Chen Xu checked all the remaining ingredients in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

Ordinary rice, flour, oil, or side dishes were actually plentiful, all of which he had stored in multiple batches before heading to the exam.

The shelves in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen could contain vast amounts in a small space and also had preservation abilities.

Chen Xu had previously spent nearly a hundred taels of silver to procure ingredients. With today's silver purchasing power, if these were for personal use, they would be enough for a while.

But when it comes to ingredients, the more, the better.

Now that Chen Xu had income from his manuscripts, he decided to replenish a batch in a few days.

He couldn't do it now, as he had just finished the exam. He was being watched by countless eyes in Yunjiang Prefecture, so it was not suitable to make any unusual moves.

Lately, he had been studying day and night and hadn't paid much attention to the changes in his praise value.

In fact, with the spreading of the story "Two Tales of Beast Creation" during this time, he had been earning praises from at least four to five hundred to six to seven hundred daily. His total praise count had long surpassed ten thousand.

[Accumulated Praises: 12,605]

[Free Attribute Points: 108]

[Fireworks Value: 1676]

Seeing this, Chen Xu couldn't help but ponder.

Although the total praise count had increased significantly, the consumption of Free Attribute Points and Fireworks Value continued.

The consumption rate of Fireworks Value was especially fast, as this story "Cooking the Human Demon with a Raging Fire" ultimately had a limit in its dissemination capability.

Or put it another way, even though the story was spreading, not everyone who heard it would give praise.

Perhaps someone praised it today, but not tomorrow, or just praised it a few times and stopped, without continuously praising it repeatedly.

Within the range of Yunjiang Prefecture City, even the daily limit of a thousand praises was not met, and that was with the support of the poem "Knight's Journey."

No, that's not right.

In the past few days, the limit of a thousand praises was indeed reached.

It was only in the recent days that it had decreased, which was why the limit was not met.

Chen Xu could imagine that when the Two Tales of Beast Creation and "Knight's Journey" first spread in the city, the number of people praising daily must have been immense, and the total number of praises far exceeded 1000.

But Chen Xu's Cultivation was insufficient, so the reception of praises from the same event had a limit, wasting many praises.

And after the initial days of explosive reception, even if the story remained exciting, there would ultimately be a limited number of people who would repeatedly praise it.

"Two Tales of Beast Creation" could provide Chen Xu with a baseline of praises, but he still needed to quickly open up new avenues for praise.

At the same time, because the total praise count exceeded 10,000, the Food Cauldron Celestial Book had a new prompt:

[1. You have collected 10,000 praises and can unlock the second volume of the Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll at any time.

2. Accumulate 100,000 praises to unlock the third volume of the Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll.]

The second volume of the Food God Technique Scroll can be unlocked now!

But Chen Xu's Cultivation was still only at the mid-stage of the Meridian Passage Realm, so even if he unlocked the second volume now, it would be useless.

However, not needing to unlock and "unable to unlock" are two different concepts.

Nonetheless, it was a joyous event worth celebrating.

Chen Xu, after taking stock of the current data and cleaning up all the ingredients, found that although there seemed to be many Spiritual Materials on hand, there weren't many he could actually use himself.

Items like Netherworld Essence, Ghost Spirit Incense, and Yin Yang Pearl were things that Ghost Spirits could eat, but humans couldn't.

Forgetfulness Mushroom could be eaten by humans, but its effect was to cause forgetfulness for a quarter of an hour. Could it be used in conjunction with the Auspicious Jade Dew?

Chen Xu pondered for a moment and felt he could try.

Some Spiritual Food was simple to make, and now he could cultivate while making it, and even if it wasn't consumed immediately, he could stockpile it for future needs.

Moreover, there were the Red Blood Spirit Ginseng, Profound Yang Fire Dates, Earth Yellow Spirit Marrow, and Nourishing Spirit Jade Leaf.

These were all gifts from Feng Yuanbai, and they were considered the most "normal" of all the Spiritual Materials Chen Xu had on hand.

He checked the recipes corresponding to these Spiritual Materials.

Now that he had unlocked more Gourmet Recipes, he had mastered three of the Spirit Roasting Eight Techniques, and some simple ingredients actually didn't require unlocking a recipe to cook.

However, to pursue excellence and to meet the condition that the higher the cooking level, the better the effect of Auspicious Jade Dew, it was best to unlock the recipe.

