Kyoto, 265 North Xinhua Street, Lingcha Pastry House.
This teahouse was originally the site of a Starbucks. The owner, a foreigner, couldn't keep it open for some reason and it was eventually taken over by a plant-based transcendent. It specializes in selling tea, pastries, coffee, and other drinks and desserts made with spirit materials, and is highly favored by customers.
The tea, drinks, and desserts here are all extremely expensive. A pot of tea brewed from leaves plucked and processed from a spirit tea tree, using spirit spring water, starts at tens of thousands of yuan. As for some of the pastries, due to the ingredients, the cheapest ones cost at least several thousand yuan, while the most expensive can range from one hundred thousand to several hundred thousand.
Nominally, this is a teahouse and pastry shop specifically for transcendent beings. However, in reality, there are too many wealthy people in Xia Kingdom. Most foods made with spirit materials have the effect of prolonging life or enhancing physical fitness, so this shop is highly sought after by the rich. To dine here, one needs to make reservations several days in advance.
The teahouse has three floors. The floor is covered with spirit grass lawns that have absorbed spiritual energy, a vibrant green. The walls are covered with lush green vines and climbing plants. In the corners of the stairs, there are pots of blooming flowers and ornamental fruit trees. These plants are constantly photosynthesizing and releasing a pleasant fragrance.
The ceiling and roof are constructed from a special crystal material, coated with a light sun-blocking layer. This layer prevents people from the lower floors from peeking into the upper floors, and also makes the sunlight softer and less harsh, allowing it to penetrate the interior for the plants to photosynthesize, creating a sense of tranquility as if one were in nature.
Inside the shop, the tables are arranged neatly. All the seats are filled with wealthy individuals wearing various luxury brands, predominantly young men and women.
In a private room on the third floor of the teahouse, five men and one woman are seated around a table. Their auras are either fierce and sharp, or elegant and ethereal. They possess powerful presences and are all B-class transcendent beings.
The private rooms on the third floor are the most expensive, and cannot be booked without a certain status.
Sitting in a private room on the third floor, one can clearly see the customers conversing on the two floors below, easily giving one a sense of accomplishment, as if standing above the masses. However, the six people present are all powerful transcendent beings, and they react to this with mild indifference.
These six people are the six great prodigies of Kyoto, led by Ju Yuanlu.
Among them is a girl with an exquisitely beautiful face but a tall stature, her muscles bulging like a King Kong Barbie doll. She is Xiong Chumo, a beastification-type ability user.
Xiong Chumo idly stirs her coffee with one hand, resting her other large hand on her cheek, and says listlessly, "The minister called us to gather, but didn't say where. What's going on?"
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be related to our young hero, Yu Zhibo!" Ju Yuanlu said with a smile. He took out a sandalwood box from his backpack and opened it, revealing a three-pronged short sword.
This three-pronged short sword is forged from ordinary iron and is not very expensive. However, its hilt is engraved with mysterious markings, emitting an enigmatic aura. This is precisely Yu Zhibo's Flying Thunder God imprint.
"This is... the Sword of Ninja Love!" Xiong Chumo, her imposing two-meter-tall figure, suddenly stood up with a look of surprise.
At the table, Zhuge Yan, Wu Feng, and Zhong Yu also showed astonishment. Even Xia Buliang, who was always indifferent due to the loss of his parents, showed a hint of surprise.
Among the six great prodigies, Zhuge Yan is a man wearing a black and purple formal suit, with naturally curly black hair that reaches his ears. His eyes are narrow, and he exudes an air of elegance, like a noble young master. Among the six, he is the only one who is not an ability user, but his methods are no less than those of ordinary ability users.
Sitting next to Zhuge Yan is Wu Feng. Despite the cold weather, he wears a muscle-revealing tank top. He has a crew cut, his black hair like steel needles, and a square face with thick eyebrows and large eyes, giving him a rugged appearance.
Next to Wu Feng is a young man named Zhong Yu. He has a messy, broom-like hairstyle that defies Newton's laws, and a scar on his face. He wears boots and samurai pants, a coarse linen rope tied around his waist from which hangs a curved sword. His upper body is clad in a blue shoulder pauldron and a cape that exposes his abdomen.
As for Xia Buliang, he wears black clothes, black pants, black hair, and black eyes. He has a very low presence, giving off a gloomy impression, like a lifeless deadwood.
And Ju Yuanlu, the leader of the six, is dressed in ancient style, wearing a plain robe and a jade belt. His appearance is refined and elegant, like a noble young master from ancient times.
"Is this sword real?" Xiong Chumo stood up, looking excitedly at the short sword in the wooden box. Her bright eyes conveyed a message: she wanted this sword!
