The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Chapter 132 Autumn Selection Preliminaries Begin

Upon learning of Isami's situation, everyone couldn't help but marvel at how miraculous this change had become.

"Alright, that's enough knowing it's Isami!"

Takumi couldn't help but interrupt everyone, then looked at Jiang Yan and Yukihira Soma with burning eyes.

"Let's get back to our previous topic, this qualifying round—"

However, before Takumi could finish speaking, the lights above the venue suddenly went out, leaving only the lights on the front podium, which drew everyone's attention.

"Wow! What's going on?"

Soma Yukihira looked at the stage curiously, only then remembering what Takumi had said earlier.

"Excuse me, Takumi, what did you just say?"

"Hey! You bastard!"

Takumi was very unwilling, but he knew that this was not the time to argue, so he could only shut his mouth in frustration.

As for Jiang Yan, who was standing to the side, he glanced at Takumi but didn't intend to say anything.

As everyone's attention focused on the stage, the host, Rei Kawashima, began to speak, holding the microphone.

"I've kept you all waiting. Now, please turn your attention to the stage ahead."

"Now, please welcome the Supreme Commander of Totsuki Academy, Lord Senzaemon Yuuki, to deliver the opening address for this Autumn Selection Preliminaries!"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yukiri Senzaemon stepped forward.

Jiang Yan stood in the crowd, his eyes calmly fixed on the stage, his mind flashing back to the curry dishes he had prepared.

The curtain has officially risen on this autumn selection process.

And he was ready.

Senzaemon Nakiri's gaze swept over the students below the stage, his expression solemn.

Among these young faces are rising stars of the culinary world, and also disillusioned individuals facing ruthless elimination.

Under Senzaemon Nakiri's gaze, the air in the entire moonlit sky became heavy.

------------

After a slight pause, Kirisenzaemon took a deep breath and then choked.

"Cough cough—cough cough—"

The coughing sound carried throughout the venue through the microphone, and the host, Kawashima Rei, panicked instantly. She quickly stepped forward and asked with a worried expression.

"Commander-in-Chief, are you alright?"

At this moment, the expressions of many trainees below the stage became strange. The original tension was largely dispelled by this sudden little episode, and many people suppressed their laughter, their shoulders trembling slightly.

"It's nothing, I just choked a little."

Senzaemon Nakiri raised his hand and firmly supported the podium, his deep voice resonating out.

There was absolutely no sign of embarrassment.

After a brief adjustment, Kirisenzaemon continued.

"The moment I breathe in the air here, I feel power flowing through my body—"

Upon hearing this, Yoshino Yuuki muttered a quiet complaint.

"He was coughing just now!"

"He probably choked because he used too much force."

Jiang Yan forced a smile as he spoke.

"Shh, Jiang Yan, You Ji, keep your voice down."

Ryoko looked at the two of them helplessly, feeling both amused and exasperated, but a hint of amusement lingered in her eyes.

The slight commotion below the stage did not affect Kirisenzaemon on the stage at all, who continued to speak in a loud voice.

"This venue is called the Moonlit Sky Chamber."

"This place was originally reserved for food battles among the Elite Ten, as a sign of respect for the first seat of each Elite Ten generation —"

At this point, several warm yellow beams of light shone on the walls on both sides, where exquisitely framed portraits were displayed.

All of them are portraits of the first seat of Totsuki Academy in all its history.

"Many famous duels and dishes were born here."

"That's why what floats in the air of this venue is a long-standing, continuous record of battles—"

""

Kirisuke's voice grew increasingly impassioned.

"Next, the official autumn selection competition will also be held here—you will write a new chapter in history here."

At this point, Senzaemon Nakiri opened his arms.

"See you here again next time, chefs of the 92nd class of Totsuki Culinary Academy!"

Many trainees in the venue couldn't help but get excited, and their shouts echoed throughout the entire venue.

Their eyes blazed with fervor, eager to pick up their cooking utensils and prove themselves in the Moonlight Hall.

Seeing the enthusiastic crowd of students, Kirisenzaemon nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave the podium.

After Kirisanezaemon left, Kawashima Rei returned to the center of the stage.

"Next, I will explain the rules for this autumn selection preliminary round!"

"As you all know, the designated cooking theme for this preliminary round is curry dishes."

"The cooking time is three hours in total, and only eight out of the sixty preliminary contestants will be able to advance to the elimination round."

