Glowing Dish!

[Century Soup]

From the Toriko," it refers to a naturally formed "thick soup" found in the gourmet windows of extremely cold regions, where countless rare delicacies are frozen.

It is so clear that it is almost transparent, like air, and beautiful aurora lights can be seen above the finished product.

As for its taste, it can be described in just one word:

Ice!

All drinkers will involuntarily turn into perverted smiles due to the overwhelming sense of satisfaction they experience!

But ice can harm the body. What about the Century Soup? It's a treasure trove of natural ingredients with numerous benefits.

Even though its effects don't mention anything about addiction, after Gong Qiying gave Ku Li Pa a spoonful of the Century Soup, the elven gourmet acted as if he had taken too much Blood Therapy Potion, constantly wanting more.

Gong Qiying assured that he had absolutely no improper thoughts about elves, especially male elves. He was only interested in Ku Li Pa's abilities and was just giving him a little incentive to motivate him to win the match.

Who would have thought that a gourmet would become so dependent on the Century Soup!

"This is the [Secret Seasoning Bitter Seasoning]. I had a lot of trouble getting my hands on it, and you are only allowed to use a little during the competition."

Gong Qiying placed the secret seasoning from Pokémon Morpho on front of Ku Li Pa and said:

"But a dish that only tastes bitter won't do. Keep following the clues I gave you to find salty and spicy seasonings."

He thought for a moment and added, "It's okay if we can't find it. There are plenty of ingredients in the Gourmet Area. I believe we can win even without relying on the legendary seasonings."

"I will definitely find the seasoning, you can rest assured. I will absolutely not let that bastard Ba Xi defile my paradise."

Gong Qiying's words only fueled Ku Li Pa's fighting spirit, and the two of them discussed cooking with great interest for a while before the latter hurriedly left, preparing to continue into the Gourmet Area the next day.

"She's a very simple person, that's good."

After chatting, Gong Qiying confirmed that the other party was a gourmet who was completely devoted to food and had no interest in anything else.

For example, he deliberately brought up things like monsters and treasures in dungeons, which most people are interested in, and the other person immediately fell asleep.

In short, using Ku Li Pa to win is the most appropriate strategy.

However, just in case, Gong Qiying planned to temporarily stuff some good stuff into the Gourmet Area when Ku Li Pa entered the dungeon next time.

Soon after, news of the Gourmet Competition spread widely thanks to the efforts of certain individuals.

Under Ba Xi's organization, a steady stream of ingredients was transported to Bede City. These were naturally the ingredients they needed for the competition, and all of them were top-quality goods that he, with his status, could obtain.

The Wyvern's Rump Meat, the tail of a Thor lizard, and the Great Mountain Ox Steak.

These are things that only the big shots in high society can afford; the people of Bede City are seeing them for the first time!

Seeing the curious glances from people, Ba Xi and his apprentices were filled with confidence.

Meanwhile, Ku Li Pa was not idle during the days they were transporting food.

He used his own money to organize an adventurer team, but it can't really be considered that he organized it, because he directly rented the guild's Exploration Team!

The Exploration Team was indeed exceptional. During their preparations, they made a series of discoveries, including many previously unseen treasures that surprised Exploration Team— "How come we've never seen these things before?!"

They even obtained outrageous things that were absolutely impossible for them to acquire with their abilities.

Ku Li Pa attributed these discoveries to the guidance of Gong Qiying, and felt a connection with the Gourmet Area, believing it to be the blessing of the god of food.

While acquiring a large amount of ingredients, he discussed recipes with Gong Qiying day and night. He discovered that this mysterious shopkeeper, whom he had met by chance, had a deep understanding of food and could always offer unique insights. His fondness for Gong Qiying increased rapidly.

As for why Gong Qiying had such profound insights, or how he obtained clues about the seasonings, Ku Li Pa was not interested in any of them. For him, being able to exchange ideas about food was enough.

The days passed by in a flurry of preparations, and finally, the day arrived.

"The Red Team on the left is the Gourmet Area Guard, represented by Chef Ku Li Pa, a one-star chef!"

"The blue team on the right represents the Gourmet Area challengers, represented by two-star chef Mr. Ba Xi!"

"The judges for this competition are a panel of three-Michelin-starred chefs and a panel of judges selected from local residents. Please trust that the results will be absolutely fair and impartial!"

"Next, please welcome the sponsor of this competition, the esteemed Earl Ka Rong!"

At the heated competition venue, Ka Rong, dressed impeccably and handsomely, waved to the crowd and delivered a lengthy speech.

While he delivered a lengthy speech, the two sides were anything but harmonious.

Ba Xi, with his tall, muscular, and typical redneck appearance, exudes a wild charm, but his dishes are renowned for their exquisite presentation.

Ku Li Pa, a spirited little old elf, is best known for his vegetarian cooking, which is versatile in style.

The two stared at each other across the distance, sparks seemingly flying in the air, and the former revealed a contemptuous smile.

"The match begins!"

This is a competition without rules; both sides give it their all, striving to create the most perfect dish!

Create delicious food that will captivate the world!

Each side has four chances to serve their dish, and the winner will be determined by them.

Ba Xi sent one of his apprentices, and so did Ku Li Pa; the two of them were the grand finale, so of course they would only appear at the very end.

"Mr. Ba Xi has dispatched his prized lieutenant, Men De Lie, who is already an eighth-level chef at a young age and is even a potential successor to Mr. Ba Xi! How will Mr. Ku Li Pa deal with such a formidable opponent!"

"Go ahead." Ku Li Pa patted a young-looking apprentice, who shrugged and cautiously walked over.

"They actually sent a chef who hasn't taken any certification exams. Could this young man be Mr. Ku Li Pa's hidden trump card? Let's wait and see!"

