High Martial Arts: Slay enemies to become stronger, forge invincibility from billions of corpses.

Chapter 106 Cloud Wave Island

About ten minutes later, the fat chef brought out three large trays from the kitchen and placed them on the best table by the window.

The first tray contained a steamed king crab, its legs thicker than Song Chen's hand, its shell a bright red, sprinkled with shredded scallions and ginger, steaming hot.

The second tray contained a plate of salt and pepper mantis shrimp. The shrimp shells were fried until golden and crispy, and the aroma of salt and pepper mixed with the freshness of the seafood made it very tempting.

The third tray contained a large bowl of seafood congee. The congee base was thick and creamy, and it contained large chunks of lobster meat, scallops, and sea cucumber. The congee was sprinkled with chopped celery and white pepper powder, and the steam rose up with a fresh aroma.

The portly chef stood by the table, rubbed his hands together, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "The king crab arrived yesterday, it's still alive, and it was just steamed this morning."

"The mantis shrimp arrived this morning. Salt and pepper is my specialty. The seafood porridge broth was simmered overnight with old hen and dried scallops. The lobster meat was freshly peeled this morning."

"Eat slowly, and let me know if you're not full."

Looking at the table full of seafood, Song Chen sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of king crab leg meat.

The moment the crab meat touches your tongue, a burst of sweet and savory flavor explodes on your palate. The meat is firm and chewy, with the salty freshness of the ocean and the aroma of scallions and ginger.

Before being cooked, this giant crab was clearly at least a first-tier beast, otherwise it wouldn't be so delicious.

He hadn't eaten anything this good in a long time—no, not just a long time, but in his entire life.

When he was in Anning City, his family couldn't afford king crab, and when he was in the wilderness, he couldn't even bear to eat too much compressed biscuits.

He ate silently, one bite after another, without taking pictures, posting on social media, or sharing with anyone.

Just eat, chewing each bite very slowly.

I ate half a king crab, a plate of mantis shrimp, and two bowls of seafood porridge.

The chubby chef peeked out from the kitchen several times, and each time he saw Song Chen still eating, he nodded in satisfaction and went back to work.

By the time I finished my third bowl of porridge, the cafeteria was starting to get busier.

After finishing the last bite of porridge, Song Chen put down her chopsticks and let out a deep breath.

This was the most satisfying meal he had eaten since arriving at Tianhai University.

He stood up, walked to the kitchen doorway, and said into the kitchen, "Thank you, it's delicious."

The chubby chef walked out of the kitchen with a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum: "It's delicious, come again next time. King crab isn't available every day, but mantis shrimp and porridge can be made anytime."

Song Chen nodded and turned to walk downstairs.

Stepping out of the cafeteria, the sun was shining brightly.

He stood on the steps and took a deep breath; the air was filled with the scents of osmanthus and seafood.

I'm in a better mood than when I arrived. I've eaten my fill, and it's time to get back to work.

He raised his wrist, opened the tactical terminal, and entered the school's combat mission system.

The task list on the screen is always the same.

Although the orange alert for the beast tide has been lifted, the activity of strange beasts around Tianhai City remains frequent, and various clearing, reconnaissance, and escort missions are updated daily.

He flipped through a few pages, his gaze lingering on a line of tasks marked in red.

[Level A Mission: Reinforce Yunbo Island Military Base.]

Yunbo Island Base is a forward outpost established by Tianhai City in the near sea, responsible for monitoring the movements of marine mammals.

A large-scale gathering of marine mammals has been discovered at the base, with an estimated number exceeding 100,000. Among them, second-tier and above marine mammals account for more than 10%. The base's garrison has requested emergency reinforcements.

Upon reading the description, Song Chen's heart skipped a beat. Such a large-scale gathering of alien beasts was not just about clearing out the remnants; it was a direct battlefield, just like the beast tide at Tianhe South Fortress, or even larger in scale.

This is at sea, in the territory of sea creatures; it's dangerous, but the opportunities are greater.

Without hesitation, Song Chen clicked the accept button.

