Second Heaven

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and before the sun had risen, the group was ready to depart.

Shi Yan mingled with the Medicine Slaves, his expression calm and unremarkable, silently following the group. Qiang Sen, who had been preparing to witness his humiliation, was stunned to see him return to his usual composed state.

In the past few days, every Medicine Slave who had consumed the Gut-Severing Powder would wake up with a pale face, utterly weak, some unable to even walk. Even the physically strong ones would show signs of pain and fear.

Yet, Shi Yan strode with steady steps, his face ruddy, clearly not injured. This filled Qiang Sen with doubt.

After observing for a while and confirming Shi Yan was indeed unharmed, Qiang Sen frowned and moved to the front of the group, explaining Shi Yan's condition to Mo Yan Yu and Kalu.

"Don't mind him," Kalu said nonchalantly. "Since that kid is a Martial Artist, he won't show any abnormalities so easily. Once the Essence in his body is depleted, he'll be like the others. I know the potency of the Gut-Severing Powder."

"Mm, you may go. Just keep a close eye on him," Mo Yan Yu instructed indifferently.

Seeing that both of them were so unconcerned, Qiang Sen didn't say much more. He obediently returned to the rear of the group, continuing to watch Shi Yan closely, afraid he might make any unusual moves.

"Master, how long do you think it will be before he's in agony?" Mo Yan Yu asked Kalu after Qiang Sen had left, hesitating for a moment. She wished Shi Yan would be writhing on the ground in pain right now; that would bring her satisfaction.

"Don't worry, it should be around tonight."

Daylight passed, and the moon quietly hung in the night sky.

After the group had set up camp, Kalu and Mo Yan Yu approached Shi Yan again. They saw him sitting on the ground in the distance, eating heartily with his head bowed, seemingly oblivious to the poor quality of the food in his hands.

"Master, this fellow doesn't seem..." Mo Yan Yu trailed off. Shi Yan's eating habits were far from elegant, but he didn't look like he was in unbearable pain at all.

Kalu's expression slowly turned grim. He let out a cold snort and said, "Are you doubting my Alchemy skills?"

"I wouldn't dare," Mo Yan Yu shook her head. "Master has already proven the remarkable efficacy of the Gut-Severing Powder on other Medicine Slaves. I'm just wondering why... he's unharmed. Could it be that Master accidentally omitted some ingredients in the last bowl of Gut-Severing Powder?"

"Miss Mo, although I, Kalu, am not a high-level Alchemist, I wouldn't make such a mistake in matters like this." Kalu was clearly displeased. With a stern face, he huffed, "If you don't trust my abilities, we can part ways right now."

"Master, please don't be angry. Yan Yu didn't mean that. Yan Yu is just finding it strange. Master, please don't overthink it..." Mo Yan Yu said with a smile.

"Hmph!" Kalu ignored Mo Yan Yu and moved like lightning towards Shi Yan.

Shi Yan kept his head down, pretending not to see Kalu. Inwardly, he marveled at Kalu's speed and was glad he hadn't acted rashly yesterday. Otherwise, he would have been completely at Kalu's mercy.

Besides being an Alchemist, Kalu was also a Martial Artist who had entered the Innate Realm. Shi Yan, on the other hand, was merely a Postnatal Second Heaven Martial Artist who had just managed to circulate the Essence within his body. The gap between them was like a chasm, leaving no hope of victory. To act rashly would be to court death.

"Whoosh!"

Kalu's figure flashed through the air, emitting a strange sound. In an instant, he was in front of Shi Yan.

Shi Yan calmed himself, put down the food in his hands, and looked up at Kalu.

Kalu's gaunt face was filled with coldness. He struck like lightning, grabbing Shi Yan's left arm. His dry fingers touched Shi Yan's arm, and a thread of pure Essence, like an electric current, surged into Shi Yan's arm. It flowed along the meridians of his arm, circled his intestines, and then slowly returned, finally disappearing into Kalu's fingertips.

Kalu's Essence was extremely condensed and powerful. As it traveled through Shi Yan's meridians, Shi Yan's meridians ached under the strain.

"Hmm..." Kalu frowned in confusion and muttered softly, "That's not right. The potency of the Gut-Severing Powder is still there, so why does he still have remaining Essence? His intestines haven't ulcerated either. He's just an insignificant low-level Martial Artist; he shouldn't have such pure Essence. It shouldn't be able to sustain him this long..."

Shi Yan let Kalu hold his arm without resisting.

