I Idle in the World of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 47: Eating Meat
On the third day, Yue Long woke up before dawn.
Not because her phone buzzed – because she was hungry. She lay on her bed, her rabbit ears drooping at her sides, and her stomach growled. She turned over, trying to press her ears down, but her stomach growled again, louder this time.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Master, are you awake?"
"Yes." Lin Luo's voice came from the stone wall. He was already leaning against it, looking at his phone.
"We're eating meat today, right?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight? Not at noon?"
"The Elder said tonight. It stews during the day. By evening, the meat will be the most flavorful."
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped. "Have to wait all day…"
"You can have soup first."
"I don't want soup. I want meat."
Lin Luo turned his phone face down on his knee and looked at her. "Then go squat at the Dining Hall entrance. The Elder has a soft heart. He might let you have a taste."
Yue Long's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"No."
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped again. "Master, can you not give me hope and then crush it every time?"
"Yes."
Yue Long waited.
Lin Luo didn't speak.
"Just say 'yes' and then not crush it!"
"I can. But that wouldn't be fun."
Yue Long took a deep breath and crawled out of her bedding. She crouched by the stove, boiled water, washed Glow Mushrooms, chopped them, put them in the pot, and made soup. Her movements were twice as fast as usual. Rat One squatted beside the stove, waiting for mushroom scraps to fall. When he saw Yue Long rushing around, he squeaked twice, as if to say, "What's your hurry?"
Yue Long looked down at him. "You don't understand. That's Nascent Soul demon beast meat. A Nascent Soul demon beast. Bone One fought for days to kill it."
Rat One squeaked, picked up a piece of mushroom scrap, and ran back to his nest to eat.
The soup was done. Yue Long brought two bowls, one in front of Lin Luo, one in her own hands. She drank fast, wincing from the heat but not stopping.
"Master, drink up. After finishing, we go to the market to do a good deed. After that, we come back and watch the meat."
"The meat is for tonight. Going to the Dining Hall now won't let you see it."
"Then what do we do after the good deed?"
"Chop wood. Idle."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "I don't want to chop wood today."
"Then what do you want to do?"
"I want to see the meat."
Lin Luo looked at her. "Are you going to see the meat, or see Wang Hao?"
"What's there to see about Wang Hao? The meat is more interesting."
The corner of Lin Luo's mouth moved. Yue Long didn't see it. She was already washing her bowl.
---
The two left the mine and walked toward the market. The sun was bigger than yesterday, making the blue stone path hot. Yue Long walked ahead, her rabbit ears up, bobbing in the wind.
"Master."
"Yes."
"Do the good deed fast today. Find someone to help and come back."
"Okay."
Yue Long started running. When she reached the wonton stall, the owner was wiping tables.
"Good morning, boss! Does anyone need help today?"
The owner thought for a moment. "Not today. But that old man you helped carry water for yesterday said thank you. He said to come by his place sometime for some fruit."
"I already had the fruit. Anything else?"
The owner shook his head.
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped. "Then I'll look somewhere else." She ran off.
Lin Luo didn't follow. He sat down at the wonton stall. The owner put a bowl of wontons in front of him.
"Your disciple is pretty hardworking."
"Yes."
"Just too eager."
"Young."
The owner smiled and kept wiping tables.
When Yue Long came back, there was a leaf stuck to her rabbit ears again and a wet patch on her skirt, but her face was all smiles.
"Master! I helped a lady move her rice jar! She couldn't lift it alone, but I picked it up with one hand! She gave me a bag of peanuts!"
She took out a paper-wrapped packet from her sleeve, opened it. Inside were roasted peanuts, golden brown, smelling delicious.
"Master, try one!"
Lin Luo took one and put it in his mouth. Crunchy. Salty.
"Good."
Yue Long ate one herself, her eyes turning into crescent moons. "The good deed was fast today. Found someone in less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick."
"Lucky."
"Not lucky. I ran fast."
Lin Luo didn't answer. Yue Long crouched down, ate a bowl of wontons, wrapped the peanuts back up, and put them in her storage pouch.
