"Hahaha! What the hell do you mean you'd never used whale glue? So it was Jiang Mo who went with me to buy whale glue over forty years ago!"
Fifth Elder Guangling Douluo slapped his thigh and laughed.
Qian Jun's face darkened.
He looked at his younger brother Jiang Mo, hoping to find a shred of comfort there.
Jiang Mo turned back to the window, whistling as his right leg twitched uncontrollably.
"All right, all right. Qian Jun only made a mistake because he got too worked up."
"We'll start buying up whale glue over the next few days. We should send people to set up in the coastal cities, too, and thoroughly test the full effects of whale glue."
Golden Crocodile Douluo brought the awkward exchange with Qian Jun Douluo to an end.
Feeling the commotion in the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu shook his head helplessly.
"Xiaohuai, whale glue is an aphrodisiac, after all. When you take it, keep your mind steady."
Qian Daoliu used Angel Holy Fire to soften a piece of whale glue for Lin Huai.
A strange, powerful fragrance wafted out, but remained concentrated around the whale glue.
Once it had cooled, Lin Huai swallowed the entire piece in one gulp.
A stream of heat surged through his meridians, then flowed into every part of his body.
As his temperature continued to rise, Lin Huai felt as if he were sitting in a scorching sauna.
"Steady your mind and circulate your Soul Power."
Qian Daoliu used his Soul Power to lower Lin Huai into a wooden tub filled with green medicinal liquid.
A few minutes later, Lin Huai opened his eyes.
Feeling his enhanced physique, he said, "Teacher, I didn't feel any side effects from the whale glue. Give me the other piece, too."
As he melted the whale glue, Qian Daoliu teased him.
"Never mind that you're soaking in a special medicinal solution right now. Even if there were side effects, you're not fully grown yet. At most, they'd disturb your mind."
Lin Huai blushed.
He'd completely forgotten he was still a seven-year-old child.
He took the second piece of whale glue and swallowed it, refining it in an instant.
After digesting it, Lin Huai circulated his Soul Power once, then casually swung his fists a few times.
"Teacher, the whale glue didn't change the speed at which I circulate Soul Power. It might have had some effect, but it wasn't strong."
"But it greatly improved my physique. I feel like I could punch a bull to death now."
Qian Daoliu released his Soul Power and carefully sensed the changes in Lin Huai.
"Mm. It seems whale glue only noticeably improves the talent of Soul Masters with low Innate Soul Power."
"The first dose improved your physique the most. The second dose didn't even have half the effect of the first."
Qian Daoliu withdrew his Soul Power and explained what he'd sensed.
"There's no need to take a third piece. One or two hundred years won't make much difference for a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
"With your physique now, you can handle any Soul Ring under twelve hundred years old."
Qian Daoliu walked to the door. "Xiaohuai, what are you thinking of for your First Soul Ring?"
Lin Huai changed his clothes as he replied.
"I'd like to hunt a Jade Steel Mantis or a Golden Feather Eagle, but those two Soul Beasts are mostly found in the Sunset Forest.
"Really, anything with explosive speed and decent attack and defense would do."
"Then we'll go to the Sunset Forest."
With that, Qian Daoliu carried Lin Huai away in a streak of golden light, vanishing from the training room.
A day later.
Qian Daoliu appeared above the Sunset Forest with Lin Huai. His powerful spiritual force spread out in an instant.
A moment later.
Qian Daoliu said, "Found one. It matches your requirements perfectly."
He used his Soul Power to carry Lin Huai toward a cliff.
Lin Huai suddenly spotted a gigantic eagle, over two meters long and golden from head to toe, preening its feathers on the rock face.
"A twelve-hundred-year Flash Shadow Golden Feather Eagle!"
Lin Huai exclaimed in surprise.
Qian Daoliu's eyes filled with approval.
"Looks like you learned a lot during your year in the library. You can even recognize a mutated Soul Beast and its age at a glance."
Qian Daoliu formed a giant hand out of Soul Power and seized the Flash Shadow Golden Feather Eagle.
Watching Qian Daoliu's effortless move, Lin Huai thought of Tang San, who had taken Yu Xiaogang as his teacher and still had to hunt his first Soul Ring himself.
He couldn't help but marvel: having a powerful teacher was wonderful. Hunting Soul Rings was a breeze.
"Xiaohuai, go ahead."
