Chapter 18 – Consumption
Lin Beiya glanced at the picture printed in the catalog and nodded absentmindedly.
"Looks great. Really suits your temperament."
"You think so? Then I'll bid for it later! By the way, is there anything you want? How about this bracelet? I'll buy it for you!"
The little angel's fair finger pointed toward a delicately crafted bracelet. According to the notes, it was the work of a renowned artisan—exquisite, luxurious, and completely useless.
Lin Beiya wasn't the least bit interested. His mind was already consumed by thoughts of the Whale Rubber.
Ever since his duel with Qian Renxue, he had been dissatisfied with his physical limits. Now that there was a chance to strengthen his body, how could he not be tempted?
"Let's talk about it later," he said with a forced smile. "Someone else might like that bracelet too. It's not worth spending so much just for decoration."
Qian Renxue tilted her head slightly, her tone casual and completely natural.
"It's fine. I've got a few million gold soul coins in my pocket money. I can easily afford a bracelet."
"…"
Lin Beiya was speechless. As expected of a walking, talking angel investor. Even as a kid, she's already loaded.
The realization made him feel as if he'd just seen the shortcut to skipping ten years of hardship. For a brief moment, his eyes grew misty with envy.
While the two chatted, the auction formally began.
The first and second items were a natural gemstone and an elegant evening gown—neither of which interested either of them. They passed the time with idle conversation.
But the moment the third item was brought onto the stage—the Whale Rubber—Lin Beiya immediately sat up, his eyes sharp and focused on the display.
Qian Renxue noticed his sudden change in expression and turned her gaze toward the stage out of curiosity.
When she saw what the item was, her cheeks flushed crimson. She immediately shot him a glare.
"Ugh! What are you thinking about? You can't even use that thing!"
Lin Beiya rolled his eyes internally. What's with that reaction? Still, he quickly feigned ignorance, pretending not to recognize the item at all.
"Xue'er, what's this thing? My Martial Soul seems to be reacting to it."
To make his lie more convincing, he summoned his Athena statue martial soul, channeling a sliver of soul power into it.
The statue trembled faintly in response.
Qian Renxue's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She didn't doubt him—after all, Lin Beiya was just a young orphan raised in the Spirit Hall orphanage. It wasn't strange that he didn't recognize Whale Rubber.
What puzzled her more was why his martial soul would react to it at all.
Was this "statue" really a proper martial soul?
The martial soul might be fine... but the person? She wasn't so sure.
"That's Whale Rubber," she said finally. "As for what it's used for… well, let's just say it's not exactly something decent."
"Oh? Then can we buy it?"
"…"
Qian Renxue leaned back, giving him a skeptical look that seemed to say, "What is wrong with you? I just told you it's not decent!"
"Better not," she sighed.
"But my Martial Soul is clearly responding to it! If it's not too expensive, we could buy it just to see what happens, right?"
Qian Renxue thought for a moment. His reasoning was… surprisingly sound.
'Fine,' she decided, 'I'll buy it now, and later I'll send him the official research notes on Whale Rubber. Once he learns what it's actually used for, he'll definitely lose interest.'
"Alright then, I'll bid for it."
She waved to the attendant. The maid nodded and quickly signaled the auctioneer.
"The guest in Box No. 1 has offered 3,500 gold soul coins for the Whale Rubber! Any higher bids?"
The hall fell silent.
The item's actual use was known only among a few eccentric nobles, and none of them were foolish enough to compete with someone sitting in Box No. 1—the seat clearly reserved for the high and powerful.
Before long, the bidding concluded.
Qian Renxue successfully purchased the Whale Rubber for 3,500 gold soul coins.
Lin Beiya subtly clenched his fist in satisfaction. Strengthening his physique through pure effort alone would take an enormous amount of time and labor.
But with this Whale Rubber, he could save himself months—perhaps even years—of painstaking training.
After that, several other auction items went up for bid—a cat-eared maid, a soul beast pet—but neither Lin Beiya nor Qian Renxue showed any interest.
