The figure rushed forward, his clothes disheveled but his face filled with excitement. He rushed up to Ji Yunguo, tears streaming down his aged face:
"Third brother, you're finally back!"
Seeing the old man's emotional tears, those who had gathered from the outskirts were also astonished. Aside from Ji Yunguo's funeral decades ago, they had never seen the ruthless war god of the Ji family shed tears.
"Tianchao!"
Ji Yunguo's physical shadow trembled slightly as well. Reunited after a long separation, he was overwhelmed with memories.
At the same time, on the other floating islands circling the Sacred Mountain, the news from the Sacred Mountain quickly spread to the majestic palaces.
The Ji family's war god of yesteryear, Ji Yunguo, had returned!
The entire upper echelon of the Ji family was stirred, and they all gathered on the Sacred Mountain, creating quite a ruckus.
In front of the Ji family ancestral hall, there was a sea of people. Many had come to see the Ji family's war god, who had fallen decades ago.
Along the way, Ji Yunguo chatted with his brothers and wife about the events of the past years.
The other sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters followed quietly behind their elders, listening obediently and occasionally whispering their questions.
Ji Tianchao and the others were overwhelmed with emotion, but they did not interrupt. They had countless questions for Ji Yunguo.
Where had he been all these years? How had he been? How did he return? We missed you so much... and countless other things they wanted to say.
Ji Yunguo shared the story of his experiences over the years and the reason for his return.
Upon learning that Ji Yunguo had indeed been imprisoned by the River of Death, everyone was both shocked and relieved.
When Ji Yunguo had fallen in battle all those years ago, they had searched everywhere for his soul, but to no avail. They had suspected that he might have been swept into the River of Death.
"Someone actually passed through the River of Death, which is on par with the Youdu level?"
"Who is that young man? Which tribe's pride and joy?"
"What? He's from our Ji family?!"
"Qingqing's child?!"
As Ji Yunguo spoke, the crowd became even more astonished.
The River of Death at the Youdu level was of no interest to the ancient holy tribes, but they were aware of its existence. Even those at the Taiping Dao Realm might not be able to pass through it, and at most, they could only destroy it. With bad luck, they might even face a tricky situation and perish within it!
And the Taiping Dao Realm was considered a top-notch combat force, even among the ancient aristocratic families.
Who would be willing to sacrifice such power for an unnecessary adventure?
After all, hunting demons in the River of Death brought no benefits. Most of those demons were imprisoned souls that would dissipate once killed. As long as the River of Death was not passed through, those souls would reappear the next time it opened.
On the other hand, hunting Great Demon Kings outside would at least yield treasures from their demonic bodies, which could be brought back to benefit the family for generations.
The Great Desolation was home to numerous demons, and survival was even more perilous. While the ancient holy tribes sounded formidable, they also had to be prudent and calculative in many matters to maintain balance, and they would not waste their upper-level combat power without reason.
Moreover, there was another reason. During the ancient war ten thousand years ago, the treasure vault of the River of Death in the Great Desolation had been sealed!
Even if someone had passed through the Youdu-level River of Death and accumulated ten thousand merits, they had been unable to reopen it. As a result, no one bothered with the River of Death in the Great Desolation, choosing to avoid it instead of wasting their energy.
"What cultivation level is that child at to actually pass through the Youdu-level River of Death?"
"Qingqing actually has a child. We only knew that she secretly married someone from another tribe, but we never expected that she gave birth to a descendant!"
Ji Tianchao and the others were stunned, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
Ji Qingqing was the daughter of the thirteenth elder, who had fallen years ago while hunting a Great Demon King for the family and was unfortunately attacked and besieged by fierce beasts.
Fortunately, his soul had returned to the ancestral hall and had not been swept away by the River of Death.
It was only recently, when Ji Qingqing's whereabouts were exposed outside the Great Desolation, that she was brought back to the family, and they learned of her secret marriage to someone from another tribe.
Out of respect for the thirteenth elder, they, as his brothers, helped cover up the news and prevented it from spreading widely within the Ji family. However, they couldn't hide it from the other high-ranking members, so according to the family rules, Ji Qingqing was imprisoned.
The punishment was not intended to last her entire life, though. A thousand years was already considered a lenient sentence.
Unexpectedly, Ji Qingqing had a child, and now he had shown up at their doorstep.
However, this child had brought Ji Yunguo back, which was considered a great contribution to the Ji family.
"That's right. That child is fifteen years old this year. He's already at the Three Immortals Realm, and he's capable of slaying Demon Kings. His strength is no weaker than those in the Supreme Martial Arts Realm!"
