Chapter 1083: Tofu Duel

Lu Yang's appearance drew considerable attention to the Five-Star Spirit Chef group, even attracting many spectators who had originally intended to watch the Seven-Star Spirit Chef group.

"I can't believe Lu Yang is a spirit chef with an Immortal Chef's heritage!" Xie Qi stared intently at Lu Yang, mimicking his every move.

"So what if he has an Immortal Chef's heritage? I will prove to the world that I can not only imitate the dishes of an Immortal Chef's successor but also elevate them by half a level!"

Xie Qi touched the various bottles and jars tucked into his waist, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

These were his secret weapons, containing spices he had collected while traveling the cultivation world, especially abundant from the Buddhist Kingdom.

The spirit cooking world had ignored the Buddhist Kingdom's existence, excluding it from their culinary domain. However, Xie Qi discovered that while the Buddhist Kingdom's dishes were indescribably bad, or rather, unpalatable, its spices were unparalleled anywhere else.

He leveraged the power of these spices to make any dish more delicious!

An Tong also wanted to compete directly with Lu Yang and prove herself.

The outside world called her "Undefeated An Tong" precisely because she had never lost since her debut, and Lu Yang would be no exception!

As the center of attention, Lu Yang felt that everyone didn't need to stare at him so intently.

He had only practiced knife skills for a few days and learned about some strange spiritual plants from Immortal Undying, the latter of which he hadn't even used yet.

As for cooking, he had no idea how to do it. How could he possibly win?

He figured he would just make something random and let Xie Qi and An Tong compete for first place.

Anyway, he didn't care whether Jin Tan's faction won; this was an internal dispute within the Spirit Chef Alliance, and he was merely an observer.

Liu Xing spread his arms, and the outermost walls of the examination area collapsed, revealing rows of ingredients: birds, beasts, spirit beans, spirit rice – everything imaginable.

He loudly announced the final challenge: "Five-Star Spirit Chef group, for your last test, you are required to prepare a dish using tofu!"

Lu Yang was speechless.

Lu Yang rubbed his temples in agony. The mention of tofu immediately brought back memories from when he first started cultivating. His senior sister had made him practice sword techniques with tofu every day. He had to eat as much tofu as he chopped during the day, and at night, his nightmares were filled with the "Tofu Venerable." For a while, the mere thought of tofu made him nauseous.

"Does your Spirit Chef Alliance even want positive publicity?"

"Go on, little Yangzi! This immortal's cookbook has a dish called Yin-Yang Tofu. Let them witness this immortal's skill!" Immortal Undying urged.

Lu Yang's eye twitched. Because he had translated the entire "Compendium of Cooking," he remembered the preparation method for every single dish recorded within it.

It was hard to defy a sacred decree, and as a subordinate, he had no right to resist the sovereign's command.

Lu Yang steeled himself and began to prepare the Yin-Yang Tofu.

As the name suggests, Yin-Yang Tofu is black and white. To achieve these two distinct colors, it requires hundreds of black ingredients and hundreds of white ingredients, blended into a complex sauce to dye the tofu.

Black ingredients include squid ink, soy sauce, and so on.

White ingredients include salt, sugar, and so on.

"Immortal, won't this be a bit too salty?"

"Don't worry, the saltiness will be neutralized when you add chili peppers at the end!"

"This Yin-Yang Tofu embodies the Way of Yin and Yang, containing infinite possibilities and endless wonders. If you can grasp this level, you'll be able to grasp the basics of the Way of Yin and Yang..." Immortal Undying prattled on about her philosophy behind developing the dish.

Xie Qi, meanwhile, kept pace with Lu Yang, pouring hundreds of bottles and jars together and stirring them thoroughly.

Watching the black and white liquids bubble with an unknown reaction, Xie Qi began to doubt whether Lu Yang truly was an Immortal Chef's successor.

But recalling the various rumors about Lu Yang, he gritted his teeth, decided to believe, and continued to follow suit!

Gazing at the black and white tofu, cut into spheres and drizzled with sauce on the plate, Xie Qi's appetite was piqued.

Although the preparation process was strangely unsettling, the finished product smelled incredibly fragrant!

"Let me taste it and see what flaws this tofu has."

Xie Qi took a spoonful, then gasped in disbelief, clutching his throat and making gurgling sounds.

Two extreme flavors clashed in his mouth. His sense of taste was already far superior to ordinary people, and under the effect of magnified senses, the two tastes tormented him, making him wish for death.

With a clatter, Xie Qi collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth and unconscious.

Lu Yang had forced Xie Qi to withdraw without lifting a finger, a brilliant strategy that subdued the opponent without a fight!

The final showdown came down to Lu Yang and An Tong.

"Time's up!" Liu Xing announced loudly.

"Considering Xie Qi's unexpected withdrawal, and following discussions among the alliance's high-ranking officials, we have decided to change the evaluation method for this competition!"

"Instead, both participants will taste each other's dishes and give a rating!"

Lu Yang presented his Yin-Yang Tofu, drizzled with scarlet chili oil, while An Tong presented orange-shaped tofu.

"Now, let the tasting begin."

Lu Yang examined An Tong's orange tofu. Its outer shell resembled a candy coating. Lu Yang gently tapped it with his spoon, and the coating gave way, revealing soft, springy white tofu.

Lu Yang scooped up a spoonful of the candy coating and tofu and put it into his mouth. The bland tofu became rich under the orange flavoring, and bamboo shoot pieces embedded within gave the tofu a delightful crunch.

This taste was miles better than Immortal Undying's!

While Lu Yang was tasting An Tong's orange tofu, An Tong was also examining Lu Yang's Yin-Yang Tofu.

As a child, she had lost her sense of taste due to a high fever, which, in turn, led to her sight, touch, smell, and hearing becoming extraordinarily developed.

"The layer of red oil on this Yin-Yang Tofu is vibrant and appealing, yet it doesn't overpower the tofu's aroma. The black and white tofu not only carries the fragrance of tofu but also the scent of the sea, the sky, and the earth."

She didn't even need to taste it to know that this was the ultimate tofu, completely surpassing her own orange tofu!

It was truly a masterpiece of tofu!

Although she had no sense of taste, An Tong still took a bite as a sign of respect for Lu Yang.

Just as Lu Yang was about to persuade An Tong not to eat it and offer his concession, he saw An Tong take a spoonful of the Yin-Yang Tofu. Clutching her throat and gaping, she shouted an evaluation loud enough for the entire hall to hear, a judgment she had never uttered in her life.

"So spicy, so salty!!"

"How can it be this spicy!"

An Tong drank water vigorously, which only slightly reduced the heat in her mouth. She then calmed down and pondered further.

"Wait, I have my sense of taste back?!"

"I... I have my sense of taste?"

An Tong took large bites of the Yin-Yang Tofu, tears falling onto the plate as she sobbed with laughter: "Delicious, truly delicious..."

After a moment, An Tong composed herself slightly and bowed deeply to Lu Yang: "Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, you have won. I concede willingly."

Although she was part of Jin Tan's faction, she had her own principles. Lu Yang had restored her sense of taste with his tofu; how could she possibly be qualified to evaluate his Yin-Yang Tofu?

With that, she disregarded Lu Yang's reaction and left the venue directly, leaving a bewildered Lu Yang behind.

Even when Liu Xing announced the results and Lu Yang's armband was replaced with five golden stars, signifying his status as the most powerful among Five-Star Spirit Chefs, he still hadn't fully processed what happened.

"Wait, how did someone of my skill level win?"