Chapter 26: Feast of the Flaming Feast!

Lin Feng had no idea that victory in a cooking duel could come with so many complications. As soon as the arena was cleared and the last of the dumpling clones disintegrated into harmless flour dust, the clan elders gathered in a solemn circle around Lin Feng. Their faces, usually filled with stoic wisdom, were now painted with equal parts awe and fear.

Elder Bai, his hair singed and his robes slightly charred, stood at the center of the gathering. "Young Lin Feng, you've done the impossible. Defeating Zheng Fu with nothing more than a ladle and dumplings? Incredible. But you've also made an unthinkable decision."

Lin Feng scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I… I thought I was just cooking up some good food?"

Master Quack waddled up to Lin Feng, his wings flapping as if trying to fan himself off. "Quack! You thought? That's your problem, lad! You've cooked up a disaster! Do you know how hard it is to clean chili stains out of the Golden Wok's main kitchen? It's sacrilege!"

Lin Feng turned to face Master Quack, trying not to laugh. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad. The chili bombs made things... interesting."

"Interesting?!" Master Quack screeched, flapping his wings. "This isn't some food battle where you can just toss in random ingredients! You've opened a can of spicy worms, my friend. The clan has now declared a Feast of the Flaming Feast, and you are its guest of honor!"

Lin Feng froze. "Wait, what? I thought I was done with fighting food-based powers for the day?"

Elder Bai stepped forward with a sigh. "Oh, Lin Feng, you've made the ultimate mistake. The Golden Wok Clan's tradition is that any culinary victory—especially one as explosive as yours—must be celebrated with the Feast of the Flaming Feast."

Lin Feng's eyes widened in horror. "Flaming Feast? Is that... like a casual dinner?"

Master Quack's beady eyes twinkled with mischief. "Casual? My dear Lin Feng, the Flaming Feast is the most dangerous culinary tradition of the Golden Wok Clan. Only those who have truly mastered the art of fire and spice are allowed to partake. It involves cooking with ingredients so fiery that the kitchen turns into a battle arena. And the dishes must be plated without bursting into flames."

Lin Feng looked around nervously. "Are you serious? I was just trying to survive a cooking duel!"

Elder Bai chuckled darkly. "You've made your bed, young chef. Now, you'll cook in it."

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The Next Day: The Golden Wok's Kitchen Inferno

The Golden Wok Clan's kitchen had been transformed into something straight out of a fiery dream—or perhaps a nightmare. Massive cauldrons bubbled with molten broth, flames licked the ceiling, and ingredients from all corners of the culinary world were scattered across long wooden tables. The air smelled like a mix of fiery spice, roast meat, and an unsettling amount of burnt garlic.

Lin Feng stood in front of the massive stove, his ladle in hand, staring down a mountain of ingredients that could easily rival an army's supply of food. Elder Bai, Master Quack, and several other members of the clan watched from the sidelines, their faces grim.

"This is no small feat, Lin Feng," Elder Bai warned. "The Feast of the Flaming Feast demands that you cook with power, precision, and fire. Failure to do so could result in... well, let's just say, unpredictable consequences."

"Like what?" Lin Feng asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Master Quack waddled up to Lin Feng with a sly grin. "Like turning into a giant fire-breathing dragon, for one! Or—" he lowered his voice "—your dish exploding so violently that it takes out half of the clan's best dishes. We've seen it all."

Lin Feng gulped. "Okay… maybe I'm not as ready as I thought."

But there was no turning back now. Lin Feng took a deep breath, raised his ladle, and started to prepare the first dish: Inferno Dumplings, stuffed with spicy fire-peppers and drizzled with a secret sauce that was rumored to make even the most seasoned chefs break a sweat. He began to roll the dough with shaky hands, trying to steady his nerves. But just as he was about to steam them, the Fiery Golden Dragon Pepper rolled off the table and burst into flames.

"Not again!" Lin Feng yelped, quickly trying to douse the flames with a nearby pot of water. But instead of extinguishing them, the water only made the fire flare up even higher. The entire kitchen was soon engulfed in a fiery inferno, the air sizzling with the heat of a thousand peppers.

Master Quack, who had been observing from a safe distance, shrieked in panic. "Quack! Quack! You're supposed to put out the fire, not add to it! This is a kitchen, not a volcano!"

Lin Feng waved his ladle frantically. "It's not my fault! The Dragon Pepper went rogue!"

Elder Bai looked down at Lin Feng's chaotic cooking. "It seems you've managed to spice up the situation a little too much. Careful, or the Flaming Feast may turn into a Flaming Fiasco."

But Lin Feng refused to back down. "No. I can do this. I have the Legendary Ladle of Destiny!"

With newfound confidence, Lin Feng dived back into the cooking. He tossed in handfuls of Firestorm Basil and stirred the pot with an intensity that rivaled a thunderstorm. The air crackled with energy as the dish began to take shape.

Then, with a final flourish, he grabbed the Flameburst Dumplings and delicately plated them—just as a fiery explosion sent a cloud of smoke into the air. Lin Feng coughed, waving the smoke away. "Oops."

The feast was almost ready, but not without a few more misadventures. Lin Feng was covered in spices, sweat, and chili stains, but somehow, the dishes were coming together. The final touch was a dish he had never attempted before: Blazing Wok Fiery Phoenix. This dish required a perfect balance of flame and finesse, something Lin Feng wasn't sure he had.

Master Quack peered over his shoulder, muttering under his breath. "It better not burst into flames again..."

Lin Feng stood tall. "I can handle it. I'm a chef now! I'm ready to face anything."

With a dramatic flourish, Lin Feng tossed the final ingredient into the pan, watched as it sizzled, and—miraculously—managed to serve up a perfectly plated Blazing Wok Fiery Phoenix. The dish shimmered with an ethereal golden glow, radiating warmth without setting the entire kitchen on fire.

Master Quack, still trying to recover from the chaos, gave a slow, cautious nod. "Not bad, kid... not bad. You've got some real fire in you. Now, let's just hope it doesn't... explode."

Elder Bai gave a proud smile. "Well done, Lin Feng. You've passed the Feast of the Flaming Feast with flying colors—and without setting the clan on fire."

Lin Feng let out a sigh of relief. "I guess that's a win?"

Master Quack waddled over, puffing out his chest. "A win? You've survived the Flaming Feast and actually cooked something edible. You've truly ascended to legendary status. Now... who's going to clean up this mess?"

Lin Feng looked around the kitchen, which was now a warzone of scorched ingredients and flour-dusted chaos. "Uh... you?"

"Quack! I should've known!" Master Quack groaned, waddling off.

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