Chapter 354: Splendid Dragon Totem
In a film from Earth called The God of Cookery, there is a dish known as "Splendid Multi-Flavored Fish" (锦绣多味鱼), it's a truly miraculous culinary creation.
This dish is made by stitching together the most refined parts of five different fish species to form a brand new, composite fish. A piece of winter melon is then hollowed out to match the size and shape of the fish, one side of the fish is fixed within the melon, and the whole ensemble is deep-fried in hot oil.
Through this method, one side of the fish is pan-fried while the other is steamed by the moist interior of the melon, producing a unique dual texture. With the fusion of five top-quality fish cuts, the dish delivers an astonishing "ten flavors in one fish" experience.
Though the stitched-together fish looks quite strange—like a mutated specimen from nuclear fallout—its taste is exceptional, thanks to the concentrated essence of five premier fish species.
This was the flash of inspiration Qi Han experienced in that moment.
Although he couldn't replicate it exactly, the cooking technique of the Splendid Multi-Flavored Fish gave him a valuable insight.
And just so happened, he had five kinds of dragon-type spirit beast ingredients on hand. These included the prime cuts from different dragon beasts: dragon spine meat, dragon belly meat, dragon rib meat, dragon skin, and Dragon Treasure Meat. Combined, they covered nearly every essential part of a dragon beast's body.
Previously, Qi Han had always limited his recipes to a single dragon species. For instance, when cooking with an Armored Wild Dragon, he would only use ingredients from that one dragon—perhaps adding a few vegetables or fruits as garnishes, but never mixing meats from different beasts.
Now, enlightened by the cooking style of the Splendid Multi-Flavored Fish, he felt as though a fog had lifted from his mind.
'What would happen if he combined all these different dragon ingredients into one dish?'
With blazing determination in his eyes, Qi Han began his experiment.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
"…Ru Yi, still not up to standard?"
Inside the system space, Qi Han had been tirelessly testing and refining the dish. He felt that he was very close to completing this 2 Star recipe, yet Ru Yi still hadn't given it a passing grade.
"I think you'll succeed next time," Ru Yi said gently, shaking her little head in encouragement. "Your idea is solid. But a dish made from multiple dragon-type ingredients must bring out each one's distinct flavor perfectly, with none overpowering the others. Only then will it qualify."
As expected, this was the root of the problem.
Cooking with more than two kinds of meat is much more challenging than using just one. When all are considered primary ingredients, it becomes extremely difficult to make each flavor fully shine without clashing with the others.
What's more, Qi Han was working with five different types of dragon meat in this recipe.
This current round of experimentation had taken an especially long time—nearly 400 days had passed in the system space. But finally, he was beginning to feel the breakthrough coming.
Hearing Ru Yi's comforting words, Qi Han nodded. Though tiredness lurked in his eyes, it was overshadowed by his firm resolve.
'Let's try one more time.'
He could already sense that his last attempt had come very close to success.
Taking a deep breath, Qi Han skillfully peeled the dragon skin from a Shadowless Drake and began to boil it. As the pot simmered, the dragon skin gradually melted, turning into a cloudy, gelatinous substance.
After carefully filtering out the suspended particles, the gelatin cleared up into a pale cyan hue—its texture thick and glossy like a rich glaze.
Qi Han focused intently on the pot, watching the gelatin slowly reduce, growing thicker and deeper in color until it turned into a dark cyan paste. He then poured it into a specially prepared container and, using a unique technique, drew it out into threads fine as hair.
As Qi Han drew out the threads, the dark cyan gelatin began to solidify in midair, forming delicate, flexible strands that he carefully coiled into a small bundle.
These threads would be used to stitch together the various dragon-type ingredients in the next steps.
Because the threads were made by boiling down and refining the prime dragon skin of the Shadowless Drake, they were not only exceptionally tough and flexible but also designed to gradually melt during cooking, infusing the entire dish with the Drake's unique umami. Crucially, they would not leave unsightly stitch marks on the surface of the dish, avoiding a grotesque or jarring appearance.
Having completed that step, Qi Han moved on to carve out the spine meat of the Armored Wild Dragon. He sliced it diagonally into elliptical pieces and carefully shaped each one to resemble a dragon scale.
He then marinated the spine meat slices in a mix of agarwood fruit juice, along with scallions, ginger, garlic, and rice wine, which helped eliminate the gaminess while imbuing a refreshing fruity aroma. He set those aside and began preparing the next ingredient.
Next up: the belly meat of the Volcanic Rock Dragon.
Of the five dragon beasts he was working with, the earth-type Volcanic Rock Dragon was the largest. Even at a century-old level, it reached a length of five meters. Its belly meat alone weighed over a thousand catties.
Typically, belly meat would be cut into chunks—the alternating fat and lean textures would soak up sauces well and enhance flavor. But Qi Han chose a different method.
Facing the enormous slab of dragon belly meat, Qi Han did not cube it. Instead, he used a flat blade to carefully follow the marbled grain of fat and lean, slicing it layer by layer into paper-thin sheets, each one covering the chopping board like a delicate scroll.
Not a single slice tore. Every lean section had traces of snowy white fat laced across it.
Even with Qi Han's Perfection-level knife skills, this was an exhausting task. Separating the entire chunk into such fine slices took both strength and mastery.
After exhaling slowly, Qi Han began refining each sheet of belly meat. Then, picking up a silver needle and threading it with his specially prepared dragon-skin filament, he began stitching the thin belly slices back together.
At first glance, this seemed like a pointless effort—why dismantle the meat only to sew it back again? But in reality, it served a deeper purpose.