"Master, now what?"
"Go back to the mine. Chop wood. Idle."
"I don't want to chop wood."
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to see the meat."
Lin Luo stood up. "Let's go."
Yue Long froze. "Really?"
"Yes. On the way."
"On the way to where?"
"To the Dining Hall."
Yue Long smiled. She ran ahead, her rabbit ears bobbing in the wind.
---
At the Dining Hall entrance, Wang Hao was squatting on the steps, eating a steamed bun. When he saw Lin Luo and Yue Long, he stood up, stuffed the bun in his mouth, and said something unintelligible.
"Brother Luo! Sister-in-law Yue Long! What are you two doing here?"
Yue Long's rabbit ears twitched. "Don't call me that."
Wang Hao grinned and didn't change it.
"Where's the meat?" Lin Luo asked.
"Still stewing. The Elder said two more hours."
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped. "Two more hours…"
"Almost there, almost there." Wang Hao wiped his mouth. "Brother Luo, Zhao Tian and Zhang Wei are coming later. Chen Yutong said she'll be a bit late – she's organizing books in the library."
Lin Luo nodded and pushed open the kitchen door.
The Dining Hall Elder was crouched in front of the stove, holding a fire poker, adding wood to the fire. The pot lid was tightly sealed. White steam rose from the gaps, carrying a rich meaty aroma mixed with the sweet smell of spiritual energy.
Yue Long's nose twitched. "So good."
The Elder looked up and smiled. "Two more hours. By then, the meat will be falling off the bone. One touch with chopsticks and it falls apart. Melts in your mouth."
Yue Long swallowed. "Elder, can I taste the broth?"
"No. The broth is more nourishing than the meat. If you drink a sip of broth, you won't have room for the meat tonight."
Yue Long opened her mouth. "Then I'll wait for the meat."
Lin Luo leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching the pot on the stove. "Elder, how many people will the meat feed?"
"That piece of yours is about twenty jin. Enough for seven or eight people. Six are coming today, plus you and Yue Long, that makes eight. More than two jin each. Enough."
Wang Hao leaned in. "Elder, can I eat three jin?"
"Taotie Physique, you could eat five jin without a problem. But don't eat too much at once. Too much spiritual energy will burst your meridians. Take it slowly."
Wang Hao nodded and stepped back.
Lin Luo took out the bag of peanuts from the Shared Storage and handed it to Yue Long. "Give it to the Elder."
Yue Long took the peanuts, walked to the Elder, and said, "Elder, a lady gave me these today. Would you like to try some?"
The Elder took the peanuts, opened the bag, and put one in his mouth. "Crunchy. Thanks."
Yue Long smiled and stepped back.
The two left the Dining Hall and walked toward the mine. The sun was already high, making people drowsy. Yue Long walked ahead, her rabbit ears drooping, not as energetic as usual.
"Master."
"Yes."
"Two more hours."
"Yes."
"So hard to wait."
"Then stop thinking about it."
"Not thinking about it makes me think about it more."
Lin Luo didn't speak. Yue Long walked a few steps, then suddenly turned around and walked backward, facing Lin Luo.
"Master, have you ever eaten Nascent Soul demon beast meat before?"
"No."
"Then how do you know it's good?"
"Just guessing."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "What if it's not good?"
"Can't be."
"Why?"
"Because Bone One hunted it. Bone One always brings back good things."
Yue Long smiled. "Master, are you praising Bone One, or yourself?"
"Praising Bone One."
"What about you?"
"I just eat."
Yue Long took a deep breath and stopped asking.
---
Back at the mine, Yue Long crouched by the spirit field and played with the Glow Mushrooms. After a few touches, she turned back to Lin Luo.
"Master, what's Bone One doing now?"
Lin Luo took out his phone and looked at Bone One's interface. The black-gold skeleton was crouched behind some ruins, a bolt loaded in its crossbow. Its target was a Golden Core Layer 4 Ironback Centipede. Win rate 64%.
"Fighting an Ironback Centipede."
"Has it won yet?"
"Not yet. Sixty-four percent win rate."
