269: This food is really good.

After waiting for about half an hour, the door to the private room was gently pushed open again.

Mu Chen walked in, carrying two exquisite jade plates.

His complexion seemed even paler than before, beads of fine sweat dotted his forehead, and his breathing was slightly hurried; the cooking process just now had consumed a great deal of his mental energy.

However, his eyes were exceptionally bright, carrying a sense of focus and a trace of barely perceptible pride.

Before he had fully entered, an extremely tempting, indescribable complex aroma rushed forward.

The fragrance contained both the rich, mellow aroma of meat and a strange, refreshing medicinal scent that seemed capable of cleansing the soul.

The two aromas blended perfectly, not only avoiding conflict but instead inciting a ravenous appetite.

Mu Chen carefully placed the jade plates on the table in front of Jiang Donghua and Lei Lie, revealing a tired but sincere smile, and introduced the dish in his unique, slightly weak yet gentle voice.

"I apologize for the long wait, Seniors. This dish is called 'Crimson Flame Braised Delicacy.'"

He pointed to the square-cut piece of meat in the center of the jade plate, which displayed an appealing amber color, shimmered with a layer of glistening oil, and was still faintly steaming.

"The main ingredient is the most essential walnut meat from the hind leg of a Tier 4 Fire Attribute magical beast, the Earth Flame Rhinoceros. This meat contains abundant Fire Attribute energy; the texture is firm yet tender and melt-in-your-mouth after long braising."

Next, he pointed to the strange petals garnishing the meat, which were slightly curled like flames and a vibrant, dripping red color.

"The auxiliary ingredient uses the tenderest petals of the Flame Flower, commonly used when refining the second-grade medicinal pill, the Violent Pill. These petals are warm yet fierce, gently stimulating the energy contained within the meat and imparting a unique, rich fragrance."

Mu Chen's tone carried the pride of a craftsman.

"Using a special technique, I slowly braised it over low heat for half an hour, allowing the essence of the Earth Flame Rhinoceros meat and the medicinal power of the Flame Flower to perfectly merge, not only locking in the energy but also ensuring its superb flavor and rich texture."

"Furthermore, the presentation of red meat paired with red flowers is quite aesthetically pleasing."

Jiang Donghua lowered his head to look at the dish before him, which could be considered a work of art.

The meat was so tender that a gentle poke with a jade chopstick separated it, revealing its soft pink interior, while the rich aroma instantly burst forth.

The Flame Flower petals danced in the plate like real flames, adding both flavor and visual appeal.

He nodded inwardly, raising his evaluation of Mu Chen even further.

To be able to thrive in the fiercely competitive Inner Academy, a place filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, without resorting to fighting and killing,

but instead relying on this unique, peerless medicinal cuisine skill to support the Medicine Spirit Pavilion business, making countless powerful individuals willingly abide by his rules and line up to reserve a spot—Mu Chen truly possessed genuine ability!

He really had some tricks up his sleeve!

This required not only superb cooking skills but also an extremely profound understanding and ability to integrate the medicinal properties of herbs and the energy attributes of magical beast flesh; its difficulty was no less than refining a high-grade medicinal pill.

"Wonderful!"

Lei Lie was already impatient, practically drooling, and praised loudly.

"Old Mu, just for this skill of yours, Old Lei will follow you for life!"

Saying this, he reached for his chopsticks.

Seeing this, the smile on Mu Chen's pale face deepened, and he quickly added.

"Please enjoy, Seniors. This Crimson Flame Braised Delicacy is best consumed while hot. The energy contained within is quite beneficial for nourishing Dou Qi and warming the meridians."

Jiang Donghua picked up a tender piece of meat and put it in his mouth.

The meat practically melted instantly. The rich meaty flavor, mixed with the unique clear medicinal fragrance of the Flame Flower, immediately blossomed on his taste buds. The complex texture was truly exceptional.

As the food entered his stomach, a gentle yet pure Fire Attribute energy spread out, flowing into his meridians like a trickling stream.

For Jiang Donghua, who was already at the Dou King realm, this energy, although pure, was insignificant compared to his vast Dou Qi reserves and could not possibly affect or improve his cultivation realm in the slightest.

However, as he slowly chewed and tasted, and used his Soul Power to internally perceive the effects, he discovered a subtle ingenuity.

Although this energy was weak, it was exceptionally pure. Refined through a special technique, it could subtly temper and purify the existing Fire Attribute Dou Qi within his body, making it slightly more condensed and active.

"Hmm?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Donghua's eyes.

"This effect is quite interesting."

Although the effect on him was minimal, judging by Jiang Donghua's perspective as a Fourth-Grade Alchemist Master, the medicinal cuisine efficacy of this Crimson Flame Braised Delicacy was indeed quite excellent!

He quickly made an estimation in his mind.

"The energy contained in this medicinal dish is gentle and easily absorbed, and it possesses a special tempering effect."

"If a Great Dou Master or even a Dou Master level student who cultivates a Fire Attribute technique were to eat a meal like this, it could not only stabilize their foundation but also potentially allow them to break through a star in strength on the spot!"

This method of combining ingredients and medicinal herbs, while precisely controlling energy release and targeted effects, already subtly touched upon the threshold of high-level alchemy—it was definitely not comparable to ordinary cooking skills.

Just as Jiang Donghua was carefully savoring and secretly evaluating the dish, Lei Lie, sitting opposite him, enacted a completely different scene.

Lei Lie didn't use chopsticks at all; he directly picked up the jade plate and used a jade spoon to scoop the meat, petals, and the rich, viscous, amber-glowing sauce straight into his mouth!

"Slurp—!"

"Smack, smack—!"

The sounds were of rapid consumption, utterly unrestrained!

In less than a minute, the jade plate in front of Lei Lie was spotless, as if it had been licked clean, without a single drop of sauce remaining.

Lei Lie let out a loud, satisfied burp, patted his stomach, and praised in a booming voice, his face radiating extreme comfort and happiness.

"Awesome! What a treat! Old Mu's skill is truly incredible!"

The contrast between his gluttonous manner of eating and Jiang Donghua's slow chewing, savoring, and analyzing posture left Mu Chen, standing nearby, feeling somewhat amused and helpless.

Jiang Donghua looked at Lei Lie's contented appearance, then glanced at his own jade plate from which he had only taken a few bites, and couldn't help but shake his head with a laugh.

This fellow was purely here to enjoy delicious food; as for tempering Dou Qi or nourishing meridians, those effects were likely far less important to him than the simple fact that it tasted good.

Jiang Donghua put down his jade chopsticks and praised sincerely.

"To be able to blend the medicinal properties of ingredients so exquisitely and control the heat so precisely, activating the energy without sacrificing flavor..."

"The meticulousness of this thought and technique means its difficulty is absolutely no less than creating a brand new Tier 1 or Tier 2 Pill Formula."

He looked at Mu Chen, his eyes filled with genuine appreciation and a hint of regret.

"Mu Chen, Senior, your talent and attainment in the path of medicinal cuisine are truly admirable."

"It is only a pity that you seem to possess Wood Attribute Dou Qi, which does not meet the dual Fire and Wood Attribute requirements necessary for an Alchemist."

"Otherwise, with your profound understanding of medicinal properties and creativity, you would surely become a renowned Master Alchemist in the future!"