"At this rate, we're all going to die!"
Someone stepped forward, anger evident in their voice. Faced with life and death, they were willing to risk it all against Ji Qingqing.
Ji Qingqing's face turned icy, but she knew that stopping them wouldn't solve anything. "If you want to live," she said, "help me bring them up."
"Escort them up? That's suicide! They're too far, there's no saving them now!" someone yelled in response.
"If they die, we die with them!"
Ji Qingqing showed no sign of backing down, knowing she had to force their hand.
If she were alone, she would have rushed down without hesitation to escort them. But if she left, Ning Mom, with her calm mental state, wouldn't be able to intimidate these people.
By then, the Abyssal Monument would be pushed open, and they would all perish.
"Don't you want to live?!'
Someone couldn't help but roar in frustration. "At least some of us can survive. Why sacrifice everyone?"
"Either help them up or we all die together!"
Ji Qingqing's eyes turned icy, and she didn't bother to argue. At this moment, any debate would waste precious time, so she simply presented them with a choice.
The crowd was filled with anger, but no one made a move. The violent swaying of the chain made it daunting for anyone to step onto it lightly.
In the brief exchange, there was suddenly another violent shock from below.
The Captive Island skewed once more. Deep within the abyss, the tendrils reached for the chain that bound Li Hao, one tendril pulling on the chain while two others lashed out directly at Li Hao and his companion.
Li Hao's expression changed drastically, and he let out a low roar, bursting into a divine power state as he climbed with all his might.
The suction from the Demon Saint's mouth was like a black hole, easily capable of uprooting and sucking in entire mountains. If not for Li Hao's immense strength, he would have been drawn into that gaping maw already.
"Go!"
Li Hao bellowed, tugging at Ji Yunyue as they sprinted forward at full speed.
However, with still over a thousand miles to go before they reached the Captive Island, a distance easily covered in a few minutes under normal circumstances, now felt as distant as the heavens.
"Child, let me go. You go on ahead," Ji Yunyue suddenly loosened her grip on Li Hao's palm, wrapping her arms tightly around one of the chain's links. She called out to him, her voice strong.
"Don't look back, keep moving forward. If we can hold on, the Third Ancestor will surely sense the disturbance here and come to our aid!"
Li Hao felt her hand slip from his, and he froze, turning to look at the elderly woman who had always been so kind. Her eyes, filled with determination and encouragement, caused his heart to lurch.
A surge of emotions threatened to overwhelm him, but he held them in check. He knew that turning back would be a betrayal of her trust.
Li Hao gritted his teeth and climbed forward with all his might, doubling his speed.
Clang-clang-clang!
Suddenly, the violent clanking of the chain reverberated.
The blood lotus, which had been about to burst out of the abyss, seemed to pause for a moment, pulled down by the chains that bound it. Behind it, more chains appeared, thick and similar to the Abyssal Lock.
These chains restrained it, preventing it from escaping the abyss.
The blood lotus seemed to rage, waving countless thousand-foot-long tendrils that pulled at the chains and lashed out at Li Hao.
The tendrils struck the chains, their sweeping force causing Li Hao to hurry to the other side of the chain, taking refuge in the gap between the links as he employed the Supreme Art, enhancing his ability to dodge.
Though he wasn't sure if it would work, he had no other choice at this point.
The putrid tendrils whistled past, brushing against Li Hao but miraculously causing no harm. Li Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued to climb along the chain.
On the Captive Island, the group witnessed the island sinking deeper and deeper, their patience finally reaching its limit. Someone roared in frustration, "Let's go together! Even if we die, it's better than perishing at the hands of the Demon Saint!"
"Let's topple the Abyssal Monument!"
Over a dozen people burst forth, expending their remaining energy as they charged towards Ji Qingqing.
Ji Qingqing's expression changed. Before she could devise a solution, these people had lost their patience, and the urgency of the situation left her little time to think of a countermeasure.
