Ma Hongjun basked in the thunderous cheers, walking down from the soul battle stage with steady, confident steps.
Qingyan and Qingyu supported Feng Qinglong, their eyes fixed on Ma Hongjun's retreating back with mixed emotions. After a long while, with the help of Yun Yi and Li Feng, they too left the stage.
Back in the rest area, Ma Hongjun nearly stumbled to the ground, but Dai Mubai reacted quickly and caught him.
This battle had not been easy for Ma Hongjun. He had used nearly all his trump cards, and only in the end, with the help of his sixth soul skill, did he manage to turn the tables.
It had to be said that Feng Qinglong's strength was formidable. With the support of Qingyan and Qingyu, both Soul Kings, he was capable of contending with a Soul Saint-level opponent.
Dai Mubai immediately took out a Super Recovery Sausage and handed it to Ma Hongjun. After consuming it, Ma Hongjun sat cross-legged and began to restore his soul power.
Although his injuries from taking Feng Qinglong's sixth soul skill head-on had largely healed under the effects of his Phoenix Nirvana ability, his soul power had been almost completely depleted in that final blow.
The overall strength of Wind God Valley was indeed impressive,stronger than most of the elite forces publicly known across the continent.
They were comparable to the top prodigies from the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
If even the Star Luo Empire had such talent, who knew what other hidden sects might emerge elsewhere?
…
In the Extreme North, Oscar slowly opened his eyes from meditation, a glint of icy blue light flickering in his gaze.
Now a level 93 Titled Douluo, his power was on an entirely different level than before.
Through his avatars, Oscar had discovered some clues. Aside from the Spirit Hall's secret movements, several reclusive sects long thought extinct had begun to reappear across the continent.
Naturally, Oscar had been keeping an eye on the Star Luo Empire's national tournament. The re-emergence of Wind God Valley and the Divine Fire Sect,both ancient sects,was indeed unusual.
After all, in the original story, these powers had never shown themselves. Yet now, they were springing up like bamboo shoots after the rain.
Oscar believed this was all due to the butterfly effect caused by his own existence, as he was the greatest variable not present in the original timeline.
Still, he was not overly worried. As long as his strength was great enough, no matter what monsters or devils emerged, the outcome would be the same,
They would either submit or disappear.
Once Oscar stabilized his cultivation and strengthened his two additional martial souls, his power would skyrocket. This process would not take long.
And the best way to adapt to new strength and stabilize cultivation was to find a worthy opponent. Here in the Extreme North, none were more suitable than the Titan Snow Demon King.
On the icy plains,the same place where the Snow Empress had once trained him,the Titan Snow Demon King stood tall like a hundred-meter giant, looking down at Oscar, who was two meters in height.
Though Oscar was considered tall among humans, he was barely the size of one of the giant's pores.
But the Titan Snow Demon King dared not underestimate the human before him.
Within this small body resided power comparable to, or even greater than, the strength it had cultivated for over two hundred thousand years.
They had fought once before. Back then, Oscar was not yet used to his terrifying new strength, allowing the Titan Snow Demon King to gain a small advantage. But the battle had still ended in a draw.
Now, as Oscar grew more accustomed to the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion spirit and his frightening power, it was only a matter of time before the Titan Snow Demon King found itself completely on the defensive.
Fortunately, the Titan Snow Demon King's body was tough enough to serve as a perfect sparring partner,it could withstand Oscar's full power without the risk of being killed accidentally.
Nearby, Xiao Bai eagerly watched their confrontation. It had also sparred with Oscar before, but unlike the Titan Snow Demon King, it had been completely overwhelmed.
What angered it most was that after its mother became Oscar's soul spirit, she actually helped Oscar beat it up.
Since Xiao Bai couldn't bring itself to fight back against its mother, it now hoped the Titan Snow Demon King would get a good thrashing to balance things out.
But before the battle began, the Titan Snow Demon King secretly sent a message to Xiao Bai,it planned to get some payback on Oscar this time too.
Facing the towering giant, Oscar stood like a mountain himself, his aura unyielding. The freezing aura radiating from his body clashed directly with the Titan Snow Demon King's beastly energy.
With the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion spirit attached, Oscar's appearance became strikingly handsome, his body surrounded by nine scarlet soul rings that shimmered with crimson light,an all-red configuration that could shake the entire continent.
His level 93 soul power erupted, freezing the air around him. The Titan Snow Demon King's eyes, bright as twin stars, fixed on Oscar as its massive hand came crashing down.
It had learned its lesson: when facing a monster like Oscar, there was no need to hold back,only full power would do.
As the giant hand blotted out the sky, a glint flashed in Oscar's eyes. The Snow Empress appeared beside him, her figure merging seamlessly with his.
His fifth scarlet soul ring lit up. The Snow Empress and Oscar raised their right palms together.
"Fifth Soul Skill: Imperial Palm, Great Cold Without Snow!"
Though Oscar's body looked small compared to the Titan Snow Demon King, the palm strike created an enormous energy imprint, no smaller than the giant's own.
Boom!
The two colossal palm imprints collided, unleashing a terrifying shockwave. Oscar remained unmoved, while the Titan Snow Demon King was forced back several steps, leaving huge craters in the ice.
Oscar had gained the upper hand.
Gathering his energy again, his fourth scarlet soul ring shone. The Snow Empress merged with him once more, forming a massive sword of pure ice.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Imperial Sword, Absolute Frost Unrivaled!"
