Chapter 103: Wealthy and Generous

While the group was still searching for a way to enter the City Lord’s Mansion…Lu Ran had already been invited in by the mansion itself…

Bai Ling and the others were immediately thrown off balance. A cheating player, huh!

Fortunately, the opposing attribute in this secret realm wasn’t too strong. Otherwise, they really wouldn’t know how to compete with Lu Ran.

The group exchanged subtle glances at Bai Ling, as if to say, “Sister White Tiger, there must have been a reason why Passerby A was above you back then. This guy is indeed a freak.”

“Tch!” Bai Ling was still unconvinced. Now, she had suppressed Pluto, who had run off to Infinite City No.5, but her enhanced strength had yet to be tested against Passerby A. Bai Ling had always wanted to understand the full extent of Passerby A’s abilities.

She wondered if she could witness it this time in the breakthrough secret realm…

“Well, there’s no choice… The five of us will have to figure it out ourselves,” Deer As Horse said with a bitter expression, not wanting to miss this opportunity.

Sometimes, the side quests that challengers discover in the breakthrough secret realm can yield richer rewards than the breakthrough task itself!

This is the allure of the breakthrough secret realm.

Some official strategy team members even intentionally stay at a certain level, deliberately failing breakthrough tasks just to keep exploring the secret realm world. Of course… doing so comes with increasing risks.

After all, walking by the river often enough, you’re bound to get your feet wet.

“Why don’t you go ask Shopkeeper Long?” Lu Ran suggested.

“Let’s go, let’s ask Shopkeeper Long,” Bai Ling called out, having now become the de facto spiritual leader of the four. After all, before Lu Ran’s identity was revealed, she was the strongest among the five.

“Good luck.”

Soon, Lu Ran saw the group off… Once they were gone, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued to lie down and rest.

Sleep, sleep. Practice again in the afternoon. As long as you don’t die from practice, just practice to death.

…

That afternoon.

One man and one dog continued their battle in the kitchen.

One fruit after another floated in mid-air, awaiting the blessing of the Cooking Utensil. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

In this small process, energy release: control objects with wind, and energy release: sword intent residue, were both being practiced.

At this moment, what Lu Ran didn’t know was that the fruit platter he had sliced up at noon had already become the stuff of legends throughout Ning Chuan City.

The major beast taming families in Ning Chuan City had all heard that a divine chef who mastered a special Culinary Intent had arrived at the Frost Moon Pavilion. This chef would occasionally gift customers with a fruit platter as a complimentary treat.

“What kind of marketing strategy is this?” many factions speculated.

City Lord’s Mansion.

A handsome young man was popping grapes into his mouth, mumbling, “Dad, I found out that the chef who slices the fruit platter isn’t one of Frost Moon Pavilion’s old masters. He’s actually very young and just recently started learning there!”

“The fruit he slices is genuinely delicious. He must possess some ice and snow type Culinary Intent. Just one bite made me feel like I was in heaven. When can we get a chef with Culinary Intent at our home?”

“I specifically asked Shopkeeper Long to have this young chef prepare refreshing fruit for the grand banquet two days from now. You love talent, don’t you? See if there’s a chance to invite him to be a chef at the City Lord’s Mansion.”

“That’s difficult!”

The City Lord of Ning Chuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at a painting on the wall, and said, “Someone with Culinary Intent doesn’t necessarily cook exquisite cuisine, but without it, one certainly can’t cook peerless dishes.”

“Such a person, let alone our City Lord’s Mansion, wouldn’t stay long even in Canglan Province.”

“Can’t we just throw money at him?” the young man from the City Lord’s Mansion asked.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” the City Lord of Ning Chuan replied.

It’s a pity Lu Ran didn’t know about this conversation. Otherwise, he’d definitely be willing to “sell himself,” and for a high price!

Moreover, he’d be grateful that the challengers in the breakthrough secret realm were so intelligent and accommodating!

As long as the resources were in place, Lu Ran, who had wandered all his life… would willingly serve as a chef.