The two shook hands, and the young, inexperienced chef appeared somewhat timid, overshadowed by the tall and imposing Men De Lie.

The latter gave the same disdainful smile as his master and turned back to the kitchen counter.

The host went straight to Men De Lie and began interviewing him.

"What delicious food have you prepared for today?"

"The meat of the sixth segment of the Thor lizard's tail, also known as the golden meat, can only be produced by the royal members of the group. After cooking, it will have a faint golden luster."

Men De Lie placed a piece of tail meat the size of a human head on the cutting board, eliciting gasps of amazement from the crowd. This kind of meat could fetch astronomical prices at auctions, and most people had never even seen it before.

Men De Lie grinned, skillfully slicing the tail meat, and introduced, "This time I'll be making roasted ribs, served with a sauce made from the tears of the King of Qingyu Chicken and Cyprika flowers."

Expensive ingredients kept popping out of his mouth, and for every word he uttered, the host would loudly explain the origin of the ingredient, creating a back-and-forth dialogue like a comedy routine.

"What a feast for the eyes! To see so many high-quality ingredients, I would be willing to eat these every day!" exclaimed the audience.

"You're really messing with me." Gong Qiying, sitting in the audience, glanced at the person and realized it was Malu. This girl actually came here to slack off.

"So, what kind of dish does our hidden ace plan to make today?"

The young elf said while rinsing the rice, "Fried rice."

"Oh, is there anything else?" the host asked. "According to the Elf Race recipe, this fried rice you made should be a healthy, purely vegetarian dish?"

"No, I plan to stir-fry it with meat, which will be more in line with the general public's taste."

"Were any rare or exotic ingredients used?"

"Hmm, glistening rice from the Elven Forest, onions, and..."

The audience didn't react at all, Men De Lie laughed even more broadly, because these were extremely ordinary ingredients, so ordinary that even his high-end restaurants wouldn't buy them.

Just from the choice of ingredients, the elves have already lost—

"And there's also Jewel Meat from the Gourmet Area."

The elf brought up the storage box, which had been enchanted with preservation magic.

"Jewel Meat?"

Men De Lie chuckled. "Something I've never even heard of. It's just a clumsy imitation of my Golden Meat."

You named it "Jewel Meat," and you really think it can shine like a gemstone?

He stared at the elf, trying to see what it was, and then his laughter stopped.

Because when the storage box was opened, the sky was filled with dazzling starlight, and a whole piece of round and tender treasure meat appeared in everyone's eyes.

"Wow!"

Ingredients with built-in special effects!

No matter how precious the ingredients in this world are, they are still just ingredients. The golden color of the Golden Meat is just because it has a lot of oil. It's nothing like the Jewel Meat, which really shines like a gem!

"This, this," the host stammered, staring dumbfounded at the Jewel Meat. The stunning special effects alone were enough to prove something.

And the young elf continued:

"The main ingredient is Jewel Meat, the egg used is Happiny, and the side ingredients include Farfetch'd's green onion, Slowpoke's tail, and..."

The ingredients are indeed from the Gourmet Area, but they are all things that no one has ever heard of. Where did these elves get them?

Ba Xi frowned as he looked at the Jewel Meat, then turned to look at Ku Li Pa.

The latter met his gaze without flinching, a smile playing on her lips.

Men De Lie's face darkened; he keenly sensed the threat and immediately buried himself in cooking.

The elf twirled the Eternal Spirit Blade in its hand, slicing the leek of the Farfetch'd in two.

The audience was swept up in the excitement of the performance, creating a vibrant and energetic atmosphere.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud—time's up! Both sides serve their food!

The several golden pork chops made by Men De Lie were sizzling with oil, and the rich fat gave them a light golden hue, making them look quite appealing.

The three-star chef judges were all expressionless, as serious as if they were in court. They took a small bite of the steak and nodded slightly.

The audience judges' reactions were much more exaggerated, with each one praising how delicious it was, saying, "I would die happy if I could eat this in my lifetime."

Ba Xi nodded to Men De Lie, indicating that he could rest assured. Based on his understanding of the judges, the nod meant that they approved of the dish's quality.

Next, it was the elves' turn to serve the food.

Each plate of fried rice was portioned into a tray and covered, presumably to keep it hot.

This dish has been highly anticipated since the appearance of the Jewel Meat, and the expressionless judges opened the lid.

"Ah! My eyes!"

Those sitting close to the camera screamed in pain; their eyes had been blinded by the light!

The moment the lid was lifted, golden light shot into the sky, even dyeing the sky with color!

These elves actually put Flash Spell in the food?!

After the golden light came a sky full of stardust, the color of the Jewel Meat.

This isn't Flash Spell; rather, it's the natural color of the ingredients being brought out and displayed before the world.

This is the first day that Glowing Dish appeared in the world.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar fragrance wafted through the air, causing a change in the judges' expressions, and some even swallowed hard.

Ku Li Pa keenly noticed this detail and immediately felt victory was within his grasp, while Ba Xi sensed that something was terribly wrong.

The lead judge scooped up a full spoonful, but stopped at his lips without putting it in. Suddenly, his expression came to life, and he asked:

"May I ask what dishes you're planning to make next?"

The elf politely replied, "Raw Puffer Whale, BB Corn, and a soup."

"Is it tasty?"

The elf nodded.

The judge tried hard to control his expression. "Then I'm relieved."

As the brightly colored fried rice was put into their mouths, the judges' expressions changed instantly, revealing...

A look of happiness on his face?

Those judges, who usually have expressionless faces, actually showed this kind of expression!

The Egg of Happiny: A wondrous egg filled with happiness; whoever eats it will become gentle and kind, no matter how fierce the person.