Part 1: The Invitation That Couldn't Be Refused
Morning sunlight filtered through bamboo blinds. Wei Yun opened his eyes peacefully… and immediately got hit in the face by a golden soup ladle with wings.
> "IN THE NAME OF FLAVOR, YOU ARE SUMMONED!" the ladle yelled in an operatic voice.
It then exploded into glitter and dropped a glowing scroll.
Pan-Pan, still eating leftover ghost pickles, mumbled, "What the hell kinda fortune cookie was that?"
Wei Yun unrolled the scroll. It read:
> You have been selected as Realm Representative for the 999th Annual Immortal Chef Tournament!
Hosted by: The Divine Gourmet Guild
Judged by: The Ten Heavenly Gourmands, One Angry Food Critic, and Grandmother Hua (a very picky eater).
Failure results in: Utter loss of realm flavor rights, ridicule, and possible eternal marination.
Tang Zhi leaned in. "Wait… this tournament decides our ENTIRE realm's culinary rep?"
Mu Yao narrowed her eyes. "We must not let the Bitter Abyss Clan or the Sweet Tofu Sect win."
Wei Yun sighed. "Fine. Let's boil some destinies."
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Part 2: Journey to the Culinary Colosseum
Teleportation arrays activated across the lands. A golden noodle bridge extended across the skies.
The group boarded a flying dumpling-shaped carriage, pulled by spiritual shrimp dragons.
Tang Zhi clutched a seasoning pouch. "Did I bring enough MSG?"
Mu Yao trained midair with her Knife Technique: 999-Degree Chop of Soul Separation.
Pan-Pan was… stuffing his cheeks with meat buns. "Training stomach capacity!"
System popped up:
> [Tournament Prep Mission: Assemble Your Signature Dish Trio]
1. Soul-Healing Soup
2. Reality-Bending Main Course
3. Dessert That Can Move a God to Tears
Wei Yun rubbed his temples. "No pressure."
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Part 3: The Arena of Eternal Cook-Offs
The Immortal Chef Tournament Arena was a floating island made of cutting boards, surrounded by rivers of soup stock.
Ten culinary realms had gathered. Flags flew high:
The Frozen Knife Sect – masters of cryo-sashimi
The Spice Hell Clan – every dish comes with a fire insurance waiver
The Vegan Sword Union – tofu blades only
The Bitter Abyss Sect – every dish tastes like your ex's lies
The Unseasoned Monastery – enemies of salt
And from the heavens descended…
Grand Chef Judge: Supreme Spoon Immortal Liang.
He floated down with golden tongs in one hand and a tasting spoon that weighed 9,000 jin.
"Let the chopping commence," he declared, voice booming like a thousand boiling pots.
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Part 4: First Round – The Soul-Healing Soup Showdown
Wei Yun stepped into the soup arena.
Theme: Create a soup that heals trauma and possibly realigns chakras.
A thousand stoves ignited. Competitors summoned fire beasts, enchanted spices, and levitating cauldrons.
Wei Yun?
He summoned… a chicken.
"System," he said, "Give me the Soul of the Heavenly Chicken."
> [Soul of the Heavenly Chicken (Deceased): Downloaded.]
[Fusion Technique: Empathic Soup Art – Broth of Broken Hearts.]
Wei Yun's soup shimmered gold, humming like a lullaby. When the judges tasted it, memories of lost loved ones surfaced—and then healed.
Supreme Spoon Immortal Liang cried softly. "I feel… less angry about my noodle divorce."
The Sweet Tofu Sect's entry was rejected for being "too emotionally bland."
Pan-Pan fed his leftovers to the audience. Four cultivators ascended on the spot.
Wei Yun: "One down. Two dishes to go."
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Part 5: Main Course Madness – Reality-Bending Dishes
Next round: Create a main dish so powerful, it bends the rules of reality.
The Spice Hell Clan grilled dimensional dragons. The Frozen Knife Sect sliced starlight sashimi. One contestant summoned their great-grandmother as an ingredient (she left willingly—turns out she was a legendary pork bun spirit.)
Wei Yun smirked.
He summoned:
One slab of Chrono-Beef (aged in the past and future simultaneously)
A pinch of Paradox Salt
And the Wok of Infinite Stir-Fry, inherited from the Mythical Chef Monk of Time.
He flipped the beef 3,000 times in one second.
Reality stuttered.
The dish, Temporal Beef Over Rice of Destiny, made one judge regress to infancy and then become a Sage again.
Supreme Spoon Immortal Liang stood up. "This… breaks the law of deliciousness. PASS!"
Pan-Pan licked the spoon. "I just lived three lifetimes."
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Part 6: Dessert Duel – Tears of a God
Final round.
Theme: Dessert that could make a god cry.
The competition was intense.
The Sweet Tofu Sect made Celestial Sugar Clouds.
The Bitter Abyss Cult made "Existential Grape Jelly of Regret."
One rogue chef tried Reality-Flipping Donuts and accidentally summoned their evil twin.
Wei Yun closed his eyes.
Then opened them with purpose.
He created:
> "Memories of Home" – A Spirit-Infused Mango Sticky Rice infused with childhood laughter, parental warmth, and the comforting sadness of a summer gone too fast.
Pan-Pan took one bite and hugged Wei Yun, sobbing. "I never knew my dad was a panda... but I feel like I did."
Mu Yao paused. "…It tastes like my mother's final embrace."
Supreme Spoon Immortal Liang burst into cosmic tears and ascended a realm mid-bite.
> "I DECLARE THE WINNER! Realm Representative Wei Yun of the Dao-Defying Sect!"
Crowd: CHEERS
Pan-Pan: Snores, full and glowing.
System:
> [Victory Achieved!]
[Rewards: Title – Flavor Emperor of the Mortal Realms]
[Artifact: The Eternal Spice Gourd]
[Special Invitation: Enter the Divine Cookbook Realm.]
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End of Chapter 22.