Zane vs Oasis

"No time for that. Let's consolidate your cultivation," Oasis said firmly.

"Spar with me. Don't hold back."

Oasis and Zane began sparring just after Zane's breakthrough.

"Wind Magic: Slash of Fate!" Zane roared, unleashing a powerful gust of wind magic towards Oasis.

"Wow, it's more powerful than ever," Zane thought, feeling the enhanced strength of his attack.

"Wind Magic: Whistling Gale," Oasis whispered, conjuring his own wind magic.

The clash of wind magic was intense on the training field, with Zane's Wind Magic Slash of Fate slicing through the air towards Oasis.

The force of the attack whipped up a gale, leaves and debris swirling in a violent tempest.

The air crackled with energy as the two spells collided, creating a swirling vortex of wind and debris.

Leaves and dust were whipped into a frenzy, and the ground beneath them trembled from the force of their combined powers.

"I said don't hold back," Oasis said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Beast Transformation magic: Wolf Monarch!" Zane roared as he transformed.

His body grew larger and more muscular, fur sprouting along his arms and legs.

His eyes turned a fierce yellow, and sharp claws extended from his fingers. Zane had become a fearsome wolf-man, his power significantly amplified.

"That's more like it," Oasis said, a grin spreading across his face.

Zane's beast transformation granted him the strength of a third-layer Newborn Realm cultivator.

The air around him crackled with energy as he prepared his next move.

"Wolf Monarch Magic: Death Claw," Zane said calmly, disappearing from his position and reappearing in front of Oasis in an instant, his claws aiming for Oasis's head.

"Blazing Mirage Step," Oasis whispered, his form blurring as he left a mirage behind.

Zane's attack passed through the illusion,hitting the ground, creating a massive shockwave that blew away his house and cut down surrounding trees.

"Not bad. Keep going," Oasis called out to Zane, feeling the intensity of the battle.

"He's strong," Oasis thought.

"How is it, Oasis? Huh, I'm going to unleash my strongest spell, so brace for impact," Zane called to Oasis.

"Bring it on," Oasis replied confidently.

Energy began radiating around Zane as a purple aura thickened around him. The air crackled with power as he prepared his spell.

"Wolf Monarch Magic: Feral Vortex!" Zane roared, unleashing a powerful slash of purple energy webs towards Oasis.

The air vibrated with the intensity of the attack, the ground beneath them trembling as the magic surged forward.

"Impressive, Senior Brother," Oasis called out, his voice carrying over the roar of the magic.

"Wind Magic: Leviathan's Breath," Oasis whispered, a powerful gust of wind erupting from him, countering Zane's attack.

The two spells clashed, and Oasis's magic proved superior, breaking through Zane's web and hurtling towards him.

Zane's eyes widened in shock as he realized the strength of Oasis's counterattack.

"This brat is going to kill me," he thought.

"Focus, fool!" Oasis shouted.

"Wolf Monarch Magic: Vortex Barrier!" Zane roared just before impact, creating a swirling shield of wind around himself.

The barrier absorbed most of Oasis's magic, but Zane was still blown back by the force, crashing into a nearby tree.

Thud!

"Damn it, brat, you want to kill me? I'm not a monster like you!" Zane shouted at Oasis, panting heavily.

"Relax, but not bad, Zane," Oasis said, walking over to him.

"Here," he threw a pill to Zane. "That's a mana-replenishing pill. You're not that wounded, so within a day, you'll be fine."

"Fool, you destroyed your house. Where will we rest now?" Oasis scolded Zane.

The two scolded each other as they usually did, but Oasis felt satisfied that he had completed his mission of helping Zane break through.

"Yo, Zane, how many merit points do you have?" Oasis asked.

"Not much. I only got some after passing the theory exam and haven't done a lot after that," Zane replied.

"What about yourself?"

"I have enough," Oasis replied. "Let's go to the merit pavilion. We need to exchange our points."

"Oh, I see," Zane said.

"Since we are leaving the academy soon and not sure when we are going to return, it's wise to exchange our points," Oasis explained to Zane.

"I have about 125 merit points," Oasis thought to himself.

"I earned about 20 points after the faction duel, and I gained 10 points from those two duels I had, plus my points from passing the theory exam. Yeah, I have 125."

"Here, come to earth. Let's get moving," Zane said.

Oasis and Zane started moving to the merit pavilion.

The merit pavilion in Verdantial Academy is a place where students can exchange their points for a variety of items,

including artifacts, pills, elixirs,mineral coins, mana stones, and many other valuable items.

The main currency used in Verdantia and other kingdoms is mana stones and mineral coins (gold and silver), but the merit currency is used in the academy.

Students can still use mana stones and mineral coins to make their transactions.

---

"So the Shadowfen and Stormcaller families have betrayed us, huh?" Prince Aelric Evergreen thought as he stood up after finishing his cultivation.

"Damn it, this changes a lot of things. I wonder if my old man will get out of his seclusion; only my mother has been visiting him from time to time," he mused.

"I just recently broke through to the Newborn Realm," he said aloud.

"I wonder how the others are doing," he murmured, considering his peers.

---

At the merit pavilion:

"Hey lads, how can we help you?" an instructor asked as Oasis and Zane approached.

"I would like to exchange merit points for gold coins," Oasis said.

"Okay, bring out your student token," the instructor replied.

Oasis handed it to him.

"So this kid is Oasis Volacris," the instructor thought, recognizing the name.

"You have 125 points. How many do you want to exchange?" he asked.

"All of them," Oasis responded decisively.

"Wow, so decisive for a kid," the instructor thought.

"Wait a bit, kid."

"One merit point to ten gold coins, so here are 1,250 gold coins," the instructor said, handing Oasis a small pouch.

Oasis quickly put the gold coins in his bracelet, and Zane also exchanged his points for coins.

"Since you blew away your own home, let's go to Winter Garden," Oasis suggested to Zane.

Oasis and Zane made their way back to Winter Garden.

It was already night by the time they arrived.

Oasis had finished his preparations for the realm and was now just waiting for the day to arrive.