Ye Yunfei's words caused everyone present to freeze in astonishment for a moment.
Then.
"Ye Yunfei, how dare you question my master! I think you don't understand medicine at all! Kneel down immediately and apologize to my master!" Tang Feng was the first to roar angrily, pointing a finger at Ye Yunfei with an aggressive air.
"Hmph! Such insolence, how dare you spout such wild words and curse the Empress Dowager! Ye Yunfei, this is a grave crime!" The Crown Prince reprimanded sharply.
Even the emperor looked at Ye Yunfei with displeased eyes.
The Third Prince was terrified, trembling with fear. He understood that if the emperor were to assign blame, he would surely be implicated.
Ye Yunfei sneered, remaining silent.
"Young man, you say my method cannot cure the Empress Dowager. Well then, enlighten me with your reasoning. If you fail to provide an answer that satisfies me, do not blame me for being discourteous. Although I, Chen Xuan, am not some extraordinary figure, I am not one to be insulted by others!" Chen Xuan was now completely furious, his angry gaze fixed on Ye Yunfei as he spoke word by word.
"You want a satisfying answer? Very well, I'll give you a satisfying answer. The Empress Dowager did indeed suffer severe injuries before, and her meridians were damaged. However, the reason she now lies bedridden and is losing her vitality is not because her old injuries have recurred. It is due to the Mortal Five Decays," Ye Yunfei said.
"Mortal Five Decays?" Chen Xuan was taken aback.
"Correct. To put it simply, the Empress Dowager's life span has reached its end. Although she suffered injuries and had damaged meridians in the past, causing her cultivation base to be lost, that alone is not fatal. Moreover, the injuries within her body have long since healed, except that the meridians cannot be restored. The Empress Dowager has lost her cultivation base and has become an ordinary mortal. As an ordinary person, she is already ninety-five years old this year. Though she has no illness or pain, her life span is coming to an end, and her vitality is gradually fading away. In such a condition, even if you refine countless more healing Spirit Pills or vitality-supplementing pills for her to consume, it will be of little use," Ye Yunfei continued.
"Mortal Five Decays... a natural end to her life span?" Chen Xuan murmured after hearing Ye Yunfei's words, seeming to ponder something. Without another word, he stepped forward again to diagnose the Empress Dowager.
Gradually, Chen Xuan's expression began to change. Seemingly unwilling to accept it, he examined her four or five times repeatedly.
Seeing Chen Xuan's expression, everyone else grew tense as well, their eyes fixed intently on him.
A sense of foreboding suddenly arose in the hearts of Tang Feng and the Crown Prince.
After a long while, finally, Chen Xuan let out a soft sigh.
"Young man, what you say is correct. The Empress Dowager's condition is indeed a natural exhaustion of her life span," Chen Xuan said, nodding towards Ye Yunfei.
At this moment, he felt not an ounce of anger towards Ye Yunfei, but rather deep admiration.
"Impossible! How could this be!" For Tang Feng and the Crown Prince, Chen Xuan's words were like a thunderclap, stunning them pale and trembling with fear.
Meanwhile, the Third Prince was both shocked and overjoyed, his confidence instantly restored.
"Master Chen Xuan, is it truly as Master Ye Yunfei says that mother's life span has run out?" The emperor, somewhat bewildered after hearing Ye Yunfei and Chen Xuan, asked Chen Xuan with an uneasy expression.
"That is correct," Chen Xuan nodded.
"Then, how should it be treated?" the emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, I'll speak plainly. The Empress Dowager has no illness or injury; it is a natural end to her life span. In such a situation, there is no cure," Chen Xuan shook his head and said.
"No! I cannot accept letting mother pass away like this! Master Chen Xuan, please think of a way," the emperor said, retreating several steps with a sorrowful expression.
Chen Xuan remained silent, only shaking his head once more.
Seeing Chen Xuan's attitude, the emperor was utterly despairing.
"Who says there is no cure."
Just at that moment, Ye Yunfei spoke indifferently.
What?!
Instantly, everyone's eyes turned towards Ye Yunfei.
"Young man, what did you say? There is a way to treat this condition?" Chen Xuan asked in astonishment.
"The Empress Dowager is now merely an ordinary mortal. Living to ninety-five means her natural life span is nearing its end. However, she was once a cultivator and possessed strength at the Late-Stage Profound Realm. If her meridians can be repaired, restoring her strength... then as a Profound Realm cultivator, living to one hundred and fifty, or even two hundred years old would be a trivial matter. How could her life span be coming to an end then?" Ye Yunfei said flatly.
"Ah! Yes! Young man, you are absolutely right! How did I fail to consider that!" Chen Xuan exclaimed in sudden enlightenment.
"However, repairing the Empress Dowager's meridians to restore her cultivation... that is extremely difficult, almost impossible," Chen Xuan's brow furrowed again.
