Chapter 804: Xu Shao's Alchemy, What Are You Trying to Do by Deploying the Spirit Formation?

"Next batch!"When the time came, the staff's emotionless voice rang out.

Some alchemists in the spiritual arrays left with excitement, while others returned disheartened.

As the judges finished their scoring, new names flickered onto the golden scoreboard, drawing everyone's attention.

With four batches of participants now finished, all one hundred ranked alchemists had appeared. Some who had been pushed off the list felt discouraged.

Those relegated to the end, falling into the "danger zone," were also incredibly nervous.

Nevertheless, the first round of the Alchemy Conference would proceed as usual.

Amidst the anxious gazes of the audience and waiting contestants, Xu Xiaoshou responded and took a step forward.

2381 was his number. He was in the fifth batch.

"Look!""Yu Chuchu, President Dongling's top disciple, is also entering!""I wonder what rank she'll get? I think she'll be in the top three. After all, she's the disciple of the Royal City Alchemist Association's head president; Miss Yu's strength is extraordinary.""I doubt it! There are too many geniuses from the Five Regions. Currently, only seven people on the list have scores above ninety.""If Yu Chuchu can score above ninety, I'd say that's already very good. Look at Zhu Yan from the first batch; he's also a sixth-grade alchemist, but only got 86 points.""That's true."The audience discussed eagerly.

Among the alchemists entering for this final batch, Yu Chuchu was undoubtedly the most eye-catching.

The young girl's delicate steps drew almost everyone's attention.

Even the old presidents on the judging panel cast their gazes her way.

Unlike what most spectators noticed, although Yu Chuchu was a sixth-grade alchemist, the judges merely glanced at her and moved on.

They were already very familiar with her. Coincidentally, they all looked at the much taller young man beside her.

"Is he... Young Master Xu, who developed the Crimson Gold Elixir?" Lu Chenghui turned to President Dongling.

Dongling nodded, "It is him."

"Hmph!" President Lu snorted coldly. "A mere tenth-grade alchemist. I'd like to see how far he can go. Could he possibly be the next Qiu Jiangzhi?"

Shi Ti's gaze shifted, "That's hard to say. Perhaps he's hiding even more..."

He hinted at something, but no one on the judging panel understood his unspoken meaning.

'Whether he's a mule or a horse, we'll know once he performs,' Shi Ti thought to himself.

He mused that if this person was Xu Xiaoshou, given that lad's alchemy style, most people present might be in danger.

And if an incident like the explosion of the alchemy tower occurred, there would be no doubt. Even without checking the alchemist badge's origin, Shi Ti would be certain of his suspicions.

"Xiao Wanfeng!"Responding to the call, Xu Xiaoshou beckoned the tea-serving youth behind him and stepped into the array.

"Young Master Xu, isn't this really... not good?"As they were about to enter, Xiao Wanfeng hesitated, feeling timid. He looked around at the tens of thousands of onlookers and felt that being the sole alchemy assistant on stage was too attention-grabbing. Crucially, he knew nothing about medicinal ingredients or their properties. If Young Master Xu asked him to hand over a specific spirit herb, he wouldn't even know which one was which!

"What are you afraid of?"Xu Xiaoshou turned back and smiled, "The three great illusions of life are: 'She's looking at me,' 'There's still plenty of time,' and 'I can turn the tables.' Don't overestimate yourself; perhaps in others' eyes, you're just an extra passing through."

Xiao Wanfeng was stunned. He hadn't expected such philosophical words to come from Young Master Xu. Upon closer thought, it seemed quite true, didn't it? "Then, shall I just... go through the motions?"

Xiao Wanfeng hesitated but followed. The two advanced together, walking into the same spiritual array amidst the amused and playful gazes of others.

This sent the audience into an uproar. The old presidents on the judging panel were also astonished.

