Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 400 - 399: Peacock Dance

Chapter 400: Chapter 399: Peacock Dance

"What’s going on..."

"I just thought I saw that bird move..."

"An illusion?"

The venue was filled with noises of commotion.

The members of the Polar Star Dormitory, with their eyes wide and jaws dropped, stared intently at the bird-shaped ice sculpture on the ground.

"It’s different!" Ichise Hui frowned, but couldn’t articulate why.

"Indeed, it’s different!"

Xingping Chuangzhen scratched his head, "It’s completely different from the Kun ice sculpture last month in the private kitchen!"

Tanaka Hikari crossed her hands over her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly, clearly struggling to suppress the turbulent emotions within her.

In her beautiful, big eyes, reflected a peacock about to gracefully dance!

"Peacock!"

Tiqie Xianzuowen said with a deep voice, the bird-shaped ice sculpture in his eyes, much like the one in Tanaka Hikari’s vision, but in addition to dancing, four of the five feathers on the peacock’s tail were gradually entwined with a magical light!

Master Yizhen’s smile faded, replaced by a mix of astonishment and wonder.

"Momentum?"

He exhaled slowly and said, "Imbue the ice sculpture with ’momentum,’ rather than grace?"

Beside him, Yuchuan Abbot and Chiyoda’s expressions were taut.

"Just a little more!" Yuchuan Abbot said.

Chiyoda nodded, "Whether it can be done or not, that depends on the moment it breaks free from the cocoon!"

Not just the four judges, but also the audience members and guests quickly awakened from the shock brought by Yuchuan Ayaka, polishing their eyes, holding their breath, waiting for the arrival of a marvelous moment.

Different from the judges focused on the ice sculpture, Guan Xingchen sucked in a cold breath, watching Xia Yu as he used the "Arhat Crystal Slash" on a piece of cuttlefish in his hand.

He too found it hard to see the icy blade amidst the flashes of the knife.

But this didn’t prevent Guan Xingchen from admiring and being astonished by Xia Yu’s rendition of the dark ultimate technique.

"The level of mastery is very high!"

Guan Xingchen murmured, "It seems that he didn’t just learn the icy blade, he also learned the dark ultimate technique ’Arhat Crystal Slash’, and has trained it to a certain level... Is he really only sixteen years old? Who is the dark tycoon instructing him? Strange..."

One after another.

Thin, delicate slices of cuttlefish fluttered down from Xia Yu’s hands, sticking to the icy feathers.

The feathers stood tall toward the sky, inevitably reaching places too far away; Xia Yu then stepped onto a stool to execute his knife skills, his hands remaining as steady as a mountain despite standing elevated.

Sweat appeared on his forehead.

A close-up of Xia Yu’s hands brought about an exclamation from the crowd.

The hand that held the knife had turned purple from the cold.

Yet the young man remained unmoved.

"Crack"

When he finished processing the last piece of cuttlefish, crack, the ice blade suddenly became covered in cracks, Xia Yu frowned, watching it shatter in his hand and turn into glass-like fragments, scattering on the ground with a crisp sound.

"It’s about to happen!"

Someone in the suddenly quiet venue shouted excitedly.

Indeed.

Even the ordinary spectators who couldn’t understand the intricacies were caught up in the heat of the moment, their hearts pounding violently in their chests, the drum-like beats resounding in their ears.

A sound of heavy breathing.

In everyone’s eyes was the desire to witness the unveiling.

Come out!

Come out!

Yuchuan Ayaka had also retreated her smile, astonishment covering her beautiful face.

"What is that..." She touched her own chest, her enemy as she was, her heart was now overwhelmed with a strong desire to discover.

She was curious.

What kind of dish would her competitor, ten years her junior, present?

Snap!

Footsteps, Xia Yu hopped off the stool and drew out the "Wenqu Saber."

Just a stroke away from the finishing touch!

The peacock’s eyes still needed to be carved.

Thus, the Five Feathered Peacock in his mind could shift from a static to a dynamic state, dancing gracefully!

The whole venue fell silent, the sound of the carving knife scraping against the ice surface very clear. Xia Yu felt as if there were a stone pressing on his chest. At this moment, he was using his left hand to hold the knife because his right hand was still tightly bonded to the handle of the ice knife.

