Qian Renxue's Embarrassment

Hearing the child before her explanation, light flickered through Qian Renxue's purple eyes.

Lu Jing's explanation was logically sound and closely tied to the foundation of Soul Master cultivation. She could not afford to take it lightly.

As she looked into Lu Jing's eyes, which were far more serious than his age suggested, the suspicion in her heart gradually gave way to a strange trust.

"Raising the absorption limit of Soul Rings..." she murmured, her gaze growing fervent.

For any Soul Master aspiring to reach the pinnacle, this was an irresistible temptation!

With that thought, she stopped refusing. Hugging the jade box tightly, she said with a serious expression, "I believe you! Then... how do I use this?"

"It needs powerful Soul Power to refine and purify it, removing the impurities while preserving the purest essence."

Lu Jing explained, "It would be best if a fire-attribute Soul Master did it, or a strong person with cultivation as unfathomable as your Grandfather."

A glint flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes. "In that case, we'll ask Grandfather for help!"

She acted decisively, immediately grabbing Lu Jing and heading straight for the grand hall where Qian Daoliu cultivated in seclusion.

"Grandfather!"

Holding the jade box, Qian Renxue hurried before Qian Daoliu. Excitement tinged her voice as she hurriedly said, "Quick, help me refine this Whale Rubber!"

Qian Daoliu had just finished meditating. His golden eyes opened, carrying a trace of cool displeasure at being disturbed and the authority of an elder.

His gaze swept over the jade box in his granddaughter's arms, then shifted to the calm-faced Lu Jing beside her. His brows furrowed slightly. "Whale Rubber? Xiaoxue, what do you need that for?"

As someone who had lived for over a century, he had naturally heard of this item's "unorthodox" use.

"Grandfather, it isn't what you think!" Qian Renxue hastily repeated Lu Jing's explanation, especially stressing its effects of tempering the body and increasing the limit for Soul Ring absorption.

After hearing her out, an obvious ripple appeared in Qian Daoliu's golden pupils for the first time.

His scrutinizing gaze fell upon Lu Jing, as though it could pierce through his soul. "A discovery from ten thousand years later? Raising the Soul Ring absorption limit? Is that true?"

His voice was low and carried an immense sense of oppression. The air in the entire hall seemed to freeze.

"This junior would not dare speak recklessly. It is one of the Secret Methods publicly recognized by the Soul Master World of later generations." Lu Jing nodded, indicating that it was indeed true.

Qian Daoliu fell silent for several breaths.

He had lived for many years and possessed broad knowledge. He knew well that the wondrous uses of strange treasures were endless.

Lu Jing's identity and his certainty in his words led him to choose trust.

After all, even if it proved useless, there would be no real loss.

But if it truly worked as Lu Jing claimed, its significance to Spirit Hall and Qian Renxue would be enormous!

"Good!"

Having reached that conclusion, Qian Daoliu no longer hesitated. After nodding in agreement, he said, "This old man will refine it for you!"

He extended his right hand, his five fingers spread slightly. A vast, sea-like force of pure and sacred Golden Soul Power instantly enveloped the two pieces of Whale Rubber in the jade box.

Under the tempering of a level 99 Peerless Douluo's Soul Power, pure to the extreme, the two pieces of Ten Thousand Year Whale Jelly melted into liquid at a speed visible to the naked eye. Their impurities were stripped away thread by thread and burned to nothing.

The already extraordinary Whale Rubber now radiated surging Life Essence like ocean tides. Its color became like the purest liquid amber, crystal-clear and gleaming brilliantly!

A strange fragrance that made the entire body feel refreshed and caused one's sinews and bones to resonate filled the hall.

Looking at the two masses of amber liquid, refined to the utmost purity, floating above her Grandfather's palm, and sensing the immense energy within, strange light flashed repeatedly in Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes.

"Right."

At that moment, she suddenly remembered something. Looking at Lu Jing with a probing gaze, she asked, "Why did you think of giving this Whale Rubber to me? Shouldn't it have gone to Wang Dong'er?"

Lu Jing shook his head, his tone calm. "I gave it to her, but she didn't want it."

"Didn't want it?" Qian Renxue and Qian Daoliu both revealed stunned expressions.

She had rejected such a precious treasure?

"Mm."

Lu Jing nodded. With a hint of helplessness in his voice, he answered, "She said she ate too much of it as a snack when she was little and got sick of it long ago. That's why her second Soul Ring could already absorb one at the thousand-year level."

"What?!"

"Second Soul Ring? A thousand years?!"

