"I... reached level twenty!"
"I broke through to level twenty after absorbing the Soul Bone, but I didn't feel any increase in Soul Power after refining the Immortal Herb, Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone."
At lunch, Shui Bing'er walked up to the others with small steps and explained her situation.
"After you reach a bottleneck, Soul Power continues accumulating inside your body. It can only be released after you absorb a Soul Ring, so your actual cultivation should be at level thirty!"
Gu Ping'an voiced his guess.
For Shui Bing'er, who had yet to become a Soul Grandmaster, a seventy-thousand-year Soul Bone could easily raise her level by four or five.
Refining the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone would add another seven or eight levels, enough to push Shui Bing'er to level thirty.
"But let's hold off on absorbing a Soul Ring for now."
Gu Ping'an turned to Dugu Bo.
"Senior Dugu, do you have any Whale Rubber?"
"What?"
Dugu Bo cried out in shock, and the bowl of rice in his hand cracked into several pieces.
"Gu brat, what are you planning to do?"
"You're still young, barely seven. It isn't suitable for you."
"Wait a little longer. Once you're older, I certainly won't stop you."
Dugu Bo rattled off a long string of remarks in one breath, leaving Gu Ping'an no chance to speak.
Beside them, Dugu Yan and Shui Bing'er blushed scarlet. One glance was enough to tell that they had misunderstood.
Only Xiao Wu looked bewildered, unsure what had happened.
"Senior Dugu, you've misunderstood.
I want to use Whale Rubber to improve Shui Bing'er's physique.
Taking appropriate amounts of Whale Rubber can improve a Soul Master's physique to some extent, helping them absorb Soul Rings beyond their usual age limit."
"Whale Rubber can improve a Soul Master's physique?" Dugu Bo eyed Gu Ping'an suspiciously.
"If it can improve a Soul Master's physique, why didn't you mention it before? And why don't you take it yourself?"
Gu Ping'an pressed a hand to his forehead and looked helplessly at Dugu Bo.
"Senior Dugu, you should know that those nobles don't dare eat too much Whale Rubber at once!
It's the same for Soul Masters. They can't withstand Whale Rubber that's too old, while younger Whale Rubber offers only limited improvement.
Unless they take it over a long period, it barely adds five hundred years to their limit.
Once a Soul Master grows stronger, Whale Rubber's effects become even more negligible."
"The reason I want Shui Bing'er to take Whale Rubber is that Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone isn't particularly effective at strengthening the physique.
Most of its medicinal power goes toward increasing Soul Power and improving innate talent.
That's why I want to make Shui Bing'er's physique as strong as possible."
"All right, I'll look around when I return to Heaven Dou City." Dugu Bo nodded, more or less accepting Gu Ping'an's explanation.
"Senior Dugu, try to choose Whale Rubber that's at least seven or eight thousand years old, but under twenty thousand," Gu Ping'an added.
Just then, Dugu Yan looked at everyone with an excited expression.
"Little brother Ping'an, Xiao Wu, Shui Bing'er, since we're buying Whale Rubber, why don't we all go to Heaven Dou City together?
We can unwind a little while we're there."
Dugu Yan's gaze lingered mainly on Gu Ping'an and Xiao Wu.
Those two had stayed at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well the longest. Surely they wanted to go out and have some fun.
As for Shui Bing'er, she had only just arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and might be more interested in staying there.
When she heard Dugu Yan suggest going out, Xiao Wu turned to Gu Ping'an with anticipation shining in her eyes.
It really had been ages since she had gone out and enjoyed herself properly.
"Then let's all head back to Heaven Dou City!" Gu Ping'an nodded.
It wasn't just Xiao Wu who wanted some fun. He did too.
The Asura God, the imagined enemy looming in his mind, was what kept him clearheaded and training without rest.
"This one's pretty. I'll take it!"
"This one looks nice too. I'm buying it!"
In Heaven Dou City, Xiao Wu ran ahead of everyone, buying everything that caught her interest.
With the Gold Soul Coins donated by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, she could shop to her heart's content.
Gu Ping'an found it all novel too, but his soul had lived two lives, making him far more composed than Xiao Wu.
She Long trailed far behind the group, trying not to disturb them.
Dugu Bo, meanwhile, had returned to Dugu Manor to handle a few minor matters for Prince Xue Xing.
"Yanyan?"
A young voice called out behind them.
"Yu Tianheng? What do you want?"
Dugu Yan turned and saw Yu Tianheng, a trace of annoyance at the interruption appearing on her face.
Gu Ping'an also turned to look at the newcomers.
There were six in total. Their leader had short black hair and wore a fitted blue outfit, his face stiff as a corpse's, somewhat like Yu Xiaogang's usual expression.
"Yanyan, who's he?"
