Then, God of Destruction immediately shared everything that had happened during this time with Goddess of Life through spiritual power.
Goddess of Life's illusory form trembled violently. Even someone as innocent and optimistic as her had to face this dark reality.
On the God Realm Committee, she had shown Tang San favoritism several times because they were both conservatives.
And since he held the Sea God Godhood, she had actually thought fairly well of Tang San.
But this memory tore away Tang San's hypocritical mask, exposing his true face in full before Goddess of Life.
"Xiao Zi, I..."
"All right, don't say anything. I didn't see Tang San's true nature clearly back then, either," God of Destruction interrupted.
God of Destruction turned to Lin Yuan. "There's no point regretting anything now. We have to focus on revenge and on helping a new god ascend to the Divine Realm and set things right."
Goddess of Life looked over as well. Lin Yuan faced the two experts with a grave expression.
"I more or less understand what happened. With the foundation you've built at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Five Elements Soul Core route is indeed possible."
"But this path is still incredibly difficult. Are you ready for that?" Goddess of Life asked, unusually stern.
"I'm ready," Lin Yuan replied firmly.
Goddess of Life nodded. "I should explain just how difficult this path is. Xiao Zi probably didn't tell you everything because he was afraid of shaking your confidence."
"First, over the next five years, you'll have to absorb every Immortal Herb I've refined into pills."
"Every one of them? Isn't there a limit to how many Immortal Herbs you can absorb?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Under normal circumstances, yes," Goddess of Life said with a nod.
"But I have a method that can break through the limit on how many Immortal Herbs you can absorb. The process will be extremely painful, though. The days you spent undergoing your second Martial Soul Awakening by the sea will probably become your everyday life."
At her words, Lin Yuan recalled those three horrifying days. He couldn't even remember how many times he'd been on the brink of death.
"This is to lay the foundation for your future. The Four Symbols Soul Core can still be condensed one core at a time, but starting with the second round, you'll have to condense two Soul Cores simultaneously."
"What? Two?" Lin Yuan's eyes widened like copper bells.
With so many Titled Douluo among his teachers, Lin Yuan knew all too well how difficult it was to condense a Soul Core.
He had discussed the idea of condensing two Soul Cores at the same time with these Titled Douluo experts before.
Their conclusion was that the difficulty wouldn't be added together; it would be multiplied.
Goddess of Life gave a slight nod. "That's right."
"Since your first Soul Core has the fire attribute, your second will have to be water."
"According to the Five Elements Soul Core theory, whether you use resonance between elements or Yin-Yang Complementarity, you won't have the potential to form a fourth or fifth Soul Core."
"So you'll have to condense a wood-element Soul Core to balance the other two. Otherwise, the two forces will keep tearing at you from within until—"
You explode and die!
God of Destruction: "Why are you looking at me? Didn't I tell you it was easier to make the first Soul Core fire-elemental?"
"Master, you should've told me the whole story. That wasn't very fair of you," Lin Yuan said helplessly.
"If I'd told you, your willingness to cultivate would've taken a hit. You'd have to face it sooner or later anyway," God of Destruction said with a laugh.
Lin Yuan sighed and asked Goddess of Life, "Can't I condense a wood-element Soul Core first?"
"You can, but there isn't enough time," Goddess of Life replied.
"If your first Soul Core were wood-elemental, you could certainly condense them one at a time. But it would take another four or five years. Right now, every second we lose means more risk."
That was indeed the problem. Lin Yuan sighed helplessly, then his unfocused gaze grew resolute again.
"Fine, let's do it! I've come this far. There's no turning back now."
Back in the real world, barely any time had passed.
When Ning Tian and Wu Feng asked if he was all right, Lin Yuan simply told them he was fine.
The earlier Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife had caused Jade Dragon-Slayer's Martial Soul to mutate, granting it a Life Force Sharing innate Soul Skill.
The life force it shared wasn't primordial life force that could directly replenish someone's lifespan; it was life energy converted from Soul Power.
Even so, this Soul Skill was still extremely powerful.
It could keep a Titled Douluo on the verge of dying of old age alive for a little longer. And when the gap in cultivation wasn't too great, it could allow someone to absorb a Soul Ring beyond the usual limit.
Based on this, Lin Yuan estimated that his third Soul Ring could come from a twenty-thousand-year-old Soul Beast.
Some time later, all the alchemy masters currently known on the continent had gathered at the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.
They were all amazed that the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had managed to collect these Immortal Herbs. They were rare treasures of such essence that the masters could spend their entire lives without ever seeing them.
With Titled Douluo guarding the gates, they couldn't spread any news about the place, either.
They could only stay peacefully at the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, refining all the medicinal ingredients into pills, then remain confined for another ten or twenty years before being let out.
As for having no rights, they could always file a complaint with Bone Douluo or Amorous Douluo in the personnel department.
And since they were being paid enough, well, being confined was being confined.
Besides, once they finished refining this batch of ingredients, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect could keep them comfortably fed and housed for free.
"Boy, have you said a proper goodbye to your little girlfriend?"
Outside the mountain gate of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, Du Busi teased Lin Yuan.
After changing into outdoor gear, Lin Yuan held up a finger to correct him.
"Correction: she's my fiancée now. After deciding to send me out to gain experience, Uncle Ning spoke to Ning Tian and me in private."
"Hah, not bad. You've got half the flair I had in my day."
While the alchemy masters were sorting through records passed down by their ancestors, they had "accidentally" come across a book called Five Elements Soul Core Theory Hypothesis.
It had been written by some long-dead sage and described a way of condensing Soul Cores that differed from the two methods popular on the continent.
At first, the alchemist who found the manuscript had just treated it as an amusing curiosity. But the more he read, the graver his expression became.
The book was then brought before Ning Zhiyuan and several Titled Douluo.
After calculating and debating the matter, the experts found that the book's theory was indeed plausible.
And the conditions matched with uncanny precision: Twin Martial Souls, a vast difference between the attributes of the two Martial Souls, a priceless treasure with the life attribute, and even the need for a large number of Immortal Herbs.
After discussing it, the higher-ups concluded that even if this method failed, Lin Yuan would still end up with a solid foundation.
And if it succeeded, the continent would see another god after ten thousand years.
The higher-ups unanimously decided to launch a God-Making Project.
They continued pouring resources into Lin Yuan without regard for cost. Over the next few years, Titled Douluo from various factions would take him to train in extreme environments across the continent.
"Of course. Who am I? I'm the disciple of the future number one on the continent." Lin Yuan nudged Du Busi with his elbow and buttered him up.
"You little brat. It's a shame the Body Sect doesn't have a suitable female disciple. Once you become a god, don't forget the Body Sect."
"Do I look like the kind of person who'd forget?"
With that, Du Busi took Lin Yuan and flew toward the distant horizon.