Pots, pans, bowls, utensils, food, and medicinal ingredients lay scattered everywhere in the kitchen. Song Tianjing had dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t slept for five days, completely absorbed in the Comprehensive Culinary Compendium, to the point of losing track of time.

Of course, part of it was also due to his inability to distinguish dreams and reality.

Song Tianjing opened the windows. The early morning sunlight wasn’t too intense, yet it still felt dazzling to him.

“Oh no! I got so engrossed in studying the recipes that I almost forgot about today’s Spirit Chef Exam!”

To participate in the Spirit Chef Competition, one must first become a certified spirit chef. He absolutely couldn’t miss the exam!

Without bothering to tidy up the kitchen, he rushed straight to the exam venue.

~~~

“Qian’er, the chieftain has already agreed to our marriage. He’ll soon go to your Jade Rabbit Tribe to formally propose. This will surely produce a great Transcendent Tribulation demon emperor!”

“Young Master Wu, you should give up on this idea. It’s impossible between us!” Qian’er was dressed in white robes and white socks, her entire figure as white as snow. Even the long ears atop her head were pure white without a trace of other colors, an extremely rare sight.

Hearing this, Young Master Wu grabbed Qian’er’s slender wrist agitatedly. “Qian’er, don’t you understand my feelings? I really like you!”

“Let go of me!” Qian’er struggled, repulsed by Young Master Wu’s touch.

“Qian’er, actually, I—”

“Make way, make way!” The disheveled and unkempt Song Tianjing dashed toward the registration area. He had intended to go around Young Master Wu and Qian’er, but after five sleepless days, his sense of distance and direction were somewhat impaired, and he accidentally knocked Young Master Wu over.

“Sorry, sorry! Are you alright?”

“Are you blind? How dare you bump into this young master? Do you know who I am? I am the Holy Son of the Five Poisons Tribe!” Young Master Wu was enraged that Song Tianjing had ruined his moment.

Meanwhile, Qian’er secretly breathed a sigh of relief and seized this opportunity to slip away from him.

Song Tianjing cursed inwardly. After arriving in Demon City, he had befriended several Foundation Establishment demons, all of whom had told him that the Foundation Establishment cultivator he absolutely couldn’t afford to offend was the vindictive Holy Son of the Five Poisons Clan.

The young lady standing beside Young Master Wu was someone he had briefly met before—Yu Qian’er of the Jade Rabbit Tribe.[1]

“I’m truly sorry, Holy Son Wu. Time is running short. Please allow me to go register first. After the exam ends, I will personally visit and offer my apologies!”

Song Tianjing finally signed himself up just as the incense stick burned out.

Watching Song Tianjing’s flustered figure rush off to register, Young Master Wu sneered. “It looks like he wants to become a spirit chef, just like you and me.

“I will make you understand the price of offending this young master!”

“Wu, I’m warning you—you’re not to lay a hand on him!” Qian’er threatened him anxiously. Although it had been unintentional, Song Tianjing had helped her out of her predicament. She couldn’t just stand by and watch Young Master Wu make things difficult for him.

Hearing Qian’er speak in Song Tianjing’s defense, Young Master Wu was even more displeased.

“Don’t worry, Qian’er. He’s just a clown. I’m not that petty.” Young Master Wu put on an amiable smile, but inwardly, he was snickering.

It was too late. While Song Tianjing was registering, Young Master Wu had already used a needle to poison him. The poison wasn’t strong, but it was set to take effect once the Spirit Chef Exam began, causing him to collapse onto the stove. That will be an amusing scene, won’t it?

Judging by that brat’s dark circles, he’s clearly sleep-deprived. Even if he falls asleep during the exam, no one would suspect anything.

However, when the exam ended, Young Master Wu was dumbfounded to see Song Tianjing emerge unscathed with a two-star spirit chef armband. How is this possible? Was this brat not poisoned?!

“Young Master Wu, so you’re still here waiting for me. I’m sorry, truly, I’m so sorry!” Seeing Young Master Wu still there, Song Tianjing hurried over and apologized sincerely.

“I don’t know why, but I was groggy before registering. After registering, my mind suddenly cleared. I even exceeded my usual performance while cooking, and the examiner was full of praise for my dishes.”

Young Master Wu was stunned. Absorbing poison as power—a characteristic of the Hundred-Poisons Sacred Body? This must be a joke. That brat possesses the Hundred Poisons Sacred Body, the bane of our Five Poisons Tribe?

Yu Qian’er blinked. She wasn’t stupid. She could guess that with Young Master Wu’s vengeful nature, he had surely poisoned Song Tianjing. However, Song Tianjing had neutralized it with ease.

Though Song Tianjing is unassuming in appearance, he appears to hold many secrets.

After Song Tianjing and Yu Qian’er left, Young Master Wu also revealed his two-star armband.

“I shall personally take action at the Spirit Chef Competition tomorrow. Let’s see just how capable you really are!”

