Snake Heart Grass, Consuming Whale Rubber

The person in charge of the Merchant Guild delivered the items purchased at the auction to the private room and handed them to Ning Bei. After they paid, the group returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After arriving at the Council Hall, Gu Rong summoned Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi.

"Bei Er, you can take a look at what that herb does now."

Ning Bei nodded, took out the nameless herb purchased at the auction from his Necklace, and summoned his Martial Soul.

Under the gazes of the three men, he placed the herb into the first level of the Pill Pagoda's space.

He closed his eyes and sensed the herb's condition inside the Pill Pagoda. An unfamiliar message appeared in Ning Bei's mind.

"Father, Sword Grandfather, Bone Grandfather, this herb is called Snake Heart Grass. It's quite effective for low-level snake-type Soul Beasts and Soul Masters with snake-type Martial Souls."

The three men were amazed. His Martial Soul could actually identify herbs and even determine their effects.

"Oh? What effect does this Snake Heart Grass have on snakes?"

Gu Rong asked curiously about the herb's function.

Ning Bei thought for a moment before looking at the three men.

"There's a chance it can cause a snake-type Soul Beast or snake-type Martial Soul to evolve."

"Mm!"

After hearing about the effects of Snake Heart Grass, the three men were not excited. Its effect on low-level snake-type Martial Souls was not enough to interest them.

Looking at their expressions, Ning Bei understood what they were thinking.

"Have you forgotten that the Pill Pagoda can also increase cultivation?"

Only then did the three men show looks of surprise.

"Isn't it only useful for Soul Beasts? How could an herb have cultivation?"

Ning Fengzhi asked in confusion.

Ning Bei smiled smugly.

"Herbs naturally don't have cultivation, but the Pill Pagoda can increase their age and medicinal effects."

"Let's raise it in the Pill Pagoda first. Perhaps it'll be useful to high-level snake-type Martial Soul Soul Masters in the future?"

The three men exchanged glances. Setting aside the Pill Pagoda's auxiliary abilities, its ability to cultivate Soul Beasts and herbs was simply heaven-defying. They absolutely could not let it be exposed.

"Bei Er, you must never reveal this ability to nurture herbs. Otherwise, it'll be very dangerous."

Ning Fengzhi looked at Ning Bei with a solemn expression.

Ning Bei stopped smiling when he heard this.

"Understood, Father. I know what's important."

"Mm! For now, focus on increasing your Soul Power. Don't rush with the herbs and Soul Beasts. Once your cultivation improves, their effects will only become better."

Seeing that the matter of the herb had come to an end, Ning Bei took out the lump of ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber from his Necklace.

"Father, Grandfathers, it's time to talk about the Whale Rubber."

The three men looked at Ning Bei strangely when they saw him take out the object. Chen Xin frowned and began to reprimand him:

"Kid, isn't it still too early for you? You're the hope of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. You can't exhaust all your energy on this."

Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong said nothing, but their expressions clearly showed that they agreed with Chen Xin.

Seeing that the men had misunderstood him, Ning Bei sighed softly.

"Ugh... Even if I wanted to, I'd need to have the ability first."

"This Whale Rubber can increase a Soul Master's physical strength. The Pill Pagoda told me so."

Whenever he was uncertain, he simply pushed the explanation onto the Pill Pagoda. It worked quite well.

"Oh? There's such a thing? Why have we never heard of it?"

Seeing that they still did not believe him, Ning Bei offered his suggestion.

"Why not give it a try? It won't cost us anything, anyway. Increased physical strength should also help with absorbing Spirit Rings, right?"

After thinking for a while, the group nodded together. It was just as Ning Bei had said: there was no cost. As for the few thousand Gold Soul Coins spent on the ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber, that was practically nothing to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Then give it a try, Bei Er."

"Okay. Sword Grandfather, please use your Soul Power to melt the Whale Rubber."

Chen Xin took the Whale Rubber in his hand and used his Soul Power to melt it into a paste. He then took out a large bowl from his Soul Tool, filled it, and handed it to Ning Bei.

Thinking of Huo Gua's scene of eating Whale Rubber, Ning Bei did not dare to gulp it down in one go. He took a small sip, and a heavy fishy taste instantly filled his mouth.

His entire body then began to heat up. He turned and ran toward the square before jumping into the fountain pool.

The three men hurried over to Ning Bei's side as well, afraid that something might happen to him.

Ning Bei began sitting cross-legged in the pool and cultivating his Soul Power.

Half an hour later, Ning Bei opened his eyes and walked out of the pool with a smile.

"Luckily I didn't gulp it down. Otherwise, I wouldn't have anywhere to vent the energy right now."

Seeing that Ning Bei had finished cultivating, Ning Fengzhi asked:

"How is it, Bei Er? Is it effective?"

Ning Bei sensed his body when he heard the question.

"It is effective, but only very slightly. This Whale Rubber needs to be consumed over a long period before its effects become obvious. Father, please get more Whale Rubber from now on. This piece will only last a week."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xin stepped forward and placed a hand on Ning Bei's shoulder. He examined Ning Bei's body with his Soul Power, then turned around after a while and nodded at Ning Fengzhi.

Seeing that the Whale Rubber had not harmed Ning Bei's body, Ning Fengzhi readily agreed to his request.

A little Whale Rubber was nothing to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. It was merely troublesome to travel back and forth from the coast. If it truly helped increase a Soul Master's physical strength as Ning Bei claimed, then the Whale Rubber would be crucial to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Bei Er, cultivate without worry. I'll handle the Whale Rubber. Also, remember not to spread this matter."

"Understood, Father."

Just like that, Ning Bei returned to a regular routine. He nurtured Soul Beasts and herbs during the day, cultivated his Soul Power at night, and consumed some Whale Rubber from time to time.

Two years passed quietly. At eight years old, Ning Bei's Soul Power Level reached Level 20. Ning Fengzhi and the others were extremely satisfied with such a cultivation speed.

After consuming Whale Rubber for a year, Ning Bei's physical strength became comparable to that of an Intermediate Soul Grandmaster. One had to know that Ning Bei was a genuine support-type Soul Master.

During that year, aside from handling Sect affairs, Ning Fengzhi had not neglected his efforts to have another child. Ning Bei's mother's belly had begun showing signs of movement again.

Ning Bei knew that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's filial daughter was about to arrive. At the same time, he sorted out the timeline. That shocking event that had rocked the Soul Master World was also about to occur.

At present, the Pope of Spirit Hall was still that Secret Room Douluo, Qian Xunji. Bibi Dong was still Spirit Hall's Saintess. Ning Bei had previously only learned that the son of the Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the useless Yu Xiaogang, had been driven out of Spirit City for seducing the Saintess. He did not know exactly which year of the original story they had reached.

And now, the Little Witch would be born in ten months. Ning Rongrong and Little Rascal were the same age. Not long after Xiao San was born, the Hammer Strikes the Pope Incident would begin.

Ning Bei was roughly eight years older than Tang San, making him the same age as Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the others from the original story.

Sure enough, not long afterward, news spread throughout the entire Soul Master World that Spirit Hall's Pope, Qian Xunji, had been gravely injured by Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect during a Soul Hunting operation and had died from his wounds. Tang Hao, meanwhile, had gone from an idol in the hearts of countless people to a traitor whom everyone could denounce because of his involvement with a Soul Beast.

A sense of urgency rose in Ning Bei's heart. Less than twenty years remained before the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was destroyed. In those twenty years, Ning Bei had to gain the power to change everything.

It was time to start planning for those opportunities he could seize. Rather than pinning his hopes on Little Rascal, he might as well take his fate into his own hands.