King of Beasts

On Fang Lan’s side, the breakthrough secret realm had turned into a battle royale with 20 people fighting to the death.

On Lu Ran’s side, six people were learning to cook, each staring blankly at piles of ingredients every day.

Neither could guess the other’s situation, so they focused on completing their own tasks.

Passerby A and the other five had their exclusive breakthrough secret realm.

The next day, outside the Gourmet Hunter Association in Canglan City, it was bustling with activity.

Many people, young and old, carrying cooking utensils, walked into the venue. Passersby pointed and commented, as it was time for the semi-annual superior chef assessment, though unfortunately, they couldn’t watch the entire event.

After half a day’s journey, Lu Ran and the others were slightly fatigued, but after a night’s rest, the six challengers from Blue Star had recovered their spirits.

Unlike other assessors who carried large bags, the six traveled light.

On the Star-Moon Continent, spatial equipment is quite rare and typically only possessed by powerful beastmasters or second-generation beastmasters.

But for beastmasters from Blue Star, spatial equipment is practically a standard. The backpack space of an identity card can hold many items.

“There’s quite a bit of attention,” Deer As Horse remarked, looking at the onlookers around them.

“There are a lot of family members too,” She Pi noted, seeing many people cheering on the assessors, which reminded him of his college entrance exams…

Various voices reached their ears.

“Grandpa, you’re almost 60. If you don’t pass this year, just let it go! Our little restaurant isn’t struggling.”

“Yuer, once I pass the superior chef assessment and become a qualified gourmet hunter, I’ll come to your house to propose!”

“Oh no, I forgot my ancestral cleaver!”

“…”

Lu Ran and the others didn’t linger outside for long and quickly entered the venue.

Although it was lively outside, there weren’t many assessors inside the venue.

With the time approaching, there were just over a hundred people inside.

“It seems like a lot of people know their limits,” the explorer said.

The superior chef assessment process is well-defined and has been held for a long time. Generally, those who come to participate have some confidence. If they’re too far behind, coming here would just be asking for trouble.

The atmosphere at the scene was slightly tense, but the Gourmet Hunter Association did not keep the assessors waiting long. Three examiners soon emerged.

One was a white-haired elder, another a super-sized man, and the third a spirited woman.

They all wore matching black chef uniforms with the Gourmet Hunter Association’s examiner insignia embroidered below the shoulder.

Led by the white-haired elder, the trio walked to the most prominent platform in the examination hall, overlooking the entire venue.

Seeing these three, the assessors started to whisper among themselves, mostly speculating about the identities of these formidable individuals.

The Gourmet Hunter Association’s assessments are not conducted by local chefs for local people. Instead, examiners are brought in from associations in other provinces to ensure fairness through mutual oversight.

Although everyone knew that these three must be formidable gourmet hunters who had mastered Culinary Intent, the Beast Taming Empire is vast, making it difficult to immediately determine their exact identities.

The white-haired elder looked down and spoke, “We three are the examiners for your superior assessment. You don’t need to know our identities; just refer to us as examiners. As for the assessment rules and procedures… I trust you are already very familiar with them.”

“Let’s quickly get to the point.”

“Next, we will begin the preliminary round. Those prepared to demonstrate their knife skills, please raise your hand.”

Knife skills, fire skills, and spoon skills are all fundamental aspects of culinary arts.

In the preliminary round, over 90% of the assessors would choose either knife skills or fire skills.

As soon as the elder finished speaking, shush, shush, shush—about half of the people at the scene raised their hands.

All six of Lu Ran’s group raised their hands as well. They had no fire pet beasts, putting them at a natural disadvantage in terms of fire skills, so they could only rely on knife skills for the assessment.

This round also tested financial resources, as the choice of Cooking Utensil was unrestricted. A good kitchen knife greatly enhances the handling of ingredients.

Bai Ling and the others had sold some of their own resources to buy high-quality kitchen knives, hoping to pass the preliminary round with them.

