Oscar did not expose the other party's little scheme, otherwise he wouldn't have gone through all that acting earlier.
He glanced at the Skydream Iceworm, then took out a small porcelain bottle and collected some of the extremely cold ice marrow before using his sixth soul skill to leave the ice cave.
The Skydream Iceworm stared blankly as Oscar departed. Its long and plump body twisted restlessly atop the bed of Ice Jade Essence, its face filled with excitement and disbelief.
It had never expected that what it thought would be a disaster would instead turn out to be a great fortune,its "Brother Tianmeng's" destined encounter.
"The method of soul spirits… the God-Making Plan!" the Skydream Iceworm murmured. "Isn't this my chosen one?"
After leaving the cave, Oscar swallowed another Swift Wind and Rain Swallow Sausage, his body turning into a streak of white light as he shot out of the icy valley.
The Skydream Iceworm had indeed been an unexpected blessing, but Oscar still had some unfinished business to handle. Lieluo and the others probably hadn't noticed his disappearance yet.
Meanwhile, Lieluo and his group, who had been following far behind the Ice Wolf pack, suddenly looked alarmed. They realized that the entire wolf pack was retreating.
The Ice Wolves had found their king. After failing to detect any trace of Oscar, they decided to return.
The Ice Wolf King wasn't foolish. Since a human had gone to such lengths to lure them away, it was likely for the sake of the ore containing the power of extreme cold ice marrow.
As seventeen Ice Wolves raced back, Lieluo and the others quickly dug a pit in the snow and buried themselves in it. Han Han even used his soul skill to freeze them over to prevent any breath from leaking out and being detected.
With the power of those Ice Wolves, killing all six of them would have been effortless.
Once the pack was gone, Han Han and the others climbed out of the snowpit.
Watching the Ice Wolves disappear, Han Han muttered, "So Aorong was really killed? But the Ice Wolf King was badly injured too. Even if that guy survived, it must have been at a heavy cost."
The others nodded in agreement, and Lieluo added, "Search for Aorong immediately. This might be our best chance to finish him off!"
At his words, the six of them followed the Ice Wolf tracks.
In their opinion, Oscar wouldn't die that easily. He could fly,and with terrifying speed. As a Soul Sage, if he truly wanted to flee, it wouldn't be impossible to escape.
They guessed this because there were no signs that the wolves had eaten a human.
So they assumed Oscar was seriously injured and at his weakest. If they found him now, it would be the perfect time to kill him and seize his soul bone.
They went all out, chasing for over fifteen minutes before finally spotting Oscar on a snowy plain.
But Oscar wasn't alone. Haote was with him, helping him toward a nearby cave. Oscar was covered in blood, his clothes soaked red, his breath weak, barely conscious as he lay slumped on Haote's back.
Seeing this, Lieluo and the others' eyes gleamed,they had guessed right. Though they didn't know why Aorong was stupid enough to rush into the Ice Wolves' territory alone, his current state made it the perfect time to strike.
When Haote noticed figures approaching, he turned and saw his teammates of several months rushing toward him.
Haote might have been simple and honest, but he wasn't a fool. If they hadn't intended to kill for treasure, why would they all appear here together at this exact time?
Knowing things could only get worse, Haote gently laid down the wounded Oscar, then turned to face the six men coldly.
They soon arrived, and Haote said grimly, "Lieluo, you have some nerve! Did you take my words as nothing?"
Lieluo sneered, "Haote, you really think you're our leader just because we call you big brother? I'll give you one last chance. Hand over Aorong, or don't blame us for forgetting old ties."
Han Han's eyes were equally cold. "You may be a Soul Sage, but against six of us, your odds are less than thirty percent. Are you really going to throw your life away for a stranger?"
Hearing this, Haote knew there was no reasoning with them anymore. Just then, the barely conscious Oscar struggled to speak. "Why go this far, everyone? All this just for a soul bone? I can give it to you,and even tell you a secret that could raise your cultivation,but you must promise to spare my life."
Haote immediately said, "Brother Ao, no need for that. Even if I die today, I won't let them harm you. They may have six people, but the gap between a Soul Sage and a Soul Emperor can't be bridged by a few Soul Kings and Soul Ancestors!"
Even at such a time, Haote still protected Oscar. That moved Oscar deeply.
How many people could do what Haote was doing now, especially under such circumstances?
Lieluo laughed coldly. "Kill you, and your treasures are still ours. But go ahead,tell us this secret. If it's truly valuable, maybe we'll consider letting you live."
Oscar snorted. "If I tell you, would you really let me go?"
Han Han sneered. "If you don't speak, you die now. Haote may be strong, but can he protect a gravely injured man like you in a six-on-one fight?"
Oscar's bloodied face was filled with anger and unwillingness. "If I tell you, will you really let me live?"
