Whale Rubber, the Sword Martial Soul's Special Nature! Why Wield a Sword?

"Whew! That felt good!"

Lu Xuan let out a long breath of stale air.

The purple-gold light in his eyes gradually faded.

Although he had not slept a wink all night,

he did not feel the slightest bit tired.

Was this the benefit of such a massive increase in Spiritual Power?

This feeling of a clear mind and keen senses.

It was just... just... amazing!

"Come on, let's head down!"

Leng Yaozhu smiled faintly at Lu Xuan's radiant expression.

She stepped forward and gently gathered Lu Xuan into her arms.

Lu Xuan's arm sank into a mound of softness.

Leng Yaozhu floated lightly down from the cliff top, returning to the valley.

Once she landed,

Leng Yaozhu glanced around, her delicate brows drawing together.

"Who knows when that old green-haired geezer will be back? All he's doing is buying something, and he's taking forever!"

Leng Yaozhu could not help grumbling.

She looked just like a capitalist squeezing her employees dry.

Compared with her former subordinates, Dugu Bo's efficiency

could only be described as that of a turtle.

All one could say was that he truly lived up to his nickname of old green-haired geezer.

Lu Xuan did not simply sit around waiting.

He sat cross-legged on a flat slab of bluestone.

He opened the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

His gaze settled on the circulation pathways of the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

A bold idea formed in his mind.

What would happen if I combined the soul power circulation pathways Leng Yaozhu taught me with this Mysterious Heaven Skill?

Of course, he also understood.

Combining cultivation methods was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

The slightest mistake could damage his meridians and obstruct his soul power circulation, leaving him unable to cultivate.

Only when the sun was high in the sky

did a green figure hurry into the valley.

The old green-haired geezer was finally back!

"My lady, I've returned!"

Dugu Bo quickly approached Leng Yaozhu.

There was a peculiar look on his face that he could not quite conceal.

He took sealed jade boxes out of his Storage Soul Tool one after another.

He carefully arranged them on the ground.

In this day and age,

no one knew that whale rubber could greatly enhance a Soul Master's physical strength.

People regarded it only as an aphrodisiac for indulging in pleasure, used specifically for those "oohs and aahs."

Because whale rubber was produced in extremely small quantities, almost none circulated on the market.

It had become a rare tribute that the imperial family and nobles used for their pleasures.

Dugu Bo had originally assumed that Prince Xue Xing's estate would surely have some in stock.

Who knew that Prince Xue Xing had already squandered the entire newly acquired batch?

Left with no choice, he could only swallow his pride and go to the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce to buy some.

This act had directly led to an outrageous rumor spreading through Heaven Dou City's upper circles:

Poison Douluo Dugu Bo's old tree was blooming anew, and he was frantically buying up aphrodisiacs to restore his virility!

"The quality is quite good."

Leng Yaozhu opened the jade boxes, carefully inspected the batch of whale rubber, and nodded in satisfaction.

She selected the piece with the purest color and highest quality.

Her fingertip moved slightly.

A wisp of crimson Heavenly Phoenix Flame rose.

It instantly roasted the hard piece of whale rubber until it softened.

"Eat this." Leng Yaozhu handed the softened whale rubber to Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan took the dark yellow, gelatinous lump with its overpowering fishy sea smell, and his stomach immediately churned like an overturned sea.

Fighting back his nausea, he closed his eyes, abruptly stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed.

"Urgh—"

The moment it went down, Lu Xuan could not help dry-heaving.

The taste was simply too fishy, too overwhelming!

Leng Yaozhu chuckled at Lu Xuan's pained expression.

Then she turned toward the awkward-looking Dugu Bo beside her and pushed the remaining whale rubber over to him:

"You can take this for your granddaughter, too. Eating it nourishes the blood and vital energy and greatly enhances physical strength."

"If she eats more of it, it will be immensely helpful when she needs to surpass her limits and absorb older Soul Rings."

"Really?!"

Dugu Bo's eyes lit up at her words.

He had always thought whale rubber was only an aphrodisiac. Never had he imagined that it possessed such an incredible hidden effect!

Naturally, he had complete faith in Leng Yaozhu's words.

After all, Leng Yaozhu had already given it to Lu Xuan.

Surely she could not be trying to harm him?

Dugu Yan was currently staying at the place where he usually cultivated in seclusion.

Since he had already decided to have his granddaughter follow Lu Xuan, he naturally would not take Dugu Yan back to Heaven Dou City.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan soon felt his body changing after consuming the whale rubber.

An immense, warm energy dissolved in his abdomen, turning into warm currents that surged through his limbs and every part of his body.

He felt his muscles and bones greedily absorbing that energy.

His entire body felt warm, as though an inexhaustible, oxlike strength had suddenly welled up within him!

Next, it would be time to hunt for Lu Xuan's first soul ring.

Before that, however, they had to settle one question: which martial soul should receive a Soul Ring first?

Lu Xuan's two martial souls—the Three-Legged Golden Crow and the Asura Sword—were both supreme martial souls of the highest caliber, with neither clearly surpassing the other in quality.

In theory, attaching a Soul Ring to either one first would work.

"First of all, your second martial soul is a sword."

Leng Yaozhu's expression grew serious as she looked at Lu Xuan and spoke earnestly.

"As far as I know, a sword martial soul has never been a martial soul that grows stronger simply by adding Soul Rings."

"It needs sword techniques to complement it, and even more importantly, it needs its Soul Master to hone their understanding of the way of the sword."

Leng Yaozhu paused, a flicker of recollection passing through her eyes. "Innate soul power represents the upper limit of a Soul Master's talent."

"But for a Soul Master with a sword martial soul, talent has never been a shackle."

"Sword Soul Masters with unwavering hearts and clear sword hearts can often break the shackles of talent and unleash combat power far beyond common sense."

"Everyone who possesses a sword martial soul is an exceptionally special existence."

"The reason they can become mighty figures who stand above all others is that they have found their own 'reason to wield a sword,' as well as their own unique understanding of the 'way of the sword.'"

Leng Yaozhu imparted everything the future knew about sword martial souls, holding nothing back.

"Why wield a sword?"

Lu Xuan froze at her words.

He lowered his head and looked at his right hand.

That's right. Why do I want to take up this sword?

To show off?

To survive?

Or to ascend to the very summit?

He realized that he truly seemed to lack a conviction strong enough to sustain his sword.

In the beginning, he had only wanted to survive in this world.

Even being an ordinary person would have been fine.

Later, he had obtained his cheat.

Only then had ambition taken root.

"Sword techniques, the way of the sword—these are things I can't teach you. And from the looks of it, you haven't found your reason to wield a sword yet."

Leng Yaozhu offered her advice as she looked into Lu Xuan's bewildered eyes.

"So my suggestion is to attach a Soul Ring to your Golden Crow Martial Soul first."

"Once you truly understand why you wield a sword, it won't be too late to attach Soul Rings to the Asura Sword."

"All right!"

Lu Xuan sighed helplessly and nodded.

"Then I'll listen to you, Sis, and give the Golden Crow a Soul Ring first!"