Suotuo City

Lu Shi heard Zhao Qinghe's voice, but he had no way to stop.

If he did not leave now, he would be exposed.

His entire left arm was numb, and the soul skill had drained more than half his Soul Power.

After cultivating for so long, he had finally gotten a chance to show off in front of others. He absolutely could not fail.

Normally, the Soul Power consumed when releasing a soul skill was fixed. The older the Soul Ring, the more Soul Power it consumed, but the greater its power would be.

He could also inject double the Soul Power while releasing a soul skill to increase its power.

Lu Shi had tried it before. Releasing Explosive Flame Slash with two hundred percent Soul Power could increase its power by around half, to one hundred and fifty percent.

If he used triple the Soul Power, its power would rise by another half.

To roughly one hundred and seventy-five percent.

Just now, he had used up half his Soul Power to release Explosive Flame Slash and had nearly failed to overpower it. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and summoned the Poké Ball to capture the Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger.

It was Zhu Zhuqing's first time seeing Lu Shi capture a Soul Beast. Did he not need to fight it?

Did he not need to kill the Soul Beast?

Did he not need to absorb its Soul Ring?

It completely surpassed her understanding, but Zhu Zhuqing was not overly shocked. Her understanding of the world had already been thoroughly shattered when she met Lu Shi.

Now, she was more worried about Lu Shi. "Are you okay?"

She reached out to support Lu Shi. Her soft little hand lightly touched his somewhat charred arm, while tears shimmered in her beautiful eyes. "Can you still walk? If not, I'll carry you to find a healing-type Soul Master."

The Star Dou Forest was extremely dangerous. Soul Beasts ate people, Soul Beasts ate Soul Beasts, people ate Soul Beasts, and people ate people.

Not every Soul Master was willing to enter it. Some healing-type Soul Masters preferred to open medical clinics around the outskirts. Business was plentiful, and it was safe.

Seeing how worried she was, Lu Shi's lips curved upward.

Being cared for felt really nice.

For some reason, the instant he captured the Thunder-Patterned Sacred Tiger, he and Zhu Zhuqing seemed to have formed some kind of... connection.

It was a feeling... impossible to describe with words.

Could it be because I absorbed the White Tiger, causing a Martial Soul resonance?

No way, right?

He was somewhat surprised, but also delighted.

Well, he could try it when he had time later.

Zhu Zhuqing was too worried, with all her attention fixed on Lu Shi's arm. She did not notice that her pink cherry lips were gently blowing on it.

"Phew... phew..."

She was trying to ease Lu Shi's discomfort.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine after resting for a while."

He smiled.

He was not putting on a brave front. In the Lava Small World, the Flame Spirit Eagle had already begun absorbing lava to restore his injuries and Soul Power.

With an oversized power bank around, there was no need to worry unless he lost his arms and legs and became a human stick.

After four years of effort, Lu Shi had long filled the Lava Small World with flowing lava. The volcano at its center seemed to truly be an active volcano, occasionally erupting small streams of lava. The ejected lava gathered along the ravines, forming rivers that flowed toward the edges of the Small World.

The instant they touched the boundary, they returned to the volcano and began a new cycle.

Endless and unceasing.

Lu Shi used his right hand to rub Zhu Zhuqing's hair. She clearly had not taken proper care of it for half a year, yet it was still so clean, silky, and smooth.

Soul Power truly was a wonderful thing. It promoted growth, kept the body clean, replaced sleep—it could do anything.

"Let's rest for a while, then leave for Suotuo City."

"Mm!"

They could not forget the important matter. He had to get the Eight Spider Lances.

He had tried searching directly for a Man-Faced Demon Spider, but it was called the Star Dou "Great" Forest for a reason. With only a little over a month, how could he possibly find one?

Suotuo City was one of the two major cities of the Balak Kingdom.

A month ago, Lu Shi had traveled from Notting City to the Star Dou Forest. Although Suotuo City lay between them, coming here would have wasted extra time, so he had not stopped by.

Now that he saw it, it truly was prosperous, far beyond what Notting City could compare to.

All kinds of shops stood side by side. Pedestrians and merchants filled the streets, while the aroma of food from restaurants, the clanging of blacksmith shops, and children's shouts created a lively atmosphere.

There were more people than in Notting City, yet the streets were cleaner.

Zhu Zhuqing linked her arm with his as they strolled through the streets. As a member of the Zhu Family, she had grown up in Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire, and had seen even more prosperous cities. Yet now, her curious gaze swept over every stall and storefront.

It was not that the sights were particularly captivating. Rather, being beside the person she loved made everything interesting.

The people around them were also drawn to the pair, revealing envious and reverent looks. No matter where they were, a handsome man and beautiful woman together would always become the center of attention.

Moreover, Soul Power had beautifying effects. People with good figures and attractive appearances had a high chance of being Soul Masters.

Of course, someone short, ugly, dark, fat, and resembling the Black Bear Spirit could also be a Soul Master.

It was not absolute.

