Chapter 87 Blood-Sealing Throat, Self-Cooked Essence
Several more days passed without incident, and Li Xian gradually calmed down. Because he had not eaten meat for several days, his internal energy was growing more slowly.
Early that morning, Li Xian saw the sky ablaze with rosy dawn, the temperature rising, and the weather truly exceptional. He then decided to go hunting again to fill the gap in his game supply.
"This time, we must venture deep into the mountains to hunt a bear and taste what bear paws are like."
"While I'm at it, I'll pick some herbs to try out a 100-day bath!"
Li Xian prepared all the necessary items: bow and arrows, dried meat, and water.
Without leaving a trace in the snow, they ventured deep into the mountains and forests.
After mastering the [Qingfeng Leg] technique, Li Xian ran at full speed, his speed was incredibly fast. Over short distances, he could outrun a horse and was even more agile.
After walking for more than ten miles, all traces of human activity disappeared. Li Xian saw three deer and two tigers, but did not rush to shoot them.
The tigers are no longer the best prey. This time, the target is the bear!
By midday, he was quite tired, so he saw a tree stump and sat down to rest. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound from the bushes next door, and a wild rabbit came running and crashed into the tree stump with a "thud."
"Waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump?"
Li Xian chuckled. Since it had come to him, he would treat it as lunch.
They immediately lit a fire to grill the food and ate it as they walked.
The mountains and forests are rich in resources, with plenty of wild rabbits and wild boars. The deeper you go, the more common the tracks of various animals become. Unfortunately, ordinary people who dare to covet these creatures will surely meet their end in the jaws of tigers.
"This area has become a tiger menace, more than I expected."
Perhaps he was just unlucky.
It was evening, and not a single bear was seen.
After a moment's thought, Li Xian decided to set up camp where he was and continue deeper into the territory the next day. He was an experienced hunter, and the weather was excellent today, so he dared not return by the same route and waste the day's time.
The night sky is dotted with stars.
Li Xian wasn't idle either; he circulated his Qi throughout his body, experiencing the wonders of consolidating blood, and tried the method of closing the orifices.
It can also effectively keep you warm.
"I can now solidify my blood for more than a quarter of an hour."
"During this period, you must not engage in strenuous activity, otherwise your blood and energy will rush out, and your skill will be ruined in an instant, and your blood flow will return to normal."
The next day.
Before dawn, Li Xian was already on his way in the dark. He was already very far from "Heihe Village", but his sense of direction was excellent, and with the signs he had left along the way, he did not lose his way.
Suddenly, a patch of mist appeared ahead.
Li Xian covered his mouth and nose and immediately moved away. This was forest miasma, which could cause illness at best and death on the spot at worst.
"How strange."
“Normally, once winter arrives, the miasma will retreat underground and rarely spread like this.”
The poisonous miasma in the mountains and forests was an old friend of Li Xian's; he had dealt with it since childhood and knew how to deal with it.
In areas with dense miasma, observe carefully. If any plants bear fruit, especially bright red fruit, pick and swallow it. This will allow you to endure the miasma longer.
Li Xian picked a few and put them in her mouth. The juice overflowed, filling her mouth.
They are less afraid of miasma now, but still unwilling to go near it.
"The miasma blocked the way we came."
"It's alright, the forest is vast, there's nowhere we can't go."
They then headed westwards. It's hard to say whether today's luck is good or bad; they encountered quite a few strange things.
Not long after we started walking, we came across a kind of mountain crab, which was bright red all over, with one large and one small claw, and it was incredibly fast.
"I don't know if it's edible."
He leaped forward, grabbed the mountain crab, tied it tightly with straw rope, and put it into a cloth bag.
Crabs generally live in water.
There is no water nearby, and it is the dead of winter, so the appearance of these crabs is truly a rare sight.
Li Xian caught three "Red Mountain Crabs" in a row.
Based on his hunting experience, he had absolutely no idea where this thing came from.
"It kills instantly upon contact with blood!!"
It was evening.
A large tree caught Li Xian's attention. In the mountains and forests, not only are wild animals dangerous, but the vegetation is equally so.
This Antiaris toxicaria tree is highly poisonous, from its branches and trunk to the surrounding plants, insects, birds, and animals!
"This thing is dangerous, but it is also an opportunity!"
