Absorb Whale Shark!

"Yu Tianlong, the family grants you a monthly allowance of five thousand gold soul coins; you may exchange them for whatever you require. Tell the elders, and tell Xiaogang as well, what you intend to do with these resources?"

In an instant, every gaze converged upon Yu Tianlong. There was curiosity, scrutiny, disdain, and the near-incendiary jealousy radiating from Yu Xiaogang.

Facing the countless stares, Yu Tianlong stepped forward composedly and bowed to Yu Yuanji and the three elders. His expression remained calm, showing not a hint of stage fright, nor the frantic joy of one who had just received a generous reward.

"Reporting to the Patriarch and the elders," the youth's clear, resonant voice rang out, "Tianlong has indeed made a plan. I wish to exchange the entire five-thousand gold soul coin allowance for—whale glue."

"Whale glue?"

"What is that?"

"Isn't that something produced by sea soul beasts... it's useless, isn't it?"

A wave of confused murmurs rippled through the hall. Even the elders looked surprised.

Whale glue was not a rarity on the Douluo Continent; it was a gelatinous substance condensed within the bodies of deep-sea giant whales, and its yield was quite high.

Because it was cold in nature, tough to process, and seemed to offer no obvious benefits to a soul master's cultivation, it was usually treated by coastal residents merely as a construction material or a low-grade adhesive, making it very cheap.

Five thousand gold soul coins could buy a massive amount of low-grade soul beast meat, auxiliary medicinal herbs, or even low-grade soul tool materials—yet he wanted to trade it for whale glue, which almost no one cared about?

A flicker of doubt crossed Yu Yuanzhen's eyes: "Whale glue? What use do you have for this?"

Yu Tianlong had already prepared his response and answered calmly:

"Reporting to the Patriarch, after awakening my martial soul, I felt a faint attraction to this substance. Furthermore, I once read in some miscellaneous books left behind by my parents that in ancient times, some soul masters used whale glue as an aid to strengthen their foundations and cultivate their essence. I wish to try it; perhaps it will be of some benefit to my martial soul cultivation."

He was being half-truthful; the secret that whale glue could increase the age limit of soul rings a soul beast could absorb was unknown to anyone on the continent at this time, making it the perfect opportunity to acquire it cheaply.

As for the miscellaneous books left by his parents, there was no one left to verify that, making it a perfect excuse.

Yu Yuanzhen exchanged a glance with the three elders. Yu Yuanzhen nodded slightly and transmitted his voice:

"This child has a steady temperament and does not seem like one to act without purpose. Although whale glue is obscure, it is cheap, and five thousand gold soul coins can buy a large quantity. Even if it is useless, the loss is minimal; consider it an investment. If there is truly something to be gained, it will be the family's fortune."

Yu Yuanzhen pondered for a moment and nodded: "Very well. There is a batch of whale glue in the family treasury offered by an affiliated sect from the East Sea that has been piling up for a long time; it shall be allocated to you. Elder Yuanhong will calculate the specific amount."

"Thank you, Patriarch. Thank you, elders." Yu Tianlong bowed again, his heart filled with joy. It was done!

The whale glue, whose value was unknown to anyone in this era, would fall into his hands at an extremely low cost. When he hunted for soul rings in the future, this would be a crucial trump card.

Yu Xiaogang listened from the side, feeling anxious and furious. Five thousand gold soul coins, just to trade for a pile of unwanted trash? It was truly a waste of heaven's gifts!

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was forced back by Yu Yuanji's icy glare. He could only swallow his resentment, his fists clenching until they rattled.

Yu Yuanzhen no longer looked at him, his gaze returning to Yu Tianlong, a trace of imperceptible appreciation flashing in his eyes.

This child's temperament, courage, and decisiveness were far beyond his peers, and what was even rarer was his composure while standing in the eye of the storm.

It is a pity his martial soul is Luo Sanpao... he sighed inwardly, then cast aside his stray thoughts and announced another bombshell.

"Furthermore, this Seat has one more thing to announce." Yu Yuanzhen's voice rose sharply, carrying an unquestionable majesty and a hint of pride, "Three days ago, during my seclusion, I broke through the level ninety bottleneck."

Level ninety?!

The simple words struck like a thunderclap in every corner of the hall.

After a brief, deathly silence, there was a tsunami of exclamations and wild joy!

"Level ninety?! A Title Douluo?!"

"The Patriarch has broken through to become a Title Douluo!"

"Heaven bless our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family!"

"Congratulations to the Patriarch! Congratulations to the Patriarch!"

All the clansmen, whether elders, deacons, or children, showed excitement and reverence, bowing one after another.

A Title Douluo was a true top-tier powerhouse.

Since the old Patriarch retired, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect had not had a single Title Douluo.

