Genshin Impact: A Mortal's Ascension to Godhood

The dish served by the second team made the same mistake as the first team that served "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall": to fit the theme, all the ingredients were used together. However, this team's handling was obviously better than the first contestant's -

"Sea cucumber and bamboo fungus? Soak in egg liquid, steam until golden brown, sprinkle with chopped green onions... the original flavor of the ingredients is also stimulated to the maximum extent. Not bad, very good!" Aunt Yuechen still praised the other party.

Judge Jingyu also smiled and said, "Well... compared to Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, your choice is smarter. It has the tenderness of eggs, and the blend of mountain and sea delicacies. In terms of freshness, it is certainly not as good as Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, but in terms of technique, you have already got a glimpse of the way."

Judge Dagu twisted his beard and said seriously, "But you can do better. The egg liquid was not evenly distributed, and adding sea cucumber and bamboo fungus caused the gap to widen. In short, the final steamed egg did not look so perfect."

Keqing also encouraged the other party: "I think it's very good! If the previous team's 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' was mainly about using complicated ingredients to stew a fresh and fragrant soup to attract people, then the subtlety of this dish lies in its simplicity, deliciousness, and nourishment."

After discussing for a while, the four judges gave this "steamed egg with bamboo fungus and sea cucumber" a relatively high score. At least it was much higher than the score of the first team. This made the chefs and sponsors of the second team applaud, and the audience on the field also cheered and applauded after seeing the score.

Without even a moment's worry about their fate, the third team quickly came on stage with their dishes. What they cooked turned out to be -

"Is it fried rice? Such a big plate." Li Tao could see a chef carrying a big plate of steaming fried rice from a distance. Taking a closer look at the dish with his keen eyes, Li Tao suddenly felt that it looked familiar.

"Seafood, onions, garlic, tomatoes, black pepper, and maybe lemon juice, and fish broth should be added at the end... Isn't this the Spanish seafood fried rice on Blue Star?"

In addition to the fried rice, the chefs also prepared another soup - also very simple, mountain mushroom stewed with tofu. It looked like it was just sprinkled with salt and chopped green onions, and some oil was added.

So, whether they can attract the judges depends on whether their fried rice suits the judges' taste, Li Tao thought.

//////

"No."

A few minutes later, judge Dagu ruthlessly sentenced this group's dishes to death.

"It's not that it's not delicious... Adding so many seasonings to the fried rice, and pouring in fish soup to activate its umami flavor, the rice grains are distinct and have a layered texture, these are the advantages of this dish."

"But your strategy is wrong. You shouldn't make another dish that represents 'mountain delicacies' into a side dish, thinking that you can use it to eliminate the nausea we get when we eat fried rice."

"You shouldn't cook with the mentality of 'teaching guests how to eat'. It's up to the guests to decide what they want to eat. In short, it's against the rules."

Judge Jingyu shook his head helplessly: "What Judge Dagu said is not without reason... Although I like this fried rice very much, it is very exotic. However, a competition is a competition. You must highlight the meaning of 'mountain and sea delicacies' as much as possible, instead of turning them into a master and a servant."

This team deservedly received a low score, even lower than the first group.

The audience watched the team leave with regret, but the game continued.

......

After that, two more teams were tested by the judges, but their scores were not as high as that of the second team, and were even lower than that of the first team.

Because one team used the controversial ingredient "crayfish" to make a seafood dish, but the judges pointed out that this kind of thing can be caught in the canal at the door, so it can only be considered river flavor, not seafood, so they were passed; the other team was rejected because the black fungus they collected was not well preserved and the taste was much worse. Even Keqing, who has no gourmet taste, had problems with it, so they were naturally sent away.

At this time, the first team making "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" had hope again - I thought you were all outstanding people, but you were all smarter than me. Doesn't this mean our team has a chance to advance to the finals?

Finally, Xiangling and Chef Mao finally walked up to the judges' table with their dishes.

It looks tense... How will the judges evaluate Xiangling and Master Mao's cooking? Li Tao stared at the competition and thought. Although Keqing knew Xiangling, she certainly couldn't let her win because she didn't have much to lose.

Li Tao, Xingqiu, and Chongyun figured it out: the Seven Stars usually have their own things to do, so how could they have time to study cooking? Therefore, the final score was really influenced by the strict standards of the gourmet judges.

