Chapter 37: Did you peek at?
Ye Xuanming explained the principles and effects of whale collagen to Ye Xingyue in detail.
After listening, Ye Xingyue seemed thoughtful: "I see, I thought..."
"Mother, what are you thinking about?" Ye Lingling said, blushing.
Dugu Yan chuckled to herself, "Aunt Ye, your thoughts are the same as ours before."
Ye Xingyue coughed lightly, her expression returning to normal.
"Since it's for cultivation, then there's no problem. However, someone needs to take care of the refining of whale gelatin, especially Lingling, who is a support-type soul master and has a relatively weak physique."
"Then I'll trouble you, Aunt Ye," Ye Xuanming said gratefully.
"You're welcome," Ye Xingyue said with a gentle smile. "You're all children, so of course I'll take good care of you."
Then, Ye Xingyue prepared three large wooden tubs and placed them in the yard.
"These barrels are made of special wood that can withstand high temperatures."
Ye Xingyue explained, "After you take the whale gelatin, soak in it, and I will watch over you."
Dugu Yan looked at the wooden bucket, somewhat nervously: "Xuanming, are you sure there's no danger?"
"Don't worry, I've already tried," Ye Xuanming comforted him. "It'll just be a little uncomfortable, but you'll get through it."
Ye Lingling was also a little uneasy: "Will the side effects... be very noticeable?"
"This…" Ye Xuanming thought for a moment, "It might be a bit hot, but it should be relieved in ice water."
Ye Xingyue poured ice water into the wooden tub and prepared some towels and supplementary medicines.
Ye Xuanming picked up the box containing the millennium whale glue and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
"I'll go process the whale glue. You guys get ready."
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling looked at each other, both somewhat nervous.
After all, this was their first time trying this body-refining method.
Inside the kitchen, Ye Xuanming poured the thousand-year-old whale glue onto the cutting board and carefully cut it into three equal parts with a knife.
This thing is hard at room temperature and needs to be heated to soften.
He lit the stove and put the cut whale glue into three small pots, heating them slowly.
Soon, the whale sac began to soften, emitting a peculiar fishy smell.
Ye Xuanming wrinkled his nose; the smell was indeed not very pleasant.
"Xuanming, why is it taking so long?" Dugu Yan called out from the courtyard.
"It'll be ready soon!" Ye Xuanming replied, pouring the softened whale gelatin into three bowls.
The gelatinous substance trembled slightly in the bowl, emitting a faint steam.
Ye Xuanming carried three bowls out of the kitchen.
In the courtyard, Ye Xingyue had already set up three wooden buckets, filled with ice water.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling stood to the side, their faces filled with apprehension.
"Go into the tub immediately after taking the whale gel," Ye Xingyue instructed. "Remember, no matter how uncomfortable it is, you must persevere."
Ye Xuanming handed the three bowls to the two girls and himself respectively.
"This smell..." Dugu Yan sniffed it; it had a fishy odor, and her face turned slightly green. "Do you really want to drink it?"
"Good medicine tastes bitter," Ye Xuanming comforted him. "I'll go first."
He picked up the bowl and drank the whale jelly in one gulp.
The gelatinous substance slid down my throat, carrying a strong fishy smell.
Dugu Yan swallowed hard when she saw Ye Xuanming's expression.
"Sister Yanzi, let's go together." Ye Lingling grasped her friend's hand.
"Alright!" Dugu Yan gritted her teeth. "I'll risk it!"
The two girls tilted their heads back at the same time and drank the whale glue in one gulp.
As soon as he finished drinking, Ye Xuanming felt a surge of heat rising deep in his lower abdomen.
This feeling was even stronger than last time, after all, this time it was millennia-old whale glue.
"Quick, get in the bucket!" He jumped into the wooden bucket.
The ice water instantly enveloped my body, temporarily relieving the feeling of heat.
But Ye Xuanming knew that this was just the beginning.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also jumped into the wooden tub one after the other.
At first, there was no reaction, and the two were still in the mood to chat.
"This water is so cold." Dugu Yan shivered.
"Just bear with it," Ye Lingling comforted her.
But soon, the effects of the whale gelatin began to take hold.
Ye Xuanming was the first to sense the change.
A strange heat surged from deep within my lower abdomen, instantly engulfing my entire body.
His body temperature rose sharply, and his breathing became heavy.
Because of his previous experience and the strengthening of his physique, Ye Xuanming was still able to barely control himself.
But Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were not so lucky.
"It's so hot..." Dugu Yan's face was flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Ye Lingling's situation was even worse; she was already physically weak, and now she was starting to tremble.
