Taking the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue

"Your Highness, I've brought the treasure from the vault."

Dai Xuanyu was reading the imperial family's special edition encyclopedia of Soul Beasts in his study. At the sound of the voice, he set down his book.

The steward, Dai Xuan, stood before him, presenting a wooden box respectfully in both hands.

"The Star Luo Imperial Family's vault really does have everything." One glance at the dark yellow crystal inside the box left Dai Xuanyu very pleased.

Inside lay the renowned Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.

Dai Xuanyu had only mentioned it on a sudden whim.

He had given a rough description of its appearance, but he had not expected much.

In the era of Douluo I, people had yet to discover Whale Rubber's true effects. They treated the stuff as nothing more than a bedroom aid.

In Dai Xuanyu's view, even if people in that era had known its wonders, they would not have had the ability to obtain it.

Whale Rubber, as its name suggested, was a special substance produced in the brains of whale-type Soul Beasts.

It was an exceptionally potent tonic with some aphrodisiac properties.

More importantly, consuming it could strengthen a Soul Master's body, allowing them to choose an older Soul Ring when absorbing one.

It sounded wonderful. So why hadn't the major powers of Douluo II gathered it in bulk once they learned what it could do?

They simply could not.

The ocean was far more dangerous than the land.

Sea Soul Beasts outnumbered land Soul Beasts at least ten to one, and powerful ones were everywhere.

That alone was enough to give Soul Masters a terrible headache.

And that was before the myriad natural disasters at sea, the hazardous fighting conditions, the restrictions the environment placed on their strength, and the sheer power of whale-type Soul Beasts.

If even the Soul Masters of Douluo II could not conquer the ocean, the people of Douluo I stood even less chance.

In the Douluo I era, Whale Rubber came almost entirely from the luck of Sea Soul Masters.

Not the luck of hunting whale-type Soul Beasts, either, but the luck of finding their stranded carcasses.

Whale-type Soul Beasts were overlords of the ocean, after all, and most lived in the deep sea.

Given the strength of Sea Soul Masters back then, luck really was their only option.

Going into the deep sea to hunt them would have been asking for death.

It was not until the era of Douluo III that the people of Douluo Continent gradually gained the ability to conquer the ocean.

Dai Xuanyu knew all this, so he had never held out much hope of eating high-grade Whale Rubber.

Reality, however, had given him a surprise.

The Star Luo Imperial Family's vault truly held a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.

The imperial family did not even know what it was. They had taken it for an unusually shaped piece of Whale Rubber.

There was not much of it, but for Dai Xuanyu's current needs, it was more than enough.

"Your Highness, according to the inscription in the vault, this Whale Rubber was taken as spoils when the Star Luo Empire conquered a coastal tribe."

"The tribe worshipped this unusual piece of Whale Rubber as a sacred object, so it held symbolic value. That was why it was placed in the Star Luo Imperial Family's vault."

Dai Xuan's voice was quiet but clear as he explained its origins.

"All right, Dai Xuan. You may go." Dai Xuanyu took the box, then instructed him, "In three days, we leave for the Tiger Might Mountain Range to hunt Soul Rings."

As if something had occurred to him, he added, "Screen the factions that came forward to pledge allegiance carefully. Don't let them near the core of our operations or learn any more secrets."

"And within the imperial family, no one except those Father specifically kept behind and summoned at once that day may be involved in the core."

Dai Xuanyu had his reasons.

At present, only Dai Heng knew about his divine trial within the entire Star Luo Imperial Family.

The secrets of his Evil Eyes Saint King Martial Soul and Innate Level 20 Soul Power were known only to the imperial family members present that day.

Those members, together with the people who had sided with him earliest, could carry out his many secret tasks.

Their fates were bound completely to Dai Xuanyu's.

They would rise together and fall together.

That made them worthy of trust and important responsibilities.

As for the many factions that had chosen to pledge allegiance after the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony two days ago, when they realized he was receiving far more attention—

Dai Xuanyu believed they could be used, but only after careful screening.

And at this stage, he certainly would not let them in on the core secrets.

Secrecy was the key to getting things done.

The imperial family members his father had chosen that day, along with the people Dai Xuanyu had screened over the years, were more than enough to help carry out his plans and arrangements.

Bringing in more people would greatly increase the risk of a leak.

Before his wings were fully grown, Dai Xuanyu still had to tread carefully.

"As you command, Your Highness." Dai Xuan bowed and withdrew from the study.

Once he was gone, Dai Xuanyu eagerly set about consuming the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.

He had long since prepared everything he needed in the study.

It was his first time consuming Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, and Dai Xuanyu wanted to handle it himself, so he had not called for a maid to attend him.

Otherwise, he would not have had to lift a finger. He could simply have waited for it to be served.

Dai Xuanyu lit the oil lamp.

Its fuel was no ordinary oil. It was made from the fat of a Soul Beast called the Crimson Flame Deer.

Once lit, it burned fiercely. Melting Whale Rubber with it would be a breeze.

Even Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue was no exception.

There was no need to worry that it would not melt.

Next, Dai Xuanyu picked up the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue with a pair of specially made tongs, held it over the lamp, and waited patiently.

As time passed, the Whale Rubber, already faintly fragrant, began to release a strange aroma.

The scent was rich and lingered without dispersing.

Its pale yellow color turned a peculiar dark gold, and it began to soften into a gelatinous mass.

Let it cool, cut it into small pieces, then eat them slowly.

Recalling the method for consuming Whale Rubber, Dai Xuanyu got to work.

The moment the Whale Rubber entered his mouth, a strong fishy taste filled it.

But the taste soon became a warm current that flowed into his stomach.

After he swallowed it, a faint fragrance also lingered, rising through his nose.

The sensation was rather interesting.

Perhaps because Dai Xuanyu was in excellent condition, eating the Whale Rubber caused no adverse reaction or pain at all.

He ate it bite by bite, and the rich warmth began to flow through his limbs and every part of his body.

"This Whale Rubber packs a punch!"

After finishing the entire piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, Dai Xuanyu's face was slightly flushed, and sweat trickled down his skin.

Prepared for this, he immediately took a pearl radiating cold from his Storage Soul Tool.

He pressed it to his chest, and his expression visibly eased.

Then he sat cross-legged on a cushion nearby, steadied his mind, and began circulating his Soul Power to absorb the medicine's effects.

Dai Xuanyu was not at all worried about being disturbed.

His father had specially assigned ten imperial deathsworn guards to serve Dai Xuanyu alone.

All ten were the elite of the elite; even the weakest was a Soul Ancestor.

They could also fight together in a formation, displaying considerable power against opponents above their level.

Normally, they protected Dai Xuanyu from the shadows.

They would appear only when he signaled them.

"Phew!"

Dai Xuanyu opened his eyes. Having fully absorbed the medicinal power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, he felt better than ever.

The pearl's chill had kept his yang energy in check, so he had not suffered an excess or felt aroused.

Everything was perfectly normal.

In three days, I'll obtain both Soul Rings in one go.

Feeling how much stronger his body had become, Dai Xuanyu was brimming with confidence.

Forget a thousand-year second Soul Ring. He could go straight for a thousand-year first Soul Ring.