Chương 418: Chapter 417: Two Suns VS Harmonic Essence

A divine blessing. I almost laughed at the irony of those words. For the Lightweavers back in the Two Suns world, blue sun energy had been nothing more than a curse disguised as salvation, slowly corrupting them while they continued to praise it as divine grace. But for Mo Yuhang? This really was a blessing, in the truest sense of the word. As the azure radiance continued flowing through our body, I took the opportunity to study how blue sun energy interacted with harmonic essence. The results were... unexpected.

Unlike qi, which commanded harmonic essence like a king giving orders to loyal subjects, the blue sun energy seemed to have no effect on it whatsoever. The harmonic essence didn't retreat, didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge the blue energy's presence. It was like watching two people living in the same room, with neither being able to see or hear the other.

"That's interesting," I murmured, letting the observation roll around in my mind.

"I wonder why that is." The healing process took longer than usual, which made sense given that the blue sun energy was traveling through a spiritual link rather than my inner world. It came in measured doses rather than the flood I was used to, like sipping water through a straw instead of drinking from a river. Still, it did its job. I could feel the damaged meridians knitting back together, the stress fractures in Mo Yuhang's spiritual pathways smoothing out like cracks in glass being polished away.

When the last of the azure light faded, our body was ready for cultivation. I could sense the difference immediately. Now that Mo Yuhang had reached Peak Second Scale cultivation, his harmonic essence reserves were deeper and more stable than they'd ever been. It wasn't a transformative change, that would only come with the breakthrough to Third Scale, but it was definitely significant.

"Divine one," Mo Yuhang's voice whispered in my mind.

"I... I don't have words to express my thanks. In a single afternoon, you've accomplished what would have taken me decades of cultivation." I waved off his thanks, both literally and mentally.

"This is only the beginning, Mo Yuhang. We're just getting started."

"Are we going to attempt the Resonance Core formation now?" he asked, and I could feel his excitement building like pressure in a steam kettle.

"Not yet," I said, shaking my head.

"There are still some things I need to figure out before we try something that complex." I could sense his disappointment, but he accepted my decision without question. Which was probably wise, considering what I was planning to test next. Closing my eyes, I reached through the spiritual link again, but this time I drew on my red sun energy instead of blue. The sensation was completely different. Where blue sun energy felt like cool water, the red sun energy was like liquid fire, aggressive and demanding.

A crimson aura erupted around Mo Yuhang's body, painting the walls of the Harmony Sanctum in shades of blood and sunset. The harmonic essence that saturated every inch of the chamber recoiled as if it had been slapped. I watched in fascination as the musical energy retreated in all directions, creating a perfect sphere of empty space around us. It was like watching a crowd of people flee from a dangerous predator, leaving behind an area completely devoid of their presence.

"This... this is impossible!" Mo Yuhang stammered, his voice cracking with shock.

"Divine one, there is no place in this realm, not a single inch, that isn't saturated with harmonic essence! It's like... like the fundamental laws of our world have stopped working!" I didn't reply immediately, too busy scanning our body with my spiritual sense. What I found was even more interesting than the external effect.

The harmonic essence inside Mo Yuhang's meridians, the energy we'd just spent so much effort accumulating, was still there, but it was pressed against the far walls of his spiritual channels, behaving like a terrified animal trapped in a cage.

"Fascinating," I murmured, then decided to push the experiment a step further. I directed some of the red sun energy outward, letting it seep into one of the singing plants near the meditation area. The harmonic essence within the flower tried desperately to escape, its musical glow flickering like a candle in a hurricane. But it was too slow. The red energy fell upon the trapped essence like a starving wolf, devouring it with a hunger that was almost palpable.

The plant writhed as the consumption took place, its delicate petals darkening from soft pink to deep crimson. The leaves turned black at the edges, and the gentle song it had been producing became a discordant wail that made my teeth ache. Within seconds, I was looking at what could only be described as a twisted and hungry demonic plant, radiating an aura of corruption that made the other plants in the chamber lean away from it. I had expected the transformation.

After all, red sun energy had a habit of corrupting whatever it touched, turning peaceful creatures into monsters. But what I hadn't expected was the way it had devoured the harmonic essence. In all my experiences with different energy types, I'd never seen one form of power actually consume another like that.