He had exceeded the target for the Tianhai East clearing mission, and the mission rewards had already been issued. Although he didn't care about the rewards, the benefit was that his mission permissions had been unlocked, and he could now accept A-level missions.

[You have accepted an A-level mission to reinforce the Yunbo Island military base. Please arrive at the Nangang Wharf in Tianhai City before 20:00 today and take a boat to the base to report for duty.]

Just as he was about to shut down the terminal, a message popped up at the top of the screen.

It wasn't a system notification; it was sent via private message.

The sender was Zhou Wangyue.

The message contained only one line: "Come to my office, now."

Song Chen looked at the message. It was quite timely; it came right after he accepted the task.

Zhou Wangyue's office is located at the deepest part of the campus, in a standalone, gray-white three-story building. Its exterior is so simple that it is somewhat shabby, standing out from the other modern buildings of Tianhai University.

But everyone knows that this building is the most important building at Tianhai University because the president's office is located here.

Moss grows on the steps in front of the building, the paint on the wooden door is peeling and mottled, and the doorknob is worn shiny, traces left by countless people pushing the door in and out.

Song Chen pushed open the door and walked in. The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

He walked to the door of the innermost office on the second floor and knocked twice.

"Come in," Zhou Wangyue's voice came from inside.

Song Chen pushed open the door. The office was small and simply furnished, with an old-fashioned wooden table, a chair, a bookcase, and a sofa.

The bookshelf was crammed with books, some of which had yellowed and become brittle.

The desk was piled with documents, and next to them sat a cup of tea, steaming from its lid.

A pot of orchids sat on the windowsill, with a few small white flowers blooming and water droplets still clinging to the petals.

Zhou Wangyue sat in a chair, holding a pen, signing a document.

He looked up, saw Song Chen, paused for a moment on the document with his pen, then finished signing, closed the folder, and put it aside.

"have eaten?"

"I ate it," Song Chen said.

"What did you eat?"

"King crab, mantis shrimp, seafood porridge."

Zhou Wangyue raised an eyebrow: "Old Zhao on the third floor of the cafeteria is an expert at cooking seafood. He doesn't usually cook for others easily. The fact that you let him cook for you means he likes you."

He changed the subject abruptly, asking, "You accepted the mission from Yunbo Island?"

Song Chen nodded.

At this moment, he was a little puzzled. Zhou Wangyue should have been able to see that his strength had improved significantly, but he didn't ask any questions.

The reasons I had prepared earlier were not used.

But Song Chen had a feeling that Zhou Wangyue's peripheral vision would always fall on his chest, where the mysterious crystal he had obtained in the wilderness hung.

Could it be because of this?

Song Chen thought for a moment and decided not to ask any more questions, in case the truth came out. So she left it at that.

On the other side, Zhou Wangyue took out a small, black wooden box from the drawer and placed it on the table.

The box was small, smaller than the palm of my hand, and its surface was plain, like a piece of wood.

He pushed the box to the edge of the table, gesturing for Song Chen to pick it up.

Song Chen walked over, picked up the wooden box, and opened it.

Inside the box lay a small, round jade pendant.

The jade pendant is light blue, semi-transparent, with fine spiritual energy patterns inside, and gleams with a warm luster in the sunlight.

The jade plaque is engraved with the characters "Tianhai" on one side and "Zhou" on the other.

Zhou Wangyue explained, "This is my token. The commander of the Yunbo Island base is named Shen Tie, and he is my old subordinate. When you arrive, show him this jade token, and he will give you the best conditions."

Song Chen looked at the jade token in his hand: "Teacher, do you think this mission is dangerous?"

Zhou Wangyue looked at him but did not answer immediately.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put the cup down, and then spoke: "The Yunbo Island base is near the sea, a hundred kilometers from the coastline."

"Sea creatures are 30% stronger in the sea than on land. You have never fought in the sea, so you don't know the habits of sea creatures or the impact of tides and ocean currents on combat."

"You will eventually have to go to the ocean, you need a battlefield like this, so I won't stop you."

"I asked you to take my keepsake because I don't want you to die there."

"You are my only disciple, I cannot lose another one."