Whale Rubber and Soul Hunting

Su Zhen woke up at noon, but as he moved to turn over, a wave of intense pain surged through his entire body.

"Don't move recklessly. Circulate your Lightning Heart Meditation Method to regulate your breathing; pain is normal after the first round of body tempering."

A gentle voice drifted over as Qian Daoliu sat in a chair, sipping tea.

Su Zhen circulated his meditation method through his meridians for three full cycles before the pain finally subsided. He rose and sat down before Qian Daoliu.

"Now that you've regulated your breathing, eat something. Once you've finished, I will explain some fundamental knowledge about the world of Soul Masters to you."

No sooner had Qian Daoliu finished speaking than a maid entered with the meal. Su Zhen took a look; all four dishes emitted a faint ripple of soul power.

"These are made from the most soul-power-rich parts of century-level soul beasts, brewed with century-old medicinal herbs. They are excellent supplements for any Soul Master below the rank of Soul Ancestor. Go on, have a taste."

Su Zhen picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, but a strong fishy stench hit him. He couldn't help but retch, the food spilling back onto his plate.

"This is made from the brain of a century-level Deep Sea Demon Whale. It nourishes the meridians. Even Martial Soul Hall doesn't have much of this in stock," Qian Daoliu remarked indifferently, casting a glance at him.

Upon hearing this, Su Zhen immediately stopped feeling nauseated. He swallowed the meat along with his rice. Though it tasted gamey, a warm current spread through his abdomen as the fish hit his stomach, instantly sweeping away his exhaustion.

For every dish Su Zhen picked up, Qian Daoliu provided a detailed introduction, explaining how each one contributed to improving Su Zhen's physique. The meal was eaten slowly; half an hour later, the plates were empty, and the maid returned to clear them away.

"Teacher, do you know about Whale Rubber?"

Su Zhen struggled internally for a moment before deciding to reveal the effects of Whale Rubber to his teacher. He had thought of this heaven-sent treasure while eating the fish, and he had already prepared his explanation.

"Oh? Where did you hear of such a thing? Whale Rubber is a gelatinous substance condensed within the brains of deep-sea whale-type soul beasts. It is the essence of their being and circulates among the nobility, usually used to enhance performance in the bedroom."

Though Qian Daoliu was puzzled as to why Su Zhen would bring this up, he explained the intelligence on Whale Rubber in detail, showing no regard for the fact that Su Zhen was still a child.

"Teacher, since Whale Rubber is the essence of a soul beast, is it possible it has other uses, such as improving one's physical constitution?"

"Where did you get this information?"

Qian Daoliu stood up and looked down at Su Zhen, hoping to see something in his eyes.

"Teacher, on my way to Martial Soul City, I met a man in a black robe. He was the one who told me."

Qian Daoliu knew that the man in the black robe had indeed spoken to him, but he did not know what had been said between the man and Su Zhen.

"Can this person's words be trusted?"

"We'll know if we try. Martial Soul City should have some for sale, and we won't lose much if it doesn't work."

Hearing this, Qian Daoliu turned and left. An incense stick's time later, he returned with a wooden box in his hand.

"Xiao Zhen, did he tell you how to consume this Whale Rubber?"

Qian Daoliu asked Su Zhen, as he did not believe that ordinary methods of consumption would be effective; otherwise, such a secret would have long since ceased to be a secret.

"Roast it over a high flame until the Whale Rubber melts into a liquid, then consume it."

Qian Daoliu processed the Whale Rubber according to Su Zhen's instructions. The scorching Angel Flame enveloped the substance, and before long, it was roasted into a thick liquid. He swallowed it and sat cross-legged to meditate. He would not let Su Zhen act as a test subject to improve his physique.

Within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Qian Daoliu finished absorbing it. He opened his eyes and looked at Su Zhen.

"Xiao Zhen, you have performed a great service this time. Whale Rubber can indeed improve one's physique. The century-level Whale Rubber I just consumed could increase a normal Soul Master's first soul ring by about a hundred years. This discovery will allow us to significantly improve the quality of the Soul Masters in Martial Soul Hall!"

