Chapter 127 - Dragon Cuisine

If the Heavenly Familiar Ranking was a competition among fourth-generation beastmasters, then the Champion Species Ranking was dominated by third-generation and even second-generation beastmasters.

Currently, first-generation beastmasters active on the field typically had familiars around level 50. Second-generation beastmasters boasted familiars in the 40s, and third-generation beastmasters had familiars that ranged in the 30s.

Thus, any third-generation beastmaster with some skill would already have a familiar with three fused traits, completing its first evolution.

After this evolution, familiars with decent potential were heading toward the King Species rank. Even those whose evolution didn’t go smoothly were generally classified as Intermediate or Superior-Champion species.

As such, the ten slots on the Champion Species Ranking were filled with familiars of the highest-tier Superior-Champion species, often called “quasi-King species,” with their species potential maxed out as Champion species and nearly reaching King species.

Competing against them for a spot on the list was undoubtedly challenging, as their beastmasters had started nurturing them a year or two earlier and achieved a higher degree of cultivation.

That said, ascending to the Champion Species Ranking would yield even more crystal coins. Lu Ran refused to believe the top spots on both the Champion Species Ranking and the King Species Ranking would only offer 100,000 crystal coins.

“Forget it,” Lu Ran muttered.

“Those below me on the Heavenly Familiar Ranking might profit greatly, but I’ll never lose. With Captain Doofus and Sudden Death King advancing to Champion Species, our chances of claiming first place in the freshman competition will increase significantly.

“The competition’s rewards surely won’t be less than the final payouts for the Heavenly Familiar Ranking. Besides, the Champion Species Ranking may not be out of reach.

“Captain Doofus, now equipped with the Frosty Sky Greatsword, rivals Intermediate-Champion species. Once it integrates the Nature Manipulation Trait, it’ll undoubtedly reach Superior-Champion species. As a Superior species with its flawlessly developed skills, there’s hope for the ranking.”

“Compete with the third-generation? Then compete we shall! Screw it!” Lu Ran growled fiercely.

For crystal coins, he didn’t mind disregarding the dignity of these seniors.

“Stop yelling ‘screw it’ all the time. Just say ‘damn it’ instead!” Manager Ying scolded.

As a demon cat, it couldn’t decide whether to praise Lu Ran for being polite or criticize him for lacking manners.

“Oh...” Lu Ran responded with an innocent expression.

“

Hmph

, do what you want,” Manager Ying said dismissively.

“Currently, no fourth-generation beastmaster has dethroned a third-generation beastmaster from the Champion Species Ranking. I’m looking forward to seeing if you’ll be the first.”

If Lu Ran succeeded, the first third-generation beastmaster to be bumped off would surely go down in history. Manager Ying smirked mischievously.

“Manager Ying, let’s head back!” Lu Ran announced, ready to start cultivating Captain Doofus.

His goal was to raise Captain Doofus to level 20 before the freshman competition ended. It was currently at level 16, needing four more levels. With 200,000 crystal coins at his disposal to invest in it, there was a glimmer of hope.

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

“What?” Lu Ran asked, confused.

“Are you really that dense from overusing Super Beast Mimicry? What about the fish? The fish!”

Manager Ying wasn’t expecting Lu Ran to cook anything extraordinary, but Blue Planet lacked top-tier extraordinary chefs. It wanted to see if Lu Ran, after experiencing the Culinary Secret Realm, could live up to his self-proclaimed world-class cooking skills.

“Oh, right!”

Lu Ran smacked his forehead and laughed, quickly pulling out a small, exquisite Spirit-Converting Pot that gleamed like emerald jade.

The Spirit-Converting Pot lacked a spout and had only a handle. Though small in appearance, its interior contained a vast space, capable of holding an entire bull. However, the pot had a limitation. It could only hold one ingredient at a time, likely to avoid flavor contamination.

When Lu Ran revealed the Spirit-Converting Pot, Manager Ying’s eyes lit up.

A treasure!

It thought instinctively.

This was undoubtedly Treasure class!

Treasure-class items were the pinnacle of what beastmasters could acquire. As for Legendary class, such items were coveted by nations and deemed national treasures.

Manager Ying was momentarily stunned.

Where had Lu Ran gotten such an artifact?

Taking out the pot was just the beginning. Lu Ran then retrieved half a massive frozen mutant dragonfish.

Although frozen storage and spatial preservation kept the fish relatively fresh, it had been dead for half a month. Lu Ran immediately tossed it into the Spirit-Converting Pot for refinement.

“This pot...”

“It’s a Spirit-Converting Pot, a Treasure-Class culinary tool that enhances ingredient quality. I received it as a reward in the ascension realm.”

“I mean, could you sound less casual? You got a Treasure-Class item from a beginner-level ascension realm?”

Manager Ying was no longer focused on the fish but on the ridiculous nature of Lu Ran’s reward.

What could he have done in the realm to earn such an extraordinary culinary tool? Was this brat the imperial son-in-law of some Beastmaster Empire princess?

