Xiao Fire Dragon

Crack, crack...

Xiao Yan calmed his mind and released his Martial Soul.

A fine crack was quietly spreading across the egg, which was scarlet from top to bottom and covered in flame-cloud patterns.

Then came a second crack, and a third.

Though he had lived two lives, Xiao Yan couldn't help feeling both anticipation and nerves.

This was the "Second Awakening" of his Martial Soul, the sum of all his hopes after three years of enduring hardship!

If it hatched into a divine beast like a phoenix or a Fire Dragon, then the sky would be high enough for birds to fly, and the sea wide enough for fish to leap!

What Shrek Academy? What Evil Fire Phoenixes Ma Hongjun and Ma Xiaotao? Did they even stand a chance against my divine beast Martial Soul?

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the entire shell. Then, scorching light burst through them, illuminating Xiao Yan's room.

The egg began to shake violently. Its thumping heartbeat sounded like a war drum, growing louder and faster!

Xiao Yan could feel an immense life force awakening within.

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

Three years! He had waited a full three years!

The little fellow that had consumed countless drops of his Soul Power and sweat was finally about to reveal its mysterious face!

Bang!

With a crisp burst, the eggshell shattered completely. The fragments turned into sparks and vanished into the air.

The light faded.

A somewhat familiar creature appeared before Xiao Yan.

It was about half a meter tall and looked like a lizard, but its whole body was a dazzling gold. Only its belly and the underside of its tail were creamy white.

Most striking of all, a tiny flame burned quietly at the tip of its tail, swaying gently with each breath.

Xiao Yan froze.

Did I just pull a five-star? I didn't want some furry, dammit... Wait, hold on. This thing looks kind of familiar?

Could it be...

Wasn't this the Little Fire Dragon, one of the Starter Pokémon from the globally popular Pokémon franchise in his previous life?

And a shiny one at that!

Before he could recover from the shock, a vast stream of information came surging into his mind like a burst dam!

Martial Soul: Little Fire Dragon.

Type: Beast Martial Soul (possesses independent intelligence).

Level: 5 (shares Soul Power with its host).

Innate Passive: [Solar Power]. Derived from the Hundred-Year Soul Ring and fire-elemental power absorbed during hatching. In sunny weather, the power of all Soul Skills is doubled, but Soul Power consumption is also doubled.

Ability: [Blaze]. When stamina falls below one-third, the power of Fire-type Soul Skills is doubled.

Starting Soul Skills:

[Ember]: Spits small flames to attack an opponent.

[Scratch]: Scratches an opponent with sharp claws.

[Growl]: Lets out an adorable cry, lowering the opponent's attack.

The torrent of information crashed through Xiao Yan's mind, but he felt no discomfort. Instead, he felt the clarity and understanding of someone who had weathered the storm and finally glimpsed the moon.

So that was it.

The Soul Power he had accumulated over the past three years hadn't disappeared. The little fellow had absorbed all of it, turning it into the nourishment it needed to hatch.

The absorbed Hundred-Year Soul Ring hadn't vanished either. It had instead transformed into a passive ability called [Solar Power].

And most importantly, the two of them shared Soul Power!

He had only gone from level three to level five, but it was a qualitative leap! It meant he could finally resume his cultivation as a Soul Master!

"Chirp!"

Little Fire Dragon seemed to sense Xiao Yan's excitement. It rubbed its little head against his finger, its movements affectionate.

A warm current flowed from where they touched and spread through his whole body.

Xiao Yan looked down at the golden little fellow in his palm, and the gloom in his heart vanished.

Three years of waiting had been 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?

Getting to fight side by side with these adorable and powerful little fellows was enough to make his very soul dance with joy!

Xiao Yan gently set Little Fire Dragon on the table, then took a wooden box from inside his robes.

He could feel that the Soul Power newly replenished within him was still unsteady. He needed to cultivate at once to stabilize it.

He opened the box. A scarlet herb shaped like a flame lay quietly inside.

It was a Hundred-Year Crimson Flame Herb, given to him by a clan elder who had taken pity on him. The elder had told him to take it when he felt his Soul Power bottleneck loosen, as it might have a remarkable effect.

He hadn't been able to bring himself to use it over the past three years. Now that Little Fire Dragon had hatched and his Soul Power bottleneck had loosened, it was the perfect time.

He picked up the Crimson Flame Herb and was about to put it straight into his mouth.

But just as the herb was about to touch his lips, he suddenly stopped.

An idea appeared in the depths of his mind without warning.

"Swallowing herbs directly wastes nine-tenths of their medicinal power. It's a terrible waste. If they can be refined into pills, not only can their effects be brought out perfectly, but other supplementary ingredients can be combined with them to make them even more potent..."

It was a passage from a novel in his previous life called Bean Meal Firmament.

This world seemed to have no such profession as an alchemist. Soul Masters improved their strength by cultivating and absorbing Soul Rings—or by simply swallowing heavenly treasures whole. It was crude and wasteful.

What if...

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

He looked at the Crimson Flame Herb in his hand, then at Little Fire Dragon on the table, curiously prodding its flaming tail with a tiny claw.

I suppose I count as half a fire spirit, too?

