Chapter 429: Xu Xiaoshou I'm Not Feeling Right

"What the heck, Xu Xiaoshou, what is he doing?"

As the star of the first half, Xu Xiaoshou remained the center of attention, even after displaying his Rank Ten Alchemist badge.

Yet, despite all the anticipation, everyone was stunned when Xu Xiaoshou pulled out a bathtub and slammed it onto the ground.

"A bathtub?""Is he going to perform... boiling water?""This must be a fight! With Xu Xiaoshou's temperament, I knew he wouldn't waste so much time talking to Senior Long Dan.""I'm already impressed he managed to hold back for so long!""Rampaging Xu Xiaoshou, beating people up?"

Everyone clearly understood that none of the elders present were a match for Xu Xiaoshou. Even though Long Dan was a Rank Six Alchemist, his combat prowess was probably inferior to even an ordinary Spirit Realm cultivator. Alchemists simply weren't fighters.

"That's not what I meant at all," Xu Xiaoshou said, waving his hands dismissively and hastily explaining. "I'm simply refining pills; what gave you that idea?"

"Suspicion received, Passive Points: 886."

"Xu Xiaoshou, are you messing with us? Who the hell uses a bathtub for alchemy? Be honest, are you going to boil Senior Long Dan like a rose steeped in boiling water?"

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily taken aback by this remark, while Long Dan, standing nearby, was so enraged his beard practically stood on end.

"Who, who is slandering this old man? Step forward!"

Instantly, everyone collectively recoiled, but they couldn't help but burst into laughter, their faces lit with mirth.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head. These guys were really too cheeky. Had they been suppressed too much by him earlier, hitting rock bottom and now bouncing back, their personalities completely warped? To find joy in ridiculing others, truly!

"Whoosh!" With a flick of his finger, Xu Xiaoshou said no more. A compressed fire seed shot directly beneath the cauldron, and instantly, the bathtub began to glow red.

"Is he really refining pills?""Suspicion received, Passive Points: 885."

Though the method of igniting the fire differed from ordinary people, one could vaguely discern traces of an alchemist's technique. Long Dan was momentarily bewildered. Being close, he could clearly feel the domineering power of the flame. While he might not be sensitive in combat, with just one glance at the high-speed spinning compressed fire seed, he immediately recognized its various intricacies.

"To use such a thick bath... ahem, cauldron for alchemy, and such a domineering flame.""Is this Xu Xiaoshou truly Rank Ten?"Long Dan scrutinized Xu Xiaoshou from head to toe, then suddenly had an epiphany.

"That's it! It must be because this flame is too overpowering, uncontrollable, and therefore unsuitable for alchemy." A hint of veiled greed flashed in his eyes. This flame was simply too good. If he possessed it, even if his cultivation prevented him from controlling it perfectly, he would surely be stronger than Xu Xiaoshou. Combined with his diverse alchemy techniques, under various constraints, he might even be able to use this flame to elevate the quality of his pills by another level. At the very least, he would be stronger than those two old fools!

Long Dan glanced at Chen Qi and Li Mingji out of the corner of his eye. As expected, those two old men also understood. The fervent heat in their eyes, as they gazed at the flame beneath Xu Xiaoshou's cauldron, was almost overflowing.

"Boy, what's the name of your flame?" Chen Qi couldn't help but ask.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him and immediately spotted the Rank Six badge, his gaze momentarily freezing. He then looked again and saw another Rank Six badge on the other side.

"This..."In just the time it took to emerge from the barrier, two more Rank Six cultivators had appeared in the arena? He suddenly burst into laughter. The standards of this competition were simply too high. With three Rank Six cultivators, wouldn't he, caught in the middle, become mere dregs to be crushed?

Sighing, Xu Xiaoshou didn't lose heart and replied: "Seniors, don't even think about it. You can't take this flame from me. First, you can't kill me. Second, this thing requires a congenital physical body to even barely cultivate. It's useless for you to covet it; your strength simply doesn't match it. Even if I gave it to you for free, you wouldn't be able to handle it."

All three men's mouths twitched simultaneously."This...""We're not shameless, so why did you have to blurt out the truth?"

"Cursed, Passive Points: 3."

"Goodness gracious." The crowd below was thoroughly amused. Everyone could tell Xu Xiaoshou's flame was extraordinary, but some things were best left unsaid. Xu Xiaoshou... This guy was completely fearless. Speaking without holding back, he was truly a formidable individual!

"Being powerful truly makes a difference; his words are so much more forceful than ours.""But that taunt was truly brutal—'even if I gave it to you for free, you wouldn't be able to handle it.' That really hit home."

