Du Shenyuan's Regret, Second Child?

Du Chun slowly withdrew his stance, the aura around him, heavy and solid as a mountain, receding in tandem.

The demonstration concluded, and the session transitioned into free sparring for the students.

The training ground was instantly filled with shouts and the dull thuds of fists and feet colliding.

Du Chun stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze seemingly sweeping across the room, though it lingered mostly on Wang Jian.

Watching the boy's meticulous, steady, and powerful movements, he couldn't help but feel a ripple of long-lost anticipation rising within him.

Their Du Family Martial Arts Hall had gone far too long without achieving any eye-catching results at the annual "Jiang City Martial Arts Challenge."

Either the adult students would narrowly lose in the critical rounds, or the junior disciples wouldn't even make it into the finals.

Although the reputation of Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall remained formidable thanks to the old brand of "Mountain-Suppressing Yellow" and their solid teaching, there were even rumors in the streets joking that "Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall has become a spiritual totem that no longer participates in PvP competition"...

But whenever Du Chun heard such things, he never took them as a compliment; instead, he felt a sense of shame.

Deep down, he had always yearned for a disciple to appear who could break this deadlock—someone who could truly bring honor to him and the martial arts hall!

And now, observing Wang Jian's steady and resolute temperament, Du Chun felt that this person might have finally arrived.

As the sun set, the students in the hall gradually dispersed.

"Goodbye, Teacher, Senior Brother! I'm heading home now." Wang Jian bowed respectfully to Du Chun and Du Shenyuan as he waved goodbye.

Watching the almost imperceptible smile on his father's lips, Du Shenyuan understood.

His father was genuinely satisfied with this new disciple from the bottom of his heart.

Professional martial artists rarely took on personal disciples, simply because the effort required to mentor one was immense; not only did they have to impart their entire martial repertoire, but they also had to be responsible for the disciple's character and conduct.

Du Chun was exactly that kind of traditional martial artist, treating every disciple who sought his guidance with sincerity as if they were his own flesh and blood.

Duan Shenyuan followed behind, helping to tidy up the tea set, and seeing his father's heartfelt joy, he couldn't help but smile as well.

His father was truly satisfied with this disciple named Wang Jian to the very marrow of his bones.

Chen Yan was held in his grandfather's arms, his little head resting on Du Chun's sturdy shoulder, though his eyes were busy observing his surroundings.

The martial arts hall was vast; the first floor was the training ground, the second floor housed various equipment rooms and lounge areas, and only the third floor served as the Du family's living quarters.

His grandmother, Wang Jun, had already filled the air with the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen.

Du Shenyuan was quick and efficient, having already prepared a nursery for Chen Yan, which was bright and airy.

A cabinet against the wall stood open, packed full of paints and brushes made from exotic beast materials, each one worth a small fortune.

Soon, the family gathered around the dining table.

The table was spread with home-cooked dishes, each one a delight to the senses.

"Things have been much quieter outside lately," Wang Jun said, dishing out rice for everyone. "Before, the news was all about the Spirit Race, which had everyone in a panic, but now there's not a peep."

"Indeed, the alert level from the Association has been lowered quite a bit as well."

"I suppose the Special Investigation Team has cleaned most of them up. It's always a good thing; people can go out with more peace of mind."

As she picked up some food, Wang Jun couldn't help but fret, "Oh, Kefa deals with those wicked things all day long; it must be so dangerous..."

Duan Shenyuan replied, "It's definitely dangerous, but the higher the cultivation, the greater the responsibility."

Du Chun took a sip of tea and let out a soft snort through his nose. "That boy Chen Kefa is still young and has talent; he may very well reach the level of a Grandmaster in the future. He has more potential than us old bones who only know how to train with brute force."

As he spoke, he shifted the topic to Wang Jian, his face showing undisguised admiration.

"Jian'er is a good piece of material, an unpolished jade. As long as he stays on the right path, his future achievements might not necessarily be below Kefa's!"

Du Chun spoke with high spirits, full of expectation.

Sitting beside him, Du Shenyuan's eyes dimmed with an indescribable melancholy the moment he heard those words.

He quickly lowered his head, masking his reaction by focusing on his rice.

To bring glory to the martial arts hall and inherit his father's mantle—how could he have never thought of such things?

Unfortunately, talent was not something one could simply wish into existence.

Wang Jun noticed her son's change in mood and calmly shifted the conversation, saying to Du Chun:

"Hey, you only talk about your apprentice and not your daughter. Qionghua called me two days ago, saying she and Kefa are considering... whether it's time to give little Yan a younger brother or sister."

