Whale Rubber

The previous night, Yang Xiong had stayed alone in his room, carefully studying the Hundred-Year Whale Rubber before him.

This piece of whale rubber was probably over 500 years old, making it one of the better Hundred-Year Whale Rubbers.

Yang Xiong had originally wanted to find Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, but according to the Original Work, Thousand-Year Whale Rubber could increase the Soul Ring absorption limit by 500 years. An ordinary Soul Master's First Soul Ring was only around 400 years old. If it truly worked, wouldn't that mean his physical constitution could improve by more than double? That simply defied common sense. His body probably wouldn't be able to withstand it.

In terms of physical constitution, Yang Xiong was probably the best in all of Class One, Grade One. Whether in strength, speed, or build, Yang Xiong surpassed everyone else, even those Soul Masters with Beast Martial Souls.

After all, those Soul Masters merely devoted themselves to meditation, while Yang Xiong spent a great deal of time training his body.

After struggling with the decision for a while, Yang Xiong ultimately decided to try consuming the whale rubber and see whether it truly was as effective as the rumors claimed. He had deliberately chosen a piece of Hundred-Year Whale Rubber because he was afraid of an accident.

Normally, whale rubber had to be melted with high heat before it could be used.

Yang Xiong could not be bothered with such details. He directly took a stove and a Copper Bowl from the kitchen, placing the entire piece of whale rubber into the bowl.

Since it was only ordinary Hundred-Year Whale Rubber, it did not seem as difficult to melt as the legends suggested, nor did it require a Fire Attribute Soul Master to handle it.

As the temperature rose, the entire Copper Bowl gradually began to glow faintly red. The whale rubber slowly melted in the heat of the bowl, releasing a strange scent throughout the room, one with a faintly intoxicating quality.

Enduring the high temperature and peculiar scent in the room, Yang Xiong used tongs to transfer the melted whale rubber from the Copper Bowl into an ordinary bowl, then swallowed it all in one gulp.

As the scalding whale rubber entered his mouth, it felt as though a piece of boiling iron had been shoved into his mouth and throat. The pain made Yang Xiong let out a miserable scream.

But as time passed, all the whale rubber gradually entered his stomach. The heat seemed to spread rapidly throughout his entire body, making him feel as though he were being roasted over a fire. Every inch of his skin and muscles was in extreme agony, a pain that seemed to reach deep into his bones.

Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong jumped straight into the Cold Water Bucket he had prepared beforehand. Hot and cold alternated throughout his body, making him feel as though he were about to split apart.

As time passed, the horrifying pain caused Yang Xiong to gradually lose consciousness in the Cold Water Bucket.

When Yang Xiong woke again, an entire night had passed. The once-clear water in the bucket had turned pitch-black, while his throat and mouth still seemed somewhat burned, leaving his voice hoarse.

After bathing again and cleaning himself up, Yang Xiong felt that his strength had increased considerably. Especially when he began his morning training, the barbell in his hands felt much lighter than before. By Yang Xiong's estimate, his physical constitution had improved by at least thirty percent, perhaps even more.

What troubled Yang Xiong next was whether he should reveal the matter of the whale rubber. With his father and mother's physical constitutions, using Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber to raise their Soul Power by one level should not be a problem. It might even improve their future development.

But as members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, there was one major drawback: the secret behind their increased strength would be difficult to conceal.

A great sect like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect provided comprehensive support to disciples and students selected for key training. In particular, there were dedicated personnel to assist with obtaining Soul Rings. His First Soul Ring would need to be at least 500 years old, while his Second Soul Ring would have to be close to 1,000 years old. How would he explain that to others?

There was another issue. As a sect disciple, he enjoyed the sect's resources and benefits, and in the future, he would have to risk his life for the sect. Unless there were special circumstances, anyone who betrayed their sect would be despised by the entire Soul Master world.

It was like the Four Single Attribute Families of the Clear Sky Sect's Outer Sect back then. If they had not been abandoned by the Clear Sky Sect, they probably would never have had the chance to leave it. A sect could not possibly spend enormous resources raising people for nothing, could it?

Yang Xiong had understood this deeply over the years. In particular, his parents seemed to have fundamentally accepted that they belonged to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Leaving or betraying it was simply impossible. The sect system had long since become deeply ingrained in this world.

Even Yang Xiong himself had unknowingly come to regard the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as his home.

After thinking for a long time, Yang Xiong finally muttered to himself, "Forget it. Whale rubber isn't some great secret anyway. Others will discover it sooner or later. Perhaps I can trade this secret to the sect for quite a few things."

With that thought, Yang Xiong quickly went to find his parents. As for his older brother, Yang Wei, he had not returned because he stayed at the academy year-round.

Yang Lin and Sun Yu were somewhat puzzled. "Little Xiong, why did you come to see us so early today? Don't you train by yourself every morning?"

Judging by their appearance, they had meditated all night and had only just rested for a while.

Yang Xiong said, "Dad, Mom, I've broken through to level ten."

Yang Lin nodded. "Not bad. Little Xiong, you've done very well. But why is your throat a little hoarse?"

Yang Xiong ignored his father's question. "Dad, I've read many books recently and discovered a huge secret. It might be very beneficial to our family."

Yang Lin looked doubtful. "What secret could you possibly discover in books? Little Xiong, you should put more thought into meditating."

Yang Xiong said, "Father, look at my Soul Power."

Yang Lin carefully examined Yang Xiong's body and, in particular, sensed his Soul Power. His Soul Power was extremely solid, completely unlike someone who had just broken through.

"Little Xiong, when exactly did you break through to level ten?"

Yang Xiong said, "Father, I only broke through the day before yesterday. But I consumed a piece of whale rubber, and I feel that my Soul Power has increased considerably. Even my physical constitution has improved a great deal."

Yang Lin seemed somewhat angry. "Nonsense! What is a child doing eating whale rubber? Do you even know what whale rubber is used for? You're only eight years old. How could you think about such things?"

Yang Xiong hurriedly said, "Father, I didn't eat whale rubber for that kind of thing. I discovered that if an entire piece of whale rubber is melted and swallowed all at once, it can not only improve physical constitution and Soul Power, but also expel impurities from the body. It may improve a person's physical potential and even allow them to absorb Soul Rings of higher ages."

Upon hearing this, Yang Lin and Sun Yu both grew serious. If whale rubber truly had such remarkable effects, it could not only improve their family's strength, but even make a great contribution to the sect. Under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's clear system of rewards and punishments, they would probably receive quite a few benefits from the sect.