Chapter 127
Bottom of the sinkhole.
At the bottom of the pitch-black pit, a strong smell of burning filled the nostrils, and all that could be seen were charred black rocks that collapsed at the slightest breeze.
Xiao Minghuang raised her protective spiritual Spiritual Qi and, without any hesitation, went straight for the First Prince's corpse.
Before long, she arrived at the deepest part of the earth, on a flat clearing, where a charred corpse lay quietly.
The First Prince's body had long been dried out and turned into charcoal, with only a faint human shape remaining.
Facing the First Prince's body, Xiao Minghuang did not step forward, but stopped a hundred feet away, her expression extremely solemn. A faint light flickered in her palm, ready to use any means to deal with any potential powerful enemy.
But to outsiders, she appeared remarkably calm and composed, seemingly unperturbed.
"Since you are here, why not show yourself?"
Xiao Minghuang suddenly spoke, her voice clearly resounding throughout the entire space and echoing deep underground.
The words had barely left his mouth.
There was still no response from the surroundings.
But in the next moment...
A phantom figure appeared out of thin air on the First Prince's corpse, right in front of Xiao Minghuang.
Seeing this, Xiao Minghuang's expression grew even more solemn.
Ever since she saw the title "Medicine King" on the system panel, she began to inquire from various sources, and finally learned some information about this person from ancient books and the words of her Old Ancestor.
Combining various pieces of information, she roughly deduced the origin of the Medicine King.
The Medicine King, born in the Pill Cauldron Pavilion of the Eastern Pole Sacred Academy, was a top genius in his youth, especially skilled in the art of Pill Cauldron. At the age of ninety-nine, he broke through to the Life and Death Realm and won the title of the number one alchemist in the Eastern Pole, and was revered as the Medicine King!
Recalling all the information about the Medicine King, Xiao Minghuang took a deep breath.
The Medicine King who appeared before them was not the peerless alchemist who looked down upon the world, but a true spirit at the end of its rope.
After a cultivator breaks through the Life and Death Profound Pass, a true spirit will be born within their body.
True spirits are immortal and do not enter the cycle of reincarnation. They can reshape their physical bodies and return to their peak by paying some spiritual items.
Even so, the true spirit of the king has been worn down over the long years, and the power it contained has been reduced to less than one-tenth, making it impossible for it to exert its formidable strength.
Previously, the Medicine King could use the body of the First Prince to perform supernatural powers, but now that his true spirit has lost its vessel, he has lost almost all of his supernatural powers, like a fish out of water, at the mercy of others!
"The princess is exceptionally intelligent and perceptive. How could my meager skills possibly fool her?"
The Medicine King smiled bitterly, his tone carrying a hint of sadness.
"You must be the Medicine King, the number one alchemist in the Eastern Pole three thousand years ago?"
Xiao Minghuang showed no emotion and spoke calmly.
Upon hearing this, the Medicine King did not show too much surprise, as if he had already expected Xiao Minghuang to guess his identity. He calmly nodded and sighed softly:
"I originally thought Xiao Yan was a promising talent, but I never expected... Alas! Life is unpredictable, and fate is cruel!"
141. Standing before you is the foremost among all nations, the Crown Prince the Great Xia!
"The princess is exceptionally intelligent and perceptive. How could my meager skills possibly fool her?"
The Medicine King spoke with a bitter tone, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"You must be the Medicine King, the number one alchemist in the Eastern Pole three thousand years ago?"
Xiao Minghuang showed no emotion and spoke calmly.
Upon hearing this, the Medicine King did not show too much surprise, as if he had already expected Xiao Minghuang to guess his identity. He calmly nodded and sighed softly:
"I originally thought Xiao Yan was a promising talent, but I never expected... Alas! Life is unpredictable, and fate is cruel!"
The thought of his beloved disciple being possessed by an unknown person filled him with anguish.
If the original Xiao Yan were still alive, he wouldn't have ended up in this state!
Previously, he planned to seize Xiao Yan's body after Xiao Yan was defeated.
But to his surprise, Princess Xiao had already noticed his presence and arrived early, completely dashing his hopes.
Xiao Minghuang, unaware of the Medicine King's thoughts, assumed he was lamenting the death of Medicine King First Prince and spoke calmly:
"Now that the First Prince is dead, what are your plans, Senior Medicine King?"
Seemingly surprised that Xiao Minghuang would ask such a question, the Medicine King paused for a moment, then slowly shook his head:
"What other plans could I possibly have? Xiao Yan is dead; he was my last hope. Now, all I have left is a fragmented true spirit, devoid of any supernatural powers. My limit is merely surviving for a few more days in this world. How could I dare to harbor any delusions..."
"Princess Xiao, you can rest assured, I pose no threat to you anymore. In three to ten days at the shortest, my incomplete true spirit will completely dissipate..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang smiled and spoke softly in a gentle tone:
"Senior Medicine King, you misunderstand. Although Xiao Yan is dead, the world is vast, how could he be the only one who can help you rebuild your body?"
Upon hearing this, the Medicine King looked puzzled and asked, "What's wrong?"
What do you mean?
Xiao Minghuang chuckled softly:
"I'm merely reminding you, senior, that standing before you is none other than the number one among the Southern Border, the Crown Prince Great Xia!"
An elegant, composed, and confident voice echoed through the deep pit, reaching the ears of the Medicine King.
A single word awakened me from my dream!
The Medicine King was suddenly stunned, his eyes widened abruptly, and he said in a trembling voice, his face filled with excitement:
"Princess Xiao... you mean... you want to help me rebuild my body?!"
