Ma Hongjun's Suffering Begins

Just as Ma Hongjun persevered, Dai Mubai returned with the medicinal herbs.

"Xiaofeng, see if these are right. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough, so I bought a few extra sets."

Wang Xiaofeng looked through the herbs in Dai Mubai's hands and nodded. "That's right, these are the ones."

"Now we just wait for Ma Hongjun to train to his limit. I'll prepare the Medicinal Bath first."

After seeing Flander nod, Wang Xiaofeng began digging a pit in the ground. He then placed a barrel over it, lit a fire to boil the water, and added the herbs one by one.

There was actually nothing difficult about a Medicinal Bath. You simply boiled the herbs in the proper order. The main issue was the cost—many of the crucial ingredients were only sold by pharmacies affiliated with major sects.

Ma Hongjun's was an enhanced version, and a single soak cost ten Gold Soul Coins.

Wang Xiaofeng continuously stirred the medicinal liquid in the barrel with a wooden stick. He saw that Ma Hongjun in the middle of the Training Field had begun moving slowly.

"Not bad. I didn't expect this fat guy to have such willpower."

Oscar nodded. "Our academy is Monster Academy. What does this little hardship amount to?"

Half an hour later, Zhao Wuji saw that Ma Hongjun was practically rolling his eyes back and decided it was enough, so he withdrew his soul skill.

"Hongjun, sit cross-legged and begin meditating." Flander instructed Ma Hongjun.

Ma Hongjun sat down on the ground with difficulty. His entire body ached terribly now. If the training continued, he would pass out within a minute.

Zhao Wuji truly had a sharp eye. He could tell exactly where Ma Hongjun's limit lay.

The crucial moment has arrived. Whether my guess was correct depends on this. Wang Xiaofeng watched Ma Hongjun meditate and thought silently.

As time passed, purple flames began rising from Ma Hongjun's body. They grew increasingly intense, yet he seemed completely unable to feel the pain of the evil fire and remained immersed in meditation.

"It really worked!"

Joy appeared on Flander's face as he hurriedly examined Ma Hongjun's condition.

Under the probe of his spiritual power, he discovered that the cells within Ma Hongjun's body seemed as though they had been starving for three days and nights. The moment the evil fire appeared, it was absorbed by the cells. However, something strange happened: every absorption left behind a trace of evil fire, as though it could not be absorbed.

Flander slowly withdrew his spiritual power, his expression exceedingly animated.

"Dean, what exactly is going on with Ma Hongjun?" Wang Xiaofeng asked in confusion when he saw Flander's strange expression.

"Mm, Xiaofeng, your method is indeed effective, but it doesn't seem to be perfect." Flander spoke slowly, then explained Ma Hongjun's condition to everyone.

"Ma Hongjun's situation is a little more complicated than I guessed." Wang Xiaofeng nodded. He had not expected this. "The evil fire that wasn't absorbed should be the impurities that his body can't absorb."

After hearing Wang Xiaofeng's explanation, Oscar could not help saying, "Then based on Fatty's situation, he'll still need to go to the pleasure quarters every so often to vent the evil fire?"

"This is better than I imagined. At the very least, Hongjun can cultivate like a normal person now."

Flander smiled slightly. Wang Xiaofeng looked much more pleasing to him now.

"Dean, please don't look at me like that."

Wang Xiaofeng jumped at Flander's gaze. "If you want to thank me, then write off my debt."

"Ahem, that's impossible." Flander coughed awkwardly twice.

Just as everyone was chatting enthusiastically, the purple flames on Ma Hongjun's body slowly receded into his body and then vanished.

"Teacher, my evil fire problem has finally been solved!" The moment Ma Hongjun finished meditating, he began shouting excitedly.

"What are you screaming for? Aren't you embarrassed enough being naked?" Flander slapped Ma Hongjun flying and pointed at him as he scolded him.

"Uh... how did I end up like this? Who took off my clothes?" Ma Hongjun asked foolishly.

Oscar said from the side in a snide tone, "No one took your clothes off. Who knows how they disappeared?"

Ma Hongjun hurriedly pulled out a set of clothes from his Soul Tool and put them on at top speed.

Once Ma Hongjun was dressed, Flander explained everything again.

"So my evil fire still hasn't been resolved?" Ma Hongjun asked blankly.

"No, it should be even easier to resolve now." Seeing Ma Hongjun look at him with hopeful eyes, Wang Xiaofeng explained, "The remaining evil fire is all impurities. We only need to use the power of soul rings to remove it."

"Then we need to absorb a stronger fire-type Soul Beast?" Flander asked.

"No. What Ma Hongjun lacks now is not a fire-type Soul Beast, but a way to increase the concentration of his Phoenix Bloodline."

"Therefore, his next two soul rings must come from Soul Beasts with Phoenix Bloodlines. Once Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Martial Soul evolves into a complete form, there won't be a problem." Wang Xiaofeng explained to everyone.

"What about his soul skills?" Flander was somewhat worried. These were not the first or Second Soul Ring; those Century Soul Rings would not be very useful at higher levels. If the soul skills attached to the third and Fourth Soul Ring were poor, then that soul master would be ruined.

"Then we just need to find fire-attribute Soul Beasts that contain Phoenix Bloodlines. But I don't know much about Soul Beasts, so I don't know where to find such creatures."

"Someone who knows Soul Beasts extremely well?" Flander nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright, I'm only level twenty-two right now. Isn't it too early to be thinking about soul rings?" Ma Hongjun said carelessly.

"Isn't it because you're such a disappointment?" Seeing Ma Hongjun's indifferent expression, Flander immediately flew into a rage and gave Ma Hongjun a vicious beating.

After everyone laughed and fooled around for a while, they each went their separate ways.

After obtaining Ma Hongjun's gravity-training records, Wang Xiaofeng attached great importance to them. After all, his physical condition was not much different from Ma Hongjun's.

If the winery he had opened with Dai Mubai did good business, then he could begin training according to this plan as well. After all, evil fire could be replaced with medicinal herbs.

Early the next morning, Wang Xiaofeng dragged a bewildered Ma Hongjun to the Training Field. Looking at the smiling Zhao Wuji, Ma Hongjun asked in horror, "Didn't it end yesterday?"

"Who said that?" Wang Xiaofeng asked strangely. "Yesterday was only a test. Today is the real beginning. You'll have to do this every day from now on."

"No way..."

Ma Hongjun's miserable days had only just begun.