Laying It All Out

"No. They have to be at least two thousand years old. And at least seven of them!" Cheng Xiao shook his head. "That's already too few. I originally wanted fifteen."

"Whoa!" Cheng Yu was instantly startled. "Are you crazy? Do you know how many Gold Soul Coins that would take? Seven two- to three-thousand-year soul beasts would be enough to raise seven Soul Ancestors! And you want fifteen? Do you think this family is a 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 still considered decent for the fourth ring of a commoner Soul Ancestor.

Even if they hired soul masters, only a Soul Ancestor team could safely hunt a three-thousand-year soul beast, and the commission would be an astonishing sum.

His nephew had opened his mouth and asked for seven. 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 well-off family on the frontier. Where could they possibly find such resources?

Supporting him with everything they had did not mean doing something like this!

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

Cheng Xiao pondered for a long while before ultimately deciding to lay everything on the table. Otherwise, it would be difficult to gain the family's approval and have them invest all their money in him.

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

The academy's headmaster was only a level forty-two weapon Soul Ancestor, while the other teachers were merely Soul Grand Masters or Soul Elders. Even if they formed a team, the risks would still be immense.

His talent had not yet reached the point where the academy would disregard everything for him. Besides, he needed more than one soul beast. As long as the headmaster had any sense, he would never agree.

As for tricking Tang San and Xiao Wu again like he had for his first soul ring... he might as well forget it. There was no need to give the soul beasts an extra meal.

After considering it from every angle, Cheng Xiao could only set his sights on his family. Only the family had any hope of helping him.

"Uncle, do you remember those three pieces of Whale Rubber? Those three pieces of Whale Rubber were what let me break through to level twenty. Whale Rubber can strengthen the muscles, bones, and meridians' capacity to endure, improving a soul master's physique."

Cheng Xiao looked at him earnestly and explained, "After consuming Whale Rubber, a soul master can increase the age limit of the soul rings they can absorb. I estimate that my limit has already reached two to three thousand years, but I still need to test it carefully before determining my true upper limit. That's why I need so many."

Cheng Yu's eyes trembled violently. He immediately sat up straight and asked with a grave expression, "Increase the soul ring absorption age limit? Are you sure?"

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

"It's true. I once obtained a damaged ancient scroll, and it was recorded there." Cheng Xiao nodded. "At first, I did not take it seriously. But after seeing Whale Rubber last time, I decided to try it, and 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 bought up Whale Rubber in bulk now and monopolized it...

Seeing Cheng Yu's reaction, Cheng Xiao sighed inwardly. He knew it would be like this. The reason he had not told his uncle last time was that he feared his uncle would lose himself to greed and 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 total annihilation!"

That one sentence was like a bucket of cold water over Cheng Yu. The excited Cheng Yu shuddered and immediately came to his senses.

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

When that time came, countless factions would covet it. How big was their family? Could they compete with princes, nobles, major sects, and great clans? The Cheng Family was less than nothing in their eyes!

"Then why not sell this information to Spirit Hall?" Cheng Yu suggested. Since they could not keep it, they might as well sell the secret. Even if others ate the meat, they could at least get some soup.

There was nothing strange about that idea. Cheng Yu was a merchant, and his first thought was 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 themselves?" Cheng Xiao shook his head.

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

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

It was an image Spirit Hall had built over thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of years.

Cheng Yu was no exception.

But Cheng Xiao had no such filter. To put it bluntly, Spirit Hall was merely a soul master faction, no different from the Two Great Empires or the Three Great Sects. They had simply crafted a better public image.

Something like Whale Rubber, which could allow the younger generation to rapidly widen the gap between themselves, was something every faction would do everything possible to seize completely. Spirit Hall was no exception.

And as long as the Cheng Family existed, they would remain an uncertain factor, because the Cheng Family might sell the information twice! How could Spirit Hall possibly spare them?

After explaining this reasoning to Cheng Yu, Cheng Xiao emphasized again, "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 to protect our family's lives, we cannot reveal even the slightest trace of this secret!"

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

"A Titled Douluo! At least one Titled Douluo!" Cheng Xiao's expression was solemn. "Only a Titled Douluo can protect our family's lives!"

"At least? A Titled Douluo?" Cheng Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Do you hear the nonsense coming out of your mouth? How many Titled Douluo are there on the entire continent? You want a Titled Douluo's protection? You must be dreaming in broad daylight!"

Cheng Xiao remained silent, but his eyes stayed fixed on Cheng Yu with unwavering determination. He would not make grand claims about how he would become a Titled Douluo.

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

But if a teenage soul master kept the words "Titled Douluo" on his lips, 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 and sighed softly. "Looks like this secret will either be buried with us, or it can only be used on you?"

Cheng Xiao nodded. "So give up 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." Only after abandoning his improper desires did Cheng Yu return to the main issue. "Even if the family squeezes out all its liquid funds, we can only afford for you to hunt three. If you want seven, we would have to sell off family assets and take on debts. No one else in the family would agree, and neither would your mother."