I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 189 - 187: Xi Yuan Tournament (Part 13)

Although we haven’t started the barbecue yet, just the smell of Fire Rainbow Seed Oil made Ye Qingting, Cui Tianxiao, and Qi Ming all swallow hard. It smelled too good!

When the temperature dropped to the right level, Li Xing placed an Earth Fire Worm onto the metal plate. The worm’s meat contracted upon heating, quickly changing from blood red to meat pink, and a unique aroma filled the air.

When the meat was seventy percent cooked, Li Xing removed the Earth Fire Worm from the metal plate, held it with chopsticks, and put it into her mouth, chewing while nodding.

Unexpectedly, the Earth Fire Worm’s meat was so chewy. It was really amazing!

The saliva of the three extended long, waiting for Li Xing to speak. But she ate one after another, completely immersed in the delicacy, seemingly forgetting their presence.

Cui Tianxiao couldn’t hold it any longer and said pitifully:

"Ah Xing, I’m starving..."

Li Xing rolled her eyes amid her busyness: "If you’re hungry, just eat. You’re not waiting for me to roast it for you, are you?"

Upon hearing they could eat, Ye Qingting and Qi Ming immediately imitated Li Xing, dissecting the Earth Fire Worm and roasting it on the metal plate.

Don’t be fooled by how disgusting and creepy the Earth Fire Worm looked alive. Once roasted, it’s really delicious. The meat is firm and naturally salted, making it a delicacy without needing extra seasoning. Different degrees of doneness offer different flavors, so tasty you can’t stop.

Li Xing, Ye Qingting, and Qi Ming, all three sped up, and before long, there wasn’t much of the Earth Fire Worm left on the ground.

Cui Tianxiao was anxious. He feared long, snake-like Star Beasts like worms and snakes. He could barely accept eating it, but to gut the Earth Fire Worm himself was worse than fighting a Red Armored Scorpion.

Yet, the smell of barbecue constantly teased his nerves, and the hunger he could initially endure was now overwhelming him like a flood.

Cui Tianxiao looked pleadingly at his three companions, hoping someone would kindly help him out.

But Ye Qingting and Qi Ming were busy eating, completely ignoring him, and although Li Xing met his eyes, her words were colder than Ye Qingting’s Ice Seal Technique.

"If you don’t like it, I’ll just eat it all!"

"Hey—! No, I’ll eat it! Leave some for me!"

Driven by the fear of hunger, Cui Tianxiao finally took an important step in his life.

He was all in!

He fiercely grabbed an Earth Fire Worm, slit its belly with a small knife, tried to ignore the slimy feeling on his fingers, removed the innards, and then haphazardly scraped it on the metal plate before stuffing it into his mouth.

Ahhhhh—so satisfying!

Once he took the first step, the rest came naturally, and Cui Tianxiao finally overcame his obstacle and enjoyed the delicacy without distraction.

Li Xing, while eating, glanced secretly at Cui Tianxiao, amused.

This guy is already a second-year recruit, yet still carries himself with the airs of a young master, not eating anything ugly or dirty.

When he goes for military training next year, these dainty habits will definitely cause trouble for him. A small tree won’t straighten without cutting; using food as a breakthrough now is a good strategy, as it’s not too late to force him to change.

Hot food greatly comforted the Specialized Defiance Team’s body and mind. With full stomachs and enough water, and not needing to walk, this competition wasn’t as dreadful as it seemed.

The Red Armored Scorpion was fast; an hour later, they could already see the boundary between the red soil and the white sand from afar, and the temperature had significantly dropped.

At this moment, the Red Armored Scorpion wasn’t in a good state, and Li Xing had to keep shaking the reins to threaten it to continue moving forward.

Ye Qingting noticed the Red Armored Scorpion’s abnormality and couldn’t help but worry: "Ah Xing, does the Red Armored Scorpion not want to leave the Earth Lungs Area?"

Li Xing nodded: "That’s right. The current temperature already makes it uncomfortable. If we go further, it might fight me to the death."

The Red Armored Scorpion obeyed Li Xing because it feared death. If Li Xing forced it into extreme cold, the Red Armored Scorpion would definitely turn against her.

"What should we do then? Abandon it?"

Li Xing chuckled: "Such a good mount, it’s too wasteful to give up now. Watch me!"

Divine Sense Summoning, Barbecue Master · Little Fatty, suddenly flew up from under the metal plate to hover in front of Li Xing, speaking flatteringly: "Master, what are your orders?"

On the journey, the Three Thousand Lotus kept giving itself pep talks to be humble and respectful when speaking to Li Xing. If he didn’t keep this woman happy, it wouldn’t get to rest in the Dantian!

