Chapter 221: The Yin-Yang Balanced Dual Cores
After three days of travel, Yang Potian and his team finally returned to Skybound Academy. The academy seemed quieter than usual, as if something significant were about to happen.
The four months spent outside had been productive; they had acquired five ten-thousand-year spirit rings and bones, and gained valuable insight into the depths of the Star Dou Forest.
Yang's father, Yang Zhentian, had recently emerged from his own seclusion, now reaching Rank 97, making him one of the rare top-tier powerhouses on the continent. Even among the top three sects, only one other Titled Douluo had reached this level.
Yang's grandfather, Yang Wudi, gathered everyone to provide an update on recent developments. In recent months, delegations from Heaven Dou Empire, Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and the Haotian Sect had visited, all attempting to build alliances with the academy. Among them, Heaven Dou Empire appeared especially eager.
The mounting tension between Spirit Hall and the two empires had everyone on edge. Though Spirit Hall had recently kept a low profile, its formidable strength was clear after launching attacks against the top three clans. Spirit Hall's display of power—including over ten Titled Douluo and tens of thousands of soul masters—left all factions feeling pressured.
To make matters worse, Spirit Hall had announced its plan to establish a new Seven Great Clans next year, a direct challenge to the Haotian Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, which were still weakened from the wars. With only around five hundred soul masters each, they struggled to remain competitive and were unlikely to even qualify for the competition.
It was rumored that Heaven Dou Empire, the Haotian Sect, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan were considering a formal alliance, likely to plead for cooperation. After mulling it over, Yang Potian spoke up, "Let's focus on our own goals. I'll head to Heaven Dou City soon to bring Grandpa Ye Renxin here to avoid Spirit Hall's interference."
Yang Potian's main concern wasn't the disputes among these sects but his own cultivation. He had been avoiding conflicts with Spirit Hall by having Ye Lingling treat Chrysanthemum Douluo's team, and an alliance seemed pointless; he held little faith in Heaven Dou's strength.
The primary task now was to cultivate his second spirit core—a crucial step in his journey. Though his spirit power had already peaked at Rank 97 and he could potentially break through to Rank 98 within six months, his control over his spirit power still felt lacking. His spirit power had grown rapidly due to the powerful spirit rings, but his lack of a head spirit bone hindered his control and mental power. Even though his mental power had reached the level of an Ultimate Douluo, he still fell short of Seagod Douluo Bo Saixi.
Additionally, Yang Potian's plan was to cultivate dual cores in perfect Yin-Yang balance, an especially dangerous process requiring flawless control over both his body and spirit power. His martial soul as his core granted him incredible physical endurance, likely stronger than an Ultimate Douluo's. However, without head and torso bones, he faced certain limitations.
The first core would focus on the element of Extreme Gold, while the second core would center on Extreme Power. In Douluo Dalu lore, Huo Yuhao was the first to achieve a balanced dual-core setup, using mental power in his first core and spirit power in his second. Huo's success came from multiple spirit souls working together, an advantage Yang Potian did not have.
Years of training had brought Yang Potian's Mysterious Heaven Technique to mastery, granting him excellent control over his spirit power. This control was now his greatest asset in achieving dual-core cultivation.
In the secluded chamber, Yang Potian entered his optimal state, fully prepared to condense his second spirit core.
He first activated his primary spirit core, focusing on his dantian where a dark golden core rotated steadily—a result of years of training and the changes following his ninth spirit ring. With this core, he had honed his powers of Extreme Gold and Extreme Strength.
The first step was to separate the attributes of Gold and Strength from this primary core. Yang's vision was to dedicate his first core to Extreme Gold and his second to Extreme Strength. If a third core ever became necessary, he'd consider it then.
Utilizing Mysterious Heaven to its full extent, Yang Potian's spirit power flowed throughout his body, empowering every part. His primary spirit core served as a constant source, enhancing his strength even while he rested.
