Tadokoro Megumi looked at Erina in surprise and asked with a hint of curiosity, "It is indeed Phoenix Crystal. Miss Erina, do you also know this dish?"
Erina first gave Tadokoro Megumi a complex look, then nodded and said, "Because I've eaten this dish at his restaurant. I didn't expect you to be able to make it as well."
Tadokoro Megumi smiled shyly. She said awkwardly, "Actually, this is all thanks to my master. If Master hadn't taught me wholeheartedly, I wouldn't have been able to make it at all."
Erina's heart grew even more envious; she also wished she had such a master.
But just thinking about Liu Ming's attitude towards her, she felt a surge of anger. What exactly was it about her that couldn't compare to Tadokoro Megumi?
"So Erina-chan has already eaten this dish. No wonder you said what you did earlier," Inui Hinako was also a bit surprised.
"Is it because of the God Tongue? Even after so long, she can still distinguish the superiority of two dishes," Kanseki Hei also nodded in admiration.
"Hey, Erina, I can't pretend I didn't hear what you just said. You're saying my dish can't compare to it?" Kojiro Shinomiya pointed at the dish covered by the dome, his tone displeased.
Erina looked at him as if he were an idiot. "If Tadokoro Megumi can perfectly create the Phoenix Crystal, you won't have a single chance of winning."
Seeing Erina praise this dish so highly, everyone's interest was piqued.
One must know that Erina possessed the God Tongue and was famously picky about food.
This mysterious dish before them was probably far from simple.
"Damn it, you make it sound so divine! I want to see what it's like right now."
Kojiro Shinomiya walked forward, grasped the dome, and directly opened it.
A golden light shot out, illuminating the entire basement as if it were daytime.
Accompanying the golden light were bursts of cries, sounding mournful yet angry, joyful yet sorrowful, each clear and melodious. They caused everyone's restless hearts to involuntarily calm down.
Then, they actually saw a phoenix—a golden-yellow beak, crimson cheeks, a body as pure as a white lotus, and a seven-colored tail fluttering behind it.
"How is this possible!" Kojiro Shinomiya stared blankly at the phoenix flying above his head.
"Is that a phoenix?" Inui Hinako no longer bothered with her mischief, her mouth wide open.
"It must be an illusion," Kanseki Hei swallowed, forcing himself to calm down.
But he wondered if it was his imagination; right after he finished speaking, the phoenix flying above seemed to glance at him, scaring him into immediately shutting his mouth.
After circling for a few seconds, the phoenix transformed into specks of starlight, converging on the Phoenix Crystal dish.
Seeing the majestic phoenix finally disappear, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Even though they knew it was just an illusion, they couldn't help but feel fear; it was an instinctual response.
After a short while, they redirected their attention back to the dish.
Now, before them was a model identical to the phoenix they had just seen.
The two were very similar.
"This is too exaggerated, isn't it?" Mizuhara Fuyumi's expression couldn't help but change repeatedly.
"It's a bit exaggerated. If it was just about creating a dish with that kind of external appearance, the difficulty wouldn't be great. But that scene just now didn't feel fake at all."
Donato Gotoda already didn't know how to describe his excited mood at this moment.
Kojiro Shinomiya was equally dumbfounded. Who exactly was the magician of vegetable cuisine to be able to create such a grand spectacle?
He had a feeling at this moment that Tadokoro Megumi had intentionally presented this dish to better make him lose face.
Gin Dojima's heart was also surging with emotion at this moment. Although he had heard about Shining Dish from the Director General, witnessing it firsthand was a different experience altogether.
So this is what a higher level of culinary skill looks like!
His heart once again surged with intense fighting spirit, just like when he was young, exuding an unstoppable drive from head to toe, seeking the true essence of gourmet food.
"Hmph, what's the point of all these flashy tricks? The most important thing in cooking is taste. If it doesn't taste good, what's the use?"
Kojiro Shinomiya forced himself to cheer up; he certainly wouldn't admit defeat like this.
However, his words did not receive anyone's approval. A dish made to this extent would surely not taste bad.
Compared to the excited crowd, Erina was much calmer, as she had already witnessed it before.
However, despite her outward calm, her heart was far from peaceful.
Because a dish that even she couldn't complete, Tadokoro Megumi had accomplished. This was a great irony for her, a child of destiny.
"Let's taste it." Gin Dojima no longer presided over the Shokugeki. He picked up a pair of chopsticks, ready to try the taste.
The others, seeing this, were not to be outdone and also picked up their chopsticks.
However, when they truly faced the Phoenix Crystal, they felt a bit at a loss as to where to start.
This dish was simply too exquisite, making one involuntarily recall the phoenix from just now.
Just as everyone was hesitating, a pair of chopsticks directly picked a string from the phoenix's body.
Everyone's gaze immediately turned to look.
It was Liu Ming.
Liu Ming was also quite curious about Tadokoro Megumi's dish.
Just how complete was it?
Seeing this, Gin Dojima and the others also began to eat.
Looking at the bean sprouts on the chopsticks, as white as jade and crystal clear, everyone couldn't help but feel a desire to eat them in one bite.
"It's clearly just bean sprouts, but what's with this texture? It's refreshing with a hint of sweetness, and incredibly delicious."
"It's clearly just bean sprouts, how can it have such an elegant flavor? It's very refreshing and pleasant."
"My mouth couldn't help but start moving on its own; my body's instincts were declaring its craving."
Suddenly, everyone felt a ball of white flame rise within their internal organs. Not only was it not hot, but it was incredibly warm, making them involuntarily let out comfortable moans.
This was the trembling of the soul.
"Rip~"
"Rip~"
"Rip~"
Sounds of tearing clothes rang out, and the clothes on everyone's bodies began to rip.
Liu Ming's expression changed repeatedly; he seemed to have forgotten about this again.
However, looking at the others who were still enjoying themselves, it was unlikely they would sober up quickly.
The other men were fine, but there were also several women here.
He couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could he?
"Master~" Tadokoro Megumi also sensed that something was wrong and anxiously tugged on Liu Ming's sleeve.
Liu Ming scratched his head in distress. He looked around.
This was a basement; there wasn't even a curtain to block anything.
He suddenly looked towards the storage room.
At this point, this was the only thing he could do.
Tadokoro Megumi had only made one Phoenix Crystal, so it should be eaten up quickly by everyone. He had to move them to the storage room before they woke up.
"Megumi, go to the front desk in the lobby and ask them for some clothes. I'll move them to the storage room to hide them first." Liu Ming said to Tadokoro Megumi.
Tadokoro Megumi didn't waste words, nodded, and ran towards the door.
Liu Ming awkwardly looked at the three women who were already showing a lot of skin. This situation was a bit difficult to handle.
However, now was not the time to consider such things. Liu Ming took a deep breath and suppressed the wicked thoughts in his heart.
He carried Erina on his back, held Mizuhara Fuyumi in his left arm, and Inui Hinako in his right arm.
Fortunately, he had a lot of strength. Even with three people, Liu Ming could walk easily.
"Seriously, it was supposed to be a serious duel, but how did the style change so suddenly?"