Only a top-tier chef could possess the skill to extract the essence from ingredients so thoroughly.
"Try this. It was personally prepared by Lai He, the Head of the Culinary Hall. He used the finest ingredients. You've just been poisoned and wounded—your body has surely suffered losses. This will nourish your flesh and replenish your essence."
Yi Tianxing smiled lightly as he picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of fish into his mouth. The tenderness, the melt-in-your-mouth texture—it was enough to intoxicate both body and mind. The fish was man-eating fish, yet its meat was exquisite, a true delicacy. No matter how many times he tasted it, he was always deeply captivated.
To eat—what a joy in life!
Fu Hongxue didn't refuse either. He also picked up his chopsticks, reached out, and brought a piece of fish to his mouth. Upon swallowing, it was as if every pore on his body opened wide.
"What an incredible dish."
His eyes lit up, and he praised it aloud.
He didn't say much, but his chopsticks moved continuously, sending piece after piece of fish into his mouth.
Yi Tianxing remained silent as well, launching an assault on the delicacies before him. Inside his body, warm currents surged through his flesh and seeped into every cell. His Gastric Cauldron Life Aperture activated autonomously, absorbing the world's energy and blending it into his flesh.
Unknowingly, his physical strength began to increase again.
New realm progression:
Black Cauldron → White Cauldron
Indicates a transformation from postnatal to innate, a qualitative shift in life level.
"The Head of the Culinary Hall truly has remarkable skills. This is the first time I've encountered such cuisine. Eating it brings not just physical nourishment, but mental bliss as well," Fu Hongxue said, setting his chopsticks down. He had finished a bowl of serpent stew, which now circulated as a wave of heat within, nurturing his blood and body. It was a wonderful feeling.
"When any skill reaches a certain level, it undergoes a wondrous transformation. This world has changed—filled with countless unknowns."
Yi Tianxing also smiled.
In the past, who could've imagined that food could emit light? But the fusion of all worlds had altered the very laws of this universe.
"I wonder if the Tower of Enlightenment is still accepting people," Fu Hongxue said suddenly.
"It is. The Tower's gates are always open to any qualified human cultivator," Yi Tianxing replied with a smile.
"I won't stay in one place too long. I may leave one day."
"Cultivation is about tempering oneself. The world is vast. Neither I nor the Tower will ever limit anyone's freedom. The Tower is a place where people come and go freely. No one is forced to stay. As long as you return when Xuanhuang Town is in danger, that's enough. It's a relationship of mutual benefit. Stay a day, earn a day's pay. Stay a year, receive a year's resources. If you leave—not for a mission—your pay stops. Come back, and it resumes."
The Tower of Enlightenment was inherently a loose organization—not about binding, but trading. Work a day, get paid for a day. Don't show up, no pay. Simple and fair. For many rogue cultivators, it held great appeal.
The Tower was never a shackle—only emotion was.
"Very well. I'm willing to join the Tower."
Fu Hongxue looked at Yi Tianxing and declared without hesitation.
He didn't linger. Rising, he left the residence and headed straight for the Tower's location.
"So, this is how you wish to repay a life-saving favor," Yi Tianxing murmured as he watched him go.
Fu Hongxue hadn't uttered thanks—but his actions made his feelings clear. If not for this, with his temperament, he likely wouldn't have stayed in Xuanhuang Town long. He would've continued his journey, like a wandering swordsman—refining himself while exploring the world.
But Yi Tianxing didn't stop him.
The Tower wasn't a cage. It was a home for human cultivators. Those who wanted to stay would stay. Those who didn't, wouldn't be forced. True bonds were forged not by rules or resources, but by connection.
Only emotion can become an unbreakable tether.
"My body is finally about to undergo its full transformation—breaking through from the Black Cauldron Realm to the next stage: the White Cauldron Realm."
Yi Tianxing sensed the changes within. From his Gastric Cauldron, refined culinary essence poured into his blood and flesh. The energy of heaven and earth surged into him. His physical strength began to soar again.
Tasting new delicacies always brought immense benefits—especially the first time.
His strength had already reached over 90,000 jin, nearing the 100,000 jin threshold. Now, with the ingestion of several new dishes, his gourmet cells exploded with power.
97,000 jin!
98,000 jin!
99,000 jin!
And then—BOOM!
100,000 jin!
⚠️ Breakthrough Achieved: White Cauldron Realm
A crisp sound echoed through his blood and flesh. Amidst the surging vitality, a snow-white cauldron emerged. Like the shadowy black cauldron before, this one was faint and illusory at first. But upon its appearance, his roiling blood immediately found an anchor and surged into the White Cauldron.
A cauldron's cry rang out—a radiant white divine light shot through his body, sinking into every inch of his flesh and bone.
In that instant, everything within shattered and reformed. His body gleamed with a jade-like luster. Every cell brimmed with pure vitality. Strength surged through him like a tide.
It felt as though a great shackle had broken—his whole body felt unbelievably light.
He could feel the world's energy ten times more acutely, and it rushed into him unbidden. His mind became crystal clear. Previously elusive problems now found elegant solutions. Inspiration flashed. Wisdom bloomed.
White Cauldron Resonance!
At 100,000 jin of strength, a single punch could pulverize steel. A casual squeeze could reduce iron to powder.
🔥 New Body Realm: White Cauldron
Breaks from postnatal to innate.
Fully sheds mortal limitations.
Transcends to a new tier of life.
Greatly enhances cultivation perception and mental resilience.
Yi Tianxing couldn't help but marvel at the transformation.
Compared to the Black Cauldron Realm, the White Cauldron was vastly superior. Though it seemed to only add 10,000 jin of strength, the leap in life level, purity, and power control was staggering.
Most notably, his body had undergone a true metamorphosis.
Now, he had jade-like skin and golden bones—his flesh had stepped into a new echelon.
He could probably defeat ten of his past self.
A White Cauldron cultivator could go head-to-head with Life Aperture Realm practitioners. With a fleshly divine ability, their combat power was savage.
Tearing apart tigers and leopards would be a trivial matter.
Moreover, the transformation lengthened his lifespan.
"Now that my body has transformed, it can even nourish my cultivation. My spiritual will has strengthened. I can condense runes more efficiently, in greater numbers. The energy cost is lower, and recovery is faster."
Taking a deep breath, Yi Tianxing willed his surging energy to retreat. It flowed back into the White Cauldron, vanishing into his flesh. From the outside, he looked like any ordinary person—one could not see the depth of his physical strength.
This was returning to simplicity.
Unless he used force, no one could discern his body cultivation level.
"I must now find a new body cultivation technique.The Vajra Dragon Elephant Art has already merged into the Black Cauldron, birthing the Prison Suppressing Seal. To evolve the White Cauldron, I'll need a new art to shape a second divine ability."
🧠 Insight: Different body arts birth different flesh divine abilities.Repeating the same art offers diminishing returns.
Most body cultivation techniques were scarce and limited. Some could only take one to the Black Cauldron level. To reach the White Cauldron, one needed higher-tiered arts.
Some techniques, like the Vajra Dragon Elephant Art, had lineages that allowed continued progression and could reach beyond White Cauldron. But for future divine abilities, a variety of arts was better.
"Others must seek powerful arts to temper their flesh. But I don't have to. With gourmet cells and my Gastric Cauldron Life Aperture, I only need to eat. As long as I have fine cuisine, my evolution never stops. So, I should choose unique, specialized techniques, and extract their essence—to shape exceptional divine abilities."
A flash of inspiration lit up Yi Tianxing's mind.