Spinning the Rubik's Cube, Zhang Wei watched as countless boxes rotated according to a pattern…
But only two of them belonged to him!
*Snap!*
The box at the corner detached, but Zhang Wei couldn't touch it yet!
To prevent cheating, it had to be transported to Zhang Wei's team's competition area for unboxing. And it would be notarized by an official.
Finally, there would be a score for the utilization rate of the ingredients, to prevent anyone from switching things around.
Group 01257!
Including Zhang Wei, there were a total of four contestants.
A bald muscular man!
A frail chef wearing thick glasses.
A primate covered in red fur, seemingly an alien.
The so-called Human Realm was a reserve base for logistical talent of the human race. There were many similar regions.
These were races with extremely high growth potential and very low starting points, though none had as much territory as humans. This showed that human elites still held a place on this planet.
The judges and guards also arrived with the sealed boxes.
The boxes could only be opened with the handprints of the chief judge and the contestants. Forcing them open was considered a foul.
The frail chef was called first.
He stepped forward, greeting the judges respectfully, and walked towards the two shipping containers with them.
The first box was opened. As the two placed their hands on the switch, a thin layer of energy seemed to dissipate. The mechanism turned, and the box door swung open!
Instantly, a beastly roar emanated from inside the box!
Inside was a highly-ranked ferocious tiger, its eyes gleaming with ferocious madness!
The frail chef with thick glasses turned pale!
"Mad Wolf Eater!"
The Wolf Eater, with a capture level of 90, took the form of a saber-toothed tiger.
Its favorite delicacies were primates, including apes, monkeys, and humans. Its nature was extremely cruel.
However, Wolf Eaters were relatively weak against diseases and had short lifespans. In their later years, they often contracted madness, significantly reducing the quality of their meat.
When infected with madness, the Wolf Eater's aggressiveness would greatly increase. In the wild, old Wolf Eaters were often seen attacking recklessly, disregarding injuries and death.
He turned to the chief judge and questioned, "Why… why is it a live specimen!"
"As long as it's an ingredient, there's no problem. Anything that doesn't comply with the rules wouldn't be put in!"
The frail chef shouted, "But… defeating the fierce beast is the partner's task. This is completely unfair! This shouldn't be a test for chefs!"
The chief judge said coldly, "You can choose to forfeit!"
The frail chef wanted to say more, but the tiger could no longer be restrained. It leaped towards the frail chef.
He could only grab his knife to defend himself!
*Thump…*
He was immediately pinned down by the Wolf Eater's claws.
Then came the mauling!
The chief judge sighed, "It seems the second box doesn't need to be opened."
With a wave of his hand, a poker card flew out like a dart, beheading the level 90 Wolf Eater and rescuing it from the beast's mouth.
Eliminated!
The second contestant was the bald muscular man. His two boxes of ingredients were normal, with no apparent traps.
But the bald man was not satisfied, muttering, "Why are these low-class ingredients? I put in good stuff…"
Zhang Wei remained silent. Was there really someone that naive in the world?
Did he underestimate the morality of chefs? Were there not that many people who deliberately set traps?
He thought of his own Demon Great Mosquito, and wondered if it was… a bit too much?
Of course, it was also possible that the rules weren't revealed in advance, so no one brought those troublesome ingredients.
Soon, it was Zhang Wei's turn!
First box!
A roar!
It was alive!
Everyone looked on, curious to see if Zhang Wei would be defeated by a live beast like the first contestant.
The bald man even quipped, "If you can't beat it, just forfeit, okay? Don't lose half your life like that guy."
Zhang Wei smiled noncommittally and turned to open the box.
Hmm?
A dragon-like creature?
Inside the box was a dragon of extremely small size, weighing about 20 tons.
[Discoverable Ingredient: Abomination Dragon Beast]
[Capture Level: 330]
[Edible Level: 110]
[Habitat: Twisted Hell Jungle]
[Description: Twisted Hell is also known as a culinary landfill. It is perpetually polluted by various chemical substances, causing all living things to be deformed to varying degrees. Only the most resilient creatures can survive there.]
[Description: Radiation and chemical pollution led to the birth of Abomination-class monsters, with the Abomination Dragon Beast being among the most outstanding, standing at the top of the food chain!]
The red-haired monster and the muscular man both looked over.
