Shitou Absorbs Whale Rubber

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ning Buhui got up and went to the mission hall.

The points he had accumulated over the years came from a variety of sources—earned in his early years by teaming up with Hu Liena, Star Dou Great Forest Xie Yue, and Yan to complete missions, and later earned by hunting Soul Beast, skinning and deboning them, refining materials, and exchanging them at a discount in the Mission Hall. All these bits and pieces added up to a considerable amount. He walked straight to the exchange counter and handed over the points token hanging on his waist.

The steward behind the counter took the item, glanced at it, and his expression changed slightly. He even straightened his back subconsciously, his attitude becoming much more respectful than usual. "Your Highness, what would you like to exchange for?"

"Do you have Whale Rubber that's about 50,000 years old?" Ning Buhui asked.

The steward glanced down at the thick exchange book, a troubled expression on his face. "Your Highness, a batch of ten- Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue arrived last month, but... there's only one piece left. It's eleven thousand years old. We originally had two pieces, but the other one was exchanged for by an elder from the inner hall yesterday. Whale Rubber older than ten thousand years has become increasingly rare in the past six months. If you had come two days later, I'm afraid this piece wouldn't have been available either."

"This one will do." Ning Buhui nodded, not bothering to choose another.

The steward responded, turned, and went into the back storeroom. A short while later, he returned with a palm-sized brocade box, gently placing it on the counter and opening it. Inside, lined with a layer of dark soft velvet, lay a fist-sized block of black plastic in the center. The surface of the plastic block was glossy and shiny, gleaming with a deep, dark light, not reflecting light, but only faintly exuding a heavy aura. Ning Buhui reached out and picked it up, feeling its cool, hard texture and weight, like a black stone polished by river water for hundreds of years.

He closed the brocade box, put it away, turned around and left the mission hall, heading towards the reception area on the west side.

Shitou was squatting in the courtyard, staring blankly at the clump of orchids at the base of the wall. Hearing footsteps, he quickly stood up and awkwardly wiped his hands on the hem of his clothes.

"Brother Ning Buhui."

"Come and sit down." Ning Buhui sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard and placed the brocade box on the stone table. "This is the thing I mentioned to you yesterday."

He lifted the lid of the box, revealing the dark Whale Rubber. Shitou leaned closer to take a look, his nose twitching slightly. He first smelled a very faint, fishy smell, like salted fish that had been marinated, which was not exactly pleasant.

"This is Whale Rubber," Ning Buhui said. "It's 11,000 years old, the oldest piece currently in the Spirit Hall. I originally wanted to exchange it for an even older one, but this kind of material is becoming increasingly scarce in the Spirit Hall lately. This piece will suffice."

Shitou stared wide-eyed at the dark, rubbery lump, completely unable to discern anything about it.

"You'd never guess its effects." Ning Buhui took the gel block out of the box and showed it to him in her palm. "It can genuinely strengthen your physical body. With your current physical foundation, your First Soul Ring will only be able to absorb a three- or four-hundred-year-old one at most; with this as a foundation, absorbing a Soul Ring of eight or nine hundred years will be a piece of cake."

Upon hearing Shitou, Shi Tou's eyes widened in astonishment. He couldn't believe that such a small, dark object could have such an incredible use.

"Its usage is also very particular. You can't just take it all at once. Remember what I'm saying." Ning Buhui held up one finger. "First, you must roast it at high temperature until the entire piece of glue is soft and its color changes from dead black to dark gold. Only then can you swallow it, otherwise you won't be able to bite it even if you break your teeth. Second, you can't swallow it all at once. The energy contained in the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue is too ferocious. With your current physique, if you eat it all at once, you will definitely explode and die. You must divide it into small pieces and take it a little each day. Third, after each time you finish eating it, immediately sit cross-legged and meditate, circulating your Soul Power to guide the dissolved medicinal power into your meridians little by little, guiding it into your limbs and bones. Only when you have eaten and refined the entire piece of Whale Rubber can you be considered to have completed the process."

Shitou listened intently, not even blinking, as if afraid of missing a single word.

"And there's one more crucial point." Ning Buhui lowered her hand, looking directly at him, "This method of refining the body with Whale Rubber is currently a closely guarded secret within the Spirit Hall. Not a single word is to be uttered outside. You know it yourself, and that's enough. You can't even mention it to your family. If this gets out, it will bring about your death, understand?"

Shitou slapped his chest and declared firmly, "Brother, don't worry, I, Shitou, will keep this to myself and won't utter a single word!"

