Disgusting.

So disgusting.

Disgusting beyond description. It was as if 100,000 foot-pickers had played soccer and then danced on his tongue with their athlete's foot.

As that flavor erupted on his tongue, Huai Shi's mind went blank, his Source Substance wailed in turmoil, and he nearly lost his will in an instant.

Yet, he still lost that segment of memory.

It was as if even the Book of Fate was reluctant to record that unspeakably horrific memory, revealing only vast blankness.

That was truly... indescribable despair.

Huai Shi began to regret, to fear. Then, he started to ponder the meaning of life, the universe, and this world—where he stood, where he was going, and why he was even alive...

By the time he came back to his senses, he had already collapsed to the ground, sweating profusely, convulsing involuntarily, feeling waves of agonizing spasms rising from his stomach.

Soon, he was relieved.

He could no longer feel his stomach.

Even his taste buds had shut down in the face of such terror, blocking the nightmarish sensation.

All that remained was a persistent shadow of horror in his soul.

"Why..."

With uncharacteristic weakness, Huai Shi let the tears flow and asked from the depths of his heart, "Why can you make something so disgusting look so good?"

Luo Xian looked at his distressed form and sighed, as if helpless.

Quickly, her mouth curved into a sweet smile.

"Silly boy."

She bent down, gently caressed Huai Shi's hair, and told him tenderly, "Of course, it's because of love."

Yes.

In this cruel world, apart from love, what else could make everything look so beautiful?

Love.

This is the conclusion of the Chef Demon competition.

Love has conquered everything.

When Huai Shi fully regained consciousness, he found himself standing on the award podium.

Like a marionette, he accepted the invitation to the main competition six months later from the judge's hand, feeling as if he had just experienced a nightmare he desperately wanted to forget.

"Little Bro, you really have a death wish, huh? What on earth did you eat?" Raven landed on his shoulder, asking curiously. "Your Source Substance was on the verge of dispersing a moment ago. You were nearly turned into a vegetable by a single dish?"

"Please, don't mention it anymore."

Huai Shi pleaded disconsolately, "Don't remind me of the stupid thing I just did."

"Alright, alright."

Raven shrugged and sighed sympathetically, patting his head. "It's all in the past, isn't it?"

"So I should forget who pushed me into this pit of fire!"

"Honestly, you can't blame anyone if you go and court death by eating someone's dish..."

Raven was about to say more but couldn't continue under Huai Shi's deadfish glare.

Even though he received the invitation to the main competition, Huai Shi would not attend for all the world. It was said that during the main event, even gods as high and mysterious as the Ranch Owner would send down an avatar to watch. What was Huai Shi going to do there? Serve himself up on a platter? The moment they saw him, they'd think, 'Right, it's this little guy who killed many of my people and messed up my plans. Let's make a dish out of him.' What could Huai Shi do? There was no escape. Take the reward and go home, or else really think he's the Underworld Little Manager?

Soon after, the three qualifying contestants were taken to an office of the Chef Demon Competition Committee. An Attendant carefully opened the Box of Blessing from Hell and held out five items.

"In accordance with the rules of the competition, you may each choose one."

After displaying all the items, the Attendant stepped aside, giving them the freedom to choose.

There was a bowl holding about half a bowl of white ashes, a yellowed black-and-white photograph, a condiment jar, a small wooden bottle, and a small leather ring with two curved hairs still attached.

It looked like a haul from a second-hand store's clearance sale.

But each item emitted either a shocking or restrained Source Fluctuation. Some were purely made of condensed Source Substance.

Without a doubt, all five items were Border Relics!

Just the term Border Relic signified obvious expense and rarity, needing no embellishment. If their abilities were useful, the price would undoubtedly be sky-high.

This simply reflected the wealth and boldness of the Chef Demon Competition Committee.

Huai Shi examined each item closely.

The bowl holding the pale ashes wasn't valuable because of the bowl itself—that was merely a container. The terrifying part was the dozen or so grams of bone ash within, emanating a bizarre aura. The bone-chilling cold and profound sense of oppression emanating from this pinch of ash proved its value. Although its use was unknown, it was likely an irreplaceable, precious material in certain alchemical creations and Curses.

The yellowed old photograph was purely an illusion.

It lacked any physical substance.

Or, rather, it was a Curse—forcibly given form by the Owners of the Great Mob in Hell so that it could be touched and picked up.

Whoever picked it up would probably be immediately afflicted by the Curse, right?

But more valuable than the Curse itself was the destiny it represented. The cursed individual would likely be conferred some Fate rumored in Hell, like a treasure map whose final destination was unknown to all.

The condiment jar was clearly just that, a condiment jar, filled with various crystalline, shimmering spices. Its amazing aroma was tempting even from dozens of steps away.

