After patiently and earnestly conversing with the two elders for a while, Han Li finally managed to quell the unease in their hearts. The three of them then set off together towards the Worship Hall.
This time, Han Li wasn't being dragged along. At his strong request, the two elders matched his pace as they leisurely entered the grand hall.
"Han Li greets all the Martial Uncles."
Upon stepping into the hall, Han Li cheerfully greeted the other Worships, behaving as though he were one of them.
"Xiao Li, you little rascal, you never come here without a reason. Seeing you smile like Guang Ling, you must have something more than just a visit to us old folks, right?"
Just as Han Li finished speaking, the Lion Douluo chuckled and motioned for him to come over.
The Lion Douluo occasionally visited Guang Ling and was not a stranger to Han Li. He quite liked this lively boy, whose sweet talk was much more pleasant compared to Guang Ling.
Han Li smiled and went behind the Lion Douluo, placing his hands on his shoulders and mimicking a massage. He said, "That's why you're my Martial Uncle. You saw right through me. I do have something important to discuss with the Grand Martial Uncle."
"Alright then, get lost and go talk over there. Let me hear what this important matter is. And why are you massaging so lightly? Afraid I can't take it?" The Lion Douluo playfully scolded, then grabbed Han Li and accurately tossed him in front of Qian Daoliu.
Han Li didn't mind. He cupped his hands in greeting, then looked at Qian Daoliu, who had already opened his eyes to watch him. Without any preamble, he got straight to the point: "Grand Martial Uncle, I've discovered a treasure that can effectively enhance a soul master's physical strength before the fourth ring. It can easily break the previous optimal soul ring configuration, and even a ten-thousand-year fourth ring is possible."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Hall of Worship fell into silence. Qian Daoliu's eyes instinctively narrowed. This news was quite shocking, even though it was useless to him. Undoubtedly, it was a powerful means to enhance their faction's foundation and a discovery that could shake the soul master world.
But the one who reacted the most was not Qian Daoliu, but the Golden Crocodile. He first froze for a moment, then immediately stood up and rushed to Han Li's side.
"Is what you said true? Has it been tested?"
The Golden Crocodile seemed somewhat anxious, and some of his pressure leaked out, forcing Han Li to muster his soul power to stabilize himself.
"Martial Uncle, of course, it's true, and it's been tested. You can check my physical strength."
Han Li didn't understand why the Golden Crocodile reacted even more strongly than Qian Daoliu, but he still answered honestly.
"Alright."
After receiving confirmation from Han Li, the Golden Crocodile's aura calmed down, no longer as explosive as before. He placed his hand on Han Li's shoulder, channeling a bit of soul power to examine him, and then showed a look of surprise.
"Your strength is indeed much higher than that of a typical beast martial soul Spirit Emperor. Are you planning to challenge a two-thousand-year second ring?" the Golden Crocodile asked thoughtfully.
"Martial Uncle, I just reached level eighteen recently, so I still have time. If possible, I'd like to try for a three-thousand-year ring." Han Li shyly smiled and expressed his "wish."
"You've already reached level eighteen?" Jiang Jun couldn't suppress his surprise and blurted out.
"In response to Martial Uncle, I just broke through a few days ago," Han Li answered obediently.
"You haven't even awakened your martial soul for a year, right? Gaining eight levels in one year, planning to challenge a three-thousand-year second ring, and you even have time for research?" Jiang Jun said with a bit of frustration.
"Just seven days short of a full year," Guang Ling interjected from the side, glancing at the expressions on the faces of the worshippers in the hall with pride. This was his disciple. These old guys must be envious now, right? They laughed at him when he took Han Li as his disciple, but now, they should keep laughing.
At this moment, the Golden Crocodile had silently returned to his seat and sat down again, seemingly affected by something.
"Don't mind it. Your Martial Uncle, the Golden Crocodile, didn't mean it. It's just that he set the record for the highest soul ring age for the first four rings, and he has always been proud of it. It's natural for him to be a bit emotional," Qian Daoliu's voice slowly reached Han Li's ears, making him understand why the Golden Crocodile had such an outburst upon hearing the news.
"Alright, big brother, I'm fine. Being surpassed by the younger generation is also a blessing for our Martial Soul Hall. Although I like to leave a mark, I'm not that particular about it," the Golden Crocodile waved his hand, seemingly back to normal, but still a bit downcast.
"Then tell us, what treasure has such an amazing effect?" Qian Daoliu asked curiously.
"Grand Martial Uncle, it's whale glue," Han Li replied respectfully.
"Whale glue? Besides being a tonic, does it have such an effect?" The worshippers exchanged surprised looks. This news indeed caught them off guard.
