Chapter 14: A Meeting of Peerless Figures, The Sky Splits!
While Yun Yuan was refining the whale rubber,
Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong pushed open the doors of Yun Yuan's palace and arrived before him.
"Teacher, look! My junior brother's whole body is turning red. He must have just consumed that whale rubber. Later, you must properly discipline him—we can't let him go astray," Bibi Dong reported immediately, noticing Yun Yuan's flushed body.
But Qian Xunji was different. He sensed something unusual in Yun Yuan's condition.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and covered Bibi Dong's mouth, stopping her from speaking further, and quietly advised:
"Dong'er, don't disturb your junior brother. This state of his doesn't seem like a bad thing."
As time passed, several hours went by, and the violent soul power within Yun Yuan gradually calmed down.
"Hu~"
Yun Yuan opened his eyes and let out a long breath. Before he could carefully sense the changes in his body, he saw his teacher and senior sister staring intently at him.
"Senior sister, Teacher, why are you both here?" Yun Yuan asked, puzzled by their arrival. Could it be that they had something important to discuss?
Seeing Yun Yuan emerge from his meditation, Bibi Dong pulled away Qian Xunji's hand that had covered her mouth, puffed out her chest, and spoke in a tone that sounded like a lecture, as if acting for his own good:
"Junior brother, the teacher and I already know about you taking whale rubber. We came to lecture you and make you repent."
Before Yun Yuan could respond, Qian Xunji gently knocked her on the head.
"Dong'er, step aside first. Don't interrupt; I need to ask your junior brother something."
Bibi Dong held her head and stepped aside, her large eyes shifting back and forth between Yun Yuan and Qian Xunji.
Qian Xunji looked at Yun Yuan, his brows slightly furrowed as he voiced his doubts:
"Xiao Yuan, what's the deal with that whale rubber? I feel like you used it for something else."
His sharp eyes had already sensed the subtle changes in Yun Yuan earlier. He wanted to uncover Yun Yuan's true intention.
"Teacher, as expected of you. Your insight is still sharp," Yun Yuan replied with a smile.
He then explained the true purpose of whale rubber:
"Although whale rubber is used by soul masters and nobles for intimacy, over this past month, I've discovered its real function."
"It has a crucial effect: it enhances a soul master's physical constitution, allowing them to absorb higher-level soul rings."
"But it requires preprocessing. It must be refined with soul power flames or high heat until it becomes soft, semi-transparent, and free of impurities. Only then does it become effective."
Yun Yuan finished his explanation in one breath. Qian Xunji was stunned for a moment before his eyes lit up with excitement and joy.
He had never imagined that whale rubber could have such tremendous value. If so, Spirit Hall could monopolize this entire resource.
As time went on, the quality of Spirit Hall's geniuses would far surpass that of other factions.
Thinking of this, Qian Xunji's breathing grew heavier as a series of plans rapidly formed in his mind.
After a moment, he looked at Yun Yuan, intending to test his insight further.
"Xiao Yuan, in your opinion, how can we maximize Spirit Hall's benefits from this?" he asked.
Hearing this, Yun Yuan's lips curled slightly. This question had already been considered when he decided to reveal the effects of whale rubber.
He then laid out his plan:
"Teacher, the first step is to begin collecting and monopolizing whale rubber, establishing a supply chain connecting the sea and inland."
"The second step is to delay as much as possible. The truth will eventually be exposed, so before other forces react, we should stockpile large quantities and build a complete supply chain."
"The final step is barter. We acquire it at minimal cost and sell it at maximum value, profiting heavily from others."
After hearing Yun Yuan's plan, Qian Xunji burst into laughter and applauded repeatedly.
This disciple truly satisfied him.
Yun Yuan's thinking aligned perfectly with his own. Since the value of whale rubber had been discovered, even if Spirit Hall tried to keep it secret, the truth would inevitably come out.
What they needed was to maximize their benefits, not just hide its value.
Moreover, Qian Xunji had a deeper plan—to build Yun Yuan's reputation.
