The air in the room buzzed with a mix of curiosity and excitement. Dugu Bo sat at the head of the table, a faint smile playing on his lips as he reached into a large wooden box. With deliberate care, he pulled out three pieces of a glossy, dark material that shimmered faintly in the light.
"Here it is," he said, placing the pieces on the table. "Whale Rubber. I managed to get three pieces, but it was far harder to acquire than I expected. If we lived near the sea, it might have been easier, but inland, it's a rare treasure. Two pieces are from 3,000-year-old whale-type soul beasts, and one is from a 10,000-year-old whale-type soul beast."
He leaned back, his eyes gleaming with pride and a hint of exhaustion. "The effort was worth it, but now I'm even more curious, Bei. Why did you want me to gather this material? What makes it so important?"
I stepped forward, my gaze fixed on the pieces of Whale Rubber. Each one held an almost otherworldly allure, as if it pulsed with latent energy. Taking a deep breath, I began to explain.
"Whale Rubber is a rare treasure for soul masters," I said, my voice steady. "When consumed, it has the potential to greatly improve the body of the soul master. For example, if a soul master has a thousand-year soul ring absorption limit, eating a large piece of Whale Rubber could increase that limit by at least five hundred years."
Dugu Xin's eyes widened in astonishment. "Five hundred years? That's… incredible! But surely there's a catch."
I nodded. "There are conditions. Whale Rubber can only be consumed after it's been melted over a flame of very high temperature. It's not an easy process, and there might be slight side effects, especially for adults. But the benefits far outweigh the risks."
Dugu Bo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Melted over a high-temperature flame, you say? I know just the place for this. There's a location in Sunset Forest that's perfect for preparing something so precious."
Dugu Xin's face lit up with excitement. "Are you talking about your medicinal garden, Father? Bei will love it there. He's always reading about herbs and rare plants."
Dugu Bo chuckled. "Exactly. And now that Bei is a soul master, it's time he sees it."
The anticipation in the room was palpable. The thought of visiting Dugu Bo's fabled medicinal garden filled me with a mix of excitement and curiosity. I had read about places like it, but to actually step foot in such a location was a dream come true.
"We'll head there tomorrow," Dugu Bo announced, his tone leaving no room for argument. "For now, let's rest. We'll need our energy for the journey."
I nodded, grateful for the chance to prepare myself mentally. As the family dispersed for the night, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The Whale Rubber was the key to a stronger future, and the medicinal garden held countless possibilities.
Originally, I had planned to convince Grandpa to take me to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well using the excuse of another dream. But this turn of events made everything much easier and eased my guilt for lying. Soon, I would have everything I needed to fully heal my family and grow even stronger.
One step at a time, though. There was a specific soul ring I wanted before consuming any immortal herb, and for that, I needed to consume the Whale Rubber first. I had been planning this for a long time. The revelation that I could place three soul rings instead of just one didn't change all aspects of my plan, but it will make things quicker.