Armor, combine?

Under Bai Chenxiang's control, the Sharp-Tailed Swift's energy form opened its pointed beak and clamped down on one of the birds' necks.

The bird trembled the instant it was bitten, then turned into a ball of white light and merged into the Sharp-Tailed Swift's energy body.

Bai Chenxiang's eyes lit up. She could feel her martial soul cheering, as though devouring this bird had brought it tremendous benefits.

Without hesitation, she immediately commanded her martial soul to repeat the action and devour the other two birds.

Bai Chenxiang's martial soul had originally been silver-white all over. After devouring the three birds, its entire body turned brilliant gold.

Not only that, a glassy horn grew from its head.

Its entire body also grew several sizes larger.

System notification: Bai Chenxiang's martial soul evolution is complete. The high-tier martial soul Sharp-Tailed Swift has evolved into the top-tier martial soul Golden Horned Swallow.

Not bad. Liu Hao nodded inwardly. The Golden Horned Swallow looked much cooler than the Sharp-Tailed Swift.

"Brother Hao, my martial soul really evolved! Thank you!"

Bai Chenxiang rushed over excitedly and gave Liu Hao a huge hug.

"Haha, you're satisfied already? We're not done yet."

Enjoying the soft, warm beauty in his arms, Liu Hao stroked Bai Chenxiang's silky hair.

"System, what are the conditions for Bai Chenxiang's martial soul's next evolution?"

One simplification attempt must be deducted. Proceed?

"Huh? You damned system, doesn't martial soul evolution only need one simplification? Why are you charging me again?"

You damned host, only your martial souls need just one simplification. For everyone else, one simplification only allows one evolution. Moreover, other people's martial souls can only evolve to a quality one grade below yours at most.

"...Fine, so many hoops to jump through. Use another simplification attempt and evolve Bai Chenxiang's martial soul again."

Host request received. Simplifying Bai Chenxiang's martial soul evolution...

One simplification attempt consumed. Remaining attempts: 55. Simplification complete. Bai Chenxiang's martial soul evolution methods-consuming heavenly treasures, practicing special cultivation techniques, absorbing soul rings from powerful soul beasts of the same kind, etc.-have been simplified to: devour 30 creatures of the same kind, namely birds, with a life value above 1,000.

Sure enough, the evolution requirements had increased tenfold.

Then, if I don't use a simplification attempt and simply devour ten times as many soul beasts again, could it evolve?

Host, stop dreaming of feasting on thin air. Without this system's laws empowering it, all of that is empty talk.

"...All right."

Liu Hao felt rather helpless. He had thought he had discovered a system bug, but it turned out he had been overthinking things.

Birds, whether ordinary animals or soul beasts, with a life value of 1,000 were still quite common.

In the time it took an incense stick to burn, Liu Hao found all the birds Bai Chenxiang needed.

After her martial soul devoured the final bird, the Golden Horned Swallow's appearance changed again.

Streams of seven-colored light began shimmering across its brilliant golden body. Its glassy horn also shone with seven-colored radiance from time to time, brimming with a sacred aura.

The martial soul's entire body grew several sizes larger again, looking even taller and bigger than a person.

System notification: Bai Chenxiang's martial soul evolution is complete. The top-tier martial soul Golden Horned Swallow has evolved into the god-level martial soul Seven-Colored Glazed Swallow.

Feeling her martial soul's tremendous transformation, Bai Chenxiang no longer knew how to express her joy.

She could only keep hugging Liu Hao, wanting him to feel her heartbeat up close, wanting to be closer to him, wanting to breathe in more of his scent.

"Brother Hao, thank you. You're so wonderful. I'm so happy. I like you so much..."

Bai Chenxiang poured out her affection incoherently, trying to make Liu Hao feel her sincerity.

Fortunately, she was an innocent little flower who still knew nothing about certain strange things.

Otherwise, Liu Hao might have been the one getting devoured today.

Liu Hao stroked Bai Chenxiang's back soothingly and said gently, "All right, silly girl. I know how you feel, and I like you a lot too. Why else would I help you evolve your martial soul?"

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Hehe, you're so good to me."

"Thank you. You have excellent taste, too."

After they spent a while being lovey-dovey, Liu Hao tried using the system to help Bai Chenxiang evolve again. The result was just as the system had said: she could not evolve any further.

Only once he reached the Divine Realm in the future and evolved his own martial soul again would he be able to help Bai Chenxiang's martial soul evolve once more.

There was nothing he could do. She would just have to make do with a god-level martial soul for now and leave the rest for later.

After testing the changes in the strength of Bai Chenxiang's soul skills, Liu Hao began evolving his own martial soul.

"System, I want to evolve my second martial soul. Simplify it for me."

Host request received. Simplifying the evolution of the second martial soul, Radiant Rainbow Bird...

One simplification attempt consumed. Remaining attempts: 54. Simplification complete. The martial soul Radiant Rainbow Bird's evolution methods-consuming heavenly treasures, practicing special cultivation techniques, absorbing soul rings from powerful soul beasts of the same kind, etc.-have been simplified to: devour 3 creatures of the same kind, namely birds, with a life value above 100.

Much like Bai Chenxiang's, his second martial soul, Radiant Rainbow Bird, had yet to reach the top tier.

Next came the familiar bird-catching routine.

The Radiant Rainbow Bird also began its wondrous journey of transformation.

During its first evolution, its pale golden feathers turned orange, it gained a formidable fire attribute, and its body doubled in size.

It transformed from the high-tier martial soul Radiant Rainbow Bird into the top-tier martial soul Flame-Rainbow Phoenix, comparable to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

During its second evolution, its feathers turned fiery red, its whole body radiated scorching heat, and it gained the power of ultimate fire.

Its body grew several times larger again, becoming enormous, with more than a dozen long, flowing plumes that looked stunning.

By now, it had transformed from the top-tier martial soul Flame-Rainbow Phoenix into the god-level martial soul Blazing Divine Phoenix, comparable to the Holy Angel.

Its third evolution took more than two hours before it finally devoured enough energy.

The Blazing Divine Phoenix's color changed once more, shifting from vivid fiery red toward a deep, mysterious purple.

It was no longer dazzling and flamboyant.

Instead, it became restrained and mysterious.

Even so, the faint layer of pale purple flames emanating from its body still sent a chill down one's spine.

The mortal world's so-called ultimate fire could no longer describe it.

These pale purple flames had transcended the mortal realm and reached the level of ultimate divine flame, standing at the very pinnacle even in the Divine Realm.

It had already touched the power of laws. The gulf between it and ultimate fire was like the divide between immortals and mortals.

If Liu Hao had already become a god and had divine power within him to empower it, this ultimate divine flame could likely burn through the very fabric of space on the Douluo Continent with ease.

System notification: Congratulations! The host's god-level martial soul Blazing Divine Phoenix has evolved into the god-king-level martial soul-Purple Flame Ultimate Emperor Phoenix.

"Oh? Emperor? What a badass name!"

Liu Hao's eyes lit up. He was quite pleased with the system's naming skills.

For some inexplicable reason, his inner edgelord awakened. He summoned his second martial soul and activated Martial Soul Possession, while striking several strange poses and shouting:

"Emperor Armor! Combine!"