"Then please, judges, please taste our team's [Spiritual Bamboo Mushroom Casserole] and [Mint Tomato Seafood Roll]."

Judge Yuechen smiled and tasted the soup first, and immediately widened his eyes: "Oh, this taste - it's broth, but how is it possible?"

Judge Jingyu pointed at the Fire God's Eye on Xiangling's waist and said to Yuechen, "Little Xiangling is the holder of the Fire God's Eye. I don't think it's strange that she can make a pot of soup quickly."

"The use of elemental power?... Although the control of the heat is great, even perfect, this method is not suitable for all chefs." Judge Dagu said with some regret, tasting the [Spiritual Bamboo Mushroom Casserole] bit by bit, "The fragrance of bamboo shoots, the freshness of mushrooms, the rich aroma of the broth... all of these are integrated into one pot of soup, but this success is not something that other chefs can replicate."

Xiangling summoned up the courage to explain: "It would be meaningless if I had this power but didn't use it! Even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice!"

Keqing also helped Xiangling by saying, "Although elemental power is far from ordinary people's lives, Xiangling is right. Since we have this power, why not use it?"

"Well, I'm not blaming you, little girl." Judge Dagu nodded, "Then let us taste your 'sea food' again."

Several pairs of chopsticks reached out for the seafood rolls at the same time.

The moment Yuechen put the seafood roll into her mouth, her expression suddenly became wonderful. The taste was like a spring breeze, with the freshness of mint and the sweet and sour taste of tomatoes, and the freshness and saltiness of seafood, as if dancing a happy dance on her taste buds. She couldn't help but close her eyes and savor it carefully, as if she was 20,000 miles under the sea, with countless fish swimming around her; in the blink of an eye, she returned to the vast wilderness, the sun was shining, and the sky was high and the clouds were light.

"This taste... is amazing! I have never tasted such a unique combination. The freshness of mint, the sweet and sour taste of tomatoes, and the deliciousness of seafood rolls are a feast for the taste buds!"

Judge Dagu also showed a surprised expression on his face, as if he had discovered some treasure. He hurriedly swallowed the food in his mouth and wanted to taste it again. The taste seemed to stir up thousands of waves in his heart, making him intoxicated.

"This ingredient... Oh, this fish is definitely not ordinary fish! Did you really not use any top-quality ingredients? It's chewy and bouncy, and with the sourness of the tomatoes and the coolness of the mint, the whole dish has reached a state of harmony between the soul and the flesh!"

Judge Jingyu closed his eyes and quietly savored the wonderful taste. A warm current surged in his heart, as if he saw himself busy in the kitchen, his love for ingredients and pursuit of food, all condensed in this dish. He could also feel the ingenuity of the chef who made this dish, bringing out the essence of food to the fullest.

"It's really amazing... Every bite is a new experience. Not only is the cooking skill excellent and the processing is perfect, but the ingredients are also rare. It's great. This dish makes me feel the chef's love for ingredients and pursuit of food."

Keqing couldn’t stop chewing. “Mmm, this is delicious, Xiangling! Your cooking skills have improved to this point… This is exactly what ‘Pearl plates and jade cups reflect the brilliance, and delicious food is better than poetry’.”

After finishing the seafood rolls in a flash, the judges reluctantly gave the Xiangling team a score. Dagu's score was still a little lower. As for the reason, he said:

“The seafood is so good that it seems to overshadow the main dish. The mountain delicacies are also good, but they seem to be a bit of a show-off.”

However, the Wanmin Hall team still won the first place in the knockout round with a score that surpassed the second group.

The audience was also conquered by the wonderful performance of the Wanmintang team. They stood up and applauded enthusiastically. Applause, cheers and exclamations intertwined and filled the entire competition venue. Their faces were filled with excitement and joy. They exchanged their feelings with each other, as if they were all cheering for this delicious dish.

Hu Tao was even more excited to watch the fun, and kept shouting, "Xiangling! Xiangling! Liyue's little chef! Our pride!"

In the chaos, Li Tao complained: "Why not call him Liyue Little Master?"

But Xiangling and Master Mao had already started to bow to the audience and judges to express their gratitude - for them, this was indeed the best compliment. Xiangling knew that her hard work and dedication had received the best reward at this moment.

"But I can't relax yet. The final game is still waiting for me!" Xiangling secretly encouraged herself.