Ning Buhui took Shitou back to his temporary room and closed the door tightly behind him. He had Shitou Tou sit cross-legged on the bed, while he moved a chair to the table, took out a pre-prepared heating Soul Tool from his storage ring, placed the Whale Rubber on the tray, and slowly channeled his Soul Power into it to begin heating it little by little.

At first, the piece of black glue remained motionless. After being heated for almost half an incense stick's time, it began to soften and deform little by little from the edges. Its color also slowly changed, the dead black gradually fading, like gold paint being added to thick ink, turning from black to dark gray, and then from dark gray to a layer of warm, dark gold. As the heat rose, an extremely mellow aroma seeped out from the glue in Sisi. This aroma was neither fishy nor pungent; it was a rich, dense, warm fragrance, like the aroma of aged seafood slowly simmered over a low flame. Just smelling it warmed one's chest and even suppressed some of the feeling of hunger.

Once the entire piece of Whale Rubber was roasted until it was completely soft and glossy with a dark golden sheen, Ning Buhui removed it from the Soul Tool and placed it on a clean white porcelain plate. He pinched off a small piece, about the size of a fingernail, and handed it over. "Eat only this much today. You haven't been getting enough nutrition these past few years, and your constitution is weak. Eating too much at once will be too much for your body to handle. If you fail to absorb it, that would truly be a loss."

Shitou obediently took it. The small piece of Whale Rubber was warm to the touch, sticky and soft, with a chewy texture. He put it in his mouth, and it had almost no taste, neither sweet nor salty, just slid down his throat, followed by a warm sensation that spread from his stomach.

"Close your eyes and circulate your Soul Power," Ning Buhui said.

Shitou sat cross-legged as instructed, closed his eyes, and used his Soul Power to neutralize the small amount of medicine in his stomach. The amount he had taken the first time was too small, and the medicine was quickly neutralized, turning into a pure and gentle energy that flowed slowly along his meridians to his limbs, seeping into his muscles and skin little by little, silently strengthening his thin body.

Half an hour later, Shitou opened his eyes, moved his hands and feet, and felt much lighter than usual, as if he had unloaded some invisible burden.

The next day, having learned from the first day, Ning Buhui let him eat a piece the size of a thumb. This time, the sensation was much more pronounced. When the warm current surged from his stomach, it was like a shallow stream, flowing along his meridians into his limbs and bones. Shitou Tou gritted his teeth, spreading his Soul Power into a net, guiding the stream little by little to his shoulders, back, chest, and abdomen, before it sank down his thighs to the soles of his feet.

After the effects of the medicine wore off, he was soaked in cold sweat, his clothes clinging damply to his back, yet his muscles and bones felt bulging with an inexhaustible energy.

On the third, fourth, and fifth days, each day I ate a piece the size of a thumb. After eating it, I would meditate, circulating my Soul Power to guide the medicinal effects, over and over again.

On the evening of the fifth day, after the last small piece of Whale Rubber was swallowed and completely refined by the Shitou, a soft "snap" sound suddenly came from inside his body, as if a shackle that had been binding him for a long time had been broken from the inside.

Shitou sat up in bed, completely stunned.

He looked down at his hands. His knuckles were thicker than they had been five days ago, and the calluses from his carpentry work were still there, but the skin beneath them had become firmer, shinier, and more resilient. He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking. He took a deep breath and channeled his Soul Power through his limbs. His meridians were noticeably wider, and his Soul Power flowed smoothly, like a stream squeezing into a wide riverbed from a narrow opening, without any obstacles. He carefully weighed his total Soul Power within his body; it was nearly 30% more than it had been five days ago.

What shocked him even more was the body itself. He had been malnourished since childhood, so thin that his ribs protruded one by one, and he would be out of breath after doing even a little heavy work. Now, he stood up, jumped twice on the spot, and landed as steadily as if rooted to the ground. He reached out and touched his ribs; the once jagged joints were now covered by a thin layer of firm muscle. Although he was still thin, he was no longer the fragile creature that would break at the slightest breeze.

"This..." Shitou opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Ning Buhui leaned against the doorframe, quietly watching him. "Feel it for yourself, how many years can your First Soul Ring withstand with your current body?"

Shitou closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and carefully sensed for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, his voice was trembling. "I used to estimate it would be at most four hundred years. Now... now I think it's more than a thousand years."

