When Gai Yue first came over, his heart was filled with sorrow. But the moment he saw Oscar, all his worries vanished into thin air.
After Oscar explained the situation, Dugu Bo and Gai Yue finally understood what had happened. And upon learning the concrete information that Oscar could help them detoxify, Dugu Bo left the Sunset Forest immediately.
After all, he had promised to get a Soul bone for Dugu Yan within half a month.
Oscar had no idea where Dugu Bo could possibly find a Ten Thousand Year Soul bone in such a short time. But judging by his expression, it seemed he already had a target in mind.
He just didn't know which lucky soul it would be.
After Dugu Bo's departure, Oscar told Gai Yue not to rush back. Oscar needed some time to refine several pills for him to take back.
He himself would stay in the Sunset Forest to cultivate for a period, ranging from six months to a full year. As long as Oscar completely digested the medicinal properties of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Herb and the Blazing Fire Apricot, and fully completed the Ice-Fire Golden Body, he would no longer need to remain in the Sunset Forest.
Not wanting to waste this time, Oscar decided to have Gai Yue deliver the refined pills back to distribute to the Shrek teachers and Ma Hongjun.
However, while the pill for Ma Hongjun was an immortal-grade product, the ones for Flender and the others were not.
It wasn't that Oscar was being stingy with the pills. He was still hesitant about whether to craft immortal-grade pills for them.
After all, there were only a dozen or so immortal-grade herbs here, and Oscar had to consider how best to use them.
In the end, although Oscar didn't craft separate immortal-grade pills for Flender and the others, he did create special pills comparable to them. Their effects were weaker than those of immortal-grade herbs but stronger than spirit pills refined from Ten Thousand Year-level medicinal herbs.
Over the next half month, Oscar continued to spend his time refining pills. During this period, he crafted several types of pills.
The primary one was the Ninth-Rank Mixed Origin Pill. It was refined using the Ten Thousand Year herb, the Nine-Rated Purple Lingzhi, and the immortal-grade Mixed Origin Grass as the main ingredients.
These were supplemented by dozens of other foundational herbs. From one batch of the Ninth-Rank Mixed Origin Pill, twelve pills were produced.
Its purpose was to break through one's cultivation realm and remodel one's meridians and bones. Its effects were already comparable to those of a common immortal-grade herb.
However, Oscar only gave the Ninth-Rank Mixed Origin Pill to Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Shao Xin.
Li Yusong and Lu Qibin did not receive any, because their talents were genuinely lacking. Even with the pill, it would be difficult for them to break through to Title Douluo in the future.
At best, they might reach the rank of Soul Saint. Therefore, to avoid wasting such precious pills, Oscar didn't prepare any for these two teachers.
Although they didn't get the Ninth-Rank Mixed Origin Pill, they did receive treasure pills refined from Ten Thousand Year herbs. These could further their strength, though the effects were naturally not as potent as the immortal-grade-comparable pills.
In addition to these, Oscar also specially refined an immortal-grade pill for Gai Yue. The main ingredient was an immortal herb called the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo.
It was a perfect match for a sword cultivator like him. Therefore, taking the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo Pill, refined from this herb, would greatly increase Gai Yue's chances of breaking through to Title Douluo in the future.
The reason Oscar gave Gai Yue such a special immortal pill was not only because he was Oscar's teacher. It was also because Gai Yue's own talent was sufficient to reach the Title Douluo realm.
Now, with this pill, it would undoubtedly allow Gai Yue to go even further. He could possibly reach or even surpass the current number one swordsman, the Sword Douluo, Chen Xin.
Oscar had made arrangements for everyone at Shrek Academy. But the newly enrolled Dai Mubai was left out.
This was because Oscar genuinely didn't know him yet. He wouldn't just bestow such benefits upon him.
After all, he had only spent an afternoon with Dai Mubai. Although Dai Mubai seemed alright that afternoon, it could have been an act, a facade for someone new to the environment.
After all, he was from royalty, and his portrayal in the original novel was quite poor. Although the novel's description was from the perspective of the main group, the fact that he was depicted that way suggested there were inherent issues with his character.
Therefore, before Oscar could see through Dai Mubai's true nature, he would not offer him any external assistance.
This was similar to when Oscar had followed Flender and the others to the sea to obtain whale gelatin. In the future, students who enrolled at Shrek Academy would also need the approval of the teachers and their character to be confirmed before being given whale gelatin for cultivation.
And immortal-grade herbs were far more precious than whale gelatin, so Oscar was, of course, even more tight-lipped about them.
After finishing the pills for Gai Yue and also giving him the ones for Ma Hongjun and Flender's group to take back, Oscar continued to cultivate within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
During this half month, besides refining pills, his interactions with Dugu Yan also became more and more natural. Even in front of Gai Yue, they didn't hide anything.
The mutual appreciation in their eyes was obvious even to Gai Yue. It was a pity that Dugu Bo wasn't around. Otherwise, Oscar might not have been so bold.
Still, Gai Yue warned Oscar that he was only eleven years old and should focus on his cultivation. He couldn't slacken his training because of romantic feelings, nor could he become lost in it and waste his potential.
Oscar agreed with this. Even if he were to be with Dugu Yan, he would absolutely restrain himself from becoming infatuated with women.
"The character for lust has a blade over it," he believed. If one didn't control it, it could truly ruin a lifetime.
And now, Oscar had grand ambitions and goals, so he would not allow himself to become addicted. Although Dugu Yan was alluring, Oscar believed that as long as he could hold fast to his original heart, nothing would be a problem.
Half a month passed in a flash. The day after Gai Yue left, which was the sixteenth day after Dugu Bo's departure, Dugu Bo returned.
He brought back a right arm bone that was twenty-four thousand five hundred years old.
According to Dugu Bo himself, this Soul bone came from a Bone-Eating Viper Python. The Soul bone it produced would most likely be an explosive, poison-attribute skill.
And because it came from a soul beast of the snake class, it was said to be a perfect match for Dugu Yan.
However, when Oscar and Dugu Yan asked where the Soul bone came from, a strange emotion flickered in Dugu Bo's eyes, and he didn't say anything.
He only said they weren't qualified to know yet, and that he would tell them in the future.
What displeased Dugu Bo, however, was that after he had been gone for half a month, his granddaughter and Oscar seemed even closer. Their speech was filled with an unspoken understanding, as if they shared a secret默契.
This left him feeling vexed.
When he replayed the events in his mind, he realized that from the time Dugu Yan had chased the Purple Viper Snake into Oscar and the others' camp until now, nearly a month had passed.
And Dugu Yan had basically been alone with Oscar. Even when they weren't alone, that cold kid Gai Yue never really joined their circle.
So, two people who already had a mutual affection had been effectively alone together for nearly a month?
If some sparks were to fly from that, Dugu Bo could understand it. What he wasn't happy about was that it was his own granddaughter!
But there was nothing he could do. After all, he had been busy running around during this time. He couldn't possibly delay Dugu Yan's matter, could he?
(End of Chapter)