Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Seeing this, the fans in the audience couldn't sit still any longer. They stood up angrily and questioned the judges. Some even threw shoes and phones at the ring, almost throwing themselves at it.

　"Of course we're not as skilled! What else is there to say?"

　"Exactly! If you're not as skilled, you're not as skilled. Trash should stay in the trash can. If everyone who loses starts causing trouble, the culinary world will be in chaos!"

　"Get out! This isn't a place for you trashy fangirls! Get out!"

　"It's one thing to have poor skills, but the quality of fans reflects the character of the idol. If you're not only bad at the technique, but also a bad person, you should just get out of the culinary world!"

　As the fans' antics escalated, sounds began to emanate from other parts of the audience.

　Regardless of gender or whether they knew each other or not, they were united like never before, launching a fierce attack on these mindless fans.

　The seeds of trouble sown earlier finally exploded at this moment. Every audience member present had a face full of intense indignation, and some even gave them the middle finger. The sound of their voices completely overwhelmed Zhongyi's fan group, silencing them and preventing them from even uttering a rebuttal.

　In the end, it turned into sobs.

　"Zhongyi, your saffron seafood risotto is really good. You cleverly use lemon to cover up the lack of vegetables, and the saffron flavor is unique."

　However, the deliciousness of the prawns wasn't brought out; instead, the mussels had a stronger flavor. How can this be considered a shrimp dish?

　Zhang Zhong's voice rang out, pointing out Zhongyi's most fatal mistake: the mussels caught this year were of very high quality, with an exceptionally rich flavor, and when added to seafood risotto, they directly stole the spotlight from the prawns.

　It's fair to say that the decision to choose seafood risotto was doomed from the very beginning.

　Unless the skill level of his opponent is too far behind.

　"Ai, although I don't know why you're called by that code name, your cooking is really good."

　This dish perfectly utilizes the characteristics of Shandong cuisine's Three-Color Shrimp, creating a top-notch two-colored shrimp dish despite limited ingredients.

　"The light carrot and celery bits perfectly highlight the deliciousness of the king prawns, and the bread underneath is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside after being fried."

　"A very good shrimp dish."

　The judges showered Nakiri Alice with praise, a stark contrast to their earlier attitude towards Nakagi. They were clearly very satisfied with Nakiri Alice's cooking.

　Such differential treatment naturally made his fans dissatisfied, but before they could speak out, they were silenced by the surrounding gazes.

　"Thank you."

　Alice Nakiri didn't react much to the judges' praise; she simply smiled and thanked them, as this victory was within her expectations.

　After completing the required procedures, Alice Nakiri left the scene to find Hakuyuan, but was surprised to find someone standing in the contestant passage.

　"So you're 'Code Name: Love'? You actually managed to defeat Xiao Yi, and with such an absolute crushing force. You must have some skill. I'll remember you."

　When I passed by.

　The man gave her a cold look, left those words behind, and strode past her, leaving Alice Nakiri looking puzzled.

　"baffling."

　Watching the other person's back, Alice Nakiri pouted and made a disgusted comment before leaving the player's passage.

　Outside the passage, Bai Yuan was waiting ahead of her. When he saw her come out, he immediately opened his arms to her, and Nakiri Alice rushed over.

　"Mission accomplished perfectly, wasn't I awesome?!"

　With a hint of coquetry in her voice, Alice Nakiri pressed her face against Bai Yuan's warm chest, feeling its warmth and feeling happy.

　"Great job, you performed very well in this competition."

　Bai Yuan touched

　He patted Alice Nakiri's head, his voice filled with praise.

　Although Alice's cooking had many shortcomings, now was the time to celebrate the victory, and there was no need to talk about anything that would spoil the mood.

　"Hehe, this is an adaptation of the dish you taught me when I was 12: Three-Color Shrimp. I still remember it perfectly!"

　Alice Nakiri released her grip on Shirayuki, put her hands on her hips, and looked like she was asking for praise.

　"Do you remember that the 'deep-frying' method only applies to the bread part at the bottom, while the shrimp on top needs to be 'drenched' in hot oil? Just quickly fry them in hot oil until they are just cooked through."

　Bai Yuan looked at Nakiri Alice with a half-smile, then asked the question. Since she had already admitted it, he couldn't very well pretend not to know, lest she think he was right.

　"Ah...is that so? I seem to remember that the soaking and frying method is sufficient, isn't it? Am I remembering wrong? Hahaha."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Alice Nakiri felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively took a step back. Then, as if realizing something, she scratched her head and grinned sheepishly, trying to get away with it by being cute.

