Fu Ba was displeased by the att.i.tude of the kid in front of him.

How could he say something like "Why would it concern you whether I win or lose in the conference" when seeing as he, Fu Ba, was responsible for registering people there, making him also responsible for disqualifying them.

The number of people with special talents was greater than the number of alchemists. This was because only a minuscle number of people could become alchemists, while many others were incapable of walking down that path.

Those who couldn"t become alchemists chose to become doctors or poison masters, instead.

If all of the doctors or poison masters who came to apply were allowed to partic.i.p.ate in the conference, then wouldn"t he have to spend the entire day recording names? Wouldn"t the ensuing large number of people water down the conference?

Although "Chef" was a nice-sounding t.i.tle, they were, in fact, just mere cooks.

Why would a mere cook seek to join the conference?

Moreover, how many cooks were still left in Heavenly Mist City? If cooks were amazing, then they wouldn"t have been forced to s.h.i.+t down their restaurant because of Multi-Taste Fasting Pills.

There was no way for a chef to compete against an alchemist.

"Teacher! I heard that the young miss Nangong came over..."

While Bu Fang and Fu Ba were having a stare down, someone pushed open the door and rushed in cheerfully. It was a handsome youngster who had a bright pair of eyes that made him seem energetic and spirited.

This person was Fu Ba"s disciple—a young doctor who had an outstanding medical expertise.

"Young miss Nangong, I haven"t seen you in a long time… However, you are still as charming and beautiful as before." The youngster"s gaze turned fiery when he noticed Nangong Wan in the room.

Nangong Wan just smiled and nodded at him in reply, without uttering a word.

"Fu Ba, just register my friend"s name. He really wishes to partic.i.p.ate in this Magical Hand Conference."

That one-eyed old man shot a look at the expressionless Bu Fang and couldn"t help but inwardly sneer as he recalled his arrogant words.

"I can surely register him in as I was always fair and just, but if your friend can"t pa.s.s even a basic selection, then don"t blame me for rejecting him. Little Zhen, lead this young master to where he can partic.i.p.ate in the selection process with the fifth group."

That youngster was taken aback. He turned to look at Bu Fang in astonishment before nodding at him.

"Come with me," said that youngster, leading Bu Fang out of the room afterwards.

Nangong Wan didn"t follow them. Instead, she left with the one-eyed man and arrived at the observation seats.

"Do you see that place? Go there and tell the person overseeing the process that you are here to partic.i.p.ate in the selection, and he will let you in. However, I must tell you that there is no place for a chef here," the youngster said to Bu Fang in a tone of astonishment.

Only a mere chef… even if he was extremely amazing, he still wouldn"t amount to anything.

The doctors and poison masters somewhat derived their professions from alchemists", with the hope of surpa.s.sing alchemists some day.

However, if a mere chef like him declared his wish to challenge an alchemist, everyone would laugh at him.

"You are probably the first chef in history who has come here to register for the Magical Hand Conference. I hope that you can pa.s.s the selection process, but if you can"t pa.s.s such a trifling selection, then you just have to go home, take a bath and go back to sleep."

That youngster scoffed at him. It wasn"t as though he looked down upon Bu Fang, he just believed that Bu Fang"s goals were outrageous.

Bu Fang just looked at him calmly without uttering a word. There were some things that one didn"t need to explain, and Bu Fang was too lazy to try and explain, as well. Moreover, this youngster wasn"t qualified enough to warrant an explanation from Bu Fang.

These people knew nothing about chefs.

A trace of mockery flashed within the youngster"s eyes as he watched Bu Fang walk toward the stage where the selection trails was going to be held. Then, the youth turned around and went to the observation seats because Nangong Wan was there.

....

"Have you come to partic.i.p.ate in the selection? If so, then tell your name and profession; after that, you can go and stand in a corner, waiting for your turn," the examiner said, after calmly watching Bu Fang for a few moments.

"Bu Fang. A chef," replied Bu Fang.

That examiner was taken aback. He furrowed his brows and said, "Speak clearly; what profession did you just say?"

"A chef..." Bu Fang said, looking at the examiner as though he was a moron.

That examiner was stunned by his reply. He had seen countless doctors and poison masters come to partic.i.p.ate, but this was his first time seeing a chef. Was this kid just some clown?

