King of Beasts

Chapter 116: Dragon Cuisine

If the Supernatural Divine Beast Leaderboard is dominated by fourth-generation beastmasters, then the Commander Divine Beast Leaderboard is contested by third and even second-generation beastmasters.

Currently, the pet beasts of first-generation beastmasters active on the front lines are generally at level 50. The pet beasts of second-generation beastmasters are in their forties, while those of third-generation beastmasters are at level 30.

Therefore, any third-generation beastmaster worth their salt has pet beasts that have already undergone three trait fusions and completed an initial evolution.

After this first evolution, pet beasts with decent potential are all aiming for the sovereign species. Even those whose evolutions weren’t particularly smooth usually belong to middle or upper commander species.

As a result, the pet beasts occupying the ten spots on the Commander Divine Beast Leaderboard are typically the cream of the “upper commander species,” virtually “quasi-sovereign species.” Their species potential has reached the pinnacle of commander species, almost touching sovereign species.

Competing against them is undoubtedly more challenging since they started cultivating their pet beasts a year or two earlier, achieving a higher level of cultivation.

However, if you can make it onto the Commander Divine Beast Leaderboard, the crystal coins you earn will certainly be more plentiful. Lu Ran doesn’t believe that the top spots on the commander and sovereign leaderboards only reward 100,000 crystal coins.

“Forget it,” Lu Ran said. “On the Supernatural Leaderboard, those beastmasters below me might make a lot, but I’ll never lose out.”

“With General Ha and Sudden Death King advancing to commander species, our chances of winning the Freshman Tournament are much higher. The tournament rewards surely can’t be less than the Divine Beast Leaderboard’s final rewards.”

“General Ha, now wielding the Ice Sky Greatsword, is comparable to a middle commander species. After integrating the Nature Control trait, it will surely reach upper commander species. As an upper commander, its skill development is so perfect that it still has a shot at the leaderboard.”

“If we have to compete with third-generation beastmasters, then so be it. To hell with them!” Lu Ran said fiercely.

For the sake of crystal coins, he wouldn’t spare these “seniors’ ” feelings.

“To hell with them! Stop saying ‘meow’ all the time. I suggest saying ‘to hell with them’ instead!” Manager Ying snapped.

As a cat, she couldn’t decide whether to praise Lu Ran for his tact or criticize him for his lack of it.

“Oh…” Lu Ran put on an innocent expression.

“Hmph, do whatever you like. Currently, no fourth-generation beastmaster in the world has managed to knock a third-generation beastmaster off the commander leaderboard. I’ll be looking forward to you being the first,” Manager Ying said, watching with interest.

If they succeeded, the first third-generation beastmaster to be dethroned could very well be written into history. Manager Ying gave a sly smile.

“Manager Ying, let’s head back!” Lu Ran planned to start training General Ha next.

He hoped to raise General Ha to level 20 before the Freshman Tournament ended. Currently, it was at level 16, just 4 levels short. With over 200,000 crystal coins at his disposal, Lu Ran believed there was a slim chance he could make it happen.

“Head back? Did you forget something?” Manager Ying frowned.

“What?” Lu Ran was puzzled.

“Are you really that dense from super beast mimicry? What about the fish, the fish!”

Manager Ying wasn’t expecting Lu Ran to cook something extraordinarily delicious, but there were indeed very few skilled supernatural chefs on Blue Star. She wanted to see if Lu Ran, who had undergone the trials of the chef’s secret realm and believed his culinary skills were now world-class, was actually as good as he claimed.

“Oh, my bad.” Lu Ran slapped his forehead and laughed. He quickly took out a small, exquisite pot in front of Manager Ying, its material resembling the luxurious green jade of an emperor.

It was the Spirit Transformation Pot!

The Spirit Transformation Pot had no spout, only a handle. Though it appeared small, opening the lid revealed an entirely different world inside鈥”a space cooking utensil that could even fit an entire cow.

However, the Spirit Transformation Pot had one limitation: it could only hold one ingredient at a time, presumably to prevent flavors from mixing.

As Lu Ran produced the Spirit Transformation Pot, Manager Ying’s eyes widened.

A treasure!

She instinctively thought.

It must be of exquisite-level!

Currently, exquisite-level items are the highest grade of equipment and tools that powerful beastmasters can possess.

As for epic equipment, it’s something that can make major nations fight red in the face. In any country, it would be considered a national treasure, far too extravagant for personal use.

Manager Ying was stunned. Where did Lu Ran get his hands on such a thing?

Taking out the Spirit Transformation Pot wasn’t the end. Lu Ran then retrieved half of a giant frozen Mutated Dragon Fish from his spatial equipment.

Although the freezing effect and the extra-dimensional space would preserve the fish to some extent, it was still a dead fish and had been stored for half a month. Lu Ran threw it into the Spirit Transformation Pot first.

“This pot…”

“This is the Spirit Transformation Pot, an exquisite-level Cooking Utensil. It can enhance the quality of ingredients. I got it as a reward in the novice breakthrough secret realm…” Lu Ran said casually.

