A Bite of Douluo Continent

[Please stop fantasizing. Having just completed your junior chef promotion, it's impossible for you to pass the intermediate chef exam. Furthermore, you haven't met any of the prerequisites for the intermediate chef promotion, and there's no possibility of you gaining promotion qualifications in the short term.]

Okay, I'll just think about it.

Qi Han pursed his lips.

If a three-star recipe has stumped you for so long, you're clearly still far from being an intermediate chef.

But... what are the prerequisites?

"System, what are prerequisites?"

[The prerequisites are the standards by which this system determines the host's ability to complete promotion tasks. Once all prerequisites are met, the host will be eligible for promotion and can attempt to complete the promotion tasks issued by this system.]

It turned out to be the case.

Qi Han nodded knowingly, "Then what are the prerequisites for being promoted to junior chef?"

The prerequisites for promotion to junior chef are as follows:

1. Complete main quest four.

2. Master at least three two-star recipes.

3. Soul power level reaches level ten.

No wonder the system immediately announced that I was eligible for promotion after completing the fourth main quest.

Mastering three two-star recipes naturally refers to braised pork belly with chicken, Dongpo pork knuckle, and tomato beef brisket, and with my soul power reaching level ten, I had already accomplished that.

"So... what are the prerequisites for becoming an intermediate chef?"

The prerequisites for promotion to intermediate chef are as follows:

1. Complete main quest nine.

2. Master at least five three-star recipes.

3. Soul power level reaches level 40.

After looking at the first requirement for promotion and then at the fifth main quest he hadn't yet completed, Qi Han fell into deep thought.

Not to mention the second prerequisite of mastering five three-star recipes. Even if you master the recipe for "Fish Belly with Lamb," you only have one of those recipes. You don't know where to get the other four.

In comparison, the third option seems to be the easiest to achieve...

[Friendly Reminder: After the host's soul power reaches level 30, the maximum soul power reward per mission will be adjusted from 5 to 2.]

Well, when I didn't say it.

Chapter Sixty-Two: One Hundred Thousand Mistakes

The system said a lot, but it also seemed like it said nothing at all.

At least Qi Han felt that the system was like drawing a big pie in his face, a pie that looked very tempting, but he couldn't get his hands on it in the short term.

"System, why did you suddenly draw me cookies?"

Qi Han felt it was necessary to condemn the system's empty promises, which were just as despicable as a certain game.

[This system adheres to the rule of answering only the host's questions and will not proactively reveal these details to the host. Please recall how our conversation began.]

Where to begin...?

Oh, I remember now. It was because I asked if there was a way to remove the restriction that I couldn't receive the recipe before completing the "Hidden Sheep in the Fish's Belly" recipe that led to the conversation that followed.

So... I found myself a big pie?

【Yes. 】

"System, couldn't you have answered more gently? For example, could you have withheld some information from me?"

Qi Han became somewhat embarrassed and angry, and even started to act unreasonably.

[Host, are you sure you want this system to conceal some of the truth?]

"...Never mind." Qi Han considered the possible consequences and decisively backed down.

Hmm... thinking about it carefully, having a pie isn't so bad. It gives me motivation.

Yes! That's it!

See, I'm full of motivation now!

"System, I'm going to grind 'Fish Belly Hides Sheep' all night!"

[The host's enthusiasm is commendable, but this system believes that maintaining good rest and a good mental state is more suitable for welcoming tomorrow's diners.]

Power-10086.

"Okay, goodnight then." Qi Han readily agreed.

【...Goodnight, host.】 It took the system a long while to react.

So... this guy never intended to grind, right?

...

Three days passed quickly, yet also slowly.

For Qi Han in the training space, it was a full six months, but for a certain master and disciple in the Star Dou Great Forest, it seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye.

"Whoosh!"

The moon transformed into a streak of light, cleaving the giant beast in two amidst a sharp whooshing sound.

As the giant beast crashed to the ground, the moon returned to its master's hands.

Those were hands so perfect they were as delicate as mutton fat jade, each finger as slender as a finely shaved scallion, with a subtle sheen.

