I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 201 - 199: Xi Yuan Tournament (Part 25)

"Whoa!"

Li Xing didn’t tug on the reins, yet the Red Armored Scorpion came to a halt. After a night of bonding, it was smart enough to understand what strange words like "giddy-up" and "whoa" meant.

Li Xing removed the Immortal Binding Rope from the head armor of the Red Armored Scorpion, signaling the team to pack their things and walk alongside the scorpion.

Cui Tianxiao was puzzled, "Ah Xing, are we there?"

That can’t be right; the Turquoise Pool is so huge that he should be able to see the shimmering water if they’re close, but there’s nothing around them but sand.

Qi Ming unleashed his spiritual power to sense, "We’re not there yet; we’re at least forty kilometers away from the Turquoise Pool."

"Ah Xing, why aren’t we riding anymore?" Ye Qingting couldn’t understand why Li Xing chose to stop when victory was within sight; the Red Armored Scorpion could get there in half an hour.

"If we keep riding, it won’t make it back."

Everyone: "..." What? Li Xing still wants it to go back? They all thought the scorpion was a one-way ticket.

Released from the Immortal Binding Rope, the Red Armored Scorpion’s six legs repeatedly stamped the ground, a bit unsure of the situation.

Could the humanoid Star Beast have devised a new way to torment the scorpion? The scorpion was so obedient, why must it suffer!

Seeing the little eyes of the Red Armored Scorpion filled with fear, Li Xing found it amusing.

"Da Hong, look at your lack of courage! How can you advance to Heaven Rank and dominate the Earth Lungs Area with such a timid nature?"

The Red Armored Scorpion’s legs trembled; oh dear, the humanoid Star Beast laughed—it won’t end here, will it?

"Though you were coerced, you carried us far and shook off the Blood-sucking Vine’s siege. You’ve achieved a merit. I don’t like to owe karma, so I’m letting you go now, and we’re even. If we meet again, you needn’t be cordial, and I won’t hold back!"

Li Xing finished speaking and took some red drug residue from refining Clear Wind Powder from her Spiritual Pendant, tossing it all into the scorpion’s mouth.

A pungent aroma filled its mouth, causing the Red Armored Scorpion to shiver. It wanted to spit it out, but the residue dissolved instantly, its effects quickly permeating its body.

The Red Armored Scorpion let out a desperate wail, thinking it was going to be poisoned by the disgusting red powder, when suddenly a surge of warmth arose from its heart, circulating swiftly throughout its bloodstream.

An unprecedented sensation of ecstasy nearly overwhelmed it, its blood boiling fervently, its Elemental Power skyrocketing, seeming boundless—its body felt aflame!

Li Xing gestured with her hand, and the Three Thousand Lotus was finally permitted to return home, swiftly diving into her Dantian, curling into a bead-sized flame, gently flickering.

On the livestream.

The Scorpion Knight’s viewer ratings had been consistently high, yet at this moment, the viewers were heatedly discussing Li Xing’s retrieval of the Yuan Fire that maintained the Red Armored Scorpion’s body temperature.

//Family, who understands this? Li Xing retrieving the Yuan Fire now, is she planning to let the scorpion perish?//

//Ahhhh! Scorpion is so cute; why kill the scorpion?//

//Use and discard? I never thought Li Xing would be such a person! //

//Shut up, haters upstairs! Star is so kind; she couldn’t possibly let the scorpion die. Didn’t you see, even after retrieving the Yuan Fire, the scorpion’s shell got even redder?//

//Indeed, it didn’t die! Which expert claimed the scorpion couldn’t enter the desert? Isn’t it perfectly fine?//

//I can’t believe you guys aren’t focusing even when watching a livestream! Rewind one minute and fifteen seconds, freeze frame! Now see? Li Xing fed the scorpion something; it’s likely a drug. It’s only after eating that it got redder.//

//Eh—! It really is! Damn, could this be the key to taming a Star Beast? //

//Breaking news! After my thorough calculations, the Defier Squad’s current position is 906 kilometers from the Earth Lungs Area. If the scorpion runs at full speed, it could indeed return before sunset! //

//My God, it turns out everything is under Li Xing’s control. She wasn’t abandoning the scorpion; she gave it enough protection to ensure it safely returns to the Earth Lungs Area! //

//So moved! Li Xing is truly loyal and sentimental; if the Star Cloud CP is real, Chu Yunyi has truly struck gold! //

...

The Red Armored Scorpion was in top form once more, its rebellious spirit rising again, its six little eyes regarding Li Xing with increasingly bold intent.

It was in such good condition now that even Heaven Rank Star Beasts couldn’t match it. Despite the humanoid Star Beast before it being slender, it smelled so wonderful. Should it attempt again?

Thinking this, the Red Armored Scorpion acted honestly; its tail curved upward, the black hook secretly aiming at Li Xing.

Li Xing coldly chuckled, suddenly a knife black as night, emitting astonishing Evil Qi, appeared in her hand.

"Ah, it’s so hot; it’s still more comfortable holding an ice-cold blade in my hand!"

The Red Armored Scorpion’s advancing legs abruptly retracted, and it turned tail to flee.

Its DNA for seeking benefit and avoiding harm saved it once more; it couldn’t provoke this humanoid Star Beast. Better to hurry back home and check on its Red Essence Ginseng.

Watching the scorpion tail gradually disappear amidst the swirling sands, Li Xing shook her head with a smile. This Da Hong wasn’t particularly strong in combat, but its wits served it well. Judging from its manner, even without advancing to Heaven Rank, it could well survive in the harsh Earth Lungs Area.

For Li Xing letting the Red Armored Scorpion go, the other members of the Defier Squad had no objections, but Cui Tianxiao was curious about the red powder she fed it.

"Star, what did you give Da Hong that made it so excited?"

"Not medicine, Poison."

"Huh? Poison, toxic?"

"Poison refers to the substances removed from the raw materials during Alchemy that are irrelevant or opposite to the medicinal effect. All herbs are balanced wholes of yin and yang; I extracted components that counteract high temperatures and fired poisons to refine Clear Wind Powder. The substances capable of generating heat and high temperature were removed, forming the red residue you saw."

"For humans, consuming the red residue would instantly char their body due to the intense heat within, being highly toxic. However, for huge, naturally heat-tolerant scorpions, it acts as a miraculous drug keeping their bodies warm for twelve hours."

"While elixirs can vary in quality, their uses lack hierarchy. It depends on how and where you use them."

Qi Ming gave a thumbs up, "Sister Xing, you’re truly remarkable!"

Ye Qingting: "Thanks to Ah Xing’s efforts, we’ve emerged from the Earth Lungs Area swiftly. We still have some distance to go to the Turquoise Pool. Let’s hurry to reach the destination before sunset!"

"Yes—!"

The entire Defier Squad was invigorated, advancing in a sharp wedge formation, running forward.

Clear Wind Powder’s effectiveness was magical; under similar temperatures and conditions, they struggled yesterday even with temperature-adjusting talismans, soaked in sweat, yet today felt much easier. Their bodies only lightly perspired, the dizziness and nausea from heatstroke completely undetectable.

Cui Tianxiao exclaimed, "Star’s drug really helped a lot; our current condition is certainly the best among all the teams. As long as we don’t stumble onto another random Transmission Array, the race flag would certainly be ours—!"

Just as Cui Tianxiao finished speaking, a flash of white light emerged, illuminating his stunned face. The next moment, the Defier Squad collectively vanished from their spot.

The rolling yellow sand rose with the wind, concealing their footprints, leaving the land vast and barren, devoid of traces.