Lightning Fire Bird

"This Lightning Fire Bird is about fifteen hundred years old. Give it a try and see if you can defeat it."

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

Ning Rongrong stood at the rear and raised one hand. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul appeared in her palm, and two yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet.

"Seven Treasures Have Names, First: Strength."

"Seven Treasures Have Names, Second: Speed."

Two streams of light settled in turn over Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun. Their strength increased, and their bodies grew somewhat lighter.

Seeing this, the Lightning Fire Bird in midair let out a piercing squawk. Then it opened its slender beak and spewed golden-red flames at the three on the ground.

Ma Hongjun immediately released his Phoenix Martial Soul. Two yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, and he activated them both at once.

Violent purple flames burst forth. Ma Hongjun unleashed his second Soul Skill, "Phoenix Bathing in Fire," and his aura surged instantly. Then he followed with his first Soul Skill, "Phoenix Fire Line," spewing a stream of purplish-red flame from his mouth.

Boom!

The Lightning Fire Bird's golden-red flames collided with Ma Hongjun's purplish-red flames in midair, setting off a crackling barrage of explosions.

The scorching heat warped the air around them, and waves of heat rolled down from above.

The two flames held against each other for a while, but Ma Hongjun's cultivation was weaker, so the force of his Phoenix Fire Line was gradually suppressed. The two streams of flame had initially been the same length, but Ma Hongjun's had now shortened considerably.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing immediately released her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul. Two yellow Soul Rings likewise rose from beneath her feet.

She activated her first Soul Ring and unleashed the Soul Skill "Hell Stab," turning her body into a blur as she charged toward the Lightning Fire Bird in midair.

When she reached it, Zhu Zhuqing used her momentum to leap upward. She sprang into the air like a nimble cat, activating her second Soul Ring at the same time and unleashing the Soul Skill "Netherworld Hundred Claws."

Countless black claw-shadows swept from her hands, slashing at the Lightning Fire Bird above.

But the Lightning Fire Bird nimbly darted aside. Its small body glided rapidly through the air, changing position in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Hundred Claws missed. She dropped back to the ground and continued looking for an opportunity.

The Lightning Fire Bird in the air seemed to have grown more cunning, too. It stopped attacking and simply dodged by gliding whenever an attack came its way. The three on the ground were left at a loss.

Yu Xiaogang had expected this. Lightning Fire Birds possessed two powerful abilities: the lightning fire within their bodies and their ability to glide swiftly.

With Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame holding off its lightning fire, and Zhu Zhuqing threatening it from the side, it naturally didn't dare attack rashly.

"All right, come back."

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

Flender chuckled and spread his arms, loosening up.

"These old bones haven't seen much use lately. They could use a stretch."

Then he released his Owl Martial Soul, and seven Soul Rings rose one after another from beneath his feet.

Flender activated his third, purple Soul Ring. Two golden wings instantly formed on his back, and he shot into the air with a whoosh, reaching for the Lightning Fire Bird.

Seeing someone swoop toward it, the bird immediately glided aside. But before it could complete the maneuver, Flender's transformed eagle talons caught it.

Flender held it like a little chick and poured his Soul Power into its body. The Lightning Fire Bird let out a cry of pain, its head drooped, and its legs went limp. It passed out at once.

With a difficult, graceful glide, Flender landed stylishly on the ground and tossed the Lightning Fire Bird down in front of everyone.

His smooth, dashing display filled Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun with admiration. Every Soul Master longed to fly freely through the sky.

Flender's performance had also proved that his title, "Flying Horn," was well deserved.

Meanwhile, after watching Flender's flashy display, Yu Xiaogang pursed his lips and said, "Come on, Hongjun. This will be your third Soul Ring."

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up at once. He stepped forward and drove a dagger into the Lightning Fire Bird's head through its eye socket.

A purple Soul Ring condensed in the air. Ma Hongjun sat down cross-legged and drew it toward his Phoenix Martial Soul.

Flender immediately stood guard beside his disciple. Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong walked together to the black Oil Wood at the center.

Yu Xiaogang ran a hand over the tree trunk. A faint tingling of electricity emanated from its smooth, glossy black bark, stirring the Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul within him.

A satisfied smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. Liu Erlong smiled, too, and asked, "Xiao Gang, is this the material you were looking for?"

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

"It can store electricity, but more importantly, it can transmit it without loss and convert its power to a level Soul Masters can withstand. It's an ideal material for building a Lightning Attribute Mimicry Training Ground."

"Erlong, when we cut it down, don't damage the roots. This kind of Lightning Strike Wood is extremely hardy. If we leave the roots, it'll grow back in time."

Liu Erlong nodded and released her Fire Dragon Martial Soul. Following Yu Xiaogang's instructions, she lightly swept a dragon claw beneath the Lightning Strike Wood. The entire tree was cleanly severed and toppled to the ground.

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

Before anyone noticed, the sun had already set.

After absorbing the Soul Ring, Ma Hongjun immediately opened his eyes, excitement plain on his face.

He promptly released his Martial Soul and activated the third purple Soul Ring he had just absorbed. A pair of purplish-red phoenix wings instantly formed on his back.

Ma Hongjun crouched slightly, then leaped with all his might. With a flap of his wings, he flew into the air.

"Hahaha, I can fly too!"

After circling a few times overhead, Ma Hongjun lowered his body and dove toward the ground, trying to imitate Flender's move.

But Flender's technique clearly wasn't so easy to copy. Ma Hongjun was too slow to adjust his body and hadn't left himself enough height. With a splat, he hit the ground and landed face-first in the dirt.

"Hahaha..."

Everyone burst into laughter. Flender stepped over and patted his disciple on the shoulder. "My move isn't that simple, kid. You're still too green. Keep practicing for a few more years!"

After Flender helped Ma Hongjun up, Yu Xiaogang stepped forward to brush the dust off him and asked, "Hongjun, what's your third Soul Skill?"

Ma Hongjun lifted his chin proudly. "My third Soul Skill is called Phoenix Heavenly Soar..."

Goal achieved. The key plot had moved forward as intended!

Whether it was a coincidence or not, having the same Soul Skill as in the original story was a good thing. After all, the Shrek Seven Devils had all ascended to the Divine Realm in the original story.

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. Liu Erlong then asked, "Xiao Gang, what should we do next? Camp here for the night?"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "No. We have to set out to find the next Soul Beast. Some Soul Beasts can only be found at night."