Douluo Continent: Rebirth of Ma Hongjun, Phoenix of Ultimate Light

Chapter 55 Planning on the Road

"Then comes Mu Bai."

Dai Mubai sat up straight. Although he was three years older than Ma Hongjun, he no longer dared to underestimate this junior in terms of theoretical knowledge. He hadn't formulated the medicinal bath recipe, but he had tried it himself. His body knew how effective it was.

"Mu Bai's first soul skill is White Tiger Protective Barrier, which is for defense. His second soul skill is White Tiger Blazing Light Wave, which is for ranged attacks. These two soul skills, one defensive and one offensive, one close-range and one long-range, are a well-balanced combination."

Ma Hongjun paused, looking into Dai Mubai's eyes.

"For the third spirit ring, I suggest going for a violent close-combat style to make up for the lack of direct confrontation ability. Although the White Tiger is a top-tier beast spirit, Mu Bai's current attack methods are either standing at a distance and releasing light waves, or rushing up to tear things apart with ordinary tiger claws."

What's lacking is a true melee burst skill; it requires the kind of ferocity that allows you to charge into a crowd and crush the enemy.

Dai Mubai's fingers twitched slightly. Ma Hongjun had hit a nerve.

"What kind of spirit beast is suitable?" I asked.

Ma Hongjun glanced at Zhao Wuji. Zhao Wuji was completely baffled by that glance.

"Mighty Vajra Bear. It's the same type as Oscar's second spirit ring, but it's much older, over 3,500 years old. Mu Bai's physical foundation is much stronger than Oscar's, and his peak strength would be even more terrifying than Oscar's. Combined with Mu Bai's own tiger paw and the explosive power of the White Tiger Martial Soul, even a battle spirit master of the same level couldn't withstand a single punch. If it hits a vital point, it could even severely injure a higher-level opponent."

Dai Mubai's eyes lit up.

He was no stranger to the Mighty Vajra Bear. Zhao Wuji's martial soul was the Mighty Vajra Bear, a seven-ring Soul Saint whose punch could shatter a small hill. Dai Mubai had witnessed firsthand how terrifying Zhao Wuji's power was, and had also personally experienced the feeling of being crushed by pure strength.

If he could obtain the Soul Ring of the Mighty Vajra Bear, even with only one-tenth of Zhao Wuji's strength, his close combat ability would be completely transformed.

"The Mighty Vajra Bear's speed is a weakness, but Mu Bai has the White Tiger Blazing Light Wave as a ranged supplement, so the speed problem doesn't need to be solved through spirit rings; it can be made up for through tactics," Ma Hongjun added.

Dai Mubai took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if suppressing the excitement in his heart.

"I agree."

Flander asked, "With an age of over 3,500 years, can a Great Soul Master's body withstand it?"

"If it were Dai Mubai a month ago, it might be different," Ma Hongjun frankly acknowledged the risks. "But this month of medicinal baths has deeply tempered his bones and meridians. I observed his reaction after the baths; the soreness from the bone-tempering herbs lasted shorter than when he arrived, and the warmth from the blood-activating vines penetrated deeper. His tolerance is almost as good as mine now."

Dai Mubai's lips twitched slightly.

What does it mean to be "not much worse than him"?

He was three years older than Ma Hongjun, half a head taller, and weighed more than thirty kilograms more.

But the effects of the medicinal bath were indeed felt on his own body; he knew his own body.

Ma Hongjun wasn't exaggerating; his resilience has indeed improved significantly compared to before.

Flander looked at Dai Mubai and asked him if he could handle it.

Dai Mubai's answer was "yes," a word that came out of his mouth with the style of Zhao Wuji—simple and direct.

"Mighty Bear is fine," Flander said.

"It will be mine in the end."

When Ma Hongjun spoke about himself, his tone became indifferent, unlike when he was talking non-stop when he was helping Oscar and Dai Mubai with their plans.

Flanders noticed this subtle change.

"My third spirit ring retains the same attributes—light, fire, and purification. Light-type bird spirit beasts will be given priority, and their age will be the same as yours, over three thousand years old."

Ma Hongjun spoke succinctly, as if stating a decision that required no discussion.

Oscar couldn't help but interject, "That's it?"

"That's it."

"You think of so many details for us, but you're so casual about it yourself?"

Dai Mubai glanced at Oscar, his eyes conveying the message, "Why are you more anxious than I am?"

But he thought the same thing as Ma Hongjun: Ma Hongjun really hadn't said enough about his third spirit ring.

