Whale Rubber: Everyone Who Used It Said It Was Good

As the banquet came to an end, Xue Xing sat alone in a side hall, lowering his head as he stared silently at the teacup before him.

The curtain on the left shifted slightly, and an eight- or nine-year-old boy walked in. He bore some resemblance to Xue Xing, and his expression was somewhat anxious.

"Uncle Wang, how did it go?"

Xue Xing looked at the boy's expression, slightly displeased.

"Xue Beng, haven't I taught you that no matter what happens, you must remain calm? Look at you, rushing about like that. What kind of behavior is this?"

The boy was named Xue Beng, the fourth son of Xue Ye. In recent years, as the other two princes met with misfortune one after another, Xue Xing had sensed that something was wrong. He had secretly instructed Xue Beng to act like a spoiled playboy to avoid attracting attention.

This banquet for Dugu Bo had been intended to win over a high-level combatant and strengthen the forces under his command, but Xue Qinghe had ruined it.

Xue Xing no longer had any claim of gratitude from Dugu Bo either. It would likely be difficult to get Dugu Bo to stand on his side now.

Xue Beng shrank his neck in fright at Xue Xing's rebuke. Winning over Dugu Bo concerned his very life, so how could he not be anxious?

"Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe were present this time as well. We could only exchange pleasantries. We'll have to find another opportunity to recruit him."

"Xue Qinghe... Damn it, him again! Does he really intend to wipe me out completely?" Xue Beng's face was filled with anger, but fear showed in his eyes.

Listening to Xue Beng's complaints, Xue Xing frowned. He had no evidence proving that Xue Qinghe had been behind the deaths of the princes; it was all merely his speculation. It seemed that winning over Dugu Bo could only be handled gradually.

The next morning.

Dugu Chen was unaffected by the previous night's banquet and rose early to cultivate as usual.

Having just eaten breakfast enough for ten ordinary people, Dugu Chen had already grown used to his appetite. He guessed it was because of his Martial Soul.

A while later, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan arrived together.

Seeing that he had just finished breakfast, Dugu Bo took out the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber he had purchased at auction the previous night from his Soul Tool and tossed it to Dugu Chen, speaking irritably.

"If you keep eating like this, sooner or later you'll eat this old man into bankruptcy."

"Here, the Whale Rubber you wanted. You'd better explain it clearly, or don't blame this old man for being rude."

Dugu Chen hurriedly caught it. This piece of Whale Rubber was not large, but it was enough to raise both his and Dugu Yan's physiques to another level.

"Thank you, Teacher. This disciple will explain it clearly right away."

"This piece of Whale Rubber is meant to be split equally between Senior Sister and me."

At that, Dugu Bo grabbed Dugu Chen by the collar, so angry that even his beard stood on end.

"Good! Yan Yan is still so young, yet you already dare to set your sights on her? This old man will clean house today!"

Dugu Chen was startled as well. Seeing Dugu Bo glaring and blowing his beard, as well as Dugu Yan's flushed little face, he hurriedly explained.

"Teacher, Teacher, you misunderstand! This Whale Rubber can strengthen the body. It isn't for that kind of thing. That's why this disciple said Senior Sister and I would each have half."

Hearing that Whale Rubber had another use, Dugu Bo finally calmed down and asked doubtfully.

"Is this Whale Rubber really that miraculous?"

"Absolutely. When my parents were still alive, they told me some inherited knowledge. It included the uses of certain rare treasures."

Seeing that Dugu Bo still had doubts, Dugu Chen had no choice but to bring up his deceased parents. Otherwise, how could he explain knowing these things? He could only leave no evidence behind. Dugu Bo probably would not pursue the matter further.

"My mother taught me that Whale Rubber is a special substance produced in the brains of whale-type Soul Beasts. It has excellent nourishing effects for Soul Masters, strengthening the body and increasing the tolerance of the muscles, bones, and meridians. It must be softened under intense flames before it can be consumed. It can increase the body's ability to withstand Soul Rings by at least five hundred years."

Hearing that it could raise the Soul Ring endurance limit by five hundred years, Dugu Bo could not help but feel doubtful. Dugu Chen continued explaining it to him.

