Senior, I Really Need to Keep You Under Control!

No sooner said than done. Jiang Lan immediately ran to the Cold Spring and filled two buckets with its water for later use.

The Cold Spring water contained rich spiritual energy. If used for cooking, it would make the food taste even better.

Next, Jiang Lan took out dried shiitake mushrooms, dried wood ear mushrooms, and air-dried beef jerky, soaking them separately in warm water.

While waiting for the dried ingredients to rehydrate, Jiang Lan boiled four salted duck eggs.

Once the salted duck eggs were cooked, Jiang Lan cut them open while they were still hot and scooped out the salted yolks for later use.

After pouring out the water used to boil the eggs, Jiang Lan rinsed the pot with Cold Spring water. Then he heated some oil, added the scooped-out salted egg yolks, crushed them up, and quickly stir-fried them until sandy.

Once the salted egg yolks had been fried into golden, flowing sand, Jiang Lan immediately added Cold Spring water and premium japonica rice to the pot and simmered it.

By the time the japonica rice had bloomed open in the pot, the dried shiitake mushrooms, dried wood ear mushrooms, and beef jerky had all finished rehydrating.

He removed the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and sliced them, shredded the wood ear mushrooms, diced the beef jerky, and poured everything into the pot to stew for a few minutes.

And so, a pot of thick, smooth salted egg yolk, mushroom, and beef porridge, fragrant and savory, was ready.

"It smells so good~" Shui Yue'er sniffed the aroma in the air and stumbled out of the tent, still half-asleep.

"Senior Yue'er, hurry up and wash up. Breakfast is ready." Jiang Lan turned back, looked at the still drowsy Shui Yue'er, and smiled.

"Okay~" Shui Yue'er giggled, took the toothbrush and tooth powder from Jiang Lan, and ran to the Cold Spring to wash up. (Note 1)

Before long, Xue Wu and Shui Bing'er also emerged from the tent one after another and went to wash up by the Cold Spring.

After washing up, they returned to sit beside the campfire, ready to enjoy the breakfast Jiang Lan had prepared.

"Teacher, be careful, it's hot." Jiang Lan scooped out a bowl of porridge and handed it to Shui Qinghan.

"Okay~" Shui Qinghan accepted it, a hint of amusement flashing through her eyes.

"Senior sisters, drink it while it's hot." Jiang Lan scooped out another two bowls and handed them to Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er respectively.

Jiang Lan was quite attentive to such details. If he really had to decide who came first and who came second, he would be the one with the headache.

When it came to keeping everyone happy.

"Thank you, Junior Brother~" Shui Yue'er smiled sweetly and hurriedly accepted the bowl.

"Thank you." Shui Bing'er gave a faint smile and thanked him as well.

"Senior, here~" Jiang Lan scooped out another bowl of porridge and handed it to Xue Wu.

"Junior, why are you still calling me Senior? It sounds so distant. Just call me by my name." Xue Wu smiled slightly as she accepted the bowl and chopsticks from Jiang Lan, discreetly hooking her fingertip against his palm.

Senior, if you keep this up, I really will have to keep you under control!

Jiang Lan shot Xue Wu an annoyed glare. After serving himself a bowl of porridge, he sat down and said,

"Then I'll call you Sister Xue Wu."

"Sure~ Then I'll call you Little Brother Lan." Xue Wu shifted her shapely hips closer and said with a smile.

Hearing this, Shui Bing'er cast a somewhat suspicious glance at Xue Wu and Jiang Lan.

Strange. When had Junior Brother's relationship with Sister Xue Wu become so good?

They were even addressing each other so intimately?

Fortunately, after moving a little closer, Xue Wu made no further moves.

Although Bing'er did not mind, Xue Wu could not be too blatant about it. Sneaking around behind Bing'er's back was more thrilling anyway.

"This tastes really good." Xue Wu took a small sip of the hot porridge, her eyes immediately lighting up as she praised it.