Then one would notice their own Source Substance beginning to mutate wildly...

Huai Shi could only be glad that his Antidote had not yet expired.

He couldn't recognize the wooden bottle. It was covered in wood grain and spots resembling human faces. Being stared at by pairs of twisted faces, Huai Shi felt utterly unnerved.

And as for the final small leather band...

It was completely unidentifiable.

"Bracelet—'Cyclops Eugene's Brother's Garment.'" Raven explained calmly. "The wearer will gain a tenth of a Cyclops's strength, at the cost of being childless for life."

The Power of a Giant!

Huai Shi's eyes lit up instantly.

What a great item! A Divine Artifact that purely adds to one's attributes!

Even the shortest Cyclops was over 200 meters tall. To gain even a tenth of their strength would be astonishing.

As for the cost of having no descendants, although it sounded terrifying, many people would probably be willing to wear it for the tempting power it offered.

"But why such a strange name?" Huai Shi asked. "Is there a backstory to it?"

"Not at all. Nearly every Cyclops makes such a bracelet, and there are quite a few of them circulating in both the Current Circumstances and the Border." Raven smirked teasingly. "All of this comes from an ancient tradition of the Cyclops when a newborn arrives."

"What tradition?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Raven's eyes took on a weird look. "This isn't something I'm offering to tell you unprompted."

"If you're going to say it, say it! Who leaves a story half-told!"

"Alright, the so-called ancient tradition is..."

She paused for a moment, then coughed twice. "...circumcision."

...Why the hell am I such a blabbermouth!

Huai Shi slapped himself on the cheek, regretting his curiosity. There were already enough nightmares tonight; why make it harder on himself!

The first to make a choice was Raving Hunt.

He walked straight up, picked up the spice jar, pocketed it, and left without any desire to stay and chat.

"Which one should we take?" Huai Shi asked.

"The wooden bottle, the Jug of Tree Blood. That's an important material for your advancement—hurry up, you've been dawdling. While it's not exceptionally precious, this is a rare material found only in Hell at depths beyond 20." Raven urged. "This is a unique opportunity; grab it while you can."

Determined, Huai Shi stepped forward and reached for the baby-bottle-sized wooden bottle.

Then his hand touched another.

"Oh, how coincidental."

Luo Xian raised her eyebrows, feigning surprise. "I want it too."

"..."

Huai Shi frowned in confusion, looking at the older woman in front of him.

She was doing this on purpose, right? No, there's no doubt it was intentional. She didn't choose earlier, nor did she choose later. She decided to cut in exactly when Huai Shi made his choice.

"Yes, indeed, what a coincidence." Huai Shi nodded but didn't retract his hand. Instead, he stared at her through his mask. "Couldn't you let me have it?"

"I might consider it."

Luo Xian smiled mysteriously. "How about we make a bet?"

What bet?

Before Huai Shi could ask, he felt a bone-chilling cold engulf him—Death Perception!

In an instant, he retreated four steps, on full guard.

But Luo Xian didn't take the opportunity to grab the bottle. Instead, she also retreated several steps like him, looking around. Her gaze eventually fell on the mop in the corner of the room.

"As for what to bet on..."

She sauntered over, picked up the mop, kicked off the bothersome mop head, and held the long wooden stick in her hand.

The sharp, broken end pointed straight at Huai Shi's throat.

"According to the rules Sublimators love the most, let's have a contest." Luo Xian nonchalantly slung the mop handle onto her shoulder and smiled, tilting her head at him. "The loser gives up this item. What do you say?"

"And the winner?" Huai Shi's expression turned indifferent.

"Quite simple."

Luo Xian smiled. "The winner gets to live. Isn't that enough?"

In that moment, Huai Shi recoiled explosively.

He retreated further.

Backed off a full ten paces.

His fingers twitched slightly as he grasped the handle of the Invisible Axe behind him.

And there, where his throat had just been, the mop handle was now thrust.

Luo Xian wasn't particularly fast. Frankly, for a Sublimator without a Stigma to reach such a level was no easy feat; she was almost touching the edge of the Third Stage.

In other words, she had achieved such extreme speed purely through her own muscular strength. Her innate talent was so exceptional it defied ordinary description, perhaps bordering on the level of 'Non-Heaven'.

What made Huai Shi more wary was that simple thrust, which left him feeling trapped, with no option but to retreat.

He felt targeted, as if by something sinister and horrible, by a bloodthirsty beast.

Luo Xian smiled.

That utterly unnatural, horrific killing intent burst forth from her slender frame, channeled through her crimson eyes, piercingly aimed straight at Huai Shi.

"So—"

She eagerly licked her lips, her fervor like that of a Hyena, the thrill of the hunt alive in her eyes. "Let's begin the duel... openly and fairly!"

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