Removing the handle would mean tearing his right palm, bleeding profusely. At this crucial moment, Xia Yu did not want to be sent to the infirmary. He had already used the medication provided by the system and was not afraid of his muscles freezing to death.

Fortunately, it was only the eyes that needed carving.

Hiss.

With a stroke of the carving knife, ice chips sparked with glimmers of light flew out.

A few simple strokes, a masterpiece without intricate detail.

"Crack!"

Another stroke, and as the carving knife descended, Xia Yu seemed to be dodging something, rapidly retreating.

Suddenly, a cheerful screech.

One by one, the five tail feathers of the peacock ice sculpture lit up.

Gold for "Metal." Green for "Wood."

Red for "Fire." Yellow for "Earth."

And a pale blue for "Water."

Five colors of light suddenly appeared, and the audience, dumbfounded, heard the sound of a peacock flapping its wings and fanning its tail!

"Is that, that a peacock?"

Ichise Hui, Xingping Chuangzhen, and others gasped.

"So beautiful!" exclaimed Tanaka Hikari, Morioka Makki, Tiqie Eriina, and others, as they looked at the avian ice sculpture which now seemed to come to life before their eyes.

Especially when the fish slices were affixed to the tail feathers and Xia Yu carved the eyes, it was as if a magical ritual had been completed.

A scorching sensation hit them, and Yuchuan Ayaka, seeing the peacock fan out and rushing towards her, screamed in shock. Unable to turn and run, she was overwhelmed by the peacock pressing down on her.

After the heat, came a cold sensation.

Then, as if facing a blade, a sharpness enveloped her, and it felt as if a sword was placed against her pale neck, sending shivers down her scalp.

"Get off! Get off!"

Yuchuan Ayaka’s eyes were filled with terror; it felt as though a mountain weighed down on her shoulders, her thighs quivered, and eventually, unable to hold steady, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the stage.

"Chef Yuchuan..."

She was awakened by a strange voice.

"Are you okay?"

The female host, Chiyoda Aichi, extended a hand to her as she sat on the ground.

Staggering to her feet, Yuchuan Ayaka shook her head, her eyes still carrying a hint of lingering panic. When she looked back at the peacock ice sculpture, she noticed that the four judges had left their seats at some point, now surrounding the ice sculpture and whispering among themselves, their faces expressing astonishment.

Xia Yu stood beside the ice sculpture, smiling and explaining.

Similarly, the cameras were no longer on her; at this moment, the young chef and the ice sculpture were the focus of everyone’s attention.

She, who had just dazzled with her ’killer’ dish moments before, now found herself forgotten by the judges and the audience, tucked away in a corner. The fall from glory to the abyss in an instant made Yuchuan Ayaka bite her lip so hard they turned white.

Turning her head and seeing no one paying attention to her, Chiyoda Aichi turned off the microphone and whispered, "...are you okay?"

Concern was evident in her voice.

"Aichi, thank you, I’m fine!"

Yuchuan Ayaka took a deep breath, straightened a few strands of her disheveled hair, and stepped forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please taste—"

Xia Yu was distributing chopsticks to the four judges, and seeing his competitor approach, he also extended a pair smilingly, "You should try it too!"

"Okay!"

She replied, biting her lip and gazing intently at him.

The four judges took the chopsticks and closely examined the fish slices on the tail feathers of the peacock ice sculpture.

"Is there a particular order to taste it? What’s the sequence?" Tiqie Xianzuowen inquired.

"Generally, one would start with something that cleanses the palate," Xia Yu answered with an unhurried smile, "However, this dish of mine defies conventional wisdom. You should start with the cold-natured, water-element squid sashimi..."

"Is that so..."

Following Xia Yu’s instructions, each judge reached out with their chopsticks.

Shi Lin Temple’s Master Yizhen looked at the smiling young chef, opened his mouth, and slowly put the piece of fish on his chopstick into his mouth.

Crack!

The moment the fish touched his tongue, the old monk’s hand holding the chopsticks convulsed, with veins popping out!