Absorbing Whale Rubber

"Does this whale rubber really have that kind of effect?"

Liu Erlong walked over to the bed, picked up the whale rubber from the wooden box, and examined it.

She knew about this thing's effects as well, but she had never heard of it helping soul masters absorb Soul Rings of higher age.

Even though Huangfu Ji had said so, she still found it a little hard to believe.

Taking the whale rubber from her, Huangfu Ji smiled. "Trust me."

"I need your flames to soften it."

"It's no big deal. Leave it to me." Liu Erlong patted her chest and agreed without a second thought.

Then Huangfu Ji said to Zhao Yuan, "Go find some ice—more is better. Then find a bath barrel."

Zhao Yuan immediately got to work.

While he gathered ice and searched for a bath barrel, Liu Erlong condensed her Soul Power and released flames.

Crimson flames enveloped the whale rubber. Though her flames could not compare to ultimate fire, softening a piece of whale rubber posed no problem. It just took a little longer.

By the time Zhao Yuan brought a bath barrel filled with ice back to the dormitory, Liu Erlong had already softened the whale rubber.

As the whale rubber softened, a strange fragrance wafted out, its rich scent filling the space around the three of them.

When Liu Erlong withdrew her flames, the once-hard whale rubber had become incomparably soft.

"It smells pretty good." Liu Erlong sniffed, the fragrance rushing into her nose.

Huangfu Ji extended his hand, golden Soul Power coating his right hand as he picked up the scalding whale rubber and examined it.

"How are you planning to eat that?" Liu Erlong asked.

Without any hesitation, Huangfu Ji tore off a piece of whale rubber and decisively put it into his mouth.

The whale rubber did not taste good. It carried a strong fishy stench. Huangfu Ji frowned tightly and endured the flavor as a stream of heat soon entered his abdomen.

At that moment, Huangfu Ji felt his lower abdomen grow hot.

"You two, get out first."

He knew the whale rubber was taking effect. He could not let Liu Erlong and Zhao Yuan stay in the dormitory any longer.

After the two left the dormitory and shut the door, Huangfu Ji drew the curtains as well.

His body quickly became scorching hot, but he did not feel uncomfortable. He swallowed all the remaining whale rubber in one go.

His entire body had turned red, as if he had just stepped out of a steamer.

His blood and qi churned throughout his body. Huangfu Ji panted heavily, his eyes reddening as sweat continuously poured down. Looking toward the wooden barrel, he decisively stripped off all his clothes and jumped inside.

The icy chunks wrapped around his entire body, but they soon began melting from his body heat.

Huangfu Ji circulated his Soul Power and began regulating the medicinal effects within his body. At present, his yang energy could be described as overwhelmingly vigorous. If he did not vent it, there would be problems—but he still forced himself to circulate his Soul Power.

Even inside the ice barrel, he still felt unbearably hot all over.

"Damn, if Thousand-Year Whale Rubber is already like this, wouldn't Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber send me straight to the heavens?"

Time passed second by second.

Outside the dormitory, Liu Erlong paced back and forth anxiously.

"No, I need to go in and take a look. What if something happened?"

Ordinary people simply could not withstand the medicinal effects of Thousand-Year Whale Rubber. Even though Huangfu Ji was a soul master, having consumed an entire piece at once, he might not be able to endure it.

"Hey, hey, hey." Zhao Yuan stretched out his arms and blocked the dormitory entrance, stopping Liu Erlong.

"What are you going in for? The Grand Duke has definitely stripped naked by now. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to go in."

Liu Erlong's cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes carrying a trace of shyness.

"But... there hasn't been any movement inside."

Zhao Yuan waved his hand. "Don't worry. Since the Grand Duke dared to consume Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, that proves he's confident."

"Let's just wait peacefully."

After saying that, he looked at Liu Erlong with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"You don't like the Grand Duke, do you?"

As soon as those words came out, Liu Erlong's cheeks turned even redder, like a pair of red apples.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

"I don't like him."

"Then why are you so worried?" Zhao Yuan looked at her with a wicked grin.

Liu Erlong explained, "We're good friends. Isn't it normal for good friends to worry about each other?"

"You... don't get any weird ideas."

"I... I'm going back to my dormitory first. If he's done, remember to call me."

Clutching her chest, Liu Erlong fled in a panic, her face burning red. She could feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Back in her dormitory, she shut the door.

Leaning against it, her heart was still pounding.

"Could I have fallen for him?"

"Why hadn't I noticed before?"

She had never liked any other boy, nor did she know what it felt like to like someone. But her worry for Huangfu Ji just now, coupled with Zhao Yuan's words, had set her heart racing.

"Is this what it feels like to like someone?"

She tried hard to calm herself, but she could not stop thinking about Huangfu Ji.

"Ugh, this is so annoying!" Liu Erlong threw herself onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her head.

The dormitory remained quiet until evening.

Huangfu Ji's skin had returned to normal. He sat cross-legged in the ice bucket, breathing and cultivating. All the ice in the bucket had already melted into icy water.

His physical constitution had greatly improved compared to before.

Slowly opening his eyes, Huangfu Ji let out a breath.

He stepped out of the ice bucket, dried his soaked body, and changed into a fresh set of clothes.

When he opened the dormitory door, Zhao Yuan was still standing guard outside.

Seeing that Huangfu Ji was unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where's Erlong?" Huangfu Ji asked.

Zhao Yuan smiled. "Her? She went back to her dormitory."

Then he leaned closer to Huangfu Ji and whispered, "She ran back there in a panic with a red face."

"What happened to her?" Huangfu Ji asked.

Zhao Yuan merely smiled without answering.

"I'll go get her."

When he returned, Liu Erlong followed behind him. However, her face was red, and she kept her head lowered, not daring to look at Huangfu Ji. Huangfu Ji was completely baffled.

"Erlong, what's wrong?" Huangfu Ji asked.

"Huh?" Liu Erlong raised her head, then shook it.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I'm fine, really, I'm fine." She smiled and shook her head, repeatedly insisting that she was fine, though her expression was somewhat unnatural.

Huangfu Ji asked again, "Then why is your face so red?"

"I'm flushed with vigor," Liu Erlong casually came up with an excuse.

"Pfft." Zhao Yuan burst out laughing, only to be met with Liu Erlong's threatening glare.

Zhao Yuan immediately wilted.

Huangfu Ji did not think much of it either.

After consuming the Whale Rubber, his requirements for his third Soul Ring had increased.

Originally, he had planned to absorb a two-thousand-year Soul Beast for his third Soul Ring. Now that he had taken the Whale Rubber, he intended to absorb a two-thousand-five-hundred-year Soul Beast.

"Let's make our preparations. Tomorrow, we'll set out to hunt Soul Beasts."

This time, he did not plan to ask Cheng Yao for help. He intended to have Liu Erlong and Zhao Yuan assist him. Although he could fight a Thousand-Year Soul Beast by himself, why fight one-on-one when he could gang up on it?

"Alright. I also want to see whether taking Whale Rubber can really increase the age limit for absorbing Soul Rings." Liu Erlong rubbed her hands together, her previously crimson cheeks having returned to normal.

"That's right. If we can absorb a two-thousand-year Soul Beast, wouldn't that scare everyone to death?" Zhao Yuan said with a grin.

After resting for the night, the three of them rode out of Qingyang City the next day. Yuan Hao naturally agreed to their Soul Beast hunt. Cheng Yao had originally wanted to accompany them, but Huangfu Ji politely declined.

The three of them were enough.