Chapter 208

Ugh…

A strong wave of weakness washed over him, and Tang Wulin regained consciousness.

Had they won? He instinctively wondered, then a bitter smile unbiddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Whether they had won or not, in his view, being weakened to this extent by his own torment was no different from losing.

Fortunately, he possessed the bloodline of the Golden Dragon King, granting him formidable recuperative power; after two rounds of deep breathing, Tang Wulin felt his strength gradually returning.

He opened his eyes to find himself lying beside Huo Yutong, with He Caitou sitting on the edge of the bed.

Seeing him awake, He Caitou exclaimed delightedly, "Wulin, you're awake? Don't worry, Lu the chef will have our food ready right away."

"Lu the chef?" Tang Wulin muttered doubtfully, then quickly realized what he meant.

"Ah, is it Xiao Lu?"

"You're not allowed to call him Xiao Lu!"

Whether by coincidence or not, a woman of extraordinary beauty pushed the door open and entered, holding a tray.

She was none other than Lu Xiaoxiao, the cook who had prepared extra meals for Tang Wulin when he first met Qian Duoduo.

Tang Wulin had interacted with her several times before; he knew she was cold‑faced but warm‑hearted, and he ignored her habitual bad breath, speaking seriously:

"Xiao Lu, Yutong hasn't woken yet—could you wait until she does before serving the meal?"

"I told you not to call me Xiao Lu! I think you little brat are doing it on purpose!"

Lu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, produced a small bottle, and held it under Huo Yutong's nose; she furrowed her brows and woke up.

"……Xiao Lu? What are you doing here?"

Upon seeing Lu Xiaoxiao, she instinctively asked.

……

He Caitou seemed to hear Lu Xiaoxiao's patience reaching its limit and hurriedly asked, "Ahem, Chef Lu, what are you planning to teach us here? Are you going to teach us how to cook?"

Lu Xiaoxiao's expression softened a fraction; she snorted coldly and said, "Don't be ridiculous—do you think I spent years learning culinary arts? You battle‑obsessed soul masters could never waste your energy on learning to cook; I'm going to teach you how to eat."

"Teach us how to eat?"

He Caitou's astonished question voiced what Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong were thinking.

Lu Xiaoxiao sneered:

"Why not? You'll find out shortly."

Saying this, she lifted the lid of the tray, and a pungent stench instantly filled the modest room.

"Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchin, one of the finest ingredients, a rare substance that can nourish the soul—this is your first course tonight."

Tang Wulin's face turned pale as he asked:

"How is this thing still moving?"

Lu Xiaoxiao replied as if it were obvious:

"Of course it's moving—it's alive. To preserve its nutrients, you must not only eat it raw, but swallow it while it's still alive, so you can fully absorb its effects."

"……" Tang Wulin fell silent for a moment, then asked with difficulty, "Xiao Lu, can we not eat it?" Perhaps seeing Tang Wulin's green‑tinged face gratified her sadistic streak, for Lu Xiaoxiao no longer cared about the "Xiao Lu" nickname and said triumphantly:

"Of course not—do you think this is cheap? I normally don't even qualify to eat it. Hurry up, open your mouth, right now, immediately, and swallow it."

……

Tang Wulin sank into silence.

He turned his head to glance at Huo Yutong beside him; seeing her face also pale and strained, he drew a deep breath and nodded.

"All right, I understand."

Saying that, he picked up his chopsticks, seized one of the Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchins, closed his eyes, and forced it into his mouth.

Instantly, a foul, fishy taste flooded his entire palate; Tang Wulin barely restrained himself from spitting it out, he desperately suppressed his urge and swallowed the still‑wriggling Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchin.

Witnessing this, even Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes flickered with surprise; she had chosen the Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchin as the first dish precisely to shatter their tolerance from the start—meaning she hadn't expected Tang Wulin and the others to eat it willingly—yet Tang Wulin's action gave her a pleasant surprise.

Tang Wulin's thought was actually simple: if they had to eat it anyway, he wanted to finish before Huo Yutong so he could first test the flavor for her—perhaps the thing only looked disgusting but actually tasted good.

But he was obviously overthinking; the Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchin was not only repulsive in appearance, its taste was even worse.

Seeing Tang Wulin swallow it, Huo Yutong stared blankly, then without hesitation seized her chopsticks, picked up one, and ate it.

The two of them were now nearly in sync with each other's hearts; in an instant she understood why Tang Wulin had done that—since he was willing to try it for her sake, she at least had to join him, lest he suffer alone.

Watching the junior disciples scramble to eat it, He Caitou was utterly dumbfounded.

Was he crazy, or was the world crazy? Those two actually managed to swallow that thing.

Feeling Lu Xiaoxiao's gaze, He Caitou swallowed, shut his eyes, steeled himself, picked up the tray, and dumped the last one straight into his mouth.

Watching this, Lu Xiaoxiao silently nodded, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching her lips.

Regardless of their attitudes, at least these three had eaten it themselves, far exceeding her expectations.

She glanced at Tang Wulin without leaving a trace.

She saw it clearly: the reason the latter two could eat it was largely because Tang Wulin had taken the first bite; at such a moment, his action was truly crucial.

No wonder he's a prospect the Academy has taken a liking to—his qualities in every respect are top‑notch.

She was satisfied, but Tang Wulin and the others were in agony, almost rolling on the floor.

The taste of the Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchin lingered in their mouths for so long that they could barely recover.

After a full half‑minute, they finally sensed the foul taste fading slightly; at the same time, a refreshing sensation spread from within their bodies, instantly bringing a feeling of lightness, as if their souls had been elevated.

Especially Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong, who were already in a state of exhaustion, absorbed the sea urchin's effects most effectively at this moment.

Seeing their expressions turn joyful, Lu Xiaoxiao knew the Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchin was taking effect; she turned and left the room, soon returning with a fresh tray.

"Come, here's your second dish."

Tang Wulin and the others regarded her tray with the apprehension of facing a formidable foe; although the Spirit‑Resonance Sea Urchin had given them a decent experience, its flavor was truly hell‑level.

Seeing their tense expressions, Lu Xiaoxiao snorted coldly, then lifted the lid of the tray.

(End of chapter)