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With mixed feelings, Qian Renxue left the Dugu residence.
Jiang Zhen's ambiguous "Let's see" at the end gave her a glimmer of hope, but also made her feel immense pressure.
The shock of her identity being exposed, and Jiang Zhen's sharp criticism of the Spirit Hall's current situation, were like a boulder thrown into a still lake, making her urgently need to go back and calmly reflect, and to begin investigating Salas's problems.
After seeing Qian Renxue off, Jiang Zhen found Dugu Bo tending to the rare and poisonous herbs in the herb garden.
"Grandpa, stop fussing over your flowers and plants."
Jiang Zhen greeted him with a smile.
Dugu Bo put down the jade shovel in his hand and looked at Jiang Zhen: "Young Master, are you finished talking? The Crown Prince, he..."
He was curious about the content of the conversation, especially whether Jiang Zhen had agreed to anything.
Jiang Zhen waved his hand and cut straight to the point: "Nothing much, we just chatted about life ideals. I came to ask you if you'd be interested in coming with me to the Spirit Hall?"
"To the Spirit Hall?"
Dugu Bo was startled upon hearing this, and subconsciously wondered if the Crown Prince had offended Jiang Zhen again, which made him think of using the power of the Spirit Hall.
He quickly advised, "Young Master, please think it over! What business do we have going to the Spirit Hall? The Spirit Hall is ambitious and domineering, especially towards young geniuses like you. If you refuse to submit and join them, I'm afraid..."
He recalled the humiliating experience of being chased by Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan many years ago, and still felt lingering fear of the Spirit Hall's domineering style.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhen laughed heartily, his tone brimming with confidence and unbridled spirit: "Old man, you're overthinking it. We're not going to the Spirit Hall to surrender."
A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes: "We're going there—to show off!"
"Pretending... to show off!?"
Dugu Bo was taken aback. The word was somewhat unfamiliar to him, but judging from Jiang Zhen's expression, he roughly understood its meaning, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"yes!"
Jiang Zhen explained with great interest, "Think about it, I'm so young, and I'm going to the Spirit Hall for a Title Douluo coronation ceremony, the highest level one at that."
"When you stand there, and your spirit rings light up, won't that be scary? Won't it be awe-inspiring? Won't you get a huge wave of amazement and...fangirls?"
He stroked his chin, seemingly already imagining the scene.
Dugu Bo: "..."
He looked at Jiang Zhen's eager expression and was speechless. Others went to the Spirit Hall for conferment of titles with solemnity and a sense of honor, but this guy was just looking for fun and showing off his strength.
However, considering Jiang Zhen's terrifying strength and soul ring configuration, he suddenly felt that this might not be impossible.
It might really scare those arrogant guys from the Spirit Hall half to death.
"But young master, the Spirit Hall has a deep foundation... what if they forcibly detain us?"
Dugu Bo was still somewhat uneasy.
Jiang Zhen's lips curled into a proud smile: "It's alright. If they treat me with courtesy, I'll give them face and go through the motions. If they try to use force... then so be it, we'll just have a showdown!"
The powerful confidence and fighting spirit in his words moved Dugu Bo.
He took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said, "Since you have made your decision, young master, then I will risk my life to accompany you! I am willing to go with you to the Spirit Hall on this journey!"
"Good!" Jiang Zhen nodded in satisfaction, but then changed the subject.
"However, before we go to the Spirit Hall to show off... cough cough, I mean before the coronation, we need to improve our own image first. Senior Dugu, as my follower... uh, my partner, your strength can't be too weak, lest we be looked down upon."
He looked at Dugu Bo with a smile and posed a very tempting question:
"Would you like to take it a step further?"
Dugu Bo's eyes widened instantly, and his breathing became a little rapid!
Further advancement? Although his martial soul had evolved and leveled up by two, after becoming a Title Douluo, each subsequent level was incredibly difficult! He dreamed of breaking through!
"Yes! Young master, I desperately want to improve!"
Dugu Bo practically roared it out, his beard trembling with excitement.
"Then let's not delay any longer. Let's go to the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire. The energy there is abundant, making it the most suitable place for a breakthrough," Jiang Zhen said with a smile.
Without another word, the two figures flashed and left Heaven Dou City, speeding towards the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye deep in the Sunset Forest.
Returning to this blessed land once again, feeling the immense energy of ice and fire intertwined, Dugu Bo's heart surged with emotion.
Jiang Zhen wasted no time and immediately began imparting the core knowledge: "Senior Dugu, for a Title Douluo to quickly improve their strength and possess a deeper foundation, traditional soul power accumulation is only the foundation. The key lies in—condensing a soul core!"
"Soul core?"
This was the first time Dugu Bo had heard of this concept, and he looked completely puzzled.
"You can think of it as the culmination of your soul power, mental strength, and understanding of the martial soul laws; it's a more efficient energy core."
Jiang Zhen tried to explain in simple language.
"After condensing the soul core, your soul power recovery speed, total amount, quality, and control over the soul power of heaven and earth will all experience a qualitative leap. This is the only way to reach a higher level."
He explained in detail the principles of the soul core, the location where it is condensed, and the risks that need to be noted during the process.
Dugu Bo listened with rapt attention, as if a door to a new world had been opened for him.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and his eyes lit up with delight: "Young Master! This soul core you're talking about, isn't it somewhat similar to... the 'Poison Pill' within my body that contains all the toxins of my life?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhen carefully sensed it and nodded with a smile: "That's right! Old man, you've turned misfortune into blessing. Although that poison pill was condensed to control the toxins, its principle is similar to that of the soul core. Both are highly compressed and condensed energy cores."
"You already possess the most important foundation for condensing a soul core—the ultimate control over your own energy! This will make your condensation process several times smoother than that of ordinary people!"
Dugu Bo was overjoyed and eagerly said, "Please enlighten me, young master!"
Jiang Zhen had him sit cross-legged in the area where the energy of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye was most balanced, and said in a deep voice, "First, calm your mind and focus your consciousness into your dantian, and carefully sense that poison pill."
"Then, try to guide the soul power throughout your body, not just to flow simply, but to make it swirl and compress around the poison pill like a vortex..."
Under Jiang Zhen's careful guidance, Dugu Bo began the arduous journey of condensing his first soul core.
After two and a half hours of torment and shock.
The violent energy vortex around Dugu Bo gradually subsided and finally completely subsided, merging into the newly formed, slowly rotating emerald green crystal deep in his dantian—the first soul core, the Poison Soul Core, was successfully condensed!
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming with a sharp light. His already keen eyes, enhanced by the evolution of his martial soul, now held an even deeper depth and majesty.
He exhaled a long breath of stale air, which had a slightly fishy and sweet smell.