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Chapter 70: The Flesh of Demonic Beasts
Advancing to the fifth order was a huge move. Tang San had not yet fully assimilated the bloodline power of the Wind Wolf Lord. It would take at least a week to digest this pure energy fully. Once that was done, his Mysterious Heaven Technique could start moving forward once more.
Killing and devouring powerful demons was undoubtedly a shortcut to enhance his cultivation. However, his current strength was still too low, and the risk of exposure was high. If the Wind Wolf Town Lord hadn't been seriously injured that day and the circumstances hadn’t aligned just right, Tang San might not have been able to defeat it at all, let alone do it in secret.
That battle made Tang San realize his understanding of the demons was insufficient. He hoped that after entering the Redemption Academy, he could learn more knowledge here.
His Wind Blade imprint had also unsurprisingly advanced to the fifth order, enhancing his perception of the wind element. Previously, facing Mayor Zhang Haoxuan, the gap in cultivation was too significant for him to display his abilities, but his combat power had increased significantly since facing the Wind Wolf Town Lord.
The higher his cultivation, the better he could operate and use the abilities from his previous life's memories, many of which could also work just as well in this world.
"Eating time! Eating time!" Just then, a familiar voice came from outside, followed by a knock on the door.
After his introspection, Tang San opened the door to find Du Bai standing there.
Their eyes met, and Du Bai, looking somewhat embarrassed, coughed and said, "Didn't expect you to have such strong spiritual power, hehe, Tang San. We are brothers from now on."
Tang San, unable to keep up with his erratic thought process, said helplessly, “Are your eyes okay? Cheng Zicheng said you needed some time to recover.”
Du Bai, however, was quite nonchalant. “No worries, no worries. The first time I looked at our teacher, it was worse than this. I thought I was going blind. My screaming earlier was a bit exaggerated, just to get more attention from the teacher. Let's go. It's time to eat. They say there's something special today to welcome you. The mayor is also here.”
His eyes were dim, evidently from the impact of their earlier eye contact.
They left the room, with Du Bai leading the way to the cafeteria. While walking, he lowered his voice and asked, "Tang San, what ability have you been cultivating in your eyes? What was that purple color? It doesn't seem like a Wind Wolf Transformation ability, right? It's super cool!"
Tang San replied, “It's one of my innate abilities, I think it must be a mutation of my Wind Wolf Transformation.”
"Oh, no wonder. Impressive, impressive. When I reach the fourth order, I'll try looking you in the eyes again." Du Bai didn't doubt him; everyone's abilities were diverse and unique in the Redemption Academy. An ordinary Demonic God Transformation wouldn't be enough to qualify an applicant to be here.
The cafeteria was on the west side of the courtyard in a spacious wooden building. As they entered, a rich aroma immediately wafted toward them.
Having been in this world for nine years, Tang San had long since given up hope on its cuisine. Regardless of the ingredients, the cooking methods were basic: boiled or grilled, seasoned with simple salt. That was the extent of the culinary experience.
The taste wasn't horrible, but it was far from amazing. It was passable when the ingredients were fresh, but most of the time, the flavor could be described as bland as chewing wax.
However, when he entered the cafeteria today, his senses were refreshed. The rich aroma of food was tantalizing. Various dishes were laid out on the long table. Although the cooking methods didn't seem much improved, the smell was quite pleasing.
Some ingredients were unfamiliar to Tang San, and at the center was a massive platter over a meter in diameter, displaying the well-cooked carcass of an unknown animal. This platter could be described as a colossal presence among the dishes, both in terms of sheer size and in terms of the aroma it emanated.
What a massive chunk of meat! The most decadent fragrance Tang San had felt in years was emanating from this very platter.
Du Bai licked his lips and chuckled, "What a treat! This is a low-level demonic beast called the Sky Rat. It's a flying rodent with rich, fatty meat that you can only find in our Kali Mountain Range. They’re very hard to catch because they fly very fast and they’re agile, so one of these can sell for thirty to fifty demonshard coins. It'd be great to have it once or twice a month. The meat of demon beasts has the effect of strengthening bloodlines. Even in Kali City, only the nobles can afford it."
Demonic beast meat? Tang San had never tried it before. But when he heard that it was a rat, his appetite was somewhat quenched.
At this moment, the teachers and students of the Redemption Society had all arrived in the cafeteria. As the newcomer, Tang San was naturally seated at the end of the table.
Seeing the cooked Sky Rat, the student's eyes lit up. They were visibly eager for the demonic beast's meat.
The mayor, Zhang Haoxuan, seated at the head of the table, waited until everyone was present, then said, "Today, we welcome Tang San to our big family. From today on, he's one of us. I have officially taken him as my disciple. From now on, you all should treat each other like family. Practice together, progress together."
A disciple?
Hearing Zhang Haoxuan had taken Tang San as his personal disciple, the students and teachers couldn't help but show their surprise. Si Ru, who always had a smiling face, showed a clear look of astonishment in his eyes; he was particularly perplexed by Zhang Haoxuan’s decision.
He turned to look at Zhang Haoxuan, who stood up and ignored his gaze. The mayor walked over to the boiled Sky Rat, tore off a leg, and then went to Tang San and put it on his plate.
Tang San's mouth twitched, thinking to himself, Teacher, oh teacher, can I just not eat this?
But he couldn't just refuse Zhang Haoxuan's gesture in front of so many people! He could only steel himself and say, "Thank you, Teacher."
"Everyone, let’s eat," said Zhang Haoxuan, and the students, with no hint of restraint, sprang into action almost instantly.
As the dinner started, Tang San understood why Zhang Haoxuan had taken the initiative to give him a leg of the Sky Rat.
Three seconds, really just three seconds, and the enormous platter was empty.
Their movements were so fast that Tang San felt dizzy, and the boiled Sky Rat simply vanished.
The teachers didn't even touch it, simply eating the other dishes. The Sky Rat was entirely left for the students.
The teachers were accustomed to this. Du Bai's voice reached Tang San's ears, "Hurry up and eat. The quick get the most, the slow get none."
Tang San quickly understood and didn't dare to delay, eating rapidly. He wasn't picky about food. He gritted his teeth, ate the rat leg first, and then moved on to the other dishes.
Since the other students were busy dealing with the Sky Rat they had grabbed, no one competed with him for the other foods.
The meat of the Sky Rat was chewy, without any off-putting smell, and had a unique fragrance, which, if Tang San braved through the psychological factor, was actually pretty acceptable. As he ate it, he felt warmth spread throughout his body. Du Bai was right about the nourishing effects of demon beast meat on the bloodlines.
No one spoke during the dinner; it was silent from beginning to end. Only clean, empty plates remained on the table when the last bit of food was gone.
Tang San also ate quite a bit. This was without a doubt the best meal he had since arriving in this world. Although the taste was still not quite there, the ingredients were good; both the meat and the vegetables were fresh and high-quality.