His tone was filled with disbelief!
Xiao Minghuang's lips curled slightly upward, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes, and she nodded gently.
"Good."
Upon hearing this, the Medicine King's breathing became erratic, and a look of wild joy appeared in his eyes. He suddenly looked up, his gaze towards Xiao Minghuang flickering with excitement!
Previously, he helped Xiao Yan fight against Xiao Minghuang and caused her trouble time and time again, but Xiao Minghuang not only did not blame him, but now she has offered to help him rebuild his physical body!
This has been his wish for many years.
Now that his long-cherished wish has finally come true, he is naturally filled with emotion.
"Princess Xiao, I have no way to repay your kindness except to offer my life and sacrifice!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang's eyes flashed, and she immediately said:
"No need. I am not some benevolent bodhisattva who saves all living beings. The reason I saved you was out of my own selfish motives."
"I will forever remember the princess's great kindness, and I will obey her every command in the future!"
The spirit of the Medicine King prostrated himself on the ground, utterly respectful.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Minghuang felt a surge of emotion.
A King of the Life and Death Realm —what a powerful cultivator he must have been! In his lifetime, he must have been extraordinary and radiant.
She was merely a minor cultivator at the Spring Gushing Realm.
If it were the Medicine King at his peak, he probably wouldn't even glance at her.
But at this moment, the Medicine King was nothing more than a wisp of his remaining true spirit, like a candle flickering in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment.
What does it matter if you're a king of the Life and Death Realm just to survive?
He still knelt at her feet.
"Senior Medicine King, please rise. You are a king of your time; how dare a junior like me be so condescending?"
Xiao Minghuang quickly stepped forward to support the Medicine King.
But the Medicine King is now merely a spirit, untouchable.
Xiao Minghuang's hand passed right through the Medicine King's body.
The Medicine King awkwardly stood up and floated back a short distance.
"Princess, I am now a crippled old man. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and dare not presume upon it. From now on, I will obey your every command!"
"Um..."
Xiao Minghuang nodded and said:
"You're too kind, senior. I do have some questions I'd like to ask you to answer."
Upon hearing this, the Medicine King solemnly replied:
"Please speak, Your Highness, I will answer all your questions to the best of my ability."
Although Xiao Minghuang had not yet truly helped him reshape his physical body, he could tell that the woman before him was completely different from the later Xiao Yan.
She possesses the true spirit of a prodigy, fearless yet with a heart that reveres the Dao. She is intelligent, perceptive, resolute, courageous, adaptable, and knows how to conduct herself appropriately. Even without the talent for cultivation, such a person would surely make a name for herself in the secular world.
But when it appears in a person with exceptional talent, it means that they are destined to embark on an extraordinary path with immeasurable potential!
Next, the Medicine King recounted his general life story, which, apart from a few details, largely matched her speculations.
Finally, the Medicine King explained why he was left with only a wisp of his true spirit.
"... Three thousand years ago, I led my disciples to a forbidden land in search of a precious elixir. But who would have thought that, just as we were about to obtain it, my disciples would ambush me, attempting to kill me!"
At this point, the Medicine King's expression was both sorrowful and helpless. He never expected that the disciple he had personally trained would do such a thing.
"My physical body was destroyed, all my life savings were lost, and only my remaining spirit escaped. I endured countless hardships and tribulations, which need not be described."
"The true spirit of a king is incredibly resilient; even another king cannot easily destroy it. But I paid too high a price to escape, and my true spirit is now extremely fragile. I can only seek a spiritual object to inhabit."
"I was afraid of being discovered by that wicked disciple, so I dared not possess a powerful spiritual object. I could only reside in a very ordinary storage ring, where I stayed for three thousand years!"
"Three thousand years... how long!"
The Medicine King was filled with emotion, as if recalling a distant past.
"It feels like a lifetime ago."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang also showed a look of reminiscence.
She was someone who had truly lived two lives, and could completely understand the Medicine King's feelings.
Although I've forgotten most of what happened in my previous life, the vivid feelings I had are still clear.
"... So, senior, do you wish to seek revenge on your disciple?"
Xiao Minghuang slowly opened her mouth and asked.
Three thousand years have passed in a flash. If the Medicine King's disciple had not died of old age, he must have grown to an extremely terrifying level.
The Medicine King sighed softly and shook his head, saying:
"My prodigal disciple is exceptionally talented. At only twenty years old, he has already broken through to the Divine Sea Realm and entered the Five Forbidden Domain. He is in no way inferior to the chosen ones of the Holy Land families."
"With her talent, as long as she doesn't die prematurely, she will definitely become a king, and even becoming a saint is not out of the question."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang remained silent.
Three thousand years have passed. If the Medicine King's disciple has not died of old age, he must have already entered the King Realm, or even the Saint Realm.
"Princess, there is no need to worry. So much time has passed, I have long since become indifferent to it. Revenge is now just a mirage, I will not harbor any thoughts of it."
The implication was that he wouldn't cause trouble for Xiao Minghuang.
Xiao Minghuang did not respond to this.
According to the Medicine King, his disciple broke through to the Divine Sea realm at the age of twenty and entered the Five Forbidden Realms.
But she is only fifteen years old now, and she has already entered the fifth level of forbidden realms. It's only a matter of time before she breaks through to the Divine Sea realm.
If the two lived in the same era, she believed she was no less capable than the other.
"Senior, what is your disciple's name?"
Upon hearing this, the Medicine King frowned and said: