Sheng Tarou roared with laughter, "A petty trick, you think you can trap me with this? Too naive!"
"However..."
"I still intend to take your punch head-on!"
"I can only say, you overestimate both your skills. This much strength isn't enough to warrant me dodging!"
Although Sheng Tarou continued to laugh, his expression had become considerably more serious than before.
Palm transformed into a blade!
He fiercely swung the torrent in his hand!
BOOM!!
The spiraling metal drill was severed, its two halves twisting like a rope...
The residual impact force directly blasted into the metallic, hardened ground, gouging out deep craters!
But what Sheng Tarou hadn't anticipated was that behind the drill, there was no sign of Zhang Wei, but rather...
Another, larger drill!
Sheng Tarou roared, "Useless, no matter how many come, it's all useless!"
The spiral fist energy exploded into a sky full of fine powder!
Sheng Tarou burst from the smoke, launching a physical attack at Zhang Wei for the first time! "This punch is for all the over-harvested ingredients!"
"Intent Manifestation: Golden Bell Shield!"
THUMP~~
Against blunt force attacks like punches, the Golden Bell Shield often performs beyond its expected level!
However, the Golden Bell Shield only lasted for a moment before it contorted and then shattered!
Raising his arm to block!
Zhang Wei was sent flying again!
Feeling the numb and swollen sensation in his arms, Zhang Wei grinned, "That punch really hurt!"
The clothes on his arms were torn.
The shockwave from that punch had penetrated his skin, shattering the capillaries on Zhang Wei's arms, causing immediate swelling and bruising!
Furthermore, the bruises would impede nerve conduction and muscle relaxation/contraction, significantly reducing Zhang Wei's agility!
"Gourmet Demonic Art: Release!"
Zhang Wei's body made popping sounds like cracking beans, and he instantly grew taller, expanding from 1.8 meters to nearly 3.5 meters!
His bulging muscles were flattened by his increased height, then bulged again, then flattened again...
In an instant, a Schwarzenegger-like Zhang Wei appeared, with exaggerated muscle mass only possible in anime!
In this form, Zhang Wei's agility would decrease slightly, but he would gain immense durability and strength. The cost was a grotesque increase in size and a consumption rate over twenty times that of his normal form!
Momotaro narrowed his eyes, "So this is your true form, truly... admirable!"
Gourmet Demonic Art!
In the original work, this was a rather high-level skill, but in this era, it was still quite common, mastered by most advanced Gourmet Hunters.
However, in the original work, this skill emphasized precise control of the body, drastically conserving energy expenditure and greatly enhancing combat ability, making it an extremely powerful martial skill.
But what Zhang Wei knew was a skill that reduced energy consumption by decreasing volume.
It was easier to learn, but the effect was less potent.
Perhaps in this timeline, the Gourmet Demonic Art had not yet been developed to that extent.
But ever since Zhang Wei transmigrated, he had been exposed to this skill and had trained relentlessly, now achieving a 95% reduction in consumption.
That's right! This 3.5-meter muscular giant was Zhang Wei's true form!
However, thanks to his hyperactive Gourmet Cells and various food effects, Zhang Wei's true form's consumption was exorbitant. Without food, he would collapse from exhaustion in just 12 hours and starve to death in 36 hours!
"Let me taste the punch you just gave me!"
The bruised and swollen arms from before were now stretched to the point of being unrecognizable, his arms seemingly restored to normal!
No Intent Manifestation!
Just this plain punch, he leaped up and smashed towards Sheng Tarou!
Sheng Tarou roared, "Good, let me see how much strength your true form possesses!"
Fist against fist!
The sound of cracking bones and explosions rang out simultaneously!
The impact of their fists created a colossal shockwave that swept through the entire underground world like a hurricane!
Sheng Tarou retreated rapidly, shakily raising his fist. That single strike had left his left fist trembling uncontrollably, with intense pain constantly stimulating his brain!
"To be this strong!"
"Is this really a newcomer who has just entered the gourmet world?"
The fact that Elder Mo had entrusted him to enter the gourmet world to find Zhang Wei spoke volumes about Sheng Tarou's strength. Even the many dangers of the gourmet world could be easily handled by Sheng Tarou.
Yet, this newcomer, Zhang Wei, possessed the ability to repel him with a single punch!
How could this be!
Truly a peerless combat genius?
With such strength, it was a waste not to become a Gourmet Hunter!
However, Sheng Tarou was unaware that Zhang Wei was not only not a genius but also the most unparalleled waste in this world!
Aside from a transmigration, no one would host a brand new Gourmet Demon...
