Chapter 47: True Spirit Food (fixed)
Since his martial aunt had been so generous, gifting him a flame whose true value she might not have fully comprehended, Xiang Yu felt compelled to express his gratitude. What better way than through his greatest talent? With his newly acquired spirit flame, he could finally create the genuine spirit food she so desperately craved.
When he had broken through to 8th Grade cooking, vast repositories of knowledge about spiritual cuisine had materialized in his mind. Until now, this knowledge had remained purely theoretical—lacking either spiritual roots or a spiritual flame, he couldn’t apply these techniques. But everything had changed. The Abyssal Void Flame now nestled within him like a loyal companion, waiting to be called forth.
Xiang Yu held his hand near the cooking vessel, summoning the black flame. It danced across his fingers without burning him, responding to his mental commands with remarkable precision. Unlike cooking with crude firewood, the spirit flame offered unprecedented temperature control. He could adjust its heat with mere thoughts, perfect for the delicate preparations spiritual cuisine demanded.
The gathered audience watched in silent awe as he worked. The dark flames leapt and twisted above the pan, occasionally punctuated by those tiny white sparks that resembled distant stars. Sensing their rapt attention, Xiang Yu incorporated flourishes into his technique. He tossed ingredients high into the air, expertly cooking them with controlled bursts of flame as they descended, before catching them perfectly in the pan.
Elder Guo’s eyes widened at the spectacle. Elder Huang leaned forward, entranced by the performance. Even Li Yao, who had witnessed his cooking numerous times before, found herself mesmerized by this elevated display of culinary artistry. The sweet, complex aroma rising from the dishes intensified their anticipation, causing involuntary salivation.
Though he secretly enjoyed their attention, Xiang Yu recognized his audience’s growing impatience. He completed his preparations and began serving, presenting the first dish to Elder Huang with a respectful bow.
"You brat! You dare serve outsiders before your own master?" Elder Guo couldn’t help but curse, his beard quivering with indignation.
Elder Huang smirked triumphantly. "No need to be so riled up. Martial nephew simply knows how to treat a guest, unlike someone else." Her teasing tone only intensified the elder’s frustration.
Elder Guo could only respond with a dismissive scoff as Xiang Yu quickly served him next, followed by Li Yao.
When they finally began eating, identical expressions of wonder bloomed across their faces. The moment the food touched their tongues, extraordinary flavors cascaded throughout their mouths—complex, harmonious notes impossible in ordinary cuisine. As they swallowed, the spirit food’s rich qi spread throughout their bodies, rejuvenating every cell and marginally enhancing their cultivation.
Even Xiang Yu, as he sampled his own creation, marveled at the sensation of qi briefly infusing his qi-less body before quickly dissipating as he didn’t have spiritual roots. Was this what cultivators experienced continuously? Many claimed cultivation brought pleasure exceeding even carnal delights, and he could now understand why. Still, this fleeting sensation paled in comparison to the mental tsunami of his system’s enlightenment doubling.
They devoured every morsel, leaving their plates spotlessly clean, unwilling to waste even a single grain of the precious spirit food.
As Xiang Yu and Li Yao cleaned the dishes afterward, the ancient empress spoke into the young woman’s mind.
[You’re quite lucky to have a spiritual chef as a senior brother. Now you can enjoy spirit meals every day,] she observed with rare appreciation. [Although his skill level remains modest for now, as he improves, it will become a tremendous advantage. Your breakthrough speed will surpass most cultivators.]
[Except for truly powerful immortals, few can consume spirit food twice daily,] she added thoughtfully.
Li Yao couldn’t suppress her smile. Her senior brother truly was the best. With his cooking accelerating her cultivation, she would grow stronger even faster—exactly what she needed to protect him from the dangers that would inevitably come seeking his newfound flame.
...
After the hearty meal, everyone went their separate ways. Xiang Yu and Li Yao returned to their training, their movements energized by the qi-infused food they had consumed. The spiritual nourishment had restored their vitality and nearly doubled their stamina, allowing them to train with an intensity that surpassed even their morning session.
Steel clashed against steel as they sparred beneath the stars, their silhouettes illuminated by the moon’s gentle glow. Only when midnight arrived did they finally sheathe their weapons, exchanging respectful nods before retiring to their separate quarters.