"Admiration received, Passive Points: 464."

The cauldron's temperature was now optimal. Xu Xiaoshou suddenly pulled out a large handful of herbs and tossed them all in at once.

"Holy crap!" Everyone was startled, yet they watched as Xu Xiaoshou, with that seemingly casual toss, simultaneously refined the spiritual herbs within the large bathtub, using multiple focuses at once. His fluid and seamless operation left everyone bewildered.

"Something's wrong, this technique, is it Rank Ten?""How many things is Xu Xiaoshou doing at once? More than ten, I bet! Good heavens, is his mental power also that abnormal?""Is he even letting others live?""His combat power is already so strong, and now his alchemy method is also..."

Everyone realized the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control again. One moment they wanted to condemn Xu Xiaoshou's wastefulness, and the next, they were utterly captivated by his miraculous technique. On one side stood three Rank Six Alchemists. Yet, Xu Xiaoshou, like a flamboyant harlot disrobing, constantly performed such audacious maneuvers that people inadvertently fixated their gaze upon him.

"Under scrutiny, Passive Points: 677."

"Seniors," Xu Xiaoshou said, looking at the three Rank Six Alchemists. These old men had become so engrossed by his consecutive actions that they had forgotten to refine their own pills. He couldn't help but remind them: "One session of alchemy only lasts for a quarter of an hour, you know. Aren't you going to start? I'm still eager to see your performance!"

"Performance..." The three men felt their throats go dry. Their techniques were merely standard alchemist methods; at best, they produced pills of different grades. There was no 'performance' aspect to speak of. In contrast, Xu Xiaoshou truly seemed to be here to put on an acrobatic show. First a bathtub, then multi-tasking control methods, and now such a unique flame...

"Grandstanding!" Long Dan snorted coldly. With a flick of his hand, a bright white flame ignited beneath his dark, imposing cauldron.

"Child's play," Chen Qi scoffed, also turning away and no longer paying attention, beginning to nurture his own pills.

"Bluffing!" Li Mingji sneered softly. But before he could even turn around, Xu Xiaoshou's voice drifted through the air.

"Oh, what a strong vinegary smell. What's going on? Did someone start cooking during the alchemy break and knock over a vinegar jar?"

All three men's mouths twitched simultaneously, and their hands trembled, nearly setting themselves on fire.

"Cursed, Passive Points: 3."

"Hahahaha!" The crowd below burst into uncontrollable laughter. The spectators suddenly realized that if they weren't facing Xu Xiaoshou as opponents, but merely observing his various competitions as bystanders, the process was simply spectacular!

"This guy must be crazy! Is there really no one or nothing he fears in this world?""Three Rank Six cultivators, and he offended them all in one go! Does this guy want to live peacefully in the future? He'll probably be blacklisted!""Blacklisted... that might be a bit much."

"Look at all of Xu Xiaoshou's trump cards. This guy, he might truly have some formidable background, mightn't he?""Wasn't he just an ordinary outer disciple of the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace?""How could an ordinary disciple have so many hidden tricks? By the way, don't you find this flame a bit familiar?""Uh, I don't recognize it."

Discussions buzzed among the crowd below. However, most of them were young; the older alchemists were mostly within the protective barrier on the stage, and the remaining heads of various family powers weren't very familiar with Xu Xiaoshou's flame. Even if they had some impression, their memories were hazy.

Shou Ye, however, fell into deep thought as he observed Xu Xiaoshou's compressed fire seed. This domineering scorching energy reminded him of a past event.

"'Sleeveless Crimson Scorching Hand?'""When he was still in white robes, before becoming a Red Cloak, he had participated in a mission in the Central Region. The mission was to dismantle the largest branch stronghold of a clandestine organization in the Central Region. The mission had indeed been successful at the time. However, the branch leader who appeared at the end, relying on a pair of withered, black-scorched hands, forcefully carved a bloody path through a group of White Cloaks, escaping the Central Region, and had not been found since."

The scorching energy emanating from Xu Xiaoshou was indeed somewhat similar. But...

"'There are countless strange and unique flames in the world; it's not necessarily the same. At the very least, White Cave is full of this kind of scorching energy. Perhaps the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace also has legacies in this regard.'" Shou Ye shook his head, no longer dwelling on it.

He watched Xu Xiaoshou perform alchemy. However, after his initial grand display, the fellow performed no other actions. Once the refining of the medicinal liquid began, it was as if he had become a completely different person. Xu Xiaoshou started to look bored. Aside from glancing around here and there, he didn't even bother to tend to his cauldron.

