Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

In the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest, Shi Yu was chatting with Tang Ya and the others about the lingering effects of the BB popcorn from Mount Wulu, while some soul beasts were discussing the mixed zone nearby.

When they talked about the strange soul beast that had broken into the mixed zone, Shi Yu became interested.

Shi Yu asked them, "What does this strange, foreign soul beast look like? Where did it come from?"

"It came from the coast, broke through the human towns and the surrounding soul beasts' barriers, and ran into the mixed zone. That guy was covered in a rock-like hard shell, his limbs were as thick as stone blocks, and his head was round. He should be a soul beast that is nearly ten thousand years old."

"Oh? From the coast?" Shi Yu stroked his chin, the first thing that popped into his mind was a familiar figure, "Could it be the Rock Drum?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lu's eyes immediately lit up—she was very interested in the new ingredients.

Seeing this, Shi Yu smiled and explained, "The outer shell of the rock drum is a good thing. It is made of super hard protein, and there is a beautiful layer of calcium carbonate on the surface. After polishing and processing, it can be made into a material comparable to marble. Whether it is made into exquisite furniture or carved into tableware for holding food, it is a top choice."

Tang Ya rubbed her hands together, a hint of eagerness flashing in her eyes: "We're just short of furniture and tableware, this rock drum has arrived at the perfect time."

Shi Yu stood up, brushed the grass clippings off his body, and glanced at the three people and two beasts in front of him—the Imperial Beast Qiu'er was swishing its tail, the Snow God Moth on Huo Yutong's shoulder was flapping its wings as if about to take flight, Yun Bao was looking excitedly in the direction of the mixed area, and Zhu Lu gripped the short blade at her waist.

He chuckled and raised his voice, "Since it's such a rare thing, is there anyone, human or beast, who would like to go and see it?"

"I!"

Count me in!

"I want to go too!"

Five voices rang out almost simultaneously. Qiu'er's golden eyes sparkled with curiosity, while Yun Bao couldn't wait to rush out.

"We all want to go, huh? Let's go then." Shi Yu waved his hand and took the lead in the direction indicated by the soul beast. "Follow me, don't wander off. Who knows what surprises are hidden along the way?"

The group hurried along the forest path, and the deeper they went into the mixed zone, the more unfamiliar the surroundings became. The once-familiar towering ancient trees gradually disappeared, replaced by a vast expanse of black grassland.

The dark green grass blades are long and sturdy, swaying gently in the breeze. From a distance, they look like a black velvet carpet spread across the earth, a stark contrast to the lush greenery of the Starry Sky Forest in the past.

Looking at the strange black grass before him, Shi Yu couldn't help but exclaim softly, "A black carpet? Is this still the Star Dou Great Forest? Could it be that the First Courtyard is about to appear in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"The First Courtyard?" Qiu'er's ears twitched. She didn't hear anything else clearly, but she grasped the key point: a new area meant new ingredients. Qiu'er was immediately interested in food.

"Is this a new area? What kind of good food will be available there?"

Huo Yutong frowned, her gaze sweeping warily over the surroundings, and asked softly, "Is it dangerous inside?"

Xiaoyutong really cares about everyone.

Shi Yu pondered for a moment, then said with a hint of seriousness, "As things stand, there's no sign of great danger yet, but if it truly is the prototype of the First Courtyard, the Ligalu Plateau, then it should be inhabited by a top-tier culinary treasure—the Ligalu mammoth!"

"Food Treasure?" Tang Ya was stunned, her face full of doubt.

"Ligaluru mammoth?" Zhu Lu's eyes lit up as she pressed for details.

Shi Yu took a deep breath and slowly recounted the origin of this legendary ingredient: "The Ligalu mammoth is known as the 'ancient food treasure.' It contains a piece of jewel-like flesh, which was the grand finale ingredient at the highest-class banquets in ancient times."

"Throughout history, only the truly brave have been able to obtain it. It symbolizes both the ultimate deliciousness and the affirmation of the strong."

"A symbol of heroism?" Rainbow Dash's eyes widened instantly, and she shouted excitedly, "That's awesome! What are we waiting for? Let's go capture the Jewel Flesh now! Rainbow Dash, the title of hero, sounds so cool!"

"Don't rush," Shi Yu said with a smile, pouring cold water on the situation. "Catching the Gemstone Meat is no easy task. That meat combines the best flavors of the entire Ligalu mammoth and even emits a golden glow. However, its location inside the mammoth's body is different for each one, making it extremely difficult to find."

Qiu'er was most concerned about food. She pouted and asked, "How big is that piece of gem meat? How big can a mammoth be? Is it enough for us to eat?"

"You don't need to worry about that." Shi Yu's words made everyone present gasp. "The Ligalu Mammoth is the absolute king of the First Courtyard, the Ligalu Plateau, and is at the top of the food chain."

"An adult can be over 1,500 meters long, with a capture level of 48, and it will continue to increase as it grows. Its two long noses can easily suck up and strangle a large number of ferocious beasts. It can even swallow up all the creatures in an entire mountain range. In the first ecological zone, it has almost no natural enemies and is the most powerful creature there."

"1,500 meters?" Qiu'er's tail suddenly froze, and the craving on her face vanished instantly, replaced by utter shock. "You mean, an adult Ligaluru mammoth can be half the length of Uncle Di Tian? And it can still grow?"

Di Tian's true form, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, is a full three thousand meters long, making it the undisputed overlord of the Star Dou Great Forest. What kind of terrifying behemoth could grow to half Di Tian's length?

Qiu'er immediately cowered, shrinking back and muttering, "Let's just leave. Forget about the gem meat. If a thing that big steps on us, we'll be turned into mincemeat."

Rainbow Dash also looked dejected, drooping her head and muttering softly, "Oh... Rainbow Dash, that doesn't sound cool at all."

Shi Yu looked at the two of them and couldn't help but laugh: "Don't be afraid. We're not going to fight the Ligalo mammoth. We just need to find a way to get into its body and find the Jewel Flesh."

"Get inside its body?" Tang Ya, listening from the side, felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but complain, "That sounds even scarier than fighting it!"

Just as everyone was discussing amongst themselves, a deafening crash suddenly came from the end of the black grass not far away, accompanied by a furious roar, and the earth trembled slightly.

"Hmm?" Shi Yu's eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet. "There's fighting going on. Let's go see!"

The group immediately concealed their presence and stealthily crept towards the direction from which the sound came.

After crossing the black grass, a striking scene suddenly came into view—

A massive rock drum was seen waving its thick limbs, frantically attacking a slender figure.

The rock drum was covered with a bluish-gray rock shell, which was covered with jagged cracks, and its head was round like a giant drum.

It was the ferocious coastal beast that Shi Yu and the others were looking for.

As a giant crustacean, the Rock Drum has a capture level of 27. They originally lived on the coast and fed on seabed reefs and shellfish. Later, in order to plunder more food, they began to migrate inland. They are a migratory beast that eats wherever they go.

The coastal towns of the Heavenly Dou Empire were frequently harassed by this ferocious beast. However, no one expected that this nearly 10,000-year-old rock drum would actually make its way to the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The slender figure that was attacked was none other than Jiang Nannan, who had recently stepped into this black grass.