Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

But just as Mu Chen was lost in thought, countless white specks of light suddenly flashed within the circular pillar. After each flash, a speck transformed into a human figure! ’People... are coming down from above!’

"Ah, the most wonderful time of the day has arrived."

Suddenly, a voice emerged from the Teleportation Array Map. Immediately after, it was as if a silent world had boiled over, and all sorts of laughter and complaints flooded Mu Chen’s ears.

"Look at you! You’re a coward when it comes to missions, but the moment food is mentioned, you’re all full of life!"

"You’re no different. Don’t think I didn’t hear your stomach growling louder than anyone’s while ’Broom’ was lecturing up there."

"Get outta here... Still, I heard the underclassmen have been improving incredibly fast lately. If we don’t work hard, they’re going to catch up."

"That’s true. But who cares? Let’s eat first!"

Two figures shot out of the pillar of light and glanced at Mu Chen, who was standing outside the Array Map. They looked surprised for a moment, as if they wanted to ask something, but held back since he was a stranger. They then followed the main crowd, flying toward the ring-shaped building below.

As they flew, one of the men exclaimed, "How weird. Did you see that? That kid with the strange Sword Scabbard is only at the First Ring of the Martial Sect. Did I see that right?"

The man next to him shook his head. "No, you saw it right. That’s the same level I sensed. And he doesn’t have a single trace of Primordial Power fluctuation. What’s going on?"

"He probably has some Secret Technique to hide his Martial Arts Cultivation. We’ve seen people like that before. Anyway, forget it, food is more important. The academy’s rules are such a pain. If you’re late, the portions get a lot smaller. Today’s meal is made by Master Ling, and his portions are small to begin with. I don’t want to wait another week!"

...

Mu Chen watched the thunderous rush of second and third-year students from afar and couldn’t help but feel a little disturbed. ’Aren’t Martial Artists with higher Martial Arts Cultivation supposed to be able to reach a state of Fasting? But looking at these students, it seems they’re doing the exact opposite.’

"Hurry! Or the upperclassmen will take everything again!"

Just then, the sound of a stampede erupted from behind him. Mu Chen turned to see even the students from his own floor rushing like mad toward the dining area. He had a sneaking suspicion that if he was late, he would genuinely miss out on something. With a flash, his figure shot toward the ring-shaped building.

It was only after entering the ring-shaped building that Mu Chen realized just how few students there were in the Inner Mountain. A dining hall large enough to hold tens of thousands of people had only a few thousand seated within. The space between each person was exceptionally wide, a far cry from the crowded conditions of the Xuanling Empire’s academies.

Mu Chen’s arrival naturally drew some attention, but most people just glanced over, showed a hint of surprise, and then went back to their meals. Only a very small number of students kept their eyes fixed on him, as if communicating with one another.

Mu Chen paid them no mind. ’They can look all they want; it’s their business. Besides, my situation is pretty noteworthy. After all, I’m the first Inner Mountain member to be this weak.’

"Hey, kid! What are you looking around for? I’m talking to you!"

A sudden, earth-shaking roar erupted from the far end of the dining area. Following the sound, Mu Chen saw an extremely burly, bald man in an apron leaning against the serving window, pointing a ladle straight at him.

Mu Chen froze, pointing a finger at his own face with a questioning look.

"Duh! Is anyone else in this dining hall standing? Now get your ass over here!"

The man’s completely unruly tone made Mu Chen’s face darken. ’I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,’ he thought. ’Something just feels off.’ From the moment he’d woken up, he’d been enduring one angry roar and reprimand after another. It seemed even getting a meal was no exception.

"What is it, Uncle?" Mu Chen asked curiously as he walked up to the serving window.

Mu Chen’s question, however, seemed to leave the bald man dumbfounded. He reached out and felt Mu Chen’s forehead. "You’re not sick, are you, kid?" he asked, confused.

"Huh?"

"You don’t want to eat?"

"I do."

"But... I don’t sense any desire to eat from you. Has my cooking gotten worse? It doesn’t appeal to you?" The bald man’s face fell, looking dejected.

The corner of Mu Chen’s mouth twitched. ’Figures,’ he thought. ’Holy Tomb Mountain is filled with weirdos. Not even the dining hall is safe.’ He had absolutely no idea what the large man was talking about.

"Um, I think I’ll pass."

’Are you kidding me? Is the food this weirdo makes even edible?’

He had no idea that it would have been better to stay silent. The moment he spoke, everyone in the dining hall stared at him with looks that could kill.

"Did you hear that? The kid said he’s not eating! I didn’t mishear that, did I?"

"How strange. What a novelty. I’m starting to wonder if this kid is new here."

"He’s gotta be new! Man, it’s only once a week. The kid’s going to miss out! What a shame!"

...

"What?! You said you’re not eating?!"

