"This soul beast must have sensed danger—that's why it hasn't approached us."
"Teacher, Teacher Erlong, please step back for now."
Ma Hongjun spoke to Flander and Liu Erlong as he pulled out the Ganoderma lucidum. Channeling his soul power into it, he amplified its fragrance to the fullest extent.
At this close range, the Red Flame Fire Owl wouldn't be able to resist the scent.
Just as he predicted, the soul beast caught the aroma, and its massive body began to stir restlessly.
Noticing this change, a confident smile appeared on Ma Hongjun's face.
"Oscar, get some mushroom sausages ready for everyone. We'll need them soon."
He quickly gave Oscar a few instructions.
The Red Flame Fire Owl had incredibly strong flight capabilities. Once the battle began, it would surely engage them in mid-air combat.
Dragging the fight out would only increase their disadvantage, so concentrating their efforts in the air was the best strategy.
Oscar nodded and immediately began producing mushroom sausages at high speed.
Once everyone had two sausages each, Ma Hongjun took the initiative to launch the first attack.
"Phoenix Flame Surge!"
A beam of blazing golden flame shot forward, exposing the Red Flame Fire Owl hiding nearby and forcing it to take flight in a panic.
As a ten-thousand-year soul beast, it held a dominant position in the soul beast forest.
With the natural advantage of flight, it hadn't faced a worthy opponent in a long time.
Its bead-sized eyes flared with anger as it locked onto the small human who dared to challenge it.
With explosive speed, its huge form shot through the air like black lightning, reaching the Shrek group in the blink of an eye.
Its claws—sharp as blades—sliced through the night sky, aiming directly for Ma Hongjun's face.
Dai Mubai, standing beside him, let out a deep growl as his spirit rings flashed to life.
The moment the Red Flame Fire Owl attacked, Dai Mubai's body expanded rapidly.
Seeing Ma Hongjun in danger, he didn't hesitate. In a flash, he appeared behind the soul beast and struck with his tiger palm, followed by White Tiger Fierce Light Wave.
The powerful blow forced the Red Flame Fire Owl to abandon its assault on Ma Hongjun and dodge the attack from behind.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, already in position, moved to cut off its escape.
Realizing it was surrounded, the Red Flame Fire Owl tried to flee, but its path was blocked on both sides.
"Netherworld Hundred Claws!"
The owl dove toward Zhu Zhuqing, but she launched her attack immediately, intercepting it head-on.
Though no match for the beast, she still managed to stall it for a few precious moments.
Dai Mubai seized the chance and unleashed his fourth soul skill: White Tiger Meteor Shower.
A barrage of energy blasts rained down on the Red Flame Fire Owl, slamming its massive body to the ground.
Ma Hongjun stepped forward, raising his hand as golden flames surged outward, forming a blazing wall of fire.
Just as the Red Flame Fire Owl attempted to flee, it found itself trapped inside the barrier.
A look of disdain flashed in its large eyes—until it felt the heat.
Trembling, the beast sensed a terrifying aura within the flames, a primal force that ignited deep fear.
While it was momentarily stunned, Ma Hongjun swiftly closed in.
Relying on brute strength, he threw a heavy punch straight at the owl's head.
The threat of death shocked the beast into action. Its body ballooned as it released a flurry of fire feathers in every direction.
"Something's wrong—everyone, take the sausages and fly!" Ma Hongjun shouted urgently.
Thanks to their practiced teamwork, the others immediately grabbed Oscar's mushroom sausages and launched into the air.
They narrowly avoided the Red Flame Fire Owl's area-wide fire attack.
"I didn't expect this soul beast to have such a devastating range," Dai Mubai muttered, eyes narrowing.
Just then, a fireball erupted from the owl's beak, streaking toward Zhu Zhuqing.
By now, the creature had realized it couldn't defeat this group. It no longer cared about heavenly treasures—it just wanted to survive.
Among its enemies, Zhu Zhuqing appeared to be the least threatening.
Yet she didn't flinch as the fireball came her way.
With unwavering calm, she activated her third soul skill: Netherworld Slash.
The fireball exploded in midair, shattering into sparks.
The Red Flame Fire Owl, hoping to use the blast as cover to escape, suddenly halted in shock.
If it had made its move just a second earlier, it would've taken a direct hit.
"Do you think I'll let you run?"
Dai Mubai's voice dripped with scorn.
He appeared beside Zhu Zhuqing and unleashed another White Tiger Fierce Light Wave.
At the same time, Ma Hongjun blocked the owl's retreat and launched his most powerful attack.
Caught between the two, even the mighty Red Flame Fire Owl couldn't endure the onslaught.
The air filled with smoke and flame. When it finally cleared, the soul beast lay collapsed and barely breathing.
Ma Hongjun didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and delivered a final blow, extinguishing the last of its life.
The moment it died, a faint black light emerged from its body, quickly condensing into a soul ring.
Ma Hongjun sat cross-legged and began absorbing the ring.
The violent power of the ten-thousand-year soul beast surged through his body like a wild torrent.
The black energy coursed through him, striking every nerve with sharp, chaotic force.
"Will Hongjun be able to absorb it?"
Liu Erlong couldn't hide her concern.
Flander's expression was equally grave, though he understood Ma Hongjun's determination—he wouldn't give up on this opportunity no matter the risk.
"He'll be fine. Even if he can't fully endure it, he won't die," Flander said, though his eyes never left the boy, worried that something might go wrong.
At this moment, Ma Hongjun felt as though his body had become a funnel, struggling to contain the violent energy pouring in.
Each surge of power felt like it would tear him apart from the inside.
Thankfully, his strong physique healed itself rapidly. His body became a battlefield, where two forces clashed—destruction and survival.
This soul ring absorption was far more brutal than any before. The power of the Red Flame Fire Owl's ring seemed determined to destroy him entirely.
A fierce glint flashed in Ma Hongjun's eyes. He gritted his teeth and focused with everything he had.
He refused to believe he couldn't endure it.
Even Tang San had absorbed a ten-thousand-year ring—so why couldn't he handle this?
As he continued absorbing the soul power, he felt his body begin to expand.
He had no choice but to compress the energy again and again, forcing it to integrate into his body as quickly as possible.