Chapter 16: The Parents' Wait

Inside the inner city of West Prefecture City. “Yichuan, I heard that Ji Ning has already broken through to become a Xiantian lifeform. Congratulations!”

“Yichuan, this son of yours is truly formidable.”

“He’s only eleven this year, right? An eleven-year-old Xiantian lifeform can rank among the top three of our Ji clan’s five prefectures in the past thousand years.”

Ji Yichuan, who was usually as cold as an iceberg, had a rare trace of joy in his brow today. Although he still kept a straight face, those familiar with him could sense the happiness in his heart. Ever since Ji Ning had collapsed the city wall with three kicks at the Riverside Tribe and sent Jiang Sansi flying with one kick, the news had naturally spread back to the Ji clan quickly.

It had already spread throughout the Ji clan’s five prefectures. As a father, Ji Yichuan was naturally overjoyed inside, and over the past day or two he had often heard congratulations and praise. People were accustomed to adding flowers to brocade. Seeing that Ji Ning had first been designated as the next prefectural lord and then, at the monstrous age of eleven, had become a Xiantian lifeform, everyone understood that the lineage of Ji Yichuan and Ji Ning was destined to flourish immensely.

This father and son pair would likely hold a very high status in the entire Ji clan’s five prefectures in the future.

“Look at you, so happy.” Yuchi Xue was holding an earthenware jar, watering the flowers.

“How could I not be happy!” Ji Yichuan sat down at the stone table nearby, flipped his hand to produce a bamboo tube, and leisurely drank fruit wine. “Before reaching Xiantian, Ji Ning had already slain the Water Rhinoceros King. Now that he’s broken through to Xiantian, he can kick Jiang Sansi flying with one kick. Jiang Sansi, who had long since entered Xiantian and was a mid-stage Xiantian Qi Refiner, couldn’t even withstand a single move from my son. Ji Ning must have also reached Xiantian in divine body refining!”

According to intelligence from the Black-Armored Guards at the Riverside Tribe, Ji Ning had once manifested sword light to knock away Jiang He’s short blade.

Clearly, Ji Ning had already reached Xiantian in Qi Refining.

And Ji Yichuan, very familiar with his son, also knew about the defects in his son’s meridians. It was likely that after reaching Xiantian in divine body refining, his entire body had been reborn, allowing him to break through in Qi Refining as a natural consequence.

“The Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens.” Ji Yichuan looked at Yuchi Xue. “This is the Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens, the foremost technique for divine body refining in legend! No one in our Ji clan has ever broken through to Xiantian through it, but Ji Ning has done it. In the future, he will certainly be stronger than me, and his name will be recited by countless tribes. Our Ji clan will also become stronger because of him!”

Ji Yichuan was filled with lofty aspirations.

“The Ji clan becoming stronger?” Yuchi Xue nodded gently. “Perhaps because of my son, the Ji clan can also enjoy the same glory as my Yuchi clan once did. It’s just a pity that my Yuchi clan…”

“No tribe lasts forever.” Ji Yichuan also said, “Even the Xia Dynasty, which has existed for endless ages, established itself during the Age of Gods and Demons, then destroyed other ancient dynasties to unify this land. Those ancient dynasties had infinitely long histories, yet they still fell, didn’t they?”

Yuchi Xue nodded: “I understand. I’ve long since come to terms with it. Ning’er also carries the bloodline of my Yuchi clan. When Ning’er becomes famous across the endless land in the future, the ancestors of my Yuchi clan will surely be overjoyed.”

“Mm.” Ji Yichuan nodded.

…

While the couple was happily chatting about everything under the sun, Ji Yichuan, who had been drinking wine from the bamboo tube, suddenly changed expression drastically. At that moment, inside the nest on the island in Yisnake Lake, Ji Ning was directly teleported into the mysterious ancient estate ruins.

“What’s wrong?” Yuchi Xue, sitting beside him, immediately sensed the violent change in her husband’s mood. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Ji Yichuan shook his head. “Just thinking of something I need to do today.”

Yuchi Xue frowned: “Still trying to fool me? That face of yours simply can’t hide anything. With your state of mind, ordinary matters can’t disturb you… and for you to be this unsettled, it must be something serious. Speak.”

Ji Yichuan looked at his wife and sighed: “I gave Ji Ning a jade sword back then. No matter how far away, I could sense Ji Ning’s location. I strictly ordered him not to leave West Prefecture City beyond ten thousand li. If he did, I would catch him and lock him in the dungeon for three years.”

“What, has he left West Prefecture City beyond ten thousand li?” Yuchi Xue asked hurriedly.

“No.” Ji Yichuan’s face was grim. “I can no longer sense the jade sword.”

“What!” Yuchi Xue was shocked and stood up abruptly, then immediately started coughing violently.

“I didn’t want to tell you, but you insisted.” Ji Yichuan quickly supported his wife, rubbing her back. “Feeling better?”

Yuchi Xue said urgently: “How can you not sense your jade sword? Didn’t you say you could sense it no matter how far away? If you can’t sense it… is Ning’er in danger!”

“Don’t panic.” Ji Yichuan said quickly, “There are two possibilities for why I can’t sense the jade sword.”

“The first possibility is that Ning’er encountered danger, took out the jade sword, but before he could snap it, the enemy instantly reduced the jade sword to ashes.”

