'Ooh… Ooh… Ooh!'

With fingers as quick and agile as fluttering butterflies, the air was filled with melodious movements.

The crowd outside the room was staring intensely into the room while the old president squatted at a side of the room with his attention totally drawn.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoshou was totally focused on the Passive Points Bar.

'Come on!'

He thought for a while and finally decided that the benefits outweighed the costs if he were to use his Passive Points now.

As such, he stopped hesitating and exchanged some for two skill points.

Out of his Expertise Passive Skills that had reached the Innate Stage, his Sword Technique Expertise skill level had been raised twice and was already at the limit.

Considering that he still had to perform alchemy, he wanted to be very cautious.

To ensure that his cauldron would not explode, Xu Xiaoshou used his skill points.

Cooking Expertise, Innate Level 1.

Cooking Expertise Innate Level 3.

Immediately, his mind was filled with a large volume of knowledge. Different from leveling up during Acquired Stage, the experience that was entering his mind now was more of...

The way of the Cooking Expert…

As well as an understanding of food and ingredients.

While leveling up of Cooking Expert in the Acquired Stage, Xu Xiaoshou received almost all of the knowledge there was about lower-level spiritual medicines.

Now, that knowledge had been updated to include food and ingredients.

'Meats and vegetables?'

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened.

The highly expected Pill Condensation Art did not appear at all. He lost his focus for a while, and his hands shook a little.

The audience's heart tightened as they watched from the outside. They noticed that the temperature suddenly spiked. It was as if in the next moment, the spiritual liquid above the cauldron would turn into ashes.

However, they saw the young man grab the cauldron tightly. The surrounding air seemed to come become still

The accidental spike in heat coursed through his hands, entering his body.

'Breathing Technique!'

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up.

It was almost as if it was an involuntary reaction, just like how leveling up Sword Technique Expertise was in the past. It brought him an unexpected surprise.

If the Breathing Technique could help lower the temperature, didn't that mean that from now on when he lost focus while performing alchemy, as long as he reacted in time, it could always be salvaged?

His Agility had already reached the Master Stage, which meant his reaction time would be godly.

'That's not right!'

This method should not be used on salvaging. Instead, was it better suited for multiple alchemizing?

Could he alchemize with two cauldrons at the same time?

As long as his reaction was fast enough, he could lower the heat before any cauldrons exploded, halting any impending explosions before they even started.

'F*ck!'

'What an unexpected surprise!'

Xu Xiaoshou's face brightened up as he thought about it.

Raising the skill level of Cooking Expert by two points seemed to have gotten him useless things, but flame control's level was raised as well.

If he continued to raise the skill level, controlling multiple cauldrons at the same time was not an impossible dream anymore.

That seemingly useless meat and vegetable combination knowledge was actually subtly setting the foundations for one of Xu Xiaoshou's ideals of creating meat pills.

He didn't dare to try it now, but it didn't mean that he would not try it next time.

Xu Xiaoshou was so agitated that his hands shook again, causing onlooker's hearts to tighten again. He immediately tried his new discovery.

He did not use his nostrils to breathe. Instead, he used his hands to come into contact with the Infernal Heavenly Flames, achieving the results that he wanted.

Beside him, Shi Ti was already looking a little faint.

What kind of technique was this?

He had never seen these movements before nor the results that they brought.

Was it possible to salvage things when the cauldron seemed to be exploding?

Disbelief was written all over Shi Ti's face.

Alchemists were required to have high control over flames. Even the slightest mistake could cause all to be lost and unsalvageable.

With Xu Xiaoshou's technique, he was able to lower the temperature of the cauldron just by having his hands near it.

'Is this Elder Sang's new invention?'

'Did he purposely ask this lad to show off in front of me?'

Shi Ti felt his tooth hurt a little.

To be very honest, this technique, even for a person like him, was highly desirable.

Alchemists in the lower grades might not have been able to see the value of this technique, but once they entered the higher grades, every ingredient was very costly. Hence, it would be unbearable if they were lost due to a mistake.

If they were lost due to a small hiccup or mistake, that would be the most unbearable.

With this technique, there would be so many moments and ingredients that could be salvaged.

Shi Ti continued to squat to the side as he became totally fascinated.

Glancing at the young man beside him, the president opened his mouth with the intention to ask something, but he was not like Yun He.

He knew that these examinations were highly important to the youths, so he did not want to interrupt.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced subtly at him and smiled.

He intentionally wobbled his hands again, causing the flames to lose control. Under the shocking gaze of the president, he put his hands near the cauldron again.

Chh–

There was a soft sound as Xu Xiaoshou's reddened palms perfectly absorbed the heat.

Shi Ti could not hold back to know. He was really interested.

"Do you want to learn?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

The president swallowed his saliva unconsciously and nodded.

"If you want to learn, what will you use to exchange? A favor?"

Shi Ti was speechless.

He looked at this young man with shock as huge waves rushed within his heart.

'My God, what kind of a person is this. Why does he want a favor in exchange?'

'Doesn't he know that if he taught me this technique, the returns that he could get from me would definitely be more than that?'

Shi Ti's eyes were filled with disappointment.

'No matter how strong his skills may be, if his brawn cannot keep up, then he will not be able to go far in life!'

'Sigh.'

Thinking about this, he could not help but feel a sense of pity for Elder Sang.

It was a pity because he was such a talented boy.

Xu Xiaoshou smiled as he shook his head. He had just asked casually.

Not to say that he would be able to learn it, but if he really had to teach him, just looking at the man's physique made it clear that he would not be able to bear the amount of heat at all.

If his own Master Physique could only take as much as that one breath, how much could others take?

The reason he said that was just to encourage the old man to give up and not ask any more questions.

"Here it comes."

The process of refining elixir was at last at its final step. After Xu Xiaoshou made the liquid backflow, it had become highly viscous.

His face was serious.

"Scoot further away!"

Yun He waved his arms as he hurriedly tried to usher the crowd backward.

When this lad compressed his pill, no matter if it succeeded or failed, the cauldron would still explode. It should not be underestimated.

The speed of Xu Xiaoshou's hands increased again. Under the eyes of the crowd, he finally made a hand sign that everyone could understand.

" Pill Condensation Art!"

The Fire Seed under the cauldron burst into flames. The temperature in the room shot up immediately. Everyone had shocked expressions. In the next second, everything seemed to go dark.

Boom!

A loud explosion shot straight up, causing the ceiling window to widen a little more.

Shi Ti was already prepared. He wanted to see how explosive this lad's normal pill compression was.

The explosion that caused Yun He's body to be injured did not seem to do any harm to himself.

'Is that it?'

He sighed. He then saw the young man sitting beside the cauldron suddenly getting up.

"Run!"

Xu Xiaoshou blurted this word fearfully as he immediately disappeared.

Since the door was blocked by people, he escaped through the window.

The crowd was confused.

"Is this... his normal alchemy process?"

They all looked at Yun He, including Shi Ti.

Yun He was stunned.

When he was watching Xu Xiaoshou alchemize a while ago, this was not part of his normal alchemy process at all.

Unless...