And for such an ancient, conceptual being, less than a hundred million years was insufficient to form a demonic form.
The reason Zhang Wei could sense its existence was that the Treasure Hall resided within his soul. By sinking his mind into the Treasure Hall, he could directly meet the dim-witted National Chef.
Initially, the National Chef always appeared to have nascent intelligence. Despite possessing absolute power, communication would sometimes falter.
Fists collided!
Zhang Wei flew out much farther than Sheng Tarou!
Four fingers on his left hand were bent into strange shapes, the cracking sound originating from them.
Zhang Wei gritted his teeth and bent each twisted finger back into place, trying to move them, but the pain intensified.
"Even in this state, I can't defeat Sheng Tarou..."
"I've already raised my level to 79, yet I still can't contend with him. It seems even with such abundant food effects, they can only provide combat power equivalent to double my level!"
"Sheng Tarou's level is far too high. I must find a way to inflict some damage on him, otherwise, I'll be extremely passive."
Semi-Elementalization: Lightning Leap!
Instant close-quarters combat!
Striking with both fists, the Intent Manifestation protected Zhang Wei's injured left hand, and hardened spiral drills were unleashed as if they were free!
Sheng Tarou dodved rapidly!
"Wind Manipulation Technique: Oppression!"
The air became stagnant!
Sheng Tarou stumbled, the immense gravity combined with the oppression making it impossible for him to move!
"Could it be that as the body size increases, the power of the technique also increases!"
Facing Zhang Wei's unending spiral fist energy, Sheng Tarou had no choice but to fight head-on!!
"Adda adda adda..."
"Ore ore ore..."
Zhang Wei felt a surge of bloodlust, becoming utterly Jojo-esque!
His relentless iron fists hammered Sheng Tarou's body, regardless of the effect; this barrage of attacks was incredibly satisfying!
White steam erupted from Zhang Wei's body, like a boiling kettle; this was sweat vaporizing after intense exertion, carrying away excess body heat.
The sheer amount of residual heat was a testament to how much stamina Zhang Wei was converting in that moment!
And at this moment, the leech vines flew up again, their swift attack speed binding Zhang Wei once more!
And this time, the number of vines increased from over a dozen to forty to fifty!
"Light..."
The immense physical exertion slowed Zhang Wei by half a beat, and Sheng Tarou's counter-punch landed squarely on Zhang Wei's chest!
*Puff*
The punch penetrated three inches deep, inflicting considerable damage to both his pectoral muscles and ribs.
Lightning Leap!
Instantly creating distance!
Zhang Wei panted heavily, the previous flurry of combos, in addition to stamina, had consumed a massive amount of oxygen. His heart rate was at least 110, his heartbeat pounding like a drum!
Sheng Tarou's punch had penetrated his skin, proving more effective than Zhang Wei's hundreds of punches!
Sheng Tarou touched the abrasions on his body and gritted his teeth, "Very good, quite a passionate close-quarters battle..."
"However, for me, fist-to-fist combat is not my strong suit, as I am a Regenerator."
Saying this.
Sheng Tarou took out a dry, withered twig from his robe, then summoned a portion of Six-Essence Water and combined it with the twig. The twig rapidly unfurled into a bud...
A rose?
Sheng Tarou flicked his hand, and rose petals scattered, the item in his hand transforming into a thorny whip!
"Kiss of the Blood Rose!"
This entire process consumed a considerable amount of time.
Zhang Wei did not idle either; he took out seven or eight bronze apples and two or three silver apples, chewing them down, and chugging a large amount of Five-Essence Water.
Even that wasn't enough; healing injuries required copious amounts of protein!
He flipped over and produced barbecued Gem Meat, and by the time Sheng Tarou unfurled his whip, Zhang Wei had already consumed over ten kilograms!
"Ooh~ are you done yet~? *sniffle*~ I'm not in a hurry, take your time unfurling it~~"
"Insolence!"
Sheng Tarou took a deep breath!
The whip, like a shadow, danced in the air, creating countless illusions that covered half the sky.
Furthermore, this whip was not only swift but also incredibly powerful; any stone wall it accidentally brushed against would turn to dust!
Considering the pressure here, the stone was already several times stronger than alloy.
"Rose Funeral!"
A sky full of petals carried a deadly fragrance, and the whip flashed, tearing through Zhang Wei's chest skin!
Instantly, intense pain erupted, and several roses began to grow from the wound...
Zhang Wei was startled and quickly used Semi-Elementalization to kill the parasitic organisms on his chest.