"Can it come back tonight to eat meat?"
"It doesn't eat meat."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "True. It's a skeleton."
She put her phone away, walked to the stove, boiled water, washed Glow Mushrooms, chopped them, put them in the pot, and made soup.
"Master, soup for lunch."
"Yes."
"Meat for dinner."
"Yes."
"Today feels perfect."
Lin Luo didn't speak.
The soup was done. Yue Long brought two bowls, one in front of Lin Luo, one in her own hands. She drank slowly, not as rushed as in the morning.
"Master."
"Yes."
"Do you think Sister Xiao can eat meat in the Phoenix Kingdom?"
"Yes. But she's eating spirit fruits."
"Are spirit fruits better than meat?"
"I don't know. Never had one."
"Then when she comes back, let's trade with her. Fruit for meat."
Lin Luo looked at her. "You're quite the schemer."
"Of course. I'm a disciple of the Idle Sect."
The corner of Lin Luo's mouth moved.
After the soup, Yue Long took the bowls away, crouched by the stove, and washed them. As she washed, her rabbit ears slowly went up.
"Master."
"Yes."
"How much longer?"
"One hour."
Yue Long dried the bowls, put them away, walked over to Lin Luo, and sat down beside him. Her rabbit ears slowly drooped, resting on his arm.
"Master."
"Yes."
"I want to go wait at the Dining Hall."
"It's too early to go now."
"Then I'll wait here."
"Yes."
Yue Long closed her eyes. Her phone rested on her knee. The chibi figure hit the wooden fish again and again. Merit +1, merit +1, merit +1.
---
One hour later, Yue Long opened her eyes on time.
"Master, time's up."
"Yes. Let's go."
The two left the mine and walked toward the Dining Hall. The sun had already started moving west, slanting their shadows long. Yue Long walked ahead, her rabbit ears straight up.
Several people were already standing at the Dining Hall entrance. Wang Hao, Zhao Tian, Zhang Wei, Chen Yutong – all there. Zhao Tian carried a jug of wine, Zhang Wei carried a bag of steamed buns, Chen Yutong held a wooden box.
Yue Long ran over. "Senior Sister Chen, what's that?"
Chen Yutong opened the box. Inside was a plate of pickled radishes, sliced thin and arranged neatly.
"I made them myself. They go with the meat. Cuts the richness."
Yue Long's eyes lit up. "Senior Sister Chen, you're so talented!"
Chen Yutong smiled.
Wang Hao came over. "Brother Luo, the Elder said the meat is ready. He told us to come in."
Lin Luo nodded and pushed open the kitchen door.
The Dining Hall Elder stood in front of the stove, holding a long-handled ladle, scooping meat into a large bowl. The pot lid was off. White steam poured out, filling the whole kitchen. The aroma of meat mixed with the sweet smell of spiritual energy, so thick it was hard to breathe.
Yue Long took a deep breath. "So good."
The Elder looked up and smiled. "Everyone sit down. Here comes the meat."
He carried the largest bowl of meat and placed it in the center of the table. The meat was dark red, coated in a thick sauce. One touch of the chopsticks and it fell apart. The bones were exposed, white and clean, no shred of meat stuck to them – stewed to perfection.
Wang Hao swallowed. "Elder, can I have a piece first?"
"What's the rush? Wait for everyone to gather."
Wang Hao stepped back. Yue Long crouched beside the table, her rabbit ears up, staring at the bowl of meat.
Lin Luo sat down and picked up his chopsticks. "Eat."
Yue Long was the first to reach out. She grabbed a piece of meat, put it in her mouth, and chewed. Her eyes widened, her rabbit ears went straight up.
"So good!"
The others started eating too. Wang Hao ate his first piece, then his second, then his third, his cheeks bulging. Zhao Tian ate slowly, chewing each bite for a long time. Zhang Wei ate fast, but not as fast as Wang Hao. Chen Yutong took a small piece, put it on her plate, broke it into even smaller pieces with her chopsticks, and ate slowly.
