Whale Glue

The next morning, Qing Hongyuan set off.

Zhao the Coachman drove that unassuming carriage, carrying Qing Hongyuan eastward with the Heaven Dou Port of the Tiandou Empire as his direct destination.

From Nuoding City to Heaven Dou Port, it was a three-day journey at a fast gallop.

Including the time for procurement and the return trip, it would take at least ten days.

When Qing Hongyuan left, Shen Wanqing stood at the manor gate to see him off for a long distance; she only turned back once the carriage had vanished into the morning mist.

Ever since that night, Liu Yunlan had buried herself in the herb room. The old lady pored over the Whale Glue usage instructions written by Qing Mufeng a dozen times, combining them with her decades of pharmacological experience to adjust the medicinal bath formula.

"During the hundred-year Whale Glue stage, the medicinal bath should focus on gentle nourishment. The medicinal potency cannot be too aggressive, or the body won't be able to handle it."

As she prepared the herbs, the old lady muttered to herself, "Once we reach the thousand-year level, the formula must change. We will need to add a few herbs that promote blood circulation and clear the meridians to help the Whale Glue's potency penetrate the vessels."

Qing Mufeng stood at the entrance of the herb room, watching his grandmother's busy back without disturbing her.

The old lady's dedication put his mind at ease.

With an elder in the Qing Clan so well-versed in pharmacology, the effects of the Whale Glue strengthening would improve by at least thirty percent.

Shen Wanqing had spent these past few days in the accounting room.

Although the Qing Clan's industries were low-key, the hidden cash flow was not insignificant.

She spent three days auditing all the liquid assets and, after setting aside six months of family expenses, allocated the remainder to the special "Whale Glue Procurement" account.

The figure was quite substantial.

At the current market price of Whale Glue, it was enough for all five family members to consume for several years.

Qing Zhengyue, conversely, had become quite idle these days.

Every morning, the old man practiced the Azure Dragon Method in the bamboo forest, spent his mornings reading ancient texts in the study, took medicinal baths in the afternoon, and continued his cultivation at night.

His soul power remained stable at level seventy, and the external spirit bone, the Wind Wood Dragon Wings, was slowly merging with him. Every time he circulated his soul power, he could feel the wing bones heating up slightly, as if responding to his intent.

Qing Mufeng was not idle either.

From the second day after his return, he began consuming the hundred-year Whale Glue according to the method he had written down.

The method for consuming hundred-year Whale Glue was simple.

Grind it into powder and take it with warm water.

Every morning after waking up, Qing Mufeng would first circulate the Azure Dragon Method to smooth out the soul power in his meridians, then take a small spoonful of Whale Glue powder, mix it into warm water, and drink it in one gulp.

The taste of the Whale Glue was very mild, with a hint of sea saltiness, but it was not difficult to swallow.

After consumption, his body would heat up slightly, as if a warm current were spreading through his body, extending from his abdomen to his limbs.

That feeling was very comfortable.

It was not the penetration from the outside in like the medicinal bath, but a gentle nourishment from the inside out.

The potency of the Whale Glue was like invisible silk threads, following the path of his meridians, nourishing his muscles and bones bit by bit.

Every time he took it, his body would heat up. Once the heat subsided, his whole body felt refreshed, as if he had undergone a deep-tissue massage.

Qing Mufeng could feel his body growing stronger.

It was not an increase in soul power; his soul power remained at level thirty-four, unchanged.

It was the strengthening of his physical body.

His skin had more elasticity, his muscles had more resilience, and his bones were denser.

This feeling was subtle, yet very real.

On the third day, Liu Yunlan also joined in the consumption.

The old lady was a level fifty-nine Spirit King, only one step away from a level sixty Spirit Emperor.

Her martial soul was the Emerald Jade Snake, leaning toward poison arts and healing; her physique ranked second to last among the five, stronger only than Shen Wanqing.

"Grandma, how do you feel?" Qing Mufeng asked three days later.

Liu Yunlan was busy adjusting the new medicinal bath formula; she looked up upon hearing this and thought for a moment.

"The old injuries on my body don't ache as much," the old lady said. "Those hidden injuries I sustained when I was young used to hurt whenever it was cloudy, but they seem much better these past few days."

Qing Mufeng smiled. "Then it is working."

Liu Yunlan looked at her grandson and reached out to pat his head gently.

"You child, you know more than this old woman."

Qing Mufeng chuckled and didn't respond.

On the seventh day, Shen Wanqing also began consumption.

His mother's physique was the weakest in the family. As a pure support-type spirit master who had never practiced body-tempering techniques, her meridians were much narrower than the others.

When she first consumed the Whale Glue, her reaction was more pronounced than that of Qing Mufeng or Liu Yunlan.

Her face remained flushed for an entire hour, and her palms were covered in sweat.

"A normal phenomenon."

