Ma Hongjun took the Awakening Stone and closed his eyes.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Nothing happened.
Village Chief Ma's face fell again.
Just as everyone thought this child would awaken an ordinary Martial Soul too—
Boom!
A scorching aura burst out of Ma Hongjun!
The Awakening Stone shattered instantly!
Flames surged up from Ma Hongjun, blazing fiercely!
"What's going on?!"
Flender's pupils contracted, and he instinctively took a step back.
Oscar was so startled that he jumped.
"F-fire?!"
Fu Wen stood where he was, staring unblinkingly at Ma Hongjun.
Here it comes.
The Evil Fire Phoenix.
Ma Hongjun's Martial Soul was a top-tier Beast Martial Soul.
It wasn't in the very highest echelon, but among Beast Martial Souls, it was definitely one of the best.
The flames grew stronger and stronger.
Ma Hongjun's body began to change.
His hair turned red, like burning fire.
Behind him, a pair of wings formed from flames slowly unfurled.
They weren't solid, but the scorching aura they gave off made everyone wary of approaching.
"This is..."
Flender's eyes widened, and his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
"This is... a phoenix?!"
That was right.
The phantom behind Ma Hongjun was a gigantic bird wreathed in flames from head to toe.
The head, crest, and tail of a phoenix...
It wasn't a complete phoenix form, but its outline and bearing were unmistakably those of a phoenix!
"A phoenix... came out of Grass Chicken Village?"
Flender murmured to himself, his expression beyond extraordinary.
In all his years, he had never seen anything like this.
Village Chief Ma was so excited he couldn't speak.
A phoenix!
His nephew had awakened a phoenix Martial Soul!
That was a legendary divine beast!
"Good... good!"
Village Chief Ma stammered, "Wonderful! This is wonderful!"
Ma Hongjun opened his eyes and looked at the flames around him, then at the Phoenix Phantom behind him. His face was full of confusion.
"Uncle, what's happening to me?"
"You awakened your Martial Soul!"
Village Chief Ma grabbed Ma Hongjun and hugged him. "You awakened a phoenix!"
"A phoenix?"
Ma Hongjun scratched his head. "Isn't that just a chicken?"
"..."
The smile on Village Chief Ma's face froze.
Flender's mouth twitched.
Oscar burst out laughing.
Only Fu Wen stood there with an expressionless face.
His gaze settled on Ma Hongjun, a glint flashing deep in his eyes.
The Evil Fire Phoenix.
For now, it was still in the form of a fire chicken. This was only its initial evolution.
To complete its transformation into a true phoenix form, Ma Hongjun would need to raise his Soul Power Level and develop it by adding suitable Soul Rings.
Though the Martial Soul was powerful, it also had one fatal flaw: Evil Fire.
There were impurities in its flames, making them less than pure.
If Ma Hongjun couldn't control it, he would... well, do some things he shouldn't.
In the original story, the guy had gone to brothels to find women and vent his urges since childhood.
Of course, none of that mattered.
What mattered was whether Ma Hongjun was worth befriending.
Fu Wen silently considered it.
If there was a better way to control the backlash from the Evil Fire,
then Ma Hongjun couldn't be allowed to go to a brothel.
It was far too filthy there.
"Dean Flender, this child... how is he?"
Village Chief Ma came back to himself and looked anxiously at Flender.
Flender took a deep breath and composed himself.
"This child's Martial Soul is a phoenix, a top-tier Beast Martial Soul."
"But I can sense some unusual impurities in his flames..."
"And there's something sinister about them..."
"According to the books I've read, this is likely an Evil Fire Phoenix..."
"In other words, this Martial Soul has an innate flaw..."
"As for his Soul Power..."
Flender studied Ma Hongjun closely, frowning.
Then he took a crystal ball from his Storage Soul Tool and held it out to Ma Hongjun.
"Little fatty, put your hand on it."
Ma Hongjun obediently placed his hand on the ball.
Buzz!
The crystal ball lit up.
Its light grew brighter and brighter, then dimmed a little.
This might have been because of the flaw caused by the Evil Fire.
Without the Evil Fire, he would definitely have had Innate Full Soul Power.
But now he only had Innate Soul Power Level Nine and a Half.
"Innate Soul Power Level Nine and a Half?!"
"What a pity. If his flames were pure, he'd definitely have Innate Full Soul Power."
"The flaw cost him half a level. It isn't perfect."
"But it's not a big problem. I'll think of a way to fix it later."
"At least it isn't a useless Martial Soul. It's a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, and he'll be able to break through to level ten and hunt for his first Soul Ring before long."
Flender looked surprised.
Village Chief Ma didn't understand what Innate Full Soul Power meant, but from Flender's expression, he knew it had to be something good.
"Dean Flender, this..."
"Village Chief Ma, I'll take this child."
Flender spoke directly. "Send him to study at Shrek Academy. His tuition will be waived, and we'll cover his food and lodging."
"This... I couldn't possibly..."
Village Chief Ma protested out of politeness, but he couldn't hide his smile.
"It's settled."
"Village Chief Ma, I'll take him with me."
Flender patted Village Chief Ma on the shoulder, a hint of urgency in his voice.
As though he feared the other man might change his mind.
"Good, good, good! Dean Flender, I'm entrusting Xiao Pang to you!"
Village Chief Ma nodded repeatedly, his eyes growing a little red.
He didn't understand all that talk about Martial Souls, but he knew that following Flender was better than staying in the village.
"Xiao Pang, come here."
Flender beckoned to Ma Hongjun.
Ma Hongjun trotted over and looked up at Flender with his round face.
"Dean Flender, is my phoenix... really powerful?"
"It is powerful, but..."
Flender crouched down, his expression turning serious.
"Xiao Pang, I need to be honest with you."
"Your Martial Soul is called the Evil Fire Phoenix. It's a top-tier Beast Martial Soul."
"But it has a flaw."
Ma Hongjun froze. "A flaw? What kind of flaw?"
"There's an evil aura in your flames. They aren't pure."
Flender chose his words carefully. "If you can't control that evil aura, it'll... well... affect your body and behavior in the future."
"When that happens, you might do some things you shouldn't."
Ma Hongjun's face went pale.
"Th-then what do I do?"
His voice turned tearful. "Am I going to die?"
"You won't die, but it'll be troublesome."
Flender sighed.
Ma Hongjun's eyes reddened, and tears welled up in them.
He was only six, but he understood what "flaw" meant.
Didn't it just mean something was wrong with him?
Seeing that the time was right, Flender changed tack.
"But don't be afraid."
"I, Flender, a Seven-Ring Soul Sage and the dean of Shrek Academy, am willing to take you as my personal disciple."
"From now on, follow me. I'll find a way to fix the flaw in your Martial Soul."
"How does that sound?"
Before you continue