Chapter 26 – Refining Whale Rubber, Yuhao, Your Capital Is Quite Substantial
"Well then, it's been a pleasure meeting you. Let's meet again another day."
As Huo Yuhao spoke, Xiao Hongchen finally realized they had already returned to the academy. Only then did he respond in turn.
"Oh—right. Yuhao, my brother, let's meet again. If you ever have any questions regarding soul guidance devices, you can come to the sixth grade to find me."
This… was strange. Far too strange. Xiao Hongchen almost felt like he wasn't being himself.
He didn't even notice the change in how he addressed Huo Yuhao. Despite being three years older, he had unconsciously begun treating Yuhao as a peer.
Meng Hongchen shoved her brother aside and squeezed in next to Yuhao. She smiled sweetly.
"Yuhao, I think your views on soul guidance device research are eye-opening. May I visit your place to ask for advice in the future? Don't worry, I won't disturb your cultivation."
Hey, hey, hey—Meng, your little abacus beads are practically clattering in Yuhao's face. Be honest with yourself—are you going there just to seek advice?
Yuhao's lips curved into a faint smile, his voice gentle.
"I'm afraid not, at least for now. Due to certain special reasons, I need a quiet environment to focus on increasing my soul power. Perhaps in the future, there will be opportunities then."
Having obtained the whale rubber, his next priority was naturally to refine it, to strengthen his physique, and to continue his weekly medicinal baths.
He intended to use every bit of time to push himself to rank 20 before the expedition to the Extreme North. Everything else would have to step aside for that goal.
Hearing his refusal, Meng Hongchen's face dimmed slightly. After all, Yuhao no longer attended first-year classes, nor did he go to the library. The boys' dormitory was off-limits to her. Who knew when they would meet again?
"Haha, Yuhao is right. We're all in the academy—meeting again won't be a problem."
Yuhao, eager to refine the whale rubber, bid farewell.
"Then, I'll take my leave here. Please, Brother Xiao, convey my regards to the dean."
They waved each other goodbye. Even as Yuhao's figure vanished, Meng Hongchen's eyes lingered on his back, reluctant to look away.
"I say, Meng… this is a bit much, isn't it? Yuhao's handsome, sure, but this is only your first meeting. At least try to restrain yourself, hey."
Meng Hongchen, however, stared at her brother with such piercing resentment that Xiao Hongchen's scalp tingled.
"Hehe… and who was it that said, 'When I meet Yuhao, I'll make sure he knows my greatness'? But now? It's 'Yuhao, my brother' this, 'Yuhao, my brother' that. You've spoken more to him than I have—and I'm your sister. Is that fair, dear brother?"
Xiao Hongchen scratched the back of his head awkwardly, eyes darting away.
"Don't mind these details, Meng."
"Hehe~"
"That's too much, Meng."
"Heh~"
---
Dormitory.
By now, Yuhao had already pushed aside what had happened earlier. But when he took out the whale rubber, he hesitated.
This stuff required high heat to melt into a liquid form before it could be consumed. Moreover, the energy in a ten-thousand-year whale rubber was far too potent to be taken all at once. He planned to wait until the next medicinal bath so his teacher could help process it.
Taking it in several doses alongside the baths would allow him to greatly enhance his body without risking dangerous energy surges or qi-blood backlash.
---
One week later.
"Whale rubber?"
Kong Deming's tone carried a hint of surprise. Most soul masters knew whale rubber could strengthen the body and had… certain aphrodisiac effects. But very few understood the true limits of ten-thousand-year whale rubber, such as increasing endurance for higher-year soul rings and the risks involved. Shrek Academy's ignorance on the matter was proof enough.
Kong Deming, of course, was not among the ignorant. He knew well that whale rubber could improve physique and thereby allow one to bear higher-year soul rings. What puzzled him was how his disciple had come up with the idea. And the side effects… well, those could not be ignored—especially for someone so young. If qi-blood surged uncontrollably, it could be dangerous.
Compared to whale rubber, medicinal baths were gentler, which was why he hadn't considered this option before.
Yuhao noticed his teacher's concern and spoke first.
"It's alright, Teacher. Combined with the medicinal bath, the minor side effects of whale rubber won't be enough to cause qi-blood turbulence. Besides, with you watching over me, what could happen?"
The temptation to drastically improve his physical abilities—and thus the limit of his next soul ring—was not something he could give up. He knew his teacher's caution came from care, but some things simply had to be done.
"Very well. Since you've made up your mind, I'll process these ten-thousand-year whale rubber pieces for you. But you can only take a small piece each time, alongside the bath. If you feel anything is wrong, tell me immediately. Understood?"
Yuhao nodded. After undressing, he stepped into the medicinal bath—filled with rare ingredients—with a calm expression.
Kong Deming, too, was a twin-martial soul holder. His primary martial soul, Silver Moon, possessed top-tier light attributes. His second martial soul, the Sun—an imperial inheritance of the Sun Moon Empire—was of near-extreme fire attribute. Though his second martial soul had no soul rings due to physical constraints, processing whale rubber was child's play for him.
The bath's potency was stronger than before. Yuhao could feel the denser energy immediately. Once he adapted, he swallowed the processed, liquefied whale rubber.
It slid down smoothly, though a faint fishy tang lingered. Without wasting time, he began circulating his top-tier meditation technique to stabilize the energy and avoid turbulence.
Seeing no immediate problems, Kong Deming relaxed—but, unlike last time, he stayed and kept watch.
Inside, Yuhao felt a surge of immense energy rush toward his lower abdomen. Fortunately, the trace of ice attribute from the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, combined with the bath's gentle energy, allowed him to suppress it quickly.
As time passed, he felt his physique strengthening. His meridians widened, and the residual medicinal power from two previous pills was fully refined. Two hours later, his soul power reached rank 20.
Opening his eyes slowly, he saw the once-opaque medicinal bath had turned crystal clear. Standing up, he noticed his teacher's amused gaze—and instantly realized his… current state. He hurried to lower his spear.
Kong Deming chuckled. "Mm, good foundation. Even better capital than when I was your age."
Yuhao had not expected his teacher to say that. His face flushed crimson.
"How's the harvest?"
Dropping the teasing, Kong Deming waited for Yuhao to dress before placing a hand on him, and was surprised.
"Incredible. Your physique has improved this much? At this rate, you can withstand a three-thousand-year soul ring without issue."
Three thousand years? Yuhao was a bit surprised, though with both medicinal bath and whale rubber, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Once he reached the Extreme North and obtained the Ice Empress's soul bone, his physique would rise even further. His second soul ring's limit would surely exceed this number.
—
End of Chapter