Lieluo replied, "If your secret is valuable enough, I'll keep my word."
Oscar looked at his face and knew full well he was lying,they just wanted to get information from him.
"Then swear on your martial soul," Oscar said coldly.
Lieluo smiled. "Fine. I swear on my martial soul that if your secret is valuable enough, I'll spare your life."
Oscar nodded. "The reason I was injured is that I broke into the Ice Wolves' territory. You must have seen that."
Lieluo nodded. "Continue."
Oscar said, "I did it because I found the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow."
He took out a porcelain bottle and tossed it over. "This is a treasure that greatly aids a soul master's cultivation. There's plenty more of it in that ice valley."
"Well? Is that enough to spare me?"
Han Han caught the bottle and opened it. A surge of intense cold burst out. Excited, he quickly stored it in his soul tool.
He said to the others, "It really is Extreme Cold Ice Marrow! I've read about this in old texts,it can greatly boost cultivation. With this, we could all break through to Soul Sage, and ice-type soul masters could advance even further!"
The others grinned. It was indeed a valuable secret, and now they understood how Oscar got hurt.
But charging into the Ice Wolves' den alone for it? That was foolish. Still, no matter,it would be _their_ treasure now.
The next second, Lieluo and the others released their martial souls without hesitation and launched an all-out attack on Haote.
Soul rings glowed around them as they unleashed their strongest abilities.
The support-type soul master amplified everyone's power without concern for soul power loss.
They wanted to finish Haote quickly. Oscar might be wounded, but Haote was a healthy Soul Sage,if they didn't kill him fast, he could easily turn the tables.
Seeing this, Oscar roared, "You dare go back on your word? Aren't you afraid your martial soul will shatter and kill you?"
Lieluo sneered. "Did I go back on my word? I said _I_ wouldn't kill you,but I never said the others wouldn't."
Haote's eyes turned icy. Seven soul rings rose,two yellow, three purple, and two black. His seventh ring lit up.
"Unrepentant fools,don't blame me for being ruthless!" he roared. "Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul True Body!"
His body grew rapidly, transforming into a massive eight-meter-tall white bear. The powerful aura shattered the enemies' attacks and sent them flying.
But they quickly steadied themselves. Lieluo shouted, "Black Crow! We'll hold him off,inject the Blue Demon Scorpion poison!"
The Soul King called Black Crow nodded. His body turned into a black crow and vanished into the air, while the rest charged Haote head-on.
The gap between a Soul Sage and Soul Emperor was vast, but once the Blue Demon Scorpion's venom entered his body, even Haote would be crippled within an hour.
Haote was furious. He knew they were vile, but this was beyond what he imagined.
He roared, "Die, all of you! Fifth Soul Skill: Giant Spirit Palm!"
The giant bear's palm slammed forward, shaking the ground. Flames, ice, and wolf howls erupted as their powers clashed.
Oscar lay quietly on the ground watching. His once-bloodshot eyes gradually calmed, and his breathing stabilized.
He couldn't understand why Haote was still being so loyal. In a world ruled by strength, did such people really exist?
If it were him, would he turn traitor, flee, or fight to protect someone else?
Oscar smiled. This was what he truly admired,people who remained different in an unjust world.
Whether it was his fortune or Haote's, he didn't know.
Under the boost of his Martial Soul True Body, Haote was suppressing all six of them. Lieluo's flames barely held on, but defeat was inevitable.
After all, a soul master with a Martial Soul True Body was on a different level entirely,and Haote's seventh ring was nearly perfect.
But then a black shadow flashed behind him. As Haote clashed with the others, Black Crow stabbed a blue scorpion tail into the white bear's back.
The poison spread instantly. Haote's expression changed. "Blue Demon Scorpion venom? You actually preserved the poison in its tail,despicable!"
He roared in pain, slapping them all away. Blood spilled from Lieluo's mouth, yet he still laughed.
"Haote, with cold poison in your body, your soul power is blocked. Let's see what you can do now!"
Haote staggered back, feeling the venom spread rapidly. His soul power flow was obstructed, and his Martial Soul True Body began to flicker.
He knew this poison well,it wasn't fatal, but even at his level, half his strength would be gone within an hour.
And now, surrounded by six enemies, his chances were slim.
Then, suddenly, the sound of clapping broke the tense silence.
_Clap, clap, clap, clap!_
"Wonderful. Truly wonderful. You've shown me a man's loyalty and courage,and a group's deceit and cruelty."
Oscar, who had seemed half-dead moments ago, was now standing, slowly clapping his hands.
Dried blood still streaked his face, but his tone was calm. "As a reward, I'll let you all become part of the Ice Wolf pack,its food to nourish this snowy land."
Lieluo and the others froze, eyes wide in disbelief. "What… How is this possible? You were seriously injured! How can you still stand?!"
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