“`
“I can go back, but like your grandfather, I’ve been eroded by the Mo River too deeply. Now that the Mo River has disappeared, I too will fade away.”
“`
Ji Yun Ge chuckled lightly, yet there was an air of nonchalance and a carefree spirit about him as he spoke:
“`
“But I’m stronger than your grandfather, so I can hold on a bit longer, stay a bit more time, at least long enough to see my old brothers and friends…”
“`
With that, he didn’t linger, waving his hand forward.
In the air ahead of them, ripples like wrinkles suddenly appeared.
His body went straight through them.
Seeing this, Li Hao followed as well.
But when his wrist touched the ripple, it felt slightly warm, and the crimson vine ring was blocked.
“`
“Ooh, I seem to be unable to enter…”
“`
The Crimson Blood Vine Demon King floated up a tentacle, expressing nervousness and a sense of being wronged.
The ripple slightly parted, revealing a small slit from which Ji Yun Ge’s voice came: “Come in now.”
Li Hao immediately stretched the crimson vine ring towards the slit and stepped directly through.
It felt like something soft like water brushed against his body, and then the scene before his eyes changed entirely.
Radiant divine light filled the sky, and a towering Sacred Mountain appeared before him, surrounded by several floating islands scattered about, with majestic palaces suspended on them—it truly looked like a heavenly realm!
Li Hao was dumbstruck at the sight of the floating Sacred Mountain and the small mountains—how had they accomplished this?
Ji Yun Ge’s figure was in the front as he said, “Hurry up.”
Li Hao dared not delay and quickly followed.
Ahead of the Sacred Mountain was an endlessly long staircase like the spine of a white dragon, stretching for dozens of miles, leading to the fringe of the Ji Family’s territory through which he had traversed.
At the end of the stairs was a towering dragon gate.
The gate was carved from wondrous stone, connected by dozens of intertwining dragons, as if a multitude of dragon fossils were cast into a gate. Its presence was incredibly imposing and awe-inspiring to behold.
In front of this dragon gate stood a group of young figures in exotic clothing, each with the ancient character Ji emblazoned on their chests.
Upon seeing Li Hao and Ji Yun Ge flying up the steps, this team of Ji Family guards at the gate were taken aback.
Being able to enter the mountain gate freely surely meant they were people of the Ji Family, but Ji Yun Ge and Li Hao were strangers to them.
“`
“Are you, are you Elder Yun Ge?!”
“`
Suddenly, one of the older guards recognized Ji Yun Ge and couldn’t help but become excited.
“`
“It’s me.”
“`
Ji Yun Ge smiled faintly. In the past, he wouldn’t have spared these youngsters a second glance, directly ignoring them, but now that he had returned to this place, he found every landscape to evoke a sense of nostalgia and preciousness.
After all, he wouldn’t be seeing them much longer.
“`
“Greetings, Elder Yun Ge!”
“`
The other guards recognized him as well and promptly greeted him with respect.
Ji Yun Ge turned to Li Hao and said, “You have a unique status, so wait here for me while I talk to my old brothers.”
“`
“Alright.”
“`
Li Hao agreed, then gazed at him, bowing slightly:
“`
“Farewell, senior.”
“`
Ji Yun Ge’s eyes softened, understanding the meaning behind Li Hao’s farewell.
It was a goodbye as well as a final parting.
His eyes became gentle as he said with a smile, “Child, it’s a pity I don’t have much time left to see you become the pride of our Ji Family. But it’s enough, bringing you back means our Ji Family will surely shine in the Great Wilderness once again, deterring the other Ancient Clans!”
He chuckled softly, reached out, and gently touched Li Hao’s shoulder with a look of affection.
Then, without staying any longer, his body turned into a streak of green light, shooting through the gate at top speed, straight up along the staircase stretching towards heaven.
During the decades imprisoned by the Mo River, he had been building mountains influenced by his obsession, crafting a Sacred Mountain in his heart.
A Sacred Mountain he could never truly reach.
But that changed when he met Li Hao, who shattered that constructed Sacred Mountain and brought him out of the Mo River, returning him to the presence of the real Sacred Mountain.
“Heavenly Dynasty, your third brother has come back!”
“Fourth brother, sixth brother, are you still there?!”
“I, Ji Yun Ge, am back!!”
The green light ascended, and Ji Yun Ge’s voice echoed across the entire Sacred Mountain.
