บท 6: Undead Martial Soul
The Duanchang Powder slid through his intestines into his stomach, and Shi Yan felt a dull pain spreading through his gut. It was as if slow-acting sulfuric acid was gradually eroding his stomach and intestines, increasing his agony bit by bit.
"The poison is potent but does not act immediately. It advances slowly. Within two days, a normal person's body will begin to rot from the inside, and within three days, the rot will spread throughout the body, leading to death," Kalu said leisurely, narrowing his eyes. "There's no rush. Let's wait a day and see."
"Very well, let's come back tomorrow night and check on him," Mo Yanyu nodded, casting a gleeful glance at Shi Yan before walking away with Kalu, clearly pleased.
"Heh heh, kid, your good days are over," Johnson grinned, laughing loudly. The thought of Shi Yan's imminent, gruesome death filled him with relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart.
Shi Yan lowered his head, his gaze cold and menacing.
He could clearly feel the poison of Duanchang Powder starting to take effect in his stomach, as if countless ants were gnawing at his insides, vying for territory in his intestines.
The strand of vital essence in his lower abdomen began to circulate quietly, quickly flowing into his stomach. Like a gentle stream, the essence gradually washed over the poison, slowing its spread. Shi Yan let out a quiet sigh of relief.
A damp breeze blew past, and Shi Yan inhaled deeply, not bothering to avoid Johnson nearby. He sat down on the spot, focusing all his attention on channeling his essence to resist the poison's corrosion.
The recently strengthened essence became Shi Yan's lifesaver, continuously flowing through his intestines and stomach. With each circulation, the poison's effects seemed to diminish slightly, preventing the toxin's corrosion from accelerating.
At that moment, Shi Yan recognized the miraculous nature of vital essence, strengthening his resolve to cultivate it and become an invincible warrior.
If just a strand of essence could offer such benefits, how powerful must a "Martial Spirit," revered as a divine gift, be? If he could possess a Martial Spirit, wouldn't he become even stronger, avoiding much of this suffering?
Shi Yan suddenly resented the fact that his body's original owner had failed to inherit the Shi family's "Petrification Martial Spirit." If he had, he might have fought back against Mo Yanyu's "Lightning Martial Spirit" and escaped without having to ingest this deadly Duanchang Powder.
Time passed swiftly, and the moonlight grew colder as midnight approached. The warriors in the distance, having traveled all day, had all quieted down, each seeking a comfortable place to cultivate their vital essence, striving to break through their physical limits, and gain greater strength.
The drug slaves gazed up at the sky. In the silence of the night, their thoughts turned more easily to distant loved ones, and fear crept into their hearts. The thought that tomorrow they might be chosen as test subjects and become new corpses filled them with despair and a chilling coldness.
Under the moonlight, Shi Yan sat cross-legged, his face gradually becoming more solemn.
After five hours of circulating his essence, he had managed to control the rapid spread of the Duanchang Powder within his body. However, he noticed that a third of his essence had already been consumed and was continuing to deplete!
Yet, the poison lingering in his stomach showed no signs of diminishing. On the contrary, it seemed to possess a tenacious vitality, as if waiting for the moment when his essence was exhausted to launch a sudden, fatal assault.
Shi Yan suddenly felt a chill run through his body.
Once his essence was depleted, he would have nothing left to rely on. At that point, with no means to resist, his body would begin to rot from the stomach, spreading throughout his organs, and within five or six days, he would die, just like the other drug slaves.
Shi Yan's expression darkened, his eyes gleaming like icy shards as they locked onto Mo Yanyu perched on a distant ancient tree.
In the pale moonlight, Mo Yanyu sat serenely on the thick tree branch, her skin as smooth as frost, her delicate face calm. Her long hair swayed gently in the wind, like an elf in the night. She was unaware of Shi Yan's sinister gaze, quietly cultivating her vital essence to nourish the spiritual veins harboring her "Lightning Martial Spirit."
Kalu, at the back of the group, kept his left hand hidden in his loose sleeve while leaning against another old tree, engrossed in a poison manual held in his right hand.