"Hmph! It’s but a minor affair, what difficulty is there?" Ye Yunfei said coldly.
"Young man, do you have a way to repair the Empress Dowager's meridians?!" Chen Xuan was utterly shocked upon hearing this.
"Master Ye Yunfei, you have a way to repair mother's meridians and restore her strength? That's wonderful! Haha, in that case, mother could live another fifty years, even a hundred years more, without any problem!" The emperor was overjoyed upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
"Fantastic! Master Ye Yunfei actually has a way to cure grandmother!" The Third Prince trembled with excitement.
His feelings today had been like a rollercoaster, with extreme ups and downs.
"However, if I am to take action to treat her, there is one condition," Ye Yunfei said.
"Whatever condition it is, Master Ye Yunfei, you have only to speak. As long as you can cure grandmother, I would even give up my throne to you!" the emperor replied immediately.
Everyone else was greatly shocked upon hearing this.
"I have no interest in Your Majesty's throne. My condition is that you immediately designate the Third Prince as the Crown Prince. If so, I will naturally proceed with treating the Empress Dowager," Ye Yunfei said calmly.
Upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words, everyone was stunned again.
"Ye Yunfei, you are too presumptuous! Determining who becomes the Crown Prince is a major affair of the imperial family. As an outsider, what right do you have to interfere in our imperial family's matters? This is treasonous! Father, you should arrest him immediately and throw him into prison, awaiting punishment!" The Crown Prince was the first to react, screaming like a madman.
If the Third Prince were designated as the Crown Prince, his dream of ascending the throne would be completely shattered.
"Grant his request."
Just as the Crown Prince was roaring furiously, a weak voice sounded in the room.
Immediately, everyone was shocked and turned their gaze towards the Empress Dowager lying on the bed.
The weak voice had come from her!
"Mother, you're awake!" The emperor was overjoyed and rushed to the bedside.
He saw the Empress Dowager's sunken eyes slowly open, appearing dim and lifeless.
"Young man, I accept your condition," the Empress Dowager said in a feeble voice.
"That is right. Mother's wish is also my wish. I will summon the court ministers today and announce Guang'er as the Crown Prince," the emperor also nodded.
This emperor, throughout his life, had always listened most to his mother's words.
"Very well," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's face turned ashen, filled with despair. The look he cast towards Ye Yunfei was filled with resentment and venom.
However, in such a situation, how dared he speak up?
The Third Prince, meanwhile, was extremely excited, gazing at Ye Yunfei with admiring eyes.
In his heart, he secretly rejoiced that he had gotten to know Ye Yunfei in Yuanyue City back then.
"I will write a list of spirit medicines. Send someone to purchase all the ingredients on the list. Afterwards, I will personally refine several types of Spirit Pills. Once the Empress Dowager consumes the pills, she will naturally recover," Ye Yunfei said.
Then, Ye Yunfei requested paper and a brush, wrote out a list of spirit medicines, and handed it to the emperor.
The medicines listed were all relatively precious, used to refine Fifth-Grade and Sixth-Grade Spirit Pills.
However, given the imperial family's resources, they should be able to gather them, though it might be difficult.
The emperor immediately sent people out to procure the medicinal ingredients.
"Master Ye Yunfei, I have had a palace chamber prepared for you. Please rest temporarily within the imperial palace," the emperor said to Ye Yunfei.
"Very well," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Your Majesty, I shall also stay within the palace temporarily. With Master Ye Yunfei possessing such medical skills, I wish to take this opportunity to learn from him," Chen Xuan immediately said.
By now, his admiration for Ye Yunfei was immense.
"Master Chen Xuan may stay in the palace as long as you wish," the emperor replied.
A fourth-grade alchemist in the Great Qin Empire was an object of contention among all major factions vying to recruit him. Naturally, the emperor was only too pleased that Master Chen Xuan wished to stay.
"Master Ye Yunfei, I shall return for now. Today, His Majesty will issue an imperial decree appointing me as the Crown Prince. I need to return and prepare properly," the Third Prince said to Ye Yunfei.
He seemed extremely agitated. Once designated Crown Prince, he would be the next emperor.
"Go ahead," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Afterwards, led by a eunuch, Ye Yunfei left Kunning Palace and arrived at another splendid and magnificent palace hall.
Inside the palace, Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged. In front of him was a Pill Cauldron, and Huang Shang's figure floated above the cauldron.
"Ye Yunfei, the spirit medicines you gave me have all been refined into Heavenly Demon Pills and Soul-Stabilizing Pills."
"Mm. Elder Huang, your Soul Body has grown more solid and defined. That is good," Ye Yunfei said, examining Huang Shang.
"This is the effect of the Soul-Stabilizing Pills. Ye Yunfei, thank you. Meeting you has been the turning point that reshaped my destiny," Huang Shang gazed at Ye Yunfei with grateful eyes.