“The second possibility is that Ning’er was instantly transported to a very distant place, beyond my sensing range.”

Yuchi Xue also calmed down.

Yuchi Xue was very knowledgeable and nodded: “Your jade sword, even if snapped or crushed, you could still sense it. Only if it is completely reduced to ashes would you be unable to sense it. But now Ning’er is very strong; he can kick Jiang Sansi flying with one move. If he encountered danger and took out the jade sword, he could snap it instantly. How could he not even have the chance to snap it?”

“Moreover, if an enemy wanted to kill Ning’er and could instantly reduce the jade sword in his hand to ashes, such strength could kill Ning’er directly. Why bother destroying the jade sword?”

Yuchi Xue, after some thought, also felt slightly relieved.

From the inference, her son should still be alive!

“Then it’s the other possibility.” Ji Yichuan said, “Ji Ning was instantly taken to an extremely distant place. My jade sword, no matter where it is, I can sense it… though that claim is a bit boastful, I should be able to sense it within a million li. Being instantly transported beyond a million li is also somewhat incredible. I think it’s more likely that Ji Ning entered another space, accidentally stumbling into some ruins.”

“Accidentally stumbling into ruins?” Yuchi Xue also nodded.

Both of them had traveled far and wide, seen much of the world, and understood how wondrous this boundless land was. The era of gods and demons alone had left behind countless relics, and those mighty beings often opened up small spaces or even small worlds.

"Where was the last time you sensed Ning'er?" Wei Chixue asked urgently.

"Winged Serpent Lake!" Ji Yichuan said.

"Let's go to Wing—cough!" Wei Chixue coughed again.

Ji Yichuan quickly said, "I'll go. You shouldn't travel."

"How can I not go when Ning'er is in danger?" Wei Chixue shook her head. "You know this is an old ailment from when I was pregnant with Ning'er. It's nothing."

Looking into his wife's eyes, Ji Yichuan could only nod. "Alright, I'll go borrow the Green Flame Bird from Aunt Hua and head to Winged Serpent Lake as fast as possible."

...

The vast Winged Serpent Lake was calm.

A couple, like a pair of immortals, stood on the back of a huge Green Flame Bird, swiftly diving down to hover over Winged Serpent Lake.

"Quick, report to the king! That Ji Yichuan is here again, and he's brought a woman."

"Ji Yichuan."

"And riding that flaming bird."

Some minor aquatic monsters surfaced, took one look at the sky, and, terrified, hurried off to report.

On the back of the Green Flame Bird, the couple scanned the area. Soon Ji Yichuan pointed to the distant shore: "There are Black Armor Guards over there. Green Flame Bird, go!" The Green Flame Bird swiftly flew in that direction. The two Black Armor Guards who had been monitoring the lake from the shore stared in astonishment at the man and woman on the bird.

"Greetings, Commander." Both Black Armor Guards knelt on one knee in fear, recognizing Ji Yichuan.

"I ask you, have you seen my son Ji Ning?" Ji Yichuan asked directly.

"Yes," one tall Black Armor Guard replied quickly. "Just now, Lord Ji Ning walked on the lake and challenged the great demon Winged Serpent."

"The great demon Winged Serpent?"

Ji Yichuan and Wei Chixue both felt a stir, but neither believed that their son, facing the great demon Winged Serpent, could not even snap the Jade Sword. They even thought Ji Ning could survive against the great demon.

"But the great demon Winged Serpent refused to come out," the tall guard said. "Lord Ji Ning challenged it several times, his voice carrying across the lake. The Black Armor Guards at other posts must have heard it too. Since the Winged Serpent never emerged, there was no further commotion. Because we were too far from the lake, we don't know where Lord Ji Ning went after he walked on the water."

The island was in the center of Winged Serpent Lake.

The shore was dozens of li from the island, and the Black Armor Guards, dozens of li away, could not see Ji Ning.

"Oh? Are you sure they didn't fight?" Ji Yichuan pressed.

"No, we heard nothing," both guards affirmed.

...

Ji Yichuan then questioned the Black Armor Guards at other posts and even found Qiuye and Mowu waiting at the stronghold. He learned the whole story: Ji Ning, enraged, had come to slay the Winged Serpent, but the serpent hid and did not come out... Ji Ning then walked on the water and vanished.

"Where did he go?" Standing by the lake, Ji Yichuan and Wei Chixue gazed at the vast expanse, frowning deeply.

Wei Chixue pondered and said softly, "Not a sound—it shouldn't be a battle. It's likely an ancient relic! Such relics might be hidden in a fold of void, separated from us by a barrier of emptiness, invisible and undetectable."

"Perhaps our son is inside a small world hidden within a grain of sand at the bottom of Winged Serpent Lake."

"Or inside a concealed ancient formation."

"But none of this is something we can handle," Wei Chixue shook her head. "All we can do is wait—wait for our son to come out alive."

"Yes, let's wait." Ji Yichuan also gazed at the ancient, vast lake. "I believe our son will walk back across the water from afar."

Wei Chixue nodded gently, leaning against her husband.

They waited, waiting for their son's return.

...

In the corridor of the Water Mansion, all was dim, and even the sense of time grew dull.

Ji Ning, his divine power fully restored, finally stood up. Looking at the corpse at the far end of the corridor beyond the corner, he understood there was no way back. To live, he had to go forward.

"I will survive." Ji Ning stared at the distant corpse and strode forward directly.