Alexander spread his hands, his face a picture of innocence. "You can’t blame me! Their cultivation levels are too weak. If you’d kept them in your pouch for so long, they’d have already melted into a puddle of blood!"

Evil Ghost was infuriated. "What are you talking about? I’ve precisely calculated the timing, and the corrosive aura inside the pouch hasn’t even been released. How could they possibly dissolve at this point?"

Alexander shrugged, feigning ignorance as if he had no idea what had transpired.

Evil Ghost sneered, "It doesn’t matter. They are merely dregs to me; you are the main ingredient! You’re the most potent human I’ve ever seen. Cackle... Light the fire and bring over my cauldron. I’m going to use you to refine my pills today!"

Flames roared to life instantaneously, a colossal cauldron placed atop them, filled with an assortment of medicinal herbs. This array, which lay at the heart of the alchemical process, was designed to inhibit the flow of spiritual energy in a person, rendering escape virtually impossible.

Alexander widened his eyes, staring at the cauldron. "Are you kidding me? You’re going straight to alchemy? Shouldn’t you give me a bath and cleanse me first?"

Evil Ghost chuckled coldly, "No need. Any impurities on you will be filtered out along with the dregs. But you’re quite composed; let’s see if you’ll remain this calm once you’re in the cauldron!"

"Throw him in!" Evil Ghost commanded.

Several disciples promptly bound Alexander, hoisted him up, and hurled him into the great cauldron. The water inside hadn’t yet reached boiling point, but it was hot.

However, with Alexander’s current capabilities, even boiling water at a hundred degrees was not an issue.

In no time, Alexander floated to the top. He leaned against the inner wall of the cauldron and exclaimed, "Old man, is this how you plan to refine me? Your skills are woefully inadequate; you’ve essentially invited me to a hot spring!"

Evil Ghost smirked, "Don’t worry. This is the only way to preserve the essence within you. You won’t feel comfortable for long."

He then turned sharply, fixing his cold gaze on the disciple tending to the fire. "Increase the heat."

An hour quickly passed, and the water inside the great cauldron was now boiling tumultuously.

Yet within the great cauldron, Alexander was leisurely leaning against its inner wall, showing no signs of cooking whatsoever.

With eyes half-lidded, he bellowed, "Old man, add more water! It’s drying up! If you don’t, your ’ingredients’ will stick to the bottom of the cauldron! Hurry!"

The disciples were astounded. What audacity! Did he truly think he was here for a spa day?

Grinding his teeth, Evil Ghost roared, "Add water!"

A few disciples immediately carried buckets of medicinal water, pouring them into the cauldron one after another until it was full again.

Evil Ghost pointed at the fire-tending disciples, bellowing, "Increase the heat! Burn it! Burn it harder!"

Alexander, hanging onto the edge of the cauldron, glared and chastised, "Didn’t you hear me? Hurry up and add more firewood! Don’t think I didn’t see you slacking off! A bunch of incompetents who can’t even keep a fire going. Do you need me to teach you how to harness the power of fire elements?"

Evil Ghost stammered, "You..."

The fire-tending disciples looked as if they were on the verge of tears. The other disciples couldn’t bear to listen any longer.

"Is this guy really being this brazen when he’s about to die?"

"Where does he get such composure from? He’s totally disregarding us!"

The crowd was outraged, every disciple glaring furiously at Alexander.

Sensing their gaze, Alexander pointed a commanding finger and roared, "What are you all looking at? A bunch of useless creatures, that’s what you are. Yes, you there! The idiot messing around with the medicinal herbs. Move it! Don’t you see it’s time to add the next batch?"

Evil Ghost’s eyes widened, his teeth chattering in fury. Since when did his own people take orders from this man?

Did he not realize his current position? He was supposed to be a mere ingredient in the cauldron!

What truly irked him, however, was that Alexander was right. It was indeed time to add the next batch of medicinal herbs.

Grinding his teeth, Evil Ghost commanded, "Add the herbs!"

The disciples reluctantly held their bundles of herbs and placed them into the cauldron. Scolded by their elder was one thing, but being chastised by this arrogant man was insufferable. Who was the captive here, really?

Half an hour later, Evil Ghost, keeping track of time, believed that the boiling water must have purified all extraneous impurities from Alexander’s body.

Just as he was about to give the next command, he heard Alexander’s booming voice from the cauldron, "What are you all dilly-dallying for? I’ve been purified! Hurry up and change the water!"

"To those tending the fire below, stop it right now! Start the fire again after changing the water. Do you even understand the repercussions if you mess up the timing?"