This also caused countless people in the Ji Family’s Sacred Mountain to look up in astonishment, initially puzzled by who would dare to be so bold. But when they heard the name Ji Yun Ge, they were shocked.
One of the three great War Gods of the Ji Family had actually returned?!
“Third brother?!”
“Is it really third brother?!”
After a brief pause, several figures suddenly burst out from the most majestic palaces above the Sacred Mountain, crying out with excitement.
When they saw the spirit apparition of Ji Yun Ge suspended in mid-air, their pupils shrank, and their faces instantly showed a mix of excitement and sorrow as they hurried over.
“Third brother!!”
“Third brother, why did you only come back now? We looked for you everywhere but couldn’t find you…”
The three people surrounded Ji Yun Ge, and when they saw the faint spirit apparition of Ji Yun Ge, sadness showed in their eyes.
Previously when Ji Yun Ge fell in battle, they had already held a funeral for him.
They also recovered his dismembered corpse and buried it.
Despite searching everywhere, they couldn’t find Ji Yun Ge’s spirit to bring it back to the ancestral hall, but now, they could finally meet again!
“Caught by the Mo River, just my bad luck…”
Ji Yun Ge said with a smile, offering an explanation, although he knew that his old brothers would guess the reason even without it.
Besides being detained by the Mo River, there was no other explanation; however, there was also the possibility of being utterly annihilated by another Ancient Holy Clan.
But he wasn’t that weak.
As Ji Yun Ge’s voice echoed, more and more powerful members of the Ji Family appeared and rushed over.
Upon seeing Ji Yun Ge’s spirit, they all showed surprise and excitement; some couldn’t hold back their emotions and covered their faces, crying.
“Xiaomu…”
“Child…”
Ji Yun Ge looked towards the many figures rushing over; among the crowd, one figure eagerly threw herself at him, his wife.
Although they had been married for many years, he still called her by her nickname; both of them had graying temples, but his wife was still Xiaomu in his heart.
The same Xiaomu who accompanied him through half a lifetime of battles.
At his side, several voices also rushed over, loudly calling out to their father!
“Grandpa…”
A tender voice came through, from a young girl radiating the aura of the Heavenly Human Realm, beautiful and lively, who stood beside her mother with nervousness and curiosity.
Her mother, Ji Yun Ge’s daughter-in-law, looked more restrained, only allowing her child to call out while she herself stood excitedly and happily to the side.
“Is this my granddaughter?”
Ji Yun Ge, seeing the young girl, slightly widened his eyes, as he felt like he was seeing the figures of a few girls, including Ji Qingqing, from their childhood.
“Yes, Dad, this is your granddaughter, Ji Niange,” said a tall, burly man excitedly.
Ji Yun Ge was momentarily taken aback. Ji Niange, a memorial song…
His emotions fluctuated slightly as he raised his hand to pat his son’s shoulder with a trembling voice, “You’ve all worked hard.”
“Dad, it’s not hard, as long as you are back,” said the burly man hurriedly, “Let me take you to the ancestral hall first, otherwise you’ll expend soul power here.”
“Right, right, step aside, let my third brother go to the ancestral hall first,” urged the few powerful elders who had arrived earlier.
The woman who had thrown herself into Ji Yun Ge’s arms, her eyes red from weeping, also came to her senses, wiping away her tears as she told Ji Yun Ge:
“The children have all been waiting for you for so long, it’s good to be back, good to be back…”
Ji Yun Ge was thinking about telling them that going to the ancestral hall was unnecessary, as the dissipation of his body was only a matter of time, and even if he went there, it wouldn’t help.
But seeing everyone’s excitement, he decided to wait until their emotions settled a bit before speaking.
Besides, he had to pay homage to his ancestors since he was back.
Thus, accompanied by everyone, they headed towards the ancestral hall of the Ji Family.
“Who would have thought Elder Ji could return, truly a blessing for our Ji Family!”
People surrounded Ji Yun Ge in a grand procession; aside from Ji Yun Ge’s immediate family, who were extremely excited, everyone else also wore a look of joy.
Before they reached the ancestral hall, a figure rushed over quickly, excitedly exclaiming, “Third brother!”
“Heavenly Dynasty!”
Seeing the newcomer, Ji Yun Ge’s eyes also grew warm, and he shouted back excitedly.