After all, once 30 days passed, it would all vanish like smoke, and he wouldn’t really have to stay.

The City Lord of Ning Chuan turned to his son, “Stop eating for now. When I host the breakthrough banquet, many young talents will gather. As my son, you’ll have to show your skills. Whether I can keep my face depends on you.”

“Don’t worry,” the handsome young man said. “Among the younger generation of Canglan Province, don’t you know my strength?”

“When I make a move, I’ll definitely dominate the crowd!”

The City Lord of Ning Chuan had broken through to Level 5, becoming one of the rare Level 5 beastmasters in Canglan Province. This was big news, and countless invitations were sent out, with various factions sending representatives to offer their congratulations.

As the most famous restaurant in Canglan Province, Frost Moon Pavilion was packed with guests these past few days, and Lu Ran’s workload increased significantly.

Soon, the day of the City Lord’s grand banquet arrived. Frost Moon Pavilion was closed for the day, and Shopkeeper Long, along with a group of assistant chefs, headed to the City Lord’s Mansion.

The City Lord’s Mansion had invited many guests this time, and relying solely on its chefs wouldn’t be sufficient. Therefore, the City Lord of Ning Chuan had also hired several top chefs from Frost Moon Pavilion at a high price to help out.

“Listen up, I’m talking to you apprentices,” Shopkeeper Long said, glaring at Deer As Horse and the others on the way. “I brought you here as you requested, but until you finish your tasks, don’t wander around the City Lord’s Mansion. If anything comes up, contact me immediately. Got it?”

Their tasks were essentially cleaning, serving tea, and pouring water.

Bai Ling and the others looked resentful. It was frustrating to sneak into the City Lord’s Mansion under such a guise, but Shopkeeper Long had promised that once they finished their tasks, they could participate in the various activities at the City Lord’s Mansion. This reassurance made Bai Ling and the others feel more at ease.

As long as they didn’t miss the side quest of the City Lord’s grand banquet, it was fine…

Compared to them, Lu Ran was much more relaxed.

The City Lord’s Mansion had prepared a kitchen for each of the top chefs from Frost Moon Pavilion, and Lu Ran was even given his own. It was well-stocked with various fruits, most of which were high-quality spiritual fruits.

Although the workload was heavy, these were all valuable items. Lu Ran and General Ha could nibble on some leftovers while working, which made the situation quite pleasant.

Among the chefs who had come, Shopkeeper Long was most worried about Lu Ran, so he personally stayed with Bai Ling and the others outside Lu Ran’s kitchen to keep watch…

Initially, Bai Ling and the others didn’t understand why. But when they peeked and saw a dog, Erha, holding a cleaver and slicing fruits alongside Lu Ran, they were struck speechless. Oh, that’s why… It indeed wasn’t suitable for the people in the City Lord’s Mansion to see this.

As expected of you, Passerby A! You always manage to pull off something unexpected!

Who knew a pet beast could be used this way?

“Why are you standing there? Hurry up and serve the sliced fruit! The best time to enjoy it is less than five minutes! Remind the guests to eat it immediately!” Shopkeeper Long shouted. Bai Ling and the others quickly became Lu Ran’s assistants.

With resigned expressions, they carried the fruit platters swiftly to the banquet hall. Among them, Bai Ling felt the most exasperated, hoping that these people would keep their mouths shut. Otherwise, if news spread that Bai Ling from the Four Saints Guild ended up as Passerby A’s helper in the breakthrough secret realm, it would definitely trend on social media again.

At the moment, the banquet hall was bustling with activity. Dozens of tables surrounded a massive arena, and several hundred elegantly dressed guests of all ages were chatting and laughing.

In the Beast Taming Empire, banquets were all about fighting and eating—that was the national style.

“The fruit platters are only being served now?” Some guests at a few tables saw Deer As Horse and the others bringing in the fruit platters and shook their heads. They felt the City Lord’s Mansion was underprepared; such items should have been on the tables in advance.

