Chapter 52

Inside the inner city of Xifu.

"Yichuan, I heard that Ji Ning has already broken through to become a Xian Tian being. Congratulations!"

"Yichuan, your son is truly remarkable."

"He's only eleven this year, an eleven-year-old Xian Tian being, ranking among the top three in our Ji family's five estates over a thousand years."

Ji Yichuan, who was usually as cold as an iceberg, had a rare trace of joy on his face today, though he still maintained a stern expression. Those who knew him well could sense the joy in his heart. Ever since Ji Ning kicked down the three-legged wall of the tribal settlement by the river and kicked Jiang Sansi away, the news had quickly spread back to the Ji family.

The news had already spread throughout the five estates of the Ji family. As a father, Ji Yichuan was naturally very happy, and over the past few days, he had often heard congratulations and praise. People are accustomed to adding flowers to brocade. Seeing that Ji Ning was first designated as the next estate lord and then became a Xian Tian being at the age of eleven, everyone knew that the lineage of Ji Yichuan and Ji Ning was destined to flourish.

This father and son would likely hold a high status in the entire Ji family's five estates in the future.

"Look at how happy you are." Wei Chixue was holding a clay pot, watering the flowers.

"How can I not be happy!" Ji Yichuan sat down at a stone table, took out a bamboo tube, and leisurely drank fruit wine. "Ji Ning killed the Water Rhinoceros King before he became Xian Tian. Now that he has broken through to Xian Tian, he can kick Jiang Sansi away. Jiang Sansi has long crossed into the Xian Tian realm, a mid-level Xian Tian cultivator, and couldn't even withstand one move from my son. Ji Ning must have also reached Xian Tian in divine and demonic body cultivation!"

According to the intelligence from the black-armored guards of the tribal settlement by the river, Ji Ning once unleashed a sword beam to knock away Jiang He's short sword.

Clearly, Ji Ning had already reached Xian Tian in his cultivation of qi.

Ji Yichuan, who was very familiar with his son, also knew about his son's meridian defects. It was likely that after reaching Xian Tian in divine and demonic body cultivation, his entire body underwent a transformation, allowing him to break through in qi cultivation as well.

"The Nine Heavens Chart of Chiming." Ji Yichuan looked at Wei Chixue. "This is the Nine Heavens Chart of Chiming, the first method of divine and demonic body cultivation! No one in our Ji family has ever broken through to Xian Tian using it, but Ji Ning has done it. In the future, he will definitely be even stronger than me, and his name will be chanted by countless tribes. Our Ji family will also become powerful because of him!"

Ji Yichuan was filled with grand aspirations.

"Will the Ji family become powerful?" Wei Chixue nodded gently. "Perhaps because of my son, the Ji family can achieve the same glory as the Wei Chixue family once did. It's a pity that the Wei Chixue family..."

"There are no eternal and indestructible tribes." Ji Yichuan also said, "Even the Great Xia Dynasty, which has existed for countless years, established itself during the era of gods and demons, and then destroyed other ancient dynasties to unify this land. Those ancient dynasties, with their long and enduring histories, also met their end."

Wei Chixue nodded. "I understand. I have long let go of this. Ning'er has the blood of the Wei Chixue family. When Ning'er's name spreads across the vast land, our ancestors of the Wei Chixue family will surely be very happy."

"Um." Ji Yichuan nodded.

...

As the couple was happily chatting, Ji Yichuan, who was holding a bamboo tube to drink wine, suddenly had a drastic change in his expression. At that moment, Ji Ning, who was in his nest on the island of the Winged Snake Lake, was directly teleported to the mysterious and ancient water palace ruins.

"What's wrong?" Wei Chixue, sitting beside him, immediately noticed the sudden change in her husband's mood. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Ji Yichuan shook his head. "I just thought of something I need to do today."

Wei Chixue frowned. "Are you still lying to me? Your face can't hide anything. Ordinary things can't make you lose your composure... and something that can make you so agitated must be a big deal. Speak up."

Ji Yichuan looked at his wife and sighed. "I gave Ji Ning a jade sword. No matter how far away, I can sense his location. I strictly ordered him not to leave Xifu City for more than ten thousand miles. If he exceeds ten thousand miles, I will bring him back and lock him in the dungeon for three years."

"What? Did he leave Xifu City for more than ten thousand miles?" Wei Chixue asked.

"No." Ji Yichuan's face turned grim. "I can't sense the jade sword anymore."

"What!" Wei Chixue was shocked and stood up abruptly, then started coughing violently.

"I didn't want to say it, but you insisted." Ji Yichuan supported his wife, rubbing her back. "Are you feeling better?"

Wei Chixue, in a hurry, said, "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... does it mean Ning'er is in danger!"

"Stay calm." Ji Yichuan said, "There are two possibilities for why I can't sense the jade sword."

"The first possibility is that Ning'er is in danger, and he took out the jade sword but didn't have time to break it before the enemy turned it to ashes instantly."