After some time, the first spirit core ceased its rotation, as if it were extracting a fundamental energy from within itself. The core began to darken, with its original golden hue slowly fading.
Once his spirit power had dwindled to 70%, the core split, forming a second, black sphere—a partial core in his chest area.
With his spirit power almost fully drained, a profound sense of weakness overwhelmed him, as if both cores were consuming him from within.
The most critical step now was to set both cores rotating in opposing directions, a feat that demanded immense mental focus.
Activating his primary, golden core in his dantian was straightforward, as it was the basis of his cultivation. However, activating the second core, his true objective, proved far more challenging.
As the primary core began to spin, a powerful repulsion radiated through his body, as though expelling all strength-related energy from within.
Once Yang's spirit power was entirely exhausted, the black core finally started to rotate, marking the beginning of his true trial. The presence of two spinning cores in his body caused intense, conflicting forces that threatened to tear him apart from within.
This phase was a true test of Yang Potian's physical endurance. In the original story, only the formidable Di Tian among all the fierce beasts had achieved a second spirit core, thanks to the extraordinary physical resilience of the Black Dragon Clan. Yang Potian, however, relied on his own awakened body-spirit, the Golden-grade transformation.
As time passed, the two spirit cores clashed and repelled each other within him, creating shockwaves that tore at his body from the inside out. Each impact felt like it would split him apart; he could feel his flesh cracking, breaking, and trying to repair itself. His entire being cycled through destruction, repair, and restructuring, and the pain was almost unbearable.
The most pressing issue now was maintaining sufficient energy within his body to support the two cores. This had always been Yang Potian's biggest concern. Huo Yuhao had Long Xiaoyao's dragon core to provide the energy needed for his second spirit core formation; Yang Potian had no such advantage.
But he did have one invaluable resource: the core of the Ten-Headed Fiery Yang Serpent he had acquired in the City of Slaughter. Originally, Yang Potian had planned to use this core to create a fire-attribute spirit ring, but it seemed he would have to use it sooner than anticipated.
In the Douluo world, such rare inner cores were highly valuable. For instance, Ma Hongjun had used the same serpent's core to catalyze a second evolution of his martial spirit, which showed just how powerful it was—it even had the power to advance the legendary Phoenix.
Despite the overwhelming agony, Yang Potian retrieved the core and placed it against his chest. Inside, both spirit cores whirled with increasing speed, ravenously absorbing ambient energy. As the serpent's core energy entered his body, the cores became even more ferocious and intense, feeding on the core's power.
Gradually, the inner core of the Ten-Headed Fiery Yang Serpent also began to spin, disintegrating into countless energy particles that poured directly into both of Yang's cores. It was unclear how much time had passed, but eventually, the two cores' turbulent energies seemed to calm. They began to settle, establishing a stable balance and even forming a new, harmonious vortex structure within his body.
Yang Potian finally succumbed to exhaustion, fainting as his spirit energy depleted. Yet, even while unconscious, his body continued to undergo the excruciating process of adaptation.
When he finally regained consciousness, he immediately sensed a transformation in his physical state. His body felt tempered, as if it had been through relentless forging—an experience even more intense than Seagod Island's Tide Body-Tempering trials.
He quickly looked inward, inspecting his internal state. There, he saw two spirit cores rotating in harmony. A golden core, his Extreme Gold core, sat within his dantian, while a black core representing Extreme Strength was positioned near his heart. The two cores were locked in a unique balance, appearing independent yet interdependent, enhancing and fueling each other in tandem. When they spun together, he could feel that his cultivation speed had dramatically increased, far surpassing what he could achieve with a single core.
Yang Potian's face lit up with exhilaration: It's done! The Yin-Yang Balanced Dual Core has been perfected. With just a bit more training, I'll have the strength to face even Di Tian himself.
The successful formation of his dual cores had elevated Yang Potian to Rank 98, and this time, he had broken through entirely on his own strength. Now, even against an Ultimate Douluo, he could truly hold his ground.
(End of Chapter)
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