Picking Up a Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber!

The next morning.

Wukong got up early, washed up, and left the inn.

His top priority today was to buy Whale Rubber.

Dragon Rising City lay on the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, very close to the sea.

Thus, seafood resources here were abundant, of better quality, and naturally more affordable.

Most importantly, during this era, Whale Rubber's true effects had yet to be discovered by the world.

People only knew that Whale Rubber had the effects of a little blue pill.

No one knew that refined Whale Rubber could greatly widen a Soul Master's meridians and strengthen the body.

Thereby increasing the age limit of Soul Rings one could bear.

This gave Wukong an opportunity to snap up a bargain.

Wukong walked down the bustling street, surveying the shops on either side.

Before long, he set his sights on a fairly large pharmacy.

The pharmacy had a spacious storefront, with the three words "Spring Renewal Hall" written on its signboard.

Wukong stepped inside, where the rich scent of medicinal herbs filled the air.

Several clerks were busy behind the counter, preparing and weighing medicinal ingredients.

Wukong walked straight up to the shopkeeper and tapped on the counter.

"Boss, do you sell Whale Rubber here?"

"Whale Rubber?"

The pharmacy owner was a portly middle-aged man with a mustache.

He sized Wukong up. Seeing a well-dressed child, he greeted him with a smile.

"Yes, yes, yes. What age of Whale Rubber would you like, young master?"

"Our shop has ample stock. We have both Century and Millennial Whale Rubber."

The owner did not make idle remarks just because Wukong was young. He simply assumed Wukong was buying it on behalf of an elder in his family.

After all, this stuff was rather private. People generally did not come to buy it themselves, instead asking someone else to purchase it for them.

"How much is the Whale Rubber in your shop?"

Wukong did not waste words and directly asked about the price.

The owner smoothly quoted the prices.

"Century Whale Rubber is cheap. A few Gold Soul Coins can buy you a piece."

"Millennial Whale Rubber is more expensive, around a hundred Gold Soul Coins."

"Five-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber is temporarily out of stock."

As for Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, the owner did not even mention it.

He had run his shop for decades. Forget selling it—he had never even seen one.

After all, how easy was it to kill a Ten-Thousand-Year Sea Soul Beast?

"Fine. Then bring me two better pieces of Millennial Whale Rubber."

"Certainly! These two are both millennial-grade, golden in color with few impurities. Since it's your first time here, I'll give you a discount. The original price is 180, but I'll charge you 170!"

"Thank you, Boss. By the way, do you have medicinal bath packs for tempering the body?"

As Wukong took out money to pay for the Whale Rubber, he asked about medicinal baths.

Medicinal baths existed in this era, but their effects only worked on younger, lower-level juniors. Once one's cultivation was high enough, they became little more than useless.

Even so, medicinal bath formulas on the market were still outrageously expensive.

"Young master wants a body-tempering medicinal bath?"

The owner looked Wukong over and said with a smile, "Our shop's formula has been passed down through generations. The medicine is mild and won't harm your foundation. But as for the price... ten Gold Soul Coins per dose, non-negotiable."

Wukong nodded. "Fine. Pack three doses for me. I'll try the effects first."

No matter the world, literary pursuits impoverished while martial pursuits enriched. This was even more true in a world of extraordinary power.

Even if ordinary families sold everything they owned, they still could not afford to support a Soul Master's cultivation.

"Certainly!"

The owner immediately instructed a clerk to gather the ingredients.

After paying another thirty Gold Soul Coins, Wukong stored away the packed medicinal bags and Whale Rubber, preparing to leave.

Just then, a group of people noisily entered the pharmacy from outside.

At their head was a burly man with a face full of beard and a heavy briny smell clinging to him.

Several subordinates followed behind him, carrying large wooden crates.

The bearded man began shouting as soon as he entered.

"Old Wang! Come inspect the goods! We got quite a few good things on this trip to sea!"

The pharmacy owner immediately came forward. "Old Li, you're finally back."

"Quick, take out the goods and let me have a look. Let's see what rare treasures you brought this time."

This group consisted of sea merchants who sailed year-round and were also regular customers of this pharmacy.

They usually came to sell specialties unique to the sea and earn the difference in price.

Seeing this, Wukong stopped rather than rushing off. He stood to one side and watched curiously.

He wanted to see what good things these sea merchants had brought. Perhaps he might even find medicinal ingredients he needed.

The clerks opened the wooden crates, which were filled with materials from various marine Soul Beasts and rare herbs.

There were sea serpent fangs that radiated cold air, as well as vividly colored coral bones.

The bearded man took a cloth bundle from his chest, placed it on the counter, and opened it.

"Old Wang, take a look at these pieces of Whale Rubber."

"They're all top-grade goods we just got our hands on. Still fresh."

Several pieces of Whale Rubber in different colors lay inside the bundle.

There was one golden, translucent piece of Millennial Whale Rubber, along with several slightly dull Century Whale Rubber pieces.

However, Wukong's gaze instantly locked onto one small piece in the bundle.

It was a completely black piece of Whale Rubber. Its surface was rough, and it looked utterly unremarkable.

The bearded man pointed at the black Whale Rubber, his tone carrying a hint of confusion.

"Old Wang, help me appraise this."

"See what quality this Whale Rubber is and whether it can still be used."

"I've sold sea goods for so many years, but this is the first time I've seen Whale Rubber this color."

The pharmacy owner picked up the pitch-black Whale Rubber and held it close for a careful look.

Meanwhile, Wukong, who had been watching from the side, instantly widened his eyes, his heart skipping a beat.

Could this be Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber?!

After all, this was exactly what Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber looked like in the original story.

It was only because Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber was so rare that most people assumed it was ordinary Whale Rubber that had severely weathered!

Wukong forcefully suppressed his excitement and kept his expression calm.

As long as the owner failed to recognize this Whale Rubber's true value,

he could naturally take it for himself.

Then, the pharmacy owner held the pitch-black Whale Rubber and examined it from every angle, his brows tightly furrowed.

"I've been in this business for decades, but I've truly never encountered Whale Rubber that looks like this. I haven't seen it in any books either."

He brought the Whale Rubber to his nose and sniffed it. A faint fishy scent mixed with an old, stale odor entered his nostrils.

Next, he used a small knife to lightly scrape off a little powder from the edge of the Whale Rubber and put it in his mouth to taste.

After savoring it carefully for a while, the owner shook his head and set the Whale Rubber back on the counter.

"This piece of Whale Rubber does still have medicinal effects."

"But I reckon it has weathered for too long, which is why its color turned into this ghastly state."

"A large part of its medicinal effects has probably already dissipated."

"We're old friends, so I won't make you come here for nothing. Let's sell it as Century Whale Rubber."

Disappointment flashed across the bearded man's face when he heard this.

In most people's understanding, high-quality Millennial Whale Rubber should be golden and transparent.

The brighter its color, the better its quality.

But because this piece of Whale Rubber had been exposed to the elements for a long time and weathered through the years,

its surface had turned an ugly black.

Not only did it look unremarkable, it even seemed somewhat unsightly.

Naturally, it was treated as an inferior product that had weathered and deteriorated.

The bearded man sighed and waved his hand.

"Fine. Century it is, then."

"Something is better than nothing. It's good enough if it can fetch a few Gold Soul Coins."