The blazing sun hung high in the sky. Above the mountain range where the Elemental Academy resided, a figure streaked swiftly across the heavens, landing upon the summit of a side peak.
With the Condensing Ring Method now in existence, Muyang planned to push his soul power level to Level 90 quasi-Titled Douluo by condensing soul rings for his Iceflame Saint Shadow martial soul. Afterward, he would rely on a God-bestowed Soul Ring to advance into a nine-ring Titled Douluo, bringing his Icefire Immortal Jade Ginseng martial soul cultivation to perfection.
In this way, his soul power level would surge once more in a short span of time.
But when soul power increased rapidly, one's control over it inevitably declined. At that time, the difficulty of condensing a second soul core would skyrocket.
Therefore, Muyang intended to condense his second soul core before condensing additional soul rings.
In later generations, it was true that a certain protagonist who started with million-year soul rings had only condensed his second soul core after advancing to Titled Douluo.
But Muyang's foundation was not lacking. At his current level 84, his soul power wasn't low. Furthermore, he had life-preserving methods at hand. He did possess the capital to condense a second soul core.
Unlike the first soul core, the second had two different methods of condensation, and the resulting effect differed in strength.
One was the resonant twin-core method. The other was the yin-yang complementary twin-core method.
If the soul core was compared to a circle's center, then the resonant twin-core method was like replacing one center with two, forming a larger circle. This strengthened the soul core's refining effect on soul power.
The yin-yang complementary method, however, sought to condense a second soul core that rotated in the opposite direction of the first.
With two cores rotating in opposing directions, their powers collided and fused, reorganizing, tempering, condensing, and elevating the soul master's soul power. This allowed the soul power to simultaneously carry the characteristics of both cores.
Once the yin-yang complementary core was complete, its refinement effect was far greater than that of resonance. The newly formed soul power would not only spiral like a vortex, but also carry devastating destructive force.
From effect alone, the yin-yang complementary twin-core was unquestionably superior to the resonant method.
Of course, while its effect was stronger, its difficulty of condensation was also much higher.
If Muyang had no effective means of survival, he truly might not risk attempting the exceedingly dangerous yin-yang complementary method.
After all, he had already gained the Asura God Trials. Ascending to the position of Supreme God King was just around the corner. Even if his body held no soul core at all, it would not hinder the strength of a God King standing at the peak of the cosmos. The risks and benefits hardly balanced.
However, since he could pursue the stronger option — and could guarantee he would not die in the process — Muyang naturally would aim for the most powerful yin-yang complementary soul core.
Seated cross-legged atop a massive boulder on the mountain peak, Muyang calmed his spirit and prepared to condense the second, yin-yang complementary soul core.
The human body possessed three major dantians that could house soul cores: the upper dantian at the brow, the middle dantian at the chest, and the lower dantian at the abdomen.
At present, the Iceflame soul core already occupied the lower dantian. The locations available for the second soul core were only the middle and the upper dantians.
Though it seemed he could choose between the two, in truth there was no real choice. Muyang could only condense the yin-yang complementary core in the middle dantian.
After all, the middle dantian lay between the upper and lower. If he chose the upper dantian now, then once the yin-yang complementary cores formed and rotated in opposite directions, their combined influence would make it nearly impossible for the middle dantian — caught in between — to ever hold a third soul core.
Thus, for any soul master wishing to achieve three cores, regardless of method, the second must always be adjacent to the first.
Either: first in the lower dantian, second in the middle, third in the upper.
Or: first in the upper dantian, second in the middle, third in the lower.
Or: first in the middle dantian, then the second and third split between the upper and lower.
In addition, a soul core's attribute was not limited to one's own soul power attributes. Yet condensing multiple cores of the same attribute would not produce the yin-yang complementary effect of holding multiple core traits simultaneously.
Having already formed the Iceflame core of icefire attribute, Muyang naturally would not create another identical one in the middle dantian. Instead, he would condense a second core of blood-energy attribute.
To be precise, Muyang wished to form a Sun Soul Core — by combining the immense qi and blood power he gained from cultivating the Solar Refinement Body technique, with the fire-attribute soul power split from his Iceflame power.
Before condensing the Sun Soul Core, however, Muyang needed to first drain as much soul power as possible from the Iceflame core in the lower dantian, lessening the intense interference it would cause.
With a flash of icy blue light, the Icefire Immortal Jade Ginseng martial soul manifested before him.
After swallowing a stalk of Purple Jade Mysterious Yellow Ginseng, Muyang released his spiritual power, severing the connection between the Iceflame core and the outside world. Then, his first and second soul rings lit repeatedly. Relying on the Ginseng martial soul's true form — which gave seven-rings-and-below soul skills no cooldown — he swiftly consumed the soul power within the Iceflame core by mass-producing Red Jade Revival Ginseng and Orange Jade Blood-Replenishing Ginseng.
When condensing the Sun Soul Core, consuming Red Jade Revival Ginseng would ensure complete recovery of his spiritual power, while also rapidly restoring Iceflame soul power, which could then be split into fire power to fuel the Sun Core's formation.
Meanwhile, Orange Jade Blood-Replenishing Ginseng could heal wounds and restore physical strength, supplying the massive blood-energy needed for Sun Core condensation.
These two ginsengs, combined with several Silver Jade Undying Ginsengs stored in his soul tool bracelet — capable of permanent preservation — gave Muyang full confidence in succeeding with the yin-yang complementary Sun Soul Core.
Even if he failed on the first attempt, he could rely on his soul bone skill, Invincible Golden Body, to survive for three seconds. Within that time, he could swallow a Silver Jade Undying Ginseng. Even if the soul core exploded within his body, Muyang's life would not be lost.
He might seem reckless, but when it came to survival, Muyang was a consummate professional. He would never gamble with his own life.
Whether on Earth in his past life or in the Douluo universe, energy was always conserved. A soul core's automatic regeneration of soul power came from absorbing external heaven and earth energy.
Now, with his spiritual power cutting off the Iceflame core from the outside, the power within it became rootless water. As he mass-produced Red Jade Revival Ginseng and Orange Jade Blood-Replenishing Ginseng, the Iceflame core's stored soul power rapidly dwindled.
As a vast amount of soul power was drained, the Iceflame core grew increasingly unstable. Yet before it could stir up chaos, Muyang's control restored its calm.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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