Who Let Him Cultivate?!

All the Spirit Chefs looked toward the golden Star armband worn by Lu Yang, their eyes full of envy. This was the supreme honor that all Spirit Chefs dreamed of, yet compared to the status of Immortal Cook's Successor, the golden Star armband seemed somewhat dimmed.

It could be said that if Lu Yang hadn't obtained the golden Star armband, it would have diminished its value!

"Little Yang, be confident, you are a Spirit Chef personally taught by me, becoming number one is only natural." Fairy Eternity was quite pleased with herself, as Lu Yang won in the final round relying on her Yin Yang Tofu!

Though there were some twists and unexpected events, it was an undeniable fact that Lu Yang triumphed in the Five Star Spirit Chef Team.

After all five competitions had ended, Song Tianjing, the winner of the Two Star Spirit Chef Team, stepped onto the award platform under everyone's watchful eyes, and Yu Qian'er's eyes shone when she looked at Song Tianjing.

"Song Tianjing, what kind of ingredient would you like as a reward?" asked Daoist Ming Yuan.

Song Tianjing initially wanted Firmament Tree, as all three dishes in the Complete Culinary Compendium used it for firewood.

But since Firmament Tree wasn't exactly an ingredient, and it was unlikely that the Spirit Chef Alliance had it.

"Star Core, I want the Star Core."

"Oh, that's interesting," Daoist Ming Yuan handed a square wooden box to Song Tianjing, containing the Star Core inside.

"Lu Yang, what ingredient do you desire?" Daoist Ming Yuan's attitude towards Lu Yang was noticeably more gentle than towards the other winners.

"Immortal Fruit."

That embarrassing thing from Fairy Eternity had to be recovered.

Daoist Ming Yuan solemnly handed half of an Immortal Fruit to Lu Yang: "Our alliance failed to recognize the Immortal Object as a mere Spiritual Object, truly a shame. I hope this fruit will shine uniquely in your hands."

"It will!" Lu Yang responded with the same solemnity.

The winners of the other three groups were Jin Tan's men, and according to his orders, they obtained three legendary ingredients from Daoist Ming Yuan.

"Sir, mission accomplished!"

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

"Bodhi Glazed Fruit, Nine Revolutions Coiled Dragon Bamboo Shoot, Proverb Fish, we're just missing the one from the Five Star Spirit Chef Team..."

Jin Tan's eyes narrowed slightly, he hadn't expected Lu Yang to pull off a Devour the Sky and Swallow the Earth, pretending to be a member of their team.

"Well, missing one doesn't matter!"

Jin Tan strode with the vigor of a tiger and dragon to confront Daoist Ming Yuan, pointing at his nose.

"Old Daoist Ming Yuan, I hereby challenge you for the position of Alliance Leader. Do you dare to accept the battle?"

He had been biding his time for three hundred years for this day, only he hadn't anticipated the unforeseen emergence of Lu Yang and Song Tianjing.

He was never one for elaborate schemes, but for the Alliance Leader's position, he had clashed wits and courage with Daoist Ming Yuan for three hundred years, unwilling to continue the fight. Now that they had fallen out, it was time to settle it once and for all!

The crowd that had dispersed started to get agitated.

"What, what, Jin Tan is issuing an Alliance Leader challenge?"

"I heard that he was terribly defeated by Daoist Ming Yuan three hundred years ago, he's surely well-prepared if he's come back today."

"There's excitement on the way!"

"Will Alliance Leader Ming Yuan accept the challenge?"

"He has to, rejecting it would undermine his authority as leader, and there would be no point in holding his position!"

Daoist Ming Yuan looked at Jin Tan's determined gaze, sighed and lowered his head: "You have finally taken this step, so be it, I will accept your challenge."

The crowd erupted in cheers, a duel between two Eighth Star Spirit Chefs, a scene many Spirit Chefs would never witness in their lifetimes!

