For now, creating his own faction was out of the question—neither Dugu Bo nor Oscar had the time to manage such things.
But Oscar wasn't anxious. After all, he was only twelve years old and merely a rank 35 Soul Elder. To him, such ambitions still felt distant.
Yet once the idea had taken root in his heart, Oscar could no longer put it aside. When the right time came, he would throw himself into it without hesitation.
For now, his top priority was to raise his soul power and completely refine the medicinal essence of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well within his body. Only then would his strength and foundation soar, giving him a real chance to realize his ambition.
In the blink of an eye, half a year passed. During this time, Oscar's soul power rose from rank 35 to rank 37, averaging nearly one level every three months.
Even more importantly, he had completely refined the medicinal essence of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot.
His physical constitution now approached the level of a Soul Emperor. Oscar was certain that when he broke through to the fortieth rank, his body would fully reach, or even surpass, the Soul Emperor level.
However, his spiritual power lagged somewhat. Though stronger than most thanks to his transmigrator's soul, it was still only at the level of an early Soul King. To raise it further, he would need either cultivation breakthroughs or external aid.
Fortunately, Oscar had already prepared for this. He had long since refined Dew of Pure Sight into pills, ready to take at the right moment.
In the year since leaving Shrek Academy for the Sunset Forest, Oscar's progress had been astounding.
Though his teacher, Gai Yue, was not always at his side to guide him in swordsmanship, he had the invaluable instruction of Dugu Bo, a seasoned Titled Douluo.
Dugu Bo could not guide him in swordsmanship, but the old poison master's vast combat experience was a treasure trove that Gai Yue could not provide.
Oscar wasn't the only one to benefit. Dugu Yan had risen from rank 34 to the peak of rank 35, only a step away from rank 36.
As for Dugu Bo, he had finally purged all poison from his body. His strength recovered, his soul power advanced naturally to rank 92, and he regained the joy of living as a normal person.
He became more cheerful, at least toward Oscar and Dugu Yan.
Surprisingly, he also grew close to Gai Yue. Despite being over thirty years apart in age, they became sworn brothers.
This bond formed because Gai Yue often visited the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to stay with Oscar and supervise his cultivation. Dugu Bo would often emerge from seclusion around those times, and the two gradually grew familiar.
Learning of Gai Yue's tragic past, Dugu Bo even offered to avenge his sworn brother by poisoning the Wind Sword Sect.
But Gai Yue refused—his family vendetta was his own to settle. Having consumed the immortal-grade pills Oscar had refined for him, his cultivation rose sharply, his talent was enhanced, and he declared confidently:
"One day, I will surpass Sword Douluo Chen Xin and become the new sword dao's representative—Gai Yue."
Oscar believed him. His teacher's talent was already extraordinary, and with the support of two ten-thousand-year soul bones plus immortal-grade pills, his future might well outshine Chen Xin's.
Indeed, in just this half-year, Gai Yue's cultivation had nearly reached rank 88. Such speed was almost unimaginable for a Soul Douluo. While countless cultivators stagnated at that bottleneck, Gai Yue showed signs of closing in on the Titled Douluo realm.
Now that Oscar had fully refined the herbs' essence and reached rank 37, and with a year already spent away, he decided it was time to return to Shrek Academy. He would not return alone—he would bring Dugu Yan with him.
Dugu Bo, however, would remain behind to guard the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The old poison master had begun attempting to condense a soul core. Having confirmed its feasibility and felt its potential through experiments, he committed himself to the task. His core would be based on his poison pill, which suited him perfectly.
Oscar believed that if Dugu Bo succeeded, his strength would undergo a world-shaking transformation.
Before leaving, Oscar entrusted him with a Ground Dragon Golden Melon Pill, instructing him that once his body fully recovered, he could safely consume it. This immortal-grade pill would push Dugu Bo's power and potential even higher, aiding greatly in the formation of his soul core.
Oscar also left behind the Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Herb, ensuring that Dugu Bo had protection against accidents when concocting poisons. Though most toxins no longer threatened him, better safe than sorry.
As for Oscar himself, now immune to all poisons, he had little use for the herb anymore.
And so, after explaining everything, Oscar took Dugu Yan with him and departed.