Chapter 14: Indulging in Meat

Within the market,Fang Xi strolled around, eyeing several items with interest, but his meager funds left him unable to afford them.

In particular, a fragmentary brewing recipe caught his attention, making him quite eager.

“Never mind… I can try brewing myself… Using spirit bamboo rice as the base ingredient, even if it’s just small batches at first…”

“Brewed from spirit rice, aside from quenching hunger, it should also enhance spiritual energy somewhat…”

As Fang Xi pondered, his steps unconsciously led him to a paper talisman stall.

This was Symbol Master Zong’s usual spot; purely out of habit, he hoped to find some overlooked bargains.

However, today Symbol Master Zong wasn’t present, and instead, his cultivation partner ‘Lu Zhi’ manned the stall.

Nearby, another individual stood by the stall.

“Eh? Isn’t that Fellow Daoist Chen?” Fang Xi recognized Chen Ping and approached with a smile to greet him.

“Fellow Daoist Fang…” Chen Ping responded with an awkward grin, quickly excusing himself after exchanging a few perfunctory words.

“Wondering what talismans Fellow Daoist Chen came to purchase? Or perhaps for paper talismans or spiritual sand?”

Watching Chen Ping’s retreating figure, Fang Xi turned to Lu Zhi with a contemplative look.

“Tsk, just another lecherous fellow,” spat Lu Zhi, her fiery personality contrasting her curvaceous figure. With a cultivation base at Qi Refinement sixth layer, she scolded, “That sneaky Chen kid always had wandering eyes, even when shamelessly learning talisman art from my husband…”

“Oh…” Fang Xi regarded Lu Zhi thoughtfully, admitting inwardly that she was indeed a striking beauty. Despite being somewhat older, she exuded a mature allure.

‘I didn’t expect Chen Ping to have a preference for this type.’

“And you? If you want to buy paper talismans, make it quick! Don’t waste my time!” Lu Zhi placed her hands on her hips, barely restraining herself from further insults due to Fang Xi’s status as a regular customer.

“I’m leaving now, right away.” Fang Xi smiled apologetically and headed back to the spirit farmer shantytowns.

Next door, Chen Ping anxiously paced in his courtyard. Upon seeing Fang Xi return, he hurried over, nervously asking, “Fellow Daoist Fang… Did Fellow Daoist Lu say anything?”

“Nothing, nothing at all…”

Fang Xi shook his head.

Seeing Chen Ping visibly relieved, he suddenly asked thoughtfully, “Fellow Daoist Chen, have you ever sought out any leisurely pleasures?”

“Uh… naturally not.” Chen Ping’s face instantly flushed bright red, resembling a bashful young man, which made it hard for Fang Xi to suppress a chuckle.

As an experienced elder, he couldn’t help but offer a hint, “From what I know, Fellow Daoist Hong from Room B3 and Fairy Red Bee from Room C17 are both quite welcoming…”

“That…I’m not really interested in such things.” Chen Ping hastily waved his hands, yet his eyes began darting around nervously.

“Haha…hold on, hold on, let me finish first,” Fang Xi said, aware that these young men often struggle against the allure of mature women. “These two fellow Daoists, although slightly older, are incredibly understanding and empathetic…”

“Really?” Upon hearing ‘slightly older,’ Chen Ping’s eyes lit up, as if seeing Fang Xi as a kindred spirit now.

This reaction brought joy to Fang Xi’s heart.

The four unbreakable bonds of life apply universally, even within relationships in the cultivation world.

After deepening their friendship with Chen Ping, Fang Xi returned to his room and headed down to the basement, staring blankly at the nearly twenty-pound chunk of Beefwood meat.

Fatso Han had generously given him extra portions, resulting in two large pieces totaling over ten pounds, which looked quite impressive laid out before him.

“According to Mu Piaomiao, Beefwood meat should be cooked before consumption. It can be grilled or boiled…”

Fang Xi sliced off a strip, started a small fire, and began slowly roasting it.

As the flames licked the pale white Beefwood, it gradually turned slightly golden-brown, emitting a unique aroma that tantalized the senses.

“How fragrant! I didn’t expect Great Liang to have such exquisite ingredients,” Fang Xi’s eyes sparkled.

Glancing at the Spring Recovery Talisman and Pure Spirit Pill nearby, he felt reassured. With renewed confidence, he took a hearty bite from the roasted meat strip.

“Mm…”

The moment the cooked Beefwood touched his tongue, its sweet juices burst forth. The savory flavors continuously stimulated his taste buds, spreading an indescribable richness throughout his mouth, almost making him teary-eyed with delight.

Breathing heavily, Fang Xi found himself devouring the Beefwood in just a few bites without realizing it.

Suddenly, his expression changed as he clutched his stomach.

As soon as the incredibly delicious Beefwood meat entered his stomach, it felt like igniting countless embers within him! A scorching heat exploded, repeatedly washing over his gastric lining.

The intense warmth uncontrollably spread, reaching his internal organs, limbs, and every part of his body…

It was unbearably hot!

