As they watched Qian Xunji leave, Azure Luan Douluo glanced at Qian Daoliu, doubt in his voice.
"Big brother, don't you think Ji'er exaggerated a little? How could anyone in this world be that incredible? I certainly don't believe it."
Golden Crocodile Douluo waved a hand, offering a different opinion.
"Alas, do you think Ji'er was lying? There are countless geniuses in this world. The two of us have seen only the tip of the iceberg."
Azure Luan Douluo waved a hand. "Second brother, that's not what I mean..."
At that moment, Qian Daoliu raised a hand slightly to stop them, then said, "In any case, this matter can only benefit our Spirit Hall. Let's just see how things unfold."
"Yes."
Golden Crocodile Douluo and Azure Luan Douluo nodded and dropped the subject.
Back in the Pope Palace, Qian Xunji immediately began thinking about who would be suitable to take the Whale Rubber. He also issued a secret order, instructing his trusted subordinates to start buying Whale Rubber discreetly for the experiment.
A few days later, everything was ready, and the Whale Rubber experiment was about to begin.
Five Soul Masters knelt on one knee before Qian Xunji, respectfully awaiting his orders.
Their Soul Power Levels varied, but one thing was certain: they were absolutely loyal to Spirit Hall.
Otherwise, Qian Xunji would never have let them experiment with something that might change the future balance of the Soul Master World.
With his hands behind his back, Qian Xunji surveyed them. "Follow me."
They followed him through a maze of turns, eventually stopping at a secluded house.
Qian Xunji approached a wall and turned a mechanism. With a series of clicks, the entrance to a secret chamber appeared before them.
Once inside, Qian Xunji brought out the Whale Rubber he had prepared earlier and got ready to begin the experiment.
The stuff wasn't hard to obtain. Most coastal areas sold it. After all, aside from a few nobles, no one would buy this thing.
Looking at the Whale Rubber in his hand, smooth as jade and glowing yellow, Qian Xunji waved his hand. Soul Power surged, and a ball of golden flame rose in his palm.
This flame was one of the abilities granted by the Angel Spirit: Angel Flame. Its temperature was high enough to melt the Whale Rubber.
To be safe, he had bought only top-quality Whale Rubber, lest the experiment fail because of its poor quality.
Under the heat of the golden flame, the Whale Rubber gradually softened into a pool of liquid. Its faint fishy smell vanished completely, replaced by a rich fragrance that lingered in the air.
"Quickly, drink it."
The men didn't hesitate. They tipped their heads back and swallowed the Whale Rubber liquid, then sat cross-legged and began refining it.
Once they were done, Qian Xunji released his spiritual power and watched them closely, observing any changes.
After swallowing the Whale Rubber, they immediately felt an intense heat throughout their bodies. Their faces flushed red, and sweat poured from them. Clearly, the medicine had taken effect.
But before long, they returned to normal, and their tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
Once they had finished refining it, Qian Xunji immediately tested their physical abilities. Sure enough, every one of them had improved to some degree.
The change filled Qian Xunji with delight. But there was an even more important effect he hadn't tested yet.
Without delay, he led them to the Soul Hunting Forest to kill Soul Beasts and absorb their Soul Rings.
"Your Holiness, I succeeded!"
About an hour later, one of the Soul Masters opened his eyes, unable to hide his delight.
Then the second, the third... Every Soul Master who had finished absorbing the Whale Rubber succeeded in absorbing a Soul Ring whose age surpassed his limit.
The increase in the Soul Ring's age wasn't much, but it proved that the Whale Rubber body-tempering method was viable.
After confirming that the Whale Rubber really worked, Qian Xunji fell into a long silence.
No one understood better than he did what this meant.
The reason organizations like Spirit Hall knew the maximum Soul Ring age each level could withstand, as well as the optimal Soul Ring Configuration, was the sacrifice and dedication of their predecessors.
And now, the standard for the optimal age of Soul Rings—a standard that had gone unchanged for so many years—had been shattered by an unremarkable piece of Whale Rubber.
If this news were made public, the entire Douluo Continent would go mad.
But Spirit Hall had already learned of it first, giving them a head start.
With the efforts of generation after generation, Spirit Hall would grow stronger and stronger, eventually leaving everyone else in the dust.
Taking a deep breath, Qian Xunji turned around and swept his sharp gaze over them. "What happened today is to be classified as top secret. Not a word of it may leave this room."
"If anyone dares to break the rules, you know what your Pope is capable of!"
"Yes! We would give our lives without hesitation!"
The five men immediately dropped to one knee, excitement barely contained in their eyes. They all knew how earth-shattering this discovery was.
They had taken part in an event that could change history and shock the world.
Back at Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji immediately set things in motion, secretly dispatching all his trusted subordinates to buy up Whale Rubber in various places.
He even joined forces with merchant ships and pirate ships sailing the seas to expand the search.
Qian Xunji knew that this unusual activity would inevitably draw the attention of other organizations. It was impossible to keep it hidden forever.
But before that happened, they had to gather as much Whale Rubber as they could, giving Spirit Hall a head start.
Though outsiders would probably gossip about it, Qian Xunji had no complaints when it came to Spirit Hall.
While Qian Xunji was experimenting with the effects of Whale Rubber, Ban Shu and Bibi Dong were beginning their training for the day.
Under Qian Xunji's six-month plan, the day's schedule included:
Basic meditation from seven in the morning until noon.
With her eyes closed, Bibi Dong's breathing gradually steadied. She carefully sensed the power around her and drew it into her body, accumulating Soul Power and laying the foundation for a breakthrough.
Li Yan, standing nearby, nodded. As expected of a genius with Innate Full Soul Power—she was far stronger than he had been at her age.
As for Ban Shu...
Li Yan looked at Ban Shu, who kept turning red, then purple. Endless confusion filled his eyes. What on earth was that thing?
After lunch, from one to four in the afternoon, it was time for the teacher's theory class.
Teacher Fang carefully explained all kinds of knowledge to Ban Shu: the customs and practices of the Douluo Continent, the different ways to identify Soul Beasts, and some of the secrets of Soul Masters...
Ban Shu took notes attentively, occasionally asking questions. He was like a dried-out sponge, constantly soaking up all this knowledge.
As for Bibi Dong, she was already nodding off. If Teacher Fang weren't right beside both Ban Shu and her, she would have put her head on the desk and fallen fast asleep.
There was no helping it. Teacher Fang's voice was just too soothing. She couldn't keep herself awake.
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