After finishing his breathing exercises, Chen An opened his eyes. The first thing he did was reach for the bowl beside him.
Chen Xin watched in amusement.
The boy had sat there so calmly just now, yet the moment he opened his eyes, his thoughts flew straight back to the pot.
But seeing that his color had returned and his Soul Power had stabilized, Chen Xin did not stop him again. He rose and set the dry firewood he had gathered earlier beside them.
"Go ahead. Grandpa will try your new cooking today too."
Chen An answered and summoned the Dragon-Transforming Pot. His second Soul Ring lit up with it.
Jade light swirled around the pot's mouth, and a ball of light gathered within. Soon, a piece of meat and several portions of differently colored organ meats appeared in the previously empty pot.
At the same time, the Soul Power within him was rapidly draining.
Chen An kept a close watch. Once the ingredients had taken shape, he cut off his Soul Power rather than continuing to add more.
For two servings, these would be enough to start with.
Still, feeling that chunk of Soul Power vanish from his body all at once left him somewhat rueful.
He had just reached level twenty-two and thought he had far more to spare than before, yet switching to a different soup spent it just as quickly.
It seemed he still had to keep raising his Soul Power.
He took out the ingredients and placed them on a washed wooden board, put away the Dragon-Transforming Pot, and only then brought out the Eternal Spirit Knife.
The gleaming silver blade settled into his palm, its familiar weight making him feel much more at ease. As his Soul Power circulated, the blade took on a shape suited to trimming meat and removing membranes. Its thin edge slid along the meat, peeling away an entire layer of connective tissue.
With only Grandpa Sword here, there was no need to deliberately hide it.
This Sea Pig meat differed somewhat from the pork he usually used. It was darker, with fine streaks of fat running through it when sliced. The cut surface was moist, yet little bloody liquid seeped out.
Chen An pinched it. The meat was firm and quickly sprang back when he let go.
Good stuff.
After cooking for so long, he could tell something of an ingredient's quality as soon as he handled it. Even setting aside the Soul Skill's effects, this piece of meat before him would make a fine soup.
He divided the meat, set a small, fattier piece aside, and cut the rest into evenly thick slices before starting on the organ meats.
He trimmed away the membranes that needed removing, thoroughly washed what needed cleaning, cut the thick stomach meat into strips, and set the more tender pieces aside separately.
He could not just dump everything in at once. Before the tougher pieces softened, the tender ones would turn tough, leaving an entire pot that taxed the teeth. What sort of soup would that be?
As the blade rose and fell, several portions of ingredients were soon laid out on the board.
Chen An checked them over, put away the Eternal Spirit Knife, and summoned the Dragon-Transforming Pot again, turning it into a small, deep-bellied cooking pot.
Chen Xin had already lit the fire. Seeing him approach with the pot, he shifted a nearby stone used as a step into place so that Chen An could see inside the pot while standing.
"The water's right behind you."
"All right. Grandpa, take a seat. It'll be ready soon."
Chen An set the little pot securely over the fire. Once its bottom heated up, he first added the slices of fatty meat.
A faint sizzling immediately rang out.
The slices lay against the bottom, their edges quickly turning from red to white. Their fat gradually seeped out, collecting in a thin layer across the pot's base.
Chen An did not rush to turn them. Only after their undersides had fried to a pale gold did he move them apart with a spoon.
As the hot fat bubbled, the aroma of meat spread with it.
Chen Xin, who had been sitting nearby watching him, also turned his gaze to the pot.
It already smelled good before it had even begun to stew.
Chen An added the prepared ginger slices, frying them in the rendered fat until fragrant, then tipped in the sliced meat and stir-fried it along the sides of the pot.
As the meat changed color, the aroma grew richer. Fat crackled along the pot's edges, making even Chen An, standing beside the fire, feel a little hungry.
He had eaten little at noon, then busied himself absorbing his Soul Ring. Now that he smelled the food, his stomach was more honest than anyone.
But moments like this were precisely when he could not rush.
After stir-frying the meat through, Chen An added clear water, put in the stomach strips that needed longer cooking, and increased the heat.
Before long, large bubbles rose in the pot. Foam gathered on the surface, mingled with a few curled slices of ginger.
Spoon in hand, Chen An skimmed away the foam layer by layer, even wiping clean the flecks clinging to the rim. Only then did he put on the lid and pull a few sticks of firewood out from underneath.
All that remained was to wait patiently.
Chen Xin watched him adjust the fire and tidy everything he had disturbed. Only after finishing did he finally consent to sit down nearby.
"When we get back, have Uncle Zhou assign you another helper. Don't do everything yourself."
"I have enough help, Grandpa. In the Kitchen, Uncle Zhou and the others prepare everything for me. All I do is put it in the pot."
Chen An put down the washed spoon and answered with a smile.
"It only took a little longer because this was my first time making it."
Usually, a whole crowd scrambled to help him. Even when he wanted to wash a bowl himself, someone would take over. If they added another helper, Uncle Zhou probably would not even know what work to assign them.
Hearing that, Chen Xin let the matter drop. He reached over and steadied the crooked board beside him so the bowls on it would not slide off.
The little pot burbled away, white steam escaping through the gap beneath the lid. The earlier aroma of fried meat gradually changed, gaining the rich savor of a thoroughly simmered stew.
