Level 10 Soul Power, Refining Whale Rubber

Lin Chen walked out of Yu Xiaogang's dormitory with steady steps, without the slightest regret in his heart.

Rather than rely on someone else to confirm the path ahead, he trusted his own pace of cultivation more, armed as he was with memories of the original story and countless fan works.

A gap already existed between him and Tang San. He dared not slack off in the slightest and only wanted to return to his dormitory as soon as possible to meditate, steadily strengthening the foundation of his soul power.

Unexpectedly, he had not gone far before hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

Tang San hurried out of the dormitory and stopped directly in front of him. The respectful gentleness he had shown Yu Xiaogang had vanished, leaving only stubborn resolve and an unwillingness to admit defeat in his eyes.

He fixed his gaze on Lin Chen and spoke in a low voice, each word distinct, his tone carrying a boy's utmost stubbornness and resentment:

"Lin Chen, just you wait. I'll prove that my teacher's theories are right! One day, I'll make you understand that refusing him today was the greatest mistake of your life!"

After throwing down those confrontational words, Tang San said nothing more. He turned and hurried back to Yu Xiaogang's dormitory.

From beginning to end, he had taken Lin Chen's calm indifference for arrogance and regarded proving the Grandmaster's theories as a goal he had to accomplish. A deep competitive drive had taken root in his heart.

Lin Chen stood where he was, watching Tang San's fired-up figure retreat. Utterly baffled, he inwardly grumbled:

What a nutcase! Why tell me all that? He's getting himself so worked up.

He gently shook his head to cast aside those stray thoughts, paid no further attention to Tang San's obsession, and headed straight back to his dormitory, immersing himself completely in the tedious but steadfast work of cultivation.

The gap had already become apparent. Only persistent cultivation could keep him from falling further behind with every step.

Time hurried by as cold and heat traded places, and half a year quietly slipped away in the blink of an eye.

Throughout those six months, Lin Chen maintained rigorous self-discipline, never allowing himself a single day of slackness.

During classes at the Academy, the students his age around him either laughed and horsed around or listened halfheartedly. He alone sat upright in his seat with his eyes closed in concentration, constantly drawing in the sparse soul power between heaven and earth.

In their free time outside class, his roommates went out together, sparred, played, and rested. He continued to sit alone on his bed, quietly honing his soul power and reinforcing every inch of his cultivation foundation.

Thanks to his talent for cultivating soul power, combined with his relentless efforts that made him forget food and sleep, Lin Chen's soul power rose steadily. He built on Level 8, broke through to Level 9, and finally reached the standard threshold of a Level 10 Soul Scholar.

Rich, pure soul power filled his limbs and every part of his body, widening his meridians and tempering his physique. His foundation was solid and stable, without the slightest hollowness or flaw.

Beyond that, drawing on his knowledge of the Douluo Continent from his previous life, Lin Chen had already planned the complete sequence of soul rings he would absorb for his White Fox martial soul. He had preemptively avoided countless cultivation pitfalls and shortcomings of his martial soul, all to secure soul rings that suited him best and offered the greatest potential, laying a perfect foundation for advancing to Soul Grandmaster.

With his soul power fully meeting the requirement and his soul ring plan complete, he now lacked only a soul ring of his own to advance smoothly to Soul Grandmaster.

Early the following morning, Lin Chen got ready and went to the Academy's Academic Affairs Office to apply for leave to go soul hunting.

Seeing that he was still young and would be entering the Soul Hunting Forest for the first time, the director responsible for approving leave considered his safety. Following the Academy's usual practice, he offered to arrange for an instructor to accompany him, protect him, and guard against the various dangers of soul hunting.

Lin Chen calmly declined the Academy's kind offer, his tone mild yet exceptionally firm:

"Thank you for your concern, Director, but there's no need for the academy to make arrangements. My father is Lin Tianyu, a deacon of Spirit Hall in Nuoding City. Both my parents will accompany me throughout this soul hunt, so my safety will be assured."

Upon hearing that his father was a Spirit Hall deacon, the director immediately understood and stopped insisting.

An official Spirit Hall deacon had access to proper resources, and his strength and ability to provide protection far surpassed those of an ordinary academy instructor.

He readily approved the leave, allowing Lin Chen to go out and cultivate through soul hunting, and told him that he only needed to make up his coursework after returning.

With all the procedures completed smoothly, Lin Chen immediately left Notting Academy and returned to his family residence.

The Lin Family lived in the heart of Nuoding City. Their courtyard was elegant and peaceful, and their comfortable circumstances far exceeded those of ordinary commoner households in the city.

As soon as Lin Chen stepped through the door, his mother, Li Su, who had not seen her son home for some time, hurried over to greet him, her face filled with tender delight. She promptly instructed a servant to go to Spirit Hall's workshop and summon her husband, Lin Tianyu, home from his duties.