However, as some guests felt thirsty and casually took a piece of fruit to eat, the atmosphere in one corner of the banquet quickly turned peculiar.

“Don’t grab it!”

“Leave me a piece!”

“Hey, you’ve had three pieces already. Haven’t you eaten fruit before?”

The fruit platters at the few tables were instantly emptied, and even a scuffle broke out, drawing the attention of nearby tables, who all wanted to know what was happening.

“The City Lord of Ning Chuan is truly generous, inviting a chef with culinary intent to slice the fruit. Ice and snow culinary intent is quite rare. In this scorching summer, it instantly feels much cooler!” An experienced elder stood up and praised.

Ice and snow culinary intent!

Upon hearing this, the scene became even more lively.

“What? A chef with ice and snow culinary intent is slicing the fruit platters?”

“We have to try it!”

“Ice and snow culinary intent, fruit platters… Could it be that the chef from Frost Moon Pavilion was invited? Frost Moon Pavilion recently had a chef who used ice and snow culinary intent to slice fruit!”

The guests, who were previously discussing the City Lord’s breakthrough to Level 5, were now completely captivated by the delicious fruit.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please be patient. Every table will receive a pre-dinner fruit platter. However, we have only one chef, and the fruit is best when sliced fresh, so your patience is appreciated,” the butler of the City Lord’s Mansion explained from the stage.

“In the meantime, while we wait for the delicious fruit, are there any young talents willing to showcase their beast taming skills? Many young beastmaster geniuses from Canglan Province are here tonight. As we all know, the City Lord values talent and has prepared generous rewards for those willing to display their skills.”

“Such a celebratory occasion wouldn’t be complete without an exciting beast taming battle to liven things up.”

“I’ll go!”

“Me too!” As soon as the butler finished speaking, several young beastmasters eagerly volunteered.

This kind of banquet was meant to be enjoyed with both good food and thrilling beast taming battles.

Soon, two beastmasters were fighting in the arena, while Bai Ling and the others, still carrying fruit platters, glanced over.

“Level 12, upper supernatural species, Flame Tail Fox.”

“Level 13, upper supernatural species, Hundred Flower Butterfly…”

“Their levels are so high.” At this point, seeing that even the random beastmasters stepping onto the stage had pet beasts of such high levels, Deer As Horse and the others felt a bit stressed.

Unlike the beastmasters on Blue Star, those on the Star-Moon Continent weren’t limited by Infinite City’s level restrictions.

However, this didn’t mean that beastmasters on the Star-Moon Continent leveled up quickly.

On the contrary, beastmasters on the Star-Moon Continent faced even more restrictions when leveling up.

For instance, when they contracted pet beasts, they didn’t have the black card and had to rely entirely on themselves to develop their beast taming space.

Developing and upgrading the beast taming space required the beastmaster to spend a lot of time meditating and training. If a beastmaster’s level didn’t keep up, it would also drag down and limit the growth of their pet beasts.

Most importantly, at each level—apprentice, level 1, level 2, and so on—beastmasters on the Star-Moon Continent had to find their own way to break through the bottlenecks. Unlike the beastmasters from Infinite City, who could naturally break through by completing the breakthrough secret realm.

So, compared to the beastmasters here, the challengers entering from Blue Star did have some advantages. At least in terms of growth speed, with the help of Infinite City, they could level up much faster.

In terms of resources, there’s no need to elaborate. Thanks to the unique nature of the breakthrough secret realm, Infinite City can be described as having “infinite resources.” One could farm a secret realm endlessly without issues. However, on the Star-Moon Continent, even ordinary resources are not infinitely obtainable.

“The chances don’t look good.” Seeing that even these two minor characters had such strength, Deer As Horse and the others felt it was going to be tough.

Among the five, only Bai Ling remained confident. She believed that within the same species, she could fight enemies several levels higher without any problem. This confidence came from being at the top of the Divine Beast Leaderboard.

