Mother and Son Meet

The brothers Yang Jiao and Yang Jian were not afraid of the grand spectacle before them. They firmly believed that together, they could rescue their mother.

The Heavenly General leading the charge was a survivor of the ancient battle between the Wu and Demon races. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, a minor realm higher than the brothers', and his aura alone put them under considerable pressure.

However, the Yang brothers practiced the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, possessing incredibly resilient bodies and several divine abilities, so they were not intimidated. Once the fight began, it was evenly matched. But as the Yang brothers were in their first real battle, they gradually adapted and began to gain the upper hand.

Furthermore, Xuan Yi had given them a sliver of the Eye of Heavenly Punishment's essence, allowing them to briefly borrow its power.

Once their Heavenly Eyes were opened, the brothers were unstoppable, overwhelming the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to the point where they could no longer resist.

Seeing this, the Heavenly General's expression changed, and he grew anxious. The Jade Emperor had ordered them to guard Yao Ji, and failure would mean punishment.

With a hardened resolve, the Heavenly General decided to stop holding back. He shouted, "Form the array!"

The Heavenly Soldiers had been waiting for his command. They flashed and returned to their positions, and a great formation materialized.

Once the formation was complete, the Heavenly General manipulated hand seals. Chains forged from magical power appeared in the void, using the Heavenly Soldiers within the formation as nodes. Soon, a dense, inescapable net formed and descended upon the Yang brothers.

The Yang brothers had never seen such a formation before and were greatly alarmed. They quickly channeled all their magical power to resist.

Upon truly coming into contact with the formation, they felt its terrifying power. The Heavenly Soldiers, who had been retreating under their assault, now seemed to have merged into a single entity.

If they were caught in this net, they would both be captured.

"Stop!"

Just then, a woman's voice echoed from the void. With a flash of golden light, a woman in magnificent robes appeared before them.

She was youthful and beautiful, with a hint of playfulness in her expression, and her features bore a resemblance to the Yang brothers.

The Heavenly General, about to apprehend the brothers and take them to the Heavenly Court for judgment, was suddenly stopped. He was startled at first, then his face turned to one of panic as he recognized the newcomer.

"Your subordinate greets Her Highness the Princess!"

The Yang brothers did not recognize the woman and were puzzled as to why she was helping them.

"Your Highness, Yang Jiao and Yang Jian trespassed on Peach Mountain. This subordinate was about to take them to the Heavenly Court for judgment. Why does Your Highness intervene?"

Even when facing the Princess, the lead Heavenly General did not back down.

Hearing this, the female immortal's expression turned displeased.

"The Yang brothers miss their mother and wish to visit her. Why do you refuse? Do you hold a grudge against the Eldest Princess Yao Ji and wish to exact personal revenge?"

The Heavenly General's face changed drastically. He knelt and explained, "This humble immortal is merely following the Jade Emperor's orders and would never dare to overstep. I beg Your Highness for clarity!"

This accusation terrified the Heavenly General.

"If that is the case, then let the brothers enter!"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly General's face showed difficulty.

"Your Highness, it is not that I am unwilling. You know the rules of the Heavenly Court. Without the Jade Emperor's command, if I let them in, all the Heavenly Soldiers present might have to walk the Path of Severed Immortals!"

Hearing the Heavenly General's words, the female immortal waved her hand, and a golden decree flew into the air.

"My father commands! The Yang brothers have accepted the trial to save their mother. No one from the Heavenly Realm shall obstruct them without cause!"

"Now that we have Father's decree, may we enter?"

Seeing the decree, the Heavenly General breathed a sigh of relief. He apologized to the Yang brothers and led his men towards Yao Ji's place of confinement.

The Yang brothers were filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing their mother, but they also feared witnessing her suffering. Unsure of her condition, they felt uneasy.

As their thoughts returned, the Yang brothers finally remembered the female immortal.

"Thank you, Immortal, for pleading our case. May I ask who you are?"

Seeing them ask, the female immortal quickly replied, "Cousins, please do not be so formal. I am Long Ji, the Jade Emperor's daughter. You are older than I am, so may I call you cousins?"

When the Yang brothers heard she was the Jade Emperor's daughter, they were taken aback and hesitated to speak. Although they had learned the truth from Six-Eared Macaque, they still felt some discomfort towards the Jade Emperor.

Princess Long Ji, seeing their silence, assumed they hated her father. After all, Haotian had ordered Yang Tianyou's death and broken up their once happy family of five. It was natural for the brothers to resent Haotian.

"Cousins, I know you wish you could kill my father, but he had his reasons. Father did not want this."

"Even if you hate Father, it has nothing to do with me, does it? Must you also hate me?"

Seeing Long Ji's misunderstanding, the Yang brothers spoke up, "Cousin, you misunderstand. We learned the reason from our Master long ago. This matter cannot be blamed on the Jade Emperor. We understand his difficulties."

"However, Haotian did kill our father, so sometimes we still feel a bit uncomfortable."

Princess Long Ji was very happy to hear this. She looked the brothers up and down and then said proudly, "Cousins, don't worry. From now on, your cousin will protect you. If anyone dares to provoke you, I'll give them a good beating!"

Yang Jiao blinked slightly, glancing at Yang Jian. Yang Jian's mouth twitched; this cousin was quite interesting.

While they were talking, they arrived at a cave dwelling. Before them lay a stone platform covered in mysterious runes.

On the platform, a celestial maiden was staring blankly at the entrance.

The Yang brothers could no longer hold back, tears streaming down their faces as they shouted, "Mother!"

Yao Ji had been imprisoned there for thousands of years. Hearing someone call her mother, she was stunned for a moment, then tears began to flow uncontrollably.

Yao Ji knew nothing of her three children's experiences. She worried about them constantly, fearing the Heavenly Court would kill them like Yang Tianyou or imprison them.

Now that her two sons stood before her, Yao Ji was finally at peace.

"Where is your sister?"

Yao Ji, having recovered from her shock, began to worry again.

"Mother, don't worry. Sister has been taken as a disciple by Empress Nuwa and is currently cultivating on Jade Capital Mountain!"

"That's good! That's good!"

Relieved to know her daughter was also safe, Yao Ji let out a sigh.

Seeing Yao Ji trapped on the narrow stone platform, Yang Jian was the first to lose his patience. He grabbed his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Sword and swung it at the pillar of light.

"My child, you mustn't!"

Yao Ji cried out in alarm, quickly trying to stop him.

"Erlang, you absolutely cannot be rash. Attacking this pillar of light is equivalent to challenging the laws of the Heavenly Court. If this is investigated, it's a capital offense, and no one will be able to save you then."