Following Qin Ming's awakening, another half an hour passed before the others gradually came to. As they opened their eyes, every face was etched with joy and excitement; they had never imagined that the effects of Whale Glue would be so potent.
Each of them had reaped a significant harvest. Since this was their first time using Whale Glue, it was also when the effects were at their peak.
Gu Xuan looked toward Yu Tianheng, who had been the first to wake, and asked, "Tianheng, what's the verdict?"
The excitement on Yu Tianheng's face hadn't yet faded. Hearing Gu Xuan's voice, he looked back with a gaze full of gratitude.
He personally felt that he could never match Gu Xuan's selflessness. Even though they had all sworn an oath not to leak the secret without Gu Xuan's permission—not even to their closest kin—the fact remained that they had only known Gu Xuan for three days when he first shared this. That kind of broad-mindedness was something he simply didn't possess.
However, Gu Xuan's trust hadn't been misplaced. To this day, none of them has told a soul about the true use of Whale Glue. Their clan elders simply thought these youngsters had hit puberty early and were going through a "restless" phase.
The elders, being experienced themselves, had offered some advice on "moderation" and a few warnings before letting the matter drop.
Yu Tianheng and the others naturally kept their mouths shut. To do otherwise would be to betray the profound trust Gu Xuan had placed in them.
Currently, Yu Tianheng's face was glowing with health. "The Whale Glue I refined was 2,500 years old," he said excitedly. "After successfully refining it, I feel my physical constitution has improved tremendously. My basic attributes—strength, explosive power, endurance, and speed—have all seen a great boost."
Yu Tianheng's expression grew even more thrilled as he continued, "My soul power has also jumped from Rank 37 to Rank 38! I didn't expect that while the Whale Glue was improving my physique, it would also refine the soul power I hadn't utilized properly in my past cultivation, allowing me to advance a full level!"
As he explained his situation, the look in his eyes became so fervent that it made Gu Xuan shudder. It was the kind of look a man gives to a beautiful girl.
"Gu Xuan, I won't waste words with more thanks," Yu Tianheng said solemnly. "You're my brother, and I'll keep that in my heart!"
Gu Xuan nodded slightly and replied with a smile, "Our three great sects have always been as close as brothers. Saying such things between us makes you sound like an outsider."
Gu Xuan then turned to the others. Osler also excitedly shared his results.
His situation mirrored Yu Tianheng's. Along with the physical improvement, his soul power had also risen by one level, moving from Rank 35 to Rank 36. This first consumption of Whale Glue was a rare opportunity for all of them.
The others then followed suit, explaining their own progress. Beyond the physical gains, every single person had actually increased their soul power by one rank. This was something Gu Xuan hadn't anticipated; after all, while his own soul power had improved, it had only moved from the middle of Rank 33 to the later stages.
Over the past month, Gu Xuan's soul power had progressed from the early to the middle stages of Rank 33. Now, even after consuming a 5,000-year piece of Whale Glue, he had only moved up another minor sub-level.
However, reflecting on the gains he made the very first time he used Whale Glue, he felt at ease.
Whale Glue is most effective during the first use; subsequent uses see a gradual decline in efficacy. In fact, later doses usually only improve physical constitution without boosting soul power rank at all.
Furthermore, one cannot simply eat Whale Glue constantly to improve. There is a limit to everything. If one hasn't fully refined and absorbed the effects of the previous dose, a second dose is just a waste, and its effectiveness will be greatly reduced.
Otherwise, given the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's years of collecting, they could have fed it to Gu Xuan like regular meals. Yet, even with those resources, Gu Xuan was still twelve years old when he broke through Rank 30.
It wasn't that Gu Xuan was untalented; it was simply that Whale Glue cannot be eaten incessantly. Moreover, in the six years prior, he hadn't spent much time focused purely on soul power cultivation, much like Tang San in the original records.
He had too much to learn. Some might ask: why not focus on soul power first? After all, soul power is the foundation of a soul master, and cultivation speed is fastest when one is young, slowing down as one gets older.
Gu Xuan agreed with that logic, but he wasn't just cultivating soul power; he was planning for the future. His future enemies were gods.
What use was fast cultivation now? At most, he would become a Titled Douluo, but others might reach godhood before he even got there.
The reason he studied pharmacology and other subjects was to ensure he had a better chance of winning over Dugu Bo when they met. If you have no skill of your own, even with a powerful background, you're just a useless person talking big.
In the original records, wasn't it because Tang San could detoxify and was a master of poison that he secured a chance at survival and eventually befriended Dugu Bo?
Even if he "wasted" some cultivation time early on, as long as he could secure the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and those Immortal Herbs, that missing cultivation would be surpassed in an instant.
In terms of cost-effectiveness, Gu Xuan's choice was the most efficient.
Of course, this was all predicated on his plans succeeding; otherwise, everything was just empty talk.
Looking at the current situation, everything was proceeding according to Gu Xuan's plan without any unexpected deviations.
With the help of the Whale Glue, the group had seen a nice boost. Yu Tianheng reached Rank 38 from 37, and Osler reached Rank 36 from 35.
Shi Mo moved from Rank 36 to 37, while Shi Mo moved from 35 to 36. Yu Feng went from 35 to 36, and Ye Lingling advanced from Rank 33 to 34.
Dugu Yan, who had consumed a 3,000-year piece, jumped from Rank 37 to the middle of Rank 38, putting her a slight sub-level higher than Yu Tianheng.
The entire team was satisfied with their gains, and their respect and gratitude toward Gu Xuan grew even stronger. After over a month together, they had completely accepted him as their leader, and even Qin Ming had to look at him in a new light.
Seeing that everyone had finished their absorption, Gu Xuan said, "You all reek of sweat right now. A lot of impurities were expelled from your bodies during the process. Go take a shower."
Osler didn't mind the smell; after all, they were used to reeking of sweat after training.
Feeling his newfound strength, he couldn't help but ask, "Captain, since the effect of Whale Glue is so powerful, if we absorb it a few more times, won't we break through to the Soul Ancestor rank in minutes?"
Gu Xuan facepalmed, feeling somewhat speechless, but he explained anyway. "I think you've gone stupid from the excitement. If it were that easy, would I still be at Rank 33?"
"Whale Glue is good, but the effect was only this dramatic because it was your first time. Future doses won't have nearly the same impact."
Gu Xuan then shared his insights with the group. Everyone nodded in thought; it seemed Osler's whimsical shortcut wasn't viable.
Gu Xuan continued, "I suggest you take it once a month. A thousand-year piece is enough each time. Of course, if you can get your hands on higher-aged glue, the effect will be better."
"If you stick with it and combine it with my training methods, it's not impossible for your fourth soul rings to reach the 6,000-year mark or even higher."
Hearing Gu Xuan's words, everyone, including Qin Ming, was thrilled. Who would pass up an opportunity to become this much stronger? They felt like they could live in the training hall.
If they could successfully absorb a fourth soul ring beyond the normal limits in the future, they would naturally have an edge over soul masters of the same rank.
Just like Gu Xuan, even at Rank 33, he could handle the Rank 37 Yu Tianheng without pressure. Even now that Yu Tianheng had gained a rank, he still wasn't confident he could beat Gu Xuan.
That was the benefit of having a truly powerful foundation.
(End of Chapter)
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