After her initial surprise, Li Xian became excited.
He took out a dagger and made a cut on the tree trunk. Because it was winter, the sap flowed slowly. Li Xian used his "Gentle Breeze Kick" to gently kick the tree trunk.
The internal energy penetrates the tree trunk, forcing out the sap little by little.
Li Xian drank all the water.
Collect tree sap using a water bag.
"This substance is highly poisonous, but it can save your life in a critical moment!"
"Especially me, although my martial arts are progressing rapidly, there are too many powerful enemies. The Blackwater Gang and Mountain Wind Stronghold might come looking for trouble for me at any time."
"We should prepare more, just in case."
They worked tirelessly for a full hour to fill the water bag.
The tree trunk is covered with dense scratches.
"If I accidentally drink it straight from the mouth, I'll be in big trouble," Li Xian said, patting his water bag and trying to make the best of a bad situation.
Perhaps it was fate playing tricks on us.
Li Xian ventured deeper into the forest but did not encounter any large bears. On the third day, he turned back, and after traveling for most of the day, he was met with three large bears.
To draw a bow and shoot an arrow.
One was shot dead, and the other two fled in panic. The bear they had hunted was just an ordinary brown bear, and not particularly large in size.
Killing them was easy, but carrying them back to the hut was a real struggle. Dragging them was both strenuous and inefficient.
Li Xian first felled trees to build a small raft, then placed the brown bear on it. He then took out the "Golden Leopard Rope," tied it to the raft, and forcibly pulled it back to the wooden house.
The snow on the ground was a great help.
When I got home, it was already late at night, and the night seemed exceptionally dark and quiet.
After several days of hard work, the task is finally complete, and I can now quietly enjoy the bear's belly and nourish my flesh and blood.
The freshest bear paws are naturally the first to be cooked and enjoyed.
[You consumed the delicacy of brown bear paw, increasing your proficiency by 12]
The taste speaks for itself; bear paws are a rare delicacy, a signature dish of prestigious restaurants, and priced extremely high, yet countless people flock to them.
According to Pang Long...
Even someone as noble as the lady of the house enjoyed eating bear paws.
Li Xian's cooking method was mediocre, with few extra seasonings, at most a few grains of salt. After eating a large bear paw, I felt a bit greasy.
We ate some bear meat barbecue.
Sizzling and dripping with oil, take a bite...
It wasn't particularly delicious, but it was definitely filling.
Feeling the meat enter his stomach, be gradually digested, and transformed into wisps of heat that nourished every part of his body... Li Xian felt an indescribable joy.
"For the next few days, we'll be eating bears!"
"I'll save the other bear paw for another day. Once I've gathered all the seasonings, I'll enjoy it properly."
"Yes...and these mountain crabs."
Li Xian took out the still lively mountain crab and threw it into the boiling water.
"Um?!"
A strange phenomenon occurred: after a long time, the crab was still not cooked. It was bathing in the hot water.
Wait until the water in the pot boils dry.
The crab was on its last legs, but it was far from being cooked.
“Could it be…”
Li Xian's heart skipped a beat.
They carried the crabs and pot to the mouth of a mountain stream, lit a fire again, added fresh water, and cooked them anew.
Boiling hot...evaporating...burning dry...
Add water again... boil it again... evaporate it again... boil it dry again... repeat this process until the mountain crab is dead, but Li Xian has a vague feeling that it's not enough, still not enough.
Add more water and continue cooking.
As the night passed and the sky began to lighten, Li Xian opened the pot lid and smelled a faint fragrance. The soup was a light milky white color.
Upon opening the crab shell, the crab meat is pale purple, has a faint earthy smell, and seems to be poisonous.
The crab roe is milky white, and although its fragrance is faint, it smells very pleasant.
He scooped out the pale white crab roe, put it in his mouth to taste, and it melted in his mouth before sliding down into his stomach.
A familiar yet strange, extremely subtle essence of energy appeared in my abdomen and rapidly flowed into my limbs and bones…
The essence of heaven and earth!
"Indeed, this crab is a treasure!"
Overjoyed, Li Xian circulated his Qi throughout his body, consolidating his blood and closing his orifices!
The clay sculpture exerted all its strength, just to retain a trace of the essence of heaven and earth.
(End of this chapter)
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