"Pfft—cough, cough!"

Chen Yan was sitting in his dedicated high chair, drinking his specially prepared nutritional paste one small spoonful at a time, when he heard this, he choked, the paste catching directly in his throat.

So that was it.

Sending him to his grandfather's house was just to make it convenient for the two of them to engage in some "bedroom aerobics"?

These parents of his, they really were...

"Little Yan, are you alright? Eat slowly, eat slowly."

Seeing his grandson choking, Wang Jun quickly reached over and gently patted Chen Yan on the back.

Chen Yan quickly adjusted his expression, feigning a look of innocent obedience before opening his small mouth and picking up the pace.

A bowl of nutritional paste, which would have been a substantial portion for an ordinary infant, was polished off by Chen Yan in a matter of moments.

After finishing, Chen Yan wiped his mouth.

His large, jet-black, round eyes began to dart around, Finally locking firmly onto that piece of stewed, tender, and faintly energy-radiating beast meat in his grandfather's bowl.

Taking advantage of the adults' lively conversation, Chen Yan's small hand shot out with lightning speed, Precisely pinching a piece of meat larger than his own palm, And stuffing it into his mouth, his cheeks bulging as he chewed rapidly.

The meat melted the moment it touched his tongue, and a torrent of energy, several times purer than ordinary food, instantly surged into his limbs and bones!

[Ding! Efficient Absorption triggered!]

[You have consumed high-energy food (Tier 3 Brute Beef), Blood Qi +4, current Blood Qi 2104/10000...]

[Skill "Efficient Absorption" proficiency +15!]

A warm current flowed through his entire body, so comfortable that Chen Yan almost let out a hum.

The entire process, from the strike to the swallow, was fast to the extreme.

Yet, someone had seen it.

Du Shenyuan, sitting opposite him, happened to look up and witnessed the entire inconceivable scene.

His brain stalled for a split second.

The next second, Du Shenyuan's face turned deathly pale, drained of all color.

"Spit it out! Spit it out right now!"

Du Shenyuan sprang up from his chair, his movement so violent he nearly knocked it over.

He pointed at Chen Yan, his voice trembling.

"Dad! Mom! Little Yan! He ate your piece of Tier 3 Brute Beef!"

Tier 3 beast meat!

What kind of concept was that?

The energy contained within was incredibly violent; even an amateur high-level martial artist would only dare to slice it into small pieces, consume it cautiously with medicinal aids, and spend a vast amount of time meditating to refine it.

And now, an infant of just over a year old had swallowed such a large piece in one gulp?

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

This was his sister and brother-in-law's precious treasure; if something happened on his first day at his grandfather's house, how could he ever explain it!

"What are you shouting about!"

Grandmother Wang Jun was startled by her son's reaction, then swatted away his hand as he reached toward Chen Yan.

"If the child wants to eat, let him have a taste. Look how happy he is eating it. It's not like our family is short of a piece of meat..."

"Mom! This isn't about the meat!" Du Shenyuan was so anxious he nearly jumped. "That's Tier 3 beast meat! How could an infant possibly withstand that kind of energy shock! It could cost him his life!"

Compared to his son's panic, Du Chun was much calmer.

He had seen it the moment Chen Yan made his move.

That was not a speed an infant should possess.

At this moment, he watched Chen Yan and discovered that the little guy showed no signs of pain whatsoever.

Instead, he was squinting his eyes, his little face flushed, looking extremely satisfied.

He let out a cold snort at his good-for-nothing son.

"Hmph, ignorant fool! Making such a fuss!"

"Yan'er is a candidate for the Alliance's 'Grandmaster Project'; can his talent be measured by the standards of ordinary children?"

Far from being worried, Du Chun rested his chin on his hand and began to seriously consider a problem.

"It seems that ordinary infant nutritional meals truly cannot keep up with Yan'er's consumption."

He looked at Du Shenyuan and issued a direct order.

"Shenyuan, go find out tomorrow if there are any skilled spirit chefs in Jiang City—the kind who can handle high-tier beast ingredients—and hire one at a high price."

"Your mother's method of boiling it in plain water is too wasteful; the energy loss is severe."

"We must use professional techniques to perfectly lock the energy within the beast meat and make it easy to digest, so we can maximize the value of the ingredients."

Du Shenyuan stood frozen in place, listening to his father's arrangements, unable to say a single word.

Hire... hire a spirit chef?

Specifically to prepare baby food for an infant?

Was there something wrong with this world?