Dustin’s immortal essence light carried them a thousand miles in a blink. In less than half a day, they had crossed the endless sea and reached the central plains. He didn’t linger along the coast but headed straight for the heart of Dragohmarsh, Oakvale.
Below the clouds, mountains and rivers rushed past, and towns and villages spread out like a chessboard.
The familiar warmth of the mortal world rushed toward them. It was a stark contrast to Elysium Isle, where paradise and demonic energy had collided into something uncanny. That place already felt like a world apart, as if it belonged to another life.
Grace clutched the box containing the immortal essence tablet so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her heart raced with the thrill of finally returning home, but worry for her father ran just as deep.
Dustin had said the tablet could extend Valon’s life by ten years. But until she saw her father recover with her own eyes, the knot in her chest wouldn’t loosen.
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Their eyes kept drifting to the box in Grace’s hands, and the expressions they wore were hard to read.
The merit they could receive from giving their father the medicine that could grant him ten more years had been so close, yet slipped through their fingers. It was a bitter feeling
And now Grace was returning with the elixir of immortality and immortal destiny. Her place in Valon’s eyes would only rise. It would be an unpredictable shift in the succession struggle, leaving the three brothers on edge.
Inside the halls of Galene Palace in Aylka, the normally solemn place was shrouded in a thick, medicinal smell and a heavy, somber atmosphere.
Palace attendants held their breath and moved in silence. They were unable to hide their worry.
Valon, ruler of Dragonmarsh, had been bedridden for a long time. The Royal Medical Hall was helpless and could only barely keep him alive with the help of a few skilled doctors using acupuncture and secret medicines.
On the bed, his face was sallow, and his eyes were sunken deep. Each shallow, rapid breath looked as if a candle in the wind might flicker out at any moment.
Several elderly physicians with white hair and beards stood around the bed, frowning. They occasionally exchanged hushed words followed by shakes of their heads.
“Father!”
A cry shattered the deathly silence in the hall. Grace rushed inside, ignoring every rule of decorum. She lifted her skirts as she stumbled toward her father’s bedside. Seeing her father so emaciated and barely breathing, tears instantly streamed down her face.
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel followed close behind. Seeing their father’s frail appearance, they also showed sorrowful expressions and dropped to their knees in formal greeting.
Valon fought to open his clouded eyes. When he saw his beloved daughter, a faint spark appeared in those dull eyes. His lips moved, but he couldn’t make a sound.
“Father, I found medicine to save you. You’re going to recover soon.” Grace choked on the words as she flipped open the jade box with trembling hands.
A refreshing, soothing scent wafted out at once. It swept through the hall, clearing out the stifling medicinal smell and lifting everyone’s spirits.
The elderly physicians, who had been frowning with worry, froze the moment they breathed it in. Their eyes widened and locked on the immortal essence tablet inside the box. The milky-white tablet glimmered with flowing light and carried a natural essence.
“This… What kind of tablet is this? How can it contain such abundant and pure vitality?” Wilbur Reese, the chief physician, exclaimed in astonishment.
Throughout his medical career, he had seen countless rare herbs and concocted countless miraculous elixirs, but he had never felt such pure and balanced life force. He could tell the tablet wasn’t from the mortal world.
“This is an immortal essence tablet. It can cure Father’s illness!” Grace replied.
She had no time for detailed explanations. After receiving Valon’s barely perceptible nod of consent, she carefully fed him the tablet.
It instantly melted in the mouth. Instead of a burning sensation, a soothing warmth spread through his aching body and restored strength to every tired muscle and bone.
Wherever it flowed, years of lingering chronic illness and drained energy began to recover, as if the body had finally been soaked by long-awaited rain.
Everyone in the hall held their breath. Their eyes were glued to Valon, lying on the bed.
They watched as his sallow complexion began to gain a rosy hue. His sunken eye sockets filled out, and his clouded gaze grew clear and bright. His ragged breaths evened out, gaining strength with each inhale.
Surprisingly, a few strands of his graying hair at the temples quietly turned black. The wrinkles on his skin were smoothed out, making him appear ten years younger.
In half an hour, Valon pushed himself up using the bed frame and slowly sat upright. Feeling the long-lost, surging’strength within his body and the renewed vitality, his face was filled with disbelieving joy.
“I feel… so much better. Better than I have in years.”
Valon’s voice was still a little hoarse, but it carried strength and authority. The weakness and frailty from before had vanished.
“Your Majesty is saved. It’s a miracle.”
Wilbur’s tears streamed down his weathered face. He dropped to his knees along with the other physicians.
In their entire medical careers, they had never witnessed such a miracle. This was no longer medicine but practically divine intervention.
“Father!” Grace cried, overwhelmed with joy. At that moment, all her fears, the hardships, and sacrifices of the journey melted away into uncontainable relief and happiness.