"Yes, it's whale glue, but it's not to be taken directly. It needs to be melted at high temperatures with flames before being ingested and quickly refined to be effective," Han Li explained while taking out a series of prepared test results from his wristband and handing them to Qian Daoliu.
"Its primary effect is on the second, third, and fourth soul rings. For the first soul ring, even with the protection and assistance of elders, it's difficult to achieve a thousand-year ring unless one is a top-tier beast martial soul owner like Martial Uncle Golden Crocodile and has a strong foundation from a young age. However, the risk is very high, and it's not worth it to take such a gamble just to increase the age by a few hundred years. Of course, if they are willing to sacrifice some early cultivation time to exchange for a thousand-year first soul ring, it's not impossible."
"As for the fourth soul ring, the exact increase in age depends on the individual's physical condition. Everyone's physical potential is different, and whale glue can only assist; it cannot enhance out of thin air. Moreover, the strengthening effect of whale glue has a limit. To break through ten thousand years, the strength of one's spiritual power must be considered. For spirit attribute soul masters, if they have laid a good foundation early on, it will be relatively easier, but physical strength still depends on individual circumstances."
"That's about it. After the fourth soul ring, the enhancement effect of whale glue on the body can be ignored. Even before that, there are usage limits. Excessive consumption of low-quality or low-age whale glue will reduce the efficacy of high-age whale glue later on. In short, it's best to take it in stages and combine it with physical training; the better the foundation, the greater the improvement."
Han Li detailed the precautions, then looked at Qian Daoliu, who had already finished reading the materials in his hands.
"Your research is too valuable for the Martial Soul Hall. I don't even know how to reward you," Qian Daoliu said truthfully as he looked at the young man in front of him.
It wasn't that he was stingy with rewards; the problem was that he didn't have anything suitable at hand. The high-age soul bones had already been given to the worshippers of the hall. He had some low-age ones left, but they weren't suitable for Han Li. He couldn't exactly reward him with the Angel Set, could he?
The Pope's Hall, controlled by Bibi Dong, still had some general-type soul bones, but the highest age was only fifty thousand years, which wasn't appropriate to give him now. As a result, Qian Daoliu couldn't find a suitable reward for the moment.
To be honest, Han Li was a bit stunned when he heard this.
He knew Qian Daoliu was a gentleman; this was evident from his agreement with Tang Chen. Even though Tang Chen had been missing for so many years, and even though his son's death had only a slight connection to Tang Hao, if Han Li were in Qian Daoliu's shoes, Clear Sky Sect would have been destroyed eight hundred times over out of sheer spite, given the mightiest aura on the continent.
Qian Daoliu had served as the Pope, a fact Han Li was well aware of from his cultural studies. He could even recite the dates of Qian Daoliu's appointment and retirement. Yet, Qian Daoliu straightforwardly admitted in front of him that he didn't know how to reward him, which was quite outrageous.
"Is your Qian family just relying on martial souls and strength to become the Pope? Why don't you grant me Qian Renxue?" Han Li wanted to say this but didn't dare.
Fortunately, he had already prepared a reward for himself, so he didn't need to take the blame actively. Not a bad deal, Han Li weighed in his mind.
Then, just as he was about to speak, he paused. Could this be the effect of luck? Is this why in the novels he read, the protagonists always had elders who admired them no matter what choices they made? Hmm, it's not impossible. In any case, it's good for him.
"Grand Martial Uncle, there's no need for any other rewards. To be honest, before submitting this research report, I had already asked my master and senior uncle to collect a considerable amount of whale glue. I definitely can't use it all myself, so how about letting the Martial Soul Research Institute buy it? Just give me a labor fee. What do you think?" Han Li raised his head, scratched the back of his head, and said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Hmm? You even know how to stock up in advance? Quite cunning." Qian Daoliu was taken aback but then laughed and said, "Sure, I won't let you suffer a loss. Let's go with five times your purchase price. How about that? But I'm curious about how much stock you have."
"Really, five times?" Han Li exclaimed in surprise. He originally planned for three times the price. Though it would be less than the actual value of whale glue later, the Martial Soul Hall was his backer, and he couldn't be too greedy.
"Yes, of course. I wouldn't deceive you. Five times, since whale glue is bound to increase in price significantly in the future, we can't let you suffer a loss," Qian Daoliu confirmed.
"Grand Martial Uncle. Then you can have someone discuss it with my master. All the goods are with him," Han Li responded eagerly, flashing a big smile at Guang Ling and Azure Luan.
"Xiao Li, seeing you so happy, tell your senior uncle, how much can you make? Looks like you must have stockpiled quite a lot," Azure Luan teased.
"I don't know exactly how much I'll make, but most of the readily available whale glue on the market should be with us," Han Li replied with a smile.
