Late at night.
A crescent moon hung from the treetops, casting down a cold, silvery glow.
Emperor Soul Village was silent. The villagers had long since fallen asleep.
Lin Qing quietly pushed open the broken wooden door and slipped outside.
He temporarily put aside the matter of Er Ni. Taking the Whale Rubber had to be done as soon as possible.
With the last piece of Thousand-Year Whale Rubber tucked into his clothes, he headed for the stream behind the village.
The dirt road looked grayish-white beneath the moonlight.
The thatched cottages on either side cast twisted black shadows.
A figure by a window watched Lin Qing hurrying through the moonlight and called out in confusion, "Xiao Qing?"
Lin Qing had to be especially careful when taking the Whale Rubber.
With his small frame, it was hard to say whether he could endure it.
So he had to make thorough preparations.
There was a small stream at the foot of the back mountain.
Clear water babbled beneath the moonlight, reflecting specks of light like shattered silver.
Lin Qing found a flat stone by the stream and sat down, taking out the dark-red Whale Rubber.
He took a deep breath.
Then swallowed it in one gulp!
The Whale Rubber melted as soon as it entered his mouth, turning into a warm liquid that slid down his throat.
Almost at the same time—
"Boom!"
A scorching current suddenly exploded from his lower abdomen!
Lin Qing's entire body instantly turned red!
His skin burned fiercely, as though flames were raging through his veins.
Not daring to delay, he stripped off his ragged clothes in a few swift motions and jumped into the stream with a splash.
The icy stream water enveloped his body, easing the burning sensation slightly.
But an even fiercer wave of heat soon surged forth again!
"Damn, is this Whale Rubber really this potent???"
He really could not take it anymore. His nose was even bleeding!
Lin Qing gritted his teeth and sank beneath the water.
The freezing stream water clashed violently against the blazing heat within him.
He felt his consciousness beginning to blur, while the scenery before his eyes swayed and spun.
All he could hear was the rushing water and his increasingly heavy heartbeat.
"No... I'll drown like this!"
He had no intention of losing consciousness and drowning in the water.
Lin Qing struggled to climb ashore.
But his limbs were limp and powerless, and his entire body sank toward the bottom.
Before he completely lost consciousness... he seemed to hear something.
It sounded terribly anxious.
"Xiao Qing!!!"
When he opened his eyes again, dawn had already come.
Gentle morning light streamed through the gaps in the broken window, casting several golden streaks across the floor.
Lin Qing discovered that he was not in the stream behind the mountain. He was lying on the broken wooden bed in his home.
A thin quilt, old but washed very clean, covered him.
And...
He frowned, sensing that something was wrong.
It felt like someone was hugging him!
Lin Qing suddenly opened his eyes and looked over.
Then his whole body froze.
Er Ni!
Lin Qing's mind went blank for three seconds.
Fragments of last night's memories quickly came together: taking the Whale Rubber, jumping into the stream, his consciousness blurring, sinking to the bottom, and then... Er Ni's cry!
Lin Qing looked at the sleeping girl in his arms, and complicated emotions surged through his heart.
"Er Ni saved me."
If she had not arrived in time, he would most likely have drowned in that stream.
The girl in his arms fluttered her eyelashes and slowly opened her eyes.
Their gazes met.
"..."
Er Ni blinked blankly at first.
Very quickly, she noticed her current state with Lin Qing.
"Ah!"
A short cry escaped her.
The girl's cheeks flushed at a visible speed, the redness spreading all the way to her ears.
"Xiao Qing, I-I didn't do anything to you!"
She hurriedly tried to sit up and explain herself.
She really had not done anything!
"Sister Er Ni."
Lin Qing interrupted her.
His voice was calm, carrying the huskiness of someone who had just awakened.
"No need to explain."
He looked into Er Ni's flustered eyes and said seriously, "I roughly know what happened... Thank you for saving me."
"..."