Ning Buhui nodded. The Whale Rubber had significantly raised his tolerance limit, and coupled with the inherent growth potential of the Slime Martial Soul, Shitou's First Soul Ring could jump from the original four hundred years to around a thousand years. This was by no means a trivial matter of adding a few Ten-Year Soul Ring —the thicker the foundation laid by the first ring, the higher the limit of each subsequent ring would be. Only with a solid foundation could the building be built higher. The path he had paved for Shitou was far wider than others from the very first step.

Shitou stood in the center of the room, looking down at his hands, then reaching out to touch his chest and ribs. Suddenly, his nose stung with tears. He clenched his teeth, trying to hold back the tears, but they still welled up uncontrollably.

He didn't say a word, just stood there, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Four years have passed. He walked all the way from Green Grain Town to Spirit City. The townspeople laughed at him, calling him a piece of mud. Sanwa and his gang chased after him and teased him. Even he himself would wake up in the middle of the night and wonder: had he really wasted all his time?

But now, standing here, his body is filled with a much stronger Soul Power than it was five days ago, and he can feel the explosive power hidden in his muscles that he never dared to imagine before. He is no longer that frail child who could be blown away by a gust of wind.

He turned around and looked at Ning Buhui, who was leaning against the doorframe. Through his teary eyes, the boy's figure was clearer than anything else. He opened his mouth, wanting to say thank you, but the two words were too light. A simple thank you couldn't contain the turmoil churning in his heart at that moment.

"Brother Ning Buhui," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Um."

"From now on, whenever you need my help," Shitou said, each word distinct, tears still streaming down his face, but his voice as steady as an iron nail driven into a wooden board, "I, Shitou, will never utter a single word of refusal, even if it means going through fire and water."

Ning Buhui looked at him, walked over, and patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't rush into anything," Ning Buhui said. "We haven't even gotten our First Soul Ring yet. We should have news about the Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard in the next couple of days. Get yourself into top condition, and we'll set off in a couple of days."

Shitou nodded vigorously, raising his hand to wipe away the tears on his face. The Slime floated out of his palm; the ball of blue liquid was almost twice as big as it had been five days ago, the silver specks on its surface were several times denser, and the silver vein inside its core was also thicker, pulsating gently with his heartbeat. Shitou looked at it, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

He'll have to wait a few more days until he gets his First Soul Ring; then his journey will truly begin.

After leaving Shitou's residence, Ning Buhui returned to his own courtyard alone. This was the residence assigned to him by the Spirit Hall. The courtyard was quiet and secluded, with several ancient pine trees planted inside. The wind rustled through the branches and leaves. He pushed open the door and sat down. He had just poured himself a cup of warm water when the steady voice of a guard came from outside the courtyard gate to report.

"Your Highness, the men who went to investigate the Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard have returned and request an audience."

Ning Buhui raised her eyes slightly. "Come in."

A Spirit Hall spy dressed in a dark gray outfit strode into the room and bowed. He was travel-worn, with dirt and grass still clinging to his clothes, clearly having rushed back.

"Your Highness, we have discovered the Shadow Illusory Scale Lizard, approximately 960 years old, deep within the Rosy Sunset Swamp. It is currently lurking in a damp cave. It was injured in a recent battle with other Soul Beast, which has limited its mobility, making this an opportune time to hunt it."

Ning Buhui lightly tapped the table with her fingertips, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She had originally estimated that it would take at least two more days to get accurate information, but the news had arrived ahead of schedule. It seemed that Shitou was quite lucky. Nine hundred and sixty years was just right for the physical body's limit after Shitou refined the Whale Rubber. It wouldn't exceed the load, and it was enough to solidify the foundation.

"What is the terrain like in the caves within the swamp? Are there any other high-level Soul Beast entrenched in the surrounding area?" Ning Buhui asked in a deep voice.

The scout continued his report, detailing the location of the swamp entrance, the cave, the distribution of the undercurrents, and the activity patterns of the nearby Soul Beast. This area only has ordinary aquatic Soul Beast that are three or four hundred years old at most, and there are no powerful overlords, so the hunting risk is very low.

After hearing all the intelligence, Ning Buhui dismissed the spies and sat alone to plan the next steps.

I'll tell Shitou the good news later and tell him to get ready. We'll set off for Rosy Sunset Swamp early tomorrow morning. The journey will take about a day, and we should arrive the day after tomorrow. This Soul Beast is recovering from its injuries, so dealing with it should be easy.

Thinking of this, Ning Buhui picked up her water glass, took a sip, and sent someone to tell Shitou Tou.

Everything is ready; we're just waiting to set off tomorrow.