At present, he wasn't short of the few hundred Fireworks Value, so he shouldn't be penny wise and pound foolish.

Chen Xu then spent [150] Fireworks Value to unlock [Forgetful Thousand Threads Soup].

Upon looking, the main ingredient was Forgetfulness Mushroom, and the auxiliary ingredient was tender tofu—Wensi Tofu.

He needed to cut the tofu into thousands of threads, and make sure the threads were continuous and unbroken.

Once submerged in water, the countless thin threads would bloom together, forming a flower like a pile of jade threads.

Forgetful Thousand Threads Soup demanded extremely high knife skills!

Chen Xu only knew how to chop wood; how could he have practiced such meticulous knife skills?

After unlocking the recipe, the use of the fire in the Spirit Roasting Eight Techniques surged into his mind, yet concerning knife skills, there wasn't even a mention.

Chen Xu carefully memorized the current information, finding it somewhat daunting to start.

He wasn't in a hurry and chose to unlock the [Fire Dates Stuffed Meat Pot] with Profound Yang Fire Dates as the main ingredient.

Spending [100] Fireworks Value, the detailed information of the recipe flooded into his mind.

This dish was simple to make, but the control of the heat needed extra attention.

With Chen Xu's current Fire Control Skill, making this Fire Dates Stuffed Meat Pot posed no difficulty at all.

Chen Xu immediately lit the fire, set up the pot, and chopped the meat.

The meat was pork, and this era already had mature techniques for breeding and castrating meat pigs.

Chen Xu chose pork with a three-to-seven fat-to-lean ratio, cut it into minced meat, and mixed it with chopped green onion and ginger water for texture. While chopping, he was still pondering how to cut the Wensi Tofu.

Afterwards, he roasted the Profound Yang Fire Dates on a gentle fire, using the Spirit Roasting Eight Techniques to activate their medicinal properties, then stuffed the meat into them, and steamed on high heat.

Inside the stove, the flames flickered.

The aroma of the fresh meat and the sweet fragrance of the fire dates gradually mixed and intensified, and Chen Xu felt the food in the pot slowly cooking through, a wonderful Dao rhythm permeating his senses.

[Cultivation: Meridian Passage Realm Mid-stage 51%]

The circulation and surge of Innate Qi showed that cooking Spiritual Food, compared to monotonously meditating in cultivation, could indeed improve one's Cultivation.

Of course, the prerequisite was that you had some insights during the cooking process.

If it was just monotonous labor without thought, even if the breath could be mobilized, the gains in Cultivation would be limited.

When the [Fire Dates Stuffed Meat Pot] was out of the pot, a smile appeared on Chen Xu's face.

He took out the drop of Auspicious Jade Dew, allowing it to hover above, sensing the activation of Spiritual Mechanism between the two.

As expected, he received a prompt: [Auspicious Jade Dew, when integrated into Fire Dates Stuffed Meat Pot, can double the Qi Blood.]

That is to say, as long as the Wish Jade Dew is dripped onto the Fire Dates Stuffed with Meat, after Chen Xu consumes it, his current Qi Blood can roll from [200] to [400]!

Chen Xu gave a helpless smile and put away the Wish Jade Dew.

Is he lacking in Qi Blood?

Actually, not exactly.

Gaining [200] points of Qi Blood Value is not an easy feat.

But such a straightforward and crude boost is too wasteful of the Wish Jade Dew's wonders.

It seems better to focus on [the higher the cooking skill, the better the effect], as this hint suggests.

He must learn the knife technique of Textured Tofu.

If the combination effect of the Forgetful Thousand Threads Soup is also not good, Chen Xu might as well learn to make high-difficulty pastries like the Awakened Lion Cake.

As for where to learn it?

Chen Xu thought of the inn's chef.

He calmed his mind, no longer pondering over the Wish Jade Dew, but focused on familiarizing himself with and cultivating from the Sea of Literature.

In any case, first, use up this round of twelve hours in the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

In the evening, the setting sun cast a slanting light on Yunjiang Prefecture.

The inn was somewhat quiet, mainly because this "Gaosheng Inn" often hosted candidates preparing for the exams.

Today, everyone had just finished their tests, each was exhausted, and now they were fast asleep.

This made the inn a bit more tranquil, and although it was dinner time, the chef was not busy.

