The instructor for the theory class had always been Lu Qibin. His knowledge was extremely profound, and it seemed he had once been part of a major power. For some unknown reason, however, after arriving at Shrek Academy, he chose to remain there ever since.
Oscar had never cared to investigate this matter too deeply, nor did he ask. But in Oscar's eyes, Lu Qibin's knowledge was far more practical than the so-called theories of the Grandmaster.
After all, the Grandmaster's so-called "Ten Core Competencies" theory held very little practical value in Lu Qibin's view. Most of that knowledge could easily be found in existing books.
Still, the Grandmaster did one thing right: he categorized and organized the information. When others wanted to look things up, they didn't have to dig around in countless places.
To Oscar, the Grandmaster might indeed have genuine ability, but the true function of his "Ten Core Competencies" was essentially that of systematizing the work of predecessors, making it convenient for ordinary people and common spirit masters to reference.
The problem was that the Grandmaster shamelessly claimed those theories as his own original creation, which was laughable.
If not for his identity as the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch, what qualifications would a mere Great Spirit Master with only two rings have to call himself a "theory master"? If he were just some commoner, he would have been beaten to death already.
On the Douluo Continent, there were hundreds of thousands of spirit masters. While 99% valued strength above all else, there was still a small number who chose to dedicate themselves to research and theory—for the sake of development and advancement.
Lu Qibin belonged to that latter group. He genuinely loved research. To him, Yu Xiaogang (the Grandmaster) was nothing but a charlatan seeking attention.
It was only out of deference to Flender, and due to his own quiet temperament, that Lu Qibin had chosen to ignore the Grandmaster's presence altogether.
This was also why, as seen in the original timeline, Lu Qibin rarely communicated with Yu Xiaogang.
And the reason he didn't interfere with Yu Xiaogang's "teaching" of the Shrek Seven Devils was simple: with such outstanding talent, they wouldn't end up ordinary no matter how badly they were instructed.
Otherwise, with Yu Xiaogang's crude training methods—running with rocks, endless jogging—if not for Tang San being the protagonist, within two years, the Seven Devils would likely have been ruined.
Oscar didn't bother evaluating this too much. As long as Yu Xiaogang didn't interfere with him, he was willing to turn a blind eye.
That morning was theory class. Oscar sat with Dugu Yan, while Ma Hongjun paired with Dai Mubai.
At this point, Oscar did not need more theory. Everything Lu Qibin knew, Oscar basically knew as well.
Oscar simply sat there researching his own techniques. When Dugu Yan had doubts, Oscar patiently explained them. His real reason for being there was simply to accompany his girlfriend.
And once Dugu Yan fully entered study mode, Oscar quietly left the classroom and went to find Gai Yue.
Now that Oscar had completely mastered both the ice and fire elements, he needed to integrate them into his Sword Dao. To truly fuse their power, time and refined training were required.
In this area, Gai Yue was undoubtedly the expert. His Frostmoon Sword was an ice-element weapon, and in his Sword Dao, the power of ice was indispensable.
Gai Yue held nothing back, teaching Oscar every bit of his experience on how to perfectly merge elemental attributes into swordsmanship.
Apart from Sword Dao training, Oscar also sparred with Zhao Wuji, mainly to train under his Gravity Control ability.
Zhao Wuji's soul skill was not only devastating in battle but also extremely effective for body training. For both Oscar and Ma Hongjun, it provided tremendous help.
In the afternoons, Oscar often brought Dugu Yan and Dai Mubai to train under Zhao Wuji's gravity field, polishing both their soul skill usage and team coordination.
Dugu Yan's talent—sixteen years old and already peak level 35—while not quite at Oscar or Ma Hongjun's monstrous level, was backed by a strong foundation and relentless effort.
As for Dai Mubai, he had become absolutely obedient to Oscar's training arrangements, often even exceeding expectations.
A full month passed in this rhythm. With constant interaction, Oscar's impression of Dai Mubai changed greatly.
This Dai Mubai was no longer the same Playboy from the original story. Perhaps it was due to Ma Hongjun's earlier discipline and Oscar's influence, but regardless of reason, the current Dai Mubai had ambition. He knew his goals and was willing to strive toward them.
One night, after Oscar asked about his past, Dai Mubai finally confessed the truth.
He spoke of his older brother, seven years his senior, less gifted but advantaged by age. From childhood, Dai Mubai lived in his shadow. Though not yet directly threatened, the oppressive environment left him constantly uneasy. At age twelve, he chose to run away.
Now, after a year at Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai's mentality had shifted. He even regretted abandoning his fiancée, Zhu Zhuqing, leaving her alone to face that pressure.
At last, he told Oscar he wanted to return—not to die, but to bring Zhu Zhuqing out.
Oscar was pleased. Though initially unwilling to disrupt the original story, he realized helping Dai Mubai might not be a bad thing. At worst, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't appear at Shrek, which cost him nothing. At best, if Dai Mubai proved his resolve, he would gain a powerful ally.
And so, Oscar agreed to help.
Before departure, they gave Dai Mubai a chance to improve: Whale Glue.
The condition was absolute secrecy. If any information about Whale Glue leaked from Dai Mubai, Shrek would blacklist him and send assassins without end.
Shocked, Dai Mubai nevertheless agreed.
After consuming Whale Glue, his body gained an enormous boost. His spirit power rose from level 29 to level 30, qualifying him for his third ring.
This strengthened Dai Mubai's confidence in rescuing Zhu Zhuqing.
At the same time, Oscar consumed the Autumn Water Seeking Eyes Pill (Wang Chuan Qiu Shui Dan) he had long prepared. Since he had fully refined the medicinal power of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot, there was no danger of conflict.
The result was immense: Oscar's spiritual power skyrocketed, now completely catching up with his body strength—both nearly at the level of a Spirit Emperor.
If things continued, when Oscar broke through to level 40, both his physique and spirit could surpass level 60, truly reaching Spirit Emperor standards. This meant his fourth spirit ring could be 30,000 years or higher.
Such a foundation would make his future achievements limitless.
A month after returning to Shrek, Dai Mubai consumed Whale Glue and then, with Zhao Wuji and Oscar accompanying him, headed to the Star Dou Great Forest for his third spirit ring.
After that, they would go directly to the Star Luo Empire's capital to secretly rescue Zhu Zhuqing.
Flender and Gai Yue did not come along—too many people would draw attention.
Unlike Heaven Dou, the Star Luo Empire far surpassed in military strength, and even more so in spirit masters. The royal family possessed a Titled Douluo, and together with the Zhu Clan of the Grand Duke's house, they held a Martial Spirit Fusion Technique of terrifying power.
Sneaking Zhu Zhuqing away under their noses was no simple task.
Still, Oscar recalled the original events: Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had indeed escaped. This likely had the secret support of the Star Luo Emperor, who preferred to let his sons compete like poisonous insects in a jar—raising gu.
Thus, the emperor would not interfere, perhaps even subtly facilitate their escape.
Knowing this, Oscar wasn't overly worried. They would move discreetly, leaving the actual act of departure to Dai Mubai.
If successful, Zhu Zhuqing would join Shrek more than a year early, which was no real disruption. In fact, it might deepen her bond with Dai Mubai and accelerate their growth.
To Oscar, this was a win—especially if Dai Mubai matured into a capable ally.