Yu Yuanzhen raised his hand, pressing down the surging noise, and continued:

"Therefore, in a few days, this Seat will head to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for my ninth soul ring."

He turned his gaze to Yu Tianlong: "Yu Tianlong, since you have innate full soul power, you will need your first soul ring. On this trip, you may accompany this Seat. I will personally select and hunt a suitable soul beast to help you obtain your first soul ring."

Gasp.

The noise that had just subsided erupted once more, this time mixed with even more complex emotions. Shock, envy, jealousy, disbelief... countless gazes were scorched onto Yu Tianlong.

The Patriarch personally leading him to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for his first soul ring! What an honor!

Yu Xiaogang felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow; he stumbled back a step, his face as pale as paper, his eyes turning completely listless.

The last shred of hope was shattered in the face of this massive disparity.

Father... his own biological father was taking someone else's child to hunt for a soul ring, yet he ignored his own son...

Yu Tianlong was also slightly stunned, followed by a surge of wild joy in his heart.

A Title Douluo personally leading the team to the Star Dou Great Forest! This meant the variety and age of the soul beasts he could encounter would far exceed his expectations—it was a heavenly feast for Little Gold and Little Silver's "menu"!

Moreover, with a Title Douluo holding the line, the safety factor would increase significantly, allowing him to attempt more possibilities.

He suppressed his excitement and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your grace, Patriarch! Tianlong will certainly not fail your expectations!"

Yu Yuanji nodded, said no more, and announced the end of the meeting before turning to leave with the three elders.

The crowd gradually dispersed, but the buzz of conversation only grew louder. Everyone was discussing the joyous news of the Patriarch breaking through to become a Titled Douluo, as well as the astonishing preferential treatment Yu Tianlong had received.

As for Yu Xiaogang, who stood in the corner with a face ashen as death, no one spared him another glance.

The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight flowed like water.

Not long after Yu Tianlong returned to his small courtyard, a knock sounded at the gate.

Upon opening it, he found two family deacons carrying a heavy sandalwood chest. They placed it in the courtyard, offered a respectful bow, and took their leave.

The lid was unlocked. The moment he opened it, a scent mixed with the briny smell of the sea and the mustiness of long-sealed dust rushed toward him.

Yu Tianlong looked on by the moonlight to see the chest neatly stacked with palm-sized, brick-thick, dark yellow-to-brown gelatinous blocks.

Their surfaces were rough with chaotic textures, and some edges were still stained with dried seaweed and sand. It was clear they had been stored for quite some time, and their quality was truly poor.

"Is this... Whale Glue?" Yu Tianlong picked one up. It felt heavy, cold, and hard in his hand. He tried to snap it with force, but it didn't budge.

"This thing... it hasn't expired, has it? I won't get diarrhea from eating it, will I?"

In his past life, his knowledge of Whale Glue was limited to Huo Yuhao using it to increase the age limit of soul ring absorption.

He knew nothing about how to consume it, what the taboos were, or if freshness was a requirement. Looking at this "antique" in his hand, he felt quite uneasy.

However, the restlessness emanating from within his body interrupted his doubts.

"Luo-luo!"

"Luo--!"

Almost the instant the chest was opened, two streaks of light—one gold, one silver—rushed out from his body impatiently, landing on the ground to transform into two Luo Sanpaos.

Little Gold and Little Silver had their eyes wide and round, staring fixedly at the blocks of Whale Glue in the chest. Shiny drool even hung from the corners of their mouths, and impatient "purring" sounds rumbled in their throats.

Little Silver kept pawing at Yu Tianlong's pant leg, its large, glass-like eyes filled with, "I want to eat! Give it to me now!"

"You... want to eat this?" Yu Tianlong was stunned. Could a martial soul develop such an intense craving for an external object?

This once again exceeded his understanding. But on second thought, Little Gold could devour soul beast meat, and Little Silver could absorb elemental energy. Since this Whale Glue was said to be the condensed essence of deep-sea giant whales, perhaps it really was a great supplement for them?

"Let's give it a try. It shouldn't kill you." Gritting his teeth, he picked out a piece of Whale Glue that looked relatively clean and slightly lighter in color.

It was still hard to the touch. He tried injecting a trace of soul power, but the Whale Glue didn't react. He then tried chopping it with a kitchen cleaver, but it only left a white mark. "It's so hard, how do you eat it?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Little Gold lunged forward and bit down on the piece of Whale Glue in his hand.

"Crunch!"

A teeth-gritting cracking sound rang out. That rock-hard Whale Glue was bitten into a large chunk by Little Gold as if it were a crispy cracker!

It chewed a few times and swallowed it whole. Its golden light immediately brightened by several degrees, and a low, deep humming sound, as if coming from the deep sea, echoed within its body. It let out an excited "Luo" and went back to gnawing on the remainder.