The Sunset Forest is very close to Heaven Dou City.
A little over an hour later, the carriage Lin Rong was riding in returned to the front of the Duke's mansion.
As Lin Rong dismounted, a guard at the gate stepped forward to report:
"My Lord Duke, the child named Ma Hongjun, the one who awakened the Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, arrived at the mansion a day ago and has settled in comfortably."
Lin Rong listened to the guard's report, his expression unchanged, and casually ordered:
"Invite him over. This Duke will see him in the main hall's living room."
"Yes, sir!"
...
In the center of the estate, the main hall's living room.
Ma Hongjun curiously sized up the person before him, who was about his age, and thought to himself:
"This is the Duke that Uncle mentioned? How come he's just a kid like me?"
"Could it be that the Duke is actually the old man next to him, and this child, who's about my age, is his grandson?"
From his seat of honor, Lin Rong also curiously observed the slightly chubby little fellow before him, pondering:
"He's not as fat as described in novels. He's only six, after all, and inexperienced. His gaze is still incredibly pure, not like the courtesan phoenixes in novels."
"Good, a fine prospect. If I polish him diligently, he can be forged into a peerless weapon for my use, making my efforts worthwhile."
Seeing that Ma Hongjun remained silent, Lin Rong spoke first:
"How is it? Are you happy to have awakened your Martial Soul with accompanying Soul Power?"
"Mhm, mhm!" Ma Hongjun nodded vigorously.
"Village Chief Grandpa said that once you awaken Soul Power, you can become an important figure like a Spirit Master and live a prosperous good life."
"It's also because I awakened Soul Power that Uncle treats me so well, giving me food I've never seen before."
"The Uncle you speak of is a captain of my guard force. Do you like him a lot?" Lin Rong's eyes gleamed upon hearing this.
"Yes! Uncle treats me very well!" Ma Hongjun replied without hesitation.
Lin Rong was very satisfied with this answer.
A six-year-old child, far from home, would easily develop dependence on those he interacted with daily.
As it turned out, Ma Hongjun had developed a deep dependence on the guard in his residence during their two months together.
"Since you like Captain Xu so much, he will be your personal bodyguard from now on."
Ma Hongjun's dependence on that guard made it easy for Lin Rong to go along with it.
"Captain Xu is a Soul King. He will protect your safety until you have grown."
The guard was loyal to Lin Rong, and the deeper Ma Hongjun's dependence on the guard, the easier it would be for him to cultivate loyalty to Lin Rong through the guard's words and deeds.
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Rong sensed through his Life Sense that the spirit beasts he had prepared for Ma Hongjun had been delivered to the courtyard.
Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix Martial Soul was a mutation, its phoenix flame impure, leading to the generation of evil fire.
However, the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, which could greatly purify phoenix flames, was still growing at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
But the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye was protected by a poison array set up by Dugu Bo. Although Lin Rong's Vine Dragon Domain's exclusive effect, "Life Dragon Soul," could convert toxins into life force, he only had a first-ring cultivation.
A poison array laid by a Titled Douluo was not something Lin Rong could contend with at the moment.
What's more, each type of immortal herb required specialized methods for picking and preservation. Besides Tang San, it was likely only the Breaking Clan and Chrysanthemum Guan who knew these methods.
As for telling Dugu Bo how to detoxify in exchange for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, it would be equivalent to entrusting his life into the hands of a capricious, murderous old monster.
Lin Rong considered himself to have lived too long if he were to do that. He didn't believe that just because he was a transmigrator, he would automatically be the protagonist with protagonist's halo, and go looking for death at every turn.
Relying on oneself is better than relying on others. The matter of coveting the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye would have to be approached slowly.
Since the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower couldn't be obtained anytime soon.
He could only have Ma Hongjun absorb a spirit ring from a spirit beast with phoenix bloodline, purifying the phoenix flame through the absorption of phoenix bloodline.
As early as two years ago, Lin Rong had instructed the old butler to send people to capture flying spirit beasts with phoenix bloodline, around four hundred years in age.
In two years, they had captured five flying spirit beasts that met the requirements.
Not to mention, flying spirit beasts with phoenix bloodline were incredibly beautiful in appearance, and they made quite a pleasant sight when kept in the garden.
These five flying spirit beasts with phoenix bloodline were:
Red-tailed Kite, 412 years old.
Green Feather Sparrow, 415 years old.
White-browed Falcon, 417 years old.
Five-Colored Pheasant, 421 years old.
Ice Flame Eagle, 423 years old.
Among them, the Five-Colored Pheasant had the most potent phoenix bloodline and its age was close to the so-called limit for a first spirit ring, which was 423 years.
The so-called pheasant is a wild chicken.
Ma Hongjun's Martial Soul was a mutated form of a domestic chicken's Martial Soul, so the Five-Colored Pheasant was the most suitable Spirit Beast among these five flying spirit beasts to be Ma Hongjun's first Spirit Ring.
Of course, the other four wouldn't be wasted either. Lin Rong would instruct the cooks to prepare these four Spirit Beasts, along with the Five-Colored Pheasant Ma Hongjun would kill later, into delicious dishes for Ma Hongjun to eat.
Although not as direct as absorbing a Spirit Ring, it could still have some effect on purifying his Phoenix Flame.
In this way, these five Spirit Beasts could be considered to have been put to good use.
Lin Rong had someone hand Ma Hongjun a sharp blade and said to him:
"Go ahead, that Five-Colored Pheasant has already been knocked out. Kill it and absorb its Spirit Ring, and you'll be a true Spirit Master."
Ma Hongjun's innate Soul Power was level nine, and it had been over two months since he awakened his Martial Soul.
A month ago, Ma Hongjun had already broken through to level ten Soul Power by practicing the meditation method taught by the guards, and he had been eager to obtain a Spirit Ring for a long time.
Thus, Ma Hongjun obediently took the sharp blade and, under the guidance of others, struck a vital point of the Five-Colored Pheasant with a single blow.
Ma Hongjun looked at the deep yellow Spirit Ring condensing above the Five-Colored Pheasant, and a deep-seated desire suddenly surged within him, as if urging him to quickly absorb that Spirit Ring.
"Release your Martial Soul to draw in that Spirit Ring, then sit cross-legged, focus your mind on your Martial Soul, and absorb and refine the Spirit Ring's power through meditation."
A voice came from beside him. Ma Hongjun didn't hesitate and followed the instructions.
The Five-Colored Pheasant had a lifespan of four hundred and twenty-one years.
In the original story, Tang San had the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and it took him quite some effort to absorb a Mandara Snake Spirit Ring that was nearly four hundred years old.
Ma Hongjun did not have the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and the lifespan of the Spirit Ring he was absorbing was over twenty years longer. The process of absorbing the Spirit Ring would naturally be even more difficult.
However, Lin Rong wasn't worried that Ma Hongjun would explode from the strain. After all, the Five-Colored Pheasant had extremely high compatibility with Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
Furthermore, after more than two months of dietary supplements, Ma Hongjun's physical strength could withstand the impact of the Spirit Ring's power.
At most, the process of absorbing the Spirit Ring would be a bit painful, but it could also temper Ma Hongjun's willpower.
Looking at Ma Hongjun's pained expression as he absorbed the Spirit Ring, Lin Rong thought:
"Only through hardship can one become a qualified sharp blade. Ma Hongjun, you must not disappoint me!"
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