Taking Whale Rubber

Evening came, and the setting sun slanted lower.

In the courtyard of the little house, Lin Yang and Xiao Wu stood facing each other.

At Lin Yang's nod, Xiao Wu moved, kicking toward his head in the blink of an eye.

Her leg whipped through the air with a sharp whistle.

Lin Yang simply stood where he was and shifted his body slightly, and the attack struck empty air.

Xiao Wu was just about to change moves and counterattack when she discovered that Lin Yang seemed to have anticipated her. His palm had already slammed into her lower abdomen.

Bang!

Xiao Wu's face went deathly pale, and her whole body flew backward.

Still, she adjusted her body in midair and staggered back a few steps before steadying herself.

"Your movements are too big, and your Breath of Softness rhythm isn't steady enough."

"In your current state, you'll be fine against Soul Masters of average strength. But against stronger Soul Masters, your Breathing Style will easily fall out of rhythm, and then you'll be more likely to hurt yourself instead."

Lin Yang pointed out her mistakes bluntly.

"If you want to unlock the 'Transparent World,' the key lies in whether your breathing and movements are precise, and whether you can produce the greatest force with the smallest movements and the least Soul Power."

"Once you reach a certain standard, the world in your mind will become transparent."

"You'll be able to 'see' every muscle and every blood vessel in your body. Once you become familiar with controlling your muscles and blood, your control over your body will reach its peak."

At this point, Xiao Wu raised her hand to ask, "Then how far off am I?"

Lin Yang rolled his eyes at her in exasperation. "A long way."

"Right now, you can barely even maintain your Breathing Style in the 'Constant State,' let alone the more demanding 'Transparent World.'"

"I imagine you've noticed that the Breathing Style helps with cultivation."

Xiao Wu nodded silently.

Indeed, without the Breathing Style, she could never have broken through to rank seventeen so quickly.

Especially after reaching the "Constant State," she was cultivating almost every moment.

Afterward, the two sparred for a few more rounds.

Out of consideration for the neighbors on either side, Lin Yang did not strike hard, stopping short each time.

When they finished, Xiao Wu was just about to return to the bathroom for a soak when Lin Yang called her back.

"Wait. I'm going to prepare a medicinal bath. You can soak in it in a bit."

Xiao Wu was a little surprised. "You know about that too?"

"A little," Lin Yang replied offhandedly.

"By the way, I wanted to ask: are the ages of the Soul Rings you condense fixed?"

Hearing this, Xiao Wu shook her head.

When a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast took human form, it condensed its first six Soul Rings itself, and their ages depended on the limits its body could withstand.

The Soul Skills would also match its own direction of development.

Thus, Xiao Wu never had to worry about getting a useless Soul Skill.

"If that's the case, eat these after your medicinal bath."

Lin Yang took a few thumb-sized pieces of ten-year whale rubber from his Storage Bracelet and casually handed them to Xiao Wu.

He was now using Dai Ziming's Storage Bracelet, while he had given the Storage Ring with the smaller space to Xiao Wu.

"What is this... it smells so fishy!"

Xiao Wu took them and examined them closely, then held them farther away in disgust when she caught the fishy smell.

"Whale rubber," Lin Yang said evenly.

"It's a nourishing aphrodisiac."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu froze at first, then tossed the whale rubber away like a hot potato, her little face flushing bright red.

"Y-you, you... you aren't thinking of... no, no, you can't do that...!"

At her reaction, Lin Yang gave her forehead a hard knock, exasperated at her failure to live up to expectations.

"Can't you fill your head with something else?"

"Besides being an aphrodisiac, whale rubber has other uses..."

He lowered his voice and explained a few things, and Xiao Wu's eyes slowly grew round.

"Is everything you said true?"

The moment she finished speaking, she knew she had asked a pointless question.

Lin Yang had absorbed a five-thousand-year Soul Ring with only two rings of cultivation. Wasn't he a living example?

Lin Yang nodded. "Remember, roast the whale rubber over a fire until it softens before eating it."

"Got it!"

Xiao Wu picked up the pieces of whale rubber from the ground.

After learning what whale rubber truly did, she no longer minded its fishy smell. Instead, she felt a little more eager and curious to try it.

