Xiao Yan understood Elder Yi's obsession at that moment.
For a Divine Mage who had pushed magic to its limits and once crossed into the demigod realm, the truths of heaven and earth in a higher dimension held a fatal allure.
He folded his hands together inside his wide sleeves and nodded solemnly.
"Then I'll wish you success in unraveling the mysteries of these ancient divine runes, Elder Yi. Once you've figured them out, you can teach me and point me in the right direction."
"Brat, quit buttering me up." The old man's phantom pointed to the ancient zither nearby, slowly orbiting the enormous bell, and his tone turned serious.
"Your main focus right now must be the Fuxi Zither. Its potential far exceeds your understanding. Don't reach too far and covet the Eastern Emperor Bell's power. As for my own path, I haven't fully worked it out yet. I won't burden you with these incomplete insights."
Xiao Yan thought he was absolutely right.
Cultivating essence, energy, and spirit required vast reserves. He understood better than anyone that trying to swallow more than you could chew would get you nowhere.
Before he had fully mastered his First Martial Soul, forcing himself to touch that enormous bell capable of suppressing Primordial Chaos would only destabilize his foundations.
"Then I'll do as you say. I'll head out first." Xiao Yan turned to leave, but stopped mid-step and looked back to remind him, "Oh, and please put some effort into that Soul Spirit Contract I asked you to work out. We may need it before long."
The Soul Spirit Contract was a major research problem Xiao Yan had given Electrolux in advance, based on how the original story unfolded.
Only this old Divine Mage, with his profound mastery of soul magic, could perfectly devise a formation that established an equal contract between a Soul Beast's soul and a Soul Master.
The dignified air Electrolux had just assumed collapsed at once. He irritably waved his wide black-and-white sleeves.
"I know, I know! I once commanded a million undead. Do you really have to nag me every day about a mere contract formation? Hurry up and get out to cultivate. You're in the way!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan's vision blurred, the sea of stars swirling around him. Electrolux rudely kicked his spiritual body out of his sea of consciousness.
At the center of the formation, Electrolux looked at the spot where Xiao Yan's consciousness had vanished and gave an annoyed snort.
Then he took a deep breath, glanced around guiltily like a thief, straightened his two-toned robe, and crept toward the Eastern Emperor Bell once more.
As he drew closer, the old man's eyes lit up with fervor again.
He cautiously reached out a withered finger toward the source runes on the bell's surface, each representing earth, water, fire, and wind. A new round of "testing and getting beaten up" began.
Back in his body, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes.
The dormitory had grown completely dark, and the crisp chirping of unknown insects drifted in from outside the window.
He regulated his breathing, drew all the Taiji Innate Qi radiating from his body back into his dantian, and sank once more into deep meditation.
There were still a few days before Shrek Academy officially began classes.
During that time, Xiao Yan devoted most of his energy to cultivating the Art of the Fuxi Emperor. In his spare time, he served as Xiao Xiao's personal guide.
It was the little girl's first time leaving home for the bustling heart of the continent. Everything felt new to her, and every day she dragged him all over the streets and alleys of Shrek City.
At noon on their first day, the two had tried the public dining hall at Shrek Academy.
What they saw there made Xiao Yan decisively abandon the idea of eating there.
The spacious dining hall was packed with people. The din was deafening, and the air was thick with sweat and cooking grease.
Most absurd of all, the entire hall was empty of chairs for people to rest and eat. Every Outer Court student had to stand while wolfing down their meal with a tray in hand.
The food on offer was somewhat nutritious, but its appearance left much to be desired. That was understandable, though. This wasn't the Inner Court, and resources weren't lavished on it.
But for cultivators who valued a tranquil state of mind, that environment was pure torture.
From then on, the bustling snack street outside Shrek Academy became the siblings' regular spot for all three meals.
As for the cost, it never even crossed their minds.
Their father, Xiao Zhan, was at least a newly promoted level ninety-five Super Douluo. And before they'd left, Xiao Yan had specifically told Xiao Xiao to visit Xiao Zhan's private study.
The little girl knew her way around and dug the Gold Soul Coin stored-value card out of the hidden compartment in her father's bookshelf, draining his private stash down to the last coin.
Now Xiao Xiao's Storage Soul Tool held more than a dozen Gold Soul Coin cards, each worth over a hundred thousand coins.
