Upon hearing there was something delicious, Li Xuan and Princess Ankang, forgetting everything else, quickly followed Yu'er to the front yard.
Indeed, Zhao Feng was waiting there with Zhuge Fang and several imperial chefs behind them, each holding a large wooden box, its contents unknown.
"Your Highness."
Zhao Feng immediately bowed upon seeing Princess Ankang, and Zhuge Fang and the imperial chefs behind him quickly followed suit.
"The arctic supreme clam is ready for Your Highness to consume. Is Your Highness available today?"
Princess Ankang immediately turned to look at Li Xuan, waiting for him to make a decision.
For such important matters, Princess Ankang still listened closely to Li Xuan's opinion.
Especially regarding Princess Ankang's physical condition, no one understood it better than Li Xuan.
Li Xuan thought for a moment; it was almost time to absorb the coldness within Princess Ankang.
To be cautious, it would normally be best to eat the arctic supreme clam after the coldness had been absorbed.
However, Li Xuan wanted to try and see if this arctic supreme clam could change Princess Ankang's constitution.
He had heard before that the arctic supreme clam could convert a martial artist's water-attribute True Qi into ice-attribute True Qi, which might bring some change to the coldness within Princess Ankang.
But Li Xuan could not determine which was stronger, so he decided to retain the coldness and let the two forces contend first; the stronger one would naturally remain in the end.
Li Xuan nodded gently to Princess Ankang; with his current Yin Yang True Qi, even if the coldness within Princess Ankang became violent, he could suppress it.
He used to worry that his growth couldn't keep up with Princess Ankang, but so far, he was progressing faster.
Especially after mastering Yin Yang True Qi, he found it much easier to deal with the coldness within Princess Ankang by using the method of Five Elements transformation, and the initial urgency had long since disappeared.
If it could continue like this, it would be ideal.
Unfortunately, Princess Ankang's physical fitness was constantly strengthening, and the coldness within her showed no sign of depletion, instead becoming even more ferocious.
If Li Xuan continued to not obtain new Yin Yang True Qi cultivation methods, he feared that these easy days would eventually come to an end.
Upon receiving Li Xuan's affirmative reply, Princess Ankang immediately said to Zhao Feng:
"Chief Steward Zhao, we are very available today."
"That's good, that's good," Zhao Feng responded with a cheerful smile, then gestured to Zhuge Fang.
Zhuge Fang seemed to have been warned before arriving, as he was much more obedient and began busying himself in the courtyard with the other imperial chefs.
"Your Highness, this old servant also consulted Imperial Physician Xue about the usage of the arctic supreme clam earlier."
"Imperial Physician Xue said that although there are several methods of refining it into pills for consumption, none are suitable for Your Highness's constitution, because while refining makes the effect milder, it also weakens a certain degree of its efficacy."
"Imperial Physician Xue suggested consuming it raw as much as possible, but during consumption, it needs to be done gradually, observing Your Highness's physical changes at all times."
"Imperial Chef Zhuge will do his best to prepare the ingredients for Your Highness, but due to the overbearing efficacy of the arctic supreme clam, his role might be very limited."
"Therefore, during consumption, if Your Highness feels any discomfort, you must speak up."
Zhao Feng meticulously instructed.
The Three Little Ones also began to feel a bit nervous.
The arctic supreme clam was indeed a rare heavenly treasure, but its efficacy was also extremely overbearing.
Whether they could seize this opportunity depended on whether they had the ability and good fortune.
Seeing Zhuge Fang busy himself silently, Li Xuan greeted everyone and headed straight to the Imperial Garden, calling Cat Overlord and the others over.
Zhao Feng saw Li Xuan go out and return with a few followers, and couldn't help but tease:
"Li Xuan, you are quite generous to them."
Zhao Feng recognized that the large cats following Li Xuan were the three who had shared the Dream Abyss Dragon Fish last time.
However, today there was an additional orange kitten, which looked very similar to the fattest of the large cats.
Cheese was carried by Fat Orange to Jingyang Palace, and looking at the lively scene in the courtyard, his eyes were full of curiosity.
This little fellow had gradually adapted to life in the palace, and as his body developed, his curiosity also grew stronger. He explored everywhere with Niu Niu every day, and seeing so many strangers in front of him, he showed no fear, but rather great interest.
Li Xuan felt relieved seeing Cheese growing so fast.
Although the strength of Cat Overlord and the others was progressing slower and slower, they were his initial little brothers, and Li Xuan would still think of them when good things happened.
In the early days, if it weren't for Cat Overlord and the others' help, Li Xuan might not have been able to keep an eye on the entire vast palace.
Although Cat Overlord and the others' strength was ordinary, they could help Li Xuan with many trivial matters.
Later, many of the evil spirits in the palace were eliminated, and the treatment of Jingyang Palace also improved significantly.
After Jingyang Palace was renovated and new, with three teams of Flower-Clothed Eunuchs guarding it twenty-four hours a day, the Three Little Ones felt much more at ease staying in the palace.
