The moment the clear soup entered her throat, Erina even felt as if she had fallen into a human paradise.

Surrounded by high mountains and flowing water, with layers of forests, Erina, deep in the Yamanaka, felt the gentle breeze caress her face, but then, a clear cry echoed from the sky.

Looking up at the sky, Erina saw a sight she would never forget.

A gigantic monster bird with five tails, after passing through layers of clouds, suddenly reborn from fire, transformed into a golden giant phoenix.

Its original five tails gradually turned into the phoenix's golden tail feathers within the clouds, and the feathers on its body, covered by flames, also became dazzling, showcasing the aura of the king of birds to its fullest.

And after a series of cries that echoed through the clouds, the phoenix, reborn from fire in the sky, finally landed on a giant cabbage.

The moment the phoenix landed, the seemingly ordinary cabbage, under the influence of the phoenix's aura and flames, also began to undergo a rapid transformation, until it too turned into a golden, shimmering Sycamore tree.

Looking at the phoenix, which exuded a noble and sacred aura, Erina felt that such a divine bird could only be admired from afar; even a single step closer would be a blasphemy against the divine beast.

The descent of the divine bird phoenix also filled the entire land with glow and holiness. Erina, enveloped in the phoenix's sacred light, felt warmth throughout her body, and even the fatigue in her body instantly vanished.

When she opened her eyes again, she realized that everything just now was merely an illusion.

However, the warm feeling in her body was retained.

"Sycamore tree and Phoenix, a mythical legend of China..."

And as Erina looked at the "boiled cabbage in clear soup" in front of her with a surprised expression, Gin Dojima, who was sitting beside her, also put down his spoon and murmured.

Obviously, she was not the only one who saw the phoenix and the Sycamore tree.

And soon, the reactions of the other Totsuki Elite Ten graduates also proved this point.

After drinking the first sip of soup, the Elite Ten graduates, acting as judges, all had extremely surprised expressions on their faces.

Apparently, they had not expected that Seiya's dish could reach such a level.

"What exactly is that feeling that warms the body?"

Inui Hinako and Mizuhara Fuyumi wanted to find out the secret of the ingredients, but looking at the clear soup in front of them, which looked like plain water, they also showed a wry smile.

"It's some traditional Chinese medicine!" X2

The ones who simultaneously revealed the secret of Seiya's dish were Gin Dojima and Erina.

Gin Dojima could tell because of his rich experience and his skill as a chef, which surpassed that of Mizuhara Fuyumi and others.

As for Erina's ability to discern the secret of the ingredients, it was entirely due to her "God Tongue" being powerful enough.

Although Seiya had put some qi-tonifying and calming traditional Chinese medicine along with spices into a spice bag, the sweetness inherent in the medicinal cuisine had been masked by the spices and the meaty aroma in the soup. Yet, facing Erina, who possessed the "God Tongue," it was still tasted.

Although Erina was not sure what traditional Chinese medicine Seiya added, she could taste it because Hisako, who had been by her side for many years, specialized in medicinal cuisine.

Regardless of Seiya's dish or Kojiro Shinomiya's dish, all five judges present had eaten everything.

Gin Dojima distributed four coins into the hands of Erina and the others, indicating that if they supported someone to win, they should put the coin in their hand into the plate in front of that person.

And after explaining the rules, Gin Dojima stepped forward first, and with Kojiro Shinomiya's incredulous expression, he placed the coin in his hand in front of Seiya.

"Gin Dojima, could you please tell me where I lost?"

Among the judges present, Kojiro Shinomiya cared the most about Gin Dojima's evaluation, but he did not expect his admired senior to cast his vote for his opponent at the first opportunity.

"This time was truly a coincidence. Both you and Seiya chose vegetables and poultry as dream ingredients for your dishes.

French Cuisine emphasizes plating and color. Although exquisite, it lacks a certain warmth.

Chinese Cuisine focuses more on flavor. Although seemingly simple, it is rich in profound meaning and warmth.

Of course, the cooking methods vary by region, and the target audience is different, so let's not discuss who is superior or inferior for now. Your "Chou Farci" is not inferior to Seiya's "boiled cabbage in clear soup" in terms of both taste and texture.

But the one point where you lost is that you lacked consideration for the customer's feelings."

"Customer's feelings? But isn't it enough for a dish to just taste good?" Kojiro Shinomiya was still somewhat confused by Gin Dojima's words.

"Seiya, do you have any more of your 'boiled cabbage in clear soup' left?"

Seeing Kojiro Shinomiya's bewildered expression, Inui Hinako looked at Seiya and asked.

"There's no more cabbage heart, but there should be some clear soup left."

After hearing Seiya's words, Inui Hinako quickly walked to Seiya's pot, and again scooped a bowl of steaming hot clear soup, which looked like plain water, and walked to Kojiro Shinomiya.

"Shinomiya, drink this bowl of soup, and you will understand why Gin Dojima said that.

Shinomiya, do you cook for others or for yourself?

Although I have always admired you, I regret to say that this time, I will also cast my vote for Seiya."

Erina was not close to Kojiro Shinomiya, and her choice had already been made; her "God Tongue" had given the answer.

So when Erina also cast her vote for Seiya, the outcome of this Food War was already quite clear.

And seeing that the overall situation was decided, Mizuhara Fuyumi and Donato Gotoda directly chose to abstain, which was considered to save Kojiro Shinomiya the last bit of face.

Although they all greatly admired Kojiro Shinomiya, as chefs, they at least had their professional integrity.

It was impossible for them to cast their votes for him just because they had a better relationship with Kojiro Shinomiya.

If the votes between Seiya and Kojiro Shinomiya were evenly matched at that moment, they would also follow their own wishes and cast their votes.

And seeing that the outcome was already quite clear, Kojiro Shinomiya also understood where he had lost, so he picked up the bowl handed to him by Inui Hinako and took a sip.

The moment the clear soup entered his mouth, Kojiro Shinomiya immediately fell into the same illusion as Erina and the others before, and even with his rich experience, he also tasted the faint herbal flavor in the dish.

Cooking is meant to make people feel happy, not a tool for chasing fame and fortune. But he seemed to have not considered the feelings of his customers for a long time, and only cooked for himself...