy taste carried a slight sourness from fermentation, coupled with the beans¡¯ inherently crisp taste, it was quite appetizing.


    So, it was a pickled side dish.


    Shen Qian nodded in understanding.


    This kind of side dish could be added to various foods, making it quite versatile.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem to have much to do with the theme of ¡®smells bad, tastes good¡¯, since the sour string beans didn¡¯t have any bad smell.


    ¡°Why not try the other one?¡± Qin Lang interjected at just the right moment.


    His face, along with those of the two little ones, were filled with an odd sense of anticipation.


    Shen Qian didn¡¯t suspect anything amiss, so she nodded and opened the second ss jar.


    Her expression froze instantly.


    ¡°Eek!!!¡±


    ¡°Argh!!!¡±


    Two screams rang out nearly simultaneously from beside her.


    They were from Shen Qian¡¯s Food Spirits.


    At that moment, both Food Spirits backed away in terror, looking fearfully at the ss jar as though it was a formidable foe.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Shen Qian took her first whiff of the pungent smell, pinching her nose, she barely managed to collect herself, ¡°This sour bamboo shoots smell really weird, don¡¯t they?¡±


    The Mysterious Dumplings she was preparing might smell bad, but certainly not this strong!


    ¡°Give it a try. The taste is quite unique.¡± Qjn Lang said, wearing a sincere expression, ¡°Trust me, it smells bad but tastes delicious.¡±


    Shen Qian thought about the theme of their uingpetition and looked thoughtful.


    If Qin Lang were to add this sour bamboo shoots into his dishes, indeed, it would meet the criteria.


    And so, she must really try this sour bamboo shoots.


    Even though the pungent smell was hard for her to handle, driven by curiosity, she gritted her teeth and, under her Food Spirits¡¯ admiring gaze, put a piece of sour bamboo shoot into her mouth.


    ¡°Crunch¡ª¡±


    Feeling the refreshing and appetizing taste in her mouth, Shen Qian was pleasantly surprised.


    Although the taste was somewhat strong, it actually tasted good!


    And after eating, the pungent smell seemed to have be eptable.


    However, whether it was the sour string beans just now or the sour bamboo shoots at the moment, they both seemed more like side dishes. Their impact on the vor of the main course didn¡¯t seem to be significant¡­


    With that understanding, Shen Qian was filled with added confidence.


    ¡°We can start! I think I can win this time!¡±


    ¡°You can do it.¡±


    As for Shen Qian¡¯s thoughts, Qjn Lang could probably guess.


    His smile held a hint of a hidden agenda.


    Sour bamboo shoots are the soul of Luosifen.


    But who said that a dish could only have one star ingredient?


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 Chapter 279: Snail Soup

    Chapter 279: Snail Soup


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Shen Qian¡¯s tasting of sour bamboo shoots and sour string beans was merely a side note.


    The two quickly began their own cooking.


    Luosifen has two distinct features: a variety of ingredients, where half a bowl typically consists of them, and a rich soup base.


    Although it is often said that there are no sea snails in luosifen, the authentic version always includes field snails.


    Moreover, the field snail is just one of many ingredients used in the soup. To ensure a delicious broth, a whole chicken andrge pork bones are also necessary.


    Thus, the first step for Qin Lang was making the soup.


    The whole chicken andrge pork bones were cut into severalrge pieces, nched, and then set aside.


    Field snails, cleaned and sand expelled, were removed from their shells and stir-fried withrd, ginger slices, sections of green onion, and dried chili. Then, the nched chicken and pork bones were added along with some water. Finally, a spice bag was tossed in and everything was left to simmer over a low heat for six hours.


    The spice bag consisted of peri, star anise, cinnamon, and a dozen other fragrant ingredients.


    ¡°Over to you.¡± After closing the lid, Qin Lang gently patted Spicy¡¯s head, ¡°Keep it up!¡±


    With Spicy¡¯s current ability to elerate cooking, it could fast forward two hours at a time, making the task to speed up this pot of soup not an easy one.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    Spicy nodded heavily, very confident about this.


    Having the experience from the Leaping Fish Banquet, it was getting more and more skilled in using cooking eleration, finding a bnce between power consumption and recovery, thereby greatly increasing its endurance.


    An unusual aroma filtered through the air prompting Qin Lang to nce over at Shen Qian.


    While he was preparing the soup, Shen Qian was also steadily progressing with her own tasks.


    At this moment, she was frying a peculiar spice that looked somewhat like a mushroom in hot oil. An odd smell- a blend of something foul and something savory- was rapidly emerging from the pan under the heat.


    That was¡­


    Qin Lang quickly recognized it was a rather obscure ingredient, called the stinky rice mushroom. While it resembles a mushroom, it¡¯s not a fungus, but a herbaceous nt.


    In Qin Lang¡¯s past experience among the many delicacies that had a foul smell but tasted savory, the bad smell was due to certain byproducts from the fermentation process. But the fermentation process also dposes to produce various ammo acids and other nutrients, hence the unique taste. Whether it¡¯s the brine of stinky tofu or the sour bamboo shoots, their principle was mostly simr.


    The stinky rice mushroom was different in that it naturally had a distinctive taste and an odd smell. This smell was not as pungent as the sour bamboo shoots but was off-putting enough to deter many people.


    Seeing Shen Qian use this ingredient made Qin Lang slightly curious.


    He was really curious, what would the taste be like when one cooks using such an ingredient.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    The two-hour eleration ispleted!


    The voice of Spicy pulled Qin Lang back to reality.


    At this moment, a familiar aroma of luosifen soup was faintly wafting from his tightly sealed pot.


    Although it had only been two hours, the soup was already beginning toe together.


    Once the lid was lifted, the fragrance that had been subtly escaping through the crack between the pot and the lid suddenly became rich. Apanied by rising heat and steam, it filled the kitchen.


    Shen Qian¡¯s movements came to a sudden halt.


    She removed the fried stinky rice mushrooms shaking off the excess oil, quickly turned to look at Qin Lang¡¯s actions while simultaneously sniffing the savory aroma wafting in the air.


    It smells so good!


    This is¡­


    She nced at Qin Lang¡¯s pot.


    He¡¯s making soup again¡­


    In a previous Food Fight, Qin Lang had made a stuffed pork stomach with chicken.


    So Shen Qian knew that he was very good at making soup base.


    Because she can see the cooking process, she benefited a lot.


    And now, once again, Qin Lang had demonstrated his expertise in soup making, which put pressure on Shen Qian.


    Luosifen, isn¡¯t it supposed to just contain field snails and rice noodles?


    Wliy does his soup also have big bones and chicken!


    Are you kidding me?


    She muttered under her breath, and continued with her cooking. Crumbling the fried and crispy stinky rice mushroom, she mixed it with other ingredients to create a bunch of exquisite little balls.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang lifted the lid of the pot to have a brief look, fished out the bundle of spices simmering in the pot, and covered the pot again.


    ¡°Keep up the speed.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    Understood!


    Spicy got back to work immediately.


    While Qin Lang started preparing other ingredients.


    Besides the main ingredient, rice noodles, Luosifen, has an astonishingly diverse array of side dishes.


    Themon side dishes include sour bamboo shoots, sour string beans, pickled radish cubes, green vegetables, ck fungus, fried tofu skin, and fried peanuts. On top of these, a soul-reviving fried egg is indispensable.


    ¡°Done washing the bowls!¡±


    The voice of Dan Bao came in a timely manner.


    Seven big bowls flew over under the control of the thought waves andnded beside the table.


    Five servings of Luosifen for the young girls and boys waiting outside, one for Shen Qian, and thest one¡­


    Qin Lang looked at Dan Bao and asked with a smile, ¡°Is one enough?¡±


    Dan Bao recalled its previous experience of eating Luosifen and quickly showed a puzzling expression.


    Luosifen tastes good, and it even has eggs, which are his favorite.


    But, its smell was really bad! Even the eggs stank!


    So, this time I¡­


    I still want to eat!


    Without hesitation, Dan Bao washed two more bowls.


    Seeing Dan Bao¡¯s eager but somewhat reluctant expression, Qin Lang cheerfully started cooking the rice noodles.


    He heated the water in the pot and boiled the rice noodles until they could be easily snapped with chopsticks. Then, he drained the noodles and put them at the bottom of the nine big bowls.


    The water was not discarded, it was used to nch the selected and washed vegetables. The vegetables were thenyered over the noodles.


    Next, he heated a thinyer of oil in the pot and stir-fried the ck fungus strips, sour string beans, radish cubes, and finally sour bamboo shoots. As soon as he finished stir-frying each ingredient, he spread it over the noodles.


    The different side dishes were categorized and could be seen when viewed from above the bowl, creating an image like a palette. Despite the peculiar smell of sour bamboo shoots floating in the kitchen after stir-frying, it seemed quite appetizing.


    In the kitchen, another strange smell mixed with the sour bamboo shoots. It was the unusual smell of the Strange Balls that Shen Qian was cooking.


    Shen Qian nced over at Qin Lang, who was still preparing his dish, and a smile spread across her face. ¡°My Strange Balls are almost ready!¡± she said.


    While speaking, she scooped the golden brown, crisply fried balls out of the hot oil, drained them a little, and then took them out of the pan and ted them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going ahead. Keep it up!¡± Shen Qian cheerfully picked up her te and scurried out of the kitchen.


    The stench of Luosifen was too intense!


    Although she had grown ustomed to the strange smell of her Strange Balls, this was the first time she had ever smelled Luosifen.


    If she didn¡¯t run now, when would she?


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Watching Shen Qian¡¯s retreating figure, Qin Lang chuckled,


    ¡°The early bird doesn¡¯t always catch the worm, youngdy.¡±


    As he spoke, Qin Lang calmlypleted the steps of deep-frying peanuts and tofu skin, and then took out a tray of eggs.


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Fried eggs!


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    End-of-chapter Easter Egg Content:


    [How to Make Luosifen]

 Chapter 280: Fried Egg

    Chapter 280: Fried Egg


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Strange Balls, give them a try!¡±


    Outside the kitchen, Shen Qian, havingpleted her cooking, ced the Strange Balls she¡¯d made in front of five young men and women, her face full of confidence.


    The steaming Strange Balls carried a fragrance produced by deep-frying, but within this deep-fried aroma, there was also a strange stink. The two smells intertwined in the air, giving the five youngsters a peculiar impression.


    Indeed, the dish¡¯s name was not misnamed.


    Sun Yan was the leader among the five. It was he who proposed that the group join the Leaping Fish Banquet. At this moment, smelling the scent in the air, the expression on his face immediately became strange.


    This smell¡­


    If you say it stinks, it doesn¡¯t seem that unbearable.


    But if you say it¡¯s fragrant, it doesn¡¯t seem to quite fit either; at least, it doesn¡¯t whet the appetite.


    However, the crispy golden outeryer seemed rather tempting to look at.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look to his other fourpanions, hoping that someone would be the guinea pig and taste it first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try!¡± Lan Le, another youngster, was quite proactive. Smelling the scent wafting in the air, his face showed an eager willingness to try.


    The other four showed an expression of ¡°That¡¯s so you¡±.


    Very familiar with Lan Le, they knew that he had a certain preference for odd foods.


    Under the expectant gaze of his friends, Lan Le picked up a ball, blew on it gently, and put it in his mouth.


    ¡°Crunch¡ª¡±


    The crisp sound was so clear in the quiet restaurant.


    Soon, Lan Le, who was chewing, showed an expression of enjoyment.


    Underneath the crispy shell, the balls were filled with delicious juice, carrying a meaty aroma and the fragrance of various condiments. These fragrances were intertwined with the peculiar stink, immediately filling his mouth and nose.


    That feeling¡­


    Lan Le¡¯s expression became even more surprised. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, every inch of his face seemed to be expressing the deliciousness of the dish.


    Seeing this, the other four no longer hesitated and began to eat.


    Soon, the restaurant was filled with their praises.


    Shen Qian watched with a giggling smile, her face showing a bit of glee.


    She felt that she¡¯d done well again!


    ¡°Sizzle¨C¡±


    The crisp sound of frying echoed in the kitchen.


    As Qin Lang poured the beaten egg into the hot oil and stirred it in circles, it quickly floated to the surface of the hot oil. The golden and fluffy fried egg was scooped out.


    Compared to a fried egg, a deep-fried egg may also be fried in hot oil, but the cooking process ispletely different.


    First, the eggs need to be beaten evenly, the egg white and yolk thoroughly mixed together, and ideally even a little foamy¡ªthe result will be more fluffy after frying.


    Second, deep-fried eggs need hotter oil. The egg should solidify within seconds after it¡¯s poured in.


    In this way, the deep-fried eggs made from the same ingredients are muchrger than fried eggs.


    The fried eggs that Qin Lang scooped out were slightly soft at first, but after cooling down for a bit, they became harder and more crispy on the surface, stacked together they looked particrly appealing.


    ¡°Gurgle¡­gurgle¡­gurgle¡­¡±


    One¡­two¡­three¡­


    Dan Bao was counting the fried eggs seriously, and the rich aroma of fried eggs wafting in the air made it swallow.


    It quickly went closer to the fried eggs. In doing so, the smell of Luosifen floating in the air became lighter, reced by the more intense aroma of fried eggs.


    Fried eggs will protect me! Luosifen, retreat!


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Nine now!


    Soon, Qin Lang finished frying the ninth fried egg. Dan Bao looked at the remaining egg mixture in the bowl.


    This egg mixture was not enough to make a standard-sized fried egg.


    ¡°Extra meal for you.¡± Qin Lang smiled, poured this egg mixture into the hot oil, and made a smaller fried egg, ¡°This one is also yours.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Yay!


    Dan Bao suddenly felt a surge of happiness.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    I want an extra serving too!


    The spicy vor from the side just squeezed the lemon.


    ¡°Wait a second, I¡¯ll give you extra snail meat!¡± Qin Lang held the bowl steady.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    No problem!


    Spicy continued her work satisfyingly.


    While Qin Lang was preparing the chili oil on his side, the soup elerated for six hours alsopleted its final simmering.


    Skim off the foam, discard the bones and chicken, and spread the snail meat over the rice noodles.


    The over-sized fried egg was ced at the topmostyer of garnish in the end.


    Spicy stared intently at one of the bowls of Luosifen. The covering fried egg couldn¡¯t hide the fact that this particr bowl had the most snail meat.


    This one is mine! No one darepete with me for it!


    Dan Bao kept its eyes on another bowl of Luosifen, which had a smaller fried egg atop the regr sized one.


    This bowl of Luosifen, belongs to me, Dan Bao!


    The chili oil mixed with the simmered Luosifen soup was slowly poured into nine big bowls until it submerged all the ingredients.


    The unique vor of the Luosifen soup intertwined with the distinct stench of sour bamboo shoots, perfecting the peculiar and magnificent taste of Luosifen.


    Smelling the aroma in the air, a satisfied smile appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let them taste Luosifen.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡± Using its thought waves, Dan Bao picked up a bowl of Luosifen, an expectant expression on its face.


    It was looking forward to seeing the young faces outside the kitchen showing the same expression it had when it first tasted Luosifen.


    Spicy next to it couldn¡¯t help but smile, even the bubbles over its head started to flicker. It seems that it was of the same mind as Dan Bao.


    The kitchen door opened.


    The moment the nine bowls of Luosifen were ced on the dining table, the distinct scent of Luosifen forcefully dominated the entire space of the restaurant, causing Shen Qian and the five young people who just tasted the Strange Balls to change their expressions on the spot.


    That smell¡­


    Shen Qian had already tasted Sour Bamboo Shoots in the kitchen and was doing better than others. The other five who hadn¡¯t experienced anything like this before changed colors.


    Four of them showed resistance on their faces, but the fifth, Lan Le, was more excited.


    ¡°Try it, Luosifen.¡±


    Qin Lang beckoned, then sat down before the table and started eating.


    It was already lunchtime and he was also hungry.


    Dan Bao and Spicy each made their way to their individually marked bowls of Luosifen, and also began to devour their meals.


    Right after them, Lan Le and Shen Qian followed suit.


    The other four, even though they were hesitant and conflicted, swallowed their impulse to run, and gingerly started to taste it.


    At first, they looked disgusted.


    But after they tasted it, their facial expressions started to change.


    Qin Lang noticed and let out a smile, casually taking a bite of the fried egg.


    The initially crispy texture of the deep-fried fluffy egg became tough and sticky after soaking in the soup, absorbing the delicious snail soup. Once bitten, the juice bursts within the mouth.


    The unique taste is hard to describe with words, but if one were to say its¡­ Refreshingly delicious!


    The rice noodles melt in the mouth with a slight suck, carrying a light milky aroma. The sour bamboo shoots are crispy and appetizing while the fried tofu skin has a simr texture as the fried egg but more chewy and sticky.


    The different textures of the ingredients provide ayered effect during the chewing process, with a unique vor permeated throughout.


    Does it stink?


    It smells great!


    Shortcut Entrance: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Pass]


    Easter egg content for this chapter:


    [The method of making fried eggs]

 Chapter 281: Entering the Forest

    Chapter 281: Entering the Forest


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°I support Boss Qin!¡±


    ¡°Luosifen is the best!¡±


    ¡°I cast my vote for Boss Qin too!¡±


    ¡°No more words needed, it must be Boss Qin!¡±


    ¡°Even though my vote doesn¡¯t mean much, I¡¯ll give it to Boss Qin!¡±


    With the expressions of their preferences after tasting two delicious foods, thepetition between Qin Lang and Shen Qian ended once again with Qin Lang¡¯s victory.


    After tasting the Luosifen, Shen Qian was not too surprised about this result, but it allowed her to know more about Qin Lang¡¯s Recipe Sea.


    This freak, he even mastered such a niche food!


    ¡°I found it weird. When I first smelled Luosifen, I couldn¡¯t stand the smell, but after tasting it, I found it delicious. Why is that?¡±


    A girl named Kong Rong from the group of five reviewed the faint aroma lingering in the air, her face reflecting confusion, ¡°Does the aroma of Luosifen change over time?¡±


    ¡°No, the taste of Luosifen does not change.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    He thought of a theory from his previous life that could exin the situation at hand.


    ¡°Before you tasted Luosifen, the smell you sensed was the true smell of Luosifen, but after tasting it, what you smell is no longer the actual smell.¡± ¡°Not real? What do you mean?¡± Shen Qian was intrigued.


    ¡°After you tasted Luosifen, your brain would associate the smell of Luosifen and its savoury taste and texture into the concept of ¡®Luosifen¡¯.¡± Qin Lang smiled mysteriously.


    This means that any element rted to this memory, once triggered, will cause an association with other memories.¡±


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t taste it, just smelling it would automatically fill in the relevant information about the taste and texture of Luosifen, making it more tangible.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, when you smell Luosifen after tasting it, you will feel that the smell has changed, that it¡¯s be better.¡±


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not the aroma that has changed, but the fact that you associate the aroma with the distinct taste of Luosifen, thereby overriding your initial resistance to the smell.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why!¡± Shen Qian realized, ¡°When I first tried strange meatballs, I couldn¡¯t stand the smell, but after trying it once, I no longer felt that way. So it was my brain fooling me.¡±


    The rest of the group looked thoughtful, clearly gaining some insights from Qin Lang¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°However¡­¡± looking at the enlightened six, Qin Lang continued, ¡°You could also say that the initial smell you sensed was fake, and the one you smell now is the real thing.¡±


    Shen Qian:¡±???¡±


    Group of five:¡±???¡±


    Even the two kids eavesdropping nearby were surprised by Qin Lang¡¯s sudden twist.


    ¡°A food item stimtes the senses of a taster through sight, smell, and taste. If you separate texture from taste, then touch should also be added to the equation.¡±


    Qin Lang paused. ¡°I believe this is the depth of delicious food. You can only see the full picture by exploring it from different angles.¡±


    ¡°If you only understand it from one aspect, the food is iplete.¡±


    ¡°So, if you can associate Luosifen¡¯s taste, shape and texture with its smell, then it is the real taste of Luosifen?¡± Sun Yan continued the conversation.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang gave a slight nod, then his face turned slightly bashful. ¡°However, this is just my personal opinion. It might be biased.¡±


    ¡°No! I think this idea is right!¡± Shen Qian cut him off, her eyes were shiny, as if they were filled with light. ¡°A lot of foods are not appreciated due to certain ws, but once they are tried, their uniqueness is apparent.¡±


    ¡°Just like stinky but delicious Luosifen!¡± Lan Le nodded in agreement. Shen Qian¡¯s words highly resonated with him, who enjoys trying new things.


    ¡°Cough, true, but you don¡¯t need to try everything, after all, you¡¯re not Shen Nong.¡± Qin Lang coughed lightly, thinking it¡¯s necessary to remind.


    ¡°What¡¯s Shen Nong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡±


    After lunch, the group of five chatted cordially with Qin Lang and Shen Qian.


    All of them were spirit chefs and foodies, their discussion about food was boundless, could run into days and nights.


    Not until night fell and they shared a hot pot meal cooked by Qin Lang, did the group of five reluctantly part ways.


    ¡°Thankyou for your hospitality, Boss Qin.¡± said Sun Yan, the leader among the group of five, their faces filled with joy.


    It was a rare opportunity for them to meet their idol on a ship and not only taste his cooking, but also learn a lot from the exchange.


    Moreover, such an outstanding spirit chef like Qin Lang was so easy to approach in person, which was quite unexpected for them.


    ¡°Both the Luosifen at noon and the hot pot in the evening were foods I¡¯ve never had before!¡± Kong Rong seemed quite excited, ¡°It¡¯s just amazing!¡±


    ¡°I still hold the same thoughts, it would be cool if the hot pot soup base was Luosifen!¡± said Lan Le.


    He thought ofbining the two during dinner. Although others thought it was heresy, he insisted nheless.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Qin Lang rubbed his chin.


    In his past life, he really dide across Luosifen hotpot, but it was indeed a bit against humanity, better not to bring it out.


    ¡°Alright, alright, we should go now!¡± Sun Yan coughed lightly, grabbed Lan Le before receiving more mocking from the others, then waved at Qin Lang and Shen Qian. ¡°If Boss Qin and Miss Shen evere to Xiyun City, please allow me to y the host.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Neither of them rejected his kind offer.


    After the group of five left, Shen Qian crossed her arms and looked thoughtful, ¡°Qin Lang, I feel¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Maybebining Luosifen with hot pot might not be a bad idea?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not.¡±


    Early the next morning, saying goodbye to the morning light, the cruise ship ¡°Cloud Flow¡± slowly approached a somewhat primitive and simple pier on the riverbank of the Bei Qiu River.


    The pier was simple because most of it, including the boarding area and other parts, was made of wood, which was unlike other piers.


    It was primitive because beyond the pier, there were no signs of human construction at all. It was all green trees far and wide.


    ¡°So this is Lan Qiu Forest.¡±


    Carrying their backpacks and walking away from the pier side by side, Qin Lang and Shen Qian stared at the original forest before them, breathing in the fresh smell of the moist soil, their eyes filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not far from Yue Hu City, this is my first time here.¡± Shen Qian looked around with a grin, ¡°I was too scared toe here alone when I was traveling.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have survival experience in the wild.¡± Qin Lang said confidently.


    ¡°Won¡¯t it be toote to send the luggage to Lanqiu City?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if nothing unexpected happens, it will arrive faster than us.¡±


    Shortcuts: [Monthly Pass] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 282: Barbecue in the Wild

    Chapter 282: Barbecue in the Wild


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Alihhh¡ª ¡±


    A scream shattered the silence of the jungle, startling a flock of birds nestling in the tree canopy.


    Within the forest, Shen Qian hid behind Qin Lang, her face filled with horror as she looked at a long snake coiled around a tree trunk, its cold gaze fixed on them as it flicked its tongue.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, don¡¯t panic.¡± Qin Lang patted Shen Qian¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared? This is a snake!¡±


    ¡°I used to be quite fearful.¡± Qin Lang openly spoke with a happy tone, ¡°But have you forgotten? You are a Spirit Chef.¡±


    ¡°Dan Bao, Thought Waves!¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Dan Bao gave a sound of agreement, and a milky-white halo diffused from its body, spreading into the surroundings, and morphed into an unseen force that rapidly extended toward the long snake on the tree trunk.


    The snake froze slightly, its instincts warned it that something dangerous was brewing.


    But before it could react, the invisible force had already enveloped itpletely, pulling it into the air and leaving it suspended, unable to even wriggle its body.


    Its snake scales, usually slick and smooth, were useless in this circumstance.


    Its eyes, sharp like needles, couldn¡¯t help but reveal a hint of human-like desperation.


    ¡°The snake is not venomous.¡± After careful scrutiny, Qin Lang quickly made his judgement, ¡°It should be edible.¡±


    ¡°Yo-you¡­¡± Shen Qian gasped, ¡°You actually eat snakes?!¡±


    ¡°Snake meat is delicious. It¡¯s somewhat like fish, but with a different vor.¡± Qin Lang sincerely said, ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten a snake this fat before!¡±


    In his past life, many snakes were protected species and could not be eaten.


    However, in this world there seems to be no restriction on what ingredients can be eaten, since no species can be eaten to the point of extinction.


    ¡°Can it¡­ really be eaten?¡± Shen Qian was skeptical.


    ¡°I¡¯m cooking, don¡¯t worry.¡± Qin Lang gave Shen Qian a definitive look, and quickly found the snake¡¯s vital point, ¡°Spicy, bite here!¡±


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Spicy bared its tiny fangs and bit directly at the snake¡¯s vital point.


    The power of a two-star Food Spirit was enough to ensure a one-hit kill for such amon creature. The snake¡¯s struggling body suddenly stiffened, and soon, the light specter in its eyes gradually faded.


    ¡°This vast primeval forest is truly a great ce.¡± Qin Lang stuffed the snake into a cloth bag and put it in his backpack, his face showing a delighted expression, ¡°These ingredients are all wild, definitely not bad.¡±


    ¡°Actually, that nest of sparrows from earlier could also have been roasted.¡± As Qin Lang remarked this, he seemed slightly regretful, ¡°What a pity, they were scared away by your scream.¡±


    ¡°What? Sparrows are so cute, why would you want to eat them?¡± Shen Qian puffed out her cheeks, pleading for the sparrows.


    ¡°Should Dan Bao catch a fewter, would you like cumin or salt and pepper?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Shen Qian licked her lips, ¡°How about spicy?¡±


    ¡°That works.¡±


    While chatting andughing, the two backpackers continued their journey deeper into the forest.


    No matter how powerful the beasts are, they would not stand a chance against a Food Spirit with extraordinary power. Moreover, as a tourist spot, there is no dangerous wildlife in Lan Qiu Forest. A nonvenomous snake was already the worst they could encounter.


    Time passed bit by bit, and soon it was noontime.


    The previously light backpack was now bulging with various ingredients captured from the forest.


    Qin Lang and Shen Qian picked a slightly elevated spot shaded by trees and paused their journey.


    ¡°Alright, this ce will do.¡±


    After taking a walk around the vicinity, Qin Lang returned with a smile on his face, ¡°There¡¯s a stream nearby. It¡¯s very convenient to wash the ingredients.¡± ¡°We just got so many ingredients, it¡¯s time for some outdoor cooking!¡±


    As he spoke, he took out the ingredients from his bag.


    A snake over a meter long, two sizable mountain sparrows, a few eggs found in the sparrow¡¯s nest, and a couple of fish caught passing a brook.


    Additionally, there were some fruits and mushrooms he¡¯d foraged from the mountains, and a few different spices that could be used immediately upon being picked.


    These perishables were enough for a hearty meal for two humans and four Food Spirits.


    ¡°If only I had a portable space, I could carry aplete set of cookware.¡±


    Qin Lang fantasized while building a temporary roasting rack with Dan Bao.


    Spicy¡¯s figure appeared and disappeared from time to time, reappearing only to throw down the dry wood she found.


    ¡°There is one.¡± Shen Qian, who was in charge of preparing the ingredients, spoke without turning her head. ¡°Culinary Skill: Kitchenware Storage could do it.¡±


    ¡°But the awakening of Food Skills is random, at least Combat Skill could be directed by Skill Stones.¡± Qin Lang shook his head helplessly.


    In the realm of Food Skills, there are two that can create a kind of portable space.


    One is Culinary Skill: Kitchenware Storage; the other is Culinary Skill: Food Storage.


    Food Spirits who master these two skills can open up portable spaces to store things identified as cookware and ingredients.


    Although they still couldn¡¯t store everything, it was much more convenient for Spirit Chefs.


    Particrly Food Storage, it not only helps store ingredients but also has a strong preservation effect. It¡¯s a godsend technique that every Spirit Chef wants.


    However, the Food Skills are determined when the Food Spirits are born, so they cannot be adjusted afterwards. They arepletely random.


    Wishful thinking was useless.


    As they chatted, they quickly managed to light a fire.


    ¡°Let me handle the snake.¡± Qin Lang, smile resplendent, epted the snake lying untouched on the ground from Shen Qian, who was now done with the other ingredients.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Though the snake was dead, touching its scales still made Shen Qian¡¯s skin crawl.


    Such tasks were better left to the brave and expert Qin Lang.


    However, she could at least observe and learn.


    Watching Qin Lang carry the snake towards the brook, Shen Qian quickly followed.


    He bled it, removed the insides, stripped off the snake skin to leave only the snake meat, washed the snake meat cut into pieces in the clear brook water to rinse off its blood, and threw it into the pot. And thus, the snake was simply prepared.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we eat the snake skin?¡± Shen Qian asked curiously as she watched the skin discarded by Qin Lang.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a farmed snake with good quality, the skin can be eaten.¡± Qin Lang shrugged, ¡°Wild snakes, however, might have parasites under their skin.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Shen Qian understood after Qin Lang¡¯s exnation. She watched him add green onions and ginger into the pot, ¡°How are we going to eat this?¡± ¡°Given our limited resources, we¡¯ll make snake soup.¡± Qin Lang replied with a cryptic smile, ¡°Snake soup is very delicious. The brook water here is quite sweet, perfect for snake soup.¡±


    After saying this, he went upstream, scooped a fewdles of forest brook water into the pot, and ced it on the roasting rack made from tree branches.


    Soon, small bubbles started to surface in the pot.


    Qin Lang took the prepared fish and sparrows from Shen Qian, evenly applied an egg wash using the eggs from the sparrow¡¯s nest, and marinated them with the spices.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared some snacks in advance. Would you like to try some?¡± Shen Qian took a lunch box from her bag, and handed some food to Qin Lang.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Shortcut: Monthly Ticket Rmendation Ticket

 Chapter 283: Crispy Skin

    Chapter 283: Crispy Skin


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°This chicken roll is done quite well.¡±


    Randomly sitting on the soft grass in the jungle, Qin Lang picked up a delicacy that looked somewhat like a hand-held pancake. After taking a few bites, he nodded with satisfaction.


    The diced chicken filled every part of the roll, creating a delightfully satisfying blend. The slightly crispy texture of the roll, coupled with the juicy chicken inside, provided an unparalleled sensation of satisfaction with every bite.


    Try this one?¡± The dish prepared by Shen Qian received Qin Lang¡¯s approval, putting her in an even better mood. She handed over another dish she had prepared with a beaming smile, ¡°Thousandyer Honey Cake.¡±


    ¡°Dessert?¡± Qin Lang picked up a piece, took a bite, and a look of surprise appeared on his face, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be skilled at desserts.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m particrly skilled.¡± Shen Qian said with a chuckle, ¡°In Yue Hu City, I underwent three tests by first-level food rmenders in order to participate in a city-level cookingpetition. One of the exams was about desserts.¡±


    I prepared for that for quite a long time, and after my dessert got approved, the first-level food rmender gave me many tips on making desserts.¡± ¡°So I sometimes make some desserts myself. After all, the smell of baking desserts is a pleasant thing.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement.


    The two chatted while feasting. After a while, the sparrows and the fish were properly marinated.


    This time, Qin Lang did not ask Spicy to elerate the cooking.


    An asional wait could also be a rxing experience.


    ¡°Now, let me show you my skills.¡± After inspecting the ingredients, Qin Lang nodded with satisfaction, turned to Shen Qian and gave her a smile.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Shen Qian showed an anticipation, ¡°Are we going to grill fish or sparrows first?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s grill both together.¡±


    As Qm Lang said this, he skewered the sparrow and the fish separately onto the prepared wooden sticks.


    The long wooden sticks were diagonally inserted into the soft soil, with the top converging into a cone-like shape.


    ¡°Dan Bao, light the fire!¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Understood!


    Dan Bao opened its mouth and spit out a me. Under its exquisite control, a me appeared in the middle of the cone, evenly roasting each side of the ingredients.


    There was a hint of excitement on its face. After all, thest time it used Full Firepower to help Qin Lang grill meat was a month ago in Dongxia City.


    ¡°You really use the Food Spirit¡¯s Combat Skill as a cooking method.¡± Seeing this, Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, and an envious look appeared on her face.


    She wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the battles of Food Spirits. She was more focused on culinary arts. If she could, she would also like to use her own Food Spirit¡¯s Combat Skills as cooking methods.


    However, unlike Qin Lang, the Combat Skills of her two Food Spirits did not suit cooking.


    Since she did not participate in the trainingpetition, she couldn¡¯t obtain trainingpetition points and could not exchange them for Skill Stones to get more suitable Combat Skills.


    Obtaining Skill Stones from other channels was too expensive, so Shen Qian did not consider it either.


    So, she could only y it by ear.


    But soon afterwards, Shen Qian stopped thinking about these things.


    Because Qin Lang started doing something new.


    While Dan Bao was stably controlling the me and roasting the food, he stood up, scooped out some water from a nearby stream, and started mixing various seasonings. It appeared he was creating a special blend.


    What are you doing?¡± Seeing that Qin Lang wasn¡¯t trying to hide his actions, Shen Qian directly asked, ¡°Why are you also using maltose?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making a special seasoning.¡± Qin Lang paused for a moment, ¡°Calling it a seasoning is a bit inurate. In addition to adding vor, it greatly changes the appearance of the ingredients.¡±


    Shen Qian looked puzzled at his words.


    ¡°This is Crispy Skin Water!¡± Qin Langughed heartily as he saw the confused


    Shen Qian, ¡°As for its use, you¡¯ll see in a bit.¡±


    He added just the right amount of white sugar, maltose, vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda to the clear water, stirring it evenly as arge quantity of bubbles emerged. Holding a brush, Qin Lang carried the just prepared Crispy Skin Water towards the food that¡¯s being roasted.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious to see what trick you have up your sleeve.¡± Shen Qian followed with a joyful smile on her face, full of anticipation.


    Since Qin Lang did not disguise his actions, and there were no major difficulties in preparing the Crispy Skin Water, she already remembered most of it after just one look.


    The skin of the sparrow that had been roasted was shrinking due to Dan Bao controlling the fire to a mild degree under Qin Lang¡¯s instruction. At this stage, the skin was still stic and not burnt.


    Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction, removed the sparrow, directly soaked it in the prepared Crispy Skin Water, removed it after a moment, and put it back in its original ce.


    The sparrow, nowyered with the Crispy Skin Water, had a light brown gloss, but it was not yet clearly visible. Shen Qian rested her cheek on her hand, her face full of curiosity.


    ¡°Dan Bao, intensify the heat.¡±


    As Qm Lang¡¯s voice fell, the roasting mes suddenly rose, bing more vigorous and emitting waves of heat.


    Under the coverage of this intense heat, the food seemed to be in a roasting oven, its appearance quickly transforming.


    The surface of the roasted fish visibly turned brown at an rming speed. Simultaneously, a savory roasted fish aroma emerged gradually, exploding from light to strong.


    Moreover, there¡¯s the even more astonishing sparrow on the side.


    ¡°How can this be?!¡± Shen Qian¡¯s eyes gradually widened, a look of surprise appearing on her face.


    She initially thought that the sparrow would be like the roasted fish, with brown burn marks appearing on its surface, and the skin gradually contract until it was inseparable from the meat.


    But the actual situation waspletely different from what she imagined.


    Under the ming roast, the light brown color on the surface of the sparrow quickly deepened into a vivid and tantalizing reddish-brown, reflecting a bright luster under the sun.


    The skin of the sparrow did not shrink at all, but instead became more smooth and integrated during the roasting process.


    It wasn¡¯t until a slightly sweet scent of roasted sparrow entered Shen Qian¡¯s nostrils that she suddenly came back to her senses, looking at Qin Lang in astonishment.


    ¡°Is this the effect of the Crispy Skin Water?!¡±


    That¡¯s right.¡± Qin Lang, smelling the fragrance lingering in the air, swallowed, ¡°This is the effect of the Crispy Skin Water.¡±


    He had not roasted sparrows in his previous life, but he had roasted pigeons, and the two were not too different.


    The key to making Crispy Roasted Pigeon lies in the marinade and Crispy Skin Water.


    Smelling this familiar aroma now, he knew, it was perfect!


    ¡°Um¡­ I want to eat!¡± Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help but swallow, then suddenly thought of something, ¡°Wait, won¡¯t the strong aroma in the forest attract some dangerous beast?¡±


    ¡°If more foodes our way? That would be even better.¡± Qin Lang spoke with a beaming smile.


    Meanwhile, not far from the two, in the depths of the dense forest.


    A robust man carrying a roe deer paused, suddenly sniffed the air, and stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Ticket] [Rmendation Ticket]


    Colorful Egg Chapter Content at the end of this chapter: [Crispy Skin Water]

 Chapter 284: Interlude

    Chapter 284: Interlude


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Zhou Tianhao was in a reasonably good mood.


    He had found a trace of the Star Hunter at the Leaping Fish Banquet and inferred that his opponent would soon arrive in Lanqiu City. Therefore, he rushed to Lanqiu City immediately after the banquet ended in an attempt to catch the cunning rogue whom he had once crossed paths with.


    However, upon arriving in Lanqiu City and following clues for two days, he finally tracked his opponent to the famous tourist attraction, Lan Qiu Forest.


    The trail ended here.


    He was unavoidably annoyed. He was perhaps one step toote.


    The only constion was that ording to his itinerary, Lanqiu City was a ce he had to pass through anyway.


    So this little detour wouldn¡¯t interfere with his journey.


    Although he had the feeling of being toyed with by the Star Hunter, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s mood brightened again when he discovered that there were many wild ingredients in Lan Qiu Forest. As long as he did not ughter them indiscriminately, he could hunt them for food.


    At this moment, Zhou Tianhao randomly caught a passing roe deer, nning to find a ce to taste the vor of roasted deer.


    Before he found a suitable camping spot, he smelled a peculiar fragrance. The smell was faint at first but became more intense within a very short time.


    There are people nearby!


    Smelling this unmistakable aroma of cooked food, Zhou Tianhao felt a surge of energy.


    It was normal to encounter other people in the open forest of Lan Qiu, but at this moment, Zhou Tianhao thought of his target.


    Could it be possible that the person cooking was the Star Hunter he had been desperately searching for?


    Thinking of this improbable possibility, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s steps quickened.


    He would go and see. Even if it wasn¡¯t the Star Hunter, it would still be nice to make small talk with other people.


    Following the fragrance, Zhou Tianhao soon saw a faint figure in the distance through the gaps in the trees.


    As he got closer, the figure became clearer.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Tianhao walked out of the dense forest in a few steps, looked at the man and woman in front of him, and eximed in surprise, ¡°Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou?!¡±


    Seeing Zhou Tianhao walking out of the dense forest, Qin Lang¡¯s face showed a touch of surprise.


    Meanwhile, Shen Qian, who was standing next to him, had a somewhat strange expression on her face.


    After all, they had just mentioned what they would do if dangerous wild beasts were attracted by the fragrance.


    No wild beast hade, but a person had.


    Seeing familiar faces, Zhou Tianhao immediately rxed.


    Although it wasn¡¯t the Star Hunter, encountering acquaintances in the depths of the forest was also a pleasant experience.


    ¡°Howe you are in Lanqiu City?¡± He casually sat on the ground and asked with a smile.


    ¡°This is Shen Qian, a friend I met in Yue Hu City. This is Brother Zhou Tianhao, who, like me, is from Tianhua State. Brother Zhou is the champion of the provincial trainingpetition in Tianhua State.¡±


    After introducing the two to each other, Qin Lang began to exin, ¡°I¡¯m traveling with Shen Qian. We are nning to visit Crown Ling City, and our first stop is Lanqiu City.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, you set off two days ago. Did you find any clues?¡±


    ¡°Nope, the Star Hunter is too cunning. I tracked him all the way here, but I lost his trail.¡± Zhou Tianhao frowned, ¡°I feel like he¡¯s messing with me.¡±


    Shen Qian on the side blinked her eyes.


    Champion of the provincial trainingpetition¡­ Star Hunter¡­


    That¡¯s a lot of information to take in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after that wretched guy again when I have the chance.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed after giving a nce at the puzzled Shen Qian and quickly changed the topic, ¡°Are you guys camping out and cooking? That¡¯s perfect because I just caught a roe deer. Let¡¯s¡­¡±


    As he was speaking, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes moved to the tasty food on the fire.


    He stopped talking abruptly. His eyes widened, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Zhou Tianhao dropped the deer and leaned over to the roasted sparrow which look nothing like what he was used to seeing. He ignored the heat of the me and inspected it carefully.


    ¡°This is a roasted sparrow brushed with crispy skin water.¡± Qin Lang exined briefly, ¡°Considering the time, it should be almost ready.¡±


    Soon, Dan Bao stopped spewing mes.


    The skewered fish and roasted sparrows radiating tempting fragrances made the people and the Food Spirit around swallow their saliva.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much sparrow meat, so let¡¯s each have a small share.¡± The roasted sparrows were quickly divided into smaller pieces by Qin Lang, each piece covered in a red-brown crispy skin.


    Even the two of them and their four Food Spirits did not have enough to share, let alone Zhou Tianhao who just showed up with his four Food Spirits.


    But Zhou Tianhao brought a roe deer, which would be good to roast and shareter.


    ¡°Let me try!¡± Shen Qian, who had been watching the whole process of roasting the sparrow, couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.


    She had also roasted poultry before and at this moment, was curious to see how the vor of roasted sparrows would change after adding crispy skin water.


    ¡°Crack ¡±


    It was like a crispy paper with a rich aroma wrapped around it. When Shen Qian bit into it, the crispy exterior broke apart, making a pleasant sound.


    Underneath the skin, the fat hadpletely melted into the meat after roasting. The remaining part was not greasy, and a rich aroma, carried in the heat, entered Shen Qian¡¯s nostrils.


    It was the result of the aroma of the sparrow meat mingling with the vors of the marinade. If Shen Qian had any knowledge of this, she would immediately exim ¡°five spices¡± when she smelled it.


    On the other side, Qin Lang nodded contentedly.


    The ¡°Five Spice Crispy Roast Sparrow¡± turned out even better than expected.


    Wild sparrow meat is firm but not tough, making it a perfect match for the five-spice marinade.


    The taste of the crispy skin was just right as well. Thanks to Dan Bao¡¯s urate control of the fire, they were able to achieve the effect of a professional oven even when roasting outdoors.


    And Zhou Tianhao, who had never tasted simr delicacies, was even more astonished.


    Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills always surprised him.


    Right, Qin Lang and a girl named Shen Qian were heading to Crown Ling City?


    At this moment, Zhou Tianhao remembered the destination Qin Lang had mentioned earlier.


    Crown Ling City is the location for all the provincial levelpetitions in Mingjing Province. As Zhou Tianhao was nning on staying in Mingjing Province for a while, his travels would naturally take him there.


    If that was the case¡­


    He had an idea in his heart and suddenly smiled, ¡°Qin Lang, I too am nning to visit Crown Ling City. Since we have the same destination, why don¡¯t we travel together?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face showed a look of pleasant surprise.


    From the first time he met Zhou Tianhao, Zhou had kindly given him many suggestions on Spirit Battles. He was a righteous person and worthy of making friends with.


    In addition, Zhou Tianhao had four Food Spirits and the highest five-star strength, offering better security for their journey.


    From any perspective, he had no reason to refuse.


    Thinking of this, Qin Lang turned to Shen Qian, ¡°What do you think, Shen Qian?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Shen Qian began to ponder.


    She wasn¡¯t very familiar with Zhou Tianhao but her first impression was not bad.


    He seemed very powerful; traveling together seemed to be fine, right?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡± She looked at Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Please take care of me, Brother Zhou!¡±


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 Chapter 285: Roasted Deer

    Chapter 285: Roasted Deer


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    [Extra Chapter]


    After quickly agreeing to travel together, two roasted sparrows and several roasted fish were soon devoured down to the bones by the three people and eight food spirits.


    Even though the roasted fish was not as eye-catching as the roasted sparrows, the unique marination by Qin Lang and the exquisite control over the fire by Dan Bao had won unanimous acim.


    ¡°Don¡¯t need two cooks in the kitchen, you¡¯ll handle the roe deer!¡± Zhou Tianhao gave the roe deer to Qin Lang without a second thought.


    Although he could cook roe deer, he was ny percent sure that his wouldn¡¯te out nearly as delicious as Qin Lang¡¯s. So, it was better that Qin Lang did it.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Having weighed the nearly 40kg roe deer, Qin Lang quickly formted a n and walked towards the creek.


    Zhou Tianhao scanned the surroundings, his gaze quickly fixating on a steaming pot that seemed to be cooking something.


    Because the lid was on, the fragrance wafting out was faint, but he could still discern it as some kind of food.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He asked out of curiosity.


    After eating the roasted sparrow and fish, Shen Qian didn¡¯t feel as guarded against Zhou Tianhao as she did before. Recalling the ingredients in the pan, her face filled with anticipation.


    I wonder how Zhou would react when he finds out it¡¯s snake meat?


    ¡°Inside is snake meat, we hunted a really long snake on our way!¡± She gestured with her hands to emphasize the snake¡¯s size, then pointed to the pot, beaming, ¡°Qin Lang said you can eat snake meat, and then it ended up like this.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao: ¡°???¡±


    Hearing that the pot contained snake meat, his expression subtly changed.


    When he was young, before he became a spiritual chef, he once got bitten by a snake while ying in a rural field.


    His wound had swollen tremendously and quickly turned ck and blue. Zhou Tianhao felt dizzy all over. If his family hadn¡¯t promptly taken him to a hospital for treatment, he might have been in mortal danger.


    Given this past experience, even though Zhou Tianhao now was a highly skilled spiritual chef, he still had a psychological fear of snakes.


    In his mind, snakes were crafty creatures. Most of them poisonous, and even the non-poisonous ones were still quite dangerous, and needed to be kept at a distance.


    They are edible?


    Watching Zhou Tianhao¡¯s changing expressions, Shen Qian found a peculiar pleasure.


    Finally, I¡¯m not the only one shocked!


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± While the two were engaged in conversation, Qin Lang had finished preparing the roe deer. With one hand carrying the deer and the other holding all the intact fur.


    ¡°How did you kill it, Zhou? The insides of the roe deer are all shattered, but there¡¯s not a single scratch on its skin.¡± As he spoke of his findings during food preparation, Qin Lang expressed his amazement.


    It looked somewhat like the internal force described in the martial arts novels of his previous life. How powerful!


    ¡°Abination of the Combat Skills Instant Teleportation and Thought Waves,¡± Zhou Tianhao replied casually. ¡°It allows the attacks powered by Thought Power to bypass obstacles, and achieve unexpected effects.¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy suddenly perked up their ears.


    Instant Teleportation and Thought Waves?!


    They had these skills!


    However, their ears quickly drooped again.


    They had them, but only one each.


    So these twobat skills can form abination?


    Qin Lang found this intriguing.


    However, before he could ask anything else, Zhou Tianhao raised a question.


    ¡°Can you really eat snake meat?¡±


    Upon hearing this question, Qin Lang realized that Shen Qian must have told Zhou Tianhao what was simmering in the pot.


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡± He nodded earnestly in affirmation.


    ¡°Will it taste any good?¡± Zhou Tianhao appeared skeptical.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the taste of snake meat is superb. We just need to properly handle the snake venom and parasites.¡± Qin Lang grinned, ¡°In fact, snake meat dishes are not umon in the northern regions like Song Sheng Province and Yunyang State.¡±


    The knowledge he gained from Ye Cangqing¡¯s notes greatly bolstered the credibility of his words.


    ¡°I see.¡± Zhou Tianhao seemed far more rxed.


    Since there are people in other provinces cooking with snake meat, it must be edible.


    His fear of snake meat turned into heightened anticipation at that moment.


    The snake bites itself, and I eat the snake¡¯s meat.


    Reasonable, all too reasonable.


    I must try the taste of snake meatter on!


    Shen Qian on the side also looked more expectant.


    Song Sheng Province and Yunyang State are too far from Mingjing Province, both north and south, she certainly can¡¯t go in a short time.


    Trying the snake soup made by Qin Lang is also an experience of the northern cuisine!


    After all, in her view, since Qin Lang could say these things, his way of cooking the snake must have referenced the northern cooking methods.


    Looking at the two people with expectations, Qin Lang shook his head helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, let¡¯s roast the roe deer first.¡±


    ¡°After finishing the roe deer, the snake soup will be about ready.¡±


    While speaking, Qin Lang took out a foldable metal grill from his bag, opened the roe deer along its rib cages, and ttened it on the grill as if whole-roasting amb.


    ¡°How about a whole roast roe?¡± He was somewhat excited.


    In his previous life, roe deer were second-ss protected animals and he had no opportunity to try cooking them.


    Now, there¡¯s no need to worry about this, which is quite nice.


    Zhou Tianhao observed carefully and nodded secretly.


    Roasting the roe deer this way will ensure the heat is evenly distributed, preventing it from being undercooked.


    Just this little trick is worth learning.


    After tying up the roe deer, Qin Lang prepared the marinating sauce, made a few cuts in the thicker parts of the meat, and started to apply the marinade.


    ¡°Spicy, speed up.¡±


    This time, Qin Lang did not wait since marinating this size of roe deer will not be short.


    Under the eleration of Spicy¡¯s cooking, the marinating process was quicklypleted.


    ¡°Dan Bao, fire!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    No problem!


    Dan Bao begins to get busy.


    This time, it not only provides the me for grilling, but also uses thought power to suspend the roe deer on the grill in the air, and slowly rotates it together with the grill.


    If you look closely, you can see that there is an invisible thought force outside the grill, trapping all the heat inside, just like a sealed oven.


    Not to mention Shen Qian, even Zhou Tianhao, who had the battle skill of thought waves, looked at Qin Lang weirdly.


    Are thought waves really a battle skill?


    Next to Zhou Tianhao, the four-star food spirit that mastered thought waves looked at Dan Bao, showing a contemtive expression.


    I¡¯ve wasted my learning!


    As time ticked away, under Dan Bao¡¯s intense heat and Spicy¡¯s asional cooking eleration, the surface of the roe deer glowed with a bright sheen of oil, giving it a visually enticing golden hue.


    ¡°It should be almost done,¡± Qin Lang murmured.


    As his words fell, Dan Bao released the thought barrier that had been trapping the heat.


    The rich aroma, also trapped inside, swept across the area like a bomb exploding, causing both Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian, who had been eagerly awaiting, to swallow hard.


    This smell¡­


    I want to eat!


    (The updates for the previous days off will be made up over the weekend)


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    Easter egg content at the end of this chapter:


    [Whole Roasted Lamb]

 Chapter 286: Snake Soup

    Chapter 286: Snake Soup


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Crack ¡±


    The exterior of the roe deer meat was evenly roasted to a golden brown color under the careful and bnced heat. The surface, crispy and firm, broke open under the force exerted by Zhou Tianhao, revealing the hot, juice-filled tender white meat inside.


    Soon, a leg brimming with tender white meat was ripped off by Zhou Tianhao, releasing a spritz of meat juice and a swirl of heat.


    The incredibly rich aroma of roasted meat filled the surrounding area, enough to make one drool.


    ¡°It looks delicious!¡±ughed Zhou Tianhao, his eyes spariding.


    With one hand holding the skinny leg of the roe deer, his other hand reached towards the thigh, garnished with chunks of fresh, tender meat.


    Then, Zhou Tianhao quickly pulled his hand back as if he had been electrocuted, shaking it in the air and grimacing in pain from the heat.


    After a moment, he turned his attention to Food Spirit, eagerly waiting on the side, ¡°Lark, help me cut the meat.¡±


    Lark, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s Food Spirit who had mastered the movement of Thought Waves, nodded in agreement. With the power of Thought Waves, he quickly separated the meat from the bones, distributing it to everyone.


    Only after he blew on the meat in front of him did Zhou Tianhao satisfy himself by popping it into his mouth.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    A big bite of meat, both the golden-brown crispy outside and the tender, juice- filled inside parts, provided different textures. Only the delicate taste and intense aroma lingered long after the bite.


    With the first bite swallowed, Zhou Tianhao showed a satisfied look, ¡°The sensation of eating a big piece of meat is too thrilling!¡±


    Compared to Zhou Tianhao, Qin Lang and Shen Qian¡¯s actions were a bit more elegant. They kept carving pieces of roasted roe deer meat using a small knife, at times eating it themselves and at other times sharing them with Food Spirit.


    Although their movements were more graceful, their pace of eating was not slower than Zhou Tianhao¡¯s. Before long, the parts before them, which were once solely meat, had been reduced to mere skeletons.


    ¡°Try this.¡± After cleaning the meat from the ribs, Qin Lang took a quick sh and swiftly segmented the spine of the roe deer and distributed it to everyone, grinning a bit, ¡°Perhaps we can call it the roe scorpion?¡±


    ¡°Scorpion?¡± Shen Qian took the segmented spine from Qin Lang¡¯s hand, and the image of the spine¡¯splete anatomy popped up in her mind.


    The vertebral body, segmented and increased in width by the ribs for the upper half and narrowed, without ribs for the lower half, looked precisely like a scorpion¡¯s body and tail.


    ¡°What an image.¡± She chuckled and proficiently carved the meat closely adhering to the spine, cing it in her mouth.


    For any animal with a spine, the meat on both sides of the spine tends to be the most tender because that area rarely moves, allowing the muscle to stay rxed. It also has another name, tenderloin.


    Be it pork tenderloin or beef tenderloin, all refer to this part of the livestock.


    The same rule even applies to wild roe deer.


    Once the strip of meat near the deer¡¯s spine entered Shen Qian¡¯s mouth, her face sprouted a satisfied smile. Although this part of the meat was not very fatty, it was in no way chewy. The degree of tenderness and juiciness was far superior to other parts, resulting in a mouthful of rich vor with every bite.


    ¡°Here, you guys have a taste too!¡± Noticing the eager eyes of her Food Spirits, Shen Qian shared the remaining meat with them,ughing.


    On the other side, Qin Lang broke off a piece of vertebra and began leisurely picking the meat and marrow from in between the bones.


    The marrow of the freshly killed deer, not at all gamey, melted in the mouth with a rich and unique aroma, and was also infused with an abundance of fat. It felt somewhat like tofu, but tasted even more wonderful.


    After thoroughly picking the sporadic pieces of meat between the bones, not a single piece of meat was left on theplex structure of the spine, which was quite pleasing, especially to someone with obsessivepulsive disorder.


    Watching the whole roe deer being swiftly reduced to a pile of bones, Qin Lang wiped the grease off his hands, stood up, and walked over to a pot that had been simmering on the side the whole time.


    Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao¡¯s attention was also drawn to the snake soup because of Qin Lang¡¯s movement.


    As Qin Lang lifted the lid of the pot, a wonderful aroma of freshness wrapped in heat rapidly escaped.


    Even if the surrounding area was thick with the scent of roasted roe deer, this fresh aroma wasn¡¯t eclipsed at all. Just a sniff of it made Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes light up.


    The taste of this soup¡­


    Feels pretty good!


    You know, this is made without adding anything, just a simple stewed snake meat soup.


    ¡°What a pity, the mountain sparrows I caught just now were a bit too few.¡± Qin Lang scooped a spoonful of the soup from the pot and tasted it, with a look of regret on his face, ¡°Otherwise, if we stew a sparrow with the snake, the taste would be even better.¡±


    Because there was no seasoning, the soup seemed very light, but the unique vor of the snake meat had fully seeped into the soup during the long stewing process.


    After adding some salt and ck pepper to season, he scooped up another spoonful to taste, a satisfied expression immediately appeared on Qin Lang s face.


    Just like this is enough.


    ¡°Come on, have some soup!¡± He quickly put out the fire, picked up the pot and ced it quickly in front of the other two people, picked up a bowl and served himself, ¡°Quick, try it!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao followed suit, picking up a bowl, scooped up some soup with adle, and then added a few pieces of snake meat to the bowl.


    Looking at the snake segment that was skinnier by a circle than his forearm, the corners of his mouth could not help but twitch slightly.


    Such a fat snake? It must be more than a meter long, right?


    Whenever Zhou Tianhao saw such a big snake in the past, he would either detour around it or let Food Spirit kill it. He had never thought about eating it.


    But smelling the pleasant aroma, which was different from the roast roe deer meat but equally appetizing, Zhou Tianhao swallowed his saliva.


    Let¡¯s taste it!


    He blew on the soup in the bowl, and then carefully took a sip.


    ¡°Slurp-¡±


    The warm soup tasted incredibly delicious in his mouth once he allowed it in, a taste Zhou Tianhao had never experienced before erupted between his lips and teeth.


    The taste was different from beef, chicken, fish, or any other ingredient. With just one sip, Zhou Tianhao clearly imprinted the impression of snake meat in his mind.


    The light and delicious taste effectively eliminated the greasiness of the roast roe deer meat he had just eaten. After swallowing, a wave of warmth flowed from his stomach to all over his body, bringing a sense offort.


    No matter the seasoning or the cooking method, this bowl of snake soup didn¡¯t involve much skill. However, the unique deliciousness of the snake meat itself made Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face full of admiration. He didn¡¯t know snake stew could be so delicious before.


    His gaze then shifted to the snake meat pieces in the bowl.


    How did the snake meat taste?


    Zhou Tianhao did not hesitate to pick up a piece and put it in his mouth.


    The way the snake meat is connected to the backbone is simr to the belly meat of the fish. The slender ribs and snake meat were still tightly connected after a long time of stewing.


    But unlike fish meat, the texture of snake meat was more firm and chewy, which reminded him of rabbit meat.


    Tasting the burst of juice in his mouth and the unique taste of snake meat, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes quickly brightened up.


    A new avenger was born in this world.


    Shortcut to: [Voting Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 287: Waterfall

    Chapter 287: Waterfall


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    As Shen Qian savored the firm and tasty snake meat, she felt her perceptions being overturned.


    She had always avoided this cold-scaled creature. She didn¡¯t expect that after apanying Qin Lang on a trip into the forest, she would taste snake meat.


    Such a thing was utterly unimaginable before.


    What overthrew her understanding even more was that snake meat was so delicious!


    Shen Qian felt that she could no longer look at these terrifying creatures with a neutral eye. The next time she saw a snake, what would likelye to mind was the snake soup in her hand, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Slurp-¡±


    Finishing thest drop of the soup leisurely, Shen Qian rubbed her belly, basking in a sense of satisfaction andfort.


    There was nothing more enjoyable than sipping a bowl of fresh and rich soup that could eliminate greasiness after dining on delicious food.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t forget to serve a couple of bowls for her Food Spirit to taste.


    Seeing Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao¡¯s transformation from initial skepticism to fully appreciating the unique taste of snake meat, Qin Lang suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction that the ¡°rmendation was sessful¡±.


    Underrated delicacies often have points that people find hard to ept, either due to their unusual taste such as Luosifen, or the ingredients themselves.


    If it¡¯s thetter, it¡¯s genuinely regrettable to never try them.


    As the pic ended, the three quickly cleaned up the leftover trash and bones.


    After resting in ce for a while, they set off together.


    Not long after they left, animals drawn by the aroma but too wary to approach earlier swarmed in, leaving the bones and food scraps spotless before scattering again.


    ¡°Swish¡­¡±


    Hearing the faint sound of water, Qin Lang, Shen Qian, and Zhou Tianhao, who were leisurely strolling through the forest, stopped in unison.


    ¡°You guys heard the sound too, right?¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke up with a chuckle.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any streams nearby. Why is there a sound of water?¡±


    Shen Qian scanned their surroundings, all she could see was an expanse of dappled tree shadows.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, we are quite close to a very famous spot within Lan Qiu


    Forest.¡± Qin Lang pondered for a moment, and his eyes lit up.


    ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± After Qin Lang¡¯s hint, Shen Qian also realized, ¡°Lan Qiu Waterfall?!¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± This time it was Zhou Tianhao who spoke, ¡°While tracing the whereabouts of the Star Hunter, I passed by Lan Qiu Waterfall. It was in this direction.¡±


    ¡°I was in a hurry that time and didn¡¯t get to see it, but this time we can finally take a good look.¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled, ¡°It is said that above Lan Qiu Waterfall, there is a unique sight called the Single Standing Tree.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it too.¡± Qin Lang grinned, nodding.


    Lan Qiu Forest is located in a hilly area with undting terrain. The Bei Qiu River, running through the forest, has split into a number of tributaries here.


    Lan Qiu Waterfall is formed by one of these tributaries tumbling down a steep cliff. While its scale isn¡¯t big, its fame isn¡¯t low.


    One of the reasons is the peculiar sight known as the ¡°Single Standing Tree .


    In the middle of the water-drop entrance above the waterfall stands a towering tree.


    Years of water erosion had washed away the soil around the tree, leaving only its well-developed root system standing where water cascades down, dividing the waterfall in two.


    It is said that the tree tilts a bit every year. Perhaps one day it will bepletely washed away by the water flow and fall into the basin below, and the Single Standing Tree will cease to exist. Thus, while it is here, many peoplee to see and photograph this wonder every year.


    This reminded Qin Lang of the Pisa tower, which had been tilting every year in hisst life.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see the waterfall now!¡± Shen Qian brimmed with excitement, ¡°I¡¯ve already thought about the pose for a photo with the ¡®Single Standing Tree¡¯!¡±


    ¡°I roughly remember the direction, it¡¯s this way!¡± Zhou Tianhao surveyed the surroundings, and soon pointed in a certain direction, guided by the memory and the direction of the sound.


    As the three of them advanced, the sound of the water gradually grew louder until it became a deep rumble, alternating without cease.


    They sessfully found the waterfall¡¯s location.


    However, they arrived at the spot above the waterfall, where the water flows down.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d head directly to the pool of water beneath the waterfall!¡± Zhou Tianhao looked at the body of water converging in front of him, shing a slightly odd expression.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t bad either.¡± Shen Qian¡¯s gaze followed the direction of the water flow and soon saw where the water abruptly vanished from sight, with a tall tree standing askew in the middle of the falling point.


    In front of the water flow, she could vaguely see mist rising, forming a rainbow against the sunlight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take pictures with the ¡®Single Standing Tree¡¯ first!¡± Shen Qian hurried towards the Single Standing Tree and beckoned Qin Lang along, ¡°Qin Lang,e quick and help me take photos!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang kept up with a smile, pulling out the camera equipment he always carried from his bag.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± Watching the two of them, Zhou Tianhao grinned as he followed, ¡°I also want to take some pictures.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem!¡±


    ¡°This pose!¡±


    Standing by the bank near the ¡®Single Standing Tree¡¯, Shen Qian positioned herself towards the direction of the cliff, taking a step forward and striking a forward-pushing pose.


    Under the staggered rays of light, her hand nicely corresponded to the tilting tree, as though Shen Qian were pushing the tree down.


    The sunlight filtered through the mist, forming a rainbow outside the cliff.


    This beautiful scene was faithfully captured by Qin Lang¡¯s camera, filling the sprinting- over-to-check Shen Qian with satisfaction, ¡°You¡¯re better than I expected at taking photos!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Qin Lang handed his camera to Shen Qian, ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn to take photos of me.¡±


    ¡°Guaranteed to achieve!¡± Shen Qian giggled, pointing the camera at Qin Lang as he started to pose.


    Unlike Shen Qian, Qin Lang leaned with his back towards the cliff, adopting a leaning-back pose.


    His body leaned slightly, but with Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Power assistance, he managed to maintain his bnce. Under the miscement of light and shadow, it appeared as though he was leaning against the tree.


    Meanwhile, the two little creatures gathered by his side, making funny faces at the camera, looking extremely cute.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn now!¡± Zhou Tianhao, who was watching by the side, was itching to join in after Qin Lang was done with his photos.


    After taking individual photos, they proceeded with pairs and finally, with the help of Thought Power, took a group photo with all eight of them.


    Having done all of this, they turned their attention to the basin of water at the bottom of the cliff.


    The stream, after plummeting down the forty-meter cliff, crashed into the basin below with massive energy. The continuous, animating roars forced the three of them to raise their voices tomunicate with each other.


    ¡°How do we get down?¡± Shen Qian turned to the other two, ¡°Taking a detour seems to require us to trek more than a kilometer.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to make it so troublesome!¡± Zhou Tianhao gave a heartyugh, his countenance brimming with readiness to act, ¡°We can jump down!¡±


    Qin Lang: ¡°???¡±


    Shen Qian: ¡°???¡±


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 Chapter 288: By the Pool

    Chapter 288: By the Pool


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Are we¡­ are we really jumping down from here?¡±


    Standing at the edge of the cliff, Shen Qian looked at the roaring waterfall beneath her feet, and could not help but feel a wave of dizziness, taking a few steps back involuntarily.


    She handled the photo-taking like a pro earlier, but looking down at the Lanqiu Waterfall made her feel somewhat scared.


    On the other hand, Qin Lang quickly understood the intention of Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, are you implying the use of Thought Waves?¡± Qin Lang curiously asked.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°Not just Thought Waves, one of my Food Spirits also has the nature-basedbat skill of the storm type. Combining them, it¡¯s entirely possible tond safely.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    Being limited by his power, currently, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t keep Qin Lang airborne for an extended duration with Thought Waves, let alone when there were three people present.


    However, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s Food Spirit was four-star, much more potent than Dan Bao. Naturally, employing the samebat skill would yield a different effect.


    If it was his Spirit, wrapping them up in thought power and leaping straight down the waterfall seemed entirely feasible.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s worth a try.¡± Upon this thought, Qin Lang nodded in


    agreement.


    ¡°Huh? You guys are genuinely going to jump?¡± Seeing that Qin Lang agreed to the proposal, Shen Qian was reluctant, ¡°Isn¡¯t that terrifying?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s going to be alright.¡± Zhou Tianhao gave Shen Qian a reassuring look, then turned his gaze toward Lark, who was ready to spring into action.


    ¡°Kra!¡±


    Lark nodded confidently, and a milky white halo spread out in all directions


    from him.


    Compared to Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Waves, Lark¡¯s Thought Waves were evidently stronger by several levels and covered a greater area, easily forming a faint white force field outside the bodies of the three of them standing together.


    Looking at the nearly submarine-like force field, its surface showing a streamlined shape, an idea shed across Qin Lang¡¯s mind, ¡°Dan Bao, lend a hand too!¡±


    ¡°Gu-lu?¡±


    Initially envious of Lark¡¯s superior strength, upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯smand, Dan Bao paused, then seemed to grasp something and also started generating a halo from his body, forming a force field around.


    The force field that Dan Bao formed clung to the inside of the force field created by Lark. Its thickness visiblycked inparison, but as the different Thought Waves from the two made contact, Dan Bao could clearly sense Lark¡¯s use of thought power.


    By doing so, it could learn a trick or two!


    Lark nced at Dan Bao and Zhou Tianhao, who didn¡¯t dispute, appearing as if he hadn¡¯t seen anything, and smoothlynded on the water surface, encased by a force field.


    They were submerged by the rushing current from all sides, but under the protection of the thought power, it did not reach their bodies.


    All the Food Spirits lifted into the air all together, keeping the force field tightly wrapped around them, like soldiers guarding a general.


    Having arranged everything, Lark dispersed his control over the force field, just maintaining its formidable fagade.


    The no-longer current-resistant force field swiftly surged with the current toward the location of the waterfall¡¯s entrance.


    Looking at the ¡°Single Standing Tree,¡± where they had just taken pictures, as it rapidly erged in their sight, and seeming like they could touch it with an outstretched arm as they passed by, Shen Qian, who was squatting and trembling slightly, seemed to regain someposure.


    Having just wanted to say something, she was overtaken by a sudden sensation of weightlessness.


    After passing the waterfall¡¯s entrance, the force field, carried away in the rapid waterfall, was plunging at a high speed towards the pool receiving the water below!


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    Just as Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help but let out a shriek, Qin Lang, who was beside her, had a taut face too. Even though he didn¡¯t lose hisposure, he was equally nervous as this was also his first time experiencing such a thing.


    Only Zhou Tianhao, who wasn¡¯t nervous,ughed heartily, ¡°Ji, Wind Singing Whirlpool!¡±


    ¡°J!¡±


    Another four-star Spirit on standby responded with a single call. A trace of green light appeared suddenly in the course of the waterfall¡¯s swift plummet.


    A whirlwind formed instantly at the bottom of the force field. The terrifying gust wind, carrying the water flow from all around, reflected a colourful light in the sun, rapidly turning into a water cyclone, supporting the force field.


    Lark, who was snickering on one side, took control of the force field, striving to decrease its velocity.


    With thebined strength of the two Spirits, the velocity of the force field visibly slowed down in the eyes, finallynding into the water-receiving pool.


    ¡°Ssh!¡±


    Like a rock falling into the water, it sent up a spray of water several meters high. As the floating force came into effect, the speed of the force field¡¯s descent slowed down once again, ultimately floating leisurely to the middle of the water-receiving pool.


    Under Lark¡¯s control, the force field slowly drifted to the edge of the water-receiving pool. The individuals were back aground, and their clothes were not even damp.


    ¡°Phew!¡± Shen Qian, entirely tensed up till this moment, finally let out a deep breath, a look of having been startled out of her wits on her face, ¡°That was thrilling.¡±


    ¡°My Spirits and I have undertaken diverse special training to be stronger. This isn¡¯t the first time we leaped down from a waterfall.¡± Zhou Tianhao casually spoke, a grin on his face, ¡°The waterfall we jumped from earlier had an even greater drop.¡±


    This was the reason for him being calm throughout.


    Zhou Tianhao was able to win the championship at the provincial trainingpetition because of the numerous trials and tribtions that he experienced along the way.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is.¡± Qin Lang came to a sudden realization, then patted Shen Qian¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Shen Qian stood straight, shaking her head, but her face looked somewhat peculiar.


    Having recovered from the shock, recalling the thrilling sensation from the moment of descent, she strangely felt the urge to experience it again.


    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t the Lanqiu Waterfall a renowned scenic spot in Lan Qiu Forest?¡± Qin Lang curiously looked around, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a single person?¡±


    ¡°I know a bit about that.¡± Zhou Tianhao cheerfully intercepted, ¡°I arrived at the city area of Lanqiu City first and then turned back into Lan Qiu Forest. The youth trainingpetition in Lanqiu City is about to start, so fewer people have been entering the forest recently.¡±


    ¡°Although this forest is a scenic area, it still poses certain dangers for themon folk. Only Spirit Chefs with decent strength can roam freely here. With these two reasons, naturally there won¡¯t be many people around the waterfall.¡± Upon saying this, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face took on a strange expression, ¡°In fact, one of the clues that led me to infer that the Star Hunter is about to arrive at Lanqiu City is the uing youth trainingpetition in the same.¡±


    Qin Lang pondered over this.


    Since the Star Hunter¡¯sst operation took ce at the youth trainingpetition in Bai Lu Mountain City, on learning that Lanqiu City was about to host a simr event, Brother Zhou naturally associated it with the Star Hunter¡­


    This indeed was a reasonable deduction. However, going by the disappearance of the clues, it¡¯s highly unlikely that the Star Hunter will appear here..


    Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Having no disturbance is a good thing. Shall we set up tents nearby?


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 Chapter 289: Mustard

    Chapter 289: Mustard


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Seeing that it was already past five in the afternoon, Qin Lang decisively decided to camp by the Lanqiu Waterfall for the night.


    Of course, they couldn¡¯t set up their tents too close to the water-bearing pool.


    As beautiful as the waterfall was, the ceaseless rumbling noise was quite disruptive to sleep.


    After taking a few stunning pictures at the bottom of the waterfall, the three walked along another stream that flowed out from the water-bearing pool until they reached a clearing about a kilometer away.


    From here, the thunderous roar of the upstream waterfall was barely audible, so it would not disturb their sleep too much.


    Both Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao were experienced in outdoor survival. They quickly and efficiently set up three tents suitable for one person each.


    Shen Qian was not idle either. Although she didn¡¯t know how to set up a tent, she strolled around the nearby area with the Food Spirits while the others set up the tents, returning with a bunch of fresh, tender greens.


    ¡°Look what I found!¡± Shen Qian swung the greens in her hands with a big grin, ¡°There are also plenty of mushrooms in the bag!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? This is¡­ ¡± Qin Lang washed his hands in the stream and took over the greens offered by Shen Qian, a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°What kind of wild greens are these? It¡¯s my first time seeing them.¡± Zhou Tianhao, who was standing next to them, leaned in curiously, but he was unable to match these greens with any vegetables he remembered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but I¡¯ve eaten these wild greens before. The crunchy taste is quite good.¡± Shen Qian pointed to an area behind her, ¡°There are plenty over there and they look very fresh, so I picked some to see if they are edible.¡±


    ¡°They are edible, these are mustards.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, weighing the amount of mustards in his hand and turned to Shen Qian, ¡°You said there are a lot more?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are at least several hundred pounds¡­¡± Shen Qian spoke subconsciously, then noticed the look on Qin Lang¡¯s face, and thought, ¡°You know this wild nt, so I assume you also know how to cook it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I do.¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    The culinary developments of the two worlds never intersected, so there are some disparities in some areas.


    For example, this mustard, Qin Lang had never seen it in any market before, and Shen Qian called it a wild vegetable, which implies that this ingredient is not highly valued in this world.


    ¡°Mustard can be stir-fried directly and it¡¯s crunchy and tastes good,¡± Qin Lang paused for a moment, ¡°However, it also has another ssic preparation where it is dried and fermented to be a new side dish ¨C Pickled Mustard.¡±


    ¡°Really? It is subjected to drying and fermentation processing?¡± Shen Qian was surprised, but also felt it made sense.


    The production of sauces was abination of fermentation and other processing steps, and Qin Lang was able to create various uniquely voured sauces on his own, so he was quite proficient in this.


    Zhou Tianhao on the side nodded thoughtfully and looked eager, ¡°So how long will it take to produce the Pickled Mustard?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take long¡­¡± Qin Lang calcted in his head, ¡°It can be done in just over ten days.¡±


    The fermentation process of Pickled Mustard is not long, it mainly requires repeated drying and steaming,pared with thetter, the former is hardly considered a big deal.


    ¡°That quickly?¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face brightened, ¡°It looks like I have the chance to taste this side dish called Pickled Mustard.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely let you guys taste it first once it¡¯s done.¡± Qin Lang smiled and got up to walk in the direction Shen Qian pointed out.


    He wanted to see exactly how much wild mustard was there.


    This was truly an unexpected surprise.


    Thinking about a ssic dish made with Pickled Mustard ¨C Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help swallowing his saliva.


    Soon, Qin Lang returned with a broad grin.


    There was even more than he had anticipated. He could harvest and take it with him when leaving Lan Qiu Forest. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he had another exclusive side dish.


    Next, Qin Lang inspected the other ingredients Shen Qian had collected.


    It was allmon edible fungi. Because they were wild, the sizes were smaller, but the taste was concentrated which means they would be better than the ordinary quality ones.


    Worth mentioning is that Shen Qian found a dead tree nearby. The humid environment resulted in the tree trunk being covered with wood fungus.


    Seeing the diminutive wood fungus that was crisp and bouncy to the touch, Qin Lang¡¯s smile grewwider, ¡°With these ingredients, we can make a mushroom soup tonight.¡±


    ¡°We can catch a few fish and pair it with the mustard.¡± Qin Lang nced at the nearby stream and quickly had an idea, ¡°Mushroom Vegetable Fish Soup!¡±


    Although it might sound a bit like a mishmash, the taste should be pretty good.


    And thus, one of the dishes for dinner was settled.


    Just the thought of the delicious fish soup made Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao somewhat hungry.


    Although they had eaten a lot at noon, the afternoon hike in the forest made sure everything was digested.


    ¡°I think I saw some wild Mountain Sparrows earlier. The same kind we had for lunch.¡± Zhou Tianhao grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll go catch a few, and see if there are any other ingredients!¡±


    The two Crispy Mountain Sparrows at noon were not nearly enough for everyone. If he could, he would like to have them again for dinner.


    ¡°Mountain Sparrow sounds good!¡± Shen Qian was on the same wavelength as Zhou Tianhao, visibly excited she nodded, then seemed to have a realization, she turned to Qin Lang with a bright look in her eyes, ¡°Qin Lang, I have an idea!¡±


    ¡°You want anotherpetition?¡± Seeing the look on Shen Qian¡¯s face, Qin Lang knew what she must be thinking.


    ¡°Yes! Our theme for this time is ¡®Unconventional Cooking Methods¡¯. What do you think?¡± Shen Qian said, grinning.


    The sudden desire for anotherpetition was because Shen Qian felt like, being a Spirit Chef, she can¡¯t always let Qin Lang take care of the cooking, making her seem like a freeloader.


    And the ingredients they just gathered and themon animals found in the forest, reminded her of a unique delicacy she knew how to make.


    While this delicacy tastes great, what¡¯s more interesting is its cooking method.


    It¡¯s for this reason that Shen Qian set thispetition¡¯s theme as ¡°Unconventional Cooking Methods.¡±


    The moment she heard the theme, Qin Lang rubbed his chin and thought for a brief moment before agreeing, ¡°No problem!¡±


    Despite being unconventional, such cooking methods were not a challenge for Qin Lang.


    However, he hadn¡¯t yet decided on the dish to present. This would be determined by the ingredients avable.


    ¡°Since you two want apetition, why don¡¯t I be the referee?¡± Zhou Tianhao suggested with a smile.


    During the afternoon chat, Zhou Tianhao also learned about the frequent culinarypetitions between Qin Lang and Shen Qian.


    Even though they were less powerful and younger than him, when it came to cooking skills, Zhou Tianhao was the onegging behind them.


    So Zhou Tianhao wanted to participate, but he had no intention ofpeting.


    Neither Qin Lang nor Shen Qian had any objection to Zhou Tianhao¡¯s proposal.


    After a brief discussion, Zhou Tianhao left a Food Spirit to guard the camp and the three of them split up to forage for dinner ingredients.


    Shortcut: [Monthly vote][Rmendations]

 Chapter 290: Wild Chicken

    Chapter 290: Wild Chicken


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°This forest is really huge.¡±


    Strolling through the woods with the two little ones, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    At this moment, the area downstream of the waterfall where he is, is quite far from the forest area he was searching for ingredients at noon, even the species of the small creatures around have changed.


    Qin Lang initially wanted to catch a roe deer and roast it again, but it seemed like there were no traces of roe deer around.


    He saw a few foxes, but they aren¡¯t suitable for cooking. Furthermore, they are naturally cautious creatures. After stealing a few nces at Qin Lang from afar, they ran away.


    ¡°A ¡®unique cooking method¡¯, huh.¡± Qin Lang rubbed his chin. ¡°I wonder what ingredients can meet the requirements here¡­¡±


    Almost the moment his words fell, rustling sounds came from the forest nearby.


    ¡°Go!¡± With two food spirits by his side, Qin Lang bravely rushed towards the source of the sound.


    Soon, a brown figure appeared in the canopy of arge tree.


    It¡¯s a wild chicken.


    In terms of size, forgetpared to the Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken that Qin Lang previously used for cooking, it¡¯s even smaller than an average chicken, but its wings arerger than those of the Phoenix Tail Chicken.


    The wild chicken living in the forest is capable of actual flight.


    ¡°Catch it!¡± Looking at the wild chicken¡¯s streamlined and robust figure, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Such a wild chicken, whether used for soup or roasting, will definitely taste great!


    Furthermore, the moment he saw it, Qin Lang thought of an unusual cooking method he knew.


    The difference between a wild chicken and a chicken isn¡¯t significant, so Beggar¡¯s Chicken was a viable option!


    Dan Bao and Spicy exchanged nces, then quickly flew towards the wild chicken in the air.


    However, the wild chicken, living in a primordial forest, was extremely alert. Almost the moment it saw Qin Lang, it tensed its entire body, spreading the feathers of its wings, ready to flee at any time.


    The moment Qin Lang gave the order, it has already left the branch, soaring upwards like an arrow, so fast it was astonishing.


    Unfortunately, it might be fast, but a wild chicken is just an ordinary creature.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    In an instant, a figure abruptly appeared in front of the wild chicken, causing a touch of human-like shock and disbelief to sh through its sharp eyes.


    At this point, it was already toote to change direction. The wild chicken cried out in surprise and crashed with the teleporting Spicy.


    Spicy took the opportunity to bite it, knocking it out cold, then fiercely tossed it to Dan Bao.


    The next moment, two brown shadows flew out from the crown of a nearby tree and lunged at the unconscious wild chicken in the air, trying to help it.


    These two wild chickens are slightlyrger, seeming to be the parents of the one just caught.


    If that is the case¡­


    Standing on the ground, watching this scene, Qin Lang rubbed his chin.


    If the family of chickens are together, then they should be caught together.


    ¡°Quick battle, quick end!¡±


    Both Dan Bao and Spicy responded, moving to engage the tworger wild chickens.


    Before the two wild chickens could react, they found that their bodies seemed to be frozen,pletely stop in mid-air, unable to even p their wings.


    The terrifying creature that had knocked out theirpanion moments ago suddenly appeared before them. Opening its frightening fangs, it swiftly attacked, leaving them in a darkness.


    All three wild chickens, captured!


    ¡°These three wild chickens should be enough to eat, after all, we have other food.¡± Qin Lang took them, weighed them, and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°They would be perfect for making Beggar¡¯s Chicken.¡±


    But, to make this dish, they need another thing ¨C lotus leaves to wrap the Beggar¡¯s Chicken.


    The purpose of the lotus leaf is not only to separate the chicken meat from the outermostyer of mud shell to prevent the chicken meat from sticking to the mud and bing inedible but also to give the dish a rich lotus aroma, enhancing its vor.


    ¡°There seems to be no lotus leaves nearby.¡± After looking around, Qin Lang seemed to hit on something. ¡°On the way here, we saw a nt with reallyrge leaves. I think that it¡¯s the wild Shore Lotus Grass?¡±


    The Shore Lotus Grass is a nt unique to the Food Spirit World. It is characterized by leaves that arerger than lotus leaves and a special refreshing aroma. It is often used as an infusion after being dried.


    If they can¡¯t find lotus leaves, can this substitute for it?


    Realizing this, Qin Lang quickly moved towards the direction he remembered.


    When he returned to the camp, he held the wild chickens in his hand, a bunch of fresh Shore Lotus Grass, and his bag was packed with other ingredients found along the way. His harvest was indeed plentiful.


    Not long after Qin Lang returned, the other two also returned to the camp one after another.


    Zhou Tianhao seems to still remember the taste of the Roasted Sparrow at noon, this time he brought back five or six sparrows. Of course, he didn¡¯t let the eggs go. He also added a snake whose size was not smaller than the one caught at noon.


    Shen Qian s harvest was a bit special. Somehow, she caught a very plump wild rabbit and held a bunch of pink twigs.


    ¡°These are the tender branches of Cherry Red Blood Tree.¡± Upon seeing the other two looking at her, Shen Qian waved the branches in her hand and introduced them. ¡°Both the fruits and branches of the Cherry Red Blood Tree can be turned into spices, and they havepletely different vors.¡±


    ¡°So, this is the branch of Cherry Red Blood Tree.¡± Qin Lang realized. Ms. Ye Cangqing also mentioned this special spice in her notes. ¡°So the unique cooking method you have prepared for today has something to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Shen Qian giggled. ¡°This dish is called ¡®Caged Rabbit.¡¯ Watch and learn!¡±


    ¡°Look forward to it!¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled and turned to Qin Lang. ¡°So Qin Lang, what¡¯s the name of your dish?¡±


    Hearing this question, Shen Qian also cast a curious nce.


    She was curious to see whether Qin Lang coulde up with a suitable recipe for the spontaneous subject, just like thest time.


    Beggar s Chicken!¡± Qin Lang smiled, holding up the wild chickens and Shore Lotus Grass. ¡°This dish needs them. In addition, there¡¯s one special thing, you¡¯ll knowter.¡±


    ¡°Beggar¡¯s Chicken? What a strange name.¡± Shen Qian showed a thoughtful look, soon she seemed to think of something and said uncertainly, ¡°I heard that beggars are called beggars in some ces, does it have something to do with this?¡±


    Correct, the Beggar¡¯s Chicken is said to be a unique cooking method thought up by a beggar a long time ago.¡± Qin Lang chuckled and began, ¡°This beggar was starving and in desperation, he went to steal a chicken from someone¡¯s house but he didn¡¯t have any cooking utensils.¡±


    ¡°To satisfy his hunger, he came up with a unique method.¡±


    ¡°This method, you will find outter.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is there such an interesting story?¡± Shen Qian looked surprised. ¡°Then I have to be carefulter, to see how you cook it.¡±


    (I had to order a Beggar¡¯s Chicken for inspiration, of course, it¡¯s quite worthy)


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 Chapter 291: Mud Cage

    Chapter 291: Mud Cage


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°You two, get started. I can hardly wait,¡±


    Said Zhou Tianhao, one of the judges, his face beaming with anticipation after listening to the participants¡¯ introduction.


    Facing Shen Qian¡¯s dish named ¡°Caged Rabbit,¡± he was intrigued by the new spices that he had never tried before and seemedplex to prepare.


    As for Qin Lang¡¯s dish, the literal and historical background of ¡°Beggar¡¯s Chicken¡± piqued his interest, making him admire Qin Lang¡¯s skill even more.


    Although both he and Qin Lang were from Tianhua State, Zhou had never heard of Beggar¡¯s Chicken. It was clear that the young man had much more culinary knowledge and experience than him, which exined his impable cooking skills.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Shen Qian cheerily replied. She then knelt down on the soft grass and meticulously started peeling the outer skin of the small branches with a knife.


    As the branches were fairly young, no bifurcation urred. They were slender and resilient, not breaking even when bent.


    Once the pink outer skin was peeled off, the inside of the stick revealed an intriguing blood-red colour, which was also the reason behind the tree¡¯s name.


    A somewhat odd yet pleasant fragrance emanated from the blood-red interior, causing Shen Qian to break into a satisfied smile.


    That was the smell she was after!


    In no time, all of the initially collected branches were processed in the same manner, turning them into a bundle of blood-red sticks.


    Subsequently, Shen Qian moved on to preparing the wild rabbit.


    On the other hand, Qin Lang was preupied with his own things.


    What he was doing was in stark contrast with Shen Qian.


    Leaving the wild chicken and shore lotus grass aside, Qin Lang roamed on the creek side and swiftly gathered heaps of moist y.


    What are you¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao was taken aback when he saw Qin Langing back with armfuls of y.


    However, he realized that his surprise was premature.


    Because Qin Lang casually sat cross-legged on the grass, picked up a small bowl, and got absorbed in ying with the y.


    It would be more urate to say that he was kneading it like dough, taking out any small stones or other debris in the process.


    But it was still a lump of y nheless?!


    Zhou Tianhao was baffled.


    Shen Qian, who was also observing Qin Lang¡¯s actions from the side, was equally stumped, making her rabbit butchering knife quiver.


    After making sure that the y waspletely free of any foreign materials, Qin took a whiff of it.


    The smell of y hit his nostrils. Finding no unusual smells, he gave a nod of approval.


    The dish Beggar¡¯s Chicken had specific y requirements.


    If the y contained too many microbes and fermented smells, even the lotus leaf¡¯s blockade might affect the vor of the chicken.


    Indeed, if there were any special smells in the y, it would have been even better.


    For sophisticated Beggar¡¯s Chicken dishes, the y that has been soaked in aged liquor is preferred. The smells from the liquor slowly permeate into the y over time, naturally infusing it with a mild wine aroma.


    Although Qin Lang could not find such y, he had a way to achieve that wine aroma.


    ¡°Dan Bao, fire spray!¡±


    Qin Lang gave the y-filled bowl to Dan Bao.


    Dan Bao understood immediately. He quickly caused the y in the bowl to float in the air using Thought Waves and started baking it with the fire.


    The water absorbed in the y evaporated quickly under the heat of the me. The y that initially released water when squeezed started drying out visibly. By the end, it crumbled into a powder with slight pressure.


    Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian were still clueless about what Qin Lang was trying to do. Shen Qian decided to set the rabbit aside and focused on deciphering Qin Lang¡¯s actions.


    After the y turned into powder and returned to the bowl, Qin Lang added some creek water and a bit of rice wine and started kneading it again, allowing it to absorb the water and reform into a lump, much like kneading flour.


