Ao Yue was actually Oscar, or rather, a clone of Oscar. This clone was currently only at level 45, created when Oscar himself was at level 45.
The reason for having this clone appear in Spirit Hall City was also to occasionally showcase the strength of the younger generation from their Spirit Jade Sword Sect. After all, with such a large force as the Spirit Jade Sword Sect, it would be embarrassing if there weren't any prodigies among the younger generation.
Of course, the most important reason was that Oscar also wanted to take this opportunity to get in touch with Spirit Hall City, after all, this was the sacred land for Soul Masters and the core of Spirit Hall.
Oscar invited Hu Liena and the other two to sit in a private room, where an abundance of fruits, tea, and pastries were available. Oscar picked up a piece of pastry and slowly put it in his mouth: "Your Holiness, please try our Sword Sect's special Green Bamboo Cake."
Seeing Oscar take a bite, Hu Liena then smiled and extended her delicate hand, picking up a piece of green pastry herself. After taking a small bite with her cherry-like lips, her eyes immediately lit up.
"This taste... is fresh, sweet, and elegant, melting in the mouth with a lingering sweetness that carries a hint of bamboo fragrance. It truly is a high-quality pastry." Hu Liena said as she ate small amounts, praising it.
Hearing Hu Liena's praise, Oscar smiled slightly: "It seems Your Holiness truly has refined taste, able to discern the flavors with just one bite."
Beside them, Xie Yue and Yan also started eating. Xie Yue was still somewhat elegant, but Yan was rather... crude.
Especially after hearing Hu Liena's words of praise, Yan directly picked up a piece and stuffed it in his mouth, then swallowed it whole, like Zhu Bajie eating the immortal peach.
Oscar didn't mind these things, but seeing Yan's appearance, Oscar couldn't help but want to tease him a bit.
After all, people with Yan's talent but such a simple mind were truly rare.
Plus, Oscar was destined to have entanglements with Spirit Hall in the future, so he didn't need to consider Yan's feelings.
Of course, if Hu Liena and Xie Yue were people worth befriending, Oscar wouldn't mind using this Ao Yue clone to become friends with them.
After all, this world is like that—there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.
After tasting the fruits and pastries, Oscar slowly stood up and said softly to Hu Liena: "Your Holiness, since everyone has come with a mission today, I won't delay your time. And I'm very eager to experience the strength of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. Why don't we go to the training ground for a match?"
Hearing this, Hu Liena's smile remained, but before she could reply, Yan had already spoken: "I've been thinking the same. I'll fight you in this match!"
Hearing this, Hu Liena turned to glare at Yan, then explained to Oscar: "Brother Ao Yue, please don't mind. Yan has always been straightforward."
Oscar didn't even look at Yan, smiling back at Hu Liena: "I understand. After all, not everyone is as reasonable as Your Holiness and Brother Xie Yue."
Hearing these sarcastic words, Yan glared angrily at Oscar: "You!"
But before he could explode, Hu Liena stopped him: "Yan! We're here to make friends today. If you keep acting like this, you can go back first."
Hearing this, Yan took a deep breath and stopped lashing out at Oscar, silently watching him from the side.
Oscar waved his hand: "It's fine. It's actually good for young people to be straightforward. After all, we Soul Masters should be fearless to keep moving forward."
As Oscar spoke, he turned and led the three toward the training ground.
The courier station also had a training ground. After all, the courier station now had numerous staff, most of whom were Soul Masters, so naturally there needed to be a place for them to train and relax.
Especially since this was Spirit Hall City, known as the sacred land of Soul Masters. Therefore, the courier station not only had a training ground, but it was also quite large, even large enough for two Soul Saints to spar.
Arriving at the training ground, there were already many Soul Masters training and sparring. After all, they didn't need to escort caravans all the time.
Seeing Ao Yue, they all smiled and greeted respectfully: "Young Master Yue..."
Oscar responded one by one while explaining: "These three are the talented young people of Spirit Hall. They're here to visit the courier station today. Later, I will have a friendly sparring match with them. If anyone has time, you can come watch."
Hearing this, some people loudly replied: "We can finally see Young Master Yue in action again. I heard that Young Master Yue received personal guidance from 'Ice Sword' Elder. Today we'll get to see something amazing."
Hearing these discussions, Hu Liena and Xie Yue exchanged glances, each seeing in the other's eyes a meaning only they understood.
Yan's thoughts were simpler. What Ice Sword? It was just a show of strength. Didn't they know that fire counters ice?
Oscar walked to the Soul Battle Arena in the center of the training ground and said to Hu Liena and the others: "Your Holiness, please wait a moment. Soul skills have no eyes, so I'll ask Sister Luoying to preside over this."