When mentioning Li Hao, a smile appeared on Ji Yunguo's face, and he said,
"I am aware of the clan rules, but that child is truly a peerless genius. He has the best temperament and talent I have ever seen!"
"I hope you will take care of him. With this Qilin child in our Ji family, we will surely rise to new heights and reclaim the glory of our ancestor, the Saint!"
Hearing his high praise, the onlookers were astonished.
And when Ji Yunguo mentioned that the youth was no weaker than those in the Supreme Martial Arts Realm, the gap in their circumstances seemed too vast to believe!
For a moment, there were those who were shocked, those who were skeptical, and those who felt that Ji Yunguo, having been saved by the young man, was exaggerating to repay him, even going so far as to use this opportunity to exonerate Ji Qingqing.
But Ji Tianchao and the others, who were Ji Yunguo's close brothers, knew that their third brother would never lie about something so important to the family.
Especially when it came to matters concerning the family's interests, this third brother of theirs took things more seriously than anyone else.
Thus, no matter how bizarre the story, they were willing to believe it.
"Unbelievable! The great-grandson of Old Thirteen actually has such abilities!"
"If Old Thirteen knew about this, it might make up for the regret caused by Qingqing's mistake back then."
"While Qingqing made a mess of things, the child she bore seems extraordinary. Let's inform the family head about this heaven's pride. Even if we have to break the rules, we should make an exception and accommodate him..."
Ji Tianchao and the other elders spoke to Ji Yunguo.
They felt relieved and delighted that such a heaven's pride had been born into their lineage.
Ji Yunguo smiled. He believed that as long as Li Hao revealed his talent and competed for the top spot among the heaven's pride, he would surely be able to find a place in the Ji family.
After all, the Ji family was relatively lenient when it came to accommodating the very best of the best.
Moreover, that child was still half Ji family, after all.
"Where is that child? Why haven't we seen him yet?"
"He's waiting at the foot of the mountain. I told him to wait there, so someone should go and bring him up. However, we should first report this matter to the family head." Ji Yunguo said.
The crowd nodded slightly. Indeed, it was best to obtain the family head's permission for such a significant matter.
Soon, they arrived in front of the ancestral hall and saw the current family head of the Ji family, Ji Daoxin, already waiting for them.
He was Ji Yunguo's uncle, from his father's generation. He was dressed in luxurious clothing, his hair and beard snowy white. He stood there quietly, like a serene snow mountain lotus, giving off a feeling of being above worldly affairs.
Ji Daoxin had a kind expression, his eyes deep-set and his gaze gentle, like a benevolent grandfather.
But the Ji family was an ancient holy tribe that valued martial arts and strength. In the Great Desolation, the strong ruled, and to be the family head, one had to be the strongest fighter in the Ji family.
At this moment, Ji Daoxin looked into the crowd and saw Ji Yunguo approaching. He smiled, but soon, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression changed as the smile faded from his face.
Ji Yunguo also saw him, and as their gazes met, he realized that his secret had most likely been discovered.
"Yunguo pays his respects to the family head!"
Ji Yunguo stepped forward and bowed.
Ji Tianchao and the others beside him quickly followed suit.
The younger generation directly knelt down.
In an instant, only Ji Daoxin stood tall in the hall, while everyone else bowed or knelt.
Ji Daoxin quietly gazed at Ji Yunguo, and after a long while, he sighed softly and said, "In this final moment, do as you wish. There's no need for these formalities."
Ji Yunguo's eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded. "Thank you, family head."
Their conversation, spoken in the quiet hall, was like a thunderclap. Ji Tianchao and the other brothers standing next to Ji Yunguo trembled, shocked by the family head's words.
"Family head, what do you mean...?"
When he saw Ji Daoxin shake his head slightly, Ji Tianchao's heart skipped a beat. He turned to Ji Yunguo and asked, "Third brother, what do you mean by 'final moment'? You've been back with us all this time, haven't you?"
Ji Yunguo sighed inwardly. He knew he couldn't hide the truth any longer, so he explained what had happened to him.
When they heard that Ji Yunguo had been severely eroded by the River of Death and would soon dissipate, everyone was shocked. Many of those who had been overjoyed to the point of tears now covered their faces and wept openly.
"No! It can't be!"
Ji Tianchao shouted, his body trembling as he struggled to accept this news.
They had just been reunited, and now they had to part again, and this time forever?
At that moment, he suddenly recalled Ji Yunguo's earlier words, asking them to take care of the child.
Why couldn't he take care of the child himself?
So, he was going to dissipate completely...
