56: Superpower Boost! Chef's Tournament

"Let's see if I have been promoted to Rank D."

Han Fei took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gradually immersed his mind in the world of Cultivation.

He could feel that the obstruction to Cultivation, which had originally felt as heavy as a boulder, had clearly diminished, as if some invisible force had quietly shaved off a corner of it.

However, even though the resistance was lessened, that stubborn barrier still stood in the way of his Cultivation, like an insurmountable chasm, mercilessly declaring the reality that he had yet to achieve a Breakthrough to Rank D.

"Sigh, it looks like I can only use this last bottle. I originally wanted to save it."

Han Fei sighed softly, a faint sense of regret rising in his heart.

During the process of Cultivating superpowers, one often encounters a Bottleneck.

Usually, one can take Superpower Aptitude enhancement potions to break constraints and achieve a Breakthrough.

The higher the quality of the potion, the better the effect.

For the Cleaning Superpower Cultivation Technique, at least a silver grade Superpower enhancement potion is needed to help achieve a Bottleneck Breakthrough.

But potions of this Rank cannot be bought on the market at all.

Even within the vast inventory of the Special Guard Team, silver grade Superpower enhancement potions are as rare as Phoenix feathers and extremely limited in quantity.

If Han Fei hadn't performed exceptionally well on this mission, preventing a large number of unnecessary casualties for the military, He Hong absolutely would not have approved two bottles of silver grade potions for him.

Han Fei picked up the last bottle of silver grade Superpower enhancement potion, gazed at it for a moment, and without much hesitation, resolutely swallowed it.

In an instant, a massive surge of energy rushed into his body like a tide, as if thousands of streams instantly converged into a river, washing away the obstructions blocking the energy channels.

Han Fei could clearly sense that his body seemed to have broken free from invisible shackles; the threshold of his superpower perception suddenly widened, and everything became clearer than ever before.

Trying to Cultivate again, Han Fei was pleasantly surprised to find that the feeling of obstruction that had previously plagued him was completely gone.

The process of Cultivation was smooth and unimpeded, like flowing water and drifting clouds.

The improvement of his superpower was as natural and effortless as breathing.

This wonderful experience of being able to feel his self-improvement almost anytime and anywhere deeply intoxicated Han Fei, filling his heart with anticipation and joy.

In the time that followed, Han Fei seemed to have become an Incarnation of a precision instrument, meticulously controlling the flow and convergence of his superpower within his body with intense focus.

Thanks to the improvement in his Superpower Aptitude, his every breath and movement now precisely aligned with the rhythm of his superpower's operation, forming a naturally perfect Cultivation rhythm.

As time passed, Han Fei's Cleaning Superpower also rapidly improved at a visible rate, showing a clear difference compared to before.

Not only was the speed of garbage absorption more than doubled, but the distance and range of the superpower also increased significantly.

The most noticeable change, however, was the significant reduction in the stamina consumed by the superpower.

Now, if Han Fei were to face the contaminated treasure chest that once exhausted him, he was confident he could continuously open two, or even more, in one go without needing a moment's rest.

Just as Han Fei was immersed in the joy and achievement of his Cultivation, a crisp phone vibration pulled him back to reality from the world of Cultivation.

Han Fei frowned slightly, reluctantly stopped Cultivating, and picked up the phone lying nearby to check it.

The screen displayed a text message from Liu Yueer, the words overflowing with liveliness and anticipation.

"See you at the school gate at 8 AM tomorrow, don't forget!"

At the end, there was also a playful and cute bunny emoji.

"Tomorrow..."

Han Fei froze for two seconds before remembering that tomorrow was the day he and Liu Yueer had agreed to go to the God of Cookery Competition together.

"I almost forgot while Cultivating."

Han Fei quickly replied with a text message, "See you tomorrow morning at 8."

Almost as soon as the text was sent, Liu Yueer's reply arrived.

It was a smiling face emoji so happy it almost leaped off the screen.

Han Fei looked at the time on his phone; it was already 11 PM.

He was startled to realize that he had been focused on Cultivation for dozens of hours straight without closing his eyes.

However, even now, he didn't feel the slightest bit tired; instead, he was full of vigor.

After all, having copied the Black Tiger's abilities, his body had long surpassed that of an ordinary person; even going without sleep for three or four days wouldn't cause him any trouble.

Nevertheless, the prolonged high-intensity Cultivation still left him with a faint trace of weariness, a natural call from his body for moderate rest.

