Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Dylan held his breath, a rare nervousness visible. Taking a deep breath, as if having made a decision, he picked up the Yongling Saber. The feel of it was surprisingly good.
The next moment, an overwhelming aura surged from the blade, pressing down on Dylan, threatening to crush him. Yet, apart from his clothes fluttering in the wind, Dylan's body didn't even twitch. At the same time, an even more powerful aura emanated from Dylan himself, assailing the Yongling Saber and causing it to hum.
"What's happening? What's happening? He picked up the knife, then what? Nothing special seems to be going on."
"So when does the inheritance ceremony start?"
The audience looked at Dylan, puzzled. Most of them had only just learned that China possessed legendary cooking utensils. Very few present knew how the inheritance ceremony worked.
"Look! The kitchen knife is glowing with golden light!"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted. Everyone focused their gaze on Dylan's hand, or more precisely, on the Yongling Saber.
"It really is! I thought there was a flashbang in the box before, that's why it burst with such golden light. I didn't expect the knife itself to be emitting it!"
"This is shocking! How could this happen! A lifeless kitchen knife is emitting light!"
At this moment, Dylan looked at the golden dragon soul that soared from the blade and faced him, an astonished expression on his face. Simultaneously, the pressure on his entire body intensified.
"I am your master!"
Feeling the pressure, Dylan's expression suddenly changed. He then roared, his eyes fiercely glaring at the golden dragon soul before him.
"Roar!"
The next moment, a roar echoed from the void. The golden dragon soul circled in the sky and then flew straight towards the Yongling Saber in Dylan's hand.
"Look! Something seems to be emerging from the body of the knife!"
In the distant audience seats, Wang Wanqing pointed at the knife in Dylan's hand, her lips slightly parted.
"What is that?!"
Following the sound, everyone looked. A majestic and powerful dragon, exuding an air of authority, had suddenly appeared on the kitchen knife!
"After a thousand years, the Yongling Saber finally has a new successor!"
Master Baiyao watched this scene, his face revealing an incredibly complex expression. Overall, however, he was happy, because the legend was true! Legendary cooking utensils could indeed choose their own masters.
"Ancient texts say the Yongling Saber can restore ingredients to their fresh state. I wonder if it's true! If it is, that ability is simply heaven-defying!" Li Xiang's voice sounded again. He looked at the Yongling Saber in Dylan's hand with fervent eyes, wishing he was the one holding it.
"Then let me test its power!" Dylan's voice rang out. He then walked towards a nearby cooking station. The gazes of everyone present followed his movements, finally stopping at the station.
On it lay a fish that had been dead for an unknown amount of time; it was the leftover fish from Li Xiao's filleted raw fish dish. Now, under the high temperature of the sun, the fish's freshness had significantly declined. No matter how it was cooked, the taste wouldn't be very good.
However, when Dylan raised the Yongling Saber and lightly swiped it across the remaining fish, the next moment, something magical happened. The part of the fish that had been cut was as fresh as if it had just been killed!
"What? The fishtail moved?! Hasn't it been dead for a long time!"
Li Wanwan's eyes widened, as if she had seen something incredible. The fish that had died hours ago had actually moved again!
"This is the power of a legendary cooking utensil. No wonder the book recorded that chefs a thousand years ago fought to the death for this utensil!" Li Xiang was equally shocked. Although he had anticipated the Yongling Saber's abilities, seeing a fish that had been dead for a long time restored to freshness still filled him with incomparable shock!
Also shocked were Zhang Xingyuan and Lei Tianci, who were closer to Dylan. Greed quickly flickered in their eyes, clearly wanting to claim it for themselves. This was normal; after all, this was a legendary cooking utensil. It would be strange if a chef didn't covet it.
"This is a good knife. You guys try it too."
Seeing their expressions, Dylan knew what they were thinking. He then twirled the kitchen knife in his hand and passed it to the nearest one, Lei Tianci. Legendary cooking utensils couldn't be wielded by just anyone. Dylan didn't believe that just anyone could gain the recognition of a utensil that hadn't acknowledged a master in a thousand years.
"This is the legendary cooking utensil?!"
Taking the Yongling Saber from Dylan, Lei Tianci murmured to himself, his fingers gently stroking its handle as if caressing his most beloved treasure.
"Hey!"
Raising the knife high into the air, mimicking Dylan's earlier posture, Lei Tianci let out a low shout. Unfortunately, the knife in his hand showed no reaction.
"Hah!"
Looking at the unresponsive knife, Lei Tianci thought his posture was wrong and once again raised the knife towards the sky. However, the Yongling Saber still remained motionless.
"What's going on? Is this knife broken!?"
Lei Tianci frowned. After trying several different postures without success, he couldn't help but suspect if there was a problem with the knife itself.
"If the person isn't capable, don't blame the knife. Let me try."
"Don't be too arrogant, young man. If I can't do it, you might not be able to either."
Hearing Zhang Xingyuan's words, Lei Tianci was also a bit annoyed. He had finally obtained the qualification to be recognized by the Yongling Saber, but it didn't acknowledge him as its master. "It's alright, I'll give up."
