Returning to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes! Dugu Yan Takes Whale Rubber!

When Dugu Bo returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, it was noon.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the valley, making the crimson and snow-white spring waters shimmer.

Dugu Yan sat cross-legged beside the spring eye, cultivating. Her jade-green hair drifted gently in the mist, Soul Power circulating around her body. Her aura was even more steady than it had been over ten days ago.

Dugu Xin and Lin Wan'er stood guard nearby. When they saw their father return, they rose at the same time.

"Father."

Dugu Bo nodded, his gaze falling upon his granddaughter. A trace of satisfaction flashed through his Dark Golden Dragon Eyes.

Her forty-third level Soul Power had already stabilized completely, and there were even faint signs of a breakthrough toward level forty-four.

It seemed Yan Yan had not slacked off these past ten days.

"Grandfather!"

Dugu Yan sensed the familiar aura and opened her eyes, her jade-green Dragon Eyes filled with delight.

She jumped up, ran to Dugu Bo's side, and linked her arm through his.

"You're finally back! Why were you gone for so long this time?"

"There were a few more matters to handle." Dugu Bo patted the back of his granddaughter's hand without elaborating.

There was no rush to bring up the Whale Rubber yet.

"Grandfather, did you bring us anything delicious?"

Dugu Yan tilted her head, her jade-green eyes brimming with anticipation.

Dugu Bo froze for a moment, then smiled.

"Grandfather didn't bring any food this time."

Disappointment immediately appeared on Dugu Yan's face.

But Dugu Bo changed the subject. "However, Grandfather brought something else—something better than food."

Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. "What is it?"

"Sit down first." Dugu Bo sat on a bluestone and gestured for his granddaughter to sit beside him.

Dugu Yan obediently sat down. Dugu Xin and Lin Wan'er also came over and took seats across from them.

"Yan Yan, you are now a level forty-three Soul Ancestor, and your fourth Soul Ring is a ten-thousand-year black ring. At the Soul Ancestor level, you already stand at the peak among your peers."

Dugu Bo got straight to the point.

Dugu Yan nodded, a trace of pride flashing through her jade-green Dragon Eyes.

But Dugu Bo's next words made her expression turn solemn.

"But it isn't enough."

"Not enough?" Dugu Yan was stunned.

"Far from enough." Dugu Bo shook his head. "Your goal is not Soul Ancestor, not Soul King, and not even Soul Saint."

"Your Martial Soul is the Jade Scale Dragon, a true dragon-type Martial Soul comparable to the Golden Sacred Dragon."

"With such a Martial Soul, your goal should be a Titled Douluo."

Titled Douluo.

Dugu Yan's breathing paused slightly.

They were the greatest powerhouses on the continent. Even the entire Tiandou Empire had only a handful of them.

She had never considered that she might one day reach that level.

"Grandfather, can I really do it?"

Dugu Yan's voice held some uncertainty.

"Of course you can." Dugu Bo's response was decisive. "The quality of the Jade Scale Dragon speaks for itself, and so does your talent. As long as you do not take the wrong path, becoming a Titled Douluo is only a matter of time."

"However, on the path to becoming a Titled Douluo, there is one hurdle you must prepare for in advance."

"What hurdle?"

"The fifth Soul Ring."

Dugu Bo's voice grew serious.

"A Soul Ancestor's fourth Soul Ring has a limit of a thousand years."

"A Soul King's fifth Soul Ring is theoretically also ten thousand years, but very few people can achieve it."

"Because absorbing a fifth Soul Ring places extremely high demands on a Soul Master's physique."

"Many exceptionally talented Soul Masters chose their fifth Soul Ring poorly or lacked the physical constitution to endure it, damaging their foundations and leaving them unable to break through to higher levels for the rest of their lives."

Dugu Yan listened intently, a thoughtful look flashing through her jade-green Dragon Eyes.

"Grandfather, do you want me to build a solid foundation in advance?"

The corners of Dugu Bo's lips rose slightly, and approval flashed in his eyes.

"Smart."

"Before your fifth Soul Ring, Grandfather will help you strengthen your physique to its limit."

"When the time comes, you will be able to absorb a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring with a greater age and stronger quality."

Dugu Yan nodded firmly.

"Grandfather, what should I do?"

Dugu Bo did not answer directly. Instead, he took out something the size of his palm from the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch.

It was yellowish, translucent, soft in texture, and gave off a faint fishy stench.

Dugu Yan wrinkled her nose. "Grandfather, what is this? It smells awful."

"Whale Rubber," Dugu Bo said. "A gelatinous substance extracted from deep-sea whales."

Dugu Yan looked at the foul-smelling object with a face full of disgust.

"This thing... can be eaten?"

"Not as it is." Dugu Bo shook his head. "But after it is processed, it can be eaten."

He rose and found a flat stone slab in the valley, setting it atop a simple stove made from several rocks.

Then, he scooped up a ladle of water from the Crimson Spring Eye of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes and poured it over the stone slab.

The water from the Crimson Spring Eye was extremely hot.

The instant it landed on the stone slab, steam began to rise from its surface.

Dugu Bo placed the Whale Rubber on the slab, then scooped up another ladle of Crimson Spring Water and poured it over it.

Upon meeting the heat, the Whale Rubber began to melt slowly.

The originally translucent yellow gelatin softened into a pool of thick liquid under the high temperature.

Its color shifted from yellow to pale gold, while the fishy stench faded significantly, replaced by a faint roasted fragrance.

Dugu Yan watched the changes on the stone slab curiously, her jade-green Dragon Eyes filled with surprise.

"Grandfather, how did you know this needed to be prepared like this?"

Dugu Bo's lips curled upward slightly, but he did not answer.

He could hardly say it.

Grandfather learned it from reading novels in his past life.

"Wait for it to cool," Dugu Bo said. "Once it cools, the fishy smell will disappear completely and it will become something like jelly. That is when it can be eaten."

Dugu Yan nodded and waited patiently.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the liquid on the stone slab had cooled completely.

The formerly thick liquid solidified into a translucent gel. It was amber-colored, crystalline, and clear.

Dugu Bo cut it into several pieces with a small knife, then picked up one piece and handed it to his granddaughter.

"Try it."

Dugu Yan accepted the piece of Whale Rubber and held it close to her nose for a sniff.

There was no fishy smell.

There was only a faint roasted fragrance, similar to the scent of roasted sweet potatoes.

She took a bite.

It was soft and sticky, with a slight chewiness. It tasted sweet and was far more delicious than she had imagined.

"Grandfather, it's delicious!"

Dugu Yan finished that piece of Whale Rubber in just a few bites, then licked her lips with lingering satisfaction.

"Have another piece."

Dugu Bo handed her another piece.

Dugu Yan accepted it and was about to put it into her mouth when she suddenly remembered something. She turned toward Dugu Xin and Lin Wan'er.

"Father, Mother, you should have some too."

Dugu Xin shook his head with a faint smile. "Yan Yan, your mother and I do not need to eat now."

Dugu Yan froze for a moment, then understood.

Her parents now possessed Undead Bodies, so they truly did not need food.

She silently withdrew her hand and ate the piece of Whale Rubber.

After two pieces of Whale Rubber entered her stomach, Dugu Yan felt a warm current slowly rise from her lower abdomen and spread through her limbs and bones.

That current was not powerful, but it was long-lasting, like a warm stream flowing slowly through her meridians.