Although Ma Xiaotao's cultivation had already reached Rank 80 and she had officially stepped into the threshold of a Spirit Douluo, she had not yet truly broken through into the realm of a Titled Douluo.
Within Shrek Academy's teaching system, the core secrets related to the Titled Douluo level were usually imparted personally by the elders only when a Spirit Master was about to charge toward the Rank 90 bottleneck.
As such, the concept of a Soul Core was still almost a complete blind spot in her understanding.
Now, after hearing Xuan Zi's murmurs filled with shock and confusion, Ma Xiaotao's expression grew increasingly serious. Unable to hold back, she asked in a low voice,
"Elder Xuan, what exactly does the 'Soul Core' you mentioned represent? Even if Liu Yuan is exceptionally talented, can a special form of spirit power really make a Super Douluo like you feel fear?"
Xuan Zi took a deep breath. A complex light flickered through his originally cloudy eyes as he forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.
Looking at the now-empty arena, he spoke hoarsely, explaining the concept of a Soul Core to Ma Xiaotao and the rest of the Shrek members who had gathered around.
"A Soul Core is the true foundation of a Titled Douluo," Xuan Zi said heavily.
"When a Spirit Master's cultivation reaches the peak of Rank 90, the spirit power in their body will completely transform from a gaseous state into a liquid state."
"But that alone is still not enough. To truly step into the Titled realm, one must compress this liquefied spirit power to the extreme within the dantian or the Sea of Consciousness, triggering a qualitative change that forms an energy core capable of self-rotation and self-replenishment."
"That… is a Soul Core."
Xuan Zi paused, his voice dropping even lower.
"A Titled Douluo who possesses a Soul Core has a spirit power recovery speed several times—sometimes even more than ten times—that of an ordinary Spirit Douluo. The degree of spirit power condensation undergoes a fundamental leap."
"One could say that a Soul Core is the converter that allows a Titled Douluo to mobilize the power of heaven and earth."
At this point, Xuan Zi turned his gaze toward Ma Xiaotao, an unprecedented severity in his eyes.
"But according to the iron laws of the Spirit Master world, condensing a Soul Core requires an unimaginably vast total amount of spirit power."
"That's why, under normal circumstances, one only attempts to condense a Soul Core after successfully breaking through to Rank 90 and reaching the Titled Douluo bottleneck."
"But Liu Yuan has condensed a Soul Core in advance. Do you know what that implies?"
Ma Xiaotao stood frozen in place, subconsciously shaking her head.
Xuan Zi answered his own question.
"It means that although he nominally has only seven spirit rings and is merely a Spirit Saint, in terms of the core indicator of spirit power quality, he is already fully comparable to a true Titled Douluo."
"Every one of his ordinary attacks carries a spirit power density equivalent to a casual strike from a Titled Douluo."
"That's why Long Aotian's defense appeared as fragile as paper in front of him—the energy levels of the two simply don't exist in the same dimension."
"What's even more terrifying," Xuan Zi continued, his voice trembling faintly, "is the future."
"If he already possesses a first Soul Core now, then when he truly breaks through the Rank 90 bottleneck in the future, he won't be condensing his first Soul Core… but a second one."
"Once he successfully forms a Dual Soul Core system, then at Rank 91, in terms of pure spirit power quality, he could directly rival Super Douluos like us who stand above Rank 95."
"This kind of cultivation speed and potential has completely surpassed all common sense of the Spirit world."
The more Ma Xiaotao, Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei, and the others listened, the more shaken they became.
Originally, they had only thought Liu Yuan was powerful. But through Xuan Zi's explanation, they finally gained a clear, quantified understanding of just how terrifying his strength truly was.
This wasn't a gap that could be bridged through effort or talent alone—it was the result of having already stepped into a non-human realm in terms of life level and cultivation.
Xu Sanshi sat on the steps nearby, his face growing pale. He scratched his head and muttered anxiously,
"Then… according to what you're saying, aren't we completely finished this time?"
"After we win our next match, the bracket says we'll face the Sun Moon Royal Team right after."
"That Liu Yuan… how the hell are we supposed to deal with him?"
A deathly silence fell over the group.
Even Xu Sanshi, who usually loved to joke the most, couldn't muster a smile now.
As a defense-type Spirit Master, he understood better than anyone how terrifying Long Aotian's physical body had been. Since even Long Aotian had been instantly crippled, Xu Sanshi knew that even activating his Xuanwu Awakening likely wouldn't change his fate.
Amid the silence, Ma Xiaotao suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Five years ago, on the eve of the finals in Star Luo City, they had once sat together like this as well—powerless in the face of Liu Yuan's rise.
That suffocating pressure, born from being suppressed by absolute strength until one couldn't even breathe, had crossed five years of time to once again clamp tightly around the Shrek Team's throats.
The only difference was that five years ago, Liu Yuan had inspired awe.
Now, he inspired despair.
The subsequent matches continued as scheduled.
The competition timetable was extremely tight. After the Sun Moon Royal Team defeated the Body Sect, the Shrek Team also faced their next opponents.
Though those opponents were not weak, Shrek still claimed an easy victory thanks to their deep foundation and the outstanding performances of Huo Yuhao and Wang Donger.
However, when the referee announced Shrek's victory, the cheers from the audience were far less enthusiastic than before.
And when the Shrek Team members left the stage, not a trace of joy could be found on their faces.
Every step felt heavy.
Because they all knew that according to the schedule, tomorrow they would officially face the Sun Moon Royal Team.
That would be the decisive battle—one that would determine not only their fate, but perhaps Shrek Academy's prestige for decades to come.
Meanwhile, far away at Shrek Academy.
Inside the Martial Soul Department's dean's office, Yan Shaozhe sat alone.
A special Soul Tool projector rested on his desk. It contained the match recording sent back at the first possible moment by a scout hidden in the Bright Capital, using a top-tier recording Soul Tool.
Yan Shaozhe's expression was grave, his eyes sharp as a hawk's as his finger gently pressed the playback button.
He held his breath, preparing to scrutinize every detail of the battle frame by frame.
He had only one goal—to uncover any weakness in the monster known as Liu Yuan, no matter how small.
Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he had to find a path forward for the Shrek Team before tomorrow's decisive battle arrived.
The light of the projection illuminated Yan Shaozhe's solemn face, and the atmosphere within the room grew stiflingly oppressive.
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