“Sixty-two people?” the elder counted and then said, “Next, you sixty-two will come forward to butcher cattle in sequence, from front to back, left to right. The Association will provide sixty-two ‘Rock Cattle’ for you to demonstrate your knife skills.”

“Alright, you can prepare now. The assessment will begin in three minutes!” With that, he and the other two examiners started observing the assessors below the stage.

Upon hearing that the Association would provide the ingredients, there was indeed a lot of lively discussion below.

Butchering an entire ingredient… although it’s considered a basic skill for a gourmet hunter, it’s still a relatively challenging part of the assessment.

“Butchering cattle, huh,” the wilderness explorer exclaimed upon hearing the test topic.

“We’ve only practiced once. We’re doomed, doomed.”

Bai Ling said, “At least we’ve practiced once. Be content with that…”

“Boohoo, why isn’t it julienne potatoes?” the Socialite wiped away tears.

Lu Ran: “…”

I was hoping they’d test fruit cutting instead.

As for this test topic, Lu Ran had no particular opinion. Shopkeeper Long had drilled him on it.

Lu Ran’s practice over the past few days was likely much more than the other five, so he felt relatively at ease at the moment.

The Rock Cattle, a middle supernatural species of rock cattle beast, has skin as tough as stone but tender, delicious meat, making it highly popular across all social strata.

Butchering them is a task that requires strength, but if one can’t do it well, they certainly don’t deserve to be called a superior chef.

Soon, a burly man carried an entire Rock Cattle onto the platform and placed it in front of the three examiners.

The female examiner briskly announced, “Alright, let’s begin. The process is: come up, state your name, and butcher the entire cattle. Time limit: five minutes.”

Five minutes?

Upon hearing the time limit, many people’s hearts sank. The time given was too short.

However, the first person the female examiner’s gaze landed on took a deep breath, grabbed their Cooking Utensil, and stepped up.

“My name is Kane,” the gray-haired young man introduced himself as he stepped up. The portly examiner squinted and said, “You may begin.”

“Yes.” Kane quickly drew the advanced kitchen knife from his waist and began butchering the cattle.

“Chaotic Wind Knife Technique!” he shouted.

This knife, similar to Lu Ran’s wind cutter sword, could transform its blade into something akin to a wind blade when infused with stamina.

With such a Cooking Utensil, he smoothly dissected the Rock Cattle.

Cutting off the head, sectioning the legs, skinning, and gutting… the kitchen knife in his hand worked swiftly and sharply. Within the extreme five-minute limit, he dismembered the entire cattle. Afterward, he wiped his sweat and forced a smile, looking at the three examiners.

“The knife technique is indeed chaotic,” the white haired elder remarked, observing the bloodstained, messy ground and the strained, sweaty assessor.

“So many fibers were damaged. The technique wasn’t fast, accurate, or ruthless enough,” commented the portly examiner.

“Not elegant enough. Next,” the female examiner said nonchalantly, glancing at a spot of blood on his clothes. The three of them quickly dismissed this assessor, leaving him with a stiff expression.

He stepped down, looking utterly defeated.

These three examiners… they’re incredibly strict, not easy to deal with!

As the first assessor finished, many below felt a tightening in their chests.

“Damn,” She Pi from the Infinite City challengers muttered nervously, “I thought he did pretty well. I’m not even as good as him.”

Lu Ran shot him a sympathetic glance.

He noticed that the expressions of the other challengers weren’t great either…

Hmm… this breakthrough secret realm is really tough on them.

“Feels like we should just resign to our fate,” Deer As Horse sighed, feeling that their group might struggle to even get past the first round, let alone reach the second.

Next, another Rock Cattle was brought in, and another person stepped up. This time, the contestant brought a pet beast along and did not carry any Cooking Utensil.

His pet beast was a monkey with interwoven black and green fur. After introducing himself, the monkey used grass energy to shape its hands into blade-like forms and swiftly started processing the ingredient for its beastmaster.