"Huh?" The worshippers' mouths dropped open as they looked at Han Li, who was beaming brightly in the middle of the hall. This kid is really shrewd.
Qian Daoliu's forehead also twitched unconsciously. Did he just offer too high a price? Can the Martial Soul Hall take all this stock? He began to doubt.
...
Outside the Worship Hall, Guang Ling and Han Li exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
The two of them had been kicked out. After learning that Han Li had cornered the market on whale glue, Guang Ling didn't hide his expressions at all.
So, when Qian Daoliu was about to discuss with the other worshippers how to control the information and prevent resource outflow, the two of them were thrown out. "Black-hearted Master and Disciple" became their new nickname, while Azure Luan was not implicated.
"Let's go, my dear disciple. We'll head back and ignore them. Besides, I'm too lazy to get involved in these matters," Guang Ling said nonchalantly, clearly uninterested.
"Sure. By the way, Master, where have Grandpa Ma and Brother Tao been reassigned to? I plan to visit them while acquiring my second soul ring," Han Li turned to ask. He had meant to ask during the New Year, but Guang Ling was in seclusion at the time. By the time he emerged, the New Year had passed, and Han Li hadn't brought it up since.
"You knew about this? Did your senior uncle let it slip?" Guang Ling asked, glancing sideways at Han Li as they walked.
"Hmm?" Han Li looked at his master in confusion before realizing, "Are they coming to Wuhun City?"
"Tch, I thought you had figured it out and let it slip," Guang Ling smacked his forehead, realizing he had overthought the situation.
"Yes, just as you guessed. Your birthday is coming up soon, so I sent them a letter. They should be arriving in a day or two. The city lord isn't coming; he's been ennobled, and Nuoding City is now his fief. He can't just leave whenever he wants, let alone come to Wuhun City," Guang Ling patted Han Li's head as he explained.
"Thank you, Master," Han Li said with genuine happiness. These were among the few people he was close to in this world, and he hadn't expected Guang Ling to arrange such a surprise.
"It's nothing. Once they're here, you can ask if they'd like to stay in Wuhun City. You'll have enough money soon anyway," Guang Ling teased him.
"Oh, right. You should clean up the house your Golden Crocodile uncle gave you. They can't stay on Worship Mountain, so let's have your birthday there; it will be more convenient," Guang Ling reminded him.
"Alright, I'll get someone to clean it up as soon as I get back. I didn't have time to check it out when I last came down from the mountain," Han Li said, producing a set of keys.
"Show-off. Put those away for now; we'll talk about it later," Guang Ling said, giving Han Li a light knock on the head.
...
Once they arrived at their residence, the master and disciple parted ways. Han Li returned to his training, while Guang Ling headed towards the Martial Soul Research Institute. Though he appeared nonchalant, Guang Ling was not entirely hands-off; he needed to select loyal personnel to ensure the subsequent information wouldn't leak.
Having informed Xiu'er in advance, it wasn't long into his training before Han Li heard a knock on the door.
Without needing to look, he knew it was Xiu'er, likely carrying a food box. After nearly a year of getting used to the function of his external soul bone, he had to admit it was quite handy.
"Come in, Sister Xiu'er," Han Li called out.
The door creaked open, and Xiu'er walked in, carrying an enormous and seemingly heavy food box, which contained their specially prepared dinner.
As she unpacked the meal and set it on the table, Xiu'er asked, "Xiao Li, is there something you need to talk to me about?"
Han Li walked over to help Xiu'er set the table while responding, "I didn't have anything initially, but Master just shared some good news with me, so I thought I'd tell you."
"What good news?" Xiu'er asked curiously.
"Grandpa Ma and Brother Tao are coming to celebrate my birthday. I haven't seen them for almost a year, so I'm looking forward to catching up. Unfortunately, Uncle Xiao can't come because of his fief," Han Li replied with a smile.
"Really? That's great! It's been a long time since we saw them," Xiu'er said happily.
Seeing Xiu'er so delighted made Han Li smile as well. Although Xiu'er had said she was content just following him, the relatively isolated training over the past year had limited her interactions to just the maids, which could be rather dull.
He had considered sending her to the Martial Soul Academy or even thought about the "Xiu'er Exchange Plan" to send her to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to meet Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling in advance. However, he abandoned these plans under her innocent gaze.
Hmm, since we'll be tidying up the house in Wuhun City, we might as well move there soon. This way, Sister Xiu'er won't be cooped up in her room all the time, Han Li decided silently.
"What are you thinking about, Xiao Li? The food's getting cold," Xiu'er said, waving her hand in front of his face, interrupting his thoughts.
"Alright, Sister Xiu'er, you eat too."
Han Li smiled in return, and the two of them started eating and chatting, just like they used to in Nuoding City.