A Contest of First Soul Skills! Flender the Iron Rooster, Stingy to the Bone!

Ji Bai shrugged. "It's unbearably hot, and I can't calm down enough to cultivate, so I came out to move around."

Flender looked around and noticed that the enormous boulder from before had vanished, leaving only rubble all over the ground. There was also a broken tree behind Ji Bai. He frowned. "Did you cause all this?"

Ji Bai nodded somewhat awkwardly.

Flender's eyes widened in surprise as he stammered, "Y-you... how did you do that?"

Ji Bai shrugged and explained, "I just tried out my first soul skill."

Flender raised his brows, sounding somewhat surprised. "It's pretty powerful."

"Can you still use it?"

"Use it once for me to see."

Ji Bai had no problem with that.

Flender turned to Ma Hongjun and said, "Hong Jun, release your first soul skill too and clash with Xiaobai. Let me see."

Ma Hongjun rubbed his waist and stretched his limbs, his face full of distress. "Teacher, I'm really tired right now. I have no strength left. How about next time?"

Flender frowned and scolded him, "Quit talking nonsense. Release your first soul skill with all your strength."

Ma Hongjun sighed and had no choice but to release his Martial Soul. After the Evil Fire Phoenix possessed him, his limbs became thicker, feathered plumes grew from his arms like a pair of wings, and his red hair gathered into a mohawk.

Ji Bai released his Martial Soul as well. After the possession, his originally red hair took on a bright sheen, while his crimson eyes suddenly blazed with intense light. A translucent phoenix shadow wrapped around him, merging with him alongside the Evil Fire.

Flender immediately noticed the difference between the two after their Martial Soul Possession and frowned.

Something wasn't right!

Ma Hongjun had undergone Martial Soul Possession before, but he had looked vastly different from how he did now. Back then, he had looked almost exactly like Ji Bai. Why had such a major change occurred now?

"First soul skill, Phoenix Fire Line!"

Ma Hongjun did not dwell on the difference in his appearance after Martial Soul Possession. Following Flender's command, he used his first soul skill on Ji Bai.

He opened his mouth and fired a purplish-red flame beam containing searing heat straight at Ji Bai.

"First soul skill, Flame Spin Burst!"

Scorching waves of fire surged around Ji Bai. After condensing and compressing, they formed a tornado that charged toward the flame beam.

Boom—

As the two collided, the waves of fire swept in all directions.

However.

Before even three seconds had passed, the flame beam was swallowed by the fiery tornado.

Ji Bai lifted his hand and waved it, and the fiery tornado changed direction, shooting straight into the sky before vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye.

"The gap is that obvious?"

Flender frowned as he pondered the scene from moments ago, his gaze shifting back and forth between Ji Bai and Ma Hongjun.

"Huff, huff, huff—"

The moment the contest ended, Ma Hongjun began panting heavily, looking utterly exhausted.

"You're already done after using a soul skill once?"

"No wonder people despise you!"

Flender slapped Ma Hongjun on the back of the head and spoke irritably.

"I really am tired..."

Ma Hongjun curled his lips, his face full of indignation. "Once I've eaten and drunk my fill and gotten a good night's rest, I definitely won't be like that tomorrow."

Flender said flatly, "Tomorrow, the two of you will first go to the Spirit Hall in the city to register as Soul Masters. Then you'll receive one Gold Soul Coin every month, but don't spend it recklessly. Use it to pay your tuition!"

"Huh? Pay tuition?" Ma Hongjun froze, scratching his head as he asked, "Aren't I your personal disciple? I still have to pay tuition?"

Flender said dismissively, "Even my own son would have to pay tuition to study here!"

Ji Bai's mouth twitched at that.

He felt the five Silver Soul Coins remaining in his pocket, thought for a moment, then took out one and handed it to Flender. "Headmaster, I already went to the Spirit Hall to register as a Soul Master today, but I spent so much that I only have one Silver Soul Coin left."

"What?!" Flender's eyes flew wide open. "You little spendthrift! You spent an entire Gold Soul Coin in one day until you had only one Silver Soul Coin left?"

Ji Bai said helplessly, "I bought myself two new outfits and had a meal. There was no helping it—the things in the city are just too expensive."

"Even a mosquito has meat on it." Flender sighed, took the Silver Soul Coin, and said, "Remember this: you still owe me nine Gold Soul Coins and nine Silver Soul Coins."

Ji Bai was speechless.

Flender immediately said to Ma Hongjun, "You still owe me ten Gold Soul Coins in tuition."

"Huh?!"

"Wouldn't that mean I need to collect ten months of subsidies before I can pay off my tuition?"

Ma Hongjun stood there blankly.

"That's not my problem. Not a single coin can be missing! Besides, did taking you to the chicken coop not cost money?"

Flender knocked Ma Hongjun on the head irritably, then continued, "You two must pay ten Gold Soul Coins in tuition every year. Once you reach level twenty, you'll have to pay one hundred every year!"

At the mention of the chicken coop, Ma Hongjun grinned and walked over to Ji Bai, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"Xiaobai, Teacher took me to a wonderful place. Not only does it mean I don't have to suffer from the Evil Fire anymore, it also feels amazing."

Flender rolled his eyes. "Xiaobai, I'll take you to deal with your Evil Fire tomorrow too. As the saying goes, it's better to channel than to block. Once the Evil Fire accumulates to a certain degree, you'll die."

Although Ji Bai already knew, he still asked, "What method do you use?"

Ma Hongjun gave a lecherous grin. "We go into the city to find older sisters... Do you know the biggest difference between you and me now? I'm already an adult, while you're still just a child!"

Ji Bai glanced at Ma Hongjun, and his mouth twitched.

Is being an adult determined by that?

Flender smiled. "I'll take you there tomorrow, and you'll find out what the method is."

Ji Bai pushed away Ma Hongjun, who reeked of rouge, and said seriously, "Headmaster, I'm not an idiot. I understand exactly what Little Ma means, but I won't use that method. I can control the Evil Fire through my own willpower. I'm confident in that."

What kind of willpower could a child his age possibly have...

Flender shook his head dismissively. Some people would not turn back until they hit a wall. Once Ji Bai could no longer endure it, he would naturally come asking for help.

"Suit yourself."

"It's getting late. Go back and sleep."

With that, he turned and left without another word.

"Xiaobai, it really feels amazing!" Ma Hongjun licked his lips, beginning to savor the memory of that sensation.

"Doing that too often isn't good for you. Be careful your body can't take it. Besides, indulging yourself blindly will make you dependent on it. You need to learn self-control." With that, Ji Bai left directly.

"Fine, don't go! And you're still lecturing me!" Ma Hongjun curled his lips, thoroughly unconcerned.

After using Soul Power three times in succession, Ji Bai felt that the Evil Fire's influence was negligible. In his current state, he could cultivate until the next day.

He even kept a bucket of water beside his bed in case of emergencies.

Ma Hongjun glanced at Ji Bai, who had already begun meditating, yawned, and lay down to sleep.