Chapter 101: Alchemy Improvements

Eve took the dessert with anticipation and bit into it. Seeing this, Qi Xiao chuckled: "This dessert has rich layers inside—each layer is made from different ingredients, from the translucent jelly layer to the silky cream layer, down to the crispy cookie base. Every bite is a surprise."

Listening to Qi Xiao's introduction, Eve began to chew. She first felt the springy bounce of the pectin jelly, followed by the silkiness of the cream and the crisp crunch of the cookie base. The texture was distinct and layered—sweet without being cloying.

"This cake uses jelly made from red berries harvested from the Stag Forest, blended with honey produced from the Queen Bee's hive," Qi Xiao continued.

As Eve savored the dessert in her mouth, Qi Xiao went on introducing every detail of the confection.

"As for the cream and butter, they come from the purest Moon-Shadow Dairy Cows. These cows are raised under moonlight and graze on grass imbued with magic, which is why their dairy products are not only rich in flavor but also carry a faint trace of magical fluctuation."

Though Raymond normally didn't eat desserts, he couldn't resist taking a small bite. Seeing the complicated expression on Raymond's face, Qi Xiao laughed: "Beyond that, I also added some specially crafted vanilla extract and a touch of Starlight Powder. The vanilla extract adds a hint of fresh aroma, while the Starlight Powder gives the dessert a subtle sparkling sensation in the mouth—as if you're truly tasting a piece of the starry sky."

The sensation of Starlight Powder was somewhat similar to popping candy from his past life, only more intense.

"The combination of these ingredients not only enriches the flavor of the dessert, but also grants it a gentle magical effect—it can soothe the mood and uplift the spirit."

Robert finally finished his main course and began on the dessert. As a spoonful of cake entered his mouth, a mixture of surprise and delight crossed his sharply defined features.

"This dessert has a delicate texture, and each layer transitions so naturally. The tingling sensation is like a dancer performing an elegant dance on the tip of the tongue. The harmony of flavors is simply incredible—the balance of sweet and sour, the pleasing aroma. Junior Brother, your craftsmanship is truly admirable."

As a full-fledged wizard, Robert's praise carried considerable weight. Qi Xiao smiled without saying a word and watched the three of them enjoy the dessert.

The dessert shimmered with an enticing luster under the candlelight, as if every spoonful held the mysteries of the starry sky and magic.

When Robert delivered the final spoonful to his mouth, he rose and remarked with emotion: "This Starry Reverie dessert indeed brings a perfect conclusion to tonight's dinner. I look forward to your future works and achievements, Junior Brother."

Raymond couldn't squeeze out a second word besides "delicious," while Eve's eyes sparkled as she said cheerfully: "Next time something this wonderful comes around, don't forget to call me~ The food you make isn't just exquisite—it lifts the spirit and lingers in memory. See you next time, Junior Brother."

Qi Xiao saw off his senior brother and senior sister, then hummed lightly as he cleaned up the cooking utensils while summoning Blood Ruo.

"Blood Ruo, in a moment please deliver this portion to Lord Ayak's room. He was too polite to share a table with the young masters and misses, so he didn't come. But I need his critique and guidance."

"These three portions are a specially prepared dinner for your clan. Taste one later, and take the other two to Blood Lotus and Steward Merk."

Blood Ruo's throat bobbed as he looked at the porcelain plates on the table emanating a blood-rich aroma, and he quickly acknowledged the task. Qi Xiao had already eaten his own portion, so after tidying up, he returned directly to his room.

True gourmet-path practitioners valued effects over flavor—though, of course, flavor was rarely lacking either. Qi Xiao was walking a rather unconventional branch of the path: his creations had almost no effects, everything sacrificed in favor of taste.

After all, Qi Xiao made his food for the pleasure of eating. If one truly sought the effects of gourmet cuisine, he'd never catch up to genuine gourmet-path wizards no matter how hard he chased. Perhaps taking a side road held better prospects.

The spatial nodes within the Bubble Space were extremely peculiar—Qi Xiao's space arts could remain stable there for as long as a month. From it, he retrieved his Void Energy Element Gun, intending to upgrade it.

Although his strength hadn't changed since crafting this pistol, his alchemical skill and insight had grown immensely. Qi Xiao was confident he could elevate it to Fine grade.

