Bottleneck

"Fine!"

Han Tao was young, after all.

This time, he could only admit defeat. Left with no choice, he told Ning Rongrong his method.

"You need to prepare paper and pen beforehand!"

"Don't think about having someone else record it for you, because this information is highly confidential."

Han Tao could not help feeling a little annoyed. He could guess that this was Ning Fengzhi's doing, but there was nothing he could do about it.

If he was unhappy, then Ning Rongrong should not expect to be happy either. So, he secretly made things difficult for her. If she was unwilling to take notes, then he would have an excuse to brush this matter off.

But Han Tao was quickly disappointed.

Ning Rongrong sat obediently at the side, with paper and pen ready to take notes.

Though she was somewhat unruly, that did not mean she was an idiot. She was still the heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and would treat the interests of the entire Sect seriously.

If she messed this up, even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo would not plead for her.

"Among Innate Soul Power, the core factors affecting talent are 'Meridian Soul Power Compatibility' and 'Meridian Width.' If Meridian Width can be widened, then a person's Cultivation Talent can naturally be improved."

"The Soul Power pressure of a high-level Soul Master can widen a Soul Master's Meridians, but it can damage the Capillary Meridians."

"Therefore, combining Deep Treatment with Soul Power pressure can not only improve a Soul Master's Cultivation Talent, but also allow them to raise their level quickly."

"If one also possesses a Gravity Soul Skill and Soul Power pressure, it can temper a Soul Master's physique and Soul Power simultaneously, creating an effect where one plus one is greater than two."

After recording Han Tao's findings, Ning Rongrong returned to her innocent and lively self, skipping toward the Sect Leader's Residence.

"Ah..." He let out a soft sigh.

In truth, Han Tao had long known that he would not be able to keep this portion of the theory secret, but he had not expected Ning Fengzhi to act so quickly.

Still, he had obtained an advanced version of the Distraction Control Method. That theory was of little use to him for the time being, but at least it gave him some psychological comfort.

With Big Brother Xiao Yuan's help, Han Tao had raised his Soul Power Level from 12 to 15 in just half a year of training, while his Physique Attribute had risen from 10 points to 16.

It was worth noting that Han Tao's calculation of his own physique was not precise.

He used muscular strength as the standard. At a Physique Attribute of 1, he could lift a one-hundred-kilogram stone. At his current Physique Attribute of 16, he could lift a one-thousand-six-hundred-kilogram stone.

(Poseidon's Trident weighed one hundred and eight thousand jin, or 54,000 kilograms, equivalent to 540 Physique Attribute points. The Clear Sky Hammer's Growth Base was 0.8. According to the calculation rules, 0.8 * (1 + 10) / 2 * 100 gave 440 points of Physique Attribute growth. Including Soul Rings and Soul Bones, that should be about right.)

(The Clear Sky Hammer initially weighed 500 kilograms. A level-10 Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul had a Physique Attribute of 9–11 and could be lifted.) This was merely the outward manifestation of strength. Physique Attribute actually included many finer factors, such as coordination, explosive power, resistance, and more.

Han Tao could judge his own strength, but those minute details required specialized instruments to test. The reality was that he did not have such instruments, nor was it worth spending effort on such fine measurements.

Rather than measuring precisely, he might as well spend the time improving himself.

Three months passed. To Han Tao's surprise, even though he had provided a method for rapid cultivation, Ning Fengzhi did not recall Xiao Yuan.

One had to know that in this theory, Xiao Yuan's Gravity Soul Skill was the most crucial element—the prerequisite for overturning conventional understanding.

The Sect Leader only summoned Xiao Yuan away for half a day. After verifying the correctness of Han Tao's findings, he simply left it at that.

Over these three months, with Xiao Yuan's help, Han Tao's Soul Power Level reached 19.

At this moment, he had fallen into a bottleneck.

Just like Yu Xiaogang in the original work, after reaching this level, he discovered that no matter how he cultivated, he could not break through to level 20.

Han Tao, Ning Fengzhi, and Yu Xiaogang were fundamentally the same.

Why did they study theory?

Was it not because they could no longer break through? Unable to break through, they searched for the reason, trying to understand why they could not advance.

Was there any way to resolve this innate shackle?

If Han Tao had Innate Full Soul Power and a top-tier Martial Soul, he would not have studied theory at all. He would have simply cultivated Soul Power mindlessly. Following the proper steps, he would naturally break through.

Why would he need to study and research?

Study? Study my ass!

At this moment, Han Tao had only just encountered this predicament. He still possessed some of a young man's courage and drive.

When faced with difficulty, he naturally had to investigate it before he would be willing to give up.

"What exactly affects Soul Power Level?"

"Does total Soul Power affect Soul Power Level?"

This idea had an obvious flaw, because a Soul Master's Soul Power and physique were both affected by their Martial Soul's Growth Base. Two Soul Masters at the same level 20 could have vastly different amounts of Soul Power—the Clear Sky Hammer possessed three times the Soul Power of Blue Silver Grass.

Therefore, there was no direct connection between total Soul Power and Soul Power Level.

"Do Meridian Soul Power Compatibility and Meridian Width affect Soul Power Level?"

After some simple consideration, Han Tao discarded this idea as well. Could those Soul Masters limited by their talent truly resign themselves to fate?

Presumably not. They had never given up on breaking through. They would continuously circulate their Meditation Method, bitterly waiting for the chance to break through at some particular moment.

Yet perhaps many Soul Masters grew old and died without that opportunity ever appearing.

However, persistent cultivation could slowly improve a Soul Master's Cultivation Talent, but it could not break through the level barrier.

"Mental Power." This was one of Han Tao's conjectures, because he was unsure of the strength of other people's Mental Power.

He could not determine from the changes brought by leveling up whether a soul master's Mental Power had something like a Growth Base.

"Bloodline."

It was one of the possibilities affecting the limits of Soul Power Level, but Han Tao currently had no ability to change this aspect, so he set it aside for the time being.

After listing every possibility, Han Tao closed his diary and walked out of his room.

At that moment, the sunlight in the sky was still bright.

"Perhaps I should return to Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy and take a look."

Yu Xiaogang—a Soul Grandmaster stuck at level 29, a failed case of theoretical exploration—was undoubtedly the most worthwhile subject to observe at present.

After asking the Sect Master for some leave, Han Tao set off on his journey home.

"Young master, please come in, please come in. Do you need me to show you the way?"

The gatekeeper was still the same gatekeeper.

Once he saw Han Tao's attire clearly, he put on a flattering smile.

Although Han Tao was now merely an ordinary level 19 young soul master, he was still someone the man could not afford to offend.

"Thank you!"

Accepting the gatekeeper's offer, Han Tao found the principal's office under his guidance.

"Principal Su, I'm back!"

Han Tao had only spent a short year at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but the changes in him had been tremendous.

Long-term training had gradually made his body sturdier, while studying the auxiliary research reading list in the Library Pavilion had unexpectedly added a touch of scholarly refinement.

From afar, he truly gave off the impression of a wealthy young master.

"Teacher Li, you're here too!"

Principal Su adjusted the glasses on his nose and studied Han Tao's face closely. Only after examining him for a long while did he dare confirm it.

"Han Tao, you brat, you actually came back!"