Endless flames rose!
Like purgatory!
Ma Hongjun and the two Vermilion Birds fell into it and were swallowed by the flames.
While fighting the crimson light screen, the two Vermilion Birds were already exhausted, and the final attack completely drained their power.
The flames of the Heavenly Fire Pool came from the purest flames between heaven and earth.
For the soul beasts of the Fire Domain, this was a treasure trove for rebirth.
However, most soul beasts eventually became part of the Heavenly Fire Pool, with only a few successfully achieving rebirth.
But for soul masters...
Ma Hongjun was the first soul master to enter the Heavenly Fire Pool.
It was full of unknowns.
What effect would the Heavenly Fire Pool have on humans?
The Fire Phoenix Martial Soul was being burned.
Ma Hongjun could feel streams of heavenly fire invading the Fire Phoenix Martial Soul,
cleansing it.
At the same time, the heavenly fire was also refining Ma Hongjun's body,
seemingly trying to refine him.
This was a very powerful force.
Like a fiery demon with its jaws wide open, it threatened to devour Ma Hongjun's body.
Strands of heavenly fire entered his body, but without the expected destruction.
This heavenly fire burned substances not belonging to his original nature.
Ma Hongjun was overjoyed.
"Fire immunity!"
The ability he gained from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye finally came in handy.
The flames in the eye, like the flames here, were the purest flames in the world.
Ma Hongjun's body had previously been tempered by the eye.
Although the eye of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye wasn't as pure as the Heavenly Fire Pool here, the flames within were still the flames of heaven and earth, neither stronger than the other.
Ma Hongjun had fortuitously gained fire attribute immunity in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye, making it much easier to temper his body in the Heavenly Fire Pool again.
At least survival wouldn't be difficult.
However, the burning pain was unavoidable.
This mainly came from his Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
The flames of Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix Martial Soul were too mottled and incompatible with the Heavenly Fire, inevitably leading to their refinement.
This was a strengthening process, only beneficial to Ma Hongjun.
However, he needed to endure it.
It was like a soul beast's rebirth.
Martial spirits can also undergo rebirth.
However, this is more like a sublimation of the martial spirit, similar to mutation;
success makes one stronger,
failure makes one weaker!
This process still tests Ma Hongjun's physical endurance.
Currently, with the enhancement of numerous soul bones, Ma Hongjun's body has reached an incredible level.
It can be said to be the strongest physique below the gods.
Coupled with the experience of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and the foundation of Immortal-grade Body Building,
Ma Hongjun is not worried about this rebirth evolution of his Martial Spirit, the Fire Phoenix.
Unlike Ma Hongjun, the Vermilion Bird's parents, the Vermilion Bird King and Queen, are facing a much more difficult situation.
Although they are very strong,
one is 700,000 years old and the other 400,000 years old!
However, the Heavenly Fire Pool purifies fire-type abilities, and they have already undergone rebirth once.
The chances of success this time are too small. Furthermore, because they helped the Vermilion Bird, they were damaged by the divine light descended from the Throne of Inheritance, further weakening their foundation. They
have even less power to cope with this rebirth.
In fact, the Vermilion Bird's fire affinity is sufficient to gain the recognition of the Throne of Inheritance.
However, its strength was still too weak, insufficient to break through the crimson light barrier's test.
This meant that Ma Hongjun and the Vermilion Bird couple compensated for the little Vermilion Bird's lack of strength
, helping it to forcefully tear open a gap.
This method was tantamount to cheating, hence the divine punishment.
The divine light struck both Ma Hongjun and the Vermilion Bird couple simultaneously.
However, Ma Hongjun was unharmed
because the Martial God Spear blocked the attack for him.
Now, in the Heavenly Fire Pool, the Vermilion Bird couple has begun to disintegrate.
Their physical bodies are slowly being refined in the Heavenly Fire.
Failing their Nirvana, they will completely perish!
"Perhaps I can help you!"
Ma Hongjun addressed the Vermilion Bird King and his wife.
In this situation, there was only one way:
sacrifice!