“Wait, can you not speak so nonchalantly! You got an exquisite-level item from the novice breakthrough secret realm?!” Manager Ying’s focus had shifted from the fish to Lu Ran’s reward!

What exactly did Lu Ran do in the breakthrough secret realm to earn an exquisite-level Cooking Utensil?

Manager Ying was beginning to suspect that Lu Ran, this pretty boy, might have married into the imperial family of the Beast Taming Empire, becoming the princess’s consort.

“I got an SSS-level rating, so it makes sense that I’d be rewarded with an exquisite-level item, right…” Lu Ran explained.

Manager Ying: ?

Manager Ying was very clever, her mind racing. As one of the top intelligence dealers in Xia Country, her knowledge and vision were top-tier. She quickly pieced things together and asked tentatively:

“Did you by any chance use sword intent as Culinary Intent?” She hit the nail on the head. Currently, on Blue Star, even with the help of pet beasts, few beast taming chefs had mastered Culinary Intent. The techniques of shaping artistic conception and infusing it into utensils were still quite different.

There weren’t many third-generation beastmasters to begin with, and those with high talent were busy enhancing their strength, leaving few to delve into culinary manship.

Lu Ran and General Ha, due to the special nature of sword intent, had artistic conception attached to their utensils from the start, giving them a natural advantage in this path.

Understanding this, Manager Ying couldn’t help but show an expression that said, “You guys hit the jackpot.”

“Pretty much,” Lu Ran said with a slight smile. By this time, the Spirit Transformation Pot had already absorbed and converted the external natural energy, enhancing the Mutated Dragon Fish!

When Lu Ran took out the Mutated Dragon Fish again, its freshness was almost the same as if it had just been caught, if not even better.

“Let me show you a couple of tricks. Do you prefer your fish raw or cooked?” Lu Ran had discarded his Wind Cutter Sword, but he still had an ordinary kitchen knife in his backpack from the breakthrough secret realm, which could be used as a disposable Cooking Utensil.

“Cooked,” Manager Ying replied.

“OK, then I’ll make you some Flame Blade Grilled Fish.”

Lu Ran took out the kitchen knife and, with a sharp swing, cut off a large piece of fish meat. He then demonstrated his fine edge blade technique, slicing the fish into numerous small fillets, which landed neatly on the blade of the kitchen knife.

As Manager Ying wondered how Lu Ran was going to grill the fish, she saw flames rising from his hand. Within the flames, a dragon-shaped phantom roared, perfectly merging with the knife, causing Manager Ying’s expression to change slightly.

The flames wrapped around the knife blade, quickly heating the fish fillets. In just a moment, fish oil sizzled, releasing a delicious aroma. Amid the swirling white mist, the flames and mist seemed to transform into a giant dragon leaping out.

“What kind of flame is this?” Manager Ying’s extensive knowledge hit a blind spot.

What kind of ability did Lu Ran possess?

It could sense an astonishing artistic conception within the flames—was that… the artistic conception of the dragon?

Moreover, it was a very high-level artistic conception of the dragon!

“All set. The environment is a bit crude, so forgive the hospitality. Would you like to try it first?” After a simple grilling, Lu Ran took out some basic seasonings from his backpack and sprinkled them over the grilled fish fillets on the Flame Blade. Instantly, the aroma grew even stronger.

“I…” Manager Ying swallowed, enticed by the tantalizing aroma of the fish fillets.

Not just it, but General Ha and Sudden Death King beside it were also drooling.

Manager Ying quickly used its mental power to control a piece and put it into its mouth…

“Mmm”

Given Lu Ran’s seemingly simple culinary skills, Manager Ying initially had doubts about the taste of the food.

After all, with its status, it had tasted other foods imbued with chef’s will.

However, this time, Lu Ran’s Flame Blade Grilled Fish was entirely different from those dishes!

It was a flavor it had never encountered before!

The artistic conception of the dragon was already rare, and depending on the type of conception, integrating it into Cooking Utensils had varying levels of difficulty. Not to mention, this was the Flame Dragon Culinary Intent.

The Flame Dragon Culinary Intent combined with the Flame Sprite beast taming skill, specifically created for cooking, plus the dragon blood ingredient, Dragon Fish Meat, made this Flame Blade Grilled Fish an extraordinary dish in both taste and nutritional value, surpassing even the sashimi. It was truly top-tier.

This was, without a doubt, Dragon Cuisine!

After taking a bite, Manager Ying’s gem-like eyes widened.

It felt the grilled fish fillet melt in its mouth, the tender meat turning into juice, flowing from its mouth throughout its body.

Hot… warm… fragrant… delicious!

Although it was a cat, its face turned red in an instant, steam emanated from its body, and sweat began to form, dampening its fur.

Its lips moved subconsciously, feeling its blood boil, magma flowing inside, and its eyes grew hazy.

So hot, so warm, so fragrant! How could it taste this good?

At that moment, Manager Ying felt it wasn’t just eating a piece of fish. The exquisite taste was so heavenly it felt like it was floating to paradise.

Even though the nutritional value of the Flame Blade Grilled Fish wasn’t what Manager Ying needed the most, the dish’s flavor alone was enough to conquer the taste buds of many creatures.