Evil Ghost trembled, stuttering, "You...you...I..."

The surrounding disciples were almost reduced to tears by Alexander’s berating. With red eyes, they furiously stared at him and retorted, "Who are you to scold us? Why should we change the water for you? Not only will I not change it, but I will also add more wood!"

As he spoke, the disciple threw in another log. But before he could finish, Evil Ghost kicked him aside, bellowing, "Put out the fire! Change the water! If you ruin my pill, I’ll flay you alive!"

As infuriating as Alexander’s insolence was, he was, annoyingly, correct. It was indeed time to change the water and begin the third round of refinement. But why did it feel so utterly infuriating?

The desire to kill him was overwhelming.

The kicked disciple, crawling back up, sobbingly replied, "Yes, Master, I’ll change the water right away..."

Alexander roared, "Hurry up! Stop dawdling! Use the finest spring water and the best herbs! Any more delay and I’ll break your legs!"

The disciple finally couldn’t bear this astronomical injustice any longer. He broke down, bursting into uncontrollable tears.

A female disciple could no longer contain herself, trembling with rage as she seized a staff and ascended the platform. "Master, I request permission to kill him! I want to duel him one-on-one! He’s gone too far!"

Before Evil Ghost could respond, Alexander, leaning against the cauldron wall, revealed a provocative smile and coyly said, "Little sister, how do you plan to duel me? Will you come in, or shall I come out? Whether coming in or going out, either way is fine by me."

The entire gathering gasped at his audacity, infuriating the crowd further. Everyone’s eyes fixed furiously on Alexander. How dare he utter such frivolous words to a lady!

The angered woman, looking at Alexander’s infuriating smile, felt her face flush with rage as she quivered, "Master! He...he’s making advances at me! He...he..." Overwhelmed, she burst into tears and stormed off the platform.

The disciples below were roaring, showing clear signs of losing control. "Kill him! Kill him!"

Evil Ghost took several deep breaths to suppress his impulse to kill Alexander on the spot. Trembling, he pointed at him and bellowed, "Seal the lid! I want to refine him to death!"

With a clang, the massive lid was forcefully clamped onto the cauldron.

Evil Ghost kicked away the disciples tending to the fire. Unrestrained spiritual energy burst forth from his body, transforming into scorching flames as he roared, "I’ll refine you to death! Watch me do it!"

The disciples rushed forward in a frenzied state, shouting, "Master, we wish to assist you!"

Waving his arm mightily, Evil Ghost roared back, "Good! Increase the firepower! Refine him, and each of you will be rewarded with a sip of medicinal soup!"

"Yes!" The disciples shouted in unison.

Nearly a thousand disciples circled the cauldron, their fury fueling their spiritual energy as rolling flames instantly enveloped the cauldron. One could only imagine how effective Alexander’s trolling had been.

Inside the alchemy cauldron.

System: "Host, are you intentionally provoking them?"

Alexander slightly smiled and responded, "After the previous refining sessions, the impurities in my body have been purified. Now is the best time to transcend the tribulation!"

With bated breath and closed eyes, Alexander’s swirling spiritual energy surged toward his inner being. The sealing of the colossal cauldron had isolated him from external arrays, making this the optimal environment for his breakthrough.

In an instant, his eyes snapped open, and a radiant light burst forth. "These herbs alone are not enough; I need more!"

With a flick of his wrist, Alexander tossed in pills he had won through dual cultivation into the surrounding liquid. Those elixirs immediately transformed into potent medicinal power in the high heat.

When six top-grade pills entered the cauldron, the whole interior became a thick pool of medicinal liquid.

Meanwhile, outside the cauldron.

Everyone smelled an unbelievably fragrant aroma, so potent that merely inhaling it made them feel their internal spiritual energies stirring.

Evil Ghost was elated and gasped, "Such pure medicinal essence! As I suspected, this fellow is an extraordinary medicinal body. If this cauldron of pill gets refined, it will surely be of the highest quality!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Evil Ghost laughed uproariously.

The disciples, upon hearing this, were filled with joy. That delicious aroma indicated that the troublesome individual inside had likely been refined into medicinal porridge.

"Turn up the heat; make it even thicker!" they collectively thought.

Time ticked by, second after second.

Half an hour later, Evil Ghost bellowed, "Enough! Stop the fire!"

The disciples ceased their actions immediately, their eyes fixated on the massive cauldron, hearts pounding with anticipation.

"Was this great pill truly created?" The excitement was also palpable in Evil Ghost.

"Open the cauldron!" he shouted.