Zhang Xingyuan retorted from the side, then took the Yongling Saber from Lei Tianci's hand. He also waved it at the sky a few times, but it still showed no reaction.
"Sure enough, it's as I imagined. If it were so easy to gain its recognition, it wouldn't have slumbered here for a thousand years."
Zhang Xingyuan appeared quite nonchalant. After all, this knife had lain in Daxian Temple for a thousand years. If it were truly so easy to be recognized, it wouldn't have been so.
"Did you see anything when you held the Yongling Saber?" Dylan suddenly asked, taking the Yongling Saber from Zhang Xingyuan.
"No, why do you ask?"
Zhang Xingyuan shook his head and then asked with confusion.
"It's nothing. It seems only those who are recognized can see that thing."
"It feels like you're humblebragging. So, what did you see when you held this knife?"
Hearing Dylan's mutterings, Zhang Xingyuan couldn't help but retort, simultaneously curious about what Dylan had seen.
"Yes, what did you see? This knife hasn't had a master for a thousand years. The information about it is pitifully scarce."
Master Baiyao's voice also sounded from the side. The Yongling Saber had been sealed in Daxian Temple for a thousand years. Now, it was even gradually being forgotten, considered merely a deified cooking utensil. However, Dylan's appearance clearly told everyone that this utensil wasn't deified; it was just that they were too weak and weren't recognized.
"A glittering golden dragon, lifelike, just like a real one. It should be the soul of this cooking utensil."
"A golden dragon soul?!"
"Such a magical thing actually happened!"
As Dylan spoke, he found a not-so-fresh fish from the ingredient basket and then began to process it in front of everyone. In less than a minute, paper-thin slices of raw fish appeared on the plate, looking as light as chiffon. Besides making ingredients fresh, this knife was also extremely sharp!
"This quality, you could say it was just fished from the river and immediately prepared, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration at all!" Master Baiyao murmured to himself. He picked up a slice of raw fish with his chopsticks, examined it carefully, and finally came to this conclusion.
"With this plate of raw fish, I can feel the breath of the river rushing towards me. This feeling is simply too magical!" Granny Qiaoshou also came closer. Looking at the fish that had been dead for a long time and the extremely fresh raw fish slices on the plate, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Truly a legendary cooking utensil, to possess such magical abilities. No wonder countless formidable chefs have come to challenge it over the millennia, yet it seems only this one before us has truly succeeded." Fatty An looked at Dylan, no longer daring to treat him as a junior. Such formidable culinary skills, in every sense, he could be considered his senior! At this time, still putting on the airs of one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Guangchu Union would definitely make people laugh!
"Since this knife has recognized me as its master, I should be able to take it with me, right? I want to take it on a journey with me, to conquer the Chinese culinary world alongside it!" Dylan said with considerable passion.
Although with his current strength, it felt a bit like a max-level character steamrolling a novice village, there were still many techniques in this world he needed to learn. Master Baiyao's soup-making techniques, Granny Qiaoshou's morning tea techniques—these masters had immersed themselves in their respective fields for many years and had unique insights into their specialized cuisines. Although he could create more exquisite dishes with his super senses, if he didn't understand their core principles, it would be difficult to advance further. So, Dylan decided to continue traveling, heading to various parts of China to exchange insights with those master chefs, combining theory with practice, so that he could go further.
"Of course, since this knife has recognized you as its master, you naturally have the right to take it. However, I hope that after a hundred years, you will have your descendants bring it back to continue being sealed in Daxian Temple, awaiting its next master."
"That is a matter of course. Thank you, Master Baiyao." Dylan bowed respectfully, then turned his gaze towards Li Wanwan and the others, a triumphant smile on his face, clearly in a good mood.
At night, in the villa.
"So, Teacher Dylan, are you planning to continue your journey?" Li Wanwan looked at Dylan reluctantly, as if unwilling to let such a good teacher slip away from her hands, yet she had no reason to stop him.
"That's right, there are still many things on the land of China that I need to learn. For some ingredients, only by seeing where they grow with my own eyes can I have a deeper understanding of them." Dylan looked at the sky outside the window with a longing expression. This was something he had always dreamed of in the Dark Culinary World, and now he could finally achieve it himself.
"I kind of want to drop out of school and travel with you. I feel like I learn more by your side. Ah! This wine is so spicy!" Kakuzaki Taki drank a mouthful of wine and then coughed violently. The young girl's cheeks were flushed, her voice filled with emotion.
"Then I wish Teacher Dylan a smooth journey. We should be heading back to school soon too. Although it was only a few short days, I feel like I've learned a lot. I will always remember this time." Kinokuni Nene said sincerely, pouring wine for Dylan as she spoke. Because her figure was so good, she often brushed against him intentionally or unintentionally.
"Don't worry, I'll visit Japan next year. We'll meet again sooner or later, so there's no need to be so sad." Thinking of that arrogant young lady at Totsuki Academy, the gentle and intellectual secretary, the fiery and sexy Mito Ikumi, the mature older sister Sakaki Ryoko… Dylan couldn't help but swallow. He had liked these girls when he watched the anime, and now he could finally see them in person! Of course, the most crucial one was his little Alice. Although it had been less than a month since they parted, he was already starting to miss the girl who chattered endlessly by his side.