    First baking the y to dryness and then kneading it again not only allowed the wine scent to mix in but also killed any microbes in the y using high- temperature. Moreover, the moisture level of the y could be controlled as needed.


    It was like killing three birds with one stone.


    Of course, to Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian, this step seemed even more absurd.


    ying with y was one thing, but adding wine to it was another.


    What the, was he seasoning the y?


    ¡°Uhm¡­ we are not going to eat y, are we?¡± Zhou Tianhao asked, trembling a bit.


    No, the y is not for eating,¡± Qin Lang replied dryly, effectively calming Zhou Tianhao down.


    After the y was ready, Qin Lang set it aside and began preparing the wild chicken.


    He bled out the chicken, removed the feathers and guts, thoroughly cleaned it and then stuffed a variety of ingredients like spices and shiitake mushrooms into its stomach. Promisingly, he wrapped threeyers of washed shore lotus grass around it, and finally bound it tightly with the hemp rope.


    Only when Qin Lang covered the lotus leaves with the prepared y did Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian start to understand his actions.


    The y was being used to encase the chicken, with ayer of shore lotus grass in between.


    As an herb that can be dried and brewed, shore lotus grass was a viable ingredient for cooking. Moreover, Qin Lang had also stuffed spices and mushrooms inside the chicken.


    This way, if the seemingly ordinary y ball was heated¡­


    Both the people with high culinary skills started imagining what would happen next.


    The y would not prate the meat through the shore lotus grass, but the wine aroma could. Additionally, the heating process would dry and solidify the y, thus effectively sealing everything inside.


    Under such conditions, the smell of shore lotus grass and the aroma of the ingredients inside the chicken would permeate through the meat¡­


    Qin Lang hadn¡¯t even started cooking, but both Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao were almost drooling.


    Moreover, the realization this cooking method brought was more shocking.


    If shore lotus grass could be used to wrap chicken, then it could be used for other ingredients as well. The shore lotus grass and spices could be reced with other things, and even the y on the outside could be adjusted based on different situations.


    This was an entirely new cooking idea.


    ¡°I guess, it¡¯s time to bring my A-Game!¡± Shen Qian¡¯s eyes glimmered with anticipation as she quickly went back to finish preparing the wild rabbit.


    She didn¡¯t need to observe Qin Lang¡¯s next steps. It was about controlling the heat, an aspect learned through experience rather than instructions. Her dish ¡°Caged Rabbit¡± still had many steps remaining.


    She skillfully prepared a small cage out of the blood-red branches she had skinned earlier. The cage amodated the rabbit perfectly and ensured it was securely fitting. There was a small hook at the top that made it easy to hang the whole cage.


    After fastening the cage using a sturdy bifurcated branch, she moved near the fire they had prepared earlier and cheerily started grilling the rabbit, ¡°I am quicker than you, Qin Lang¡­ What are you doing?!¡± she eximed.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Qin Lang wiped the imaginary sweat off his forehead and admired the pit dug out by Dan Bao, ¡°I¡¯m going to start the fire for cooking now too!¡±


    Quickentrance: [Monthly Pass][Rmendations]

 Chapter 292: Fresh Chicken

    Chapter 292: Fresh Chicken


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°SO¡­¡±


    Zhou Tianhao stroked his chin, looking at Qin Lang careful set alight the firewood in the pit before cing in the mud-wrapped wild chicken and sealing the pit, leaving only a small hole. His face showed confusion, ¡°Why not use open fire?¡±


    ¡°This way, the heat canst longer and spread more evenly,¡± Qin Lang replied, dusting off the mud from his hands with a smile.


    ¡°With Dan Bao¡¯s me control, you really don¡¯t have to worry about uneven heating, right?¡± Shen Qian, who had just secured the hanging rabbit cage, asked curiously while waiting with her chin in her hands.


    ¡°Gurgull!¡±


    Exactly!


    With its sunny-side-up appearance, Dan Bao nodded in agreement, not too happy about Qin Lang choosing a special cooking method that left him out of the help.


    ¡°Of course, Dan Bao can do it, but¡­¡± Qin Lang noticed this and cheerfully tweaked its big ears before changing his tone, ¡°The cooking time for Beggar¡¯s Chicken isn¡¯t very short. The Spicy¡¯s Cooking eleration technique and Dan Bao¡¯s me control cannot be used concurrently.¡±


    Full Firepower¡¯s control of fire is different from the me of regr cooking. It requires control by Dan Bao, and the cooking process is interfered with by external forces so it cannot be speeded up.


    ¡°Chaka?¡±


    The previously idle Spicy blinked, apparently not expecting to be needed in the cooking process of the Beggar¡¯s Chicken.


    ¡°Cooking eleration, go all out!¡±


    Qin Lang patted Spicy¡¯s head, giving the order.


    ¡°Chaba!¡±


    Got it!


    Spicy got excited right away.


    An invisible force burst out from its body, covering the buried pit on the ground that was still smoking.


    ¡°Just wait a little while more before we can eat,¡± Qin Lang said cheerfully, cross-legged on the soft grass, using meditation to speed up the recovery of Spiritual Power in his Star Vein. This will allow Spicy to use Cooking eleration for longer.


    As time passed by the minute, the pit used by Qin Lang was still smoking evenly from the small hole, apparently unchanged. On the other hand, there was a magical transformation happening to the hanging wild rabbit that Shen Qian was roasting.


    Under the me, the peeled branches of the Cherry Red Blood Tree began to shrink. During this process, red sap seeped out from the inside of the branches, flowing over the surface of the wild rabbit.


    An odd, unique aroma specific to the Cherry Red Blood Tree gradually grew strong during the process, and the aroma of meat started wafting from the rabbit under the mes.


    These two smells intertwined tightly, each seeming to elevate the other, weaving a new and even more wonderful aroma.


    Simply smelling this aroma made everyone and all the Food Spirits swallow uncontrobly.


    This aroma¡­ extraordinary!


    Noticing Qin Lang also swallowing, a triumphant smile appeared on Shen Qian¡¯s face, ¡°The ¡®Caged Rabbit¡¯ isn¡¯t even ready yet!¡±


    When it ispletely cooked, the caged rabbit will break through the cage. The moment the rabbit¡¯s belly is cut open, the aroma willpletely explode.


    Although Qin Lang¡¯s Beggar¡¯s Chicken cooking method is more unique than her own, it¡¯s still uncertain who has the upper hand in terms of taste!


    ¡°Oh?¡± Qin Lang mysteriously smiled, seeing Shen Qian¡¯s confident look. ¡°Your ¡®Caged Rabbit¡¯ is not finished yet, but my Beggar¡¯s Chicken is ready.¡±


    ¡°That fast?!¡± Shen Qian was first startled, then appeared to realize something. ¡°You mentioned before, the first one to finish is at disadvantage!¡±


    ¡°The full phrase is ¡®the strong eat first¡¯!¡±


    Qin Lang took a shovel to dig open the covered pit and with the help of Dan Bao, pulled out three lumps of mud.


    At this point, only a few spots of light remained in the pit. The wood previously added was long gone, turned to ash. A heat wave greeted their faces as the mud lumps were extracted.


    The mud wrapping the wild chicken has undergone a great change. The once moist mud that could easily be indented is now fully dried, and several cracks appeared on its surface, making it look like parchednd.


    Its color changed from dark brown to yellow brown, and a hint of alcohol could be detected in the heat.


    ¡°Let me try!¡± Zhou Tianhao hurried to Qin Lang¡¯s side, about to take a lump of mud.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, be careful, it¡¯s hot!¡± Qin Lang quickly reminded him.


    After spending some time with him, he noticed that the seemingly steady Brother Zhou always stumbled when it came to delicious food.


    ¡°Alt, right!¡± Zhou Tianhao stopped his hand in mid-air, and then looked towards Lark.


    ¡°ra-¡±


    You really give me a headache!


    Lark shook its head helplessly, then used its Thought Waves to catch a mud lump from Dan Bao.


    ¡°How should we eat it? Just crack it open?¡± Looking at the mud lump before him, Zhou Tianhao was eager to try. If a passerby were to see this, they might think he had some bizarre obsession with eating dirt.


    ¡°Just crack it open,¡± Qin Lang agreed.


    At his words, the cracks on the surface of the mud lump Zhou Tianhao was holding quickly grew and deepened. Following a dull thud, the chunk of mud easily broke apart, revealing a corner of a Shore Lotus Grass.


    The once vibrant Shore Lotus Grass, after the cooking process of Beggar¡¯s Chicken, was now a brownish-green. It was soft like soaked seaweed, easily crumbling under a little pressure.


    But that wasn¡¯t the key point.


    The key point was the sudden eruption of a unique and long-suppressed scent the moment the mud came off.


    Just as a dancer gracefully approaches, her fragrance precedes her presence, even from a distance. The aroma of the Beggar¡¯s Chicken, unobstructed by the threeyers of Shore Lotus Grass, widened Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes instantly, revealing a look of astonishment.


    At that moment, Zhou Tianhao could no longer smell the aroma from the Caged Rabbit cooking nearby. The brownish green of the Shore Lotus Grass in front of him became the only thing in his world.


    He had the urge to peel off the Shore Lotus Grass right away and check on the chicken inside.


    But at the moment he was about to take action, Qin Lang spoke again, a hint of helplessness in his voice, ¡°Brother Zhou, you should put a te under it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, right!¡± Zhou Tianhao quickly found a te, shaking off all the mud on the Beggar¡¯s Chicken before carefully cing it on the te.


    After cutting off the hemp rope that still tightly bound it, he carefully unwrapped the Shore Lotus Grassyer byyer, revealing the tightly curled, light yellow wild chicken that had been hiding inside.


    An unprecedented rich aroma burst forth from the Beggar¡¯s Chicken, spreading in all directions.


    Shen Qian, who was curiously watching Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eager actions, finally smelt the aroma emitted by the Beggar¡¯s Chicken.


    Her expression froze.


    This scent?!


    (There¡¯s one more chapter to go, writing it now)


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 Chapter 293: Lotus Fragrance

    Chapter 293: Lotus Fragrance


    Trantor: 549690339 <sup>1</sup>


    Shen Qian, who originally thought she might have a chance to beat Qin Lang this time, suddenly found the situation all too familiar.


    She looked at the Beggar¡¯s Chicken in front of Zhou Tianhao, then nced at her Caged Rabbit which still needed more time to be done, and decisively stood up.


    ¡°I want to try it too!¡±


    She took the other portion of Beggar¡¯s Chicken from Qin Lang, carefully cracking open the dried, hard y exterior, and was greeted with a rich aroma that was many times stronger than what she had smelled earlier, making her involuntarily swallow.


    Let¡¯s eat too,¡± Qin Lang said after he had served up two portions of Beggar¡¯s Chicken, looking at the two little ones who were also secretly swallowing their saliva.


    The two little ones always had the utmost expectation for any new dishes Qin Lang prepared, not to mention they had also caught whiff of the enticing aroma.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Let me do it!


    Dan Bao, now familiar with how to unwrap the Beggar¡¯s Chicken, volunteered and swiftly used its Thought Power to peel the chunks of y off, then carefully unveiledyer afteryer of the Shore Lotus Grass to reveal the chicken inside.


    ¡°Spicy contributed most to this Beggar¡¯s Chicken, so the reward is a chicken drumstick for you!¡± Qin Lang expertly took out a small knife and quickly carved a drumstick off the chicken to reward Spicy.


    ?Crunch*


    Showing her little fangs, Spicy puffed on the chicken drumstick a few times, then ¡°Awoo¡± bit into it, her face expressing pure bliss.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    What about me?


    Seeing Spicy enjoying a chicken drumstick, Dan Bao immediately showed an eager expression on its face.


    ¡°Dan Bao put in a lot of effort in today¡¯s cooking, so the other drumstick is your reward!¡± Qinng said cheerfully. He quickly cut another drumstick. He had already prepared for this scenario and wanted to make it fair for both.


    ¡°Gurgle!!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s head popped out of its body momentarily, ¡°Awoo¡± it bit into the chicken drumstick.


    However, it suddenly noticed that there were no more drumsticks left for Qin Lang, looking a bit moved, it stuttered out its words with the chicken drumstick in its mouth.


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    So, you don¡¯t have a drumstick then?


    ¡°I prefer the wings.¡± Qin Lang, beaming with joy, cut off a juicy wing from the bird and bit into it after a couple of blows.


    Wild chickens can fly, so naturally, the wings are even tastier than the drumsticks.


    Looking at the chicken wing, which was bigger and seemed to have more tender flesh than the drumstick it was holding, Dan Bao suddenly fell silent.


    Give me back my moved feelings!


    From the other side, Zhou Tianhao infamously ripped the drumstick from the chicken, meat from the base included. He took a bite and his face disyed an expression of extreme delight as he chewed.


    The uncharred chicken skin retained its tender texture. The juice-filled meat hade into direct contact with the Shore Lotus Grass, infusing it with the unique and vibrant aroma of the herb.


    The aroma effortlessly dissipated the slight greasiness of the chicken while adding a hint of exotic vor to the meat, making it even more delicious than normal chicken meat.


    Although the leg of the wild chicken was somewhat inferior to the wing, the meat was more tender than usual because the wild bird moved less (less walking) than domestic chickens.


    Tasting the juicy meat in his mouth, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s look of astonishment grew more apparent.


    This chicken, with all its moisture locked in by the y, is truly deserving of praise!


    At the bottom of the Shore Lotus Grass, he could even see some gravy collected. The gravy could not have possibly been added during the cooking process. It had to be the essence forced out of the chicken and the Shore Lotus Grass by the heat, containing the essence of both!


    Having thought of this, Zhou Tianhao did not hesitate to lift the chicken drumstick he was holding, dipped it into the soup, and took another big bite.


    Feeling the increasingly rich and delicious taste lingering on his lips and teeth, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression revealed more and more enjoyment.


    Soon, a wild chicken drumstick turned into clean-boned in his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try something else,¡± murmured Zhou Tianhao, reaching for the obviously plumper wild chicken wingspared to domestic chicken.


    Then, he seemed to recall something, looking around at the four Food Spirits who were watching him eat alone with resentful looks, andughed awkwardly. ¡°Come on, everyone can have a taste,¡± Zhou Tianhao took four tes, directly tore the whole wild chicken apart and distributed it to his Food Spirits.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As he separated the chicken meat, various mushrooms and spices hidden in the chicken¡¯s belly appeared before Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Almost forgot, the belly of this Beggar¡¯s Chicken is filled with surprises,¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes lit up as he was reminded of Qin Lang¡¯s original method of preparing the wild chicken.


    ¡°Come on, have a taste!¡± Zhou Tianhao took a chicken mid-wing and gave it a gentle pinch.


    The mid-wing had already been separated from the bone during the cooking process, and now, under Zhou Tianhao¡¯s force, the bones quickly peeled away, leaving just the tender and juicy chicken meat.


    He quickly dipped the chicken meat in the soup, wrapped it with bits of scattered mushrooms from the chicken belly, opened his mouth and swallowed them all in one gulp.


    The mushrooms, stewed within the chicken¡¯s belly, didn¡¯t shrink at all, retaining a certain stic texture. A little squeeze easily yielded the juicy essence of the mushrooms.


    This juice was not only luscious due to the mushrooms themselves, but also because of the sulent chicken vor they absorbed while being cooked. Together, they formed a taste no less wonderful than the unique fragrant mix of chicken meat and Shore Lotus Grass tasted earlier.


    Mixed with the soup and the fresh meat of the mid-wing, not only did the taste be richer, chewing process extremely satisfying, but the vor of the three also perfectly blended together.


    Spices, mushrooms, chicken meat-multiple vors and deliciousness intertwined at this moment, causing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s vision to blur briefly.


    It was as if he was in a primitive forest, with luxuriant Shore Lotus Grass leaves in green surrounding him, and countless unnamed mushrooms beneath his feet.


    Zhou Tianhao, feeling something, looked up.


    In his imagination, numerous wild chickens seemed to fly overhead.


    This taste¡­


    This taste!


    ¡°This taste is amazing!¡± Shen Qian, who was eating on the other side, couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    ¡°How does my Beggar¡¯s Chickenpare to your Caged Rabbit?¡± Qin Lang, who was caught off-guard and lost another chicken wing to Dan Bao, tore a piece of chicken from the body, dipped it in the soup, and put it in his mouth, smiling as he asked.


    He was in a pretty good mood at the moment because, unintentionally, he improved the original dish a bit.


    The fresh scent of the Shore Lotus Grass matched Beggar¡¯s Chicken better than the traditional lotus leaf.


    It was an additional pleasant surprise.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    She had actually thought she could beat Qin Lang earlier.


    Though the Caged Rabbit was also delicious, she knew her own cooking well and knew it was still a bit short of the deliciousness of the Beggar¡¯s Chicken.


    The meat full of juice was too delicious!


    ¡°Alright! You win!¡±


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 Chapter 294: Giving Gifts

    Chapter 294: Giving Gifts


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Crunch?? ¡±


    Apanied by a crispy sound, Shen Qian¡¯s Caged Rabbit finally arrived fashionablyte after everyone had tasted the Beggar¡¯s Chicken. Shen Qian deftly divided it into several portions for everyone to taste.


    Unlike Qin Lang¡¯s Beggar¡¯s Chicken, the naturally tight meat of the wild rabbit became crispy after being grilled on an open me, almostpletely losing its moisture.


    Its color had turned into a strange deep red due to the sap of the Cherry Red


    Blood Tree branches seeping in.


    ¡°Here, have a taste!¡± Shen Qian picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, chewing with a ¡°crunch crunch¡± sound. Her face showed a look of enjoyment; she was evidently satisfied with the delicious food she had cooked this time.


    However, thinking that her food was still inferior to Qin Lang¡¯s Beggar¡¯s


    Chicken, her expression couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    This absurd guy!


    Qin Lang took a piece and tasted it carefully, quickly showing a look of surprise.


    The Cherry Red Blood Tree had a special, savory scent, which when mixed with the grilled rabbit meat, made the taste of the rabbit meat even more substantial and tempting.


    The tree¡¯s slightly spicy sap seeped into the rabbit meat during the grilling process, adding a spicy taste to the rabbit meat, which didn¡¯t have too many seasonings.


    With its crispy taste, it indeed tasted quite special.


    It felt like eating jerky, but the freshly grilled and still steaming rabbit meat was obviously notparable to jerky.


    Weaving the Cherry Red Blood Tree into a cage not only fixed and bounded the rabbit meat, allowing it to take shape, but also allowed the sap to permeate evenly into everyer of the rabbit meat.


    It indeed was a unique way of cooking.


    Zhou Tianhao on the other side also tasted this delicious food, nodding in satisfaction, ¡°This Caged Rabbit is also delicious. Its crispy taste is very different from the Beggar¡¯s Chicken.¡±


    ¡°But if let me choose between the two, I choose the Beggar¡¯s Chicken.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao¡¯s conclusion did not surprise Shen Qian. After all, after tasting the Beggar¡¯s Chicken, she knew she had no chance of winning this time.


    She had anticipated it already, so naturally, she didn¡¯t feel disappointed. The girl looked at Qin Lang with slight annoyance, ¡°Just you wait, I will surpass you next time!¡±


    However, after saying that, she herself startedughing.


    ¡°Ok! The food just now was not even enough to fill a tooth gap!¡± Zhou Tianhao chortled, at the same time took out the Mountain Sparrow and snake meat he had gathered, ¡°Let¡¯s continue cooking!¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll start making Mushroom Mustard Fish Soup first.¡± Qin Lang stood up, handled the big fish he had caught and other ingredients, started making the soup, and then processed the other ingredients.


    ¡°I will help too!¡±


    The other two naturally wouldn¡¯t just sit and watch Qin Lang work. Soon, the three of them were busy preparing their dinner amidstughter.


    The evening breeze blew gently.


    By the time the three had had their fill, the sun had already set deep into the forest, with only the red glow of the evening sky lighting up the west.


    After cleaning up the traces of their outdoor meal, the three of them sat on the soft grass, casually chatting.


    Behind them, the eight food spirits had somehow gathered together and were quietly chatting amongst themselves.


    It¡¯s said that the dining table is the best ce to get closer to each other. After two meals, not only did Zhou Tianhao and Qin Lang be more familiar with each other, but the eight food spirits also got to know each other better, instead of just sticking to their own partners like before.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao quietly pulled Lark aside and handed him a specially reserved Roasted Sparrow Leg.


    ¡°Krara?¡±


    Lark blinked his eyes, salivating at the sight of the Roasted Sparrow Leg. At the same time, he was somewhat puzzled by the unexined eagerness of this newly acquainted little guy.


    ¡°Gurulu gudududu hi¡­¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s yolk-like head swayed up and down, left and right inside its body, gesturing to imply its intentions. Lark¡¯s face showed a look of realization.


    ¡°Krara!¡±


    Lark gave Dan Bao a confident look, then contentedly bit into a sparrow leg, showing a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Seeing the other party epting his gift, Dan Bao showed a joyful look, and turned his head to look at Spicy who was following him.


    ¡°Chacka!¡±


    Spicy gave Dan Bao an approving look as if to say ¡± good boy¡±, then looked around, picked up another sparrow leg in his mouth, and handed it to Lark.


    ¡°ra?¡±


    There was a look of confusion on Lark¡¯s face.


    There¡¯s another one?


    ¡°Chacka chaba kaka¡­¡±


    Spicy fluttered his long ears just like Dan Bao, expressing the meaning he wanted to convey.


    ¡°ra!¡±


    Lark dly epted another sparrow leg, apparently eding to some request from Spicy.


    The three food spirits quickly returned to the other five food spirits. The others noticed the traces of oil at the corner of Lark¡¯s mouth and collectively expressed their disapproval.


    So you guys had a private feast!


    ¡°ra-¡±


    Lark rolled his eyes.


    This is what I earned through my own efforts!


    However, when hispanions asked how he earned it, he remained silent, only showing a mysterious smile.


    The trio of Qin Lang, including Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao, did not notice the strange behavior of the food spirits.


    Looking at the gradually darkening sky, Shen Qian stretchedzily. Her face was full of anticipation, ¡°Although I¡¯ve traveled quite a few times, I mostly stayed in hotels. This is the first time I am spending a night in the wild!¡± She looked at the tent behind her that was meant for her upancy, and her face was filled with eagerness to try something new. But soon, she became worried, ¡°In the wild, will we be attacked by wild beasts from the forest while we are asleep?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility, given that we are in a public ce,¡± Qin Lang paused slightly.


    In his previous life, he had simr experiences, and the general solution for safety issues at night was to travel in groups and take turns keeping watch at night. If there were any problems, the person on watch would wake the others.


    Just as he was about to suggest this n and discuss the night watch order with the others, Zhou Tianhao, who stood beside him, began to speak with a cheery tone.


    ¡°This problem is not hard to solve.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, do you have a solution?¡± Seeing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s confident demeanor, Qin Lang halted his words, deciding to hear his solution first.


    ¡°Ji has abat skill called Dark Curtain Watch.¡± Zhou Tianhao pointed at one of the food spirits who were huddled together and chatting, and said with a smile.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s the solution!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ji is a four-star food spirit belonging to Zhou Tianhao. When the trio had jumped from the top of a waterfall before, they had slowed down by using ji¡¯sbat skill, Wind Singing Whirlpool.


    The nature-basedbat skill, Dark Curtain Watch, provides extraordinary sensory abilities, perceiving everything in darkness, while drawing strength from the darkness itself to speed up the user¡¯s recovery.


    Unless this skill is paired with a corresponding skill that creates darkness, it bes rather useless in trainingpetitions. After all, thepetition couldn¡¯t possibly be held in the dark.


    However, in the wilderness at night, there¡¯s no doubt about the usefulness of this skill.


    ¡°At night, there¡¯s an endless supply of energy to restore Ji¡¯s strength and keep her energized. Therefore, we can sleep in peace.¡±


    (Chapter Two is still being written)


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 Chapter 295 - 295 Missing

    Chapter 295: Missing


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Their conversations were drowned out as darkness deepened.


    The tiredness from a day¡¯s walk gripped everyone with the onset of nightfall. Along with the fact that there was not much entertainment in the forest at night, everyone soon felt the hint of fatigue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest early. If we get up early tomorrow, we might be able to catch the sunrise together.¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled, ¡°It¡¯s said Lan Qiu Forest has a different kind of beauty in the early morning. Perhaps we will be able to witness it tomorrow.¡±


    Of course, Qin Lang and Shen Qian did not object to Zhou Tianhao¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°You two shoulde back''¡± Shen Qian yawned, her thoughts inviting the Piggie Squad and Shrimp Ball, who were nearby, back into the Star Vein.


    Clearly not all food spirits are like Dan Bao and Spicy who dislike entering the Star Vein.


    ¡°You alle back, too, leaving Ji to keep watch is enough.¡±


    Just as Zhou Tianhao had done during previous wilderness activities, he nned to recall the other three food spirits. However, this time, a slight mishap urred.


    ¡°Lark Lark-¡±


    Lark wagged his head indicating he did not n to return to Star Vein.


    ¡°You n to wander around here?¡± Zhou Tianhao stroked Lark¡¯s head, ¡°If that¡¯s the case then be careful and don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    ¡°Lark!¡±


    Lark showed a confident expression.


    In this forest, he has no opponent!


    Lark has always been lively and active and choosing to take a stroll nearby was something Zhou Tianhao could understand.


    After saying a few words of caution, he recalled the other two food spirits back into the Star Vein and entered his tent.


    As for Dan Bao and Spicy, they remained outside as usual.


    ¡°It¡¯ste, let¡¯s sleep together.¡± Qin Lang took the two small spirits in his arms, one on the left and one on the right, and crawled into the tent.


    ¡°Ji?¡±


    Are you hiding something from us?


    Looking around to make sure no one was there, Ji turned her eyes to Lark.


    Familiar with herpanion, she sensed something was amiss with him tonight.


    ¡°Larkrk-¡±


    Mind your own business.


    Lark wagged his head, heading straight off in a certain direction.


    ¡°Ji''¡±


    Ji rolled her eyes, feeling Lark disappearing from her sensory range, and didn¡¯t worry much.


    Among Zhou Tianhao¡¯s four food spirits, she and Lark were thest ones born, thus they were still four-star food spirits.


    As for power, Lark was even stronger than her. After absorbing the starstone, a reward from winning the state-level training championship, Lark was not far from advancing to five-star.


    So, she didn¡¯t need to worry about Lark¡¯s safety.


    Nighttime passed slowly, minute by minute.


    Ji perched on a rock near the camp. Provided with the powerful night-time sense of Dark Curtain Watch, she could feel the tiny animals active in the nearby jungle at night, which helped to pass the boring time.


    Suddenly, her expression shifted slightly, and she looked in a certain direction.


    The missing Lark had finally returned.


    Judging by his excited look, it seemed that he had some gains.


    However, Lark didn¡¯t carry anything with his thought power, which puzzled Ji.


    ¡°Larkrk-¡±


    Keep my secret for me! I¡¯ll give you something delicious in return!


    After flying to Ji, Lark made a hurried stop in midair, looked around and then lowered his voice. He then went to Qin Lang¡¯s tent under Ji¡¯s stupefied gaze.


    ¡°Larkrk-¡±


    Hearing the deliberately lowered voice outside the tent, Dan Bao and Spicy, who seemed to be asleep with their eyes closed just now, both opened their eyes surprisingly. They didn¡¯t look tired at all.


    The two small food spirits looked at each other, and an invisible force emerged from Dan Bao¡¯s body. Quickly, he nodded at Spicy.


    The two little spirits quickly flew out of Qin Lang¡¯s arms, and the spaces in Qin Lang¡¯s quilt where they had been stayed the same under the influence of thought power, slowly returning to normal without waking Qin Lang.


    After doing all this, the two little spirits quickly crawled out of the tent and flew to Lark who was waiting outside.


    The three food spirits looked at each other, then flew off together in a certain direction.


    Ji was a bit bewildered.


    What were they up to?!


    It was considering waking Zhou Tianhao to tell him that Lark had sneakily taken Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit away, but after some hesitation, it abandoned that idea in the end.


    Didn¡¯t Lark just say that keeping the secret would earn it a treat?


    So, it would keep quiet for now.


    After all, with Lark¡¯s strength, there should be no danger.


    Ji once again covered her surroundings with her perception, silently watching a mouse foraging at night, and her thoughts began to wander.


    Where would the three of them go?


    That direction earlier, it seemed to be the way they came from, right?


    ¡°ra!¡±


    It¡¯s here!


    Lark¡¯s voice echoed, drowning in the continuous rumbling sound around them.


    The misty spray under the bright moonlight was somewhat elusive, and the waterfall falling into theke concealed in the mist seemed to have softened in the moonlight.


    This was the Lanqiu Waterfall at night.


    Dan Bao and Spicy looked at each other, apparently not expecting that Lark would bring them here.


    ¡°Gulu?¡±


    Can we train our Thought Waves here?


    Dan Bao, out of curiosity, asked.


    ¡°ra!¡±


    Of course, watch closely!


    Lark nodded confidently, then quickly approached the waterfall.


    Under the admiring eyes of the two, Lark flew directly to the bottom of the waterfall, where the water impact was the most intense.


    An invisible force spread from its body, effectively resisting the power of the waterfall. Thus, in such a precarious position, Lark was still at ease.


    After demonstrating, Lark returned to Dan Bao leisurely.


    ¡°ra ra!¡±


    If you want to strengthen the solidity of the Force Field of Thoughts, this is the best method!


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    I¡¯ll try!


    Seeing hope in Lark¡¯s demonstration, Dan Bao confidently flew towards the waterfall.


    Previously, its grasp of Thought Waves was more focused on the finesse in controlling things and multitasking. It had not practiced much in the defensive strength of the Force Field of Thoughts, only using it normally.


    While falling down the waterfall with Lark and constructing the Force Field of Thoughts, it realized the gap between them.


    In one word, it wanted to learn!


    So, after discussing with Spicy, the two of them brought their prepared gifts, hoping for some pointers from Lark.


    The reason why Spicy was included was that Lark was not only proficient in Thought Waves but also mastered Instant Teleportation.


    That Roe deer was killed by itsbination of the two Combat Skills.


    Looking at the waterfall right before it¡¯s eyes, Dan Bao took a deep breath, propped up its own Force Field of Thoughts, and then flew into it.


    A momentter.


    Apanied by a crisp ¡°crack¡± sound, the flimsy shield was directly shattered by the raging water.


    Lark¡¯s Thought Power timely followed up and pulled the stunned Dan Bao out.


    ¡°ra!¡±


    Again!


    Lark urged Dan Bao to practice again, while turning its head to look at Spicy who was full of anticipation on the side.


    With the experiences of being trained by the two five-star predecessors in the team floating in its mind, under the moonlight, Lark¡¯s expression gradually became wild.


    ¡°ra?¡±


    Do you know how to practice Instant Teleportation?


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 Chapter 296: Searching

    Chapter 296: Searching


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°Chaka?¡±


    How to train?


    Spicy asked subconsciously, but seeing the odd expression on Lark¡¯s face under the moonlight, she had an inkling that something was not quite right.


    ¡°Kra kra!¡±


    If I catch you, you¡¯re going to get hit!


    Lark shouted excitedly, with his form shing and suddenly appearing in front of Spicy. An invisible force enveloped Spicy, seemingly wanting to bind herpletely.


    Spicy: ¡°!!!¡±


    The moment she heard it, she instantaneously used Instant Teleportation to dodge to the other side without the slightest hesitation.


    However, when she adjusted her line of sight, Lark had once again reappeared in front of Spicy, sticking to her like a shadow.


    ¡°Kra, kra kra!¡±


    You¡¯re too slow! Your reaction time after teleporting is too slow!


    Larkughed wildly. In the next moment, the invisible force hadpletely immobilized Spicy, making it impossible for her to teleport and escape.


    Instant Teleportation entails an instantaneous change in spatial position. For the Food Spirit performing thebat skill, there is naturally a momentary adaptation process when the perspective suddenly changes from one position to another.


    Spicy¡¯s proficiency in Instant Teleportation is not low, and the adaptation time has been negligible for some time. However,pared with Lark, who had spent an indeterminate amount of time in grueling practice, her response was still too slow.


    During the moment Spicy was adjusting her perspective, Lark had alreadypleted the process of determining Spicy¡¯s teleportation location, performing teleportation, and adjusting his view. He struck before Spicy could react.


    ¡°Chaka!!! Bacha!¡±


    Spicy let out a terrified shout, followed by several screams.


    After being hit hard a few times, Spicy was tossed casually by Lark toward the distance. The game of chase continued.


    Ever while beating up Spicy, Lark demonstrated the Thought Waves, conveniently rescuing Dan Bao, whose Force Field of Thoughts had been shattered for the second time, from below the waterfall.


    Doing two things at once, instructing both of the little ones at the same time.


    A Four-star Food Spirit is this terrifying.


    ¡°Kra kra!¡±


    Don¡¯t leave, we will train until sunrise!


    Lark¡¯s excited shout, with a hint of eeriness, was drowned out by the continuous roar of the waterfall.


    ¡°Qin Lang, Shen Qian, it¡¯s time to go watch the sunrise!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao¡¯s voice outside the tent gradually roused the sleeping Qin Lang.


    He sat up in a daze from the tent, using the dimntern hanging inside the tent to put on his clothes.


    While dressing, he paused momentarily.


    It seemed like something was missing?


    Looking around the tent, Qin Lang gave a start, suddenly fully awake.


    Where are Dan Bao and Spicy?!


    He quickly dressed and walked out of the tent, only to find that the two little guys were not ying nearby, having woken up earlier than him.


    They¡¯re missing?!


    ¡°What happened?¡± Shen Qian, who had exited the tent almost at the same time, noticed the worry and panic on Qin Lang¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Both my Food Spirits are gone!¡± Qin Lang blurted out.


    ¡°Huh?¡± A ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± expression appeared on Shen Qian¡¯s face.


    Food Spirits and Spirit Chefs are intrinsically linked and need the power of the Star Vein to exist; they cannot separate from the Spirit Chef.


    They¡¯re like extensions of the Spirit Chef.


    Thus, in Shen Qian¡¯s eyes, what Qjn Lang said was just as bizarre as waking up one morning to find that she was missing an arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, they might just be ying nearby.¡± Zhou Tianhao patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°My Lark has also disappeared. It¡¯s normal for Food Spirits to be yful sometimes.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao, on the other hand, was quite calmpared to Qin Lang.


    The main reason was that simr incidents had happened to him quite a number of times.


    Seeing Qin Lang still worried, Zhou Tianhao reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, there is a contract between the Spirit Chef and the Food Spirits. This contract connects both sides.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Qin Lang beamed, a lightbulb moment lighting his eyes.


    This was his first time dealing with this situation, his worries leaving him muddled. But as soon as Zhou Tianhao reminded him, he swiftly regained hisposure, sinking his senses down into the two Star Veins within him.


    The moment he did this, Qin Lang¡¯s expression turned unusually strange.


    The Spiritual Power within his two Star Veins had unknowingly nearly run dry, currently in a slow process of recovery. But once the power started to recover to some degree, it again started to drain out.


    This implied that the two Food Spirits had been relentlessly using their skills.


    From the consumption of Spiritual Power in one shot, Qin Lang could even deduce that Dan Bao was using Thought Waves while Spicy was manipting Instant Teleportation.


    Could it be that these two little creatures have encountered danger?


    However, through the connection between Star Veins and Food Spirits, he instantly grasped the distance and direction of these two from him.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhou Tianhao beside him also mapped out a questionable expression.


    While reminding Qin Lang, he also checked the condition of his Star Vein.


    Why was Lark so far away from him, and constantly usingbat skills?


    Putting two and two together, considering the disappearance of Qin Lang¡¯s two Food Spirits, Zhou Tianhao suddenly surmised a puzzling guess.


    ¡°Are your Food Spirits located in that direction? It seems a great distance from here,¡± Zhou Tianhao inquired, indicating the position where he sensed Lark to be.


    ¡°Indeed! That¡¯s right,¡± Hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s question, Qin Lang pondered, ¡°Is Lark also in that location?¡±


    ¡°It seems like they¡¯re together.¡± Zhou Tianhao fell silent for a moment. Then his gaze turned sharp as he locked onto Ji who squirmed under his gaze. ¡°Where did they go?¡±


    Ji, who had stood guard all night, would certainly know the whereabouts of these three Food Spirits!


    Ji fell silent.


    Watching Zhou Tianhao slowly raise his fist, Ji was weighing the importance of a delicious meal against being beaten up.


    ¡°Caw!¡±


    I¡¯ll say!


    At the precipice, right before Zhou Tianhao was about to swing, it made its decision.


    Once Ji honestly confessed everything aboutst night, the expressions of the trio, Qin Lang andpany, gradually turned colorful.


    Huh?


    Huh???


    Lark had secretly taken Dan Bao and Spicy and run away?


    ¡°We should go look for them together.¡± Zhou Tianhao scratched his head and his face flushed a bit awkward, seemingly it was Lark¡¯s doing.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang nodded without hesitation, feeling slightly less worried knowing that Lark was also involved. After all, Lark was a Four-star Food Spirit, very powerful, they probably wouldn¡¯t run into big trouble.


    But his confusion grew.


    What were they doing following Lark?


    Without the slightest hesitation, both left the tent on the spot, abandoning the sunrise viewing they had nned, heading in the sensed direction.


    Shen Qian thought for moment and followed.


    ncing around at the surroundingndscape in the dim pre-dawn light, observing the general direction they were heading in, she suddenly spoke, ¡°This direction¡­does it seem like it¡¯s where Lanqiu Waterfall is?¡±


    Hearing this, Zhou Tianhao and Qjn Lang were baffled.


    Lanqiu Waterfall?


    As Shen Qian said, considering the distance they sensed through their Star Veins, the three small ones¡¯ location indeed seemed quite close to Lanqiu Waterfall.


    The group of them quickened their pace, and with the sky gradually lightening, they finally reached the water-bearing pool under Lanqiu Waterfall.


    Qin Lang immediately spotted the two figures he had been worried about for so long.


    ¡°You two little rascals!¡±


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 Chapter 297 - 297 Special Training

    Chapter 297: Special Training


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    *Crack¡­*


    With the help of the little regained spiritual power, Spicy quickly flickered his form in session, casting a series of afterimages in the air above the water-bearing pool.


    Lark¡¯s oppressive figure shadowed that of Spicy, following closely his every flicker until finally, on the ninth flicker, he managed topletely trap Spicy.


    At the fiercest point of the waterfall nearby, Dan Bao was trying hard to maintain a force field of thoughts around him. After struggling for a while, he withdrew moments before the force field was about to break, calmly leaving the area near the waterfall.


    The time he managed to endure was nearly ten times longer thanst night.


    Both of them had an exhrated expression on their faces. Under the guidance of Lark,pared to when they first arrivedst night, they undoubtedly had made much progress.


    However¡­


    ¡°You two guys!¡±


    Upon hearing that all too familiar voice, both of them trembled simultaneously, the smugness on their faces immediately reced with fear.


    Damn! They were discovered by Qin Lang!


    They were so engrossed in their training that they forgot to return before Qin Lang woke up!


    Looking at Qin Lang who did not seem to be in a good mood, both hesitated to make eye contact with each other before reluctantly approaching him.


    Lark, who had been happily training the two little fellows just moments ago, caught the strict look in his Spirit Chef¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but shrink back a little and flew back sulkily.


    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao asked at the same time.


    The three Food Spirits exchanged nces and then, with resignation, truthfully recounted the whole story.


    Upon hearing that the two little fellows had sought Lark¡¯s help in learning how to use thought waves and instant teleportation, and had evene up with the idea of bribing him with roasted sparrow legs, Qin Lang was at a loss whether tough or cry.


    He thought that they had encountered some danger, is that it?


    ¡°You two¡­¡±


    Looking at their worried and guilty faces, Qin Lang swallowed the reprimand he had prepared.


    He was reflecting why they didn¡¯t directly ask him, so he could have sought Zhou Tianhao¡¯s help, instead of resorting to such roundabout ways of dealing with the problem, causing unnecessary misunderstanding.


    They were just interested in training theirbat skills¡­


    Qin Lang quickly thought of something, his facial expression turnedplex.


    He probably figured out why the two little fellows did what they did.


    When he first crossed into this world, Qin Lang, who had been a chef in his past life, developed a strong interest in bing a Spirit Chef. However, this interest was mostly centered around cooking and notbat.


    Only after witnessing the terrifying power of strong Spirit Chefs, he began to takebat seriously.


    Even so, Qin Lang¡¯s subconscious still heavily focused on cooking.


    That¡¯s why he would practice various cooking exercises with the two little fellows during his free time, but seldom did he actively involve them inbat training.


    During the Youth Training Competition in Bai Lu Mountain City, they trained for a few days in a rush. Without the pressure of thepetition afterwards, hepletely overlooked this aspect.


    His actions led the two little fellows to mistakenly think that Qin Lang did not like them to train forbat.


    So to avoid causing Qin Lang¡¯s displeasure, they chose to avoid Qin Lang while seeking Lark¡¯s help forbat training.


    Looking at the sidelong nces from the two little fellows, Qin Lang was silent for a moment before he raised his hands and ruffled their heads, putting on a grin.


    ¡°Well then, you two went training without inviting me!¡±


    The anticipated verbal scolding and punishment did note, and Dan Bao and Spicy opened their eyes in confusion.


    ¡°Ssh!¡±


    Qin Lang swiftly stripped down to his trousers and jumped into the water-bearing pool, waving to the two Food Spirits, ¡°What are you waiting for? I¡¯ll train with you!¡±


    The two froze in unison, then their faces lit up in surprise and delight.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Zhou Tianhao, who had watched the entire scene unfold, understood Qin Lang¡¯s intention. Heughed heartily, ¡°This waterfall is indeed a good special training location.¡±


    As he spoke, he summoned his two five-star Food Spirits, who had been dormant in the Star Vein. He too took off his outerwear and jumped into the pool, ¡°Let¡¯s train together!¡±


    ¡°Will Shen Qian join us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± Shen Qian summoned her two Food Spirits and sat down by the water-bearing pool, hugging her knees. Her gaze quickly nced over the two men and then swiftly shifted away, ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy watching you guys train!¡±


    Unlike Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao, Shen Qian had no interest in Spirit Battles whatsoever.


    Noticing the expectant looks on her two Food Spirits, Shen Qian softly said, ¡°If you want to have a try, go ahead.¡±


    The two did not hesitate to stay close to Shen Qian.


    ¡°So true, like Spirit Chef, like Food Spirits!¡± Shen Qian¡¯s smile grew even brighter at her Food Spirits¡¯ behavior.


    ¡± Speaking of which¡­¡±


    ¡± What about the tent we left at the camp?¡±


    In the end, Lark, who was responsible for leading the two little fellows astray, made up for his error and tidied up the tent and brought it back to the waterfall.


    With that small incident resolved, they quickly decided to stay a few more days near Lanqiu Waterfall for special training.


    Shen Qian wouldn¡¯t be bored even though she didn¡¯t participate in the training. There were various kinds of ingredients avable near the waterfall, many of which she hadn¡¯t used before.


    While the other two were training, she could try differentbinations of these ingredients nearby ande up with new dishes.


    Besides, watching Zhou Tianhao and Qin Lang train was quite entertaining.


    The initial special training for the two little fellows involved separately training for thought waves and instant teleportation under Lark¡¯s guidance.


    However, with the help of Zhou Tianhao, Qin Lang quickly drew up a new training n for them.


    While Dan Bao was training for thought waves, he would also train for Full Firepower.


    The mist from the waterfall dampened the me. Constantly spewing fire under such conditions would improve the stability of the me.


    During Lark¡¯s attacks, Spicy, who was training for instant teleportation, tried to counter-attack to train for Lucky Bite Mark.


    Qin Lang was not idle either.


    If he said he was going to train with the two little fellows, he must follow through.


    Strong Spirit Chefs could often split their attention and meditate to elerate the recovery of spiritual power while directing a battle, instead of sitting cross- legged and focusing solely on meditation.


    So he sat cross-legged in the water-bearing pool at all times, practicing meditation while resisting the undercurrents in order to stabilize his posture. This was his training content.


    Time flew by, and it was already dawn.


    A day had passed unnoticed.


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 Chapter 298: Practical Combat

    Chapter 298: Practical Combat


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Dinner time!¡±


    Under the setting sun, Shen Qian, who volunteered to cook, stood by the water-bearing pool and formed a megaphone with her hands around her mouth, shouting loudly.


    Zhou Tianhao and Qin Lang, who were engrossed in their special training in the pool, quickly came ashore with their Food Spirits. They changed into dry clothes and huddled together.


    ¡°Try this new delicious dish I¡¯ve been experimenting with all afternoon!¡± Shen Qian, grinning, held up a bowl of steaming soup with a distinct aroma. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Delicate Sparrow Soup¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Nice name,¡± Qin Lang, smiling, also served himself a bowl, and the scent of it surprised him. ¡°Soup made from mountain sparrows?¡±


    ¡°Correct! I took the most tender parts of the mountain sparrow, ground it into a mince, then simmered it with mushrooms and wild bamboo shoots, keeping only the soup after the ingredients were removed,¡± Shen Qian confirmed, a hint of pride on her face.


    After long hours of simmering, all the goodness of the ingredients is released into the soup. Just one sip of it, and you can taste the freshness of the mountain wilds,¡± She added.


    While Shen Qian was exining, Zhou Tianhao and Qin Lang had begun tasting. They had nothing but praises for the new dish that Shen Qian had developed in the afternoon.


    ¡°There is still significant room for improvement,¡± Shen Qian said,ughing happily and then sighing softly, ¡°The only downside is that ingredients from these woods are difficult to find in the city, so it would be tough to recreate this dish elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Look on the bright side, once we are in the urban area, we¡¯ll have ess to ingredients that we can¡¯t find in the forest, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Zhou Tianhaoforted her,ughing heartily as he picked up other dishes Shen Qian had made and began tasting.


    In this rxed atmosphere, the three people and their eight Food Spirits ate and drank to their heart¡¯s content.


    The sun is about to set, we should also find a ce to camp and rest.¡±


    Watching the sun set, Zhou Tianhao stood up and stretched, then turned to Qin Lang. ¡°Should we do some special training tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°What kind of training?¡± Qin Lang asked curiously.


    Zhou Tianhao, who had proven experience as the winner of a Provincial Training Competition, had a lot of insight when it came to training for Food Spirit battles. Since he trained all day, there were many points he needed to pay attention to, which greatly benefited Qin Lang.


    Upon hearing Zhou Tianhao mention special training, Qin Lang¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    Shen Qian, who was also curious, had benefitted from their intensified training and was eager for more. However, she also enjoyed watching Qin Lang train.


    All our training is ultimately for us to exhibit stronger power in battle.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed. ¡°To demonstrate this power, there are two contributing factors as I see it.¡±


    ¡°Which two?¡± Qin Lang asked, ying along.


    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s naturally the basic strength of the Food Spirits.¡± Zhou Tianhao paused. ¡°This includes the Combat Power Value, the mastery of Combat Skills, and the control of Combined Battle Skills.¡±


    ¡®To improve Combat Power Value, we have to work on improving the vor Value of the Food Spirits and strive to raise their star level. Proficiency in Combat Skills requires special training, and the birth and proficiency of Combined Battle Skills are closely rted to proficiency in Combat Skills.¡±


    That¡¯s true,¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement.


    ¡°The other factor in a battle isbat experience.¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face turned slightly serious, ¡°Its importance is no less than the former.¡±


    Combat experience?


    Qin Lang was a bit surprised.


    He knew thatbat experience had some influence on one¡¯s strength, but Zhou Tianhao¡¯s emphasis onbat experience was evidently higher than he had anticipated.


    ¡°Combat experience mainly includes familiarity with variousbat skills and the ability to adapt based on actual conditions during the battle.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao paused slightly, ¡°The former can be considered a basic skill, while thetter requires a multitude of battles to improve.¡±


    This is quite a test for both the Food Spirits themselves and the Spirit Chefs.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Qin Lang murmured thoughtfully upon hearing this detailed analysis,


    ¡°So, what is the special trainingwe are going to do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Combat Training!¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled, ¡°More precise, Combat Stress Training.¡±


    Qin Lang looked impressed, ¡°So, by ¡®Stress Training¡¯, do you mean you and I doing a duel?¡±


    That s right.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded, ¡°I will use anyone of my four Food Spirits alternately, and you can use two of your Food Spirits to battle at the same time.¡±


    Under the pressure of a stronger opponent, thebat experience will improve faster.¡±


    It was evident that given Zhou Tianhao¡¯s strength, in a two-against-one situation, he would still dominate.


    Hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s words, Qin Lang¡¯s face became excited.


    How often would a Spirit Chef get such an opportunity ¨C having a sparring partner who owned both four-star and five-star Food Spirits and whose abilities far surpassed his own?


    He looked at Dan Bao and Spicy, who were nearby, questioningly, and their reactions were just as firm. They obviously did not want to miss this excellent opportunity either.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, brother Zhou!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal!¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed heartily.


    It was payback for all the advice he had given Qin Lang.


    After all, having spent thesest two days with Qin Lang, he had learned a lot about cooking, and he was certain he would continue learning much more as they journeyed together.


    ¡°Shall we switch campsites tonight?¡± Shen Qian asked,ughing after the two finished discussing tomorrow¡¯s ns, ¡°I¡¯ve checked, and there is a good spot in that direction which is suitable for camping.¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡± Zhou Tianhao agreed readily, ¡°We will still be here for several days toe, we haven¡¯t seen all the beautiful sceneries in this forest yet!¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning, we watch the sunrise!¡± Shen Qian raised her hand high.


    Good, we missed it today, we can¡¯t let it slip by tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang nodded and turned to look at Dan Bao and Spicy, ¡°You two won¡¯t sneak out to train again, will you?¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy shook their heads vigorously.


    What are you kidding!


    Having trained for the whole day, they were so tired they didn¡¯t even want to use any of their skills anymore!


    All three of themughed, and they set off together in the direction of the new campsite.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±


    After a short walk, Shen Qian surveyed the surroundings andpared them with the markings on the map on her phone, nodding her approval.


    Just like their previous site, this open ground was close to a water source and was even t and surrounded by unknown wildflowers. The gentle breeze carried a light scent of flowers, unconsciously rxing one¡¯s mood.


    From this position, the roaring sound of the Lanqiu waterfall could hardly be heard, ensuring that it wouldn¡¯t disturb their sleep at night.


    However, the only problem was¡­


    It seemed to be already upied.


    ¡°Hello!¡±


    Sitting there were a young man and two young women who seemed to have just finished their dinner, and Food Spirits were revolving around them, proving their identity as Spirit Chefs.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s group, the young man waves friendly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Xiong


    Zhan, these two are the Lv Youyou sisters, we are all from Xieyu City.¡±


    (Another chapter toe)


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 Chapter 299: Sunrise

    Chapter 299: Sunrise


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Qin Lang and hispanions exchanged nces, clearly surprised by the sudden situation.


    After counting the days, they had been in Lan Qiu Forest for two days, and this was their first time encountering other visitors apart from themselves.


    ¡°My name is Shen Qian, from Yue Hu City, and this is Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao. They¡¯re both tourists from Tianhua State.¡± Shen Qian kicked off the conversation with a smile, showing her knack for socializing, ¡°Are you guys camping here tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I read online that this open space is a good camping spot at night. It was only a short distance from us, so we decided toe here,¡± Bear Battle nodded, ¡°Looks like you guys also chose this spot for camping tonight, eh?¡±


    ¡°Would you mind if we set up our tents here?¡± Shen Qian pointed to a spacious area nearby.


    The area was ratherrge, offering plenty of room to erect several tents without intruding on each other¡¯s space.


    ¡°Regarding this question¡­¡± Bear Battle turned and nced at the two sisters behind him, seeking their approval.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Zhou Tianhao, the recent winner of the cooking championship in Xieyu City?¡± Lv Qianqian looked at Zhou Tianhao by the campfire light and suddenly asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded. He then seemed to remember something and looked back at Lv Qianqian, ¡°So, it¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, did you run into an old friend?¡± Shen Qian teased with an expression of interest.


    ¡°Right after I arrived in Mingjing Province, my first stop was Xieyu City, where I participated in the City-level Cooking Competition, and Miss Lv Qianqian was also apetitor there,¡± Zhou Tianhao exined briefly.


    ¡°I was eliminated during the scoringpetition,¡± Lv Qianqian confessed somewhat embarrassingly.


    Knowing their existing connection, the Lv sisters naturally had no objection to the arrival of Qin Lang and his friends.


    Soon after, Qin Lang¡¯s group swiftly set up their own tents and, at the invitation of Bear Battle¡¯s group, they sat around the campfire to chat.


    ¡°Are all three of you also aiming to attend the uing City Youth Training Competition in Lanqiu City?¡± Bear Battle asked, finally unable to resist prying.


    Eh?


    Upon hearing this question, Qin Lang and hispanions exchanged confused looks.


    They had indeed heard about the City Youth Training Competition in Lanqiu


    City when they met Zhou Tianhao in the forest. However, their presence in Lanqiu City was only because it was on their way to Crown Ling City.


    ¡°We¡¯re just passing by,¡± Qin Lang answered indifferently, then changed the subject, ¡°So, are you guys en route to Lanqiu City for the Youth Training Competition, passing through the forest?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no,¡± Bear Battle shook his head, ¡°We have already arrived in Lanqiu City. We came to Lan Qiu Forest toplete the Spirit Executor¡¯s challenge.


    ¡°The Spirit Executor of Lanqiu City, Mr. Cheng Kang, set a task rted to trees. We need toplete the designated mission in the forest.


    ¡°I see,¡± Zhou Tianhao said, as ifing to a realization, ¡°When I was in Lanqiu City, I seemed to have heard that the Spirit Executor¡¯s challenge is quite interesting.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Zhou Tianhao suddenly smiled and turned to Qin Lang and Shen Qian, ¡°I¡¯ve already exceeded the age limit for the Youth Training Competition, but both of you could try participating.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± Shen Qian waved off the suggestion confidently, ¡°I¡¯m not interested


    in any physicalbat.¡±


    ¡°As for me¡­¡± Qin Lang pondered for a moment, ¡°I could participate, but wouldn¡¯t it be toote now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still time!¡± Bear Battle cheerfully interjected, ¡°The officialunch of Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition is in seven days, and there are five days left for registration. As long as you make it to the city center of Lanqiu City within these five days and pass the examination of a Spirit Executor, you re good.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re also participating, that means Qin Lang would be yourpetitor, right?¡± Shen Qian yfully teased, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to mind having an extra opponent at all! Qin Lang is really strong!¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Bear Battle looked at Dan Bao and Spicy,ughing, ¡°You didn t know this, but I heard that there¡¯s a very strongpetitor in this Youth Training Competition at Lanqiu City.¡±


    ¡°One of his two Food Spirits has already reached three stars, and the other is not far from three stars either,¡± Bear Battle shrugged, ¡°ording to the rules of awarding Starstone at different stages of the Youth Training Competition, he could potentially promote his second Food Spirit before thepetition ends.


    ¡°That powerful?¡± Shen Qian said, amazed.


    Her Shrimp Ball had reached three stars, but Piggie Squad still had a way to go.


    However, Shen Qian immediately felt that her concern was unnecessary.


    After all, she was not participating in the Youth Training Competition.


    ¡°Yeah, that powerful,¡± Bear Battle said with a helpless expression, ¡°so it¡¯s pretty hard to win the championship in this edition of the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition. It¡¯s all about participation.¡±


    Only the champion of the City Youth Training Competition could qualify to advance to the provincial level. Although there were prizes for non-champions, only the champion could advance.


    ¡°No wonder you don¡¯t mind Qin Lang entering thepetition,¡± Shen Qian giggled, patting Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Qin Lang, you must give it your all. Even if they have double three-star Food Spirits, we will still beat them!¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Qin Lang rolled his eyes in exasperation, ¡°I am also in it for the participation, once I have enough trainingpetition points to exchange for the Skill Stone, I¡¯ll be satisfied.


    Both his littlepanions were still far from reaching three stars, but it was necessary to prepare for the next Skill Stone they would need once they did.


    Qin Lang was well aware of his own situation.


    Although Dan Bao had mastered a fairly powerfulbat skill¡ª Psychomaic me Explosion-Spicy had yet to master anybinedbat skills.


    If they really participated in the Youth Training Competition, his only advantage would probably be the vor Value of his two Food Spirits reaching the maximum score of 200.


    However, facing an opponent with three-star Food Spirits could be challenging.


    Unless Spicy¡¯s Lucky Bite Mark managed to produce some good fortune for them.


    Sitting by the campfire, Zhou Tianhao watched Qin Lang and Shen Qian bicker, already nning in his mind to crank up the difficulty of Qin Lang¡¯sbat training for the next day.


    After chatting for some time, as night fell, everyone felt a wave of sleepiness wash over them.


    They each retreated to their own tents, and time swiftly passed overnight. Nothing went awry this time. Lark obediently returned to his Star Vein, while Dan Bao and Spicy tucked themselves into Qin Lang¡¯s arms and fell soundly asleep.


    Under Ji¡¯s protection, the night was tranquil and safe, and before they knew it, morning had arrived.


    Although calling it morning wasn¡¯t quite urate, since the sun hadn¡¯t yet risen.


    After leaving a note for the still-sleeping Bear Battle trio, Qin Lang s group quietly arrived at the highest cliff in Lan Qiu Forest.


    There were no trees on the cliff, which happened to face east, only soft grass.


    Sitting on the cliff, the breeze carrying the scent of soil and trees gently brushed their faces, and a glimmer of dawn rose at the edge of the eastern sky. More and more light started to shroud the forest and illuminate the excited faces of the trio.


    The sunrise in the forest was extraordinarily beautiful.


    This beauty was faithfully recorded by Qin Lang¡¯s filming equipment.


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 Chapter 300 - 300 Jiela

    Chapter 300: Ji


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°This one looks great! The angle captures me and the sunrise perfectly!¡±


    On the way back to the camp from the cliff, Shen Qian was interestedly flipping through the photos taken by Qin Lang¡¯s equipment, quickly selecting a few she liked.


    After we get to Lanqiu City, I will print out all the photos we¡¯ve taken over thest few days.¡± Qin Lang said with a smile, ¡°I will definitely save a copy for you and Brother Zhou.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Hearing this, Shen Qian¡¯s smile grew even wider.


    Zhou Tianhao, who was standing nearby, alsoughed, ¡°Then I need to buy a photo album to keep these photos.¡±


    Theirughter quickly brought them back to their camping spot, where the three members of the Bear Battle team had already woken up.


    ¡°You guys watched the sunrise?¡± Bear Battle, who must have seen the note Qin Lang¡¯s team left, waved at them, ¡°We are about to leave this ce. If everything goes smoothly, we will fulfill Mr. Cheng Kang¡¯s mission today.¡± ¡°I wish you all the best.¡± Qin Lang responded politely with a slight nod.


    ¡°We might have a chance topete at the Youth Training Competition in a few days.¡± Bear Battle said with a look of anticipation on his face, ¡°Until then.¡± ¡°I¡¯m better at battles than at cooking.¡± Lv Qianqian nced at Zhou Tianhao and pursed her lips, ¡°I will perform well this time!¡±


    ¡°I will cheer for you from the audience seats.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed and responded politely.


    After a friendly exchange, both teams packed up their tents and set off in different directions.


    The destination of the Bear Battle team was a location specified by Mr. Cheng Kang. They were tasked to find and retrieve an item he needed as part of their assessment.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang¡¯s team headed straight to Lanqiu Waterfall to start their specialbat training.


    ¡°Dan Bao, Spicy, are you guys ready?¡±


    Inside the water-bearing pool, Qin Lang stood chest-deep in the water, looking afar towards Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    I¡¯m ready!


    ¡°Crackle!¡±


    I¡¯m ready too!


    Dan Bao and Spicy took on serious expressions, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s voice rose a few notches, ¡°Brother Zhou, you can start now!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Tianhao, who was standing about twenty meters away, yelled out, and one of his four Food Spirits flew out slowly.


    This Food Spirit was of a purple hue, with dark red patterns on its body and a pair of sharp ws.


    Among Zhou Tianhao¡¯s four Food Spirits, Ji had the weakest overall strength.


    It possessed thebat skills: Wind Singing Vortex, Electric Energy Agitation, Dark Veil Watch, and Night Coffin. The first two and thest two skills together form twobined battle skills.


    Even though it had the weakestbined strength, when it unleashed its power, it still forced Dan Bao and Spicy to wear serious expressions.


    The overwhelming feeling emanating from the four-star Food Spirit hit them like a wall. It was the two little ones¡¯ first time experiencing this.


    Seeing this, Qin Lang clenched his fist slightly.


    Watching a powerful Spirit Chef fight and confronting one are twopletely different experiences.


    But¡­ with pressurees motivation to improve!


    He silently encouraged himself, then began to chant in his mind.


    ¡°Tian Shu borrow power, guard!¡±


    The Seven Star Map weaved behind him, and a creamy glow condensed around Qin Lang¡¯s body. He shared his perception with the two Food Spirits, his eyes shimmering with the light of the Seven Stars.


    The two little ones defiantly burst forth with their own momentum. Although they were at an absolute disadvantage under the pressure of the two sides¡¯ momentum, their fighting spirit was burning like a raging fire.


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡±


    Sitting on the grass on the shores of the pool, Shen Qian watched the impending standoff between the two sides, waving her hands to cheer them on.


    The gaze of Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao met over a distance; the two, as if by agreement, issuedmands to their respective Food Spirits at the same time.


    Attack!


    ¡°Chatter!¡±


    With a loud roar from Ji, a violent green cyclone burst out from behind it, morphing into a rampaging tornado.


    The storm, akin to a rocket booster, momentarily endowed Ji with tremendous kic energy, allowing it to lunge towards the two small ones as a ghostly silhouette.


    Thebat skill, Wind Singing Whirlpool, under its highly skilled mastery, began to show more potential usage.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Feeling the oppression drawing closer, Dan Bao¡¯s yolk-like face turned increasingly solemn. A shallow white halo, centered around its body, quickly spread outwards, transforming into an invisible force that sealed off the surroundings, preventing the rival from getting closer.


    Ji¡¯s eyes flickered with disdain at the sight of Dan Bao¡¯s actions.


    Lark also possessed the skill of Thought Waves. Naturally, it had its own experience in countering it.


    The wind is everywhere!


    Apanied by Ji¡¯s surge of thoughts, the entire battlefield was shrouded in a pale green whirlwind storm.


    The widespread whirlwind wasn¡¯t too powerful, but it was ubiquitous, breaking apart the barrier created by Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Power from within.


    Thebat power value of the two Food Spirits already had a vast difference. Ji¡¯s move could be described as a crushing defeat.


    ¡°Dan Bao! Mind-beam me Bomb!¡±


    Seeing that Thought Waves had no effect, Qin Lang immediately issued a newmand to Dan Bao without any hesitation.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    With a low grunt from Dan Bao, small golden orbs the size of knuckles appeared beside it, then under its control, shot towards Ji, trailing golden rainbows in the mid-air!


    Over time, throughbat skill practice and daily improvement in proficiency, thebinedbat skill of Mind-beam me Bomb might not be very high ¡¯ in frequency, but its progress was extremely significant.


    Initially, Dan Bao could only summon one Mind-beam me Bomb at a time, but now it could summon over a dozen.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s gaze flickered slightly.


    He had watched Qin Lang¡¯s performance at the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition as an audience member. The progress of the other party¡¯s Mind-beam me Bomb during this period was quite obvious.


    But just this, was probably not enough.


    ¡°Ji, Electric Energy Agitation!¡±


    ¡°Chatter!¡±


    Ji, whomunicated with Zhou Tianhao¡¯s heart and mind, moved instantaneously as the sound emitted. A few wisps of arc shed out of nowhere beside it.


    A bright purple energy ring surged up from the bottom of its body, finally sshing out in all directions at the top of its head.


    The strong electric energy instantly prated the Mind-beam me Bomb flying from all directions, attempting to encase Ji, causing them to detonate uncontrobly.


    ¡°Booming!¡±


    A series of mes and dustpletely enveloped Ji, but the faces of Qin


    Lang and Dan Bao turned more serious at this moment.


    This is just an illusion!


    Ji¡¯s Electric Energy Agitation detonated all the Mind-beam me Bombs in advance, hence it was at quite a safe distance and was barely affected by them! Fortunately, Qin Lang had more tricks up his sleeve.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    The ever unassuming Spicy made a sh appearance behind Ji amidst the chaos, its pair of fangs gleaming with colorful lights.


    ¡°Chatter!¡±


    Ji¡¯s eyes in the dust and smoke suddenly sharpened.


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 Chapter 301: Battle Ignites

    Chapter 301: Battle Ignites


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Zhou Tianhao had a clear understanding of thebat capabilities of Qin Lang¡¯s two Food Spirits.


    Compared to Dan Bao¡¯s straightforward use of the Psychomaic me Explosion, Spicy appeared much more discreet, but Zhou Tianhao, with his extensivebat experience, would not overlook it.


    Almost immediately after Spicy teleported in close, Ji, who was already prepared, quickly turned around, ready to defeat this intruder that dared to approach.


    However, even though Spicy showed her sharp teeth threateningly, she didn¡¯t seem to be nning to bite.


    She maintained a distance of two to three meters from Ji, and as soon as Ji turned, she used Instant Teleportation to reposition herself again.


    A hint of amusement appeared in Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes.


    Looking at Dan Bao who had elerated after performing Psychomaic me Explosion, Zhou Tianhao began to understand Qin Lang¡¯s n.


    So, Spicy¡¯s role was not to attack, but to distract the opponent?


    Well, let¡¯s make this first fight a lesson for this young one then!


    ¡°Ji! Imprisoning Light Dark Prison!¡±


    With Zhou Tianhao¡¯s suddenmand, excitement surfaced in Ji¡¯s eyes.


    Darkness arrived in the blink of an eye.


    Before Qin Lang and his twopanions could react, an area of about ten meters around Ji was engulfed by pure darkness.


    Neither Spicy, who was trying to distract Ji, nor Dan Bao who was speeding towards Ji, could escape the darkness.


    Qin Lang, who shared vision with his twopanions, suddenly found everything going ck.


    The darkness then vanished, leaving Spicy and Dan Bao frozen in mid-air.


    It was as if they had just been fished out from pitch-ck ink, their bodiespletely covered in the profound darkness.


    This is¡­


    Qin Lang¡¯s pupils constricted slightly.


    He could sense through the deep connection with hispanions that the peculiar darkness was incredibly restraining. Unless one had a certain level of power, it was impossible to break free, even Instant Teleportation was impossible.


    Dark Curtain Watch + ck Night Coffin.


    Combined Battle Skills, Imprisoning Light Dark Prison!


    ¡°This skill, Imprisoning Light Dark Prison,bines the powerful senses of Dark Curtain Watch and the strong restraints of ck Night Coffin. It can pinpoint and lock down opponents within its range, rendering thempletely immobile,¡± Zhou Tianhao crossed his arms and spoke with a smirk, ¡°with this, you¡¯ve already lost the firstbat.¡±


    Although Spicy and Dan Bao hadn¡¯t lost theirbat capability yet, but with the restrictions, Ji could easily defeat them.


    ¡°I did lose indeed.¡± Understanding the situation, Qin Lang nodded. ¡°I was ignorant of Ji¡¯s Combined Battle Skills and rashly let Spicy distract her.¡±


    ¡°Take a break then we¡¯ll start the second round,¡± Zhou Tianhao gave Ji a nce, and in no time the two were released. ¡°In the second round, you¡¯ll still face Ji. Try to hold on longer.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    Deted, Spicy and Dan Bao flew back to Qin Lang¡¯s side.


    It was the first time they had been taken down so easily, and naturally, they felt a bit dejected.


    ¡°You both did incredible,¡± Qin Lang gently reassured them. ¡°We didn¡¯t know about Ji¡¯s Combined Battle Skills and made some mistakes. We need to adjust our strategy for the next fight.¡±


    He pondered for a while before starting to discuss a new battle n with hispanions.


    Soon, both Spicy and Dan Bao hadpletely recovered and seemed a lot more spirited than before. With the new n, they looked at Ji, their eyes filled with renewed eagerness to fight.


    Half a minuteter.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a sharp and deep explosion, Spicy and Dan Bao, surrounded by electric arcs, plunged into the water-bearing pool headfirst.


    This time, they did not approach Ji rashly, but were hammered by another Combined Battle Skill of Ji¡¯s.


    Wind Singing Whirlpool + Electric Energy Agitation.


    Combined Battle Skill, Wind Thunder Rage.


    This raging Combined Battle Skill had an extremely long-range, easily shattering Dan Bao¡¯s protective Force Field of Thoughts, then knocked Spicy and Dan Bao unconscious.


    ¡°Take a break and try again!¡±


    Following that, was the third, fourth fights¡­


    The result of each battle was the swift and efficient massacre of the duo.


    But the advancement of the duo was also apparent to the naked eye.


    The duo, who initially couldn¡¯t hold on for even a minute against Ji, began to endure for longer durations, and eventually managed to withstand over a minute.


    Don¡¯t underestimate a minute, in a Food Spirit¡¯s battle, a minute entails at least ten exchange of blows.


    When the battle duration with Ji exceeded a minute, Zhou Tianhao decisively reced Ji with the stronger Lark.


    Whether in terms of power or skills, Lark suppressed the duo harder, it was extremely difficult for them to even hang on for ten seconds against him.


    Once, twice¡­


    The duo continuously suffered losses in Lark¡¯s hands, asionally when Lark¡¯s spiritual power required recovery, he would alternate his attacks with the remaining two Five-Star Food Spirits.


    Shen Qian initially watched with great interest, butter couldn¡¯t bear to see any more.


    It was so cruel!


    The sun gradually moved from the east to the west, time swiftly passing by in the blink of an eye.


    Qin Lang and the duo had encountered countless rounds of battle, until they even became somewhat numb to it.


    ¡°Ssh, ssh-¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy once again exhausted their strength and fell into the water, Zhou Tianhao nced at the timer, a smile surfaced on his face, ¡°It¡¯s over a minute.¡±


    ¡°Croak croak-¡±


    Well done, my little fellow!


    Lark revealed an encouraging look, scooped up the duo and handed them to Qin Lang.


    ¡°Hoo!¡± Qin Lang hugged Dan Bao and Spicy, applied a special recovery ointment to them, and fed them a quick recovery potion when they woke up from their dizziness. Their condition visibly rebounded rapidly.


    ¡°Being able to withstand a minute against Lark, you¡¯ve achieved today¡¯s training target.¡± Zhou Tianhao looked at the sky and smiled, ¡°Do you want to continue?¡±


    Looking at the somewhat weary but bright-eyed duo, Qin Lang gave a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s do it onest time!¡±


    ¡°But this time, I have a small request.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Speak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to experience the power of the Spirit-ignite.¡± Qin Lang spoke determinedly.


    Throughout the entire day ofbat training, Zhou Tianhao had never used his Spirit-ignite Power, only relying on thebat power of the Food Spirits themselves.


    He wanted to try how strong a Four-star Food Spirit would be under the enhancement of Spirit-ignite Power.


    ¡°You sure? The likely result would be an instant defeat.¡± Zhou Tianhao looked at Qin Lang, his expression slightly serious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never faced an opponent with Spirit-ignite Power before, I want to give it a try!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s voice remained firm.


    ¡°Croak/Crack!¡±


    Bring it on!


    The two of them spoke in unison, their eyes filled with battle lust.


    ¡°Hiss-¡± Shen Qian, who was a spectator on the shore, couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp breath.


    She had seen clearly how Qin Lang was tortured all day long.


    But she didn¡¯t expect that he would want to raise the difficulty even at the end of his special training.


    A look of anticipation shed in her eyes. Naturally, Shen Qian was also curious about the Spirit-ignite Power.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao paused, his voice unexpectedly growing louder, ¡°the Four Heavens Transformation, Ignite!¡±


    ¡°Croak!!!¡±


    Lark gave a roar, his momentum escted continuously. He was bathed in a red me that couldn¡¯t be extinguished even by the pool water.


    Burning Spirit, re Battle Fire!


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 Chapter 302: Breakthrough

    Chapter 302: Breakthrough


    Trantor: 549690339??????? ¡ã


    ¡°Next, be careful.¡±


    Bathed in the same reddish mes, Zhou Tianhao gazed at Qin Lang and the two little ones in the distance, speaking in a deep voice.


    There was no need for his reminder, after sensing Lark¡¯s imposing superiority amplified by the Shining Battle Fire, the one human and two spirits who had been defeated numerous times by him had already be solemn.


    They could currently only hold out for a minute in front of Lark in his normal state. When faced with the special state augmented by the Soul Burning Fire, they were destined to be crushed.


    Even so¡­


    ¡°Dan Bao, Spicy, give it your all!¡± Qin Lang spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Disy all the progress you¡¯ve made from today¡¯s realbat!¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    The little ones were not afraid at all, despite having battled all day, their fighting spirit at this moment was still surging like a burning me.


    The moment the two sides¡¯ gazes interlocked, it seemed as if lightning shed and subsequently disappeared in the void.


    The next moment, Lark bathed in the reddish giowand the poised-to-strike Dan Bao and Spicy simultaneously made a move.


    ¡°Krara!¡±


    Lark¡¯s figure shed, and with a terrifying power, he had already appeared in front of Dan Bao.


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    A sharp gleam shed across Dan Bao¡¯s eyes, a dozen or so shining golden orbs gathered around it in no time, and then sted out in all directions.


    It didn¡¯t target Lark because countless previous battles had taught Dan Bao that Lark could easily dodge a flurry of Mind-beam me Bombs.


    Only by scattering the Mind-beam me Bombs in all directions, could it ensure that no matter how Lark employs Instant Teleportation, he would still get hit by Mind-beam me Bombs!


    To Dan Bao¡¯s side, Spicy had disappeared without a trace.


    Also mastering Instant Teleportation, it could distance itself from Lark at the very first moment, maintaining a gap to prepare for the next attack.


    Of course, in the process, it cleverly avoided Dan Bao¡¯s Mind-beam me Bombs, avoiding idental injury and tying Dan Bao down.


    Lark didn¡¯t use Instant Teleportation again.


    Faced with the golden spheres erging in its view and the dismissive expression it disyed from feeling its power rise, it didn¡¯t seem bothered.


    The next moment, the shiny golden orbs collided with an invisible barrier, they never approached Lark¡¯s body and directly exploded.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Apanied by a resounding roar, a vast amount of smoke and mes appeared instantly between Dan Bao and Lark.


    Dan Bao¡¯s solemn expression remained calm, under its precise control, the Mind-beam me Bombs that scattered in all directions quickly turned around andunched a concentrated attack at Lark.


    In previous encounters, Lark would temporarily be thrown into chaos by this collision and would retreat with Instant Teleportation to avoid a concentrated volley of Mind-beam me Bombs.


    Spicy, who was always ready to go, would then make a move, cooperating with Dan Bao to engage Lark in a series of fights.


    However, the current Lark significantly differed from the previous one.


    The existence of the Shining Battle Fire strengthened all of Lark¡¯s Combat Skills and Combined Battle Skills.


    ¡°Crack ¡±


    As if the air had frozen at this moment, the Mind-beam me Bombs that were rapidly sting towards Lark froze in mid-air. The next moment, they seemed to be under immense pressure, uncontrobly exploding in mid-air.


    Among the sporadic roars, the exploding mes were as brilliant as fireworks, but they posed no threat or damage to Lark.


    The next moment, even the smoke and mes in the void were frozen under the terrifying Thought Power, subsequently continuing to copse and converge together.


    In Dan Bao¡¯s wide-eyed astonishment, the clearly dispersed power converged again, transforming into a golden energy ball containing frightening energy. Lark had actually replicated the Mind-beam me Bomb, a Combined Battle Skill, by relying on Thought Waves and by countering Dan Bao¡¯s attack!


    ¡°Howis it possible?!¡±


    Seeing this scene, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    Although every Combat Skill theoretically had limitless room for improvement, reaching such a level with just a Thought Wave was astonishingly unheard of. ¡¯ Is this the improvement that the Shining Battle Fire brings to Combat Skills?


    ¡°Boom¡ª¡±


    Within the terrifying sound of an explosion, a crack appeared on the golden energy ball, the terrifying power within it,pressed to the extreme, found an outlet and burst out along the crack!


    The crack in the energy ball was ripped open by increasingly violent energy, eventually bing a horrifying energy shell. The terrible high temperature, coupled with the Rolling Heat Wave, struck Dan Bao instantly!


    ¡°Crack, crack, crack? ¡±


    A series of shattering sounds rang out; those were the mental barriers Dan Bao had urgently set up for itself.


    These mental barriers were like paper under that terrifying blow. Eventually, Dan Bao was swallowed up by the energy shell in an instant.


    ¡°Plop ¡±


    As the energy receded, Dan Bao¡¯s body, burnt ck, fell neatly into the water-bearing pool.


    (ra??? ?)


    Just after one exchange, Dan Bao directly lost itsbat capability.


    What Lark had done was merely to counterattack using Dan Bao¡¯s attack.


    The four-star Food Spirit amplified with Shining Battle Fire, how terrifying! ¡°Snap!¡±


    Spicy¡¯s figure disappeared in the distance for a moment, but did not approach, instead it appeared at another location.


    There was a hint of fear on its face.


    The moment Dan Bao redirected the other mind-beam me bombs, it was already prepared to interfere with Lark at a close distance the same as before.


    Who could have imagined that Lark, bolstered by Shining Battle Fire, reversed the situation in an instant, causing Dan Bao to lose itsbat capability directly.


    Without the cooperation of Dan Bao, it, approaching close, would easily be confined by Thought Waves, and then directly lose itsbat capability, following Dan Bao¡¯s footsteps.


    Dy first, and find an opportunity!


    The train of Spicy¡¯s thoughts was very clear, but Lark apparently saw through it.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A st of sound suddenly came from the void, a terrifying pressure emerged instantly around Spicy, as if an invisible force had leapt through space andnded in front of it!


    Spicy¡¯s expression turned terrified instantly.


    This was a Combined Battle Skill of Thought Waves and Instant Teleportation


    ¡ª Leap of Force!


    Earlier, in the battle between Dan Bao, Spicy, and Lark, Lark had used thisbined battle skill more than once. After multiple attempts, the two little ones had already discovered that thisbined battle skill had a certain range restriction.


    At this moment, it was clearly beyond that range, how¡­


    The enhancement of the Shining Battle Fire!


    In the blink of an eye, Spicy understood everything.


    Damn, why doesn¡¯t it have long-range attack skills!


    If it also had long-range skills, it could still tie up Lark!


    Looking at the figure in its field of vision, bathed in red mes, Spicy¡¯s striking eyes were full of savageness.


    If it could¡­


    Bite it!!!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The terrifying force bombarded Spicy, setting off a gust of wind that blew Spicy cleanly into the pool.


    Lark suddenly turned around.


    An illusory figure of Sharp Teeth had somehow appeared behind it, and at this moment, it froze, slowly fading away.


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 Chapter 303: New Technique

    Chapter 303: New Technique


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°It¡¯s over, how are you feeling?¡±


    As Qin Lang held the two unconscious little ones, Zhou Tianhao walked over swiftly, a smile on his face.


    ¡°The enhancement ofbat skills by the Shining Battle Fire is indeed strong.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously.


    He had watched the whole battle clearly,paring it with Lark¡¯s previous performance, he was able to judge the enhancement ofbat skills by the Shining Battle Fire.


    ¡°Keep going, once your fourth Food Spirit is born, you¡¯ll also have your own Spirit-ignite Power.¡± Zhou Tianhao encouraged.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    He wondered what kind of Burning Spirit Fire he would have.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, what happened with the light shadow of the tooth mark that appeared at the end?¡± Qin Lang suddenly asked out loud, ¡°Is it a new ability after Lark empowered Shining Battle Fire?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t have much to do with Lark.¡± Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s inquiry, Zhou Tianhao replied with augh, ¡°It should be rted to Spicy.¡±


    ¡°Spicy?¡± Qin Lang looked down at Spicy, who had not yet awakened.


    Excluding the influence brought by Lark, a bold guess appeared in Qin Lang¡¯s mind, ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, if there are no surprises, Spicy should have figured out a Combined Battle Skill.¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that it was interrupted halfway through its performance, so we couldn¡¯t understand the effect of this Combined Battle Skill.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really good news.¡± As Qin Lang carefully applied a healing salve to the two little ones, a smile appeared on his face.


    Counting the time, it had been over a month since Spicy was born.


    Whether it¡¯s Instant Teleportation or Lucky Bite Mark, he had trained a lot, and now, under extreme pressure, mastering the Combined Battle Skills is a good return for his efforts.


    Spicy¡¯sbat skills are slightly different from Dan Bao¡¯s.


    Dan Bao¡¯s firstbat skill was Full Firepower, and the secondbat skill, Thought Waves, awakened under the influence of the first Mind Stone.


    But the initial intention of Dan Bao¡¯s awakening of the secondbat skill was to better assist Qin Lang, rather than enhance its own strength. Thought Waves and Full Firepower are not quitepatible; before forming Combined Battle Skills, theirbination always felt a bit awkward.


    Spicy¡¯s firstbat skill was Lucky Bite Mark, the second awakenedbat skill was topensate for the shoring of Lucky Bite Mark¡¯s short reach, using the Second-Level Martial Arts Stone- Action Assistance to awaken, eventually got a verypatible newbat skill- Instant Teleportation.


    The awakening of Instant Teleportation was primarily topensate for the shorings of Lucky Bite Mark, so thepatibility of the twobat skills is naturally higher.


    Even without forming specific Combined Battle Skills, Spicy can simplybine twobat skills with methods like teleport, bite, teleport.


    However,bining andbining are different.


    Combined Battle Skills is having an initial understanding of multiple differentbat skills, thusprehending a new form ofbat skill. It can exert a power that is more than the sum of two.


    ¡°Tick¡­ tock¡­¡±


    Under the effect of the healing salve, Spicy slowly woke up.


    There was still a look of fear and horror on its face. Obviously, Lark¡¯s sudden attack brought it a strong psychological shadow.


    ¡°Spicy, you did a great job!¡± Sensing the little guy¡¯s palpitations, Qin Lang reached out and gently stroked its head, ¡°Although the opponent is very strong, you didn¡¯t give up, and you have mastered the Combined Battle Skills.¡±


    ¡°Gurgle?¡±


    Combined Battle Skills?


    Upon hearing this, Dan Bao, who was also awake, instantly looked at his little brother.


    However, Spicy¡¯s reaction was a bit peculiar.


    It didn¡¯t look very happy, understanding the meaning of Qin Lang¡¯s words, the expression on its face became somewhat nk.


    Combined Battle Skills?


    Does it have one?


    It didn¡¯t know about it.


    ¡°Looks like Spicy unconsciously stimted the Combined Battle Skills at thest moment under the pressure of the battle.¡± Watching this scene from aside, Zhou Tianhao understood.


    ¡°Unconscious stimtion?¡± Qin Lang turned to look at Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Brother Zhou, can Spicy use it again then?¡±


    ¡°Unconscious stimtion of Combined Battle Skills is rtively rare, but it does happen, after all, pressure can promote the stimtion of potential.¡± Zhou Tianhao paused for a moment, ¡°As for whether Spicy can use itter¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much about this. As long as it finds the feeling of that moment, it won¡¯t take long to master this Combined Battle Skill.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Hearing this, Qin Lang let out a small sigh of relief.


    He quickly described the events that had transpired at thest moment to Spicy, before asking, ¡°Spicy, can you recall the feeling at that moment?¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    You can do it!


    Dan Bao, on the side, swaying his yolky little face, was filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Chaka¡­¡±


    Let me think¡­


    Spicy sunk deep into thought.


    At that final moment, a sudden appearance of Force Transition caught it off guard.


    This Combat Skill not only transmitted the force of the attack across the space but also had a certain locking effect. After being strengthened by Shining Battle Fire, this locking power rendered it unable to use Instant Teleportation to dodge.


    Lark, who had used Force Transition, also used Instant Teleportation and appeared nearby.


    What was its feeling as it looked at Lark at thest moment before falling unconscious?


    Spicy¡¯s eyes gradually lit up.


    In its diligent recalling, more details were remembered.


    At the final moment before falling unconscious, it wished to have a long-range attack skill. Something that would enable it to bite Lark, even if just once.


    Then, when he was thrown into the water by Force Transition, it felt as if some power was being pulled out of its body. However, this all happened so fast that it didn¡¯t notice at the time, and only now, while carefully recollecting, did it get a vague sense of it.


    Spicy slowly closed its eyes.


    It reyed every detail of that moment over and over again.


    In the end, Spicy¡¯s odd-colored eyes suddenly shot open.


    It suddenly turned its head to look at Lark, who was watching from the side.


    ¡°ra?¡±


    Lark¡¯s face showed a bit of confusion, instantly changing to rm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao gave a low shout, stopping Lark from teleporting away.


    A pair of sharp, light-constructed teeth emerged behind Lark.


    These teeth, consisting of four elongated fangs and several cone-shaped incisors, each over a meter in length. The width of the jaw was also well over a meter.


    Compared to it, Lark seemed rather small.


    With a desperate expression on Lark¡¯s face, the pair of fangs snapped shut on her, as if biting into food.


    Then, the light faded.


    All eyes turned towards Spicy, who was about ten metres away from Lark.


    Spicy¡¯s expression first was nk, but then quickly turned to excitement.


    It had mastered the Combined Battle Skills!


    Better yet, it was the long-range attack skill it had longed for!


    The next moment, Spicy felt dizzy and lost consciousness again.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it just overexerted itself by using the Combined Battle Skills before fully recovering.¡± After exining the situation to ease Qin Lang¡¯s worries, Zhou Tianhao stroked his chin, his face showing interest.


    ¡°Should we test the effectiveness of this Combined Battle Skill once it wakes up?¡±


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 Chapter 304: Instant Marks

    Chapter 304: Instant Marks


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Alright alright! Let Spicy have a good rest.¡±


    On the shore, Shen Qian gazed at the duo in the water-bearing pool with a mix of annoyance and amusement, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner. We can have Spicy testter.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable.¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement eagerly.


    A mealtime would suffice for Spicy to recover to its peak state.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook tonight and we shall feast to celebrate Spicy mastering thebined battle skills!¡±


    Upon hearing that, the faces of both Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian gleamed with anticipation.


    Shortly, wafts of smoke began to curl up by the pool.


    Zhou Tianhao, aided by Lark, managed to catch a bigger roe deer than the previous one. Paired with several wild rabbits, mountain sparrows caught from the forest and fish caught from downstream, all were turned into a savoury meal by Qin Lang.


    ¡°Now that Spicy has control over thebined battle skills, your power must have increased considerably,¡± Zhou Tianhao took arge bite of the deer meat with his knife, swallowing and continuing, ¡°So, it is time to head to Lanqiu City tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    He originally nned to stay an extra day in Lanqiu Forest for morebat training with Zhou Tianhao, but was surprised by how much they had aplished in just one day.


    Now that Spicy has mastered thebined battle skills, what it needed next was practice.


    So the original n required some adjustment.


    After resting in the forest tonight, they¡¯d set off the next day to visit the local Spirit Executors in Lanqiu City, acquire a First-ss Spirit Executor Insignia, and register for the youth trainingpetition there.


    As he gnawed on a grilled sparrow leg, Qin Lang¡¯s thoughts wandered back to the time of the Bai Lu Mountain City¡¯s youth trainingpetition.


    At that time, he was a novice, ending up third in thepetition with the help of Dan Bao¡¯s spontaneously awakenedbined battle skills.


    Compared to that, he felt stronger now.


    Not only had he familiarised himself with Danbao¡¯s Psychomaic me Explosion, making it even more powerful than before, but Spicy too has awakened a secondbat skill and masteredbined battle skills.


    Even grappling with stronger opponents, Qin Lang wouldn¡¯t fear.


    This time, the goal was to do better than before!


    At the thought of this, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle watching his two littlepanions feasting beside him.


    After dinner, Qin Lang stepped back into the pool.


    Spicy¡¯s face took on a serious look.


    Next, it was to explore the newly acquiredbined battle skills.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start by testing its range,¡± started Zhou Tianhao, picking his teeth with a grass stalk and looking at Qin Lang, ¡°Get your food spirit to control Sharp Teeth and release it as far as possible.¡±


    ¡°Spicy, give it a go,¡± Qin Lang nodded and gently encouraged.


    ¡°Croc!¡±


    Inhaling deeply, Spicy felt the swell of power within. Following which a white glint shed in its eyes.


    The next moment, a giant shadow of Sharp Teeth appeared seemingly from nowhere, a significant distance from Spicy, biting the water surface, sshing water.