"Master," Azure said quietly, "it seems like the red and blue sun energies are behaving similarly to how they act in your inner world." He was right. The blue sun was subtle and patient, always seeming harmless until its influence was too deeply rooted to remove. That was exactly why the Lightweavers in the Two Suns world still hadn't realized they were being manipulated. The blue sun played the long game, working its corruption slowly and invisibly. The red sun, on the other hand, was domineering and aggressive.

In my inner world, it had repeatedly tried to challenge the Genesis Seed's authority, only to get thoroughly beaten down each time. It also had a history of bullying the baby star, like a schoolyard bully picking on smaller kids. And in the Two Suns world, the Skybound had been widely known for their bloodthirsty and direct approach to everything. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

So, it made sense that when it encountered a weaker form of power, it naturally tried to devour it. The blue sun energy, meanwhile, acted harmless and ignored it entirely, probably planning some kind of long-term infiltration strategy. But that raised an interesting question about their behavior in the cultivation world. While blue sun energy continued its patient, harmless act there, red sun energy didn't try to dominate qi the way it was dominating harmonic essence now. Why not?

Could it be because qi was a higher form of energy than red sun power? That would make sense, but then why hadn't red sun energy tried to devour rouqi when I'd visited the Starhaven Realm? The energy there had been weaker than qi, similar to harmonic essence in some ways, but the red energy had been more cautious with it. I thought back to what I knew about how Civilization Realm cultivators created their inner worlds.

Most experts at that level developed entirely new cultivation systems and energy forms for their personal dimensions. These energies were usually similar to qi in basic principle but weaker in practice - like diluted versions of the real thing. When I'd first encountered rouqi, I'd noticed the similarities to qi immediately. But harmonic essence, while likely also being a lesser version of qi, felt very different. It had a completely different character, almost like it had evolved along a separate path entirely.

Did this explain why red sun energy had been hesitant to devour rouqi but would consume harmonic essence immediately? Was it because rouqi was a closer derivative of qi, while harmonic essence was more removed from that original source? I wasn't sure, but it was giving me ideas about how to classify different worlds and their energy systems. For simplicity's sake, I decided to think of qi and the power of the two suns as higher forms of energy, with qi being the higher tier between the two.

As for the energy systems found in Civilization Realm inner worlds, they could be classified as lower forms of energy. Which raised an even bigger question: were the cultivation world and the Two Suns world themselves just inner worlds of beings who had progressed beyond the Civilization Realm? Or were they something fundamentally different; original worlds that hadn't been created through someone's cultivation technique? Again, I wasn't sure, but I was excited to find out.

The more my cultivation advanced and the more worlds I visited, the closer I'd get to answering these questions. There was something thrilling about standing at the edge of cosmic mysteries, knowing that each step forward might reveal truths that would reshape my entire understanding of existence. But that was a concern for the future. Right now, I had a tournament to win.

"Mo Yuhang," I said, letting the red energy fade away.

"Walk me through the process of forming a Resonance Core." He'd been silent during my experiments, probably still reeling from the impossibility of what he'd witnessed, but my question snapped him back to attention.

"Of course, divine one," he said, his mental voice taking on the organized tone of someone who'd taught this material many times.

"The Resonance Core formation process can be broken down into seven distinct phases." I settled back to listen as he launched into what was clearly a well-rehearsed explanation.

"First, you must gather harmonic essence from throughout your spiritual channels and concentrate it at the center of your dantian. This requires approximately three times the normal amount of essence a Peak Second Scale cultivator maintains at any given time.

"Second, you begin the layering process. The essence must be compressed into seven distinct harmonic layers, each one vibrating at a specific frequency that complements the others. Think of it like tuning seven different instruments to play a perfect chord.

"Third, you create the resonance matrix. Each layer needs to be connected to all the others through precise harmonic bridges. These bridges carry the actual sound vibrations that amplify your techniques.

"Fourth is the stabilization phase. You must maintain the entire structure while gradually increasing the vibrational intensity until it reaches what we call the 'singing point' - the frequency at which the core becomes self-sustaining.

"Fifth, you perform the integration ritual. This involves singing a specific harmonic pattern that teaches your meridians to recognize and work with the new core structure.

"Sixth is the stress testing. You channel progressively more powerful techniques through the core to ensure it can handle the increased energy loads without collapsing.

