No one truly knew just how many powerful beings lay hidden among the human race.
Humanity was born with Dao Bodies—innate physiques most suited for cultivation. Compared to other races, humans progressed significantly faster in cultivation. Of course, in certain aspects, humanity still fell short of other races with innate talents or powerful bloodlines. A strong bloodline often translated directly into combat strength. In short, while humans were generally average in many ways, their overall cultivation speed was unmatched. Other races possessed various innate gifts, but their cultivation typically lagged behind humanity's. These differences, however, were relative rather than absolute.
One must never underestimate any race—and certainly never their own.
Humanity had always been one of the most powerful races among the myriad races of the heavens.
Had it not been for their initially frail physical bodies, which led to a devastating calamity, humanity might have risen far earlier. Once they had time to develop and grow strong, few races would dare oppose them. If they couldn't suppress the humans, then they themselves were destined to be suppressed.
"Among all the countless human geniuses, only you have stood above the rest, becoming the spiritual pillar of the people—a symbol that refuses to fall. You represent the very strength of our race."
Sun Simiao spoke solemnly, his tone entirely devoid of jest. In the eyes of the common folk, Yi Tianxing's position was far more significant than one might expect. When the world had plunged into chaos, when humanity was suppressed by countless foreign races, it was Yi Tianxing who held aloft the banner of the human race. During the first battle in the Divine-Demon Battlefield, he had crushed rival races, allowing humanity to emerge as the dominant force.
This reignited the pride and confidence within the people's hearts.
Many found the strength to keep living, to keep growing, simply by witnessing his rise.
Yi Tianxing's role in the human race had become irreplaceable—difficult for anyone else to surpass. His impact was profound.
Sun Simiao couldn't view him as an ordinary person—he had to treat him with a different level of respect.
"Elder Sun, you flatter me," Yi Tianxing replied. "The Great Yi Dynasty is in a stage of rebuilding and expansion. We desperately need talented individuals. Everything we have now has been built from nothing, every step forged through trial and error. Great Yi belongs to me, yes—but it also belongs to all the people under its banner.The path of the Fate Dynasty leads from mortality to immortality, and in that journey, we need the assistance of countless sages and talents."
Yi Tianxing didn't mince words, openly expressing his intent to recruit Sun Simiao.
"With your mastery of medical arts and pill refinement, and your compassionate heart, what you can accomplish as a lone healer is limited—saving perhaps thousands, tens of thousands, maybe a million people.But under the banner of Great Yi, with your talents, you could enter the Immortal Academy and preside over the School of Medicine—establishing a proper medical discipline, spreading knowledge, and healing countless more. That would be a boundless merit in itself."
"Our Scripture Repository contains tens of thousands of medical texts, which could further your path. We also cultivate vast spiritual herbs and medicinal plants—you would have unrestricted access to concoct any pills you desire."
Yi Tianxing laid out all his best offers without hesitation: ancient texts, a platform to teach and spread his knowledge, endless resources for pill refinement. Any of these would tempt a master physician—but the true prize was the chance to leave behind a lasting legacy.
And indeed, a light ignited in Sun Simiao's eyes.
Passing down his knowledge—that was something deeply important to him.
In truth, the resources Yi Tianxing offered were nothing short of ideal. Even if certain herbs were unavailable, the power of an entire dynasty could find them faster than any individual. And with the Great Yi being a Fate Dynasty, once it operated at full force, its reach and strength would be beyond measure.
"There's no need to say more, Your Majesty. To be personally invited by you—how could I refuse?"Sun Simiao chuckled lightly.
"What? Elder Sun, you… agreed?"
Even Yi Tianxing was caught off guard. He had prepared a lengthy argument and had not expected Sun Simiao to accept so quickly.
Li Zhilin was similarly surprised. He had believed Sun Simiao would be a difficult man to persuade—his nature so calm and detached, almost like one who had shed all worldly desires. Yet he had agreed in the blink of an eye, leaving their carefully crafted arguments unused.
"Of course I agreed. To teach medicine and pass down the way of healing—that is an incredibly meaningful pursuit. I have been contemplating how to preserve and expand medical knowledge. Medicine and pill refinement can be interconnected, yet they are also distinct.Medicine is about healing and saving lives—that is its essence. And to truly preserve and expand it, what's most needed is a stable environment. That is the fertile ground in which medicine can flourish. The Great Yi Dynasty is a rare flower among our people.With Your Majesty's personal invitation, how could I decline?"
Sun Simiao's tone remained cheerful.
In truth, he had long been troubled by medicine's future in the Eternal World.
After all, physicians had originally emerged to treat ordinary ailments in the mortal world. But with so many commoners stepping into the path of cultivation, basic illnesses were all but extinct. Even minor injuries could be healed through spiritual energy alone—leaving little need for traditional medicine or doctors.
In Great Yi, this phenomenon was even more evident. Outside of untrained children, most citizens were cultivators. Illness had nearly vanished. With no patients, how could medicine survive? How could doctors maintain their craft?
This was the very issue Sun Simiao had been pondering for years.
He didn't want the profession he had loved his whole life to simply disappear in silence.
And now, Yi Tianxing's invitation presented him with a real opportunity.
They raised their cups and drank together, both in high spirits.
During their conversation, Sun Simiao shared his concerns about medicine's declining relevance.
Yi Tianxing paused thoughtfully, then smiled and said:
"Elder Sun, are you familiar with Western priests?"
"Priests?"Sun Simiao nodded. "Yes. I've heard of them. Most priests are devotees of divine beings, granted divine arts and abilities to heal and support. They have their merits."
These priests wielded divine power bestowed through faith—miraculous in healing and support.
"Priests heal with divine arts through faith. But why can't we develop unique medical techniques and divine arts for our School of Medicine? There are already countless healing spells across the realms.If we can study, adapt, and refine them into a cohesive system, then medicine may evolve into something even more powerful."
Yi Tianxing continued:
"In the medical school archives of the Immortal Academy, there already exist divine arts of medicine—but many are incomplete.If they can be perfected, the School of Medicine could flourish beyond imagination."
Among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Medical School was not to be underestimated. Since Bian Que, their founder, the field had grown prosperous.
Just as the Military School wielded deadly techniques, the Medical School wielded life-saving arts—the foundation being the Medical Codex.
The Medical Codex was a unique inner manifestation—a mystical book that allowed cultivators to awaken and practice medical divine arts.
For instance:
Medical Divine Art – Withered Tree in Spring
A miraculous technique that could rapidly regenerate flesh, heal even to the bone, and restore the body completely—as if a withered tree had sprouted anew. Ideal for the battlefield.
Medical Divine Art – Graft Like Flowers
A peerless technique for reattaching severed limbs, restoring function as if they had never been lost. In war, when severed limbs were commonplace, such an art was a gift from heaven.
"Yes, Your Majesty is absolutely right. I've been thinking along the same lines recently. No divine art is created casually—it takes collective wisdom to forge something so profound."
Sun Simiao nodded emphatically.
In recent years, he had come to realize—his Dao, was Medicine. The more he advanced it, the more his own cultivation surged.