The temple continued to shake, the walls creaking and groaning as if they were on the verge of collapsing. Lin Feng held the Spicy Stone, which was glowing brighter and brighter with every passing second. Jia Yun was beside him, her hand on her sword, her expression one of uncertainty.
"Well," Lin Feng said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "this is going about as well as a soup without enough salt."
Jia Yun shot him a sidelong glance. "Your sense of humor is about as dead as the spice guardians you knocked out."
"I didn't knock them out. The duck did," Lin Feng pointed out, looking over at their newfound feathered companion. The duck was waddling in circles, looking almost... smug. "And that, my friend, is a true hero."
Jia Yun sighed and crossed her arms. "You know, I always thought I would be the one to save the day, but here we are, relying on a duck."
"Don't be jealous," Lin Feng said, grinning. "The Duck King is a natural leader. Look at that confidence!"
Just then, the duck waddled over to the glowing Spicy Stone, pecked at it a few times, and then flapped its wings in a very serious manner.
"Oh no," Lin Feng groaned. "Not the dramatic wing-flap of doom again."
Before he could finish speaking, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently, and the walls of the temple began to glow. A massive, flaming portal opened up in the center of the room.
"Uh… that wasn't in the brochure," Jia Yun said, taking a cautious step back.
Lin Feng was wide-eyed. "This is it. This is how we die. In a spicy portal."
But as the portal began to expand, something completely unexpected happened.
The duck waddled over to the portal, looked back at Lin Feng and Jia Yun, then did what could only be described as the most heroic thing ever: it took a deep breath, puffed out its chest, and dived straight into the flaming portal.
"Did… did the duck just go in?" Jia Yun blinked in disbelief.
"Yup. And that's why the Duck King is clearly the superior leader," Lin Feng said, shaking his head. "I didn't even get a chance to make a witty comment before it just jumped into the fire. Classic."
Jia Yun facepalmed. "I can't believe I'm standing here, worried about a duck more than the literal magical fire portal opening in front of us."
But there was no time to waste. The portal was pulling them in with an immense force, swirling and spinning with such intensity that Lin Feng could barely keep his feet planted on the ground.
"Well, might as well follow our fearless leader," Lin Feng said with a sigh, holding onto his Flame Spoon. "After all, if anyone's going to survive this, it's me. And by 'me,' I mean 'me and the duck.'"
"Of course," Jia Yun said dryly, adjusting her sword. "Let's just follow the duck into the unknown. It'll probably work out fine."
With a shared look of resignation, the duo charged toward the portal, and together, they leapt into the fiery vortex.
---
A Few Moments Later...
They landed on soft, golden sand. The portal behind them snapped shut, leaving them in what appeared to be a completely different dimension.
Lin Feng looked around in confusion. The sky above was an odd shade of purple, and strange spice plants grew in every direction, with bright red chilies hanging like fruit from the vines. The air smelled like a blend of curry, garlic, and—strangely—banana bread.
"Where… are we?" Lin Feng asked, rubbing his eyes. "This doesn't look like the inside of a temple. Or a safe place."
"Well, it's definitely not the Spice Kingdom," Jia Yun said, looking around. "It's... not what I expected."
Suddenly, a loud quack interrupted the silence, and there, waddling toward them with all the confidence in the world, was their fearless leader, the Duck King.
"Don't tell me," Lin Feng said, eyeing the duck. "You're actually the ruler of this dimension?"
The duck gave a regal quack, puffing its chest out as if to say, "Obviously."
Jia Yun stared at the duck. "I don't know whether to bow or call animal control."
The duck strutted over to a nearby plant and began pecking at it with great enthusiasm. As it ate, the plant's fruits turned from bright red to an iridescent gold.
"That… was incredible," Lin Feng said, eyes wide. "It just transformed the plant with its beak."
"It's the Duck King," Jia Yun said seriously, nodding. "Clearly, it has ancient powers beyond our understanding."
Lin Feng squinted at the duck. "I think it's just hungry. But... who am I to question the Duck King?"
Before they could continue their discussion, a booming voice echoed across the strange dimension.
"Who dares enter the Spice Realm without the proper seasoning?"
Lin Feng turned around to see a massive, floating figure made entirely of ginger and garlic cloves. It was a towering, semi-transparent being with glowing eyes.
"Uh… we're just here for the next challenge?" Lin Feng said, trying to sound confident.
The garlic figure eyed them. "You seek entry into the Great Spice Trials? No one enters the Spice Realm without proving their worth!"
"Oh no, another test," Jia Yun groaned.
Lin Feng took a deep breath and turned to Jia Yun. "At least we have the Duck King. I'm sure this test is going to be a piece of cake."
"Or maybe a spicy dumpling," Jia Yun added with a grin.
The garlic figure chuckled darkly. "We shall see… But beware, the Spice Trials are not for the faint of heart. If you cannot withstand the flavor of the realm, you shall be banished."
Just then, the Duck King waddled forward and quacked loudly at the garlic figure.
"...What's that supposed to mean?" Lin Feng asked.
The garlic figure blinked in surprise. "...What did the duck say?"
The duck gave a second, even more dramatic quack. It sounded like a command.
The garlic figure's eyes widened. "...Very well. The Duck King has spoken. You may proceed."
Lin Feng blinked. "Did the duck just... win us a pass?"
Jia Yun raised an eyebrow. "Either that, or it just intimidated the garlic guy. Either way, I'm calling this a win."
The Duck King gave a proud quack, puffing its chest.
"Well," Lin Feng said, grinning. "I guess we have our first victory in the Spice Realm. And we owe it all to... him."