Lan Xue returned with Dian Wei in less than four days.
For a peak-level Soul Douluo like her, taking a child to the nearby Soul Hunting Forest to obtain his first soul ring was a trivial task.
Dian Wei's martial spirit required soul beasts that were easy to find—any power-type soul beast would suffice.
The first soul skill Dian Wei obtained was called Ghost Halberd, one of the general skills from Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2. This technique conjured a phantom halberd, launching a straight-line attack. Even if it hit an opponent, the halberd would continue forward until the soul power dissipated.
After absorbing the soul ring, Dian Wei's level was revealed. With the past month's training combined with the over-aged soul ring, his soul power reached level fourteen, surpassing Tang San's level at the same age in the original story.
Upon seeing his wife return, Nantianchen eagerly stepped forward and asked, "Is it 600?"
Lan Xue nodded, responding concisely, "600."
Their brief exchange revealed that Nantianchen was asking whether Dian Wei had absorbed a 600-year soul ring, and Lan Xue confirmed it with a simple answer.
Dian Wei had easily absorbed the 600-year soul ring without showing any signs of excessive pain, thus proving that their son's claims about the use of whale glue were not unfounded.
Nantianchen was overjoyed.
He quickly issued two decrees. The first was to recruit beautiful women into the palace, and the second was to purchase whale glue from the coastal city of Han Hai on the kingdom's border, through the Sea Spirit Masters.
Sea Spirit Masters typically hunted sea soul beasts, many of which were whales. If anyone had the most whale glue, it would undoubtedly be them.
As for recruiting beauties into the palace, that was merely a cover.
Everyone knew that whale glue was a type of aphrodisiac. If the King of Gulei was expanding his harem, it made sense that he would need such items.
This gave the kingdom a plausible reason to procure large amounts of whale glue, without arousing suspicion.
At most, those who didn't know the truth would gossip about the king's amorous affairs, while more knowledgeable individuals would sigh and lament, labeling him a foolish ruler.
Of course, Nantianchen had no intention of actually filling his harem. He didn't have the courage. The lady of the house was not to be trifled with.
The two concubines he had were from before he married Lan Xue. She didn't hold it against him, nor did she demand that he send them away—she wasn't that ruthless.
But after their marriage, she forbade him from taking any more women. This was the only condition she had set when agreeing to marry Nantianchen.
The couple discussed the development plans for the children.
They decided that, aside from Nan Feihuang, the other children would have their first soul rings set at 600 years and their second at 900 years.
It wasn't that they couldn't start with a thousand-year second ring; they just wanted to reserve this opportunity for their own son.
If someone from the Gulei Kingdom were to achieve something like a thousand-year second ring or a ten-thousand-year fourth ring, they could attribute it to the individual's extraordinary talent.
But if everyone were to have such achievements, any sensible person would guess that the Gulei Kingdom had mastered the method for absorbing over-aged soul rings.
With the kingdom's current strength, they couldn't protect such a secret and would only invite disaster.
Thus, while Dian Wei and the others could have over-aged soul rings, their first few rings would still follow the two-yellow, two-purple configuration to avoid suspicion.
After all, a 900-year soul ring still looked yellow, just slightly deeper in hue. If one didn't scrutinize closely, the difference wouldn't be obvious.
The kingdom had limited reserves of whale glue—only three pieces remained.
These were just enough for Nan Feihuang, Lü Lingqi, and Xun Yu.
Ironically, Princess Nan Feiling did not receive any, and she was entirely unaware of the existence of whale glue.
It must be said that Nantianchen harbored some preference for sons over daughters. He only truly wanted to nurture his son, Nan Feihuang. Dian Wei, Lü Lingqi, and the others, besides their exceptional talents, benefitted from being marked as potential confidants of Nan Feihuang.
As for Nan Feiling, in his eyes, she would eventually marry out.
A married daughter is like water spilled out of the family. If she were to share the secret of whale glue with her husband's family, it would be a significant loss for the royal family and might even endanger the kingdom.
Thus, only Nantianchen, Lan Xue, Nan Feihuang, and his three loyal retainers knew this secret.
After they had all successfully refined the medicinal properties of the whale glue, Lan Xue once again took the remaining three children out to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt for soul rings.
Normally, the queen wouldn't need to personally take on such a task, but when it came to her precious son, she always preferred to handle matters herself.
Although Nan Feihuang had taken the whale glue, Lan Xue wasn't going to let him absorb a thousand-year soul ring for his first ring, even as a precaution. For a hundred-year soul ring, they didn't need to venture into the Star Dou Great Forest or the Sunset Forest.
The small Soul Hunting Forest near Gulei City was more than sufficient.
Dian Wei's first soul ring had also been obtained there.
At the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest, numerous soul masters gathered, most of them seeking to form teams.
After all, under the cultivation system of the Douluo Continent, there were no perfect soul masters; everyone had strengths and weaknesses.
Thus, teamwork was highly valued, as it allowed for complementary advantages.
Lan Xue's stunning beauty and regal demeanor immediately attracted countless gazes. Despite being over forty, she looked to be in her twenties, with the grace of a mature woman in her thirties. As the queen of a nation, her noble aura was unmistakable.
"Beautiful lady, are you here to help your juniors hunt for soul beasts? May I suggest we team up? My family's elder is a Soul King-level expert. With his protection, you can be assured of safety," a lascivious-looking young noble stepped forward, blocking their path.
Though his tone was polite, the lecherous look in his eyes as he gazed at Lan Xue was impossible to hide.
Lan Xue despised such people the most. In her youth, there were many who had tried to force themselves on her. If not for her own strength and the protection of the dean of Tianshui Academy, her journey would have been much more difficult.
This young man was no different from those people.
"Get lost!" Lan Xue's soul power erupted, sending the young noble flying backward, arms and legs flailing.
She released a burst of soul power roughly at the level of a Soul Emperor. The young man, at most a Grandmaster, had no way to resist.
Had it not been for the Soul King guard desperately shielding him, he might have been seriously injured.
The young noble collapsed on the ground, paralyzed with fear. His fate served as a stark warning to others who had been eyeing Lan Xue with ill intent.
Yes, she was beautiful, but you needed to be alive to enjoy such beauty.
Nan Feihuang smiled slightly, realizing that the mother who was so gentle with him could be this cold and unyielding with others. It was no wonder she had earned the nickname "Ice Snow Goddess" in her youth.
Approaching the forest gate, Lan Xue produced a token from the Spirit Hall. As part of the Gulei Kingdom's royal family, it wasn't difficult for her to obtain such a token. After all, it wasn't on the same level as a Pope's decree.
The guards verified the token and immediately opened the gate to let them pass.
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