Chapter 724: Section 511: Tasting Event
Three days later, the messenger returned to Snowbird Port.
Walking on the somewhat familiar streets, the messenger distinctly noticed that the flow of people was somewhat abnormal.
Midway, he encountered other members of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and learned that Sanda and a group of mercenaries were not at the docks but at Snowbird Square.
The messenger had been dispatched by Sanda, and Sanda was exactly the person he needed to report to.
Without hesitation, the messenger immediately rushed to Snowbird Square.
The closer he got to the square, the more people he discovered. When he arrived at the square, he found it crowded, with some areas even shoulder to shoulder.
The messenger initially thought that Snowbird Port was hosting some sort of festival celebration.
However, upon arrival, he saw on a huge banner that it was actually a tasting banquet hosted by Ci Haishen.
Ci Haishen was a Gold Level Magic Chef, renowned in the culinary world. He was invited to demonstrate his superb cooking skills at the National Ceremony in the Royal Capital.
This time, he chose to land at Snowbird Port and hold a tasting banquet at Snowbird Square as a warm-up for the National Ceremony and to test the tastes of the citizens of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
The messenger met Sanda.
Sanda had been awaiting replies from Zi Di and Zong Ge, "You’re finally back."
First, Sanda inquired about the situation and, finding that there were no issues with Zi Di and Zong Ge, he sighed in relief.
He took the secret letter and said to the messenger, "You’ve had a hard journey. Go enjoy some Magic Dishes. Try as many as possible because such tasting opportunities are rare. And make some money for our Mercenary Group while you’re at it."
Sanda took the letter and went alone to a secluded corner to check its contents.
The messenger then headed to the square, blending into the crowd and gradually made his way to the center of the square.
There, he saw three rows of long tables in what had been an empty central square.
Each row of tables was covered by a canopy.
On the wooden long tables lay Magic Dishes, vibrant in color and aromatic.
The three rows of tables displayed Extraordinary Dishes from Bronze Level, Black Iron Level, and Silver Level.
Several promoters stood on temporary wooden towers, managing the order while loudly advertising.
Through their promotions, the messenger learned the basic rules of the tasting event.
First, mortals were prohibited from participating in the tasting.
The reason was simple.
Such Extraordinary Dishes were beyond mortal consumption; they were more terrifying to mortals than poison.
Second, Transcendents should queue according to their levels for tasting, and disturbances were prohibited; violators would be detained by the City Guard.
A substantial force of the City Guard flanked the area, indicating that such a large event had certainly been organized in cooperation with the official authorities of Snowbird Port.
Moreover, even the Mage Tower there was operating at full capacity, focusing most of its attention here, and filming in real time. Even if troublemakers weren’t caught on the spot, the Magic Images recorded by the Mage Tower would undoubtedly reveal the criminals for later apprehension.
Third, if Transcendents met the standards set by Lord Ci Haishen during their tasting, they would win more prize money. Of course, just participating in the basic tasting would yield a basic reward.
Fourth, it was recommended that Transcendents measure their strength. If anyone felt unwell, the Snowbird Sect had organized a team of Divine Officers who would provide Divine Arts medical assistance on the spot. However, the cost of this aid would need to be paid by the aided afterward.
Listening and observing, the messenger found it all very interesting. He decisively moved along with the crowd and slowly made his way to the long tables.
There, organizers had divided the crowd into several queues.
Each queue was long.
The messenger joined one and didn’t have to wait long before entering under the canopy.
The long table beside him displayed Black Iron Level dishes.
The messenger tried to pick up a small dish that had three slices of raw fish on it.
It seemed to be made from Tuna, the thick, orange-red slices topped with a layer of white frost.
Seeing the label on the long table, the messenger learned that this dish was called "Spring Bud."
"Why would a simple dish of raw fish have such a name?"
"Could this be the style of a Magic Chef Master?"
"I really must taste this properly."
The messenger pinched one of the fish slices, tilted his head back, opened his mouth wide, unfurled his tongue, and placed the fish slice in.
He immediately closed his mouth, continuously chewing.
At that moment, a person maintaining order yelled at him, "Keep moving while you eat!"
The messenger then began to slowly walk forward again.
He had just taken a couple of steps when he shivered, his whole body trembling with cold.
A profound chill surged from deep within him, rushing up to his crown.
The chilling sensation was refreshing, not the type that freezes the heart, offering a novel gustatory experience after a slight torment.
"I just can’t taste anything yet..."
Just as the messenger thought this, the delightful taste of the food exploded on his tongue.
Fresh!
Incredibly fresh!
A strong burst of freshness fiercely assaulted his taste buds, causing him to suddenly widen his eyes and become slightly dazed.
