Hearing Oscar's reminder, Zhao Wuji chuckled. Around his body, two yellow, two purple, three black spirit rings rose slowly into the air.
"Zhao Wuji, Spirit: Vigorous Vajra Bear, seventy-eighth rank, Power Attack–Type Battle Spirit Sage."
"Little Ao, thanks for the reminder. I'll give you one as well. Today's fight is not like before — this time I won't deliberately suppress my strength. I'll fight however I want."
Instead of fear, Oscar and Ma Hongjun's eyes burned with battle intent.
Truthfully, both of them wanted to know where their limits were.
Oscar raised his left hand. A jade-colored longsword appeared in his grip, while two yellow and one purple spirit rings floated up around him.
"Oscar, Spirit: Sky-Blue Spirit Jade Sword, thirty-seventh rank, Power Attack–Type Battle Spirit Elder."
On Ma Hongjun's body, crimson flames erupted. With a clear phoenix cry, blazing wings unfurled from his back. With a powerful flap, his body shot straight into the sky, instantly reaching thirty meters above ground.
Three rings — two yellow, one purple — rose around him as his voice echoed from above:
"Ma Hongjun, Spirit: Evil Fire Phoenix, thirty-fifth rank, Power Attack–Type Battle Spirit Elder."
Behind them, Dugu Yan's long green hair danced wildly. At the center of her brow, a crystalline emerald diamond appeared.
Emerald light radiated as her slender legs transformed into a swaying serpent tail. Her pupils turned into cold vertical slits, fixing on Zhao Wuji with chilling focus.
"Dugu Yan, Spirit: Jade Phosphor Serpent, thirty-fifth rank, Control–Type Battle Spirit Elder."
Her two yellow and one purple rings lit up, her serpent tail coiling behind Oscar like a predator ready to strike.
The moment he released his martial spirit, Oscar popped a green pill from his soul tool into his mouth.
This was a special antidote pill, crafted by Dugu Yan. Only after taking it could he resist the harmful side of her first two spirit skills — and still receive their buffs.
As for Ma Hongjun, the second sausage Oscar had secretly handed him earlier had already been laced with the pill.
Watching the cautious, focused Oscar, Zhao Wuji's grin deepened.
These three kids were all geniuses. So young, yet already Spirit Elders. But what he, Zhao Wuji, enjoyed most was training geniuses.
"Come then! Show me your strength. If you can't satisfy me, then…" He didn't finish, for Oscar had already struck.
The jade sword in Oscar's hand flickered, turning icy blue. He slashed downward, unleashing a crescent blade of frozen light.
"Sword Momentum — Frost Moon Sword Technique, Fourth Form: Cold Star Flying Moon!"
The frosty moonlight carried piercing cold, its sharp edge aiming straight for Zhao Wuji's face.
Unsurprised, Zhao Wuji's body flared with golden light. His first spirit skill, Immovable Vajra Body, manifested as a sturdy shield.
With a sweep of his massive bear paw, he shattered the icy strike. Sword-qi crystals clung to his palm like frost, but they did little harm.
Chuckling, he charged directly at Oscar, paw raised to swat him down.
At that instant, Ma Hongjun dove from above. A blazing Phoenix Fire Line burst from his mouth, its heat waves surging straight at Zhao Wuji's head.
Zhao Wuji's face tightened, soul power flooding outward to block the incoming flames.
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan opened her mouth, releasing two streams of mist — one red, one blue. With her full thirty-fifth rank spirit power, the poison mist spread rapidly, engulfing the arena.
Oscar didn't resist. He inhaled deeply. At once, his body trembled as his strength surged. Already boosted fifty percent by his external soul bone, his attack power and might now grew even higher.
Dugu Yan's first skill, Jade Phosphor Red Poison, increased allies' attack and speed by thirty percent, while causing enemies to grow irritable and slow in thought.
Her second skill, Jade Phosphor Blue Poison, increased allies' defense by fifty percent while numbing their sense of pain. For enemies, it paralyzed nerves, making movement sluggish.
These two abilities were terrifying — both in terms of support and control. Oscar inwardly marveled; in the original records, her spirit skills had been downplayed far too much.
A thirty percent attack-and-speed buff, plus fifty percent defense? Even the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda needed over forty ranks to reach this level!
With his sword bone's boost and Dugu Yan's dual enhancements, Oscar's aura soared skyward. The blade in his hand flared from icy blue to blazing crimson.
He slashed down. A torrent of flame sword-qi burst forth, combining with Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Line to converge on Zhao Wuji.
"Sword Momentum — Fire Origin Heaven Severing Slash!"
