I Just Want to Cultivate Quietly and Farm

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Spiritual Cuisine Cooking Technique

The Profound Celestial Sword Array - Basic Chapter has been upgraded to level three, consuming 46,000 free proficiency points. To upgrade to the next level would require 50,000 proficiency points, which is unattainable for now.

Li Mu spent 10,000 free proficiency points to upgrade the Illusion Breathing Technique to level 6, gaining stronger abilities in illusion breath and qi concealment.

Li Mu quietly activated the cultivation route of the Illusion Breathing Technique.

The next moment, the sharp and formidable sword intent emanating from Li Mu gradually faded, returning to an ordinary presence. His spiritual pressure also reduced from the Qi Refining Eighth Layer to the early stage of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Li Mu extended a hand, dispersing the Seven-Star Sword Array, retrieving the seven Profound Iron Swords from the sky, and storing them one by one into his storage bag.

Li Mu closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, reaffirming his psychological resolve to pursue the path of farming in hiding.

Afterward, Li Mu opened his eyes and engaged in routine farm work, watering Spirit Rain on the Cui Ling Fruits and Spirit Rice Fields. He then bundled the harvested Wind Spirit Grass, stacking them into piles.

In the afternoon, Li Mu took out a Tier One High-grade Spirit Sword, controlled it, and flew to the Qing’an Array South Gate Market.

The Zhang Family’s Spirit Shepherd Workshop, a Foundation Establishment Clan.

”Boss Zhang, do you remember me?” Li Mu greeted Zhang Shouquan, who was accounting at the counter, with a smile.

”Who are you?” After three months, Zhang Shouquan no longer remembered Li Mu.

”I’m the one who sold Wind Spirit Grass last time. I have a mature batch now, about more than 20,000 pounds. Is Brother Bai Ping here? I need to trouble him for a delivery.” Li Mu smiled awkwardly and quickly introduced himself.

Zhang Shouquan realized, and promptly called into the inner hall: ”Bai Ping, Bai Ping, come over here, go with this young man to collect the Wind Spirit Grass.”

”Coming, coming, oh, it’s you! How’s that puppy doing?” Zhang Baiping immediately recognized Li Mu and asked with concern.

”The Red Wolf! It has grown quite a bit and is very obedient.” Li Mu showed a trace of a smile.

”Let’s go! Show me how it’s doing.” Zhang Baiping eagerly suggested.

With that, Zhang Baiping and Li Mu flew together on their swords to Little Liang Mountain.

Seeing the newly cultivated large expanses of Spirit Fields on the mountain, Zhang Baiping looked at Li Mu in amazement: ”Wow, impressive! You’ve cultivated quite a bit of Spirit Fields! Can you handle it all by yourself?”

”Mainly planting Wind Spirit Grass, it’s relatively easy to manage. One person is enough.” Li Mu explained with a smile.

”Woof!”

A crimson silhouette dashed towards Li Mu, then cautiously examined Zhang Baiping.

”What! Little guy, you don’t recognize me anymore?” Zhang Baiping took out a Spirit Feeding Pill from his storage bag and beckoned.

The Red Wolf glanced at the Spirit Feeding Pill, sniffed hard with its nose but refrained from taking a bite. Instead, it ran to Li Mu’s feet, nudging him as if asking if it was okay to eat the pill from the other person.

”Go ahead and eat. He’s a friend! Originally your master.” Li Mu laughed heartily, patting the Red Wolf on the head.

Receiving Li Mu’s assurance, the Red Wolf confidently walked towards Zhang Baiping.

”What a smart little guy! I somewhat regret selling it to you now!” Zhang Baiping said genuinely as he fed the Spirit Feeding Pill to the Red Wolf with a gleam in his eyes.

”Let’s quickly go pack the Wind Spirit Grass! There’s over 20,000 pounds of it!” Li Mu acted as if he didn’t hear, changing the topic.

With that, Li Mu got involved in weighing the Wind Spirit Grass. Zhang Baiping laughed out loud and joined in, packing the weighed Wind Spirit Grass and storing it into the storage bags.

With more than 20,000 pounds of Wind Spirit Grass, it wasn’t too much, but not too little either.

The two worked for half an hour before finishing.