"Lu Shi, look! Candied hawthorns!"

Like an innocent little girl, Zhu Zhuqing bought two skewers and stuffed one into Lu Shi's mouth.

The rock sugar melted across his taste buds. It was sweet and refreshing.

"Lu Shi, look! Windmills!"

Things he had seen countless times before had now become interesting.

As they walked, Lu Shi suddenly caught sight of a hidden shop from the corner of his eye. It stood in the least crowded corner, and its decor was understated. Looking closer, it was a pharmacy.

He lightly flicked Zhu Zhuqing's forehead. "Go look around by yourself first. There'll be a surprise tonight."

With that, he pulled his arm free from the pressure of her ample softness and walked over.

Zhu Zhuqing did not understand. She let out a cutesy hum in protest at him flicking her forehead, then obediently went to browse on her own. Still, she definitely would not go far.

She looked forward to the surprise that night.

Lu Shi knew very clearly what that pharmacy sold.

For a person to want to engage in intimate relations was perfectly normal.

Wanting them frequently, or having one's stamina and energy decline with age, was also perfectly normal.

Not wanting others to know that he could not perform was equally normal.

If his body could not perform, he did not want others to know, and he still wanted intimate relations—naturally, that was normal too.

Among the customers of the shop before him, such people made up the majority.

What it sold was—

Aphrodisiacs.

Yin-Yang Bliss Powder, Warm Passion Powder, deer antler and tiger blood, virility grass... and Whale Rubber.

"Shopkeeper, how much Ten-Year, Hundred-Year, and Thousand-Year Whale Rubber do you have left?"

Lu Shi asked directly. Back in Notting City, he had visited every shop of this sort, big and small, to buy Whale Rubber.

He had long since lost any sense of embarrassment.

The shopkeeper was nearly fifty, with graying whiskers. Seeing Lu Shi's extraordinary bearing and hearing that he wanted Whale Rubber, he immediately guessed his identity and respectfully said, "Lord Soul Master, we currently have ten pieces of Ten-Year Whale Rubber and five pieces of Hundred-Year Whale Rubber. Thousand-Year Whale Rubber is relatively precious, so we do not have any at the moment. However, we can transfer it from another warehouse within three days at most."

Why did someone so young need Whale Rubber?

"Take them all out and let me see." Lu Shi took out a bag of Gold Soul Coins from his Soul Tool and placed it on the counter, making it clear that he was not here to waste time.

The mouth of the money bag was open, revealing glittering gold coins.

A big customer!

The shopkeeper's eyes nearly went straight. If he served this customer well, he would never have to worry about business again!

He immediately brought out all the Whale Rubber and explained respectfully, "Ten-Year Whale Rubber costs between one and ten Gold Soul Coins depending on its age. Hundred-Year Whale Rubber costs between twenty and fifty Gold Soul Coins. As for Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, even the cheapest costs at least one hundred Gold Soul Coins."

The effects of Whale Rubber depended on its age. Ninety-year Whale Rubber was better than ten-year Whale Rubber, and four-hundred-year Whale Rubber was better than one-hundred-year Whale Rubber.

In terms of effectiveness, Thousand-Year Whale Rubber was vastly superior to Hundred-Year Whale Rubber, so its price also jumped sharply.

Generally, only Soul Masters above level twenty consumed it. Otherwise, their bodies could not withstand it.

Lu Shi nodded. The prices were a little higher than in Notting City.

Whale Rubber had only one use at present, and he could still afford the price.

"How many Gold Soul Coins would it cost if I bought everything?"

The shopkeeper thought he was joking. After all, one piece of Whale Rubber could be used many times, so there was no need to buy a large amount. Jokingly, he replied, "If you buy it all, I can give you half off. One hundred and thirty-five Gold Soul Coins will do."

Lu Shi was decisive. He took out another money bag. "There are one hundred Gold Soul Coins inside. That makes one hundred and fifty Gold Soul Coins total. I'll take the extra fifteen. You can count them on the spot."

"..."

The shopkeeper was instantly dumbfounded. He had not expected someone to truly spend over a hundred Gold Soul Coins on Whale Rubber.

What was he buying so much for?!

Who knew how many years it would last!

Not to mention anyone buying it all at once, he usually sold each piece of Whale Rubber in portions.

"Uh... uh..."

The shopkeeper's back was drenched in sweat as he stammered, "Th-this... Lord Soul Master... I just..."

"I..."

He shrank back timidly, afraid of angering Lord Soul Master.

Lu Shi did not say much. He took out the remaining one hundred and eighty-five Gold Soul Coins and said calmly, "I know you can't possibly offer half off. Here are one hundred and eighty-five Gold Soul Coins. The extra fifty are a deposit for Thousand-Year Whale Rubber."

He needed a large amount of Whale Rubber and had no interest in arguing with a shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper immediately sighed in relief and felt his body relax. Patting his chest, he said, "Don't worry, Lord Soul Master. I guarantee it will be delivered within three days."

Lu Shi collected all the Whale Rubber and turned to leave.