Century Soup

Ah~

"Bang bang bang!"

Just as the most aloof judge was eating fried rice with a blissful expression, a series of explosions and... suggestive moans suddenly erupted around him.

Looking back, God above, why did the clothes of the other judges and the audience suddenly explode?!

The scene was littered with tattered rags!

The Holy Light Knight present quickly activated their magic, and in an instant, the pure and Holy Light blocked all the defiled vision.

The Holy Light has once again preserved peace in the world. Quickly say thank you to the Holy Light God.

The bewildered onlookers looked at the elven chef in horror. Could it be that this guy had added some kind of explosive alchemical potion to the food? Why were everyone's clothes exploding?!

However, before anyone could voice their questions, before any doubts or anger arose, those whose clothes had exploded from tasting the fried rice began to fidget.

"Ah~ This is the best food I've ever eaten in my life. The rich, melt-in-your-mouth oil and the blissful taste are simply a perfect combination. Ah, it reminds me of the innocent days of my first date with my boyfriend and his hard work."

How did things escalate so inappropriately for children?! The Holy Light Knight quickly knocked him unconscious.

Anyone who eats fried rice invariably exhibits the following characteristics:

Her eyes were glazed over, her face flushed, her posture swayed, her voice was breathless, and most importantly, while commenting on the taste of the food, she couldn't help but steer the conversation in a strange direction.

Men De Lie looked at the elven chef in alarm. He never expected that this seemingly inexperienced and weak boy would secretly poison the food!

It's Spring O, right?

This is outrageous! How can we allow someone who insults cuisine to continue working as a chef?! Security guards, where are the security guards?!

"No, he didn't add any weird ingredients," just as the situation was getting increasingly absurd, the chief judge, a man with a blissful expression, suddenly stepped in to defuse the situation. He pointed to those who looked like they were having an orgasm and said:

"This is a normal reaction after eating delicious food; it's the body's highest form of courtesy in response to the deliciousness. How can you associate it with something dirty?"

"This dish is a victory for the Red Team!"

When the victory was announced, the judges were beaming with happiness, their smiles practically reaching the sky.

Men De Lie's face was ashen as he looked at the remaining golden meat, and he fell into self-doubt.

How exactly do you make a dish shine?

"We want to try some too!" Just then, someone in the crowd shouted.

That's right, everyone wants to see what kind of food could make the judges collectively feel like spring has arrived.

Upon hearing this, the people on stage who were still hesitating immediately stopped arguing and started eating their fried rice in big mouthfuls.

"You stingy bastards!" the onlookers shouted, while the judges on stage chuckled after every few bites, their smiles more smug than an AK-47.

"No, how did they even do that?" Ba Xi looked like he'd seen a ghost. No one knew better than him how discerning these judges were; how could they possibly show such satisfied smiles?

"Ghrū."

He swallowed hard, then realized what was happening, his face flushed slightly, and he slapped the apprentice next to him hard, "It's your turn!"

In the second match, Ba Xi and his party served raw marinated food, a cooking method from the coastal kingdom that best brings out the freshness of the ingredients, and they were still very generous in their choice of ingredients.

Ku Li Pa chose to cut a live Puffer Whale.

This ingredient, like the Jewel Meat, is something he should normally never be able to obtain, but the "Dungeon" gave him a break.

Not only did they "accidentally" find a treasure chest containing Jewel Meat on the road, but they also obtained a "removed venom sac" version of the Puffer Whale while fishing, and picked up a BB Corn kernel that fell from the sky and killed an Exploration Team.

In this situation, losing? That's simply impossible for Ku Li Pa.

The result of the second competition was without a doubt: the appearance of the Puffer Whale ended the competition. The ultimate deliciousness could overcome everything, and the judges gave the raw Puffer Whale a higher score than the Jewel Meat Fried Rice!

The ingredients are incredibly amazing, and the elven chef's knife skills also add a lot of brilliance to this dish. The thickness of the fish slices and the presentation are both perfect, and the level of refinement is in no way inferior to that of the Ba Xi school.

The Eternal Spirit Blade also keeps ingredients fresh at all times, which is undoubtedly a plus.

In the third round, the Ba Xi faction served dessert, which was said to be made from the fruit of Super Sweet Tree that only bears fruit once every three years.

Ku Li Pa then took out a BB Corn kernel, a kernel bigger than a person!

They hired a mage to use King Rank fire magic to bake the corn. This was the first time people had ever seen powerful magic used for cooking, and the corn kernels actually survived under the flames for a very long time.

Just as the corn kernels were about to undergo some kind of change, Ku Li Pa yelled for everyone to get ready and took out a small bottle, maybe only a milliliter, of Rainbow Fruit juice and threw it at the BB Corn.

"Bang!"

