Chapter 109: Perfect Breakthrough

[Name]: Dragon Fish[Attribute]: Water

[Species Level]: Upper Supernatural

[Growth Level]: Level 11

[Introduction]: A ferocious fish with a very faint trace of Dragon’s Bloodline.

The Dragon Fish is a large, sleek, streamlined creature with sharp teeth at the front of its jaw and serrated teeth at the back. Due to its trace amount of Dragon’s Bloodline, its combat power is formidable, and even out of water, it can thrash about with tremendous force.

The massive red Dragon Fish was speared by Lu Ran and General Ha. Lu Ran glanced at it and shook his head.

“Too weak, the fish meat is high quality at best. Next one, next one.”

Crunch.

General Ha controlled the Ice Sky Greatsword, shattering the ice. Before the Dragon Fish could react, General Ha swung the ice sword and chopped it up swiftly.

Lu Ran packed up the fish meat and then directed General Ha to continue spearing fish…

The sky-blue wind energy circled the Ice Sky Greatsword as General Ha controlled the energy, wielding the sword. Fortunately, the lake wasn’t deep; otherwise, General Ha would have a hard time spearing fish.

The current limit of its energy release control distance was only 50 meters. Beyond that, it would struggle.

Splash!

“Woof!”

In a moment, General Ha speared another Dragon Fish. Unfortunately, it was only level 9, and its meat was likely inferior to the previous one.

“……”

“What are they trying to achieve?” The three examiners were quite silent at this point.

Dragon Fish meat is already considered one of the top resources among high quality ingredients.

Lu Ran still wasn’t satisfied after getting the Dragon Fish?

It’s just a superior assessment; there’s no need to pursue such extremes…

However, the three examiners were increasingly amazed by General Ha’s abilities.

They couldn’t fathom how Lu Ran managed to train it.

The Dragon Fish dwell so deep, yet this dog could control energy release and spear fish so accurately without visual cues.

How was it even possible?

Did the sword grow eyes?

What they didn’t know was that General Ha had integrated the weapon mastery trait. At this moment, the Ice Sky Greatsword it wielded functioned almost like a part of its body, akin to its nose, eyes, and limbs.

Its body partially entering the water didn’t mean it lacked perception; it truly seemed as if the sword had eyes.

The king of swords was merely a species talent brought by a trait. Right now, this was the basic ability of the weapon mastery trait.

Currently, General Ha was essentially using its nose, eyes, and stretching out its paws to fish in the lake.

Of course, the pet beast weapon mastery ability was developed over two thousand years later by a group of beast taming experts in the Beast Taming Empire. Beastmasters of this era couldn’t possibly understand it.

Next…

Lu Ran and General Ha began the long task of spearing fish. With plenty of time, they chose to take it slow. Dragon Fish Lake was very large, and Lu Ran believed they would eventually come across a higher quality one.

…

While Lu Ran was working hard, some assessors had already collected some ordinary and advanced ingredients nearby and started cooking.

Special-grade cuisine doesn’t require particularly high-quality ingredients; excellent culinary skills combined with ordinary ingredients can achieve the desired quality. Unlike Exquisite Dishes, which require both Culinary Intent and exquisite ingredients, the requirements for special-grade cuisine are not as stringent.

As more assessors returned, and it was confirmed that Lu Ran had some self-protection capabilities, the three examiners no longer focused on him and instead observed the assessors on-site.

Some assessors gathered a pile of colorful poisonous mushrooms and caught a mountain chicken. Muttering to themselves, “Even though these are poisonous mushrooms, as long as I use fire skills to remove the toxins, their flavor can be elevated… This Phoenix Mushroom King Soup will definitely pass the assessment.”

Another assessor directly hunted a Tusked Boar and found a beehive, planning to use their superb fire skills to make Honey-glazed Roast Pork…

Moreover, one assessor caught a bunch of strange bugs, intending to prepare a bug feast for the examiners.

One must admit, being an examiner is a technical job.

As time passed, an assessor confidently completed their dish and presented it to the three examiners.

“Examiners, please try my dish, Spicy Stir-fried Kidney!”