Chen Xu took a pot of Flowing Clouds Wine to the inn's kitchen and asked the shopkeeper to help him find the chef.

At first, the chef had a languid attitude, and he laughed heartily when Chen Xu asked if he could make Textured Tofu:

"Mr. Chen, this Textured Tofu is indeed something I can make. I can teach you, but I'm afraid you won't be able to learn it.

Besides, you're a scholar, why learn a chef's skills?

Aiming for fame in the exams, or are you planning to toil in the smoky kitchen?

Even if you carve a few flowers on tofu, so what?

Not even in the imperial kitchen could it compare to the prestige of being a Champion Scholar in the exams!"

In this era, many old masters treat their skills as secret treasures and are not likely to transmit them easily.

It was only because the request came from Chen Xu, a scholar who had once written the Cyan Smoke Poem at the inn.

The scene of Yunjiang's aristocratic families lining up to present gifts is something the chef hasn't forgotten, so he was a bit more polite to Chen Xu.

Were it someone else asking, the chef might directly throw them out.

Then Chen Xu calmly retrieved a liquor jug from the wide sleeve of his robe, took a wine cup from the nearby shelf, and poured himself a cup of wine.

After about ten breaths, the chef's attitude drastically changed.

"This... this... this... what kind of wine is this?"

As he raised the cup, the wine was amber-like, and as it swayed slightly, reflecting the setting sun, it seemed to carry the glow of clouds!

As the aroma of the wine spread, with just a sniff, the chef felt as if all the 84,000 pores in his body opened up at once.

In a hurry, he picked up the cup and took a big sip.

Then, he was completely stunned.

[Flowing Clouds Wine·Spirit. Basic spiritual brew, containing slight Moonlight Spiritual Qi, aromatic and delicious, drinking it can uplift one's mood and subtly enhance the Divine Soul.]

Note: The effect diminishes with prolonged use.

Though the chef had handled countless gourmet dishes and wines in his life.

Such a spirit wine was beyond what his status could access.

As the wine went down, two lines of tears streamed down his face.

"This... this..." the chef, voice trembling and holding the wine cup, was overwhelmed with excitement, "this is spirit wine, isn't it? This is the legendary spirit wine!"

The chef's excitement drew the attention of the helpers and workers in the kitchen.

Someone, catching a whiff of the wine, couldn't help swallowing and asked, "Master Hong, what is spirit wine?"

Master Hong didn't answer, just downed the wine in his cup.

Then he cradled the nearby wine jug with a face that said "I'll fight anyone who tries to grab it from me," and asked, "Mr. Chen, this pot of wine is all for me, right?"

Chen Xu said, "Yes, so is it possible to learn your esteemed skills?"

Master Hong laughed heartily, his face glowing red, so happy that his eyes seemed almost closed.

"Mr. Chen, just learn whatever you want. The skills I depend on for a living, you can learn them all!

Though I must say, my skills, well, they're just average, not top-notch.

I fear Mr. Chen, you might not find them worthwhile...

Eh, this wine is truly aromatic! So fragrant, sweet, and rich, with an endless aftertaste.

Simply, simply the finest wine in the world!"

[Like +100]

[Your spirit wine has earned a genuine like from a common mortal chef of moderate skill, gaining +100 likes.]

Hmm, another new path for gaining likes?

Chen Xu immediately smiled.

Master Hong then took Chen Xu to a small stove area, eagerly starting to instruct him in knife skills.

Initially, he only intended to complete the task, not expecting Chen Xu to learn much.

Until he demonstrated the knife technique for Textured Tofu: "When cutting tofu, the blade must be light, the hand steady and strong, light without lacking strength.

See, as the knife rises, it should be as fast as light, never dragging with hesitation.

Hey, but when withdrawing the knife, it should be as gentle as if a breeze came by, only stirring a single hair, do you understand?"

When Chen Xu messed up the first piece of tofu, Master Hong shook his head slightly, yet showed great patience.

He cherished the wine jug, savoring a sip from the small wine cup with delight.

Just waiting for Chen Xu to fail again, he'd decided he must comfort this "student" who had "fallen from the sky."

Half an hour later, Master Hong almost dropped his wine jug.

He hastily caught the jug, exclaiming, "Oh my dear! My precious, you mustn't fall!

Oh my, you, you, you... you actually managed to cut it?"

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