The reason Oscar could understand what he had just witnessed was not only due to his talent, but also because of the solid foundation he had built through two months of rigorous self training.
Sword Qi was considered a compulsory course for any swordsman. However, on the continent of Douluo, soul masters aside from relying on soul skills generally had to reach the Soul King realm to use Sword Qi as a regular offensive method.
Even among those with extraordinary talent, one typically needed to be at least a Soul Sect to do so. Gai Yue himself had only mastered Sword Qi proficiently after breaking through to Soul Sect.
As for the sword technique Gai Yue had just displayed among Sword type Soul Masters, it could be considered a self created soul skill: a move tailormade for his own combat style. In some cases, it could be even more effective than standard soul skills.
However, few soul masters could create self developed soul skills. Across the entire Soul Master world, only a handful had such a talent.
That Gai Yue possessed such strength was not surprising to Oscar. After all, Gai Yue had reached the Contra level (Soul Douluo) by the age of forty five a true prodigy.
Hearing Oscar's analysis, Gai Yue stepped forward, visibly pleased with his answer:
"No need to rush. With your aptitude, you will surely surpass who I once was."
"If your martial soul was also a sword, with your talent, you might have one day become a Sword Douluo."
This was the highest praise Gai Yue could offer Oscar. In the Soul Master world, Sword Douluo was the undisputed title for the pinnacle of sword cultivation. The Dust Clan, inheritors of the Seven Kill Sword, had held that title for a long time.
However, Gai Yue's words also contained a hint of regret: although Oscar had excellent sword talent, he didn't possess a sword type martial soul.
His external soul bone, while it would grow alongside him potentially reaching the 100,000year level and rivaling a Title Douluo's tool type martial soul still could not attach soul rings or use soul skills. By nature, this placed him at an inherent disadvantage.
That said, after learning about Oscar's soul skills, Gai Yue no longer felt much regret. As a Food type Soul Master, Oscar's current accomplishments were already astonishing.
If he could reach great depths in swordsmanship, then his martial soul would act as a powerful supplement to his strength.
"Teacher flatters me. I will work hard to reach that goal," Oscar replied with sincere humility.
Gai Yue nodded.
"Rest well today. Starting tomorrow, we begin formal training."
"Yes, sir."
Later, Oscar showed Gai Yue around the academy and prepared a dorm room for him.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wuji had a bitter expression as he looked at Flender, who chuckled and said,
"Little Ao has a solid backer now. You'd better tread lightly!"
Ma Hongjun didn't dare laugh at this exchange. Still, that didn't spare him from Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji turned to him with a smirk:
"Hongjun, you've eaten time to digest. Come, I'll train with you."
"Ah...!" Ma Hongjun groaned in despair, his face more miserable than Zhao Wuji's earlier scowl.
Flender, enjoying the spectacle, puffed on his cigar while offering coaching tips, explaining how Ma Hongjun could better leverage his martial soul's advantages.
But Ma Hongjun had jeered even louder than Flender earlier, so Zhao Wuji, still angry, beat him to a pulp.
"Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank don't underestimate the poor youth!"
The more Ma Hongjun quoted Oscar's famous line, the harder Zhao Wuji beat him. After all, those words were originally spoken by Oscar, who had even helpfully explained them.
For Ma Hongjun to say them now clearly meant:
"I can't beat you now, old Zhao but one day I'll return the favor!"
Given Ma Hongjun's talent, it was inevitable he'd surpass Zhao Wuji in the future. So Zhao Wuji figured
"Since you'll beat me later, I better beat you thoroughly now!"
Oscar took Gai Yue on a campus tour and noticed that Gai Yue particularly liked the peach grove on the east side. So he arranged his lodging there.
Naturally, Gai Yue was satisfied. He preferred peace and quiet, and this tranquil setting suited him perfectly.
While showing him around, Oscar and Gai Yue chatted casually. Despite Oscar's precocious demeanor, Gai Yue wanted to understand him better.
When he asked about Oscar's parents, the picture became clearer why Oscar was so mature despite only being nine.
Originally, Gai Yue had planned to visit Oscar's family, since he now served as his teacher half a parental role.
But Oscar explained that his parents had passed when he was three, and he'd grown up supported by the goodwill of others.
At that moment, Gai Yue realized the two shared a similarity in background.
What surprised him more was that Ma Hongjun also had no parents and had similarly grown up on communal support. Flender had truly struck gold, discovering these two gifted youths.
Oscar, however, didn't dwell on the sorrow. In fact, he had long come to terms with it. After all, he had transmigrated at the age of six how could he genuinely mourn something he never remembered?
And being only three at the time of his parents' death, he was too young to understand grief back then anyway.
That night, Gai Yue handed Oscar a blue covered book let the Frost Moon Sword Technique, a sword manual passed down in his family.
Since he planned to teach Oscar without reservation, he gave him this most treasured legacy without hesitation.
Oscar couldn't yet begin formal cultivation of the technique, but familiarizing himself with its theory was already beneficial.
As Gai Yue said,
"Even a profound sword manual trains only form. To truly become a swordsman, you must go beyond technique and comprehend the Intent."
For example, Gai Yue had practiced Frost Moon Sword Technique since childhood, but his current sword style only retained its form. The essence the Intent was something he had forged through his own path and traits.
That Intent was the highest realm of swordsmanship:
"Become the sword; let the sword reside in the heart."
That night, Oscar immersed himself in the sword manual.
The Frost Moon Sword Technique contained nine foundational stances. These nine stances expanded into twenty seven sword moves, subdivided into eighty one chapters of swordplay. The technique encapsulated the evolution of the sword from tangible to intangible and clearly illustrated how to practice swordsmanship.
If Oscar fully mastered the manual, he could be called a Sword Dao Master. But to be a true swordsman, he would need to grasp a unique Intent of his own his Sword Intent.
Even someone as talented as Gai Yue had only realized his Sword Intent after reaching level 70.
The current Sword Sovereign Chen Xin, wielder of the Seven Kill Sword was said to have attained his own Intent at level 60.
This proved that sword mastery wasn't something one could achieve overnight. Even with great talent, only diligence and persistence could unveil its secrets.
Oscar, despite his talent, never slacked because he understood that true strength was forged from 1% talent + 99% effort.
It's just that the 1% of a gifted person... was something ordinary people could never attain.
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