In this paper, the concept of incorporating core-shell structured units as secondary phases to toughen Al 2 O 3 ceramics is proposed. Al 2 O 3 composite ceramics toughened by B 4 C@TiB 2 core-shell units are successfully synthesized using a combination of molten salt methodology and spark plasma sintering. The synthesis of B 4 C@TiB 2 core-shell toughening units stems from the prior production of core-shell structural B 4 C@TiB 2 powders, and this core-shell structure is effectively preserved within the Al 2 O 3 matrix after sintering. The B 4 C@TiB 2 core-shell toughening unit consists of a micron-sized B 4 C core enclosed by a shell approximately 500 nm in thickness, composed of numerous nanosized TiB 2 grains. The regions surrounding these core-shell units exhibit distinct geometric structures and encompass multidimensional variations in phase composition, grain dimensions, and thermal expansion coefficients. Consequently, intricate stress distributions emerge, fostering the propagation of cracks in multiple dimensions. This behavior consumes a considerable amount of crack propagation energy, thereby enhancing the fracture toughness of the Al 2 O 3 matrix. The resulting Al 2 O 3 composite ceramics display relative density of 99.7%±0.2%, Vickers hardness of 21.5±0.8 GPa, and fracture toughness 6.92±0.22 MPa•m 1/2 .