The scorching sun was high in the sky.
The delicious aromas of chicken soup and seafood broth filled the air, each vying for dominance in the atmosphere.
"Sauté the shrimp heads over medium heat, pressing them with a spatula to extract the red oil. At the same time, add ginger slices, scallion whites, and other aromatics to remove any fishiness and enhance the fragrance. After that, pour in the milky-white stock made from simmering sea bass heads and bones. Simmer for half an hour, then remove the solids, leaving only the clear broth. Steam a pumpkin until cooked, press it through a sieve to make a purée, and pour it into the broth. Then, stir it evenly with a ladle and season with salt and white pepper."
Watching the golden broth in front of Lan Tianqiu, Okabe mentally summarized its preparation.
Adding pumpkin purée to seafood broth—this was the first time Okabe had seen such a method. However, since his opponent was using it in a competition of this caliber, its flavor must be unique and pair well with seafood. He'd have to study it when he had time in a few days.
By comparison, Zhu Shiyi's method for making chicken soup seemed very conventional. However, because the ingredients were of high quality, the aroma was also exceptionally rich.
"Are they both preparing soup-related dishes?" Watching the two chefs' stations, Hisako Arato voiced her speculation, a surprised expression on her face.
Could they really have thought of the same thing...
"I'm not sure what Senior Lan is making, but that guy from the Dark Cuisine World definitely isn't just making soup. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent so much time just simmering a chicken broth. After all, half an hour isn't enough to fully extract the umami from seafood. But he hasn't even chosen a single seafood ingredient. I have no idea what he's planning!?"
Okabe watched Zhu Shiyi's station; besides a pot of chicken soup, there was nothing else.
His expression was leisurely, and he had been resting with his eyes closed ever since the cooking began. If not for his nose twitching from time to time, Okabe would have suspected the man had fallen asleep.
"No matter what, his opponent is my father! Even if he has countless novel ideas, he'll ultimately be crushed by my dad!"
Perhaps because she had previously lost to Qingfeng by an overwhelming margin, Lan Kexin despised everyone from the Dark Cuisine World.
Looking at Zhu Shiyi's idle appearance, her words were filled with contempt for him.
"It's time!" Just as Okabe and Lan Kexin were talking, Zhu Shiyi's nose twitched slightly at his station, and he then opened his eyes.
The next moment, he reached out, picked up the pot of simmering chicken soup, removed the lid, and set it aside.
In an instant, a rich aroma spread in all directions, momentarily overpowering Lan Tianqiu's station, leaving only the savory scent of chicken soup in the air.
Fortunately, this overpowering aroma didn't last long. It subsided after a few dozen seconds, and because the pot was no longer simmering on the stove, the fragrance gradually weakened, though Zhu Shiyi seemed completely unconcerned.
"It's about that time. Time to start the finishing touches."
He glanced up at the high sun. Less than half an hour remained until the end of the match. If he didn't get to the main point soon, he would likely lose.
"What's this guy talking about?"
"Finishing touches? Did he do anything that needs finishing?!"
Although Zhu Shiyi's voice wasn't loud, because everyone was focused on the match, his words clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
This caused the crowd to show expressions of doubt and confusion, trying to recall if they had missed something. But after thinking for a long time, they were certain they hadn't.
"He's just being mysterious."
"Indeed. He hasn't even started yet. I bet this guy doesn't even know how to cook!"
"He spent an hour and a half just to make a pot of chicken soup. It's so dull. The duels between the juniors earlier were more exciting."
Someone blurted this out, and everyone unanimously agreed. They all thought Zhu Shiyi was just putting on an act, perhaps an incompetent fool with nothing up his sleeve.
Facing the numerous doubts, Zhu Shiyi had no intention of explaining himself, but he wasn't going to let them continue either. He let out a cold laugh and said, "Let me show you all what a Legendary Cooking Utensil is!"
With that, he lifted the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel high, tossed it onto the stove to be seared by the flames, and then ladled a scoop of clear water into it.
"What's he doing?"
"I don't know. Isn't it a bit too late to start the actual cooking now?"
Watching Zhu Shiyi's actions, the audience began to murmur again. But upon seeing this, Okabe's expression turned serious, as if he had realized something.
