Huai Shi had been completely captivated by the deliciousness before him.
When the lid of the clay pot was lifted in front of him, it seed as if a mighty torrent burst forth, turning into a phantasmal shadow that stretched its neck and shrieked.
Among the milk-white boiling broth, tender tofu shone with a luster like white jade, while the verdant greens and mushrooms undulated in the thick soup, revealing an incomparable temptation.
Even more astonishing was the fragrance, so rich it could drown a person.
Suffocation.
He simply couldn't catch his breath.
He had forgotten how to breathe.
Huai Shi's appetite could no longer be stopped by anything.
Every cell, every strand of Source Substance within him radiated an intense craving. Countless Ravens screeched frenziedly within the Buried Sacred Place; an insatiable hunger burned.
He could no longer feel the existence of his body.
At that mont, the only thing that remained was the instinctive desire for food.
He wanted to devour, to have more… even if what he swallowed was a potent poison that could kill him, he would embrace it without hesitation!
"Please, Madam Huaizhi, this is your fate," Shenjin Qing smiled, presenting a bowl of thick soup and placing it before Huai Shi. Tender white fish flesh undulated in the broth, which rippled with dots of star-like iridescence.
Between the mushrooms and greens, the quivering tofu refracted sparkling colors…
Without any hesitation, Miss Huaizhi lifted the soup bowl to her mouth, engulfing it almost ferociously.
Wisp by wisp, a blue-green hue rose from above her neck, slowly creeping over her face, weaving a grotesque spider's web.
It made the lovely face, indulged in gluttony, utterly grotesque. A ceaseless stream of Source Substance rose from that slender figure, eroding everything around, which took on a sinister deep purple hue.
It was poison.
Undoubtedly, based on pufferfish and enriched with countless efforts to innovate, the Abyss poison had evolved!
This was what made the Dragon Pufferfish so precious, akin to the regal status of ancient river lords; tracing its origins, it even inherited the noble Dragon Vein.
Even though there were no True Dragons left in the world, the demonic nature of the malignant serpents grew ever more ferocious.
Under the concoction of the Abyss Kitchen Devil, based on the pufferfish's innate poison and fused with countless acquired poisons, the dish seed to co alive. Endowed with the rudint of a Soul, it beca a Disaster no less formidable than any Abyssal creation.
As Huai Shi ate, it slowly accumulated inside him until, at the mont of eruption, everything beca irretrievable!
Nurous toxins combined within him, infiltrating his Soul, contaminating everything from the inside out, triggering irreversible Source Substance Transformation.
The pinnacle of culinary art completed by Shenjin Qing, combining Shan Lao cuisine with San Tu's secret techniques.
An irresistible temptation of Gluttony, an unstoppable solidified Disaster, and a terrifying Curse that no one could lift.
—Demon altered poison!
It was declared by a great general of San Tu to be an essence of malice that, during his lifeti, could aspire to 'The Sixth Day' Domain.
rely a trace of residual poison leaked from Huai Shi's body, enough to corrode the blue bricks underfoot. An indomitable aura of decay spread out, enshrouding her slender figure.
Once the toxin penetrated the Soul, the demonic nature it created began to burst forth!
The Attendants at the edge of the arena retreated in terror. After being rely brushed by the residual poison, their limbs began to rapidly decay, mutate, and twist into grotesque shapes.
They didn't even have the chance to scream.
They t their lting, turning into thick, flowing blood…
The ferocity of this deadly poison was so great that even the onlooking Chef Demons were moved by it, feeling a deep fear from within.
Shenjin Qing revealed a grin.
Yes, be afraid.
From the mont this opening contest began, plant this shadow deep within your hearts and Souls.
Exhaust yourselves with caution in every following duel.
But such caution will be futile…
The rules of the Chef Demon duels inherently placed him in the most advantageous position.
No matter how many precautions they took, once they stepped deeper into his Domain, they would no longer be able to resist the draw of the demonic.
If one is 'willing to risk death to eat pufferfish,' then this exquisite taste, far surpassing ordinary pufferfish, brings a consequence a million tis more terrible than death itself!
The premise is… that the poison really does take effect.
At this very mont, Shenjin Qing finally felt… sothing had gone awry.
After the thick soup in the bowl was drunk to the last drop, what he heard was not a cry of horror, but an excited sigh and moan.
Following that, the empty soup bowl was cast onto the ground.
Without a hint of regret.
Hunger, an ignited hunger!
Countless Iron Crows were frantically agitated at this mont, incessantly transmitting their hunger to Huai Shi, desiring to feed, to have more.
Huai Shi snatched the spoon from Shenjin Qing's hand in one motion.
Then he lifted the steaming hot pot and placed it in front of himself.
Within the savory and rich soup, a pair of crimson eyes were reflected, filled with anticipation and pleasure. Unable to wait, he lifted the spoon, scooping up a full spoonful with mushrooms, fish, and broth.
And poured it into his open mouth.
Hair-raising chewing sounds arose.
Just like that, he swallowed the boiling soup, along with a thousandfold concentration of the fierce poison, without spilling a single drop.
Allowing the demonic nature to surge through his Soul, allowing the Demon altered poison to erode his body.
