When Kang ham, coral salt (2) breaks through the cave...

Kuwano experienced the development of human technology in a short period of time.

One of them is the small spray gun she has now, which has five switches. As long as it is switched to the corresponding channel, it can spray out flames of the corresponding temperature and length.

She can now do the pigskin singeing step herself, which used to be done by fire-element disciples.

What is consumed is the energy they call "electricity"; this only consumes the energy behind it, not the mental energy of the person.

In ancient times, humans obtained electricity from coal, oil, wind power, and water power, but with the expansion of the universe, energy sources have changed time and again. The energy used by other planets is public knowledge, and they are basically sourced locally; only Black Tower is a secret, and the official authorities do not release any information about it.

Sangye adjusted the heat to the second setting and carefully singed off the hair on the surface of the four pig legs; then he adjusted it to the fourth setting and used the high-temperature fire to initially dry some of the water in the pig skin and fat layer.

Then began today's big project—curing salt.

With some reluctance, Sangye took out the coral salt he had accumulated over half a year. You see, coral beasts are small and stingy. If he hadn't kept them in his own cave, he probably would have only gotten forty or fifty pounds in half a year.

Pour the coral salt into a large basin, allowing it to accumulate into a thick layer. Place four pieces of pork leg in the basin and press the salt evenly onto the surface, ensuring that every corner is covered, until the coral salt forms an indelible film on the pork leg, resembling a layer of white frost.

At this point, the faint meaty smell of the pork leg will be masked by the salty-sweet flavor of the coral salt.

The pork legs are stacked together to allow the salt to penetrate the pork more quickly.

Sangye carried the basin of pork into a special hut in the storage room, and the robot turned to look at her as she entered.

There were three such small glass booths in the storage room, which were originally used to store ammunition.

After humans evolved mental abilities, and with the development of technology, bullets and ammunition evolved into high-energy weapons and even mental weapons. The direction of bullet and ammunition research has long since shifted to a biological focus.

Some of them, once inside the human body, corrode nerves; some freeze blood; some burn internal organs; and some contain deadly infectious viruses...

Fortunately, these dangerous munitions require an immense amount of mental energy to activate, and on the battlefield, they would cause significant damage to both the enemy and oneself, making them impossible for ordinary sentries or guides to activate.

They require constant temperature, humidity, and even stringent requirements for microbial concentration.

After the base was fully completed, the West Building, which lacked sufficient security, was abandoned and moved to a more sophisticated underground storage room.

However, the storage room and glass room were kept after being cleaned and disinfected.

Kuwano moved the pig's leg into the glass room.

Unlike the final hanging and drying stage, the fermentation process after salting the ham requires it to be kept in the temperature and humidity of rainy weather, but it must not be soaked in moisture. Ventilation is also crucial.

Sangye used instruments to adjust the humidity and temperature inside the glass room to a suitable range, while simultaneously controlling the wavelength at which the green enzymes proliferated most vigorously.

The most important factor in fermentation is a type of mold called green mold, which reveals its true nature when the ham is fully cured—a thin layer of green mold on the surface of the ham. It is non-toxic but visually unappealing, so people often just cut it off.

Enzymes that have developed a certain level of expertise can shorten fermentation time to one week under suitable temperature and humidity! In addition to secreting green mold, they can also secrete other types of bacteria.

Kuwano once used a milky white bacterium to ferment milk into a coagulated, sweet and sour dairy product.

The people of Shifangwu call them Enzyme Fairies. Enzyme Fairies are very close to those disciples with wood spirit roots, as they can cultivate faster if they share the same root.

The Enzyme Fairy is as light as a feather and looks quite like a fluffy ball; it has extremely strong vitality and can survive in any harsh environment, even in the hellish realms of Yama.

Although these peculiar creatures possess a certain level of intelligence, they can still be brought into the cave by Shifangwu.