Soon, Lin Yang finished preparing the medicinal bath, and the entire bathroom filled with a scent mingling the fresh bitterness of leaves with a faint spicy fragrance.

"Take the medicinal bath while it's hot, and soak for a full hour. Use your Breathing Style while you soak to guide the medicinal potency into your sinews and bones," Lin Yang said, pointing at the tub.

"Afterward, take the whale rubber. You'll need to soak in cold water then, which can effectively suppress the aphrodisiac effect."

Lin Yang explained every detail, but Xiao Wu's face was red, and she clutched the whale rubber tightly in both hands, not daring to look him in the eye.

Once he finished, Lin Yang returned to his room and began his daily meditation and cultivation.

Xiao Wu took the whale rubber into the bathroom.

Two hours later, Xiao Wu emerged from the bathroom on unsteady feet, an alluring rosy tint showing through her fair, smooth skin.

"Damn whale rubber..."

Blushing, Xiao Wu muttered under her breath and walked into her room with one hand against the wall.

Lin Yang's ears twitched as he meditated, but he paid no attention and continued meditating single-mindedly.

Surging Soul Power continually washed over the External Soul Bone, seeping his own traces into it bit by bit.

Based on his attempts over this period, aside from forcibly fusing with the External Soul Bone through powerful external pressure,

there was another viable method: continually tempering it with Soul Power, allowing the External Soul Bone to adapt little by little.

Like boiling a frog in warm water, he would silently shape it into something of his own.

The process might be slower, but precisely because of that, it also allowed Lin Yang to become more familiar with this External Soul Bone.

Before dawn the next day.

A rustling suddenly came from Xiao Wu's room.

Before long, Xiao Wu cautiously poked her head out and looked around.

Seeing that Lin Yang had not come out yet, she hurriedly sneaked into the bathroom like a little mouse, still clutching something tightly in her hand.

From the corner peeking out, it looked like some sort of pink fabric.

Ten minutes or so later, Xiao Wu slipped out of the bathroom again and quickly fled back to her room.

At some unknown point, a small undergarment had appeared outside her window, hung up to dry.

When Lin Yang came out of his room, washed his face, and prepared to begin his daily training, Xiao Wu walked in from outside, carrying breakfast.

"You actually got up this early today?"

Lin Yang looked as though he had seen a ghost.

Xiao Wu blushed, then protested indignantly.

"What's with that look? Am I not allowed to get up early?"

"And here I went out specifically to buy breakfast. If I'd known, I would've just let you go hungry."

Despite her words, she still set breakfast on the table.

Seeing this, Lin Yang could only eat breakfast first.

"How do you feel after taking the whale rubber?"

A smile immediately spread across Xiao Wu's face. She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes full of delighted surprise.

"My body feels stronger, and my Soul Power circulates much more smoothly."

"The effects are naturally a little more obvious at first," Lin Yang said, showing little surprise.

"From now on, take a medicinal bath every day and whale rubber once every three days."

"I'll cover the cost of the herbs and whale rubber for you first. Later, you'll have to use part of what you earn at the Great Soul Arena to repay the debt."

Xiao Wu gave a disgruntled little huff.

"Got it, money-grubber. Cheapskate!"

Having acquired yet another title, "money-grubber," Lin Yang rolled his eyes. "Even blood brothers keep their accounts clear!"

"Who's your brother?" Xiao Wu muttered under her breath.

"Then do you still want the baths?"

"Of course," the little rabbit blurted out.

"Then listen to me!"

Lin Yang's voice grew firmer, and Xiao Wu hurriedly sat up straight, looking serious.

"Remember, medicinal baths and whale rubber are only external aids. The core is still your own cultivation and the refinement of your Breathing Style."

"For the next while, you'll go to the Great Soul Arena every day for your individual match. Accumulate points as quickly as possible and earn a Bronze Soul Fighter badge. That shouldn't be difficult for you."

"Once you get the Bronze Soul Fighter badge, you can apply to challenge Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters above your level."

"As for two-on-two Soul Fighting matches, we'll arrange those depending on the situation. I still won't take part."

"Understood!"

Xiao Wu nodded firmly, having no complaints about Lin Yang's plan.

The food had already been brought to her lips. If she refused to eat, she would have no one else to blame even if she died.