Chapter 1100: Why Does This Cook Make Dishes Like He's Fighting?

The assembly of spirit chefs gazed upon the golden star armband Lu Yang wore, their eyes filled with envy; this was the supreme glory dreamed of by all of their kind, yet compared to the status of an Immortal Chef's successor, even this golden star armband seemed to dim in luster.

It was truer to say that had Lu Yang not received the golden star armband, it would instead have diminished the very worth of the armband itself!

"Be more confident, little Yang; you are a spirit chef personally taught by this Immortal, so taking first place is only natural." The Immortal Fairy preened with self-satisfaction, for Lu Yang's triumph in the final round relied entirely on her Yin-Yang Tofu!

Though they had weathered several twists and mishaps, the fact remained indisputable: Lu Yang had claimed victory in the five-star spirit chef category.

With all five groups concluded, Song Tianjing, as the victor of the two-star group, ascended the podium under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Yu Qian'er's eyes sparkling as she looked upon him.

"Song Tianjing, what manner of ingredient do you desire as your reward?" Master Mingyuan inquired.

Song Tianjing had originally wanted the Builder Tree, as the three recipes in the Culinary Encyclopedia all dictated using it as firewood.

Yet the Builder Tree scarcely seemed to qualify as an ingredient, and the Spirit Chef Alliance might not even possess it.

"A star core, I desire a star core."

"Oh, intriguing indeed." Master Mingyuan handed Song Tianjing a square wooden casket, within which reposed the star core.

"Lu Yang, what ingredient do you desire?" Master Mingyuan's demeanor toward Lu Yang was noticeably gentler than toward the other victors.

"The Immortal Fruit."

That disgraceful thing, the Immortal Fairy, still had to be brought back, after all.

Master Mingyuan solemnly presented the half-piece of the Immortal Fruit to Lu Yang: "Our Alliance failed to recognize this immortal treasure, mistaking it for a mere spiritual object; we are truly ashamed, and we hope this immortal fruit will burst with extraordinary splendor in your hands."

"It certainly will!" Lu Yang responded in an equally solemn tone.

The victors of the other three groups were all underlings of Jin Tan; following his instructions, they obtained three legendary ingredients from Master Mingyuan.

"My Lord, we have fortunately fulfilled our mission!"

The three victors knelt before Jin Tan, presenting the three legendary ingredients.

"The Bodhi Glazed Fruit, the Nine-Transformations Coiling Dragon Bamboo Shoot, and the Zhen Fish... is it only lacking the one from the five-star spirit chef group..."

Jin Tan narrowed his eyes slightly, never expecting that Lu Yang would actually possess the Devouring Heaven and Earth technique and masquerade as one of their members.

"No matter, missing one changes nothing!"

With strides as fierce as a tiger and a dragon, Jin Tan walked up to Master Mingyuan and pointed directly at his nose.

"Old man Mingyuan, I challenge you for the position of Alliance Chief; do you dare face me!"

His three hundred years of dormancy were all for this day, though he had not foreseen the two anomalies that were Lu Yang and Song Tianjing.

He was never one for intricate schemes, yet for the sake of the Chief's throne, he had engaged in a battle of wits and courage with Master Mingyuan for three hundred years; he was unwilling to contend any longer, and since the facade was torn, he would simply fight to the bitter end!

The crowd, which had begun to disperse, grew fervent once more.

"What is this, is Jin Tan challenging for the position of Alliance Chief!"

"I heard he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Master Mingyuan three hundred years ago; his return today means he must be prepared."

"There is a spectacle to behold!"

"Will Chief Mingyuan accept the challenge?"

"He certainly will; if he refuses, he loses his prestige, and there would be no meaning in remaining Chief!"

Master Mingyuan gazed into Jin Tan's resolute eyes, lowered his head, and sighed: "You have come to this step after all; very well, then I shall accept."

The entire arena erupted in cheers; a duel between two eight-star spirit chefs was a spectacle many spirit chefs would never witness in a lifetime!

"Second Boss, I knew you would win!" Yun Mengmeng spoke excitedly; with the First Boss personally guiding him, how could he possibly lose?

At this moment, everyone else was more excited than Lu Yang himself.