An unprecedented sweet fragrance, accompanied by the deafening sound of an explosion, spread throughout Bede City. People at the scene closed their eyes tightly, and when they opened them, they were greeted by a spectacular scene that they would never forget.

That's a mountain made of popcorn!

"Oh My God"

The judges were speechless. Just one kernel of corn popped into a mountain of popcorn. Judging by the size of the kernel, it was probably enough to feed a hundred people.

The food crisis is over!

Rainbow Fruit Flavored BB Corn Popcorn - Judges' Score: Full Marks!

This time, not only did the judges enjoy the food, but the onlookers also had a great time, with happy sighs of satisfaction echoing everywhere after enjoying the delicious food.

With three losses, Ba Xi has no chance of winning again.

"How is that possible?"

He gritted his teeth. Where did these ingredients, which were even more fantastical than his imagination, come from? How could they be completely different from the information he had received?

Ba Xi's impression of the Gourmet Area is still limited to common ingredients such as Roasted Whole Pig, Lobster Fish, which is also the general public's perception of the Gourmet Area.

God knows why, as soon as he started the competition, all sorts of strange ingredients started popping up like mushrooms after rain!

"I have one last soup; I won't accept it if I don't serve it."

He reached into his chef's uniform and grasped a round, green object.

The creature had human-like features, and at this moment, it seemed to sense Ba Xi's feelings, slowly opening its eyes and shedding silent tears of blood.

Fallen Devil Egg, Lesser Fallen Devil Egg!

"Hehe."

He suddenly laughed. He had found this treasure during the darkest time of his life, thus gaining wondrous powers, such as...

His fingers suddenly became rough, and a light rub would cause colorless and odorless powder to fall off.

This powder can drastically enhance the deliciousness of food. No matter what the powder is or how it tastes, once you eat it, you will be convinced that it is delicious!

I didn't want to use it, but

The fourth and final dish has begun.

Ba Xi personally cooked a delicious soup and happily divided it into several portions.

Ku Li Pa, looking distressed, took out a food box containing a colorless liquid, as transparent as the sky.

He simply heated it up and served it to the judges; there was no need for him to add anything extra to the soup.

Because the "Century Soup" is a perfect dish.

If it weren't for Gong Qiying's request, he really wouldn't have been willing to give it to the judges to drink; he himself hadn't even been willing to drink it.

Ba Xi very gentlemanly let Ku Li Pa take the soup to the judges first, while he stayed until the end.

He felt he couldn't possibly lose again.

When the Century Soup was served to the judges, the moment the lid was lifted, the aurora borealis appeared on the clear soup, eliciting another round of praise.

The judges moved in unison, eagerly scooping up a spoonful of the clear soup and putting it in their mouths.

"Hmm!"

Everyone was startled, and the onlookers stared at them nervously, eager to see how they would react.

"Hehehe~"

Just then, the judges suddenly laughed.

"Look at that expression! It's hilarious!"

"No, no, no, it's not funny at all, it makes me feel disgusted."

"It was absolutely disgusting, like something out of a psychopath! It gave me goosebumps. What did that soup even taste like?!"

People didn't know what the soup tasted like; all they knew was that the judges all had big, monkey-like smiles on their faces, so much so that the whole scene changed.

It turned into a heartless repeating machine that only knows how to say "hehehe"!

Ba Xi's eyes widened suddenly, because this reaction was almost identical to that of the people who had ingested his powder!

Did Ku Li Pa add something to the soup too?

Seeing that the judges had all turned into useless idiots who could only laugh, the crowd waiting for the scores was getting impatient. Suddenly, someone rushed over and snatched the remaining Century Soup was placed on the stage.

"Since none of you are going to say anything, I'll try it myself!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ku Li Pa shouted with a pained expression, "Don't fight over it, I'll feed you, okay?!"

What if the soup spills during the scramble? It's better if he takes the initiative.

The judges didn't respond, remaining engrossed in their silly laughter, completely oblivious to the changed atmosphere in the venue.

The crowd sat in rows, while Ku Li Pa and his apprentice each held a small bowl of the Century Soup, dripping a drop into each person's mouth from front to back.

There was no other way; there were too many people and too little soup, so each person could only have a drop to taste.

Ku Li Pa is like a diligent gardener, and everyone is waiting with their mouths agape for his liquid.

Every time he pours down a drop of the Century Soup, a human will turn into a giant monkey that only knows how to chuckle foolishly.

When the bowl was completely dry, all the onlookers turned into giant monkeys, and the scene was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"Hehehe, hehehe"

A group of people were gathered together, laughing like they were under a drug. Isn't this some kind of secret ritual of a cult? Why isn't the city lord doing anything about it?

Because Earl Ka Rong was also among those who "hehehe," he was lucky enough to get a small spoonful.

