Huo Yuhao followed behind Tang Wulin, passing through a neatly trimmed garden of Spiritual Plants, and arrived before a magnificent circular building.
The building was constructed entirely of pure White Marble, with massive floor-to-ceiling windows standing ten meters high. Through the glass, one could see the interior was brilliantly lit and resplendent; it didn't look like a school facility at all, but more like a palace where royalty would hold a state banquet.
Above the lintel hung a plaque with two powerful, vigorous characters written on it—[Cafeteria].
"This..."
"Is this really... a cafeteria?"
Huo Yuhao subconsciously touched the Storage Soul Tool at his waist. He didn't know how many meals the ten thousand gold coins from the school's enrollment gift pack could buy here, as it looked incredibly expensive.
"Yuhao, are you worried about not being able to afford the food in the cafeteria? Rest assured, all the food in our academy is free and supplied in unlimited quantities, as long as you don't waste it!"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's words, Tang Wulin spoke with a smile on his face. When mentioning that the food was free and unlimited, Tang Wulin's eyes lit up; this was simply paradise, he could eat his fill.
"Wh... What?!"
Huo Yuhao snapped his head up, his Spirit Eyes wide and round, completely stunned.
"Fr... Free?!"
"Eating... doesn't cost money?"
The operating costs of this cafeteria looked quite high, yet eating here cost nothing?
Seeing Huo Yuhao's shocked expression, Xie Xie couldn't help but laugh. He clasped his hands behind his head and explained as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Of course it is."
"Think about it."
"The academy even gave such generous items in the enrollment gift pack, not to mention those luxury dorms..."
"Don't you think those things are worth a lot?"Xie Xie shrugged.
"Since the academy is so generous, how could they be stingy about a small matter like eating?"
"For this academy, they aren't afraid of you eating too much, they're afraid of you not being full and having no energy to cultivate!"
"True..."
Hearing Xie Xie's analysis, Huo Yuhao was dazed for a moment, then silently nodded in his heart.
Indeed, they even gave out things like golden pearls that can improve Mental Force for free. What did a mere meal matter?
"Whew..."
Huo Yuhao let out a long sigh of relief, his previously tense nerves finally relaxing.
Looking at the brilliant cafeteria before him, a warm current surged in his heart once again.
"It seems..."
"I really came to the right place this time."
"No need to worry about making a living, no need to sell grilled fish in the wind and sun for a few bronze coins, I just need to focus on cultivation..."
This is simply paradise!
"Alright, alright, stop daydreaming!"
Tang Wulin's stomach had already started growling at the aroma wafting from the cafeteria. He rubbed his hands together impatiently:
"Since everyone is hungry, then disperse! Go get whatever food you want to eat!"
"We'll meet at that long table over there later!"
With that, Tang Wulin rushed toward the staple food area like a hungry wolf into a flock of sheep.
Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng also scattered to find their favorite delicacies.
Huo Yuhao nodded, composed his emotions, and stepped into the cafeteria.
As soon as he entered, a rich and complex aroma washed over him.
Huo Yuhao arrived at the ingredient window area.
There were no ordinary lunch ladies here. Behind every window stood extremely professional-looking staff members dressed in pure white chef uniforms.
And the food displayed on the counters truly opened Huo Yuhao's eyes.
There was Emerald Cabbage emitting a faint glow, Blazing Beef that looked like it was burning with fire, and Deep-sea Fish Slices that were still slightly twitching...
Every single ingredient looked like some kind of rare Spirit Beast meat or Spiritual Plant.
"This... this is too exaggerated, isn't it?"
Huo Yuhao marveled in his heart as he walked.
Suddenly, his steps stopped in front of an exquisite window located in a corner.
The window was large, but inside were only a few white jade plates half a meter in diameter.
On each plate, six large shrimp were neatly arranged. They were much larger than ordinary shrimp; at least, Huo Yuhao had never seen anything like them.
The shrimp were an extremely seductive blood-red color throughout, a red that emitted a jade-like luster!
Under the light, it seemed as if red liquid was flowing inside the shells, emitting a heart-pounding and immense blood essence.
"This is..."
Huo Yuhao was drawn in by the beauty and aura of this shrimp.
He had never seen such a beautiful ingredient.
Just by standing in front of the window, he could feel the blood and qi within his body being slightly pulled, beginning to flow faster.
"Hehe, student."
While Huo Yuhao was dazed, the staff member behind the window spoke with a smile.
The uncle looked at Huo Yuhao's somewhat youthful and unfamiliar face, then at the plate of shrimp he was staring at, and explained enthusiastically.
"This is Red Jade Shrimp."
"Red Jade Shrimp?"
Huo Yuhao subconsciously repeated.
"That's right."
The uncle nodded, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes:
"This is good stuff."
"It inherently contains blood essence that is very similar to human blood and qi."
"For Spirit Masters, especially young Spirit Masters in their physical development stage, this is definitely a top-tier nourishing holy product."
"Whether it's strengthening the physique or nourishing the meridians, the effects are outstanding!"
Huo Yuhao sucked in a breath of cold air. Such a highly nourishing item was just casually laid out for free consumption? They really were incredibly wealthy!
"However..."
The uncle's tone changed as he gave a kind reminder:
"As good as this thing is, you can't be greedy."
"Because its blood and qi energy is too abundant."
"An ordinary Spirit Master who eats one Red Jade Shrimp usually needs about a year to completely digest and gradually absorb the accumulated blood and qi in their body."
"If you eat too much, it's easy to suffer from over-nourishment, and you might even have nosebleeds until you're anemic."
As he spoke, the uncle picked up a pair of tongs, grabbed the Red Jade Shrimp with the most perfect color, placed it on an exquisite dining plate, and handed it to Huo Yuhao:
"Seeing as you're a new face, you must be a newcomer, right?"
"You surely haven't eaten this before."
"Here, take it."
"According to the rules, a freshman can only take one on their first visit."
"Go back and eat it slowly, and combine it with your cultivation; it will be of great benefit to your body."
Huo Yuhao's hands trembled slightly as he took the plate. It was heavy—not just the weight of the plate, but the weight of this kind intention.
Looking at the crystal-clear Red Jade Shrimp on the plate emitting an enticing aroma, he felt deeply moved.
"Thank you... Thank you, Uncle!"
Huo Yuhao bowed deeply, his tone sincere.Although he hadn't eaten it, he knew its value even without tasting it.
Just by looking at it and hearing the uncle's description, he knew this Red Jade Shrimp was extremely precious.
Capturing a Spirit Beast containing such immense blood and qi must be very difficult, right? Perhaps one had to battle powerful sea Spirit Beasts in the deep ocean?
Even royalty might not be able to enjoy this, yet the academy provided it to students for free?
There was even dedicated staff responsible for explaining and distributing it, for fear that students might harm their bodies.
Holding the plate, Huo Yuhao's sense of awe and belonging toward Shrek Academy rose to another level.
Looking at the Red Jade Shrimp in his hand, he secretly vowed:
"I must cultivate hard and not fail the academy's nurturing!"
...
Inside the Dean's office.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the child of destiny Huo Yuhao's recognition of 'Shrek Academy is a Monster Academy' has increased!]
[Congratulations Host on receiving the reward: Special Teacher — Mu Ye]
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.