The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Chapter 137 The First Three Matches of the Main Tournament End

After tasting Kurokiba Ryo's wildly delicious French fish soup ramen, Nakiri Senzaemon's clothes suddenly ripped open, revealing his strong muscles.

Upon seeing this, the entire audience erupted in thunderous cheers. The trainees stood up excitedly and applauded, their shouts so loud they made eardrums vibrate. Kurokiba's aura became even stronger at this moment.

In the audience, Yoshino Yuuki tightly gripped her pink fan, anxiously watching the students around her who were caught up in the frenzy.

"Next, it's Megumi's turn to be judged—but the atmosphere in the room is completely dominated by Kurokiba-kun. Won't that affect Megumi?"

Ryoko, who was standing nearby, was also very worried.

"Yes, on one hand, there's an overwhelmingly amazing performance, and on the other hand, her momentum has been overshadowed even before she's made her appearance. This is really disadvantageous for Xiaohui."

After all, Tadokoro Megumi gets so nervous in class that she can't perform at her best.

In this atmosphere, it's easy for Tadokoro Megumi to underperform.

"Don't worry, Xiao Hui won't be easily disturbed by outside influences these days."

Jiang Yan said calmly.

His gaze then fell upon the slender yet upright figure in the hall.

"She's very focused right now."

The members of Polaris Dormitory also turned their attention back to the competition.

Despite the deafening cheers around her, Tadokoro Megumi felt as if she were in a deserted place.

Calmly controlling the heat of the noodles, ladling soup, adding ingredients, and drizzling sauce, every movement was gentle yet steady, methodical, and without the slightest panic.

The noise and pressure from the outside world seemed to be kept out by an invisible barrier.

It seems that in Tadokoro Megumi's world, there is only the ingredients in front of her, the soup pot, and the Aizu stewed chicken soy sauce ramen that she has put her heart and soul into making.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Megumi Tadokoro stopped what she was doing; her dish was officially finished.

When the Aizu-style braised chicken soy sauce ramen, exuding a warm and mellow aroma, was served to the judges, who were still immersed in the intense flavors of Kurokiba's cold dishes, they did not have high expectations.

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However, when they took their first bite, everyone's eyes widened in shock.

The sweet, natural flavor of the vegetables blends perfectly with the carefully simmered chicken broth and secret soy sauce, creating a mild, mellow, and gentle flavor that is surprisingly potent. It has no harshness, but rather flows gently into the heart like a warm current, making you feel completely relaxed.

This reassuring flavor completely overturned the judges' expectations.

Unfortunately, Ryo Kurokiba's French fish soup ramen style was too strong, with a slightly better impact and execution.

In the end, Kurokiba Ryo emerged victorious!

As the result fell, Tadokoro Megumi pursed her lips slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

Yoshino Yuuki could no longer sit still and immediately rushed out of the audience, running all the way to the venue exit.

Upon seeing Tadokoro Megumi slowly walking out, he hurriedly called out loudly.

"Xiao Hui!"

Upon seeing Yoshino Yuuki, Tadokoro Megumi's tense nerves finally relaxed completely, and the courage and composure she had been maintaining vanished instantly.

His legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground, his face filled with the lingering fear of surviving a disaster, his voice trembling slightly.

"Kurokiba-kun—how scary—"

Yoshino Yuuki quickly knelt down to support Tadokoro Megumi, nodding repeatedly in empathy.

"That's right! Xiaohui, you're like a little rabbit being targeted by wild dogs right now, it's so heartbreaking!"

As the two were talking, a number of students who had just watched the competition gradually gathered around.

There was no mockery or ridicule, but instead, wave after wave of sincere and enthusiastic applause.

"Tadokoro Megumi, thank you for your hard work!"

"He performed exceptionally well; it wasn't luck at all!"

"You did an amazing job!"

"To be able to fight Kurokiba Ryo to this extent, that's incredible!"

"So you really are talented to have made it through the preliminaries!"

Each word of praise and encouragement brought a slight lump to Tadokoro Megumi's throat, her feelings a complex mix of emotions and warmth.

I never imagined that even though she lost the competition, she could still receive so much recognition and encouragement.

Back at the Polar Star Dormitory, to celebrate Soma Yukihira's successful advancement and to comfort Megumi Tadokoro, everyone played around in Zenji Marui's room for a long time.

Jiang Yan, who had already decided what dish to make next, also joined in.