Ku Li Pa looked at the crowd grinning foolishly and couldn't help but shake his head, feeling that the scene was a bit of a mental pollution.

So he took out two drops of his treasured "Century Soup" and decisively added them in as well.

So, only Ba Xi and his apprentices were left looking at each other, overwhelmed by laughter, at a loss for what to do.

"What should we do, Master?"

"Wait a minute, let me think about it."

Ba Xi's mind went blank. The scene before him was unimaginable even to a mentally ill person. The negative emotions he had been lured out by the Fallen Devil Egg were somewhat alleviated.

He looked at the judges, thinking, "You're all just laughing like idiots, where's my soup? You should at least have a sip of my soup!"

He grabbed a judge, shook him awake, and stubbornly shoved his soup into the judge's mouth.

Although dissatisfied, the latter still fulfilled his duty, somewhat listlessly scooping up the thick soup and putting it into his mouth.

Ba Xi's eyes were shining; he'd added a lot of powder to this soup, believing it would make people swoon, and no one could resist it—

"It's alright, the taste is acceptable."

The judge smacked his lips, didn't take a second sip, and stared at Ba Xi with a blank expression and even a hint of anger. "But it's not as good as Ku Li Pa."

But not as good as Ku Li Pa.

Ba Xi's heart quietly shattered.

He stared wide-eyed at the judges. Why? Why didn't they like my soup? I clearly added a lot of powder!

Why?!

His eyes were practically bursting open.

"Well, how should I put it, your soup really gives me a very delicious feeling. I can't think of what makes it delicious, but my mind keeps telling me that it tastes great."

The judges added:

"However, although your soup is delicious, I've already had the soup that Ku Li Pa brought, so, well, how should I put it, maybe my standards have been forcibly raised?"

Finally, he sighed and muttered to himself:

"I probably won't find any other soup delicious in my life."

Ba Xi not only shattered, but also turned gray, and he staggered from the blow.

What kind of soup could possibly conceal the power bestowed upon him by the Fallen Devil Egg?!

He, he.

He suddenly noticed a drop of clear liquid remaining in the spoon in front of the judge—it was the Century Soup !

Without hesitation, he grabbed it and stuffed it into his mouth, so fast that the judges only had time to shout once.

Ba Xi suddenly froze.

"What are you doing? It's disgusting," the judge said disdainfully, and silently moved away from him.

But Ba Xi stood frozen like a statue, unwilling to move for a long time. Just as the judges walked up to him with concern, they suddenly noticed that he was crying!

Two lines of clear tears flowed from his eyes.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" The judge was startled, but then heard Ba Xi say with a mix of emotion and sadness.

"It tastes so good! Hehehe~"

He laughed too, revealing a comical and ugly smile, laughing while crying.

The laughter contained both sorrow, relief, and complete acceptance.

I'll never find any other soup delicious in my life. Ba Xi thought to himself, and all his negative emotions vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of happiness.

He has never felt so happy since he was born!

In his arms, the green Fallen Devil Egg screamed and struggled like an insect sprayed with insecticide, its expression contorted in agony.

As Ba Xi's negative emotions were swept away

The Fallen Devil Egg is dead.

Today is a day to be remembered in history, Gourmet Area has revealed its true essence to the world for the first time.

Anyone who had watched the game that day flocked to the Gourmet Area and became its staunch supporter.

Ba Xi "turned over a new leaf" and settled permanently in Bede City, spending all his time in the Gourmet Area, researching with his apprentices how to use the local ingredients to develop new recipes and promote the area.

Ku Li Pa was dubbed the "God of Cookery" by some enthusiasts, but he never found rare ingredients like Jewel Meat or BB Corn again. Feeling that his abilities did not match his reputation, he voluntarily abandoned the title of God of Cookery and continued to feast in the Gourmet Area.

The Chef Union quickly became a supporter of the Gourmet Area. To be honest, not many people opposed it at first; it was only Ba Xi who opposed it.

The Gourmet Area seems to have undergone a refresh, with new ingredients appearing in people's view.

The aroma of delicious food heals everyone equally. No matter who you are, what you want to do, whether you feel happy or tired, you can enjoy a steaming hot meal.

Happy people become happier, melancholy people shake off their worries, and tired people relax.

Bede City has once again sparked a new food craze.

Aside from this frenzy, progress on conquering a certain place— Lake Liurnia— has made significant strides during this period.

Adventurers continued to advance the exploration of the lake region, uncovering more and more things. The habits of new monsters gradually became known, and the difficulty of exploration decreased as experience increased.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the cutting-edge Strategy Team, people's exploration of the academy has come to an end.

The battle to subdue the final boss at the top of the Raya Lucaria Magic Academy —the "Full Moon Queen's" Mimic Tear —is about to begin.