Luoying was a beautiful woman in her forties who still retained her charm. She was a free Soul Master whom Gai Yue and Dugu Bo's clones had met when recruiting Soul Masters.
Luoying's talent was quite good. In her forties, she had reached the Soul Saint level. Now she was considered one of the main personnel guarding the Spirit Jade Courier Station.
Hu Liena and the others nodded, so Oscar went into the pavilion. Soon after, a beautiful woman still in her prime followed Oscar out. She knew that Spirit Hall's Golden Generation were here to "challenge" the station today, but Gai Yue hadn't said anything, just letting Oscar handle it himself, so she pretended not to see.
Now that Oscar had personally come to find her, of course, she would show up.
Before going out, Luoying asked Oscar in a low voice, her soft voice gently sounding: "Little Yue, I heard that this generation of three from Spirit Hall are the most talented in history. And that little Saintess is best at charm-type methods. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Hearing Luoying's concern, Oscar smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Sister Luoying. Do you still not know my strength? Even a beauty like you can't tempt me, so why would I be afraid of a little fox?"
Hearing this, Luoying gave Oscar a seductive glance: "You brat! As long as you're confident, but don't go too far. After all, this is Spirit Hall's territory."
Oscar nodded with a smile, his black hair like a curtain, leaving Luoying with a tall and handsome back: "I understand."
Looking at Oscar's confident appearance, Luoying shook her head and couldn't help but think: "This kid is really just like the station master (building owner)!"
Oscar and Luoying came to the main Soul Battle Arena, and Luoying spoke lightly: "My name is Luoying. I'm the vice-building manager of the Spirit Jade Courier Station and Spirit Jade Restaurant stationed in Spirit Hall City. Since you want to spar with Little Yue today, let me be the referee."
Hearing this, Hu Liena and the other two respectfully bowed to Luoying. After all, she was the publicly acknowledged second-in-charge of the Spirit Jade Courier Station stationed in Spirit Hall City.
"Spirit Hall's Hu Liena (Xie Yue) (Yan), we have met Senior Luoying."
Luoying waved her hand, her soft voice sounding: "No need for formalities. It's common for young people to get to know each other through martial arts. Regardless of win or loss today, let's just consider it making friends."
Hearing this, Hu Liena replied with equally seductive eyes, as if trying to compete with Luoying to see who was more charming.
However, although Hu Liena was naturally charming, she didn't have as much experience as Luoying. If it came to attraction, except in Yan's eyes where she worshiped her, this mature sister Luoying could leave Hu Liena far behind.
It was precisely because of the presence of such a charming demoness that Oscar remained calm when he saw Hu Liena, as if he were just seeing an ordinary person, completely unaffected by her natural charm.
Hu Liena's voice sounded: "We were thinking the same thing. We've long heard that there's a genius in the Sword Sect who is undefeated in his class at the Soul Battle Arena in Spirit Hall City. Seeing you today, Brother Ao Yue is truly extraordinary! I hope you won't disappoint us later."
Hearing this, Luoying silently looked at Oscar, who smiled helplessly: "Naturally, since Your Holiness has high hopes, Ao Yue will naturally satisfy you."
But Yan seemed to have forgotten his brain at home, as he directly jumped onto the Soul Battle Arena with a big leap: "Hey, I'll fight you in the first match. If you can't even beat me, you'd better not have any ideas about Na Na."
In Yan's eyes, besides himself and Hu Liena's older brother Xie Yue, any male who had intimate actions or even words with Hu Liena was plotting against her.
After all, in his view, no one could resist Hu Liena's charm. Although... when he saw Luoying just now, Yan had a moment of daze, but in his heart, Hu Liena was the most beautiful.
So, he wanted to teach Ao Yue a lesson, because not just anyone could get close to his Na Na.
And this time Hu Liena didn't stop Yan again. Instead, she said apologetically to Oscar: "Brother Ao Yue, Yan is just like this. Sometimes we can't persuade him. How about... you defeat him."
Hearing this, Oscar raised an eyebrow. He knew it. Although Hu Liena was a love-brain in the original story, she was after all the Saintess of Spirit Hall, so she still had a brain.
It wasn't that she couldn't persuade Yan. It was just because she knew her martial soul was ice-attribute, letting this fire-earth dual attribute Yan have the upper hand.
But... Oscar being undefeated in his class at the Soul Battle Arena in Spirit Hall City, with only level 45 strength, wasn't so easy to deal with.
Oscar smiled slightly: "Alright."
