Sewn Together! Every Last Piece!

With the Seventy-two Faces of Soaring Dragon setting the bar impossibly high, the dishes that followed had lost all their luster. After the judges had mechanically sampled a few bites, the match—whose outcome had never been in doubt—finally reached the awards ceremony.

Li Huang, seated at the very center of the judges' panel, didn't reach for a microphone. Instead, he channeled his Internal Force, and his booming voice immediately rang across the entire plaza—

"It's been an honor to judge this year's Dragon Gate Noodle Competition. This isn't just a formality; it comes from the bottom of our hearts. Today, we witnessed a creation worthy of being called the pinnacle of pastry."

"We have every reason to believe that this competition, and the names of us judges, will go down in the history of the Culinary World thanks to this pastry. There can be no dispute over the winner of this competition: it's Sun Wukong's Soaring Dragon Crisp!"

A wave of applause immediately broke out across the venue. Even those who hadn't tasted the dish had already enjoyed an extraordinary feast for their senses, thanks to the aroma bursting from the Dragon Blood Thick Soup.

Feng Xue stood on the awards platform. Guang Qing, a judge from Dragon Gate itself, presented him with a pastry stick capped in gold at both ends, congratulating him on his victory. Beside him, Li Huang sighed.

"Pity this is only a special-grade pastry competition. We can't bypass the competition's ranking system and grant you a higher title. Otherwise, your Soaring Dragon Crisp would be more than worthy of a 'Saint' title. Still, it's not too late. The Peach Banquet is two months away. Spend that time refining your craft, and I'll help you apply for a spot this year!"

Feng Xue had only been