Chapter 025: A Contest of Heights

At this moment, Xiao Yang felt as if he had eaten the spiciest dish imaginable and then washed it down with boiling water. The searing heat seemed to ignite his very soul; mouth agape, flames burst out with every breath, while the agony was so intense he could not utter a word. Instantly, his whole body flushed hot, beads of sweat poured forth, especially from his head, drenched in perspiration.

Now, he finally understood why Duan Fei had warned that Jiang Shaohuang’s cooking was lethal—this was no exaggeration; it truly felt deadly.

While Xiao Yang suffered, Guan Yun remained unaffected, his expression calm. Duan Fei seemed to empathize, the corner of his mouth twitching ever so slightly. Jiang Shaohuang, on the other hand, was visibly excited, his eyes shining as he watched Xiao Yang and exclaimed,

“So, how is it? Isn’t the dish made by this great gourmet absolutely delicious? Delicious enough to make you breathe fire, to make your soul tremble, so delicious that you’re rendered speechless?”

Xiao Yang had no energy to respond; his entire focus was on resisting the scorching pain raging inside him. If he let his concentration slip, he feared he would faint from the torment. If circumstances allowed, he would have liked nothing more than to force Jiang Shaohuang to taste his own creation—to make him experience firsthand the torment he had inflicted.

None of them—Guan Yun, Duan Fei, or Jiang Shaohuang—were in any hurry to eat; like Jiang Shaohuang, they all watched Xiao Yang intently.

Xiao Yang expelled more than a dozen mouthfuls of fire. After over a minute, the extreme pain gradually subsided. Nearly two minutes later, he could finally speak, gasping, “Oh my goodness, that was unbearably spicy!”

With that, he rushed to his room, grabbed a bottle of water, and desperately gulped it down. The cool water dispersed much of the lingering heat within him. After wiping the sweat from his brow, he emerged from the room.

Jiang Shaohuang looked at him, still brimming with enthusiasm. “How did it feel? Isn’t it exhilarating and stimulating, with your mouth full of the most wonderful flavors?”

Now that the heat had faded, Xiao Yang’s mouth was numb, with no trace of enjoyment left.

He eyed Jiang Shaohuang. “Are you sure this dish is meant for people?”

Jiang Shaohuang nodded earnestly. “Of course! It’s my exclusive recipe, with ten times the energy content of a typical beast dish. Martial artists who eat it regularly see great benefits in their cultivation.

“Take Wu Chi, for example. His talent isn’t much higher than mine or Duan Fei’s, but thanks to eating my cuisine frequently, his cultivation speed far surpasses ours. He broke through to the second rank long ago and was promoted to the senior grade.”

Is it really that effective? Xiao Yang glanced at Guan Yun.

Guan Yun nodded slightly. “Indeed, a chef’s talent in this field is unique. Though it’s a bit spicy, it does accelerate martial artists’ cultivation. The benefit outweighs the flaw.”

He then turned to Duan Fei. “Your turn.”

Duan Fei looked at Jiang Shaohuang. “I’ll only eat one bite.”

Jiang Shaohuang replied, “We’ll compete. If you win, you only eat one bite. If you lose, you’ll join Xiao Yang and Wu Chi and eat until it’s finished.”

Xiao Yang quickly shook his head. “It’s too spicy. I won’t eat it again.”

Guan Yun said, “It’s good for your cultivation.”

Xiao Yang countered, “Forget it. I can’t endure this torture.”

With the means of the Transdimensional World to rapidly improve his cultivation, and the ability to absorb beast crystals even outside of that world, maintaining a speed far superior to others, Xiao Yang had no need to rely on this deathly ‘delicacy’ for advancement.

Jiang Shaohuang insisted, “Only eating one bite and then stopping is disrespectful to a gourmet. Xiao Yang, we must respect the painstaking effort of a chef and finish what is served!”

Xiao Yang shook his head. “I refuse!”

Jiang Shaohuang said, “If you don’t respect me, you must defeat me. If you lose, you must respect the chef’s achievement and finish the dish.”

Now Xiao Yang understood why Zhang Ren had moved out. He must have refused to eat, gotten beaten, and then been forced to eat.

As for his own strength, Xiao Yang felt reasonably confident. These days, after absorbing beast crystals, his pure punching force exceeded three hundred kilograms. Both his Phantom Step and Phantom Palm were well-practiced; among first-rank martial artists, his abilities were near the top.

Under these circumstances, if he wanted to stay in Dormitory 9527, there were only two options: defeat Jiang Shaohuang and avoid eating these deadly dishes, or lose and force himself to endure them.

It was only his first day in Dormitory 9527—he couldn’t just run away in disgrace.

A battle spirit surged within him. “Very well, let’s see who is stronger.”

Jiang Shaohuang grinned. “Good. Though I am a gourmet, I am also a student of the Celestial Pivot Institute. My strength is not insignificant, Xiao Yang. You’re new here, and even with talent, it won’t be easy to beat me.”

As he spoke, Jiang Shaohuang strode to the center of the courtyard and called out loudly, “Come!”

Xiao Yang launched himself forward, employing Phantom Step, and struck Jiang Shaohuang with a palm.

Jiang Shaohuang stood unmoving, fists clenched, his body shuddering as if armored, rooted like a tower. Xiao Yang’s palm met no resistance and landed directly on Jiang Shaohuang’s chest.

Bang—

Jiang Shaohuang’s chest quivered, but he remained unharmed. Xiao Yang, however, felt a force rebound against him.

Jiang Shaohuang’s defensive strength was astonishing. Xiao Yang’s strike did not harm him in the slightest; instead, his body reflected the force back, delivering a shock to Xiao Yang.

Diamond Fist!

Jiang Shaohuang swung his arm, delivering a punch. The motion was not especially fast, but as Xiao Yang was still reeling from the counterforce, it was hard to evade.

Xiao Yang utilized Phantom Step, his figure flickering and accelerating, dodging Jiang Shaohuang’s blow, then landed another palm strike.

Bang—

Jiang Shaohuang’s ample flesh rippled, absorbing the force like a shock absorber and dispersing Xiao Yang’s power.

Jiang Shaohuang then calmly threw another punch—the most ordinary Diamond Fist in his hands became an upright, formidable attack, difficult to withstand.

He always timed his punches just as Xiao Yang was staggered by the rebound, forcing Xiao Yang to rely on Phantom Step to avoid them.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang…

Relying on the speed of Phantom Step, Xiao Yang landed several palm strikes, but Jiang Shaohuang’s formidable defense rendered them ineffective.

On the sidelines, Guan Yun and Duan Fei watched the duel, deeply impressed by Xiao Yang’s performance.

A newcomer to the Celestial Pivot Institute with such skill was exceedingly rare.

Yet, neither expected Xiao Yang could defeat Jiang Shaohuang. Duan Fei said, “You’re no match for the chef. He’s trained in his family’s hard qigong; you can’t break through his bodily defenses, so he stands unassailable.”

Indeed, even with full internal force, Xiao Yang’s strikes could not harm Jiang Shaohuang.

Thinking of that dreadful spiciness, Xiao Yang shuddered inwardly, determined not to eat a second bite.

Phantom Palm!

Xiao Yang brought out his true skill, unleashing Phantom Palm—a flurry of palm prints appeared, dazzling to behold.