After using his fourth spirit ability twice in a row, Oscar's spirit power was reduced by nearly two-thirds. The consumption was immense.
But Oscar was, after all, a top-tier food-type Spirit Master. Without hesitation, he pulled out two of his pre-prepared First Spirit Ability: Super Recovery Sausages from his soul tool and tossed them into his mouth.
The sausages melted into a warm current, quickly restoring the spirit power he had expended.
Even now, Oscar was still full of surprise and delight at his harvest. Not even he had expected his fourth spirit ability to manifest in such a way.
Taken as a whole, the two effects of this ability were no weaker than those granted by a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.
No wonder — after all, he had forcefully absorbed a thirty-thousand-year spirit ring, far above his level.
Oscar couldn't help but wonder: If I continue absorbing spirit rings beyond my level in the future, will my abilities keep growing more powerful?
Gai Yue, watching Oscar, also felt shock and admiration. Oscar's spirit ability truly rivaled a hundred-thousand-year ring. Even Gai Yue, standing at the cusp of rank ninety, felt a twinge of envy.
After all, with these two effects, Oscar would never be merely a support. He could dominate a battlefield — whether fighting for himself or aiding others.
But Gai Yue still had one doubt.
"Little Ao, can both forms of your sausage be used together?"
Oscar smiled faintly.
"They can. But remember — only one sausage can be eaten per day. A second will only restore spirit power, nothing else."
He paused, then added:
"There is one special point. The order of consumption matters.
"For example, Teacher — if you eat the Clone Sausage first, the clone will be of your original self. But if you eat the Copy Sausage first, and then the Clone Sausage, the clone will be based on the martial spirit you copied. That's the only difference."
Hearing this, both Gai Yue and Dugu Yan understood at once. It wasn't a flaw, but rather an added versatility. Oscar's fourth ability was even more varied than they'd thought.
Having fully understood the ability, Gai Yue grew serious.
"Little Ao, your fourth ability is strong. Too strong. But I advise you — reveal only one of its effects. Keep the other hidden as a trump card."
He paused, voice lowering, gaze turning sharp.
"This world is not short on geniuses. And not everyone is kind. If ill-intentioned people learned you possess two effects rivaling a hundred-thousand-year abilities, they might seek to harm you."
Then his aura flared cold and deadly.
"But so long as I live, anyone who wants to hurt you will first step over my corpse."
Oscar's heart trembled. He bowed his head.
"Teacher, I understand. Don't worry. I treasure my life too much to let anyone know my secrets."
Gai Yue nodded.
"Good. I know your temperament — I just had to remind you. Don't let a moment of glory blind your caution."
Beside them, Dugu Yan asked:
"Little Ao, aside from the new spirit ability, you must've gained in other areas, too, right?"
Oscar nodded.
"Yes. The ability was a surprise. But my overall strength also increased.
"After absorbing this thirty-thousand-year ring, both my physique and spiritual power advanced from the early Spirit Emperor stage to the mid stage — about level sixty-five to sixty-six."
Spirit rings, especially those of ten thousand years and above, always granted comprehensive improvements — not only strengthening the body, but also the mind.
To Gai Yue and Dugu Yan, however, such an increase felt… ordinary. Compared with Oscar's new ability, it seemed almost unremarkable.
But Oscar knew better. His fourth spirit ability changed everything.
He could consume both sausages himself. He could stack them with his other abilities. He could benefit from support buffs from other auxiliary Spirit Masters.
This wasn't just an enhancement — it was a path to true strength.
For example, by copying Gai Yue's martial spirit, Oscar — with his superior physical and spiritual foundation — could wield it even more powerfully than Gai Yue himself had at the same level.
If he continued to grow like this, by the time he reached Titled Douluo, Oscar's copied martial spirits might even surpass their original owners.
And there was no inherent restriction. With this ability, Oscar was no longer merely a food-type Spirit Master, nor an assault-type. He was something else entirely — a shapeshifter of Spirit Masters. With a drop of blood, he could become any kind of cultivator.
After absorbing the spirit ring, Oscar stored the body of the Mirror Shadow Beast in his soul tool. Though it hadn't dropped a spirit bone, what he had gained was far more precious than any thirty-thousand-year bone.
Night had fallen by now. But for Gai Yue, a rank eighty-eight Spirit Douluo, even the inner circle of the Extreme North held little danger. Even a hundred-thousand-year beast was not beyond him.
So the three did not camp outside. They flew back to Gai Yue's secluded residence in the Frozen Mountain Range.
Oscar's sword flight wasn't quite as fast as Gai Yue's, but it still outstripped most Spirit Kings with flying abilities. With Dugu Yan held by Oscar, they made it home in a little over an hour.
With Oscar's fourth ring secured, the focus now turned to Dugu Yan's.
Her martial spirit's evolution meant her fourth ring had to change. It now required both dragon and poison attributes. Conveniently, the Extreme North housed exactly such a spirit beast.
After studying many records, Oscar had identified the perfect match: the Ice Origin Chi Dragon.
The Ice Origin Chi Dragon was a true dragon species. It resembled a serpent, hornless, with four claws along its belly. It fed on toxic ice-born substances and thrived only in environments below minus fifty degrees.
Though not known for overwhelming combat power, its draconic bloodline gave it an innate superiority. Spirit beasts of the same rank could never match it.
Most importantly, the Ice Origin Chi Dragon was a master of poison. Its control over icy toxins was absolute — one of the finest toxic masters in nature.
For Dugu Yan, it was the perfect fourth spirit ring.
Records told of Ice Origin Chi Dragons once appearing in the inner region of the Extreme North, in a place known as the Ice Spirit Ravine. Whether one still lived there, however, would have to be confirmed in person.