Ma Hongjun Takes a Master! First Time Cultivating Evil Fire Backfires!

Ma Hongjun looked up, tears still hanging on his face.

"Really?"

"My word is my bond, Flender."

Flender patted his chest.

"Alright!"

Ma Hongjun nodded vigorously. "I'm willing! Master!"

"Excellent!"

Flender's eyes crinkled into slits as he smiled.

Recruiting another promising sprout, and a direct disciple at that—this trip was well worth it.

Oscar leaned over to Fu Wen's ear and whispered, "The old man took on another apprentice. Aren't you, his own son, jealous?"

"Jealous of what?"

Fu Wen rolled his eyes. "It's livelier with more people around."

Despite what he said, he was frantically complaining in his heart.

The solution to the Evil Fire backlash?

Going to brothels to find women to vent?

Is this your great solution, Flender?

Fu Wen's mouth twitched, his face full of helplessness.

In the original story, Ma Hongjun spent his entire childhood running to those places, burning through money like water and picking up all sorts of bad habits.

Most importantly, this didn't solve the problem at all; it was just indulgence!

The Evil Fire remained; it was only temporarily vented.

Treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

Now that he was here, things couldn't be done that way.

Ma Hongjun was only six years old, his worldview not yet formed; there was still time to change everything.

He had to be steered in the right direction from the very beginning.

Fu Wen looked at Ma Hongjun's chubby face, calculating silently.

What was the essence of the Evil Fire?

The flame was impure, containing impurities.

Then the solution shouldn't be venting the fire, but purification.

Refining the evil energy within the flames to make them pure.

That was the proper path.

As for the specifics...

Fu Wen pondered, forming a few ideas in his mind.

Once they returned, he would take it slow.

In any case, that kid was never going to set foot in a brothel in this lifetime.

"Xiao Pang, let's go! Follow Master back to the academy!"

Flender stood up and waved his hand grandly.

"Okay!"

Ma Hongjun wiped away his tears and grinned.

Watching this scene, the corners of Fu Wen's mouth curled upward.

This little fatty was actually quite cute.

They would be fellow disciples from now on.

He would have to take good care of him.

It was already afternoon by the time Flender brought Ma Hongjun back to Shrek Academy.

"Come, come, everyone, gather 'round!"

Flender stood in the middle of the training ground, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Zhao Wuji, Shao Xin, Li Yusong, and Lu Qibin walked over from different directions.

"Dean, what are you so happy about?"

Seeing the smile on Flender's face, Zhao Wuji asked curiously.

"I'm here to introduce someone to you all."

Flender pushed Ma Hongjun forward: "This is Ma Hongjun, my personal disciple. From today on, he is a student of Shrek Academy!"

"Personal disciple?"

Zhao Wuji looked Ma Hongjun up and down, raising an eyebrow.

This little fatty was round and chubby, looking only five or six years old; what kind of ability could he possibly have?

"Don't let his size fool you, his Martial Soul is a phoenix!"

Flender said, brimming with pride.

"A phoenix?!"

The expressions of the few people present changed simultaneously.

"That's right, Evil Fire Phoenix, a top-tier beast Martial Soul!"

Flender's tail was practically wagging in the air.

"What is his Innate Soul Power?"

Li Yusong pushed up his glasses and asked the most critical question.

"Nine and a half levels."

Flender's tone carried a hint of regret: "If not for a defect in his Martial Soul, he would certainly have Innate Full Soul Power."

"Nine and a half levels..."

Li Yusong nodded: "That is still very impressive."

Zhao Wuji crouched down and pinched Ma Hongjun's arm.

"Little fatty, you have a solid foundation."

"Train hard in the future and don't embarrass your master."

"Mm!"

Ma Hongjun nodded vigorously.

Shao Xin walked over and patted Ma Hongjun on the head.

"Little fatty, tell your uncle whatever you want to eat in the future, and I'll make it for you."

"Really?"

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up.

"Of course."

Shao Xin said with a chuckle.

Lu Qibin stood to the side without speaking, merely nodding to acknowledge the greeting.

Flender looked around and cleared his throat.

"Alright, I now officially announce!"

"Shrek Academy currently has three students!"

"Oscar, Fu Wen, and Ma Hongjun!"

"I would rather have nothing than settle for less; if they aren't monsters, I won't accept them!"

"In the future, our academy's reputation will only grow!"

Zhao Wuji and the others exchanged glances and smiled.

This dilapidated academy finally looked like the real deal.

After settling Ma Hongjun in, Flender called him into his office.

"Xiao Pang, from now on, you are my personal disciple."

Flender sat in his chair, his expression serious.

"I am going to teach you meditation cultivation, and you must learn it earnestly."

"As long as you work hard, it won't be long before you break through to level ten and hunt your first soul ring."

"At that time, you will be a true Spirit Master."

Ma Hongjun felt his blood boil with excitement and clenched his fists.

"Master, I will definitely learn well!"

"Mm."

Flender nodded in satisfaction and began to teach the method of meditation.

Over the next two days, Ma Hongjun practiced diligently.

The training volume Flender arranged for him was not large, focusing primarily on adapting to meditation.

After all, he had only just awakened his Martial Soul, so he could not be too hasty.

Oscar was also seizing every moment to push through the bottleneck of level twenty.

He felt as if he were separated by only a thin membrane, one that could be pierced at any moment.

Fu Wen trained as usual, engaging in actual combat during the day and taking medicinal baths followed by meditation at night.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

The third day.

Evening.

Oscar was practicing his punches on the training ground, with Fu Wen guiding him from the side.

Ma Hongjun sat cross-legged in the shade of a tree, his eyes closed in meditation.

Suddenly, Ma Hongjun's body began to tremble.

His complexion turned bright red, as if he had been scorched by fire.

Why is it so hot...

Ma Hongjun opened his eyes, gasping for air.

A wave of intense heat surged from within his body, impossible to suppress.

"Hot... so hot..."

Ma Hongjun's skin began to flush, and his hair turned red.

Flames erupted from his body.

These were not the controllable flames from his awakening, but wild, manic, and uncontrollable fire.

"Xiao Pang?"

Oscar sensed something was wrong, stopped his movements, and looked toward Ma Hongjun.

Ma Hongjun did not answer.

His eyes had turned crimson, with flames burning within his pupils.

It was not a normal gaze, but one devoid of reason.

"Not good!"

Fu Wen's expression shifted.

Evil Fire backlash!

Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire was erupting for the first time!

"Xiao Pang! Wake up!"

Oscar rushed over, trying to rouse Ma Hongjun.

But Ma Hongjun could no longer hear any sound.

He stood up and swung his arms!

BOOM!

Two balls of flame erupted from his palms, splashing in every direction!

One fireball slammed into the nearby thatched shed, which instantly burst into flames.

The other fireball flew toward the teaching building, nearly scorching the windows.

"Fire!"

Oscar shouted.

"I've got this!"

Fu Wen had no time to think and immediately released his Martial Soul.

"Divine Crocodile Possession!"

Golden vertical pupils lit up, and bronze-colored patterns emerged on the surface of his skin.

Fu Wen rushed in front of Ma Hongjun, reached out his hands, and grabbed Ma Hongjun's wrists.

Driven by the Innate Divine Crocodile Art, the Water Power within him transformed into a stream of cooling energy, surging into Ma Hongjun's body.

This was the most basic ability of Fu Wen's Divine Crocodile.

When he awakened his Martial Soul, a Water Vortex had appeared beside him.

After all, being a crocodile, water was one of its home turfs.

Of course, that did not mean it only possessed the water attribute.

There were other attributes as well.