Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　"Just mushroom soup? That does sound like a good appetizer. Let me try it and see how it tastes..."

　Bai Yuan nodded, then picked up the soup that Yukihira Joichiro couldn't reach, took a sip, closed his eyes, and savored it.

　Fresh, sweet, and refreshing without being greasy, it's very smooth to eat!

　"That's right. Thanks to the texture of the mushroom itself, the soup retains its rich flavor while also having a certain lightness."

　It contains salt and pepper as a base seasoning, which gives the dish a subtle flavor without overpowering the mushrooms' natural taste...

　Bai Yuan nodded. The soup tasted very fresh and was perfect as an appetizer.

　Its rich aroma and sweet taste can quickly awaken the taste buds, and its refreshing taste will not put too much burden on the stomach.

　"I really like this soup too. One sip and my eyebrows will fall off from the deliciousness!"

　Raising an eyebrow, Kikuchi Sonoka closed her eyes and looked on with a look of enjoyment, uttering words of praise, before turning her gaze to Yukihira Joichiro in the kitchen.

　At this moment, Yukihira Joichiro is busy in the kitchen, taking charge of cooking for Shirabuchi and her, while Yukihira Soma is by his side, taking charge of cooking for the other guests.

　Although the father and son did not exchange a single word, they worked together seamlessly. Yukihira Joichiro was cooking at the stove while Yukihira Soma was handing him seasonings.

　Yukihira Soshin carefully selected the ingredients that needed to be pickled, and Yukihira Joichiro handed him eggs and a bowl.

　Having worked together in the kitchen for so long, the two had developed an amazing tacit understanding, and just watching them cook was a pleasure.

　After finishing the soup, Bai Yuan nodded secretly at Yukihira Soma's actions.

　No wonder he became the protagonist; his years of kitchen experience laid a solid foundation for his skills, and his abilities are above those of a second-class chef.

　Without his special training during this period, Soma Yukihira could have been at least one of the top five students at Totsuki Academy when he took the transfer student exam.

　But now...

　Considering the Totsuki students whose strength has greatly increased after training, it's estimated that Soma Yukihira would have a hard time even making it into the top ten.

　However, this is also because it didn't fall into his hands. If he had given it rigorous training for a period of time, it should have been able to reach the top level of the second tier in a short period of time.

　"Next is the main course. We will serve you the dishes in the order of the menu. The first dish is the eel donburi. Please enjoy."

　Soma Yukihira's voice came as he placed two exquisitely presented eel bowls on Shirabuchi's table.

　"I see."

　Bai Yuan placed one of the eel bowls in front of him, nodded, and then looked at the dish in front of him with admiration in his eyes.

　After being grilled, the eel turns an enticing golden color, creating a striking contrast with the white rice underneath.

　The rice is then sprinkled with seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, or chopped green onions as a garnish, adding a touch of vibrancy to the dish.

　This eel donburi looks so appetizing that it makes one's mouth water. Bai Yuan swallowed and a greedy expression appeared on his face.

　Without hesitation, I picked up my chopsticks and grabbed the eel.

　"Delicious! The eel skin after grilling."

　Crispy on the outside, yet the meat inside is incredibly tender and juicy!

　On the other side, Kikuchi Sonoka tasted it before him, and a look of enjoyment appeared on her face. Clearly, the taste of the eel donburi far exceeded her expectations.

　"Crispy and juicy eel, with a perfectly seasoned sauce, paired with fragrant and soft rice, the three elements blend together perfectly."

　With a bite of eel and a mouthful of rice, Bai Yuan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration as he savored the burst of flavor in his mouth.

　As a dish served in a popular restaurant, this eel donburi is undoubtedly top-notch!

　These simple ingredients, when combined, create such an amazing flavor, truly deserving of its reputation as one of Japan's classic dishes.

　Bai Yuan admired the dish in his heart, and then looked forward to the next dish even more.

　However, at that moment, a burst of golden light suddenly erupted from the previously peaceful kitchen. Yukihira Joichiro smiled, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

　"Glowing food?!"

　Upon seeing the dazzling golden light, Kikuchi Yoko exclaimed in surprise, her face filled with shock. She clearly hadn't expected that this small restaurant would have a master chef who could create dishes that glow.