The three examiners looked at the plate. The delicate kidney paired with tri-colored peppers resembled a piece of art, with rising steam enhancing its color and aroma.

They then looked at the assessor accompanied by a Flame Sparrow. The female examiner spoke:

“Your knife skills are impressive, and the cooking seems just right…”

The fat examiner took a bite, feeling the heat, spiciness, and numbness in his mouth. However, he frowned the next second and looked at the assessor, saying, “The kidney’s fishy smell… still lingers.”

“Oh, oh, I intentionally kept some of the original flavor of the pork kidney. I believe that retaining a bit of the fishiness is part of the kidney’s charm.”

“Was it intentional or an oversight?” the fat examiner asked.

“It was intentional,” the assessor replied confidently. In their region, diners liked that taste.

One by one, the assessors’ dishes were evaluated by the three examiners.

Most assessors received approval from the examiners, but a small portion seemed to be cooking for their own enjoyment rather than to impress.

In the blink of an eye, four hours passed. Most assessors had completed their hunting, with only a few still searching for suitable ingredients.

“Hey—look over there—”

Suddenly, an assessor shouted, pointing in a direction.

From the forest, the figures of a person and a dog slowly emerged.

The dog, with its tail wrapped around a long sword, had the sword’s tip embedded in a massive ice sculpture. It dragged the sculpture step by step, and inside the ice was a half-meter-long black fish, unconscious.

Seeing the familiar figures and the ingredients they were hauling, many assessors were astonished.

“It’s the sudden death king… Could the ingredient they’re bringing back be a Mutated Dragon Fish?!”

[Name]: Mutated Dragon Fish

[Attribute]: Water

[Species Level]: Lower Commander

[Growth Level]: Level 15

“Mutated Dragon Fish?! He actually found one!!” At this moment, not only the assessors but also the three examiners stood up abruptly, looking at the ingredient Lu Ran brought back!

The Mutated Dragon Fish is a step above the ordinary Dragon Fish. Beyond this, it can evolve into a Jiao Dragon.

Compared to ordinary Dragon Fish, the meat of the Mutated Dragon Fish is undoubtedly more delicious, making it a top-tier rare ingredient.

There really are Mutated Dragon Fish in Dragon Fish Lake… No, that’s not the main point. The main point is that the level of this Dragon Fish’s strength is clearly very formidable.

How on earth did Lu Ran and his team manage to hunt it?

It seems we have underestimated their abilities!

“Pant… pant…” At this moment, General Ha was exhausted, lying like a dead dog. But Lu Ran, on the other hand, was quite pleased, having experienced the joy of fishing.

The Mutated Dragon Fish was a delightful surprise even for him.

It felt like a blessing from the heavens.

“It’s really a Mutated Dragon Fish!!”

“Wait, is the sudden death king planning to use the Mutated Dragon Fish as an ingredient?!”

“Such wastefulness, such wastefulness!!” Many assessors were anxious. The Mutated Dragon Fish could evolve into a Jiao Dragon. Although a Jiao Dragon is not a True Dragon, it carries a significant amount of Dragon’s Bloodline, making it a solid upper commander species. If nurtured properly, it could even evolve into a sovereign species.

Such supernatural beings are highly sought after for contracts, destined to be raised as Main Pets. But seeing Lu Ran’s intention, it seemed he was planning to… cook it?

How could he be so wasteful!

Even the chefs began to question this behavior. This is just a superior chef assessment. With Lu Ran’s culinary skills, he could easily pass without needing to use a Mutated Dragon Fish as an ingredient!

However, Lu Ran’s subsequent actions proved that this was indeed his plan. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

If he could bring the fish out of the secret realm alive, Lu Ran definitely wouldn’t do this. But since living creatures can’t be brought out of the secret realm, Lu Ran had no choice but to cook it into a dish to take it out…

Most importantly, the higher the completion level of the dish, the better his breakthrough score would be, so Lu Ran didn’t feel any regret.

Upon returning, Lu Ran, ignoring the heartache of others, directly placed the Dragon Fish on the cutting board. At this point, the three examiners wanted to say something but stopped themselves, ultimately letting Lu Ran proceed.