As Yu Zhibo's fame grew, many of the items he used, as well as his personal characteristics, became known to the public, most notably his eyes.
Online, clothing printed with Sharingan patterns had already become bestsellers on Taobao.
After the Sword of Ninja Love appeared in the public eye, similar models also appeared on Taobao, and many "Fish Rice" (the self-proclaimed name for Yu Zhibo's fans, along with "Corn") bought them as souvenirs.
"It's real!" Zhuge Yan calmly explained, "I watched a video of him fighting Zhu Yan. He kept using his teleportation technique to wear Zhu Yan down. At that time, I saw the imprint on Zhu Yan's forehead was exactly the same as the one on this sword."
Wu Feng nodded, "My uncle guards the border. Yu Zhibo gave him a sword at the time, which is the same as this one, made of the same material."
Short swords of the same style, Yu Zhibo has tens of thousands of them in his space. They are forged from ordinary iron, but due to the Flying Thunder God imprint, they have become incredibly expensive. Any short sword engraved with the Flying Thunder God imprint is priced at tens of millions on the market, and they are unavailable even with money.
These were all driven up by Yu Zhibo's transcendent fans who wanted them as souvenirs.
Xiong Chumo is an old "Fish Rice." Her admiration for Yu Zhibo started with his looks and ended with his character.
She exclaimed excitedly, "Does this mean my male god will take us on missions? Oh my god, this surprise is too big!"
"It should be!" Ju Yuanlu said, playing with the short sword in his hand, his eyes also showing some anticipation.
His current cultivation level is unknown. When he was on Earth, his cultivation was only at the peak of B-class. After entering the Eternal Night World, he should have a chance to break through to A-class.
Therefore, Yu Zhibo is not out of reach for him. He doesn't have the same worshipful gaze as others, but he truly admires Yu Zhibo's many great deeds.
"When I first heard the name 'Prodigy,' I had the intention to compete with him. But in less than a month, he has achieved so many great feats, and his strength is worlds apart from ours. I also hope to meet him!" Zhuge Yan said with a smile, playing with his porcelain cup and then drinking the tea in one gulp.
"A man born between heaven and earth, why should he languish under others? One day, I will surpass him!" Wu Feng clenched his fist, his resolute face showing infinite fighting spirit.
Xia Buliang sat motionless, his expression returning to indifference, remaining silent.
Zhong Yu crossed his arms and smiled, "The road is long, only the sword accompanies me. The glory of others has nothing to do with me. I will smile calmly and follow my swordsmanship until the end..."
After hearing Zhong Yu's words, Zhuge Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "Old Zhong, if the lines don't fit the situation, don't force yourself to memorize them. You're making it... really awkward..."
Zhong Yu: "I'm still looking for the way home..."
Ju Yuanlu: "Your home is at 250 Songren Road. A Didi ride costs less than thirty yuan. Do you need my help..."
Zhong Yu: "Hissah-geh~ Hissah-geh~"
Everyone: "..."
The group sat around the tea table, drinking tea and discussing the major events of recent days. Ten minutes later, a blur gradually solidified beside Ju Yuanlu, and a tall figure appeared. A young man with a stern face, a black cat perched on his shoulder, stood beside them.
"That B-peak Black Demon was only 0.01 centimeters away from me at the time, and then guess what? I unleashed a tornado, blew him up, then followed with a step-forward slash and a steel flash, directly slicing him... Holy crap!"
Zhong Yu stood up, vividly recounting his past achievements, when suddenly...
BOOM~
A palm as large as a fan pushed him aside, sending his body flying like a tattered willow catkin, crashing into the hard wall of the private room, and then slowly sliding down.
"Ah~ Bobo, I'm your fan!"
After knocking Zhong Yu away, Xiong Chumo suddenly stood up and strode to Yu Zhibo's side, so excited she was flustered. Her beautiful eyes turned into starry eyes.
Yu Zhibo: "..." Is that Nezha? Is that you, Nezha!
With his appearance, Ju Yuanlu, Zhuge Yan, Xia Buliang, and Wu Feng also stood up one after another, their gazes towards him filled with admiration, excitement, and emotion, a perfect fan-shaped chart.
Ju Yuanlu was unsure how to address him. Calling him "comrade" felt too formal. Calling him by name directly felt impolite. Calling him "little Yu" was also inappropriate given his own strength. Calling him "senior" felt awkward as he was still a young man.
After a moment of thought, as he was about to call him "Comrade Yu Zhibo," Zhuge Yan beside him spoke first, "Fellow Daoist Yu, I am Zhuge Yan. I have long admired your name!"
