Chapter 74

The Qingyan Bird landed in the courtyard, and Ji Jiuhuo, dressed in a gray robe with fiery red hair, strolled down, reaching the door of the house in just two steps.

"Yichuan." Ji Jiuhuo's smile brought a sense of peace to one's heart. It was said that in his youth, Ji Jiuhuo had a fiery temper, but since he had lived for nearly four hundred years, and the oldest member of the Ji family's Western Manor was only over a hundred years old, the stories of his youth were just legends.

"Clan Leader." Ji Yichuan looked at the clan leader with a worried expression, "Xue'er she..."

"I have already heard from Honghua." Ji Jiuhuo nodded, "Let me take a look first."

"Alright." Ji Yichuan immediately walked ahead, and at that moment, Wei Chixue had already gotten out of bed and bowed respectfully, "Wei Chixue greets the Clan Leader."

Ji Jiuhuo said, "You are weak now, lie down first, no need to worry about formalities."

Wei Chixue then half-lay on the bed, and Ji Jiuhuo sat on a stool beside her, placing a finger on her wrist. With a light touch, a fiery red light quickly spread over Wei Chixue's entire body, enveloping her in flames.

Ji Yichuan watched nervously from the side, while Ji Jiuhuo closed his eyes.

After a full cup of tea's time, the fiery red light covering Wei Chixue's body disappeared, and Ji Jiuhuo opened his eyes. Facing Ji Yichuan, who was full of hope, Ji Jiuhuo sighed and shook his head, "The illness is deeply rooted, and there is no way to save her."

"Ah." Ji Yichuan's face turned pale.

Ji Jiuhuo continued, "Your wife was also at the peak of her innate abilities. In that disaster, she was severely injured, and even then, it was too late to save her. But she still used a secret technique that consumed her vitality... adding another blow to her already severely injured body, the illness is deeply rooted. Unless there is a pill suitable for mortals to extend life, there is no other way."

"A pill suitable for mortals to extend life?" Ji Yichuan looked at his wife, and Wei Chixue also looked at him. Their gazes met, and Wei Chixue softly said, "Yichuan, I know my condition."

If it were just a pill to extend life, though extremely precious, Ji Yichuan could perhaps sell all the thousands of low-grade magical treasures given to him by Ji Ning, and borrow some more from the Ji family to obtain one. However, adding the condition that it must be suitable for mortals, the value would increase significantly.

The more powerful the pill, the stronger its effects, and the ability to extend life is considered a miraculous feat. A pill that a mortal's fragile body can withstand is far beyond the reach of a tribal family like the Ji family.

"Yichuan." Ji Jiuhuo also said slowly, "I have also refined some pills and will immediately arrange for them to be sent. Your wife should have about three months left."

"Three months!" Ji Yichuan's face changed.

Wei Chixue, however, smiled and said, "Yichuan." Ji Yichuan turned to look at his wife, and Wei Chixue smiled, "Having three months is better than I expected. I don't regret it. What I did then was to ensure Ning'er was born. If I hadn't given birth to Ning'er, I might have lived for twenty years. But I would have lived those twenty years in regret. Now, I have lived happily for ten years, which is enough. Enough. Go and bring Ning'er back. I want to see him. Having him by my side, everything will be fine!"

"Alright." Ji Yichuan nodded and, after a moment's thought, shouted, "Black Brother, Qingyan Bird."

Immediately, a black-clad figure and a green-clad woman walked in, transformed from the black snake and the Qingyan Bird.

"Black Brother." Ji Yichuan said, "Your voice is easily recognizable by Ji Ning. So you will ride the Qingyan Bird and quickly go to the border between the Ji and Tumu families." As he spoke, a map appeared in Ji Yichuan's hand. He glanced outside to confirm the direction and carefully sensed the location of the jade sword Ji Ning carried.

Ji Yichuan looked at the map and quickly pointed to a mountain peak, a drop of blood staining it red: "Ji Ning's position has not changed. According to my sensing, although there is some deviation due to the distance, he is definitely within a hundred miles of this mountain. Just ride the Qingyan Bird to the top of this mountain and shout loudly that his mother is critically ill and he should return quickly. He will definitely hear it."

"Yes." The black-clad figure responded, "Yichuan, don't worry. My voice can be heard for two to three hundred miles."

A voice traveling a hundred miles is impossible for mortals, but it is easy for innate spirits. Like when Ji Ning shouted at the Winged Snake Lake, his voice spread throughout the lake.

"Qingyan Bird, I'll trouble you again." Ji Yichuan looked at the green-clad woman.

"It's a small matter." The Qingyan Bird's voice was gentle, "We should not delay. I will leave with Black Brother immediately."

"Go." The black-clad figure also nodded.

Soon, with the map in hand, the black-clad figure stood on the back of the large Qingyan Bird and quickly flew toward the border between the Ji and Tumu families.

"Ni'er." Wei Chixue watched the Qingyan Bird fly past in the distance, her heart even more anxious for her son, the one she loved most.

...

The speed of the Qingyan Bird was incredibly fast, and in less than an hour, it had already reached the top of the mountain.

