Big Cat, Aren't You Sleeping Yet?

"Lin Ye, y-you... why did you take something like this out?"

Seeing her reaction, Lin Ye did not understand it at first.

"Big Cat, what's wrong? Why is your face so red?"

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip, her voice extremely low yet every word clear.

"Didn't I just tell you? Whale Glue isn't... isn't something those nobles use at night to... do that?"

"What is 'that'?"

Lin Ye froze for a second.

Then he suddenly understood!

He remembered.

Among the nobles of Douluo Continent, Whale Glue did indeed have a widely circulated "special use."

It was said that Whale Glue could nourish men and enhance their virility, and many nobles often used it at night to...

Pah, pah, pah!

Well, damn.

No wonder this big cat's face had turned so red.

As a noble young lady from the Star Luo Empire, it made sense that, influenced by what she had seen and heard, she only knew of Whale Glue's "romantic uses" and not its true core value.

"Big Cat."

Lin Ye suddenly grinned mischievously.

"Mm?"

Zhu Zhuqing's voice was weak.

"What exactly is this 'that' you mentioned? I'm an idiot. I don't know what you mean."

"You!"

Zhu Zhuqing's face instantly reddened as if blood might drip from it.

"You obviously know, yet you're deliberately asking! Pervert!"

"I really don't know." Lin Ye spread his hands with an innocent look.

"Why don't you describe it in detail?"

"Lin Ye! Shut up!"

Zhu Zhuqing's voice was sharp and thin, completely lacking her usual cold and proud bearing.

The dignified second young lady of the Star Luo Empire's Zhu Household now looked like a cat whose tail had been set on fire—embarrassed, angry, and flustered.

Yet she did not know how to refute him.

After all, she had been the one to say those two words, "that," first.

If anyone was to blame, it could only be herself.

But this bastard clearly understood and still insisted on pretending he did not!

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you."

Lin Ye finally put away that punchable expression, coughed lightly, and became serious.

"Big Cat, listen carefully."

Lin Ye held the larger piece of Thousand-Year Whale Glue before her.

"Whale Glue does indeed have the kind of... use you mentioned among the nobles. But at most, that's just a crooked trick that adds icing to the cake."

"Its true core value is far more important than you imagine."

Zhu Zhuqing's embarrassment had not fully faded, but upon hearing that, curiosity still got the better of her.

"What value?"

"Improving Physical Constitution, of course."

Lin Ye's tone became serious.

"Whale Glue contains the uniquely pure life energy of deep-sea whale soul beasts. This energy can nourish the meridians, strengthen the muscles and bones, and temper the flesh."

"Century-Year Whale Glue can slightly raise the physical endurance limit of ordinary Soul Masters."

"And Thousand-Year Whale Glue..."

He lightly flicked the dark purple gel in his hand, his gaze profound.

"Thousand-Year Whale Glue can greatly strengthen one's Physical Constitution and directly raise the age limit of Soul Rings a Soul Master can absorb."

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted slightly.

Raise the age limit for absorbing Soul Rings?

She knew better than anyone what that meant.

Under normal circumstances, what level of Soul Ring a Soul Master could absorb depended entirely on their Physical Constitution and Soul Power level.

Absorbing a Soul Ring beyond one's level was already an endeavor with nine chances of death and only one of survival.

And if Whale Glue could directly improve the body's endurance...

Then it would effectively raise the success rate of absorbing Soul Rings beyond one's level!

"So you plan to use this Whale Glue to..."

"Mm."

Lin Ye put the three pieces of Whale Glue back into his jade pendant, a meaningful gleam flashing through his eyes.

"Once we reach the Heaven Dou Empire, these things will come in handy."

Zhu Zhuqing stared at his profile for several seconds.

The Heaven Dou Empire.

A great opportunity.

Whale Glue.

These scattered pieces of information slowly connected in her mind, and a vague outline began to emerge.

The "great opportunity" Lin Ye was seeking in the Heaven Dou Empire was probably no trivial matter.

And he had been preparing for it from the very beginning.

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting a small shadow over her cheeks.

"Lin Ye."

"Mm?"

"How much stuff is there in that head of yours?"

She asked it softly, but there was a sincere sense of amazement in her tone.

Lin Ye turned to look at her and met those clear cat-like eyes.

Moonlight slipped through the gap in the carriage curtain and fell over her faintly flushed cheeks.

Honestly, at this moment, Zhu Zhuqing was completely different from the cold and fierce Netherworld Spirit Cat she was in battle.

"Tch, not telling you."

Lin Ye looked away, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"..."

Seriously!

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath and silently repeated three times, Don't get angry, don't get angry, don't bother with this bastard.

But in the end, she still could not resist lightly kicking Lin Ye in the calf.

"Hiss—You violent cat!"

"Hmph, serves you right."

For some reason, the atmosphere in the carriage became lighter after that kick.

The carriage set off again with the repaired merchant convoy, slowly leaving the canyon beneath the moonlight.

Lin Ye leaned against a wooden crate, his mind working rapidly.

Level 28 Soul Power, two purple Soul Rings.

The effects of the Devour skill were even more heaven-defying than he had expected.

If this trend continued, then once he reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, coupled with Whale Glue's enhancement of his body...

Little Bastard, I'm reserving those Immortal Herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in advance.

Lin Ye silently said to himself.

Then he casually glanced at Zhu Zhuqing.

"Hey, Big Cat, what time is it? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Zhu Zhuqing was sitting cross-legged in the corner with her eyes gently closed, the Soul Power within her body slowly circulating through her meridians.

Without opening her eyes, Zhu Zhuqing said calmly, "After fighting those Wolf Raiders tonight, I feel like my Soul Power is about to break through. I'm only one breath away."

"I'm not sleeping tonight."

Lin Ye raised an eyebrow slightly after hearing that.

Level 27 breaking through to Level 28?

That was normal enough.

Zhu Zhuqing had already been just one step away. After the intense combat expenditure tonight, along with pushing herself to the limit during battle, the barrier in her Soul Power had loosened.

"Fine, then cultivate slowly."

Lin Ye turned over with his back facing her, his voice muffled.

"I'm going to sleep first. Call me if anything happens."

After saying that, he soon fell silent.

His breathing became even and deep.

Zhu Zhuqing slightly opened her eyes and looked at Lin Ye's back.

Moonlight streamed through the gap in the carriage curtain, outlining his broad shoulders and back.

His breathing was soft and steady.

Zhu Zhuqing was stunned for a moment.

This feeling was strange.

Someone she had known for less than five days could actually sleep without any guard up in front of her.

Even stranger, as she looked at his peaceful sleeping profile,

an indescribable feeling rose in her heart.

That feeling was unfamiliar.

It was like... peaceful, quiet years?

Pah, pah, pah!

Zhu Zhuqing, what are you thinking!

Peaceful, quiet years? With this bastard who never stopped spouting nonsense?

Zhu Zhuqing's face instantly flushed red. She abruptly pulled back her gaze.

Calm down!

Stay calm!

Focus on cultivating!

Don't think about it anymore!

She closed her eyes again, forcing herself to return her attention to the circulation of her Soul Power.

But that peaceful profile lingered in her mind, impossible to dispel.