The two Gai Yue smiled slightly:
"This soul skill's effect is indeed top tier among those of the same level. However, Oscars's fourth soul ring is a thirty thousand year one. It can already be compared with the sixth soul ring of a peak Soul Emperor, or even the seventh soul ring of a weaker Soul Sage. If you think about it that way, then this skill for Oscar isn't actually all that shocking."
Hearing Gai Yue's words, Dugu Yan nodded thoughtfully. She realized what Gai Yue said made perfect sense. If it were an ordinary thousand year fourth ring, then having such an effect would absolutely make it a top tier soul skill.
But for Oscar, who absorbed a soul ring far beyond his level, this effect wouldn't be enough to make him overly excited. After all, Oscar had already seen much of the world how could something like this really thrill him?
Dugu Yan turned to Oscar:
"Oscar, tell the truth?"
Oscar chuckled at her expression, then said:
"Teacher's description of the soul skill's effect is correct, but not complete."
Pausing, he continued:
"When Teacher used my fourth soul skill, your clone could only have sixty percent of your true strength. That's because this skill has a restriction: apart from soul masters of the same level as me, or lower, any soul master above me each extra soul ring they have reduces the clone's power by ten percent."
"You have four more rings than me, so the clone lost forty percent of its power, leaving it with sixty percent of your true strength."
"But if a soul master of the same level as me or with fewer rings uses it, their clone will inherit one hundred percent of their strength, a perfect copy."
Hearing this explanation, Gai Yue immediately understood. If that was the case, then Oscar's soul skill truly matched the level of his cross ranked absorption.
When used by a peer, the fourth soul skill created a clone that perfectly reproduced their strength, spirit, soul skills, and even soul bones, while sharing thoughts completely a case of one plus one being greater than two!
Gai Yue even realized that he could simultaneously cast the same technique with his clone, executing joint attacks like martial spirit fusion skills. The effect would be far stronger than fighting alone…
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. If in the future Oscar reached the Titled Douluo level, and Gai Yue used his soul skill wouldn't that mean he could literally fight one versus two?
That was the Titled Douluo realm! Each rank there is worlds apart, and yet with his disciple's soul skill he could "cheat," turning one into two identical Titled Douluo, spirit, skills, and bones all the same!
Dugu Yan also quickly realized the terrifying potential. She thought: if Oscar reached Titled Douluo level, and both she and her grandfather Dugu Bo ate this soul skill, then wouldn't Dugu Bo become two?
Even just one Dugu Bo could change the outcome of a battle. What about two? The entire battlefield would be drowned in his deadly poison!
After hearing the full effect, Gai Yue remained shaken for a long time. Oscar, meanwhile, added lightly:
"Teacher, it's not as overpowered as you think. The skill has another limitation it can only be used once a day. A second use will only restore soul power."
Gai Yue rolled his eyes at him:
"You call that a limitation? Who fights battles every single day?"
Then he sighed:
"In the food type field, you're a monster, Oscar ! Even more monstrous than your talent with the sword!"
Oscar smiled faintly:
"Well, this is my true profession. It's only natural that my soul skills are strong."
Then he glanced calmly at Gai Yue and Dugu Yan:
"Teacher, Sister… what if I told you my fourth soul skill doesn't stop here?"
The two, who were already overwhelmed by its power, shuddered at his words. Both Gai Yues looked at him in disbelief:
"What did you say? This isn't all of it?"
A bit embarrassed by their stares, Oscar chuckled:
"Right. That was just one effect. There's another but I need a drop of Teacher's blood to show it."
The two Gai Yues exchanged glances. Since the clone shared his mind, looking into each other's eyes was like staring at his own puzzled gaze.
Still, Gai Yue pricked his finger and flicked a drop of blood toward Oscar.
Oscar caught it with soul power, preventing it from falling. His fourth ring glowed black once again.
The soul ring flared, and he began chanting a slightly different incantation:
"Fourth Soul Skill: Copycat Mirror Sausage!"
As the chant ended, soul power wrapped the blood, then condensed into a tiny icy blue sausage shaped like a miniature Frost moon Sword.
Seeing its shape, combined with the blood request, both Gai Yues and Dugu Yan guessed the new effect.
Oscar handed it directly to Dugu Yan:
"Sister, try it."
Dugu Yan blankly accepted the icy blue Frost moon sword sausage and ate it. At first, a chilling cold pierced her, but then it melted into pure soul power inside her body.
When she felt the change, she stared at Oscar in disbelief, then at Gai Yue.
"How is it, Yan?" the two Gai Yues asked.
Instead of replying, she raised her right hand. A Frost moon Sword, identical to Gai Yue's martial spirit, appeared!
Gai Yue froze in shock. Dugu Yan could actually use his martial spirit? Then he realized Oscar's second effect.
