However, one still needed to be somewhat cautious.
On the broad dirt road, several figures strode forward from a distance.
Their appearances were striking.
There was a towering, muscular man over three meters tall, suspected of having giant bloodlines;
There was another who was less than one meter tall, suspected of having dwarven ancestry;
And there were others with fierce faces, swaying large tails, suspected of having Lizard-man or dragon bloodlines in their veins;
Each one looked ferocious, with patches of blue and red blood staining their bodies.
The leader of the group seemed to be an old man, his face showing signs of age but his build just as robust. His face was adorned with scattered scales, making him look even more ferocious.
Behind the elder, he carried a huge iron pot nearly as tall as a person.
He walked step by step toward the city gates, leaving behind a series of clear footprints on the dirt road.
"Monster Chef · Paotu"
He was a chef committed to creating a path in monster cuisine, and for decades he had been studying monster recipes with a few like-minded companions.
They had been to many places and encountered various fresh monsters.
Little giants, dwarfs, Lizard-men, including himself, they were all pure humans, only they had each undergone some mutations early on in their culinary research due to insufficient skills.
But that was no hindrance.
For pioneers, some sacrifices were always necessary. This was also a badge of honor for their culinary path.
"Elder, this territory seems quite populous. Shall we pledge our service to its Lord?"
"Let's observe a bit longer."
They were not ordinary, destitute refugees; they even had the capability to survive in the wilderness for extended periods. Naturally, they would not simply offer their services to any Lord.
They possessed the rights to choose or refuse.
Ordinary refugees would beg Lords for protection, but they were different. They were esteemed guests in any territory they visited, and oftentimes it was the Lords who implored them to stay.
Only, Paotu's standards were high.
It was not enough for a territory to be prosperous and grand for him to decide to stay.
Sure, he hoped to live a more stable life, but the condition was that there needed to be a platform for him to realize his grand plans.
Six months ago, following a guide, they passed through a city-level territory.
The Lord's offer at the time was not bad, but unfortunately, the ingredients that could be provided were all ordinary.
"Cooking ordinary ingredients is utterly uninteresting!"
"Monsters may be polluted, but extracting that bit of purity from the filth is the essence of culinary art! Only then can one create the most delicious food. What a pity, the vast majority of Lords do not understand. Hmph, such ignorance!"
The way of monster cuisine was not spreading as he wished, which caused significant distress in his heart!
Paotu and his colleagues soon arrived at the city gates.
His gaze swept over the registration booths, the talent submission windows, and several other points of interest.
Naturally, they did not queue up in the area for food relief. As strong characters who could survive in the deepest wilderness and forage wherever they liked, they never went hungry and had no desire for soulless basic food like porridge or bread.
First, register, take a look inside the city, and then decide on the next steps.
Thus, several fierce-looking burly men quietly lined up.
They were well-disciplined, but the refugees in front of them felt uneasy, as if targeted by some ferocious behemoth.
They made way, not wanting to cut in line.
Based solely on looks, these few individuals were at least SR-grade talents. Moreover, they were all elites above the second order. The leading elder had even stepped into the four-order realm.
As a 'wild' monster chef of the Leading Realm, the burly elder's grade was definitely at the Superior Grade, and very likely at a high star within it.
He was a strong individual.
However, a mere four-order was nothing in the Tianyuan Territory.
With Lu Liu stationed at the southern city gate and several Arrow of Polar Star watching over, there was no significant threat.
The surrounding senior team captains also possessed four-order Combat Power.
Because they were strong enough, the Tianyuan Territory didn't need to guard deliberately against newcomers; a bit more vigilance was sufficient.
Elder Paotu and the other travelers had not yet pledged loyalty, so Lu Liu, as a hero, couldn't see their information.
But after a brief exchange, Lu Liu understood the professions of Elder Paotu and his companions.
"So you are chefs, our territory indeed lacks high-level chefs."
"Not ordinary chefs, Monster Chefs! If you can provide some monster ingredients, I can show my skills on the spot. Whether I stay or leave, I'll prepare a feast for you with special effects from monster cuisine!"
This was his capability.
The food he prepared was not only delicious but also had miraculous effects.
It wasn't just common effects like "energy recovery gain," "strength boost," or "spirit boost," but rather more special ones...
"Lizard-man Bloodline +1"
"Blood Elf Bloodline +1"
"Rock Element Affinity +1"
"Enlightenment of Strike"
And other unique effects like these!
Only with unique monster ingredients could these miraculous effects be achieved. Such is the greatness of the way of monster cuisine!
Elder Paotu had thought that even if the lord of this land agreed, going out to find and hunt monsters, then packing and bringing back the ingredients, would take a lot of time.
"Monster ingredients, you say? That's not difficult."
Lu Liu took Elder Paotu and his companions to a nearby camp kitchen and had someone haul two carts of ingredients from the city's high-level warehouse.
These ingredients, without exception, were not artificially bred livestock, but rather grotesque-looking, diverse in form, yet meticulously packaged and preserved monster ingredients.
"Toxic Iron-armored Scorpion!"
"Blue-silver Tyrant Dragon!"
"Red Flame Rock-Covered Creature!"
Elder Paotu swallowed his saliva.
They may have managed to survive in the wild, but with their capabilities, hunting high-grade monster ingredients was not that easy.
He could win the fights, but he also had to find and catch the prey.
The territory he yearned for was one that could provide a variety of high-level ingredients.
And the Tianyuan Territory before his eyes...
"It's one thing to have a Tyrant Dragon, but to think they also have a stock of Rock-armored Beasts and Toxic Scorpions, clearly..."
The lord of this land also favored monster cuisine.
Elder Paotu felt as if he had met a kindred spirit, realizing that he was not alone in the path of monster cooking. Thinking of this, tears of relief streamed down from the corner of his mouth.