The Third Soul Skill, Rainbow Porridge

The power of a Seven-Thousand-Year Soul Ring was indeed hard to bear.

At first, Chen An could still slowly divert the Soul Power pouring into him, but before long, a swelling pain spread through his meridians. As that force pressed down, even the circulation he normally knew so well became a struggle.

He no longer spared any attention for Chen Xin beside him. Steadying his breathing, he circulated his Soul Power over and over.

Usually, after finishing the cooking, however sleepy he was, he would still sit down at night and cultivate for a while. After so many days of sitting through it, he had never thought it anything special. Only now did he realize how useful something he had long practiced until it became familiar could be at a time like this.

Pain was pain, but he had not forgotten where to guide the power or how to receive it.

Chen Xin sat beside him, watching all the while.

When he first saw sweat seep from Chen An's forehead, the old man leaned forward a little. Later, seeing that his Soul Power never fell into disorder despite his discomfort, he settled back into his seat. Occasionally, Soul Beasts approached through the woods, but before they reached the clearing, that Sword Intent forced them back.

The sky gradually darkened.

The power within the purple Soul Ring merged little by little into the Dragon-Transforming Pot, and little by little, Chen An himself absorbed it. Only in the latter half of the night, when the most grueling swelling pain finally eased somewhat, did he have enough strength to slowly straighten out the Soul Power that had already flowed into his body.

After another long while, the jade-colored dragon patterns on the pot lit up.

Two yellow and one purple-three Soul Rings appeared in succession.

When Chen An opened his eyes, morning light had already reached the woods.

Seeing Chen Xin still sitting before him, he did not rush to examine his new Soul Ring. Instead, he first called out, "Grandpa Sword."

"Don't rush to get up."

Chen Xin reached out to check his body, then had him slowly circulate his Soul Power through a full cycle. Only after confirming there were no signs of damage to his meridians did the last traces of sternness finally leave the old man's face.

"Level thirty-three."

At that, Chen An immediately brightened.

Only yesterday, he had still been waiting at the threshold of level thirty. Now he had his Soul Ring, and his Soul Power had advanced a good stretch beyond that threshold as well. Most importantly, after enduring so long, he finally had his third dish.

But just as he braced his hands against the ground to stand, numbness shot through his legs, and he hurriedly sat back down.

All right, even his excitement would have to wait a little.

Chen Xin picked up the waterskin and handed him the dry rations he had prepared. Chen An took them and ate a few bites. Only after his hands and feet recovered did he carefully review the knowledge passed down by his new Soul Skill.

Rainbow Porridge.

Rice, vegetables in seven colors, the order in which they went into the pot, even how to reduce the heat at each stage-all of it had remained in his mind along with the third Soul Ring. But having this only meant he knew how to make it. If he actually wanted to taste it, he still had to cook it himself.

As for the porridge's effects, they differed from those of the first two dishes.

It could clear away certain foodborne and beast toxins, and alleviate the weakness caused by poisoning.

Chen An was very satisfied with this. His first two dishes mostly provided replenishment; now that he had one that cleared toxins, he would have another option if he encountered someone who needed it in the future. But the inherited knowledge also made it clear that a single bowl of porridge could not be expected to completely eliminate extremely potent poisons or stubborn soul toxins accumulated within the body.

"Grandpa Sword, my third Soul Skill is porridge. It can clear away some toxins."

After listening to his general explanation of its effects, Chen Xin nodded, but first held down the hand he was using to get up.

"There's no rush to make porridge. Recover first."

Chen An could only sit a little longer and regulate his breathing as usual. Having just absorbed a Soul Ring, his body was still tired. If he pushed himself to cook right away, Uncle Ning would probably lecture him again when they returned.

Only once the sun had risen higher and Chen Xin had checked that he had more or less recovered did Chen An take out the bowls and spoons he had brought along.

Looking at those things, the old man smiled.

"You even packed these before leaving?"

"I couldn't get a new dish and then go hunting everywhere for bowls."

That was reasonable enough. Chen Xin did not stop him again. He went aside to gather some dry wood and lit the cooking fire for him. Meanwhile, Chen An summoned the Dragon-Transforming Pot. Its jade-colored body settled before him, and the third, purple Soul Ring lit up with it.

A stream of Soul Power was drawn from his body, and soon the pot held a portion of translucent rice, along with separately contained vegetables in seven colors.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.