"Next year? Then we can meet again! You must come to Totsuki Academy to find me! I live at… this is my house key." Hearing that Dylan was coming to Japan next year, Kinokuni Nene's expression immediately turned excited. As she spoke, she reached out from behind and hugged him, pressing her body directly against his, while also giving him a spare copy of her house key.
Soft, extremely soft, this was the only thought in Dylan's mind. Accompanied by a faint fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, Dylan shamefully had a reaction, but his expression remained calm and unruffled. He had no experience in this area. What should he do now? Take the initiative? Or be passive? Would he be called a creep? Thinking about it, just as Dylan was about to do something, Kinokuni Nene had already moved away from his back, clearly realizing how bold her actions were, her cheeks flushed crimson.
"Ahem, anyway, Teacher Dylan, you must come find me. I'll take you to see the cherry blossoms! Japan's cherry blossoms are super beautiful!"
"Alright, I'll come find you then."
Although it was a bit regrettable that she left, Dylan didn't mind too much. After all, Alice had done this to him countless times. It was just because they were too close that he didn't feel anything. And this separation was just right to create some unfamiliarity between them. As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Appropriate separation is actually beneficial for deepening feelings. When the time comes, he'll go straight for the home run! Just the right size for me.
"Teacher Dylan, let me travel with you! I've lived here for over a decade. Staying any longer won't change anything. It's better to go with you. Father will agree too!" Thinking about how Li Xiang had come to her a couple of nights ago and told her to get closer to Dylan, Li Wanwan's cheeks flushed slightly, but she still spoke firmly.
"Take me with you. I'm tired of collecting rent at home. It feels meaningless all day long. I want to go out and explore." Hearing that Li Wanwan wanted to go with Dylan, Wang Wanqing, who had been eager for a long time, frantically raised her hand, looking at the two with an expectant expression.
"Alright, let's go together then." Dylan thought for a moment and didn't refuse. After all, both were very beautiful. Not to mention anything else, just having them around would be pleasing to the eye. And with one man and two women, perhaps some different sparks would fly. Furthermore, he planned to properly cultivate Li Wanwan. Now that he had a firm foothold in Guangzhou, a certain plan should also be put on the agenda. In this world, he wanted to achieve something great!
"So envious!" Hearing the three's conversation, Hojo Miyoko and Kakuzaki Taki said almost in unison. Especially Hojo Miyoko, at this moment she really had the idea of dropping out of school. She hesitated and struggled, wasn't being with Dylan better than being at Totsuki?!
"Can you take me with you too?"
"No." After some thought, Hojo Miyoko mustered the courage to ask, but received Dylan's unhesitating refusal, which also made her heart sink.
"You should study at Totsuki first. When the time comes, find a girl named Nakiri Alice and say I sent you. Then you can stay by her side. She is my direct disciple, and her strength has reached the special grade. Guiding you shouldn't be a problem." Considering that after the journey, he would be developing at Totsuki for the next few years, Dylan didn't plan to take Hojo Miyoko with him. Of course, there was another reason: she was still young, and having her around would be a burden. Many things he could have originally done would become impossible because of her presence.
"You were peeking at me just now, weren't you! Hehehe, have you finally discovered my charm? If you want to look, just look openly~ No need to be sneaky!" Perhaps Dylan's gaze was too piercing, or perhaps she had been paying attention to him all along. Feeling the gaze on her, Wang Wanqing said excitedly.
"I looked twice. Your figure is pretty good." Dylan wasn't shy about it. Instead, he generously praised her, which in turn made Wang Wanqing blush visibly.
"Th-thank you for the compliment."
Tsk, surprisingly innocent.
Looking at the young girl before him, such a thought surfaced in Dylan's mind. If compared to her, he felt he was more experienced.
"My figure is pretty good too, take a look at mine!" Seeing the two interacting warmly, Kinokuni Nene felt a bit unhappy. Her cheeks flushed as she grabbed Dylan's hand and made him look over.
"Look, you can look at all of them." Being pulled by the young girl, Dylan laughed. This was the life he wanted, with girls vying for his attention, a subtle sense of satisfaction.
"Mmm... look at me too!" Kakuzaki Taki was already slightly tipsy at this moment. Seeing Dylan constantly interacting with Wang Wanqing and Kinokuni Nene, her cheeks flushed as she turned his face over.
"You've got the script of a winner in life, haven't you." Watching Dylan surrounded by girls, Li Wanwan couldn't help but complain. This guy was living too smoothly! Culinary skills that defy heaven, handsome and suave, liked by many girls of the right age—he was simply a winner in life!
"After all, I am very outstanding."
"That's true. Then look at me more too, outstanding Teacher Dylan~"
Dylan took a moment to reply to Li Wanwan's words, then plunged into the Asura field. The girls' incessant questions made him experience both pain and pleasure.
Inside the house, laughter and cheerful voices were constant. Because they knew Dylan was leaving tomorrow, everyone let loose, even doing bold things they would never have done before...
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