"Second-in-command, I knew you would win!" Yun Mengmeng said excitedly, with the Chief Housekeeper himself giving pointers, how could it be otherwise?

Now, everyone was more excited than Lu Yang himself.

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

Hmm, quite delicious, juicy and plump, as if just picked.

"Let's watch the competition before leaving," Lu Yang was also curious about what a battle between Eighth Star Spirit Chefs would look like.

The judging panel had been temporarily transformed into cooking stations, and two great Eighth Star Spirit Chefs stood facing each other, the atmosphere heavy.

With a gong sound, both chefs sprang into action.

Exorcising demons, chopping vegetables, extracting juice, seasoning the pot... The aroma quickly spread throughout the venue.

"Look, there's something behind them!" someone exclaimed.

Behind each chef rose the illusory shadows of a black dragon and a white phoenix, and as dragon and phoenix cries resonated, the shadows fiercely battled!

"What is that?" Lu Yang was confused. "Fairy, do you recognize it?"

"I've never seen such a thing; that's not how we cooked in ancient times."

At that moment, Ma Bin came over to explain to Lu Yang, "According to ancient texts, when ancient Immortal Cooks prepared food, the shadows of dragons and phoenixes often accompanied them, with constant cries of dragons and phoenixes."

"The founder of the Spirit Chef Alliance theorized that this is a sign of reaching the Nine Star Spirit Chef Realm."

"To approach the Nine Star Spirit Chef Realm, the founder of the Spirit Chef Alliance created a unique Spirit Chef Technique. Once one becomes an Eighth Star Spirit Chef, their essence, qi, and spirit merge into the dishes, and the dishes summon partial illusory shadows for battle. The side whose shadow wins offers the tastier dish!"

"...That's really challenging the founder of the Spirit Chef Alliance, inventing such a technique," Lu Yang couldn't help scoffing.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Lu Yang," Ma Bin took the opportunity to get closer with Lu Yang, rubbing his hands with a smile, only to be pushed away in disgust by Lu Yang.

"Speak plainly."

"Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, considering you are a successor of the Immortal Chef, could you perhaps teach me a technique or two? I would surely repay you generously on behalf of the Ma Family!"

"Aren't you from the Imperial Kitchen?"

"Yes, the Blades of the Imperial Kitchen!"

Lu Yang thought it over, considering Emperor Xia was, after all, the Prime Minister of the Great Bean Dynasty, and it wouldn't do well to have scandal before he even took office — it would look bad as internal strife within the Great Bean Dynasty.

"No."

Ma Bin looked disappointed, but it was understandable, as Immortal Chef's skills were not to be imparted lightly: "I was inappropriate to ask."

At that moment, the two Eighth Star Spirit Chefs were in the heat of battle, focused solely on the pure competition.

"Daoist Ming Yuan, the position of Alliance Leader should rightfully be mine, behold the ultimate dish I diligently mastered!"

"Jin Tan, you're still too young, not solid enough, leaving the Spirit Chef Alliance in your hands would only lead it to decline!"

"Behold my Devouring Life Blade Technique!"

"Willow Leaf Light Wind Blade Technique!"

Jin Tan's chef's knife emanated devouring power, absorbing all impurities from the vegetables during chopping!

Ming Yuan's blade moved as though a gentle breeze, not intense, yet offering an immensely reassuring and comfortable sensation.

"Heavenly Fire, heed my command, ignite!"

"Waters of the Far Northern Ice Layer, appear!"

Dragons and phoenixes clashed, water and fire confronted each other, sending countless ripples through the space; dragon and phoenix cries could be heard miles away, startling Emperor Xia in the Imperial Palace.

"Scared me; I thought Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi had brought their fight here."

"Why do these chefs cook as if they are fighting?"

Among them was Jiang Lianyi, one of the top Semi-Immortals and one who shared the same Dao Fruit Outline as him; he definitely couldn't stop her.

But mere two Transcendance Tribulation Stage chefs couldn't stir up any trouble in his Demon City!