Pain, unparalleled agony!
Qi Bei felt an intense pain throughout his body; it surged uncontrollably, making him feel as if his body didn't belong to him. Aside from the pain, he could not sense anything else!
It was an ineffable pain, unbearable for Qi Bei, so he could not help but scream out loud!
However, no matter how loud Qi Bei yelled, his throat just didn't seem to make any sound.
The fear in Qi Bei's heart became even stronger. He suddenly realized, was he about to die?
He vaguely remembered that he was interning at a traditional Chinese medicine hospital. It happened to be the day of his mentor, Zhao Gongda's shift, and he was assisting his mentor treating a convict named Shen Gang in the treatment room. Suddenly, there was an explosion inside the treatment room while he was standing at the entrance. The overpowering blast threw him off his feet and hurled him against the wall. His head spun and he passed out with no recollection of anything afterwards.
Wait, just before he lost consciousness, did he see a ray of black light entering his eyes?
But, was that ray of black light real or just an illusion?
Qi Bei wasn't sure, especially when he started thinking about it, he noticed his consciousness was sinking, as if he was falling into a bottomless abyss.
"Am I about to die? Is this what death feels like?" At this moment, this idea suddenly emerged in Qi Bei's heart. Surprisingly, he didn't feel scared facing sudden death, but rather, a sense of relief.
In his 23 years, Qi Bei had experienced an unimaginably hard life. He was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage, spent his days in hardship and suffering. He was already getting tired of it.
However, Qi Bei felt regret and reluctance. The orphanage's director, his 'grandfather', who had taken care of him and other orphans and had dedicated his years with great care had now finally seen him grow into an adult. He was about to finish his internship, get a job, start earning money and help with the upkeep of the orphanage. Who would have thought that disaster would strike and claim his life all of a sudden?
With this thought in mind, Qi Bei could not help but let out a silent sigh.
"Sigh!" At the same moment Qi Bei sighed inwardly, another sigh echoed in his mind.
This sigh was ancient and grand, imbued with a sense of infinite melancholy.
"The path of the Immortal Physician ultimately goes against the heavens."
"What... Who's there?" After sighing, a phrase filled with desolation came again, making Qi Bei feel incredibly horrified. He reflexively replied, then suddenly realized that he could "speak" now.
However, at this moment, Qi Bei was filled with dread. The unknown always instills fear in people. He did not fear death because he was tired of his current life. But when the mysterious voice appeared, Qi Bei was afraid.
"My Taoist title is Free and Unrestrained. I entered Taoism through the medical arts, sought to ascend to the Immortal Tao, yet finally fell on this path. What you see now is just the last remnant of my spiritual consciousness." The sad, ancient voice rang out once more.
"Free and Unrestrained? Enter Taoism through the medical arts? Ascend to the Immortal Tao? What... What does that mean?" Hearing this, Qi Bei was stunned, and instinctively asked in response.
As if predicting that later generations would have such questions, the voice of the Unrestrained Medical Immortal rang again. "Throughout the ages, countless beings have sought the path to immortality, craving freedom, longing for immortality, desiring liberation. I was originally just a small physician among the mundane. By accident, I received a method of cultivation, hence setting foot on the path to pursue immortality."
Sighing softly, the Unrestrained Medical Immortal continued. "Sadly, the universe is merciless. Achieving long life is difficult. In the end, I failed to transcend the Great Tribulation. Now I am about to disappear into smoke and clouds. I couldn't bear to see my medical skills disappear so I left them for someone predestined to receive them. Also, I left my medicine garden that I used to cultivate spiritual materials, hoping it would help those destined to come here in the future..."
"Though my Taoist name is Free and Unrestrained, I struggled to achieve true freedom. I was obsessed with immortality and ended up in a lower state. For many centuries, there were very few who entered Taoism through medical fields, and none of them succeeded. I always wondered why, until the moment I failed to survive the tribulations. I realized something, but now is not the time to tell you. One day when you truly understand the meaning of entering Taoism through the medical field, you will naturally know the answer and, naturally, you will discover the secret to true immortality."
Qi Bei's heart was pounding uncontrollably. Was this like something out of a fantasy novel? Had he also stumbled upon good fortune, inheriting the teachings of this Unrestrained Medical Immortal?