Prince Xue Xing's questioning left the maid visibly shaken.
In the thirteen years since her birth, she had never even left her village, let alone witnessed such a scene.
Her small, helpless eyes darted around, unsure of where to look.
Seeing his maid's frightened expression, Ye Tian smiled gracefully and waved his hand, signaling her to step back.
"This humble meal from the countryside probably doesn't meet Your Highness's standards."
"If Prince Xue Xing suspects there's something wrong with the soup, you don't have to drink it."
With that, Ye Tian began sipping the chicken soup, not even glancing at Prince Xue Xing the entire time.
He wasn't about to indulge someone who acted entitled while freeloading.
Prince Xue Xing was fuming. He had intended to assert his authority by reprimanding the maid, but now this brat had ruined everything.
But since things had come to this, he couldn't afford to lose face.
He glanced meaningfully at his secretary and gestured with a curl of his finger:
"You taste it first. See if it's poisoned."
At this, the secretary didn't think it was a bad task.
After all, Ye Tian, sitting at the far end of the table, was already drinking it.
So, pinching his nose, the secretary took a sip of the soup.
The moment he finished, his eyes widened.
Prince Xue Xing, who had been closely watching his secretary's expression, grew wary. "Is it really poisoned?"
"Your Highness, I don't feel poisoned, but there's a unique flavor to it!"
He could swear this was the most delicious chicken soup he had ever tasted in his life!
If it were just delicious, the secretary, with his refined palate, wouldn't have been so shocked.
What truly stunned him was that the soup actually enhanced his spirit power!
This revelation shook him to his core.
As Prince Xue Xing's secretary, he was actually a level 71 Spirit Sage.
Given his talent, he had long accepted that his spirit power would never improve.
In fact, he had resigned himself to this fate for years.
But today, this bowl of chicken soup shattered his complacency.
As a Spirit Sage who had trained arduously, he had always yearned to advance further.
But the path of cultivation was too difficult, and he had found no way forward.
Now, a single sip of chicken soup had caused his spirit power to rise steadily.
Nothing could be more exhilarating.
Unable to hide the gleam in his eyes, the secretary said to Prince Xue Xing, "Your Highness, I fear one bowl might not be enough to determine if there's poison. Let me try again."
Without waiting for Prince Xue Xing's approval, he walked straight to the large pot of soup and ladled himself a full bowl.
Gulp.
He didn't even care that the soup was still scalding hot.
After downing the bowl, the secretary clearly felt a surge of pure spirit power rising from his abdomen.
It was equivalent to half a year of cultivation!
In truth, this wasn't unusual.
It was simply because it was the secretary's first time drinking Fire Spirit Chicken soup, so the effects were magnified.
"No, the flavor's off. I need another bowl."
Determined, the secretary was about to ladle more soup.
Faced with such a treasure, it was worth throwing caution to the wind.
But Prince Xue Xing stopped him with a stern look.
Prince Xue Xing had already noticed Dai Mubai, sitting across the table, smirking faintly.
He felt a surge of resentment.
What was wrong with his secretary today?
This was a diplomatic banquet, not a circus performance!
There was no need to turn it into a comedic spectacle!
After Ye Tian and the secretary had tasted the soup, Prince Xue Xing was certain it wasn't poisoned.
Although, in his eyes, the soup was nothing more than leftovers.
It couldn't possibly whet his appetite.
But across from him sat the prince of the Star Luo Empire.
Since East Sea City was part of the Heaven Dou Empire's territory, he, as the emperor's representative, couldn't afford to slight Dai Mubai in terms of etiquette.
He had to taste the soup himself to confirm it was safe before everyone else could drink it.
Frowning, Prince Xue Xing took out a delicate jade bowl from his storage space and handed it to the secretary.
"Serve me a bowl."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The secretary didn't dare delay and reluctantly gave up his plan to sneak more soup, respectfully ladling a bowl for Prince Xue Xing.
Taking the bowl, Prince Xue Xing elegantly held a small spoon in his right hand and scooped a tiny amount of soup.
With a professional smile, he looked at Dai Mubai. "Haha, to show the sincerity of your host, I shall drink first."
With that, he placed the spoonful of soup into his mouth.
The moment he did, his eyes widened.
"How can chicken soup be this delicious?" Prince Xue Xing thought in astonishment. "...And there's a trace of pure spirit power in it?"
In truth, even someone as noble as Prince Xue Xing was used to bland flavors.
After all, the variety of seasonings in the Douluo Continent was pitifully limited.
Now, the Fire Spirit Chicken soup, stewed with over a dozen seasonings, exploded on his taste buds.
It was no wonder he was shocked.
After savoring the spoonful of soup, Prince Xue Xing didn't hesitate. He set the spoon aside and drank the entire bowl in one go.
As the hot soup entered his stomach, the pure spirit power within it immediately transformed into a warm energy that spread through his meridians, reaching every part of his body.
The sensation was indescribably pleasant.
And just like the secretary, he felt his spirit power rise by a small margin.
This wasn't something that could be achieved through mere cultivation in a short time.
Being as shrewd as he was, Prince Xue Xing immediately recognized the value of the soup.
"If the students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy drank a bowl of this soup every day, in ten years, Heaven Dou would have no shortage of talents!"
Seeing the changes in Prince Xue Xing and his secretary after they tasted the soup, Dai Mubai grew suspicious.
What was so special about this soup?
Could it possibly be more potent than heavenly treasures?
With this doubt, Dai Mubai also picked up his bowl.
He took a small sip.
Suddenly, his expression changed as if he had been struck by lightning. He looked up at the maid in surprise and asked:
"What kind of chicken soup is this?"
The maid replied timidly, "It's Fire Spirit Chicken. We eat this all the time. It's not poisonous."
In truth, the maid couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.
What was so special about a pot of chicken soup?
"Is there more?" Dai Mubai pressed, his tone demanding.
Seeing Dai Mubai's fierce demeanor, the maid didn't dare answer.
Ye Tian chuckled and said, "If Your Highness likes it, I can arrange to send you a few later."
"No, I want to purchase it—and in large quantities, regularly!"
Dai Mubai declared firmly.
Hearing this, Prince Xue Xing panicked.
He had thought of it first. He couldn't let Dai Mubai take the lead.
"Ye Tian, I also want to purchase it in large quantities. We can discuss the price!"
At this, Ye Tian's expression became thoughtful.
"This is a bit tricky."
"If this were three months ago, there would be no problem fulfilling your requests."
"But two months ago, a typhoon caused a massive hailstorm, and nearly all of my Fire Spirit Chickens froze to death. Only one in ten survived."
"One in ten is still something!" Prince Xue Xing interjected.
"Ye Tian, you are a subject of the Heaven Dou Empire. You should sell to me first."
"The price will be fair. I won't shortchange you."
(End of Chapter)
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