What a naive and sweet woman, no wonder she was tricked by that brute Tang Chen.

He paused to observe Bo Saixi's expression. Seeing that she seemed to be listening intently, he continued, his tone gradually becoming more fluid: "The strength of a soul master's physique is directly related to the upper limit of the soul rings they can absorb. If the body is strong enough, it is possible to absorb a soul ring of a higher age than one's current rank, thereby obtaining more powerful soul skills and increasing soul power. I think... this might be helpful for my upcoming soul ring acquisition."

A look of perfectly measured surprise appeared on Bo Saixi's face, as if she had just heard some novel theory. She pressed, "Strengthening the physique? Absorbing soul rings beyond one's rank? Where... where did you learn these things?"

This question was within Li Qing's expectations.

He had long since prepared an answer and replied immediately, "I saw it in a very old travelogue a while ago. The book was tattered and I have no idea who wrote it, but it recorded many strange and curious things, including this special use for Whale Glue."

He tried his best to make his tone sound casual and credible, avoiding any deeper suspicion from Bo Saixi.

After listening, Bo Saixi nodded gently, a look of "so that's how it is" appearing on her beautiful face, indicating she understood.

Then, she looked at Li Qing and asked in a calm tone, "So, what do you need me to do?"

"Ah?" Li Qing was completely stunned. His eyes widened slightly, unable to believe his ears.

He had originally assumed Bo Saixi would at least ask a few more questions, such as the specific title of the book?

Where did he see it?

Was it reliable?

She might even have questioned the authenticity of the method.

He had already prepared several sets of rhetoric to deal with various interrogations, but he never expected that Bo Saixi would so easily... believe him? It went so smoothly that it made him feel somewhat uneasy.

He couldn't help but ask tentatively, "Big Sister High Priest... are you... are you not going to ask me anything else? Like where I saw that book? Or if there are any risks to this method?"

[This makes no sense!]

Li Qing ranted wildly in his heart: [Bo Saixi actually believed that? This is too reckless! She is the High Priest of Sea God Island, a ninety-nine-level peerless Douluo! Is her vigilance really this low? I racked my brain on the way here thinking of so many reasons and explanations, and not a single one was used? Damn it! No wonder she was tricked by that brute Tang Chen who only knew how to swing a big hammer in the original story. She really is a naive, gullible girl who hasn't seen much of the world!]

Bo Saixi took in the look of astonishment, confusion, and even a trace of "disappointment in one's lack of progress" on Li Qing's face, while his intense and highly disrespectful internal ranting reached her ears word for word.

She felt both angry and amused. Suppressing the urge to let her mouth twitch, she maintained a calm smile on her beautiful face and said, "Didn't you already explain it quite clearly just now? Since you saw it in an ancient text, there must be some truth to it. I trust you wouldn't joke about your own cultivation. Why would I need to ask more?"

Yet, she was secretly retorting in her heart: [Pah! You're the naive one! This Priest is wise and discerning! And what do you mean by being tricked by that brute Tang Chen! That's called... that's called...]

Bo Saixi was momentarily at a loss for words, a complex ripple rising in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it. Now was not the time to think about that.

Li Qing looked at Bo Saixi's seemingly sincere eyes, opened his mouth, and eventually let it all dissolve into a single, "Oh..."

[Fine, you're pretty, so whatever you say is right. The result is good, anyway.]

He stopped dwelling on it, handed the Whale Glue in his hand to Bo Saixi, and said, "It's actually quite simple. I just need you, Big Sister High Priest, to use your pure and gentle soul power to help me refine this piece of Whale Glue, removing the impurities and keeping only the purest energy essence. With your cultivation, controlling your soul power to do this shouldn't be difficult."

Bo Saixi took the hard piece of Whale Glue, feeling its weight in her hand. She asked with curiosity, "Is it really that simple? Also, can this method... be used by others? Are there any restrictions or things to watch out for?"

As the High Priest, she instinctively considered whether this method had universal applicability and if it could benefit other soul masters on Sea God Island.

Li Qing nodded and answered affirmatively, "In principle, yes. Refining and removing impurities is the key. Theoretically, others can also use this method to strengthen their physique. However, as I just said, the refining process requires extremely high temperatures or extremely pure and powerful soul power to achieve. It is best to find a fire-attribute soul master or a powerful expert with deep cultivation like you, Big Sister High Priest, to help refine it. If the refining is not thorough and impurities remain, not only will the effect be greatly reduced, but there might be side effects, such as... um... you know, its original effects might become more... pronounced."

At this point, Li Qing rubbed his nose in embarrassment.

Bo Saixi nodded in understanding and said no more.

She extended her slender, delicate hand, palm upward, and cradled the piece of Whale Glue.

The next moment, a gentle yet vast pale-gold soul power surged from her palm, wrapping around the Whale Glue like a warm flame.

That pure Sea God divine power contained immense energy and extreme control. Under Li Qing's surprised gaze, the hard Whale Glue began to soften at a visible rate, becoming transparent like a piece of yellow crystal.

Threads of black impurities were precisely stripped away by the powerful soul power, turning into wisps of blue smoke that dissipated into the air.

The originally pungent, fishy odor was gradually replaced by a strange, fresh fragrance carrying the scent of the ocean.

The entire process took only a moment. The Whale Glue in Bo Saixi's palm had completely changed its appearance, turning into a fist-sized, crystal-clear gelatinous liquid like flowing amber. Inside, golden light spots seemed to be slowly circulating, emitting an alluring energy fluctuation.

"It is done." Bo Saixi withdrew her soul power and handed the pure Whale Glue energy essence back to Li Qing.

Her movements were effortless, as if she had only done a trivial task, but the precision of the soul power control she displayed made Li Qing gasp in secret.

Li Qing hurriedly used his own soul power to carefully wrap the precious energy essence, feeling the warmth and vast life force emanating from it, his heart surging with excitement.

He thanked Bo Saixi sincerely, "Thank you, Big Sister High Priest! I am truly grateful to you!"

With the help of the Whale Glue, he could now challenge the thousand-year level for a soul ring that he originally could only have absorbed at the few-hundred-year level.