Return of the Mythic Bloodline-Chapter 356: Operation

After quickly washing my face, I headed to the Zenith, where Ume had already arrived and was preparing for the operation.

Master Robert was also there, discussing something with Lily.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Master Robert said the moment I entered through the gate.

"Greetings, Master Robert," I replied. "Congratulations on reaching Level Nine of the Eternal Sage."

The wrinkles on his face had significantly diminished, his loose skin had tightened, and unlike before, when he appeared to be on his deathbed, he now seemed to be in much better health.

"It was all thanks to your grace," Master Robert replied. His voice turned serious as he asked, "I-is it really true that Queen Aestra will be able to walk again?"

I nodded and turned to Ume. "Is everything prepared?"

"Yes. Mother Aestra is meditating. Once she is done, we will begin the operation," Ume replied.

"M-mother?" Master Robert flinched upon hearing those words from Ume. "Your Highness, if I may ask, what is your relationship with this disciple from Everbloom Peak?"

"Oh right, I have not introduced her to you. She is my betrothed," I revealed.

"B-betrothed?" His eyes widened at the revelation. Instantly bowing to Ume, he said, "Forgive me for not recognizing you, Lady..."

"You may address me as Kitsune," Ume replied.

"Lady Kitsune, I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

After the pleasantries were exchanged, we waited a few more minutes outside my room where Mother was meditating, since her own room was being prepared for the operation.

Once she was done, I carried her back to her chamber.

The malnutrition had completely vanished from Mother’s body. Her dark circles had disappeared, and her skin had returned to its jade-like radiance. She did not look a day over thirty.

"You have become even more beautiful than you were in your younger days," I said with a smile while princess-carrying her to the bed, which was enclosed by curtains on all sides.

She glared at me sharply and muttered while pulling my ear, "What do you mean by my younger days, you rude brat? I am still in my prime."

Her touch did not hurt me physically, but I certainly felt embarrassed having my ear pulled in front of Ume, who was giggling on the other side of the bed.

"Sure, sure. You look even younger than me," I chuckled, placing her gently on the bed.

"Hmph," she retorted, fully aware of the sarcasm behind my words.

The room had been cleaned by Lily using the essence of Soul Stones, ensuring it was completely sanitized without a single speck of dust. Ume had also sealed the chamber with barriers so that nothing from outside could disturb us.

I turned away and waited while Mother prepared herself for the operation, covering herself with a light white blanket as she lay face down, her back exposed to the ceiling.

"Mother Aestra, I will make you fall asleep," Ume said, moving closer to her face. "When you wake up, you will be able to walk again."

Mother nodded. Ume moved her hand toward Mother’s temple. A faint pink energy entered her head, and she gradually drifted into unconsciousness.

A petal-crafted mask materialized over Ume’s face, and the same formed over mine.

Her usual playful expression had completely vanished as she said in a firm voice, "Tell me the exact location of the injury."

Although the sword wound was visible externally, the internal damage could be slightly higher or lower depending on the angle at which the blade had pierced her.

I activated my Eyes of the Fallen and pointed to the precise location where her spinal cord had been injured.

A small yet razor-sharp strand of pink energy formed around Ume’s finger. With that energy blade, she carefully made a vertical incision along the midline of the back.

Dark red blood began to flow steadily from the cut.

Ume remained calm. From her palm, a thin veil of divine pressure descended over the incision, slowing the flow of blood to a sluggish ooze.

She narrowed her Soulforce perception. Within the parted flesh, she distinguished each source of bleeding, the small arterial branches and the slower seepage from venous channels. Sixteen years of scar formation had created fragile microvessels within the old wound tract, and they bled unpredictably when disturbed.

She refined her energy into hair-thin filaments and guided them to each open vessel. Wherever the luminous threads touched, the vessel walls constricted and fused shut, stopping the bleeding completely.

Now that the bleeding had ceased, she progressed deeper, layer by layer, using her energy. Instead of cutting blindly through muscle, she separated the fibers along their natural alignment, easing them apart with careful precision as I guided her according to what my eyes revealed. This minimized tearing and prevented unnecessary bleeding.

The process took more than three hours.

With my other hand resting on Mother, I ordered Vivi to constantly monitor her condition and report every change in her body, along with suggestions on how to respond.

"These abnormal vessels were formed by the sword injury," I informed Ume as dense, pale scar tissue was revealed. "You need to dissolve them gently." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

With deliberate and precise movements, she sealed each fragile strand, guiding the beads of blood outward toward a small pot placed on the table beside her.

Another five hours passed in this process.

Now that the back muscles had been carefully retracted, the pale curve of the spine lay fully exposed. For fifteen years, the body had healed around the old sword wound. The bone was no longer smooth. It had grown uneven and thick in certain areas.

"The spinal cord lies beneath the bone," I informed her. "You need to remove the bone carefully."

Guided by what my Eyes revealed, I directed her through the necessary steps to remove it. Instead of smashing or cracking it open, she thinned it gradually. A flat layer of shimmering energy spread across the bone’s surface and began wearing it down little by little.

The process was slow and steady, taking eight hours.

At last, the bone separated and lifted away in small fragments that floated aside under her control.

She was careful not to allow any force to travel inward. Even the slightest vibration could damage what remained beneath.

As the final layer of bone was removed, a darker hollow space emerged.