Boom!
A deafening explosion rang through the void.
The whole ground was reduced to ruins. In a huge crater, a bloody sword stuck in the ground, shaking violently. Streams of cold blood energy could be seen wheeling around it.
The Great Judge landed next to the sword, his blood-colored robes fluttering as he glanced around with a face as cold as an iceberg. 'I can't believe he managed to escape... Was it a transport array?' With a clang, he pulled out the sword, and the ground caved in instantly. He took a deep breath and exhaled, as if to breathe out the pent-up anger in him.
The fact that Bu Fang was able to kill four Judges with the cultivation base of half-step Saint proved that he was an unusual genius. The Great Judge had no choice but to swallow this loss. Of course, he wouldn't let this matter rest without doing something.
'A young man from the Immortal Cooking Realm...' He narrowed his eyes.
Since the Great Judge dared to choose this timing to rebel against the Nether Prison, he naturally had been informed of many things. As a world that was once on a par with the Nether Prison, the Immortal Cooking Realm was not weak. However, it was on the decline and was nearly gobbled up by the Nether Prison. If it weren't for the resurrection of the Immortal Tree, it's fate wouldn't be much better than that of the Abyss.
The Nether Prison, on the other hand, was troubled by both internal strife and foreign aggression, so it shouldn't be able to attack the Immortal Cooking Realm again for the time being. He reckoned that it might even begin to join forces with the Immortal Cooking Realm. After all, the Nine Revolution Nether Chef Clan was part of the Nether Prison, and it was said that this clan originated from the Immortal Cooking Realm.
After the Abyss became independent of the Nether Prison, it had to come in contact with the surrounding worlds, and inevitably, it would come in contact with the Immortal Cooking Realm. There would be plenty of time to deal with that young man in the future. As the Great Judge of the law enforcement team, how could he be willing to accept such a major loss without revenge?
...
The familiar feeling of dizziness put Bu Fang into a light trance. It was the same feeling that troubled him when he traveled around with transport arrays in those years, and now he felt it once again.
The array sent them straight back to the Immortal Cooking Realm, saving them the time to travel from the Abyss.
Nethery and Meng Qi were still holding on to Bu Fang's sleeves. They both felt a lingering fear. The Great Judge's monstrous killing intent made them all tense up, and his aura was so horrible that they thought the world was about to end. They finally experienced the aura of a Great Saint.
The dazzling sunlight shone down on him, warming his body and making him feel comfortable. Unlike the cold, gloomy atmosphere in the Abyss, the warmth enveloped him and seemed to make his blood come back to life. A breeze came blowing over, caressing his face like the gentle palms of a lover.
Nethery and Meng Qi also opened their eyes and glanced around curiously.
"This is... the fifth layer of the Immortal Cooking Realm, outside the newly built Immortal City!" Meng Qi was very familiar with this place, and she shouted excitedly. Her voice was filled with the joy of a survivor.
The trip to the Abyss was a perilous one, and she almost couldn't come back. The feeling of coming home really filled her heart with mixed emotions. Although the newly built Immortal City looked rather crude, she almost burst into tears the moment she saw it.
Bu Fang nodded. The sight of the familiar buildings confirmed that they had returned home. The atmosphere in the Immortal Cooking Realm was truly different from that of the Abyss. The wind in the Abyss had a murderous stench, as if they had to prepare to kill someone or be killed at any time. But in the Immortal Cooking Realm, it was warm and comfortable like a spring breeze. Bu Fang loved this feeling.
He exhaled softly, and it seemed all the turbid air in him was breathed out as well.
The three of them turned around and looked across the city. There were people moving about in the distance. Those were Nether Prison experts. The bronze gates were wide open, and many experts were walking out from the Nether Prison through the gates.
These people were not invaders but merchants. Wherever there were people, there were merchants. The Nether Prison coveted many food ingredients and minerals in the Immortal Cooking Realm, and merchants saw the opportunity. As a result, the Nether Prison merchants began to travel between the two places through the Heaven Nether Bridge.
The Immortal Cooking Realm wasn't averse to the visit of these merchants. The realm couldn't work behind closed doors. It needed to establish connection with the others because that might be able to improve its strength.
