Yin-Yang Complementary Twin Soul Cores

He then picked up the second jade bottle.

This jade bottle was slightly larger than the previous one. Inside was a drop of golden liquid. It was as thick as honey yet not sticky, flowing slowly within the bottle and giving off a warm, majestic aura.

Radiant Primordial Chaos Grass.

This thing had all but vanished from the outside world. Only a single stalk remained at the Icefire Yin Yang Well. Its essence neither raised Soul Power nor strengthened the body; it had only one effect—enhancing the strength of one's Martial Soul.

Yan Jingzhe poured the drop of golden liquid into his palm.

The instant the liquid seeped into his skin, he felt his heart jolt violently. Then his entire body seemed to ignite, every cell radiating golden light. The Light Phoenix Martial Soul awoke within him—not because he had summoned it, but because that energy had activated it. It eagerly and greedily began absorbing the golden liquid of its own accord.

He could feel his Martial Soul undergoing some kind of transformation.

It was like sharpening a dull blade anew, or fitting a fine steed with a saddle. The Radiant Phoenix Martial Soul had always been his core power, and now that power was being reinforced—the Phoenix's wings became more solid, its Light Power rose steadily, and the majestic presence belonging to a top-tier divine beast multiplied.

The process lasted a long time.

So long that Yan Jingzhe had no idea how many hours had passed outside, so long that fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead, so long that he could feel every inch of bone in his body trembling faintly.

But it was worth it.

When he opened his eyes again, he found that the Light Power in his body had become at least fifty percent denser. That fifty percent was not to be underestimated. Yan Jingzhe's Light Power had already been of the highest grade, and with this increase, it had directly transformed into Ultimate Light.

His Martial Soul was now an Ultimate Light Phoenix. How could he not be delighted?

He drew a deep breath, steadied his mind, suppressed the last remnant of energy, and opened his eyes again.

The light inside the tree hollow had completely dimmed. Only the golden glow flowing across the wooden walls provided faint illumination. Yan Jingzhe did not know whether it was late at night or early morning, but he could feel that his condition had been adjusted to its peak.

His Divine Sense was abundant, his Martial Soul had transformed, his Soul Power was full, and his vitality was ample.

He closed his eyes and focused all his attention inward.

What came next was the true core of this seclusion.

Condensing Yin-Yang Complementary Twin Soul Cores.

The usual cultivation method for a Titled Douluo was to condense a Soul Core in the dantian, then use it as the center to circulate Soul Power and increase cultivation. But Limit Douluos were different. One Soul Core was no longer enough. Truly supreme experts would condense two Soul Cores within their bodies, forming a Soul Core system that balanced and supplemented itself.

Teacher Mu En had followed the In-Phase Resonant Soul Core Path. Though that path was not bad, it was not the strongest or best.

But Yan Jingzhe did not want to take that path. He possessed the Ultimate Light attribute of the Light Phoenix, and his body had also absorbed the Ultimate Life force of Life Gold.

Therefore, Yin-Yang Complementary Twin Soul Cores were imperative.

He had already planned it out. One Soul Core would govern Ultimate Light. The other would govern Ultimate Life, making them circulate around each other like a Taoist Taijitu and achieve an endless cycle of creation.

If he succeeded, then after breaking through to Limit Douluo, his combat strength would surpass Teacher Mu En's and reach the same level as Di Tian, the Beast God.

If he failed...

Yan Jingzhe did not think about failure.

He took a deep breath and began circulating his Soul Power.

Golden Light Power gathered from every corner of his body, slowly converging toward his dantian. It felt like countless streams flowing into the sea—slow at first, then increasingly swift and turbulent.

His dantian seemed to become a bottomless pit, greedily devouring all his Soul Power. More than half the energy in his meridians was drained away. His body began to grow cold, and his limbs felt somewhat numb, but Yan Jingzhe did not stop.

He knew this was normal.

Condensing a Soul Core was a process of compression. It meant gathering the Soul Power originally scattered throughout the body at one point, compressing it again and again until its concentration became high enough for a qualitative transformation.

He gritted his teeth and desperately drove his Soul Power toward his dantian.

The time it took to drink a cup of tea passed.

The time it took to burn an incense stick passed.

No one knew how much time had passed. It seemed to have vanished altogether.

As for Yan Jingzhe, all his attention was fixed on his dantian. Intense swelling pain came from there, as if something were about to break out of its shell. He did not dare relax, continuing to drive his Soul Power and forcefully suppressing that increasingly compressed mass of energy at the center of his dantian.

Then, he "heard" it.

Crack.

A faint, crisp sound, like an eggshell breaking.

Immediately afterward, a force of Ultimate Light erupted from his dantian and swept through his entire body in an instant. Golden radiance burst forth from within him, illuminating the entire tree hollow as brightly as day. The phantom of the Light Phoenix appeared behind him beyond his control, crying out toward the heavens with its wings spread wide.

The corners of Yan Jingzhe's lips curved upward.

It had worked.

The first Soul Core had completely transformed into Ultimate Light Power.

At the center of his dantian, a thumb-sized golden sphere of light slowly revolved, radiating warm and majestic Light Power. The Soul Core seemed alive. With every rotation, it absorbed nearby particles of Soul Power, transformed them into golden energy, and sent them through the meridians throughout his body.

Yan Jingzhe could feel his body changing.

This was not an increase in strength, but an all-around leap. The barrier between rank ninety-eight and rank ninety-nine had once been a thick wall. Now, a crack had appeared in that wall, and it was gradually widening.

Seizing the momentum, he began condensing the second Soul Core.

This time, he did not use Light Power. Instead, he mobilized another kind of power within his body.

It was the Ultimate Life energy brought by Life Gold.

After he had absorbed it, part of its essence had yet to fully merge with him.

Now, Yan Jingzhe slowly drew out that power and injected it into the second Soul Core.

He made it rotate in tandem with the first Soul Core.

The Light Power seemed to encounter its natural counterpart and began moving toward that force of its own accord. The two energies spiraled, entwined, and merged in his dantian like two fish biting each other's tails, forming a perfect cycle.

Yan Jingzhe pushed his spiritual power to its limits, carefully guiding the process.

It could not be too fast. Too fast, and it would lose control.

It could not be too slow. Too slow, and all previous effort would be wasted.

Again and again, he adjusted the proportions and flow rates of the two energies, like finely calibrating a precision instrument. With every adjustment, the cycle became more complete and smoother.

Gradually, the embryonic form of the second Soul Core began to emerge.

It was a point of light the same size as the first Soul Core, pale cyan in color and giving off a gentle yet chilling aura. It slowly revolved alongside the first Soul Core like a planet orbiting a star. With every revolution, the two energies merged a little further, becoming increasingly harmonious and attuned.

Yan Jingzhe's forehead was already covered in sweat.

He did not know how long he had persisted, but he knew he had reached the most critical stage. The embryonic form of the second Soul Core had already condensed, but if he could not make it fully take shape, it would soon dissipate, and all his previous efforts would come to nothing.

He clenched his teeth and poured all his spiritual power into his dantian.

Then, he heard the second sound.

Crack.

The second Soul Core had taken shape.