A culinary duel without cheers or discussions has reached its most thrilling climax.

"Plop..."

The old man, Xia Qing, held a clean cloth in his hand, constantly transferring bamboo tubes that had been roasting for a long time off the grill.

One bamboo tube after another fell onto the platter, resembling sugarcane, stacked one by one without any exotic presentation.

As a certain bamboo tube was placed on the platter, it suddenly trembled and emitted a pleasant sound. It was evident that after an hour of baking, the bamboo had dried and began developing visible cracks.

In this manner, a whole platter of bamboo tubes was brought onto the judges' table.

"Everyone, please enjoy—"

Xia Qing said.

Behind the table, the five judges, having removed their hoods and revealed their true appearances, glanced up at the imposing Xia Qing, their expressions cold or friendly.

Yan Qi, the friendliest among them, had a hint of a smile in his eyes.

The elder of the Wei Family expressed his hostility without any disguise, his gaze icy.

He and Huang He were inherently allied within the White Jade Tower, compelled to present a united front externally. Even without the events of ten years past, the Wei Family would gaze coldly upon anyone daring to challenge the White Jade Tower's authority.

Elder Lan and Elder Li were neutral, their expressions placid.

The hardest to read was the head of the Chinese Realm in the center. His eyes fixed upon Xia Qing without revealing enmity or friendliness, as deep and tranquil as a bottomless ancient well.

No one responded to Xia Qing, and for a moment, the scene turned awkward.

"Old man!"

Xia Yu instinctively clenched his fist, a slight sweat seeping into his palm.

Clang!

A hook fell to the ground with a clear sound.

Following the sound, everyone saw the frail and seemingly fragile Huang He, wearing heat-resistant gloves, retrieving a heavy roasted whole crane directly from the fireplace, placing it onto the cooking table with a thud.

The table had been laid with a layer of lotus leaves long ago. Huang He grasped a sharp knife, flicking his wrist to send the blade towards the belly of the roasted crane, neatly opening the previously sutured cavity.

However, this time was different. The blade's swipe was followed, not a second later, by a hissing aroma releasing like a smoke bomb, instantly engulfing the entire hall.

The audience, silent for two hours since the culinary duel began, finally stirred with murmurs.

"What a delicate flavor!"

In the smoky fragrance, Xia Yu's expression shifted.

Yes, delicate.

Just like the hands Xia Yu saw earlier—jade-like and intricate.

How to describe it? Roasted over fierce flames, from a doneness perspective, both the taste of the crane meat itself and the hint of firewood flavor seemed entirely disconnected from the notion of "exquisite."

Grilling ought to evoke primal, bold imagery since it's the most direct method of employing flames in cooking.

Even setting aside doneness, from the perspective of ingredients, Xia Yu, along with many other spectators, hadn't been blind. Their memory well-served them, naturally recalling the fresh crane blood Huang He poured into the crane's belly...

Blood, itself, carries a fishy smell, doesn't it?

And the fishy smell, which hardly associates with concepts like "exquisite," "delicate," doesn't it?

The aroma released vigorously like a smoke bomb but dissipated quickly too.

As Xia Yu regained some clarity, casting his gaze once more onto the roasted whole crane on the lotus leaves, his pupils constricted sharply.

A snow-white, elegant immortal crane stood upon the table, surrounded by mist, akin to an Immortal Realm.

"Wasn't this crane already butchered..."

Unable to resist, he rubbed his eyes.

The image vanished, his eyes falling upon mere scarlet rice balls.

Huang He took a wooden spoon, scooping out clumps of crimson rice from the crane's belly. These rice grains, clear and distinct, were akin to bloodstones, glistening with mesmerizing bands of light.

The blood-infused red rice accumulated in heaps, translucent and gleaming like a jubilee of artistic treasures, awe-inspiring and dazzling.

"Ah—"

Zhu Qing gasped with hands covering her mouth, whispering, "Seeing it again!"

