The transportation back to Capital City was executed with surgical precision born from Serx's paranoid preparation and Raven's emergency medical protocols. They'd secured Lóng Hǎifēng in specialized medical transport that Serx had somehow procured despite being at remote coastal location—fanatical devotion apparently included maintaining emergency resource caches at every possible location Lord Riyan might require assistance.
But even with optimal transport conditions, Lóng Hǎifēng's condition deteriorated rapidly. His breathing became increasingly labored, vital signs showing cascade failure that suggested body was systematically shutting down. The crystalline pendant around his neck had gone completely dark—whatever energy it had contained was fully depleted, leaving his foreign power system without external support it had been relying on.
