With only a few days left until the God of Cooking Competition began, large numbers of warriors from outer provinces flooded into the Imperial City, with attendance showing signs of rivaling the Dragon-Tiger Competition.
Such a large audience was thanks to the projection array’s daily advertising and promotion across the entire continent.
Participants in this God of Cooking Competition also arrived one after another. Their martial prowess might not be high, but their culinary skills were absolutely top-tier. After all, to qualify for participation, they had to achieve good rankings in culinary competitions in their respective provinces.
Strangely enough, the championship favorite Song Bao remained nowhere to be seen, creating an air of great mystery.
The strongest.
Always make their entrance at the climax.
So many warriors expressed understanding.
Jun Changxiao was also quite curious about what was so special about this disciple of Food is Heaven that even before the competition started, everyone was constantly discussing him.
During this period, Liu Wanshi studied recipes every day at the City Lord’s residence, hardly going out at all.
Participating in the Southwest Yang Province culinary competition, she had been able to remain calm. But as the God of Cooking Competition approached, she became increasingly nervous instead.
“Girl, never question yourself at any time. Just work hard and fight for it.”
Jun Changxiao offered verbal encouragement.
“Mm!”
Liu Wanshi calmed her mind, telling herself not to be too nervous.
“Let’s go.”
Jun Changxiao said, “Time to register.”
“Mm.”
The registration point was located in the central area square within the city.
When Jun Changxiao brought his disciple there, culinary talents from all over had already gathered there.
Though there were many people, they all had one thing in common—they were all very young, the oldest being only in their early thirties.
“Name.”
Arriving at the registration desk, an elder asked.
Jun Changxiao said, “Eternal Sect, Liu Wanshi.”
“Oh?”
The elder raised his head in surprise. Seeing the smiling young man before him, he immediately recognized this as the Eternal Sect’s Sect Leader who had been advertising crazily on the light screen!
From the projection array, he looked quite deserving of a beating. But meeting him in person… he was even more deserving of a beating!
“Take out your qualification certificate,” the elder said.
Any competition had to follow the rules.
He couldn’t give special treatment just because the other party was the recently prominent sect master.
“Clap.”
Liu Wanshi placed the token given by the Southwest Yang Province culinary competition champion on the table.
After the elder confirmed it, he recorded it and said, “Three days from now, go to the Western City competition venue. Remember not to be late, or your qualification will be revoked.”
…
“That’s her—Liu Wanshi who won the Southwest Yang Province culinary competition?”
“Tsk tsk, didn’t expect her to be so young.”
“The Ouyang Family is also an old culinary family, yet they lost to such a young girl of only fifteen or sixteen.”
“Don’t underestimate her. I heard she passed all three rounds of competition with perfect scores.”
“Those judges from small places probably haven’t seen much of the world. If she came to compete in my Central Province, getting a perfect score would be nothing but a pipe dream.”
As people were discussing, some participants began showing their superiority complex, looking at Liu Wanshi with complete disdain.
Culinary competitions were held in all the major provinces, and each place had its own standards. So getting a perfect score in Southwest Yang Province truly might not impress warriors from elsewhere.
Moreover.
Years ago, the Ouyang Family had produced a direct line member who got a perfect score in the finals and came to participate in the God of Cooking Competition, only to fail to make the top ten.
Different soil nurtures different people.
Regions with superior environments and geography were indeed overall stronger than remote areas.
“I heard this Liu Wanshi is the illegitimate daughter of the Ouyang Family’s Ouyang Jun.”
“There’s such a thing?”
People looked at Liu Wanshi, their gazes taking on a different light.
In the Star Meteor Continent, status was often emphasized. Direct line members of families held the highest status, concubine-born children had no status, while illegitimate sons and daughters were most despised and most gossiped about.
“Her father Ouyang Jun was a famous playboy in Southwest Yang Province back in the day…”
The person was speaking when he suddenly felt someone approaching.
Purple Scale Demon King had somehow appeared behind him, his eyes flashing with cold light.
The Sect Leader had ordered him to come over.
However.
Seeing Liu Wanshi keeping her head down, his anger also flared up.
Though Purple Scale Demon King firmly believed he was merely biding his time in the Eternal Sect, he alone had favorable feelings toward Liu Wanshi—after all, all the delicious food he ate came from her.
Now that someone was gossiping maliciously, making her feel hurt, this was unforgivable!
If Zhen Dejun were here.
Otherwise, seeing the girl being wronged, he would have already started setting up lightning arrays—it wouldn’t matter if he blew up the entire Imperial City!
Among the Eternal Sect disciples, if the danger level was rated out of ten stars, Ye Xingchen could get nine and a half stars. Only Liu Wanshi could reach ten stars, because anyone who bullied her would have to answer to Purple Scale Demon King and Zhen Dejun first.
“You… what are you doing!” the warrior said in terror.
A nearby elder said sternly, “Sect Leader Jun, what does your disciple mean by this?”
“No particular meaning.”
Jun Changxiao’s face showed no emotion. “Teaching him a lesson.”
“Bam!”
“Boom—”
Purple Scale Demon King thrust his shoulder forward, slamming that gossiping man hard into the ground, making him vomit blood on the spot.
He had held back—otherwise, one blow would have killed him.
The surrounding warriors were all dumbfounded.
Daring to attack in the Imperial City—the Eternal Sect was truly lawless!
“Everyone remember this in your hearts.”
Jun Changxiao swept his gaze over the surrounding warriors. “Anyone who dares to hurt my Eternal Sect disciples with words will pay a price.”
If it were just questioning Liu Wanshi’s culinary skills, he definitely wouldn’t care. After all, mouths belonged to others—all they could do was let the disciple win the competition to slap their faces hard.
Like that gossiping man earlier, deliberately bringing up her background to mock her—never mind the Imperial City, even before the Heavenly King himself, punishment was required!
When Jun Changxiao spoke, his face showed neither sorrow nor joy, but the surrounding atmosphere instantly became solemn, causing many warriors to shudder involuntarily.
At that moment.
Instinct was telling them deeply that this man was someone they couldn’t afford to provoke!
“Jun Changxiao!”
The elder said angrily, “Attacking someone without authorization in the Imperial City—this old man will go find the City Lord to seek justice!”
“No need to go.”
Just then, City Lord Han had already appeared at the scene. “I’m already here.”
“City Lord Han!”
Everyone bowed in greeting.
The elder pointed at Purple Scale Demon King. “The Eternal Sect disciple attacked and injured someone. Please, City Lord Han, deliver justice for my family’s direct line member!”
“This City Lord has already seen what just happened.”
City Lord Han said, “The other party merely happened to bump into your family’s direct line member. It wasn’t intentional harm.”
“…”
Everyone’s mouths twitched.
Anyone who wasn’t blind could see that fellow had deliberately attacked under Jun Changxiao’s instruction!
They understood!
City Lord Han was protecting the Eternal Sect!
The elder’s expression turned extremely ugly, but he could only accept defeat. “Since City Lord Han puts it that way, it must have been just a misunderstanding.”
“Since it’s a misunderstanding, everyone can disperse now,” City Lord Han said lightly.
The elder helped up his injured direct line member.
Just as they were about to leave, they heard Jun Changxiao say, “When you go out, you must pay attention to safety. Don’t just stand casually in the street, or next time if you’re run over by a passing vehicle and killed, your relatives will shed many tears.”
His voice remained calm, but the words contained killing intent. Hearing this, the elder’s back broke out in cold sweat, and he secretly regretted that his family’s direct line member had to gossip about the Eternal Sect disciple’s private affairs in public!