　"Is it at the level of a top-tier five-star? No, it should be at the upper level of a top-tier four-star, otherwise the frequency of producing glowing dishes should be even higher."

　"It's understandable that Japan's top genius had such strength more than a decade ago, but the road from four stars to five stars is still a long one!"

　Compared to Kikuchi Sonoka's shock, Hakugen remained quite calm.

　Along the way, he has seen too many special chefs, and also an old man who had been stuck at the bottleneck of the four-star special grade for more than 30 years and finally died in depression.

　"Now I understand why you said he's even better than Chef Dojima."

　Even the head chef, Dojima, has only just reached the Special Grade Four Star level; it's said that it takes more than a dozen dishes to create just one dish of the Glowing Grade.

　Turning her gaze away, Kikuchi looked at Bai Yuan with a look of sudden realization. No wonder her teacher cared so much about that man; with such strength, he couldn't be ignored!

　"So, never underestimate anyone. Sometimes, an ordinary little shop might be hiding a great chef."

　Bai Yuan smiled slightly, and when he looked up, he saw Yukihira Joichiro walking towards him, carrying a dish that had just been cooked.

　"This dish is called Three Delicacies Japanese Tofu..."

　Seeing Bai Yuan's indifferent gaze, Yukihira Joichiro's heart skipped a beat. He placed the dish in front of him, his fighting spirit ignited.

　He simply refused to believe that he couldn't cook a meal that would satisfy him!

　So, from the time the shop opened until it closed, Yukihira Joichiro never stopped cooking, while Hakugen sat in a corner of the shop the whole time.

　Kikuchi had already put down her chopsticks because she was full, but Shiro's stomach was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled.

　"This guest is really strange. He doesn't look very big, but he can eat so much food."

　And no matter how delicious the food his father served, his expression remained unchanged.

　As Soma Yukihira wiped the table and cleaned up the leftovers from the previous guest, he secretly glanced at Shirayuki, a question swirling in his mind.

　Now all the other guests have left, only Bai Yuan and his group remain seated.

　No matter what kind of food Joichiro served, he could eat it all, but he never seemed to get full, looking completely relaxed and content.

　"Guest, it's closing time. All the dishes you ordered have been served."

　There aren't many ingredients left in the kitchen, so let's call it a day. Consider this refreshing cold dish a gift from me.

　He placed a refreshing cold dish in front of Bai Yuan, and seeing his unchanging expression, Yukihira Joichiro was slightly annoyed.

　A guest who can't be satisfied no matter what is done is not considered a good guest by the chef.

　"Is this already the limit? It's taking longer than I expected. You said there are still some ingredients left in the kitchen. Use those ingredients to compete with me."

　After eating so much, I'd like to stretch my muscles a bit.

　Upon hearing Yukihira Joichiro's words, Shiro put down his teacup, turned to look at his face, and said the following.

　"You want to challenge Dad?!"

　The first to react was not Yukihira Joichiro, but Yukihira Soma, who was wiping the table. The boy's face showed shock, and then he took a few steps forward to stand in front of him.

　"That's right, I'll leave after the competition. If you lose, you can sign your name here."

　As he spoke, Bai Yuan took out a small booklet from his pocket and tossed it onto the table in front of Yukihira Joichiro, revealing the large characters on it.

　Food Wars Recipes

　After the short test, he had confirmed that Yukihira Joichiro possessed the strength of a Special Grade Five Star, and that he had underestimated him.

　Since that glowing dish, Joichiro Yukihira has been making a glowing dish almost every two dishes he makes, clearly indicating that he wasn't serious about it before.

　"Sign my name? What is this...?"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Yukihira Joichiro's face showed a thoughtful expression, and then he picked up the booklet and opened it.

　"Wang Beihai, a top-tier six-star chef, was defeated by Bai Yuan in September of the fifteenth year."

　Signature: Wang Beihai.

　Ning Laomian, a top-tier five-star chef, was defeated by Bai Yuan in October 2015.

　Signed: Ning Laomian

　A top-tier, six-star chef.

　.. "

　It was a thick booklet, with each page listing the defeats of a master chef and his signature; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be eleven pages long.

　"These are all renowned top-level chefs from China, how could this be?!"

