Chapter 100: Chu Feng: Little Fatty, You're a Grown Boy Now
"The Taotie Physique—this is one of the Three Great Dao Bodies!"
Elder Bing's tone carried a trace of excitement. Even though she had seen her fair share of grand events, seeing such a rare physique that only appeared once in a millennium still stirred her heart.
"No wonder Junior Brother eats so much. So he awakened the Taotie Physique… How enviable!!!"
Cao Youqian's eyes were practically overflowing with jealousy.
Wang Baole scratched his head with a grin after being praised by the two. "Thank you, Elder Bing and Second Senior Brother. I'm really not as amazing as you say."
Elder Bing turned her gaze to Chu Feng. Seeing the calm expression on his face, she couldn't help but marvel, "Chief Chu truly has a discerning eye, to find such a promising seedling among the masses."
Chu Feng shook his head. "That's not it. Little Fatty was sent to me after being screened by the other institutes."
"???"
Elder Bing was full of question marks, nearly blurting out: Were all those selectors blind?!
The Taotie Physique, ranked alongside the Longevity Body and Chaos Body, was one of the Three Great Dao Bodies. If cultivated to perfection, it would be no different from an Immortal Body.
Although it was incredibly difficult to fully cultivate any of the Three Great Dao Bodies, any cultivator possessing one who didn't die young would start from Nirvana and becoming a Saint would be practically guaranteed.
Had those people gotten arrogant? Or did they just need their eyes checked?
Seeing her confusion, Chu Feng recounted the story of how Little Fatty had come to him holding the Wendao Token to request apprenticeship.
After hearing it, Elder Bing sighed. "Chief Chu, your fortune is truly enviable. Bing Yan is impressed."
Chu Feng laughed. "Maybe it's because I like to smile."
"Oh?"
Elder Bing looked at Chu Feng in bewilderment, curiosity filling her eyes.
Chu Feng explained, "After all, boys who smile often tend to have better luck."
Elder Bing: "..."
After teasing Elder Bing, Chu Feng turned his attention back to Wang Baole.
"Little Fatty."
"Disciple is here."
Wang Baole stepped forward with excitement. He never dreamed he'd become the reason others envied his master.
In his heart, he silently vowed: I'll train hard and strive to become a man like First Senior Brother.
When that time comes, I'll not only bring glory to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, I'll return openly to the Wang Clan… and reclaim my family name!
Chu Feng spoke slowly, "Little Fatty, you're a grown boy now. You need to learn to provide for yourself. From now on, other than what the academy supplies, you'll have to earn the rest of your cultivation resources yourself."
Wang Baole nodded. "Rest assured, Master. I understand that cultivation is about striving. I'll rely on my cooking skills to earn enough resources."
"That alone isn't enough."
Chu Feng paused before continuing, "If you want to walk the path of the strong, you'll need more than just good cooking. Combat experience is essential."
"Each of your senior brothers and sister has been through many bloody battles."
"Now that you've entered the Dao Foundation stage, it's time for you to begin your training outside the sect."
When Wang Baole heard the word "training," not only was he unafraid—he even looked excited. "Master, do you know a place with lots of food?"
"The Misty Swamp can meet all your needs. But before you head out for training, you must first master a blade technique."
As Chu Feng spoke, his expression turned serious—something he rarely showed in front of others.
Wang Baole scratched his head and muttered, "But Master, the blade techniques in the inheritance you gave me… they're all too profound. I can't grasp them just yet."
Chu Feng frowned and said, "After all that time practicing Tai Chi, you still haven't made any progress?"
Wang Baole awkwardly scratched his head, looking completely at a loss.
Elder Bing looked on with curiosity. After all, Tai Chi Fist and Tai Chi Sword differed by only one word, yet both originated from the same source and shared many principles.
Chu Feng continued, "As the saying goes: 'The Great Dao is the simplest.' Any technique, no matter how complex, starts from the basics. It may appear complicated on the surface, but at its core, it always comes down to simple and understandable principles."
"I'll use the Embroidered Script Phantom Window Blade Technique as an example."
"Its creator developed it by studying the art of paper cutting, deriving its essence from the carving techniques used in calligraphy to bring out the precision required in blade control."
"To put it simply, the core of this blade technique is the same as the 'carving' skill in our culinary arts—known as ji, meaning to carve or sculpt."
"If you can master the art of carving to the point where you can inscribe characters on soft dough, just as described in the Embroidered Script Phantom Window, then you will have naturally comprehended this blade technique."
After hearing this explanation, everyone's faces lit up with sudden realization.
Elder Bing cupped her fists slightly and said, "Hearing Chief Chu's words is worth ten years of cultivation."
"You flatter me, Elder Bing. These are things anyone can understand. Most people simply never bother to try."
Chu Feng then turned his gaze to Wang Baole.
"Little Fatty, tell me what you've learned."
Wang Baole responded, "What Master meant is that I must build a solid foundation. As long as I can master one of the knife techniques—slicing, dicing, chopping, cleaving, smashing, or carving—I can begin learning more advanced blade techniques."
Chu Feng nodded with satisfaction. "Exactly. As soon as you've trained one of them to perfection, that will be the day you go down the mountain to train."
"I will remember Master's teachings," Wang Baole said, lifting his head slowly, his eyes gradually growing resolute.
Chu Feng waved his hand. "Alright, everyone, go rest."
"Yes!"
Everyone responded and began dispersing.
Chu Feng also returned to his room. Elder Bing watched his retreating figure and thought to herself: If only I had been a little bolder just now, I could've asked Chief Chu for guidance on the Tai Chi Sword…
The Next Day
Wang Baole got up early as usual to practice his Tai Chi. Afterward, he went to the kitchen. Staring at the pile of ingredients, he began to consider: Which knife technique should I start with?
In the end, he chose carving—mainly because he had always enjoyed making decorative cuts and already had some basic skill in it.
But practicing on food was too wasteful. It would be better to use wood for now.
He walked to the firewood pile, casually picked out a stick, and began practicing with a hatchet. Before long, Wang Baole was completely absorbed.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Less than an hour later, Wang Baole was already feeling a wave of hunger.
He paused and muttered, "Why do I feel like I get hungry even faster than before? Luckily I made a lot of dumplings yesterday. I'll eat some first."
After wolfing down several dumplings, Wang Baole felt refreshed and continued carving.
He noticed that the moment he was full, his entire state changed. His hands felt more nimble than before.
The once-clumsy hatchet now felt no different from a kitchen knife in his hands, and his control over the blade grew increasingly refined.
So this is what cultivation feels like… not bad at all. I, Wang Baole, have fallen in love with cultivation!
Ever since Wang Baole discovered the joy of cultivation, he became even more diligent than before—but at the same time, the Miscellaneous Dao Institute's food supplies began to dwindle rapidly.
Food that was meant to last a month had nearly run out in just seven days.
Chu Feng stared at the near-empty kitchen and realized he had been too naïve. He had underestimated the consumption rate of someone with the Taotie Physique.
He couldn't help but mutter, "Raising a Taotie isn't easy. If this keeps up, he'll empty my wallet before he even masters his blade technique. I better restock first."
With that, Chu Feng raised his voice and shouted, "Da Qian, come with me—we're going beast hunting!"
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