Master Yuxian—one of the Big Four of the Light Culinary World—was regarded as one of their hidden trump cards.
Of course, the people of the Light Culinary World couldn't simply order him around. If they wanted him to act, they had to personally invite him.
He also happened to be the master of Liu Maoxing's father. After Malyu went missing, Yuxian had spent years searching for his whereabouts. At most, he could confirm that Malyu was still alive—but as for where he was, there wasn't the slightest clue.
"Hmm… so this is the successor Arman mentioned—the heir to the Garuda Knife?" Yuxian stared at the scene before him, eyes wide. "He killed a three-headed python like this… by himself? Just how strong is this kid?"
Looking at the massive snake corpse still twitching on the ground, Master Yuxian was stunned. He hadn't seen how Kael killed it, but there was no one else around for miles.
The three-headed python had clearly died only moments ago. There was only one possible killer—Kael.
Qi was a mysterious force. It could extend one's lifespan, and with enough mastery, even allow flight and movement through the air. But its raw killing power was limited, and the physical enhancement it provided had clear limits as well.
To slay a three-headed python of this level alone, one would normally need a special ability—something like Arkan's lightning or explosive flame techniques.
Yet the condition of the corpse told a different story.
The python's body had been cleanly split apart… and then pierced through.
Just imagining the method required to do that made Master Yuxian's scalp prickle.
He had come here because Arman told him that a successor to a Legendary Kitchenware had carried the Garuda Knife straight into Mt. Qingzhao.
And Mt. Qingzhao was no joke.
Arman didn't dare roam freely there—because the only one who could move unhindered in those mountains was Master Yuxian himself.
Even then, his freedom came entirely from Qi. If he were forced into a direct confrontation with the beasts that roamed the mountain… he wouldn't stand a chance.
Originally, Master Yuxian assumed that given how dangerous Mt. Qingzhao was, by the time he arrived, the kitchenware successor would already be dead. At that point, he could simply retrieve the Garuda Knife and remove it from the mountain.
For someone like him, locating Legendary Kitchenware was trivial.
To the Big Four, these so-called legendary tools weren't hard to find at all.
They simply didn't care.
Because they knew the truth: these kitchenware weren't blessings. They consumed the wielder's lifespan.
The Big Four had once considered sealing them away entirely—but doing so would provoke the Taiji Cuisine Realm directly.
To avoid a full-blown conflict, they chose to leave the tools alone.
But now, one of those kitchenware had wandered onto their territory.
If they ignored it, trouble was guaranteed.
It was a hot potato—and Master Yuxian had no interest in holding onto it.
That was why, after hearing Arman's report, he locked onto the Qi signature within Mt. Qingzhao and rushed over.
The Big Four all possessed terrifying perception—but only when it came to Qi.
But neither could determine exact positions without more information.
Kael had Qi within his body—and more importantly, he wasn't suppressing it.
That was how Master Yuxian found him.
If Kael had concealed his presence, Master Yuxian wouldn't have sensed anything at all.
In Toriko's inheritance, even the most basic concealment technique—Erasing Presence, taught by Coco—could completely hide one's life force.
In other worlds, that would be considered an ultimate stealth technique.
In the Gourmet World, it was just the basics.
Unfortunately, Kael hadn't learned it yet. He had only recently received the inheritance.
Besides, neither the Food Wars world nor the Cooking Master Boy world posed any real threat to him, so he hadn't bothered paying attention to concealment.
Right now, Master Yuxian was truly shaken.
He had initially assumed this was just another reckless kitchenware heir who didn't know the limits of his own life.
Now?
That assumption was laughable.
This kid didn't lack brain—he had confidence born from overwhelming strength.
After calming his racing thoughts, Master Yuxian descended and landed in front of Kael.
"Greetings, young man."
"Hello, Master Yuxian," Kael replied politely. "My name is Kael. Is there something you were looking for?"
Truth be told, Kael had already planned to visit Master Yuxian himself—after gathering more ingredients.
Since Master Yuxian had come to him instead, Kael decided to go along and pay a visit now.
"I heard from Arman that a successor of the Legendary Kitchenware barged straight into Mt. Qingzhao," Master Yuxian said with a chuckle. "This place is extremely dangerous, so I came to check. But from the looks of it… it doesn't seem dangerous to you at all."
"Since you're fine," he continued, "how about coming to my place for a visit?"
"Of course," Kael answered without hesitation. "I've long heard the legends of the Big Four. Being able to visit you is an honor."
Kael hadn't yet reached the level of a Supreme Dragon Chef. In terms of culinary skill alone, there was still a significant gap between him and Master Yuxian.
Naturally, he intended to learn whatever he could.
"In that case, let's head out," Master Yuxian said, then hesitated. "Although…"
He glanced at the massive corpse.
This three-headed python had to weigh over a ton.
He couldn't move it.
Qi allowed him to avoid beasts and fly freely—but it didn't let him haul something this heavy through the air.