Li Mu and Zhang Baiping transported the Wind Spirit Grass back to the Zhang Family’s Spirit Shepherd Workshop.

With the earnings of 280 Lower Spirit Stones from the Wind Spirit Grass, Li Mu left the Zhang Family’s Spirit Shepherd Workshop and strolled around the South Market, buying daily necessities. At the same time, he used his Innate Divine Power - Recognition of Ten Thousand Spirits, scanning the stalls of the Loose Cultivators to see if there were any treasures to be found.

After walking a circle around more than 200 Loose Cultivator stalls, Li Mu didn’t find any hidden treasures, but he did come across something good.

With limited cooking skills, Li Mu could only barely manage his own three meals a day.

Now, with his improved strength, his pocket filled with Spirit Stones, and over 4,000 free proficiency points remaining, Li Mu decided to invest them in his culinary skills.

Li Mu stopped at a cultivation technique stall, inquiring with the owner: ”Boss, how much for this Spiritual Food Secret Record?”

”200 Lower Spirits, it records eighteen recipes for Spiritual Cuisines. This price is an absolute bargain, among them: Stewed Deer Meat with Spirit Fish Slices, Black Spirit Beef Charcoal Roasting Method, ..., are commonly consumed spiritual cuisines by the Foundation Establishment Great Powers, ....” The stall owner enthusiastically recommended.

”100 Lower Spirits.” Ignoring the other’s excessive praise, Li Mu directly offered half the price.

”Fellow Daoist, that’s a steep cut in the price, 180 Lower Spirits.”

”100 Lower Spirits, take it or leave it. If not, I’m leaving!” Li Mu was determined, threatening to walk away.

”Deal, deal, I’ll sell it!” The stall owner grimaced but conceded, handing the Spiritual Food Secret Record to Li Mu.

Receiving the Spiritual Food Secret Record, Li Mu flipped through the first three pages, confirmed the content was genuine, then paid a Middle Spirit Stone.

Leaving the cultivation technique stall, Li Mu continued browsing as he perused the Spiritual Food Secret Record, beginning his shopping spree in the Independent Cultivator Market.

To learn the art of Spiritual Cuisine Cooking Technique, he first needed to prepare a vast amount of spiritual food materials, spices, various seasonings, and some specially crafted kitchen utensils.

Following the records in the Spiritual Food Secret Record, Li Mu started purchasing Ink Spirit Mushroom, Fragrance Condensing Grass, bitter licorice, ..., originally unclear purpose herbs and spices, now under the recipe analysis in the Spiritual Food Secret Record, turned into spiritual materials for cooking spiritual cuisines.

Not until dusk was approaching did Li Mu end his grand shopping, spending nearly ten Middle Spirits, enough to fill two storage bags with various materials for cooking spiritual cuisines.

Li Mu controlled his sword and flew back to Little Liang Mountain, where, accompanied by the Red Wolf, he began busying himself at the stove.

The stove fire roared, mountain spring water boiled in the large clay pot, Li Mu placed a whole prepared Colorful Spirit Chicken, gathered a faint Flame Spiritual Power in his hand to char a thirty-year medicinally aged Wuyang Ginseng, stimulating its medicinal properties, and then put it into the clay pot, ...

Next, Li Mu added a few types of spirit grasses, holding a wooden spoon and stirring continuously.

A quarter of an hour later, the clay pot made bubbling sounds and emitted a rich aroma.

The Red Wolf, smelling the aroma of meat, circled the stove with shining eyes, wagging its tail frantically, drooling in anticipation.

”Little glutton, it’s not ready yet!” Li Mu chuckled as he gently patted the Red Wolf’s head, then took the cooked Colorful Spirit Chicken out of the pot and added Spirit Rice, along with some spirit grasses, to the chicken broth, stirring with a wooden spoon.

”Woo woo...” Unable to resist the aroma of meat any longer, the Red Wolf anxiously clawed at the ground, eager to dash up to the pot for a hearty feast.

[Ding, you have successfully cooked a pot of Spirit and Flesh Porridge, a Mortal Tier Spiritual Food. You have learned the Spiritual Cuisine Cooking Technique, Proficiency +1.]

Under the night sky, master and pet sat around a large pot of aromatic Spiritual Cuisine, with generous servings of the dish, enjoying meat in a cozy evening feast.