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"Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower? What exactly is that?"
Bai He stared at the immortal herb in Dai Wei Si's hand, puzzled. He didn't know the herb by name, but his martial spirit throbbed with recognition the moment it appeared—clearly, this herb would benefit him greatly.
"Ha ha, Old White Bird, this is a rare treasure! If you absorb it, you might correct the Sharp-tailed Swift's inherent weakness—transforming you from pure-agility soul masters into true agility-attack hybrids!"
"What?!" Bai He's heart leapt, and he turned to Dai Wei Si, voice trembling. "Your Highness, is that really possible?"
"I can't guarantee it," Dai Wei Si admitted. "But there's a strong chance it will refine your martial spirit, even if it doesn't fully shift you into the agility-attack category. At the very least, it will boost your spirit power."
He held the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower up for them to see. Even from its name, one could tell it brimmed with the power of the phoenix.
In the original legend, Ma Hongjun consumed this very herb to awaken the phoenix's essence in his fire-phoenix martial spirit, evolving it into a true Fire Phoenix!
If the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower could amplify a phoenix spirit, then by that logic it could bestow phoenix essence upon another bird-spirit martial spirit.
Although it was only conjecture, Dai Wei Si decided it was worth a try—after all, this herb had no use to him personally, and he certainly wouldn't gift it to that ludicrous "courtesan chicken."
"Senior Yang," he continued, "the phoenix force in this herb is intense and pure-yang in nature. If consumed raw, I worry that Senior Bai He and Sister Chenxiang won't be able to withstand its ferocity. Could you refine it into pills, using cooling herbs to temper its yang energy?"
"Of course—consider it done!" Yang Wudi agreed eagerly. This was the third sacred herb he'd encountered after the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and Fragrant Qiluo Flower. He couldn't miss the chance to refine it.
The group hurried back to the Broken Stone Clan's territory, and Yang Wudi set up his alchemy furnace at once. True to his renown, it wasn't long before a rich, heady aroma wafted from the workshop.
Bai He's heart pounded. If his entire clan could become agility-attack soul masters, their combat prowess would skyrocket—and he might even ascend to Soul Sage himself.
Meanwhile, Bai Chenxiang stole curious glances at Dai Wei Si, intrigued by his formidable power and these wondrous gifts: lethal firearms and miraculous immortal herbs.
Three hours passed in silence until the furnace fire finally died down. Yang Wudi opened the lid, and a fragrant blast hit their noses. Inside lay nine snow-white pills.
He'd used a generous amount of cooling botanicals to neutralize the herb's pure-yang nature, preserving only its phoenix essence.
"One pill each," Yang Wudi instructed. "Once ingested, the phoenix force will flow into your martial spirits and refine their quality."
Dai Wei Si handed two pills to Bai He and Bai Chenxiang. "Remember: swallow immediately, then focus on cultivating the herb's power."
"I will, Your Highness. Let's see if it can mend my martial spirit's flaw," Bai He said, swallowing his pill in a single gulp. He closed his eyes and drew the ley lines of his spirit power inward. The pill melted instantly, and the phoenix force surged through every limb and sinew.
His eyes flew open in delight as he guided the pure phoenix essence into his Sharp-tailed Swift spirit, fusing it completely.
"Grandfather Yang, is Grandfather all right?" Bai Chenxiang asked anxiously, watching Bai He's face for any signs of distress.
"Ha ha, Xiangxiang, you're really underestimating Grandpa's alchemy skills. Don't worry, it won't be long before Old White Bird wakes up."
Sure enough, after half an hour, Bai He slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He could feel his martial spirit was stronger than ever before.
Yang Wudi couldn't hide his excitement and asked eagerly, "Old White Bird, how do you feel? Has your martial spirit improved? Can you fight now?"
"Let me show you. Watch carefully!"
With that, Bai He released his martial spirit and entered spirit possession. A pair of azure wings sprouted from his back, their wingspan even wider than before. At his lower back, nine phoenix tails grew, each imbued with phoenix energy.
"The wings have grown larger? Old White Bird, whether you can attack or not, your speed must have improved a lot."
"Of course!" Bai He felt fantastic. With a flash, he soared into the sky, climbing straight up ninety thousand feet.
In his palm, he condensed soul power, drawing the phoenix energy from his tails into his hand. Instantly, his originally neutral soul power transformed into a gusting wind blade. Under Bai He's control, the wind blade shot fiercely at a massive stone.
The blade's speed rivaled that of a volley from the repeating flintlock rifle. With a thunderous crash, the giant stone was split cleanly in half!
"It worked!"
Seeing the stone cleaved in two, Bai He's heart swelled with joy. He never imagined he'd one day possess such offensive power.
He then flew over to Dai Wei Si and knelt with a thud, tears streaming down his face as he said gratefully, "Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you so much! You not only took us in, but also helped correct our martial spirit's flaws, giving us the power to stand on our own. Your great kindness will never be forgotten!"
Bai He was overcome with emotion, tears flowing freely. Seeing her grandfather truly gain combat strength, Bai Chenxiang also kneeled before Dai Wei Si. She understood that from now on, the fate of the Minzhi Clan would change dramatically.
"Enough, both of you, please rise," Dai Wei Si said kindly, helping them to their feet. Then he smiled at Bai Chenxiang, "Sister Chenxiang, it's your turn to take the pill."
"Alright, thank you, Brother Crown Prince!" Bai Chenxiang smiled sweetly and swallowed the pill in one gulp. Not long after, her martial spirit evolved, gaining the ability to condense wind blades for attack.
"Since your martial spirits have evolved, why not name this new form 'Lingbo Feiyan'—Soaring Swifts on Rippled Waves? What do you think?"
"Lingbo Feiyan is a perfect name," Bai He nodded in satisfaction. Unfortunately, only seven pills remained, enough to evolve the spirits of seven clan members. Even so, he was already very content.
(End of Chapter)