Bab 53: The Golden Elixir
Time quickly passed, and before long, it was May. Cherry blossoms could still be seen falling along the roads, and the weather began to grow warmer.
Everyone seemed to become busier.
The higher-ups maintained a lukewarm attitude, confident in securing Minamoto Sōjun, sending groups every few days to try to win him over, but they never made any tangible gestures.
Later, the visitors changed to Angeki, Meimei, and a group of three others, all slightly closer to Minamoto Sōjun in their relationship with him.
Even Tennai Riko, who had just joined the school, wasn't left out.
She had considerable talent, and Iairi Shouko believed she had the potential to learn the reversal techniques. During this time, she had been under Shouko's guidance, learning healing techniques step by step.
She was also one of the few who desperately hoped Minamoto Sōjun would join the medical team.
So, she constantly came to pester Minamoto Sōjun, using every method she could—pleading, coaxing, cajoling—whatever tactics were necessary—but nothing seemed to work. Tennai Riko angrily stood beside him, glaring at him:
"You're really immune to both carrot and stick."
Minamoto Sōjun glanced at her, willing to pay some attention to these individuals.
Immune to both carrot and stick?
Then why would he ever agree to teach someone cursed techniques? Even now, Tennai Riko would come to learn curses from him from time to time, and he never refused her.
Seeing that he wouldn't agree, she didn't press the matter further, but her visits became even more frequent.
The last visitor was Mishima Shishi, who only strolled around the living room a few times before leaving. Given her understanding of Minamoto Sōjun…
She only came here as part of a task.
The higher-ups began playing emotional games, which annoyed Minamoto Sōjun. Some people seemed to think that with a single word, others would abandon morality, friendship, even familial bonds, and follow them without question.
That kind of arrogance was truly infuriating.
Minamoto Sōjun became impatient. His demands were simple. He stated them from the beginning:
Joining the medical team was fine, but he wanted autonomy—who he would treat, how he would treat them, and when. He didn't want to deal with others who tried to intervene during treatment.
His demands were truly simple and didn't involve any interests, but in the eyes of the higher-ups, this was insubordination—something that couldn't be tolerated.
Minamoto Sōjun chose to ignore everything else, retreating to isolate and train. His time was valuable and not meant to be wasted on such matters.
An insignificant, random entity stood in front of him.
After the incident with Tengen, Minamoto Sōjun had a realization.
What would happen if you combined innate cursed techniques + barrier techniques + cloning techniques?
Even before starting experiments, he felt a surge of excitement.
For a long time, assimilated entities had to maintain physical contact to be perfectly controlled; otherwise, they would disintegrate and fall apart.
He was accustomed to using hair strands as the connection, but it became inconvenient over time.
Why could the clones created through assimilated cloning techniques operate independently and freely, while his own clones or assimilated cursed spirits were constrained by such limitations?
Minamoto Sōjun began his experimentation, determined to break this limitation.
He first thought of puppet manipulation.
He thought of cursed skeletons.
As the top expert in puppet manipulation, Yaga Seidō controlled cursed skeletons through special methods without any physical connection.
Minamoto Sōjun had asked him about it, and Yaga said the key lay in the core.
An artificial cursed skeleton had a core equivalent to a heart, which was the key to remote manipulation.
But Minamoto Sōjun couldn't create cursed skeletons himself, which baffled him.
If he found someone else skilled in puppet manipulation and assimilated them, it would be no different from cloning techniques.
Using borrowed materials for tasks like window-making, borrowing saws, or asking others for help was just an endless cycle of complications.
Minamoto Sōjun's principles didn't change because of such reasons.
Could his own techniques not work? They could work; it was just that he hadn't found the right method. He had absolute confidence in his cursed techniques.
After helping Tengen evolve, Minamoto Sōjun gained a new insight: the connecting entity didn't necessarily have to be a physical object—it could be cursed energy, a soul, or a barrier.
Adding flesh armor and the water-splitting spear further enhanced his perception. The experience of sensing everything with intent alone was extraordinary.
Minamoto Sōjun grew a water-splitting spear on his forearm, the world suddenly becoming crystal clear.
He plucked out an eyeball, tore half a soul fragment, and activated his cursed energy. These three elements merged into a mass: red, blue, and black energy combined according to a specific pattern, forming a dark purple liquid entity.
Minamoto Sōjun observed the liquid entity, sensing its instability—it seemed like it would disperse if he let go.
It still needed some weight.
He went to the forging room, carefully selecting materials. Metal quality mattered, and the composition had to be precise.
An eyeball was approximately 7 grams, a portion of flesh, a portion of soul, and seven portions of cursed energy totaled about 21 grams. The metal materials shouldn't overshadow others and had to meet specific characteristics.
Lead absorbed energy easily; copper and iron were common in the cursed world for exorcism and detoxification; mercuric sulfide (cinnabar) had excellent energy conductivity and was often used for crafting symbols.
Minamoto Sōjun mixed the materials, ground them into powder, and incorporated them into the dark purple entity.
After a while, the liquid entity began solidifying on its own, forming a stable, egg-like shape with an evolving golden hue.
Minamoto Sōjun etched the soul barrier onto the surface using cinnabar—the method Tengen had to sustain a soul.
Crimson lines flickered briefly before disappearing beneath the golden surface.
The sphere began to pulse subtly, like a heartbeat, its surface smooth and spherical.
He released control, and the sphere hovered in the air — perfect mastery was maintained.
Minamoto Sōjun summoned the Flyhead, feeding the entity from the mirror surface.
In his consciousness, it descended to his abdomen, embedding itself as a root, growing blood lines that spread throughout his body.
Until the Flyhead developed crimson veins on its body, its wings turning a reddish hue, pulsing with vitality.
Testing, Minamoto Sōjun retracted his control strands from the Flyhead.
The entity maintained form, floating effortlessly, its movements smooth and graceful.
This was his own manipulation.
Finally breaking free from the limitations of strands, their connection now depended solely on intent.
Minamoto Sōjun completed the flawless technique, the Flyhead undergoing subtle changes. The wing structure adjusted, colors turning from gray-white to pure white, coupled with a regal and saintly appearance.
Within Minamoto Sōjun's mental domain, the Flyhead materialized alongside him.
At last, two entities shared the same origin.
Letting go of control, the Flyhead dispersed but retained its absurd charm.
Minamoto Sōjun laughed loudly.
"Swallow the golden elixir, and your destiny lies in my hands, not heaven's."
"Let's call it—'The Golden Elixir.'"
This coincided with Minamoto Sōjun's long-standing beliefs: his cursed techniques were the strongest.
Mastering one method meant mastering everything; with the right approach, nothing was impossible.
Just like his original puppet manipulation technique, which once required strands of hair, he had now completely overcome these limitations.
Minamoto Sōjun saw the Flyhead, satisfied. His theoretical experiment for constructing a golden elixir was a success.
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