Chapter 153: Stay Overnight

Chapter 153: Stay Overnight

If this had happened in the past—having a disciple who spoke to him like this—Zhou Shang wouldn't have hesitated to scold the other party for being too ambitious and reckless.

But now, when Jiang Tian asked him this question, Zhou Shang found himself unable to say anything.

After all, he had personally witnessed his disciple's capabilities.

Zhou Shang: [We detected the space-time gate's fluctuations in advance, but it hasn't fully formed yet.]

Zhou Shang: [Based on the frequency of space fluctuations, it's likely a vassal world of a newly discovered starry sky road.]

Zhou Shang: [We still don't know what kind of alien race will emerge.]

Jiang Tian: [The results of my talent ability are in. It's just as you guessed.]

Zhou Shang's eyes lit up as he quickly replied.

Zhou Shang: [Is it effective?]

Jiang Tian: [Yes, but the specific changes haven't appeared yet. However, the strength of my talent has clearly increased.]

Jiang Tian: [It's become easier to handle ingredients, and it's much simpler to turn blood and energy into flames when cooking.]

When Zhou Shang saw Jiang Tian's response, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

In fact, the special canteen and Jiang Tian's cooking for Hongwu University's teachers and students weren't decisions made casually.

It wasn't about exploiting Jiang Tian either.

Jiang Tian had once mentioned to Zhou Shang that when more people ate his dishes, he felt like something was changing inside him.

This made Zhou Shang wonder:

Could Jiang Tian be benefiting from the recognition of those who ate his food?

Would serving meals to others allow him to grow stronger?

This was why the special canteen was created—to test this theory.

The nutritious meals provided during the entrance exam were also part of the experiment.

And the results?

The experiment was a complete success.

More people had eaten Jiang Tian's food, and his talent had visibly improved.

Jiang Tian himself was thrilled. These two abilities were his greatest assets as a chef, and improving them made him even happier than gaining strength.

Jiang Tian had also started formulating a theory:

His profession, "Sima Ming Zhenjun" (Kitchen God), was based on a deity worshiped in his past world.

In some traditions, deities received strength through "offerings" and "recognition."

Was Jiang Tian gaining power because people were eating his food and acknowledging him as a chef?

If so, then as his strength and talent grew, would he gain more abilities through this process?

Jiang Tian was excited to find out.

With this thought, he lay back on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The Next Morning

Before dawn, Jiang Tian's eyes opened.

His recovery ability was terrifying—a short sleep was enough to fully restore his energy.

After getting up, he stretched and walked into the living room.

As soon as he did, his eyes twitched at the mess in front of him.

Women's clothes and training gear were scattered across the sofa.

Jiang Tian sighed.

Xue Ruyan was an exceptional woman, no doubt about it. But like everyone, she had flaws.

Hers was leaving clothes everywhere.

She was extremely clean, but had the habit of throwing clothes around.

Since the entrance exam had just ended, and Jiang Tian's dormitory was better equipped, Xue Ruyan had stayed over.

Instead of waking her, Jiang Tian quietly gathered the clothes and sent them to the laundry room for scheduled cleaning.

Afterward, he entered the kitchen.

He activated the soundproofing and odor-blocking formations and began making breakfast.

This time, Jiang Tian planned to make fried rice.

It seemed simple, but required immense skill.

After studying cooking for so long, he wanted to test himself.

He began by rendering lard from red pork fat, carefully extracting the oil.

After removing the crispy oil residue, he cooled the oil, then stir-fried the ingredients.

As the aroma filled the air, Jiang Tian added overnight rice and began frying over high heat.

Afterward, he added chopped green onions and soy sauce, mixing gently.

The red pork soy sauce fried rice was ready.

Jiang Tian placed Xue Ruyan's portion on the warming table.

Then, he sat down and carefully tasted his own cooking.

The texture was perfect—soft yet chewy, with a rich, smoky aroma from the red pork.

"Not bad!" Jiang Tian nodded in satisfaction, though he noticed small areas for improvement.

For finer details, he would let Xue Ruyan handle them.

After placing the dishes in the dishwasher, Jiang Tian left his dormitory.

He burst into speed, heading toward the special canteen.

On the Way

The dormitory area was quiet, as most freshmen were still recovering.

However, many sophomore students had already begun morning exercises.

As Jiang Tian rushed past, many seniors turned their heads.

When they realized who he was, their expressions became complicated.

At first, they had expected to hear stories of Jiang Tian's failure—some kind of embarrassing defeat.

Instead, the news that had spread like wildfire was:

Jiang Tian had single-handedly defeated the entire freshman class.

He was secretly the principal's disciple.

The entrance exam was actually a test for the freshmen to face him.

They all had one thought:

A monster had appeared at Hongwu University.

As Jiang Tian arrived at the special canteen, he noticed that several people were already inside.

Not just anyone—Hongwu University's top faculty members.

Zhou Shang

Zhao Yongwu (Dean of Studies)

Several other senior teachers

The moment Jiang Tian stepped inside, all their eyes turned toward him.