This flame, born from the Icefire Yin Yang Well and fused with the Fiery Apricot, was close to an extreme attribute. Paired with the Evil Fire Phoenix flames, their combined pressure locked Zhao Wuji from two sides.
Zhao Wuji smirked. His soul power surged again. Raising his palm, yellow light swirled across his bear paw. With twin strikes, he shattered both incoming attacks.
Oscar's fiery sword-qi dispersed in sparks. Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Line snapped in midair.
It was Zhao Wuji's second skill — Vigorous Vajra Palm!
Oscar wasn't surprised. With Zhao Wuji's full seventy-eighth rank unleashed, such direct defenses were natural.
In truth, if Zhao Wuji wished, he could crush both of them without giving them any chance. But instead, he chose to escalate gradually, gauging their progress.
As his defense faded, Oscar was already in his face, sword changing from crimson to azure once more. He slashed toward Zhao Wuji's brow.
Their weapons clashed — jade sword against soul-powered bear paw.
Above, Ma Hongjun dived again. His right foot blazed into a fiery talon.
"Flame Phoenix — Phoenix Imprint!"
A massive fiery claw descended from behind. At the same moment, Oscar's sword turned icy again.
"Frost Moon Sword Technique, Third Form: Frost Petals in the Sky!"
Countless frost-blossom sword-qi rained down like petals, aiming straight for Zhao Wuji.
The Spirit Sage laughed coldly. "Brats, trying to trick me with this? You're still too green!"
His soul power exploded. Bear paws smashed the frosty barrage, while a kick lashed backward at the Phoenix Imprint.
Once again, their combined strikes were neutralized.
But Zhao Wuji didn't stop this time. His eyes sharpened. Spirit rings flared.
His fourth skill, Position Lock, targeted Oscar. His third skill — Gravity Control — bore down on Ma Hongjun in the air.
Oscar's heart sank. If that precise lock landed, even he wouldn't endure. He immediately whipped out another sausage — the Swift Rain Swallow Sausage.
Wings of pure white light unfurled from his back. With one beat, his body shot into the sky — even faster than Ma Hongjun's fire-jet speed.
Zhao Wuji's eyes widened. So this was Oscar's third spirit skill? Flight!
For most Spirit Masters, true flight was impossible before Spirit Saint level — and usually only for those with flying martial spirits. As for non-flying spirits, only Title Douluo could achieve it permanently.
Yet Oscar already flew — and at terrifying speed.
His paw strike missed its mark. Zhao Wuji turned instead toward Hongjun, pinned under crushing gravity.
The Phoenix youth gritted his teeth. Fire erupted violently from his body, and with a burst of speed, he broke free — only for a new force to slam him down.
It was Zhao Wuji's fifth skill — Gravity Crush. Unlike Gravity Control, this was a lethal offensive technique, compressing an opponent under devastating force.
Even held back, it was enough to rob Hongjun of resistance, sending him tumoring.
Zhao Wuji's paw lifted again, aiming to finish him.
From below, Hongjun shouted desperately: "Boss, save me!"
From above, Oscar's sword blazed with both frost and flame.
"Sword Momentum — Dual Heaven of Ice and Fire!"
The terrifying slash, infused with near-extreme ice and flame, descended like judgment.
Zhao Wuji sighed helplessly. Instead of striking Hongjun, he turned his palm skyward, clashing against the dual-element sword-qi.
Explosion. Ice and fire burst outward, searing and freezing his paw at once. But with his Spirit Sage defenses, it left no real damage.
Below, Hongjun smashed into the ground, only to ignite again and burst skyward, staying well out of Zhao Wuji's reach this time.
The Spirit Sage looked up, annoyed, to see both boys floating beyond his range. His gaze turned toward the third — Dugu Yan.
She met his eyes without flinching. A sweet smile touched her lips before she spat out a cloud of emerald mist.
It spread swiftly across the battlefield — the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Poison, her third spirit skill.
Her third ring came from a three-thousand-year Jade Phosphor Serpent, absorbed above her level, greatly enhancing her venom. Within this poisonous domain, unless one had her antidote pill or Oscar's toxin-immunity, they would rot into pus in minutes.
Even skin contact caused decay before seeping into the blood. Spirit Masters of equal rank couldn't resist it at all. Only those five or more levels higher — or with innate poison resistance — had hope.
Of course, against Zhao Wuji, it was ineffective. His seventy-eighth rank soul power could shield him effortlessly.
Still, she released it, if only to restrict his movements.
Then, popping a sausage, she too sprouted white wings and soared into the sky.
Zhao Wuji halted, looking up at all three of them hovering overhead. His face twisted in exasperation.
"You brats… what is this supposed to be?"
Oscar chuckled. We've no choice, Teacher Zhao. None of us can match you head-on. This is our only strategy.