Twelve minutes later, Kafla stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Despite being unconscious for a long time, her body felt more rejuvenated than ever.
The moment her mind cleared, everything that had transpired before she fainted flooded back into her memory. She instinctively circulated her mana and froze in shock. Her eyes widened as she sensed her cultivation realm had advanced.
By at least three years' worth of progress.
"Junior sister, are you okay?" Tiana asked quickly, her voice filled with worry.
"I'm fine, senior sister," Kafla replied, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Not only did my cultivation rise, but my body feels… incredible. It's like I could crush a mana beast with my bare hands."
Tiana blinked in disbelief. "Junior sister, stop joking around. Are you really okay?" Her expression shifted to one of concern as she reached out to touch Kafla's forehead, wanting to confirm her condition herself.
"I'm saying the truth, my cultivation has improved by about three years' worth of progress," Kafla replied.
Seeing her senior sister's astounded expression, she stretched out her hand and smiled faintly. "You've been guiding me in cultivation while Master's been away, so you should know exactly where I stood before we entered this store. Why don't you check and see if it's the same?"
Without hesitation, Tiana reached out and grasped Kafla's hand. The moment she sensed the flow of Kafla's mana, she injected a wisp of her own to confirm it.
Instantly, Tiana's expression froze, her eyes widened in disbelief, as if she had just seen a ghost.
"Senior sister? Are you alright?" Kafla asked worriedly, gently holding Tiana's trembling hand.
Kafla naturally understood how her senior sister must have felt; she herself would have reacted the same way if their roles were reversed.
Tiana blinked, then exhaled deeply and waved her hand. "I'm fine… I just need a moment to calm down," she responded with a nod.
Her gaze fell to the empty cup of instant noodles sitting on the table. The realisation hit her again, her junior sister had gained three years of cultivation from a single meal. But that wasn't all.
Aside from the cold essence of the Ice Phoenix Sect's secret technique, Nine Phoenix Blizzard, a Purple Rank art, Tiana could also sense a faint, scorching energy flowing within Kafla. The two opposing forces weren't clashing. Instead, they coexisted harmoniously, steadily refining her mana even further.
That meant if Kafla, an Ascendant with a high ice affinity, were to cultivate using a fire-type mana fire core, her progress would skyrocket without the usual backlash of elemental rejection.
But here, surrounded by the pure, refined mana within this mysterious store, there was no need for such effort. Her cultivation was already improving on its own.
A store whose interior was several times larger than its exterior… filled with refined mana so pure it could rival sacred grounds… and a single meal capable of boosting one's cultivation while harmonising opposing energies?!
"This… this store…" Tiana whispered under her breath, her eyes trembling. "Just what kind of place have we stepped into…? Instantly, she stood up from her chair and walked toward the counter.
"Senior Sister, wait! Don't act like that, you're scaring me," Kafla exclaimed, quickly straightening her dress and hurrying after her. She already knew what her sister intended to do, but after their previous exchange with Jonathan, she was afraid of meeting him.
She had already begun doubting whether the Ice Phoenix Sect could truly protect them if Jonathan ever harboured ill intentions. Even if they could, it would likely leave the sect in ruins.
No, she couldn't let that happen. She had to find a way to smooth things over with Jonathan, then buy another item to take back to the sect and show her master. So Kafla steeled herself and followed behind Tiana.
When Tiana reached the counter, she bowed respectfully toward Jonathan.
"Forgive us for failing to recognize you earlier, supreme expert. I hope our behavior has not displeased you. If it has, please forgive our rudeness. We are Inner Disciples of the Ice Phoenix Sect, and our master is one of the sect's elders," Tiana said, her voice trembling slightly.
"Though we may not be much compared to you, we promise to repay your kindness one day. I only ask that you allow us to leave safely."
Kafla also bowed beside her, though she remained silent.
Jonathan, who had assumed they came to purchase something after witnessing the extraordinary effects of the Spicy Dragon Flavour Instant Noodles, looked at them with a puzzled expression.
But as Tiana spoke, realisation dawned on him.
"You don't need to worry about that," Jonathan said casually. "Even if I was displeased, I wouldn't do anything to harm you, after all, you're my customers. You're free to leave and return as you wish, so long as you're here to buy something. And as for that title, I'm probably younger than the both of you, so there's no need to call me a supreme expert. 'Store Manager Jonathan' will do just fine."
Hearing his words, both Tiana and Kafla exhaled in relief and slowly straightened their backs, though their bodies were still tensed. They understood that the only way to earn Jonathan's favour was to become customers of this mysterious store.
As for his earlier claim that he was younger than they, neither she nor Kafla took it seriously. They merely assumed he was too humble to mention his true age, especially given his youthful appearance, and thus didn't dare bring up the topic again.
Thinking of this, Tiana didn't hesitate any longer and said, "I would like to purchase two Spicy Dragon Flavour Instant… Noodles."
Summoning two high-grade mana crystals from her storage ring, she quickly handed them to Jonathan. To her confusion, however, he didn't accept them.
Jonathan shook his head. "You've already read the rules, haven't you? Each customer can only purchase one item per day."
Tiana's eyes flickered in realisation. She didn't question his words because it was his store and, therefore, his rules.