[Master-Level Exclusive Exchange List]
[Eternal Sacred Flame (Cookware): A stove crafted from the branches of the World Tree and Sunstone. Its flame never extinguishes and can be adjusted at will according to the chef's thoughts. Price: 150,000 Culinary Points.]
[Space-Time Refrigerator (Cookware): A refrigerator where the internal space and the flow of time are static. Any ingredient placed inside will remain in its freshest state forever. Price: 200,000 Culinary Points.]
[Legendary Ingredient Blind Box: Randomly yields one legendary ingredient. It could be the egg of a phoenix, or it could be a talking carrot. Price: 300,000 Culinary Points.]
...
These items were tempting to Ren, but he didn't have enough Culinary Points to be so extravagant. He finally moved his gaze to the personal ability enhancement category. Ren knew very well that even the best cookware and ingredients needed a sufficiently powerful chef to wield them. On this chaotic sea, strength was the only universal passport.
Ren's current fighting skills were decent, but they were not enough against a true powerhouse. What he needed was a complete system of combat techniques that could maximize his own advantages. Soon, a special category caught his attention.
[Culinary Techniques]
The skills in this category were all intricately linked to cooking, as if they were tailor-made for him.
[Butcher's Blade Style (Pao Ding's Ox Cleaver): A legendary blade art from the ancient East. It allows the user to see through the texture and network of all things, find their weakest points, and cause the greatest destruction with the minimum amount of force. At its peak, it can sever the threads of causality. Price: 100,000 Culinary Points.]
[Fierce Stove Breathing: A special breathing method that simulates the burning and eruption of a stove's flame, instantly pushing the body's energy to its limit, greatly increasing strength and speed. Price: 110,000 Culinary Points.]
[Pressure Point Hand: Precisely strikes specific acupoints on a living body's surface, which can cause paralysis, unconsciousness, or even directly destroy internal structures. It can also be used to clear meridians and assist in healing. Price: 80,000 Culinary Points.]
These are the ones!
Ren exchanged for all three skills without hesitation. The total cost was 290,000 points, leaving him with about 40,000 points in reserve. The moment the exchange was successful, a massive amount of information and muscle memory flooded into Ren's body and mind. His body felt as if it had been tempered countless times. Every cell memorized the unique breathing rhythm, and every nerve mastered the exquisitely profound power techniques.
Ren slowly opened his eyes. The entire world had changed in his perception. The kitchen knife in his hand was no longer just a tool, but an extension of his arm. He could clearly feel the trajectory of the blade's friction with the air, could hear the faintest resonance from within the metal. Ren even had a feeling that if he wanted to, he could use this knife to perfectly split a drop of water in the middle without it breaking apart.
Just as Ren was immersed in this new sense of power, a deafening roar accompanied by a violent tremor from the deck startled him out of his reverie. "MY CAKE?! WHERE'S THE VICTORY CELEBRATION CAKE I LEFT ON THE TABLE?!"
It was Linlin's voice, filled with the rage and grievance of having her beloved possession stolen. Ren frowned and immediately walked out of the kitchen. The deck was already a mess.
Gatz, bruised and swollen, was being held up in the air by Linlin with one hand, his neck in her grip. His legs dangled helplessly, his face a mask of terror and innocence. "I-it wasn't me! I was just passing by and took a look! Really!"
"Who else could it be but you, you glutton! My cake! Ren made that specially for me!" Linlin's eyes had turned crimson, and a terrifying, world-shakingly violent aura was emanating from her. The thundercloud Zeus above her head crackled with lightning, and the sun Prometheus in her hand burst into flames, as if ready to blast Gatz to smithereens at any moment.
"Stop it! Linlin!" Newgate stood between them with his naginata, his expression grave. "Gurararara... are you going to attack a comrade over a piece of cake?"
"Comrade? Whoever dares to steal my cake is my enemy!" Linlin had completely lost her reason. She gripped her spiked club with her other hand and smashed it at Newgate. "Emperor Sword: Blade of Havoc!"
The giant flame blade and Newgate's naginata clashed violently, creating a terrifying shockwave that scraped a deep gash in the sturdy alloy deck. Dolum was clutching his head nearby, wailing in despair. "Nooo! My Azure Dragon! It's brand new! You bunch of monsters!"
Rocks stood on the bridge, his face grim as he watched the farce. He knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. Once these unruly monsters had no common enemy, their internal conflicts would immediately erupt. Just as he was about to intervene and suppress them by force, a small figure moved.
Ren's figure, like a gentle breeze, silently passed between the two brawling giants. He used no weapon, just extended two fingers and, with a speed that was difficult for the naked eye to see, precisely tapped a specific spot on the side of both Linlin's and Gatz's necks. "Culinary Technique: Pressure Point - Numbing Tendon."
Almost simultaneously, the rampaging Linlin and the struggling Gatz both stiffened. A strange numbness instantly spread throughout their bodies, making them unable to muster any strength. Linlin's hand, which was choking Gatz, loosened unconsciously. Gatz fell to the deck like a pile of mud, gasping for breath. Linlin's violent aura also deflated like a punctured balloon. She looked incredulously at her disobedient body, then at the child who had, at some point, returned to the kitchen door and was now slowly wiping his hands with a white cloth.
The entire scene was silent. Everyone stared at Ren, dumbfounded. Newgate retracted his naginata, his eyes filled with shock. He hadn't even seen Ren's movements just now. Rocks's pupils also contracted sharply. He stared at Ren, a storm raging in his heart. This little Head Chef could not only create miracles with his cooking, but his own strength had also grown to an unfathomable level.
Ren ignored everyone's gazes. He just brought out another identical cake from the kitchen and walked over to the still-paralyzed Linlin. "I kept a backup of your cake, just in case something like this happened," Ren said calmly. "Now, can you eat quietly?"
Linlin looked at the recovered cake, then at the child before her with his terrifyingly calm eyes, and her huge head nodded hesitantly. Only then did Ren release her pressure points.
An internal conflict that could have sent the Azure Dragon into early retirement was thus effortlessly resolved by Ren with two fingers and a backup cake.
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