Occasionally, Kalu would glance in Shi Yan's direction, a malicious smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
This won't work, Shi Yan thought, his brows furrowing deeply. While he continued to circulate his essence to resist the poison, his mind raced to find a solution.
If this continued, his essence would be depleted before dawn. Once that happened, death was inevitable! Even if he managed to escape, it wouldn't change anything with the poison still in his body. The only solution was Kalu!
If Kalu could concoct the Duanchang Powder, he must have the antidote. The only way for Shi Yan to avoid his body's inevitable corrosion was to obtain the antidote from Kalu. But Kalu wasn't just a poison master; he was also a warrior in the Innate Realm. Attempting to snatch the antidote from him was almost tantamount to suicide.
Shi Yan observed Kalu discreetly. Although Kalu appeared focused on his manual, he was glancing at Shi Yan's area now and then. It was clear that Kalu was not unguarded; he might even have guessed what Shi Yan would attempt and was waiting for him to fall into his trap.
Thoughts flashed through Shi Yan's mind as he realized that despite the slim chance of success, he had no choice but to target Kalu, and he had to act quickly. If he waited until his essence was completely drained, his chances of survival would be even slimmer.
Shi Yan adjusted his breathing, temporarily ignoring the poison in his stomach. He retracted his essence, preparing for a desperate gamble.
As expected, with the essence withdrawn, the Duanchang Powder's poison intensified, the toxin spreading faster, and the pain in his body escalating sharply.
Just as Shi Yan was about to make his move, his rotting stomach suddenly experienced a change!
The decaying part of his stomach became highly active, with faint, thread-like forces wrapping around the damaged area, as if an invisible hand was stitching his decaying intestines back together. The rotten parts were gradually healing...
Shi Yan froze.
He had been ready to act, but he quickly calmed himself, focusing all his mental energy on observing the bizarre changes within his body!
His cells were incredibly active, seemingly full of life. The decayed flesh twitched slightly, slowly healing. Within half an hour, the rotten parts had completely recovered, leaving no trace of pain.
An electric current seemed to course through his body, filling Shi Yan with joy. Yet, his face remained impassive, as serene as if he were in deep slumber.
Any extraordinary ability that didn't require the circulation of essence was undoubtedly a unique "Martial Spirit"!
A definition of Martial Spirits flashed through his mind. After contemplating for a moment, Shi Yan quickly realized that the changes in his body were due to the activation of a special Martial Spirit.
Self-healing of the flesh—a special innate ability, possibly an unawakened and mysterious Martial Spirit!
The poison in the Duanchang Powder struck again, attacking his intestines. Without the essence to resist, the poison quickly rotted a portion of his stomach.
Amazingly, his decaying intestines reacted once more. Under the influence of his hyperactive cells, the damaged area healed within a short time!
The poison continued to attack, repeatedly corroding Shi Yan's stomach. However, every time the toxin corroded his intestines, his body's self-healing Martial Spirit would activate, repairing the damaged areas before the next wave of poison could strike.
"Martial Spirits will evolve with the warrior's progression, even undergoing special transformations. The higher the warrior's level, the more powerful the Martial Spirit's innate abilities will become."
Another phrase about Martial Spirits came to mind, filling Shi Yan with immense joy. From the abilities exhibited by this self-healing Martial Spirit, he realized that as he advanced in his cultivation, his body could rapidly recover from any injury. If he reached the Heaven Realm or the Transcendent Realm, this self-healing Martial Spirit might even allow him to regenerate severed limbs.
If it reached that point, even a stab to the heart could be healed by this Martial Spirit, allowing him to evade death.
If that were the case, upon reaching the True God Realm, would this not mean eternal life?
A flood of thoughts raced through Shi Yan's mind. After careful consideration, he silently named this Martial Spirit the "Immortal Martial Spirit."
After quietly experiencing this for a while longer, and confirming that the Immortal Martial Spirit could counteract the poison of the Duanchang Powder, Shi Yan finally relaxed, abandoning the idea of risking his life to seize the antidote from Kalu. He remained seated, allowing the internal struggle in his intestines to play out while quietly restoring his essence.
...
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