Showdown

"No, they had to be at least two thousand years old. And at least seven of them!" Cheng Xiao shook his head. "That was already too few. I originally wanted fifteen."

"Whoa!" Cheng Yu was instantly shocked. "Are you crazy? Do you know how many Gold Soul Coins that would take? Seven Soul Beasts that are two or three thousand years old would be enough to raise seven Soul Ancestors! And you want fifteen? Do you think our home is the Marquis's Estate?"

The optimal age range for a fourth Soul Ring was between seventeen hundred and five thousand years. While two to three thousand years was not the limit, it was not bad for a commoner Soul Ancestor's fourth ring.

Even if they hired Soul Masters, only a Soul Ancestor team could safely hunt a three-thousand-year Soul Beast, and their commission would be an astonishing sum.

His nephew had opened his mouth and demanded seven at once. This would bankrupt them! Even some marquis nobles only kept a dozen or so Soul Masters in their households. The Cheng Family was merely a modestly wealthy family on the border. Where would they find such resources?

Even full support had its limits!

"Impossible, absolutely not!" Cheng Yu no longer hesitated. He shook his head like a rattle drum and firmly refused.

After pondering for a long while, Cheng Xiao ultimately decided to lay everything out. Otherwise, it would be difficult to gain his family's approval to invest all their money in him.

It was not that he had not considered other methods, but he had rejected every single one.

The academy's dean was merely a level-forty-two Tool Soul Ancestor. The other teachers were only Soul Grandmasters or Soul Elders. Even if they formed a team, the risk would still be enormous.

His talent had not reached the point where the academy would spare no expense for him. Besides, he was asking for more than one Soul Beast. Unless the dean had something wrong with his head, he would never agree.

As for fooling Tang San and Xiao Wu like he had with his first Soul Ring... he might as well forget it. There was no need to serve himself up as an extra meal for Soul Beasts.

After considering it from every angle, Cheng Xiao could only place his hopes on his family. Only the Cheng Family had a chance of helping him.

"Uncle, do you remember those three pieces of Whale Rubber? Those three pieces were what allowed me to break through to level twenty. Whale Rubber can strengthen the muscles, bones, and meridians' ability to withstand pressure, improving a Soul Master's physique."

Cheng Xiao looked at him sincerely and explained, "After consuming Whale Rubber, a Soul Master can absorb Soul Rings of a higher age. I estimate that my limit has already reached two to three thousand years, but I still need to test it carefully to determine my true upper limit. That is why I need so many."

Cheng Yu's eyes shook violently. He immediately sat upright and asked solemnly, "It can increase the age limit for absorbing Soul Rings? Are you sure?"

If it were true, this news would be enough to shock the entire continent!

"It's true. I once obtained a damaged ancient scroll that recorded it." Cheng Xiao nodded. "I did not take it seriously at first, but when I saw Whale Rubber last time, I decided to try it. I never expected to break through to level twenty directly. Whale Rubber is absolutely a rare treasure!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yu's breathing immediately grew heavy, and his face flushed red. If Whale Rubber could truly raise the upper limit for absorbing Soul Rings, then if their family took advantage of the current opportunity to stockpile it in large quantities and monopolize it...

Seeing Cheng Yu's reaction, Cheng Xiao sighed inwardly. He had known this would happen. The reason he had not told his uncle last time was because he feared Cheng Yu would be blinded by profit.

"Uncle, this is not something we can control! We do not have the strength to monopolize it. If others learn this secret, our family could very well face utter ruin!"

Those words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Cheng Yu. The excited man shuddered and instantly came to his senses.

That was right. If Whale Rubber truly had such miraculous effects, then as long as they sold even one piece, the news would inevitably spread to every corner of the continent in an instant.

At that point, countless forces would covet it. How big was their family? Could they compete with princes, nobles, great sects, and major families? In those people's eyes, the Cheng Family was less than nothing!

"Then why don't we sell this information to Spirit Hall?" Cheng Yu suggested. Since they could not keep it, they might as well sell it. Others could eat the meat while they at least got some soup.

There was nothing unreasonable about that thought. Cheng Yu was a merchant, and his first instinct was to consider how to use this secret to earn a massive amount of Gold Soul Coins.

"Uncle, do you think Spirit Hall might kill us to keep this secret for itself?" Cheng Xiao shook his head.

Cheng Yu froze, then frowned as he thought it over. "Surely not? Spirit Hall is not that vicious, is it? They are much better than those sects and families."

Among commoners, Spirit Hall had a far better reputation than the great nobles and sects. In their eyes, Spirit Hall was the embodiment of justice, the incarnation of angels.

It was an image Spirit Hall had spent thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of years cultivating.

Cheng Yu was no exception.

But Cheng Xiao had no such filter. Put plainly, Spirit Hall was merely another Soul Master power, no different from the Two Great Empires or the Three Great Sects. It had simply built a better public image.

Whale Rubber was something that could rapidly widen the gap between members of the younger generation. Every power would do everything possible to keep it entirely in its own hands, and Spirit Hall would be no exception.

As long as the Cheng Family existed, they would remain an uncertain factor, because they could very well sell the same information twice! How could Spirit Hall possibly let them go?

After explaining this reasoning to Cheng Yu, Cheng Xiao emphasized once more, "Uncle, do not dream of placing your lives in someone else's hands! You will die! Unless we have the strength to protect this secret, or at least protect our family's lives, this secret cannot be revealed to anyone, not even the slightest bit!"

Cheng Yu's face turned pale at his words. His lips trembled for a long while before he finally forced out a few helpless words with a bitter smile. "Strength... heh. How much strength would we need to protect it?"

"A Titled Douluo! At the very least, one Titled Douluo!" Cheng Xiao's expression was solemn. "Only a Titled Douluo can protect an entire family's lives!"

"At least? A Titled Douluo?" Cheng Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Do you even hear the nonsense you are saying? How many Titled Douluos are there on the entire continent? You want a Titled Douluo's protection? Aren't you just daydreaming?"

Cheng Xiao remained silent, but he looked at Cheng Yu with unwavering determination. He would not spout grand claims about how he would become a Titled Douluo.

If a three-year-old child said he would definitely become a Titled Douluo, adults might merely laugh it off and call it childish innocence.

But if a teenage Soul Master kept talking about becoming a "Titled Douluo," anyone who heard it would roll their eyes and mock him for overestimating himself.

Cheng Yu understood his nephew's attitude from Cheng Xiao's eyes. He sighed softly. "Looks like this secret either goes into the grave with us, or it can only be used on you?"

Cheng Xiao nodded. "So give up on the idea of making money from Whale Rubber."

Having lost an opportunity to become rich overnight, Cheng Yu felt so heartbroken that he could barely breathe.

"But seven is still too many." Having cast aside his improper desires, Cheng Yu finally returned to the main issue. "Even if the family squeezes out all of its liquid funds, we can only afford for you to hunt three. If you want seven, we would have to sell off our property and go into debt. No one else in the family would agree, and neither would your mother."