Xiao Fire Dragon

Crack, crack...

Xiao Yan calmed his heart and released his Martial Soul.

He saw that the crimson egg, covered in patterns of fire clouds, was quietly spreading with fine, dense cracks.

Following that came the second, then the third.

Even having lived two lifetimes, Xiao Yan could not help but feel expectant and nervous.

This was the "second awakening" of his Martial Soul, the culmination of all his hopes after three years of enduring in silence!

If a divine beast like a phoenix or a fire dragon were to hatch, then the sky would be vast for birds to fly, and the sea wide for fish to leap!

What was Shrek Academy, or the Evil Fire Phoenixes Ma Hongjun and Ma Xiaotao, compared to his divine beast Martial Soul? Were they even worth looking at?

Spiderweb-like cracks covered the entire eggshell, and then, scorching light burst forth from the fissures, illuminating Xiao Yan's room until it was bright as day.

The egg began to shake violently, and the thump-thump sound of its heartbeat, like the beating of war drums, grew louder and faster!

Xiao Yan could feel a massive life force awakening within.

He stopped thinking and focused his gaze on the life about to hatch.

Three years! He had waited a full three years!

This little fellow, which had devoured countless amounts of his soul power and heart's blood, was finally about to unveil its mysterious veil!

"Bang!"

With a crisp explosion, the eggshell shattered completely, the fragments turning into sparks that dissipated into the air.

The light faded.

A somewhat familiar creature appeared before Xiao Yan.

It was about half a meter tall, resembling a lizard, but its entire body was a brilliant, dazzling gold, with only its belly and the underside of its tail being a milky white.

Most striking of all was the tip of its tail, where a small flame burned quietly, swaying gently with its breathing.

Xiao Yan was completely stunned.

Did I just pull a gold-tier character on a single pull? I didn't want a furry, you bastard... wait, hold on, this guy looks a bit familiar?

Isn't this...

The Pokémon known as one of the "Starter Trio" from the globally popular Pokémon franchise in his previous life, Charmander?

And it's a Shiny one, to boot!

Before he could recover from the immense shock, a massive stream of information surged into his mind like a bursting dam!

Martial Soul: Charmander.

Type: Beast Martial Soul (possesses independent intelligence).

Level: Five (shares soul power with the host).

Inherent Passive: [Solar Power]. Derived from the century-old soul ring and fire elemental energy absorbed during incubation; in sunny weather, the power of all soul skills is doubled, and soul power consumption is doubled.

Ability: [Blaze]. When stamina is below one-third, the power of fire-type soul skills is doubled.

Initial Soul Skills:

[Ember]: Shoots small flames to attack the opponent.

[Scratch]: Uses sharp claws to scratch the opponent.

[Growl]: Makes a cute sound to lower the opponent's attack.

The stream of information bombarded Xiao Yan's mind, but he felt no discomfort; instead, he felt a sense of clarity and enlightenment, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.

So that was it.

The soul power from these past three years hadn't vanished; it had all been absorbed by this little fellow, serving as the nourishment for it to break out of its shell.

The century-old soul ring that had been absorbed hadn't disappeared either; it had transformed into the passive ability known as [Solar Power].

Most importantly, he and it shared soul power!

Although it was only an increase from level three to level five, this was a qualitative leap! It meant he had stepped back onto the path of a Soul Master!

"Chigoo!"

The Charmander in his palm seemed to sense Xiao Yan's excitement, rubbing its little head against Xiao Yan's finger in an affectionate gesture.

A warm current flowed from the point of contact, spreading throughout his entire body.

Xiao Yan looked down at the golden little fellow, and the pent-up frustration in his heart vanished completely.

Three years of waiting—it was worth it!

Who wouldn't want to live in the world of Pokémon? Who wouldn't want to own a Pokémon? Who wouldn't want to have a "Pokémon" dream?

Being able to fight side-by-side with these cute and powerful little fellows was something that would make his soul leap with joy!

Xiao Yan gently placed the Charmander on the table, then took a wooden box from his robes.

He could feel that the soul power newly replenished within his body was still somewhat unstable and required immediate cultivation to solidify.

Opening the wooden box, a herb, entirely crimson and shaped like a flame, lay quietly within.

This was a hundred-year-old "Crimson Flame Herb" gifted to him by an elder who pitied him, with instructions to take it when his soul power felt like it was loosening, as it might have a miraculous effect.

For the past three years, he had been reluctant to use it, but now, with the Little Fire Dragon hatched and his soul power bottleneck loosening, it was time to take the medicine.

He picked up the Crimson Flame Herb, about to put it directly into his mouth.

But the moment the herb was about to touch his lips, his movements abruptly stopped.

A thought, without warning, surfaced from the depths of his mind.

"Swallowing the herb directly would waste nine-tenths of its efficacy, a terrible waste. If it could be refined into a pill, not only would its medicinal properties be perfectly utilized, but it could even be combined with other auxiliary herbs to reach a higher level..."

This was a scene from a novel in his past life called Bean Meal Firmament.

In this world, there seemed to be no such profession as an alchemist. Soul Masters improved their strength through cultivation and absorbing soul rings, or by directly consuming rare treasures, a crude and wasteful method.

What if...

What if he could pioneer the art of alchemy in this world? Xiao Yan's heart began to pound uncontrollably.

He looked at the Crimson Flame Herb in his hand, then at the Little Fire Dragon on the table, curiously poking its fiery tail with its little claws.

