Chapter 14. A new skill.
"Damn!" Li Chen swore as the ball of flames he'd been focusing on burst apart.
Though the flame orb was small, the explosive force it released was immense. This wasn't merely a tiny fireball, but rather a highly condensed mass of flame, shrunk down to refine substances with its intense heat.
"Damn it," Li Chen cursed again, his mental energy nearly depleted from the effort, and yet his task remained unaccomplished.
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Your mental energy is drained. You will be forcibly ejected from the tower if it runs out completely.
Would you like to use a soul crystal to replenish your mental energy?
[YES] / [NO]
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Without hesitation, Li Chen absorbed two soul crystals.
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You have consumed 2 soul crystals to restore your mental energy.
Remaining balance: 8 soul crystals.
Your mental energy has been fully restored.
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With the notification's disappearance, Li Chen's fatigue vanished, replaced by a feeling of renewed vigor.
He wasted no time and began to focus on condensing the flame once more.
Having observed the Xingling man refine poison gas from the Two-Faced Demonic Lotus Flower, Li Chen knew the difficulty of such a task, yet it proved even more challenging than he anticipated.
To compress such a large amount of flame into a smaller, more potent form required not just concentration but significant energy.
Boom!
"Damn it, why is this so difficult?" Li Chen exclaimed in frustration as the flame dispersed explosively once more.
Fortunately, he was inside the tower, a place more illusory than real. In the outside world, the backlash from such a failure could have inflicted serious harm. This was precisely why Li Chen was adamant about mastering the technique here.
Undeterred, Li Chen immediately resumed his efforts and resolved to master the flame condensation. It wasn't solely to prepare the Demonic Inferno Stir-Fry Delight; Li Chen had another motive. A more condensed flame was far more potent than a regular fireball, and mastering this could transform it into a skill, greatly enhancing his combat prowess.
An hour passed, then another, filled with the sounds of explosions and Li Chen's angry curses after each failure.
Boom!
Yet another explosion, but this time, it was not followed by a curse. A smile spread across Li Chen's face as he whispered, "Finally." He had succeeded at last.
At that moment, a notification popped up before him.
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Your fire control affinity has improved.
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Li Chen beamed, dismissing the message, and turned his attention to the scorched earth created by the condensed flames. The illusionary environment began repairing the damage, but Li Chen was content with the impact he'd achieved, knowing full well that there was still work to be done to enhance its power and prepare it for combat.
With the first phase complete, it was time to tackle the refinement of the poisonous gas from the Two-Faced Demonic Lotus Flower.
But first, Li Chen had other matters to take care of.
★ ★
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Congratulations you have learned a new recipe_ Harmony Lotus Soup.
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Li Chen stared at the screen in front of him with a happy smile as he selected another meal from the list once again he began to closely observe the Xingling man cook it.
Since there weren't any limitations to the amount of recipes he could select to complete the challenge Li Chen decided to take advantage of the loophole to learn as much as new recipes as possible.
A few moments later
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Congratulations you have learned a new recipe_ Phoenix Feather Noodle Soup.
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Li Chen selected another recipe and focused once again on learning it.
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Congratulations you have learned a new recipe_ phoenix wing stir-fry.
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* *
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Congratulations you have learned a new recipe_ Fortune-Enhancing dragon breath soup.
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"Finally" Li Chen muttered to himself as he saw the screen, he had finally gotten a complete recipe that levels up his whole stats point.
Even though there were still many recipes left Li Chen felt like it would be a waste of time to learn more, all the dishes on the list were all low tier recipes and would only have the same effect on his stats point as others, and since the group of the recipe he currently has could cover the whole of his stats point, learning more would be waste of time and energy.
"Well I guess it's time to complete the challenge" Li Chen muttered with a smile as he absorbed one soul crystal to increase his mental energy as learning the recipe has decreased it a bit.
Li Chen selected the demonic inferno stir-fry delight as he began to prepare his ingredients.
Of all the recipes he had learned the demonic inferno stir-fry delight was the hardest of it all, first of all refining the poisonous gas from the Two-faced demonic lotus flower, and then the hardest was multi-tasking refining the poisonous gas and cooking the meal at the same time.
After preparing the ingredients Li Chen once again began with the simple task of heating the wok adding the oil, heating it for a while, and then adding the chopped petal of the Two-faced demonic lotus flower.
