The Mortal Clock is Ticking

A single green leaf carried over twenty people, including Ji Ning, as it flew through the clouds and mist, swiftly heading towards the Western Prefecture city.

The others were either sitting or lying down. Ji Ning and Adept Mu Xiao stood.

“Adept,” Ji Ning said, voicing the doubt in his heart, “you mentioned earlier that Beisheng was from Snowdragon Mountain?”

“That’s right, Snowdragon Mountain.” Adept Mu Xiao glanced at Ji Ning and nodded. “Snowdragon Mountain is a major power even within the entire Anchan Commandery. Their sect has several Primal Daoists guarding it. Their foundations are deep.”

Ji Ning was secretly shocked.

Several Primal Daoists?

“It is precisely because the sect is so vast and has so many cultivation techniques, including some evil ones, that it naturally produces some cultivators who walk the path of depravity,” Adept Mu Xiao explained. “Snowdragon Mountain places greater emphasis on strength. They have demonic, evil, immortal, and Buddhist techniques all mixed together. The strong are respected.”

Adept Mu Xiao sighed. “Precisely because it is such a chaotic mix of the good and the bad, it attracts many people to join Snowdragon Mountain, making it even more powerful. Some Zifu Disciples who leave to claim territory of their own also fly the banner of Snowdragon Mountain. They are considered branches. These branches often search for young geniuses to send to the main sect. In this way, Snowdragon Mountain naturally grows stronger and stronger.”

“Of course, compared to our Yinglong Guard, Snowdragon Mountain is nothing,” Adept Mu Xiao said with a laugh. “Any random Loose Immortal stationed in this branch of the Yinglong Guard within Anchan Commandery could probably destroy the entire Snowdragon Mountain sect.”

Ji Ning nodded.

That made sense.

Snowdragon Mountain was just a single sect. The Yinglong Guard was the Grand Xia Dynasty’s ultimate military force, used to intimidate the entire world. They weren’t even on the same level.

“Look, we’re here.” Adept Mu Xiao pointed into the distance. “Ahead is the Western Prefecture city.”

“We’re here?” Ji Ning was stunned. Looking at the distant earth, he saw a mighty city surrounded by forests. It was the Western Prefecture city where he had grown up. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of shock. “A Wanxiang Adept really can fly fast on a treasure! Thousands of li, and we’re already there in the blink of an eye.”

Then, a wave of anxiety struck his heart. I wonder how Mother is doing. She was always fine. Why did she suddenly fall so deathly ill?

...

Within the inner city of the Western Prefecture.

Yuchi Snow was resting inside the room. In the courtyard outside, Ji Yichuan and Ji Jiuhuo were talking.

“It’s all because of that catastrophe back then.” Ji Yichuan shook his head.

Ji Jiuhuo sat there, nodding slowly. “That catastrophe changed the fate of you and your wife. Yichuan, you were a genius that only emerges once in a thousand years in our Ji Clan. You were mediocre as a child, but after your father died, you skyrocketed... You had already opened your Zifu and set foot on the Immortal path. But then it was all destroyed in a single day.”

“Me losing my Immortal path is nothing,” Ji Yichuan said with a sigh. “During that catastrophe, my wife’s elder brother was the strongest of the three of us. He gave his life to protect Xue’er and me. Xue’er was severely injured back then. To give birth to Ning’er, she had to use a secret art that burned her own life force. I just lost my Immortal path. Of the three of us, I got off the lightest.”

Ji Jiuhuo shook his head gently, sighing with emotion.

Fate toyed with them!

Adventuring in the vast outside world was indeed far more dangerous than in the Yan Mountains. There were countless experts. There were opportunities, but there was also danger. When Yuchi Snow and her brother, along with Ji Yichuan, had encountered danger back then, this was the result.

“Eh?” Ji Jiuhuo suddenly looked up.

A green leaf streaked through the sky, landing directly in the courtyard. On the leaf were Adept Mu Xiao, Ji Ning, Meng Yu, Ji Wuyu, and a large crowd of others.

“This…” Ji Yichuan stared in shock at the people before him. He rushed over. “Wuyu, Ji Shan, Meng Yu… you’re all back? What happened to all of you? Why are you all wounded? Where have you been all these days? How did you disappear so suddenly?”

“Greetings, Clan Leader.” The more than twenty Xiantian lifeforms of the Ji Clan recognized their leader. As one of them spoke, the others quickly called out.

Ji Jiuhuo naturally knew that over twenty of the clan’s Xiantian lifeforms had gone missing. He had been troubled by this matter. Seeing them all appear before him now, he was both shocked and overjoyed. “We heard you went missing! The entire Ji Clan has been searching for you. Are you all alright?”

“Our Dantians were all destroyed,” Ji Wuyu said hoarsely. “But just surviving is already a mercy.”

