Chapter 383: The Path of Anger_1
"The force of the Great Dao curse has manifested! We must be careful now!" Hua Tuo shouted to Zhang Zhongjing from within the Imperial Medical Bureau, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Hurry, use the medicinal fire!"
Under threat, the Great Dao curses inside Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang were expelling intruders. An unparalleled force belonging to the Great Dao was raging back. Without the silver needles sealing their acupoints and isolating much of the curse's force, they would have already succumbed.
The urgent task at hand was to expel the black mist from Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang's bodies.
"Alright, you two hold on!" Zhang Zhongjing's face was solemn. He manipulated the green flame with pinched fingers, emitting a terrifyingly high temperature and destructive power, frantically burning the black mist.
SIZZLE.
A piercing sound emanated from the black mist.
But the black mist, released by the Great Dao curse, was not easily damaged. After an hour, it had only diminished by a tenth. The Void within the room, however, had already shattered and reformed dozens of times.
Zhang Zhongjing looked anxiously at the silver needles, which had begun to turn black. This is no good, we must speed up! Once they turned completely black, they would lose their effect. Then, the full backlash of the Great Dao curse would erupt, killing Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang in an instant. Time was running out for him.
Hua Tuo and Sun Simiao's brows were furrowed, their expressions somewhat grim. Treating the Great Dao curse was like an arrow loosed from a bow: there was no turning back. They could only succeed; failure was not an option. If they stopped treatment midway, Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang would also undoubtedly die.
The three of them looked grave, their minds racing to find a way to accelerate the purification of the black mist.
"You two," Hua Tuo asked in a serious voice after a few minutes, "do you know the 'Great Technique of Seizing Life from the God of Death'?"
"We do!"
"I do too!"
Sun Simiao and Zhang Zhongjing nodded. The Great Technique of Seizing Life from the God of Death was a supreme skill for physicians, capable of snatching a life back from the King of Hell himself, as long as a single breath remained. However, because this technique was so heaven-defying, performing it exacted an enormous price. Thus, few practitioners of traditional medicine ever used it.
"Lord Guo and Lord Yuan are vital ministers of the court and His Majesty's trusted aides. As Imperial Physicians, it is our duty to help alleviate His Majesty's burdens!" Hua Tuo stated solemnly, his tone resolute.
"Let's do it!"
"The two Lords have rendered meritorious service to the state! No matter the cost, we must cure them!"
Sun Simiao and Zhang Zhongjing agreed without hesitation to employ the Great Technique of Seizing Life from the God of Death to save the two capable statesmen.
Having reached an agreement, the three silently circulated their cultivation techniques. Their bodies began to emit a cyan light, and a phantasmal figure appeared behind them. Its face was indistinct, but its eyes radiated profound wisdom. Beneath the figure's feet flowed a long river connecting the realms of Yin and Yang, filled with countless struggling spirits. Further in the distance stood innumerable black structures...
This scene was precisely that of the Underworld!
"Turn!" the three physicians shouted simultaneously. The phantasmal figure slowly extended its right hand, reaching towards the Underworld, grasping for a sliver of life amidst endless death.
The Underworld quaked. Countless spirits prostrated themselves in submission, yet only the souls of Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang remained standing tall. A green shield of light, pulsating with intense life force, enveloped Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang, isolating them from the deathly energy emanating from the Yellow Spring of the Underworld.
With this, Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang's affliction was significantly eased. The power of the Great Dao curse was also diminished by more than half.
"Quick, continue dispelling the Great Dao curse!" Hua Tuo said weakly, taking a Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng from his storage space. He chewed it to replenish his exhausted vital energy.
Zhang Zhongjing was busy swallowing Spiritual Medicine and had no time to reply. After recovering some strength, he hurriedly controlled the medicinal fire to continue purifying the black mist released by the Great Dao curse. This time, the purification proceeded with unexpected smoothness. In just over ten minutes, the black mist vanished without a trace.
"Form the Medical Array!" Hua Tuo shouted loudly, retreating three steps. A complex, mystical array diagram, suffused with green light, appeared at his feet.
"The Way of Yin and Yang, a myriad of herbs to expel the curse!" Sun Simiao sat cross-legged on the spot. In the air before him, 1,440 kinds of medicinal herbs floated, each emitting colorful lights. Some of these herbs were powerfully nourishing, others were deadly poisons... Each possessed a different effect, and only the most skilled practitioners of traditional medicine could utilize so many varied herbs together.
"Medicinal fire, burn and purify the three hun and seven po souls!" Zhang Zhongjing, also seated cross-legged, divided the medicinal fire into two portions, roasting the bodies of Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang. The medicinal fire possessed dual powers: destruction and vitality. The terrifying destructive force generated an intense heat that quickly charred Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang's bodies until the scent of cooked meat filled the air. Immediately after, a vast power of vitality swiftly repaired their bodies.
My God, are we going to be roasted alive? Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang smelled the aroma of cooked meat and wanted to weep but had no tears. Is this saving people or killing them?! Because of the Powder for Anesthesia they had ingested, they had lost sensation in their bodies and were unaware that the power of vitality was repairing them. Both men kept their eyes shut, waiting in agony.
At this moment, the array diagram Hua Tuo had set up erupted with dazzling light. Sun Simiao quickly extracted the medicinal power from the herbs, using a special method to inject it into the silver needles. He was preparing to reverse the death acupoints into life acupoints. Such an act was a defiance of Heaven's will!
"Turn!" Hua Tuo and Sun Simiao roared, and a steady stream of power flowed into Guo Jia and Yuan Tiangang's bodies.
Instantly, their bodies became transparent, revealing 720 acupoints. Each acupoint emanated black mist and a faint, supreme, and inviolable power of the Great Dao.
"Those who defy Heaven shall be slain!" A thunderous voice echoed through the Imperial Medical Bureau, like a ferocious tide crashing against the shore, like a colossal mountain collapsing!
Over Imperial Capital City, the Eye of the Great Dao blazed with fury. Countless bolts of lightning filled the sky. It was enraged! Insignificant beings always dared to challenge its authority!
Damn it! These people all deserve to die!
For a moment, the myriad inhabitants of Imperial Capital City were thrown into panic, their hearts trembling with fear. Many of those with weaker willpower wet their pants in terror.
GROAN...
The Dragon of Fortune wailed in anguish, cowering within the Sea of Fortune. It buried its dragon head in the purple fortune and trembled. When Heaven is angry, all living beings fear!
The Great Dao is dispassionate, so why should it be angry? Qin Wudao's lips curled into a disdainful smile. The Great Dao is supposed to be without emotion, yet now it shows anger. It seems the heavens above are not as impartial as they should be.
In the Imperial Medical Bureau, Hua Tuo, Sun Simiao, and Zhang Zhongjing turned deathly pale. They felt an endless pressure, as if an unparalleled force was about to deliver judgment upon them.
Hua Tuo exclaimed, his face exceptionally grim. How could this be? Has the Great Dao itself intervened? In my calculations, the worst outcome should have been a backlash from the Great Dao curse. The Great Dao is dispassionate; it shouldn't intervene merely because a curse is broken. That defies logic! The Great Dao is without emotion and should only act according to its rules! But now, the most improbable thing has happened—the Great Dao has violated its own rules...