"How about... I go with you?"
As she said this, Huo Wu's cheeks grew hot again, and she looked nervously at Chen Jin.
Seeing the usually fiery, spirited vice-captain of Blazing Fire Academy acting like a bashful girl, Chen Jin could not help feeling something unusual stir within him.
"Then thank you."
Chen Jin smiled faintly and agreed.
He was only buying some whale rubber. Why was she reacting so strongly?
"This is very useful to me. If you know where to find it, take me there."
Chen Jin's voice was calm.
The young man before her looked perfectly at ease, but the more he acted this way, the more tangled Huo Wu's thoughts became.
"You... have you really thought this through?"
Huo Wu bit her lip and asked softly.
Those eyes, usually brimming with wildness and heroic spirit, now held confusion and shyness.
"Of course I have. What's there to hesitate over?"
Chen Jin nodded, his expression earnest.
To withstand soul rings of greater ages, he urgently needed to strengthen his body.
He was determined to get this whale rubber.
"Once we buy it, you can take some too. It'll be very beneficial for your body."
Chen Jin looked at Huo Wu and added this.
After all, Huo Wu was also a fire-attribute soul master. The pure yang energy in whale rubber should benefit her too.
To Huo Wu, those words were like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky.
Her cheeks burned, and a blush quickly spread to the bases of her delicate ears.
"You... what nonsense are you talking about!"
Huo Wu gave a soft, reproachful sputter, her voice barely audible.
How could he casually ask a girl to take something like that with him?
Was this fellow Chen Jin hinting at something?
Huo Wu drew a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
Looking into Chen Jin's clear eyes, she could not make up her mind for a moment.
Since he had already put it that way, being coy any longer would only make her seem affected.
"Fine. Since you're not afraid, follow me."
Huo Wu gritted her teeth, as though she had made a momentous decision.
She turned and strode toward the exit of Blazing Fire Academy on her long legs.
Only her flustered footsteps betrayed her inner turmoil.
The streets of Heaven Dou City bustled with noise and surging crowds.
Sunlight spilled over the bluestone paving, reflecting a warm glow.
Huo Wu walked ahead, the various rumors about whale rubber running through her mind again and again.
Among Heaven Dou City's aristocratic circles, whale rubber had always been considered a rare and precious secret remedy.
For men in particular, it was a supreme aphrodisiac.
The more Huo Wu thought about it, the redder her face and ears grew, until even her gait became stiff.
Chen Jin followed quietly behind her, his gaze sweeping over the shops lining the street.
His thoughts were entirely on his upcoming cultivation.
Although his rank thirty-four soul power already placed him among the best of his peers, he was still no more than an ant before a Titled Douluo.
The oppressive feeling Dugu Bo had brought last night made Chen Jin desperate to improve his strength.
Only by tempering his body to become stronger could he contain more Ultimate Fire.
Occupied by different thoughts, the two remained rather quiet along the way.
"We're here. This is the place."
Huo Wu stopped before a lavishly decorated building.
The signboard bore the five large characters for "Heaven Dou Grand Trade Association" in gold paint, glittering in the sunlight.
This was one of the largest trade associations in Heaven Dou City, with deep reserves and every kind of rare soul beast material one could wish for.
The two walked inside side by side.
The interior was vast, its floor laid with thick crystal jade and its lighting soft.
Various precious medicinal herbs, ores, and soul beast materials were neatly displayed in crystal cases.
A sharp-eyed, slightly plump shopkeeper immediately came forward.
A professional smile covered his face as his gaze swept over Chen Jin and Huo Wu.
"Honored guests, what might you need?"
The shopkeeper bowed, his manner beyond reproach.
Chen Jin wasted no time explaining why he had come.
"Do you have any high-quality whale rubber?"
The shopkeeper froze for a moment at this.
Then his gaze traveled over Chen Jin's strong, upright physique and Huo Wu's impressive figure.
A touch of knowing suggestiveness entered his eyes.