“I got an SSS-ranking score. A Treasure-Class reward is reasonable, isn’t it?” Lu Ran replied.

“What!?” Manager Ying exclaimed.

Manager Ying’s sharp mind quickly analyzed the situation. As one of Xia’s top intelligence brokers, it quickly deduced the truth.

“Wait. Did you use Sword Intent as if it were Culinary Intent?”

Manager Ying pinpointed the crux of the matter with a single sentence. On Blue Planet, even with the assistance of familiars, only a handful of beastmaster chefs had mastered Culinary Intent. Techniques like Intent Formation and imbuing intent into tools still remained largely unexplored.

The number of first-, second-, and third-generation beastmasters was already limited, and those with exceptional talent were busy honing their combat strength. Naturally, very few chose to study the culinary arts.

However, Lu Ran and Captain Doofus had a distinct advantage. The unique nature of Sword Intent meant that their intent was integrated into tools from the start, granting them an innate edge in this field.

As Manager Ying pieced together the explanation, its face twisted into an expression of “You two are disgustingly lucky!”

“Pretty much,” Lu Ran replied with a faint smile.

At that moment, the Spirit-Converting Pot had absorbed external spiritual energy, completing the refinement of the mutant dragonfish. When Lu Ran retrieved the fish, its freshness was indistinguishable from that of a freshly caught one, if not better.

“Watch me show you some tricks. Do you prefer it raw or cooked?” Lu Ran asked.

Although his Wind Slashing Sword had already been discarded, he still carried a simple kitchen knife, obtained from the ascension realm, which could serve as a disposable culinary tool.

“Cooked,” Manager Ying replied.

“Okay, I’ll make you a Flame Spirit Grilled Fish.”

Lu Ran took out the chef’s knife and, with a sharp swing, cut off a large piece of fish meat. Then, demonstrating his Precise Knife Technique, he swiftly divided the chunk into over a dozen slices, each one landing neatly on the knife blade.

As Manager Ying watched in curiosity, wondering how Lu Ran planned to grill the fish, flames suddenly ignited in Lu Ran’s hand. Within the flames, a dragon-shaped shadow roared, as though a tool spirit had seamlessly merged with the knife.

This sight made Manager Ying’s expression shift in alarm. The flames coiled around the blade, rapidly heating the fish slices. In mere moments, the fish oil began to sizzle, releasing an enticing aroma. Amid the rising white mist, the flames and mist appeared to morph into a soaring dragon.

“What kind of flame is this!?”

Manager Ying’s encyclopedic knowledge had reached its limit.

What was this ability of Lu Ran’s?

It could sense astonishing intent radiating from the flames.

That was... Dragon Intent! And it wasn’t just any normal intent. It was an extraordinarily Advanced-level Dragon Intent!

“All done. The environment here is a bit crude, so pardon the simplicity. Why don’t you try it?”

After lightly grilling the fish slices, Lu Ran took out basic seasonings from his pack, sprinkling them over the Flame Spirit Grilled Fish. The aroma immediately intensified.

“I...” Manager Ying couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva as the scent enveloped it.

It wasn’t alone. Captain Doofus and Sudden Death King were also drooling uncontrollably. Manager Ying quickly used its telekinesis to grab a slice and place it in its mouth.

“

Mmph—

”

Initially, Manager Ying had been skeptical of the taste of Lu Ran’s seemingly simple cooking. After all, as someone of its status, it wasn’t unfamiliar with other dishes infused with Culinary Intent.

However, Lu Ran’s Flame Spirit Grilled Fish was on a completely different level! It was a flavor Manager Ying had never encountered before!

Dragon Intent was already a rarity and the difficulty of imbuing intent into tools varied by its type.

The use of Flame Dragon Culinary Intent, the Flame Spirit Beastmaster Skill—a skill specifically developed for cooking—, as well as a dragon-blood ingredient elevated this dish to unparalleled heights in both taste and nutrition.

This was unquestionably Dragon Cuisine at its finest! Upon tasting it, Manager Ying’s gem-like eyes widened in shock. The grilled fish seemed to melt in its mouth, the succulent flesh dissolving into rich juices that flowed from its palate straight into its core.

Hot... Spicy... Fragrant... Fresh!

Despite being a cat, its cheeks flushed red, and its body began to emit heat. Sweat glistened on its fur, making it appear damp.

Its lips moved instinctively, and it could feel its very blood boiling. It was as if molten lava coursed through its veins, leaving its gaze dazed.

So hot, so spicy, so fragrant! How can it taste this good!?

At this moment, Manager Ying felt as though what it had consumed wasn’t just a slice of fish. The exquisite taste lifted it into a euphoric state, as though it were ascending to heaven.

Although the nutritional value of the Flame Spirit Grilled Fish wasn’t what Manager Ying needed most, the sheer flavor alone was enough to conquer the taste buds of countless creatures.

“Give me another piece!” it demanded eagerly, snapping out of its stupor.

