Led by Shui Bing'er, Yan, Huo Wu, and Huo Wushuang entered Tianshui Academy.
The moment they stepped through the academy gates, the three of them were stunned by the sight before their eyes.
Inside the academy, trees shaded the walkways and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers.
Along the broad paths, beautiful female students dressed in the Tianshui Academy uniform passed to and fro—some chatting in small groups, others hurrying along on their own—each exuding youthful vitality.
Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang stared wide-eyed. They had never seen so many beautiful girls gathered in one place before, each possessing her own unique charm.
Some were gentle as water, some passionate as fire, some lively as the wind—so many that it was hard to take them all in.
Yan, however, remained calm. He looked around and couldn't help but sigh inwardly—Tianshui Academy truly lived up to its reputation as a gathering place for beauties.
As Shui Bing'er led the three of them through the campus, she introduced the academy's buildings, history, and special features.
Along the way, many of the girls who saw the four of them together couldn't help but look over curiously, sensing the unusual aura radiating from Yan, Huo Wu, and Huo Wushuang.
In this academy dominated by the water element, the three of them—with their fiery temperaments—stood out sharply.
Huo Wushuang wasn't used to receiving so much attention. Feeling countless eyes upon him, he grew flustered and unconsciously quickened his pace.
Huo Wu noticed and couldn't help teasing her brother.
"Big brother, you're a grown man—how can you still get shy?"
"You wouldn't understand, little sister. It's just… this feeling is really strange."
"Pfft! Then look at Brother Yan."
Huo Wu pointed at Yan beside her.
"See? He's calm as ever, not blushing or panicking at all."
Huo Wushuang glanced at Yan. The latter's expression remained composed; he even smiled and nodded politely to a few passing girls. Huo Wushuang couldn't help but admire him.
"Maybe Brother Yan's just used to big scenes."
Scratching his head awkwardly, Huo Wushuang quickly tried to change the topic.
"Little sister, how about we pay a visit to Dean Ling first?"
"Sure, I was thinking the same thing."
Huo Wu nodded, then turned to Yan.
"Brother Yan, will you come with us?"
Yan shook his head.
"You go ahead. I'll pass on this one."
"Won't you get bored by yourself?"
"I'll be fine. I'll just take a walk around."
"Alright then, we'll come find you later."
Shui Bing'er spoke up:
"I'll take you two to the Dean's office then."
Huo Wu waved her hand.
"No need—just ask any student to take us. You should show Brother Yan around first; we'll meet up later."
As she said this, a mischievous smile appeared on her face—clearly intending to give Yan and Shui Bing'er some time alone.
Before Shui Bing'er could react, Huo Wu had already grabbed the arm of a passing girl.
"Hey, classmate—could you take us to Dean Ling's office?"
The girl froze for a moment, then, noticing Shui Bing'er, realized they were together.
"Sure, come with me."
"Thanks."
Huo Wu waved at Shui Bing'er and Yan.
"You two have fun. See you later!"
With that, she and Huo Wushuang followed the girl away.
The group of four had suddenly become just two. Shui Bing'er looked a little unsure of what to do.
"Let's go," Yan said calmly. "Let's just walk around."
"Mm."
The two of them wandered through the towering teaching buildings, the spacious training grounds, and the grand library brimming with knowledge.
Everywhere they went, a small stir arose.
The young girls of the academy couldn't help glancing their way—some whispering among themselves about the handsome stranger beside Shui Bing'er.
"Who's that guy with Senior Sister Bing'er? He's really good-looking."
"Yeah! I wonder what his relationship with her is."
"They look kind of perfect together, don't they?"
Hearing all the murmurs, Shui Bing'er felt her face grow warm. She snuck a glance at Yan—he remained as composed as ever, walking steadily forward, seemingly unaffected by the whispers around them.
His calm demeanor only deepened Shui Bing'er's admiration. She found herself increasingly curious about what kind of experiences and story this boy carried that made him so unusually steady and mature.
Before long, Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang returned, led by another girl.
Dean Ling of Tianshui Academy happened to be an old acquaintance of their parents, so the two sides exchanged pleasantries for quite a while before parting.