"The second possibility is that Ning'er has suddenly gone to a very distant place, a place I can't sense."

Wei Chixue calmed down.

Wei Chixue, with her broad knowledge, nodded. "Even if the jade sword is broken, you can still sense it. You can only not sense it if it is completely turned to ashes. But now Ning'er is very strong, capable of kicking Jiang Sansi away with one move. If he encounters danger and takes out the jade sword, he would instantly break it. How could he not have the chance to break it?"

"Moreover, if the enemy wants to kill Ning'er, and they can instantly turn the jade sword to ashes, they could directly kill Ning'er. Why would they destroy the jade sword?"

Wei Chixue, after some thought, felt a slight relief.

From the reasoning, her son should still be alive!

"That's the other possibility." Ji Yichuan said, "Ji Ning has suddenly gone to an incredibly distant place. I can sense my jade sword no matter where it is... though this might be a bit exaggerated, I should be able to sense it within a million miles. To instantly go a million miles away is quite unbelievable. I think the more likely possibility is that Ji Ning has gone to another space, perhaps entering a ruin."

"Entering a ruin?" Wei Chixue nodded.

Both of them had traveled extensively and had broad knowledge, understanding the vast and wondrous nature of the land. Just during the era of gods and demons, countless ruins were left behind, and those powerful beings generally created small spaces or even small worlds.

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

"Wing Snake Lake!" Ji Yichuan said.

"We'll go to Wing—cough!" Wei Chixue started coughing again.

Ji Yichuan said, "I'll go. You don't need to come."

"How can I not go if Ning'er is in danger?" Wei Chixue shook her head. "You know I have a lingering illness from when I was pregnant with Ning'er, but it's nothing serious."

Looking at his wife's eyes, Ji Yichuan could only nod. "Alright, I'll borrow the Green Flame Bird from Aunt Flower and head to Wing Snake Lake as quickly as possible."

******

The vast Wing Snake Lake was calm.

A couple, like celestial beings, stood on the back of a giant Green Flame Bird, rapidly descending over the lake.

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

"Ji Yichuan."

"Riding that flaming bird."

Some small water demons emerged from the water to look up, then hurriedly went to report.

On the back of the Green Flame Bird, Ji Yichuan and his wife scanned the area, and soon Ji Yichuan pointed to the shore. "There are black-armored guards. Green Flame Bird, go there!" The Green Flame Bird quickly flew in that direction. The two black-armored guards who were monitoring the lake from the shore were surprised to see the couple on the Green Flame Bird.

"Salute the leader." The two black-armored guards knelt down in fear, recognizing Ji Yichuan.

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

"Yes." One of the tall black-armored guards replied, "Just now, Young Master Ji Ning was standing on the lake water and challenging the great demon Wing Snake."

"The great demon Wing Snake?"

Ji Yichuan and Wei Chixue's hearts stirred, but they didn't think that with their son's strength, he couldn't even break the jade sword in front of the great demon Wing Snake. They believed Ji Ning could survive in front of the great demon Wing Snake.

"But the great demon Wing Snake wouldn't come out." The tall black-armored guard said, "Young Master Ji Ning challenged several times, and his voice spread across the Wing Snake Lake. The other black-armored guards probably heard it. Since the great demon Wing Snake didn't come out, there was no commotion. Because we were too far from the lake, we didn't know where Young Master Ji Ning went after he walked on the water."

The island was in the center of the Wing Snake Lake.

The shore was dozens of miles away from the island, and the black-armored guards couldn't see Ji Ning from that distance.

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

"No, we didn't hear any commotion at all." The two black-armored guards were very certain.

...

Ji Yichuan went to other black-armored guards to ask, and even found Qiuye and Mo Wu, who were waiting at the base. He learned the details of what happened, understanding that Ji Ning came in anger to kill the Wing Snake, but the Wing Snake didn't come out... so Ji Ning walked on the water and disappeared!

"Where did he go?" Standing by the lake, Ji Yichuan and Wei Chixue looked at the vast lake, their brows furrowed.

"Madam, what do you think?" Ji Yichuan looked at his wife.

Wei Chixue pondered. "There was no commotion at all, so it's unlikely they fought. It's very likely an ancient ruin! These ruins might be hidden in a void, separated from us by a layer of void, but we can't see or sense them."

"Perhaps our son is in a small world hidden within a grain of sand at the bottom of the Wing Snake Lake."

"Or perhaps in a hidden ancient array."

"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."

"Um, let's wait." Ji Yichuan also looked at the vast lake, which had existed for who knows how long. "I believe our son will come back walking on the water from afar."

Wei Chixue nodded gently, leaning on her husband.

They waited, waiting for their son to return.

******

In the dim corridor of the water palace, the sense of time was dulled.

Ji Ning, with his divine power fully restored, finally stood up. Looking at the corpse at the end of the corridor, he understood that there was no way back. To live, he had to move forward!

"I want to live." Ji Ning's eyes fixed on the distant corpse, and he stepped forward.