CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 59: A BOILING FURNACE

In the cave, Chen Xu strides toward the two Mouse Demons.

His heart is still pounding, an exhilarating thrill lingering in his chest.

Now that the enemies seem resolved, yet more problems lay before Chen Xu.

Little Mouse Ashi stands tearfully, unable to move, while Master Jiu, with his blood-stained white fur, breathes weakly. Yet, his glass-like eyes remain exceedingly clear, bearing a gentle glow akin to an elder’s warmth.

He leans against the cave wall, straining to lift his eyes toward Chen Xu, speaking slowly, "Many thanks to you, friend, for arriving in time to save us. I fear I’m beyond help. Ashi is still young..."

Hearing the implicit guardianship plea in his words, Chen Xu quickly crouches beside him, reaching out to examine him.

Touched by soft white fur, Chen Xu lays his right hand on Master Jiu’s round belly, feeling the pulsating heat beneath his palm.

The blood-stained white-furred rat falls silent in astonishment, wide-eyed at Chen Xu.

Only then does Chen Xu realize he has presumptuously touched the rat’s belly.

Chen Xu: "..."

He knows nothing of medicine, but after cultivating the Food God Technique Scroll, he has developed a particularly keen sense for the world’s energies.

This touch reveals that while Master Jiu’s breath seems weak, his internal organs are in turmoil, as if a boiling furnace burns within his abdomen.

Chaos fills the furnace, countless bizarre entities running rampant, clashing violently.

Slightly pressing down, a terrifying burning sensation assails Chen Xu.

His hand recoils as if shocked by electricity.

Chen Xu looks at Master Jiu in astonishment.

Master Jiu also stares back, eyes wide.

Two pairs of equally astonished eyes meet, and after a moment, Master Jiu smiles bitterly, "You sensed it too, didn’t you?

My weakness is not true weakness. All my essence and mana are disrupted and devoured by the creature inside; soon, I’ll exhaust my strength and die."

Before Chen Xu can respond, the white-furred rat’s fluffy face reveals a resolute expression, "I must not let it descend into this world. Matters have reached this point; there’s only burial with it in this forgotten ruin. Mr. Chen, Ashi is still young..."

"Ashi is still young." Chen Xu interrupts Master Jiu, "Are you willing to leave him to struggle alone in the world from now on?"

The white-furred rat falters; then, blood once more seeps from his mouth and nose.

Chen Xu is dumbfounded, also stunned by the bizarre entity inside. Is this the time for nonsense?

Master Jiu’s lack of will to live comes not truly from a desire to die, but from believing himself beyond rescue.

Chen Xu’s task is not to inspire Master Jiu to survive through words but to find a way to save him!

Master Jiu’s chaotic breath stems from the foreign entity’s presence, making his body weak and organs shattered.

The Demon Puppet Bone description reads: [Demon Food can, to some extent, alleviate illnesses.]

Chen Xu is unsure whether this is suitable, but deduces that if described as "universal remedy," it should somewhat help Master Jiu.

He immediately turns back to collect the Demon Puppet Shattered Bones from the ground, also gathering the ashes burned by Heart Fire without leaving any, mixing them with soil before collecting them all into the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

The Fire and Smoke Kitchen accepts only ingredients; the debris automatically excludes itself.

Chen Xu, his back to the two Mouse Demons, commands the Mud Ball Daoist Soldier to guard him, then consumes 100 Fireworks Value, Heart Soul entering the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

Twelve hours in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen equate to a quarter-hour in reality.

Of course, Chen Xu doesn’t plan to extend his stay to full twelve hours in the kitchen. He limits it to at most thirty breaths in real time.

In ancient times, a quarter-hour roughly equaled 14 minutes and 24 seconds in modern terms. Thirty breaths amount to about a minute.

Converted to the Fire and Smoke Kitchen’s time, it’s around half an hour plus two more quarter-hours.

This time suffices well.

Chen Xu sees it as an extended use of the Fire and Smoke Kitchen, allowing him to exploit the time difference to address many issues when pressed for time.

The downside is that each entry into the Fire and Smoke Kitchen expends 100 Fireworks Value.

Once entered, unused time doesn’t carry over and resets, potentially wasting it, yet urgency demands it.

Fortunately, Chen Xu’s Fireworks Value remains ample, bolstered by many likes from a recent hometown visit.

[Total Likes: 2896]

[Free Attribute Points: 104]

[Fireworks Value: 1597]

Sufficient Fireworks Value and Attribute Points afford Chen Xu tremendous confidence and security. He adds three attribute points each to his Qi, Essence, and Spirit.

Once applied, the familiar power rushes in instantly.

Chen Xu revitalizes, replenishing some expended Innate Qi from using the Fire Control Skill, and even experiences notable gain.

[Cultivation: Meridian Passage Realm, Early Stage (3.1%)]

While intuitively circulating innate Qi within, Chen Xu quickly expends 60 Fireworks Value to unlock and learn the Demon Bone Puppet grinding method.

This grinding requires no other auxiliary materials, only precise fire control in the Fire Control Skill.

Every spiritual food’s preparation possesses unique fire secrets.

Each unlocked secret equals learning a new Fire Control method.

For instance, tempering the Demon Puppet Bone employs alternating Martial Fire and Cultural Fire.

Three breaths of Martial Fire, ten breaths of Cultural Fire, followed by rapid flashing and burning —

The secret mentions this method as: Gold Inlaying Technique.

Chen Xu has unlocked several spiritual food secrets and learned multiple spells.

Learning each spell advances his Fire Control Skill’s experience.

This, creating a robust positive cycle, fills Chen Xu’s cultivation with enthusiasm and motivation.

In the Fire and Smoke Kitchen, Chen Xu spends half a quarter-hour learning the Gold Inlaying Technique, then begins tempering and grinding the Demon Puppet Bone.

In the cave, everything remains as before.

Chen Xu maintains his crouched posture, collecting bones from the ground, with the imposing Mud Ball Daoist Soldier beside him like a deity.

Blood drips from the white-furred rat’s mouth and nose, little Mouse Ashi tearfully watching.

Immobolized by the Body-Freezing Technique, Ashi can only blink rapidly, desperately deploying his feeble mana to strike at the blood and qi pathways binding him.

Uncertain how much time has passed —

In truth, not long; Chen Xu turned away no more than a dozen breaths ago.

Yet in Ashi’s perception, he has struggled for what feels like an eternity.

Long enough he nearly feels his body on the brink of shattering, when a current finally breaks through his throat, and he cries out, "Master Jiu, let me go; I can refine Golden Jade Spirit Blood to save you..."

Mid-sentence, suddenly noticing the green-clad Scholar stands from his crouched posture.

Ashi falls silent, wide-eyed with panic as he looks at Chen Xu.