Chapter 1200

"My teacher said I've been performing well lately, and this is what he just gave me," Xu Jingming said with a smile.

Ye Lan's breath hitched slightly upon hearing this.

Performing well? That's a Thunder Rule Seed!

Among the tens of millions of prodigies across the Noah Holy Land, fewer than ten have ever received a Rule Seed from an Immortal of Eternal Life!

And most of them only earned this honor when they reached the Star Stage, just before breaking through to the Cosmic Stage.

But remembering Xu Jingming's talent, she quickly let it go.

Indeed, if he couldn't earn a Rule Seed, she'd doubt whether Lu Wen even wanted him as a student.

"Perfect—I'll celebrate your acquisition of the Thunder Rule Seed at tonight's banquet."

"I've already reserved a table at the Star穹 Restaurant—I'll take you there now."

After recovering from her shock, Ye Lan spoke again.

"Whatever you say, Senior Sister," Xu Jingming nodded.

"Relax your body. Don't resist my Space Rule."

With Ye Lan's clear, melodious voice, her purple hair whipped wildly behind her.

Vast spatial power spread out, and the two vanished instantly from their spot.

Noah Holy Land, Southern Hemisphere, Gaia Street.

Called a street, yet its area was nearly as vast as a large prefectural city.

This was the most bustling commercial street in the entire Noah Holy Land.

At the very center of the commercial street stood a manor.

The manor was filled with exotic flowers from every corner of the Noah Empire.

Countless varieties of flowers adorned the entire estate like a boundless starry sky.

At the heart of the manor stood a luxurious building six stories tall.

At the center of the estate stood a luxurious building six stories tall.

One of the top restaurants in the Noah Holy Land.

Outside the restaurant, powerful figures descended from all over the Holy Land and entered the building.

Outside the dining hall, powerful figures arriving from all corners of the Sacred Land descended and walked inside.

Space rippled, and Xu Jingming and Ye Lan teleported onto the open ground before the restaurant.

"It's Lady Ye Lan! She's here at Star穹 Restaurant too!"

"The one beside her... Good heavens, that's a Thunder Rule Seed!"

"It's Xu Jingming! The one who defeated Bazil!"

"Gah! So it's him!"

"..."

Murmurs rose around them.

Many recognized Ye Lan, already famous, and Xu Jingming, whose fame had surged recently.

One stood steady as a mountain, the other cold and elegant as ice—yet together, they radiated an odd harmony.

Especially when they saw the faint lightning mark on Xu Jingming's forehead.

Many wore expressions of awe.

"This is the most elite restaurant in the Holy Land. Here, you can savor the finest delicacies from across the entire Noah Empire."

"It's open only to prodigies of Rank 3 and above, and it's always packed—I booked this table a week in advance."

Ye Lan was used to the surrounding stares.

As she spoke, she led Xu Jingming into the restaurant.

"Lady Ye Lan, your Starry Private Room is ready. Please follow me."

Servants had already been waiting inside.

Upon seeing them, they hurried forward warmly.

As they prepared to follow the servant inward, a delighted voice rang out from behind:

"Captain? What a coincidence!"

Xu Jingming turned and saw three young men and women approaching with smiles.

They were the crew members he'd met aboard the cosmic ship—Ye Lan's team.

Ye Lan hadn't expected to run into her own crew here.

A flicker of unease passed through her violet eyes, but she quickly recovered and said:

"I won a bit from our last bet, so I'm treating Xu Jingming to dinner here."

We didn't even ask why.

The crew members were puzzled.

They knew their captain's cold, reserved nature—she rarely spoke so much.

Still, their gazes shifted to Xu Jingming.

When they saw the lightning mark on his forehead, their eyes flashed with shock and envy.

When they saw the lightning mark on Xu Jingming's forehead, their eyes flickered with shock and envy.

They hadn't expected Xu Jingming to acquire one so quickly!

"I'm Duke. I misunderstood your background before."

"I was disrespectful to you aboard the cosmic ship. My apologies."

There was much neglect aboard the spaceship; please forgive me.

The short-haired youth among the three spoke first, offering an apology.

After him, the remaining man and woman also apologized.

Xu Jingming thus learned their names.

The short-haired woman was named Doris, and the burly youth was named Seth.

"Is that so? I didn't feel neglected at all."

"You seniors and senior brothers are overthinking it—no need to apologize to me."

Xu Jingming smiled.

More friends mean more paths.

His heart wasn't so narrow that he'd hold a grudge over a minor matter for life.

Since they had already apologized, he naturally wouldn't cling to it.

"Hah! Xu younger brother really knows how to speak."

The cheerful, burly youth Seth hadn't expected Xu Jingming to be so accommodating.

He burst into laughter and immediately began addressing him as brother.

"Since you're all here, come along with us."

Ye Lan spoke softly.

"Sure! It's been a long time since I've eaten with you, Captain..."

Seth nodded instinctively, but before he could finish, the short-haired woman Doris interrupted:

"No, no, we've already reserved our seats—you two go ahead."

As she spoke, the two of them grabbed Seth and pulled him away.

"Those guys."

Ye Lan shook her head; she was already used to her teammates' antics.

She paid it no further mind and, guided by the attendant, walked with Xu Jingming toward their reserved seats.

"Doris, why did you drag me away?"

On the other side, Seth, being pulled into their private room, frowned in annoyance.

"No wonder you're a brainless oaf."

"It's clearly a date between Ye Lan and Xu Jingming—how can you be so clueless?"

Doris sniffed.

"A... a date?! You're not saying our Captain has feelings for Xu Jingming, are you?"

Seth's eyes widened.

"Who else? We've been with the Captain for decades."

When have you ever seen her eat alone with a man?"

The other short-haired youth, Duke, also felt speechless at Seth's dullness.

"Come to think of it... yeah."

The burly youth Seth finally began to catch on.

Over the years of teaming up with Ye Lan, they'd seen countless suitors.

But none, without exception, could even manage a few words—let alone get invited to dinner.

Take the Ninth Prince, for instance—he went to great lengths and still got nothing but cold shoulders.

"But dating? That's too much trouble."

Seth scratched his head, puzzled:

"With the Captain's figure and looks, if she just invited him to a villa, wouldn't she instantly win him over?"

"That's way too crude," Doris said, disgusted.

"What? On our planet, I've won over tens of thousands of women exactly like that."

Seth remained utterly confident.

On their planet, if two people liked each other, they just took them home—no need for all these steps.

"Do you think everyone's like you?"

Doris rolled her eyes impatiently.

Someone like Seth would never understand what romance was.

"In the end, it's all just for bedding—why make it so complicated..."

Seth muttered under his breath.

In his view, all these middle steps were just wasting time—better to cut straight to the point.