News of Li Hao's emergence from his cultivation soon reached Ji Yunyue and the others, who hastened to visit him.
Upon seeing him again, they noticed that Li Hao's aura seemed to have subtly changed once more.
However, with his Myriad Phenomenon attribute concealing him, they couldn't discern the specifics.
Li Hao inquired and learned that his painting cultivation and meridian cultivation had taken a total of five days.
"When can I see my mother?" Li Hao asked.
"The Wild Sea is almost calm now. You'll be able to see her soon," Ji Yunyue replied as she retrieved a ten-inch ancient mirror from her spatial ring. Its gentle voice said, "This is the Saintly Treasure, the Sky-Viewing Mirror, which I borrowed from the clan leader. It allows us to observe the situation on Prison Island. You can see Qingqing from here."
Li Hao expressed his gratitude and, following Ji Yunyue's instructions, infused the mirror with his power. Instantly, he felt his consciousness sink into the mirror, and a vast map appeared in his mind.
This map encompassed the entire Ji family's sacred land secret realm. With Li Hao's focused thoughts, he could observe the entire sacred land secret realm.
The fact that they were able to borrow this item also indicated the Ji family's recognition of Li Hao.
Li Hao could sense their goodwill, but he didn't dare to peek at other places impudently. Instead, he focused his thoughts on the extreme north of the sacred land secret realm, as Ji Yunyue had mentioned.
In the mirror, the scene seemed to penetrate the clouds and mist, revealing a vast expanse of ocean.
The ocean was deep and dark, as if there were a sediment of blood at the bottom.
The waves rolled, clouds gathered, and sea breezes swirled.
Li Hao was secretly astonished. The scope of the Ji family's sacred land secret realm far exceeded his imagination.
The sacred land he had seen before seemed to occupy only one percent of the entire realm, judging by the map's scale!
At the center of this vast ocean was a pitch-black abyss that seemed to stretch endlessly downward when viewed from above. It was like a colossal eye at the heart of the ocean.
Hovering above this massive abyss was a floating island, swaying gently in the fierce winds that blew from the heights.
At three angles around the island were three thick and sturdy chains piercing through it, tethering it like a kite, preventing it from soaring higher.
Li Hao continued to focus his thoughts on the island, observing several peaks and caves. Among them was a grass cottage, and in front of it was a figure stooping to carry stones, piling them by the cottage. Her clothes were torn, her hair was unkempt, and she looked as if she hadn't washed in a long time.
Her face and arms were covered in dirt and dried mud stains.
Despite her disheveled appearance, Li Hao recognized her at once as the woman who had held him in her arms fifteen years ago.
Li Hao had not expected that their first reunion would be under such disheveled circumstances.
She was a far cry from the delicate, nobly dressed woman he remembered from the memories of the Divine General's Mansion.
Li Hao's expression turned ugly, and an emotion he couldn't quite identify—anger, perhaps, or something more complex—stirred within him. He took a deep breath and said, "With my mother's cultivation, she shouldn't be in such a pitiful state. Has her cultivation been disabled?"
Ji Yunyue and the others also saw the scene in the painting, and their faces twitched as they understood the situation on Prison Island.
It was an extremely dangerous place, which was why many Ji family criminals were imprisoned there.
Compared to other crimes like betraying the family, colluding with demons, or harming clan members for treasure, Ji Qingqing's offense was relatively minor.
Some were executed on the spot, while others begged for mercy, citing the favors of their ancestors, and were spared, only to be exiled to the island.
"Your mother's cultivation hasn't been disabled," Ji Yunqing quickly explained, fearing Li Hao's misunderstanding. "If it had been, she probably wouldn't have survived more than a few days on Prison Island. Disabling her cultivation would be no different from killing her."
"That's right," Ji Yunyue agreed. "Besides, Qingqing has pure bloodlines, and she's considered a prodigy in our clan. She reached the Three Unbreakables Realm at a young age. It would be a waste to disable her cultivation."
She gazed at the mirror's image and continued, "The reason for her current state lies in the special rules of Prison Island."
