"Everyone's started, huh? I can't fall behind either!"
The Uncle in Green said, rolling up his sleeves. His kitchen knife twirled beautifully in his hand before he brought it down on the block of ice in front of him. A few strong and powerful movements, and the square block of ice instantly took a rudimentary shape. Immediately after, he began to refine it using the edge of his blade.
The other Special Grade Chefs, seeing Dylan and the others spring into action, immediately felt a sense of crisis and, one after another, began their work within five minutes.
For a moment, the venue was filled with the dull thuds of blades colliding with ice. Ice chips flew everywhere, some even landing on the faces of the audience. However, no one paid any mind.
At this moment, everyone was completely absorbed in the incomparably exquisite knife skills of the Special Grade Chefs. The area below the competition stage was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; even the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard clearly!
Blades danced, and soon the chefs' works began to take shape. The audience, in turn, started to buzz with discussion, speculating about what they were sculpting.
"If I'm not mistaken, that should be a Black Tortoise, right? Lower body of a turtle, upper body of a snake—in China, there's no other image like that besides the Black Tortoise!"
The old man with the cane held his cane in one hand and a kitchen knife in the other. He looked a bit shaky, but he actually held the knife very steadily. With every cut, he could precisely refine the shape.
"I also think it's a Black Tortoise. And this old man looks so familiar, I feel like I've seen him somewhere before... No, let me try to recall carefully..."
A young person looked at the old man, a thoughtful expression on their face. For such a skilled chef, it was unlikely they would have no impression of him at all!
"This is the former head chef of Guangzhou's Tianlan Restaurant, Master Tianci, who possesses Five-Star Special Grade strength. His real name is Lei Tianci. In his youth, due to his decisive and vigorous style, he became famous for his 'Wind and Thunder Knife Technique,' which allowed him to rapidly cut ingredients with extremely precise blade placement. For the same spot, if one cut could do the job, he would never make a second. Even with incredibly thick pork bones, he could split them in two with a single chop, leaving both cut surfaces perfectly smooth! I really didn't expect him to participate in this Divine Knife Skills Showdown!"
Someone who recognized the identity of the old man with the cane began to explain to the crowd in a deep voice. Forty years ago, this man was a famous figure in the culinary world!
"It's actually a senior from decades ago! It seems the Legendary Cooking Utensils are truly alluring, to even draw such a great master here!"
Someone couldn't help but sigh, their gaze burning as they looked at the Legendary Cooking Utensils wrapped in red cloth.
"That's not right. I see him using the knife very slowly; it's quite different from your description!"
Someone else raised a doubt, because the speed at which the cane-leaning old man, Lei Tianci, wielded his knife was indeed not fast, starkly contrasting with the description.
"I'm not too clear on the specific reason, but I can sense that his knife skills have improved further. He has probably comprehended new things over these years. Transitioning from fast to slow isn't necessarily a bad thing."
The person speaking was still the middle-aged man from before. He watched Master Tianci with his arms crossed, his eyes filled with respect. Such a hero was inherently someone chefs should admire!
"If it really is Master Tianci, then this Divine Knife Skills Showdown will be quite a spectacle! This is a Five-Star Special Grade Chef! An absolute powerhouse!"
The audience watched Master Tianci with faces full of anticipation. In just a short while, the Black Tortoise ice sculpture he was carving already possessed considerable spirit.
"Who's that over there? It looks like his kitchen knife is waving randomly, but in reality, every strike lands exactly where he wants it. It seems he's sculpting a tree!"
Among the Special Grade Chefs, Master Tianci wasn't the only one with an outstanding performance; another young man entirely clad in a black robe was also one. A wild laugh was on his face as he maniacally and rapidly chopped at the block of ice in front of him.
The ice block gradually thinned in his hands and then transformed into an ice tree. Although the carved details within it were disorderly, due to their sheer number, it possessed a kind of chaotic beauty.