~~~

“It’s the Spirit Chef Competition tomorrow. Little He, aren’t you participating?” As usual, Yun Mengmeng bought a large pile of spirit foods to share with Little He. These were what she had tasted and found delicious.

I’ll also share them with the Second-in-Command when I return tonight. Yun Mengmeng was elated. Sharing once brings double the joy; sharing twice will bring four times the joy!

“Unfortunately, I can’t leave this place.” Little He sighed. Since the Battle of Xitian Temple ended, Hui Doudou had placed a restriction on her, preventing her from leaving the shop.

“What a shame. Our Second-in-Command is going to compete. I wanted to introduce you to him.”

“Your Second-in-Command is also competing?” Little He frowned. Mengmeng had said that the “Second-in-Command” had come to Demon City reluctantly for her sake. Yet he’s qualified to enter the Spirit Chef Competition. Can that really be called “reluctant?”

This “Second-in-Command” even deceives someone as innocent as Mengmeng. As I thought, he’s not a good person!

~~~

These days, the Qiongqi Tribe had been eating well. A nine-star spirit chef provided guidance, the Little Ancestor supervised the process, and a five-star spirit chef handled the cooking. They ate a wide variety of demon beast dishes, with no repeats.

Inside the Qingfeng Sword’s small world, only bones remained scattered across the ground; the meat had all been eaten by the Qiongqi Tribe. Lu Yang’s culinary skills had visibly improved.

“Time to participate in the competition.” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Lu Yang put on his armband, ready to set out. The armband bore five black stars, indicating that he was a distinguished five-star spirit chef. He could now be more or less considered a cultivator with some proficiency in the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, though this status had been obtained through the Taotie Tribe’s backdoor connections.

After Lu Yang emerged from seclusion at the Qiongqi Tribe, he saw Yun Mengmeng waiting at the entrance to accompany him to the competition.

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy had demonstrated some of her skills, and Jin Caiwei unfortunately ended up with food poisoning, unable to accompany Lu Yang.

“So many spirit chefs, far more than at the market.” Yun Mengmeng had never seen so many spirit chefs in her life. She regretted not being a judge, unable to taste all this wonderful food.

The registration site of the competition was packed with people. The spirit chefs’ appearances were diverse: some were bald and bare-chested, two cleavers hanging from their necks; some carried large woks on their backs, a full set of kitchen tools tied around their waists; and some, though youthful in appearance, had blackened fingers and arms as withered as dead trees.

Compared to these individuals, Lu Yang and Yun Mengmeng looked far too normal, which made them seem somewhat out of place instead.

“The Spirit Chef Competition is a grand event in the spirit chef community and is held once every ten years. The champion receives a crimson armband, signifying that they are the most outstanding spirit chef at their level.

“The spirit chefs we saw at the market a few days ago were only a fraction. Many more stayed indoors, urgently refining their skills before the competition.”

“So that’s how it is,” Yun Mengmeng remarked.

Including myself, Lu Yang silently added.

1. The “yu” is the same as the “yu” for jade. ☜