Medicinal Cuisine and Whale Rubber

By the sixth lap, Bai Kai had begun to slow down.

Tang Chen and the others kept running at their original pace, steady and unhurried.

By the ninth lap, Bai Kai could not run another step. He collapsed on the ground, utterly spent.

Tang Chen and the others were hardly comfortable either, but at least they were not as miserable as Bai Kai.

When the run was over, all seven looked as though they had just been hauled out of a river. They were soaked through.

Then the servants carried in seven large wooden tubs.

They filled the tubs with hot water and medicinal powder.

Tang Xing picked up the people sprawled on the ground and put them into the tubs one by one.

As they soaked in the Medicinal Baths, he began to explain.

"When you run, keep an even pace. Don't charge off too fast at the start, or you'll run out of steam later." Tang Xing glanced at Bai Kai as he spoke.

"Mistakes on your first run are forgivable. If there's a problem, we teachers will show you, and you can correct it. But once is a mistake, twice is a warning, and there won't be a third time. This is your first lesson. Make the same mistake again, and you can expect extra training."

With that, Tang Xing left. Only Zhou Yuan stayed to watch them.

Half an hour later, Tang Xing returned.

He brought a tableful of food with him.

"All right, enough soaking. Come out and eat," Tang Xing told the seven still sitting in their Medicinal Baths.

At the mention of food, they quickly climbed out of the tubs.

They sat down at the table at once, waiting for the meal to begin.

Seeing that they were still dripping wet, Tang Xing said, "Go change first. You can get your food when you come back."

At his words, the six apart from Tang Chen immediately went inside to change.

Tang Chen alone did not move.

He circulated his Soul Power and dried the water from his clothes.

Then he gave Tang Xing a puzzled look, as if to ask, Can't every Soul Master do this? Why make them change?

Embarrassed by Tang Chen's stare, Tang Xing scratched his head and coughed.

"Ahem. Well, since you've already 'changed,' you can have your food first."

Tang Xing took out a small bucket full of buns made from something Tang Chen could not identify.

"These buns are made with powder ground from dried meat of a ten-thousand-year Iron-Horned Bull, mixed with wheat flour and powdered herbs. They'll help you strengthen your bodies."

Then he began introducing the dishes.

"These dishes are made with hundred-year Golden Vegetable, hundred-year Chinese Cabbage, thousand-year Blood-Rampaging Boar..."

Seeing that Tang Xing was about to launch into a long explanation, Tang Chen cut him off.

"All right, all right, Second Uncle. You don't have to explain. I get it. Let's eat first."

Tang Chen promptly began eating at breakneck speed.

When the others returned in fresh clothes, they found that Tang Chen had already started.

A sudden sense of urgency seized them. They hurried to the table and joined the scramble for food.

To their surprise, while Tang Chen ate with astonishing speed, the others felt their Soul Power grow fuller after just a few bites. They could barely eat any more.

The look on their faces filled Yang Dongsheng with pride.

This method of preparing Medicinal Cuisine had been passed down through the Breaking Clan. A meal could advance both Soul Power and physical training. The drawback was its staggering cost.

Seeing them eat through more than a hundred Gold Soul Coins' worth of food in a single day made Yang Dongsheng's heart ache.

If spending this much still failed to produce strong fighters, heaven itself would not stand for it.

After the meal, they resumed training.

Each had a different training regimen.

Yang Dongsheng stepped forward to guide Yang Wu through the Soul Breaking Spear techniques.

Tang Xing pointed out flaws in Tang Chen's and Tang Xiao's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique while teaching it to Tai Kang as well.

Zhou Yuan helped Bai Kai and Cowboy train to dodge and withstand blows.

Ning Zi boosted Tang Chen's and Tang Xiao's strength to practice her Heart Separation Control.

Training continued until six that evening.

Only then could everyone go home and cultivate Soul Power.

More than half a year passed like this.

Tang Chen was now two months away from his seventh birthday, and his Soul Power had reached level twenty.

Yang Wu had been at level nine for some time and was on the verge of reaching level ten.

Tang Xing wanted to take Tang Chen to obtain his Second Soul Ring first.

Tang Chen refused. "Second Uncle, Yang Wu is almost there anyway. Let's wait until he breaks through, then we can get our Soul Rings together. That'll save you another trip."

Tang Xing considered it. Tang Chen's Soul Power would keep growing even if he continued cultivating after reaching level twenty, so he agreed.

But that was not the real reason Tang Chen had put off obtaining his Second Soul Ring.

He had suddenly remembered something from Douluo II that could strengthen the body and allow a person to absorb an older Soul Ring.

Whale Rubber!

Whale Rubber was good stuff.

In the world of Douluo I, no one had discovered its other uses.

Even so, its aphrodisiac effect alone had driven its price quite high.

Once word got out that Whale Rubber could strengthen the body, its price would soar straight into the clouds.

Tang Chen immediately headed for the Sect Master's Hall to find Tang Yue.

The moment he entered, Tang Chen said impatiently, "Father, I have something important to discuss with you."

He pulled Tang Yue into the back hall.

"Father, does the Clear Sky Sect have any Whale Rubber?"

At Tang Chen's question, Tang Yue gave him a strange look.

Wait. That can't be right. My son isn't even seven. Does he already need Whale Rubber?

Tang Yue immediately asked, "What do you want Whale Rubber for?"

One look at Tang Yue's expression told Tang Chen where his mind had gone.

"I don't want Whale Rubber for what you're thinking. I've found another use for it."

Tang Chen spilled everything he knew in one rush.

When he heard that Whale Rubber could strengthen the body and raise the age limit of the Soul Rings one could absorb, Tang Yue's eyes widened.

Watching his son speak with such confidence, Tang Yue could not help sighing.

"Reading more books really does pay off."

Tang Yue had not answered his question and had suddenly started reflecting on the virtues of reading.

Tang Chen's face darkened.

He prompted Tang Yue again, finally bringing him back to his senses.

Tang Yue then led Tang Chen to his private storeroom.

There was quite a lot of Whale Rubber inside.

Tang Chen could not help looking at his father.

As his son's gaze grew increasingly strange, Tang Yue hurriedly waved his hands. "What's that look for? I never use this stuff. Other people gave it to me, that's all."

Tang Chen could not be bothered to decide whether that explanation was true.

I'll take his word for it. Let the old man save some face, Tang Chen thought.

Tang Yue took out all the Whale Rubber in his private storeroom.