Gu Yuena looked at the dark-yellow, gelatinous lump on the table, her violet eyes full of curiosity and confusion.
She reached out with her small, fair hand and gently prodded the resilient Whale Rubber, then looked up at Ling Xuqing and asked in a soft, sweet voice:
"Brother, um... how do you refine this?"
Xiao Wu and Ah Yin leaned closer, both pairs of eyes fixed on the Whale Rubber, their faces full of wonder.
"Yeah, Xuqing, isn't this stuff..."
Xiao Wu trailed off, her cheeks turning red again. She hurriedly corrected herself, "Isn't it that kind of thing? How can you use it to temper your body? I've never seen anyone use Whale Rubber for that before!"
Ah Yin smiled gently, too. "I've never heard of that, either. The Bloodline Power contained in this stuff is so violent. If an ordinary person swallowed it directly, they'd probably explode, wouldn't they?"
Looking at the three girls' curious expressions, Ling Xuqing couldn't help smiling.
He reached over and tousled Gu Yuena's soft silver hair, saying confidently, "Leave it to me. My body is far tougher than you can imagine."
Then Ling Xuqing looked at Gu Yuena, his gaze growing profound. "Na'er, can you control fire?"
At the words "control fire," Gu Yuena's small body stiffened.
Her violet eyes widened instantly, and her face filled with panic and bewilderment.
She instinctively took half a step back and stammered, "B-Brother... you... you know?"
Seeing Gu Yuena looking like a startled fawn, Xiao Wu and Ah Yin exchanged baffled glances.
"Control fire? Na'er can control fire? Isn't Na'er's Martial Soul a weapon-type Martial Soul? It's not fire-attribute, either, is it?"
Xiao Wu scratched her head, utterly confused.
Ah Yin furrowed her brows slightly, too, not understanding why Ling Xuqing had suddenly asked that.
Ling Xuqing looked at Gu Yuena, the corner of his mouth lifting in a gentle yet knowing smile.
He stepped forward and gently took Gu Yuena's cold hand in his, speaking softly:
"Na'er, we share the same origin. You were able to find me through our shared origin, so why couldn't I sense your existence through the Golden Dragon King's origin?"
Gu Yuena froze, complex emotions flickering in her violet eyes.
Ling Xuqing continued, his voice gentle yet carrying unquestionable authority. "Isn't that right, Dragon God's other avatar, the Silver Dragon King who wields the power of the seven elements—Gu Yuena!"
"Boom—"
His words exploded through the dormitory like a bolt of thunder!
"S-Silver Dragon King?! Gu Yuena?!"
Xiao Wu cried out in shock, clapping both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide as copper bells.
Ah Yin sucked in a sharp breath. Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.
They never would have imagined that this harmless-looking person, who had been begging on a street corner just a few days ago, was actually the overlord of the Soul Beast Clan, the legendary Silver Dragon King!
Looking into Ling Xuqing's deep, pool-like eyes, Gu Yuena knew she could no longer hide the truth.
She took a deep breath, and the panic in her gaze gradually gave way to resolve.
She clasped Ling Xuqing's hand in return and nodded gently.
"Mm... Brother, I'm sorry I lied to you." A trace of guilt edged Gu Yuena's voice.
"I approached you because the Golden Dragon King Bloodline inside you has a fatal allure for me. And... the Ascending Dragon Pillar in your sea of consciousness made me feel a closeness and warmth I'd never felt before."
She paused, a glimmer of moisture passing through her violet eyes.
"These past few days, nourished by your aura, I've felt my injuries recovering a lot. If I stay by your side, I'll be completely healed in at least a few years, and at most ten!"
As she spoke, Gu Yuena seemed to remember something. She turned toward the shadow in the corner of the dormitory and called softly, "Zi JI, come out."
"Yes, my lord."
A streak of purple light gathered in the dormitory in an instant.
Zi JI emerged from the shadows and respectfully knelt on one knee before Ling Xuqing.
"Your subordinate Zi JI pays her respects to the young master!" Her voice was clear and pleasant, full of reverence.
