Perhaps because Li Jin was young, the shopkeeper had not brought out anything particularly good at first.
He took four boxes from the row of cabinets behind him, arranged them in a line on the counter, and opened them.
Three of the boxes contained pale yellow whale rubber, while the fourth held a piece of black whale rubber.
"Little fellow, these three pieces are all hundred-year whale rubber, each priced at over 500 Gold Soul Coins. Which one would you like?"
Li Jin swept his gaze over the three pale yellow pieces, but some obscure feeling drew his eyes toward the fourth, wrinkled piece of black whale rubber.
"Boss, is this black stuff whale rubber too? How much is it?"
At the mention of the black whale rubber, the shopkeeper kept smiling, but his manner became less enthusiastic, and his eyes shifted.
"This is also a fine piece of hundred-year whale rubber. Its appearance has suffered a little from exposure to the sun and wind, though. If you really want it, you can take it for 300 Gold Soul Coins."
Hundred-year?
Hah!
How could something that prompted his fortune to guide him in such a mysterious way possibly be mere hundred-year whale rubber?
His expression unchanged, Li Jin pointed at the black whale rubber.
"Then I'll take this piece and try out its effects first."
Li Jin took out 300 Gold Soul Coins, exchanging payment for goods. Once he had the black whale rubber, he turned and nodded to Xiao Wu, then left with her.
As a land-dwelling Soul Beast, Xiao Wu knew neither whale rubber's true effects nor its apparent effects.
She had followed Li Jin there in complete bewilderment and followed him away just as bewildered.
The shopkeeper smiled meaningfully.
"If it works, come back again! When buying whale rubber, look no further than Six Flavors Hall."
They left the pharmacy.
Xiao Wu leaned close to Li Jin and asked quietly:
"Li Jin, what exactly does this whale rubber do? That shopkeeper's smile felt rather wicked."
Since Li Jin had decided to take the whale rubber together with Xiao Wu, he had no intention of hiding its effects from her. Seeing no one around, he said quietly:
"I found a folk remedy in an ancient book. Taking whale rubber can strengthen your muscles and bones, reinforce your meridians, and improve your body's tolerance, allowing you to absorb older Soul Rings."
"Because taking whale rubber makes your blood surge and boil, those ignorant nobles use it to spice things up. Hah, they're practically picking up sesame seeds while throwing away a watermelon."
"If you vent that surging blood, how can it still strengthen your muscles, bones, and meridians?"
"Xiao Wu, only you, I, heaven, and earth know about this. I'm telling you because I trust you. Don't tell anyone else."
Xiao Wu blinked. She was a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit who had taken human form. She did not need to absorb Soul Rings; she could condense her own.
But if her physique grew stronger, the Soul Rings she condensed would have higher ages as well.
She patted her unremarkable little chest.
"Li Jin, don't worry. Your Sister Xiao Wu values loyalty above all when making her way in the world."
"You've shared something this good with me, so Sister Xiao Wu will definitely keep your secret. Even if someone beat me to death, I wouldn't talk."
"Li Jin, since whale rubber works so well, why didn't you buy a good-looking piece instead of that shabby one?"
"Are you short of money? Sister Xiao Wu can't help with that either. My monthly stipend is only one Gold Soul Coin."
A troubled look appeared on Xiao Wu's little face.
At the mention of this, Li Jin's face lit up as well.
"That isn't hundred-year whale rubber. If my guess is right, it's at least ten-thousand-year whale glue. Exposure to the wind and sun ruined its appearance, which is why the shopkeeper misidentified it."
"We're very lucky. One piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue is enough to greatly strengthen both our physiques."
Xiao Wu's little mouth fell slightly open in surprise and delight.
"Then we really picked up a huge bargain! Hundred-year whale rubber costs 500 Gold Soul Coins. Ten-thousand-year whale glue is a hundred times older, so wouldn't that make it worth 50,000 Gold Soul Coins?"
"You got it for just 300 Gold Soul Coins! How many sugar-roasted chestnuts, candied hawthorns, and sugar figurines could we buy with the money you saved..."
"Yay!"
Seeing Xiao Wu cheer and bounce with delight lifted Li Jin's spirits too.
It would be best to absorb the ten-thousand-year whale glue somewhere more private.
Li Jin was not afraid to spend money, so he booked a room at a large hotel. Here, as long as they did not wreck the hotel, no one would suddenly barge in.
Before returning to the room, Li Jin paid an extra ten Gold Soul Coins as a tip to borrow the hotel's kitchen.
Generally, softening whale rubber required a fire-attribute Soul Master.
Li Jin did not have the fire attribute, but he had a skill that suited this situation perfectly.
"First Soul Skill, Spiritual Bestowal!"
Li Jin completed Martial Soul Possession, and his first Soul Ring shone brightly. Standing before the stove, he temporarily bestowed his spirit upon the flames within it, turning them into a Flame Spirit.
As an extension of Li Jin's spirit, the Flame Spirit was under his perfect control. As he deliberately compressed it, the temperature at the center of the flames continued to rise.
Before long, the flames' temperature rivaled that of a fire-attribute Soul King.
This was the power of "Spiritual Bestowal." Although the Koi Martial Soul itself had no other attributes, Spiritual Bestowal allowed him to turn the earth, fire, water, and wind of nature into an Earth Spirit, Flame Spirit, Water Flow Spirit, and Raging Sylph to fight.
Then Li Jin placed the black whale rubber at the center of the Flame Spirit.
Under the Flame Spirit's scorching heat, in less than half an hour, the formerly black whale rubber softened into a gleaming golden, jellylike paste.
"First Soul Skill, Spiritual Telekinesis!"
Li Jin wrapped the softened whale rubber in Spiritual Telekinesis and placed it in an earthenware pot, continuously channeling Spiritual Telekinesis to prevent it from cooling prematurely.
Then he withdrew "Spiritual Bestowal," and the Flame Spirit in the stove scattered, reverting to ordinary flames.
Holding the earthenware pot, Li Jin quickly rejoined Xiao Wu, who was keeping watch at the door. "Xiao Wu, it's done. Let's get back to the room."
Xiao Wu followed him excitedly.
Soon, the two entered Room 404 one after the other and locked the door behind them.
Li Jin set down the earthenware pot and withdrew his Spiritual Telekinesis. Protected by Spiritual Telekinesis, the whale rubber remained in its freshly softened state, piping hot and steaming.
Before they took the whale rubber, Li Jin warned Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, taking whale rubber will make your blood surge and boil. Whatever reactions your body has, you must suppress them firmly with your mind. Otherwise, if your blood's vitality escapes, it will no longer strengthen your muscles, bones, and meridians."
Thinking that, as a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast who had taken human form, she had weathered every kind of storm, Xiao Wu puffed out her unremarkable little chest.
"Sister Xiao Wu has a firm will. I won't have any reaction at all. You, on the other hand-if you do anything embarrassing and don't pay Sister Xiao Wu enough hush money, don't blame me for spreading the word."
Li Jin smiled faintly. He was not afraid at all. After the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sacrificed himself to him, he had obtained the embryonic form of a second Martial Soul.
An ice element without a soul.
Even without a soul, it could still cool him down.
"Then let's begin."
With that, Li Jin and Xiao Wu each ate half of the ten-thousand-year whale glue in the earthenware pot.