Ye Xingyue quickly went over to check on her daughter's condition.
"Your temperature is too high." She frowned. "I'll go get more ice."
Just as Ye Xingyue turned around, Dugu Yan suddenly stood up.
"It's so hot! I can't stand it!"
She began to unbutton her coat, her movements somewhat flustered.
Ye Xuanming's eyes widened: "Sister Yanzi! What are you doing!"
"It's so hot!" Dugu Yan couldn't care less about anything else. "Why are these clothes so thick!"
Ye Lingling also started taking off her coat; her usually gentle personality was completely overwhelmed by the heat.
"Sister Lingling! Calm down!" Ye Xuanming was extremely anxious.
But the two girls were completely deaf to reason; the side effects of the whale glue had driven them mad.
Ye Xingyue returned carrying ice blocks and almost dropped them when she saw this scene.
"You two! Sit down right now!"
Her voice was authoritative, which made Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling slightly more alert.
"Aunt Ye... I'm so hot..." Dugu Yan looked at Ye Xingyue with a wronged expression.
Ye Xingyue quickly poured ice into the wooden bucket, and the water temperature dropped significantly in an instant.
"Bear with it, it's only temporary," Ye Xingyue comforted her. "The effects of the medicine will wear off soon."
But as it turns out, the medicinal effects of the millennium whale glue last longer than imagined.
For the next half hour, the three of them struggled against the intense heat.
Ye Xuanming managed to hold on thanks to his strong physique and willpower, but Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling did not fare so well.
Dugu Yan's face was flushed, and she leaned weakly against the edge of the wooden tub.
"Sister Yanzi, Leng Lengjie, hang in there," Ye Xuanming said, trying to comfort the two of them, his voice a little hoarse.
Ye Lingling was in the same situation, her head steaming, unable to speak.
Ye Xingyue kept adding ice cubes to the wooden bucket, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"I should have known better than to let you all refine together," she said with some regret. "We should have done it one at a time."
"It's alright… Aunt Ye…" Ye Xuanming forced a smile, "We can manage."
Just then, Dugu Yan suddenly let out a muffled groan.
"What's wrong?" Ye Xingyue hurriedly checked.
"I feel... something flowing inside my body..." Dugu Yan's voice was very weak.
Ye Xuanming knew that this meant the energy from the whale glue was beginning to transform his body.
"This is a good thing, it means the medicine is starting to take effect."
Sure enough, not long after, Ye Lingling had the same feeling.
"How strange...it feels like countless tiny insects are crawling inside my blood vessels..."
As time passed, the three of them gradually stabilized.
The heat gradually subsided, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of comfort.
Ye Xuanming was the first to recover.
He stood up and felt the changes within his body.
My strength has indeed increased significantly, and my body's resilience has also improved markedly.
"How are you feeling?" Ye Xingyue asked with concern.
"Very good." Ye Xuanming stretched his arms. "The effect is even better than expected."
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also gradually recovered.
Although their faces were still a little pale, their mental state had clearly improved.
"I feel stronger." Dugu Yan clenched her fist. "Is this the effect of whale glue?"
Ye Lingling nodded: "My body feels much lighter, and my soul power is circulating more smoothly."
Ye Xingyue breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems we succeeded."
The three of them came out of the wooden tub, and Ye Xingyue thoughtfully prepared towels and changes of clothes.
"Go take a shower first, and then get some rest," she instructed. "We'll check the specific effects tomorrow."
After taking a shower, the three of them gathered in the living room.
"Xuanming, I feel like I can kill a soul beast with one punch now." Dugu Yan excitedly waved her fist.
Ye Lingling chuckled softly from the side: "Yanzi, you're exaggerating."
"That's not an exaggeration at all!" Dugu Yan retorted, "I really do feel very strong right now!"
Ye Xuanming shook his head and chuckled: "Whale glue mainly enhances physical fitness, not directly increases attack power."
"What's the difference?" Dugu Yan asked, puzzled.
"The difference is huge," Ye Xuanming explained. "After your physical attributes are improved, you can withstand stronger soul rings and unleash stronger soul skills."
Ye Lingling pondered for a moment: "Then how many years of soul rings can we withstand now?"
"It's hard to say. Let's wait until we finish this batch of whale glue."
Ye Xuanming didn't know how to estimate, but if eating the ten-thousand-year-old whale glue had no effect, then a ten-thousand-year-old fourth ring physique was definitely enough.
At this moment, Dugu Yan suddenly remembered something and a wicked smile appeared on her face.
"Xuanming, when Lingling and I were taking off our clothes just now, did you peek?"
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