Sect Master, This Soul Skill Needs a Few More Tests

Early the next morning, Chen An looked at the bowl Chen Chuan had set on the table, at a loss for words.

Yesterday's had already been big enough, yet today he had gone and replaced it with another one.

"Brother Chen, you call this a bowl?"

"Yes."

Chen Chuan nodded and casually pushed the bowl farther in, his smile perfectly natural.

"A bigger one makes eating easier."

Chen An looked at the bowl, then at him. Easier, sure, but an entire pan of fried rice probably wouldn't even fill it.

Before he could say anything, however, Ning Fengzhi's voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Xiao An, I've brought them."

Three young disciples followed Ning Fengzhi, sweat still on their foreheads. They had clearly just finished training.

Upon entering the courtyard, the three first bowed to Chen Xin, who was sitting to one side, before looking toward Chen An beside the stove.

"These are Fang Ming, Zhao Hai, and Lu Yuan. We'll have them try it today."

After a brief introduction, Ning Fengzhi asked Chen An how the preparations were coming.

"Everything's ready. I'll make the popcorn first."

The ingredients were all ready on the chopping board, and the rice had been spread out to cool. Chen An washed his hands, then summoned the Dragon-Transforming Pot and turned it into a wok.

As the Yellow Soul Ring lit up, a golden kernel of BB Corn appeared at the bottom of the wok.

The three disciples watched with some curiosity.

Before they came, the sect master had told them that eating this could speed up Soul Power recovery. Fang Ming had simply never imagined that testing a Soul Skill would involve waiting for someone to light a fire first.

Chen Chuan had already crouched down in front of the stove with practiced ease, while Chen An held the wok's handle and gently rocked it, keeping the kernel rolling around the bottom.

Before long, the aroma of grain began to spread.

Fang Ming had been watching the Yellow Soul Ring, but as the scent reached him, his gaze drifted into the wok.

That actually smells pretty good?

Beside him, Zhao Hai also twitched his nose, while Lu Yuan unconsciously took half a step forward.

The three had started practicing their Soul Skills first thing that morning and still hadn't eaten.

Chen An didn't notice any of this. Once the heated kernel began to swell, he had Chen Chuan add some wood, then lifted the wok off the fire at just the right moment.

Pop.

Snow-white blossoms of popcorn burst open one after another, covering the bottom of the wok in the blink of an eye.

Fang Ming's eyes widened. Such a tiny kernel could turn into so much?

Before he recovered from his surprise, Chen An had already scooped out the popcorn, let it cool briefly, and given each of them a portion.

"Try it."

"Thank you."

Fang Ming thanked him, picked up a piece, and put it in his mouth. With a gentle bite, a sweet, fragrant flavor immediately spread across his tongue.

It was light and crisp, and even after he swallowed, the rich aroma of grain lingered in his mouth.

Delicious.

Without another word from Chen An, a second piece followed the first into his mouth. The other two did the same, and within moments, they had finished all the popcorn in their hands.

Zhao Hai even lowered his head to check his palm, making sure no crumbs remained, before looking up somewhat sheepishly.

"Um..."

"Let's test the effect first."

At Ning Fengzhi's smiling remark, Zhao Hai hurriedly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and obediently followed Fang Ming and Lu Yuan to sit down in the courtyard.

Before bringing them over, Ning Fengzhi had checked their Soul Power consumption and had each of them spend some time recovering. Now, as Fang Ming circulated his Soul Power again, he quickly noticed a difference.

It was recovering faster than before.

Delighted by the discovery, he hurriedly focused his mind and continued meditating the way he normally did.

This was a tangible benefit. They had to expend Soul Power practicing their Soul Skills every day, and faster recovery would save them considerable time.

Fang Ming naturally understood this and sat even straighter.

Before long, however, the sizzle of oil came from the kitchen.

Chen An had started making fried rice.

Once the wok was hot, he poured in a little oil and added the prepared shrimp. As he gently separated them with the spatula, they quickly changed from translucent to tender white.

As soon as the shrimp began to curl, he scooped them out, heated another batch of oil, and scrambled the eggs before adding the chopped ham and shiitake mushrooms to fry until fragrant.

Once the ingredients released their aroma, he followed them with the rice, which had been left to dry.

He pressed apart the clumps with the spatula and flicked his wrist, sending the grains up along the sides of the wok before they fell back down coated in golden flecks of egg, amid a continuous, delicate sizzling.

The aroma drifted into the courtyard as well.

Fang Ming's nose twitched.

