Chapter 352: No monster can resist soup.
They say, when you carry a sharp blade, the intent to kill arises naturally.
Jie Jie, with his mantis arms clutching a fine pot, looked at everyone as if they were ingredients, and every head seemed worthy of a good knock.
If that’s the case, then off to find food!
Binding the pot to his belly-tail with silk threads, he waved his claws pointing towards the hole in the sky, signaling he was off on a hunt.
“Roar!”
Iron Pot, soaring mid-air, let out an excited roar. The vast underground space was indeed a great place, but fire dragons preferred the skies.
Iron Pot has joined the party.
The Flame Empress Dragon, who had been lying down, stood up stretching her alluring body and came to circle around Queen Mantis.
Nana has joined the party.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Transforming into Flame King Dragon, he nudged Nana affectionately, and Jie Jie flew out through the gap in the dome, followed closely by the Fire Dragon and Flame Empress Dragon.
The best ingredients in the desert? Of course, it’s the tyrant of the desert—the Horned Dragon.
The three flying dragons descended from the air, surrounding a Horned Dragon among the cacti.
Jie Jie took the lead, transforming into Queen Mantis with unbearable excitement, pouncing with his big pot in hand and swinging it hard!
“Bang!”
That was one solid head!
The Horned Dragon’s horns were smashed straight off, leaving two curved pieces lying askew. It fell to the ground.
Flame Empress Dragon lunged gracefully, pinning the Horned Dragon down as its wings drooped, shaking dust from its thick wing membranes. A burst of flames concealed her and the dragon.
The Male Fire Dragon tried to dive from above, but seeing Flame Empress Dragon blocking the whole target, he had to ascend again.
Nana retreated from the Horned Dragon, biting its neck and pulling to expose its throat.
Iron Pot dived from the sky, clawing repeatedly at the throat but failed to pierce the tough shell quickly, instead provoking the Horned Dragon’s desperate struggle, roaring furiously.
A golden figure darted past; the mantis arm swung like a grim reaper’s scythe, its hook piercing precisely through the shell torn open by the Fire Dragon, completely piercing the throat.
“Hmph… Hmph…”
The Horned Dragon groaned, spurting blood profusely, struggling twice before lying still.
Flame Empress Dragon glanced disdainfully at Iron Pot, thinking how unnecessary he was. Stepping over the corpse, she flapped her wings to push the Male Fire Dragon aside, then circled back to Jie Jie, rubbing against him contentedly.
Sensing Nana’s dissatisfaction—she clearly wanted Jie Jie to deliver the finishing blow but Iron Pot stole the show—his mantis arms combed through her mane soothingly. He thought about trying a new hairstyle for her later.
A faint wind pressure approached; it was Iron Pot observing them curiously.
The Male Fire Dragon looked at the dragon and bug, then at the Horned Dragon corpse, reminiscing about bringing prey home for Dad to grill, and the hunts of his siblings.
Prey must be distinguished; it’s his own, entirely his.
Iron Pot flapped his wings, howling once, then flew off toward the distance.
Jie Jie watched Iron Pot’s retreating silhouette, unsure what he was up to.
But children grow up, needing their own space for their own affairs—it’s only natural.
Nana, however, watching the Male Fire Dragon fly away, emitted a satisfied purr.
Choosing not to eat on-site, Jie Jie decided to bring the Horned Dragon carcass back to the Golden Land for processing.
With a pot, stewing is a must!
Peeling off the shell, cutting meat chunks, adding some leftover ingredients into the pot, using a slate with a hole drilled as a lid—time to start cooking!
Nana ate some raw meat first to fill her stomach, then lay down blowing flames, acting as a gas stove obediently while observing his actions attentively.
A light aroma of meat wafted through the air. Jie Jie glanced at Nana’s reaction, finding the bland broth didn’t seem to attract her much.
Grilling has its charm, boiling too has its own appeal.
The salty, savory broth made any dragon want a second taste.
As he raised his head to savor, Nana pushed close, covering the pot opening with her head, making slurping sounds as her tongue lapped up the soup inside, clearly unable to stop.
Indeed, monsters usually drink fresh water or blood to hydrate, so encountering this salty, meaty soup instantly captivated them.
Even Jie Jie wanted to shove her head aside and drink to his heart’s content.
When she lifted her head licking the remnants from her lips, Jie Jie peeked into the pot to find it almost empty, only some meat left at the bottom. Clearly, the allure of the soup didn’t compare to the meat for Flame Empress Dragon.
After drinking her fill, Nana began rubbing against him, dragging the Horned Dragon remains closer, and incessantly tapping the large pot with her claws.
Apparently, she wanted more.
Jie Jie nodded, first dividing the meat at the bottom fairly, then fetching water from the underground river to cook another pot of soup.
Need a bowl too, otherwise Nana would crowd him out like last time.
His gaze wandered to the shattered mortars; though broken, some pieces still retained enough curvature to hold soup.
A spoon could be replaced by the leaky frying pan temporarily, but eventually, a full set of utensils would make things easier.
“Roar!”
An exuberant roar echoed from above. The returning Male Fire Dragon looked proud, holding under his claws a Shell Dragon larger than a Scratcher Bird.
Iron Pot, having satisfied his solo hunting desire, was in high spirits, and Flame Empress Dragon also showed slight satisfaction at his successful catch.
This satisfaction disappeared abruptly when the soup was divided into bowls.
The increasingly clever Nana wasn’t content with just her share in the bowl, wanting to drink directly from the pot.
Naturally, Jie Jie wouldn’t allow it, pushing her back. Even while drinking, he endured the Flame Empress Dragon’s puffed-up glare.
Looking at Iron Pot, sure enough, he liked the soup too.
This salty, meaty water was irresistible to any monster, just like kids love sugary water.
Another pot emptied, the three dragons stared at each other, seeing the same unfulfilled longing in each other’s eyes.
Remember, this pot isn’t small—it could fit over the Flame Empress Dragon’s head!
Their logic was simple: keep drinking what tastes good.
And as fire-attribute flying dragons, water evaporates with their body heat, allowing them to drink virtually unlimited amounts.
They truly could drink endlessly! To reach the point of satiation, how many pots of soup would he need to cook?
While Jie Jie pondered, Nana had already taken action.
In his astonished gaze, she fetched the pot filled with water, added meat chunks, bit open a spice bottle, sprinkling it inside.
Capping the pot, flames roared from her mouth, beginning the stew.
Iron Pot joined nearby, eagerly eyeing the new stew.
However, when they tried to approach Nana’s new pot, Flame Empress Dragon bared her teeth at them.
Am I less important than a pot of soup?!
Jie Jie’s eyes widened as he braved her bared fangs, stepping forward and delivering a firm slap to Nana’s rear to reassert dominance. Reluctantly, she conceded a little space.
But when the lid was lifted, her head shot forward blocking the pot opening, refusing to move no matter how much Jie Jie pushed.
Clearly, they needed not only better kitchenware but also a bigger pot!