Er Ni was stunned.
She looked at Lin Qing's calm gaze, and the blush on her face gradually faded somewhat.
Then she softly murmured, "Mm."
She released the arm wrapped around Lin Qing, turned her back to him, and quickly put on her clothes.
When she turned back around, she had already returned to her usual self, though a faint hint of pink remained at the roots of her ears.
"Xiao Qing."
Er Ni sat down by the bed. Her tone was gentle, yet carried a rare seriousness.
"I won't ask what you were doing last night, but it looked very dangerous."
She looked into Lin Qing's eyes.
"Don't do something so dangerous again."
Lin Qing gazed into the eyes beneath her worried expression.
After a long while.
He suddenly said, "Sister Er Ni, can you do me a favor these next two days?"
"Huh?"
Over the next two days.
Every night, Lin Qing brought Er Ni to the stream behind the mountain.
He took Whale Rubber, jumped into the stream, and fought the medicine's effects.
Er Ni, whom he had asked to help, stood guard on the shore, watching him without blinking.
The first time, Lin Qing still passed out.
The second time, he lasted longer, but still could not endure it.
The third time, when Lin Qing climbed out of the stream gasping for breath, he remained conscious.
He was training himself to adapt to the effects of the Whale Rubber.
Er Ni hurried over and used a prepared dry cloth to wipe down his body.
Under the effects of the Whale Rubber, his physical abilities had improved by far too much.
Then he took out the last piece of Whale Rubber from his clothes and handed it to Er Ni.
"Sister Er Ni, this is for you. Consider it my thanks."
Er Ni was stunned.
"For me?"
"Yes. Eating it can improve your physical abilities. It's something extremely valuable to Soul Masters."
Hearing this, Er Ni hurriedly waved her hands.
"No, no! I can't accept something so important! You need it yourself!"
But Lin Qing stubbornly pressed the Whale Rubber into her hand.
"Sister Er Ni."
He looked at her and spoke very seriously.
"Thank you for helping me all this time. Without you, I might have starved to death long ago."
"Not to mention I've troubled you these past two days."
But Er Ni still shook her head.
"But... but I'm not a Soul Master. Giving this to me would be a waste."
As she spoke, she tried to stuff the Whale Rubber back into his hand.
Lin Qing suddenly reached out with both hands and cupped her little face.
"!!!"
Er Ni's entire body trembled.
Her eyes widened as she stared at Lin Qing so close to her, utterly flustered.
"Sister Er Ni."
For the first time, Lin Qing smiled as he teased her.
"If I'm giving it to you, just take it. Eat it now, and I'll watch over you."
"Huh?"
Er Ni went completely stiff.
She stared blankly at Lin Qing. She could not refuse his sudden forcefulness.
"All right."
Under Lin Qing's guidance, Er Ni took the Whale Rubber and then jumped into the stream.
Lin Qing stood guard on the bank, carefully observing her condition.
Er Ni was four years older than him, so she did not experience any major abnormalities.
The more Whale Rubber of the same grade one consumed, the less effective it became.
He had already eaten four pieces of Thousand-Year Whale Rubber. Eating more would have a negligible effect.
Unless it was Ten-Thousand Year Whale Rubber.
And his physical abilities now far surpassed those of an ordinary person.
His strength, speed, and reactions were completely incomparable to before.
Even against a grown man, he could easily knock him down now.
He could even hold Er Ni's entire body up with just two fingers.
"Mm..."
In the stream, Er Ni suddenly let out a muffled groan.
Her little face reddened, and her body began to sway. She looked about to faint.
Lin Qing hurriedly jumped into the water and scooped her into his arms.
Lin Qing's whole body stiffened.
Looking at the dazed, flushed Er Ni in his arms, he did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Mm..."
Er Ni responded vaguely and snuggled closer into his arms.
"I like Xiao Qing..."
Only after saying those words did she finally fall completely asleep.
Before you continue