đź’– If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
Just as Oscar and Haote were in a truly desperate situation, the enemy attack was about to strike them down. The cold air of the north felt even colder as death drew near. Suddenly, a terrifying roar that sounded like it came from the beginning of time exploded above everyone's heads like a giant clap of thunder.
Along with that roar came a scary pressure that made their very souls tremble. It was mixed with a burning heat that felt like it could melt the entire frozen wasteland. This aura pressed down on everyone like a heavy mountain they could actually touch.
The wild laughter on the faces of the Spirit Emperors who were about to kill Oscar and Haote instantly froze. Their joy was replaced by a deep fear and total shock. They felt the air around them suddenly become thick like syrup. Their powerful spirit power seemed to be frozen by this sudden pressure, and their bodies became very slow and heavy.
The next moment, a giant red figure dropped from the sky like a falling star. Several loud thuds rang out one after another, followed by the sharp, scary sound of bones breaking. This red beast did not even use any special Spirit Abilities.
It just used its huge body and its lightning-fast speed to charge into the group of nearly ten Spirit Emperors. It was like a tiger jumping into a flock of helpless sheep. Every time its massive claw struck down, it hit with enough force to send a Spirit Emperor flying through the air like a broken rag doll.
With a simple sweep of its long tail, which was burning with dark red flames, the Spirit Emperors suffered broken bones and torn muscles. In the face of such absolute power and the gap in their ranks, these men were helpless.
These Spirit Emperors were people who were usually seen as high and mighty by ordinary Spirit Masters, but now they were fragile and weak. In just a few short breaths, the fight was over.
The nearly ten Spirit Emperors who had been so mean and aggressive while attacking Oscar and Haote were now all lying in pools of red blood on the white snow. Some were dead and others were badly hurt, but none of them could fight anymore.
Immediately after the fight, the strong smell of blood filled the air. However, that smell was quickly dried away by the hot aura coming from the red beast. This sudden change in fortune left Oscar and Haote stunned because they had just narrowly escaped certain death. Haote held his chest in pain, looking in disbelief at the creature that looked like a flame demon god. He saw a figure sitting on the back of the beast and his eyes were filled with shock and respect.
Oscar's eyes widened even more than Haote's did. He stared at the person who was now gracefully jumping down from the back of the giant red hound. It was someone he never expected to see in a place like this. He certainly never expected this person to be the one to save his life.
Tang Chuan? Oscar's voice was shaking because he was so shocked. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. The person standing before him was clearly Tang Chuan.
This was Tang San's older brother, the one who had shown everyone such amazing strength during the Spirit Master Academy Tournament. Oscar also remembered that Tang Chuan had a lot of trouble and bad feelings with their own Shrek Academy in the past.
Oscar had so many questions in his head. Why was he here in the frozen north? What was that scary three-headed demon dog he was riding? Most importantly, why did he decide to save Oscar? In Oscar's mind, Tang Chuan did not have a good relationship with the Shrek Seven Devils.
He knew that Tang Chuan was especially hostile toward Tang San and Yu Xiaogang. He never imagined that the person who would help him during his most dangerous moment would be this specific man.
Tang Chuan looked at the shocked expression on Oscar's face and gave a small nod. He looked over Oscar's messy clothes and tired face, but he also saw the brave look in his eyes. He noticed the strangely shaped Mirror Duplicate Sausage that Oscar was holding in his hand. Tang Chuan knew the story of this young man.
Just like the original path of fate, this food system Spirit Master had worked very hard for love. After the big tournament, Oscar must have gone to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to ask to marry Ning Rongrong. But Ning Fengzhi must have said no because a food system master is usually weak and cannot protect a spouse.
Because he was proud and deeply in love with Ning Rongrong, Oscar chose a very hard and dangerous path. He came all the way to the Extreme North Land alone to change himself and find a way to fight. Looking at how Oscar looked now and seeing the Ice Bear Spirit Saint Haote beside him, Tang Chuan could tell that Oscar had succeeded.
He had successfully hunted a Mirror Beast and got a Mirror Duplicate Spirit Ability. From now on, Oscar would not just be a food system Spirit Master; he would also have the powers of a Battle Spirit Master.
This strong will and the way Oscar was willing to risk everything for love made Tang Chuan feel a bit of respect for him. Tang Chuan spoke lightly to break the silence and asked if Oscar was surprised. Oscar opened his mouth to speak but did not know what to say at first. Surprised was not a strong enough word. His whole understanding of the world had just been flipped upside down.
The cold wind of the Extreme North Land was still blowing hard, but the feeling in the forest was now very different. Oscar looked at how calm Tang Chuan was. His confusion was still there, but he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.
He bowed deeply to Tang Chuan and to the beautiful golden-haired woman who was still sitting on the back of the red beast. He spoke very respectfully and thanked them both for saving his life.
Tang Chuan waved his hand slightly to show it was no big deal. He looked at Oscar and the cautious Haote and spoke in a very calm voice. He told Oscar that he didn't need to thank him. He explained that there were not many people in Shrek Academy that he actually liked or respected, but Oscar was one of them. He also mentioned that he liked Zhu Zhuqing.
Oscar was very surprised to hear this. He did not expect Tang Chuan to say something nice about him. Tang Chuan continued by saying that he respected Oscar for coming to the Extreme North Land.
He said it took a lot of guts for a food system Spirit Master to fight for his life just to find a small chance at being strong. He called that determination and said it was better than what most people have.
He also praised Zhu Zhuqing for being strong and having clear goals. He liked that she didn't let other people change her mind and only focused on getting stronger so she could change her own life.
He said that finding people like that in this busy world was very rare. With just a few simple words, Tang Chuan described exactly why these two were special. Oscar felt his heart stir. He started to think that Tang Chuan might not be the bad person that Tang San always said he was.
However, the next things Tang Chuan said were like a sudden bolt of lightning that hit Oscar right in the heart. Tang Chuan kept his voice calm, but his words were very heavy. He told Oscar that there was something he probably didn't know yet. He told him that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had been destroyed by Spirit Hall a little while ago. He said the whole place had been burned to the ground.
Oscar felt like he had been hit by a hammer. He stumbled back a step and his face turned as white as the snow around them. He grabbed Tang Chuan's arm and his voice was shaking with fear. He asked about Ning Rongrong and if she was okay. He was terrified that something bad had happened to the girl he loved.
When Tang Chuan saw how upset Oscar was, he could tell that Oscar really cared about her. He told Oscar to calm down and assured him that Ning Rongrong was safe. He explained that she was currently at Tianxing Academy. He said she was being protected by Dugu Bo and that her life was not in danger right now.
Oscar kept saying the names of the academy and Dugu Bo over and over again. It was like he was holding onto a rope while drowning. His heart started to slow down, but he was still very worried. He knew how much the sect meant to her and how sad she must be. He looked up at Tang Chuan with eyes that were pleading for help.
He told Tang Chuan that after he finished absorbing his Spirit Bone, he wanted to go back to the city. He asked if he could also join Tianxing Academy. Oscar knew the school was connected to Tang Chuan. He wanted to join so he could be near Ning Rongrong and protect her, and also to pay Tang Chuan back for saving him.