"Ai Xi, keep using Claw Tear!"
After a break, Li Changsheng continued issuing orders, not giving Ai Xi any opportunity to slack off.
When his mind drifted to thoughts of the shattered blue and white porcelain vase, Li Changsheng's heart bled.
Howl~ Howl~
Ai Xi protested. It lifted its two paws and gave a pitiable gaze, making pained noises at Li Changsheng.
Ai Xi's message was clear. Its wounds had not fully healed yet, so it needed to rest more.
"Ai Xi, if you want to be strong, you have to keep sharpening yourself! Don't worry. Your injuries are minor. There might be some pain, but it won't affect your training!"
Li Changsheng shut down Ai Xi's protests with strict words. According to his seniors' pet-training notes, he could not be soft-hearted at times like this. If he relented now, Ai Xi would likely repeat its errors in the future.
Good habits had to be cultivated from the early years!
He had to let Ai Xi cultivate good habits before it grew up.
After being bound with a demon pet, in order to stimulate the latent potential of the demon pet as much as possible, demon tamers could not let up on their demon pets' training. It was best if it learned good practices. It was all for the sake of their future.
Faced with Li Changsheng's direct rejection, Ai Xi could only shrug its head miserably. it lifted its head and glanced at Li Changsheng. Seeing that he was not going to change his mind anytime soon, it had no choice but to bear the pain and pounce at another branch of green bamboo.
"Ai Xi, I will be supervising your training at all times. Make sure you don't slack off, or I'll increase the difficulty of your training! If I'm satisfied with your work, this Wind demon core will be your reward!"
As he spoke, Li Changsheng produced a pale green demon core. It was about the size of a fingernail, and it was clear as crystal, like a jewel.
Demon cores were the energy source of demons. Every demon had its corresponding types. While they were growing up, swallowing a demon core of the matching type could increase the speed of their gains.
Of course, the number of demon cores a demon pet could consume was limited based on their potential.
Li Changsheng's train of thought was very simple. He promised a nice treat after the painful blow, hopefully increasing Ai Xi's focus on the training.
Ai Xi's eyes widened. It stared dumbly at the Wind demon core, its eyes filled with greed. Since it was the same type as Ai Xi, the Wind demon core looked very attractive to it.
Howl~
In the next second, Ai Xi's spirits were raised, and it started training with redoubled vigor.
While Ai Xi was training, Li Changsheng sat down on the ground. He took out some tools and ingredients from the bundle he had prepared and got ready to make Demon Food.
The tools were a little smaller than usual ones but were still very common items—a mortar and pestle, stone grinder, knife, and other things. He could use them to cut these ingredients into pieces and grind them into bits or even powder, making it easy to make Demon Food.
These ingredients included medicinal herbs, fruits, vegetables, spices, and even soil. It was full of nutrients, and he could modify it based on the demon's tastes.
Different from ordinary food, Demon Food could increase a demon's recovery speed. If they ate this kind of food continuously for the long-term, it could even increase the demon's size. The higher the food's level, the greater the gains.
Some special Demon Food also had some very unique uses.
Of course, the higher the level of the Demon Food, the more ingredients were needed, and preparing it required more advanced knowledge. The process of making it would also be more complicated, and the chances of successfully creating it was naturally lower as well.
Under the guidance of his clan, Li Changsheng had learned how to make Demon Food long ago and was actually quite experienced. Unfortunately, as he could not acquire better recipes, he could only make Beginner-level Demon Food.
There were three preparation steps before making Demon Food.
First, one had to memorize the Demon Food recipe and its cooking process. This included the names of each ingredient, the proportions, the time to add them in, and other such things. Moreover, the moisture content of each ingredient also affected the food's final texture.
Second, one had to be equipped with the proper tools. The mortar and pestle, stone grinder, and such were the simplest crafting tools, but the highest level Demon Food required the use of much better tools.
Third, the ingredients had to be acquired!
At the very start, Li Changsheng prioritized the weighing of the ingredients. Each ingredient had a specified proportion—it could be no more and no less, or the texture and effect would be compromised.
After the weighing was done, Li Changsheng started to prepare the ingredients. He cut some ingredients into pieces and ground others into powder. Li Changsheng could complete these tasks very quickly.
After he finished the prep work, Li Changsheng used some stones to build a simple stove and started making the Demon Food.
Under the basic conditions available, he could only make Demon Food of a rather lower level.
Next, Li Changsheng used his omniscience to adjust the heat.
After that, he threw the ingredients into the pot in a specific order. After a certain amount of time, he added the other ingredients.
During this process, nothing could be overlooked, be it the cooking heat or the order of the ingredients, or it would affect the food's final quality and texture.
After about fifteen minutes, a fresh fragrance wafted through the air. The food was done.
Li Changsheng immediately turned the heat off. After tasting the food, he could not help but nod in satisfaction. This was qualified Demon Food.
As the food cooled, Li Changsheng shaped it into a ball. To prevent the food from turning damp in the humid atmosphere, he stored it in a sealed clay pot.
Just then, Ai Xi ran over pitifully and lifted its bruised claws.
After applying medicine for Ai Xi, Li Changsheng let it rest a while. A quarter of an hour later, he ordered Ai Xi to resume its training.
As for him, he preoccupied himself with making more Demon Food.
This process took up two whole hours. He only stopped when the sun was high in the sky. Unsurprisingly, the results were fairly gratifying. Ai Xi now had enough food for at least these few days.
After tidying up, Li Changsheng called for Ai Xi to stop its training and placed a dish of Demon Food in front of Ai Xi.
Although the effects of Beginner-level Demon Food were slight, as it accumulated in the days to come, the subtle effect would become more noticeable.
After a morning of grueling training, Ai Xi was on the verge of collapsing, but upon smelling the fragrance of the Demon Food, its exhausted spirit was reinvigorated. It dashed eagerly to the food pan and gobbled up the food in big mouthfuls.
"Ai Xi, is it to your liking?" Li Changsheng squatted at its side, patting Ai Xi's little head. This was beef-flavored Demon Food and was more suited for wild beast demons.
Ai Xi did not say anything and used actions to convey its feelings.
Beginner-level Demon Food, aside from having some effect on a demon's growth, had another effect, which was to replenish strength.
After it finished its lunch, the originally low-spirited Ai Xi became full of life again. Full of vigor, it threw itself back into training voluntarily.
Undoubtedly, Ai Xi had already gotten used to the rudimentary training difficulty.
As time slowly passed, the sun started to set. The horizon took on a red hue. It was dusk.
Only then did Li Changsheng finally call for the training to stop.
"That's it for today's training. You did really well. Here, this reward is for you!" Li Changsheng kept his earlier promise and tossed the Wind demon core at Ai Xi.
Howl~
Ai Xi gave a low, excited roar and swallowed the Wind demon core in one gulp. Instantly, its small body started to shine.
Beneath the glowing sheen, Ai Xi's fur became even more splendid. The wounds on its body started to heal with a speed that could be seen by the naked eye.
In just a few breaths, the shine slowly faded and Ai Xi's small figure reemerged.
Compared to earlier, Ai Xi's size was a little bigger. Its fur was a bit glossier too, and the dirt and dust that had stuck to its fur previously had vanished without a trace. It was unknown where it had gone too.
"You leveled up?" Seeing Ai Xi's transformation, Li Changsheng could not help feel a little surprised.