Chapter 30: Shock therapy

For some reason, as Qin Feng met Tang San's gaze, Tang San felt as though his innermost thoughts were laid bare. Qin Feng could see the complexity in Tang San's expression, recognizing the immense emotional struggle he was going through.

As someone who held love and loyalty in high regard, Tang San had been torn between saving his teacher's life and Qin Feng's. Qin Feng's gaze shifted towards the unconscious master, his silence speaking volumes.

If Tang San had chosen to take the master away earlier, it was likely that the teacher's life could have been spared, albeit at the cost of freezing conditions. At that time, with no protection around his body and his consciousness imprisoned, he would have fallen into a coma and become easy prey for wild wolves. In all honesty, Qin Feng found himself grateful to Xiaosan for helping him stay here.

"If you were to take the master out now, what are the chances of saving him?" Qin Feng inquired solemnly.

Tang San's response was tinged with sorrow. "If there was hope a day ago, now..."

He trailed off, his gaze resting on the teacher with deep purple lips and a cold body, and sighed deeply.

Even with all the knowledge Tangmen he had accumulated throughout his life, there was no way to reverse the inevitable. The poison had reached a point of no return, corroding the very heart of his teacher.

Besides his father and Brother Feng, the teacher before him was the person Tang San trusted the most. Watching this cherished individual gradually lose his life right before his eyes was a torment that cut deep in his heart.

"So, there's no way to save him?" Qin Feng asked, searching for a glimmer of hope in Tang San's eyes.

Tang San's gaze was vacant as he shook his head slightly. His teacher's condition had deteriorated beyond the point of salvation.

"This... this is rather intriguing. Do I need to sacrifice my teacher to complete the integration of the Millennium Soul Ring?" Qin Feng muttered, his tone tinged with melancholy. He contemplated the legends of the Dark Constitution, wondering if he was just one step away from achieving it, a step that might require a life to be sacrificed.

Qin Feng examined the TianGang hammers in his hands. He gazed at the blood-red flower that bloomed at the bottom of the platinum hammer. As a traveler from another world, he recognized it as an immensely potent healing soul, but he wasn't aware of the specifics of the Nine-Hearted Begonia. Perhaps it might be a Wuhun unique to the Healing Department.

"The Black Hammer shatters the sky, the White Hammer opens the ghostly gate, and the Nine-Hearted Blood Begonia..." Qin Feng muttered, pondering the implications of his next steps.

Qin Feng's lips continued to murmur the words Tang Hao had spoken earlier. "The Black Hammer shatters the sky," he reasoned, signifying the black gold hammer's extraordinary destructive power – that part was clear.

But what did "the White Hammer opens the ghostly gate" mean? Did it imply that it possessed potent healing abilities, possibly even the capability to revive those who had already crossed the threshold of death? Qin Feng couldn't be sure, but at this point, he was left with few options.

He held the Tiangang Hammer and flipped it to the platinum hammer side. It was only the second time he had turned it to the platinum side for this long—the first being in front of Tang Hao, and now this moment.

In their previous battles, it had almost become an unspoken rule to use the black gold hammer.

"Brother Feng, what are you planning?" Tang San inquired anxiously, his eyes fixed on Qin Feng.

In front of the teacher, Qin Feng took out the hammer, raising concerns in TangSan's mind. Was this preparation for hastening the teacher's demise and giving birth to a new one? After all, the teacher was still alive.

"One of my two soul tools is the Ninehearted Blood Begonia," Qin Feng explained. "Even though it has one more 'blood' in its name than the Eighthearted Begonia, I believe it should have therapeutic properties."

Tang San, puzzled, asked, "Nine Heart Begonia? Nine Heart Blood Begonia? What are those?"

Qin Feng decided not to delve into explanations for now. "You don't need to know all the details. Just understand that I'm using it to help our master heal."

Qin Feng focused his attention, ignoring Tang San. In an instant, he bestowed a soul ring on the TianGang hammers. A violent surge of soul energy erupted, causing a hurricane to rush forth, snapping nearby trees.

The sheer force of it sent Tang San flying three meters away in astonishment. "Is this the power of the Millennium Soul Ring?" he asked, utterly baffled by Qin Feng's incredible abilities. According to their teacher, the first soul ring could integrate for over 400 years, but Qin Feng seemed to have doubled that.

Qin Feng then unleashed his first soul skill, "Burst the Thunder." Lightning crackled around him, resembling a roaring thunder dragon. This was the first time he had infused his soul power into the platinum hammer.

Moments later, the platinum hammer emitted a terrifying roar. "Let me give it a try!" Qin Feng exclaimed, taking the hammer and striking the teacher's abdomen.

The black robe was instantly torn asunder, and a gush of blood spewed from the master's mouth.

"It's really working!" Qin Feng exclaimed, seeing the blood emanating from the master's mouth, his elation palpable.

"Is it really working?!" Tang San rushed over upon witnessing the scene. He had never encountered this type of healing before, not even in Tangmen. The concept of using a hammer for treatment was entirely foreign to him.

"No, Brother Feng! Why is the teacher's breath getting weaker?" Tang San reached for the master's cold hand and discovered that the teacher's vitality was nearly extinguished. His pulse had stopped beating altogether.

"Impossible," Qin Feng muttered, his brow furrowing in concern. He approached the master, knelt down, and pressed his ear to the master's chest. The hammer had torn the master's clothes from his stomach to his chest, granting Qin Feng access to the clearest heartbeat.

But as he listened, Qin Feng's complexion paled. The master's heart was not beating—or to be precise, it was beating incredibly weakly, nearly imperceptible.

Qin Feng's attempt at therapy was akin to using a simulated defibrillator, but it seemed the treatment was having the opposite effect—making the master colder.

"Is it because the power isn't sufficient? Do you need to increase it?" Qin Feng wondered aloud, a spark of electricity flashing in his palm.

Tang San rushed forward to intervene. "Brother Feng, are you sure about this?"

"It's getting colder, and if there's time for medicine to work, I could still infuse soul power into the teacher, allowing him to regain consciousness briefly, perhaps long enough to leave a final message," Tang San explained. "But if we keep going like this, it might be too late for even that."

"I'm considering whether we need more power to revive the master," Qin Feng replied.

Tang San halted in front of Qin Feng and posed a crucial question, "Brother Feng, why did the teacher end up like this?"

Qin Feng responded almost reflexively, "Poisoned." But the moment he said it, a lightbulb went off in his head. The master had been poisoned, so the priority should have been poison elimination. Why was he resorting to electric shock therapy when the poison was still in play? He berated himself mentally for almost electrocuting the master.

"Then should we try a different approach to treat him?" Qin Feng suggested, turning to Tang San.

Tang San, however, was quick to dissuade him. "Brother Feng, please don't..."

He couldn't deny Qin Feng's miraculous abilities, but when it came to healing, he wasn't too confident in his skills.