55: Medicine Man (Part 3)

Under the tempering of the "Millstone Soul-Forging Technique," time seemed to lose its meaning.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Si Yun's Divine Soul, amidst the day-after-day inhuman grinding, not only did not collapse, but instead began a frantic transformation, adopting a posture of breaking and then establishing itself.

The foundation of Soul Power he had accumulated over many lifetimes of Reincarnation was extremely profound; he had originally touched the threshold of the Spirit-Fixing Realm, but had been worn down to a state of decay by these fifteen years of medicinal baths, falling to the Middle Stage of the Soul-Gathering Realm.

The old monster likely wanted to wait until his Divine Soul fell to the Early Stage of the Soul-Gathering Realm before making a move for Possession, to ensure absolute success.

Following the guidance of the "Millstone Soul-Forging Technique," Si Yun forcibly split his Divine Soul into several parts, taking turns pushing them onto the cold Void Realm stone mill.

When one part of his Divine Soul was crushed to the limit and on the verge of collapse, another part would immediately take over, continuing to endure the Soul-tearing torment.

He dared not be the slightest bit lax.

He Cultivated while awake, and even in his dreams, there was the roaring sound of the millstone turning.

"In the Soul-Gathering Realm, condense ten thousand strands of Divine Sense into a single line of sharpness."

In three months, he not only halted the declining trend of his Divine Soul but also went against the current, already about to touch the threshold of the Late Stage.

Just as Si Yun was preparing to make one final push and continue his deep Cultivation, a familiar and powerful aura was rapidly approaching from outside the mountain.

Cang Yu had returned.

Si Yun opened his eyes abruptly, forcibly suppressing the surging Soul Power within his body. All sharpness and keen aura vanished in an instant, and he transformed back into that "innocent" youth who was ignorant of everything.

Outside the Immortal Cave, Cang Yu's figure appeared.

His complexion was ruddy, his spirit full, and in his hand, he carried a jade box sealed layer upon layer with Talismans; clearly, he had gained quite a bit from this trip.

"Yun'er, Master has returned."

Cang Yu's voice was as kind as always, but when his gaze swept over Si Yun, it carried a trace of hard-to-detect scrutiny.

Si Yun hurriedly went up to meet him and bowed respectfully.

"Master, you have returned."

Cang Yu nodded in satisfaction, the smile on his face growing wider.

Naturally, he could not see the subtle changes in Si Yun's Divine Soul, only feeling that everything was still under his control.

"Master has found a few more rare medicines this time, just in time to temper your Heavenly Elixir Precious Body once more. Let's have the medicinal bath tonight," Cang Yu said, his tone gentle yet carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Si Yun sneered in his heart.

"Temper my Heavenly Elixir Precious Body for me? Heh, I'm afraid you just want to lay a foundation for your own 'Physical Body,' right?"

"Yes, Master."

He lowered his head in response, his drooping eyelids concealing all his emotions.

During this medicinal bath, Si Yun controlled his Divine Soul, actively meeting the medicinal power that dissolved the Divine Soul. Under the operation of the Millstone Technique, these original death warrants instead became the perfect whetstone for tempering his Divine Soul.

"An unexpected delight."

Si Yun was ecstatic in his heart, but his face remained in an agonizing appearance, even deliberately feigning the illusion that his Divine Soul was gradually weakening, making his aura appear even more withered.

When the medicinal bath ended, he felt that his Soul Power had not decreased but increased during this "tempering," and he would likely soon make a Breakthrough to the Late Stage of the Soul-Gathering Realm.

...

Spring departed and autumn arrived; another year passed.

Outside the Immortal Cave, Cang Yu's figure appeared once again.

This time, he no longer had a full-spirited appearance. Although he was still forcing himself to hold on, the Death Qi and decay between his brows could no longer be concealed.

His Lifespan was running out.

Si Yun knew clearly that this old dog had been out longer this time than any other, which meant he had made full preparations to take the final step.

"Yun'er, I have returned."

Cang Yu's voice carried a trace of imperceptible weakness.

"Master, you have returned."

Si Yun stepped forward to bow, sneering endlessly in his heart.

