Absorbing Whale Rubber, All-Around Improvement

"Everyone, please allow me to introduce the specifics of this piece of Whale Rubber."

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"This piece of Whale Rubber has been stored in the Royal Treasury for several hundred years ever since that honored official brought it back to Barak City. It may have ended up like this due to improper preservation."

"But please rest assured, everyone. This absolutely came from a ten-thousand-year whale-type Soul Beast, and it absolutely came from the Barak Royal Family." As she spoke, the auctioneer took out a sheet of parchment and projected it onto the Soul Guidance Screen at the venue.

The document was proof of the Whale Rubber's origins, and it even bore the crest of the Barak Royal Family.

At last, the audience understood. This piece of Whale Rubber had probably been tossed into a corner of the royal treasury and forgotten by the royal family themselves.

It had only recently been dug out of the treasury to raise funds for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament.

Seeing that it was of little use, they had sent it to Suotuo City for auction. To prevent it from going unsold, they had even thrown in proof of its origins, waving the banners of "Royal Collection" and "ten-thousand-year Soul Beast."

Seeing how poorly the ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber was being received, the auctioneer was frantic. After all, this was tied to her performance. Right now, she only prayed that someone would buy it.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, starting bid: five thousand Gold Soul Coins! Each bid increase must be no less than one hundred Gold Soul Coins!"

The auction organizers probably knew their own limits, which was why the starting price had been set surprisingly low.

Even so, not a single person raised a paddle. Wealthy people were not fools, after all. This was not the kind of thing one could buy to show off.

Qin Ming nodded repeatedly at the sight. This was perfect. Now he could snag a bargain.

"Brother Nuo Si, can you buy that Whale Rubber for me?" Qin Ming nudged Nuo Si, who was seated beside him, with his elbow.

"Hm?"

Hearing Qin Ming's words, both Nuo Si and Sha Sha turned toward him, looking at him in confusion.

"Little Brother Qin Ming... what do you want that for?"

"Yeah, it's been sitting around for hundreds of years. It's probably moldy by now."

"Brother Nuo Si, Sister Sha Sha, we finally got the chance to attend an auction. Let's buy something as a memento. This came from a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast!"

Naturally, Qin Ming could not say that Whale Rubber allowed Spirit Masters to absorb Soul Rings beyond their limits. To people of this era, that information was far too shocking. The two of them might even think something was wrong with his head.

Nuo Si did not think much of it either. He simply assumed the child wanted to buy himself a toy. The allure of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast was indeed strong for children, and besides, he had earned this money because of Qin Ming. If Qin Ming wanted it, then he would buy it.

"Five thousand Gold Soul Coins!" Nuo Si called out.

Everyone present looked toward Box Number Two, where Qin Ming was seated, in surprise. They were probably wondering if someone really was foolish enough to buy it.

"Five thousand, going once! Five thousand, going twice! Five thousand, going three times! Sold!" The auctioneer even brought down the hammer faster, as though afraid the distinguished guest in Box Number Two would change his mind.

After completing the transaction with the organizers, the ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber, along with its certificate of authenticity, arrived in Qin Ming's hands.

Qin Ming forcibly suppressed his excitement and first put it away in his Storage Soul Tool.

After the auction ended, Qin Ming and the others' itinerary for the day came to an end. Nuo Si and Sha Sha then escorted Qin Ming back to the Martial Soul Main Hall.

After bidding the two farewell, Qin Ming returned directly to his residence.

The moment he entered, Qin Ming pulled the curtains tightly shut and impatiently took the ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber from his Storage Soul Tool.

Qin Ming carefully stroked it. Its texture was indeed like crystal, and its uneven surface felt slightly rough against his hand.

In the original work, Whale Rubber like this had to be roasted at high temperatures. Wasn't that perfect?

Qin Ming found an Iron Basin, then activated Martial Soul Possession. His First Spirit Skill erupted, and deep-red Gray Wolf Fire engulfed the crystallized Whale Rubber.

