Congratulations, Host: Physical Body Enhancement +10, +10, +10...

"Boss, you..."

Even as emotion swept over her, Qian Renxue could not keep the tremor from her voice.

"Didn't you hear what Third Brother said? This treasure can strengthen the body."

"It would help you too."

She wanted to see whether Qian Renchuan would truly give her the Whale Rubber.

And Qian Renchuan did not disappoint her. He merely grinned and waved a hand as if it were nothing.

"So what?"

"You're my little sister, aren't you?"

"I see how hard you train every day."

"I'm counting on you to keep at it, get ridiculously strong someday, and carry your big brother to the top."

Qian Renxue: ???

Carry you to the top?

She was deeply moved.

But why did Qian Renchuan's words sound so strange?

So you're giving me this treasure so I'll get stronger, keep protecting you, and let you be a good-for-nothing without a care in the world?

Still, none of that changed her decision.

She gripped the half piece of Whale Rubber tightly, then carefully put it into her Storage Soul Tool.

Only then did she straighten up and thank Qian Renchuan with utter sincerity.

"I understand, Big Brother."

"Thank you."

It was the first time since her rebirth that she had called Qian Renchuan "Big Brother."

It was also the first time she had truly accepted him as family in her heart.

At that moment,

Qian Renxue silently swore to herself.

When I become a god and ascend, I'll take Big Brother to the Divine Realm with me!

As long as he never betrays me, he'll always be my big brother.

If anyone touches a hair on his head, I'll tear them to pieces!

Even Qian Renchuan had no idea that this one act had left a warmth no one else could match in Qian Renxue's small heart—a heart hardened by two lifetimes and filled with hatred.

Beside them, Huo Yuhao stared at Qian Renchuan in surprise.

He had not expected Qian Renchuan to part with such precious, top-grade Whale Rubber and give it to them yet again.

But Huo Yuhao was a man.

He had endured even more than Qian Renxue in his previous life.

A lover's betrayal, Tang San's schemes, and far too many painful memories.

Huo Yuhao's heart had long since hardened like iron.

He was not as easily moved as Qian Renxue.

Yet as he looked at the Whale Rubber in his hand, he nodded deeply.

"Thanks, Boss."

For the former God of Emotion, saying even that much was as far as he could go right now.

Seeing their expressions, Qian Renchuan laughed and waved it off.

"All right, all right. We're family. No need to be so polite."

"Now hurry back to your dorms and refine the Whale Rubber."

"As class monitor, I say you can skip today's lessons."

Qian Renchuan was the monitor of the Second-Year Class, after all. He had at least that much authority.

And now that he had given them the Whale Rubber, he could hardly wait to see what tenfold returns the system would give him once they refined it.

Qian Renxue and Huo Yuhao had no idea what he was really thinking.

They only thought their boss wanted them to grow stronger as soon as possible, so much so that he had even let them skip class.

After giving Qian Renchuan another solemn nod,

the two turned and hurried straight to their dorms.

Qian Renchuan watched their eager retreating figures with a satisfied smile.

Go on, go on. Train like your lives depend on it.

The harder you work, the more unstoppable I become.

That afternoon,

in the classroom,

Instructor Zhao was at the lectern, holding forth on the theory of Soul Beast distribution.

The students below—especially the boys in the Second-Year Class—sat bolt upright, barely daring to breathe.

Their class monitor, Qian Renchuan, was asleep.

Anyone who made enough noise to wake him would probably get another brutal beating.

Sure enough,

before the afternoon lesson had ended, a crisp system notification sounded in Qian Renchuan's mind.

[Ding—]

[Bonded individual "Huo Yuhao" is refining top-grade Whale Rubber and strengthening his body. Tenfold returns triggered!]

[Congratulations, Host. Physical Body Enhancement +10, +10, +10...]

[Ding—]

[Bonded individual "Qian Renxue" is refining top-grade Whale Rubber and strengthening her body. Tenfold returns triggered!]

[Congratulations, Host. Physical Body Enhancement +10, +10, +10...]

The string of notifications snapped Qian Renchuan awake.

Still sprawled across his desk, he brought up the system panel in his mind without even opening his eyes.

The numbers on it were climbing wildly.

Qian Renchuan was overjoyed.

Yes!

This feels incredible!

Before, when Second Brother and Third Brother had struggled through their own training, the system's returns had only gone up by +1 at a time.

But now they had top-grade Whale Rubber.

Their bodies were undergoing a complete transformation, and the system's rewards had jumped straight to +10 at a time!

And the notifications kept coming, one after another.

At the same time,

over in the girls' dormitory,

Qian Renxue sat cross-legged on her bed, eyes closed, her hands forming an unusual cultivation seal.

She had already swallowed her half of the top-grade Whale Rubber.

It had turned into surges of immense, pure heat that coursed through every part of her body.

Feeling the Whale Rubber nourish and strengthen her body, Qian Renxue was beside herself with joy.

It really works!

Third Brother wasn't lying. This Whale Rubber can strengthen my body by this much!

She craved power.

She desperately wanted to grow stronger.

The bitter memories of her previous life tormented her every waking moment.

She had sworn that in this life, she would crush Tang San beneath her feet and grind to dust everyone who had ever harmed Spirit Hall.

But first, she needed power far beyond anything she had possessed in her previous life!

With this top-grade Whale Rubber as my foundation, my body has definitely surpassed the limits of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster.

A seven-hundred-year First Soul Ring and a thousand-year Second Soul Ring—those were once just wild goals I set for myself. Now I can achieve them easily!

At the thought, her gratitude toward her big brother, Qian Renchuan, deepened further.

Big Brother doesn't have a Soul Ring yet either. He needs to strengthen his body too.

Yet he gave me something this precious without a moment's hesitation.

He may have been lazy and lacked ambition before, but he does care about me, his little sister.

Don't worry, Big Brother. I won't waste this opportunity you've given me. When I become a god, I'll bring you along to glory!

Time passed little by little.

At last,

Qian Renxue's eyes snapped open.

The instant she leaped off the bed, her body felt astonishingly light and brimming with strength.

Then

she looked at the solid wooden table nearby.

She took a deep breath and, without using any Soul Power, drew on nothing but the raw strength of her body.

She threw a punch!