Lin Luo ate one piece. The meat melted in his mouth. Spiritual energy flowed straight from his throat to his dantian. The Nine Cycles Mystic Art's circulation speed noticeably increased.
[Nine Cycles Mystic Art · Third Cycle. Progress: 0.1% → 0.3%.]
Yue Long ate three pieces. Her merit points jumped from 1200 to 1250, but her Buddhist cultivation didn't move. She looked at her phone. Fudo Myoo's Resolution progress went from 0.19% to 0.20%.
"Master, merit went up!"
"Yes. Nascent Soul demon beast meat contains residual merit. The beast had devoured human cultivators before it died. The merit from those cultivators wasn't fully digested."
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped. "Then this meat…"
"Not human meat. Just merit. The beast digested the cultivators and left behind the merit. You ate the meat and absorbed the merit."
Yue Long thought for a moment, then grabbed another piece. "Then I won't waste it."
The corner of Lin Luo's mouth moved.
Halfway through the meal, Wang Hao suddenly put down his chopsticks and burped. Not an ordinary burp – a vortex of spiritual energy shot out of his mouth, hit the ceiling, and made the tiles rattle.
Zhao Tian looked at him. "Are you full?"
"Full. But still want to eat."
"Then eat."
Wang Hao grabbed another piece. The dark red light in his abdomen was spinning, much brighter than before.
[Wang Hao · Taotie Ancient War Physique. Awakening progress: 35% → 40%.]
[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 2 → Foundation Establishment Layer 3.]
Wang Hao froze. "I broke through?"
"Yes." Lin Luo looked at him. "How many pieces did you eat?"
"Five."
"You ate twice as much as everyone else. Enough spiritual energy. You broke through."
Wang Hao grinned. "If I eat two more pieces, will I break through again?"
"No. Too much will burst your meridians."
Wang Hao put his chopsticks down.
Zhao Tian ate three pieces. His cultivation didn't break through, but the bottleneck at Foundation Establishment Layer 2 loosened. Zhang Wei ate two pieces. His cultivation didn't move. Chen Yutong ate one piece. Her cultivation jumped from Foundation Establishment Layer 1 to peak Foundation Establishment Layer 1.
Yue Long ate four pieces. Her human cultivation didn't move, but her Buddhist merit went up, and Fudo Myoo's Resolution progress went up.
"Master, I ate four pieces."
"Yes."
"Can I eat more?"
"Yes. But don't eat too much."
Yue Long grabbed another piece.
Lin Luo ate one and a half pieces. He put the remaining half into Yue Long's bowl.
"Master, aren't you eating more?"
"Full."
"You only ate one and a half."
"Enough."
Yue Long looked at him, then ate the half piece.
---
After the meal, Wang Hao volunteered to demonstrate his reflection ability. Zhao Tian stood across from him, gathered a ball of spiritual energy in his palm, and struck. Wang Hao opened his mouth, sucked it in, swallowed, then burped – a vortex of spiritual energy shot out, heading straight for Zhao Tian. Zhao Tian raised his hand to catch it. The energy spun in his palm for a moment, then dispersed.
"Weaker," Zhao Tian said.
"Because I digested half of it myself." Wang Hao scratched his head. "Next time, I'll digest less and spit out more."
Zhang Wei interrupted from the side. "Can you not use the word 'spit'? It's disgusting."
Wang Hao grinned.
Chen Yutong cleared the dishes. Yue Long helped. The Elder came out from behind the stove and looked at Lin Luo.
"Sect Leader Lin, there's some meat left. Do you want to take it back or leave it here?"
"Take it back. Salt it."
The Elder nodded, took a clay jar from the cabinet, packed the leftover meat inside, sprinkled a layer of spirit salt over it, and closed the lid.
"This will keep for a month. When you want to eat it, just steam it."
Lin Luo took the jar and put it into the Shared Storage.
Yue Long leaned over. "Elder, salted meat keeps for a month. What about jerky?"
"Jerky needs to be dried. Do you have sun where you are?"
"Not in the mine. But the inn's backyard does."
"Then dry it there."
Yue Long nodded.
