It took Oscar half a day to refine the Phoenix Nirvana Pill. From its appearance, color, and the rich medicinal aroma that wafted from it, it was clear that this top-grade elixir was a success.
While it couldn't compare to the true skill of a professional alchemist, Oscar had no trouble turning the medicinal ingredients into a pill.
In the days that followed, Oscar spent half of each day refining top-grade elixirs. At night, he cultivated directly within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
When he was with Dugu Yan, aside from guiding her in her cultivation, Oscar also taught her various methods for using poison and how to create it.
Before this, Dugu Yan had only learned it because her grandfather, Dugu Bo, had demanded it. She had only reluctantly picked up a little.
She had never liked poison to begin with, having been tormented by it for so long. For some reason, however, when Oscar taught her, she didn't feel any aversion. On the contrary, she studied with great diligence.
Oscar was quite pleased. Since she already had some foundation and Dugu Yan was truly gifted in this area, she learned very quickly.
Oscar just didn't know what expression or thoughts Dugu Bo would have when he learned of this change in his granddaughter.
Over the course of seven full days, Oscar refined a total of five top-grade elixirs. However, he had only decided to give one to Ma Hongjun.
The boy had been with Oscar for three years, and they had already forged a deep friendship. Although Ma Hongjun usually acted like Oscar's little brother, Oscar had sincerely accepted Ma Hongjun as his own.
That Phoenix Nirvana Pill was prepared specifically for Ma Hongjun.
The other four top-grade elixirs were the Qirong Tongtian Pill, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid Pill, the Water Immortal Jade Skin Pill, and the Qiluo Turmeric Pill.
These were, in fact, the top-grade medicinal herbs that the Shrek Seven Devils consumed in the original story. Oscar didn't even change the names of the elixirs, as he couldn't really call this alchemy. He was merely purifying and amplifying the energy of the top-grade herbs.
It could be said that the effects of these top-grade elixirs had been greatly increased, by at least fifty percent compared to consuming the herbs alone. That was the equivalent of 1.5 times the effect of the raw herbs.
This improvement was absolutely terrifying. Although the process consumed a great deal of ten-thousand-year spirit herbs and other rare medicinal materials, it was absolutely worth it.
After all, a single top-grade herb could already create a genius. Now that the herbs had been purified and refined into elixirs, the genius they could create might become a super genius!
The only exception was the Lonesome Heartbreak Red. Oscar couldn't harvest it at the moment and thus couldn't refine it.
Besides, it didn't need to be refined, as it was the emperor among top-grade herbs. No other medicinal ingredient could be paired with it.
Even when consumed on its own, the effect of the Lonesome Heartbreak Red surpassed that of the purified top-grade elixirs. Such was the dominance of the emperor among top-grade herbs.
Of course, it wasn't that Oscar had only refined these five elixirs. It was simply that he hadn't had time to refine any others before Dugu Bo returned with Gai Yue.
Although Gai Yue and Shao Xin had returned to Shrek Academy a day earlier than Dugu Bo, Dugu Bo was a Title Douluo. To catch up with Gai Yue sooner and deliver the news, Dugu Bo made it to Soto City in just three days.
After making "inquiries," he found Shrek Academy. By this time, Gai Yue and Shao Xin had not yet returned because they hadn't crossed paths with Dugu Bo on the road.
This was mainly because Dugu Bo, wanting to deliver the message as quickly as possible, had avoided the main roads. Gai Yue and Shao Xin, on the other hand, were in no hurry. They returned to Shrek by carriage, which would take at least half a month at the fastest.
Factoring in the one-day head start they had, it meant they would still need at least eleven more days to get back.
Dugu Bo's sudden arrival put Flender and Zhao Wuji on high alert, as if they had offended a Title Douluo. The teachers of Shrek Academy were already prepared to fight to the death.
They intended to get Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai out of the academy even if they couldn't escape themselves. However, Flender and the others were overthinking it.
Dugu Bo had no intention of toying with them and immediately explained the reason for his visit.
When Dugu Bo learned that Gai Yue hadn't returned yet, he realized he had been a bit hasty because of the matter with Oscar. He had rushed to Shrek Academy in three days specifically because Oscar was gone.
But Gai Yue and the others didn't know that, so there was no reason for them to rush.
When Flender and the others heard the news, they were struck as if by lightning. Oscar was gone?
How could that be? He had only been gone for a little over a month? An eleven-year-old food-type super genius who had reached the Soul Elder level was just... gone?
Honestly, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the other teachers were heartbroken. Ma Hongjun, in particular, immediately and vehemently refuted Dugu Bo, insisting it was impossible.
His Brother Oscar was so incredibly gifted; how could he just be gone?
Dugu Bo didn't take offense at Ma Hongjun's outburst this time, as he had been prepared for it. He just hadn't expected Gai Yue to be away, making his trip premature and preventing him from offering an apology in person.
However, Dugu Bo was a man who acted decisively. Since Gai Yue wasn't there, he didn't intend to waste any time.
He told Flender where Gai Yue could find him, made a promise, and then left directly. Although Flender and the others wanted to know more details, they didn't dare to question Dugu Bo.
He was a Title Douluo and could crush them as easily as an ant.
As for doubting the authenticity of the news, was there even any need? A Title Douluo had come in person to deliver the news and even intended to apologize to Gai Yue.
What was there to doubt?
Still, Flender felt that life was unpredictable. Oscar was the most talented, persistent, and self-reliant person he had ever met. So many positive words could be used to describe him.
Because of Oscar, this generation at Shrek had made Flender's own life easier. He had even earned money to improve the academy's facilities.
In a sense, although Oscar was just a child, he had already changed Flender's life, making him more ambitious than he was in the original story.
But now, upon hearing this news, it wasn't just Flender who was heartbroken. The entire atmosphere of Shrek Academy suddenly became somber, oppressive, and sad.
Although Dai Mubai had spent less than a day with Oscar, his impression of him was very deep. There was still an air of mystery surrounding Oscar in his mind.
But before he could get to know this senior, he was just... gone?
Dai Mubai wasn't like Ma Hongjun, hiding in his dormitory and crying his heart out. But he couldn't help but be affected by the academy's sorrowful atmosphere.
However, what made Dai Mubai think Oscar was pretty damn impressive was that even in death, he could still influence so many people. What kind of charisma was that?
(End of Chapter)