Douluo: Ma Hongjun The Ancestor Phoenix!

In Soto City, inside a large hotel, the Royal Fighting Team surrounded Yu Feng with worried expressions.

Yu Feng held a cup of hot water in his hands, a hint of color finally returning to his face. He took a deep breath, looked at his teammates, and gave a bitter smile.

"That guy named Dai Mubai is definitely impressive, but he wasn't the one who really scared me."

"It was Ma Hongjun."

As he recalled the earlier confrontation, a flicker of fear appeared in Yu Feng's eyes, and his voice trembled.

"His flames came out of nowhere. The pressure they gave off made my martial soul tremble deep in my core. It was like facing a supreme ruler. I couldn't even summon the will to resist."

Seeing this, Osler quickly handed him another sip of hot water. Yu Feng, who had been shaking all over, gradually calmed down.

Everyone on the team frowned.

They were all familiar with Yu Feng's temperament—brave, cautious, and never one to back down. But this was the first time they had ever seen him so shaken.

"This reaction is normal."

Ye Lingling, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke in a calm voice.

"Yu Feng's martial soul is the Wind Chime Bird, while Ma Hongjun's martial soul, Divine Phoenix, is the absolute king among all flying-type spirits. And it's not an ordinary phoenix, either. From what I know, the typical phoenix flame is red—but his is red-gold. The temperature difference between them is tremendous."

"So it's not surprising that Yu Feng was completely suppressed."

After hearing Ye Lingling's explanation, the others' expressions grew more serious.

"Is it really that extraordinary?"

The purple-haired girl frowned and turned to Yu Tianheng. "Tianheng's martial soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex. It's one of the strongest beast spirits. It should easily outclass something like the Green Scaled Snake. But I didn't feel that kind of pressure."

"That only means one thing,"

Ye Lingling said softly. "His martial soul might be even stronger than the captain's."

"Bullshit! No way that's possible. If it weren't for Teacher Qin's request, I wouldn't have let Yu Feng test him in the first place."

The purple-haired beauty, Dugu Yan, shook her head and patted Yu Feng on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. As the vice-captain, I'll definitely take revenge for you. Divine Phoenix? I'll treat it like a featherless turkey and poison it until it begs for mercy."

The Divine Phoenix? Please. She, Dugu Yan, didn't believe in such nonsense.

Could any beast martial soul surpass the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex—the strongest in the world?

"Sister Yan, you're the best… sob sob sob~"

Yu Feng was so moved he burst into tears.

"Hahaha, relax, Lingling. No martial soul is stronger than the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex. And don't forget, the captain's already level 39."

Osler laughed heartily.

"A team of so-called prodigies? Let's show them what real power looks like!"

The Shi brothers laughed along, clearly unconcerned. Even after what happened, they still didn't take this local team from Soto City seriously.

As for the gold-tier Spirit Fighting Badge?

Please. They could easily earn one themselves.

"You guys… sigh, fine."

Ye Lingling started to speak but stopped. Looking at her cheerful companions, she ultimately chose silence.

Still, a deep concern lingered in her heart.

Compared to the Wind Chime Bird, the Shi brothers' Black Tortoise and the vice-captain's Green Scaled Snake would be even more easily suppressed.

"We've fought the previous number one team, the Berserker Team. Honestly, their level was nothing special."

Yu Tianheng noticed her unease and reassured her with a smile.

"Yes, Captain."

Ye Lingling didn't argue. She just quietly stepped back into the shadows of the room.

But… could it really be that simple?

Two profiles flashed through her mind—two names that had deeply unsettled her.

Divine Phoenix. Silver Dragon.

If they underestimated those two, the Royal Fighting Team might suffer a crushing defeat.

Meanwhile, the Shrek team had no idea what was going on with the Royal Fighting Team.

After finishing their hearty meal, they returned to the hotel to find Flander sitting on the sofa with a grim expression.

The moment they saw him, Dai Mubai and Oscar froze. They exchanged glances, instantly sensing danger.

Oscar (panicking): Crap! I knew I forgot something! We're doomed!

Dai Mubai (grimacing): This is going to be painful...

"Well, well, had your fill of food and drink?"

Flander raised his head, adjusted his glasses—cold light flashing across the lenses—and gave them a chilling smile.

"Time for a little digestive workout, wouldn't you say?"

"Don't worry, Dean. I brought something back for you!"

Ning Rongrong giggled. The bracelet on her wrist flashed with light, and a large box of steaming hot food appeared in her hand.

Before the meal started, the red-haired boy had asked the chef to prepare a separate portion for her. After all, she was the only one among them who owned a storage-type soul tool.

Gu Yuena glanced at the bracelet, a thoughtful look flashing across her beautiful eyes.

Hongjun seems to really need something like that.

It shouldn't be hard. It's just a matter of spatial manipulation...

"You've got a conscience, I'll give you that."

Flander snorted, clearly still acting angry—but his eyes revealed his delight.

"Alright, alright. I'm not mad anymore. I've made a decision: If you win this next match, we'll head straight to Heaven Dou Imperial City!"

"Really?!"

Ning Rongrong squealed in delight and clapped her hands.

Hehe~ Brother Hongjun~ My dear Brother Hongjun~

Her mind was already racing with excitement.

"For real?"

Dai Mubai punched the air in celebration. Just thinking about the twin sisters waiting for him made him lick his lips.

"But Dean, why the sudden change of plans?"

Oscar asked, frowning.

"Ahem… That's because your Dean saw how hard you've all worked these past twenty days!"

Flander coughed and replied with a sheepish look.

Truthfully, it's because there aren't any more worthy opponents around!

If this Royal Fighting Team hadn't shown up, he would've already taken the team to the capital.

"Anyway, once we crush this so-called Royal Fighting Team, we'll leave for Heaven Dou Imperial City!"

With that, Flander left, carrying the box of food. He claimed he was going to share it with the academy's teachers.

But only he knew what he was really planning.

As for the Royal Fighting Team? Flander wasn't the least bit concerned.

The receptionist had mentioned them, but Dean Shrek was confident—perhaps overly so. As far as he was concerned, at the Soul Master level, no team could pose a serious threat.

Still, their name was a bit arrogant.

Shouldn't they be called—Royal Fighting?

Ah well, he'd double-check the files later.

Shaking his head, Flander walked out of the Spirit Arena.

But just as he was about to exit, he ran into an unexpected face.

"Dean."

A handsome young man stood before him with a smile. His eyes were slightly red.

"It's been a long time."

Flander froze. After a brief moment of confusion, his eyes widened in astonishment.

"Holy crap—Qin Ming?! What the hell are you doing here?!"