"It's fine to play with these things when you're tired, and balancing work and rest is good, but don't get too engrossed and neglect your cultivation."
Xu Xiaoyun thoroughly examined everything Xu Tianxi had turned over, and after confirming there were no issues, he spoke softly to the two juniors.
Xu Tianxi and Xu Sanshi nodded in agreement, stating that they would resolutely cut ties with those lazy Soul Masters who lived dissolute lives, and that they would diligently cultivate to be worthy successors of the Xuanming Sect.
"Alright, it's mealtime. Let's go eat. After we're done, you two brothers can practice your martial arts."
"Ah? Time to eat? Excellent! No one stop me this time, I'm going to eat until I burst!"
Xu Sanshi, who had been troubled by Xu Tianxi's arrival just a moment before, suddenly leaped up and shot off at a speed that even Xu Tianxi found himself inferior to, as if a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master had cast a speed-boosting Soul Skill on him.
"The way this kid talks, it's as if no one lets him eat his fill. It seems the food we prepare at home is still better than what he eats in the Shrek Outer Courtyard."
Watching Xu Sanshi, Xu Xiaoyun couldn't help but burst into laughter, catching up with Xu Tianxi, whose eyes were gleaming.
Indeed, while Shrek had many resources, how much could a Core Disciple truly receive? How could it compare to the concentrated resources provided by the Xuanming Sect?
Recalling his experience of eating with Xu Xiaoyun since two days ago, Xu Tianxi's lips curved slightly. The wealthy Elixir producers truly spared no expense when it came to medicinal cuisine, and their ingredient reserves were terrifyingly vast.
The Mystic Water Pill refined by the Xuanming Sect required the essence blood of over ten water-attribute Soul Beasts and dozens of water-attribute plants as raw materials. Among these, there were many good things over a hundred years old, and simply taking some out would constitute top-tier ingredients.
Higher-grade Black Tortoise Divine Pills used some thousand-year-level raw materials.
Given Xu Xiaoyun's status, eating any level of cuisine was normal, and Xu Tianxi and Xu Sanshi also got to enjoy the rich fare.
When Xu Xiaoyun brought Xu Tianxi to the special dining hall, he saw Xu Sanshi had already piled up a basin-sized portion of rice, holding chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other, devouring the four dishes and one soup with extreme ferocity.
The four dishes were Braised Hundred-Year Earth Dragon Tendon, Thousand-Year Sea Urchin Sashimi, Hundred-Year Octopus Meatball, and Thousand-Year Tuna Sashimi. The soup was Hundred-Year Hawksbill Old Turtle Soup. Every dish was extremely nourishing, and most were from water-attribute Soul Beasts, which also had a nourishing effect on the Profound Tortoise Shell Shield Martial Soul.
Beside the plate, there was also a dish of Thousand-Year Sea Grapes as a snack to cleanse the palate. Each grape was crystal clear and glistening, emitting a faint fragrance that made one's mouth water.
Just this one meal contained the essence of many Soul Beasts over a hundred years old that had entered Xu Sanshi's stomach.
If one were to apply Mu En's reasoning of "cultivating by absorbing Soul Beast blood" when he severely beat Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, Xu Sanshi was undeniably a potential Evil Soul Master.
What? You say he's a Core Disciple of the Shrek Outer Courtyard? Oh, then never mind.
As he ate, Xu Sanshi hummed a little tune contentedly, his expression utterly satisfied. Seeing Xu Tianxi arrive, he quickly reached out to invite him to sit down.
"Come, come, Tianxi, we brothers are truly benefiting from our Ancestor's generosity. Let me tell you, these things are so much better than what I eat at the Shrek Outer Courtyard. They're not even on the same level; it's pure enjoyment."
Xu Tianxi took a similar portion of food and sat across from Xu Sanshi, sipping his soup and smiling, "What do you mean?"
"In the Shrek Outer Courtyard, the cafeteria doesn't even have tables and chairs. I don't know where all the academy's funds go; they're a bunch of unscrupulous merchants!"
After bitterly cursing the Shrek Outer Courtyard cafeteria for being inhumane, Xu Sanshi reclined comfortably in a pear-wood chair, a wide smile on his face, and gestured at the dishes, saying:
"I'm a Core Disciple of the Martial Soul Department in the Shrek Outer Courtyard. They also give us Soul Beast medicinal cuisine, but it's all ten-year-old stuff. The benefits are negligible. How can it compare to how comfortable it is to eat this?"
"I've also heard about the treatment for Core Disciples in the Soul Tool Department. The food they eat is far inferior to ours in the Martial Soul Department, and it's even more incomparable to what we eat at home."
"Sigh, my appetite has been spoiled these past few days at Ancestor's place. I can't even imagine what I'll do when I go back to Shrek City and can't eat these good things."
Xu Sanshi put a few sea grapes into his mouth, his face filled with a sigh of regret.
