Five pairs of chopsticks fell one after another.
As they bit into the seared, fantastical meat, radiance flushed the faces of the judges, as if they were revived from the brink of death, transforming from expressionless to animated within seconds.
"Crack!"
Their ears echoed with the sound of something shattering.
Somewhere, an invisible shackle broke, a white flood surged toward a dam, and in an instant, a deluge overflowed.
This experience was entirely different from the spiritual enjoyment of Dojima Yin's dishes.
The 'River Puffer Whale meat,' seared to perfection, swept through their taste buds and the nerves of their mouths, overwhelming the mind and causing the judges' bodies to freeze, as if their characters had disconnected in a game. It took several minutes for them to recover from their dazed, robotic states.
"Whew—"
They breathed out, even the exhalation tinged with a rich seafood flavor.
Afterward, the judges lapsed into silence, no one speaking.