"I've seen that guy! He once appeared in a Youth Chef Competition held in Fujian. His name is Li Xiao! I remember it was about three years ago. This fellow made it to the finals of the Fujian Youth Chef Competition, but unfortunately, he was defeated by a genius young girl! I didn't expect him to have become a Special Grade Chef now. However, his cooking style has changed so much from before. Originally, his dishes were very conventional, the type that aimed for no faults rather than merits. But now, it seems he understands how to break through his limits better!"
Someone sharp-eyed recognized him: the runner-up of the Fujian Youth Competition three years ago. That championship match had left a deep impression on many people!
"No wonder he looked so familiar; I watched that competition too! At that time, he lost to that girl by just one vote, missing the chance to obtain Special Grade Chef status through the competition."
"That battle was truly spectacular. Both sides presented traditional Chinese pastries. Unfortunately, in the end, the Lion Dance Crisp lost to the Swan Crisp."
"That's right. I've never seen such an exquisite pastry showdown. Both sides were almost evenly matched. In the end, it seemed to be due to a subtle difference in the frying temperature control, so Li Xiao was slightly outmatched."
One stone stirred up a thousand ripples. People who had seen the black-robed youth spoke up one after another, quickly revealing his identity and laying it bare before everyone. As a Special Grade Chef, it was impossible for him to be an unknown figure!
"What about the uncle in the bamboo hat and green clothes? He seems to be sculpting a Teng Snake, also an outstanding presence here. Does anyone know his identity?"
"That's indeed unclear. Because the bamboo hat covers his face, and I don't recall many chefs who like such an attire. Perhaps he doesn't want people to know his identity."
Frowning, compared to the other two easily recognizable individuals, he really had no impression of this one; at least, he hadn't appeared in any competitions in the last ten years.
"Bamboo hat and green clothes... I do have a guess in mind, but it's too shocking. To avoid being proven embarrassingly wrong later, I'd better not say it."
A guess surfaced in an audience member's mind, but because it was too outrageous, after some thought, they decided against voicing it.
"What! You're actually keeping us in suspense!"
Regarding the identity of the Uncle in Green, the crowd discussed for a long time but ultimately couldn't reach a consensus, so they had to give up resentfully.
"What about that young kid? His technique seems to be the best here. Such a top-tier genius, his background must be incredibly formidable, right!"
It's unknown who changed the subject, but everyone focused their attention on Dylan, watching his sharp knife skills roam over the ice block. Every movement was incomparably elegant, truly a perfect visual feast!
"Quite the contrary, I've watched many cooking competitions, but I've never seen him. This guy seems to have appeared out of nowhere. Could he be a foreigner?"
"How could he be a foreigner? With such obvious Asian features. He couldn't possibly be from... Japan, could he? You know, where they say their 'little days are passing quite well'!"
"Doesn't look like it. Such a tall man is unlikely to be from there. Besides, given the culinary heritage of Japan, their limit is probably frying some tempura and making sushi. How could they possibly possess such astonishing knife skills!"
A heated discussion erupted in the venue surrounding Dylan's identity. Many thought he was a foreigner, but more firmly believed he was Chinese. The reason was none other than national pride.
"Teacher Dylan is from our country. He only recently passed the Guangzhou Special Grade Chef examination, so it's normal that you don't recognize him. Also, Japan also has skilled Special Grade Chefs worth learning from; they are not as useless as you say."
Hearing the surrounding discussion, Lee Wanya couldn't hold back and spoke up.
Meanwhile, Megumi Tadokoro, Taki Kakuzaki, and Hojo Miyoko looked embarrassed. In truth, their country didn't really have many dishes that could be considered globally outstanding. Tempura and sushi were the Japanese dishes known to foreigners.
"The young lady has a point. Every country has skilled chefs; we shouldn't generalize."
"That was indeed biased of us."
"Anyway, our country definitely has the most skilled chefs, occupying half the world's culinary landscape! There's no doubt about that!"
Lee Wanya's words made people fall silent. Finally, someone nodded in agreement, and others tried to amend their earlier statements, somewhat alleviating the awkwardness. Dylan's identity was also completely revealed to everyone through her retort.
