"Speaking of the Pill Pearl..." Dugu Bo reined in his expression, formally cutting to the main topic. "When the old man condensed mine back then, the situation was actually quite special..."
Speaking until his mouth was dry, Dugu Bo picked up his teacup and drained the tea inside in one gulp.
He held nothing back, recounting all the cultivation insights from back then when his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul evolved into the serpent emperor and he condensed the Pill Pearl, telling them to Ye Han word for word.
"So it was like this." Ye Han sighed softly, his tone carrying a trace of emotion.
Yet before long, Dugu Bo's eyes suddenly lit up, his hands rubbing together involuntarily, his entire face brimming with eager anticipation.
He already couldn't wait to become the first person in the current era to condense a Soul Core.
"Senior, don't rush."
Ye Han spoke calmly, stopping Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo started, turning to look at Ye Han, his green eyes filled with doubt.
Ye Han looked at him with a tranquil expression, slowly advising, "Senior must not be hasty in trying."
"Even though you managed to condense the Pill Pearl relying on the traits of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul, soul cores and pill pearls, however much they may share in common, are ultimately not the exact same thing."
"You must not take this lightly."
Ye Han spoke with extreme solemnity. "Compared to Titled Douluo of the same rank, mental power is inherently your shortcoming. Insufficient mental power means your fine control over soul power will be a notch weaker."
"The process of condensing a Soul Core tests a soul master's control over soul power the most. Once a mistake happens midway, the yet-to-be-formed Soul Core is extremely likely to detonate directly."
He looked at Dugu Bo, saying word by word, "With your cultivation, Senior, the power of a Soul Core explosion... you can reference the scene when the Pill Pearl self-destructs."
Hearing the four words "Soul Core explosion," the thoroughly burning enthusiasm Dugu Bo had just felt instantly cooled by more than half.
Nobody knew the destructive power of a Pill Pearl's self-detonation better than he did.
If it really blew up, let alone this Dugu Manor, I'm afraid a good half of Heaven Dou City would suffer.
If a Soul Core also possessed this kind of destructive power...
"Understand now?" Ye Han watched his fluctuating expression, speaking softly. "This matter cannot be rushed."
Dugu Bo nodded silently, raising a hand to massage his brow. The impulse to act immediately from just a moment ago had already dissipated completely.
Dugu Yan at the side seemed to suddenly think of something, her purple eyes brightening slightly. "Ye Han, what about me and Lingling? Can the two of us try right now?"
Ye Lingling also raised her eyes to look over.
Ye Han shook his head gently.
"Condensing a Soul Core has a hard threshold. Not only must one possess extremely strong soul power control capabilities, but the total amount of soul power must also reach the standard, or else it will only end halfway through."
"According to my calculations, ordinary soul masters must at least have a cultivation approaching seven rings before they are qualified to begin attempting to condense a Soul Core."
"And that is merely 'attempting' it."
Ye Han looked at the two young girls. "The vast majority of soul masters must wait all the way until the final hurdle of breaking through to Titled Douluo to successfully form a Soul Core. Before that, failure is the norm."
Dugu Bo had also calmed down by this point, turning his head to instruct Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling. "The two of you, did you hear what Ye Han said? Curb your pride and impetuosity, and do not bite off more than you can chew. On the path of cultivation, the foundation is of the utmost importance."
The two girls nodded in unison to acknowledge it.
Ye Han seemed to suddenly remember something, turning to look at Ye Lingling. "Big Sister Lingling, is your Second Grandfather... about to break through?"
Ye Lingling was slightly startled, then nodded.
"After Grandfather consumed that Primordial Immortal Herb, his cultivation reached level 88."
She answered softly, "A few days ago, he already stepped into level 89."
Hearing this, a trace of contemplation flashed across the depths of Ye Han's eyes.
Dugu Bo looked at him. "Brat, you surely aren't planning..."
Ye Han nodded.
"Grandfather Ye is already at level 89, just a step away from level 90. If we want to verify whether the Soul Core Method is viable, Grandfather Ye is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate."
Dugu Bo's brow twitched. "You intend to let Old Man Ye be the first person to eat a crab?"
Yet Ye Han shook his head. "The first person to try is me."
He looked at Dugu Bo, his expression steady. "I must trouble Senior to make a trip to the Ye Family tomorrow and invite Grandfather Ye over."
"With my current cultivation, directly condensing a complete Soul Core is not without its heavy difficulties, but condensing the embryonic form of a Soul Core, which is the soul power vortex, is not a difficult matter. I have prepared for this affair for a long time."
Speaking of cultivation, Ye Haixin was indeed the best candidate. Yet he had never contacted theories related to soul cores before, and to try rashly would carry an extremely high probability of failure, and might even result in injury.
Dugu Bo silently watched him for a moment, finally agreeing.
"Fine, tomorrow the old man will make the trip personally."
Ye Han said no more.
He had just concluded a Deep Meditation lasting as long as two months. Although his physical body had already recovered, his own state had not yet adjusted to its peak.
Condensing a soul power vortex allowed for not the slightest error; he needed time to adjust his condition to the absolute best.
The following evening.
The Ye Family.
Ye Haixin followed Dugu Bo out of the medical hall, walking toward Dugu Manor. On the way, he couldn't help asking, "Old Poison, what on earth has that brat Ye Han cooked up? So mysterious, insisting the old man go over personally?"
Dugu Bo cast a sideways glance at him. "You'll know when we get to the place, guaranteed to open the eyes of an old fellow like you."
The curiosity in Ye Haixin's heart grew even stronger.
