At this moment, Gai Yue's expression was completely unguarded—his satisfaction with Oscar was written all over his face. Though he had only spoken a single word earlier, his heart was brimming with excitement.
Right now, he felt like a man who had stumbled upon a priceless treasure, flush with joy and exhilaration.
To be able to teach a genius of this caliber—even setting aside the possibility of Oscar lending him a hand in the future—just the process of guiding him would be an invaluable experience.
After all, Gai Yue was considered a genius himself. For one prodigy to teach another? That was a feeling sweeter than honey.
Oscar, meanwhile, was filled with reverence for Gai Yue. That earlier trial might have looked as simple as being frozen under his hand, but in truth, it was far more terrifying.
To Oscar, it felt as though he had been thrust into another world—one suffused with endless pressure and the looming shadow of death. The moment his will faltered even slightly, he would have failed long before lasting that long.
This was the first time Oscar had truly faced such an experience, one that left his state of mind transformed, tempered like steel under the hammer.
Now that he had earned Gai Yue's recognition, Oscar sank, prepared to kneel.
"Disciple Oscar pays respects to his teacher…"
This wasn't an exaggeration. As the saying goes: One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father. From this moment forward, Gai Yue was his master in the Way of the Sword and thus, worthy of such respect.
But before Oscar's knees could touch the ground, a surge of soul power lifted him, holding him aloft. Startled, Oscar looked to Gai Yue—was he refusing his disciple? Had he not truly passed the trial after all?
Just as Oscar's doubts began to stir, Gai Yue's cold voice rang out:
"A man kneels only to Heaven, Earth, and his parents. From now on, you and I are master and disciple. A bow is enough. There is no need for kneeling."
Hearing this, Oscar's worries evaporated. For a moment, he had thought Gai Yue hadn't accepted him!
Then he recalled—kneeling to acknowledge a master wasn't even tradition in this world.
In the original story, when Tang San knelt before Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, it had shocked Yu beyond words. After all, with Yu Xiaogang's strength, he hadn't been able to stop it in time.
But now, facing a powerhouse of at least Soul Sage level like Gai Yue, kneeling wasn't even possible.
Straightening his back, Oscar clasped his fists and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle:
"Disciple Oscar greets Teacher."
Gai Yue solemnly lifted him. "From this day forth, Oscar, you are my direct disciple. I will pass down all that I have learned in this lifetime. How much you can grasp will depend on your own comprehension."
Oscar's handsome young face lit with a brilliant smile. He had caught something important—his teacher had not mentioned the "five years" limitation he had spoken of before, but instead promised to teach him without reservation.
That meant one thing—true recognition as his disciple.
Just as the ceremony between master and disciple concluded, Flender and the others approached from a distance.
"Oi, Oscar!" Ma Hongjun shouted, clutching his stomach. "Are you guys done? I'm starving over here!"
Oscar shot him a helpless glance, then turned to Gai Yue. "Teacher, since it's your first day at the Academy, let us hold a welcome banquet for you. Teacher Shao has already prepared quite a feast."
For the first time, a faint smile touched Gai Yue's cold features. "Today is your birthday. You are the true focus of celebration."
As he spoke, a flash of light shimmered at his wrist, and a jade box appeared in his hand.
"Today I've taken you as my disciple, and it also happens to be your birthday. I didn't prepare much, but let this gift serve both purposes. In the future, I will make up for what's lacking."
Oscar's eyes brightened. The gift had clearly been prepared in advance, though it seemed his teacher hadn't known today was his birthday. Which meant… Gai Yue had already come prepared even before this?
That old fox Flender must have said something to him beforehand…
Without hesitation, Oscar accepted it with a bow. "Thank you, Teacher."
"Let's go," Flender urged cheerfully. "This is the best of both worlds! Time for some hot food—I thought I'd freeze to death up north!"
Since Gai Yue had officially accepted Oscar as his disciple, he naturally intended to stay. Without further ceremony, he followed Flender toward the dining hall.
Oscar slipped the jade box into his soul tool without opening it, then walked beside his teachers.
By now it was noon, and Shao Xin had already laid out a banquet of dishes, waiting only for the young birthday star to take the first bite.
Today, Oscar officially turned nine years old. At such an age, he had already reached an astonishing level—twenty-third rank soul power. No wonder the entire Shrek family felt this was worth celebrating.
Throughout the meal, the teachers of Shrek each presented Oscar with birthday gifts. Though none were especially rare or expensive, every one of them was filled with sincerity.
Seated beside Gai Yue, Oscar couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, forgive me if this is rude… but may I know your current strength?"
The question wasn't only his own. Fatty Ma had been nudging him the whole meal, urging him to ask.
Ma Hongjun himself had asked Flender before, but the headmaster had refused to answer.
Zhao Wuji hadn't seen Gai Yue in several years either, so even he was curious.
And of course, the other teachers—Shao Xin, Li Yusong, Lu Qibin—all wanted to know as well. After all, both Flender and Zhao Wuji had said Gai Yue's talent surpassed even theirs.
Now that Gai Yue was willing to remain at Shrek, he was one of their family. Naturally, they were eager to know his true strength.
Gai Yue didn't try to hide it. Since he had chosen to stay, he had no reason not to open himself to them.
Calmly, he picked up a chicken leg, set it into Oscar's bowl, and answered lightly:
"One month ago, I reached the eighty-second rank."
The words left the table stunned.
Even Zhao Wuji, who knew Gai Yue best alongside Flender, couldn't conceal his shock.
After all, he was two years older than Gai Yue, yet only ranked seventy-four himself. Ten years ago, Gai Yue's soul power had actually been lower than his and Flender's!
And now, at just forty-five years old, he had already broken through to Soul Douluo?!
That level of talent was enough to be called monstrous.
After all, not everyone could compare to Tang Hao, who had reached Title Douluo at the freakish age of forty-four.
But forty-five years old and rank eighty-two meant Gai Yue unquestionably had the qualifications to reach Title Douluo—and perhaps even beyond.
Flender gave a mysterious chuckle. "And it wasn't just a simple breakthrough to eighty-two. His eighth spirit ring… he obtained it by hunting a seventy-thousand-year spirit beast alone."
He paused, glancing at Gai Yue. Revealing such details touched on his junior's privacy, and he hesitated.
But Gai Yue waved a hand dismissively. "Go ahead, Brother Flender. Let them all know."
Relieved, Flender continued, "Not only that—the hunt yielded a seventy-thousand-year-old torso bone. After absorbing both the spirit ring and the bone, he directly advanced to rank eighty-two."
Even as he spoke, his voice was tinged with awe. "We've known each other for nearly twenty years. I've watched him slowly surpass us step by step. His talent is simply terrifying…