Everyone dispersed.
Fu Wen walked out of the meeting room and looked up at the night sky.
The stars shone brightly, and the moon was full.
But his thoughts were on Ma Hongjun.
Evil Fire Phoenix, Evil Fire backlash...
In the original story, Flender's solution was to send Xiao Pang to a brothel to vent his urges with women.
That was like quenching one's thirst with poison.
It seemed to solve the problem on the surface, but in reality, it only let the Evil Fire run rampant.
It harmed not only the body, but the mind as well.
Now that he was here, things couldn't be handled that way.
They had to get to the root of the problem.
Fu Wen thought it over and came up with a few possible approaches.
First, Immortal Herbs.
The original story had quite a few Immortal Herbs that could purify flames, like the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.
If they could get their hands on one, it could solve at least half of Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire problem.
Second, the Soul Ring.
It would be best to find a Soul Beast with light attributes and the ability to purify or remove impurities.
Maybe it really could work.
The original story had never taken this route, but now that he was here, it wasn't impossible to take a gamble.
Third, and most reliable of all:
The Innate Divine Crocodile Art.
Since this cultivation art could refine the soul, body, and spirit, in theory, it ought to be able to refine impurities too.
If he could find a cultivation art suited to Ma Hongjun, perhaps it could resolve the Evil Fire at its source.
Of course, that would take time.
There was no rushing it.
"Xiao Wen, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Flender's voice came from behind him.
Fu Wen turned around and looked at his father.
"Dad, you don't need to worry so much about Xiao Pang."
"There'll be a way."
Flender paused, then smiled.
"You brat, how come you're even more confident than I am?"
"Because I'm your son."
Fu Wen smiled faintly.
Flender shook his head with a laugh and patted Fu Wen on the shoulder.
"All right, get to bed early."
"We've got plenty to do tomorrow."
"Okay."
Fu Wen nodded and headed back to the dormitory.
When he pushed open the door, Ma Hongjun was still unconscious.
Oscar sat by his bed, keeping watch over him.
"Still hasn't woken up?"
Fu Wen walked over.
"Nope."
Oscar sighed. "Poor little fatty. He's had it rough."
"He's only six, and he's already suffering like this."
Fu Wen said nothing, simply looking at Ma Hongjun.
The little fatty really was pitiful.
But he wouldn't be pitiful forever.
Because from today on, someone would help him.
Fu Wen reached out and placed his hand on Ma Hongjun's forehead.
A cool stream of Water Power flowed in, helping stabilize the Evil Fire still lingering inside Ma Hongjun.
Ma Hongjun's brow relaxed a little, and his breathing steadied.
"Sleep."
Fu Wen spoke softly.
"When you wake up tomorrow, everything will be better."
Early the next morning, Fu Wen had just opened his eyes when an excited shout came from beside him.
"I broke through! I broke through!"
Ma Hongjun sat up in bed, his round face flushed red, his eyes full of disbelief.
"Level ten! I'm level ten!"
Fu Wen sat up and looked at Ma Hongjun, raising his eyebrows slightly.
He'd broken through the day after suffering an Evil Fire backlash?
Could this count as turning misfortune into a blessing?
"Xiao Pang, are you sure?"
Oscar poked his head out from under the covers, bleary-eyed.
"Absolutely! No doubt about it!"
Ma Hongjun nodded hard. "I can feel that the Soul Power inside me is much stronger than yesterday!"
"And..."
He scratched his head. "That burning, restless feeling is gone too. I feel great all over."
Fu Wen considered this.
Though the Evil Fire backlash had been dangerous, it seemed to have awakened the potential within Ma Hongjun.
That burst of flame had forced open the Soul Power that had been building up inside him.
It was like a dam bursting: the water had flooded everything, but it had also carved the riverbed wider.
"That's good."
Fu Wen got dressed. "Tell Dad later and have him take you to hunt your First Soul Ring."
