Taking Whale Glue and Being Reborn

"..."

Hearing Ling Yun's thoroughly mocking words, Yu Xiaogang was at a loss for words. He had never imagined that Ling Yun's first Soul Skill would be so powerful, or that Tang San would be so utterly helpless before him.

After defeating Tang San, Ling Yun was about to head back and cultivate, but Tang San suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, Ling Yun. You won this match today, but I won't give up. I'll challenge you again and again until I defeat you!"

At that, Ling Yun's lips curled into a smile. "Those who fall to me are never my opponents. I'll give you time to catch up, until you can only gaze at me from afar!"

"Even so, I'm looking forward to your challenge. If you're willing to pay, I wouldn't mind playing along."

Ling Yun added, eyeing Tang San's Spirit Hall stipend. He couldn't help it; he needed a great deal of money to buy Whale Rubber.

Especially the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, which came from ten-thousand-year whale-type Soul Beasts. Its price was sure to be astronomical.

With that, Ling Yun left the grove under Tang San's resentful gaze and returned to the dormitory to cultivate.

After Ling Yun left, Yu Xiaogang helped Tang San to his feet and asked with concern, "Xiao San... are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Ling Yun didn't hurt me." Tang San shook his head and sighed. "I just never expected Ling Yun to be this strong. My cultivation is a level higher than his, yet he still beat me in less than a minute."

"Don't be discouraged, Xiao San!"

Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San on the shoulder and reassured him. "That brat just happened to get a decent Soul Skill. As long as you absorb a better Soul Ring and gain a stronger Soul Skill, you'll defeat him one day."

Yu Xiaogang's confident smile returned. He lowered his voice and said, "And don't forget, you have Twin Martial Souls. Your future is limitless. When it comes to talent, that brat can't possibly beat you."

Tang San nodded. That's right. I still have that Hammer. Ling Yun, your monkey transformation can only control my Blue Silver Grass. Let's see if you can control my Hammer in the future!

After regaining his resolve, Tang San also returned to the dormitory to cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Skill and improve his cultivation. He even stopped making time to play with Xiao Wu.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years passed. During those two years, Ling Yun's cultivation had also advanced rapidly, reaching the peak of level eighteen. He was only one step away from level nineteen.

The meditation method he practiced was only a basic one, and its progress was painfully slow. To rise six levels in just two years, he had needed both exceptional talent and relentless effort.

Tang San, by contrast, had a top-tier cultivation method like the Mysterious Heaven Skill. He had reached level twenty a week earlier and, accompanied by Yu Xiaogang, had gone to obtain his Second Soul Ring.

But Ling Yun wasn't discouraged. Although he didn't have a top-tier meditation method, he could take Whale Rubber to improve his constitution and further increase his cultivation speed.

During those two years, Xiao Chenyu and the others had given him ten Gold Soul Coins almost every month. By the time they graduated, Ling Yun had saved up more than a hundred Gold Soul Coins.

Besides that, Tang San would challenge him from time to time. Ling Yun had also set a rule: if he won, Tang San had to pay him one Gold Soul Coin.

And so, in just two years, Tang San had sent him more than a dozen Gold Soul Coins like a walking money bag, allowing him to buy several decent pieces of century-old Whale Rubber.

Holding the century-old Whale Rubber, Ling Yun went to the grove behind the academy, ready to eat it.

He lit a bonfire and took out a piece of Whale Rubber about the size of his fist, holding it over the flames to roast.

Although older Whale Rubber had better effects, he was still only an eight-year-old boy, with a frail body. Taking ten-thousand-year Whale Glue rashly might harm him.

So he decided to take it step by step, starting with century-old Whale Rubber and gradually increasing the age.

Before long, the rich scent of roast meat wafted toward him. Looking at the century-old Whale Rubber glowing red in the fire, Ling Yun's mouth watered.

Although he knew the stuff didn't taste very good, he still opened wide and took a bite.

In an instant, the stench of dead fish filled his mouth. It tasted ten times worse than the canned herring he'd eaten in his previous life, and he nearly spat it out.

But when he thought of how much the Whale Rubber had cost, Ling Yun forced down his disgust and gobbled it up, wolfing down the whole piece.

Then he sat cross-legged and circulated his meditation method, setting his Soul Power flowing through his meridians as he prepared to absorb the energy within the Whale Rubber.

Before long, he felt a wave of heat rise in his abdomen. The heat surged up to his chest, then rapidly spread throughout his body along his extraordinary meridians and eight channels.

It was clearly late autumn, yet Ling Yun felt unbearably hot, as if his body had become a blazing furnace.

Ling Yun knew the Whale Rubber had begun to take effect. Daring not to delay, he hurriedly gathered his Soul Power and used it to absorb the Whale Rubber's energy.

At that moment, his blood surged through his body, and the rapid flow made his skin turn bright red.

At the same time, every cell in his body greedily absorbed the Whale Rubber's energy. His meridians grew considerably broader, which would help him gather Soul Power more easily and increase his cultivation speed.

Besides that, his muscles, bones, and internal organs were all growing stronger. His physical strength far surpassed what it had been before!

Even without transforming into the Divine Wood Ape, he was now no weaker than a strength-type Soul Master of the same level. The change was nothing short of being reborn.

After fully absorbing the Whale Rubber's energy, Ling Yun slowly rose to his feet and threw a combination of punches at the trees in front of him. His fist shot forward, and the wind howled.

Hearing the sharp whistle as his fist cut through the air, Ling Yun was overjoyed. "Excellent! This Whale Rubber really is a treasure. Just one piece of century-old Whale Rubber has improved my strength, speed, and constitution so much.

"If I can take a piece of ten-thousand-year Whale Glue someday, I'm sure my body will grow even stronger!"

At the thought, Ling Yun hurried back to the dormitory to meditate and cultivate.

For him, improving his physical strength and speed was secondary. Cultivating Soul Power was what mattered most, and after taking the Whale Rubber, his Soul Power cultivation speed had increased significantly as well.

Just like that, another four months flew by. Every day, Ling Yun attended class and then cultivated in the dormitory, living a simple routine between the two.

During those four months, he had taken five pieces of century-old Whale Rubber. His physical strength had improved further, and his Soul Power cultivation speed had also increased.

Then, just today, a series of crisp, popping sounds rang out. A powerful wave of Soul Pressure spread over the whole of Dorm Seven.

"Four months! My Soul Power has finally reached level twenty!"