My little sect, which disappeared a thousand years ago, has become a sacred site!

However, Gu Changyuan remained calm and simply responded with a faint "Yes."

"Can."

Upon hearing this reply, Chen Qianzhen was overjoyed and quickly bowed again.

"Thank you for your honor, senior! I will immediately return to the Chen family to arrange the best judging seat for you, and I will certainly not let you down!"

As if afraid Gu Changyuan might change his mind, he quickly gave a brief overview of the proceedings, time, and location of tomorrow's conference. Then, he eagerly bid farewell to Su Yunhao and Gu Changyuan, leaving Fengyun Hall with brisk steps, clearly heading back to begin preparations.

The fact that a senior figure, seemingly a patriarch of a sacred land with unfathomable strength, can serve as a judge will significantly alter the scale and significance of this year's "Master Chef of a Hundred Flavors".

Watching Chen Qianzhen's hurried departure, Su Yunhao smiled and shook his head, then said to Gu Changyuan:

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, senior. Chen Qianzhen is an honest man. The Chen family has been studying spiritual cuisine for generations and has an excellent reputation in Fengling City. They also have the most harmonious relationship with the Su family."

Their conference is indeed quite unique. If you have some free time, it wouldn't hurt to go and take a look; it's a good way to pass the time.

......

Gu Changyuan did not linger in Fengyun Palace. After a brief chat with Su Yunhao and the others, he was respectfully led by the Su family to the guest courtyard "Tingzhuxuan" prepared for him.

He walked into the inner room, looked at the large bed covered with soft brocade, and lay down on it almost without hesitation.

In the chaotic ruins, one must remain on high alert at all times; sleep is a luxury, and even more so, a deadly danger.

He had long been accustomed to replacing sleep with deep meditation, constantly setting aside a wisp of his consciousness to guard his surroundings.

Now I have finally returned to the relatively peaceful world of cultivation, back to a place with a roof over my head, a bed, and no longer have to worry about being torn apart by spatial turbulence or unknown enemies.

Cultivation?

With the support of his more than 30,000 disciples who diligently cultivated day and night, his cultivation level was constantly increasing, even while he slept.

All he wants now is to sleep soundly and make up for the peaceful sleep he's missed for over a thousand years.

......

The next day, it was broad daylight.

Gu Changyuan was awakened by the clear chirping of birds outside the window and the regular knocking on the door.

"Senior, are you awake? The Hundred Flavors Chef Competition is about to begin."

A soft, respectful voice came from outside the door.

Gu Changyuan slowly opened his eyes. The long-awaited deep sleep made him feel refreshed, and even the sunlight outside the window seemed brighter.

He got up, tidied himself up a bit, and then pushed open the door and went out.

Su Wanqing was already waiting in the courtyard. When she saw Gu Changyuan come out, she quickly bowed.

She changed into a light blue long dress today, which made her look even more elegant and refined.

"Let's go."

Gu Changyuan said calmly.

Led by Su Wanqing, the two left the Su family mansion and headed towards Baiwei Square, which was under the jurisdiction of the Chen family in the city.

Su Yunhao and the others had already gone ahead to the Chen family to make arrangements.

......

By this time, Baiwei Square was already packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.

The square was crowded with cultivators who came to join in the fun, from independent cultivators to elders of various families, all wanting to witness the birth of the "Top Chef of a Hundred Flavors" list.

Each time the spiritual food is cooked, the overflowing aroma carries spiritual energy, which is also helpful for cultivation.

In the center of the square, five tall and wide jade stoves were set up, and each stove was decorated with a dazzling array of ingredients.

On the north side of the square, there is a row of judges' seats that are several feet above the ground, with more than ten chairs.

At this moment, representatives from the Chen family, the Su family, and several other prominent families in Fengling City had taken their seats. Chen Qianzhen, as the organizer, was standing next to the judges' table, glancing towards the entrance of the square from time to time, his expression a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

The most eye-catching feature is the seat directly above the judges' panel—a chair made entirely of warm jade is suspended in mid-air, clearly distinct from the judges' panel below, instantly revealing its superior status.

The appearance of this special chair caused many cultivators familiar with the conference proceedings to look puzzled and whisper among themselves.

On the judges' panel, besides Chen Qianzhen and Su Yunhao, the representatives of the other families exchanged puzzled glances, secretly wondering who would get this special seat.

Even some of the elders within the Chen family were completely baffled.

All they knew was that yesterday, the family head, Chen Qianzhen, hurriedly returned and ordered the creation of a special seat with far greater authority than that of ordinary judges. He said that a senior with unfathomable cultivation would be there to oversee the proceedings, but Chen Qianzhen did not elaborate on who it was.

As the hour of Si (9-11 AM) drew near, the five participating cultivators below had already taken their places, and the judges' seats were full, but the special seat that was suspended in mid-air remained empty.

Even so, Chen Qianzhen and Su Yunhao did not urge them at all, but waited quietly. Seeing this, the representatives of the other families did not dare to make any move.

The entire square gradually quieted down, and everyone's attention was focused on the empty special seats.

Finally, the bell rang precisely at the hour of Si (9-11 AM).

Just as the bell tolled, the space beside the suspended warm jade chair rippled slightly.

Gu Changyuan appeared on the seat without warning, sitting upright with a calm expression. He did not emit any spiritual energy fluctuations, as if he had been sitting there from the beginning.

"Buzz—"

This sudden appearance shocked all the cultivators present, and their hearts were filled with shock.

Neither the ordinary cultivators in the square nor the representatives of various families on the judging panel noticed any spatial fluctuations or spiritual energy before his appearance.

Gu Changyuan ignored the commotion below and spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the entire square:

"Let's begin."

Chen Qianzhen perked up, quickly straightened up, cleared his throat, channeled his spiritual energy, and loudly announced the start of the competition.

As soon as he finished speaking, the five participating cultivators immediately sprang into action.

The spirit fire stove instantly ignited with various spirit fires, and all kinds of prepared spirit meat and vegetables were taken out one by one. With the swing of the knife, the ingredients were precisely cut into various shapes. The movements were smooth and fluid, and there were also faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.

The culinary skills of cultivators not only emphasize taste, but also strive to preserve the spiritual energy of the ingredients as much as possible, and even enhance the purity of the spiritual energy through cooking techniques.

Gu Changyuan sat upright in the highest seat, resting his chin on one hand, looking down with great interest.

This was the first time he had ever seen a cultivator at the Refinement Realm cook. He didn't know much about cooking; he only knew about eating.

Moreover, the only reviews are "delicious," "edible," and "historical"!