Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

Before the warmth in the cave had dissipated, the Ice Emperor's voice rang in Huo Yutong's mind, carrying a hint of nostalgia and solemnity: "Little Yutong, deep within the core of the far north, there lives an old friend of mine. She is the Snow Emperor, the leader of the three great kings of the far north, who controls the ultimate power of ice and snow. Her next tribulation will also be very dangerous. Now that I have become your soul ring, if you can invite her to join you, your Snow God Moth Martial Soul will surely reach a higher level."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu raised an eyebrow, rubbing his chin with his fingertips as he pondered, "The Snow Emperor? She is a top-tier existence among ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts, and her temperament is said to be as cold as a block of ice that never melts. However... being able to meet the legendary ruler of the far north is indeed a fortunate event."

Zhu Lu put the last slice of pufferfish into her mouth, wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth, and nodded in agreement: "It's a good opportunity to see the scenery of the far north core and also look for some new ingredients."

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm nodded repeatedly from the side: "If we can really invite Snow Empress to join us, it will be of great help to Xiaoyutong."

The group quickly reached an agreement and, after a short rest, set off towards the far north core.

The further north you go, the more biting the wind becomes, and heavy snowflakes dance in the air, making the air feel as if it could freeze into ice crystals.

Halfway there, a deep roar suddenly came from the snow ahead, and then a group of huge, snow-white beasts with bodies as big as mountains came into view.

They have curved, giant horns, their bodies are covered with thick fur, their limbs are as thick as stone pillars, and every step they take can make the snow tremble slightly. The white breath they exhale from their nostrils instantly turns into ice shards—these are the blizzard yak unique to the far north.

"Wow!" Shi Yu's eyes lit up, a strong interest flashing in them. "The meat of the Blizzard Ox is firm and chewy, especially the ribs. Slow-roasted with dry branches from the ice field and then brushed with a sauce made from ice berries, it's absolutely top-notch. Moreover, their fur can keep them warm, and their horns can be used to make cooking utensils. Every part of them is a treasure."

Ice Emperor's voice rang out at the right moment: "These Blizzard Oxen are at least five thousand years old soul beasts. They are extremely powerful and can control wind and snow. They are not easy to deal with."

Shi Yu smiled, turned to look at Zhu Lu, his eyes filled with expectation: "Zhu Lu, the task of capturing them is entrusted to you. Your martial soul is good at concealment and hunting, which is perfect for dealing with these tough and thick-skinned big guys. Consider this a test for you as a hunter."

A glint of fighting spirit flashed in Zhu Lu's eyes, and she nodded: "No problem."

She didn't act immediately, but instead found a sheltered snow slope to lie in ambush, keeping her eyes fixed on the herd of snow buffalo.

She slowly activated her martial spirit, her figure gradually disappearing into the wind and snow, even concealing her aura completely, as if she had merged into this icy plain.

This is her most proficient hunter stealth technique, which allows her to approach her prey silently without them noticing.

The blizzard herd seemed unaware of the danger. The largest blizzard leader was munching on the ice grass under the snow, occasionally swinging its massive horns and letting out a majestic roar.

Zhu Lu patiently waited for her chance, snowflakes falling on her shoulders, but she remained motionless.

She finally moved when the yak leader left the herd and went to drink water by a spring.

His figure moved like a ghostly lightning bolt, darting swiftly across the snow, the snow beneath his feet making not a sound.

The moment she approached the blizzard leader, she leaped up, a short blade gleaming with cold light appearing in her hand. She precisely stabbed at the blizzard's vulnerable spot on its neck—the very lifeblood of the blizzard blizzard, and the easiest place to subdue it.

"Moo—!"

The yak leader, in pain, let out a deafening roar, its massive head jerking back as it tried to fling Zhu Lu off.

Zhu Lu was prepared. She gripped the yak's fur tightly with her left hand, and with her right hand, she used her short blade again, while simultaneously gathering a wisp of pure soul power at her fingertips and thrusting it into the yak's acupoints.

This is the acupressure technique that Shi Yu taught her.

The moment the soul power entered the acupoint, the lizard chieftain's movements suddenly froze, as if most of the strength in his limbs had been drained away, and he staggered.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhu Lu flipped herself to the ground, her short blade flashing like lightning as she struck the lizard's joints one after another.

Each thrust was accompanied by the infusion of soul power. Gradually, the once ferocious lizard leader could only let out a low moan and could no longer move an inch.

"Done." Zhu Lu clapped the snow off her hands and gave a victory sign to Shi Yu and Huo Yutong who had rushed over.

Shi Yu stepped forward, patted the yak chieftain's thick fur, and exclaimed, "Well done! Your technique was clean and efficient, even faster than I expected."

Huo Yutong also walked over quickly. Her golden eyes swept over the yaks and she said with a smile, "The meat of this yaks must be very good. The muscles are firm and the fat is evenly distributed."

Hyotei marveled in his mind: "This girl's hunting skills have a bit of the flair of a hunter from the far north."

The group worked together to carry the lizard chieftain to a sheltered ice cave. Shi Yu took out a set of cooking utensils from his soul tool and handed them to Huo Yutong: "Now it's up to you."

Huo Yutong nodded, took a deep breath, and began to deal with the enormous Blizzard Bull.

She first used a specially made skinning knife to carefully peel off the yak's hide.

