Soul Core Method

"Little Monster, judging by what you just said, before I brought out this Snake Pill, you were confident you could help the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul control its poison, right?"

At that, Su Ming raised both hands and clapped twice.

"Just as you'd expect from someone who could become a Titled Douluo. You're all exceptional, and you've got a sharp eye for the heart of the matter."

"That's right. I do have a method of control different from your Snake Pill, and it can perfectly control the poison inside your body."

"Old Monster, you can use this method too. You're not that old. Once you use the Soul Core Method to control the poison in your body, you'll be able to live for at least another two hundred years."

"If Dugu Yan's Martial Soul really evolves into a dragon-type Martial Soul, are you going to let your top-level Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul die with you?"

At that, Su Ming abruptly changed tack.

"But I can't show it to you. It's a core secret of my sect. Unless you join."

After hearing Su Ming out, Dugu Bo immediately understood what he meant and burst into laughter.

"So that's why you went on and on earlier about perfect control, its evolution path, and turning into a dragon. You were setting me up! Fine, tell me, what's your sect called? I'll join."

Seeing that Dugu Bo had agreed, Su Ming smiled at him.

"Old Monster, I had no choice. I worked hard to research all this. If I let others find out, they'd just snatch it from me. So I came to you, my backer, and got you to join."

"The sect is called the Grand Xuan Sect. There are only two of us right now: me and Wang Sheng. Wang Sheng is the test subject I told you about—the one whose Martial Soul we're experimenting on to make it evolve."

"Now that you've joined, you're the Sect Guardian Elder."

Hearing that the sect only had two members, Dugu Bo wasn't very surprised. He'd already learned some basic information about Su Ming. He knew Su Ming came from a small village, went straight to Shrek Academy after graduating from a Primary Academy, and later, when Shrek moved to Heaven Dou City and merged with Blue Tyrant Academy, it became the Shrek Advanced Academy it was today.

"Enough, Little Monster. Now that I've joined the Grand Xuan Sect, can I see that secret method?"

"Of course!"

As he spoke, Su Ming took the materials on how to condense a Soul Core and its specific effects out of his Storage Soul Tool and handed them to Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo had just taken the Soul Core materials when Dugu Yan woke up after refining the Blood Vitality Pill.

Seeing this, Su Ming said to Dugu Bo, "Old Monster, sit there and take your time reading the materials. I'll go help Dugu Yan detoxify."

"Fine. Hurry up and detoxify Yanyan. That's what matters."

As soon as Dugu Yan opened her eyes, she saw Su Ming walking toward her. She turned and saw Dugu Bo sitting on a stool, reading a book at the table with utmost concentration.

"Now that you're awake, get up and see how you feel."

At Su Ming's words, Dugu Yan came to her senses. She quickly got up and stretched, immediately noticing that the chill inside her body had lessened. Now she felt warm all over.

"The cold feeling inside me has lessened. I feel warm all over now."

"That's right. You just had blood drawn and ate Blood Ginseng, so your body needs to be nice and warm. All right, we'll draw your blood twice more, and then the treatment will be over."

"Okay, come with me."

As he spoke, Su Ming summoned his Martial Soul and released two clouds. He hopped onto them, then turned to Dugu Yan.

"This is my first Soul Skill. It can carry other people through the air. Just hop on, and you'll feel your heart connect with it."

After hearing Su Ming's explanation, Dugu Yan hopped on too. The instant she landed, she felt as if her heart had connected with the cloud beneath her feet.

The two of them flew to the edge of the poison barrier surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. At Su Ming's instruction, Dugu Yan released all her Soul Power through her Martial Soul and into the poison barrier.

Afterward, the two flew back and began drawing Dugu Yan's blood again. Once they were done, they did as before and had her eat a Blood Vitality Pill.

After taking care of Dugu Yan, Su Ming returned to the table and sat down.

Seeing Su Ming finish and sit down, Dugu Bo asked, "How's Yanyan?"

Su Ming replied:

"Don't worry. I'd originally planned to draw her blood twice more, but there's no need now. Based on what I saw when we drew it just now, once she wakes up, she can take another Detox Pill."

"After that Detox Pill, most of the poison in her body will be cleared. Even if a little remains, it won't matter. After that, she'll eat the immortal herb Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, and then choose her evolution path."

After speaking, Su Ming immediately asked, "Old Monster, what do you think of my Soul Core Method?"

"It's pretty good. I think I understand it now. Condensing a Soul Core means turning gas into liquid, then into solid, until it becomes a core. The process requires rotation and compression, and in the end a Soul Power core forms in the dantian. That's what they call a Soul Core."

Su Ming said:

"That's right. Once formed, a Soul Core can speed up Soul Power recovery and absorb the energy of heaven and earth on its own. If you condense a Soul Core from that Poison Pill of yours, it should happen quickly. Even though your Poison Pill is only a half-finished product, it still contains plenty of the energy of heaven and earth."

"There's another method, too. I studied the Poison Pill you gave me yesterday. By comparing it with this Soul Core condensation method, I came up with a way to condense it into a pill."

As he spoke, Su Ming took out the method he'd developed the previous night, adapting the dragon clan's pill-condensation method into one suitable for humans to cultivate, and handed it to Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo took the materials and studied them closely. He found that the two methods were much the same; in essence, both involved condensing a core in the dantian.

Seeing Dugu Bo deep in thought and unsure which method he'd choose, Su Ming interrupted him.

"All right, Old Monster. Dugu Yan's about to wake up. Since you haven't decided which method to use yet, let's choose the evolution path for her Martial Soul first."

Interrupted from his thoughts, Dugu Bo looked over at Dugu Yan, who was sitting cross-legged and refining the pill.

"Fine. We'll let Yanyan choose when she wakes up."

"Sounds good. I'll go pick the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. Once Dugu Yan wakes up, she can eat it right away."

As he spoke, Su Ming walked toward the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. Once he reached it, he followed the instructions in the materials to pick it.

Su Ming took a small metal knife from his Soul Tool and cut the plant off at the root with a single stroke. Then he carefully lifted it with metal tongs and placed it in a jade box to keep its medicinal effects from dissipating.

After packing it away, he grabbed a handful of soil nearby and covered the spot where the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid had grown. In ten thousand years, another immortal herb would grow there.

Dugu Yan had already woken up as well, so Su Ming hurried over with the jade box.

When he reached the two of them, Su Ming opened the jade box.

"There's no special way to eat this Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. Just swallow it whole."

"When you refine it, make sure to go slowly. Ideally, spend three full days and nights on it. That way, its remaining medicinal power will permeate your entire body. Afterward, your cultivation speed will increase until you reach level seventy or above."

"Oh, right. Eat this before you start."

Then Su Ming took out one of the two Detox Pills he'd refined earlier using his Golden Finger and handed it to Dugu Yan.