The Ninth Painting: Gourmet Delicacies of the Milky Way

“What an adorable little girl—such a shame she was born in a wild star sector.”
“I don’t see it as a shame. A true genius can flourish anywhere. Those who can achieve such delicate control may very well withstand the fifteenfold refinement. Back when the current masters on the God Court’s universal rankings surpassed fifteenfold refinement, not all of them had this level of command. It’s said that energy at over fifteenfold concentration can restore one’s potential.”

At that moment, the progress bar under Sang Hongye’s name at the eleventh fold vanished from the rankings. In its place, a mark indicated she had passed the eleventh fold’s trial, and her rank jumped to seventy-two.

Inside Trial Chamber Three, Sang Sang was gasping for breath, her whole body drenched as if she’d been washed in water. Minutes after the end of the refinement trial, the muscles under her skin still twitched.
At every fifth threshold, the difficulty doubled—six was twice as hard as five, eleven twice as ten.
The pain in her body brought to mind some memories she’d rather forget. Or perhaps, she should thank those trials that had forged her will into steel, for without them she wouldn’t have endured the agony to pass today’s trial flawlessly.

Unlike the first ten, the eleventh-fold energy didn’t need to be guided; it flooded her body on its own. This didn’t make things easier—on the contrary, it was even harder. Her absorption couldn’t keep pace with the invasive force, and the excess energy rampaged inside her, as if countless bombs were exploding within. The intense pain was the main obstacle to maintaining control.

The rush of energy felt as though boiling water scalded her from skin to bone. The rampaging energy gnawed at her like swarms of carnivorous ants. Sang Sang was numb from the agony, her only protest the twitching of abused muscles.

“It’s almost as bad as… torture, though it’s still not quite unbearable.”

She muttered, slowly moving her limbs. She didn’t channel spiritual energy to relieve her fatigue—her mind knew the exhaustion was an illusion, but her body’s memory rejected energy for now.

As her body gradually recovered, her stomach growled.

“Energy only provides nutrients; it doesn’t fill the belly. By Galactic time, it’s been days since I ate. No wonder I’m hungry.”
Calculating the time, she was about to tidy up and leave when the trial room door opened and Little Gold flew in.

“Sang Sang, you haven’t come back in so long, so I brought you something to eat.”

Yaslan was also monitoring Sang Sang’s trial records. With him was Sena, who cared even more about Sang Sang’s results. As her guardian, Sena could view her detailed results, including evaluations. Eleven consecutive perfect scores had left him grinning from ear to ear.

“She passed the eleventh fold, all with perfect marks. I knew at first sight she wasn’t an ordinary child—I was right.”

Yaslan showed little surprise. “She’s decent.”

“Just decent?” Sena’s smile stiffened. “Yes, compared to you in your youth, she falls short, but among the current generation she’s top-tier. Don’t forget she’s from a wild star sector, with little access to training. That deserves extra credit… Where are you going?”

“She’s been in there ten minutes since it ended. I’m going to check on her,” Yaslan replied.

“Wait, I’ll come too.” Sena quickly checked his personal terminal—there were no alerts about his ward’s health, and he was somewhat relieved.

Yaslan and Sena used their privileges to teleport directly into the room. The scene that greeted them left them speechless—a delicate girl sat cross-legged, unceremoniously cradling a bowl larger than her face, eating, surrounded by platters piled with strange foods they couldn’t recognize. Those dishes were called smoked fish slices, spicy and sour fish, chili fishlets, hot eel, grilled squid…

Sang Sang sensed the space ripple and looked up, stunned for a moment before collecting herself. She set the bowl down, wiped the grains of rice from her chin, and stood respectfully.

“Teacher. Lord Sena.”

Yaslan nodded and glanced at Sena. “Didn’t you prepare nutrient pills for her?”

Sena flustered. “Me? The guardian’s manual says food and drink are handled by the smart nanny. I’m only responsible for her psychological health, studies, and recreation. The toys I ordered for her had to be adapted to Galactic customs—they’ll arrive tonight.”

Sang Sang quickly explained, “Black Butterfly gave me nutrient pills. These are just foods I’m used to at home—Little Gold prepared them especially for me. It’s not just for energy—it’s the pleasure of good food.”

Sena breathed a sigh of relief. “I see. Your little robot is an old model, but impressively autonomous.”

Sang Sang’s heart skipped; she hugged Little Gold a bit tighter, using his head for cover. Seeing Yaslan pick up a crab and examine it, she quickly produced two pairs of chopsticks. “Would you like to try some? They’re really delicious.”

Before Sena could reply, Yaslan sat down and, after a brief adjustment, began eating, handling the chopsticks with such dexterity it was hard to believe it was his first time. His technique with the crab impressed even Sang Sang.

With a glance at Sang Sang’s discarded shells, he tapped his chopsticks against the crab, channeled energy into it, and the joints broke apart and the shell opened of its own accord. The chopsticks deftly lifted the crab roe to his mouth; he savored it with narrowed eyes, then picked up a crab leg, sucked gently, and the white meat slipped into his mouth.

“The flavor is odd, but not bad. It’s quite a workout for finger dexterity and control.”

Sang Sang twitched her lips. “I’m glad you can eat it. Lord Sena, would you like to try?”

Sena eyed the chopsticks, then reached for a crab. “Alright, but don’t call me ‘Lord.’ Just call me ‘Uncle.’ That’s what you call male elders back home, isn’t it?”

Where did he get that information? Uncle? Grandpa would be more accurate for his age.

Sang Sang kept her thoughts to herself and agreed, “Uncle, Teacher, please try some of the others—they’re all specialties from my hometown.”

Their usual diet consisted of nutrient pills, energy meat cubes, perhaps some fruit candies at most. This kind of cooked food, low in energy and wasteful by their standards, was a first for them. The taste was odd at first, but the more they ate, the more they wanted, and their chopsticks moved faster and faster.

Sang Sang was dumbfounded. She liked strong flavors, so Little Gold had prepared everything extra spicy. With their enhanced genes, these two should have been more sensitive than her, yet they devoured the spiciest dishes with almost masochistic enthusiasm.

In no time, the entire feast was reduced to just two plates in front of Sang Sang; the rest was cleared away. The two men set down their chopsticks and began a serious discussion.

Sena said, “So food can train sensitivity. We should try specialties from other places too.”

Yaslan added, “It stimulates cell activity, increases new antibodies.”

Sena crunched up a crab shell. “This has more nutrients than meat. Not eating it would be a waste.”

Yaslan silently finished off the crab shells and fish bones before him.

Little Gold whispered by Sang Sang’s ear, “Locusts through a wheat field.”

Sang Sang, cleaning up the aftermath, couldn’t help but laugh.

Sena licked his lips and beckoned to Little Gold, who was peeking out, “Little Gold, from now on, when you prepare food for your master, make a portion for me too. I’ll cover the belief points you need to upgrade your system.”

Little Gold’s eyes flashed a bright orange as he shot into the air. “It’s a deal!”

Sena extended his hand. “Let the contract law bear witness.”

Little Gold drew out a screen several times larger than himself. “Here’s the upgrade requirement, as assessed by the temple mainframe. Sign and pay.”

Sena reviewed it and smiled at Sang Sang. “Your AI is quite extraordinary.”