After sorting out his thoughts about Tang Yuehua, Xie Yue felt his physical strength.
"It seems, as I had guessed, whale glue is the best way to improve my physical strength," Xie Yue clenched his hand and felt the difference.
There are currently three ways for him to improve his physical strength: Firstly, it was to take Ice and Fire Immortal Grasses (Octagonal Mysterious Ice, Infernal Delicate Apricot: shortly Ice and Fire Immortal Grasses). They would improve his physical strength greatly and also give him the physique of Ice and Fire Alchemy. He could also take other immortal grasses to increase his physical fitness, like Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
Secondly, it was to take whale glue. After experiencing his first attempt, Xie Yue understood that taking whale glue might bring more benefit to his physical strength than the Ice Fire Alchemy Body. This was because he wasn't going to take just one whale glue, but many. Although Ice and Fire Alchemy Body increases physical strength, its main benefit wasn't solely physical strength improvement.
The Ice and Fire Alchemy Body allowed Tang San to absorb a fourth-ring soul ring of 10,000 years. The optimal age for a fourth soul ring is between 3,000-5,000 years. But Tang San absorbed his third soul ring by leapfrogging 300 extra years (his third soul ring is 2,100 years, with the optimal age being between 1,300-1,800 years).
So, Tang San could initially have absorbed a 6,000-year-old soul ring as his fourth soul ring. That's also a 1,000-year leap (6,000 - 5,000 = 1,000).
But after taking the Ice and Fire Immortal Grasses, he absorbed a 10,000-year soul ring. That's a 4,000-year increase from the soul ring age he could initially absorb. A 4,000-year improvement is equivalent to eight whale glues... But Xie Yue has twelve 10,000-year whale glues and many more 1,000-year and 100 year whale glues.
Although the effects will continue to decrease, and only first time will it have excellent effect, but it will surely improve his physical fitness by nearly 8,000 if he were to consume all the whale glues.
So now, the easiest and most effective way to increase his physique foundation was to take whale glues.
Thirdly, it was to take medicinal baths and exercise his body regularly beyond the limit. But Xie Yue didn't care about this method. It was very negligible compared to the above two methods. Although Xie Yue exercised his body, his objective was completely different—he only exercised to get his desired body shape.
Now, after taking the first whale glue, Xie Yue could absorb his third soul ring with an age of nearly 2,300 years. The optimal age for a third soul ring for those with high or top-level martial souls is between 1,300-1,800 years.
Now, with the improvement of taking a 10,000-year whale glue, his upper limit improved by another 500. Maybe it doesn't seem impressive, but if it were known to the world, he wouldn't survive even for another two days. (AN: The author had uploaded an Auxiliary Cultivation chapter; you can read that chapter to know the optimal soul ring age).
Why can one only absorb a 474-year-old soul ring as his first soul ring, but not a 475-year-old soul ring until now? Hehe. It's because it's very, very hard. There has never been a case of someone absorbing a 475- or 480-year-old first soul ring.
Even this optimal age of 474 years is only for those with high-level or top-level martial souls. Even a one-year improvement in soul ring absorbing is very hard—there has never been such a case until now. Tang San is the only anomaly, but that is also in the future. Tang San's otherworldly cultivation technique improved his physical strength. If not for this reason, he wouldn't have absorbed that 2,100+-year-old Man-faced Demon Spider soul ring for his third soul ring. And his fourth 10,000-year soul ring absorption is due to the Ice and Fire Alchemy Body.
In early levels, every improvement in soul ring age, even if it's only one year more, will bring enormous change in later levels. If one has the physical strength to absorb a 600+ year soul ring as his first soul ring, he can surely absorb the second soul ring as purple.
That's the improvement in foundation. If one has a solid physical foundation, with the improvement brought by soul power afterward, he will leave others of the same level in the dust. Tang San absorbed a 10,000-year soul ring as his fourth soul ring, but that is the 5th soul ring age of other soul masters.
