Phoenix Spreads Its Wings

The phoenix, also known as the Seven-Colored Bird.

Pure phoenix flames should have been a true red suffused with seven-colored radiance, known as Seven-Colored Divine Fire.

Likewise, the Soul Power of a Fire Phoenix Martial Soul wielder should have been the same color.

Yet although Ma Hongjun possessed a phoenix martial soul, his Soul Power was purplish-red, with the purple so dark it was nearly black, leaving almost no red visible.

In purplish-red Soul Power, red represented phoenix flames, while purple represented Evil Fire.

Since Ma Hongjun's Soul Power showed almost no red at all, it was clear just how low the purity of his phoenix flames was.

"Looking at the proportions, it's probably over one to nine. One part phoenix flame, nine parts Evil Fire."

"No wonder Ma Hongjun became the Prostitute Phoenix in the original work. Phoenix flames with purity this low couldn't be fixed by just one or two Soul Rings from soul beasts with phoenix bloodlines."

Seeing it for himself was far more shocking than merely hearing about it. Even though he had been mentally prepared, Lin Rong was still stunned by the sheer abundance of Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire.

"Still, I remember that intense training can also consume Evil Fire."

For now, before obtaining the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, this was the only method available to consume the Evil Fire.

No matter what, he could not allow Ma Hongjun to become the Prostitute Phoenix again.

Therefore, he needed to tailor a high-intensity training regimen for Ma Hongjun, one that would ensure his Evil Fire was completely expended through training.

Inside the manor.

As time passed.

The violent Soul Power fluctuations around Ma Hongjun gradually calmed, while the purplish-red Soul Power surrounding him visibly faded.

Purple still occupied the overwhelming majority.

But compared to before, when one had to look closely to spot even the tiniest trace of red within his Soul Power, the red portion could now be seen at a glance.

The Soul Ring had only just been absorbed, and Ma Hongjun had yet to completely absorb the phoenix bloodline contained within the Five-Colored Pheasant.

Once some time had passed and Ma Hongjun had fully absorbed the Five-Colored Pheasant's phoenix bloodline, the purity of his phoenix flames could be refined even further.

On the ground, Ma Hongjun himself underwent considerable changes as the Soul Ring absorption concluded.

Not only had he grown a little taller, but he had also slimmed down considerably.

He had previously been a slightly chubby little boy, but now only a trace of baby fat remained on his face.

Absorbing a Soul Ring did not have a weight-loss effect, so there was only one explanation: Evil Fire made people gain weight.

Ma Hongjun had only cultivated for a little over two months after awakening his martial soul, so he had not accumulated much Evil Fire. It was all consumed during the absorption of the Soul Ring, and his body naturally returned to its normal state.

"Come, test your Soul Power Level."

The moment Ma Hongjun opened his eyes, he saw a yellow crystal ball tossed toward him, landing perfectly in his hand.

Looking at the crystal ball in his hand, Ma Hongjun poured his Soul Power into it.

As his Soul Power flowed in, the crystal ball lit up with a faint yellow glow.

"Level twelve at the peak, just a tiny bit away from level thirteen. Not bad!"

Lin Rong casually praised him.

After Ma Hongjun broke through level ten Soul Power, he continued cultivating for another month. Coupled with the Five-Colored Pheasant's four hundred and twenty-one years of cultivation, this Soul Power Level was perfectly normal.

"Tell me, what is your first Soul Skill?"

As he asked, Lin Rong was also thinking, This time, Ma Hongjun's first Soul Skill shouldn't be Phoenix Fire Line, right?

Ma Hongjun was stunned for a moment before coming back to his senses.

"My first Soul Skill is called Phoenix Descent. While the Soul Skill is active, phoenix flames form a defensive barrier around me, and its strength increases along with the growth of the phoenix flames."

"At the same time, phoenix flame power increases by fifty percent, and speed increases by fifty percent. With every additional Soul Ring, the effects increase by another five percent."

As he spoke, Ma Hongjun summoned the Fire Phoenix and activated Martial Soul Possession.

Unlike in the original work, where his hair turned into a mohawk, Ma Hongjun now grew a head of flowing purplish-red long hair after possessing the Fire Phoenix, though no wings appeared yet.

"First Soul Skill, Phoenix Descent!"

As his words fell, a phantom Fire Phoenix appeared above Ma Hongjun's head. Its true-red phoenix flames faintly shimmered with seven-colored radiance.