His thoughts, which had only just settled, grew restless again.

His eyes were clearly closed, so why could he hear the sound of that spatula tossing the rice so distinctly?

"Brother Chen An, is it ready yet?"

It was Ning Rongrong, who had come with Gu Rong.

"Almost."

"Less chopped scallion in mine."

"Got it."

Listening to the conversation in the kitchen, Fang Ming couldn't help swallowing, then reminded himself inwardly that he needed to train first.

He could have breakfast anytime. The sect master was still watching beside them.

He had barely managed to suppress his wandering thoughts when a sudden rumble came from beside him.

Fang Ming opened his eyes and looked at Zhao Hai.

Zhao Hai looked back at him, his expression a little awkward.

"I didn't mean to."

That was true enough. What could he do if his stomach wanted to growl?

But before Fang Ming could say anything, Lu Yuan opened his eyes on the other side, his gaze passing straight over the two of them to the kitchen doorway.

There, Chen Chuan was walking out with a bowl of fried rice.

It was the huge bowl from that morning.

Only then did Fang Ming realize that despite the enormous serving, the bowl was still only half full.

Having watched their reactions, Ning Fengzhi shook his head in amusement.

"Go into the room next door. Settle your minds first."

The three hurriedly stood. Fang Ming went last, and just before entering the room, he still couldn't resist glancing back.

Chen An happened to be coming out with the rice. Seeing him, he smiled.

"I've saved some for you. I'll fry it once you're done testing."

A broader smile immediately appeared on Fang Ming's face.

"Good, good. Sorry for the trouble."

At least he had something to look forward to.

After setting aside the rice and ingredients for the three of them, Chen An finished frying everyone else's portions before putting away his Martial Soul and sitting down to eat his own.

Three extra people were still manageable. Uncle Zhou had prepared extra ingredients ahead of time, and Chen Chuan had been tending the fire throughout. All Chen An really needed to handle himself were these few batches of rice.

Still, the popcorn seemed to stimulate the appetite even more than he had expected.

If he really made it every day from now on, Uncle Zhou would probably have to recalculate how much rice to steam.

The sounds of eating gradually filled the courtyard. Ning Fengzhi came out for some food partway through, then returned to check on the three disciples.

With the change of location, things went much more smoothly.

The three recovered their Soul Power as instructed. Once they had recovered nearly all of it, they went outside the courtyard to practice their Soul Skills a few more times, then returned to continue recovering. Ning Fengzhi observed from beside them, and roughly an hour passed before the additional recovery effect gradually faded.

When the three emerged again, Fang Ming's expression was completely different from when he first arrived.

"Sect Master, our recovery really was much faster."

The other two nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, and the duration matches what Xiao An said."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and looked at Chen An, unable to hide the satisfaction in his eyes.

The boy's first Soul Skill was even more practical than he had originally thought.

Zhao Hai's gaze, however, had already wandered toward the kitchen, where Chen An was reheating the wok.

Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi stopped holding them back and waved a hand.

"All right, go eat first."

"Yes."

Each answered more readily than the last. By the time the final batch of fried rice was ready, they were already holding their bowls without Chen An needing to call them.

The steaming fried rice went into their bowls. Fang Ming took a bite, and the next moment, his spoon was moving again.

Every grain was separate, coated in the fragrance of egg and meat. The shrimp were wonderfully tender, and the diced shiitake mixed through it grew more fragrant with every chew.

He had clearly eaten these same ingredients in the front dining hall, so how did they become something completely different in Chen An's hands?

Fang Ming had no time to think about it. He ate one mouthful after another, without even a moment to speak.

Beside him, Zhao Hai ate without so much as lifting his head. After waiting so long, he finally had the food in his mouth.

That hour of waiting really hadn't been wasted.

"Xiao An, is there more?"

The first to hold out an empty bowl, however, was Lu Yuan, who had barely spoken.

Fang Ming instinctively looked at Lu Yuan's bowl, then at the rice remaining in his own, and his hand unconsciously picked up speed.

The fellow usually seemed so refined and gentle. How was he faster than anyone when it came to eating?

"There's more. Another bowl each. No rush."

Chen An smiled as he took the bowl. All three had been quite well-behaved before eating, but after one bowl of rice, their eyes were practically glued to the wok.

Sure enough, not a bit of the extra rice Uncle Zhou had prepared went to waste.

Only when the three finally set down their spoons did Fang Ming feel that the morning's exertion hardly amounted to anything. His body felt warm, and even his arms, which had grown somewhat sore from repeated practice, felt much better.