“Dantian destroyed?” Ji Jiuhuo’s eyes bulged.

A long-haired youth who had been sitting nearby quickly called out, “Clan Leader, the reason we were able to survive this time is thanks to Ji Ning and this Adept.”

“Adept?” Ji Jiuhuo’s and Ji Yichuan’s hearts both trembled.

An Adept…

That was a Wanxiang Adept! There wasn’t a single Wanxiang Adept in the entire Yan Mountains.

They both looked at Adept Mu Xiao. The first time they had seen him, they had thought he was extraordinary. Someone who could control a flying treasure like that… they had guessed he was at least a Zifu Disciple. They hadn’t expected him to be a Wanxiang Adept. They saw Ji Ning standing by the side of the Wanxiang Adept, their relationship appearing quite close. They couldn’t help but wonder how Ji Ning had come to know a Wanxiang Adept.

“Ji Jiuhuo (Ji Yichuan) pays respects to the Adept,” they said respectfully.

“I have to thank Ji Ning for this visit, actually,” Adept Mu Xiao said calmly.

“Ji Ning?” Ji Jiuhuo and Ji Yichuan both looked at Ji Ning.

A trace of anxiety appeared on Ji Ning’s face. “I heard Mother was deathly ill, so I invited Adept Mu to come to the Western Prefecture city…”

“Xue’er is inside,” Ji Yichuan said, snapping out of his daze.

Adept Mu Xiao nodded and then walked towards the adjacent room. Ji Ning and Ji Yichuan followed behind. As they walked, Ji Ning lowered his voice and asked, “Father, what is going on? Why did Mother suddenly fall so deathly ill?”

“It’s an old injury from years ago,” Ji Yichuan said. “I’ll explain in detail later.”

…

They entered the room. The maids withdrew. Inside, besides Yuchi Snow, who was lying on the bed, only Adept Mu Xiao, Ji Ning, Ji Yichuan, and Ji Jiuhuo remained.

Yuchi Snow opened her eyes and looked at the newcomers, a confused expression on her face.

“Xue’er,” Ji Yichuan quickly said, “this is Adept Mu, whom Ning’er invited.”

Hearing this, Yuchi Snow forced herself to sit up. “Yuchi Snow pays respects to the Adept.”

“Extend your right hand.” Adept Mu Xiao sat on a stone stool beside the bed.

Yuchi Snow extended her pale right hand. She also saw Ji Ning, who was standing beside Adept Mu Xiao. Looking at her son… a trace of joy appeared on Yuchi Snow’s face.

Adept Mu Xiao stretched out a single finger and gently tapped it against Yuchi Snow’s wrist. Instantly, a bit of vibrant green light spread out, quickly enveloping Yuchi Snow’s entire body. Beside them, Ji Ning and Ji Yichuan watched, their hearts filled with anxiety. After waiting for a long time, Adept Mu Xiao finally frowned and stood up. “Strange. Strange.”

Ji Ning’s heart clenched. He immediately asked, “Adept, my mother…”

Frowning, Adept Mu Xiao said, “Although I am not skilled in healing, I can tell that your mother is not sick. Her life force has been nearly exhausted… Based on the residual life force in her body, I’m afraid she has only about three months left to live.”

“Life force nearly exhausted?” Ji Ning’s expression changed.

“My wife was injured while she was pregnant,” Ji Yichuan quickly interjected. “Later, she used a secret art to consume her own life force to protect the fetus.”

Adept Mu Xiao nodded. “Your wife was once a Xiantian lifeform. Based on the purity of the residual true energy in her body, she was probably at the Xiantian perfect stage. Unfortunately… that injury was likely very serious. Her Dantian was destroyed. Logically, she should not have been able to carry the child to term. She used a secret art to burn her own lifespan to save the fetus. The cost of such a secret art is immense. Once used, it is almost impossible to remediate.”

Ji Ning was stunned.

His mother was once a Xiantian perfect-level expert? Her Dantian was destroyed? She burned her own lifespan with a secret art just to save the fetus?

But looking back on it, from the way his mother had taught him footwork, she had indeed been an expert. But what had happened back then, when his mother was pregnant with him? His father and mother had always deliberately hidden the events before his birth from him, never telling him.

“Adept, please save my mother,” Ji Ning said urgently.

“To save her, you would have to find a way to extend her lifespan,” Adept Mu Xiao said with a sigh. “There are plenty of pills to cure illness. I even have pills that can extend a cultivator’s lifespan. Unfortunately… extending a mortal’s lifespan is a thousand, no, ten thousand times harder than extending a cultivator’s lifespan. Such divine pills are things I have only heard of even within the Yinglong Guard. I have no idea where to find them. Only an Immortal could bring one out.”

Beside him, Ji Jiuhuo was shocked. The Yinglong Guard?

“An Immortal!” Ji Ning felt as if his heart had instantly turned to ice.