Jalen returned to the place where he had left Jael, Calen, and young Vinh in the Wren State, but they were nowhere in sight. And so he had to use his spirit sense to track their whereabouts and soon found them already traveling toward the Ron State. Jael's impatience had driven him forward, unwilling to wait for his father's return after so many days had passed. Calen followed not out of worry for his master, but simply because he didn't want to be separated from Jael.
It took Jalen only minutes to appear where they were but nearly five hours to bring them back to the palace—slowed by Vinh's fragility.
And by the time they arrived in Alina, the city had already settled into a semblance of normalcy.
____
Ameer sat upon the throne, his aura faint but steady. He opened his eyes to see Jael and Calen before him. The last time he had seen Calen, the boy was only thirteen or fourteen—now, over four years later, he stood as a fine young man, his cultivation radiant. Jael, however, had not aged at all. It was strange, for Ameer remembered how, during Ron's rise, Jael had transformed in less than a single year—leaping from childhood toward adulthood, his frame and presence reshaped by dragon blood and potent qi. And now, though time had passed, Jael's appearance had remained unchanged, as if his growth had paused at that moment.
Though Jael resembled Master Jalen in form, Ameer could sense the difference. Their mannerisms were worlds apart: Jael was brash, sharp‑tongued, and violent, while Jalen was calm, measured, and deliberate. Even their auras told different stories. Jael's presence pressed down like something ancient and oppressive, a weight that demanded submission. Jalen's aura, by contrast, revealed nothing—yet beneath that quiet surface lurked a danger Ameer knew could shatter worlds.
Jael stepped forward, his voice casual, his tone playful. He did not treat Ameer like an emperor. He clapped him on the shoulder, teasing with words and gestures. But Ameer did not mind. Jael was his master's son, his brother in spirit. Calen was his senior brother, though younger in Origin World time. Together, they were family—bound not by blood, but by legacy.
Ameer's smile grew, his heart steady. He was happy to see them.
Young Vinh stood at the edge of the throne room, crimson eyes wide, breath shallow. He had never seen such grandeur, never walked halls so radiant, never stood beneath ceilings so high. The palace was a world unto itself, carved of stone and qi, radiant with history. His voice trembled with awe:
"It's… beautiful."
Calen smiled. "It really is. And you can stay here as long as you want. It belongs to your uncle Ameer."
"Can I really, master?" Vinh asked softly.
"You are family," Ameer assured him. "The door is always open."
With that, they settled into the palace. Vinh was taken to a chamber fit for a prince, where he was treated with honor.
As for Jalen, Jael, Calen, and Ameer, they returned to Jalen's private quarters in Alina—the same hillside residence he rented when Alina first became the capital. There, they drank spirit wine and talked deep into the night.
"So, Ameer," Jael teased, "when are you going to expand your royal family?"
"I'm in no rush," Ameer replied, blushing. Truthfully, he just wanted to focus on cultivating and getting stronger. And at twenty‑four, he still didn't know how to approach girls. Yeah… embarrassing. Being emperor didn't help either—it left him with no chance to make any real connection.
"You're not getting any younger, you know." Jael laughed before turning to Calen. "Father told me you have a girlfriend named Ria. How come I haven't seen her? I thought we were brothers—why haven't you introduced us?"
"Ria is not my girlfriend," Calen said firmly. "She is my Eternal Grade Spirit Tool. The reason you haven't seen her is because she's cultivating inside my dantian. When she's finished, I'll introduce you."
Jael blinked, staring at him oddly. "Your girlfriend is in your dantian? And I thought I was the strange one. What even is an Eternal Grade Spirit Tool?"
Calen shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. I only know they are powerful. Ria and Master warned me not to speak of them recklessly—it could bring death."
"If Father said that, then it's serious," Jael muttered.
Ameer, on the other hand, was clueless. He thought of it only as something beyond the reach of cultivators in his realm.
"So, Father," Jael asked, "can you tell us what Eternal Grade Spirit Tools are?"
Jalen sealed the room in a sound‑blocking formation. Though his resident was already protected, he did not want the three royal guards, Will, Tobias, and Raye, outside to overhear.
"Eternal Grade Spirit Tools," Jalen said, his voice steady, "are the strongest weapons in the cultivation world—far superior even to Supreme Grade Spirit Tools."
The revelation shocked Jael and Ameer. They knew how powerful Supreme Grade tools were, so for something greater to exist was no trivial matter. Their gazes turned to Calen, who possessed one such tool.
Jalen continued: "I don't know the exact process of their creation, but they are forged from Eternal Grade Spirits. Some are semi‑sentient, while others—like Ria—are fully sentient beings. They survive, they grow, and they aid their wielders in becoming stronger. These tools are highly sought after in the Upper Realm."
"Upper Realm?" Jael's curiosity flared. He had heard Master Elijah mention such a place, but never in detail.
"What is this Upper Realm, Master?" Calen asked. For centuries he had heard myths of it, but hearing Jalen speak confirmed its reality.
"I'm not certain either," Jalen admitted. "But from what I've learned, it is a place where the most powerful cultivators reside. At my current realm, I should have already been drawn there. But thanks to my Eternal Grade Spirit Tool, I am shielded from their radar. The same will be true for you, Calen, once you reach the Transcendent Realm."
The three disciples were stunned. Each revelation filled them with more questions, but Jalen raised his cup, ending the discussion.
"Enough. Tonight, we drink and enjoy ourselves."
Jael and the others nodded. Laughter filled the quarters—mostly Jael teasing Calen and Ameer—until eventually they retired to meditate in private.