"I heard rumors that all the giants who were outside the Giant Continent have returned, and that none of them have left in quite some time," Ren Xia said to Tian Yang as they waited for the Heavenly Doctor to finish his business.
"Maybe they're just being cautious," Tian Yang replied. "Kulas did kill someone from the Three Pillars of Heaven, after all. They might be worried about retaliation."
"Even if war breaks out, they should be fine as long as they remain within their territory. The Giant's Continent is akin to a fortress, one that is surrounded by water."
Some time later, the Heavenly Doctor returned.
"I have analyzed the blood you gave me," he said as he returned Kulas' leftover blood. "I was unable to find anything out of the ordinary. He's as healthy as one could be."
Tian Yang wasn't surprised to learn that Kulas wasn't ill, but it did nothing to explain his mood swings.
"My friend has been experiencing intense mood swings lately," Tian Yang said. "He claims they occur at random and that he doesn't realize what's happening until afterward. When it does happen, he gets angry and violent."
The Heavenly Doctor spoke, "When it comes to this kind of instability, a few causes come to mind. I can rule out poison and illness, as I have already confirmed they are not the source. That leaves three possibilities: a curse, unresolved heart demons, or something he was born with."
Tian Yang said, "Since it only started recently, it's unlikely he was born with it. He did suffer a severe and traumatic experience long ago, one that caused him to lose his mind for a period. Still, he's confident it isn't a heart demon. That leaves a curse—but do curses like that really exist?"
"Of course. There are many powerful curses out there, and one that causes one to lose their mind is not common, but also not as rare as you might think."
"How can I confirm that it's a curse? And if it is confirmed to be one, how do I get rid of it?"
"There are treasures out there that can detect curses. If it is a curse, there are plenty of methods of getting rid of it. Here are a few."
The Heavenly Doctor wrote down the names of several treasures and pills that would help him.
"The ones at the bottom are the most effective but also the most expensive. You might also have trouble finding them," he said afterward.
"Thank you."
After paying the Heavenly Doctor his service fee, Tian Yang and Ren Xia left to find the treasures he had listed for them. Naturally, they didn't even take a moment to consider the cheaper options and immediately went for the most expensive.
As Tian Yang and Ren Xia continued their journey, the Three Pillars of Heaven and the Giant Race continued their silent war in the background.
Although the Three Pillars of Heaven were the more active and aggressive side, the Giant Race did not remain passive targets. Able to shrink their bodies to human size, they infiltrated the Holy Continent and launched their own strikes against the Three Pillars of Heaven.
However, due to the immense distance between them, such attacks occurred only once every few decades. The Holy Continent lay on the opposite side of the world, and even with their vast wealth and near-limitless resources, preparing a single strike demanded tremendous time and effort.
Of course, the Giant Race faced the same issues. Yet, it did not deter the Three Pillars of Heaven from continuing the war. After all, they had all the time and resources in the world.
Ten years… fifty years… a hundred years later.
Tian Yang and Ren Xia finally acquired the treasure needed to detect curses and cure them after a hundred years of searching.
Neither of them had anticipated that it would take this long, even though the Heavenly Doctor warned them.
After gathering the treasures, Tian Yang and Ren Xia immediately returned to the Giant's Continent to meet with Kulas.
When they returned to the Giant's Continent, they immediately sensed a heavy atmosphere in every city—one that had not been present before. However, most visitors seemed completely unaware of it.
While the outsiders went about their days as usual, every giant seemed to be on alert, as though they were expecting an attack at any moment.
When they arrived at the palace, they were stopped by the guards there—newly appointed guards who weren't aware of their identity.
"Sorry, but the Giant Emperor is not accepting any visitors at this moment."
Just as Tian Yang was about to introduce himself, he noticed a familiar figure approaching them from the palace.
"Let them inside. They're my father's companions."
It was none other than Xie Mey, who had noticed their presence even before they arrived.
With Xie Mey vouching for them, the guards no longer had a reason to stop them.
Tian Yang and Ren Xia followed Xie Mey inside the palace.
"What's the situation like right now?" Tian Yang asked.
"Not good," Xie Mey sighed. "You'll understand once you see my father."
Xie Mey brought them directly to Kulas' room—his private quarters rather than the throne room.
She knocked on the door and said, "Father, Senior Tian, and Senior Ren have returned."
However, there was no response from Kulas.
Xie Mey turned to Tian Yang and said in a solemn tone, "Please try not to be too surprised when you see my father's condition."
After saying that, she pushed the door to Kulas' room open.
However, even before they stepped inside, Tian Yang knew something was wrong from the ominous presence within.
With a deep frown on his face, he stepped inside the room with Ren Xia and Xie Mey.
"What in heaven's name…?" Tian Yang's eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Kulas lying on the bed, looking gravely ill.
Kulas didn't merely look sick. He looked as though he were on his deathbed.