‘No wonder Bu Fang boy is so confident. It turns out that what he eventually cooked is still Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs,’ he thought to himself. ‘You should have told me earlier that it’s Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs, then I won’t have to eat that Roc meat! Compared with this, that meat tastes like a fart! At most, it’s a slightly more delicious fart!’
Lord Dog inhaled deeply again. A few more prawns flew out of the plate, accompanied by a white mist that swirled around them like immortal energy. When they entered his mouth, the taste of Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs exploded instantly. Not only that, but there was also a calming fragrance of tea.
Lord Dog narrowed his eyes, his body swaying slowly from side to side in midair and his tail wagging as he immersed in the delicious Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs.
That shocked everyone. Dogs like prawns, too? It didn’t make sense! Weren’t dogs supposed to like meat and bones? How could prawns satisfy a dog when they tasted so bland? Was this just a show Lord Dog and Bu Fang had put on together to win the Chef’s Challenge? Many people couldn’t help but think of this possibility.
Ah Zhuang’s pupils constricted as he looked at the black dog’s intoxicated expression. As a chef, he could tell whether the expression on the diner’s face was real after a dish was eaten.
‘Judging from the dog’s expression, there’s no doubt that he’s deeply intoxicated by the prawns! Dammit! I’ve calculated everything, and yet I missed the possibility that a dog would prefer prawns over meat! How could there be a dog in this world who doesn’t like meat?!’
Er Ha and Fire Demon Patriarch both closed their eyes and felt the change in the taste of the prawns in their mouths. When they opened their eyes again, they were amazed. Without the slightest hesitation, they picked up the prawns with their chopsticks again and shoved them into their mouths.
“Spicy strips!”
“The smell of the sea!”
They shouted at the same time, and that shocked everyone again.
“The prawns have a taste of spicy strips in it? How is that possible? Also, what is the smell of the sea?!”
All the people present were struck dumb and didn’t know what to say.
It became very quiet except for the sound of Lord Dog, Er Ha, and Fire Demon Patriarch eating the prawns. Before long, the whole plate of prawns was finished, and only the lotus container carved from a spirit fruit was left, along with some milky gravy and leaves of the Nine Revolution Great Path Tea Tree.
The next moment, the Wheel of Law in the sky began to rotate slowly, radiating the Power of Law, while the Runes of Law flew out of Lord Dog, Er Ha, and Fire Demon Patriarch and returned to the wheel. Then, three rows of stars emerged. The final judging was about to begin.
All eyes were drawn, glued to the stars in the middle of the wheel. They were curious to know the final result of the Chef’s Challenge. Could Owner Bu continue to create miracles in the face of a dish cooked by a God?
Ah Zhuang took a deep breath. All the cooking utensils around him had vanished, and his aura was becoming more and more oppressive. He had always been confident, but for some reason, he felt a little worried this time. A sense of crisis filled his heart, making him feel as if he would lose the challenge!
“Impossible! How could I lose? This fellow is just a mortal, and I’m the God of Chef’s Challenge!” Ah Zhuang’s eyes glowed.
Soon, Nether King Er Ha’s rating came out. The stars in the first row lit up slowly.
One star, two stars, three stars…
Everyone held their breath and stared fixedly as the stars in the Wheel of Law lit up one by one. Their faces were full of anticipation.
With his hands behind him, Bu Fang also looked at the stars in the first row. His face was expressionless, and he was calm. He was very confident as well, and this confidence was hitting Ah Zhuang’s mind like a storm, making the latter hesitate.
‘Why is this mortal… so confident? That mysterious power cannot be used on dishes at all! What makes him so confident?!’
“Good heavens! Eight stars!”
“No, no! Nine stars already!”
“They’re even!”
The onlookers sucked in their breaths and exclaimed when they saw that nine of the ten stars in the first row lit up.
Nine stars! Er Ha gave Bu Fang’s dish the same rating as Ah Zhuang’s! It meant that there was still suspense in this Chef’s Challenge between a God and a mortal!
Bu Fang stood where he was with a calm face. Looking at the rating in the Wheel of Law, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Why?! How could a mere prawn dish get nine stars? How could it be as good as my Roc meat?!” Ah Zhuang was somewhat dissatisfied, so he lowered his voice and asked. The question was directed at Er Ha.
Er Ha raised his hand, stroked his pointed chin, then flipped his hair and gave a gentle smile. “Bu Fang young man’s dish… How do I put it… Well, it may not be as flavorful as your Roc meat, but it has a silk-like taste that flows through my heart like a little stream and can sense what I need…”
His eyes glowed as he recalled the taste of the prawns. He was telling the truth. Bu Fang’s Nine Revolution Great Path Prawns were not as spicy and flavorful as the Roc meat, but it had a very unique essence, which could be regarded as emotion. That was what had amazed Er Ha, and he even tasted spicy strips in the prawns! His favorite spicy strips!
Er Ha closed his eyes and spread his arms, his hair waving without the wind blowing at it.
Ah Zhuang clenched his teeth. ‘What is an emotional dish?! How can a dish have emotions?’ Even though he was the God of Chef’s Challenge, he had never heard of dishes having emotions. ‘All dishes are dead things! What is this guy talking about?!’