The original Void Steel Alloy, while stable and durable under all sorts of conditions, had rather mediocre elemental affinity. But as the foundation of this pistol, Qi Xiao couldn't replace it—he could only fuse into it a more elementally attuned metal known as Rainbow Steel. This metal possessed extremely high affinity with all elements, but its own structure was highly unstable—perfectly suited to complement Void Steel Alloy.

Qi Xiao carefully performed the delicate operations, guarding against any repulsion between the two metals or residual flaws being left behind.

Fortunately, both metals were relatively gentle in nature, so even though the Void Steel Alloy had long since been set, the fusion didn't produce much resistance. The resulting alloy not only excelled in physical properties but also demonstrated remarkable affinity on the magical level.

The entire pistol consequently grew a size larger. Seizing the opportunity, Qi Xiao reshaped and optimized most of the inscription arrays, enhancing both the efficiency and stability of elemental energy excitation.

On the pistol's critical components—the barrel and the energy circulation system—Qi Xiao specially added energy channels made of Rainbow Steel, enabling more efficient conversion and utilization of magical energy.

The incorporation of Rainbow Steel not only boosted the pistol's performance but also endowed it with a more distinctive appearance. From certain angles, the gun's body shimmered with polychromatic luster, as if the power of the elements were flowing within.

The Void Energy Element Gun had previously been only one step away from Fine grade, and after the modifications, it naturally advanced to that level. Qi Xiao ran a series of tests on the pistol—including accuracy, elemental energy excitation, and stability—all of which showed marked improvement over before. More importantly, Qi Xiao added a small piece of Unmelting Ice to the heat dissipation system. Now, even firing eight shots in quick succession wouldn't cause the barrel to burst—though repairs would still be needed afterward.

Although the appearance and structure no longer matched the original name, Qi Xiao didn't bother renaming it. Some things were best kept to oneself. He merely made slight adjustments to the color of the gun holster so it would harmonize with the upgraded pistol.

Rainbow light danced across the surface. Qi Xiao spun the barrel, returned to his room, and began a new day's meditation.

The next morning, after a night of meditation and rest, Qi Xiao was refreshed and back at his peak. The influence that cup-path wizard had exerted on him had finally vanished without a trace.

It also happened to be the day appointed with his teacher. Qi Xiao could now determine who was entering the Bubble Space by sensing the fluctuations of the spatial nodes around him—every person's fluctuation was unique. His teacher's fluctuation was like a drop of rain falling into a lake: only a faint ripple, but perceptible to those who listened carefully.

He had sensed that ripple the night before. If his teacher had wished, he could naturally have concealed this faint disturbance, but he never bothered with such trivialities on Lakeheart Isle.

Qi Xiao knocked on the wooden door. With a creak, the door swung open. Qi Xiao stepped across the threshold and offered a bow.

Midir was leaning sideways against the sofa, his left hand massaging the bridge of his nose, looking somewhat weary. With his right hand, he gestured for Qi Xiao to come closer and sit.

Qi Xiao sat beside his teacher with some restraint and asked: "What was the result? That red-robed wizard didn't seem to be from our Northern Wizard Circle?"

Perhaps because it concerned Qi Xiao himself, Midir did not brush him off with talk of overreaching ambitions. He said in a low voice: "He comes from the Church of Bliss in the Western Wizard Circle—another large organization comparable in scale to our Crypt of Ten Thousand Spirits. The curse that once fell upon the Hart Sheep clan of the Stag Forest is connected to that organization's high-ranking members. His appearance here now suggests something significant."

Without any visible spatial fluctuation, a piece of flesh appeared in Midir's hand, looking tantalizingly fresh and vibrant. For some unknown reason, the moment Qi Xiao laid eyes on it, copious saliva flooded his mouth, and only one thought filled his mind: obtain it, devour it.

Fortunately, Qi Xiao had always been disciplined. The instant the thought surfaced, he suppressed it, forcing himself to look away from the raw meat. Startled and uncertain, he asked: "Teacher... this is...?"

Midir sneered: "Since he came to our Northern Wizard Circle to cause trouble without so much as a greeting, he naturally had to pay a price. This piece of flesh will be enough to pain him for a long time—consider it compensation for you."

Seeing Qi Xiao's expression of wanting to speak but hesitating, Midir said evenly: "I know your concern. Rest assured, this wasn't cut from his body. It's the flesh of a magical beast unique to the Western Wizard Circle. This beast was born from the void when His Excellency Lord Crimson Cup attained the Dao, and it produces only twice in its lifetime—once for offspring, and once for this piece of flesh. It is extremely rare."