If the initial chill felt like winter’s snow, then the current freshness was like the grass sprouting under the snow, breaking through the icy layer.
It was the deep chill that accentuated the following burst of freshness, making it all the more vivid.
In an instant, the messenger was overwhelmed by Ci Haishen’s culinary skills.
"Truly a master Magic Chef!"
"This is the taste of spring."
"I feel like spring has arrived, and everything is sprouting..."
Everyone around who tasted the dish was emitting exclamations and praise.
Some people ate three small plates consecutively and were shocked to find that sprouts had actually started growing on their tongues!
Small meat buds, shaped in long strips, danced on the surface of their tongues, constantly reaching out into the surrounding space, eager to consume more delicious food.
The sight made the messenger’s heart skip a beat.
The transcendent with sprouts on his tongue was quickly pulled out of the line and taken to the Divine Officers for treatment.
Though the extraordinary dishes were tempting, it was crucial not to overeat.
Ci Haishen quietly watched the scene in the center of the square from a house on the outskirts.
He was on a high floor, and the large floor-to-ceiling windows gave him a broad view.
"This is the third person to sprout buds."
"Did I add too much activation agent to the ingredients?"
"No, it must be because I used the Gold level kitchenware. It seems that after adding the activation agent, I can use the preservation knife."
The unfortunate event with the sprouts made the messenger cautious.
He had only eaten one dish of sprouts and then carefully picked two other dishes.
The three dishes gave him an unforgettable culinary experience.
He wanted to try the other dishes; there were at least ten different dishes on the long table, but the messenger could not.
The magic dishes energized him greatly, constantly moving and spreading within his body. He needed to practice cultivation immediately to digest these external energies instead of indulging further.
So, when Sanda returned to the square, he saw the messenger stepping down.
"How much did you earn?" Sanda asked.
The messenger replied, "I ate three dishes and gave 30 silver coins."
Sanda waved his hand, "Go digest quickly, and then you can come back to eat more. Remember, the more you eat, the more you earn."
"If you can meet some of the tasting requirements..."
Sanda sighed and changed his tone, "Never mind, I won’t trouble you."
After the messenger left, Sanda heaved another sigh.
Seeing the crowd before him, he felt his stress halved.
Having read the secret message, Sanda knew that Zong Ge and Zi Di had thought of a strategy.
There was now a way to resolve and hope for the difficulties they faced, easing Sanda’s burden significantly.
He had already sent someone to notify Bu Quan about parts of the secret message.
"Hopefully, Bu Quan can leverage the strength of the Alchemy Guild to help the Mercenary Group."
"Additionally, the Alchemy Workshops everywhere need to enhance their defenses... no, more precisely, prepare for rapid recovery of production after any potential sabotage."
Sanda was aware that the local defensive forces were too weak. If the enemy were to deploy Gold Level powerhouses for a sneak attack, they could not be stopped.
He had considered seeking aid from the City Lord of Snowbird Port, but the cost was too great.
For now, they should wait for the support from the Lijian family and the Alchemy Guild.
Sanda knew his capabilities were limited, but he did all he could to make the greatest contribution possible.
"Oh yes, there’s also Big Guy."
Over the past three days, Sanda had adjusted his mindset.
Mainly because Big Guy was constantly delirious from hunger every day, murmuring ’hungry, hungry, hungry’, looking quite pitiful.
After checking his body, Sanda had increased his food supply.
He had thought about possibly maximizing the food provision for Big Guy.
Though sometimes unstable, if Big Guy could reach Gold Level, he would undoubtedly be a great asset to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Group.
What the group urgently needed was high-level combat power!
Typically, a Transcendent’s power needs time to accumulate—there must be a transitional process, not an abrupt change. But Big Guy’s Bloodline was exceptionally superior, and his growth was fast, visibly progressing day by day.
"Maybe it’s worth making a big push?"
"In fact, even if he reached Silver Level, given his monstrous physical condition, he could probably contend with Gold Levels. Emulating the squad leader’s feat of a Silver Level defeating a Gold seems unrealistic for Big Guy, but facing a Gold Level head-on should be feasible."
Regaining his rationality, Sanda was determined to find ways to overcome the struggles facing the Dragon Lion Mercenary Group.
His attitude towards Big Guy had changed.
They had already shared a bond of comrades-in-arms.
Previously, Sanda’s emotional response was solely due to Big Guy’s shock, making him temporarily unable to accept it.
"Should I do this?"
"Can I really rely on Big Guy?"
Clearly, compared to the young squad leader and Zong Ge, Big Guy was indeed unreliable.
But Big Guy’s Bloodline was too promising not to expect great things!