The words had barely fallen.
The green figure gradually faded within the room, finally dissolving into nothing.
The lingering, sickly-sweet metallic scent in the air vanished with it like smoke and clouds.
Chen Jin's knees went weak.
The oppressive presence of a Titled Douluo above rank ninety was simply too powerful.
His back was already soaked in cold sweat.
Chen Jin walked over to the window and shut it tightly.
Returning to the bed and sitting cross-legged, Chen Jin steadied his turbulent mind.
Strength. In the end, he still lacked strength.
If he had enough strength, why would he need to maneuver around others like this?
Chen Jin took a pitch-black solid roughly the size of a fist from his Storage Soul Tool.
It was whale rubber.
On the Douluo Continent, most Soul Masters regarded it as an aphrodisiac tonic and disdained using it for cultivation.
But after developing the Nine Heavens Divine Phoenix Martial Soul through his transformation, Chen Jin had discovered that whale rubber contained an immense quantity of pure yang blood energy.
For the Nine-Heaven Divine Phoenix, which possessed ultimate fire, it was simply an exceptional supplement for strengthening the physique and nourishing the martial soul.
Without any hesitation, Chen Jin circulated the ultimate fire within him.
Purple-gold flames danced in his palm, instantly softening the hard piece of whale rubber into a mass of black liquid that gave off a rich fragrance.
Chen Jin swallowed the softened whale rubber in one gulp.
Pure soul power and searing blood energy instantly exploded within his body.
Along with the scalding currents of heat, the Nine Heavens Divine Phoenix Martial Soul slowly emerged behind Chen Jin.
Its purple-gold wings gently unfurled, bathing the entire room in crimson light.
Soul rings pulsed beneath his feet, radiating a noble, mysterious glow.
The pure yang power from the whale rubber flowed ceaselessly into Chen Jin's bones and meridians.
The blood energy within him began surging violently, and faint phoenix cries came from deep within his bones.
Chen Jin could clearly feel his physical strength increasing at an astonishing rate.
His soul power was also advancing steadily toward rank thirty-five.
However.
In just one short hour, the Nine-Heaven Divine Phoenix devoured all the energy contained in that piece of whale rubber.
The martial soul's phantom behind him gradually dispersed, and the heat coursing through his body subsided.
Chen Jin opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"The effects really are significant. Unfortunately, there was too little of it."
Chen Jin shook his head helplessly.
To strengthen his body enough to withstand soul rings of greater age, he would need an astronomical quantity of whale rubber.
He had to find a way to obtain more whale rubber.
Early the next morning.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, spilling into the courtyard of Blazing Fire Academy.
After washing up, Chen Jin left his room, intending to find Huo Wu and ask about the trade associations in Heaven Dou City.
He had just reached the central courtyard when he spotted a graceful figure.
Huo Wu was doing her morning exercises.
Her red hair rose and fell gently with her movements like dancing flames, reflecting dazzling light beneath the sun.
A close-fitting red training outfit outlined her astonishing curves to the fullest. Her slender waist could barely fill a hand, and her full breasts heaved with her breathing.
Her long, fair legs were dazzling in the morning light.
Her bare, jade-like feet rested on the warm, smooth stone slabs, her rounded toes possessing the creamy-white beauty of mutton-fat jade.
The strenuous exercise had drawn a fine sheen of sweat over Huo Wu's fair skin.
It slid slowly down her exquisite collarbones and disappeared into her deep cleavage, exuding boundless wildness and temptation.
"Huo Wu."
Chen Jin stepped forward and called out.
Huo Wu stopped and turned around, raising a hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Seeing Chen Jin, Huo Wu looked delighted and hurried over.
"Chen Jin? What brings you to see me so early?"
Huo Wu tilted her head up slightly, her full red lips parted with a touch of girlish charm, her beautiful, wild eyes fixed unblinkingly on Chen Jin.
Chen Jin wasted no time beating around the bush and asked his question.
"Do you know where in Heaven Dou City I can buy whale rubber in large quantities?"
At the words "whale rubber," Huo Wu instantly froze in place.
Her fair, pretty face reddened at a visible speed.
The blush rapidly spread, tinting even her delicate earlobes and snow-white neck pink, like a ripe apple.
Huo Wu took a flustered step back, twisting her hands together helplessly. Her long, beautiful legs pressed together awkwardly, and her rounded toes curled slightly against the stone slabs.
"Y-you... why are you asking about that?"
Huo Wu's voice carried a note of bashfulness, and even her gaze began darting about, not daring to meet Chen Jin's eyes.
Chen Jin looked at Huo Wu in puzzlement.
"Because I have a use for it, of course. I need a large quantity of whale rubber to help with my cultivation."
Hearing "help with my cultivation," Huo Wu instantly recalled certain rumors about whale rubber.
In Heaven Dou City's upper society, whale rubber was renowned as a potent tonic, particularly for certain aspects of male performance.
The young man before her was so young, yet he actually wanted to buy large quantities of whale rubber to help with his cultivation?
Could he have some hidden ailment?
Or had he been with someone last night...
At that thought, Huo Wu's gaze involuntarily drifted downward.
Then she quickly drew it back as though she had been shocked, so embarrassed that she nearly wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Y-you... you're so young, and you're already using that sort of thing..."
Huo Wu bit her red lip, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, and even her breathing grew rapid.
The morning breeze blew past, carrying Huo Wu's faint natural fragrance and warm breath, lending even the surrounding air an intimate atmosphere.
Seeing her like this, Chen Jin immediately realized that she had misunderstood.
"What on earth are you thinking?"
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Chen Jin could only explain.
"Whale rubber contains potent pure yang energy, which is tremendously beneficial for tempering the physique of someone with the Nine Heavens Divine Phoenix Martial Soul. It's not for the purpose you're imagining."
At his explanation, Huo Wu's complexion did not return to normal; instead, she flushed even more vividly, and even her fair shoulders reddened.
"I wasn't imagining anything!"
Huo Wu stamped her foot in embarrassed annoyance, her full chest heaving.
"You! Coming to ask a girl about something like that first thing in the morning, you're just... just shameless!"
Despite her words, some of the bashfulness in Huo Wu's heart faded.
Yet her beautiful eyes still held a hint of suspicion as she looked Chen Jin up and down.
"It really is just for cultivation?"
Huo Wu tilted her head slightly and asked uncertainly, her hands awkwardly pinching the hem of her clothes, making her slender waist look even more alluring.
Chen Jin nodded helplessly.
"Absolutely. Why would I lie to you?"
Looking into Chen Jin's clear, sincere eyes, Huo Wu finally believed him.
But the earlier embarrassment still left Huo Wu blushing, her legs crossing bashfully.
"The largest auction house in Heaven Dou City and some of the major trade associations should all have some in stock."
"But there usually isn't much demand for this stuff. If you need a large quantity, you'll probably have to visit the Heaven Dou Grand Trade Association."
Before you continue