Hao shrugged. “It is what it is. You’ll understand once you try it.”
Silence.
Hua Feixue, Yue Xueyan, and Xiao Lianfeng turned to Lin Yijun at the same time.
Lin Yijun blinked. “…Why are you all looking at me?”
The three exchanged glances. Without another word, they each stepped forward and bought their own can of cola.
By the time they returned to their seats, Lin Yijun had already opened his cup. The smell of Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles filled the air, thick and rich with the scent of chicken.
They quickly peeled open their own lids.
Steam rose, carrying the warm and savory aroma. The broth shone with golden oil, and as they stirred with their chopsticks, soft pieces of chicken floated among the noodles.
Hua Feixue took her first bite. Her chopsticks paused in midair.
The broth soaked into the noodles perfectly. The taste was deep but not heavy, warm but not overwhelming. The rich flavor of chicken spread through her mouth, far better than any ordinary dish should be. But more than that…
She felt a faint surge of spiritual qi.
Hua Feixue narrowed her eyes as she swallowed. “Spiritual qi, again?”
Lin Yijun was already on his second bite.
“Did you forget where we are?”
Yue Xueyan didn’t speak. But the way her chopsticks moved faster told the whole story.
Xiao Lianfeng sighed in defeat. “If only we could buy more than one of these…”
Yue Xueyan calmly picked up a small piece of chicken with her chopsticks. Steam curled up from it, still piping hot. The piece was small, as expected from instant noodles, but the meat looked tender and juicy.
She placed it in her mouth and chewed.
The chicken pulled apart easily, releasing a rich and savory flavor. The light oils coated her tongue, making the taste even better. It was soft, well-seasoned, and blended perfectly with the broth.
Before the four knew it, they had quietly finished their noodles, sinking into a silent state once more.
‘Another enlightenment?’ Hao observed.
[Correct, host. The Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles provide the same benefits as the Beef version but with a distinct taste, perfect for those who prefer a lighter yet savory flavor.]
Hao leaned back, watching the four remain completely absorbed in their enlightenment.
‘I don’t think the flavors matter that much if the instant noodles can give them enlightenment.’
Even if someone preferred beef over chicken or vice versa, did it really make a difference when both could push them toward breakthroughs? No matter their taste preferences, they would still buy both.
Time passed. The store stayed quiet. No new customers arrived, and the four only recently regained consciousness.
Their gains were ridiculous.
Hua Feixue: 5th Stage of Saint Apprentice Realm → 6th Stage. Comprehended a low-saint rank technique, Winter Lotus.
Lin Yijun: 5th Stage of Saint Apprentice Realm → 6th Stage. Learned a low-saint rank technique, Whispering Tidal Slash.
Yue Xueyan: 2nd Stage of Saint Realm → 3rd Stage. Gained deeper insight into her newly learned peak-spirit rank technique, Thousand Snow Sword Dance.
Xiao Lianfeng: Advanced from around 60% to 65% progress toward the 2nd Stage of Saint Realm. Gained his first peak-spirit rank technique, Titan’s Wrath.
In any other situation, this level of progress would have been absurd. Even in top-tier sects with the best resources and personal guidance from elders, reaching such advancements could take months or even years.
Cultivation required accumulation, effort, and time. Even geniuses had to face bottlenecks.
Yet here they were, breaking through realms and comprehending high-level techniques as if it were nothing.
Not from meditating under a thousand-year-old spiritual tree. Not from consuming priceless treasures. But from eating instant noodles in a convenience store.
In just a single cup of noodles, they had achieved breakthroughs beyond their wildest imagination.
The four bowed sincerely toward Hao, expressing their utmost gratitude.
Xiao Lianfeng, the most straightforward among them, even bowed twice.
By now, Hao was getting used to this kind of treatment. He simply waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah, enough of that.”
Just as the atmosphere settled, a soft voice broke the moment.
“Senior, are we allowed to take Cola outside the store?”
It was Yue Xueyan.
She gestured toward the wall, where a simple wooden board hung with neatly written rules.
Rule No. 3: Store-Bound Products. Certain products cannot be taken outside. Any attempt to do so will result in automatic retrieval.
Rule No. 4: Bound by Purchase. Once purchased, a product is tied to its owner. Sharing it with others will render its effects useless. You may pay for someone else, but they must be present in the store, and the item will be bound to them immediately.
The three followed Yue Xueyan’s finger.
“…There were more rules?” Hua Feixue muttered.
Lin Yijun frowned. “I remember the first two, but these…”
Xiao Lianfeng scratched his head.
The board itself looked ordinary, blending into the background of the store. But the rules written on it were anything but simple.
After rereading them, the four quickly understood their purpose.
The Daily Limit and No Refunds rules were already strict, but these two added another layer of control.
Unlike ordinary markets or auction houses, a store that sold items capable of directly increasing cultivation had to be extremely careful.
If customers could walk out with these items freely, powerful sects and families would simply send disciples to buy them in bulk, hoarding everything for themselves.
If products could be resold, those with deep pockets could buy everything and mark up the price, making the store’s goods inaccessible to ordinary cultivators.
And if items could be shared, the rich and powerful could simply pass them around, ignoring the store’s limits entirely.
In the cultivation world, anything that increased cultivation speed was priceless. If the store didn’t enforce these restrictions, it wouldn’t take long before greedy sects started exploiting loopholes, ruining everything.
“This makes sense…”
“Even ancient sects and hidden clans have their own secret inheritance grounds, only allowing those chosen to enter. This is no different.” Xiao Lianfeng explained.
While they were busy processing this, Hao simply stared.
‘…The store had rules like that?’
He was sure he had read them before, but somehow, these two completely slipped his mind.
‘Can Cola be taken outside, system?’
[Author’s Note: I took a much-needed break from writing since school has been keeping me busy. But don’t worry, I will start picking up the pace again tomorrow. I might even do a mass release of Chapters this week. Thank you for sticking around and supporting the book. Glad to be back!]
[If you have any suggestions for the writing, whether it’s making something shorter or adding more detail, feel free to share. I’ll take them seriously to improve the story.]