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

"Boss, you..."

Even as gratitude welled up inside 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 was truly willing to give her the Whale Rubber.

And he did not disappoint her. He merely grinned and waved a hand.

"So what?"

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

"I've seen how hard you train every day."

"I'm counting on you to keep at it, become incredibly strong someday, and carry me to the top."

Qian Renxue: ???

Carry you to the top?

She was deeply moved.

But why did that sound so strange?

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

Still, she gripped the half-piece of Whale Rubber tightly, then carefully put it in 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 made a silent vow.

When I ascend to godhood, 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 what he had done today had left a warmth no one else could match in Qian Renxue's small heart—a heart that had lived through two lifetimes and grown cold with hatred.

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

He, too, had never expected Qian Renchuan to give them such precious, top-grade Whale Rubber.

But Huo Yuhao was a man.

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

He had suffered his 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 sentimental as Qian Renxue, nor so easily overwhelmed.

Even so, he looked down at the Whale Rubber in his hand and nodded deeply.

"Thanks, Boss."

For the former God of Emotions, those words were as much as Huo Yuhao could bring himself to say.

Seeing their reactions, Qian Renchuan laughed and waved a hand.

"Come on, we're family. No need to be so formal."

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

"As class monitor, I'm excusing you both from today's lessons."

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

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

Neither Qian Renxue nor Huo Yuhao knew what he was really thinking.

They only thought their boss wanted them to grow stronger as quickly as possible, even if it meant letting them skip class.

After giving Qian Renchuan another solemn nod,

the two turned and hurried straight toward their dorms.

Watching them rush off, Qian Renchuan smiled with satisfaction.

Go on, get training.

The harder you work, the more invincible I become.

That afternoon,

in the classroom,

Instructor Zhao was at the lectern, lecturing at length on the distribution of soul beasts.

The students below, especially the boys in the Second-Year Class, sat ramrod straight, 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 suddenly sounded in Qian Renchuan's mind.

[Ding—]

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

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

[Ding—]

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

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

The string of notifications jolted Qian Renchuan fully awake.

Still sprawled over his desk, he did not even need to open his eyes. He brought up the system panel in his mind.

The values on it were climbing like mad.

Qian Renchuan was overjoyed.

This feels amazing!

Seriously amazing!

Before, when his second and third siblings trained their hearts out, the system's returns had only crept upward by +1 at a time.

Now they had the help of top-grade Whale Rubber.

Their bodies were undergoing a complete transformation, and the system's rewards were jumping by +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 with her eyes closed, her hands forming a strange cultivation seal.

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

It had become surges of immense, pure heat that raced 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 this much!

She craved power.

She wanted desperately to grow stronger.

The agony of her previous life tormented her every waking moment.

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

But first, she needed absolute strength beyond anything she had possessed in her previous life!

With this top-grade Whale Rubber as my foundation, my body must already be stronger than an ordinary Soul Grandmaster's at their limit.

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 reach them easily!

At the thought, Qian Renxue felt even more grateful to her big brother, Qian Renchuan.

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

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

He may have been lazy and unambitious 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 up with me!

Time passed slowly.

At last,

Qian Renxue's eyes flew open.

The moment she jumped off the bed, she felt light on her feet and full of strength.

Then

she turned toward a solid wooden table nearby.

After taking a deep breath, she used no Soul Power at all. Relying solely on her body's strength,

she threw a punch!