"Yes, of course we do."
The shopkeeper chuckled, then turned and retrieved an exquisite wooden box from a hidden compartment deep inside the counter.
He opened the box, revealing a fist-sized lump of dark solid material.
"This whale rubber came from a hundred-year soul beast, a Deep Sea Demon Whale. Its quality is absolutely first-rate, and it's exceptionally nourishing."
The shopkeeper winked, his tone carrying a teasing note that any man would understand.
Chen Jin frowned at the small piece of whale rubber.
"Too little. It's not enough."
Chen Jin shook his head, thoroughly disappointed.
This tiny amount would not even fill the gaps between his teeth, let alone temper his body.
"Do you have more? The more, the better. I'll take it all."
Chen Jin raised his voice slightly, his expression calm.
Beside him, Huo Wu froze on the spot when she heard this.
The more, the better?
He'll take it all?
Huo Wu awkwardly pinched the hem of her clothes with both hands, her cheeks so red they looked ready to drip.
What exactly was this fellow trying to do?
Was his body really so depleted that he needed such a huge amount to replenish it?
Or was Chen Jin hiding some unspeakable intention?
The shopkeeper was stunned too, staring at the young man before him in surprise.
"Honored guest, this whale rubber is extremely potent. This amount is already the limit for an ordinary person. Any more, and I'm afraid your body won't be able to take it."
The shopkeeper offered a kindly warning, his eyes unconsciously drifting toward Huo Wu with a trace of sympathy.
"It's fine. Just bring it out. You'll get every gold soul coin you're owed."
Completely at ease, Chen Jin handed over a gold soul coin card with an enormous face value.
He had accumulated this through soul fighting over the past few years.
At the sight of money, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up. He said no more and immediately ordered an assistant to check the storeroom.
Soon, three large wooden crates were carried out.
Inside, dozens of pieces of black whale rubber of varying sizes were neatly stacked.
"It's all here. This is our entire stock."
The shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression tinged with awe.
Satisfied, Chen Jin put the wooden crates into his Storage Soul Tool.
After paying, Chen Jin turned to leave.
The shopkeeper leaned closer, lowered his voice, and winked at Chen Jin.
"Honored guest, youthful vigor is a good thing, but remember not to get too intense. Taking care of your health comes first."
Though the shopkeeper spoke quietly, Huo Wu's soul power cultivation allowed her to hear every word clearly.
Huo Wu felt as though her entire body were about to catch fire. She gritted her teeth in vexation, yet had nowhere to vent it.
Chen Jin's expression remained unchanged. Paying no attention to the shopkeeper's teasing, he strode toward the door.
Outside the trade association, the sunlight was dazzling.
Chen Jin stopped and turned to look at Huo Wu beside him.
"Next, we'd best find somewhere no one will disturb us."
Chen Jin spoke.
Absorbing the whale rubber required him to circulate his Ultimate Fire, which would cause quite a disturbance, and the process could not be interrupted.
Huo Wu's delicate body trembled at his words.
Somewhere no one would disturb them?
Was Chen Jin going to do that to her right now...
Countless scenes that made her face and ears burn flashed through Huo Wu's mind, her heart pounding like a drum.
"You... what's the hurry..."
Huo Wu's voice trembled as she lowered her head.
Yet, looking at Chen Jin's earnest expression, she ultimately did not refuse.
"I know a secluded forest outside the city. Usually, no one goes there."
Huo Wu bit her red lip, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
With that, she lowered her head and hurried toward the city gates.
Chen Jin thought Huo Wu was acting strangely today, but he did not dwell on it and followed her.
Outside Heaven Dou City, in a quiet forest.
Ancient trees towered into the sky, and sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering broken patches of light across the ground.
Their surroundings were silent, save for the occasional birdcall.
Huo Wu stopped, turned around, and looked at Chen Jin with a hint of nervousness.
"This is the place."
"Whatever you want to do... just do it here."
Before you continue