Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

Liu Qingzhu remained calm and composed throughout, his expression still serene, showing no sign of impatience.

A moment later, she showed no signs of anything amiss.

To onlookers, she seemed to possess an even more ethereal, fairy-like quality.

Standing below the stage, Lin Ji could tell that this was a state of complete meridian openness and thorough nourishment.

Wang Zhenhuai saw that Liu Qingzhu showed no unusual behavior.

He followed suit, picking up a strand of vermicelli from the plate and putting it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing slowly, thus avoiding a deadly situation.

However, Wang Ziheng was not so lucky. The deaths of the people on the stage made him restless and impatient.

Seeing the two eat the rice noodles, he whispered something to the waiter behind him, who then put the rice noodles into his mouth. He swallowed them hastily as soon as they entered his mouth.

The next instant, his face turned deathly pale, and a tearing pain shot through his abdomen.

His internal energy was in disarray and flowing in reverse, causing him to tremble all over in pain and break out in a cold sweat.

"Hold on!" Wang Zhenhuai shouted in a low voice upon seeing this, and jumped up, reaching out to touch Wang Ziheng's back. His eyes were full of anger, but at this moment he could only forcefully suppress his injuries and protect his nephew's life.

Wang Ziheng gritted his teeth and endured the pain, not daring to utter a sound. With the help of Wang Zhenhuai, he managed to withstand the corrosive effects of the poison, but he also suffered severe internal injuries, leaving him almost as good as a cripple.

The portly chef watched coldly, a playful smile on his face: "Those who are impatient will never reach the pinnacle of martial arts. This is divine retribution, and no one else is to blame."

Having said that, he didn't linger and shouted loudly, "The thirteenth path: After bitterness comes sweetness!"

The thirteenth dish was quickly served: a plate of exquisite candied fruit, translucent amber in color, with a layer of fine sugar frosting on the outside. It smelled bitter at first, then sweet, with a lingering aftertaste.

Having survived the previous life-or-death situations, only Liu Qingzhu and Wang Zhenhuai remained on the stage, and the two were extremely cautious at this moment.

Prince Heng was suffering from internal injuries and dared not move. He could only stare intently at the dried fruit in front of him, his eyes filled with fear.

Wang Zhenhuai stared intently, repeatedly probing the aura, but could only taste a pure bittersweet flavor, unable to pinpoint the flaw for the moment.

Only Lin Ji, sitting in the audience, saw through the trick at a glance and immediately reminded him through his earpiece: "Sweet on the outside, bitter on the inside, it looks simple enough, but this thing specifically emphasizes the word 'aftertaste', I'm afraid the poison is hidden in this aftertaste."

"It's not poisonous at first, but it becomes poisonous aftertaste. Chew it for three breaths, then spit it out, juice and all the residue, and rinse your mouth with water. Try it."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingzhu did as instructed.

She picked up a piece of candied fruit, brought it to her lips, took a small bite, and chewed slowly. She found the candied fruit to be fragrant and sweet, like a delicacy from heaven.

She then chewed a few times, turned her head to spit out all the residue, asked for a glass of water to rinse her mouth, and then ended her tasting.

Seeing Liu Qingzhu's strange movements yet unharmed, Wang Zhenhuai instantly grasped the key point, copied the method, and successfully passed the test.

Upon seeing this, the fat cook's eyes flashed with surprise, then he laughed loudly:

"Both of you are meticulous people."

He continued the banquet, loudly announcing the fourteenth dish: "The fourteenth dish, Fleeting Life!"

The dish served was a glass of crystal-clear sugar water, which was placed in a thin-walled crystal glass. Sunlight pierced through the glass and refracted into a seven-colored halo, making it look like a beautiful dream.

"This water comes from a thousand-year-old ice spring, condensed from the moonlight. Drinking it can calm the mind and stabilize the spirit," the fat chef explained slowly, his tone somewhat seductive.

The martial artists below the stage were captivated. Such a treasure, capable of stabilizing the mind, was an opportunity of unimaginable value in the martial arts world.