"In the Wild Sea surrounding Prison Island, ordinary people cannot cross, not even those at the Exquisite Realm. Only those who have attained the Domain Realm and can use their own domain rules to counter the rules of the Wild Sea can make the crossing."
"As for the Desolate Abyss at the center of the Wild Sea, not even those at the Domain Realm can traverse it. It is an absolutely no-fly zone where sound cannot be transmitted, and the energy of heaven and earth is completely isolated."
"As a result, cultivation is impossible on Prison Island, and any energy expended cannot be replenished."
"The criminals imprisoned there can only rely on their physical strength to endure. If they cannot withstand the conditions, they will perish on the island."
Ji Yunyue spoke softly, "When Qingqing was first sent to Prison Island, we filled her spatial ring with food and drink, and the clan leader turned a blind eye. We plan to resupply her every ten years, as doing it too frequently would attract unwanted attention. You need not worry about her food and drink, but the environment there is indeed harsh."
Ji Yunqing nodded and sighed, "Fortunately, the Heavenly Dynasty has intervened, and the other criminals on the island dare not provoke Qingqing. Moreover, those imprisoned there long for their freedom and wouldn't dare offend someone with connections unless absolutely necessary. Your mother may have a hard life, but she is otherwise safe."
Li Hao silently gazed into the mirror, watching as the woman in front of the grass cottage carried stones and rebuilt the collapsed stone wall beside it.
Then she wiped the sweat from her forehead and seemed to sense something, for she looked up into the air.
Her gaze seemed to penetrate the mirror, locking with Li Hao's eyes.
Li Hao felt a strange, indescribable sensation, as if they were connected by blood.
But the woman in the mirror only looked at him questioningly for a moment before turning away and entering the cottage, perhaps to rest.
Li Hao continued to observe for a moment before shifting his gaze to the rest of Prison Island. He saw several caves where filthy, unkempt Ji family criminals, their clothes in tatters, sat or lay listlessly, their hair wild and their bodies caked in grime.
Some used stone shards to carve markings into the cave walls, seemingly keeping track of the days.
There weren't many criminals, but just a glance was enough for Li Hao to sense the desolation and bleak, hopeless atmosphere that permeated the island.
He didn't continue prying and instead put away the mirror, turning to Ji Yunyue, and asked, "How long will it take for the Wild Sea to calm down enough for a Domain to ferry me across?"
"Don't worry, child. It should be calm by tomorrow. You saw it yourself—the Wild Sea is already settling. Even if a Domain takes you across, the lack of energy in the Wild Sea will make the return trip difficult. The safest way is by boat."
Ji Yunyue quickly reassured him, "I'll accompany you there tomorrow. We'll also need to harvest the Twin Birth Flowers first so that we can detoxify your mother. Otherwise, if we take her away from Prison Island and the Wild Sea, a unique environment, the poison will flare up, and she'll perish."
"As long as they stay on the island, there's no danger, and they can live like normal people. But if they try to leave without permission, there will be severe consequences," she continued.
Li Hao understood the severity of the situation and realized that the Ji family had strict control over their prisoners.
"Child, it's better to wait until tomorrow for your aunt to accompany you. Since you've just finished your cultivation, why don't you go and meet your grandfather first? He's been asking about you every day since he heard the news," Ji Yunqing said gently.
Li Hao looked at them and saw the hope in their eyes. Remembering Li Tianzong's lingering soul and its obsession, he felt a twinge of reluctance in his heart, but he nodded in agreement.
Seeing Li Hao's consent, the two elders revealed their joy and immediately took him to the Ji family ancestral hall.
Along the way, Li Hao asked about the whereabouts of the elderly man, referring to Ji Tianchao.
When Ji Tianchao was mentioned, both Ji Yunqing and Ji Yunyue exchanged glances and gave Li Hao a curious look.
"Recently, people from the Qin family have been wandering outside the secret realm, trying to cause trouble for our Ji family. They claim that someone witnessed a young man from the Ancient Divine Clan arrive here and then disappear, and they want to investigate our Ji family's secret realm," Ji Yunqing explained.
As she spoke, both elders looked at Li Hao.
