On Lu Ran's side, 6 people are learning to cook, and each of them has to stare at a pile of ingredients every day.
Neither of them could guess the other's situation, so they could only try their best to complete their own tasks.
Six passers-by can break through the secret realm exclusively.
The next day, there was a bustling crowd outside the Gourmet Hunter Association in Canglan City.
Many men, women, young and old, carrying kitchen utensils walked into the venue.
Passersby on the streets were pointing and talking. It was time for the semi-annual special chef assessment. Unfortunately, they couldn't watch the whole process.
After half a day's journey, Lu Ran and the others were a little tired, but after a night's rest, the six trial participants from Blue Star had recovered their spirits.
Unlike other examinees who carried heavy bags, the six of them traveled light.
In the Star-Moon Continent, space equipment is also very rare, and basically only powerful beastmasters or second-generation beastmasters have it.
But for the Blue Star Beastmasters, space equipment is something that everyone has.
The ID card backpack has enough space to hold a lot of things.
"The attention is so high." Zhizheweima looked at the people around who were watching and spoke.
"There are also many family members." Shepi saw many people cheering up the examinees. This situation reminded him of the college entrance examination back then...
Various sounds were heard by everyone.
"Grandpa, you're almost 60 years old. If you still can't pass the exam this year, forget it! It's not like our small restaurant can't make money."
"Yue'er, when I pass the special chef assessment and become a qualified gourmet hunter, I will go to your house to propose marriage!"
"Oops, I forgot to bring my heirloom kitchen knife!"
“…”
Lu Ran and others did not stay outside for long and quickly entered the venue.
Although it was bustling outside the venue, there were actually not many examinees inside.
It’s almost time, and there are only a little over a hundred people in the venue.
"It seems that many people are quite capable of this," said the explorer.
After all, the process of the top chef assessment is very clear and it has been held for such a long time.
Generally speaking, most people who can come to participate have some confidence.
If the difference is too great, coming to join in the fun is just asking for trouble.
The huge assessment venue has more than 200 stoves.
The distance between each stove was not close. After Lu Ran and others came in, they found that most of the chefs had run to the back.
"I'm speechless. This isn't a university class. Why are everyone crowding into the back?" Bai Ling found a seat nearby.
"After all, it's a little later, so we can have more time to prepare. But it doesn't mean much, it's just a psychological consolation." said the pet shop owner.
Several people were very casual and chose the front row.
The main idea is to die early and be reborn early.
At present, the examinees who arrived early have already chosen their seats, placed their kitchen utensils on the stove and are waiting.
Most of the pets around these examinees have been released, most of which are fire-type pets.
During the entire assessment period, pets can assist the chef, and the chef can also use his own kitchen utensils. Only the ingredients are provided by the competition organizer.
At the moment, the atmosphere on the scene was a little depressing, but the Hunter Association did not keep the examinees waiting for long, and three examiners came out.
A white-haired old man, a super fat man, and a dashing woman.
They all wore black chef uniforms with the examiner logo approved by the Gourmet Hunter Association embroidered under their shoulders.
The three, led by the white-haired old man, walked to the most conspicuous platform in the examination room and overlooked the entire venue.
Seeing these three people, the examinees started talking about them, roughly meaning, they were discussing who these three people were.
The assessment of the Gourmet Hunter Association is not conducted by local chefs assessing local people. The examiners are transferred from associations in other provinces. Everyone supervises each other, which seems to be more fair.
Although everyone knew that these three must be powerful gourmet hunters who mastered the art of cooking, the Beast Taming Empire was too large and it was difficult to determine their exact identities for the time being.
The white-haired old man looked down and said, "We three are the examiners for this special-level examination. You don't need to know our identities. You can just call us examiners from now on. I believe you are already very clear about the examination rules and procedures."
"Let's get to the point quickly."
"Next, we will start the pre-selection phase. Those who are ready to demonstrate their knife skills, please raise your arms to signal."
Knife skills, fire skills and spoon skills are the basics of cooking.
In the preliminary selection stage, more than 90% of examinees will choose either knife skills or fire skills.
As soon as the old man finished speaking, half of the people at the scene raised their hands.
Lu Ran and the other six also raised their hands. There was nothing they could do. They didn't have fire-type pets and were naturally at a disadvantage in pyrotechnics. They could only rely on the knife skills assessment.
In this step, financial resources are actually required, because there are no restrictions on the kitchen utensils used. A good kitchen knife can greatly help in processing ingredients.
Bai Ling and others have sold some of the resources they brought with them and bought high-quality kitchen knives, hoping to pass the pre-selection.
"Sixty-two people?"
The old man counted them and said, "The 62 of you will come over to butcher the cattle in order from front to back and from left to right! The association will provide 62 'rock cattle' for you to demonstrate your knife skills."