Unlike other assessors, they would still get to taste the Mutated Dragon Fish meat later. With this in mind, they decided to let Lu Ran do as he pleased.

“Let’s begin.” Lu Ran first clasped his hands together in a sincere prayer, thanking nature for its bounty. He felt fortunate to have encountered an advanced Dragon Fish. Otherwise, he would have had to use an ordinary Dragon Fish for sashimi, which would have been far less effective. He hoped the rewards for completing the breakthrough task would make these four hours of effort worthwhile!

Splash!

Despite many eyes watching him, Lu Ran didn’t feel nervous. He first took a large bucket of clean water provided for the assessors beside the stove and threw it into the air.

“Woof!” General Ha, resigned to continue working, grabbed the Ice Sky Greatsword in its mouth and flicked its head, sending several wind blade sword qi into the air.

Under the influence of the Blizzard Sword Intent and the Ice Sky Greatsword’s attributes, the water instantly transformed into a massive ice block. The fierce wind continued to shave the ice, quickly forming an ice crystal plate made entirely of extreme ice, suspended mid-air by an invisible wind!

Wearing chef gloves, Lu Ran took the ice crystal plate and waited for General Ha’s next move.

Although Lu Ran was reluctant to admit it, General Ha’s mastery of the Blizzard Sword Intent was more refined at this stage. To ensure the highest quality of the dish, Lu Ran opted to let General Ha handle the sashimi cutting.

“Woof!” General Ha bared its teeth.

Having crafted the ice crystal plate, it leapt up and flicked several fine sword qi again.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

As the wind blades made contact with the massive Dragon Fish, thin slices of sashimi, as delicate as cicada wings, flew out and landed on the ice crystal plate.

Soon, nine pieces of sashimi encircled the plate. When the two elements fully connected, an astonishing phenomenon occurred. White cold air surged from the ice crystal plate, transforming into a miniature blizzard that spread its chill around and perfectly enveloped the fish slices!

“Done. Special-grade cuisine: Roar of the Ice and Snow Giant Dragon!”

The process of creating the dish was not particularly difficult. Lu Ran and General Ha quickly finished. Lu Ran, smiling, named the dish and immediately looked towards the three examiners.

Unbeknownst to him, both the assessors and the examiners were in a state of shock.

The entire dish had been prepared by General Ha.

Even the plate had been crafted by it on the spot.

In the entire superior chef assessment field, this cooking process was nothing short of spectacular.

Lu Ran didn’t bother with the onlookers; he directly presented the sashimi to the examiners and took out three Earth Mother fruits he had picked along the way.

The Earth Mother fruit, resembling a black lemon, produces juice similar to soy sauce but more delicious, with a strong natural flavor, making it ideal for pairing with sashimi.

Lu Ran squeezed the juice from the Earth Mother fruit into three small bowls and handed them to the examiners, saying, “Please, have a taste!”

At this point, the three examiners felt the icy wind emanating from the ice crystal plate and collectively swallowed. Without a word, they quickly picked up their chopsticks, grabbed a slice of fish, dipped it into the sauce, and put it into their mouths…

The first sensation was cold!

Whether it was an illusion or not, at that moment, they seemed to hear the howling of the northern wind. A gust of cold wind swept through their mouths, the icy touch rushing to their brains, instantly heightening their taste buds to the extreme!

Next, with their taste buds at peak sensitivity, the deliciousness of the Dragon Fish Meat perfectly spread to every corner of their mouths.

The second sensation was freshness!

Throughout the process, the three examiners felt as if they had transformed into a giant dragon soaring through a blizzard!

Then, the taste underwent a remarkable change. It felt like they had transcended time, gradually stepping into a vibrant spring, ascending straight to heaven.

The combination of culinary intent, ingredients, and dipping sauce brought them a third, entirely new sensation!

It was a mental delight, a springtime for the taste buds.

“Delicious!!!”

The female examiner couldn’t help but moan. The nutritional value of Dragon Fish Meat is naturally beyond question. The Blizzard Culinary Intent had elevated its flavor to the extreme while perfectly preserving its nutritional value. As the fish slices went down, the three examiners felt the fatigue from the past few days’ travel vanish instantly.

