An Jing said nothing further. He lowered his head and bit into the piece of meat.
At first, the texture felt like chewing on tough rubber, but with a slight application of pressure, his teeth sliced through the slightly charred outer layer. Inside, the most tender, succulent meat burst open, releasing a flood of rich, fragrant juices and fats.
The sensation of chewing was incredibly wondrous. With every swallow, he could feel the meat being digested and broken down within him, transforming into nourishment for his body. This satisfaction quickly morphed into an insatiable greed, compelling An Jing to reach for another bite involuntarily...
It felt like only an instant had passed before An Jing had finished all the meat in front of him, leaving behind nothing but white, gnawed-clean bones.
"What... what kind of beast was this?"
Sitting in his chair, An Jing’s face was already flushed crimson. He felt a searing, hot surge of energy erupting from his chest and abdomen, rushing into his torso and limbs, seemingly intent on penetrating every fiber of his being, reaching even the tips of his fingers and the roots of his hair.
An impulse took hold of him, urging him to stand up, let out a thunderous roar, and release this inexplicable heat—and in fact, others were already doing just that.
In a moment, the entire dining hall turned into a gathering place for wild beasts. All sorts of roars and sharp screams echoed, as if in the mountains of the Wilderness.
"What kind of test is this?"
An Jing took a deep breath, suppressing the surging impulse within him. He noticed that not everyone was dominated by this inexplicable urge.
Zhang Ying was howling at that moment; his voice sounded like the cry of a wolf, long-drawn and carrying a chilling frost.
To one side, Gu Yeqi was curled up in a ball, clutching his stomach tightly, refusing to make a sound.
The group was roughly split in half between those who refused to make noise and those releasing the heat, with perhaps the latter being slightly more numerous, though not by much.
*Are they just going to let them vent like this?*
An Jing took a few more deep breaths, finding he could easily suppress his instinctive urges after the first few times. He watched the scene with curiosity, splitting his attention between the instructors and those "servants" of Xuanming Village.
They were waiting to the side, watching everything with the same keen concern as An Jing.
About half a quarter-hour later, as their energy waned, both the children tired from howling and those enduring the heat began to return to normal. The servants then brought out cups of thick, medicinal liquid.
Just as Gu Yeqi had said earlier, the main ingredients were Iron-Nan Heart and Frost-Mang Flower seeds, intended to calm the mind and stabilize the breath.
Zhang Ying and Gu Yeqi were both right; they were both correct.
An Jing took a cup and drank it in one gulp. The taste was purely bitter, yet strangely refreshing. The Frost-Mang flower seeds, boiled and then cooled, had expanded; they were soft and tender, and as he chewed and swallowed, a cool sensation exploded in his mouth.
The fiery heat caused by the beast meat began to fade. An Jing closed his eyes, and after a few breaths, he opened them, feeling completely calm.
But that heat, that power—it hadn't been an illusion. That beast meat was absolutely extraordinary; it was no ordinary wild beast!
Most of the other children also calmed down after drinking the medicine, though some remained dazed, seemingly contemplating what they had just been doing.
"Alright. Everyone was a bit excited today. Go back and get some good rest."
At this moment, Master Yao stepped forward and said kindly, "You may rest tomorrow morning. There is no need for morning training; sleep in a little longer."
"As long as you perform well, everyone will have meat to eat—the better the performance, the more meat you get."
With no night training before bed, everyone returned to their respective dormitories and lay down early. In the past, everyone would fall asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows, but that was impossible today; everyone tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
In the dormitory, they couldn't help but start chatting.
"I don't know why, but I felt like I couldn't control myself earlier..."
Zhang Ying complained. He was on An Jing's left, his voice muffled by the bamboo wall. "I felt like I had turned into a giant wolf, unable to stop myself from making noise... That meat was delicious, but it was so strange. I've never eaten meat that made me feel so, so... so full of strength!"
"Indeed. It was quite extraordinary."
Ye Xiuyuan was on An Jing's right. His family had been scholars for generations, and he spoke in a refined, bookish manner. "I once saw such meat during my family's annual festival. It must be the meat of some wild, savage beast."
"A savage beast?!" Zhang Ying’s voice rose. "A beast comparable to a Peak Inner Breath or even an Inner Strengthening Martial Master? How is that possible!"
His astonishment was not unfounded, as even the hunting teams of the Northern Frontier had to expend great effort—and risk casualties—to hunt a single savage beast. If they encountered multiple, the entire team might be wiped out.
Yet, its meat, skin, bones, and tendons were treasures—materials for many precious medicines, Great Medicine, and mysterious artifacts. Whether in the private sector or the government, they were purchased at high prices. Successfully hunting one was enough to keep a hunting team prosperous for a whole year.
Even Zhang Ying had never eaten such meat, and Ye Xiuyuan added, confused: "This is what puzzles me as well. Even in my own family, during the four great Ye sacrifices, we only use a piece of savage beast meat slightly larger than this, mixed with other livestock for offerings."