"Finally, you complete the permanent binding. This locks the core into your spiritual foundation, making it a permanent part of your cultivation base." That was a lot more steps than I had expected for what was essentially a breakthrough to Qi Condensation Stage 7. Before I could even say anything, I sensed Mo Yuhang's excitement building again. It turns out he wasn't finished.

"The complexity and precision required for each step determines what tier of core you'll end up with," he continued.

"There are three possible outcomes: the Foundation Core, the Harmony Core, and the Symphony Core."

"Tell me about each one," I said, knowing that the distinctions would not only affect the result of the battle, but also Mo Yuhang's future.

"The Foundation Core is the most basic version," Mo Yuhang explained.

"It provides about a fifty percent increase in harmonic essence efficiency and allows access to basic Third Scale techniques. The layering is simple; usually just three layers with minimal interconnection. Most cultivators who achieve Third Scale end up with this type, and honestly, I'd be thrilled to manage even that much." His tone grew more reverent as he continued.

"The Harmony Core is significantly more advanced. It requires five layers with complex resonance bridges between them, providing roughly double the efficiency increase and access to intermediate Third Scale techniques. Only prodigies like Liu Wenqing typically manage this level. The precision required is extraordinary."

"And the Symphony Core?" I prompted. Mo Yuhang actually laughed, but there was no humor in it; just the sound of someone contemplating the impossible.

"The Symphony Core is legendary, divine one. Seven perfectly harmonized layers with full resonance matrix integration. It triples efficiency and grants access to advanced Third Scale techniques that most cultivators never even hear about. The last person to successfully form one was centuries ago, back when the Grand Composer himself walked among us. It's considered a theoretical possibility rather than a practical goal."

The tiered core system reminded me of the Core Formation stage I'd read about in cultivation novels back on Earth, though obviously these Resonance Cores were much weaker and designed for a lower realm. Still, the principle of different quality outcomes based on formation technique and available resources was familiar.

"Master," Azure's voice spoke up in my mind, "I've been analyzing his explanation. If we want to help with this process, we'll need to make some adjustments to account for how qi interacts with harmonic essence."

"What kind of adjustments?" I asked silently.

"The traditional method relies on the cultivator's natural resonance with harmonic essence to maintain control during formation. But if we're using qi to command the essence directly, we'll need to modify the timing and intensity of each phase. Think of it like conducting an orchestra where half the musicians speak a different language; you need to adapt your communication methods." Azure paused, organizing his thoughts before continuing.

"First, you'll need to reduce the qi intensity during the initial gathering phase. Qi's natural authority over harmonic essence is too strong. If you use full power from the start, you'll pull in too much essence too quickly and overwhelm Mo Yuhang's channels.

"Second, during the layering process, use qi in short, controlled pulses rather than sustained pressure. Each layer needs time to stabilize before the next one begins, but qi's commanding nature doesn't naturally account for that patience.

"Third, and most importantly, during the resonance bridge formation, you'll need to act more like a gentle guide than a military commander. The bridges require the essence to flow naturally between layers. If you force it with qi, the connections will be rigid rather than harmonious, which could cause the entire structure to shatter under stress.

"Finally, during the stabilization phase, gradually reduce your qi involvement and let Mo Yuhang's natural control take over. The core needs to recognize him as its primary master, not your qi signature." That made sense. I listened as Azure finished explaining the finer details of timing and energy modulation, then turned my attention back to Mo Yuhang.

"I've been considering your explanation," I said, "and I believe I can make some adjustments that will account for how my energy will influence the processs." I proceeded to repeat Azure's recommendations, watching Mo Yuhang's mental presence practically vibrate with excitement as I spoke.

"Incredible!" he said when I finished.

"Divine one, your ability to instantly analyze and optimize cultivation techniques is beyond anything I've ever heard of! Those modifications are exactly what would be needed to account for the unique properties of divine energy interaction!" I shrugged off the compliment, though internally I was amused. If only he knew that all the real insight was coming from Azure, not me. Still, I had to admit that maintaining this divine, knowledgeable persona was actually kind of fun.

There was something satisfying about being seen as wise and powerful, even if it was mostly an act. As for Mo Yuhang calling qi "divine energy," I decided not to correct him. From these people's perspective, qi really was divine; a form of power so far beyond their normal experience that it might as well have come from the gods themselves.

"Are you ready to attempt the formation?" I asked.

"More than ready, divine one. I've been dreaming of this moment my entire life."

"Then let's begin."