"The Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel, that Legendary Cooking Utensil. In my memory, its function is to accelerate the rehydration of dried goods. That means the dish this guy is making is closely related to dried ingredients!"
Although the memory was distant, seeing Zhu Shiyi's actions reminded Okabe of the plot from Chuuka Ichiban, which he had watched as a child in the orphanage.
The Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel.
It could instantly rehydrate dried goods like abalone and scallops. A process that traditionally took three days and nights could now be done in mere seconds.
Like the Ever-Soul Knife, the Garuda Knife, and the Dragon-Turning Pot, it was a heaven-defying utensil that manipulated the rules of time!
"That earthenware jar is?"
"Dried goods!"
Sure enough, the next moment, Zhu Shiyi took out two earthenware jars from under his station, then clenched his fist and smashed one of them open, revealing the dried seafood inside.
"Fish maw, fish lips, dried fish skin, turtle calipash, abalone, sea cucumber, and dried scallops. Judging by their condition, they are newly dried within the last month, in a perfect state where their internal flavors have concentrated but not yet begun to dissipate!"
Watching the dried seafood revealed after Zhu Shiyi smashed the jar, Gongsun Yu's voice rang out:
"Many people have a misconception about dried goods, believing that the longer they are stored, the richer their flavor becomes. In reality, the longer they are kept, the more their aromatic compounds are lost. If not preserved properly, the fats in the dried goods can react with oxygen in the air, creating a rancid taste. This will result in a poorly flavored final dish and can even produce harmful substances. Additionally, their nutritional content, texture, and color will change to some extent. Old dried goods are certainly inferior to newly dried ones; this is beyond doubt."
"I see. Dried seafood is still seafood, and compared to fresh seafood, dried goods have a more intense and mellow umami after rehydration, with an improved texture as well."
Senzaemon Nakiri wore a leisurely expression. The ability of the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel was unknown to all but a few, and he himself had only learned of it today.
If it could accelerate the rehydration of dried goods, then Zhu Shiyi's relaxed demeanor made sense.
"A golden light!"
"Why is there a golden light shooting up into the sky!"
"Could it be that he put a light panel under the utensil? And just controlled it to shoot the light upwards?"
Zhu Shiyi placed the various dried goods into the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel one by one. A golden light instantly shot skyward, triggering intense discussion among the audience.
A moment later, the light from the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel vanished.
The dried goods placed inside the vessel had now returned to their fresh state. Zhu Shiyi scooped them out with a slotted spoon and placed them into a prepared basin.
"The... the dried goods instantly returned to their fresh state!"
"How is that possible? Just by putting them into that bronze vessel, he can instantly rehydrate ingredients that would normally take three days and nights?!"
"That's a Legendary Cooking Utensil! The one rumored to be able to accelerate time!"
This discovery made the audience gasp in astonishment, their faces filled with disbelief.
The magic of a Legendary Cooking Utensil was enough to leave any first-time witness dumbfounded, screaming internally that science was dead.
"Matsutake, morel, porcini, chicken-of-the-woods, deer antler mushroom, bamboo fungus, termite mushroom, and shiitake. The previous eight types of dried seafood plus these eight types of fresh mountain delicacies... this kid's ambition is no small thing. I'm starting to look forward to the dish he'll present!"
Watching Zhu Shiyi arrange the rehydrated seafood and the freshly presented mountain delicacies on a plate, Gongsun Yu's face showed anticipation.
"With so many top-tier ingredients, even if you just threw them all into a pot and stewed them randomly, the result would still taste like a top-class dish. It's impressive he managed to gather so many premium ingredients in such a short time."
Li Wuque's voice rang out, his gaze fixed on Zhu Shiyi's station.
As the eight types of dried seafood finished rehydrating and the eight mountain delicacies were prepared, Zhu Shiyi lit four stoves simultaneously, multitasking with ease.
This wasn't due to a lack of ability, but because the cooking station was too small; operating four stoves at once was the limit.
His own limit was using sixteen pots simultaneously, each capable of producing a Special-Grade dish.
Unfortunately, the competition was about precision, not speed. Otherwise, with just a slight effort, Lan Tianqiu would have stood no chance.
