Xu Haoyang took out a small metal bowl and placed the whale glue inside. A scorching sun immediately condensed in his hand, and the little metal bowl gradually turned red-hot. Even the whale glue began to melt.
Smelling the wisps of peculiar fragrance rising from the whale glue, Xu Zhengyang blushed. Although he was only eight years old now, his soul was nearly thirty, so he naturally knew what that intoxicating fragrance meant.
Xu Haoyang, standing beside him, could not help laughing. "Zhengyang, you have to drink this whale glue while it's hot for it to work. But be careful. You must stay clearheaded while taking it. Don't lose yourself."
Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Zhengyang took the little bowl and swallowed the whale glue in one gulp.
As the whale glue entered his mouth, a scorching sensation instantly flowed down his throat and into his abdomen.
In just an instant, that terrifying heat spread throughout his body. Even his brain suffered an impact at that moment, leaving him somewhat dazed, even disoriented, as an impulsive restlessness spread through him.
Xu Zhengyang knew what caused this sensation, but he had no time to consider so much now. He could only muster all his concentration, grit his teeth, and endure the restlessness rising from within.
At that critical moment, Xu Haoyang took out a large tub nearly a meter in diameter and swiftly filled it with clean water.
Immediately afterward, regardless of Xu Zhengyang's current condition, Xu Haoyang placed him in the icy water.
Xu Zhengyang, who had been exceptionally restless, instantly regained a trace of clarity in the clean water, and he gradually began to calm down.
Even so, his entire body gradually turned red, and some unknown black impurities seeped from his pores.
When Xu Zhengyang regained full awareness, all the water in the tub had turned pitch-black. He could clearly feel that his physique seemed to have grown stronger, his capacity to endure had increased, and even his cultivation speed seemed to have improved considerably.
Every pore across his body felt completely unobstructed, like parched land welcoming sweet rain after a long drought. Unfortunately, he was stuck at the rank-ten bottleneck and could not tell how much his Soul Power had increased.
Only then did Xu Haoyang speak from beside him.
"Zhengyang, change your clothes first, then absorb the Soul Ring. This Ironclad Explosive Flame Tiger won't last much longer."
Only then did Xu Zhengyang climb out of the tub. After changing his clothes, he took his spear and went straight to the dying Ironclad Explosive Flame Tiger.
The Ironclad Explosive Flame Tiger was firmly trapped in the Thunder Flame Enemy-Binding Net, its body covered in hideous wounds. None of its former imposing might as the king of the forest remained, but its eyes were still full of ferocity.
Xu Zhengyang did not hesitate either. He drove his spear straight into the Ironclad Explosive Flame Tiger's head, killing it instantly. At the same time, a yellow Soul Ring appeared above its corpse.
Xu Haoyang remained a little nervous beside him, seemingly wary of this Soul Ring that was over six hundred years old.
But Xu Zhengyang's eyes held nothing but determination. If he wanted to become truly strong, if he wanted to truly break through his Martial Soul's limitations, he had to stake his life on it. He had to use Soul Rings to make up for his shortcomings.
Xu Zhengyang sat cross-legged on the ground and summoned his Martial Soul, the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear. Then he used his spiritual power to draw over the yellow Soul Ring.
The six-hundred-year Soul Ring slowly floated toward the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear in Xu Zhengyang's hand. A terrifying force instantly surged into his body, and in that single instant, his entire body felt as though it would explode.
Six hundred years was already well beyond the limit for an ordinary Soul Master's first Soul Ring. A normal Soul Master's first Soul Ring was only four hundred years old, while this Ironclad Explosive Flame Tiger's Soul Ring exceeded the normal first Soul Ring limit by fifty percent.
At that instant, Xu Zhengyang felt as though all the blood in his body had begun to boil, as though he were submerged in scorching magma. Every inch of skin, every cell, every drop of blood, and every bit of bone marrow seemed about to melt.
Extreme pain spread throughout his body. Even all his meridians felt as though they were burning, and his entire body seemed on the verge of collapse.
Even so, Xu Zhengyang kept his teeth clenched, as though a powerful conviction supported him as he pressed forward, enduring the extreme pain.
Ever since coming to this Douluo World, Xu Zhengyang had cultivated diligently and put all his strength into training his body, all to escape his Martial Soul's limitations and overcome the shortcoming of his insufficient Innate Soul Power. At this stage, however, there was simply no way apart from absorbing Soul Rings.
Xu Zhengyang had his own pride, too. Although he was not truly a native of the Douluo World, after coming here, he had received his father's and mother's love and his family's protection. If he could not grow stronger, he would have no way to protect his family or realize his ideals.
This was not a matter of ambition, but the pride of a transmigrator, a cry of defiance against the way of the world.
Beside him, Xu Haoyang's eyes were filled with worry. As he deployed various Soul Tools to surround and protect Xu Zhengyang, he kept his gaze fixed on his son's condition.
Xu Zhengyang looked utterly wretched. Because the Soul Ring's energy was far too abundant and overbearing, blood had actually begun to seep faintly through his skin. Even his eyes and nose were slowly bleeding, and his whole face was somewhat contorted-the look of someone enduring extreme pain.
"I can't lose. I haven't gone out to see this vast world yet. I haven't found a path for my parents to stay alive. No one can stop me from moving forward. No one can make me retreat."
His previously contorted face now looked utterly defiant, and utterly resentful.
Amid that extreme pain, even as he approached the brink of collapse time and again, Xu Zhengyang kept gritting his teeth and holding on. He continued to use every ounce of his strength to resist the impact of that terrifying Soul Power on his body.
Only after a full two hours did Xu Zhengyang's expression gradually begin to calm. Even the traces of blood that had seeped through his skin gradually began to fade.
When Xu Zhengyang opened his eyes again, he let out a furious roar, like a fierce tiger breaking free of its cage, like a fierce tiger roaring through the mountain forests.
"Dad, I did it! I finally absorbed this six-hundred-year Soul Ring!"
Xu Haoyang's face was now filled with gratification as well. Although his son's aptitude was somewhat lacking, at this moment, he saw boundless possibilities in him, a vast future, and the determination to become a powerhouse.
"Zhengyang, how do you feel now? How is your Soul Power?"
Xu Zhengyang held the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear. A yellow Soul Ring now encircled it, and the rust on its shaft had grown denser. The entire shaft seemed to have turned darker, but a faint golden sheen had begun to emerge at the spearhead.
Although the spearhead still had no sharpened edge and remained like an iron rod, the scorching heat it gave off was stronger, as unyielding as the blazing sun.
"Rank fourteen. I broke straight through to rank fourteen."