---
The Crimson Cart of Calamity trembled as culinary energies clashed midair. Chef Hollow Flame stood at the center of the banquet hall, eyes glowing with forbidden broth aura. Behind him, the Ninefold Recipe Scroll unfurled, each line shimmering with sacred ingredients and catastrophic side effects.
Lady Lotusfire stepped back, torn between loyalty and self-preservation. "Hollow Flame… you said this banquet was to unite the rogue chefs—not destroy the menu of reality!"
Chef Hollow Flame's laugh echoed like a rolling wok. "Unity is overrated. Oblivion Bouillabaisse, however? Exquisite."
He raised his ladle-scepter, and the room darkened.
Suddenly, time warped. The desserts reversed their melting. The spicy jazz band started playing in reverse. Someone in the back screamed as their sushi unrolled itself.
Lin Feng felt the Ninth Seal on his palm ignite. His vision blurred—and then focused.
The Ninefold Recipe was nearly complete.
Only one ingredient remained.
And Hollow Flame's eyes locked onto him.
"The Ninth Seal… is the last ingredient."
---
Let the Cooking Combat Begin
Flame Duck hurled a Sour Plum Grenade into the air, shouting, "FOR FLAVOR AND CHAOS!"
It exploded into a burst of bitter fog, obscuring their movements.
Lin Feng charged forward with his twin chop-blades drawn, slashing through enchanted menu barriers and sizzling oil shields. Hollow Flame countered with a flick of his ladle, summoning a Tornado of Fermented Tofu that nearly knocked Lin Feng off his feet.
Bai Xue danced through the chaos, her Tempura Fan slicing through enemies with surgical elegance. "I'll handle the side dishes," she said, tossing tempura stars at incoming cultist chefs.
Each one exploded into oily screams.
Meanwhile, Flame Duck leapt onto a moving tray and began his signature technique: The Duckplosion Spiral—a whirling storm of poultry-powered flame.
"BOOM, BABY!"
He collided with Hollow Flame midair, knocking him into the centerpiece—a giant gelatin tower.
Hollow Flame emerged moments later, soaked in wobbling jelly and not amused.
"Very well," he hissed. "Let's see how you handle… the final form of my Forbidden Technique—"
He slammed his ladle into the ground.
"CURRY APOCALYPSE: SPICE LEVEL INFINITY!"
A mushroom cloud of molten curry exploded from his body, covering the battlefield in glowing gold.
Everyone screamed. Reality wobbled. A waiter turned into soup.
---
Lin Feng's Hidden Power Awakens
Lin Feng was blasted across the banquet hall and slammed into a floating hotpot fountain. Steam hissed around him. He coughed, eyes blurry from ultra-spice vapor.
Then… a vision.
An old man in white robes appeared in the mist. His eyes were serene, his aura calm, his hands holding a spatula that shone with starlight.
"Lin Feng," the old man said. "You are my descendant. You must awaken the true form of the Ninth Seal—the Dumpling of Destiny."
"What."
"You heard me."
The vision faded—and the Ninth Seal on his palm exploded with light. A golden dumpling formed midair, swirling with past, present, and umami. It hovered before him, then flew into his chest with a soft boop.
He stood.
Hair windswept.
Eyes glowing.
"Let's wrap this up."
---
Final Clash: Dumpling vs Ladle
Lin Feng launched himself forward, new energy crackling around him.
The Dumpling of Destiny Technique – First Layer: Folding Reality
He spun through Hollow Flame's spice storm, every move folding space like dough. He appeared behind him in a flash.
Second Layer: Flavor Overload
He struck with palm strikes imbued with the essence of ultimate dumpling stuffing—shrimp, pork, mushroom, hope, and vengeance.
Third Layer: Steam Reversal
He flipped the temperature of the entire room, reversing Hollow Flame's Curry Apocalypse into a mildly warm stew.
The crowd gasped.
Hollow Flame roared.
"You dare challenge my cuisine with a—snack?!"
But it was too late.
Lin Feng activated the final technique.
Dumpling of Destiny – Ninth Layer: Heaven's Wrap
A celestial dumpling formed above them, massive and glowing, and ate Hollow Flame whole.
Yes. The dumpling ate him.
There was silence.
Then the dumpling burped.
Lady Lotusfire whispered, "I have no idea what just happened. But I respect it."
---
Aftermath – The Cart's Descent
With Hollow Flame consumed and the Ninefold Recipe disintegrating, the Crimson Cart began to fall from the sky.
Lin Feng grabbed the controls—an ornate steering wheel made entirely of fried lotus root—and guided the Cart down to a gentle crash-landing on a pile of fluffy rice in the Jade Province.
The rogue chefs, freed from Hollow Flame's aura, began cheering.
"Chef Vengeance!"
"Long live the Ninth Seal!"
"Can someone uncook me?! I'm still a soup!"
---
Back at the Dim Sum Sect
Master Zhou wept as he read the headlines from the Daily Dumpling Scroll:
"Culinary Cult Foiled by Legendary Snack Warrior"
"You've done it, Lin Feng," Zhou said. "But this is only the appetizer. The true banquet is still ahead."
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. "You mean there's more?"
A shadow passed over the sun.
A note floated down from the sky, landing in Lin Feng's hand. It read:
"To the Bearer of the Ninth Seal—come to the Sacred Skillet Isles. The next ingredient awaits. And this time… we stir-fry."
Flame Duck gasped. "No… not the Isles. That's where the Egg Elders live."
Bai Xue frowned. "And the scrambled assassins."
Lin Feng nodded. "Then it's time we packed extra soy sauce.