48 Preparation Begins! 3 (1/2)
Trying his best to complete most of his unfinished task, Zhang Wu Ji returned to the Seven Star Sect as he delayed his return by three days. The moment he reaches his courtyard, he was greeted with a group of between twenty to twenty-five disciples. From the look of it, they're probably the loitering disciples that were sent to the kitchen department about two weeks back.
Now, each of them was carrying the expression of a proud disciple of the Seven Star Sect. Compared to before, none amongst them possess such a stable and firm aura from their eyes. They were thoroughly trained in this one week by working as a kitchen helper, which surprised Zhang Wu Ji for a few times because some of the food that was served to his courtyard came to form these twenty-something people.
”Master Senior Ninth! We're back from your task.” all of them greets him the moment they noticed his return. As he was already late for six days, Zhang Wu Ji can easily guess that all of them must be waiting here every day until he returned. It might be foolish from the other's point of view, but this kind of composed mindset was what he needed to further his faction's influence throughout the sect.
”Each one of you changed. I'm seeing a group of fellow disciples, and not a group of loitering trash like before, don't you agree with my words?” Zhang Wu Ji questioned them the moment he steps right before their view.
”We agree!”
”Thanks to Master Senior Ninth's instruction, all of us went over to the Kitchen Department to accept their training to mold our character. We're too immature, demanding, lack of confidence, and void of a proper mindset before, but all of this changed now. We have an aim in our mind now, we're confident, and we understand that to be demanding, first, you need to strength to do so, and not asking without a proper foundation to support your request!” the group replied at the same time to answer his question.
”Good! Follows me into the courtyard, I will give all of you the rewards you deserve.” Zhang Wu Ji leads them into his courtyard and ordered Tang Yuan to withdraws a stack of completed manual out from his room. It seems that he already prepared everything for them, expecting that nobody will fail in his test. But if they know the fact, perhaps they will laugh at their own foolishness.
[What will they think if they know Zhang Wu Ji purposely made some extra copies for the sake of giving it to others? He's just lazy to rewrite a new book whenever he needs to give somebody a copy of the book he refined, thus, he makes about five copies for those educational books and more than fifty copies for the three main cultivation and martial arts.
The Fighter Grade Collapsing Fist, [Early] Compendium of Martial Arts, and the Body Nourishment Technique.
After calculating their numbers, it seems that their number is exactly twenty-five disciples. When all of them collected the reward they deserved, Zhang Wu Ji gave them the reason to leave by mentioning that he was too tired from his journey to the Apprentice Hall, and wanted to get a rest until tomorrow morning. Only after all of them left Zhang Wu Ji summoned his five trusted attendants.
Since the three disciples of his already know his intention, it was time for him to speaks about it with the five of them. At this moment, except Liu Yanni that still at her 55 strands of Inner Qi, the others were all in their 1st Stage of Inner Qi Fighter, with the exception of Zhao Xiao Hua at her early 2nd Stage, and Tang Yuan at his peak of 2nd Stage. Although the sudden burst of strength in their cultivation is closely related to two of the three Cultivating and Martial Arts manual he gave to them, but their own effort is still important.
Filled with the intention to push their strength further than expected, Zhang Wu Ji distributes a total of five Fighter Chasing Dans to each of them, with Liu Yanni received the instruction to not consume the pills before she entered the cultivation stage of 1st Stage of Inner Qi Fighter. The moment he distributes the pill to them, nobody actually knows what is this pill, until Zhang Wu Ji describes them. Worst of all, the moment they heard about its effect and also the difficulties to get one from the public, it further enhanced their impression on this master of theirs.
Of course, Zhang Wu Ji did not mention that after giving three to each of them, he still has 1,185 pills in his Clay-Made container. After he released them back to their own room, Zhang Wu Ji returned to his own and took a good rest, with the Clay-Made container in his hand. Only after all of this matter is settled he can peacefully inspect the pills he made.
Fighter Chasing Dan
-Usage 1: Creates 20 strands of Fighter Qi upon consumption (Effect only applicable for the first three pills)
-Usage 2: Reduce the requirement to creates a strand of Inner Qi by ninety percent, allowing the consumer to enjoy the beneficial effect for one hour.
-Usage 3: Upon consumption, recovers all exhausted Fighter Qi. (Limit to 200 Strands / a day)
-Durability: 9/9 (Decaying Process starts the moment pill is in contact with Natural Energy)
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Fighter Chasing Dan +6
-Usage 1: Creates 26 strands of Fighter Qi upon consumption (Effect only applicable for the first three pills)
-Usage 2: Reduce the requirement to creates a strand of Inner Qi by ninety percent, allowing the consumer to enjoy the beneficial effect for one hour.