　"Pretending to be stupid won't work. If my memory serves me right, I should have explained all of this in detail, it's just that you weren't paying attention."

　Seeing Alice Nakiri take a half step back, Bai Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. He then stepped forward, pinched her cheek, and said through gritted teeth.

　"I'm so sorry, I forgot!"

　At this moment, Alice Nakiri was filled with regret. This had never happened in the first place; it was all her fault for rushing up to claim credit, which had put her on the knife stand.

　In this situation, instead of being stubborn, it's better to admit it directly. Otherwise, Bai Yuan definitely won't let her off easily, and he'll do this to teach her a lesson...

　Alice Nakiri didn't dare to think any further.

　"Winning the competition will be rewarded, and failing to cook will be punished. Let's do it the old way."

　Let's go home now. I'll give you a little something extra later. Remember to come watch Xiaohui's competition tomorrow.

　"Since we won the game and didn't cause any serious consequences, could the punishment be lighter later?"

　Alice Nakiri leaned her head in again, her voice softening. The last time she was begging for praise, this time she was begging for a lighter punishment.

　"But if the punishment is reduced, wouldn't that become a pleasure for you?"

　Bai Yuan pinched his chin, his eyes scrutinizing Nakiri Alice. A mild punishment was hardly a punishment at all; on the contrary, it would only excite her.

　This guy's got some pretty high hopes!

　"I'm not some kind of pervert! How could being punished by you be enjoyable!"

　Hearing Bai Yuan's words, Alice Nakiri's face turned even redder, and she cried out in a slightly vulnerable manner. She was unwilling to admit that she was a pervert!

　"Really? Then who is the person who shouts every night, 'Faster, a little harder, just like that, I can take it... Waaah..."

　"It's me! It's me! Isn't it enough that it's me!? I misjudged you, Brother Bai Yuan has such a terrible personality, actually saying such things in public!"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Alice Nakiri hurriedly stepped forward and covered his mouth, her face turning even redder, almost bleeding. This guy really blurts out everything! Shameless!

　"It's all because you stubbornly refuse to admit it. This is something only heaven, earth, you, and I know. You're still being defiant and pretending to be innocent in front of me. Isn't that a bit too distant?"

　"It's all your fault! You've done all sorts of strange things to me. I was born into a respectable family, and you've corrupted me!"

　"So I'll never treat you like that again?"

　"Forget it, I've already become like this, who else but you can satisfy me? The usual methods don't work anymore, you need to take responsibility for me!"

　Under the streetlights, their shadows grew longer and longer as they bickered, the air thick with an ambiguous atmosphere, as if foreshadowing the big battle that was about to take place that night.

　·

　·

　"What do you think is the reason that person suddenly came to Fujian? I don't believe it's just to show his apprentice the world. Could it be that we also have those legendary kitchen utensils here?"

　In the dimly lit room, eleven figures, some young and some old, sat around a round table. At this moment, everyone's expression was serious as they discussed why Bai Yuan had come here.

　They spent three days gathering from all over the world, and now they're meeting here.

　"I have never heard of any such rumors, and besides, the legendary kitchen utensils have magical abilities, which is impossible to verify."

　A strong, bearded man crossed his arms and suggested a possibility, but his words were filled with disbelief.

　In this day and age, we believe in science. How could something that clearly violates common scientific sense be true? It's probably just a rumor that's been spread around!

　"This world even has fantasy-level ingredients, and there's even another world. What are legendary cooking utensils with magical abilities compared to that?!"

　Across from the bearded man, a tall, voluptuous, and mature woman spoke. She wore light makeup and clothes that accentuated her figure, attracting considerable attention.

　"Even fantasy-level ingredients only have a unique and high-end taste; they can't possibly do something as exaggerated as reversing time!"

　The bearded man countered, suggesting that perhaps the legendary kitchen utensils did indeed possess some magical properties.

　It has the ability to turn stale ingredients into fresh ones, but this kind of time-reversing thing is really hard to believe!

　"It may be a bit exaggerated, but it's more likely to be true, because the abilities of the Eternal Spirit Blade have never changed in the legends from ancient times to the present."

　Another person spoke up. He had a rather handsome face, wore single-rimmed glasses, and was leisurely drinking a cup of coffee in front of him. Although he was over fifty years old, he was still rugged and handsome.

　"Let's not discuss the Eternal Spirit Blade's abilities for now; the key is the real reason that person came here!"