The muscular man continued to laugh, "Oh, it's a stinky garbage creature. You're so lucky… Hahahaha, poor unlucky soul!"
Zhang Wei tilted his head, "Do you know this creature well?"
The muscular man sneered, "Garbage creatures are all the same. Affected by the natural environment, they have energy but no flavor! And most of them are poisonous!"
In the natural world, these non-degradable toxins would accumulate along the food chain.
For example, ordinary farmland has 0.1 grams of toxin per kilogram of soil, which is the standard value. Plants that can survive here would inevitably be contaminated to some extent. For instance, a plant needs tens of kilograms of water and soil fertility to grow, concentrating several grams of toxins.
Then, the grass would be eaten by rabbits and goats, which consume hundreds of times their body weight in a lifetime. The same goes for predators like cheetahs and wolves higher up the food chain.
As the apex predator, the Abomination Dragon Beast would have the highest levels of radiation and toxins in its body!
It had no culinary value!
Eating its meat would give you ten times the amount of toxins as nutrients!
The Abomination Dragon Beast lunged forward, its level 330 combat power capable of splitting mountains and cleaving the earth.
"I have to say, the cages of Ao Shi Yun City are really sturdy."
As he spoke, Zhang Wei extended a hand and gently pressed it against the Abomination Dragon Beast's forehead.
The Abomination Dragon Beast, which had been charging fiercely, suddenly became quiet. It remained still under Zhang Wei's palm, like a docile cat.
The red-haired monster raised an eyebrow, its expression unreadable.
The muscular man became more serious.
"Beast taming ability… No, these garbage beasts are naturally violent, their minds already affected by toxins. Why would they suddenly become docile?"
"Or perhaps…"
At this moment, the muscular man noticed the Abomination Dragon Beast's limbs.
They were trembling slightly…
Not from weakness or fear, but from the feeling of losing control of one's limbs after extreme exertion.
Looking at Zhang Wei's palm, it had already deeply embedded into the forehead. The animal dragon beast did not have such thick skin. Its head was made of deformed bone to increase its resistance.
This meant…
Zhang Wei's palm strength was immense! this was level 330!
"Hmph, so what if you have some brute strength?"
"Garbage ingredients are still garbage ingredients. No matter how skilled you are, you can't serve a pile of shit on a plate."
And these distorted abominations were far more disgusting than a pile of shit!
Second box!
Opened!
The box shook, and black mist erupted.
The chief judge, who had been silent, seemed to notice something.
He said directly, "Let me state in advance, if the ingredient escapes, it will be an automatic loss."
It seemed to be a nimble creature.
"Don't worry, it won't escape."
Manifestation of will!
Golden Bell Shield!
Zhang Wei waved his hand, and a giant golden bell materialized out of thin air!
An inexplicable power enveloped the entire competition site!
Golden light shimmered, gradually coalescing into the shape of a bell, its size comparable to a mountain!
The golden bell had a diameter of tens of kilometers, its height connecting heaven and earth.
The towering giant horse next to them couldn't help but look, then let out a displeased snort.
What… what immense power!
The chief judge squinted, "What abundant energy… This move cannot be unleashed without a cell level of five hundred!"
"Unfortunately, it's still a bit rough. It seems you haven't mastered it for long!"
"Don't affect other competitions."
As he spoke, the chief judge waved his hand, and Zhang Wei felt an irresistible force. The six high walls collapsed, continuously compressing the size of his golden bell.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the golden bell from shrinking.
This judge's strength was far superior to Elder Mo's!
"Cangma often praises you to me, truly a heroic youth."
The chief judge uttered a familiar name, and Zhang Wei froze.
"You know Cangma?"
"Sort of… I've been learning by his side for decades."
This person was Cangma's mentor!
The bald muscular man grumbled, "So you're acquaintances. I'm telling you, judges must be fair and not show favoritism."
The chief judge smiled noncommittally, "Of course not."
"After all…"
"Your dishes are not worthy of my palate."
Arrogant!
How incredibly arrogant!
Everyone who participated was a top chef in the world, and this person dared to say such a thing!
At this moment!
The creature inside the shipping container could no longer bear it and rushed out.
Zhang Wei was stunned. It was a mass of black mist, with whimpering sounds!
It was an abnormal ingredient!
A gaseous ingredient?
The bald muscular man was bewildered, equally stunned, "What… what is this thing!"
