Soul Core!

"Hehe, Tianyang, do you know why Titled Douluo are so difficult to cultivate?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was quite pleased by Xu Tianyang's request for help and asked smugly.

Xu Tianyang shook his head, giving Sky Dream Ice Silkworm all the face he needed.

Seeing this, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nodded in satisfaction and explained, "The higher a Soul Master's rank, the more abundant the Soul Power in their body becomes. It gradually changes from gas into liquid, then from liquid into solid. The first two can flow through the body, but how could the latter?"

"The current Titled Douluo are actually incomplete. Our soul beast race is the same as humans—once we break through the hundred-thousand-year threshold, our Soul Power changes. At that point, we condense a special thing—a Soul Core!"

Hearing this, Xu Tianyang understood. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm indeed knew the method of forming a Soul Core.

The greatest difference between the Titled Douluo of Douluo Continent I and Douluo Continent II was the introduction of Soul Cores. This caused the Titled Douluo of Douluo Continent II to vastly surpass those of Douluo Continent I in both number and quality.

On the current Douluo Continent, there were no more than thirty Titled Douluo in total, and only around ten of them were above Rank 95.

They were far fewer in number than they would be ten thousand years later.

Moreover, every Soul Master on the current Douluo Continent who could reach the Titled Douluo realm possessed an absolutely top-tier martial soul.

Only with a deep foundation and a certain amount of luck could they achieve a breakthrough.

It was impossible to verify who the first human to condense a Soul Core had been, but the soul beast race had undoubtedly begun cultivating Soul Cores earlier than humanity.

"When the Soul Power in a Soul Master's body is compressed from liquid into solid, it is stored in the Soul Master's dantian and becomes a Soul Core. As the Soul Core continuously rotates, it absorbs external Soul Power through the Soul Master and supplies it for the Soul Master's use, greatly enhancing their combat strength and recovery ability."

"Furthermore, after forming a Soul Core, a Titled Douluo can freely circulate the Soul Power in their body to cultivate, allowing them to break through to even higher realms."

"Then, Brother Sky Dream, do you know how to cultivate a Soul Core?"

"While cultivating, I overheard... ahem, I heard about the Soul Core cultivation method from those soul beasts in the Extreme North. Your parents are already Titled Douluo, so they have passed the most difficult stage. In turn, it will be much easier for them to condense Soul Cores." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm patted his tiny hands in assurance.

Xu Tianyang nodded, but he had no intention of having his parents try it immediately. Wasn't there a ready-made test subject in the Sun Moon Empire right now?

Once he learned there was a way to improve his cultivation, he would surely be willing to try it. Besides, Xu Tianyang suspected that the other party already possessed the embryonic form of a Soul Core.

Isn't that right, Dugu Bo?

Dugu Bo: ???

After making his decision, Xu Tianyang found Dugu Bo the next day, wandering around Mingdu. To Dugu Bo, every corner of the Sun Moon Empire was unknown territory, and he was curious about everything around him.

When Xu Tianyang saw Dugu Bo again, Dugu Bo was watching a small Hydraulic Forging Hammer at Sun Moon Royal Academy with great interest. Lin Fan, whom Xu Tianyang had not seen for some time, was accompanying him.

"Senior Dugu, did you sleep well last night?" Xu Tianyang did not conceal his presence. The two had already noticed him as he approached.

"Hahaha, thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Every part of the Sun Moon Empire is exceedingly novel to this old man. Today, under Director Lin Fan's guidance, I toured Sun Moon Royal Academy. It truly opened my eyes." Dugu Bo was full of goodwill toward Xu Tianyang. He had already decided that Xu Tianyang would lead this era in the future, so he intended to cling to him.

"That is good. This junior has some questions concerning cultivation that I would like to ask Senior about." Xu Tianyang nodded and directly stated his purpose.

Dugu Bo was somewhat puzzled. The Sun Moon Empire was brimming with talented people. As the Crown Prince of a nation, did Xu Tianyang really need to consult him about cultivation?

Could it be something related to poison?

Although he was full of doubts, Dugu Bo did not hesitate. He nodded and said with a smile, "What questions does Your Highness have? This old man will certainly tell you everything he knows."

Afterward, Xu Tianyang led Dugu Bo away from Sun Moon Royal Academy and toward the Prince's Mansion.

After returning to the Prince's Mansion, Xu Tianyang briefly explained the knowledge surrounding Soul Cores to Dugu Bo, leaving him repeatedly stunned.

"Did that ice silkworm tell Your Highness this method?" Dugu Bo looked at Xu Tianyang solemnly. This Soul Core method was extremely mature; it practically laid out the cultivation path beyond the Titled Douluo realm. It could not possibly have been devised by Xu Tianyang.

"That is right. Tian Meng told me this. The soul beast race has existed far longer than humanity, and top-tier soul beasts naturally know more. Tian Meng said that every Fierce Beast that has entered the two-hundred-thousand-year level has condensed a Soul Core." Xu Tianyang nodded. Dugu Bo had witnessed him absorb Tian Meng's Soul Ring, so there was nothing to hide.

"If that is the case, this old man is willing to give it a try." Dugu Bo was decisive and immediately expressed his willingness to attempt it.

His breakthrough to Titled Douluo had been entirely due to good fortune. He had found the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; otherwise, he could never have broken through in his lifetime. This also meant that his foundation was extremely poor. After reaching Rank 91, he had never made another ounce of progress.

Now that he had suddenly heard of a path for advancement, he naturally had to seize it firmly.

At the same time, this was also his way of showing Xu Tianyang his resolve to join him.

"Tian Meng!" Seeing this, Xu Tianyang gave Dugu Bo a deep look and murmured within his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness.

"I'm here!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm laughed excitedly. A golden ball of light flew from Xu Tianyang's brow and entered Dugu Bo's mind, containing all of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's knowledge regarding Soul Cores.

"So that's how it is!" After closing his eyes and digesting the information within the golden ball of light, Dugu Bo was repeatedly astonished. Things he had never been able to understand before now seemed to become clear, and his entire being entered a wondrous state of enlightenment.

In that state, his right hand slowly rose, and dark green Soul Power flowed from it.

Under Xu Tianyang and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's watchful eyes, the Soul Power in Dugu Bo's palm grew increasingly abundant, floating in midair as it spun at high speed.

Above the Prince's Mansion, Heaven and Earth Origin Power actually formed an almost tangible cloud of origin energy, converging toward Dugu Bo as he sat cross-legged.

The Soul Power rotated faster and faster, then began to compress, growing denser and denser until it became solid.

The next instant, it transformed into funnel-shaped dark green solid Soul Power. Streaks of black belonging to Space Rifts flickered within it, and the solid Soul Power was clearly devouring the spatial power within those Space Rifts.

With Dugu Bo's strength as an already-established Titled Douluo, condensing a Soul Core afterward was much easier. In a short time, he formed the embryonic shape of an attribute-based solid Soul Core.

As time passed, the embryonic Soul Core Dugu Bo had condensed remained exceptionally stable after absorbing even more spatial power, showing no signs of collapse whatsoever.

He was clearly about to pass the most dangerous stage.