Chapter Thirteen: The Vortex of Soul Power

“Cultivation Method!”

Huo Yuhao murmured softly.

Indeed, what he needed right now was a suitable cultivation method. Whether for daily practice, enhancing his physical strength, or aiding in combat, the key lay in finding a proper soul power circulation technique.

Soul masters on the Douluo Continent had realized this early on, but since it wasn’t an immediate necessity, development and refinement remained limited to a few secret family techniques passed down through generations.

Naturally, the White Tiger Duke’s mansion possessed such methods.

Unfortunately, they had nothing to do with Huo Yuhao, a mere servant’s son.

“Tianmeng, how much do you know about cultivation methods?”

“By circulating soul power along special meridians to form a loop, certain unique effects can be produced. Beyond that, I don’t know much.”

Tianmeng mentally sifted through the little knowledge he had: “However, I do know that since its founding thousands of years ago, the Tang Sect has passed down a strange technique said to be extremely powerful.”

The Tang Sect…

Huo Yuhao’s expression darkened.

Isn’t that the faction Beibei and Tang Ya belong to? He had already regarded them as a sinking ship full of traps. Now it seemed… he had been blind.

But none of that mattered anymore.

“Do I have no choice but to tough it out with sheer willpower?” Huo Yuhao began gasping for breath.

If time were unlimited, he could have gradually pushed forward, but now he had to maintain this frantic pace for over an hour.

“It’s not entirely hopeless…”

Tianmeng muttered.

“What? You have a solution?” Huo Yuhao’s eyes brightened.

“Come inside first.”

Tianmeng reached out and tapped the surface of the Sea of Consciousness.

“Hmm?”

At the edge of the training ground, Zhou Yi frowned. Huo Yuhao, who had been running desperately in circles, suddenly slowed down, his movements strange and mechanical.

As if… lost in thought?

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, Huo Yuhao’s form emerged from the water’s surface. “Tianmeng, did you think of something?”

“Not exactly a solution, but a possibility.”

Tianmeng pondered: “Have you heard of soul cores?”

Huohao was puzzled.

“Soul cores are devices invented by some high-level soul beasts to expand their soul power capacity. They are considered shortcuts to increasing strength and cultivation level.”

“But that’s not the main point.”

Tianmeng studied Huo Yuhao closely. “The key is that soul cores can autonomously increase their total soul power, albeit slowly. This is because they spin rapidly, drawing in and compressing external energy into the beast’s body.”

Huo Yuhao shivered under his gaze. “You mean… I should get my soul power to spin inside me?”

“Exactly!”

“But wouldn’t that kill me?”

Soul masters’ bodies were fragile, which is why soul power had to flow in specific loops within the meridians to avoid harm.

If it spun wildly inside as you say, the meridians would instantly be shredded into a mess.

“Others might die, but you won’t.”

Tianmeng looked into Huo Yuhao’s eyes earnestly. “Your current body strength rivals that of a millennium-old soul beast, but your soul power remains barely past ten years’ cultivation. At this moment, even if your soul power rushes recklessly inside, you’re unlikely to be injured.”

“Soul power vortex—you can definitely handle it!”

Huo Yuhao fell silent for a few seconds under Tianmeng’s gaze, then gritted his teeth sharply: “Alright! I trust you!”

At this point, the only one he could trust without reservation was this little silkworm before him.

His consciousness returned, and his previously loose steps grew steady and strong again.

Just as Zhou Yi expected him to speed up, Huo Yuhao instead concentrated inward.

“Hopefully this will work.”

With that thought, the milky white energy mass inside him began to spin. The soul power filaments that had extended into his meridians were drawn back, causing the soul power throughout his body to flow chaotically.

His meridians were torn and twisted; muscles, bones, and blood vessels rubbed and contorted under the spreading waves of energy. Strange, varied pains surged from all parts of his body, bursting open the gates of the Sea of Consciousness.

Huo Yuhao gasped softly.

Then, with a steely look, he accelerated the spin!

Not only did he feel it, but even the students brushing past him and the watching Zhou Yi sensed the strange fluctuations emanating from his body.

What was he doing?

“Huo Yuhao! Are you alright?”

Behind him, Wang Dong quickened his pace, catching up: “Want me to run with you? That old witch never said we can’t help each other. If she dares to pick a fight, I’m not afraid of her!”

“I’m fine…”

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly, his face pale: “You keep running. If I can’t hold on, I’ll let you know.”

“Alright…”

Wang Dong worriedly withdrew his gaze and continued running hard.

One hundred and fifty laps—a near limit for him. Any slight relaxation might cause him to fail.

“Don’t lose focus, keep accelerating!”

Tianmeng watched the soul power mass intently. As it spun faster, the white energy began to deform.

“Good!”

Huo Yuhao felt a little relief. All the soul power coursing through his limbs and bones was drawn into the mass, so he no longer endured so much pain.

As the spinning quickened, the top and bottom poles of the energy mass started to cave inward and contract.

Then…

“Boom!”

It seemed as if it crossed a threshold. The spiraling, contracting energy suddenly exploded, a burst of white light filling his entire body. A small portion even shone out from his eyes.

Inward vision.

The previously energetic soul power transformed into layers of mist, spreading throughout his body.

Then, under a strange pull, it rapidly contracted.

“Pop~”

Finally, the gaseous soul power condensed into a funnel-shaped vortex like a nebula, quietly spinning within Huo Yuhao’s dantian, drawing soul power from his entire body continuously.

In mere seconds, both his body and meridians felt remarkably refreshed, without any soul power congestion.

“Did it work?”

Excitement shone in Tianmeng’s eyes as he leapt within the Sea of Consciousness, swaying joyfully: “It worked! Haha… I knew you could do it!”

Feeling the sudden emptiness inside, Huo Yuhao smiled as well.

Drawn by the vortex, external energy slowly seeped into his body, merging with it.

Though the increase was slight, given an hour or two, his soul power reserves could recover from zero to full.

This was completely autonomous circulation!

Outside, everyone watching saw the seemingly exhausted Huo Yuhao suddenly surge forward, running as if he no longer cared about soul power or stamina consumption, repeatedly weaving through the crowd in circles.

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, a gray mist shifted and revealed a pair of eyes, whispering with curiosity:

“Soul power vortex? Holy-guide Spirit Furnace?”