After showering, Fan Yue had breakfast and then slowly made his way to the teaching building. When he entered the classroom, most of the seats were already taken. Qian Lei spotted him and waved. Fan Yue nodded back and headed to his seat.
"Hi, Dong Qianqiu. Hi, Lan Mengqin," he said in a calm voice.
The girls greeted him in return. Lan Mengqin poked him in the back and asked, "Yue, are you actually friends with the fatty now?"
Fan Yue nodded. "Yeah, you could say that."
Soon the class was full, and Xiao Qi began a lecture on Battle Armor. Fan Yue listened intently, his eyes darting between the diagrams as he mentally visualized how he could create such arrays himself. After class, he headed to the Array Engraving room.
As he entered, the door opened behind him again, and Liu Feng walked in.
"Hello, is this the Array Engraving class?" Liu Feng asked cautiously.
Meng Hao, without looking up, answered curtly, "Yes."
Liu Feng bowed slightly and introduced himself. "I am Liu Feng, enrolled in the Array Engraving faculty."
Meng Hao scratched the back of his head and said in a disgruntled voice, "It seems this year's first class is quite restless."
Liu Feng looked at Fan Yue and gave him a slight nod.
"Fan Yue, you've already mastered Rank 2 arrays perfectly. You can move on to Rank 3," Meng Hao directed.
Fan Yue nodded and sat at the back, immersing himself in reading and practice. His hand instinctively took up the pen, drawing an array on paper which he then compared to the book, noticing subtle, barely perceptible differences.
Liu Feng watched him with interest, slightly struck by the fact that someone his own age could already independently construct Rank 2 arrays.
"My name is Meng Hao," the teacher finally introduced himself to Liu Feng. "Do you know anything about array engraving?"
Liu Feng shook his head. "Only superficially. I haven't studied the symbols or the construction techniques."
Meng Hao sighed, as if resigning himself to teaching a novice from scratch. "Fine, let's begin."
Two hours flew by. As the lesson ended, Liu Feng and Fan Yue headed toward the dormitory. They didn't walk together, maintaining a respectful distance.
Fan Yue glanced at the silent Liu Feng and, as if making a decision, approached him holding a worn notebook labeled "Number One." He held it out and said, "These are my notes on Rank 1 arrays. There are many tips in there on how to speed up progress. Take it; I don't need it anymore."
Liu Feng hesitated for a moment, surprised by Fan Yue's generosity, but accepted the gift. "Thank you. I will remember this."
Fan Yue gave a short nod and headed to his villa. In the training room, he shed his outer clothes and jumped straight into practice. His breathing leveled, his movements became precise, and his mind grew calm. He activated his First Dragon Bloodline Skill: Dragon Body.
Dense waves of power rolled under his skin. Every muscle tension echoed with internal heat, as if his body were being reconstructed in real-time. His bones cracked softly, becoming stronger, and his blood flowed faster and richer.
When the sky turned gold with the setting sun, he headed to the Sea God Lake. Teacher Shu was waiting, while Tang Yue sat in the hut nearby.
"Greetings, Teacher," Fan Yue bowed.
"No time to waste, let's begin," Teacher Shu nodded. "Fan Yue, you have incredible affinity for life force. But without control, you cannot unlock its true power."
A ball of green light appeared in Old Shu's palm.
"Every element requires two things: understanding and Mental Strength. Life force requires understanding twice over. It does not attack, it does not destroy, but it can save, heal, strengthen, and protect. If you reach sufficient control, you can disperse any hostile energy as if it were mere smoke."
The ball descended into the ground. The grass around them flared with fresh green, growing taller and thicker. Old Shu suddenly waved his hand, and spheres of wind, water, and stone appeared around him.
"Life force is the primordial energy, the root of almost all elements. Most elements possess life characteristics themselves; otherwise, they couldn't exist in the Universe. Therefore, if you control the power of life, you can control everything."
Fan Yue reflected deeply on these words. He had never considered the nature of life so philosophically.
"That is my theory of life force," Old Shu said, dispersing the elements. "It is unproven for now, but in a hundred years, they will surely prove it."
Old Shu stepped behind Fan Yue and placed a hand on his back. "Close your eyes. You must feel how life energy should move. Memorize this sensation."
