Chapter 108: How to Scoop

Chapter 108: How to Fish It Out

I'll decide whether to fish it out and how later; the meat of the Blue-crested Red Eagle, when pan-fried or roasted, tasted quite delicious.

Once heated, the aroma filled his nostrils.

Shang Yunduo ate while roasting, flipping the big pan-fried chunk. Mmm, so tasty!

If he'd known it'd be this fragrant, he would've cut off more meat first.

This is wild game, just like wild rabbit, wild chicken, or wild fish and shrimp. Yum, delicious!

Another batch was ready. He laid refreshing spirit herb leaves on a plate, sprinkled a pinch of salt and some seasoning, and brought it to Pei Jie.

"Senior, have a taste. It's really good." He had roasted it until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; one bite and juices burst out. Best eaten hot!

Pei Jie humored him and took a bite. It was indeed good, especially the heat control.

Shang Yunduo: "What do you think? Could I open a restaurant?"

Pei Jie offered no comment. Here was a Fire-type Heavenly Spirit Root user, for crying out loud—others at least refine pills, but all he does is cook.

But when it came to taste, pills couldn't compare to Shang Yunduo's cooking.

After finishing off a large piece of thigh meat, Shang Yunduo marinated the remaining meat for now, turning half into jerky and saving the other half for fresh eating. He put the fresh portion in the box that used to hold the Fire Sand Scorpion.

He'd just finished the last of the Fire Sand Scorpion meat a few days ago.

After eating his fill, it was time to talk business. Shang Yunduo really couldn't figure out how to retrieve the bones from the swamp.

"Senior, if it were you, with only a Fire Spirit Root, what would you do?"

If he got close, he'd be attacked; if he stayed away, he couldn't get the bones.

Ah, another day of wishing he still had the Fate-Thread. If he still had it, he could toss it into the swamp and yank things out—maybe even pull out the bones.

Pei Jie: "Burn it."

Shang Yunduo: "Burn it?"

Pei Jie: "Your Seven Baleful Fire has already reached the third layer; you can dry up the swamp."

Shang Yunduo: "..."

He stared at Pei Jie in disbelief, stammering, "Th-that can't be right? That swamp is huge!"

Pei Jie: "I'm not asking you to dry it up all at once. I was telling you to fish out the bones so you could burn them to refine your fire. If you can't fish them out, what does it matter what you burn?"

Shang Yunduo: "..."

That actually made sense.

Cultivation required constantly pushing one's limits, like a thick but elastic balloon. The first puff would be hard, but the second puff would easily reach that same limit. The third would break through a new limit, and so on, gradually expanding until the balloon reached its true limit. Then, boom—it bursts, and that was a true breakthrough.

His meridians were like such a balloon. During the Qi Refining stage, his meridians had been injured, like putting a few holes in the balloon. Though he had patched them up, using too much spiritual power or channeling it too fast would rip those wounds open.

Now that he had entered the Foundation Establishment stage, it was like getting a tough new balloon that hadn't even come close to its limit.

Spiritual power and techniques were like the air the balloon could hold. He needed constant practice—drawing in spiritual energy, using techniques, absorbing and releasing spiritual power—to strengthen the balloon's elasticity.

In short, the training method Pei Jie had given him was: sleep at night to replenish energy and spiritual power; meditate in the morning and at noon; spend the afternoon putting into practice the techniques, moves, and insights learned that morning, draining his spiritual power completely; come back empty, summarize what he learned, and go to sleep with a clear mind.

Among all practices, combat was the most effective, and for convenient combat practice, body cultivators and sword cultivators were the best bet. Since they also needed to understand the aura of killing in their training, they were always on the front lines of fighting.

Therefore, body cultivators and sword cultivators often had rich combat experience. And since there were few body cultivators among cultivators but many sword cultivators, sword cultivators had become the strongest in combat.

Those who specialized in techniques couldn't go out looking for sparring partners every day. A Water Spirit Root user couldn't just flood a mountain, and a Fire Spirit Root user couldn't freeze a thousand miles or set a mountain on fire, right?

Even Earth Spirit Root, Wood Spirit Root, and Metal Spirit Root cultivators at higher cultivation levels found it hard to find places to train. They couldn't just get together—one makes mud, another plants flowers, and then trims them with scissors.

Shang Yunduo faced the same problem when practicing his Seven Baleful Fire.

For training in finesse and endurance, he could practice through alchemy, helping Pei Jie smelt artifact-refining materials, or even cooking. But for training in power and fierceness, he needed a place that could take the heat.

Gazing at the vast swamp before him, Shang Yunduo felt a surge of eagerness but also hesitation and unease.

After all, the swamp had a lot of plants. Even though his chaotic fight with the Blue-crested Red Eagle and the Sticky Mud Beasts had caused considerable damage, most plants were only broken or injured, not dead yet.

If he let loose with his fire, he might burn it all down.

Protect the environment—everyone's duty. Set the mountain on fire, and you'll rot in jail.

Shang Yunduo stood with some hesitation and shouted at the few little Sticky Mud Beasts that had poked their heads out to watch him from afar: "Are you done eating? Give me back the bones, or I'll set this place on fire!"

The Sticky Mud Beasts: "Squeak?"

What was this two-legged beast shouting about? They couldn't understand.

Shang Yunduo sighed. Truth be told, he was also curious about how powerful his Seven Baleful Fire really was.

He gathered his power, circulated his energy, and flames surged like waves from the shore toward the swamp. Wherever they passed, the ground turned to scorched earth.

The water evaporated into a huge cloud of white steam. The mud exposed to the surface looked like burnt toast, forming a hard crust.

