Global Whale Rubber Craze: The Frenzied Black World

Heaven Dou City, the largest medicinal herb wholesale market.

"It's gone! It's really gone!"

The shopkeeper was surrounded by a group of red-eyed Soul Masters, his face full of misery.

"Just now, a group of mysterious people bought up all three thousand jin of Whale Rubber in stock!"

"Not even scraps were left!"

"Who? Who did this?!"

"No idea. I heard it was... people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"

"Bullshit! My contacts in Blue Lightning said they're scrambling to buy it too!"

Chaos.

Utter chaos.

Whale Rubber, which had once been ignored, something no one would even pick up if it were tossed onto the roadside.

In an instant, its price had soared from one Copper Soul Coin per jin to one hundred Gold Soul Coins per jin!

And even then, there was none to be found!

Suotuo City.

Dai Mubai stood outside a pharmacy, his Evil Eyes filled with savage bloodshot veins.

"What did you say?"

"It was here yesterday, and it's gone today?"

The pharmacy owner cowered behind the counter, trembling. "Young Master Dai... it's really gone. Someone just bought it all..."

"Bastard!"

Boom!

Dai Mubai slammed his palm down on the counter.

The hard solid-wood counter instantly shattered into pieces, scattering medicinal herbs across the floor.

"When I came to buy liniment yesterday, I clearly saw a mountain of Whale Rubber piled up in that corner!"

"I only slept a little longer!"

"Just one night!"

"And you're telling me it's gone?!"

Dai Mubai trembled with rage.

As a Star Luo Prince, though he was living in exile, his judgment remained sharp.

He knew all too well what "increasing toughness by 300%" meant for an Assault System Soul Master like him.

It was the foundation for being invincible among those of the same rank!

It was his hope of defeating that terrifying older brother of his!

But now.

Hope had been right before his eyes, only to slip away again.

"Damn Sky Curtain! Damn Bai Tang San!"

"If you had something this good, why didn't you reveal it earlier?!"

"Why wait until the whole world knew before showing it?!"

Dai Mubai raged helplessly, kicking over the sign outside the shop and drawing strange looks from passersby.

Shrek Academy, the dean's office.

Flender sat on that battered old chair, tightly clutching three black, hard chunks in his hand.

They were several aged pieces of Whale Rubber that he had only found after turning the entire academy warehouse upside down and digging through rat holes.

Poor quality.

Moldy.

Some had even been eaten through by insects.

"Wuwuwu..."

The dean, who had always valued money as dearly as his life, let out a howl as though his parents had died.

"What a sin!"

"Why did I despise this stuff for taking up space and throw away so much of it?"

"That was all Gold Soul Coins!"

"That was all my retirement money!"

Zhao Wuji sighed beside him, staring longingly at those rotten chunks of rubber.

"Flender, stop crying."

"These pieces may be rotten, but they're still Whale Rubber."

"How about... we try that Stir-Frying Method?"

"If it can really improve toughness, Shrek might produce a few monsters too."

Flender suddenly looked up and fiercely shielded the pieces of rubber.

"In your dreams!"

"They're mine!"

"No one is taking them!"

At this moment, the Shrek Seven Devils had yet to gather.

But an emotion called "panic" had already enveloped the entire Black World.

Because everyone had realized one thing.

Without this stuff.

Their physical capabilities would forever lag behind the White World, which possessed the "complete guide."

This was not merely falling behind.

This was a Dimensional Strike!

And amid this atmosphere of worldwide madness.

Only one person still stubbornly refused to admit it.

Yu Xiaogang stood on the Sports Field with his hands behind his back, looking at the golden liquid in the sky.

A disdainful sneer hung on his lips.

"Grandstanding."

"Whale Rubber has a hot nature. Eating too much of it harms the body. That is common knowledge."

"That Bai Tang San merely used some Illusionary Technique to make the color look more appealing."

"Reforging one's sinews and bones? Utter nonsense."

"I have studied Martial Souls for decades, and I have never heard of such a theory."

He turned around and lectured Hei Tang San, whose face was filled with longing.

"Xiao San, do not be misled by such external things."

