Chapter 4: The Time Has Come.
Just as he was gradually gaining control of the rhythm, an unusual heat rose from deep within his lower abdomen.
The heat came out of nowhere, yet was unusually intense, instantly engulfing the entire body.
His body temperature rose sharply, his breathing became heavy, and he even experienced bouts of dizziness.
Here it comes, the side effects of whale gelatin!
Ye Xuanming felt a chill run down his spine; he wasn't very resistant to this.
He felt his consciousness begin to blur, as if countless ants were crawling inside his body, a kind of inexplicable restlessness.
Time passed by, second by second.
Inside the room, white steam rose from Ye Xuanming's body; it was the result of his sweat evaporating due to the high temperature.
His clothes were already completely soaked with sweat and clung tightly to his body.
After an unknown amount of time, when the last trace of whale glue's energy was refined and integrated into his limbs and bones, the violent torrent of energy finally subsided.
Ye Xuanming exhaled a long breath of foul-smelling air and slowly opened his eyes.
He looked down at his hands, his skin covered with a thin layer of grayish-black grime that smelled fishy.
These are impurities expelled from the body after it has undergone tempering.
He stretched his body, and an unprecedented sense of power surged from every corner of his body.
Ye Xuanming could feel his muscles becoming more solid.
More importantly, when he looked inward at his dantian, the blue aura representing soul power had clearly grown larger.
His original soul power was level five, but now he feels that he is not far from level six.
A piece of century-old whale glue has such remarkable effects.
Ye Xuanming clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
This suffering was not in vain.
He got up and walked to the water tank, washing the grime off his body with cold water.
The cool water poured over him completely calmed his head, which had become feverish from refining.
If the effect of refining it once is this good, then what about the remaining two pieces...?
Ye Xuanming looked at the oil paper package containing whale glue on the table, and his plan became clearer and clearer.
Notting College will start in two months.
These two months are a crucial period for him to lay a solid foundation for himself.
He must raise his soul power to level six, or even higher, before entering the academy.
In this way, he can take more initiative in the upcoming plot.
Ye Xuanming did not refine the whale glue again.
The body has its limits; continuous use will greatly reduce the effectiveness and may even leave hidden dangers.
...
In the blink of an eye, two months have quietly passed.
Inside the room, Ye Xuanming slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a long breath of foul air.
He completely refined the last bit of whale glue energy, integrating it into his limbs and bones.
He could clearly feel that his body had undergone a complete transformation.
He had grown taller, and his originally thin body had become much stronger, with a strength beneath his skin that far exceeded that of his peers.
What delighted him even more was the change in his dantian.
The blue aura representing soul power had grown significantly larger than it had been two months ago, and its light was more solid, firmly resting on the threshold of level six.
In just two months, he increased his soul power by one level.
While the powerful effects of whale glue certainly played a role, his tireless meditation day and night was also indispensable.
Unfortunately, Ye Xuanming didn't have enough money to buy more whale glue.
Feeling the surge of power within him, Ye Xuanming stood up, walked into the courtyard, and practiced a simple set of boxing techniques.
His punches were swift and clean, his movements crisp and decisive, a stark contrast to the somewhat frail boy he was two months ago.
"It's time."
Ye Xuanming put down his fist and stood up, looking in the direction of Notting Academy.
...
The gates of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy were more impressive than I had imagined.
With the certificate issued by Master Matthew, Ye Xuanming easily completed the enrollment procedures.
Since his home was in Nottingham, he applied to be a day student, and the college readily approved it.
Just as he was about to enter the academy, he stopped in front of the gate.
Not far away, a minor argument was taking place.
A thin, blue-haired boy and an old man are being harassed by the doorman.
Ye Xuanming didn't go over to watch the excitement; he had already guessed the identities of the two people—it must be Old Jack and Tang San.
Although he couldn't see anything, he believed that in some unknown dark place, Tang Hao was definitely watching everything here.
Ye Xuanming withdrew his gaze, did not linger, and walked straight into the academy gate.
The days that followed were uneventful.
Ye Xuanming became a day student, spending his days in his courtyard meditating and exercising, except for attending classes.
He behaved no differently from an ordinary genius soul master. He had a level 5 innate soul power, a mutated Blue Silver Grass martial soul, a calm personality, and disliked socializing.
He would occasionally keep an eye on Tang San's movements, but never took the initiative to contact him.
Ye Xuanming was waiting for an opportunity.
Finally, not long after the start of the school year, Ye Xuanming learned from the discussions of other day students that Tang San was going to obtain his first spirit ring the next day.
Ye Xuanming's lips curled up slightly; the opportunity had arrived.
The next morning, Ye Xuanming leisurely asked his teacher for leave, explaining that he had some things to take care of at home.
The person in charge knew that he had been specially recruited by Master Matthew and readily approved his leave.
After leaving the academy, Ye Xuanming did not go home, but went straight to the city gate.
...
Holy Soul Village is not far from Notting City.
Ye Xuanming soon arrived near Holy Soul Village.
Instead of entering the village, he walked around its perimeter towards the back mountain he remembered.
The mountain road was rugged and overgrown with weeds.
But he moved quickly and had a clear goal.
Soon, the sound of rushing water grew louder as it approached, passing through a dense forest. A white ribbon of water cascaded down from a cliff several meters high, splashing white droplets in the pool below.
This is the place.
Ye Xuanming took a deep breath; the air was filled with damp moisture and the freshness of grass and trees.
Without the slightest hesitation, he strode forward and rushed straight toward the waterfall.
The icy water instantly slapped against him, sending a tremendous impact through him.
Ye Xuanming swayed, but he gritted his teeth and forced his way through the force of the water.
At first, everything went dark, then it was replaced by a faint light from inside the cave.
This is a huge cave. On the inner side of the cave ceiling, there is a small hole through which a ray of sunlight shines into the cave, making everything inside appear hazy.
Ye Xuanming shook the water droplets off his hair and strode deeper into the cave.
Finally, at the deepest part of the cave, he stopped.
A small blue silver grass with golden stripes on its stems and leaves was planted there.
(End of this Chapter)