"Okay, you can get ready. The assessment will begin in 3 minutes!" As he said that, he and the other two examiners began to observe the examinees in the audience.
When people learned about the ingredients provided by the association, there was indeed a heated discussion below.
Dismembering a whole ingredient...Although it is considered a basic skill for a gourmet hunter, it is actually a relatively difficult assessment content.
"What a joke." The mountain explorer exclaimed upon hearing the test question.
"We only practiced it once, and it was terrible."
Bai Ling said: "At least you have practiced it once, be content..."
"Wow, why aren't you ordering shredded potatoes?" The socialite wiped away her tears.
Lu Ran: “…”
I also want to ask why it’s not about cutting fruits.
Lu Ran had no opinion on this test question, as Manager Long had already predicted it for him.
Lu Ran should have practiced much more than the other five people in the past few days, so he is still calm at the moment.
The Rock Ox is a medium-level extraordinary race of rock-type cattle beasts. Its skin is as hard as stone, but its meat is delicious and is loved by all classes.
Although dissecting them is a strenuous job, if you can't do it well, you are definitely not qualified to be called a top chef.
Soon, a whole rock bull was carried up by a strong man and placed on the platform in front of the three examiners.
The female examiner in kitchen uniform said crisply, "Okay, let's get started. The procedure is to go on stage and announce your name, and then dissect the whole cow. The time limit is 5 minutes."
5 minutes?
After the female examiner finished speaking, many people felt a little uneasy because the time given was too short.
But the first person who was caught by the female examiner's gaze took a deep breath and walked upstairs with the kitchen utensils.
"My name is Kane." The gray-haired young man walked up and introduced himself. Then the fat chef narrowed his eyes and said, "You can start now."
"Yes." The gray-haired chef quickly pulled out the high-grade kitchen knife hanging from his waist and began to dissect the whole cow.
"Luanfeng Sword Technique!" he shouted.
This person's kitchen knife is similar to Lu Ran's Wind-Zhan Sword. After injecting physical strength into it, the blade can become like a wind blade.
With such kitchen utensils, the process of dissecting the rock bull went very smoothly.
Cutting off the cow's head, separating the cow's feet, peeling the cow's hide, opening the cow's stomach... He worked quickly and sharply with the kitchen knife in his hand. Within the rather extreme five minutes, he had dismembered the entire cow. After finishing, he wiped the sweat off his forehead, forced a smile, and looked at the three examiners.
"Your sword skills are quite messy." The white-haired old man said as he looked at the messy ground covered with blood and the examinee who was sweating and tense.
"The fibers in many places have been damaged. Your knife skills are not fast, accurate, or fierce enough," said the fat examiner.
"Not elegant enough. Next one." The female examiner looked at the blood stain on his body and said casually. The three of them quickly sentenced the examinee to death, causing his expression to freeze.
It's like stepping down after losing one's parents.
The three examiners this year...are very strict and not easy to deal with! After the first examiner finished his work, many people in the audience felt nervous.
"Damn." On the Infinite City trial side, Shepi said nervously: "Oh my god, why do I feel that he has done well enough? I am not as good as him."
Lu Ran gave him a sympathetic look.
He noticed that the other people's expressions weren't very good either...
Well... it is difficult for them to break through the secret realm.
"I think we should just accept our fate." Zhizheweima sighed, feeling that his people couldn't even make it through the first level, and they might not be able to make it through the second level.
Next, another cow was replaced and another person came on the stage. This time, the opponent actually brought his pet with him and did not bring any kitchen utensils.
His pet was a monkey with black and green hair. After going up, the man gave his name. Then he saw the monkey use grass energy to shape its hands into blade-like hands, and quickly processed the food for his beastmaster.
This examiner was much faster than the previous one. He didn't even have to make a move before the whole cow was dismembered. Although the result looked similar to the previous one, it was two minutes faster.
"The speed is okay, but if you pursue speed too much, you will scratch the cow bones. Rock cow bones are also quite nutritious, and this will lead to nutrient loss." The white-haired old man frowned.
"Moreover, grass-type energy has the property of absorbing. During the cutting process, at least a large part of the nutrients in the beef will be lost." The fat examiner also commented that it is better not to choose a grass-type pet to assist in processing meat ingredients! "Not elegant enough, but considering that the pet is well cultivated, it can barely pass." When the first two examiners spoke, the examinee's heart was already cold, but when the last female examiner spoke, he bowed repeatedly: "Thank you for your guidance, thank you three examiners."
"Woo! Woo!" He also bowed and expressed his gratitude to his monkey pet.
Most of those who choose knife skills do not have a contracted fire-type pet. The pet is simply a partner who helps with hunting and gathering resources.
"It seems like it's my turn?" After more than a dozen people came in, Lu Ran saw that it was soon his turn, so he touched his chin and walked out calmly.