Li Hao was taken aback, feeling surprised that someone had noticed his trail on his journey. Yet, he had been completely unaware of their presence.
"According to the Qin family's description, the young man defeated Qin Tianchen, one of the Qin family's top ten prodigies, with his unique abilities. Qin Tianchen is extremely powerful, yet he lost to a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy..." Ji Yunqing continued, her eyes fixed on Li Hao as she revealed this information.
Li Hao saw the strange look in their eyes and immediately realized that they had guessed the Qin family was talking about him.
He couldn't help but show a helpless expression.
However, he didn't try to hide the truth and simply asked, "Will this cause trouble for the Ji family? Should I take care of it myself?"
"So, that young man was you?" Ji Yunqing asked, a smile tugging at her lips as she saw Li Hao's acknowledgment.
Li Hao nodded.
The two elders exchanged a glance, their faces reflecting their certainty.
But then they burst into laughter. Although they had their suspicions, hearing Li Hao confirm it brought them joy.
"Your name has been spreading throughout the Great Desolate Heaven recently. They say there's a young man from the Ancient Divine Clan who is incredibly powerful and defeats his opponents despite the odds. We guessed it might be you," Ji Yunyue said.
"Are those legends true? Do you really come from the Ancient Divine Clan? Isn't your father from outside the Great Desolate Heaven?" they asked, their curiosity getting the better of them.
"That's just nonsense. I said that so they could accept it more easily," Li Hao explained.
"... ..."
The two elders were left speechless.
They had thought of various reasons and causes, but never expected this to be the explanation.
"Accept it?" Ji Yunqing and Ji Yunyue thought. Could it be that he was afraid that the Qin family and other families' prodigies would have their resolve shattered?
"You're quite considerate, aren't you...?" they thought, a smile tugging at their lips. However, given Li Hao's displayed strength, it was understandable that many of the young generation from other families would be deeply affected.
Some of them might become despondent, while others would revere Li Hao as a reincarnation of a deity, praising him to no end.
Compared to Li Hao, the fame of other prodigies paled in significance.
After all, in ancient aristocratic families, strength was revered above all else.
"The family head also guessed it was you and sent Tianchao to deal with the Qin family, which is why he couldn't come. They wouldn't dare to cause too much trouble here since this is our Ji family's territory. If they overstep their bounds, we can just kill them all and claim that we acted in self-defense. At worst, it would lead to a war, but we would have the advantage of striking first," Ji Yunqing explained with a smile.
"They wouldn't dare to cause too much trouble. After all, this is our Ji family's territory. If they push us too far, we can just slaughter them all and blame it on self-defense. Let's see what the Qin family has to say then. At worst, we'll go to war, and we'll have the advantage of striking first," Ji Yunyue added, her eyes flashing with a cold light that rivaled any man's.
Li Hao was left speechless by their words, gaining some insight into the ruthless nature of the ancient aristocratic families.
Not long after, Li Hao arrived at the Ji family ancestral hall and met his grandfather.
Thinking of the ancestors of the Ji family enshrined within, Li Hao followed the family's rituals and bowed respectfully.
After Ji Yunqing introduced Li Hao, she and Ji Yunyue left the ancestral hall.
Ji Yunzhan, upon seeing his great-grandson, flew out from the tablet and eagerly asked Li Hao all sorts of questions.
Li Hao sat on a meditation mat, chatting casually with the elderly soul, despite it being their first meeting. He even shared stories about his mother's childhood.
Occasional laughter could be heard from within the ancestral hall.
Ji Yunqing stood outside, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes as she listened to the cheerful conversation within.
The next day.
News arrived that the Wild Sea had calmed down.
Ji Yunyue came early in the morning, and Li Hao, who had been waiting, got up to accompany his aunt to the northernmost part of the sacred secret realm.
Thinking that he would soon be meeting his mother face to face, Li Hao felt a sense of anticipation. It wasn't that he had deep emotional feelings for her, but it felt like he was about to reunite with an old friend from many years ago.
He still remembered the sincere care expressed in those seven family letters.
He had also kept the woman's sentiments close to his heart.
...
...
Outside the Ji family's territory.