"Thank you," Lu Yang replied calmly, taking a bite of the half-eaten Immortal Fruit from four hundred thousand years ago.

My, it was quite delicious, plump and juicy, as if it had just been plucked.

"Let's watch the match for a bit before leaving." Lu Yang was also curious to see what a duel between eight-star spirit chefs looked like.

The judges' bench had already been temporarily refitted into stoves; the two great eight-star spirit chefs stood in their respective positions, facing each other in a heavy atmosphere.

With the strike of a gong, the two moved in unison.

Slaying beasts, chopping vegetables, extracting juices, tempering the wok... the fragrance quickly suffused the entire venue.

"Look quickly, there is something behind them!" someone cried out in alarm.

Behind the two men, phantom images of a black dragon and a white phoenix soared, the roars of the dragon and cries of the phoenix echoing endlessly as the phantoms engaged in a fierce, murderous battle!

"What on earth is this?" Lu Yang watched in bewilderment. "Fairy, do you recognize this?"

"Never seen it; cooking wasn't like this in the ancient era."

At that moment, Ma Bin leaned in to explain to Lu Yang: "According to ancient records, when the ancient Immortal Chefs cooked, they were often accompanied by the shadows of the dragon and phoenix, with their cries continuous in the ear."

"The founder of the Spirit Chef Alliance surmised that this was the hallmark of reaching the realm of a nine-star spirit chef."

"To approach that nine-star realm, the founder created a unique spirit chef cultivation method; upon becoming an eight-star spirit chef, one's essence, energy, and spirit fuse into the dishes, and the dishes summon a portion of the phantoms to battle. Whichever phantom triumphs, that side boasts the superior flavor!"

"...The founder of the Spirit Chef Alliance certainly went to great lengths, going so far as to devise such a cultivation method," Lu Yang could not help but mock.

"Heheh, Daoist Brother Lu Yang." Ma Bin took the opportunity to draw closer to Lu Yang, rubbing his hands with a beaming smile, only to be pushed away in disgust by Lu Yang.

"Speak plainly if you want something."

"Daoist Brother Lu Yang, seeing that you are the successor of the Immortal Chef, could you perhaps impart a trick or two to me? My Pastry Ma Family will surely offer a hefty reward!"

"I recall you belong to the Imperial Kitchen?"

"Indeed, the Blade of the Imperial Kitchen!"

Lu Yang pondered for a moment, thinking that Emperor Xia was, after all, the Chancellor of the Great Soy Dynasty; it would not do for him to perish before even taking office. If word of that spread, it would seem like internal strife within the Great Soy Dynasty, which would look terrible.

"I will not teach you."

Ma Bin showed a look of disappointment, though it stood to reason that the techniques of an Immortal Chef could not be casually bestowed upon others: "It was my discourtesy."

By now, the two eight-star spirit chefs had fought to their peak, free of distractions, their eyes holding only the purest desire for victory.

"Old man Mingyuan, this position of Alliance Chief rightfully belongs to me; behold the ultimate dish I have painstakingly researched!"

"Jin Tan, you are still too young, lacking stability; the Spirit Chef Alliance is destined to decline if placed in your hands!"

"Behold my Blade Technique of Devouring Living Creatures!"

"Willow Leaf Gentle Wind Blade Technique!"

The kitchen cleaver in Jin Tan's hand surged with a devouring power, absorbing every single impurity within the vegetables as he sliced them!

Master Mingyuan's blade was like a breeze brushing against the face, not overly fierce, yet imparting a sense of boundless peace and comfort.

"Heavenly Fire, heed my command, burn!"

"Water from the northernmost ice sheets, manifest!"

Dragon and phoenix clashed, water and fire dueled; space rippled with countless waves, and the roars of the dragon and cries of the phoenix could be heard a thousand miles away, directly startling Zhu Tian within the imperial palace.

"Scared me to death; I thought the two elder sisters, Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi, had run over here to fight."

"How is it that these chefs cook as if they are waging a war?"

A battle between two peak Half-Immortals, one of whom possessed the same embryonic Dao Fruit as himself, Jiang Lianyi—he certainly would not be able to stop them.

Yet two mere Tribulation-stage cultivators could stir no ripples in the demon city under his rule!