Chapter 10: Whale Glue, Everyone Who's Used It Says It's Good
After the banquet dispersed, Xue Xing sat alone in the side hall, quietly staring at the teacup in front of him.
The curtain on the left was gently lifted, and a boy around eight or nine years old entered, his expression anxious. The boy bore some resemblance to Xue Xing.
"Uncle Wang, how did it go?"
Seeing Xue Beng's flustered expression, Xue Xing frowned in displeasure.
"Xue Beng, how many times have I told you? Stay calm no matter what happens. Look at yourself—rushing around like this. What kind of image are you showing?"
This boy was Xue Beng, the fourth son of Emperor Xue Ye. In recent years, after the unexpected deaths of two other princes, Xue Xing grew increasingly suspicious and secretly instructed Xue Beng to act like a useless fool, hiding his true capabilities to avoid becoming a target.
Tonight's banquet had been intended to win over Dugu Bo, a high-level combatant, to strengthen Xue Xing's own influence. Unfortunately, it was disrupted by Xue Qinghe's presence, ruining any opportunity for leverage. The old favor he held with Dugu Bo was no longer enough—convincing him to join their side would now be difficult.
Xue Beng shrank back slightly at the reprimand. Gaining Dugu Bo's support was a matter of life and death for him, so he couldn't help but feel anxious.
"This time, Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe were also there. We barely exchanged a few pleasantries. It looks like we'll need to find another chance to win him over."
"Xue Qinghe, damn him! Him again! Is he really trying to get me killed?" Xue Beng said bitterly, his eyes filled with fear.
Listening to his complaints, Xue Xing sighed silently. He had no hard evidence to tie Xue Qinghe to the princes' deaths—it was only conjecture. It seemed drawing Dugu Bo to their side would have to be done gradually.
---
The Next Morning
Dugu Chen woke up early as usual to cultivate, unaffected by the previous night's events.
After devouring a breakfast portion fit for ten, he rubbed his stomach in satisfaction. He'd already grown used to this monstrous appetite, suspecting it was tied to his martial soul.
Soon after, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan arrived together. Dugu Bo looked at the empty plates, sighed, and tossed a small item to Dugu Chen from his soul tool.
"This old man's going to be bankrupted feeding you one day. Here—your damn whale glue. You'd better explain clearly what you plan to do with it, or don't blame me for being rude."
Dugu Chen caught the item and bowed.
"Thank you, Teacher. I'll explain right now. I plan to split this whale glue equally with Senior Sister."
Dugu Bo's eyes widened, and he immediately grabbed Dugu Chen by the collar, his beard bristling.
"Good! Yan Yan is still so young, and you dare have designs on her? This old man will purge the sect today!"
Startled, Dugu Chen quickly waved his hands.
"No, Teacher! You misunderstand! Whale glue isn't... for that! It's a rare treasure that strengthens the body. I meant we'd each take half to enhance our physiques."
Dugu Yan blushed furiously at the misunderstanding.
Dugu Bo's anger cooled a little as he looked between the two. He still frowned skeptically. "Is this whale glue really that miraculous?"
"Absolutely. My parents once taught me about ancestral knowledge—rare treasures included. Whale glue is produced in the brains of soul beast whales. It nourishes the body, strengthens bones, muscles, and meridians. When melted with high-grade flame, it becomes digestible and boosts the maximum age of soul ring absorption by at least five hundred years."
"That much?" Dugu Bo still looked doubtful.
"Of course, that's just the common saying. In reality, we can't measure a soul beast's age so precisely. But the physical strengthening is real. This piece is ten-thousand-year grade—if Senior Sister and I each take half, we should both be able to absorb thousand-year soul rings for our next advancement."
Now even Dugu Bo's eyes gleamed. Two kids from his household achieving thousand-year second rings—how could he not be excited? Still, he was hesitant.
Seeing that, Dugu Chen didn't press him with words. Instead, he summoned his martial soul, placed the whale gum in his dragon claw, and began roasting it with fire.
Minutes passed. Dugu Chen's face paled slightly—the gum was more difficult to melt than he expected, draining his soul power rapidly. Just as he faltered, Dugu Bo placed a hand on his shoulder, sending pure soul power into him.
With support, Dugu Chen increased his fire output. Soon, a rich, strange aroma wafted from the whale glue. A golden glow radiated from its center, darkening into a strange shade of dark gold. It softened into a gelatinous substance.