As the black light emerged from the surface of the giant beast's corpse before her, slowly condensing into a deep, inky black soul ring, the beautiful woman dressed in a light blue outfit couldn't help but smile.

A slightly hunched old woman looked at the corpse on the ground with satisfaction. "The Earth King of fifty thousand years ago, well done. Its innate soul skill is also quite suitable for your Moon Wheel."

"Teacher, shall I absorb it?" Yu Lianxin smiled slightly, clearly very satisfied with her choice.

"I will stay here to protect you. Once you have absorbed the essence, we will return together."

"Hmm!" With her teacher by her side, Yu Lianxin felt extremely at ease. She sat down cross-legged, activated her martial soul, and continuously drew the ten-thousand-year soul ring floating in the air toward her. Then she began to meditate and absorb it.

The old woman glanced at her apprentice, then sat cross-legged on the spot, warily surveying her surroundings.

This place is already close to the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest. Even with the old woman's cultivation level of 97, she dared not be careless in the slightest.

With Shrek Academy's thousands of years of history, they know far too many secrets.

Among the original Shrek Seven Devils from five thousand years ago, Xiao Wu, the Soft Bone Rabbit, was transformed from a 100,000-year-old soul beast. In addition to the Soft Bone Rabbit, there were two other 100,000-year-old kings in the Star Dou Great Forest: the Azure Bull Python Daming and the Titan Giant Ape Erming.

These two are said to have sacrificed themselves for Tang San, becoming his spirit rings, and entered the God Realm together, where they were resurrected by Tang San.

But are these the only three 100,000-year-old soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest?

Of course not.

The area where the three 100,000-year-old soul beasts were located could only be considered a location in the near-core area, not even the true core area.

The true dangers and perils of the Star Dou Great Forest were discovered by generations of Shrek Academy predecessors who risked their lives to find out.

Reaching a cultivation level of 100,000 years is not the limit for soul beasts. If they can withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, they can regain a lifespan of 100,000 years, and thereafter experience a Heavenly Tribulation every 100,000 years.

If you can endure it, you will live; if you can't, you will die and your soul will be scattered.

These soul beasts, over 200,000 years old, are called ferocious beasts by the strong members of Shrek Academy, comparable to humans at level 95 or above.

And there are seven such ferocious beasts living in the deepest part of the Star Dou Great Forest!

The strongest of them is even more powerful than a human level 99 Title Douluo!

At this moment, they were only a step away from the core area, and the old woman could not afford to be careless in the slightest.

The time required to absorb a spirit ring varies, depending entirely on the difficulty of the absorption; sometimes, absorption may even fail.

However, the soul beasts that Yu Lianxin killed herself could not escape her grasp, and soon, her soul ring had been fully absorbed.

This relieved the tense old woman.

This is the second spirit ring that Yu Lianxin has absorbed in three days.

After all, she possesses twin martial souls, so she naturally needs to absorb twice as many soul rings as others.

Now that you've absorbed the spirit rings, it's time to leave.

...

Three days later, Qi Han walked out of the system space with a big smile on his face.

"System, please provide statistics on how long it took me to train the fish to hide a sheep inside its belly."

[Congratulations, host, on mastering the skill of hiding a sheep in the belly of a fish. The total training time for hiding a sheep in the belly of a fish was 243 days, with 103278 failures.]

One hundred thousand mistakes.

A sheep hidden inside a fish's belly—how terrifying!

Fortunately, I finally finished cooking this dish.

Qi Han hurried downstairs, already quite impatient.

The first thing Qi Han did upon coming downstairs was to look at the menu on the wall.

The left half of the wall was already filled with the previous menu, and now at the top of the right half of the wall, there was a line of calligraphy in bold, elegant strokes.

Sheep hidden in fish belly - 1000 Gold Soul Coins/serving.

Unlike other recipes, this dish's price tag is not made of the same wooden plaque, but rather a deep purple one. The purple hue is noble and profound, conveying a sense of solemnity.

"System, even the price tags on Samsung's menus are more unique?"

Yes, the price tags for three-star recipes are purple, four-star are black, and five-star are red.

Wow, it's different from other places right from the price list?

It truly exudes luxury.

Oh, right, why did I rush down here just now?

I remembered.