"Unless I die, none of you will topple this monument!" Ji Qingqing shouted sternly.
Her soul force erupted, and she charged forward with her sword.
On the swaying island, a fierce battle ensued. Ji Qingqing engaged them, unleashing her unique skills without holding back, expending her energy freely. She struck down two and knocked back seven others, her divine flames billowing around her like a commanding female general, stubbornly defending the Abyssal Monument.
Below, the Demon Saint drew closer, while on the chain, Li Hao and his companion climbed for their lives, and on the island, a fierce battle raged between a handful of people.
"No one gets past me!"
Ji Qingqing's aura weakened, but she still had reserves of power left. She retreated to the Abyssal Monument, her eyes cold as she faced the remaining people.
"A bunch of foolish children."
At that moment, the old madman, lying in the distance, burst into laughter. "You could have all lived, but you insist on seeking death. Haven't you noticed something strange about this Demon Saint? Its consciousness has been erased by the Saint Ancestor, and what's sealed here is merely its empty shell."
"Otherwise, if it truly fought back, you wouldn't have had the chance to bicker and argue. You all would've been dead by now."
As the group paused to catch their breath, the madman's laughter rang in their ears, grating but eye-opening.
Someone asked a question that even they found absurd, their voice trembling.
But the existence of a Saint realm being had long surpassed their understanding.
Many turned to look at the old madman, knowing that he had lived a long life and was a figure from the time of the Third Ancestor.
Seeing their gazes, the madman laughed instead of answering, his expression filled with mockery and amusement, as if he didn't care about the swaying Captive Island or the imminent threat of being devoured by the Demon Saint.
The crowd felt angry at his nonchalant attitude, but his words gave them a glimmer of hope. Someone noticed that the Demon Saint was bound by chains and couldn't escape the abyss.
"I have an idea!"
Suddenly, someone exclaimed in excitement.
To become a criminal, one must possess wisdom that is no less than ordinary. It was just that they had taken the wrong path.
"We don't need to topple all three Abyssal Monuments. We only need to topple two, and then, due to the buoyancy laws of the Captive Island, the Abyssal Lock will be pulled straight. The Demon Saint's body isn't long enough, and at most, it can only wrap one or two tendrils around it. It might not be able to pull us down!"
The person explained enthusiastically.
The group rushed to the edge of the island, gazing at the terrifyingly beautiful face and the alluring blood lotus.
Indeed, the Demon Saint had stopped ascending and was struggling against the chains that bound it. It seemed that the chains restraining its physical body also fixed it at the very center of the abyss, forcing it to stretch its body to reach the edges of the abyss and grasp the rocky walls.
If only one Abyssal Lock was holding the Captive Island, it would be in a straight line, and the island would move away from the center of the abyss, appearing outside the abyss and vertically above Abyssal Peak, where the other end of the chain was secured!
At that time, the Demon Saint's body would have less contact with the chain, and it might not be able to pull down the Captive Island.
With this, they would have a chance to survive!
The others understood the speaker's idea and their eyes lit up. Indeed, this was a good plan.
If this plan failed, they would have to give up on the last Abyssal Lock and let the Captive Island rise, accepting the scorching heat of the Blazing Sun Saint Fire.
Ji Qingqing was taken aback but felt relieved upon hearing the suggestion. Toppling the other two Abyssal Monuments did seem like a viable solution.
"Now, you have no reason to stop us, do you?"
Someone looked at Ji Qingqing, worried that she would go back on her word and try to take them down with her.
"Go ahead."
Ji Qingqing replied.
Seeing her agree, the others breathed a sigh of relief and quickly dispersed, rushing toward the other two Abyssal Monuments on the island.
Ning Mom, who was standing next to Ji Qingqing, turned her head and suddenly noticed two figures rapidly climbing another chain.
"What's that?"
Ning Mom's soul manifestation appeared behind her, enhancing her vision. She immediately recognized the figures on the Abyssal Lock.