However, since the kid had come there to be examined, then he must have already pa.s.sed through Fu Ba. Still, what kind of test should he set for him?

That examiner began to nurse a headache over this matter, so he just looked at Bu Fang and waved his hands at the chef in dismissal. "You will join that group there. Your group will undertake a collective examination, and another examiner will judge the products you all make, to determine whether you are qualified to partic.i.p.ate in the Magical Hand Conference or not."

Bu Fang nodded indifferently and went over to a group that already had four people in it.

In the observation seats, the one-eyed old man sat on a chair while talking with Nangong Wan, who was beside him, with a cheerful disposition.

Although the Nangong Family was unstable at the moment, this didn"t prevent him from trying to befriend Nangong Wan. This was because even a thin camel was still bigger than a horse, after all; no matter how much the Nangong Family declined, they would still be an existence he wouldn"t dare offend.

"Young miss Nangong, your friend really is quite interesting. Shouldn"t a chef just stay in his kitchen and cook? Why did he come to partic.i.p.ate in the Magical Hand Conference? Moreover, I am even surprised that there are still chefs in our Heavenly Mist City."

"Fu Ba, you shouldn"t look down on my friend; his culinary skill is truly unprecedented and unique. It had never been seen before," Nangong Wan replied.

She was confident that Bu Fang"s culinary skill would certainly amaze them all. Even she was shocked for a long time after she first tasted his dishes, which rivaled elixirs. That was a discovery that battered what she considered common knowledge. His dishes tasted better than elixirs, and their effects weren"t any weaker either.

This was an extremely astonis.h.i.+ng matter!

"It seems like you are quite confident in your friend. We should wait and see, then," Fu Ba said, even though he didn"t believe a chef could be that amazing.

Even someone like him who was a top-notch doctor would be crushed directly and defeated if he was to face a One Cloud Alchemist. Thus, what could a mere chef achieve?

"Let"s have a look, then; the selection will begin shortly,." Nangong Wan calmly replied.

.....

The enormous arena they were in had an opening above it, from which light entered and shone down on the stage, brightening it up.

Bu Fang and the other four members in his group stepped up and into the arena.

There were five platforms on the arena. This was where each of them would try to pa.s.s their tests.

Bu Fang stroked the bronze platform in front of him, which looked crudely made. He couldn"t help furrowing his brows when he felt a stabbing pain on his palm that was caused by friction.

The examiner came over and stood at the center of the arena center, then he began to explain the rules of the test. There weren"t any concrete rules, however. Each of them were only required to make a product whose effects rivaled the effects of an eighth grade elixir, in order to pa.s.s this test. This requirement wasn"t high; it could even be considered quite low because refining an eighth grade elixir was quite easy for an alchemist.

Moreover, what high-grade alchemists refined were Spirit Pills that had extremely terrifying effects.

Bu Fang looked at others in his group, and he discovered that they were quite calm and collected; they seemed quite confident in their skills.

Fu Ba, who was seating in the observation seats, smiled and said to Nangong Wan, "Those four people all have extraordinary talents and wish to enter the top hundred. It would be extremely difficult for your friend to stand out since he has run into them."

Nangong Wan only chuckled when she heard him. She was quite confident in Owner Bu"s skill.

Bu Fang could sense and feel those people"s confidence as they were quite sure of their skill.

"Alright; the test will start now. The time limit is just... one hour. If you exceed it, you will be disqualified immediately."

When the examiner finished his announcement, the people on the stage all began to work.

This test was being watched by a countless number of people because, like Fu Ba had said, those four all had resounding reputations, and their test was certainly worth observing.

Some people in the audience also noticed Bu Fang mixed in with these four. They watched him with sympathy-filled gazes because they believed he would have trouble standing out now that he had met into those four.

They figured that it was the kid"s first time partic.i.p.ating in the selection process because they didn"t recognize his face. His luck was really bad, they thought.

It was obvious that none of them expected anything from him.

When Bu Fang took out the Black Turtle Constellation Wok and slammed it on the ground, the entire audience quietened down for a moment, before raising an uproar. Countless sounds of laughter and jeers echoed throughout the arena.

Had that lad come there to amuse them? Had he taken out that black wok to… cook a dish?