The next morning, Jiang Yan arrived at the venue in the Moon and Sky.

Unlike yesterday when he sat in the stands to cheer, today he is a player about to take the stage, so he can rest in the player waiting room.

I casually sat down on the soft sofa, my gaze fixed on the large screen hanging in front of me, quietly waiting for the start of the first game of the day.

Not long after, the door to the waiting room was pushed open, and Takumi rushed in.

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Upon seeing Jiang Yan on the sofa, Takumi put his hands on his hips and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Jiang Yan! In this autumn selection, I will absolutely defeat you and Soma Yukihira completely!"

"I will be the one to reach the summit of the far moon!"

Jiang Yan glanced at Takmi with a helpless look.

"First, you need to defeat Hayama Akira."

"Only after that will it be possible for him to fight me or Soma Yukihira."

I wish you the best of luck in winning.

In fact, Jiang Yan knew very well that Takmi's chances of winning were extremely slim.

Hayama Akira's expertise in spices has already surpassed that of the vast majority of his peers, and his strength is clearly superior to Takumi's—this is an undeniable fact.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Takumi will not have the opportunity to face him in the fall selection tournament.

A moment later, the door to the waiting room was pushed open again, and Soma Yukihira and Megumi Tadokoro walked in.

Soma Yukihira was delayed by dealing with a small matter and arrived too late. Tadokoro Megumi was worried about him, so she went out to look for him. By the time the two of them returned, the audience seats were already full, and there were no standing rooms left.

Therefore, led by Soma Yukihira, the two chose to sneak into the players' waiting room to watch the match.

Neither Jiang Yan nor Takmi paid any attention to this.

Looking at Soma Yukihira, Takumi suddenly seemed to remember something, and then stared at Soma Yukihira with a serious expression.

"Yukihira, this fall selection, we absolutely must settle that unfinished match from the first day of our residential training!"

The match whose final result was previously withheld by Hinako Inui has always been a source of obsession for Takumi.

Soma Yukihira paused for a moment, then remembered, and a strange smile appeared on his face.

"Oh, it's that match that Inui-senpai forcibly interrupted!"

"Speaking of which, I really do miss it."

He hadn't forgotten that Takumi had said they would settle things with each other next time they met, but the two ended up sitting side by side in the car the whole way.

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Seeing Soma Yukihira's expression, Takumi also recalled the embarrassing scene from that time, and his cheeks flushed red, but he still stubbornly shouted.

"Stop talking nonsense! I'm definitely going to beat you and Jiang Yan!"

Soma Yukihira suppressed his smile and looked at Takumi seriously.

"Takumi, don't be careless! Hayama is not weak."

Amidst their laughter and debate, it was time for the first match of the day.

Takumi took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, turned around, and walked proudly to the center of the venue.

However, what happened next was exactly as Jiang Yan had predicted.

Despite Takumi's best efforts, he brought out his most prized Italian dishes.

However, he still suffered a regrettable defeat in the face of Hayama Akira's overwhelming spice-based cuisine.

The first match of the day has now come to an end.

Soma Yukihira fell silent in the waiting room. After a short while, the door was gently pushed open, and Eizan Etsu walked in.

His gaze swept calmly over Jiang Yan and the other two, and he spoke in a very formulaic manner.

"Excuse me, the fourth match is about to begin. Please prepare to enter the arena."

After speaking, Eizan Etsuya's gaze fell on Yukihira Soma and Tadokoro Megumi.

"Please take your seats in the audience if you are not a participant in this match."

"Ah! Okay, I'm so sorry, Eizan-senpai!"

Tadokoro Megumi immediately lowered her head in a panic and apologized, admitting that their unauthorized entry into the athletes' waiting room was indeed against the rules.

Soma Yukihira glanced at Eizan Etsuya, then waved to Jiang Yan.

"Then let's go out first."

After saying that, Soma Yukihira and Megumi Tadokoro left the waiting room together.

The door closed gently, leaving Jiang Yan alone in the waiting room.

Jiang Yan leaned back on the sofa, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his knees.

In the fourth match, he faced off against Alice.

Competition topic: Snacks.

A hint of anticipation flashed in Jiang Yan's eyes.

The expressions on everyone's faces after seeing the dish he brought out will be quite interesting.

Not long after, the voices of staff members could be heard from outside the door.

"Jiang Yan, please prepare to enter the arena."

Jiang Yan stood up, straightened his collar, pushed open the door of the waiting room, and entered the venue.

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