In his simple dwelling, Xiang Yu reclined on his bed of leaves, summoning the familiar blue interface that had become his nightly ritual. The system screen materialized before him, its soft glow illuminating his contemplative features:
[Enlightenment: Low (50/1000) (+2/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (20/100,000) (+4/100,000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (2/30,000)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (1/1000)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 4th Layer (86/400) (+38/400)]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Intermediate (200/300) (+100/300)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Completion (100/500) (+60/500)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Major Success (200/400)]
[Cook: 8th Grade (3/200) (+3/200)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Cook: 8th Grade (3/200) → 8th Grade (6/200)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Major Success (200/400) → Completion (0/500)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Completion (100/500) → Completion (200/500)]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Intermediate (200/300) → Major Success (0/400)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 4th Layer (86/400) → 4th Layer (172/400)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (1/1000) → Level 1 (2/1000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (2/30,000) → 7th Grade (4/30,000)]
[Battle Instinct: (20/100,000) → (40/100,000)]
[Enlightenment: Low (50/1000) → Low (100/1000)]
The first sensation to wash over him was the breathtaking doubling of his enlightenment. It crashed through his consciousness like a tidal wave, expanding his perception beyond anything he had previously experienced. It felt as if someone had peeled away a veil he hadn’t even realized existed, revealing entirely new dimensions of understanding. Colors seemed more vibrant, sounds more distinct, patterns more evident. The mental tsunami persisted longer than usual before gradually receding, leaving behind crystalline clarity in its wake.
His thoughts seemed sharper, more focused—undoubtedly an effect of the Mountain Heart Sutra’s influence, which had doubled once again. The mental discipline imparted by the ancient text complemented his growing enlightenment, creating synergies he was only beginning to comprehend.
Next came subtle insights regarding his cooking skills. Unlike previous revelations, these were modest improvements—minor refinements to techniques he’d already mastered rather than learning any new concepts. Given the mere three-point increase, this modest progression seemed reasonable. It hardly concerned him though; his cooking experience would accumulate rapidly with daily practice, especially now that he could create genuine spirit food.
The battle instinct attribute continued its impressive trajectory. What had once been his most stubbornly resistant stat was now accelerating at a pace that promised to reach its maximum threshold much sooner than he’d originally calculated. The exponential nature of doubling would make each subsequent increase more substantial than the last.
His newest acquisition, the Abyssal Void Flame, had already grown to two points during the day and now to four after doubling. Considering the daunting 30,000-point requirement for advancement, this progress might seem negligible to others. Yet Xiang Yu understood the power of exponential growth better than most—modest beginnings would eventually yield explosive results.
His Mountain Heart Scripture had nearly reached its halfway point, which his internal calculations suggested would be surpassed before the next reset. This trajectory placed him firmly on path to breakthrough to the fifth layer after the next settlement. Rather than encountering the diminishing returns common to cultivation, his advancement seemed to be accelerating as he got stronger.
The knife technique was similarly approaching its halfway threshold, likely to enter Great Completion after the next settlement. Meanwhile, his sword technique had successfully broken through to the Completion stage, resetting its progress bar in the process.
His iron body technique had advanced to Major Success level, and the effects were immediately apparent. His skin had developed a resilience that normal weapons would struggle to penetrate. He estimated that by the time he reached Completion stage, his body would indeed possess the durability of genuine iron.
As for the elusive mid-grade movement technique that had defied his comprehension, he sensed he stood at the precipice of breakthrough. Just one more insight, one more connection, and the technique would finally yield its secrets.
After methodically reviewing his progress, Xiang Yu summoned his complete status display:
[Name: Xiang Yu]
[Realm: Body: 4th Layer; Mind: Level 1]
[Species: Human]
[Spiritual Root: null]
[Enlightenment: Low (100/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (40/100,000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (4/30,000)]
[Professions: Cook: 8th Grade (6/200)]
[Techniques: Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Major Success (0/400); Basic Knife Technique: Completion (200/500); Basic Sword Technique: Completion (0/500)]
[Scriptures: Mountain Heart Scripture: 4th Layer (182/400); Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (2/1000)]
[System Function: Double Exp (Cooldown: 24hrs)]
...
A/N - The numbers are getting more and more insane. I’m thinking of having a technique to reach Perfect stage first, then he can pick up more techniques from his martial aunt, then we’ll have about a week timeskip of just training, what do you guys think?
For those interested in the numbers going up, I’m keeping track of all the daily improvements and will upload it in the wiki after I make one.