But Zhang Wei felt a sense of familiarity!
It seemed like… the Cloud Country!
That's right, back in the Cloud Country, he had obtained an ingredient called a Dark Tentacle Monster, which was very similar to this!
"Dream Realm!"
The chief judge tilted his head slightly, "Very good, you have some knowledge. You even know about the Dream Realm."
It was a peculiar domain, existing between existence and non-existence. Only when intelligent beings fell asleep did they have a chance to reach it.
The Dream Realm was bizarre and colorful.
Food consumed there would nourish the body, and injuries would also manifest physically.
The Dark Tentacle Monster was born from lust, often appearing in the dreams of old lustful people. Creatures captured in the Dream Realm also had a chance to be brought into the real world.
Capturing a Dark Tentacle Monster was extremely difficult, akin to having a wet dream and bringing back an item.
On one hand, very few people traveled to the Dream Realm and possessed the ability to capture, and even fewer enjoyed wet dreams.
This made Dark Tentacle Monsters extremely rare. To this day, Zhang Wei only had one.
And it had to be a woman's wet dream. If it were a man's, it would be a Dark Mistress or a Dark Loli.
What courage would a woman need to sell such a thing and admit to being lustful? Besides, it was like a playmate, so why not keep it…
Black winds howled!
The smoke and dust monster tried to escape, but was completely blocked by the golden bell. Zhang Wei beckoned.
The Drawing Technique was activated!
The dense mist seemed to be drawn by gravity, twisting within the phantom palm.
"Let me see what you truly are!"
[Discoverable Ingredient: Succubus Spirit]
[Capture Level: 110]
[Habitat: Dream Realm]
[Description: Succubi are high-level hunters in the Dream Realm, often leaving people exhausted without their knowledge… They are extremely terrifying in their consumption of energy and spirit. This item is born from desire, and it is difficult for human will to resist.]
[Description: Extremely difficult to capture. Only when a succubus is draining your energy and you are woken up is there a chance to bring the succubus into the real world. And with a succubus's refined taste and skills, it doesn't take long to extract energy.]
[Description: Succubus Spirits exist in a semi-gaseous state and are extremely difficult to cook. However, it is said that those who eat a spirit will have their appearance greatly enhanced, their gender charisma constantly increased, and even a higher chance of going to the Dream Realm!]
Terrifying!
There was such a bizarre ingredient!
The chief judge smiled, "Do you know it? Do you have a way to cook it?"
"If not, I think it's best to forfeit. I have to consider my judges and not let them get sick from eating."
Zhang Wei didn't mind, and directly relayed the hints from the Treasure Hall with slight modifications.
"So, do you have a cooking method?"
Zhang Wei shook his head.
"What? Keeping it a secret?"
Zhang Wei smiled kindly, "No, I just haven't thought of it yet."
The chief judge was stunned, thinking this person was uncommonly mature.
Heh, young people are truly interesting.
Immediately, the chief judge took out the Concentric Grass and sent the situation to Cangma.
His disciple might be interested in his news.
Speaking of which, Cangma did not participate in this competition, which was a shame.
The three received their materials, completing the task!
The bald muscular man's first ingredient was a level 15 boneless black chicken, a rare purely soft-bodied creature, more like a chicken-shaped caterpillar that moved solely by muscle.
Due to its abundant muscle development, its meat had an excellent texture.
The second ingredient was called a Crystal Persimmon, with an edible level of 25.
The Crystal Persimmon was not a tomato, but the yellow persimmon that grew on persimmon trees, the raw material for dried persimmons, also known as monkey jujube, great persimmon, and so on.
These persimmons were sweeter and rich in carotene and flavonoids, with Crystal Persimmons being the best.
Dried persimmons made from Crystal Persimmons were also called frosted dried persimmons, as a poem attests:
Its flavor surpasses the sweet fruits of Huá Lín,
Its color rivals the crimson of the Sun Well.
Light and even, a layered cake wrapped in crimson wax,
Unlike the sweet dew of the mortal world!
It could be said to be a renowned delicacy in the Human Realm. And due to its low level, it was very common and extremely famous!
However, the bald man was very dissatisfied, muttering, "All these low-level ingredients, they're depressing to look at!"
"With these ingredients, I can't possibly make a delicious dish!"
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480 Unboxing Free Read.