Embers Kitchen, Fire Worker Level One

The Cauldron Scripture opened.

Line after line of text appeared.

[Divine Lord Position: Chen Xu]

[Title: Fire Worker Apprentice]

[Essence: 10+]

[Qi and Blood: 18+]

[Spirit: 12+]

[Free Attribute Points: 8]

[Firework Value: 183]

[Notice: 1. For every 10 likes gathered from diners, one freely assignable attribute point can be obtained;

2. Accumulate 1,000 likes to unlock the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll.

3. Enter the Embers Kitchen. Consume Firework Value to learn culinary fundamentals and Fire Worker skills.]

The new changes in the Cauldron Scripture thrilled Chen Xu to the core. So once his total likes reached 100 and the Essence Gate and Spirit Gate opened, diners' likes would no longer directly convert into Qi and Blood.

This neatly prevented Chen Xu's Qi and Blood from continuing to surge wildly in public.

A sudden explosive surge in Qi and Blood was actually quite dangerous. If he lost control before a crowd and was noticed by someone with ulterior motives, who knew what consequences it might bring?

This time, Chen Xu's Qi and Blood had shot up by eight points. Even after returning home from South Market Street, he still felt as though his entire body were swelling.

If he had not been so eager to inspect the Cauldron Scripture, Chen Xu might have rushed off to find somewhere to vent the excessive strength coursing through him.

He paced rapidly back and forth through his room, his breaths heavy and scorching, while continuing to examine the Cauldron Scripture's detailed explanations of Essence, Qi and Blood, and Spirit.

[Essence: The treasure bestowed at birth, the origin of matter.]

[Qi and Blood: The gathering of energy, the circulation of true qi.]

[Spirit: The manifestation of spiritual awareness, the foundation of the soul.]

When the Three Essences of Spirit, Qi, and Body all reached 33 points, the human body could complete Three Essences Foundation Establishment on its own. This was the beginning of cultivation!

Seeing this, Chen Xu finally more or less understood why the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll could only be unlocked after his total likes reached 1,000.

A thousand total likes were enough for Chen Xu to gather 100 Free Attribute Points.

No matter what Chen Xu's initial attributes had been, freely allocating 100 attribute points would be enough for him to complete Three Essences Foundation Establishment, with some left over.

The human body was a natural treasure trove. Three Essences Foundation Establishment could grant this trove an abundant origin, a powerful physique, and a soul brimming with spirituality!

Chen Xu carefully studied the Cauldron Scripture. Though he had yet to unlock the God of Cookery Cultivation Scroll, he seemed, without realizing it, to understand the direction his cultivation should take.

Before he knew it, he had stopped pacing and sat down before the desk beside his bed.

On the old, mottled desk lay a book he had read yesterday: the Book of Changes.

Chen Xu sat before the desk, but his mind had already sunk into the Cauldron Scripture, entering the [Embers Kitchen].

The so-called Embers Kitchen did not exist in reality, but in the void beyond the Three Realms and Five Elements.

Through the Cauldron Scripture, Chen Xu could enter once for every 100 Firework Value he spent. Each visit allowed him to remain inside for twelve shichen, while only a quarter of an hour passed in reality.

Of course, it was not his physical body that entered, but his soul.

Within the Embers Kitchen, Chen Xu could also spend Firework Value to learn all manner of God of Cookery Recipes and skills. Whether recipes or skills, everything he learned could be brought back into reality, no different from his true body learning them.

In its initial state, the Embers Kitchen was a small cooking room with a distinctly ancient style.

It was roughly fifteen square meters in total. A stove was built against one wall; on the left side were three stove openings, one large and two small, while the right side held a worktable.

Around another corner, a huge water vat stood against the opposite wall.

Then there were the storage shelves, lined with bamboo trays. For now, however, those trays were utterly empty.

In the left corner of the other wall was a pile of firewood about three chi high. Each log was thick and sturdy, at least five cun in diameter, and looked as though it needed splitting before it could burn.

In his soul form, Chen Xu walked one circuit around the tiny cooking room and found everything before his eyes, every sensation he perceived, astonishingly real.

Had he not read the explanation beforehand, he would certainly have thought that his physical body had entered the Embers Kitchen, rather than merely his soul!

That included the solid sensation beneath his hand as he touched the stove, the scorching breath brought on by his surging Qi and Blood, the swelling feeling in his body, and the discomfort from the wound on his right leg...

Huff, huff, huff—

Chen Xu's breathing grew heavier and heavier. Then, with a sudden thought, he opened the Embers Kitchen's exclusive [Firework Archive].

Within the Firework Archive was a list of all the recipes and skills he could currently learn!

There were more than ten recipes, but only two skills:

1. Wood Chopping Level One (80)

2. Fire Control Level One (150)

[Firework Value: 83]

Wood Chopping required 80 Firework Value, while Fire Control required 150!

Looking closely at the descriptions, Wood Chopping read: Heaven and earth are a great furnace; firewood is like spring thunder. Cleave wood and split logs, every stroke a blade's stance.

Fire Control read: When the heat reaches perfection, all things under heaven become true flavor.

The descriptions were simple, yet each stirred endless imaginings.

Unfortunately, he could not learn Fire Control yet. Fine, then he would learn Wood Chopping first.

Chen Xu immediately touched the Firework Archive and chose to spend 80 Firework Value to learn Wood Chopping.

The next instant, a wondrous stream of information crashed down like a waterfall, pouring straight into Chen Xu's mind.

Within the world of his consciousness, everything turned stark white in that moment. Only a little figure drawn in black lines remained, facing log after log—examining the wood, seeking its grain, cleaving, chopping, lifting, slashing, picking, spinning, shaving...

Bang!

Bang!

Bang bang bang!

Chen Xu went to the woodpile, picked up the broad-bladed firewood knife lying on the ground, placed a round log upright before him, lowered his waist and gripped the blade, driving force through both arms before bringing it down in a fierce chop.

Bang!

Smack—

The round log toppled sideways. Chen Xu dropped to one knee on his right leg and blurted out, "Fuck!"

His leg injury had not healed. He completely failed to keep his balance with that move. He had not split the wood; instead, he had gone down on his knees first.

Pain tore through his right knee as if it were about to shatter, and the wound on his lower leg burned fiercely as well.

Yet an invisible flow of experience entered Chen Xu's mind, clearly guiding him on how to draw in his breath, how to exert force, how to properly avoid his own weakness, and how to follow the momentum and bring the blade down smoothly.

Chen Xu trembled from head to toe with pain, but immediately gritted his teeth and stood. He grabbed the firewood knife that had fallen to the ground and raised both hands once more.

Gather his breath, strike!

Bang—

[Wood Chopping Level One (1/100)]

This strike was right.

The experience of success flowed through his mind. Chen Xu carefully pondered and comprehended it, then continued swinging.

Bang! Bang bang bang!

Inside the tiny cooking room, the lame scholar wielded his blade like rain, chopping without pause.

His expression was intent, his Qi and Blood surged, and scorching energy rumbled through his body like burning firewood.

Even so, not every chop earned experience points.

Only when he truly improved—gaining a new application or insight into the art of Wood Chopping—would the experience on Chen Xu's attribute display page rise by one point.

[Wood Chopping Level One (3/100)]

(5/100)

(6/100)

As the experience rose bit by bit, Chen Xu's blade forms gradually gained richer and richer variations.

From cleaving to chopping, then to picking, to lifting...