Xu Tianxi gently picked up a Braised Flower Ball Shrimp, took a bite, and his taste buds exploded. He smiled, savoring the aftertaste, "Don't worry, I'll enjoy Ancestor's delicious food on your behalf."
"If you don't mind the trouble, I could write you a letter every month and tell you how it feels. How about it? So you can feel a little involved."
"Go on, go on, Tianxi, why are you like Bei Bei, always so glib?"
"Oh, right. I read in a book that Shrek Academy has very strict standards for judging Evil Soul Masters, like not being allowed to devour Soul Beast essence to cultivate. You're eating so happily; won't you be considered an Evil Soul Master when you go back?"
Xu Sanshi waved his hand nonchalantly, "Relax, relax. Shrek also says we can't indiscriminately kill Soul Beasts.
But I heard Bei Bei say that every year, Inner Courtyard seniors go to the Star Dou Great Forest to capture Soul Beasts and bring them back. My homeroom teacher and the others even secretly mess with things like Secret Method Soul Bones.
Oh, right, you might not have heard of Secret Method Soul Bones. It's a very cruel way to obtain Soul Bones.
You have to kill a hundred Soul Beasts of the same species within half an hour and use a secret method to induce Soul Ring fusion. There's only a ten percent chance of getting a Soul Bone, and the quality is usually poor, but of course, it's better than nothing..."
"Hearing you say that, how can Shrek be so sinister? Is Shrek an Evil Soul Master den?" Xu Tianxi asked sincerely.
Xu Sanshi's expression stiffened upon hearing this. He brought a finger to his lips, making a shushing motion. "Even if it looks like the truth, you can't say it out loud."
Xu Tianxi nodded, half-understanding, and asked in return, "I understand what you mean, but why say 'looks like'?"
"Because in a sense, it really is almost like an Evil Soul Master den. You don't know how unlucky your brother was at Shrek. Not long after I showed my talent, I was targeted by a sixth-year senior sister..."
Xu Sanshi recalled the past with a pained expression, continuing, "That senior sister's Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix, a descendant of Ma Hongjun, one of the Original Shrek Seven Devils. Her name is Ma Xiaotao.
I don't know what's up with her Martial Soul. It's fine that her divine beast bloodline isn't as pure as mine, but her Evil Fire hasn't dissipated yet, and she needs someone to suppress it for her, otherwise it'll affect her cultivation.
Another senior sister in her grade with an ice-attribute Martial Soul got annoyed and didn't want to help her, so she set her sights on me. I don't know which bastard told her that my Martial Soul's water attribute was powerful. That process of suppressing the Evil Fire was absolutely agonizing!"
Xu Tianxi's lips twitched. He hadn't expected Xu Sanshi's torment to begin so early.
"But honestly, even though that process was uncomfortable, it did have some benefits for me. But that senior sister was too rough. She'd just grab me and drag me away as soon as she found me. The first time I saw her, I really thought I was being attacked by an Evil Soul Master. After she was done, I was completely drained..."
Xu Sanshi remembered his sad past, turning his grief and indignation into appetite. He buried his head and devoured three large bowls of high-quality Crystal Spirit Rice, as if to make up for everything he had lost at Shrek.
"Tianxi, you weren't at the academy, so you don't know your brother's suffering. That Ma Xiaotao was already Four Rings when she found me, and she was the top expert in the Outer Courtyard. I was only a mere Two Rings, I didn't even have the right to resist her, and even my teacher wouldn't help me... Your brother is truly miserable..."
"Sigh..."
Xu Tianxi sighed over Xu Sanshi's tragic experience. Ma Xiaotao was Yan Shaozhe's direct disciple; your homeroom teacher probably neither dared nor could help you.
Swish—
Xu Xiaoyun, his expression serious, appeared beside Xu Sanshi. After feeling his pulse for a moment, his face relaxed. "Thankfully, his foundation isn't damaged. He's just exhausted. He'll recover after eating some good food."
Xu Xiaoyun had some knowledge of what "suppressing Evil Fire" entailed. It seemed Xu Sanshi had used Soul Power to suppress it, which was a relatively normal method. If his foundation had been harmed, or if he had accidentally lost his virginity, Xu Sanshi's loss would have been too great.
Thinking it still wasn't safe, Xu Xiaoyun flipped his right wrist, and an object appeared in his palm, emitting waves of bright white light.
Xu Sanshi and Xu Tianxi stared intently. It was a miniature human right leg bone, completely transparent like crystal, resembling the most precious work of art. Its surface had faint golden纹理, radiating a luxurious halo that was captivating.
Bright white Soul Power light emanated from its surface, outlining a faint, illusory beast in mid-air, like a giant shark roaring across the sea.
"Is that a Soul Bone?" Xu Sanshi and Xu Tianxi asked in unison.