While he was still savoring the meal, Ning Fengzhi had already begun asking about Chen An's expenditure.

"Can you handle making this much extra?"

"Yes, no problem. I just have to fry the rice in several batches."

Chen An nodded. It was only a few more batches of rice. Although it was more tiring than yesterday, he had rested for a while as he waited for the three to test his Soul Skill, so he was doing fine.

Only then did Ning Fengzhi relax. He went over the arrangements to come, planning to bring in a few different disciples to see whether eating it would have the same effect on them.

At that, however, Fang Ming and the other two all froze.

Different people?

Wouldn't that mean they had no further part in this?

Zhao Hai looked at the empty bowl he had just put down and couldn't resist speaking.

"Sect Master, shouldn't this Soul Skill be tested a few more times?"

"Hmm?"

"I just think that after only one test, we should still see what happens if we eat it every day."

The moment he said that, Fang Ming nodded.

"Yes, Sect Master. We're already familiar with today's effect, so further tests would be convenient too."

"I can come anytime."

Lu Yuan added his own comment.

Each sounded more earnest than the last. Listening beside them, Chen An nearly laughed aloud.

When you were told to sit still earlier, each of you was more restless than the last. Now you're even volunteering for tomorrow's work.

If your bowls weren't still sitting right there, I might actually believe you.

Ning Fengzhi naturally saw through them as well and replied with a smile.

"The Soul Skill tests will be arranged. As for whether you can come back for meals, you'll have to ask Xiao An."

The moment he finished, three pairs of eyes turned toward Chen An in unison.

Chen An was amused. So after all that buildup, this was the line they had been waiting for.

On reflection, three more diners wouldn't be bad. It wasn't as though he minded getting more positive reviews. His fried rice had only accumulated a few dozen so far, still a long way from the next dish.

Still, he couldn't spend the entire day at the stove. He needed to train, and he also had to spend some time playing with Rongrong. He would have to arrange his time properly.

"You can come eat, but only at mealtimes. I might not be here at other times."

"Of course."

"We have to train too. We won't get in the way."

They agreed readily enough, and Chen An added another reminder.

"Just you three for now. I can't manage too many people yet."

"Yes, yes, just us three."

This time, all three agreed even faster.

Even without Chen An saying so, they hadn't intended to call everyone over. The mouths already here could put away plenty. If a few more people came, would they still get seconds?

At that thought, Fang Ming's gaze unconsciously fell on Chen Chuan's enormous bowl.

He had thought it excessive before, but now it seemed his own experience had simply been too limited.

With everything settled, Uncle Zhou was about to clear away the bowls and utensils, but Lu Yuan picked up the bowls on the table first.

"Uncle Zhou, let me."

"No need. You've just finished training. Rest a while."

"I've already rested enough."

As he spoke, he was already carrying the bowls toward the water vat. Seeing this, Zhao Hai hurried after him.

"I'll help you."

Fang Ming was a step too late. He glanced at the cleared table, then at the two retreating figures. His gaze shifted, and he simply went to the corner of the courtyard to fetch firewood.

Good grief, they had been so polite when they first arrived, but after two bowls of rice, they were even scrambling to do the chores.

Chen An found it rather amusing, but with someone helping him clean up, he could spend a little less time working himself, so he naturally did not refuse.

The system's notification chime sounded in his ears as well.

This meal had brought nine people and nine positive reviews, increasing his constitution by another nine points.

[Yangzhou Fried Rice positive review progress: 39/100.]

Looking at the increased progress, Chen An nodded in satisfaction.

At this rate, he would not have to wait too long for a new dish.

By the time the three finished tidying up and left, the courtyard was spotless, and even the firewood needed for noon had been carried over to the stove.

Chen An had been spared the trouble, but once Fang Ming and the other two returned to their usual Soul Skill practice grounds, they did not idle for even a moment.

Seeing them return, a disciple who knew them was just about to greet Zhao Hai when he saw that the fellow had already rolled up his sleeves.

"Come on, let's have two more rounds."

"Didn't you just practice this morning?"

"I've recovered."

Zhao Hai answered with complete confidence, while Fang Ming and Lu Yuan beside him had already found their own opponents.

The sooner we finish our morning practice, the sooner we can head over at noon.

As for why they needed to go so early...

Remembering Chen Chuan's huge bowl, which was almost the size of a serving basin, the three quickened their steps a little more.

We really can't rest easy unless we get there early for this meal.