As he spoke, Qian Daoliu gripped Su Zhen's shoulders with a look of fanaticism. He had reached the level of a Limit Douluo long ago, and apart from his granddaughter's innate twenty-level soul power at awakening, he hadn't been this happy in a very long time.

"Xiao Zhen, I have something to discuss with your grand-uncle elders. I'll find a theory master to teach you your lessons for a while. I'm leaving now."

Qian Daoliu finished speaking and, without waiting for Su Zhen to react, dashed out the door and flew toward the Worship Hall.

With nothing to do, Su Zhen sat cross-legged and began to practice the Lightning Heart Meditation Method.

Qian Daoliu did not return all afternoon, and a theory master who taught at the Martial Soul Hall's advanced academy provided Su Zhen with his theoretical lessons.

After his medicinal bath that evening, the theory master left, and Su Zhen continued to sit in meditation. He had not yet added a soul ring, but he knew that soul power would accumulate slowly. He had to seize every second to grow stronger; with only twenty-some years left to him, he had to become a god within that timeframe.

The stars shifted, and the dawn arrived.

Su Zhen, who had meditated all night, rose slowly. After eating the breakfast prepared by the maid, he walked into the Worship Hall.

This time, Qian Daoliu and Azure Luan were inside the hall.

"Xiao Zhen, you truly are a great contributor to Martial Soul Hall. Rest assured, when we return from hunting your soul ring in a few days, we will reward you."

Azure Luan looked at Su Zhen with great joy; this little fellow was truly a lucky star for Martial Soul Hall.

"Let's proceed with the medicinal bath first. We can discuss the rewards later."

Qian Daoliu casually tossed Su Zhen into the medicine cauldron to begin the day's bath.

And so, Su Zhen underwent two medicinal baths every day, morning and night, followed by the consumption of Whale Rubber, with theoretical guidance during the day. On the third day, after the final bath, Su Zhen followed Golden Crocodile to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for his first soul ring.

"Xiao Zhen, let your Second Grand-uncle test you. Why have we come to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a soul ring?"

"There are three major gathering places for soul beasts: the Far North is too far, and the soul beast attributes are not compatible; the Sunset Forest is closer, but while there are many species, the cost-effectiveness is not high; the Star Dou Forest is the closest to our Martial Soul Hall and is also the largest gathering place for soul beasts on the continent. With its vast variety of species, it is the most likely place to find a suitable soul ring."

"Not bad, you've learned well these past two days. So, what kind of soul beast do you think you should hunt for your first soul ring?"

"A Thunderlight Electric Tiger, a Purple Lightning Eagle, or a Violent Thunder Bear. These thunder-attribute soul beasts have strong bloodlines, and their attributes are a perfect match."

"Hmm, those are all good choices. This area is dominated by soul beasts of eight or nine hundred years. Let's try our luck in the outer perimeter first; if we really can't find anything, we'll head to the mixed zone."

Su Zhen and Golden Crocodile walked through the dense forest, exchanging questions and answers, as if entering an uninhabited land. Even with Golden Crocodile's strength as a Level 98 Super Douluo, there was no need to be overly cautious.

They had searched the outer region for a week, but the two had found nothing.

Along the way, they encountered many soul beasts, but as soon as Su Zhen approached for a closer look, the soul beasts would flee desperately into the depths of the forest, showing no desire to attack at all.

"Xiao Zhen, I fear this soul hunting might be problematic this time," Golden Crocodile said, a hint of solemnity flashing across his face as he watched another soul beast flee. Initially, he thought his Super Douluo aura was scaring them away, but they fled even when he concealed his aura, which was truly abnormal. If the attributes and age weren't unsuitable for Su Zhen, he would have already captured them.

"Second Grandfather, let's go to the mixed zone. Most of the outer region has hundred-year soul beasts. Perhaps your soul power is too immense and scared them. The mixed zone has more thousand-year soul beasts, so it should be better."

"Sigh, let's go."

The two headed towards the mixed zone.