Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Line poured endlessly from his mouth, chasing after Oscar like a stream of flaming death. The flames nearly reached Oscar, but always fell just short.
The scene was reminiscent of when Ma Hongjun first obtained his spirit ring and challenged Oscar back then. The difference now was vast — Ma Hongjun's spirit power foundation had greatly improved, and this time Dai Mubai was also aiding him.
Most importantly, Ma Hongjun had learned how to fly. The pressure he brought was now worlds apart.
Seeing Oscar continue to retreat at high speed, Ma Hongjun no longer intended to hold back against his boss. The flames on his back suddenly erupted more violently, his fire wings blazing hotter and propelling him forward at a burst of speed.
In just a blink, his Phoenix Fire Line burned straight toward Oscar.
But Oscar had been watching for this moment all along.
Just as the flames were about to engulf him, the jade sword in his hand turned ice-blue.
With a swift backhand slash, Oscar released a terrifying Ice Sword Qi.
The chilling blade of energy struck the Phoenix Fire Line and froze it instantly, the frost racing upward along the fiery stream, spreading straight toward Ma Hongjun in midair.
Startled, Ma Hongjun cut off his flames in panic. His wings flapped hard as he quickly gained more altitude, narrowly avoiding being encased in ice.
He was utterly shocked.
Wasn't Boss's jade sword only supposed to have cutting properties? Where did this terrifying ice attribute come from? Did Teacher Dugu Yan actually pass her cold attribute to him? That makes no sense!
Yet before Ma Hongjun could recover from the surprise, Oscar's sword shifted again. The icy-blue blade now blazed crimson-red.
With another slash, a Flame Sword Qi roared out, colliding with the frozen fire line. Instantly, an explosive burst of vapor surged outward, filling the entire arena with thick mist.
Dai Mubai, who had just closed in, found his vision blinded.
The next instant, an overwhelming force slammed into his abdomen, sending him flying like a rag doll.
Oscar's physical strength was already close to the level of a Soul Emperor. With his External Soul Bone activated, his strength and attack power increased by another 50%.
He had seized the moment the mist rose, closing in on Dai Mubai unseen, and landed a full-powered punch.
Without the support of a strong-attack martial soul, Oscar's fist, alone, boosted by his external soul bone, carried destructive might. Dai Mubai, merely a rank 29 Soul Master, stood no chance.
He was hurled across the arena and crashed heavily to the ground, losing consciousness instantly.
To him, the impact felt as if he had been hit by a speeding carriage. He never even realized how Oscar struck him.
Were it not for his White Tiger Barrier still active, that blow might have crippled him for life.
Oscar, however, had shown restraint. He only ensured Dai Mubai would be bedridden for a few days.
When Ma Hongjun heard his comrade's cry, his flames exploded higher, evaporating the mist in an instant. He spotted Dai Mubai lying unconscious at Oscar's feet.
Shaking his head helplessly, Ma Hongjun admitted to himself — he had underestimated his boss's strength.
Still, he was far from discouraged.
Oscar was terrifying, yes, but he too had made astonishing progress over the past year. His physique was already comparable to a Soul Ancestor. At rank 35, with the boost of his Evil Fire Phoenix, his physical strength alone rivaled a rank 45 Soul Ancestor.
Even without Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun was confident he could fight Oscar head-on. In truth, Dai Mubai's current strength had long since been outclassed. Against the likes of Oscar and Ma Hongjun, he had no qualification to join their battle.
Only after breaking rank 30 and obtaining his third ring might Dai Mubai barely qualify.
Now, Ma Hongjun glared at Oscar with sharp vigilance. That display of ice and fire swordplay had stunned him — one man, wielding two opposing attributes so flawlessly, was beyond anything he had imagined.
Zhao Wuji, too, was deeply shaken. He, like Ma Hongjun, only knew Oscar's strength from a year ago. The growth Oscar had gained under Dugu Bo's tutelage was completely unknown to him.
To see Oscar commanding both ice and fire, and blending them so skillfully — it was enough to leave Zhao Wuji speechless.
Ordinary knowledge said fire and ice could never coexist in one body. Yet Oscar was the exception.
By consuming the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, his martial soul had developed Dual Immunity to Fire and Ice. Moreover, his External Soul Bone possessed both Extreme Ice and Extreme Heat attributes.
Though not perfected to their absolute extremes, both powers have already reached high-grade levels. Having fused seamlessly with his external soul bone, Oscar could switch freely between them — or even combine them.
Now, Oscar glanced at the unconscious Dai Mubai. He slid sideways, hooked his foot under Dai Mubai's limp body, and kicked him toward Zhao Wuji. At the same time, he tossed over a sausage — his first spirit skill, the Super Recovery Sausage.
Zhao Wuji caught both and quickly fed Dai Mubai the sausage. The healing soul power immediately spread through Dai Mubai's body, easing his injuries.
Meanwhile, Oscar and Ma Hongjun resumed their clash.
Ma Hongjun dived from above, his right hand blazing as it formed fiery claws. Within his grasp condensed a small crimson fireball, its energy unstable but devastating.
"Flame Phoenix — Phoenix Burst!"
With a sharp cry, he hurled himself down. His wings flared, the fiery propulsion making his speed surpass even most agility-type Soul Masters.
This was the advantage of mastering flight and his Phoenix flame — explosive acceleration that few could match.
Oscar, however, stood unfazed. He hadn't even needed to use his third skill to fly.
He had confidence.
The jade sword in his hand shimmered again, its base color returning to sky-blue jade, now intertwined with blazing red and icy blue.
Cutting, Ice, and Fire — the three attributes fused.
This was the strongest form of Oscar's external soul bone, immensely soul-power intensive, but unmatched in destructive might.
He raised the sword high and slashed twice.
Red and blue sword qi fused instantly, forming a colossal Icefire Sword Dragon that roared forth.
"Sword Style — Ice and Fire Dual Heaven!"
The surging intent locked firmly onto Ma Hongjun, suffocating him.
Ma Hongjun's expression changed. He knew his Phoenix Burst alone might not withstand this.
Without hesitation, he activated his second soul skill — Bathing in Phoenix Flames, which amplified his fire's power by 50%.
With that boost, the fireball in his claw blazed even more fiercely. The added force made its power far beyond a simple 50% increase — it was truly explosive.
When the blazing fireball collided with Oscar's Icefire Sword Dragon, the arena shook with a deafening boom.
A tremendous shockwave swept out, whipping Dugu Yan's long green dress and jet-black hair into the air. She looked ethereal, a goddess amidst the storm — though neither combatant spared her a glance.
The explosion sent Ma Hongjun flying backwards, blood spraying from his mouth.
The backlash of the collision had torn into his body. With no sword to buffer the force, all of the recoil traveled directly through him, leaving him shaken and wounded.