Gu Yuena looked at Ling Xuqing and explained, a little embarrassed, "Brother, that day on the street corner, Zi JI was the one who came up with the idea. She had me disguise myself as a little beggar and wait along the road you had to take back to the academy..."
Ling Xuqing shook his head helplessly.
He looked at Zi JI and said evenly, "Get up. Since Na'er doesn't mind, keep coming with us from now on and protect our safety."
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!" Zi JI was overjoyed and quickly stood up.
Seeing that Ling Xuqing wasn't angry, Gu Yuena finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
She cautiously raised her head, her violet eyes full of anxiety and hope, and asked softly:
"Brother... you won't blame Na'er, will you?"
Seeing Gu Yuena's pitiful expression, Ling Xuqing's heart softened.
He drew her into his arms and said gently, "You silly girl, how could I blame you? From now on, we're a real family."
Leaning against Ling Xuqing's warm chest, Gu Yuena's violet eyes filled with tears of joy.
"All right, back to business." Ling Xuqing released Gu Yuena and pushed the Whale Rubber on the table toward her. "Na'er, melt it with your Ultimate Fire."
"Mm!" Gu Yuena nodded obediently.
She raised her fair index finger, and a silver-white flame danced at its tip.
The flame looked weak, yet radiated a terrifying heat.
The silver-white flame gently licked at the Whale Rubber. In just a moment, the hard lump melted into a pool of dark-yellow liquid, giving off an intensely rich, blood-and-qi aroma.
"It's ready, Brother." Gu Yuena held the melted Whale Rubber to Ling Xuqing's lips.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ling Xuqing tilted his head back and swallowed the scalding Whale Rubber in one gulp!
"Gulp—"
The instant the Whale Rubber entered his stomach, Ling Xuqing's expression changed abruptly!
"Boom—"
A torrent of scorching energy, violent beyond measure, rampaged through his limbs and body like an erupting volcano!
Ling Xuqing's skin turned bright red in an instant. The veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat rolled down like raindrops.
He gritted his teeth and clutched the chair's armrests so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Xuqing!" Xiao Wu cried out, so anxious that tears were nearly falling from her eyes.
"Master!" Ah Yin was frantic, too. She wanted to help, but was afraid of disturbing Ling Xuqing's refinement.
Gu Yuena and Zi JI were even more nervous, holding their breath as they stared unblinkingly at Ling Xuqing.
Xiao Wu grabbed Gu Yuena by the arm, her cheeks flushed as she stammered, "Um... my lord... no, Na'er!"
"If something happens to Xuqing, then... then maybe we should help him, so he... so he suffers a little less!"
Gu Yuena froze for a moment, then understood what Xiao Wu meant. Her cheeks turned scarlet, too.
Ah Yin and Zi JI were also blushing, but their eyes were full of worry.
"Don't panic!" Ling Xuqing suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of dark-gold light gleaming in them.
He drew a deep breath. The Golden Dragon King's blood and qi within him surged, transforming into an invisible giant dragon that crushed and devoured the raging torrent of heat!
"Whew—"
A moment later, Ling Xuqing let out a long breath of stale air.
The red glow on his body gradually faded, replaced by a faint, dark-gold aura.
His aura surged sharply at that moment!
"Level twenty-nine!" Xiao Wu cried out in delight.
Ah Yin nodded, too. "Xuqing's body has improved as well. Not by much, but it's definitely become more compact and refined!"
For Ling Xuqing, who possessed the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, a hundred-year-old piece of Whale Rubber didn't offer much improvement. But little by little, the gains would add up, and its effect couldn't be ignored.
Looking at Ling Xuqing, whose aura had settled, Gu Yuena's violet eyes brimmed with admiration.
She turned to Zi JI, her expression suddenly serious:
"Zi JI, inform Di Tian. Get your hands on Whale Rubber at any cost!"
"Hundred-year, thousand-year, ten-thousand-year—even hundred-thousand-year Whale Rubber!"
"The more, the better!"
Zi JI's expression turned solemn. She answered respectfully:
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys, my lord!"
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