Before Absorbing the Soul Ring, Let's Get Some Whale Jelly First

The next morning, the night-luminescent pearls within the Sea God's Temple had yet to dim, their soft halos still shrouding the vast, empty hall.

Li Qing opened his eyes on the bed draped in deep-sea velvet. The exhaustion of a hangover had long since vanished, and the soul power within his body, nourished by the Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag and the Sea God's divine power, felt even more solid than it had the day before.

He rose to wash and changed into clean clothes. As he pushed open the door, the sea breeze rushed in, carrying a salty, damp scent. The morning light filtered through the carved window lattices, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow upon the floor.

Without a moment's hesitation, Li Qing walked straight toward the center of the hall.

Bo Saixi had said yesterday that she would take him to obtain his soul ring today, but before that, he had to purchase something first.

He stood quietly in the hall, his gaze fixed on the heavy temple doors, waiting patiently.

Not long after, the doors creaked open, and a beautiful silhouette appeared against the light.

Bo Saixi had changed into a pale blue long dress today. Silver wave patterns were embroidered along the hem, swaying gently with her steps like rolling turquoise waves.

Having shed the majesty of yesterday's red robes, she now appeared even more gentle. Her sea-blue hair was loosely pinned up, with a few stray strands brushing against her cheeks, making her stunning face look even more ethereal and refined—a sacred beauty softened by an approachable grace.

"Have you been waiting long?" Bo Saixi walked up to Li Qing, a faint smile playing on her lips, her voice as warm and gentle as the morning sea breeze.

Li Qing hurriedly stepped forward. "I only just arrived."

Bo Saixi looked him up and down, a hint of teasing in her eyes. "It seems you were quite excited last night; there are even dark circles under your eyes."

Li Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, rubbing his eyes. "I really wasn't. I slept quite soundly; it must be the lighting."

Bo Saixi raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter. She turned and said, "Since you're ready, let's go. I'll take you to see the Sacred Pillar Platform first so you can familiarize yourself with the surroundings."

Just as she turned, Li Qing suddenly gathered his courage and reached out to gently catch her wrist.

Bo Saixi's skin was delicate and cool, like fine warm jade. At the moment of his touch, she froze slightly and turned to look at him, a trace of confusion in her eyes. "What is it?"

Li Qing looked into her eyes, which were as deep as the ocean, his cheeks heating up. He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Um... Big Sister High Priestess, before we leave, could you give me some gold coins? I want to go to the shops on the island to buy something."

"Buy something?"

Bo Saixi was even more confused. She asked, "What do you need to buy? Sea God Island has everything one could possibly need. If it's for cultivation, just tell me directly; why go buy it yourself?"

Li Qing was instantly rendered speechless.

He couldn't exactly say he wanted to buy whale glue to temper his physique, could he? If he said that, it would inevitably invite Bo Saixi's questioning, and explaining it would be even more troublesome.

He grumbled inwardly: Why ask so much? Just give me the money. Now I don't even know how to answer.

Bo Saixi caught his inner muttering, a flash of mischievous amusement in her eyes as she deliberately drew out her tone. "Oh? Is it a secret you can't tell?"

"No, no, it's not!"

Li Qing waved his hands hurriedly and replied, "It's just some... ordinary little things. They don't count as cultivation resources, and I didn't want to trouble you, Big Sister High Priestess."

The main issue was that whale glue was used as an aphrodisiac on the Douluo Continent, so those who usually bought it were people who were... lacking in the bedroom.

Watching his flustered appearance, Bo Saixi found it quite amusing.

This child was usually so deep and acted like a little adult; she hadn't expected him to have such a callow side.

Her eyes darted around, and she feigned indifference as she took a dark gold card from her waist and handed it over. "Since you don't want to say, I won't ask. This is a general-purpose fund card for Sea God Island; the money inside is enough for you to buy anything."

The card was engraved with the pattern of the Sea God's Trident, with small sapphires inlaid along the edges—it was clearly worth a fortune.

Li Qing's eyes lit up. He hurriedly took it, clutched it tightly in his hand, and flashed a brilliant smile. "Thank you, Big Sister High Priestess! I'll be back soon!"

With that, as if afraid she might change her mind, he turned and ran out of the hall, his steps light and quick, disappearing at the end of the corridor in a flash.

Watching his bounding back, the smile on Bo Saixi's lips deepened. She whispered softly, "You won't say? If you don't say, do you really think I can't just follow you to see? Little one, I really want to see what you're planning to buy."

Before the words had even faded, her figure dissolved like ink in water, vanishing silently from the spot and leaving only a faint scent of seawater in the air.

Li Qing jogged all the way until he reached the market on Sea God Island.

While not as prosperous as the cities on the mainland, it was quite lively.

Stalls lined both sides of the street. Fishermen sold freshly caught seafood, while soul masters traded materials from various sea soul beasts—from hard conch shells to pearls shimmering with eerie light, the market was filled with the unique character of the ocean.

Li Qing wove through the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the stalls until he stopped in front of one selling dried goods.

The proprietor was a dark-skinned old man. The stall was covered in various dried fish and shellfish, but the most eye-catching items were several dark yellow, fist-sized gelatinous objects that emitted a very pungent, fishy odor.

Li Qing's gaze swept over the dried goods and finally locked onto those dark yellow, gelatinous lumps.

He took a deep breath, trying his best to make his expression look natural, and pointed to the largest one. "Grandpa, what is the age of the highest-quality whale glue you have here?"

The dark-skinned old man, who had been looking down to organize some dried kelp, looked up at the sound. Seeing it was just a young boy, he paused, then offered a kind but puzzled smile. "Child, what do you want with whale glue? This isn't something a kid should be touching."

In the shadows, Bo Saixi was concealing her aura with her immense cultivation. When she saw that Li Qing's target was actually whale glue, a look of utter astonishment crossed her beautiful face.

Before this, she had guessed all sorts of possibilities: perhaps rare sea soul beast materials, perhaps treasures to aid cultivation, or even that he was just a child wanting to buy some novel toy...

But she never expected that what Li Qing was so fixated on buying was this stuff, which was commonly sold on the market as... an aphrodisiac?

This was completely beyond her expectations.

Li Qing immediately put on an incredibly well-behaved smile, responding fluently: "Grandpa, it's for an elder in my family. I'm just running an errand for them."

His eyes were clear and his tone natural as he spoke, perfectly playing the part of a sensible child doing a favor for his family.

However, his true inner thoughts were transmitted to Bo Saixi's mind without reservation: What else could it be for? Obviously to temper my physique and toughen my bones! Otherwise, who would want to touch this foul-smelling stuff? If it weren't to improve my physical fitness as quickly as possible so I can absorb a soul ring beyond my level, I wouldn't touch this junk!