If Chu Chengzhou hadn't taken the entire rare metal inventory from the Seven Treasures Chamber today, Ning Fengzhi would have come to his door anyway.
It was just coincidence that the matter came up now.
At this, Chu Chengzhou turned his gaze to Fang Quan beside him.
Only now did he notice—Fang Quan's soul power had reached the peak of Level 89, just one step away from becoming a Level 90 Titled Douluo.
For most soul masters, breaking through this bottleneck was still likely.
But Fang Quan was different.
It wasn't that he had exceptional talent.
Chu Chengzhou knew his future father-in-law possessed a rare treasure: the brain of a hundred-thousand-year sea beast.
As for the compatibility issue between sea beast soul rings and martial souls?
Even if compatibility was low, as long as there was no direct conflict, harvesting a hundred-thousand-year soul ring was still superior to a ninety-thousand-year one.
After all, killing a hundred-thousand-year beast guaranteed a hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
"I'll be back within a month," Chu Chengzhou said after a moment's thought. "But if you're about to break through in the next few days, I can help you obtain the hundred-thousand-year soul ring first, then leave."
Ning Fengzhi turned to Fang Quan. "Go back and take the whale brain. Don't waste time trying to break through on your own. Don't try to save the treasure—it's not rare. Every hundred-thousand-year sea beast produces one."
In truth, Fang Quan had reached peak of Level 89 over a month ago.
But as a member of the Sect, he hadn't wanted to use the whale brain for himself. It was a priceless treasure—if he could break through without it, the Sect would save it for someone else.
That's why he'd held off.
"Then I'll wait for your good news," Fang Quan said with a nod.
Chu Chengzhou agreed.
Awakening soul guidance technology wasn't urgent. It had already been delayed so long—two or three more days wouldn't matter.
"By the way, Uncle Ning," Chu Chengzhou suddenly added, "unless a soul master has truly extraordinary talent, there's no need to form a Soul Core too early.
Take Elder Fang, for example. Wait until he hits Level 89 peak—when further progress is impossible—then form his Soul Core. He'll likely break through naturally."
This era's soul masters who reached the Soul Douluo level without relying on external aids like soul bone assimilation were already rare geniuses—most with innate soul power levels of 7 or higher.
Such talent meant that once they reached Level 89 peak, forming a Soul Core would almost certainly allow them to break through to Level 90.
But if they formed their Soul Core too early—say, at Level 88—then when they reached Level 89 peak, the bottleneck would become far harder to overcome.
That wasn't to say forming a Soul Core early was useless.
It simply meant it wouldn't grant a natural breakthrough at Level 89 peak.
Still, because the soul power quality was higher, those who formed a Soul Core early had a much greater chance of eventually breaking through Level 90 than those with identical talent who hadn't formed one.
That's why, in the future when the Soul Core system matured, most elite soul masters formed their cores at Level 89 peak, Level 94 peak, and Level 99 peak.
No other reason—because these three bottlenecks—89→90, 94→95, 98→99—were significantly harder than any others.
"Really?"
Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
"Trust me," Chu Chengzhou replied firmly.
His first Four-Element Heavenly Refined had consumed far less soul power than expected.
And the tribulation's power? Well within his limits.
By evening, as the elemental storm finally dissipated, Chu Chengzhou upgraded everything else.
His Soul Refined Nine Heaven Mystic Spirit Armor, Nine Heaven Mystic Spirit Bow, and all his Flowing Gold Piercing Armor Arrows—all were elevated to Heavenly Refined.
Unexpected, yet logical: the four-element Heavenly Refined alloy of Pure Gold and Magic Silver granted him a 50% elemental boost—directly from the material itself.
Just the raw metal enhanced his power by half.
He couldn't help but dream of what a full Heavenly Refined Battle Armor might do.
But after upgrading his gear, he stopped forging.
Further forging was pointless.
Giving his wives a Heavenly Refined armor? Better to wait until he revived soul guidance technology and crafted a real Battle Armor.
Then, Chu Chengzhou dragged out a reclining chair and settled into his courtyard.
He chewed on the whale gel to boost his soul power… and waited.
Because after one day's rest, following the Gold-Tier upgrade of Creation Hammer, the Nine Breath Qi Absorption technique—already Gold-Tier—was about to evolve again.
He wondered what would happen when it surpassed gold.
After all, in the skill panel's ranking system, Gold-Tier techniques were equivalent to million-year soul skills.
A million-year soul skill, powered by soul power alone, was just a million-year skill—maybe labeled a "pseudo-divine technique."
But if powered by divine energy after becoming a god? Then it became a true divine technique.
So… if Nine Breath Qi Absorption surpassed gold, would it become the legendary "Supreme Divine Technique"?
Time passed.
Another hour slipped by.
Suddenly, a massive flood of information and insight surged into Chu Chengzhou's mind as he chewed the whale brain.
Long moments passed as he absorbed it all.
Finally, he exhaled a long, dark breath.
His expression was unreadable.
It had not disappointed him.
The upgraded Nine Breath Qi Absorption was terrifyingly powerful.
Its soul power cultivation speed had undergone another qualitative leap.
The quality of the soul power it produced was now higher than before.
But most importantly—it had gained a new function.
A rather… sinister one.
In the myths of his past life, Nine Breath Qi Absorption was one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Vajra Techniques.
By breathing nine times, one could convert origin energy into spiritual power—useful for meditation and restoring spiritual energy.
The upgraded version?
It could convert any energy into his own soul power.
Not just for recovery.
But also for accumulation.
Accumulation.
The first thing Chu Chengzhou thought of? Beiming Divine Skill. The Absorption Technique.
Then—he thought of the most common, energy-rich things in this world.
Soul rings.
F*ck~.
Is this… telling me to become an Evil Soul Master?
'Perhaps… just like my dear nephew thinks… I've earned my way to death?'
Chu Chengzhou mused silently.
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