204: Track down!

Imperial Physician Hua's brows were tightly furrowed, his heart filled with extreme solemnity.

From his century of medical experience, he knew that if this continued, His Highness, the Third Prince, would surely die.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Imperial Physician Hua dared not delay further.

He first took out a few Medicinal Pills for healing and administered them, but seeing little effect, he increased the dosage.

He then took out Medicinal Pills and Spirit Medicine for strengthening the Origin and nourishing the Divine Sense, and activated his wood-element magical power to refine their medicinal properties.

However, Ji Wuli's riddled body was like a leaking plug.

No matter how many Spirit Medicine resources were poured in, they seemed to be swallowed by an invisible, gaping abyss.

No matter how he investigated, he found nothing, completely unable to pinpoint the root cause of the illness.

Imperial Physician Hua had practiced the Dao of medicine for a hundred years, and this was the first time he had encountered such a strange phenomenon.

However, he had a faint suspicion that this might not be a problem caused by a backlash, but rather by someone tampering with him.

Moreover, this person's Cultivation was not low; at least much higher than his, otherwise he wouldn't be so helpless.

Looking at Ji Wuli, who was groaning in pain on the sickbed, his body continuously shriveling and wasting away, Imperial Physician Hua sighed.

He knew in his heart that this situation was beyond his ability to handle and needed to be reported to the Imperial Ruler as soon as possible for a decision.

Thus, Imperial Physician Hua performed several incantations, sealing Ji Wuli's Meridians and acupoints in an attempt to slow down the deterioration of the illness.

After doing all this, just as he was about to instruct a guard to go to the Imperial Palace to report, a majestic and resonant voice sounded from outside.

“Imperial Physician Hua, how is my Third Brother?”

Accompanying the voice was a middle-aged man in a four-clawed Dragon robe, with a dignified demeanor, who strode in with powerful steps.

The aura he exuded had clearly reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment.

Everyone turned their heads at the sound, and after seeing the man's face, they were all startled, then quickly knelt down and bowed their heads, respectfully proclaiming:

“Your subjects greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”

The person who arrived was precisely the First Prince of the Ji Dynasty, the current Crown Prince, Ji Wuneng.

His status in the Ji Dynasty was second only to his Imperial Ruler father and the Imperial Family's Golden Core Old Ancestors.

His power could be said to be below two people, but above tens of thousands.

Moreover, this person had excellent Aptitude, having already Cultivated to the Peak of Foundation Establishment in two Jiazi cycles, and it was not impossible for him to step onto the Golden Core Dao in the future.

After being established as Crown Prince, he was the most likely candidate to inherit the position of Imperial Ruler.

“Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Upon seeing the arrival, Hua Bian merely bowed slightly in greeting.

As an Imperial Physician, his status was honorable; apart from the Old Ancestors and the one on the Dragon throne, no one else required him to prostrate.

Ji Wuneng merely nodded slightly, his gaze then turning towards the bed.

There, he saw a shriveled figure, with a weak aura, as if the flame of life was about to extinguish, curled up.

If not for a faint sense of Bloodline connection, Ji Wuneng would never have believed that this was his Third Brother, Ji Wuli!

He was perfectly fine a few days ago, so how did he end up in this state today!

Ji Wuneng's heart was filled with disbelief, followed by a surge of anger.

He turned to Imperial Physician Hua and sternly questioned him again.

“Imperial Physician Hua, what exactly happened?!”

“Reporting to Your Highness, the Crown Prince, in this old man's opinion, His Third Highness's current state does not seem like he Cultivated a Demonic Technique and suffered a backlash; instead, it looks more like he was afflicted by a curse.”

Hua Bian answered truthfully, not relying on his esteemed status to act condescendingly.

Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Ji Wuneng was on the verge of an outburst of rage.

“Third Brother would indeed not Cultivate a Demonic Technique, and this state is extremely similar to the strange illness Imperial Uncle suffered a few years ago. I didn't take it seriously before, but now it seems someone is indeed behind this!”

Ji Wuneng also largely agreed with Imperial Physician Hua's analysis; he, too, recalled the plight of Imperial Uncle Ji Yuting, and his heart was filled with doubts.

However, he still asked the question he was most concerned about.

“Imperial Physician Hua, how is Third Brother doing now? Can he still be saved?”

Hua Bian looked at Ji Wuli on the bed, whose aura was almost imperceptible.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally sighed and shook his head.

“His life Origin is depleted, his Dao foundation is shattered, his Divine Soul is in Chaos, and the signs of death are already present. There's no saving him.”

Generally speaking, to protect himself, Hua Bian would usually phrase things very subtly and would not give such a definitive conclusion.

But Ji Wuli's situation was indeed beyond salvation.

Even if a third-tier Spirit Medicine were brought, it would probably not escape the fate of being swallowed by that invisible, gaping abyss.

And as if to confirm Hua Bian's judgment.

On the bed, Ji Wuli, whose life force was completely exhausted, finally could not hold on any longer.

The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, his vitality began to dissipate, and his shriveled skin, like a dried corpse, began to lose its color.

Under the horrified gazes of many Cultivators, a royal noble thus perished!

The scene was utterly silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Many guards and maids felt a chill throughout their bodies, quickly lowering their heads, not daring to look His Highness, the Crown Prince, in the eye.

Ji Wuneng watched all this with an expressionless face, but his heart was filled with boundless rage.

In truth, he was not that close to his Third Brother.

Deep down, he looked down on this unlearned and poorly apt Imperial Brother.

The reason he came to visit was merely to put on a show for outsiders.

After all, as the esteemed Crown Prince and an Imperial Brother, such etiquette was expected.

But he never expected to coincidentally encounter such an event!

His anger was not because of Ji Wuli's death, but because he felt the Imperial Family's prestige had been challenged.

As a Prince of the Ji Dynasty, one of the four Golden Core powers in the Southern Wilderness Region, to be cursed to death by someone was a great humiliation!

He did not linger, turning and flicking his sleeves as he departed.

However, before leaving the door, he left behind an extremely cold statement.

“Investigate this matter thoroughly for this Prince! Especially who Third Brother has been in contact with and what has happened in recent years; record everything and send it to the Eastern Palace!!”

“Yes, Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”

All the Cultivators responded in unison with a loud affirmation.

Subsequently, the Imperial Dynasty's vast intelligence agency operated like a rapidly moving machine.

In less than a day, a list of intelligence was delivered to Ji Wuneng's hands.

However, as Ji Wuneng looked at the densely packed names on the list, he felt a headache.

These were all people with whom his Third Brother had directly or indirectly had enmity.

There were Cultivators from the Imperial Dynasty, as well as external forces.

The scope involved almost the entire Southern Wilderness Region.

Ji Wuneng knew that he had no authority to make a decision, so he quickly rushed to the Imperial Palace to ask the Imperial Ruler for a ruling... Inside the Imperial Ruler's main hall.

On the gilded Dragon throne, the Imperial Ruler of the Imperial Dynasty sat majestically, radiating authority without anger.

He narrowed his eyes, intently scrutinizing the delivered list, then threw it back into Ji Wuneng's hands.

“I will entrust this matter to you to handle. Capture the mastermind as soon as possible, dead or alive!”

“Imperial Father, this...”

Ji Wuneng hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back; this was not a good assignment.

The list involved too many people and forces, even including Heavenly Star Immortal City, which was as renowned as their Imperial Dynasty.

If not handled properly, the consequences could be very severe.