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"No wonder Snow Empress appeared here."
After completing the soul spirit contract, Chen Junting made no effort to conceal Snow Empress's presence from Sect Masters Niu Tian and Tai Tan.
The two exchanged a glance—and immediately understood.
Now floating serenely beside Chen Junting, Snow Empress listened to their conversation with calm detachment, as though the discussion weren't about her at all.
Her gaze, however, kept drifting—subtly, repeatedly—toward Huo Yuhao.
Why… does this human carry Bing'er's aura?!
Could it be…?
A chilling suspicion surfaced in her mind.
Though deeply unsettled, she knew this was no time for questions.
"Young man," Tai Tan clapped Chen Junting on the shoulder with a grin. In that instant, he'd already assessed the boy's condition. "Your soul power's already at Level 75! Your physical and spiritual strength both surpass ordinary Title Douluos by a wide margin. Tsk tsk—by now, you're more than ready to forge a soul core."
The phrase soul core instantly seized Chen Junting's attention.
"Uncle," he asked eagerly, "you mean I can forge one now?"
"Of course—wait!" Tai Tan's eyes widened as realization struck. "You're thinking of forging one early?!"
Over the past ten thousand years, while core cultivation methods remained largely unchanged, key refinements had emerged—one being the forging of a soul core to break through to Title Douluo.
But it was no simple feat. Even a minor error could permanently cripple one's cultivation.
"You've got guts, kid," Tai Tan said, his tone now serious. "With your current strength, you can already match any non-Ultimate Attribute soul master below Level 95. There's no rush—wait until Level 89. That's the standard path."
Then, with characteristic generosity, he added, "And when you're ready to break through Level 99 and forge your second soul core, come find me. For Xiao Dong's sake, I'll personally teach you how to create Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores. Only Di Tian—the Beast God of Star Dou Forest—and we brothers have achieved this."
Snow Empress's eyes snapped to the two men, shock flooding her expression.
Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores?!
That was precisely the method she'd attempted—and failed—at. The backlash had shattered her primordial essence, stalling her at 700,000 years and leaving her vulnerable to heavenly tribulation… which led to her current fate.
And these humans had mastered it?
"Thank you, Uncle Tian," Chen Junting said politely—then, before Tai Tan could relax, added: "Could you teach me how to forge one now?"
"You're that stubborn?!" Tai Tan groaned, scratching his head in exasperation as Niu Tian smirked beside him. "Don't get ahead of yourself! If you forge a core at Level 70, how will you break through Level 90? Forge another? Fine—say you succeed. Then what about Level 99? Forge a third?!"
"Triple soul cores have no precedent—and no known path."
Niu Tian nodded gravely. "Brother's right. With your talent, if you aim to walk the path of the original Shrek Seven Monsters, reaching Level 99 is non-negotiable. Otherwise…"
Chen Junting's brow furrowed.
He caught the unspoken implication.
But his resolve remained unshaken.
No path for triple cores?
Then I'll carve one myself.
Besides—he did have a reference. (Though, admittedly, it wasn't one he could directly follow.)
To persuade them, Chen Junting adopted a solemn tone:
"Uncles, I appreciate your concern—but I have my reasons."
Niu Tian sighed inwardly. Stubborn as stone.
As Sea God's appointed guardians, they knew the truth: divine inheritances—though initiated on the mortal plane—culminated in the God Realm. Only two paths opened the final trial:
1) Sacrifice by a High Priest of the earthly temple, or
2) The inheritor reaching Level 99.
With the Rakshasa God's shrine abandoned in this realm, and even Bibi Dong having used the second method… if Chen Junting failed to reach Level 99, who would open the final gate?
And if he didn't become Rakshasa God…
Damn that Tang San's scheming! If not for Xiao Wu's sake, we'd never entangle ourselves in this mess!
Then—Niu Tian's eyes flicked to Chen Junting's forehead. Seeing the boy's unwavering expression, a sudden insight struck him.
The Rakshasa God's trial.
Perhaps forging a soul core at Soul Saint rank was part of the test.
Otherwise, why would someone this calculating act so recklessly?
Decision made, Niu Tian turned to Tai Tan.
"Brother… teach him."
"What? For real?!"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Niu Tian sent a covert soul-force message, explaining the "true reason."
Damn… the God of Destruction's trials really are ruthless, Tai Tan thought with newfound sympathy.
Under Chen Junting's puzzled gaze, Tai Tan began a thorough lecture:
—The three stages of soul power condensation (gaseous → liquid → solid), the differences between ordinary, Super, and Limit Douluos in core management, and finally, a live demonstration.
He raised his right hand. A yellow mist coalesced above his palm—compressing, densifying, until it became a solid, pulsing orb wreathed in spatial distortions.
A flick—and the space around it collapsed into a miniature black hole, devouring ambient heaven-and-earth energy like a ravenous beast.
"Understand?"
"Mostly."
"'Mostly' means no. Again."
Tai Tan drilled him relentlessly. Chen Junting absorbed every word like a dry sponge. Soon, Tai Tan had him practicing firsthand—using spiritual power to compress rotating soul energy.
His control was flawless.
"Now," Tai Tan said, "you have two choices for your core's attribute:
1) Your Ultimate Metal, or
2) The innate killing intent of your Seven Kill Sword martial soul."
Chen Junting frowned. "Is killing intent really an attribute?"
"Not the intent itself—but the slaughter essence within it, yes," Tai Tan explained. "You've unconsciously treated it as mere 'killing aura,' never isolating the true attribute. But your mastery of it far surpasses your control of Ultimate Metal—so no need to separate them."
Of course, Chen Junting realized. Elders like Mu Lao probably knew—but he'd never asked.
"I'll use the killing intent."
"Wise choice."
"Then begin," Tai Tan said firmly. "With me here, nothing will go wrong."
Chen Junting didn't hesitate. "Thank you, Uncle."
Centering himself, he summoned pure soul power into his right palm. Under precise spiritual guidance, it swirled, compressed, and intensified—transitioning from liquid to solid. Spatial ripples warped around it, greedily sucking in ambient energy.
The disturbance was so immense that even Ning Tian and the others—deep in meditation—jolted awake.
Now!
As soul power drained and golden flecks flickered in the white energy, Chen Junting's eyes flashed crimson. A tsunami of killing intent exploded outward—dominated by the Seven Kill Sword's primordial essence: vast, righteous, yet ruthlessly decisive.
Tai Tan stood unmoved. Such aura was nothing to him.
Simultaneously, the golden flecks in Chen Junting's soul power were swallowed by blood-red energy.
Time passed.
The solid, funnel-shaped core now warped space itself, black fissures spiderwebbing around it—spatial cracks.
Tai Tan watched, astonished.
He's succeeding… too smoothly.
He braced to intervene—any mistake now would cause catastrophic backlash.
But none came.
With Electrolux shielding his mind, the Life Gold's Essence fortifying his body, and Hao Tian Fortress's unparalleled spiritual density (even surpassing the Golden Ancient Tree), the process unfolded with effortless grace.
BOOM—!
The spinning core abruptly halted—then collapsed inward under spatial tremors.
Before Chen Junting floated a black vortex, within which a longsword shimmered faintly.
This was his first soul core—
The Seven Kill Soul Core!
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