Douluo: Ma Hongjun The Ancestor Phoenix!

Ma Hongjun found it somewhat amusing.

"Hurry up and take it," Xiao Wu urged.

Oscar quickly stepped forward but paused halfway, turning back to ask,

"Fatty, how do I eat this? Do I pluck the leaves, or do I eat the roots?"

He looked at the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid with hesitation.

"No special method. Just take it directly. The key is to absorb the medicinal power into your body," Ma Hongjun explained.

With that confirmation, Oscar's face lit up, and he quickly walked away, clutching the herb like a treasure.

"Brother Hongjun, it's my turn now," Ning Rongrong said as she walked up quickly, her clear eyes fixed on him with anticipation.

There was a playful gleam between her eyebrows.

The girl with scorpion braids bit her lip.

Ugh… I was one step too slow. This little girl beat me to it.

Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists. It had been a long time—she wanted her chance to talk properly with Brother Hongjun too.

"Here. This is for you."

Ma Hongjun took out the gift he had prepared for Ning Rongrong.

The moment it appeared, the room seemed to glow brighter, shimmering with a brilliant golden light.

"This magical herb is called Qiluo Tulip. Its elegant shape alone gives it an air of nobility," Ma Hongjun explained with a smile.

"Your martial soul, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, is a rare treasure-type martial soul. This Qiluo Tulip suits you perfectly. It will complement and enhance your martial soul."

"This flower isn't meant to be eaten. You absorb its essence slowly through the pistil, allowing the medicinal power to flow into your body."

Ma Hongjun handed the Qiluo Tulip to Ning Rongrong.

Instantly, a brilliant smile bloomed on her face. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around Ma Hongjun's neck—then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Brother Hongjun, thank you for the flower!"

After speaking, she let go, holding the Qiluo Tulip in her arms as she inhaled its fragrance deeply.

The tulip's scent was just as intoxicating as the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, and soon the entire room was filled with its aroma.

Xiao Wu gritted her teeth fiercely, glaring at Ma Hongjun with a mix of anger and frustration.

"Here, this one's for you." Ma Hongjun pulled out another herb. "But this flower is a bit... special."

Compared to the gorgeous tulip, this herb wasn't flashy, but it had a unique and subtle beauty.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong immediately leaned over curiously, their eyes fixed on the herb in Ma Hongjun's hand.

"Brother Hongjun, why is this Acacia Heartbroken Red so special?" Ning Rongrong asked, puzzled. Zhu Zhuqing also looked at him with curiosity.

Ma Hongjun chuckled.

"This flower has a strange origin. It comes from a tragic love story between a flower fairy and a mortal man. The man couldn't bear the fact that his beloved could never become immortal with him, so he spent his life longing for her. In the end, he was so heartbroken that he cried tears of blood onto this flower before he died."

Flander and Liu Erlong, who had been quietly sitting and watching, were both stunned hearing the story.

Ma Hongjun's expression froze slightly as he added,

"This flower is indeed extraordinary. To gain its recognition, one must have someone truly loved in their heart. While thinking of that person, they must spit a mouthful of blood onto the flower. If the feelings aren't genuine, the flower will never accept them."

"Brother Hongjun, I want to try," Xiao Wu said firmly.

Ma Hongjun hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.

Without wasting a second, Xiao Wu spat out a mouthful of blood, which landed squarely on the petals. Within moments, the flower trembled slightly and then slowly drooped its petals toward her.

Ma Hongjun was genuinely surprised.

He hadn't expected Xiao Wu's feelings for him to be this deep.

Before this, he knew she liked him—but he had never realized just how strong that love was.

His eyes softened considerably.

"Eat it," he said gently. "It'll greatly boost your strength."

"No… I want to keep this flower with me forever," Xiao Wu shook her head, reluctant.

Ma Hongjun didn't give her a chance to refuse. He directly stuffed the flower into her mouth.

As long as I'm here, he thought, I won't let anything bad happen to Xiao Wu in the future. She won't ever need to rely on resurrection.

A flicker of determination flashed in Ma Hongjun's eyes.

The girl with scorpion braids blinked, her face full of grievance.

She hadn't wanted to eat it either… she wanted to keep the flower forever.

"Be good. Eat it. It'll help you a lot," Ma Hongjun said with a bright, comforting smile.

This flower belonged to Xiao Wu—it always had.

Helplessly, Xiao Wu could only slowly begin to absorb the medicinal power of the Acacia Heartbroken Red.

Finally, it was Zhu Zhuqing's turn. She looked at Ma Hongjun expectantly. Although her quiet, introverted nature meant she didn't show it outwardly, a trace of nervous anticipation stirred in her heart.

Ma Hongjun chuckled.

"Zhuqing, this is specially prepared for you. It's called the Extreme Shadow Dark Ganoderma. It can greatly enhance your speed, making it perfect for agility-type Spirit Masters like you. Its dark attribute also complements your martial soul perfectly."

A tiny Ganoderma appeared in his palm, glowing faintly with a delicate light.

It was beautiful—exquisite.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes were instantly drawn to it.

"So pretty…" she whispered.

Ning Rongrong wasn't in a hurry to start absorbing her herb either. Instead, she watched Ma Hongjun closely, a look of admiration and interest in her eyes.

When she saw the Extreme Shadow Dark Ganoderma, a trace of fondness flashed in her expression.

This kind of small, exquisite thing was every girl's weakness.

Zhu Zhuqing also loved it instantly. She happily took the Ganoderma and played with it in her hands.

"You need to slowly absorb the medicinal power from this Ganoderma over the course of a month," Ma Hongjun explained. "Although it's a slow process, it'll allow you to perfectly absorb all the energy, greatly improving your spirit power."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded seriously, her eyes bright with determination.

Ning Rongrong glanced down at the Qiluo Tulip in her hands and sighed softly.

What a pity… The flower will soon be eaten. I also wanted to keep it forever...

Now, almost everyone had a gift in their hands. Ma Hongjun finally turned to look at Gu Yuena.

She stood behind him, arms crossed, watching everything unfold with an expression of boredom.

As the queen of all soul beasts, she had seen countless rare treasures in her life.

"Although this isn't particularly precious, it'll help a lot with your injuries," Ma Hongjun said.

He took out a fruit. It was a brilliant, glowing red, with crystal-clear skin that seemed to radiate light from within.

"This is the Phoenix Vermilion Fruit. It contains some Phoenix blood essence."

Gu Yuena's lazy expression instantly vanished. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the fruit.

Ma Hongjun chuckled.

"I know ordinary things won't impress you, but you'll definitely like this one."

After all, this Phoenix Vermilion Fruit contained a trace of his own blood essence.

For Gu Yuena, Ma Hongjun's blood essence was an incredible tonic—far more valuable than any ordinary treasure.

With everyone taken care of, Ma Hongjun's gaze finally shifted to Flander.

Then his eyes glanced at Liu Erlong standing beside him, and a sly grin spread across his face.

Flander's brow twitched the moment he saw that grin.

Based on his understanding of this kid, whenever Ma Hongjun smiled like that, it was never for anything good.

What's this brat up to now...?