Chapter 1076: How Many Count as Cultivators with the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation?

The kitchen floor was covered with pots, pans, dishes, food, and medicinal ingredients. Song Tianjing had dark circles under his eyes; he hadn't slept for five days, completely absorbed in the "Culinary Compendium" and losing track of time.

Of course, this was also due to his inability to distinguish between dreams and reality.

Song Tianjing opened the window. The morning sunlight wasn't too strong, yet it still felt dazzling to him.

“Oh no, I was so engrossed in studying the recipes! I almost forgot about today's Spirit Chef exam!”

To participate in the Spirit Chef Grand Competition, one must first become a Spirit Chef, and the Spirit Chef exam absolutely couldn't be missed!

He didn't bother cleaning up the kitchen and rushed straight to the Spirit Chef exam venue.

“Qian'er, the clan leader has already agreed to our marriage. Soon, he will go to your Jade Rabbit clan to propose. We will definitely be able to raise a Tribulation-Transcending Great Demon Emperor!”

“Young Master Wu, give up on that idea; it's impossible between us!” Qian'er, dressed in a white dress and white socks, was dazzlingly fair. Even her long ears were pure white without any hint of other colors, which was extremely rare.

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wu excitedly grabbed Qian'er's delicate wrist: “Qian'er, don't you understand my feelings? I truly like you!”

“Let go of me!” Qian'er struggled, clearly disgusted by physical contact with Young Master Wu.

“Qian'er, actually, I...”

“Excuse me, excuse me!” Song Tianjing, dishevelled and grimy, rushed towards the registration desk. He had intended to walk around Young Master Wu and Qian'er, but having not slept for five days, his sense of distance and direction was somewhat off, causing him to accidentally bump into Young Master Wu.

“I'm so sorry, are you alright?”

“Are you blind?! How dare you bump into me? Do you know who I am? I am the Holy Son of the Five Poisons Clan!” Seeing Song Tianjing ruin his moment, Young Master Wu was furious. Qian'er, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, using the opportunity to get away from Young Master Wu.

Song Tianjing secretly thought, 'This isn't good.' After arriving in Demon City, he had befriended several Foundation Establishment stage demons, and they all said that among Foundation Establishment cultivators, the one person you absolutely couldn't offend was this Holy Son of the Five Poisons Clan, known for his vindictiveness.

The young woman standing beside Young Master Wu was Yu Qian'er of the Jade Rabbit clan, whom he had met once before.

“My apologies, Holy Son Wu. Time is running out. Let me go register, and after the exam, I will personally come to your residence to apologize.”

Song Tianjing finally managed to register in the very last moment, just as the incense stick burned out.

Watching Song Tianjing's hurried figure as he registered, Young Master Wu's lips curled into a cold sneer: “It seems he wants to become a Spirit Chef, just like you and I.”

“I'll make sure you learn the cost of offending me!”

“Wu, I'm warning you, don't you dare touch him!” Qian'er said nervously. Although it was unintentional, Song Tianjing had indeed helped her out of a predicament, and she couldn't just stand by and watch Young Master Wu cause trouble for him.

Seeing Qian'er intercede for Song Tianjing, Young Master Wu became even more displeased.

“Don't worry, Qian'er, he's just a clown. I'm not that petty,” Young Master Wu said, displaying a benevolent smile, though inwardly he scoffed.

It was too late. While Song Tianjing was registering, he had used a poisonous needle to secretly administer a toxin to him. The poison wasn't strong, but it was precisely enough to take effect during the upcoming Spirit Chef exam, causing him to collapse face-first onto the stove. That scene would surely be amusing.

Looking at the dark circles under the boy's eyes, he was clearly sleep-deprived. Even if he fell asleep during the exam, no one would find it unusual.

However, when the exam concluded, he was astonished to see Song Tianjing emerge from the examination hall completely unharmed, even wearing a two-star arm badge.

How was this possible? Hadn't the boy been poisoned?!

