"Big Brother Beibei, Xiao Ya, take Yu Hao to enroll first. I'll stay with Yu Lu for a few days while he cultivates. Once he breaks through, we can enroll together."
Beibei and Tang Ya looked at Xiao Yan in surprise. Shrek Academy assigned students to classes based on the order in which they enrolled. If they enrolled late, they might not get a good teacher.
But when they remembered that this year's teacher for Class One was a certain female teacher with a rather poor reputation, they nodded.
"All right. If you insist, then let's part ways here. We'll see you again once you've enrolled."
"Sure. See you after enrollment."
After bidding one another farewell, Xiao Yan watched as the group gradually disappeared into the distance. Then he patted Xiao Yulü on the back of the head.
"Come on. Let's find a hotel, then get in some proper cultivation."
"Oh, okay."
After wandering around Shrek City for quite a while, the two stopped in front of a three-story building in the eastern district called the Cloud Arrival Inn.
Seeing that the inn was nicely decorated and even had hot springs, Xiao Yulü was tempted. He took out his money pouch, intending to rent a room.
Xiao Yan had been about to suggest they compare prices at a few places, but the bulging money pouch left him stunned.
"Wait, you..."
"Ah, the family gave me this. They wanted me to buy a handy Soul Tool, but after looking for ages, I still couldn't find one as useful as my Heavy Profound Ruler."
"Now, this can finally come in handy."
He took out a handful of Gold Soul Coins and handed them to the innkeeper.
"Could you give us two first-class rooms for a month?"
The innkeeper smiled as he took the coins, promptly entered their information into the ledger, then handed them two keys.
"Your rooms are ready, gentlemen. They're two first-class rooms on the third floor, by the windows. Each has a small private hot spring bath, and you're welcome to use the baths outside as well."
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Yulü with one eye wide and the other narrow, surprised that the kid was so generous he'd paid for a month's stay right off the bat.
As if noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, Xiao Yulü turned around, a hint of guilt and apology on his face.
"Heh, if you weren't waiting for me to break through, you could enroll right now, Xiao Yan. So naturally, I should cover the expenses I've caused. The room fees are nothing."
Xiao Yan looked the boy over a few more times, then took the key and waved a hand.
"Fine. Next time, I'm definitely making you pay for a few nice meals. Go cultivate. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me."
The two went upstairs to their separate rooms. Xiao Yan shut the door and looked around.
The room wasn't very large, but it was clean and tidy. There was a big bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a small private hot spring bath and bathroom. From the window, he could see the bustling streets of Shrek City.
Xiao Yan took some time to rest and recover. After bathing and changing, he waited until he was in the best condition, then sat cross-legged on the bed, quieted his mind, and sank into the Sea of Consciousness.
Little Fire Dragon lay on its back on the water's surface. Since it wasn't real water, it didn't affect the flame burning at the tip of its tail. Xiao Yan played with it for a while, and only after making Little Fire Dragon giggle did he settle down.
Then he "pulled" several sheets of paper from his waist.
These were the preliminary framework for the Flame Mantra, which he had thought up and drafted himself during the journey back to the city over the past few days. They appeared in the Sea of Consciousness as images in his memory.
"Heh, in the original Bean Meal Firmament, the core of the Flame Mantra is devouring Heavenly Flames and using fire to nurture fire, ultimately reaching the realm of burning the heavens and boiling the seas."
Xiao Yan murmured to himself and raised an arm. The sheets of paper floated up, joining together in midair.
"But there's no such thing as Heavenly Flames on Douluo Continent. There are, however, plenty of fire-attribute spirit herbs and Soul Beasts. Maybe I can create my own Heavenly Flame?"
Xiao Yan's idea was actually quite simple. Since this world had no natural Heavenly Flames, he could use the flames of Soul Beasts or powerful fire-attribute treasures to replace them.
As long as he could find a flame that was unique and powerful enough, in theory, he could replicate the effects of a Heavenly Flame.
"But I still need to test whether the cultivation method is viable."
Xiao Yan took a deep breath. Then, following the Flame Mantra's circulation route as he remembered it, he began guiding the Soul Power inside his body.
Unlike the cultivation method he'd practiced in the Xiao Clan, the Flame Mantra's Soul Power circulation was fiercer and more domineering, and a good deal more aggressive. As the Soul Power moved through him, Xiao Yan felt as though every meridian in his body was about to catch fire.
"Damn... As expected, circulating the Flame Mantra without a Heavenly Flame is still difficult..."
He gritted his teeth and held on. After the Soul Power completed one full cycle through his body, it gradually came to a stop.
Fine beads of sweat had already appeared across Xiao Yan's forehead. He thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.
"No, even without a Heavenly Flame, I can use Little Fire Dragon's flames as a substitute... And Dragon Breath is also a kind of flame. That means I already have two sources of fire—a mundane flame and dragonfire. I might as well put them to use."
He acted at once, patting Little Fire Dragon, which was bobbing nearby in the Sea of Consciousness. Little Fire Dragon understood immediately and spat out a mouthful of flames.
After being strengthened by the Thousand-Year Crimson Fire Boa Soul Ring, Little Fire Dragon's flames had grown hotter and more powerful. Xiao Yan raised a hand, intending to draw them in, but suddenly remembered something. He turned to Little Fire Dragon and said,
"Xiao Fire Dragon, make sure you cooperate with me in a moment. Help me guide this flame into my body as gently as you can. If anything seems wrong, disperse it immediately."
"Gah-woo!"
Little Fire Dragon cried out to show it understood.
Xiao Yan smiled, then touched the flames with his finger and began circulating the Flame Mantra.
With the flames' help, the burning pain in his meridians eased considerably this time, and his Soul Power flowed more smoothly. One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...
When he completed the fifth cycle, Xiao Yan abruptly opened his eyes, and his aura surged.
"Whoa. I haven't broken through to level sixteen yet, but I'm close..."
At that moment, he could clearly feel that his Soul Power had improved a little, and its quality had increased considerably.
It was as if his Martial Soul had become more refined, like an Ultimate Martial Soul compressing Soul Power in the original story.
More importantly, after being tempered through five cycles, the wisp of flame from Little Fire Dragon had completely merged with his body. It sank into his dantian and turned into a tiny Core Flame.
"So this is the Core Flame of the Flame Mantra..."
Xiao Yan clenched his fist. Feeling the faint but promising Core Flame within him, he curled his lips into a smile.
"From here on, as long as I keep devouring stronger flames, the Core Flame will keep growing, until eventually..."
"Burn Heaven Boil Sea, standing alone... for all eternity."
Early the next morning.
Xiao Yan finished cultivating, stretched, and opened his door. Just then, he saw Xiao Yulü coming out of the room next door.
Seeing that he looked well, Xiao Yan casually asked,
"How'd your cultivation go last night?"
"Not quite there yet."
Xiao Yulü shook his head.
"I broke through to level thirteen last night, but... I'm afraid I'll need at least another week of cultivation to reach Shrek Academy's requirement of level fifteen."
"Then keep cultivating in seclusion. I'll go look around outside."
Before you continue