Originally, the Volcanic Rock Dragon resembled a massive lizard, and its belly meat retained that crude, unwieldy shape. Now, under Qi Han's skilled hands, the re-stitched belly meat transformed into a long, coiled form resembling a snake's belly—about one meter in length and subtly curved.
During this process, each layer of meat was repositioned, yet the overall loose texture was maintained, a feat bordering on the miraculous.
Next came the rib meat of the Crested Dragonsnake.
Compared to the previous steps, this was relatively simple: Qi Han carefully stripped the intercostal muscles between each rib. The serpentine Crested Dragonsnake had ribs running from head to tail, yielding a large amount of fine meat.
After marinating the rib meat, Qi Han delicately began stitching it onto the already-prepared belly, seamlessly merging the cuts until they formed a complete serpentine torso.
Once this step was done, Qi Han let out a breath of relief. Then, taking the marinated Armored Wild Dragon spine meat, he coated each slice in a classic deep-fry trinity (flour, egg, breadcrumbs), and began carefully sewing them onto the serpentine form's surface, leaving the belly exposed.
Under his masterful hands, the snake-like form took on a layer of golden, scale-like plates along its back and sides—creating the majestic illusion of a divine dragon's scaled body.
Finally, Qi Han took the Dragon Treasure Meat of the Wind God Bird, and carved it into a dragon's head and claws. These too were coated for frying and stitched onto the serpentine body, coiled carefully into a five-clawed golden dragon shape. He then used small bamboo skewers to fix the posture in place.
With his master-level carving and perfect-level knife work, the resulting creation was breathtaking—a lifelike, golden dragon one meter long, coiled in midair with claws bared and fangs flashing, looking powerful and fierce.
Only one final step remained.
Qi Han took a deep breath and gently lowered the fully assembled Five-Clawed Golden Dragon into the hot oil.
As the oil instantly began to bubble, countless small bubbles rose along the dragon's body. A complex, heavenly aroma—rich with the interwoven flavors of all five dragon species—rose into Qi Han's nostrils.
The frying did not take long. Once the dragon's surface scales turned a perfect golden hue, Qi Han carefully lifted it out and set it aside to rest.
During the frying process, the dragon head, claws, and scale-covered areas of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon gradually turned golden, while the belly—left exposed without scale covering—made from the Volcanic Rock Dragon's belly meat— began to slightly contract, its surface taking on a soft, lustrous white hue. This gentle white blended harmoniously with the surrounding golden scales, creating a visually pleasing contrast.
As the frying continued, the previously exposed stitch marks completely melted away, yet the shape of the golden dragon remained impeccably intact. The dissolved gelatin continued to act as a binding agent, holding the entire structure firmly together, while the rich umami of the dragon skin slowly permeated throughout every section of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon.
Invisible, intangible—but ever-present.
After resting for a moment, the residual heat continued to spread within the dragon's body, slowly cooking the inner layers of meat. Qi Han then lowered the dragon back into the hot oil for a second fry. Once finished, he drained the excess oil, added a few finishing touches, and plated the dish for presentation.
The scales, now slightly curled from the double-frying, gave the dragon an added sense of majesty and vitality. At over a meter in length, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, carefully curled and shaped by Qi Han's expert hands, appeared to roar upward, coiled proudly atop a half-meter-wide serving platter, radiating lifelike presence.
It was finally complete.
Qi Han took a deep breath and picked up a piece of scale with his chopsticks. With a light tug, the scale separated cleanly from the dragon's body. He popped it into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully—the taste and texture were similar to a previously cooked Golden Dragon Spine, but the flavor was now elevated by the combined umami of the other dragon-type ingredients. The taste of the spine meat had become even more layered and rich.
Nodding in satisfaction, Qi Han continued tasting the other sections.
Belly meat, Dragon Treasure Meat, rib meat, and the ever-present dragon skin umami—each ingredient had fully expressed its natural flavor through the cooking process. On top of that, the enhancement from the other dragon components took the base flavors to even greater heights.
Though all five dragon-type ingredients had fused seamlessly, each section retained its own unique taste and emphasis. Instead of being jarring, this diversity added a layer of intrigue and elegance to the entire dish.
"How is it, Ru Yi?" Qi Han asked, unable to hold back his eagerness.
Ru Yi gave a gentle smile. "The dish meets the standards for a 2 Star recipe. Final score: 96 points."
"What?!" Qi Han was taken aback. He had expected something in the 80s, but a score in the 90s—something he had never achieved before—was truly a surprise.
Ru Yi didn't reply immediately, but instead displayed the detailed scoring breakdown:
[Scoring ]
[Taste (out of 40 points): 40
Ingredient Originality (out of 20 points): 18
Method Originality (out of 20 points): 19
Cooking Difficulty (out of 20 points): 19
Total: 96 points]
Only after seeing the full breakdown did Qi Han finally accept it—he had genuinely earned a 96-point score.
Good heavens…
He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. It hadn't been easy at all.
His previous dishes in the system space had usually taken only a few dozen days to master, but this one had taken over four hundred days. That was enough time to master an entire 3 Star recipe.
But now, his effort has finally paid off.
"This dish... let's name it 'Splendid Dragon Totem'," Qi Han said with a smile.
"2 Star recipe: Splendid Dragon Totem — successfully recorded!"
"Use 'Splendid Dragon Totem' to submit the promotion quest!"
Qi Han's eyes gleamed with excitement. The promotion quest was finally complete.
It had been fifteen days since he'd taken leave—it was time to return.
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