Chapter 124: Clear Phoenix

Chapter 124: Clear Phoenix

Shout-out to Shivam Patel!

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Patre /Fanharem

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"What's going on with him?" 12 youths, each with their own specific quality, could be seen practicing in a well-equipped training environment. A wilderness, only in name and structure, but this was one of the many specialized training grounds of the Spirit Academy. With the carefully developed environment, the pace of cultivation of a spirit master with a reptilian martial soul would grow slightly.

The men and women looked at each other. Wearing the silver uniforms of the Spirit Academy, the group revealed a sense of pride in their bearings while they kept on standing and waiting. One particular dark-haired youth didn't seem to conform with the silver attire of the Spirit Academy. He wore a set of deep blue training robes with a thick silver belt around his waist and stomach.

The sky was bright and the sun was no longer harsh since constant raining. But as the meditating youth breathed, every second, a sparkle of electricity would buzz around him. Like a small pop and a flash of a speck.

This was none other than Yu Xiaogang. Stuck in a critical moment of breakthrough from rank 39 to 40, he placed all his attention on the task at hand while the sense of natural tyranny in his bearings grew. If Bibi Dong and Ja Sun saw him now, they wouldn't recall Yu Xiaogang by a single sight. Those around him felt natural because of close proximity and daily interactions and even his master, the Golden Crocodile Douluo would not have realized it and even if he did, who doesn't feel confident after growing as a spirit master? It would be strange if Yu Xiaogang didn't feel different after finally doubling his rank.

But things ran deeper than the observation on the surface.

Why Ja Sun didn't try to forcefully kill Tang Yuehua's Clear Sky Swallow was evident now.

Originally a scholar made out of helplessness, Yu Xiaogang had long realized the value of necessary knowledge on martial souls and various concepts even being a strong spirit master because that's all he had when he was pushed aside by his own father in the clan. However, strangely, the more he grew, the higher Yu Xiaogang realized his lack of interest in scrolls anymore.

He wanted something else.

Something that could bring him the satisfaction of living. And this sensation would grow as he grew. Once again, Yu Xiaogang himself didn't find anything strange and with his breakneck pace of cultivation, the thought of focusing on getting strong was by itself the driving factor for the development of the aversion to books temporarily. Even Golden Crocodile supported this method of growth.

If Spirit Masters actually focused on other professions then the face of smithing, array creations, alchemy, and many other professions would quite different. But they didn't. Those who did and realized the benefits kept to themselves. This world wasn't an informative one, after all.

*Crackle*

*Roar*

A disturbing roaring sound echoed the moment long-lasting arcs of blue lightning erupted from around Yu Xiaogang's body.

His dark locks whipped without any gust of air but sheer spirit energy oozing out of him. Above his head, the arcs of electricity condensed into a shadow of a sleek dragon that shot into the sky with a loud blast.

*Boom*

Needless to say, desperately controlling their spirit energy every day, toiling in this laborious act, Bibi Dong and her students would roll their eyes at this display. Even Liu Erlong's breakthrough had turned much tamer than before.

Still, the pressure of Yu Xiaogang's martial soul suppressed everyone around him.

Legends describe dragons as the overlord of a plane. Subsequently, proving the strength of a species is the fact that any martial soul or spirit beast with a dragon's lineage will reveal extraordinary qualities, oftentimes physical.

After a few minutes of silence, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes. His originally dark pupils now a little grey with a hint of electrical blue-purple irises freckled within.

With a smile, he looked at his teammates. The cream of the crop from the academy. Ironically, many of them were the ones Bibi Dong rejected but then again, only Bibi Dong had enough strength to even keep reigns on her strange group.

"It's time we get my fourth spirit ring. At this speed, even if I'm not a Spirit King by the competition... he won't be either, too."

Ja Sun's image flashed past Yu Xiaogang's mind. He was right. Both of them were Spirit Grandmasters when they first met and when Ja Sun arrived at the Spirit Hall, he was simply a Spirit Elder. With his martial soul ' reset,' Yu Xiaogang had the chance to once again absorb stronger spirit rings which propelled his cultivation and pushed him past rank 30. To him, Ja Sun did not have similar benefits. Even with an extraordinary Martial Soul, Ja Sun could not have been able to progress at a speed greater than his own.

