Tuoba Xi finally managed—after great inner struggle—to tear his gaze away from the overly intimate corner where Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were whispering.
His eyes felt… polluted.
Saint Dragon Douluo took a deep breath, trying to reorganize the chaotic mess in his mind.
Just as he regained a sliver of composure, his entire body abruptly stiffened.
A chilling realization struck him.
He began mentally counting names.
Devil Bear Douluo—the hot-tempered brute… was here.
Spirit Kite Douluo—the fierce and prideful female eagle of the Elder Palace… was here too.
Ghost Douluo… present.
Chrysanthemum Douluo… present as well.
Tuoba Xi's eyelids twitched violently.
He ran through the Elder Palace roster.
Aside from Snake Lance and Porcupinefish Douluo, who were stationed in Heaven Dou Empire, and the never-to-be-seen Ghost Leopard Douluo—
Every other Elder Palace Titled Douluo was gathered in this tiny restaurant?!
What in the world was happening?
A ridiculous thought popped into his mind before he could stop it.
Could the Elder Palace… be holding a top-secret meeting here?
But the moment it appeared, Tuoba Xi crushed the idea.
Absurd!
Spirit Hall's Elder Palace was one of the highest seats of authority in the entire continent.
If they held a meeting, it should be in the grand, majestic Elder Palace itself!
How could it possibly be… in this small, plain, even somewhat shabby shop?!
The muscles on his face twitched out of control.
No.
When did Spirit Hall become so poor?!
Just as Tuoba Xi's worldview was about to collapse and rebuild itself, a dense, domineering aroma—previously buried beneath his shock—finally broke through.
The scent seemed alive.
One breath made his spirit power stir excitedly, and his stomach rumbled like thunder.
Startled, Tuoba Xi turned stiffly, reexamining the bizarre sights around him.
His gaze landed on Devil Bear Douluo:
clutching a bowl larger than his face, eating while sobbing, tears pouring down uncontrollably.
He looked like a man who had tasted the divine after a lifetime of searching—an emotional pilgrimage to the ultimate delicacy.
Then Spirit Kite Douluo.
Her hair was disheveled, clothes dusty, nose faintly bloodied… yet her beautiful eyes were filled with pure obsession, staring straight at the kitchen door as if waiting for salvation.
Finally, Tuoba Xi understood.
So… they really came here to eat.
And that realization felt even more absurd than his secret-meeting theory.
What kind of food could make Titled Douluo—beings at the peak of the continent—lose their composure like this?!
No wonder.
No wonder these little brats were so desperate to bring him here.
All remaining doubt vanished.
If he didn't eat a meal here today, Tuoba Xi felt he would regret it for life.
After quickly greeting Devil Bear, Spirit Kite, and the others with a nod, he turned back to the juniors with a warm smile and waved.
"It seems this place truly is extraordinary."
"Come, children. Let's find a seat."
"Grandpa Tuoba is treating today!"
With the calm dignity of an Elder, Tuoba Xi chose an empty table and sat down.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan exchanged subtle glances but didn't sit.
They respectfully stood behind him.
Who dared to sit casually before this mysterious Senior?
Besides, the Senior's rule allowed only one meal a day.
Simply witnessing a Titled Douluo being conquered by food was already an honor.
Tuoba Xi assumed they were being respectful and didn't think much of it.
He cheerfully picked up the simple-looking menu and flipped it open.
The gentle smile remained for exactly one second.
Then it froze.
His pupils shrank violently.
He recognized the dish names.
But the numbers next to them—those strings of zeros—made his brain short-circuit.
A bowl of noodles… eight thousand gold coins?
A casual bottle of wine… over ten thousand gold coins?!
Tuoba Xi's hand trembled uncontrollably.
He shut his eyes, inhaled deeply, then looked again.
The prices were still there.
Those merciless zeros seemed to mock his understanding of reality.
An illusion?
Impossible!
With his spiritual force as a Titled Douluo, he could not hallucinate.
His throat went dry. He looked up, wanting to ask Hu Liena for an explanation—
But the words stuck.
He couldn't say it.
He—Saint Dragon Douluo—had just declared he would treat everyone.
How could he be frightened off by a menu?!
His forced smile looked more tragic than crying.
The stiff corners of his mouth betrayed the inner earthquake.
This… wasn't a restaurant.
This was daylight robbery!
Hu Liena, sharp as a fox, immediately caught every tiny fluctuation in his expression.
Internally, she laughed.
Outwardly, she displayed a perfectly crafted mixture of guilt and panic.
She tugged Tuoba Xi's sleeve gently and whispered:
"Grandpa Tuoba… why don't we leave?"
Her soft voice carried just the right amount of shame.
"It's our fault. We didn't consider how expensive it would be here…"
She lowered her head like a child afraid of punishment.
"Ah? Leaving already?" Yan chimed in on cue, eyes locked longingly on the kitchen.
"But… it smells so good…"
This only intensified Tuoba Xi's turmoil.
He had just boasted in front of the juniors.
Was he supposed to slink away now over a menu?
He mustered strength to pat his chest and say it was fine, but—
Xie Yue stepped forward.
His expression was solemn, respectful, sincere.
"Elder Tuoba, Nana is right—we shouldn't let you spend so much."
"However…"
Xie Yue's tone dropped, his gaze deepening with significance.
"The reason we dared to invite you here isn't only because the food is delicious."
He shifted his eyes toward the absurd tableau:
Devil Bear Douluo crying over his meal, Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo whispering intimately.
"We witnessed Elder Ju and Elder Ghost… obtaining unimaginable opportunities here."
"We felt such fortune should be shared with the Elder who treats us best."
"So we acted on our own."
The words were perfect—
respectful, thoughtful, giving Tuoba Xi room to advance or retreat,
and simultaneously placing an irresistible temptation in front of him.
Leave?
He would lose face.
Stay?
It wasn't just about food anymore—
it was about possible heaven-defying opportunities.
In an instant, the shock in Tuoba Xi's eyes transformed into blazing interest and resolve.
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