"Having passed the Special Grade examination in Guangzhou, his strength should be no less than that of an average star-ranked chef. And he's so young; his future is limitless!"
"This level of skill doesn't seem like something someone who just passed the Special Grade examination could possess. I bet his strength is far more terrifying than we imagine!"
Watching the Ice Phoenix gradually come to life in Dylan's hands, as if endowed with a soul, someone in the culinary profession muttered to themselves. This level of skill, no matter how you looked at it, didn't seem like something someone who just reached Special Grade could possess. Didn't you see that even the Five-Star Special Grade Master Tianci wasn't his equal in this?
The sculpting continued, and the discussions in the venue persisted, though they now focused more on the other chefs. Among them, many were famous, but even more lacked renown.
There are also disparities among Special Grade Chefs. In a country like China, which has the most Special Grade Chefs, individuals might seem less conspicuous by comparison. Therefore, many Special Grade Chefs are actually not widely recognized.
"It looks like someone over there made a mistake!"
Someone couldn't help but exclaim. An Ice Hippopotamus suddenly shattered as the sculptor applied force, falling entirely to the floor and breaking into myriad pieces. It was probably unusable.
And this was only 20 minutes after the assessment began, yet someone, due to excessive force, caused their ice sculpture to break, ultimately having to withdraw with regret.
And as luck would have it, this person who used too much force was precisely the one who had initially pointed out that ice sculpting was unsuitable as a test of knife skills.
So he was just bad at it, that's why he protested.
The other Special Grade Chefs understood when they saw this scene. If it weren't for coincidentally hitting their weak spot, they could handle any theme and naturally wouldn't have jumped out to complain.
That person was probably the unlucky one; ice sculpting was his weakness, which is why he feigned anger and said those things, becoming a mere buffoon.
At the venue, the vast majority were experienced and had, more or less, learned some ice sculpting techniques. They might not be highly proficient, but they could produce a work.
Currently, many had already completed more than half of their sculptures. It probably wouldn't be long before they could present their works on the display platform.
Forty minutes later.
"I'm finished! This is my work, the Ice Giant Ox. Diligence, tenacity, selfless dedication—these are all manifestations of the fine spirit of the ox. And beef is also an indispensable theme in our culinary world! Therefore, because I felt that compared to some flashy but empty ice sculptures, it's better to be realistic and pragmatic, so I sculpted this Ice Giant Ox!"
Pushing the painstakingly carved Ice Giant Ox in front of the audience, the man introduced it with his head held high, his voice full of emotion. And while praising his own ice sculpture, he also subtly disparaged the works of those who would present later, hoping to increase his vote count this way.
"This is really quite good!"
Audience members who were close by carefully examined the Ice Giant Ox in front of them and couldn't help but praise it. This Giant Ox, although one couldn't say every strand of hair was perfectly clear, its imposing and magnificent presence could be discerned. Placed before them, its aura was exceptionally strong.
"Look at those incredibly sharp horns! They give the feeling they could poke a hole in the sky!"
The huge horns pointed straight towards the sky, looking incomparably majestic. The eyes, nose, and mouth beneath them were also clearly delineated. To achieve such a feat with just a kitchen knife was truly not easy!
"I hope everyone can cast a vote for me during the voting. In the final culinary competition, I absolutely will not disappoint you all."
After saying this, the man left with his ice sculpture on a cart and then placed it in the designated display area for the competition.
Subsequently, more Special Grade Chefs completed their ice sculptures one after another. Many of them imitated the man, presenting their work to the audience while delivering a passionate speech to solicit votes.
Others directly placed their work in the display area and rested with their eyes closed, awaiting the audience's vote. And this latter group mostly consisted of people who were extremely confident in their own works, confident that they didn't need to campaign for votes; their works alone could capture people's hearts!
"This is it then. Compared to tofu, ice still feels a bit lacking."
Looking at the Ice Phoenix before him, its wings spread as if about to break free from the shackles of ice and soar into the sky, Dylan pursed his lips with a sigh.