With everyone’s hard work, Lu Ran soon completed the first batch of fruit platters. However, when he stepped out of the kitchen and saw the empty plates, he instantly realized that after the main course, he would likely be asked to prepare another round of fruit platters for each table.

“How’s it going?” Lu Ran asked as he approached Bai Ling and the others.

“It’s incredible! Every guest is raving about the fruit platters, saying it’s like the fruit was drugged. Your Culinary Intent is amazing!” The wilderness explorer said excitedly, “Passerby A, I’ve thought of a line for you. When people ask why your food is so delicious, just say, ‘It’s the Culinary Intent. I added Culinary Intent!’”

“I was asking about the situation in the arena.” Lu Ran’s mouth twitched. Who cares about the fruit platters!

“Oh, right… So far, no exceptionally monstrous beastmasters have taken the stage. Everyone’s level is around 10 to 20, with upper supernatural species.”

Lu Ran looked towards the arena. At that moment, a beastmaster commanding a wind-type giant eagle was battling another commanding a rock-type giant bear.

Levels 16 and 17, with each beastmaster having mastered 2 or 3 high-level energy techniques. Fortunately, there were no fusion traits involved, but it would still be a challenge for an ordinary breakthrough secret realm challenger.

Soon, the rock-type giant bear was defeated. Seeing this, the City Lord of Ning Chuan, seated in the main chair, smiled and said, “A splendid battle. Thank you both. But I wonder, why haven’t any of the most famous geniuses from Canglan Province taken the stage yet?”

“Is it because the prize I offered is too small?”

“Then let’s make it more interesting. For the next match, whoever can win three consecutive battles will get to choose one rare resource from the City Lord’s Mansion. Win four consecutive battles and choose two items. Win five consecutive battles, and you get to choose three!”

As he spoke, the butler beside him lifted a red cloth from a table, revealing a dazzling array of treasures. The table was covered with dozens of rare resources, each one shining brightly.

“Wow, the City Lord is generous.”

Upon seeing this, countless young beastmasters’ eyes turned red with excitement.

Not just them, even Deer As Horse and the others who had come from outside were visibly shaken.

“Holy cow! So many rare resources,” exclaimed She Pi. “Looks like they’re all quite valuable. Each one could sell for at least ten thousand crystal coins back home.”

“So this is what it’s like to be a Level 5 beastmaster. I love it.”

“Yeah, uh!” The pet shop owner was about to chime in, but when she turned around, she was startled to see Bai Ling and Passerby A, their eyes gleaming green with excitement.

“This guy is really wealthy,” Bai Ling said, staring intently at a piece of tiger bone.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran was fixated on three fruits, identified by his eye of data as lucid fruits.

“And very generous,” Lu Ran couldn’t help but say.

This is perfect!

He wasn’t greedy; as long as he could get those three lucid fruits, he’d be satisfied. They were exactly what he needed to enhance his learning ability and comprehension. It was a pity he hadn’t prepared for this beforehand. If he was heading to Dragon Valley to train his dragon culinary intent, these fruits would be invaluable.

“Does anyone dare…” The City Lord of Ning Chuan began, smiling. Just as he was about to have his son take the stage to build some reputation, a voice rang out from below.

“I will!” Lu Ran stepped forward. Bai Ling and the others were taken aback.

“Whoa, the big shot is so bold, ready to act right away?” Deer As Horse and She Pi were stunned by Lu Ran’s decisiveness.

Lu Ran didn’t want to wait any longer.

Is this social anxiety?

Social anxiety but the first to step forward?

Not far away, Shopkeeper Long, who had been watching the events unfold, was also surprised, looking at Lu Ran with a speechless expression.

“Huh? Which family are you from?” The City Lord asked curiously, finding Lu Ran unfamiliar.

“I’m the sudden death king, a chef at Frost Moon Pavilion. The fruit platters you all enjoyed earlier were sliced by me,” Lu Ran said shyly.

Everyone: ?

So young, but…

Go back and keep slicing fruit! There isn’t enough to go around. Why are you stepping up now? This schedule is way too packed!