Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue

The crescent moon shone bright and clear, and the night breeze was slightly cool.

Having awakened Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power, and been taken as a disciple by the Soul Douluo Qian Xunji, young Bibi Dong felt wrapped in happiness.

She made up her mind to live a good life in Spirit Hall for the rest of her days.

Knock, knock, knock. Someone rapped on the door. Bibi Dong had just finished making her bed, and she was surprised. Her teacher had only just left. Could he have come back?

Bibi Dong opened the door, only to find Qian Xunling standing there. She immediately said nervously, "Martial Uncle..."

"What? You don't welcome your martial uncle?" Qian Xunling's gaze shifted to the girl's right hand, which was holding the door half shut. He sneered. "Hmm?"

"N-no, Martial Uncle. I'm a girl. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to come in?" Bibi Dong said fearfully in a low voice.

Qian Xunling paid no heed to that. He raised a hand and rapped Bibi Dong on the forehead. "Cut the nonsense. If your teacher can come in, why can't I, your martial uncle? Besides, what's my status, and what's yours? My coming to see you brings radiance to your humble abode, Little Spider."

"That hurts." Bibi Dong clutched her reddened forehead, almost wanting to cry. Everything about Spirit Hall was good, except that she had a martial uncle like this.

Qian Xunling stepped into her bedroom. It was clean and tidy, but there was nothing else worth mentioning. After looking around, he reclined on the bedding Bibi Dong had just laid out.

At the sight, Bibi Dong's heart ached, but she cowered by the door, not daring to go anywhere near her martial uncle.

Qian Xunling propped his cheek on one hand and looked at Bibi Dong speechlessly. "Come in and close the door," he urged.

"Oh... yes." Bibi Dong wanted to cry but had no tears. She quietly shut the door and moved nervously to a spot some distance from Qian Xunling.

Qian Xunling said speechlessly, "Come here."

"Come in front of me and sit cross-legged there."

Following Qian Xunling's gaze, Bibi Dong walked to the most open spot in the bedroom and sat cross-legged as he had said.

Bibi Dong didn't dare say a word the whole time. She kept her head down, not daring to look at Qian Xunling, and prayed in her heart that her martial uncle would leave soon.

"Look up," Qian Xunling said.

Bibi Dong slowly raised her gaze, only to see an ugly-looking blackish-brown lump thrown her way. She raised her hand and caught the soft thing, and a pungent, fishy stench hit her in the face.

"Blech..." Bibi Dong turned aside and retched.

Qian Xunling chuckled. "Do you know what this is?"

"This is called Whale Rubber, and the piece in your hand is Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue. It's good stuff."

A faint whimpering sob reached him. Qian Xunling narrowed his eyes slightly and saw Bibi Dong lift her little face. Her large purple eyes were red-rimmed, making her look terribly pitiful, but she was struggling not to let a single tear fall.

?

Qian Xunling said speechlessly, "What the hell are you crying for? I told you this is good stuff. Isn't your teacher taking you to hunt for your first Soul Ring tomorrow? Once you absorb this, you'll be able to absorb a Soul Ring of a higher age."

"?" Bibi Dong looked at him through tear-filled eyes, puzzled.

The sight of her tears gave Qian Xunling a headache. "I really didn't expect you to be such a crybaby. You wanted to cry back at the door, and now you can't stop. If you weren't my martial niece, I wouldn't even bother with you.

"Hurry up and wipe your tears. If you don't quiet down, the next time I get something this good, I won't give you any."

So there it was: even a dog wouldn't want to look after a child.

But to keep Bibi Dong from repeating the same mistakes as in the original work,

Qian Xunling had no choice but to come over.

It took quite a while before Bibi Dong wiped away her tears, but she still couldn't stand the fishy stench coming from the Whale Rubber. Covering her mouth and nose, she retched. "Martial Uncle, can this really raise the age of the Soul Ring I can absorb?"

"Of course. Why would I lie to you?" Qian Xunling chuckled.

There was no way he could convince anyone looking like that.

Bibi Dong was still a little nervous. "But I still find it hard to believe, because Teacher never mentioned anything like this."

"That teacher of yours is useless. He has so many of Spirit Hall's resources at his disposal, yet he's in his forties and has only just reached the Soul Douluo level. There's plenty he doesn't know," Qian Xunling said mockingly.

"What about you, Martial Uncle?" Bibi Dong was somewhat displeased to hear him speak of her teacher that way, and she asked the question without thinking.

Qian Xunling sneered. "Me? I'm eighteen this year, a level seventy-four Soul Saint. What do you think?"

"A-amazing." Bibi Dong's mouth fell slightly open.

She hadn't begun cultivating yet, but even commoners knew that Titled Douluo were generally in their sixties or seventies on average, and only a handful of geniuses reached that level in their fifties or even earlier.

Still, Bibi Dong muttered under her breath, "Teacher isn't bad either."

"Enough talk. I don't have that much time to waste with you. Hurry up and eat this Whale Rubber, then sit cross-legged and cultivate. I'll help you absorb all its medicinal power," Qian Xunling urged.

"Huh?" Bibi Dong looked at the disgusting lump of Whale Rubber in her hand. "Eat it raw, Martial Uncle?"

Qian Xunling raised his other hand and used his Soul Power to take the Whale Rubber from Bibi Dong. Then he snapped his fingers lightly, and a flame enveloped the Whale Rubber, roasting it.

As the heat melted it, the solid Whale Rubber slowly turned liquid, and the fishy stench was covered by a hint of sweetness.

When Bibi Dong smelled it, she blurted out, "It smells so good."

The last bit of wariness she had toward the lump vanished completely.

Seeing Bibi Dong acting like such a foodie, Qian Xunling said coldly, "Open your mouth and eat every bit of it. Spill a single drop, and I won't give you any next time."

"Mm-hmm." Bibi Dong opened her little mouth, and the liquid Whale Rubber was delivered into it. After eating every last bit, she settled down cross-legged to meditate in earnest and absorb its medicinal power.

Soon her skin began to turn red, and waves of faint heat rolled off her body. A pained expression appeared on her delicate little face.

Qian Xunling said, "The longer you hold out, the more you'll benefit."

Hearing that, Bibi Dong, who had nearly given up several times, clenched her fists again. But she had still overestimated her body. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a layer of warm, cool energy enveloped her.

The medicinal power inside her body became nourishment for every one of her meridians. She could clearly feel the changes in herself at that moment. Not only had her body changed; her mind had also become remarkably clear.

After absorbing all the medicinal power, Bibi Dong opened her eyes, intending to thank Qian Xunling, but he was nowhere to be seen. His voice came from the doorway.

"If your teacher won't let you absorb a Soul Ring of a higher age tomorrow, tell him I told you to do it," Qian Xunling said, glancing at Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong smiled. "Thank you, Martial Uncle."

Looking at him now, her martial uncle didn't seem quite so frightening.

"Little Spider, you must cultivate diligently. You mustn't disappoint your martial uncle," Qian Xunling said earnestly.

Qian Xunling's sudden seriousness sent a chill through Bibi Dong's heart. She felt that her martial uncle had suddenly begun harboring ill intentions.

But Bibi Dong quickly persuaded herself otherwise. How could she think that of her martial uncle? He had just given her such a good thing. She now somewhat believed that he was simply cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

"Rest assured, Martial Uncle. Dong'er will cultivate diligently and live up to your and Teacher's high hopes," Bibi Dong said with a smile.

Qian Xunling nodded. Only after closing the door did he chuckle and show a sinister smile. She had eaten a piece of his Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, so she would have to pay him back properly.

He wasn't someone who made losing deals.