Dugu Bo Condenses a Soul Core

The ball of light flew out and landed on the grass some distance away.

With a boom, the grassland was blasted into a huge crater, half of which was covered in ice while the other half still burned.

"Brother Gu Ci, look!"

Dugu Yan jumped up excitedly. "I can use ice and fire together now!"

Gu Ci smiled and nodded. "Not bad. Keep practicing."

Dugu Yan's Martial Soul had tremendous potential. She could throw balls like this from a distance, or rely on her powerful physique to fight at close quarters.

He looked toward the depths of the Immortal Herb Garden. There, a dark green figure sat cross-legged on a bluestone, surrounded by faint fluctuations of Soul Power.

Three days had passed, and Dugu Bo still had not taken the Immortal Herb.

After Gu Ci and Dugu Yan had finished absorbing their Immortal Herbs that day, Dugu Bo had not immediately taken the Sweet Potato Golden Dragon. Instead, he had first stood guard over the two children.

Only after they had both completed their transformations smoothly did he say:

"Ci'er, Yanyan, stay here and consolidate your realms first."

"This old man intends to enter seclusion directly and condense a Soul Core."

Gu Ci had been somewhat surprised at the time. "Grandpa Dugu, aren't you going to enter seclusion after taking the Immortal Herb?"

Dugu Bo shook his head. "Refining the Sweet Potato Golden Dragon will take time, and my Martial Soul is currently at a critical stage of transformation."

"Condensing a Soul Core at a time like this will actually give me a higher chance of success. Once the Soul Core is formed, taking the Immortal Herb afterward will yield better results."

Gu Ci considered it for a moment and nodded. "That works too."

"Once the Soul Core is successfully condensed, the toxins in your body can be completely controlled. Taking the Immortal Herb afterward will indeed be twice as effective with half the effort."

Dugu Bo patted his shoulder without saying anything further, then headed straight into the depths of the Immortal Herb Garden, found a secluded corner, and began his seclusion.

That seclusion lasted three days.

Every day, Gu Ci could sense the fluctuations of Soul Power coming from that direction.

Sometimes strong, sometimes weak; sometimes urgent, sometimes calm. It was obvious that Dugu Bo was attempting to condense that legendary Soul Core.

"Brother Gu Ci, Grandpa won't be in danger, will he?" Dugu Yan asked worriedly.

Gu Ci opened his Heavenly Eye and glanced in that direction.

From his perspective, the Soul Power within Dugu Bo's body was circulating in a regular pattern. Although the fluctuations were intense, they had not gone out of control.

"Don't worry. Grandpa Dugu has a solid foundation and the guidance of the Soul Core Method. He'll be fine."

He comforted her, "At most, he should succeed in a few more days."

Dugu Yan nodded and continued practicing her Ice Fire power.

Just then, a familiar fluctuation of Soul Power came from afar.

Gu Ci looked up and saw a figure flying toward them.

The figure was broad and powerfully built, with faint Thunder Light flickering around him. It was Gu Xiao.

"Dad?" Gu Ci was somewhat surprised. "Why are you here?"

Gu Xiao had learned of this place not long ago, and he also had the antidote prepared by Dugu Bo.

Gu Xiao landed on the ground and first examined his son. A flash of delight appeared in his eyes.

"Ci'er, you broke through again? Level 20?"

Gu Ci nodded. "I broke through not long ago. Dad, this is...?"

Gu Xiao chuckled and took out a cloth bag from his Soul Tool, handing it to Gu Ci. "I brought you the metals you wanted."

Gu Ci's eyes lit up. He took the cloth bag and opened it, finding it filled with all kinds of metal ingots.

There was glittering Red Gold, shining Mithril, Dark Iron that carried a faint deep-blue sheen, and several pieces of special metal whose names he did not recognize.

"These..."

He picked up a dark purple piece of metal. It was extremely heavy in his hand, and a faint power of Thunderbolt flowed within it. "This is Thunder Pattern Steel?"

Gu Xiao nodded proudly. "That's right. Over the past three days, I visited every metal merchant guild in Heaven Dou City. I bought everything that could be bought."