The sword cleaved downward as the Titan Snow Demon King roared, pounding its chest and infusing its fists with its full power. Its fists became covered in icy spikes, gleaming with lethal intent.
Clang!
The icy fists clashed with the Imperial Sword. The Titan Snow Demon King managed to withstand the blow, holding his ground, but the strain was immense.
Still, the sword carried not only Oscar's power but also the Snow Empress's enchantment. The Titan Snow Demon King could only resist for a while before inevitably falling behind.
At that moment, a massive white shadow streaked across the ice field. Xiao Bai, who had been waiting for this perfect opportunity, struck.
All of its hundred-thousand-year cultivation was concentrated in one massive snow-white paw as it swung toward Oscar.
"Face your judgment, Oscar! Take my Ice Meteor,Blizzard Bear Strike!"
The terrifying energy burst forth. Xiao Bai had learned this technique by imitating the Snow Empress's Imperial Palm. Though weaker, it still carried a trace of its essence,something no ordinary beast could hope to match.
The Snow Empress glanced sharply at Xiao Bai but said nothing. In battle, anything could happen,one had to be ready for both frontal and surprise attacks.
She raised her hand to intercept the blow, but Oscar stopped her. He wanted to test the full power of his soul spirit's abilities.
As Xiao Bai's strike neared, Oscar's eighth scarlet soul ring lit up.
His entire body turned to ice at the moment of impact.
With a boom, shards of ice exploded outward, leaving behind only a massive crater. Oscar was nowhere to be seen.
Xiao Bai and the Titan Snow Demon King froze in shock. Where was Oscar,the man powerful enough to suppress the Titan Snow Demon King itself?
Xiao Bai's face went pale, tears streaming down. "I… I killed Oscar?!"
The Titan Snow Demon King quickly sensed something off. The Imperial Sword's power hadn't faded; the Snow Empress now held it and struck again, forcing the giant to retreat hundreds of meters, its ice fists shattering and bleeding.
Then, countless ice crystals began forming in the crater. In an instant, Oscar's body reformed, and he shot toward Xiao Bai like a flash of light.
Xiao Bai stopped crying immediately. Though it didn't understand what had happened, it knew one thing,it was about to get beaten.
Run!
The thought barely formed before Xiao Bai turned into a streak of white light and bolted.
But Oscar was too fast. He appeared before Xiao Bai in an instant, his first scarlet soul ring glowing.
"Cryo-Scorpion Claws!"
His arms transformed into massive ice-blue pincers,true ten-thousand-year soul skill manifestations, not mere attachments.
He clamped down on Xiao Bai, the sharp claws cutting through its tough hide and making it yowl in pain.
The other claw aimed lower as Oscar grinned wickedly. "You dare sneak attack me? If you don't call me daddy, I'll give you a little 'operation.'"
Feeling the icy chill at its most sensitive spot, Xiao Bai nearly wet itself.
But it would never call him that. Instead, it howled desperately toward the Snow Empress, "Mom! Save me!"
The Snow Empress put away her sword, her porcelain face turning slightly red. She was, after all, Xiao Bai's mother,and if Xiao Bai called Oscar "dad"…
Oscar immediately realized his mistake. He had only meant it as a joke, but now it sounded terribly wrong.
"Snow Lady, that's not what I meant,"
Before he could finish, the Ice Empress's soul spirit appeared, her own enormous claws striking down toward him.
"Oscar! How dare you have thoughts about Snow Lady? Take this!"
Since they were in combat, Oscar hadn't restricted his soul spirits, allowing them to act freely. He hadn't expected the Ice Empress to take it this way.
Oscar had no choice but to toss Xiao Bai at the Titan Snow Demon King and pull both empresses back into his spiritual sea.
The Titan Snow Demon King caught Xiao Bai, chuckling as it watched Oscar,its face the picture of someone enjoying a juicy scandal.
Xiao Bai, still sweating from fear, glared at Oscar. "You! I treated you like a big brother, and you tried to be my dad? Let's see how you explain this to my mom!"
The Titan Snow Demon King added with amusement, "If you hadn't ambushed him, we might never have found out about his little 'feelings.'"
Oscar's frozen face twitched. This supposedly honest giant had learned to kick a man when he was down!
He waved them off. "Enough. Ceasefire for now. I'll deal with both of you later."
But neither the Titan Snow Demon King nor Xiao Bai planned to waste such a golden opportunity. If they were doomed to be his sparring partners later, they might as well strike while he was distracted.
The Titan Snow Demon King hurled Xiao Bai straight at him. "White Bear Rush!"
Xiao Bai cursed but didn't hesitate, using the momentum to unleash another Blizzard Strike.
Oscar had threatened to "cut him" before,this was payback time.
Meanwhile, the Titan Snow Demon King roared and launched a massive ice sphere like a meteor.
Oscar was speechless. Since when had soul beasts become so shameless?
Still, he remained calm. Even without the Ice and Snow Empresses assisting, he was a level 93 Titled Douluo.
At that moment, he was still maintaining his eighth soul skill,Frozen Existence,a soul attribute ability.
While active, his entire body became like living ice, nearly immune to all physical and elemental attacks.
Unless the enemy had a counter-element or attacked his spirit directly, Oscar was effectively immortal.
Moreover, his ice was of the ultimate kind, meaning almost nothing could counter it. Combined with the natural advantages of the Extreme North,
Even if the Titan Snow Demon King and Xiao Bai joined forces, they would only be toys in his hands.
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