"For Xuanming Village to give each of us a portion... the quantity is simply inconceivable..."
"Who cares about all that?" Zhan Feng's voice was particularly loud. No sooner had he spoken than he was shushed by everyone, including An Jing, to avoid drawing the instructors over.
Even so, his tone remained indifferent as he lowered his voice: "It's still much better than being a refugee. I’ve had enough of being hungry."
He had been a beggar in Mingshan City. Because he grew too tall, no one would give him money, but because he was too young, no one would hire him for work. The old beggar who had raised him died during the Frost Calamity, and he had survived the journey solely by eating whatever he could scavenge, lucky enough never to have eaten anything poisonous.
He had an excellent impression of Xuanming Village. He could eat his fill here, and no matter how tiring the training was, it didn't matter. In fact, being able to eat his fill and then training until he dropped was the greatest blessing he could imagine.
This sentiment resonated with many, as they had all been selected from refugee camps. Everyone had known hunger, and it had been a long, long time since they had tasted meat or rice. But at Xuanming Village, they could eat until they were full, until they felt good, or even, like today, until they were stuffed.
In their eyes, Xuanming Village had no faults, other than being almost too kind—which made them fear for their next meal.
"I’m just afraid these days won't last long."
Cang Linzu smacked his lips, still reminiscing about the taste of the meat. "Isn't that how those reclusive sects always are? Tiered screening, assessments, and tests—those who don't measure up get tossed out."
"When that happens, we won't be disciples of Xuanming Village anymore, just servants—just like those aunts and uncles. Good days like this won't last!"
Having spent so much time together, everyone knew that Cang Linzu had been sent by his family to study at a martial arts academy with a large sum of money, only to be sent back after two years because of "insufficient root bone."
But that was impossible; Cang Linzu’s root bone had been judged by Xuanming Village as superior, second only to An Jing. This made Cang Linzu incredibly indignant, and he was always grumbling about how that academy instructor was just greedy for silver, and when he wouldn't pay, he was kicked out.
His greatest dream was to master his skills at Xuanming Village and return to his hometown—if it still existed—to beat that instructor up for lying about his root bone and causing him to be looked down upon by his fellow villagers.
Cang Linzu wasn't too worried about failing the conditions; he just wanted to learn as many inner techniques and martial skills as possible while at Xuanming Village.
"Indeed."
Ye Xiuyuan agreed with Cang Linzu. "I wonder how many people will stay in the end... Big Brother An Jing will certainly be one of them."
"Right, Brother Jing?" the other children chimed in. "We might get weeded out, but you’ll definitely stay!"
"Perhaps the test started long ago."
An Jing didn't like participating in such discussions, but since he was being brought into it, he spoke up.
He rolled over in bed and said bluntly: "The enthusiasm in training, the level of self-discipline, physical fitness, height and weight, how much you eat, when you wake up, whether your exercise routine is regular... everything could be part of the 'assessment'."
"Get some sleep early today." He rolled over again and said calmly with his eyes closed: "Since the Master told us to rest for half a day tomorrow, there must be a reason."
"Sleep early, get some extra rest, and don't mess up the afternoon drill."
"Got it." "Mm." "Yes, Big Brother!"
An Jing’s prestige was high; once he spoke, the whole dormitory went quiet. Soon, the sounds of snoring, teeth grinding, and sleep-talking began to rise.
An Jing, however, felt a wave of fatigue and craving rising from within his body... He hadn't lied to Deputy Envoy Yao; when he saw that meat, his body’s instincts told him it wasn't enough. He wasn't full.
In reality, his "stomach" was full. The meat was heavy and more than enough to fill him. Yet, he was still unsatisfied. That beast meat could only momentarily hold back his hunger, but it could not satisfy his body’s deeper needs.
With this feeling—unsure if it was fullness or hunger—An Jing drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, the dawn light shone over the mountains, staining them golden red.
An Jing rubbed his eyes and pulled back his blanket, realizing he had slept in by about an hour.
This was highly unusual for him. He had gone to sleep earlier than usual yesterday, yet he still woke up late today. It was no wonder Deputy Envoy Yao had said there would be no morning training; most of the children probably wouldn't be able to wake up this morning.
If it was indeed the meat of a savage beast, such an effect was entirely possible.
An Jing tidied his clothes, put on his training uniform, and muttered to himself: "If you eat too much and get too much nourishment, it’s easy to feel drowsy. Perhaps that’s the logic."
Scanning the thirty people in the dormitory, An Jing noticed that everyone else was still sleeping soundly. This was likely because their digestive capacities were inferior to his, or perhaps because he hadn't truly eaten his fill.
It didn't matter. There was still some time before noon, and An Jing planned to do some morning exercise to restore his physical strength.
However, as he finished getting ready and prepared to leave the dormitory, he suddenly discovered something.
Zhang Ying was missing.