Lin Ji's eyes narrowed, and he immediately warned, "This is a phantom poison!"

"Sweet water is not poisonous, but it can amplify people's obsessions, greed, and delusions. Those with unstable minds will fall into a dream immediately after drinking it, sink into eternal damnation, and die with their bodies withered."

"The solution should be simple, especially for you. Before drinking, close your eyes and concentrate, abandoning all greed in your heart. Then take a small sip and stop immediately. Do not be greedy for the calming effect."

Liu Qingzhu was naturally aloof and had few distracting thoughts. With the Heavenly Mandate by her side, she could immediately purify her mind.

Liu Qingzhu immediately composed herself, closed her eyes slightly, and instantly eliminated all distracting thoughts, reaching a state of mental clarity and tranquility.

Then she opened her eyes, raised her hand, picked up the glass cup, and took a small sip.

The refreshing taste went down my throat, and my mind instantly felt calmer.

Wang Zhenhuai, who had been obsessed with power for half his life, observed the changes in Liu Qingzhu's condition and guessed the way to pass the test in an instant, but dared not try it lightly.

After weighing the pros and cons, he decisively abandoned the dish.

At this point, on the high platform, only Liu Qingzhu had solved all the problems without missing a single one, firmly occupying the top spot.

The portly chef clapped his hands in praise, his tone genuinely appreciative: "Of all the people here, only this young lady possesses top-notch temperament, composure, and insight—a true martial arts prodigy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the fifteenth dish arrived.

"The fifteenth technique: The Dual Elements of Ice and Fire!"

The dessert on the plate is a half-and-half piece, half of which is frozen sorbet, chilling to the bone.

Half of it is scorching hot caramel.

Ice and fire, an extreme clash, creating a powerful visual impact and an eerie, unpredictable atmosphere.

Ice and fire are mutually destructive. If ordinary people come into contact with them at the same time, their internal energy and blood will inevitably clash due to the clash between cold and heat, causing their meridians to burst and resulting in death.

Wang Zhenhuai stared at the two extremes of ice and fire on the plate, his brows furrowed, unable to find a solution for a long time.

Lin Ji's steady voice rang out through the earpiece: "First cold, then heat; only by following this order can they mutually generate each other."

This dish, with ice on the left and fire on the right, actually embodies the principles of Yin and Yang.

This was all too familiar to Lin Ji.

"Take a bite of ice cream first to stabilize the coldness in your body, then taste a small amount of caramel to balance the yin and yang. Once the cold and heat are balanced, there will be no poison," Lin Ji reminded him.

This dish has long since transcended the realm of poison; it utilizes the principle of drug antagonism.

Liu Qingzhu followed the steps in sequence, first ice and then fire. The alternation of cold and heat entered his body, but instead of clashing and harming him, it harmonized his qi and blood, warmed his meridians, and made his internal strength more abundant and refined.

Wang Zhenhuai tried to copy the method, but due to his impatient state of mind, he couldn't control the degree of the injury. His internal energy was slightly disordered, and his blood and qi surged. He had to endure the injury and barely managed to pass the test.

Having broken through the barriers one after another, Liu Qingzhu's strength and temperament had already won over most of the martial artists below the stage.

No one dared to underestimate this cold and beautiful woman anymore; their eyes were filled with awe.

"The Sixteenth Path: The Illusory and Real Universe!"

What was served was a plate of identical white jade dumplings, a total of sixteen, all exactly the same in size, appearance, and aroma, with no difference whatsoever.

The portly cook said jokingly, "Sixteen dumplings, eight nourishing delicacy, eight deadly poison. The real and the fake are indistinguishable; it all depends on chance. Choose correctly and you live; choose incorrectly and you die!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

This was a pure gamble between life and death! There were no clues to be found; it was all up to fate!

Wang Zhenhuai's expression changed drastically. This kind of unsolvable random gamble is the most dangerous. No matter how powerful your cultivation is, you have no way to break it.

Only Lin Ji remained calm, his jade pendant spinning rapidly in his sea of ​​consciousness, seeing through layers of illusion to discern the true nature of things.