Inside the Duke's Mansion's secret cultivation room, the deep blue light patterns that had surged during Liu Yuan's breakthrough were now in violent turmoil.
Liu Yuan sat cross-legged with tightly furrowed brows, cold sweat constantly sliding down his forehead. His arms, covered in emerald-green scales, trembled faintly. Every breath sent stabbing pain through his meridians, as if steel needles were piercing him from within.
"It seems… my earlier guess was more or less correct," Liu Yuan forced himself to calm down.
His situation was simply too unique.
The massive total spirit power brought by Primal Kyogre, combined with the extreme purity of Mega Rayquaza's spirit power, had caused the thickness of his internal spirit power to cross that seemingly insurmountable chasm far in advance. At merely the level of a Rank 73 Spirit Saint, it had already reached a level close to that of an ordinary Titled Douluo.
This foundation that surpassed his realm caused his body to instinctively begin an "evolution"—compressing liquid spirit power into solid crystalline form.
This should have been an enormous opportunity, yet at this moment, Liu Yuan felt as though he were sitting atop a powder keg that could explode at any time.
"These spirit power crystals are becoming heavier and heavier. If I don't refine and organize them according to a stable structure to form a proper Soul Core, these 'solid bombs' will eventually shatter my dantian."
Liu Yuan clenched his teeth and tried to use his mental power to guide the restless crystals, only to discover that he had no idea where to even begin.
He lacked the necessary theoretical foundation and had no guidance from any senior expert.
In the entire history of the Douluo Continent, a Spirit Saint condensing a Soul Core was unheard of—there were naturally no manuals or precedents for such a thing.
"Snow Empress!" Liu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the ice-blue figure standing guard beside him.
"You've lived for nearly seven hundred thousand years. Do you know of any methods related to early Soul Core condensation or the guidance of solid spirit power?"
The Snow Empress was slightly startled. A trace of regret flashed through her star-like eyes as she gently shook her head.
"Master, the cultivation methods of spirit beasts and humans are fundamentally different. We rely more on long-term accumulation and bloodline instincts."
She walked over to Liu Yuan, her tone carrying helplessness.
"Among existing spirit beasts, only Di Tian has deeply researched Soul Core theory in order to break through toward the million-year threshold. He pursued the path of complementary Yin–Yang dual Soul Cores, which allowed him to become the Beast God."
"But I… truly have no experience in this area."
Hearing this, Liu Yuan's heart sank.
If even the Snow Empress had no solution, then the trouble was serious.
He tried once more to suppress the solidified crystals within his body, then stood up decisively.
"No. Sitting here waiting will only lead to death. I'll go ask the Hall Master. Jing Hongchen is a Titled Douluo—maybe he has a way."
…
Half an hour later, inside the Hall Master's office.
When Jing Hongchen heard Liu Yuan's explanation, his hand froze mid-motion, and the teacup nearly slipped from his grasp.
"What did you say? Solid spirit power has appeared in your body? And it's spontaneously condensing a Soul Core?!"
His eyes widened as he rushed to Liu Yuan's side in a single stride, sending a surge of gentle spirit power into his body.
A moment later, Jing Hongchen withdrew his hand, his expression filled with shock and helplessness.
"A prodigy… a true, unquestionable prodigy," he muttered bitterly, shaking his head.
"Xiao Yuan, although I wish you success more than anyone, this matter… this old man truly can't help you."
"The Sun Moon Empire reigns supreme in soul engineering, but when it comes to the core mysteries of Spirit Master cultivation, we are indeed inferior to Shrek."
Jing Hongchen walked to the window, gazing at the bustling Bright Capital in the distance, conflict evident in his voice.
"If this were before, I might have swallowed my pride and taken you to seek guidance from Mu En. But now… our two academies have fallen out completely. Yan Shaozhe and the others would love nothing more than to skin you alive—how could they possibly teach you such a core secret?"
He slapped his thigh in frustration.
"If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have spoken so decisively back then. If lowering my head could save you, even paying a price would be worth it."
Liu Yuan snorted coldly, pride flashing unmistakably in his eyes.
"Hall Master, lowering your head would be useless."
"I know Shrek's people too well. If they learned that I'm condensing a Soul Core at this age, they wouldn't help me—they'd only want me dead even more."
"Forget it. It's better to rely on oneself than beg others. If there's no road left by those before me, then I'll carve one out myself!"
…
Over the following days, Liu Yuan entered a state of complete "secluded research."
He stopped attending academy classes and instead immersed himself in the vast collection of ancient texts within the Duke's Mansion.
Drawing inspiration from the core formation logic used by ancient soul engineers, he attempted to reorganize the spirit power crystals within his dantian according to the most stable structural patterns.
However, progress without guidance was painfully slow.
Every tiny experiment was accompanied by violent backlash from rampaging spirit power.
Even with the Snow Empress protecting him, Liu Yuan nearly had his meridians shattered several times during that month.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
His progress was negligible. He had barely managed to prevent the crystals from crashing around chaotically, and forming a true, stable Soul Core remained far out of reach.
The relentless mental strain and repeated failures wore down even Liu Yuan's normally steady temperament.
"If I keep this up, my state of mind will collapse first."
Early one morning, Liu Yuan pushed open the window, gazing at the flowers blooming throughout the Duke's Mansion. He exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
He decided to take a break.
Since his research had hit a dead end, it would be better to return to the academy, relax, and see some familiar faces.
Those friends who joked and laughed with him in the Genius Class had become his best source of mental comfort.
…
Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, high-level class.
The moment Liu Yuan stepped into the classroom, the previously noisy room fell completely silent.
"Brother Liu Yuan!"
"Lord Duke, you finally came out of seclusion!"
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen immediately rushed over.
Xiao Hongchen examined Liu Yuan's slightly pale face and deeper aura, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"What have you been doing this past month? The pressure coming from you feels even stronger than before."
Meng Hongchen handed him a cup of hot tea, her face full of concern.
"Brother Liu Yuan, you look tired. Have you been pushing your cultivation too hard?"
Liu Yuan smiled faintly, about to respond, when he noticed that many gazes in the room were subtly directed toward the podium.
At that moment, Xuan Ziwen walked up and tapped the desk, signaling for silence.
"Students, today a special new student has joined our class."
He adjusted his glasses and looked toward the classroom door.
Liu Yuan was mildly surprised. To transfer into the academy's high-level class at this time meant an extraordinary background.
Light footsteps echoed as a golden figure slowly entered.
In that instant, the already bright classroom seemed to grow even more radiant.
It was a young girl.
She had long golden hair as dazzling as sunlight, swaying gently as it emitted a sacred sheen. Her well-fitted attire outlined her perfect figure.
Most striking were her heterochromatic eyes—one deep blue like the ocean, the other brilliant gold. At the center of her forehead, a faint red mark was barely visible, exuding an indescribable nobility and mystery.
The moment Liu Yuan saw her, his pupils shrank sharply.
It wasn't just her beauty.
Under his powerful mental perception, he sensed an inexplicable—yet eerily familiar—aura coming from her.
The girl stepped onto the podium with ease, her gaze sweeping across the room before stopping precisely on Liu Yuan.
Her lips curved into a sly, meaningful smile as a clear, crisp voice rang out:
"Hello everyone, my name is Wang Qiuer."
And the instant Liu Yuan heard that name—
His mind went completely blank.