The forest hung in a tense, hushed lull beneath the deepening twilight, as if every leaf and creature in Star Dou Great Forest had pressed pause to watch this moment unfold. Lantern-fire bugs drifted lazily through the gathering shadows, their soft, amber glows weaving between ancient trunks like drifting embers caught in an endless breeze. The air was cool but heavy with anticipation, smelling faintly of moss and damp earth—and something more: the lingering essence of the Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent's ring, still pulsing behind Oscar back.
Oscar lay at the very center of the clearing, stretched out cross-legged on fallen leaves and ferns. His breaths came slow and measured, each exhale sending a faint shiver through his form. Around him, seven figures—or eight, if one counted the vigilant form of Zhao Wuji—formed a protective circle. Each of them bore the wear of battle in their eyes, the flush of exertion on their skin, the quiet tremor of nerves sharpened by responsibility. They also take this time to rest and restore a bit of spirit power.
Tang San knelt at Oscar's side, his hands gentle as he traced his eyes toward the back of Oscar. He spoke nothing, but his presence was a promise: here, you are safe. Behind him, Xiao Wu perched on a low mossy stone, her soft rabbit ears twitching as she watched Oscar's steady rise and fall. When Tang San's brow furrowed, she offered him a quiet nod, a reminder that they watched together.
To their right, Dai Mubai stood like a golden sentinel. His broad shoulders bore the marks of a dozen skirmishes, yet his posture was both proud and tense. He flexed the fingers of his hands, flexing spirit claws that still thrummed with residual spirit energy. Each time he glanced toward Tang San—who remained utterly focused on Oscar—the captain's jaw tightened, a storm of unspoken emotion behind his golden eyes.
Not far from Dai Mubai, Li Wei settled beside Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong. The three of them were almost a little close together—an unspoken alliance that grew stronger through shared trials. Ning Rongrong's Pagoda hovered by her side, glowing faintly as she restore a bit of the spiritual power that has been spent. Zhu Zhuqing purple eyes flicked from Oscar to Li Wei and back again, each silent glance brimming with quiet confidence in their combined abilities. And Li Wei, clad in the faint afterglow of his Diend transformation, kept one hand on his Diendriver, ready to call out any car for support at a moment's notice.
Xiao Wu fluttered between them on silent feet, her presence a light-hearted counterpoint to the heavy tension. She leaned in and whispered to Li Wei, "How about a BuffRide: Build next? A bit of chemical insight might stabilize Oscar's aura even further." Li Wei offered her a small, amused smirk. "Only if you promise not to borrow my cards without asking and even though using buff might seem okay to use in absorbing the spirit ring, there might be a backlash that we do not know about
Combining with that the buf cannot be maintain for a long time, the time that disruption come between each buff might cause the spirit master to perished" he teased. She laughed softly, her voice like wind chimes, and retreated to her watch by Oscar's side.
Behind them all, Zhao Wuji's towering form drifted between shadow and moonlight, arms crossed like a sword sheathed—but spirit rings aglow. His stern calm seemed to radiate outward, a gentle but immovable anchor, reminding everyone that they were never truly alone.
Minutes stretched into hours. Ma Hongjun crouched near Oscar feet, sparking tiny embers from his palms and letting them drift skyward like fireflies—an unconscious ritual of alertness. He murmured encouragements he barely heard himself: "Stay strong… almost there... You can do it" Each ember's crackle was a heartbeat of vigilance, a promise that any threat would be met with flame as he grow bored.
Dai Mubai shifted on the heels of his feet, flexing and unflexing to dispel the restless energy. He could feel the thrum of Oscar's aura beneath his palm when he ventured close, and each pulse echoed in his own chest. He swallowed the knot in his throat and squared his shoulders. "I'm here," he reminded himself. "For Oscar. For the team."
Tang San glanced up, catching Dai Mubai's eye for the briefest instant. "Keep watch on that flank," he said quietly. Dai Mubai inclined his head, but neither spoke of the tension that passed between them—the unspoken question of whether Tang San's calm devotion also extended to Li Wei, who stood so comfortably close to Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong.
As the night deepened, a soft hum pulsed from the center of the circle. All at once, Oscar form trembled, as though a breeze had ruffled his hair—though the air was still. The purple light beneath his chest flared sharply, bathing the clearing in gentle lavender.
Tang San's breath caught. Xiao Wu ears twitched. Even Li Wei's grip on the Diendriver tightened.
"The moment's has come," Tang San whispered.