“Young Master Wu, so you were still waiting for me here. I'm truly sorry for earlier!” Seeing Young Master Wu still present, Song Tianjing hurried over to offer a sincere apology.

“I don't know why, but I was disoriented before registering, yet after registration, my mind suddenly cleared up. I performed exceptionally well while cooking, and the examiners praised my dishes profusely.”

Young Master Wu was startled. Absorbing poisons as power... characteristics of the Hundred Poisons Sacred Body?

What a joke! This boy possessed the Hundred Poisons Sacred Body, which was the ultimate counter to their Five Poisons Clan?

Qian'er blinked. She wasn't foolish; she had guessed that with Young Master Wu's vengeful nature, he must have poisoned Song Tianjing. She hadn't expected Song Tianjing to neutralize it so easily.

Song Tianjing might not have been striking in appearance, but he certainly held many secrets.

After Song Tianjing and Qian'er left one after another, Young Master Wu also revealed his two-star arm badge.

“Tomorrow, at the Spirit Chef Grand Competition, I will personally make my move. I'll see how capable you truly are!”

“The Spirit Chef Grand Competition is tomorrow, Xiao He, aren't you participating?” Yun Mengmeng, as usual, bought a large pile of spiritual food to share with Xiao He, all of which she had tasted and found delicious.

She planned to share them again with the Second Boss when she returned in the evening.

Yun Mengmeng felt delighted; sharing once brought double happiness, and sharing twice would bring quadruple happiness!

“Unfortunately, I can't leave this place,” Xiao He sighed. Ever since the battle at Western Heaven Temple ended, Gray Bean had placed a restriction on her, preventing her from leaving the small shop.

“That's such a pity! Our Second Boss is going to participate in the competition, and I wanted to introduce you to him.”

“Your Second Boss is also participating?” Xiao He frowned upon hearing this. Mengmeng had said that the 'Second Boss' had reluctantly come to Demon City out of consideration for Mengmeng. If he was qualified to participate in the Spirit Chef Grand Competition, how could it be called 'reluctant'?

This Second Boss even deceived someone as naive as Mengmeng; he truly wasn't a good person!

These days, the Qiongqi tribe had excellent meals, guided by a nine-star spirit chef, supervised by the young patriarch, and prepared by a five-star spirit chef. They ate a variety of demon beasts, with no meal being the same twice.

In the Azure Edge Sword's mini-world, only white bones remained on the ground, all the meat having been eaten by the Qiongqi tribe. Lu Yang's culinary skills had visibly improved.

“It's time to go to the competition.”

Lu Yang put on his arm badge and prepared to leave. The badge had five black five-pointed stars, signifying his esteemed status as a five-star spirit chef.

Lu Yang could be considered a cultivator with a hundred immortal arts under his belt, even if this particular status was obtained through back channels by the Taotie clan.

After Lu Yang emerged from his seclusion with the Qiongqi tribe, Yun Mengmeng waited at the Qiongqi tribe's entrance, accompanying him to the competition.

Immortal Indestructible showed off a few tricks, but unfortunately, Jin Caiwei suffered food poisoning and couldn't accompany Lu Yang.

“So many spirit chefs! Far more than those at the market,” Yun Mengmeng exclaimed. She had never seen so many spirit chefs in her life and only regretted not being a judge, unable to taste so many delicacies.

The competition registration site was packed with people. The spirit chefs had various appearances: some were bald and bare-chested with two cleavers hanging around their necks; some carried large woks on their backs and had a belt of kitchen utensils around their waists; others, though young in appearance, had black fingers and arms as withered as dry wood.

Compared to these individuals, Lu Yang and Yun Mengmeng's appearances were too normal, making them seem somewhat out of place.

“The Spirit Chef Competition is a grand event in the spirit culinary world, held once every ten years. The champion receives a crimson arm badge, signifying them as the most outstanding spirit chef in their rank.”

“The spirit chefs we saw at the market a few days ago were only a fraction of them. A large number of other spirit chefs hadn't left their homes, diligently honing their skills at the last minute.”

“I see.”

Including myself, Lu Yang silently added.