He snorted, then turned his eyes to Fire Demon Patriarch. He still remembered the look of shock and intoxication on Fire Demon Patriarch’s face after he had eaten his Roc meat just now. That expression did not seem fake.
‘Maybe this guy will bring me miracles!’ Ah Zhuang thought.
The rating stars belonging to Fire Demon Patriarch emerged in the Wheel of Law and began to light up slowly.
Bu Fang looked up at them. ‘Is this Fire Demon Patriarch’s rating? Perhaps it will become the decisive rating!’
Everyone was looking at the stars, while Fire Demon Patriarch himself was curious. He did not know how many stars his heart would give to the prawns. The dish had a taste that touched his heart. If he had been able to rate it himself, he would have given it ten thousand stars, for it really gave him an unprecedented experience.
‘At last, I know the smell of the sea!’
One star, two stars, three stars…
As everyone watched, Fire Demon Patriarch’s stars kept lighting up. Before long, ten stars stood side by side in the sky, flashing dazzlingly. All ten stars were lit! The watchers were all dumbfounded and did not know what to say.
Full marks! All ten stars were lit up, which was unbelievable!
Ah Zhuang’s body shook. Even though he was a God, he was completely shocked. “Ten stars?! Why?!” His eyes turned red, while a terrible aura erupted from him as if to destroy everything.
Fire Demon Patriarch felt a fear he had never felt before. “I… As I said, the dishes that can extinguish the flames on my body are the most delicious! This plate of prawns did it!” he said, his body trembling violently.
“As a Fire Demon, I have never smelled the sea because I can’t experience the feeling of the warm seawater flowing through my throat. But when I was eating the prawns, I felt the taste of the sea…”
He closed his eyes, and the flames on him kept flickering.
“Since this dish has extinguished my fire, it is the perfect dish. Ten stars are not too much for a dish so unique!”
“Hmph!” Ah Zhuang flew into a rage, and he threw a punch toward the ground. The whole homeland of the Nether Chef Clan collapsed completely and turned into ruins. Rocks cracked and flew in all directions as he emanated a terrible aura like a roaring stove.
Fire Demon Patriarch’s heart trembled. It was then that he remembered that the guy in front of him was a God!
Although Ah Zhuang was furious, he did not say anything else. After all, with the Wheel of Law here, Fire Demon Patriarch could not cheat. Even so, he was still very unhappy! He turned his eyes to the black dog, who was his only hope now.
‘This black dog gave my Roc meat only eight stars. This shows that he’s very fussy. How many stars will such a fussy dog give to that guy’s prawns? His rating is the key!’
So far, Ah Zhuang was one star behind Bu Fang. For him to win the Chef’s Challenge, Bu Fang’s dish must receive a rating of six stars from Lord Dog. That way, he would win by a slight margin of one star. If Lord Dog gave seven stars, even if the first dish he tasted had an advantage, the number of stars would be even, and Bu Fang would still win.
Ah Zhuang was under a lot of pressure. He clenched his fists, while a formidable shadow emerged behind him, blotting out the sky. Even though he was a God, he was still nervous at such a critical moment, and he wished that miracles would happen.
Bu Fang exhaled softly. ‘I’ve fed you for so long, and now is the time for you to help me… Lord Dog, you mustn’t let me down,’ he thought to himself.
The next moment, the Runes of Law flew out of Lord Dog and returned to the Wheel of Law. For a moment, there was a rumble in the air as if thunder was brewing.
Soon, ten unlit stars emerged in the wheel, which represented Lord Dog’s rating.
One star, two stars, three stars…
Under the watchful eyes of all, these stars gradually lit up, and soon, nine stars were shining!
The result was revealed without delay, and it refreshed everyone’s view of the world. Lord Dog only gave Ah Zhuang’s Roc meat eight stars, but he gave Bu Fang’s prawns nine stars. What did that mean? It meant that Bu Fang’s dish had won the Chef’s Challenge!
Didn’t all dogs like meat? Since when did even prawns could win Lord Dog’s heart?
Everyone was stunned, including Ah Zhuang. They guessed the beginning, but they were all wrong about the ending!
Lord Dog’s nine stars gave Bu Fang a total rating that crushed Ah Zhuang’s, so the Chef’s Challenge was won by Bu Fang! As soon as the final result was known, the Wheel of Law acted accordingly.
With a terrible aura and a deafening rumble, the Wheel of Law spun and flew toward Ah Zhuang. Then, with all eyes on him, his body began to be slowly crushed by the wheel from the lower part.
Ah Zhuang glared at Lord Dog and Bu Fang. “How could my Roc meat lose?!” He growled in a low voice. At the same time, the shadow of the God of Chef’s Challenge behind him gave an unwilling roar. He couldn’t believe that he, as a God, lost to a mortal in cooking!
Lord Dog stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. “Do you think those are ordinary prawns? Prawns that can give me the taste of Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs are definitely not ordinary!” he said. “You should be proud that you are defeated by Sweet ‘n’ Sour Ribs.”
“You cunning mortals… I will never forgive you all!” Ah Zhuang roared, his eyes red.
The Wheel of Law kept crushing his body. Finally, as his roar faded away, his head completely shattered.
