A massive explosion erupted at Suotuo City's gates.
In a secluded alley within Suotuo City.
Buzz!
The air twisted faintly.
A ragged old woman appeared out of thin air.
Her figure began to change in the blink of an eye.
She grew shorter, and her body slimmed down.
Her face contorted, and her wrinkles vanished.
In just three seconds, the old woman was gone.
In her place stood a black-haired, blue-eyed boy who looked only eight years old—Lin Qing.
He let out a long breath and wiped away cold sweat that did not exist on his forehead.
"Success..."
Murder and arson really were thrilling. His heart was still pounding.
That string of actions had looked simple, but it had actually been extremely dangerous. One small mistake would have meant utter doom.
Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly.
He walked to the mouth of the alley and glanced toward the outskirts.
He could still see black smoke rising in the distance and hear the faint sounds of unrest.
But none of that had anything to do with him now.
He turned and blended into the crowd on the street, his steps calm and unhurried, as though he were merely an ordinary child out for a stroll.
No one would have imagined that the explosion that had shocked the entire city had been orchestrated by this child alone.
[ Ding! ]
A cold system notification sounded in his mind.
Lin Qing paused.
A smile slowly spread across his lips.
[You have fulfilled six-year-old Lin Qing's final wish and killed Viscount Priest!] [You have obtained the relic: "Melted Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber" x5!]
"Got it..."
Lin Qing murmured, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Five pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber.
With these, his physical constitution would undergo a qualitative leap!
Absorbing the 5,500-year Silver Hero Beast Soul Ring would no longer be a major problem!
"Still, I can't rush it now."
He suppressed the urge to immediately take out the Whale Rubber and consume it.
An explosion had just occurred in the city. It was surely in chaos.
The City Defense Army would strengthen their patrols and search for suspicious individuals.
If he suddenly "disappeared" for several days to absorb the Whale Rubber at a time like this, it might draw attention.
"I'll go home first and wait for things to die down."
Lin Qing quickened his pace toward the small courtyard he rented.
His figure vanished around a street corner.
Behind him, the unrest outside the city continued.
Three days later.
Suotuo City Lord's Mansion released an official notice.
The investigation into Viscount Priest's assassination had reached a "preliminary conclusion."
The notice was written in lofty, rigorous terms.
Its meaning was roughly this: After investigation, the culprit was determined to be an unidentified old woman who had used an unknown explosive to attack the duke's carriage. The old woman was currently wanted throughout the city. Anyone who provided clues would be handsomely rewarded.
The notice was plastered across the city's bulletin boards, drawing many citizens to watch.
"Tsk, tsk. Even a viscount got blown to death in the street..."
"I heard he died horribly. There wasn't even a complete corpse left."
"Served him right! That old bastard wasn't a good man!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Do you have a death wish?"
The murmurs of discussion continued, but the City Defense Army quickly dispersed the crowd.
After all, a noble had died. They had to keep up appearances.
As for whether they could catch the real culprit... that was another matter.
A small courtyard in the southern part of the city.
Lin Qing shut the doors and windows, then drew the curtains, dimming the room.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, with three dark-red gelatinous lumps placed before him.
Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber.
Each piece gave off a gentle sheen and a faint, strange fragrance.
Just smelling it made his entire body heat up.
"Three pieces... should be enough."
Lin Qing muttered to himself.
He picked up the first piece, opened his mouth, and swallowed it.
Boom!
A scorching warm current exploded within his body in an instant!
It was ten times more intense than Thousand-Year Whale Rubber!
His skin immediately reddened, veins bulging one after another as if flames were burning through his blood.
But Lin Qing clenched his teeth and endured it. His meditation technique operated at full force as his Soul Power guided that violent energy to strengthen every cell in his body.
His muscles tore apart and reformed.
His bones shattered and were reborn.
His internal organs underwent earth-shaking transformations as well.
Half an hour later.
The energy of the first piece of Whale Rubber was finally fully absorbed.
Lin Qing slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
That breath carried a faintly fishy sweetness.
"Again!"
He did not stop.
He picked up the second piece and swallowed it.
Violent energy surged in.
This time, the transformation was somewhat less intense.
Another half hour passed.
The second piece had been fully absorbed.
Lin Qing felt that his body had reached an entirely new level of strength.
His strength, speed, endurance... every aspect had improved.
"The last piece..."
After a long while—
"Whew..."
Lin Qing let out a long breath.
He slowly opened his eyes.
A sharp glint flashed through them.
"I've reached the limit."
He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking sharply as he felt the surging power within him.
"Three pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber are about the limit of their effectiveness. Any more won't be very useful."
Lin Qing made an estimate of his current physical constitution.
"At the very least, it's comparable to an ordinary Soul Ancestor."
This improvement was enormous.
Originally, he had only been a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster.
Although his physique had been strengthened by Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, it had only been somewhat better than those at the same level.
But now, after consuming three pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber.
His body's strength had directly crossed two major realms!
"Absorbing a 5,500-year Soul Ring shouldn't be a problem now."
He stood and stretched his body.
Joints throughout his body cracked like a slumbering beast awakening.
Once he was prepared.
Lin Qing sat cross-legged again.
He first checked that all the doors and windows were sealed, ensuring that no one could suddenly barge in.
Then he took out the 5,500-year Silver Hero Beast Soul Ring from the Relic Space!
Its deep purple color was so rich that it seemed ready to drip.
The halo slowly spun, and within it, the phantom of a Silver Hero Beast could vaguely be seen.
Next, Lin Qing placed the Gold of Life to his left and the Level Seven Soul Guidance Milk Bottle to his right.
He made every possible preparation.
His Soul Power extended outward and slowly drew the purple halo toward him.
Buzz!
The Soul Ring trembled violently under the pull.
It turned into a streak of light and instantly entered Lin Qing's body!
Boom!
Violent energy erupted like a flash flood!
It was even fiercer than he had imagined!
"Urgh!"
Lin Qing let out a muffled groan.
It felt as though his internal organs were being brutally crushed by a heavy hammer!
"As expected, surpassing the limit by this much isn't so easy."
Lin Qing gritted his teeth.
Blood was already seeping from the corner of his mouth.
But he did not panic.
His left hand grabbed the Gold of Life.
A warm aura of life flowed into his body, rapidly repairing his damaged cells.
His right hand gripped the Level Seven Soul Guidance Milk Bottle.
Pure Soul Power continuously poured into him, helping him withstand the Soul Ring's impact.
Destruction, repair.
Then destruction again, then repair again.
The process was incomparably painful, like being sliced alive.
Every second was agony.
But Lin Qing held on stubbornly.
His consciousness remained clear.
If he passed out, all his efforts would be wasted. He might even die.
Hold on...
He silently repeated it in his heart.
Time became incomparably long, every minute feeling like a century.
Sweat did not merely soak his entire body.
A large puddle had unknowingly accumulated on the floor beneath him, mixed with streaks of blood.
It was a horrifying sight.
PS: The new book, <Douluo: Raising My Future Daughter, Becoming a Titled Douluo Dad>, has been released. Please support it. All three books are being updated simultaneously, and each has tens of thousands of words in reserve.
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