Due to Chen Shu, many people turned into Zhang Dali's fans, cheering for him and anticipating witnessing a miracle in the culinary world.
"This kid is truly a culinary genius," Wang-level Beast Tamer Fu Ning, floating above, exclaimed. "I wonder what brilliant performance he'll put on today."
"We'll have to wait and see," Kake nodded, his eyes full of anticipation.
"I won't disappoint you," a voice came from behind the two.
"Huh?!" Fu Ning's pupils contracted. Just as he was about to unleash a skill in counterattack, he quickly realized who it was and suppressed the agitation of his contracted spirit.
The two turned around and saw Chen Shu standing on a golden peacock, looking innocent.
"I say, kid, can you stop appearing out of nowhere?" Fu Ning shook his head. "Fortunately, I stopped myself in time, or you would have been in danger."
"Sorry, sorry... I'm used to appearing behind people. Occupational hazard..." Chen Shu smiled. In fact, even if they had attacked, he could have instantly teleported away.
"..." Fu Ning and Kake's eye corners twitched. Is that a "fierce bandit's" occupational hazard...
He shook his head and asked, "Why are you up here? Why aren't you watching from below?"
"I think the view from here is good, I can see the whole picture." In reality, he had sensed the oppressive feeling from yesterday and had come to find Fu Ning and Kake.
He then said, "By the way, boss, can you give me a defensive shield... in case I fall."
Fu Ning glanced at him. The golden peacock beneath his feet shifted its gaze, and a golden light enveloped Chen Shu.
"So cool!" Chen Shu grinned, immediately feeling secure.
He couldn't summon his contracted spirit in the city, otherwise he would have already hidden inside Little Yellow's mouth. Now, with a Wang-level defensive skill, he was completely safe, giving him time to react if anyone made a move.
"Why do I feel like you're a little scared..." Fu Ning raised an eyebrow, a hint of thought in his eyes.
Chen Shu replied, "No... what's there to be afraid of?"
"Don't worry, there are always Wang-level reconnaissance contracted spirits in the plaza!" Fu Ning shook his head. "No matter who causes trouble, the four of us Wang-levels can handle it."
Chen Shu nodded and fell silent.
At this moment, the second round of the competition below had already begun!
Zhang Dali remained with his eyes closed, as if adjusting his mindset. Ten minutes later, he opened his eyes, his expression changing slightly, as if he had made a decision. Driven by the support of countless people, he decided to change his dish for the day. To advance to the finals, he needed to be in the top ten! Today, everyone would give their all, and just relying on a perfect golden dish might not be enough to break into the top ten. His expression was resolute as he took out half of a black bird from his ingredient box. The bird was lifeless, but its feathers still resembled burning flames, appearing quite miraculous.
"Hmm?" A judge on the judging panel's expression changed. He then adjusted his reading glasses and slowly said, "Darkfire Skybird?! This kid!"
Instantly, the other judges recognized the ingredient Zhang Dali had before them. Although it was only the main ingredient for a golden dish, the Darkfire Skybird was no ordinary ingredient. It was exceptionally effective for fire-element contracted spirits, and most top-tier golden recipes used it as the primary ingredient. However, cooking this dish was not simple due to its high fire resistance. This also increased the difficulty of cooking it; if the heat was not controlled properly, it would result in a failed dish. If ranked, the cooking difficulty of the Darkfire Skybird would undoubtedly be among the top three for golden dishes!
"Does he want extra points?" The first judge adjusted his glasses, immediately understanding Zhang Dali's intention. For a golden culinary master to break into the top ten, only the unexpected could lead to victory!
Ten percent of the two-hour cooking time had already passed... The culinary masters were all focused, not daring to be distracted. Soundproof barriers were specifically set up around the venue.
"Can he win?" Chen Shu watched Zhang Dali below, anticipation in his eyes. As his close friend, he desperately wanted Dali to win the title of Culinary God!
The audience around the plaza gradually quieted down, silently watching their supported contestants. The entire Nanqing City seemed to fall into tranquility.
The two hours passed in a flash. As the bell above the Iron Eater Beast statue rang, it officially announced the end of the second round of the competition!
"Phew~~~" Just one minute before, Zhang Dali had just finished his dish. He let out a sigh of relief, his body drenched in sweat, but a hint of pride in his eyes. Although the process was extremely difficult, he had ultimately succeeded! In fact, the probability of him cooking a perfect Darkfire Skybird dish was only fifty percent, which was why he hadn't considered making this dish before. But today, with the support of the crowd and his exceptionally good condition, he dared to try.
"Amazing..." The middle-aged man beside him glanced at the dish Zhang Dali had made, a hint of praise on his face.
"Just basic stuff, basic stuff..." Zhang Dali smiled slightly, looking at the contestant next to him. It was Master Mu Tu from before. While he praised verbally, a strange glint appeared deep in his eyes, which unfortunately, no one could detect.
Soon, it was time for the scoring! All fifty contestants were nervous, yet filled with anticipation. As long as they could make it to the finals, they would be just one step away from the title of Culinary God!
As the scores for each dish were revealed, most contestants' faces turned grim, their hearts sinking. The second round would eliminate a full forty people, and they could basically guess whether they could enter the finals. Unlike the first round, there were quite a few people who scored above ninety points in this round, clearly having showcased their best skills. However, most were just slightly over ninety points, with the highest score being a Wang-level superior dish, reaching ninety-six points.
"Phew~~ It's my turn..." Zhang Dali took a deep breath, then carefully presented his dish.
"Darkfire Skybird, the youth is formidable..." The judges had a hint of admiration in their eyes. Regardless of the specific score, at least the courage to attempt a high-difficulty dish was worth encouraging. They initially had no expectations, but the moment they tasted the first bite of meat, their eyes were filled with surprise.
"Hmm? You made this?" The first judge's gaze was astonished, and he took several more bites.
"Perfect... another perfect golden dish!" Another person exclaimed, "Are you really twenty-two years old?"
"What's so surprising about that? Some people can win the Beast Taming competition at twenty-two."