The fur was incredibly thick, with fine and soft down. Upon seeing this, Zhu Lu simply put the fur away, intending to make it into a cloak for warmth in the future.

Next came cutting the meat into chunks. Huo Yutong held a sharp cleaver, her gaze precisely fixed on the gaps between the yak bones.

Her movements were slow, but each cut was precise, following the lines of the bones to clearly distinguish the ribs, leg meat, tenderloin, and other parts.

Especially for the ribs, she specifically chose the middle section with a good balance of fat and lean meat, carefully rinsed them with clean water, and then soaked them in spring water for a while to remove the blood and fishy smell.

"The meat of the Blizzard lizard is rather tough, so it needs to be slowly stewed with soul power to absorb the flavor before being roasted." Huo Yutong said as she took out various spices from her soul tool—including ice mint and snow pepper unique to the far north, as well as vanilla ice cream that she had collected before.

She first cut the ribs into small pieces, then evenly coated them with pepper powder, salt, and vanilla ice cream. Next, she enveloped the ribs with her soul power, slowly infusing them with a trace of Hyotei's ultimate icy power. This not only locked in the tenderness of the meat but also added a unique, refreshing icy texture.

She then lit a campfire in the ice cave, placed a thick, dry branch on it, skewered the marinated ribs on it, and began to slowly roast them.

The flames leaped and crackled, and grease dripped from the ribs, splashing into the flames and releasing bursts of aroma.

Huo Yutong turned the ribs over from time to time, then brushed them with a sauce made from ice berries.

The sauce was sweet and sour, perfectly blending with the aroma of the ribs. As the temperature rose, the rich fragrance gradually spread, even making the Ice Emperor and Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, who were hiding in their sea of ​​consciousness, unable to resist swallowing their saliva.

Besides the roasted ribs, Huo Yutong also sliced ​​beef tenderloin into thin slices, mixed them with ice mint, and made a refreshing cold dish.

Then cut the leg meat into small pieces and stew it with mushrooms from the snow. The stewed meat soup is milky white and rich. One sip and you feel warm all over.

Before long, a sumptuous feast of blizzard-infused lily beef was laid out before everyone.

The ribs are roasted to a golden brown and crispy perfection, with a fragrant, charred exterior and tender, juicy meat inside. One bite releases the aroma of the meat mixed with the sweet and sour sauce, along with a hint of refreshing coolness, making it an unforgettable experience. The cold-dressed pork tenderloin slices are refreshing and cut through the richness, while the mushroom and pork stew soup is incredibly delicious.

Zhu Lu ate with great relish, stuffing large chunks of meat into her mouth, her cheeks bulging: "It's so delicious! It's better than any barbecue I've ever had before!"

Shi Yu nodded in satisfaction, took a sip of the meat soup, and smiled, "Xiao Yutong's cooking skills are getting more and more exquisite."

Huo Yutong watched as everyone ate happily, a bright smile spreading across her face.

She picked up a rib herself and took a bite. Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and Ice Emperor couldn't resist any longer. Their energy forms emerged and they began to feast on the meal.

After a satisfying meal, the group continued their journey. The closer they got to the far north, the lower the temperature became, and the more peculiar the surrounding snowscape became, with towering ice sculptures everywhere, resembling an ice and snow city.

Finally, in the center of a giant ice lotus, they met the Snow Emperor.

She was a young girl in a snow-white dress, with unparalleled beauty and skin as white as snow. She was surrounded by layers of snowflakes, and her eyes were so cold that they seemed to freeze everything.

She hovered in mid-air, like an ice and snow sprite, emanating a pressure several times stronger than that of the Ice Emperor back then.

However, when Xue Di's gaze fell on Huo Yutong, her cold eyes suddenly narrowed, and a terrifying killing intent instantly swept out.

"The aura of the Ice Emperor!" The Snow Emperor's voice was icy and chilling, like millennia-old ice shattering. "Humans, what have you done to the Ice Emperor?!"

Before the words were finished, a sudden blizzard raged, and countless ice spikes materialized and shot towards the group.

Shi Yu and Zhu Lu's expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly activated their soul power to resist. Huo Yutong was also forced to retreat repeatedly by this terrifying pressure. Just then, a beam of emerald light flew out from between her eyebrows, transforming into the Ice Emperor's humanoid energy body, blocking in front of the group.

"Xue'er, stop!" Hyotei's voice was urgent. "It's not what you think!"

The Snow Empress's attack abruptly stopped. Looking at the Ice Empress's energy form, a hint of astonishment flashed in her eyes: "Bing'er? How could you...?"

Ice Emperor gave a bitter smile and recounted in detail how he sacrificed himself to become Huo Yutong's Wisdom Soul Ring.

Finally, she looked at Xue Di and earnestly advised, "Xue'er, your tribulation is almost here, isn't it? Given your current condition, surviving it is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Why not become this child's wisdom soul ring like I did? Not only will you save your life, but you can also taste all the delicious food in the world with her. Wouldn't that be better?"

Xue Di stared blankly at Bing Di, then at Huo Yutong, who looked completely innocent. The killing intent around her gradually dissipated, but her eyes were filled with hesitation.

"I need to think about it some more," Xue Di said, looking at Huo Yutong and sensing her aura. "The little girl you mentioned does have good talent, but her spirit ring slots are already full. Come back to me next year, and I will give you a definite answer then."