Zenobys, CatatoPatch

  Divine Soul Realm’s assessment?

  Bu Fang narrowed his eyes when he heard the notification. However, when he felt the energy in his body surge, he could not stop the corners of his lips from curling upwards.

  He stood up from his seat, and his gaze swept past the others, who were either enjoying their meals or sipping their drinks. Then, he turned around and walked toward the kitchen.

  He had not expected the Divine Soul Realm’s assessment to begin now as he had initially intended to rest. However, now that the assessment was set to start, he was going to take it.

  Bu Fang had been expecting it for a long time, so he was not scared in the slightest.

  The venue of the assessment was set to be in the kitchen. Logically, there was no other place in the restaurant where he would have been able to carry out the assessment.

  Bu Fang walked into the kitchen. This equipment and decor here were the same as those in Fang Fang’s Little Store and Cloud Mist Restaurant. It was, indeed, the system’s preferred style.

  Bu Fang also liked the kitchen’s set-up.

  Anyway, after his cooking skills had leveled up, the system had said that he could design his own kitchen.

  As Bu Fang walked into the kitchen, his Vermillion Robe fluttered. He took off the robe and headed towards the stove.

  The system’s solemn voice resounded in his mind once more, instructing him on the forthcoming Divine Soul Realm’s assessment.

  A dish appeared in Bu Fang’s mind. Its recipe was lengthy, and all that information was pumped into his mind. Since his spirit sea had now expanded, his mental energy had grown stronger as well. Thus, the lengthy recipe was no big deal to him, and he was not scared.

  A glow emerged in his eyes, which was the system’s reminder.

  Upon skimming through the recipe, Bu Fang realized that it was something special. The recipe’s patterns glowed and moved.

  He walked up to a cabinet and pulled it open.

  Rumble.

  The aroma of meat began to waft outward.

  There was a huge, featherless goose hanging inside this cabinet.

  This was, no doubt, the main ingredient for this Divine Soul Realm’s assessment—Big Goose.

  This big goose was a strong spirit beast. Its cultivation being the Divine Soul Realm meant that it was not weak in the slightest. Despite that, however, it was now an ingredient in his cabinet.

  Bu Fang lifted his hands and took the big goose down.

  He pinched the goose, finding out that its meat was really elastic. After prodding the bird for a while, Bu Fang’s eyes lit up.

  It really is a good ingredient.

  “In this assessment, you’re not allowed to use true energy. You can only use your mental energy……” The system’s solemn voice echoed around Bu Fang. Its instruction was strict.

  Bu Fang was startled. Instinctively, he looked around once more and found himself in a place that resembled an examining room.

  Bu Fang exhaled gently. Could he really not use true energy?

  His expression turned stern. Over time, he had gotten used to processing and cooking ingredients with true energy, as well as making subtle changes during cooking.

  But now, the system would not permit him to use it, which made the assessment more difficult.

  Anyway, it is just a little difficult.

  Bu Fang’s skill in cooking was not gifted to him by the system. Although the system had aided him with regular boosts, he had gotten this good because of constant practice.

  Moreover, his skill was not simple, and he did not rely only on the system.

  That being said, Bu Fang seemed to know why the system had set up such assessments.

  It sought to help him become the God of Cooking, who would stand at the top of the food chain in this fantasy world.

  To become the God of Cooking, however, he could not afford to limit nor restrain himself. He required an endless dedication from which he would promote his ability and competence levels.

  When training to become the God of Cooking, one could not tread a path that their predecessors had set up.

  For instance, the system had given him a recipe for the assessment, but he noticed that the recipe was too detailed, causing him to knit his brows.

  Although the steps to prepare this dish had been outlined simply and clearly, the finished dish would just be bland because it was prepared by the book. Hence, it would not be a magnificent dish, and neither would people find it attractive.

  Therefore, what Bu Fang needed to do was to tacitly revise the recipe and complete the assessment.

  Bu Fang grabbed the goose by its head before walking over to the stove. The list of ingredients in the recipe suddenly appeared in his mind.

  He took the ingredients out from the cabinet, then placed them on the counter.

  After washing all the ingredients with clean water, Bu Fang waved his hand. A jet of gold light, which resembled a silk thread, emerged from the void and began orbiting his hand like a small windmill.

  Chop. Chop. Chop.

  The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife, with its knife spirit, moved so fast that the naked eyes could not grasp the moments it touched the cutting board.

  After all the ingredients had been cut into thin, thread-like pieces, Bu Fang placed them on a porcelain tray. With the chopped ingredients on it, the blue-and-white porcelain tray looked quite beautiful.

  After putting the tray away, Bu Fang grabbed the goose’s head and pulled the bird over.

  The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife moved, chopping down on the cutting board. Bu Fang’s hands reached out, moving fast on the skin of the bird as he meticulously plucked the remaining feathers on the goose.

  He did not wish for any of it to remain because they would affect the texture of the dish.

  After plucking the remaining little feathers and checking the goose several times, Bu Fang began to pat it rapidly.

  His mental energy surged like rushing waves.

  Bam. Bam. Bam.

  As Bu Fang patted the goose, it slowly swelled, becoming bigger and rounder.

  Bu Fang was pumping his mental energy into the goose, not his true energy.

  The Black Turtle Constellation Wok appeared and landed on the stove with a bang. Bu Fang spouted out a ball of Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flame, which then soared to the bottom of the wok, causing the temperature within the wok to increase immediately.