Sangye lifted Enzyme Fairy out of the cave and pinched her fluffy body: "Little Fairy, Little Fairy, give me some green enzyme."

Enzyme Fairy yawned and began to shake off her soft fur. The green enzymes entered the glass chamber through pipes and slowly adhered to the ham. Enzyme Fairy was very generous with her enzymes, even extending her tiny hands that were secreting green mold to rinse and shake them off.

With the right environment and the efforts of the enzyme fairy, these hams can ferment in about a day; Sangye only needs to go in from time to time to turn the pig legs over, re-salt them, and change the order in which they are stacked.

While she was focused on curing the ham and imagining how delicious it would be, news that Uja Ning had grown her legs back had already spread to every corner of the entire base.

Those both inside the base and those on missions outside all wanted to meet this guide or "chef".

The Wu family members scattered throughout the empire also received this good news.

Wu Xiangxi, the mother of Wu Huansheng, even expressed her desire to come and visit them, mother and daughter.

Wu Huansheng watched the grandmother and granddaughter exchanging their longing for each other on the terminal, feeling rather helpless: "Black Tower Star doesn't allow unauthorized personnel to enter and exit at will." Seeing her mother's eyebrows suddenly rise, she quickly added, "Although the regulations certainly won't stop you, it's too conspicuous. Besides, once Ningning has fully recovered, I'll apply to send her back to the capital to be raised by you and my eldest sister. It's not good for her to stay on Black Tower Star forever."

Wu Xiangxi paused for a moment: "Then when will we be able to see you again? Is it because of your damned spirit that we can never see each other again in this lifetime?"

She acquiesced to Wu Huansheng's arrangements for Wu Jianing, but longed to see her daughter one more time.

The lifespan of interstellar people has increased, but the average is still only around 1,500 star years; while Elephant Creek is already 460 years old.

Sentinels who were exiled to Black Tower, whether voluntarily or by choice, have no precedent for returning; Wu Xiangxi, holding a high position in the Empire, was still unable to save his daughter, which made him extremely unwilling, and even more unwilling to never see her again.

Sometimes she even wished that Wu Huansheng's spirit would fall asleep and disappear. That way, at least she could keep her daughter safe by her side.

The mother and daughter were silent for a moment, then Wu Xiangxi asked, "Since that guide could make Ningning's legs grow back, can she heal your spirit body?"

Wu Huansheng had also considered this matter: "It's strange, but I didn't have any rejection reaction to her spiritual power, or rather, the spiritual power brought by her meals, even though she's only a B-level guide."

Wu Xiangxi said thoughtfully, "If she can cure your mental state, you might as well ask her what she wants, whether it's money, a military rank, or something else. As long as she can cure you, it's all worth it."

“Her sentence is nearly ten thousand years, and she probably has no intention of leaving anytime soon,” Wu Huansheng replied. “Plus, she still owes a huge amount of compensation, so staying on Black Tower Star is safer for her. At least no one dares to come looking for revenge or chasing her for debts.”

"But can't the sentence be reduced?" Wu Xiangxi's eyes were burning. "Your aunt is one of the judges of the Central Court. I remember that all sentencing requires the consent of all three parties, right?"

"My aunt doesn't handle criminal cases. Isn't she a corrupt official? How can she possibly reach into a military court?"

“As long as the rank is high, there will always be room to maneuver,” Wu Xiangxi replied calmly. “Moreover, there is also a psychological game involved in sentence reduction. It is naturally impossible to agree to a sentence reduction of 200 years at the beginning; it is much easier to propose a sentence reduction of 20 years after proposing a sentence reduction of 200 years than to propose a sentence reduction of 20 years at the beginning.”

"......"

You are good at compromise.

"Leave this to me, you don't need to worry about it. Take good care of yourself." Wu Xiangxi added before hanging up, "Remember to make her feel indebted to you. If you're too proud to admit it, have Mu An do it for you."