"Oh, that?" Kael waved it off. "No problem. Leave it to me."
He grabbed some nearby vines, tied them around the two severed sections of the snake, and began dragging the enormous corpse along the ground.
He hadn't put the snake into his storage space earlier because the commotion had been too big—and Master Yuxian had arrived too quickly.
Dragging it was simpler.
"You're just… dragging it like that?" Master Yuxian stared in disbelief.
As they moved, Master Yuxian released his Qi to ward off nearby beasts.
Just as Kael had suspected, the so-called "safe route" through Mt. Qingzhao had been created by Master Yuxian himself.
Qi was used to keep the beasts at bay.
Now, with Kael and such an enormous prey in tow, flying directly wasn't practical—so they traveled on foot.
The two chatted as they went.
Master Yuxian originally thought Kael's speed would suffer while dragging such a massive corpse.
He was wrong.
Kael moved as if nothing weighed him down at all.
Whenever the terrain became unsuitable for dragging, Kael simply hoisted the entire snake up and kept walking.
Watching this inhuman display of strength left Master Yuxian speechless.
He didn't ask questions.
After all, there were legends even in ancient times of people who could lift tri-heads with ease. Perhaps Kael was simply born with monstrous strength.
Still, from Master Yuxian's perception, Kael wasn't just strong—his vitality was terrifyingly abundant.
Far beyond anyone Master Yuxian had ever encountered.
This was the effect of Gourmet Cells.
They enhanced the body in every possible way—strength, senses, endurance, even lifespan.
That was why figures like Ichiryu in the Gourmet World could live for over five hundred years.
If not for dying in battle, who knew how long they could've lived?
In Master Yuxian's eyes, Kael could be described with only three words:
Impossible to fathom.
Under Master Yuxian's guidance, they reached a cliffside path—where another problem arose.
The road ahead was connected by narrow chains.
"With prey that large, you won't be able to cross here," Master Yuxian said helplessly.
Normally, they would butcher their game and have multiple people carry portions back.
Dragging an entire beast like this was unheard of.
Even if the chains could support the weight, crossing them would be a nightmare.
"That's easy."
Kael didn't hesitate.
"With a single swing, he hurled the massive python—vines and all—so it slammed against the rock face beside the chains, hanging there under its own weight."
Then he stepped onto the chains himself, clearing the way ahead.
The chains creaked… but held.
Master Yuxian realized he'd worried for nothing and followed after him.
After some time, they finally reached Master Yuxian's residence.
Eggs were piled everywhere.
Egg-based cuisine was Master Yuxian's specialty—and even his Qi resembled an eggshell when he flew.
"Master, you're back!"
One of the eggs suddenly hopped out of the pile and transformed into a small girl.
Kael glanced at her.
Despite her appearance, she was at least on the level of a mountain-grade beast.
This Egg Child had been by Master Yuxian's side since Malyu's era.
In other words—an ancient monster.
"All right, all right," Master Yuxian said with a smile. "Go have everyone prepare. We have a guest."
The Egg Child hurried off.
At first, Master Yuxian had treated Kael as nothing more than a promising junior—a kitchenware successor.
Now?
He knew better.
This was someone who had to be treated as an equal.
In cooking, Kael might still be inferior.
In combat?
Everyone on Mt. Qingzhao combined wouldn't stand a chance.
In this era, strength mattered.
The Dark Cooking Society and the Taiji Cuisine Realm acted without restraint not just because of their culinary skill—but because of their power.
If they didn't like you, they'd challenge you to cooking first.
Lose?
Then they'd resort to underhanded methods.
That was why the Dark Cooking Society was so rampant.
Kael's strength alone was enough to let him run wild in the culinary world.
Master Yuxian naturally intended to treat him properly.
"A guest…?" the Egg Child muttered, finally noticing Kael—and then the three-headed python.
Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
She might be ancient, but her combat strength wasn't high.
Against beasts like this, she would flee on sight.
Yet here it was.
Being dragged in like luggage.
Anyone with eyes could tell how absurdly heavy that thing was.
The surrounding paths were narrow enough that even walking alone was difficult—yet Kael had brought this monster all the way here.
Master Yuxian had built his residence here partly as a defense.
Only one narrow route led in.
Most beasts couldn't approach at all.
While Qi could repel weaker beasts, monsters like the python Kael dragged in were a different story.
This location was the safest option.
As for why he chose this place—
First, Mt. Qingzhao produced exceptional ingredients.
Second, it was quiet.
Before moving here, Master Yuxian had been inundated with visitors daily.
Even if he turned them away, the constant interruptions were exhausting.
So he chose isolation.
The construction had been troublesome—but living here now was more than worth it.
________________
I've noticed fewer comments and Power Stones recently, so I want to be upfront. Kael will remain in the Cooking Master Boy world until roughly Chapter 180.
I would like to hear you opinion on weather I should skip this arc briefing power progression or keep as is.