The recruits barely had time to savor their victory before Zhang Ye raised his hand, silencing their murmurs. His piercing gaze swept over the exhausted disciples, his voice carrying a weight that made their bones tremble.
"You think you've come far?" he asked, his tone calm but filled with an edge of mockery. "Cooking blind was a challenge, but that was only a test of your senses. Now, it's time to see if you truly have what it takes to become legendary chefs."
A chill ran down their spines.
With a wave of his hand, the training ground shifted. The floor cracked and rumbled as massive iron stoves, ancient stone ovens, and sizzling cauldrons emerged from the ground. A suffocating heat filled the air as flames roared to life, licking at the metal with a ferocity that felt alive.
Zhang Ye flicked his wrist again. Suddenly, flames of different colors—red, blue, white, and even eerie purple—danced in the air, each carrying a different type of heat. Some burned intensely, others flickered unpredictably, while some gave off almost no heat at all.
"You will cook with fire itself," Zhang Ye announced. "But this is no ordinary flame—these are the Flames of Essence, containing different elemental properties. Some can enhance your dishes, others can destroy them."
The recruits stared in horror. Cooking with fire was normal—but controlling such wild and unpredictable flames? That was on another level entirely.
Then Zhang Ye smiled—a cold, knowing smirk. "And, of course, there is one more rule."
He snapped his fingers.
The fire surged forward, surrounding each disciple in a ring of flames.
"You cannot leave your designated area. If the flames consume your ingredients—or you—you fail."
The heat grew intense. Sweat dripped down their faces as they gritted their teeth.
This was the final course—a battle against the very flames that fueled their cooking.
The Fire Begins
Kai took a deep breath, focusing on the fire before him. It burned a deep red, crackling aggressively. He reached out, feeling the heat against his skin.
"Control it... don't fight it," he muttered.
He grabbed his wok and carefully positioned it above the flames, keeping his movements steady. Too low, and the fire would scorch the ingredients. Too high, and they wouldn't cook properly.
He had no time to hesitate.
He tossed a piece of Shadow Beast Meat into the pan, the flames roaring in response. He had to act fast—using his wrist, he flipped the ingredients rapidly, allowing the fire to sear but not burn.
The sound of perfect sizzling filled the air.
Behind him, Linna fought against a blue flame, one that flickered unpredictably. She had chosen to make a Flash-Fried Thunderfish, a dish that required rapid bursts of heat. But the blue fire refused to stay still, dancing away from her pan whenever she tried to cook.
Her heart pounded. "Damn it!"
She adjusted her stance, watching the way the flame moved. Instead of chasing it, she let the flame come to her, tilting the pan just as the fire surged forward.
The fish crackled perfectly as she caught the flame at the right moment. A spark of excitement flickered in her eyes—she was learning.
Meanwhile, Elira battled a white flame, one that burned with an eerie cold intensity. It didn't scorch, but instead froze anything it touched.
She was making a Frozen Ember Stew, a dish that combined extreme heat and extreme cold to create a delicate balance. But controlling this unnatural fire was nearly impossible.
Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. If she mishandled this, the entire dish would be ruined.
She took a deep breath, remembering Zhang Ye's words—"A true chef does not control fire. They understand it."
She didn't force the fire to obey. Instead, she adjusted her movements, guiding the flame along her ladle, letting it chill only the outer edges of the stew while the inside remained boiling.
Slowly, the dish came together.
The Trial of Endurance
Minutes stretched into an eternity. The heat was unbearable. The recruits' arms ached, their bodies begged for rest, but they pushed forward.
One recruit miscalculated—the flames surged too high, engulfing their ingredients. The smell of burnt food filled the air.
"FAILED," Zhang Ye declared coldly, and the recruit's flame instantly vanished, leaving them kneeling in the dust.
Another recruit moved too slowly, and their dish froze over completely. They collapsed in defeat.
The remaining disciples fought desperately, their dishes reaching their final moments.
Kai's Inferno Boar sizzled perfectly, a deep, smoky aroma rising from the meat. He had mastered the red flame's intensity, adjusting the heat at the exact moments necessary.
Linna's Thunderfish sparked with electric energy, the rapid bursts of flame cooking it to golden perfection. She grinned, exhilarated by the challenge.
Elira's Frozen Ember Stew glowed with an otherworldly sheen, perfectly balanced between hot and cold.
Finally, the last dish was complete.
Judgment
Zhang Ye stepped forward, examining each dish carefully.
He took a bite of Kai's Inferno Boar. His expression remained unreadable—but the faint nod he gave made Kai exhale in relief.
Next was Linna's Thunderfish. Zhang Ye's eyes flickered with interest as he tasted the electrified dish.
Then came Elira's Frozen Ember Stew. The moment it touched his tongue, the surrounding air shifted, as if hot and cold had merged into one.
A long silence followed.
Then, Zhang Ye smirked. "Not bad."
A surge of relief washed over them. They had done it.
"You've proven that you can cook under extreme conditions. But this..." Zhang Ye's eyes burned with intensity. "This is only the beginning."
Kai tensed. "There's more?"
Zhang Ye chuckled darkly.
"Of course. A chef's journey never ends. You've mastered fire. Now, you must master something even more dangerous..."
He raised his hand.
A strange golden glow surrounded them.
"The Soul Flame—the fire that cooks not just ingredients, but the very essence of life. If you can't handle it..."
The golden flames erupted, casting their shadows against the walls.
"Then you will never reach the realm of a true Divine Chef."