In a desolate area among the rocks, a figure hid, and it was none other than Li Tiangang.
He stared intently at the distant bustling area, where a fierce conflict had erupted earlier, attracting him with its burst of energy. It was then that he realized he had finally found the Ji family's territory he had been searching for days.
He had been hovering around this area for four to five days, yet he felt like he hadn't made any progress.
He realized that he had fallen into some sort of illusionary array.
Initially, he suspected that his wife had deliberately left false information to prevent him from finding her and risking his life. But later, he thought that even if she didn't want him to enter the Ji family's territory, this area was still extremely dangerous, and there was no need to deceive him.
If she wanted to deceive him, she might as well have refused to provide any clues at all.
"Qingqing, Hao'er..."
Li Tiangang's eyes shone with a complex light, and he took a deep breath.
He restrained his aura and waited quietly for the conflict to end and for the other group to leave. After a while, he cautiously approached.
When he saw the group with the ancient character "Ji" on their clothes, Li Tiangang's heart was filled with excitement and nervousness. He knew that he had finally reached the Ji family's secret realm, as his wife had described.
The ancient character "Ji" was his wife's surname and one of the few ancient characters he recognized.
As he watched the group preparing to leave, Li Tiangang gritted his teeth and finally decided to take a risk. He would leave his fate to the heavens and couldn't let his son bear the consequences of his mistakes, nor could he let his wife suffer.
The numerous members of the Ji family ahead were startled and quickly turned to look, their gazes falling upon Li Tiangang.
"Who are you?"
Someone immediately shouted in a guarded tone.
Li Tiangang quickly explained, "I am the husband of Ji Qingqing, and I have come in search of my wife."
He did not directly reveal his surname and identity, fearing that the Ji family would attack without discerning the truth, and he wanted to avoid causing trouble for the Li family.
If they really wanted to pursue him into the Great Desolate Heaven and create trouble for the Li family, then the family would have no choice but to seek the protection of the royalty.
Upon hearing Li Tiangang's words, the many members of the Ji family were taken aback.
Among them was an elder, Ji Yunyu, who was also Ji Yunge's fourth brother, the fourth master of the Ji family.
"You are Qingqing's husband?"
Ji Yunyu was surprised by Li Tiangang's words, but then he immediately thought of the young man, and his eyes shone with a keen light.
"Yes..."
Li Tiangang felt a tremendous sense of pressure from the elder, and his heart trembled secretly. He had encountered beings at the Taiping Dao Realm before, and the elder before him gave him a similar feeling.
This Ji family truly hid dragons and crouching tigers. An ordinary elder was already at the Taiping Dao Realm. His wife's words were indeed true; if he had not reached the Dao Realm, coming here would have meant certain death!
Li Tiangang's body tensed, and he bit his teeth, about to directly admit his fault and take responsibility. He was willing to trade his life for the safety of his wife and Li Hao. However, suddenly, the elder spoke to him:
"You got separated from your son? Why are you only here now?"
The elder's tone was surprisingly gentle.
Li Tiangang, who had extensive experience in the military, sensed the lack of killing intent in the elder's tone and was taken aback. He quickly asked, "Senior, have you seen my son?"
He anxiously looked at the elder, hoping for a positive response.
Ji Yunyu smiled and said, "Your son came here a few days ago. Why are you just arriving now? Were you trapped by an illusion array outside and lost your way?"
Li Tiangang's face turned slightly pale, but seeing the elder's kind smile, a spark of hope ignited in his heart. He replied, "Yes, I am foolish and was trapped by an illusion array. I don't know, Senior, but has my son offended any of you? I am willing to take responsibility for him and apologize to all of you on his behalf. Even if I have to sacrifice my life to uphold the Ji family's rules, I will not resist. I only beg you to spare Qingqing and my son, Li Hao."
"Li Hao?"
Ji Yunyu was taken aback, and the smile on his face suddenly disappeared as he stared intently at Li Tiangang. "You just said that you are Qingqing's husband?"
Li Tiangang sensed the sudden chill in the elder's words and paled, unsure of what he had said wrong. He hesitated and said, "Yes."