This would not only enhance Spirit Hall's prestige but also allow Yun Yuan to be revered by the world.
Beside them, Bibi Dong watched the two strategizing, her beautiful eyes filled with admiration.
Her junior brother was incredible.
Not only was his talent and attitude toward cultivation flawless, but he could also uncover secrets unknown to the entire world of soul masters.
Amazing!
After testing his disciple, Qian Xunji hurried off to the Pope's Palace to begin implementing the plan, leaving Yun Yuan and Bibi Dong staring at each other.
"Senior sister, weren't you just saying you were going to lecture me? What about now?" Yun Yuan teased, stepping forward with his hands on his hips.
"Well… junior brother, I was just being silly. But you're really amazing; you discovered a secret that no soul master on the continent could," Bibi Dong admitted, first showing a hint of embarrassment, then looking at Yun Yuan with admiration.
Seeing her respect, Yun Yuan swallowed the words he had been about to use to mock her for being short-sighted.
As an idol, how could he discourage his own admirer?
"Of course. Your junior brother is destined to suppress all geniuses of the same era, whether in cultivation or theory."
"Anyone who encounters me, Yun Yuan, can only become second best!"
Yun Yuan clenched his fist, confidence shining in his eyes.
At this moment, in Bibi Dong's eyes, Yun Yuan seemed to shine brightly, like the full moon hanging high in the sky.
All other geniuses in the world were nothing more than fireflies beneath that moon.
After this small incident, a seed named Yun Yuan was planted in Bibi Dong's heart—destined to take root and grow one day.
After the matter of whale rubber, Yun Yuan's life returned to normal, with the only difference being that Bibi Dong visited him more frequently.
…
Three days later,
Behind the Pope's Palace, inside Yun Yuan's residence,
Yun Yuan opened his eyes again, indicating he had made new progress.
"Rank fifteen. So this is the talent of twofold Atlas Douluo? The speed of meditation is truly astonishing!"
In just over a month, his soul power increased by another rank. Even geniuses born with innate full soul power would find such speed daunting.
Before his talent doubled, Yun Yuan only dared to imagine breaking through to the Titled Douluo level before age thirty-five.
Then now, with twice the talent of Atlas Douluo, he had hope of reaching that level by around twenty-three.
After all, even terrifying geniuses like Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen hadn't broken through to the Titled Douluo level before age forty-four. This showed the limitations of resources in this era.
As for exactly when Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen achieved their breakthroughs, Yun Yuan didn't know.
He only knew that decades later, Tang Hao, who broke through at forty-four, was hailed as the fastest soul master to reach the Titled Douluo level.
(T/N: On the surface, if I remember correctly, according to the original work, Bibi Dong should have reached the Titled Douluo level around the age of 34 to 35 years old.)
Working backwards, Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen must have been older than forty-four when they achieved it.
Just as Yun Yuan was contemplating this,
A massive collision of soul power suddenly erupted outside, echoing throughout Spirit Hall.
"What… is going on?!"
Feeling the oppressive aura in the air, Yun Yuan stood up and walked out.
Once outside, he saw that above Spirit Hall, golden and blue soul power covered the entire sky.
These two terrifying forces, like heavenly might itself, clashed violently and were locked in a stalemate.
"Haha, Brother Qian! Tang has come today to visit you!" a thunderous voice boomed as the two opposing soul powers collided even more fiercely. The phenomena above Spirit Hall had been altered by their battle.
At the same time, the power of heaven and earth was being drawn in as their clash continued.
For Yun Yuan, who had already cultivated Spear Momentum, he could clearly tell that the two figures battling above had reached the legendary realm of "Soul"!
All weapons in the world possess five realms: momentum, intent, heart, soul, and god.
The two figures clashing in the sky had undoubtedly reached the "Soul" realm, capable of drawing upon the power of heaven and earth.
In the next moment, a scene unfolded that left Yun Yuan utterly stunned.
As the two clashed using the power of heaven and earth, the sky itself was torn apart!!!
—
End of Chapter