Ye Haixin considered for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"I understand the general idea. First, release your soul power outward, compressing and rotating it to form a stable vortex, then draw it back into a fixed position inside your body. If you want to condense a soul core afterward, you follow those same steps and keep compressing inward, turning the liquid soul power vortex solid. Is that right?"
"Exactly." Ye Han nodded.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance, bewilderment showing in both their eyes.
With their current cultivation and knowledge, they could only grasp the surface of it.
They could manage a rough discussion, but if they actually tried it themselves, they would be lost in a fog.
Seeing this, Ye Han smiled lightly. "It's fine if you don't understand. I'll demonstrate it again."
Everyone froze. Again?
Dugu Bo looked up at him. "Boy, you can condense another one?"
Ye Han shook his head and pointed at the Fire Qilin beside him. "Not me. Him."
The Fire Qilin had been resting nearby. At those words, he froze, lifted a qilin claw to point at himself, and looked utterly puzzled.
"Give it a try," Ye Han said.
The Fire Qilin tilted his head. A moment later, he imitated what Ye Han had done earlier, sitting cross-legged in a posture similar to Ye Han's meditation pose.
He looked rather comical, but his expression was exceptionally serious.
The next instant, the temperature in the courtyard soared.
An immense amount of fire-attribute soul power gathered from every direction, taking shape before the Fire Qilin.
This time, everyone could see it more clearly.
It was flame.
Blazing white fire surged out of the Fire Qilin, merging with the fire-attribute soul power pouring in from outside to form a scorching fireball before him.
The moment the fireball took shape, it began spinning rapidly.
It compressed several times faster than Ye Han's qi-blood vortex had.
In just a few minutes, the fireball had compressed into a fist-sized soul power vortex.
A soul power vortex composed entirely of flame floated before the Fire Qilin. At its center, a speck of white light burned quietly.
The Fire Qilin opened his eyes, a hint of pride flashing through them, and gently beckoned with a foreclaw.
The soul power vortex sank straight into his chest, becoming one with him.
"Roar!"
The Fire Qilin gave an excited, low roar, then opened his mouth and spewed a pillar of white flame into the sky.
The pillar shot into the clouds, painting the evening sky crimson.
Dead silence fell over the courtyard.
Dugu Bo opened his mouth, but for a long while, he could not utter a word.
"He... can condense a soul core too?" Dugu Bo's voice was filled with disbelief.
Ye Han nodded.
"The Fire Qilin has an exceptional talent for the fire attribute. Condensing a fire-attribute soul power vortex isn't particularly difficult for him."
He paused briefly and looked at the Fire Qilin.
"And in a sense, the soul power vortex he condensed is closer to a complete soul core than my qi-blood vortex."
Dugu Bo followed his gaze.
The Fire Qilin was happily swishing his tail, blazing white flames flowing around him. The boost this soul power vortex gave him was considerable.
Ye Haixin let out a long sigh, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. "Today... my eyes have truly been opened."
He looked at Ye Han with an indescribably complex expression. "You always manage to devise such world-shaking feats, child."
Ye Han smiled faintly without replying.
He turned to everyone present.
"That's roughly how you condense a soul power vortex. To form a soul core afterward, continue compressing and solidifying it along those same lines."
"However-"
At this point, Ye Han's voice suddenly deepened, turning solemn. "The condensation process is extremely dangerous and demands exceptionally precise control over spiritual power and soul power. Unless you're completely confident, you must never attempt it recklessly."
"Grandpa Ye's cultivation is currently stuck at the level 89 bottleneck." Ye Han looked at Ye Haixin. "That makes him the person best suited to attempting soul core condensation on the entire Douluo Continent right now."
Ye Haixin pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"I am indeed tempted."
He had lived so many years, and his cultivation happened to be stalled at level 89. Now that he had seen this entirely new path of cultivation, he naturally refused to let the opportunity slip away.
Beside them, Dugu Yan stared intently at the Fire Qilin and slowly voiced her doubts. "Han, didn't you say earlier that a soul core was a core of soul power refined by a soul master?
"By that reasoning, the soul power cores you and the Fire Qilin condensed should both be inside your body.
"But the Fire Qilin independently condensed a fire-attribute soul power vortex of his own. Does that mean an external beast martial soul can also condense its own soul core, just like a soul master?"
Dugu Yan's voice was full of confusion.
After hearing her question, Ye Han fell silent for a moment.
"External beast martial souls are inherently unusual," he said slowly. "The Fire Qilin's ability to condense a soul power vortex probably has something to do with his being an external beast martial soul.
"An ordinary soul master's martial soul can't independently condense a soul power vortex, much less a soul core, the way the Fire Qilin can."
Ye Han did not explain the reasons in detail, simply glossing over them with the special nature of external beast martial souls.
