NOVPUB
Chapter 242: Dispelling the Curse
Taking advantage of the situation, Aldrian focused his senses on the curse. He comprehended every aspect of it: the laws inside it, how it worked, and how it was shaped. He sought to understand it fully. He didn’t want to inject his energy into it, fearing that doing so might affect the curse itself. After all, his golden energy was the purest form of holy energy. If the curse were destroyed because of his energy, he would have to wait for another opportunity like this to arise.
Emperor Durand waited for Aldrian’s assessment results. However, after a minute of waiting, Aldrian remained completely still, not moving at all. His eyes were still closed, and he appeared like a statue. Yet, Emperor Durand could feel Aldrian’s senses focused on a particular part of his body, causing a stinging sensation at certain points along his meridian and dantian.
Only after another minute did Aldrian finally open his eyes, a smile spreading across his face. He had finally grasped how the curse worked and how to create it. With his understanding of the curse’s intricacies, he also knew several ways to dispel it. Of course, he could simply use his golden energy, but his comprehension extended beyond that. He knew that the curse could also be dispelled using some of his comprehension of the laws, such as karma laws.
The curse was tightly connected to karma, one of Aldrian’s specialties. Severing its karmic ties could weaken or even dispel the curse. Even more remarkably, he could track the curse’s caster through it. This was one of the weaknesses of techniques that had karmic properties.
However, he had not reached that point yet. When he tried to track the karma, it blurred after a certain distance, leading him to conclude that the caster was either too far away or possessed something that concealed his karmic traces. For now, he had to be satisfied with this and decided to focus on dispelling the curse within Emperor Durand.
"Your Majesty, you are not afflicted with a disease, but cursed instead," Aldrian said with a calm expression.
Hearing Aldrian’s assessment, the three others were stunned, but Emperor Durand frowned.
"Curse? At one point, I also thought this was a curse, so I visited the main Heavenly Direction Church in their territory to check. At first, I wanted to see the saintess, but in the end, I had one of their archbishops, whom I’ve known for a long time, examine me. He said my body didn’t have any curse, and because I trusted him, I dismissed the idea of it being a curse."
Aldrian looked confused.
"He already visited the main church and met their archbishop? No, something is not right. If the man who checked Emperor Durand was already at the archbishop level, he should have detected this curse. What is he—" Suddenly, Aldrian thought of something and smiled.
"Your Majesty, who is the archbishop you visited at that time?"
"He is Archbishop Carsius Vilanix. He’s already famous for his abilities within the church, so I trusted his judgment at the time."
"Carsius, huh? I’ll remember that name," Aldrian thought before speaking to Emperor Durand.
"I’m certain this is a curse, Your Majesty. It’s a powerful and complex curse that’s difficult to detect, but fortunately, I have a way to dispel it with my abilities."
The emperor and the steward widened their eyes. Could the problem plaguing Emperor Durand finally be solved? They had already done everything they could to address the emperor’s condition, but now this young man claimed he could solve it?
"Are you sure, young Aldrian? Can you cure me?" Emperor Durand asked, trembling.
"Yes, Your Majesty. You just have to trust me, and I will dispel this curse. Although it is a powerful curse, I am confident in my ability to destroy it."
Emperor Durand quickly grabbed Aldrian’s hand.
"If you can do it, young Aldrian, I will repay you with whatever you want. This is my word as the emperor of the Doria Empire. This situation has already tormented me, making me worry about the future of this empire. I hope you can heal me." He released his grip on Aldrian’s hand and slightly bowed his head.
Hector widened his eyes, unable to believe that his father had bowed his head in desperation. He knew how proud his father was and never expected him to bow to anyone. This only emphasized how desperate the emperor had become.
Aldrian also felt this wasn’t right and quickly stopped Emperor Durand from bowing any further.
"It’s okay, Your Majesty. We can discuss other matters once I’ve dispelled the curse," Aldrian said, gesturing for Emperor Durand to stop. "For now, let me focus on dispelling it. Please prepare yourself, Your Majesty."
Emperor Durand solemnly nodded.
Aldrian then touched the emperor’s hand again. This time, he concentrated on all the spots where the curse had manifested within the emperor’s body. Once he had located them, he slowly injected his golden energy into the emperor’s body. With precise control, he directed it toward the cursed spots.
Aldrian had to be careful, as some of the emperor’s meridians were already damaged and dried out. He needed to stimulate and heal these areas first to allow his golden energy to flow more smoothly. Fortunately, his golden energy possessed healing properties, making the process easier. Little by little, the damaged meridians began to mend themselves.
The dried meridians also started showing signs of recovery. It was as if they were being nourished with vital energy after a long period of deprivation, gradually rejuvenating and regaining their vitality.
When the golden energy finally touched the curse, the curse began to fight back! Aldrian, who already understood its intricacies, had predicted this reaction. He could sense that the curse was "alive" and would resist anything it perceived as a threat.
However, how could this curse resist the golden energy that compelled all cultivators to submit? How could it stand against energy so pure that even the Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy had to yield? The curse was powerless and was instantly purified by the golden energy.
Emperor Durand, who could feel the golden energy directly, was shocked to his core. At first, he was stunned by how the golden energy suppressed the remnants of energy within his dantian. Its sacred aura overwhelmed him, stirring an instinctive urge to submit. It didn’t feel like something meant for a mortal vessel—it was as if this energy belonged to a divine being. Even contemplating its presence in his body felt like an act of blasphemy!
"What kind of energy is this?" Emperor Durand wondered, his mind reeling.
However, beyond the sacred and pious feeling, there was also a soothing warmth, as if he were enveloped in the embrace of nature itself. It felt like standing in the heart of spring, basking in the gentle warmth after the harsh cold of winter. He hadn’t felt this relaxed or at peace in a long time. In fact, the sensation was so comforting that he found himself tempted to surrender to sleep, momentarily forgetting all his worries.
He didn’t feel any discomfort; with each passing moment, he could only sense his body rejuvenating. He felt much stronger and more refreshed, with his damaged dantian and meridians showing signs of improvement like never before.
His outer appearance began to change as well. His pale skin regained its healthy tone, and the black spots faded away one by one. His aged face slowly transformed back into the youthful appearance of his middle years, resembling his earlier disguise. Even his presence seemed to grow stronger, as though he was returning to the prime of his past self.
The steward and Hector were left speechless, staring in amazement at the emperor’s transformation.
After a few minutes, Aldrian finally stopped and looked at Emperor Durand’s changes with a smile.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
Emperor Durand began to assess his body, then attempted to circulate his energy using his cultivation technique. He was stunned to discover that his energy flowed as smoothly as it once did—no, even more smoothly than before! His aura had grown stronger, causing the very air around him to tremble.
He also felt that his cultivation foundation had returned to being solid and even stronger than before! With this newfound vigor, he felt as though he could break through to the peak emperor stage! Of course, it was just a feeling, but he was confident in it. If the opportunity arose, he believed he could reach that peak level.
The steward’s eyes began to water as he looked at the emperor. He was the only one who truly understood the emperor’s struggles and how he had tried to hide them from everyone, even his own family. Despite all his weaknesses, the emperor had continued to maintain the stability of the empire, a task that must have been incredibly difficult while carrying such a façade.
Finally, that burden was lifted, and Emperor Durand could act without worrying about his body or his situation being discovered by others.
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In an unknown place, a person in black robes meditated in a dark room. Suddenly, he felt a tremor in his soul, and blood spat from his mouth. His eyes lost focus as he felt his soul shake violently.
After a few moments of stabilizing himself, he frowned, realizing what had just occurred.
"Someone broke my curse!"
