Chapter 11 – Fire Chick_1
The at in the bowl was a pale golden color, crystal clear and translucent, resembling a chicken leg but nearly the size of a pork knuckle that Mo Hua had eaten in his previous life.
The soup was clear and bright, topped with a thin layer of shimring oil that was moisturizing without being greasy, adorned with so mushrooms and other side dishes, and small chunks of vibrant green herbs.
It had been a long ti since Mo Hua last ate at; the most recent ti was half a year ago during the Monster Hunting Festival.
at is very expensive in the Tao Cultivation World; unless it’s a special holiday, it’s tough for average cultivators to have at.
The at that cultivators eat is broadly categorized into two types: one type is from spirit beasts.
Spirit beasts are different from monster beasts. They are raised by cultivators, fed with spirit grass and other various natural spiritual objects. Their flesh is tender, easy to cook, and contains spiritual energy, which makes them very expensive and unaffordable for loose cultivators.
The other type is the at from herbivorous monster beasts.
While all monster beasts kill humans, not all of them eat humans. Those that feed on various spirit grasses might be ferocious and slaughter cultivators, but they won’t consu the cultivators’ flesh.
Conversely, carnivorous monster beasts have almost all eaten humans. If they haven’t, it isn’t because they don’t eat humans; it’s simply because they have yet to encounter a cultivator they can eat.
Therefore, while the at of herbivorous monster beasts may have a peculiar taste, it is still edible for cultivators. The flesh of carnivorous monster beasts, on the other hand, is bloody and filthy, difficult to consu, and once eaten by a cultivator, it can easily contaminate their blood qi, causing their ridians to beco chaotic, and so may even beco possessed and insane.
The at of herbivorous monster beasts may not be expensive, but ordinary cultivators still won’t eat it.
The physical constitution of monster beasts is far superior to that of cultivators, and herbivorous monster beasts are no exception; their flesh is too tough to be palatable. To eat it, one needs to stew it over a stove for a long ti before it can be chewed and swallowed.
Loose cultivators simply can’t afford the effort, and those cultivators who can afford the effort would directly choose to eat the flesh of spirit beasts.
Thus, no matter what kind, at is rarely seen on the tables of loose cultivators.
The at in front of him, however, had a faint white steam rising from it, scarce though it was, it definitely contained a bit of spiritual energy.
Liu Ruhua waved at Mo Hua, “This is the at of a Fire Chick. Your dad bought it to nourish your body.”
After speaking, she couldn’t help pinching Mo Hua’s pale little face, “Look how much you’ve slimd down recently.”
Mo Hua was sowhat reluctant and couldn’t help asking, “This at must be quite expensive, right?”
Mo Shan waved his hand, “We only bought half of it; it didn’t cost too much in spirit stones. Moreover, it’s from a friend in the monster hunting team. We’re going to work together next year, so it’s a mutual favor, half bought and half given.”
Mo Hua said, “Dad, are you planning on entering the Inner Mountain next year?”
Mo Shan nodded, “The Outer Mountain has beco more difficult to make a living in. The profit from killing a monster beast is too low, and if soone gets injured, it could even be a loss. The monster beasts in the Inner Mountain are stronger, but as long as we find good items on them, we’ll have an easier ti, so next year…”
Mo Shan suddenly stopped and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Why am I telling you all this?”
Liu Ruhua gave Mo Shan a gentle glare and spooned a bowl of at soup for Mo Hua, “Try it and see how it tastes.”
Mo Hua took a sip of the soup and a bite of the at; the soup was fresh, the at was fragrant—rich but not greasy, and a delight to all senses.
This was the most delicious at Mo Hua had ever eaten.
Mo Hua squinted in pleasure and praised, “Mom, it’s really delicious!”
Liu Ruhua couldn’t help but smile, “If it’s good, eat more of it. This whole bowl is yours; make sure you finish it.” Then she headed for the kitchen, “There are so other dishes too, I’ll go get them…”
Mo Shan stood up, “I’ll help you…”
Seeing his parents both head to the kitchen, Mo Hua took several pieces of the Fire Chick at and added them to his own bowl, distributing the rest into his parents’ bowls.
When Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua returned with the dishes, they found their bowls filled with at.
