Chapter 417: Chapter 417

「Saint’s Court of Taiyi!」

In a luxurious residence, Sima Yi paced worriedly back and forth, occasionally glancing eastward with a troubled frown. He wore a purple robe of state, with a purple-gold jade belt at his waist. Fewer than ten individuals in the entire Saint’s Court of Taiyi were entitled to such attire.

As expected of Sima Yi, in just under two years, he had gained the Emperor’s trust. He had risen from a minor official to become the Chief of Staff and concurrently the Great General, wielding immense authority throughout the realm.

Due to his noble status, he was privy to a secret: the major sacred lands planned to assault the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty to seize their method of resurrection. Upon learning this, he had not hesitated to promptly relay the information back to the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty.

Based on the timing, His Majesty should have received the news by now! Sima Yi thought, forcing himself to calm down. He was now countless miles away. As the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty faced these impending troubles, sharing this information was all he could do; he was otherwise powerless to intervene.

A second tide of Spiritual Energy will arrive in ten years, bringing a second wave of opportunities. The continent will descend into turmoil, and the situation will become even more complex and unpredictable. I must accelerate my plans...

Suddenly, Sima Yi’s fist clenched, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He called out loudly to someone outside the room, "Men, go and summon Clan Leader Yang, Clan Leader Pei, Clan Leader Shangguan..."

The individuals he summoned were all Clan Leaders of the major clans in the Saint’s Court of Taiyi. They controlled significant state power and possessed formidable strength. This was especially true for the Yang and Pei clans, which had existed since the very founding of the Saint’s Court of Taiyi, their destinies intertwined with the nation itself. Updates are released by novel✶fire.net

「Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty!」

Inside the imperial study, Qin Wudao carefully examined the intelligence report sent by Sima Yi. His pupils contracted, his brows furrowed deeply, and his expression turned exceedingly grim. His demeanor immediately aroused the curiosity of his ministers.

"Your Majesty, what has happened?" Zhuge Liang asked quickly.

"We are facing a significant crisis. Here, all of you take a look!" Qin Wudao handed the intelligence report to Zhuge Liang. His mind was in turmoil. The sacred lands actually knew that the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty possessed a method of resurrection and had dispatched their experts to seize it. He understood perfectly well the allure of such a method: it was enough to drive people to madness!

After Zhuge Liang finished reading the report, his brows also knitted tightly as he passed it on.

Once all the ministers had read it, their expressions turned grave. Every minister present at this meeting was listed on the Investiture of the Gods, so they all knew the true reason behind Guo Jia’s resurrection.

The Investiture of the Gods was the method of resurrection!

"No wonder the three major powers intend to move against the Saint’s Court of the Qin Dynasty!" Xiao He muttered to himself. After reading this report, all his previous doubts were instantly dispelled. The three major powers likely remained allied, instead of going their separate ways as expected, because the sacred lands backing them coveted this ’method of resurrection.’

"The three major powers are not the primary concern. The real question now is how we should deal with the various sacred lands!" Qin Wudao queried.

"Your Majesty," Zhuge Liang said, cupping his hands, "at Bull Head Mountain, Guo Jia saved many individuals from the sacred lands, thereby establishing a karmic bond. Ostensibly, these sacred lands will not move against us openly. At least for the time being, we should be safe!"

This was indeed a stroke of fortune amidst their troubles.

Experts were highly mindful of karma. Without resolving this karmic tie, the sacred lands would not take direct action.

However, karma was merely an intangible restraint. If the Qin Dynasty could not effectively handle this matter, the various sacred lands would inevitably take action and attempt to seize the Investiture of the Gods sooner or later.

So, how should this be handled? They certainly couldn’t just hand over the Investiture of the Gods, could they?

Regardless of the perspective, the Qin Dynasty could never surrender the Investiture of the Gods. Possessing a treasure capable of resurrecting the dead was a significant guarantee of their own security. Furthermore, the Investiture of the Gods was also the treasure that anchored the Qin Dynasty’s Fortune, and it could assist in cultivation.

