Grilled Fish Farewell

"I'm telling you, Yuhao's cooking is absolutely top-tier; you have to try it." Xiao Wu nodded with satisfaction, continuing to embellish the story.

Seeing the anticipation in everyone's eyes, Huo Yuhao scratched his head. "Since everyone wants a taste, I'll whip up a batch."

Soon, the group arrived at the open space outside the cafeteria. They watched as Huo Yuhao skillfully set up his grill, with dry firewood and seasonings all at the ready.

The fish had just been bought from a village fisherman; after counting heads, Huo Yuhao had purchased fifty of them.

"It's too slow for one person. Tang San, come help me prep the fish."

Tang San nodded and stepped forward to assist. Although he didn't know how to grill, he knew how to scale and gut them.

The two of them finished prepping all the fish in no time.

"Ma Hongjun, give me some fire."

"You got it." Ma Hongjun activated Martial Soul Possession, and with a single breath of flame, the dry wood burst into a roaring fire.

Watching Huo Yuhao skillfully brush seasoning onto the fish, Oscar stroked his chin and chuckled, "I wonder how it compares to my Sausage?"

Xiao Wu, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Hmph, do you think I'd lie to you? I guarantee you'll swallow your own tongue."

The grill was no longer the small one from before; after coming into some money, Huo Yuhao had long since upgraded to a larger, more refined model.

With the help of Spirit Detection, grilling eight fish at once was no problem. Under his practiced flipping, a rich, savory aroma gradually filled the air.

"It smells so good!" Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up. Aside from suppressing his Evil Fire and cultivating, his life revolved around food; he knew from the scent alone that it wouldn't disappoint.

The others swallowed their saliva one after another, watching the Grilled Fish with eager eyes.

Just then, a voice called out, "What smells so good? Did that stingy Flender decide to give us an extra meal?"

Everyone turned to see Zhao Wuji walking toward the cafeteria with long strides, likely coming to gather them.

"Teacher Zhao, it's Yuhao grilling fish. It smells amazing. Do you want to try some later?" Oscar greeted him with a grin.

Zhao Wuji glanced at Huo Yuhao, who was busy at the grill, and secretly swallowed his saliva. "Oh? Yuhao has this skill? I think I'll..." Just as he was about to refuse, Huo Yuhao interrupted.

"Teacher Zhao, you should try some. I already factored you and the Dean into the count; it would be a waste if you two didn't eat."

With his words cut off, Zhao Wuji hesitated for a moment before nodding with a smile.

"Alright then, I'll have a taste of your craft!"

The fish were soon ready. Excluding Huo Yuhao, there were exactly eight people, one for each.

Looking at the steaming, golden Grilled Fish in his hand, Ma Hongjun was the first to lose his patience; he blew on it twice and shoved it into his mouth.

"This! This is too delicious!? Everyone, hurry and try it, it's truly a delicacy of the human world."

He couldn't stop after the first bite and urged everyone to dig in.

"Is it really that good?"

Ning Rongrong muttered, taking a small bite. Her eyes widened instantly as she carefully examined the fish in her hand.

"I clearly saw only simple seasonings earlier, how can it taste this good!"

Back at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had tasted every delicacy imaginable, but those ingredients were meticulously selected—how could such simple seasonings produce this result?

"Delicious! Yuhao, I never expected your skills to be this good. I almost missed out."

Zhao Wuji teased himself, drawing a round of laughter from the group.

Whenever the group finished eating, Huo Yuhao would have the next batch ready. One after another, they couldn't stop.

The group spontaneously started a fish-eating competition.

"Enough, enough, my stomach is about to burst."

By the fourth round, Dai Mubai waved his hand at Huo Yuhao, shaking his head like a rattle. Everyone else had already dropped out.

Huo Yuhao chuckled and looked around. The only remaining contestants were Zhao Wuji, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu.

He was finally able to eat his own Grilled Fish.

Zhao Wuji looked at Xiao Wu with surprise. "I never expected Xiao Wu to have such a big appetite!"

Xiao Wu lifted her chin and said with a giggle, "Of course! As much of Yuhao's Grilled Fish as there is, I'll eat it all! Teacher Zhao, if you can't handle it, you should just admit defeat!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes widened. "Oh, you little Xiao Wu, today I'll settle this with you and show you that a teacher is always a teacher!"

"Don't forget about me, Teacher Zhao! I'm still in the fight!" Ma Hongjun shouted, his mouth stuffed with fish.

The others, who were already too full to eat, turned into spectators, cheering for their favorite contestants.

The scene spiraled out of control; the cheering and shouting echoed through the air, their emotions even more intense than during a soul fighting match.

"Teacher Zhao, go! Take them both down!" Oscar waved his fists and roared.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing focused their support on Xiao Wu, their fellow girl. "Xiao Wu, Zhuqing and I are rooting for you! Go!"

"Fatty! Take them both down, and I'll cover your expenses for the next month! Don't embarrass me or the academy!"

Hearing this, Ma Hongjun looked at Dai Mubai with excitement, nodded fiercely, and shoved more food into his mouth with renewed vigor.

Huo Yuhao was stunned, turning to look at Tang San, who was equally shocked.

"Have they all gone crazy?"

Tang San also snapped back to his senses, his expression somewhat fearful as he scanned the crowd, "Maybe... it's just that your Grilled Fish is too delicious, Huo Yuhao."

"What kind of competition is this that has you all so worked up?"

A voice drifted over. Huo Yuhao and Tang San were the first to react, turning their heads to look.

"It's the Dean!"

Immediately after, the others spotted Flender. Oscar, never one to shy away from chaos, called out, "Dean, come quickly! We're holding a Grilled Fish eating contest. You should join in too; there's still plenty left!"

Flender frowned. As he drew closer, he saw the starving-ghost-like eating habits of the three contestants and the surrounding spectators arguing until they were red in the face.

"..."

He took a deep breath, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Absurd! To think that as Spirit Masters, you would act like this over mere Grilled Fish! This is an absolute disgrace to Shrek Academy!"

"Huh, the taste is actually not bad? Huo Yuhao, your skills are quite impressive!"

"Give it up, you lot! Back when I, this old man, dominated the Spirit Master world under the title of one of the Golden Iron Triangle, you weren't even born yet! When it comes to eating, I have never feared anyone!"

Huo Yuhao watched the crowd, who were acting as if they were having seizures, and chose to keep his head down and grill more fish.

"Teacher Zhao, this is for you."

Huo Yuhao handed a small pouch to Zhao Wuji. The moment it was produced, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.

"What is this?"

"This is an insect repellent I made. It works much better than what's on the market. If you sprinkle it around the campsite, common venomous insects and wild beasts won't come near."

"Ho, that's very useful. Alright, I'll take it!"

"Burp~~~ Then we're off~~~" Zhao Wuji walked a few steps, let out a loud burp, and waved at the three people standing at the academy gate. The six young men and women beside him also turned to wave goodbye.

Flender urged them repeatedly, "Remember to be careful once you enter the forest. Anything can happen in there—burp~~"