Only he knew the true reason.
Compared with other external beast martial souls, the Fire Qilin was even more unusual.
Anyone who had carefully observed Yu Xiaogang releasing his martial soul would have noticed the difference.
The most obvious point was where their soul rings appeared.
Although Yu Xiaogang's martial soul, Luo Sanpao, was an external beast martial soul, his soul rings still rose from beneath Yu Xiaogang's feet, no different from those of other beast martial soul masters.
The Fire Qilin's soul rings, however, always appeared beneath his own feet, rather than around Ye Han.
In terms of independence alone, the Fire Qilin far surpassed Luo Sanpao.
Dugu Bo stared at the Fire Qilin for a long time before finally shaking his head.
"Fine, fine." He withdrew his gaze, his expression turning solemn. "But there's something I must remind you of."
Ye Han looked up at him.
"You must not reveal anything more about soul cores to outsiders," Dugu Bo said, stressing every word. "That goes not only for you, but for Yanyan and Lingling as well.
"Once your cultivation is sufficient, you can try studying them, but remember: never display them before outsiders."
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling both nodded.
Dugu Bo continued, "This is different from that seemingly plausible martial soul beneficial mutation theory you proposed before.
"Even if that theory spread, it would only stir up some waves in the Soul Master World. Its impact would ultimately be limited."
"After all, established soul masters have practically no way of testing that theory. No one would destroy all their existing soul rings and start over just for an experiment."
He paused, his voice deepening. "Soul cores are different."
"This is a genuine method of increasing a soul master's strength, and the ones who stand to benefit most are powerful figures at the Titled Douluo level."
"Once word spreads, you'll stand at the heart of the continent's storm again, drawing even more attention than before.
"And the danger that comes with it will multiply as well."
Dugu Bo looked at Ye Han, his emerald eyes grave. "An ordinary man is innocent, but carrying a jade treasure makes him guilty. You should understand that principle."
Ye Han nodded lightly.
"Rest assured, Senior. I understand the stakes," he said evenly. "I won't act rashly. I'll keep this secret and reveal nothing to outsiders."
Ye Haixin chimed in from beside them. "The old poisoner is right. This thing's value... is simply too great."
Great enough to reshape the entire Soul Master World.
If the Soul Douluos who had been trapped at the level 89 bottleneck for years learned that condensing a soul core could help them break through the level 90 barrier, they would likely stop at nothing to seize this method.
And if the existing Titled Douluos learned that soul cores could raise their cultivation yet another step...
Time flowed on, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Dugu Manor received two unexpected visitors.
When Dugu Bo saw Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing standing before the manor's gates, his brows rose slightly.
Xue Beng looked utterly bedraggled.
The Heaven Dou Empire's fourth prince had bruises all over his face, his left eye swollen badly. His brocade robe was disheveled and covered in dust, as though he had just been in a fight.
Unlike his usual disguise as a wastrel, Xue Beng had shed his deliberately affected frivolity, and genuine grievance lurked in his eyes.
Prince Xue Xing stood beside him, his expression equally grim.
"Mr. Dugu." Xue Xing cupped his hands in greeting first. "Please forgive our unannounced visit."
Dugu Bo waved a hand, his gaze settling on Xue Beng. "Has the fourth prince... been attacked?"
Xue Beng was just about to speak when the movement pulled at his injuries, making him bare his teeth in pain.
Xue Xing sighed deeply and explained on his nephew's behalf. "Indeed. Today, at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Xue Beng was injured by people from an outside academy."
"An outside academy?" Dugu Bo raised a brow.
"That's right." Xue Beng caught his breath, his voice edged with anger. "A bunch of outsiders came to our Heaven Dou Royal Academy to freeload off our resources!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. "I merely disliked their arrogant attitude and made a few remarks, yet they actually dared to attack and injure me!"
"Mr. Dugu," Xue Xing said, "we've come to ask you to intervene."
"After he was beaten, Xue Beng went to the Three Education Committee Members. But they seem to think very highly of that outside academy and sided with them at every turn."
"Although Xue Beng is a prince of Heaven Dou, he holds no real authority within the academy. Even after clearly voicing his objections, he couldn't stop the Three Education Committee Members from accepting those people."
Xue Xing looked at Dugu Bo, his tone earnest. "So, sorry for the trouble, but we hoped you could go as a Titled Douluo and intimidate that academy's instructors.
"According to Xue Beng, those Grandpa Yes have considerable cultivation. Ordinary measures may not be enough to keep them in check.
"An imperial academy should never harbor such arrogant, overbearing people!"
After listening, Dugu Bo did not answer immediately. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over Xue Beng before returning to Xue Xing, as though weighing the gains and losses.
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