*

Sangye currently has no way of knowing about the power struggles and dark side of power within the empire's upper echelons, nor does she care.

Thanks to her careful preparation and meticulous operation, the Kang ham was cured in just one day!

At this point, the ham production is halfway complete. The advancement of human technology has made many things much easier.

Kuwano tapped the ham, and the now hardened ham made a solid, hardwood sound.

The ham now exudes the unique fragrance of coral salt, but it's not cloying at all. Kuwano couldn't help but recall the last time she ate ham; the rich, salty aroma of the fat was accompanied by a subtle nutty scent, creating a very complex flavor. Paired with green grape wine and baked goods, it was delicious even when eaten dry.

Not to mention, it can also be used to make dishes that require the most umami flavor, such as braised duck with ham and stewed bamboo shoots.

The master's skill in curing ham was unparalleled in Shifangwu. Back then, they all craved the ham hanging in front of the master's door, and every now and then a thief cat would go over and cut off a plate of it.

When the grandmaster returned from his travels, he was shocked to find that only the bones of the ham remained! Even the meat on the ham had been scooped out!

Sangye knew he was not yet at his master's level, but he was close.

Don't rush to slice off the light green enzyme layer on the surface of the ham; it will play a big role later.

Tie the pig's leg to the base with a rope, with the meatiest part facing down. Hang it in a constant-temperature oven set to 40°C, with the ventilation switch on. This time, the humidity inside needs to be lowered; this step is to squeeze out almost all the moisture.

While Kuwano was inside the walk-in oven, the door light kept flashing red, and the door could not be closed, either from the inside or the outside.

The door closed and locked automatically as soon as she left.

The oven started operating, and because the ventilation mode was set, hot air continuously wafted out, carrying the aroma of ham.

The fragrance, imbued with spiritual energy, wafted into Sangye's body, making her feel tingly and numb all over.

Until the phoenix tree inside the cave suddenly cried out.

The phoenix tree is Sangye's spiritual entity, her fundamental spiritual form. All of Sangye's spiritual power and her inner world originate from it. Its change signifies a sudden mutation in Sangye's inner world.

Ignoring that he was still in the kitchen, Sangye found a corner and sat down cross-legged, immersing himself in the world around him.

Only when she landed, stepped onto solid ground, and saw the sycamore trees did her anxiety subside, turning into ecstasy.

The sycamore tree has grown taller and become more lush!

It was originally only three or four meters tall, but its lush foliage made it look intimidating.

But now it has grown more than a meter upwards, and its branches and leaves have spread out, giving it the appearance of a large and deeply rooted tree.

The sycamore tree proudly swayed its branches, dancing a dance that belonged only to it.

The rustling of the sycamore leaves kept the coral family in the pond beneath the tree awake, and they sprayed her with water several times.

The sycamore tree didn't mind, treating it as if it were watering itself.

Her spiritual body had broken through, which meant that her inner world had expanded.

Sangye looked around and sure enough, the cave, which was originally shrouded in a thin mist, had expanded outwards to about ten acres of black soil fields, with a ring of fruit trees growing around the outer edge of the fields.

Upon closer inspection, Kuwano saw a wide variety of fruits: cherries, apples, hawthorns, papayas, dates...

The cave is a manifestation of her spiritual power, and it will also break through with her breakthroughs. What she can ultimately grow into depends entirely on herself.

Grandmaster Sangye's cave was a small world with everything imaginable: mulberry fields, fields, fruits and vegetables, forests and plains, oceans and lakes... When Grandmaster Sangye was young and not yet so powerful, she used her cave to feed the people of several cities during years of famine.

Sangye once aspired to be like her grandmaster, but her grotto-heaven has remained unchanged for several years, and her sect says that she just hasn't encountered her own opportunity.

Just when she had given up, she encountered her opportunity in the interstellar world.

If she could become as powerful as her master, then she could establish her own new home in this world.

A note from the author:

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