But if they didn’t hand over the Investiture of the Gods, they needed a plausible explanation!

"Your Majesty, do the three Imperial Physicians know the art of reviving a fragmented soul?" Guo Jia asked after a moment of contemplation. The fact that the Three Imperial Physicians could heal Great Dao Curses demonstrated that their medical skills were heaven-defying, capable of snatching life from the very jaws of King Yama. He pondered a method that might allow them to weather this crisis.

"I’m not sure!" Qin Wudao shook his head and solemnly ordered, "Men, summon Hua Tuo, Sun Simiao, and Zhang Zhongjing!"

Prompted by Guo Jia’s words, a still-unrefined idea began to form in his own mind.

Minutes later, the three Imperial Physicians, carrying their medical kits, hastily entered the study. When they saw the grave countenances of Qin Wudao and his officials, they were taken aback, assuming someone was ill. The lead physician, Hua Tuo, quickly asked, "Your Majesty, who is sick? Quickly, let us take a look!"

As he spoke, the three Imperial Physicians hurriedly opened their medical kits, revealing silver needles and numerous bottles and jars.

"Honorable Imperial Physicians, please, no one here is sick. We have a matter we wish to ask you about!" Qin Wudao was caught between laughter and tears as he quickly clarified, relaying the situation in detail.

After listening to the explanation, Hua Tuo sighed in disappointment. He returned the silver needle in his hand to the medical kit and hesitated for a moment. Stroking his beard, he then said, "Your Majesty, ancient medical arts do indeed include techniques for reviving a fragmented soul!"

"Imperial Physician Hua, can you perform this technique?" Guo Jia’s eyes lit up as he asked eagerly.

"I cannot!" Hua Tuo shook his head with a sigh. The technique of reviving a fragmented soul was an exceptionally difficult medical skill, only marginally simpler than dispelling a Great Dao Curse.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Guo Jia’s eyes. It seemed they would have to devise another plan.

"However..." Just as everyone felt a wave of disappointment, Hua Tuo’s tone shifted, his face filled with pride. "If the three of us work together, we can indeed achieve the revival of a fragmented soul. But this wisp of a fragmented soul must possess a complete True Spirit!"

The True Spirit—the very source of the soul.

Previously, when Guo Jia suffered a backlash from the Great Dao Curse, his soul had scattered, with only a trace of his True Spirit preserved within the Investiture of the Gods. If the ’fragmented soul revival’ technique had been attempted then, he could not have been healed. This was also the power of the Investiture of the Gods: a mere trace of True Spirit could be used to recreate a complete True Spirit and even reconstruct a physical body, inheriting the previous constitution and cultivation. The fragmented soul revival technique could not achieve this.

Moreover, even after a successful revival using that method, one would not inherit their previous constitution, and their cultivation level would severely decline.

"That’s perfect!" Guo Jia’s eyes shone brightly as he said excitedly, "Your Majesty, I have a plan! It can not only resolve this crisis but also greatly enhance the Qin Dynasty’s prestige, giving the various sacred lands pause!"

Qin Wudao asked, "What is your plan?"

"Substitute the ’method of resurrection’ with medical arts!" Guo Jia enunciated each word carefully. Then, taking a deep breath, he continued with enthusiasm, "We need to find the soul of a powerful expert, one who is highly renowned throughout the continent. Then, we must find the corpse of another powerful being. The three Imperial Physicians can then use the ’fragmented soul revival technique’ to resurrect this person..."

"Once we successfully resurrect such an expert, all the sacred lands will realize that the Qin Dynasty doesn’t possess some mystical method of resurrection, only three Imperial Physicians with extraordinary medical skills!"

"At that point, not only will the various sacred lands not antagonize us, but they will also try to curry favor with us!"

"In a way, the three Imperial Physicians *are* the method of resurrection!"