Qian Renxue and Qian Daoliu cried out in shock almost simultaneously!

Even Qian Daoliu, who had weathered countless storms, now had a face full of incredulous shock!

A second Soul Ring absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring? That was nearly impossible in his understanding!

The theory of Soul Ring limits had been an ironclad rule in the Soul Master World of his era!

Even his pride and joy, his granddaughter Qian Renxue, had only absorbed a second Soul Ring of around seven hundred years, close to the limit!

Qian Renxue was even more shocked, covering her mouth as her purple eyes widened round.

If Lu Jing's earlier claim about Whale Rubber tempering the body had moved her, then Wang Dong'er's extravagant treatment of being able to absorb a thousand-year second Soul Ring simply because she had eaten too much of it as a snack dealt her a massive blow to her understanding!

Had the foundation of the sects ten thousand years later truly become so profound?!

"So, she doesn't need it."

Looking at the stunned pair, Lu Jing added, "Sister Xue, hurry and absorb it while it's still warm. The refined essence can't maintain this state for long."

Qian Renxue suppressed the shock in her heart and nodded. Carefully, she used Soul Power to wrap the amber liquid that belonged to her.

Just as she was about to absorb it, she seemed to think of something and suggested, "You should absorb yours here too. With Grandfather protecting us, it'll be the safest."

Upon hearing that, a rare embarrassed flush, carrying a touch of youthful awkwardness, appeared on Lu Jing's face.

He touched his nose and lowered his voice. "I won't do it here."

"Why?" Qian Renxue and Qian Daoliu both gave him puzzled looks.

Lu Jing gave a light cough, his gaze drifting slightly. "Well... Whale Rubber's body-tempering effect is powerful, but while refining and absorbing it, especially when absorbing high-quality Ten Thousand Year Whale Jelly for the first time... it will... it will cause the Blood and Qi inside the body to boil. Desires in that respect... will become rather intense and difficult to restrain. You'll need... an absolutely quiet place without anyone to disturb you, so you can calm yourself and resolve it..."

He tried to put it tactfully, but the meaning was already very clear.

"Desire?!" Qian Renxue repeated instinctively, then immediately understood!

Though she was already a Soul Elder and mentally far more mature than others her age, her body was still that of a nine-year-old maiden!

Hearing such a blunt and slightly taboo word come from Lu Jing's mouth so suddenly, and realizing it was related to something she was about to experience herself, an indescribable wave of embarrassment instantly rushed to her cheeks!

Whoosh—!

Her originally noble, cool, exquisite face was dyed a vivid crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye, like morning clouds reflecting off snow. The blush spread all the way to her delicate earlobes and slender neck!

Her hands clutching the jade box tightened unconsciously. Her long eyelashes fluttered in a flustered manner, and for a moment, she did not dare look at Lu Jing again—or at Qian Daoliu beside her, whose expression had also become somewhat strange.

Even the vast aura of Life Essence within the hall seemed to have taken on a trace of ambiguous heat.

"W-what nonsense are you talking about..." she muttered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, so embarrassed that she wished she could hide immediately!

Qian Daoliu was, after all, an old monster who had lived for over a century. After his initial surprise, he immediately understood the key to it.

Seeing his granddaughter's embarrassed appearance, understanding and helpless amusement flashed through his eyes.

He gave a dignified cough, breaking the subtle awkward atmosphere. He said to Qian Renxue, "Xiaoxue, in that case, you should return to your room like Little Jing and absorb and refine it in peace!"

"Yes, Grandfather!"

As though granted a reprieve, Qian Renxue hugged her mass of amber-colored "hot potato," lowered her head, and did not dare glance at Lu Jing again. Like a startled deer, she practically fled in panic. Her slender heels struck the polished floor in a string of hurried, flustered taps as she quickly vanished around the corner beyond the hall doors.

Watching that golden figure vanish at speed, Lu Jing touched his nose and gave Qian Daoliu a slight bow. "Thank you for the trouble, Great Enshrined. This junior shall take his leave."

With that, he also held his portion of Whale Rubber essence and turned to leave.

Only Qian Daoliu remained in the empty hall.

He looked in the direction his granddaughter had disappeared, then at Lu Jing's departing back. A complicated, unreadable expression appeared on his dignified face.

The secrets of ten thousand years later, a body-tempering method that overturned all understanding, and those two young guests of unusual identities... seemed to foretell that the pattern of this continent might quietly change because of these two unexpectedly fallen "stars."

His golden eyes narrowed slightly, as though piercing through the barriers of the hall to look toward a broader, more unknown future.