Immediately as he did that Li Chen's focus increased, he tried everything in his might to push back every thought in his head so he could focus more.
The Two-faced demonic lotus flower began to sizzle in the oil for a while but very soon it began to exude poisonous gas, runic symbol began to shine on the wok attempting to nullify the poisonous gas but it wasn't enough.
Just then a small ball of flame the size of a ping pong ball appeared on Li Chen's palm and began to refine the poisonous gas.
Li Chen wasn't capable of shaping the condensed flame into a dragon just like the Xingling man had done to his own but since it was effectively working this way Li Chen decided to use it just like that.
As he refined the poisonous gas Li Chen didn't forget to continue to control the flame to heat the wok at the required temperature.
The multi-tasking was taking lots of mental energy from Li Chen as he could feel his energy exhausting at a high rate but his focus remained unwavering, he knew a single mistake and all his efforts would go to waste.
As time progressed, the poisonous gas continued to diminish under the purifying effect of the condensed flame. Moments passed, and the once-threatening vapor was finally fully refined.
A smile spread across Li Chen's face; he had triumphed over the most challenging part of the dish. Now, it was time to focus on what he considered the easier part of the meal. Li Chen knew that even at this stage, a single mistake could still spoil everything, but he felt less concerned.
Moving on to the next step, Li Chen sprinkled just the right amount of celestial salt crystals to enhance the flavor, followed by a splash of moonlight vinegar for a tangy kick.
With all the ingredients added, Li began to stir-fry everything together.
After some time, the ingredients had melded perfectly. He turned off the flame; the Demonic Inferno Stir-Fry Delight was finally complete.
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Congratulations, you have conquered the first floor of the Legacy Tower.
_Reward: You have unlocked a new skill - Fire Claw.
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"Yes!" Li Chen couldn't help but exclaim with joy upon seeing the notification. He had finally defeated the first floor.
After his victory, Li Chen felt his surroundings dissolve, and he found himself back in the white room.
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Would you like to challenge the second floor?
[YES] / [NO]
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The notification appeared in front of Li Chen as soon as he had arrived in the room.
Li Chen pondered for a moment. He had been inside the treasure space for quite some time and was considering exiting, but he saw no harm in taking a quick peek at the second floor's challenge. That way, he could better prepare for what lay ahead.
With that thought, he tapped the 'YES' tab.
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Request processing.
Transportation initiating in 3... 2... 1...
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As soon as the countdown finished, just like before, his surroundings shifted, and he found himself standing in front of a grand castle.
He was garbed like a heroic figure with a golden sword at his waist.
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You have arrived on the second floor. Prepare for the challenge.
The challenge will start in 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
Challenge number two: Combat.
_Details: Defeat your enemy.
_Objective: You are a hero of the human race, tasked with protecting and saving your people. Defeat the Xingling warriors who hold your people captive.
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As the message was displayed, Li Chen heard the castle gate open.
Unlike before, he wasn't given the chance to initiate the challenge at his leisure; it had already begun without his consent.
While Li Chen was still reeling from the shock, the gate opened to reveal three Xingling warriors. They were far more intimidating than the one he had seen before, standing 13 to 15 feet tall and clad in fearsome armor, each wielding a massive weapon.
As Li Chen tried to process the situation, one of the Xingling warriors let out a thunderous roar and charged toward him, hurling a gigantic battle hammer in his direction.
Li Chen barely had time to register the attack before the hammer struck.
Boom!
Li Chen was obliterated as the hammer made contact, killing him instantly. Before Li Chen could comprehend what had happened, he found himself standing just outside the tower. His death had completely drained his mental energy, resulting in his forcible ejection from the tower.
Even after leaving the tower, the experience of death lingered with Li Chen, leaving him in a state of shock. His face was pale with exhaustion, his mental energy utterly spent.
He tried to absorb a soul crystal, but it was to no avail; it seemed that the crystals only worked within the confines of the tower.
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You are exhausted. Would you like to exit the Space?
[YES] / [NO]
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Li Chen swiftly selected the 'YES' tab, eager to leave the treasure space. In an instant, his body was transported out, and he found himself back in the familiar confines of his room.
Without a moment's delay, Li Chen made his way to his bed and collapsed onto it. Overcome by exhaustion, he was swept into the realm of dreams the moment his head touched the pillow.