"Handling four tasks at once... this guy's culinary fundamentals are incredibly solid. However, rumor has it the Dark Cuisine World has a secret technique called the 'Galactic Ten-Pot Return,' which allows one to cook with ten pots simultaneously, each producing a Special-Grade dish. I wonder if this kid knows it."
Watching Zhu Shiyi simultaneously manage four stoves, Lan Tianqiu wore an inquisitive expression.
The movements in his hands did not pause; instead, he became even more focused. Now that the golden broth was complete, he too had reached the final stages of his cooking.
He beat the eggs, added pre-steeped, still-warm tea infusion, and mixed in a small amount of salt.
He strained the egg mixture into a large bowl and covered it with plastic wrap. After the water boiled, he placed it in the steamer and steamed it over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes until completely set.
The steamed egg custard had a faint milky color and gave off a subtle, sweet fragrance of honeyed fruit.
Looking at the boiling golden broth, Lan Tianqiu started another pot, added water, and brought it to a boil. He added ginger slices and cooking wine, then blanched the clams until they opened but the meat hadn't fallen out before removing them.
In the same pot of boiling water, he blanched the marinated shrimp, fish fillets, and scallops until just cooked through.
Using the egg custard as a base, he arranged the blanched seafood in a circle on top. He reheated the golden broth to a boil and then poured it around the edges of the dish, covering the seafood as well.
A sprinkle of tender peas and cilantro leaves served as a garnish, and his dish was complete.
At the same time, thick steam billowed out in all directions, followed by a nerve-tingling aroma of umami emerging from the steamer in front of Zhu Shiyi.
Countless gazes converged on him as he took a porcelain bowl out of the steamer. The bowl was lidded, concealing its contents, with only the savory aroma escaping through the cracks.
Carrying the bowl towards the judges' table, he glanced at Lan Tianqiu, who had finished his dish at almost the same time, and a provocative look appeared on his face.
"Allow me to go first, Brother Lan."
Placing the dish on the judges' table, Zhu Shiyi's lips curled into a slight smile as he turned his gaze to Lan Tianqiu.
"Please."
Hearing Zhu Shiyi's words, Lan Tianqiu gave a slight nod. He didn't argue about the order and proactively stepped aside, giving him the honor of presenting first.
"Please, have a taste. This is the dish I have prepared. I call it 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.' The main ingredients used are fresh mountain delicacies and dried seafood treasures."
As he spoke, Zhu Shiyi lifted the lid of the dish before him. A golden light, accompanied by a rich, savory aroma, burst forth, sweeping across the entire competition venue in an instant.
The golden light dissipated, and the judges could finally see the scene within the bowl.
The crystal-clear broth was like amber, with sixteen types of mountain and sea treasures suspended artfully within, each ingredient maintaining its perfect form.
The abalone was as lustrous as white jade, the sea cucumber as translucent as black gold. The mushrooms were layered like clouds and mist, and the scallops unfurled like blooming petals.
This was a dish of the utmost luxury. From the selection of ingredients to their use, and finally to the presentation, every aspect proclaimed its extravagance.
"Gulp."
Senzaemon Nakiri's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. Looking at the dish before him, he began his evaluation: "The aroma is layered and distinct. The umami of the sea treasures and the fragrance of the mountain delicacies both intertwine and retain their unique characteristics. What's more remarkable is that the mellow richness of the chicken broth perfectly harmonizes any conflict between the two."
Li Wuque picked up a spoon and gently stirred, the ingredients rotating with his movement. "Using chicken soup as a base to fuse the treasures of mountain and sea... this dish is no simple matter."
"Please, enjoy it while it's hot."
Hearing the praise from Senzaemon Nakiri and Li Wuque, Zhu Shiyi revealed a confident smile.
At his word, the three judges no longer hesitated. They scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to their lips.
In that instant, the kimono Senzaemon Nakiri had just recently changed into exploded, turning directly into fine dust that settled on the ground and vanished with a gust of wind.
This time, it wasn't the upper half first and then the lower half; his clothes all over his body burst simultaneously. Even the final line was crossed.
