Early Morning

" I feel like I'm becoming corrupted."

Junting lay on bedding made from the down of a thousand-year Soul Beast, the White Jade Swan. As he stared at the Crystal Soul Tool Chandelier on the ceiling, he couldn't help feeling as though he had fallen into degeneracy.

Because last night, when he arrived at this courtyard that belonged exclusively to him, he had just come into contact with the bed made from century-old Spirit Slumber Ancient Wood before sinking into a deep sleep. Even now, he still didn't want to get up, as if the blankets had sealed him inside.

But when he remembered the last words Sect Master Ning had said to him before he left the main hall, he suddenly sat upright.

"If I don't have a surname, why not take Chen as my surname?"

His muttered words seemed to remind him to make a choice.

"Forget it! I'm not thinking about it anymore!"

A moment later, Junting shook his head hard, tossing the thought to the back of his mind. He then took a porcelain bottle from his Storage Soul Tool and poured out a dark-blue pill about the size of a cherry.

And this was one of the benefits the Sect had given him.

"Is this the Profound Water Pill?"

Looking at the white patterns on the pill and feeling the faint water vapor spreading around it, he was refreshed by a delicate fragrance.

The Profound Water Pill's ability to cleanse the meridians and purify the marrow could only provide an enhancement and icing on the cake for a Soul Master with talent as outstanding as his. But without a doubt, it was still beneficial.

"Counting this courtyard, this is already worth tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins. Is this how the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect tests its cadres?"

After examining the pill, Junting left the room. He stripped off all his clothes in the washroom, swallowed the Profound Water Pill, and sat cross-legged on the floor, entering a meditative state.

Before long, a faint blue light radiated from Junting's body. A thin layer of water vapor also floated over his skin, and a faint fragrance spread through the mist.

Immediately afterward, his skin began to ripple slightly. During the rippling, fine streams of air continuously escaped from his pores, while the pale-blue water vapor flowed in and out through them. As time passed, the water vapor gradually deepened in color, and the original fragrance slowly faded.

In the end, it turned black and foul-smelling.

It was nearly noon.

Junting slowly opened his eyes after finishing the cleansing of his meridians and purification of his marrow. Before he could carefully sense the changes brought about by taking the Profound Water Pill, a foul stench had already entered his nostrils.

"It really stinks! Luckily, I was prepared for it."

Even though he had been prepared, Junting still frowned from the stench. Looking at the black grime covering his body, he felt as though he had fallen into a ditch and rolled around in it.

He therefore turned on the Showerhead and carefully washed himself from head to toe several times before putting his clothes back on.

Just as he stepped out of the washroom, a knock sounded at the door. When the courtyard gate opened, he found that the visitor was Ye Xuanji.

"Master."

"Mm."

Ye Xuanji looked Junting up and down and immediately noticed the difference. "Looks like you've taken the Profound Water Pill." He then placed a palm against Junting's wrist and sensed him briefly.

"Thirteenth level." Ye Xuanji released Junting's wrist and nodded slightly. "The three-hundred-year Dark Golden Claw Bear Soul Ring raised you by two levels, and the Profound Water Pill raised you by one. That's within expectations."

"Then, Master, what are we doing next?"

"Next..." Ye Xuanji glanced at the sky. "Since it's already noon, we'll naturally eat first. If you don't eat well, you won't be able to endure your training in the future. Come with me."

He then brought Junting to a Cafeteria.

After looking around outside the Cafeteria, he found that it wasn't very large, resembling a small room.

Just as Junting was wondering about it, Ye Xuanji, who was walking ahead, spoke. "From now on, you'll come here for every meal. Everything provided here is top-quality food. Don't worry about wasting it. The more you eat, the better."

The Cafeteria wasn't large, only about twenty square meters. There was a round table and simple furnishings, giving it an unadorned appearance. But if one looked closely at the material of the round table, one would discover that it had been made from the body of a plant-type Soul Beast.

Moreover, the Cafeteria wasn't empty.

A young girl with a tender yet dignified face was already sitting quietly on a stool, waiting. Her short golden hair shimmered brilliantly, and her water-blue eyes were bright as stars. Her long eyelashes fluttered lightly like butterfly wings, immediately catching the eye.

"Elder Ye."

Upon seeing someone enter, the girl stood up and greeted Ye Xuanji while slowly giving him a bow.

Her etiquette was flawless.

"Hehe." A smile spread across Ye Xuanji's face. "Xiao Tian, sorry to have kept you waiting here." As he spoke, he placed a hand on Junting's shoulder. "This boy is Junting. You can just call him Brother. Disciple, this is the Young Master of our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Sect Master's only daughter, Ning Tian. Her talent isn't inferior to yours at all. Apart from our ancestor Oscar, she's the second person with Innate Full Soul Power in the Support System."