However, it immediately noticed a scaled dragonlizard grabbing a slice of dragonfish with its claws and devouring it. Meanwhile, a dog familiar had also snatched a piece and was chewing enthusiastically.

“Huh???” Manager Ying was alarmed.

You greedy bastards! Stop stealing!

...

After Lu Ran, Manager Ying, and the familiars had eaten to their heart’s content, Manager Ying finally asked the question that had been plaguing it.

“That flame of yours, that Dragon Intent. What is it?”

Initially, Manager Ying had assumed that Lu Ran planned to use Blizzard Sword Intent to slice the fish. That was why it had specifically requested cooked fish.

However, this new display of ability had been an eye-opener.

This brat really has some tricks up his sleeve!

“It’s another reward from the ascension realm: The Flame Spirit Beastmaster Skill. This skill was specifically developed by the Second Emperor of the Beastmaster Empire, Emperor Flame Quake, to support culinary arts and forging.

“I took this skill and went to the culinary training sanctuary in the Beastmaster Empire, the Dragon’s Valley, for advanced training. There, I mastered Flame Dragon Culinary Intent by experiencing the Dragon’s Aura of the Guardian Sacred Dragon. That’s all there is to it.”

Lu Ran’s tone was completely nonchalant, but Manager Ying was anything but calm. For all its years as an intelligence broker, it had never encountered such an outlandish series of events.

Did you really enter an ascension realm, or did you go treasure hunting!? Could it be that you’re actually a genius?

Manager Ying glanced at Captain Doofus and the grinning Lu Ran.

“So, for your second beastmaster skill, you didn’t choose to integrate this with your familiar’s traits but instead picked Flame Spirit?”

“That’s right!” Lu Ran nodded.

“With Flame Spirit and Flame Dragon Culinary Intent, preparing Dragon Cuisine will be a breeze. After feeding it to Sudden Death King for a while, once it reaches level 30, it might even evolve into a pure-blooded dragon!

“Emperor Flame Quake used this very method to nurture a pure-blooded dragon species. Maybe I can become the second Beastmaster, after Dr. Gu, to cultivate a pure-blooded dragon!”

This was another reason why Lu Ran had chosen Flame Spirit.

“You...”

Manager Ying opened its mouth, trying to say something, but after glancing at the already passed-out and steaming Captain Doofus and Sudden Death King, it closed its mouth again. It was afraid of being provoked further by Lu Ran.

Emperor Flame Quake, Dragon’s Valley...

That segment of historical intelligence was sparse. Manager Ying resolved to investigate it thoroughly later.

“Then...” Manager Ying fell silent, and just as Lu Ran was about to say something, his phone suddenly rang.

The caller was Fang Lan.

Lu Ran paused, glanced at Manager Ying, and said, “Manager Ying, could you send me back to the city? My Five Poisons Saintess sister just came out of the ascension realm, and I need to check on her.”

“Go on then!”

Manager Ying pursed its lips and, with a flick, teleported Lu Ran and his companions.

Left alone, it pulled out its phone and stared at the name Gu Qingyi in its contacts.

Qingyi, oh Qingyi, when are you coming back!?

The explosive intelligence Lu Ran had acquired in the ascension realm made Manager Ying nearly unable to contain itself.

If you don’t return soon, your title as the Dragon Master might be at risk!

Unlike Gu Qingyi’s irreplicable dragon evolution methods, Dragon Cuisine could potentially stabilize dragon-type evolutions if paired with Treasure-Class dragon ingredients, Flame Spirit, and the unique Flame Dragon Culinary Intent created by Emperor Flame Quake.

The primary reason for this possibility lay in Lu Ran’s Flame Dragon Intent, which Manager Ying judged to be exceptionally Advanced-level. It had sensed an aura of pure Dragon’s Aura embedded in the intent.

Globally, there were a few familiars capable of mastering Dragon Intent, but Manager Ying believed that none of those instances were on par with what Lu Ran possessed.

From its perspective, Lu Ran’s Flame Dragon Intent was likely comprehended from a Superior Overlord-Class true dragon at the very least. With such a culinary intent, the Dragon Cuisine it produced was unprecedented on Blue Planet.

“Wait a second. That Flame Spirit, could it also be applied to familiars?”

A beastmaster skill must inherently synergize with familiars to qualify as such. If it could only be used by Lu Ran, it wouldn’t be classified as a beastmaster skill.

In other words, Captain Doofus and Sudden Death King’s earlier performance might not even represent their full potential.

“I was going to warn this brat not to get cocky. Among the fourth generation, there are other monsters as strong as him, some even excelling in dual battles or paired familiar coordination.

“But now, if those competitors face Pedestrian A, who knows who’ll come out on top... Although the synergy between that dog and the dragon lizard seemed mediocre, the former had overwhelming individual strength, while the latter...”

Manager Ying’s expression grew hesitant.

If the Flame Spirit could be applied to Sudden Death King, it envisioned a dramatic leap in power that would make it equal to or even surpass Captain Doofus.

Combining it with a Flame Dragon Armor Fusion... Lu Ran and his companions might not have even tested this potential yet.