Chapter 45: The Finale Dish Beyond Affordability

Zhang Lang on stage hadn't expected such a scene, but it was even better—this was free advertising!

"Next, we'll auction off the second dish. The starting price is still ten Purple Gold Coins. The bidding begins now!"

"One hundred fifty!"

"Two hundred!"

"Three hundred!"

...

With the live demonstration, the cultivators below went wild. Their bids came fast and fierce, one after another, quickly climbing from the starting price of ten to an astonishing twelve hundred Purple Gold Coins.

"Is there anyone else? Twelve hundred Purple Gold Coins going once... going twice... sold!"

In this frenzy, the next seventeen dishes were snatched up, each one fetching more than twelve hundred Purple Gold Coins! And every winner chose to eat their dish on the spot. Seventeen dishes directly elevated six people to Fifth Level cultivators!

Everyone watched with envy, their eyes turning red with longing—especially the wealthy elites among the cultivators present. Their attention was already fixed on the twentieth dish, the grand finale! The last was always the best!

"Now, we come to the final dish of today's auction." Once the room quieted, Zhang Lang announced, "To be honest, I don't really want to auction this dish. It's simply too precious—so precious that serving it to everyone here would be a waste."

He paused. "As you all know, it's easy for a First Level cultivator to ascend to the Second Level. But for a Fourth Level to reach the Fifth Level? That's much more difficult. Yet, as we've just seen with contestant nineteen, one dish was enough for a breakthrough. Difficult? Not at all. But..."

Zhang Lang's gaze sharpened. "But is it difficult to go from Eighth to Ninth Level? From Ninth to Tenth?"

"Difficult! Incredibly difficult! At present, the Heavenly Dragon Empire, with its hundreds of billions of people, has only three Tenth Level cultivators, ten at the Ninth Level, and twenty-two at the Eighth Level. That shows just how hard it is for cultivators above the Eighth Level to progress. However—"

"But today, the final dish we are presenting is truly of Grandmaster level—indeed, it stands out even among Grandmaster dishes! It is the Legendary Stir-fried Catfish Essence with Eggplant!"

"This dish guarantees that any cultivator below the Eighth Level will rise a full level, and any cultivator above the Eighth Level will improve a sublevel, without exception. Tell me, wouldn't letting you eat such a divine dish be a waste?!"

As Zhang Lang's words faded, the hall fell utterly silent. Everyone was stunned. Who would have thought that in the humble Lan Yun City, a Grandmaster-level dish would appear—a dish capable of advancing high-ranking cultivators by a whole level!

One must know—the Heavenly Dragon Empire counts only three Grandmaster chefs, all recruited by the royal family. Two are too old to cook anymore; the sole remaining one can't even satisfy the royal family, let alone outsiders.

Moreover, not every Grandmaster chef can create Grandmaster dishes at will. Each one demands immense effort and skill. Usually, even a Grandmaster chef is lucky to produce one Grandmaster dish in ten.

This scarcity makes Grandmaster dishes unimaginably rare, and each one fetches a sky-high price, an amount worthy only of awe among cultivators.

"The starting price for this Grandmaster dish is ten Celestial Crystal Coins. I know none of you can afford it now, so I will give you one week. Whether you wish to buy it yourselves or invite someone else, one week from today, right here, the auction will resume! This concludes today's auction!" Zhang Lang hammered down the gavel. The guards on stage immediately locked the priceless dish in a secure, temperature-controlled vacuum case.

"Master Li, you are recognized as the number one expert in Lan Yun City. May I trouble you to accompany me and escort this dish to the Heavenly Dragon Bank for safekeeping? I wouldn't rest easy leaving it elsewhere," Zhang Lang said to Li Teran, the Sixth Level cultivator.

"You're too kind, Mr. Zhang. To witness such a divine dish in my lifetime, I could die without regret. Sadly, I lack the funds and can only sigh in longing. Please, after you," Li Teran replied, disappointment clouding his face.

"Master Li, forgive my bluntness, but if one lacks the strength, treasures like this only invite disaster. Such a dish is not meant for the likes of us," Zhang Lang replied with a smile.

"Indeed. Once word gets out, even the royal family will be stirred. A guaranteed promotion from Seventh to Eighth Level—it’s almost terrifying to imagine," Li Teran sighed, then continued, "Mr. Zhang, I have a small request, if you would be so kind."

"Please, go ahead," Zhang Lang replied, surprised.

"The master who created such a divine dish must be close to Grandmaster level. I would like to pay my respects, if you could introduce me?"

"Ah... of course. But the master prefers to keep a low profile. I hope you won’t spread word after your visit."

"Rest assured, Mr. Zhang—I am not one to gossip."

"Very well, please follow me."

Chen Yun had watched the entire auction unfold. He never imagined that nineteen dishes could sell for nearly twenty-five thousand Purple Gold Coins, nor that Zhang Lang would choose to postpone the sale of the final, Grandmaster-level dish—an unprecedented move. But the starting price of ten Celestial Crystal Coins shook him to his core. That was equivalent to a hundred thousand Purple Gold Coins, ten billion Gold Coins, a trillion Silver Coins, or ten trillion Copper Coins! To put it in perspective: one Copper Coin here equaled one yuan on Earth, so ten Celestial Crystal Coins amounted to ten trillion RMB!

Chen Yun knew that the Heavenly Dragon Empire’s total annual income, converted, was just over five hundred Celestial Crystal Coins. Yet his single dish was worth one-fiftieth of the entire empire’s yearly output—an astonishing thought.

Knock, knock, knock. Lost in thought, Chen Yun was startled by a knock at the door. He stood, opened it, and saw Zhang Lang and Lan Yun City’s top expert, Li Teran.

"Master Li, allow me to introduce the creator of tonight’s twenty dishes—Grandmaster Chef Chen Yun."

"A hero in his youth! To think that the chef behind such an extraordinary dish is so young—it truly amazes me," Li Teran said, bowing with awe. He had expected the master behind a Grandmaster dish to be at least a hundred years old, not barely an adult!

"You flatter me, sir. I was only lucky to succeed by chance. If I tried again, I doubt I could repeat it," Chen Yun replied modestly.

"Nonsense, luck is a part of skill! If it were only luck, why couldn’t others do it, and only you could? There’s no need for false modesty, Master Chen."

"Master Li, it’s getting late. Let’s attend to the main business," Zhang Lang interjected, seeing Chen Yun was uncomfortable with praise.

"Right, business first! Master Chen, I know you dislike publicity, and I won’t speak of this visit to anyone. Here is my card—if you ever create another divine dish, contact me. I’ll auction it for you free of charge, no commission at all," Li Teran said, handing over a card.

Chen Yun took it, marveling quietly—this man must be fabulously wealthy, for his business cards were pure gold, bordered with small diamonds. A true tycoon!