Ma Hongjun remembered that in the original story, a soul beast that underwent sacrifice could be resurrected.
However, there was a condition: the sacrificed master had to become a god.
Ma Hongjun was already the inheritor of the Martial God, regardless of whether he could pass the Martial God's test.
But he truly had the greatest chance of becoming a god.
Moreover, currently, or rather, in the entire Douluo Continent, only he could accept both soul rings at once.
The Vermilion Bird King and his wife, on the verge of death, looked at Ma Hongjun.
They had a good impression of him.
It was this human who had intervened at the most crucial moment, helping their child.
Ma Hongjun knew there was no time to explain!
"Please believe me, sacrifice your soul rings to me, and I can resurrect you."
The Fire Phoenix Martial Soul was ready,
three soul rings—red, red, red—surrounding Ma Hongjun!
The Vermilion Bird King and his wife exchanged a glance, their eyes conveying a final communication, and nodded to each other.
They trusted Ma Hongjun.
For a soul beast, sacrifice naturally meant what it meant.
They gave everything to each other.
The heavenly fire continued to burn.
After making their decision, the Vermilion Bird King and Queen began their sacrifice,
merging into Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
This was the first time Ma Hongjun had experienced the power of a soul ring resulting from a sacrifice.
Two Vermilion Birds,
one 400,000 years old and the other 700,000 years old—
with Ma Hongjun's current physical strength, absorbing both soul rings simultaneously
was extremely difficult!
If he were to absorb them normally, Ma Hongjun would definitely not be able to withstand this power and would explode and die.
But a sacrifice was different!
This power would not rage within his body; the power of the sacrifice was gentle!
Ma Hongjun could easily use this power, dispersing it throughout his body and into his soul bones.
However, he only had one fire-type soul bone.
It was impossible to contain the power of two 100,000-year soul rings.
But fortunately, a 100,000-year soul ring would inevitably produce a soul bone.
These two Vermilion Birds would definitely bring Ma Hongjun two compatible soul bones, increasing his physical strength while also helping to share the power of the soul rings.
Sure enough, the soul bones appeared.
However, the location was beyond Ma Hongjun's expectations!
It was actually feathers!
At this moment, the Wind Dragon Wing Bone automatically appeared, merging with the seven-colored wings of the Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
And the soul bones produced by these two Vermilion Birds were actually Vermilion Bird feathers!
Bones within bones!
The Vermilion Bird feathers and the Wind Dragon Wing Bone fused together.
The Vermilion Bird King's Vermilion Bird feathers were pale white, one piece with seven feathers.
The Vermilion Bird Mother's Vermilion Bird feathers were pink, one piece with four feathers.
This should be related to their cultivation levels.
The Vermilion Bird feathers smoothly merged into the Wind Dragon Wing Bone.
The two attributes did not repel each other, and the fusion was very natural, even having a mutually reinforcing effect.
Wind attribute, fire attribute!
Wind and fire, fire borrowing the power of wind, wind borrowing the power of fire.
As the soul ring and soul bone successfully fused, the Martial God Spear appeared.
A golden dragon soul unfolded, but this time, the golden dragon soul did not wrap around the Martial God Spear.
Instead, it hovered around Ma Hongjun's body.
The dragon soul's eyes seemed to flash, and
Ma Hongjun saw that two miniature Vermilion Bird phantoms appeared in the Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
Like souls!
Two miniature Vermilion Bird souls entered the Dragon Soul.
What was going on?!
Ma Hongjun was momentarily confused by the Dragon Soul's actions. He
didn't know if the Dragon Soul was devouring the Vermilion Bird couple's souls or preserving them.
If it was devouring them, that would be troublesome, as he still wanted to resurrect the Vermilion Bird couple.
However, the Dragon Soul should know its master's thoughts.
It shouldn't do anything against its master's wishes!
Putting that aside for now, Ma Hongjun once again sensed his own power.
His Fire Phoenix Martial Soul had already obtained five soul rings.
Red red red red red!
The fourth spirit ring is red with four golden patterns!
The fifth spirit ring is red with seven golden patterns!
(End of Chapter)