Yu Tianheng's gaze swept over Xiao Wu and Shui Bing'er before settling on Gu Ping'an.
"Who are you? Don't you know Yanzi is my girlfriend?"
Girlfriend?
Gu Ping'an turned to Dugu Yan in astonishment.
Didn't she say Yu Tianheng stuck to her like a dog-skin plaster?
Hadn't she even returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to hide from him?
How had she suddenly become his girlfriend?
"Yu Tianheng! Looks like you haven't had enough of a beating!"
Dugu Yan's expression instantly darkened, and her Martial Soul began to faintly manifest around her.
A flicker of fear crossed Yu Tianheng's face before he forced a smile.
"Yanyan, I just missed you, that's all."
With that, Yu Tianheng immediately pointed at Gu Ping'an.
"Brat, is hiding behind a woman all you dare to do?"
Gu Ping'an's expression remained unchanged as he stared at Yu Tianheng.
He certainly hadn't imagined that flash of fear on the other boy's face.
Dugu Yan was far stronger than in the original story, and Yu Tianheng was no match for her. If his pestering annoyed her enough, she really would hit him. That explained his flash of fear.
But if he was afraid, why keep pestering her?
There could only be one explanation.
Yu Tianheng's true target wasn't Dugu Yan, but Dugu Bo.
Winning over Dugu Yan meant winning over Dugu Bo.
As Yu Yuanzhen's eldest grandson, if he had a Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo backing him, becoming the next sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect would be nailed in place.
In the original story, Dugu Bo had been tormented by poison, so he hadn't intervened. He had also wanted to find Dugu Yan someone to rely on after his death.
Later, once Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng became a couple, he couldn't be bothered to take a stick to the lovebirds and break them apart.
"You people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect really are overbearing!"
"She never agreed, yet you've decided all on your own that she's your girlfriend!"
Gu Ping'an frowned slightly, his eyes full of disgust as he looked at Yu Tianheng as though he were something filthy.
Strength-oriented Battle Soul Masters from sects like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and the Clear Sky Sect seemed to be exceptionally domineering.
The Strength Clan was no exception.
"Brat, what's that look supposed to mean?"
Seeing Gu Ping'an's expression, Yu Tianheng instantly flew into a rage.
No one had ever looked at him like that before.
"Second Soul Skill: Thunderous Might!"
"First Soul Skill: Thunder Dragon Claw!"
Did this guy have no regard for the ordinary people around them?
Gu Ping'an's brow furrowed deeply. Fortunately, the people nearby had already moved far away when they saw the confrontation beginning.
Arcs of electricity raced around Yu Tianheng as a dragon claw made of lightning formed in front of him.
"Blue Silver Grass!"
With a thought from Gu Ping'an, countless strands of Blue Silver Grass swept toward Yu Tianheng and the five people behind him, blanketing the sky and earth as they coiled around them.
The dragon claw formed from lightning was obliterated beneath the covering of Blue Silver Grass.
He was a Soul Ancestor, while their strongest member, Yu Tianheng, was only a Soul Grandmaster.
He didn't even need a Soul Skill. The Blue Silver Grass alone bound them tightly, leaving them unable to move.
"People like you are truly disgusting!"
Gu Ping'an lifted his fingers slightly, and the Blue Silver Grass hoisted the bound group high into the air.
He pressed his fingers downward.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Several heavy impacts rang out in succession.
Then his fingers rose again, fell again, rose again...
"Stop slamming him. He's still the grandson of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's sect master."
Dugu Yan held down Gu Ping'an's fingers as he was about to raise them again.
Gu Ping'an let the Blue Silver Grass disperse, revealing the group beneath it, covered in bruises with blood flowing from their mouths and noses.
Damn it! I'll find someone to kill him!
Lying on the ground, Yu Tianheng stared viciously at Gu Ping'an's departing back.
At the same time, at Dugu Manor.
"Senior Dugu, I heard that you seem to be gathering metal- and water-attribute resources for a junior.
As it happens, I have two resources with exceptionally strong metal and water attributes. Perhaps they could be of some small assistance.
Might I meet this junior of yours, Senior Dugu?"
Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, looked naturally at Dugu Bo, who sat before her.
Gu Ping'an had already revealed his appearance during his visits to the Breaking Clan and the Speed Clan.
Anyone who wanted to investigate could find out.
Having heard that Dugu Bo had returned to his manor today, she had hurried over.
Dugu Bo looked at Xue Qinghe below him, wanting to laugh but unable to do so.
Gu Ping'an was strolling through Heaven Dou City with his true appearance on display. A walk around the city might well lead to an encounter with him.
Yet the illustrious Xue Qinghe, Heaven Dou Crown Prince, had come here to look for him instead.
Before you continue