Lord of Prayer - Chapter 217 - 163: All of You Are Trash

Chapter 217: Chapter 163: All of You Are Trash

The audience stared blankly, completely bewildered.

’What’s he doing, heating oil in his crucible? Is he really going to cook in the middle of all this?’

As it turned out, Zhou Chen was, in fact, going to stir-fry something right there.

With a SIZZLE, he tossed the minced garlic into the crucible. He stir-fried it until a rich, garlicky aroma filled the air, then dumped in the chopped Sunlight Orchid and Water Bamboo Shoots. Cranking up the heat, he began to stir-fry everything relentlessly.

The other contestants watched this, stunned for a moment, but quickly went back to their own stations, focusing on crafting their own alchemical creations.

However, an Alchemy Competition in the underground black market was never going to be fair and square. Using all sorts of dirty tricks to interfere with your opponents was the norm, and it was precisely this part—the contestant smackdown—that the audience loved to see most.

Goblin Ah Bin was clearly familiar with the unwritten rules of the competition. It was the first to strike, brewing a proprietary, high-potency aphrodisiac. This potion was strong enough to send an elephant into heat instantly. For a human, breathing it in for just a short while would cause them to lose all composure, getting them disqualified.

A beaker heating over an alcohol lamp contained a finger’s depth of pink liquid. As the temperature continued to rise, the liquid began to evaporate, releasing a colorless, odorless gas that permeated the air.

The first to fall victim were the two Alchemists next to it. The movements of their hands, processing ingredients, grew sluggish, and their breathing became ragged. When their eyes fell on the scantily clad bunny girls, they began panting heavily, a fire seemingly raging within their bodies.

They quickly realized they had been hit with an aphrodisiac and hurriedly brewed an antidote. This back-and-forth wasted a lot of time. Luckily, they hadn’t actually started brewing their main potion yet, otherwise all their previous effort would have been for nothing.

Seeing this, the other contestants prepared themselves. They took time out to brew sedatives to neutralize the aphrodisiac’s effects. The only one who didn’t was Zhou Chen, who was still busy stir-frying over a high flame. He seemed completely unaffected by the potion.

With Goblin Ah Bin having broken the ice, the other contestants no longer held back. They began to unleash their own special tricks, determined to eliminate as many competitors as possible in the first round.

Poisoning, Curses, interference, even foul-mouthed tirades cursing opponents back eighteen generations… so long as it didn’t involve physically attacking a contestant, any and every dirty trick was allowed.

Soon enough, an Alchemist was carried away, foaming at the mouth with a green-tinged face. Amidst the chaotic free-for-all between the Alchemists, it was impossible to tell what kind of deadly poison he had ingested.

“COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH…”

“COUGH, COUGH, COUGH… What’s happening? It stings so much…”

Suddenly, the Alchemists all broke into violent, unending fits of coughing. A sharp, stinging, and spicy smell was spreading through the air, forcing them to cough uncontrollably as tears streamed down their faces.

“It was you!”

An Alchemist, with tears and snot running all over his face from the fumes, whipped his head around to look at Zhou Chen in the corner. Thick, pungent smoke was rising from his crucible, gradually enveloping the entire stage.

“What did you put in that crucible?” the Alchemist demanded angrily.

“It’s peppers! I added Blood Circulation Peppers!” Zhou Chen answered, his voice booming.

“Are you kidding me? How could Blood Circulation Peppers be this pungent!” another Alchemist nearby retorted.

“Sunlight Orchid, Water Bamboo Shoots, and Anti-inflammatory White Garlic, combined with vegetable oil and fifty milliliters of pure water. At an oil temperature of 300 degrees, these ingredients undergo a fascinating decomposition. The resulting substances then fuse together, creating a product that maximally stimulates the Blood Circulation Pepper. This process activates its medicinal properties, stripping away the pepper’s latent spiciness and leaving only its purest blood-circulating and stasis-dispelling effects.” Zhou Chen gave the crowd a slight smile, his expression full of confidence and mystery.

For a moment, the Alchemists all froze, staring in astonishment.

’Don’t tell me this guy actually knows what he’s doing?’

“—And that,” Zhou Chen continued, “is how you make the dish more savory, with a lingering, unforgettable flavor.”

Zhou Chen added this final remark, then picked up a mouthful of food from the crucible with his chopsticks. He blew on it a few times to cool it down before placing it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully, and nodding in satisfaction.

“…”

The Alchemists were still completely baffled. ’This is the fucking underground black market Alchemy Competition, not some ’King of Chefs’ show on a lifestyle channel! What good does it do to make delicious food?’

They stopped wasting time on this oddball and refocused on their own work.

Time ticked by. At the fifteen-minute mark, Billy ladled a spoonful of red potion from his crucible, carefully poured it into a vial, and sealed it before finally pressing the submit button.

POP! A confetti cannon went off, and the entire venue erupted in cheers.

The female host smiled. “Contestant Billy is the first to submit! I’m sure most of our audience was watching his process—it was truly a feast for the eyes. From my perspective, his technique was flawless from every angle. Let’s congratulate Contestant Billy!”

A few minutes later, the expressionless and seemingly reclusive Lü Qiang pressed the submit button, becoming the second to finish his creation.

BEEP! Goblin Ah Bin followed right after, pressing the button to complete his.

“The three fastest Alchemists have now been decided! Every one of them is a hot favorite to win the championship. It looks like we’re in for a real clash of titans!”

“A reminder to all contestants: five people will advance from this first round. We’re looking not only at the quality of the potion, but also the speed of its creation. The remaining contestants need to hurry up!”

“Wait… Contestant Zhou Chen, he’s… he’s started eating!”

The female host’s shocked voice rang out. The audience turned in unison to see Zhou Chen sitting there, unhurriedly eating his stir-fry. The crucible was covered with a lid, steam rising from it, as if something was simmering inside.

“This food… smells so good!” A nearby audience member who caught a whiff of the aroma couldn’t help but swallow, a pang of hunger striking their stomach.