Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　This umami flavor complements the fresh seafood flavors of the fish maw and shrimp paste, making the overall taste of the dish more complete.

　Chu Qiu's voice rang out, and by carefully tasting the sauce, one could taste the unique flavor of the old hen.

　The superior aroma of poultry harmonizes and intertwines with the unique umami of marine life, creating a new taste experience!

　"Using the original broth to cook the original food—that's the highest level of cooking!"

　Zhang Zhong put down his chopsticks with a satisfied look on his face. He had already cleaned the fish roe and shrimp stuffed fish belly in front of him. Such deliciousness was not far from being a top-grade one-star dish. It was hard to imagine that the person who made such a dish was just a little girl.

　Although she was wearing a mask, it was easy to tell from her figure, voice, and the youthful skin beneath the mask that the person in front of her was definitely not very old.

　They might even be only around twenty years old.

　What exactly is this so-called "dark cuisine" world?!

　Although the world of dark cuisine had already given him quite a shock during this period, he still felt his hair stand on end when he saw another young genius emerge from it.

　It's perfectly normal for a faction to have one or two geniuses.

　But isn't it a bit too far-fetched to say that geniuses are everywhere?

　According to the intelligence, there were apparently some young chefs who hadn't passed the Dark Cuisine World competition during the preliminaries, but that doesn't mean she's weak, considering her opponent was fifth place...

　"Just what is the background of this 'dark cuisine' world?"

　Zhang Zhong muttered to himself, his eyes filled with confusion.

　Small forces, forces with good development potential, hidden large forces, and behemoths.

　Over the past few days of competition, his attitude towards the world of bizarre cuisine has been constantly changing, from initially dismissing it as insignificant to now feeling fear.

　"Wait, that person also wore a mask back then, just like these members of the Dark Cuisine World."

　In an instant, a thought flashed through Zhang Zhong's mind, and then it became unstoppable.

　"After a fierce competition, the judges have tasted both sides' dishes. Now, please let the three judges evaluate the contestants' dishes."

　Thinking of this, Zhang Zhong looked at the host not far away. The host immediately understood, took the microphone, walked to the middle of the two cooking stations, and spoke loudly towards the audience.

　Upon hearing his words, the three judges all pressed the buttons on their right.

　"The winner is—"

　Upon seeing this, the host immediately drew out his voice.

　"Naginata!"

　As soon as the host finished speaking, Erina Nakiri appeared on the big screen.

　Despite wearing a mask, he still looked dashing and handsome, standing there gracefully, which drew loud cheers from the audience.

　"Lady Erina has won!"

　Hisako Shinoto excitedly raised her hands and even stood up from her chair.

　"I never expected that young man would win."

　"Including this one, the Dark Cuisine World has won three out of five matches, which means that half of the winners are their members."

　"Tonight's topic is definitely going to be a hot topic, now..."

　People from not only this province, but also from other provinces, have started to pay attention to our Young Chef Competition.

　Yesterday, that contestant's victory over the previous champion already generated a lot of buzz! Will this miracle continue...?

　Discussions were incessant, and everyone's face was filled with amazement.

　The Dark Cuisine world has made a stunning performance in the Young Chef Competition, captivating everyone's attention.

　"Concession."

　On the field, Erina Nakiri glanced expressionlessly at Zhuang Lei's location. He didn't dare to look at her at all, so she casually said something to him and then left through the player's tunnel.

　She had no doubt whatsoever about winning the match.

　If she can't even defeat an opponent of this caliber, how can she possibly defeat Alice Nakiri, and how can she possibly challenge Master Hakugen?!

　We will win this battle.

　Therefore, there's nothing to be proud of even if you win.

　Erina Nakiri thought to herself as her figure completely disappeared into the players' tunnel.

　"I'm leaving now too."

　Zhang Zhong glanced at Zhuang Lei, who looked lost and seemingly preoccupied, and moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing.

　He cupped his hands in greeting to Chu Qiu and Jin Shan beside him, and then walked towards the back of the field.

　After passing through a secluded path, I quickly arrived at Jin Dafu's courtyard and forcefully pushed open his door.

　"What's wrong? Why are you so clumsy? You came in without knocking again!"

　The sudden sound of the door opening startled Jin Dafu, who nearly spilled his tea. Upon seeing who it was, he immediately showed displeasure and put the teacup down.

　"Stop yelling. You should be grateful that they're even coming to give you a message. Don't be so picky."

　Zhang Zhong glared at Jin Dafu with annoyance, then picked up the teacup Jin Dafu had put down and drank it all in one gulp.

　"We live in the information age. Why don't you just send a message? There's no need to rush like this..."

　Upon hearing Zhang Zhong's words, Jin Dafu poured himself a cup of tea in an annoyed manner.

　“The old man is too old to use that little metal box. Besides, it’s only a few steps away, why would he need to send a message?”

　As Zhang Zhong spoke, he reached for the tea in Jin Dafu's hand again, but Jin Dafu nimbly dodged him, so Zhang Zhong said with some dissatisfaction.

　"You still need to learn more about the products of the times, otherwise you will be eliminated sooner or later."

　"At my age, I'll just be phased out if I have to."

　Upon hearing Jin Dafu's words, Zhang Zhong replied nonchalantly, "Is this something you should say to someone who's half-buried in the ground?"

　They pose absolutely no threat!

　"Tell me the specifics. Has the world of 'dark cuisine' won again?"

　Thinking of how Zhang Zhong had rushed over earlier, Jin Dafu already had an answer in his mind, but he still asked again, uncertain.

　"That's right, they won again, and by an overwhelming margin."

