Book 4: The Golden Road
Chapter 24.2: The Bet
Huo Yuhao asked, “Teacher Wang, when will we be able to freely use our fusion skill?”
Wang Yan replied, “It’s still too early to tell. You’d have to reach Rank 70 at the very least to be able to use it freely, as you’d have obtained a Martial Soul True Body by then. This is normally the case for any soul master. However, it’s very likely that you two have a perfect compatibility rate. Thus, I suggest that you try using your fusion skill every day from now, all the way until it works again. We can then confirm the resting period of your fusion skill. Once you’ve confirmed the length of this resting period, come find me and let me see what your fusion skill is. I’m very curious as to what it is!”
With Wang Yan’s explanation, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were now much more knowledgeable about fusion skills.
Zhou Yi asked, “Teacher Wang, since they’ve achieved a perfect compatibility rate for their martial soul fusion, what other benefits does it give besides aiding them in their cultivation?”
Wang Yan chuckled. “Teacher Zhou, a man who’s never content is like a snake that’s trying to swallow an elephant! You’ve already picked up two treasures. Simply allowing them to assist each other during cultivating can double their cultivation speed. You might not be able to see anything now, but give it a few years. I can guarantee that within three years, absolutely none of their peers will be able to compete with their cultivation levels. However, you’re right to ask this question. There’s another difference between perfectly compatible fusion skills and ordinary fusion skills, and that is their strengths. I’m pretty sure you know what I mean. According to the normal rules of a martial soul fusion, the higher the compatibility rate, the stronger the fusion skill will be. However, we’ve never seen a perfect fusion before. Hence, I wish to personally see how strong their fusion skill is, and what effects it has.”
Zhou Yi nodded and said, “Thanks for your help. Teacher Wang, shall we report this matter together?”
Wang Yan shook his head and smiled. “No need. You can report it by yourself. You should’ve been promoted to a high-ranked teacher already. Furthermore, you were the one who discovered these two fellows. I can’t steal your glory.”
Zhou Yi smiled and nodded at him.
Wang Yan stood up and said, “You little fellas have to work hard. Go enter the top 32 in the knock-out tournament. You’ll have to work even harder once you’ve entered the top 8. The academy will have a few higher-ups watching you fight. Furthermore, even we teachers think that the champion prize is quite good, so you can’t miss out on it. If you have any problems, you can come find me. My office is on the fourth floor. Teacher Zhou, I’ll be taking my leave then.”
Zhou Yi walked Wang Yan all the way to the door to the office. Before leaving, Wang Yan looked deeply at Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
Zhou Yi didn’t enter the room again. Instead, she beckoned towards the two who were still in the office. “Let’s go, you should eat lunch. I’ll treat you to lunch today.”
Although she didn’t explicitly state it, taking the initiative to treat them to lunch signified that she was apologizing to Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong for blaming them.
The two felt that it was somewhat inconceivable, but they quickly came to their senses and excitedly charged to the canteen with Zhou Yi in tow.
Zhou Yi was actually quite a generous person; she unexpectedly treated them to all of the canteen’s top-ranked dishes.
The canteen’s top-ranked dishes were extraordinarily pricey, and there were new dishes that were priced differently every day. However, their prices were always in gold soul coins. There were two top-ranked dishes today, and Zhou Yi ordered two of each, causing the total bill to exceed sixty gold soul coins.
“Teacher Zhou, you’re spending too much on us.” Huo Yuhao felt a bit bad. Even after all the time he’d spent selling roasted fish, he hadn’t even earned a total of sixty gold soul coins yet...
Zhou Yi said, “Quickly, eat it while it’s hot. Don’t think that the Academy’s selling these top-ranked dishes for the sake of making a profit. In reality, the top-ranked dishes are the only dishes in the canteen that cause the Academy to suffer a loss.”
“Why?” Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong asked at practically the same time.
Zhou Yi smiled indifferently. “It’s naturally for the sake of the bodies of the students. Do you two recognise these dishes?” She pointed at the plates in front of her.
These two dishes had strong fragrances. One looked like a stew, while the other was some soup.
That stew was made out of lean meat and tendons. The stew itself was strong and thick, while the meat was fresh and soft to the touch. Even the tendons had been cooked in such a way that they had a soft and gelatinous texture. Merely looking at the dish would make one’s appetite increase.
On the other hand, the soup had a light-gold color, and there was nothing inside it; there was only soup. However, its fragrance assaulted one’s nose, so much so that it even smelled richer than the stew. There was even the faint smell of medicinal herbs hidden within the soup.
Undoubtedly, Huo Yuhao was unable to tell the names of these dishes. However, Wang Dong hesitated for a moment, then said, “Teacher Zhou, this stew seems to be made out of the meat of the Devilscale Alligator? I can’t tell what the soup is made out of, though.”
Zhou Yi nodded and said, “You deserve to be called a child from an aristocratic family. You’re right. This meat of this stew comes from the Devilscale Alligator, which is an extraordinarily strong amphibian soul beast. Eating its meat is a large help to us soul masters, as it can improve our physique and increase the toughness of our meridians. It’s a good thing that’s quite rare. Only, the meat of the Devilscale Alligator is as hard as steel. Thus, it takes an extremely great chef to be able to refine it into something this soft. So let me tell you this: our Shrek Academy doesn’t just have the best teachers on the continent, we have the best chefs as well. An adult Devilscale Alligator is at the thousand-year soul beast rank at the very least, so do you still think that this dish is expensive?”
“As for this soup, it was made by boiling an avian soul beast for a long time, and it has the effect of nourishing one’s internal organs. This can make our internal organs more stable, which can benefit our cultivation.”
“I’ve said this in the past, but we have three students this year who’ve reached the Soul Elder rank. It’s true that they’re talented and hardworking, but they’re also children who come from the large clans. Since their youth, they’ve received the assistance of the best food, drink, and medicine, which is why they are able to attain a cultivation like theirs at such a young age. Wang Dong could’ve also received treatment like this before coming to the Academy, but as for why you haven’t obtained your third ring, in my opinion, it’s very likely due to your laziness or a special condition in your body. Furthermore, if I haven’t remembered it incorrectly, you just turned eleven.”
Wang Dong nodded, “Teacher Zhou, I’ll definitely obtain my third ring before I turn twelve.”