Soul Land—Chapter 15: Whale Glue and the Eve of Soul Hunting
A month passed quickly, and Zhu Zhuqing, who had made a bold move, did not show much change on the outside.
Her dress and behavior remained the same, but beneath that calm exterior, something seemed to be quietly changing.
After that day, she and Ling Qianyao had more frequent conversations, smiled more, and grew closer to each other.
After leaving a package of gold soul coins with Old Jason, the two set out on their journey back to Star Luo City.
Old Jason had refused at first but agreed only after Ling Qianyao took out thousands of gold soul coins and placed them on his desk.
However, he only accepted 100 gold soul coins; if given more, he would turn hostile.
Ling Qianyao did not push the matter. After all, one gold soul coin was enough for an ordinary family of three in the Douluo Continent to live on for several months. For Old Jason, these gold soul coins were already a considerable amount of wealth.
Star Luo City, Fantasy Artifacts Shop.
Ling Qianyao took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and brought her to the outside of the shop.
"Qianyao, what are you going to buy here?"
Zhu Zhuqing blushed slightly. This was one of the properties of their Zhu family. As a relatively large shop in Star Luo City, the Fantasy Artifacts Shop mostly sold various fantasy tools, accessories, antiques, and some rare materials.
Among them, many items could be sent to the auction house.
However, another reason this place remained well-known among the nobles was that this shop often sold whale glue, a "tonic item."
As a special substance produced in the brains of whale soul beasts, whale glue is found in coastal areas.
Since most sea soul beasts do not approach the mainland, especially whale soul beasts, whale glue is quite expensive. Even whale glue that is a thousand years old costs between one and two thousand gold soul coins. The larger the volume, the higher the price.
Ten-thousand-year-old whale glue is even rarer, often selling for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of gold soul coins.
At this time, the Douluo Continent did not yet know the full range of uses for whale glue. In most cases, it was used by nobles for various personal purposes, primarily for its aphrodisiac effect.
"I'm going to buy whale glue."
"Oh, you're going to buy whale glue, huh?" Zhu Zhuqing was taken aback for a moment, then her cheeks flushed as she whispered, "Qianyao, you're buying whale glue for..."
She naturally thought of something else. Although the nobles of the Star Luo Empire were not as extravagant and indulgent as those in the Heaven Dou Empire, there were still similarities.
"Duang~"
Ling Qianyao flicked her forehead in annoyance. "What are you thinking about? I'm not buying whale glue for those mundane purposes."
Besides, he couldn't do that right now anyway.
"I'll explain later. Don't assume anything now. I'll tell you the real use of whale glue when we get back."
Zhu Zhuqing heard this and nodded. She looked around cautiously at the people nearby. After confirming that there were no acquaintances, she sighed with relief.
Donning a veil, she followed Ling Qianyao, and the two walked into the Magical Treasure House hand in hand.
"Boss, take out the best whale glue you have," Ling Qianyao said straightforwardly.
"Ah?"
The boss was stunned, looking at the young boy and girl in front of him. "Sir, are you serious? Whose young master and young lady are you? Are they really this impressive?"
"Oh, I'm buying it for my brother. He will be getting married soon. It's a gift."
"You... this..." The boss was speechless. Is your gift serious?
However, based on the principle of not turning away business, he went to the back room and took out a jade box. "Two thousand years of whale glue is the best in our store. There are not many in Star Luo City that can exceed this quality."
Ling Qianyao raised the jade box and examined the yellow whale glue. Activating "Astrology" silently, he confirmed that it was a good omen and nodded.
In the boss's strange gaze, Ling Qianyao spent 1,800 gold soul coins to purchase this piece of whale glue.
After they walked out of the Magic Weapon Shop, the boss looked at the gold soul coins he had just received with a smug expression. Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind the counter.
"Come here."
Zhu Zhuyun took back the gold soul coins that the shop owner had just received. "You didn't meet these two people today, and the whale glue transaction never happened, understand?"
"I understand." The boss nodded, tears in his eyes.
Zhu Zhuyun put the gold soul coins into her storage bracelet, casting a dangerous look at Ling Qianyao as he walked away, clenching her teeth in frustration.
"You better give me a reasonable explanation later, or I'll make you regret this! How old are you?"
Returning to the academy, Ling Qianyao went straight to the dean and arranged to hunt soul beasts to obtain his first soul ring in two days.
After saying goodbye to his classmates in the ninth dormitory, Ling Qianyao moved into the single dormitory that the dean had promised him previously.
Zhu Zhuqing was pulled into the dormitory by him. As they entered, Ling Qianyao placed the jade box he held on the table, turning to Zhu Zhuqing with excitement in his eyes.
"Gulp." Zhu Zhuqing said weakly, "So, Qianyao, do you still want to use it yourself?"
Ling Qianyao couldn't help but laugh at her. Seeing her still somewhat confused and shy expression, he shook his head.
"Whale glue has another function. This extremely potent tonic can enhance a soul master's physique and provide a slight increase in soul power after consumption.
The age of the soul ring depends on the physique and mental strength of the soul master. Zhuqing, do you understand what this whale glue means now?"
"Ah?" Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned.
Ling Qianyao continued, "The timing of taking it is very critical. For soul masters, by the time they might need it, the hundreds of years of soul ring limit increase will not be very useful.
However, if the soul master starts taking it when they are young and have just awakened, the age of their first and second soul rings can be significantly improved."
"You mean, the second one can be purple!" Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted slightly. She didn't care why Ling Qianyao knew about the effects of whale glue.
In addition to the star visualization and the Double Star cultivation method, Ling Qianyao had many unique things that made her curious and in awe.
The secret of whale glue could not be kept hidden forever. He needed to use it before acquiring the soul ring; it would be better to expose it early. Moreover, he had also prepared forged documents.
"Zhu Zhuyun must have received the news. I wonder if she is on her way here on horseback."
Whale glue must be softened by burning with a high-intensity flame before it can be consumed. Ling Qianyao did not have this opportunity now, so he chose to attract Zhu Zhuyun's attention and wait for her arrival to resolve the issue.
The astrology in the shop earlier was not to predict the authenticity of the whale glue itself or whether it would be good or bad for him; it was to predict whether it would be beneficial for Zhu Zhuyun to help him.
Bringing her sister to buy whale glue, she would come to check it out, given her personality.
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(End of this chapter)