The Imperial Capital of the Sunfall Empire was a breathtaking metropolis of towering jade spires, bustling paved avenues, and massive floating pavilions suspended in the sky by ancient wind-element arrays.
Over five hundred thousand people filled the streets today, gathered for the opening ceremony of the Three-Nation Culinary & Martial Conference. Banners representing the Sunfall Empire, the Iron-Blood Empire, and the Azure-Cloud Kingdom fluttered high above the Grand Imperial Arena—a colosseum-like structure capable of seating eighty thousand spectators.
At the center of the arena floor sat three massive cooking and alchemy stations constructed from refined dragon-copper, equipped with high-grade elemental stoves fueled by fiery spirit gems.
High up on the royal viewing platform sat Crown Prince Zhao Zhen, draped in luxurious golden dragon robes, flanked by dozens of heavily armored imperial guards. Sitting beside him was an old man with long grey hair, wearing the purple robes of a Grade 4 Master Alchemist—Grand Alchemist Dan Flame from the Iron-Blood Empire.
"Grand Alchemist Dan," Zhao Zhen spoke softly, a cold, malicious smile on his face. "Are the preparations complete?"
Grand Alchemist Dan Flame stroked his thin beard, his eyes flashing with sinister confidence. "Your Highness, rest assured. The ingredients provided to that country boy have been subtly tampered with. The spirit beast meat contains lingering Ghost-Grass Toxins. The moment he applies fire, the meat will produce a foul, bitter stench and ruin his meridians. He will be exposed as a fraud before the entire continent!"
"Good," Zhao Zhen sneered, looking down at the arena floor. "Let us see how long his arrogant mouth stays open when he is disgraced in front of three empires."
Down on the arena floor, the grand announcer’s voice echoed across the massive stadium through a high-tier sound formation.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE GRAND CULINARY SHOWDOWN!"
The eighty thousand spectators erupted into a deafening roar.
"REPRESENTING THE IRON-BLOOD EMPIRE: GRADE 4 MASTER ALCHEMIST DAN FLAME'S TOP DISCIPLE—YOUNG MASTER DUAN!"
A proud young man in scarlet robes leaped onto the first platform, summoning a cauldron of roaring red flames with a dramatic wave of his hand.
"REPRESENTING THE AZURE-CLOUD KINGDOM: THE ICY CULINARY GENIUS—FAIRY CHEN LIN!"
A beautiful woman in white robes landed gracefully on the second platform, her hands weaving delicate blue Qi strands to prepare rare spirit herbs.
"AND REPRESENTING THE LOCAL XIAO CLAN BRANCH... THE OWNER OF THE CHAOS DINER... CHEF XIAO LONG!"
A wave of mixed murmurs, laughter, and curious whispers rippled through the crowd as Leo casually strolled onto the third platform.
He was wearing his charcoal-black robe, carrying his trusty cast-iron skillet under one arm, and holding a small wooden box containing his spices. Walking right behind him, holding a velvet tray of wooden plates with her usual flawless posture, was Ling Yue.
"Look at him! He didn't even bring an alchemy cauldron!"
"Is he really going to cook with a black frying pan?!"
"I heard he beat the Second Prince with that pan!"
On the platform, Young Master Duan from the Iron-Blood Empire looked over at Leo with absolute disdain. "Boy, this is a sacred venue for high-grade pill refining and spiritual culinary arts! Taking out a crude iron pan here is an insult to all true craftsmen! You should drop your knees and apologize to the audience!"
Leo didn't even look at him. He casually set his skillet onto the dragon-copper stove, opened his ingredient basket, and pulled out a large slab of marbled Two-Headed Spirit Boar Meat provided by the imperial organizers.
The moment Leo touched the meat, his System interface flashed with a sharp red warning:
[SYSTEM WARNING: TAMPERED INGREDIENT DETECTED!]