Shou Ye's eyelid twitched. To be honest, this evening's banquet had shown him that the world was vast and full of wonders. It was truly his first time seeing a 'talent' like Xu Xiaoshou.

"What new mischief is this kid planning now?"

The crowd below was also unaccustomed to Xu Xiaoshou's sudden quietness, but soon, the unique alchemy techniques of the three Rank Six Alchemists captured everyone's attention.

Xu Xiaoshou was no exception. His eyes unfocused, but his 'Perception' was intently fixed on the three men's alchemy steps. It was as if he was trying to forcibly commit them to memory.

"Although there are three alchemy opportunities, for others, the essence, energy, and spirit of alchemy are crucial. Therefore, if these three want to win against each other, they must demonstrate their strongest abilities from the very beginning.'" Xu Xiaoshou pondered.

He had his own plans. Even if he were to upgrade 'Culinary Mastery' to the Grandmaster level right now, the highest-grade pill formula he possessed was still the 'Stardrift Pill.' The Stardrift Pill was a top-tier Rank Seven healing pill. To the outside world, it was already extremely valuable. But in this moment, it was only fit to carry the shoes of a Rank Six pill. If Xu Xiaoshou were to refine this pill, he would undoubtedly lose in the end. So, how could he win this competition?

"Gurgle, gurgle..." The medicinal liquid before him was boiling. Others might not have realized what pill he was refining, given his simultaneous processing of herbs, but Xu Xiaoshou understood perfectly: this batch of Spirit Refining Pills was merely transitional. He intended to directly waste the time in this first round, dedicating all his attention to memorizing the pill formulas!

That's right, memorizing! And memorizing three at once! If others were to know Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts, they would probably be scared to death on the spot.

However, relying on his 'Culinary Mastery,' which encompassed an understanding of almost all herbs in the world, coupled with his absolute control over heat. Plus, the extraordinary memory and visual recall abilities of 'Perception.' Xu Xiaoshou felt that this wasn't a particularly difficult task.

He tilted his head, and the spiritual herbs in the hands of the three Rank Six Alchemists came into his view.

"'Fire-Leaving Flower, congenital grade. Judging by its stem and coarse hairs, it's approximately eighteen years and six months old. It's fire-attributed, has a slightly astringent taste, and possesses effects of dispelling cold and dispelling yin. When combined with 'Ice Lotus Seeds,' it can be boiled into 'Ice Fire Glazed Soup'... Ugh, never mind.'""'I'm off track, off track. This Old Dragon really has some tricks.'"Xu Xiaoshou struggled to cut his thoughts in half and continued to observe.

"'This one should be 'Full-Essence Starlight Leaf,' a top-grade congenital spiritual herb. Looking at its 'star-speckled odd patterns,' it should be six years old.'""'Amazing! If it's six years old, it should be able to spontaneously exude 'Starlight Essence Saliva.' That's good stuff, sweet and nutritious. How could anyone pick this spiritual herb? What a waste!'"

"'And this 'Five-Leaf Wen,' 'Nether-Repelling Seed'..."The more Xu Xiaoshou looked, the more excited he became. These were all strange varieties that only existed in his mind, rarely seen in everyday life. Today, due to the refinement of Rank Six pills, they had all appeared.

"What is this...'" Suddenly, Xu Xiaoshou's gaze froze. He finally found an obstacle. He could indeed recognize most spiritual herbs and their properties, but his 'Culinary Mastery' level was too low. If some rare Grandmaster-grade spiritual herbs appeared, he wouldn't be able to identify them all.

"'No, this immediate memorization must succeed!'" Xu Xiaoshou sighed softly, a look of keen interest in his eyes. This was a bold attempt. Copying pill formulas on the spot—if successful, his future worth would be immeasurable!

"Passive Points: 228,800."He glanced down at the information bar again. That dazzling row of numbers almost made Xu Xiaoshou cry out in surprise once more.

"'Calm down. It's not like I haven't seen such large amounts before.'" Xu Xiaoshou composed himself and glanced at the skill description on his Yuanfu's red interface.

"'Culinary Mastery (Congenital Lv.3).'"This was a powerful passive skill for combat, alchemy, and fire control. In the past, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't upgrade it, not because he didn't want to, but because he lacked Passive Points and could only prioritize essential skills. Now...

"'You've suffered, not having been upgraded for so long. Now, it's time for you to display your divine might.'" Without hesitation, he casually dumped skill points into it. Eight Second-Tier skill points, yet only forty thousand Passive Points. More than enough!

