Treasure Orb and the "Last Supper"

After walking for a while, the three of them finally returned home. Grandma Ling was already waiting at the door. "Oh, you're finally back. You made me wait quite a while. Everyone else got back early—you three were the last."

Village Chief Ye replied, "Ah, don't worry yet. I've got plenty of good news. Come over here and let me tell you about it."

Village Chief Ye pulled Grandma Ling aside and told her in detail about everything that had happened earlier. Her expression grew more and more animated as she listened.

"Hahaha, well done, my two little darlings. Get ready—tonight, as a reward, I'll make sure you eat your fill." With that, Grandma Ling laughed and headed into the kitchen.

Watching Grandma Ling enter the house, Village Chief Ye said with a smile, "Haha, looks like I'll get to eat my fill with you tonight too. Oh, Xiao Feng, come with me. I'll take you to the room and find that Jade Stone. Ling'er, you come too." The three of them then entered the house together.

Village Chief Ye's house was not particularly large. The living area was basically all concentrated on the first floor. The second floor was said to be a meditation room that Village Chief Ye and Grandma Ling had worked very hard to set up for cultivation.

Upon entering, they came directly into the living room, which also served as the kitchen. Grandma Ling was busily stir-frying at the stove. Seeing how occupied she was, the three passed through the kitchen, opened the large door opposite them, and entered the hallway. Village Chief Ye and Grandma Ling's bedroom was on the left, Tang Chenfeng and Ye Hongling's room was on the right, and the bathroom was at the end.

Village Chief Ye opened the bedroom door and led the other two inside. There were not many decorations in the room. A large bed, a wardrobe, a table and chairs, and two boxes for miscellaneous items were all it contained.

Looking at the small bedroom, Village Chief Ye sighed. "Back when I was young, I had the ambition to roam the world with a sword in hand. Yet in the end, I spent decades living here. A true hero never sees himself as brave... You mustn't become like me in the future."

Listening to Village Chief Ye, Tang Chenfeng felt that the chief's past must have been more exciting—and more tragic—than he had imagined. As he spoke, Village Chief Ye opened one of the boxes and rummaged through it. After searching for a while, he finally found a wooden box, just the right size to hold in both hands.

Village Chief Ye took out the box and handed it to Tang Chenfeng. "Open it. Take a look at what's inside." Tang Chenfeng opened it under the watchful eyes of the other two. The instant it opened, the object inside burst forth with an intense light. The glare made Ye Hongling and Village Chief Ye unable to open their eyes, while Tang Chenfeng seemed completely unaffected. He stared straight at the glowing square Jade Stone inside the box. Under his gaze, the stone began to shrink and slowly become round. Once the light faded and the grandfather and granddaughter regained their sight, both of them could not help letting out a sound of surprise when they looked into the box.

Ye Hongling spoke first. "Grandpa, didn't you say it was a square Jade Stone? This clearly looks like a dark blue gemstone."

"This... I don't know either. I remember it really was a square Jade Stone. Then it suddenly changed." Grandpa Ye spoke in confusion.

Indeed, there was no Jade Stone left in the box. Inside was clearly a blue Treasure Orb slightly larger than a thumbnail. Faint specks of multicolored light seemed to flicker across its surface, making it look incredibly valuable.

"Wow, what a beautiful gemstone. It would definitely look gorgeous made into a pendant or a badge." Girls always liked beautiful things, and Ye Hongling could no longer take her eyes off the gemstone.

Noticing Ye Hongling's gaze, Tang Chenfeng took out the gemstone and held it out before her. "Ling'er, do you like it? I can give it to you."

Hearing that, Ye Hongling was startled at first, then shook her head. "Brother Feng, this is yours. I can't take it."

Village Chief Ye also said, "Xiao Feng, some things can't be given away casually. Like this Treasure Orb—it was left to you by your parents, and it doesn't look like an ordinary item. It's best to keep it with you."

"Mm, I understand. I'll keep it safe." As soon as Tang Chenfeng finished speaking, a fragrant scent drifted over from the kitchen. The three understood that dinner was ready.

The three opened the door they had come through and returned to the kitchen. The aroma of food washed over them, and what surprised the two children was that dinner was especially lavish today. Usually, there was only one dish and one soup on the table, but this time it was like a grand feast. Braised meat, grilled fish, vegetable soup—everything was there. Just looking at it made their mouths water, and Tang Chenfeng felt an unprecedented hunger.

"Heh, you made so much. Old lady, the four of us won't be able to finish all this, will we?" Looking at the table full of food, Village Chief Ye felt both eager and a little pained. This was enough for them to eat for two days normally. It would be wasteful if they could not finish it.

Grandma Ling held a spatula in one hand and a bowl of soup in the other. "Today is a great day for our two grandchildren, so of course we need something good. If you can't finish it, I'll stuff it into your mouth." After hearing that, Village Chief Ye obediently sat down and did not dare say another word. Tang Chenfeng and Ye Hongling sat down as well and began attacking the food.

Just ten minutes into dinner, Village Chief Ye realized that his worries had been unnecessary. Tang Chenfeng was truly wolfing down the food—at least in terms of appetite. In only ten minutes, he had swept away more than half the dishes on the table. His hands moved so fast that the other three could barely compete with him.

"Brother Feng, eat slower. I'm not full yet." Before Ye Hongling had even swallowed what was in her mouth, her chopsticks were already reaching for more food. Otherwise, Tang Chenfeng would wipe out every last dish.

"Sorry, Ling'er. I don't know why, but I feel especially hungry today. And Grandma Ling's cooking is so delicious that I can't help wanting to eat more." Tang Chenfeng said this, but his hands did not slow down at all.

"It's fine. You suddenly grew taller, so of course you need to replenish your nutrition. But you should still leave more for your little sister. Otherwise, her height really won't match yours in the future." Grandma Ling said with a beaming smile.

Village Chief Ye, on the other hand, quietly ate beside them, seemingly thinking about something.

In just over twenty minutes, the bowls on the table looked as clean as if they had been washed. Even the bones had been picked clean. Looking at the two satisfied children, Village Chief Ye suddenly said in a strange tone, "Well? Satisfied? If there's anything you still want to do, tonight might be your last chance."

Tang Chenfeng and Ye Hongling were both slightly stunned by those strange words. Then they asked, "What do you mean, last chance?"

Grandma Ling explained from the side, "Your Grandpa Ye and I discussed it today. Given your talents, the earlier they are developed, the better. Your starting line may be higher than others', but you cannot relax. On the contrary, you need to start running even earlier. So we've decided that starting tomorrow, you'll undergo hellish training."

At that, Ye Hongling could not help asking, "Grandpa, Grandma, what kind of hell is hellish training?"

Village Chief Ye rolled his eyes and said, "Put it this way: there will still be nutritious and plentiful food in the future, because that is necessary to keep your bodies healthy. But the premise is that after finishing training, you still feel like eating—or are even capable of swallowing it... In short, this meal you're having now is definitely the easiest grand feast you'll get to eat for the next few months. Just treat it as your last supper."

After hearing that, Tang Chenfeng and Ye Hongling immediately picked up their bowls and chopsticks again, making it clear that they wanted more. They knew the two elders were absolutely not joking, so they decided to extend this last supper for at least a little longer.