It wasn't until the necklace and bracelet that caught Qian Renxue's eye appeared that she lifted her paddle again, calmly winning both items without hesitation.
Three items in total. Once the attendants delivered them to their private box, Qian Renxue paid the sum with effortless grace—her demeanor as composed as if she'd merely purchased a snack.
With their business concluded, the two left the auction and made their way back toward Spirit Hall.
"Here, this is the Whale Rubber you wanted—and the bracelet I promised you," Qian Renxue said, handing him the items.
"Thank you, Xiaoxue."
"You're welcome. Just remember—once you obtain your second soul ring, you owe this young lady a full set of Gold Saint Cloth as a return gift."
Lin Beiya nodded seriously. He didn't plan to refuse anyway—he could only wear one set at a time, after all.
After parting ways in the garden, Lin Beiya hurried back to his residence. He had just begun to take out the Whale Rubber for examination when a sudden knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
Opening it, he found one of the Spirit Hall maids standing there, holding a thick book.
"This was sent by the young lady," she said politely. "She asked that Lord Lin open it to page 152."
"I see. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After the maid departed, Lin Beiya closed the door and glanced down at the book's cover.
The title read: "Hundred Strange Treasures of the Continent – Explained."
Frowning slightly, he flipped to page 152 as instructed. Sure enough, an illustration of Whale Rubber filled the page, accompanied by detailed annotations about its properties and—most importantly—its intended use.
Lin Beiya's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
'So that girl's afraid I'll make a fool of myself? Please… does she really think I'm dumb enough to just swallow the whole thing raw?'
Shaking his head, he placed the book aside, sat cross-legged on the bed, and drew out the chunk of Whale Rubber from his soul guidance ring.
A strong fishy stench immediately filled the room.
"Deep yellow in color… looks like this piece is at least ten thousand years old. Seems I've struck gold."
He chuckled to himself, thinking that the auction crowd truly didn't know the treasure they'd ignored.
Taking out a small knife, he sliced off a corner of the Whale Rubber and began to melt it using his soul power.
The process was agonizingly slow, but as he watched the sticky material gradually liquefy, Lin Beiya confirmed that the method worked.
The smell grew increasingly pungent. Before long, the Whale Rubber had melted into a thick, milky liquid.
Lin Beiya stared at it for a moment, his expression twisting.
This looks… disturbingly similar to that "delicacy" my neighbors used to love back on Earth…
His mouth twitched again, but knowing the medicinal power it contained, he pinched his nose and gulped it down in one go.
Almost immediately, heat surged through his entire body. His skin flushed red, and his mind went blank save for one overwhelming sensation—hot.
Blazing hot. Suffocatingly hot.
Fortunately, he had anticipated this.
He quickly summoned his Gold Saint Cloth, letting its divine energy stabilize his body as he began refining the medicinal energy coursing through his veins.
Half an hour later, the final wave of heat faded. Lin Beiya let out a long breath of relief.
"Huff… this stuff packs quite a punch."
He glanced down at his body—thin layers of black impurities clung to his skin, expelled through his pores. Grimacing, he pinched his nose and hurried to the bath.
After training his five senses, Lin Beiya's sense of smell was far sharper than an ordinary person's. At the moment, the stench on his body was potent enough to knock him out cold—bathing was the only option.
Once cleaned up, he examined his reflection in the mirror. His skin now carried a healthy sheen, his muscles faintly pulsing with vitality.
Satisfied, Lin Beiya nodded.
While a single dose of Whale Rubber hadn't caused any dramatic transformation, he could already feel his physique subtly improving. It was a genuine, effective method of strengthening the body.
"Once I finish this entire block of Whale Rubber," he murmured to himself, "I'll use my improved physique as proof and tell Qian Daoliu about it. He'll definitely gather more Whale Rubber for me—and for the little angel too."
After all, it was a method that would benefit his beloved granddaughter as well. And Lin Beiya was certain—Qian Daoliu would never refuse.
—
End of Chapter