"This is the one." Ying Feng held a small, colorful box in his palm, lifting it for Ying Xue to see.

  "Shier told me this is called Fruit Flavored Jelly. It can help refine Mana."

  "What?!"

  "Refine Mana?!"

  As soon as the words left his mouth, every student in the shop—including Zhong Lingyun—widened their eyes, staring in shock at the translucent little box in Ying Feng’s hand.

  Refining Mana was a completely different beast from simply increasing attributes.

  Attributes were straightforward: you leveled up or advanced your rank. Since there were rarely other ways to boost them, students didn't dwell on it.

  But refining Mana or Combat Aura? That was a mandatory subject for every student at Brilliant Academy.

  Anyone who had ever attempted it knew the grueling hardship involved. Without leveling up, refining one's energy required immense time, patience, and sheer willpower to grind away impurities. It was a tedious, painful chore.

  Yet, when one hit a level cap, it was the only way to increase one's combat strength.

  They all knew exactly how precious items that aided in this process were. Usually, they were treasures only the ultra-wealthy could afford, appearing exclusively in high-end auction houses.

  Now, Ying Feng was claiming this cheap-looking snack could do the same thing?

  Their first reaction was total disbelief.

  If such a treasure existed, it would be hoarded for personal use or sold for a fortune. Why would it be sitting in a vending machine in a back alley shop?

  Of course, Ying Xue was the exception. She was merely surprised, not skeptical. As a regular customer, she knew the golden rule of Kael’s shop: If the description says it works, it works. No lies, no exaggerations.

  "Sister Wuji, do you think it's real?" Shuangshuang asked in a daze, tugging at Wuji’s sleeve.

  "It is possible. If the Manager is truly a Hero Rank powerhouse, he wouldn't ruin his reputation with a scam." Wuji recovered from her shock quickly, her analytical mind taking over.

  After thinking it through, she decided Ying Feng’s claim was likely credible.

  "Oh, right! Shier also introduced these two." Ying Feng pulled out two colorful bags. "Potato Chips to refine Combat Aura, and a Bacon Sandwich to refine Physique."

  Shier was different from Kael.

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  Kael preferred to maintain his image as the aloof, mysterious shopkeeper (mostly because he was lazy, though he claimed it was for the "brand image"). He rarely volunteered information unless asked.

  Shier, on the other hand, was a diligent shop assistant. When regulars came in, she happily introduced new products.

  "That’s impossible."

  "Ying Feng, are you sure you're awake?"

  "How could such precious resources be sold like common groceries?"

  The Mana-refining Jelly was already hard to swallow. Now, with two more items claiming to refine Combat Aura and Physique, the students found it impossible to believe.

  Since when did cultivation become this easy?

  Kael noticed the commotion and glanced over from behind the counter.

  Looks like the snack mission will be completed soon, he thought. Then, his gaze shifted to Shier. She still has potato chip crumbs on the corner of her mouth.

  "Sister Wuji... that jelly actually looks really yummy. Should we try it?" Shuangshuang’s train of thought, as always, jumped the tracks to a different destination.

  "I trust that a Hero Rank expert has his pride." Wuji nodded. She led Shuangshuang to the Snack Vending Machine.

  Following the instructions, they each bought one Fruit Flavored Jelly.

  The others gathered around, curious.

  Price: 1 Spirit Crystal.

  Seeing the price tag, they immediately dismissed Ying Feng’s claims in their hearts.

  What a joke. Any item capable of refining Mana would start at hundreds of Spirit Crystals in an auction. Selling it for one crystal? Unless the shop owner had brain damage, this pricing made no sense.

  And since they didn't dare suggest a Hero Rank powerhouse had brain damage, the only logical conclusion was that the goods were fake.

  "Forget it. There's no point buying this."

  "Exactly. It just looks like regular food."

  "If I wanted to eat, I'd go to the Drunken Cloud Restaurant. At least I know the food there is good."

  The students shook their heads, losing interest in the "scam" products. They would rather save their crystals for alchemy potions that helped with leveling.

  "Wow! Sister Wuji, this jelly is so delicious!"

  Just as the crowd was turning away, Shuangshuang cried out, her face glowing with pure satisfaction.

  "Mm."

  Wuji nodded. A rare expression of enjoyment appeared on her usually stoic face.

  Truth be told, Wuji didn't care much for food. But this jelly changed her mind. It turned out that when a flavor reached a certain level of perfection, it could provide genuine spiritual satisfaction.

  At this moment, Wuji didn't even care if the jelly refined Mana or not. For this taste alone, one Spirit Crystal was a steal.

  "It's such a pity we can only buy one a day," Shuangshuang sighed, looking dejectedly at the limit warning on the machine after licking her spoon clean.

  "Sis, these chips are great too! And the sandwich is amazing!" Ying Feng had already torn through all three snacks.

  The exquisite taste had instantly turned him into a loyal fan—and an unpaid promoter.

  "Mmm—it really is delicious. The flavor... it's at least several times better than the Drunken Cloud Restaurant in the Imperial Capital," Ying Xue joined in, backing up her brother’s claims.

  She even brought out the Drunken Cloud Restaurant for comparison.

  Hearing this, the other students looked at each other in hesitation.

  Everyone knew the Drunken Cloud Restaurant. As a top-tier luxury dining brand, they had branches in almost every major city-state. For many, it was the gold standard of fine dining.

  Setting aside the magical effects, if the taste alone could beat the Drunken Cloud by "several times," it might actually be worth a try.

  "Should we... try it?" Guimian looked at Mo Hei.

  "I think we can," Mo Hei looked at Mo Bai.

  "Although I don't believe these things can refine Combat Aura, I believe that delicious food doesn't lie," Jing Qingyun said, finding a dignified excuse for himself.

  "Why haven't you guys eaten yet?" Ke Minglang stood nearby, hugging a bag of chips and looking at the hesitant group with confusion.

  Why hesitate when something tastes this good?