An hour later, Qin Feng finished his training.
He let out a long, slow breath, a wisp of faint blue energy glowing within it.
A single Advanced Spiritual Energy Potion had caused his Body Refining Technique proficiency to skyrocket by nearly two hundred points.
The effect was monstrous.
His training session over, he was struck by a powerful wave of hunger.
Qin Feng took a shower, changed his clothes, and headed for the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was as noisy as ever.
Qin Feng spotted Qian Duoduo and Shi Potian right away.
He carried his tray over to them.
"Old Qin, over here!"
Qian Duoduo was in the middle of animatedly boasting about something to Shi Potian, but he spotted Qin Feng and immediately waved him over.
As Qin Feng placed his tray on the table, Qian Duoduo’s voice came to an abrupt halt.
His eyes, wide as saucers, were glued to Qin Feng’s tray.
Qin Feng’s tray was completely different from theirs.
The trays for regular students were white, and C-rank contract trays were blue.
But Qin Feng’s tray was pure black. It was forged from some unknown alloy with a matte finish, giving it an understated yet luxurious look.
And the food on the tray was even more extravagant.
There was a palm-sized steak, grilled to a perfect golden-brown and sizzling with juice, that emitted an exotic aroma.
It was served with a few ruby-like berries and a glass of thick liquid that glowed faintly, resembling molten gold.
A single glance was enough to sense the immense energy contained within it.
"Holy shit... Old Qin,"
Qian Duoduo gulped, pointing at the food and stammering, "Is th-that the B-rank Energy Meal?"
"Yeah."
Qin Feng nodded, picked up his knife and fork, and began to eat.
The steak melted in his mouth, transforming into a warm current that surged through him, rapidly replenishing the energy he’d expended during his training.
"I’m so damn jealous!"
Qian Duoduo wailed. "Hurry up and tell us! What kind of good stuff do you get with a B-rank contract?"
Even the usually cold and detached Shi Potian shot him a curious look.
"Three Advanced Spiritual Energy Potions, three advanced physical restoration baths, and three Mid-Level Spiritual Energy Potions per month, plus sessions with a mentor," Qin Feng said calmly as he ate. "Starting next month, the number of potions and baths increases by one each month."
"Advanced Spiritual Energy Potions? Advanced restoration baths?"
Qian Duoduo immediately perked up. He quickly activated his wrist terminal, logged onto the official website of the Imperial Exchange, and began looking up the prices.
His fingers flew across the virtual screen.
Soon, the curious look on his face turned to one of stunned disbelief.
"I... I’m not seeing things, am I?"
His voice trembled.
He turned the holographic screen toward Qin Feng and Shi Potian.
The official listed prices on the Imperial Exchange were clearly displayed on the screen.
[Item: Advanced Spiritual Energy Potion]
[Price: 500,000 Imperial Coins / vial]
[Item: Advanced Deep Restoration Bath]
[Price: 500,000 Imperial Coins / pack]
"One vial... five hundred thousand?"
Qian Duoduo looked as if his eyes were about to pop out of his head. "And a single bath... is a-also five hundred thousand?"
Qin Feng calmly ate his steak and nodded.
"Then... in one month, just from those two things, you get three potions plus three baths, that’s six items... six times five hundred thousand..."
Qian Duoduo counted on his fingers, then suddenly gasped, his voice cracking.
"Three million!!!"
"In a single month, just for those two items, the school is giving you three million Imperial Coins’ worth of resources?!"
He stared at Qin Feng, his expression one of utter shock.
"And it’ll be four million next month, and five million the month after... Holy shit! Old Qin! This is insane!"
Qian Duoduo clutched his head, looking as if his entire worldview had just been shattered.
Three million a month was enough to buy a villa in a decent neighborhood.
And that was just the value of the resources Qin Feng consumed in a single month.
Beside them, Shi Potian said nothing, but his hand gripping his chopsticks tightened unconsciously.
He looked at Qin Feng’s pure black tray, a competitive fire flashing in his eyes.
***
Qin Feng calmly finished the last bite of food on his tray.
The rich energy from the B-rank Energy Meal made him feel as if every cell in his body was brimming with vitality.
Just then, several figures walked straight toward their table.
The leader of the group was tall and well-built, with a resolute expression. It was Sun He.
He was followed by three or four upper-year students with composed, steady auras.
One of them had a particularly sharp gaze. As soon as Qian Duoduo saw him, he lowered his voice and said to Qin Feng, "Old Qin, that’s Feng Ruyun, a heavy hitter from the third year. During the last Qiming School-Level League’s upperclassman tournament, he was the one who stepped up for Senior Sun He and killed that student from Golden Dragon Martial High School."
Qin Feng gave a slight nod, his gaze calm as he watched them approach.
Sun He’s eyes immediately landed on the pure black tray in front of Qin Feng.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes before he broke into a smile.
"Congratulations, Qin Feng."
Sun He’s voice was hearty. "It’s only been a few days, and you’re already on a B-rank contract. At this rate, us old-timers can only eat your dust."
"Senior Sun He."
Qin Feng stood up and nodded. "Just a bit of luck."
"How are your injuries from the league coming along, Senior?" Qin Feng asked.
"Completely healed."
Sun He rolled his shoulder, his joints letting out a crisp pop. "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ve actually improved a bit. My staff technique naturally reached the Perfection realm. I’m feeling fired up and looking for someone to test just how much of my strength I’ve gotten back."
As he spoke, he stared at Qin Feng with a burning gaze, his battle intent completely undisguised.
"You just claimed the Rookie King title and had a massive power-up. I’ve just recovered and I’m in peak condition. What do you say? Interested in sparring a few rounds with me in a private arena?"
The challenge was frank and direct, with no beating around the bush.
Hearing this, a spark lit up in Qin Feng’s eyes as well.
He had just advanced to Gold Standard Human Class II and needed a sufficiently powerful opponent to test his current strength.
The memory of his crushing defeat at Sun He’s hands was still fresh in his mind. Now was the perfect opportunity for a rematch.
"I couldn’t ask for more," Qin Feng replied crisply.
"Good! That’s the spirit!"
Sun He laughed heartily.
The two came to an instant agreement, setting up a duel in Qiming First High School’s private arena in five minutes.
"Holy shit! Holy shit! This is huge!"
The moment the two reached an agreement, Qian Duoduo, who was standing nearby, practically exploded with excitement.
He jumped to his feet, practically dancing with glee as he quickly opened his terminal and logged onto the school forum.
[BREAKING! Rookie King Qin Feng vs. Top Second-Year Expert Sun He! Fight starts in the private arena in 5 mins! Room #777888!]