At Shrek Academy, half a month earlier, Gai Yue had returned. Contrary to what people imagined—that he would be weighed down with grief and loneliness because of Oscar's disappearance—he instead carried himself with vigor and high spirits.
When Gai Yue brought the news that Oscar was still alive, Flander and the other teachers reacted as if they had just received the greatest blessing under heaven.
Ma Hongjun, in particular, looked as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. In recent weeks, his body had slimmed noticeably under the torment of his Evil Fire. But upon hearing that Oscar was safe, his entire being seemed to ignite with hope again.
He couldn't hold back, grabbing Gai Yue's arm and blurting out:
"Teacher Gai Yue, when will Brother Ao come back? It's already been more than two months since he left the academy. What's he doing outside all this time?"
Gai Yue smiled faintly. He couldn't help but feel a touch of envy at the bond between Oscar and Ma Hongjun. Though the boy was sometimes lazy, his talent was undeniable—at such a young age, he had already reached rank 25.
So Gai Yue had always been fond of him. Looking at Ma Hongjun's half-pleading expression, he replied gently:
"He's cultivating with Senior Poison Douluo for a while. At the longest, a year. At the shortest, half a year."
"Ah?!" Ma Hongjun's face instantly fell. "Does that mean I won't see Brother Ao for all that time?"
Gai Yue chuckled. "Don't worry. Xiao Ao hasn't forgotten about you. He asked me to remind you: if you slack off during this period, when he comes back, he'll personally test you. And if you don't meet his standards… well, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."
Just the thought made Ma Hongjun shiver. Brother Ao was kind and reliable in most ways, but when it came to beating someone into shape, he never held back.
He wasn't afraid of the Shrek teachers' discipline—it always passed once the lesson was done. But facing Oscar was different. Though Oscar was only two years older, Ma Hongjun always felt as if he were facing a big brother… even a father.
He had never known his own father, but in his heart, Oscar's presence filled that role. When Brother Ao was kind, it was warmth beyond measure. But when he was stern, Ma Hongjun didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
Now, hearing Gai Yue's words, he could already imagine what kind of punishment awaited him if he slacked off.
Immediately, he forced a sheepish smile and said:
"Teacher Gai Yue, you know me—I'd never laze around. Please tell Brother Ao he can rest assured. When he comes back, I'll give him a surprise!"
Gai Yue's smile deepened. "Good. That's the answer I wanted to hear. Your Brother Ao has already prepared something special for you. He says it can solve your Evil Fire problem—and may even raise your cultivation level."
Ma Hongjun's heart trembled. "Brother Ao really found a way?"
Gai Yue nodded, then took out the Phoenix Nirvana Pill and handed it to him, explaining its method of use and the cultivation process afterward.
The boy was overjoyed. Clutching the pill as if it were a treasure, he rushed back to his dormitory to begin the process immediately.
Afterward, Gai Yue quietly distributed the other pills Oscar had refined, handing them to the Shrek teachers according to Oscar's instructions. He did this in secret—for Dai Mubai had only recently enrolled, and Oscar had not prepared anything for him yet.
To avoid unnecessary suspicion, Gai Yue chose to distribute the medicine behind closed doors. As for Ma Hongjun, there was no fear of Dai Mubai becoming jealous. His Evil Fire problem was common knowledge; even Dai Mubai, in his short time at the academy, had already heard of it.
So if Hongjun's strength increased after being cured, people would only assume he had been lucky enough to resolve his affliction and gain a fortunate chance.
As for the teachers, they weren't the type to flaunt their improvements before students, so there was no issue.
Oscar had also instructed Gai Yue to keep all of this confidential. He was to say the herbs came from Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, and that they weren't to be spoken of outside.
After consuming the pills, the Shrek teachers all experienced significant improvements.
Gai Yue's soul power rose from rank 85 peak to rank 87, nearly two levels of advancement. He was now a step closer to the realm of Title Douluo.
Thanks to the Black Jade Divine Bamboo, his Frostmoon Sword had been further refined in both quality and potential. It now stood firmly among the ranks of top-grade weapon spirits, its level comparable to the legendary Seven Kill Sword, hailed as the strongest sword martial spirit.
Gai Yue himself could scarcely contain his excitement. He even felt that, in time, he might catch up to—or surpass—the Sword Douluo, Chen Xin.
The strength of immortal herbs left him in awe. For Oscar to bestow such a treasure upon him left Gai Yue profoundly grateful. These herbs were rarer than soul bones, and yet Oscar had given one to him without hesitation. Their bond had long since deepened to that of father and son.
Flander, after taking the Nine-Grade Hunyuan Pill, rose from rank 78 to the peak of rank 79. With some consolidation and effort, he could break through the Soul Douluo bottleneck to rank 80, obtaining a ten-thousand-year soul ring and stepping into the high ranks of the continent's soul masters.
To put it in perspective, across tens of thousands of soul masters on the continent, there were only a little over three hundred Soul Douluo.
Zhao Wuji also consumed a Nine-Grade Hunyuan Pill, advancing from rank 76 to the peak of rank 77, just shy of rank 78. His progress was astonishingly swift.
Shao Xin, the food-type master who had only just acquired his seventh soul ring, advanced from rank 70 to rank 73 after taking the pill.
More importantly, the medicine unlocked more of his potential, smoothing the path of his future cultivation. There was now a real possibility that, aside from Oscar, he might one day reach the realm of a food-type Title Douluo—a feat unheard of in history.
Lu Qibin and Li Yusong, with lesser talent, did not receive the Nine-Grade Hunyuan Pills, as their use would have been wasteful. Instead, Oscar had prepared high-quality pills refined from ten-thousand-year spirit herbs.
With them, Lu Qibin advanced from rank 65 to 66, while Li Yusong rose from rank 63 to 64. Though only one level each, it was still a precious breakthrough.