Mingdu Beneath Gathering Storm Clouds

"All right, that covers the normal method of condensing a Soul Core. Now let's talk about the second kind—stronger, more aggressive."

Yin Hongye continued, "Ordinary people won't choose this method to condense a Soul Core, because they can't do it."

At those words, everyone before the Heavenly Screen held their breath and stared fixedly at it.

Especially Qian Daoliu and the other Limit Douluo. Now that they knew Soul Cores could be condensed at any time, they were filled with anticipation.

Qian Daoliu, honest as ever, was even wondering whether this could help him defeat Tang Chen.

"The Yin-Yang Complementary Soul Core. When establishing the second Soul Core, from the very beginning, it must take a completely different path from the first. It is equivalent to condensing an entirely new Soul Core, one wholly unrelated to the first. At the same time, it must endure all the interference from the first Soul Core. To put it simply, one goes left, the other goes right."

"Either way, failure means death. Just with a louder explosion."

Yin Hongye's voice was calm. Though he had never exploded himself, he roughly knew how powerful it would be.

"What kind of Soul Cores do you have?" Qian Renxue could not help asking.

"Me? My first Soul Core is fire, and my second is blood. Yin-Yang Balanced Soul Cores. Remember, humans only have three locations where Soul Cores can be opened: the brow, the chest, and the dantian. To open three Yin-Yang Complementary Soul Cores, you cannot skip a position when opening them from top to bottom."

Yin Hongye reminded Qian Renxue of this because it was extremely important. Once she made a mistake, she would lose all possibility of condensing a third Soul Core in the future.

The position he had saved for last was his brow, the exact opposite route of Ling Bing Douluo, Huo Yuhao.

"The reason soul beasts currently cannot defeat humans is also related to Soul Cores. Soul beasts do not choose the Same-Position Resonance method of cultivation because their bodily structures can hardly support it. Their meridians differ from those of humans, and they do not have such suitable acupoints. Most soul beasts only have two locations where they can cultivate Soul Cores, and they cannot resonate them."

The Silver Dragon King was slightly stunned upon hearing this. Di Tian also understood why his soul beast clan would be suppressed in the future. Their opponents' top fighters were all Limit Douluo with three Soul Cores, while even ordinary Super Douluo possessed two Soul Cores.

Human Soul Masters would certainly be stronger than ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

He clenched his fists, pondering what he should do in the future. Humanity already knew the method of cultivating Soul Cores. The only thing he could still prevent was humans being able to kill soul beasts.

He needed to solve, at the source, the problem of allowing them to grow stronger.

Golden Crocodile Douluo also roughly understood what he should do. He chose the more conservative resonance method; as for Yin-Yang Complementarity, he did not know whether his spiritual power could reach the necessary level.

If this were only ten thousand years later, he should be able to directly break through to Limit Douluo with two Soul Cores.

With that thought, he bade the others farewell and went into seclusion. In an instant, every powerhouse above the Titled Douluo rank across Douluo Continent went into seclusion to attempt condensing their first Soul Core.

On the Heavenly Screen, Yin Hongye had explained all the key points regarding Soul Cores and said no more.

Mu Hongchen moved quickly. Vast Sea Douluo personally stepped in and found a place for Yin Hongye to enter seclusion within a barren mountain in the northern outskirts of Mingdu.

There was no human habitation within ten li. Even if Yin Hongye exploded into a firework inside, Mingdu would not hear the slightest sound.

Unfortunately, Yin Hongye had countless chances to make mistakes.

Yin Hongye left decisively, leaving behind only one sentence. "I'll leave these two little ones to you. Don't let them stay too naive. They'll be easy to deceive."

"No problem. Leave them to me. Teaching is what I'm best at!" Mu Hongchen said with a smile.

Qian Renxue stood in the living room of Mu Hongchen's home, contemplating her own Soul Core plan.

Soul Cores.

Yin Hongye had chosen Yin-Yang Complementarity. She, too, would choose the strongest path.

