Chapter 21: Just Cultivate in Peace

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Just Cultivate in Peace

[Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Mastery +20]

In the bamboo forest, Liu Chen exhaled a turbid breath. This was his second Body Tempering session of the morning. If all went as expected, after one last session of his Body Tempering Technique tomorrow, he would reach Body Tempering Minor Success.

’Increases in Body Tempering Proficiency are related to how much Spiritual Qi I absorb each time, while increases in Magic Proficiency are related to my comprehension of the Magic. It seems I can use this to determine if my theories are correct.’

Liu Chen thought to himself, then glanced at his progress in his various Magic Skills. After reaching the Beginner stage in the Withering Skill and Purification Technique, Liu Chen had reduced the number of times he practiced them.

Right now, aside from the Artifact Manipulation Technique he had mastered yesterday, the only Skill he had learned from his master that he had yet to reach the Beginner stage in was the Recovery Technique.

Liu Chen stood up and his gaze fell upon a weed that must have broken through the ground sometime last night, overcoming many obstacles. For a weed to sprout overnight, it could be considered a one-in-ten-thousand genius.

Unfortunately, since he was about to practice the Recovery Technique, this genius would have to suffer a little.

After practicing the Recovery Technique several times in a row, Liu Chen felt a daze come over him. He could almost see the web of Life Force remaining in the broken weed. Following these veins, he could see his own somewhat crude techniques from his previous attempts; several of the veins were even connected incorrectly.

As he mentally traced and reorganized the weed’s web of Life Force along these veins, Liu Chen felt a moment of sudden enlightenment.

[Recovery Technique Proficiency +10]

[Recovery Technique: Beginner, 10/500]

Snapping out of that strange sensation, Liu Chen studied the weed before him, which was once again brimming with vitality. After his previous practice sessions, the weed had been, for all intents and purposes, a tangled mess.

Its ultimate fate should have been to become a prop for practicing the Withering Skill. However, the weed now looked no different than it had before. Still, Liu Chen knew it wasn’t perfect. From that special perspective, he could see many Life Force veins that hadn’t recovered. It was only good enough not to affect the weed’s continued growth. If this had been a Spirit Plant, it would have surely affected its ability to flower and bear fruit later on.

Now that he could see the veins of Life Force, Liu Chen had an idea. Since he could use the Recovery Technique to follow the Life Force veins and restore the plant, perhaps using the Withering Skill in a similar fashion would be even more effective.

[Withering Skill Proficiency +4]

Along with the notification, the weed at Liu Chen’s fingertip turned to ash and scattered in the wind.

Clearly, his idea was correct, as was his approach to practicing the Withering Skill.

However, Liu Chen didn’t change his plans because of this. Even if he had found a knack for the Withering Skill, he couldn’t just master it to Perfection in a day or two. As long as he didn’t encounter a crisis that absolutely required a specific Magic Skill, Liu Chen preferred to stick to his training schedule.

His tentative plan was to practice each Magic Skill twenty-five times and circulate his Cultivation Technique five times. Thanks to his identity as a Spirit Chef, Liu Chen’s plan wouldn’t lead to the depletion of his Spiritual Power.

-----------------

In the Bamboo Garden of Purple Bamboo Peak’s Grand Elder, Yang Haichen served the Grand Elder a bowl of porridge, looking at his master with some anticipation.

The Grand Elder drank a bowl with a smile and ate some Bamboo Shoots. Although these things didn’t help his Cultivation at all, the fact that he could obtain them the day after learning of a Spirit Chef was enough to prove his judgment was sound.

"I’m finished. The rest is all yours."

The Grand Elder set down his bowl and chopsticks. Hearing this, Yang Haichen no longer held back and began to wolf down the food. After he had eaten and drunk his fill, wisps of Spiritual Qi swirled around him, resonating with the Spiritual Qi inside his body as his Cultivation Technique circulated. This strengthened the faint, golden bamboo leaf phantom beneath his skin.