Dugu Chen split it into two, handing half to Dugu Yan.
"Senior Sister, eat it while it's hot and refine it with your soul power—it works best this way."
Dugu Yan accepted it shyly, her face pink as she gazed at her junior brother. He always thought of her first. She quietly added Dugu Chen to her heart alongside Dugu Bo, then quickly sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
Dugu Chen smiled faintly and consumed his portion.
The moment it entered his mouth, a powerful fishy odor hit him like a wave. He nearly gagged. No wonder Senior Sister's face scrunched up.
Still, he forced it down. The intense fishy taste quickly transformed into a warm current spreading through his body. A pleasant fragrance rose through his nose and mouth. The warmth soon turned scorching hot, and sweat began to pour from his body.
However, there was a side effect.
The overwhelming yang energy made Dugu Chen feel unbearably hot, and a red hue clouded his vision. His body began reacting uncontrollably. Luckily, his strong mental discipline kept the instinct suppressed, and he forced himself to calm down and cultivate.
As the effects of the whale gum fully activated, Dugu Chen felt immense changes throughout his body—and a breakthrough. He advanced to level sixteen.
Just as he stood up, Dugu Yan suddenly pounced into his arms.
The soft sensation reignited the heat within Dugu Chen, and his breath hitched. But Dugu Yan's excited voice snapped him back.
"Junior Brother! I broke through to level seventeen! I feel amazing! Thank you!"
"Boop."
She happily kissed his cheek, giggling and jumping in joy. Just as Dugu Chen was about to respond, Dugu Bo reached out and yanked him away by the scruff of the neck.
"Alright, Yan Yan, you've both cultivated a full day and night. Go rest. Your junior brother needs to recover."
Though reluctant, Dugu Yan obeyed. She gave Dugu Chen a wink before leaving.
"Rest well, Junior Brother. I'll come play tomorrow."
Once she was gone, Dugu Bo turned to Dugu Chen, his face serious.
"Brat, you've only been here a few months, and Yan Yan already values you more than me, her grandfather!"
"Teacher, how could that be?" Dugu Chen said with a grin, quickly moving behind him to massage his shoulders. "Senior Sister was just excited. You also protected us during our refinement."
"Hmph. You finally said something right," Dugu Bo muttered, enjoying the massage. "That whale glue really was useful. If ten-thousand-year ones are too rare, I'll try getting a bunch of thousand-year ones instead. If quality fails, we'll make up for it with quantity. I imagine people will still give me face."
"But, Teacher… aren't you afraid of being misunderstood?" Dugu Chen asked cautiously. "Whale glue has… a certain reputation. People might talk if you gather too much of it."
Dugu Bo scoffed and waved a hand.
"Let them talk! Why should I explain myself to anyone?"
Dugu Chen could only give him a thumbs-up in admiration.
After a while, Dugu Bo commented thoughtfully, "Your parents must've come from a remarkable background to know things like this. Whale glue's properties aren't common knowledge."
Dugu Chen smiled awkwardly. One lie always led to more lies.
"They never mentioned our ancestors, only that ancestral knowledge must never be forgotten."
"Oh? Are there any other treasures like that?"
Spotting the perfect chance, Dugu Chen's eyes brightened.
"There are a few legendary immortal herbs that can transform one's body, enhance talent, and improve aptitude. But I don't know if they actually exist."
"Really? Tell me. Let this old man broaden his horizons."
"There's one called the Fragrant Qiluo Immortal Product. It's a pale pink flower, three feet tall with a single giant blossom about a foot in diameter. Each petal looks like crystal, translucent and delicate. The pistil is a light purple, like a diamond. It's said to be the bane of all poisons, completely neutralizing any toxin. Even the method of picking it is special."
"Isn't that exaggerated?" Dugu Chen added with a playful jab. "If it's true, doesn't that mean your decades of poison cultivation were a waste?"
He chose the plant most opposed to Dugu Bo's poison path to deepen the impression—and deliberately mentioned the special harvesting method to prevent Dugu Bo from ruining it if he found one.
Dugu Bo's expression turned serious.
"You're tired from today. Rest. I have something to do."
Without another word, he turned and strode out the door.
Watching him leave, Dugu Chen muttered under his breath,
"I was subtle… right? He didn't catch on… did he?"