"You said your son is Li Hao?"
"...Yes."
"Nonsense!"
Ji Yunyu's expression turned stern, and he said, "Think carefully and tell me your son's name."
"My son..." Li Tiangang felt absurd. Did he need to think about his son's name?
Ji Yunyu stared at him and asked, "Do you know someone named Ji Leping?"
Although Ji Yunyu was puzzled by Li Tiangang's response, he suddenly thought that the child might have changed his surname to follow his mother's, and there could be various reasons for this. Moreover, seeing that Li Tiangang had reached the Siling Realm, it was unlikely that he was pretending to be foolish and seeking death.
"Ji Leping..." Li Tiangang was perplexed.
Suddenly, a memory from over a decade ago flashed through his mind, like an arrow piercing his thoughts.
On a sunny day, in the courtyard, the pregnant woman gently suggested,
"Husband, if our child is born, let's name him Leping, Li Leping. What do you think?"
"Good, I'll follow your suggestion..."
Leping, Leping...
Li Tiangang's pupils contracted, and he felt his heart trembling. He also remembered the moment after the father-son battle when, in the interrogation hall, his second sister-in-law admitted to poisoning Li Hao.
And after the True Dragon Battle, in the confrontation in the courtyard, the young man insisted, "I remember everything that happened from my childhood!"
Indeed, he remembered everything.
However, after Li Hao was given his name, no one had mentioned this matter again. Even if he remembered, how would he have known?
Could it be that he also remembered the words his wife murmured while holding him as a baby?
Li Tiangang's body trembled slightly, and he felt incredulous, but at the same time, his heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
So, his name was Ji Leping, and he had changed his surname to follow his mother's?
Li Tiangang clenched his teeth, but he knew that this was not the time to argue about this. He had come here only to ensure Li Hao's safe return, so he forced a smile and said,
"That's his nickname. Yes, that's my son."
"Are you sure he is your son?"
Ji Yunyu stared at him, his eyes sharp.
Li Tiangang quickly replied, "I am not lying. I know that my marriage to Qingqing broke the rules of nobility, but I am willing to take full responsibility. I hope you will not make things difficult for them."
Seeing Li Tiangang's serious attitude and sensing that he was not lying, Ji Yunyu's expression softened, and he smiled gently,
"Don't be nervous. Come with me."
Li Tiangang saw the change in the elder's attitude and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but he still felt anxious. He had heard countless times from his wife about the strict rules of the Ji family.
He also deeply understood that unless he possessed the strength of the Qian Dao Palace's true master, it would be almost impossible to retrieve someone from the Ji family. Otherwise, he would be coming here to court death.
However, things had come to this point, and he had no choice but to take this risk.
"Yes, Senior."
Li Tiangang lowered his head and followed.
The others were surprised to hear that he was indeed Ji Leping's father, and they stared at him, curious to see what kind of person the father of such a monstrous genius was. They wanted to see if he was an extraordinary figure who could have cultivated such a peerless talent.
After entering the sacred secret realm, Li Tiangang was stunned by the magnificent and majestic holy mountain and the many floating islands.
He finally understood that his wife's warnings about the dangers of the Ji family were not exaggerated in the slightest.
So, this was one of the ancient holy clans in the Great Yu Dynasty?
Li Tiangang's heart was pounding wildly, and he felt that his hope of retrieving his son was becoming increasingly slim.
He clenched his teeth, feeling insignificant and powerless, an emotion he had once hated intensely.
He had been powerless when his father died.
He had been powerless when his brothers died.
After succeeding his ninth brother and inheriting the True Dragon, he had guarded Yanbei for over a decade, and he was still powerless when his wife left.
Now, he felt that powerlessness once more.
That hopeless, helpless feeling.
"You don't need to be nervous. Your son is doing well here, and Qingqing will also be released soon."
Seeing Li Tiangang's tense and dejected appearance, Ji Yunyu smiled gently and comforted him.
Li Tiangang's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up at the elder in surprise. "Senior, are you telling the truth?"
"Of course," Ji Yunyu replied. "Your son is our clan's pride and joy!"