The porridge was smooth and thick, with a savory, fresh flavor. The mushroom slices were tender and soft, the beef cubes were satisfyingly chewy and gave off a rich meaty aroma, while the shredded wood ear mushrooms made crisp crunching sounds with every bite.

"Junior Brother, another bowl!" Shui Yue'er handed her bowl to Jiang Lan and called out.

"Okay~" Jiang Lan beamed as he served Shui Yue'er another bowl of porridge.

This was recognition of his cooking skills, so naturally, he was happy.

After breakfast, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er took the initiative to wash the dishes.

"Alright, I'll take Yue'er to the Frozen Forest to hunt for a spirit ring. We should be back in around ten days to half a month. You two stay here and cultivate properly," Shui Qinghan instructed.

"Yes, Teacher (Mom)~"

After watching Shui Qinghan leave, Jiang Lan led Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu into the Cold Spring, entering the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow Cave.

Naturally, while diving down, he had to share air with Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu.

Although they had done it many times already, Shui Bing'er was still quite shy.

Xue Wu, on the other hand, was exceptionally bold. Whenever Shui Bing'er was not paying attention, she would turn the sharing of air into a deep kiss.

Jiang Lan truly could not handle Xue Wu's fiery, daring advances and could only retreat step by step.

After they entered the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow Cave, the rich and pure ice-attribute natural energy within immediately left Xue Wu stunned.

Ever since awakening her martial soul, she had never experienced such rapid cultivation.

Cultivating in an environment like this, she could probably raise her Soul Power by one level in a month.

No wonder Bing'er and Yue'er's Soul Power had risen so quickly. Cultivating in such a treasured place, how could their Soul Power not improve rapidly?

"Little Brother Lan, are these the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow?" Xue Wu summoned her martial soul and, using the faint glow it emitted, gazed heatedly at the snow-white ice pillars throughout the cave as she asked.

She could clearly feel that her martial soul had developed an intensely powerful craving for this Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow.

It was the first time this had ever happened!

"Mm. But the effects of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow are simply too powerful. You need to cultivate to at least level thirty before you can absorb even a little of it." Jiang Lan nodded and answered.

Given the potency of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow, merely absorbing one-tenth of it would allow them to soar all the way from level thirty to level forty.

"Level thirty?" Xue Wu's eyes lit up. Without another word, she immediately sat cross-legged and began meditating to cultivate.

Shui Bing'er did not delay either. She likewise sat cross-legged and began meditating.

Time flew by, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

That evening, after Jiang Lan emerged from the water with Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu, they were spotted by Shui Yue'er, who had been waiting on the bank of the Cold Spring.

"Junior Brother, Sister, Sister Xue Wu!" The moment Shui Yue'er saw the three of them surface, she jumped to her feet with delight and greeted them.

Jiang Lan led Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu ashore. After using his water-controlling talent to strip away the moisture on their bodies, he quickly walked over.

"Yue'er, you're back from hunting for your spirit ring?" Shui Bing'er asked in surprise.

"Auntie and I came back from the Soul Hunting Forest two days ago. We've just been waiting on the shore for you to come out," Shui Yue'er said with a smile.

"Yue'er, how old is your second spirit ring?" Xue Wu asked curiously.

"Three thousand six hundred years! I'm already a level twenty-five Soul Grandmaster now!" Shui Yue'er declared proudly with a grin.

"Level twenty-five?! That three-thousand-six-hundred-year spirit ring gave you four levels of Soul Power?!" Xue Wu exclaimed.

"Hehe~ It's not that exaggerated. My second spirit ring only raised my Soul Power by three levels. The remaining two levels were probably raised by the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue," Shui Yue'er explained with a giggle.

"Even three levels of Soul Power from one spirit ring is already incredibly exaggerated, okay?" Xue Wu said irritably.

Her two spirit rings had each given her only a pitiful single level of Soul Power.

"Senior Yue'er, what is your second soul skill?" Jiang Lan asked.

"My second soul skill is an exceptionally powerful clone soul skill. It's called Jade Water Illusory Form," Shui Yue'er said excitedly.