Immediately afterward, the Fire Phoenix phantom merged with Ma Hongjun, and a pair of illusory phoenix flame wings appeared behind him.

"Oh! I can fly! I can fly!"

Ma Hongjun instinctively controlled the Fire Phoenix wings, stumbling as he flew into the air.

"Honestly, flight is supposed to be an innate ability of the Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. Now he needs a Soul Skill just to fly—what's there to be happy about?"

Although Lin Rong mocked him like that, he was still rather satisfied with Ma Hongjun's first Soul Skill.

A Fire Phoenix Martial Soul should have been developed in the direction of an artillery mage.

Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Descent not only came with the defensive power of phoenix flames, but also covered the two abilities most important to an artillery mage: damage output and kiting.

And in the original work, just look at what sort of mess Flender turned Ma Hongjun into.

His first Soul Skill, Phoenix Fire Line, was a single-target skill with pitifully short range.

The Fourth Soul Skill, Phoenix Howling Heaven Strike—the phoenix, king of all birds, actually launched its attack from underground upward.

What left Lin Rong most speechless was that Phoenix Piercing Cloud Strike, the Sixth Soul Skill granted by a god-bestowed Soul Ring—the so-called soul skill most compatible with the soul master—was actually just an enhanced version of the Fourth Soul Skill.

Now that Ma Hongjun was in Lin Rong's hands, he absolutely could not let Ma Hongjun follow the same path as in the original story if he wanted to keep this sharp blade in his hand honed.

Above the Manor, Ma Hongjun had gone from stumbling about earlier to being able to fly fairly smoothly now.

This also emboldened Ma Hongjun. He kept flying higher and higher, forgetting that he had been maintaining Phoenix Descent all this time, continuously consuming Soul Power.

Soon, more than five minutes passed.

Ma Hongjun's Soul Power, at the peak of Level 12, was completely depleted.

In an instant, the Phoenix Descent state vanished, and the pair of Fire Phoenix wings behind Ma Hongjun disappeared as well.

"Ah~"

With a shriek, Ma Hongjun began freely falling through the air.

On the ground, The prepared Guard released his Martial Soul and layered various enhancement skills onto himself. Rather than letting the enormous impact break his arms, he steadily caught the falling Ma Hongjun.

That was only because Ma Hongjun had not flown high enough.

If he had fallen from the height Qian Renxue did in the later parts of the original story, even Level 98 Golden Crocodile, after using his Martial Soul Avatar, had been smashed into a pile of flesh. No one in Lin Rong's little Duke Mansion would have been able to catch him.

"Ha!"

Lin Rong looked at Ma Hongjun, who was still shaken, shook his head helplessly, and instructed:

"Take him away and comfort him properly. Don't let the dignified owner of a Fire Phoenix Martial Soul develop a fear of heights."

"Also, take that Five-Colored Pheasant to the kitchen. Have them cook it and send it to Ma Hongjun's courtyard."

Lin Rong had already checked that Five-Colored Pheasant while Ma Hongjun was absorbing its Soul Ring. It had not produced a Soul Bone.

Since the Five-Colored Pheasant had only just died and its meat was still fresh, it needed to be quickly made into a delicacy for Ma Hongjun to eat. Making full use of it was what mattered.

They could not leave it sitting around until the Five-Colored Pheasant's meat spoiled.

"Almost forgot—the Five-Colored Pheasant's feathers shouldn't be thrown away either. Use them to make a specimen of the Five-Colored Pheasant and display it in the Manor. It can count as a consolation for its spirit in heaven."

After saying that, Lin Rong looked at the darkening sky, stretched lazily, and headed toward the Manor's hot spring.

During those days in Sunset Forest, he had only washed up briefly with clean water each day.

Now that he was back at the Duke Mansion, he intended to soak in a hot spring and relax to his heart's content.

As mentioned before, this book only adopts the settings from Douluo 1. The setting where one can fly upon reaching Soul Saint is from Douluo 2.

In Douluo 1, aside from the innate flight ability provided by one's Martial Soul, one could only fly by possessing a Flight Spirit Skill.

The battle at Jialing Pass was the clearest proof of this.

Among the Titled Douluo, most lacked the ability to fly. Even the Level 98 Golden Crocodile was no exception.

Also, Douluo 1 has the concept of "minutes."

The original work even had a chapter titled "A Complete Victory in One Minute."