The recruits barely had time to recover before Zhang Ye clapped his hands, drawing their attention. Their bodies ached, their minds were exhausted, and yet they knew—they weren't done.
"You've handled hunger. You've handled pressure. But what happens when you lose one of your most valuable senses?" Zhang Ye's voice was calm, yet there was an underlying sharpness to it. "A true chef must be able to cook under any condition, even if they can't see the ingredients, the fire, or even their own hands."
The recruits tensed. Cooking blind? Was that even possible?
Before anyone could question it, Zhang Ye flicked his wrist. A wave of dark energy erupted from his fingertips, and within moments, an invisible force wrapped around the recruits' eyes.
"From this moment on," Zhang Ye announced, "you will cook without sight. You will rely only on your sense of smell, touch, sound, and taste. If your dish is subpar, you will fail. If you make a single mistake..."
A deep growl echoed from the shadows.
A massive Shadow Panther stepped forward, its golden eyes gleaming in the darkness. Zhang Ye smirked.
"...the Shadow Panther will be the one taste-testing your dish. And if it doesn't like what you've made?" He paused, letting the tension build. "Well, I don't need to tell you what happens next."
The recruits swallowed hard. The trial had begun.
A Battle of the Senses
Battle Cuisine Disciples:
Kai gritted his teeth, feeling for his ingredients. He ran his fingers over a slab of meat, trying to identify it. The texture was firm, the muscle fibers were tightly packed... Inferno Boar.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's do this."
He lit the fire based purely on the sound of the flames, adjusting the heat with his instincts. When the oil in the pan began to sizzle, he tossed in the meat, listening carefully for the sound of a perfect sear.
He worked fast, flipping and seasoning purely by feel, relying on his sense of smell to gauge the doneness.
Behind him, another recruit mistakenly grabbed the wrong spice, nearly throwing sugar into a savory dish. Kai caught their hand just in time. "Smell it first!" he snapped. "We can't see—so use your nose!"
The recruit trembled, nodding, and corrected the mistake.
The Shadow Panther watched silently, its eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Weaponized Cooking Disciples:
Linna took a different approach. She couldn't rely on sight, so she focused on sound and memory.
She placed the ingredients in exact positions before the blindness took effect, ensuring she could reach everything without fumbling.
When slicing vegetables, she listened to the sound of the knife against the cutting board. A clean, rhythmic chop meant she was cutting evenly. If the sound became irregular, she knew she had made a mistake.
Her biggest challenge came with Weaponized Cooking—how could she be sure her dish was "explosive" enough?
Thinking fast, she placed a small amount of her spice mixture on her own tongue, testing its potency by feel alone. The moment the burn hit, she knew it was ready.
She ground the spices, carefully layering them onto her dish. "This is it," she murmured, her confidence growing.
Alchemy Cooking Disciples:
Elira's team had the hardest time—alchemy required precise measurements and control, but without sight, even a single mistake could ruin an entire dish.
She focused on her sense of touch, carefully measuring each powder and liquid by the weight and texture in her hands.
One recruit almost over-poured an ingredient, but Elira stopped them. "Feel the weight," she instructed. "Measure with your hands, not your eyes."
They worked in silence, each movement carefully controlled.
Elira herself brewed a Blindman's Broth, a dish meant to heighten the other senses. If done correctly, it would sharpen hearing, touch, and smell—a perfect dish for this trial.
Gastronomic Healing Disciples:
The healing chefs had one mission—create a dish that could soothe the Shadow Panther's aggression.
The problem? They couldn't see the beast's reaction as they cooked.
Instead, they relied on sound. Every time the Shadow Panther growled, it meant something was off. If it sniffed the air curiously, they knew they were on the right track.
One recruit worked on a Lunar Essence Pudding, a dish known for its calming properties. He could feel the texture change as he stirred, adjusting the heat by instinct alone.
Another worked on a Spirit-Infused Bone Broth, rich in nutrients to satisfy the panther's deep hunger.
Slowly, the Shadow Panther's growls lessened.
The Final Judgement
One by one, the dishes were presented to the Shadow Panther.
Kai was first. He set his dish down, his heart pounding as the beast sniffed the plate. A tense silence stretched—then, with a slow, deliberate movement, the panther took a bite.
A deep rumbling purr vibrated from its throat.
Success.
Linna followed. The panther took a cautious bite, its tail flicking. Then, it licked the plate clean.
Elira's dish was tested next. The moment the broth touched its tongue, the panther's ears twitched in surprise. A strange gleam appeared in its eyes—its senses were heightened.
Finally, the Healing Disciples presented their work. The Shadow Panther lapped up the Spirit Bone Broth, then let out a slow, satisfied sigh, its muscles relaxing.
It was done.
Zhang Ye clapped once, and the dark energy dissipated, restoring the recruits' sight.
They blinked rapidly, adjusting to the light, their bodies still trembling from the experience.
Zhang Ye smiled slightly. "You have officially passed the third course. Not bad."
Kai let out a shaky breath. "That was the hardest thing I've ever done."
Linna wiped sweat from her forehead. "I never realized how much I relied on my eyes..."
Elira shook her head. "But we did it."
Zhang Ye turned, his expression unreadable. "Enjoy your small victory. The real challenge is yet to come."
Kai paled. "There's more?"
Zhang Ye simply smirked.
"The final course is waiting. And trust me—you've never seen anything like it."