Chapter 7: Meeting Mother

On a single green leaf, Ji Ning and over twenty others were flying through the clouds, swiftly heading toward Xifu City.

The others sat or lay down, while Ji Ning and Mu Xiao the Daoist stood.

"Daoist, you said earlier that Bo Zishan is from Snowdragon Mountain?" Ji Ning asked, voicing his doubt.

"Yes, Snowdragon Mountain." Mu Xiao the Daoist glanced at Ji Ning and nodded. "Snowdragon Mountain is one of the top major powers in the entire Anchan Commandery. The sect has several Primal Daoists stationed there, with deep foundations."

Ji Ning was secretly shocked.

Several Primal Daoists?

"Precisely because the sect is so vast, it has many cultivation methods, including some evil ones. Naturally, some cultivators who walk the path of evil appear." Mu Xiao the Daoist said. "Snowdragon Mountain values strength above all. It has demonic, evil, immortal, Buddhist, and other cultivation methods, and the strong are revered."

Mu Xiao the Daoist sighed. "Because it's a mixed bag, it attracts many to join Snowdragon Mountain, making it even more powerful. Some Zifu disciples who leave occupy territories in various places, still flying Snowdragon Mountain's banner. They count as branches. These branches often gather young geniuses and send them to the main sect, so Snowdragon Mountain naturally grows stronger."

"Of course, compared to our Dragonwing Guard, Snowdragon Mountain is far inferior." Mu Xiao the Daoist smiled. "Any one of the scattered immortals stationed in this branch of the Dragonwing Guard in Anchan Commandery could probably destroy the entire Snowdragon Mountain sect."

Ji Ning nodded.

No kidding.

Snowdragon Mountain was just one sect, while the Dragonwing Guard was the strongest military force of the Grand Xia Dynasty, intimidating the world. They were not on the same level.

"Look, we're here." Mu Xiao the Daoist pointed into the distance. "Ahead is Xifu City."

"We're here?" Ji Ning was stunned. In the distance, on the earth, a majestic city surrounded by jungle—it was Xifu City, where he had grown up. He couldn't help but be shocked. "A Wanxiang Adept flying on a magic treasure is really fast! Several thousand li, and we're here in an instant."

Then Ji Ning grew anxious. "I wonder how Mother is now. She was always fine—why is she critically ill?"

...

Inner City of Xifu City.

Yuchi Xue was resting inside the house, while in the courtyard outside, Ji Yichuan and Ji Jiuhuo were chatting.

"It all started with that disaster back then." Ji Yichuan shook his head.

Ji Jiuhuo sat there, nodding gently. "That disaster changed the fate of you and your wife. Yichuan, you were a genius that appears once in a thousand years in our Ji clan. You were ordinary as a child, but after your father died, you soared. You had already opened your Zifu and set foot on the immortal path. But then it was destroyed in an instant."

"My broken immortal path is nothing." Ji Yichuan shook his head with a sigh. "In that disaster, my wife's elder brother was the strongest among us three. To protect me and Xue, he lost his life. Xue was severely injured back then, and to give birth to Ning, she used a secret art that consumed her vitality... I only broke my immortal path, which was the lightest of the three."

Ji Jiuhuo shook his head gently, sighing endlessly.

Fate plays tricks!

Adventuring and roaming the endless lands outside was indeed far more dangerous than in Yanshan. Experts were as numerous as clouds, and there were opportunities but also dangers. When Yuchi Xue, her brother, and Ji Yichuan encountered danger back then, they ended up like this.

"Hm?" Ji Jiuhuo suddenly looked up.

A green leaf streaked across the sky and landed directly in the courtyard. On the leaf were Mu Xiao the Daoist, Ji Ning, Meng Yu, Ji Wuyu, and a large group of others.

"This..." Ji Yichuan stared in shock at the crowd before him, rushing over. "Wuyu, Ji Shan, Meng Yu, you... you're all back? What happened to you? Why are you all injured? Where have you been all these days? How did you suddenly disappear?"

"Greetings, Patriarch." The over twenty Xiantian lifeforms of the Ji clan quickly recognized the patriarch. As one spoke, the others called out in succession.

Ji Jiuhuo naturally knew about the disappearance of the clan's over twenty Xiantian lifeforms. He had been troubled by it. Now seeing them all appear, he was both surprised and delighted. "We've been searching for you since you disappeared. Are you all right now?"

"Our dantians have all been crippled, but surviving is already fortunate." Ji Wuyu said hoarsely.

