After fifteen years of separation, the gazes of mother and son met at this moment, clearly recognizing each other.
Ji Qingqing looked at the handsome youth, was this truly the son she had given birth to?
She felt a bit dazed, it had been so many years, had the child from the swaddles really grown this much?
In a Divine Power State, no wonder he had become the pride of the Ji Family…
Large tears flowed from her eyes as she covered her mouth, her heart tearing apart like being cut by knives.
"It's too late, push it away!"
The others, seeing Qiu Tian Dao being pulled and falling askew, were all shouting in alarm and anger.
They all surged forward, pushing towards the Abyss Sky Stele.
But this time, Ji Qingqing just covered her mouth and took no action.
Li Hao, who was desperately climbing upward, saw this scene and was stunned.
Why… not stop them?
Find your next read on empire
His thoughts seemed to pause for a moment, but in the next instant, he suddenly came to his senses, and in a panic, rapidly summoned the Merit Treasure Vault.
A golden light swiftly emerged from the Gold Paper in his palm, and Li Hao quickly chose to exchange for an opportunity to defy fate.
Soon, ten thousand points of merit decreased.
He felt a strange power surge into his body, tried releasing it, and this power also flowed out of his body.
It was an extremely peculiar sensation, neither like Qi Force nor like immortal power, but some indescribable feeling.
When that Life-Defying Power was lost, Li Hao hurriedly looked towards the being-pushed Abyss Sky Stele.
Yet he saw the group still pushing, and the Abyss Sky Stele had been pulled out without any accident occurring.
That woman was still kneeling, without taking any action.
He suddenly thought of an issue, and instantly felt a chilling realization from head to toe.
Ji Yun Ge had mentioned that in the Tao Comprehension Realm, one could obscure the heavens, preventing those in the Defying Fate Realm from exerting a chance to defy fate, and in this abyss's special laws, even the Dao Domain couldn't be applied, so that defying power... probably was also shielded.
That is to say, defying fate was ineffective.
Bang!
The Abyss Sky Stele was finally pulled out and was thrust down flying.
The chain under Li Hao's feet, suddenly going from taut straightness to slack.
He stretched his hand upward with all his might, but the entire chain had lost its supportive strength, falling along with the Abyss Sky Stele.
He raised his palm high, the blood-red Twin Flowers in it radiant and vivid, but never had the chance again to make it to that island.
Li Hao stared blankly at the falling Abyss Sky Stele, seeing that woman suddenly rise and rush towards another direction; following her running path, he saw on the other side of Qiu Tian Dao, about ten miles from the island, two figures were climbing upward.
One he recognized.
The other he recognized too.
Was it him?
Li Hao was stunned.
Suddenly, it was as if everything came clear to him.
Just like fifteen years ago, when the Imperial Command entered the Divine General Mansion, that woman had released the hundred-day-old baby from the swaddles, donned her armor, and joined her husband, heading to a battlefield tens of thousands of miles away.
Now, fifteen years later.
She had made the same choice…
The colossal Abyss Sky Stele smashed down directly upon him, striking his face, his nose, his body, and blood violently sprayed…
His entire body was heavily smashed downwards, the Twin Flowers in his hand loosened, petals shaken off like broken butterfly wings, slowly drifting in the air.
With the fall of the Abyss Sky Stele, Li Hao seemed to lose all strength, his body being pulled downwards, dropping directly into the mouth of the Demon Saint.
He made a desperate run past the Demon Saint's tentacles but couldn't dodge the massive stele smashing down from above.
The tentacles that had grabbed the chains, now all swung towards him.
And with the loss of the Abyss Sky Lock's restraint, Qiu Tian Dao, like a bird spreading its wings, immediately soared, its inherent rising laws pulling along the remaining Abyss Sky Lock, quickly shifting from a steep seventy degrees to a vertical ninety degrees.
Bang!
The thick chain and Abyss Sky Stele, carrying Li Hao's body, fell into the abyss.
On Qiu Tian Dao.
After overturning the second Abyss Sky Stele, everyone rushed towards the last Abyss Sky Stele.
"If we still can't stop it, then we'll have to topple this final stele too!"
Someone said in despair.
Read latest stories on empire
They would rather be burned to ashes by the Scorching Sun Holy Fire and disappear into the Mo River than be completely obliterated by the Demon Saint.
Ji Qingqing's body trembled when she heard their words, and she quickly stood up and rushed towards the last Abyss Sky Stele.
She would protect this final stele with her life!
As she ran, she glanced at the abyss outside the island and saw the gigantic Abyss Sky Stele that had plummeted down, covering the figure.
Tears poured out of her eyes, and by the time she saw the small red flower floating in the air, her heart felt as though it was being torn apart, a drilling pain.
She covered her mouth to hold back her grief and continued to rush towards the last Abyss Sky Stele.
