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Lan Minghua turned his head and saw Zhu Zhuqing standing before him.
However, after glancing at her, the corner of his mouth curved slightly, and a trace of amusement flickered in his eyes.
With a calm tone, he said, "Congratulations. Your fourth soul ring is a ten-thousand-year soul ring, breaking through the so-called best configuration. It seems this trip to the Frozen Forest has indeed yielded quite the harvest for you all."
At his words, Zhu Zhuqing's lips curved in a faint smile, and a glimmer of pride shone in her eyes.
She spoke softly, "It is all thanks to your guidance, Master. Without you, we would never have broken convention to obtain such powerful rings and soul skills."
Lan Minghua nodded slightly, his voice still even. "Enough. Since everyone has successfully absorbed their rings, let's regroup and prepare to return to Shrek Academy."
He turned away, his back facing Zhu Zhuqing as he walked toward the others.
But just as he turned, Zhu Zhuqing could not help but cover her mouth with a quiet laugh of triumph.
Yet, just as she was indulging in her little moment, Lan Minghua suddenly whipped around. A teasing glint flashed across his eyes.
The next moment, without hesitation, he lifted his foot and landed a sharp kick right on Zhu Zhuqing's backside.
Bang!
A dull sound rang out. Caught completely off guard, "Zhu Zhuqing" stumbled forward and fell flat on the ground, face-first, in an ungraceful heap.
Clutching his rear in pain, the disguise collapsed, revealing none other than Oscar's comical face, twisted in agony.
"Ouch! Master, why'd you kick me?!" Oscar yelped, rubbing his bruised behind, eyes full of confusion and grievance.
Lan Minghua crossed his arms, his expression half-smile, half-reproach. "Oscar, with that level of disguise, did you really think you could fool me?"
Oscar froze, then scratched his head awkwardly. "But Master, how did you see through me? My fourth soul skill should allow me to perfectly imitate someone else's aura and appearance—even their soul power fluctuations can be mimicked flawlessly!"
At his words, Lan Minghua stiffened slightly. Something was off.
No, more than off—this was very off.
Oscar's fourth soul skill, granted by the Mirror Shadow Beast, should have been the Imitation Sausage—a skill where, using a drop of the target's blood, he could create a sausage that granted 70% of their soul skills for three minutes.
But now it had become a technique that allowed him to perfectly disguise his aura, appearance, and even soul power fluctuations?
How could that be? Did the same martial soul, when fusing with the same soul beast, sometimes yield entirely different skills?
Thinking quickly, Lan Minghua asked, "Oscar, aside from disguise, does your fourth soul skill have any other effects?"
Oscar blinked in surprise, then lifted his head. "Master… how did you know there were other effects?"
"Stop playing games and spit it out," Lan Minghua said flatly, giving him a sharp look.
Oscar grinned sheepishly. "Heh, my fourth soul skill actually comes in two forms—the Mirror Image Sausage and the Mirror Shadow Sausage. They each have different effects."
"The Mirror Shadow Sausage is for disguise. As long as I've had contact with someone, I can capture their soul power signature and use it to create the sausage. Eating it lets me take on their exact appearance and even replicate their aura. Their clothing, too, gets copied perfectly."
"However, the duration depends on the difference between my soul power and the target's. If their soul power is weaker than mine, I can maintain the disguise for thirty minutes. If it's up to twenty levels higher, then twenty minutes. Beyond that, only ten minutes. The stronger they are, the shorter the disguise lasts."
Lan Minghua's eyes lit up at this explanation.
The Mirror Shadow Sausage was far more useful than he had imagined.
Had his own strength not been formidable, he might not have been able to pierce Oscar's disguise at all.
From his judgment, a forty-plus rank Oscar could already deceive a Soul Sage—perhaps even a Soul Douluo—if he wasn't acting suspiciously.
And with time, as Oscar's cultivation increased, this ability would only become more flawless.
By the time Oscar reached the Soul Emperor level, his disguise could likely even deceive a Title Douluo's perception.
Oscar then explained the Mirror Image Sausage, which remained largely the same as in the original records. The only difference was that instead of 70% of the target's soul skill ability, it had been reduced to 60%.
This, however, was within Lan Minghua's expectations. After all, the Mirror Shadow Beast they hunted had only lived for a little over ten thousand years—shorter by ten thousand years compared to the one in the records.
Still, though the year limit was lower, it had provided an entirely new soul skill effect, one arguably more valuable than Oscar's sixth soul skill in the original path.
After all, if Oscar could not obtain a sample of blood in advance, his sixth soul skill was practically useless—far too situational.
Now, however, his fourth soul skill surpassed that limitation, granting far greater potential.
Oscar scratched his head and asked curiously, "But Master, I confirmed my disguise with Zhu Zhuqing. Even she couldn't tell I wasn't her! How did you see through me?"
Lan Minghua chuckled softly and explained the flaws of the Mirror Shadow Sausage, warning him to be cautious.
Otherwise, if his cover was blown mid-battle, waiting cluelessly for death would be his only option.
Oscar blinked in realization, then laughed awkwardly. "So that's how it is! I really thought my disguise was flawless."
Lan Minghua patted his shoulder, teasing, "Don't be discouraged. Your fourth soul skill is indeed impressive. I almost fell for it myself. But if you want to fool me, you'll need more practice."
Oscar instantly regained his spirits, grinning widely. "Don't worry, Master! I'll train hard. Next time, I'll definitely fool even you!"
Lan Minghua only smiled faintly, though inwardly he sighed with admiration.
If he were still at the Soul Douluo level, he might indeed have been deceived.
But he did not say this aloud. Instead, he turned and waved his hand. "Enough. Let's not keep the others waiting."
Oscar hurried after him, still rubbing his sore backside, muttering, "Master, your kick was way too ruthless. I swear my butt's about to split open."
"You deserved it," Lan Minghua replied flatly.
One following behind the other, they headed toward the rendezvous point.
Soon after, Lan Minghua returned with Oscar and the others to the surface of the frozen lake.
The howling winds of the Frozen Forest swept away Oscar's complaints and stirred the faint smile tugging at Lan Minghua's lips.
"Ah, the feeling of seeing the sky again… truly refreshing."
Zhu Zhuqing and the other two girls let out a long sigh of relief. The oppressive darkness of the ice cave was not a place ordinary people could endure for long.
Lan Minghua looked at his four disciples, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
This journey had brought them all great gains.
He raised his hand, cutting short their thoughts. "Enough. Since everyone has absorbed their rings, it's time to return to Shrek Academy. But remember—training from here on will not be nearly as easy as this trip."
At his words, Oscar and the others straightened and responded in unison, "Yes, Master!"
Lan Minghua nodded with approval. He then summoned his flying sword, carrying them all as they broke through the snowstorm on their way back.
Seated cross-legged upon the blade, Lan Minghua finally had a chance to examine his own gains from this trip.
"Oscar and the others have all broken through to Soul Sect, each obtaining a ten-thousand-year soul ring. All of this is thanks to me. I wonder… how many Mentor Points I'll earn this time?"
With that thought, anticipation surged within him.
Silently, he commanded in his heart, "System, check my Mentor Point balance."
(End of Chapter)