Hearing Ning Mom's words, Ji Qingqing's soul manifestation also looked in that direction. As she saw the two figures, her pupils contracted, and she froze in shock.
On the chain, about three hundred li away from the island, two figures were struggling to climb upward.
They were very close to the island, having already climbed over half of the thousand-li-long Abyssal Lock, with only the last one-tenth of the distance remaining.
The suction force seemed weaker at their location, and although their climb was slow, they would reach the island in another four or five minutes.
However, Ji Qingqing recognized both of them.
As she recognized their faces, her mind seemed to explode, as if something had burst apart within her head, leaving a brief moment of blankness.
Li Tiangang!
Her husband!
Ji Yunqing, his uncle!
Ji Qingqing was struck dumb as if she had been struck by lightning.
But after a second, she suddenly reacted, and her soul manifestation shot toward the Abyssal Monument near the chain.
"Stop!"
A sword light whistled through the air, slicing in front of the four people who were about to touch the Abyssal Monument.
The four were furious at Ji Qingqing's change of heart. "Have you gone mad?!"
"Wait for them to come up."
Ji Qingqing's soul manifestation said in a trembling voice.
Her soul manifestation quickly descended and stood guard in front of the Abyssal Monument, blocking it with her back.
The four people were furious and argued, "If we leave two Abyssal Locks, it won't make any difference! The Demon Saint will still be able to pull us down!"
"Give them some time."
Ji Qingqing said through gritted teeth.
Her physical body looked at the two figures struggling to climb the chain and tears welled up in her eyes.
She never expected Li Tiangang to appear here as well.
Earlier, Ning Mom had said that Li Hao had come alone, and she had found it strange. Knowing Li Tiangang's sense of responsibility, she thought there must be some hidden reason for him to let their son come alone. But now she realized that he had also come, and Ning Mom's information was simply outdated.
"You fools, why are you all so foolish...?"
Ji Qingqing's face was streaked with tears. She had clearly warned him not to step into the Ji family before reaching the Four Establishments realm, but now she could tell at a glance that Li Tiangang's cultivation was only at the Reversal of Fate realm.
There was no doubt that he had come to the Ji family with the determination to die.
Just like before, when he had shielded her from the entire hall.
Suddenly, Captive Island violently shook.
A towering Abyssal Monument was pulled out and toppled, cast down from the island into the depths.
Along with it fell the indestructible Abyssal Lock, dragged by two tendrils into the abyss, crashing onto the Demon Saint's blood lotus.
With one less Abyssal Lock holding it in place, the island immediately tilted. The blood lotus seemed to rage, its tendrils erupting with force, yanking on the thousands-of-miles-long Abyssal Lock and pulling the entire island downward in a rapid descent.
"Not good!"
Everyone on the island felt a sense of weightlessness as if their feet had left the ground, their faces paling in fear except for the old madman.
On the chain, Li Tiangang and Ji Yunqing desperately climbed with all their might, their eyes fixed on the island tens of thousands of meters away and the monument wrapped in the chain.
Though the distance was vast, their extraordinary vision allowed them to clearly see the situation by the monument.
"Is that... Qingqing?"
Suddenly, Li Tiangang's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the soul manifestation standing before the monument.
Even though it was just a silhouette, he could never mistake it. It was his beloved wife, the one he thought of day and night.
At this moment, she seemed to be facing off against others, guarding the monument wrapped by the chain.
He immediately realized that she was keeping this lifeline open for him!
"Qingqing!!"
Li Tiangang roared, climbing with all his might.
At the other end, Li Hao's body shone with a crimson gold light. Even with the terrifying suction force from the Demon Saint's mouth, his movements were swift. What was left of the thousand-mile journey quickly shortened to just a few hundred miles.
He was almost there.