"That means that in the two groups, A and B, only four people can advance from each group."

Upon hearing this, many trainees' expressions changed drastically. The competition was down to sixty to eight, meaning fifty-two people would be eliminated! Their initial excitement turned into tension once again.

"All players, please proceed immediately to your respective Group A or Group B venues. The preliminary rounds will officially begin at 11:00 AM!"

As Kawashima Rei's voice faded, the trainees began to walk towards the various A and B arenas.

Takmi, pulling Isami along, quickly walked up to Jiang Yan and Yukihira Soma, and said with a determined look in his eyes.

"Jiang Yan! Xingping! I will definitely pass the qualifiers and meet you in the main finals between the Moon and Sky!"

"Okay, see you in the finals."

Jiang Yan nodded slightly.

With Takumi's ability, passing the qualifiers will naturally not be a problem.

However, because of his presence, the autumn selection will obviously be very different.

"Of course!"

Soma Yukihira responded with high spirits.

Then he and Jiang Yan walked quickly toward the Group A venue.

It was 11:00 AM.

"Cooking—Let's begin!"

Senzaemon Nakiri's voice echoed throughout both the A and B arenas.

The sixty trainees immediately got to work, the sounds of chopping vegetables, lighting fires, and clattering kitchen utensils mingling together to create a vibrant culinary symphony.

Four of the five judges arrived before the cooking began, and the last judge, Chihaya Natsume, arrived a short while after the cooking started.

"Welcome, Ms. Chihiro."

Eizan Etsu also adjusted his glasses.

"I remember clearly stating that the cooking would start promptly at 11 o'clock."

"Eizan-kun, you don't actually think everyone has as much free time as you do, do you?"

Chihiro Natsume glanced at Eizan Etsuya indifferently, then sat down in an empty seat, her gaze sweeping over the busy students below the stage.

"You managed to bring me here with just a few words. I hope that these students from Totsuki Academy can produce works that pique my interest."

"Otherwise, it would be a waste of my time."

Even so, a barely perceptible glimmer of expectation still lingered in Chihiro Natsume's eyes—after all, this was Totsuki Academy.

At this moment, the students in the stands recognized Qian Yixia and burst into a series of exclamations.

"It's Ms. Chihaya Natsume!"

"That's the absolute queen of the domestic curry industry, known as the Curry Queen—"

"To be able to invite someone of this caliber, Senior Ruishan is truly amazing!"

The commotion startled many trainees who were cooking, and they instinctively looked up. When they saw Chihiro Natsume on the judging panel, some of the trainees panicked.

However, many students were not affected at all.

Jiang Yan was one of them.

At this moment, Jiang Yan was calmly preparing his curry dish—a bouncy turtle curry soup.

Take out the ten-year-old wild soft-shelled turtle that you specially purchased, bleed it cleanly, cut open the abdominal cavity to remove the internal organs, rinse it repeatedly with clean water, cut it into evenly sized pieces, and put it into a pot to braise.

Without adding any seasonings, the turtle meat is stir-fried until cooked through by controlling the heat, then set aside for later use.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Yan took more than ten kinds of spices, including turmeric, chili, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, coriander seeds, and white pepper.

He personally grinded the spices, the mortar and pestle striking each spice with a crisp sound. Each spice was ground into powder of just the right coarseness, and then mixed one by one according to the proportions he had carefully considered.

The powder, piled together, appeared slightly dark in color, but a rich, powerful yet harmonious fragrance instantly filled the air.

Jiang Yan heated oil in a wok until it reached 60% of its maximum temperature. He then added finely chopped onions and stir-fried them over low heat until they turned a translucent caramel color. Finally, he added all the ground mixed spices to the wok.

The spices slowly released a stronger aroma in the pot, which quickly spread throughout the entire Group A stadium.

Not far away, Hayama Ryo twitched his nose and suddenly turned his head to look at Jiang Yan's cooking station.

More than ten kinds of spices are mixed and stir-fried. Instead of suppressing each other or clashing in flavor, the unique aroma of each spice is clearly distinguishable, with distinct layers and a rich and lingering fragrance.

This spice blending technique is far beyond the level of the average student!

Ye Shanliang frowned slightly, and his previous contempt for Jiang Yan had faded somewhat.

This shows that Jiang Yan is indeed quite skilled at cooking curry.

I hadn't practiced much before, probably because I was overconfident.