"Such swift attacks, and they carry rose seeds. Just now, about 125 grams of subcutaneous tissue and blood were stolen..."
It seems.
It's time to upgrade to mechanical combat!
"Sheng Tarou, bare-handed combat isn't my strong suit either, but as a chef, I prefer to show this side to the ingredients."
"After all, I am a chef, I can be a butcher, but I refuse to be an executioner!"
"National Chef, come out!"
A golden radiant light flashed!
Zhang Wei's Gourmet Demon appeared!
Compared to the previous few times, the National Chef's physique was even larger, clad in a refined and luxurious chef's uniform that was both practical and not cumbersome. Only its face was completely black, its appearance indistinguishable.
Sheng Tarou was taken aback, "In this world... there are golden Gourmet Demons?"
"Heh... even if you summon a food image, so what!"
The Kiss of the Blood Rose was plunged into the ground, and Sheng Tarou threw three more vials. A strange liquid was sprinkled on the ground, seemingly some kind of growth stimulant.
"Rite of the Buried Flower: Nether Language!"
Thorn vines!
More thorn vines!
And the kind that covered the entire area!
Instantly, thousands of thorny roses burst from the ground. As the flowers bloomed, they shattered into countless pieces, these petals drifting in the air like blades, forming deadly trajectories!
Sheng Tarou roared, "Give up! The lethality of the Rite of the Buried Flower is three times that of my punches. Once this move lands on you, I cannot guarantee your survival!"
Sheng Tarou's physical combat was inherently a weak point, yet he could still exchange blows with Zhang Wei. Now, unleashing a powerful killing move, the claim of triple power was by no means an exaggeration!
Zhang Wei's Gourmet Demon, despite its strange golden glow, might not be able to withstand this flower burial ritual!
Zhang Wei shook his head, "As I said, I have my own reasons for needing to act!"
Anger flickered across Sheng Tarou's brows!
In that case, don't blame me!
Elder Mo...
I'm going to break my promise!
"Lock!"
The thorn vines retracted!
The sky full of petals also stabbed towards the National Chef like flying daggers.
Zhang Wei beckoned, and his nimble blades transformed into countless illusions, protecting him like a blade array!
The sound of metal clashing filled the air, petals and blades composing a symphony.
Sheng Tarou was shocked, "What material are these flying daggers made of, to be able to match the Blood Rose's flying blades!"
"This is far superior to the defense of the Golden Bell. If I had blocked with this for that initial punch... I would have been injured too!"
However, Zhang Wei's nimble blades were still at a disadvantage!
It took at least three transformations of nimble blades to block one petal's attack, and the sky full of rose thorns was already descending!
The National Chef's phantom possessed its own pride, allowing stray petals to scrape off its golden paint!
"Second of the Seven Blades, Soft Blade!"
Nimble blades, also known as finger blades, were more like pointed spikes with blades, usually no more than two inches long, less than half the length of the handle!
And the soft blade, also known as the willow leaf blade, was shaped more like a surgical instrument and was slightly larger than the nimble blade.
Nimble blades were more like a sculptor's chisel, while soft blades were for precise handling of soft ingredients!
Soft Blade.
The Elegant Blade!
The National Chef opened its palm, and hundreds of soft blades danced in unison...
Roses, as if soft yet steel-like, would cut like blades when encountering the slender nimble blades, but when they met the soft blades...
"Have you heard of overcoming hardness with softness!"
With a wave of his hand!
Not content with just attacking, Zhang Wei flung thousands of knives towards Sheng Tarou.
What a terrifying quantity!
Sheng Tarou exclaimed, "On one hand, they possess hardness that rivals the Blood Rose, and on the other, they can be summoned in the tens of thousands!"
"This... and its immense energy reserves!"
Besides energy reserves, cell activity determines instantaneous energy output!
Zhang Wei's enormous consumption, leading to exhaustion within hours, meant that among known characters, only the original protagonist Toriko had comparable cell activity.
However, Toriko could last a long time after a full meal without fighting.
But Zhang Wei's terrifying cell activity made his normal state's consumption comparable to combat!
And in combat state...
He was practically a human nuclear bomb!
A relentless energy-releasing machine!
The bronze and silver apples in his stomach were being rapidly digested, and energy was continuously supplied to Zhang Wei's bloodstream, flowing throughout his body!
"The National Chef's state consumes too much energy. The speed of energy supply from digestion is not even keeping up with the stamina consumption!"
True Form plus Gourmet Demon!
This consumption was a hundred times that of his usual state!
Similarly, the total energy output was also a hundredfold!
"However, this is still far from enough to defeat Sheng Tarou!"