Li Hao's eyes blazed with crimson gold, and though the Abyssal Lock was affected by the abyssal laws, preventing the use of his soul force, his physical eyes, enhanced by his divine power, could still clearly see the situation a few hundred miles away.
At the end of the chain, a woman stood guard, her entire body enveloped in divine flames.
Li Hao instantly recognized her as his mother.
His heart stirred, and he remembered the words he had heard as an infant: "No matter what happens in the future, Mother will always stand before you, never letting anyone harm you..."
That promise made fifteen years ago seemed to be fulfilled.
With her frail body, she guarded the end of the chain!
Li Hao's eyes reddened slightly, and he let out a low roar, pouring all his strength into climbing faster.
Just then, the chain behind him suddenly shook violently, pulled down by the Demon Saint with terrifying force.
The Demon Saint seemed to have gone berserk, unleashing an incredibly powerful force, causing the chain to be yanked downward at an even faster rate.
Li Hao felt as if he were falling into the abyss, but in that brief moment of distraction, he roared again and burst forward, using the Heaven Hiding Technique along with attribute enhancements from various manuals to sprint towards the end of the chain.
The Demon Saint's tendrils swept behind him in pursuit, Li Hao racing against death itself.
On Captive Island, everyone witnessed the rapid descent and was filled with panic and despair.
"Quick, if we don't topple the Abyssal Monument now, it'll be too late!"
"We're running out of time!!"
The others ignored everything else and rushed angrily towards Ji Qingqing.
"Wait, give them a little more time!"
Ji Qingqing hurriedly pleaded, but the others paid no heed and charged towards her. She had no choice but to unleash her soul manifestation and engage in an all-out battle.
"Don't push me to burn my soul force and use my Domain!"
One of the elders shouted angrily.
He exuded an extraordinary aura, revealing himself to be a powerful cultivator at the Dao Realization Realm. Imprisoned for too long, his strength had been greatly depleted, which was why he had kept a low profile.
Additionally, his original crime of colluding with demons to assassinate a clansman and steal a treasure was severe, and he had only managed to keep his life due to the glory of his ancestors. His descendants were also forbidden from visiting him, causing his strength to wane over the years, leaving him with only his physical power.
Seeing the elder's furious demeanor, Ji Qingqing's face paled. If he truly burned his soul force and unleashed even a momentary burst of Dao Realm power, she wouldn't be able to stop him.
"Wait, give them a little more time!"
Ji Qingqing pleaded, "One of them carries the Dao Seed of my Ji Family, and he is our clan's hope!"
"I don't care about any Dao Seed! Whoever stands in my way of survival will die!"
"Yes, we're all imprisoned here, so what does the glory of the Ji Family have to do with us? It's probably that Dao Seed that attracted the Demon Saint!"
The crowd angrily shouted.
Ji Qingqing's face turned pale, and seeing the elder's soul force growing stronger, she could only lower her head and beg:
"Please, elders, give them a little more time. I beg you!"
As she spoke, she knelt down and knocked her head on the ground, the sound echoing.
"Knowing that we are your elders, you still want to drag us to death with you?"
"What's the use of kneeling? I don't want to die, get out of my way!"
The crowd was furious, refusing to listen to Ji Qingqing's pleas. All they wanted was to survive, at least to have a chance at reincarnation.
"Move aside, or we'll all be buried with you! You can't save anyone!"
The elder's face turned gloomy as he stepped forward, his soul force blazing. If he truly unleashed his Dao Realm power, he would be leaving his life behind. "If you're not willing to let go of this one, then we'll go and topple the other. Make a choice, now!"
As he roared, the chain shook, and Captive Island trembled violently, descending even faster.
But how could she choose?
One side was her husband, the other, her son.
"Alright, I choose."
She stood up slowly, trying to buy them a little more time.
The old man seemed to see through her intentions and shouted angrily, "Choose now!"
"Hurry, we're running out of time!"
The others were also agitated and moved closer.