"When cultivating, you must keep your feet on the ground."

"Go run another twenty laps."

Hei Tang San looked at his Teacher's resolute back.

Then he glanced at the tempting "golden jelly" on the Sky Curtain.

His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

The voice in his heart grew louder and louder:

"Teacher..."

"This time..."

"Are you really still going to insist?"

[White World]

Nuoding City, an inconspicuous abandoned warehouse in the western part of the city.

It had originally been used to store coarse grains.

But now.

It was filled to the brim.

Piled up like small mountains.

All of it was Whale Rubber.

Red, black, hundred-year-old, and even several thousand-year-old pieces.

A thick fishy stench filled the entire space, but to Bai Tang San's nose at this moment, it was the fragrance of money.

Bai Tang San sat in a comfortable Grand Tutor's Chair.

He held a cup of clear tea in his hand.

Beneath his feet lay that pile of "treasure" that drove people mad.

Across from him stood the president of Nuoding City's largest merchant guild, wearing a respectful expression. Sweat even beaded on his forehead.

"Young Master Tang..."

"Things outside have already gone crazy."

"The price of Whale Rubber has risen a full hundredfold from this morning until now."

"And it's still rising."

"Should we... start selling?"

The president's voice trembled.

He had been in business his entire life, yet he had never seen such a frenzied scene.

What frightened him even more was the six-year-old boy before him.

As early as half a month ago.

This boy had come to him with a huge sum of money and asked him to quietly purchase all the Whale Rubber in Nuoding City and several surrounding cities.

At the time, he had even mocked the boy, wondering if something was wrong with his head for stockpiling a pile of trash.

But now.

Looking at the wildly soaring prices.

He only felt a chill run down his spine.

How was this a boy?

He was clearly a monster capable of foreseeing the future!

Bai Tang San gently blew away the tea leaves, his expression as calm as a deep pool.

"No rush."

"Let the bullets fly a little longer."

"The current price is merely an inflated high caused by panic."

"The real demand has yet to erupt."

He set down his teacup, casually picked up a piece of Whale Rubber from the pile, and turned it over in his hand.

"Wait until the people from the major clans react."

"Wait until they discover there really is no stock left on the market."

"Wait until they become as anxious as ants on a hot pan."

"Then we'll release the goods little by little."

"Remember."

"Limit the supply."

"Release only one hundred jin each day."

"And only accept auctions."

The merchant guild president drew a sharp breath.

"Scarcity marketing..."

"Young Master Tang, this move of yours... is too ruthless."

"This is practically sucking the blood of Soul Masters across the entire continent!"

Bai Tang San rose to his feet and walked to the window.

Through the cracks, he watched the crowds outside rushing through the streets in search of Whale Rubber.

A mocking sneer curled across his lips.

"Ruthless?"

"These are the rules of the world."

"Whoever controls the information gap."

"Controls the voice of the world."

"They only saw the guide on the Sky Curtain."

"But they do not know."

"That guide was written by me."

"This market was created by me."

"They will not only learn my theories."

"They will also spend all their savings to buy the goods I hoarded."

"This."

"Is what a Dimensional Strike truly is."

Bai Tang San turned around, the light in his eyes even more dazzling than those Gold Soul Coins.

"Make the preparations."

"The first batch of refined Golden Whale Rubber will be auctioned tomorrow night."

"The starting price..."

"One thousand Gold Soul Coins."

The merchant guild president's legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees.

One thousand Gold Soul Coins?

That was robbery!

But when he saw the certainty in Bai Tang San's eyes, he immediately understood.

In this mad era.

Even if it were ten thousand.

There would still be people scrambling to hand over their money!

Night fell.

Bai Tang San of the White World sat atop mountains of gold and silver, looking down upon all living beings.

Meanwhile, Tang San of the Black World was still on the Sports Field, dragging his heavy steps as he ran lap after endless lap.

On one side was the revelry of capital; on the other, the struggle of those at the bottom.

This gap.

Could no longer be bridged through hard work alone.

And just as everyone was worrying over how to buy Whale Rubber.

A new problem arose.

They had bought it.

But how were they supposed to eat it?