As they waited, Chen An was the first to grow restless, going over to check every so often.
This was his first time making the soup granted by his Soul Skill. Although the method was already in his mind, he still had to see for himself how the ingredients behaved in the pot before he could feel completely sure.
Only once the stomach strips had softened and the meat's flavor had cooked into the broth did he add the remaining tender ingredients and build up the fire again to bring the soup to a boil.
By now, the broth had turned whitish. Meat slices bobbed in the rolling liquid, and the fat had dispersed into fine droplets. Even from a distance, the surface seemed to carry an extra layer of gentle sheen.
The dragon patterns on the Dragon-Transforming Pot shone clearly in the firelight. Steam rose, and as he lifted the lid, the aroma of meat surged out.
Standing close, Chen An smelled it most clearly.
Before, he had merely felt hungry. Now, he really was finding it hard to hold back.
After tasting a spoonful of broth, he added a little more salt. Once the last ingredients were fully cooked, he removed the fire and carried the pot aside.
"Grandpa, time to eat."
At those words, Chen Xin needed no further invitation. He came over with his bowl.
But Chen An took the bowl from him first, selected a few pieces of stewed meat, and ladled in hot broth until it was filled to the brim before handing it back.
From last night until now, Grandpa Sword had accompanied him through the forest, watched over him while he slept and absorbed his Soul Ring, and had not even eaten a proper hot meal.
Naturally, Grandpa should taste the first bowl of this new soup.
Chen Xin accepted the bowl without declining. He sat down and took a sip first.
As the hot soup entered his mouth, its rich meaty aroma immediately unfolded, its savor even fuller than the smell suggested. Though the broth had simmered quite thick, it was not greasy to drink, and a lingering sweetness remained in his mouth after he swallowed.
Chen Xin had only intended to taste it first, but after that sip, he took another.
Only then did he pick up some meat from his bowl.
The meat slices had stewed until tender, their juices squeezing out with a bite. The stomach strips retained some springiness and were thoroughly soaked in broth, offering a different flavor as he chewed.
"Not bad. This is good."
Having said that, Chen Xin did not put his bowl down again.
Pleased by the sight, Chen An served himself the remaining bowlful. He blew on the steam first, then lowered his head to drink.
The moment the soup entered his mouth, he knew he had gotten the cooking time and heat right.
The Sea Pig meat's own savory fragrance had been fully drawn out. The ginger was just right, removing the gaminess without masking the meat's aroma. The flavors of the different ingredients blended together, making it very pleasant to drink.
But immediately afterward, Chen An noticed something different.
Warmth spread from his belly through his body toward his limbs. After walking for more than a day and sitting cross-legged for so long, his lower back and legs had still been somewhat sore and weary. Now they gradually relaxed.
That warmth did not make him feel hot. Instead, it drove away the forest's chill.
Chen An drank a few more mouthfuls and ate the meat in his bowl. Some of the Soul Power he had spent creating the ingredients was replenished as well.
That made him eat with even more gusto.
By the time he emptied the bowl, his body felt so comfortable that he did not want to move. He sat down nearby and let out a long breath.
"Soup really is the best."
After several meals of dry rations, this bowl in his belly had even washed away the little bit of irritation left by all that tiring walking.
Chen Xin set his empty bowl aside and smiled at the sight of him sitting there so contentedly.
"When we get back, your Grandpa Bone will probably be running to the Kitchen again."
"Then he'll have to come early. This soup needs to be drunk hot."
Chen An replied offhandedly, then began carefully examining the Soul Power within him.
He could clearly sense the portion he had recovered. After estimating it, Chen An found that even counting Grandpa's bowl, it would not cover the Soul Power spent creating the ingredients and maintaining his Martial Soul.
Clearly, he could forget about cooking soup for himself and drinking his way to ever more Soul Power.
But it was perfectly suited to someone who had just finished cultivating or arrived after a long journey.
Warming the body first, restoring stamina, and gaining some Soul Power besides-wasn't that better than gritting one's teeth and holding on?
He told Chen Xin what he had felt. After hearing him out, Chen Xin told him to put away his Martial Soul first.
"Getting it this good on your first try is already excellent. Take your time testing it when we get back. There's no rush to try everything today."
Chen An nodded in agreement and scraped the last bit of broth from the bottom of the pot into his bowl, wasting none of it.
Though Chen Xin had also felt the warmth, given his Soul Power, the replenishment from this pot of soup was not noticeable. Its flavor, however, left him thoroughly satisfied.
Seeing Chen An already fetching water to wash the bowls, he took over and told the boy to sit down and rest a while.
Chen An did not argue with Grandpa. After putting away the Dragon-Transforming Pot, he leaned against something nearby and began circulating his Soul Power.
The comfort brought by the soup remained. Once he quieted his mind, his cultivation was steadier than before as well.
Once they had rested enough, the two packed their things, extinguished the fire, and headed out of the forest.
They had found the Soul Ring and successfully made the new soup. Everything they had come out to do was finished.
As Chen An walked, he remembered what Ning Rongrong had said when seeing him off, and his steps quickened a little.
Once I get back, I'll serve that little girl a bowl too.
Before you continue