Jingle, jingle—
A crisp bell rang out.
Demon Bear Douluo followed Ghost Douluo into the shop. The first thing he saw was the young man lounging in a rocking chair.
He looked to be in his early twenties, and utterly ordinary.
Could this... be the mysterious senior Old Ghost had mentioned?
Demon Bear Douluo was puzzled. Almost instinctively, he tried to probe the man with his Soul Power.
But—
He sensed nothing at all!
It was like looking at an ordinary person!
Yet the more ordinary he seemed, the more shaken Demon Bear Douluo felt.
What level of expert could leave a Level 94 Titled Douluo like him unable to discern his true strength?
Level 98?
Or Level 99?
Demon Bear Douluo immediately put away his contempt.
He stole a glance at Ghost Douluo beside him and saw him gazing at the young man in the rocking chair with near-reverence.
That look...
It was like he was looking at a god!
"Senior, I'm back."
Ghost Douluo's voice held unmistakable awe.
"This is Demon Bear Douluo, an old friend of mine."
"I told him about the wonders of your place, and he wanted to come experience it too."
At that moment, Demon Bear Douluo was completely convinced.
This seemingly ordinary young man before him was definitely a peerless expert!
"Greetings, Senior!"
Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee and spoke before Ghost Douluo could.
"This junior is Demon Bear Douluo, an elder of Spirit Hall and a Level 94 Power Attack System Titled Douluo!"
"I've long heard of your great name. To meet you today is a blessing I couldn't hope for in three lifetimes!"
Ghost Douluo was momentarily stunned.
You thick-browed fellow, how are you even better at sucking up than me?
No, this was called respect!
Respect for Senior Lin!
Lin Feng glanced lazily at Demon Bear Douluo kneeling on the ground and grumbled to himself.
What the hell? Why was this guy kneeling the moment he walked in?
I haven't even shown off yet, and you're already playing along?
Were the suckers in this generation really so enlightened?
Outwardly, though, Lin Feng remained unruffled.
"Get up."
His tone was as calm as still water, but to Demon Bear Douluo, it carried unquestionable authority.
"This is a restaurant, not some sect."
"If you want to eat, order food. If you want to draw, spend money."
"There's no need for all those formalities."
At that, Demon Bear Douluo first looked to Ghost Douluo.
His normally fierce eyes now held a hint of cautious inquiry.
Only after Ghost Douluo nodded did Demon Bear Douluo feel at ease.
He slowly stood, moving far more gently than usual.
He was afraid that even the slightest noise might disturb this mysterious senior.
Demon Bear Douluo carefully made his way to a seat and sat down respectfully.
His normally rugged face was now filled with caution.
But the moment he reached out to open the menu, he froze.
These prices... were a little steep, weren't they?
Every random dish cost tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins?
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must have read it wrong.
But the figures were right there before him.
Even the cheapest dish cost eight thousand Gold Soul Coins!
"Old Ghost..."
Demon Bear Douluo's voice trembled as he sneaked a glance at Ghost Douluo beside him.
"Did they get these prices wrong?"
Seeing his friend's astonished expression, Ghost Douluo felt a surge of superiority.
When he'd first seen the menu, he'd reacted the same way.
"Old Bear, you're looking at this too narrowly."
Ghost Douluo lowered his voice and said earnestly,
"This is a restaurant where you can draw Soul Bones!"
"An eighty-thousand-year Soul Bone!"
He patted his Storage Soul Tool, his eyes gleaming with pride.
"How much do you think an eighty-thousand-year Soul Bone is worth?"
Boom!
Those words struck Demon Bear Douluo like a sudden burst of enlightenment, instantly clearing his head.
That was right!
This wasn't an ordinary restaurant!
This was a wondrous place where you could draw an eighty-thousand-year Soul Bone!
An eighty-thousand-year Soul Bone was an unparalleled treasure. You couldn't find more than a few across the entire continent!
Forget tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins—even if it cost hundreds of thousands or millions, countless Titled Douluos would fight tooth and nail to get one!
Seen that way, these prices were practically dirt cheap!
Demon Bear Douluo's expression changed in an instant.
His shock turned to fervor!
"Old Ghost, you're right!"
He rubbed his hands together excitedly, his rugged face alight with anticipation.
"How is this expensive? It's practically a bargain!"
"Quick! Recommend a few dishes for me!"
Ghost Douluo nodded in satisfaction, secretly pleased with himself.
See? That was the advantage of experience.
He pointed to a section of the menu.
"Old Bear, given your appetite, I recommend these dishes..."
Of course, while Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo were frantically bringing in new customers for Maple Dye Pavilion, the three youngsters of the Golden Generation were just as busy.
They went to the residence of Holy Dragon Douluo, Tuoba Xi.
The three knew perfectly well that they carried little weight.
If they simply told him about the wonders of Maple Dye Pavilion, he definitely wouldn't believe them, just like Chrysanthemum Douluo.
So the three decided to try a different approach.
"You three want to recommend a restaurant to me and treat me to a meal?"
Tuoba Xi looked at Hu Liena and the others, their gazes sincere, and couldn't help but smile.
These three youngsters usually never came calling without a reason.
His weathered face was full of kindness.
"That's right! The food there is delicious!"
Hu Liena's eyes lit up as her little hands gestured excitedly.
"Grandpa Tuoba, you'll fall in love with the place as soon as you go!"
As she spoke, Hu Liena thought of the food at Maple Dye Pavilion and swallowed almost without realizing it.
Yan was even more exaggerated. He wiped the corner of his mouth, looking as if he were savoring the memory.
"Elder Tuoba, the food there is absolutely amazing!"
"I've lived all these years, and I've never tasted anything so delicious!"
Xie Yue nodded in agreement beside him.
"That's right. The owner of that restaurant is an incredible cook!"
"I felt more energetic all over after eating there!"
The three of them looked like starving gluttons, and Tuoba Xi's heart softened.
As a newly promoted Titled Douluo, Tuoba Xi was one of the few genuinely good-natured members of the Elder Council.
He treated those around him very well, and that went double for these three outstanding juniors.
Seeing the three youngsters acting like hungry gluttons, he guessed the children were craving good food.
They probably wanted a big meal but were short on money, so they'd used the excuse of recommending a restaurant to get him to treat them, right?
Well, he could always skip training today.
He might as well take the children out to satisfy their appetites.
"Since you recommend it so highly, I'll go take a look with you."
Tuoba Xi gently patted Hu Liena on the head.
"But let's get one thing straight: Grandpa Tuoba is paying today."
"You three little rascals, don't be shy!"
Hu Liena and the others exchanged glances, delight flashing in their eyes.
The plan had worked!
"Wonderful! Grandpa Tuoba, you definitely won't be disappointed!"
Xie Yue was also full of anticipation.
"Once you taste the food there, you'll know we weren't exaggerating!"
The four chatted and laughed as they headed toward Maple Dye Pavilion.
Tuoba Xi had no idea that he was about to experience a shock that would turn his entire worldview upside down.