Shrek Academy!

Flender nodded. The boost and restrictions were within a reasonable range.

"Give it a try." He took several steps back, making room for Ma Hongjun. "Let me see your Wings of Light."

Ma Hongjun took a deep breath as Soul Power surged within him.

His first soul ring rose from beneath his feet, its yellow glow faintly flickering in the morning light.

Martial Soul Possession!

Dark crimson flames burst from Ma Hongjun's body and gathered behind him.

Strands of pale golden patterns ran through the flames, far more distinct than before he had absorbed the soul ring.

Immediately afterward, the flames spread and stretched to either side, gradually taking the shape of a pair of wings.

They were a pair of translucent Light Wings.

Their base color was pale gold, their edges glimmering with a faint white radiance, as though they had been woven from the first ray of dawn.

The Light Wings were not solid, but formed from pure flames of light. They fluttered gently in the air, scattering specks of golden light.

Ma Hongjun could feel a clear current flowing out from the soul ring and into every part of his body the instant the Light Wings unfolded.

The scorching heat of the Evil Fire noticeably subsided.

The irritation that had constantly lingered in his heart faded like smoke blown away by the wind.

His thoughts became clearer, and his body felt much lighter, as if he had cast off a layer of shackles.

"So this is... Wings of Light."

Ma Hongjun murmured as he tried flapping them.

The Light Wings gave a powerful beat, lifting his feet off the ground.

He was unsteady at first, his body swaying slightly like a baby learning to walk.

But Ma Hongjun quickly found his balance. As the movement of his Light Wings gradually synchronized with his body, he slowly rose two or three meters into the air.

Flender looked up, a flash of amazement passing through his eyes.

That pair of Light Wings truly was beautiful.

Pale golden streams of light traced graceful arcs through the air, sharply contrasting with the dark crimson flames surrounding Ma Hongjun.

One was sinister, the other sacred. Two completely opposing attributes now coexisted harmoniously within the same Martial Soul.

"Fly around once." Flender ordered.

Ma Hongjun nodded, and the Light Wings beat with all their strength.

His body shot forward, far faster than running, roughly fifty percent faster.

The wind howled past his ears, and the trees raced backward beneath him. That sensation of soaring freely nearly made him want to throw back his head and howl.

But he soon felt the limits of the Light Wings.

After flying for around forty seconds, the Light Wings began to destabilize, and their golden glow gradually dimmed.

Ma Hongjun felt the Soul Power in his body draining rapidly, like water pouring from an opened reservoir that was about to run dry.

He hurriedly descended. The Light Wings dispersed the instant he touched the ground, turning into flecks of golden light that melted back into his body.

"How was it?" Flender asked.

"I flew for about forty seconds." Ma Hongjun was slightly out of breath. "The Soul Power consumption is huge. With my current total Soul Power, I could probably sustain it for one minute at most."

"Not bad." Flender nodded in satisfaction.

"Gaining flight from your first soul ring is already an unexpected delight. The short duration and limited altitude can both improve as your Soul Power grows. Once you reach Soul Ancestor or Soul King level, the potential of these Light Wings can truly be brought out."

Ma Hongjun wholeheartedly agreed.

He only had level ten Soul Power right now. Achieving this much had already far exceeded his expectations.

"There's another discovery," Ma Hongjun added. "When the Light Wings are spread, the backlash from the Evil Fire is clearly reduced. Those forty seconds of flight were the clearest and most comfortable I've felt since awakening."

A sharp gleam flashed through Flender's eyes.

That was an unexpected gain.

"The power of light suppresses the Evil Fire, and the effect is most obvious during flight."

Flender pondered for a moment. "This means that when your Evil Fire acts up in the future, you can spread the Light Wings at any time to ease the symptoms."

Ma Hongjun nodded, feeling even more satisfied with this first soul skill.

Wings of Light not only gave him the ability to fly, but also gave him a weapon to fight the Evil Fire.

From today onward, he was no longer that Evil Fire Phoenix who could only scrape by in brothels.

He was Ma Hongjun.

Ma Hongjun, walking toward the light.

"Let's go. It's time to head back." Flender turned and walked toward the edge of the forest. "Shrek Academy is still waiting for you."

Ma Hongjun took one last look at the Soul Hunting Forest, then followed his teacher's footsteps.

Although the pale golden Light Wings had already been withdrawn, he knew they were still there.

Ready to unfold again at any moment.

After leaving the Soul Hunting Forest, Flender did not linger in Suotuo City. He took Ma Hongjun straight to Shrek Academy.

"Teacher, where is the academy?" Ma Hongjun asked curiously as he followed behind Flender.

Although he had a rough impression of Shrek Academy's location from his previous life.

Some inconspicuous village outside Suotuo City.

He really did not know exactly where it was.

"Not far." Flender replied without looking back. "Leave through Suotuo City's south gate and head southeast for about half a shichen. You'll be there."

Ma Hongjun silently memorized that.

Half a shichen later, Flender stopped in front of a rundown village.

Ma Hongjun looked at the scene before him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

The village was small, with only a few dozen scattered households. Most had mud walls and thatched roofs, and proper brick houses were a rare sight.

A crooked wooden sign stood at the village entrance, with several lopsided characters painted on it in red.

"Shrek Academy."

Calling it an academy was generous. It was really just several connected courtyards, their walls made of rammed earth. Some sections had even collapsed halfway and were hastily patched with branches and fencing.

There was an open space in the courtyard, covered in gravel and barely qualifying as a training ground.

Ma Hongjun took a deep breath.

He knew Shrek was poor, but this level of poverty still exceeded his imagination.

This was not an academy at all. It was clearly an abandoned little village.

"What? You don't like it?" Flender shot him a sidelong glance.

"No." Ma Hongjun hurriedly shook his head and said with complete sincerity, "The environment doesn't matter. As long as the teachers are here, that's enough."

Flender snorted, but the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

This brat certainly knew how to talk.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and strode inside.

Ma Hongjun quickly followed.

In the courtyard, several children were undergoing physical training in the open space.

Push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle runs—each of them was exhausted and gasping for breath.

Ma Hongjun's gaze swept over the children before finally settling on one of them.

He was a boy of seven or eight, fair and clean-looking, with delicate features, though his expression carried a naturally lecherous air.

He wore a faded gray short tunic and was doing push-ups on the ground. His form was decent, but he was clearly nearing his limit.

Ma Hongjun's heart stirred.

Oscar.

The Food System Martial Soul user from the original story, with Innate Full Soul Power and a monopoly on Sausages.

"Headmaster Flender!"

The man supervising the training was broad and sturdy, with thick brows, large eyes, and an honest-looking square face.

He quickly came forward. "You're back? And this is..."

His gaze fell on Ma Hongjun as he looked him over from head to toe.

"A new disciple, Ma Hongjun."

Flender said blandly, then turned to Ma Hongjun. "This is Zhao Wuji, the academy's vice headmaster, a seven-ring Soul Saint. Just call him Teacher Zhao."