"Dantian crippled?" Ji Jiuhuo's eyes widened.

Another long-haired youth sitting nearby also called out, "Patriarch, we survived thanks to Ji Ning and this Daoist."

"Daoist?" Ji Jiuhuo and Ji Yichuan both felt a jolt in their hearts.

Daoist...

That meant a Wanxiang Adept! There wasn't a single Wanxiang Adept in all of Yanshan.

They both looked at Mu Xiao the Daoist. When they first saw him, they felt he was extraordinary. Being able to fly on a magic treasure... they guessed he was at least a Zifu cultivator, but they didn't expect him to be a Wanxiang Adept. Seeing Ji Ning standing beside the Wanxiang Adept, seemingly close, they wondered how Ji Ning knew a Wanxiang Adept.

"Ji Jiuhuo (Ji Yichuan) pays respects to the Daoist." Ji Jiuhuo and Ji Yichuan both said respectfully.

"This time, I must thank Ji Ning." Mu Xiao the Daoist said calmly with a faint smile.

"Ji Ning?" Ji Jiuhuo and Ji Yichuan both looked at Ji Ning.

A trace of anxiety appeared on Ji Ning's face. He quickly said, "I knew Mother was critically ill, so I invited Daoist Mu to come to Xifu City..."

"Xue is inside the house." Ji Yichuan also reacted and said quickly.

Mu Xiao the Daoist nodded and walked toward the side room. Ji Ning and Ji Yichuan followed behind. Ji Ning asked in a low voice, "Father, what exactly happened? How did Mother suddenly become critically ill?"

"It's an old ailment from years ago." Ji Yichuan said. "I'll tell you in detail later."

...

Entering the house, the maids withdrew. Inside, besides Yuchi Xue lying there, there were only Mu Xiao the Daoist, Ji Ning, Ji Yichuan, and Ji Jiuhuo.

Yuchi Xue opened her eyes and looked at the newcomers, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Xue, this is Daoist Mu, invited by Ji Ning." Ji Yichuan quickly said.

Hearing this, Yuchi Xue used her hands to sit up with effort. "Yuchi Xue pays respects to the Daoist."

"Extend your right hand." Mu Xiao the Daoist sat on a stone stool beside the bed.

Yuchi Xue extended her somewhat pale right hand. She also saw Ji Ning standing beside Mu Xiao the Daoist, looking at her son... a hint of joy appeared on Yuchi Xue's face.

Mu Xiao the Daoist extended a finger and gently touched Yuchi Xue's wrist. Instantly, a bit of vibrant green light spread, quickly enveloping Yuchi Xue's entire body. Ji Ning and Ji Yichuan watched anxiously. After a long while, Mu Xiao the Daoist frowned and stood up. "Strange, strange."

Ji Ning's heart sank. He quickly asked, "Daoist, my mother...?"

Mu Xiao the Daoist frowned. "Though I'm not skilled in healing, I can see that your mother isn't sick. Rather, her vitality is nearly exhausted... Given the remaining vitality in her body, she probably has only three months to live."

"Vitality nearly exhausted?" Ji Ning's face changed color.

"My wife was injured during pregnancy." Ji Yichuan quickly added. "Later, she used a secret art to consume vitality to save the fetus."

Mu Xiao the Daoist nodded. "Your wife was originally a Xiantian lifeform. From the purity of the residual true essence in her body, she was likely at the Xiantian perfection level. Unfortunately, that injury was probably very severe. Her dantian was destroyed. Logically, she couldn't have kept the fetus then. She used a secret art to burn her lifespan to save the child. Such secret arts come at a great cost, and once used, it's almost impossible to make up for it."

Ji Ning was stunned.

Mother was once a Xiantian perfection expert? Dantian destroyed? Secret art burning lifespan to save the fetus?

But from the insights she showed when teaching him footwork, she indeed seemed like an expert. Yet what exactly happened when she was pregnant? His parents always deliberately hid the events before his birth from him, never telling him.

"Daoist, please save my mother." Ji Ning said anxiously.

"To save her, we must find a way to extend her lifespan." Mu Xiao the Daoist sighed. "There are plenty of healing pills. I myself have pills that extend the lifespan of cultivators. But extending a mortal's lifespan is a thousand or ten thousand times harder than extending a cultivator's. Such pills—I've only heard of them in the Dragonwing Guard. I don't know where to find them. Probably only immortals could produce them."

Ji Jiuhuo was startled. Dragonwing Guard?

"Immortal!" Ji Ning felt his heart turn ice-cold in an instant.