Therefore, Han Fei temporarily stopped Cultivating, got up, and walked into the bathroom, letting the warm water wash away the dust and fatigue from his body, enjoying this rare moment of peace and relaxation.

After bathing, he changed into comfortable pajamas and lay down on the soft bed.

"My control over Forbidden Magic is barely entry-level, and my Superpower Cultivation is not far from the first layer. Once I achieve a Breakthrough, my superpower will evolve..."

Although the night was deep and everything was silent, his heart was too excited by his growing strength to sleep.

After barely achieving entry-level mastery of Forbidden Magic, Han Fei's Magical Culinary Arts were no longer limited to food he personally made, but could be directly applied to any food.

Of course, this method would inevitably cause the effect of the Magical Culinary Arts to be greatly weakened, possibly even failing to show any effect at all.

Regardless, compared to before, this was definitely a significant Breakthrough on his path of Forbidden Magic.

"I'll try it out at the God of Cookery Competition and see if I can copy any useful abilities."

Filled with anticipation for the God of Cookery Competition, Han Fei happily drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the curtains.

Han Fei woke up early, washed up, and changed his clothes.

At the school gate, he met Liu Yueer as scheduled.

Today, Liu Yueer was particularly eye-catching, like a cherry blossom blooming in spring.

She wore an elegant pink dress, and her perfectly applied makeup added a touch of charm to her face without losing her pure demeanor.

The moment she saw Han Fei, she quickly ran over, her eyes sparkling with the joy of reunion, like a young wife seeing her husband after a long separation.

"Han Fei, good... good morning."

Liu Yueer greeted him with slight shyness, her voice tinged with a subtle awkwardness.

Faced with her enthusiasm, Han Fei could only respond with a slightly awkward nod.

Although he could now control the power of 'Delicious Captivation' to some extent, he was powerless against the influence previously imposed on Liu Yueer.

The influence of Forbidden Magic was far beyond what ordinary magic could compare to; unless countered by Divine Magic of the same or higher Rank, there was no way to dispel it.

That is to say, for a long time, Liu Yueer would remain Han Fei's devoted fan.

Even if Han Fei made unreasonable requests, she would happily accept them.

Han Fei sighed lightly with helplessness internally, but kept a calm expression and said quietly, "Let's go."

If an ordinary woman were treated so coldly by the person she admired, she might feel disappointed or even leave heartbroken.

However, Liu Yueer, deeply affected by the Forbidden Magic, felt that merely being able to accompany Han Fei and listen to his voice was enough to make her life complete; how could she dare to ask for anything more?

She was satisfied with every moment spent with Han Fei; that pure sense of happiness had long transcended the boundaries of ordinary emotion.

The two hailed a taxi and headed straight for the venue of the God of Cookery Competition, the Jiangshang Hotel.

The Jiangshang Hotel was the only five-star hotel in the entire Tianhe City.

It stood in the heart of Tianhe City, like a noble clad in fine robes, quietly overlooking the Tianhe River that encircled it.

Arriving at the hotel, as soon as Han Fei got out of the car, he was shocked by the bustling crowd before him.

An endless stream of guests, dressed in fine clothing and holding exquisite invitation letters, formed a winding queue.

Seeing this, Han Fei took Liu Yueer and walked straight toward a hotel staff member dressed in a crisp uniform, subtly revealing his identity as a Third-Class Citizen.

After confirming Han Fei's identity, the staff member immediately adopted a respectful expression and carefully guided Han Fei and Liu Yueer through the crowd, onto the green passage reserved for honored guests.

Furthermore, upon learning the situation, the hotel manager personally upgraded their two ordinary tickets to the highest Rank, Black Diamond VIP tickets.

Stepping into the VIP lounge on the top floor, Liu Yueer was instantly deeply shaken by everything she saw.

The spacious and bright room was lavishly decorated.

Everything, from the custom-made tableware to the top-tier sound equipment and the meticulously carved furniture, showcased the nobility and luxury of the place.

Outside the door, several well-trained waiters stood respectfully, ready at any moment to fulfill every need of Han Fei and Liu Yueer.

Liu Yueer gently stroked the down-cushioned sofa, a sense of dreamlike unreality surging in her heart.

This was not her first time attending the God of Cookery Competition; naturally, she knew how precious the VIP tickets for the God of Cookery Competition were.

Even leveraging her mother's connections, Liu Yueer could only barely secure an ordinary VIP ticket.

As for the highest Rank Black Diamond VIP, that was something her mother wouldn't even dare to dream of.

