The massive dragon corpse lay beneath the Overlord Tree, its scorching blood radiating heat like lava.
"The ham is the priority!"
"Chef, this tree is at least a thousand meters tall. How about you..."
"No, selecting mature ham and harvesting it must be done by me personally."
A thousand meters.
That's equivalent to a two-hundred-story building, which would take nearly seven minutes even by elevator.
The guards carried Jun Qing on their backs, scrambling upwards like monkeys.
Although Jun Qing had also awakened gourmet cells, his level was only 4. If he were to fall...
By the time everyone had climbed the trunk, they were already drenched in sweat.
Standing on a branch as broad as a bridge, Jun Qing gazed at the ground, his heart filled with emotion!
"To climb high and gaze far, the sun rises in the east... If I weren't standing at this extreme height, how could I see such a vast world..."
"Now that I've reached this vantage point, the first thing I see is the beautiful scenery of snow-capped mountains holding the sun and light clouds. What do you say..."
"Does this symbolize my rise step by step from now on, with no further obstacles?"
Countless hardships, countless schemes, and now, to finally snatch food from the dragon's maw – it was all worth it!
As long as he could obtain the Overlord Tree fruit and combine it with his peerless culinary skills, winning a place in the Northern Feast would be as easy as pie!
Thinking of himself wearing a floral crown and holding a trophy, Jun Qing could no longer control his emotions and burst into hearty laughter.
"Look, Mr. Heng Xing has slain the Scaled Earth Dragon."
The view here was extremely wide. The group followed the sound and looked.
In the far distance, Heng Xing plunged his sword repeatedly into the Earth Dragon's wounds, blood gushing out like a fountain...
Severe blood loss caused the Earth Dragon's movements to become increasingly sluggish, and it finally fell to the ground with unwilling resentment, unable to rise again.
Jun Qing laughed wildly again: "Double joy... no, triple joy! The Ice Plains Dragon, the Scaled Earth Dragon, and the Overlord Tree ham. This trip is a great harvest!"
"Chef... Delay could lead to complications."
"Indeed... Let's act quickly and not keep Heng Xing waiting."
After taking only a few steps, Jun Qing's feet froze in place.
Not far away, a man in a tiger-skin outfit, wielding a knife, cut down an Overlord Tree ham.
Judging by its color and size, it was undoubtedly a prime specimen, perfectly cured.
This man was naturally Zhang Wei. He looked at the ham with satisfaction.
"The coverage of the mold is 15%, the color is dark, and it feels heavy and hard... a very good specimen."
"I've searched three times; there should be no omissions."
[Collected: Overlord Tree Ham (Mature) (Perfectly Cured)]
[Capture Level: 55]
[Replication Time: 80 days]
Since it was a collection, he naturally had to choose the most outstanding quality.
Even the treasure hall had an additional label of approval.
"Even without further processing, cured ham is a top-tier delicacy when eaten raw."
"Having collected so much..."
Zhang Wei's saliva dripped incessantly.
This was the first time he had seen ham of this quality.
He formed his palm into a blade, about to slice the ham...
"Stop!!!"
The cry was heart-wrenching, like discovering an affair in a closet.
Zhang Wei looked up in confusion.
Their eyes met.
Both Zhang Wei and Jun Qing had the same thought... this guy is fast at freeloading!
Jun Qing's handsome face flushed with anger, wishing he could devour Zhang Wei.
His hundreds of men had traversed the snowfields, exhausted themselves, even agreed to partner with Heng Xing... and fought bloody battles against the Scaled Earth Dragon!
Only to be beaten to it by the person in front of him.
Jun Qing was furious: "A waste of heaven's treasure! A waste of heaven's treasure! You intend to eat this rare delicacy of heaven and earth raw!"
Zhang Wei rolled his eyes. What kind of society was this, where people dictated how one should eat.
Besides, how could he know the specific characteristics of the ingredient without tasting it first? How could he decide on the appropriate cooking method.
A mercenary nearby shouted, "Why waste words with him? Let us go and cut him down!"
"Yeah, exactly!"
"There are no outsiders here, who would know it was us from Wangyue Zhai?"
These mercenaries were quite capable, with over a dozen elites at level 15 or higher. Coupled with hundreds of level 5 gourmet hunters, they had the confidence to speak!
The more impulsive mercenaries, without waiting for approval, brandished their weapons and charged at Zhang Wei!
"Robbery?"
Zhang Wei disliked killing. If ordinary wild beasts disturbed his meal, he would have sent them flying with a few punches.
But these people in front of him seemed to have no sense...
"Alas..."
"You're ruining my good mood."
With a casual wave of his hand, a whistling palm wind erupted, far more fierce than that on the plains.
Many mercenaries lost their footing and fell from the branches.
The screams of terror faded into the distance...
*Bang.*
The final sound of shattering was almost imperceptible.
The mercenaries and guards stood frozen, large beads of sweat forming on their brows in the extreme cold of the ice field.
A mere casual gust of palm wind had taken away a tenth of their number.
Too strong!
Perhaps, only Heng Xing could contend with him!
Having caused so many casualties, Zhang Wei lost his appetite and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
"Are you still trying to court death?"
"You're a gourmet hunter, aren't you? I am the head chef of Wangyue Zhai."
Jun Qing's tone was arrogant, as if his identity as a chef was some powerful trump card.
"And then?"
Zhang Wei's indifferent demeanor greatly angered Jun Qing.
But for the sake of the ham, he patiently said, "Give me the ham, and I owe you a favor."
"Is your favor worth much?" Zhang Wei scratched his head.
Jun Qing could no longer hold back and roared loudly, "I am the head chef of Wangyue Zhai, Wangyue Zhai! Head Chef!"
"Perhaps he's a savage from the countryside and doesn't know Wangyue Zhai," a guard beside him reminded him in a low voice.
Jun Qing suddenly realized that although Wangyue Zhai was one of the top hotels in Mo City.
It was extremely expensive and only served the gentry and nobility.
In this wild land, it was normal for it to be unknown.
"That savage... cough cough, my friend, I am a top chef, and only I can fully unlock the deliciousness of this ham."
"I am willing to exchange it for top-tier cuisine with you, which will be no less than this ham."
"Looking at your level, you must know about the 'Wall,' right? If you give me the ham, I'll make you one top-tier dish. How about that?"
Jun Qing spoke with utmost confidence.
The "Wall" was a problem that plagued countless gourmet hunters. No one could refuse such an offer.
Any renowned chef would have no shortage of powerful individuals around them. There were always countless gourmet hunters working tirelessly, just to build a good relationship and receive assistance when they encountered their own "Wall."
Furthermore, the higher the gourmet hunter's level, the more difficult the breakthrough of the "Wall" would be. In the 1-10 level range, there was almost no difficulty.
From level 10 to 20, the "Wall" would become very distinct, requiring a full Western-style meal to have a chance.
Above level 20, without a top chef and ingredients, the hope of breaking through was practically non-existent.
Countless people were stuck at level 20, unable to advance for the rest of their lives.
But Zhang Wei was unaware of this. He only knew that the stranger before him was making an almost laughable offer.
Do I look like someone who lacks a meal?
Seeing Zhang Wei's lack of reaction, Jun Qing could only raise the price.
"Twice, I'll make you two top-tier dishes!"
"You greedy bastard, you're going too far!"
"This ham in your hands is just rations. Give it to me, and I'll give you tenfold compensation!"