Liu Yunlan checked her pulse. "Your meridians are too narrow; the medicinal power cannot surge through, so it can only diffuse into your muscles for now. Once your meridians gradually widen, you will be fine."

Shen Wanqing nodded, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and continued to circulate the Azure Dragon Method, guiding the medicinal power of the Whale Glue to diffuse throughout her body.

She did not fear hardship.

Compared to the goal of reaching ten thousand years for her fifth soul ring, this bit of suffering was nothing.

The tenth day.

Qing Hongyuan returned.

The carriage drove in through the back gate of the manor, and Zhao the Coachman jumped off the driver's seat to open the carriage door.

Qing Hongyuan hopped down, his face covered in the dust of travel, but his spirits were high.

"Father, I have purchased the items." He took a large wooden chest from his storage ring, placed it in the center of the courtyard, and opened it.

Inside the chest, the Whale Glue was neatly stacked.

Small, pale yellow, translucent gelatinous objects emitted a faint, briny scent of the sea.

It was divided into three sections:

The hundred-year Whale Glue was the most abundant, occupying half the chest.

The millennium Whale Glue came next, taking up a third.

The ten-thousand-year Whale Glue was the scarcest, with only a dozen pieces, each wrapped individually in oil paper.

"I bought five hundred portions of hundred-year Whale Glue," Qing Hongyuan said as he took them out. "Eighty portions of millennium Whale Glue. And twelve portions of ten-thousand-year Whale Glue—all between ten thousand and twenty thousand years old. There was no stock for anything over thirty thousand years; it would require a special order, and the price is much higher."

Qing Zhengyue walked over, picked up a piece of ten-thousand-year Whale Glue, and weighed it in his hand.

"This is enough for now," the old man said. "Use these first, and if it's not enough, we will buy more."

He placed the piece of ten-thousand-year Whale Glue back into the chest and turned to look at the four members of his family.

"Starting today, everyone will begin consumption. Follow the stages written by Mufeng, step by step."

"Yes."

Three days later, Qing Hongyuan also began consuming the hundred-year Whale Glue.

With this, all five direct members of the Qing Clan entered the first stage of Whale Glue strengthening.

Days passed one by one.

Every morning, the five of them each consumed a spoonful of hundred-year Whale Glue powder, then circulated the Azure Dragon Method to guide the medicinal power through their bodies.

They spent their mornings busy with their own tasks.

Qing Zhengyue read books, Liu Yunlan prepared medicine, Qing Hongyuan practiced swordplay, Shen Wanqing handled the accounts, and Qing Mufeng cultivated.

In the afternoon, Liu Yunlan would boil a large pot of medicinal bath, which the whole family would take turns soaking in.

In the evening, the five would gather in the main hall for dinner, chat about daily life, and then return to their respective rooms to continue cultivating until late at night.

It was plain, but fulfilling.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Qing Mufeng could clearly feel the changes in himself.

His body had become sturdier.

It was not the kind of sturdiness that came from bulging muscles, but a density that permeated from the inside out.

His skin was more elastic, his muscles more resilient, his bones more compact, and even the speed at which his soul power circulated had increased by a fraction.

His goal for his fourth soul ring was the ten-thousand-year level, and with his current physique, he felt it was possible.

But it was not enough.

He did not want "possible"; he wanted "absolute certainty."

The path of Whale Glue strengthening had to continue.

That night, Qing Mufeng sat in the bamboo forest, circulating the Azure Dragon Method, feeling the warm current of power cycling within him.

The medicinal power of the hundred-year Whale Glue had accumulated to a certain degree in his body, and he felt that his physique had already adapted to this intensity.

It was time to enter the next stage.

"Grandfather." He found Qing Zhengyue and spoke directly: "The hundred-year Whale Glue has reached its limit; it is time to start taking the millennium Whale Glue."

Qing Zhengyue looked at his grandson, sizing him up from head to toe.

"How does your body feel?"

"Very good," Qing Mufeng said. "The medicinal power of the hundred-year Whale Glue has already integrated into my muscles and skin; continuing to take it will yield diminishing returns. It is time to switch to millennium Whale Glue to begin strengthening my meridians and bones."

Qing Zhengyue nodded and looked toward the others.

"What do you all think?"

Liu Yunlan was the first to respond: "I am about the same. The effect of the hundred-year Whale Glue has clearly weakened over the past few days; it is time to move up to the millennium grade."

Shen Wanqing hesitated for a moment: "I might need to wait a few more days; my meridians are adapting more slowly."

Qing Hongyuan thought for a moment: "I can handle a millennium-grade one."

Qing Zhengyue nodded, having made his decision.

"Then starting tomorrow, the three of you will begin using the Millennium Whale Glue. Wanqing, you will continue with the century-grade; switch whenever you feel you have had enough."

"Understood."