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

Two hours later, the competition ended when the last chef poured a colorful "Hundred Spirits Jade Soup" into a warm jade cup.

The five spiritual dishes were carefully presented to the judges' table one by one on specially made jade platters by Chen family servants dressed in uniform.

Finally, the most exquisite part was placed in a smaller, more delicate jade dish and placed on the small table in front of Gu Changyuan.

"Dragon Sparrow Burning Heaven Roast", "Ice Heart Jade Lotus Root Stuffed", "Eight Treasures Heaven and Earth Stew", "Thousand Silk Exquisite Stew", "Hundred Spirits Jade Soup".

Not only are the names varied, but the ingredients used in them also have different properties and come from different years.

The five spiritual dishes each have their own unique characteristics, and are perfect in color, aroma, taste and shape. They also bring out the spiritual energy of the ingredients to the extreme that can be achieved at the current level.

Gu Changyuan could tell from just looking at them how skilled the five spiritual chefs (three men and two women) were in this field.

The judges, unable to contain themselves any longer, began to carefully taste, score, and whisper among themselves in discussion.

Gu Changyuan picked up the jade chopsticks and took a small bite of each spiritual dish.

High emotional intelligence: The ultimate pleasure of top-quality food instantly conquers the taste buds and the soul.

Low emotional intelligence: It's delicious!

After tasting all the spiritual food, Gu Changyuan pondered for a moment.

He already had a strong preference for gourmet food, and these five spiritual dishes each had their own unique characteristics, making it difficult to distinguish which was better. This left him, who suffered from decision-making difficulties, at a loss as to how to rate them.

After the judges gave their scores in their minds, they all looked up at Gu Changyuan.

It was obvious that they were all waiting for Gu Changyuan to give them a score, and then they would make changes based on his score.

To put it nicely, it means following the opinions of one's predecessors; to put it bluntly, it means indirectly flattering them.

It can be said that Gu Changyuan's evaluation directly determined the top spot this time.

For a moment, many cultivators, including the five spirit chefs, turned their expectant gazes toward Gu Changyuan, awaiting his evaluation.

After a moment's thought, Gu Changyuan abandoned the idea of ​​giving a score.

"I like all five servings of spiritual food."

He paused, and amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd, he gently wiped his right hand in front of him.

Five orbs of light, each a different color but all radiating astonishing spiritual energy and Daoist charm, appeared out of thin air and hovered in front of him.

As the light faded, five rare and precious treasures appeared before them, each a top-tier spiritual object that was hard to find in the outside world at their level.

Even for families like the Chen and Su, it might not be easy to take it out of their inventory.

Gu Changyuan's gaze swept over the five spirit chefs, and he could already discern the emphasis of each of their respective spiritual root attributes.

"This spiritual object is bestowed upon you five as encouragement."

With that, he flicked his finger, and five orbs of spiritual light flew precisely toward the five chefs, hovering in front of them.

The audience erupted in uproar once again.

This is a huge undertaking...

This senior is not only incredibly powerful, but also has an astonishingly large fortune.

The rewards given out casually are treasures that many cultivators dream of.

The five spirit chefs were initially stunned, then overwhelmed with immense joy. They hurriedly bowed deeply to Gu Changyuan on the high platform, their voices trembling with excitement:

"Thank you so much for your kind advice, senior!"

They reached out, ready to take the priceless treasure that floated in front of them.

Obtaining this spiritual item not only offers the potential to elevate one's cultivation to a higher level, but also represents a tremendous honor.

However, just as their fingertips were about to touch the spirit—

"call out!"

A blurry black shadow, like a ghost, flashed and disappeared through the gaps in the crowd on the outskirts of the square!

The speed is so fast that most people only see a blur.

The next moment, the five orbs of spiritual light that had been hovering in front of the five chefs vanished without a trace at the same instant.

Having landed a successful blow, the dark figure didn't hesitate, transforming into a twisted afterimage once more and rapidly fleeing towards the outside of the plaza.

Only five palm-sized, jet-black metal tokens with eerie smiling faces engraved on them remained in front of the table where the five spirit chefs had originally stood.

With a few soft "clinks," the token landed on the jade ground, the sound particularly jarring in the suddenly silent square.

Two or three breaths passed before someone cried out in alarm:

"It's the Thousand-Faced Demon Hand!!"

"That notorious thief! How dare he make a move here?!"

The gasps of surprise were like drops of boiling oil thrown into water, instantly igniting the entire square!

The name "Thousand-Faced Ghost Hand" is quite famous in Fengling City and the surrounding area.

This person possesses the cultivation level of the early Mahayana stage, specializing in speed and stealth, making their movements unpredictable and ghostly.

His ability to conceal his aura was unparalleled, earning him the title "Thousand Faces," and he was extremely skilled at disguise and stealth.

He acted recklessly, specializing in stealing and plundering precious treasures from various families and chambers of commerce.

And after each successful robbery, he would leave behind a "Ghost Laughing Token" engraved with a strange smiling face, doing his utmost to provoke and mock.

Because of his slippery movements, superb concealment skills, and his refusal to confront strong opponents head-on.

All the major forces in Fengling City, including the Su family, have organized multiple encirclements and captures, but all have failed and have even been outmaneuvered, losing face in the process.

Over time, the Thousand-Faced Ghost Hand became a thorn in the side of all the major powers in Wind Ridge City, yet they were powerless to get rid of it.

Who would have thought that this audacious fellow would dare to openly snatch the precious treasure that the senior had just bestowed upon him in such a high-profile setting, right under the noses of the heads of the Su and Chen families and even a mysterious senior?

This is no longer a simple theft; it's blatant provocation! A slap in the face!

They completely disregarded the Su family, the Chen family, and especially that mysterious and aloof senior.

The moment the spirit object was taken away, Chen Qianzhen's face turned ashen, his chest heaved violently, and a surge of violent rage almost burst through the top of his head.

"Thousand-faced-ghost-hands-!"

He growled through gritted teeth, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

Today is a grand event hosted by the Chen family. The presence of our elders is already a great honor, and bestowing such precious treasures is the icing on the cake.

But in the blink of an eye, the treasure was stolen from their own territory.

If word gets out, how can the Chen family possibly have the face to stand in the eastern part of Southern Continent?! It's an utter disgrace!