Fortunately, Senzaemon Nakiri was prepared. Seated cross-legged, someone immediately brought him a bath towel.
[Ultimate Dress Break]
This was a state above the [Complete Dress Break], requiring the taster to feel from the bottom of their heart that the dish was delicious, considering it one of the best foods they had ever eaten in their life.
The last time Senzaemon Nakiri experienced an Ultimate Dress Break was when the Dark Cuisine World plotted against the Nakiri family.
At that time, during the confrontation between the two sides, he tasted a dish by Hakuji and Koyuki.
And now.
After more than a decade, he was feeling it again.
Although Zhu Shiyi had a bit of an advantage due to his ingredients, a Shokugeki was a Shokugeki. You couldn't just declare the person using high-grade ingredients the loser simply because the other used common ones.
"This is truly a surprising sensation. Upon entering the mouth, there is the mellow richness of the chicken soup. Immediately after, the savory sweetness of the seafood washes over like a tidal wave. The various mushrooms act like pedestals, perfectly supporting the exquisite umami of the seafood."
Feeling the flavors on his tongue, Li Wuque's eyes widened, a hint of disbelief in them.
He felt as if he were seeing the eight immortals arriving on their magical treasures, enacting a divine battle of skills on his tongue as they crossed the East Sea. This ultimate umami made him feel as if he were ascending to immortality, becoming the master of heaven and earth.
"Using the umami of the mushrooms to accentuate the umami of the seafood? It seems like a conventional approach, but in practice, it severely tests a chef's culinary skill. The seafood was rehydrated from dried goods. Although the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel accelerated the process, the intense and mellow umami of the dried ingredients was not affected in the slightest. And the mushrooms you used in this dish are all fresh. Compared to dried goods, fresh ingredients provide a clean, natural, and authentic sweetness. They perfectly receive the umami of the rehydrated dried seafood, like the various divine powers the Eight Immortals used to cross the sea, better accentuating the presence of the seafood's flavor."
Gongsun Yu's expression was complex. Using the flavor of top-tier mountain delicacies to highlight the umami of dried seafood could be said to be the most fitting solution to the theme.
Moreover, Zhu Shiyi used extremely high-grade ingredients, each with its own unique flavor. After being integrated and layered together with the chicken broth, the overall taste of the dish reached an unprecedented level.
Barring the use of Fantasy-Grade ingredients, this dish was fundamentally impossible to surpass. It had no flaws; every aspect was executed to the absolute limit.
However, there has always been an unwritten rule in culinary duels: the use of Fantasy-Grade ingredients is not allowed. Otherwise, if everyone used them, it would be unfair to chefs who don't possess any. Such a duel wouldn't be a test of culinary skill, but a competition of Fantasy-Grade ingredients.
Therefore, unless specified beforehand, normal Shokugeki are conducted with ordinary ingredients.
"Correct. I used the chicken soup to represent the East Sea, and the mountain delicacies as the various divine powers used by the Eight Immortals to cross it. The Eight Immortals themselves are represented by the seafood. This is my interpretation of the theme!"
Seeing Gongsun Yu's shocked expression and the way Senzaemon Nakiri and Li Wuque continuously picked up pieces of the mountain and sea treasures, the corners of Zhu Shiyi's mouth lifted slightly.
The chicken broth was clear, supporting the umami of the mountain and sea treasures.
The abalone's texture was springy and tender, like an immortal riding the clouds, flowing between the lips and teeth. The sea cucumber, saturated with essence, was soft and glutinous, presenting an intense umami. The dried scallops bloomed with threads of sweetness, instantly filling the mouth.
Beneath the seafood lay the mushrooms: the richness of matsutake, the crispness of bamboo fungus, the wildness of termite mushroom, the morels...
"Marvelous! This dish is truly beyond words!"
Experiencing the ultimate deliciousness on his tongue, Senzaemon Nakiri couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"It is indeed excellent. Every ingredient has been handled perfectly, releasing its umami flawlessly. The flavors link together in the mouth, and every chew reveals a new surprise, leaving an endless aftertaste!"
Li Wuque also spoke. The magnificent scene of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea appeared before his eyes once more. He felt as if he had become the Tao itself, looking down upon everything from a higher plane.