"'Culinary Mastery (Congenital Lv.4).'""'Culinary Mastery (Grandmaster Lv.1).'"When the last line of numbers popped up in the information bar, Xu Xiaoshou's entire body convulsed. His brain twitched, his elbows pressed against his chest, and he swayed precariously in front of the bathtub, desperately resisting the onslaught of knowledge waves in his mind.

"'I... I was careless.'""'The money was enough, but I forgot my brain hadn't been trained to handle an eight-level upgrade simultaneously.'"

"G-g-gh..." Xu Xiaoshou's figure, stumbling in front of the cauldron with eyes rolled back, terrified everyone.

"What's happening?""Is this guy about to unleash another big move?"Everyone simultaneously drew back their necks. For a moment, no matter how spectacular the Rank Six alchemists' techniques were, everyone felt their lives were more important. Seeing Xu Xiaoshou looking so out of control, if he really collapsed and the fire seed beneath the bathtub exploded, there might be three more Rank Six corpses here.

Long Dan was close by and was the first to see Xu Xiaoshou's condition, nearly scaring him into jumping away.

"Wake up!""What are you doing, boy? This is alchemy! Control your flame properly!"He instinctively conjured a spirit token, intending to activate the protective barrier. To his surprise, Chen Qi, not far away, glanced over and scoffed, "Old Long, seriously? You're scared by something so minor? You're getting weaker with age!"

Long Dan was instantly infuriated. "Don't talk as if it's easy when you're not in my shoes! Come over here and try this kid's flame yourself!""Heh heh," Chen Qi chuckled. "Are you kidding? I'm refining pills. Old Li, why don't you go check on this kid?"

Li Mingji glanced at Xu Xiaoshou's cauldron and silently clutched his spirit token. He suddenly regretted being overconfident and not activating the protective barrier earlier. With a ticking time bomb refining pills on this side, his heart was in turmoil!

Shi Ti froze completely. He hadn't relaxed since Xu Xiaoshou made his first move. Now, seeing the kid in this state, he couldn't help but transmit a message, shouting, "Wake up, boy! You're refining pills! Get serious with this old man!"

Shi Ti was poised and ready. As long as Xu Xiaoshou showed even the slightest tendency to cause a cauldron explosion, he would immediately ensure the safety of the Rank Six Alchemists nearby. Their lives were extremely precious.

"N-no, it's fine..." Xu Xiaoshou finally recovered from the massive influx of knowledge, letting out a relieved sigh of lingering fear. Then, he took out a jar of crimson-gold liquid and sniffed it.

"Hiss!""Mmm... ahhh..."A comfortable groan echoed across the quiet ruins, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

"What exactly is Xu Xiaoshou doing up there? Is he making soup?""In such an important event, did he just have a spasm?""And what kind of pill is that? Invigorating and refreshing? Oh my god, that sound... I really want to try some.""Huh? You're acting strange!""N-no, don't misunderstand, I mean, I also want to take a sniff.""Huh? Sniff?"

"Questioned, Passive Points: 664.""Scorned, Passive Points: 232."

Grandmaster-level Culinary Mastery... Xu Xiaoshou composed himself and began reviewing the knowledge in his mind, growing stiffer the more he read. His gaze shifted back to the arena.

"'Moyuan Li Liquid, herb family, mild and tasteless, can neutralize 'Yan-Colored Poison'...""'Zhu Zhu Grass, red vine family, ice-attributed, can absorb fire properties at high temperatures, extremely pungent and foul-smelling...'""'And 'Luoyi Huajin,' 'Pincao Hongji'..."All of them were Grandmaster-grade spiritual herbs! He could recognize them all! This was normal!

But... Xu Xiaoshou twisted his head again and looked at Long Dan on the side."'Human, human race, approximately eighty-nine years and seven months old. The flesh is rather tough. When supplemented with 'Li Zi' it can enhance freshness, and with 'Xiang Su' it can remove fishiness. The humerus is smelly and inedible, but the bones and tendons can be boiled into medicine...'""'Something's wrong with me!'"

Xu Xiaoshou was utterly shocked. He was scared by himself! Forcibly suppressing his reflex-like thoughts, preventing them from continuing to spread in an inhumane direction, Xu Xiaoshou's gaze shifted again, only to catch sight of Fu Yinhong in the distance.

"'Human, human race, approximately twenty-one years and six months old. The flesh is tender and juicy, full of chewiness. When supplemented with...'"Fu Yinhong blinked, not understanding why Xu Xiaoshou, while refining pills, had suddenly shifted his gaze to her.