After his fourth black soul ring, Tang San absorbed a 25,000-year soul ring as his fifth soul ring. That is the 6th soul ring of other soul masters. Tang San directly bypassed a whole level of soul ring age difference because of his foundation-physique-improvement when he absorbed his fourth soul ring.
Now, if Xie Yue greatly improves his foundation, with every soul power improvement in the future, his physical strength will also improve by default. So, he has to increase his physique foundation now. It's better if he can take every whale glue before he reaches level 30. After all, the earlier, the better. (Soul Ring Age is just a measurement to compare physical strength. The author is using it to help you understand physical strength better. Although physical strength also improves when absorbing a soul ring, the physique doesn't improve just because of the soul ring. It improves mostly because of soul power improvement [nearly 90%]).
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Because of Tang Yuehua's attitude, Xie Yue didn't plan to stay here for three days.
'I should improve the speed of absorbing whale glues. I can only leave the sect for three to five days per month at most. I've already absorbed one whale glue now, so I should go hunting tomorrow for another Fire Soul Master,' Xie Yue changed his plans.
Since taking down Tang Yuehua is hard now, he would use these three days to absorb whale glues. He has 11 more 10,000-year whale glues and many other 1,000-year whale glues.
But that's all...
Even though he has money, whale glue is not easy to get. He has already bought all the whale glues he can with money. Maybe he can get some in the future, but if it takes more than five years, they won't bring as much benefit to him at that time.
If he asks Ning Fengzhi, he can indeed get another 10 or so high-quality whale glues. But it will bring unnecessary troubles and questions. After all, whale glue is known for its aphrodisiac nature. He also doesn't want others to know about his physical improvement.
'As for this bitch Tang Yuehua...'
'For now, I can only use her as a reason to leave the sect, so I have to keep coming here.' An eerie light flashed past Xie Yue's brown-red eyes.
After thinking for a while, Xie Yue sat cross-legged on the bed and started cultivating. He never misses his daily cultivation.
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The next morning, Xie Yue ate breakfast with Tang Yuehua. He didn't show any reaction on his face.
"Teacher, I have to leave early this time..." Xie Yue said to her slowly.
"Why?" Tang Yuehua became worried immediately. She looked at Xie Yue to see his reactions. But to her disappointment, she didn't see any clues about his current mood. Although she felt disappointed, she also felt proud.
Sigh, I really can't guess anything from his reaction once he decided to hide... Tang Yuehua thought to herself. She knows his talent; when he graduated a year ago, Xie Yue could already control his aura and emotions. But Tang Yuehua also felt a headache because of this—there's no way of knowing his mood now.
Is he angry with me now? Although she couldn't find anything from his emotional fluctuations, she still guessed something because of his deliberate hiding. Why was he hiding his emotions in front of her for no apparent reason? He never behaved like this in front of her. That's why she thinks like this.
"Sect Master Ning gave me a task to complete, so I have to leave early, teacher. I will visit you next month, earlier," Xie Yue said without showing anything on his face, still looking down and eating.
"Ahh~" Tang Yuehua wanted to ask him more. She knew that Xie Yue was lying and felt a little pain in her heart. After all, other than her two brothers, Xie Yue was the closest person to her. She also felt a little sad about making him angry. But she didn't say anything after thinking.
After eating, Xie Yue chatted with her for a while before taking his leave.
"Teacher, I'll take my leave. See you next time," he said to her as he walked toward the villa door.
"Moon, wait!" But Tang Yuehua caught up to him and gave him a hug.
"Why didn't you give me a hug?" she asked him.
"I forgot about it, teacher. I was thinking about Father's task," he hugged her back lightly. He didn't behave like he usually did.
"Oh~ Even so, you can't forget it next time." She said as she kissed his cheek, as she usually did, with a motherly love.
"Mm, I'll keep that in mind, teacher," Xie Yue left after bidding farewell.