Waking up at six o'clock as usual, everyone in the Emperor Team had grown accustomed to this lifestyle. Although every day was grueling, their progress was remarkably significant.
Over the course of a month, their respective families and clans had successfully collected some Whale Glue. This was something Gu Xuan had mentioned to them early on.
It was only then that they learned Whale Glue wasn't just for enhancing male virility; it also had the profound effect of tempering the body and improving one's physical constitution.
It was worth noting that Gu Xuan had gifted Dugu Yan a piece of 3,000-year Whale Glue. He gave it only to her, leaving the others envious while making Dugu Yan feel exactly how special she was to him.
Actually, Yu Tianheng had also offered a gift, but his piece of Whale Glue was only of the 1,000-year variety. While it couldn't compare to Gu Xuan's, it was already considered a rare find on the market. For several years now, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had been aggressively buying up Whale Glue; essentially, most of the top-tier stock available had already wound up in their treasury.
Even so, the fact that Yu Tianheng was willing to part with a piece to give to Dugu Yan was quite a generous gesture.
However, Gu Xuan had delivered his gift earlier and in private, boosting their relationship in the process.
Consequently, Dugu Yan ultimately declined Yu Tianheng's Whale Glue and had a talk with him. Gu Xuan wasn't present, but he knew exactly what was said.
After that conversation, Yu Tianheng stopped giving Dugu Yan any special treatment, interacting with her purely as a close friend.
Gu Xuan knew Dugu Yan had made things clear to him, and her choice was naturally Gu Xuan himself. He truly liked this aspect of Dugu Yan—she was direct in both love and hate. Once her heart was set, she stopped "playing the field" and remained loyal to the one she chose.
After the morning training session, the group had breakfast and headed to the training hall. Qin Ming was already there waiting. Today was not for combat, but for absorbing and refining Whale Glue.
Gu Xuan had also gifted Qin Ming a piece of 1,000-year Whale Glue. After all, Qin Ming was a genius, and despite teaching at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he came from a commoner background and was essentially a free soul master.
With dark undercurrents moving across the continent, building a good relationship now meant potentially gaining a powerful ally for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in the future.
Of course, this was just a thought. Qin Ming was a graduate of Shrek, and his future was uncertain, but it didn't matter. The cost was only a single 1,000-year piece of Whale Glue—precious, but a drop in the bucket for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Regardless, if Qin Ming's strength increased, he would be another force against Spirit Hall, and Gu Xuan gained his gratitude and favor. It was a win either way.
Once gathered in the hall, everyone sat cross-legged. Gu Xuan began instructing them on how to absorb and refine the Whale Glue in their hands.
Based on years of experimentation and experience within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Gu Xuan had summarized a nearly perfect method.
While perhaps not "perfect" in an absolute sense, it was undoubtedly the only method currently on the continent that could maximize the efficacy of Whale Glue.
The nine of them—the eight members of the Emperor Team and Qin Ming—sat in a circle, spaced three meters apart. Each held a piece of Whale Glue; the sizes varied, some as large as a head, others the size of a fist.
Every piece was at least 1,000 years old. The one in Gu Xuan's hand had the highest age, reaching a full 5,000 years.
Following the process Gu Xuan had described, they began utilizing their soul power to refine the glue. They suppressed and condensed it as much as possible while simultaneously infusing their own soul power into the substance.
Doing this allowed for maximum absorption later because the Whale Glue would already be synchronized with each individual's soul power.
After a full hour of refinement, the Whale Glue in everyone's hands had shrunk to the size of a Dragon Ball—roughly three centimeters in diameter.
At this point, the Whale Glue resembled a bouncy jelly, emitting a dense, refreshing fragrance. Simply inhaling the scent made one's body feel flushed and restless; this was the primary substance in Whale Glue that enhanced "certain" capabilities.
"Swallow it!" Gu Xuan commanded.
The others didn't hesitate. Even though the aroma alone made them feel feverish, they chose to swallow it directly.
If used purely for its aphrodisiac properties, a single dose like this would be enough to keep a man going for seven days and seven nights.
Once everyone, including Gu Xuan, had consumed the glue, his voice continued. "Clear your minds and steady your breath. Gather your soul power in your dantian to wrap around the Whale Glue, then refine it with all your strength until the heat in your body vanishes!"
Gu Xuan said no more and began circulating his own soul power to refine the glue in his stomach.
Soul power surged around everyone, concentrated primarily in their abdominal regions. As the swallowed Whale Glue was gradually refined, everyone's skin began to turn a deep red. Gu Xuan was fine, as this wasn't his first time, but the others—including Qin Ming—looked like cooked lobsters with steam rising from their pores.
If one observed closely, they would see that aside from Gu Xuan and the two girls, the other males—including Qin Ming—were experiencing quite the physiological reaction.
Everyone focused entirely on refining the glue, following Gu Xuan's techniques to resist the internal heat and the unbidden fantasies bubbling in their minds.
After another hour, Gu Xuan opened his eyes with a glowing complexion and slowly stood up. He glanced at the others still in the process of refinement. As he noted their states, a memory of his own past struggles flashed briefly through his mind.
Gu Xuan truly wished he had a camera right now to record this scene; it would be perfect for some future blackmail.
Another hour passed before Qin Ming opened his eyes. Soul power pulsed through his body, and he couldn't help but clench his fists, feeling the incredible increase in his physical strength.
If Qin Ming's previous physical constitution was matched to his Rank 61 soul power, it now felt comparable to a Rank 65 Soul Emperor.
This was no exaggeration. The first time one consumes Whale Glue, the effects are profound; subsequent uses yield diminishing returns unless one finds significantly higher quality glue.
Qin Ming was overjoyed. In terms of raw physical ability—explosive power, strength, endurance, and even speed—he had improved tremendously. His overall combat effectiveness had increased by at least ten percent.
Qin Ming stood up and looked at Gu Xuan with deep gratitude. Everything was understood without a word; Gu Xuan had essentially given him a chance to compensate for the fact that his fifth soul ring was only a thousand-year ring.
Gu Xuan smiled and nodded in response, then went back to watching the others, focusing mainly on Dugu Yan.
Now that he and Dugu Yan were essentially dating, he intended to keep her by his side in the future, so he naturally wanted her to keep up with his pace.
Gu Xuan's soul power growth hadn't been exceptionally fast before; he was twelve when he broke through Rank 30. Despite having the top-tier resources of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, his innate soul power was only Level 8, though his effort surpassed everyone else's.
However, because of this, Gu Xuan's foundation was far deeper than that of any of his peers. It was like building a foundation for a house: an ordinary person might build on 200 square meters, a genius on 500, but Gu Xuan had laid a foundation the size of the Bird's Nest stadium.
Once he began building upward, his broad and solid foundation would allow him to soar, constructing a structure far more terrifying than anyone else's. A 200 or 500 square meter foundation simply couldn't compare.
(End of Chapter)
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