Thunder Fire Bird

"This Thunder Fire Bird's cultivation is around fifteen hundred years. You three try to defeat it."

Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun immediately stepped forward.

Ning Rongrong stood at the back, beckoned with one hand, and her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul appeared in her hand. Two yellow Soul Rings rose from her feet.

"Seven Treasures have names, the first is: Strength."

"Seven Treasures have names, the second is: Speed."

Two streams of light were successively applied to Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun, increasing their strength and making their bodies lighter.

The Thunder Fire Bird in mid-air let out a sharp cry upon seeing this. Then, it opened its pointed beak and spat a golden-red flame towards the three on the ground.

Ma Hongjun immediately released his Phoenix martial soul. Two yellow Soul Rings rose from his feet, which he activated simultaneously.

Fierce purple flames erupted. Ma Hongjun unleashed his second soul skill, "Phoenix Bathing in Fire," and his imposing aura instantly grew. He then used his first soul skill, "Phoenix Fire Line," spitting out a purplish-red flame from his mouth.

BOOM!

The Thunder Fire Bird's golden-red flame collided with Ma Hongjun's purplish-red flame in mid-air, creating crackling explosions.

The scorching heat warped the surrounding air, and waves of heat continuously assaulted them from above.

The two flames held their ground for a while, but because Ma Hongjun's cultivation was weaker, the power of the Phoenix Fire Line was constantly suppressed. The two fire lines, which were originally the same length, had significantly shortened on Ma Hongjun's side.

Zhu Zhuqing, seeing this, immediately released her martial soul, the Hell Spirit Cat. Two yellow Soul Rings also rose from her feet.

She activated her first Soul Ring and used the soul skill "Hell Stab." Her entire body turned into an afterimage as she charged towards the Thunder Fire Bird in mid-air.

Upon reaching the Thunder Fire Bird, Zhu Zhuqing used her momentum to leap, springing up like a nimble cat. She simultaneously activated her second Soul Ring and used the soul skill "Netherworld Hundred Claws."

Countless black claw shadows were unleashed from her paws, swiping at the Thunder Fire Bird above her.

However, the Thunder Fire Bird's figure flickered nimbly at this moment. Its small body glided rapidly and continuously in the air, changing its position in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Hundred Claws missed. Her figure fell back to the ground as she continued to search for an opportunity.

The Thunder Fire Bird in mid-air seemed to have become much smarter. It no longer attacked proactively. When attacks occasionally came its way, it dodged by gliding, leaving the three on the ground frustrated.

Yu Xiaogang had anticipated this. Thunder Fire Birds possessed two powerful abilities: one was the thunder and fire nurtured within their bodies, and the other was their rapid gliding ability.

Currently, its thunder and fire were being blocked by Ma Hongjun's phoenix flames, and with Zhu Zhuqing posing a threat nearby, it naturally dared not attack rashly.

"Alright, come back."

Yu Xiaogang called the three back and then looked at Flender, saying, "Come on, it's time for the 'Flying Corner' of our Golden Iron Triangle to make an appearance."

Flender chuckled and stretched his arms, moving his body.

"This old body hasn't been used in a while, it's time to stretch it out."

He then released his Owl Martial Soul, and seven Soul Rings rose successively from his feet.

Flender activated his third purple Soul Ring, and two golden wings instantly materialized behind him. The whole person then "whooshed" into the air, lunging towards the Thunder Fire Bird in mid-air.

The Thunder Fire Bird, seeing someone attacking it, immediately dodged and glided away. But halfway through its movement, it was caught by the eagle claws formed by Flender.

Flender, as if grabbing a chick, poured his Soul Power into the Thunder Fire Bird. The Thunder Fire Bird immediately let out a wail, tilted its head, kicked its legs, and instantly fainted.

Then, with a difficult and beautiful glide, Flender landed gracefully on the ground before tossing the Thunder Fire Bird in front of everyone.

The smooth and elegant movements made Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun yearn for it. Being able to fly freely in the sky was an ability every Soul Master longed for.

And Flender's performance was enough to prove that his title of "Flying Horn" was not in vain.

On the other side, Yu Xiaogang, after seeing Flender's flashy performance, couldn't help but curl his lips. He then said, "Come on, Hongjun, this will be your third Soul Ring."

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up at the words. He stepped forward a few paces, took out a dagger, and stabbed it into the Thunder Fire Bird's eye socket, piercing its head.

A purple Soul Ring then materialized in mid-air. Ma Hongjun sat down on the spot, guiding the Soul Ring onto his Phoenix Martial Soul.

Seeing this, Flender immediately stood guard beside his disciple. Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong walked to the black Oil Wood in the center.

Yu Xiaogang reached out and touched the trunk of the Oil Wood. A faint, electric numbness emanated from its smooth, shiny black exterior, causing his Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul to become slightly restless.

A satisfied smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. Liu Erlong, standing beside him, also smiled and asked, "Xiaogang, is this the material you were looking for?"

"Yes," Yu Xiaogang patted the Oil Wood in front of him. "This is a special Lightning Strike Wood. After being baptized by Heavenly Thunder, it didn't completely die. Instead, it mixed its life force with the power of Heavenly Thunder, thus transforming its structure."

"On one hand, it can store lightning, but more importantly, it can transmit lightning without any loss and convert the power of lightning to a level that Soul Masters can accept. It's an excellent material for building lightning-attribute Mimicry Training Grounds."

"Erlong, let's not damage the roots later. This kind of Lightning Strike Wood has extremely strong vitality. If we leave the roots, it will grow back on its own in the future."

Liu Erlong nodded, then unleashed her Fire Dragon Martial Soul. Following Yu Xiaogang's instructions, she used her dragon claws to gently slash at the base of the Lightning Strike Wood. The entire Lightning Strike Wood was completely severed and fell to the ground.

The Lightning Strike Wood was then cut into eight sections, and along with its crown, it was stored in a large Soul Tool.

Unknowingly, the sun had already set.

After absorbing the Soul Ring, Ma Hongjun immediately opened his eyes, his face clearly showing excitement.

He immediately released his Martial Soul, then activated the newly absorbed third purple Soul Ring. A pair of purplish-red phoenix wings instantly materialized on his back.

Ma Hongjun crouched slightly, then leaped up fiercely. With the flapping of his wings, he flew into the air.

"Hahaha, I can fly too!"

After circling in the air a few times, Ma Hongjun lowered his body and swooped down towards the ground, wanting to replicate Flender's move.

However, Flender's move was clearly not that easy to copy. Ma Hongjun adjusted his body too slowly and didn't leave enough height, so with a "splat," he fell to the ground, face-planting.

"Hahaha..."

Everyone burst into laughter. Flender stepped forward, patted his disciple's shoulder, and said with a smile, "My move isn't that simple. You're still too green, kid. Practice for a few more years!"

After Flender helped Ma Hongjun up, Yu Xiaogang stepped forward to help brush off the dust and asked, "Hongjun, what is your third spirit ability?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Hongjun immediately puffed out his chest, saying proudly, "My third spirit ability is called Phoenix Heavenly Soar..."

Objective achieved, key plot point advanced correctly!

Although he didn't know if it was a coincidence, since it was the same spirit ability as in the original work, it was still a good thing. After all, the Shrek Seven Devils in the original work all ascended to the God Realm in the end.

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. Liu Erlong, standing beside him, then asked, "Xiaogang, what do we do next? Are we camping here?"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head and said, "No, we need to set out to find the next Soul Beast. Some Soul Beasts can only be found at night."