---

They would regret their actions of breaking Yuehua's current mental state. A state of exhilarating euphoria.

If they were frustrated for wanting something for years and years ever since they knew what is right and not, and finally getting it, the pleasure could only be imagined. Even someone highly trained in etiquettes such as Yuehua couldn't control herself and seeing her, Jun'er couldn't help but tear up a little herself.

Everyone felt emotional at the moment and for various reasons. But silently, all sat down and waited for Yuehua to calm down.

---

"Yes," Yuehua smiled, completely refreshed after a bath and a change of clothes, "This is Clear Phoenix."

Saying so, Yuehua rubbed the head of the phoenix-headed Griffin as it closed its glassy golden eyes and chirped softly. With a body belonging to a pedaled beast, it could stay on the land as its wings were folded back.

Everyone gazed at the majestic martial soul curiously. Even Ja Sun did.

Unlike the Enlightened Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the Enlightened Clear Phoenix didn't have a single shred of tyrannical intent. Instead, its actions were graceful and filled with genuine elegance and dignity that even Yuehua couldn't possess. A noble breed of Martial Souls that made others envy just based on its looks. The gem-like talons placed on Yuehua's laps didn't hurt her at all and she continued to rub the martial soul's head.

It only lasted for a few minutes however as the Clear Phoenix realized the lack of spirit energy within Yuehua to keep its form and disappeared into her body voluntarily.

"Can you communicate with Clear Phoenix?" Ja Sun inquired and Yuehua nodded.

"Yes, even though it's a martial soul, Clear Phoenix feels like a living being. We can share a few intents but nothing more yet."

"That's a one good-looking dog," Jun'er muttered enviously.

"It's not a dog, Phoenix. My martial soul is a Phoenix!" Yuehua sighed but felt giddy. Like Dragons, Phoenix had an equally amazing reputation.

Why wouldn't she feel happy?

But Bibi Dong was the one to breach a rather dismaying topic.

"We all are happy for you, Tang Yuehua," Bibi Dong smiled, "But after this experience, I need to know in front of everybody if your thoughts of sticking to our team are still the same or do you have second thoughts now."

Yuehua's lips parted before she looked at Ja Sun. She didn't let her gaze stay on Ja Sun too long and then continued to look at everyone for a moment and then exhaled deeply, "Please, continue teaching me and taking care of me. And I hope to be useful to the team as soon as possible... which should be possible with my awakened domain and..."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Yuehua glanced at Ja Sun and smiled slightly, "Thank you so much for everything, Brother Ka-ul. Even all the pain you inflicted on me..."

"Just be sure not to say the exact words to your brothers. Wouldn't want them to think I didn't leave you innocent enough for a marriage," Ja Sun shrugged.

"Ow!" He exclaimed suddenly and glared at Bibi Dong before he felt another pinch and then he stared at Ah Yin, and then Liu Erlong, and then even Hu Lana while Yuehua's expression had fallen deeply already into a mess of blush.

"I stand by my statement! And didn't Birdy just say she's especially thankful to me? The hell is wrong with you all! If I said I'm thankful to Ah Yin for all the pain she inflicted on me, what would you all think?"

His question stunned everyone.

"That's right, see? You've all got the mind for it, I just spoke what's inside of it."

Ja Sun snorted as Yuehua finally calmed everyone down. This group was volatile enough to break into sudden fights and sparring sessions just because.

Once things calmed down, Yuehua began to describe every detail and sensation she felt during this event to Ja Sun because he had been coaching her through this entire process and frankly, Yuehua felt that if there was anyone who should be told about this information is none other than Ja Sun himself. This kind of knowledge won't be useful to him directly but he had already revealed himself to be a collector of strange knowledge and techniques that can prove useful at times. And truly, although he hadn't received anything as remarkable as a heaven and earth treasure from Ground Devil's spirit essence tool, he could still point this collection of gold and treasure as to the source of anything he reveals in the future.

***

A/N: Actually, I had first planned Yu Xiaogang's team to be filled with Martial souls related to mythological beasts such as a hippocampus, sphinx, and yes, a Griffin.

But then I realized that a simple Phoenix is too boring in Soul Land. There is already evil phoenix, ice phoenix, and ten-headed yang phoenix, so why not have a Phoenix as a Griffin? Enters, Clear Phoenix.