Blazing Academy's Mimic Cultivation Environment!

"What are we doing by the girls' dormitory?"

Ji Bai frowned when he realized Huo Wushuang had brought him beneath the girls' dormitory building. Xiao Baobao had told him before that he could not casually come near the girls' dorms.

"Relax."

"My sister lives here too. I'll call her out so we can eat together, and I'll introduce her to you."

"Wait here."

Huo Wushuang patted Ji Bai on the shoulder before heading upstairs.

Ji Bai slowly backed away, pretending he was merely passing by and doing his best to avoid drawing anyone's attention.

Not long after.

He saw Huo Wushuang appear at the stairwell, accompanied by an exceptionally beautiful girl.

The girl wore a red academy uniform, her long dark-red wavy hair cascading all the way down to her waist.

Her skin was fair, her features exquisite, and her large eyes bright and lively. She stood around 1.6 meters tall, with a remarkably well-proportioned figure and a faint smile on her face.

The moment she appeared, she drew countless gazes. Even the other girls turned to look at her.

The girl immediately noticed the out-of-place Ji Bai and walked straight over, carefully studying him as she greeted him, "Hello, junior."

Looking seven years old gave Ji Bai the perfect disguise. He seemed completely harmless, enough to make older girls' hearts melt.

Huo Wushuang came over as well, smiling as he introduced the girl beside him. "Xiaobai, this is my little sister—Huo Wu. Her talent is even better than mine."

Ji Bai nodded with a smile. "Hello, Senior Sister."

Huo Wu's lips curved slightly upward. "Fire Phoenix, level fifteen... Looks like I'll have an opponent in the future."

Ji Bai knew Huo Wu was extremely competitive, but he had not expected her to be this competitive.

How old am I? What is she competing with me for?

"Can we go eat now?" Ji Bai asked awkwardly, looking toward Huo Wushuang.

Huo Wushuang assumed Huo Wu's manner had frightened Ji Bai and sighed helplessly. "Sis, don't scare the kid!"

"Come on, let's eat!"

Huo Wushuang patted both Ji Bai and Huo Wu, then strode ahead between them.

Huo Wu followed at an easy pace, occasionally glancing sideways at Ji Bai. Her gaze made Ji Bai feel extremely uncomfortable, and he frowned. Just then, Huo Wu suggested, "Xiaobai, after we eat, how about letting your sister take a look at your Fire Phoenix Martial Soul?"

Ji Bai's Martial Soul reminded her of that genius girl from Skywater Academy, whose talent was no less than her own. That girl's Martial Soul was also a Phoenix, except it was an Ice Phoenix.

"Sure! No problem!"

They had lent him money and treated him to a meal. If he could not even agree to such a small request, that would be far too ungrateful of him. He would not be able to get along with them in the future, either.

The academy cafeteria.

Ji Bai and Huo Wu sat facing each other, while Huo Wushuang sat beside Ji Bai. The table was covered with various meats, with very few vegetables. The fragrant white rice mixed with the aroma of the dishes, tempting their appetites.

"No need to stand on ceremony. Help yourself."

Huo Wushuang smiled faintly and immediately picked up his chopsticks.

Huo Wu noticed that Ji Bai kept staring at her without eating, so she urged him, "What are you staring at me for? Hurry up and eat."

"Sis, he's been captivated by you." Huo Wushuang grinned wickedly and teased him.

Ji Bai was speechless inside and explained helplessly, "I was only waiting for you two to start eating first. Since you're treating me, it would seem rude if I started before you."

"Uh..." Huo Wushuang paused mid-chew and stared at Ji Bai in surprise.

Huo Wu's delicate brows furrowed. "There aren't so many rules here, and we aren't people who care about those rules."

Ji Bai looked from one sibling to the other. Their expressions had both become unusually serious, so he nodded and began eating as well. His table manners were not wild, but he was not slow either, keeping pace with Huo Wushuang.

"Damn it! I can't even out-eat a kid!" Huo Wushuang's chopsticks nearly left afterimages as he swallowed his food after barely chewing it.

Ji Bai had no response to that.

What was there to compete over?

After lunch, Huo Wushuang led him to the academy's rear mountain. The temperature here was far higher than outside, the surroundings dyed crimson, with flames occasionally bursting from the ground.

Ji Bai felt the Soul Power within his body grow more active. Cultivating in such an environment truly could yield twice the results with half the effort.

"So this is the so-called Mimic Cultivation Environment?"

"That's right."

Huo Wushuang said solemnly, "There's an Earthfire Fissure beneath this place. The first headmaster discovered it back then and established Blazing Academy here. Later, the academy piled many ores and herbs containing fire-element energy on top of it, further gathering the energy."

"Only fire-attribute Soul Masters can cultivate here for long periods. Soul Masters of other attributes would find it difficult."

Ji Bai understood and asked curiously, "Are the other three elemental academies the same?"

Huo Wu nodded. "More or less."

"Screech!"

A flash of red light passed through Ji Bai's eyes as the Fire Phoenix manifested behind him. Under Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu's gazes, it soared into the sky and circled overhead.

A yellow Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

"So this is... the Fire Phoenix? Not bad at all!" Huo Wu glanced at Ji Bai's yellow Soul Ring, then looked again at his Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. Excitement welled up within her. "Junior, can you let your senior sister see your Soul Skill?"

Ji Bai gently refused. "Senior Sister, my Soul Skill is quite powerful. This isn't a suitable place to demonstrate it. I might damage something. Maybe another time."

Huo Wu did not insist and merely nodded lightly.

After displaying his Martial Soul, Ji Bai asked the question most important to him. "I really want to know what the academy usually teaches."

Huo Wu was still immersed in her own thoughts, so Huo Wushuang explained, "It's roughly... an hour of general education and theory classes in the morning. Then they teach you how to control flames, use Soul Power, and better employ Soul Skills and fight."

"There are occasionally sparring exercises. Once you reach the intermediate class, the teachers will also take you into the wilderness for practical combat training. Usually, they go to places with fire-attribute Soul Beasts, though sometimes they visit colder areas."

"I'm still a junior student right now, but next year, I'll be promoted to the intermediate class. Then I'll get to go into the wilderness for practical combat training."

An excited smile appeared on Huo Wushuang's face.

Hearing that, Ji Bai began looking forward to it as well.

Suddenly.

He felt his heart pound violently. This was a sign that the Evil Fire had accumulated to a certain point and was about to erupt.

"Urgh!"

Ji Bai groaned as he immediately focused his mind, guiding the Evil Fire within his body from his chest and through his limbs and bones.

His meridians were scorched until cracks gradually appeared, and his face grew increasingly pale.

"Damn! Xiaobai, what's wrong with you?!"

Huo Wushuang's expression changed drastically.

"Wh-what... what's going on?"

"Brother, what did you do to him?"

Huo Wu snapped out of her thoughts. Seeing Ji Bai's condition, her expression changed abruptly.

"What could I possibly have done to him?!"

Huo Wushuang inwardly cried injustice.

"I'm fine. Don't touch me. I can handle it!"

Ji Bai gritted his teeth and persevered, continuously consuming the Evil Fire within his body as he trembled violently.