The King's Chamber
The urgency of the Western Dragon King's fading health now eclipsed the shock of the ambush. Aether led Jade directly from the Azure Pass back to the inner sanctuary of the Citadel. His wound was already healing, the iridescent blue blood drying quickly, but his demeanor was dark and anxious.
"The Shadow General was testing us, looking for weakness," Aether explained as they navigated the silent, sacred halls. "The fact that it targeted you confirms Seraphina knows the threat the Divine Eye poses."
"Or she knows about the pact," Jade countered, rubbing her temples. "You risked everything for a weapon."
Aether stopped outside a magnificent door carved from ancient, petrified wood. "I risked myself for the survival of the Western Lineage. You are essential to that, Jade. Do not confuse calculation with sentiment."
He opened the door without waiting for her reply.
The chamber was immense, illuminated by a single, powerful spirit-lamp that cast deep shadows. In the center, resting on a dais carved from pure elemental rock, was the Western Dragon King. He was in his full Dragon form: immense, ancient, and breathtakingly majestic, his scales the color of deep sea sapphire, woven with threads of silver energy.
But his life force was terribly weak. The sapphire scales were dull, and the silver energy was barely flickering. The chamber's air was cold and heavy, struggling to maintain its elemental balance.
Grand Elder Lin was kneeling beside the King's snout, muttering ancient protective incantations.
[Target Classification: Western Dragon King. Level: Apex (Dormant). Condition: Critical. Magical Integrity: 5% (Failing).]
The Sight of Corruption
Aether approached his father, dropping to one knee. "Father. I have brought the Host of the Divine Eye. She may be able to perceive the nature of the affliction."
The King's enormous head shifted slightly. His voice, when it came, was a faint, echoing whisper that nevertheless rattled the chamber.
"The Eye... a power lost since the First War. Show me, mortal."
Jade approached the King with profound reverence. This was not a monster; this was the foundational spirit of the entire Western realm, fading away. She took a deep breath and focused the Divine Eye of Azure Sight.
The world dissolved again. She saw the King's true form as an overwhelming torrent of sapphire and silver energy. But flowing through his ancient core, twisting around his heart and elemental lungs, was a vibrant, black-purple corruption.
It wasn't a biological illness; it was pure, toxic magic—the same energy that had powered the Shadow General and corrupted the Chiwen.
"It's the corruption," Jade whispered, clutching her head. "It's the same dark energy Seraphina uses, but concentrated. It's blocking his ability to draw power from his territory."
Lin nodded grimly. "We suspected it was a curse, but its source is unknown. Is it physical, Host?"
"No," Jade said, tracing the path of the dark energy with her sight. "It's centered on a specific point... right behind his third dorsal spine, near his elemental core. It looks like... a parasite, a magical anchor."
Aether surged forward, horrified. "An anchor? A physical object?"
"Not physical in the way you understand," Jade clarified. "It's a needle of concentrated shadow magic, driving deeper every time he tries to command his elemental power. It's draining him and corrupting his aura. It's too small to see with the naked eye, but the Divine Eye shows it clearly."
The King sighed, the sound like distant stones grinding. "The truth... at last. It was planted during the last Great Council, disguised as a gift."
The Only Hope
A Dragon warrior, fully scaled and armored, stepped out of the shadows. This was Vespian, the King's most loyal General. "Prince Aether, if the source is an anchor, it must be removed. But any surgical attempt will risk shattering his elemental core. The King's magic is too weak to sustain it."
"Then we must stabilize his core before the removal," Aether declared, his voice firm with new purpose. He looked at Jade, his amethyst eyes burning with resolve. "The legends speak of only one substance capable of sustaining Dragon life during a core crisis: the Heartwood Bloom."
Lin shook his head mournfully. "My Prince, the Heartwood Bloom only grows in the deepest regions of the Nine Peaks of Lingbao. It is guarded by creatures that defy the Dragon's Law. Even in full health, the journey would be perilous."
"There is no other option," Aether stated. He knew this journey would take days, potentially exposing him to Seraphina's forces and leaving the Citadel vulnerable. But the alternative was letting his father die.
Aether looked directly at Jade, the pact unspoken but absolute. "You and I will leave immediately. The Divine Eye can tame the creatures guarding the Bloom. I will command the elements; you will command the chaos. We seek the Heartwood Bloom."
"I have to take Bao," Jade said immediately, recalling the chaos of the last ambush. "And maybe Chiwen. We'll need a proper monster escort."
The Western Dragon King let out a final, pained breath, his silver energy dimming almost to extinction. "Go, my son... The human's Eye is the key. Trust its sight... and your instincts."
Aether nodded, the weight of the entire realm now resting on his shoulders. He grabbed Jade's arm, the cold urgency of his scales contrasting with the frantic beat of her human heart. The journey to the Nine Peaks, the most dangerous place in Xianzhou, was now their only hope.