Otherwise, Li Xuan used to be constantly worried whenever he went out, fearing that someone would come to Jingyang Palace to cause trouble and harm the two little girls.
Seeing Zhao Feng's teasing, Li Xuan just chuckled and used his tail to write:
"If they also have the good fortune, they will naturally have a chance to drink some soup."
Just like last time with the Dream Abyss Dragon Fish, if there was any extra left, Li Xuan wouldn't mind sharing it with Cat Overlord and the others.
Of course, the premise was that Princess Ankang could leave some.
Moreover, whether Cat Overlord and the others could eat the arctic supreme clam was still debatable; Li Xuan was just making full preparations.
Li Xuan's strong sense of loyalty and righteousness made Zhao Feng greatly relieved.
After all, he had also become Li Xuan's friend, becoming a part of this bond of friendship.
On this point, Zhao Feng had to thank his foster father's guidance.
If Chief Steward Shang hadn't established an equal relationship between Zhao Feng and Li Xuan from the beginning, given Li Xuan's personality, he would likely have clashed with the Internal Affairs Bureau.
"It's a good thing I had the foresight to recognize the auspicious sign and didn't make a big mistake."
While they chatted, the imperial chefs busied themselves with preparations.
Zhuge Fang's preparations this time seemed much more thorough than last time; he not only set up several tables but also brought seven or eight assistants.
But even now, Li Xuan hadn't seen what the arctic supreme clam looked like.
Li Xuan went to ask Zhao Feng, who replied:
"Don't rush, let the professionals handle this kind of thing."
They waited patiently for another quarter of an hour before Zhuge Fang ordered someone to bring in today's ingredients.
That's right, "bring in."
Four Flower-Clothed Eunuchs carried in a two-meter square box from outside.
The material of the box was somewhat special; even in this cold winter, it was still emitting cold air, looking quite extraordinary.
Zhuge Fang, the head chef, was also fully armed, wearing a special fur coat and red leather gloves.
Looking at this posture, it didn't look like he was going to cook at all.
But when the box was opened by the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, Li Xuan immediately didn't think Zhuge Fang was exaggerating.
As soon as the lid of the box was opened, the four sides of the box also fell down, revealing what was inside.
But before everyone could see clearly, a dense cold mist permeated the air, covered in white frost.
Li Xuan couldn't help but shiver, feeling the surrounding temperature drop.
Yu'er immediately turned and went back into the room to get two fur coats, putting one on Princess Ankang and one on herself.
But Princess Ankang showed no fear of the frost at all; instead, she reached out to try and touch it.
The spreading frost, upon encountering Princess Ankang's small hand, silently parted, a scene that made Li Xuan sigh inwardly.
Although he hadn't held much hope from the start, from that moment just now, it seemed that the efficacy of the arctic supreme clam would be very difficult to overpower the coldness within Princess Ankang.
However, Li Xuan had anticipated this outcome.
The frost gradually dissipated, revealing the contents of the box.
"Wow, it's so big!"
Princess Ankang exclaimed.
Inside the box was a bivalve about six feet in length and width. Its two shells were like ice crystals, emitting a chilling cold, but they were not transparent, so the inside could not be seen.
Zhuge Fang did not place the arctic supreme clam on the table but began to operate directly on the ground.
He took out a porcelain bottle, and an extremely pungent smell spread from it, making everyone quickly cover their noses.
Li Xuan also immediately closed his nostrils tightly, patted Zhao Feng's shoulder, and asked him what Zhuge Fang was doing.
"The shell of the arctic supreme clam is extremely sturdy, difficult to pry open by ordinary means. Zhuge Fang is using a special heavenly treasure to dissolve the shell of the arctic supreme clam."
"Zhuge Fang, having this opportunity to prepare the arctic supreme clam, also took out his personal treasured collection."
The heavenly treasure Zhuge Fang used was his personal collection, and the Internal Affairs Bureau didn't even have to pay for it, so Zhao Feng was naturally overjoyed.
Zhuge Fang, knowing about this opportunity, even begged Zhao Feng to let him handle the preparation, fearing that Imperial Physician Xue would take it to refine into pills, thus wasting such precious ingredients.
Zhao Feng, by subtly misleading them, managed to gain many benefits from Zhuge Fang.
Of course, this wasn't hinted at by Zhao Feng.
It was all Zhuge Fang actively striving for this opportunity, constantly currying favor with Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng at most was vague and did not tell the truth.
But as soon as Li Xuan heard it was a heavenly treasure, his expression immediately changed.
He zipped in front of Zhuge Fang, raised a cat paw, and stopped the porcelain bottle that was about to tip over.
Zhuge Fang was stunned, not knowing what Li Xuan meant.
Li Xuan then waved his paw at Zhuge Fang, signaling him to wait a moment.
Then, Li Xuan turned and pressed his four paws onto the ice-crystal-like shell.
"Meow, this thing is still alive!"
"So fresh!"
Li Xuan exclaimed, then got down to business.
