Chapter 1851: I've picked up a treasure!

Just now Ye Zhangqing's method of handling the dragon's head had already left Ma Qiankun utterly shocked, exclaiming that he couldn't understand it.

But now, as Ye Zhangqing picked up the kitchen knife, Ma Qiankun's whole body went numb.

You're using a kitchen knife to handle the dragon's claw?

In the next second, the knife in Ye Zhangqing's hand flashed with blade light; as the blade light swept over, the dragon's claw on the chopping board was cleaned bit by bit.

Seeing this, Ma Qiankun gradually couldn't hold back.

How can he do this? Even a genuine Immortal Chef couldn't manage this, yet this kid can?

Where did he learn these techniques? Or did he really figure them out on his own?

Is this a wild path he forged himself?

Anyway, Ma Qiankun has studied the culinary way for so many years that he even became one of the Elders of Cooking King Immortal City.

Although I wouldn't dare say his culinary skill is the absolute top in the Immortal Realm, it's definitely among the notable ones.

But even so, Ma Qiankun had never seen such a method before.

Not to mention seeing it; even within Cooking King Immortal City, the numerous ancient texts on the culinary way, and the Immortal Realm's predecessors of all ages, have never recorded even a word about such methods.

Ma Qiankun was completely dumbfounded; wild—this kid's approach can only be described as 'wild,' simply wild beyond bounds.

And as time passed, Ye Zhangqing successively completed the three dishes one after another.

Each time a dish was finished, its rich aroma came rushing forth.

It made Ma Qiankun unconsciously inhale the scent, and his expression became more and more vivid.

Yesterday, after seeing Ye Zhangqing and Zhao Qinglin's match, Ma Qiankun still thought this kid just had solid basics and was a promising seedling.

So he felt a fondness for talent, and besides, he indeed needed a disciple who could shine.

He had thought that, but who would have imagined that Ye Zhangqing's culinary skill could be so outrageous?

This is no longer just a matter of basic skills.

With Ma Qiankun's eyesight, it's naturally easy to see that Ye Zhangqing's culinary skill has evidently reached the level of an Emperor-level Spirit Chef.

Although he hasn't yet reached the Immortal Chef level, for his age this is already outrageously impressive.

The City Lord, the Deputy City Lord's disciples under him— they seem to be about this level as well.

Moreover, the monstrous disciples under those Elders are also no more than Emperor-level Spirit Chef level.

Thus, those old-timers still act smug, and every time they see Old Ma, they have to come over and throw in a couple of sarcastic remarks.

Moreover, Ma Qiankun has no room to rebut, which leaves him each time so angry he can't help but grit his teeth in silence.

Now, he has by chance discovered a disciple who actually possesses Emperor-level Spirit Chef level.

Evidently, he has already risen to the top tier among the young disciples of Cooking King Immortal City.

This left Ma Qiankun both startled and delighted, inwardly exclaiming that he had truly picked up a treasure.

Indeed, according to Ma Qiankun's original plan, even if Ye Zhangqing had solid basics and was a promising seedling, to truly be useful he would still need some training.

After all, the culinary way is the same as the pill way and artifact forging.

Don't think the Immortal Chef's status is inferior to that of Pill Masters and Artifact Masters; the culinary way is by no means simple.

If you want to truly achieve something, you still have to put in hard work.

Moreover, if one lacks talent, it's also hard to achieve results; that's why Cooking King Immortal City, even while actively courting relations with the major powers of the Immortal Realm,

yet when facing the disciples sent by those major powers, if they lack talent they can at most be nominal disciples, like Huang Chong.

Because without talent, forcing effort upon them is merely a waste of time, energy, and resources.

It would be better to devote that energy to those who truly have talent.

But don't underestimate the culinary way.

Ye Zhangqing can be said to have given Ma Qiankun surprise after surprise, and those surprises keep growing larger.

When Ye Zhangqing had finished the three dishes and served them on the table, looking at the three plates of dishes complete in color, aroma, and flavor,

Ma Qiankun's eyes burned with fervor, and that aroma— even as an Immortal Chef, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Leaving aside other things, just the appearance and aroma are flawless.

At least, so far Ma Qiankun hasn't found a single problem.

All that remains is the taste; if the taste passes muster, then Ye Zhangqing will simply make Ma Qiankun look at him anew.

With such culinary skill, he doesn't need to worry; he can immediately go out and help him contend for benefits.

This is naturally good news for Ma Qiankun, and at the same time he values Ye Zhangqing ever more.

This kid is even better than I imagined; fortunately I didn't make any foolish decision yesterday.

Even before eating, Ma Qiankun secretly felt fortunate.

If yesterday I hadn't given Ye Zhangqing a chance but instead directly sided with Zhao Qinglin, I would have borne how much loss.

Just the culinary skill Ye Zhangqing has shown already far surpasses what Zhao Qinglin can match.

To speak without exaggeration, even if Ma Qiankun were to go head‑to‑head with the Zhao Family now, he wouldn't frown in the slightest.

What is the Zhao Family compared to having Ye Zhangqing be important?

Even Ma Qiankun is secretly calculating whether he should just have Zhao Qinglin killed.

Helping Ye Zhangqing vent his anger would, in this way, better demonstrate his sincerity.

After all, he and Ye Zhangqing are not truly a master‑disciple pair, and Ye Zhangqing has never truly intended to take him as a teacher from start to finish.

On the surface they call each other master and disciple, but in reality they are in a cooperative relationship.

Since it's cooperation, they naturally need to show sincerity— first using Zhao Qinglin's dog head as a gesture?

However, these matters can be put off for later.

"Please, senior, help me set things right."

As Ye Zhangqing spoke, Ma Qiankun smiled and nodded; up to now, in all other aspects Ye Zhangqing has done everything perfectly, with no fault to be found.

There are no flaws at all.

Next, only the final step remains: to taste the flavor and effect of this dish.

As a Spirit Chef, flavor is naturally important, but at the same time, efficacy is also important.

Otherwise, if there is no efficacy, or the effect is mediocre, it's not just a waste of precious ingredients.

What's the difference from an ordinary mundane chef then?

This is like a Pill Master refining pills: you merely refine the herbs into pills, but fail to elicit their medicinal effect—what's the point?

It would be better to just chew the herbs directly.

The reason medicinal pills are more expensive than herbs is precisely this.

It is precisely because through the Pill Master's refinement, the medicinal efficacy of the herbs is fully unleashed, causing the price of medicinal pills to rise steadily.

Likewise, Spirit Chefs are the same: those precious ingredients, under the Spirit Chef's preparation, will have their effects greatly enhanced.

Picking up his chopsticks, Ma Qiankun could still remain calm at this moment, first locking his target onto the Nine Heavens Dragon Three Treasures, and beginning to try this dish.