Chapter 40: The Cafeteria

Chapter 40: The Cafeteria

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

Zhou Lulu said with a troubled expression, "I love reading and wanted to specialize in Confucian cultivation under the Fourth Elder, but my father insisted I choose Hundred Refinements Peak. He said the Fourth Elder has become foolish from all his reading and is not worth following."

"Your father is..."

"Fifth Elder Zhou Xin."

Lu Yang immediately understood; Hundred Refinements Peak belonged to her family, so of course her father would want her to choose it.

The main peak of Hundred Refinements Peak was a crimson mountain, towering into the clouds, looking like an erupting volcano that lit up the sky.

Whether it was due to long-term weapon forging or the nature of Hundred Refinements Peak itself, the temperature here was slightly higher than in other places.

Now in early spring, Hundred Refinements Peak seemed to be in the midst of summer.

Lu Yang felt a prickling sensation on his skin, as if something was trying to burrow into his body. He instinctively circulated his cultivation technique, forming a thin protective membrane around himself.

Zhou Lulu explained softly, "Junior Brother, what you're sensing is the Qi of Metal and Earth. Due to the abundance of forged treasures at Hundred Refinements Peak, the air is filled with this Qi. It's harmless to cultivators, and you'll get used to it."

"But your reaction is quite quick. Few people are as responsive as you."

Lu Yang smiled, "My cultivation technique is very effective."

Lu Yang heard the clanging sounds of metal, imagining a scene where a senior brother hammers a piece of fine iron, sending sparks flying in all directions, forging it into steel.

Following the sound, he found himself outside the cafeteria.

"Hmm..."

Lu Yang felt it was somewhat acceptable.

He got used to it.

The entrance of the cafeteria was bustling with people coming and going, laughing and chatting while carrying various foods, as if they were wielding broadswords and sabers, ready to embark on heroic deeds.

They resembled students grabbing a meal after class, as well as warriors stepping out of an armory.

"Is Li Haoran here?" Lu Yang remembered that Li Haoran, a fire spirit root cultivator, was a disciple of the Fifth Elder and should be around the same cultivation level as himself. He wondered how far Li Haoran had progressed in his cultivation.

Zhou Lulu shook her head, "Junior Brother Li hasn't left seclusion yet and doesn't have the qualification to sell food in the cafeteria. Father says Li Haoran has great potential and needs to spend more time soaking in magma for better development."

"I heard that at first, Junior Brother Li screamed in the magma, but then he went silent. He must have gotten used to it."

"...Is there a possibility that he didn't get used to it, but rather got cooked?"

"Huh?"

Lu Yang thought his hot water baths were bad enough, but it seemed the senior sister had been too kind to him.

He was a bit disappointed not to meet Li Haoran; they could have shared their bathing experiences.

Zhou Lulu entered the noisy cafeteria, her enthusiasm dissipating without a trace. She beat a hasty retreat, speaking rapidly like a machine gun: "Junior Brother Lu, the cafeteria's goods are of great quality and value. You should buy them yourself."

With that, Zhou Lulu vanished before Lu Yang could even see how she left.

Lu Yang sighed, realizing he had to rely on himself.

"Freshly cooked braised fish bones, perfect for sawing trees and chopping people, tried and tested by many!"

"Freshly baked meat buns, so tough you can't even kick or punch through them!"

"Come and see, noodles tougher than steel bars, perfect for tying up people. Buy now and get a free binding tutorial!"

The cafeteria resembled a mundane market, with vendors shouting to sell their food. The only difference was that it was much noisier than a regular market since the vendors were cultivators with powerful voices.

Lu Yang saw a senior brother holding a braised fish bone, its bones as sharp as blades, leaving deep wounds like a vicious shark bite.

The senior brother enthusiastically promoted, "Junior Brother, how about a fish bone? These are from fish demons of the Bi Bo Pond, with the strength of peak Foundation Building in life. Their bones are extremely tough. I spent a long time refining these few bones. They can be used as weapons in battle and as food when hungry."

After speaking, he bit into a fish bone, showcasing his specially refined teeth.

Lu Yang looked at the useful fish bone and then at the price.

Well, he couldn't afford it.

Seeing Lu Yang's apologetic smile, the senior brother didn't press further and continued to sell to others.

Lu Yang watched another senior brother take a fried dough stick out of the oil, draining the excess oil.

"Junior Brother, would you like one? There are ones for Foundation Building stage and also for Golden Core stage. The Foundation Building version is only one hundred and fifty contribution points."

In terms of price, it was indeed cheaper than the Mountain Crushing Hammer from the exchange list, which was two hundred and seventy contribution points. The dough stick was almost half the price.

"My dough sticks are not just tough. They contain triple hidden forces. When you strike, the three forces erupt together, creating an astonishing power and catching the enemy off guard."

"If you're hungry and want to eat, that's fine too. They have a long shelf life."

After saying this, the senior brother took a bite. The triple forces exploded in his mouth, causing it to puff up slightly, but nothing else happened.

"Senior Brother, I'm new here and don't understand some things. Why can these dough sticks be used as both weapons and food? Can we really bite them?"

The senior brother recognized Lu Yang's cultivation stage. Since he was a new Foundation Building disciple, it was normal for him to have questions.

"This is a way to train and test one's physical cultivation."

"Physical cultivation involves internal cultivation of organs and bones and external cultivation of skin and orifices. Only then can one be considered a true physical cultivator. Besides, teeth are also an essential part."

"I heard that some physical cultivators only focus on cultivating their muscles, bones, and skin to the extreme. With a single strike, they can make mountains tremble, truly outstanding. But when facing these invulnerable cultivators, others get frustrated and come up with a solution."

"What's the solution?"

"They use magic spells like the Minor Body Transformation to shrink themselves and attack these physical cultivators from the inside. Since these cultivators haven't trained their internal organs, they are easily defeated."

"Such people can't be considered true physical cultivators, perhaps more like unconventional physical cultivators."

The senior brother clicked his teeth, producing a metallic clanging sound.

They, as weapon forgers, were half physical cultivators. Their bodies were not as strong as true physical cultivators, but they had trained both internally and externally.

"Ordinary cultivators use magical treasures as weapons, but for physical cultivators, their bodies are their strongest weapons. Since their bodies are the strongest weapons, eating something like a dough stick isn't difficult."

Lu Yang understood. The cafeteria's food was extremely functional, serving two purposes. One was as a weapon for non-physical cultivators like himself, and the other as food for physical cultivators.

"Meng Jingzhou, who is a disciple of the Third Elder, is a genuine physical cultivator. He should be able to bite through it."

Thinking this, Lu Yang bought a dough stick and swung it around a few times. It was quite heavy, giving a substantial feeling.

(End of the chapter)