The Divine Soul guarding this stele fused with her, drawing a sword to block in front of the stele.
Everyone looked at her angrily, but there was no dispute for the moment, as beneath their feet, Qiu Tian Dao suddenly soared upward, as if shedding a heavy burden. Like a joyous bird taking flight, the swaying speed was so fast that it almost threw the islanders off.
When the other two Abyss Sky Locks were lost, the remaining Abyss Sky Lock pulled the island upright. Everyone on the island was shocked and quickly searched for nearby rocks to cling to, to avoid slipping down.
And the original rocks on the island, along with the now completely tilted island, all tumbled and rolled down.
The loosened rocks fell in large chunks, hitting the chains and falling into the abyss.
Li Tian Gang and Ji Yunqing, who were desperately climbing, saw the boulders rolling down from above and hurriedly hid in the crevices of the chains to avoid being dragged down.
When the rockfall had almost finished, the people looked and saw that the tentacles of the Demon Saint had all retracted, wrapping around the Abyss Sky Lock that they had previously thrown off.
"Excellent!"
"That Demon Saint is actually targeting him; it looks like the old lunatic was right. This deceased Wen Ren Ji is instinctively tracking the Saint's aura. She said that he is a Dao Seed; he must have the Innate Holy Bone!"
"Holy Bone, we of the Ji Family also rarely see such. It's a pity."
"Pity? Weren't you the one who pushed the hardest just now? Now you've changed your tune."
"Didn't you push too? I just helped a little bit."
"All right, we're not completely safe yet. Are you already trying to pass the blame, so afraid of being held accountable?"
"After all, it's all that Wen Ren Ji's fault."
"Speaking of which, is that Dao Seed also a criminal? How did he come to be imprisoned here?"
"What are you thinking? Even if a Dao Seed makes a mistake, someone else would take the blame for him. I think he's not here because of a mistake. He must have come for someone, probably to pick up someone, right?"
People clung to various rocks arguing, their gazes turning towards Ji Qingqing.
Undoubtedly, the one the Dao Seed was here to fetch was most likely her.
Previously, when Ji Qingqing was exiled here, it was said her crime was marrying a foreigner. Now, could it be that the Dao Seed is her son?
These criminals, old and cunning, immediately guessed the situation, but they couldn't help but wonder with astonishment; could it be that the Dao Seed was of mixed blood? Could a half-breed become a Dao Seed? Since when did the Ji Family become so disgraceful? It seems they truly can't do without them...
"Enough talk, hurry up, keep this Abyss Sky Stele from falling!"
Suddenly, someone exclaimed.
The Abyss Sky Stele wobbled slightly. Originally, the chains of the three steles were pulling tight and secure, but now with only one left, it began to loosen.
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed, and they quickly scrambled towards the Abyss Sky Stele, trying to press it back into the island.
Ji Qingqing was originally worried they would topple this Abyss Sky Stele too, but seeing that the Wen Ren Ji wasn't attacking and that they were frantically guarding the stele, she couldn't help but find it ironic.
Yet such a sight also quietly relieved her. She turned back to look towards the chains and saw Li Tian Gang thousands of meters away.
Husband and wife locked eyes, and Li Tian Gang called out excitedly, "Qingqing!"
Ji Qingqing's heart flooded with sadness as she climbed towards the front end of the chain, saying, "Tiangang..."
After the chain stood upright, leaving the abyss, the suction from the Demon Saint's mouth weakened. Li Tian Gang's face brightened with surprise and excitement, and he sped up his climb to the top of the chain, embracing Ji Qingqing tightly in his arms.
He gave her a deep, tight hug, then quickly looked around and urgently asked, "Where is Hao Er?"
"Hao Er, he... he fell into the abyss."
Ji Qingqing's eyes reddened, her voice breaking into sobs.
"What?"
Li Tian Gang thought the wind might be too loud; he hadn't heard clearly.
But Ji Qingqing was crying too hard to speak.
Li Tian Gang finally reacted, his body shaking as he felt the blood in his veins suddenly ignite to the extreme, then just as violently turn ice cold to his very feet.
His head buzzed, blanking out, as if he couldn't even hear his wife's crying anymore.
Fell into the abyss?
Li Tian Gang's neck stiffened, and with difficulty, he turned his head to look at the other end of the chain, where the twisting body of the Demon Saint was, and the bottomless abyss.
How could this be...
At this moment, Li Tian Gang's brain seemed to jam, and he was stupefied.
The child was dead?
Dead?!
His mind buzzed and vibrated, in disbelief and unable to accept it!
Before coming here, he had already decided that no matter how that child treated him, he would endure it. Even if it meant apologizing, bowing down, or even something more excessive, even if he had to bow, he was determined to bring the other back.
He wanted to make up to that child for his neglect.
He didn't want to let his father die with his eyes unshut!