Hearing Oscar's introduction of his new spirit skill, Zhao Wuji was even more excited than Oscar himself. He fully understood just how terrifyingly powerful detoxification and the removal of any negative effects could be.
Detoxification alone was already invaluable.
But the ability to cleanse all negative effects—even if only for five minutes—was on another level entirely. Most importantly, Oscar's second spirit skill didn't have a level restriction. In a battle between spirit masters of the same rank, five minutes of complete immunity was enough to tip the balance and seize overwhelming advantage.
Negative effects included things like dizziness, slow, weakness, charm, and all manner of strange debuffs.
Flender himself had once suffered at the hands of a spirit master who specialized in bizarre control-type abilities, and he'd paid dearly for it back then.
"Teacher Zhao, I actually gained something even more special," Oscar spoke up before Zhao Wuji could praise him further.
"Something more? Don't tell me… a spirit bone?" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened in disbelief.
Other than a spirit bone, he really couldn't imagine what else could be worthy of such words.
Oscar smiled knowingly, unable to hide the excitement on his face. Slowly, he raised his left hand. A blade of azure light condensed from spirit power formed along his arm, turning his left forearm into a sword over a meter long.
"Teacher Zhao, take this!" Oscar strode forward, his left arm sweeping down. Zhao Wuji didn't dare to receive it barehanded this time—he activated his Martial Soul. A pair of massive bear paws emerged, intercepting the slash.
Even so, despite his defenses, Zhao Wuji felt a sting. Looking down, he saw faint white marks etched across his thick bear paw.
"So sharp?" Zhao Wuji's heart trembled in shock.
"Oscar, what is this?" he asked with grave curiosity.
"Teacher Zhao, as you can see. Along with my powerful second spirit skill, I've also gained a spirit bone—and not just any spirit bone. This is an external spirit bone, meaning it doesn't take up any of the six main spirit bone slots." Oscar explained joyfully.
"An external spirit bone?!" Zhao Wuji was beyond stunned now.
He had heard tales of their wonders before. An external spirit bone could fuse completely with a spirit master and would grow stronger alongside its owner's cultivation. Once matured, even a single external bone could rival a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone in strength.
Oscar not only acquired a top-tier support skill, but also this incredibly destructive external bone. The azure jade sword formed from his spirit power was no weaker than the weapon-type Martial Souls of pure attack-type spirit masters of the same rank. It would undoubtedly become Oscar's hidden trump card.
"Teacher Zhao, this external bone has fused into my left hand. My arm strength has clearly increased, and it has granted me an unexpected gift as well." Oscar continued.
Since Zhao Wuji had already secured the area, Oscar boldly revealed his new ability.
"I've named this external bone the Azure Spirit Jade Sword. It has two innate properties: Condense and Sever. Also, whenever I wield it, my strength and attack power increase by fifty percent." Oscar said, swinging the shining azure blade.
"Condense lets me compress and solidify my spirit power into sword energy, equal in might and hardness to a weapon-type Martial Soul of the same level. Sever further sharpens the blade, boosting its cutting power beyond most attack-type spirit masters."
Zhao Wuji blinked. It all sounded impressive, but words alone were never enough. "Oscar, attack me again. Let me feel its true power."
"With pleasure." Oscar was eager to test the sword's might as well.
His left arm glowed with azure light, the jade sword radiating a deadly, sharp aura. With a flash, Oscar lunged at Zhao Wuji.
The azure blade clashed against Zhao Wuji's bear paw again and again. Though it didn't wound him, each sting carried undeniable force, proof of the external bone's extraordinary edge.
Oscar might not have learned formal swordsmanship, but he had spent nearly three years practicing staff techniques under Li Yusong. That foundation, though different, gave rhythm to his strikes. Each swing carried keen intent, his jade sword carving arcs with natural momentum.
"Careful, Teacher Zhao!" Oscar suddenly warned.
Zhao Wuji looked up just in time to see Oscar's left arm rise. The Azure Spirit Jade Sword shone brightly, splitting into beams of spirit power that fanned out around him. One after another, solid azure blades condensed in the air until ten swords hovered at his side, each about 1.2 meters long.
"Damn!" Zhao Wuji cursed in shock. Isn't this practically using the external bone like a Martial Soul?!
"Go!" Oscar shouted, sending the ten blades flying.
The swords rained down from every angle, targeting Zhao Wuji's head, eyes, nose, ears, and even… below. It was a full-on, merciless assault.
Zhao Wuji didn't dare underestimate it. With a roar, he unleashed his first spirit skill: Immovable Vajra Body. A golden aura flared, blocking the incoming blades. One by one, they shattered against his defense, dissolving into motes of light.
Oscar quickly pulled a stored Super Recovery Sausage from his soul tool and ate it, replenishing the huge amount of spirit power the attack had cost. That single strike had drained nearly half his reserves.
It might not have been as overwhelming as Sword Douluo Chen Xin's legendary Ten Thousand Sword Return, but ten blades unleashed at once were still an awe-inspiring display. The fact that Zhao Wuji needed to use a spirit skill to block them spoke volumes.
Not that Zhao Wuji couldn't have defended barehanded—with his seventy-fourth rank cultivation, Oscar couldn't truly hurt him. At most, he'd lose a few hairs. But the precision and ferocity of Oscar's strikes convinced him to test it seriously.
"Oscar, this external bone of yours is something else. You can practically treat it as a secondary Martial Soul." Zhao Wuji retracted his Martial Soul and praised, "That last attack alone is no weaker than the skills of weapon-type spirit masters of your level. Honestly, it's even stronger."
"Teacher Zhao, I was thinking the same. If I keep developing it, maybe I can even fight like a half attack-type spirit master." Oscar laughed, retracting the Azure Jade Sword.
"Haha, come on then. Let's head back to the academy and show Flender. That old bird will be thrilled." Zhao Wuji grinned.
The two set off on their return journey, Oscar's excitement burning brighter with every step.
In his past life, when he read the original story, he had been amazed by Tang San's heaven-defying luck—obtaining the Eight Spider Lances external bone at only rank thirty. Now, it seemed he himself was favored by fortune.
He had only just acquired his second spirit ring, yet he had already obtained such a powerful and dazzling external bone. How could Oscar not be ecstatic?
Most importantly, the Azure Spirit Jade Sword perfectly compensated for his previous lack of combat ability.
Though this external bone couldn't absorb spirit rings to evolve like a Martial Soul, its innate properties—Condense and Sever—meant that with proper development, it could eventually grant him combat strength on par with attack-type masters of the same rank.
Oscar knew he still lacked proper swordsmanship training, but with time, practice, and experimentation, he could refine his style.
For now, simply having this weapon in hand meant his path forward had become much smoother.