Douluo; Zhongli Adventures in Mortal World with Paimon

"The consciousness of this world is truly..."

Zhongli felt at a loss for words, his eye twitching slightly.

It really did have the temperament of a child.

After all, this consciousness had only recently emerged and was still in its infancy. It was understandable.

To save this world?

To restore it to its 'proper course'?

Zhongli shook his head, his expression remaining composed as he glanced at "Xue Qinghe" beside him. Finally, he brushed aside the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind.

If his guess was correct, Qian Renxue was the chosen child of destiny selected by Douluo's consciousness.

Of course, Tang Chen and Oscar were as well.

However, due to external interference, the latter two had been rendered useless.

If Tang Chen hadn't been in such a hurry to mimic Poseidon in gathering faith, his ascension to godhood would have been inevitable.

But in the end, his impatience turned all his efforts into a wedding dress for someone else.

As for Oscar, being a support-type spirit master with innate full spirit power was a miracle in itself!

Feeling Zhongli's gaze, Qian Renxue froze, her heartbeat quickening slightly.

"He's... he's looking at me!"

"But in this setting, I'm still wearing my mask..."

At this thought, her heartbeat faltered, and her eyes filled with confusion.

"It seems... he's still the same as always."

"Zhongli can't possibly have that kind of thought; he's just looking at me out of curiosity."

With a soft sigh, she murmured internally, "The road ahead is long and arduous."

On the stage, members of the Blazing Academy team and the Shrek group faced off. The referee's signal hadn't been given yet, so neither side could make a move.

Tang San stood at the rear of the formation, shielding Oscar and Jiangzhu—the remaining support-type spirit masters of Shrek.

"What role should I play in this match?"

Tang San fell into deep thought.

In most battles, his role was to control the flow of combat. However, in this match, his control abilities would be largely ineffective.

The opposing team was entirely composed of fire-attribute spirit masters, and his spirit was still merely Blue Silver Grass at this point!

Thinking about his martial soul, Tang San couldn't help but clench his fists, his jaw tightening in frustration.

It was all because of that fool, Yu Xiaogang. His martial soul wasn't just ordinary Blue Silver Grass—it was the yet-to-awaken Blue Silver Emperor. As long as he absorbed enough plant-type spirit rings, it would awaken.

Had he followed the natural progression of absorbing spirit rings, his Blue Silver Grass would already have evolved into the Blue Silver Emperor!

That was a martial soul with innate domains and immense power!

"No such thing as a trash martial soul, only trash spirit masters?"

Yu Xiaogang had spent his entire life proving that he himself was trash.

Ma Hongjun remained silent, his dark pupils deepening into an unsettling abyss that sent chills down anyone who looked at him.

"It's all because of me..."

"That teacher ended up like this."

"That the academy became what it is now."

"That Senior Qin Ming died..."

For days, Ma Hongjun's mind had been replaying these thoughts. His gaze grew increasingly resolute, yet also colder and more ruthless.

The Ma Hongjun of the past was almost "gone."

The evil fire within him was close to completely taking over his mind.

"Let the match begin!"

As the referee's voice echoed, Ma Hongjun's closed eyes snapped open again. Within his pupils, a black flame seemed to dance.

"Dark Phoenix, Possession!"

Unconsciously, Ma Hongjun uttered "Dark Phoenix" instead of "Evil Fire Phoenix!"

The faces of those present, especially the Spirit Hall members, shifted drastically.

However, as if recalling something, they shook their heads.

This overweight spirit master hadn't done anything wrong. His martial soul mutation couldn't be a reason to capture him.

Countless streams of black energy converged toward Ma Hongjun. His once bulky frame transformed, becoming leaner and more refined.

From his back, a pair of wings formed entirely of black flames unfurled.

A phantom of a phoenix radiating black flames appeared behind Ma Hongjun.

At this moment, he no longer needed spirit abilities to fly.

At this moment, his Evil Fire Phoenix underwent a true evolution.

At the same time, what Ma Hongjun lost was all of his sanity!

"He's fallen!"

"Xue Qinghe" blurted out, their expression tinged with seriousness.

Who could have expected that this chubby boy would possess such potential? But the cost was indeed high!

The people seated in the VIP stands didn't suspect "Xue Qinghe" for that statement.

Only Salas felt his heart skip a beat.

"My dear lady, now is definitely not the time to act recklessly!"

Salas was inwardly crying. He understood that Qian Renxue's words were an unconscious reaction influenced by her martial soul.

"Hiss—"

The audience and the other contestants collectively gasped, feeling their heads spinning from shock.

Just yesterday, while Ma Hongjun's performance had been a bit unusual, it wasn't anywhere near this level of transformation!

"Did they switch him out? Is this a substitute?"

"He's a completely different person now!"

Ma Hongjun's current appearance was rather striking, particularly with his expressionless demeanor.

His body was now cloaked in jet-black flames, and his back was adorned with massive, fiery black wings.

He was like a character from a fantasy story, radiating an almost otherworldly charm.

The Blazing Academy team exchanged confused glances, utterly stunned.

They had been discussing how Shrek Academy might pull off a win, but never had they imagined this!

"When did this fat guy's martial soul mutate?"

"And why, of all times, did it mutate while fighting us?!"

"Cheating, huh? Where's the referee?!"

"His mind has already been consumed by darkness and the evil flames. If he doesn't regain clarity, he might..."

Zhongli set down his teacup, speaking calmly.

To forge Tang San's "invincible persona," they've already gone to such lengths?

He glanced up at the sky, thoughts swirling in his mind.

Ma Hongjun's mutation was undoubtedly linked to the gods above.

If he survived this ordeal and broke through to level ninety, there was a real possibility he could inherit the god's mantle.

"Rest assured, Lord Martial God," Salas declared first, his tone solemn. "Our Spirit Hall will undoubtedly suppress all evil!"

Although Salas's reputation wasn't stellar, he genuinely put in the effort when it came to crucial matters, carrying out his duties diligently.

Zhongli nodded slightly, saying no more.

Under normal circumstances, if he refrained from interfering, Ma Hongjun might endure the trial and emerge stronger.

"Let's observe for now. We can't take his life for something that hasn't happened."

"If it truly comes to that, then we'll send him to the underworld for reformation."

With that resolution in mind, Zhongli stopped overthinking.

On the stage, Tang San looked at Ma Hongjun, visibly stunned.

Ma Hongjun, already possessing a mutated martial soul, had now undergone a second mutation into a truly top-tier martial soul: the Dark Phoenix?

Even Tang San found it hard to accept such a drastic change all at once.

"First Spirit Ability: Dark Flame!"

Ma Hongjun murmured softly. With a flap of his wings, two streams of black flames shot out, hurtling toward Huo Wushuang and the others.

At this moment, he had no rational thought left. His sole drive was to incinerate everyone in front of him—and everyone behind him as well!

Yes, even Tang San and the others were now within Ma Hongjun's attack range!

"Second Spirit Ability: Explosive Flame!"

Ma Hongjun turned around, launching a massive black fireball directly at Dai Mubai.