　The bespectacled, smartly dressed middle-aged man slapped the table, bringing the topic back to where it all began: it was necessary to discuss this today!

　"Do you think he might just be bringing his apprentice here to broaden his horizons? He's so young, unlike us who are tied up with all sorts of work and might have a lot of free time."

　Just then, a clear female voice rang out. She was only in her early thirties, yet she was already sitting there. She had a delicate baby face, and her words immediately attracted everyone's attention.

　There was a brief moment of silence.

　"Impossible, absolutely impossible! He must have some purpose in coming here!"

　The bearded man retorted, "If the other party came to Fujian simply to bring students to participate in the competition, then what is the point of them sitting here discussing this?"

　"Admit it, he just wanted to come and keep his apprentice company. I was the same when I first took on an apprentice, afraid that I wouldn't teach him well and would mislead him."

　My excessive concern for my apprentice led to some misunderstandings with me. We had to let things cool down for a while before things returned to normal.

　The mature, beautiful woman who had previously complained about the bearded man spoke again, her words tinged with lingering fear. Her apprentice had initially misunderstood her as liking him, and it had taken her a long time to clear things up.

　So, in a way, she understood Bai Yuan quite well. He must really want to teach his disciple well, which is why he did so many things personally.

　In addition, Bai Yuan is so young, and his thinking is different from those old folks, so there is a high possibility that he will personally bring his apprentice to participate in the competition.

　"I also think this is the most likely possibility, so let's leave his business aside for now."

　Let's talk about how we can represent our province and secure more resources, given that fantasy-grade ingredients are about to be released on a large scale.

　Jin Dafu, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

　As the only person present who had seen Bai Yuan, his intuition told him that the other party was not a very scheming person, so there was no need to pay too much attention to him.

　However, even after he said that, some people still believed that Bai Yuan had ulterior motives for coming here and that he was ill-intentioned, which was why he held a small meeting specifically to target him.

　However, the real purpose of this meeting was for the more important fantasy-grade ingredients. Chef associations in various provinces were preparing to compete for a larger share, as these were the lifeline of development!

　"It should be around this time. All sorts of secret realms will open, and chefs from the human realm will have culinary duels with chefs from other realms."

　The winner will be rewarded with fantastical ingredients born from the culinary world, which will also serve as the key to victory in the next round of the competition.

　A gaunt old man spoke, his eyes revealing a hint of wisdom.

　This is a culinary duel where the strong prevail, testing not only the chefs' skills but also their teamwork. The opponents are not only from this world, but also top chefs from other planets and worlds.

　"Yes, in the later stages of the competition, almost every team will use a lot of fantasy-level ingredients. To defeat them with ordinary ingredients, you need to be at least two or three stars higher than the opponent."

　"Most importantly, the limit that ordinary ingredients can reach is the ninth-grade special level, while fantasy-grade ingredients can break through this point very easily."

　"In other words, to achieve ultimate victory, you can only keep winning, constantly acquiring new fantasy-level ingredients, and researching new dishes. Only then can you truly defeat your opponents and reach the pinnacle of culinary skills!"

　Everyone offered their opinions, and the entire culinary world was closely watching this secret realm showdown, which was expected to take place within the next two years.

　"No matter what, let's give it our all. Don't let chefs from other worlds look down on us. Chinese cuisine has been passed down for thousands of years and has a profound heritage!"

　An old bald man, leaning on a cane, stood up, his piercing gaze sweeping over all the chefs present, and uttered these words.

　"That's right, Vice President Feng is right. As long as we give it our all, it's not shameful to lose in the end!"

　"We still need to win as much as possible, since it's related to the final reward."

　"Winning is absolutely essential..."

　Following up on the topic, a new round of argument ensued. Due to differing opinions, everyone argued heatedly, their faces flushed.

　However, despite their differing opinions, they share one thing in common.

　That means giving it your all and leaving no regrets!

　·

　·

　"Aren't you asleep yet, Xiaohui, it's so late?"

　Returning from Alice's room, Bai Yuan yawned as he walked towards his own room, where he saw that Tadokoro Megumi's room was brightly lit.

　Out of curiosity, he went closer and saw Tadokoro Megumi cooking in the kitchen. Worried that she was under too much pressure, he came up behind her.

　"I want to get back into the swing of things so that tomorrow's match will go more smoothly."

　A warm embrace came from behind. Tadokoro Megumi instinctively wanted to resist, but upon hearing a familiar voice, she...