Chapter 49: The Reward for the Fiftieth Floor – Strengthening the Bloodline

The banquet ended.

Xu Han went straight home.

From his spatial ring, he took out five pieces of exotic beast meat.

Without further ado, he prepared a hearty stew, tossing all the different meats into a single pot.

As he gazed at the bubbling stew, his appetite surged.

He hadn't eaten his fill at Xia Ling's coming-of-age ceremony. Now, at last, he could indulge himself.

Grabbing a chunk of meat, he stuffed it into his mouth and chewed heartily.

The system notification chimed.

“Host has consumed Tier Two Mystic Deer meat for the first time, gaining 50 Strength and 30 Spirit.”

“Host has consumed Tier Two Azure Rock Crab for the first time, gaining 30 Strength and 30 Constitution.”

...

“Host has consumed Tier Two Giant Claw Crab meat for the first time, gaining 20 Strength and 20 Constitution.”

When Xu Han finished the last bite, the Gourmet Encyclopedia’s task bar finally reached 50 out of 50.

Task complete!

The system notification sounded again.

“Gourmet Encyclopedia task complete. New task: 50/75. System upgrading!”

A wave of joy surged in Xu Han’s heart.

The system was upgrading again!

That could only mean this upgrade would bring a truly grand reward!

After waiting a few minutes, the system chimed once more.

“System upgrade complete. New feature unlocked: Exotic Beast Cultivation.”

“Exotic Beast Cultivation?” Xu Han was taken aback.

What was this about?

The system explained, “As a true gourmet, you must learn to cultivate exotic beasts to make them even more delicious.”

Xu Han nodded thoughtfully. There seemed nothing wrong with that logic.

“What exactly can I do with this feature?” Xu Han pressed on.

“There is no limit to the number of exotic beasts the host can contract.”

“Exotic beasts within the contracted space will continuously gain a small amount of experience, and there is a 0.001% chance of mutation.”

“Mutation may make a beast stronger, or weaker.”

“The host has acquired the method to purify exotic beast bloodlines, allowing them to evolve.”

Hearing this string of notifications, Xu Han was a little bewildered.

This time, the reward from the Gourmet Encyclopedia was not of much direct benefit to himself.

But being able to contract unlimited exotic beasts was quite appealing.

Moreover, within the exotic beast space, beasts could continuously gain experience. Even if he simply left them there, they would keep leveling up.

Xu Han grew curious.

Would his little cub mutate in the exotic beast space?

But the probability was far too low.

His attention shifted to the last system prompt.

The method to purify exotic beast bloodlines?

Was it really possible to refine an exotic beast’s bloodline?

The system replied, “Every exotic beast descends from mighty ancestors.”

“By purifying the bloodline, they can grow much stronger.”

“When the bloodline concentration reaches a certain threshold, they may even evolve into more powerful forms.”

Xu Han was overjoyed.

So, the little cub could have its bloodline purified as well?!

He raised his hand.

A mysterious magic circle appeared.

The little cub emerged from the circle and affectionately nuzzled Xu Han’s pants.

Xu Han checked the cub’s status panel.

Sure enough, there were dramatic changes compared to before.

[Name: Earthsplit Tiger Cub (One-in-ten-million Titan Divine Tiger Bloodline)]
[Species: Tiger]
[Level: 5]
[Strength: 140]
[Constitution: 150]
[Agility: 75]
[Spirit: 35]
[Skill 1: Earthsplit Claw LV.1 (Infuse claws with earth power, greatly increasing destructive force, adds 20% armor penetration, cooldown 2 minutes)]
[Skill 2: Tiger Roar LV.1 (Lets out a powerful roar, intimidating weaker exotic beasts nearby, causing them to panic; stronger beasts are unaffected, cooldown 5 minutes)]
[Skill 3: Sandstorm LV.1 (Raises a sandstorm, dealing minor damage and blinding enemies, cooldown 10 minutes)]
[Skill 4: Rockfall LV.1 (Shatters the ground, launching rock shards at the enemy, dealing damage, cooldown 3 minutes)]
[Bloodline Purification Requirement: Gold-grade earth-attribute pet food]

Xu Han was delighted.

He happened to have a platinum-grade pet food on hand.

The Earth Mystique Fruit!

He ran his fingers across the spatial ring, and a yellowish-brown fruit appeared in his palm.

The little cub gazed longingly at the Earth Mystique Fruit, whimpering as if pleading.

Xu Han casually tossed the fruit to the cub.

The cub opened its mouth wide and swallowed the Earth Mystique Fruit whole.

It licked its lips contentedly.

Instantly, a thick, earthen yellow light enveloped its body.

The cub’s form began to grow visibly larger.

In just a few minutes, it grew from the size of an adult dog to that of a full-grown tiger.

Its size had nearly tripled!

The earthy glow gradually faded.

A pair of icy golden eyes appeared.

A ferocious aura radiated from its body, so intense that the temperature in the room seemed to plummet.

The system notification chimed.

“Earthsplit Tiger King cub bloodline purification successful.”

Xu Han studied the cub’s new appearance.

Its body was now adorned with several sharp spines.

Two jagged fangs jutted from its mouth like daggers.

But the greatest change lay in its eyes—cold, fierce, and so sharp they seemed to pierce the soul.

Anyone faint of heart would likely be scared witless by a single glance.

Yet Xu Han showed not a trace of fear.

Instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips. “How do you feel, little one?”

The ferocity in the cub’s gaze vanished at once.

It leapt to Xu Han’s side, affectionately rubbing its massive head against his face.

It even licked him, covering his face with slobber.

Xu Han checked the cub’s attribute panel again.

The changes were astonishing!

[Name: Earthsplit Tiger Cub (One-in-ten-million Titan Divine Tiger Bloodline → One-in-ten-thousand Titan Divine Tiger Bloodline)]
[Species: Tiger]
[Level: 10]
[Strength: 500]
[Constitution: 550]
[Agility: 470]
[Spirit: 100]
[Skill 1: Earthshaking Claw LV.1 (Infuses claws with earth power, greatly increasing destructive force, adds 20% armor penetration, 1% chance to shatter enemy armor, cooldown 1 minute)]
[Skill 2: Tiger Roar LV.1 (Lets out a powerful roar, intimidating weaker exotic beasts nearby, causing them to panic; stronger beasts are unaffected, cooldown 5 minutes)]
[Skill 3: Sandstorm LV.1 (Raises a sandstorm, dealing minor damage and blinding enemies, cooldown 10 minutes)]
[Skill 4: Rockfall LV.1 (Shatters the ground, launching rock shards at the enemy, dealing damage, cooldown 3 minutes)]
[Skill 5: Earthquake LV.1 (Violently shakes the earth, creating fissures and dealing massive damage. Enemies caught in the chasm are instantly slain, cooldown 10 minutes)]
[Bloodline Purification Requirement: Platinum-grade earth-attribute pet food x5]