Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp

Another light rain fell that afternoon. Chen Xu diligently practiced Fire Control and the Wood Chopping Saber Technique in Embers Kitchen.

Whenever he grew tired, he added points to himself. After digesting the newly acquired attribute points, he continued practicing the two skills.

Fire Control progressed smoothly. Ever since he had grasped the key of uniting qi and intent, Chen Xu's perception of his heartfire had become increasingly clear. With every breath, the flames grew stronger.

[Fire Control Level One: (59/100)]

(62/100)

(68/100)

...

He practiced constantly and pondered often. With every point of experience gained, the understanding in his chest deepened as well.

Only the Wood Chopping Saber Technique remained stalled at the (99/100) experience threshold. No matter how repeatedly he polished it, he could never break through.

Before this morning, Chen Xu would inevitably have grown restless over it.

But now, having encountered the Star Array, broken free from the plight of bad luck, and seen different scenery, his heart had unknowingly broadened considerably.

Chen Xu did not lose heart and continued practicing.

In between, he inspected several strange ingredients he had obtained earlier, such as [Three Taels of Heart Monkey Dust Flame] and [One Tael of Joy, Three Portions of Melancholy].

To be honest, they were rather bizarre. Chen Xu found them quite novel.

He carefully examined their entries. [Three Taels of Heart Monkey Dust Flame] could be directly tempered with heartfire into [Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp], which could help someone break through mental barriers and unravel riddles.

Chen Xu could not help blurting out, "Damn!"

He seemed to have been the fool, burying himself in hard practice the moment he entered Embers Kitchen and actually forgetting to check the food entries first.

That [One Tael of Joy, Three Portions of Melancholy] also had a special effect. After mixing soot from a hundred herbs with skin flakes, then slowly simmering them with Jade Dew Spring Water, one would obtain [Soul-Controlling Powder], which could control the soul of whoever consumed it.

[Note: Due to the inferior grade of the materials, this Soul-Controlling Powder can only control mortals.]

Chen Xu looked closer. Soot from a hundred herbs was simply pot-bottom ash, which was easy enough to find.

As for skin flakes, they turned out to be human dandruff.

For example, if Chen Xu wanted to use Soul-Controlling Powder to control someone, he needed to rub skin flakes from somewhere on his own body into the pot-bottom ash and simmer them together. Only then would the Soul-Controlling Powder take him as its master.

If he used someone else's skin flakes, then the Soul-Controlling Powder would take that other person as its master.

Chen Xu: ...

He immediately knew who the Soul-Controlling Powder should be used on.

It was a little disgusting, yet somehow emotionally stirring as well.

All this time, he had been obsessed with "practicing martial arts and cultivation," seemingly underestimating the true nature of the Cauldron Scripture.

Chen Xu immediately spent 50 Firework Value to unlock the detailed recipe for [Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp], then took out the so-called [Three Taels of Heart Monkey Dust Flame] from the shelf beside him.

The thing was weightless and translucent, like a blue flame. Resting in his palm, it automatically hovered in the air, looking exceptionally magical.

Chen Xu took a deep breath and circulated his qi according to the detailed recipe. A wisp of heartfire spouted from his mouth.

The bright orange-red flames slowly unfurled, like a mass of cloud vapor enveloping the blue dust flame in Chen Xu's palm.

Then he simmered it over a small fire, using flame to temper flame.

During the process, Chen Xu had an exceedingly wondrous experience.

He discovered that heartfire was harder to restrain than to release.

Just like human nature, indulgence was always easier than restraint, yet restraint was always more powerful than indulgence.

Fierce fire and gentle fire, one urgent and one slow, one taut and one relaxed.

Only by being able to restrain and release could one truly control fire!

[Fire Control Level One: (71/100)]

(73/100)

...

When the flames in his palm finally dispersed and the Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp had been successfully tempered, Chen Xu's Fire Control experience had directly risen to (89/100).

He held the crisp, bean-like [Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp] in his left hand and snapped the fingers of his right hand in midair. A ball of flame sprang into existence from nothingness.