    ¡°Fifteen meters, can it go further?¡± Zhou Tianhao estimated Spicy¡¯s attack distance, ncing from the side.


    ¡°Croc¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t.


    Spicy shook its head hesitantly.


    It felt that even after locking on a further location, it couldn¡¯t trigger the newly formedbined battle skills.


    The distance just now was already at its limit.


    In that case, let¡¯s test the damage of thisbined battle skill next,¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly, looking at Qin Lang.


    ¡°Based on the way Lark took the hit earlier, thisbined battle skill does inflict some damage. But it¡¯s a bit weaker than otherbined battle skills of the same level.¡±


    ¡°In the two battle skills thatbine with Spicy to form abo move, I have a hunch.¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s words trailed off, ¡°This newbo move, may also have the chance to incapacitate the opponent.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same.¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement.


    Abo move is the result of understanding the essence of different battle skills and blending them together.


    In other words, this newly createdbo move is sure to have the core effect of the previous Lucky Bite Mark.


    The core effect of the Lucky Bite Mark is that it has a probability of forcing the opponent to lose itsbat capability.


    Therefore¡­


    ¡°Dan Bao, would you like to give it a try?¡±


    Qin Lang looked at the bystander Dan Bao.


    Dan Bao:¡±???¡±


    Looking at the few Food Spirits beside Zhou Tianhao, it heaved a sigh and obediently flew in front of Spicy.


    The probability of triggering Lucky Bite Mark has to do with the power discrepancy between the two parties. Spicy¡¯s power, when used against Zhou Tianhao¡¯s four and five-star Food Spirits, makes it hard to discern anything. Thus, only Dan Bao, whose power is simr, would be able to test it.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    I¡¯ll be gentle!


    Seeing the nervous expression on Dan Bao¡¯s face, Spicy gave aforting look.


    The next moment, a huge shadow of sharp teeth swallowed Dan Bao.


    As the shadow disappeared, Dan Bao shook his head to indicate that he was fine.


    ¡°Grumble!¡±


    Let¡¯s do it again!


    The shadow of sharp teeth appeared a second time.


    This time, as the shadow cleared, a colorful light filled Dan Bao, who then fell into the water.


    It worked!


    ¡°So thebo move does have a simr effect.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°I just don¡¯t know if the probability is higher or lower than before.¡±


    ¡°It should be higher.¡± Qin Lang immediately rescued Dan Bao from the water as he put on a soothing ointment to speed his recovery. ¡°But one trial may not prove much. It¡¯s possible that we just got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s try it again.¡± Shen Qian, leaning on her hands, spoke reflexively, only to find herself being stared at by Zhou Tianhao and Qin Lang, ¡°What¡­ ¡¯ What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Cough cough.¡± Qin Lang coughed awkwardly, ¡°Hey, Shen Qian, how about having your Piggie Squad and Shrimp Ball give it a try?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Shen Qian¡¯s eyes widened as she took off with her trembling pair of Food Spirits, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao and Qin Lang¡¯sughter echoed behind her.


    In the end, Qin Lang decided to give up on further testing the probability of Spicy¡¯sbo move taking effect.


    There would be plenty of opportunities to familiarize themselves with itter, and there was no need to rush.


    However, what was sure was the name for Spicy¡¯sbo move: after discussions with Qin Lang and the two little ones, they decided on shing Bite Mark.


    In theughter, the three of them packed up and left the waterfall before sunset, heading toward Lanqiu City. They then set up camp in a suitable ce within the forest near the city.


    When the sun rose again and the dawn light filled the lush forest, Qin Lang and hispanions sessfully stepped out of the Lan Qiu Forest and followed the mountain trail, catching sight of the towering city up ahead.


    Lanqiu City, they had arrived.


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 Chapter 305: Yan Mountain

    Chapter 305: Yan Mountain


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°We can stay here in the meantime.¡±


    In a hotel room in the middle of Lanqiu City, Zhou Tianhao casually tossed his luggage onto the tea table and stretchednguidly.


    ¡°The Youth Training Competition is approaching and it¡¯s quite hard to book a room here. Luckily, when I left Lanqiu City, I told the hotel owner to help me reserve a suite.¡±


    Though it¡¯s only one room, the suite has three separate rooms, which is enough for the three of them to reside.


    ¡°Wow, the kitchen isrge and fully equipped!¡± Shen Qian, who rushed towards the kitchen attached to the hotel room, soon emerged, satisfied.


    To her, as long as the kitchen meets the standard, nothing else matters.


    ¡°Qin Lang, have you decided which Spirit Executor in Lanqiu City to visit?¡± Zhou Tianhao, sitting on the sofa, asked Qin Lang, who was browsing his phone on the side.


    Upon arriving in Lanqiu City, Qin Lang immediately opened the official website of the local Spirit Chef Association to check out the Spirit Executors in Lanqiu City.


    Like other cities, Lanqiu City had thirteen Spirit Executors.


    ¡°I have some idea now.¡± Hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s question, Qin Lang put down his phone and smiled rxedly, ¡°At this time, some Spirit Executors are too busy to ept visits and tests.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t meet the requirements to be evaluated by some Spirit Executors.¡±


    ¡°After selection, there are only two Spirit Executors who can give me a Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badge before the registration for the Youth Training Competition ends.¡±


    ¡°Who are the two?¡± Shen Qian, sitting next to Qin Lang, asked curiously.


    ¡°The first one is Mr. Cheng Kang, the Spirit Executor of Wood,¡± Qin Lang exined, ¡°The test that we encountered from Bear Battle and his team was arranged by Mr. Cheng Kang.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the second one is Mr. Lu Dong, the Spirit Executor of Fire.¡±


    ¡°If you want to gain Mr. Cheng Kang¡¯s approval, you might need to, like Bear Battle and his team, return to Lanqiu Forest toplete corresponding tasks,¡± Zhou Tianhao pondered for a moment and then slowly added.


    ¡°But we just came out of Lanqiu Forest!¡± Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help butin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of that too,¡± Qin Langughed, ¡°So visiting Mr. Lu Dong is the better choice.¡±


    ¡°ording to the information provided by the Spirit Chef Association.¡± He nced at the densely packed text on the phone, ¡°Mr. Lu Dong opened a training ground in Lanqiu City called ¡®Yan Mountain Training Ground¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The Yan Mountain Training Ground focuses on training nature-basedbat skills of the me type. The owner of the training ground, Mr. Lu Dong, is extremely proficient in me-typebat skills. After obtaining his recognition and receiving the Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badge, you also have a chance to get his guidance.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    me?


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up immediately.


    Its Full Firepower was just a nature-basedbat skill of the me type.


    It often used thisbat skill in Qin Lang¡¯s cooking process to help himplete the cooking, but it had been stuck in a bottleneck for a long time and had not made any progress.


    The reason was simple.


    Using Full Firepower to cook only trained control over the me temperature, which was only one of the elements of a me-typebat skill.


    Just like raising only one stick of a barrel will gradually reduce its help to the whole, and finally almost nothing.


    It needed to improve in multiple ways, and Qin Lang himself was not particrly good at it.


    If it could get guidance from this Mr. Lu Dong, it was expected that the power of Full Firepower could be significantly improved!


    After Spicy mastered the Combination Combat Skill Instantaneous sh Tooth Mark, its strength was catching up to it. Since it was born more than twenty days earlier than Spicy, it should also make an effort!


    Thinking of this, Dan Bao¡¯s face was full of anticipation, and it was almost written ¡°Want to go¡± on its face.


    ¡°Yan Mountain Training Ground¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao opened his phone¡¯s location and checked the distance between the hotel and the Yan Mountain Training Ground, then showed a rxed smile, ¡°It¡¯s about ten kilometers away, and it won¡¯t take long to reach by taxi.¡±


    ¡°I n to visit after lunch,¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly, ¡°No time to dy, the earlier I get the Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badge, the earlier I can register topete.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Tianhao turned to Shen Qian, ¡°Shen Qian, do you have any ns?¡±


    ¡°This is my first time in Lanqiu City, so of course, I have to go shopping in the afternoon and see what special local food there is in Lanqiu City!¡± Shen Qian cheerfully replied.


    ¡°Although I haven¡¯t participated in any Spirit Battles, I¡¯ve also heard that the difficulty of the evaluation for the first Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badge in each city will decrease. Qin Lang should not have any issues passing it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I would have enough going there alone in the afternoon.¡± Qin Lang looked at Zhou Tianhao, ¡°What are your ns, Brother Zhou?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao thought for a moment, ¡°Speaking of which, although I arrived in Lanqiu City a few days ago, I¡¯ve been busy tracing the clues of the Star Hunter and haven¡¯t really taken a good look at this city.¡±


    ¡°Now that we have some free time, we might as well take a look.¡±


    ¡°In that case, shall we go shopping together?¡± Shen Qian generously invited.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded, then suddenly thought of something, ¡°Do you know about the situation with the second-level food rmender in Lanqiu City, Shen Qian?¡±


    ¡°I did some research before,¡± Shen Qian nodded, ¡°The second-level food rmender in Lanqiu City is Mr. Jiang Guangchen, and his test threshold is to possess two badges of the second-level food rmender in Mingjing Province, and his test content tends to favor voring.¡±


    ¡°Two badges of the second-level food rmender¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head helplessly, ¡°Then I don¡¯t meet the requirements for the test.¡±


    He had won the city cooking championship in Xieyu City, but he did not get the second badge of the second-level food rmender in Yue Hu City.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when it¡¯s my turn for the test, I¡¯ll tell you what the content is. You can prepare in advance, and when you get the second badge of the second- level food rmender, you can return to Lanqiu City for the test,¡± Shen Qian suggested with a rxed face.


    ¡°You¡¯re nning to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but interrupt.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still two badges of the second-level food rmender short to participate in the provincial-level cookingpetition. I need to try to collect enough on my way to Crown Ling City.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not nning to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen right away.¡± Shen Qian paused, ¡°I need to prepare for a few days before going.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we should quickly tidy up our luggage.¡± Shen Qian took a look at the clock on the wall and jumped up from the sofa, ¡°Once we¡¯re ready, we can go for lunch!¡±


    ¡°The local specialty of Lanqiu City, Hill Cloud Pig Foot, I¡¯ve been drooling over it for a long time. Finally, I can taste the authentic version!¡±


    Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao exchanged amused nces, and the three of them quickly packed their respective luggage and went to a nearby specialty restaurant to taste the local food.


    After a hearty meal, Qin Lang separated from the others and took a taxi on his own.


    Soon, magnificent architecture that looked like a volcano with irregr red spots magnified in front of him.


    Yan Mountain Training Ground, he arrived.


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 Chapter 306: Seal

    Chapter 306: Seal


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    In a spacious, open indoor training ground, rolling waves of heat rise from unknown depths below the ground. Uneven temperature changes in the area cause the air to be dense, resulting in a slight distortion of light.


    Throughout the training ground, there are bizarrely shaped pieces of training equipment. These machines spew hot mes as if any slight touch would be enough to reduce one to ashes due to the terrifyingly high temperature.


    But near these machines are adorable Food Spirits of all different appearances, all diligently training.


    All of these Food Spirits have onemon feature: they all have mastered fire-type Combat Skills, allowing them to avoid harm from the spraying mes, and instead use them to absorb and increase their strength.


    In the central area of the training ground, there¡¯s a special training stage made from red crystal stones. Seated on it quietly is a middle-aged man with great, discerning eyes and upward sprouting red hair, his muscr biceps exposed by the sleeveless suit he wore.


    He opens his eyes slowly, a sh of sharpness in his gaze, surveying with scrutiny the visitor in front of him.


    ¡± I already know why you<sup>1</sup> re here.¡±


    ¡°As the deadline to register for the Youth Training Competition gets closer, there are more and more young Spirit Chefs who hope to earn a Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge by passing my test. You¡¯re not the first one. Nor will you be thest.¡±


    ¡°However, obtaining my Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge isn¡¯t that easy.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, I am ready,¡± Qin Lang expressed in a solemn tone. ¡°Please tell me, how can I earn your approval?¡±


    Very spirited! Lu Dong nodded slightly. ¡°To obtain my Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge, you must at least have a Food Spirit whose Combat Skill is of the fire-type nature-based category. This is the prerequisite.¡±


    ¡°I have one.¡± Qin Lang immediately responded, then turned to look at Dan Bao.


    ¡°Wlioo!¡±


    Dan Bao took a deep breath and precisely spewed out a zing me. The terrifyingly high temperature instantly suppressed the surrounding temperature, causing rolling waves of heat.


    ¡°Full Firepower¡­¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly in understanding. It was Dan Bao¡¯s Combat Skill.


    Although there exist numerous fire-type nature-based Combat Skills with many looking simr to each other, for a Spirit Executor who has been immersed in fire-type Combat Skills for many years, distinguishing between them is not difficult.


    ¡°In that case, you qualify to take the test.¡± Lu Dong gave a clear reply.


    ¡°So, what is your test?¡± Qin Lang asked eagerly.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t obtained a Spirit Executor¡¯s Badge in Lanqiu City before, this will be your first¡­¡± Lu Dong replied slowly. ¡°So¡­follow me.¡±


    With that, he slowly rose from the red crystal battlefield. Instead of stepping down, he stomped on the tform.


    ¡°Thump thump thump¡­¡±


    Along with a dull noise, a crack unexpectedly appeared on the red crystal yfield and left Qin Lang staring wide-eyed.


    The crack split the battlefield into two and continued to expand, like the opening of a door.


    The other side of the door seemed to be sealing a wave of heat that was swooshing out, as if the seal was now broken. The original high-temperature training ground was bing even hotter.


    The noises echoing throughout the whole training ground made the Spirit Chefs and Food Spirits who were using the equipment to train all around stop their actions and look at them.


    Despite this, there were no surprises on their faces, obviously, it wasn¡¯t their first time seeing such a scene.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lu Dong¡¯s voice brought the stunned Qin Lang back to his senses.


    Without another word, he quickly followed Lu Dong toward the opened door, leading to a stairway descending into the unknown depths.


    A gut feeling told Qin Lang that the unusually high temperature inside the Yan Mountain training ground might have a close rtionship with whatever was hidden underground.


    Walking down the steps, Qin Lang noticed that the sides of the staircase were embedded with red crystals. These crystals looked identical to those that made up the battlefield, but they were shing with red light, illuminating the deeper parts of the underground stairway.


    What were these red crystals exactly?


    ¡°These are Yan Yao Stones.¡± As if he knew Qin Lang¡¯s doubt, Lu Dong stepped downwards, opening his mouth without looking back. ¡°They are a type of special crystal stone that can actively absorb high temperatures.¡±


    ¡°The Yan Yao Stones in the rock wall have been specially treated to convert absorbed heat into light, thereby providing illumination.¡±


    ¡°But more importantly, they are used for sealing.¡±


    ¡°Sealing?¡± Qin Lang blinked, certain that he heard correctly.


    Why did this word have a hint of fantasy to it?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you should have noticed that the further you go down, the denser the Yan Yao Stones embedded in the rock walls,¡± said Lu Dong calmly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang looked at the stairs around him, which were clearly brighter than when they first entered. He asked, ¡°What does this have to do with the ¡®sealing¡¯ you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°This is because¡­¡± Lu Dong paused slightly, ¡°Underneath Yan Mountain training ground, there is an active volcano.¡±


    Qin Lang stopped in his tracks, his expression changing rapidly.


    An active volcano?


    Here?!


    He swiftly considered the location of Yan Mountain training ground.


    It was almost at the center of Lanqiu City!


    If an active volcano erupted here¡­


    Thinking about the possible oues, Qin Lang felt a chill down his spine, even in this excessively hot passageway.


    However, Qin Lang soon realized something illogical about this.


    A volcano, first of all, must be a mountain.


    The location of the Yan Mountain Arena was not in a high-altitude area, so how could there be an active volcano?


    He quickly expressed his doubts.


    ¡°Your observation is quite sharp.¡± Lu Dong¡¯sughter echoed in the passage.


    ¡°Rest assured, this volcano can at most be considered an infant. Fortunately, it waspletely sealed in infancy, transforming it into a source of usable power.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qin Lang began to feel curious.


    An infant?


    He had never heard of an active volcano described in this way.


    ¡°About four hundred years ago, Lanqiu City experienced a severe earthquake.¡±


    Lu Dong paused slightly in his speech.


    ¡°That earthquake caused a new small hill to appear in the central region of Lanqiu City, which is now the location of Yan Mountain Training Ground.¡±


    ¡°This hill grew at a pace visible to the naked eye, continually giving off high temperatures. ording to the strong individuals in Lanqiu City at the time, this was an active volcano about to be born.¡±


    ¡°If left unchecked, all of Lanqiu City would¡¯ve had to be evacuated.¡±


    ¡°My ancestor was one of the strong individuals in Lanqiu City. He led a great number of Spirit Chefs to seal the nascent volcano using a unique method.¡±


    ¡°Lanqiu City was spared a great cmity, but for a price; there must always be people monitoring it to prevent idents.¡±


    ¡°Thus came about the Yan Mountain Training Ground.¡±


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 Chapter 307: Refining Fire

    Chapter 307: Refining Fire


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Incredible.¡±


    Qin Lang showed his astonishment involuntarily.


    Even though he had witnessed the formidable Spirit Chefs like Star Hunters and Zhou Tianhao, being able to seal an active volcano using extraordinary power, oveing the force of nature, still amazed him.


    ¡°However, Mr. Lu Dong, why would you disclose such a secret so easily?¡± Qin Lang was a little curious about this.


    Was it really okay to tell him directly about things like sealing an active volcano under the Yan Mountain Training Ground?


    ¡°Secret? No no no.¡± Lu Dongughed heartily and shook his head. ¡°This is the merit of my Lu Family¡¯s ancestors. I wish to tell everyoneing to the Yan Mountain Training Ground about this. It¡¯s not a secret at all.¡±


    Qin Lang was left speechless.


    Thinking about it, it made sense.


    As the descendent, Mr. Lu Dong must be very proud of his ancestors¡¯ achievements, right?


    ¡°Even more important is¡­¡± Mr. Lu Dong paused, ¡°Your test is rted to this sealed active volcano, so you need to be aware of these things.¡±


    When he finished speaking, his footsteps stopped.


    Qin Lang, who had followed him closely, also stopped. While engrossed in the story recounted by Mr. Lu Dong, they had unknowingly arrived in the deepest part of the underground.


    On the cliff¡­no, there were no cliffs here whatsoever.


    Only Yan Yao Stones, integrated into the whole wall.


    The stairs ended here, reced by a vast expanse of open space.


    This was a circr open area, like a huge Yan Yao Stone had been carved to form this ce.


    The entire opened area resembled three concentric circles. The outermost circle was exactly where Qin Lang was standing. In the center of the open area, there was a circr tform about ten meters in radius, making up the innermost circle.


    And between the two concentric circles¡­


    Twenty-two bridges made of Yan Yao stones connected the central tform with the outer area, with empty gaps between bridges.


    Looking down from these empty spaces, he could clearly see the slow flow of dark red magma about fifty meters below!


    That central tform and those bridges were hovering over the magma!


    ¡°As I mentioned before, Yan Yao Stones have the special property of actively absorbing heat.¡± Mr. Lu Dong stated this looking as calm as usual.


    ¡°Normal magma looks bright red, the reason it appears dark red here is due to Yan Yao Stones continuously extracting heat from the magma.¡±


    ¡°A small portion of this heat serves as the energy for daily training in the Yan Mountain Training Ground. The majority of the remainder is transported to thousands of households in Lanqiu City in various forms of energy.¡±


    ¡°And during this process, the activity of the volcano is continuously repressed, this is the so-called sealing.¡±


    ¡°Very impressive.¡± It took Qin Lang a while to regain his senses from the impressive scene in front of him, ¡°So what is my test?¡±


    ¡°Look over there.¡± Lu Dong casually pointed to the four walls of the open area.


    Only then did Qin Lang notice that there were twenty-one hollows on the Yan Yao Stone walls corresponding to the bridges, each justrge enough for a person to sit cross-legged, thest one pointed towards where they entered from.


    ¡°This area is called the Refining Fire Hall,¡± Lu Dong began slowly, ¡°Have you noticed that when you stepped inside, the temperature wasn¡¯t as high as you expected?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    He reasoned that being so close to magma¡ªeven magma which had already had quite a bit of its heat absorbed¡ªshould be still too hot for humans to withstand.


    But when he entered here, all he felt was some sweating, as if he was exposed under the scorching sun in the height of summer.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Refining Fire Hall has a specialyout, which allows the heat to be conducted to specific locations, rendering the temperature of the rest of the area bearable for humans,¡± Lu Dong exined calmly, ¡°But this also means that the temperature in those specific locations will be higher.¡±


    ¡°Is it those twenty-one hollows?¡± Qin Lang started to follow.


    ¡°They are called Refining Fire Altars,¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly, confirming Qin Lang¡¯s guess. ¡°Your test is simple ¡ª choose one of the twenty-one Refining Fire Altars and stay inside it for ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°When I say ¡®stay for ten minutes,¡¯ I mean y¡± >¡±When I say ¡®stay for ten minutes,¡¯ I mean


    ¡°What?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched slightly .ou and your Food Spirit must both be within the Refining Fire Altar¡¯s range, leaving means you fail.¡±


    Lu Dong had just said that the temperature could be endured by humans here because the excess heat was transferred to the Refining Fire Altars.


    Given thew of conservation of energy, one can imagine how high the temperature in the Refining Fire Altars is.


    Wasn¡¯t it said that the first Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badge would lower the difficulty?!


    Wiry did he feel that the difficulty of the normal exam wouldn¡¯t be this high?!


    ¡°If this were a normal exam, you would go there.¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s confusion, Lu Dong pointed towards the circr tform in the center of the Refining Fire Hall. ¡°That ce is also a Refining Fire Altar, and it has the highest concentrated temperature.¡±


    ¡°The temperatures in the other twenty-one locations added together are approximately the same.¡±


    ¡°Seems like it did lower the difficulty,¡± Qin Lang wryly smiled.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t bear it, you can call for help anytime. I will ensure your safety, but that means the test would be considered a failure.¡± Lu Dong crossed his arms, ¡°Here is another hint for you: the prerequisite of this test.¡±


    Prerequisite of the test?


    Did it mean that one must have a Food Spirit with at least one me-based Nature-based Combat Skill?


    Qin Lang considered this and guessed there might be some special link between this Refining Fire Altar and me-based Combat Skills that he did not know of.


    Let¡¯s do it!


    Qin Lang nced at Dan Bao and quickly made up his mind.


    ¡°Spicy, you should return to the Star Vein.¡±


    Spicy looked around and her face showed concern.


    She knew she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to lend much help in this situation and might even be a burden.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Be careful you guys!


    She earnestly admonished Qin Lang and Dan Bao, then voluntarily entered into the Star Vein.


    ¡°Borrow the power of Tian Shu, Defend!¡±


    Qin Lang and Dan Bao looked at each other, and began.


    The Star Spirit Protection was instantly activated, the milky white halo enveloped himyer byyer.


    This Spirit Master technique which added a protectiveyer to the Spirit Chef is able to resist temperatures that humans cannot stand.


    Of course, to pass the test, just relying on the Star Spirit Protection wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m eager to see what¡¯s so special about this Refining Fire Altar.¡± Qin Lang steeled himself and step by step he walked toward the nearest Refining Fire Altar with Dan Bao.


    The moment they stepped in, the terrifying high temperature descended!


    The light membrane formed by the Star Spirit Protection stirred and became unstable. In such a high temperature, it would probably copsepletely after sustaining for a minute at most.


    This made Qin Lang slightly worried.


    The effect of Star Spirit Protection was worse than he expected.


    Then the only thing that could be relied on was¡­


    ¡°Dan Bao, Fire Spray!¡±


    ¡°Gululu!¡±


    Dan Bao took a deep breath, endless mes churning inside its body.


    Scorching mes gushed out toward the Refining Fire Altar.


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    He understood!


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 Chapter 308: Absorbing Flames

    Chapter 308: Absorbing mes


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Almost the moment that Dan Bao cast Full Firepower, Qin Lang sensed a change in the horrific high temperature rushing from all directions within the Refining Fire Altar.


    This dreadful high temperature merged into the mes spewed by Dan Bao, boosting Full Firepower to an unprecedented level of power, while also significantly reducing the pressure on the Star Spirit Protection.


    The high temperature within the Refining Fire Altar seemed to bear a special spirit. Once it detected a fire-type nature-basedbat skill, it would naturally diffuse through it.


    As if a pressure release valve was installed on the lid of a pressure cooker.


    This discovery brought a surge of joy to Qin Lang, who previously had no idea how to face this test.


    However, his tion was quickly reced by solemnity.


    Because after Dan Baopleted Full Firepower, within just a few breaths, the dreadful high temperature covered him once again.


    Temporary relief didn¡¯t solve the fundamental issue for the Refining Fire Altar, which was continuously absorbing the heat of the underlying magma.


    Luckily, Qin Lang now knew how to handle this.


    ¡°Dan Bao, continue!¡±


    ¡°Gullu!¡±


    Dan Bao, who was connected with Qin Lang¡¯s heart, responded, and then drew in a breath and exhaled with all his might.


    Arge swath of golden-red mes enveloped the heat within the Refining Fire Altar, temporarily relieving the pressure on the Star Spirit Protection.


    Faced with the imminent high temperature and realizing he had to endure for over ten minutes within the Refining Fire Altar, Qin Lang took a deep breath, his expression growing serious.


    This test was indeed no easy feat.


    One minute¡­


    Two minutes¡­


    Three minutes¡­


    Time ticked away.


    Lu Dong stood beside the Refining Fire Altar, arms folded across his chest, watching Qin Lang and Dan Bao use Full Firepower time and time again to ease their pressure, persevering through the dreadful heat.


    By his side, a Four-star Food Spirit materialized, poised to rescue Qin Lang in case of danger.


    Three minutes, huh¡­


    A strange light flickered in Lu Dong¡¯s eyes.


    They have probably reached their limit.


    He had an urate grasp on Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit situation.


    With the strength of a two-star Food Spirit, by casting a me-type nature-basedbat skill, they could only endure for three minutes.


    If Qin Lang had two Food Spirits possessing me-type nature-basedbat skills, things could be easier. By alternating between the two Spirits, they could withstand for six minutes.


    But the test required ten minutes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re just blindly resisting without realizing something¡­¡± Lu Dong muttered in a voice only he and the Food Spirit beside him could hear, ¡°this test should be over.¡±


    Within the Refining Fire Altar, Qin Lang had a clearer sense of his situation.


    After such a long period of hard resistance, the spiritual power within the Tian Shu Star Vein was almost exhausted.


    Different Star Veins couldn¡¯tmunicate with each other. The spiritual power of the Tianxuan Star Vein of Spicy couldn¡¯t be activated through Dan Bao¡¯s Tian Shu Star Vein.


    As Spicy didn¡¯t possess any fire-type nature-basedbat skills, its power couldn¡¯t resist the high temperature here. If it showed itself, it would need Qin Lang to spare more power to protect it. Thus, it could only stay within the Star Vein, cheering for him and Dan Bao.


    It seemed that they had almost reached their limit.


    Even if they exerted all their strength, they were still far from reaching the ten- minute mark.


    At this point, Qin Lang actually calmed down.


    His thoughts began to wander, starting to consider aspects beyond himself.


    How did other Spirit Chefs manage to pass the test?


    Even after lowering the difficulty, the Spirit Executor Exam should still be manageable for a Spirit Chef with two two-star Food Spirits.


    Even if a tester with two Food Spirits has fire-basedbat skills, they still would be unable to endure for ten minutes, right?


    Perhaps there were things he had not noticed yet.


    Such as¡­


    Like a stroke of lightning, Qin Lang suddenly recalled what he had seen at the Yan Mountain Training Ground.


    In the Yan Mountain Training Ground, many Spirit Chefs were conducting special me training with their Food Spirits. These Spirit Chefs consisted of outsiders who came for the reputation, and trainees wearing the training ground¡¯s exclusive practicing clothes.


    Details he hadn¡¯t paid attention to before now gradually became clear in his mind.


    There was a distinct difference between the foreign Spirit Chefs and the trainees within the training ground!


    When thetter trained with special equipment and the mes emitted in the training ground, their Food Spirits seemed to have a certain resistance to the mes and their strength seemed to be unceasing, allowing a more sustained fight.


    An endless stream of strength¡­


    The pupils of the engrossed Qin Lang gradually focused, the scenes he had previously seen in his mind began to blur, reced by the red gleaming Yan Yao Stone.


    Wait, the Yan Yao Stone?!


    Qin Lang¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly, as if thunder was rumbling through his mind.


    He recalled the function of the Yan Yao Stone.


    Absorbing heat, storing it, and converting it into other forms of energy.


    The power disyed by the Food Spirits of the trainees in the training ground, wasn¡¯t it strikingly simr to the Yan Yao Stone?


    And that power didn¡¯t seem like a special Combat Skill, it was more like a special trick that could be grasped on arge scale.


    If he could learn such a technique in the Refining Fire Altar, enduring ten minutes would no longer be difficult!


    Then the question arises.


    Qin Lang¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    How to get Dan Bao to understand such a trick in a short time?


    ¡°Huff!¡±


    Feeling the rapidly rising temperature all around, Dan Bao exhausted all his strength to spew out another me towards the outside of the Refining Fire Altar.


    Its face was filled with weariness at this moment, its spirit noticeably withered, even the me spewed out didn¡¯t carry the initial unstoppable momentum.


    ¡°Gurgle¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve done my best¡­


    Dan Bao opened his mouth somewhat dejectedly, unable to pass Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s test with Qin Lang, making it very upset.


    ¡°We still have a chance!¡±


    Noticing Dan Bao¡¯s dejection, Qin Lang spoke in a deep voice.


    His calm voice imbued Dan Bao with strength, Dan Bao¡¯s spirit dramatically picked up a bit, making eye contact with Qin Lang amidst the increasing heat.


    ¡°Imagine, you are a Yan Yao Stone!¡± Qin Lang quickly spoke, ¡°Try to absorb the surrounding heat and recover the consumed Spiritual Power!¡±


    Can it be done that way?


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    It had never thought it could aplish this, but the words of the Spirit Chef were so certain at this moment.


    Feeling the increasingly terrifying heat, Dan Bao knew there was no time for hesitation now.


    Think of myself as a Yan Yao Stone, absorb the surrounding heat¡­


    Dan Bao fixedly looked at the red crystal stones filling the space, lost in thought.


    Lu Dong shook his head slightly, a strange look appeared on his face.


    The right path had been found, but it was toote for the youngster in front of him to react.


    Regarding imaging oneself as a Yan Yao Stone¡­


    If the secret technique of Yan Mountain Training Ground could beprehended so easily, what would it be called¡­


    Lu Dong¡¯s thoughts came to an abrupt halt, his eyes slowly widening.


    He stared at the inside of the Refining Fire Altar as if he had seen a ghost.


    ¡°How could this be?!¡±


    Quick Entrance:[Monthly Ticket][Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 309: The Heart of Flame

    Chapter 309: The Heart of me


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Looking at the boy sitting cross-legged in front of him and the Food Spirit by his side, surrounded by wisps of me, Lu Dong couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyes.


    Then, there was a moment of silence.


    What the hell?


    With his keen eyes, he could clearly judge that the Food Spirit in the Refining Fire Altar was absorbing the surrounding high temperature in a strange rhythm, transforming it into its own power. The originally nearly depleted spiritual power was rapidly recovering.


    This was precisely the special secret technique, Capturing Fire, that had been handed down from generation to generation in the Yan Mountain Training Ground.


    This secret technique was created by the ancestors of the Lu Family. It was the biggest reliance for the Lu Family when guarding this sealed active volcano from generation to generation.


    The Lu family did not keep this secret technique to themselves. Every generation of training ground masters would teach this special secret technique to the recognized Spirit Chefs.


    The reason why the Refining Fire Altar in the Refining Fire Hall could absorb terrible high temperatures that ordinary people could not bear was because it had solidified the power of the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.


    Although the environment there was treacherous, it was the best ce toprehend the secret technique.


    Lu Dong¡¯s test was, in itself, a kind of guidance for the Spirit Chefs.


    Normally, by releasing fire type nature-basedbat skills, it would be impossible for the Spirit Chef to withstand the Refining Fire Altar for ten minutes.


    But as long as they notice the peculiarity of the Refining Fire Altar andprehend a smattering of the Capturing Fire Secret Technique, it is enough for the Spirit Chef to persevere for more than ten minutes.


    Seeing that Qin Lang only realized this at thest moment, Lu Dong had already nned to have his Food Spirit rescue him.


    Unexpectedly, Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit mastered Capturing Fire Secret Technique so easily, and it wasn¡¯t just a basic understanding.


    This was the full Capturing Fire Secret Technique!


    Although the Food Spirit still seemed a little unfamiliar when performing it, it was mastering this power at a terrifying speed.


    After watching intently for a moment, Lu Dong suddenly spoke.


    ¡°The testis over.¡±


    Qin Lang was also startled by the sudden change in Dan Bao. His desperate guidance unexpectedly allowed Dan Bao to master the technique.


    At this moment, hearing Lu Dong say that the test is over, Qin Lang became anxious immediately.


    ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, we can still hold on!¡±


    ¡°The assessment has been passed.¡± Lu Dong replied irritably.


    When he saw the circting me around Dan Bao, he knew that holding on for ten minutes would no longer be a problem for Qin Lang.


    Let alone ten minutes, after mastering the Capturing Fire Secret Technique proficiently, it wasn¡¯t a difficult task to let Qin Lang stay in the Refining Fire Altar all the time.


    Hearing Mr. Lu Dong say this, Qin Lang let out a sigh of relief. Instead of insisting on, he quickly left with Dan Bao.


    He had many questions to ask Mr. Lu Dong.


    For example, what exactly did Dan Bao master at this moment.


    However, Lu Dong spoke faster than him.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a Food Spirit so gifted.¡± Mr. Lu Dong said with a hint of emotion, looking at Dan Bao still surrounded by flickering mes at this moment.


    ¡°How did youprehend this power?¡±


    ¡°Coocoocoo~¡±


    Knowing that the adult in front of him was asking a question, Dan Bao thought for a moment, then carefully recounted his feelings.


    ¡°Dan Bao said that it imagined itself to be part of the surrounding Yan Yao Stones, thought it could absorb the heat from its surroundings like them, and then it seeded.¡± Qin Lang acted as the trantor, clearly expressing Dan Bao¡¯s meaning.


    At the same time, he was also questioning in his heart.


    These seemed to be the words he used to guide Dan Bao.


    But my guidance was clearly based on luck, an attempt akin to a blind cat running into a dead mouse.


    Did I actually guess it right?


    ¡°Is¡­is it really this simple?¡± Lu Dong asked incredulously.


    Despite personally hearing Qin Lang¡¯s guidance, he still couldn¡¯t believe that their inherited secret technique that has been passed down in his family for many years would beprehended in such an easy and childish manner.


    Upon noticing Lu Dong¡¯s expression, Qin Lang thought to himself.


    It appears that Mr. Lu Dong indeed understood the power Dan Bao hadprehended at this moment.


    ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, could you please exin what Dan Bao hasprehended?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lu Dong paused for a moment, then slowly spoke. ¡°This is a Secret Technique called Capturing Fire, developed by our Lu Family¡¯s ancestors.¡±


    ¡°As the name suggests, Capturing Fire enables one to absorb surrounding heat, speeding up self-recovery.¡±


    ¡°But one thing to note is that Capturing Fire can only absorb the natural high temperature. It can¡¯t absorb the heat caused by Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°In other words, a Food Spirit with the technique of Capturing Fire has a greater advantage in a high-temperature environment but it is not immune to fire-type attacks from other Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡°Capturing Fire Secret Technique¡­¡± Qin Lang repeated, then an apologetic look appeared on his face. ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, I¡¯m sorry forprehending your family¡¯s secret technique without permission.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± Lu Dong shook his head. ¡°Capturing Fire is a reward to those who earn the approval of the Lu Family¡¯s Spirit Executors.¡± ¡°What?¡± Qin Lang looked surprised.


    ¡°You must have heard, that after passing my test, one can get my guidance in the area of me-typebat skills.¡± Lu Dong nced at Qin Lang.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded without hesitation.


    In fact, he rushed here to the test immediately, one of his reasons was this one.


    ¡°Having experienced the heat in the Refining Fire Altar, you should understand that a Spirit Chef with two two-star Food Spirits would definitely not be able to brute force their way.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a more powerful Spirit Chef could force their way through, but that would defy the purpose of this test.¡±


    ¡°The Refining Fire Altar is the best ce toprehend the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.¡±


    ¡°The solidified Capturing Fire Secret Technique is here, all the time you can feel the power of the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.¡±


    ¡°Once a glimpse of it is grasped during the time maintained by brute force, it¡¯s sufficient for the Spirit Chef to easily persist for more than ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°After passing the examination, I will formally teach the approved Spirit Chef how to use the Capturing Fire Secret Technique. This is my guidance.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the case.¡± After hearing Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s exnation, Qin Lang finally understood, ¡°In that case, please instruct theplete version of the Capturing Fire Secret Technique, Mr. Lu Dong!¡±


    After hearing Lu Dong¡¯s words, he subconsciously thought that Dan Bao, like other passers of the test, had only scratched the surface of the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.


    This made him a bit excited.


    The basic understanding is already so powerful, how great is theplete version of Capturing Fire Secret Technique?


    Hepletely ignored the severe twitching at the corner of Lu Dong¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°No need for further instruction, theplete version is indeed what your Food Spirit hasprehended.¡± Lu Dong murmured. He took out a badge from his jacket and handed it to Qin Lang, ¡°Take this, we can go now.¡±


    What the¡­


    Qin Lang took the copper-bottomed emblem, which had a me pattern at the center and a red crystal stone floating above it. The words ¡°Lanqiu City ? me Heart¡± were on it. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Dan Bao who looked innocent beside him.


    Has theplete version really beenprehended?


    Shortcut entry: [Monthly ticket][Rmendation ticket]

 Chapter 310: Secret Method

    Chapter 310: Secret Method


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Above all, these are the key points you need to pay attention to when applying the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.¡±


    In the Refining Fire Hall, Lu Dong stood with his arms folded, looking at Qin Lang calmly.


    ¡°Thankyou for your guidance,¡± Qin Lang said gratefully.


    Although Dan Bao, with his extraordinary talent, had quicklyprehended the full version of the Capturing Fire Secret Technique, thus nullifying the special guidance that was supposed to be a reward, Mr. Lu Dong had generously pointed out the key points of the technique.


    To Dan Bao, who had just begun mastering the method, this would undoubtedly help speed up his familiarity with this unique secret technique.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Thankyou!


    Dan Bao¡¯s egg yolk-like face was filled with joy. At its side, mes rhythmically circled around it. The intense heat, unbearable to ordinary people, was quietly absorbed by it, transforming into a ceaseless source of power.


    ¡°Chuck¡­¡±


    So envious¡­


    With a covetous look, Spicy, who had been summoned after the test¡¯s conclusion, watched Dan Bao demonstrating the technique, her eyes full of envy.


    After much effort, it had finallyprehended the Combined Battle Skills to keep up with with Dan Bao. Unexpectedly, Dan Bao had mastered a special secret technique again, leaving it behind once more.


    I wonder, can I too master such a method?


    In her contemtion, Spicy¡¯s face filled with anticipation.


    Seeing the thoughts on his Food Spirit, Qin Lang hesitated slightly, then looked at Lu Dong and asked, ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, I¡¯d like to ask a question.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly, prompting him to ask freely.


    ¡°How many special secret techniques like the Capturing Fire, can Food Spirits control?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re curious about.¡± Lu Dong revealed a knowing smile, ¡°There aren¡¯t many such techniques, at least not one for every person.¡±


    The light in Spicy¡¯s eyes slightly dimmed.


    No suitable secret techniques for me¡­


    ¡°But!¡±


    With a change in tone, Mr. Lu Dong inspired renewed hope in Spicy.


    ¡°For a Spirit Chef on the training path, you are bound toe across secret techniques.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qin Lang asked with a puzzled look.


    Lu Dong didn¡¯t answer immediately, instead asking in response, ¡°Do you think Food Spirit¡¯sbat skills are good enough in a fight?¡±


    ¡°Not enough.¡± Qin Lang shook his head decisively.


    Even with twobat skills, Dan Bao and Spicy often faced various difficult situations during battles.


    ¡°Correct! Food Spirit¡¯sbat skills are often not enough during a fight,¡± Mr. Lu Dong nodded slightly, ¡°Your two-star Food Spirits, let alone those who are five-star or above, still greatlyck the richness ofbat diversity.¡±


    ¡°There are three ways to solve this problem.¡±


    ¡°Which three?¡± Qin Lang perked his ear, eagerly awaiting the answer.


    This was some real knowledge.


    ¡°Firstly, there are Skill Stones,¡± Lu Dong paused for a bit, ¡°Using Skill Stones to guide the awakening ofbat skills doesn¡¯t necessarily increase the quantity of skills, but it can improve thebination of existing skills.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Qin Lang agreed, nodding his head.


    This point was obvious to him. He had already tasted the sweetness of using Skill Stones.


    ¡°Next arebinedbat skills.¡± Lu Dong smiled, ¡°Thoughbat skills are few, theirbination, or even more, still offer a considerable number.¡±


    ¡°Byprehendingbinedbat skills, not only can one have entirely new skills, but also the newly-bornbined skills will be more potent than ordinarybat skills.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded again.


    About this part-binedbat skills, Zhou Tianhao had given him many pointers. In the previousbat training, he had witnessed manybined skills mastered by Zhou Tianhao¡¯s four Food Spirits.


    ¡°So, thest one is secret technique?¡± Qin Lang curiously inquired.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Lu Dong nodded lightly, ¡°Secret technique is another method topensate for the weaknesses of Food Spirit¡¯sbat skills and predatesbined battle skills.¡±


    ¡°In the past, Spirit Chefs had not yet discovered the real mystery ofbat skills, andbinedbat skills had not been proposed.¡±


    ¡°To let Food Spirits possess a more diverse power system, the pioneering Spirit Chefs created secret techniques that could be learned and mastered by Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡°Regrettably, with the advent ofbinedbat skills, the status of secret techniques gradually diminished, and slowly they fell out of mainstream practice.¡±


    ¡°Why did this happen?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Are there any conflicts betweenbinedbat skills and secret techniques?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± Lu Dong shook his head, ¡°But both require time and energy toprehend and a Spirit Chef¡¯s and Food Spirit¡¯s energy is limited, so some choices need to be made.¡±


    ¡°Compared withbinedbat skills, secret techniques have many more downsides. So if the choice has to be made between the two, most would naturally choosebinedbat skills.¡±


    Lu Dong sighed helplessly.


    ¡°Unlikebat skills, secret techniques have learning constraints.¡±


    ¡°For example, our Lu family¡¯s Capturing Fire Secret Technique requires one to have at least one me-based naturebat skill to master it.¡±


    ¡°So for a Spirit Chef, it¡¯s not easy to find secret techniques suitable for their Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡°Compared to this, one can masterbinedbat skills with some understanding of the intrinsic nature of thebat skills, achieved merely through hard work.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, most secret techniques don¡¯t serve a role that is asparable asbat skills in a fight. However,binedbat skills are a more powerful force than ordinarybat skills.¡±


    ¡°Take the Capturing Fire Secret Technique for example, its greatest use is to enhance the capabilities in high-heat battlegrounds without many other uses.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    Having heard Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s analysis, Qin Lang now had a clear understanding of the simrities and differences betweenbat skills,bined battle skills, and secret techniques.


    ¡°Back to your question.¡± Lu Dong chuckled, ¡°Although secret techniques are gradually being reced bybined battle skills, they are not entirely lost. Many families like our Lu Family possess them and are willing to teach them to promising Spirit Chefs.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re interested in this, pay more attention, there should be gains.¡±


    ¡°Thankyou for your guidance!¡± Qin Lang bowed respectfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Lu Dongughed, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now, let¡¯s go up together. It¡¯s quite hot in here!¡±


    Saying that, he casually wiped the sweat off his body.


    Even though he had guarded this sealed active volcano for many years, Mr. Lu Dong was still not entirely immune to the high temperatures of this area.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Lang nodded, following close behind Mr. Lu Dong, one step at a time, following the stairway upwards.


    Spicy circled around Qin Lang and then rubbed his cheeks with its head.


    ¡°Chuck buzz!¡±


    I also want to learn a secret technique!


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Qin Lang pulled her away with a smile, ¡°We¡¯ll pay more attention from now on, there should be gains.¡±


    Even though Mr. Lu Dong said that bothbinedbat skills and secret techniques require a lot of energy and choice has to be made, from the way Dan Baoprehended it, he insisted that mastering one or two shouldn¡¯t affect much as long as they don¡¯t get too greedy.


    Upon receiving a positive response from Qin Lang, an expectant look shed across Spicy¡¯s face.


    New goal, secret technique!


    Quick ess: [Monthly Vote](Rmendation Vote]

 Chapter 311: Air-drying

    Chapter 311: Air-drying


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°It seems your test went really well.¡±


    In the hotel, Zhou Tianhao took the me Heart Badge that Qin Lang had just received from his hand, took a good look at it, returned it to Qin Lang with a smile, and then casually asked, ¡°Did Mr. Lu Dong give you any pointers on fire-typebat skills?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang carefully put away the me Heart Badge, smiled, ¡°Mr. Lu Dong taught me a secret method called me Absorption.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression tightened slightly, ¡°The reward is a secret method?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a secret method?¡± Shen Qian, who didn¡¯t know much about the training path, leanedzily on the sofa and asked.


    She had been shopping with Zhou Tianhao all afternoon and her legs were somewhat sore. She talked while swinging her white legs.


    ¡°A secret method is a special power that can be understood and controlled by the Food Spirit.¡± Zhou Tianhao exined casually.


    ¡°Right, brother Zhou.¡± Hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s exnation, Qin Lang suddenly thought of something, ¡°You seem to have never mentioned the secret method to me before?¡±


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te across it for now.¡± Zhou Tianhao scratched his head, ¡°At this stage, masteringbined battle skills is the best way to improve your strength, so I didn¡¯t n to tell you about the secret methods, to avoid distracting you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, mastering secret methods is also a good supplement and can also enhance your strength.¡± Zhou Tianhao added.


    ¡°Then, big brother Zhou, do you also have secret methods?¡± Qin Lang asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded, ¡°To make the Food Spirit more well-rounded, I have also tried to make them understand and master some secret methods.¡±


    ¡°But to chew what one has bitten off, I let each of themprehend only one.¡±


    ¡°For example, the secret method Jiprehended is called Dark Eyes, which can give her stronger insight in the dark.¡± Zhou Tianhao looked a little helpless, ¡°At that time, she hadn¡¯t awakened Dark Curtain Watch yet. I didn¡¯t expect that thebat skill she awakenedter would be a repetition.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are differences between the two. Dark Eyes has a farther range of insight and is a single-direction perception. The range of Dark Curtain Watch is a bit shorter, but it is a range perception.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the secret methods mastered by the other three Food Spirits are¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao frankly told Qin Lang and Shen Qian about the secret methods mastered by the four Food Spirits, and finally summarized:


    ¡°These secret methods are indeed effective, butpared tobined battle skills, they can only serve as auxiliary and only work in certain specific environments.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    Knowing four new secret methods was an interesting process for him.


    Unfortunately, among these four secret methods, none of them could be learned by Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Although Lark, which also mastered Thought Waves and Instant Teleportation, had a secret method, it was rted to anotherbat skill.


    ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Shen Qian, leaning on the armrest, interrupted the two men¡¯s chat and patted her stomach, ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡±


    As for the knowledge rted to the secret method, Shen Qian just listened for the fun of it.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat a lot of local snacks in the afternoon?¡± Zhou Tianhao looked at Shen Qian with a strange expression.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, girls have three stomachs, one of them just for snacks, and eating food is another stomach. They don¡¯t affect each other.¡± Shen Qian smiled and said.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the other one for?¡± Qin Lang, who hade to his senses, heard this, found it quite interesting and asked with a smile.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s for desserts!¡± Shen Qian answered as a matter of course.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang was dumbfounded, ¡°Let me prepare dinner, I¡¯ll cooka new dish and show you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Qian immediately got energetic, her originallynguid expression suddenly became eager.


    Zhou Tianhao, who was standing aside, might not be as zealous as her, but the expectation was clearly visible on his face.


    Simrly, the three people¡¯s Food Spirits were also looking forward to it.


    There will be delicious food!


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, before that, we have to deal with the wild mustard greens we brought back earlier.¡± Qin Lang smiled and walked into the kitchen.


    The three of them had purposely picked up tens of kilograms of mustard greens from the area where they had previously found wild mustard greens growing when they left the forest.


    These mustard greens were enough to make pickled mustard for a long time.


    These mustard greens had previously been casually ced in the corner of the kitchen and now, only after Qin Lang had received the me Heart Badge, did he have the time to deal with them.


    After being picked for nearly half a day, the leaves of the mustard greens had visibly wilted, and this scene seemed particrly harsh in Dan Bao¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Gulu?¡±


    Do I need to use Fresh Full?


    ¡°No, no.¡± Qin Lang quickly stopped Dan Bao, ¡°The first step in processing mustard greens is to dry them out, there¡¯s no need for Fresh Full.¡±


    Dan Bao stepped back thoughtfully and quietly watched Qin Lang¡¯s actions.


    Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao also entered the kitchen, obviously curious about how Qin Lang was going to process these mustard greens. Hearing that Qin Lang was going to dry them out, both were excited and said, ¡°Let us help, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°I checked the weather forecast and the weather in Lanqiu City will be sunny for the next three days, which is suitable for drying mustard greens. We just need to wash these mustard greens and hang them somewhere where they can be sun-dried.¡± Qin Lang said casually.


    ¡°Puh!¡± Shen Qian suddenly pointed at Qin Lang andughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qin Lang asked in confusion.


    ¡± ¡®Sunny¡¯ ,it¡¯s a pun.¡± Shen Qian chuckled and rolled up her sleeves to help wash the mustard greens.


    ¡°Indeed, I didn¡¯t realize it until you mentioned it.¡± Qin Lang shook his head andughed.


    The three of them started to busy themselves while chatting andughing. Soon, they had carefully washed the tens of kilograms of mustard greens.


    ¡°Now all we have to do is dry them.¡±


    ¡°There are spare hangers on the balcony, how about using them?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    The three of them were very efficient. In a short while, the mustard greens were separated, hung, and dried on the balcony of the hotel room.


    At a nce, the mustard greens were verdant and seemed to be a green curtain hanging on the hangers.


    ¡°It looks pretty good.¡± Shen Qian admired her masterpiece with her hands on her hips.


    ¡°And being dried indoors means less dust.¡± Zhou Tianhao added with a smile, then turned to Qin Lang, ¡°Does it need to be dried like this for a few days?¡±


    ¡°Dry it until it¡¯spletely dehydrated. If the weather is good, it should be done in about three days.¡± Qin Lang estimated, ¡°Just the day before the Youth Training Competition.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, didn¡¯t you sign up for the Youth Training Competition after getting the me Heart Badge?¡± Hearing Qin Lang mention the ¡°Youth Training Competition,¡± Zhou Tianhao suddenly remembered.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time, I¡¯ll sign up tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang stretchedzily, turned, and walked towards the kitchen, ¡°Coming up next, I¡¯ll show you guys!¡±


    The topic was sessfully shifted.


    ¡°So what delicious food are you going to make exactly? Can you reveal it in advance?¡± Shen Qian quickly followed Qin Lang.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Qin Lang paused, ¡°Alright, let me give you a hint.¡±


    ¡°This dish is called Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions.¡±


    Shortcut Entrance: [Monthly Pass] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 312: Zongzi

    Chapter 312: Zongzi


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Wow! Such a big sea cucumber!¡±


    Shen Qian carefully picked up the unusually high-quality, dark-brown sea cucumber, her face showing a surprised look, ¡°Did this have to be exchanged with cooking contest points?¡±


    ¡°Correct, one point can redeem two kilograms.¡± Qin Lang nodded, his face broke into a candid smile, ¡°Consider it a celebration of my attaining the me Heart Badge.¡±


    Are these also ingredients needed for braised sea cucumber with scallions?¡± Zhou Tianhao stroked his chin, pointing at the bundle of long green leaves tied together beside him.


    These leaves, each one as wide as a palm and almost the length of a forearm.


    ¡°What kind of leaf is this?¡± Shen Qian, attracted by Zhou Tianhao¡¯s question, also noticed these slightly unusual ingredients.


    ¡°These are the leaves of broad-leaved Ruo bamboo. They don¡¯t have much to do with the braised sea cucumber with scallions we¡¯re going to maketer. They are ingredients for another delicious dish.¡± Qin Lang exined with a smile, ¡°You guys have definitely never tasted this dish.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± More anticipation appeared on Shen Qian¡¯s face, ¡°What is this dish called?¡±


    ¡°How about we y a guessing game?¡± Instead of answering directly, Qin Lang pointed at the bundle of Ruo bamboo leaves on the table, ¡°If you guys can guess how it¡¯s used in cooking, I¡¯ll tell you what this dish is called.¡±


    ¡°ying coy, huh.¡±


    Shen Qian rolled her eyes, staring at the umonly seen type of green leaves, and suddenly remembered the Beggar¡¯s Chicken she had tasted before.


    Could it be¡­


    Her eyes lit up, about to speak, but Zhou Tianhao beside her was quicker.


    These Ruo bamboo leaves should be used to wrap the ingredients, right? Somewhat like how Beggar¡¯s Chicken is made?¡± Zhou Tianhao nced around, ¡°But you didn¡¯t prepare any mud this time?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou¡¯s guess is spot on. Indeed, it¡¯s used to wrap the ingredients. But this time, we don¡¯t need mud, just wrapping in Ruo bamboo leaves will do.¡±


    Qin Lang finished cleaning the sea cucumbers and put them in a small pot. He then continued, ¡°This is a staple food, called Zongzi.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a staple?¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke surprisingly and then nced at the unused rice cooker in the corner, ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t cook any rice.¡±


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t say a word, just smiled a bit nostalgically.


    When he was ordering ingredients, he suddenly realized that ording to the time, it should be Dragon Boat Festival on Earth right now. On a whim, he nned to make an extra dish.


    A Dragon Boat Festival without Zongzi has no soul.


    But let¡¯s deal with the sea cucumber first.


    He filled two pots with water. Into one pot of cold water he put scallions and ginger to make scallion ginger water. After the water in the other pot boiled, he put in the sea cucumber to nch it.


    He started another pot of water, adding salt, soy sauce, ginger scallion water, cooking wine, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar, and added the nched sea cucumber at the end. After the water boiled, he turned off the heat and covered the pot to simmer.


    Shen Qian quietly watched Qin Lang¡¯s smooth movements. As his cooking came to a pause, she finally asked curiously, ¡°Are these steps intended to let the vor prate into the sea cucumber?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly. ¡°The taste of sea cucumber itself is quite light. The cooking method for dishes that don¡¯t have much vor themselves is usually to let the voring prate into the ingredients.¡±


    He paused slightly, suddenly recalled a phrase his old mentor had said when teaching him to cook braised sea cucumber with scallions, and startedughing, ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®bring out the vor if there is, put in the vor if there isn¡¯t¡¯.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao both fell into deep thought simultaneously.


    This isn¡¯t a hard concept to grasp. For ingredients that naturally have a strong vor, the cooking process should aim to release the vor. For ingredients with a nd taste, other vors should be added through cooking.


    Such a simple cooking principle, summarized into ten words, but it almost seems enlightening when spoken out loud.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    At this moment, Dan Bao¡¯s voice rang out timely. The four types of auxiliary ingredients already perfectly adjusted by Fresh Full and handled by Thought Waves, flew in front of Qin Lang.


    Minced green onion, ginger, finely chopped garlic, andtro stems, in a ratio of 4:2:1:!.


    ¡°Very well done.¡± Qin Lang nced over the four kinds of side ingredients, gave Dan Bao a pat, turned his head, and instructed Spicy, ¡°Sea cucumber, elerating for half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Kachak!¡±


    No problem!


    Now that it was her turn to shine, Spicy perked up instantly, zoomed off to the pot she had just covered earlier and started to apply the cooking eleration.


    Meanwhile, Qin Lang turned around and started the next steps of cooking.


    Put the pan on the stove, heat up the oil.


    When small bubbles started to appear in the hot oil, indicating it¡¯s about forty to fifty percent heated, he put in four or five fingertips-long sections of green onion, rolling them around with the spat until they were fried to a golden color and set aside.


    As the green onion sections were fried, the oil in the wok gradually heated up to sixty percent.


    A flicker of seriousness appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Braising with scallions is amon cooking method in Shandong cuisine.


    The key to it is the preparation of the scallion oil.


    To prepare good scallion oil, the quality of the ingredients is crucial, as well as the variety andbination.


    The four side ingredients that Dan Bao just prepared would be used in this step.


    After applying four different kinds of ingredients, the aroma of the scallion oil bes moreplex andyered.


    After the appetizing task of frying the green onions was over, it was time to move on to the main dish.


    Minced ginger, garlic, coriander root, and green onions were put into the heated oil in order, and continuously stir-fried over medium heat.


    Under Qin Lang¡¯s deft movements, the ingredients in the hot oil were gradually fried to a golden color, and a unique, rich aroma slowly wafted through the kitchen.


    ¡°This aroma¡­¡± Shen Qian took a whiff, a look of delight appearing on her face, ¡°I can already imagine part of the vor of this Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao on the other side did not speak, but the same intoxicated look appeared on his face, along with an increasingly palpable anticipation.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a way to go!¡± Qin Lang said with a smile, scooping out all the slightly scorched brownish side ingredients, and then took the resulting scallion oil and set it aside.


    While Shen Qian and someone else were inspecting the scallion oil, he had already rapidly started on the subsequent steps.


    ce a pot on the stove, heat water, add a little of the freshly prepared scallion oil and a bit of salt and sugar, add the Yuchoy Sum that had been prepared, boil it for two minutes then remove to ce it on a te.


    Add a bit of the broth from stewing the sea cucumber to the pot, heat it up and add the fried golden green onions, stir-fry momentarily until the broth boils then take them all out together, letting the green onions soak in the broth to absorb the vor.


    Put scallion oil in the pot, after the oil is hot, add the well-stewed and vorful sea cucumber, a moderate amount of cooking wine, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and water, simmer over low heat for half an hour, then thicken the sauce and drizzle it evenly over the Yuchoy Sum.


    Stir-fry the stewed green onions with the scallion oil, then drizzle the stir- fried scallion oil over the sea cucumber, cing the green onions orderly between the sea cucumbers as decoration.


    Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions, serve!


    Looking at the two people and eight food spirits who were eagerly anticipated, Qin Langughed and served the finished Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions on the table.


    ¡°Want to have a taste?¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass][Rmendation Ticket] Content of the ¡°Easter egg¡± in this chapter;


    [Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions]

 Chapter 313: Fragrance of Zongzi

    Chapter 313: Fragrance of Zongzi


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°AW000~¡±


    Shen Qian gently blew on the steaming hot sea cucumber infused with rich green onion savour, then quickly tasted it.


    The thick and delicious sauce on the surface of the sea cucumber exploded in her mouth like a savoury bomb the moment she bit into it, releasing an amazing andplex savour.


    The thoroughly cooked sea cucumber was soft and glutinous, full of vor, yet the unique freshness of the sea cucumber did not disappear entirely, instead subtly blending into the green onion aroma.


    The perfect fusion of savour and amazing texture brought Shen Qian an unprecedented enjoyment.


    ¡°Huh!¡±


    After savouring for a while, Shen Qian reluctantly swallowed the sea cucumber, her face showing an expression of unsatisfying pleasure, ¡°This is the most delicious dish I¡¯ve ever tasted using sea cucumber.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡± Zhou Tianhao, who had already picked up his second sea cucumber, paused for a moment as he was about to put it into his mouth.


    ¡°But speaking of it, I really haven¡¯t had many opportunities to eat sea cucumbers, dishes using sea cucumber are quite rare in Tianhua State.¡±


    ¡°Then why can Qin Lang cook it?¡± Shen Qian asked, somewhat perplexed.


    At Shen Qian¡¯s question, Zhou Tianhao fell silent.


    ¡°Was I lucky to master this dish.¡±


    Qin Langughed it off, picking up two sea cucumbers and feeding them to the nearly drooling Dan Bao and Spicy, then turned and walked towards the table.


    ¡°You guys continue eating, I¡¯m going to start wrapping zongzi.¡±


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao hastily picked up a sea cucumber and put it in their mouths, then also stood up.


    Delicious food should not be missed, but neither should Qin Lang¡¯s cooking!


    Dan Bao and Spicy, their faces still wearing satisfied expressions, headed towards Qin Lang.


    How could they miss out on being part of the cooking process?


    Hence, the remaining Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions were devoured by Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao¡¯s food spirits.


    Perfectly, there was one sea cucumber for each spirit, and there were none left on the te.


    After savouring the wonderful taste of the sea cucumber in their mouths, the six spirits looked at each other, then started fighting for the yuchoy sum covered in sauce left on the te.


    On the other side, Qin Lang had returned to the table and started washing red beans and mung beans, which were less in quantitypared to the glutinous rice.


    The washed red beans and mung beans were mixed with the soaked glutinous rice in arge basin by Qin Lang. The mixture of white glutinous rice and a few red and light green beans looked pretty nice.


    There are many ways to make zongzi, the way wrapping the leaves or the choice of filling might vary significantly in different regions, there¡¯s even sweet and salty zongzi. Perhaps the onlymon point is that they all use glutinous rice.


    What Qin Lang is going to make is the meat zongzimonly made in his past life¡¯s home.


    Unlike ordinary meat zongzi, his family¡¯s zongzi would add some red beans and mung beans, which made them look better and added a faint bean aroma.


    Two ovepping zongzi leaves were folded at a right angle, and then folded again to form a small cone shape.


    This is how to fold a triangr zongzi.


    In the curious gaze of Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao, Qin Lang filled the cone- shaped zongzi leaves with glutinous rice using a spoon, adding a piece of lean and fatty pork belly when it¡¯s half full.


    Then he added more glutinous rice to cover up the pork belly, filling up the entire cone area.


    After that, he used the zongzi leaves to seal the bottom of the cone, tied it securely with string, and a triangr zongzi which looked like a three-sided pyramid and yet fairly round on each side, was wrapped.


    ¡°This is a zongzi?¡± Shen Qian watched Qin Lang¡¯s movements, suddenly eager to give it a try, ¡°Can I try?¡±


    It seems not that difficult, nor does it have too many cooking steps.


    ¡°I want to try too.¡± Zhou Tianhao raised his hand, volunteering eagerly.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    The two little observers during the whole process also wanted to try.


    Even the other six food spirits who camete after the Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions was served, had expectant looks on their faces.


    ¡°Some delicacies hold as much meaning in their creation as in their end result.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°Zongzi is one such delicacy.¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s make zongzi together!¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, everyone cheered enthusiastically, gathering around.


    ¡°Qin Lang, can we put other stuff inside the zongzi?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can add ingredients like salted egg yolk, ham, or even nothing at all, and eat it dunked in granted sugar after boiling.¡±


    ¡°That sounds interesting.¡±


    ¡°Then give it a try!¡±


    Soon, amid everyone¡¯s jovial busyness, two small mountains of zongzi appeared on the table.


    One group of zongzi were all perfectly triangr, while the others were a bit of a mixed bag, some perfect and some oddly shaped.


    Thetter were the result of the efforts of eight food spirits.


    Apart from Dan Bao and Lark, who had thought waves, the other food spirits all made zongzi with a partner, which naturally led to manyughs.


    But clearly, both the Spirit Chefs and the food spirits were enjoying this time.


    ¡°We can eat it soon!¡± gazing at everyone¡¯s eager faces, Qin Lang smiled and turned on the steamer, adding the zongzi in batches.


    Zongzi that are made and then steamed retain their vors better than those that are boiled.


    Spicy volunteered and began to apply Cooking eleration over the steamer.


    Shortly, the zongzi in the steamer were ready to eat.


    ¡°Take a taste.¡± After distributing the zongzi to everyone, Qin Lang picked up one of his own, cutting open the thin rope that held it together with a pair of scissors.


    To differentiate the zongzi made by everyone, different colored ropes were used for different zongzi.


    He skillfully peeled away the zongzi leaves wrapped around the outer surface, took a bite from the tip, and the expressions of enjoyment quickly spread across his face.


    The freshly steamed glutinous rice was incredibly tender, with the red and green beans mixed within having fully absorbed the water, bing soft and sticky.


    The scent of the bamboo leaves had gradually seeped into the zongzi during the steaming process, leaving a delightful hint inside the glutinous rice.


    Apart from that, there was also a hint of meaty aroma mixed in.


    This was why Qin Lang chose to use pork belly, which is a fatty cut of meat, for his meat-filled zongzi, instead of using lean meat.


    The fat from the pork melts during the steaming process, and the nearby glutinous rice absorbs this grease, adding a richer aroma to the rice.


    Compared to the glutinous rice, there wasn¡¯t much fat, so overall, it didn¡¯t taste greasy at all, it only made it more delicious.


    Within a few bites, all that remained from the meat-filled zongzi in Qin Lang¡¯s hand were the leaves.


    ¡°How worthy of being mine, it¡¯s truly delicious!¡± Shen Qian smiled satisfied, holding a half-eaten zongzi in her hand.


    After hearing Qin Lang¡¯s introduction, she then decisively added a salted egg yolk into her zongzi, trying out a different vor.


    ¡°Mine isn¡¯t bad either.¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke, leisurely picking up a second one.


    His was ham-vored.


    Watching everyone happily tasting the fruits of theirbor, Qin Lang murmured to himself.


    ¡°Happy Dragon Boat Festival.¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Pass) [Rmendation Ticket]


    The content of the bonus chapter at the end of this chapter;


    [Making Zongzi]

 Chapter 314 - 314 Mockery

    Chapter 314: Mockery


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    After enjoying a delicious dinner, the trio each returned to their own rooms.


    Whether it was Qin Lang who had endured Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s trial in the afternoon, or Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian who had explored Lanqiu City in the afternoon, all quickly fell asleep due to their fatigue.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already the next morning.


    The freshly showered Qin Lang, dressed in casual clothes, soon saw Zhou Tianhao sitting on the sofa, browsing information on his phone.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re up.¡± Qin Lang greeted him warmly, then asked subconsciously, ¡°Where¡¯s Shen Qian?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Shen Qian popped her head out from the kitchen, grinning, ¡°You¡¯re thest one up, want to try the breakfast I made?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Lang naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse Shen Qian¡¯s offer to cook breakfast.


    Soon, beautifully ted baked goods with a strong aroma appeared on the dining table.


    ¡°Try them, these are my specialties!¡± Shen Qian, having removed her apron, stood with her hands on her hips, a trace of pride in her eyes.


    ¡°Crunch¡ª ¡± Qin Lang grabbed a piece of the crisp, cookie-like treat. After one bite, he nodded slightly, ¡°It¡¯s really delicious!¡±


    ¡°I like this!¡± Zhou Tianhao was holding something simr to a cream puff. The sweet cream inside provided a rich vor with each bite.


    Hearing the two men¡¯s extravagant praises, Shen Qian became even more cheerful. She sat at the table and began to taste her own creations.


    The food spirits weren¡¯t idle either. They swiftly grabbed the desserts from the te, quickly taking away half of them.


    While having breakfast, the three of them chatted leisurely.


    ¡°Qin Lang, you¡¯re going to sign up for the Youth Training Competition today, right?¡± Shen Qian looked at Qin Lang and asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°The registration for the Youth Training Competition ends tomorrow. I will go to the Lanqiu City Imperial Chef Associationter to register and learn about other contestants.¡±


    ¡°Knowing both your enemy and yourself, you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded approvingly, ¡°You¡¯re not weak, but even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit, so it¡¯s a good thing to understand your opponents in advance.¡±


    Qin Lang looked a bit bewildered.


    Brother Zhou, you used two idioms in one sentence, are you studying for the graduate entrance exam?


    ¡°In that case, I should put in more effort too.¡± Shen Qian popped thest dessert into her mouth and stretchedzily, ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen today, wish me luck!¡±


    ¡°Go for it!¡± Zhou Tianhao was the first to voice his encouragement, and envy was evident on his face.


    He only has a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge and is ineligible to visit this Second-Level Food Rmender of Lanqiu City.


    Seeming to notice Zhou Tianhao¡¯s feelings, Shen Qian patted him with a grin, ¡°Brother Zhou, your day wille too.¡±


    ¡°You have to give it your all.¡± Qin Lang took a sip of hot milk, ¡°After obtaining this Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, you¡¯re only one badge away from participating in the Provincial-level Cooking Competition.¡±


    ¡°If that happens, the number of Second-Level Food Rmender Badges I have will catch up with yours!¡± Shen Qian looked at Qin Lang with a teasing smile.


    ¡°Mingjing Province and Tianhua State are not the same, there¡¯s noparison.¡± Qin Lang responded awkwardly. As expected, Shen Qian was still thepetitive girl she used to be, with no change at all.


    After breakfast, the trio left the hotel separately.


    Qin Lang went to the Imperial Chef Association to register for the current Youth Training Competition, Shen Qian went to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen, the Second-Level Food Rmender of Lanqiu City, and Zhou Tianhao continued to explore the local delicacies of Lanqiu City.


    Before leaving, the three of them made a point of inspecting the mustard greens drying on the balcony.


    After being dried overnight, the mustard greens had be wilted. They had lost a lot of moisture from the wind and sun, which greatly bothered Dan Bao, who was ustomed to keeping ingredients at their freshest. He felt as though his obsessivepulsive disorder was acting up.


    So, he decided not to look at the mustard greens for the next few days!


    After leaving the hotel, Qin Lang hailed a taxi and headed directly to the Lanqiu City Imperial Chef Association.


    As soon as he stepped into the association¡¯s lobby, Qin Lang was about to ask the front desk employee where to register for the Youth Training Competition when he heard a familiar voiceing from not far behind him.


    ¡°Qin Lang! I knew you¡¯de!¡±


    Qin Lang turned around instinctively, soon a smile spreading across his face, ¡°Bear Battle, are you here to register too?¡±


    It was none other than Bear Battle, the man who they had encountered in Lan Qiu Forest. However, the Lv Family Sisters were not present this time, he was alone.


    ¡°Exactly, I passed Mr. Cheng Kang¡¯s test and got this Wumu Badge.¡± Bear Battle took out the badge and showed it to Qin Lang, ¡°The Lv family sisters registered yesterday. I had a sleep-in and am registering today.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I assume you must have gotten a Lanqiu City Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badge, right?¡± Bear Battle looked curiously at Qin Lang, ¡°Which one is it?¡±


    ¡°The me Heart Badge.¡± Qin Lang showed the badge he just received yesterday, which drew Bear Battle¡¯s envy.


    ¡± What a pity, my food spirit doesn¡¯t has nature-basedbat skills rted to mes.¡± Bear Battle shook his head helplessly, ¡°Otherwise, I would definitely want to try for this badge that offers guidance after passing.¡±


    ¡°There will be opportunities in the future.¡± Qin Lang grinned, not letting Bear Battle know about the secret techniques.


    If he has the fate to touch upon this in the future, he would naturally find out.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop chatting. You look like you haven¡¯t registered yet.¡± Bear Battleughed heartily, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s register together!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Qin Lang was unsure about howto register, and Bear Battle seemed to know his way around. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to follow him.


    ¡°The registration desk for the previous Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition was at Counter 7.¡± Bear Battle exined while walking, ¡°But as the end of the registration period is drawing closer and the number of people registering is decreasing, the registration desk has been moved to Counter 9.¡±


    ¡°Bear Battle, you haven¡¯t registered before, how do you know?¡±


    ¡°The Lv family sisters told me when they registered yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The two chatted briefly and soon arrived at the registration desk at Counter 9.


    ¡°Registering?¡± The staff member at the counter was a middle-aged man with a gloomyplexion. He took a nce at the two of them before scanning their Spirit Chef Badges.


    Once the badges scanned, the experiences of the two wereid bare before the staff member.


    ¡°From out of town?¡± He nced, and a clear look of disgust appeared on his face, ¡°Overestimatingyour abilities!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Bear Battle has a more fiery temper, and hearing a staff member say such things, he couldn¡¯t keep his cool, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Qin Lang, standing next to him, didn¡¯t say anything, but his face darkened.


    He had been to many cities and met with garden staff characters from various city¡¯s Spirit Chef Association, who were always friendly and didn¡¯t discriminate against outsiders.


    This was the first time he encountered a staff member with such a bad attitude.


    Quick ess: [Monthly Vote][Rmendation Vote]

 Chapter 315: Declaration

    Chapter 315: Deration


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The middle-aged man nced at the two men and snorted, ¡°In this year¡¯s Lanchiu City Youth Training Competition, Yu Kun willpete. You two are just making up the numbers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll report your behavior!¡± Bear Battle pped the counter, raising his voice a few decibels, heat in his eyes.


    ¡°Bear Battle, who¡¯s Yu Kun?¡± Qin Lang asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the guy I told you about earlier who has a three-star Food Spirit.¡± Bear Battle lowered his voice to answer, bitterness still gripping him.


    So it was that guy.


    When they¡¯d met in the Lan Qiu Forest earlier, Qin Lang had heard from Bear Battle that a Spirit Chef possesing a three-star Food Spirit would bepeting in this Youth Training Competition, and that his second Food Spirit was also close to being promoted.


    Compared to otherpetitors, his strength easily surpasses the rest, and has already been recognized as the champion of this training event by countless spectators.


    In this case, the attitude of this staff member was understandable.


    However, this still doesn¡¯t exin why they were being treated so poorly.


    Qin Lang patted Bear Battle¡¯s shoulder, signaling him to calm down, then looked at the man with a frosty gaze.


    ¡°The staff of the Lanchiu City Spirit Chef Association represent the city to the outside world, and their attitude towards non-local Spirit Chefs represents the city¡¯s attitude towards non-local Spirit Chefs.¡±


    ¡°So can I understand it as, Lanqiu City doesn¡¯t wee non-local Spirit Chefs?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s face darkened, and his voice dropped, ¡°Your eloquence won¡¯t help your abilities!¡±


    He never expected this teenager who appeared to be in his early teens to make such serious usations. As it concerns the reputation of the Lanchiu City Spirit Chef Association, he couldn¡¯t afford to take that responsibility.


    ¡°Sign in.¡± The man quickly input their information and returned their badges, his face dark, and waved his hand, ¡°You can go!¡±


    Clearly, he didn¡¯t want to see these two guys anymore.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Seeing the man yield, Bear Battle¡¯s anger turned into delight. He whispered under his breath how great Qin Lang was, ¡°I knew you¡¯d back down, let¡¯s go, Qin Lang!¡±


    However, in the next moment, Bear Battle found out that he couldn¡¯t move Qin Lang.


    Qin Lang calmly stood where he was, looking at the middle-aged man, his gaze fixated on the namete in front of the man, ¡°Gong Xiao, is it? Your atrocious attitude at work, I will file aint through the association¡¯sint channel.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± his voice paused for a moment, ¡°Yu Kun¡¯s first ce won¡¯t be so easy to grab.¡±


    Having said that, regardless of the man¡¯s increasingly gloomy expression, Qin Lang turned around and left.


    Bear Battle nced at the man called Gong Xiao, then took another look at Qin Lang who had left, admiration shed in his eyes.


    Impressive!


    Qin Lang seemed a few years younger than himself, but why did he always seem more reliable?


    ¡°Qin Lang, wait for me!¡± With a refreshing grin, Bear Battle hurried after Qin Lang.


    The staff member named Cen Jiann at the adjacent counter number eight saw the entire confrontation and sighed softly, ¡°Gong Xiao, you¡¯re in trouble now.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Gong Xiao snorted, ¡°Even if I getined about, I¡¯ll just take some criticism, lose some performance.¡±


    Cen Jiann shook her head, ¡°We staff of the association are here to serve the Spirit Chefs. You bring your personal emotions into your work, and this is not the first or second time.¡±


    ¡°I just despise these opportunistic guys.¡± Gong Xiao had a gloomy expression, clearly not thinking he had done anything wrong.


    ¡°The Youth Training Competition is different from cooking events and trainingpetitions. Just win a city-level championship once, and you can directly participate in the provincial level Youth Training Competition.¡±


    ¡°Competitions like this should be a stage for our local Spirit Chefs to shine. If non-local Spirit Chefse to our Lanqiu City to participate in the city-level Youth Training Competition, isn¡¯t it because they think our Lanqiu City¡¯s Spirit Chefs are easy to bully?¡±


    ¡°What do they think they are? Dragons cross the river?¡±


    ¡°As a member of the association, I stand up for our Lanqiu City¡¯s Spirit Chefs. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Your thinking is too radical.¡± Cen Jiann rebutted, ¡°These Spirit Chefs from other ces participating in the Youth Training Competition, might just happen to be passing through our Lanchiu City or are attending morepetitions to interact with their peers¡­¡±


    ¡°Those are all just excuses!¡± Gong Xiao, annoyed, interrupted Cen Jiann¡¯s words and then had a look of satisfaction, ¡°I really look forward to thepetition in three days, when Yu Kun will crush them one by one and finally win the championship.¡±


    ¡°Afterwards, I can im that I am the uncle of the Lanchiu City Youth Training Competition champion!¡±


    Cen Jiann shook her head and did not say anything more.


    She admitted that Yu Kun was strong and the favorite to win the Youth Training Competition, but she still did not have a good opinion of Yu Kun¡¯s uncle.


    Moreover¡­


    For some reason, the deration of the youngster just now was still echoing in Cen Jiann¡¯s mind.


    She suddenly had a premonition that he might really have the ability to prevent Yu Kun¡¯s victory, or at least be a strong stumbling block on Yu Kun¡¯s path to victory.


    ¡°Qin Lang, you were awesome just now. While I was stewing in my anger, you managed to silence that hateful fellow!¡± Bear Battle looked at him with some admiration, then asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Filing aint.¡± Qin Lang put his phone back in his pocket, ¡°Now that theint is done, after the association handles it, that fellow will be punished. Though I¡¯m not certain how severe the punishment will be, at least it gives him a lesson.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really something. You said you¡¯din, and so you did.¡± Bear Battle felt like he knew Qin Lang on a deeper level.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like being taken advantage of.¡± Qin Lang replied casually.


    With the memories from his previous life, although Qin Lang often fits in with people his age, there were differences between himself and those teenagers in some aspects.


    ¡°By the way, how much information on Yu Kun have you been able to get?¡± Qin Lang took a look at Bear Battle and asked.


    ¡°Wiry?¡± Bear Battle scratched his head, his eyes widened in surprise, ¡°You don¡¯t really intend topete with Yu Kun for first ce, do you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have that idea before.¡± Qin Lang admitted, ¡°Now, I want to give it a try.¡±


    Dan Bao had mastered the Secret Method Yan Capturing and Spicy obtained the Combination Combat Skill Instantaneous sh Tooth Mark.


    His strength has changed dramatically within these few days.


    A few days ago, he did not think he could defeat the person called Yu Kun. But now, it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    Although there¡¯s a huge gap between a three-star Food Spirit and a two-star Food Spirit, the effort put forth by the two little ones during this time shouldn¡¯t be wasted.


    Looking at the two little ones who shared his indignation, a smile appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    He could feel that the two little ones also wanted to win the championship very much, to shock that man with the terrible attitude.


    He just hoped Brother Zhou would have some free time in the next few days to give him some pointers.


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 Chapter 316: Sweetness

    Chapter 316: Sweetness


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°You can do it!¡±


    Xiong Zhan scratched his head, giving Qin Lang an encouraging look, ¡°But Yu Kun is really formidable, so you cannot underestimate him.¡±


    At this point, Xiong Zhan couldn¡¯t help but recall his own experiences.


    When he first came to Lanqiu City, he heard about Yu Kun, the strongest young generation Spirit Chef in Lanqiu City. As a warlike individual, he sought Yu Kun out for a Spirit Battle.


    Yu Kun readily epted, and within two rounds, he defeated Xiong Zhan decisively. Even now, Xiong Zhan still held psychological shadows about Yu Kun.


    I will.¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    Thest time he met a three-star Food Spirit opponent was Zhu Quan, the champion of the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition. Powering through with the surprisingly effective Lucky Bite Mark of his spicy dish, Qin Lang managed to defeat Zhu Quan¡¯s three-star Food Spirit, emerging victorious.


    This time it seemed Yu Kun was stronger than Zhu Quan.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Xiong Zhan suddenly remembered something, ¡°Did we forget to take the Youth Training Competition brochure? Qin Lang, do you know the rules?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s face became a little embarrassed. Due to the unpleasant incident with the staff member, he had stormed off after confronting them, forgetting about the brochure.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s expression, Xiong Zhanughed, ¡°Yesterday, I borrowed the Lv sisters¡¯ brochure to understand thepetition rules in advance, so it doesn¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t have a brochure.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you the rules this time.¡± As he spoke, he recounted thepetition rules meticulously, ¡°First of all, the Selection Battle¡­¡±


    Qin Lang pricked up his ears, nodding asionally as Xiong Zhan detailed the rules.


    The rules of the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition were simr to the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition that Qin Lang had previously participated in. It was divided into Selection Battles and Ranking Battles.


    During the Selection Battle, contestants would choose two from ten Spirit Chefs from the Spirit Chef Association, whose strengths were different but simrly matched, also known as the ¡°Selection Battle Standards,¡± to fight against consecutively.


    Each battle was against a Selection Battle Standard, with each side presenting a Food Spirit.


    The judges would score based on various factors of the battle, with the higher score from each contestant¡¯s two battles being their final score.


    The top four from the Selection Battles would enter the subsequent Ranking Battles, determining the top four ranks through one-on-one battles decided by drawing lots.


    However,pared to the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition that Qin Lang had previously participated in, this time¡¯s Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition was a bit different.


    That was, the Selection Battle onlysted one day.


    The Bai Lu Mountain Youth Training Competition was held at the same time as the Provincial Training Competition, so there were more participants than usual. Without any special conditions this year, the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition had a standard number of contestants.


    Each contestant would take part in a Selection Battle in the morning and another in the afternoon, and the advancement quota would be determined on the same day.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After understanding thepetition rules, Qin Lang looked gratefully at Xiong


    He was too embarrassed to return to the counter to get a brochure.


    ¡°No big deal. I just hope that in thepetition three dayster, you can help me give Yu Kun a good fight.¡± Xiong Zhan smiled.


    For some unknown reason, although he had not fought Qin Lang, he inexplicably had a feeling that this guy in front of him was very strong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    During their conversation, the two had already reached the exterior doors of the Spirit Chef Association.


    Agreeing to meet on the day of thepetition, Qin Lang and Xiong Zhan parted ways here.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s head back to the hotel quickly.¡± Looking at the two little ones who had been silently following him, Qin Lang knew they were simmering with energy.


    There are three days left. We can learn more from Big Brother Zhou.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you dered in the Spirit Chef Association that you want to beat Yu Kun?¡±


    In the hotel, Shen Qian looked at Qin Lang with surprise, ¡°Are you that strong?¡±


    ¡°All, haha¡­¡± Qin Lang chuckled awkwardly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. My exact words were ¡®Yu Kun¡¯s first position won¡¯t be easily taken.''¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no difference!¡± Zhou Tianhao patted Qin Lang on the shoulder, his face full of appreciation, ¡°Good job! You must have such aspiration!¡±


    When I first participated in a city-level trainingpetition, I told all the other contestants ¡®I¡¯m not targeting anyone of you in particr. Everyone present is garbage.''¡±


    The expressions on Qin Lang¡¯s and Shen Qian¡¯s faces became more animated.


    They had never imagined that the typically gentle and amiable Zhou Tianhao could have such an arrogant moment.


    ¡°So what happened next? Were you beaten up?¡± Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity.


    ¡± What happened next?¡± Zhou Tianhao scratched his head, ¡°Next, I won the city-level training championship.¡±


    Qin Lang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Shen Qian: ¡°¡­¡±


    As expected of you, Big Brother Zhou!


    ¡°I digress.¡± Zhou Tianhao coughed lightly, bringing the conversation back on track, ¡°Anyway, I approve of how Qin Lang expressed his intent.¡±


    ¡°The strong should possess indomitable faith!¡±


    ¡°What of a two-star against a three-star? We fight for the three stars! ¡±


    ¡°I will provide you with a lot of guidance in the next few days,¡± Zhou Tianhao patted Qin Lang on the shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s cram for thepetition. This is something I¡¯m excellent at!¡±


    Hearing Zhou Tianhao say this, Qin Lang rxed a lot.


    With Zhou Tianhao¡¯s guidance, he felt that he had an addedyer of assurance for victory.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about thepetition for now.¡± Qin Lang turned to look at Shen Qian, who waszily sitting by the side, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen? It¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Bringing up her own business, a look of helplessness crossed Shen Qian¡¯s face, ¡°Mr. Jiang Guangchen gave me an assessment requirement that I temporarily can¡¯t fulfill, so he gave me seven days to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Then I returned.¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang looked interested, ¡°What was the assessment requirement?


    Can you disclose it?¡±


    He was curious about the assessment requirement of a second-ss Food Rmender even though it wasn¡¯t his test.


    ¡°Yes, go ahead and tell me too.¡± Zhou Tianhao startedughing from the side.


    Although he currently didn¡¯t have enough Food Rmender badges to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen and get his approval, he might have the opportunity in the future.


    After all, one of the purposes of his trip to Mingjing Province was to participate in the Provincial Cooking Contest and improve his culinary skills.


    ¡°The other party didn¡¯t say to keep it a secret, so I guess I can tell.¡± Shen Qian propped her cheeks up, ¡°Mr. Jiang¡¯s assessment requirement is somewhat peculiar.¡±


    ¡°After viewing my culinary history through the Spirit Chef Badge, he required me to make a dish that he would be satisfied with, a dish that incorporates sweet vors.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a dish, not a dessert?¡± Zhou Tianhao furrowed his brows slightly.


    ¡°Yes, desserts won¡¯t do.¡± Shen Qian shook her head, ¡°Furthermore, I heard that Mr. Jiang Guangchen actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually what?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    In the face of their curious nces, Shen Qian slowly spoke.


    ¡°Actually, he doesn¡¯t like sweet vors.¡±


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 Chapter 317 - 317 Oppression

    Chapter 317: Oppression


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Hearing Shen Qian¡¯s description, the living room fell silent at once.


    After a while, Zhou Tianhao finally spoke up, frowning.


    ¡°So¡­ Mr. Jiang Guangchen is deliberately making it hard for you?


    ¡°is the assessment for a Second-Level Food Rmender this challenging?¡± Zhou Tianhao couldn¡¯t help but feel disheartened, having not attempted any Second-Level Food Rmender¡¯s assessment. He felt bleak about the journey ahead.


    ¡°It does sound a bit excessive,¡± Qin Lang added, shaking his head from the side.


    In his dislike for sweetness, he was told to incorporate sweetness to create a


    dish that he would find satisfying.


    This was rather abstract.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible that the assessor has a hidden intention.¡± Qin Lang noted, after thinking of a possibility.


    ¡°A hidden intention¡­¡± Shen Qian pondered on this for a while before shaking


    her head in despair, ¡°I can¡¯t think of one.


    ¡°You mentioned earlier that Mr. Jiang Guangchen doesn¡¯t like sweet things.


    What vours does he like?¡± Qin Lang suddenly asked.


    ¡°He likes spicy food,¡± Shen Qian responded without hesitation, having obviously done her research. ¡°Mr. Jiang Guangchen prefers food with a spicy kick.¡±


    ¡°Likes spicy?¡± Qin Lang scratched his chin thoughtfully.


    He tried to put himself in Shen Qian¡¯s shoes, and imagine enduring Mr. Jiang Guangchen¡¯s trial.


    If he were facing a simr challenge, what kind of delicious food would he present?


    Given his preference for spice, the safest approach would be tobine the sweet taste he dislikes with the spicy vour he enjoys.


    Sweet and spicy vours¡­?


    Several ideas quickly came to Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    He believed that if he were to undergo the assessment, he would likely pass. ¡°Perhaps you could trybining sweet and spicy vours?¡± Zhou Tianhao casually suggested, thenughed helplessly, ¡°Can these two vours really bebined together?¡±


    ¡°This is too difficult.¡± Shen Qian looked troubled as she ruffled her hair, ¡°Sweetness and spiciness are two conflicting vours¡¯.¡±


    Qin Lang nced at Shen Qian, about to say something, but then decided against it.


    It was Shen Qian who was going through the assessment.


    Hence, he should not interfere excessively.


    If Shen Qian couldn¡¯t figure out a solution, he could provide some guidance then.


