Yao Xuan and Lin Ximeng had left the academy just after 8 a.m. The fusion of the soul spirit had been unnaturally swift, taking only half an hour, and by the time they stepped out of the Spirit Pagoda, the morning was still young, not yet 10 a.m.
The walk home was quiet, filled with a sense of new beginnings. Upon entering the apartment, Lin Ximeng immediately busied herself in the kitchen, preparing the copious amounts of food required to satiate Yao Xuan and Na'er's formidable appetites. Yao Xuan, meanwhile, retreated to his bedroom. He closed the door, shutting out the world, and sat cross-legged on the floor. Taking a centering breath, he willed his consciousness inward, into the silent, boundless space of the system.
The system's prompt was a simple, stark question holding immeasurable weight.
'Yes.'
The countdown ended. Instantly, a river of pure knowledge, vast and profound, flooded Yao Xuan's sea of consciousness. It was not merely text or images, but a direct transmission of understanding—the foundational principles of a law of the universe, the very method by which a soul could be tempered into a divine instrument. The information was complex, alien, and immense, yet his mind, bolstered by his peak Spirit Origin Realm mental power and [Enhanced Comprehension], absorbed it like a desert soaking up rain. He saw the pathways of energy, understood the compression of soul power into liquid essence, and glimpsed the formation of soul cores that were not just reservoirs, but miniature, spinning galaxies of power.
Ten minutes later, the deluge ceased as abruptly as it had begun. A slight dizziness washed over Yao Xuan, a natural side effect of his mind processing such cosmic-grade information. He took a deep, steadying breath.
'Heavens...' he thought, the word inadequate. 'This is beyond powerful. This is... foundational. No wonder it's called "Creation."'
The inherited knowledge revealed the technique's staggering scope. The Creation Soul Forging Technique was an eighteen-layer path that led all the way to the apex of godhood itself. The first twelve layers guided a mortal from Soul Master to the very peak of a Limit Douluo's power. The final six layers were divine scripture, detailing the ascent through the ranks of godhood, culminating in the realm of a supreme God-King. It even contained the most perfect methods for condensing a divine spark and elevating a divine kingdom—the ultimate secrets of apotheosis, granting the strongest possible foundation for one who would become a deity.
But its true genius lay in its approach to cultivation. Unlike any known method on Douluo Continent, the Creation Soul Forging Technique began compressing soul power and transforming it into a liquid state from the very first layer, at the Soul Master level. At places like Shrek Academy, such advanced manipulation was a privilege reserved for much higher realms. This early compression meant that every drop of Yao Xuan's soul power would be dozens of times denser and more potent than that of his peers.
Furthermore, its efficiency in drawing ambient soul power was at least ten times greater than the Five Hearts Towards Heaven Technique, and it far surpassed even the legendary Mysterious Heaven Method of the Tang Sect. It actively strengthened the user's mental power during cultivation and, most miraculously, subtly improved the very quality and potential of the soul itself, a feature that could theoretically enhance one's innate soul power over time.
The most mind-boggling revelation was its approach to soul cores. Ordinary Soul Masters condensed their first soul core only at the Soul Sage level, with even Limit Douluo possessing only two. Prodigies like the chosen ones of legend—Tang Wulin, Huo Yuhao—had managed three. The Creation Soul Forging Technique, however, allowed for the condensation of nine soul cores. One at the Soul Master level, and one more at each subsequent major realm breakthrough, all the way to Quasi-God. It was a multiplicative system of power that defied all conventional understanding.
Of course, such a heaven-defying technique came with equally monstrous requirements. A martial soul of at least the god level was a prerequisite—a barrier that would bar over 99.9% of all Soul Masters. Fortunately, Yao Xuan's Creation-level Ancestral Dragon Martial Soul was more than qualified. The technique was also profoundly demanding of one's foundation. While it absorbed soul power rapidly, the intense compression and purification process meant that his actual rate of advancement in terms of soul power levels wouldn't be ten times faster, but a carefully balanced combination of speed, density, and stability that would create an unrivaled foundation.
'Perfect,' Yao Xuan thought, a fierce joy in his heart. 'This is the exact tool I needed.'
'Now, for the system abilities.'
"Activate!"
The moment he gave the command, two distinct streams of energy bloomed within him. One was a cool, clarifying current that flowed directly into his sea of consciousness. It felt like a soft, intelligent light was rewiring the very fabric of his mental power, making it a more potent magnet for the energy of the world.
The other was a searing, transformative heat that raced through his entire meridian network. It was not a violent assault, but a precise, intelligent renovation. It sought out every minor blockage, every narrow passageway, and expanded them with meticulous care. Where it passed, it left behind a residue of resilient, vibrant energy, fortifying the meridians and making them capable of channeling the now-denser, more powerful soul power the Creation Soul Forging Technique would produce.
Ten minutes later, the sensations subsided. The contrasting energies had been fully absorbed. Yao Xuan took a tentative mental probe of his own state. The soul power in the air around him seemed to hum in recognition, more eager to approach him than ever before. His meridians felt like wide, smooth superhighways compared to their previous state as country roads.
A slow, triumphant smile spread across his face. "Incredible... Truly, the power of a system."
With the Creation Soul Forging Technique offering a tenfold increase in absorption rate and the Enhanced Meditation ability doubling his overall efficiency, his cultivation speed would be monstrous. Even accounting for the vast amounts of soul power required by his Ancestral Dragon Martial Soul and the intensive compression of the new technique, his rate of advancement would still be several times that of any ordinary genius. He was no longer just walking the path; he was striding down it with the stride of a giant, every step solid, every step profound. The foundation for a god was being laid, one perfected particle of soul power at a time.