The back courtyard of Dugu Manor.
Ye Han stood in the middle of the courtyard, closing his eyes to regulate his breath. The Fire Qilin lay prone at his side, faint white flames lingering around its entire body.
The sound of footsteps rang out as Dugu Bo brought Ye Haixin into the courtyard.
"Grandfather Ye." Ye Han opened his eyes, bowing slightly toward Ye Haixin.
Ye Haixin waved his hand, getting straight to the point. "I heard from Old Poison that you've researched some kind of new thing?"
Ye Han nodded.
"It is a completely new set of soul power cultivation methods. I call it the 'Soul Core Method'."
"Soul Core Method?"
Ye Han did not immediately elaborate, turning to look at everyone. "Inviting Grandfather Ye over today is, firstly, to ask you to witness it with your own eyes, and secondly, to also trouble Grandfather Ye to stand guard for me on the sidelines."
Ye Haixin's expression turned stern. "What do you plan to do?"
"Condense a soul power vortex," Ye Han said. "The embryonic form of a Soul Core."
"What are your chances of success?" Ye Haixin asked in a deep voice.
Ye Han smiled faintly. "Ninety-eight percent."
He did not speak with absolute certainty.
"Good." Ye Haixin nodded. "Go ahead and do it, the old man will stand watch on the sidelines."
Ye Han spoke no more, walking to the open space in the courtyard to sit cross-legged.
The remaining four people gathered around the perimeter, their gazes all falling on Ye Han.
Ye Han closed his eyes.
First he mobilized the bloodline power within his body, and following that, his soul power surged forth.
Everyone felt surprised: the force Ye Han was releasing outward at this moment was not pure soul power, but rather bloodline power as the mainstay and soul power as the supplement.
Crimson bloodline power and translucent white soul power intertwined, gathering in front of his chest.
At first it was merely a thin layer, but as Ye Han continued to urge it on, the bloodline power and soul power grew denser and denser, slowly gathering into a spherical clump. The sphere began to rotate slowly at a steady rhythm.
Fine beads of sweat seeped out from Ye Han's temples.
He did not dare to relax in the slightest, on one hand exerting his full control over the output of bloodline power and soul power, while on the other urging his mental power to guide the sphere into continuous compression and sustained rotation.
The volume of the sphere gradually shrank, its color growing increasingly dark, and its rotational speed also continuously accelerated.
At first its outline could still be seen, but in the end only a rapidly spinning crimson blur remained.
Soul power and bloodline power perfectly blended together, flowing around the center to form a miniature vortex.
The vortex was not stable at the beginning, swelling at times and contracting at times, its operational trajectory also looking somewhat chaotic. Fortunately, Ye Han continuously corrected it with his mental power, and this blood-red vortex gradually stabilized.
Time slowly passed, and the few people present all held their breath, fearing they would disturb Ye Han's process of refining the Soul Core.
Finally, the vortex stabilized completely, its volume no longer changing, maintaining the size of a fist with its crimson light restrained.
The vortex emitted a peculiar suction force, drawing in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Vital Energy, which poured continuously toward the core. Although the absorbing speed was not considered fast, it could independently extract external vital energy to nourish itself.
Ye Han slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
The soul power vortex-to be precise, the Bloodline Vortex-was done.
The main body composing it was the bloodline power after Ye Han had completed his qualitative transformation.
"This... is a Soul Core?" Ye Haixin's voice carried a trace of hoarseness.
Ye Han shook his head gently.
"This is merely the embryonic form of a Soul Core, a soul power vortex," he explained softly. "With my current level of control, I still have no way to compress it directly into a solid Soul Core. What you see right now is already the limit of my abilities."
"Moreover, influenced by the traits of my Martial Soul, it is not a pure soul power vortex, but a Bloodline Vortex."
Ye Haixin nodded in a daze, half understanding.
Yet Dugu Bo stared closely at that clump of Bloodline Vortex, his green pupils contracting slightly.
He could clearly perceive that the total amount of bloodline power and soul power contained within this tiny vortex had already reached an astonishing degree, not falling the least bit short of the complete soul power of a Seven-Ring Soul Sage.
Once this thing blew up...
The soul power within Dugu Bo's body quietly circulated, ready to step in and handle it at any moment.
Ye Han glanced at him. "Senior need not be nervous."
He raised his palm, aiming it at the Bloodline Vortex.
The vortex slowly drifted toward him, finally stopping in front of Ye Han's chest.
The next instant, with a thought from Ye Han, the Bloodline Vortex plunged straight into his chest and vanished.
Ye Han closed his eyes, concentrating his perception.
At the location of the middle Dantian in his chest, the crimson Bloodline Vortex slowly rotated, every single revolution drawing in a wisp of faint Heaven and Earth Vital Energy. The vital energy was converted by the vortex into bloodline power and soul power, feeding back into his body.
The conversion speed was somewhat slow, falling short of Ye Han actively sitting in meditation to cultivate, but it had the advantage of never stopping.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, a trace of joy flashing across their depths.
"It succeeded."
As the words fell, the few people in the courtyard simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
Dugu Bo walked to Ye Han's side, sizing him up from top to bottom. "How does it feel?"
"Very good," Ye Han replied. "Even if I don't actively cultivate, it can still slowly absorb Heaven and Earth Vital Energy, providing a continuous supply to itself."
"Truly... beyond belief."
Having lived for so many years, Dugu Bo had never heard of any soul master being able to construct this kind of self-operating power core within their body, completely shattering the inherent understandings of soul master cultivation.
"Grandfather Ye, did you see clearly?" Ye Han asked.
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