"That's the mountain." The black snake nodded, finding it easier to identify landmarks from a high altitude.

"Black Brother, shout now." The Qingyan Bird urged.

"Alright." The black snake looked down and immediately shouted with his demonic power, "Young Master Ji Ning, your mother is critically ill, return quickly."

"Young Master Ji Ning, your mother is critically ill, return quickly." The shout echoed from the high altitude, quickly spreading over two hundred miles of the surrounding mountains and forests. However, they did not realize that there were millions of mortals in the mountains below.

...

In the mountain's interior.

The innate spirits bound to the iron pillars were enduring endless torture, causing them immense pain while keeping them alive. The longer the torture lasted, the greater their resentment and hatred, and the stronger the ghosts they would become.

"Young Master Ji Ning, your mother is critically ill, return quickly." The voice came from the distant sky.

Although the mountains were surrounded by a great array, the cries and curses of the million mortals inside could not be heard outside. However, external sounds could still penetrate... like the Purple Mansion cultivator Bo Zishan in his deep underground chamber, where no sound could escape, but external sounds could still enter.

This made it easier to clearly discern the external situation.

"Young Master Ji Ning, your mother is critically ill, return quickly." The voice echoed in the mountain's interior, astonishingly loud.

"What a loud voice."

"Who is shouting from up there?"

Six elegantly dressed men and women looked up toward the sky. One of them, a man with a goat beard, said, "Fellow disciples, did you hear that? They are calling for Ji Ning."

"Ji Ning, your mother is critically ill?" The scorpion girl was surprised, "Ji Ning's mother is critically ill?"

"Ha ha ha..." A tall, robust man with green hair laughed, "Ji Ning is a genius, a prodigy. If left to grow, his future achievements would be unimaginable. But now he has only three days to live and is trapped in the array. Even though his mother is critically ill, he can't do anything about it!"

"Yes." The handsome young man sighed, "He must be extremely angry and frustrated."

"Indeed, Ji Ning is an extraordinary person. At eleven or twelve, he killed our eldest brother. But his end is so tragic, dying in despair, anger, pain, and regret. Ha ha ha... this is the fate of a genius!"

The disciples sighed and felt a sense of satisfaction, imagining Ji Ning's current state and feeling even more gratified.

"Is the lady critically ill?"

"Is Wei Chixue critically ill?"

Meng Yu, Ji Wuyu, and Wa Qiong of the Ji family's Western Manor were also shocked, angry, and resentful, feeling a sense of pity for Ji Ning. After all, with only three days left to live and his mother critically ill, yet unable to return... the pain was unbearable.

...

Indeed, everything was as the disciples in the mountain's interior imagined and as Meng Yu and the others feared. At this moment, Ji Ning felt a deep, heart-wrenching sorrow.

"Mother!"

"Mother!" Ji Ning could not control his tears, his body trembling with pain, his heart feeling as if it were being cut by a knife. The woman who had loved him since childhood, the woman who considered him everything, the woman who always smiled lovingly at him, was critically ill? Critically ill?

"Ah!!!" Ji Ning suddenly looked up and let out a heart-wrenching cry, the sound echoing throughout the mountain but unable to escape.

The six men and women in the cave heard the cry and even felt their hearts tremble, sensing the endless pain in the cry.

"Young Master."

"Young Master Ji Ning." Meng Yu shed tears, thinking of the brilliant child who had learned archery from him at the age of four. How could he end up like this? This was more painful and terrifying than physical torture.

...

"I want to get out, I want to get out, I want to get out." Ji Ning's voice trembled, "Break the array! I must break the array!"

Ji Ning forced himself to close his eyes.

An incredibly intense emotion filled his entire body and soul. He had to break the array!!! He must get out to see the woman who considered him her life, to see her!!! Otherwise, even if he died and went to the underworld, he would be filled with regret and unwillingness!

"Break the array, I must break the array." Ji Ning's eyes were closed, his body trembling, his soul reaching its limit under the intense emotion, frantically deducing the array.

Blood dripped from Ji Ning's nose and ears, clearly indicating that the intense emotion had already harmed his body.

"It's this!" The array in Ji Ning's divine soul suddenly stopped, and a complex array model appeared in his mind, encompassing all the factors.

Ji Ning opened his eyes.

"Mother!" Ji Ning looked up and let out a疯狂的嚎叫, "I will come back to see you, I will definitely come back to see you! Wait for me, Mother!"

He immediately rose and moved like a shadow through the array, his movements ghostly. Soon, he reached a place still shrouded in black mist, but a black array flag was planted on the ground, its runes glowing. Ji Ning reached out and grabbed the array flag, pulling it out forcefully.

Instantly, the black mist that had blocked the sky disappeared, revealing the clear scenery of the mountain. In the distance, many servants were looking in shock.

"What?" The six men and women also rushed out of the mountain's interior, looking in shock, "The array is broken!"

Ji Ning held the array flag, his eyes filled with madness.

"Kill! Kill him! Kill him at all costs! Do not let him leave alive!" A sharp, angry voice suddenly came from underground.

---

The climax begins. If you enjoyed it, please vote to support the author by clicking 'Vote to Support the Author' below! {Piaotian Literature}