A short while later, Lin Tianyu hurried back, dressed in his Spirit Hall deacon's uniform.

Tall and straight-backed, with a steady bearing, he was a Level 29 Soul Grandmaster whose martial soul was Red Fox. Gifted in speed and perception, he was a core member of Spirit Hall's grassroots staff in Nuoding City. His wife, Li Su, was likewise a Level 27 Soul Grandmaster. Her White Fox martial soul shared the same lineage as Lin Chen's externally manifested White Fox martial soul, making their innate gifts highly compatible.

Once his parents had seated themselves, Lin Chen announced the good news directly. "Dad, Mom, my soul power has reached Level 10. I can go to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain my first soul ring now."

Upon hearing the news, Lin Tianyu and Li Su were overjoyed, their hearts brimming with pride and gratification.

Starting with innate Level 6 soul power and shooting straight to Level 10 after just half a year of arduous cultivation—such speed ranked among the very best of the Soul Masters' children his age throughout Nuoding City. He could truly be called a peerless genius.

In their excitement, the couple immediately prepared to set off at once and travel overnight to the Soul Hunting Forest, eager to help their son absorb his soul ring and advance smoothly.

Lin Chen quickly stopped them, reassuring them in a steady voice. "Dad, Mom, there's no need to rush. Soul hunting is dangerous and unpredictable, and leaving in haste makes it easy to overlook something. Preparing our supplies and making thorough arrangements before setting out is the safest choice."

He had another plan in mind. To absorb a soul ring of greater age, he still needed whale rubber to improve his physique.

On the Douluo Continent of this era, people had yet to discover whale rubber's true tempering effects and regarded it merely as an ordinary aphrodisiac ingredient.

But Lin Chen knew that whale rubber was a supreme treasure for Soul Masters to temper their bodies and reinforce their foundations. The earlier it was refined, the greater its benefits to the physique and subsequent cultivation.

Having made up his mind, Lin Chen asked his father for a generous sum of Gold Soul Coins under the pretext of purchasing supplies for his personal cultivation.

After his parents left for the marketplace to prepare their soul-hunting supplies, he went out alone and visited all the major medicinal shops and sundry workshops in Nuoding City. Spending all the Gold Soul Coins he had been given, along with the pocket money he had saved over the years, he discreetly purchased five pieces of excellent-quality Century-Old Whale Rubber, claiming his father needed them.

When he returned home that evening, his parents had already prepared all their soul-hunting supplies. After a brief rest, they each retired to their rooms.

Once the house had fallen completely silent and no one was around, Lin Chen quietly rose and slipped into the kitchen. He fetched a small pot, a stove, and charcoal, then returned to his room with careful steps.

He brought over the bathtub in his room, filled it with cold, clear water, and locked the door, completely shutting out disturbances from outside. Then he began his secret refining session.

He lit the charcoal and heated the pot slowly over a gentle flame. The solid Century-Old Whale Rubber gradually melted into a thick, lustrous, translucent liquid, and a faint, fresh fragrance spread throughout the room.

Once the first piece of whale rubber reached a suitable temperature, Lin Chen tipped his head back and drank it all. He then began heating the second piece before stepping into the cold-water tub and sitting cross-legged.

The cold water counteracted the whale rubber's fiery medicinal properties, gently washing over his meridians, skin, and flesh. He concentrated on circulating his soul power, precisely guiding the medicinal energy into his limbs and every part of his body, tempering his muscles and bones and honing his flesh bit by bit.

After refining three pieces of Century-Old Whale Rubber in succession, Lin Chen clearly sensed that his physique had undergone a qualitative leap. His muscles and bones had become more resilient, and his physical strength had increased severalfold.

By then, his body had become saturated with medicinal energy, and his meridians had reached the limit of what they could bear. Continuing would only cause the energy to accumulate and damage his vital foundation.

He immediately stopped cultivating, carefully cleaned all the equipment, and erased every trace. With his body and mind relaxed, he soon fell into a deep sleep.

At dawn the next day, morning light streamed through the window. Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes, feeling light, powerful, and refreshed. His physique, vitality, and spirit were entirely different from before, and his overall foundation had become even more solid.

After briefly washing up, he joined his parents, who had been waiting for some time. The family of three boarded their private carriage and sped toward the Soul Hunting Forest.

The market outside the Soul Hunting Forest was as bustling and noisy as ever, with an endless stream of people. All manner of Soul Master supplies, medicinal herbs, and sundries filled the stalls in a dazzling array, brimming with the bustle of everyday life.

Lin Chen had no interest in wandering around or taking in the sights and remained calm throughout the journey. The carriage quickly passed through the market and reached the Soul Hunting Forest's official entrance without incident.

Lin Tianyu took out his Spirit Hall deacon's token and handed it to the guard captain for verification, securing entry through his status as a deacon. After asking the guards to look after their carriage, the family of three stepped into the vast, deep, mist-shrouded Soul Hunting Forest.