Her Martial Soul was the Six-Winged Angel, with light and holy attributes. If she wanted to take the Yin-Yang Complementary path, then her first and second Soul Cores had to be fire and holy attributes respectively, with light as the final one.

"What are you thinking about?" Mu Hongchen asked curiously.

"I'm thinking about my Soul Cores." Qian Renxue turned around. "If I'm going to condense them, then I'll condense the strongest ones."

Mu Hongchen looked at her for two seconds, then clicked his tongue. "Seriously? Every one of you acts like your lives don't matter. All of you want Yin-Yang Complementarity."

"Fine. I'll find you a quiet room. Before condensing a Soul Core, think carefully about your spiritual power first."

Deep within the dense forest outside Vast Sea City, Tang San's group finally shook off the last wave of pursuers.

Several of them collapsed beneath an old crooked tree, their clothes torn, their bodies covered in blood and grime. They looked utterly miserable.

Ma Hongjun leaned against the trunk, gasping heavily. The wound on Dai Mubai's shoulder was still bleeding, while Zhu Zhuqing took out bandages and wrapped it for him. Her movements were neat, but she did not say a word.

Bai Chenxiang crouched nearby, wilted like a fledgling soaked through by rain. She had already begun considering leaving the group.

Tang San leaned against the tree trunk with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing. The inner power of his Mysterious Heaven Skill slowly circulated through his meridians, repairing the hidden injuries left behind by their desperate fighting.

In the battle just now, he had taken down at least thirty people. Blood still clung to the venomous spikes of the Eight Spider Lances, which had devoured vast amounts of life force and Soul Power.

"Third Brother, what do we do now?" Ma Hongjun asked weakly. "All the ships are gone, and the harbor is full of people trying to capture us."

"Hide for a few days first." Tang San opened his eyes, a trace of gloom flashing through them. "Once things calm down, we'll find a way to get a ship."

"These sea Soul Masters truly have a death wish. Once I become a god, I won't leave a single one alive!"

He had no idea that during the time they had been fleeing for their lives, Yin Hongye had already revealed the cultivation method for Soul Cores to the public on the Heavenly Screen.

From Same-Position Resonance to Yin-Yang Complementarity—every Titled Douluo on Douluo Continent with even a bit of strength was currently in seclusion, attempting to condense their first Soul Core.

Yet Tang San, the future Sea God, was still squatting beneath a crooked tree, having never even heard the words "Soul Core."

The gap between them was quietly widening.

Time passed unnoticed, and half a year flew by.

Under Mu Hongchen's guidance, Na'er and Yuanen Yehui gradually learned how to be "good people."

Na'er remained quiet and reserved, but the timidity in her eyes had lessened compared to half a year ago.

Yuanen Yehui improved even faster. The Fallen Angel Martial Soul within her gradually changed from a burden into a weapon, honed into an even sharper blade.

Mu Hongchen kept saying, "Taking care of children is such a pain," yet he taught them on time every day, scolding them even as he guided them.

Meanwhile, the heavy iron door of the secret chamber where Yin Hongye was secluded had never opened.

Until one morning, he sensed that the north of Mingdu had suddenly darkened. Looking in that direction, he said bluntly, "There's a ninety-eight percent chance that's Hongye. How powerful will the lightning strike be this time? Every time, it's like a soul beast undergoing tribulation."

Lightning serpents writhed through the distant storm clouds, as though something were awakening within them—heavy, immense, and indescribable.

Tang Hao still wanted to kill Yin Hongye. After all, he had taken something he should not have.

In the center of the quiet room, Yin Hongye opened his eyes.

A blood-red light ignited in his eyes, filled with terrifying killing intent. In the deepest part of his spiritual sea, a massive crimson sun slowly rose.

That was his third Soul Core.

Under the illumination of that Soul Core, his spiritual power had been compressed from a liquid state into a nearly solid substance, slowly circling the Soul Core like magma.

Every strand of spiritual power carried killing intent condensed to the extreme. Merely the tiniest trace that leaked out covered the walls of the quiet room in frost.

"It worked, it worked! This old Daoist made it!"