Ji Qingqing's face was devoid of color, feeling like heavy hammers were pounding on her heart, her blood turning cold.
She turned her head and saw a figure shrouded in crimson gold rushing towards her on the Abyssal Lock.
He was only a hundred li away.
With her naked eyes, she could clearly see the young man's face.
For fifteen years, mother and son had not seen each other, and in this moment, their eyes met, recognizing each other.
Ji Qingqing looked at the handsome young man. Could this be the son she gave birth to?
She felt dazed. In the span of over a decade, the infant she once held had grown so much?
He was in a divine power state, no wonder he became the pride of the Ji family...
Large tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her mouth, her heart twisting in agony.
"It's too late, push it over now!"
The others watched as Captive Island was pulled down, their faces filled with shock and anger.
They surged forward, pushing at the Abyssal Monument.
But this time, Ji Qingqing just covered her mouth, making no move to stop them.
Li Hao, who was climbing with all his might, saw this and froze.
Why wasn't she stopping them?
His thoughts paused for a moment, but the next instant, he suddenly realized something and quickly summoned the Merit Treasure Trove.
Golden light emerged from the golden paper in his palm, and Li Hao swiftly chose to exchange for a chance to reverse fate once.
Soon, his merit points decreased by 10,000.
He felt a strange power surge into his body, and he tried to release it, only for the power to flow out of his body.
It was an extremely peculiar feeling, neither like physical strength nor spiritual power, but something indescribable.
As the reverse fate power dissipated, Li Hao quickly looked at the Abyssal Monument that was being pushed.
However, he saw the group still pushing, and the monument was pulled out without any mishaps.
The woman also remained kneeling, taking no action.
He suddenly thought of a problem, and it was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him from head to toe.
Ji Yunguo had said that upon reaching the Hearing the Dao Realm, one could obscure fate, preventing those in the Reverse Fate Realm from using their reverse fate chance. And the special laws of this abyss prevented the use of spiritual power, so the reverse fate power... was probably also obscured.
In other words, the reverse fate chance was ineffective.
Bang!
The Abyssal Monument was finally pulled out and thrown down.
The tension on the chain under Li Hao's feet suddenly loosened, and it went from taut and straight to soft and limp.
He reached up with all his might, but without the support of the chain, it followed the Abyssal Monument and fell.
He raised his palm high, the blood-red twin-born flower in his hand vibrant and vivid, but he no longer had the chance to deliver it to the island.
Li Hao stared blankly at the falling Abyssal Monument, seeing the woman suddenly get up and rush to another spot. He followed her running direction and saw that on the other side of Captive Island, about ten li away from the island, two figures were climbing upwards.
He recognized one of them.
And the other, he knew as well.
Was it...?
Li Hao was stunned.
Suddenly, he seemed to understand everything.
Just like fifteen years ago, when the imperial decree arrived at the Divine General's Mansion, the woman let go of her infant son, who was only a hundred days old. She donned her armor and followed her husband to the battlefield, tens of thousands of miles away.
Now, fifteen years later...
She still made the same choice...
The massive Abyssal Monument smashed into Li Hao's face, nose, and body, and blood sprayed wildly...
His entire body was slammed down, and the twin-born red flower in his hand also loosened, the petals falling like broken butterfly wings, slowly fluttering in the air.
With the fall of the Abyssal Monument, Li Hao's body seemed to lose all strength, and he was pulled down towards the Demon Saint's mouth.
He ran past the tendrils with all his might, but he couldn't dodge the monument that crashed down on him.
The tendrils that had grabbed the chain earlier now whipped towards him.
And without the restraint of this Abyssal Lock, Captive Island soared like a freed bird, its upward floating law taking effect. It pulled on the remaining Abyssal Lock, changing its angle from a steep seventy degrees to a vertical ninety degrees.
Bang!
The thick chain and the Abyssal Monument, along with Li Hao's body, fell into the abyss.