Mu Chen’s words immediately ignited the bald man’s fury. An immeasurable wave of Primordial Power erupted, blasting Mu Chen back two steps. Fortunately, the man suppressed it just in time. Otherwise, Mu Chen would have been sent flying right out of the dining hall.

"Not eating?! Hmph. You’re the first person to ever dare say ’no’ to my cooking! Today, you’re eating whether you want to or not. And you’re going to finish every last bite!"

Whether it was out of retaliation or not, the bald man piled all the remaining food—not a huge amount, but still enough to feed four or five people—onto a tray for Mu Chen. He shoved it into his hands and said menacingly, "If you don’t finish it all, I won’t let you set foot out of this dining hall!"

"..."

Staring at the barrel-sized pot of soup and washbasin-sized serving of food, Mu Chen was utterly speechless. But intimidated by the bald man’s powerful Primordial Power, he had no choice but to brace himself and carry the enormous tray toward a table. He risked a sideways glance at the serving window and was shocked to see the bald man staring at him with an intensely serious expression.

’Why is my luck so bad today...’

Muttering to himself, Mu Chen tried to calculate if he could possibly finish all this food. The only conclusion he reached was: ’If only Little Tiger were here...’

With a helpless sigh, Mu Chen scanned the dining hall. Though sparsely populated, all the tables were occupied by scattered students, except for two empty corners. Since he happened to prefer corners, he walked toward one of them under the envious and bewildered gazes of the crowd. He sat down at a spot that looked noticeably cleaner than the other tables and set down his tray.

"WHOA!!!!"

The moment Mu Chen sat down, the entire dining hall erupted! Everyone stared at him with a mixture of astonishment and admiration, but within that admiration was a hint of pity and regret. Even the bald chef shook his head, pulled back from the window, and didn’t spare him another glance.

"Poor guy."

"He probably won’t live to see tomorrow’s sunrise."

"Looks like today we don’t just get good food, we get a good show, too."

...

"Uh, shut up... Shan Ziyan and Chu Aoqing are here!"

Someone whispered a warning, and everyone instinctively turned away, lowered their heads, and began eating quietly. The buzz of conversation vanished completely.

’What’s going on?’

Mu Chen blinked, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. But just as he was staring at the sumptuous feast, chopsticks in hand, wondering where on earth to begin, two graceful figures walked into the dining hall.

"Uncle Ling, food for me! I made a reservation, you know~"

A voice as crisp and clear as a silver bell echoed through the dining hall, attracting the sideways glances of nearly ninety-nine percent of the students, all hoping for another glimpse of the two figures.

"Ah... it’s little Ziyan. Well... it seems your uncle accidentally forgot. There’s none left. Hehe..." The bald man scratched the back of his head. He shot a reproachful glare toward Mu Chen, only to see the kid hadn’t even picked up his chopsticks and was just staring at the food with a miserable, helpless expression.

This made his anger flare, but then he saw Shan Ziyan’s eyes welling up with tears. He panicked. "My dear young lady, don’t cry! Please don’t cry! Uncle Ling will cook some more for you right now, okay? Right now!"

"Yay! Sister Qing’Er, we’re getting food! A special order, even!"

Hearing Master Ling’s words, Shan Ziyan’s tear-filled eyes instantly vanished, replaced by smiling crescents. A triumphant look appeared on her face as she glanced at Chu Aoqing, as if looking for praise.

Chu Aoqing, however, paid her no mind. Instead, her calm gaze shifted to where Mu Chen was sitting. Her proud, graceful posture captivated everyone’s attention. And it was this very action that drew Ziyan’s eyes to Mu Chen as well.

"It’s... it-it-it’s... that guy! And he’s sitting in my and Sister Qing’Er’s spot!" Shan Ziyan scowled but didn’t go over. She wanted to watch the guy who dared to take her and Sister Qing’Er’s seat make a fool of himself!

’Where do I even start... Ugh... Is it even humanly possible to finish all this?’

Mu Chen rubbed his temples, his face a mask of misery.

Unbeknownst to him, Chu Aoqing had just walked up to his table and heard his lament. Seeing his miserable expression, she couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

Hearing the laugh, Mu Chen instinctively looked toward the source of the sound. The moment he saw her, he froze. Before him stood a woman whose beauty was in no way inferior to Mu Bingling’s; they were truly equals. Her hair was a deep purple, and her tall frame was only about half a head shorter than his. Her perfectly proportioned figure was on full display as she leaned toward him, one hand resting on the table and the other placed casually on her slender hip. A pair of familiar-looking red eyes held a suppressed smile as she looked at him, a slight smirk playing on her lips.

"Uh..."

Mu Chen was only stunned for a moment before he recovered. Though the purple-haired woman was breathtakingly beautiful, having spent years in Mu Bingling’s company, he had long since developed a powerful immunity to beautiful women.

He looked at the purple-haired woman, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought. "Have we... met somewhere before?" he asked.