Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp

Afternoon brought another light rain. Inside the Embers Kitchen, Chen Xu was diligently practicing his Fire Control and Wood Chopping Saber Technique.

When he got tired, he would give himself a little something extra. After digesting his newly acquired attribute points, he continued practicing the two skills.

Fire Control was progressing smoothly. Ever since he grasped the key point of aligning Qi and intent, Chen Xu's perception of his inner flame had become increasingly clear. With each breath, the fire grew stronger.

[Fire Control Level 1: (59/100)]

(62/100)

(68/100)

He practiced constantly, pondered often. With every bit of experience gained, his understanding deepened.

Only the Wood Chopping Saber Technique remained stuck in the experience range of (99/100). Despite repeated refinement, he couldn't break through.

If it were before this morning, Chen Xu would have inevitably become anxious about this.

But now, having experienced the miraculous encounter with the Star Array, having broken free from the curse of bad luck, and having seen a different kind of scenery, his perspective had broadened considerably without him even realizing it.

Chen Xu was not discouraged and continued practicing.

In between, he examined the few peculiar ingredients he had obtained earlier, such as [Three Taels of Heart Monkey Dust Flame] and [One Tael of Joy, Three Parts Melancholy].

To be honest, they were strange and Chen Xu found them quite peculiar.

He examined the descriptions carefully. [Three Taels of Heart Monkey Dust Flame] could be directly tempered with inner flame to refine into [Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp], which aids in breaking through mental barriers and solving puzzles.

Upon reading this, Chen Xu blurted out, "What the heck!"

He felt like that fool who, upon entering the Embers Kitchen, only knew to bury his head in practice, forgetting to check the food descriptions first.

The [One Tael of Joy, Three Parts Melancholy] also had a special effect. When mixed with Soot and Dander, then simmered with Jade Dew Spring Water, it would finally yield [Soul-Controlling Powder], which could be used to control the soul of the person who consumed it.

[Note: Due to the low quality of the ingredients, this Soul-Controlling Powder can only control mortals.]

Chen Xu looked closely. Soot was just the residue at the bottom of the pot; that was easy to find.

As for Dander, it turned out to be human skin flakes.

For example, if Chen Xu wanted to use Soul-Controlling Powder to control someone, he would have to scrape off some of his own Dander and simmer it with the Soot. Only then would the Soul-Controlling Powder be centered on him.

If he used someone else's Dander, the Soul-Controlling Powder would be centered on that person.

Chen Xu: ...

He immediately figured out who he should use the Soul-Controlling Powder to control.

It was a bit disgusting, but it also stirred up some emotions.

All this time, he had been obsessed with "practicing martial arts and cultivating," and it seemed he had underestimated the true nature of the Cauldron Scripture.

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

This thing was light and translucent, like a blue flame, hovering automatically in his palm. It looked quite magical.

Chen Xu took a deep breath, circulated his Qi according to the recipe's detailed instructions, and a wisp of inner flame spurted from his mouth.

A bright orange-red flame slowly unfurled, enveloping the blue dust flame in Chen Xu's palm like a cloud.

Then, he simmered it gently, using fire to temper fire.

During the process, Chen Xu had a very peculiar experience.

He discovered that inner flame, like human nature, was harder to contain than to release. Just as indulgence was always easier than restraint, restraint always held more power than indulgence.

Fierce fire and gentle fire, one urgent, one slow; one tense, one relaxed.

To be able to both contain and release was true Fire Control!

[Fire Control Level 1: (71/100)]

(73/100)

When the flames in his palm dispersed, and the [Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp] was successfully tempered, Chen Xu's Fire Control experience surprisingly jumped directly to (89/100).

He held the [Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp], which resembled a crisp bean, in his left hand. With his right hand, he snapped his fingers in mid-air, and a ball of flame ignited out of nowhere.

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

Chen Xu was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he swallowed the [Three Taels of Red Dust Crisp], then picked up his wood-chopping knife, chopped wood, and broke through the barrier.

The saber cut like wind through waves; its momentum was like sparks from flint.

Wood Chopping Saber Technique, Level 1, Mastered!

[Wood Chopping Level 1 (100/100)]

Rolling Vitality surged through his entire body, and all the key principles became proficient and seamless.

Chen Xu tossed a log in front of him. With a flash of his saber, in just an instant, the log shattered into nearly a hundred small pieces of firewood.

Chen Xu stood in place, seemingly having not moved at all, as if he hadn't even drawn his saber.

A session of cultivation, invigorating and thorough.

As night fell, Chen Xu prepared his evening meal in the kitchen. Afterward, he scraped off some Soot and entered the Embers Kitchen once more.

At this point, his Firework Value had dwindled to just [16] points.

His Free Attribute Points were even fewer, with only [3] remaining.

The Three Essences attributes had changed to:

[Essence: 30]

[Vitality: 30]

[Spirit: 30]

He was getting closer and closer to Three Essences Foundation Establishment. Chen Xu could already feel a strange presence throbbing at his brow, and his every movement was agile and powerful, filled with strength.

He even had a fleeting illusion that he could fly at any moment, though, of course, it was just an illusion.

It was merely that the Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body were nearing the limit of the mortal form, which caused him to occasionally feel this sense of "transcendence."

Chen Xu entered the Embers Kitchen this time for two reasons. First, to control this sense of transcendence, preventing himself from constantly exuding a murderous aura as if he were about to draw his sword at any moment.

This was not good; it was detrimental to his image as a scholar and could easily make people wary of him for no reason.

Second, Chen Xu needed to brew Soul-Controlling Powder. He had gathered all the necessary ingredients, and he also had the Jade Dew Spring Water.

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

Similar to the pile of logs in the corner, this vat of water 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 snap of his fingers, his Fire Control skill ignited the wood.

Chen Xu sat by the stove, using Fire Control to simmer the "medicine."

The flames in the stove ebbed and flowed according to his will, sometimes large, sometimes small, sometimes fierce, sometimes gentle, controlled with perfect rhythm and remarkable skill.

Occasionally, his experience with Fire Control would increase slightly, and Chen Xu's understanding of flame would deepen a little more.

At the third watch, a watchman passed by South Market Street, striking his gong: Dong!

"Midnight, the spring rain is drizzling, beware of leaky roofs—"

The continuous fine rain was like silkworms nibbling mulberry leaves, creating a dense rustling sound in the quiet world.

Chen Xu listened to the watchman's calls. Only after the footsteps had faded did he lightly and nimbly scale the wall of his small courtyard. He avoided South Market Street and headed directly east of the city.

He moved swiftly through the rainy night, heading in the direction of Boyazhai.

The shopkeeper Sun Wu's residence was not far from Boyazhai. It was a courtyard with two entrances, neither too large nor too small, and in Jichuan County, it was considered a comfortable dwelling.

However, Sun Wu had always been stingy. Although his courtyard was neat and presentable, he only hired an old doorkeeper. Furthermore, all household chores, inside and out, were left to his wife and concubine; he was too frugal to even hire a maid for heavy labor.

That night, his wife complained to him again about the hardship of household expenses. Sun Wu reprimanded her: "Hardship? You say you're struggling while living in a two-entrance courtyard? Go ask around the whole street, is there any wife as comfortable as you?

Eating meat once every five days, even a rural landlord wouldn't have such a good life! Go on, go on, your master needs to do his accounts, don't bother me!"

He dismissed his wife and remained in his study. Indeed, he lit an oil lamp and began examining his account books.