Qian Daoliu brought Lin Huai and the Flash Shadow Golden Feather Eagle down to the ground.
"All right, Teacher."
Lin Huai circulated his Soul Power. A golden Arm Guard appeared on his right hand, along with the same hiltless long blade.
Shk—
The blade cleanly severed the eagle's head.
Before long,
a purple Soul Ring appeared above the headless corpse of the Flash Shadow Golden Feather Eagle.
Lin Huai stared at the Soul Ring before him and took a deep breath, hoping it would bring him a glimmer of hope!
He sat cross-legged and circulated his Soul Power, drawing the Soul Ring toward him.
A violent surge of Soul Power instantly flooded Lin Huai's meridians.
But when it met the physique strengthened by two pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, the rampaging Soul Power quickly settled down.
Half an hour later, the purple Soul Ring gradually merged into Lin Huai's body.
Just as he was about to open his eyes,
Lin Huai's consciousness wavered.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a tall, slender figure with crimson hair, strong rather than frail.
"Malenia!"
Lin Huai was certain that the Malenia before him possessed her own consciousness. This was the real Malenia.
Malenia's sultry voice, slightly hoarse, rang out.
"Tarnished, I'm terribly sorry that I brought Scarlet Rot to you."
"I'll teach you through consciousness the swordsmanship my teacher used to help suppress my Scarlet Rot.
"Though it can't solve the problem at its root, it can keep the power of rot from affecting you when you cultivate or use your domain." (The game's protagonist is called the 'Tarnished.')
Feeling Lin Huai's consciousness about to awaken,
Malenia spoke quickly.
"There's no time. Practice diligently; it can also extend your life.
"I hope you'll live until we meet again. I'll pray for you here."
"Wait, I—"
Before Lin Huai could ask anything, darkness swept over his vision again, and his consciousness returned to his body.
When he opened his eyes, Lin Huai sighed.
He still had questions he wanted to ask.
"Xiaohuai, did that strange power flare up again?"
Seeing Lin Huai sigh, Qian Daoliu hurriedly released his Soul Power to check his condition.
Lin Huai realized how worried Qian Daoliu was.
"No, Teacher."
"After I absorbed the Soul Ring, a set of sword techniques suddenly appeared in my mind. They seem to suppress the power of rot in my body, so it won't be stirred up when I cultivate normally.
"Unfortunately, they can't eliminate the rot completely. They can only extend my life by a few years."
Qian Daoliu looked delighted.
"Since absorbing your First Soul Ring gave you a way to suppress it, perhaps absorbing other Soul Rings will give you other methods, too."
"I was worried you wouldn't have enough life left to reach your Second Soul Ring after absorbing this one. Now, you should have enough to break through to Soul Venerable."
Qian Daoliu looked at the traces of corruption that had spread up Lin Huai's right arm to his upper arm.
He couldn't help feeling relieved that Lin Huai had gained a way to suppress Scarlet Rot.
And it was related to swordsmanship, a path he had some insight into himself.
Lin Huai steadied himself and explained the effects of his Soul Skill to Qian Daoliu.
"My Soul Power is at level fourteen now. It won't be long before I reach level fifteen."
"My First Soul Skill is called 'Flash Shadow.'"
"It boosts my own speed and my Martial Soul's speed by one hundred percent, and increases my attack power by fifty percent. It lasts for ten minutes."
Qian Daoliu assessed it.
"No wonder. A mutated Soul Beast and a Soul Ring absorbed beyond its limit. Your current level also shows that the whale glue had some effect.
"That's a powerful Soul Skill. Most Soul Masters don't get an effect like this from even their Fourth Soul Ring.
"As for the Soul Power consumption, there's no need to worry. As you cultivate, the duration will gradually increase."
Lin Huai looked excited and added, "Teacher, that's not all this Soul Skill can do."
"It has an additional effect. If I consume extra Soul Power, I can gain an additional boost to my speed.
"At most, I can burn through Soul Power three times as fast to gain a two-hundred-percent increase in speed!"
Qian Daoliu was quite surprised by the effect.
"Even an Agility Attack Soul Saint would be envious of an effect this terrifying. It completely defies the rules of Soul Ring abilities."
He thought for a moment.
"This must be because your Martial Soul had a positive catalytic effect during absorption."
Qian Daoliu suddenly sensed someone watching them.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Before you continue