"Teacher, that's only an estimate. After all, it is impossible for us to judge a Soul Beast's cultivation with such precision, or know whether it is exactly the one we need to absorb. But it truly can strengthen the body. What's more, this is Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber. Once we finish it, Senior Sister and I should have more than enough endurance to attach thousand-year Soul Rings for our next Soul Rings."

After hearing Dugu Chen out, Dugu Bo became somewhat excited. This was an unprecedented second Soul Ring of a thousand years! His family had two such people. How could he not be happy? Yet Dugu Bo was still uneasy. This was only something someone else had said, without any actual example. If his disciple and granddaughter were injured because of it, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Seeing the hesitation in Dugu Bo's eyes, Dugu Chen was not surprised. After all, hearing was false while seeing was believing. He immediately used Martial Soul Possession, placed the Whale Rubber on his Dragon Claw, and began roasting it with fire.

As time passed, Dugu Chen's face grew slightly pale. This piece of Whale Rubber was much harder to melt than he had expected. His level was still too low, and his Soul Power recovery could not keep up with the expenditure.

At that moment, Dugu Bo placed a hand on Dugu Chen's shoulder. A stream of pure Soul Power poured in, and Dugu Chen immediately understood, increasing his Soul Power output.

Gradually, a strange fragrance wafted out from the Whale Rubber. It was incredibly rich, yet condensed without dispersing, lingering only within about a foot of Dugu Chen's Dragon Claw. A faint golden glow began radiating from it, turning into a strange dark gold. As the energy intensified, it began to soften into a pliable gelatinous substance.

Dugu Chen immediately split it into two and handed one half to his little senior sister beside him.

"Senior Sister, hurry and eat it while it's hot. Refine it with Soul Power. The effect is best right now."

Dugu Yan looked at the Whale Rubber before her, then happily at her junior brother. Her junior brother treated her so well, always thinking of her whenever there was something good. Inwardly, she quietly placed Dugu Chen alongside Dugu Bo in equal standing. With a slight blush, she accepted the Whale Rubber and swallowed it in one bite. Her little face immediately scrunched up as she sat cross-legged to cultivate.

Dugu Chen glanced at the cultivating Dugu Yan, then turned and gave Dugu Bo a reassuring look before swallowing the remaining half of the Whale Rubber.

"Ugh! What a strong fishy smell!" The dense fishy odor released as the Whale Rubber entered his mouth nearly made Dugu Chen sick enough to vomit. He immediately understood why Dugu Yan's little face had scrunched up like that earlier.

Fortunately, his will was firm enough for him to suppress the nausea and force himself to swallow the piece of Whale Rubber.

However, after it went down, the fishy smell quickly turned into a warm current flowing into his abdomen. Not only that, the Whale Rubber stirred up a rich fragrance that rushed out of Dugu Chen's nose and mouth, making him let out a comfortable little moan.

It really is fragrant!

Having tasted the benefits, Dugu Chen could not help praising it inwardly.

The intense warm current began flowing into all four of his limbs and throughout his body.

The warmth gradually became scorching. Dugu Chen felt torrents of heat constantly flowing through every part of his body, and sweat slowly began seeping out from him.

However, the side effect of excessive male vitality also appeared. Dugu Chen only felt his body temperature grow astonishingly hot, and his eyes began turning red. Fortunately, his Spiritual Power was powerful, and his equipment for committing crimes was still unusable.

Though his heart was burning with heat at that moment, it was not beyond control. As long as he calmed down and cultivated, he could suppress the impulse in his heart.

When he felt how much the Whale Rubber had enhanced his physical condition, Dugu Chen was filled with delight once more.

As the Whale Rubber was fully refined, Dugu Chen smoothly broke through to level sixteen. He slowly rose to his feet, only to have Dugu Yan throw herself into his arms the moment he stood up.

The soft sensation caused the heat from the Whale Rubber to surge up again, making even Dugu Chen's breathing grow heavier.

But at that moment, Dugu Yan's excited voice rang out, and Dugu Chen suppressed the impulse in his heart once more.

"Junior Brother, I broke through to level seventeen! And I feel like my whole body is full of strength. Thank you, Junior Brother."

"Muah!"

Dugu Yan excitedly hugged Dugu Chen, jumping up and down. In the end, she slobbered all over his face.

