Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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"Even stronger than Teacher Shen Yi..."
Huo Yuhao swallowed instinctively. Could it be a Titled Douluo?
After all, Shen Yi was a Spirit Saint with three purple, three black, and one red soul ring. If it were just a Spirit Douluo, the sense of oppression shouldn't be that strong.
But why would such a powerful person be here selling grilled fish?
And looking at his skilled movements, the focused look in his eyes when dealing with the ingredients, and that simple yet spotless white chef's uniform...
This clearly wasn't a punishment where he was forced to do hard labor for doing something wrong, nor was it some temporary guest appearance.
This level of fish-grilling skill was clearly something possessed only after being immersed in the culinary arts for many years and going through countless trials.
"Would you like one?"
Just as Huo Yuhao was lost in thought, the middle-aged man suddenly spoke.
"Uh..."
Hearing the question, Wei Xiaofeng and Xie Xie immediately clutched their round bellies and waved their hands repeatedly, expressions of pain on their faces:
"No... no thank you."
"Uncle, we're really stuffed from the cafeteria."
"If we eat any more, we're really going to throw up."
The man didn't force them; he just nodded slightly and then turned his gaze toward the remaining two.
"I want one!"
Tang Wulin was the first to raise his hand. His large eyes were fixed on the sizzling, oily grilled fish on the rack, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"Uncle, give me one!"
"I'll have one too, please."
Huo Yuhao followed closely behind.
Even though his stomach was about seventy or eighty percent full, as a "veteran grilled fish master," he simply couldn't refuse the temptation of this level of skill.
"Alright, wait a moment."
The man responded.
He fished out two prepared black carp from a nearby bucket.
This kind of fish was very common—a freshwater fish seen everywhere in the Star Dou Great Forest. It wasn't some rare Spirit Beast, nor did it have the massive blood-vitality energy of the Red Jade Shrimp.
However, in the man's hands, these two ordinary black carp seemed to turn into works of art.
Slicing, marinating, placing them on the grill, brushing on oil.
Every movement was precise to the extreme, without a single superfluous motion.
The charcoal fire flickered.
The man's wrist shook gently, and the seasoning in his hand scattered like flower petals from a celestial maiden, evenly covering every texture of the fish's body.
That control over the heat and mastery of timing left Huo Yuhao mesmerized.
"So strong..."
Huo Yuhao marveled in his heart.
He could feel that during the grilling process, the man seemed to be using an extremely special exertion technique. Using a unique rhythm, he vibrated the heat of the charcoal fire deep into the fish meat, locking in every drop of fresh juice.
"It's ready."
A moment later.
Two golden, crispy, and fragrant grilled fish were handed to the two of them.
"Taste it."
The man wiped his hands and said calmly.
Huo Yuhao took the grilled fish and, regardless of the heat, took a gentle bite.
*Crunch—*
The crispy fish skin shattered between his teeth, and immediately after, the scalding and delicious juices of the fish meat exploded in his mouth.
The fragrance of Perilla, the slight heat of the chili, the exotic aroma of Cumin, and the natural sweetness of the fish meat itself perfectly fused together at this moment.
There was no majestic blood-vitality impact like the Red Jade Shrimp.
Nor was there the dense spiritual energy nourishment of the Emerald Cabbage.
This really was just an ordinary fish.
"Delicious!"
[A/N: Umai!!]
Huo Yuhao's eyes snapped wide open, and he couldn't help but praise aloud:
"Really... it's too delicious!"
Tang Wulin, on the other hand, was eating so fast he couldn't even speak. He could only keep giving thumbs-up, finishing half the fish in just a few bites.
"Uncle!"
Tang Wulin swallowed a mouthful of fish and said with a face full of admiration:
"Your skill is amazing!"
"It's better than anything made by the masters I've eaten at in Eastsea City!"
Hearing their praise, a faint smile finally appeared on the man's originally calm and expressionless face.
It was the kind of smile a chef only has when seeing a diner's heartfelt satisfaction.
"Ingredients are just the foundation."
The man spoke calmly, as if talking to himself, yet also as if giving guidance:
"For a chef, as long as you put your heart into it, all things can become delicacies."
"It's not only top-tier Spirit Beast meat that can make something delicious."
Huo Yuhao chewed on these words, feeling a sense of realization in his heart.
He looked at the remaining half of the fish in his hand, then at the flickering charcoal fire in front of the man, and couldn't help but ask for advice:
"Senior... I would like to ask..."
"How did you control the heat so perfectly?"
Huo Yuhao pointed at the uniform golden-yellow color on the fish skin:
"I usually like to make grilled fish too, but every time I grill parts with different thicknesses like the belly and the back, I always feel the heat is a bit off."
"Either the belly is charred, or the back hasn't absorbed the flavor yet."
"But this fish you grilled..."
"No matter where it is, the doneness and texture are completely consistent. How did you do it?"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's professional question,The man's eyes lit up slightly.
He looked at Huo Yuhao with some surprise, seemingly not expecting this young-looking boy to actually see the skill involved.
"Eh?"
Before the man could speak, Tang Wulin cried out in surprise first.
He still had a fish bone in his mouth as he looked at Huo Yuhao unclearly:
"Yuhao?"
"You actually know how to make grilled fish?"
"Uh... I know a little bit."
Huo Yuhao scratched his head sheepishly, his face turning slightly red:
"I practiced it for a while back in the day to make a living."
"Originally, I thought my skills were pretty good."
Huo Yuhao glanced at the man and shook his head with a bitter smile, his tone very humble:
"But after eating the fish Uncle made today, I realized..."
"Compared to the uncle before me, the grilled fish I make is simply too far behind; it's not even fit for the table."
In front of this man, his little skill could indeed only be considered street-stall level, while this man's was at the level of a Grandmaster.
Hearing Huo Yuhao's words, the smile at the corner of the man's mouth deepened.
He looked Huo Yuhao up and down and suddenly said:
"Since you've asked, then show me your skills. Let me see exactly where your problem lies."
"Young man, don't be so self-deprecating."
The man looked at Huo Yuhao.
"How about this."
"Let's make a deal."
"If you can make a grilled fish that I evaluate as passing..."
"Then... I will give you some special rewards."
"Rewards?!"
Before Huo Yuhao could react,Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the Skydream Ice Worm hurriedly told Huo Yuhao to agree.
"Yuhao! Agree to it!"
The Skydream Ice Worm was so urgent naturally because this man's strength was formidable, so the rewards he could give would definitely not be simple; they would surely be of great benefit.
Huo Yuhao nodded, and then the man had Huo Yuhao and the others follow him.
Within this island in the sky, there were quite a few woods and even small streams, which made Huo Yuhao sigh at how truly impressive this school was.
He saw a crystal-clear stream winding through, and in the water, he could vaguely see many plump black carp swimming.
"The fish are right here. Next, you will start from the catch."
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.