Chapter 31: Daily Life in the Training Grounds

After several hours of meditation, it was nearly time for lunch. Dugu Yan opened her eyes and looked at Chen Ming, her expression carrying a hint of complexity.

Although this style of adversarial meditation was mentally taxing, Dugu Yan could clearly feel that her progress had accelerated significantly. However, seeing Chen Ming still deeply immersed in his practice, she couldn't bring herself to ask any questions. Instead, she rubbed her stomach and walked toward the cave entrance.

Within minutes, Dugu Yan—who had originally intended to head to the cafeteria—returned at an even faster pace, her face etched with annoyance.

The rabble outside could not enter, but they had firmly blocked the entrance to the training grounds. Upon seeing her, they had vied for her attention—some singing, some offering flowers, and others... well, some of the effeminate ones were simply unbearable. To Dugu Yan, this was more disgusting than a thousand cockroaches.

"Have these people always been this repulsive?" Just thinking about it made her stomach turn. Deciding to put the matter aside, she returned to her original spot, sat down, and closed her eyes, intending to catch a short nap.

A few minutes later, Chen Ming awoke from his meditation. He stood up and stretched, the sound of his joints popping causing the half-asleep Dugu Yan to open her eyes.

Under her gaze, Chen Ming took a folding table from his storage soul tool, set it on the ground, and began laying out the food he had prepared.

His meal consisted of simple pastries, fruits, and a specially formulated nutritional ration. It looked like strips of dried beef, but the unique, medicinal scent was so pungent that it made Dugu Yan wrinkle her nose. Even Chen Ming, accustomed to such "dark cuisine," had to alternate between bites of the jerky, sips of fruit juice, and nibbles of fruit and pastry to neutralize the taste.

While missing a meal wouldn't have any real impact, Dugu Yan had been pampered by Dugu Bo; she was used to fine dining and a constant rotation of delicacies. Seeing Chen Ming eat, she couldn't help but feel a sudden pang of hunger.

Sensing her gaze, Chen Ming paused. He wiped his hands on his school uniform, pulled another set of bowls, chopsticks, and some jerky from his storage tool, and gestured for her to join him.

"If you're hungry, come have some. It's nothing fancy, just simple fare, but it’ll fill the void."

"Fine." If Chen Ming had been pushy or shameless in his invitation, Dugu Yan would have refused. But his nonchalant demeanor actually piqued her interest.

She sat by the folding table, picked up a piece of jerky, and cautiously sniffed it before taking a bite. The acrid medicinal taste made her knit her brows so tightly that her beautiful face contorted into a comical grimace. She had known from his reaction that it was unpalatable, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad. It was far more bitter than any medicinal meal she had ever had.

Had she been in front of Dugu Bo, she would have whined and refused to eat it. But in front of a peer who seemed her equal in every way, Dugu Yan was determined to save face. She poured herself a cup of juice to rinse her mouth and ate a few honey pastries, regaining her composure. She looked at the bitten piece of jerky with renewed curiosity.

She carefully tore off a tiny fiber and placed it on her tongue, enduring the medicinal bitterness to analyze the ingredients with her knowledge.

"Jade Phosphorus Snake meat, Vine-Bone Flower, Hundred-Struggle Grass, Crimson Blood Lotus... and this bitterness, is that Blue Silver Grass? But why does the main component feel so strange? I don't think I've ever seen it before, yet why does it feel somewhat familiar?"

Dugu Yan felt as if the flavor was stimulating her martial soul; even in such a minuscule amount, her soul felt invigorated.

"Just eat it. It’s a rare treat. Even as the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo, you’ve likely never tasted this. If I weren't so doted upon at home, I wouldn't have access to this either. You won't find this anywhere else on the continent."

Chen Ming wasn't lying. Even with Dugu Bo’s status and the treasures of the Icefire Yin Yang Well, she would never have encountered this specific ingredient.

The most important component of the jerky? The sap of the Jade Phosphorus Seven-Kills Flower.

As Chen Ming had speculated, the Jade Phosphorus Seven-Kills Flower was a type of immortal herb, but one that ordinary people could not handle. Consuming it required extreme precision, or it would prove fatal.

It was only after Chen Ming absorbed the spirit ring of the Jade Phosphorus Seven-Kills Flower and gained a deeper understanding of its toxicity that the Chen family managed to develop the technology to use it in supplemental medicines.

Although it was only sap from a plant that hadn't yet reached spirit beast status, it was a rare and potent tonic for poison-type spirit masters. Long-term consumption not only increased spirit power but also provided benefits to one's martial soul.

If there was one drawback to the concoctions made from the sap, it was the horrific taste. Even a dozen spices couldn't mask it. Yet, even a small amount could stimulate the martial soul and temporarily boost cultivation speed.

Dugu Yan wanted to ask what the raw material was, but considering they had only just met, she suppressed her curiosity and continued to nibble the jerky, one small bite at a time.

Chen Ming had prepared five or six two-liter bottles of fruit juice. He usually drank half a bottle per meal, but this time, Dugu Yan downed two full bottles on her own.

Once satisfied, Dugu Yan leaned against the stone wall. Feeling the comfort radiating from her martial soul, she narrowed her eyes in contentment and rubbed her full stomach. She opened her mouth to comment, but suddenly realized she wasn't with her grandfather, but in front of a strange young man. Her mood instantly soured.

Although Chen Ming wasn't looking at her, Dugu Yan felt as though a burning gaze were sweeping over her, leaving her unsure of where to place her hands.

After a moment of hesitation, she stood up, thanked Chen Ming, and hurried out of the training ground. Chen Ming, who had just finished his meal and was about to have some tea, was left blinking in confusion, completely unable to fathom what was going through her mind.