While the two of them were communicating through soul power, Xu Pan tidied up the books on the table and then left the library with Ma Hongjun, heading toward the Duke's estate.
About an hour later.
At the estate, inside a separate courtyard.
"Uncle Xu, where's the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird? I haven't seen it," Ma Hongjun asked, looking around the courtyard. His gaze finally landed on the only bird in the courtyard.
It was a bird with a transcendent, spiritual aura, its feathers entirely pure white, like the snow on a high mountain peak.
There were no other soul beasts in the courtyard except for this white bird, so Ma Hongjun was confused and asked, "Could it be this bird? But it's all white... where's the 'seven-colored' part?"
"Hard to believe, right?" Xu Pan stood beside him, patting Ma Hongjun's shoulder. "Hongjun, summon your Fire Phoenix Wuhun and try to make a Phoenix cry. You'll understand."
"Alright, I got it." Ma Hongjun nodded obediently.
Then, in a rather dramatic manner, he shouted:
"Fire Phoenix, descend!"
In an instant, golden-red flames swirled around Ma Hongjun's body.
His previously red hair turned into dazzling golden-red, and even his eyes became brilliant with the same color.
Behind him, golden-red flames condensed into a shadowy figure of a Fire Phoenix, and a pair of phoenix wings spread out from his back.
"Ching Ching"
Without Ma Hongjun needing to control it, once his Fire Phoenix Wuhun took form, a resounding Phoenix cry echoed.
The cry reverberated through the courtyard.
The white bird in the cage seemed to respond to the Phoenix cry, spreading its wings and flying within the fairly spacious cage.
At that moment, the bird's pure white feathers shimmered with radiant, seven-colored light.
Simultaneously, a mystical melody echoed through the courtyard.
The sound was ethereal and sacred, causing Ma Hongjun to unknowingly immerse himself in it, as if he were soaking in a clear spring, washing away all impurities from his body. It brought an indescribable feeling of refreshing comfort.
After a long while.
When Ma Hongjun finally woke up, the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird in the cage had returned to its previous state. At the same time, Xu Pan's voice rang in his ears:
"This is the innate soul skill of the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird — Mystic Sound of Heaven."
"Whether for a soul master or a soul beast, the first time they listen to the Mystic Sound of Heaven, they will undergo a spiritual purification."
"The true effect of the Mystic Sound of Heaven is a comprehensive group support soul skill."
"It has multiple effects such as breaking control, healing, attribute amplification, and boosting morale. And the range it covers is extremely wide."
"According to ancient texts, any soul master whose Wuhun is compatible with the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird will gain a portion of the Mystic Sound of Heaven's effects upon absorbing its soul ring. It is considered a divine skill for armies."
"The higher the compatibility between the Wuhun and the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird, and the higher the Wuhun's quality, the better the soul skill's effect after absorbing the soul ring."
"Because of this, the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird has been hunted to near extinction by soul masters."
"Every few hundred to a thousand years, among the descendants of soul beasts with Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird bloodlines, there is a rare case of an ancestral bloodline reawakening, resulting in one born with the Mystic Sound of Heaven."
"My brothers only managed to capture this one through sheer luck."
"Although this particular Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird has a cultivation of over 2,200 years, exceeding the limit of typical third soul rings, it's not a problem for you. After all, you've worked hard on your physical training, and you've also absorbed an immortal-grade herb. As long as the soul ring's age doesn't exceed 2,500 years, you should be able to absorb it."
"And with your Wuhun evolving into the true Fire Phoenix after absorbing the Rooster Crown Phoenix Sunflower, your Wuhun is now considered an ultimate beast-type Wuhun."
"With that, you have a great chance of inheriting all the effects of the Mystic Sound of Heaven after absorbing this Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird's soul ring."
After explaining, Xu Pan entered the cage, knocked out the white bird, and brought it in front of Ma Hongjun, signaling him to quickly kill the soul beast to absorb its soul ring.
Ma Hongjun nodded, and with a golden-red Phoenix flame in his hand, he condensed it into a small knife and pierced the bird's body, ending its life.
Looking at the faint purple soul ring that appeared before him, Ma Hongjun took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the ground to begin absorbing it.
Perhaps because the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird had not endured much pain before its death, or maybe because it had already come to terms with its fate during the six months of captivity, the power contained in the soul ring was surprisingly gentle, making the absorption process painless and smooth for Ma Hongjun.
Half an hour later.
The faint purple soul ring had settled firmly at Ma Hongjun's feet.
"Soul power level 32, soul skill..."
After absorbing the soul ring, Ma Hongjun immediately checked his status, and a look of joy appeared on his youthful face.
Standing beside him, Xu Pan could tell from Ma Hongjun's expression that everything had gone smoothly, but he couldn't help but ask:
"Hongjun, how is it? What's the effect of the third soul ring?"
"Uncle Xu, don't rush, let me explain slowly." Ma Hongjun stood up from the ground and answered calmly:
"My third soul skill is called Heavenly Phoenix Mystic Sound, which shares some similarities with the Seven-Colored Mystic Sound Bird's innate soul skill, Mystic Sound of Heaven."
"First, the coverage of the soul skill: the initial range is one kilometer in radius, and for each additional soul ring, it extends by one kilometer."
"Now that I have three soul rings, the coverage of Heavenly Phoenix Mystic Sound is four kilometers."
"Next, the soul skill's enhancement effects: when activated, it dispels control, continuously heals lightly, increases all attributes by three percent, and constantly boosts morale."
"Additionally, the more people this skill affects, the more enhancement it gives me. For every additional ten thousand people, it will give me a one percent increase in all attributes."
"The best part is, this skill consumes very little soul power, only slightly more than my current soul power recovery speed."
Xu Pan listened without surprise.
The effects of Heavenly Phoenix Mystic Sound were almost identical to Mystic Sound of Heaven, with the only difference being the added feedback from the amplification.
While this might seem insignificant in everyday situations, it was a massive advantage in battle.
One percent attribute boost for every ten thousand people—so for an army of one million, it would result in a full one hundred percent boost.
With Heavenly Phoenix Mystic Sound, Ma Hongjun was destined to be a natural leader on the battlefield.
This realization greatly eased the burden on Xu Pan's shoulders.
Xu Pan knew that the Duke had tasked him with teaching Ma Hongjun military matters and strategies in order to assist him in becoming the future supreme commander of the empire's armies.
Without Heavenly Phoenix Mystic Sound, Ma Hongjun would have been a talented soul master, but he would still have to rise through the ranks and earn merit in the military.
But now, with Heavenly Phoenix Mystic Sound, everything would change.
The current grand marshal of the empire would likely make Ma Hongjun his successor once he learned of these skills.
And not to mention, the grand marshal, Gelong, still owed the Lin family a favor.