Liu Ruhua felt both gratified and amused, saying softly, “This at was specially bought for you. At our age, we don’t expect any progress in cultivation. To consu such spirit-enhanced at would be a waste…”
As Liu Ruhua tried to place so at into Mo Hua’s bowl, Mo Hua covered his bowl with both hands and shook his head, saying, “I’ve had enough. I can’t eat any more.”
Mo Hua covered his bowl and refused to eat any more.
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua had no choice but to let the matter go, though they began to push the food back and forth between themselves.
Mo Shan added at to his wife’s bowl, whispering, “You’ve worked hard all these years. Eat more to nourish your body…”
Liu Ruhua returned the at to her husband’s bowl, softly saying, “You’ve been the one toiling outside, enduring the elents and hardship. You should eat more…”
Mo Hua, listening, couldn’t help but feel his teeth sour and blurted out, “Mom, Dad, if you don’t eat the at soon, it will get cold.”
Mo Shan and his wife had forgotten their son was there, and when they saw their son’s watery eyes watching them from the side, Liu Ruhua’s face turned slightly red, while Mo Shan coughed lightly and pretended to eat as if nothing had happened.
When Mo Hua saw his parents finally eating the at in their bowls, he nodded in satisfaction.
He then thought that although the at of the Fire Chick was tasty, it was too expensive.
The flesh of monster beasts might lack spiritual energy, but it could bolster one’s blood qi, which undoubtedly was beneficial for cultivators. It was just that the at of monster beasts was quite tough to chew…
How could he ensure his parents ate more at? He wondered if there was a thod to achieve this.
Mo Hua put this thought aside for the mont. The most important thing right now was to finish the Bright Fire Formation painting, and head to the trading house to find Fatty Steward and exchange for spirit stones.
After the al, Mo Hua returned to his room to ditate and digest the Fire Chick at. As the spiritual energy was not substantial, it did not take too long.
Once the spiritual energy was refined, Mo Hua resud his work on the Bright Fire Formation. Before going to bed that evening, he successfully completed another one.
Afterward, Mo Hua fell asleep and continued to practice formation painting on the Taoist Stele, reinforcing his mory of the formation and reflecting on his brush technique.
Once daylight ca, he ditated, and then kept practicing formation painting. He completed one in the morning and another in the afternoon, both successfully. However, the use of divine sense was quite draining, so after dinner, he had to rest for a while before going back to practicing formation painting on the Taoist Stele in his dreams.
On the fourth day, Mo Hua’s brush technique had improved significantly, and his divine sense seed to have thickened slightly. Perhaps it was due to a deeper understanding of the Bright Fire Formation, leading to less consumption of divine sense. He was able to paint two formations during the day, and after dinner, he had the strength to paint another one. However, he was a bit too hasty and made a mistake with his brushwork, resulting in the failure of the formation.
That night, after Mo Hua fell asleep, he continued to reflect and summarize in his Sea of Consciousness, practicing formation painting using the Taoist Stele.
By the fifth day, Mo Hua had completed three Bright Fire Formations, all successful, though he felt a bit dizzy and his head was swollen from using too much divine sense. There was no pain as acute as the first ti. Resting with closed eyes and concentration for a while did the trick.
By then, Mo Hua had used up all the formation materials entrusted by the trading house, producing a total of eight Bright Fire Formations.
Although there were so imperfections and much room for improvent, he was generally satisfied.
That evening, Mo Hua indulged a little and didn’t continue practicing on the Taoist Stele. Instead, he drew a few comic strips on it, purely for entertainnt.
The next day, after breakfast, Mo Hua arranged to et Da’hu and the other two for a stroll through the streets.
Mo Hua put the completed formations in a storage bag, slung it over his shoulder, and just before leaving the house, Liu Ruhua slipped a spirit stone and five broken spirit stones to Mo Hua, telling him to buy so tasty or fun things if he saw sothing he liked. She also earnestly reminded him to stay safe.
Da’hu and the others thumped their chests, promising to protect Mo Hua and not let anyone bully him.
Mo Hua waved goodbye to his mother and headed out the door with his three pals.
On their way, Da’hu and the gang were lively, hopping and jumping around.
On the bustling stone-paved street, the three spirited young boys and a porcelain doll-like child hopped and skipped along…
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