-Usage 3: Upon consumption, recovers all exhausted Fighter Qi. (Limit to 200 Strands / a day)
-Durability: 14/15 (Decaying Process starts the moment pill is in contact with Natural Energy)
Zhang Wu Ji compared the two different quality pills in his hand but hesitates to upgrade them further. After a moment of consideration, he took another two pills out from the container and begin to upgrade them. Both successfully entered their +6 stats, but different only in the 2nd usage, where the reduction percentage is 0.5% higher. Then, he dares himself to upgrade them into +7, but the results end up with three piles of Ashes of Failure.
”It seems that +6 is still possible, but +7 is more difficult.” Zhang Wu Ji mood did not change as he roughly knows the possibility before starting, but with so many of the Fighter Chasing Dan, he decides to try his luck with twelve more, and this time, one of them were a success +7 pill!
Fighter Chasing Dan +7
-Usage 1: Creates 27 strands of Fighter Qi upon consumption (Effect only applicable for the first three pills)
-Usage 2: Reduce the requirement to creates a strand of Inner Qi by ninety-one percent, allowing the consumer to enjoy the beneficial effect for 90 minutes.
-Usage 3: Upon consumption, recovers all exhausted Fighter Qi. (Limit to 250 Strands / a day)
-Durability: 15/16 (Decaying Process starts the moment pill is in contact with Natural Energy)
”Still not having any special abilities...” Zhang Wu Ji tosses the pill into his mouth and swallows it as he started to meditates. But after the increment of 27 strands of Fighter Qi, the reduce requirement effect are completely worthless to him, as his still trash Martial Body are not capable to cultivates on its own. Without letting his mind went into sadness, he went ahead with his rest.
Unknown to himself, the benefit brought by the pill enhanced his advancement smoothly as he entered the 3rd Stage of Inner Qi Fighter while sleeping. With 210 strands of Inner Qi on him, Zhang Wu Ji is now qualified to upgrade his weapon into +8 status, if he remembered about it when he wakes up from slumber.
After a thorough night of good rest, Zhang Wu Ji wakes up just a little earlier before breakfast. With only 23 more days left before the gathering starts, Zhang Wu Ji was left with another thirteen days to make sure all the preparations he needs is ready on his departure date. Knowing that today will be another busy day once more, Zhang Wu Ji dressed properly before he made his way out to the Dining Hall.
But today, one additional guest came uninvited with twenty-two different dishes that none of them ever tried before. As the Master Chef of the Kitchen Department for many years now, this was the first time they saw him personally came to a disciple's courtyard without prior appointment.
”Master Chef, what a rare occurrence to meet you here in the Ninth Disciple's Courtyard. Is there anything you need from the Master Senior Ninth?” Li Jing steps forward to greet the Master Chef that held the similar position like himself. With his brightness, Li Jing can easily deduce the reason the Master Chef is here so early in the morning, and his twenty-two Chef's specialties further strengthen his deduction on this Master Chef's arrival.
”Yes, this humble chef do have a request that requires the Master Senior Ninth's help. Did Elder Li Jing heard the existence of the [Golden Tusk Black Hog] before?” the Master Chef revealed a part of his reason to come here, and that was for this precious food material.
”Golden Tusk Black Hog, aren't their meat is one of the main ingredients of your finest dishes, the [Golden Braised Black Pork Belly]? I heard that this dishes can increase the taste bud of a cultivator, allowing them to enjoy the depth of the cuisine's taste permanently.” Li Jing expressed his point of view and words he knows when the Master Chef mentioned the living ingredient.
”Yes, that Hog is exactly one of my main ingredients to prepare the Golden Braised Black Pork Belly, but unfortunately, the effort to taking care of the Golden Tusk Black Hog is extremely difficult, which is why I pay the Master Senior a visit.” the Master Chef explained his part of difficulties, where Zhang Wu Ji unintentionally heard as he came into their sight.
”Master Chef, welcome to this junior's humble courtyard.” Zhang Wu Ji cupped his hand together to greets the Kitchen Department head. The former then invited the Master Chef to join him and his attendants for a breakfast as they discussed the important matters as they eat. Perhaps in a different point of view, talking about business during a meal wasn't a proper manner back in his world, but in this realm, the habit of discussing business during a meal is widely practiced.