This novel has been finished on Patreon! Thank you to all my Patrons for the support over this and the other novels <3
------------------------------------------------------
Over the next two semesters at Nuoding Academy, Ye Wen's life passed without major incident. After all, he still had some time before breaking through to rank 30, and the surrounding areas of Nuoding City had undergone a large-scale crackdown on criminal organizations following the human trafficking incident, leaving no one foolish enough to cause trouble.
However, this didn't mean Ye Wen was simply slacking off in his cultivation.
"What should I do about Xiao Wu's identity as a spirit beast? This is troublesome."
Ye Wen lay sprawled on his martial soul Nana, staring blankly at the ceiling while his mind raced with thoughts.
Although Ye Wen didn't plan to wander around with Xiao Wu like Tang San did—eventually leading to her exposure as a spirit beast when they reached the Spirit Hall—he knew one thing for certain: Tang Hao had likely already discovered Xiao Wu's true identity.
Based on Ye Wen's understanding of Tang Hao, the man who had previously shown no concern for Tang San's life or death suddenly became highly invested upon realizing that Tang San's talent could help him exact revenge on the Spirit Hall. This revealed just how unprincipled Tang Hao truly was.
Estimating the strength of his own side, Ye Wen concluded that even if Grandmother Huo Rui couldn't achieve a second awakening of her Body Sect martial soul, she was still a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse. Thus, the Huo family was undoubtedly on par with the four major subordinate families of the Hao Tian Sect.
Moreover, Ye Wen himself owned a thriving pharmaceutical business that was raking in profits. To Tang Hao, who sought revenge against the Spirit Hall, Ye Wen would be an invaluable ally.
Ye Wen had even envisioned how the scenario might unfold:
Tang Hao: "Young Ye Wen, you wouldn't want your wife's identity as a spirit beast to be exposed, would you? Conveniently, my wife is also a spirit beast, so come help me!"
Just thinking about this scene made Ye Wen grind his teeth in frustration. "No way. This kind of future absolutely cannot happen."
Fortunately, Ye Wen now had the backing of Huo Yu'er's mysterious powerful figure and was also a fairly influential public figure. For the time being, Tang Hao likely wouldn't stir up trouble.
At least not until Tang San began leveling up with cheat-like speed.
Still, Xiao Wu's identity remained a ticking time bomb. Without cheat-like upgrades, it would take Xiao Wu over 20 years to reach the Soul Emperor level, where she could mature and conceal her spirit beast traits from outsiders.
But by then, it would be too late.
Given Ye Wen's current understanding of the Douluo continent, there was only one solution that came to mind.
"Should I seek out Dugu Bo for the Yearning Heartbroken Red? This is so troublesome," Ye Wen sighed.
Though anyone associated with the Yearning Heartbroken Red in the entire Douluo series tended to meet unfortunate ends, its effects were undeniably powerful. When consumed by someone deemed worthy, it could directly boost soul power by ten levels. Moreover, its divine herb energy could mask Xiao Wu's spirit beast aura.
The issue now wasn't whether it was auspicious or not, but rather how Ye Wen could establish contact with Dugu Bo.
Though Ye Wen considered himself somewhat knowledgeable in detoxification, he was powerless against Dugu Bo's poison, which could corrode even stone.
And as for Tang San's use of realgar wine to counteract Bi Lin snake venom—that was laughable. If realgar wine alone could neutralize snake venom, what purpose would all those complex antidote formulas serve?
The real reason Tang San was able to neutralize Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent venom during the soul battle arena arc was because Ma Hongjun's flames possessed the power of extreme fire, combined with Dugu Yan's relatively weak cultivation, which allowed the venom to be incinerated.
However, as Ye Wen delved deeper into his thoughts, he recalled the pearl-like substance that formed naturally within Dugu Bo after his martial soul evolved into the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.
"This thing resembles a soul core—it's a solidified product of condensed soul power—but it's not the same concept as a theoretical soul core."
At this moment, countless inspirations erupted in Ye Wen's mind.
Though Ye Wen's soul power was still in the gaseous stage, and contemplating cultivation methods for a Title Douluo's solidified soul power seemed presumptuous, the flood of ideas in his mind was unstoppable, pouring forth like a fountain.
After furiously jotting down notes, Ye Wen stared blankly at the densely written diagrams detailing the flow of soul power through various meridians.
"Did I really write this?" Ye Wen questioned himself.
Yet the theories involved were completely comprehensible to him, logically sound, and represented legitimate soul power cultivation methods.
After a long silence, Ye Wen quickly tucked the diagram away, ensuring no one else was around.
"No, this can't be leaked. Regardless of whether it's reasonable or not, if this touches on the realm of Title Douluo cultivation, even Grandma Huo won't be able to protect me."
But as the saying goes, possessing a sharp blade inevitably arouses murderous intent. With such a profound method for cultivating soul cores—the pinnacle of soul power cultivation—how could Ye Wen resist experimenting with it?
Though attempting to cultivate a soul core at his current stage was far-fetched, the underlying principles could undoubtedly be applied to his own soul power cultivation.
For several days afterward, Ye Wen meticulously refined the soul core cultivation technique he had brainstormed.
After omitting the most critical aspects of soul core cultivation, he derived a universal soul power cultivation method applicable to practitioners before reaching the Title Douluo level. This method was balanced and free of any adverse side effects.
However, this cultivation method could not be used as leverage in negotiations with Dugu Bo. If Dugu Bo ever saw it, he'd likely kill Ye Wen on the spot to keep it secret.
It seemed that obtaining the divine herb would require further deliberation.
Moreover, though Ye Wen prided himself on his talent for cultivation, he couldn't help but wonder whether he had truly written something so groundbreaking or if he had been possessed by someone else who wrote it for him.
But recalling the painstaking process of writing each stroke and carefully considering every aspect, Ye Wen eventually set aside his doubts and accepted that he was indeed a prodigy.
Soon, however, Ye Wen found himself facing a new dilemma.
"What should I name this cultivation method?"
Terrible at naming things, Ye Wen fell into deep contemplation. He couldn't ask Huo Yu'er or others to name it, as that would reveal his authorship.
But while Ye Wen wasn't good at creating names, he was excellent at copying them!
After much deliberation, Ye Wen named the technique Xuan Yuan Gong (Mysterious Origin Skill).
Yes, Ye Wen's naming inspiration came directly from Tang San's Xuan Tian Gong (Mysterious Heaven Skill).
Though Ye Wen was terrible at naming things, his knowledge base was vast. Drawing from Daoist classics of his past life, he quickly formulated an explanation for the name:
Xuan: Profound and mysterious, the gateway to all wonders. (This refers to how the technique directly addresses the core essence of soul master cultivation and represents the ultimate system.)
Yuan: The beginning of the primal origin, the source of all paths. (This symbolizes the root of all soul power, adaptable to any practitioner without disrupting their natural soul energy.)
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.