But even they don’t eat as much as this young man in front of them.
What truly startled Wei Zheng was not just the exaggerated amount of food, but the terrifying digestive ability and energy conversion rate it represented.
He finally figured it out.
Turns out, this fierce man wearing red underwear who came down from the mountain was actually the "Martial Arts Genius" Ma Donghe bragged about every day.
Recalling how he just interrogated him for his ID, almost causing a misunderstanding, Wei Zheng felt his face flush with embarrassment.
But given the exaggerated way he ate, who could blame him for misunderstanding?
This wasn’t a human being; it was more like a prehistoric beast just released from its cage.
Ma Jianguo coughed lightly, picked up his wine glass, and explained calmly:
"Don’t blame him, Xiao Wei. Ah Cheng has been in seclusion in the cave for five days and nights without a grain of rice."
"Besides, he’s cultivating our Ma Family’s ’Thunder Fire Cauldron’ Visualization Method, which consumes a lot of energy and blood. Now that his training is complete, he ought to replenish his body."
Ma Donghe immediately began to boast:
"I think it’s mainly because my cooking skills are good, otherwise, Ah Cheng wouldn’t be eating so happily."
Before he finished speaking, he received a sharp glare from his father.
Wei Zheng took a deep breath, suppressing the shock within him, and forced a smile:
"Uncle is right... Junior Brother Fang’s talent, I mean, his appetite, is indeed impressive."
At this moment, Fang Cheng finally lifted his head from the pile of bones.
"Huh, why aren’t you eating?"
He was still chewing on a piece of beef, his cheeks puffed out, speaking unclearly:
"Don’t be polite. There’s so much food, I can’t finish it all by myself."
After speaking, he grinned, revealing gaps between his teeth with pieces of meat lodged in them.
The three of them suddenly snapped back to reality, rushed to pick up their chopsticks and started grabbing food, as if they feared being a step slower and missing out on the sauces too.
Seeing this, Fang Cheng shook his head helplessly.
He was actually holding back.
If he really let loose, even this rosewood table wouldn’t hold up.
After all, he could even digest the flesh of the Deep Red Eye; mere mundane food was nothing in the face of the True Sun Fire.
After the meal, the mess on the dining table was cleaned up and replaced with a tea set.
The three of them, with nothing else to do, sat down, drank tea, and chatted leisurely.
After some conversation, Wei Zheng and Fang Cheng also became familiar with each other.
Ma Jianguo sipped his tea and asked with concern about the important matter:
"Ah Cheng, how was the seclusion this time? You mentioned you’ve already mastered the Visualization Method; have you tried attempting the Shaping Realm?"
Fang Cheng nodded, then replied truthfully:
"Thanks to Master and the cultivation environment of the Water Prison, I’ve now successfully established intent and visualized a sun, and have begun constructing the Inner World."
"Moreover, while constructing the Inner World, I vaguely touched upon the threshold of consolidating the True Self, but it seems something is still missing."
Ma Jianguo’s hand shook, spilling the hot tea, but he was unaware as he stood up in shock.
Beside him, both Ma Donghe and Wei Zheng were also dumbfounded by the news.
"Ah Cheng, I told you, you could definitely do it!"
Ma Donghe was the first to react, excitedly slapping his thigh: "I didn’t expect the progress to be faster than I thought."
Wei Zheng looked utterly incredulous.
This Junior Brother Fang seemed just a little over twenty. At such an age, not only had he successfully established intent, but he also started shaping the realm and touched the threshold of the True Self?
As far as he knew, in the entire history of the Special Search Team, only that legendary first commander, Li Guizhen, had achieved this level.
He himself had been learning martial arts since childhood, encountered the Visualization Method in his twenties, and now, at forty-one, was still struggling at the "establishing intent" stage.
Yet, he had no doubts about Fang Cheng bluffing.
Because not long ago, he’d witnessed firsthand that overwhelming pressure that felt like a blazing sun, due to Fang Cheng’s vigorous energy and blood.
"No wonder, no wonder!"
Ma Jianguo suddenly realized, excitedly walking back and forth:
"I was wondering why today’s weather changed so drastically, suddenly pouring rain. So it was the heavenly person communication affecting the weather."
"My family’s records mention that on the day our ancestor succeeded, there were thunder and lightning, clouds all around."
"When Senior Li Guizhen was in seclusion breakthrough here, the entire mountain’s peach blossoms bloomed overnight in winter!"
He looked at Fang Cheng with satisfaction and regret:
"Ah Cheng, you’ve reached your opportunity, but because of insufficient reserves of physical energy and blood, you couldn’t sustain that step and were forced to stop." Thɪs chapter is updated by n0velfire.net
"But it’s okay. You’re still young, and with a solid foundation, you’ll definitely achieve complete success after going into seclusion a few more times!"
Saying this, he sat down again, beginning to explain to Fang Cheng, in the role of a theoretical grandmaster, the various considerations for consolidating the True Self.
Fang Cheng listened intently, occasionally asking questions.
Especially about how to achieve "Inner Scenery External Manifestation" starting from condensing the True Self.
Even though Ma Jianguo felt the question was a bit premature, considering Fang Cheng’s talent, it might actually be possible within a few years.
So he patiently explained:
"The True Self is the master of the Inner Scenery. Inner Scenery External Manifestation involves the power of the Inner Scenery interfering with the present world, key to which is ’Inner and Outer Unity.’"
"You need to constantly ’nourish’ the Inner Scenery with your True Qi, making it more substantial. Meanwhile, you must continuously verify your path in reality, making the will of the ’True Self’ increasingly resolute."