Late night at the Dukes Mansion, it was so quiet that only the rustling of the breeze through the treetops could be heard.
The heavy iron door of the secret cultivation room slowly slid open to both sides after making a harsh grinding sound.
Liu Yuan stepped out; his face was still somewhat pale, and his originally neat school uniform was stained with many white marks from dried sweat.
From day to night, he had spent several hours mobilizing all his mental force to forcibly calm the restless solid spirit power crystals within his Dantian.
Liu Yuan lowered his head and glanced at his hands.
Although the situation had temporarily stabilized, he could feel that those crystals had only been driven to the corners of his Meridians and the problem hadn't been fundamentally solved.
If he couldn't find the correct path to condense a Soul Core, this out-of-control situation would occur every few days, and its intensity would increase each time.
"If this continues, something major will really happen." Liu Yuan rubbed his brow with a headache; the sense of crisis hanging over his head at all times made him feel very exhausted.
Just then, an ice-blue figure flashed by, and the Snow Empress appeared at the end of the corridor.
She stepped forward quickly, her gaze carefully scanning Liu Yuan. Only after sensing that the violent fluctuations had temporarily subsided did she softly ask, "Is it under control?"
"Yeah, barely," Liu Yuan sighed. "I've suppressed it for now, but it's only treating the symptoms, not the cause."
The Snow Empress nodded, then as if remembering something, she pointed toward the gate of the Dukes Mansion and said, "There's someone waiting for you outside who says her name is Wang Qiuer. She's been waiting since the afternoon, for a long time now."
"Wang Qiuer?" Liu Yuan was slightly stunned, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He hadn't expected this blonde girl, whom he had just met during the day, to actually follow him to the Dukes Mansion and sit outside the gate for so long.
"Why is she here?" Liu Yuan muttered to himself, then waved his hand to the Snow Empress. "I'll go see her and find out what she wants."
...
Outside the gate of the Dukes Mansion, Wang Qiuer was still sitting on that stone step.
The Bright Capital at night carried a hint of chill, but she didn't seem to mind, focusing intently on the depths of the manor.
When the gate opened again and she saw Liu Yuan's familiar figure walk out, Wang Qiuer's heterochromatic eyes instantly lit up.
She stood up abruptly, rushed to Liu Yuan in a few strides, and asked anxiously, "Are you alright? I felt the aura inside was extremely chaotic just now."
Looking at the girl whose face was written with "worry," Liu Yuan's originally guarded heart softened a bit, and he said softly, "I'm fine for now. It hasn't reached the point of my body exploding yet."
"But what about you? Why haven't you returned to the academy so late at night?"
Seeing that Liu Yuan could still joke, Wang Qiuer breathed a sigh of relief. Then she lowered her voice, her tone becoming very serious: "I came for your sake."
"Liu Yuan, the trouble you're facing is about condensing a Soul Core ahead of time, right? I have a way to help you."
Standing behind Liu Yuan, the Snow Empress frowned slightly upon hearing this.
As a Spirit Beast, she didn't trust any outsider of unknown origin.
In the Snow Empress's view, if even an existence of her level couldn't solve the problem, how could this girl who looked only in her teens possibly help?
"Little girl, don't speak so boastfully," the Snow Empress said flatly, her voice carrying a sense of aloofness.
"The method of the Soul Core is incredibly profound. The situation inside Liu Yuan's body is so complex that even a Titled Douluo would be helpless. How can you help him?"
Wang Qiuer ignored the Snow Empress's questioning and just stared into Liu Yuan's eyes.
Liu Yuan remained silent for a moment; his perception told him that the girl before him harbored no ill intent.
Moreover, he had long since seen through Wang Qiuer's identity.
"Come in and talk," Liu Yuan stepped aside, gesturing for Wang Qiuer to enter the manor.
The Snow Empress glanced at Liu Yuan with some surprise, but ultimately didn't stop them, simply following behind them silently.
The three of them arrived at an inner hall of the Dukes Mansion.
Without any hesitation, Wang Qiuer told Liu Yuan everything she had learned from Di Tian about the "Liquid-to-Solid" processing method, how to construct a Vortex Guidance that harmonizes with the attributes of Dual Martial Souls, and the micro-manipulation of mental force for the Prototype of Yin and Yang Complementarity.
