In the afternoon, on the Soul Battle Platform at Shrek Academy's plaza, Oscar stood with a jade sword in hand, facing Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing.
Dugu Yan did not take part in this battle; otherwise, with her third soul skill, the match would lose all meaning.
Even Ma Hongjun dared not come into contact with Dugu Yan's third soul skill apart from Oscar because the result would be poisoning and collapse. If treatment was not immediate, it could very well be fatal.
Zhao Wuji and Gai Yue sat on a high platform nearby, sipping tea. Dugu Yan stood beside them, her gaze fixed on Oscar.
Oscar, facing three opponents alone, showed not the slightest trace of panic. The jade sword in his hand danced, sending several arcs of sword energy sweeping toward the three.
Ma Hongjun gave a phoenix cry, his fiery wings beating as he shot into the sky. At the same time, a terrifying phoenix flame beam burst from his mouth, intercepting Oscar's sword energy.
Dai Mubai stood in front of Zhu Zhuqing, unleashing a golden light wave from his mouth, joining Ma Hongjun's flames to block the sword energy.
The sword energy, flame beam, and light wave clashed, sending out a shock wave. Oscar then advanced toward Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, sword in hand.
At the same time, his fingers formed a sword seal, and in an instant, a fire sword and an ice sword condensed, flying toward Ma Hongjun in the air.
This was one of the most fundamental yet most difficult sword techniques controlling swords with one's mind. It required extremely powerful and resilient spiritual power to perform.
Oscar, now possessing spiritual power on par with a Soul Emperor, had no trouble fighting three opponents at once in this way and was even doing so with ease.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance. Their figures overlapped, clearly unwilling to waste more soul power.
Their forms merged in a swirl of black and white light, transforming into a massive Netherworld White Tiger, three meters long and two meters tall, which let out a thunderous roar at Oscar.
The pressure of the roar halted Oscar's advance but thinking it could truly stop him was far too naive.
Oscar reversed his jade sword, gathering a terrifying force. A moment later, an invisible sword slash shot out, far more powerful and oppressive than his earlier attacks.
Most unsettling of all, the Netherworld White Tiger could not even see the trajectory of the slash it could only sense the overwhelming danger it carried.
"Frost Moon Sword Technique, Second Form: Invisible Slash!"
At their current levels Dai Mubai at level 33, Zhu Zhuqing at level 23their Martial Soul Fusion skill might not have been enough to defeat Oscar outright, but it pushed their combined strength to the peak, not inferior to a Soul Ancestor level powerhouse.
The Netherworld White Tiger suddenly opened its huge mouth, gathering a fearsome light wave before firing it straight ahead.
Though they could not see the slash, Oscar's attack came from the front, so the light wave met it head on.
The light wave blocked the strike, but dissipated in the process.
The White Tiger was unsurprised they had fought Oscar before. Though he was a food type soul master, his swordsmanship talent was extraordinary, and he could leapfrog ranks to challenge stronger opponents.
Of course, his body's strength and external soul bone enhancements also played a role.
While Oscar battled the White Tiger on the ground, his mental power controlled swords attacked Ma Hongjun in the air.
The ice and fire swords closed in on Ma Hongjun from two sides, forcing him to deal with them instead of attacking Oscar directly. If he split his attention, they would wound him instantly.
What irritated Ma Hongjun most was that the swords were composed of the same two elements he commanded fire and ice. The fire sword's flames matched his Phoenix Fire in power, while the ice sword's chilling force restrained him even more.
His third soul skill greatly boosted his single target attacks, but even so, he could not break free from the twin swords' encirclement. He could only use his self created "Flame Phoenix" techniques to keep them at bay barely preventing defeat, with no chance to aid the White Tiger.
It wasn't that he was weak just that his boss was too overwhelming.
If Oscar did not have both fire and ice attributes, then just the jade sword's cutting power alone could not have stalled Ma Hongjun this long; after all, Phoenix Fire was fearsome in its own right.
Gai Yue and Zhao Wuji, watching from the side, were very pleased with Oscar's sword control technique especially Gai Yue, who felt Oscar had fully inherited his teachings. If Oscar kept training, he might even surpass Gai Yue in swordsmanship one day.
That day, however, was still decades away; Oscar would need soul power surpassing Gai Yue's first. Gai Yue was already level 88, while Oscar was only level 38still a long way to go.
With Ma Hongjun tied up by the swords, Oscar could focus entirely on the White Tiger.
Instead of relying solely on sword energy, he closed the distance for melee combat.
With his physical strength, plus the 50% strength and attack boost from his external soul bone, even the White Tiger could not match his power.
In just five minutes, the White Tiger's body was covered in wounds. The massive soul power consumption to defend against Oscar's attacks caused the fusion to end early; instead of lasting fifteen minutes, it dissipated after only five.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing collapsed off the stage, caught by Gai Yue and Zhao Wuji, who quickly fed them two Super Recovery Sausages.
With the White Tiger defeated, Oscar turned his gaze to Ma Hongjun. Tossing his jade sword forward so it hovered beneath his feet, he calmly stepped onto it, rising into the air.
At this point, Oscar no longer needed to act personally; the ice and fire swords, driven by his powerful mental energy, were enough to keep Ma Hongjun fully occupied.
High above, Oscar sat cross legged on the sword, watching Ma Hongjun struggle against the twin blades with a bored expression.
Resting his chin on one hand, he casually manipulated the swords sometimes unleashing blazing sword energy, sometimes icy slashes making Ma Hongjun increasingly frustrated.
When Ma Hongjun used his third soul skill, the twin swords merged into one, unleashing a fusion sword strike Oscar's self created move, "Ice and Fire Dual Heaven."
Its attack power was terrifying, and the second stage explosion blasted Ma Hongjun clean off his feet.
The two swords stopped at his chest, forcing him to look helplessly toward Oscar, who sat idly in the air.
"Boss, we lost again! Seriously, how do you train? It's one thing for your soul power to grow so fast, but your swordsmanship too?"
Oscar smiled faintly.
"No secret just practice."
Gai Yue and Zhao Wuji, far from mocking this boast, nodded in agreement they had seen Oscar's hard work firsthand.
Dugu Yan, having just settled Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, overheard Oscar's words. Her cheeks flushed red.
This was her man arrogant at times, but with real ability. His growth had also driven her own progress.
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