Chapter 732: Section 520: Eating Contest: Sauerkraut Fish Sushi
The Snowbird Duel Arena was the largest dueling field in Snowbird Port. Previously, the Dragon-man youth had slain Teng Donglang here, making this arena famous throughout the Kingdom.
The duel arena owner had made a fortune from this, and to this day, the sales of the Magic Images of the duel were still quite outstanding.
At this moment, the seats of the Snowbird Duel Arena were filled to the brim with spectators.
Two Golden Level Magic Chefs were dueling, sparking the enthusiasm of the Snowbird Port populace, who rushed to watch the spectacle.
The dueling field had been specially modified for this event, divided into two halves, and equipped with boilers and other basic culinary equipment.
The two Magic Chefs made their entrance, each positioned in their respective areas, gazing across at one another from a distance.
Contrary to their previous spat in Snowbird Square, they were both checking their equipment and utensils.
The giant Magic Chef discarded the field-provided pot, replacing it with the black iron pot he carried on his back.
Ci Haishen, on the other hand, took out knives of various models from his storage device, arranging them neatly on the elongated kitchen counter.
As it was a food quantity duel, the formidable Golden Level Magic Chefs didn’t employ sous-chefs or assistants; they were each on their own.
As per tradition, the duel would be announced by the highest-ranking dignitary among the audience.
But the City Lord of Snowbird Port didn’t say much, simply declaring the start of the duel.
Da Dou laughed loudly, "Ci Haishen, this time you’re destined to lose, hahaha."
Flames with a golden sheen sprayed from the palm of his hand, igniting instantly.
Fueled by Golden Fighting Spirit, the flames blazed furiously, almost engulfing the Black Iron Pot.
The Black Iron Pot, emanating a Silver Level aura, slowly reddened under the scorching flames.
Da Dou took out coconuts, one after another, from his storage device.
A common ingredient—Butter Coconuts.
Da Dou cracked these coconuts open, pouring all the coconut oil from inside directly into the pot.
The Black Iron Pot featured spatial capabilities, so the copious amount of coconut oil simply formed a layer at the bottom.
The coconut oil sizzled in the scorching pot, quickly producing a rich golden aroma that billowed everywhere.
Yet, the Magic Array of the Snowbird Duel Arena had already done its job, keeping the aromas separate, preventing them from drifting over to Ci Haishen’s side.
On Ci Haishen’s counter, a large quantity of sea fish was already laid out.
These sea fish were fat and plump, their scales uniformly green, ranging from dark to light. The deeper green colors often clustered together, creating speckled patterns.
A common ingredient—Sour Cabbage Fish.
Ci Haishen harnessed his spiritual power to precisely control each knife.
The next moment, over twenty knives of different models floated into the air.
Shush, shush, shush...
The knives relied on the countertop and circled the arrayed Sour Cabbage Fish, cutting continuously. Due to the rapid speed of the blades, they formed a blur of light in the air.
The Sour Cabbage Fish, under the cover of this blade light, was swiftly sliced into pieces.
Each slice of fish was similar in size and thickness. The remaining fish heads and bones were, under the influence of spiritual power, moved away from the countertop.
More Sour Cabbage Fish were taken from the storage device, placed on the counter, and then, under the flurry of knives, disassembled into many pieces of raw fish slices.
The remaining fish bones, heads, and tails were all tossed into the trash bin beside the counter.
The audience cheered with excitement.
The two Golden Level Magic Chefs were only engaging in the most basic of culinary competitions, yet the scene was already spellbinding.
Both chefs displayed their solid foundational cooking skills.
This made the audience eagerly anticipate the upcoming competition.
Sanda and others from his group sat in the front rows of the spectator seats.
The goblin watched the duel while inquiring about the betting odds.
This time around the duel between the two Magic Chefs, a large number of bets were placed.
Sanda hoped to get a piece of the action. Although he understood that gambling carried high risks, he was in desperate need of funds and after a long deliberation, decided to take a risk!
Meanwhile, in the Observation Room, the City Lord of Snowbird Port was accompanied by the bishop of the Sea Bird sect.
The Magic Images in front of them were far more detailed than what most of the spectators could see with their naked eyes; if enlarged, they could even make out the changes in the chefs’ expressions.
This undoubtedly provided a better viewing experience.
Besides the two of them at the Golden Level, there was also one at the Silver Level.
That was Mei Landu, the main chef for the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
As a Magic Chef, Mei Landu was quite interested in this duel. But his main reason for coming to the Observation Room was at the arrangement of the City Lord of Snowbird Port.
The City Lord needed someone knowledgeable like Mei Landu to act as a commentator while hosting the Sea Bird Bishop.
After all, a culinary duel is not quite the same as the usual heroic duels. It’s often only after the commentary that the excitement can be understood.
At this point, Mei Landu spoke up, "Clearly, Lord Ci Haishen has chosen sour-spicy fish sushi as his first dish."
"This is a very popular and common dish, eaten by countless families in coastal regions."
"The main ingredient used in this dish is pickled fish."
"The reason Lord Ci Haishen has chosen this dish is precisely because it’s so common. Commonness indicates that the dish is very much in line with the public’s taste and has always been highly acclaimed."
