Better as Friends

What do you want to do?

Xiao Ming looked helplessly at the little girl in white in front of him. After leaving the center of the tower, he had thought Zi Yan would let him go, but she grabbed his arm tightly and showed no intention of letting go.

Even though Xiao Ming's Spirit Nourishing Technique had tempered his body to the point of being comparable to a top -Three-Tier- order Magical Beast, Zi Yan's physical strength was still insufficient.

Therefore, having no other choice, Xiao Ming had to ask her intentions.

"You say you're not Magical Beast, then how come your physical strength is so strong? Are you using some kind of Aura to conceal your presence? Are you lying to me?" Zi Yan stared intently at Xiao Ming, asking with dissatisfaction.

She couldn't possibly have missed Xiao Ming's resistance when she pulled Xiao Ming earlier.

She realized that although Xiao Ming's physical strength was far inferior to hers, it was already stronger than many weaker Three-Tier Magical Beasts. How could a human body be so strong at such a young age?

Hmph, you think you can fool me? No way! I'm taking you as my underling today.

Zi Yan thought to herself with a sense of smug satisfaction.

Xiao Ming looked at Zi Yan, who had a smug smile on her face, as if to say, "I've already exposed your lie," and didn't know what to say.

Are we supposed to just summon the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame as proof?

However, Heavenly Flames can sense each other. It just woke up the Fallen Heart Flame, and now it's happening again. That doesn't seem right.

In the end, Xiao Ming could only sigh and say helplessly, "Even if you're right, even if I'm Magical Beast, I can't possibly be your underling."

Um?

In Zi Yan's eyes, Xiao Ming was just a child younger than herself, yet at this moment, she was acting as if an adult couldn't do anything about a child.

Having long since assumed the role of the eldest sister, she felt her authority was being challenged.

She immediately adopted a serious and earnest expression.

"Fine, you finally admit you're Magical Beast. In the world of Magical Beast, whoever has the biggest fist is the boss. Hmph, if you don't listen to me, I'll eat you up!"

At this moment, Zi Yan looked very serious, as if she really wanted to devour Xiao Ming, but looking at her small body, which was about the same size as his own, Xiao Ming wanted to laugh.

Fortunately, he managed to hold back, coughed lightly, and then Xiao Ming spoke.

"Actually, we can be friends. There's no need for this older sister/younger brother dynamic. How about this, let's compromise. I know Magical Beast eat herbs to increase their strength, but herbs are bitter and astringent, and very unpalatable. I can help you refine those herbs into palatable Medicinal Pellet. In exchange, you protect me in the Inner Academy. How about that?"

At this point, Xiao Ming didn't explain whether he was human or Magical Beast. As long as Zi Yan agreed, she would soon discover that he was human.

"This... you really can refine medicinal herbs into delicious Medicinal Pellet? You're not trying to steal the herbs from me and eat them yourself, are you?" Zi Yan was somewhat doubtful, but she was also very tempted by Xiao Ming's suggestion.

She had long been fed up with the strange taste of those medicinal herbs, but in order to increase her strength and grow up quickly, she had no choice but to eat them.

The plan that Xiao Ming is simply too tempting for her.

After struggling for a while between having another subordinate and taking Medicinal Pellet that would make the herbs taste better, Zi Yan ultimately leaned towards making the herbs taste tastier.

"Then we'll do it your way. But if you don't know how to refine pills or the ones you refine don't taste good, you'll still have to be my little brother."

Being able to refine medicine basically means being Alchemist. Given this situation, it seems that Zi Yan hasn't given up on taking him as her subordinate. Xiao Ming doesn't know what Zi Yan is thinking.

However, he still agreed. Although refining pills was an extremely tedious task, if it was just about refining a medicinal Medicinal Pellet and adding a little bit of something to make it taste better, it wouldn't take much effort at all.

Zi Yan eventually left, saying she was going to find medicinal herbs and would come back tomorrow to find Xiao Ming Minglian's delicious Medicinal Pellet.

Xiao Ming didn't know if she was going to the Medicinal Herb Management Warehouse to get the herbs, or if she planned to go deep into the mountains and forests to find them herself.

But judging from her confident tone that she would definitely come to see him tomorrow, Xiao Ming sensed something amiss, and it was most likely the former.

A moment of silence was observed for the elder who guarded the Medicinal Herb Warehouse.

Xiao Ming put the matter out of his mind and continued strolling around the Heavenly Flame Refining Pagoda.

This time, Xiao Ming didn't wander around aimlessly. Instead, he wanted to find a room to test the effects of the Heavenly Flame Refining Pagoda.

After exploring the entire first floor, Xiao Ming discovered that all the Advanced Cultivation Room had been occupied.

In this situation, Xiao Ming randomly picked a hapless kid who had occupied Advanced Single Cultivation Room, and after a friendly exchange, Xiao Ming obtained the right to use his training room.

Amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the onlookers, Xiao Ming stepped into the room he had won.

As his feet touched the ground, a faint chill crept up from the stone slabs, giving Xiao Ming a refreshing sensation.

"Speaking of which, I didn't notice earlier, but this Heavenly Flame Refining Pagoda seems to be made of Cold Attribute materials. The fact that it can withstand the scorching heat of Mature Heavenly Flame for so long, even with the support of a large array, shows that the materials are quite extraordinary."

As my fingertips traced the wall, feeling the icy coldness so different from the Dry Heat air, a thought flashed through my mind.

Xiao Ming then closed the door he had opened when he entered and carefully examined the environment of the cultivation room.

This training room is for single-person cultivation. In the center of the training room, there is a black stone platform that can only accommodate two people sitting on the ground. The platform is about two inches above the ground.

"The central black stone area should be the training ground. This protruding groove should be where the Fire Crystal Card is inserted."

Reaching the black stone platform, Xiao Ming carefully touched it with his palm. A faint warmth traveled from his fingertips, and under this strange warmth, it seemed that the flow of his internal Dou Qi had become slightly more active.

Without wasting any time, Xiao Ming leaped up and was already sitting cross-legged on the stone platform.

Feeling the increasingly intense warmth, Xiao Ming let out a long breath, flicked his finger, and a cyan Fire Crystal Card appeared in his palm.

With a flick of the wrist, a soft click was heard, and the Azure Crystal Card was inserted precisely into the slot.

A faint ray of light shot out from the groove, and as the light appeared, Xiao Ming clearly saw that the number on his Green Fire Crystal Card immediately decreased by one.

Clearly, this must be a deduction from the cost of a day's training, which is equivalent to one Fire Energy.

Shortly after the Fire Energy was depleted, Xiao Ming slowly closed his eyes, formed Cultivation Seal, and remained motionless like an old monk in deep meditation.

In the quiet and desolate heart, only the long and steady sound of a heartbeat echoes slowly.

After entering a meditative state, Xiao Ming's sensitivity to the energy in the surrounding world became increasingly acute. He could feel the astonishingly dense and intense energy within the cultivation room.

Those who cultivate in such a place, practicing Fire Attribute Cultivation Method, will undoubtedly achieve more significant results than others.

"Puff..."

As his mind grew calmer, a low, subtle sound suddenly arose. A seemingly invisible flame, yet radiating an unusual fluctuation, appeared without warning not far from Xiao Ming's heart, slowly emanating warmth and steaming inside Xiao Ming body.

Xiao Ming stared intently at the flame. This flame was undoubtedly more powerful than the one he had encountered at the entrance, likely due to the Advanced Cultivation Room.

This time, Xiao Ming didn't send Ling out. Ling wouldn't grow by devouring this kind of Split Flame; it would just be a waste of time.