Bai Ling and others did not say anything when they saw Lu Ran leave.
I feel that Lu Ran will definitely pass. Instead of worrying about Lu Ran, I should worry about myself first.
As the previous examinee came down, Lu Ran walked forward slowly. At the same time, the two big men quickly took turns cleaning up the dismemberment scene and replacing the whole cow.
"Name: King of Sudden Death."
After Lu Ran came up, he introduced himself.
Suddenly, many people discussed in low voices.
"He is the King of Sudden Death? The one from Frost Moon Tower?"
"It should be. The rumor is that he is indeed a young man!"
"I thought he was already a top-grade chef, but I didn't expect he hasn't even taken the test yet!"
"Who? The chef who cut the fruit at the Ningchuan City Lord's banquet? Hiss... is he here too?"
What the commotion… At this moment, the three examiners also noticed the discussions below, and couldn’t help but look at Lu Ran with interest.
It seems that he is a well-known chef genius in Canglan Province.
After being bored for a long time, finally an interesting guy comes up.
"Take out your cooking utensils and get started." The female examiner counted the time in her mind, intending to see how strong this sudden death king was, but the next moment...
She saw Lu Ran's hand flash and he took out his own kitchen utensils.
Buzz.
Lu Ran swung the Wind-Zhan Sword, which touched the air with a slight hum, and the tip of the sword pointed to the ground.
The third examiner:? Bai Ling and other examinees: ...
"Ah?" The fat chef was stunned. This, you have a sword, it must be a sword!
Lu Ran did not summon his pet to help, nor did he take out a kitchen knife. Instead, he took out a sword, which made the three examiners slightly confused.
They had seen all kinds of kitchen knives, but this was the first time they had a sword...
"Sword???" The female examiner's emotions fluctuated for the first time.
"Is it not possible? As long as it can be used for dissection, any kitchen utensils should be fine." Lu Ran asked.
To be honest, although the kitchen knife can also be used with the sword, Lu Ran feels that this one is more convenient to use. When practicing the measured knife skills, Lu Ran always practiced with the Zhanfeng Sword.
"It's up to you!" The female examiner was casual again. The next moment, Lu Ran looked at the whole cow lying on the ground.
He closed his eyes slightly, then suddenly opened them. At this moment, the expressions of the three examiners suddenly changed.
Boom! They felt Lu Ran's aura suddenly transform from a young boy into a ferocious beast, and then, an extremely cold air emanated from the sword in his hand.
It was not just ordinary cold air. They could see that this sword was a wind sword, but the icy aura it exuded could strike directly into the spirit. Could it be...
Swish! Lu Ran followed his memory and slashed at the rock bull once, twice, and three times... His speed was so fast that it was hard to see his movements.
Only a few phantoms can be seen.
“What amazing skills, and what a strong physique!” The fat examiner couldn’t help but exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this. Lu Ran was the one with the strongest physique among all the examinees just now. Whether it was his physical strength or his agility, he didn’t look like a human at all.
The inhuman physique that Lu Ran had developed through super-beast mimicry finally came in handy.
Just less than ten seconds.
Lu Ran stopped and gently swung the sword which was not stained with any blood.
At this time, the entire cow even looked unchanged in appearance.
But the next moment, many examiners were all shocked, as they saw cuts suddenly appear on the surface of the entire cow, and a faint white light even flashed in each cut.
Buzz!!! Accompanied by white light, the whole cow was dismembered in an instant. The smooth cut surface still shone with crystal light, and combined with the red fibers, the dissected cow looked like a work of art, very beautiful.
“What kind of cooking skill is this!” Upon seeing this, some examiners couldn’t help but look forward in shock.
At that moment, even the three examiners couldn't help but reveal solemn expressions.
"It was dismembered so quickly." The fat chef opened his eyes.
“This guy is not very skilled in dissecting a whole cow, but he controls his strength very finely, allowing his blows to move freely inside the cow.” The white-haired old man was surprised. Is this a special inheritance of cooking skills?
"The most important thing is that not a drop of blood or juice was shed. They were all locked in the meat... This is... not the effect of the kitchen utensils, but..."
“Ice-type culinary intention!” The female examiner looked at Lu Ran and was quite surprised. She didn’t expect to meet an examinee with culinary intention.
This was no longer an exam, but a show of skill. Without any knowledge of ice and snow cooking, it would be impossible for them to achieve this unless they used rare ice-based kitchen utensils.
The three examiners looked at Lu Ran seriously. Who is this guy? This step is amazing. Almost all the nutrients in the meat are locked. Unlike the low-level ingredients on Blue Star that need to be bled to improve the taste, extraordinary life is a treasure everywhere. Lu Ran has been tutored by the boss lady, so he naturally knows how to do it. In fact, there are no short-sighted and half-baked chefs in this professional examination room. They are all trying to retain extraordinary nutrition.