“Give me another piece!” It snapped back to reality, only to see a Dragon Lizard grabbing a piece of Dragon Fish Meat with its claws and putting it into its mouth. A dog also grabbed a piece and was munching away.

Manager Ying: ???

You greedy jerks, don’t steal my food!!!

…

After Lu Ran, Manager Ying, and the others had their fill.

“What’s up with your flame and that artistic conception of the dragon?” Manager Ying asked, still puzzled.

Initially, it thought Lu Ran was planning to use the Blizzard Sword Intent to slice the fish, which is why it specifically asked for cooked fish. But Lu Ran’s newly displayed skill had taught it a valuable lesson. This guy really had some extraordinary talents!

“Another reward from the breakthrough task was a beast taming skill called Flame Sprite.”

“This skill was specifically developed by Yan Sizhen, the second-generation emperor of the Beast Taming Empire, to serve both culinary manship and forging.”

“I took this skill and went to the culinary cultivation holy land, Dragon Valley, in the Beast Taming Empire for deep meditation. There, I learned the Flame Dragon Culinary Intent by experiencing the Dragon Might of the Guardian Sacred Beast. It’s that simple.”

Lu Ran remained calm throughout, but Manager Ying’s mind was far from tranquil. Having been an intelligence dealer for so long, the information Lu Ran provided felt strangely unreal.

Did he really go through a breakthrough secret realm, or did he go on a shopping spree?

Could they truly be geniuses? Manager Ying glanced at General Ha and the dog-like Lu Ran.

“So, you chose Flame Sprite as your second beast taming skill instead of fusion?”

“Yes!” Lu Ran replied. “With Flame Sprite and the Flame Dragon Culinary Intent, cooking Dragon Cuisine will be much easier. Feeding Sudden Death King for a while and having it fuse with dragon traits at level 30 might even allow it to evolve into a purebred giant dragon!”

“The Beast Taming Empire’s emperor, Yan Sizhen, used this method to evolve purebred dragon species.”

“Perhaps I could become the second beastmaster to breed pure Loong-type species after Dr. Gu!” This was also one of the reasons Lu Ran chose Flame Sprite.

“You…” Manager Ying opened its mouth slightly, wanting to say something but stopped short. It glanced at General Ha and Sudden Death King, who had already passed out from the delicious heat, and decided against it.

It was afraid of being provoked by Lu Ran again.

Yan Sizhen, Dragon Valley… Those historical details were scarce. It would need to investigate thoroughly upon returning.

“Well…” Manager Ying fell silent. Just as Lu Ran was about to say something, his phone suddenly rang.

The caller was Fang Lan.

Lu Ran was taken aback and looked at Manager Ying. “Manager Ying, can you teleport me back to the city? My sister, the Five Poisons Cult Holy Maiden, has just come out of the breakthrough secret realm. I need to check on her.”

“Go ahead!” Manager Ying waved its paw and instantly teleported Lu Ran and his companions away. It then took out its own phone and looked at Gu Qingyi’s name in the contact list.

Qingyi, oh Qingyi, when will you return!!

Lu Ran’s breakthrough in the secret realm yielded such explosive intelligence that Manager Ying could hardly wait to share it with Gu Qingyi.

If you don’t return soon, your title of Loong Tamer might be in jeopardy!

Unlike Gu Qingyi’s unique and irreplicable method of dragon evolution, Lu Ran’s Dragon Cuisine, combined with exquisite-level dragon ingredients, Yan Sizhen’s Flame Sprite, and the special Flame Dragon Culinary Intent, might actually lead to a stable evolution of Loong-type species!

The main reason is that the flame dragon artistic conception Lu Ran mastered is of an exceptionally high level. Manager Ying felt an immensely pure Dragon Might within it!

Globally, there are a few pet beasts that have mastered the artistic conception of the dragon, but Manager Ying felt that those artistic conceptions couldn’t compare to Lu Ran’s flame dragon artistic conception. It judged that Lu Ran must have comprehended this conception from an upper overlord species, a True Dragon.

Dragon Cuisine prepared with such Culinary Intent had never been seen on Blue Star before.

“Wait, could that Flame Sprite also be applied to pet beasts?” Manager Ying suddenly thought. Beast taming skills must interact with pet beasts to be considered beast taming skills.

If only Lu Ran could use it, it wouldn’t be a beast taming skill.

In other words, General Ha and Sudden Death King’s performance earlier wasn’t even close to their full potential?

“I was planning to remind this guy not to get too arrogant. Among the Fourth Generation, there are others just as monstrous as him, some even proficient in double battles and double pet coordination. But now, it seems, if they encounter Passerby A, the outcome is still uncertain…”

“Although the team compatibility between that dog and the Dragon Lizard is generally low, the former’s individual strength is extraordinary, and the latter…”

Manager Ying’s expression hesitated. If that Flame Dragon Flame Sprite could be applied to the sub-dragon Sudden Death King, it felt that Sudden Death King’s strength would qualitatively improve, no less than Erha. The Flame Dragon Armor fusion… Lu Ran and his team likely hadn’t tried that yet either.

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