Technology and Dubious Additives or Purely Natural and Pollution-Free—That Was the Question (Please Bookmark, Recommend, Vote

"With two Martial Souls of opposing attributes... we really needed to carefully consider how to obtain Soul Rings for you in the future."

Xu Xiang sighed, a faintly troubled expression appearing on his face.

When it came to Soul Tool research, no force on the entire Douluo Continent could compare to the Sun Moon Empire.

But when it came to Martial Soul research, the Sun Moon Empire lagged far behind the original Three Douluo Kingdoms, let alone Shrek Academy.

What was more, Xu Tianming had awakened an exceptionally rare Body Martial Soul.

As a member of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family, Xu Xiang was by no means ignorant or inexperienced, yet this was indeed the first time he had seen a Body Martial Soul.

And the person possessing this Body Martial Soul was his own son!

"Father, let's not talk about that for now. Didn't you prepare a gift for me?"

Xu Tianming withdrew his hand from the testing crystal and blinked up at Xu Xiang.

He was not worried about the attributes of his Martial Soul or adding Soul Rings.

According to the system, his Martial Soul possessed both the attributes of Solar True Fire and Lunar Moon Essence.

These two attributes maintained a balanced state within his body, complementing each other as yin and yang while intertwining and merging.

In such a state, ordinary Soul Rings simply could not disrupt the balance between the two attributes in his body.

"A mutated Body Martial Soul, and Innate Full Soul Power as well."

The troubled look on Xu Xiang's face faded, replaced by an expression of pride.

"As expected of my son. You haven't disgraced your old man!"

As he spoke, Xu Xiang took two wooden boxes from his Storage Soul Guidance Device and handed them to Xu Tianming.

"Father, these are...?"

Seeing the two wooden boxes before him, Xu Tianming revealed a surprised expression.

Surely both boxes could not be gifts for him, right?

"Come to think of it, you've rendered quite a great service."

Xu Xiang's tone carried a hint of emotion.

"Not long ago, I reported to the imperial family what you said about Whale Rubber being able to strengthen Spirit Masters' physiques, thereby helping them absorb Soul Rings of higher cultivation years."

"The imperial family attached great importance to this discovery and arranged for Mingde Hall to conduct experiments, ultimately confirming Whale Rubber's effects."

The types and strengths of the Sun Moon Empire's Spirit Masters' Martial Souls were far inferior to those of the original Three Douluo Kingdoms.

Furthermore, they placed greater emphasis on the use and research of Soul Tools while neglecting Spirit Masters' own cultivation, which resulted in the vast majority of Sun Moon Empire Spirit Masters having experience with abusing medicinal drugs.

Although those drugs allowed them to raise their Soul Power more quickly, they also depleted their future potential.

The emergence of Whale Rubber made the Sun Moon Empire's upper echelon—long troubled by their lack of high-level combat power due to drug abuse—suddenly see hope.

After all, Whale Rubber could solidify a Spirit Master's foundation and strengthen their physique.

Most importantly, it had no side effects!

"This is the reward bestowed upon you by the imperial family. Open them and take a look."

Upon hearing Xu Xiang's words, Xu Tianming unhesitatingly opened the two wooden boxes before him.

In an instant, a rich and exotic fragrance wafted out from the boxes.

Xu Xiang took a deep breath of the scent and looked into the boxes.

In one of them lay a thumb-sized pill, entirely milky white in color.

The other box contained an irregularly shaped, strange amber-colored solid.

A trace of confusion flashed through Xu Tianming's eyes, but before he could ask, Xu Xiang took the initiative to explain.

"This pill was made after Mingde Hall extracted the essence of ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber, then mixed in certain other medicinal ingredients according to their experiments."

"Besides strengthening a Spirit Master's physique, it also greatly amplifies Whale Rubber's effect of increasing Soul Power."

Xu Tianming's brows furrowed slightly, but his gaze fell upon the other box. He had more or less guessed what it contained.

"The other box contains a piece of purely natural Whale Rubber produced by a fifty-thousand-year One-Horned Giant Whale."

Sure enough, Xu Xiang's words confirmed Xu Tianming's guess.

"Although both are rewards for you, according to Mingde Hall's experiments, their effects cannot be stacked."

"Choose one between the pill and the Whale Rubber to consume."

How should he put it? It was not that he did not trust Mingde Hall's pharmaceutical technology.

It was just that a pill filled with who-knew-what kind of technological additives was truly hard to consume with peace of mind.

[Ding~ The host has been detected facing a difficult choice. God-Level Choice has been activated. Please make a choice according to your own wishes!]

[God-Level Choice One: Trust Mingde Hall's pharmaceutical technology and choose Mingde Hall's specially made pill.]

[Reward: an eighty-thousand-year Cyclops head Spirit Bone!]

[God-Level Choice Two: Reject technological additives and choose fifty-thousand-year purely natural Whale Rubber.]

[Reward: one volume of the upper half of the Yin Yang Profound Pole Body Refining Art!]

Xu Tianming's breathing hitched imperceptibly, and he forcefully swallowed the words that were about to leave his mouth.

Cyclopes were Soul Beasts possessing pure spiritual attributes. The value of an eighty-thousand-year head Spirit Bone produced by such a Soul Beast went without saying.

If placed on the open market, countless Spirit Masters with spiritual attributes would likely fight until their heads bled over this Spirit Bone.

"But an external item like a Spirit Bone ultimately cannot compare to a cultivation art, even... even if it's an incomplete one."

After hesitating for only an instant, Xu Tianming had already made his decision.

He was destined to stand at the pinnacle of this world. How could a mere eighty-thousand-year Spirit Bone possibly be worthy of him?

Especially since it was a head Spirit Bone, the most important kind and one that could not be replaced!

"Father, you should keep Mingde Hall's pill for yourself."

Xu Tianming pointed at the wooden box in Xu Xiang's hand and said,

"I'll choose this purely natural fifty-thousand-year Whale Rubber instead!"

[Congratulations, host, for making your choice. You have received the cultivation art reward: the upper half of the Yin Yang Profound Pole Body Refining Art!]

[Would the host like to claim it immediately?]

"Not yet."

Xu Tianming gave the system his command.

"Hm?"

After hearing Xu Tianming's choice, Kong Yue and Xu Xiang could not help exchanging glances. Both saw confusion in the other's eyes.

They truly had not expected Xu Tianming to give up the pill and choose fifty-thousand-year Whale Rubber.

"Tianming, this pill was specially made by Mingde Hall. Its improvement to a Spirit Master's physique is no weaker than that of this fifty-thousand-year Whale Rubber."

"Its effect in increasing Soul Power is something this fifty-thousand-year Whale Rubber cannot compare to, and it has no side effects whatsoever."

By this point, a clear trace of puzzlement had entered Kong Yue's tone.

"Why would you abandon the pill and choose Whale Rubber?"

"Mother."

Xu Tianming sighed softly.

"This Whale Rubber is only and can only be Whale Rubber, but aside from Whale Rubber, this pill contains other things I don't know about."

"So I don't want to take that risk."

At that point, Xu Tianming suddenly smiled.

"Besides, I'm already a peerless genius with a mutated Body Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power."

"The Soul Power this pill can increase may be precious to others, but in my eyes, it's nothing at all!"