"So that's how it is," Su Xiang said, nodding at his explanation. While she was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be picking a sword up again, he'd made it clear when they first shared tea after reconnecting that he intended to walk a different path. Ever since his original awakening, she had become increasingly aware of how different his cultivation method was and now that he'd added a second path, it seemed like this would be even more true.
"Still, I think it would do me some good to practice with both of you," Wu Ling explained, shifting his position and attempting to stand. No sooner did he begin to move, however, than his legs were overwhelmed by the sensation of shooting pains as though he were being stabbed by dozens of pins and needles. "Um, I guess, starting with a hand up," Wu Ling said, his face heating with embarrassment.
"Here," Xiong Dahuo said, offering a hand. "I'm sure a walk around camp will have you sorted in no time."
"Brother Wu," Fang Lin said hesitantly. "One of the formations I set for you was an Eight Directions Energy Gathering formation. It looked like you were drawing a substantial amount of energy from the space around you to fuel your reawakening. It… it didn't make things worse for you, did it?"
"No," Wu Ling said instantly, leaning up against Su Xiang once he'd regained his feet. "In fact, while it probably extended the time it took to finish, I was able to use that time to build a better foundation on my Master's teachings. Thank you, Brother Fang," he said, offering a bow over cupped hands.
His master had told him that he'd have to thank his friends for giving her extra time to tutor him, now he understood what she meant. Without the energy-gathering formation, she likely would have run out of energy even sooner.
At Fang Lin's level, that might only have added one day of the eleven, but each day he spent learning directly from an Immortal Empress was a treasure that couldn't be purchased with all the spirit crystals in Silver Sword City.
"Well, if you want to make it up for me, and I never thought I'd say this," Fang Lin began. "Can you take over cooking again? No offense to Brother Yu and Brother Xiong's skills but, I won't look down on your simple soups and stews anymore. Not after enduring their cooking these past several days."
"Hey now," Xiong Dahuo protested. "I understand about Brother Yu's cooking, but what's wrong with the way I cook?"
"Absolutely nothing," Jin Wuya said, quickly coming to Xiong Dahuo's defense. "Your roasting skills are very excellent, it lets us all enjoy the pure flavor of nothing but the well-roasted meats. And Brother Yu has been improving every day you know," she said, inflicting even more damage on the young alchemist.
"I think Brother Yu's cooking goes really well with Brother Xiong's roasted meats," Zhang Buyan offered. "As long as the proportions are right, they make a very good addition," he added, twisting the knife even deeper into Yu Jinqi's chest. While he said 'as long as the proportions are right' what he really meant was 'when used as a dipping sauce or garnish.'
"Brother Wu," Fang Lin said, his eyes soft and his tone pleading. "Don't mistake things. We're not all like Brother Zhang and Sister Jin. They might cultivate a Golden Body but in truth, I think they have a stomach of iron. We really could use your deft touch with dishes."
"Brother Yu," Wu Ling said, looking at the young alchemist whose face had turned beat red the longer the conversation went on. "What have you made for them?"
"I'm still experimenting," Yu Jinqi confessed. "Cooking isn't actually that different from Alchemy you know. It's about the control of the elements of time, temperature, technique, the extraction of flavors like essences, and so on. Really, a soup and an elixir have a great deal in common," he asserted, though his words lacked the confidence they'd had when he first said them to the group of young cultivators several days ago.
"The problem." Su Xiang said gently. "Is that Brother Yu's alchemy is too strong. He can extract so much flavor from a single ingredient that it overwhelms everything else in the dish. If he does that to more than one ingredient, the flavor becomes so intense that even a spoonful of his soup could flavor a whole bowl of thin broth."
"Ah, I see," Wu Ling said to the sheepish-looking alchemist. "Brother Yu, if you want, while I don't cultivate the Art of Cooking, I would be happy to share a few pointers. And, if you decide to become an Artist for your second path, perhaps we could both study culinary arts together. I've meant to make a serious study of it and if it has similarities with Alchemy, maybe it could benefit you too."
"Thank you for the offer Brother Wu," Yu Jinqi said, finally feeling like the stares that had gathered on him were less piercing. "But I cannot reawaken without returning to my sect. When my potential was tested, like Brother Wu, I was shown to have almost no aptitude for the Martial path, but my aptitude for Artistry and Mysticism are roughly equal. I'll have to entrust myself to my sect's arrangements before I take another step."
"Well, now that Brother Ling is back, we can get around to celebrating again," Xiong Dahuo said. "Brother Yu, you should come help me hunt something for another feast tonight. We have two more breakthroughs to celebrate after all!"
"Two more?" Wu Ling asked. "Brother Dahuo, does that mean you were also successful?"
"Very much so!" Xiong Dahuo said with a wide grin as he slapped a meaty hand on Yu Jinqi's shoulders. "Brother Yu refined not just a Red Mist Wolf beast core for me but also a Blood Moon Mist Wolf core. I've almost managed to catch up to Sister Su at this point," he said, puffing up his chest in pride.
"Four out of seven in less than a month's time," Wu Ling said with a low whistle. "I knew we made gains but I didn't expect it to be so exaggerated."
"Sister Jin is also making rapid progress thanks to Brother Yu," Zhang Buyan praised both individuals. "I'm sure she'll be joining us as a late-stage Brawler by the end of our trip at this rate."
"My talent is poor and lacking," Jin Wuya said shyly. "If it wasn't for the shallowness of my cultivation, Brother Yu would have been able to refine a Blood Moon Mist Wolf core for me the way he did for Brother Xiong and Senior Brother Zhang. It's because I'm so far behind that he's had to prepare medicinal baths to temper my body to handle greater energies."
"We're all working hard, Leader Wu," Fang Lin added, taking a halting step forward and standing up straighter. "Even I've made a few gains since Brother Yu gave me one of the beast cores to study as a formation core. When you have our next goal in mind, we'll all be much stronger than before," he said.
In his eyes, Wu Ling found a surprising amount of eagerness. In the beginning, the young lord had sought the slightest excuse to end the expedition and return home. Perhaps now he was looking for an opportunity to redeem his earlier failings. If that was the case, Wu Ling would be happy to help him find an opportunity.
"Okay everyone," Wu Ling said with a wide smile. "I'll help cook tonight if Brother Dahuo hunts up something for a small feast. Then, we can talk about what we'll do next. For now, though, I should move around a bit, and then, Sister Xiang, if you could help me with breakfast, I haven't eaten in days!"