Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

My name is Zhu Lu, Zhu from the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire.

Since birth, I have lived a life of luxury and privilege.

Gilded tableware holds delicacies from land and sea, and the most precious ingredients are carefully prepared by top chefs. But after a while, those so-called delicacies become tasteless.

After indulging in too many delicacies, one's taste buds have become numb, and the process of "filling one's stomach" is repeated day after day, so boring that it's suffocating.

I used to think that such days would last me forever, until that Soul Hunting trip completely turned my life upside down.

That year I had just turned six, the age to acquire my first spirit ring.

The father personally led the team, accompanied by a group of elite guards, into the Star Dou Great Forest.

As soon as you pass through the outer barrier, an aroma you've never smelled before wafts into your nostrils—a blend of meaty, fruity, and herbal scents, rich and vibrant, as if carrying the breath of life itself, making your very being clamor.

Just by smelling it, I know that this must be a thousand times more delicious than the fancy dishes I usually eat.

At that moment, the thought of obtaining the first spirit ring was instantly thrown to the back of my mind, and only one thought remained: to find the source of this fragrance and taste what it tasted like.

Stepping into the outer ring of the Starry Sky Forest, I felt as if I had stumbled into a fantastical world of gourmet food.

The big tree by the roadside is made of bones, and its branches are covered with roasted meat.

In the clearing in the woods, a group of creatures with shiny, oily bodies were "running" around. They looked exactly like roasted whole pigs, with faint steam rising from their bodies, and you could even hear the "sizzling" sound of oil dripping down.

Colorful bird spirits fly in the sky, their feathers as clear as icing sugar, and a sweet fragrance wafts out when their wings flap.

Even the weeds underfoot grew like chewy noodles, exuding the aroma of wheat.

"Oh my God!" I couldn't help but exclaim in my heart, my eyes widening, and my feet involuntarily walked towards those strange "foods".

"Miss, be careful!" The guards immediately became alert and blocked my way. "These soul beasts have strange shapes and may be dangerous. Do not approach!"

The father frowned and instructed, "Lulu, hunting souls is the priority. These unknown soul beasts may harbor deadly intentions. Don't act recklessly."

But that alluring aroma was like an invisible hand, tightly gripping my heart.

I looked at the bone-in meat on the tree, at the "whole roasted pig" on the ground, my throat kept bobbing, and only one voice echoed in my mind: I want to taste them, they look so delicious.

While my father and the guards were focused on surveying the surroundings and discussing their target for the soul hunt, I quietly slipped away to the tree with flesh and bones attached.

After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, I stood on tiptoe, bit off a piece of warm, bone-in meat, and took a bite without hesitation.

"Hmm!"

The tender meat melts in your mouth, with just the right amount of salty and savory flavor, without a trace of fishiness.

The taste was a hundred times more delicious than the finest roasted animal ribs at the Zhu family banquet; it was an ultimate enjoyment I had never experienced before.

Afraid of being discovered by my father, I quickly swallowed the roasted meat in a few bites, wiped my mouth, and pretended to return to the group as if nothing had happened.

But the lingering taste in my mouth made me impatient for the rest of my soul-hunting journey.

The rest of the process was incredibly tedious. My father and the guards found a hundred-year-old Netherworld Cat, which was the perfect soul beast for me.

The battle ended quickly, and I successfully obtained my first soul ring. The soul skill was the Netherworld Thrust, a skill that had been passed down through the Zhu family for thousands of years.

But I had no interest in that at all; my mind was filled with the strange delicacies of the Star Dou Great Forest.

After returning to the Zhu family, I resumed my old life.

But those delicacies that I used to take for granted now taste bland and tasteless, only satisfying my hunger.

At night, I often toss and turn, unable to sleep, my mind filled with the delicious aroma of meat and bones. That ultimate flavor haunts me like a spell, making me restless.

I can't take it anymore!

My body is protesting, my taste buds are craving the delicious flavors of the Starry Sky Forest, and my brain is constantly urging me: Go back! Go to the Starry Sky Forest! Go eat all that delicious food!

My father and mother were always busy with family affairs and imperial politics, and rarely had time to take care of me.

Sneaking out is something I do all the time.

My martial spirit is the Netherworld Cat, which is naturally good at hiding and stealth. Every time I sneak out, they can always find me in some corner of Star Luo City. Over time, they got used to my mischievousness and knew that I wouldn't go far and would always come back on my own before dark.

The outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest isn't too far from Star Luo City. I'm just going there to grab a bite to eat; I should be fine, and I'll definitely be back before dark.

That's what I thought, and that's what I did.

That night, after everyone had fallen asleep, I used the Netherworld Cat's invisibility ability to slip out of the Zhu residence silently and headed towards the Star Dou Great Forest.

When I smelled that familiar fragrance again, I almost burst into tears.

This time, I couldn't restrain myself. I picked the meat with bones from the tree, pulled up the noodle grass from the ground, and ate it in big mouthfuls.

I didn't leave until I was about 70% full. I secretly slipped home, took a shower, changed my clothes, and pretended nothing had happened.

In the days that followed, I would sneak out to the Starry Sky Forest every day to "hunt for food".

At first, I would control my food intake, afraid that I wouldn't be able to eat dinner after returning home and that this would arouse suspicion.

But I gradually discovered that my appetite was getting bigger and bigger. Before, I would be full after eating a small piece of meat with bones, but now I can eat several pieces of meat with bones and a handful of noodles in one meal.