The same spiritual array?"What?""Did they go into the wrong one?""How did these two enter the same array? The first one is Young Master Xu, I know him, but who's the guy behind him? How did he enter Young Master Xu's array? Where's his number?""Haha, outsiders, you're dumbfounded, aren't you! That's Xiao Wanfeng, the tea-serving attendant from the First Heaven Pavilion. He's the champion of the Heavenly Net Battle, but today he's supposed to be an alchemy assistant.""Heavenly Net Battle Champion, Alchemy Assistant???""Come, come, let me tell you about it. I love telling stories..."

Not only were the spectators outside bewildered, but the judges on stage also simultaneously turned their gazes towards President Dongling.

The old figures remained silent, but the inquiry in their eyes was clearly apparent.

Dongling massaged his forehead, a headache apparent on his face. "It's just Young Master Xu's usual style. Everyone should be used to it by now."

"Absurd!"Lu Chenghui slapped the table and was about to stand up. "A mere tenth-grade alchemist, and he brings an alchemy assistant into the arena? What kind of nonsense is this? Is the Alchemy Conference a child's game? How can we tolerate such impudence?!"The other old presidents were also furious, their whiskers bristling and eyes glaring. Such behavior was not prevalent in the alchemy world, which emphasized 'the capable being teachers' and 'everyone being equal.' Had this Young Master Xu brought his clan's profligate ways to the conference? How could they tolerate it?

Lu Chenghui pointed at the scene, ready to launch into a tirade, but President Dongling didn't stop him.At that moment, Shi Ti quietly interjected, "He's a Semi-Saint's disciple."

Lu Chenghui's words died in his throat. His mouth twitched as he pondered whether his status was sufficient to criticize a Semi-Saint's disciple. Soon, he opted to shift his target: "President Dongling, aren't you going to stop this kind of behavior?"

His voice carried an air of "shock." An old fox, after all, is an old fox; unwilling to become the nail that gets hammered, President Lu chose to let President Dongling bear the brunt of it.

"The rules don't explicitly say it's allowed, nor do they say it's forbidden. Let him be; he's the only one doing this." How could Dongling fall for that trick?

At the Lingque Trade Fair, she had almost gotten into a fight with this Young Master Xu. How could she not know he was a rogue? He intended to create a spectacle and steal the limelight. Why would she foolishly challenge him and give him more opportunities to perform? Whether such a disciple from a Semi-Saint faction was a blessing or a curse was uncertain...

The lack of condemnation for Young Master Xu's actions, in the eyes of others, was nothing less than tacit approval.

Someone in the audience outside began to curse loudly.

As for Young Master Xu and his companion, once inside the spiritual array, Xiao Wanfeng naturally took out and unfolded tables and chairs from his ring. Young Master Xu casually sat on the golden chair, crossing his legs and resting his feet on the golden table, unperturbed by the onlookers. The young man beside him began to take out tea sets and brew tea, performing actions like "Guan Yu patrolling the city" and "Han Xin deploying troops"—the entire process was incredibly smooth, making him look like a perfectly qualified tea server.

"Is he mad?"The alchemists on one side were also dumbfounded by such a display. Whether they were from outside or inside the city, it seemed to be the first time anyone had ever set up such a grand spectacle while performing alchemy."Am I failing to keep up with the times, or is something wrong with him?"

Many alchemists observing this scene, looking around, exchanged glances and, through their silent communication, arrived at the answer: "There's nothing wrong with me; he's insane."

*Click!*Separated by one person and one array, Yu Chuchu, to Xu Xiaoshou's left, gritted her teeth so hard they felt like they would shatter. The alchemy formulas and ingredients hadn't even arrived yet, but watching Xiao Wanfeng, a genius with innate sword intent, acting like a common servant and performing such lowly tasks, filled her with furious indignation.

"He has no regard for human rights!"Yu Chuchu clenched her small fists, her eyes narrowed to slits.

In previous interactions, although her impression of Young Master Xu wasn't good, she could somewhat understand his speaking style. But now, entering the spiritual array like this, and Young Master Xu still making Xiao Wanfeng perform such menial tasks under everyone's gaze—in Yu Chuchu's eyes, it was a blatant insult to human dignity. If it were someone else, perhaps. But Xiao Wanfeng was a genius; a genius should not be subjected to such treatment!

