Chapter 35: Oscar’s Tragedy

Chapter 35: The Tragedy of Oscar

"Mu Bai, oh no, Boss Dai, are you alright? Don't scare me; I’m going to find the Dean right now." Seeing the sudden change in Dai Mubai, Oscar’s heart sank. He felt as though something terrible was about to happen, and dropping his belongings, he turned to bolt out the door.

Before he could reach the exit, a powerful hand clamped onto his shoulder, gripping so tightly that his bones ached.

A cold, ghost-like voice, accompanied by a scorching breath—a contradictory presence like fire and water combined—quietly echoed in his ear: "Little Ao, where are you going?"

"Uh, I... I was just going to find the Dean to see what’s wrong with you." A cold bead of sweat broke out on Oscar’s forehead. Enduring the soreness in his shoulder, he turned to look at Dai Mubai, only to find the other man staring at him with an unnervingly intense gaze. The situation was looking increasingly dire.

"Is that so? Then go ahead!" To Oscar’s surprise, Dai Mubai released his shoulder.

"Oh, right." Oscar swallowed hard, but before he could catch his breath, Dai Mubai grabbed his shoulder again.

"Wait... are you really going to find the Dean?"

"Yes, I really am going to find the Dean."

"Oh, then go ahead."

"Right, okay..." Muttering this, Oscar turned and began to dash away.

Watching Oscar’s panicked retreat, a playful smirk spread across Dai Mubai’s flushed face. With a swift motion, he turned his hand into a blade and struck the back of Oscar’s neck.

Oscar felt a rush of air behind him. Although he was a Great Spirit Master, he was a food-system spirit master with no offensive capabilities. Caught off guard, he had no time to react; he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and his vision went black as he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Staring with burning eyes at the figure slumped on the floor, Dai Mubai licked his lips with ragged breaths. He shut the door, bent down to hoist the other man up, and slowly moved toward the bed.

An epic battle was about to begin.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining ten levels of spirit power from Dai Mubai of the Douluo Dalu world.]

***

Hearing the system notification in his mind, Xiao Se was stunned. It took a long moment for him to react, and he shouted internally, "Damn! It’s actually spirit power. By the way, will that beast fire burn that Evil-Eyed Yin Tiger to death?"

[Ding! The fire exchanged by the host entered Dai Mubai’s body in the form of violent Dou Qi. It will only cause him to feel feverish and will not burn him directly. However, if not released soon, Dai Mubai’s body temperature will continue to rise until he is burned to death from within.]

"Damn it." Cursing under his breath, Xiao Se rolled his eyes. He had also added a dose of Grade 1 Ape-Climax magical beast core medicine—a legendary substance for refining aphrodisiacs. Once combined with that feverish heat, the result would be unimaginably spectacular.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Se asked in his mind, "System, can I refine this spirit power?"

[Ding! Energy-based items will be dispensed into the host’s hand in the form of pills once removed from the warehouse. The host may choose to consume and refine them as circumstances permit.]

Hearing the system’s explanation, a golden light flashed in Xiao Se’s hand, and a milky-white pill the size of a dragon’s eye appeared out of thin air. The energy contained within was extremely pure; while not as dense as Dou Qi, it was far gentler.

Feeling the refined energy within the orb, Xiao Se did not hesitate, lifting his palm and popping it into his mouth.

As soon as the pill touched his tongue, it transformed into a stream of pure white energy, surging through his limbs and veins, nourishing his body.

Influenced by the energy fluctuations within Xiao Se, Long Kui released her spiritual perception. After confirming that no one was nearby, she emerged from the Demon Sword.

To her astonishment, she saw that Xiao Se’s body was changing at a visible rate.

His skin, which had become slightly sallow from days of traveling and sun exposure, was rapidly turning fair and smooth. His shoulders broadened, his height increased significantly, and even his youthful, handsome features became more defined. If he had looked like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old while wearing his mask, removing it now revealed a young man who truly looked the part.

Two hours later, Xiao Se slowly opened his eyes. Feeling incredibly refreshed, he couldn't help but smile, whispering to himself, "Seven-star Dou Zhe. This ten-level spirit power jumped me up two whole stars, and my physical strength seems to have improved significantly. This is truly an unexpected delight."

Seeing Xiao Se awake from his meditative state, Long Kui offered a gentle smile. "Brother, you're awake! What did you just eat? It made you grow so much taller all of a sudden."

Hearing Long Kui’s words, Xiao Se slowly stood up and carefully assessed his current physical state. He had indeed grown; previously just over 1.6 meters, he now stood at 1.7 meters. Although his body still looked lean, his muscle tone was perfect, and the black silk robe he wore now fit much more snugly.

"I did grow quite a bit. I just refined a type of energy pill called spirit power. While this energy isn't as powerful as Dou Qi, it is quite beneficial for one's constitution," Xiao Se replied, affectionately stroking Long Kui’s cheek.

"Hee hee..." Xiao Se’s affectionate gesture caused Long Kui’s beautiful eyes to curve into delicate crescents. She looked quite pleased, giggling, "I feel like Brother will grow even taller and more handsome than you were in the Jiang Kingdom. When that time comes, you aren't allowed to think I’m too short."

"You’re just fine the way you are. Besides, you were only seventeen when you passed away. Once I refine a body for you, you will be able to grow normally," Xiao Se said.

"Mm." Long Kui nodded with a smile.

Though the closeness with Long Kui was something Xiao Se enjoyed, it did not diminish his drive. If anything, seeing her still in this soul-state only strengthened his resolve to become stronger.

His expression returning to its usual firmness, Xiao Se touched his storage ring, producing a pitch-black scroll: a high-tier Xuan-rank flight Dou skill, "Eagle Wings," also known as Purple Cloud Wings. It was created using secret arts by harvesting the wings of a Grade 5 flying magical beast, the Black-Flame Purple-Cloud Eagle.

"Long Kui, I am going to start practicing the flight Dou skill I obtained from the cave. I’ll leave it to you to guard me," Xiao Se said to Long Kui.

"Don't worry, Brother! If anyone dares to come in, I’ll have Xiao Hong beat them up," Long Kui said, waving her small, pink fists in a cute, feisty display.

"Mm." Xiao Se nodded, slowly unfurling the black scroll, removing his upper garments, and beginning his training.

Before long, after a struggle with the remnant soul of the Black-Flame Purple-Cloud Eagle, Xiao Se emerged victorious, successfully extending two branches from the main meridian along his spine.

At the same time, two small, purple eagle-wing tattoos appeared on his back.

The Purple Cloud Wings were successfully mastered.