Chapter 21: Body Strengthening

After leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Xiao Yan returned to his rented room, carefully closing the doors and windows before removing his black cloak. Turning around, he saw Yao Lao, who had already materialized. Xiao Yan took out the whale gel and herbs he had purchased, casually asking, "Teacher, I've got everything you asked for. Now, it's up to you."

Yao Lao chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the items on the table. "This 'whale gel' seems far more valuable than they labeled it. They must not have recognized its true worth."

Unbeknownst to the Treasure Pavilion, the gel's black color indicated it came from a ten-thousand-year-old whale. Yao Lao's keen spiritual senses had picked up on this, allowing them to secure an unexpected treasure.

"So, Teacher, what's your plan for these ingredients?" Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Smiling, Yao Lao replied, "Didn't I already tell you? I'll combine these materials and refine them into a pill to improve your physique."

"Thank you, Teacher," Xiao Yan said gratefully.

In the quiet room, Yao Lao lifted the ten-thousand-year whale gel in his left hand, his eyes narrowing slightly. After a moment, he exhaled softly, and a ghostly white flame sprang to life in his palm. As the flame emerged, the room's temperature rose noticeably.

With a calm expression, Yao Lao allowed the flame to flicker briefly before letting it engulf the whale gel entirely. He then picked up a red herb from the table and tossed it into the flame. After adding the other ingredients, a thick, dark-green liquid appeared in Yao Lao's hand, with the flame burning away impurities.

Over time, the dark-green liquid gradually diminished. After half an hour, a jade-green pill, perfectly round and smooth, appeared in Yao Lao's hand, just as the flame flickered out.

Exhaling, Yao Lao casually tossed the jade bottle containing the pill to Xiao Yan. "Take it now. This will enhance your body's resilience, so you won't have to worry about injuring yourself when you use the Eight Extremes Collapse technique."

Xiao Yan carefully caught the bottle, unscrewed the lid, and sniffed the pill. A slight smile crossed his lips before he tilted the bottle, allowing the pill to drop into his mouth. He immediately felt a soothing chill spread through his mouth, followed by a warm surge of energy as it entered his body, causing a slight tremor.

Maintaining a calm face, Xiao Yan quickly formed a cultivation seal with his hands, sitting cross-legged to absorb and refine the pill's energy. The intense power flowing through him caused his meridians to ache slightly.

After some time, Xiao Yan opened his eyes, exhaling a deep breath, and his face seemed noticeably brighter. His physique had clearly become sturdier, with an increase in muscle tone and definition.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan's vision turned white as he was pulled into his spiritual sea, where the voice of the Iceworm Tianmeng echoed: "Hey, Xiao Yan, your teacher's skills are impressive. That pill he refined from the whale gel has greatly enhanced your body's strength."

"If you had just ingested the whale gel directly, it wouldn't have been as effective. By refining it with other herbs, your teacher amplified its power."

"Tianmeng Iceworm?" Xiao Yan blurted out.

The round Iceworm wriggled slightly, looking disgruntled. "Call me Brother Tianmeng! Show some respect!"

Xiao Yan just stared silently at it.

"What's that look for? And why are you staring at me like that? Could it be you're captivated by my stunning appearance?" The Iceworm tilted its head proudly.

Xiao Yan smirked and reached out to pat the Iceworm's head. "Such a lovely creature... I bet one punch would make you cry for ages."

"???" The Iceworm looked bewildered.

After a moment, Xiao Yan asked, "So, why did you summon me?"

The Iceworm spoke in a lazy tone, "I sensed a significant improvement in your physical strength. Remember what I told you before? When you grow stronger and can withstand a thousand-year soul ring, your first soul ring will naturally evolve to a thousand years. All your soul rings will strengthen as your body can handle more power."

"Given your current physical state, your first soul ring is now at a thousand-year level. I wanted to remind you of that," the Iceworm chuckled.

"Your teacher's truly something. If you get the chance, you should ask if he'll take me as his second disciple. I'd make a great one, don't you think?" The Iceworm wriggled eagerly.

Xiao Yan grinned, "Sure, sure. But you want to be my junior disciple? No way!"

"…" The Iceworm was speechless.

The Iceworm continued, "I'll go back to sleep for a while. Keep training hard. When you reach level twenty and need a second soul ring, I'll awaken and help you unlock your second martial spirit."

With those words, the white light faded, and Xiao Yan returned to his senses. He realized it was already mid-morning—he was late for class.

"Shoot, I'm late!" he muttered.

Hurriedly gathering his things, Xiao Yan left his room and made his way to Shrek Academy. The academy's main building doors were wide open, allowing the flow of new students. With his massive black ruler on his back, Xiao Yan caught the curious glances of passing students.

Since he had registered early, Xiao Yan was assigned to Class One. When he entered, the classroom was already full, so he took a random seat and began observing his surroundings.

The room was spacious, holding over a hundred students. Soon, Xiao Yan spotted Wang Dong, the boy he had sparred with the previous day. When Wang Dong noticed Xiao Yan's gaze, he quickly turned his head away, refusing to make eye contact.

At that moment, a figure entered through the doorway: an elderly woman with wrinkled skin, her white hair coiled neatly atop her head. Dressed in a blue robe, she had a medium b

uild and wore glasses, her bright eyes gleaming with intelligence.