Beixuan attempted to activate his external spirit bone. After all, this was the Bone of the Exorcism King—if its only function was to filter impurities, that would be too underwhelming. Even Tang San's Eight Spider Lances provided full attribute enhancement, devouring capabilities, and lethal poison.
Beixuan was certain that the Bone of the Exorcism King must have additional abilities.
Unfortunately, no matter how he tried to activate it, the spirit bone remained dormant within his body, completely unresponsive.
"Alright, Xiaoxuan, don't be impatient," Yulin reassured him. "The Bone of the Exorcism King is different from other spirit bones. Perhaps you haven't yet reached the level required to use it. Once you become stronger, you'll definitely be able to control it completely."
Beixuan nodded. He was not one to get discouraged easily. Since he couldn't figure it out right now, he decided to let things take their course.
"By the way, Xiaoxuan, what is your first spirit skill?" Yulin asked curiously.
Given that Beixuan's spirit ring came from a Shadow Elf, Yulin speculated that it was likely related to illusions or mental abilities.
"My first spirit skill is called Phantom Mist," Beixuan explained. "It creates a dense fog that reduces the opponent's vision, lowers their spiritual power by 20%, and generates illusions to disrupt their actions. However, it has no effect on allies."
Yulin was astonished. "I never expected a mere first spirit skill to have so many abilities! As expected of the Martial Soul passed down by Lord Yinshi, it truly stands at the pinnacle of all spiritual-type martial souls!"
"Lowering vision, weakening spiritual power, and causing illusion interference—these are all characteristics of a control-type spirit master. This first spirit skill is definitely a success."
With their primary goal in the Soul Hunting Forest completed, all that remained was for Ma Hongjun to finish his deep meditation. Once he awoke, they could leave.
Before long, Ma Hongjun suddenly opened his eyes, his body surrounded by a fiery glow.
Yulin's eyes lit up. "Oh? Not bad—you've broken through."
Excited, Ma Hongjun leapt to his feet. "Brother Xuan! Uncle Yulin! I've reached level ten! Does this mean I can now obtain my first spirit ring?"
Beixuan nodded. "Of course! Finding your spirit ring will be much easier than finding mine—fire-attribute spirit beasts are very suitable for you."
"Yulin, there should be a place within this Soul Hunting Forest where fire-attribute spirit beasts gather, like Flame Valley or another hot region, right?"
"Of course. Follow me." Yulin led the way, guiding the two of them southward through the Soul Hunting Forest.
In the Five Elements Theory, the southern direction corresponds to extreme yang, which generates heat—and heat, in turn, produces fire. Generally speaking, fire-attribute spirit beasts were more likely to be found in the southern regions.
As expected, before long, they arrived at a Flame Valley teeming with fire-attribute spirit beasts.
Though most of the spirit beasts in the area were relatively low in age, Yulin quickly located a Flame Lizard with an estimated age of around 380 years—perfect for Ma Hongjun.
For an ordinary person, the limit for a first spirit ring was around 420 years. Ma Hongjun couldn't exceed this threshold, and unlike Tang San, he lacked the protagonist's fortune to conveniently find a perfectly aged 400-year-old spirit beast.
A 380-year spirit ring was already an excellent choice among all spirit masters.
However, Ma Hongjun was still a novice, and it was his first time taking a life. Even after Yulin knocked the Flame Lizard unconscious, he hesitated for a long time, trembling as he held the dagger before finally mustering the courage to strike the fatal blow.
He was clearly still a sheltered child. If he struggled this much to kill a lizard, how would he handle killing an enemy in battle? His mental fortitude needed serious improvement.
Following Yulin's guidance, Ma Hongjun successfully absorbed the spirit ring. Since 380 years was within his acceptable range, the process went smoothly, without any risk.
With a clear and resounding phoenix cry, his Phoenix Martial Soul, enhanced by its first spirit ring, finally shed its resemblance to a mere barnyard chicken and took on the majestic form of a soaring phoenix.
Of course, it was still all for show, as the wings were merely an illusion. Based on Beixuan's analysis, Ma Hongjun would need at least two more spirit rings before he could truly fly.
After absorbing the spirit ring, Ma Hongjun was ecstatic, shooting bursts of fire in every direction. He had finally become a true spirit master. His first spirit skill was the same as in the original timeline—Phoenix Fire Line, a linear fire attack.
As a power-type spirit master, this was a decent first spirit skill.
"Alright, chubby, calm down," Yulin said, shaking his head. "Since both you and Xiaoxuan have obtained your first spirit rings, let's test your spirit power levels."
Yulin then took out a crystal ball.
Since they had already tested their spirit power when they awakened their martial souls, Ma Hongjun confidently placed his right hand on the crystal ball.
A bright light radiated from the sphere. Although it didn't reach Tang San's legendary level 13, it still showed level 12—his 380-year spirit ring had boosted him by nearly two full levels.
"Not bad," Yulin praised. "Xiaoxuan, your turn."
"Alright!" Beixuan placed his hand on the crystal ball as well.
As the sphere absorbed his Sun and Moon True Qi, it shone with an even brighter radiance than before.
Yulin was taken aback. "Level 15?! It seems this isn't just the result of the spirit ring—you must have retained some of the inner power you cultivated over the years. Even though you didn't know how to store it in your dantian, some of it remained within your body."
Beixuan smiled. "Effort always pays off."
Reaching level 15 was a great result, and he was quite satisfied.
With their trip to the Soul Hunting Forest yielding excellent gains, it was time for them to leave.
As the three of them walked toward the forest exit, Ma Hongjun's pace gradually slowed. His face flushed red, as if he were burning up from the inside.
"AHH!"
Unable to endure the intense heat, he suddenly screamed in agony.
"Hongjun!" Beixuan rushed to support him but almost got burned by his body's scorching temperature. As a transmigrator, Beixuan immediately realized what was happening.
"His body temperature is extremely high… This is bad—his Evil Fire is flaring up!"
Yulin frowned. "Evil Fire?"
Beixuan quickly explained, "Yes. Hongjun's Phoenix flames aren't pure—they should actually be called Evil Fire Phoenix flames. When his flames go out of control, the Evil Fire consumes him, causing an overwhelming surge of desire."
Yulin's expression darkened. "So that's how it is…"
This was serious. Such fire could lead one down a dangerous path. With Ma Hongjun's already poor temperament, if he relied on indulgence to suppress the Evil Fire, his mindset would deteriorate further—turning him into a perverse deviant.
Without hesitation, Yulin placed his palm on Ma Hongjun's chest. His Title Douluo-level soul power surged forth, forcibly suppressing the Evil Fire within him.
Luckily, this was only his first outbreak, so it wasn't too strong yet. Yulin's power was sufficient to control it. However, if this continued to worsen over time, even he might not be able to suppress it forever.