Their colors looked bright, but their textures differed. Some were crisp roots and stems, while others were tender, their leaves slowly unfurling upon touching water. Chen An took them out separately and washed them carefully, then put away the Dragon-Transforming Pot and summoned the Eternal Spirit Knife instead.

With only the grandfather and grandson in the woods, there was no need to find an ordinary kitchen knife.

Holding the Mulberry Knife, he first finely diced several of the ingredients that needed longer cooking. As the blade fell, the cut pieces came out uniformly sized; laid together, even their colors remained distinctly clear. He gave the remaining tender leaves only a few cuts and set them aside, lest they fall apart as soon as they entered the pot.

Chen Xin had been tending the fire. Seeing Chen An finish cutting one ingredient and move on to the next, he did not urge him to hurry.

Once this child stood before a chopping board, nothing remained in his mind but the task at hand. Just moments ago, he had been complaining about his legs going numb from sitting through the Soul Ring absorption. Now that he was busy, he was more earnest than anyone.

With the preparation finished, Chen An put away the knife, then turned the Dragon-Transforming Pot into a deep pot suitable for cooking porridge, added water, and set it over the fire.

He first washed the rice and soaked it briefly. Only once the water in the pot began to boil did he slide it in along the edge, then gently stir it apart with a spoon to keep the grains from sticking to the bottom.

The wood fire in the forest was harder to control than the one in the Kitchen, so he pulled one vigorously burning stick outward a little, leaving only enough heat to keep the porridge gently bubbling. White steam rose from the rim. The rice and water, still clearly separate at first, gradually cooked into a soft, starchy broth.

Only then did the finely diced ingredients that needed longer cooking go into the pot in batches.

The red pieces fell in like flecks of sunset scattered among the white rice. Orange and yellow followed, adding brighter colors to the bubbling porridge. Chen An did not dump all the remaining ingredients in to save himself trouble. Instead, he scooped up a little and checked that the roots and stems had softened all the way through before adding the next portion.

The aroma slowly emerged as well.

Unlike the rich, meaty fragrance of Sea Pig broth, the scent of rice carried the fresh sweetness of vegetables. The longer one smelled it, the more soothing it seemed. Chen Xin put the half-piece of dry ration he had kept back into his pack, his hand already reaching for a nearby bowl.

Chen An noticed, but merely reminded him, "It still needs a little longer."

"I'm just getting the bowl out."

He said he was getting it out, but the bowl had been sitting out there all along.

Chen An did not expose him. After tasting a little himself, he added the last few portions of tender vegetables to the pot. He lowered the heat and slowly stirred up from the bottom with the spoon. The seven colors blended into the thick rice broth, yet each retained its own brightness.

He added a little salt, stirred it evenly, then covered the pot and let it sit briefly over the heat.

When Chen An lifted the lid again, a faint seven-colored glow actually appeared amid the rising steam.

Red, golden yellow, and blue-green unfurled with the steam, like a little rainbow suspended above the pot. Even Chen An felt a little reluctant to stir it. Only when the spoon dipped in did the colored light gently scatter across the surface.

"It really is a rainbow."

Smiling, he filled a bowl and gave it to Chen Xin first.

The old man did not merely admire it. He blew on it a little and took a bite.

The rice grains were soft and sticky without having lost their shape. The fragrance of rice came first, followed by the fresh sweetness of the vegetables. Several textures spread through his mouth, warm and comforting-far more satisfying than the dry rations they had eaten along the way.

After two spoonfuls, Chen Xin held his bowl forward.

"Don't skimp when you serve it."

"There's enough."

Chen An added some more for him, then filled his own bowl as well. After working until now, he was already hungry again. He had no attention to spare for holding up the bowl to admire its colors; he blew a mouthful cool and ate it first.

The grandfather and grandson ate the entire pot of freshly made porridge.

Neither Chen Xin nor Chen An was poisoned, so naturally, this meal could not show them just how far its toxin-clearing effects could go. But they had established how it tasted. At least when they brought it back to the sect, there would be no need to worry that Rongrong would take one bite and refuse to eat any more.

After putting everything away, Chen An sat down to recover for a while longer. His level-thirty-three Soul Power was more plentiful than before, but making this pot of porridge had still consumed a considerable amount. Drinking it himself could not replenish that expenditure out of thin air.

Once he finished regulating his breathing, he leaned against the pack Chen Xin had laid out and drifted into a lovely sleep.

He had his new Soul Ring, and he had successfully made his new dish.

As for how to tell Rongrong about it when they returned, he would think about that after waking up.