So can someone explain why the dish is glowing?
That overwhelming golden light sweeping across the sky, scattering the dark clouds, made everyone’s minds go blank.
Could this be some secret new act the organizers planned?
But the Judges hadn’t gotten any notification.
That’s just too cheeky.
Or maybe…
“Dao… Dao… Dao Realm?”
Such a phenomenon could only be explained by reaching the Dao Realm.
But could the Dao of Culinary Arts actually reach a level acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao?!
A Judge picked up that tomato, swallowing nervously.
The special effects were too much, the pressure overwhelming.
If I eat this, will my clothes explode like in those stories?
Forget it! To be the first Judge in the history of Shenzhou to taste a Dao Realm dish—this is worth it!
Even if these special effects might be fake, he was willing to give it a try!
Steeling his heart, the Judge gently bit off a corner of the tomato.
“Ring, ring, ring—”
His eyes widened, and in that instant, it felt like lightning struck right through his mind.
“This… this…”
The tomato touched his teeth—unexpectedly crisp, just the right chill, making every hair on his body stand up instantly!
Next came that dense, icy-sweet and sour sensation, elevating the layers of flavor higher and higher—worthy of being… tomato sashimi!
The Judge shoved the whole piece into his mouth, tears streaming down his face.
A brain-bursting, ultimate happiness surged through his entire body, and with a plop, he knelt on the floor, dazed.
He no longer knew how to describe it.
“If I had to name this taste… it would be happiness.” He sobbed and sighed deeply.
Clearly, it was just a sliced tomato, yet for some reason, it gave one the miraculous sensation of being filled to the brim with happiness.
There was no logical reason, no explanation at all.
It must be that the maker poured their deepest understanding of happiness into this, thus giving rise to such a wondrous effect.
“This dish, there is only one of its kind in the world. Even the creator herself may never be able to replicate it, and no one will ever surpass it!” The Judge earnestly gave his verdict, “I stake my career on this—this is the number one dish in the world!”
Si Lian was dumbstruck—in fact, even more so than those around her.
She had witnessed Jiang Ke’er’s cooking process with her own eyes.
She had just casually sliced a few times.
And that sword had killed who knows how many people, just like a garlic-chopping cleaver always carries a lingering scent. How did the Judge manage to eat happiness from a dish sliced by such a murderous weapon? Wasn’t it fishy?
“Did you drug it?” Si Lian leaned over to Jiang Ke’er and whispered.
“…If such a drug really existed, it would cost more than buying a whole restaurant. All that for a few Fish—why wouldn’t I just buy the restaurant?” Jiang Ke’er paused, stunned.
“That’s right, for just a few Fish, why not just buy the restaurant… If that doesn’t work, buying the City Lord’s seat shouldn’t be a problem either. Would those old fogeys still dare to give me attitude if I was the City Lord?”
What kind of terrifying thought was that?
Si Lian felt utterly powerless—this child’s attitude toward money was clearly a huge problem.
She seemed unaware of how tough life could be, or just how expensive and astonishing the things she spoke of truly were. There’s no way she could actually pull them off.
It was as if she lived in a fantasy world where “I’m super rich,” and no one could wake her up.
Meanwhile, on stage, the other Judges all stared blankly at the one who’d tasted first, completely baffled by what kind of trick he was playing.
If this was some surprise script secretly planned by the organizers, it was a bit much, wasn’t it?
But they had no choice but to play along.
So, one by one, they took the plates and each sampled a wedge of tomato.
“This… this flavor!”
“Ring, ring, ring—”
One bolt of lightning after another shot in through the right ear and out the left, crackling through their minds!
A few minutes later.
“No need to continue! We unanimously agree—the food competition ends here! The champion is this young lady!”
“What?”
All the Master Chefs and spectators present were stunned.
“We swear before the Heavenly Dao, from today onward we shall withdraw from the culinary world and never eat anything again for the rest of our lives!” one Judge declared, dabbing at his tears, each word ringing with conviction.
“Wait! Why? Isn’t that vow too extreme? Why are the Judges taking things so hard?!”
Though this food competition was just a bit of entertainment, both the contestants and the Judges on stage were titans of the field!
For them to announce a lifelong vow of abstinence was like shattering half the culinary review world!
“Because we will not allow a single speck of unworthy food to taint our tongues again!” He smiled in utter contentment, “We will spend the rest of our lives savoring this perfect taste! From today, we’ll return to our Immortal Residences to meditate and relive this happiness, until our Dao fades and we pass on.”
With that, the Judges all shot up into the air, their robes billowing, ignoring the pleas of the Master Chefs and organizers as they flew off.
Now things were truly awkward.
The Master Chefs from each restaurant, who had been eager to show off, suddenly found the competition over before their knives even touched a dish.
All this over a simple sliced tomato? How could this be praised to such heights?
What on earth did this little girl put in there?
All that for a few Fish—was it really worth it?
The organizers tried hard to liven up the atmosphere, attempting to salvage the awkward scene.
Meanwhile, the Master Chef who had shown Jiang Ke’er the way earlier approached her, carrying several Fish in his hand.
“A bet is a bet. I’ll give you the ingredients as promised. But… I’m not convinced,” the Thousand Lantern Restaurant’s Master Chef admitted frankly, “So I want to add a condition. When you finish your dish, you must let me have a bite, and the other Master Chefs must be allowed to watch.”
“No problem. But you can only choose one dish, and you can only take one bite. After that, you all have to leave,” Jiang Ke’er said solemnly, holding up one finger.
“Deal.”
One bite was enough; an expert only needed a single taste to gauge the skill.
He had to figure out whether Jiang Ke’er’s special effects just now were mere tricks, or if there was a deeper mystery hidden inside.
He was seriously suspicious those Judges were putting on an act.
Anyway, for the sake of Shenzhou’s culinary world, they had to get to the bottom of what happened just now.
Both sides were clear-minded, harboring no ill intent.
Though the Master Chef was unconvinced, he didn’t tamper with the ingredients and provided Jiang Ke’er with everything she wanted as promised.
By dusk, Jiang Ke’er led a group of Master Chefs out beyond the city.
“Why are we leaving the city?” the Thousand Lantern Restaurant’s Master Chef asked, confused.
Jiang Ke’er didn’t explain, merely giving a bitter smile.
She led everyone to a spacious, open spot outside, where the land was wide and sparsely populated—now and then, one could even hear wolves howling in the wilds.
Only then did Jiang Ke’er breathe a sigh of relief and set out her cooking utensils.
She closed her eyes, focused her mind, and adjusted herself to peak condition, as if preparing to face an immortal.
Then, she gently pressed her palm to the chef’s knife.
The instant she gripped the knife, a sudden thunderclap exploded across the sky!
All the Master Chefs shivered in fright, quickly looking up in terror.
A vortex of black clouds was forming from nothing, deep purple lightning leaping madly within!
“Damn! That’s Tribulation Lightning! Heavenly Tribulation?!”
“Which Daoist friend is transcending a tribulation here?”
The Master Chefs looked everywhere, but for miles around there wasn’t another cultivator in sight—besides, the center of the Tribulation Lightning vortex wasn’t anywhere else, but directly above their own heads!
No—more precisely, it was directly above Jiang Ke’er’s chopping board.
Staring at the ingredients quietly awaiting on the chopping board under that lightning, the Master Chefs seemed to understand.
It wasn’t a person facing tribulation.
It was this dish that was about to face tribulation.