Chapter 365: Chapter 369: Reappearance of the Taoist Curse_1
As the wine had passed three rounds and the dishes numbered more than five, the banquet hall was filled with a rich aroma. Qin Wudao and Guo Jia both had flushed expressions; the half-year they had spent separated by life and death had only strengthened the bond between this monarch and his minister.
To protect Qin Wudao’s safety, Guo Jia had disregarded his own life. He risked the peril of his soul scattering to sacrifice himself at Bull Head Mountain. This act became a heroic tale for the Qin Dynasty, recorded in the annals of history. And to resurrect Guo Jia, Qin Wudao spared no expense. He consumed more than half of the Qin Dynasty’s Fortune to forge a physical body and infuse it with Guo Jia’s True Spirit.
"Beloved Minister Guo, has the curse within you disappeared?" Qin Wudao drained the fine wine from his cup and inquired.
In his view, Guo Jia, having died once, should have been freed from the Great Dao Curse.
"No!" Guo Jia shook his head, saying, "The Great Dao Curse is not necessarily integrated into my body. It exists throughout the universe; as long as the Great Dao exists, and as long as I exist, it will remain!"
He continued, "Furthermore, although I have been resurrected, I am still affected by the curse’s backlash. I only have five months left to live!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Wudao’s expression turned grim. Only five months to live? What can be done in such a short time?
For a moment, the atmosphere within the Imperial Study plunged to a freezing point, the earlier joy and laughter vanishing.
"Rest assured, within these five months, I will definitely find a solution. Definitely!" Qin Wudao stated with determination.
Guo Jia smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Life and death are predestined. In these last five months, I will strive to secure a promising future for the Qin Saint’s Court!"
As he spoke, a terrifying aura unintentionally erupted from him, filling the great hall. It was untouched by causality, reaching directly to his origin. This was the aura of the Source Great Emperor Realm!
Resurrected beings from the Investiture of the Gods will have their power level drop by one rank. Before his fall, Guo Jia possessed the strength of the Supreme Emperor Realm; one rank lower was the Source Great Emperor Realm. This was also why more than half of the Qin Saint’s Court’s Fortune was consumed. How difficult it must be to resurrect a Source Great Emperor!
Across the entire continent, apart from the Soul Ancestor Emperor and the Jade Supreme, there were no other Supreme Emperor realm Martial Artists. It could be said that Source Great Emperor realm Martial Artists stood at the very pinnacle of the continent. The Nine-Tiers Saint’s Court, the Saint Heaven Institute, Thunder Sound Temple, and other ancient sacred lands were all presided over by powerhouses of the Source Great Emperor Realm!
BOOM!
At this moment, a violent surge of destiny’s power spread from the Imperial Observatory, disrupting the order of Heaven and Earth.
"Hmm?" Qin Wudao’s expression shifted slightly. Empowered by his Fortune, he gazed towards the area around the Imperial Observatory and discovered that the destinies of many people were being altered, showing signs of their lives hanging by a thread.
Fate is formless, yet the power of fate truly exists. It was said that upon reaching the Immortal Realm, one could use great Divine Skills to change the fate of mortals. Thus, since ancient times, countless people have prayed to gods and worshipped Buddhas, hoping to be granted fortuitous opportunities. The Imperial Capital was the foundation of the Qin Saint’s Court. The people living in this city were the elites of the Saint’s Court and Qin Wudao’s most loyal supporters; no harm could come to them.
"What is Lord Yuan divining?" Guo Jia stood up. A golden light flashed above his head, and a golden book appeared. A magnificent power of the Literary Dao spread out, covering the Imperial Capital and resisting the diffusion of destiny’s power.
Aided by the power of Fortune, Qin Wudao could see, outside the Imperial Observatory, the two opposing forces of destiny and the Literary Dao clashing. He was thoroughly astounded. Knowledge can change fate. He hadn’t believed it before, but now it seemed undoubtedly true.
"Slash!" Guo Jia’s gaze sharpened, and his usually scholarly aura transformed, becoming razor-sharp.