　Then I looked up some information and found that every member of the Dark Cuisine World who made it into the main competition possessed a top-tier skill level, and the contestant who was eliminated in the preliminaries was also one of the best among first-class chefs, and should have been selected under normal circumstances.

　"This is outrageous. Where did these guys come from? The geniuses in this organization are almost comparable to those in an entire province."

　Upon hearing Zhang Zhong's description, Jin Dafu frowned. He had initially dismissed this so-called "dark cuisine" world, but the series of competitions had changed his mind.

　Their own province's favorite to win the championship was easily defeated, and even their mainstay couldn't beat them. What will other provinces think of them?!

　"Dafu, do you still remember Bai Yuan?"

　"Why did you suddenly bring him up?"

　Jin Dafu looked at Zhang Zhong with some confusion, wondering why he would bring up Bai Yuan at this time.

　"He wore the same mask as the current 'Dark Cuisine' group when he participated in the competition. Do you think he founded this 'Dark Cuisine' group...?"

　Zhang Zhong voiced his guess, while Jin Dafu fell into deep thought at the same time.

　"So that's how it is. The apprentices he mentioned are those people from the Dark Cuisine world? This organization might really have been created by him!"

　The youngest master chef in history created a super force, attracting geniuses who, under his tutelage, made rapid progress in their skills, eventually competing in tournaments across various provinces to make a name for themselves and attract more people to join.

　"Excellent tactic, excellent strategy!"

　After a moment's thought, Jin Dafu deduced Bai Yuan's idea and showed an expression of appreciation on his face.

　"You mean those guys are all his apprentices?"

　"That's right, geniuses don't just appear out of thin air; everything has its reasons."

　You don't need to worry about this. As long as they don't use any underhanded tactics, winning the championship is a testament to their ability.

　"Is it a good thing that someone from another province won the championship in our province's competition? I doubt those old guys will be happy about it."

　Upon hearing Jin Dafu's words, a look of worry appeared on Zhang Zhong's face. This was not something they could make a decision on lightly!

　"If those guys are not satisfied, so be it. If they're so capable, let them talk to them themselves."

　We've already shown them respect by not competing against us. If we now restrict even their apprentices from participating, that would be a real joke. What do they take the Young Chef Competition for?

　The stage belongs to the world; if you're afraid of people from other provinces participating...

　"Additionally, just limit the competition to participants from within the province. Winning is great, but if you lose, you should be able to accept it gracefully!"

　Jin Dafu's voice was firm and resolute. If these people intervened, they might indeed be able to turn the tide of the battle, but that would defeat the original purpose of holding the competition and would not necessarily be a good thing for the growth of the younger generation.

　"I understand."

　Zhang Zhong nodded, and couldn't help but chuckle: "The longer you live, the more you care about your reputation. Thanks for the reminder, I almost trampled on what I value most."

　"So, we still need to practice, Comrade Zhang Zhong."

　Jin Dafu smiled and handed the tea to Zhang Zhong, then picked up his own teacup and took a sip.

　·

　·

　The competition continued. Following Erina Nakiri's match, there were two consecutive days of matches between Fujian natives, including many strong opponents.

　The most eye-catching figure is someone who is in no way inferior to Zhao Xiaotian. It is said that he is also a favorite to win the championship, and last year he lost to Liu Xiaotian by only one vote.

　Lia performed as expected on the final day of the battle, winning the match with a score of 2:1.

　The list of the top eight teams has now been released, and they are as follows.

　Alice Nakiri, Zhu Yan, Soma Yukihira, and Kawashiro Hana

　Erina Nakiri, Zhao Qineng, Wang Qing, Liya

　Wang Qing is a genius who is no less than Liu Xiaotian, possessing the strength of a top-tier three-star expert and capable of consistently producing top-tier three-star dishes.

　"There's still a week until the next match, so today is your last chance to relax. Starting tomorrow, I will be putting you through grueling training."

　Inside the hotel, Bai Yuan pushed open the door and went in.

　Looking at the girls in front of them, some playing cards, others playing Ludo or Shogi, their faces full of laziness, the voice rang clearly in everyone's ears.

　"Devil training?"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's voice, Lia's eyes seemed to light up.

　"Intensive training!!"

　Alice Nakiri's face was filled with fear. As someone who had undergone special training since childhood, she knew all too well the terror of the devilish training that Bai Yuan had described.

　The key word is the word "devil" at the beginning.

　This means that what awaits them next is hellish-level special training!

　Because only in hell are there demons.

　"That's right. During this period, you have either participated in the competitions yourself or watched them, and your understanding of cooking has improved significantly."

　However, this improvement will quickly revert to its original state if not reinforced through intensive training, so rigorous, demanding training is necessary!

　Does that mean we want some too?

　Ryoko Sakaki weakly raised her hand. She had initially been somewhat gloating, thinking that this special training was only for the top eight, but judging from Bai Yuan's tone just now, it seemed that this special training was for everyone!

　"Of course, you are also my students. Are you worried that I will abandon you?"

　Bai Yuan revealed a hearty smile, but the smile looked dangerous no matter how you looked at it. As he spoke, he walked up to the three members of the Polar Star Dormitory.

　Tadokoro Megumi was smiling gently at him.

　Of the three, she was probably the only one who was happy about the grueling training.

　The defeat in the previous match made her feel extremely unwilling.

　"I don't think we can keep up... and right now, Erina-sama's match is more important. We can come back after the match is over."

　Hisako Shinto expressed her concerns.

　Bai Yuan's energy is limited; he cannot possibly be responsible for training so many people at the same time.

　Currently, only Erina Nakiri and her teammates have made it into the top eight, so it's clearly more appropriate to focus our efforts on them first.