Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Auction House, Whale Glue
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Flender had already made a fortune, and with it, the living conditions at Shrek Academy had greatly improved. Meat was served at every meal, soul beast meat was consumed every other day, and medicinal baths were taken three times a week.
When you have money, life becomes indulgent. Flender got to experience what it felt like to be a nouveau riche landlord. For the past few days, his face had been plastered with an unchanging smile.
Ten days later, Li Luochen was on the verge of breaking through to level 17. He had reached the peak of level 16 some time ago, and now he was just one push away from breaking through. With a burst of determination, he broke through!
Spirit power level: 17.
"Phew—cultivation feels so satisfying. The thrill of increasing spirit power is truly enjoyable."
Li Luochen left his home and went to find Flender because there was a high-level auction taking place in Suotuo City that evening.
Arriving at Flender's office-
Flender's life had become much more comfortable these days. He spent his time drinking tea and cultivating leisurely. His spirit power had reached level 68, and he would likely break through to Spirit Sage within the next year.
"Principal, there's an auction tonight in Suotuo City. Shall we go take a look?"
Li Luochen got straight to the point. He wanted Whale Glue—it was the key to him being able to absorb higher-level soul rings. If successful, he could have Flender buy up large quantities of Whale Glue to help the teachers of Shrek Academy make significant progress.
"Alright! Today, I'll take you to broaden your horizons."
Flender led Li Luochen toward Suotuo City.
Night fell, and they arrived at the Suotuo Auction House.
True to its reputation as a luxurious venue, Suotuo City—one of the wealthiest cities in the Barak Kingdom—was home to the main hall of the Spirit Hall. The auction house here was indeed high-class.
Flender and Li Luochen entered the auction house, where they were greeted by a dedicated receptionist who escorted them inside. Flender, as one of the few Spirit Emperors in Suotuo City, commanded a certain level of respect.
Li Luochen carefully observed the interior of the auction house. Most of the escorts were scantily clad women who spent their entire lives confined to this place, discarded when no longer needed.
Sigh—what a tragic fate.
The receptionist led Flender to a private booth. As a Spirit Emperor-level powerhouse, Flender was a person of influence in Suotuo City, so having a private booth was entirely reasonable.
The receptionist handed Flender the catalog of items to be auctioned that night. Spirit Emperor-level individuals had the privilege of knowing the auction items in advance.
"Xiao Chen, take a look and see what you'd like to buy. Principal will take care of it for you tonight."
Flender sat comfortably on the sofa, holding a teacup, sipping tea elegantly.
Li Luochen scanned the catalog: gemstones, medicinal herbs, jewelry, soul-guidance tools, and even soul bones—though only century-level ones, which neither Li Luochen nor Flender cared about.
Finally, his gaze landed on what he had been looking for. A smirk spread across his face—Whale Glue! There it was, and not just one piece but six pieces of millennium-level Whale Glue.
Millennium-level Whale Glue would be enough to boost his second soul ring absorption limit by five hundred years.
"Principal, let's buy Whale Glue. I don't care about the rest."
"Pfft—"
Flender spat out the tea he had been sipping and stared at Li Luochen with a strange expression.
"Are you sick, kid? Whale Glue is an aphrodisiac. Are you planning to live it up? At your age, can you even handle it?"
Oh man, what's with the personal attack?
"Cough, cough… Principal, it's not like that. First, use your spirit power to shield us, and I'll explain."
Flender waved his hand, creating a spirit power barrier to ensure no one could overhear their conversation.
"Here's the thing, Principal. Whale Glue is extracted from the brains of whale-type soul beasts—it's the essence. I read in medical books that Whale Glue has significant nourishing effects for soul masters. It strengthens the body, enhances muscle, bone, and meridian endurance.
To consume it, it needs to be softened using intense heat. After consumption, a soul master's physical constitution improves. For example, if a soul master can normally absorb a two-thousand-year soul ring, consuming millennium-level Whale Glue can increase their tolerance by at least five hundred years.
Additionally, Whale Glue has detoxifying properties and can improve skin and appearance."
Flender furrowed his brow. Li Luochen did often study medical texts, and his medical skills were already quite impressive. He had cured many villagers in the village where Shrek Academy was located.
Li Luochen's medical expertise had certainly achieved some level of recognition.
"If that's the case, then Principal will buy it for you. You're not planning to absorb a thousand-year soul ring for your second soul ring, are you?"
Flender decided to go ahead with the purchase. No one else knew he was buying Whale Glue since they were in a private booth.
Later, he realized that if Whale Glue truly had such powerful effects, it might also help the academy's teachers make significant progress.
As the auction proceeded, when the Whale Glue came up for bidding, Flender spent tens of thousands of gold spirit coins to secure all six pieces.
After paying, Flender took Li Luochen and left. He was eager to see if Whale Glue was truly as miraculous as described.
"Principal, do you have something like a furnace? Whale Glue needs to be softened under high heat."
Li Luochen looked at Flender and asked.
"Yes! I have an ancient-looking furnace in my shop. Let's go get it."
Flender took Li Luochen to his shop and went to fetch the furnace. Meanwhile, Li Luochen noticed an orange crystal among the miscellaneous items on display.
"Principal, what's this crystal?"
Li Luochen pointed at the crystal and asked.
"Oh, that's just a decorative plate. It's useless aside from looking pretty. If you like it, take it."
Flender glanced at it briefly before continuing his search for the furnace.
Ah, so it's Dragon Whisker Needle-infused crystal. Too bad I don't know how to use Tang Sect hidden weapons; otherwise, this would've been a deadly weapon.
Li Luochen pocketed the crystal without hesitation. He didn't plan to leave it for Tang San.
"Haha, found it! Xiao Chen, let's head back to the academy and test if Whale Glue really has these benefits."
Flender packed up the ancient furnace and returned to Shrek Academy with Li Luochen.
Back at Shrek Academy
"Xiao Chen, I've cleaned the furnace, and I've prepared the firewood. Who wants to go first?"
Flender looked at the dark golden Whale Glue in his hand, still somewhat uncertain about whether it truly had such miraculous effects.
"I'll go first. I want to test if Whale Glue really works. If it does, we can start improving the teachers at Shrek Academy.
That way, Principal can lead the teachers to hunt sea soul beasts and obtain more Whale Glue. This will greatly benefit our students.
After all, the temptation of exceeding soul ring absorption limits is enormous."
After hearing this, Flender's hesitant expression turned resolute. Even if Whale Glue had side effects, the worst it could do was act as an aphrodisiac, increasing desire. It wouldn't harm the body.
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