Contaminant: Ghost-Grass Toxin (Grade 3 Poison)
Effect: Emits bitter, foul odor when heated; causes temporary meridian paralysis if consumed.
Source: Imperial Palace Pantry.
Leo paused, staring down at the poisoned slab of meat.
Up on the royal balcony, Crown Prince Zhao Zhen and Grand Alchemist Dan Flame leaned forward, waiting with cruel, expectant smiles to see Leo panic or fail.
Ling Yue, standing behind Leo, noticed the subtle discoloration near the bone and gasped softly. "Leo... the meat. It’s poisoned with Ghost-Grass! They gave you tainted ingredients!"
She reached for her sword hilt. "I will inform the tournament judges immediately—"
"Senior Sister, relax," Leo interrupted smoothly, a dark, incredibly amused grin spreading across his face.
"Relax?!" Ling Yue whispered urgently. "How can you cook with poisoned meat in front of eighty thousand people?!"
Leo picked up his [Chaos Butcher's Cleaver] and looked up at the royal balcony where Zhao Zhen was sitting. He locked eyes with the Crown Prince, winking at him with shameless arrogance.
"Ghost-Grass Toxin, huh?" Leo mused silently inside his mind. "High sulfur content, earthy undertones, slightly bitter finish... In terrestrial culinary science, we don't call that poison."
Leo opened his System shop, spending 200 SP instantly.
[PURCHASE SUCCESSFUL!]
Item Acquired: Aged Balsamic Glaze & Roasted Garlic Paste (System Grade)
Properties: Perfectly neutralizes bitter alkaloids and converts ghost-toxins into rich, savory umami flavors!
"In terrestrial cooking," Leo declared aloud, his voice amplified by his Chaos Qi so that it resounded across the entire eighty-thousand-seat arena, "we call that an organic marinade!"
Leo slammed his cleaver down onto the wooden cutting board with lightning speed.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
His hands turned into a blur of golden light. Within three seconds, the entire slab of marbled spirit beast meat was sliced into razor-thin, perfectly uniform strips.
Leo fired up his elemental stove, pouring a thick wave of dark-golden Chaos Qi directly into his cast-iron skillet.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
The moment the sliced meat hit the white-hot skillet, accompanied by a heavy dollop of roasted garlic paste and balsamic glaze, a reaction occurred that made the entire imperial arena freeze in absolute shock.
There was no foul, bitter stench. There was no grey poisonous smoke.
Instead, a blinding column of rich, golden-amber steam erupted from Leo’s frying pan, carrying an aroma so divine, so intensely savory, and so overwhelmingly fragrant that it blew across the entire stadium like a tidal wave.
Eighty thousand people simultaneously inhaled.
SNIFF... SNIFF...
In the front rows, three elderly sect judges who had been sitting with closed eyes suddenly snapped their eyes open, their mouths watering uncontrollably.
In the upper bleachers, tens of thousands of audience members stood up from their seats, their stomachs letting out a collective, thunderous roar of absolute hunger.
"W-WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!"
"MY GOD! MY MERIDIANS ARE VIBRATING JUST FROM BREATHING THE STEAM!"
"IT SMELLS LIKE HEAVEN!"
Up on the royal balcony, Grand Alchemist Dan Flame’s jaw dropped so low it nearly touched his knees. "IMPOSSIBLE! Ghost-Grass Toxin should have ruined the dish! How did he turn a Grade 3 poison into an aromatic catalyst?!"
Crown Prince Zhao Zhen stood up from his throne, his face turning an ugly shade of violent purple as he stared down at the glowing, sizzling skillet on Leo’s platform.
Leo tossed the sizzling, caramelized beef strips into the air, catching them perfectly on a wooden platter held by Ling Yue. He looked up at the royal balcony, raising his spatula like a saluting sword.
"First course complete!" Leo announced, his voice echoing across the roaring arena with supreme, unshakeable confidence. "Who wants a taste of Detroit?!"
Comments (0)