"Go and heat up the Red Armored Scorpion’s belly."

Little Fatty carried out the order: "Got it! I’ll cook it to death right away!"

Li Xing glared: "Who said to kill it! I said heat it, using the same heat as the barbecue just now, clear?"

"Uh... got it." So it turned out, the Teppanyaki earlier was just simulated grilling!

The live broadcast.

All the audience following the Specialized Defiance Team waited. They wanted to know if Li Xing could make the Red Armored Scorpion overcome its fear, defy its instincts, and leave the Earth Lungs Area, continuing to carry them onward.

The host, seeing the restless Red Armored Scorpion, regretfully said: "The Red Armored Scorpion is disobedient now; it seems the Scorpion Knights have to stop here."

Zou Huali pressed her lips together, saying nothing, and Lin Zhian adjusted his glasses, speaking gently: "I don’t think so. Have you forgotten Li Xing is a Fire Elemental Spirit?"

The host was puzzled: "What does that have to do with an Elemental Spirit?"

"If she has enough courage, she’ll definitely use Primordial Fire to heat the Red Armored Scorpion’s belly."

"What!" The host was startled: "Is that possible?"

Zou Huali thought for a moment and nodded: "It’s theoretically feasible. Li Xing is skilled in Ancient Alchemy, her control over Primordial Fire exceeds that of a typical Fire Elemental Spirit User by much. She could certainly control the Primordial Fire’s temperature to a level that makes the Red Armored Scorpion not feel the cold, while not burning it."

——————

Just as Lin Zhian and Zou Huali speculated, in the scene, the Three Thousand Lotus, which was always mistaken for Li Xing’s Primordial Fire, unfurled itself into a fiery carpet, hovering between the Red Armored Scorpion’s belly armor and the ground.

The intense heat instantly dispelled the cold, making the Red Armored Scorpion feel comfortable all over, even its previously injured tail could curl up and sway.

Li Xing gave the reins a shake, and the Red Armored Scorpion tentatively took a few steps, with the fiery carpet underneath following its forward movement.

The Red Armored Scorpion was overjoyed, knowing it had chosen the right person!

Without the threat of cold, the Red Armored Scorpion soon arrived at the boundary between the desert and the Earth Lungs Area. Seeing the white sand it had never set foot on before made the Red Armored Scorpion hesitate.

In its bloodline memory, the desert region was a forbidden zone for its kind; whoever treads in will die. But standing at the edge of this forbidden zone, the Red Armored Scorpion didn’t feel the intense cold that would make its kind tremble. Could the fire beneath its belly drive away the cold?

Impatient, Li Xing kicked its head lightly; the pain made the Red Armored Scorpion leap forward into the desert without thinking.

Though the wind was a bit chilly, it didn’t feel cold on the body, the sand was soft and much better than the dry, cracked red earth of the Earth Lungs Area. The fire underneath made it feel warm all over, and it just wanted to run freely. Thus, the Red Armored Scorpion sped across the vast desert.

The live broadcast erupted into deafening cheers! They succeeded!

The Red Armored Scorpion wasn’t dead, and the Scorpion Knights could continue racing across the yellow sand land!

The audience, though unable to experience the thrill of riding a Star Beast firsthand, could imagine from the live broadcast what a grand and magnificent scene it was.

Excited, the host forgot to maintain a neutral stance, shouting: "Long live the Specialized Defiance Team! Long live the Scorpion Knights—!"

Watching Li Xing racing on the big screen, Zou Huali had a faint smile on his face, this kid, really a force to be reckoned with in the Healing Master world.

Just when everyone thought the Specialized Defiance Team could rely on the Red Armored Scorpion to gallop all the way to the Turquoise Pool, Lin Zhian had a different opinion:

"The Red Armored Scorpion is much bigger than a Medicine Cauldron. Even though Li Xing’s Double Heaven Armor has a remarkable Primordial Spirit reserve, she can’t guarantee keeping the Primordial Fire burning continuously to keep the Red Armored Scorpion always at a comfortable temperature. So, how far they can ride is entirely unknown."

Zou Huali also realized a key issue, and his smile gradually faded.

Lin Zhian continued: "The night in the Rorye Desert is more suitable for Star Beasts to be active and is even more dangerous than the day. Once Li Xing’s Primordial Spirit runs out, the Red Armored Scorpion freezes to death, and without the deterrence of the twelfth-level Star Beast, the Specialized Defiance Team will surely become the target of beast attacks."

After venting, the host’s rationality returned, sighing at Lin Zhian’s words: "Let’s hope the Red Armored Scorpion can hold on until dawn."