Spirit Core? No, Not Yet!

Ling Wu looked at Ling Qing with a smile and said gently.

"It's nothing. The cause of it was that the Soul Power pressure I placed on you was too much. It was only natural for me to step in and help you."

After his earlier examination, Ling Wu had been completely stunned by Ling Qing. He had withstood the pressure of forty-fourth-rank Soul Power with only twenty-fifth-rank Soul Power and remained undefeated—and he even possessed a domain.

Ling Qing was truly a freak.

But when all was said and done, it seemed he still had not managed to test Ling Qing's limits...

This was damn awkward.

Ling Qing hurriedly waved his hands and said respectfully, "No, no, no. This isn't Senior Ling Wu's fault. Even if you hadn't placed Soul Power pressure on me, the vortex inside my body would have lost control sooner or later. Now that you've helped me suppress it, I should be the one thanking you."

With Ling Wu's strength, he had definitely detected the situation inside Ling Qing's body. There was no point in Ling Qing continuing to hide it; it might even lower Ling Wu and Liu Lin's impression of him.

"Vortex? What vortex?" Liu Lin asked, looking bewildered.

He had not used Soul Power to inspect Ling Qing's body, so naturally, he did not know about the golden vortex in Ling Qing's Dantian.

"Hmm... you'll have to ask the kid himself about that. Ling Qing." Ling Wu looked at Ling Qing. "Do you know what a Spirit Core is?"

"A Spirit Core?"

"That's right."

"I've only heard others mention Spirit Cores. I roughly know what they are, but I'm not very familiar with them."

As Liu Lin listened to Ling Wu and Ling Qing's conversation, he was completely lost.

Weren't they talking about a "vortex"? What did this have to do with a Spirit Core?

"Then, Ling Qing, do you know what the energy vortex in your lower Dantian is?"

"You mean the vortex inside my body is actually a Spirit Core? That can't be possible."

Ling Qing had suspected as much before, but then he remembered that he was only a Soul Grandmaster. His Soul Power reserves were so limited—how could he possibly have enough to condense a Spirit Core?

"A Spirit Core? Ling Qing has a Spirit Core? Senior Ling Wu, are you joking? Aren't Spirit Cores something only Titled Douluo-level experts can condense?

Ling Qing is only a Soul Grandmaster right now. How could he possibly have a Spirit Core in his body?"

Liu Lin's face was filled with disbelief, yet his words also carried a trace of doubt, as though he were saying them specifically to convince himself.

An ordinary Soul Grandmaster could not condense a Spirit Core, but...

Was Ling Qing an ordinary Soul Grandmaster?

No, he was not.

He was a monster. Monsters could not be measured by common sense.

Ling Wu chuckled. "Of course it isn't a Spirit Core."

"Alright."

Ling Qing said.

Although he appeared completely unconcerned, Ling Qing was actually a little disappointed.

"I knew it. Ling Qing is only a Soul Grandmaster right now. How could he possibly condense a Spirit Core?"

Liu Lin patted Ling Qing on the shoulder. "I haven't even condensed a Spirit Core myself, and I'm a Soul Sage, so you don't need to feel discouraged.

Still, I believe that with your talent, you'll definitely become a Titled Douluo. Condensing a Spirit Core is only a matter of time."

Liu Lin let out a long breath inwardly.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. It wasn't a Spirit Core. If the kid had condensed a Spirit Core, where would I put this old face of mine?

A teasing smile flashed across Ling Wu's face. "But..."

"But?"

The flame of hope in Ling Qing's heart was reignited.

"But the kid has condensed the rudimentary form of a Spirit Core!"

"The Spirit Core rudimentary form!?"

"That's right." Ling Wu smiled. "I sensed three kinds of energy within the energy vortex in your lower Dantian. I know two of them: Soul Power and Mental Power.

However, it also contains another kind of energy whose form I do not recognize. It seems to...

originate from your physical body."

Ling Wu narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"It was precisely this energy of yours that stirred the Soul Power, allowing you to successfully condense the Spirit Core."

At this point, the expression on Liu Lin's face froze. He stared straight ahead, dumbstruck.

But Ling Qing had no mind to care about how Liu Lin felt right now.

"The vortex inside my body really is a Spirit Core?"

"It's the rudimentary form of a Spirit Core! The rudimentary form!"

Ling Wu emphasized the two words "prototype" once again.

"Then what's the difference between a Spirit Core prototype and a Spirit Core?"

"Of course there is a difference. Do you know how many forms Soul Power can take inside the human body?"

Ling Wu stroked the beard on his chin, looking rather pleased with himself.

No way, you don't know, do you? Heh, but I do!

More than ninety-five percent of people would not know the answer to this question. Only a small number of Titled Douluo and Soul Douluo knew the answer.

Naturally, he assumed Ling Qing did not know the answer.

But...

Ling Qing spoke.

"It should be the three states: gas, liquid, and solid."

Ling Wu's expression instantly froze.

"Cough, cough, cough... Mm... You're right, those are indeed the three states. But do you know what a Spirit Core is condensed from?"

Ling Wu continued questioning him.

Good kid, I refuse to believe you can answer this one too.

"Solid-state Soul Power."

Ling Wu: "..."

Damn it, can't a man just show off properly? Can't we play happily?

Meanwhile, Liu Lin stood quietly to one side and listened, because knowledge about Spirit Cores was equally important to him.

He felt that his opportunity for a breakthrough lay here.

Ling Wu brushed back his hair. "That's right, a Spirit Core is indeed condensed from Soul Power. You should know that a condensed Spirit Core exists in the form of solid-state Soul Power.

Just like in nature, water vapor is compressed into water, then compressed further into ice.

By the same principle, when a soul master first begins cultivating, the Soul Power within their body is gaseous. Once the reserves of Soul Power in their body become sufficient, part of that Soul Power can be compressed into liquid.

However, what most soul masters do not know is that Soul Power can still be compressed further. It is simply far too difficult to turn liquid Soul Power into solid Soul Power. Since they cannot break through, they do not believe solid-state Soul Power exists.

And you, kid Ling, are only a Soul Grandmaster right now. Although you're a little abnormal, a little inhuman, a little monstrous..."

"Hm?"

A baffled expression appeared on Ling Qing's face.

Ling Wu continued, "But that still cannot change the fact that the Soul Power in your body is extremely scarce.

Logically speaking, at your current realm, a soul master's Soul Power should be gaseous. Yet the vortex in your Dantian has already turned liquid.

Of course, that is not the most crucial point. The most crucial point is that the vortex in your body automatically absorbs Soul Power and compresses it into liquid form for you.

Do you know what that means?"

Ling Wu looked at Ling Qing.

"Senior Ling Wu, you are so learned and powerful. Please stop keeping us in suspense and just tell us."

Ling Qing could also see that Ling Wu wanted to show off, and it gave him a headache.

Wasn't it uncomfortable to keep people hanging like that?