Despite being early spring, large beads of sweat began to form on Fang Xi’s forehead. His clothes were drenched, soaked with perspiration.

Strikingly, amidst the sweat, there seemed to be traces of crimson mixed in!

“Even those so-called ‘great body-refinement elixirs’ revered by mortal cultivators might not surpass this effect,” Fang Xi thought, feeling his inner turmoil akin to a raging furnace.

“The enticing aroma of roasted Beefwood meat can make it hard to resist eating more… And consuming too much could lead to death!”

“No wonder Fatso Han feared I’d eat myself to death… For an ordinary three-transformations cultivator, they might truly struggle to control their appetite, succumbing to temptation and overeating until fatal…”

Fang Xi, however, was not just any cultivator but also a cultivator seeking immortality.

He stood up, using his spiritual sense to forcefully command his muscles, then assumed a stance to practice the White Cloud Palm.

His palms turned pitch-black, each strike generating powerful gusts within the secret room.

After nearly an hour, Fang Xi finally ceased his practice.

Examining himself internally, he was pleasantly surprised, “My blood qi has increased so significantly! Beast meat truly is an unparalleled elixir for body refinement!”

Following his initial delight, he furrowed his brow slightly, “The potency of this effect is quite intense. No wonder only dojo masters dare to consume it regularly, while three transformations cultivators use it sparingly just before breakthroughs…”

Using his spiritual sense from the cultivation realm, Fang Xi detected that the surging blood qi had caused subtle damage throughout his body.

If left unchecked, these effects might not be immediately noticeable or even affect his martial training temporarily. However, over time, they would inevitably lead to severe consequences, akin to what’s known as ‘a point of no return.’

“Fortunately, I can examine my internal state… Time to address these issues directly and begin healing.”

This was one of the advantages of being a cultivator.

Not only did Fang Xi identify the current blood qi damage, but he also discovered accumulated minor injuries and toxins from his previous toxin palm training. He systematically treated each issue, purging the toxins along the way.

As a result, his physical prowess far exceeded that of other cultivators at his level, and his overall condition was remarkably superior.

After examining himself internally and confirming only minor injuries, Fang Xi promptly put away the Pure Spirit Pill and Spring Recovery Talisman.

These items were costly to acquire with spirit crystals after all.

For such ordinary wounds, he could quietly activate the Everlasting Spring Art for healing. With a few days’ effort, they would be completely mended.

The ‘Everlasting Spring Art’, being a foundational wood attribute technique, may not have exceptional progress or potency, but it did possess unique therapeutic and rejuvenating effects inherent to wood attribute methods.

With this thought, Fang Xi wasted no time, immediately sitting cross-legged and silently initiating his cultivation.

The Everlasting Spring Art is inherently moderate and peaceful, particularly effective for healing.

After completing one full circulation, he opened his mouth and expelled a small amount of dark blood.

“Cough cough…”

Fang Xi briefly rinsed his mouth with clear water, wiped his lips, and then inspected himself inwardly, nodding slightly. “Two more sessions should suffice for complete recovery…”

“At this rate, I can safely consume Beefwood meat once every three days.”

“With its assistance, my accumulation of blood qi will accelerate rapidly. Who knows, by next month, I might be ready to challenge the dojo master realm!”

Mu Piaomiao, on the other hand, would never dare to eat Beefwood meat so frequently; doing so could lead to severe internal damage before even breaking through, ultimately resulting in a fatal hemorrhage.

“Completing one round of body refinement within months - not bad at all.”

Fang Xi was highly satisfied with this progress.

Considering he had only been practicing martial arts for half a winter, reaching the dojo master realm within another month seemed remarkably swift.

Having witnessed Mu Canglong’s strength, Fang Xi knew that a Great Liang dojo master was roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the initial stage of Qi Refinement, just after their first body refinement.

“This speed is truly astonishing… In comparison, breaking through even one layer in Qi Refinement within several months would mark someone as a rare genius, especially in the early stages.” S~ᴇaʀᴄh the N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Moreover, a cultivator who has completed one body refinement can pose a significant threat to a Qi Refinement third layer cultivator in close combat.”

“And let’s not forget, beyond the dojo master realm, there are higher levels still.”

At this moment, Fang Xi fully appreciated the benefits of vital energy martial arts: they were incredibly fast!

As martial arts primarily used by mortals seeking dominance, their progression naturally outpaced cultivation techniques significantly!

“If I could break through to realms above dojo master, perhaps I’d match Middle Stage Qi Refinement body cultivators - now that would be immensely advantageous!”

“The key advantage here is the rapid advancement!”

“With a physique comparable to Middle Stage Qi Refinement, maybe I could operate more freely at Qingzhu Mountain Market, selling some beast meats?”

Fang Xi’s eyes gleamed slightly.

The price of beast meat far exceeded that of spirit rice!

More importantly, purchasing beast meat in Great Liang didn’t require spirit stones; mere gold and silver sufficed, making it a virtually risk-free venture with immense profit potential!

If he maintained this pace, he might effortlessly accumulate resources needed for Foundation Establishment in the future!