“Master Lu, please look at that cultivator standing in the corner, the one smiling so broadly that his eyes are barely visible. His name is Xie Qi, and he is one of the favorites to win the competition. He has never lost a single spirit chef duel!”1

Ma Bin of the Pastry Ma Family, a vegetable cutter in the imperial kitchen, was doing his best to introduce various spirit chefs to Lu Yang.1

Xie Qi had a medicinal pot[1] tied around his waist and smiled at everyone as if his eyes were perpetually closed. His fame spread far and wide in the spirit chef community. Even among five-star spirit chefs, there were distinctions in skill, and other five-star spirit chefs avoided meeting his gaze. This was a sign of reverence for the strong.0

But Lu Yang didn’t notice that other spirit chefs were also quietly distancing themselves from Ma Bin.0

Ma Bin was also a hot favorite to win!0

“Oh, he's that skilled?”0

“Xie Qi has an ability;...0