"This... could this be a real phoenix?!"
As the contestants' works were placed in the display area, the audience gathered around, critiquing the various pieces. But when Dylan pushed his work into the display area, everyone's gaze, as if drawn by some unseen force, converged on his ice sculpture and then became utterly transfixed!
"I never understood before why the phoenix is the king of all birds. Now I understand. With such splendor, how could it not be the king of all birds!?"
A tall, beautiful woman, exuding an air of grace and nobility from head to toe, murmured softly, her body trembling slightly as she gazed at the Ice Phoenix before her.
So elegant! So pure!
This was the phoenix of her heart!
"This... the detail goes down to the texture of every single feather! I really want to reach out and touch it, to feel it, but I'm worried about damaging this work of art!"
"Aren't they all using kitchen knives? Can a kitchen knife handle such details?! This is just too incredible! Just what kind of knife skills must one possess to achieve this?!"
Someone looked on in disbelief. Kitchen knives are crude; how could they handle such intricate details! The only explanation was that the chef possessed astonishing knife skills!
"Impossible! A kitchen knife could never achieve this level of detail! To even carve the texture on the feathers is too exaggerated! This guy definitely used other carving tools! This is cheating! It must be strictly investigated!"
Besides the audience, the Special Grade Chefs who had completed their ice sculptures were also admiring each other's works. The addition of Dylan's piece was as conspicuous as dropping a university student among elementary schoolers.
And with the appearance of such a work, voices of doubt naturally arose. After all, no matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem like something that could be carved with a kitchen knife.
"If you're bad, practice more. If you can't handle losing, don't play."
Hearing the skeptical voice, Dylan couldn't help but sneer and then retorted mockingly.
"Do you dare say you didn't use other tools? These intricate textures simply couldn't have been made by that crude kitchen knife!"
"Are you implying that all the audience members staring at me here are blind, allowing me to take out other tools and hammer away at the ice sculpture?"
Dylan didn't fall into the trap of self-justification. Instead, he turned his gaze to the surrounding audience, his voice light and provocative, deflecting the trouble onto them.
Sure enough, as Dylan's words fell, the atmosphere in the venue instantly turned uneasy. The audience, who had been merely observing like bystanders, now looked at the doubter with unfriendly eyes, as if they would devour him alive if he didn't provide a reasonable explanation.
Indeed, the best way to resolve a conflict is sometimes to escalate it.
"..."
Feeling the many hostile gazes, the doubter's face flushed red to his neck, so angry he couldn't speak! If he nodded, his public favor would be ruined. If he shook his head, it would be tantamount to admitting he had falsely accused Dylan.
This move left him in an impossible situation, offending everyone! At this moment, he already regretted it—regretted why he had questioned Dylan, clearly knowing that under everyone's supervision, cheating was practically impossible.
But, an ice sculpture of this quality, how could it possibly be carved with just a kitchen knife? This was simply too incredible!
"Truly exquisite knife skills! You are the first person I have ever seen in my life who can sculpt ice to such a degree with just a kitchen knife!"
Just then, Master Baiyao's voice came from not far away, defusing the situation for the doubter, who then looked at the master with gratitude. He then retreated to the side, lowered his head, and minimized his presence.
"Master Baiyao actually gave such a high evaluation! This young kid seems to really have something! This final round is going to be spectacular!"
Hearing Master Baiyao's assessment, many people re-evaluated Dylan. Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, they couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"An ice sculpture of this caliber would be the undisputed first place in any type of competition, right? Is there really any need to choose?"
Someone shook their head with a wry smile. The gap before them was simply too vast, so large that even a kindergartener could easily make the choice!
"It's too astonishing. After seeing this ice sculpture, only one option remains in my mind. No matter how good the other works are, they just can't compare."
Hearing Master Baiyao's evaluation and looking at the Ice Phoenix, which was clearly on a completely different level compared to the surrounding works, the audience members looked at each other, somewhat speechless for no apparent reason.
Is there really any need for a comparison?
______________
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