---
The group left the Dining Hall. The sky was already dark. The moon had risen, shining white on the blue stone path. Wang Hao walked ahead, Zhao Tian and Zhang Wei behind him, Chen Yutong last. Yue Long walked beside Lin Luo, her rabbit ears drooping.
"Master."
"Yes."
"I'm so full today."
"Yes."
"Are we eating again tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow we eat salted meat."
"Is salted meat good?"
"I don't know. We'll find out tomorrow."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then tomorrow morning I'll do a good deed, at noon I'll salt the meat, and at night I'll eat it."
"Up to you."
Yue Long smiled. She reached out and took Lin Luo's sleeve. He didn't pull away.
The two walked back to the mine. Rat One poked his head out of his grass nest and squeaked twice. Yue Long crouched down and took out a small piece of meat wrapped in oil paper – she had saved some secretly.
"Rat One, for you."
Rat One picked up the meat in his mouth, ran back to his nest, and ate it, squeaking with joy.
Yue Long crouched by the nest, her rabbit ears drooping, watching Rat One eat.
"Master."
"Yes."
"Rat One is eating meat."
"Yes."
"Will he break through too?"
"No. He's eating meat, not merit."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then what can he eat to break through?"
"Spirit fruits. Spirit plants. Spirit stones."
Yue Long stood up and brushed her skirt. "Then the spirit fruits will take a long time to ripen."
"Just keep idling. When they're ripe, they'll be there."
Yue Long walked over to Lin Luo and sat down beside him. Her rabbit ears slowly drooped, resting on his arm.
Her phone rested on her knee. The chibi figure hit the wooden fish again and again. Merit +1, merit +1, merit +1.
Rat One poked his head out of his grass nest, squeaked twice, and ducked back in.
Just keep idling.
---
(End of Chapter 47)
Current Status (End of Chapter 47)
Main Account · Lin Luo
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 3 (Displayed: Qi Refining Layer 1)
Nine Cycles Mystic Art: Third Cycle (progress 0.1% → 0.3%)
Lightning Prison Indestructible Body: Second Layer
Defense: 1000
Attack: ~400
Spirit Stones: 5150 (900 owed to inn)
Possessions: One jar of salted meat (Nascent Soul demon beast meat, keeps for one month)
Plan: Wait for Bone One to finish fighting Golden Core demon beasts and collect bones; inn renovation (wait for Peak Master Chen's equipment to be ready); idle cultivation
Alt Account · Bone One (Demon Cultivation · Black-Gold Skeleton · Assassin Form)
Cultivation: Body Refining Layer 6
Status: Idle battle · Ancient battlefield, target Golden Core Layer 4 Ironback Centipede, win rate 64%
Alt Account · Blood One (Demon Cultivation · Blood Clan)
Cultivation: Qi Gathering Layer 8
Status: Hidden – Demon Abyss second layer
Alt Account · Rat One (Beast Cultivation · Treasure-Seeking Rat)
Cultivation: Spirit Gathering Layer 6
Status: Just finished eating Nascent Soul demon beast meat, rolling around in his nest
Sect · Idle Sect
Sect Leader: Lin Luo
Members: Yue Long, Su Xiaoxiao
Level: 2
Idle Bonus: +15%
Sect Contribution: Yue Long 70, Lin Luo 0
Idle Sect Disciple · Yue Long
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 2 (Human) + Essence Gathering Layer 1 (Buddhist)
Merit points: 1200 → 1250
Fudo Myoo's Resolution: 0.19% → 0.20%
Sect Contribution: 70
Today's good deed: Helped a lady move her rice jar
Spirit Stone balance: ~1100
Possessions: Silver-white wrist guards (mid-grade magical tool)
Idle Sect Disciple · Su Xiaoxiao
Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer 3 (refined)
Status: Phoenix Kingdom · Central Temple, Sequence 0, investiture ceremony tomorrow
Special status: Phoenix Golden Eyes, Solar True Fire, Nirvana True Fire
Limitation: Cannot leave the Phoenix Kingdom until reaching Division Soul Stage
Spirit fruit pits: Collected, waiting to send
---
(End of Chapter 47)