Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

(Time Skip)

Before awakening his martial soul, Chen Ming was already the most precious child in the Chen family. After awakening his martial soul, he became the family's sole lifeline. Nearly all the family's resources were unconditionally directed toward him.

However, in the Douluo Continent I, alchemy was not particularly advanced. There were no pills like Xuan Shui Dan or Soul Ascension Pills that could directly enhance innate talent or soul power. Instead, improvements were achieved gradually through medicinal baths and meals infused with herbs.

Despite having innate level-five soul power, a top-tier cultivation environment, and abundant resources, the innate limitations of the Emerald Scorpion martial soul slightly hindered Chen Ming's cultivation speed before acquiring his first soul ring.

It took him two and a half years to progress from level five to level ten. This timeframe, while neither exceptionally long nor particularly short, was considered fairly average on the Douluo Continent—barely leaning toward the upper middle range but still far from the level of a true genius.

After reaching level ten soul power, Chen Ming did not immediately seek to acquire a soul ring. Instead, he continued refining his body through various means.

When he casually mentioned to his family that he'd heard about whale glue improving physical constitution and extending the absorption limit of soul rings, his grandfather, Chen Shijie, acted without hesitation. He quickly sourced various types of whale glue from different whale-type soul beasts.

This included whale glue from both ordinary and rare species of whale soul beasts. The most expensive piece was derived from a 20,000-year Demonic Orca. It was reportedly obtained years ago by a Soul Sage from the Spirit Hall during their seventh soul ring hunt near a coastal city. This piece was considered a top-grade whale glue.

The basketball-sized glue alone cost three million gold soul coins, not including the networking expenses and favors required to acquire it.

For a smaller noble family, just this single piece of whale glue would have brought them to tears. However, the Chen family was not short on funds.

The Chen family, a noble lineage with the rank of earl, had been established in Biluocheng for over 500 years, holding the largest share of the city's wealth. In addition to various tax revenues, they dominated the trade of soul beast materials in the city, generating tens of thousands of gold soul coins annually.

Furthermore, being skilled in toxins, the Chen family operated several pharmacies and clinics. Though not entirely legitimate, these businesses generated considerable income each year. Secretly, the family also traded poisons and concocted lethal mixtures, yielding significant profits.

When the family first noticed a decline in the number of people awakening soul power, they sought to form alliances and find backing. Over the centuries, they invested in merchants and soul masters. While many investments failed, some succeeded, expanding their connections and granting them shares in several affiliated merchant guilds.

Their most significant investment occurred 200 years ago.

At that time, a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect opened a mine near Biluocheng. During a transitional period when the sect was temporarily vulnerable, the city lord of Biluocheng, under orders from other forces, caused trouble for the sect. The Chen family stepped in to resolve the issue, gaining shares in several mines owned by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. This investment provided them with annual dividends.

These funds were allocated as follows: part was used to acquire real estate, such as reinforcing the Chen family mansion and adding facilities; part was spent on cultivation; part covered daily expenses; and the largest portion was stored with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Although an annual storage fee was required, it was far safer than keeping the money on hand.

Chen Shijie once told Chen Ming that the family had approximately 45 million gold soul coins stored with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and about 10 million in liquid assets. Including real estate and other holdings, the Chen family's total assets likely exceeded 100 million gold soul coins, making them one of the more prominent noble families of earl rank.

If not for the fact that soul bones are both priceless and highly sought-after—often leading to murder and theft—the Chen family might have stockpiled some as part of their heritage.

After consuming various medicinal supplements, Chen Ming also tried whale glue. However, the effects were not as remarkable as anticipated.

Whale glue from 100-year-old soul beasts mostly acted as an aphrodisiac rather than genuinely nourishing the body. Its restorative effects were so minimal that they couldn't even offset the energy drained by its aphrodisiac properties. Although Chen Ming was still underage, consuming it left him uncomfortable, and its physical enhancement effects were negligible.

The whale glue from 1,000-year-old soul beasts had better results in strengthening the body, but its aphrodisiac effects were even stronger. After consuming it for a while, Chen Ming felt his body undergoing premature development. Concerned about potential long-term issues, he adjusted the dosage and intervals and used gentler methods to counteract the aphrodisiac properties.

As for the piece of 20,000-year-old whale glue sourced from the top-tier Demonic Orca…

The Chen family cut off a fingernail-sized piece and used soul-beast wood to burn it with intense flames for an hour before it finally melted. During this time, the servants tending the fire rotated three times. A few impatient ones nearly gave in to impulsive behavior in the room and had to douse themselves with several buckets of cold water before regaining their composure.

That small piece of whale gelatin was delivered to Chen Ming by Chen Shijie, who wore a hood and thick clothing and carried it in a storage soul tool.

The fingernail-sized gelatin emitted a viscous sheen and a peculiar fragrance. Upon smelling it, Chen Ming became dazed and felt an unusual impulse inappropriate for his age.

Carefully, he cut off about a quarter of the piece and consumed it. Within three minutes, he began to feel restless. Two minutes later, he was compelled to take a cold shower, and eventually, even that wasn't enough. He plunged into a water barrel to cool himself down.

Whether his physique improved was unclear, but he felt on the verge of losing control. For some time after that, even consuming the 100-year and 1,000-year varieties of whale glue became an awkward experience.

As for the remaining three-quarters of the fingernail-sized piece, it was reportedly taken by Chen Ming's second uncle. About three or four months later, Chen Ming heard that two of his uncle's concubines were pregnant at the same time.

Chen Tianyun, 40 years old, had married at 21 and taken three concubines over 19 years. During this time, he hadn't had a single child—not even a daughter.

He had consulted soul masters specializing in this area multiple times. After confirming there were no issues, he tried various methods and consumed both 100-year and 1,000-year whale glue. Eventually, he resigned himself to the idea that he was simply destined to remain childless… until this surprising and almost comical turn of events.

Later, the Chen family, based inland, learned that whale glue from the Demonic Orca is considered the pinnacle of whale glue. This is not only due to the high quality of the soul beast itself but also because of its potent medicinal properties. As an exceptional-grade substance, it is both rare and immensely valuable.

Although the Chen family had spent three million gold soul coins on that piece, in the hands of someone in need, its value could easily double. With proper handling and marketing, it might even triple.

If gifted to a high-ranking noble family, it could even secure a valuable favor.

In hindsight, the expenditure proved to be worth every coin—and more.