This assessor was much faster than the previous one. Without even lifting a hand, the entire Rock Cattle was dismembered. Though the result looked similar to the previous attempt, it was completed two minutes faster.

“The speed is acceptable, but in the rush, the bones were cut through. Rock Cattle bones have nutritional value, and this causes nutrient loss,” the white haired elder frowned.

“Moreover, grass energy has an absorption trait. During the cutting process, a significant portion of the beef’s nutrients would be lost,” the Fat Examiner added. It’s better not to use grass-type pet beasts for assisting in meat processing!

“Not elegant enough, but considering the pet beast’s training, it passes barely,” the Female Examiner concluded. The assessor, who had been disheartened by the first two critiques, bowed repeatedly in gratitude as she spoke.

“Thank you for the guidance. Thank you, examiners.”

“Woo! Woo!” He also made his monkey pet beast bow in thanks.

Subsequently, more assessors took the stage, with most wielding advanced Cooking Utensils to dismember the entire cattle themselves. Unlike the fire skills assessment, few relied on their pet beasts for help in this knife skills round.

Most who chose knife skills did not have contracts with fire-type pet beasts; their pet beasts were mainly partners for hunting and gathering resources.

“Looks like it’s my turn?” After seeing a dozen people go before him, Lu Ran realized it was almost his turn. He calmly stroked his chin and walked out.

Bai Ling and the others showed no reaction as Lu Ran stepped forward.

They felt confident that Lu Ran would pass. Rather than worrying about him, they should worry about themselves first.

As the previous assessor stepped down, Lu Ran walked up slowly. Meanwhile, two burly men quickly cleaned the stage and brought in a new Rock Cattle.

“Name, Sudden Death King.”

After stepping up, Lu Ran introduced himself, instantly sparking murmurs among the crowd.

“He’s the Sudden Death King? From Frost Moon Pavilion?”

“He must be. I heard he’s quite young!”

“I thought he was already a superior chef. Didn’t know he hadn’t taken the assessment yet!”

“Who? The chef who cut fruit at the Ning Chuan City Lord’s banquet? Wow… he’s here too?”

The murmuring caught the attention of the three examiners, who looked at Lu Ran with growing interest.

It seemed he was a well-known culinary genius from Canglan Province.

After a long stretch of unremarkable candidates, finally, someone interesting had stepped up.

“Take out your Cooking Utensil and begin,” the Female Examiner said, keeping track of time and curious to see how skilled this Sudden Death King was. But the next moment…

She saw Lu Ran’s hand flash as he took out his Cooking Utensil.

Buzz.

With a swing, Lu Ran’s wind cutter sword touched the air, emitting a faint hum, its tip pointed at the ground.

The three examiners: ?

Bai Ling and the other candidates: …

“Huh?” The Fat Examiner was stunned. “That’s a sword, isn’t it? It’s definitely a sword!”

Lu Ran didn’t summon a pet beast for assistance, nor did he take out a kitchen knife. Instead, he drew a sword, leaving the three examiners slightly bewildered.

They had seen all kinds of kitchen knives, but a sword was a first…

“A sword???” The Female Examiner’s composure wavered for the first time.

“Is it not allowed? As long as it can dissect, any Cooking Utensil should be fine, right?” Lu Ran asked.

Honestly, while a kitchen knife could also complement his sword intent, Lu Ran felt more comfortable using the wind cutter sword. He had always practiced the fine edge blade technique with it.

“Do as you please!” The Female Examiner replied indifferently. The next moment, Lu Ran looked at the Rock Cattle lying on the ground.

He closed his eyes briefly, then suddenly opened them. In that instant, the three examiners’ expressions changed drastically.

Boom!

They felt Lu Ran’s breath transform from that of a youth into that of a fierce beast. Then, from the sword in his hand, an extremely cold aura began to emanate.

It wasn’t an ordinary chill. They could tell this sword was a sword of wind, but its cold aura seemed to pierce their very spirits. Could it be…

“Whoosh!”