"Um... why were you able to get them to upgrade the tickets to Black Diamond VIP?"

She looked at Han Fei, full of confusion, and asked with a trembling voice.

Previously, Han Fei had only subtly displayed his identity without letting Liu Yueer see it, so she was unaware of Han Fei's status as a Third-Class Citizen.

Faced with Liu Yueer's curiosity, Han Fei simply smiled faintly and replied, "I have some connections."

Sensing that Han Fei did not wish to discuss the matter further, Liu Yueer wisely chose silence, her curiosity about his mysterious background increasing.

Han Fei sat down leisurely, his gaze sweeping over the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, taking in the bustling main venue below.

The God of Cookery Competition was divided into five venues: one main venue and four sub-venues.

The main venue was located on the top floor of the hotel; its scale was not very large, so naturally, there weren't many spectators.

However, every person in attendance was either a social celebrity, a business elite, or a leader in the culinary world.

After all, tickets for the main venue were not something you could buy just because you wanted to.

Only those culinary families with long-standing Legacies, powerful political officials, or immensely wealthy corporate giants were qualified to purchase them.

The main venue was not merely a stage for skill exhibition; it was also a high-end platform for culinary exchange and a marketplace for displaying and selling gourmet treasure chests.

Although the gourmet treasure chest was only rated as a Rank 4 treasure chest by the Treasure Chest Alliance, its selling price far exceeded that of many Rank 6 treasure chests.

This was mainly due to supply failing to meet demand.

One must know that in the upper echelons of society, where power and wealth intersected, business tycoons and high-ranking political figures alike flocked to the gourmet treasure chest.

The gourmet treasure chest was not only a symbol of taste and status but also an invaluable asset for ensuring food safety.

Yet, even the lowest Rank gourmet treasure chest could only be produced by an Advanced One-Star Gourmet Hunter.

Few people could pass the One-Star Gourmet Hunter assessment, let alone become an Advanced One-Star Gourmet Hunter.

Taking Tianhe City, a prosperous second-tier city, as an example, despite its developed economy and large population, the number of Advanced One-Star Gourmet Hunters in the city's culinary world probably still falls short of one hundred.

The scarcity of Advanced One-Star Gourmet Hunters naturally made the gourmet treasure chest even more precious.

There were only 171 contestants in this God of Cookery Competition.

But the weakest among them were Intermediate One-Star Gourmet Hunters, and many came from cities surrounding Tianhe City.

It must be noted that according to regulations, only second-tier cities and above were qualified to host the God of Cookery Competition.

Therefore, Gourmet Hunters from the first-tier cities surrounding Tianhe City had to travel across mountains and rivers, arriving dusty and weary in Tianhe City to participate in this annual God of Cookery Competition.

At this moment, the main venue was filled with brilliant light and indistinct figures.

In the sparsely populated stands, celebrities were dressed elegantly, chatting and laughing.

Business elites had sharp eyes, seemingly contemplating the business opportunities behind this grand event.

Culinary leaders watched intently, awaiting the start of the competition.

Watching the stream of people entering the venue, Han Fei asked Liu Yueer beside him, "In previous competitions, how many gourmet treasure chests usually appear?"

Liu Yueer furrowed her delicate brows, fell into brief thought, and then replied, "The last Tianhe God of Cookery Competition saw a total of 47 gourmet treasure chests appear, and the one before that had 29 gourmet treasure chests."

"The production rate is so low. No wonder the price is so high." Han Fei pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"What about the quality? Have any silver grade ones appeared?" Han Fei pressed further.

"How could there be silver grade ones?" Liu Yueer shook her head, smiling. "It's already good if bronze grade ones appear."

"The last competition only saw two bronze grade ones appear. The one before that didn't have a single one," Liu Yueer added.

Silver grade gourmet treasure chests could only be produced by Two-Star Advanced Gourmet Hunters, and the probability wasn't high even then.

The most powerful contestants in the God of Cookery Competition were only Advanced One-Star Gourmet Hunters, so it was naturally impossible for them to produce silver grade gourmet treasure chests.

Han Fei nodded thoughtfully, his gaze shifting to the few judges present.

When the time came, the judges would be responsible for tasting the delicacies, and Han Fei would most likely only be able to copy abilities from them.

Although he had crossed the threshold of Forbidden Magic, he still needed food as a medium to exert the influence of Magical Culinary Arts.

It was just that the food didn't need to be prepared by his own hands.