Seeming to sense Qi Xiao's distaste, Midir frowned: "As a wizard, you must shed these mortal sentiments. Mental factors like fear and discomfort only hinder your approach to truth. If a material of this caliber causes you to feel repulsion because of the psychological discomfort instilled by your genes, then you will never become a true wizard in this lifetime."

"A true wizard..."

These words flashed through Qi Xiao's mind, and he said sincerely: "Thank you for your guidance, Teacher. I have learned well."

Midir's expression returned to calm. He nodded, processed the squirming raw flesh, and handed it to Qi Xiao, saying softly:

"I know you only recently became a wizard and many of your conceptions haven't yet been overturned. Though there's no rush, the sooner you realize and correct these conceptual issues, the better. Stop viewing the surface of such things through a mortal's eyes. You are a wizard—you should look past the surface and see the structure behind it."

Qi Xiao humbly accepted the lesson and nodded, receiving the flesh wrapped in a spatial membrane. Through this membrane, Qi Xiao found he could look at the raw meat without being affected.

"This flesh is in no way inferior in quality to the Fire Dragon Bone—it's an excellent material for refining bloodline-side potions. Even if you can't use it now, keeping it for observation and research is worthwhile. It's also compensation for your troubles—I failed to account for this risk."

Qi Xiao replied that he wouldn't dare presume, then asked in confusion: "Teacher, that wizard appeared only when I went to observe the newborn Hart Sheep named Shub. It's clear their organization has schemes and designs around this. Would you... like to examine that sheep for anything unusual?"

After careful deliberation, Qi Xiao decided to probe indirectly, hoping to nip this matter in the bud. In the past, he might have hesitated, but since he was clearly already entangled in this affair, it was naturally better to resolve it sooner.

"Naturally. I've examined all of those Hart Sheep, especially that newborn ewe. Unlike the other newborns who strained every sinew to erase the curse's influence, she instead integrated the curse and cultivated the Cup Path, transforming the curse into power... She has boldness and a good temperament. No wonder the Church of Bliss has taken notice."

There was a note of appreciation in Midir's words—clearly interpreting the Church of Bliss's attention as a sign they wished to recruit and absorb her. Qi Xiao could only silently nod and ask: "And now? Has she been taken away by the Church of Bliss?"

Midir shook his head slightly: "Naturally not. I have an agreement with their clan. Had I not seen it, so be it—but since I have, I won't simply stand by. I've left a clone imprint in the Stag Forest. If they dare come again, I'll go reason with them myself. The Sky Barrier Association has already issued a warning to the Church of Bliss; they won't risk violating it again anytime soon."

Qi Xiao hesitated for a moment before asking: "Then should I continue my trial? Since they seem unlikely to encroach upon the Stag Forest for the time being?"

Midir thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Better not. If it were any other organization, perhaps. But the Church of Bliss is a pack of madmen who can't be reasoned with by normal logic. Though the odds are against them returning anytime soon, what if their brains take a wrong turn and they do come? It's still too unsafe. I sent you to the Stag Forest primarily to expose you to biological alchemy—so that when I send you to study under Leonardo Drako in the future, you won't be completely ignorant of the field."

Joy and faint disappointment mingled in Qi Xiao's heart, a feeling he couldn't quite name. He nodded and said: "Then I'll take my leave, Teacher."

Midir's voice was magnetic and deep: "Go. You are still an apprentice, and it's best not to study too scattered a range of subjects. If you're interested in the gourmet path, you can pursue it after becoming a full wizard. You haven't even fully mastered the space system yet—chasing after everything will only leave you mastering nothing."

Qi Xiao acknowledged the lesson, bowed in farewell, and returned to his room.

Watching Qi Xiao exit, Midir produced from his ring an exquisitely crafted letter stamped with gold leaf. He read it over several times in silence before slowly vanishing from where he stood.

Qi Xiao first stored the sealed flesh in the warehouse, covering it with black cloth, then returned to his alchemy laboratory.

Since there was no immediate need to go on another trial, he naturally had to keep the Skyforge Alchemy Shop supplied. Though he had already crafted most of the ordinary-grade equipment and items he could make—the rest requiring far too much time to be worth the effort—there were still many types of potions he hadn't yet offered for sale. After this period of researching various potions, Qi Xiao's knowledge of alchemical pharmacology had grown considerably, and he was quite confident.