"Master, is the effect of Spiritual Cuisine really so pronounced? This is equivalent to a whole day of my bitter training."

When the circulation of his Cultivation Technique ended, Yang Haichen felt the changes in his body, somewhat shocked. He usually circulated his Cultivation Technique nine times a day, but with the Spiritual Cuisine, a single session was equivalent to all nine.

"Not everyone can drink eight bowls of porridge in one sitting like you."

The Grand Elder couldn’t help but give him a look. In terms of quantity, the Spiritual Cuisine was just enough for the members of the acting Peak Master’s lineage on the back mountain. If not for Yang Haichen’s upstanding character, the Grand Elder would have suspected him of stealing it and gone to ask Mo Xuan if anything was missing.

"Master, are you saying that one portion of Spiritual Cuisine is roughly equivalent to one training session?"

Yang Haichen’s eyes narrowed. If that junior brother was willing to help, he might even be able to reach Body Tempering Perfection before the Inner Sect Disciple assessment. If he could then open his body’s Spirit Veins, he wouldn’t even need to participate in the so-called assessment.

Securing a pre-arranged spot might prove you’re outstanding, but being exempted from the test altogether is the true symbol of talent and strength.

"You can’t quite put it that way. It mainly depends on how much Spiritual Qi the Spiritual Cuisine contains. In essence, it just saves you the process of absorbing and refining Spiritual Qi. The residual Spiritual Qi in the ingredients, once processed by a Spirit Chef, is effectively pre-refined. All you need to do is absorb it."

The Grand Elder explained slowly. All kinds of Skills could accelerate a disciple’s growth. For example, a Spirit Talisman Master could place a Talisman directly on their body, which was equivalent to absorbing Spiritual Qi at all times. They would only need to focus on refining it.

"Alchemy Masters, Array Masters... in essence, all these professions save time in the process of absorbing and refining Spiritual Qi, thereby shortening cultivation time."

"But unfortunately, forget Purple Cloud Valley, even in the entire Great Xia Dynasty and all the surrounding powers, there are very few people who have mastered these Skills."

’Anyone who masters one of these will surely become a True Disciple in the future. That fellow Mo Xuan already has a successor, what good luck. Then again, my own luck doesn’t seem too bad either.’

"It’s a pity. Getting Spiritual Cuisine isn’t easy."

Yang Haichen shook his head. This time, it was just as Junior Brother Liu had said: it was either leftovers or it was truly imperfect in his eyes. ’Will such an opportunity arise again? It seems impossible.’

"Don’t overthink it. Just focus on your cultivation."

The Grand Elder shook his head. Since Mo Xuan hadn’t directly revealed the other party’s identity as a Spirit Chef, he clearly didn’t want him to be disturbed. Even if the matter was ultimately unavoidable, he was deliberately delaying the exposure of his identity.

Under these circumstances, it was already a good thing that Yang Haichen had managed to befriend him. Excessive greed could completely sever a relationship that was weak to begin with. He did not want to see his own disciple lose his former disposition over some Spiritual Cuisine.

"This disciple will remember."

Yang Haichen nodded in agreement. He hadn’t lost his mind. Spiritual Cuisine was wonderful, but he wasn’t a Spirit Chef and could only savor the memory. At this moment, he somewhat regretted eating so quickly.

’I should have savored the taste more.’

"When you go to the back mountains later, take the three stalks of Purple Bamboo Grass that matured yesterday. It will be good for you to befriend the Spirit Chef."

The Grand Elder nodded. That Purple Bamboo Grass was very precious to disciples who were just starting their cultivation, but for people like him, it just added a bit of fragrance when brewing tea. It was better to let his disciple use it to build a connection.

"Thank you, Master."

Yang Haichen was a little excited. The disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak were allotted a quota of five stalks of Purple Bamboo Grass per month, but once they reached Body Tempering Great Success, the Purple Bamboo Grass was basically useless.

’But for Junior Brother Liu, it should be of some help.’