    ¡°Hang in there, there are still seven days left.¡± Qin Lang patted Shen Qian on the shoulder encouragingly, ¡°Try a few more times and you¡¯ll eventually see results.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! You too, defeat that guy named Yu Kun!¡± Shen Qian said earnestly, raising her fist.


    Zhou Tianhao folded his arms and smiled as he watched their exchange. While he had nothing urgent to do at the moment, seeing these two youngsters working hard made him feel he should also be serious about improving himself.


    Three dayster, in the morning:


    ¡°Qin Lang! Today is the day for your debut in the Youth Training Competition, what are you dawdling around for!¡± Shen Qian rushed into the hotel kitchen and added, frowning cutely, ¡°Still messing around with your mustard?¡±


    ¡°Let me check it.¡± Qin Lang opened a covered pot in the kitchen.


    He had removed the mustard that had been drying for three days with the help of the two little onesst night, then nched it in boiling water for a minute and left it in this pot.


    After fermenting overnight, the mustard had turned from green to yellowish. ¡°Can you help me by hanging this fermented mustard out to dry some more? After that, we can hit the road.¡±


    ¡°You sure areposed.¡± Shen Qian shook her head helplessly, and called out Zhou Tianhao, who was ready to leave at the doorway, to help.


    Once they¡¯d finished drying the mustard, the three of them arrived together at the Lanqiu Arena, thepetition venue for the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition.


    ¡°I heard that the Lanqiu Arena has a unique design, and it certainly does.¡± Standing outside the arena, Shen Qian tiptoed among the crowd, marveling at the giant spherical building before her.


    The Lanqiu Arena looked like a sphere from the outside, with the top half made of translucent single-sided special ss, adorned with giant flowers, and a star-like tform in between the top and bottom halves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll enter through the contestant passage first.¡± Qin Lang took a quick photo and hustled the two little ones towards a less crowded passage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go queue up in the audience line.¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled. ¡°Alright, yourdy here has squeezed out a whole day from her busy schedule to watch Qin Lang¡¯s match. This friendship is really moving.¡± Shen Qian put her hands on her hips, speaking somewhat arrogantly.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not because you still can¡¯t figure out a dish to handle Mr. Jiang¡¯s assessment, so you¡¯re taking a breather bying out here?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, don¡¯t kick someone when they¡¯re down.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha-¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, over here!¡±


    As soon as Qin Lang set foot in the contestant preparation area, Bear Battle¡¯s enthusiastic voice sounded.


    He patted the empty seat next to him, where the Lv Family Sisters were sitting, ¡°Come, I¡¯ve saved you a seat.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing his enthusiasm, Qin Langughed and quickly walked over. Before he could make his way over, a figure suddenly stood up in front of him.


    ¡°Are you Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°Yu Kun! What is it you want?¡± Bear Battle shouted, signalling Qin Lang of the person¡¯s identity.


    Qin Lang paused and studied the boy in front of him, noticing he looked older and taller by a head¡¯s length.


    With an air of arrogance on his serene face, not once did he make direct eye contact while speaking.


    Such a proud boy, is this Yu Kun?


    As Qin Lang was studying Yu Kun, two figures nearby stood up. Standing on either side of Yu Kun and barely half a step back, they seemed to be led by Yu Kun.


    ¡°Exactly, I am Qin Lang.¡± After finishing his observation, Qin Lang nodded, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You must know Gong Xiao, right? He¡¯s my uncle.¡± Yu Kun answered with an unaffected face.


    So this was their rtionship?


    Qin Lang had a sh of realization in his eyes, and the previous poor attitude of Gong Xiao suddenly made sense.


    But why was Yu Kun mentioning this now? Was he nning to pick a fight with him?


    ¡°And so?¡± In a split second, Qin Lang responded nonchntly.


    ¡°As a staff member of the Association, my uncle¡¯s attitude was indeed inappropriate, I apologize on his behalf,¡± Yu Kun continued his speech.


    Huh?


    Qin Lang was stunned.


    This was not quite what he was expecting.


    Apparently, this guy, Yu Kun, knew right from wrong and was sensible.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve lodged aint against him. He¡¯s received due punishment and there¡¯s no need for you to apologize,¡± Qin Lang capitted.


    ¡°Hmm, so be it. Now let¡¯s discuss another matter,¡± Yu Kun continued, lowering his gaze slightly for the first time to meet Qin Lang¡¯s eye.


    His towering height carried a natural sense of pressurization, and his personality brought anotheryer of pressure. Presently his words turned as they did, a sh of sharpness akin to a de manifested in his eyes.


    ¡°I heard, you are interested in the championship?¡±


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 Chapter 318: Instant Kill

    Chapter 318: Instant Kill


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Row 5, Seat 73 ¨C Yes, this is it!¡±


    With the ticket in his hand that he had bought several days earlier, Zhou Tianhao,paring the seat numbers in the Lanqiu Arena, found his seat quickly.


    ¡°Shen Qian, you sit here!¡± He patted the seat next to him, turning his head to find Shen Qian looking up at something.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, it looks like Qin Lang is in trouble!¡± Hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s voice, Shen Qian snapped back to reality and worriedly pointed towards the direction she was looking.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Tianhao followed her gaze and quickly realized that Shen Qian was pointing at the Contestant Preparation Seat.


    As thepetition neared, not a few figures appeared at the Contestant Preparation Seat; these were thepeting yers.


    The figure of Qin Lang was conspicuously among them.


    At this moment, there were three people standing in front of him, seemingly confronting each other.


    From Zhou Tianhao¡¯s current position, he could vaguely make out that the two sides were talking, but the specific content waspletely inaudible.


    Zhou Tianhao¡¯s gaze locked onto the face of the leader of the three, and then his eyes flickered slightly, ¡°The one leading is Yu Kun.¡±


    In these past few days, in order to better guide Qin Lang in this battle, he and


    Qin Lang discussed the situation of the contestants in thispetition together. Yu Kun was a subject of focus in their discussions, so Zhou Tianhao recognized him at a nce.


    ¡°Oh no! Did Yu Kun find out about Qin Lang¡¯s deration and wants to get him into trouble?¡± The worry on Shen Qian¡¯s face deepened, ¡°They won¡¯t start fighting, will they?¡±


    Hearing Shen Qian¡¯s question, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression became somewhat


    strange.


    Fighting¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be long before that, right?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Youth Training Competition has rules. Anyone causing trouble at the Contestant Preparation Seat will be disqualified from thepetition. So at most, they would just talk tough before thepetition starts.¡± Zhou Tianhao was very familiar with this, speaking withposure.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Shen Qian let out a slight sigh of relief, then couldn¡¯t help but look towards Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Brother Zhou, do you think Qin Lang can defeat Yu Kun and win the championship of this Youth Training Competition?


    ¡°Battles are unpredictable. I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± Zhou Tianhao stroked his chin and chose his words carefully, ¡°But with my guidance in these past few days, Qin Lang has a greater chance of winning the championship.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Shen Qian sat down in her seat, still looking worried.


    Even Brother Zhou, a powerful Spirit Chef, can¡¯t guarantee Qin Lang¡¯s victory? Training truly is not a simple path.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Regardless of the oue, it¡¯s all part of Qin Lang s journey.¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke with a smile, ¡°Victory and defeat are allmon urrences in the art of war, right?¡±


    ¡°So Brother Zhou, have you lost too?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± An image of a figure wearing a mask shed through Zhou Tianhao¡¯s mind, ¡°Of course I have.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Heughed it off and stood up to leave,


    ¡°There¡¯s a stall selling snacks over there. I¡¯m buying!¡±


    ¡°I would like another cup of juice!¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re interested in the championship?¡±


    Hearing Yu Kun¡¯s oppressive question, Qin Lang narrowed his eyes, ¡°Everyone who participates in thepetition is interested, right?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s response, Yu Kun¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    ¡°Hmph! I suggest you give up!¡± The young man standing to Yu Kun s left crossed his arms, ¡°Our brother Yu Kun will undoubtedly be the champion of thispetition!¡±


    ¡°Correct. With just a light wave of his hand, Brother Yu Kun can explore the limits of this Youth Training Competition!¡± The boy on the right looked proud, even showing a slightly childish side, gazing at Yu Kun with admiration.


    The pair¡¯s voices were not deliberately lowered, and everyone in the Contestant Preparation Seat heard them. For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. The other contestants who were originally watching the show now had a bit of discontent on their faces.


    This not only challenged Qin Lang, but also them.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yu Kun frowned slightly, clearly realizing that his cronies had spoken too much, ¡°Whether you can win the championship is determined by your skill.¡±


    ¡°As for you.¡± Yu Kun shot Qin Lang an indifferent nce, then turned and returned to his original seat, ¡°You should be thinking about how to advance first.¡±


    Ignoring the sarcastic faces of Yu Kun¡¯s followers, Qin Lang calmly walked over to Bear Battle¡¯s side and sat down, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.


    There was one thing Yu Kun said that he agreed with.


    Whether you can win or not is up to your own strength.


    So saying more at this moment won¡¯t help, it would be better to conserve energy and prepare for the fight.


    ¡°That guy is so arrogant!¡± Bear Battle muttered to himself. Seeing Qin Lang closing his eyes to rest, he knowingly didn¡¯t disturb him any further and turned to chat quietly with the Lv Family Sisters.


    Time slowly passed, and the contestants on the Contestant Preparation Seat arrived one by one. There was a bustling crowd in the audience seats, leaving no seat empty.


    Amid the host¡¯s enthusiastic opening remarks, the first battle, Selection Battle Standard of the Lanchiu City Youth Training Competition had officially begun.


    The eyes Qin Lang had closed were now open. He calmly watched the first contestants take the stage.


    ¡°Qin Lang, what is your drawn ce?¡± Noticing Qin Lang opening his eyes, Bear Battle asked casually.


    ¡°Seventh.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty quick.¡± Bear Battle stroked his chin, ¡°I¡¯m number fourteen, the Lv Family Sisters are twenty-one and thirty-nine respectively. Lv Qianqian is thest contestant to appear.¡±


    ¡°Being thest one to go out, I feel a lot of pressure.¡± Lv Qianqianughed and spoke.


    ¡°Just do your best.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Who did you choose as your Selection Battle Standards¡±


    ¡°I chose number four and six.¡± Lv Qianqian volunteered her choices.


    ¡°Mine are number three and four.¡±


    ¡°I have number one and two.¡±


    Bear Battle and Lv Youyou also announced their picks.


    ¡°Qin Lang, how about you?¡±


    ¡°My opponents are number six and seven.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°ording to the arranged sequence, I will be battling against the seventh Selection Battle Standard.¡±


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    Leave it to me!


    The Food Spirit, Dan Bao at the side was burning with a zing fighting spirit. On the other hand, Spicy, who was next to Dan Bao, looked somewhat listless. Because ording to the n, not only for this battle, but also for the next bout with the sixth Selection Battle Standard, Dan Bao will be the one acting. Spicy¡¯s Combined Battle Skills, as a secret weapon, would only be revealed in the Ranking Matches.


    Noticing Spicy¡¯s mood, Qin Lang picked it up and gave it a rub tofort it. Time slowly passed, and soon it was time for Qin Lang, who was seventh in line, to go up. He stood and headed towards the yer Passage to prepare. As the previous contestant¡¯s fight ended and the host announced the next contestant, he stepped onto the Competition Venue.


    ¡± Let¡¯s see what sort of performance Qin Lang, from Tianhua State, will give in the first Selection Battle!¡± The host raised his voice and started the countdown, ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­ One!¡±


    ¡°Whistle¡ª¡±


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±


    Nearly the moment the whistle signaling the start of the battle sounded, a loud boom echoed on the battlefield.


    The figure of the seventh Selection Battle Standard¡¯s Food Spirit being blown away could be faintly seen amongst the skyrocketing mes and smoke.


    Looking at Qin Lang standing quietly in the arena, allowing the gale to sweep across his face, the entire site fell into silence.


    It¡¯s over already?


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 Chapter 319: Full Score

    Chapter 319: Full Score


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    In the contestant preparation area.


    Bear Battle, who had just finished his casual chat with the Lv sisters, nned to observe the full extent of Qin Lang¡¯s strength. At this moment, the expression on his face subtly froze.


    But soon, his frozen expression turned into an intense look of disbelief.


    ¡°Is it over already?¡± He asked in bewilderment, turning his head to the equally surprised Lv sisters, ¡°Did you guys see what happened?¡±


    ¡°I just saw a sh of golden light¡­¡± Lv Qianqian¡¯s voice trailed off as she pointed to the big screen that floated in the air, ¡°Let¡¯s watch the rey.¡± The scenes of the recent battle quickly appeared on the big screen in slow motion.


    Through the slow-motion capture, it was clear to see how at the instant the whistle was blown, a golden-red light emerged next to Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit. It flew towards the opponent at a terrifying speed and then exploded.


    And so, the fight ended.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen abat skill like this before. Ordinarybat skills wouldn¡¯t be so powerful.¡± Lv Youyou quickly interjected, ¡°So this must be abined battle skill, and a very powerful one at that.¡±


    ¡°That must be it.¡± Bear Battle, having finally understood what happened, nodded in agreement, his face disying a look of admiration, ¡°It¡¯s surprising how powerful Qin Lang is.¡±


    Meanwhile, other contestants started to show signs of concern.


    Qin Lang s performance undoubtedly exerted enormous pressure on them. The henchmen sitting on either side of Yu Kun began to look a bit uneasy. They found that Qin Lang¡¯s strength was somewhat beyond their expectations, at least stronger than both of them.


    However, the faces of the two henchmen quickly regained their calmness.


    So what if that guy named Qin Lang could beat them? Such strength would still be insufficient against Yu Kun!


    ¡°Brother Yu Kun, what do you think of his strength?¡± one of them asked Yu Kun,ughing.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Yu Kun was watching Qin Lang in the center of the field, waiting for his score, squinting his eyes a bit, ¡°However, the gap between three-star and two-star spirits is not so easily bridged.¡±


    While speaking, a look of solemnity shed in his eyes.


    When it was his turn, he would demonstrate with an even more shocking instant kill that he was the strongest contestant in this Youth Training Tournament!


    Upon hearing Yu Kun¡¯s confident words, the faces of the two men rxed with aforting smile.


    Indeed, even the most powerful challengers won¡¯t be any match for Brother Yu Kun!


    In the audience seats, after the rey andmentary, the audience finally realized what had happened and responded with gasps of surprise and appreciative apuse.


    Out of the seven contestants who had taken the stage so far, Qin Lang was undoubtedly the most outstanding.


    ¡°An instant kill!¡± Shen Qian was pumping her fists, and turned to Zhou Tianhao with an excited look in her face, ¡°Brother Zhou, how many points do you think Qin Lang will get?¡±


    The selection matches can¡¯t fully reflect Qin Lang¡¯s strength.¡± Zhou Tianhao responded with a heartyugh, ¡°There¡¯s a difference between instant kills and instant kills.¡±


    Having guided Qin Lang before, he was the one who knew Qin Lang¡¯s current strength best.


    ¡°As for the scoring, unless there are any surprises, it should be 94.0 points.¡± Almost at the same time Zhou Tianhao made his prediction, Qin Lang¡¯s score was announced in the arena. It was precisely 94.0 points.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, how did you guess the score so urately?!¡± Shen Qian was quite surprised.


    ¡°Because for the selection battle in the Youth Training Competition, the full score for a two-star Food Spirit is precisely 94 points, while the full score for a three-star Food Spirit is 96 points.¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke with a smile, ¡°Qin Lang performed wlessly on every front, of course he got the full score.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen Qian nodded, understanding, her expression then tightening slightly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean, even if Qin Lang performs perfectly in the selection battle, he still can¡¯t surpass Yu Kun?¡±


    Indeed.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much, though. The selection battle doesn¡¯t really have an impact on the subsequent ranking match. Qin Lang just needs to ensure he advances to the next stage.¡± ¡°Just like in the scoringpetition within the cooking contest, don¡¯t you often see the one whoes first in score not being able to clinch the championship in the end?¡±


    Upon hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s example from the cooking contest, Shen Qian rxed.


    Looking at it this way,ing in second seems eptable?


    In the center of the field, Qin Lang, after receiving his score, confidently returned to his seat in the contestants¡¯ preparation area.


    Getting the full score a two-star Food Spirit could attain was a small surprise for Qin Lang, but he had expected it.


    After all, it took less than a second from the time Dan Bao made its move to the end of the match.


    What¡¯s more, there was another perk. That is, Qin Lang could opt to forgo the second selection battle.


    The two selection matches were designed to give Spirit Chefs who didn¡¯t shine in the first round a chance for redemption. Spirit Chefs could voluntarily drop out, but most contestants wanted to potentially break their own limits, so they seldom do so.


    Given that he won¡¯t be getting any more points, Qin Lang decided he could afford to be a little more casual, just forgoing the afternoon match and appearing at thest announcement of the qualifiers.


    ¡°Qin Lang, you¡¯re so strong!¡± Bear Battle patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder admiringly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your Food Spirit to have such a powerfulbined battle skill.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the result of more practice.¡± Qin Lang, noticing the watchful eyes of several contestants turned towards him, responded modestly, then pped Bear Battle on the shoulder, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Having said that, Qin Lang left the contestant preparation area straightaway. This action left Yu Kun, who had just risen from his seat, reeling.


    He was the ninth contestant in line, and after Qin Lang¡¯s exit, the eighth contestant took to the field, so it was time for him to wait in the yer passage. Qin Lang didn¡¯t seem to be interested in his match¡ªthis left Yu Kun, who had been nning to outperform Qin Lang, feeling as if he were punching cotton.


    Watching Qin Lang disappear from sight, Yu Kun grit his teeth and headed toward the yer passage.


    A short whileter, it was Yu Kun¡¯s turn.


    Apanied by a violent and terrifying rattle in the field, the standard Food Spirit for the selection battle was killed instantly again. As the figment of the fierce power fell to the empty ground, dominating every corner of the field, it was as if it were channeling Yu Kun¡¯s rage.


    Unfortunately, such a spectacr disy wentpletely unnoticed by Qin Lang.


    He had already left Lanqiu Arena, meeting up with Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°It feels like such a waste, we bought the tickets, and yet only watched for such


    a short while before leaving.¡± Shen Qian spoke teasingly.


    ¡± I was already very happy that you came to watch my match. Don¡¯ t let it interfere with yourpletion of Mr. Jiang Guangchen¡¯s challenge.¡± Qin Lang replied casually.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Shen Qian¡¯s smile faded.


    Why did they have to talk about such a downer at such a happy time?!


    ¡°Do you have any ideas yet?¡± Qin Lang nced at Shen Qian and asked thoughtfully.


    None at all!¡± Shen Qian sighed, ¡°I tried several new seasoning methods, but the results weren¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡®You can do it.¡± Qin Lang patted Shen Qian¡¯s shoulder, pausing slightly before continuing, ¡°In a couple of days, I¡¯ll cook you a special dish. Perhaps you¡¯ll get some inspiration after tasting it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


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 Chapter 320: Drawing Lots

    Chapter 320: Drawing Lots


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°All thirty-nine contestants havepleted the selection and scoring round!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give our warmest apuse to thank all the contestants who showed their true selves on the field today, their determination and eagerness to strive forward is the eternal tune of the Youth Training Competition!¡±


    ¡°And now, it is my privilege to announce the rankings of this selection battle,¡± the host paused slightly. ¡°Apart from those who voluntarily gave up the second selection battle, all contestants participated in the ranking based on the highest score of their two scorings.¡±


    ¡°In thirty-ninth ce, contestant Zuo Quanyuan, with 68.3 points!¡±


    ¡°In thirty-eighth ce¡­¡±


    As the host started to announce the ranking from the back, a wave of booing echoed from the Audience Seats, indicating their interest was more on the top- ranking yers.


    Even so, the audience received each contestant who stepped out when their name was called with sincere apuse brimming with encouragement.


    Soon, the host announced the names and scores of the contestants up to the fifth ce.


    ¡°The fourth-ce contestant is¡­¡± On purpose, he paused. Everyone¡¯s eyes on-site were fixed on the four contestants whose names had not yet been called. ¡°Contestant Bear Battle! Congrattions to Bear Battle for achieving a good score of 92.0 points!¡±


    Phew!¡± Bear Battle¡¯s tense expression rxed in an instant. He promptly stepped out, waving to the direction of the Audience Seats.


    In the first round of the selection battle, his performance was mediocre, barely making it into the top ten. But after recing his Food Spirit in the second round, he unleashed an even greater power, earning a higher score, thus avoiding elimination.


    The Lv Family Sisters, who participated in thepetition along with him, did not possess such strong skills. Their rankings had already been announced.


    Lv Qianqian ranked seventh, Lv Youyou ninth.


    The two did not advance to the next round.


    The contestant who ranks third is¡­¡± The host¡¯s voice rose again, ¡°Ling Ziye! Congrattions to him for achieving a good score of 92.5 points in the selection battle!¡±


    ¡°Hehehes-¡± Ling Ziyeughingly got up and waved towards the Audience Seats. Then, he looked at Yu Kun, who was standing by his side and had not been called yet, with admiration.


    He was one of the twockeys who stood behind Yu Kun previously. Although just ackey of Yu Kun, his own strength was not to be underestimated.


    However, in the next moment, the smile faded from Ling Ziye¡¯s face. ¡°Second ce goes to our contestant, Qin Lang! His score is 94.0 points!¡± Hearing the host¡¯s words, Ling Ziye shot Qin Lang a resentful nce, speaking in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s meaningless to just have a powerful Food Spirit. If we meet in the rankingpetition, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Qin Lang coolly replied, then stepped up and waved to the Audience Seats, where the apuse and cheer were exceptionally fervent. ¡°Finally, the top-ranked contestant in the selection battle is-¡± The host¡¯s voice drew out slightly, then he abruptly pointed in Yu Kun¡¯s direction, ¡°Congrattions to contestant Yu Kun! He achieved a score of 95.3 points!¡± Louder apuse and cheers echoed from the Audience Seats, showcasing Yu Kun¡¯s poprity.


    Yu Kun lifted his head slightly, stepping out slowly with an air of arrogance on his face.


    ¡°Congrattions to the top four contestants, who have moved onto the next round!¡± The hostughed heartily, ¡°And now, let¡¯s witness the Starstone reward for these four contestants together!¡±


    As the host finished speaking, two powerful contestants appeared with alloy boxes holding Starstones and walked in front of the four contestants.


    ¡°One each. After absorption, rece the empty Starstone back to its original ce.¡±


    ¡°Gubble!¡±


    Starstones!


    Dan Bao swallowed, gazing at the Starstone beautifully set in the base of the box, shimmering with brilliant, neb-like colors. It felt a strong attraction emanating from the Starstone, itching to pounce on it.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    This one¡¯s yours!


    Spicy nudged Dan Bao, signaling it to absorb it quickly.


    Since Dan Bao was the only one to take action in the selection battle, it¡¯s only right that it gets to absorb the Starstone.


    ¡°Go ahead and absorb it,¡± Qin Lang carefully picked up the Starstone and handed it over to Dan Bao.


    Watching Dan Bao move to absorb it, Spicy quickly looked away.


    Cv~~)


    A single Starstone, it certainly didn¡¯t care!


    Seeing the light orb above Spicy¡¯s head turn red again after a while, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but smile, patting its head, ¡°The next one we get is yours to absorb!¡±


    Bear Battle suddenly leaned closer to Qin Lang, speaking in a low voice.


    ¡°Look at Yu Kun!¡±


    Hmm?


    Qin Lang followed his gaze and his expression slightly hardened.


    Yu Kun was assisting his two-star Food Spirit in absorbing the Starstone. The two stars next to his Food Spirit were glowing brightly. The light became more intense as the Star Power was being absorbed.


    Qin Lang found this situation all too familiar.


    This was an indication of a Food Spirit about to level up!


    Could it be that this guy¡­ is about to break through now?!


    Qin Lang¡¯s expression immediately tensed.


    However, the next moment, his tense expression gradually rxed.


    The two dazzling stars slowly dimmed, but their number remained the same.


    Yu Kun¡¯s expression was also slightly unpleasant, a hint of disappointment evident.


    ¡°It seems he¡¯s still a bit short,¡± grinned Bear Battle, obviously gloating, ¡°Thankfully, he hasn¡¯t broken through yet. Otherwise, by the time the rankingpetition begins, he might have given birth to a third Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°He canpletely partake in a few Spirit Battles in the next couple of days to gather the remaining Star Power, can¡¯t he?¡± Qin Lang nced at Bear Battle.


    ¡°No, he can¡¯t,¡± Bear Battle shook his head, ¡°This was his failed attempt to break through. Under these circumstances, absorbing a small amount of Star Power wouldn¡¯t likely trigger another breakthrough, unless he absorbs arge amount of Star Power again, that is, obtaining another Starstone.¡±


    ¡°So, after the first match of the rankingpetition, he¡¯s still going to break through,¡± Qin Lang rolled his eyes, ¡°I hope I run into him in the first match of the rankingpetition.¡±


    Bear Battleughed, ¡°I hope so too.¡±


    If they encounter Yu Kun in the first match of the rankingpetition, they will be up against him before his breakthrough. Not only are their chances of winning greater, but also, if Yu Kun loses, he can onlypete for the third ce, which would be a heavy blow for such a proud guy.


    While the two were chatting, the Food Spirits graduallypleted the absorption of Starstones.


    Many noticed Yu Kun¡¯s failed attempt at breaking through, and murmurs arose both on-site and from the Audience Seats.


    After safely storing the Starstones, the two powerful contestants swiftly escorted the alloy box out.


    ¡°The next rankingpetition will be held in three days!¡± The host announced loudly, ¡°Today¡¯spetition officially ends here. Next, we will start with the drawing lots for the order of the rankingpetition!¡±


    ¡°Please look at the big screen!¡±


    As the host finished speaking, four red and blue squares appeared on the big screen above, each square showed the scrolling profile pictures of the advanced contestants.


    ¡°The red and blue team will proceed with the first round of the rankingpetition, winners will be separated from losers topete in the second round!¡± The host shouted, ¡°Now¡­ stop!¡±


    As his voice fell, the profile pictures on the screen simultaneously froze.


    Red team: Qin Lang vs Ling Ziye


    Blue team: Bear Battle vs Yu Kun


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 Chapter 321: Cue

    Chapter 321: Cue


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Upon seeing the result of the draw, Bear Battle couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    This is really¡­


    A hint of helplessness also surfaced on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    If the situation is as they had just analyzed, then this drawing result is the


    worst possible scenario for Qin Lang.


    ¡°Heh!¡± Ling Ziye scoffed coldly, a triumphant glint in his eyes as he looked at Qin Lang. ¡°If you want to challenge Brother Yu Kun, you have to get through me first!¡±


    Although Qin Lang scored higher in the selection battle, Ling Ziye didn¡¯t feel too pressured.


    Because Qin Lang only participated in one selection battle, Ling Ziye believed that there was a high probability that Qin Lang only had one very strong Food


    Spirit.


    Such an opponent can indeed achieve better results in the selection battle, but


    in the Rankings Match, it¡¯s a different story.


    On the other hand, he himself had a very bnced development between his


    two Food Spirits who cooperated perfectly.


    With this in mind, his chances of defeating Qin Lang were not small!


    Thinking about the opportunity to step on the higher-ranked Qin Lang, the triumphant expression on Ling Ziye¡¯s face became even more prominent.


    Qjn Lang rolled his eyes and ignored Ling Ziye, turning his gaze to Yu Kun not far away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll learn from you again in three days.¡±


    With that, he left thepetition venue without looking back.


    Ling Ziye was instantly enraged.


    Didn¡¯t Qin Lang¡¯s words to Brother Kun imply that he is certain to win the first round?


    The guy didn¡¯t even nce at him!


    ¡°Damn you¡­¡± Ling Ziye red at Qin Lang¡¯s retreating figure, gritting his


    teeth.


    ¡°The best response to an opponent¡¯s contempt is to fight back with strength,


    Yu Kun said calmly, patting Ling Ziye¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Got it! Brother Yu Kun, I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± War intent surged even more in Ling


    Ziye¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Before the Ranking Match, let¡¯s have a few more training battles to get the feel


    of it,¡± Yu Kun suggested slowly.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Ling Ziye nodded forcefully.


    The reason he and the other Spirit Chef stuck around Yu Kun was because Yu


    Kun would often spar with them and give them pointers.


    For Yu Kun, the both of them harbored genuine admiration.


    ¡°Brother Yu Kun, if we have more Spirit Battles, do you think your Taka has a chance to upgrade to three stars?¡± Ling Ziye looked at the two-star Food Spirit next to Yu Kun.


    ¡°Not likely,¡± Yu Kun shook his head slightly, ¡°but I just need to absorb one more piece of Starstone for a stable breakthrough, so it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Ling Ziye pumped his fist, ¡°I will definitely defeat Qin Lang and then be the first to experience Brother Yu Kun¡¯s dual three-star power!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Yu Kunughed, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the training ground!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t so lucky,¡± Zhou Tianhao teased Qin Lang with a chuckle on their way back to the hotel from the Lanqiu Arena, ¡°Assuming nothing goes wrong, in the second ranking match, you¡¯ll be facing an opponent with two three-star Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡± Brother Zhou, you can stillugh!¡± Shen Qian, who was beside them, couldn¡¯t help grumbling upon hearing their analysis. ¡°It would be such a waste if Qin Lang doesn¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s all good.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°After all, didn¡¯t I enter the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition just to find a suitable opponent to gauge my progress?¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve achieved my goal, I¡¯ll do my best when ites to the championship.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, just-advanced three-star Food Spirits aren¡¯t necessarily stronger than Dan Bao and Spicy.¡±


    ¡°First of all, both Dan Bao and Spicy have a vor Value of 200 points. If the opponent¡¯s Food Spirits haven¡¯t reached their maximum vor Value, the gap in strength won¡¯t be that big.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, the newly awakened third Combat Skill might not be well-practiced by the opponent, thus they can¡¯t immediately form new Combined Battle Skills nor use them skillfully in battle.¡±


    ¡°If you think about it that way, doesn¡¯t it feel much easier?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Shen Qian didn¡¯t know much about the Training Path, but after hearing Qin Lang¡¯s analysis, she found it made a lot of sense.


    ¡°I need to remind you of something,¡± Zhou Tianhao chimed in with a smirk, ¡°the simultaneous reaching of three stars for two Food Spirits means that Yu Kun can try to open the third Star Vein ¨C the Tianji ¨C right away.¡±


    ¡°Once the Tianji Star Vein is opened, the Spiritual Power of each Star Vein will increase from 125 points to 175 points.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s a lunch break between the first match and the second.¡±


    ¡°If I were Yu Kun, I would practice the Origin Cuisine needed for the birth of the third Food Spirit in advance within these few days, and try to cook it after opening the third Star Vein.¡±


    ¡°The time might be a bit tight, but it¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    ¡± Don¡¯t underestimate newly born one-star Food Spirits, if the first Combat Skill is something special, it can also influence the battle.¡±


    Shen Qian, who had been slightly relieved, tensed up again after hearing Zhou Tianhao list these possibilities.


    Qin Lang¡¯s expression fell, ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re giving me pressure.¡±


    He had taken all of this into consideration, but in order to maintain a positive fighting mentality, he had deliberately pushed it out of his mind.


    ¡°Pressure brings motivation,¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled, ¡°Train hard these few days! Even if the opponent is strong, you¡¯re not without hope.¡±


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    The heat of the Youth Training Competition didn¡¯t wane over the two days; instead, because of the battles in the selectionpetition, it triggered wave after wave of discussion.


    The impact of the Leaping Fish Banquet hadn¡¯tpletely faded yet, and Qin Lang got recognized as expected.


    The young Spirit Chef who had gained a lot of honor in the Cooking Path participating in thepetitions of the Training Path drew a lot of attention.


    On the other hand, Yu Kun¡¯s failed attempt to break through to three stars in thest selection battle was noticed by attentive individuals, who deduced that he would be able to breakthrough sessfully after absorbing another Starstone.


    This resultant chain reaction made the uing Ranking Matches even more anticipated.


    However, Qin Lang, who was at the center of the storm, remained unaffected. In these two days, under Zhou Tianhao¡¯s guidance, he was undergoing even more brutal closed-door training.


    In just two days, both Dan Bao and Spicy had notably improved in spirit, but as for how much they¡¯d really improved, even Qin Lang the Spirit Chef had no idea.


    ording to Zhou Tianhao, their odds of winning against Yu Kun increased by 10%.


    On Shen Qian¡¯s side, five days had passed since Mr. Jiang Guangchen¡¯s test, but she was still at a loss and felt like something was missing from the dozen new dishes she had tried one after another.


    As time passed day by day, Shen Qian became increasingly restless and shut herself in the kitchen for constant trials.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break and try this.¡± Noticing that Shen Qian wasn¡¯t in a good state, Qin Lang, who had just finished his training, entered the kitchen with arge pot of deep brown broth.


    ¡°After tasting it, you mighte up with an idea.¡±


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 Chapter 322: Black Duck

    Chapter 322: ck Duck


    Trantor: 549690339 I


    ¡°Wow! What is this new delicious food?¡±


    Before Shen Qian could speak, Zhou Tianhao, who had rushed over upon hearing themotion, already had a look of anticipation on his face.


    He carefully took therge pot full of deep brown soup from Qin Lang¡¯s hand, and then magically conjured up a small spoon, scooping up a spoonful and preparing to put it in his mouth.


    ¡°Wait a moment, brother Zhou!¡±


    Qin Lang finally reacted and hurriedly stopped him.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s hand paused mid-action, a puzzled look on his face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t eat it?¡±


    It¡¯s not that it can¡¯t be eaten¡­¡± Qin Lang looked a bit strange.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s fine.¡± Without further ado, Zhou Tianhao plunged the soup into his mouth.


    The very next moment, his facial features scrunched up tightly, instantly putting on a mask of pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the taste is a bit strong.¡± Qin Lang leisurely added thetter part of his statement.


    ¡°Hiss!¡± Seeing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s pained expression, Shen Qian sucked in a breath of cold air and instinctively retreated a few steps, looking at the soup in the pot with a dash more uncertainty, ¡°What in the world is this?¡±


    ¡°Water! Water!¡± Having recovered, Zhou Tianhao grabbed arge cup of water and gulped it downpletely, finally catching his breath, ¡°That taste was really strong.¡±


    The moment the soup entered his mouth, all sorts of rich vors that would not dissolve exploded in Zhou Tianhao¡¯s mouth. It felt like he was drinking a mouthful of seasonings, and moreover, a mixture of multiple vors of seasonings.


    ¡°So this delicious food is not soup?¡± Zhou Tianhao stuck out his tongue, still recuperating from the vor just now, but his gaze towards the pot was still brimming with curiosity.


    The proofy in the pudding.


    ¡°This soup is actually a marinade.¡± Qin Lang found a slotted spoon anddled out the ingredients hidden in the soup, ¡°This delicious food is called¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhou ck Duck!¡±


    The kitchen went quiet for a moment, then Shen Qian spoke with some uncertainty, ¡°You call kelp and dried tofu ¡®duck¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Qin Lang smiled and continued to fetch ingredients from the pot.


    Duck feet, duck neck, duck corbone, duck wing, duck leg, dried tofu, lotus roots, knots of kelp, bean skin, quail eggs¡­


    A variety of mouth-watering ingredients, exuding a rich and unique aroma and deep brown odd color, looked especially tempting.


    Zhou Tianhao: ¡°¡­¡±


    He suddenly felt that his unhesitant action of scooping up the marinade and drinking a mouthful was extraordinarily foolish.


    ¡°Now it makes more sense.¡± Seeing those tempting parts of the duck, Shen Qian¡¯s face showed anticipation, ¡°Can we eat it now?¡±


    ¡°Not just yet, there¡¯s one more step.¡± Seeing the eager expressions on the two people and the eight food spirits, Qin Lang ced all the marinated ingredients on arge te, evenly sprinkled with white sesame seeds, and then looked at Spicy, ¡°elerate.¡±


    ¡°Cha Ka?¡±


    elerate what?


    Spicy showed a puzzled look.


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t cook the ingredients, did he?


    ¡°Speed up their cooling.¡± Qin Lang exined, ¡°Only after they¡¯re cooled, can you taste their perfect vor.¡±


    ¡°Cha Ka!¡±


    Got it!


    Spicy nodded its head.


    If only he had said that earlier!


    The next moment, an invisible force enveloped the various delicious foods in the te.


    While everyone was waiting, the ingredients soon cooled to room temperature. The vegetable ingredients didn¡¯t seem to have changed much from before, but the meat ingredients had undergone a noticeable transformation after cooling. Their color became a few shades darker, presenting a deep brownish-ck color, and the meat texture became firmer. Under the light, it glistened with an enticing luster.


    Combined with the sprinkled white sesame seeds, it appeared even more tempting.


    ¡°Taste it.¡±


    Qin Lang ced the te in the center of the dining table, and everyone quickly swooped in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, there¡¯s more in the marinade.¡± Seeing everyone hasty to snatch the food, Qin Lang shouted, and then leisurely picked up a quail egg and put it in his mouth, ¡°I made a lot, enough for everyone.¡±


    As he savored the fully vored quail egg with its rich marinated vor and crisp texture, along with the yolk that was no longer dry but also filled with the marinated taste after soaking up the soup, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    It is a familiar taste.


    In his previous life, he visited the founder of Zhou Hei Duck multiple times. Through sincerity, he won the person over and learned the most authentic Zhou Hei Duck marinade recipe.


    The first taste is sweet, but it is spicy in the aftertaste. The more you eat, the spicier it gets. The unique experience of sweet and spicy interweaving in the mouth is the soul of Zhou Hei Duck.


    Shen Qian picked up a piece of duck mid-wing and bit into the thickest side, savoring the taste as she chewed.


    Cooling made the duck wing¡¯s meat be firmer, giving it a noticeable bounce as she chewed on it. It was not sticky between her lips and teeth, but seemed quite chewy instead.


    Even more strangely, was its taste.


    The moment it first entered Shen Qian¡¯s mouth, she could taste the clear sweetness. But after a few more chews, once the meat was swallowed, the spiciness emerged.


    Her expression gradually changed from disinterest and expectation to seriousness and surprise.


    How did he achieve this vor transformation?!


    Sweet and spicy.


    These two extreme tastes were perfectly blended together by Qin Lang?!


    Shen Qian quickly consumed the duck mid-wing in her hand, her astonishment deepened, and her admiration for Qin Lang evident in her eyes.


    What exactly does this guy not know how to do?


    This taste¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao tasted a thoroughly marinated piece of dried tofu, the unique texture of the slightly bouncy tofu and the special vor of the marinade left him no less stunned than Shen Qian.


    If this unique vor had a name, it should be sweet and spicy.


    Sweet first, then spicy, the sweet and spicy taste perfectly intertwined.


    He never imagined that food could have such a unique taste.


    He then picked up a piece of kelp knot and tasted it again.


    The same sweet and crisp taste, but due to the different textures and inherent vors of the ingredients, there were slight variations.


    The vorful kelp knot had a crisp texture, filled with a strong sense of satisfaction from chewing, and the kelp¡¯s own umami taste blended into the sweet and spicy marinade, in such harmony.


    This reminded Zhou Tianhao of the Gravy Seafood dish that Qin Lang served at the Leaping Fish Banquet. The same sauce cooking perfectly with different ingredients, presenting different vors.


    While the sameness of the sauce gave these different vors amon feature.


    Is it theplementary rtionship between ingredients and seasonings¡­


    Zhou Tianhao showed a thoughtful look, feeling that he had learned a little more.


    As for the eight Food Spirits, they were purely in joy.


    Different Food Spirits prefer different ingredients due to their original cuisine, but here, they all can find their favorite things.


    There is more if it is not enough.¡± Seeing the progressively emptying te, Qin Lang continued to serve the food from the marinade with a smile.


    This time, Spicy consciously stepped forward, using Cooking eleration to cool the ingredients quickly.


    Shen Qian, with a duck leg in her mouth, her eyes had unknowingly be exceptionally bright.


    ¡°I get it!¡±


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    Colored egg content at the end of this chapter: [Homemade Zhou Hei Duck]

 Chapter 323: Hidden

    323 Chapter 323: Hidden


    Neither Qin Lang nor Zhou Tianhao ask what Shen Qian understood after tasting the Zhou ck Duck.


    After everyone had a full meal, Shen Qian once again locked herself in the kitchen and continued her cooking practice.


    From her refreshed appearance, it seemed that this round of practice was yielding some results.


    Time flew by, and quickly it was the next morning.


    The second round of the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition, ranking games, would take ce today.


    Walking out from his room after washing up, Qin Lang saw Shen Qian with dark circles under her eyes at the dining table.


    "You''ve¡­ been up all night?" Qin Lang blinked.


    "Yes!" Although Shen Qian looked somewhat haggard, her energy was exceptionally high, and her eyes were bright, "I''ve prepared the dish to counter Mr. Jiang Guangchen''s challenge!"


    "Keeping the iron hot, I am going to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen after breakfast!" Shen Qian''s voice was full of enthusiasm, however, that was followed by some embarrassment, "But that means I won''t be able to watch your game."


    "I''ll watch it on your behalf." Zhou Tianhao smiled as he carried various dishes out from the kitchen, "Today it''s my turn to cook. I made you guys a sure-win breakfast. Give it a try!"


    Looking at the word "Sure-Win" formed by various dishes and sauces, Qin Lang and Shen Qian were momentarily silent.


    This sure-win breakfast was highly abstract.


    "If all goes well, I should be able to get to the arena to watch your match against Yu Kun this afternoon!" Shen Qian said as she took a bite of her breakfast, "Hmm? The taste is better than expected!"


    "Hahaha, after all, I do have a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge," Zhou Tianhao scratched his head with augh.


    In the cheerful dining atmosphere, the three quickly finished their breakfast and parted ways.


    Shen Qian went alone to visit Mr. Jiang Guangchen at his residence again, while Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao headed to the Lanqiu Arena together for the second round of the Youth Training Competition.


    Before long, the two arrived at the arena.


    "Brother Zhou, I''ll go first." Qin Lang stepped onto the yer passage entrance and waved to Zhou Tianhao.


    "Don''t forget the tactics we discussed!" Zhou Tianhao cupped his hands around his mouth like a loudspeaker and shouted. Hearing the faint reply from inside the passage, he then calmly stepped into the audience passage.


    He had a calm smile on his face.


    If Qin Lang followed the tactics he had pointed out over the past two days, even against the breakthrough Yu Kun, he would have a 20% chance of winning.


    The question was whether or not Qin Lang could seize this 20% chance of victory.


    Zhou Tianhao pulled out his ticket from his pocket and began to search for his seat.


    "Fourth row... sixty-seven... ah, found it!"


    ...


    "Ladies and Gentlemen!"


    The host''s impassioned voice came from the speakers ced all around the venue at the same time, silencing the somewhat restless venue instantly.


    "Wee to the venue of the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition. Four exceptional contestants have advanced to the rankingpetition, relying on their hard work and strong abilities showcased in the selection battles!"


    "They are¡ª¡ª"


    "Contestant Yu Kun, the only one with a three-star Food Spirit in thispetition, considered the hot favourite to win!"


    "Contestant Qin Lang, who came from Tianhua State, turned heads at the Leaping Fish Banquet and then joined the youth trainingpetition!"


    "Contestant Ling Ziye, who has fought over a hundred Spirit Battles with a winning ratio of seventy-three percent at the same level!"


    "Contestant Bear Battle from Xieyu City, who advanced to the rankingpetition with his powerfulbination ofbat skills!"


    Each time the host mentioned a contestant''s name, the corresponding contestant would walk out from the yer passage, and the audience seats would burst into apuse and cheers. You could even faintly hear the voices of many audience members shouting the contestant''s name.


    The four contestants stood side by side, with a look of helplessness on Bear Battle''s face.


    Among the four, his introduction was the least impressive.


    But he couldn''t me the organizers of thepetition, because, before participating in this youth trainingpetition, he truly didn''t have any noticeable honors.


    As the four yers took the stage, the host''s voice suddenly escted, leading the atmosphere in the venue to its hottest moment, "Today! These four contestants willpete for the ranking of this Youth Training Tournament, witnessed by all of us!"


    "The champion''s crown is up for grabs, it alles down to this moment!"


    "Let''s give a loud round of apuse and wee to the battlefield, Red team''s contestants Qin Lang and Ling Ziye! Meanwhile, Yu Kun and Xiong Zhan, please return to the contestant preparation seats and wait!"


    The apuse in the venue became more and more passionate, and the cheering almost lifted the roof off the building.


    With the temporary departure of Yu Kun and Xiong Zhan, all eyes fell on Qin Lang and Ling Ziye.


    The big screen suddenly dimmed, and then rapidly scrolling entries appeared in the central part.


    Next, the mode of their battle would be drawn.


    The swiftly rolling entries were fixed by the host with a loud shout.


    [Full Lineup Combination Battle]


    "I will show you the price of arrogance!" Ling Ziye raised his hand, making a throat-shing gesture towards Qin Lang.


    His face was full of arrogance.


    The Full Lineup Combination Battle means a two against two!


    This type of fight would maximize his advantage, even luck was on his side!


    He couldn''t think of any reason why he might lose!


    Ling Ziye''s provocative action was seen by everyone through the big screen''s close-up shot, immediately intensifying the screams and cheers.


    Clearly, everyone was looking forward to the uing battle.


    Qin Lang gave Ling Ziye a strange look, then silently walked to one side of thepetition venue to prepare.


    "Hmph!" Being ignored by Qin Lang again made Ling Ziye feel as if he was punching cotton, he let out a grunt and swiftly walked to the other side of the field.


    Yu Kun''s words echoed in his mind.


    In this case, let power prove everything!


    A Spirit Executor appeared in the center of the field, serving as the referee for the battle.


    Looking at both sides of thepetition, once he confirmed both were ready, he counted down five seconds, then blew the whistle hanging from his chest.


    "Whistle¡ª¡ª"


    The sharp sound cut through the space, echoing for a long time in thepetition venue which had suddenly fallen quiet.


    On the battlefield, both sides gave their instructions the moment the whistle sounded!


    Zhou Tianhao''s tip reverberated in Qin Lang''s mind.


    "If you want to triumph against Yu Kun with weaker strength, the key lies in Spicy''s Combination Combat Skill Instantaneous sh Tooth Mark. In the case where this Combination Combat Skill is unknown to the other party, it can work more effectively unexpectedly."


    "To achieve this, try your best to hide Spicy''s power while battling against Ling Ziye, and let the opponent focus on Dan Bao, who has already revealed his strength."


    "Tactics, too, are part of a battle!"


    Tactics are also part of a battle...


    Qin Lang''s eyes gleamed as he calmly spoke.


    "Dan Bao, crush them! Spicy, use teleport interference!"


    "Gulu!"


    With a loud cry from Dan Bao, one after another golden luminous sphere about the size of a knuckle appeared around it, much like a cluster of stars surrounding it, charging at its opponent.


    The figure of Spicy shed, appearing behind the opponent like a goblin.


    The battle situation is about to explode!


    -------------


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 Chapter 324: Broken Off

    Chapter 324: Broken Off


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Shoo ¡ª Boom!!!¡±


    Following a sharp whistling sound, a terrifying explosion erupted on the battlefield, apanied by clouds of smoke and sparks, and a gale that swept across the whole arena.


    That was the result of Dan Bao¡¯s Mind-beam me Bomb hitting the opponent. Through the obscuring smoke, one could faintly see golden rainbow lights shimmering and darting within, each disying the same heart-pounding power as the initial explosion, but still held back.


    ¡± [Facing a powerful opponent, contestant Qin Lang released his Combined Battle Skills right at the start of the match, which he had previously used. So, what kind of response will contestant Ling Ziye have in this situation? Let¡¯s ¡¯ wait and see!]¡±


    Thementator¡¯s voice echoed off the field and Ling Ziye¡¯s face instantly turned solemn.


    No wonder it was the Combined Battle Skills that scored all the points from a two-star Food Spirit in the selection battle, it was indeed powerful, and its speed was also far beyond his imagination.


    Just after the first exchange, he felt somewhat caught in the opponent¡¯s rhythm.


    Moreover, Qin Lang¡¯s other food spirit, the one that appeared behind his own food spirit at the beginning of the match should also be watched out for.


    At this moment, it disappeared into the smoke with his own two food spirits, posing an equal threat.


    All the judgments shed through his mind instantly, and Ling Ziye quickly gave hismand.


    ¡°Aker, Tornado Sea Fury!¡±


    ¡°AikeAi!!!¡±


    The moment Ling Ziye gave hismand, one of the two Food Spirits, that was hidden in the smoke, screamed upwards and tints of light blue ripples emerged around it.


    These ripples spun rapidly around the spirit, the mist and wind they created quickly settled the surrounding smoke, gradually thinning the thick fog, and revealing the situation inside.


    Wind Singing Whirlpool + Water Spray.


    Combined Battle Skills, Tornado Sea Fury!


    ¡°Gudurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao¡¯s eyes flickered, and in the next moment, the Mind-beam me Bombs that were ready to explode around the smoke were all directed towards Aker.


    The golden-red light orbs and the light-blue ripples shed against each other in mid-air, the fierce confrontation between fire and water caused an ongoing storm all around.


    Qin Lang¡¯s gaze slightly tightened.


    During the previous selection battles, Ling Ziye had used this Combined Battle Skills.


    And this was in Qin Lang¡¯s analysis, the power that was most likely to threaten Dan Bao.


    After all, water has a certain degree of restraint against fire.


    So at this time, it was time for Spicy to make a move.


    Just as the swirling ripples were escting, ready to form up into a ferocious water tornado to envelop Dan Bao, Spicy, who had been constantly flickering around Ling Ziye¡¯s other food spirit, vanished again.


    This time, it appeared directly inside the raging tornado, behind Aker!


    Feeling the terrifying pressure from all directions, Spicy gritted its adorable teeth, and in the next moment bit down fiercely on Aker.


    ¡°AikeAi!!!¡±


    Caught off guard and bitten, Aker was taken aback, it immediately created distance from Spicy, a look of pain on its face.


    Also, the deployment of its Combined Battle Skills was forcibly interrupted by Spicy¡¯s interference.


    ¡°Chaka Chaba!¡±


    Surprised? Unexpected?


    With a somewhat mocking look, Spicy nced at Aker, while feeling a twinge of regret in its heart.


    To give Yu Kun a big surprise, Qin Lang didn¡¯t want to reveal his Lucky Bite Mark, so his previous bite was just a regr bite.


    If he had used the Lucky Bite Mark, this guy might have already lost hisbat capability.


    ¡°Kai!¡±


    The furious Aker turned his attention to Spicy, a gale apanied by a stream of water rushed towards Spicy.


    However, before hitting its target, Spicy¡¯s figure flickered again, gracefully leaving its original position and continued to entangle the other Food Spirit.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Ling Ziye¡¯s face darkened a bit as he watched the scene unfold.


    At first nce, Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit seemed mediocre, but owning to itsbat skill of Instant Teleportation, it was extremely troublesome to deal with.


    Both of his Food Spirits were unable to stop it from interfering.


    Even if they both focused on dealing with it, it would still dodge them with Instant Teleportation.


    [What a brilliant interruption! Qin Lang¡¯s other Food Spirit, relying on the great agility brought by Instant Teleportation, interrupted Ling Ziye¡¯s Food Spirits¡¯bined battle skills at the crucial moment!]


    [ording to the previous contest battle, Ling Ziye¡¯s two Food Spirits both masteredbined battle skills, but Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit did not participate in the contest.]


    [Besides Instant Teleportation that is currently disyed, the otherbat skill of this Food Spirit is still unknown and it is also unclear whether it has anybined battle skills. Let¡¯s wait and see!]


    With the help of the amplification equipment, thementator¡¯s voice echoes throughout the arena as the scenes of the contestants¡¯ battles are disyed on the big screen to all the audience members.


    A huge number of audience members in the audience seats expressed their excitement through passionate cheers due to the exciting shing between the two contestants.


    In a corner of the audience seats, Zhou Tianhao sits calmly on his seat, his arms crossed, watching the battle in the field, and nodding his head slightly.


    Throughbat training and various subsequent special trainings with him, Qin Lang and his Food Spirit evidently enhanced their sensitivity in battles.


    The ability to interrupt the opponent¡¯sbined battle skills at critical moments is the best proof of this.


    Go for it, Qin Lang.¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s gaze shifts to the contestant¡¯s preparation seat, ¡°After all, your opponent is not weak at all.¡±


    On the contestant¡¯s preparation seat, Yu Kun sits cross-armed, leaning against


    the backrest of the seat, calmly watching the big screen.


    Upon seeing Spicy interrupt Aker¡¯sbined battle skill, his eyes flickered insignificantly as he started developing certain expectations about the result of this battle.


    It might be hard for Ling Ziye to win.


    That guy named Qin Lang, seemed to have extensivebat experience.


    No wonder he dared to make that statement before thepetition.


    And the reality was just as he expected.


    Ling Ziye¡¯s other Food Spirit, Suo Ka, who also possessedbined battle skills, was predominantly defensive in nature. It had less offensive power and was manipted by Spicy who had richbat experience and the ability of Instant Teleportation.


    Spicy even had the energy to interrupt Aker¡¯s assault during the confrontation between Aker and Dan Bao at just the right moments.


    With Spicy¡¯s help, Aker was finally taken out by Dan Bao¡¯s Mind-beam me Bomb, and the fate of the sole remaining Suo Ka was naturally not hard to guess.


    ¡°Congrattions to contestant Qin Lang, for winning this battle and advancing to the winner¡¯s group!¡± the host¡¯s exuberant voice dered the final result of this battle.


    In the midst of thunderous apuse and cheers, Zhou Tianhao, sitting in a corner of the audience, slightly nodded his head.


    In a multi-to-multibat, the core strategy is to make the opponent lose members, create a situation with many versus few, continually expand the advantage, and achieve final victory like a snowball.


    In this battle, Qin Lang evidently achieved this.


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 Chapter 325: Suppression

    Chapter 325: Suppression


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Qin Lang, well done!¡±


    As Qin Lang left the ring and Xiong Zhan prepared to enter, they brushed past each other in the contestant¡¯s passage. Xiong Zhan patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, waving his arm as he spoke.


    While he was sitting in the contestant preparation area earlier, he had watched Qin Lang skillfully direct his two Food Spirits to tug at their opponents, nearly shouting in excitement.


    He deeply admired Qin Lang¡¯s control of the battle.


    ¡°Just luck,¡± Qin Lang modestly answered, ¡°You also need to give it your all!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xiong Zhan subconsciously agreed, then couldn¡¯t resist shrinking his head a bit, ¡°I can only barelyst a bit longer in front of Yu Kun. I hope the battle method 1 draw suits me.¡±


    Their conversation ended there. Xiong Zhan waved at Qin Lang and quickly walked towards the battlefield. Qin Lang, on the other hand, headed in the opposite direction, back to the preparation area.


    In the passageway on the other side, Yu Kun and Ling Ziye were also quietly conversing.


    ¡°Brother Yu Kun, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t defeat him!¡± Ling Ziye spoke in a low voice, his face filled with a hint of loss, ¡°I didn¡¯t even force him to use his full strength.¡±


    By this point, he had realized that Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit had purposely not usedbined battle skills, and had only used the Instant Teleportation skill for interference. This was clearly a deliberate attempt to hide his strength.


    In the face of intentionally concealed strength, he was still defeated.


    This dealt a great blow to Ling Ziye, who had always felt that while his talent was inferior to Yu Kun¡¯s, his strength was much greater than that of his other peers.


    ¡°No matter, it means that his second Food Spirit must possess abined battle skill, and the effect of this skill is quite special,¡± said Yu Kun patting Ling Ziye on the shoulder, ¡°Knowing this much is enough.¡±


    ¡°In the next battle, I will defeat him for you. But after that, you should train even harder.¡±


    ¡°Yes, big brother!¡± Ling Ziye stood straight up, looking at Yu Kun¡¯s retreating figure with admiration before calling out.


    Afterwards, he hurried back to the contestant preparation area, not even looking at Qin Lang as he focused on thepetition about to start in the center of the arena.


    There were no surprises in the battle between Yu Kun and Xiong Zhan.


    The method of battle they drew was Wheel War, and the first Food Spirit that Yu Kun sent out was his three-star Food Spirit.


    Just this one Food Spiritpletely eliminated both of Xiong Zhan¡¯s Food Spirits!


    However, Xiong Zhan¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t weak, so in order to defeat him, Yu Kun revealed even more of his own cards.


    His three-star Food Spirit had mastered two doublebined battle skills.


    Together with thebined battle skill of the other two-star Food Spirit, he possessed a total of threebined battle skills!


    The battle ended, and the audience erupted in cheers as loud as a tsunami. Many supporters of Yu Kun even started shouting, ¡°Yu Kun, champion!¡±


    ¡°The battles between the red and blue sides have concluded,¡± the host¡¯s voice echoed in the venue, ¡°Let us congratte contestants Qin Lang and Yu Kun for advancing to the winner¡¯s group. They will bepeting for the championship title this afternoon!¡±


    ¡°At the same time, let¡¯s give a round of apuse to contestants Ling Ziye and Xiong Zhan, who, although did not win, still performed admirably in this morning¡¯s battles! This afternoon, they will bepeting for the third ce.¡± ¡°And now!¡±


    The host¡¯s voice paused slightly before dramatically rising, ¡°The winners, contestants Qin Lang and Yu Kun, will receive their second ce Starstone rewards!¡±


    ¡°On top of the one they have already absorbed, they will each absorb five at once!¡±


    As soon as the words ended, cheers rose from the venue.


    This event, part of every one of thesepetitions, attracted everyone¡¯s attention at this moment.


    And the reason was simple.


    Five Starstones could easily upgrade Yu Kun¡¯s second Food Spirit to three stars!


    In the span of one afternoon, Yu Kun, both of whose Food Spirits could reach three stars, would have enough time to open the third Star Vein¡ªTianji, and even¡­


    Birth a new Food Spirit!


    Although Qin Lang had disyed astonishing battle techniques during the morning battles, most people still didn¡¯t believe that he could win the championship in the afternoon.


    Amid the cheers, the two powerful fighters who had previously appeared escorted an alloy box back onto the stage, distributing the ten Starstones inside to Qin Lang and Yu Kun.


    Looking at Yu Kun¡¯s two-star Food Spirit Star, which was shining brightly and then split into three pieces, Qin Lang sighed slightly.


    Although he had anticipated this, the pressure he felt at that moment was still overwhelming.


    After dividing the five Starstones between his two little Spirits for absorption, he returned the Starstone and went to the audience seats to look for Zhou Tianhao.


    But Yu Kun moved even faster than him.


    After the Starstone was absorbed, he almost immediately left thepetition venue.


    Seeing this made Qin Lang feel even more pressured.


    ¡°Pressure is what gives you motivation.¡± Zhou Tianhao calmly took a bite of his dish and nced at the somewhat unnatural-looking Qin Lang.


    ¡°Reliable research shows that Food Spirits improve faster when under pressure, which is often the cause of breakthroughs during battles.¡±


    ¡°Huff-¡± Qin Lang let out a heavy breath, his expression gradually rxing, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten this far, might as well go for broke!¡±


    With that, he picked up his chopsticks, grabbing the dish in front of him to eat voraciously along with the rice.


    Only after eating well, could he have the strength to battle!


    ¡°Wow, you two are already eating!¡± Shen Qian pushed open the room and saw the scene, pouting unhappily, ¡°You didn¡¯t even wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it would take you some time toe over, and that we should start first?¡± Qin Lang rolled his eyes.


    ¡°That was just me being polite, don¡¯t you get it?¡± Shen Qian took her spot at the table without hesitation, grabbing her bowl and chopsticks to fight Qin Lang for the food.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush. We still have a few dishes that haven¡¯te out yet. We¡¯re specifically waiting for you to start.¡± Zhou Tianhao pressed the bell in front of him. Soon after, the waiter brought over dish after dish of gourmet food.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, this meal is costing you quite a lot.¡± Shen Qian took a nce at the dishes and a surprised expression surfaced on her face, ¡°This Chun Man Lou is already the best restaurant in Lanqiu City, and you even ordered all the signature dishes.¡±


    ¡°Just consider it a pre-celebration,¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled.


    ¡°Then I can eat this meal with total justification.¡± Shen Qian beamed.


    ¡°Did you pass Mr. Jiang Guangchen¡¯s test?¡± Qin Lang asked, looking up as he heard this.


    ¡°I have to thank you for that.¡± Shen Qian nodded, taking out a silver-backed badge from her bosom and showing it, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the inspiration your roasted duck gave me, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy toplete the test in seven days.¡±


    ¡°Even without that hint, your chances of passing would still have been great.¡± Qin Lang shook his head, refusing to take any credit.


    He had tasted Shen Qian¡¯s unsatisfied dishes. She was onlycking some guidance.


    ¡°Regardless, you helped me get this badge. Here you go! Borrow it for a few days!¡± Shen Qian happily handed Qin Lang the badge.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Qin Langughed heartily, all the pressure from the impending battle against Yu Kun instantaneously dissolved.


    Shortcut Entry: [Monthly Pass] [Rmendation Ticket]

 Chapter 326: Harsh Words

    Chapter 326: Harsh Words


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    In the midst of lighthearted chitchat, the three of them had quickly enjoyed a feast in the finest restaurant in Lanqiu City.


    By the time the three of them reached Lanqiu Arena, the final round of the Youth Training Competition was about to start.


    ¡°Wow! True to its fame, the Rankings Match is much livelier than the previous fights.¡± Looking at the bustling crowd near the Arena, Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Was there such crowd in the morning too?¡±


    ¡°Not so much in the morning,¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled from the side. ¡°Even on the same day, different matches can be more popr than others.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. The uing contest will determine the final ranking of this Youth Training Competition, so naturally, it attracts the most attention.¡± Shen Qian nodded in understanding. ¡°We should get going then, otherwise, it¡¯s going to get even more crowded.¡±


    With that, she turned to Qin Lang and said, ¡°Qin Lang, give it your all! I believe in you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Qin Lang nodded, his mindset now much more rxed than before.


    He had made ample preparations for this battle against Yu Kun, thus he felt satisfied regardless of the oue.


    ¡°Go Qin Lang! We believe you can be the champion!¡±


    A few young boys and girls recognised Qin Lang and began cheering and waving at him from afar.


    Over a few fights, Qin Lang had gained a fanbase, though not asrge as Yu Kun¡¯s, there were still numerous supporters cheering for him.


    ¡°I will do my best!¡± Qin Lang waved back at the supporters he had never met before. He then turned to Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian. ¡°You two should get to the audience seats. I¡¯ll head to the Contestant Preparation Seat.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao didn¡¯t say anything. He patted Qin Lang on the shoulder, giving him an encouraging look, then he and Shen Qian plunged into the crowd.


    Watching the two of them enter the venue, Qin Lang walked towards the yers¡¯ Entrance, under the watchful eyes of the spectators, and arrived at the Contestant Preparation Seat.


    On the Contestant Preparation Seat, the other three yers had already arrived early and sat at both ends of the seat.


    On one side was Yu Kun and Ling Ziye sitting side by side, and on the other side was Bear Battle, who had distanced himself from the two as much as possible.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s arrival, Bear Battle¡¯s eyes lit up, and he excitedly waved at Qin Lang to sit next to him.


    Upon seeing this, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    He could tell that before he arrived, Bear Battle had been sitting alone somewhat awkwardly.


    He walked straight over and sat down next to Bear Battle, whispering, ¡°You guys came here pretty early.¡±


    ¡°Grabbed a bite nearby at noon,¡± Bear Battle scratched his head. ¡°After eating,


    I had nothing else to do, so I came early.¡±


    After speaking, a bit of awkwardness clouded his face, ¡°Not long after I arrived, those two showed up. If I had known they¡¯de this early, I would¡¯ve loafed around outside instead.¡±


    Before Qin Lang¡¯s arrival, Yu Kun and Ling Ziye sitting side by side had put a great deal of pressure on Bear Battle.


    One of them was the champion seed who had easily beaten him, and the other was the opponent he was about to face. Sitting in the Contestant Preparation Seat with them made Bear Battle feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.


    But he couldn¡¯t just leave as soon as they arrived; it would have shown that he was scared, resulting in a setback in his morale.


    With Qin Lang¡¯s arrival, the atmosphere in the arena was not so tense.


    Thinking about this, Bear Battle gave Qin Lang a grateful look and subconsciously asked, ¡°And you? Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, had a great meal at Chun Man Lou at noon. Brother Zhou treated us,¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s the finest hotel in Lanqiu City.¡± A hint of envy crossed Bear Battle¡¯s face. ¡°If I make it to third ce this time, I¡¯ll go have a taste of it, as a treat to myself.¡±


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t get that treat of yours.¡±


    Before Qin Lang could reply, Ling Ziye¡¯s derisive voice came from the other side of the seat.


    Consequently, their hushed conversation was overheard by Ling Ziye.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see who wins and who loses,¡± Bear Battle growled, ring at Ling Ziye.


    If Qin Lang had not been there, he might have just snubbed the remark. But now that it was two against two, who was afraid of whom?


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly think that just because you narrowly advanced in the fight by relying on a Food Spirit, you can challenge me in the Rankings Match?¡± Ling Ziye sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that wishful thinking?¡±


    He had a good reason to be arrogant.


    In the first fight of the selection, Bear Battle hadn¡¯t performed very well. He had only advanced to the fourth rank due to the high score in the second fight.


    This indicated that Bear Battle¡¯s two Food Spirits were imbnced in strength. Even his strongest Spirit was weaker than Ling Ziye¡¯s Food Spirit.


    No matter how you look at it, there¡¯s little suspense in this duel between the two of them.


    Not only did Ling Ziye think this way, but inte spection also leaned this way after the morning confrontation ended.


    The majority predicted that Ling Ziye and Yu Kun would win the two matches, almost confirming the specific rankings of the top four.


    ¡°You¡¯re not that great either, don¡¯t be too arrogant,¡± Qin Lang retorted, rolling his eyes in support of Bear Battle.


    Despite Bear Battle¡¯s brash and proactive demeanour, Qin Lang appreciated him for what he was. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t sit by and be a spectator.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, the arrogance on Ling Ziye¡¯s face quickly faded and he snorted discontentedly.


    The scene from that morning¡¯s fight still lingered in his mind.


    It made him incredibly ufortable to remember how Qin Lang had easily defeated him while hiding his true strength.


    Meanwhile, Yu Kun, who had been sitting with his arms folded and eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes and nced at Qin Lang. ¡°I promised Ling Ziye that I would defeat you on his behalf, are you ready for that?¡±


    ¡°The question is, are you ready?¡± With his mindset adjusted, Qin Lang was not afraid to face his soon-to-be mighty opponent. ¡°Coming here this early, does it mean you have birthed your third Food Spirit?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yu Kun shook his head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡±


    ¡°Two three-star Food Spirits and the enhanced Spiritual Power after opening the third Star Vein should be enough to crush you,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Overconfidence isn¡¯t good,¡± Qin Lang retorted indifferently, his gaze shifting back as he breathed a subtle sigh of relief inwardly.


    The fact that Yu Kun hadn¡¯t birthed his third Food Spirit was good news for him.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t rule out the possibility that Yu Kun might have said this deliberately to put him off-guard.


    After a fiery exchange of pre-match verbal assaults, the Contestant Preparation Seat returned to silence.


    asionally, Qin Lang and Bear Battle, and Yu Kun and Ling Ziye would whisper a few words to each other, but there was no longer any cross-talk between the two pairs.


    Time ticked away, and before long, the afternoon match was about to begin.


    In the midst of a grand apuse and cheering, Bear Battle and Ling Ziye simultaneously walked towards the yer Passage.


    The battle for the third ce, also known as the Loser¡¯s Bracket, was about tomence!


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 Chapter 327: Ferocious

    Chapter 327: Ferocious


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Both sides ready. In five seconds, the match will begin!¡±


    ¡°Five???? ¡±


    ¡°Four???? ¡±


    ¡°Three??? ¡±


    On one side of the battlefield, Bear Battle, who had activated Star Spirit Protection, took a deep breath. His naturally straightforward face gradually showed a touch of fierceness, and coupled with his strong physique, he looked just like a giant human-shaped bear.


    Before the match, he consulted Qin Lang on his experience fighting Ling Ziye. When Bear Battle asked for his advice, Qin Lang wasn¡¯t secretive. He shared his thoughts and strategies on Ling Ziye¡¯s Food Spirits¡¯ Battle Skills.


    These thoughts coincided with Bear Battle¡¯s own research on his opponent, prompting him to gain a bit of insight.


    One thing was clear: Ling Ziye wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Different from Ling Ziye¡¯s well-bnced development of both Food Spirits, the strengths of his own Food Spirits were unequal.


    The most powerful of the two just barely matched Ling Ziye¡¯s Food Spirits.


    He managed to advance to the selection battle, but with thisbination of


    Food Spirits in the ranking match, a loss was inevitable.


    Luckily, thepetition mode he drew this time was the Receable Wheel


    War.


    Thinking of this, Bear Battle looked at his slightly weaker Food Spirit which was about to fight as the Spirit Executor, who was acting as the referee, counted down to ¡°one¡±.


    For a moment, man and spirit looked at each other, their eyes both reflecting a firm belief.


    The next moment, apanied by a sharp whistle, the two Food Spirits swiftly approached each other. Their fierce confrontation unfolded amidst the audience¡¯s cheers and thementator¡¯s echoing voice.


    On the Contestants¡¯ Preparation Seat, Qin Lang, hugging Dan Bao and Spicy, was half-leaning on his seat, watching the fight on the Big Screen.


    As he continued to watch, his initial rxed expression turned serious, and his back straightened unknowingly.


    Bear Battle¡¯s fighting style was a bit fierce.


    He and his Food Spirit exchanged blows with the opponent in an aggressive, eye-for-an-eye manner, forcing their enemy¡¯s weaknesses to reveal through ruthless attacks.


    Even if the Food Spirit he deployed was weaker overall, by resorting to such desperate tactics, the two fought back and forth tenaciously.


    The word ¡°want to win¡± almost seemed written on his face.


    Qin Lang fell silent, remembering Bear Battle quietly asking him about his thoughts on Ling Ziye¡¯s two Food Spirits before the match.


    This guy¡­


    ¡°Really interesting indeed!¡±


    In the Audience Seats, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes lit up. Looking at Bear Battle in the center of the field, his face showed surprise and admiration.


    He also followed Bear Battle¡¯s previous battles, and his opponent had never shown such ferocity before.


    Of course, this might have something to do with his previous opponent being


    Yu Kun.


    Such a heated battle was rightfully praiseworthy to Zhou Tianhao, a Spirit Chef who hade a long way down the training path.


    Shen Qian, sitting beside him, noticed the significant injuries on both Food Spirits, and her eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too brutal? The Food Spirits are so severely injured; can they continue?¡±


    One of her key reasons for not being interested in the training path was that Spirit Battles could cause damage to the Food Spirits.


    Although the Food Spirits wouldn¡¯t fall and only lose theirbat capability, it wasn¡¯t something that Shen Qian, who adored her Food Spirits, could ept.


    Zhou Tianhao paused briefly before giving Shen Qian a serious look.


    His extensive experience allowed him to see Shen Qian¡¯s thoughts within a nce. In fact, he had encountered many Spirit Chefs like her before.


    ¡°Shen Qian, look at the expressions of those two battling Food Spirits.¡± Zhou Tianhao suddenly spoke. ¡°Do you see any reluctance or unwillingness in them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Shen Qian looked carefully at the two Food Spirits before shaking her head.


    Other than showing a look of pain at the instant of the injury, the two Food Spirits were always fixated on their opponents for the rest of the time.


    Engrossed and resolute.


    ¡°Food Spirits, are the power of the Spirit Chef, but they are also the partners of the Spirit Chefs.¡± Zhou Tianhao softly began, ¡°They have their own thoughts, and what a qualified Spirit Chef should do is to guide and support.¡±


    ¡°You must have been tested by quite a few Food Rmenders, but you¡¯ve never been tested by a Spirit Executor, have you?¡± He looked Wen Qian, who was shaking her head, andughed.


    ¡°The test of the Spirit Executor, besides the obvious tests, also has a hidden evaluation point that the Food Rmenders¡¯ test does not include.¡±


    ¡°That is the degree of fit between the Spirit Chef and the Food Spirit.


    ¡°If the Food Spirit doesn¡¯t want to battle and the Spirit Chef forces it into battle, he will never receive any Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badges.¡±


    ¡°This means that the Spirit Chefs and Food Spirits that you see on stage share the same goal. They are profoundly passionate about battling.¡±


    ¡°Would you stop cooking because you identally cut your hand?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Shen Qian shook her head without any hesitation.


    ¡°Exactly, so they wouldn¡¯t stop battling just because they got injured.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°You know, I have four Food Spirits.¡±


    ¡°Although I am the training champion in Tianhua State, not all my Food Spirits like to battle.¡±


    ¡± Ji is very kind and neverins. I know well that it isn¡¯t really interested in battles, it just works hard in training to cooperate with me.¡±


    ¡°So, unless I need all four Food Spirits to battle at the same time, I always give Ji the opportunity to stay off the battlefield, giving it more chances to do what it likes.¡±


    ¡°The other three Food Spirits are very interested in battling. Most of the time, without me saying anything, they would spar with each other to improve their strengths.¡±


    ¡°The reason why I could be the training champion isn¡¯t because of how amazing I am but because I have these Food Spirits that make me proud.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°So don¡¯t think that battling is cruel.¡±


    ¡°For us, it is a process of pleasure through pain.¡±


    Shen Qian seemed thoughtful as she cast a nce at the situation on stage.


    Bear Battle¡¯s first Food Spirit lost itsbat ability, while Ling Ziye¡¯s first Food Spirit was still battling on the stage, but it looked quite miserable and obviously had lost a lot of its stamina.


    At this moment, Bear Battle deployed his second Food Spirit. In contrast, Ling Ziye decided to change Spirit, giving his first Food Spirit a chance to rest and adjust.


    ¡°Big Brother Zhou, who do you think will win?¡±


    ¡°Before this match began, like most people, I believed Ling Ziye would win.¡± Zhou Tianhao hesitated for a moment, ¡°But now¡­¡±


    ¡°I think the winner will be Bear Battle.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s congratte Bear Battle! With a brilliant and fierce battle, he defeated Ling Ziye and won the third ce in this Youth Training Tournament!¡±


    In the host¡¯s passionate voice, the whole audience erupted.


    Before this battle, most people had favored Ling Ziye.


    However, Bear Battle managed to turn the game around with his and his Food Spirits¡¯ fighting will and won surprisingly.


    ¡°Next, let Qin Lang and Yu Kune on stage.¡±


    ¡°The champion of this youth training tournament will be decided between them!¡±


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 Chapter 328: Soul Swap

    Chapter 328: Soul Swap


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Do you know where you lost?¡±


    Just as he was about to step onto the battleground, Yu Kun paused in the yer passage, looking calmly at the dejected Ling Ziye.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Ling Ziye was silent for a moment, then shookhis head.


    He still couldn¡¯t figure out how he, with all-roundprehensive strength, could lose to Bear Battle.


    ¡°Fighting spirit.¡± Yu Kun spoke gravely, ¡°Bear Battle¡¯s will to win thepetition was stronger than yours.¡±


    ¡°Will¡­¡± Ling Ziye fell silent again.


    He had never taken this seriously before, even thinking it somewhat mystical.


    Could this really influence the oue of apetition?


    But recalling Bear Battle¡¯s vicious demeanor and sharp tactics during the fight, Ling Ziye had to admit that Yu Kun was right.


    ¡°There are many areas where you need to improve,¡± Yu Kun said calmly, ¡°This loss might be a good thing for you.¡±


    ¡°I have to go on stage now.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Brother Yu Kun!¡± Ling Ziye¡¯s spirits lifted, and he waved his arm at


    Yu Kun, ¡°That Qin Lang definitely won¡¯t be a match for you.¡±


    Yu Kun stepped out of the passage and onto the battleground filled with cheers and apuse, leaving only one indifferent phrase behind.


    ¡°Sit on the contestant preparation seat, and watch closely!¡¯


    On the other side, after chatting with an excited Bear Battle for a few moments, Qin Lang also started to step out.


    Both stepped out from different passages, the entrances located at either end of the fight tform.


    The moment they appeared, both fighters felt something. They looked in each other¡¯s direction from afar.


    It was as if an electric light shed at the point where their gazes met.


    ¡°So now, let¡¯s see what type of battle contestants Qin Lang and Yu Kun are going to engage in!¡± The host¡¯s voice rose as he raised a hand and pointed towards the big screen above, ¡°The draw begins!¡±


    The giant screen suddenly went ck, and the words started to roll quickly on the screen.


    ¡°Gurgh¡­¡±


    Watching the rolling words nervously, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help holding his breath.


    ¡± when the soldierse, block them; when the wateres, bury it with dirt.¡± Qin Lang took a deep breath as he felt his heartbeat quicken.


    In his uing battle against Yu Kun, he was at a clear disadvantage. Under these circumstances, any factor could greatly influence the oue of the match.


    Before the start of the game, Zhou Tianhao had already analyzed three differentbat scenarios for him.


    Three modes of Spirit Battle: Receable Wheel War, Multiple-on-Multiple Combination Battle, and Full Lineup Combination Battle.


    For the Multiple-on-Multiple Combination Battle, a second draw is held; the drawn number is greater than one but does not exceed the total number of the Food Spirits on the side with fewer Food Spirits.


    And in a Full Lineup Combination Battle, both sides send out all their Food Spirits at once, even if one side has fewer Food Spirits.


    Given that both Qin Lang and Yu Kun each have two Food Spirits, these two types of fights do not differ much and will eventually evolve into a two-on-two fight.


    So in actuality, they could only draw two types of fights: Wheel War and two- vs-two; thetter being more likely to be drawn.


    However, for Qin Lang, the former has a higher chance of victory.


    With Spicy¡¯sbinedbat skills and the strong output from Dan Bao, Qin Lang could make some tricky moves in the Receable Wheel War, thus triumphing over stronger opponents.


    Just hope that luck will be on his side.


    Perhaps hearing Qin Lang¡¯s silent prayer, the rolling words on the screen began to slow down, finally stopping at [Receable Wheel War].


    ¡°The match style drawn by the two contestants is¡ªReceable Wheel War!


    ¡°Next, please take your Spirit Recement Stones and prepare for battle!


    ¡°And viewers, be sure to keep your eyes peeled because this exciting battle is about to begin!¡±


    Upon the echoes of the host¡¯s voice, the audience erupted into an echo of responses.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, did you say that the Receable Wheel War is more advantageous for Qin Lang?¡± Shen Qian¡¯s face lit up with surprise, ¡°Does that mean Qin Lang has a higher chance of winning?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly, a strange expression crossing his face as he thought about a certain strategy that Qin Lang had developed with his help.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to watch this fight closely.¡± Watching Qin Lang prepare for battle after receiving the Spirit Recement Stone from the Spirit Executor serving as the referee, a mix of encouragement and anticipation flooded Shen Qian¡¯s face.


    ¡°So this is the Spirit Recement Stone¡­¡±


    Qin Lang looked at the fingerless glove on his hand.


    A white stone¡ªas radiant asmb fat jade under the sunlight¡ªwas fixed onto the back of the glove.


    This was amon prop used in Receable Wheel Wars. However, because of its high price, it was not often seen in regr Spirit Battles and City-level Spirit Battle tournaments.


    It was only fully supplied in higher level Provincial-level events.


    Qin Lang had not used a Spirit Recement Stone when he participated in the Youth Training Competition in Bai Lu Mountain City. Perhaps because the Lanqiu City Imperial Chef Association was more generous, he could try it out this time.


    The Spirit Recement Stone has a simple function: to enable quick recement of Food Spirits in Receable Wheel Wars.


    Once it locks onto a Food Spirit that has entered the war, it uses the resonance with the special battle array that seals and restores all the Food Spirits on the field, instantly withdrawing the Food Spirit, thus achieving quick recement of Food Spirits in aplicated battle.


    In a Receable Wheel War, Food Spirits can be reced mid-fight. As long as the reced Food Spirit hasn¡¯t lost itsbat capability, it can reenter the battle. To ensure fairness, there are limitations to recements.


    The first is a cooling-off restriction. A Food Spirit can only be reced every twenty seconds.


    Though it seems short, in a Food Spirit¡¯s battle, twenty seconds is enough for numerous rounds ofbat.


    The second limitation is the attack restriction. A Food Spirit¡¯s recement can only ur when the opponent has already made a move and the Spirit Chef has not yet made another move.


    Once the opponent has made a move, it means that the Food Spirit about to be reced could not avoid critical attacks by using the recement rule.


    While the Spirit Chef not making another move means he cannot use the recement rule to exploit the time difference by taking the lead to drain the opponent.


    Without the Spirit Recement Stone, judgments regarding the recement of Food Spirits during a battle have to be made by the referee.


    With the Spirit Recement Stone, the referee¡¯s job is considerably lightened. During the battle, as long as a recement point is reached, the Spirit Recement Stone will sh to prompt the Spirit Chef. In non-points, the Spirit Recement Stone will be invalid.


    After inspecting the Spirit Recement Stone, Qin Lang clenched his fist slightly and looked over at Dan Bao and Spicy, ¡°We go ording to the strategy!¡±


    ¡°Gurgh!¡±


    ¡°Chakka!¡±


    Expectation shone in the eyes of both Food Spirits; it was clear that they understood what Qin Lang¡¯s strategy meant.


    Spicy¡¯s face was full of eagerness.


    Finally, its time to shine had arrived!


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 Chapter 329: Pinball

    Chapter 329: Pinball


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Both sides are ready, please confirm the Food Spirits for battle,¡±


    The referee¡¯s voice echoed throughout the stadium with the help of the amplification equipment. Qin Lang and Yu Kun exchanged nces, and then each sent out a Food Spirit to the centre of the battle area.


    On Qin Lang¡¯s side, Dan Bao was sent out.


    On Yu Kun¡¯s side, he sent out his Food Spirit who had already reached Three


    Stars.


    Upon seeing this Food Spirit, Bear Battle showed a hint of unease on his face. In this morning¡¯s contest, his two Food Spirits were easily defeated by Yu Kun¡¯s Food Spirit.


    This Food Spirit mastered two different Combined Battle Skills, it was very strong!


    Ling Ziye, who was also sitting in the contestant¡¯s preparation seat, clenched his fists and ced them on his thighs near his knees, his face full of excitement.


    Being familiar with Yu Kun, he knew very well how strong this Food Spirit named Thor that Yu Kun had sent out was.


    Qin Lang, wait to be pierced through and through!


    ¡°Countdown to five, the match begins.¡± The referee¡¯s face was calm. After he nced at the Food Spirits sent by both sides, he then began to count down loudly, ¡°Five¡­ Four¡­ Three¡­¡±


    With each number counted, the atmosphere in the stadium became more intense. The audience, which had been continuously cheering, suddenly fellpletely silent like the calm before a storm.


    Qin Lang and Yu Kun simultaneously activated their Star Spirit Protection, looking at each other through the light membrane with intense fighting spirit.


    ¡°Two¡­ One¡­¡±


    ¡°Whistle??? ¡±


    The shrill whistle pierced through the sky, and thebatants on both sides started moving at the same time.


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    The force of the invisible power suddenly exploded, the instantaneous pressure caused the air around to be smashed apart. Dan Bao¡¯s body charged towards the opponent like a cannonball, with rings of air pulsating behind him.


    Unexpectedly, at the start of the match, Dan Bao did not choose to use the


    Mind-beam me Bomb for long-range attacks like before, but instead, he exploded with the fastest speed using Thought Waves, rushing towards Thor at close range!


    ¡°Child¡¯s y!¡± Yu Kun shook his head slightly and quickly uttered in a deep voice, ¡°Thor, Thunderfire Whip!¡±


    ¡°Toka-T!¡±


    The Three Stars Food Spirit, Thor, understood perfectly. Blinding firelight and electric arcs appeared around him, and after a violent shake of his body, a purple-red whip shadow made a piercing sound as it ruthlessly attacked the charging Dan Bao.


    Electric Arc Punishment + Red me Burning.


    Combined Battle Skills, Thunderfire Whip!


    He was showing one of the two Combined Battle Skills he mastered that had the stronger offensive power, demonstrating Thor¡¯s determination to crush Dan


    Bao.


    The long whip formed of mes and electric arcs left a phantom in the void, and in an instant reached close to Dan Bao.


    Seeing the two about to collide, the audience seats erupted into gasps.


    However, in face of such a dangerous situation, aided by the Star Spirit Protection, feeling the immense pressure sensed by Dan Bao close at hand, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes shed a hint of sharpness.


    ¡°Now is the time!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Dan Bao grunted, and the next moment, his body shuddered drastically.


    Simr to how a ball bounces off a wall, the fully charged Dan Bao hit an invisible barrier gathered by itself in the air.


    His flying angle weirdly twisted, barely evading the terrifying whip shadow just in time.


    [What an amazing response! Using Thought Waves for eleration, and changing his own flying direction using Thought Waves, such a clever use of skills is absolutely impressive!]


    Excitedmentary reached his ears, but Yu Kun just huffed lightly with no major change in facial expression.


    If he could dodge one whip shadow, what about more?


    With a thought from Yu Kun, Thor¡¯s body spun in the air like a spinning top, and upon closer inspection, one could see that the trajectory of this spin waspletely irregr, constantly switching between horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions.


    As Thor spun, whip shadowsshed out from all directions, ruthlessly enveloping therge area where Dan Bao was, like a heavenly on earth, trapping Dan Bao within!


    Facing such a fierce attack, Dan Bao¡¯s body repeatedly hit invisible barriers in the air, like a three-dimensional pinball bouncing all over, quickly changing its direction of travel.


    If you looked carefully, you could see that Dan Bao¡¯s body was constantly rotating and flipping in these collisions, but its internal head remained staring in Thor¡¯s direction, never rotating with its body.


    Relying on this clever skill, it not only avoided getting dizzy, but also managed to weave through the quickly passing whip shadows with ease, getting closer and closer to Thor.


    In the audience, the cries of amazement were growing.


    Because the skill Dan Bao was showing at this moment was somewhat magical. ¡°Dan Bao really learned the essence of Lark¡¯s Thought Power Pinball.¡± Watching this scene from the audience seats, Zhou Tianhao burst intoughter. ¡°This is Lark¡¯sbat technique?¡± Shen Qian next to him asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a manner of using Thought Waves that Lark tried a long time ago; it¡¯s rather clever, but he himself couldn¡¯t sustain it,¡± Zhou Tianhao replied, a strange look on his face.


    ¡°Lark can bounce back and forth up to thirteen times, any more than that and he willpletely lose his sense of direction and get dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Why can Dan Bao¡­¡± Shen Qian¡¯s eyes widened.


    Dan Bao¡¯s body was elerating with each bounce almost to the point of afterimage and didn¡¯t seem to have any major problems at this point?


    ¡°Different Food Spirits, due to the differences in Origin Cuisine and other factors, take on different forms. Some unique forms endow the Food Spirits with certain advantages in some aspects; this can be considered a kind of unique talent,¡± Zhou Tianhao pointed at Dan Bao in the center of the field.


    ¡°The shape of Dan Bao¡¯s body is very unusual. Its head is inside its body, which ispletely hollow, and they can move on different trajectories.¡±


    ¡°This means that as long as Dan Bao undergoes some targeted training, he can quickly master the skill of not getting dizzy.¡±


    ¡°This was also one of the elements of special training Qin Lang and I did in the past few days.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Shen Qian finally understood.


    in the meantime, the situation in the field was changing rapidly during their conversation.


    After confirming that Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit could dodge the Thunderfire Whip using that strange skill, Yu Kun immediately had Thor stop attacking.


    To continue the attack would be to causelessly deplete strength.


    ¡°Thor, ze of Light!¡±


    ¡°Thor Kaka!¡±


    Thor yelled out, shooting up into the sky, blindingly bright light erupting all around him.


    This strong light not only illuminates but also inflicts a certain degree of burning damage within the light. This damage can¡¯t instantly defeat the opponent, but if the opponent continuously remains within the strong light, the burning damage will add up without a cap.


    Blinding Light + Red me Burning.


    Combined Battle Skills, ze of Light!


    Thor¡¯s secondbined battle skill made its appearance at this moment!


    No matter how cleverly Dan Bao bounced, it was still within the range of the light. Faced with such undiscriminating attack, no matter how skillful the moves were, they were meaningless.


    The situation began to tilt in Yu Kun¡¯s favor!


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 Chapter 330 - 330 Advantage

    Chapter 330: Advantage


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Dan Bao, Full Firepower!¡±


    Having conducted extensive research on his opponent in advance, Qin Lang had foreseen Yu Kun¡¯s moves.


