Chapter 11: The Fire Chick

The meat in the bowl was a light golden color, translucent and tender. It looked like chicken legs, yet it was about the size of a pork knuckle from Mo Hua's past life.

The soup was clear, with a thin layer of oil that gave it a sheen, smooth but not greasy. It was garnished with some mushrooms and a few finely chopped, bright green herbs.

Mo Hua hadn't had meat in a long time; the last time was at the demon-hunting festival half a year ago.

In the cultivation world, meat was a luxury. Ordinary cultivators seldom had the chance to eat it, except during holidays or festivals.

There were generally two types of meat that cultivators consumed. One was the meat of spiritual beasts.

Unlike demon beasts, spiritual beasts were domesticated by cultivators, fed with spirit grass and other natural resources, making the meat delicate, easy to cook, and imbued with spiritual energy. Consequently, it was expensive and unaffordable for Casual Cultivators.

The other type was the meat from herbivorous demon beasts.

All demon beasts kill, but not all of them eat humans. The herbivorous ones, despite their violent natures and hostility towards cultivators, didn't consume human flesh.

Carnivorous demon beasts, on the other hand, generally consumed humans. If they hadn't yet, it was likely due to a lack of opportunity, not dietary preference.

Though the meat from herbivorous demon beasts had a peculiar odor, cultivators could still consume it. However, carnivorous demon beasts' flesh was tainted with a foul stench and bloodlust, making it inedible. Ingesting it could easily pollute a cultivator's vital energy, disrupting their meridians and even leading to madness.

Despite being inexpensive, herbivorous demon beast meat was rarely eaten due to its toughness. Only by slow cooking over a long period could it become chewable.

Casual Cultivators couldn't afford the time for such cooking. Those who could would rather eat spiritual beast meat directly.

Thus, meat was rarely seen on the table of a Casual Cultivator.

The bowl before Mo Hua emitted a faint white mist, carrying a hint of spiritual energy.

Liu Ruhua beckoned to Mo Hua, "This is Fire Chick meat. Your father bought it to nourish you."

She couldn't resist pinching Mo Hua's soft cheeks, "Look at how thin you've gotten lately."

Mo Hua was a bit hesitant and asked, "This meat must be pretty expensive, right?"

Mo Shan waved it off, "I only bought half, so it wasn't many spirit stones. Besides, I got it from a friend in the demon-hunting team. We'll be working together next year, so it was half-purchase, half-gift."

"Father, are you going into the inner mountains next year?" Mo Hua asked.

Mo Shan nodded, "It's getting tough in the outer mountains. Killing a demon beast yields so little; if someone gets injured, we might even lose out. Though demon beasts in the inner mountains are stronger, if they carry valuable materials, we can make a decent haul."

He suddenly stopped, smiling, "Why am I telling you all this?"

Liu Ruhua shot him a gentle glance, serving a bowl of meat soup for Mo Hua. "Try it and see how it tastes."

Mo Hua took a sip of the soup, then a bite of the meat. The soup was fresh, and the meat rich and flavorful—truly a feast for the senses.

It was the best meat Mo Hua had ever tasted.

With a satisfied smile, Mo Hua praised, "Mother, it's delicious!"

Liu Ruhua chuckled, "Eat as much as you like. The whole bowl is yours. Make sure to finish it!" With that, she headed to the kitchen. "There are other dishes. I'll bring them over…"

Mo Shan stood up, "I'll help you…"

As soon as his parents left for the kitchen, Mo Hua quickly took a few pieces of the Fire Chick meat and put them into his own bowl, then divided the rest into his parents' bowls.

When Liu Ruhua and Mo Shan returned with the dishes, they found their bowls filled with meat.

Liu Ruhua, both amused and touched, said, "This meat was bought especially for you. At our age, we can't expect any more progress in cultivation, so eating meat with spiritual energy is a waste…"

She tried putting the meat back into Mo Hua's bowl, but he held onto it tightly, shaking his head, "I have enough. I can't finish more."

Mo Hua covered his bowl with both hands, refusing to take another bite.

Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua gave up, sharing the meat between themselves instead.

Mo Shan added some meat to his wife's bowl, saying softly, "You've had a hard time these past years. Eat more to keep up your strength…"

Liu Ruhua, touched, returned the favor, saying gently, "You're the one who's been toiling outside, braving the elements. You should have more…"

Mo Hua, finding this exchange unbearably sweet, interrupted, "If you two don't eat, the meat will get cold."

Startled out of their exchange, Liu Ruhua blushed, while Mo Shan coughed lightly and went back to eating.

Seeing his parents finally eat the meat, Mo Hua nodded with satisfaction.

Still, he thought, the Fire Chick meat, while delicious, was too costly.

Though demon beast meat lacked spiritual energy, it could replenish blood and vital energy, which was beneficial to cultivators. But demon beast meat was so tough…

Was there any way he could get his parents to eat more meat?

For now, he set the thought aside, as his current priority was to finish the Bright Flame Array and go to the marketplace to exchange it for spirit stones.

After the meal, Mo Hua went back to his room, meditating to absorb the Fire Chick's spiritual energy, which didn't take long as there wasn't much.

Once the energy was absorbed, he resumed drawing the Bright Flame Array and completed another one before sleeping.

That night, in his dreams, he continued practicing array formations on the Dao Stele, repeating the process to deepen his memory and refine his technique.

When dawn broke, he meditated and practiced array formations, managing to complete one in the morning and another in the afternoon. His spiritual sense was a bit depleted by evening, so he rested before continuing his practice in his dreams.

By the fourth day, Mo Hua's technique had improved significantly, his spiritual sense feeling somewhat stronger. He completed two arrays by day and had enough energy to attempt a third after dinner. This one failed, though, as his eagerness caused him to misdraw a line.

That night, he reflected on his mistakes in the Sea of Consciousness, using the Dao Stele to continue his practice.

On the fifth day, Mo Hua finished three Bright Flame Arrays, though they left him dizzy from the drain on his spiritual sense. The pain wasn't as intense as his first attempt, and he could recover with a short rest.

By then, he'd used all ten array materials from the marketplace, successfully completing eight Bright Flame Arrays.

Despite minor imperfections, he was mostly satisfied with his progress.

That night, he took a brief break from practice, drawing a few simple sketches on the Dao Stele as a moment of relaxation.

The next morning, after breakfast, Mo Hua arranged to meet Da Hu and the others for a day out.

He packed the completed arrays into his storage bag. Before he left, Liu Ruhua gave him a spirit stone and some shards, instructing him to buy anything he liked. She also reminded him to stay safe.

Da Hu and his friends promised to protect Mo Hua and ensure no one would bully him.

Mo Hua waved goodbye to his mother and headed out with his friends.

The boys were lively, bouncing and jumping as they walked.

Along the bustling stone-paved streets, three rambunctious boys and a delicate-looking Mo Hua made their way, hopping along as they went…