"What an unfriendly fellow, even though the Sect Master just told us to connect with each other. Oh well, at least I won’t be using more contribution points." Xue Jiye said as she walked Gao Dongya walked away.
A few seconds later, Xue Jiye returned to Yuan and asked him again, "What about you? Want to come?"
Yuan nodded his head, "I will go with you."
There was no way he’d refuse food, especially if it was free. Of course, he also wanted to know a little bit more about the disciples that will be participating in the Mystic Realm with him.
"Great. Then let’s go."
Xue Jiye began walking shortly later, and she thought to herself, ’Unless he plans on eating with that mask on, I will finally be able to see the face behind that mask!’
The two of them arrived at the Dragon Pavilion sometime later, and they were taken to the best seat in the place.
Once they were seated, Xue Jiye said, "Go ahead. Order whatever you want. I’ll pay for it."
Yuan nodded his head and proceeded to pick every item on the menu, shocking the waitress there and Xue Jiye, who stared at him with wide eyes.
Despite being a Core Disciple and unlike Fei Yuyan, Xue Jiye did not have many contribution points to spare since she would use them to exchange for treasures to power up, and she didn’t expect Yuan to order that much food, putting her in a difficult spot.
"You... Can you really eat all of that? Or are you just messing with me?" Xue Jiye asked him after the waitress went away to get the order.
"Why would I mess with you? Of course, I can eat all of them. Why else would I order them?" Yuan quickly responded.
"..."
Xue Jiye was left speechless by his serious voice.
After a moment of silence, she said, changing the topics, "Anyways, how long has it been since you joined the sect? A month?"
Yuan nodded and said, "About."
"What have you been doing since then? Well, besides challenging the Carp Leaping Over Dragon’s Gate Tower and becoming the first person to have cleared all 100 floors?"
Yuan had to think a little before he responded. And after thinking for a minute, Yuan realized that he didn’t really do much in the sect besides the Zither Competition and participating in a match.
"Well, I participated in a music competition and I fought another disciple on the stage," he finally said.
"You fought another disciple? Who would dare to fight you?" Xue Jiye seemed more surprised that anyone would fight a genius like him than anything.
"Someone named Wu Laohu, I think."
"Wu Laohu? Never heard of him." Xue Jiye shrugged.
As a Core Disciple, they usually don’t pay attention to matters outside of the Inner Court, so while Wu Laohu was quite famous within the Outer Court, he was essentially a nobody in the Inner Court.
Sometime later, the waitress returned with the food.
"Well... go on. I’d like to see you eat all of them." Xue Jiye said to him, anticipating to see Yuan remove his mask.
Yuan nodded, and as Xue Jiye had expected, he removed his black jade mask so he could eat properly.
"So young!" Xue Jiye’s jaw dropped upon seeing Yuan’s young and handsome face. "H-How old are you again?"
"Me? I’m 18 years old." Yuan casually responded.
"Eighteen?!"
Xue Jiye cannot imagine being 18 years old and a Spirit Master at the same time. What kind of talent would that take?
If only Xue Jiye knew that Yuan had only started cultivating recently. Who knows how she— or anyone in this world would react if they knew.
While Xue Jiye stared at him silently, Yuan went to eat his food before it turned cold, quickly consuming everything on the table.
’Did my capacity increase after becoming a Spirit Master?’ Yuan wondered inwardly after realizing that he was not full despite eating so much food that would normally give him a full belly.
Meanwhile, Xue Jiye was full after a single dish.
"Thank you for this meal, Disciple Xue," Yuan said to her after wiping his lips with a warm towel.
"D-Don’t even mention it..." she responded in a defeated voice.
After paying the bill with what felt like a bleeding heart, Xue Jiye said, "I guess I will see you in two days when the Mystic Realm begins."
Yuan nodded, "See you later."
By the time they left the Dragon Pavilion, the sky was already beginning to darken.
Yuan went straight home, where he tested the effects of becoming a Spirit Master.
The first he did was test his Divine Sense, and to his surprise, the area of effect for his Divine Sense more than doubled, perhaps even tripling compared to before, allowing him to see even Min Li’s house— the entirety of it.
"Wow... I can see so many things at once..." Yuan mumbled in a voice of awe.
"Just wait until you’re a Spirit Grandmaster or higher, Young Master. In the upper heavens, there are people who can cover even an entire city with their Divine Sense." Feng Yuxiang said to him.
"Un." Yuan nodded.
After familiarizing himself with his new profound strength, Yuan logged off for the day to test out his Divine Sense in the real world, but alas, he was still unable to fully release his Divine Sense.
"Welcome back, Meixiu," Yuan said to her after she returned from school.
"I’m back, Yuan."
"You don’t have school tomorrow, right?"
"That’s right," Meixiu said.
"Then would you like to play with me tomorrow? The Mystic Realm is in a few days, and I would like to hand the Divine-grade treasure to you so that you can sell it." Yuan said to her.
"I promised the Young Lady that I would visit her tomorrow morning, but I will play the game once I return," Meixiu said.
"Okay."
Meixiu went to prepare dinner later, and Yuan cultivated while he waited. Sometime later, Meixiu returned to the room with dinner.