　Swallowing hard, Yukihira Joichiro closed the booklet in his hand, utterly shocked, because he recognized most of the names on it.

　Looking up at the boy before him, he was only in his early twenties! How could a boy so young possess such terrifying strength?!

　"As a top-tier five-star chef, you should have heard about the requirements to become a Dragon Chef, right?"

　Bai Yuan didn't react to Yukihira Joichiro's shock, but got up and walked towards the kitchen.

　"What are the requirements to become a Dragon Chef? What is a Dragon Chef?"

　Before Joichiro Yukihira could speak, Soma Yukihira asked in confusion.

　Beside her, Kikuchi Sonoka also cast a curious glance, clearly hearing this title for the first time.

　In her view, a five-star chef was already someone to look up to, so why would she care about the even more unattainable Dragon Chef?

　"The Dragon Chef is a legend, a legend that stands above all other chefs."

　After a moment of silence, watching Bai Yuan's retreating figure, Yukihira Joichiro's voice slowly echoed in the hall.

　"A legend who stands above all chefs?"

　As soon as Joichiro Yukihira finished speaking, Soma Yukihira exclaimed in shock, and the rag in his hand fell onto the table.

　"That's right, I only learned about the method to become a dragon chef in this world last year. I originally planned to travel again in another year. I didn't expect to meet someone who came from the same world before me."

　Yukihira Joichiro shook his head with a wry smile. It seemed there were quite a few people in the world who wanted to become Dragon Chef. He had only been a five-star chef for a year, and people were already coming to him, even though he had no reputation whatsoever...

　"What exactly is the method to become a Dragon Chef?"

　Kikuchi Yoko asked with a face full of curiosity.

　Putting everything else aside, the legend of being above all chefs made her feel her blood boil, as if something was burning inside her.

　There are two conditions to become a Dragon Chef.

　The first condition is to defeat 100 chefs of the highest level (five stars or above) and have them write down their names in a notebook.

　The second event is a three-month-long "Dragon Chef Challenge," where participants must accept challenges from renowned chefs from around the world in a round-robin format.

　At that time, the World Culinary Organization will extend an invitation to all existing experts above the five-star level; defeating them will grant you a direct promotion to two stars.

　Faced with such temptation, virtually no chef would refuse; similarly, the pressure on the challenger is immense.

　Joichiro Yukihira's voice was unusually serious, because this was the path he was about to take, and he had done a lot of research for it.

　After becoming a top-tier five-star chef, you need to register with the World Chefs Association and will receive a booklet from the association.

　This booklet will record all battles after reaching the Special Grade 5, and it has a total of 103 pages. Only by winning 100 Food Wars can one qualify to enter the Dragon Chef Arena.

　The last time a Dragon Chef Competition was held was fifty years ago by Feng Qingzheng, a master chef who was proficient in all eight major Chinese cuisines.

　He is a top-level eight-star chef, but actually possesses the skills of a top-level nine-star chef.

　He spent three years defeating over a hundred chefs with five-star or higher titles, but ultimately lost to an eight-star chef in a three-month-long challenge due to his advanced age and lack of energy.

　"Wait a minute, Dad, you never said you were a five-star chef! And last year? When did you take the exam?!"

　While Joichiro Yukihira was still in shock, Soma Yukihira, like a blind monk who had just discovered the key point, asked in disbelief.

　"Haha, it's because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to accept it and wouldn't dare to compete with me in the future, so I kept it from you."

　Upon hearing Soma Yukihira's words, Joichiro Yukihira chuckled, trying to brush it off, but his son's determined gaze made him shake his head slightly.

　"I'll talk to you about this after the match; let's put it aside for now."

　"it is good."

　Looking at Shirayuki who was looking around in the kitchen, Yukihira Joichiro said these words, then stepped in and stood beside him.

　"The ingredients in the kitchen aren't enough for me to showcase my skills. Since this is a challenge, I hope to bring out my best dishes for the competition."

　So please come again tomorrow night.

　Looking at Shirayuki, who was peering around the kitchen with a curious look in his eyes, Yukihira Joichiro spoke up.

　The opponent was able to defeat so many experts above the fifth rank of Special Grade, so their strength should not be underestimated. If we rashly accept the challenge, we will probably be defeated in the end.