She spoke very seriously, even clearly explaining some extremely subtle patterns of spirit power arrangement.
As Liu Yuan listened to Wang Qiuer's explanation, the shock in his heart grew deeper.
This knowledge was logically rigorous and perfectly suited his current situation.
This was definitely not something fabricated; it was indeed the genuine, highest-level method for condensing a Soul Core.
By the time Wang Qiuer finished explaining everything, it was already late into the night.
"That's everything I know." Wang Qiuer stood up, looking a bit tired, but her expression was relaxed.
"You must try following that Vortex Guidance method; don't try to force it. I'll head back now. You must be careful."
Liu Yuan stood up to see her out of the manor. Watching the blonde girl's back disappear into the night, he stood there thinking for a long time.
Upon returning to the inner hall, the Snow Empress finally couldn't help but ask, "Liu Yuan, do you really trust her?"
"Although what she said sounds very organized, this girl named Wang Qiuer is of unknown origin. If she hid some secret trap at a critical turning point, once you start trying, there really will be no turning back."
Liu Yuan turned his head to look at the Snow Empress and said calmly, "She is the Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion of the Star Dou Great Forest."
"The Auspicious Beast?!" the Snow Empress exclaimed, her face full of disbelief.
"You're saying that girl just now was the Auspicious Beast in human form? But... I didn't sense even a hint of a Spirit Beast's aura from her. That shouldn't be possible."
"She used a special secret technique to hide it. As far as I know, it's the blessing of the Power of Fate. Combined with her unique way of taking human form, even an ordinary Limit Douluo might not be able to see through her true identity," Liu Yuan explained.
The Snow Empress frowned, still somewhat puzzled. "Then how did you see through it?"
Liu Yuan smiled slightly and didn't explain much on this matter; after all, he couldn't exactly say he had a System or foresight.
Seeing this, the Snow Empress knew it wasn't important. She was more concerned about the reliability of that knowledge from earlier. "Forget it. The Auspicious Beast is pure and kind by nature; she herself might truly have no ill intentions."
"But have you considered that the concepts she just taught you clearly come from Di Tian?"
"Di Tian is not someone to be trifled with. He is the king of Spirit Beasts. If these things he taught the Auspicious Beast contain a plot against you, what will you do?"
After hearing the Snow Empress's words, Liu Yuan fell into a long silence.
The room fell into a deathly silence, the candlelight flickering slightly.
After a long time, Liu Yuan raised his head, a flash of determination in his eyes.
"I have no other choice, Snow Empress. I have to try," Liu Yuan said softly. "If I keep suppressing it like this, I don't know how much longer I can hold out. Eventually, the out-of-control solid spirit power will still cause my body to explode. Instead of waiting for death, I'd rather take a gamble."
He stood up and looked toward the cultivation room. "Besides, although Di Tian is hostile toward humans, he is absolutely loyal to the Auspicious Beast."
"This knowledge was relayed to me through Wang Qiuer. Di Tian shouldn't have a reason to set a lethal trap here. As the dignified Beast God, he shouldn't stoop to that."
Liu Yuan paused, his tone becoming cautious. "At worst, I'll just be careful when I absorb it."
"I'll first extract a small portion of solid spirit power for a vortex simulation. If any dangerous signs of losing control appear, I'll stop immediately."
"I can't just leave this problem that could explode at any time unaddressed just because I'm worried about being plotted against."
Looking at Liu Yuan's determined eyes, the Snow Empress knew he had already made up his mind and could only sigh helplessly.
"Since you've decided, I'll stand guard outside the whole time. If your aura becomes unstable, I'll immediately use Extreme Ice to forcibly freeze your Dantian, even if it means damaging my own Foundation to save your life."
Liu Yuan smiled slightly at the Snow Empress. "That's not right, is it? We agreed back then that if I died or became a god, you'd be free. You should be looking forward to my death right now."
The Snow Empress snorted coldly. "You still have time to joke at a time like this? Hurry up and go Cultivate!"
Liu Yuan left with a laugh.
After Liu Yuan left, the Snow Empress sighed helplessly. "It seems I've changed a lot too..."
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