Then Oscar leaped into the air, landing gracefully opposite Yan like an immortal. His black hair swayed, and his robe embroidered with green bamboo fluttered slightly. He stood with extraordinary presence, facing Yan.
"Since you want to fight me, I'll satisfy you. But if you lose, I won't be so lenient with you in the future." As Oscar spoke, he turned to look at Hu Liena: "After all, I'm not as tolerant as Your Holiness, always being kind to an impolite person."
Hearing this, Yan instantly exploded with anger: "Lose? Yan has never known the meaning of the word 'lose' in his entire life!"
Just then, Luoying's charming, pure voice sounded in their ears: "Enough. Bickering won't show your masculinity. Since neither of you acknowledges the other, let your strength do the talking."
"Before the Soul Battle begins, you have one minute to release and display your martial souls. After one minute, the Soul Battle officially begins."
As she spoke, Luoying paused: "I suppose I don't need to explain the rules of the Soul Battle competition, right?"
Hearing this, Oscar and Yan nodded. Then Yan took a big step forward, flames surging from his body. As he released his flames, even the air around them became several degrees hotter.
Flames instantly wrapped around his entire body, and Yan's figure grew several inches taller. His original height of two meters instantly swelled to two meters three.
At the same time, four magnificent soul rings rose from his body—two yellow and two purple. The four soul rings circled his body, and a powerful soul pressure of level 46 suddenly enveloped Oscar.
Yan's face showed a bit of pride and ferocity as he spoke: "Yan, Martial Soul: Flame Overlord, level 46 offensive-type Battle Soul King."
As Yan released his martial soul, Oscar also displayed his own. He saw him slowly raise his right hand, turn it slightly in the air, and an ice-blue longsword appeared in his hand.
With the appearance of this longsword, Oscar's black hair had turned ice-blue, and ice-crystal-like pupils silently opened. The air that had become somewhat hot due to Yan's martial soul release seemed to start freezing into frost under Oscar's gaze.
At the same time, two yellow and two purple soul rings also rose from Ao Yue's body, and his soul pressure of level 45 pressed down on Yan.
Unlike Yan's wild and domineering aura, after releasing his martial soul, Oscar seemed to transform from that gentle and jade-like young man into a cold and noble young master. And in Oscar's soul pressure, besides that heart-chilling ice, there was also a sharp sword intent that couldn't be concealed.
Although Oscar's clone's soul power level was one level lower than Yan's, his momentum was several times more terrifying, subtly holding the upper hand.
Hu Liena, who saw the change in Oscar after he released his martial soul, couldn't help but slightly open her small mouth, unable to hide her inner surprise.
If the gentle and jade-like Oscar from before was already much stronger than Yan, then this Oscar now was definitely someone she would look up to.
Although it was their first meeting, she seemed to have more curiosity about this Ao Yue person.
She wondered, how could a person like this achieve such things?
But of course, Oscar didn't know what Hu Liena was thinking. He simply said calmly: "Ao Yue, Martial Soul: Frost Moon Sword, level 45 offensive-type Battle Soul King. Your move!"
Seeing that both had released their martial souls and were using their soul pressure to compete with each other, Luoying's voice sounded again: "Soul Battle... Begin!"
As Luoying's voice fell, Yan's body moved. Because he was a bit angry inside, the other party's soul power level was only 45, yet he could actually have the upper hand in soul pressure? When had Yan ever been suppressed by someone of the same age?
But it was said that sword cultivators' spiritual power was indeed more tenacious than ordinary Soul Masters. But when it came to close combat, he felt he could leave Oscar far behind, so he decided to strike first.
Although Yan wasn't skilled in speed, with level 46 soul power as his foundation, his explosive power was also extraordinary. In just the blink of an eye, he had advanced several meters.
But Oscar wouldn't let Yan approach him so easily. After all, sword cultivators weren't just about being handsome; using tactical methods to consume the enemy's stamina was a common tactic.
Seeing Oscar's ice-blue longsword swirl, he raised his hand and waved out several ice-blue sword energy slashes. The slashes formed a sword array from the front, directly locking onto the charging Yan.
And facing Oscar's ice sword energy, Yan could have dodged, but he didn't. Not that he was exaggerating, but because he had absolute confidence in his own strength.
And in his view, real men should use fist-to-fist combat to show their masculine charm!
Seeing that Yan's speed didn't decrease at all, his first yellow soul ring had already risen.
Recommendation votes, monthly tickets!
Here I come! Luoying is an original character. Guess what her martial soul is?
Finally, I'm asking for monthly votes and recommendation tickets, brothers!
Jin Wu really needs the support of you brothers. You don't want me to rub against your legs... please?
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