Realizing this belatedly, Ji Tianchao's eyes turned red, and his face was filled with grief. "Third brother, why? Why did this have to happen?"
Ji Yunguo sighed softly and gently patted his shoulder. "Tianchao, after I'm gone, you must assist the family head and protect the Ji family. Don't be as reckless as I was.
Ji Leping smiled faintly and said, "We're both old now, yet we're still crying like a couple of babies."
As he spoke, he patted the other man's shoulder again, indicating that they should both pull themselves together. As the revered war gods of the Ji family, it was hardly fitting for them to be so openly distraught.
Turning to face Ji Daoxin, the family head, Ji Yunguo recounted everything about Li Hao.
Ji Daoxin's expression turned slightly puzzled as he listened. But when he saw the earnest look in Ji Yunguo's eyes, he understood that this was his kinsman's dying wish.
Sighing inwardly, Ji Daoxin nodded slightly. "I will consider this matter. If this child truly possesses the exceptional qualities you mentioned, then he can certainly become the pride of our Ji family. But if his strength is lacking... I can, at most, only spare his life."
Seeing the family head promise this in person, Ji Yunguo knew that this was the best he could hope for, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, family head." Ji Yunguo bowed.
"In these final moments, you're pleading for a child instead of asking for something for yourself?" Ji Daoxin asked. "Back then, when you fell in battle and made a great contribution to the Ji family, you could have asked for anything you desired."
Ji Yunguo smiled and replied, "I suppose the things I wanted have already been granted by the family head. Seeing that these children are doing well is enough to set my heart at ease."
Ji Daoxin looked deeply into his eyes and said, "Go on then. Pay your respects to our ancestors and do as you please."
Ji Yunguo nodded and once again bowed deeply, expressing his gratitude to his uncle.
Then, he turned to his brothers, seeing the grief on their faces, and said with a smile, "I've returned after such a long time, so don't go making long faces at me. It's not worth crying twice for me..."
"Third brother!" The others exclaimed, their hearts aching at his words.
His son stepped forward, his voice choking as he said, "Father, you will always be my pride. Mother has cried herself to sleep countless nights because of you, and she has shed far more than just two tears!"
Ji Yunguo's heart twinged as he looked at his wife, her eyes red and swollen from weeping. Though she said nothing, he knew that he had once again caused her deep sorrow.
He felt a sudden pang in his heart, as if something was tearing at it, and he wanted to smile with nonchalance, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.
In the end, he could only turn away, his back to the others, and said softly, "I'll go and have a chat with Old Thirteenth."
With that, he walked into the ancestral hall.
...
...
As news of Ji Yunguo's return spread, more and more people gathered at the peak of the Sacred Mountain.
Soon, they learned that although Ji Yunguo had returned, he could not rejoin the ancestral hall and would soon dissipate.
Moreover, this revered war god of the Ji family had been rescued from the River of Death by a young man.
Ji Yunguo's high praise of Li Hao spread throughout the Ji family, and everyone came to know of this extraordinary young genius.
Not long after, a group of youthful figures flew down the mountain, soaring down the snowy white steps and landing at the massive mountain gate.
Soon, they spotted a young man standing in the grass outside the gate, seemingly taking a stroll and looking around curiously.
"Hey!" One of the young men, dressed in fine clothing, called out to Li Hao. "You're the one who brought back the war god Ji Yunguo, aren't you? What are you doing, looking around like that?"
Li Hao slowly turned around, intending to explain that his name wasn't "Hey," nor was it Chu Yuxin.
But when he saw the cold glint in the other young man's eyes, he lost his desire to speak and simply remained silent.
At that moment, more figures approached from behind, including a middle-aged man who quickly made his way toward Li Hao, surrounded by the younger generation of the Ji family.
"You must have been waiting for a while. I was sent to bring you up the mountain," the middle-aged man said to Li Hao with a gentle smile. He was one of Ji Yunguo's younger brothers, sent to escort Li Hao.
"I'm fine," Li Hao replied with a smile.
Though he had waited for a while, he hadn't felt bored. Instead, he had taken the opportunity to carefully examine this sacred site of the Ji family.
This was the place where his mother had lived...
He felt a sense of wonder.
"Just call me Ji Boduo, and tell me how you'd like to be addressed," Ji Boduo said.
Li Hao was about to answer when he hesitated for a moment. He had been about to say "Ji Hao," but then he remembered the less-than-friendly attitude of the young people around him. As he didn't yet know the full situation, he thought it best to conceal certain information for now.
He recalled another name that the woman had prepared for him but had never used.
"Call me Ji Leping," Li Hao said.