Soul rings rose around Dugu Yan: two yellow, one purple. The purple third ring lit up.
Her Frost moon Sword danced, releasing endless icy sword energy at both Gai Yues.
"Third Soul Skill: Frost moon Bloom!"
"What?!" Gai Yue was utterly stunned she could even use his soul skills?!
He thought in shock: "Oscar's second effect copies the martial spirit and soul skills of the blood donor? What about soul bone abilities? After all, the first effect's clone also copied soul bones…"
But his reaction wasn't slow. His clone immediately drew its Frost moon Sword, blocking her attack.
Though the clone had only sixty percent of his strength, sixty percent of a level 88 Contra was still far beyond the current level 40 Dugu Yan.
Yet she wasn't finished. Raising her right arm, icy blue energy condensed into a sword shaped blast
"Ice Serpent Right Arm Soul Bone Skill: Ice Age!"
Terrifying cold erupted, clearly not her own bone, but copied from Gai Yue's!
Ice spread rapidly, freezing the surroundings.
Gai Yue arched an eyebrow. Just as he expected, Oscar's second effect was extraordinary.
The clone calmly raised its arm, absorbing her attack instead of countering. Dugu Yan, nearly drained of power, withdrew her martial spirit. Yet the copied Frost moon Sword did not disappear.
Gai Yue dismissed the clone, staring at Oscar:
"Oscar, these two effects are similar yet different. Does this mean your fourth soul skill has two distinct forms?"
Even Dugu Yan gasped:
"Oscar your soul skill could rival a hundred thousand year skill! Two effects from one ringonly such rings have that!"
Oscar only smiled:
"I was surprised too, but that's how it is. My fourth skill has two effects: first, the Mirror Clone Sausage you saw. Second, this Mirror Copy Sausage."
"You probably noticed my two different chants. The first, 'Copy Tiger, Draw Cat Mirror Clone Sausage', doesn't require blood. The eater summons a clone without consuming soul power. If they have the same number of rings as me, the clone has one hundred percent of their power, spirit, skills, and bones. Each extra ring above me reduces it by ten percent."
"The second, 'Copy Cat, Draw Tiger Mirror Copy Sausage', requires blood. It perfectly copies the donor's martial spirit, soul skills, and even soul bones. Its strength depends on the eater's own soul power. If their body and power surpass the donor's, they can unleash even greater strength."
"Most importantly, unlike the clone, the copied spirit remains until the eater's soul power is exhausted no time limit."
Both Gai Yue and Dugu Yan were left open mouthed.
One soul ring, two separate effects? And both this strong? Oscar's fourth soul skill was practically at the hundred thousand year level! Was this the true benefit of absorbing across ranks?
And even hundred thousand year skills weren't always this strong.
Oscar himself felt the same. He had only hoped for a Copy Sausage, but got even more. In the original story, his copy ability only replicated seventy percent of the donor's strength at best eighty percent with a head soul bone and only for three minutes. It didn't copy soul bones at all!
But his version now? A perfect copy, one hundred percent strength, including soul bones, lasting until the eater's power ran out and possibly stronger if the user themselves was powerful!
Just the Copy Sausage alone surpassed the original by far. And now, his fourth skill had two entirely different effects!
Originally, the Clone Sausage was only supposed to come from his head soul bone but now it was part of his fourth soul ring!
Oscar had been surprised that when he absorbed the thirty thousand year Mirror Beast, no soul bone dropped. Likely because his fourth skill had already inherited both of the beast's strongest abilities.
Unbeknownst to him, the Mirror Beast had willingly allowed itself to be absorbed because of one casual sentence Oscar had said while preparing to kill it.
He had said: if he couldn't absorb this ring, there were two other Mirror Beasts in the valley the beast's own mate and child.
That one sentence made it give up resistance, and changed the outcome.
Of course, Oscar's extraordinary talent was the real reason he could carry such power. His sausage spirit, once just top tier among food types, had been transformed by his rings, two immortal herbs, and the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well's tempering. It was now far beyond ordinary limits perhaps not divine like the Six Winged Angel, but close.
He knew his martial spirit was stronger than before, though he had never had such direct proof.
Now, with his fourth soul ring granting two effects, it was clear: Oscar's martial spirit had already surpassed the "top tier" level.
Gai Yue and Dugu Yan also noticed the subtle difference between the two chants:
The Clone Sausage chant was "Copy Tiger, Draw Cat". In meaning: the user is the tiger, the clone is the cat.
The Copy Sausage chant was "Copy Cat, Draw Tiger". The donor is the cat, but the copied version is the tiger! That explained why a user stronger than the donor could unleash even greater power.
Simplified, his two chants became "Copy Tiger, Draw Cat Mirror Sausage" (clone) and "Copy Cat, Draw Tiger Mirror Sausage" (copy).
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