He feasted with wild abandon!
Shenjin Qing stood frozen in place, stiff, his smile gradually shattering...
Because, at this mont, within the body of Huaizhi Sushi, the Demon altered poison he took pride in had ceased to rise; instead, a dreamlike radiance erged.
It was enchanting to the point of intoxication, yet so fleeting it seed not to exist in this mortal realm.
Her being turned into a re bubble, bursting upon contact, but what emitted from those eyes was a captivating and fervent glow.
A thousand beautiful dreams and a thousand nightmares overlapped at once, and at this mont, they shattered.
The despair, horror, pain, along with the once abundant happiness, all spread out together, surging up towards the sky, forming a wild vortex.
No matter how the Demon altered poison changed, it couldn't escape that horrific gravitational pull.
Along with the food, it was cruelly chewed by her, swallowed, falling into her stomach, becoming a part of her, becoming trivial nourishnt for that horrific dream.
It indeed was a potent poison crafted with ticulous planning and exhaustive effort, a Chef Demon's cuisine that made Huai Shi feel extre admiration and intoxication.
But at this mont, right now, before him, it was rely food, provisions, essentials for growth.
It was the stepping stone for the growth of the Crow Flock.
It truly was… delicious!
If possible, Huai Shi wanted to cheer, wanted to praise loudly, to acknowledge the outstanding Talent and skill of Shenjin Qing!
Worthy of being Shan Lao cuisine, indeed worthy of San Tu!
Unable to stop, Huai Shi was lost in the pleasure of the mont, almost moved to tears by the emotion.
The delicious Disaster tumbled in his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and then absorbed by his Soul, transforming into pure Abyss essence, nourishing countless thirsty Ravens.
This joy of growth was too exquisite, too wonderful.
But it didn't last long before this heartfelt joy ca to an abrupt halt.
Huai Shi's movents froze.
He looked down from the frenzy of ecstasy, falling into a daze.
Before him, the pot was now completely empty.
The dishes and cups were in disarray with not a scrap left.
The Pufferfish Banquet had ended...
Ended?
Huai Shi lifted his head, looking puzzled at the Chef Demon before him, utterly bewildered, filled with doubt.
The first thing he felt was regret, followed by loss, and finally, rage.
Indescribable anger!
This was the end?
What was this all about?
It wasn't… just starting?!
He hadn't had his fill yet; no, to put it better, his appetite had just begun, and now there was nothing left?
Was this the only portion?!
Was this so kind of joke?
Compared to the majestic despair he had once witnessed, like a surging Sea of Darkness, this was nothing but a cup of slightly more sophisticated sugar water.
That's it? That's it? That's it?!
In the dead silence, Shenjin Qing's expression contorted; unable to help it, he staggered back a step.
Pale-faced.
Though she was such a captivating Beauty, she no longer evoked any sense of delight or exhilaration.
Being watched by that pair of eyes brought forth an intrinsic horror.
It was as if so monstrous behemoth was slowly rising before him... A vast and dark shadow spread out, covering him, enveloping him entirely.
The beautiful facade was torn apart, revealing the terror within: an imasurable Abyss, a gluttonous vortex that his ager skills could never satisfy.
Only a pair of ferocious eyes looked down on him, filled with disappointnt and disdain.
"More, more!"
An angry roar erupted from the depths of his Soul, a thundering bellow:
"—Trash, give more!"
But there was no more.
Shenjin Qing's all-out effort in the Pufferfish Banquet, and the Demon altered poison in which he took such pride and complacency, faced a complete defeat before those eyes that seed to co from the Abyss.
And more painful and desperate was the loss of the Chef Demon's dignity and ethics.
The Chef Demon, who stepped into the Abyss for the ultimate cuisine, couldn't satisfy the custor's demands, couldn't even manage to fill soone.
His all-out efforts had only served as an appetizer?
Nothing could be more despairing and painful for a chef than this.
Even the century-old reputation of San Tu would be tarnished by this!
How could this be...
From that mont on, Shenjin Qing's last bit of fighting spirit was utterly lost.
He collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Soon, Huai Shi sobered up from this hunger, regaining composure.
After wiping his mouth, he looked regretfully at the empty bowls and plates. Although disappointed, he maintained respect for his opponent and appreciation for this delicious al. He brought his hands together and expressed gratitude.
"Thank you for the al!"
Next, it was his turn.
He waved a hand, signaling the frightened Attendants to co forward and clear the table.
Then, he took out a wide-mouthed goblet he'd prepared earlier, placed an ice cube in it, opened the cocktail shaker that he had set aside for so ti, and poured the chilled water into the glass.
Finally, taking up a spoon, he lightly and leisurely tapped it against the rim of the glass.
The delicate vibrations disrupted the balance, and the chill sealed within the ice water diffused, coating the glass with a thin layer of frost.
And so, it was complete.
Huai Shi motioned with his hand toward the distraught Shenjin Qing before him.
"Please, Lord Shenjin."
With such an expectant smile, Huaizhi Sushi finally revealed the joyous ferocity of a Predator.
"Now, it's your turn to critique my work."
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