The Sticky Mud Beasts, which had dived into the mud in fright and then poked their heads out from underneath, looked like chocolate sauce oozing out from under a crispy cake crust.

They looked left and right, patted the hardened, slightly warm surface mud with their paws, and suddenly let out a "squeak."

Squeak! Squeak! Their home!!!

Shang Yunduo was also dumbfounded.

He stared at his own hands, hardly believing it.

He was this strong? And he only used seventy percent of his spiritual power!

He crouched down and kicked the scorched earth. Phew—only the surface layer was burned.

Then he picked up a stone and tossed it into the swamp. A crisp crack, then a dull thud as it sank into the mud, slowly going under.

Shang Yunduo carefully examined the layer of mud shell. It had been burned about half a centimeter deep.

The furious Sticky Mud Beasts emerged from under the mud, spitting at him from all directions.

Shang Yunduo ran farther away. The surrounding water had already flowed in, slowly covering the dry, charred mud. "Okay, okay, the damage is under control!" he said as he looked at the large barren patch of swamp. "Quick, fish out the bones for me! Give me the bones and I won't burn you anymore."

The Sticky Mud Beasts couldn't understand a word; they spat even faster.

Shang Yunduo ran back to a spot similar to his earlier position. "I'm gonna set fire again!"

This time, he used eighty percent of his strength. *Boom!*

The cursing little mud beasts all dove back into the mud.

When they emerged again, the hot white steam still hung in the air, and the hard crust on their heads had thickened another layer. Their angry cries grew louder.

As soon as two large Sticky Mud Beasts arrived, Shang Yunduo bolted.

He still vividly remembered how fierce they looked when angry. "I want the bones! Bones! Otherwise, I'll come every day to burn you."

The Sticky Mud Beasts showered him with a rain of saliva, sending him home.

Shang Yunduo first slipped into another beast's territory to gather some spirit herbs and spirit fruits for dinner. Only after the mud beasts had dispersed did he sneak back. Standing at the edge of the swamp, he shouted, "Hey, I'm here!"

Before the mud beasts could come to drive him away, he released his spiritual power into the air, set a massive fire, and ran off, leaving the cursing, land-bound mud beasts to rage in the water.

Using his last bit of spiritual energy, he flew home on his sword, happily tossing the ingredients into the kitchen. He still had half a day left to practice the zither.

The next day, Shang Yunduo went back to burn the swamp.

Same spot, same position.

On the third day, the mud beasts, having learned their lesson, lay in ambush at the swamp's edge, spraying him all over with slime.

One set of clothes ruined. Shang Yunduo was super bummed.

That outfit was one he'd bought in Dianxing City—he and Pei Jie each had an identical one, and now he couldn't wear it anymore.

On the fourth day, he changed locations, picking a new spot to set fire.

The mud beasts failed to ambush him and nearly got burned by him.

The third-order beasts lurking on the surrounding hills were trembling with fear.

*Such a huge fire, such a violent two-legged beast!*

On the fifth day, the mud beasts still couldn't ambush him.

On the sixth day, they changed their strategy.

If this burning keeps up, their swampy home would turn into dry land. Without the swamp as their refuge, the surrounding third-order beasts would dare to mess with them!

But they could hardly venture onto land, and they couldn't afford to provoke him nor run or hide—there was no other nearby swamp suitable for relocation!

They couldn't just sit and wait for destruction. So...

Shang Yunduo stared in shock at the ring of bones piled around the swamp.

The mud beasts were still at it, industriously building a beaver-like fire-resistant bone dam around the swamp.

Shang Yunduo: "..."

"If you'd hauled out these bones earlier, why would I have burned the swamp in the first place?" So damaging to the environment!

But were these bones really effective?

Shang Yunduo defiantly tried a burn.

"??" His Seven Baleful Fire was mostly blocked by those blackened bones!

The mud beasts were taken aback for a moment, then all began to cheer with a chorus of "Zhi zhi!"

Shang Yunduo struck with full force again. This time, the tiny fish bones turned to ash, but the flames were still held back.

No wonder Pei Jie had told him to fetch the bones!

The mud beasts cheered again, and Shang Yunduo was overjoyed. Enduring the stench, he picked up the large bones.

The cheering mud beasts: "?!"

*Eh?*

*How did he steal the big bones?!*

*That cunning two-legged beast wants to destroy the dam first and then burn them, right?*

They dropped the bones and charged at Shang Yunduo at top speed, spitting, spitting!

Shang Yunduo was chased around the swamp edge, burning as he ran—first burning the less fire-resistant bones to ash, then picking up the tougher ones. After running most of the way around, he finally gathered about two sacks of bones and headed home triumphantly.

Shang Yunduo dumped the bones in the courtyard: "Senior, these bones are really useful!"

Pei Jie didn't even step out of his room; his voice came from inside: "Mm. Take them farther away and burn them for fun."

Shang Yunduo: "...?"

Pei Jie: "Take them downwind."

Shang Yunduo: "............"

He stared at the bones in disbelief, then sniffed himself.

The bones were indeed stinky—after all, they'd been rotting in black mud. But Pei Jie seemed to be disgusted by him too?

"Oh!"

He carried all the bones away, unable to resist sniffing himself again. He couldn't tell if he smelled, because everything reeked of rotten mud!

Would he even be allowed to sleep in his room tonight?

Author's Note:

Yunduo: Isn't there a more dignified way to cultivate? [Heartbreak]

The Mud Beast Family: Ptoo, ptoo, ptoo ptoo ptoo—