Medicinal Bath

He tossed the herbs into the bath barrel one by one. When the Iron Bone Vine entered the water, its color deepened;

The Stone Marrow Grass dissolved, spreading grayish-white veins through it;

When the Crimson Blood Ginseng and Vermilion Fruit were thrown in, the water began to churn as if it were boiling.

The scalding water fully activated the medicinal properties of these ingredients, filling the entire bathroom with a dense mist mixed with the scent of medicine and a certain bitter, astringent aroma.

He took off his clothes and stepped into the bath barrel.

The scalding medicinal liquid enveloped his body. Countless needle-like streams of medicinal power burrowed through his pores and into his skin, stimulating every inch of muscle and every bone.

His skin began to redden, and white vapor rose from the top of his head.

He could feel it, but it was far from unbearable. Having trained since childhood, he had long grown used to it.

The first time he took a medicinal bath, the pain had made him grimace. But now, this level of stimulation only felt noticeable for the first few moments before quickly becoming nothing more than a warm, soothing sensation.

He began circulating the Heart Source Circulation Technique. Soul Power surged through his meridians, carrying the medicinal power as it washed through his entire body.

Those tiny meridians that were rarely used, as well as the hidden injuries buried deep within his muscles and bones, were repaired and strengthened under wave after wave of cleansing.

No matter how ruthlessly he cultivated the Body Tempering Chapter, minor injuries would always remain. He normally could not feel them, but accumulated over time, they would become hidden dangers.

One purpose of the medicinal bath was to gradually eliminate those hidden dangers.

At the same time, he sank his consciousness into his body.

The "Primal Heart" in his chest beat steadily, and pure Soul Power flowed along the paths of the Heart Source Circulation Technique.

Lower in his chest cavity, a small, solid dark vortex slowly revolved.

This thing had appeared when he absorbed his first Soul Ring.

When a Soul Beast like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger cultivated to a sufficiently profound level, it would condense a "Life Pearl" within its body. Similar to a Soul Beast's inner core, it was the crystallization of its essence.

The one he had killed had been too low-level, and its Life Pearl had not yet formed—like an egg whose yolk had already developed, but had yet to hatch into a chick.

When he absorbed the Soul Ring, this "egg yolk," which had yet to solidify, had not dispersed. Instead, it had been swept up by the Primal Heart's all-encompassing power and left within his body, becoming this small vortex of dark energy.

Put simply, he had absorbed an unhatched egg whole.

The egg white was the loose energy, while the egg yolk was this more solid mass.

The egg white had already been refined and absorbed, but this yolk had remained in this semi-liquid vortex form, quietly staying there.

The Fourth Stage of the <Dharma Cleansing Marrow and Changing Tendons Scripture> required one to condense a Soul Power vortex within the body, achieving an automatic Minor Circulation cycle and allowing both Soul Power recovery speed and output to far surpass what they had been before.

He already had a vortex.

So, what he needed to do was not condense a new vortex from scratch, but separate this "egg yolk" and turn it into another source of power—forming a dual-core drive together with the Primal Heart.

One pulsed on the left, while the other rotated in the center, jointly driving the flow of Soul Power.

With that, the barrier that had originally been difficult to cross for the Fourth Stage became somewhat easier for him.

Of course, he had no idea what this vortex might eventually evolve into.

It might remain this way forever; it might slowly solidify as his cultivation rose; or it might merge with the Primal Heart and become something else. He could only take things one step at a time.

But at least for now, it was a good thing. It would not cause trouble, and it could even help.

The color of the medicinal liquid in the bath barrel gradually faded. He could feel his muscle fibers becoming denser, while a faint numb itch spread through his bones—their density was increasing.

His blood and vitality surged like a river, flowing freely through his broad meridians.

After cultivating the Body Tempering Chapter for more than ten years, coupled with this medicinal bath, the upper limit of his physical body had risen another notch.

He did not know how much time had passed before the medicinal liquid completely turned into clear water. The needle-like stinging pain also vanished, leaving only a gentle warmth seeping outward from within.

He opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid qi.

He clenched his fist. The sensation of strength felt more solid than before.

It was not the fullness brought by Soul Power, but real, tangible physical strength.

With this kind of strength, even without using Soul Power, he could still fight an Aggressive Soul Master.

He climbed out of the bath barrel, washed himself clean, and changed into fresh clothes.

That mass of "egg yolk" still slowly rotated in his chest. It had not changed much, but he could sense that its rotation was steadier than before.

Perhaps it had absorbed part of the medicinal bath's energy, or perhaps it was only an illusion.

The Fourth Stage of the technique should not be far off.

He walked to the window and pushed it open. The night wind rushed in, carrying the chill of early autumn.

Shrek Academy was quiet at night. In the distance, Sea God Lake glimmered faintly under the moonlight.

Occasional laughter and playful noise drifted from the Dormitory Building before quickly fading back into silence.

The medicinal bath had worked well, and the vortex was stable too.

Next came the slow grind—waiting for the day when quantitative accumulation gave rise to qualitative change.

After the Fourth Stage came the Fifth Stage, and after the Fifth Stage came the Sixth Stage. He would climb step by step.

He closed the window, got into bed, and lay down.

Take it slow.