"Holy moly!" Xu Xiaoshou immediately swayed, his eyes nearly dimming, almost collapsing on the spot. He had long considered that using 'Culinary Mastery' for alchemy might be a deviation from the proper path. But he never imagined that after upgrading, this skill could carve out such a colossal path in a direction so utterly astray! Was this meant for him, Xu Xiaoshou, to gallop down the grand path of 'Human-Pill Alchemy' without ever looking back?

Xu Xiaoshou took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly racing heart. He had suspected before, after a few previous upgrades, that 'Culinary Mastery' might no longer be purely vegetarian. But only now, having truly reached the grand completion of 'meat and vegetable' integration, did he truly have his eyes opened. Who would have thought that the first piece of information this knowledge provided, upon his entry into the 'meat' realm, would be 'human, human race, flesh is rather tough'...? Could I seriously refine Old Man Long Dan now?

Long Dan, on the side, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head and was startled to see Xu Xiaoshou's gaze, as if he were about to devour someone.

"Xu Xiaoshou, you're not refining pills, what are you doing?""Making soup?"Indeed, the uncontrolled bathtub, with the medicinal liquid continuously 'gurgling' and boiling, looked exactly like it was brewing traditional Chinese medicine.

"'Human, human race, flesh is rather tough...'" The information reappeared, like a pop-up window on a pirated website. Xu Xiaoshou painfully closed his eyes.

"'Let me be for a moment...'" He clutched his forehead and directly squatted down on the spot. It was too shocking. This wave was too much to handle! Xu Xiaoshou felt a toothache coming on. Now, he couldn't even look at people directly. Such as 'loose flesh,' 'strong sinews,' 'robust bones and tendons'... All sorts of meat and vegetable combinations, whether spicy or tomato-flavored—with just one glance, countless possibilities filled his mind. Xu Xiaoshou felt like he was going to break down.

His alchemy style was already somewhat unconventional, but now, with the steering wheel turned to the absolute limit, he had completely veered off track and couldn't go back.

"'This is absolutely ridiculous!'" He recalled the illusion he had experienced when he first gained 'Culinary Mastery.' Back then, a single 'Nine-Reversion Divine Mustard' and a 'Black Divine Owl' had outlined a vision of 'Heaven and Earth as a cauldron, all things can be refined.' Looking at it now, that illusion truly wasn't an exaggeration! Not only could all things be refined, but if this situation continued to develop... All things could be eaten!

"'I'm speechless.'" Everyone stared blankly at Xu Xiaoshou, crouching on the ground, and couldn't help but show pity in their eyes.

"'Sure enough, Xu Xiaoshou has been hit hard.'""'This guy, if his strength isn't enough, he shouldn't have come on stage. A Rank Ten alchemist trying to refine pills amidst three Rank Six ones—now look, he's probably forgotten his alchemy techniques altogether!'""'Heh heh, I reckon he's even forgotten the pill formula. And here I was, having a bit of expectation when I saw him toss in all those spiritual herbs earlier.'""'Oh no, it's over for Xu Xiaoshou, my youth is ending!'""Shut up!" Xu Xiaoshou on the stage suddenly roared. The moment his voice fell, his cauldron began to shake violently.

With a bang, the entire pot of medicinal liquid vanished into thin air. Shi Ti stood up abruptly, but was pressed down by Shou Ye, whose eyes were gleaming on the side."'Relax, it's not a big problem.'"

"Boom, boom..." With this delay, several cauldrons near Xu Xiaoshou were also affected. Even Long Dan was no exception; his cauldron directly exploded. The old man's face turned green, and he completely bristled.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Like a chain reaction, Chen Qi and Li Mingji in the distance clenched their teeth, trying to stabilize their minds, but ultimately failed to salvage the situation, and the scene instantly became chaotic.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..." It was as if buried landmines were being stepped on and detonated one by one by divine soldiers descending from the sky. Above the ruins, explosions boomed instantly, one after another, filling the air with dust and smoke. Anyone who had been overconfident and not activated their protective barrier had their pills ruined without exception.

The crowd below froze completely. Xu Xiaoshou was also stunned. Heaven knew his original intention was merely extreme annoyance; he simply couldn't stand the noisy individuals below. That was all.

"My apologies, I'm just a bit flustered..."Long Dan felt like he was about to explode."You're damn flustered? Can't you be flustered somewhere else? Here, we're not just flustered, we're utterly terrified!"He huffed and puffed, glaring, and roared angrily, "Xu Xiaoshou, this is alchemy! Can you please shut up!"

"Oh," Xu Xiaoshou said, blinking innocently. "Alright, I'll try my best. However, if you're worried about being disturbed, why don't we stop suffering just to save face, and activate the protective barrier first?"