Lu Ran, relying on his memory, executed slashes at the Rock Cattle—one, two, three… His speed was astonishing, so fast that his slashing movements became nearly invisible.

Only a few afterimages could be seen.

“What incredible skill and strength!” the Fat Examiner exclaimed in surprise. Among this batch of Assessors, Lu Ran possessed the most formidable physical prowess. His bodily strength and the swiftness of his actions were extraordinary, not like those of an ordinary human.

Lu Ran’s super beast mimicry training was finally proving its worth.

In less than ten seconds, Lu Ran stopped his movements and lightly flicked his sword, which remained spotless.

At that moment, the Rock Cattle seemed unchanged from the outside.

But in the next instant, the other Assessors were collectively stunned. Thin cuts suddenly appeared across the cattle’s surface, each shimmering with a faint white light.

Buzz!!!

Accompanied by the white light, the entire cattle was instantly dismembered. The smooth cuts sparkled with a crystalline glow, contrasting beautifully with the red meat fibers, making the dissected cattle look like a work of art.

“What kind of Culinary Skill is this!” Some Assessors couldn’t help but look ahead in shock.

Even the three examiners showed serious expressions.

“He dismembered the entire cattle so quickly,” the Fat Examiner remarked in amazement.

“This guy isn’t particularly familiar with dissecting a whole cattle, but his control over his strength is incredibly precise. His slashes can move freely within the cattle,” the white haired elder thought, surprised. Was this a special Culinary Skill inheritance?

“The most impressive part is that not a single drop of blood or juice was spilled. They were all sealed within the meat… This is not due to the Cooking Utensil, but rather…”

“Ice Culinary Intent!” the Female Examiner looked at Lu Ran, quite astonished. She hadn’t expected to encounter an Assessor with Culinary Intent.

This wasn’t just an exam anymore; it was a display of skill. Without ice and snow type Culinary Intent, achieving such a feat would be impossible unless using rare ice-type Cooking Utensils.

The three examiners all looked at Lu Ran seriously. Who was this kid? His technique was extraordinary, locking in almost all the nutrients of the meat. Unlike the low-grade ingredients on the Blue Star that required bloodletting to improve flavor, supernatural life forms were treasures in every aspect. Lu Ran had been thoroughly tutored by the proprietress and naturally knew what to do. In fact, no one in this professional examination room was a half-baked Chef; everyone was trying to preserve the supernatural nutrients.

“You’ve passed. The dissection was perfect,” the white haired examiner said to Lu Ran earnestly.

“Thank you,” Lu Ran replied with a slight smile. He then gave a thumbs-up to Bai Ling and the others, meaning, “You guys do your best too. See you in the second round!”

Bai Ling and the others were stunned.

“Get lost!”

It was clear that although this was a very peaceful breakthrough secret realm, the challengers in the same batch as Lu Ran were still quite affected by the pressure.

…

After Lu Ran finished, it was Bai Ling and the others’ turn.

Actually, Lu Ran could have left at this point, just needing to wait for the practical assessment tomorrow.

However, as a fellow Infinite City challenger, Lu Ran wanted to see how the other five would perform.

She Pi had bought a high-quality metal kitchen knife. While it was sharp, due to excessive nervousness and lack of experience, he ended up chipping the cattle’s bones. Lu Ran couldn’t help but cover his eyes.

What a blunder.

Deer As Horse also had a high-quality wind kitchen knife. However, perhaps due to being too weak, his hands trembled when injecting strength, and he accidentally punctured the cattle’s internal organs.

Wilderness Explorer, seeing his two good friends fail, became even more flustered. Trying to be overly cautious, he dissected slowly and ended up exceeding the time limit.

Compared to the three male beastmasters, Ibers’ technique was much more delicate, and she had a good mindset facing the bloody dissection. However, her practice time was still too short. Although she finished within the allotted time, it wasn’t enough to satisfy the three examiners.

In this preliminary round, four out of the six Assessors were eliminated, which was extremely brutal.

