First Form: Geng Metal Dharma Body

Although he lived in the kitchen quarters, Yang Huai had actually never entered the main kitchen.

That place was the kitchen quarters' "forbidden ground."

It was Yang Huai's first time entering the kitchen. At a glance, he saw that it was a peculiar wooden kitchen, built entirely from wood, yet every surface was blackish-red. With just one look, Yang Huai could tell that this was an exceptionally precious fire-aspect spiritwood, extraordinarily resistant to flames.

The kitchen was exceedingly spacious, with several round cauldrons.

Each of those cauldrons was bronze in color.

Beneath them were fire pits, where blazing flames roared amid piled spiritwood.

An aged Daoist acolyte with a head full of red hair was tending the fire within, keeping the true flames in the pits from going out.

When he saw the five fire-worker Daoists enter with a Daoist acolyte, the red-haired acolyte merely glanced at them before lowering his head and continuing his work.

The five fire-worker Daoists paid him no mind either. Only Yun Zheng Daoist gave an instruction.

"Keep the temperature inside the cauldrons steady. There must be no interruption!"

The group continued inward and saw that a small room had been partitioned off with redwood. Inside stood another simple stone table, primitive in the extreme. Yun Zheng Daoist then took several wooden plates from one of the bronze cauldrons and said to them.

"This is Green Ram meat from the Slaughter Hall's slaughter some days ago. I kept a little and made grilled lamb. There's also some steamed spirit fish, Pig-Dragon jerky, and a plate of cold-roasted rabbit. Make do with this for now. Tonight, we'll set up a small stove and make something better to celebrate!"

He then brought over a small bronze cauldron.

Inside was a huge slab of Blackwater Pig-Dragon jerky, weighing dozens of catties. Yang Huai reckoned it had to be nearly ten catties, which was already astonishing.

After glancing at it, Flame Daoist was not picky and simply said.

"Then let's have this."

Hou Feng Daoist said to Yang Huai.

"Qingli, you make do as well!"

After a slight pause, he added, "Your foundation has only just formed, so you may first eat some spirit fish and Green Ram meat to replenish your vital essence. But don't eat too much. The wood nature in Green Ram meat is too potent. If you eat too much, you may end up lying stiff in bed for days, which would be rather unpleasant!"

"The medicinal properties of spirit fish are mild and nourishing, so you can try eating more of it!"

Yang Huai's eyes were already shining.

And this was called making do?

Never mind the Pig-Dragon jerky wafting with its rich fragrance—the grilled lamb had been specially prepared from Green Ram meat.

The Green Ram was a wood-element spirit beast, born from Innate Supreme Unity Essence. Only a small number of lands of utmost spiritual potency nurtured by the earth could produce such spirit beasts. Eating it not only replenished vital essence and increased cultivation, but could also prolong one's lifespan.

And there was even an entire cold-roasted spirit rabbit!

"This food..."

Yang Huai could no longer find words for it. He could only say that it was extravagant beyond measure.

When he recalled the unpalatable blood-stained cured meat from before, it truly left him at a loss for words.

The six gathered around the stone table. The only main dish before them was the Blackwater Pig-Dragon meat, a whole huge bowl of it, while the rest counted as side dishes. Hou Feng Daoist first took a piece of Green Ram meat. Cloudmist Daoist, Flame Daoist, Wu Feng Daoist, and Yun Zheng Daoist followed suit. Yang Huai, waiting until last, finally could not restrain himself and cut off a piece of Green Ram meat.

The meat was firm but not tough, suffused with an indescribable fresh fragrance of wood spirit energy. Its flavor was exquisite.

To not eat such delicacies every day would be to have lived in vain!

Yang Huai could not help but entertain such a thought.

Yet after only one bite, he felt a great mass of pure wood-aspect spirit energy disperse from within his stomach, flowing into his limbs and bones and nourishing the vitality of his flesh. His entire body felt at ease, as though he had grown several years younger. Still, he circulated his cultivation and gradually gathered the separated wood spirit, slowly refining it and merging it into one of the ribs beside his spine, assisting that piece of Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bone in taking shape.

Yang Huai discovered, however, that the wood nature contained within the Green Ram was exceptionally pure and tenacious, far tougher than the wood nature contained in the Millennium Purple Lingzhi Fruit. It even contained a trace of innate qi. If cultivators who specialized in wood-aspect or fire-aspect fundamental talismans consumed it, it would likely be of enormous benefit to their cultivation.

