Nine Treasures Pavilion's Open-Air Barbecue Feast, Ling Luochen Returns with Six Soul Rings
Snow Empress walked beside Ice Empress, her long white dress trailing on the ground, her steps unhurried. She glanced at Dai Huabin and nodded slightly as a greeting.
"Let's go." Dai Huabin lifted his foot.
Now the line is even more impressive.
Dai Huabin walked in the middle, with Zhu Lu quietly following on his left, Di Lingxi holding Ice Empress's hand on his right. Ice Empress was half a step behind Snow Empress.
Ning Tian and Wu Feng led the way ahead of Dai Huabin, with Cui Yajie and Xiao Xiao following side by side, and Wang Dong'er bringing up the very back.
As I passed by the Outer Academy square, I saw several third-year male students wiping their Soul Tool. When they looked up and saw this scene, they didn't even notice that the rag in their hands had fallen.
"Is that Dai Huabin?"
"What class monitor goes out with ten girls?"
"It's no use in you being envious."
Dai Huabin ignored him and strode forward.
The Nine Treasures Pavilion Shrek City is located in a bustling area in the east of the city. It is a three-story building with glazed bricks on the exterior walls, which reflect light in the afternoon sun.
Two waiters in royal blue shirts stood at the door. When they saw Ning Tian leading a group of people over, they immediately recognized their young master and bowed.
"Young Master! The private room upstairs is ready."
Ning Tian waved his hand.
"We don't need the private rooms. Clear out the stove area in the kitchen on the first floor."
The man was taken aback.
Ning Tian glanced at Dai Huabin.
"You said you'd treat us, you don't mean you want our Nine Treasures Pavilion chefs to cook, do you?"
"I'll do it myself." Dai Huabin had already started rolling up his sleeves.
Ning Tian was right after all.
The waiter led everyone through the front hall to the backyard.
In the backyard, there is an open-air stone stove, which is usually used by the cook to process large pieces of spirit beast meat. Next to it are stacks of jujube charcoal and spice jars.
Dai Huabin surveyed the layout of the backyard and was very satisfied.
"Where are the ingredients?"
Ning Tian immediately instructed his staff to make the necessary preparations.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, three waiters came out carrying three baskets of the finest spirit beast meat.
Wild boar ribs, star-horned deer leg meat, deep-sea silver bass, and several cleaned birds of prey.
When Di Lingxi saw the baskets of meat, she leaned her golden head over to sniff them, and almost lay down on the baskets.
"So much meat!"
Ice Empress pulled her back from the basket.
"Shameful."
"But it smells so good, Sister Bing'er..."
Dai Huabin ignored them and was already squatting in front of the stove, lighting charcoal.
After the jujube charcoal is ignited, there is no open flame, only the glowing red core radiating heat.
He took out a set of iron skewers and a brush from his Storage Soul Tool. These were the tools he had brought himself and used to grill meat for Ice Empress and the others in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Zhu Lu brought over a few low stools.
"Please have a seat."
Cui Yajie found a spot where she could clearly see the stove and sat down, resting her chin on her hands.
"This is the first time I've ever seen the squad leader grill meat."
"He baked some when we were in first grade," Xiao Xiao whispered, "But he only baked some for Lulu that time."
Cui Yajie's lips twitched.
Wang Dong'er moved a stool and sat down next to Cui Yajie. Her long, light blue hair draped over her shoulders. She didn't say anything, but her seat gave her a clear view of the stove.
"You've all eaten your fill this time."
Without looking up, Dai Huabin evenly placed a row of wild boar ribs on the charcoal fire.
The oil dripped onto the glowing red-hot charcoal, making a soft, crackling sound, and the aroma of meat began to fill the air.
A while later, Dai Huabin used soy sauce as a base, honey to thicken the sauce, sprinkled crushed wild peppercorn powder on the surface, and finally dissolved a small amount of chili powder with a few drops of spiritual spring water and spread it evenly on top.
The aroma of the meat exploded completely.
Di Lingxi couldn't sit still any longer and ran straight to the stove to wait.
"Are you done yet? Are you done yet?"
"Wait two more minutes."
"Two minutes is so long!"
Ice Empress walked over and stood on the other side of the stove. She didn't speak, but her gaze remained fixed on the row of ribs, her emerald green ponytail swaying gently in the steam.
Snow Empress sat in the farthest seat, holding a cup of chilled spiritual tea delivered by the Nine Treasures Pavilion, her posture elegant. But her attention was also on the stove, or more precisely, on Dai Huabin's hands.
His grilling technique was indeed very graceful; his fingers were long and strong, and the rhythm of flipping the skewers was steady and unhurried.
The first batch of ribs was removed from the furnace.
Dai Huabin handed the largest bunch to Di Lingxi.
Di Lingxi took a bite and froze.
"What's wrong?" Cui Yajie asked.
Di Lingxi didn't answer, burying her head in her food and devouring it. In less than three seconds, the entire skewer of ribs was reduced to bones. She tossed the bones aside and held up two fingers to Dai Huabin.
"Two more skewers, please!"
Ice Empress took the second skewer from Dai Huabin, pinched the end of the skewer with his fingertips, and took a small bite.
She chewed a few times, her expression remained unchanged, but she ate noticeably faster.
Zhu Lu was arranging the ingredients, gutting and cleaning the silver perch before handing it to Dai Huabin.
The two worked together without words. Zhu Lu handed it to Dai Huabin as soon as he reached out, holding it at the perfect angle so he could easily draw the lot.
"You two have such great chemistry, even grilling meat is like you're working together," Cui Yajie couldn't help but complain as she munched on a skewer of venison.
Xiao Xiao, her cheeks bulging from eating, mumbled her reply.
"They have Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the kind where they're connected by telepathy..."
"Come on, Martial Soul Fusion Skill are for combat, barbecuing doesn't require fusion."
Wang Dong'er quietly accepted the grilled fish handed to her by Dai Huabin without saying thank you, but after taking a bite, she lowered her head and took a second bite.
The speed was a little faster than usual.
Meanwhile, at the west gate of Shrek City.
As dusk settled and the city gates were about to close, the guards were conducting a routine registration of people entering and leaving the city.
A figure appeared in the city gate passageway.
The girl was tall and slender, with her long black hair casually tied back with a cloth strip, revealing her neck and jawline, which were so white they were almost transparent.
She was dressed in a dark, fitted outfit with several obvious tears in the hem and cuffs, and a small piece of fabric on her left shoulder was scorched.
However, he was full of energy and walked with a steady gait.
This person was none other than Ling Luochen.
The goalkeeper recognized her.
"Senior Ling? You just came back from outside?"
Ling Luochen nodded and showed his student token.
The gatekeepers registered and allowed entry.
Ling Luochen arrived so late because she had just acquired her Sixth Soul Ring.
Originally, her cultivation speed wasn't that fast, but after the Soul Master Tournament, Ling Luochen not only obtained Soul Bone, but also the opportunity to meditate inside the Golden Tree.
That's why Ling Luochen's cultivation level was able to directly reach level sixty!
Ling Luochen paused inside the city gate, looking up at the direction of the Shrek Academy in the twilight.
Before the holiday ended, Ling Luochen learned that Dai Huabin planned to help Ma Xiaotao resolve her Evil Fire problem in the new semester.
She had no problem with the matter itself, but it was always on her mind.
Dai Huabin had promised that he would help her evolve her Martial Soul if given the opportunity.
She had been looking forward to it.