In his hand, a brush condensed from Spiritual Energy appeared. He slashed it forcefully through the Void, creating a streak of white, Righteous Qi that clove destiny’s power in two.
BOOM!
A sound inaudible to ordinary people spread outwards.
The clear sky instantly turned gloomy. Dark clouds gathered, and countless lightning bolts streaked across the heavens, pressing down menacingly towards the Imperial Capital. Many powerful Martial Artists wore solemn expressions; they realized this was no normal weather phenomenon.
"Break for me!" Guo Jia’s body flickered. He levitated into mid-air, radiating a brilliant golden light, like a dazzling sun. Countless strands of Righteous Literary Qi condensed, forming an invincible Sword Qi capable of cleaving the mundane world. It struck towards the sky, tens of thousands of feet long, vast and boundless. A single sword strike capable of destroying Heaven and Earth.
RUMBLE!
The dark, cloud-covered sky was split apart by the single sword strike. Sunlight scattered across the land, making it seem as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
"Great Qin..."
No one noticed a cold voice, filled with anger and helplessness, echoing from above the ninth heaven.
About two breaths later, a black beam of light shot straight down, landing in the Imperial Observatory, carrying a dense, cursed power.
"The Great Dao Curse!" Guo Jia exclaimed, his face exceptionally grim. Others might not recognize the origin of this beam, but it was all too familiar to him; the Great Dao Curse still resided within his body, and the two auras were identical. He gave the sky a deep look, then flew into the Imperial Observatory.
Inside the Imperial Observatory, chaos reigned. Bathed in the power of fate, the once-new buildings were now old and dilapidated, as if weathered by the ages. Every brick and tile had suffered the erosion of a different destiny. Guo Jia ignored the changes to the surroundings and walked straight to the deepest secret chamber. He pushed open the stone door with brute force and saw an old man with white hair and a face deeply etched with wrinkles.
"You... you are Yuan Tiangang?" Guo Jia rubbed his eyes, finding the scene before him hard to believe.
"You’ve resurrected? See, I wasn’t lying, was I!" Yuan Tiangang joked, then stood up shakily, his voice weak. He quickly grabbed Guo Jia’s hand and urged, "Hurry and get His Majesty! I have important matters to report!"
Just as Guo Jia was about to nod, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Qin Wudao and many ministers entered in single file.
"Lord Yuan, how did you end up like this? Are you alright?" Qin Wudao asked with concern.
"I am fine, Your Majesty!" Yuan Tiangang reported urgently, "Your Majesty, we must go to Cold Water immediately! We must find the legacy of the Yellow Spring Supreme at the place where the red flowers bloom. Only then can we save the Qin Saint’s Court! Only then can we defeat it!"
As soon as his voice fell, he spat out a mouthful of black blood. The intense corrosive power of the blood caused the hard ground beneath to collapse. Qin Wudao was startled. When he looked at Yuan Tiangang again, he saw that he had already fallen unconscious.
"Hua Tuo, Sun Simiao, save him now!" Qin Wudao roared.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The two stepped forward and began to check his pulse and diagnose him.
"Your Majesty, Lord Yuan has also been afflicted with the Great Dao Curse. I’m afraid he doesn’t have much time left!" Guo Jia stepped forward and said gravely.
Qin Wudao’s heart sank. Another Great Dao Curse. First Guo Jia, now Yuan Tiangang. Why does the Great Dao always target the ministers of the Qin Dynasty?
"Prime Minister, send someone to Cold Water to investigate whether the legacy of the Yellow Spring Supreme truly exists there!" Thinking of Yuan Tiangang’s last words, Qin Wudao ordered with a wave of his hand.
An hour later, Hua Tuo reported with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, Lord Yuan is critically ill. He suffered the backlash from destiny’s power twice and should have died from it. Fortunately, Minister Guo intervened in time and saved his life!"
"However, he was subsequently afflicted by the Great Dao Curse, which was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Even with our combined efforts, Imperial Physician Sun and I can only prolong his life by three months!"