Whale Rubber

That power lay coiled in the deepest reaches—cold, heavy, carrying a suffocating aura of death.

Fang Mo did not approach it immediately.

Because he understood very clearly that the Rakshasa Divinity was not his power. It was the residual instinct left behind in Bibi Dong's shattered godhood.

It recognized no master, distinguished neither friend nor foe, and followed only the most primitive law: devour every living being that came near.

Fang Mo sat cross-legged in the center of the Spirit Sea, quietly sensing the pulse of that power.

It throbbed with a steady rhythm.

The Rakshasa Divinity belonged to Bibi Dong, but both her godhood and divine position had been shattered, leaving her utterly unable to control this power.

Like a ferocious beast without an owner, it lurked at the very bottom of the Spirit Sea, operating on instinct alone.

Fang Mo opened his eyes and withdrew from meditation.

The cultivation room was exceptionally quiet, illuminated by the faint glow of the formation patterns.

When he rose to his feet, Fang Mo felt a wave of dizziness.

It was more than just dizziness.

He could clearly feel that when Soul Power flowed through the meridians in his limbs and body, it moved sluggishly, as though it had been blocked.

This six-year-old body's meridians were still far too fragile.

Fang Mo recalled something from the original work.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Whale Rubber.

In the early stages of the original work, people did not place much importance on this substance.

Soul Masters across the Douluo Continent generally believed it was merely an aphrodisiac, a pastime for nobles with nothing to do with cultivation.

But Fang Mo knew the truth.

Whale Rubber came from a type of deep-sea whale Soul Beast, its essence condensed within its skull.

After undergoing special processing, it could not only strengthen the muscles, bones, and meridians, but also greatly increase a Soul Master's maximum capacity for Soul Power.

In his previous life, as a devoted fan of the Douluo Continent, he had repeatedly studied this setting in fanfiction.

Whale Rubber's effects on strengthening the meridians were genuine. The problem was knowing the correct way to use it.

Ordinary people treated Whale Rubber as a tonic. That was simply a tragic waste.

The proper method was to grind Whale Rubber into powder and apply it to crucial meridian nodes while meditating.

Its essence would then seep into the meridians along with the circulation of Soul Power, fundamentally increasing their resilience and width.

But the problem now was...

Whale Rubber had only one purpose on the market: it was used as an aphrodisiac.

Fang Mo rubbed his temples.

A six-year-old child like him was supposed to ask Bibi Dong for aphrodisiacs?

Just imagining that scene gave him a headache.

But if he did not resolve the meridian issue, all his future cultivation would be for nothing.

Fang Mo gritted his teeth. Some things were worth more than pride.

What he hoped most now was that his teacher, Bibi Dong, would be willing to talk things through instead of beating him to death in a fit of anger.

The following morning.

At the hour of the dragon, Fang Mo appeared punctually outside the study.

Bibi Dong wore a dark purple casual outfit today. Her hair was pinned behind her head with a simple silver hairpin, and she was reading through a dossier.

She looked up at Fang Mo, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment.

"How long did you meditate last night?"

"Three hours."

Fang Mo answered truthfully.

Bibi Dong's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Too long."

She set down the dossier and spoke in an even tone.

"Your body is only six years old. Your meridians cannot withstand Soul Power circulating for so long. Starting today, you are not to meditate for more than one hour per day."

Fang Mo did not argue. He nodded obediently.

"Yes, Teacher."

But he still hesitated.

Bibi Dong noticed the change in his expression as well and said in a neither warm nor cold tone,

"If you have something to say, say it."

Fang Mo drew a deep breath and steeled himself.

"Teacher, during cultivation, this disciple discovered that my meridians are too narrow. If I rely only on meditation to gradually widen them, I fear it will take a very long time."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly. "That is normal. Which is why, before then, you must slow down your cultivation pace."

"Teacher, this disciple knows of a special method that should accelerate the strengthening of the meridians."

Bibi Dong set down the dossier in her hand and looked at him seriously.

"What method?"

Fang Mo gritted his teeth.

"Whale Rubber!"

The study fell silent for a moment.

Bibi Dong's expression did not change.

"Whale Rubber?"

There was a trace of uncertainty in her calm tone, as if she were confirming whether she had heard correctly.

"You mean... the essence extracted from the skulls of deep-sea whale Soul Beasts?"

"Yes."

Bibi Dong suddenly stared quietly at Fang Mo, a subtle look emerging in her violet eyes.

"How does a six-year-old child like you know about Whale Rubber?"

Fang Mo had long prepared an explanation for Bibi Dong's question.

"When this disciple was at the orphanage, I heard the old people there mention it. They said Whale Rubber was something nobles often used, though this disciple did not understand what it meant at the time. But after I began cultivating, I kept thinking about whether there was a way to make my meridians grow faster. This disciple remembered that old man saying Whale Rubber could 'strengthen the muscles and bones,' so I thought..."

"Wait."

Bibi Dong raised a hand to interrupt him, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"Do you know what Whale Rubber is used for?"

Fang Mo put on a bewildered expression.

"The old man said it strengthened the muscles and bones?"

Bibi Dong stared at him for three seconds.

Then she looked away. Fang Mo could swear that he saw the tips of Bibi Dong's ears turn red.

It was only the faintest blush, like a drop of ink falling onto rice paper and quickly spreading away.

But they had definitely turned red.

"Whale Rubber..."

Bibi Dong's tone became somewhat unnatural. "Its primary use is not to strengthen the muscles and bones."

"Then what is it?"

Fang Mo immediately pressed the question.

Bibi Dong fell silent.

Fang Mo could sense that the person sitting across from him at this moment was not the imposing and icy Pope, but a young woman of twenty-five or twenty-six who had yet to experience true love.

She was struggling with how to explain the concept of Whale Rubber being an "aphrodisiac" to a six-year-old child.

"In any case, it is not something you should use."

Bibi Dong finally found an excuse to avoid the subject, deliberately hardening her tone.

"But this disciple's meridians..."

"I said no." Bibi Dong's tone grew harsher.

"Whale Rubber is extremely hot in nature. Even adults must take great care when using it. You are only six years old, and your meridians have not fully developed. If you cannot endure it..."

"This disciple does not intend to consume it directly."

Fang Mo interrupted her.

Bibi Dong's brows lifted slightly.

Fang Mo immediately added,

"What this disciple means is, if Whale Rubber were ground into powder and applied to the crucial nodes of the meridians during meditation, then its essence could gradually seep into the meridians along with the circulation of Soul Power. Would that not fundamentally widen the meridians, instead of merely waiting for them to grow over time?"

He spoke with clear organization and rigorous logic, nothing like the way a six-year-old child should have expressed himself.

The look in Bibi Dong's eyes changed as she watched him.

It was not suspicion, but surprise.