"How is it?"

Yun Zheng Daoist looked over with teasing eyes.

Yang Huai was more than willing to flatter him.

"Martial Uncle Yun Zheng's craftsmanship is truly close to the Dao. This disciple has never tasted such exquisite food before. Only today do I know the true flavors of the mortal world!"

Yun Zheng Daoist was delighted and immediately tore off another large piece of Green Ram meat for Yang Huai.

"Then eat more, nephew!"

The other fire-worker Daoists all smiled at the sight.

Flame Daoist merely said lightly.

"There are plenty of good days ahead."

The atmosphere inside the little kitchen quickly grew lively.

This was truly the best meal Yang Huai had eaten since arriving at the Daoist temple. After returning, he felt heat steaming from his entire body, with waves of potent medicinal power radiating from him. If he used it to cultivate the Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method, it could likely make up most of the deficiency in his Hundred Days Foundation Establishment. But now that he had entered the little kitchen's inner circle, Yang Huai was in no hurry. Since he could come and go from the little kitchen, there would be plenty of chances in the future to plunder fine ingredients and use them to help the Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method reach great perfection.

He still steadied his mind and merged streams of refined, pure spirit power into portions of his breastbone, assisting the Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bone in taking shape.

"At this pace, it won't take long for the remaining one hundred and five Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones to form!"

Half a month later.

Above Inquiry Cliff, the sea of clouds churned, and one corner of a strangely beautiful mountain peak lay hidden within it.

Strands of brilliant, dazzling golden light radiated from Yang Huai's body. Looking closely, nearly all the areas emitting that golden light were on his upper body. Every strand revealed a sharp, indestructible power—contradictory, yet filled with harmony.

The strands of golden light were not independent. Instead, they flowed from every part of his body, faintly forming a mysterious pathway.

"One hundred and thirty-five. It truly wasn't easy!"

Yang Huai opened his eyes, his gaze filled with emotion. At this moment, he seemed to have become one with the golden spirit power of heaven and earth. With every breath, rolling spiritual energy from heaven and earth washed into him, seemingly refining into cultivation with each inhalation and exhalation. This rate of absorption was forty to fifty percent faster than before. It was difficult to imagine what it would feel like to possess a complete Innate Gengjin Spirit Body.

"No wonder those born of heaven and earth can so easily attain the true rank. With even a little luck, they can become divine immortals!"

Yang Huai sighed inwardly.

Exchanging more than thirty spirit fruits for thirty-four Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones—this was his achievement over the past half month.

At this moment, the Bronze Mirror deep within his sea of consciousness changed once more.

Anchored item.

[Name: Qingli]

[Age: Eleven]

[Primary Fate: Innate Sword Bone (Gold)](...)

[Innate Geng Metal Sword Body: 135/305](...)

Innate Divine Ability 1: Swordheart Clarity(...)

Innate Divine Ability 2: Geng Metal Dharma Body (First Form Awakening)

Innate Divine Ability 3: ?? (Unawakened)

[First Realm: Foundation Establishment (Jade Liquid: 29/30)]

[Heavenly Origin Pure Spirit Codex: Heavenly Yang Golden Light Talisman (89/100)]

[Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method: 90/100 (Greater Mastery)]

...

[Metal Origin Five Aggregates Diagram: 135/206 (Lesser Mastery)]

[Suiren Spirit-Aspect Visualization Diagram: 256/1000 (Lesser Mastery)]

The Innate Geng Metal Sword Body had advanced further, and along with it, his second innate divine ability, Geng Metal Dharma Body, had awakened. It had not yet fully awakened, but since it could be called a divine ability, it surely possessed some profound mystery.

He had already tasted the benefits of Swordheart Clarity. No matter what metal-aspect technique he cultivated, he mastered it as soon as he learned it. Even something as obscure as the Suiren Spirit Form Visualization Method came naturally to him.

"The two hundred and six Innate Geng Metal Spirit Bones are not far off. Once I complete them, I can attempt to break through to the great perfection of Foundation Establishment and, at the same time, bring the Lesser Circulatory Cycle Method to great perfection!"

Yang Huai's eyes were filled with hope.

At last, he could see a glimmer of hope for the rank of a celestial being.