"Okay!"
Ma Hongjun grinned.
In the cafeteria, Flender first froze when he heard that Ma Hongjun had broken through, then burst into laughter.
"Good! That's great!"
"Turning misfortune into a blessing! This is what you call turning misfortune into a blessing!"
Zhao Wuji sat across from them, took a bite of food, and mumbled with his mouth full:
"Little fatty, you sure have some luck."
"Yesterday you burned down the academy, and today you break through."
"Why don't you... burn it down again?"
Ma Hongjun shrank back. "Teacher Zhao, don't joke around."
"I didn't do it on purpose yesterday..."
"I know, I know."
Zhao Wuji waved a hand. "I'm just teasing you."
Shao Xin came over carrying a basket of buns and set it on the table.
"Xiao Pang, eat up. You need to build your strength back."
"Thanks, Uncle Shao!"
Ma Hongjun grabbed a bun and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.
Flender put down his chopsticks and spoke seriously:
"Since Xiao Pang has broken through, I'll take him to hunt his First Soul Ring in the next couple of days."
"How are things going for you, Xiao Ao?"
Oscar shook his head. "I'm just a little short. It feels like I could break through at any moment, but I'm still missing that last little push."
"Don't rush it."
Flender said, "That's how bottlenecks work for Soul Masters. Sometimes you're stuck for a few days, sometimes for a few months."
"Keep your mind at ease. Train when it's time to train, eat when it's time to eat, and you'll break through naturally."
"Okay."
Oscar nodded.
Fu Wen put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth.
"Dad, before Xiao Pang goes to hunt his Soul Ring, I want to talk about his Evil Fire problem."
Flender looked at him. "Go ahead."
"I brought up a few possible approaches at the meeting yesterday."
Fu Wen spoke calmly. "Heavenly treasures, Soul Rings, and meditation techniques."
"Heavenly treasures are impossible to find on demand, and meditation techniques will take time to work out."
"But getting a Soul Ring is something we can do right now."
"You mean..."
Flender's eyes lit up. "Use a Soul Ring to suppress Xiao Pang's Evil Fire?"
"Not just suppress it."
Fu Wen shook his head. "I'm thinking of purifying it."
"Purifying it?"
Flender stared at him, surprised.
"That's right."
Fu Wen nodded. "The problem with Xiao Pang's Martial Soul is that the flame isn't pure; it contains impurities."
"If we can find a Soul Beast whose Soul Ring has light attributes and the power to sanctify, purify, or remove impurities..."
"Then after Xiao Pang absorbs it, the Soul Ring's power might help purify the Evil Fire inside him."
"Even if it can't get rid of it completely, it should at least reduce how often the backlash happens and how severe it is."
"Maybe, in the later stages, it could even make his Martial Soul evolve."
At those words, everyone at the table fell silent.
Zhao Wuji put down his chopsticks, his brow furrowed.
"A light-attribute Soul Beast with the ability to purify..."
"That might actually work, but it won't be easy to find one."
Fu Wen said, "I know it won't be easy, but it's better than making Xiao Pang endure it forever."
"You all saw what happened yesterday. He's only six, and the Evil Fire has already rebounded."
"What about the future? It'll only happen more often, and the backlash will only get stronger."
"If we don't solve it at the root, something terrible will happen sooner or later."
"One day, even all of us together won't be able to suppress it. Then he'll lose his reason completely, becoming a beast that can only kill and destroy."
"By then, the only option will be to kill him."
Flender's face darkened.
What Fu Wen had said was exactly what he feared most.
Li Yusong adjusted his glasses and spoke up:
"Xiao Wen has a point."
"I've seen similar accounts in ancient books."
"Some Martial Soul flaws really can be remedied with Soul Rings of specific attributes."
"It isn't guaranteed to work, but it's worth a try."
Flender nodded. "All right. We'll go with Xiao Wen's plan."
Before you continue