Li Wei slid a hand to the Diendriver. His other hand brushed the Diendriver's side slot. He felt his soul power hum in readiness—fifteen BuffRides charged and waiting, four Final FormRides at his disposal, but this he must watch as any distraction can become fatal and this moment can only belonged to Oscar.
Oscar body convulsed once, twice, then relaxed. His eyelids fluttered. And then, slowly—painfully—he gulped in a ragged breath and opened his eyes.
They were violet. Deep, luminous silver, framed by sweat-darkened lashes. For an instant, he lay still, blinking up at the shadows overhead, as though disoriented by the world around him.
Tang San was the first to move, his hand gently put on Oscar shoulder. "Oscar?" he said, voice hushed but laced with relief.
Oscar eyes locked on his friend's. He tried to speak, but only a hoarse whisper emerged. Then he swallowed. He intoned—softly, reverently:
"I, your father, have a mushroom sausage."
A single, pale-white mushroom sausage rested there, its casing still faintly iridescent.
Tang San and Xiao Wu both leaned in in silent fascination as Oscar held it up. He drew a shaky breath.
His voice echoed through the silent forest, carried by the hush of expectant night itself.
Oscar bit down. The second the sausage passed his lips, a warmth blossomed in his chest, spreading outward in a gentle wave. Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the others felt the air stir. Li Wei stepped a half pace closer, hand reflexively at the driver's side slot.
Oscar's feet lifted an inch off the ground—tentative, experimental—and then higher. His arms rose slowly, fingers trembling like fledgling wings.
He hovered.
A collective gasp whispered through the circle. Zhu Zhuqing let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Ning Rongrong's pagoda flickered as though cheering. Dai Mubai's golden form stiffened, jaw clenched, every instinct screaming both pride and something else he couldn't name.
Oscar body rose another two meters, held aloft by the silent magic of the mushroom sausage. His violet eyes danced with awe as he looked down at the team. Then, as though emboldened, he kicked off in a gentle arc and began to rise higher, the wind catching his hair.
Tang San reached out, as if to steady him, but Oscar shook his head, exhilarated. "I can—fly!" His laughter rang out, bright and free and filled with pure, unfiltered joy.
Xiao Wu bounded forward. "Look! He's banking left!" Her voice was playful commentary, guiding his first awkward maneuvers through the trees.
Ma Hongjun stoked embers in his palm, cheering, "Faster, Oscar! Show them your wings!"
Li Wei called out, voice steady with pride, "Keep it steady! How long can you keep it up."
"It's one minute." Oscar answer.
Hearing this make all of them shock. It seems too short.
"That too short of a flight." Dai Mubai ask as that can be said to be quite useless. "I can even cross the river with that one minute." He felt disappointed.
"No, no, no. It's one minute with the speed of Phoenix Tail Crest Serpent." Seeing all of them begin to look down on him, Oscar give them the answer slowly. To unveil the mystery.
When they heard that one minute with the kind of spirit beast that can throw off other with it's speed make them envious and felt proud as now, they have a new tactic that can be employed.
Oscar dipped and rose, following Li Wei's unspoken rhythm. Below him, the circle moved as one, shifting to maintain sight.
Dai Mubai watched from the edge, every muscle coiled. Tang San called guidance—"A little higher! Now descend slowly!"—but Dai Mubai saw only Oscar's joy and felt the unfamiliar sting of something close to envy.
Seeing how Oscar fly in the sky make Dai Mubai a little jealous in the heart. Flying freely in the sky without tying down by the ground. That kind of freedom is hard to have. But at that moment, Oscar's soaring figure, framed by dragonfly-winged stars, was exactly where he needed to be. With Oscar abilities everyone can use it.
As the seconds ticked by, Oscar's flight grew steadier. He swept over the circle in a wide arc, wind whistling past. Then, as the sausage's power ebbed, he gently descended, landing in a low crouch. His legs wobbled, and Zhu Zhuqing sprang forward to catch him, steadying his shoulders.
Oscar straightened, breathless, eyes shining. "I… did it."
The circle closed in around him, laughter and cheers rippling through the hushed woods. Tang San clasped his shoulder, Xiao Wu hugged him, Ning Rongrong beamed, and even Dai Mubai offered a stiff nod—eyes still shadowed, but pride shining behind them.
In that moment, everyone stood behind Oscar—the power was shared, a circulating gift among friends. Oscar allowed himself a small, triumphant grin. Not only had he earned his new ring, he had discovered how to share its blessing. Whatever came next, they would face it together—wings unfurled, hearts alight, ready to soar.