"Light-type bird-type soul beasts are my only choice. It's not that I don't want to choose, it's that I have no choice."

Ma Hongjun's tone remained calm, "These kinds of soul beasts are too rare. It's good enough if you can even encounter one. You don't have the right to be picky about the type."

The carriage fell silent.

Oscar shut his mouth and stopped asking questions.

Dai Mubai looked at him, opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Ma Hongjun leaned his head back against the car window frame, looking at the gray-blue sky outside. The clouds were low, clinging to the horizon in clumps.

He certainly had ideas about his third spirit ring.

He had a name in his heart, but he didn't say it aloud.

The soul beast corresponding to that name is so rare that probably only a handful of people on the entire continent have ever seen it, so rare that he wasn't even sure he could name it.

What lies above the Holy Light Phoenix?

A year ago, he searched through all the books about Light-type Soul Beasts in the library and found a vague record:

The Holy Light Phoenix is ​​a top-tier soul beast of the Light element, possessing a rich ancient phoenix bloodline that grants it the ability to purify all things.

Holy Light Phoenix.

That's his goal.

But he didn't say it.

Because the Holy Light Phoenix is ​​at least five thousand years old, far exceeding his current limit of about three thousand years.

If I can't find it, telling everyone will only disappoint them.

Flander's gaze lingered on Ma Hongjun's face for a moment.

He noticed something flash in Ma Hongjun's eyes when he said, "It's not that I don't want to choose, it's that I have no choice."

It wasn't disappointment, nor helplessness, but a more complex emotion, like waiting for something.

"Light-type bird-type soul beasts that are over three thousand years old are indeed rare in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest."

Flander chimed in, "Perhaps we should try our luck deeper. If that doesn't work, we can always try other species of the Light element."

"I know."

Oscar leaned closer and said with a grin, "Hongjun, don't worry. Even if we can't find a suitable soul beast, we can hunt down my and Dai Mubai's first, and then we'll slowly help you find one."

Ma Hongjun glanced at him and said, "You want to deal with your own swift first, right?"

Oscar wasn't embarrassed when his intentions were exposed. He shamelessly said that he was thinking of the team. He explained that with the ability to fly, he could run fast and get help if they encountered danger.

Dai Mubai watched the two bickering and suddenly interjected, silencing everyone.

"Hongjun, what do those light-type bird-like soul beasts you mentioned look like?"

Ma Hongjun thought for a moment.

"It is entirely golden or white, and larger than the Holy Light Falcon. Its feathers have a metallic sheen, leaving a trail of light when it flies. Its tail feathers are longer than its body, forked, like a phoenix."

Dai Mubai remained silent for a long time after listening, so long that Oscar thought he had fallen asleep.

Then he said something that made Ma Hongjun's heart race.

"I've seen a picture of this bird in the royal library of the Star Luo Empire. The book describes it as—the Holy Phoenix of Light, a descendant of the ancient phoenix. Its spirit rings are of extremely high quality, with those over ten thousand years being the best."

He looked up at Ma Hongjun. "There was a note next to it: This bird is fierce and would rather self-destruct than submit. It is extremely difficult to hunt."

The carriage fell silent again.

More than ten thousand years.

Ma Hongjun was silently calculating in his mind.

His goal was even higher than he had imagined. A third spirit ring was impossible, a fourth was doubtful, and even a fifth spirit ring wasn't guaranteed. But it was there, and as long as he continued down this path, he would eventually reach it.

"No rush," Ma Hongjun said. "Let's get yours sorted out first, then we'll talk about mine."

Flander looked at Ma Hongjun and suddenly felt that this student was sometimes unbelievably calm.

A seven-year-old child saying "no rush" and "let's get yours sorted out first" is either precocious or born that way unless he has experienced some major upheaval that made him mature prematurely.

The carriage continued on its way.

The fields along the official road gradually thinned out, replaced by rolling low hills.

A deep green hue appeared on the distant horizon, pointing towards the Starry Sky Forest.

"We'll stay in the town on the outskirts of the forest tonight, and head into the woods early tomorrow morning," Flander's voice came from the direction of the car door.

Ma Hongjun leaned against the car window and closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into his body, and the two spirit rings slowly rotated in the darkness.

The first ring is yellow Holy Light Sparrow, and the second ring is deep yellow Holy Light Phoenix Falcon.

They floated there quietly, waiting for the arrival of their third companion.

The color is deeper, almost purple; the age is higher, exceeding a thousand years.

They won't be able to wait much longer.