278: Baby-Shattering Gu Poison

"I think Young Master Qin is right. Why not go and rob those other Dynasties?" the Family Clan Chief said.

"Our Tianyu Immortal Dynasty is already in this state; I fear the other Dynasties don't have any spare assets either." Prime Minister Han shook his head.

Yang Su looked left and right, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I believe we could go rob Tianyang Star—it is said that resources there are abundant."

Since being promoted to Commander of the Imperial Law Enforcement Agency, his courage had indeed grown bolder than before.

Once Yang Su said this, quite a few people actually chimed in—

"That's right! There are many Dynasties on Tianyang Star that are not as strong as us. As long as we don't provoke the powerful ones, we will certainly reap a rich harvest!"

"I agree. Besides, our Eldest Princess is a Saintess of the Divine Dragon Cult. As long as the Divine Dragon Cult tacitly allows it, other factions will definitely not dare to act rashly!"

"I also agree, but I suggest we conceal our identities. Acting in the shadows is the best strategy."

"I agree!"

"I agree too!"

You smiled slightly upon hearing this, truly unable to understand their line of thinking—

Even if the Divine Dragon Cult tacitly allows it, would the True Spirit Immortal Dynasty just sit idly by?

Would the Piaomiao Sect also turn a blind eye and watch as the Divine Dragon Cult brings in outside enemies to annex local factions?

These people's ideas really struck you as somewhat laughable.

Just at this moment—

"Cough, cough... cough... That must not be done."

A slightly weak yet exceptionally soft and gentle voice came through.

You glanced to the side and saw that the speaker was a pale-faced imperial concubine—

She covered her lips with a silk handkerchief and coughed lightly. There was a weariness from long-term illness between her brows, but her figure remained plump and slender. That pale face not only did not diminish her beauty but instead added a touch of fragile loveliness.

"Mother! Please say less..."

Ji Yao, who was sitting not far from you, immediately turned her head upon hearing this, her expression full of unconcealable worry as she whispered a dissuasion.

Ji Yao's call of "Mother" made a flash of realization cross your eyes—so this was the biological mother of Ji Yao and Prince Ji Kang: Imperial Concubine Qi.

No wonder Ji Wuya doted on her so much—

With such appearance and charm, even while so weak from illness, she still possessed a heart-stirring power that could truly evoke infinite pity.

You only learned later that the original imperial decree "bestowing marriage" of Ji Yao to you had been proposed by this seemingly fragile Imperial Concubine Qi.

This made you feel a trace of curiosity about her.

However, under your meticulous observation, you faintly detected a trace of abnormality—

The grayish-blue hue faintly visible beneath her paleness, the extremely subtle stagnation in her breathing, and that lingering, unresolvable gloom deep in her eyes...

These various subtle signs did not resemble an ordinary illness; instead, it looked more like the result of being poisoned.

On the main seat, Ji Wuya turned his head to look at Imperial Concubine Qi, his eyes filled with genuine worry.

"My beloved concubine," his tone was filled with heartache, "if you cannot hold on, go back and rest first. Do not force yourself."

Imperial Concubine Qi coughed lightly again and waved her hand. Although her voice was weak, it carried persistence: "It is fine... This matter concerns the survival of the Immortal Dynasty, I... cough, cough, cough..."

Before she could finish her sentence,

her body shuddered violently, and she coughed up a mouthful of dark red blood, which splattered onto the gorgeous skirt in front of her, a shocking sight—

The next second,

with a "bang,"

her entire body seemed as if all strength had been drained away; she slumped over softly and collapsed on the seat, completely losing consciousness.

This sudden turn of events instantly shattered the false peace maintained at the banquet.

"Mother—!!"

Prince Ji Kang and Ji Yao cried out almost simultaneously.

"Imperial Concubine Qi!"

"Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

A wave of shock erupted among the civil and military officials, and the scene descended into chaos.

As for you, you keenly captured a trace of an unusual atmosphere amidst this chaos—

The gazes of certain people, that fleeting look in their eyes, was not pure worry, but rather more like a smile of "schadenfreude."

You frowned slightly, sweeping your gaze across the crowd with their varied expressions, and a thought could not help but flash through your mind:

It seems there is a good show to watch!

You only hoped that this show would not implicate you—

but that inexplicable palpitation made it impossible for you to calm down.

Logically, this turn of events had nothing to do with you, so why did you always faintly feel—

that something was not quite right?

A moment later,

an Alchemist wearing imperial physician robes, whose aura had reached the Golden Core Middle Stage, hurried into the hall—

In this Immortal Dynasty, the most brilliant healers were often masters of Alchemy themselves.

He quickly leaned down, carefully probing Imperial Concubine Qi's condition with his Divine Sense, and then used silver needles to check her Meridians...

After a while,

he stood up straight, turned to Ji Wuya with an exceptionally grave expression, and said in a deep voice while cupping his hands:

"Your Majesty... the 'Nascent Soul Shattering Gu Poison' inside Imperial Concubine's body has already invaded her Nascent Soul Origin and is devouring it completely."

"If we cannot find infant transformation grass within three days to refine the 'Nascent Soul Life-Extending Pill'... I fear... nothing can be done to save her."

Once these words were spoken, Ji Wuya's face instantly darkened so much that it seemed water could drip from it; an invisible pressure spread out, and the air in the entire hall seemed to solidify, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Your Divine Sense was keen, and you "heard" the heartbeat rhythm of certain people secretly accelerating—

That was not sadness, but a repressed excitement and anticipation; yet on their faces, they still wore an appropriately measured look of worry.

"Mother—!!"

Prince Ji Kang thumped to his knees beside Imperial Concubine Qi, holding her icy hand, his voice choked with sobs,

"It is my uselessness... I do not want to be any Crown Prince; I only pray that you can be safe and sound... Mother!"

By the end, he was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Mother... wuwu..."

Beside him, Ji Yao was weeping like rain.

Her face, which usually carried arrogance, was now left with only total fear and helplessness, making her look like a different person from her usual self.

For a moment, the great hall was shrouded in thick sorrow and despair.

"Sigh..." You sighed softly and spoke calmly amidst the sounds of grief: "Can that infant transformation grass really save her life?"

The Alchemist turned to you upon hearing this, his expression still serious, and nodded:

"Replying to Young Master Qin, that is indeed the case."

"The poison that Imperial Concubine has been afflicted with is called 'Nascent Soul Shattering Gu Poison,' which specifically damages a Cultivator's Nascent Soul and is extremely vicious."

"Imperial Concubine was sabotaged when she was attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul realm back then; the toxin had long entered her body, attacking her newly formed Nascent Soul directly."

He paused, his tone carrying a trace of admiration and regret,

"Fortunately, Imperial Concubine was versed in a long-lost 'Nascent Soul Shattering and Origin Locking Secret Technique.' At the last moment, she self-shattered her nascent Nascent Soul, forcibly sealing the majority of the toxins within the fragmented pieces of the Nascent Soul, which is how she preserved her life."

"However, the cost of this technique was immense—not only did her cultivation fall to the Half-Step Nascent Soul realm, but she would be unable to mobilize any true Nascent Soul Power for the rest of her life. She must constantly use all her cultivation to suppress the residual toxins in the fragments within her body, making her no different from a Mortal, and at most... it could only delay things for a few years."

"If it is to be cured at the root, the only way is to use infant transformation grass as the main ingredient to refine the 'Nascent Soul Life-Extending Pill.'"

"This pill can reshape the Nascent Soul Origin that has been eroded by the toxins and guide the sealed Nascent Soul fragments to fuse back together as one."