"Yes, seeing it again!"

Inexplicably shaken, Xia Yu stood stunned.

The immortal crane reappeared, however, this time it danced gracefully atop the glass bowl held by Huang He, its aura captivating.

Suddenly, this immortal crane paused, folding its wings, its gaze indifferent as it regarded the audience, those lacquer-red eyes resembling those treasure-like rice grains.

"Xia Qing, let me go first—"

Huang He placed the glass bowl on the judges' table, his face breaking its previously expressionless state, now carrying a hint of mockery, "Isn't it a popular saying in Japan Realm... the first to present loses..."

"Yes, the first to present loses."

Old man Xia Qing nodded, surprisingly stepping aside just like that.

Seeing Xia Qing so straightforward, Huang He showed a trace of surprise, but confidence quickly dismissed it. The Dragon Venerable of the White Jade Tower nodded, "I admire your aura, your courage."

Unconsciously, he assumed a high-horse posture.

"I recall, ten years ago you left the country to avert trouble, your culinary skills merely ending the path of agilas. Over these ten years, your breakthrough to Dragon Rank overseas was too fortunate. You should have stayed within a secluded overseas corner; perhaps the Xia Family could remain king of the hill, so why return to stir up storms?"

Huang He spoke lightly.

"I am not the same as those three old men you defeated earlier, having reached Dragon Rank over a decade ago."

"I know," Xia Qing replied.

"Ah, it seems you've prepared yourself for defeat," Huang He lightly mocked, "Can you bear the consequences of the culinary duel's terms of defeat? How about this—I give you the chance to concede proactively. Leave the Loulin Ship here, and I'll pretend this culinary duel never happened. We'll call it a draw, and the Chinese Realm will hear no whispers."

"And then..."

Huang He's gaze turned slightly cold, "Retreat overseas, do not return, be content as a mountain king in the Japan Realm."

Xia Qing shook his head, "Are you done talking?"

"Serve the dishes—"

His reply was so concise.

Huang He sneered, "If that's the case..."

He placed five small bowls onto the table, using a spoon to serve rice into each one.

Yan Qi, who had just been listening to the verbal exchange between the two, was the first to pick up chopsticks. His brows furrowed as he picked up a clump of scarlet rice cooked inside the crane's belly.

Under his slightly sinking gaze, miniature crane figures appeared inside those rice grains.

It was as though each grain contained an imprisoned immortal crane.

Just one clump's worth, upon the chopsticks, was imbued with a peculiar sensation of weight over a thousand pounds. Yan Qi's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.

"Ten Thousand Cranes!"

A low voice sounded from the side.

Elder Lan, Elder Li, and the elder of the Wei Family were also drawn in by the rice ball upon the chopsticks, their eyes fixed.

"Light—"

The Dragon Head of the Chinese Realm suddenly called out.

Snap!

A second or two later, a beam of light descended from above the hall, landing directly on Huang He's glass bowl.

Ten Thousand Cranes Dance!

The culinary display that erupted instantly seemed to overturn a nest of immortal cranes.

"Is it an illusion?"

Xia Yu rubbed his eyes, shocked to watch the vision vanish.

A gasp arose from beside him.

Zhu Qing slumped weakly into her seat, her smooth forehead covered in sweat, her small mouth opening and closing, breaths spilling, her delicate jade-like face a mix of shyness and fear. In Zhu Qing's mind, thousands of immortal cranes were spreading their wings towards her, forming a white tide ripping through her clothes, as if it really happened. She curled upon the seat, arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Xia Yu opened his mouth, about to question, when his face suddenly changed.

Zhu Qing, however, closed her eyes, all shyness, all fear vanished, her face gradually appearing serene.

On the broadcast screen.

Old man Xia Qing unveiled the "lid" of the topmost bamboo tube.

The rice grains were exposed to the air.

At the same moment, the culinary realm created by a Dragon Chef was fully released.