No time like the present!

Xiao Yan wasted no more time. He carefully put away the Crimson Flame Herb and dashed out of his room.

He was heading to the clan storehouse.

Over the past few years, though his cultivation had regressed and he'd become the worthless good-for-nothing everyone talked about, he had taken on all kinds of errands and odd jobs to keep the clan from giving up on him completely. In return, he'd earned a meager number of contribution points.

He had been saving those points, hoping to exchange them for resources that could help him cultivate. Now they would come in handy.

The clan storehouse.

The steward in charge of the storehouse looked at the list Xiao Yan handed him, his brow furrowing into a knot.

"Spirit-Focusing Flowers? Calm-Qi Roots? And... Snake Saliva Fruits?"

"Xiao Yan, what do you want these low-grade supplementary herbs for? It wasn't easy for you to save up these contribution points. Why not exchange them for a weapon you can use to defend yourself?"

Xiao Yan only shook his head.

"It's all right, Steward. I just want these."

Seeing how determined he was, the steward didn't press him. He sighed and waved him over to collect the items.

Back in his room with a large bundle of herbs in his arms, Xiao Yan turned around and locked the door.

"Chirp?"

Little Fire Dragon tilted its head on the table and watched him bustle about, its big green eyes full of curiosity.

"Little fellow, the next part is up to you."

Xiao Yan laid out the herbs one by one and held out his hand toward Little Fire Dragon.

Little Fire Dragon seemed to understand. It opened its little mouth.

"Whoosh—"

A bean-sized flame flickered from Little Fire Dragon's mouth.

Xiao Yan was delighted. He could clearly feel that the flame was connected to his thoughts. He could control its size and temperature at will.

It was the perfect flame for alchemy!

Without a medicinal cauldron, he would have to make do with the crudest method.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, banished all distractions, and rapidly recalled the alchemy steps described in the novel.

Purify, combine, form the pills!

He picked up the cheapest supplementary herb, channeled Little Fire Dragon's flame into his palm, and began to experiment.

The flame rose. The herb quickly wilted, charred black, and turned into a pinch of ash.

Failure.

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

Xiao Yan wasn't discouraged. He tossed away the ashes and picked up a second herb.

A moment later, it was charred too.

The third herb.

Charred again.

After more than a dozen consecutive failures, fine beads of sweat had appeared on Xiao Yan's forehead, but his hands were growing more practiced with every attempt.

His control over the flame was improving at an astonishing rate.

At last, during another attempt, the Calm-Qi Root didn't turn to ash under the heat of his flame. It slowly melted into a drop of emerald-green liquid, its impurities burned away.

Success!

Xiao Yan's spirits soared, and his confidence swelled.

Next came the main ingredient, the Crimson Flame Herb, followed by purifying the liquid extracts of the various supplementary herbs.

After that first success, the rest of the process went much more smoothly.

The final step: Pill Fusion!

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

"Sizzle—"

The moment the different liquids touched, they violently repelled one another and nearly burst apart!

Xiao Yan's face went pale. He poured every last bit of his Soul Power into the flame, forcing it to stabilize. With his concentration at its peak, he began guiding the liquids together in a mysterious rhythm.

Time passed, second by second.

When he sensed that even the last trace of medicinal power had blended perfectly, Xiao Yan gave a low shout.

"Form!"

Little Fire Dragon's flame suddenly drew inward. The multicolored mass of liquid rapidly contracted and spun, then finally solidified into shape.

The fragrance of the medicine filled the air!

Three scarlet pills, their surfaces marked with faint patterns, lay quietly in his palm.

Looking at the three pills, Xiao Yan felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment well up inside him.

He had done it!

He had really refined pills in this world!

"Chirp!"

Little Fire Dragon excitedly bounded over and circled the pills, the flame on its tail burning a little brighter.

Xiao Yan smiled and met Little Fire Dragon's eyes. The human and dragon shared a look of understanding.

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

Little Fire Dragon followed his example, flicking out its tongue to gobble down another.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth.

The next moment!

A surge of pure medicinal power, more than ten times stronger than what he would have gained from swallowing the Crimson Flame Herb directly, exploded in Xiao Yan's dantian!

At the same time, Little Fire Dragon's body lit up with dazzling golden light. An equally immense power surged through its small frame.

Xiao Yan's expression changed. He had no time to think. He immediately sat cross-legged, circulated the Xiao Clan's inherited cultivation technique, and did everything he could to guide and refine the violent medicinal power.

His meridians throbbed with pain as his Soul Power surged like a raging river, washing through every limb and bone again and again.

He was completely immersed in the long-forgotten thrill of rapidly growing stronger.

He had no idea how much time had passed.

When Xiao Yan opened his eyes again, he felt refreshed, his body brimming with more strength than ever before.

Daylight had already flooded the window.

"It feels like a long time passed..." he murmured, standing to stretch. His joints crackled like frying beans.

He looked inward at his body. His Soul Power was far more abundant than before.

By now, he must have returned to the realm of innate level-ten full Soul Power.

He smiled in satisfaction, his gaze accidentally falling on the calendar he used to keep track of things.

Then the smile froze on his face.

"What day of the month is it today, again?"