Fan Yue obeyed. In the next moment, life force flowed softly into his body. It entered through his skin, streamed through his meridians like warm water, and converged at his palms into a small green sphere.
Old Shu's eyes widened. What kind of body is this?
As he guided his power along Fan Yue's meridians, he was stunned. The bones, muscles, and blood—literally his entire body—was a dense cluster of life force.
He is literally woven from it... but how? No living being should be able to compress and concentrate life force in their body like this.
When he tried to approach the bloodline vortex in Fan Yue's chest, a terrifying aura suddenly appeared, forcing him to stop.
What kind of monster have I taken as a student? His cultivation technique is something no ordinary Spirit Master could ever practice.
He stepped back and stroked his beard. Everyone has their secrets. If he wants to, he will tell me.
"Yue, did you memorize it, or should I repeat?" he asked aloud.
Fan Yue opened his eyes. In his hands was a perfect sphere of green light. Then a second appeared. And a third. He smiled. "Teacher, I understand the essence! We must use our body as a conductor. Once the Life Force passes through us, it becomes easier to control."
The three spheres merged, elongated into a rose, then an arrow, then dozens of leaves that swirled and dissolved into a soft glow.
In the hut, Tang Yue nearly knocked over his stool. So fast!? It took me months just to hold a single sphere!
Old Shu's eyes twinkled. "Disciple, you never cease to amaze me."
One Month Later
Study - Training. Study - Training.
This was Fan Yue's life for an entire month. For some, it would have dragged on; for Fan Yue, every day was packed. He forged himself from dawn to midnight—honing every sword stroke, mastering elemental control, and strengthening his spirit.
Unlike others, he didn't need to worry about emblems for food or resources. The life force of the Sea God Lake saturated his body, replacing the need for almost anything else. While others gathered resources, he trained.
For Array Engraving materials, he used Federal coins at the local Association, keeping his 15 white emblems untouched.
But today, Shrek Academy was buzzing. The reason? The upcoming battle between the 1st and 3rd years. It was so high-profile that Dean Ying Luohong had arranged for it to be broadcast on the Federation's main news channel.
In the cafeteria, Fan Yue asked Lan Mengqin, "Didn't the third years just want to clear their shame? How did the whole Federation end up watching?"
Lan Xuanyu sighed. "It's all Dean Ying Luohong. She wants to show off Shrek's strength. We're like circus animals. At least Tang Yuge and I pressured her—every member of the winning team gets 2 purple emblems, and losers get 1."
Lan Xuanyu smirked. "So everyone wins."
Fan Yue looked at the group—Qian Lei, Liu Feng, Dong Qianqiu, Yuanen Huihui, Lan Mengqin, and Lan Xuanyu. He sighed. "Man, why do they only have six spots? Couldn't they add one more?"
"What good is a guy who lost to a Soul Grandmaster (Rank 20+)?" Qian Lei teased. "We'd rather take Bing Tianliang."
The table erupted in laughter. Over the month, Fan Yue had naturally integrated into the group, thanks largely to Lan Mengqin and Qian Lei dragging him along. He had even become close with Liu Feng, often sparring with him and helping him with arrays.
Fan Yue put on a serious face and mimicked Lan Xuanyu's voice: "Fan Yue, though you are a Soul Ancestor (Rank 40+) and possibly strong... right now, you're just a burden dragging us back. You don't even have to pay back the lost soul coins."
He clicked his tongue. "After that, how could Xuanyu ever invite me?"
Qian Lei roared with laughter. "Identical! That's exactly what he'd say!"
Lan Xuanyu leaned over and put an arm around Fan Yue's shoulder. "Let the past be the past. Just bet on our victory and earn some emblems."
Fan Yue sighed. "I planned to. Just don't lose—I'm not as rich as you guys."
Two days later: Sunday, Match Day.
The whole Federation was still. News channels and analysts were in a frenzy. This was Shrek—a place of monsters. The gap between years was usually an insurmountable abyss. How could 1st years bridge it?
Even the War God Temple, Spirit Pagoda, and Tang Sect were watching. They wanted to see if these children were worth recruiting early.
Right before the match, Fan Yue placed his bet. The odds were 1 to 5.6. His friends had also entrusted him with their savings to place the bet at the most profitable moment.