Wasn't he also considered to have a fire spirit root?

No sooner said than done!

Xiao Yan no longer hesitated, carefully put away the Crimson Flame Herb, turned, and rushed out of the room.

He was going to the family's storeroom.

Although his cultivation had regressed these past few years, making him the "waste" in others' eyes, he had taken on many errands and odd jobs to avoid being completely abandoned by the family, earning some meager contribution points.

He had been saving these contribution points, intending to exchange them for resources that could aid his cultivation. Now, they would finally be put to use.

The family storeroom.

The steward managing the storeroom looked at the list Xiao Yan handed over, his brows furrowed into a knot.

"Spirit-Focusing Flower? Calm-Qi Root? And... Snake Saliva Fruit?"

"Xiao Yan, why are you exchanging for these low-grade auxiliary herbs? It wasn't easy for you to save these contribution points, why not exchange for a weapon to defend yourself?"

Xiao Yan just shook his head.

"It's fine, Steward, I just want these."

Seeing his persistence, the steward no longer tried to persuade him, sighed, and waved him off to collect his items.

Carrying a large bag of herbs back to his room, Xiao Yan locked the door behind him.

"Chirp?"

The Little Fire Dragon on the table tilted its head, watching his flurry of activity, its large green eyes full of curiosity.

"Little guy, it's up to you next."

Xiao Yan laid out the herbs one by one and extended his hand towards the Little Fire Dragon.

The Little Fire Dragon seemed to understand something, and its small mouth opened.

"Hoo—"

A flame the size of a bean spurted from the Little Fire Dragon's mouth.

Xiao Yan rejoiced. He could clearly feel that this flame was connected to his will; he could control its size and temperature at will.

This was simply a perfect flame born for his alchemy!

Without a cauldron, he would use the crudest method.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and rapidly recalled the alchemy steps described in the novel.

Purification, fusion, condensation!

He picked up the cheapest auxiliary herb, activated the Little Fire Dragon's flame in his palm, and began to try.

The flame rose, and the herb within rapidly withered, blackened, and turned into a pile of ash.

Failure.

He looked at the pile of ashes in his hand and helplessly dumped it out.

Xiao Yan was not discouraged. He threw away the ashes and picked up the second herb.

A moment later, it still burned to a crisp.

The third herb.

Still burned to a crisp.

After failing more than ten times, fine beads of sweat had appeared on Xiao Yan's forehead, but his movements became increasingly skilled.

His control over the flame was becoming proficient at an astonishing speed.

Finally, in another attempt, a "Calm-Qi Root" did not turn to ash under his flame but slowly melted into a drop of emerald green liquid, its impurities burned away by the fire.

Success!

Xiao Yan's spirit soared, his confidence surging.

Next came the main ingredient, the Crimson Flame Herb, followed by the purification of the various auxiliary medicinal liquids.

With the first success under his belt, the subsequent process went much more smoothly.

The final step: Pill Fusion!

Xiao Yan carefully gathered all the purified medicinal liquids into the flames in his palm, following a precise sequence.

"Sizzle—"

The moment the various liquids touched, they violently repelled one another, nearly exploding!

Xiao Yan's face turned pale. He poured out his soul power without reservation, forcibly stabilizing the flames in his palm. With his focus at its peak, he began to guide the fusion of the liquids with a mysterious rhythm.

Time ticked away, second by second.

When he sensed that the very last trace of medicinal essence had perfectly merged, Xiao Yan let out a low shout.

"Condense!"

The flames of the Little Fire Dragon retracted abruptly. The multicolored mass of liquid rapidly shrank, spun, and finally solidified into shape.

A rich medicinal fragrance filled the air!

Three pills, entirely crimson and marked with faint patterns on their surfaces, lay quietly in his palm.

Xiao Yan looked at these three pills, a massive sense of accomplishment welling up in his heart.

He had succeeded!

He had truly refined a pill in this world!

"Jigu!"

The Little Fire Dragon hopped over excitedly, circling the pills, the flame on its tail burning a little brighter.

Xiao Yan smiled and exchanged a look with the Little Fire Dragon; in the eyes of both man and dragon, a tacit understanding flickered.

He picked up one pill and tossed it into his mouth without hesitation.

The Little Fire Dragon followed suit, curling its tongue to swallow another pill.

The pill melted the moment it touched his tongue.

The next instant!

A pure medicinal force, more than ten times more potent than consuming the Crimson Flame Herb directly, exploded within Xiao Yan's dantian!

At the same time, the Little Fire Dragon's body lit up with a dazzling golden light, and an equally massive power surged within its small frame.

Xiao Yan's expression shifted. With no time to think, he immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating the Xiao Clan's ancestral cultivation technique, channeling all his effort into guiding and refining this violent medicinal force.

His meridians ached from the strain, and his soul power rushed through his limbs and bones like a galloping river, washing over them again and again.

He became completely immersed in the long-lost pleasure of rapidly increasing strength.

He did not know how much time had passed.

When Xiao Yan opened his eyes again, he felt refreshed, his entire body brimming with unprecedented power.

Outside the window, the sky was already bright.

"It feels like a long time has passed..." he muttered to himself, rising to stretch his limbs, his joints popping like roasted beans.

Looking inward, his soul power was far more robust than before.

He reckoned that he had now returned to the realm of a tenth-level innate full soul power.

He smiled with satisfaction, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the calendar used for notes on the table.

Then, the smile on his face froze.

"What date is it today, again?"