At dusk, Chen Mu's Cave Dwelling.
The rooms within the Cave Dwelling were arranged in a straight line.
From east to west were the alchemy room, living and dining room, kitchen, bedroom, and washroom at the far western end.
Each room had windows along the southern cliff wall, and with Fluorescent Algae Lamps embedded in the walls, they were bright and well-lit.
In the kitchen, Chen Mu hummed a little tune as he rapidly stirred the emerald-green leafy vegetables in the pan with a wooden spatula.
The stove stood waist-high, but there was no fire beneath it. It was simply a solid stone platform carved from the mountain.
The pan was fan-shaped, with gleaming white inner walls, but it was actually half of an enormous shell.
Its opening was wide enough to fit a household air conditioner outdoor unit.
Chen Mu pressed his left hand against the shell's edge, sending threads of mana into it. Heat immediately began to rise from the shell.
Though it was not his first time using it, Chen Mu still found this enormous shell pot rather miraculous.
It was said to come from a mutant beast clam known as a Li Fire Shell. It came with its own Spell Talisman and could be considered a natural magical artifact.
He scooped out the still-vibrant seasonal vegetables, let Black Smoke fill the shell pot, and casually scrubbed it clean.
Carrying the final dish of Stir-Fried Seasonal Vegetables, Chen Mu happily walked over to the square table in the dining room.
The table was already filled with all kinds of dishes.
At its center, the dark Primordial Fusion Cauldron bubbled away, with an entire Pill Furnace's worth of braised Exotic Beast Meat stewing inside.
Beside it were steamed pork ribs, honey-glazed roast meat, Blanched Seasonal Vegetables, fish ball