For three days Jalen nursed Jael with rare herbs, feeding him tinctures distilled from his pocket world. He kept the boy warm, laying him on a bed drawn from his storage, wrapping him in thick blankets that glowed faintly with protective qi. He shielded him from the cold, from the lingering frost that seeped through the chamber beyond the maze.
Flare of Recursion had already pulled Jael back from the brink, but Jalen knew recovery was not only physical. The beast's final strike had lashed into Jael's spirit sea, and though Jalen had crushed it, the possibility of lingering fragments gnawed at him. Each day he extended his spirit sense into Jael, searching for echoes of foreign will.
On the fourth day, Jael stirred. His eyes snapped open, instinct ready to defend, fear surging before thought. But instead of danger, he found his father seated at his bedside.
"Dad," Jael whispered, almost in disbelief.
He sprang up, throwing his arms around Jalen's neck. Tears welled, breath hitched, heart pounding.
"It's really you," Jael said, voice breaking.
"Yes, son." Jalen patted his back, steady and firm. "It's me."
Jael's tears spilled freely. "I thought I'd never see you again, Dad."
Jalen's jaw tightened. His voice was low, heavy. "I made you suffer, my son. I've been a bad father."
Jael shook his head, clutching tighter. "No. You're the best father in the world."
Jalen pulled back slightly, studying him. "You've lived a couple hundreds of years, and yet you still act like that little child that I first met in that Ice Basin."
Jael laughed weakly, wiping his eyes. "In the Origin Realm, I'd be around fourteen, fifteen I think. I'm so confused with the time thing here my head hurts. The point is I'm a kid, who loves his dad, so cut me some slack."
Jalen's gaze sharpened, teasing but firm. "A kid who has been sneaking off and doing adult stuff."
Jael froze, then laughed tensely. "You knew."
"Of course I do."
"You're disappointed." Jael lowered his gaze. He always felt guilty about his loose habits, knowing they were nothing like his father's. His father had loved only one woman — his mother — with unwavering devotion. Jael could never seem to do the same. To him, it was complicated, or so he believed. His father was a decent man; Jael, by contrast, felt like an unsatisfied one.
Jalen's hand rested on his shoulder. "I might not agree with your life choices, but I'm your dad I will love you despite your flaws. Besides, I'm just happy I came here when I did, or I'd have lost you forever to that monster."
Jael's eyes dimmed. "Dad… what about Master? Is he—"
"Yes," Jalen interrupted. "He's safe. At the safe zone of this frozen wasteland."
Relief washed over Jael's face. "I'm glad you're here, Father. But… how are you going to get me out of here? If it wasn't for the maze and your qi I'd already freeze to death in here due to being too weak. Outside it's worse. Even if you use your qi to protect me, it's not guaranteed I won't freeze while you try to carry me through the storm."
Jalen's gaze was unwavering. "I'll use Flash Reverse. The wasteland disrupts my ability, so it won't take me far—but it will bring us close enough. From there, I'll carry you myself, at full speed, to the safe zone before the blizzard can claim you. It will strain your body to travel at transcendent speed, but at least you'll survive."
He had already tested this theory while Jael lay unconscious.
"Father…" Jael's voice trembled, his eyes wide with shock. From what his father had just said, it was safe to assume he had already stepped into the transcendent realm—a realm that once seemed impossibly distant, yet his father had reached it. That realization struck him with awe. It meant Jalen was now the strongest cultivator in the lower world.
Jalen did not confirm his son's suspicion. Instead, he produced a bottle with a flick of his hand. "Drink this."
He passed it to Jael. The spirit wine shimmered faintly, its fragrance rich with qi. Not only did it taste smooth and potent, but it would also nourish his cultivation, strengthening his weakened meridians.
Jael didn't hesitate. He lifted the bottle and took a long drink. Heat surged through his chest, his meridians thrumming as the spirit wine coursed through him. A cough escaped, then he chuckled, voice rough but amused. "That's strong."
Jalen leaned back, watching him carefully. "Tell me—how has life treated you while we were gone?"
Jael's smile faded. "Aside from being hunted by the Dragon World and the Iron Cloud Clan for centuries… not much to boast about."
Jalen's gaze sharpened, his tone calm but absolute. "The Iron Cloud Clan is no longer a threat. I erased them."
Jael spat out the wine. It wasn't that he disbelieved his father, but the news was shocking. The Iron Cloud Clan had been one of the top ten strongest clans in the Sharan Region. Though it wasn't surprising—his father could do the impossible—it still left him stunned.
"And when I find the Shadow Dragon Race, their fate will be the same," Jalen added.
"No, Dad," Jael said firmly. "I want to be the one to do it. I will become Dragon King, and I will force them all to submit to me."
"Alright." Jalen ruffled Jael's hair, making a mess of it. Jael blushed and smiled like a child. "However, you'll have to do that the next time we return here. We're going back home."
"I'll do as you say, Dad," Jael replied. "By the way, how is Calen? Has he gotten any stronger?"
"He's now in the Spirit Fusion Realm and possesses an eternal-grade spirit tool."
"Eternal-grade spirit tool?" Jael's brow furrowed. "What's that?"
"You'll see when you meet her," Jalen replied.
"Her?" Jael blinked. "Is the eternal-grade spirit tool Calen's girlfriend?" He smirked, amused. "Has that little boy finally become a man?"
"Stop with that nonsense." Jalen tapped him lightly on the head. "Now go meditate. We leave tomorrow."
Jael nodded, then settled into the meditation posture, his expression calm and resolute.