The new Immortal City's gates were wide open. Merchants from both the Immortal Cooking Realm and the Nether Prison were moving in and out of the city, so Bu Fang and his two companions' appearance didn't attract too much attention.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Bu Fang, along with Nethery and Meng Qi, walked toward the city and stepped into it.
"Bu Fang, I'm hungry." Nethery frowned at Bu Fang, her gray-green hair swaying behind her back. The breakout of the curse made her desire for delicious food more intense.
Bu Fang nodded and told her that he would cook for her once they returned to the Immortal Chef Little Store.
As soon as they entered the Immortal City, the City Lord, Ya Ya, came to greet them in person. She glanced around, and when she saw that only the three of them had returned, her face turned deathly pale.
"Where is the Realm Lord?" she asked impatiently.
"He's still searching for his fated chance. He'll be back when he finds it," Bu Fang said honestly.
The Divine Chef's inheritance was useless to Bu Fang, but it would be extremely helpful to Realm Lord Di Tai. It might really be able to help him make a breakthrough and become a Divine Chef. If the Immortal Cooking Realm had its own Divine Chef, it would be more confident in facing enemies.
Ya Ya seemed a little lost, but she didn't let it show too much because the three of them had just come back.
After politely refusing the welcoming feast Ya Ya was going to prepare for them, Bu Fang and his companions left the fifth layer and returned to the first layer.
Meng Qi went back to the Immortal Kitchen Pavilion to sort things out. During the time when she was away, she had asked Gongshu Baiguang to handle the matters in the pavilion for her. Now that she was back, she naturally had to sort them out herself. Of course, after she was done with her job, she would surely visit Bu Fang's restaurant. After all, the restaurant had become some sort of refuge, a place where she and the others could rest and relax. The feeling of eating delicious food and drinking good wine in the restaurant was very enjoyable.
The news of Meng Qi's return brought the other City Lords to the Immortal Kitchen Pavilion, including Gongshu Baiguang and City Lord Zou. They wanted to know the outcome of the trip. However, when they learned that the Realm Lord didn't come back with her, their expressions changed slightly. The Realm Lord's importance to the Immortal Cooking Realm was undeniable. If he died, it would be a disaster to the realm. Fortunately, they all trusted Bu Fang, and they accepted what he told them.
...
Bu Fang returned to the restaurant. He pushed open the door and smelled the fragrance of a dish being cooked in the kitchen.
The Black Dragon King and Flowery sat in the chairs, staring at the kitchen. When they heard the sound, they turned around at once.
Flowery's eyes lit up when she saw Nethery. She bolted over and hugged her arm, but her expression changed when she saw her gray-green hair.
"What happened to you, Sister Nethery?" Flowery asked worriedly.
"She's fine... She's just hungry. I'll cook her something delicious now," said Bu Fang.
Nethery looked at Bu Fang and then at Flowery before nodding.
Flowery breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you doing?" asked Bu Fang, glancing at the Black Dragon King.
"Xixi has come out with a new dish and asked us to give it a taste. We're waiting for her to serve the dish..." Flowery said honestly.
"A new dish?" That gave Bu Fang a pause. Smelling the aroma wafting out of the kitchen, he found himself a chair and sat down on it. He was curious to know what dish Xixi had invented.
Ding!
The curtain was lifted, and the bell chimed, attracting the attention of all.
Xixi's petite figure walked out of the kitchen. As she stepped onto a chair to make herself look taller, her eyes met with Bu Fang's, and that gave her a fright.
"Oh! Teacher Bu... You're back!" Xixi shouted excitedly, her eyes lighting up the moment she saw Bu Fang.
Bu Fang nodded and rested his eyes on the dish that Xixi had placed on the table.
"Teacher Bu, this is my latest dish, the Leek Blossom," Xixi said excitedly.
"The Leek Blossom?" Bu Fang paused, thinking that the name sounded strange.
"What made Xixi think of cooking such a dish?" he asked suspiciously.
"A strange uncle asked me to cook it… He also provided me with ingredients, Heavenly Spirit Leeks and an egg of an Eight-star Beast Emperor..." Xixi confessed.
Bu Fang raised his eyebrows. The corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at the dish. It was scrambled eggs with leeks. Of course, it was different from the ordinary one. The leeks were bright green, and they gleamed faintly.
