Spirit Hall's cafeteria had three floors, with the first providing free meals to all the academy's students.
Of course, these meals were all very ordinary and had little nutritional value, but at least they filled one's stomach.
However, students generally did not eat on the cafeteria's first floor unless they came from commoner families. And since those commoner students had managed to enter Spirit Hall Academy, their talent was clearly quite good.
Within a few years, they would obtain their first soul ring with the help of Spirit Hall Academy's teachers and could then collect one Gold Soul Coin each month.
On the Douluo Continent, one Gold Soul Coin was nearly enough to cover an ordinary family of three's expenses for a year. Gold Soul Coins had considerable purchasing power.
One Gold Soul Coin was enough for them to eat on the cafeteria's second or third floor for a month.
Not to mention, Spirit Hall Academy held intergrade soul fighting tournaments at the end of each term, and the top finishers could receive various rewards from the academy.
Neither Tian Chen nor Li Kai was short of money, so naturally, they would not stint themselves.
The two went straight to the cafeteria's third floor, one behind the other, and a server led them into a private room.
Without Tian Chen needing to say anything, Li Kai tactfully took the menu from the server and ordered many of the specialties here.
"All right, that's enough."
Seeing that Li Kai seemed ready to keep ordering, Tian Chen shook his head helplessly and stopped him.
Although he was not short of money, he did not like extravagance or waste. It was a habit he had developed in his previous life and had retained after coming to the Douluo World.
Spirit Hall Academy's cafeteria was quite efficient. Before long, one fragrant dish after another was brought to the table.
Still, they certainly could not compare to what Tian Chen ate at home.
Leaving everything else aside, the ingredients alone were beyond what this place could match.
The ingredients at Tian Chen's home were choice cuts from fresh soul beasts, specially delivered by people dispatched by Spirit Hall. Although these dishes were also made from soul beast parts, the oldest were merely at the hundred-year level.
Tian Chen picked up a piece of braised earth dragon meat, placed it in his mouth, and savored it.
"The taste is decent enough."
"All right, Li Kai, you eat too."
Tian Chen smiled as he spoke to Li Kai, who had been waiting for him to start eating.
Since he had decided to take Li Kai as his little brother, he would treat him as one of his own.
Besides, he was not the sort who liked putting on airs.
"Yes, Young Master Tian."
Li Kai nodded with an honest, simple air. Still seemingly unable to relax, he rather stiffly picked up some food from the dish before him and shoveled it into his mouth with a bite of translucent, gleaming rice.
Both were soul masters, and both were at an age when they were growing. Before long, they had packed nearly all the food on the table into their stomachs.
Seeing Tian Chen wolf down his food without caring about appearances, Li Kai loosened up considerably as well.
Both enjoyed the meal to their satisfaction.
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Kai insisted so strongly that he ended up rushing to pay the bill.
This was a task his father had given him, and he did not dare forget it.
When he returned, he was also carrying two glasses of freshly squeezed juice and respectfully offered one to Tian Chen.
Naturally, Tian Chen did not refuse. Taking the exquisite glass, he drank as he led Li Kai down from the cafeteria's third floor.
As soon as he came downstairs, Tian Chen discovered that the cafeteria's first floor, which should have had few people, was now packed with students.
There were newly enrolled students around Tian Chen's age, as well as older students who looked to be in their teens.
After seeing Tian Chen come down, they all began studying him closely.
His expression unchanged, Tian Chen swept his gaze around. Following the gazes of the surrounding spectators enjoying the drama, he spotted Hu Liena, her hair in a ponytail, looking smugly at him. His brows drew tightly together.
"Is there really no end to this?"
A nameless fury surged up in his heart. He walked straight up to Hu Liena and spoke stiffly, his face cold.
"How do you want to play this?"
He hated being threatened, and he disliked the feeling of being led around by the nose even more.
By loudly publicizing her challenge to him, Hu Liena had already crossed his bottom line.
And now he no longer had any room to refuse. This was no longer merely a contest between Tian Chen and Hu Liena, but a clash between the Pope's Palace and the Worship Hall.
Hu Liena stared back at Tian Chen just as fearlessly, her pretty face, innocent yet carrying a hint of allure, breaking into a smug smile.
"It's simple. We'll have a soul fight. All you have to do is beat me."
Before she had finished speaking, pale red light radiated around Hu Liena. A large, furry tail sprouted behind her, and a bright yellow ring slowly emerged beneath her feet.
Every movement she made seemed to carry a different sort of charm.
At the sight, Tian Chen gave a soft snort and likewise completed his Martial Soul Possession in an instant. He watched Hu Liena warily, avoiding direct eye contact with her as much as possible.
Having read the original novel, he knew that Hu Liena's martial soul possessed a powerful ability to bewitch. Although his spiritual power far exceeded that of ordinary people, he was still unsure whether he could resist it.