"This Thunder Pattern Steel was part of the Royal Treasury's stock. Your father had to pay a hefty price to trade for it. And this piece..."

He pointed to another silver-white piece of metal. "This is Meteorite Silver. They say it came from a meteorite from beyond the heavens. It's extremely rare."

Gu Ci was moved.

He knew these metals were precious, but even with the Marquis Manor's wealth, purchasing so many at once had probably taken a serious toll.

"Dad, you've worked hard."

Gu Xiao waved his hand. "Why are you being so polite with your father? That Soul Tool thing you mentioned before, is it really that powerful?"

Gu Ci nodded. "Once I fully figure it out, I'll make a few for you too. Then you'll know how powerful they are."

Gu Xiao burst into laughter. "Good, good, good. Then your father will wait for them."

He looked around and asked, "Where is Foster Father?"

Gu Ci pointed toward the depths of the Immortal Herb Garden. "Grandpa Dugu is in seclusion, condensing a Soul Core."

Gu Xiao's expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice. "Then we shouldn't disturb him."

"Ci'er, what do you plan to do next?"

Gu Ci pondered for a moment. "Once Grandpa Dugu comes out of seclusion, Yanyan and I will hunt for our Second Spirit Rings. Then we'll come back and research Soul Tools."

Gu Xiao nodded. "Then I'll head back first. There are still matters at the manor that need handling."

"Oh, and keep these metals safe. If they aren't enough, your father will buy more."

After saying that, he patted his son's shoulder, turned, and left.

Gu Ci watched his father depart, then opened the cloth bag and carefully counted the metals inside.

Red Gold, Mithril, Dark Iron, Thunder Pattern Steel, Meteorite Silver, Star Sand, Fire Copper, Cold Iron...

There were more than twenty types in all, large and small, and every one of them was immensely valuable.

"Enough."

He murmured, "With these materials, I have enough to research for quite some time."

He stored the metals in his own Soul Tool.

It was a Storage Ring Dugu Bo had given him. Though it did not have much space, it was sufficient.

Over the next few days, Gu Ci consolidated his realm while researching those metals.

Using his Heavenly Eye, he observed the internal structure of every metal and analyzed their properties.

The deeper he delved into his research, the more absorbed he became, even forgetting the passage of time.

Until the morning of the fifth day, a powerful aura erupted from the depths of the Immortal Herb Garden.

Gu Ci suddenly raised his head and looked in that direction.

A dark green pillar of light shot into the sky. Within it, the vague silhouette of a gigantic snake danced.

The Soul Core had formed.

The pillar of light lasted for roughly a quarter of an hour before gradually dissipating.

Gu Ci and Dugu Yan stood at the edge of the Immortal Herb Garden, staring unwaveringly in that direction.

Zi Dian and Mo Jiao were also alarmed by the aura. They awoke from cultivation and watched that way vigilantly.

"Grandpa succeeded?" Dugu Yan asked softly, her voice full of anticipation and tension.

Gu Ci opened his Heavenly Eye and looked in that direction.

From his perspective, the energy fluctuations inside Dugu Bo's body were more than a level stronger than before.

At the very core, a fist-sized dark green ball of light slowly revolved. That was the Soul Core.

"He succeeded." Gu Ci nodded with certainty. "And the quality of the Soul Core is not low."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark green figure swept out from the depths of the Immortal Herb Garden and landed before them.

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, looking as though he had been completely reborn.

His once-thin body now stood straight as a pine. His dark green hair moved without wind, and a sharp gleam flickered within his serpent eyes.

The most obvious change was his aura. It was at least thirty percent stronger than before his seclusion, having reached Level 92 and nearing Level 93.

It was also more restrained and more profound.

"Congratulations, Grandpa Dugu, on the great completion of your Soul Core." Gu Ci cupped his hands.

Dugu Bo looked at him, his eyes filled with emotion. "Ci'er, that Soul Core Method of yours is practically divine."

"This old man has lived for so many years, yet I never imagined Soul Power could circulate in such a way."