"Teacher Bu, give it a try! That strange uncle said if this dish suits his taste, he will give Xixi the Nether Chef Clan's recipes," said Xixi.
Bu Fang frowned and immediately lost all favorable impressions for the strange uncle Xixi had mentioned.
"The guy who asks a little girl to cook this dish is definitely a pervert," Bu Fang said with a straight face.
"What's wrong with this dish?" Nethery asked curiously.
"Nothing... You try it and tell Xixi about it. Black Dragon King, you better don't eat it... Otherwise, don't blame me for not reminding you." When he had finished, he walked around the table and was about to enter the kitchen.
"Ah? Won't you try it, Teacher Bu?" Xixi was a little disappointed.
"I... forget it. Sister Nethery will try it for you. Also, when that strange uncle comes again, shout out for me," said Bu Fang.
Xixi didn't understand, but she still nodded.
Meanwhile, the Black Dragon King looked confused. He couldn't understand why Bu Fang asked him not to try the dish. Was he discriminated against because he's a dragon?
Nethery and Flowery exchanged a glance. After that, they took out chopsticks at the same time and reached into the Leek Blossom Xixi had cooked. The aroma of the bright green leeks mixed with the fragrance of egg was very attractive.
Nethery opened her mouth slightly and ate a small portion. Her lips looked seductive as they were smeared with some oil.
Crunch... Crunch...
A crunching sound rang out as she chewed on the leeks.
"It's delicious..." Nethery's eyes lit up as she told Xixi.
Flowery tried it and nodded in agreement as well.
The Black Dragon King was immediately tempted. The satisfied look of Nethery and Flowery made him want to taste the dish so badly. However, when he thought of what Bu Fang had said, he felt somewhat worried.
'Am I really not allowed to eat? Or maybe Bu Fang is bluffing me? Yes, he must be bluffing me! I'm the Black Dragon King, a dragon who wants to taste everything! How can I not taste this dish?!'
"Here, let this dragon king try it!" The Black Dragon King produced a pair of chopsticks and joined the food-tasting army. He picked up a large chunk of scrambled eggs with leek. The glistening leek and the aromatic egg instantly excited him.
He stuffed it into his mouth and began to chew. The chewiness of Heavenly Spirit Leeks and the aroma of the Beast Emperor's egg mixed together to produce a strong impact that instantly hit the walls of his mouth. He felt as if a small hand was caressing his body…
"It's delicious... And there's nothing wrong with it!" said the Black Dragon King. He looked at Nethery and Flowery, then picked up another chunk of egg and stuffed it into his mouth.
Crunch... Crunch...
He ate happily. All of a sudden, he felt as if there was a fire burning in his heart, and it turned his face red instantly. His eyes seemed to be on fire, but it was the natural reaction of his body that made him feel a little ashamed.
"I..."
The Black Dragon King finally understood why Bu Fang asked him not to eat the dish. [1]
'F*ck! Where is that old pervert who asked Xixi to cook this thing? I'm going to beat him to death!'
"Flowery, throw that black dragon out of the restaurant." Bu Fang's voice rang out of the kitchen.
The Black Dragon King's eyes went wide, while Flowery grinned and nodded excitedly.
The next moment, the Black Dragon King's body streaked across the air and fell outside the restaurant.
"Ahhhhhh!"
He was filled with grief and indignation, and he felt an itch in his heart...
…
In the kitchen, the corner of Bu Fang's mouth twitched violently.
Why didn't the greedy black dragon believe him? The guy who taught Xixi to cook this dish was definitely an old pervert. The effect of this Leek Blossom was too noticeable—it was simply a forbidden drug for men!
"Xixi is still too young to know the dangers of the world. Luckily, I came back early." Bu Fang breathed a sigh of relief. After that, he produced a pitch-black bone. As soon as he took it out, terrible energy burst out of it, and there seemed to be a Qilin roaring in his face.
It was a Dark Qilin bone, an ingredient that contained a rich spirit essence. It was where all the Qilin's essence was stored, thus making it more valuable than Qilin meat. Bu Fang was going to cook a dish with it.
[1] It is believed that scrambled eggs with leeks have the effect of tonifying Yang, and it is consumed as an aphrodisiac.