In her anger, Yu Chuchu even wanted to step out of her spiritual array, confront Young Master Xu directly, and pull Xiao Wanfeng aside to tell him, "You are actually very powerful; you shouldn't only see yourself as capable of these dirty, tiring tasks."

"Quiet!"From the judging panel, Dongling suddenly spoke, his voice quelling the unrest of everyone in the arena.

Yu Chuchu looked up. Her master, Dongling, on the judging panel, also looked her way. Their gazes briefly met and then passed. Yu Chuchu understood something. The Alchemy Conference had its own rules. Young Master Xu was Young Master Xu; to put it plainly, a Semi-Saint's disciple having some airs was his own business. If he failed to produce a pill in the end, public opinion would judge him. But for her to forcefully enter someone else's spiritual array to cause trouble would be irrational.

"Annoying fellow..."At that moment, her impression of Young Master Xu plummeted to its lowest, most negative level.

"As expected, nothing."Even after entering the spiritual array and setting up such a display, Xu Xiaoshou checked his information panel, and there was no reaction.

He knew it was like the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace's Battle of Supremacy; the spiritual array blocked external information."Annoying things..."Xu Xiaoshou hated spiritual arrays. There were clearly tens of thousands of people outside; he could surely gain more passive points, yet he was confined to this small space?

After Xiao Wanfeng finished brewing tea, Xu Xiaoshou began to sip it. The young man, having completed his task, looked up at his surroundings, feeling as if he were in another world.

A sea of people.The focus of all eyes.At sixteen, before meeting Young Master Xu, Xiao Wanfeng felt his life was like that of most common people: trembling with fear, walking on thin ice, cautiously living a humble existence. But since joining the First Heaven Pavilion, he had been able to fight against innate masters in the Heavenly Net Arena using his Hidden Sword technique, and he could also be brought to an elegant place like the Alchemy Conference to perform such a seemingly low-brow act as setting up a table and brewing tea. It was like the stark contrast between the clamor outside the array and the quiet within, where only the sound of tea sipping could be heard. That sense of incongruity left Xiao Wanfeng feeling somewhat wistful.

"Quite reflective, aren't you?"Order was being maintained in the arena. Xu Xiaoshou knew his actions had caused a significant commotion outside. But President Dongling had actually suppressed it for him! Taking advantage of this lull, and seeing Xiao Wanfeng's pensive expression, Xu Xiaoshou thought of something and asked with a smile, "Doing this kind of thing in a place like this, do you feel a little ashamed?"

Xiao Wanfeng froze, surprised by Young Master Xu's directness.

Xu Xiaoshou gestured with his chin towards Yu Chuchu and chuckled, "Look over there; Miss Chuchu looks like she wants to kill me."Then he scanned the entire arena: "There's been a disturbance throughout the place, and not a single person approves of my methods. Their gazes are full of disdain; they think I'm too high-profile and uncouth.""What about you?"His gaze finally returned to the young man: "What are your thoughts? Are you ashamed?"

Xiao Wanfeng paused, then replied, "A little."Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.The young man frowned and added, "But it doesn't bother me.""How so?"

Xiao Wanfeng's gaze was clear as he thoughtfully said,"I've always felt Young Master Xu isn't like this. At the First Heaven Pavilion, he never treated Brother Xiao Xin and the others this way. On the contrary, he was very polite, completely devoid of any superior-subordinate relationship, more like... brothers! He's been the same with me.""But outside, it's completely different. You put on airs. Others might not notice, but I think it's very obvious that you're just pretending.""As for why, I don't know."

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised.This little brother... is so clever!Indeed, anyone capable of comprehending such a unique Hidden Sword technique could hardly be considered foolish. As an insider, he could easily see through Xu Xiaoshou's disguise, yet his actual behavior was incredibly cooperative? If he hadn't asked, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't even have known Xiao Wanfeng's true thoughts.

He asked curiously, "Then what do you think I'm doing this for?"

Xiao Wanfeng shook his head, "That I don't understand. Young Master Xu has secrets, the First Heaven Pavilion has secrets, and I have secrets too."