"Elder Ye, you're joking."

Ning Tian's tone wasn't arrogant. Instead, it contained humility. This manner naturally gave her an excellent first impression.

"Hello, I'm Junting." Junting hesitated briefly, but soon seemed to figure something out, and his tone became firm. "You can also call me Chen Junting."

Those words left both Ye Xuanji and Ning Tian stunned.

Ning Tian was simply surprised by the familiar surname "Chen."

But Ye Xuanji understood the meaning behind this choice. Although he was delighted inside, he didn't show it. His eyes held not only gratification but also the joy and resolve of not having been let down.

"Then I'll call you Brother Junting."

After glancing at the difference in height between them, Ning Tian immediately used her friendly words to draw the two closer.

After bowing to Ye Xuanji once more, she led Chen Junting to sit beside the round table. This made Ye Xuanji happy to see.

Without disturbing the two of them, he went straight to the kitchen.

When he came back out, he was holding a Bamboo Tray. It was filled with clumps of black, shapeless things. No one could tell exactly what they were, but they looked somewhat like buns.

However...

When Chen Junting looked at Ning Tian, he found that her brows were tightly furrowed. Judging from her expression, this thing clearly wasn't very tasty.

"Here, this is for you, Xiao Tian."

Ye Xuanji took out a plate and gave Ning Tian two Black Buns. He handed the remaining three, along with the Bamboo Tray, to Chen Junting. "This is the staple food. Since it's your first time eating it, I gave you three based on my judgment."

As soon as Ye Xuanji finished speaking, the kitchen door opened, and a plump chef in his forties came out carrying two trays. Before the dishes even reached the table, their rich aroma had already rushed toward them, making their appetites flare.

When the lids of the two trays were opened, Chen Junting didn't immediately pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he looked toward Ning Tian.

"Ning Tian, what are these two dishes?"

"Brother Junting, you can just call me Xiao Tian."

She then began introducing the names of the dishes to Chen Junting.

The first dish was called Dragon Whale Stew. It was made by braising thousand-year Earth Dragon Tendon and thousand-year Whale Rubber. After eating it, one's physical attributes as a Soul Master could be improved. A single plate was worth ten thousand Gold Soul Coins.

The second dish was called Honey-braised Bear Paw. It was carefully prepared with the paw of a century-old Dark Golden Claw Bear and honey from century-old Golden Jade Bees. Although both ingredients were only a hundred years old, the dish's value far exceeded that of the first plate of Dragon Whale Stew.

This introduction shocked Chen Junting once again!

What did it mean to be extravagantly wealthy? This was it!

What did it mean to receive top-level treatment? This was it!

A single meal was already worth tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins!

"Originally, the ingredients for this Honey-braised Bear Paw were supposed to be the paw of a thousand-year Mighty Vajra Bear and honey from thousand-year Jade Bees. I didn't expect the ingredients this time to be Dark Golden Claw Bear paws and Golden Jade Bee honey. Although they're only a hundred years old, they're still incomparable to the previous ingredients. We're lucky to have them!" Ning Tian picked up a piece of bear paw meat and placed it in her mouth to savor it carefully. She also urged Chen Junting with her eyes to try it quickly.

After coming back to himself, Chen Junting followed his usual habits. He held a Black Bun in his left hand while using his chopsticks with his right to place a small piece of Dragon Whale Stew into his mouth. It was soft, sticky, and sweet, without the slightest trace of the fishy smell of Whale Rubber. Before he could even swallow the Dragon Whale Stew, he took a hard bite of the Black Bun. Although it was also soft and sticky in his mouth, its flavor couldn't compare to the Dragon Whale Stew. A fishy taste filled his mouth and mixed with the Dragon Whale Stew.

But when Chen Junting swallowed it, his expression immediately changed!

He clearly felt a warm sensation flowing down his throat. In an instant, a stream of heat surged through his body, flowing toward his limbs and every organ, as well as through his chest and abdomen.

Good stuff! Truly good stuff!

He therefore sped up his eating.

The fluctuations of his vital energy and blood grew increasingly vigorous.

In the end, aside from the Honey-braised Bear Paw and their Black Bun staple food, which were completely devoured, quite a bit of Dragon Whale Stew remained because the two of them truly couldn't eat any more.

Watching the results of their meal, Ye Xuanji pondered for a moment. It seemed he had to strengthen his disciple's physical training. Otherwise, no matter how many good things they had, there would be nothing they could do if he couldn't digest them.

"Are you finished? If you are, start meditating. Once you've almost finished digesting the food, we'll begin your training."

"Yes!"