Before awakening his martial soul, Chen Ming was already the most cherished child of the Chen family. After awakening his martial soul, he instantly became the lifeblood of the entire family. Practically all the family's resources were unconditionally directed toward him.
However, in the era of Douluo Continent, pharmacology was not particularly advanced. There were no miracle pills like Xuan Shui Dan or Sheng Hun Dan that could directly enhance talent or soul power. Therefore, the methods of nourishment still relied on medicinal baths and herbal meals to gradually improve the body.
Despite having innate level 5 soul power and access to top-notch cultivation grounds and resources, the innate flaws in the Emerald Scorpion's core meant that Chen Ming's cultivation speed before acquiring his first soul ring was somewhat hindered.
It took him two and a half years to rise from level 5 to level 10—a span of time that's neither too long nor too short. On the Douluo Continent, this was considered a fairly normal pace, perhaps slightly above average, but still far from the realm of true geniuses.
Even after reaching level 10 soul power, Chen Ming did not immediately seek out a soul ring. Instead, he continued to focus on tempering his body through various methods.
When he casually mentioned to his family that he had heard whale glue could enhance physical fitness and extend the age of absorbed soul rings, his grandfather, Chen Shijie, didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately used every available channel to acquire several kinds of whale glue from different whale-type soul beasts.
These included whale glue from ordinary whale-type soul beasts as well as from various rare species. The most expensive piece was a chunk of whale glue from a 20,000-year-old Evil Demon Tiger Whale. It was said to have been obtained a few years ago by a Soul Sage of the Spirit Hall during a hunt for his seventh soul ring near a coastal city—a true top-tier treasure among whale glues.
That basketball-sized piece of whale glue cost a whopping 3 million gold soul coins, not even counting the costs of networking and logistical arrangements.
In this era, the fishing industry of Douluo Continent was extremely underdeveloped. Catching fish in shallow waters was doable, but venturing into the deep sea was impossible.
Douluo Continent had never developed whaling ships; hunting whale-type soul beasts was solely the work of soul masters. A capable soul master with a water-attribute martial soul at the 30th level could handle some hundred-year-old whale-type soul beasts, but when facing a pod of sea soul beasts, even they were often doomed.
Hunting whale-type soul beasts that were over 10,000 years old was far harder than hunting 10,000-year-old soul beasts on land. Moreover, whale-type soul beasts typically lived in groups, making the hunt even more difficult. Usually, only Soul Sages or even Soul Douluos were capable of such feats.
So, even though the body-enhancing properties of whale glue were not yet widely recognized at the time, high-age whale glue was still incredibly expensive.
For an average small clan, just that one piece of whale glue could drive them to tears. But the Chen family was far from poor.
The Chen family held the title of Count and had ruled over Biluo City for 500 years, controlling the city's largest slice of the pie. Their income came not only from various taxes but also from being the primary dealer of soul beast materials in Biluo City, raking in tens of thousands of gold soul coins annually.
Additionally, as masters of poisons, the Chen family ran pharmacies and medical clinics. While these ventures were not hugely prestigious, they still brought in a decent annual income. Secretly, the family also trafficked in poisons and deadly concoctions—a highly profitable business.
When the family began to notice a decline in the number of people awakening martial souls, they considered forming alliances and seeking patrons. Over the centuries, they invested in various merchants and soul masters. Although many investments failed, some succeeded, helping them expand their network and even allowing them to affiliate with several trading companies.
Their biggest investment came 200 years ago.
At that time, disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were mining near Biluo City. Due to an unexpected crisis, the sect was temporarily vulnerable. The city lord of Biluo, under orders from rival powers, tried to sabotage them. The Chen family intervened, resolving the issue and earning the sect's gratitude, which resulted in the family acquiring stakes in some of the sect's mines. These mines paid annual dividends to the Chen family.
Part of that money was converted into real estate—such as fortifying the Chen estate and adding new facilities. Another part went into cultivation expenses, while the rest covered daily costs. The largest chunk, however, was deposited with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Although they had to pay a safekeeping fee every year, it was far safer than keeping it themselves.
Chen Shijie told Chen Ming that the family had around 45 million gold soul coins stored with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and about 10 million in liquid assets. If you included their real estate and other properties, the Chen family's total assets probably exceeded 100 million gold soul coins—a respectable figure for a Count-level noble family.
If not for the fact that soul bones were priceless and highly dangerous to own (as they could easily attract killers), the Chen family might have hoarded some to build up their legacy.
After consuming many nourishing herbs, Chen Ming also tried whale glue. However, the results were not as impressive as he had hoped.
Whale glue from hundred-year-old whales mainly acted as an aphrodisiac, and the supposed health benefits didn't even make up for the energy it burned after use. Although Chen Ming was not yet of age, consuming it still left him uncomfortable, with minimal improvements in his physical fitness.
Thousand-year-old whale glue was somewhat better in enhancing physical fitness, but its aphrodisiac effects were even stronger. After using it for a while, Chen Ming began to feel like he was hitting puberty early, with signs of precocious development. To avoid potential future complications, they had to adjust the dosage and frequency and used milder methods to counteract the aphrodisiac side effects.
As for that piece of 20,000-year-old whale glue from the Evil Demon Tiger Whale…
The Chen family cut off a piece the size of a fingernail and used soul beast wood to craft a holder. They then burned it in an iron-forging flame for an hour just to melt it. Three rounds of servants were needed to keep the fire going, and some got so overwhelmed by the fumes that they nearly got intimate on the spot, only cooling down after dousing themselves with several buckets of cold water.
That tiny piece of whale glue was delivered to Chen Ming by Chen Shijie himself, who wore a hood, thick clothes, and a robe and carried it in a storage soul tool.
The glue gave off a viscous sheen and a strange fragrance. The moment Chen Ming smelled it, he started to feel dazed and experienced urges far beyond his years.
He cautiously cut off about a quarter of the piece and swallowed it. After sitting in meditation for three minutes, he began to feel restless. Two minutes later, he couldn't take it anymore and rushed off to cool down with a cold shower. Eventually, finding that insufficient, he dove headfirst into a water tank to soak.
Whether his physique was enhanced, he couldn't tell—but he definitely felt like he had nearly gone berserk. For some time after that, even consuming hundred-year or thousand-year whale glue became awkward for him.
That remaining three-quarters of a fingernail-sized piece was eventually taken by Chen Ming's second uncle. A few months later, Chen Ming heard that both of his second uncle's concubines were pregnant at the same time.
Chen Tianyun was 40 years old. He had married at 21 and, over 19 years, had taken three concubines. In all that time, not only had he failed to father a son—he hadn't even had a daughter.
He had sought out specialist soul masters multiple times, undergone examinations, and tried all sorts of remedies, including consuming whale glue of both hundred-year and thousand-year quality. But in the end, he gave up, believing that fate had denied him children.
Who would have thought that his wish would finally come true in such a bizarre and unexpected way?
It was only later that the Chen family, who lived inland, learned that the whale glue from the Evil Demon Tiger Whale was among the finest of its kind. Its potency lay not just in the high quality of the soul beast but also in its fierce medicinal properties. Due to its rarity, it was a treasure that was practically priceless.
Although the Chen family had spent 3 million gold soul coins on it, had they sold it to someone in real need, its price could have doubled, or even tripled with the right marketing. If they had gifted it to a powerful noble family, it could have earned them significant favor.
In the end, it was money extremely well spent.
(End of chapter)