Mud Pellet Puppet

Chen Xu was in Embers Kitchen, his qi gathering in his dantian, his mind adrift.

Three Essences Foundation Establishment, qi returning to the innate, thus was born this wisp of Innate Qi.

He carefully savored the mysteries of this wisp of Innate Qi, while simultaneously, the Cauldron Scripture displayed several new descriptions regarding his own cultivation.

[Main Deity: Chen Xu]

[Title: Fire Worker Apprentice]

[Cultivation: Vessel Meridian Realm (Early Stage 0.9%)]

[Special Status: Perfect Foundation Establishment, Qi Returns to Innate]

Regarding cultivation realms, the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll offered explanations of varying detail.

The rough outline was the major realms, currently only having general names, divided into:

Mortal Fetus, Vessel Meridian, Core Condensation, Spirit Gathering, Void Transformation, Microscopic, Return to Truth, Conform to Dao.

The detailed explanation pertained specifically to the Vessel Meridian Realm.

Qi circulates through the heavens, all meridians are clear, blood generation is like mercury, ceaselessly flowing.

This was the cultivation goal of the Vessel Meridian Realm.

The first volume of the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll specifically detailed the Vessel Meridian cultivation method. For Chen Xu to unlock the Core Condensation cultivation method in the second volume, he would need to meet new conditions.

At the same time, new prompts appeared on the Cauldron Scripture:

[1. The Way of the God of Cookery lies within the kitchen; improving culinary skills can help break through cultivation bottlenecks; 2. For every 20 Likes accumulated from diners, you will receive one Free Attribute Point; 3. Accumulating 10,000 Likes will unlock the second volume of the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll.]

New goals had appeared!

Chen Xu silently guided the Innate Qi in his dantian, feeling its spiritual flow and his heart surge.

After shedding the Mortal Fetus and entering the Vessel Meridian Realm, he discovered that not only had his qi returned to the innate, but he had also gained the ability to perceive his own body internally and examine the microscopic.

In simple terms, this ability meant, firstly, he had a more acute perception of his own state, and secondly, he could directly ascertain the limit of his lifespan!

[Lifespan: 18/120]

Vessel Meridian Realm, surpassing the Mortal Fetus limit, with a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years.

Was it short?

No, for most ordinary people, this was a considerable old age.

But if one aimed to become an immortal, it was far too brief.

The struggle for the Great Dao allowed for no moment of negligence.

This afternoon was undisturbed. Chen Xu spent a full twelve hours in Embers Kitchen, then returned to reality.

He then entered Embers Kitchen once more, repeating this cycle.

[Accumulated Likes: 1065]
[Free Attribute Points: 40]
[Firework Value: 346]

His accumulated Likes had changed again.

After spending 9 points, he still had 40 Free Attribute Points remaining.

Firework Value was still insufficient. Chen Xu opened the Firework Collection and found he could unlock two new skills.

[1. Summon Wind: As the saying goes, wind aids fire; how can one control fire and regulate a cauldron without the whisper of wind?]

[2. Draw Water: Water is the source of all things; the highest good is like water.]

Summon Wind could be unlocked for 300 Firework Value.

Draw Water could be unlocked for 500 Firework Value.

Additionally, there was Fire Control Level 2, which also required 300 Firework Value to unlock.

Firework Value was too tight; everything required Firework Value.

But this time, Chen Xu re-entered Embers Kitchen not to learn Summon Wind, nor Fire Control Level 2, but to craft Mud Pill Puppets!

Upon entering the Vessel Meridian Realm, without needing to deliberately learn, he had naturally acquired an ability through the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll.

The Cauldron Scripture referred to this ability as: Spirit Imbuement.

By using spiritual materials to create pastries and imbuing them with spirit, he could obtain his own unique Puppet Dao Soldiers.

In their initial state, Chen Xu's Puppet Dao Soldiers could possess the traits of Invisibility and Great Strength. The drawback was their fear of water; once splashed with water, the Mud Pill Puppets would gradually melt and dissipate, eventually losing their sentience and becoming ordinary pastries.

However, this minor drawback did not diminish Chen Xu's enthusiasm for Puppet Dao Soldiers.

Upon entering Embers Kitchen for the second time, Chen Xu immediately took out the existing spiritual material: Millet Paste Mud Embryo.

It was rather amusing; this Millet Paste Mud Embryo was left behind by Lin Qi's inferior avatar. Chen Xu had killed him but hadn't had the chance to use these Millet Paste Mud Embryos until now.

The Millet Paste Mud Embryo can be used to make Mud Pellets, and now it can also be used to create Puppet Dao Soldiers for Chen Xu.

Chen Xu immediately took two jin of Millet Paste Mud Embryo, mixed it with three jin of flour, and added water to knead it into a smooth dough.

Kneading, resting, degassing, shaping.

He wasn't very skilled at first, but perhaps due to his God of Cookery talent, after a while, Chen Xu suddenly found many inspirations and experiences about kneading popping into his mind.

For example, Chen Xu could naturally adjust and solve problems such as the direction of force from his arms and the ratio of dough to water.

After the Millet Paste Mud Embryo was mixed into the flour, the dough gradually began to slip. Chen Xu suddenly had a flash of inspiration at a certain moment and mobilized the Innate Qi within his body.

A mysterious power surged into the dough, breaking it down, suppressing it, and kneading it...

Round and flat, all forms from the heart.

In Embers Kitchen, if there were a mirror placed before him at this moment, Chen Xu would discover that he, who was kneading the dough, had suddenly gained a special aura.

It was as if what he was kneading was no longer dough, but the mortal world, his future, and his destiny.

Calm, composed, as if everything was within his grasp.

In his dantian, that wisp of Innate Qi flowed slowly. Through his hundred meridians, Vitality surged, Essence ascended, and Spirit converged.

[Cultivation: Vessel Meridian Realm (Early Stage 1.1%)]

[Cultivation: Vessel Meridian Realm (Early Stage 1.3%)]

His cultivation had indeed progressed while cooking!

Finally, Chen Xu molded a gray Dao Soldier about a foot tall. To make this Dao Soldier more combat-effective, he even fashioned simple armor and a spear for this small Dao Soldier.

It was a pity that Chen Xu's shaping skills were still not exquisite enough.

Although he had talent and could use Innate Qi to control power with Microscopic precision, he had simply practiced too little.

Not perfect, he needed to keep working hard.

In the evening, Chen Xu came out of Embers Kitchen just as Granny Lai arrived to divide the day's earnings in copper coins with him.

Chen Xu accepted the copper coins and chatted with her for a few sentences. He heard her say, "Young Master Chen, have you heard? There's a Lin family in the west city who will be setting up a grand ceremony spanning an entire street in front of their house starting tomorrow. They'll be holding a continuous feast for seven days to entertain all the citizens of the city. Such a grand display, all to send off their young Erlang!"

As she spoke, Granny Lai clicked her tongue, saying, "It's truly a life cut short. The deceased isn't some old person. A young lad, unmarried, still a child, isn't this a premature death? Why hold such a ceremony? I don't know if that person who died... sigh, I don't know if they can handle it."

After a bit of gossip, Granny Lai quickly covered her mouth, her eyes darting around. In those times, people believed the deceased should be respected. Although Granny Lai was elderly and respected, speaking ill of the dead made her feel a bit guilty afterward.

Chen Xu heard this and his heart stirred. He thought about going to the Lin family to pay his respects tomorrow morning—

No, why wait until tomorrow morning?