Xu Xiaoshou smiled faintly.Xiao Wanfeng also smiled.Everyone has secrets.An unspoken understanding.

After a moment of silence, the commotion outside and the quiet within the spiritual array once again formed a stark contrast. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou also felt a touch of wistfulness.

He looked at the indignant crowd around him and suddenly recalled everything he had realized when he first arrived at the Heavenly Sang Spirit Palace.

At that time, he felt he wasn't as open-minded as Xiao Wanfeng.

At least..."Xiao Wanfeng, let me ask you: if a powerful individual, who might be evil, suddenly appeared before you and inflicted unbearable pain, what would you feel?" Xu Xiaoshou suddenly asked.

Xiao Wanfeng keenly sensed that Young Master Xu had fallen into some emotional state. Young Master Xu only referred to himself as "I" when unconscious, or when Xiao Xin and his friends were present without him intentionally maintaining an image. In public, he usually used "this Young Master."

"I would hate him," Xiao Wanfeng replied.

"And what if after that pain, you gained powerful abilities?" Xu Xiaoshou asked again.

"Hmm..." Xiao Wanfeng hesitated for a moment. "I'd still hate him."

"What if he forcefully took you as a disciple, and you couldn't defeat him, so you could only agree?""Then I'd agree.""And what if he treated you very well afterward?""Uh!"

Xiao Wanfeng was dumbfounded this time. This question was a bit unsettling: to treat someone well after tormenting them. Could past events be forgiven? That wouldn't do! But "treated you very well"... How long would this "very well" last?

Xiao Wanfeng didn't voice his question. His gaze suddenly fixed on Young Master Xu, vaguely sensing that Young Master Xu's secret was on the verge of being revealed, yet it was like looking through a thin sheet of paper that couldn't be pierced, making it impossible to truly glimpse.

"There's no standard answer, is there...?" the young man sighed."No, there isn't.""Then what's Young Master Xu's answer?""My answer..."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled. He thought of the situation when he had asked Ba Zun'an for an answer. How similar was this scene? It was precisely because he discovered certain similar traits in Xiao Wanfeng that he began to feel this young man might not just be a passerby in a segment of his life's journey.

"How long will you stay at the First Heaven Pavilion?" Xu Xiaoshou countered.

Xiao Wanfeng was startled. "I don't know, I haven't thought about that question."

Xu Xiaoshou then reverted to the previous question, recalling Elder Sang, and from a different perspective, gave his own answer:"No one is the so-called protagonist of the Heavenly Dao; everyone is merely a passerby in someone else's eyes.""It's worth thinking from another's perspective: in a specific situation, you only gain value when that person has a desire to explain themselves to you. Before that, you will always be just a passerby.""Meeting by chance, a stranger in a foreign land—no one will truly care about you."He paused, then Xu Xiaoshou smiled again, looking at the people around him:"And people, slowly, unconsciously, will become the very person they once despised.""Just like me...""Right now, I don't care at all about the opinions or accusations of anyone in this arena. In my eyes, they're just a pile of trash!"

Xu Xiaoshou rose with a smile and, under the gaze of tens of thousands, suddenly walked out of the spiritual array.

Before, I hated how chess players manipulated pieces without any regard for the pieces' thoughts. Now, I can probably understand it, and I have the means to do so. So, when similar dilemmas arise, I really want to break them on the spot!

The moment he exited the array:"Attracted attention, passive points, 9999.""Subjected to suspicion, passive points, 9999.""Received disdain, passive points, 6862."How exhilarating!Passive points surged. With tens of thousands of points increasing, Xu Xiaoshou had broken the rules by leveraging his "Young Master Xu" persona, and he was elated inwardly.

At the same time, the information panel popped up with a very conspicuous and out-of-place message:"Aroused apprehension, passive points, 1."

The moment Xu Xiaoshou stepped out of the spiritual array, Shi Ti on the judging panel suddenly stood up and, for some reason, yelled in alarm, "Young... Master Xu! Just do your alchemy! What are you doing outside the array?!"