Afterward, Shui Bing'er continued to show the trio around the campus.
When they had dinner at the academy and finally departed, the sky had already darkened.
From that day on, Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er grew even closer—like true sisters.
After leaving the academy, Huo Wushuang suddenly stopped.
"Brother Yan, we're planning to set out for Blazing City early tomorrow, so we won't be going back to Tokes City with you tonight."
"Alright, then we'll part ways here. Safe travels."
Yan knew that although the siblings were the children of the Blazing Academy's dean, they wouldn't be traveling unprotected—there would surely be powerful experts secretly accompanying them.
They had their own plans and schedule, so he didn't pry further.
Huo Wu, however, felt reluctant to say goodbye.
Though she hadn't known Yan long, she already admired him deeply—not just for his strength, but for that unique charm that set him apart from everyone else.
"Brother Yan, come over here—I want to tell you something."
She pulled Yan aside.
"What is it?"
"What do you think of Bing'er now?"
"She's a good girl—gentle and kind."
Yan gave the same answer as before.
"You're such a blockhead! Bing'er likes you—can't you tell? My intuition never lies."
"Oh? So you're speaking as someone experienced in love? Do you like someone, or does someone like you?"
Yan teased deliberately, curious whether she would bring up Feng Xiaotian.
Feng Xiaotian had been born with full innate soul power and possessed excellent talent, but he had wasted far too much time chasing after Huo Wu and tinkering with his self-created soul skills, delaying his cultivation.
Had he realized that earlier, he might have posed a far greater threat during the Soul Master Tournament.
Huo Wu pouted.
"I'm not telling you."
"True feelings are precious," Yan said quietly. "Cherish the people before you. And if you don't love someone… let him go sooner rather than later."
Huo Wu froze, stunned.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing. It's getting dark—I should head back."
With that, Yan turned to leave.
"Goodbye, Brother Yan."
"Mm. See you in two years."
Yan waved to the siblings and soon disappeared from sight.
After meeting up with Yue Guan, he unfurled his wings and shot through the sky. Half an hour later, the two of them were back in Tokes City.
Over the following days, Yan continued cultivating while carrying out his plans.
In the Tokes Great Battle Arena, he teamed up with a newly advanced Level-50 Battle King, forming a duo to earn the right to challenge two Battle Kings at once.
After absorbing the three immortal herbs, the flames within Yan burned even fiercer. His body became immune to water and ice attributes, impervious to poison, and his spiritual power had grown far stronger.
Even without releasing his Flame Wings, fighting two Level-50-plus Battle Kings simultaneously was no longer a problem for him.
After winning several consecutive matches, however, he found the battles increasingly dull.
Lately, he had stopped going to the arena, choosing instead to cultivate quietly in his hotel room.
After all, he hadn't come here for the fights—the true purpose had been to retrieve immortal herbs from the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well.
Now that goal had been achieved, he intended to focus wholly on cultivation and raise his soul power as quickly as possible.
With the medicinal power of the herbs aiding him, his progress came far easier.
Just a few days ago, he successfully broke through to Level Forty-Five.
During this period, Yue Guan had been especially elated.
After absorbing the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, his martial soul had been greatly strengthened, and he could feel himself on the verge of breaking through the bottleneck to Level Ninety-Six.
That day, after finishing his cultivation, Yan rose to stretch when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside his room.
Opening the door, he found Yue Guan standing there, face radiant with joy—it was clear something worth celebrating had happened.
"Teacher, judging by your expression, you've broken through to Level Ninety-Six, haven't you?"
"Haha, smart boy—you guessed right! I did it! I've finally reached Level Ninety-Six! And it's all thanks to that Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum you gave me!"
Yue Guan laughed heartily and gave Yan a warm embrace.
He had been stuck at Level Ninety-Five for ten whole years, and today, at last, he had advanced.
After celebrating together for a while, Yue Guan suggested:
"We've been away from Spirit City for over two months now. With your current strength, no Soul King is a match for you anymore. There's no point in staying here just to spar. I wonder how Nana and Xie Yue are doing on their own training… How about we return to Spirit City early?"
"Alright," Yan replied with a nod. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
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