    After Yu Kun executed the ze of Light, he was not the least bit panicked.


    Instead, he calmly gave Dan Bao the next instruction.


    ¡°Inhale¡ªexhale!!!¡±


    Dan Bao took a deep breath, raising its head as countless sparks pulsed within


    its body.


    Under the blinding light, it squinted slightly but resolutely propelled a zing me towards the direction where light erupted.


    With Dan Bao¡¯s current proficiency in the Combat Skill Full Firepower, it was a breeze for it to control the form of the me it emitted.


    The me,pressed to an extremely thin state, pierced through the void as sharp as a sword and then dispersed like an umbre at the end, blocking all the light within a certain area.


    Using the brightness of the me to resist the light was somewhat like fighting


    fire with fire.


    However, Yu Kun¡¯s face remained unchanging as he watched this scene, a trace of contempt shed in his eyes.


    How could abined battle skill be suppressed so easily?


    The ze of Light was abined battle skill integrating Light Piercing and


    Red me Burning, thus it had the characteristics of both skills as well as a brand-new manifestation.


    Among these two skills, the Light Piercing had a strong prating effect, which could break most cover and illusions, it was not merely a simple illumination.


    This property was also evident in the ze of Light!


    That golden light seemed to take on a substantial form as it shed with the crimson me that filled half the sky. Then, bit by bit, it infiltrated through the indiscernible small cracks, as if it had pierced countless holes in the umbre of mes and passed through them!


    ¡°Such strong prability.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s expression changed subtly and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.


    Fortunately, he still had a trick up his sleeve!


    ¡°Dan Bao!¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    Dan Bao responded. A mixed golden-red light seemed to sh in its eyes.


    The next moment, on the red me umbre, a flurry of even brighter golden- red dots suddenly emerged.


    That is¡­


    The look on Yu Kun¡¯s face finally changed.


    He was naturally aware of thebined battle skill of Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit.


    In his view, the only threat to his Thor came from the explosivebined battle skill of the Food Spirit.


    Because of this, he was always on guard against the other party¡¯s use of that


    move.


    Unexpectedly, Qin Lang actually hid the mind-beam me bomb within the me!


    Thisbined battle skill, which was formed by extremepression of the me under mental control, was undetectable within the me before it exploded!


    At this moment, the me umbre was dangerously close to Thor!


    So close that even dodging would be difficult!


    This sudden change of tactics truly caught him off guard!


    [It¡¯s abined skill! Contestant Qin Lang hid hisbined skill within Full Firepower, aiming to catch contestant Yu Kun off guard. Judging by the current situation, he has achieved his goal! This is truly astoundingbat skill!]


    Listening to thementator echoing through the arena, Zhou Tianhao, sitting in the audience, leaned back slightly with his arms crossed, his expression enigmatic.


    The conversation he had with Qin Lang two days ago now surfaced in his mind.


    ¡°Qin Lang, Dan Bao¡¯sbined battle skill is a purely offensive skill. While its power is noteworthy, it also has corresponding shorings. Do you know what they are?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou, please enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°The trajectory of the Psychomaic me Explosion is too clear, and its control is not that stable. In other words, as long as the opponent can intercept, it halfway, they can detonate it in advance without getting hurt by themselves.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, but it seems that thisbined battle skill cannot be concealed, unless they learn illusion-basedbat skills to assist it in the future.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s another method.¡±


    ¡°What method?¡±


    ¡°The best way to hide a drop of water is to drop it into a cup of water.


    ¡°I see!¡±


    ¡°Retreat at full speed! Thunderfire Whip!¡±


    Yu Kun shouted, his face suddenly turning serious.


    Although Qin Lang¡¯s change of tactics was abrupt, hisbat experience was equally rich, and he made the right choice at the right time.


    ¡°Thor!¡±


    Thor showed a serious expression, arcs of electricity and fire surrounding him. In the process of madly spinning and retreating, he swung out sessive bursts of purple-red whishes in the air.


    These whishes collided one by one with the golden-red dots that were shot out, causingrge explosions of fire and smoke in the air.


    However, the distance between the two was too close. Even if Thor did his best to intercept, he still couldn¡¯t block all of the Mind-beam me Bombs. Even if he seeded in blocking, he would still be affected by some of the shockwaves at this distance.


    ¡°Boom boom boom boom boom


    A series of explosions filled the sky, covering the entire battlefield in smoke, as if a cloud had formed overhead.


    ¡°Swoosh ¡±


    A figure shot out from the smoke, flying towards Dan Bao. The surrounding lightning and mes transformed into a long-standing whish, much like a long knife, and struck harshly towards Dan Bao!


    Thor¡¯s eyes filled with anger, his body was covered in dust, looking a bit miserable.


    Facing an opponent who is one star lower than himself and ending up in such a miserable state, it was utterly humiliating. Therefore, this strike was made with all his strength.


    Looking at the terrifying whish, a cunning smile appeared in the eyes of Dan


    Bao.


    The next moment, the invisible thought power enveloped it. Just as when the battle started, Dan Bao flew towards the distance. The sonic boom rings emerging in its wake as it sped away from the range of Thunderfire Whip¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The whish struck hard on the battleground, leaving a noticeable charred mark. Traces of electric arcs were still jumping around the mark, a frightening sight to behold.


    Thor, missing his attack and filled with even more anger, chase after Dan Bao.


    At that moment, Yu Kun¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡°Thor, stop chasing!¡±


    Thor¡¯s movements halted abruptly, his eyes filled with reluctance.


    As Dan Bao was enveloped in a milky white halo, it disappeared from its original position, appearing next to Qin Lang as if it had been teleported.


    As Thor attacked once, the moment to rece the Food Spirit arrived.


    At the instant when the Spirit Recement Stone lit up, Qin Lang triggered it without hesitation.


    ¡°Qin Lang chooses to rece his Food Spirit at this crucial moment! We can see that in the previous round of battle, Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit didn¡¯t lose too much thanks to its excellentbat skills. On the contrary, it injured its opponent.¡± ¡°The next Food Spirit that Qin Lang is about to use has not shown much of its strength in previous battles. The only certainty is that it has thebat skill ¡®Instant Teleportation¡¯. This time we should be able to see its full strength.


    As thementator exined, Spicy bopped its ear with Dan Bao¡¯s big tail and flew towards thebat station.


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 Chapter 331: Solidification

    Chapter 331: Solidification


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°ck!¡±


    Spicy exchanged a nce with Thor, who was floating in midair, a bit disheveled, his eyes filled with fury. A keen sparkle of anticipation spread across both their faces.


    It¡¯s finally its turn!


    It hadn¡¯t been able to unleash its full strength before, but now, it¡¯s time to astound everyone!


    Ever since it masteredbination battle skills, Spicy had never demonstrated them in public!


    Now, it¡¯s finally got a chance!


    ¡°Beep ¡±


    With a whistle, the battle resumed.


    ¡°Thor, ze of Light!¡±


    Yu Kun spoke without hesitation.


    He¡¯d suspected from the start that Qin Lang had held back his second Food Spirit¡¯s fullbat power during the bout against Ling Ziye, keeping his trump card hidden to surprise him.


    Therefore, the moment Dan Bao was reced, he ordered Thor to stop his pursuit, avoiding wasted effort, and saving strength to face the iing opponent.


    Given the known circumstances, Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit possessed teleportation abilities. As such,nding a hit with the Thunderfire Whip would be challenging. But the indiscriminate attack, ze of Light, would still be effective.


    Undoubtedly, Yu Kun¡¯s response was correct. As Thor suddenly rose to the sky, radiating dazzling light, a hues of irritation flickered across Spicy¡¯s face.


    Spicy had just witnessed Dan Bao artfully evade the Thunderfire Whip with abination of thought power and propulsion. At this moment, it naturally wanted to demonstrate its own dexterity in front of the audience by dodge the Thunderfire Whip using instant teleportation.


    The opponent not using the Thunderfire Whip against it had fallen through its ns.


    ¡°Keep your distance.¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s voice resounded in its mind.


    Understanding immediately, Spicy winked out of sight and reappeared at the farthest corner of the battlefield from Thor.


    Spicy did not have Dan Bao¡¯s ability to withstand light attacks. Therefore, all it could do was brace itself and try to minimize the damage.


    The nature of light is such that the farther one is from the light source, the less light is received. This held true even for ze of Light. Once it moved farther from Thor, the damage Spicy sustained lessened significantly.


    ¡°Go after it.¡± The unflinchingmand rolled off Yu Kun¡¯s tongue.


    Thus, the tiny sun formed by Thor in the air obediently moved toward Spicy.


    However, its flying speed was no match for teleportation. After Thor closed in and narrowed the distance to some extent, Spicy blinked out of sight and reappeared on the other side of the arena.


    Thus, the distance between it and Thor became even greater than before.


    Realizing that this move was having little impact on Spicy, Yu Kun quickly changed his strategy and had Thor halt in mid-air, right in the center of the battlefield.


    Spicy too, obediently stayed at the corner of the battlefield, conserving energy and withstanding the increasing severity of ze of Light¡¯s burn.


    The battle had quickly descended into this peculiar deadlock.


    Not only did whispers of discussion break out among the audience, but Yu Kun, who was the opponent, was also slightly puzzled.


    What was Qin Lang trying to do?


    He originally thought that Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit had some powerful trump card.


    But now, his guess started to waver.


    As time went on, Spicy¡¯s burn wound from ze of Light was only going to get worse.


    If he were Qin Lang, he wouldn¡¯t wait if he had a trump card.


    But if Qin Lang didn¡¯t have a trump card, then what¡¯s the meaning of what he¡¯s doing now?


    Biding time?


    Yu Kun nced at Dan Bao, who was standing beside Qin Lang.


    In a receable Wheel War, the condition of a Food Spirit cannot be naturally restored.


    The energy that Qin Lang¡¯s previous Food Spirit expended in battle was not recoverable, so the rationale of buying time wasn¡¯t correct either.


    For a moment, Yu Kun suddenly felt at a loss.


    What exactly¡­did Qin Lang mean?


    ¡°Big Brother Zhou! What is Qin Lang doing!¡± Fretful anxiousness appeared on Shen Qian¡¯s face in the audience seats, ¡°Spicy¡¯s injury is getting worse!¡±


    Under the close-up of the big screen, Spicy¡¯s originally fluffy brown body now had faint red burn marks appearing on it, with some darkened with charring, and its expression was slightly pained, obviously suffering.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Zhou Tianhao patted Shen Qian¡¯s shoulder, his face simrly serious, ¡°Qin Lang is waiting for an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°What opportunity?¡± Shen Qian subconsciously asked aloud.


    ¡°An opportunity¡­ to deliver a fatal blow.¡±


    As time ticked by, Yu Kun gradually rxed.


    The only way to counter thebat skill ¡®ze of Light¡¯ was to interrupt it.


    The longer the exposure, the higher the umted damage.


    The instant damage of thisbat skill isn¡¯t high, but it¡¯s its stacking effect that is the most terrifying.


    Considering the time, Qin Lang¡¯s two-star Food Spirit should soon be unable to fight, right?


    Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Yu Kun¡¯s face.


    Undoubtedly, using such arge-scale Combined Battle Skill for a long time would also deplete Thor¡¯s power significantly.


    Considering the consumption from the previous battle, after defeating Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit, Thor should also step down.


    But he had another three-star Food Spirit in peak condition, while Qin Lang, all he had left was a two-star Food Spirit that wasn¡¯t at its peak.


    Admittedly, he had to admit that Qin Lang did have some ability to force him to y the wheel war by using two Food Spirits, at least he was stronger than Bear Battle.


    But that was it.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to end this!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time to end this!¡±


    A sharp look appeared in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    Spicy had been enduring damage under the opponent¡¯sbinedbat skill, and as a Spirit Chef, he naturally felt distressed.


    But, there was no other way.


    The power of Instant sh Bite Mark lies in the abruptness of its attack and the form of its distance, but its core is simr to Lucky Bite Mark, it still relies on the probability of triggering a special effect to y a decisive role.


    After the special training by Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao, they concluded that the trigger probability of Spicy¡¯s Instant sh Bite Mark is double that of Lucky Bite Mark, and it also changes with the difference in power between the two sides.


    The difference in power is not just the difference inbat power value between two Food Spirits.


    The amount of power a Food Spirit still has also ys a crucial role in influencing the probability.


    In order for Spicy, a two-star Food Spirit, to trigger the fatal blow more stably against a three-star Food Spirit, it must deplete the opponent¡¯s power in advance.


    And now, feeling the no longer intense mini-sun in the air, Qin Lang knew that the opportunity he was waiting for had arrived!


    ¡°It¡¯s now!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s confident voice echoed in Spicy¡¯s mind.


    A sharp look appeared in Spicy¡¯s eyes, and in the next moment, it viciously bit towards the void.


    A ten-meterrge shadow of sharp teeth abruptly appeared around the mini- sun in the void, instantly mping down.


    The light enveloping every corner of the battlefield stopped abruptly at this moment.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    Thor in the air fell straight to the ground, emitting a dull sound.


    The entire arena fell silent in an instant; you could hear a pin drop.


    Yu Kun¡¯s pupils contracted abruptly, the smile froze on his face.


    How could this happen?!


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 Chapter 332: Invincible

    Chapter 332: Invincible


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    [Extra Chapter for July]


    A moment of silence passed, then a startled noise spread throughout the arena.


    Just seconds ago, they thought that the appearance of Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit was a joke, incapable of causing any damage to his opponent.


    Now they suddenly realized that their own thoughts were the joke.


    However, no one still understood how Qin Lang aplished it.


    They were waiting for thementator to provide the answer.


    But this time, it seemed that even thementator had difficulty understanding.


    After a full minute, the big screen in the arena finally showed a slow-motion rey of the moment when Spicyunched its attack.


    An incredible attack!¡± eximed thementator in amazement. ¡°This must be thebinedbat skill of Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit. Judging from the performance of thebat skill, the other skill that makes it up must be Lucky Bite Mark!¡±


    ¡°I understand now why Qin Lang chose to withstand his opponent¡¯s attacks for so long!¡± With this realization, a sense of sudden understanding entered thementator¡¯s voice. ¡°The Lucky Bite Mark has a one-shot kill effect, but only by chance.¡±


    ¡°And this chance varies ording to the power and condition of the Food Spirits in the fight. I suppose thebinedbat skill of Qin Lang¡¯s second Food Spirit must have a simr property.¡±


    So, Qin Lang¡¯s previous waiting can be described as ast resort. The probability that a two-star Food Spirit can instantly kill a three-star Food Spirit is simply too small unless thetter has consumed a lot of power.¡± ¡°Obviously, Qin Lang caught this moment and sessfully defeated Yu Kun¡¯s Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°But this all relies on the fact that Yu Kun didn¡¯t know about Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit¡¯sbat skill. Surely Yu Kun will be more wary of this in the future. If Qin Lang wants to repeat this trick, I¡¯m afraid it will be somewhat difficult.¡± The audience finally understood the real situation of the recent fight after thementator¡¯s analysis. Exmations of surprise filled the air.


    Everyone turned their eyes towards Qin Lang, who quietly stood in the corner of the arena.


    This Spirit Chef, who appeared younger than Yu Kun, not only showed excellent skill in the fight but also demonstrated a calm style like an adult.


    The many spectators who originally thought the fight was predictable now found their thoughts quietly shaken.


    Was it truly predictable?


    In the arena, Yu Kun recalled Thor back into his Star Vein, wearing a gloomy expression.


    The Lucky Bite Mark¡­


    So this was Qin Lang¡¯s trump card.


    At the same time that thementator saw the crux of the problem, he also saw it and regretted his own decision.


    If he had been more cautious and chose to rece his Food Spirit when Qin Lang reced his, the opponent wouldn¡¯t have the chance to trigger the one- hit kill effect against his three-star Food Spirit in its prime.


    But there are no ifs in any event.


    Unless knowing Qin Lang¡¯s trump card in advance, who could be so steady when they substantially surpass their opponent in strength?


    Yu Kun vigorously rubbed his cheeks, easing his somewhat stiff facial muscles. He fell silent for a moment, then looked at his three-star Food Spirit who was preparing for battle. ¡°Jia Ye, we have to win this fight!¡±


    ¡°Ye Bi Ye!¡±


    Jia Ye, who had just been promoted to three-star status and only had time to get familiar with his thirdbat skill, also felt the pressure and nodded seriously.


    To win the battle for Yu Kun, it must face two opponents in session. Although these two opponents were both two-stars and were not at their peak, having witnessed the entire process of itsrade¡¯s failure, Jia Ye did not underestimate them.


    These two guys were formidable adversaries!


    Seeing the stern expression of his own Food Spirit, Yu Kun slightly nodded.


    He thought of Jia Ye¡¯s thirdbat skill, which he had just awakened.


    Guided by the Skill Stone, thisbat skill was even better than he expected. Like Lucky Bite Mark, it could have greater advantage when the opponent was unaware of it.


    The emergence of thisbat skill greatly enhanced Jia Ye¡¯s strength.


    This time, he would not underestimate his opponent again.


    Now that Qin Lang had shown his trump card while the thirdbat skill of Jia Ye was still unknown to Qin Lang, he, Yu Kun, had the upper hand.


    This battle could be won!


    Taking a deep breath, Yu Kun nodded to Jia Ye, signaling it to enter the arena.


    His eyes followed Jia Ye who had flown onto the stage. Seeing that Qin Lang, on the other side, used the Spirit Recement Stone again to rece his Food Spirit with Dan Bao, he twitched the corner of his mouth.


    nning on using the same trick again?


    This time, I won¡¯t give you the opportunity!


    ¡°Whistle ¡±


    The whistle sounded again resuming the suspended match.


    Dan Bao vs. Jia Ye!


    Qin Lang took a deep breath, staring at Dan Bao¡¯s opponent. Information about this adversary surfaced in his mind.


    The twobat skills it had shown before were Barbaric Collision and Invincible Time, both fighting-basedbat skills.


    As for the former, it was self-exnatory. Zhao Chen¡¯s Yangyang also possessed abat skill with a simr name. Although it seemed ordinary, its actual power was formidable.


    Thetter, Invincible Time, was quite unique among fighting-basedbat skills.


    When invoking thisbat skill, the Food Spirit could attain an instantaneous invincibility effect, immune to all damage.


    Of course, this invincibility was not absolute. If the strength of the opponent was too much higher than one¡¯s own, it wouldn¡¯t help.


    Moreover, thisbat skill had restrictions on the frequency of use and energy consumption; it couldn¡¯t be used without limits.


    Thebinedbat skill developed from these two, named Invincible Collision, integrated the features of Barbaric Collision and Invincible Time. When elerating, the Food Spirit was in an invincible state and couldn¡¯t be interrupted or intercepted.


    While it was a powerful effect, it also had a significant shoring. The power of thisbinedbat skill,pared with the Barbaric Collision, had not increased much.


    However, the opponent had an unknownbat skill now, adding a bit more uncertainty to this fight.


    This Food Spirit¡¯s additionalbat skill was developed when it was upgraded.


    Qin Lang noticed that Yu Kun had used a Skill Stone. Even though he couldn¡¯t see what Skill Stone it was, there was no doubt that Yu Kun had nned for this Food Spirit¡¯s thirdbat skill.


    During lunch, Zhou Tianhao analyzed several potential skills that ¡°he would have chosen to awaken if he were Yu Kun.¡± His analysis gave Qin Lang a direction and consequently, he was notpletely clueless.


    ¡°Force out the opponent¡¯s thirdbat skill first!¡±


    As his mind rapidly processed this, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes sparkled with fighting spirit. He quickly gave themand.


    ¡°Dan Bao, Mind-beam me Explosion!¡±


    Several golden-red orbs quickly appeared around Dan Bao. These orbs trailed a long arc in the air, flying towards Jia Ye along various tricky trajectories.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see that the length of the trajectories varied, but the speed of the orbs was roughly the same.


    Thus, their estimated time of impact was different.


    This strategy was clearly meant to prevent Jia Ye from using Invincible Time to evade all of the damage at once.


    Given that Jia Ye¡¯s otherbat skill was Barbaric Collision, to intercept or defend against all of these Mind-beam me Bombs, Jia Ye had to use its newbat skill.


    If its newbat skill could really defend it, that was.


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 Chapter 333: Win or Lose

    Chapter 333: Win or Lose


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    [Additional updates for July]


    Yu Kun¡¯s eyes darkened as he noticed the detailed movements of Qin Lang¡¯s


    Food Spirit.


    He saw through the opponent¡¯s intentions with just a single nce.


    Wanting to force Jia Ye¡¯s new battle skill, then formte a tactic specifically against it?


    Since you¡¯re so keen to find out, then let me showyou!


    But don¡¯t regret itter!


    Thinking this, Yu Kun uttered a lowmand.


    ¡°Jia Ye! Position Swap!¡±


    ¡°Yeh-kayeh-ka!¡±


    Surrounded by the nearing, nearly space-sealing Mind-beam me Explosion, there wasn¡¯t a shred of fear in Jia Ye¡¯s eyes. Instead, it showed a gleam of anticipation.


    An invisible wave of energy exploded from its body, instantly sweeping across


    the entire field.


    The next moment, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Dan Bao and Jia Ye instantly swapped positions!


    ¡°What?!¡±


    This time, it was Qin Lang¡¯s turn to be surprised.


    Seeing Dan Bao appear within his own attack radius, he only hesitated for a moment before roaring out, ¡°Dan Bao, trigger the explosion ahead of time!¡±


    ¡°Boom boom boom boom boom ¡±


    Continuous explosion sounds drowned Dan Bao¡¯s body in mes and smoke.


    With the feel of Dan Bao¡¯s rapidly declining status through Star Spirit Protection, Qin Lang felt as if his heart was being brutally squeezed, his expression turning ugly.


    ¡°How could it be this skill?!¡±


    In the audience seats, Zhou Tianhao abruptly stood up, his face filled with shock.


    He had mentioned manybat skills that he spected Yu Kun would let his Food Spirit awaken during their lunch.


    These battle skills were based on the twobat skills that Yu Kun currently possessed, which, whenbined, could potentially allow Yu Kun¡¯s Food Spirit to master a newbined battle skill, or even further, abined battle skill formed by three battle skills.


    However, these battle skills didn¡¯t include the one just used.


    Fighting-based Combat Skill, Position Swap.


    This skill instantly locks onto oneself and another unit,pleting a position swap between the two. Thisbat skill has a long cooldown; often it can only be used once per battle.


    But when used unexpectedly, it can be incredibly effective!


    Just like now!


    Seeing Yu Kun¡¯s Food Spirit suddenly speed up, charging into the smoke like aunched cannonball, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face started to look guilty.


    If he hadn¡¯t made those spections at lunchtime and partially misled Qin Lang, maybe Qin Lang would have been more cautious when probing for the opponent¡¯s unknownbat skills, and not have fallen so easily into the opponent¡¯s trap.


    All Spirit Chefs have their own ways of thinking and fighting. Not all Spirit


    Chefs considerbined battle skills first when considering battle skillbinations.


    Being too sure of one¡¯s own guess is also a manifestation of blinding arrogance!


    This unexpected change of events gave Qin Lang a lesson, and wasn¡¯t it the same for him¡­


    ¡°Dan Bao¡­¡± Shen Qian next to him tightly gripped the armrest of her seat, her face filled with worry and anxiety.


    All those Mind-beam me Bombs exploding at the same time, even Dan Bao himself would probably not be able to withstand it, right?


    If Dan Bao were to lose hisbat capability just like this¡­


    At this thought, Shen Qian¡¯s hand gripped even tighter, faintly showing the veins on her fair-skinned hand.


    [It was Position Swap! Who would have thought Yu Kun¡¯s Food Spirit¡¯s newly awakened battle skill would be this. Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit was caught off guard and had to face his own attack, and Yu Kun¡¯s Food Spirit didn¡¯t miss this chance to go in for the kill!]


    [Eh?]


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Almost at the same time the surprised exmations of thementator echoed in the arena, the originally solemn expression of Zhou Tianhao also showed some uncertainty.


    Then, he quickly thought of something, a strange expression appearing on his face, ¡°This¡­ could get interesting.¡±


    On the battlefield.


    Feeling Dan Bao¡¯s condition plummet quickly, Qin Lang was filled with regret. Maybe everything had gone ording to n previously, they had managed to defeat Thor swiftly with thebined effort of his two Food Spirits, which made him slightlycent and less vignt in hismand.


    But facing Yu Kun, whose overall strength was stronger, a single mistake might lead to aplete defeat.


    He was still somewhat inexperienced, after all!


    Qin Lang sighed inwardly, already mentally prepared for defeat in this fight.


    But the next moment, his expression flickered slightly.


    Through their Heartfelt Communication, he suddenly found that after Dan Bao¡¯s condition had dropped significantly, it didn¡¯t continue to fall, but instead, it was recovering rapidly.


    In a breath¡¯s time, Dan Bao¡¯s condition had returned to the level it was before this attack, and it was still improving!


    Qin Lang¡¯s breathing paused slightly.


    Could it be¡­


    The Capturing Fire Secret Technique?!


    But, the Capturing Fire Secret Technique can¡¯t absorb supernatural fire-energy to heal itself, can it?


    Moreover, after absorbing the fire, the amount recovered surpassed the amount consumed, it doesn¡¯t even obey thew of energy conservation¡­


    What the hell is going on?


    Before Qin Lang could figure it out, he saw Jia Ye charge headlong into the smoke with Barbaric Collision.


    Yes, it was Barbaric Collision, not Invincible Collision.


    Qin Lang stayed silent for a brief moment before a knowing smile spread across his face.


    The reason why Dan Bao was able to recover could be researched after the match. Now¡­


    ¡°Blow up for me!!!¡±


    ¡°Boom boom boom boom boom ¡±


    Amidst the smoke that covered most of the field, the turbulent power of mes stirred up a Gale, whipping up more smoke and revealing a corner of the interior underneath.


    Threads and strands of rotating fire entwined Dan Bao, with its power surging once again after another explosion.


    This time¡¯s recovery wasn¡¯t as much as thest, but it did restore half of the consumed energy, allowing Dan Bao tounch another attack.


    On the other side, ayer of silver light emerged from Jia Ye and was slowly fading at this moment.


    At the critical moment, it had activated its Invincibility Time without hesitation.


    However, Jia Ye was still unaware of what it was about to face.


    Looking at the countless golden-red light orbsing straight toward it, Jia Ye waspletely dumbfounded.


    No way¡­


    My Invincibility Time has a Cooldown, doesn¡¯t your Mind-beam me Bomb have a Cooldown too?!


    In the front row VIP seats of the audience, a man with each strand of his red hair standing on end stood abruptly up, his face filled with surprise, staring intently at the Big Screen in the air, unable to contain his excitement, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    At this moment, Lu Dong recalled what the ancestor who invented the Capturing Fire Secret Technique casually mentioned in his memoir.


    ¡°The Capturing Fire Secret Technique is just a part of another more formidable secret technique. That long-lost secret technique possesses greater power. Food Spirits who master the Capturing Fire Secret Technique may have a slight chance to touch it.¡±


    ¡°I wonder whether it will ever reappear in this world¡­¡±


    Could it be¡­ that the stronger secret method mentioned by the ancestor is what we¡¯re witnessing now?!


    Lu Dong¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the Big Screen, not wanting to miss even the slightest detail.


    Within the smoke that nketed the entire field, the continuous rumming sound and firelight finally came to a halt.


    The entire arena fell silent, everyone staring fixedly at the smoke.


    Who won?!


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 Chapter 334: Promotion

    Chapter 334: Promotion


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Under the anxious gaze of the crowd, the thick smoke veiling the entirepetition venue gradually settled, revealing the two Food Spirits that had been hidden under the smoke.


    Seeing Dan Bao still floating in the air, and Jia Ye on the ground already turned into ck charcoal,pletely unrecognizable, motionless, the entire audience fell into utter silence.


    ¡°Hooray! We won!!¡±


    A cheer filled with surprise came from the audience seats. Qin Lang looked towards the sound, his smile deepened when he saw Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao frantically waving in his direction.


    Yes, he won!


    He, with two Two-star Food Spirits, had defeated an opponent with two Three- Star Food Spirits!


    ¡°In this match, Qin Lang is victorious!¡±


    The referee¡¯s voice awakened the countless spectators in the audience. Thunderous apuse went on unabated as everyone chanted Qin Lang¡¯s name as if trying to overturn the dome with their voices.


    ¡°This was indeed a thrilling match!¡± The host proimed, ¡°Such ups and downs, so excited and heated, we thank both contestants for this spectacr battle, and congratte contestant Qin Lang on his victory.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions to Qin Lang for bing the champion of this year¡¯s Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition!¡±


    With the host¡¯s strenuous shout, the atmosphere inside the arena reached its peak.


    A gleeful smile naturally appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Last time he participated in the Youth Training Competition, he regretfully lost and only got third ce. This time he secured the top spot, and itpensated for his regret.


    Thinking about the 50 Training Competition Points he would get for ranking first in the Youth Training Competition, the smile on Qin Lang¡¯s face deepened.


    With these 50 Training Competition Points, he could exchange them for subsequent Skill Stones for his Spirits.


    Mixed emotions filled the air. Contrasted to Qin Lang¡¯s triumphant grin, Yu Kun shrouded his face with gloom as he stood in silence after recalling Jia Ye back into the Star Vein.


    Apparently, such a defeat was something that the prideful him could not ept.


    And he was not the only one who couldn¡¯t ept this oue.


    In the contestant preparation area, Ling Ziye sat weakly on a stool, her face full of confusion and disbelief, ¡°How is it possible?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as impossible!¡± Beside her, Bear Battleughed loudly as if he was the one who won the championship, ¡°Just like you never imagined losing to me, Qin Lang¡¯s victory over Yu Kun happened right before your eyes!¡±


    He was utterlycent,pletely forgetting how uneasy he was when thepetition was in jeopardy.


    Ling Ziye was silent.


    She looked at Yu Kun, who was on the battlefield and had been fighting with a high spirit, but now looked utterly dejected, and her tangled thoughts finally turned into a long sigh.


    ¡°Alt ¡±


    In the audience seats, Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian high-fived cheerfully, both faces beaming with joy.


    ¡°This was a hell of a fight!¡± Shen Qian took a deep breath, her tight face finally rxing, ¡°But luckily the result was good.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded in agreement, ¡°Winning the championship at the city-level Youth Training Competition is like taking the first step on the training path.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how far Qin Lang can go in the future?¡± He looked at the boy bathing in the spotlight in the arena, his face filled with anticipation.


    ¡°No ¡±


    In another side of the audience seats, a middle-aged man with an unfriendly expression clutched his chest, his face turned pale and in disbelief.


    How could it¡­


    How could his nephew lose?!


    He clearly had two Three-Star Food Spirits, far superior to all the otherpetitors.


    Gong Xiao had a vague memory of the youth who had defeated his nephew.


    When the boy signed up because he was a Spirit Chef from another city, he felt quite dissatisfied and even mocked him.


    Qin Lang¡¯s response at that time suddenly surged to his mind.


    ¡°Yu Kun¡¯s first ce won¡¯t be easily grabbed.¡±


    This sentence echoed over and over in Gong Xiao¡¯s mind, making his face progressively paler.


    A feeling of powerlessness overcame him, as his body weakened and eventually slid on the floor with vacant eyes, leaning hard against his chair.


    The enthusiastic audience around him did not even nce at him.


    ¡°Step, step, step.¡±


    Apanied by the background music echoing around the stadium, Qin Lang stepped up to the champion¡¯s high tform with steady steps.


    At his side, Dan Bao and Spicy cheered happily.


    The moment Qin Lang settled down, the ribbons exploded in the ¡°boom boom¡± sound, surrounding him.


    Even more, the wave after wave of cheers and apuse from the audience made the award tform seem like it was amidst a passionate ocean.


    Under the varyingplicated gazes of the second, third, and fourth ce winners, Qin Lang bowed his head slightly as Mr. Fei Chengyuan, the president of the Lanqiu City Spirit Chef Association in charge of awarding, put the gold medal on him.


    The front of the medal was identical to the Bai Lu Mountain City Youth Training Competition medal Qin Lang had won previously. It symbolized the three- colored mes of Fresh Intent, Shining Battle, and Armament Fire surrounding the golden me at the centre.


    On the back of the medal, it read ¡°Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition Champion Commemorative Medal¡± in three lines.


    Seeing Qin Lang picking up the medal for a thorough inspection, a look of admiration appeared on Fei Chengyuan¡¯s face, ¡°I watched your battle, your performance was outstanding.¡±


    ¡°Thank you President Fei for yourpliment!¡± Qin Lang put down the medal, and bowed slightly to Fei Chengyuan.


    Seeing Qin Lang being so polite, the look of satisfaction on Fei Chengyuan¡¯s face grew even stronger. He pointed at the medal on Qin Lang¡¯s chest, ¡°Keep it safe.¡±


    ¡°The provincial-level youth trainingpetition doesn¡¯t require any badges or emblems. Simply having a champion medal from any city¡¯s youth trainingpetition in the province would suffice for enrollment. Therefore, it¡¯s not just a symbol of glory, but also a token for your enrollment.¡±


    ¡°Provincial-level youthpetition eh¡­¡± Qin Lang held the medal tightly in his palm, a thoughtful look crossing his face.


    He participated in this youthpetition in Lanqiu City to find suitable opponents for matches and to see the progress made by Dan Bao and Spicy after the special training.


    However, now that he had the opportunity to register for the provincial-level youthpetition, Qin Lang was inevitably tempted.


    He had never participated in any provincial-levelpetitions before, and he would need one more two-star Food Rmender Badge to be eligible to apply for the uing Tianhua State Cooking Competition.


    Unexpectedly, he ended up gaining the eligibility to register for the Mingjing Province Youth Training Competition one step ahead.


    ¡°President Fei, may I ask when the next Mingjing Province Youth Training Competition will begin?¡± Qin Lang asked courteously.


    ¡°If I calcte correctly, it might not be far away.¡± Fei Chengyuan thought for a moment, ¡°This Provincial Level Youth Training Tournament begins on month earlier than the Province-level Cooking Competition. It should start in less than two months.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    Less than two months¡­


    If he remembered correctly, the time of the Mingjing Province-level Cooking Contest was coinciding with the uing Provincial-level Cooking Contest in Tianhua State.


    That was also the reason why he had declined Shen Qian¡¯s invitation at that time.


    So-


    Can he make it to this Mingjing province¡¯s youth trainingpetition?


    (The hidden Easter egg about the medal will be supplemented in a few days.)


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 Chapter 335: The Plan

    Chapter 335: The n


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Cheers!!!¡±


    At the dining table of a hotel room, the three, Qin Lang, raised their sses together. Apanied by a crisp ¡°ping¡± sound, the juice in their sses swayed slightly and then entered their mouths.


    ¡°Alr~¡± Shen Qian breathed a sigh of relief, a look of satisfaction appearing on her face, ¡°The juice is indeed more delicious when it¡¯s chilled!¡±


    ¡°It pairs even better with delicious food.¡± Zhou Tianhao said with augh. Then he picked up a bit of sweet and sour ribs with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.


    The dining table was filled with a variety of dishes, the rich and enticing aroma made the eight sitting Food Spirits salivate.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start eating!¡± Qin Langughed, ¡°To celebrate my championship, I¡¯ve prepared a lot of delicious dishes this time.¡±


    ¡°It can be seen, such arge investment.¡± Shen Qian gave a giggly smile, ¡°I saw several ingredients that require exchange with Cooking Competition Points.¡±


    ¡± So¡­ Are you really going to participate in the Provincial Youth Training Competition?¡± Zhou Tianhao picked up a piece of Stir-fried Beef with Green Onions and squinted his eyes with satisfaction.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded modestly, ¡°I carefully checked that after participating in the provincial youth trainingpetition in Mingjing Province, I could just make it back to Tianhua Province for the Provincial Cooking Competition. Since there¡¯s time, why not give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Your schedule is really tight.¡± Sheng Qian couldn¡¯t help butin.


    ¡°You have a point.¡±ughed Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Trying doesn¡¯t hurt, regardless of the final ranking, it¡¯s a meaningful experience.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think too.¡± Qin Lang agreed, then immediately asked curiously, ¡°Zhou Big Brother, what ranking do you think I can get in the provincial youth trainingpetition with my current strength?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao paused chewing for a moment, a contemtive look on


    his face, ¡°You should be very clear about Yu Kun¡¯s strength.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°All I can say is Yu Kun¡¯s current strength in the provincial youth trainingpetition is quite average.¡± Zhou Tianhao grinned, ¡°You should know, the ones able to participate in the provincial youth trainingpetition are definitely the champions of the city-level youth trainingpetitions.


    ¡°The provincialpetitions take ce once a year, while the city-levelpetitions take ce every three months.¡±


    ¡°There are trainingpetitions and cookingpetitions and the collection requirements of the Food Rmender Badge and the Spiritual Controller¡¯s Badge as thresholds, but the youth trainingpetition does not have simr thresholds.¡±


    ¡°In Mingjing province, there are nine cities, and each city has four city-level youth trainingpetition champions being born each year.¡± Qin Lang thought for a moment, ¡°So thepetitors I have to face in the end are other thirty-five youth training champions?¡±


    ¡°More than that.¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled, ¡°In fact, the champions of the same year¡¯s youth training usually rankst in the provincial youth training.¡±


    ¡°You are saying¡­¡± Qin Lang became alert, as if enlightened, ¡°Past contestants will also participate?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded subtly.


    ¡°My goodness, that¡¯s thirty-six in one year. Then wouldn¡¯t there be three hundred and sixty city-level youth training champions participating in the past ten years?¡± Shen Qian at the side couldn¡¯t help exim, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t calcte it like that.¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head with a quirky expression, ¡°Firstly, the same age restriction for the provincial youth training applies. Those who exceed it cannot participate, so very few contestants from ten years ago can still participate.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, very few trainers participate in thepetition every year. They might go to other states for other experiences, or they might have other things to do, and they may not be that keen on ranking in the provincial youth training.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, even though the provincial youth trainingpetition has a lot of participants, the number is just around one hundred.¡±


    ¡°One hundred contestants is quite a lot already.¡± Shen Qian keenly realized her calction mistake from before.


    ¡°ording to Big Brother Zhou, it seems that it¡¯ll be difficult for me to even advance to the second round in this provincial youth trainingpetition.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head, a touch of helplessness on his face, ¡°Thepetition pressure is really high.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Zhou Tianhao picked a bite of Silky Egg Beef and casually replied after a mouthful, ¡°From what I have observed, you and your Food Spirits are indeed very gifted inbat.¡±


    ¡°So, if certain conditions are met, there¡¯s hope for you to advance to the second round, you may even get a decent ranking.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes brightened, he then scooped a bowl of mushroom soup for Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Zhou Big Brother, tell me more.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Zhou Tianhao drank a mouthful of soup, then slowly replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s having one of your Food Spirits break through to three stars before the Provincial Youth Training Competition.¡±


    ¡°The starstones awarded in stages at the Provincial Youth Training Competition are more than those at the City Youth Training Competition. After each round of promotion, you absorb the starstones and there¡¯s a chance to get your second Food Spirit to break through to three stars.¡±


    ¡°By the time of the final round, perhaps your third Food Spirit would have already been born, and the gap in strength with the other contestants would have been greatly reduced.¡±


    ¡°But what about the other contestants who also absorb starstones and break through to four stars during their promotion?¡± Shen Qian curiously inquired.


    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely because the total amount of Star Power required to go from three stars to four stars isrger.¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head.


    ¡°Promoting while advancing¡­¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes lit up a bit, but then they dimmed again, ¡°Zhou Big Brother, the key to the problem is, how do I get one of the Food Spirits to upgrade to three stars?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao nced at Dan Bao and Spicy who were eating on the side and grinned, ¡°The starstones you won from this youth trainingpetition, you distributed equally to the two of them, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    Initially, when Spicy was born, Dan Bao had given a lot of starstones and Star Power to it. Now, the two little ones have equal growth progress and the subsequent starstones and Star Power are all distributed equally.


    ¡°Just participate in another city levelpetition once more, take the championship, and give all the starstones you win to one of them. Given the growth rate of your two Food Spirits now, promoting to three stars should be possible.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao confidently made the estimate after assessing the situation.


    This was, after all, an aspect in which he had plenty of experience.


    ¡°Participate in another city levelpetition¡­¡± Qin Lang fell into thought. The city-levelpetitions he referred to are the City-level Training Competitions, the City-level Cooking Competitions, and the City-level Youth Training Competitions.


    For the first two, you can get eleven starstones if you win. As for the youth trainingpetition, it¡¯s one starstone less, and the champion can get a total of ten starstones.


    The difference is small, ording to Zhou Tianhao, another ten would be enough to promote one of the Food Spirits to three stars.


    Now the problem has two areas.


    First, which Food Spirit should take in the absorption and promote in advance.


    Second, which city-levelpetition to participate in and win.


    After all, it¡¯s less than two months before the provincial youth trainingpetition starts, giving him not much time to participate in another city-levelpetition, it would be best to secure it in one go.


    Qin Lang rubbed the two little ones who came up and nodded subtly.


    ¡°This needs careful consideration.¡±


    Quick ess: [Monthly Vote] [Rmendation Votes]

 Chapter 336: Exploration

    Chapter 336: Exploration


    Trantor: 549690339 <sup>1</sup>


    Joining a city-levelpetition and winning the championship before the provincial-level youth trainingpetition is definitely not something you can decide on a whim.


    Not to mention, at this moment, Qin Lang and his team aren¡¯t even sure where the city-levelpetitions are about to start.


    Understanding this, Zhou Tianhao only mentioned it briefly before quickly shifting the topic to the dishes Qin Lang had cooked.


    Many of these dishes were ones he had never tasted before and for Zhou


    Tianhao, it indeed felt like stepping through the door into a new world.


    The soft Steamed Rice Flour Pork, the tender Silky Egg Beef Fillet, each of these delicious foods was tantalising his taste buds to no end.


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Shen Qian put down her chopsticks in satisfaction, patting her full stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten Mr. Jiang Guangchen¡¯s Second-Level Food Rmender


    Badge, and Qin Lang has also be the champion of Lanqiu City¡¯s youth trainingpetition. Shouldn¡¯t we set out for the next city now?


    ¡°Indeed, ording to the travel route we nned earlier, we will be passing by Ye Zhi City,¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded slightly before looking at Qin Lang, ¡°It¡¯d be great if there is an uing city-levelpetition in Ye Zhi City.¡±


    ¡°Ye Zhi City¡­¡± Qin Lang gently put down his chopsticks, recalling the words of


    Ms. Song Hui when they had left Dongxia City.


    ¡± Now that you mention it, the husband of a senior of mine works in Ye Zhi City.


    When we get there, maybe we could learn more about their situation and pay them a visit while also seeking some help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled with a touch of nostalgia, ¡°During my past travels and adventures, I often met new friends and received help from others.¡±


    ¡°In that case, why dy? Let¡¯s set off for Ye Zhi City tomorrow!¡± Shen Qian suggested, grinning from ear to ear, ¡°This time we won¡¯t have to trek through the primeval forest¡ªwe can take the train!¡±


    Thinking about it, they had already spent more than a week in Lanqiu City.


    They had already seen and experienced the food and scenery of Lanqiu city during their leisure time, so they wouldn¡¯t regret leaving now.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Qin Lang nodded, about to say ¡°Alright¡±, when his phone suddenly rang.


    He paused, took a look at the iing call, and an expression of surprise crossed his face, ¡°It¡¯s a call from Mr. Lu Dong.¡±


    After briefly exining, Qin Lang got up from the dining table, went to a quieter spot, and began talking softly on the phone.


    ¡°Can you guess why Mr. Lu Dong is calling Qin Lang?¡± Zhou Tianhao asked


    Shen Qian with a wide grin.


    ¡°It must have something to do with the secret technique that Dan Bao used during the finals today, right?¡± Shen Qian was no fool. A simple deduction and she quickly made her guess.


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s make a wager on whether or not we can leave Lanqiu City tomorrow as nned. Loser does the dishes.¡±


    ¡°Thepetition just ended not long ago, and Mr. Lu Dong is already reaching out to Qin Lang. I bet he wants to meet with Qin Lang tomorrow to talk about the secret technique, so our departure from Lanqiu City will probably be dyed.¡±


    Shen Qian analyzed calmly and decisively said, ¡°I bet we can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll ce a bet that we can.¡± Zhou Tianhao, with his cheek in his hand, looked at Qin Lang who had finished his call and returned, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lu Dong has invited me to Yan Mountain Training Ground right now. He wants to talk about the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head and looked at Dan Bao, ¡°He must have noticed some changes when Dan Bao performed the secret technique.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Zhou Tianhao agreed, ¡°Since he volunteered to share it with you, there¡¯s no reason to worry now. The Capturing Fire Secret Technique was left by the ancestors of the Lu Family. He might know more about your situation.¡±


    ¡°Exchanging ideas will be beneficial for you.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too.¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement.


    He had already noticed the change in Dan Bao during the finals when he used the Capturing Fire Secret Technique. However, as they had just won the championship and this was a time of celebration, he didn¡¯t bring it up.


    As for Dan Bao¡¯s changes, Mr. Lu Dong might have a deeper understanding.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll go now.¡± Qin Lang nced at the somewhat dim sky, ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep Mr. Lu Dong waiting.¡±


    ¡°Go, go, leave the dishes to Shen Qian.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, waving his hand.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Shen Qian pointed to herself in confusion, then she finally caught on.


    She had already lost their bet.


    If Qin Lang was visiting Mr. Lu Dong tonight, it would not affect their departure tomorrow.


    ¡°Abet is a bet.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed heartily.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll do the dishes.¡± Shen Qian rolled her eyes, got up, and started cleaning up the empty dishes on the table.


    What exactly happened while he was on the phone?


    Looking at this scene, Qin Lang justughed and then left the hotel room with the two little ones without any hesitation.


    At the entrance to Yan Mountain Training Ground, Mr. Lu Dong was pacing back and forth expectantly, hands crossed over his chest, a look of anticipation on his face.


    Seeing the familiar figure approaching at a fast pace from a distance, his expression quickly turned ecstatic. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Lu Dong.¡± Qin Lang quickly got to Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s side, and after catching his breath, he got straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, do you know why Dan Bao¡¯s secret technique has changed?¡±


    ¡°I have a few guesses.¡± Mr. Lu Dong nodded slightly and then opened the entrance to the training ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we need to run some tests.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Feeling the wave of heat that came from the entrance, Qin Lang quickly followed and soon, they were both inside the training ground.


    Although the sky was getting dark, the training ground was well lit, making the entire ce seem as bright as daylight.


    Even at this time, many Spirit Chefs were still training with their Food Spirits in the training ground, the shouts and power of various techniques bursting out now and then.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Mr. Lu Dong quickly leapt onto a free battlefield, signalling Qin Lang toe over while summoning one of his Four-star Food Spirits. ¡°Let¡¯s spar. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll holdback.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    Forget Four-star Food Spirits ¨C duringbat training with Zhou Tianhao, Dan Bao and Spicy had even tried fighting Five-star Food Spirits; Qin Lang was not going to back down now.


    Asking Spicy to stay off the battlefield and watch, Qin Lang jumped onto the battlefield with Dan Bao.


    Themotion attracted the attention of many Spirit Chefs nearby who were training.


    When they recognized that one of thepetitors was their training ground owner, and the other was the recent youth trainingpetition winner, Qin Lang, they all immediately stopped their training to cheer and observe.


    ¡°Stop training and watch!¡± Lu Dong shouted, seeing that the Spirit Chefs showed no signs of leaving. Not bothering to say anything further, he turned to Qin Lang.


    ¡°Come on, take one move from my Food Spirit, and see if you can absorb its power using the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.¡±


    Shortcut to: [Monthly passes][Rmends]

 Chapter 337: Swallowing Fire

    Chapter 337: Swallowing Fire


    Trantor: 549690339


    ¡°What? Let Qin Lang take a hit from the field master? The strength gap between the two is colossal.¡±


    ¡°The field master should hold back. Didn¡¯t you hear him say thetter half is about letting Qin Lang try to absorb power with the Capturing Fire Secret Technique?¡±


    ¡°I understand the logic, but isn¡¯t the Capturing Fire Secret Technique only supposed to absorb natural mes? When did it start absorbing the me power emitted by other Food Spirits?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s just watch patiently¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Lu Dong¡¯s words, the surrounding Spirit Chefs couldn¡¯t help but whisper amongst themselves.


    Most of them were apprentices within the Yan Mountain Training Ground, who themselves also mastered the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.


    Even those who hadn¡¯t were Spirit Chefs who trained at the Yan Mountain Training Ground for a long time and were familiar with the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.


    Just hearing Lu Dong¡¯s words, they were already keenly interested in what was about to happen.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Qin Lang shouted sternly on the battlefield, uninfluenced by Lu Dong¡¯s words. He activated Star Spirit Protection straight away.


    ¡°Use Tian Shu¡¯s power, defend!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    I¡¯m ready!


    Dan Bao also called out, staring intently at the imposing four-star Food Spirit not far away, his eyes filled with the will to fight.


    Seeing Qin Lang and his Food Spirit behaving this way, Lu Dong had a hint of appreciation in his eyes.


    Being able to maintain sufficient fighting spirit when faced with an opponent much stronger than oneself ismendable in itself.


    Securing his mind, Lu Dong issued an order to his Food Spirit.


    ¡°Full Firepower!¡±


    The round, four-star Food Spirit nodded and took a deep breath.


    Perhaps due to its different form, this Food Spirit¡¯s Full Firepower performance was different from Dan Bao¡¯s.


    Its stomach abruptly swelled, like a balloon being inted.


    The four-star Food Spirit tilted its head slightly and then forcefully spewed out toward Dan Bao¡¯s direction.


    A sh of red mes swept over most of the battlefield instantly, subtly reflecting red all around. The Rolling Heat Wave not only spread across the battlefield, but it also made the watching Spirit Chefs outside the battlefield choose to step back.


    In the scorching mes, even the light and shadow became distorted. The mes that spewed out instantly encased Dan Bao at a tricky angle and began spinning wildly.


    Dan Bao¡¯s Full Firepower was already quite proficient, butpared to the effortless operation of the Food Spirit in front of him, it was somewhatcking.


    Hold on! Try to activate the Capturing Fire Secret Technique!¡± Lu Dong shouted, telling Qin Lang what to do next.


    Qin Lang nodded, sending the instruction to Dan Bao, whose silhouette was indistinguishable, swallowed by the mes.


    Hold on¡­


    In the midst of the mes, Dan Bao was wrapped in multipleyers of Force Fields of Thoughts, with a somewhat solemn expression on his face.


    Under Lark¡¯s guidance, his thought waves had improved quite a bit, and the defensive power of his Force Field of Thoughts was much stronger than before.


    But even so, in these terrifying mes, Dan Bao still felt an overwhelming sensation.


    His Force Field of Thoughts was melting.


    Yes, it was not shattering due to the inability to withstand the terrifying force, but was directly melted by some extreme high temperature within the mes.


    It was the first time that Dan Bao had encountered such a situation, as thought power is not a physically existing material.


    And along with the melting of the Force Field of Thoughts, his power was being consumed at an rming rate, within the space of a breath, a full thirty percent was drained.


    It was conceivable that if any further dy urred, when his power waspletely unable to maintain the Force Field of Thoughts, what awaited him would inevitably be total loss ofbat capability.


    A four-star Food Spirit really is powerful!


    This was not the first time for Dan Bao to face a four-star level Food Spirit. Zhou Tianhao¡¯s Ji and Lark were also powerful Food Spirits of this caliber.


    This also sparked Dan Bao¡¯s desire to upgrade his star level.


    However, at this moment, it needed to focus more.


    Discarding these restless thoughts, Dan Bao steadied itself, trying to grasp the fleeting inspiration from the finals.


    Yes, inspiration.


    Even Dan Bao itself didn¡¯t know why it could absorb the surrounding power to boost itself at that time, and everything had just happened in a blur.


    So after the contest ended, when Qin Lang asked it, it could only shake its head in confusion.


    Those scenes from back then, at this moment, resurfaced in Dan Bao¡¯s mind.


    Absorb¡­ Absorb¡­ Absorb¡­


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Thest shred of its power was melted away by the terrible high temperature, left without any defense to make direct contact with the me that surrounded it without a blind spot.


    The next moment, those mes stopped in mid-air, quietly dissipated, avoiding directly causing Dan Bao to lose itsbat capability.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a failure.¡± Lu Dong walked step by step to the center of the field, with a little regret on his face.


    He had been watching Dan Bao¡¯s performance all along. He had already pushed Dan Bao to such an extreme, yet Dan Bao failed to absorb the power of the surrounding mes to supplement itself.


    So at thest moment, Lu Dong let his Food Spirit dissipate the mes.


    ¡°Seems so.¡± Qin Lang stepped forward and hugged Dan Bao, which looked a bit wilted due to exhaustion, and nodded.


    ¡°Gulu¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t do it¡­


    Dan Bao was a bit disappointed. Despite trying hard to recall the previous sensation, it didn¡¯t feel anything simr this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, try a few more times.¡± Qin Langforted softly.


    ¡°Good, try a few more times.¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly, pointing to the fire altar at the edge of the field, ¡°That¡¯s natural me directly drawn from underground fire, let your Food Spirit recover as soon as possible. Then, we continue our other attempts!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Qin Lang nodded and put Dan Bao on the fire altar.


    mes twined around Dan Bao, and then seemed to be absorbed by it, dissipated into nothing, while Dan Bao¡¯s power visibly recovered.


    Soon, it shook off the previous wilting, back to its peak form.


    ¡°This time, let¡¯s try to recreate the scene of the finals.¡± Lu Dong quickly had an idea, ¡°Let your Food Spirit control thatbinedbat skill and trigger it around yourself.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Qin Lang looked at Dan Bao with some difficulty.


    At that time, it was an idental situation. Now, to actively try such a thing, it somewhat feels like self-injury.


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    I¡¯m not afraid!


    Dan Bao gave Qin Lang a determined look and then flew to the center of the field.


    ¡°Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom¨C¡±


    In a series of explosion sounds, the firelight and smokepletely covered Dan Bao, and the whole Yan Mountain Training Ground trembled slightly in the fierce explosion.


    Just like in the finals, Yu Kun¡¯s second Food Spirit had directed thebat skill towards discement, letting Dan Bao bear its own attack.


    Qin Lang and Lu Dong looked nervously at the central area of the smoke. Behind them, the four-star Food Spirit¡¯s eyes danced with burning mes, seeming able to see the scene within the smoke.


    Nature-based Combat Skills, Fiery Eyes Golden Gaze.


    A momentter, they both appeared surprised.


    Within the smoke, the status of Dan Bao, after falling to a certain level, was rising again!

 Chapter 338: Star Level

    Chapter 338: Star Level


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°It¡¯s happening again!¡±


    Upon noticing Dan Bao¡¯s transformation within the dust, Lu Dong¡¯s expression suddenly became excited.


    Unlike thest time when he indirectly observed Dan Bao¡¯s state changes through the big screen inside the Lanqiu Arena, this time he witnessed Dan Bao¡¯s progress from downfall to rise in close proximity.


    Comparing its mutation pattern with some records of ancestors he had seen in his memory, Lu Dong found that they had an astonishing consistency.


    Yes!


    It matches!


    If it was just a guess before, this time it was aplete confirmation. Dan Bao possesses the potential to enhance the Capturing Fire Secret Technique further, and thus to touch an even more powerful secret art.


    But so far, it seems that Dan Bao can¡¯t control it well and use it actively, it more passively reveals it.


    Thinking of this, a thoughtful look emerged on Lu Dong¡¯s face.


    The smoke gradually dissipated, and Dan Bao, whose state was almost restored to its peak, quickly returned to Qin Lang¡¯s side, his face showing a bit of excitement.


    Obviously, although he didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on, repeating his previous actions and once again absorbing the energy around him to restore himself was a great encouragement to Dan Bao.


    ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, did you notice anything?¡± Qin Lang hugged Dan Bao and rubbed it as encouragement, then looked at Lu Dong.


    He had noticed Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s change of expression. If Mr. Lu Dong could give him some pointers this time, it would be even better.


    ¡°If it was a guess before, now I¡¯m sure.¡± Lu Dong sighed lightly, with a hint of envy.


    ording to the records of his predecessors, touching another lost secret technique through the Capturing Fire Secret Technique is possible, but it demands highly of certain talents.


    If the talent is not reached, one may never be able to touch a more powerful level in his lifetime. If the talent is reached, it may be as simple as eating and drinking.


    Before he met Qin Lang, he was skeptical about this.


    As the old saying goes, diligence can make up for the weakness. If once is not enough, he would try more times. Could that really prevent him from touching the mysterious secret technique?


    Then many years of experience gave him a p in the face.


    Not touching it at all.


    At this moment, seeing Qin Lang¡¯s Food Spirit easily touch that secret technique, he felt a rush of mixed feelings.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± He beckoned to Qin Lang, Lu Dong stepped towards the Yan Yao Stone tform from thest time he met. Also, he randomly gestured to the watching Spirit Chefs around, ¡°Well, hurry up and train!¡±


    Knowing that they are not qualified to know what¡¯sing up next, these Spirit Chefs tactfully returned to their training equipment.


    Perhaps, the abnormality of Qin Lang stimted them, their training became noticeably more serious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow.¡±


    Qin Lang, with his two Food Spirits, quickly followed behind Lu Dong.


    The stone tform split again, apanied by the astonishing heat upsurge, the path they trodst time appeared before Qin Lang¡¯s eyes.


    As they walked into it, the stone tform folds back, insting everything from the outside world.


    ¡°The Capturing Fire Secret Technique is actually notplete.¡±


    Just likest time, Lu Dong started speaking while walking down the passage.


    The first sentence he said made Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes.


    ¡°Iplete?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but twitch his mouth, ¡°What does theplete secret art look like?¡±


    ¡°This ¡­¡± Lu Dong¡¯s voice paused slightly, not answering the question directly, ¡°Last time, I mentioned the origin of secret arts to you, remember?¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Secret arts are specialbat skills that developed and expanded before the Spirit Chef Association discoveredbined battle skills, created and perfected by many predecessors, until today.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly, ¡°Actually, secret arts have some characteristics thatbined battle skills do not have.¡±


    ¡°Although differentbined battle skills have their strengths and weaknesses, becausebined battle skills andbat skills themselves have a variable upper and lower limit, it is very difficult to clearly define their strengths and weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°For example, the ¡®Full Firepower¡¯bat skill. If your Food Spirit disys it, there will be no small difference from my Food Spirit. Perhaps other Spirit Chefs have figured out abinedbat skill of ¡®Full Firepower¡± and ¡®Thought Waves¡¯, but it ispletely different from yours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement.


    Combined battle skills have no fixed form, even if the same twobat skills arebined, under the different insights of different Spirit Chefs and Food Spirits, different answers may be obtained.


    ording to Zhou Tianhao, he has even encountered a Food Spirit that can disy two differentbined battle skills with twobat skills. This situation is very rare, but not impossible.


    Even if two Food Spirits really mastered the samebined battle skill, the results they disy may also be different.


    The uniqueness of the Food Spirit is not only reflected in form.


    Therefore, it is impossible to clearly distinguish the strengths and weaknesses ofbined battle skills and to grade differentbined battle skills.


    ¡°But secret techniques are different. They arebat skills that can be mastered by different Food Spirits, and the results disyed are the same.¡± Lu Dong¡¯s voice took a turn.


    ¡°Based on the average level of many performers, the strength of the secret techniques can be clearly differentiated.¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Lang had an idea, ¡°Are there different levels for secret techniques?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Lu Dong turned back, gave Qin Lang an approving look, ¡°Indeed, secret techniques have different levels, although now, as the secret techniques diminish, it is seldom mentioned.¡±


    ¡°The level distinction of secret techniques, like the star rating of Food Spirits, is divided into seven levels, ranging from one star to seven stars.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded inprehension, then asked the most crucial question, ¡°What star rating is the Capturing Fire Secret Technique?¡±


    ¡°Capturing Fire Secret Technique, let¡¯s call it Three Stars.¡± Lu Dong casually spoke, ¡°In super high temperature environments, it greatly enhances Food Spirits. But its shorings are equally obvious, hence the overall rating is not high.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    If you were to fight in ces like the mouth of a volcano, Capturing Fire Secret Technique can continuously restore the state of Food Spirits, it¡¯s very powerful.


    But such environments are hard toe by, and at other times this secret technique is quite useless, it hardlyes in handy.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lu Dong¡¯s voice took a turn, returning to the original topic of conversation, ¡°As I just mentioned, the Capturing Fire Secret Technique is notplete.¡±


    ¡°Or should I say, Capturing Fire Secret Technique is actually a simplified version of a powerful secret technique¡­ no, it should be an ultra-simplified version.¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched a bit.


    How much must it be simplified, for Mr. Lu Dong to describe it with such a modifier?


    But then, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of expectation in his heart.


    If the Capturing Fire Secret Technique is an ultra-simplified version of a powerful secret technique, how strong could the original secret technique be?


    Just as he thought of this, he heard Lu Dong speak leisurely.


    ¡°That secret technique, it ranks in the top ten among all secret techniques.¡±

 Chapter 339: Letter

    Chapter 339: Letter


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Step¡­¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s steps faltered slightly, his face etching a look of surprise.


    What Mr. Lu Dong just saidpletely exceeded his expectations.


    Originally, Qin Lang thought that the Capturing Fire Secret Technique was categorized as a Three Stars secret technique, so the original version should at least be Four-star.


    Considering that Mr. Lu Dong used the phrase ¡°super simplified¡±, it is likely to be a Five-star technique.


    However, the description that Mr. Lu Dong gave of that technique far surpassed Qin Lang¡¯s imagination.


    Ranking in the top ten among all techniques?


    A Five-star technique definitely couldn¡¯t achieve that!


    Although Qin Lang doesn¡¯t know much about secret techniques, his intuition tells him that even the Six-star technique doesn¡¯t deserve such a ranking.


    So¡­ is it Seven-star?!


    ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, is that technique a Seven-star technique?! Can Dan Bao learn it?¡± Qin Lang hurriedly stepped up to keep pace with the non-stopping Lu Dong, asking anxiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡± Lu Dong shook his head.


    Qin Lang¡¯s gaze instantly dimmed.


    That makes sense. Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s willingness to teach the Capturing Fire Secret Technique doesn¡¯t mean that he would also be willing to teach the more powerful and valuable techniques. He was being too greedy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Qin Lang apologized shamefacedly.


    ¡°It seems you misunderstood something.¡± Sensing the hidden emotional undertones in Qin Lang¡¯s voice, Lu Dong stopped, turned around, and looked at Qin Lang. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to teach you, but it¡¯s because I don¡¯t know how to.¡±


    ¡°Strictly speaking, that technique has been lost.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Qin Lang scratched his head.


    Lost?


    That¡¯s even worse than Mr. Lu Dong being unwilling to teach it!


    If Mr. Lu Dong is unwilling to teach, he could still find ways to change his mind. But how can he obtain a technique that¡¯s already lost?


    On the side, Dan Bao also went through the emotional rollercoaster and now bore a face of disappointment. If the spicy light bubbles were still on its head, they would probably start changing colors at this moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, that technique is indeed a Seven-star technique.¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly, ¡°In fact, with the development and prosperity of techniques, a total of seventeen Seven-star techniques have appeared.¡±


    ¡°And without exception, all these Seventeen Seven-star techniques were buried in the dust of history.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang blinked.


    What does that mean?


    Have all the Seven-star techniques been lost?


    ¡°The decline of Secret Techniques is partly because the threshold to learn Combined Battle Skills isparatively lower and each Food Spirit has unique Combined Battle Skills. But the bigger reason lies in the loss of powerful secret techniques.¡±


    ¡°Not just the Seven-star ones, even the Six-star techniques have almostpletely perished.¡± Lu Dong shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why they¡¯ve be lost. I don¡¯t know either. It¡¯s as though they suddenly disappeared one day. Everyone who knew them forgot about them and all the texts recording them mysteriously vanished.¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s expression hardened.


    Listening to this, there seemed to be a profound secret hidden within.


    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t glean more from Lu Dong, Qin Lang swiftly changed the topic. ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, then why did you bring me to the Refining Fire Hall?¡± ¡°The Refining Fire Hall?¡± Lu Dong shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not going to the Refining Fire Hall this time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already arrived.¡±


    Already arrived?


    Qin Lang was baffled.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, they were probably still in the middle of the corridor, a fair distance from the Refining Fire Hall beneath them.


    Without giving him a chance to ask, Lu Dong touched the Yan Yao Stones embedded in the walls around him, quickly identifying one and pressing it hard.


    With a rumble that left Qin Lang bbergasted, a secret door appeared on one side of the corridor, like a pre-carved path branching off.


    ¡°Such a long corridor, there has to be something else in it.¡± Lu Dong coughed lightly, a calm expression on his face as he said, ¡°Follow me. There¡¯s something you want to know inside, although not much.¡±


    Something I want to know¡­ that Seven-star technique?!


    Without saying a word, Qin Lang followed Lu Dong swiftly.


    After walking a few hundred meters down the forked path, a door appeared in front of them.


    With a key, Lu Dong unlocked the door and led Qin Lang inside.


    The space behind the door wasn¡¯trge, only about the size of a study, filled with several bookshelves neatly stacked with various documents and books. Judging from the texture of the paper, some were quite old.


    ¡°Wait for me for a moment.¡± Lu Dong walked familiarly to a bookshelf and began to search for something.


    Qin Lang stood in ce, his heart pounding with anticipation.


    ¡°Alt, found it!¡± Soon, Lu Dong pulled out a metal box from the corner of the top shelf, quickly approaching Qin Lang and handing it to him. ¡°You can look through it in here.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Qin Lang carefully took it.


    The metal box wasn¡¯t locked, and he easily opened it to reveal a few sheets of paper lying quietly within.


    The paper had been worn thin by time, appearing exceptionally fragile. Qin Lang even suspected that the moment he picked them up, they would crumble to dust.


    These sheets of paper contained rows of hand-written records.


    The style of writing contained a prominent ancient feel, but it did not affect readability.


    Just by looking at the opening on the first page, Qin Lang¡¯s pupils abruptly dted.


    ¡°Technique- Firestorm, Seven-star level, once mastered, grants immunity to all types of me-type battle skills damage and converts the damage caused by me-type battle skills into a source of power.¡±


    ¡°This technique significantly enhances one¡¯s own me-type battle skill damage and instantly restores one¡¯s condition to its peak when activated.¡±


    Firestorm¡­


    Is this the true form of the Capturing Fire Secret Technique?


    From this passage¡¯s introduction, the two do seem to share some simrities.


    But like Mr. Lu Dong said, the gap between the two is toorge. Describing it as a ¡°super simplified version¡± is not overstatement at all.


    Qin Lang reached out to flip the page and see what content was on the back, but he was stopped by Lu Dong.


    ¡°Use Thought Waves to flip the page.¡± Lu Dong pointed at Dan Bao.


    Understood, Qin Lang immediately asked Dan Bao to do it.


    Seeing the content on the first page, Dan Bao was simrly excited. It held its breath, concentrating all its attention on executing Thought Waves to gently manipte the paper to slowly turn over.


    The content on the second page appeared before Qin Lang.


    Then, the third page, and the fourth page.


    Unfortunately, these pages made no mention of the learning process of the Firestorm Technique or any training details.


    However, he did notice that there wererge nk spaces between a portion of the paragraphs, as if intentionally left nk by the author.


    Recalling what Mr. Lu Dong mentioned earlier, a horrifying answer surfaced in Qin Lang¡¯s mind.


    Perhaps this notebook originally contained something else, but it was erased by some mysterious power.


    What was left were just brief introductions to the Firestorm Technique and rtions between the Firestorm Technique and the Capturing Fire Secret Technique.


    There was still one thing that greatly encouraged Qin Lang.


    The notebook mentioned that someone who mastered the Capturing Fire Secret Technique had a minuscule chance of gaining insight into the Firestorm Technique in reverse. This required incredible talent and a certain amount of luck. Currently, there were no sessful cases.


    Obviously, Dan Bao had already taken the first step!

 Chapter 340: Farewell

    Chapter 340: Farewell


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    Instructing Dan Bao to use Thought Waves to carefully put the fragile pieces of paper back into the box, Qin Lang calmed his rampant emotions and turned to look at Lu Dong.


    ¡°Mr. Lu Dong, thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need for formalities.¡± Lu Dong shook his head slightly, his face showing aplex expression.


    ¡°The ancestors of the Lu family left this note in hopes that one of their descendants would be a Spirit Chef with enough talent to touch the mysteries of the Firestorm technique. It¡¯s a pity that all these years, there hasn¡¯t been one.¡± ¡°As you have already touched a bit of the mystery of Firestorm, it¡¯s appropriate that you should have a chance to investigate it. More importantly,¡± Mr. Lu Dong¡¯s voice paused slightly, ¡°I have a request.¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead.¡± Qin Lang nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°In the future, if you have the slightest chance of mastering the long-lost Firestorm technique, I hope you can return here to duel with me using that technique.¡± Lu Dong looked at Qin Lang with a pleading expression.


    ¡°I really want to see what the powerful secret technique that our ancestors have been pursuing throughout their lives is like.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s such a day, I will definitelye back.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face became solemn and he agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Haha.¡± Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s affirmative response, Lu Dong was delighted, ¡°In that case, we should leave this ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Although he knew that other books and documents here might also be useful, the few pages of notes had already given him a lot of help. Therefore, Qin Lang was not greedy and follow Lu Dong out of the secret room.


    The two climbed the stairs and quickly returned to the surface of the training ground.


    ¡°When are you leaving Lanqiu City?¡± At the doorstep of the training hall, Lu Dong asked with a smile. ¡°I can feel that you won¡¯t stay here for long.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang recalled the discussion he had with Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao over dinner tonight, ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow I will leave Lanqiu City with my partners and head to Ye Zhi City.¡±


    ¡°Ye Zhi City? That¡¯s a city with beautiful scenery.¡± Lu Dong nodded in understanding, contemted for a moment, then began to speak slowly, ¡°I have one more small question to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead.¡± Qin Lang answered respectfully.


    ¡°After winning the championship in the Lanqiu City Youth Training Competition today, you should have 50 Training Competition Points in your ount.¡± Lu Dong paused slightly, ¡°Do you have ns on how to use those points?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°I n to exchange these fifty Training Competition Points for two Skill Stones, to prepare for Dan Bao and Spicy¡¯s awakening of newskills.¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly, revealing a knowing expression, ¡°What is your n for Dan Bao¡¯s next skill?¡±


    ¡°For Dan Bao¡¯s next skill, I hope it will be a Nature-based Combat Skill.¡± Qin Lang did not hesitate to voice his thoughts.


    About this matter, he had discussed it with Zhou Tianhao during dinner, and had considered Zhou Tianhao¡¯s advice.


    ¡°Ideally, this Nature-based Combat Skill should be of the Storm or Thunder type. These types of Nature-based Combat Skillsplement the Fire type and make it easier to master new Combined Battle Skills.¡±


    ¡°Even the possibility ofbining threebat skills to form a Three Combo Combat Technique is not out of the question.¡±


    ¡°Good nning.¡± Lu Dong smiled, ¡°I originally thought you would consider awakening another Fire-typebat skill. If you had the chance to master the Firestorm technique in the future, it would greatly leverage the advantage of your Food Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Qin Lang slightly nodded, agreeing with Lu Dong¡¯s words, ¡°But mastering other types of Nature-based Combat Skills may also give Dan Bao a chance to touch other secret techniques, which would also be beneficial.¡± ¡°What about Spicy?¡± Having asked about Dan Bao, whom he was most interested in, Lu Dong nced at Spicy on the side.


    Although this Food Spirit doesn¡¯t possess a Fire-based Nature Combat Skill, its performance in the finals was equally stunning, leaving a deep impression on Lu Dong.


    ¡°For Spicy¡¯s thirdbat skill, I hope it will have some controlling effects.¡± Qin Lang answered without hesitation, ¡°This will allow it to better leverage its advantage of the Lucky Bite Mark, and continually damage its opponents.¡±


    ¡°Abat skill with controlling effects¡­¡± Lu Dong nodded slightly, ¡°Such skills exist in Nature, Fighting, and Mind types, so there¡¯s a wide range of choices.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡± his expression turned a bit odd, ¡°a Skill Stone that meets your requirements is at least a Second-Level Skill Stone, and the types you¡¯ve chosen are quite popr, thus requiring more points to exchange.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid 50 points won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Hearing Lu Dong¡¯s words, there was a hint of helplessness in Qin Lang¡¯s expression, ¡°I have to find a way to earn more Training Competition Points, or acquire Skill Stones through other means.¡±


    In fact, Qin Lang isn¡¯t entirely without options.


    At dinner, Zhou Tianhao had mentioned that he still had some remaining Training Competition Points.


    If Qin Lang needed them, Zhou Tianhao could use his points to exchange for Skill Stones for Qin Lang, andter Qin Lang could use an equivalent amount of points to help Zhou Tianhao exchange for what he needs.


    If he could rank in the Provincial Youth Training Competition, it would be easy to return the points he owed to Zhou Tianhao.


    Borrowing points from each other is quitemon among Spirit Chefs who are familiar with each other.


    After all, everyonecks resources.


    Especially for strong Spirit Chefs, cultivating their own Food Spirits is a bottomless pit.


    However, there was no need to tell Mr. Lu Dong about this.


    ¡°Keep it up, young man.¡± Lu Dong patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder andughed, ¡°I know you¡¯re from Tianhua State. Will you be participating in the Mingjing Province Youth Training Competition this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Once the Provincial Youth Training Competition ends, I will return to Tianhua State.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be watching yourpetition live on TV!¡± Lu Dong thumped his chest, ¡°Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The next day.


    The morning sun filtered through the gaps in the building and fell on the tform of the Lanqiu City Train Station.


    Apanied by the sound of a distant train whistle, the train wheels and the rails paired, emitting a ¡°rumbling¡± sound.


    As the homestretch of passenger cars came to aplete stop among the excited expressions of the waiting crowd, the closed door of the train carriage opened in response to the station¡¯s public announcement, as passengers alighted and boarded orderly under the direction of the conductor.


    In the crowd, Qin Lang and the others picked up their luggage to board the train, quickly found their seats and before long, the train started moving with a long whistle.


    Looking at the rapidly retreating scenery outside the window, a smile appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    Farewell, Lanqiu City.

 Chapter 341: Ye Zhi

    Chapter 341: Ye Zhi


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Wow! Is this Ye Zhi City?¡±


    As the train rolled into the station, Shen Qian, who was carrying a suitcase, alighted from the train. She looked around curiously, with joy on her face, ¡°This is my first time here!¡±


    ¡°Truly a city deserving its title of ¡®Pearl of the Province¡¯.¡± Zhou Tianhaomented while looking around, in his hand he held a brochurebeled ¡°Ye Zhi City Travel Guide¡±.


    The enthusiastic ticket collector had given it to them when they disembarked. ¡°It says in here that Ye Zhi City is the only city among the nine in Mingjing Province that purchases its aquatic resources from surrounding cities,¡± Zhou Tianhao opened the brochure to a page.


    ¡°Though Mingjing Province boasts the vast freshwater Jumping Fish Lake, and three rivers whose sources are Jumping Fish Lake and flow into Beautiful Bay, not to mention a vast coastline, Ye Zhi City¡¯s unique feature of being neither riverfront nor coastal is peculiar.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it this peculiarity that gives Ye Zhi City its uniqueness?¡± Qin Lang, also holding a brochure,ughed and asked.


    ¡°In order to facilitate the transportation and distribution of aquatic resources, it has be thergestnd transport hub in Mingjing Province and has been developed to be as prosperous as Crown Ling City in the hintend of Mingjing Province. It is, without a doubt, the second core of Mingjing Province.¡±


    ¡°Why are you two discussing this?¡± Shen Qian, who saw the two still had a desire to delve deeper into this topic, promptly rolled her eyes and interrupted. We¡¯ve been on the train for several hours, shouldn¡¯t our first priority be to find our pre-booked hotel, put down our heavy luggage, and tidy up?¡±


    ¡°And here¡¯s another thing, Qin Lang, isn¡¯t it time for your mustard vegetables to be steamed and aired again?¡± Saying this, she pointed at the hemp bag on Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder.


    The appearance of this hemp bag suddenly altered the scenario, making the trio, who would otherwise have looked like casual tourists.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take much longer,¡± Qin Lang estimated, feeling the mustard vegetables on his shoulder that seemed heavy but in actuality were not, ¡°The dried mustard should be ready in Ye Zhi City, so I wouldn¡¯t have to carry it around in such a cumbersome manner.¡±


    ¡°After so much preparation, I am eager to taste what this dried mustard is really like.¡± Shen Qian chuckled, full of anticipation. She hailed a cab at the exit, ¡°Sir, can you take us to Yunhua Hotel?¡±


    ¡°Just you wait.¡± Qin Lang shrugged.


    The three of them efficiently loaded their luggage into the trunk of the taxi and swiftly left Ye Zhi City Train Station.


    ¡°Gulp!¡±


    It¡¯s all hung up!


    Watching the mustard vegetables that, after the second steaming, turned a shade between yellow and brown hanging on the balcony, Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but feel awash with a sense of aplishment.


    ¡°You did a great job.¡± Qin Lang ruffled Dan Bao¡¯s head, patting Spicy on the head out of habit, ¡°The mustard vegetables need to go through three steaming and sun-drying sessions. After they dry this time, we repeat the process one more time, and then it¡¯s ready for the cooking process.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯U cook up a very delicious dish with it.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, ¡°And it¡¯ll be made with pork belly-¡±


    ¡°Crackle!¡±


    I want to eat!


    As Spicy¡¯s eyes sparkled, his face was filled with anticipation.


    ¡°You were pretty quick.¡±


    Having tidied up her luggage, Shen Qian stepped out of her room. She looked at Qin Lang, Dan Bao, Spicy, and the drying mustard, and chuckled.


    Just like in Lanqiu City, they again opted to stay in a suite this time, which contained three different bedrooms, while the living room, dining room, and kitchen were shared.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the slowest to get settled in.¡± Zhou Tianhao, who came out shortly after,ughed, then addressed Qin Lang, ¡°I checked thepetition schedule on Ye Zhi City¡¯s Spirit Chef Association official website.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there are no city-levelpetitions you can join, mainly due to time constraints.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Sensing Zhou Tianhao¡¯s concern over his goal of getting one of the Food Spirits to three stars, Qin Lang felt touched, ¡°ording to the n, we¡¯ll be passing through Hanhai City next and eventually arrive at Crown Ling City.¡±


    ¡°If Ye Zhi City has none, then these two cities should have some city-levelpetitions that match our timeline.¡±


    That¡¯s true,¡± Zhou Tianhao muttered, then as if suddenly recalling something, he said, ¡°If I remember correctly, you mentioned that you knew a senior here in Ye Zhi City.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Qin Lang nodded, retrieving a business card from his pocket.


    It was something he had deliberately taken out of a concealedpartment in his suitcase while packing. The card read the name ¡°Su Henian¡±, along with a telephone number.


    Su Henian, the husband of Song Hui, and Su Zhi¡¯s father.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shoot him a text first.¡±


    After pondering a bit, Qin Lang sent a message from his phone, detailing his rtionship with Song Hui and his current status in Ye Zhi City. He also expressed his wish to visit him.


    ¡°Alright, now we wait for his response.¡± After making sure his message was sent, Qin Lang yawned, ¡°Is it time for lunch yet? What¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°Travelling is tiring; I don¡¯t want to cook!¡± Shen Qian said with a giggle as she lounged on the sofa, ¡°Since it¡¯s our first time in Ye Zhi City, shouldn¡¯t we try the local delicacies?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all for it.¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled and raised his hand.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s look for rmendations for local cuisine.¡± Eager to rx himself, Qin Lang followed suit. He lounged on the sofa, browsing local food forums and other tforms where he could find relevant information.


    The three of them each scrolled through their phones, and the living room suddenly fell quiet except for the soft noises made by the Food Spirits interacting.


    ¡°How about this Tower of Food? Seems pretty interesting?¡± Soon, Qin Lang, with interest pointed at one of the introductions on his phone, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ye Zhi City to have such a unique ce.¡±


    ording to what he had learned, the Tower of Food was a seven-story building within Ye Zhi City. Each of its levels housed countless shops, all selling great food and without any repetition.


    The mere fact was enough to spark Qin Lang¡¯s interest.


    But there was more.


    The locations of the shops within the Tower of Food weren¡¯t fixed.


    Every month, they rated each shop based on a unique scoring system and reassigned them based on their scores. The higher the score, the higher the level.


    The simrity to the rules of the Leaping Fish Banquet made Qin Lang realize the intensepetition to keep a shop running in the Tower of Food.


    As one might expect, under such fierce, long-termpetition, the shops that managed to survive in the Tower of Food were bound to be superbly skilled.


    The Tower of Food had another unique feature: its ess.


    The Tower had an entrance at its lowest level, but that was an exit, not an entrance. The entrance was at the top, which was essible by cable car.


    Just knowing all this had spiked Qin Lang¡¯s interest in the Tower of Food.


    However, as soon as Shen Qian heard Qin Lang¡¯s suggestion, she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°The Tower of Food, not today!¡±

 Chapter 342: Food Tower

    Chapter 342: Food Tower


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°What is the Tower of Food?¡±


    Zhou Tianhao, who was standing by, showed a puzzled look upon hearing the two¡¯s conversation.


    Apparently, he hadn¡¯t seen any rted introduction yet.


    ¡°The Tower of Food is the ce in Ye Zhi City with the most variety and quantity of food,¡± Shen Qian gave Zhou Tianhao a nce, then exined slowly, ¡°At the same time, it is also the assessment location for Mr. Gao Yichen, a Second-Level Food Rmender in Ye Zhi City.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Hearing the second half of Shen¡¯s Qian statement, Qin Lang showed a look of surprise. He was unaware of this Second-Level Food Rmender assessment location.


    ¡°For the assessment to take ce in a ce full of a variety and quantity of food, it seems like this Second-Level Food Rmender is quite unconventional,¡± Zhou Tianhao stroked his chin, then smiled at Shen Qian.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve already nned for a future visit since you decided not to go today?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Shen Qian nodded, looking at Qin Lang, ¡°The reason we¡¯re not going today is partly because The Tower of Food is a long way from our hotel, we must cross arge part of the city to reach there.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, I n to go there tomorrow to have a look at the buzz of the Tower of Food, and possibly even visit Mr. Gao Yichen.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go tomorrow.¡± Qin Lang yielded willingly, ¡°Today, we can go elsewhere to taste local delicacies.¡±


    ¡°Once you get one more Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, you¡¯ll be eligible to participate in the Mingjing Province Cooking Contest, right Shen Qian?¡±, Zhou Tianhao teased, ¡°Cheer up!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zhou, it¡¯s not just me who needs to try hard, you also need to.¡± Shen Qian beamed, ¡°The minimum requirement to participate in Mr. Gao Yichen¡¯s assessment is a Second-Level Food Rmender Badge, so you can try, too.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then I will apany you on the visit tomorrow!¡±


    Given such an opportunity, he naturally wouldn¡¯t miss it.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be in charge of eating and exploring,¡± Qin Lang smiled, picked up his phone and pointed to another picture and text introduction.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a little restaurant hidden in an old alley. They say it¡¯s the best ce in Ye Zhi City for its speciality Camphor Duck. Locals queue up there every day for a taste, and it¡¯s not far from us.¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Shen Qian leaned over to look at Qin Lang¡¯s phone, her expression a little odd, ¡°Why can¡¯t I find this ce on the local food rankings?¡± ¡°Are you looking at the tourist rankings?¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled, ¡°When ites to understanding local gourmets, outsiders are not as knowledgeable as locals.¡±


    ¡°The quaint little restaurant that Qin Lang is rmending, who would a tourist know about it?¡±


    ¡°The eateries on the tourist rankings are often located in bustlingmercial areas, with unique decorations and delicious dishes.¡±


    ¡°But if you really want to dig deep, those old ces that have been open in remote ces for many years are the real gems.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s the idea,¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement, ¡°So I prefer to find out what¡¯s going on in local forums.¡±


    ¡°So there are such tricks!¡± Shen Qian felt like she learned a great deal, and bounced up from the sofa, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go and taste it! The Camphor Duck in Ye Zhi City is quite famous!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhaoughed and stood up together.


    ¡°Burp~¡±


    Qin Lang, without any regard for his image, let out a loud burp. He leaned back on the table and chair, his face filled with satisfaction as he looked at the empty utensils and dishes on the table.


    ¡°Indeed, this Camphor Duck is delicious, and definitely worth an hour¡¯s queue,¡± Zhou Tianhaomented while finishing thest mouthful of soup in the bowl.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Qin Lang agreed as he nodded.


    The so-called Camphor Duck is prepared by hollowing out the trunk of a unique tree in Ye Zhi City known as Red Camphor Wood, to make arge bowl. A whole treated duck is ced on it, along with other local special seasonings, and steamed together.


    The finished duck is served in arge soup bowl, fully immersed in a delicious stew. It tastes juicy and rich, and the unique sweet-smelling fragrance of Red Camphor Wood is pleasantly surprising when smelled.


    ¡°The Beaten Chicken rmended by the uncle at the next table also suits my taste,¡± Shen Qian finished her portion, which was served with cucumber shreds and carrot shreds, and looked content.


    This is a dish prepared by pounding a whole steamed chicken until the bones can be removed, shredded and mixed with cucumber and carrot shreds, and served cold.


    The technique of deboning a chicken with a pounding technique is extremely difficult, demanding high precision. A little carelessness could lead to shattered bones, making it hard to separate from the meat.


    The dish was rmended by a local sitting next door to them in the restaurant during their wait for the Camphor Duck.


    ¡°Uncle, thank you for your rmendation!¡± Shen Qian smiled at the friendly local uncle.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The uncle responded cheerfully, ¡°This ce has been open for many years, but few touristse here while locals frequently visit. It¡¯s rare to see outsiders like you, so I had to rmend to you what is good.¡±


    Hearing his words, Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help ncing at Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao.


    Herpanions¡¯ predictions were very urate.


    ¡°There are many cooks in Ye Zhi City who cook Camphor Duck, but if you want something authentic, the owner here is unbeatable,¡± intervened a local diner at another table who had just finished his meal, making a point between picking his teeth.


    ¡°There are standards to be met in making the Camphor Duck,¡± he rated, ¡°Not only does one have to select the best quality Red Camphor Wood, but also, one wooden bowl can only serve up to thirty portions of Camphor Duck.¡±


    ¡°If there are more, the vor of the Red Camphor Wood will weaken, which will significantly affect the Camphor Duck.¡±


    ¡°However, Red Camphor Wood isn¡¯t cheap. It has a slow growth rate and high value. Very few restaurant owners still stick to such practice.¡±


    ¡°In many ces, the Camphor Duck is prepared in the same wooden bowl for a month and even a year in some cases.¡± As he said this, the customer shook his head, ¡°Without the fragrance of camphor, what sort of Camphor Duck is it?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Well said, that¡¯s why I alwayse here.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, me too.¡±


    His words resonated with a few locals. They all expressed their solidarity, and a lively debate followed, full of agreeance.


    ¡°Indeed, a good chef should strive for perfection in every aspect of cooking,¡± Qin Lang nodded understandingly, ¡°The wooden bowl made from Red Camphor Wood is not only a container but also part of the seasoning; it should never be overlooked.¡±


    Although he had never tasted Camphor Duck from elsewhere, he could imagine how inferior it would be without the soulful fragrance of camphor wood. He had experienced a simr culinary technique in his previous life where an enormous piece of cheese was used to cook food.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look around nearby,¡± Zhou Tianhao suggested cheerfully, standing up and rubbing his stomach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Shen Qian quickly agreed.


    Just as Qin Lang was about to nod, his phone suddenly vibrated.


    It was a message from Su Henian.

 Chapter 343: What Year

    Chapter 343: What Year


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Sorry, I may not be able to go shopping with you this afternoon.¡±


    After reading Su Henian¡¯s reply, Qin Lang looked at the other two with a hint of apology, ¡°The senior I know is free this afternoon, and he¡¯s nearby. I n to visit him now.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, a regretful expression appeared on Shen Qian¡¯s face, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll pack some delicious food for you.¡±


    ¡°Visiting a senior is more important, go ahead,¡± Zhou Tianhao patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Qin Lang nodded, then looked at the text message on his phone again.


    ¡°Qin Lang, Ah Hui has mentioned you to me many times before, and I am looking forward to meeting you. I am delighted to hear your news ofing to Ye Zhi City. I happen to be free this afternoon and am at No. 16 Jinli Road.¡±


    On the way to the hotel, Qin Lang passed by Jinli Road, as he said, the locations of the two were very close indeed.