At this point, Fire Control had broken free of the limitation of breathing fire from his mouth and become true Fire Control.

Delighted, Chen Xu swallowed the Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp without hesitation. Then he raised his woodcutter's blade, chopped wood, and shattered the barrier.

His blade was like wind cleaving waves, its force like sparks flashing from flint.

Wood Chopping Saber Technique, Level One, complete!

[Wood Chopping Level One (100/100)]

Surging Vital Blood coursed through his entire body, and every essential principle became practiced and perfectly harmonious.

Chen Xu tossed a round log before him into the air. With a flash of blade light, in no more than an instant, the log shattered with a clatter into nearly a hundred tiny pieces of firewood.

Yet Chen Xu stood motionless where he was, as though he had never drawn his blade at all.

It had been a thoroughly exhilarating cultivation session.

By nightfall, Chen Xu prepared dinner in the kitchen. Then he scraped off some pot-bottom ash and entered Embers Kitchen once more.

At that time, he had only [16] Firework Value remaining.

As for Free Attribute Points, only [3] remained.

His Threefold Attributes had become:

[Essence: 30]

[Vital Blood: 30]

[Divine Soul: 30]

He was getting closer and closer to Three Essences Foundation Establishment. Chen Xu had already begun to feel something swelling at his brow from time to time, while every movement he made was swift and valiant, brimming with strength.

He even had the illusion that he could take flight anytime, anywhere. Of course, it was merely an illusion.

His Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body had simply drawn extremely close to the limits of a Mortal Fetus, which was why he occasionally experienced such a feeling of "transcendence."

Chen Xu entered Embers Kitchen this time for two reasons. First, he needed to control that sense of transcendence so that he would not seem as though he might draw his blade and kill someone at any moment, radiating murderous ferocity from head to toe.

That would not do. It was detrimental to his image as a scholar and would easily make others needlessly wary of him.

Second, Chen Xu intended to brew [Soul-Controlling Powder]. He had already prepared every ingredient needed for it, including Jade Dew Spring Water.

In Embers Kitchen, the water in the vat beside the stove was Jade Dew Spring Water.

Like the pile of round logs in the corner, the water in that vat was inexhaustible, and Chen Xu could use it as he pleased.

He selected firewood of a suitable size and stuffed it into the stove. With a light snap of his fingers, Fire Control ignited the wood.

Chen Xu sat beside the stove and controlled the fire as he brewed the "medicine."

The flames in the stove followed his will, growing large or small, fierce or gentle, taut or relaxed, wondrously balanced.

Whenever Fire Control's experience rose by a point, Chen Xu's understanding of flames deepened by another measure.

At the third watch of the night, the night watchman passed South Market Street and struck his bronze gong. Dong!

"Deep in the night, spring rain falls without end—beware your roofs may leak—"

The fine, unceasing rain was like spring silkworms gnawing mulberry leaves, filling the silent world with dense, rustling sounds.

Chen Xu listened to the watchman's call. Only after the footsteps had faded into the distance did he lightly vault over the wall and leave his little courtyard, avoiding South Market Street and heading straight east.

He sped through the rainy night toward Boyazhai.

Shopkeeper Sun Wu lived not far from Boyazhai, in a two-courtyard residence. It was neither large nor small, and throughout Jichuan County, it could be considered the home of a well-to-do family.

Yet Sun Wu had always been miserly. Though his residence was neat and orderly, even respectable, he had hired only an old gatekeeper. All matters inside and outside the household were left to his wife and concubine; he was unwilling to hire even a single rough-working maid.

That night, his wife once again complained that the household expenses were difficult to manage. Sun Wu scolded her, "Difficult? You live in a two-courtyard residence and call that difficult? Go ask all over the streets—whose wife lives as easily as you do?

"You eat meat once every five days. Even country landlords may not enjoy such good days! Go, go, go! Your master still has accounts to settle. Do not bother me!"

He dismissed his wife and remained in the study. Sure enough, he lit an oil lamp and examined the account books.