"This time it is a Magic Chef rivalry, a taste testing competition, different from the tasting sessions that Lord Ci Haishen has held before. Honestly, in a tasting session, one might end up trying something with an indescribable taste. But in this kind of contest, both sides will make a popular dish like sour-spicy fish sushi."
"By doing so, the audience who will taste it later will have no difficulty accepting it."
"Another reason is that the dish’s preparation process is quite simple, allowing Lord Ci Haishen to save a lot of time and energy."
Swipe, swipe, swipe...
Ci Haishen’s knives flashed continuously before him.
"I didn’t expect him to have some knife skills," the Sea Bird Bishop said, watching the Magic Image and expressing his surprise.
"But that’s about it. At most it counts as culinary skill, not a killing technique," the City Lord of Snowbird Port added. He not only practiced magic but also cultivated fighting energy and mastered many combat skills. He spoke with a degree of authority in this field.
Mei Landu then said, "Lord Ci Haishen specializes in magic, but no matter the path one cultivates, a Transcendent can become a Magic Chef."
"Honestly, there are many Magic Chefs who possess outstanding knife skills."
"One of them is named Hei Xia, a bear clansman from the Wilderness Continent. He specializes in cultivating fighting energy and is highly talented. In his prime, he took part in the campaign against the Evil God, but ended up blind, with no possibility of recovery. He had to retire, and by the time he re-emerged into the public eye in his later years, he had already become an extremely formidable Magic Chef."
"His strongest point is still his former knife skills. Even blind, he can sense any living being’s vulnerabilities. When cutting meat, he can process it along the muscle fibers, ensuring that each slice retains its original flavor."
Upon hearing this, the Sea Bird Bishop suddenly realized the truth and exclaimed, "So, this Hei Xia fighter has comprehended spiritual power and mastered Spiritual Energy."
"Correct," Mei Landu complimented the bishop, "Your wisdom, Lord Bishop, has seen through to the truth."
"The knife skills that Hei Xia has mastered make his attacks even more terrifying than in his youth."
"Just like in the fighting energy circles of the Holy Bright Continent’s east, they have always been studying Static Skills to help fighters discover their inner spiritual power."
"Of course, if a chef masters a specialized cooking implement like the Meat’s Eye, they can instantly discern any piece of meat’s muscle fibers and reach another realm of knife work."
Mei Landu suddenly brought up the Meat’s Eye, which was exactly what Da Dou had staked in this bet.
Clearly, Mei Landu’s commentary was purposeful, not random rambling, mentioning Hei Xia to explain the Meat’s Eye.
Da Dou and Ci Haishen both put forth their stakes for the taste testing competition.
The former offered the Meat’s Eye, while the latter put forward the Preservation Knife.
Mei Landu’s commentary rekindled the Sea Bird Bishop’s interest. The bishop then asked, "Please explain in detail the functions of these two kitchen utensils."
"Of course," said Mei Landu, "First, the role of the Meat’s Eye, as I mentioned before, is to allow a Magic Chef to instantly utilize spiritual power, to see through the secrets of meat ingredients, making the most optimal cuts. In combat, as long as the enemy has flesh and blood, it allows the Magic Chef to instantly find the enemy’s weak points and flaws."
"The Preservation Knife, as the name implies, maintains the freshness of the food as it is sliced, whether meat, vegetables, or fruits. This is extremely practical when making dishes! You see, the fresher the ingredients, the better they taste, and the more nutritional value is retained."
"The Golden Level Preservation Knife can be considered part of Lord Ci Haishen’s strength. If he were to lose this valuable knife, his strength would certainly plummet."
"The same is true for Da Dou if he were to lose the Meat’s Eye."
Suddenly, the City Lord of Snowbird Port asked, "The Meat’s Eye is an excellent aid for combat, but what about the Preservation Knife? How effective is it if used in real battle?"
Mei Landu was taken aback by the question, "I really don’t know. I’ve never heard of Lord Ci Haishen using the Preservation Knife to cut someone."
After a moment’s thought, Mei Landu continued, "Actually, as a Magic Chef, it’s rare to use kitchen utensils in combat."
"On one hand, by design from the very beginning, kitchen utensils are for cooking, not for fighting. Even a hint of the scent of blood on a kitchen utensil can cause unimaginable damage to the dishes. In fact, many kitchen utensils, when used in combat, are less than satisfactory."
"On the other hand, the market for kitchen utensils is not as robust as that for conventional weapons and equipment. The higher-end the kitchen utensil, the rarer it is, and those who possess them cherish them. Even if they aren’t Magic Chefs, they generally take great care of them, for eventual trade or collection."
"Golden Level kitchen utensils are already rare finds on the market."
"That’s why, after Lord Da Dou proposed the Meat’s Eye as his stake, Lord Ci Haishen was tempted and agreed to put forward his Preservation Knife."
The conversation had reached this point when a new development occurred on the duel field.
Rows of people lined up tidily, entering the center of the dueling field in an orderly fashion.
They approached the long tables, picked up the sour-spicy fish sushi from the tables, and with anticipation, placed it into their mouths.
The taste testing had begun.