    ¡°I have to go now!¡± Opening the navigation on his mobile phone, Qin Lang strode towards the direction it pointed to, waving goodbye to the other two as he walked away.


    ¡°Okay, do you have anywhere you want to go, Brother Zhou?¡± Shen Qian shrugged as she watched Qin Lang¡¯s retreating figure and looked at Zhou Tianhao standing beside her.


    The Spirit Chef Association of Ye Zhi City is not far from here, we can go there first,¡± Zhou Tianhao suggested with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a habit of mine to visit the local Spirit Chef Association whenever I arrive in a city.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, the architectural style of a city¡¯s Association reflects the local customs to some extent. Besides, we might be able to learn a bit of intelligence about Mr. Gao Yichen¡¯s assessment there,¡± he added.


    ¡°In addition, there often is a food street near the Spirit Chef Association, and Ye Zhi City is no exception. If we want to taste other local specialty foods, going there would be killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    ¡°Great idea!¡± Shen Qian nodded in approval, her eyes filled withughter, ¡°Then let¡¯s set off.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Tianhao looked in the direction where Qin Lang had disappeared, then turned around and walked in the opposite direction, dering, ¡°Let¡¯sgo!¡±


    ¡°No. 16, Jinli Road¡­ All! It¡¯s here!¡±


    As the navigation hardware on his mobile phone announced that he had arrived, Qin Lang found himself standing in front of a storefront.


    Looking at the signboard, a strange color appeared on his face.


    It turned out to be a restaurant.


    Even more crazy was that he was not unfamiliar with this restaurant.


    Still remembering when he first came to this world, the newly certified Spirit Chef Qin Lang was looking for a restaurant to apply for a hanging position chef after the birth of his first Food Spirit.


    At that time, he directly approached the best restaurant in Dongxia City with full of confidence, only to be ruthlessly rejected by the interviewer.


    That restaurant was called Breeze Restaurant, as was the restaurant in front of him right now.


    The same style and simr decorations on the signboard indicated that the two restaurants sharing the same name was not a coincidence.


    Branch?


    The husband of Ms. Song Hui seemed to have moved from Tianhua State to Mingjing Province for work. Could it be¡­


    At this thought, Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.


    The sudden appearance of a figure caught the attention of the host at the restaurant entrance. He took a closer look at Qin Lang then quickly approached him.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Mr. Qin Lang?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Qin Lang, ¡°I am here to visit Mr. Su Henian, is he in?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Su is in. He specifically instructed me to look out for your arrival. Please follow me.¡± The host extended his hand towards the interior of the restaurant with a warm smile.


    Mr. Su¡­


    Qin Lang looked even more puzzled.


    Indeed, as he had suspected, Mr. Su Henian was a senior executive at Breeze Restaurant, and he came here from Tianhua State because of the restaurant¡¯s staff rotation.


    Even though Breeze restaurant¡¯s unforgiving rejection of his application in the past had left a negative impression on Qin Lang, he also knew there wasn¡¯t much of a connection between different branches, further more, they were located in different states.


    After clearing this up, Qin Lang no longer hesitated and followed the host inside the restaurant.


    They quickly arrived at the door of an office after passing through the beautifully decorated restaurant.


    ¡°This is Mr. Su¡¯s¡­,¡± the host began to introduce but was interrupted by an angry voiceing from inside the office.


    ¡°The Qualification Battle agreed upon is tomorrow, and you tell me the chef has fallen ill and been hospitalized today?!¡±


    The host¡¯s face turned pale and he stopped speaking.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    At the sound of the voice, the office door was flung open, and a middle-aged man in a chef¡¯s uniform slunk out. He didn¡¯t even nce at Qin Lang or the waiting host before turning around and leaving.


    Noticing the people outside, the figure in the office turned to look, and his look of anger and worry swiftly disappeared the moment he caught sight of Qin Lang.


    ¡°Qin Lang, you¡¯re here.¡± The man forced out a smile, then strode forward, ¡°You look even younger in person.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you for the first time. I¡¯m Su Henian.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Uncle Su,¡± Qin Lang shook the man¡¯s outstretched hand while examining Su Henian in return.


    He was wearing semi-frame sses and was dressed neatly, exuding an aura of gentle sophistication.


    Truth be told, Uncle Luo Hui didn¡¯t lose to him without good reason.


    ¡°Sorry for what happened just now¡± Su Henian said with a rare hint of embarrassment, aware that Qin Lang may have heard his earlier words, ¡°Come in. I¡¯ve prepared some fine tea. I¡¯ve wanted to meet you for a long time. Let¡¯s have a good chat.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang nodded, not mentioning the incident just now on his own initiative. Then he followed Su Henian into the office.


    Soon, the tea was brewed. The fragrance of the tea filled the entire office, which rose one¡¯s spirits.


    ¡°Have a try. This is a specialty bud tea of Ye Zhi City.¡± Su Henian took a sip, and then heughed, ¡°Although it¡¯s a bitte, but congrattion to you for winning the first ce in the Youth Group of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Su, you followed the Leaping Fish Banquet?¡± Qin Lang tasted the tea, feeling a thread of tea fragrance from the boiling tea water revolved above his head, refreshing and intoxicating, his eyes squinted unconsciously.


    This tea is really good.


    ¡°Although I am not a Spirit Chef, I am also a worker in the catering industry. If I don¡¯t care about the Leaping Fish Banquet, it would really be a dereliction of duty.¡± Su Henianughed, ¡°I noticed your participation in thepetition on the first day of the Leaping Fish Banquet.¡±


    ¡°At that time, I felt that the champion of the Youth Group of this Leaping Fish Banquet would be you.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Su, you overestimate me.¡± Qin Lang felt a little embarrassed at being highly regarded by Su Henian, ¡°I still have a lot to improve.¡±


    ¡°Victory without arrogance, this is good.¡± Appreciation shed in Su Henian¡¯s eyes, and he suddenly asked, ¡°When you were in Dongxia City, have you heard about Breeze Restaurant there?¡±


    Qin Lang hesitated when drinking his tea.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it.¡±


    ¡°It should be more than just hearing about it,¡± Su Henianughed, ¡°You applied for the position of hanging chef there, but were rejected by the person in charge.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± A surprised look appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    ¡°Uncle Su, how did you know?!¡±

 Chapter 344: Volunteering

    Chapter 344: Volunteering


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°Not only that, but I also know that Du Quan was the person in charge who rejected you.¡± Su Henian smiled.


    ¡°That seems to be the name.¡± Qin Lang became even more surprised.


    He remembered that the person who rejected him indeed had that name, which made him wonder why Su Henian knew such a trivial detail.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be surprised.¡± Su Henian saw Qin Lang¡¯s confusion and his expression turned serious. ¡°I know because Du Quan has been fired.¡±


    ¡°And the reason he was fired was because he rejected your job application.¡±


    ¡°When you won the Dongxia City Cooking Championship, someone at the Breeze Restaurant in Dongxia City recognized you as the guy who had been rejected by Du Quan during a job interview without even testing your cooking skills.¡±


    ¡°Du Quan naturally had to take responsibility for this negligence.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if it were only this, he would not have been fired, he would have only been demoted. But Du Quan already had many problems, and the umtion of these mistakes led to his dismissal.¡±


    ¡°The branches of the Breeze Restaurant shared this information as a warning to other branches to pay more attention to outstanding Spirit Chefs and not to judge a chef by their seniority.¡±


    ¡°Alt Hui happened to mention you to me, so naturally I knew that you were the Genius Spirit Chef who got Du Quan fired.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Qin Lang¡¯s expression changed from surprise to intrigue. ¡°So that¡¯s the hidden story behind it.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    It seemed that the Breeze Restaurant¡¯s ability to open branches in various cities and be a top yer in the catering industry had its reasons.


    The previous incident with Du Quan was just an example.


    ¡°Speaking of which, this is good news for me as well.¡± A smile appeared on Su Henian¡¯s face as if he had remembered something amusing. ¡°Last year, I was managing the Breeze Restaurant in Dongxia City.¡±


    ¡°At the time, Du Quan and I were on the same level, and we werepetitors. His arrogant and conceited personality greatly annoyed me. Our rtionship became very tense, and when a transfer opportunity came, I applied for it.¡± ¡°Mingjing Province is a new market for the Breeze Restaurant. Here, I can flex my muscles and better use my talents.¡± Su Henian¡¯s eyes sparkled as he said this.


    ¡°Not having to work with that annoying guy anymore has really lightened my load.¡±


    However, he scratched his head awkwardly right after, ¡°but this meant that I could not see Alt Hui and Su Zhi every day.¡±


    ¡°Su Zhi misses you.¡± Thinking of the first time Su Zhi mentioned her father, the faint sadness in her eyes, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but remind him.


    This couple, they both seemed like workaholics.


    ¡°I know.¡± Guilt appeared on Su Henian¡¯s face. ¡°But after I finish this Qualification Battle, I will be able to catch my breath. It would be a good choice to go back to Dongxia City or have theme here.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is the Qualification Battle?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    This was the second time Su Henian had mentioned it.


    ¡°The Qualification Battle¡­ It¡¯s a bitplicated.¡± Su Henian thought for a moment, then looked at Qin Lang. ¡°Do you know about the Tower of Food?¡± ¡°I just learned about it today.¡± Qin Lang nodded.


    ¡°In that case, exining it will be easier.¡± Su Henianughed, though a trace of helplessness could be seen in his smile. ¡°Ever since I came to Mingjing Province, I chose Ye Zhi City as the location for our branch, with the support of our headquarters.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, this is rted to the ¡®Zhi¡¯ character in Ye Zhi City.¡± Su Henianughed and continued, ¡°The Breeze Restaurant has been operating in Tianhua State for many years, but it has little foundation in Mingjing Province.¡±


    ¡°A Dragon Crossing the River.¡± Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good way to describe it, it¡¯s basically that.¡± Su Henian nodded. ¡°So, it¡¯s not easy for the newly-arrived Breeze Restaurant to make its name known and attract local Food Guests.¡±


    ¡°On the one hand, there are already many high-end restaurants here, many of which are no less excellent than the Breeze Restaurant in terms of dishes.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, Ye Zhi City has a different situation from Dongxia City. Here, there is a Food Competition Arena, the Tower of Food, established under the leadership of a local Second-Level Food Rmender.¡± Su Henian¡¯s expression became serious as he mentioned this.


    ¡°For food guests, the Tower of Food is a must-visit Food Holy Land in Ye Zhi City. But for restaurant owners, it¡¯s a ce of intensepetition.¡±


    ¡°If the Breeze Restaurant wants to establish itself in Ye Zhi City, we must leave our mark in the Tower of Food, climbing up to the highest floor step by step.¡±


    ¡°But for a restaurant to appear in the Tower of Food, it¡¯s not that simple. There are quite tedious requirements.¡±


    ¡°Not only will they consider the culinary skills of the restaurant, but also factors such as Comprehensive Dish Level, Local Operating Time, Position-holding Situation, etc.¡±


    ¡°Just a short while ago, our Breeze Restaurant finally met all the requirements. Next, we need to challenge a restaurant already established in the Tower of Food.¡±


    ¡°As neers, this is a necessary step.¡±


    ¡°If we win the Qualification Battle, we will be awarded a spot in the Tower of Food, and the challenged restaurant will lose its position in the Tower.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, if we lose the Qualification Battle, the Breeze Restaurant will not have a ce in the Tower of Food, and we will not be able to initiate another Qualification Battle within a year.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± After hearing this, Qin Lang had understood the essence of the Qualification Battle.


    It¡¯s a necessary route for new restaurants to enter the Tower of Food, simr to a Ranking Competition.


    However, he quickly furrowed his brow, ¡°Uncle Su, did I just hear you say that the head chef at your restaurant is sick and hospitalized?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Henian¡¯s eyes dimmed a bit, a hint of helplessness on his face. ¡°Just recently, our chef, who was supposed topete, fell ill and was hospitalized. And the Qualification Battle is tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°If you lose, does that mean the Breeze Restaurant will not be able to enter the Tower of Food for at least a year?¡± Qin Lang asked seriously.


    ¡°ording to the rules of the Tower of Food, that¡¯s correct.¡± Su Henian nodded, ¡°As neers, there¡¯s no way our Breeze Restaurant can challenge the rules set by a Second-Level Food Rmender.¡±


    ¡°The restaurant will probably have to arrange for another Spirit Chef to step in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult¡­¡± Su Henian sighed. ¡°In Tianhua State, every branch of the Breeze Restaurant employs at least two outstanding chefs. But this newly- started branch in Mingjing Province only has that hospitalized chef who is an outstanding chef. Most of the others are assistant chefs, with not many even at the excellent level.¡±


    Now, Qin Lang understood the difficulties facing Su Henian.


    Without a suitable Spirit Chef to step in, the oue of tomorrow¡¯s Qualification Battle was clear.


    If the Breeze Restaurant lost this time, Uncle Su would probably be very busy after that.


    Thinking of the young girl in Tianhua State who missed her father, Qin Lang sighed in his heart.


    ¡°Uncle, can I help?¡±

 Chapter 345: Agreement

    Chapter 345: Agreement


    Trantor: 549690339 |


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s question, Su Henian blinked, and an expression of surprise appeared on his face.


    He almost thought he had misheard.


    ¡°If this qualification battle allows outside assistance, I might be able to help.¡± Qin Lang spoke again, his serious expression reassured Su Henian that he was not joking.


    ¡°Outside assistance¡­ Outside assistance!¡± Su Henian¡¯s face lit up with joy.


    The suddenness of the situation caught him off guard; he had not thought of this before.


    As for Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills, Su Henian trusted him naturally.


    Song Hui has mentioned a lot about Qin Lang, along with the honor of being the first in the Yueyu Banquet Youth Group. Even though Qin Lang is not an outstanding Spiritual Chef, Su Henian believes that he is no worse than the sick head chef.


    So, the question was.


    Can they ask for outside assistance?


    Su Henian wore a contemtive expression as the various rules of the qualification battle shed through his mind.


    Now that he had calmed down, he disyed the agile thinking of a restaurant manager. In just a few seconds, he thought of a feasible method.


    However, if they use that method, it means¡­


    Su Henian only hesitated for a moment before resolution firming up on his face.


    ¡°There is a way!¡± He looked at Qin Lang seriously, ¡°ording to the rules of the qualification battle, the dishes cooked by the spirit chef sent by the restaurant must be on the restaurant¡¯s menu, and have been sold for over a


    month.¡±


    ¡°The theme of this qualification battle is ¡®beef, which is quitemon. Our restaurant¡¯s menu has a signature dish called ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯, which is most suitable for this theme.¡±


    ¡°The head chef had nned to use it for the qualification battle.¡±


    ¡°If you are willing, I can take the initiative to give you the recipe for this dish as a part of the reward for helping.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s one problem, I¡¯m not sure if you can master this dish within a day.¡± Su Henian nced at Qin Lang, his expression suggesting a question.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Qin Lang pondered.


    He wasn¡¯t looking for any reward to begin with. Having the opportunity to receive the recipe for Breeze Restaurant¡¯s signature dish was a pleasant surprise.


    The problem was, given that it¡¯s Breeze Restaurant¡¯s signature dish, it¡¯s certain to be difficult to cook. Could he master it in a short time?


    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t guarantee that I can master it in a day without knowing the recipe.¡± Qin Lang responded candidly.


    ¡°Right.¡± Su Henian nodded in understanding. ¡°In that case, you shoulde with me to see Chef Zhong. Although he¡¯s sick and hospitalized, it should be okay for him to exchange some words with you.¡±


    ¡°He is the head chef of the Breeze Restaurant. I was nning to visit him in the hospital anyway, killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang had no objections. ¡°Let¡¯s head out as soon as possible, we don¡¯t have much time to spare for the restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Chef Zhong, how are you feeling?¡±


    Su Henian, holding a prepared fruit basket, pushed open the door to the private inpatient ward and walked in. Qin Lang quietly followed, talcing a closer look at the ill and hospitalized head chef.


    He was a middle-aged man with some speckled hair and clean-shaven. Upon seeing Su Henian, surprise then deep guilt surfaced on his face.


    ¡°Manager Su, I have let you all down and dyed the restaurant¡¯s big event.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Su Henian waved his hand, showing no worry about the qualification battle. ¡°Work is important, but health is more important. Rest assured, this counts as a work-rted injury.¡±


    ¡°As for the qualification battle¡­¡± Su Henian¡¯s words trailed off, pulling Qin Lang, who was standing behind him, forward with a smile.


    ¡°Let me introduce you, this is Qin Lang, a genius Spirit Chef from Dongxia


    City.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Su is too kind.¡± Qin Lang modestly shook his head, then looked at theid-up Chef Zhong. ¡°Chef Zhong, hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, hello.¡± Chef Zhong smiled politely, still not understanding why Su Henan would introduce Qin Lang at this moment.


    ¡°I n to give the recipe of ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯ to Qin Lang so he can participate in the uing qualification battle.¡± Su Henian straightforwardly expressed his idea to Chef Zhong.


    ¡°No way! Cough, cough¡­¡±


    Chef Zhong¡¯s eyes widened as he sat up, following which he furrowed his brows and coughed hard, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Afrighted, Su Henian rushed forward to lightly pat Chef Zhong¡¯s back to help him breathe. Only when Chef Zhong¡¯splexion eased did he exin, ¡°Qin Lang won first ce in the youth group of the previous Yueyu Banquet.¡± ¡°Moreover, when Qin Lang was in Tianhua State, he managed to obtain four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges in just one or two months.¡±


    ¡°Still no!¡±


    Chef Zhong shook his head. Although he wasn¡¯t as emotional as before, his tone was just as resolute.


    He looked at Qin Lang, then slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the honor Qin Lang achieved at the Yueyu Banquet.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills.¡±


    ¡°But ording to the rules of the qualification battle, Qin Lang can only make a dish already on the restaurant¡¯s menu, giving him less than twenty-four hours to familiarize himself with a new dish.¡±


    ¡°And the ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯ is certainly not easy to cook.¡±


    ¡°Rather than that, it might be better to let Xu Qingzhong go on. Although he¡¯s barely qualified as an Excellent Chef, he¡¯s been learning this dish from me for two months and has got a decent grasp on it.¡±


    ¡°While Xu Qingzhong¡¯s grasp is quite good, there¡¯s still a gap between him and you,¡± sighed Su Henian. ¡°Putting him on the stage, the prospects aren¡¯t promising.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Chef Zhong sighed, guilt once again clouding his face. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t fallen ill, everything would have gone smoothly.¡±


    Qin Lang, standing on the side, felt that it was time for him to speak.


    ¡°Chef Zhong, any dish certainly has its difficulties. I believe that as Breeze Restaurant¡¯s signature dish, ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯ is bound to be challenging. However, the difficulty in cooking a dish is nothing but rted to the basic skills in cooking.¡±


    ¡°May I ask, where exactly does the difficulty of ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯ lie?¡¯ ¡°Being able to put it that way, you indeed manage to simplify theplexity,¡± Chef Zhong looked at Qin Lang seriously, surprise showing on his face.


    ¡°Indeed, the difficulty in cooking any dish is directly connected to basic cooking skills.¡±


    ¡°And the ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯, the difficulty mainly lies in the knifework and the heat control, especially the former.¡±


    ¡°It requires marinated beef to be cut along the grain into fments, ensuring that the marinated vor and the freshness of the beef fully seeps into the soup without making the stewed beef shreds nd or tough. The taste needs to be just right.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Qin Lang wore an expression of contemtion. ¡°So, as long as I can demonstratepetent knifework, that will be enough?¡±


    Chef Zhong looked closely at Qin Lang.


    ¡°If you can, then I¡¯ll share everything you need to know about ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk<sup>1</sup>.¡±

 Chapter 346: Display

    Chapter 346: Disy


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then!¡±


    Upon hearing Chef Zhong¡¯s affirmative response, Qin Lang spoke without hesitation.


    ¡°In that case, let me find a kitchen nearby to film Qin Lang demonstrating his knife skills and then hand it over to Chef Zhong as evidence.¡± Su Henian, who had witnessed the agreement between the two, volunteered.


    ¡°Uncle Su, there¡¯s no need to go through all that trouble,¡± Qin Lang looked around and quickly had an idea, ¡°Just borrow a knife and a piece of tofu from the hospital cafeteria, and find me a balloon.¡±


    ¡°I believe that seeing is believing for Chef Zhong.¡±


    Just like that?¡± Su Henian couldn¡¯t help but look surprised, ¡°There isn¡¯t even a table in this ward, are you sure you want to demonstrate your knife skills under these conditions?¡±


    Find a kitchen.¡± Even Chef Zhong felt that Qin Lang was overly confident, and couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to fail to meet my requirements because of the environment.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any issues.¡± Faced with their doubts, Qin Lang remained calm and confident.


    Alright then.¡± After a few more attempts at persuasion, seeing that Qin Lang remained adamant, Su Henian gave him a deep look before stepping out of the ward.


    Before long, a knife, a piece of tofu, and a balloon appeared in the ward.


    There was indeed a cafeteria in the hospital, and borrowing items was not a difficult task under Su Henian¡¯s excellentmunication skills.


    ¡°If you insist, let me witness how you intend to showcase your knife skills,¡± Chef Zhong slowly sat up and watched Qin Lang attentively.


    He could probably guess that Qin Lang intended to cut the tofu to showcase his knife skills.


    Among all the ingredients, tofu, being so soft that it breaks with slight force, is undoubtedly the most challenging one to demonstrate knife skills on.


    For Qin Lang to make such a choice, in his view, was a bold move.


    As for the balloon¡­


    Chef Zhong couldn¡¯t immediately figure out its relevance to knife skills.


    At the moment, Chef Zhong¡¯s wrinkled face showed a hint of expectation. He bore no ill will towards Qin Lang-if Qin Lang could indeed demonstrate impressive knife skills, then allowing him to take his ce in tomorrow¡¯s Qualification Battle would improve their chances of victory.


    Chef Zhong understood this much. Hence, he hoped that Qin Lang could meet his requirements.


    Of course, if he were to fall short, Chef Zhong would firmly oppose teaching him the ¡°Sleeping Bull Silk¡± technique.


    On the other hand, Su Henian also looked forward to it, thoughpared to Chef Zhong, he had more confidence in Qin Lang.


    Though it was his first time seeing Qin Lang in person, Su Henian already had a good understanding of Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills through letters from his wife and other sources.


    If he remembered correctly, Ah Hui mentioned before that Qin Lang had showcased a tofu dish in the Dongxia City Cooking Competition. That dish demonstrated his knife skills superbly, and even till today, many local Spirit Chefs were still challenging it.


    Therefore, Qin Lang¡¯s knife skills should be able to meet Chef Zhong¡¯s standards.


    As he was using tofu for his demonstration, was he nning to showcase that tofu dish?


    If that were the case, it would be even more reassuring.


    But-


    Like Chef Zhong, Su Henian also couldn¡¯t figure out the purpose of the balloon in this process.


    Their uncertainty remained until Qin Lang had the balloon inted.


    Qin Lang skillfully tied a knot at the balloon¡¯s opening, and then handed it to Su Henian, ¡°Uncle Su, could you do me a favour.¡±


    ¡°Help me steady this balloon.<sup>1</sup>¡®


    ¡°Okay.¡± Su Henian subconsciouslyplied, holding either end of the balloon to secure it in mid-air. Then he asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the balloon for?¡±


    ¡°Today, I n on using it as a cutting board.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, picking up the kitchen knife with one hand and the tofu with the other.


    Su Henian¡¯s hands shook violently, nearly bursting the balloon as he involuntarily gripped it too tight in astonishment.


    His eyes wide, he was left speechless by Qin Lang¡¯s words.


    A cutting board?!


    Although not a Spirit Chef, he was familiar with the concept of a cutting board.


    Most cutting boards are made of solid wood, where chefs ce ingredients to chop or cut them. The frictional force on the surface of the cutting board serves to prevent ingredients from slipping, as well as to protect the knife de somewhat.


    The cutting boards used in hotels are generallyrger than those used at home, often with a thickness of over ten centimeters and appear quite sturdy.


    And now, Qin Lang was suggesting using a balloon as a cutting board?


    He looked at the balloon held between his hands, ones that seemed would burst with a soft squeeze.


    A mere touch of the de would instantly burst it, wouldn¡¯t it?


    How could it possibly be used as a cutting board?


    Chef Zhong, who was sitting on the hospital bed, was no less surprised than Su Henian. At least Su Henian had some understanding of Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills, while Chef Zhong¡¯s knowledge of Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills was rtively superficial. Hence, he was all the more shocked when he heard these words.


    ¡°You¡­want to cut the tofu on the balloon?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Yes. Qin Lang calmly took out a piece of tofu and slowly ced it in the center of the balloon¡¯s surface, ¡°So let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Upon saying this, he steadied the tofu with one hand while wielding the knife with the other before starting to move.


    Su Henian, who was standing closest, could not help but hold his breath.


    As the one holding the balloon, he could see Qin Lang¡¯s knife cutting the tofu clear as day. He watched, spellbound as the knife in Qin Lang¡¯s hand rose and fell,stammer-like, leaving not a tremor in its stead as it sliced the tofu into the thinnest possible slices, the knife dancing on the balloon¡¯s surface like the most precise slicing machine.


    Su Henian felt somewhat suffocated as he listened to his heartbeat pound fiercely and rhythmically in his chest for the very first time.


    He gritted his teeth and exerted absolute control over his hands to steady the balloon, ensuring that he wouldn¡¯t cause Qin Lang to make a mistake.


    Sitting on the hospital bed, Chef Zhong unconsciously straightened his back, leaning forward to get a clearer view of the scene before him.


    Once Qin Lang¡¯s first set of cuts had been made and the balloon remained intact, Chef Zhong¡¯s perception of the young man before him had changed somewhat.


    Not paying attention to the changing expressions around him, Qin Lang entered his own rhythm from the moment he raised his knife.


    His knife rose and fell, slicing the tofu into thin slices, operating like the most precise of workshop cutting machines.


    It was as if the world outside had ceased to exist, leaving only the block of tofu in front of him.


    In the atmosphere of the hospital room that had grown thick with tension, Qin Lang¡¯s knife moved from one end of the tofu to the other. The once solid block of tofu had been sliced into countless thin tofu sheets, unable to maintain their shape and copsing onto the surface of the balloon.


    ¡°Phew ¡±


    It was only after Qin Lang had finished cutting that Su Henian drew a breath. He had forgotten to breathe throughout the process.


    Without lifting his head, Qin Lang spoke calmly.


    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Su Henian inhaled sharply while Chef Zhong sitting on the bed gasped.

 Chapter 347: Leading the Thread

    Chapter 347: Leading the Thread


    ¡°Are you still going to continue?!¡±


    Chef Zhong¡¯s voice seemed to tremble as he said these words.


    He rubbed at the area around his heart. The root cause of his hospitalization was a recurrence of an old heart condition, and he now felt the signs of a deterioration.


    This was simply too terrifying!


    As he watched Qin Lang cutting the tofu into thin and even slices with the balloon beneath it remaining unharmed, the visual impact left him speechless.


    He began to question, could he do the same?


    The answer was no.


    Chef Zhong was confident that he could cut the tofu into thin slices on a chopping board, but recing the chopping board with a balloon significantly increased the challenge.


    Having thought of this, his gaze towards Qin Lang became even more strange.


    Where did the manager find such a freakish kid?


    Seeing Qin Lang preparing to slice the tofu into slivers with the t of the de, Chef Zhong cried out in a hurry, ¡°Enough, enough!¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s knife paused.


    ¡°So, have I passed?¡± He looked up at Chef Zhong.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ve passed!¡± Chef Zhong nodded without hesitation, ¡°Your knifework is enough to bring out the soul of the dish ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Qin Lang put down the knife, a hint of regret on his face.


    He had onlypleted half of the slicing task. It was over already?


    It seemed that ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯ didn¡¯t require very high knife skills¡­


    Seeing Qin Lang put down the knife, Su Henian breathed a sigh of relief and quickly put down the balloon.


    Who knew how thrilling and exciting his experience had been?


    The most frightening thing about a balloon bursting is not the force it generates, but its unpredictability.


    Watching a balloon getting bigger and bigger, not knowing at what moment it would explode, was the most stimting.


    The thrilling feeling during Qin Lang¡¯s tofu cutting process, not knowing which knife drop would cause the balloon to explode instantly, was even more intense than that of blowing up the balloon.


    Seeing Qin Lang about to continue, Su Henian was already prepared to face that kind of torture again, but luckily, Chef Zhong directly called for a stop.


    With this thought in mind, Su Henian cast a resentful look at Qin Lang.


    If he had known it would be like this, he would have never helped Qin Lang steady the balloon!


    Seeing Su Henian¡¯s thoughts, Qin Lang scratched his head in embarrassment.


    In his past life, chefs who showcased this skill usually used small buckets or round vessels to stabilize the balloon. If they pursued a higher difficulty level, they could put a steel nail beneath the balloon.


    Holding it like he did was just a temporary solution. If Su Henian¡¯s hand had shaken a little more, even he might have failed the challenge.


    Fortunately, everything went smoothly.


    ¡°In that case, please instruct me on how to cook the ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk''¡±, Qin Lang said.


    When Qin Lang and Su Henian left the hospital, several hours had already passed.


    As the head chef of Breeze Restaurant and the only spiritual chef capable of making ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯, Chef Zhong¡¯s experience was quite rich.


    Although he could not demonstrate the entire cooking process due to his personal condition and hospital environment, his detailed exnations of each point allowed Qin Lang to gradually understand the process.


    After the exchange, Chef Zhong was confident enough to let the two leave when he was sure that Qin Lang truly understood the entire procedure.


    ¡°Qin Lang, are you nning to return to Breeze Restaurant with me, or¡­? Su Henian looked at Qin Lang.


    ¡°Uncle Su, could you please send me back to the hotel? I will practice in the kitchen there,¡± the image of Chef Zhong¡¯s hopeful and pleading nce when he left appeared in Qin Lang¡¯s mind, ¡°I will arrive at the Tower of Food on time tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Su Henian nodded understandingly.


    Although the kitchen of Breeze Restaurant is fully equipped, Qin Lang hadn¡¯t used it before. Familiarizing himself with it would actually waste more time than training in an environment he already knew.


    ¡°Get in the car and I¡¯ll drive you back to the hotel,¡± Su Henian smiled, his face full of confidence, ¡°I look forward to your performance tomorrow.¡±


    Soon, Su Henian¡¯s car started up and disappeared at the front of the hospital.


    By the time Qin Lang returned to the hotel, Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao were there to greet him.


    ¡°Both of us went to the Spirit Chef Association of Ye Zhi City this afternoon, got to know more about Mr. Gao Yichen, and tasted a lot of local delicacies,¡± Shen Qian started cheerfully, ¡°It¡¯s a pity you weren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you had a great conversation with your senior,¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled, ¡°It took longer than I expected.¡±


    ¡°No, it took so long because there were some smallplications,¡± Qin Lang scratched his head as his expression turned a bit strange.


    ¡°Complications?¡±


    Their curious gazes bothnded on him simultaneously.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded, sharing the basic gist with them.


    ¡°Who would have expected that, after all the twists and turns, you will still have to head to the Tower of Food with the two of us tomorrow,¡± Shen Qian said with a giggle, ¡°While Zhou and I will go visit Mr. Gao Yichen, you will be representing Breeze Restaurant in the Qualification Battle.¡±


    ¡°I believe with Qin Lang¡¯s culinary skills, winning this battle will not be difficult,¡± Zhou Tianhao had great faith in Qin Lang and chuckled, ¡°Being able to learn the ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯ is already a significant gain.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Su said that if I win in the end, he will also apply to Breeze Restaurant headquarters for a small additional reward for me,¡± Qin Lang scratched his head again, ¡°So I need to work hard.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that. I have to go to the kitchen to practice this dish right away, so you guys don¡¯t need to worry about me tonight.¡± Qin Lang stood up and headed towards the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m going into closed-door training!¡± Watching Qin Lang¡¯s retreating figure, Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao both had serious expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Qin Lang has started his efforts, and we can¡¯t ck off either,¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke slowly, ¡°Are you confident about the assessment from Mr. Gao Yichen?¡± ¡°Hard to say.¡± Shen Qian sighed, ¡°If the assessment content is really as those spiritual chefs we¡¯ve heard from said, I¡¯m afraid I might not pass this time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t carry too much mental burden, after all, you onlyck thest one, Zhou Tianhaoforted her, ¡°We can only know what the specific assessment content is after our visit tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Qian nodded heavily.


    In the busy preparation of the three, the night swiftly passed.


    Early the next morning, the trio took a taxi through half of Ye Zhi City and arrived early at the Tower of Food located on the other side of the city.


    Unlike most towers that are smaller at the top and wider at the base, the Tower of Food isrger at both ends, with a smaller middle section, making it resemble an hourss. The outer surface of the building is even decorated with a lot of food motifs.


    By taking the cable car, the three of them directly reached the top of the tower, which was also the entrance to the Tower of Food.

 Chapter 348: Scorn

    Chapter 348: Scorn


    ¡°Actually standing on top of the Tower of Food, space feels even bigger than I imagined!¡± Shen Qian looked around curiously, her face showing a mix of nervousness and anticipation, ¡°They say Mr. Gao Yichen is at the top of the Tower of Food.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded, also scrutinizing everything inside the Tower of Food. Soon his eyes locked onto a closedpartment located right in the center of the top level of the tower, ¡°That should be it.¡±


    ¡°Good luck to you both.¡± Seeing their nervous but hopeful faces, Qin Lang smiled, ¡°We¡¯re here on the top level of the Tower of Food to visit Mr. Gao Yichen, but the battle for qualification is happening at the very bottom.¡±


    ¡°It seems we will have to part ways for now.¡±


    With limited time, the three didn¡¯t linger. Soon Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao headed straight for the closed examination room in the center of the top level, while Qin Lang took the elevator straight to the bottom.


    Through the transparent ss of the elevator, he had a clear view of the bustle and prosperity on each level of the Tower of Food. It was still morning, but the ce was already crowded to capacity.


    The savoury aromas of all sorts of delicious food permeated even the closed environment of the elevator, floating to Qin Lang¡¯s and the two little fairies¡¯ noses.


    ¡°Grumble-¡±


    ¡°tter-¡±


    Both of the little fairies swallowed and turned their hopeful eyes to Qin Lang.


    ¡°After we help Uncle Su win this qualification challenge, let¡¯s tour around the Tower of Food. We went to so much trouble to get here, we definitely have to taste all kinds of delicious food they have here.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°But before that¡­¡±


    ¡°You two haven¡¯t forgotten the cooking steps for ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯, have you?¡±


    The two little fairies shook their heads. With the qualification battle imminent, they quickly regained their serious expressions, their eyes flickering with a hint of fighting spirit.


    Once again, it was time to cook up delicious food and conquer the opponent!


    Seeing that the two little fairies remembered the important stuff, Qin Lang was even more satisfied.


    Afterst night¡¯s training, he was rtively familiar with the dish that he was about to present for the showdown.


    He wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say his version was better than Chef Zhong¡¯s, but there shouldn¡¯t be much problem winning this showdown.


    After all, Breeze Restaurant was indeed a very strong restaurant, it was just not well established in Ye Zhi City yet.


    The deliciousness of the ¡°Sleeping Bull Silk¡±, which was capable of being a signature dish of the restaurant, was beyond doubt. Last night, after Qin Langpleted the final practice of the dish, he tasted it and was full of praise.


    The elevator quickly descended to the first floor. As soon as the door opened, Qin Lang saw Su Henian and a few chefs waiting outside.


    ¡°Wee!¡± Su Henian smiled and pointed to the people behind him, ¡°Let me introduce them. This is Xu Qingzhong, Tong Sheng, and Tan Tao. They are all current Excellent Chefs at Breeze Restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Qin Lang nodded at the three of them. His gaze lingered a bit longer on Xu Qingzhong.


    Yesterday, when Chef Zhong first doubted his own skills, he suggested that this chef might step in. He was capable of cooking the dish ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯, but there was a certain gappared to Chef Zhong.


    As for the other two chefs, a man and a woman, Qin Lang was meeting them for the first time, so he didn¡¯t know them well.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following your performance at the Leaping Fish Banquet. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t make it to the site to sample your cooking skills.¡± Tan Tao was a twenty-something girl with a high ponytail and currently was smiling, ¡°So this time, I took the initiative toe and watch. I¡¯m hoping to see your cooking skills first-hand. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    ¡°Yesterday my master told me that your ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯ would be better than mine.¡± Xu Qingzhong slowly spoke up. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t really believe it because you only had one night to practice.¡±


    ¡°But I hope you can do it, after all, winning for Breeze Restaurant is more important than anything else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Qin Lang nodded seriously, having no hard feelings for the other¡¯s sincere words.


    As for the Spiritual Chef named Tong Sheng, he seemed somewhat reticent, standing silently to the side with a grin on his face, without saying a word.


    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, we can head to thepetition venue now.¡± Su Henian, who had been observing their conversation, stepped in to address the group, ¡°Among the seven floors of the Tower of Food, the bottom one upies thergest area.¡±


    ¡°The number of shops here is also the most.¡±


    ¡°The qualification battle takes ce in the central area of the bottom floor. Both the challenger and the challenged send out a chef to cook a dish. The dish has to be on their own restaurant¡¯s menu and can¡¯t be a new one.¡±


    ¡°As for the judges, it¡¯s the eleven First-Level Food Rmenders from Ye Zhi City.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face showed a bit of surprise. He was just learning about this, ¡°The judging panel for the qualification battle is so impressive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, after all, the Tower of Food was created by Mr. Gao Yichen, a Second- Level Food Rmender of our city. The eleven First-Level Food Rmendors are his subordinates. They judge as long as it doesn¡¯t hamper the City-level Cooking Contest.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang nodded, recalling the Beef Tasting Banquet that Mr. Fu Hang hosted in Dongxia City. He also invited other First-Level Food Rmenders, who would ept if they could spare the time.


    Since Mr. Gao Yichen was a Second-Level Food Rmender, it isn¡¯t difficult to ask the city¡¯s First-Level Food Rmenders to help judge.


    ¡°In this case, the judging panel is the same as the one for the City-level Cooking Contest.¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face showed anticipation. He was bing more serious about the uing Qualification Battle.


    While chatting, the Breeze Restaurant group arrived at the scene.


    Thepetition venue was divided into twopetitive standard kitchens and judges¡¯ seats. There were no audience seats, but there was arge empty area around the edge of the venue allowing for hundreds of spectators.


    When Qin Lang and the others arrived, several people were already standing in the middle of the venue, judging from their clothes and stance, they are obviously from the same team.


    ¡°That¡¯s our opponent for today, Jiuhe Restaurant.¡± Su Henian introduced to Qin Lang, ¡°They¡¯re a restaurant from the first floor of the Tower of Food. Their overall ability is not strong.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    Su Henian only now informed Qin Lang about their opponent and showed no intention to study their signature dishes, clearly not taking them too seriously.


    And it makes sense. While Breeze Restaurant may not be well known in Mingjing Province, it is a powerhouse in Tianhua State.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the people from Breeze Restaurant?¡± The team from Jiuhe Restaurant approached with unfriendly faces when they saw Qin Lang and his group. ¡°Who¡¯s cooking today?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± Qin Lang replied calmly.


    ¡°So young?¡± The owner of Jiuhe Restaurant, Zhang Kan, immediately frowned in displeasure.


    He had every reason to be upset.


    Of all the restaurants in the Tower of Food, his Jiuhe Restaurant was chosen, making it clear that they thought his restaurant was the weakest.


    Although this was the truth, it was still irritating to think about.


    What¡¯s worse, they even dispatched a young kid topete.


    Who are they looking down on here?!


    ¡°You will pay the price for underestimating us!¡±

 Chapter 349: Lying Bull

    Chapter 349: Lying Bull


    After throwing down the gauntlet, Zhang Kan did not linger, promptly turning and leaving with the others from the Jiuhe Restaurant.


    It was evident that their fighting spirit had been stirred due to Qin Lang¡¯s presence, and they nned to bolster their resolve in order to maintain their standing in the Tower of Food.


    Seeing this, Qin Lang and Su Henian exchanged a nce and shook their heads in resignation.


    The others seemingly felt that the participation of such a young Spirit Chef like Qin Lang was an act of contempt towards them.


    They hoped these impressions would persist when the Qualification Battle began.


    Su Henian wanted to ask how far Qin Lang had progressed with preparing the dish ¡°Sleeping Bull Silk,¡± but ultimately swallowed his words.


    Thepetition was about to begin; he would know soon enough. Asking now might affect Qin Lang¡¯s state of mind and cooking attitude. It was better not to ask.


    Consequently, Su Henian chose to chat with Qin Lang about some of the famous eateries in the Tower of Food. Their cheerful conversation was a stark contrast to the gloomy ambiance over at the Jiuhe Restaurant.


    Soon after, eleven Food Rmenders gradually took to the stage and took their seats on the judging panel.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Su Henian pped Qin Lang on the shoulder and left the arena along with the other three chefs. They walked out into the open space outside the arena to watch the proceedings.


    Many people were already gathered in that open space, including curious tourists who had caught wind of the event and decided to observe the spectacle, as well as proprietors of other currently closed eateries on the first floor.


    Upon seeing the arrival of the Breeze Restaurant group, they graciously gave up the best viewing spots.


    The Jiuhe Restaurant staff had also cleared out, leaving behind a mature middle-aged man whose face bore a solemn expression.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± The eldest of the Food Rmenders, seated in the center of the judges¡¯ panel, cleared his throat and spoke evenly, ¡°I am Xin Yimin. I will be the lead judge and host for this Qualification Battle.¡±


    ¡°I call on representatives from both sides to introduce themselves!


    ¡°Jiuhe Restaurant, Bai He.¡± The middle-aged man from Jiuhe Restaurant dered, speaking in a deep voice.


    ¡°Breeze Restaurant, Qin Lang.¡± Qin Lang responded in a loud, clear voice.


    The moment Qin Lang announced his name, a murmuring swept through the crowd. The eleven judges on the panel all turned to look at him, their expressions reflecting surprise.


    As Food Rmenders, they were naturally aware of the Leaping Fish Banquet.


    They had not paid it much mind before, but now that they knew Qin Lang¡¯s name and could associate it with the figure in their memories, all eleven Food Rmenders seemed to recognize him.


    ¡°Let me restate the requirements for the Qualification Battle.¡± Xin Yimin paused only for an instant before returning to his role as the lead judge. ¡°The representatives from both restaurants can only use dishes that have been on their menu for over a month.¡±


    ¡°The theme for this battle is ¡®Beef,¡¯ and the time limit¡­ three hours,¡± Xin Yimin looked at both sides and then spoke slowly. ¡°Unless there are any objections, let the battle begin.¡±


    Qin Lang and Bai He locked eyes, then simultaneously turned around and walked into their respective Competitive Standard Kitchens.


    The moment both of them entered their kitchens, the numbers lit up on the electronic screen, and a countdown for three hours began.


    On the judges¡¯ panel, the eleven judges visibly rxed a bit. As they watched the tightly shut doors of the kitchens, they started making small talk.


    ¡°This Qin Lang, he¡¯s the one from the Leaping Fish Banquet, correct?


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s him. What¡¯s the story of this Breeze Restaurant? They managed to source such an impressive helper.¡±


    ¡°I traveled to Tianhua State on a business trip once. Our restaurant might not be well-known here in Mingjing Province, but in every city in Tianhua State, this restaurant has branches. It is indeed a strongpetitor.


    ¡°I see. It seems to have quite a reputation.¡±


    ¡°It seems the Jiuhe Restaurant is going to have difficulties this time!¡± ¡°Survival of the fittest! That¡¯s always been the rule in the Tower of Food. The menu of the Jiuhe Restaurant hasn¡¯t been updated for a full year. Their culinary skills have stagnated. A restaurant like this would be eliminated sooner orter.¡±


    II II


    Their remarks were unheard by others, and since this was a conversation among the Food Rmenders themselves, there were rtively few barriers. They had yet to taste the dishes, but it seemed they already had preferences in their minds.


    In the kitchen, Qin Lang and his twopanions were bustling around.


    ¡°Whoosh-¡±


    Qin Lang scooped out the beef that had been quickly boiled under the effect of Cooking eleration, drained off the extra water and then immediately began cutting it up.


    Under the shining light, the knife de kept flickering. Delicate beef shreds, cut along the grain, quickly piled up into a miniature mound at the edge of the chopping board.


    Even more strangely, throughout the entire process, the edge of the knife never once touched the chopping board, and there was no sound of chopping.


    When Qin Lang finally lowered his knife, the colossal piece of beef, originally the size of two fists, had been transformed into thin strips of beef, piled like a small mountain.


    Casually picking up a strip and giving it a slight tug, Qin Lang felt the sticity from the beef produced by thorough boiling. He nodded satisfactorily.


    ording to the tests he had conducted allst night, this should be the ideal tenderness.


    Immediately afterward, Qin Lang turned his gaze to Dan Bao, who was standing by, waiting for instructions.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    Watch me!


    Understood, Dan Bao nodded, and in the next moment a creamy white halo erupted from all over his body. The intangible Thought Waves enveloped the beef shreds, making them float mid-air.


    Just like braiding a hair braid, the beef shreds, under Dan Bao¡¯s control, were subcategorized into bundles, three shreds per bundle. Then every three of these bundles were braided together to form a thicker group of beef shreds, while maintaining a continuous link in the braiding process.


    Following two rounds of such braiding, the originally fine shreds had turned into strands the thickness of woolen yarns and a continuous strip, over ten meters in length, had been formed.


    After several bouts of Special Training, Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Waves had gained enough strength to perform this workload.


    Though the process seemedplicated, under the minute maniption of the Thought Waves, it appeared to proceed effortlessly.


    ¡°Well done.¡± Patting Dan Bao¡¯s head affectionately, Qin Lang reached out and epted the long line of braided beef shreds and looked at it with an odd expression.


    Strangely enough, this ¡°Sleeping Bull Silk¡± dish bore some resemnce to longevity noodles.


    However, longevity noodles involved a single strip of noodle, whereas Sleeping Bull Silk consisted of a single strip of beef shreds.


    Real beef noodle.


    During the braiding process, the beef shreds had cooled down. The shrinkage had caused the shreds to be firmer, granting the ¡°beef noodle¡± in Qin Lang¡¯s hands an astonishing springiness.


    Setting it aside forter use, Qin Lang moved on to the next step without any rush.


    Boiling broth.


    He took another piece of beef and gently simmered it over a low heat, to extract all the rich savours inherent in the beef, then discarded the meat and retained the broth.


    ¡°Beef noodles¡± were portioned into over a dozen pieces and ced in the pot. After reducing the broth to a sticky consistency over high heat, he added a little water and starch for thickening. Lastly, he scooped out the ¡°beef noodles¡± drenched in a substantial amount of sticky soup and served them in bowls.


    A sprinkle of chopped green onionspleted the dish.


    Done.


    The final product, under the light, disyed a colour simr to that of buckwheat noodles. The sticky soup visibly coated the surface, while the sprinkling of green onions added a lively touch. The pure and enticing aroma of beef permeated throughout when sniffed.


    Admiring his masterpiece for a moment, Qin Lang nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s have the judges take a taste.¡±

 Chapter 350: Exam Question Outside.

    Chapter 350: Exam Question Outside.


    The audience, who had been waiting for more than half an hour, let out a cheer of surprise and anticipation the moment the door to Qin Lang¡¯s Competitive Standard Kitchen opened.


    The eleven Food Rmenders on the judging panel also stopped chatting, sat up straight one by one, exchanged nces with each other and turned their attention to Qin Lang.


    In the excited atmosphere of the venue, Qin Lang pushed the Kitchen Cab Car to the front of the judges¡¯ seats and stopped.


    ¡°Respected judges, the dish I¡¯vepleted for this Qualification Battle on behalf of Breeze Restaurant is ¡®Sleeping Bull Silk¡¯, please enjoy.¡±


    As Qin Lang introduced, Dan Bao proficiently opened the cab of the Kitchen Cab Car and delivered the eleven dishes of Sleeping Bull Silk to the judges using Thought Waves.


    On the electronic screen in the venue, a close-up of this delicious dish is presented, allowing the onlookers to clearly see every detail.


    In the crowd, a surprised look appeared on Su Henian¡¯s face.


    Although he was not a chef, as the manager of Breeze Restaurant, he was very familiar with each signature dish.


    The Sleeping Bull Silk made by Qin Lang at this moment, from its appearance alone, is almost identical to the one made by Chef Zhong, which made him more confident about the performance of this dish.


    Next to him, Xu Qingzhong looked even more carefully. He stared hard at the Sleeping Bull Silk disyed on the electronic screen, not willing to miss any detail. After a while, an admiring look appeared on his face.


    ¡°Qin Lang is even more amazing than I imagined.¡±


    Having also attempted to cook this dish before, he knew very well where the key points of this dishy.


    That is to slice the beef along the grain with good knifework into thin strands, then weave the strands into a thread to be cooked.


    The finer the beef strands, the greater the improvement to the final taste of the dish.


    Of course, the heat control during this process is also important.


    The Sleeping Bull Silk that Xu Qingzhong sees at this moment, be it the color or the details of the beef strands, are presented perfectly. He even has an illusion that the one who is cooking this dish is not Qin Lang, but Chef Zhong in person.


    You must know, Qin Lang had been exposed to this dish for less than a day.


    Was one day enough to master this dish to such an extent?


    His gaze moved from the close-up of the dish disyed on the electronic screen to the eleven Food Rmenders who were tasting it at the judges¡¯ seats. Seeing their slightly unseemly moment of tasting until there wasn¡¯t even a drop of soup left in the bowl, a rxed smile appeared on his face.


    Won!


    Definitely won!


    Among the onlookers, there were quite a few who noticed the details of the Food Rmenders¡¯ tasting, and many people were discussing it.


    Before today, they might not have heard of Breeze Restaurant, but after today, they will surely remember this restaurant, and that it has a signature dish called Sleeping Bull Silk.


    On the other hand, the people from Jiuhe Restaurant on the other side weren¡¯t looking so good at this moment.


    The signature dish they were working on took about an hour to cook. This time isn¡¯t very long for a beef dish, but Qin Lang was faster.


    As such, Breeze Restaurant had the upper hand.


    And the way the eleven Food Rmenders tasted the food, only added to their trepidation.


    Soon, the eleven Food Rmenders put down the bowls in front of them one after another, ending their tasting session.


    Because the other side had not yet finished, they did not give any evaluations for the time being, but they were asionally whispering discussions, clearly having quite a few thoughts on the tasting process just now.


    Seeing this, Qin Lang did not stand and wait, but directly walked off the field with the two little ones and came to where the people of Breeze Restaurant were.


    ¡°Mission aplished.¡±


    ¡°This time, thanks to you.¡± Su Henian lightly patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, a joyful expression on his face, ¡°I have already applied to headquarters, after winning this Qualification Battle, you can receive a cash reward of a million.¡± ¡°That much?¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face showed a bit of surprise.


    With his current savings, a million isn¡¯t an ie that can be easily ignored.


    ¡°Not much.¡± Su Henian smiled, ¡°This is what you deserve, and don¡¯t be polite with your uncle, after all, I am not the one who pays.¡±


    Hearing Su Henian¡¯s joking words, Qin Lang was rendered speechless and stopped declining.


    His gaze turned to the other side of the field where the kitchen door was still closed tightly.


    He didn¡¯t know how much longer his opponent would take to finish cooking.


    At the same time, at the seventh floor of Tower of Food.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked at both of your past employment histories.¡± A tall man with a full beard handed back the Spirit Chef Badges to Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao, a hearty smile on his face, ¡°Are you sure you want to take my test?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gao Yichen.¡± Shen Qian nodded seriously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I want to participate too.¡± Zhou Tianhao dered solemnly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gao Yichen nodded, his smile intensifying.


    These two who came this time, are a bit unusual.


    One had obtained four second-level Food Rmender Badges in a little over the past year, and with just one more could participate directly in the Provincial-Level Cooking Competition. Moreover, they were only in their teens, scarily young.


    The other, although his cooking career was unexceptional, had impressive training achievements and was actually the provincial training champion of Tianhua State.


    Facing these test-takers, his test content naturally had to be adjusted ordingly.


    After some consideration, Gao Yichen¡¯s gaze firstnded on Shen Qian, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your test requirements first.¡±


    ¡°You tell it!¡± Shen Qian sat up straight, a serious and stern expression on her face, leaning forward slightly in a posture to listen carefully.


    ¡°Choose any restaurant on the sixth floor of the Tower of Food to intern for three days. Prepare a ¡®seafood¡¯ themed dish as the internship dish, and the total sales in three days must not be less than the restaurant¡¯s original signature dish.¡± Gao Yichen slowly spoke.


    Shen Qian¡¯s expression tightened slightly and Zhou Tianhao clenched his fist at her side.


    The day before, they had gone to the Spirit Chef Association in Ye Zhi City, and through inquiring with the association staff and other local Spirit Chefs, they gained a certain understanding of Gao Yichen¡¯s test.


    As the founder of the Tower of Food, Gao Yichen¡¯s test is quite different from the tests of other Second-Level Food Rmenders, as his test content often has something to do with the Tower of Food.


    The test requirement Gao Yichen proposed for Shen Qian at this moment is exactly that.


    Every month, the storefronts in the Tower of Food would have their positions adjusted ording to their ratings and rankings. The higher the ranking, the higher the floor.


    The restaurants on the sixth floor are not the best, but they are among the upper-level establishments in all the restaurants. The signature dishes of such restaurants will not be of a low standard.


    Moreover, the reason a dish is considered a signature dish is because it is sufficiently ssic and has a fixed consumer base.


    Requiring that the total sales volume in three days must not be less than the signature dish meant that the internship dish Shen Qian offered must be more popr than the signature dish.

 Chapter 351: Intentions

    Chapter 351: Intentions


    If offering a dish more popr than the chosen restaurant¡¯s signature dish counts as one requirement, then ¡°seafood¡± is clearly another requirement.


    As a Spirit Chef born and raised in Mingjing Province, Shen Qian is no stranger to cooking seafood.


    This is good news.


    Thinking about this, Shen Qian nodded slightly, ¡°Alright, no problem.¡±


    ¡°With this token, you can choose to work in any restaurant on the sixth floor. They will not refuse.¡± Gao Yichen handed Shen Qian a wooden token inscribed with the symbol of the Tower of Food. ¡°Assisting in my examination is one of the duties of the restaurants in the Tower of Food.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Adequately understanding now, Shen Qian carefully stored the wooden token. ¡°May I ask, Mr. Gao, how much preparation time do I have?¡±


    ¡°You have one week at most, I want to see the results,¡± Gao Yichen slowly dered, ¡°Subtracting the three days for the cement, you only have four days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Shen Qian earnestly nodded.


    Even though the preparation time was more limited than thest time, this examination doesn¡¯t impose a lot of restrictions on the dishes. As long as she chooses something suitable from her specialty in seafood, many times of practice would be sufficient.


    Gao Yichen nodded, shifting his gaze to Zhou Tianhao who was eagerly waiting, ¡°Now, let¡¯s discuss your examination content.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Tianhao immediately straightened his back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Gao Yichenughed, ¡°Your examination content is not the same as Shen Qian¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You need to choose three restaurants from the Tower of Food and challenge their head chefs to a Food Fight and win all of them,¡± Gao Yichen¡¯s gaze grew stern, ¡°Remember, you need to win all of them. It¡¯s not eptable to lose even one.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao, who had previously straightened his back, now looked slightly taken aback.


    He had been ready to ept an examination simr to Shen Qian¡¯s, and he didn¡¯t expect his own examination to be more exceptional.


    Challenging the head chefs of three restaurants in the Tower of Food and achievingplete victories?


    Zhou Tianhao pondered for a moment, and his face lit up with surprise.


    He suddenly realized thatpared to Shen Qian¡¯s exam, his own seemed a bit simpler!


    Because Mr. Gao Yichen didn¡¯t specify which floor he should choose from, which means he could choose a restaurant from the first floor of the Tower of Food, where the ratings are at the bottom, for the exam.


    With that, the difficulty would naturally lower significantly.


    But it doesn¡¯t mean this would be easy.


    Since he was the one challenging the three head chefs, ording to the rules of the Food Fight, the other party will decide the project.


    The opponent would definitely choose something they¡¯re good at.


    Therefore, to win, he must do a series of preliminary investigations, understand the skill points of each restaurant¡¯s head chef, and choose a contest where he has an advantage.


    Apart from that, after determining the Food Fight category, the specific rules of the category still depend on the draw, which further increases the uncertainty of the Food Fight.


    If he wants to sessfully win three Food Fights, his only method would be to master more types of dishes and expand his recipe pool.


    Coming to this realization, Zhou Tianhao wore a contemtive look.


    He thinks he might have figured out why Mr. Gao Yichen set different examination requirements for them.


    Unlike Shen Qian who already had four Second-Level Food Rmender Badges and excelled in several areas of cooking, he was previously a yer on the training path, only recently switching to the cooking path. He doesn¡¯t have much experience in Food Fights andcks a variety of dishes.


    Gao Yichen¡¯s examination was like a disguised hint for him.


    Understanding the idea behind this, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s gaze towards Gao Yichen held a bit more respect. ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡±


    ¡°This is your token. Holding it, no restaurant¡¯s head chef in the Tower of Food would refuse your Food Fight.¡± Gao Yichen smiled, bringing out another wooden token, slightly different from the one in Shen Qian¡¯s hand, and handed it to Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°How long do I have for this challenge?¡± Zhou Tianhao asked, as he took the token and ced it in his pocket.


    ¡°Due to the unique nature of the examination, your time will be a little more generous, but only slightly,¡± Gao Yichen began calmly. ¡°You have ten days.¡± ¡°Within ten days, challenge three head chefs and achieve total victories.¡± So, ten days¡­


    Zhou Tianhao began nning in his mind.


    With one day to understand the opponent¡¯s situation and the remaining nine days for the Food Fight, each round of Food Fight has three days of preparation time.


    By calcting that way, the preparation time seemed quite plenty.


    ¡°Alright, you guys can go prepare. I look forward to hearing your good news.¡± Gao Yichen waved at them, indicating they could leave.


    Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao nced at each other. They didn¡¯t linger further and took their leave from Gao Yichen¡¯s examination room.


    Stepping out of the room, Shen Qian turned to Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Before we start the examination, shall we first see how Qin Lang is doing with his Qualification Battle?¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodding, ¡°This opportunity can also help us learn about some restaurants, since our examination content involves the Tower of Food.¡±


    With a mutual agreement, they quickly took the elevator from the seventh floor down to the first floor.


    ¡°So, both your exams have such specific requirements?¡±


    Having heard their Food Rmender examination content, Qin Lang replied with a look of bewilderment.


    In Tianhua State, he had also been through three different Second-Level Food Rmender examinations but none of them were this peculiar.


    It seems such an examination must be among the few within the array of Second-Level Food Rmender examinations.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Qian sighed, ¡°From now on, you can rest, and the two of us will be busy.¡±


    ¡°Just investigating the situation of the Tower of Food¡¯s restaurants is a huge task,¡± She couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°They say there are more than three hundred restaurants here!¡±


    ¡°Regarding the information on the restaurants in Tower of Food, perhaps, I could help you out.¡± Su Henian, who was standing by, suddenly offered, ¡°Previously, our Breeze Restaurant had done a lot of research on the restaurants in the Tower of Food while we were choosing our opponent.¡± ¡°Really? Can we borrow it?¡± Shen Qian¡¯s eyes immediately lit up with excitement.


    If there¡¯s already avable information, she can spare more time to prepare dishes.


    ¡°We can borrow such information?¡± Zhou Tianhao asked, equally excited. Comparing to Shen Qian, he needed this information more. After all, he must choose from all the restaurants in the Tower of Food, whereas Shen Qian only had to pick one from the sixth floor.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re friends of Qin Lang, so you¡¯re my friends, too.¡± Su Henian replied with a smile, ¡°This little favor is no issue.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Su, thankyou.¡± Hearing this, Qin Lang felt grateful knowing that Su Henian was willing to help because of him.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Su Henian waved his hand and was about to say something more when the sound of an electric bell echoed from the Qualification Battle stage.


    ¡°Ding ¡±


    The previously quiet stage suddenly came to life with the sound of the electric bell.


    On the other side of the stage, the kitchen door of the head chef Bai He from Jiuhe Restaurant slowly opened.

 Chapter 352: Unexpected Change

    Chapter 352: Unexpected Change


    Bai He pushed the food trolley out, his expression not entirely rxed.


    When Qin Lang had finished cooking, he too had heard the electric bell sound indicating thepletion of cooking in thepetitive standard kitchen.


    Qin Lang was faster than him, and not by a small margin.


    This puts him at a disadvantage in thispetition.


    Nevertheless, Bai He had full confidence in the dish he presented.


    Because this was the most famous dish of their Jiuhe Restaurant, passed down for generations and refined by many chefs, it has a unique taste that makes it unforgettable once tasted.


    Many of the loyal food guests of the Jiuhe Restaurant, it could be said, stayed because of this particr dish.


    As the current Head chef of the Jiuhe Restaurant, Bai He had never felt so confident as he did now!


    ¡°Respected Food Rmenders, the dish I have prepared on behalf of Jiuhe Restaurant is Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef, please have a taste.¡±


    Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef!


    As Bai He announced the name of the dish, a series of murmurs spread among the audience.


    ¡°So it¡¯s this dish.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if it would be this one when I heard the theme of thepetition.¡±


    Haha, it seems this new restaurant called Breeze Restaurant is going to lose!¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a one-storey restaurant, it¡¯s not to be underestimated if it manages to set up in the Tower of Food!¡±


    Hearing the voices of the crowd, Qin Lang and the others exchanged nces.


    ¡°Uncle Su, is this Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef famous?¡± Qin Lang frowned slightly, and could not help asking Su Henian beside him.


    Although he was just a helping hand, having joined thepetition, he did not want Breeze Restaurant to lose.


    Rx. Su Henian patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder, clearly understanding Qin Lang¡¯s thoughts, his smile remained calm, ¡°Indeed, Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef is the signature dish of Jiuhe Restaurant.¡±


    Butpared to ours, the Sleeping Bull Silk, there is quite a gap.¡± Su Henian assured confidently, ¡°During the preliminary survey, Chef Zhong and I made an undercover visit to the restaurant and tasted this dish ourselves.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hearing Su Henian¡¯s exnation, Qin Lang¡¯s expression slightly rxed.


    Since they had tasted it personally and Su Henian could say something so confident, it should not be a big problem¡­


    ¡°What?! How could it be?!¡±


    Before Qin Lang could take a breath, Xu Qingzhong, standing beside him, stared at the close-up of Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef disyed on the electronic screen, and suddenly his expression changed, he eximed in a low voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Henian frowned slightly and looked at the screen. However, with his level of culinary skills, he could not see any issues.


    ¡°The Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef they presented this time looks much more appealing than before,¡± Xu Qingzhong lowered his voice after having a look around.


    ¡°Although appearance is only one of the criteria for judging a dish, it implies that this Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef may not taste the same as the one we tasted before.¡±


    Last time when they made a covert visit to Jiuhe Restaurant, Xu Qingzhong was also present, and he clearly remembered this Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef, having been deeply impressed by it.


    ¡®This¡­¡± Su Henian slightly altered his facial expression, ¡°Could it be that they discovered our identities thest time we visited, and therefore deliberately hid their true skills?¡±


    ¡°It might also be coincidental,¡± Xu Qingzhong contemted for a moment and quickly came up with a possibility, ¡°Sometimes when Chef Zhong is too busy, I would also cook Sleeping Bull Silk. Naturally, there¡¯s a difference between his rendition and mine.¡±


    ¡°So you mean, the Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef we tastedst time may not be made by Bai He?¡± Qin Lang who was standing nearby, perked up at hearing their conversation.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t want to admit it, it may be so,¡± Su Henian¡¯s previous rxed expression disappeared. Seeing the Food Rmenders enjoying their tasting on the judging seats, he felt a wave of pressureing at him.


    ¡°If I may interject,¡± Zhou Tianhao, standing nearby, looked at the people of Breeze Restaurant, then at Bai He on the stage, and suddenly spoke, ¡°even knowing this in advance, you still have no other way out, right?¡±


    Indeed,¡± Su Henian nodded slightly, his expression improved a little.


    The opponent was already set. Even knowing that their signature dish could be more delicious than the one they tasted, nothing could be changed now.


    However, this nheless added a certain degree of unpredictability to apetition that was initially deemed a sure win.


    Su Henian couldn¡¯t help but nce at Qin Lang next to him.


    Now, all they could do was to see how well Qin Lang could perform with the Sleeping Bull Silk.


    On the stage, seeing the judges looking satisfied while tasting, Bai He felt a sense of satisfaction sh through his eyes and his gaze swung to the people of Breeze Restaurant below the stage.


    After Breeze Restaurant proposed to challenge Jiuhe Restaurant, Jiuhe Restaurant naturally wouldn¡¯t just sit and wait. They took the initiative to investigate the situation at Breeze Restaurant.


    From the investigation, the staff of Jiuhe Restaurant found out that the manager of Breeze Restaurant had visited their restaurant and tasted several of their signature dishes.


    That particr day just so happened to be the day Bai He was out, and a less skillful chef had cooked those signature dishes.


    Upon finding out about this, the management of Jiuhe Restaurant decided to counter with a strategy of their own. This Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef they put out was not only theplete version of the signature dish, but they had also made some improvements.


    The time hade for a clean and decisivepetition to bring Jiuhe


    Restaurant, which poprity was dwindling, back to the top!


    Breeze Restaurant was hoping to use this opportunity to establish themselves in the Tower of Food, but wasn¡¯t Jiuhe Restaurant also hoping to use this exposure to prove themselves?


    Looking at the readiness for battle in Breeze Restaurant, they must have caught onto something, right?


    A twinkle of amusement appeared in Bai He¡¯s eyes.


    You brought this upon yourselves.


    Surprised? Or not surprised?


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn,¡± Qin Lang calmly said, looking at the Food Rmenders who were almost done with their tasting, a trace of peculiar look in his eyes.


    A dish that is better than expected, huh¡­


    Although he did not anticipate this, he did not cook Sleeping Bull Silk ording to the original recipe either.


    In terms of cooking method, Qin Lang did not make any changes, but he followed the original way of cooking Sleeping Bull Silk.


    As for seasoning, especially during thetter part of stewing the beef soup, based on his understanding and experimentation with spices, he made some substantial adjustments to attain a better end result.


    These adjustments were not apparent on the surface, but the Food Rmenders must have sensed them.


    Facing this uncertainty, instead of feeling nervous, Qin Lang was filled with joy and anticipation.


    If it¡¯s possible, he¡¯d rather have apetition where the oue is uncertain, instead of a victory that he knew he could win from the start.


    ¡°Tap tap tap¡­¡±


    Step by step, Qin Lang walked back in front of the stage, standing next to the kitchen cab car he left on the stage. He calmly looked at Bai He, then turned his gaze to the Food Rmenders who had finished their tasting.


    Let¡¯s see who wins!

 Chapter 353: The Outcome

    Chapter 353: The Oue


    ¡°We have tasted dishes from both sides.¡±


    Xin Yimin, the chief judge, sweeps over the two Spirit Chefs on the stage and begins to speak, ¡°Next, from left to right, each Food Rmender will choose the dish they believe to be superior and exin the reasons.¡±


    ¡°As the chief judge, I will votest.¡±


    As his remarks end, the atmosphere on-site instantaneously intensifies. Even the onlookers cease their whispers, staying silent so as not to interfere with the Food Rmenders¡¯ final decision.


    In the tense atmosphere, a middle-aged woman seated to the left of the judges¡¯ seats smiles slightly, ¡°I select the Jiuhe Restaurant. I have tasted their Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef before, but this time, I can clearly taste improvements, which surprised me a lot.¡±


    A vote for the Jiuhe Restaurant!


    The onlookers from the Jiuhe Restaurant erupt into cheers upon the first vote, while Bai He on-site also cracks a smile.


    On the contrary, the Breeze Restaurant¡¯s side does not look so good.


    Su Henian¡¯s face hardens.


    The first vote going to Jiuhe Restaurant is not a good sign.


    And ording to that Food Rmender, the Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef has been improved?


    ¡°I choose the Breeze Restaurant.¡± A young man sitting next to the previous judge smiles, ¡°This Sleeping Bull Silk, in both its presentation and taste, is quite original and unique, I really like it.¡±


    A vote for the Breeze Restaurant!


    Su Henian¡¯s tight fist loosens slowly as if infused with a strong dose of confidence.


    Having got a vote, it means the gap between the two sides is notrge.


    There¡¯s still hope!


    Even Qin Lang at the scene, who seems to be keeping a calm demeanor, secretly heaves a sigh of relief.


    A tie for now is eptable.


    He subtly nces at Bai He¡¯s kitchen cab car, predicting that there will be a Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef prepared for him.


    He is very curious to taste how this dish is actually like.


    On the other side, Bai He¡¯s expression starts to be a little strange.


    The Breeze Restaurant managed to garner a vote?


    How could that be?


    The Breeze Restaurant discreetly visited their ce, and Bai He likewise had a friend take away a dish from the Breeze Restaurant for him to try.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t miss out on this Sleeping Bull Silk.


    Amid his certainty, as Bai He saw it, both the Sleeping Bull Silk and the Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef from his restaurant were evenly matched. In order to have a better chance of winning, he strived to improve during the preparation period.


    Upon hearing that the head chef of the Breeze Restaurant could not personally attend due to illness, Bai He thought he had this win in the bag.


    He didn¡¯t value any other chef from the Breeze Restaurant.


    But who knew that Qin Lang woulde along.


    This excessively young boy was a formidable chef, but Bai He still didn¡¯t think he was capable of surpassing him.


    The young chef may have been able to render the Sleeping Bull Silk to eight or nine parts of Chef Zhong¡¯s level within a short time, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The current voting, however, didn¡¯t align with his predictions.


    After the first two Food Rmenders, their sessors give their choices one after another.


    The number of votes from the Breeze Restaurant and the Jiuhe Restaurant keep changing, but they remain in a tug of war.


    2:1.


    2:2.


    3:2.


    33-


    43-


    53-


    5:4-


    With nine judges having made their stances, the atmosphere on-site bes more tense.


    Now only the Food Rmender on the far right and Xin Yimin, the chief judge in the center, have yet to dere their stances.


    ¡°I choose¡­ Breeze Restaurant!¡± The Food Rmender on the far right hesitated between the two dishes, then decisively stated, ¡°Both dishes are delicious, but the Sleeping Bull Silk from Breeze Restaurant was more surprising to me.¡±


    ¡°Cooking beef in a never-before-seen way resulted in vourpletely different from my previous experiences with beef; I really liked that.¡±


    Breeze Restaurant, six votes!


    With eleven judges, the final result has been determined!


    Su Henian¡¯s clenched fists rxed subtly. Behind him, the three chefs from Breeze Restaurant let out cries of joy.


    We won!


    Breeze Restaurant has earned a ce in the Tower of Food!


    This development establishes his restaurant, which he¡¯s devoted months to, in this unfamiliar city.


    Su Henian allowed a rxed smile to creep onto his face, his thoughts drifting to his wife and daughter, to whom he owed so much.


    He would have much more time to spend with them now.


    In contrast, the faces of those from Jiuhe Restaurant turned gloomy after the evaluation ended.


    They had lost¡­


    They had lost this battle.


    This means Jiuhe Restaurant will leave the Tower of Food, and their only chance to return will be during the next Qualification Battle.


    It was foreseeable that their restaurant would witness a significant decrease in poprity during this time.


    The mood on the stage was visually evident with Bai He¡¯s sullen expression.


    He couldn¡¯t fathom how Qin Lang won.


    This Spirit Chef is clearly an outsider who Breeze Restaurant brought in. Could he have made the Sleeping Bull Silk even better than the Breeze Restaurant¡¯s head chef?


    Is that possible?


    ¡°It seems I don¡¯t need to cast my vote,¡± Xin Yimin said with augh. ¡°Although I chose Breeze Restaurant as well, my vote doesn¡¯t matter now.¡±


    ¡°In this Qualification Battle, Breeze Restaurant wins.¡±


    ¡°Now, both sides can exchange dishes for tasting.¡±


    ¡°Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef, please.¡± Bai He hastily offered his dish to Qin Lang, an eager and analyzing look in his eyes.


    He wanted to see how he lost.


    ¡°Sleeping Bull Silk, please,¡± Qin Lang said with a smile, epting Bai He¡¯s dish and offering his own in return.


    Once the exchange wasplete, both started to taste each other¡¯s dishes.


    In front of Qin Lang was an exquisite small steamer made from a type of light purple bamboo that he could not identify. This bamboo¡¯s unique aroma would seep into the dish during the steaming process, serving as a garnish.


    Of course, it was just a garnish.


    Compared to the chunks of beef resting silently on a lotus leaf inside the steamer, this trace of aroma seemed insignificant.


    The delightful fragrance of the beefbined with the scent of diverse grains was enticing.


    The surface of the beef was covered in ayer of glutinous rice, within which were grains of different colours like millet, rice and corn.


    Upon closer inspection, he realized there were nine types of grains¡ªperhaps this was the significance behind the name ¡°Jiuhe¡±.


    Gently moving aside the glutinous rice with chopsticks, he exposed the marbled interior of the beef.


    Beef Brisket¡­ this part of the beef is indeed suitable for this style of cooking.


    After observing the dish, Qin Lang did not hesitate to ce a piece in his mouth.


    The taste was deliciously soft and the beef tender.


    The taste was exquisite with each bite.


    The Jiuhe Glutinous Fragrant Beef was indeed amazing, no wonder his victory had been hard-earned.


    On the other side, Bai He tasted the Sleeping Bull Silk, stuffing it directly into his mouth.


    The next instant, his pupils constricted.


    This vour¡­


    Something¡¯s wrong!

 Chapter 354: Fishing

    Chapter 354: Fishing


    Even now, Bai He could clearly remember how he had felt when he had first tasted the Sleeping Bull Silk at the Breeze Restaurant.


    Because he was already familiar with this dish, the eruption of this familiar yet unfamiliar taste in his mouth left him deeply shaken.


    The tightly packed meat created an impressive chewy sensation. The slits between the handmade meat strips allowed them to absorb as much of the delicious soup as possible.


    Furthermore, the slow simmering of the soup and the addition of thickening agent made the soup very dense, it coated the surface of the ¡°beef noodles¡± and had an incredibly rich and savory taste.


    In terms of taste, the Sleeping Bull Silk that Bai He was experiencing now was not very different from thest time, yet, remarkably, the savory taste this time was significantly stronger than before.


    It¡¯s the spices!


    After careful tasting, Bai He realized that at least four spices he hadn¡¯t tasted before had been used this time. It was these unique spices intertwining together that took the taste of the beef to a whole new level.


    He abruptly turned to Qin Lang, ¡°Did you improve this dish, or was it chef Zhong?¡±


    ¡°It was me,¡± Qin Lang replied after setting down the empty basket. The leftover beef had been shared by the two children.


    ¡°It was you¡­¡± The shock in Bai He¡¯s eyes deepened, and eventually settled into admiration.


    If Qin Lang had said that chef Zhong improved the dish, he wouldn¡¯t have been this surprised. After all, the chef was perfectly familiar with the Sleeping Bull Silk. It would be usible if they both improved the dish for thepetition.


    However, for Qin Lang¡­


    The fact that he had managed to master the Sleeping Bull Silk and even improve it to an extent in such a short time, and that said improvement was so effective, was somewhat frightening.


    Before this, Bai He had believed that Qin Lang was just the first ce winner of the Yueyu Banquet Youth Group. However, after this encounter, his understanding of Qin Lang¡¯s cooking skills had deepened significantly.


    ¡°I admit defeat this time,¡± Bai He calmly admitted his failure, then red at the Breeze Restaurant team, ¡°but Jiuhe restaurant hasn¡¯t lost!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about having external help? We, Jiuhe Restaurant, will choose Breeze Restaurant as our opponent in the Qualification Battle in a few months.¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, hopefully chef Zhong could make it and truly showcase Breeze Restaurant¡¯s strength by then.


    But that¡¯s a story for another day.


    Both parties tried each other¡¯s dishes and agreed on the voting results, which officially concluded this Qualification Battle.


    The Breeze restaurant will move into the Tower of Food within a week, and for now, its shop location would be where the Jiuhe Restaurant used to be.


    From then on, ording to the rules of the Tower of Food, the restaurant locations would be adjusted once a month based on the ratings, and it was up to the chefs of the Breeze Restaurant to earn their keep.


    After the end of the Qualification Battle, Su Henian, in high spirits, immediatelypiled the information that Breeze Restaurant had gathered about the shops in the Tower of Food and handed it over to Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao.


    For the two, who were about to take the Second-Level Food Rmender test, it was undoubtedly a much-needed help.


    With detailed information, they each quickly developed a n to pass the test.


    As for Qin Lang, he finally had some time to spare. He started wandering around the Tower of Food, tasting dishes from various restaurants in the tower with the two children.


    He savored unique dishes he had tried before in Yuehu City and Lanqiu City, and even tasted some from Tianhua State.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that the Tower of Food was a gathering ce for delicious food from all around.


    As days passed, three more days went by.


    After hanging the mustard greens, that had gone through the third steaming process, on the balcony, Qin Lang stretched and looked at the dark brown mustard greens in front of him. His face was full of anticipation, ¡°Once these are dried, the pickled mustard will be ready.¡±


    ¡°Watching you prepare this makes me realize how difficult it is,¡± Shen Qian walked out of the kitchen smiling, ¡°To make delicious food, the process is quiteplex.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Qin Lang nodded in agreement, and then looked at Shen Qian. ¡°Looking at you, have you settled on your chosen dishes?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Shen Qian nodded.


    ¡°Three days ago, I decided to work at a restaurant called ¡®Lanyue Pavilion¡¯ on the sixth floor of the Tower of Food. After tasting their signature dish, I spent three days perfecting a dish to outperform theirs.¡±


    ¡°You go to someone else¡¯s restaurant and make a dish that will outdo their signature dish,¡± Qin Lang smirked, ¡°It¡¯s only because you¡¯re doing it as part of your test that they won¡¯t kick you out!¡±


    ¡°Well, you never know, because a gifted woman like me is invited to work at so many restaurants!¡± Shen Qian held her head high in pretend arrogance, thenughed even harder.


    ¡°What fun thing are you discussing?¡± Zhou Tianhao walked in exhausted, but still managed to give them a smile.


    ¡°Zhou, how did your first Food Fight go?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good, although the process was a bit rough, I eventually won 5:2.¡± Zhou Tianhao moved his arm, ¡°First battle, victory!¡±


    ¡°Congrats, Zhou.¡± Qin Langughed.


    ¡°A third of Zhou¡¯s test is done. I should start my own challenge.¡± Shen Qian looked determined, ¡°I¡¯ll start my cement today!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already initiated my second Food Fight at the ¡®Chuiyun Tower¡¯ against their head chef, Zhang Zihao.¡± Zhou Tianhao transitioned to the kitchen, ¡°Perfect timing, you go for your cement, I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    ¡°And Qin Lang, what are your ns for today?¡± Shen Qian turned to Qin Lang, watching Zhou start his preparations in the kitchen.


    ¡°Among the three of us, I¡¯m the freest,¡± Qin Lang shook his head with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve tasted most of the cuisine in Ye Zhi City, so today Su Uncle invited me to participate in a funpetition.¡±


    ¡°Funpetition?¡± Shen Qian looked eager, but remembering her uing test, she sighed in disappointment, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to go, did Su Uncle say what kind of funpetition it is?¡±


    ¡°He did, it seems to be fishing,¡± Qin Lang¡¯s face was slightly funny, ¡°I never thought there would be a funpetition for fishing.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha!¡± Shen Qian patted Qin Lang¡¯s shoulder,ughing, ¡°You know what, something calming like fishing really suits a big idler like you!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, I figured I would be idling around anyway, so I might as well go see,¡± Qin Lang nodded with a smile, ¡°Supposedly, all the fish you catch in this funpetition can be kept, and the event organizers have prepared top-quality fish.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me to catch some and bring them back for you two to try.¡±


    ¡°You have to work hard then!¡± Shen Qian was speechless.

 Chapter 355: Grandfather and Grandson

    Chapter 355: Grandfather and Grandson


    After a few exchanges, Qin Lang and Shen Qian left the hotel together, soon went their separate ways, with Shen Qian heading to the Tower of Food, and Qin Lang proceeding to the Breeze Restaurant to rendezvous with Su Henian.


    Three dayster, Breeze Restaurant entered the preparatory stage for their relocation into the Tower of Food. The number of food guests served had intentionally been decreased to relieve some congestion.


    Every store inside the Tower of Food had to undergo a total rearrangement every month, a process which was pre-arranged and not heavily advertised.


    In fact, all the storefronts were pre-decorated, all they needed was to bring their staff, necessary equipment to the new location, and rece the signboard.


    As for the Breeze Restaurant, most of the relocation preparation involved adjusting the staff. After all, the original restaurant would continue to operate while part of the workforce was dispatched to the Tower of Food.


    And to deal with the uing scoring rank, the better staff members were inevitably the ones to be transferred.


    Such an adjustment was enough to give Su Henian a headache.


    Still, amidst his busy schedule, he spared some time for Qin Lang.


    When Qin Lang arrived at the entrance of Breeze Restaurant, Su Henian was already waiting for him.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to the location of the Fishing Competition,¡± Su Henianughed, ¡°You¡¯re good at fishing, this is an opportunity not to be missed.¡±


    ¡°I can fish, but I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a master at it, so I¡¯m just participating for fun,¡± Qin Lang said modestly, ¡°Uncle Su, will you join too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m far less proficient at fishing, plus the restaurant still has a lot of things to deal with.¡± Su Henian shrugged, ¡°The organizer of the Fishing Competition is a friend of mine, so it¡¯ll be more convenient for both of us if I take you there.¡±


    ¡°By the way.¡± Su Henian suddenly smiled, ¡°I told Ah Hui about the Qualification Battle, and she asked me to thank you on her behalf.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Song Hui is too polite.¡± Qin Lang chuckled.


    ¡°When Breeze Restaurant moves to the Tower of Food, Alt Hui and ZhiZhi will visit Ye Zhi City. If you¡¯re still here by that time, we can have a meal together.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great.¡±


    With that, Su Henian started his car and drove away with Qin Lang.


    About fifteen minutester, they arrived at a smallke.


    ¡°Ye Zhi City doesn¡¯t have any rivers, but a city¡¯s water supply cannot always depend on its surrounding cities, so long ago, Ye Zhi City dug artificial underground canals to divert water from Bei Qiu River and East Xian River into several man-madekes.¡±


    Su Henian introduced, ¡°We are now at thergest of Ye Zhi City¡¯s man-madekes, called Falling Cloud Lake.¡±


    ¡°What a beautiful name.¡± Standing by thekeside, Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but scan his surroundings, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t told me, Uncle Su, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed this was an artificialke.¡±


    ¡°Haha, after all, it has been quite some years since it was built, all traces of artificiality have been wiped out. There are dozens of different species of fish being bred here, and they have formed a self-sustaining ecosystem.¡± A proud voice came from behind them.


    Qin Lang turned around to see a bald man sporting a deep tan and gaudy shorts, his face rugged but friendly, each smile radiating warmth.


    ¡°Old Su, is this the kid you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Correct, let me introduce, this is Qin Lang.¡± Su Henian smiled, then gesturing to the bald man, ¡°This is Du Hao, the manager of Falling Cloud Lake. His great grandfather was actually theke¡¯s founder.¡±


    ¡°The organizer of the Fishing Competition is also him.¡±


    Hearing Su Henian¡¯s introduction, Qin Lang expressed his respect, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, those are just some old achievements, not worth mentioning.¡± Du Hao waved his hand dismissively, but his face was lit up with delight.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of embarrassing actually, I only organized this Fishing Competition because of my personal love for fishing, and wanted to invite others who share the same interest in fishing to participate,¡± Du Hao chuckled, ¡°Due to its small scale, it¡¯s not recognized by the Association.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the ranking won¡¯t earn you Star Power.¡± Du Hao scratched his head, ¡°But there are plenty ofmemorative medals and prizes!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Uncle Du, I didn¡¯te for Star Power.¡± Qin Lang chuckled.


    If there¡¯s Star Power, it would be great. If not, this fun activity still allows him to kill some time, right?


    ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Du Hao smiled, ¡°Thepetition starts in an hour,e, let¡¯s get you registered.¡±


    ¡°By the way, do you have fishing gear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I brought a set.¡± Qin Lang tapped the bag he¡¯d been carrying since he left his house.


    This was the fishing rod he¡¯d used in the Lan Qiu Forest, and now it was being called into service again.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem, let¡¯s go!¡± Du Haoughed heartily.


    ¡°Old Du, take good care of Qin Lang. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Seeing his task aplished, Su Henian chuckled and bid them farewell.


    ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Du Hao waved him off nonchntly.


    ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Su!¡± Qin Lang waved goodbye to Su Henian, then followed closely behind Du Hao, arriving at the registration area in no time.


    Afterpleting the registration, he politely declined Du Hao¡¯spany, took his two littlepanions for a walk around Falling Cloud Lake, while also looking for the perfect spot to fish during thepetition.


    There were quite a few people by theke, each of them carrying fishing gear. All had registered for the uing game and were waiting for it to start.


    There weren¡¯t many young Spirit Chefs like Qin Lang taking part in the fishing event, as the majority of participants were middle-aged.


    Watching each participant casting their lines by thekeside got Qin Lang thinking that his chances of winning this funpetition were diminishing.


    Although it was a fun game, the rules of thepetition did not allow the use of a Food Spirit¡¯s Combat Skill; it was apetition that relied on the Spirit Chef¡¯s own abilities.


    As Qin Lang was observing the otherpetitors, a good number ofpetitors also noticed him. In the world of fishing, a young man like Qin Lang was a rare sight.


    By thekeside not far from them, an old man and a young boy sat side by side. The old man patted the boy at his side, ¡°Told you thispetition isn¡¯t only for us old folks, look, that boy there is about your age!¡±


    The boy nced at Qin Lang, surprise shed in his eyes, then he turned up his nose, ¡°So what? He might have also been dragged here by his family.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± The old man shook his head confidently, ¡°Look at him, he doesn¡¯t seem unwilling at all,pletely different from you.¡±


    ¡°You knew I was unwilling, yet you still dragged me here!¡± The boy looked at the old man helplessly, ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re so mean!¡±


    ¡°Fishing is a lot more fun than sitting at home ying games all day.¡± The old man defended himself, ¡°Now watch and learn, I¡¯ll show you the real strength of the ¡®Fishing King¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Boasting again.¡± The boy rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s about this,¡± the old man suddenly had an idea, ¡°Why don¡¯t youpete with that boy and see who catches more fish? If you win, I¡¯ll buy you that figurine you¡¯ve been wanting.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± The boy got up and walked towards Qin Lang.

 Chapter 356: Sparks

    Chapter 356: Sparks


    ¡°I say, are you here to participate in the Fishing Competition as well?¡±


    The youth stopped Qin Lang, who was preparing to leave, and bluntly started the conversation.


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± Qin Lang nodded, looking curiously at the neer.


    He had noticed the apparent grandfather-grandson pair among the contestants earlier, and the one who approached him now was the grandson.


    ¡°My name is Ren Feng,¡± the youth introduced himself, then examined Qin Lang up and down, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a contestant my age. Since that¡¯s the case, do you want to have a match?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we already participating in the Fishing Competition?¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t understand Ren Feng¡¯s intentions right away.


    ¡°No, no, no, I mean apetition between the two of us, with the same rules as the Fishing Competition, but only the two of uspete,¡± Ren Feng rified, shaking his head.


    ¡°I see whatyou mean,¡± Qin Lang nodded in understanding. But then he shifted his tone, ¡°why would Ipete with you though?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Ren Feng momentarily lost for words. He thought that by suggesting a match, Qin Lang would immediately ept without hesitation. He didn¡¯t expect Qin Lang to deviate from the script.


    Biting his teeth, Ren Feng exined, ¡°This is a contest between the youngest generation¡¯s top fishermen, do you dare?¡±


    Qin Lang took a nce at Ren Feng and silently shook his head.


    If Zhao Chen was here, he probably would have promptly proposed a wager, right?


    For some reason, he suddenly missed his buddies back in Tianhua State.


    Since the other party didn¡¯t understand, Qin Lang nned to be more straightforward, ¡°What advantage would I get if I win?¡±


    ¡°Benefit?¡± Ren Feng was taken aback at first, and then his gaze towards Qin Lang changed slightly.


