What Do You Want?

"You can cook?"

Beibei was somewhat surprised.

Before Ji Jing could answer, Wang Dong had already chimed in, her powder-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation and excitement:

"Yes, yes! The food Ji Jing makes is the best in the whole world!"

Seeing Wang Dong's undisguised joy, Huo Yuhao and the others grew curious as well.

Huo Yuhao, in particular, began to look forward to it.

When he had delivered grilled fish to the class monitor that day, he had caught the scent of a meal coming from their dormitory, which he now assumed must have been cooked by the monitor himself.

With that, the group of five arrived at the shores of Sea God Lake, finding an open patch of lush, green grass.

Under the curious gazes of Tang Ya, Beibei, and Huo Yuhao, a flash of light emanated from the storage ring on Ji Jing's finger. A set of exquisite cookware appeared out of thin air, followed by an array of top-tier ingredients, cleaned and kept fresh on ice, along with a dazzling variety of seasonings.

His movements were practiced as he started the fire, set the pot, and heated the oil. With fluid grace, an enticing aroma began to drift across the lakeshore.

The flare of stir-frying, the rich scent of simmering broth, the delicate fragrance of steamed dishes...

In just over half an hour, seven dishes—each a masterpiece of color, aroma, and taste—along with a pot of milky-white fish soup, were laid out on the picnic blanket.

"Alright, let's eat."

Tang Ya, Beibei, and Huo Yuhao had long been driven to hunger by the overpowering aroma, and they didn't bother with formalities any longer.

"Mmm! This fish is so tender and fresh!"

"Delicious! This is amazing! The heat, the seasoning—it's practically art!"

"Monitor, you... your cooking skills are incredible!"

Huo Yuhao's mouth was covered in grease, his words barely intelligible.

Listening to their unreserved praise, Wang Dong puffed out her chest, her face glowing with a pride that suggested she shared in the honor.

She spoke in a tone that sounded casual but was clearly meant to show off:

"This is nothing. Let me tell you, I get to eat food this good every single day!"

However, because others were present, she didn't dare act too spoiled.

Though she desperately wanted Ji Jing to pick food for her as he usually did, she held back.

Her beautiful eyes, however, kept drifting toward Ji Jing involuntarily, carrying a reserve she didn't usually show and a hint of reliance she hadn't even noticed herself.

The sunset cast its glow over Sea God Lake, making the water shimmer.

The five young people sat together, enjoying the meal and chatting about the future.

Mu En watched the scene from afar, nodded with a smile, and then vanished, as if he had never been there at all.

After the initiation feast by Sea God Lake ended, Ji Jing and Wang Dong returned to their dormitory.

Wang Dong was still immersed in the pleasant atmosphere, humming a little tune, her mood excellent.

However, the smile on her face quickly froze.

She watched as Ji Jing, without a word, walked between the two single beds. With a burst of strength, he gave a loud "creak" and effortlessly pushed the two beds together until they were seamless, forming one large bed.

"You... you, you, you..."

Wang Dong's face turned bright red in an instant, like a ripe apple.

She instinctively took a few steps back, wrapping her arms around her chest and shrinking into a corner. She struck a defensive pose, her voice trembling:

"What—what are you doing?!"

Ji Jing looked at her as if she were facing a formidable enemy, finding it both annoying and amusing.

He walked over, curled his finger, and flicked her lightly on her smooth forehead.

"Thump."

"Ouch!"

Wang Dong covered her forehead, her large powder-blue eyes welling up with water, filled with grievance and embarrassment.

"Why did you hit me!"

"What do you think?"

Ji Jing leaned against the bed, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What kind of messy thoughts are running through your head all day? Let me declare right now: I have absolutely no interest in men."

Hearing this, Wang Dong's tense body didn't relax in the slightest, and the flush on her face didn't fade at all.

She pouted and muttered under her breath:

"Then why did you push the beds together..."

"Naturally, it is for cultivation."

Ji Jing's tone turned serious.

"Have you forgotten? Our Martial Souls have a one-hundred-percent perfect fusion. This level of fusion isn't just reflected in combat; it can also be applied to our daily cultivation."

He paused, then continued to explain:

"When we are in close proximity and circulate our soul power simultaneously, our soul power resonates and forms a loop. Simply put, when we cultivate together, the speed at which our soul power increases will be vastly improved."

"So that's how it is."

Wang Dong suddenly realized the truth. Her wariness vanished, replaced by a surge of intense curiosity.

She blinked her eyes and asked doubtfully:

"But how did you know that? I've never seen any records of it in books. Have there been precedents for perfect Martial Soul fusion before?"

This question played right into Ji Jing's hands.

He had long anticipated that Wang Dong would ask this, so without batting an eyelid, he spoke up, his tone carrying a hint of matter-of-fact confidence:

"I felt it, of course. My spiritual power is much higher than yours. When our Martial Souls fused, I had already perceived this characteristic of soul power resonance."

"So what if your spiritual power is high!"

Wang Dong was very unconvinced. The moment she thought about how she seemed to be suppressed by him in every aspect, her competitive spirit flared up.

She sat on her own bed, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out, and announced aggressively:

"Just you wait! I will definitely work hard at my cultivation. One day, I will ride on top of you!"

"Fine, fine, fine,"

Ji Jing looked at her cute, claw-waving appearance that lacked any real intimidation, his eyes full of smiles as he perfunctorily replied, "I'll wait for that day. Now, don't waste any more time. Hurry up and get over here so we can cultivate."

Wang Dong huffed. Although she was unconvinced in words, she honestly sat cross-legged beside him, mimicking his posture.

As both of them entered a meditative state and began to circulate the soul power within their bodies, a wondrous sensation welled up.

Their soul power seemed to transform into two streams that attracted one another, naturally intertwining to form an energy vortex far more magnificent and pure than usual.

Feeling the unprecedented growth rate of the soul power within her body, the bit of resentment in Wang Dong's heart was gradually replaced by the marvelous experience of cultivation.

The freshman assessment was in full swing.

In the early stages of the assessment, they did not encounter any teams that possessed a Soul Elder.

The team of Ji Jing, Wang Dong, and Huo Yuhao swept through everything in their path.

Ji Jing had not even released his Martial Soul once.

In every battle, the moment the starting whistle blew, he would dash out like an arrow released from a bow, delivering two simple, direct punches that would inevitably blast two of the opposing battle soul masters off the arena.

The remaining one would be easily dealt with by Wang Dong.

As for Huo Yuhao, he simply stood in place from start to finish, providing his teammates with comprehensive battlefield information.

On their combat record was a long string of consecutive victories.

Until this day, when they finally encountered a decent opponent—

A team composed of Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er.