What surprised me even more was that I felt my body subtly changing.

His previously somewhat weak physique became stronger and stronger; he ran faster and reacted more quickly.

Even when cultivating soul power, it felt much smoother than before, and the progress was significantly faster.

I started to lose interest in meat on the bone and pasta. Watching those "whole roasted pigs" running through the woods, I felt a strong urge to eat them—they looked even more delicious than meat on the bone, they must taste even better.

So I decided to try hunting a "whole roasted pig".

It was a ten-year-old soul beast, not too large in size. This was my first time hunting alone, and with no experience, I quickly found myself in trouble.

After sensing the danger, the whole roasted pig began to frantically charge left and right, its body temperature rising continuously. The originally tempting aroma of meat gradually turned burnt, and a burnt smell filled the air.

I gritted my teeth and launched the Nether Thrust, using my speed advantage to maneuver around it. It took me an entire afternoon before I finally found an opportunity and pierced its vital point with the dagger I carried.

Looking at the whole roasted pig lying on the ground, a white spirit ring slowly rose up. I dragged my tired body over. Although it smelled burnt, hunting it had exhausted me too much, and hunger had long since overwhelmed everything else.

Like a real wild beast, I pounced on the back of the roasted whole pig, tearing at the scalding hot meat.

The juicy meat bursts in your mouth, and although it has a slightly charred flavor, it is still incredibly delicious.

Before I knew it, I had finished the meat on the pig's back and even gnawed off a pig's leg.

"My appetite has grown so much?" I was a little surprised as I looked at the whole roasted pig, which was now just a skeleton. But it was getting dark, and I didn't have time to think about it. I quickly cleaned off the grease on my body and sneaked home.

After showering and changing, I ate dinner as usual, though I didn't have much of an appetite, and then lay in bed to cultivate.

This time, I clearly felt that my soul power was growing much faster than before, and my body was also stronger. The fatigue I felt while hunting disappeared quickly.

It turns out that those strange foods are not only delicious, but they can also make me stronger!

I was so excited I couldn't sleep.

I have eaten the meat of spirit beasts before, and I have even tasted the meat of hundred-year-old spirit beasts, but those meats only bring negligible improvements, far less effective than these "delicious spirit beasts" in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Just thinking about the taste of that whole roasted pig makes my mouth water again.

However, I also realized that the burnt smell affected the taste. If it could be prevented from getting too hot and burning, it would definitely taste better.

Over the next few days, I continued hunting whole pigs for roasting while carefully observing their habits.

I discovered that when these whole roasted pigs are calm, their body temperature is moderate and their meat has a rich aroma; however, when they become angry or frightened, their body temperature rises sharply and their meat slowly becomes charred.

"So that's how it is! To get the most delicious roasted whole pig, you have to be quick and decisive, without giving it a chance to heat up!" I suddenly realized.

During these few days, I also had an unexpected discovery—I found a tree in the woods laden with orange fruit.

These fruits look like oranges, but their shells are hard and rough, quite unlike ordinary oranges.

Out of curiosity, I picked one and took a bite.

"Ptooey! It's so salty!" I quickly spat it out, frowning and smacking my lips.

Wait, what's this taste like... salt?

As I savored the taste in my mouth, I was surprised to find that the saltiness also carried a faint orange fragrance—it was orange-flavored salt!

I looked at the "orange salt" in my hand, my eyes shining as if I had discovered a treasure.

If you sprinkle this salt on the roasted whole pig, it will definitely enhance the flavor to another level!

After returning home, I took out the level-three soul-guided dagger that my father had given me for self-defense.

This dagger is incredibly sharp and can also carry a slight soul force impact, making it more than enough to hunt down ten-year-old soul beasts.

The next morning, I returned to the Starry Sky Forest and quietly followed a group of roasted whole pigs.

I am like a patient hunter, hiding in the shade of a tree, waiting for the perfect moment.

Finally, a large, robust whole roasted pig broke away from the group and came to a stream to drink water, looking very relaxed.

It's now!

I held my breath and, relying on the invisibility ability of the Netherworld Cat, approached silently.

When I was only three meters away from it, I suddenly activated my first soul skill, "Netherworld Thrust," instantly accelerating my speed. The soul-guided dagger in my hand gleamed coldly as I thrust it straight at the head of the roasted whole pig.

"Pfft!"

The dagger pierced the vital spot of the whole roasted pig with precision. Before it could even react, it collapsed to the ground with a thud, and a white spirit ring slowly rose up.

There was no increase in temperature, no burnt smell, only a rich and enticing aroma of meat wafting towards you.

I could no longer contain my joy and pounced on the whole roasted pig, tearing into it with big bites.

The tender meat and rich aroma made it more delicious than anything I've ever had before!

After eating for a while, I suddenly remembered the orange salt in my pocket. I quickly took out an orange, gently scraped off some salt grains with my Soul Guide Dagger, and sprinkled it evenly on the roasted meat.

The moment I took another bite, I felt my taste buds were about to explode—the savory aroma of the roasted meat, the perfectly balanced saltiness of the orange salt, the subtle fragrance of oranges, and a hint of sweetness blended together perfectly, creating an indescribable and exquisite flavor.

"Delicious! So delicious!" I couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction as I ate, my face covered in oil, but I didn't care at all.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling my skin. The air was filled with the aroma of meat and fruit. I licked the grease from the corner of my mouth, and only one thought crossed my mind: Xingdou Great Forest is my paradise.

From this day forward, I will taste all the delicious food here!