Arrival at the Cafeteria

Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open gently. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi walked in together, and the moment they entered, they caught sight of Su Ming standing in the center of the room.

At this moment, Su Ming was shirtless, his body wreathed in a faint golden glow, with tiny ripples of spiritual power flickering at his fingertips from time to time.

He was fully immersed in sensing the newborn power that had just fused within him, carefully contemplating the brand-new changes in his muscle fibers, the circulation of his vital energy and blood, and his control over his strength. He was completely lost in the process of familiarizing himself with his own power.

Seeing Su Ming in such a state, the two were stunned for a moment before simultaneously breaking into playful smiles, subconsciously assuming he was just being vain and showing off his physique.

Xu Sanshi immediately let his face fall, putting on a look of mock distress as he teased, "I'm not saying, Su Ming, you're actually standing in your dorm in broad daylight, just preening yourself and showing off those toned muscles of yours?"

He even turned his head to look at Bei Bei beside him, wailing with exaggerated drama, "You wouldn't believe it. Bei Bei and I just walked in, and the first thing I saw was a shirtless guy. I thought I'd run into a streaker—I was in despair for a second!"

Hearing this, Su Ming rolled his eyes, his face full of helplessness.

Too lazy to get into a verbal sparring match with this guy, he fished a bright red, plump apple out of his storage Soul Tool. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it straight at Xu Sanshi, retorting irritably:

"Get lost, get lost! Stop spouting nonsense! I just consumed three Mystic Water Pills and was sensing the changes in my body's power. Who has the time to be vain about their physique!"

As soon as Xu Sanshi processed what Su Ming had said, his eyes widened in shock. He looked Su Ming up and down, his tone filled with disbelief: "Mystic Water Pills? And three of them at that?

Where did you get these? I remember you being incredibly stingy with your cultivation resources, never using them lightly. How did you suddenly come up with so many?"

Watching their astonished expressions, a smug smile tugged at the corner of Su Ming's mouth. He deliberately straightened his back, playing hard to get with a hint of pride in his tone:

"Don't ask too many questions. I obtained these through proper channels, perfectly fair and square."

Seeing Su Ming intentionally being evasive and refusing to give a straight answer, the curiosity of Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi was thoroughly piqued. The two exchanged a glance.

They both crowded forward, pestering him for the true origin of the Mystic Water Pills, determined to get to the bottom of it.

Unable to shake them off, Su Ming finally spoke in a nonchalant, airy tone:

"It's just that a few days ago, I was taking a walk by the academy lake and happened to run into Ma Xiaotao from the Inner Court. We had a small conflict.

She struck me a few times, though it didn't really count as a beating. My constitution is sturdy, so I didn't suffer the slightest injury.

Afterward, I went to find Dean Yan Shao, explained the situation to him, and naturally requested some compensation. That's how these three Mystic Water Pills came to be."

As soon as these words left his lips, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi froze in place. Both stared at Su Ming with looks of utter shock, their faces filled with disbelief.

Ma Xiaotao was a top-tier powerhouse of the Inner Court; not only was her strength formidable, but her temper was also explosive, and the power of her soul skills was immense. That Su Ming had clashed with her and remained unscathed was beyond their comprehension.

That he had even taken the initiative to demand compensation from the Dean was even more inconceivable. For a long time, they stood rooted to the spot, unable to recover their senses.

After finishing his story, a sudden, intense wave of hunger surged in Su Ming's stomach. He rubbed his empty belly, his tone shifting as he asked the two:

"By the way, have you two eaten? I'm so hungry I feel like I could eat a whole cow."

Bei Bei smiled and shook his head, saying gently, "Ya and I just returned from training on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest. We've been rushing back and haven't had a chance to eat yet. We're starving too. Let's go, we're heading to the Shrek canteen. My treat today, eat as much as you want."

Hearing that there was food to be had, Su Ming instantly perked up. He quickly threw on his coat, and the three of them headed toward the Shrek Outer Court canteen together.

As soon as they stepped into the bustling canteen, the aroma of food hit them. It was packed with people, with new and old students weaving back and forth—a very lively scene.

Xu Sanshi's gaze swept over the many fresh faces in the canteen. He nudged Su Ming with his elbow, leaning in with a mischievous grin:

"Su Ming, I say, you spend every single day just cultivating and polishing yourself. Why don't you think about finding a girlfriend? Look, Bei Bei has Tang Ya, and I have Nannan in my heart. You're the only one all alone."

He pointed toward several pretty girls in the canteen who were stealing glances at them and continued to goad him:

"Look at the new students this year; there are plenty of pretty girls. With your looks and strength, if you just tried, you'd definitely succeed."

"Don't tell me you plan to spend the rest of your life with those cold, metal Soul Tool gadgets?"

Bei Bei, standing to the side, couldn't help but cast his gaze toward Su Ming, a smile playing on his lips as he nodded in agreement:

"Sanshi is right. You spend all your time focused on cultivation and power; it's time to consider your future and find a girlfriend."

Su Ming looked at his two friends, who were acting as if they were "heartbroken for his sake." The smile on his face could no longer be contained, and he struck back, hitting them exactly where it hurt:

"You two have the nerve to talk to me? Bei Bei, you spend all day thinking about reviving the Tang Sect, running around and making arrangements, not even focusing on your cultivation. Be careful, or your elders will find out and give you a good beating."

"And you, Xu Sanshi, since when did Jiang Nannan become yours? She avoids you every chance she gets, and you have the gall to bring her up."

"You two should worry about your own affairs first instead of keeping your eyes on me."

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi's mouths twitched at Su Ming's retort. They opened their mouths to argue back, but they both knew deep down that Su Ming was speaking the absolute truth, leaving them speechless.

The three exchanged a look and tacitly skipped over the awkward topic, heading straight for the serving windows.

But what happened next left Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi completely dumbfounded.

They watched as Su Ming shuttled between the various serving windows in the canteen, ordering meat dishes, staples, and thick soups—one trip after another.

Before long, he had brought back nearly twenty portions of food. The various trays were stacked into a small mountain on the table, the sheer volume staggering.

The two stared at the mountain of food before them, their jaws dropped and their faces full of shock.

They had known Su Ming's appetite was far beyond that of an ordinary person, but they had never seen him take so much food at once. This amount was easily more than ten times that of a normal person.

Su Ming's exaggerated actions instantly drew the gaze of everyone in the canteen. The surrounding new students, old students, and even the canteen lady serving the food stopped what they were doing to look over.