“These five were all recommended by Frost Moon Pavilion?” The Female Examiner looked at the list, astonished. What was going on with Frost Moon Pavilion? How could there be such a disparity among the recommended Assessors?

The weak were indeed weak, and the strong were truly strong…

“Bai Ling,” the examiner called out. Another Assessor recommended by Frost Moon Pavilion stepped forward.

At this moment, Bai Ling felt immense pressure. Just as She Pi and the others thought she might not make it…

This woman unexpectedly pulled out a rare, top-quality kitchen knife with both wind and ice attributes.

Using the high quality of the kitchen knife, she managed to perfectly dissect the cattle and even mimicked a low-grade Blizzard Culinary Intent effect.

She Pi and the others: ???

“Damn, she’s rich!” The explorer was stunned. Damn, this Sister White Tiger really went all out, getting a rare Cooking Utensil.

This knife must be worth tens of thousands of crystal coins.

“Passed.” When the three examiners announced her success, Bai Ling’s legs almost gave out, and she nearly collapsed.

“Good thing I was well-prepared,” she thought, relieved.

As the heiress of the Four Saints Guild, Bai Ling might not be as wealthy as Pluto, but she wasn’t far behind.

Switching to a top-quality Cooking Utensil? No big deal.

“This girl is mimicking me,” Lu Ran thought as soon as he saw her kitchen knife. He knew Bai Ling was imitating his Blizzard Sword Intent…

But he had to admit, she was smart and knew how to prioritize. Clearly, breaking through to level 1 was more important right now.

“Hmph.” From the high platform, Bai Ling saw Lu Ran staring at her and pouted.

The Four Saints Guild started as an underworld group, dealing in poaching and smuggling rare animals. They successfully transitioned into a legitimate corporation before the laws caught up, and two years ago, they capitalized on the Infinite City boom. As the daughter of a former crime boss, Bai Ling had a sharp and resourceful upbringing.

“I’m done!”

“Why is it so hard?”

“Damn Infinite City!”

When Bai Ling returned, she saw She Pi, Deer As Horse, and the others lamenting.

She thrust her knife into the stove and said, “Enough! If you didn’t pass, you didn’t pass. There’s always next time.”

There was still the second round. She wasn’t completely relaxed yet and didn’t want to be affected by their pessimism.

This secret realm didn’t have significant losses or dangers. If they failed, they failed! Men are so dramatic!

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Lu Ran also comforted them. “Think about it. Even if you pass the first round, the second round will be tough. To make special-grade cuisine, you need either exceptional culinary skills or rare ingredients. Your cooking skills might not be enough, and rare ingredients mostly come from commander-level species, which are even harder to get!”

“This is the only part of the assessment that’s truly dangerous. Instead of risking your life and paying a heavy price to be eliminated, it’s probably better to be eliminated now.”

“Plus, you’ll have an extra day to spend as you wish. Thinking about it that way, doesn’t it make you feel a bit better?”

She Pi, Deer As Horse, Ibers, and the explorer: “………”

We appreciate your advice, but your social anxiety seems more like social terror! After hearing this, their feelings were even more complicated.

The massive assessment venue had over two hundred stoves.

The distance between each stove wasn’t exactly close. When Lu Ran and the others entered, they found that most of the Chefs had moved to the back.

“Ridiculous, this isn’t a college lecture. Why are they all crowding at the back?” Bai Ling chose a nearby spot.

“Well, being a bit further back gives them more preparation time, but it’s pretty meaningless—just a psychological comfort,” the pet shop owner said.

They all casually picked spots in the front row.

It’s all about getting it over with quickly.

By now, the early-arriving Assessors had already chosen their spots and placed their Cooking Utensils on the stoves, waiting.

Around these Assessors, most had already released their pet beasts, and most of them were fire-type.

During the entire assessment, pet beasts could assist the Chefs, and the Chefs could use their own Cooking Utensils. The ingredients, however, were uniformly provided by the tournament organizers.