Dugu Chen had just wanted to return the gesture when Dugu Bo grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled the two apart.

"Alright. Yan Yan, you two have cultivated for a full day and night. Go back to your room and rest first. Your junior brother must be tired too, so he needs to rest as well."

Dugu Yan was a little unwilling. She still wanted to spend more time with her junior brother. Her junior brother was warm and cozy, even more comfortable than Dugu Bo. But since Dugu Bo had spoken, she could not argue and could only leave first.

"Then get some good rest, Junior Brother. Senior Sister will come play with you tomorrow."

The moment Dugu Yan left, Dugu Bo immediately turned to Dugu Chen with a stern face.

"Not bad, kid! You've only been here for a few months, and Yan Yan is already about to stop wanting this grandfather of hers."

"How could that be, Teacher? Senior Sister was only too excited just now. We should also thank Teacher for standing guard for us."

Dugu Chen shamelessly ran behind Dugu Bo and began massaging his shoulders.

"Fine. This time, you were right. Since this Whale Rubber has such an effect, this old man must buy more of it. Ten-thousand-year varieties are rare and difficult to find, but thousand-year ones should still exist. If the quality isn't enough, I'll make up for it with quantity. I imagine some people will give this old man face."

Hearing this, Dugu Chen said to Dugu Bo.

"Teacher, aren't you afraid they'll gossip about you?"

After all, Whale Rubber was currently considered an aphrodisiac and a virility enhancer. If Dugu Bo bought it in large quantities, people would surely point fingers behind his back.

But Dugu Bo did not care in the slightest and waved his hand.

"Hmph! Why should this old man explain his actions to anyone else?"

Hearing that, Dugu Chen could only give his teacher a thumbs-up.

Dugu Bo closed his eyes and enjoyed his disciple's massage for a while before casually saying.

"It seems your ancestors were from a prominent family. They even knew that Whale Rubber could strengthen the body and muscles. It seems one cannot underestimate the people of the world."

Dugu Chen could only smile awkwardly. One lie often required several more to cover it up, so he could only continue fabricating.

"Father and Mother never spoke of our ancestors. They only taught me that inherited knowledge must not be forgotten, or it would be unfilial."

"Then... are there any other treasures like this? Perhaps Teacher knows about them?"

Seeing that his disciple had mentioned his parents, Dugu Bo changed the subject to avoid making him sad.

Dugu Chen's eyes lit up at Dugu Bo's words. He had been worried about finding an opportunity to mention the Immortal Herbs, and now one had come to him.

"Teacher, there are supposedly some Immortal Herbs as well. It is said that consuming them can consolidate one's foundation, nourish one's Essence, deepen one's reserves, and improve one's aptitude. After taking them, one would be completely reborn. But this disciple does not know whether it is true."

"Oh? Tell me about them. Let this old man broaden his horizons too. There are such miraculous herbs in the world? Perhaps this old man even knows where they are?"

As he spoke, Dugu Bo made a small joke.

"Then today, you're in for an eye-opener! There is an Immortal Herb called Aromatic Silk Beauty. It is a large pale pink flower without leaves, with a stem three feet long. The bloom is enormous, measuring a full foot across. Every petal looks as clear and translucent as crystal, while the stamens are pale violet, like tiny purple diamonds. It is said this flower is the bane of all poisons, capable of neutralizing every toxin. Even harvesting it requires a special method."

"Teacher, don't you think that sounds exaggerated? A single flower could make someone immune to all poisons. Wouldn't that mean your decades of cultivation were for nothing?"

In order to deepen Dugu Bo's impression, Dugu Chen deliberately chose to describe the Immortal Herb that most restrained him. He also mentioned that it required a specific harvesting method because he feared Dugu Bo might go and ruin all the Immortal Herbs himself. Finally, he lightly teased him.

"Chen'er, refining the Whale Rubber has tired you out today. Rest early. Teacher has something to do, so I'll be leaving first."

Dugu Bo ignored Dugu Chen's teasing. With a solemn expression, he dropped those words and hurried out the door.

Watching Dugu Bo's departing back, Dugu Chen muttered to himself.

"I was already so subtle. It shouldn't have made him suspicious, right?"