Chapter 133: Wasting a Spirit Skill Slot and Short Preservation Time for Food

Su Ming noticed Oscar's pale face and, after some thought, decided to say one last thing.

"One final point, Xiao Ao, you mentioned that your mushroom sausage allows you to fly at the speed of a Phoenix-Tailed Crest Serpent for one minute, covering about two kilometers. But honestly, for powerful spirit masters, covering that distance could take even less than a minute."

This remark was like the last straw breaking Oscar's spirit. His earlier sense of pride had evaporated, leaving him looking utterly dejected. He now realized that he had indeed wasted a valuable spirit skill slot.

Hearing this, Zhao Wuji frowned and barked, "Enough, Su Ming! Don't say any more!"

Su Ming, seeing that Zhao Wuji had intervened, decided to drop the subject. He realized he had gone a bit too far, tearing Oscar down too thoroughly—it was like hitting someone when they were already down.

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun also fell silent, no longer their usual playful selves, now sympathizing with Oscar. Zhu Zhuqing maintained her usual cold demeanor, showing no visible reaction. Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu struggled to keep straight faces, trying not to laugh.

Fearing Su Ming might push Oscar too far, Zhao Wuji quickly offered some comfort. "Oscar, don't be too discouraged. At least this skill can support you until you reach the Soul Saint level. Just be mindful in the future and choose better spirit beasts—you can make up for it."

Tang San added his own encouragement. "Yeah, Xiao Ao. You know my teacher is the Grandmaster, the top theoretical expert on the continent. He should be coming to the academy soon. When you reach the fortieth level, he can help you find a more suitable spirit beast. I'm sure it'll make up for this one."

Oscar felt a little better at the mention of the Grandmaster. He had heard of the Grandmaster's reputation—his vast theoretical knowledge. After all, Tang San himself was a "walking encyclopedia," so his teacher must know even more!

Still, Oscar couldn't help but feel a bit down—reaching the fortieth level as a food-type spirit master was no easy feat. It was going to take time.

Su Ming chuckled inwardly at Tang San's words. By the time Oscar reaches the fortieth level, the Spirit Master Tournament will be long over. The opportunity will have passed.

In the original story, Oscar only reached the fortieth level because Tang San had gifted him a spirit herb that boosted his spirit power by six levels, combined with his desire to earn Ning Rongrong's approval and the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Without those motivations, Oscar wouldn't have made it in time for the tournament.

Even if Oscar did reach the fortieth level, it wouldn't mean much. In the original timeline, Grandmaster had chosen a five-thousand-year-old Pink Scorpion as Oscar's fourth spirit ring, which provided a lackluster skill.

Oscar's fourth skill, the Excited Pink Sausage, increased all of a spirit master's attributes but only by ten percent. That was hardly impressive.

Worse still, Oscar had praised this skill for having no side effects—as if that wasn't the bare minimum for someone with innate full spirit power, who was called a "monster spirit master."

To compare, there was a support-type spirit master in the Crazy Battle Team in Soto City who had a berserk enhancement skill. That skill increased all attributes by fifteen percent but came with the side effect of leaving the user completely drained afterward. The berserk enhancement was just their third spirit skill, with a medium-quality spirit, no less.

Oscar's skill, coming from a five-thousand-year spirit beast, only offered a ten percent increase with no side effects. That was underwhelming.

But the biggest problem with Oscar's fourth spirit skill wasn't the percentage—it was the preservation time. The Pink Sausage could only last for one minute once made.

What's the most important aspect of food produced by a food-type spirit master?

The preservation time, of course! Spirit skill effects come second.

If a food item has a long shelf life, spirit masters can store them in their spirit tools, ready to use for boosts whenever necessary. Ideally, food produced by a spirit master should last at least a day—anything less than that is impractical. If it could last a month, even better!

Oscar's Pink Sausage, which could only last one minute, had to be made on the spot. Experienced spirit masters would never give you the time to prepare or consume it during a battle. They wouldn't just stand there while you leisurely eat—it takes time to chew, after all, and you can't just swallow it whole.

In contrast, the candy produced by Shrek Academy's food-type spirit master teacher, Shao Xin, was much better suited for combat—it was small, easy to carry, and, although it didn't taste great, it got the job done.

The most striking example of this flaw in Oscar's skill came during the Sea God Island trials. In the original story, Tang San challenged five opponents at once after obtaining his one-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. At the start of the fight, Tang San instantly used his teleportation ability to prevent Oscar from using the Mirror Sausage, effectively taking him out of the battle.

For experienced spirit masters, getting the chance to eat food in battle was a luxury. Often, you wouldn't even get one chance.

Oscar's fourth spirit skill was woefully inadequate for a food-type spirit master, given its short preservation time and limited boost. It was only slightly more useful than his third spirit skill.

His fourth skill was only really suitable for close friends and teammates, as it had to be consumed immediately. In comparison, Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could provide boosts that grew stronger as time went on, completely outshining Oscar's sausage.

It's a pity that in the original story, Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda didn't have an all-attribute boost. Her sixth spirit skill, Six Say Increase, should have given an all-attribute boost instead of just enhancing a single attribute.

Of course, Ning Rongrong wasn't so lucky in the original story. But this time, things might change.

An all-attribute boost would strengthen not just attack, defense, and speed, but also recovery and other stats—similar to Oscar's fourth skill, but much more effective.

Having said his piece, Su Ming stopped. Seeing that Oscar's mood had improved slightly, Zhao Wuji stepped in and said, "Now that Oscar has obtained his third spirit ring, it's time to help Tang San find an appropriate Human-Faced Demon Spider for his third ring."

Zhao Wuji was noticeably more invested in Tang San's progress than in Oscar's. If Tang San had no significant background like Oscar, then Zhao Wuji might not care as much. But not only was Tang San skilled in hidden weapons, which made Zhao Wuji cautious, but more importantly, it was the person backing him...