Whenever Xiao Xiao saw tempting skewers, candied hawthorns, or delicate pastries on the snack street, she paid without batting an eye.
He could only imagine the look on Heavenly Cauldron Douluo's face when he discovered the empty compartment back home.
Their carefree days of spending money like water flew by, and before they knew it, the morning of the new students' first official day of class had arrived.
A breeze swept through the tree-lined path beside Shrek Square.
Xiao Yan had changed into the new student uniform issued by the academy.
It was a basic white fitted outfit, without a single elaborate pattern or ornament.
But the same clothes could look worlds apart on different people.
With his tall, lean build and peerlessly handsome face, he somehow made the slightly rough uniform look like a custom-tailored outfit for a noble young master.
He strolled down the corridor at an unhurried, steady pace, standing out among the flustered, green new students.
Xiao Xiao trailed behind him, still bleary-eyed with sleep.
Her little hands clung tightly to her brother's clothes as she yawned along the way. Her blue-green hair had been casually tied into two buns that bobbed as she walked, and her face practically screamed "still asleep."
"Class Nine is up ahead. Wake up." Xiao Yan stopped and patted the fluffy crown of Xiao Xiao's head.
The door to Class Nine stood wide open. Nearly fifty new students had already arrived and taken their seats.
The boys and girls had gathered in groups, their conversations and playful chatter tangling into a clamor like the market outside the city.
Xiao Yan ignored the noise and stepped through the classroom door.
The moment he entered, the noisy classroom seemed to have been muted. An eerie silence fell for a few seconds.
A few girls sitting in the front row had been chatting away. Their gazes casually swept toward the door, and their voices abruptly cut off.
A heavy Soul Beast compendium slipped from the hands of a short-haired girl and landed with a loud smack on the wooden desk. She didn't even notice. She stared fixedly at the white-clad boy walking in, her breathing suddenly thrown off rhythm.
Xiao Yan's expression didn't change.
He looked straight ahead, his gaze passing over the stunned faces as he searched for an empty seat.
But that face was simply too devastating.
In just a few breaths, nearly every girl in class had fixed her gaze on him as if it were locked on by a tracking device.
Some blushed and leaned down to whisper frantically to their friends. Others had even dared to stand up, smoothing their skirts as they prepared to invite him to the empty seat beside them.
The air stirred with the restless energy unique to teenage girls.
Following behind him, Xiao Xiao had still been half asleep, but a girl's intuition kicked in at that moment.
She woke up in an instant. Her bright green eyes darted around the room, immediately catching those ravenous looks.
The little girl's danger radar blared. Every trace of sleepiness vanished.
Xiao Xiao released her grip on his clothes and darted in front of Xiao Yan.
She spread her arms like a protective mother hen, shielding him from those scorching gazes with her petite frame.
Her delicate, adorable face was full of wariness. She glared fearlessly at several girls who were poised to make a move, making her claim over him unmistakable.
"Big brother, let's sit in the back. It's quieter there!"
Without giving anyone else a chance to strike up a conversation, Xiao Xiao grabbed Xiao Yan by the wrist and dragged him along the aisle by the wall, straight to a secluded corner at the back of the classroom.
Xiao Yan let her pull him along.
Looking at the little girl, so nervous and afraid someone might snatch him away, he felt a hint of helplessness.
He was long accustomed to being stared at like this. With his Daoist heart firm as a boulder, he paid no attention to the girls' gazes.
Still, since Xiao Xiao was willing to clear the way, he was happy to take it easy.
The two settled into adjacent seats in the last row by the window.
The girls reluctantly tore their gazes away and sat back down.
But the white-clad boy in the back corner had become the center of every whispered conversation in the classroom, and every so often a girl dared to glance back at him.
The crisis had passed, for now.
Xiao Xiao let out a long breath and slumped into the wooden-backed chair.
She lifted a hand and gave her still-flat chest a very grown-up pat, looking like she'd just survived a disaster.
"That was close, that was close. Shrek's girls are way too scary. Their eyes could eat you alive." She leaned over to Xiao Yan and complained in a low voice.
Seeing her so pleased with herself after successfully guarding her prey, Xiao Yan shook his head, the corners of his mouth lifting despite himself.
He set the book in his hands on the desk and gazed out the window.
The sun was shining. The first class of the new term was about to begin.