Can't wait, huh?

Cang Yu nodded wearily, his turbid eyes staring fixedly at Si Yun, as if admiring a perfect work of art that was about to be in his Possession.

"Master has found the last few main ingredients this time, just in time to perform the final tempering for you. Let's have the medicinal bath tonight."

It has finally arrived.

Si Yun's heart was turbulent, but on the surface, he remained obedient.

"Yes, Master."

Night fell.

The familiar giant wooden barrel was moved into the room once again.

The medicinal liquid boiled rapidly under Cang Yu's control. This time, the aura of the Soul-Dissolving Saliva and the Soul-Eroding Flower was dense to the extreme, almost turning into tangible black mist swirling on the surface of the medicinal liquid.

Si Yun took a deep breath, and without the slightest hesitation, resolutely stepped into the medicinal barrel.

Excruciating pain!

A pain more intense than any previous time instantly pierced through his entire body.

But Si Yun gritted his teeth tightly, because he knew that within this excruciating pain, it contained Cang Yu's irrepressible killing intent.

Cang Yu stood by the wooden barrel, his eyes dark, watching Si Yun struggling painfully in the medicinal liquid, and finally, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile that was cold to the extreme.

"The time... is almost right," he whispered to himself.

He took a deep breath abruptly, his hands quickly forming Seals, and obscure, complex incantations spilled from his mouth.

In an instant, a terrifying Divine Soul fluctuation erupted from his crown, turning into an invisible, ferocious giant beast that roared and charged straight at the center of Si Yun's brows!

"Jiejie jie... Heavenly Elixir Precious Body, you are finally going to belong to me!"

Cang Yu's rampant laughter exploded directly in Si Yun's Sea of Consciousness.

However, the moment his ferocious Divine Soul crashed into Si Yun's Sea of Consciousness, his laughter came to an abrupt halt.

The weak Divine Soul that would crumble at a single touch, as he had imagined, did not appear.

Instead, it was like crashing into a red-hot wall of copper and iron!

Si Yun's Divine Soul, like a volcano that had been silent for ten thousand years, erupted at this moment!

Countless Soul threads crazily intertwined in his Sea of Consciousness, instantly condensing into sharp, unparalleled blades of edge.

In the next moment, they transformed into thick chains of Soul Power, tightly binding Cang Yu's Divine Soul.

"What?! Impossible!"

Cang Yu let out a roar of shock and anger.

An irresistible, immense force locked his Divine Soul tightly from all directions.

Si Yun's face was deathly pale, the veins on his forehead bulging.

He used all his strength to push the "Millstone Soul-Forging Technique" to the limit!

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, a gargantuan illusory millstone slowly emerged, beginning a merciless grinding against Cang Yu's Divine Soul, which was bound by the chains!

"Ah—!"

Cang Yu let out a miserable scream that didn't sound human.

He clearly felt his Divine Soul being torn and ground to pieces, bit by bit; it was a pain a thousand times more terrifying than the death of the Physical Body.

"Your Soul Power... how is it possible! How could it be the Peak of the Soul-Gathering Realm?!"

"You... you actually Cultivated a Divine Soul Cultivation Technique?! This is impossible!"

Cang Yu's voice became sharp and terrified. He struggled frantically, only to find his Divine Soul pinned tightly to the millstone by those chains, unable to escape at all.

Si Yun's eyes were blood-red, staring fixedly at Cang Yu's face, which was distorted by fear, as he said word by word:

"Old dog, weren't you going to perform a Possession?"

"Today, I'll let you taste the feeling of being backlashed!"

The millstone spun faster and faster.

Cang Yu's screams grew weaker and weaker, eventually being completely swallowed by the millstone.

Inside the room, the medicinal liquid in the wooden barrel churned violently.

When the last trace of Divine Soul was ground into nothingness, Cang Yu, who was standing by the barrel, saw his eyes instantly lose focus, his face frozen with extreme fear and unwillingness.

His body jolted violently, then he fell backward limply, his life force completely severed.

Si Yun, in the wooden barrel, also completely lost his strength at this moment, his head tilted to the side, and he passed out.