He circulated his Yin-Yang Qi, beginning to evolve the Five Elements.
Li Xuan originally intended to melt the shell by heating his paws, but he unexpectedly discovered that he could directly digest the shell.
"The heaven and earth elemental energy contained in this shell is so pure?"
Li Xuan couldn't help but widen his eyes.
However, the shell in front of him was slowly "melting," directly transforming into pure ice-attribute power, integrating into Li Xuan's body, becoming part of the Five Elements evolution, and strengthening his Yin-Yang Qi.
"Heavenly treasures also have their differences."
"This thing is the best of the best!"
Li Xuan, looking like a money grubber, sped up the circulation of his Yin Yang True Qi.
Zhuge Fang, who had been stopped, saw that Li Xuan could indeed melt the arctic supreme clam, and his eyes widened like a cow's, watching the scene in utter astonishment.
Pop—
With a soft crisp sound, Li Xuan had already melted a small hole in the shell.
But at that very instant, a deep blue mist suddenly spewed out from inside the shell, hitting Li Xuan squarely on the head.
Zhuge Fang recoiled in fright.
He had done some research before and knew that if an ordinary person was hit by the arctic supreme clam's ice mist, they would directly turn into an ice sculpture.
Even though this arctic supreme clam was far from the northern regions and had become unusually weak here, this ice mist was still fatal enough.
After Zhuge Fang retreated, he remembered Li Xuan, but it was already too late.
Originally, if he had used his heavenly treasure, it could open the shell while further weakening the arctic supreme clam's vitality.
Who would have thought that as soon as Li Xuan intervened, an accident would immediately occur?
As a chef, he hated nothing more than a flaw in the process that disrupted the entire cooking rhythm.
But the next moment, Zhuge Fang did not see an ice sculpture cat as expected; instead, he saw Li Xuan leisurely inhaling the mist exhaled by the arctic supreme clam, looking utterly blissful.
"Huh???"
At this point, Zhuge Fang no longer cared about being angry; only bewilderment remained on his face.
It was Zhao Feng who, at the right moment, asked:
"Imperial Chef Zhuge, is this hole big enough?"
"Huh?" Zhuge Fang was startled for a moment, but quickly reacted and replied, "Melt the entire side of the shell; that way, this thing won't resist anymore."
Zhuge Fang had done his homework thoroughly and understood the characteristics of the arctic supreme clam perfectly.
This perfectly aligned with Li Xuan's intentions. He immediately unceremoniously continued to enlarge the hole in the shell, no matter how much mist was expelled from within, he absorbed it all without letting a single bit escape.
Cat Overlord and the others were perched on the wall, watching this miraculous scene with rapt attention.
Except for Little Qi Si, even Niu Niu could sense the danger of the arctic supreme clam, and thus dared not approach easily without Li Xuan's command.
As this process continued, the mist exhaled by the arctic supreme clam began to weaken, and eventually, it was powerless to resist, watching helplessly as Li Xuan completely melted one side of its shell, losing all power to fight back.
Li Xuan looked at the clam meat inside the shell and was stunned.
The clam meat of the arctic supreme clam was crystal clear, with its tip showing a gradient of deep blue, giving it an extremely mysterious feeling.
There was no longer any harmful mist inside the shell, and Zhuge Fang also approached with relief.
When he saw the clam meat of the arctic supreme clam, he even showed a look of emotion:
"What perfect ingredients!"
Li Xuan was about to continue his actions, but suddenly shook his head.
He felt that the True Qi in his body had become much more chaotic.
Originally, his True Qi was already somewhat uncontrolled because he had just broken through to the Serene Qi Realm, but that recent absorption made his True Qi even more chaotic.
Li Xuan had not expected the arctic supreme clam to be so potent, which caught him off guard.
Just then, he suddenly heard Zhao Feng's voice transmission:
"Li Xuan, you wanted to save Zhuge Fang's heavenly treasure and eat it yourself, didn't you?"
"If you eat it directly now, I have a way to help you calm your True Qi."
Li Xuan hadn't expected his intention to be seen through by Zhao Feng at a glance.
But at this moment, he couldn't care about embarrassment and immediately did as Zhao Feng said.
Zhuge Fang was engrossed in the perfect clam meat of the arctic supreme clam when his hand suddenly loosened, and the porcelain bottle he was holding was snatched away by Li Xuan.
Li Xuan didn't waste words; he opened the porcelain bottle and poured it into his mouth.
"Hey—"
Zhuge Fang quickly tried to stop him, but Li Xuan had already drunk it all.
However, Zhuge Fang wasn't upset about his heavenly treasure, but rather explained to Li Xuan:
"This is the essence of Fiery Sun Pepper, it's very spicy!"
Li Xuan's triumphant smile immediately vanished, and he glared at Zhuge Fang, cursing with his expression:
"Why the hell didn't you say so earlier!?"
Before Li Xuan could curse, a glistening tear had already streamed from his eye.
The next moment, he felt his scalp begin to tingle.
"Meow~ woo~~~"