Under the scorching heat of the Gray Wolf Fire, the ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber crackled. The originally black crystal gradually melted into a transparent, viscous liquid, dripping into the Iron Basin Qin Ming had prepared.

An hour later, Qin Ming had nearly exhausted all the Soul Power in his body before finally melting the entire piece of Whale Rubber into liquid.

Qin Ming carefully lifted the Iron Basin containing the Whale Rubber. A faint fishy smell hit him in the face, and merely inhaling it made his entire body feel hot.

No wonder this Whale Rubber was a miraculous aphrodisiac so popular among nobles. Its reputation was well deserved.

Qin Ming stared at the half basin of transparent liquid before him. Gritting his teeth, he lifted it and drank it all in one gulp.

The moment the Whale Rubber entered his throat, Qin Ming felt a warm current flow down his esophagus, followed by a burning sensation. Massive Soul Power surged through his body, as though a blazing fire had exploded within him.

Qin Ming hurriedly sat cross-legged and used his Meditation Technique to refine the Soul Power brought by the Whale Rubber.

From an outsider's perspective, Qin Ming's skin had been dyed a faint red. Streams of vapor rose from his head, and sweat poured down like a waterfall.

Qin Ming examined his body internally and discovered that his Vessels, bones, and muscles had all been coated in a golden layer. Even the tiny Vessels that ordinary Soul Power could barely nourish were being rapidly strengthened by the medicinal effects of the Whale Rubber.

Qin Ming could clearly feel the transformation that was almost like being reborn. His originally eleventh-level Soul Power was also rapidly rising.

Within Qin Ming's consciousness, a cotton-like Soul Power Vortex floated above the Sea of Consciousness, continuously pouring golden raindrops into it.

As the raindrops fell, the little puddle that had once been there became a pool, and his Mental Power surged as well.

Three hours later, Qin Ming refined the final trace of Soul Power within his body. The ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber had finally been completely absorbed.

What surprised Qin Ming was that this ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber had not only strengthened his physique, but also enhanced his Mental Power.

After some analysis, Qin Ming reached a conclusion. Whale Rubber was originally produced in a whale's brain, so aside from strengthening the body, it would naturally affect a Spirit Master's Mental Power as well.

As for why the original work had not mentioned Whale Rubber's effects on Mental Power, that was because Huo Yuhao was already a Soul Grandmaster when he absorbed Whale Rubber in Douluo Dalu II. His Sea of Consciousness had been strengthened several times by Tian Meng, a million-year Soul Beast, so the increase in Mental Power was practically nonexistent to him.

But Qin Ming was different. He had only just opened up his Sea of Consciousness. To his Mental Power, ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber was undoubtedly a powerful tonic.

Qin Ming walked over to a full-length mirror and looked at himself. His muscle lines had become more balanced and full, yet he was not as rugged as some hulking brute. This was the most perfect natural state.

At that moment, he felt an unprecedented lightness in his body. This was the change brought about by his improved physique. His Vessels had widened several times over, his bones and muscles had more than doubled in strength, and his Soul Power had risen by three levels to level fourteen.

Qin Ming felt that his limit for absorbing Soul Rings had increased by at least a thousand years. In other words, he could achieve a Millennium Second Ring.

As for the improvement in Mental Power, the most direct effects were the stability of his Sea of Consciousness and his enhanced eyesight. Even at night, Qin Ming could see the dust in any corner of the room.

Even with the windows tightly shut, Qin Ming could sense the friction of leaves outside. It was an effect similar to Mind's Eye.

He also felt that there were many more ways to develop his Mental Power and apply it in battle. What he had encountered so far was merely the tip of the iceberg.

But in any case, the ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber Qin Ming had snagged for five thousand Gold Soul Coins had undoubtedly transformed him completely. Those three Soul Power Levels alone had saved him at least half a year of hard cultivation.

Even ten thousand years later, ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber was regarded as a heavenly treasure. There was a reason for that.