After hearing the three judges' evaluation of his dish, the smile on Zhu Shiyi's lips widened, and he turned his gaze to Lan Tianqiu at his side.
"A fine dish. Now, it should be my turn, shouldn't it?"
Feeling Zhu Shiyi's gaze and hearing the judges' high praise for his dish, Lan Tianqiu's expression didn't change much. A faint smile remained on his face.
"Brother Lan, please."
Seeing that he hadn't affected Lan Tianqiu, Zhu Shiyi's expression tightened for a moment before he smiled and made a gesture of invitation, clearing the space in front of him.
Lan Tianqiu said nothing more, took two steps forward, and placed his dish in front of Senzaemon Nakiri.
He lifted the lid.
A dazzling golden light instantly shot towards the sky.
Unlike Zhu Shiyi's golden light, which diffused in all directions, the light from Lan Tianqiu's dish was noticeably more condensed, almost piercing through the clouds.
"Golden light again!?"
"That guy from the Dark Cuisine World also had golden light shooting up when he was rehydrating the dried goods!"
"Not just then! When he lifted the lid of his dish just now, the golden light filled the sky too. I was staring intently. The light wasn't coming from anywhere else, but from the dish itself. I have no idea how they do it."
"Could they have put fluorescent agents in the food? A dish that glows is just too exaggerated! It feels a bit unscientific."
Seeing the pillar of golden light rising from Lan Tianqiu's dish, the venue instantly erupted in an uproar.
Countless eyes were fixed on Lan Tianqiu's dish.
Among them was Zhu Shiyi. His brow furrowed slightly, his expression tinged with gravity, because his opponent's dish had a significantly higher degree of completion than his own.
However.
If it was only this, his chances of winning were still greater. After all, he had used so many high-grade ingredients whose unique flavors were enough to compensate for this difference in completion.
"What... what exactly is the principle behind this?"
After a moment of silence, Okabe finally asked the question on behalf of the equally stunned people around him.
They all turned to look at Lan Kexin. As Lan Tianqiu's daughter, she must have seen her father make a glowing dish before and might know the reason.
"I don't know. The entire culinary world doesn't actually know why dishes glow. Many years ago, a very powerful Dragon Chef shared his thoughts. He said that when the 'Heart of a Chef' and the dish completely merge, you can bring out the full deliciousness of the ingredients, thereby creating a dish that shines with golden light."
Faced with Okabe's question, Lan Kexin shook her head slightly and then relayed what her father had told her—a plausible but unconfirmed answer.
"So as long as the Heart of a Chef and the dish completely merge, you can bring out all of the ingredients' flavor... in other words, it's a certification of the dish's deliciousness..."
Okabe muttered to himself.
When he was a child watching Chuuka Ichiban, he thought it was amazing that the food glowed. Back then, he just assumed it was a special effect the anime used to show how extraordinary the food was.
Now, it seemed...
The golden light emitted by the dishes was not so simple after all.
"This dish is called 'Golden Broth Seafood Hibiscus Cup.' It's my own original creation, something of a home-style dish."
The golden light subsided.
The dish revealed its true form.
The porcelain bowl was filled with an abundance of seafood, resting on a golden, milky-colored egg custard that gave off a mixed aroma of egg and fruit, with the egg scent being particularly rich.
A golden broth was poured over it, and the combined aromas of fish, shrimp, and other seafood ingredients created an alluring umami that was utterly captivating.
"Home-style dish? You've got to be kidding..."
"Do all masters love to humblebrag like this?"
"Although this dish looks simple, if I tried to make it, it would probably turn into a culinary disaster..."
Seeing such an exquisite dish and hearing Lan Tianqiu's incredibly plain introduction, many people in the audience felt their mouths twitch. They all thought he was being a bit pretentious.
In contrast, Lan Tianqiu was completely oblivious.
But even if he knew, he probably wouldn't say anything. After all, the audience were just bystanders to him.
Besides, he truly positioned this dish of his as an ordinary home-style meal, the kind a housewife could create on a whim.
If he had to say, his version might taste a little better and have a higher degree of completion, but other than that, there was no difference.
_____
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