Wang Nan's spirit power reached level 33. In fact, innate spirit power of level seven is not considered top-tier talent. Wang Nan was able to become a three-ring Spirit Elder at 11 years old by reducing the loss of spirit power in each spirit ring he absorbed, thus increasing his spirit power to a greater extent.
Seeing Wang Nan open his eyes, Ma Xiaotao, who was beside him, leaned over.
"How was it? Smooth?"
"It was quite smooth," Wang Nan nodded.
"Since you've already obtained a spirit ring, Xiaotao, bring out the Fire Chestnuts," Yan Shaozhe glanced at the time; it was already close to noon.
"Alright, Teacher."
Ma Xiaotao took out a Fire Chestnut, held it in her hand, and with a gentle squeeze, the black shell cracked, revealing the red flesh inside. Instantly, a burst of fragrance wafted over. She took out a few more and prepared them in the same way, then scattered them around.
"This should do it."
Sure enough, not long after the three hid to the side, several Fire Cloud Sparrows flapped their wings and flew towards them.
Unfortunately, these were only hundred-year Spirit Beasts, so Yan Shaozhe had to step in and stun them. The academy had a dedicated place for raising Spirit Beasts, and these Fire Cloud Sparrows might even become part of next year's promotion assessment.
As time passed, the scent of the Fire Chestnuts drifted further.
Just as the sun was highest at noon, a red shadow suddenly flew out of the forest. It was small in stature but trailed long tail feathers behind it, like a Fire Cloud Sparrow, but much more beautiful than an ordinary one.
"This is a mutated Fire Cloud Sparrow, an Ember Cloud Sparrow," Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up. As she spoke, her Spirit lit up.
Fiery red feathers appeared on Ma Xiaotao, and her eyes glowed with an intense light. With a push of her toes, her figure shot out. Two fiery red figures collided, and for a moment, it was hard to distinguish which was Ma Xiaotao and which was the Ember Cloud Sparrow.
However, very quickly, the two showed their differences. The Ember Cloud Sparrow, relying on its inherent advantage, could stay in the air for a long time, while Ma Xiaotao had to land each time before leaping high again.
After several collisions, Ma Xiaotao suddenly opened her mouth and spat out a line of fire.
But the Ember Cloud Sparrow was extremely agile; with a gentle flap of its wings, it actually rose a few feet in place, narrowly dodging Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Fire Wire.
As the saying goes, birds die for food. After dodging the attack, the Ember Cloud Sparrow turned and landed on the ground, picked up a Fire Chestnut, and flew towards the forest. However, with Yan Shaozhe nearby, there was no way it could escape.
Yan Shaozhe did not reveal his Spirit; he merely raised his Qi slightly, combining his mental force and spirit power. With a palm strike, the Ember Cloud Sparrow, just like the Rock Ridge Subdragon, fell unconscious.
"Thank you, Teacher," Ma Xiaotao withdrew her Spirit and descended from the air.
"Mm, go absorb the spirit ring."
Seeing Ma Xiaotao guide the spirit ring into her body, a hint of worry appeared on Yan Shaozhe's face. He then glanced at Wang Nan beside him, and a hint of expectation was added to his gaze.
It was fortunate that Wang Nan didn't see Yan Shaozhe's expression at that moment, otherwise, he could probably draw a pie chart on the spot.
Several hours passed, and the aura around Ma Xiaotao gradually receded, which meant the process of absorbing the spirit ring was nearing its end.
However, just then, raging flames suddenly rose from her body. These flames were different from the bright red earlier; they were more like fresh blood. When her eyes opened, they also seemed to be ignited, filled with blood-red.
The surrounding temperature suddenly soared, pulling Wang Nan out of his meditation. Upon seeing this scene, he immediately understood. Ma Xiaotao's Spirit was the Evil Fire Phoenix, and now, after absorbing the spirit ring, the rapid increase in spirit power had likely caused her Spirit to go berserk.
Wang Nan looked at Yan Shaozhe. As Ma Xiaotao's teacher, he should have a way to deal with this.
However, to Wang Nan's surprise, Yan Shaozhe merely watched, showing no intention of intervening.
Wang Nan had no time to think further; the out-of-control Ma Xiaotao had already lunged towards him. Before she even made contact, he felt the surrounding temperature rise significantly again.
Seeing Ma Xiaotao's right hand, wreathed in flames, about to land on him, Wang Nan had no choice but to summon his Coiling Dragon Staff to push her away.
Seeing her attack miss, Ma Xiaotao's newly acquired third spirit ring lit up. Huge fiery wings appeared behind her, lifting her into the air. A long fiery tail trailed behind her, making her truly resemble a Phoenix flying in the sky.
With the use of her third Spirit Ability, the surrounding temperature rose again, causing a few drops of sweat to seep from Wang Nan's forehead.
The attack did not end. Relying on her aerial advantage, another line of fire shot out from Ma Xiaotao's mouth. The Phoenix Fire Wire, empowered by her third Spirit Ability, Phoenix Wing Sky Soar, was not only incredibly fast but also much more frequent. Wang Nan dodged and weaved on the ground, but he was still inevitably hit by the fire line.
The scorching fire line burned a gash on his left arm, along with his clothes. A burning sensation immediately surged through him. Not only that, a hot and dry aura flowed into his body along with his spirit power.
This was Evil Fire. It didn't bring Wang Nan the warmth of flames, but rather a feeling of frenzy and violence.
This hot and dry aura continuously surged within Wang Nan's body, quickly rushing towards his head.
Wang Nan's Sea of Consciousness boiled again, just as it had when he faced Ji Tongxuan. The ball of light at the very top continuously flickered, and the lake below churned wildly, its waters splashing up and scattering throughout the Sea of Consciousness.
A warm sensation spread from his glabella, and the Evil Fire surging around him vanished as if it had encountered a natural enemy.
Wang Nan didn't know what the ball of light in his Sea of Consciousness was, but there was no doubt that it had a very significant restraining effect on powers similar to Evil Soul Masters.
With this thought, Wang Nan once again activated his Sea of Consciousness. The surging mental force poured out like waves, entering the Coiling Dragon Staff along with his spirit power.
Ma Xiaotao, in mid-air, continuously released Spirit Abilities, and the flames on her body visibly weakened. So, she abandoned long-range attacks, leaped down from the air, bent her left leg, straightened her right leg, and kicked towards Wang Nan, using gravity to her advantage.
Wang Nan was fearless. The Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand spun half a circle, and he raised it to sweep at Ma Xiaotao's leg.
If an ordinary person faced this attack, they would naturally be unable to avoid it, but Ma Xiaotao was able to use her fiery wings to gain leverage in the air. With a twist of her body, she stepped on the side of the Coiling Dragon Staff, kicking it aside.
Although Wang Nan's strike was blocked, it also halted Ma Xiaotao's offensive. Now that she had landed, Wang Nan seized the opportunity to close in. With a push and a pull of his hands, the Coiling Dragon Staff swung out again.
This strike was not a simple attack. His first and second spirit rings alternately flashed, and with the execution of the extra ability Tail Sweep, the flames on Ma Xiaotao's body visibly dissipated by a considerable amount.
Wang Nan, having gained the upper hand, showed no mercy, disregarding that the person in front of him was still a young girl. He launched another Python Strike forward. Ma Xiaotao, whose strength had been sharply weakened, was unable to resist and took the blow head-on.