CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: CLAY PUPPET

Chen Xu was in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen, his Qi gathered in the Dantian, his divine thought unfathomable.

The Three Elements Foundation Establishment allowed his Qi to return to the Innate, thus achieving this wisp of Innate Qi.

He carefully comprehended the mystery of this wisp of Innate Qi, while the Food Cauldron Celestial Book recorded more descriptions of his own cultivation.

[Divine Master Position: Chen Xu]

[Title: Firework Apprentice]

[Cultivation: Meridian Passage Realm (Early Stage 0.9%)]

[Special State: Perfect Foundation Establishment, Qi Returning to the Innate]

Regarding cultivation realms, the Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll offers varying levels of explanation.

The rough overview is of major realms, currently only a rough designation of names, divided into:

Mortal Body, Meridian Passage, Condensing Pill, Gathering Spirit, Void Transformation, Entering the Microcosm, Returning to Truth, Harmonization.

The detailed explanation is of the specific descriptions of the Meridian Passage Realm.

Circulation of Qi throughout the body, all meridians connected, blood creation like mercury, endless vitality.

These are the cultivation goals of the Meridian Passage Realm.

The first volume of the Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll precisely explains the Meridian Passage Cultivation Technique. To unlock the second volume on Core Formation Cultivation Technique, Chen Xu still needs to meet new conditions.

Meanwhile, the Food Cauldron Celestial Book also presented new prompt entries:

[1. The Path of the Food God lies in the art of the kitchen; improving cooking skills can help break through cultivation barriers;

2. For every 20 praises gathered from diners, a free attribute point can be obtained;

3. Accumulate 10,000 praises to unlock the second volume of the Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll.]

A new goal appeared!

Chen Xu silently channeled the Innate Qi within his Dantian, feeling the Qi lively, like tides surging in his heart.

After transcending the Mortal Body and entering the Meridian Passage Realm, he found he not only had his Qi return to the Innate but also gained the ability to internally perceive and observe himself at a micro level.

In layman’s terms, one aspect of this ability is a keener perception of his own state, while another is the ability to directly sense his own lifespan limit!

[Lifespan: 18/120]

The Meridian Passage Realm exceeds the mortal limit, setting a life limit of 120 years.

Is that short?

No, for most ordinary people, this is considered a remarkably long life.

But if one’s goal is to become an Immortal, it’s indeed too short.

The competition on the great path cannot afford any negligence.

This afternoon, undisturbed, Chen Xu stayed in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen for a full twelve hours before returning to reality.

Then he entered the Fire and Smoke Kitchen again, and so on.

[Accumulated Praise: 1065]

[Free Attribute Points: 40]

[Fireworks Value: 346]

His accumulated praise value showed new changes.

After consuming 9 free attribute points, there were still 40 left.

Fireworks Value was still insufficient; Chen Xu opened the Fireworks Collection and found that he could unlock two new skills.

[1. Wind Summoning, as the saying goes, wind aids the fire’s strength. How can one control fire and adjust the cauldron without understanding the language of wind?]

[2. Water Divination, water is the source of all things, akin to the highest goodness of water.]

Wind Summoning, consumes 300 Fireworks Value to unlock.

Water Divination, consumes 500 Fireworks Value to unlock.

Additionally, Fire Control Level 2 also requires a consumption of 300 Fireworks Value to unlock.

Fireworks Value was too tight, everything needed Fireworks Value.

But this time, Chen Xu re-entered the Fire and Smoke Kitchen, not to learn Wind Summoning, nor to learn Fire Control Level 2, but to create a Clay Puppet!

Upon entering the Meridian Passage Realm, without deliberate learning, he naturally gained an ability through the Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll.

The Food Cauldron Celestial Book referred to this ability as: Spiritual Talent.

Using spiritual materials to make dough, after bestowing Spiritual Talent, he could obtain his own unique Puppet Daoist Soldier.

Currently in the basic state, Chen Xu’s Puppet Daoist Soldier could possess the two characteristics of Invisibility and Great Strength. The downside was its fear of water, as once splashed, the Clay Puppet would gradually dissolve and lose its spirituality, becoming ordinary dough.

But this slight downside was not enough to dampen Chen Xu’s enthusiasm for the Puppet Daoist Soldier.

Upon his second entry into the Fire and Smoke Kitchen, Chen Xu immediately fetched the existing spiritual material: Millet Paste Mud Embryo.

Interestingly, this Millet Paste Mud Embryo was left by a low-quality incarnation of Lin Qi, whom Chen Xu had slain, but had never had the chance to use these Millet Paste Mud Embryos.

Millet Paste Mud Embryos could be used to make Mud Embryo Pills and now could be used by Chen Xu to create Puppet Daoist Soldiers.

Chen Xu then took two pounds of Millet Paste Mud Embryo, mixed it with three pounds of flour, and added water to knead it into a smooth dough.

Kneading, resting, degassing, shaping.

Initially, he was not very skilled, but perhaps due to the Food God talent, after a period, Chen Xu suddenly found abundant inspiration and experience about kneading dough jumping continuously in his mind.

For instance, the exertion direction of the arms, the ratio of dough to water, Chen Xu could naturally adjust and resolve these issues.

As the Millet Paste Mud Embryo was mixed into the flour, the dough began to become slippery, and inspired, Chen Xu suddenly mobilized the Innate Qi within him.

The mysterious power surged into the dough, shattering, suppressing, and kneading it...

Pinch round, roll flat, myriad phenomena at will.

In the Fire and Smoke Kitchen, if there were a mirror at this moment, Chen Xu would find that suddenly, there was a special aura about him as he kneaded the dough.

It was as if he was not kneading dough, but life’s trials and tribulations, future and destiny.

Calm, composed, as if all things were within his grasp.

The wisp of Innate Qi in the Dantian slowly circulated, the Qi Blood surged through all the meridians, the Essence rose, and the Divine Soul converged.

[Cultivation: Meridian Passage Realm (Early Stage 1.1%)]

[Cultivation: Meridian Passage Realm (Early Stage 1.3%)]

...

His cultivation indeed advanced amidst the culinary arts!

Finally, Chen Xu molded a grey Daoist Soldier about a foot high, and to make this Daoist Soldier more combat-ready, he even molded simple armor and a spear for the small Daoist Soldier.

It’s a bit of a pity that Chen Xu’s shaping skills were not yet exquisite.

Even with talent and the Innate Qi enabling him to control power with precision, he still lacked practice.

It wasn’t perfect; he would need to strive further.

In the evening, Chen Xu left the Fire and Smoke Kitchen and happened to meet Aunt Lai coming to split the day’s earnings of copper coins with him.

After receiving the coins, Chen Xu chatted with her for a bit, listening as she said: "Mr. Chen, have you heard? Over in West City, there’s a Lin Family setting up a venue the length of the street in front of their house starting tomorrow to host a seven-day banquet inviting all the city’s people.

Such grandiosity, all to send off that family’s second son for burial!"

As she spoke, Aunt Lai clicked her tongue, saying, "Such a waste of life, it’s not even an elder who died, just a young lad who hasn’t even married, still a child. Isn’t this just an early death?

Who sets up a funeral this way? Who knows if the deceased... hey, who knows if he can handle it?"

After casually mentioning this, Aunt Lai hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes darting back and forth.

People of the time believed the deceased were paramount, and although Aunt Lai was a respected elder, speaking ill of the dead left her feeling guilty.

Chen Xu listened, feeling a stir in his heart, thinking of going to pay respects to the Lin Family tomorrow morning—

Why wait until tomorrow morning at all?