"Boss, where are you going?"
"Chen Changan just sent me a message saying he's running short on cultivation resources and asked me to bring him some."
"Running short? But... it's only been a year. How is he already out?"
The Great Protector's words left the other three Protectors utterly bewildered. Chen Changan had only been in seclusion for a year, and he'd already used up all the resources they'd prepared for him?
"If I remember correctly, when Chen Changan went into seclusion, we specifically prepared enough resources to last him fifty years."
"We were worried he might run short while cultivating. How did he use them all up in one year?"
"Even if you include his three little lucky charms, they couldn't possibly have gone through them that fast, could they?"
"Exactly. These aren't ordinary resources. They're the finest cultivation resources in Burning Heaven Pavilion. They shouldn't be running out this quickly."
"Is that kid trying to take advantage of us? But he doesn't seem like the sort."
"Forget it. If he says he's running short, then give him more. Burning Heaven Pavilion has a deep enough foundation. We can spare these resources."
"All right."
The sheer quantity of resources Chen Changan needed for cultivation and the speed at which he absorbed them had far exceeded everyone's expectations.
One year, two years, three years...
By the eighth year, the four Protectors were starting to feel the strain.
"Is he eating all those resources raw? How can anyone use this much?"
"We send more every year, and every year he runs out. He's a bottomless pit!"
"Good thing Burning Heaven Pavilion has deep pockets. Otherwise, who could afford to support such a spendthrift?"
"Eight years—just eight years. That bastard has used enough resources to keep me cultivating for a thousand years."