Swish! Swish!!

Lost in the experience, the three examiners, like madmen, quickly fought over the remaining slices, not letting anyone else have any. Soon, the slices General Ha had cut, thinner than a ramen chef’s sliced beef, were completely devoured.

“Gone? All gone?”

After the slices were finished, the three examiners still seemed unsatisfied. This had never happened before; with other assessors’ dishes, each examiner would take just one bite and make their judgment. But with Lu Ran’s dish, they seemed to want more.

At this moment, Bai Ling from the Four Saints Guild returned in a disheveled state.

She rode on a White Tiger, holding a giant egg, which seemed to be a rare ingredient.

“I stole a Dead Crocodile’s egg, this should secure it,” Bai Ling said excitedly. She planned to use this rare quality ingredient to make a simple boiled egg dish to win the examiners’ approval.

However, as soon as she returned, she witnessed a scene that left her speechless.

The Fat Examiner said to Lu Ran, “Cut a few more slices, won’t you? That little bit wasn’t even enough to fill the gap between my teeth. I feel like ants are crawling all over me; I’m so uncomfortable I can hardly breathe. Please, just a few more slices!”

The white-haired elder and the Female Examiner, though more reserved, also looked seriously at Lu Ran, as if accusing him of being too stingy! Such a large fish, and only nine slices?! Were they beggars?

Bai Ling, holding her egg: ???

What was happening! What did Lu Ran feed the examiners? They were acting like they were under some spell!

It must be said, the combination of the Mutated Dragon Fish and the Blizzard Sword Intent had created an extreme dish, placing it among the top tier of peerless dishes.

Even the three veteran superior chefs were completely captivated!

“Alright, alright, as much as you want…” Lu Ran looked at General Ha, signaling to cut a few more slices. He still needed the examiners to recommend him to the cultivation holy land, so he couldn’t afford to be stingy!

At that moment, the vast superior chef assessment venue seemed to turn into Lu Ran’s main stage. Even the three examiners were defeated by this dish, “Roar of the Ice and Snow Giant Dragon.”

“Delicious!”

“It’s simply out of this world, almost a peerless dish.”

“Pass! A perfect score, without a doubt!”

The examiners did not hold back their praise.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran’s expression changed.

Because he heard a familiar voice directly in his ear.

[Congratulations on completing the breakthrough task.]

[Rating: SSS-level!]

[Congratulations, you have received 100,000 crystal coins.]

[Congratulations, you have received a contract card (bound).]

[Congratulations, you have received 10 upgrade cards.]

[Congratulations, you have received an exquisite-level cooking utensil: Spirit Transformation Pot (can accelerate the maturation of immature plant-based ingredients with a very small chance of improving their quality; can restore the freshness of meat-based ingredients with a very small chance of improving their quality; maximum ingredient quality improvement is rare-level).]

[Congratulations, you have received the Special Beast Taming Skill: Flame Sprite (a special beast taming skill that allows a beastmaster to nurture a Flame Sprite within their body, granting mastery over the power of flames, and can temporarily bestow the Flame Sprite to any contracted pet beast, allowing it to control the power of flames).]

[Congratulations, you have received the Eye of Data (intermediate).]

[You have met the promotion criteria for ‘Level 1 Beastmaster,’ would you like to promote now?]

Lu Ran: “!!!”

Oh my.

After the system’s announcements, Lu Ran stood there in shock.

“No,” Lu Ran quickly thought.

Finally, a breakthrough! And a perfect SSS-level breakthrough at that!

The rewards for a 3S rating in the novice breakthrough secret realm… were incredible.

Crystal coins were one thing.

But a novice breakthrough secret realm actually rewarded an exquisite-level item!

Of course, what surprised Lu Ran the most wasn’t the cooking utensil.

It was the beast taming skill…

Historical records indicate that in Beast Taming Era 139, the second generation emperor Yan Sizhen, to better delve into culinary manship and forging manship, developed the beast taming skill, Flame Sprite. This was Yan Sizhen’s signature beast taming skill!