  The Heavenly Mountain Spirit Spring Water inside the Black Turtle Constellation Wok began to boil.

  Burble. Burble.

  Bubbles rose and burst within the wok.

  The cool Heavenly Mountain Spirit Spring Water was now boiling.

  Bu Fang rubbed the goose briefly before shoving it into the wok.

  Buzz……

  The Black Turtle Constellation Wok vibrated, and the hot water inside it rippled rhythmically.

  When the big goose had been submerged, its pores opened up, as though they were sucking in the boiling water.

  Gurgle. Gurgle.

  The goose’s beak opened up, and bubbles began to emerge from it.

  Since Bu Fang was not allowed to use true energy, he was unable to precisely control the heat within the wok. Despite that, his mental energy kept surging, and soon, it covered the entire wok.

  When the mental energy seeped into the wok, it turned into thread-like strands and coiled around the goose.

  Swoosh.

  A little hot water splashed out of the wok.

  When Bu Fang brought the goose out of the wok, its rosy meat was revealed amidst the hot wisps of steam coming from it.

  This assessment had brought about a huge pressure on Bu Fang’s mental energy.

  If his mental energy had been just a point weaker, he would not have been able to pass the assessment. Generally speaking, the previous step showed off his culinary ability and talent.

  Next, Bu Fang took out a golden syrup that the system had prepared. He slowly poured the syrup onto the goose, and shortly, the entire goose was coated.

  As he poured the golden syrup, his mental energy acted as a brush, smearing the syrup all over the goose.

  This syrup was no simple ingredient. It was made with the honey of a certain type of spirit bee.

  After the goose was thoroughly smeared, it sparkled, and its meat became more delicate.

  Bu Fang squeezed the goose’s beak open, then shoved the chopped ingredients down its throat and into its belly. After that, he took out a jar of Ice Heart Jade Urn Wine and poured it down the goose’s throat.

  Then, he placed the goose on the stove to be roasted.

  His mental energy formed silk threads once more, which began to coil around every inch of the goose.

  All he had to do from this point onward was to make sure that the goose had been smeared properly, as well as checking on its quality during the roasting.

  Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

  As his mental energy seeped into the goose, the heat emanating from it became stronger. After a while, the goose was fully roasted.

  The goose meat had turned golden and crunchy, and it gave off a pleasant aroma.

  Bu Fang twirled the Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife in its hands, causing its cold golden light to flicker.

  As the kitchen knife twirled around, golden light started to flash. This golden light actually came from the flame’s light that reflected off the blade, which made it look extremely dazzling.

  The next thing he had to do was control the flame.

  This time, he had to do it with his mental energy only. Since this assessment required him to use his mental energy much more than he had ever had to, he could not afford to make any mistakes.

  If he did, the quality of the goose would change drastically.

  Swish.

  The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen knife emerged above the stove, and it instantly made a small incision on the swollen golden goose.

  Drops of light golden oil dripped from the incision.

  One cut, two cuts, three cuts……

  Bu Fang’s knife continually glided across the big golden goose, causing more oil to drip.

  Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

  When the drops of oily juiced landed on the hot stove, thicker clouds of steam were produced.

  Bu Fang patted the goose with his kitchen knife before spreading the wings open, all the while rotating it over the stove.

  After that, Bu Fang brought out a fancy, flat blue-and-white porcelain bowl.

  Swish! Swish!

  He positioned his knife above the goose, ready to make a cut.

  As he began to slice the goose’s meat, his mental energy vibrated gently, causing the sliced bits of meat to fall squarely on the porcelain plate. It was in this manner that he had chosen to present the aromatic, crunchy golden goose meat.

  Each slice of goose meat was as thin as a cicada’s wing. When Bu Fang used a pair of chopsticks to lift a slice of goose meat, he could see through it.

  The slice of meat was tender and soft.

  Meanwhile, the goose was still being rotated atop the roasting rack, and Bu Fang was observing it carefully. His mental energy began to surge again, and from time to time, he swung his knife at the goose, slicing off more pieces into the bowl.

  The rich aroma emanating from the goose permeated the air. It soon wafted out of the kitchen and into the restaurant.

  Everybody went wide-eyed in astonishment.

  Even Flowery was shocked. Her delicate nose sniffed, and the pleasant aroma in the air made her Tri-Flower Snake Eyes roll.

  Chu Changsheng’s brows were raised, and his face held an expression of surprise.

  This aroma…… smelled different from the dishes Owner Bu makes!

  The aroma seemed to carry with it something that was difficult to fathom—something that was spiritual in nature.

  Could it possibly be that Owner Bu had advanced again?!

  He had advanced again?!

  Chu Changsheng almost choked on his glass of Sour Plum Juice at the thought. Bu Fang’s speed of advancement was just too fast.

  Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the knife made another graceful arc as it chopped off the goose’s head, which landed accurately atop the tray.

  At that moment, only the goose’s skeleton remained atop the roasting rack.

  Every bit of meat that was previously on it had been sliced off.

  After a bowl of well-mixed ruddy sauce was placed beside the fancy blue-and-white porcelain tray, the dish’s radiance lit up the kitchen.

  The Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife in Bu Fang’s hand dissipated into motes of scattering gold light.

  Bu Fang removed the velvet rope on his head, gently letting his hair down. After exhaling, he remarked, “Divine Soul Realm’s assessment dish…… complete!”