    So it turns out this guy wasn¡¯t nning to reject him, but was looking for a wager!


    Having caught onto this, Ren Feng pondered for a moment, then reluctantly said, ¡°How about this, whoever loses pays the winner ten thousand!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly.


    Now that there was a wager, the match suddenly became more interesting.


    ¡°To meet the requirements, participants in thepetition can fish at any location in Falling Cloud Lake. Since we¡¯repeting, we can¡¯t be too far apart, at least within visual range.¡± Ren Feng added, ¡°Fifty meters apart, okay?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Lang didn¡¯t mind.


    The two parties were fifty meters apart, each fishing without interfering with each other, but they could see each other¡¯s situation.


    Admittedly, Qin Lang, who was initially nning to rx and kill time by fishing, suddenly felt a bit of fighting spirit with Ren Feng¡¯s invitation to battle.


    Those also spurred by fighting spirit were Dan Bao and Spicy who were by Qin Lang¡¯s side. They looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.


    Although Food Spirits couldn¡¯t use their Combat Skills in thispetition, they weren¡¯t sure how they could help¡­


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal!¡± Ren Feng promptly concluded the agreement, then ran to his grandfather not far away, as if reporting to him their conversation.


    Having listened to Ren Feng¡¯s ount, the old man smiled and nodded at Qin Lang. Soon, Ren Feng was running over to Qin Lang with his own fishing gear.


    ¡°Now, we can choose our spots.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll choose this spot.¡±


    Qin Lang had previously eyed a good fishing spot. Some people were lingering around it earlier, but it was empty now.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll choose here!¡± Ren Feng nced at Qin Lang¡¯s position, quickly picked a spot about thirty meters away from Qin Lang, set up his stool, and sat down.


    Time ticked away, with the Fishing Competition getting closer and closer to starting. Contestants arrived one after another and chose their respective fishing spots.


    Falling Cloud Lake was vast, due to which the fishermen were quite spaced out, ensuring that they do not interfere with one another.


    So, there was no one else between Qin Lang and Ren Feng.


    Soon, with the start of thepetition announced in the earpieces distributed to everyone, all the fishermen made the same motion simultaneously.


    Casting hooks!


    The fish hooks, carrying the fishing line, drew beautiful parabs in the air before neatlynding far in the water, hardly sshing much.


    The floats tied to the fishing line stabilized on theke¡¯s surface, marking the begin of fishing. Now, it was time for the contestants to show their skills.


    Qin Lang, who had casually dug up a few earthworms from thekeside as bait, leaned idly on his folding stool, gazing at the float on theke, letting his thoughts wander.


    However, he couldn¡¯t rx for long.


    Soon, the host¡¯s excited voice came through in his earpiece, ¡°Congrattions to contestant Wei Yueliang for being the first one to catch a Grass Carp!¡±


    Qin Lang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Considering that loudspeakers might scare off the fish in theke, thepetition used earpieces.


    But the sounding through the earpieces was clearer than that of a loudspeaker, making it quite difficult to ignore.


    The contestant named Wei Yueliang was just the beginning. Soon the host, with a passionate voice, was announcing the achievement of one contestant after another, sessfully catching fish.


    Looking at the still float, Qin Lang, whose mind was calm as water, suddenly felt a bit restless.


    Where is the fish?!


    The only constion would be that Ren Feng nearby also hadn¡¯t caught anything.


    After a while, Qin Lang finally saw the float tremble slightly while feeling a pulling force from underwater.


    Herees a fish!


    ¡°Glug!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    The two little ones who had been waiting with Qin Lang cheered in unison.


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyes shed with excitement, but soon he calmed his nerves, chose to not immediately pull up the fishing rod, and casually went along with the underwater towing, trying to tire the fish out.


    When the fish underwater gradually weakened, he suddenly exerted force and lifted the fishing rod.


    A ck Carp was dragged out of theke, iling its tail fervently on the water¡¯s surface. The sshed water fell back into theke, creating numerous ripples.


    Herees the fish!


    A smile appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face. Hearing the host in his earpiece announcing his achievement, he suddenly found the noisy sounds to be pleasing to the ears.


    He reeled in the line, put the fish in the fish basket, and cast the hook again.


    All these fluent steps were done in one go. At the same time, Qin Lang nced towards Ren Feng who was not far away.


    Ren Feng had clearly heard the sound in his earpiece, looked over at Qin Lang, and a sense ofpetition appeared in his sight.


    But just at this moment, his float moved a bit. Ren Feng was first taken aback, then ecstatically pulled up the fish.


    It was a Grass Carp, approximately the same size as the Carp that Qin Lang had caught.


    With his catch, Ren Feng¡¯s mood instantly bnced out, he shot Qin Lang a ¡°let¡¯s see about that¡± look.


    Qin Lang was speechless. Looking at the float in front of him, he suddenly muttered, ¡°I have a task for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Glug?¡±


    ¡°Chaka?¡±


    ¡°Fly around Falling Cloud Lake and see how the other contestants are fishing.¡± There was a hint of confusion in Qin Lang¡¯s eyes, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like they¡¯re all fishing at an absurdly fast pace?¡±

 Chapter 357: Victory or Defeat

    Chapter 357: Victory or Defeat


    The two little creatures exchanged nces without asking too many questions.


    Since they were both naturally restless and found apanying Qin Lang a tad boring, Dan Bao and Spicy took the mission with great enthusiasm. Then, they split up and flew off in opposite directions.


    Qin Lang, on the other hand, waited patiently for his next catch.


    Soon, the float began bobbing up and down once again.


    This time, he caught a Crucian carp. Although it was not as big as the carp he had caught earlier, Qin Lang thought about all the delicious dishes that could be made with it, which made the catch worthwhile.


    Not long after he dropped the Crucian carp into his fishing basket, Dan Bao and Spicy returned.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Qin Lang asked with curiosity as he looked at the two creatures, ¡°How are the other contestants catching their fish?¡±


    ¡°Click-click''¡±


    Well, you¡¯ll have to ask Dan Bao about that.


    Spicy gave Dan Bao an odd look and then flew up to Qin Lang¡¯s side.silently.


    Meanwhile, Dan Bao looked somewhat helpless.


    ¡°Gurgle-¡±


    Alright, alright.


    Immediately after, without waiting for Qin Lang to react, Dan Bao slowly flew over to the float. Lowering its big tail, it approached the surface of theke.


    A question mark formed in Qin Lang¡¯s head.


    What is it doing?!


    ¡°Chachaka chaba¡­¡±


    Spicy jumped in to exin when seeing that Qin Lang still didn¡¯t get it.


    Soon, Qin Lang understood what it meant.


    ¡°Are you saying that many contestants are using their Food Spirits¡¯ tails to lure the fish?¡± Qin Lang looked somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Chachaka!¡±


    Correct, that¡¯s exactly it!


    Spicy earnestly nodded its head before showing off its own round and chubby tail.


    But Spicy¡¯s tail is too short for such a task.


    So, this difficult task could only be left to Dan Bao!


    ¡°Does that work?¡± Qin Lang stroked his chin, appearing lost in thought.


    It was reasonable, in theory. The fish in theke might mistake a shadow floating on the surface as food and approach it. Thus, attracting fish with a tail was theoretically usible.


    This was, after all, a funpetition targeting Spirit Chefs. If only the Spirit Chefs themselves did the fishing, the Food Spirits would feel even less involved.


    So the rule prohibiting Food Spirits from usingbat skills was meant to suggest something like this.


    Qin Lang felt like he¡¯d figured it out.


    ¡°Ssh-¡±


    A soft sound was heard. Once again, the line that Dan Bao had just dropped started to pull, making the float bob up and down. Qin Lang gasped in disbelief. Really? That effective? Are the fish in Falling Cloud Lake too naive?


    After tossing the third fish into his fishing basket, Qin Lang gave Dan Bao a look of encouragement.


    Dan Bao nodded solemnly, its yellow face full of determination.


    The soft,rge tail was like a leaf on theke¡¯s surface. It rocked gently with the ripple of the water, continually attracting fish lurking underneath.


    The fourth fish, the fifth fish¡­


    With the help of Dan Bao, Qin Lang¡¯s fishing rate picked up speed.


    He finally understood the rhythm with which the other contestants were catching fish continuously.


    Listening to the results constantly being announced through his earpiece gave him a feeling of blissful delight.


    However, Ren Feng on the other side was having apletely different experience.


    At first, it was tolerable, but when he heard Qin Lang catching his third, fourth and then even more fish, he became restless. He immediately turned to Qin Lang¡¯s direction to see what this guy was up to.


    Quickly, he spotted Dan Bao, whose tail was wagging on theke surface.


    Huh?


    What¡¯s going on?


    Although Ren Feng found it perplexing, he had a hunch that this might be the reason why Qin Lang was continuously catching fish.


    He ditched his fishing rod and focused all his attention solely on observing Qin Lang¡¯s operations.


    But in the short time that he was observing Qin Lang, another fish was caught by him, which made Ren Feng twitch involuntarily.


    However, after careful observation, he finally understood what Qin Lang was up to.


    Using the tail of Food Spirits to allure the fish in theke?


    That¡¯s indeed a brilliant idea! It¡¯s ingenious!


    He could totally mimic such a strategy!


    Thinking about it, he wasted no time in summoning his two Food Spirits.


    Like Qin Lang, Ren Feng also had two Food Spirits. Even though one of them was only a One Star, both of them had long tails!


    In this Fishing Competition, his advantage was even more considerable.


    Very soon, the two Food Spirits started following Ren Feng¡¯s instructions and mimicked Dan Bao¡¯s actions.


    Before long, the rate at which Ren Feng was catching fish elerated substantially.


    Time slipped away minute by minute.


    This Fishing Competition had a time limit of six hours. As the contest was nearing its end, Qin Lang¡¯s fish basket, which was as tall as half a person, was filled to the brim with fish. It weighed an estimated hundred pounds, denoting a plentiful harvest.


    On the other side, Ren Feng, with his fishing basket on his shoulder, panted as he approached. His face bore a hint ofpetitiveness, ¡°How many fish have you caught?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the staff to tally it.¡± Qin Lang shrugged. The fishing basket, under the effect of Dan Bao¡¯s Thought Power, slowly rose from theke, which made Ren Feng twitch yet again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who wins and who loses then!¡± Ren Feng face showed a hint of anticipation.


    He kept an ear out for the host¡¯s announcements. Judging from the number of fish caught, he and Qin Lang were neck and neck.


    But the final result of this Fishing Competition wasn¡¯t ranked based on the number of fish caught alone.


    The organizer issued a list, scoring based on the difficulty and value of each species of fish caught, with each fish¡¯s weight affecting the score.


    It was quite aplicated scoring process. It required the staff to weigh and tally each contestant¡¯s harvest to arrive at the result.


    Soon, a staff member approached the two of them and began weighing their respective harvests, recording them with a simple fish scale.


    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s my final score?¡± The moment the staff member turned to leave, Ren Feng swiftly stopped him and inquired cheerfully.


    ¡°You can check the ranking tableter.¡± The staff member scratched his head. ¡°But if you want to know now, I can tell you.¡±


    ¡°You caught thirty-seven fish in total. Based on the scoring rules, your total score is one thousand four hundred and sixty-three points.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Qin Lang, feeling motivated, asked as well.


    ¡°Your score is a bit higher.¡± The staff member grinned. ¡°You caught thirty-six fish, but your total score is one thousand four hundred and ny-seven points.¡±


    Upon hearing the staff member¡¯s words, Qin Lang sighed in relief, smiling at the disillusioned Ren Feng. ¡°Thankyou for going easy on me!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, I just missed out by a bit!¡± Ren Feng could not hide his frustration. One more fish and victory would have been his.


    Not only did he miss out on the precious handicraft that his grandfather had promised him, but now he had to fork over ten thousand yuan as well!


    ¡°Abet¡¯s a bet!¡± Ren Feng promptly transferred the money and thenpicked up his fishing basket and left.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to stay a moment longer in this heartbreaking ce!


    Watching Ren Feng¡¯s retreating figure, Qin Lang was stunned before turning to the staff member. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s my rank among the contestants?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uncertain for now.¡± The staff member shook his head. ¡°But among the contestants that I have tallied so far, your score would be ranked in the middle.¡±


    Thepetition is that fierce, huh?


    Qin Lang grinned.


    It seems that he can¡¯t expect to rank among the top.


    However, with his many catches, he couldn¡¯t say that he walked away empty- handed from this enjoyablepetition.

 Chapter 358: Loach

    Chapter 358: Loach


    The finalpetition results were as Qin Lang had expected.


    Although his score surpassed Ren Feng¡¯s, it appeared quite ordinary inparison to the other contestants.


    In the end, he received amemorative medal and a basket full of high-quality freshwater fish ingredients.


    It is worth mentioning that the winner of this fishingpetition was an elderly man named Ren Changhe, who happened to be Ren Feng¡¯s grandfather.


    Apanying Ren Changhe on stage to receive his award, Ren Feng waspletely dazed. Seeing his grandfather¡¯s confident demeanor as the self-proimed ¡°King of Fishing,¡± he had an unreal feeling of, ¡°1 thought you were boasting, but everything you said was actually true.¡±


    It was a pity that Qin Lang did not witness this amusing incident. After receiving his reward, he returned to the hotel immediately, ready to process these fresh fish and share some delicious dishes with his friends.


    ¡°Wow! You caught this many fish?¡±


    Zhou Tianhao, who was preparing in the kitchen for the next Food Fight, came out upon hearing Qin Lang¡¯s movements. His face instantly revealed a surprised look, ¡°Did you win the fishingpetition?¡±


    ¡°The one who won the championship caught twice as many fish as I did,¡± Qin Lang shook his head, ¡°1 was more interested in the participation.¡±


    He simply exined his experience in the Fishing Competition to Zhou Tianhao, ¡°I feel that the fish in Falling Cloud Lake are easier to catch than regr fish.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not impossible. After all, it¡¯s a man-madeke and most of the fish have been artificially stocked. They are less cautiouspared to wild fish,¡± agreed Zhou Tianhao.


    Immediately after, his tone changed, ¡°Regardless, we are in for a treat!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao happily grabbed a carp and checked it, ¡°Such a fresh carp, it¡¯s so lively, it must be delicious.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what other fish you caught¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao casually flipped through the basket and suddenly his expression froze, ¡°Eh? You also caught this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang looked in the direction of Zhou Tianhao¡¯s gaze, then suddenly realized, ¡°You mean the loach? 1 identally cast the line near theke shore once and happened to catch it.¡±


    ¡°The loaches from Falling Cloud Lake are quite fat, so I deliberately caught a few more, probably about three kilograms.¡± Qin Lang looked regretful, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that loach wasn¡¯t on the scoring list, so it wasn¡¯t included in the score.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Zhou Tianhao chuckled, ¡°My Food Fight challenge with Zhang Zihao, the chef of Chuiyun Tower, is based on the theme of loach.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qin Lang looked at Zhou Tianhao, his expression bing strange.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but after Zhou Tianhao mentioned it, he quickly spotted some discarded loach entrails in the kitchen trash can and a bucket nearby filled with loach.Food FightHowever, the quality of these was far inferior to what Qin Lang himself had caught.


    ¡°Honestly, although I¡¯ve tasted dishes made with loach a couple of times, I¡¯ve never tried cooking it myself.¡± Zhou Tianhao sighed, ¡°I even spent a long time figuring out how to handle the loach.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m good at this.¡± Qin Lang immediately responded, ¡°Later, I will cook a loach dish, guaranteed to make you fall in love with it at the first bite.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed heartily and suddenly felt much more confident about the uing Food Fight.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, should we wait for Shen Qian toe back and eat together?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded in agreement, ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry at the moment. I¡¯ve tasted quite a few failed dishes earlier, they didn¡¯t taste good, but they filled my stomach.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll start preparing now.¡± Qin Lang nced at the time, sent Shen Qian a message telling her that a feast was prepared for her, and then started to get busy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao voluntarily offered, and with the help of the six Food Spirits, they quickly assigned tasks and began the process of preparing the ingredients orderly.


    Considering they couldn¡¯t finish all the fish in one meal, Qin Lang nned to make some of them into pickled fish and dried fish. This would not only make preservation easier, but also create dishes with different vors of fish. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.


    As for tonight¡¯s dishes¡­


    Steamed Bass, Squirrel Mandarin Fish, Crucian Carp Tofu Soup¡­


    One by one, delicious dishes were quickly prepared under Qin Lang¡¯s efficient movements. The enticing aroma of various fish dishes intertwined in the kitchen, causing Zhou Tianhao, who was helping out, and the six Food Spirits, each feisty with their techniques, to swallow their saliva in unison.


    ¡°Only thest dish is left.¡± Qin Lang took out arge bowl with water, in which more than a dozen plump loaches were wriggling, ¡°Loach Egg Dish!¡±


    It¡¯s here!


    Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.


    Finally, it was the dish he wanted to learn!


    He believed in his understanding. As long as he watched Qin Lang handle and cook the loach, he would be more familiar with this ingredient. Afterwards, he would explore on his own and surely be able to prepare a suitable dish in a Food Fight.


    Simrly, Dan Bao¡¯s eyes lit up on the side.


    Upon hearing the three words ¡°fried egg¡±, its DNA reacted!


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    1 want to eat! I want to eat!


    ¡°Hold on a moment, you¡¯ll be able to eat soon.¡± Qin Lang smiled, lifted the big bowl to drain the water, and then added a fewrge spoons of salt to the bowl, mixing it so the salt evenly coated the loach.


    Under the stimtion of high salt concentration, the struggle of the loaches intensified. However, in front of Qin Lang, the unfeeling chef, any struggle was futile.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Seeing what Qin Lang was doing, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face showed a thoughtful look.


    Before he could figure it out, Dan Bao on the side had already volunteered an answer.


    ¡°Gulu gudoo gugo!¡±


    1 know, this is to remove the fishy smell!


    Instantly, Dan Bao remembered what Qin Lang had told it when he first cooked Steamed Bass a long time ago. Rubbing salt all over the surface of seafood ingredients to remove the slimy mucus could help eliminate the fishy smell.


    ¡°So it¡¯s to remove the fishy smell!¡± Zhou Tianhao also revealed a knowing look.


    At this moment, he suddenly remembered that Qin Lang had done a simr thing before cooking the Steamed Bass earlier, but he hadn¡¯t paid attention to it.


    Using salt to rub and wash off the fishiness, huh¡­


    This mere handling technique alone made Zhou Tianhao feel that he had gained a lot.


    And this was just the beginning.


    After the rubbing and washing, Qin Lang, knife in hand, picked up the listless loaches one by one to quickly remove the innards.


    Removing the innards was also important for the loach. If not removed, the smell of the innards would slowly seep into the flesh of the loach during cooking, greatly reducing the taste of the final product.


    After putting the loaches with innards removed in water to soak for a while and leach out any blood, Qin Lang turned around to start the next step.


    Seeing Qin Lang take out a bag of chicken eggs, Dan Bao got excited instantly.


    From the name of the dish, it could guess that this dish had something to do with the fried egg.


    In the past, it had eaten a tomato beef brisket noodle once. At that time, Qin Lang had added a fried egg to the noodles. The fried egg had soaked up the soup, and the taste had be extraordinarily wonderful.


    This time, would it be a simr method?


    Chapter end bonus content:


    [Loach Egg Dish]

 Chapter 359 - 359 Difficulty

    Chapter 359: Difficulty


    ¡°Is this a fried egg?¡±


    Zhou Tianhao looked at the fried egg that Qin Lang ced on a te for use, interest gleaming in his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s interesting to fry an egg into the shape of a lotus leaf.¡±


    ¡°In this way of frying, the crispy taste fills your mouth when you eat it directly and it can also absorb the soup to the maximum extent. It is like killing two birds with one stone.¡± Qin Lang smiled and fed thest fried egg to the drooling Dan Bao.


    ¡°Absorb the soup?¡± Zhou Tianhao imagined this scenario and immediately felt his hunger, which was due to various fragrances, increase.


    ¡°Correct, this method is used in the Loach Egg Dish.¡± Qin Lang exined, he then picked up the soaked loach, draining the water.


    He put the wok on the stove, heated thin oil, put in the loach and covered the wok.


    ¡°Sizzling ¡±


    The pleasing sound of frying was continuous and a bit muted due to the covered wok, like a symphony packed withyers of delicious food.


    After a short wait, Qin Lang opened the wok cover again and a peculiar fragrance quickly rose from the wok, flirting with their sense of smell.


    The color of the loach in the wok was turning gradually golden.


    Qin Lang grasped the wok handle, lifted it off from the stove with one hand, and rocked it in a rhythmic pattern. As a result, the loach, which originally stayed in the middle of the wok, started spinning quickly along the inner wok wall with inertia.


    The uniform heating elerated the color change in the loach.


    After a little while, the side of the loach clinging to the wok had turned golden. Qin Lang casually flipped the loach in the wok so that the other side would fry.


    Following the same procedure until both sides became golden, Qin Lang then put the wok back onto the stove, and began choosing seasonings.


    He added ginger, garlic, and cooking wine, burned off the alcohol in the wine, poured in water that would cover the loach, finally added Capsicum frutescens, and covered the wok.


    Simmer on low heat for ten minutes, until the soup in the wok changes to a turbid white color and the essence of the loach is fully diffused into the soup, then add the previously fried egg, cover the wok and let it simmer for another five minutes.


    Lastly, he added a little pepper for seasoning, garnished the dish with green onions to enhance the fragrance, and Qin Lang neatly served the super appetizing Loach Egg Dish.


    ¡°Squeak-¡±


    The door of the suite was opened and Shen Qian, who had hurried back, entered the door and yelled excitedly, ¡°What a delicious scent, let me see what you guys made!¡±


    ¡°Your timing is impable.¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Thest dish has just been made, quickly wash your hands and get ready to dine!¡±


    ¡°Great! I especially kept my stomach empty after reading your text!¡± Shen Qian cheered and rushed to the washstand.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Tianhao stood there looking at the big bowl of Loach Egg Dish, reying Qin Lang¡¯s cooking steps in his mind, pondering their purposes and significances.


    Soon, his eyes gradually brightened.


    He already has a certain idea about the dishes for the second Food Fight. This has marked a significant breakthroughpared to his previous aimless practice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat, let¡¯s eat!¡± Zhou Tianhao, back to reality, helped serve the dishes on the dining table and then set the tableware properly, anticipation shimmering in his eyes.


    He wants to taste the vor of the dish cooked with the loach by Qin Lang.


    ¡°Wow! So many dishes!¡± Shen Qian, who washed her hands and returned, saw the table full of dishes and breathed in the tempting array of fragrances filling the room, she swallowed her saliva involuntarily and was the first to pick up her chopsticks, ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Zhou Tianhao nodded, quickly reaching out with his chopsticks towards the loach he had been eyeing.


    The flesh of the loach, which had been fried until golden and then stewed on medium-low heat, was already soft and tender. With slight force, it easily disintegrated in his mouth, leaving only its skeleton behind.


    The unique delicious taste of the loach suddenly burst forth between Zhou Tianhao¡¯s lips and teeth.


    Zhou Tianhao suddenly thought of the few other loach dishes he had tasted. Inparison, the not-so-difficult-to-prepare Loach Egg Dish by Qin Lang was the most delicious among them.


    A look of admiration and enjoyment surfaced on his face.


    Soon after, Zhou Tianhao thought of something.


    He picked up a fried egg from the te and put it into his mouth.


    The fried egg, which had been stewed in the soup for five minutes, no longer retained the crispiness it had when freshly fried. The previously noticeable crispiness turned into a unique texture that was both resilient and chewy.


    The light texture of the protein inside the fried egg was unaffected; instead, it became even more delicious with the pration of the soup.


    What drove Zhou Tianhao to race the table and exim in admiration, was the yolk at the center of the fried egg. It was neither runny nor fully cooked, but dipping it slightly in the soup before putting it into the mouth resulted in an unprecedentedly delicious vour, heightened by the soup¡¯s savoury taste.


    Such deliciousness, one simply could not resist!


    Shen Qian, who was sitting on the side and tasting other dishes, noticed that other than her and her Food Spirit, all the others were tasting the same dish. Furthermore, that dish was ced right in the middle of all, garnering all attention. Curiosity piqued, she couldn¡¯t help but take a closer look.


    To her surprise, she asked, ¡°Is this a loach?¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve heard that loach can be used in cooking, I¡¯ve never tasted dishes made from it.¡± Shen Qian said, as she picked up a piece and tasted it.


    Immediately, the look of surprise on her face intensified.


    The loach was more delicious than she expected.


    At that moment, Shen Qian felt as though she had opened the door to a whole new world.


    ¡°Try the fried egg in here. That¡¯s the highlight.¡± Qin Lang pointed at the fried egg and then asked her, ¡°How did your evaluation go?¡±


    ¡°The evaluation! Uh¡­¡± Halfway through Shen Qian¡¯s sentence, she put a fried egg into her mouth. The unique delicious taste and texture that exploded between her lips and teeth left her in a trance, forgetting what she was about to say.


    After a while, Shen Qian gradually recovered, a look of yearning appeared on her face. ¡°The evaluation went pretty smoothly. Tonight was the first time my candidate dish has been on the menu. It¡¯s already achieved fifty percent of the sales of the signature dish.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot.¡± Zhou Tianhao looked at Shen Qian with renewed admiration, ¡°At this rate, your candidate dish will probably surpass the signature dish in another day or two, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Shen Qian shook her head, ¡°Many of the customers today chose to buy the dish because it¡¯s new on the menu. I¡¯d be happy enough if I can maintain today¡¯s sales tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shen Qian sighed, ¡°Having my candidate dish surpass the signature dish in just four days is indeed a tough challenge.¡±


    ¡°Compared to that, my challenge seems a bit easier.¡± Zhou Tianhao gave Shen Qian a sympathetic look.


    ¡°You two keep fighting. The best I can do is to provide delicious food to reward you.¡± Qin Lang smiled, scooping himself a bowl of Crucian carp tofu soup and toasted the two, ¡°Cheers.¡±


    The two were amused by Qin Lang¡¯s gesture, and their attention quickly went back to the food..

 Chapter 360: Change

    Chapter 360: Change


    Time flies, and before they knew it, four days had passed.


    During these four days, Shen Qian¡¯s signature dishes at ¡°Lanyue Pavilion¡± have received rave reviews from the foodies, with many foodies believing it to be even more delicious than Lanyue Pavilion¡¯s original signature dishes.


    Many foodies rushed here, just to taste Shen Qian¡¯s dishes.


    The owner of Lanyue Pavilion and the chefs were caught between joy and sorrow for a moment.


    Even though their own signature dishes were not as good as Shen Qian¡¯s, Shen Qian was the chef they appointed, and the poprity she brought was real.


    After thinking about it, they could only grumble secretly about Mr. Gao Yichen, the creator of the Tower of Food and the second -level Food Rmender of Ye Zhi City.


    After all, he was the one who came up with the test questions.


    Shen Qian¡¯s assessment was not suspenseful at all. In just three days, the poprity of her dishes had surpassed that of Lanyue Pavilion¡¯s signature dishes, which was one day less than the required four days.


    Through this, she sessfully obtained her own fifth second-level Food Rmender Badge-Ye Zhi City-Sky Tower Badge, and had the qualifications to register for the current Mingjing Province Cooking Competition.


    On the other side, Zhou Tianhao wasn¡¯t idle during these four days either.


    With Qin Lang¡¯s guidance on the loach egg dish, Zhou Tianhao had many ideas about cooking the loach as an ingredient. These ideas were put into practice and quickly turned into a dish called ¡°Spicy Crispy Loach¡±.


    The crispy and spicy Spicy Crispy Loach won unanimous praise from the judges in the second Food Fight, and also won him the victory in the second Food Fight.


    For the final third Food Fight, the subject was exactly what Zhou Tianhao excelled at. The scores of the two sides in the voting section of Food Fight were very close, with the first six of seven judges voting three to three.


    Luckily, the main judge preferred Zhou Tianhao¡¯s dishes and gave the crucial vote, so he didn¡¯t waste all his previous efforts.


    With three victories in the Food Fights, Zhou Tianhaopleted the examination that Mr. Gao Yichen had prepared for him, and Mr. Gao Yichen also awarded him the Sky Tower Badge.


    Breeze Restaurant alsopleted the personnel adjustments and important equipment transportation work in these four days and hung their own signboard on the original Jiuhe Restaurant.


    All the goals of the three people in Ye Zhi City had beenpleted.


    And now, they faced a new problem.


    Uncle Su, you just mentioned that a city-level cookingpetition will be held in Xianyu City a weekter?¡± Qin Lang asked seriously.


    ¡°Yes, you mentioned before that you wanted to participate in a city-levelpetition, either a youth trainingpetition or a cookingpetition. So, I took the time to inquire if there were any city-levelpetitions in nearby citiesing up.¡± Su Henian smiled.


    ¡°Coincidentally, there is one in Xianyu City.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Qin Lang turned his gaze to Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian on the side.


    ording to the original n, their next stop after leaving Ye Zhi City was Hanhai City, and the next stop would be the destination of this trip, Crown Ling City.


    Xianyu City borders Ye Zhi City, Hanhai City, and Crown Ling City, theoretically, they could go from Ye Zhi City to Xianyu City and then from Xianyu City to Crown Ling City.


    However, this would require a big detour and the journey would be much longer.


    ¡°I have already obtained my fifth second-level food rmender badge. I just need to reach Crown Ling City before the provincial-level cookingpetition starts to register for thepetition. There is plenty of time.¡± Anticipating Qin Lang¡¯s worries, Shen Qian took the initiative to speak.


    ¡°I have more time.¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled, ¡°I definitely won¡¯t be able to take part in this provincial-level cookingpetition, I¡¯m still far away from it. I¡¯m prepared to stay in Mingjing Province for an extended period.¡±


    After speaking, Zhou Tianhao looked seriously at Qin Lang, ¡°There is an uing city-level cookingpetition in Xianyu City, let¡¯s change our original travel n!¡±


    With your ability, winning the championship is not difficult, so you can get eleven pieces of starstone. ording to my previous suggestion, if one Food Spirit absorbs these starstones, it will be enough to promote it to a three-star Food Spirit.¡±


    With that, you, who will be participating in the provincial-level youth trainingpetition, will have the confidence topete for a good ranking.¡±


    By the way, have you decided which Food Spirit to promote first?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After listening to Zhou Tianhao¡¯s words, Qin Lang¡¯s gaze turned to Dan Bao and Spicy on the side.


    ¡°Chacha!¡±


    You go first!


    Spicy nudged Dan Bao with his butt, pushing him in front of Qin Lang, and then turned his head to the side.


    ¡°Cha cha cha ba!¡±


    This is to repay you for giving me the starstone to break through to two stars previously!


    Looking at Spicy¡¯s light group on his head changing from green to red after a long time, Qin Lang and Dan Bao couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°In that case, let Dan Bao promote to three-star first.¡± Qin Lang determined,


    We got the starstone from the provincial-level youth trainingpetition, and then we help Spicy to promote to three-star!¡±


    ¡°Gurulu!¡±


    Okay!


    Dan Bao thought for a while, and didn¡¯t refuse.


    When both it and Spicy break through to three stars, Qin Lang can open the third star vein, and they will also have a third partner!


    Thinking of this, Dan Bao¡¯s face showed an expectant look.


    ¡°It seems you have made up your mind.¡± Zhou Tianhao smiled, ¡°In that case, we should definitely change our n and go to Xianyu City.¡±


    Okay. Qin Lang nodded, ¡°Just right, my cookingpetition points are almost used up, I need to replenish them.¡±


    ¡°Who asked you to use points to exchange for ingredients in your daily cooking?¡± Hearing this, Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, ¡°The one hundred points I got for winning the city-level championst year, I haven¡¯t used them up yet!¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I have a craving.¡± Qin Langughed.


    He was not one to deny himself. asionally, when he was in a good mood, he would spend points to exchange for some top-quality ingredients for an extra meal, and naturally, his cookingpetition points would be used up fast.


    ¡°Spends fast, but can easily earn it back, that¡¯s not wasteful.¡± Su Henian interjected with a chuckle.


    Noticing that the three of them, Qin Lang, had never considered the possibility of not being able to win the championship in the cookingpetition in Xianyu City, Su Henian couldn¡¯t help but sigh at their confidence.


    But they also had the strength to be confident.


    ¡°Xianyu City¡¯s cookingpetition is imminent. Before that, you still need to obtain three first-level food rmender badges in Xianyu City. The time is still very tight, you need to leave as soon as possible.¡± Su Henian reminded.


    ¡°Okay, if that¡¯s the case, we will book our tickets to leave today.¡± Qin Lang nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°My luggage has been packed and I can leave at any time.¡± Shen Qian spoke with a smile, ¡°I predicted yesterday that once big brother Zhoupletes the third Food Fight, it will be time for us to leave. As expected, I was right.¡±


    ¡°My luggage too¡­¡± Just as Zhou Tianhao was about to speak, he was suddenly interrupted by a series of urgent bells.


    He took out his phone, nced at the screen, then his expression changed slightly, ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯ll answer a call.¡±


    He made an apologetic gesture, put the phone to his ear, and walked quickly to a corner. After a while, he came back with a grave expression.


    ¡°Something has happened.¡±

 Chapter 361: Hunting Shadows

    Chapter 361: Hunting Shadows


    ¡°Brother Zhou, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Seeing Zhou Tianhao who had always seemed stoic since they had traveled together, disy such a serious expression, both Qin Lang and Shen Qian became instantly anxious, their previously joyful countenances disappearingpletely.


    ¡°Just now, a notice from the Star Hunter arrived.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Qin Lang, who had previously seen the Star Hunter¡¯s prowess, was taken aback with surprise clearly written across his face.


    Shen Qian also became serious, although she hadn¡¯t encountered the Star Hunter before, she was not unfamiliar with this worldwide notorious criminal organization, ¡°Brother Zhou, didn¡¯t you say the Star Hunter wasn¡¯t in Lanqiu City before?¡±


    Su Hernan blinked his eyes, understanding who the Star Hunter was, his expression also changed slightly.


    However, this matter didn¡¯t bear much rtion to his Breeze Restaurant, so Su Henian didn¡¯t say anything, quietly sitting by to the side.


    I m also not clear.¡± Zhou Tianhao sat on the sofa with a solemn face, ¡°The Star Hunter had shown up at the ¡®Leaping Fish Banquet¡¯, which I discovered.¡± ¡°Iter thought they were headed to Lanqiu City, but when I followed them to Lanqiu for an investigation, there wasn¡¯t any trace.¡±


    ¡°Originally, I thought I had been yed by the Star Hunter, but looking at the timeline, the location where the notice appeared syncs up.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that they really were in Lanqiu City at point?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°Brother Zhou, you still haven¡¯t mentioned where the Star Hunter¡¯s notice showed up.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao nced at Qin Lang, ¡°Unfortunately, the recipient of the notice was the Spirit Chef Association in Xianyu City.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°p!¡±


    An envelope adorned with a gorgeous ck mask is heavily pped on the table by a muscr hand.


    ¡°Star Hunter, what boldness!¡± A muscr middle-aged man said in a deep voice, a murderous glint in his eyes.


    In front of him sat thirteen spirit executors whose vital auras were not weak at all, their faces revealing rage and the desire to fight.


    ¡°President! The opponent¡¯s target should be the cooking contest in Xianyu City one week from now.¡± A Spirit Executor voiced out solemnly, ¡°We must cast a strong in advance to ensure these despicable fellows are caught!¡±


    ¡°The opponent¡¯s strength is formidable.¡± Zhang Tianze, the president of the Spirit Chef Association in Xianyu City, looked at his subordinates in front of him.


    ¡°The Star Hunter previously appeared in Tianhua State, and it¡¯s rumored that he disyed thebat power of a five-star full-taste spirit. Under the empowerment of ¡®Fresh Intent Fire¡¯, he can fight against six-star spirits, and additionally possesses the star system from the Lon Region.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    The thirteen first-level spirit executors were greatly startled. They hadn¡¯t interacted with the Star Hunter before and had limited understanding about him. They didn¡¯t expect the Star Hunter to be so powerful.


    A five-star full-taste, amplified by Fresh Intent Fire, and the worst thing was that he held the star system as well.


    Such battle strength is essentially enough to crush the fighting power of any city¡¯ s Spirit Chef Association.


    ¡°However, we do have measures to respond.¡± ZhangTianze didn¡¯t seem too flustered, ¡°I have already contacted a few Spirit Chefs in our state who own five-star food spirits. A few have agreed toe and help.¡±


    ¡°Besides that, I have also contacted the Association¡¯s President, who said he would personallye at that time.¡±


    If Zhang Tianze¡¯s previous words have already brought peace to the minds of the thirteen first-level spirit executors, histter words are like a shot of adrenaline.


    The Association¡¯s President!


    The one who can be addressed like this by Zhang Tianze, there is only one person.


    That is the only third-level spirit executor in Mingjing Province, Mr. Zuo Weiran, the President of the Spirit Chef Association of Mingjing Province!


    It¡¯s rumored that Mr. Zuo Weiran is just one step away from unlocking his sixth star vein ¡°Kaiyang,¡± and he has also mastered the Origin Evolution star system unique to the Samiya Region.


    Even in the entire southern part of the Samiya region, his strength is among the best.


    With him present, the Star Hunter¡¯s defeat is practically guaranteed!


    ¡°The cooking contest will proceed as nned!¡± Zhang Tianze spoke calmly,


    ¡°This time, we will ensure the Star Hunter finds no way back!¡±


    Somewhere in Wuhe State, an alluring youth satzily cross-legged on the ground, delightfully basking a Wuhe Phoenix Tail Chicken, a local delicacy. The juicy chicken meat exudedrge amounts of oil under the heat of the open me, creating an alluring aroma.


    Under the sparse forest sunlight, the shining oil on the chicken¡¯s surface transformed into the most enticing color.


    While he was grilling, the youth suddenly sneezed.


    ¡°Ah-choo!¡±


    ¡°Seems like someone¡¯s thinking about me?¡± He stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before giving up, ¡°At this point, let¡¯s eat first!¡±


    ¡°Roar-¡±


    ¡®Damn, I forgot to add the condiments!¡±


    ¡°So, Qin Lang, are you still going to participate in the cookingpetition in Xianyu City?¡± Shen Qian couldn¡¯t help looking at Qin Lang, worry filling her eyes, ¡°If star Hunter unexpectedly shows up, you could also be in danger.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it up, regardless, safety is paramount.¡± Su Henian, on the side, was also frowning as he advised, ¡°The opponent is a world-ss criminal organization, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Qin Lang didn¡¯t immediately answer. He pondered for a while, then looked at Zhou Tianhao who had not spoken, ¡°Brother Zhou, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether you go or not, since the Star Hunter¡¯s invitation hase, I will go to Xianyu City to help.¡± Zhou Tianhao answered seriously, ¡°It¡¯s time to settle things with those guys.¡±


    ¡°We arepanions. If you¡¯re going to Xianyu City, naturally, I will go, too.¡± Qin Lang wore a smile as he decided, ¡°There¡¯s an old saying ¡®since I¡¯vee, I¡¯ll stay¡¯, as I have arrived at Xianyu City, I naturally have to participate in the cooking contest.¡±


    Aren t you afraid?¡± Zhou Tianhao turned to look at Qin Lang.


    The Star Hunter wouldn¡¯t target a bystander like me, would he?¡± Qin Lang shrugged, ¡°And I believe the protection of the Spirit Chef Association and Brother Zhou.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± The seriousness on Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face gradually faded. Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s confidence in him, a self-assured smile appeared on his face again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me, I¡¯m a member of the team too!¡± Shen Qian raised her hand, snorted, ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to participate before, but now fine, I will take part.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, you need to be careful, don¡¯t identally hand over the title of


    Cooking Champion to me!¡±


    Looking at Shen Qian¡¯s confident appearance, Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Then, we need


    to gear up for a good fight.¡±


    Amidst their jokes, the worry brought about by Star Hunter¡¯s notice seems to have disappearedpletely.


    ¡®Getting old.¡± Su Henian looking at the energetic trio, couldn¡¯t help but shake his head slowly, saying with a sigh, ¡°In any case, you all must be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Su. I¡¯ve previously faced the Star Hunter in Tianhua State.¡±


    Qin Lang spoke in a reassuring tone, ¡°If they really do appear, I will certainly


    run far away in the first instance.¡±


    And then find an excellent spot to watch the battle between the Spirit Chefs.


    He silently added thest bit to himself.


    I¡¯ve gotten the tickets, the bus leaves in two hours.¡± Shen Qian shook her phone, ¡°We should be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off.¡± Su Henian took the initiative to speak.

 Chapter 362: Different

    Chapter 362: Different


    ¡°Whoo¡ª¡±


    The train let out a prolonged steam whistle and then started its journey with a constant shaking vibration, like a long dragon driving towards the distance.


    Sitting in the same carriage, Qin Lang and hispanions sat facing each other.


    ¡°Ye Zhi City and Xianyu City are not far from each other.¡± Shen Qian nced at the train itinerary, ¡°It only takes an hour for us to reach Xianyu City.¡±


    ¡°Let putting the Star Hunter aside. There is only a week left before the cooking contest in Xianyu City starts, so ording to the normal registration rules, the registration will end 48 hours before the start of thepetition, and the theme of the scoring match will also be announced by then.¡±


    ¡°That means, we need to obtain three first-level food rmender badges within five days to participate in thepetition smoothly.¡± Shen Qian nced at Qin Lang, ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a problem?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not a problem.¡± Qin Lang shook his head without hesitation.


    When he first participated in the Dongxia City Cooking Competition, he had already achieved the feat of acquiring three First-Level Food Rmender Badges within three days.


    At this moment, his culinary skills, having traveled and learned in this world, were much improvedpared to before. Obviously, he would not be perplexed by this sort of challenge.


    ¡± In that case, shall we have a littlepetition?¡± Shen Qian proposed with a beaming smile, ¡°After we get to Xianyu City, let¡¯s see who among us can get the three badges faster.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an interestingpetition.¡± Zhou Tianhao, who was considering the issue about the Star Hunter, couldn¡¯t resist joining in when he heard their conversation, ¡°Previously in Xieyu City, it took me six days to get the three badges.¡±


    ¡°Both your culinary skills are better than mine. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem to get those badges within five days. Let¡¯s see who is faster among you two.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Qin Lang naturally had no objection.


    He missed being assessed by a First-Level Food Rmender for quite a long time.


    He wondered what kind of First-Level Food Rmenders he¡¯d meet in Xianyu City.


    As he thought about it, Qin Lang took out his phone to check on the official website of the Xianyu City Spirit Chef Association.


    On the other hand, Shen Qian, apparently having the same idea as Qin Lang, was also looking down and studying the information about the food rmenders in Xianyu City.


    As for Zhou Tianhao, he turned his attention back to the issue regarding the


    Star Hunter, and began to draw on a piece of paper, appearing to be contemting his next move.


    A quiet journey ensued, and the three of them finally arrived in Xianyu City as the train stopped once again.


    As one of the coastal cities in Mingjing Province, Xianyu City sits next to Beautiful Bay. As soon as Qin Lang stepped out of the train, he smelled the briny sea breeze and experienced the unique features of a coastal city.


    This ce is known for its seafood. Even among the 11 food rmenders in the city, there were seven whose testing content was linked to different types of aquatic products.


    This was rare in other cities.


    The three headed straight for the hotel they had booked earlier. After they had checked in and left their luggage, Qin Lang and Shen Qian split up to start their uniquepetition.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Tianhao rushed to the Xianyu City Spirit Chef Association as soon as possible. He had already contacted the president of the local Association, Zhang Tianze, and was going to take part in a strategy meeting against the Star Hunter next.


    ¡°Qin Lang, I won!¡±


    The moment she received her third First-Level Food Rmender Badge, Shen Qian ced all three badges on her chest and took a selfie and immediately sent it to Qin Lang, with a grinning emoticon.


    Soon,her phone buzzed.


    Qin Lang also sent a photo back, in which he held the registration card for the Xianyu City Cooking Competition and the background was the Xianyu City Spirit Chef Association.


    Qin Lang: ¡°I¡¯ve finished registration.¡±


    Shen Qian¡¯s triumphant smile fades slightly as she grinds her small tiger teeth.


    This nasty fellow!


    It takes time toplete the registration. Evidently, the opponent obtained three First-Level Food Rmender Badges faster than she did.


    ¡°Whoo-whoo¡­ Piggie Squad, Shrimp Ball, we lost again!¡± Shen Qianmented, looking at the two Food Spirits following behind her.


    The two Food Spirits looked at each other and expressed an expression of helplessness.


    Both had already gotten used to losing.


    On the other hand, Qin Lang, who hadpleted his registration, chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Shen Qian¡¯s pace to be this fast, just like me, she got three First- Level badges in two days.¡±


    ¡°However, we were a little bit faster.¡±


    ¡°Gulu!¡±


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy nodded in agreement. Although they hadn¡¯t seen it, they could already imagine the faces of Piggie Squad and Shrimp Ball after being defeated.


    ¡°Let me see if there are any differences between Xianyu City¡¯s cookingpetition and that of Dongxia City.¡± Qin Lang put thepetition certificate in his pocket and picked up the promotional brochure given at the time of registration to look through it.


    After reading it once, he shook his head and rxed, ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem to be any difference.¡±


    Just like the cookingpetition in Dongxia City, Xianyu City¡¯s cookingpetition has three rounds: the scoringpetition, the eliminationpetition, and the rankingpetition.


    In the scoringpetition, allpeting Spirit Chefs cooked with the same theme and were scored by a panel of judges. The top 8 chefs advanced to the eliminationpetition.


    In the eliminationpetition, they were paired with someone else through a draw. The winner advanced to the rankingpetition, and the loser was eliminated.


    The final rankingpetition was a duel between four remaining chefs to determine the final rankings.


    ¡°Since Xianyu City¡¯s cookingpetition is the same as Dongxia City¡¯s, let s add some difference to it.¡± Qin Lang chuckled.


    ¡°What do you think, if I choose to cook in a transparent mode in the city-levelpetition allowing audiences to see the entire cooking process, how would the other contestants react?¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy looked at each other, and anticipation appeared on both their faces.


    That sounds pretty interesting!


    ¡°The theme of the scoringpetition will be announced in three days.¡¯ Qin Lang stretched out, ¡°During these three days, let¡¯s take some rest.¡±


    ¡°We came to Xianyu City and haven¡¯t savored the local delicacies yet.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take advantage of these three days to try a bit more.


    ¡°By the way, Zhou Brother has been attending meetings at the Spirit Chef Association for two days and hasn¡¯te back even at night. I wonder if he¡¯s finished today.¡±


    If II


    The two spirits chattedzily while walking back in the direction of the hotel.. When they pushed open the hotel room door, they were greeted by a tall figure at the entrance.


    ¡°Zhou Brother, you¡¯re back?¡± Qin Lang smiled, ¡°Just now Dan Bao, Spicy, and I were just talking about you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the meeting is over.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed. He seemed a lot more rxed than he had been two days ago when he first received the news.


    ¡°Is there a n?¡± Recognizing the change in Zhou Tianhao, Qin Lang asked.


    ¡°There are indeed a number of strategies in ce. As you know, I was involved in the attempt to catch the Star Hunter in Bai Lu Mountain City.¡± Zhou Tianhao scratched his head, ¡°Although we failed, I have gained a lot of experience and everyone has put together moreprehensive ns this time.¡±


    ¡°If that guy shows up, I¡¯ll definitely catch him!¡± Zhou Tianhao vigorously waved his hand, with an excited look on his face.


    ¡°More importantly, a big shot will being here in a few days.¡±

 Chapter 363: Making Trouble

    Chapter 363: Making Trouble


    ¡°Who¡¯s this big shot?¡± Qin Lang asked with a hint of curiosity.


    ¡°Ahem, I can¡¯t disclose that for now,¡± Zhou Tianhao apologised with a smile, ¡°There are some things the meeting specifically instructed to keep confidential.¡±


    ¡°I understand, I won¡¯t ask then.¡± Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    ¡°So how¡¯s yourpetition with Shen Qian going?¡± Zhou Tianhao queried.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already signed up. Shen Qian was one step behind me, I suppose she¡¯s still on her way to the Spirit Chef Association for registration.¡± Qin Lang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the thought of Shen Qian¡¯s reaction when she returned. ¡°You both are incredibly fast, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zhou Tianhao clicked his tongue, ¡°I would¡¯ve thought you went shopping if I didn¡¯t know better.¡±


    Remembering how these two managed to collect three First-Level Food Rmender Badges in just two days,pared to his six days, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of defeat.


    Comparing oneself with others really could be aggravating.


    The two of them talked for a while before a bedraggled Shen Qian rushed back.


    ¡°I was so close!¡± She poured herself a ss of water from the sk, and humphed at Qin Lang, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t wasted so much time on the road, I might have won.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t waste any less time on the road either.¡± Qin Lang said, grinning, ¡°Anyway, since Zhou Big Brother¡¯s meeting has ended, and we¡¯ve both finished our registration, why don¡¯t we explore Xianyu City together for the next three days?¡±


    ¡°Sounds great.¡± Shen Qian¡¯s eyes lit up, and her attention swiftly shifted, ¡°I passed a few ces with lovely sceneries on the way, one of them is andmark building in Xianyu City, the Sail Memorial Hall. Shall we go there together?¡±


    ¡°I heard it houses hundreds of years old sails and various mementos left by adventurers upon their return from the sea!¡±


    ¡°When I visited the Food Rmenders, I also saw several nice ces,¡± Qin Lang suggested, ¡°We could go check out the Azure Observation Deck. I¡¯ve heard you can see the boundless sea from the top.¡±


    ¡°When I left the Association, Mr. Zhang Tianze also rmended several scenic spots to visit,¡± Zhou Tianhao took out a small notebook, ¡°I have them all noted down here. We can pick a few to visit together in these three days.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get going!¡± Shen Qian couldn¡¯t wait any longer and stood up, pulling both their hands.


    ¡°Hold on, we¡¯ll go tomorrow.¡± Seeing Shen Qian¡¯s eagerness to leave at once, Qin Lang pointed at the dark sky outside the window, ¡°It¡¯s already night time.¡± ¡°Indeed, setting off tomorrow won¡¯t be toote,¡± Zhou Tianhao agreed, nodding before touching his stomach, ¡°By the way, have you both had dinner?¡±


    Qin Lang and Shen Qian looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°I suggest making the six dishes you both prepared to obtain your badges.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang! Catch!¡±


    Three dayster, on the boundless beach, Shen Qian, donned in a skimpy swimsuit, leapt high from the soft sand, mming the volleyball towards Qin Lang on the other side of the.


    ¡°Impressive move!¡± Qin Lang¡¯s eyes shot sparks, closely watching the fast-flying volleyball in the air. His feet moved quickly while his fingers were interlinked tightly, waiting to strike back with his forearm.


    The two of them had a lively back-and-forth with beach volleyball.


    Not far away, Zhou Tianhao leisurely leaned back in a deckchair, holding a ss of juice in his hand, watching the two people¡¯s ¡°battle¡± from a distance.


    ¡°ying by the seashore is indeed fun,¡± he sighed, turning his gaze to the Food Spirits building sand castles together on another side.


    ¡°Ding dong¨C¡±


    Two consecutive notification sounds came from Zhou Tianhao¡¯s tiny table.


    Zhou Tianhao nced at the mobile phone screen that lit up on the table and quickly turned his head to the pair still ying volleyball, ¡°The text message with the scoringpetition theme has arrived!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! We¡¯ll end it here! It¡¯s a draw!¡±


    Shen Qian nced at the ball that Qin Lang had served, which she had no chance of hitting back, and without any hesitation, she announced, before turning towards Zhou Tianhao.


    Qin Lang twitched the corner of his mouth and quickly followed after her.


    The Food Spirits who had been building sand castles also stopped what they were doing and curiously came over to peek at the text on the phone screen. ¡°Hiss¨C¡± Shen Qian quickly read through the text and after disbelievingly reading it a second time, she gasped, ¡°This theme¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the host trying to stir things up?¡± Qin Lang touched his chin, a wry smile on his face.


    ¡± What¡¯s the theme?¡± Zhou Tianhao watched their dramatic reactions with curiosity and sat up straight.


    ¡°The theme is ¡®Pasta¡¯.¡± Shen Qian shook her head.


    ¡°I thought it was some unique theme¡­¡± Zhou Tianhaoughed, ¡°It¡¯s just pasta¡­ wait¡­ Pasta?!¡±


    His expression then turned dramatic too.


    Pasta, in any ce, is a usual theme, but for Xianyu City, it carried a different implication.


    After traveling around Xianyu City for three days, they had gotten an idea about the local customs and specialties.


    Xianyu City, didn¡¯t have pasta.


    The staple food was only rice.


    This was partly due to the evolution of dietary habits over a long period, and also a local legend.


    It was said that the greatest sailor-adventurer in the history of Xianyu City choked to death while eating noodles, hence, pasta was seen as a bad omen, especially in the eyes of local fisherfolks who sailed the ocean.


    And now, the scoringpetition theme given out by the Spirit Chef Association of Xianyu City, was pasta.


    For Qin Lang and Shen Qian, this didn¡¯t matter much.


    But the local Spirit Chefs of Xianyu City, were they really okay with this?


    Thinking about this, without saying a word, Qin Lang essed the local forum of Xianyu City.


    As expected, the forums and social media were abuzz with the announcement of the scoringpetition theme.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen posts demanding the host to reselect the scoringpetition theme and this post has already garnered thousands of likes and shares.¡± Shen Qian, who was also browsing the forum, quickly pointed at her phone screen.


    ¡°Do you think the Spirit Chef Association might change the theme?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Qin Lang, who also saw the post, shook his head after carefully reading through it, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve encountered such a situation.¡±


    As the two of them seriously discussed the situation, they didn¡¯t notice that next to them, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression, after browsing the forums and web pages, changed from surprised to understanding.


    ¡°I think the Association will not change the theme,¡± Zhou Tianhao slowly said, ¡°As they intended it this way from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Wiry is that?¡± Shen Qian asked puzzledly, looking at Zhou Tianhao.


    On the other hand, Qin Lang had an enlightened look on his face.


    ¡°Big Brother Zhou, you mean the selected theme for this round is part of the Association¡¯s arrangement against the Star Hunter?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, exactly.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded.

 Chapter 364: The Full Story

    Chapter 364: The Full Story


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the connection between them?¡±


    Qin Lang pondered for a moment but still couldn¡¯t figure out any rtion between setting the scoringpetition theme to pasta and the counter action against the Star Hunter.


    ¡°Doing this is mainly to facilitate better evacuation.¡± Zhou Tianhao exined,


    ¡°To avoid causing widespread panic, the Association has decided after discussion not to disclose the true nature of the Star Hunter¡¯s notice.


    ¡°In this way, if the Star Hunter does show up, a decent reason is needed as a cover.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    Qin Lang vaguely understood something and exhibited a thoughtful expression. ¡°Yes, just as you have thought.¡± Zhou Tianhao slowly nodded, ¡°Setting the scoringpetition theme as pasta is so that if the Star Hunter appears afterward, the Association will brand them as extremists dissatisfied with the scoring theme.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Qin Lang nodded in understanding.


    He could tell that Zhou Tianhao was only mentioning a part of the reason. There must have been other considerations that led to this result.


    ¡°But this way, it will be a bit difficult to score high in the scoringpetition.¡± Shen Qian frowned, showing a helpless expression.


    ¡°Indeed, this is a problem. But I believe that the senior judges of the


    Association, who evaluate the scoringpetition, should have the basic professional ethics and will not be overly subjective in their assessment.¡± Zhou Tianhaoforted.


    ¡°We can only hope for the best then.¡± Shen Qian sighed and then turned to look


    at Qin Lang, ¡°Qin Lang, what are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about,¡± Qin Lang stroked his chin, showing a thoughtful expression, ¡°what kind of food counts as pasta.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Qian rolled her eyes, ¡°Why would you ask such a basic question?


    Pasta is food made from wheat flour.¡±


    ¡°I know that, of course.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°So I¡¯m wondering, if I use ingredients other than wheat flour to make something that convincingly resembles pasta, would the judges give me points?¡±


    At that moment, he thought of a special dish called Live Knock Fish Noodle.


    This delicacy is made by hammering fish meat into the shape of noodles, even the taste is quite simr, but the entire process does not involve a drop of wheat flour, only sweet potato starch is added.


    Wheat flour and starch are different: The former refers to flour made from grinding wheat, while thetter is made from potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, etc.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hearing Qin Lang¡¯s words, Shen Qian¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    Right!


    Since the residents of Xianyu City are resistant to eating pasta, then, by making other ingredients look like pasta, would that achieve a higher degree of eptance and thus score higher in the scoringpetition?


    It sounded like a feasible idea.


    ¡°Good thinking, but it won¡¯t work.¡± Zhou Tianhao spread his hands, pointing to a line in small print on his mobile phone, ¡°For the pasta topic, the organizers have given a strict definition, the dish must be cooked using wheat flour.¡±


    Qin Lang:


    Shen Qian: ¡°¡­¡±


    This means their newly thought-out scheme will not be able to proceed.


    ¡°It seems we can only prepare pasta honestly.¡± Shen Qian sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll make some seafood noodles. The residents of Xianyu City love seafood, so their resistance to pasta might be lessened.¡±


    ¡°As for me¡­¡± Qin Lang stroked his chin, ¡°I¡¯ll need to think some more.¡±


    Since Live Knock Fish Noodle and other simr shortcuts are not possible, he has to switch to a different method.


    He has some ideas but has not fully decided yet.


    Thankfully, there are two more days to prepare.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He donned his coat reluctantly, ¡°The three-day rxation period is over. Now it¡¯s back to the anxiouspetition preparation time.¡±


    ¡°You get anxious? I find that hard to believe.¡± Shen Qian pouted. Her speed in putting on her coat was not the least bit slower than Qin Lang s.


    There are thirty-nine participants in the Xianyu City cookingpetition, including Qin Lang and Shen Qian. They received the selected theme for the scoringpetition at the first possible moment.


    There was surprise and questioning, but after ensuring that the organizer would not change the selected theme, they all started preparing with determination.


    There seems to be an undercurrent stirring in therge Xianyu City. Everyone vaguely sensed that this cookingpetition was out of the ordinary, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong.


    Two days flew by quickly.


    After the two-day preparation, Qin Lang finally decided the dish to be presented for the scoringpetition.


    Even though the local residents harbored a certain prejudice towards pasta, he believed that this type of pasta would enable them to temporarily put aside their prejudice.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Standing in the crowded queue, looking at the odd-shaped building resembling both a big fish and a sail in front of her, Shen Qian¡¯s eyes lit up and she couldn¡¯t help eximing, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful! Is this the arena of Xianyu City?¡±


    ¡°The architectural style is indeed very unique.¡± Zhou Tianhao agreed, nodding, then looking at Qin Lang and Shen Qian, ¡°You two should take the yer track now.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Qin Lang nodded, ¡°I need to go in early tomunicate with the organizers.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Shen Qian chimed inpetitively.


    Running the scoringpetition in transparent mode happens seldomly in city-levelpetitions, but Qin Lang and Shen Qian both chose this mode without prior agreement.


    This means that the prepetition performance prepared by the organizers is not needed, of course a final confirmation with the yers is necessary to avoid scheduling issues that could affect the watchability of thepetition.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch thepetition from the stands, good luck!¡± Zhou Tianhao waved the admission ticket he held, waving at the two.


    The seat Zhou Tianhao got is closest to thepetition venue in the arena. Such precious seats are not bought at a high price by him, but given to him in advance by the Spirit Chef Association.


    Watching thepetition is only one of the objectives. The most important reason is to be able to step in anytime when the Star Hunter shows up.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, see you in the arena!¡± Qin Lang and Shen Qian waved at Zhou Tianhao and turned to walk up the yer track.


    On the other side of the track, a middle-aged man with a staff badge hanging on his chest came up quickly with a smile, ¡°Are the two contestants Qin Lang and Shen Qian?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±x2


    ¡°We¡¯re making the final check before the match, so are you two sure you want to initiate the transparent mode for the scoringpetition?


    ¡°Indeed.¡± X2


    ¡°Understood.¡± The middle-aged man nodded slightly, ¡°This is how it is, in the provincial-level cookingpetition, the rules clearly stipte a transparent mode has extra scoring weight, but there are no such rules in city-level cookingpetitions.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the two of you turning on transparent mode will not give you much advantage in thepetition.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s voice paused for a moment, ¡°However, to encourage open cooking, the host will mention this before thepetition starts.¡±


    ¡°That would be enough.¡± Qin Lang smiled.


    The host mentioning it before thepetition starts would mean that during the whole cooking process, all audience¡¯s eyes would be fixed on him and Shen Qian, right?


    This is exactly what he wanted.

 Chapter 365: The Center of Attention

    Chapter 365: The Center of Attention


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the Xianyu Arena!¡±


    At the centre of the arena, the host¡¯s impassioned voice echoed throughout the entire venue, inciting cheers from the tens of thousands of spectators.


    After briefly introducing the eleven Food Rmenders and thirty senior judges on stage, the host made a broad sweeping gesture, and instantly, the images of every contestant appeared on the electronic screen.


    ¡°The Xianyu City Cooking Contest held every three months has begun once more. This time we have thirty-nine contestants. Some of them are old friends we¡¯re familiar with, and some are new faces.¡±


    ¡°In today¡¯s scoringpetition, we will get a closer look at these contestants. However, after today¡¯s Scoring Competition, only eight contestants will remain and advance to the next round!¡±


    ¡°And the subject of this scoring round is¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Pasta!¡±


    The host raised his voice abruptly, trying to heat up the atmosphere. However, his usually effective tactic lost its power this time.


    As soon as the word ¡°Pasta¡± was spoken, the audience seats fell into an eerie silence. A suffocating feeling hit all the contestants.


    Would the pasta they prepared really be approved?


    A glint of helplessness shed in the host¡¯s eyes. Obviously, he had anticipated such a situation. He took a deep breath and spoke in an even louder voice, ¡°Let¡¯s give our apuse to the contestants and wish them the best!¡±


    Suddenly awakened, scattered apuse began to resurface from the audience seats, gradually warming up.


    Despite dissatisfaction with the theme of the scoringpetition, the well wishes for the contestants were still heartfelt.


    The atmosphere eased, and the host let out a slight sigh of relief. ¡°Thepetition is about to begin. As you can see, behind me, thirty-ninepetitive standard kitchens are being raised.¡±


    ¡°Eachpetitive standard kitchen has a namete of a contestant. Next, the contestants willplete the designated cooking in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°At this time in the past, we would have been entertained by the wonderful song and dance performance of the art troupe, but today¡ª ¡±


    ¡°The arrangement of thepetition will be adjusted to a certain degree!¡± ¡°Because today there will be two contestants cooking in transparent mode!¡± As the host¡¯s words fell, cheers immediately burst out from the audience seats. Anyone who knows about provincial-level cookingpetitions would not be unfamiliar with the transparent mode.


    Even if they didn¡¯t know, it didn¡¯t matter. The host gave a simple introduction on what transparent mode was.


    The cheering was even louder for a moment.


    On-site, the contestants about to cook could not help looking at theirpetitors around them, their eyes filled with unease.


    They were guessing which two contestants were going topete in such a fierce mode.


    Soon, the answer was revealed.


    On the left and right sides of therge screen in the middle of the field, the close-ups of Shen Qian and Qin Lang appeared respectively.


    ¡°Contestant Shen Qian from Yue Hu City and contestant Qin Lang from Tianhua State, they will publicly disy their entire cooking process!¡±


    The cheers and screams in the field became more and more intense. Many spectators even shouted the names of the two, seemingly bing their fans in an instant.


    On thepetition field, the other thirty-seven contestants who have identified their targets castplicated gazes at the two.


    It¡¯s you two who are making uspete fiercely?!


    Damn it!


    Seeing the atmosphere on the field being pushed to its peak, it seemed that the negative impact of announcing the theme for the scoringpetition just now hadpletely disappeared. The host immediately proceeded to the next step of the process, ¡°Let¡¯s leave the rest of the time to the contestants.¡±


    ¡°Please, contestants, enter yourpetitive standard kitchens!¡±


    The thirty-nine contestants did not dare to dy and ran towards their respectivepetitive standard kitchens.


    ¡°I announce that the first scoringpetition of the Xianyu City Cooking Contest is now beginning!¡±


    After an electric bell sound that reverberated across the field, a countdown animation of three hours appeared on the big screen.


    The walls of the thirty-sevenpetitive standard kitchens turned from transparent to opaque at the moment of the ringing of the electric bell. Only two kitchens remained transparent, and everything inside could be clearly seen from the outside.


    On the big screen in the field, the situations inside the twopetitive standard kitchens in transparent mode were disyed side by side.


    For a moment, all eyes were on them!


    ¡°Next, everyone outside will be able to see our cooking.¡±


    Qin Lang nced at the bustling scene outside the wall.


    From his kitchen, he could see countless cheering spectators in the audience seats, but standing inside the kitchen, he could not hear a single sound, as if he was watching a silent film.


    This design was made to avoid causing interference to the cooking process.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡±


    He nced at the two enthusiastic little ones beside him, then picked up a bag of high-gluten flour, added it to a basin along with water, and began kneading the dough in a familiar manner.


    ¡°Thump!¡±


    ¡°Thump!¡±


    ¡°Thump!¡±


    After the flour was thoroughly kneaded into dough and could maintain its shape even after leaving the basin, Qin Lang directly grabbed it and mmed it onto the countertop. Then he used his hands to knead, m, and knead again, repeating this process.


    Under Qin Lang¡¯s precise control of strength and countless repetitions of kneading, the surface of the dough was smooth and reflected under the light, presenting a fairly even state.


    And this was just the beginning.


    Wrapping the dough in cling film, Qin Lang put it aside and began preparing garnishes such as scallions and ginger.


    The processing of the dough was handed over to Spicy.


    ¡°We can see that contestant Qin Lang is very proficient in kneading dough. It surely results from a lot of practice!¡±


    Outside, the host was simultaneously narrating Qin Lang and Shen Qian¡¯s cooking process, ¡°There are two types of dough: dead dough and yeast dough. Contestant Shen Qian added yeast to her dough, which will give it a fluffy and soft texture.¡±


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang, on the other hand, didn¡¯t add anything but water and flour while kneading his dough. The final dough will have a chewy texture. For this, Qin Lang chose high-gluten flour with the strongest gluten content.¡±


    ¡°Now, contestant Qin Lang haspleted the kneading process. He wrapped the dough in cling film to rest it. This step is called resting the dough, which is to let the flour and water blend more evenly¡­¡±


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang used a Food Skill! It¡¯s Cooking eleration!¡±


    ¡°With this food skill, the dough resting process can be greatly shortened and he can move quickly to the next step. I didn¡¯t expect contestant Qin Lang to have such a trump card!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! It only took him a minute. During the process of cutting scallions and ginger, the dough rest was alreadypleted! During this process, we also saw the food skill of Qin Lang¡¯s other Food Spirit, it¡¯s Fresh Full!¡±


    ¡°These two food skills are what every Spirit Chef dreams of. We have to say that contestant Qin Lang is very lucky.¡±


    ¡°So now, he¡¯s starting the next step!¡±


    ¡®Wait¡­ what is contestant Qin Lang doing?!¡±

 Chapter 366: Dragon’s Whiskers

    Chapter 366: Dragon¡¯s Whiskers


    With the host¡¯s surprised exmation echoing, waves of gasps arose from the audience who were watching Qin Lang¡¯s movements on the big screen.


    Far from diminishing after these outbursts, the gasps seemed to intensify.


    Under countless stares, Qin Lang¡¯s hands danced with a strange rhythm.


    Moving in tandem was the dough, which had just been unwrapped from tire cling film, fully awakened after a sufficient rest period.


    No, referring to it as dough now might be a bit of a misnomer.


    Under Qin Lang¡¯s deft movements, a lump of dough that he pulled from the mixture was quickly stretched into a long strip. Then, with a crisscross movement of his hands, where the ends met, he stretched it again.


    Once, twice.


    In just a few breaths, what was once a thick strip of dough became a bundle of handmade noodles, very simr in thickness to the ones we see every day.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯srge arm movements, and even the trembling motion in between, everyone in the audience found themselves holding their breath, fearing that the thin-looking noodles might break.


    But not only did Qin Lang¡¯s movements not stop, instead, they seemed to intensify. The noodles, also thick, seemed to be just the beginning.


    A fold, and another pull.


    The thin noodles exceeded the reach of Qin Lang¡¯s fully extended hands, moving like a spirit snake in the air. Under the slow motion and close-up shots disyed on the big screen, everyone could see the unusual thinness of the noodles at this moment.


    It should be over, right?


    As countless people in the audience held their breath, dreading that their breathing might break the noodles, they couldn¡¯t help but have such thoughts.


    But Qin Lang¡¯s movements told them there was still more to do.


    Yet another fold, another pull!


    After being stretched beyond the limit of his hands and enduring another pull, the noodles became so thin that they seemed to break if blown too hard.


    Everyone took a sharp breath when they saw Qin Lang still casually dancing the noodles. The contest fell into an unprecedented silence, as if everyone had forgotten to cheer and p, even forgotten to breathe.


    A thought inevitably surfaced in everyone¡¯s minds.


    This time, it must be over, right?


    ¡°¡­Incredible!¡± The host took a deep breath, suppressing his awe, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°The skill to stretch the noodles to this extent is worth its weight in gold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already looking forward to the delicacy Qin Lang will cook with these noodles¡­ He¡¯s not done yet!!!¡± The host eximed in surprise, interrupting his own words as he saw Qin Lang¡¯s hands folding again.


    At the same time, gasps and cries erupted from the audience. The sound of seat backs shing against cushions filled the room, and countless people stood up from their seats!


    They clenched their fists and stared hard at the boy on the big screen, who was slowly stretching the noodles.


    His speed was clearly slower than before.


    Could he seed?


    Would the noodles break?


    Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qin Langpleted his final pull.


    The big screen showed a close-up slow-motion shot, magnified dozens of times, revealing the noodles¡¯ hair-like thinness.


    The numerous noodles ovepped, forming a dense, tassel-like veil on Qin Lang¡¯s hands. As the final pull ended and the noodles began to dance lightly, the entire audience erupted in thunderous cheers and apuse!


    ¡°Masterful techniques!!!¡±


    The host screamed as loudly as possible, ¡°Before us all, Qin Lang has shown techniques that leave us in the dust, the taste of a delicacy cooked with such thin noodles is unimaginable!¡±


    Indifferent to the roaring cheers from the outside world, Qin Lang nced outside the kitchen and guessed that his performance must have shocked many people.


    A calm smile appeared on his face.


    This was exactly the effect he wanted.


    If the locals were resistant to pasta, he would use something else to attract them, thereby temporarily distracting them from the issue with the pasta.


    Under the transparent mode, he had a great choice.


    And that was to show off his skills.


    At this moment, Dragon Beard Noodles was the standard answer.


    Snipping the little dough in his hand, he rolled the finished Dragon Beard dough into balls and ced them in clean noodle soup bowls forter. Qin Lang then pulled out a second lump of dough and began his routine again.


    With as many as thirty judges in the arena, even though each portion didn t need much, it all added up to arge amount. The preparation of Dragon Beard noodles demanded not only skill but also physical strength.


    Fortunately, Qin Lang¡¯s body benefited from the power of the Star Vein and was more than capable of supporting him.


    For the audience, they hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the shock when they saw Qin Lang start stretching the noodles again. Suddenly, gasps and apuse erupted from all directions.


    ¡°The portion of noodles that Qin Lang just finished was divided into five noodle soup bowls, which means he will need to repeat the same steps for the next ones!¡± The host noticed and eximed, ¡°That¡¯s terrifying!¡±


    The difference between not making a mistake once and not making one every single time, anyone could understand.


    In the senior judge seats, the thirty senior judges looked at each other.


    ¡°Such a noodle dish appearing in the scoring round of a city-level cooking contest¡­¡± one of the senior judges couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, ¡°The other contestants must be in despair, right?¡±


    ¡°After all, he is the champion of the Youth Group of the Leaping Fish Banquet, this young man from Tianhua State has an extraordinary culinary level,¡± another judge nodded seriously, then chuckled, ¡°It seems we¡¯re in for a treat this time.¡±


    ¡°I still have some reservations about pasta,¡± another judge admitted frankly, ¡°But if it¡¯s this dish from Qin Lang, I think I would be very willing to try it.¡±


    The judges exchanged whispers. Although their opinions differed slightly, each expressed anticipation for the final form of Qin Lang s dish.


    Time ticked away as Qin Lang quickly finished the fifth set of Dragon Beard Noodles. Now, there are twenty noodle soup bowls arranged in four rows on the countertop, each containing a bundle of Dragon Beard noodles.


    And the thin-as-hair Dragon Beard noodles in his hand would be divided into five more portions.


    Despite it no longer being a new sight, each time Qin Lang sessfully finished the final step of getting the Dragon Beard noodles ultra-thin, the audience¡¯s apuse and cheers were as enthusiastic as the first time.


    A soft ¡°ding dong¡ª¡± was drowned in the deafening cheers and apuse, hardly noticed by anyone.


    A contestant, full of confidence, emerged from hispetitive standard kitchen pushing his kitchen cab car. Upon hearing the loud cheers, he was overjoyed and quickened his pace.


    He was the first one out, these cheers and apuse were for him!


    He would have a significant advantage in the uing scoringpetition! However, the contestant¡¯s expression soon turned perplexed.


    He realized that nobody, including the host, was looking at him!

 Chapter 367: Shock

    Chapter 367: Shock


    ¡°Contestant Ying Chao is the first one to finish his cooking!¡±


    The host was startled to realize that a contestant was approaching, pushing a kitchen cab car, after the organizingmittee sent this prompt through his earpiece.


    He quickly recovered and led Ying Chao towards the judges¡¯ seats. ¡°Now, can contestant Ying Chao introduce the dish he has prepared?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± In this glorious moment dedicated to Ying Chao, he seemed somewhat bewildered. ¡°The dish I¡¯ve prepared is¡­ is Seafood Grilled Noodles¡­ this dish¡­¡±


    The introduction he¡¯d spent ages preparing for was now simply lost to him.


    Watching everyone in the arena barely paying attention to him, Ying Chao felt a bitter sweetness rise in his heart, and he decided to put down the microphone he was holding.


    Just before this, following the gaze of the other audience members, he had seen


    Qin Lang on the big screen pulling thest portion of Dragon Beard Noodles.


    His n to attract attention by finishing first was now useless and was only filled with regret.


    If only he hade out after the one named Qin Langpleted his cooking, he could have performed better than he did


    If only¡­


    ¡°Now, may our thirty judges please taste contestant Ying Chao¡¯s Seafood Grilled Noodles and give their scores!¡± The host did not daydream again. He spoke loudly and clearly.


    Ying Chao took a deep breath and opened the kitchen cab car to present each portion of his dish to the judges.


    On the big screen, his Seafood Grilled Noodles finally cut away from the close up shot of Qin Lang pulling noodles and emerged into the public view.


    Even if they preferred Qin Lang, the camera had to focus on the dish that is about to be tasted at this moment.


    The moment Ying Chao saw the camera focus on him, he could not help but take a deep breath. But when he noticed that Qin Lang¡¯s footage had not disappeared, but had just been minimized to a corner of the screen, the corner of his mouth twitched a bit.


    This is too much!


    It¡¯s too much!!


    With a roaring anger in his heart, Ying Chao managed to carve a smile onto the surface, and stood quietly in ce awaiting the judges¡¯ verdict.


    The Seafood Grilled Noodles is not really a noodle dish, but rather more like a roast bread filled with various seafoods, and the seasoning is quite superb.


    Ying Chao tried as much as possible to finish faster while incorporating the most popr seafood ingredients from Xianyu City into his pasta dish in order to dispel any aversion the judges might have towards pasta. He was indeed well prepared for thispetition.


    Soon, the tasting was finished.


    After the thirty judges each gave their scores, the average was quickly calcted, excluding the highest and the lowest scores, and immediately the score for contestant Ying Chao appeared on the host¡¯s teleprompter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give a warm round of apuse to Contestant Ying Chao, his final score is


    ¡°87.3 points!¡±


    The moment the host announced Ying Chao¡¯s score, there were hearty apuse from the audience. Although most people were more eager to see Qin Lang¡¯s performance, they still recognized the efforts of the first contestant to present his dish.


    However, after hearing his score, Ying Chao¡¯s expression turned a bit serious.


    With his abilities, the score should have been higher.


    But he was the first to be scored, so was it possible that the scores wereparatively lower due to thepetition being about pasta?


    With this thought, Ying Chao looked slightly cated.


    After noting the host¡¯s signal to leave, he pushed his kitchen cab car along the yers¡¯ passage towards the contestant waiting area.


    The next moment, there was another ¡°ding¡±.¡±


    After a brief silence, the whole venue erupted into loud cheers and excitement.


    That¡¯s because the big screen, which had returned to the view of Qin Lang, captured the perfect moment when Qin Lang pressed the finishing bell.


    It¡¯s Qin Lang who has finished now!


    Even though many people missed theter part of Qin Lang¡¯s cooking process due to Ying Chao¡¯s earlier appearance, whates next is the main event!


    Finally, they can see what the final product of Qin Lang¡¯s dish, a dish that had wowed everyone just with its production process, will look like!


    As he walked out of the kitchen door, hearing the roaring cheers and chants of his name, a look of surprise appeared on Qin Lang¡¯s face.


    The audience¡¯s response was more enthusiastic than he had anticipated.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he turned and looked at Dan Bao and Spicy, who were nking him on either side.


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    ¡°Chock!¡±


    There was excitement in the eyes of both the critters.


    Under the gaze of thousands, they were empathizing with Qin Lang and feeling the pressure and anticipation.


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang haspleted his cooking!¡± The host who had been waiting eagerly quickly walked over to Qin Lang, handing him the microphone, ¡°Could you tell us the name of the dish that you¡¯ve prepared?


    This was the step that was supposed to be carried out after the contestants showcased their dishes, but the host, who was already dying to find out, could not help but ask ahead of time.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Dragon Beard Noodles,¡± Qin Lang replied with a smile.


    Dragon Beard Noodles!


    The audience and the judges were taken aback by the name of the dish.


    The beard of a dragon¡­


    A pasta dish was named in such a domineering manner.


    Reflecting upon Qin Lang¡¯s entire cooking process, everyone felt that this name was a perfect fit.


    Perhaps only such a mboyant dish could match this awe-inspiring culinary skill, right?


    ¡°Alright, now let¡¯s have Contestant Qin Lang present to our judges his Dragon Beard Noodles.¡± The host, who was slightly taken abackbv the name too, quickly recollected himself and led Qin Lang to the judges¡¯ seats.


    ¡°Honorable judges, please enjoy.¡± Qin Lang opened the kitchen cab car, and with the help of Dan Bao, ced the thirty portions of Dragon Beard Noodles in front of each of the judges, then stood in position.


    The final form of the Dragon Beard Noodles finally appeared in front of all the audience through the high-definition close-up on the big screen.


    It was a bowl of soup noodles. The soup was clear with a hint of yellow, patches of oil floating on the surface did not look greasy at all, instead, it was appetizing.


    Beneath the soup were the Dragon Beard Noodles, as thin as hair, elegant like a swaying serpent submerged in water, and also resembling a collection of string-thin whiskers of a majestic dragon, they were delicate and distinct.


    There were also a few scallions floating on the soup, the tender green color contrasted with the clean soup noodles, providing a strong visual contrast while also tempting the viewer¡¯s appetite.


    The entire dish looked incredibly simple, but remembering the jaw-dropping efforts Qin Lang had put into creating it, everyone understood that this seemingly ordinary dish of Dragon Beard Noodles was unique and magnificent.


    All thirty judges inhale a deep breath simultaneously, their expressions turning solemn.


    They all reached out their chopsticks and plunged into their bowls almost in unison.


    The audience watched this scene with their eyes wide open.


    Unable to taste the dish themselves, they could only judge the quality of the dish via the reaction of the judges after they tasted it.


    In the contestant waiting area, Ying Chao sat with his fists clenched and resting on his knees, his face filled with tension.


    Just how high will this guy named Qin Lang score?

 Chapter 368: Score

    Chapter 368: Score


    Qiu Xingfeng is a senior judge currently employed by the Xianyu City Spirit Chef Association.


    At the same time, his parents and ancestors were all engaged in offshore fishing.


    The sea is rich, with countless prized seafood that are inexhaustible. This is a blessing to the fishermen.


    But the sea is also unpredictable; every year numerous fishermen disappear due to storms and other extreme weather at sea.


    Therefore, for those who go to sea, every voyage is a life-risking adventure. They often trust in some superstitions rather than disbelieve them.


    Qiu Xingfeng¡¯s aversion to pasta had taken root since he was a child, and even though he has been a senior judge for many years now, he has not fully shaken off this prejudice.


    So, when the Spirit Chef Association decided to set pasta as the theme for the scoringpetition, Qiu Xingfeng strongly opposed it.


    But under the resolute attitude of the Spirit Chef Association, his opposition didn¡¯t make much of a difference. A food rmender subtly let him know that this decision had other intentions, so he chose to give up his resistance.


    But he still couldn¡¯t warm up to pasta.


    When he tasted the Seafood Grilled Noodles just now, his taste buds continuously fed back the delicious taste to him. But his inner aversion still made his perception of the dish lower, resulting in a low score.


    Now, presented in front of him were Dragon Beard Noodles.


    This dish gave Qiu Xingfeng the feeling of ¡°hearing the sound before seeing the person¡±.


    Before it waspletely cooked, Qiu Xingfeng waspletely attracted by Qin Lang¡¯s miraculously skilled technique.


    Pulling a dough into countless hair-thin noodles, none of which broke, even the thought of such a skill made Qju Xingfeng¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Despite his aversion to pasta, he couldn¡¯t deny his own heart. Naturally, he was infinitely curious about these Dragon Beard Noodles.


    So, when this bowl of noodles was really served in front of him, Qiu Xingfeng was surprised to find that his inner aversion waspletely suppressed by curiosity. His only thought at the moment was to taste these Dragon Beard Noodles.


    The hot steam carried a faint savoury scent, gradually seeping into Qiu Xingfeng¡¯s nostrils.


    It was the savoury aroma of the scattered green onions in the noodle soup, the aroma of sesame oil floating on the surface of the soup, and beyond that, a kind of satisfying savoury aroma.


    Is this the smell of pasta?


    Qiu Xingfeng suddenly felt that, after setting aside his aversion to pasta, the bowl of Dragon Beard Noodles in front of him was so tempting.


    He no longer hesitated, picked it up with chopsticks, and ced it in his mouth.


    Although the noodles were thin, they were still full of bite, very resilient, and did not break under Qiu Xingfeng¡¯s chopsticks. The moment they entered the mouth, they had a chewy taste.


    More delicate noodles allowed the Dragon Beard Noodles to carry more soup, and as Qiu Xingfeng chewed, the charm of the soup noodles was fully revealed.


    The soup of the Dragon Beard Noodles, Qin Lang had not used too many techniques.


    It was just a clear noodle soup seasoned with things like light soy sauce and salt, but it had an astonishing vor at this moment.


    The thin noodles infused the aroma of the noodles into the soup in the moment of boiling. The aroma of the noodles in the soup was the best seasoning.


    After swallowing one mouthful, Qju Xingfeng¡¯s aversion to pasta quietly melted away at this moment.


    He found the unique charm of pasta.


    Next to him, the other judges were also tasting the Dragon Beard Noodles.


    During the previous tasting of the Seafood Grilled Noodles, there were asional low conversations. But now, when tasting the Dragon Beard Noodles, the judges were exceptionally silent.


    Some things need no discussion, it is self-evident.


    Soon, several bowls of noodles, now emptied even of the soup, were put down. A series of intensely warm gazes were directed at the young man standing in the middle of thepetition.


    ¡°All thirty judges havepleted their tasting. Now it¡¯s the scoring session!¡± The host signaled the judges to score, and after a moment, picked up the prompt, ¡°Subtracting the highest score and the lowest score, the final score for Qin Lang is? ¡±


    With the host¡¯s deliberate elongation of thest note, the arena fell into silence as if a pause button had been pressed.


    A tense atmosphere spread throughout the venue, everyone wanted to know what kind of score could be earned by Qin Lang¡¯s pasta dish, which had already elicited countless gasps during the cooking process alone.


    ¡°98.9 points! Congrattions to contestant Qin Lang!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice fell, the tense atmosphere was suddenly rxed. In the audience seats, cheers erupted at once, turning into a tumultuous sea because of Qin Lang¡¯s high score.


    Such scores are hardly seen once in ten years in the city-level cookingpetitions.


    In the contestant waiting area, Ying Chao¡¯s tightly clenched hands weakly loosened. Looking at Qin Lang in the field from afar, a strong sense of defeat emerged in his heart.


    Is the gap between him and this guy so big?


    With such a score, what can otherspare with?


    Thinking back to the scene before the start of thepetition, where he and a few spirit chefs who also entered thepetition argued who could win the championship, Ying Chao¡¯s breath became a bit rapid, and he red fiercely at the closed kitchen doors.


    No one is getting this championship!


    Suddenly, Ying Chao¡¯s expression rxed, turned his head to look at Qin Lang who walked into the contestant waiting area, and squeezed out a smile that he thought lookedposed.


    Qin Lang looked at him strangely.


    Who is this guy, why does he look so weird.


    He must have some problem.


    Better keep distance from him.


    He chose a ce farthest from Ying Chao and silently sat down, his gaze shifted to thepetitive standard kitchen where Shen Qian was.


    Shen Qian had also activated the transparent mode, so Qin Lang could see her cooking progress at this moment.


    ording to his understanding of Shen Qian¡¯s dish, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it was finished.


    ¡°Ding Dong???? ¡±


    The electric bell sound echoed throughout the arena, and the next contestant walked out of the door.


    Seeing that familiar figure, Ying Chao¡¯s smile gradually turned distorted.


    You¡¯re all dead!


    ¡°Our contestant Tian Jian haspleted his cooking!¡± the host announced loudly. ¡°May the thirty judges now taste and score Tian Jian¡¯s dish!¡±


    Soon, Tian Jian¡¯s score was freshly released.


    88.1 points.


    After exiting the arena, Tian Jian hurried to the contestant waiting area. He quickly recognized the familiar Ying Chao andughed jovially as he walked towards him. ¡°Old Ying, you¡¯re as efficient as always, managing to finish so quickly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your score? Let me hear it.¡± He plonked himself cheerily next to Ying Chao, patting Ying Chao¡¯s shoulder.


    Tian Jian was not particrly satisfied with his own score either.


    But like Ying Chao before, he thought that perhaps the factor of pasta had affected the scoring, and it would be the same for everyone.


    As for his own performance, Tian Jian was satisfied.


    Today, he felt he had performed exceptionally well, so his mood was very good.


    ¡°Score, huh.¡± Ying Chao revealed a brilliant smile. ¡°87.3 points.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, as expected, I¡¯m still one step ahead¡­¡± Tian Jianughed heartily, and then hisughter abruptly halted.


    If Ying Chao scored lower than himself, why was he smiling so happily?!


    Something¡¯s wrong!

 Chapter 369: Drawing lots

    Chapter 369: Drawing lots


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Tian Jian realized something was wrong, his gaze turned to Qin Lang who was sitting quite a distance away from them. His face slightly hardened, he lowered his voice, ¡°Is he one of those who initiated the Transparent Mode? How many points did he get?¡±


    ¡°98.9 points.¡± Ying Chao slowly revealed Qin Lang¡¯s final score.


    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Tian Jian was taken aback, his eyes widened in disbelief.


    Tian Jian, who leftter, did not see Qin Lang¡¯s cooking process, nor did he know what dish Qin Lang cooked, but this score was absurdly high.


    ¡°Hehehe.¡± Seeing Tian Jian react as predicted, Ying Chao felt a refreshing coolness as if he had been drinking water during a heatwave.


    ¡°No¡­ What¡­ What did he do?¡± Tian Jian was baffled, a clueless expression on his face.


    With such a massive score difference, was there even a point inparing?


    ¡°You just need to watch the rey tonight to see what he did.¡± Ying Chao patted Tian Jian¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Instead of this, wouldn¡¯t you like to experience the joy?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Realizing Ying Chao¡¯s earlier weirdness, Tian Jian suddenly understood.


    A momentter, another familiar contestant Yan Hu came out of the kitchen with a score of 89.0.


    ¡°You two are really fast.¡± Yan Hu, who came down to the contestant waiting area,ughed as he sat next to Ying Chao and Tian Jian, ¡°Go on, how much did you two score?¡±


    ¡°87.3 points.¡±


    ¡°88.1 points.¡±


    Although the two revealed scores lower than Yan Hu¡¯s, their smiles were even brighter than his.