"Master, how is it?" Mo Yan Yu walked over, asking curiously.

"Let's wait and see for another day," Kalu said with a grim expression, still unable to figure out what was happening. He didn't even consider the possibility of a "Martial Soul," as not just any Martial Artist could possess one, and he had never heard of a "Martial Soul" that could heal the body.

Mo Yan Yu nodded. Although filled with doubt, she didn't say much more, merely giving Shi Yan a strange second glance, her mind occupied with some malicious thoughts.

The next evening, Kalu and Mo Yan Yu came again and examined Shi Yan's body. They found that his intestines still hadn't ulcerated. Kalu's expression grew even more displeased, saying they would wait another day.

On the third night, the two returned again. Kalu examined him but still found nothing.

On the fourth night, Kalu came again.

This time, Kalu held two bowls of Gut-Severing Powder. When he reached Shi Yan, he had Qiang Sen summon a Medicine Slave named Gu Luo and had Shi Yan and Gu Luo drink the newly refined Gut-Severing Powder together.

Shi Yan cooperated and drank the Gut-Severing Powder.

"I refined these two bowls of Gut-Severing Powder at the same time," Kalu said coolly after watching him drink it.

Mo Yan Yu nodded. "As long as Gu Luo's body decays, it will prove that this fellow has a problem with his body. Yan Yu understands Master's meaning."

"Mm," Kalu nodded. "We'll come back at this time tomorrow and compare to see the results."

At night, Shi Yan sat on the ground, his expression solemn as he slowly circulated his Essence.

That wisp of Essence was gradually stretched within his body, extending to his entire main meridians. With the shift of his thoughts, the Essence moved with incredible agility, flowing swiftly from one meridian to another. Following his mental commands, the Essence weaved through the various meridians, truly like a nimble snake.

Gradually, the wisp of Essence traveled along the meridians of his arm to his right index finger. Shi Yan concentrated, and the wisp of Essence slowly retreated back into the meridians in his arm. It then suddenly accelerated, rushing towards his index finger like a long rainbow, its speed increasing rapidly!

"Chichichi!"

A strange sound came from the tip of his index finger, and the stinging sensation intensified. The entire wisp of Essence surged into his index finger. Shi Yan's index finger trembled slightly, like the constantly vibrating tail of a rattlesnake.

The Essence gathered in his index finger, constantly colliding, but was blocked by the skin and flesh at the fingertip. No matter how hard he tried, the Essence could not break through the barrier of the skin and flesh at the fingertip, making it impossible for the Essence to leave his body.

"Hoo!"

He exhaled deeply, and Shi Yan dejectedly withdrew the Essence back to his lower abdomen, muttering in an almost inaudible voice, "Still not working..."

The Postnatal Realm has three Heavens. Cultivating Essence is the first Heaven. Skillfully controlling the Essence and allowing it to circulate within the body according to one's will is the second Heaven. Being able to force the Essence out of the body's skin and flesh, to overflow from within the body, is the third Heaven.

Shi Yan could already circulate his Essence at will, placing him in the second Heaven. For the past few days, he had been continuously cultivating to gather more Essence, trying to let it overflow from his fingers, hoping to break through to the third Heaven. Unfortunately, after several attempts, he was always blocked by the skin and flesh at his fingertips, making it difficult to break through.

"It seems the Martial Artist's cultivation isn't achieved overnight. My Essence isn't strong enough yet. Only after my Essence is condensed and strengthened again can I continue to push through." After another failure, Shi Yan sighed inwardly, realizing he had become too impatient due to the dangerous situation he was in.

He knew that by this time tomorrow, his body would still be unharmed and unaffected by the Gut-Severing Powder, but that Medicine Slave named Gu Luo would inevitably suffer from intestinal rot, possibly even spreading to his internal organs.

As soon as Kalu compared them, he would know there was nothing wrong with his Gut-Severing Powder, and would naturally understand that his body was unusual. At that time, new troubles would surely arise, and his good days might truly come to an end. Mo Yan Yu might even take immediate action to eliminate any future problems.

It was also possible that by tomorrow morning, Gu Luo would show signs of poisoning under the effects of the Gut-Severing Powder. Perhaps he would suffer as early as tomorrow morning. At that time, the Martial Artists wouldn't be as engrossed in their arduous cultivation as they were now; they would all be watching him, and he wouldn't have any opportunities.

Looking up at the star-filled sky, Shi Yan's expression gradually became resolute. He knew that if he wanted to escape, he had to act tonight!