As a descendant of Zhuge Wolong, his mastery of Wolong's Qimen Dunjia could be considered a type of Daoist magic. Yu Zhibo's various performances, whether it was his Dharma Idol or the hand seals he used earlier, also seemed to be branches of Daoist techniques. Even his eyes had Bagua patterns, which were definitely related to Daoism.
Therefore, his address of "Fellow Daoist" was not inappropriate.
Upon hearing this, the others also followed suit with their introductions.
Ju Yuanlu: "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yu, my name is Ju Yuanlu!"
Wu Feng: "Hahaha, hello Brother Yu, my name is Wu Feng!"
Xia Buliang: "Hello! Xia Buliang!"
Zhong Yu, after sliding down the wall, wiped the blood from his nose and walked forward with a laugh, "My name is Zhong Yu, buddy, I want to latch onto your leg!"
Xiong Chumo: "Hello, idol, my name is Xiong Chumo. Come, sit down and have some tea!"
Xiong Chumo excitedly brought over a chair, picked up a freshly washed teacup, poured him a cup of tea, and then looked at the white cicada clothes on his shoulder, looking as if she wanted to touch but dared not.
As a loyal fan of Yu Zhibo, she knew that this cat was not an ordinary cat, but a fusion cat that could merge with Yu Zhibo and greatly enhance his appearance. She loved Yu Zhibo's cat-like form!
A smile flickered across Yu Zhibo's lips. He didn't stand on ceremony and nodded slightly, "You're all too kind. Just call me Little Yu!"
As he spoke, he also turned his head slightly to thank Xiong Chumo and then sat down.
After everyone was seated, he saw all eyes on him, waiting for him to speak. After a moment of thought, he said, "I called you all here today mainly regarding the matter of training in the Eternal Night World..."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. For various reasons, they had never been to the Eternal Night World and had long yearned to go there and wreak havoc!
Especially Ju Yuanlu. Because Xu Yuanhong feared that the distance would be too great, making it difficult to control Ju Yuanlu's rapid increase in strength, he had not allowed him to go to the Eternal Night World without A-class protection. Today, he finally gave his permission.
Yu Zhibo took a sip of tea and slowly recounted information about the demon tribes, finally saying:
"Our mission this time is to go to the demon tribes and annihilate them, then bring back the purified demon bodies for research by the Super Research Institute. When you follow me, remember to develop stealthily and don't overextend..."
He finished by looking at Zhong Yu.
Although they had just met, he had already seen that this guy had a restless personality. As a role-playing ability user, he lacked the maturity and stability of Yasuo, but displayed the recklessness and flashiness of a Yasuo player to the fullest.
He had a friend like this, named Chen Bo.
Zhong Yu was full of excitement, his mind filled with flashy moves, and he didn't pay attention.
"Got it. When do we depart?"
Among the group, the more mature and steady Ju Yuanlu was the first to speak.
Yu Zhibo said, "If you have no other matters, it's best to depart now."
"I'm ready!" Xiong Chumo raised her massive arm and responded first. As she spoke, she took out her phone, took a picture of Yu Zhibo and the teacup, then pocketed the teacup Yu Zhibo had just drunk from, looking at Yu Zhibo and explaining, "Hehe, I'll keep it as a souvenir."
Yu Zhibo was speechless.
Then, the others also indicated they were ready and needed no further preparation.
"Then I'll pay the bill!" Uchiha Madara said, preparing to walk out of the private room.
"No, no, this shop is opened by my brother-in-law. He said he's treating me for free, so no need to spend money!" Zhuge Yan said with a smile.
The others looked at Yu Zhibo with a hint of admiration.
The cost of tea was not much, and everyone present could afford it. But what was rare was that Yu Zhibo, so young and powerful, was not arrogant or complacent. He treated everyone equally and kindly, making people feel like they were basking in a spring breeze. It was no wonder that so many people, including Xiong Chumo, liked him.
"In that case, thank you for your hospitality!"
"Bobo, I want to eat that pastry!" Just then, Bai Chanyi spoke, her gaze fixed on a plate of seven-colored cake in the middle, which had not been touched.
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes sharpened: the cat could speak human language, meaning it was an A-class existence!
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Thank you to Old Man Pikachu for the two催更 (requests for updates), and to Liangban Guagua for the inspiration capsule and a small gift, and to Wu Yu Zhi Ji for the inspiration capsule, and to Ai Chi Xian Ji Dun Chun Sun for the Bo Bo Milk Tea from Jiang Feng, and to Xi Hai Zhi Zhu for the likes from Zhang Hongyu and other friends' small gifts of support. Thank you all.
There were many more gifts today than yesterday. Thank you all for your generosity!