"You passed. The dismemberment was perfect." The white-haired examiner looked at Lu Ran and said seriously.
"Thank you." Lu Ran smiled slightly, then gave a thumbs up to Bai Ling and others, meaning, you should also work hard, see you in the second game!
Bai Ling and others were stunned.
Get out of here!!! It can be imagined that although it was a very peaceful breakthrough secret realm, the same batch of trial participants as Lu Ran were also greatly stimulated.
…
After Lu Ran finished his work, it was Bai Ling and the others' turn.
In fact, Lu Ran could have left at this point, and he only needed to wait for tomorrow's practical assessment.
However, as a fellow Infinite City trialist, Lu Ran still wanted to see how these five people performed.
Snake skin, bought a high-quality gold kitchen knife, it was sharp, but due to being too nervous and lacking experience, he cut a big hole in the cow bone, and Lu Ran couldn't help but cover his eyes.
The truck flipped over.
He called a horse a zebra and also got a high-level wind-type kitchen knife. However, I don't know if it was because I was too weak, my hands were shaking when I injected physical strength into it, and I accidentally broke the cow's internal organs.
The mountain explorer was even more panicked when he saw his two good friends kneeling down. He played it safe and performed the dissection slowly and leisurely, and the time limit was exceeded...
Compared with the three male beastmasters, Ibeth's technique here was much more delicate, and he also had a good attitude towards the bloody dissection, but unfortunately, the practice time was too short. Although he finished well within the specified time, like the first examinee, he failed to satisfy the three examiners.
One preliminary selection directly eliminated four out of the six examinees, which can be said to be extremely cruel.
"Are these five people all recommended by Frost Moon Tower?" The female examiner looked at the list with surprise. What's wrong with Frost Moon Tower? Why are there such huge differences in the examinees recommended?
The dishes are really good, and the amazing ones are really amazing...
"Bai Ling." After a while, another examinee recommended by Frost Moon Tower came.
At this moment, Bai Ling was under great pressure. Just when Shepi and the others thought that Bai Ling was in trouble...
This woman, instead, pulled out a rare and top-grade kitchen knife that had both wind and ice properties.
With the help of the quality of the kitchen knife, the cow was dismembered perfectly, and a low-end version of the snowstorm cooking effect was imitated.
Snake Skin and others: ??? "Fuck, rich!" The explorer was stunned. Damn, this white tiger sister actually spent a lot of money to get a rare kitchen utensil.
This knife must be worth tens of thousands of crystal coins.
"Passed." When the three examiners said passed, Bai Ling's legs went weak and she almost fell down.
"Fortunately, I was well prepared." She was thankful.
As the eldest daughter of the Four Saints Gang, Bai Ling is not as wealthy as Pluto, but she is not much worse.
Change to a top-quality kitchen utensil and sprinkle some water.
"This guy is COSing me." When Lu Ran saw the other party's kitchen knife, he knew that Bai Ling was imitating his blizzard sword intent...
But I have to say that this guy is very smart and knows how to make choices. At the moment, it is obviously more important to break through to the first level.
"Slightly~" On the high platform, Bai Ling saw Lu Ran staring at her and curled her lips.
In its early years, the Four Saints Gang was a gangster group that was engaged in fringe business such as poaching and smuggling rare animals. Later, before the law was perfected, it successfully transformed and whitewashed itself into a large group. Two years ago, it caught up with the bonus period of Infinite City. As a gangster lady, Bai Ling was influenced by her family and was very smart.
“Not alive anymore!”
“Why is it so difficult?”
"This is such a piss-off Infinite City!"
When Bai Ling came back, she saw Shepi, Zhiszeweishuma and others crying there.
She stuck the knife into the stove and said, "I'm so annoyed. If I don't pass, then I don't pass. I'll try again next time."
There was still a second game, and she was not completely relaxed at this time, as she did not want to be infected by these people's pessimism.
There is no big loss or danger in this secret realm, so if you fail, you fail! Men are just hypocritical! "Don't be so pessimistic." Lu Ran also comforted him: "Think positively, even if you pass the first level, the second level is still difficult. If you want to make special dishes, you must have either cooking skills or rare ingredients. Cooking skills are definitely difficult, and rare ingredients are mostly materials from the dominant creatures, which is even more difficult!"
"This is the only dangerous part of this assessment. Rather than taking the risk and paying a heavy price to be eliminated, it's better to be eliminated now."
"I have one more day to arrange my time as I like. I feel better if I think about it this way."
Snake Skin, Calling a Stag a Horse, Ibeth, Explorer: "…"
Thank you for your enlightenment. Your social phobia must refer to social terror attacks! After listening to this, several people felt even more complicated.
(End of this chapter)