    Yan Hu¡¯s smile slowly faded, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    Ying Chao and Tian Jian pointed at Qin Lang sitting on the other side in unison, and chorused, ¡°He scored 98.9 points.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?!¡±


    A momentter, the number of yers on stage wearing wide grins increased by one.


    While startled exmations kept ringing out from nearby seats, Qin Lang didn¡¯t pay too much attention.


    He watched Shen Qian in the kitchen, patiently awaiting her cooking process¡¯ final steps.


    In the end, Shen Qian was the eleventh contestant to appear.


    Although her cooking process wasn¡¯t as dazzling as Qin Lang¡¯s, but her excellent foundational skills were indisputable. Choosing the Transparent Mode in the City-level Cooking Competition, a rare urrence, equally delighted the audience.


    When she came on stage, the cheering and apuse in the arena were significantly louder than for other contestants.


    The other contestants, while full of envy, had nothing to say about it.


    Who would begrudge her for generously revealing her cooking process by choosing the Transparent Mode?


    ¡°Contestant Shen Qian has alsopleted her cooking.¡± The host smiled, ¡°We have all just witnessed your cooking steps, could you please tell everyone what dish you cooked.¡±


    ¡°The dish I brought today is called Three-freshness Dumplings.¡± Shen Qian cheerfully responded, then walked in front of the judges and from her kitchen cart, fetched steam bun-sized steamers and served each judge one.


    Through the close-up camera on the big screen, the audience could see a fist-sized, round and plump dumpling in each steamer. It was a sight that made people want to take a bite.


    ¡°Great, the dish Shen Qian cooked is called Three-freshness Dumplings. Now, we¡¯d like to ask our thirty judges to taste and score the dish!¡± The host gestured the judges to begin tasting.


    In the contestant waiting area, Qin Lang, who was watching the screen, smiled.


    Shen Qian had cooked this Three-freshness Dumpling dish once for him and Zhou Tianhao, so Qin Lang was familiar with it.


    Even though it is called Three-freshness, the ¡®three freshness¡¯ in the dish referred to pork, beef, and mutton, unlike themonbination of shrimp, pork, and egg.


    The Three-freshness Dumplings are somewhat simr to meat buns, using the fully fermented dough containing yeast to wrap the mixed ground meat of the three kinds, and then steaming them in the steamer.


    Yet, there were some minute culinary details that differentiate it from normal meat buns.


    For instance, during the fermenting process, Shen Qian needed to repeatedly dete the fermented dough to expel the air within, turning the dough extremely soft and stic.


    Additionally, when preparing the meat filling, Shen Qian didn¡¯t immediately grind the meat into mince; instead, she cut the various meats into thin strands, twirled them together, then tightly formed them into a ball. This method retained more original texture of the meat.


    In summary, this was a tasty pasta dish that had previously received unanimous praise from Qin Lang and Zhou Tianhao.


    As a Spirit Chef who had collected five Second-Level Food Rmender Badges, Shen Qian¡¯s performance was extremely stable. Once again, her Three- freshness Dumplings received overwhelming praise.


    Her final score was 97.8 points. If it weren¡¯t for Qin Lang¡¯s stunning performance, this score would have undoubtedly seized the first ce.


    ¡°I still fell a bit shortpared to you.¡± After she walked off the stage and sat next to Qin Lang, Shen Qian sighed, ¡°It seems that dishes with unique cooking processes do indeed have an advantage in the Transparent Mode.¡±


    Like Qin Lang, Shen Qian didn¡¯t turn on the Transparent Mode out of mere impulsiveness.


    She had already registered for the Provincial-level Cooking Competition in Mingjing Province where everyone would be in Transparent Mode. Trying it out in advance could also umte experience for her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t it just be that Dragon Beard Noodles taste better?¡± Qin Lang chuckled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even use chicken broth!¡± Shen Qian retorted, rolling her eyes, ¡°If you had used a more vorful broth, wouldn¡¯t the Dragon Beard Noodles taste even better?¡±


    Having known Qin Lang for so long, Shen Qian was aware that he usually used chicken broth or even moreplex bone broths in most of his soup-based dishes.


    When she saw that the Dragon Beard Noodles didn¡¯t even have chicken broth, she knew this guy hadn¡¯t gone all out!


    ¡°All right.¡± Qin Lang shrugged, not denying it, ¡°The ranking in the scoringpetition isn¡¯t important. Advancement is what matters.¡±


    ¡°I hope we don¡¯t have to face each other in the eliminationpetition.¡± Shen Qian said earnestly.


    If one of them was going to be eliminated in the eliminationpetition, it would be a pity.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Qin Lang nced at the other contestants in the waiting area, ¡°There¡¯s only a one in seven chance for that, it can¡¯t be that easy.¡±


    While the two were chatting, the remaining contestants on stage were also graduallypleting their cooking.


    Once the final contestant¡¯s score was announced, all contestants in the waiting area returned to the stage.


    ¡°Now, I have in my hand a ranking list!¡± The host waved the teleprompter in his hand, ¡°It lists everyone¡¯s final rankings.¡±


    ¡°The top eight contestants will proceed to the next round. They will then draw lots to determine their opponents in the next round of the eliminationpetition, the type ofpetition, and the theme. Afterwards, they will enter a five-day preparation period.¡±


    ¡°The scores of all contestants from bottom to top are¡­¡±


    As the host sessively announced the scores from the thirty-ninth to the ninth ce, only eight contestants remained on the stage.


    ¡°Now, congrattions to Qin Lang, Shen Qian, Tantai Yue, Yan Hu, Shu Juan, Tian Jian, Qu Xun, and Ying Chao for making it to the next round!¡±


    Amid the uproarious apuse and cheers of the entire audience, the host¡¯s expression hardened slightly.


    ¡°Please wee, Mr. Zhang Tianze, the chairman of the Spirit Chef Association in Xianyu City, to present the Starstone rewards to the contestants who have advanced!¡±

 Chapter 370: Empty Blow

    Chapter 370: Empty Blow


    As the host¡¯s final words fell, the cheering and apuse that filled the venue paused for a brief moment, followed by a ripple of chatter spreading across the audience seats.


    The president of the Spirit Chef Association personally delivered the Starstones?


    This was only a scoringpetition, not the final determining the champion, why was it so solemn?


    For a moment, countless people couldn¡¯t help but wear a look of puzzlement.


    Even the contestants on the battlefield were somewhat baffled.


    Only Qin Lang and Shen Qian showed no confusion.


    Having learned some information in advance from Zhou Tianhao, they understood why Zhang Tianze personally escorted the Starstones.


    The Notice from the Star Hunters!


    The Star Hunters might be lurking in the venue at this very moment, and the moment when the Starstones were revealed might be the moment they make their move.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if anything happens just follow me.¡± Qin Lang leaned toward Shen Qian and spoke softly.


    He had already noted the escape routes beforehand, and thanks to his previous experiences, he was rtively calm in the current situation.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Qian slightly clenched her hands and nodded imperceptibly.


    In the audience seats, Zhou Tianhao subtly straightened up, his four Food Spirits had already been summoned in advance, ready to spring into action at any time.


    His eyes were as sharp as des.


    Star Hunters, will you show up?


    In the slightly peculiar atmosphere of the venue, the robust Zhang Tianze slowly walked onto the stage, holding an alloy box in his hand.


    ¡°ck.¡±


    The alloy box opened, with eight Starstones quietly lying inside.


    ¡°Congrattions on advancing to the next round, now absorb the Starstones that belong to you.¡± Zhang Tianze said with a smile, though his body under his clothes was tense, watching everything around him like a beast ready to pounce.


    The contestants didn¡¯t notice Zhang Tianze¡¯s odd behavior, and each stepped forward, quickly absorbing the Starstones.


    ¡°Absorb it.¡± Qin Lang handed one Starstone to Dan Bao.


    ¡°Glug~¡±


    Wait for me to break through to three stars, and I¡¯ll help you earn Starstones!


    Dan Bao rubbed Spicy with affection, then flew forward and quickly absorbed the power of the Starstone.


    As the two stars circling Dan Bao grew brighter and brighter, the Starstone gradually darkened, eventually bing colorless and transparent.


    As Qin Lang was absorbing the Starstone, the other contestants also finished absorbing theirs one after another, returning the Starstones once they were done.


    After all the Starstones¡¯ collection was finished, Zhang Tianze exhaled slightly, closing the alloy box.


    It wasn¡¯t time topletely rx yet.


    ording to Zhou Tianhao, who had experienced a Star Hunter incident, Star Hunters were also interested in the depleted Starstones after absorption.


    So, the alloy box in his hands might also be a target for the Star Hunters.


    After giving the host a slight nod, he quickly left the venue with the Starstones.


    Next, these Starstones would be properly managed to ensure that the Star Hunters would not be able to seed as they didst time.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± As nothing unexpected happened after the absorption of the Starstones, Shen Qian leaned towards Qin Lang and asked softly.


    ¡°The Star Hunters might n to act during the elimination round, so we shouldn¡¯t drop our guard yet. ¡± Qin Lang shrugged, ¡°But it seems there is no danger today.¡±


    While they were talking, the host quickly announced the rankings and scores of the top eight contestants in the scoringpetition, and then loudly said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let¡¯s move on to the final session of today.¡±


    ¡°That is to draw lots to determine the pairing of contestants in the elimination round in five days!¡±


    ¡°Please look at the big screen!¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice suddenly heightened, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the electronic screen above the venue.


    The screen showed a big purple ¡°vs¡±, with one red and one blue area on each side where the avatar of contestants were spinning rapidly.


    A tense atmosphere instantaneously spread throughout the venue.


    Under everyone¡¯s eyes, the avatar on the left was the first one to get fixed.


    It s Shen Qian, the second ce winner of this scoringpetition! Who will be her opponent? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    The contestants ranked fifth to eighth were tense, praying in their hearts that they wouldn¡¯t be paired with Shen Qian.


    Suddenly, the other spinning avatar on the screen got fixed.


    ¡°It¡¯s Tian Jian, who ranked sixth! He will face Shen Qian in a ivi culinary duel in five days, where the winner stays and the loser gets eliminated!¡±


    Tian Jian forced a smile that was worse than crying, all too aware of the pressure now upon him.


    The other contestants all breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a look of ¡®every man for himself¡¯.


    I curse you all to get matched with Qin Lang!


    A cursing Tian Jian turned his attention back to the spinning words on the screen.


    After the first pair of contestants were drawn, thepetition format and theme were also drawn.


    The words soon got fixed.


    [Limited Cuisine Theme]


    The next draw picked: [Lobster],


    This made Tian Jian slightly relieved.


    He had a few signature dishes with lobsters. With five days preparation, it was notpletely hopeless.


    However, seeing Shen Qian¡¯sposed smile, Tian Jian felt the pressure again.


    ¡®Since I didn¡¯t get matched with you, see you in the rankingpetition!¡± Completely unfazed by her uing opponent, Shen Qian casually started chatting with Qin Lang once the theme got decided.


    I m quite curious about who will be the unlucky one to be your opponent.¡± Qin Lang could notice his lips twitching, ¡°Since I¡¯m ranked fourth, I can only be matched with thest three contestants, so it could be any of them.¡±


    Let s see.¡± Shen Qian propped her chin and looked expectant, and then her eyes lighted up, ¡°It¡¯s your turn!¡±


    For the second draw, the first to be selected was Qin Lang.


    Instantly, the pressure was on Shu Juan, Qu Xun, and Ying Chao.


    ¡°Not me! Not me! Not me!¡± Ying Chao prayed silently, ¡°I¡¯m willing to sacrifice Tian Jian¡¯s ten years of bachelorhood if it means not having to go up against Qin Lang!¡±


    Tian Jian at the side: ¡°¡­I heard that!¡±


    A momentter, Tian Jian couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, ¡°What you fear


    is exactly what happened, you¡¯d better prepare yourself!¡±


    Ying Chao stared at his avatar on the screen, never before had he felt his beaming smile in the picture so irritating.


    Damn!


    It¡¯s that strange-smiling guy?


    Qin Lang took a look at his opponent for five dayster and turned his attention back to the words spinning on the electronic screen.


    Soon, the two draws werepleted.


    [Limited Ingredient Value]


    [500]


    The lowest level in the Limited Ingredient Value category was selected!


    Qin Lang¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly.


    In that case, he would have to think carefully about what dishes to use for thepetition in five days.


    The matches for the other four contestants were quicklypleted and the final session ended.


    After the host announced the end of the scoringpetition, the contestants and the audience started to leave orderly.


    In the audience seats, several men and women moved closer together as they left the venue, and quietly started discussion.


    We¡¯ve set the target, right? Shall we make a move in the next couple of days?¡±


    ¡°The top instructed to observe for a while longer, wait until after the elimination round.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After a brief conversation, they split up, disappearing into the crowd to leave the venue.

 Chapter 371: Open Conspiracy

    Chapter 371: Open Conspiracy


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    In the dining room of the hotel room, Qin Lang, Shen Qian, and Zhou Tianhao toasted together.


    ¡°Congrattions on advancing in the scoringpetition.¡± Zhou Tianhao started with a chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a small matter''¡± Shen Qian waved her hand cheerfully, ¡°I¡¯ve already signed up for the provincial-levelpetition. If I were to be eliminated in the scoringpetition of the city-level cooking contest, that would be so embarrassing, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Although that¡¯s true, we still need to celebrate.¡± Qin Lang smiled, picking up a piece of delicious food with his chopsticks and bringing it to his mouth, ¡°Speaking of which, Shen Qian, what dish are you nning to use to win thepetition in five days¡¯ time?¡±


    ¡°Rose Red Shrimp Pearl!¡± Shen Qian answered without hesitation, ¡°I had already thought of it on the way back. Even though I have mastered several dishes using lobster as the main ingredient, this one is the most distinctive and is well suited for showcasing the cooking process.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you showed off your skills in the scoring contest, now it¡¯s my turn in the elimination round!¡± She nced confidently at Qin Lang.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed a good choice.¡± Qin Lang nodded in acknowledgment.


    Having known each other for a long time, they were quite familiar with the dishes each excelled at. Qin Lang was not unfamiliar with Shen Qian¡¯s Rose Red Shrimp Pearl as she had presented it once before.


    The cooking process of this dish is quiteplex, and the final product is stunning in terms of its visual appeal and tastes just as good.


    Taking this dish into battle, Shen Qian almost guaranteed her spot in the elimination round.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Shen Qian asked in return, ¡°With the restriction that the ingredient value must not exceed 500 yuan, this is the lowest bracket, this is no easy challenge, any thoughts?¡±


    ¡°First off, no seafood.¡± Qin Lang smiled at this response.


    Even in Xianyu City, the seaside city where seafood can be caught directly, high-quality seafood is not something that can be afforded with just 500 yuan.


    And with seafood, the quality greatly influences the taste.


    ¡°There are still many options though.¡± Shen Qian counted on her fingers, ¡°Just from what I know, you could present at least five different dishes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too low, definitely too low.¡± Zhou Tianhao gave a sly smile, ¡°What Qin Lang has shown is probably just the tip of the iceberg, right?¡±


    ¡°Not that exaggerated.¡± Qin Lang scratched his head bashfully, ¡°Indeed, I do have some ideas.¡±


    ¡°If all goes well, I n to focus more on cooking techniques and use ordinary ingredients to create extraordinary tastes.¡±


    ¡°What ordinary ingredients?¡± Shen Qian raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Pork.¡± Qin Lang said confidently, ¡°I haven¡¯t made this dish for you guys before, you can have a taste while I practice in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Pork creating an umon taste¡­¡± Anticipation grew on Shen Qian¡¯s face, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±


    ¡°Count me in!¡± Zhou Tianhao raised his hand, ¡°I also want to taste what kind of extraordinary vour it is.¡±


    ¡°I promise, you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± Qin Lang boasted, then turned towards Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Brother Zhou, the Star Hunter did not appear today, does the Association have any ns afterward?¡±


    ¡°We can only wait.¡± Mentioning this issue, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression became serious, ¡°The enemy is in the dark, we are in the light.¡±


    ¡°This is what¡¯s most detestable about the Star Hunters.¡± Zhou Tianhao huffed, ¡°They throw out a notice and toy with everyone, lying low until an opportunity presents itself.¡±


    ¡°Regrettably, we can¡¯t take initiative to attack, but we also can¡¯t ignore the Star Hunter¡¯s notice.¡± Saying this, Zhou Tianhao shook his head, ¡°Since they didn¡¯t take action during the scoringpetition, they might during the eliminationpetition.¡±


    ¡°By that time, we will have even more manpower, and as time goes by, our numbers will keep growing.¡± There was a gleam in Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes, ¡°This is an open strategy, the longer we drag on, the more difficult it will be for the Star Hunter to seize the Starstone.¡±


    ¡°We have to force their hand!¡±


    ¡°That seems to be a good idea.¡± Shen Qian handed Zhou Tianhao arge piece of meat, ¡°Brother Zhou, have some meat, you¡¯ll need the energy for what¡¯sing!¡±


    ¡°Haha, alright.¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s serious expression disappeared instantly as heughed heartily and continued eating.


    The first round of the cooking contest, the scoringpetition, had ended, but the ripples it caused had not subsided.


    Before the scoringpetition began, the inte was filled with boycotts and criticism of this city-level cooking contest. But once the scoringpetition began, the tide on the inte gradually began to change with the spread and sharing of recorded videos.


    No one cared about the scoringpetition¡¯s food topic being pasta anymore.


    A new topic was being discussed by everyone.


    The question was what Dragon Beard Noodles actually tasted like.


    There were even manyizens who went to the social media ounts of one of the thirty senior judges, asking about the exact taste of the Dragon Beard Noodles.


    The response from the senior judge was quite interesting.


    After lengthy consideration, his final answer was¡ª


    ¡°It tastes like noodles.¡±


    Such a seemingly pointlessment draped a mystical veil over the Dragon Beard Noodles.


    Even the locals of Xianyu City, who have an aversion to pasta, couldn¡¯t help but be curious about the taste of Dragon Beard Noodles, a dish with such an extraordinary preparation method.


    Fortunately, Qin Lang had activated the transparent mode.


    His entire cooking process could be viewed in the reys.


    In the following days, many Spiritual Chefs tried to replicate Qin Lang¡¯s Dragon Beard Noodles. Not a single one managed to achieve the same score as Qin Lang, and there were only a few who could barely scrape by with one point less.


    Even so, arge number of Spiritual Chefs continued to attempt it.


    As for the contestants who performed after Qin Lang and hadn¡¯t seen his cooking process of Dragon Beard Noodles, they fell silent after watching the rey.


    Before, they couldn¡¯t understand how Qin Lang achieved a high score of 98.9.


    Now, they can¡¯t understand why Qin Lang only received a score of 98.9.


    Damn,peting with such a Spiritual Chef is too stressful!


    While the inte was abuzz with discussions about Dragon Beard Noodles, few noticed that within the confines of Mingjing Province, a considerable number of powerful Spiritual Chefs were converging on Xianyu City.


    The reappearance of the Star Hunter¡¯s notice had put the Spirit Chef Association on high alert.


    They allowed the enemy to seedst time, but they would not let history repeat itself!


    Time passed bit by bit, and the five days of preparation time flew by in a sh.


    The eliminationpetition began amidst the anticipation of thousands.


    In the arena, capable of amodating over ten thousand spectators, Shen Qian and Tian Jian took the stage amidst roaring cheers and apuse. They began the limited food topicpetition themed around lobster.


    Judging their contest were the eleven Food Rmenders of Xianyu City!


    After a bout of long waiting, as usual, Shen Qian, who had won over the audience with her transparent mode and shy cooking skills, secured eight votes against her opponent with her Rose Red Shrimp Pearl, advancing with arge lead of 8:3 to the rankingpetition.


    In the second round, it was Qin Lang vs. Ying Chao!


    All eyes in the venue fell on Qin Lang who was on the stage.


    This time, what sort of delicacy would this young man bring? Everyone was curious!

 Chapter 372: Meat Paste

    Chapter 372: Meat Paste


    ¡°Contestants Shen Qian and Tian Jian have brought us a phenomenal culinary showdown, and now, about to battle are our contestants Qin Lang and Ying Chao.¡± The host stands on stage, speaking out loud.


    ¡°The format for both contestants¡¯petition will be ¡®Limited Ingredient Value.¡¯ Five days ago, during a drawing, they ultimately decided on a draw value of 500.¡±


    ¡°This means that the total value of all ingredients used in the dishes that the two contestants are toplete today shouldn¡¯t exceed 500 yuan, and ingredients and supplementary seasonings with unknown values are not allowed.¡±


    ¡°500 yuan, forpetitors of the cooking contest who strive for perfection in ingredients, is a number that can easily be exceeded. With this restriction, can the twopetitors still create dishes that impress people?


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    The host¡¯s impassioned speech stirs up the crowd¡¯s emotion. Thepetition hasn¡¯t even started, and there are already bursts of cheers and apuse from the audience, with many spectators shouting out Qin Lang and Ying Chao¡¯s names.


    ¡°Now, please enter your respectivepetition standard kitchens!¡±


    Ying Chao took a deep breath, looked at Qin Lang who was causing intense pressure on him from not far away, and clenched his fist resolutely.


    For the past five days to beat this terrifying guy, he hasn¡¯t dared ck off even one bit, going all out to confront this elimination round.


    Perhaps Qin Lang is adept at cooking pasta, but he can¡¯t be good at everything, right?


    As for transparent mode¡­


    If Qin Lang could activate it, then so could he!


    Pondering this, Ying Chao calmed his mind. Then, without any hesitation, he walked into his ownpetition standard kitchen.


    On the other side, Qin Lang almost entered the kitchen at the same time as Ying Chao.


    As the two stood in front of their desks, a ¡°ding dong- ¡± sound echoed in the kitchen and throughout the arena.


    ¡°The three-hour countdown starts!¡± The host loudly announced, ¡°This time, contestant Qin Lang chose, like in the scoringpetition, to activate transparent mode, allowing everyone to see his cooking process¡­¡± He paused mid-sentence as he noticed from the corner of his eye that the kitchen walls, which had initially turned opaque at the start of thepetition on Ying Chao¡¯s side, reverted to transparency, revealing the calm Ying Chao. His expression slightly changed.


    ¡°Contestant Ying Chao has also activated transparent mode!¡±


    His voice suddenly rose, and this scene caused gasps from the entire audience.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± In the contestant waiting area, Tian Jian, who had already lost to Shen Qian but hadn¡¯t left yet, showed a look of surprise, ¡°Ying Chao, this guy, can actually do that too?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel some regret. If he had also activated transparent mode andpeted with Shen Qian, who had also activated transparent mode just now, perhaps his loss wouldn¡¯t have been so terrible.


    The remaining four contestants who hadn¡¯t yetpeted also showed expressions of contemtion.


    Yes, the best way to deal with an opponent who has activated transparent mode, is naturally to activate transparent mode as well.


    Even though doing this requires a certain level of resolve and sacrifice, it is inevitable to make such choices for the sake of victory.


    On the other side, Shen Qian, also sitting in the contestant waiting area, was a bit surprised, but her focus was still on Qin Lang¡¯spetition standard kitchen.


    Five days ago, Qin Lang said he would use ordinary ingredients to make an extraordinary dish.


    She had already tasted that extraordinary dish.


    Because of this, she was looking forward to seeing the reactions of all the spectators in the field when this unusual dish was being created.


    ¡°Your opponent has activated transparent mode.¡±


    After an electronic sound echoed in the kitchen, Qin Lang, who had just finished counting the ingredients ready to start cooking, paused for a moment, and curiously turned his head to look at the other side at Ying Chao spetitive standard kitchen.


    Since the two neighboring kitchens have both activated transparent mode, both parties can clearly see each other.


    Seemingly sensing Qin Lang¡¯s gaze, Ying Chao turned his head and looked back, giving Qin Lang a provocative look, seemingly saying ¡°I can activate transparent mode too.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Qin Lang chuckled, then turned to the ambitious pair of Dan Bao and Spicy, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s have a good fight with him!¡±


    ¡°Gurgle!¡±


    ¡°Chaka!¡±


    Dan Bao and Spicy both nodded.


    ¡°So now¡­¡± Qin Lang puts arge piece of pork hind leg on the chopping board, ¡°let¡¯s start!¡±


    First, use a knife to remove the white fascia and fat from the surface of the pork hind leg, leaving only lean meat, then use the spikey side of the meat tenderizer to beat it quickly.


    ¡°Thud, thud, thud¡ª¡±


    Each collision between the hammer and the pork hind leg brings a dull sound, with a constant rhythm, like a beating drum.


    The moment Qin Lang started his action, the audience, who were constantly watching the electronic screen and following the contestants¡¯ movements, noticed it right away.


    ¡°Contestant Qin Lang has started the first step, beating the pork hind leg with a meat tenderizer. We noticed that he removed the fascia and a small amount of fat from the hind leg before beating it, leaving only lean meat.¡±


    ¡°The hind leg is a part of the pig that is often in motion, the lean meat is very tight, and if it is not cooked well, there may be problems with the taste. Perhaps this is why contestant Qin Lang is using a meat tenderizer.¡±


    The host briefly analyzed the purpose of Qin Lang¡¯s first step, and then changed the topic, ¡°Contestant Ying Chao has also started cooking, he chosemb belly meat, which is a good bnce of fat and lean, and is tender and juicy.¡±


    ¡°He is currently using a variety of spices and seasonings to marinate themb belly meat. This step has the effect of removing the mutton smell and enhancing the aroma. We can look forward to the final presentation of the dish.¡±


    As the host narrated, many spectators were also whispering among themselves, especially those who knew and studied culinary arts, were beginning to attempt to memorize the contestants¡¯ cooking process.


    It has to be said, activating transparent mode greatly enhances the viewing experience of the cooking contests, which is why provincial and higher level cooking contests pay more attention to the transparent mode.


    As time passed, the host continued to introduce the process of the contestants. ¡°The hind leg meat in front of contestant Qin Lang has been initially loosened from beating, but he has no intention of stopping, it seems that this step will take quite some time!¡±


    ¡°Contestant Ying Chao¡¯smb marinating is not yet finished, but taking advantage of the marinating time, he has already started the next step¡­


    ¡°Contestant Ying Chao¡¯s marinatedmb is done, and he has now started¡­¡± ¡°Contestant Qin Lang is still continuing to beat the hind leg meat¡­¡± ¡°Contestant Ying Chao has heated the pan and added oil. After preliminary processing of the ingredients, he has officially started cooking¡­¡± ¡°Contestant Qin Lang is still continuing to beat the hind leg meat¡­¡± As time passed slowly, Ying Chao¡¯s cooking gradually came to an end under the watchful eyes of everyone, showing a bustling scene. However, every time the screen on the electronic disy switched to Qin Lang¡¯s side, they saw Qin Lang quietly beating the piece of hind leg meat.


    That piece of hind leg meat, after a long period of beating, didn¡¯t look even a bit like it did initially and had pretty much turned into a mass of meat.


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    What on earth are you doing?!

 Chapter 373: Costly Effort

    Chapter 373: Costly Effort


    ¡°Finished!¡±


    In the Competitive Standard Kitchen, Ying Chao quickly ced his meticulously prepared dishes into the kitchen cab car.


    He was even faster!


    Without hesitation, he pressed thepletion bell in the kitchen and then turned his head towards Qin Lang¡¯s direction, wanting to see where his opponent was in the process.


    But once he looked, a smirk formed at the corner of Ying Chao¡¯s mouth.


    That guy¡­ Is he still tenderizing that piece of meat?!


    Not long after thepetition started, he noticed Qin Lang consistently beating that piece of meat.


    Now nearly an hour had passed, and his opponent was still not finished.


    However¡­ a smile appeared on Ying Chao¡¯s face.


    To him, this was good news.


    For the past 5 days, apart from wholeheartedly preparing for thepetition, in his spare time, he had repeatedly watched Qin Lang¡¯s performance in the Scoring Competition.


    He was sure that while the Dragon Beard Noodles did taste good, the high score it had received was inseparable from the boastful techniques disyed under the transparent mode.


    What he was most worried about was that Qin Lang would have simrly attractive performance this time as well, but it seemed he didn¡¯t.


    Beating a single piece of meat for an hour, such a dull step, most audience¡¯s attention should be on him, right?


    In this case, maybe his vote count would be unexpectedly high?


    With this in mind, Ying Chao swiftly pushed his kitchen cab car out without any hesitation.


    He had a premonition.


    He might just win this!


    ¡°yer Ying Chao is the first toplete his cooking. We also saw the specific cooking process earlier,¡± the host greeted with a smile, ¡°Ying Chao¡¯s main ingredient ismb belly meat. Can you introduce your dish to us?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ying Chao took the microphone and began, ¡°Hello eleven Food Rmenders, the dish I cooked is called Secret Lamb.¡±


    ¡°As many of you have probably seen, during the cooking process, I used a spherical container.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a container specially designed for this dish. It¡¯s a good thing that the cost of kitchenware is not included in the total value, otherwise I may not be able to choose this dish.¡±


    ¡°This container has excellent sealing capabilities, it can form a slight high- pressure environment during the heating process, thereby sealing in the deliciousness of themb.¡±


    Ying Chao put down the microphone, indicating that his introduction was over.


    ¡°The cost of custom-made kitchenware is not included in the total value¡­ indeed, this is a loophole. Seems like we have to let the organizers refine the rules,¡± joked the host upon seeing Ying Chao¡¯s embarrased expression. ¡°I was joking!¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s have yer Ying Chao present his dish to the eleven Food Rmenders to taste!¡±


    ¡°Ying Chao received the three local First-level Food Rmender Badges, namely the Wind Chaser Badge, Prawn Badge, and Shell Badge. After the tasting, the respective three Food Rmenders will evaluate Ying Chao¡¯s Secret Lamb!¡±


    As the host was speaking, a close-up of the spherical container being opened was disyed on the electronic screen, revealing the pieces ofmb wrapped in soup that were still simmering inside.


    Under the sunlight, the shiny soup on the surface of themb was so clear in the camera that people couldn¡¯t help but want to taste it.


    In the Judges¡¯ Seats, the eleven Food Rmenders quicklypleted the tasting one after another.


    ¡°Let me say a few words,¡± said Ms. Geng Ni, the First-level Food Rmender who awarded Ying Chao the Wind Chaser Badge, over the loudspeaker, ¡°Ying Chao received the Wind Chaser Badge three months ago.¡±


    ¡°I felt his progression and efforts in the past three months from this Secret Lamb. This dish gave me quite a surprise.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts are not much different from Geng Ni,¡± said Mr. Si Pu, the First- level Food Rmender who awarded the Prawn Badge with a lightugh, ¡°The quality of themb prepared and the taste it presents are very important.¡± ¡°The texture can¡¯t be aged, the meat can¡¯t be too dry during the cooking process, and themb scent must be well removed without leaving a heavy aftertaste, nor can it be over removed, losing the vor of themb entirely.¡± ¡°In these aspects, Ying Chao did quite well.¡±


    ¡°The good words have all been said by you two, then I¡¯ll talk about the negatives,¡± said Mr. Shen Tianjian, the First-level Food Rmender who awarded the Shell Badge, with a shrug.


    ¡°The marinade is a little on the salty side. I can see that you noticed this problem and tried to rectify it in the subsequent cooking process, but there are still some ws, giving the overall seasoning a defect.¡±


    ¡°However, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, this dish is very good.¡± ¡°Thank you to our three Food Rmenders for your evaluation!¡± The host patted Ying Chao¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Now, let¡¯s wait together for yer Qin Lang to finish his cooking.¡±


    As the host¡¯s voice fell, the camera on the electronic screen switched back to the Competitive Standard Kitchen where Qin Lang was.


    Seeing Qin Lang¡¯s movements at this time, everyone¡¯s expressions became strange.


    How long are you going to tenderize that piece of meat?!


    The tens of thousands of audience members in the venue stared at Qin Lang tenderizing meat, and for a moment, the atmosphere on-site became eerie.


    After another half an hour, Qin Lang¡¯s meat tenderizer finally came to a halt.


    This caused everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.


    Two hours had passed since the start of thepetition, and if Qin Lang didn¡¯t stop, they¡¯ll start to question whether he would exceed the time limit.


    ¡°It seems that the dish Qin Lang is preparing takes quite a bit of time to cook.¡± The hostughed awkwardly, at a loss for words, ¡°After two whole hours of tenderizing, the pork hind leg has thoroughly turned into minced meat.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps some of the audience would wonder, why not use a meat grinder to directly grind it into minced meat?¡± The host paused, ¡°My personal guess is that the meat grinder would cut the muscle fibers in the pork, which may be required for the subsequent steps.¡±


    ¡°Now, Qin Lang has brought out sweet potato starch. He is using a method simr to kneading dough, mixing the sweet potato starch and minced meat thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang used the rolling pin! He started to tten the minced meat mixed with sweet potato starch, making it evenly thin¡­¡±


    As the host continued speaking, his expression gradually turned strange.


    The method of kneading dough¡­ Rolling pin¡­ ttening it thinly¡­


    Why doesn¡¯t this seem like the way meat is prepared?


    As strange as it was, hismentary continued.


    ¡°We can see that Qin Lang¡¯s technique is stable. The original clump of minced meat has been rolled out to cover the entire table in a thinyer. He is now cutting the rolled meat into palm-sized square thin slices¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Wait! Qin Lang has taken out another de-skinned piece of pork belly! He chopped it up and seasoned it for mixing. Is this¡­ ground meat?¡±


    ¡°Then what were the thin slices made earlier? Were they wrappers for the ground meat?! ¡±


    Along with the astounded voice of the host, the audience erupted in shock.


    So you¡¯ve spent two hours making a wrapper?


    What kind of dish is this?!

 Chapter 374: Yan Pi

    Chapter 374: Yan Pi


    After the ground meat was prepared, in front of tens of thousands of spectators in the arena, the mysterious veil of the dish Qin Lang was about to prepare slowly lifted.


    He wrapped the ground meat in a thin dough, which was rolled out after two hours of pounding. Then he boiled it in a pot and took it out, cing it in a well-vored broth.


    Bowls of soup with a brownish-yellow hue were presented, and one by one, the vibrant and lively delicious food wrapped in thin skins appeared in front of everyone.


    Although it was not yet clear, it was quite intuitive what this delicacy was.


    Seeing the whole process of the dish being made, a sense of surprise arose in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    It seemed that the protagonist of this delicacy should be the ground meat.


    Was it really necessary to expend so much effort on the dough?


    Comparatively, Ying Chao had already finished his Secret Lamb dish, and people even felt that this delicacy might not be as good as the Secret Lamb.


    Could it be that this young man, who had shocked in the scoringpetition, was about to lose in the elimination round?


    This idea emerged in many of the audience¡¯s minds.


    On stage, Ying Chao, who had been standing for an hour and was beginning to feel a bit sore in his legs, lowered his head slightly with a joyful smile on his face.


    Stable! This was a steady sess!


    It was obvious that Qin Lang had some problems choosing his dish, and the cooking process of this dish seemed to be a case of missing the woods for the trees.


    The transparent mode was good, but sometimes it was a double-edged sword.


    Mistakes made in the cooking process seen by the tasters would greatly discount their initial impressions of the dish.


    It seemed that this time, he was quite lucky!


    In the waiting area, Tian Jian couldn¡¯t help but sigh and muttered to himself,


    ¡°It would be good if I could swap opponents with Ying Chao.¡±


    In his view, Qin Lang obviously was off his game, and his performance in this match was not good.


    If he had been matched against Qin Lang, maybe he would have advanced to the next round.


    ¡°Do you think Qin Lang¡¯s dish is not going to make it?¡± Shen Qian, who had heard Tian Jian¡¯s whispering, gave him a weird look.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Facing Shen Qian, who had eliminated him, Tian Jian insisted with his neck stiff, ¡°The focus of this dish is clearly the ground meat. Qin Lang spent two hours on the dough, clearly not knowing what¡¯s the primary and what¡¯s the secondary!¡±


    The other contestants didn¡¯t say anything, but their expressions showed some agreement, clearly having simr thoughts to Tian Jian.


    Shen Qian¡¯s expression became even more strange.


    Looking at Tian Jian, she seemed to see her first-time impression of this dish.


    ¡°Just keep watching then.¡± She didn¡¯t say any more, and focused on thepetition.


    This dish named Yanpi t Food was not as simple as it seemed!


    ¡°Hello, eleven Food Rmenders. The dish I bring you today is called Yanpi t Food.¡± Qin Lang bowed slightly, then opened his cooking cab.


    Under Dan Bao¡¯s control, small bowls flew out,nding in front of the eleven first-level Food Rmenders in the center of the stage.


    Through high-definition close-ups on the electronic screen, the audience was also able to see more details of this dish, which they hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    The thin skin floating in the soup was like the illusory dress of a fairy, and the round ground meat inside made people want to take a bite. In the soup, there were strands of purplish-ck seaweed and tiny dried shrimps, and the floating green onions added much color to this delicacy.


    Although it didn¡¯t look too shy, this dish intuitively made people want to taste it.


    For a moment, the sound of people swallowing their saliva faintly echoed in the audience seats.


    ¡°Please taste the Yanpi t Food prepared by contestant Qin Lang!¡± The host announced loudly.


    ¡°Qin Lang has earned three local Food Rmender Badges, respectively the Shell Badge, Wild Field Badge, and Laurel Badge. After tasting Qin Lang¡¯s dish, pleasement ording to your respective badges!¡±


    As the host finished his words, the eleven food rmenders exchanged looks and unanimously picked up their dining spoons, ready to taste the dish known as Yanpi t Food.


    Hou Jun, correspondent of the Wild Field Badge, his assessment involved pork, beef, and mutton.


    Hou Jun owned a vast wild field ranch at home, where he raised these threemon livestock, and the assessment question was to choose one from the ranch to cook.


    He had a deep impression of the young man in front of him.


    A week ago, this young spiritual chef named Qin Lang came to visit him and won his approval with a Tomato Beef Brisket.


    The cooking skills demonstrated in that Tomato Beef Brisket surpassed most spiritual chefs who had tested there, and Qin Lang¡¯s past bright history made Hou Jun view this young man with new esteem.


    Hence, at the start of the cookingpetition, he took extra note of Qin Lang. In the previous scoringpetition, the pasta called Dragon Beard Noodles that Qin Lang demonstrated startled many Food Rmenders and further affirmed to Hou Jun that this boy was extraordinary.


    However, the dish named Yanpi t Food that Qin Lang cooked today left him slightly disappointed.


    He carefully watched Qin Lang¡¯s entire cooking process. There was a stark contrast between the hours-long La beating of the leg meat and the neat and tidy cooking process.


    Inparison, it can¡¯t help but give people a feeling that Qin Lang was neglecting the foundation for minor issues.


    Was this feeling real?


    Hou Jun scooped up a t food with a dining spoon.


    The answer will be revealed after tasting.


    Without a hint of hesitation, he sent the t food into his mouth, closed his eyes, and slowly chewed.


    A momentter, Hou Jun¡¯s eyes suddenly widened.


    This¡­


    What a miraculous taste this is!


    The many folds on the surface of the t food was filled with a great quantity of soup, which spread rapidly between the lips and teeth the moment it entered the mouth.


    The soup had fresh taste from seaweed and the salty taste from dried shrimps, but the clearest was still the unique savory taste of pork.


    The thin outer skin was exactly made of pork beaten for two hours. The long beating process hadpletely detached muscle fibers in pork but without breaking, just a bit of soaking in water and the savory taste would be fully released into the soup.


    What¡¯s even more wonderful was not just this.


    The detached yet unbroken muscle fibers intertwined with the sweet potato starch mixed in the skin, giving the overall skin an astonishing sticity and gluten-like texture, just like a lot of gluten was added into the wheat flour.


    What a taste it was!


    With only a little chewing, Hou Jun was dazzled, almost wanting to m the table in astonishment.


    While chewing, the even more savory soup hidden in the gap between the skin and the inner stuffing broke out and spilled in the mouth, bringing a sensational secondyer of taste.


    This portion of soup absorbed almost the entire delicacy of the skin and the stuffing throughout the cooking process, deeply touching Hou Jun¡¯s soul.


    But this was not the end of the surprise yet!


    The stuffing of lean and fatty meat was tight while remaining exceptionally tender, offering apletely different texture from the stic skin. These two textures intertwined during chewing, bringing a whole new level of depth to the Yanpi t Food.


    Just one piece of Yanpi t Food brought one after another surprise. The fantastic feeling was like opening an ordinary-looking music box, only to discover it yed a grand symphony.

 Chapter 375: Flat Food

    Chapter 375: t Food


    Was the two-hour beating a case of focusing on the trivial and neglecting the essentials?


    After swallowing this Yanpi t Food, Hou Jun hadpletely changed his thinking.


    On the contrary!


    Without these two hours of beating, the delicious vor in the skin would not have so easily seeped into the soup, and the tastiness of the soup would certainly have been reduced by one level!


    Without these two hours of beating, the dispersed muscle fibers would not easily fuse into the Sweet Potato Starch, bringing such an amazingly marvelous taste!


    Without these two hours of beating, the skin would certainly be unable topletely seal the soup inside and outside, resulting in two differentyers of delicious vor!


    This was not focusing on the trivial and neglecting the essentials!


    This was¡­


    The final touch!


    It endows the entire Yanpi t Food with a soul!


    Moved by it, Hou Jun was filled with intense emotion.


    Raising livestock including pigs, cattle, and sheep, and studying how to better cook these three types of ingredients day in and day out for decades, he was having an enlightening moment at this point.


    So, pork can be cooked in this way too!


    It¡¯s truly indescribable!


    Without any hesitation, he lowered his head and scooped up the next piece, indulging in the Yanpi t Food that touched him so much.


    While Hou Jun was tasting, the other ten food rmenders were also tasting the dishes in front of them with concentration.


    As they tasted, their expressions gradually changed.


    Before they tasted it, they were more or less disappointed with Qin Lang¡¯s performance this time, but as they really tasted the uniqueness of the Yanpi t Food, their disappointment in their hearts had quietly vanished.


    What reced it was intense surprise.


    That two-hour beating now seemed to be an important part of this dish, just like the previous pulling process of the Dragon Beard Noodles, both were indispensable.


    This dish that waspletely different from what they had expected before had brought them a strong sense of surprise.


    Time went by, and the eleven food rmenders finished their tasting one after another.


    Their looks at Qin Lang were obviously different.


    ¡°Now, please, the three food rmenders willment on Qin Lang¡¯s dishes in turn,¡± the host spoke out loud.


    Ying Chao, who was standing on the other side, looked forward with a little more anticipation.


    Qin Lang did not perform well this time, so the three food rmenders¡¯ments on him must not be good.


    Just now in this segment, he was criticized to some extent by Mr. Shen Tianjian, the grantor of the Shell Badge.


    Ying Chao was looking forward to these demanding food rmenders fiercely criticizing Qin Lang!


    ¡°I will go first!¡± Hou Jun immediately pulled the audio equipment to his front. His eyes were slightly red, and he took a deep look at Qin Lang before speaking. Was he crying because of Qin Lang¡¯s dishes, so he couldn¡¯t wait to criticize Qin Lang at the first moment?


    Ying Chao thought sneakily, couldn¡¯t help but prick up his ears, wanting to hear what kind of opinion this food rmender would express.


    ¡°This Yanpi t Food is the most wonderful dish with pork as the main ingredient that I¡¯ve ever tasted in my career,¡± Hou Jun began in a deep voice.


    Eh?


    Eh?!


    Ying Chao¡¯s smile froze on his face.


    He looked at Hou Jun incredulously, a look of disbelief on his face.


    The most wonderful in his career?


    Isn¡¯t this a bit too much of apliment?


    Who are the people who taste food for him?


    Aside from the Spirit Chefs who visit for a test, there are also the top eight contestants in each Cooking Contest and the outstanding Spirit Chefs in other cooking exchange activities.


    The dishes cooked with pork by these people are inferior to Qin Lang¡¯s Yanpi


    t Food?


    Impossible! Absolutely impossible!


    Ying Chao widened his eyes, wanting to hear how Hou Jun would exin hisment, but Hou Jun seemed to have no intention of exining. He didn t even mention the wonderful part of the Yanpi t Food and just ended hisment like that.


    For a while, a buzz of discussion arose from the audience seats.


    Obviously, Hou Jun¡¯sment had surprised everyone in the field.


    ¡°Let me say a few words.¡± Shen Tianjian grinned and picked up the audio equipment.


    An expectant look emerged again on Ying Chao¡¯s face.


    Mr. Shen Tianjian had pointed out the defects in his Secret Lamb before. Presumably, he would not show mercy to Qin Lang¡¯s Yanpi t Food either, right?


    ¡°This is the most surprising dish I have tasted recently.¡± Shen Tianjian slowly spoke, ¡°Making pork, which is not highly valued, to this extent, almostpletely subverted my understanding of pork.¡±


    ¡°I really like this dish.¡±


    Eh?!!


    Ying Chao¡¯s eyes widened.


    It¡¯s all fake! It¡¯s all fake!


    Even Mr. Shen Tianjian, who criticized him, praised him like this?!


    ¡°Let mement.¡± Thedy who was granted the Laurel Badge, Ran Ruying, started to speak with a smile, ¡°Pork has always been the mostmonly used meat ingredient, and there are countless dishes cooked with it.¡± ¡°This Yanpi t Food is ingenious. Through the long beating process, the pork has apletely different texture and is more easily able to release its delicious vors.¡±


    ¡°Just for this innovative method alone, it¡¯s not simple.¡±


    ¡°So, I like this dish very much, too.¡±


    The buzz of discussion gradually subsided in the audience seats.


    Being able to make all three food rmenders unanimously express their liking, this Yanpi t Food was obviously not as simple as it appeared on the surface.


    Thements from the three food rmenders also allowed other people to understand the uniqueness of the Yanpi t Food.


    The two-hour beating seemed to carry some deeper meaning.


    Then the question arose.


    What does the Yanpi t Food taste like?


    The audience members were eager and wished they could rush to the stage to taste it.


    On stage, Ying Chao¡¯s expression went from disbelief at first to disappointed and dejected atst.


    The food rmenders could not be biased towards Qin Lang.


    So there is only one possibility, that he greatly underestimated how terrible this dish is.


    ¡°The three food rmenders havepleted theirments, now please the eleven food rmenders make their voting decision on the dishes of Qin Lang and Ying Chao!¡±


    ¡°The winner advances to the next round, and the loser will be eliminated!¡± The eleven food rmenders looked at each other and then stated their positions one by one from left to right ording to their seats. By the time thest food rmender had finished, Ying Chao was sitting on the ground, looking lost and limp.


    11:0.


    All the food rmenders chose Qin Lang.


    How could such a crushing victory be possible¡­


    ¡°Have a taste.¡± Qin Lang held out the portion he had prepared for Ying Chao, handing it to him.


    Ying Chao unconsciously epted it. Looking at the Yanpi t Food in close proximity, he didn¡¯t hesitate to scoop up a piece and put it into his mouth.


    After chewing a few bites, his eyes bulged.


    He understood what the food rmenders¡¯ments meant.


    He also understood why all the food rmenders cast their votes for Qin Lang.


    He even more so understood how great the gap in cooking skills between the two of them is.


    What a terrifying opponent¡­


    He still has a long way to go!


    Ying Chao bent over and ced the Yanpi t Food into his mouth, letting out sigh in his heart.


    In the Contestant Waiting Area, Shen Qian looked at Tian Jian, whose face was changing with a smile, ¡°Do you still think it¡¯s a good thing to be against Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Tian Jian shookhis head crazily.


    What a joke!


    He could see it now, this guy was a freak!

 Chapter 376: Undercurrent

    Chapter 376: Undercurrent


    After the duel between Qin Lang and Ying Chao, the remaining two elimination rounds started in sequence.


    The face-off between Tantai Yue and Qu Xun ended with the victory of the former, on the other hand, the contestants ranked fourth and fifth, Yan Hu and Shu Juan, had a face-off in which the lower-ranked contestant, Shu Juan, was victorious, resulting in the elimination of Yan Hu.


    With the conclusion of all four elimination rounds, the qualifiers for the rankingpetition had now emerged.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± standing in the center of the venue, the Host¡¯s voice echoed, ¡°Let¡¯s give them the warmest apuse. Congrattions to the four contestants who have advanced!¡±


    ¡°They are ¡±


    ¡°Qin Lang, the contestant from Tianhua State who came from afar to experience more delicious food!¡±


    ¡°Shen Qian from Yue Hu City, preparing for the uing provincial-level cookingpetition of Mingjing Province!¡±


    ¡°From our Xianyu city¡¯s culinary family, the Tantai family¡¯s Tantai Yue!¡±


    ¡°Shu Juan, who made her mark in her very first cookingpetition!¡±


    As the host announced each contestant¡¯s name and as they walked onto the stage, the audience burst into thunderous apuse.


    When he finished, the four contestants advancing to the next stage were already standing behind him.


    ¡°In three days, the four contestants will enter the final round of this year¡¯s cooking contest ¨C the rankingpetition and the final rankings will be decided!¡±


    ¡°So now, let Mr. Zhang Tianze, the President of the Xianyu City Spirit Chef Association, present the stage reward Starstone to the four contestants!¡±


    Amidst the cheer and apuse from the audience, Zhang Tianze holding an alloy box made another appearance on stage.


    This time, he was apanied by two formidable figures, the first-level Spirit Executors of Xianyu City.


    Such a team was there just to guard the four Starstones in the alloy box.


    In the audience, Zhou Tianhao slowly straightened up.


    He had been waiting for this moment.


    After the Spirit Chef Association demonstrated a formidable security force, would the Star Hunter make his move in advance?


    He summoned his four Food Spirits in advance and sat quietly amidst the cheering crowd, ready to strike at any moment.


    Too engrossed in the proceedings on-stage, he failed to notice that not too far from him, several men and women, separated in the crowd, and cheering and pping for the contestants like the rest, stealthily exchanged nces with each other.


    In the middle of the stage, the four contestants quickly absorbed the Starstone.


    An expected mishap did not ur, Zhang Tianze, the president, felt an increasing heaviness in his heart.


    The half-month deadline of the Star Hunter¡¯s notice is approaching and calcting the timeline, the Star Hunter, who didn¡¯t appear this time, has only one opportunity left to make a move, which is the rankingpetition that will take ce after three days!


    Unbeknownst to others, Zhang Tianze put away the alloy box, and with the two first-level Spirit Executors, left the scene.


    They needed to immediately strategize a more targeted countermeasure and prepare for the imminent battle.


    As Zhang Tianze and the other two departed, the host¡¯s voice echoed throughout the venue, bringing the audience¡¯s attention back from the previous interruption, ¡°Next, is the final part of today¡¯s event.¡±


    ¡°We will divide the four contestants into two groups and determine the order of the rankingpetition to be held in three days, as well as thepetition¡¯s mode and theme for each group.¡±


    ¡°This is the draw that could potentially affect the final rankings of the four contestants!¡±


    ¡°And now, please look at the big screen!¡±


    The big screen wentpletely dark as the host¡¯s voice fell.


    Immediately after, the entire screen divided into four sections, on the left and right, two sections were red, and two were blue.


    Inside the four zones, the contestants¡¯ portraits started rolling.


    ¡°Next, we will draw lots to decide the Red and Blue groups; the two contestants within the Red group willpete each other in three days to decide who will advance to the winner¡¯s and loser¡¯s brackets, just as those in the Blue group.¡±


    ¡°The loser¡¯s bracket willpete in four days to determine the third and fourth ces.¡±


    ¡°While the winner¡¯s bracket willpete on the same day to determine the first and the second ce.¡±


    ¡°Now, let the draw begin!¡±


    The atmosphere on-site suddenly thickened, as the four contestants on stage all turned to look at the electric screen.


    The contestant¡¯s portrait on the far right of the electronic screen stabilized after rapidly scrolling.


    Shen Qian!


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Qian¡¯s face tightened, and an anxious look appeared on her face.


    She apparently did not expect to be the first one to get her position determined among the four.


    As the second position in the red group was about to be settled, she hurriedly prayed in her heart, ¡°Don¡¯t be Qin Lang, Don¡¯t be Qin Lang!¡±


    If they were allocated to the same group, it means that either she or Qin Lang will inevitably be out of contention for the championship.


    Perhaps the heavens heard Shen Qian¡¯s prayers, the second position of the red group that was gradually fixing, finally disyed the portrait of a girl with a ponytail.


    It was Tantai Yue!


    Shen Qian audibly let out a sigh of relief, her face without a doubt showed signs of joy.


    After the positions of the two individuals in the red group were determined, that of the two individuals in the blue group was quickly fixed.


    Red Group: Shen Qian vs Tantai Yue.


    Blue Group: Shu Juan vs Qin Lang.


    ¡°The draw isplete! I believe everyone has already seen the results of the draw.¡± The host announced, ¡°In three days, the first round of the rankingpetition will be held following the schedule of the red group in the morning and the blue group in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°The next day, we will have the winners and losers bracketpetition, please note, the rankingpetition will be held for two consecutive days, therefore the preparation time will be rtively short, and it will be a considerable challenge for the contestants!¡±


    As they say, one person¡¯s happiness is another person¡¯s sorrow.


    Shu Juan, participating in the city-level cookingpetition for the first time, initially looked gloomy. But then she clenched her fist and brandished it with determination.


    How about being matched with a formidable opponent? Shu Juan, You can do it!


    Sheforted herself in her mind, a steadfast fighting spirit reflected in her eyes when she looked at Qin Lang.


    On the other side, Tantai Yue, who also eased a sigh of relief because she was not matched with Qin Lang, her eyes met with Shen Qian¡¯s in mid-air.


    So you are preparing for the provincial-level cookingpetition¡­


    Tantai Yue clenched her fist slightly. Although she was still a bit far from the provincial-level cookingpetition, she still wanted to see the gap in strength between them!


    ¡°Next, We¡¯ll draw lots for the match format and theme for both Red and Blue groups. Let¡¯s start with the Red group!¡± The host¡¯s voice caused the two women, looking at each other from a distance, to instantly redirect their gazes towards the electronic screen.


    In an unhurried pace, the rapidly scrolling headlines gradually settled.


    [Limited Ingredient Value]


    [500]


    Shen Qian clenched her fist tightly.


    Have she been drawn to the exact samepetition format and theme as Qin Lang¡¯s eliminationpetition?


    She nced at Qin Lang, chuckled, and remarked, ¡°Like this, it¡¯s sort of like we arepeting with each other, right?¡±


    On the other side, Tantai Yue, who was thinking the same as Shen Qian, shifted her gaze from Shen Qian to Qin Lang at the same moment.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± Qin Lang responded to her with a wry smile and looked up into the sky.


    With the end of the Red group¡¯s draw, it¡¯s now the Blue group¡¯s turn.


    Under the watchful gazes of countless people on the scene, the scrolling headlines on the electronic screen gradually settled.


    [Warehouse Self-Selection Ingredients]


    [033]


    [Contents of the No. 33 Food Material Library:


    Meat Ingredients: Pork belly, Chicken breast, Lamb belly meat


    Vegetables: Corn, Pumpkin, Green beans


    Secondary Ingredients: Green Onion, Ginger, Garlic


    Special Ingredients: Mustard]

 Chapter 377: Possible

    Chapter 377: Possible


    Looking at the list of ten ingredients coining out of the No. 33 Food Material Library, Shu Juan¡¯s tense spirit slowly rxed.


    The moment the entry froze, her heart was practically suspended in midair.


    Because the Warehouse Self-Selection Ingredients is a very challenging type ofpetition, filled with uncertainty. If there are no familiar ingredients in the picked food library, the performance might be much less than ideal.


    Luckily, the ingredients listed in the No. 33 Food Material Library were to her liking.


    Upon seeing thebination of these ingredients, within a split second, she was determined about the dish that she would present in three days.


    It was one of the dishes she was most good at, she believed that with three days of preparation time, she would certainly perform at a good standard.


    The only uncertainty was whether the food library presented any limitations to


    Qin Lang.


    With that in mind, she stole a nce in Qin Lang¡¯s direction.


    She noticed that Qin Lang¡¯s expression seemed very peculiar, as if he was greatly surprised by the ingredients in the food library.


    Could it be that the ingredients in the food library were not within Qin Lang s mastery?


    At the thought of this possibility, Shu Juan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    If that was the case, could she have a chance to win?


    On the other side, Qin Lang was indeed surprised.


    However, the reason for his surprise might be somewhat different from what


    Shu Juan had imagined.


    His surprise came from the special ingredient in the No. 33 Food Material Library.


    Mustard!


    Just recently, he had sessfully prepared the final version of Pickled Mustard, after three rounds of steaming and three times of airing.


    With no additional additions throughout the preparation process, the preparation of Pickled Mustard could be seen as a special processing technique for mustard, so it can be used in this Warehouse Self-Selection Ingredientspetition.


    Plus, there was pork belly in the No. 33 Food Material Library¡­


    The choice of dishes was obvious then.


    Shen Qian at the side also noticed the word ¡°mustard¡± and, unable to resist, thought of a dish Qin Lang once shared with her and Zhou Tianhao when the Pickled Mustard was done.


    She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Shu Juan sympathetically.


    If Qin Lang were to present that dish¡­ It would be a massacre.


    Withpletely different thoughts in the minds of the four contestants, thest drawing of the Elimination Competitiones to an end.


    The audience and contestants each left the arena with the host¡¯s words, ¡°See you in three days¡±.


    Qin Lang and Shen Qian left the arena together, swiftly converging with Zhou Tianhao who had just emerged from the audience entryway.


    Not far from the arena, several figures seemingly casuallyid their eyes on Qin Lang, their lips moving subtly in secretive discussion.


    ¡°Is the target confirmed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, after two rounds of screening, the organization has finally determined the target.¡±


    ¡°The organization is making quite a fuss this time, luckily, we have the Star Hunter as a cover, making those power yers from the Association blind under themp.¡±


    ¡°I still think this method is somewhat risky, I heard that an organization impersonating the Star Hunter was visited directly a while ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have reliable information, at this moment the Star Hunter organisation has no manpower in Mingjing Province.¡±


    ¡°That guy called Zhou Tianhao next to the target is not weak, we need to figure out a way to separate him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy, Zhou Tianhao seems to bear a grudge against the Star Hunter organisation. He responded to the call from the association and fought back against the Star Hunter organization.¡±


    ¡°So, he can¡¯t possibly stay by Qin Lang¡¯s side twenty-four-seven.¡±


    ¡°We just need one opportunity.¡±


    Qin Lang waspletely unaware that he was being watched.


    Returning to the hotel with Shen Qian and Zhou Tianhao, the three of them together prepared avish dinner to celebrate advancing in the Elimination Competition.


    ¡°Big Brother Zhou, the Star Hunter hasn¡¯t acted yet, will the situation be more severe?¡± At the dinner table, Shen Qian asked worriedly.


    ¡°The Star Hunter¡¯s notice came quite early this time. Counting the time, the Rankings Match three days from now will be thest day within the period of notice,¡± Zhou Tianhao picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, slowly speaking out after putting it in his mouth.


    ¡°ording to the Star Hunter¡¯s past trends, he will not act after the period of notice has passed, but will announce a failure.¡±


    ¡°Despite being a wanted criminal organization, they can¡¯tpletely trust the Star Hunter to obey this point, but it¡¯s highly probable that they¡¯ll strike on the day of the Rankings Match three days from now.¡±


    ¡°Three days from now, it¡¯ll be the day when the Association¡¯s defense is at its strongest. The whole Xianyu Arena will be a dra, as long as the Star Hunter dares appear, they¡¯ll definitely not escape,¡± Zhou Tianhao raised a hand, clenching it into a fist tightly.


    Qin Lang had a sip of juice, hearing Zhou Tianhao¡¯swords, he felt a pang of unease for some reason.


    He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Brother Zhou, besides the notice from the Star Hunter, have there been any other clues about them during this time?


    ¡°No.¡± Zhou Tianhao shook his head. ¡°Presumably, they also sensed the association¡¯s attention, and were very careful before making any real moves, not revealing any traces.¡±


    ¡°There are no other clues¡­¡± Qin Lang took a sip of juice, he suddenly said, ¡°Brother Zhou, when I set out from Dongxia City to go to Jumping Fish Lake to participate in the Leaping Fish Banquet, I passed through Miredi City.¡±


    ¡°There, an incident happened¡­


    He reported the incident of the leaked Star Power from beginning to end to Zhou Tianhao, then slowly said, ¡°I suddenly have a bold idea, this time s notice may not have anything to do with the Star Hunter.¡±


    Qin Lang¡¯s guess was not entirely based on intuition.


    At the Leaping Fish Banquet, Zhou Tianhao had encountered a powerful individual suspected to being a member of the Star Hunter organization. Now in Xianyu City, there was the notice from the Star Hunter.


    This meant their tracks and the opposition¡¯s tracks highly ovepped.


    But all along the road, they didn¡¯t find any clues rted to Star Hunter, this alone was already very strange.


    On the other hand, ording to Zhou Tianhao, there were many powerful figures lurking in Xianyu City at the moment, many no weaker than himself, and even the only third-level Spirit Executor of Mingjing Province had already arrived in secret.


    When the Star Hunter acted in Bai Lu Mountain City, he did so with full preparations and made sure no other powerful individual coulde.


    Would they really act so hastily this time?


    ¡°Other criminal organizations masquerading as the Star Hunter, deliberately framing the Star Hunter?¡± After hearing Qin Lang¡¯s story, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°After I left Tianhua State, such a thing actually happened in Miredi City?¡±


    Following that, he fell into deep thought.


    ¡°The possibility you brought up does exist,¡± Zhou Tianhao had to admit, After all, from the beginning to the end, we only received one notice, and found nothing else.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± a helpless expression appeared on Zhou Tianhao¡¯s face, ¡°Without concrete proof, the Association won¡¯ t believe this.¡±


    ¡°I will report this possibility to Chairman Zhang.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all we can do for now,¡± Qin Lang nodded slightly.

 Chapter 378: Lost Contact

    Chapter 378: Lost Contact


    Time flew by. Two days had already passed since the second round of the Xianyu City Cooking Contest¡¯s eliminationpetition had ended.


    In these two days, the excitement around the Cooking Contest did not dwindle with time; rather it grew as reys of the fantastic performances of the eight contestants in the elimination round were repeatedly shared and rebroadcasted, sparking widespread discussion.


    As the uing rankingpetition grew nearer, this discussion also became more intense.


    What kind of rankings the top four contestants would secure became the hottest topic among public discussion.


    ording to these discussions, Shen Qian and Qin Lang from the red and blue groups respectively, were the favourites to win. And among these two, the one thought to have the best shot at winning the championship was none other than Qin Lang, who stunned everyone with his skills in the two rounds of Transparent Mode Cooking.


    The Yanpi t Food dish he presented during the elimination round stirred up quite a bit of controversy. Right after thepetition ended, many people were curious about what this dish tasted like that resulted in it receiving andslide of votes from the judges.


    It was only when a cooking expert recreated this dish following the steps demonstrated by Qin Lang during thepetition that people finally understood.


    Turns out the seemingly simple pounding step had such a crucial role.


    With the controversy resolved, what remained in people¡¯s minds was the image of Qin Lang as an inscrutable master chef.


    Furthermore, some people even dug up Qin Lang¡¯s past records in Tianhua State, leading to even more intense discussions.


    Meanwhile, amidst the fervor of Xianyu City¡¯s popce, the Spirit Chef Association, and the many Spirit Chefs who were invited, were intensely discussing and preparing.


    During these two days, they held several secret meetings every day, nning and strategising, determined to thwart Star Hunter¡¯s scheme.


    Zhou Tianhao brought up Qin Lang¡¯s suspicions during the meeting but, as he had expected, no one else would believe him.


    In the hotel kitchen where the three were residing, Qin Lang stretchednguidly and turned to Shen Qian, who was still hard at work practicing her dishes. ¡°Your dish is already quite impressive, how about taking a break?¡± ¡°Just wait a bit more.¡± Shen Qian paused for a moment with her kitchen knife in hand before continuing to chop the ingredients on the cutting board. ¡°With this dish, perhaps I can beat Tantai Yue, but I won¡¯t be able to beat your Yanpi t Food.¡±


    ¡°So, you do want to go head-to-head with me.¡± Qin Lang smiled helplessly, ¡°Yanpi t Food was finished two days ago, whereas your Phoenix Bone Colored ze will be presented tomorrow. How can youpare those two?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tasted your Yanpi t Food,¡± Shen Qian nced at Qin Lang. ¡°Whether I can surpass it, I can decide for myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Seeing that Shen Qian was insistent, Qin Lang didn¡¯t argue further.


    Shen Qian¡¯spetitiveness intermittently res up. Once it settles down, everything would naturally return to normal.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit, do you want me to bring back anything delicious for you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Then get me a Fish Roe Cake.¡± Shen Qian didn¡¯t refuse and requested a specialty snack from Xianyu City.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Qin Lang gestured an ¡°ok¡± sign with his hand and left the hotel with the two little ones.


    The dish he nned to present tomorrow was already almost ready. Going out and rxing now would help him do better in tomorrow¡¯spetition.


    Although the opponents weren¡¯t very strong, he really likes this dish ¨C he wouldn¡¯t have gone through all this trouble preparing the pickled mustard otherwise.


    He wanted to go all out for the first time showcasing this dish.


    ¡°Dan Bao, Spicy, let¡¯s go check out the nearby Food Street.¡± Carrying the two little ones who looked forward to the trip, Qin Lang excitedly headed out.


    ¡°If there are no other questions, tomorrow¡¯s final arrangement in the Xianyu Arena will follow this n.¡± Zhang Tianze handed out the assignment sheets to everyone in the Meeting Room, a serious expression on his face.


    The group of powerful individuals who received their assignments quickly confirmed their respective roles.


    ¡°Chairman Zhang, I have no objections, but I have a question.¡± One of the powerful individuals pointed to the n in their hand. ¡°A few days ago, you mentioned that Mr. Zuo Weiran has arrived in Xianyu City.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Zuo has attended none of our meetings in thest few days, and there¡¯s no mention of him in this assignment sheet. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The other powerful individuals didn¡¯t speak up but many had expressions of agreement on their faces, clearly showing that they had the same concern.


    ¡°I know everyone has doubts but I assure you, Mr. Zuo Weiran is already here. He will not directly participate in this operation but serves as our final trump card.¡± Zhang Tianze stated solemnly.


    ¡°We are out in the open, while Mr. Zuo acts behind the scenes.¡±


    Hearing Zhang Tianze¡¯s exnation, those who initially had doubts slowly began nodding their heads.


    However, the person who initially raised the question wasn¡¯t convinced just yet. He slightly furrowed his eyebrows and asked again, ¡°So, when this is all over, will Mr. Zuo Weiran stay in Xianyu City for a couple more days?¡±


    Seeing everyone looking at him, he scratched his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives. You all know I came here from Wuhe State just to pay a visit to Mr. Zuo Weiran and get his Third-level Spirit Executor Badge.¡±


    Upon hearing his exnation, the others nodded in understanding.


    ¡°I cannot guarantee it, but when everything is over, I can introduce you.¡± Zhang Tianze promptly stated, then turned to look at the silent Zhou Tianhao on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou doesn¡¯t seem to be a local from Mingjing Province either. If you need it, I could also introduce you.¡±


    Thanks for the trouble.¡± Zhou Tianhao responded with a smile.


    If he could secure an opportunity to pay an early visit to Mr. Zuo Weiran and obtain the second Third-level Spirit Executor Badge, he would surely appreciate it.


    ¡°It looks like there are no further questions, so we¡¯ll proceed with this n.¡± Zhang Tianze took a deep breath. ¡°Sess or failure, this is the decisive moment.¡±


    ¡°ording to the records of the Spirit Chef Association, Star Hunter has carried out criminal activities in several regions, with a very low failure rate and no members captured so far.¡±


    ¡°If we can catch them, it will be the first time!¡±


    Listening to this, everyone in the meeting room had a look of excitement.


    Participation in such an essential operation was an enormous honor!


    Only Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression showed a hint of concern.


    He had a feeling that things may not unfold as expected.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, are you back?¡±


    Shen Qian, hearing the sound of the room door, walked out of the kitchen and waved at Zhou Tianhao cheerfully.


    ¡°Yes, the meeting is over. Now it all depends on tomorrow.¡± Zhou Tianhao responded with a rxed smile. ¡°Why are you alone at home, where is Qin Lang?¡±


    ¡°That guy probably went out to have some fun.¡± Shen Qian slurred, ¡°Not only did he not bring me a Fish Roe Cake, but he hasn¡¯t even returned thiste.¡±


    ¡°He left?¡± Zhou Tianhao frowned and immediately dialed Qin Lang¡¯s number.


    On the other end of the phone, there was no response.

 Chapter 379: Stealing Fire

    Chapter 379: Stealing Fire


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Qin Lang furrowed his brows, grunting softly before gradually opening his eyes.


    He was lying bound in a dark, lightless cer. He had tried several times to sit up, but all attempts had failed.


    What had happened?


    Qin Lang tried to recall everything prior to losing consciousness.


    He was sampling food with Dan Bao and Spicy at the Food Street when a disturbance suddenly broke out. The crowd began to surge towards him.


    He didn¡¯t pay it any mind, following the crowd to retreat, but suddenly everything went ck, and he lost consciousness.


    When he woke up again, he found himself here.


    Before he lost consciousness, he had vaguely heard the frightened cries of Dan Bao and Spicy.


    Right! Dan Bao and Spicy!


    Qin Lang abruptly realized that the two Food Spirits were not aboard. His face took on a shocked and angry expression.


    He immediately contacted the Food Spirits through his Star Vein to sense their existence.


    While the two Food Spirits were not in a good situation, they were not in severe danger. It seemed that they were being held somewhere else and couldn¡¯t return.


    This caused Qin Lang¡¯s heart to sink gradually.


    With the Food Spirits not by his side, his situation was rather precarious.


    What was truly baffling was who could have kidnapped him.


    Since arriving in Mingjing Province, he didn¡¯t seem to have offended anyone.


    ¡°Awake?¡±


    It seemed that Qin Lang¡¯s struggling had attracted attention from outside the cer. The iron door connecting the cer to the outside world was opened, and a robust man that Qin Lang had never seen before appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know you, why did you kidnap me?¡±


    Qin Lang carefully observed the man, confirming that he had no recollection. He then spoke in a deep voice.


    ¡°Pretty calm, huh?¡± The man chuckled, ¡°Rest assured, we didn¡¯t kidnap the wrong person. It¡¯s precisely you.¡±


    ¡°As for why we kidnapped you¡­¡± The man pulled over a chair and sat down,


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because you have something we want.¡±


    Without waiting for Qin Lang to speak, the man provided the answer.


    ¡°What we want is your recipe.¡±


    The man spoke leisurely while rolling up his sleeve, revealing a red tattoo on his wrist.


    The tattoo was peculiar and fierce-looking, resembling a hand holding a me when examined closely.


    Qin Lang¡¯s pupils contracted sharply.


    He recognized this tattoo!


    Thanks to his previous experience with the Star Gathering, Qin Lang had taken the opportunity to learn about the criminal forces wanted by the Spirit Chef Association during his free time to avoid being unable to recognize the criminals¡¯ symbols.


    This tattoo on the wrist corresponds to the criminal organization¡­


    ¡°Fire Thieves!¡±


    Qin Lang articted every word of the organization¡¯s name, his expression bing incredibly solemn.


    Unlike the Star Gathering, which is devoted to evil research, or the Star Hunter, which targets Starstones, the Fire-stealing Organization is not interested in Star Power or Starstones.


    Their target is genius Spirit Chefs.


    Young, yet possessing superior culinary skills and holding arge number of recipes. Having not too strong self-strength, but being a Spirit Chef is their target.


    Qin Lang now clearly understood why he was targeted. During the Cooking Contest in Xianyu City, he had been attracting their attention by demonstrating enough talents.


    That being said¡­ Could it be that the Star Hunter¡¯s notice was also them¡­


    ¡°Hm?¡± After hearing Qin Lang mention the organization¡¯s name, the man¡¯s eyes showed a surprise, ¡°You actually recognized our Fire-stealing Organization.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s just as well, it saves a lot of trouble.¡± The man looked at Qin Lang with an amused eye, ¡°Since you know about our Fire-stealing Organization, then you should also know about our methods, right?¡±


    ¡°I advise you to honestly give up the recipes you mastered. This way both you could suffer less and we can also save some effort.¡±


    ¡± What exact recipes do you want?¡± Qin Lang took a deep breath, talking idly while his mind was racing.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he had been unconscious, but he was evidentlyte for his supposed return to the hotel.


    His phone was taken away. What they wanted wasn¡¯t a ransom or something else but his recipes, meaning that they likely wouldn¡¯t answer the phone, opting to pretend he has gone missing.


    Shen Qian and Brother Zhou should realize something was wrong after calling him.


    As long as he was still in Xianyu City, they would definitely be able to find him.


    If he could persuade the Spirit Chef Association to help in the search, it would be even faster.


    So, stall for time!


    ¡°Oh, quite cooperative huh.¡± The man chuckled.


    ¡°Of course, everything you know.¡±


    ¡°This is bad! Something might have happened to Qin Lang!¡±


    After failing to reach Qin Lang three times in a row, Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, are you sure?!¡± Shen Qian¡¯s face turned pale, tears welling up in her eyes, ¡°He just went out for a walk, how could something happen?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask around nearby and see if anyone has seen him.¡± Zhou Tianhao quickly decided, immediately standing up and walking out, ¡°I hope the situation isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    Shen Qian quickly agreed, running after Zhou Tianhao.


    Half an hourter, the faces of the two became even grimmer as they met up again in the darkness.


    ¡°Thetest sighting of Qin Lang was two hours ago.¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the situation on your end?¡±


    ¡°The situation I found is pretty much the same.¡± Shen Qian put away her phone, which disyed a photo of her and Qin Lang, ¡°No one has seen him in these two hours.¡±


    ¡°This shows that Qin Lang¡¯s disappearance is more than just a simple missing person.¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression hardened, ¡°It¡¯s possible that he was attacked or something else, and it has already been two hours.¡±


    Crime organizations that could possibly carry out such actions shed through his mind. Thinking of the cruelty of these crime organizations, Zhou Tianhao could no longer sit still, ¡°You should go back to the hotel and wait for news. I¡¯m going to the Spirit Chef Association!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go!¡± Shen Qian shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t be at ease without finding Qin Lang.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you outside¡­¡± Zhou Tianhao spoke helplessly.


    If a crime organization really had made a move, as he suspected, Shen Qian might be targeted as well.


    ¡°Forget it, go with me to the Spirit Chef Association.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, yourpanion has gone missing, suspected to have been kidnapped?¡±


    In the Spirit Chef Association, the president, Zhang Tianze, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, pushed the door of the meeting room and spoke in a deep voice.


    ¡°Yes. Remember the possibility I mentioned before?¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded slowly, ¡°I think that possibility might havee true.¡±


    ¡°The Star Hunter¡¯s notice letter is fake. There¡¯s a criminal organization lurking in the dark, using it to divert the attention of strong members of the Association andmit their own crimes!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhang Tianze¡¯s expression changed slightly, and after a moment he said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go search for yourpanion with you first.¡±


    Zhou Tianhao sighed faintly.


    Clearly, Zhang Tianze still didn¡¯t fully believe him.</p

 Chapter 380: Settling the Account

    Chapter 380: Settling the ount


    ¡°Wuu¡­¡±


    Apanied by a long horn, a luxury liner slowly docked at thergest seaport in Xianyu City.


    Passengers who had already packed their luggage formed long queues on the deck, orderly descending onto the pier.


    ¡°Oh! Mister Qi, the two days spent with you were unforgettable.¡±


    On the deck, a polished middle-aged man wore an unwilling look as he faced the elegant youth beside him. ¡°I can hardly believe you¡¯re not from Lon, yet you know so much about our people and customs.¡±


    ¡°So, you truly cannot join me for a journey in the bountiful Samiya Region?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Mr. Wood.¡± The elegant youth shrugged and disyed a warm smile. ¡°There¡¯s a saying in Samiya ¡®all good things muste to an end¡¯. It¡¯s time for us to part ways.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will share the tales of my journey with you.¡± Unable to convince the congenial yet stubborn young man, Mr. Wood resignedly shook his head. Taking his luggage, he stepped onto the pier.


    As he watched the man walk away, the elegant youth disembarked from the deck, his smile gradually fading.


    ¡°Next up¡­huh?¡± His gaze swept over a figure who seemed out of ce. He quickly withdrew his gaze.


    ¡°Thankyou for your help.¡±


    On the other side of the pier, Zhou Tianhao expressed his gratitude towards the harbor master.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Contestant Qin Lang has a promising future, I never thought he would encounter such worrying circumstances before the rankingpetition.¡± Grinning, the portly harbormaster raised his bby hand. ¡°I¡¯ll have the harbor on high alert.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, as long as they¡¯re still in Xianyu City, they can¡¯t possibly leave through the harbor!¡±


    ¡°In that case, I should get going.¡± Zhou Tianhao nodded and turned to leave.


    Hmm?


    Zhou Tianhao paused, his face showing surprise and doubt as he looked towards the distant deck.


    He quickened his steps to board the deck, but found nothing of note after surveying the surroundings.


    Perhaps I¡¯m just overthinking it¡­


    Shaking his head in disappointment, Zhou Tianhao quickly left the harbor.


    This was the seventeenth checkpoint he had visited tonight.


    After providing an ount of the situation and showing a personal directive from the President of the Spirit Chef Association, the heads of these checkpoints agreed to increase checks on those passing through for the next few days.


    Next, he needed to find Qin Lang, who was currently missing.


    ¡°Brother Zhou!¡±


    Shen Qian approached Zhou Tianhao in a light jog, looking a bit haggard.


    Beside her were her two Food Spirits, as well as Ji¡ªthe one among Zhou Tianhao¡¯s four food spirits who was best at night-time investigations.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t found any leads on Qin Lang.¡± The area around Shen Qian¡¯s eyes reddened slightly, ¡°It¡¯s been so long, do you think Qin Lang is in danger?¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Zhou Tianhao took a deep breath, ¡°It¡¯s veryte and you have a match tomorrow. Go back and rest early; leave the rest to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Shen Qian shook her head, ¡°This match isn¡¯t a must for me. Comparatively, finding Qin Lang is more important.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Looking at Shen Qian¡¯s stubborn expression under the moonlight, Zhou Tianhao sighed and took out a map of Xianyu City.


    On the map, many locations had been circled and crossed out. These were areas they had searched and confirmed Qin Lang was not present.


    ¡°There are a lot of ces we haven¡¯t searched yet, let¡¯s go find him together!¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    The two walked side by side, quickly disappearing from the spot.


    Shortly after, a youth wearing a cap that hid his face stepped out from the darkness and stood where they had just been.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± The youth muttered quietly to himself, ¡°Causin¡¯ such a fuss impersonatin¡¯ me, and they even nabbed that brat?¡±


    He slowly took off his hat, revealing his elegant face under the moonlight.


    It was Mister Qi who had just disembarked from the ship.


    ¡°Makin<sup>1</sup> mee all the way from Wuhe State¡­ guess I¡¯ll have to settle this score.¡± Mister Qi spoke with a smile, yet his eyes held a hint of anger.


    He flicked his hand, producing a ck, ornate mask out of thin air and putting it on. In the shadow of the moonlight, he snapped his fingers and vanished from the spot.


    ¡°These are all the recipes I know. They¡¯re all here.¡±


    In a windowless, dim room, Qin Lang sat calmly on a chair. On the table before him was a candlestick, with the flickering me illuminating a stack of papers covered in writing.


    ¡°Well, you certainly know your ce.¡± The muscr man who had appeared earlier revealed a rxed smile, ¡°Among the Genius Spirit Chefs we, the Fire-stealing Organization, have kidnapped, you¡¯re the most cooperative.¡±


    There were no signs of resistance. On the contrary, he had obediently written out all the recipes he knew ¨C hundreds of them.


    If every kidnapped Spiritual chef were thispliant, their Fire-stealing Organization would have grown even more powerful.


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± The man picked up the topmost sheet, reading it by the candlelight. ¡°¡®Gazing at the Stars¡¯. Sounds like a fantastic dish.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Qin Lang showed an innocent smile, ¡°Follow the recipe to make it once, and you¡¯ll feel a baptism of your soul.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, not bad.¡± There was no suspicion in the man¡¯s voice. He stored away the other recipes, ¡°Seeing as you¡¯ve been so cooperative, I can fulfill a small wish on your part. Of course, letting you go is out of the question.¡±


    Qin Lang, who was about to ask for his release, couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    ¡°How are my Food Spirits?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine. They¡¯ve just been detained somewhere else.¡± The manughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, bring me something to eat. Prepare something for my Food Spirits too.¡± Qin Lang spoke calmly, ¡°That¡¯s a small request that can be fulfilled, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it can.¡± The manughed. Waving the recipes in his hand, he left the chamber. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we Fire Thieves are very humane. Someone will bring you some delicious meals shortly.¡±


    ¡°There will be additional rewards once we verify these recipes in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The chamber door closed.


    In the chamber, Qin Lang stared at the candle me, his eyes glinting.


    After quickly testing with a few sentences, he was sure that the man from earlier, despite his brute strength, didn¡¯t have much culinary knowledge.


    Handing over hundreds of recipes of deadly dishes all at once, the man was bound to verify each one, which would take him a considerable amount of time.


    During the verification of the recipes, they¡¯d need ingredients from the outside world. Their defenses would be slightly rxed and they might reveal some vulnerabilities.


    He could only hope that Brother Zhou would find him quickly during this time.


    Otherwise, once they discovered the problems with these recipes in a few days, he would undoubtedly suffer.


    Soon, food was brought into the chamber.


    They hadn¡¯t gone back on their word. The food tasted quite good.


    Hungry, Qin Lang didn¡¯t hesitate and ate every bit of it, thenid down and fell asleep.

 Chapter 381: Appearance

    Chapter 381: Appearance


    ¡°Boom ¡±


    A loud rumble jolted Qin Lang awake from his deep sleep.


    He sat up abruptly on his straw bed in the secret room, looking around suspiciously.


    The door of the secret room was still tightly shut. Not even a sliver of light could prate through, although there were a few tiny venttion holes. But they were insufficient for him to observe the outside situation.


    Roars, screams, explosions, a variety of sounds faintly transmitted into the secret room amidst the chaos, causing Qin Lang to wear a thoughtful expression.


    Were the Fire Thieves in trouble?


    Could it be that brother Zhou came to rescue him?


    Upon contemting this possibility, Qin Lang¡¯s eyes sparkled with surprise and delight.


    ¡°Boom ¡±


    A loud sound came from outside. This was much clearer than before, and at the same time, Qin Lang clearly saw the door of the secret room distort under an external force.


    Someone was breaking down the door!


    His muscles tensed all over his body as he watched the rapidly deforming metal door and finally fall heavily to the ground.


    The next moment, the figure that rushed into the secret room made him jump


    up.


    ¡°DanBao! Spicy!¡±


    Upon seeing the two little ones again, Qin Lang could no longer keep calm, his eyes slightly moist, he quickly hugged them into his arms.


    ¡°Gurulu-¡±


    ¡°Chaka-¡±


    The two little ones were equally excited. Heaven knew how worried and scared they had been during the time they were separated from Qin Lang.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright,¡± Qin Lang took a deep breath, gazing at the towering mes outside, ¡°Did brother Zhoue to rescue us?¡±


    The two little ones looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.


    They hadn¡¯t seen Zhou Tianhao.


    ¡°Then how did you two get out?¡± Qin Lang asked, bewildered.


    ¡°Gurulu gududu gugu~¡±


    ¡°Chaka chaba chaba-¡±


    The two little ones chatted and told Qin Lang everything they had experienced.


    It took a while for Qin Lang to understand the whole story.


    ¡°So, an invisible power released your shackles when the explosion outside urred. Simultaneously, a voice appeared in your heads, telling you my location?¡± Listening to the two little ones¡¯ ount, Qin Lang¡¯s expression turned intriguing.


    He carefully stepped out of the secret room, gazing in awe at the huge fire outside.


    Who saved him?


    ¡°As a thank you for saving you, it wouldn¡¯t be too much to ask to have a look at these recipes, would it?¡±


    In the darkness a few kilometers away from Qin Lang, a man with his upper face covered by a dark, ornate mask pped the stack of recipes in his hand, ¡°This kid is really honest. He actually wrote so many.¡±


    ¡°Give me some light.¡± The man snapped his fingers and a Food Spirit hidden in the dark emitted a soft glow.


    With the help of the light, the man clearly saw the words on the recipes. His expression changed from curiosity to stupor, then from stupor to disgust. Disbelieving, he flipped through the next recipe, then the next, until he had gone through all of them. He then ripped them to pieces with an exasperated expression and incinerated them cleanly with a flick of his fingers.


    ¡± What are these nonsense things? None of them are edible.


    Afterining, the man¡¯s gaze shifted to the darkness beside him, ¡°You have been following me all the way,e out.¡±


    As his words fell, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.


    It was a middle-aged man with a powerful aura. Just standing there, he seemed like the center of the world, an awe-inspiring presence.


    If Zhang Tianze was here, seeing him would definitely surprise him. Because this was the always elusive president of the Spirit Chef Association of Mingjing Province, the one and only third-level Spirit Executor in Mingjing Province, Zuo Weiran!


    ¡°You weren¡¯t in Xianyu City before.¡± Zuo Weiran looked at the masked man in front of him and spoke slowly after a moment of silence, ¡°Why did youe?¡± ¡°Because I hate it when others do things under my name.¡± The man chuckled, ¡°If it were you, and you suddenly got a pot of usations dumped on your head while walking down the street, would you feel happy?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, that wouldn¡¯t be a pleasing matter.¡± Zuo Weiran candidly admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Mr. Zuo Weiran, the third-level Spirit Executor of Mingjing Province, has his own way of implementing justice.¡± The man looked at Zuo Weiran with interest, ¡°Are you here to catch me?<sup>1</sup>


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious about what kind of existence the globally-wanted Star Hunter is.¡± Zuo Weiran stared fixedly at the man in front of him before suddenly asking, ¡°Is the Star Hunter an organization or an individual?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s an organization.¡± The man¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°An organization that thirsts for the truth of this world.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Zuo Weiran contemted for a moment, as if trying to decipher the meaning behind the man¡¯s words. After a moment, he slowly looked up, ¡°Take one of my moves and you can go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your match.¡± The man was speechless.


    ¡°But if it¡¯s just one move¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let me witness the style of Samiya¡¯s strongest in the Southern Three Continents!¡±


    ¡°Boom¨C ¡±


    A deafening boom came from several kilometers away, snapping Qin Lang back to reality.


    He swiftly turned his head towards the direction of the sound, his pupils contracting rapidly.


    He witnessed a sight that he would never forget in his lifetime.


    A pir of light that reached the heavens was filled with an overwhelming energy, like a sword piercing through the sky from the ground.


    The violent power tore apart everything around, even half of a hill was instantly leveled.


    A savage wind swept across, brutally hitting him in the next moment.


    Even standing several kilometers away, Qin Lang still felt unsteady.


    What¡­ happened there?


    Qin Lang looked shocked and somewhat clueless.


    ¡°Qin Lang!¡± A voice came from behind him. A sturdy figure quickly ran towards him, patting his shoulder heavily, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhou? Shen Qian?¡± Qin Lang turned to see Zhou Tianhao and Shen Qian, with her teary eyes, standing behind him, ¡°Why are you all here?


    ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you. There was an explosion here incidentally, so we thought it might be rted to you, so we came¡­¡± Shen Qian wiped the tears that had fallen due to her excitement, stepped forward, and hugged Qin Lang, ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Qin Lang patted Shen Qian¡¯s back, then turned towards Zhou Tianhao, ¡°Brother Zhou, did you see that pir of light?¡±


    ¡°That was probably the ripple caused by the sh of two strong individuals.¡± Zhou Tianhao¡¯s expression turned grave, ¡°The strength of the two individuals who could generate such a sh must exceed mine.¡±


    ¡°I might be able to guess one of them, but I have no idea about the other.¡± ¡°Alright.¡±


    Qin Lang nodded slightly, then, as if realizing something, turned to face the east.


    The sun was just peeking over the eastern horizon, its morning light embracing the sky in a brilliant golden hue.


    The brightness fell on the earth, mixing with the gradually extinguishing fire. Daybreak had arrived.


    ¡°Can we make it to Xianyu Arena now?¡± Qin Lang suddenly asked.


    ¡°Oh no, we¡¯re going to bete!¡± Shen Qian eximed, ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t going?¡± Zhou Tianhao looked puzzled.


    ¡°We found Qin Lang already, of course we have to go to thepetition!


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