Seeing His Mother Again, Ten Years Later

The gates of the Qie residence closed after Qie Yunzhou and his son Qie Qiong entered.

Qie Qiong swept his gaze over the maids and guards in the courtyard.

He remembered that Qie Yunzhou and Lin Wantang had brought no one else when they came.

"Father," Qie Qiong said evenly, "did they send these people?"

A trace of bitterness and helplessness crossed Qie Yunzhou's face.

He lowered his voice. "It was the imperial family. They came after Wantang comprehended the Myriad Existences Realm. They were supposedly a reward, but they're only here to watch us."

Qie Qiong's eyes flashed. He understood. Although the imperial family had control of his mother, he and Qie Yunzhou were still two variables.

They had done this only to put their minds at ease. After all, not every member of the imperial family had Transcendent strength.

"Where is Mother?" Qie Qiong asked. Although he couldn't rescue her now, it would still be good to give her the Transcendent treasure he had obtained from the small Transcendent World, which stabilized the life origin.

"She's in Qin Garden, at the very back of the residence. They only come by once in a while." Hatred colored Qie Yunzhou's voice. "They also set up a special array there. The world energy is at its gentlest there, which is suitable for recovery..."

"Take me to her, Father," Qie Qiong said briefly.

Father and son passed through winding corridors, but wherever they went, maids appeared, a constant reminder of the situation they were in.

The closer they came to Qin Garden, the quieter it became. The array here had clearly been specially arranged, making the already gentle world energy even gentler.

Soon they reached the entrance. The ones standing guard were no longer maids, but two guards in Azure Battle Armor, armed with long spears.

Qie Qiong sensed their auras and knew they were Saint Rank Transcendents. However, he could sense that their souls were incomplete.

These were probably Flesh and Blood War Soldiers, created in imitation of Divine Realm War Soldiers.

The two had sharp gazes as they scrutinized Qie Qiong and his father as they approached.

"Lord Qie Yunzhou." One guard inclined his head slightly in greeting. "This must be Lord Qie Qiong, the newly ascended Transcendent?"

"This is indeed my son, Qie Qiong," Qie Yunzhou replied expressionlessly.

The guard nodded. Perhaps he had already received word, for he did not question them further. "Madam Lin is resting and recuperating. Please keep as quiet as possible." He stepped aside.

"Heh."

Qie Qiong sneered inwardly. A band of robbers was telling the owners to be quiet.

Qie Qiong ignored him. The two entered the garden, and his gaze passed through the gate and fell on the figure sitting beneath a white jade pavilion.

Lin Wantang wore a simple, elegant moon-white dress and sat quietly on a stone stool in the pavilion.

Yet it could not conceal the weakness that ran to her very bones. Her face was pale, lacking the rosy glow of health.

The flames of fury in Qie Qiong's heart were kindled once more. His mother was only in her fifties. For a Transcendent's lifespan, how old was that? Yet she already looked like a mortal woman in her forties.

This was the consequence of consuming too much of her life origin. She was a Transcendent who had comprehended the profundity of life; by rights, someone like her should have had the strongest vitality.

Qie Qiong's heart felt as though it had been gripped in a vise.

An unprecedented, towering fury threatened to make him lose his senses in an instant.

After all, although he had lived "two" lives, he had never suffered any real setbacks.

In his first life, he had been a high school student.

In this "second" life, he had a cheat. This was the first time he had felt powerless. If only he could have been faster.

The Dou Qi around him nearly ran out of control. Even his disguised aura began to fluctuate, and the Spatial Membrane gave a faint hum.

Standing beside him, Qie Yunzhou sensed the terrifying aura that flashed past. His expression changed slightly, and he instinctively pressed Qie Qiong's arm.

That touch calmed Qie Qiong instantly.

If he exposed himself now, he would only drag everyone down with him.

"Mother." Qie Qiong's voice was low. He forced a smile and walked toward the figure in the pavilion.

Lin Wantang seemed to hear the call and turned her head, looking somewhat bewildered.

When her gaze fell on Qie Qiong's face, bewilderment flickered in her somewhat dim eyes. Then she seemed to remember something and called out to him.

"Qiong'er." Her voice was soft and somewhat weak, and her body looked limp and feeble.

"Mother." Qie Qiong flashed into the pavilion, dropped to one knee before her, and carefully supported her arm.

"It's me, Mother. The time we agreed on has come," Qie Qiong said.

When Qie Yunzhou had taken Lin Wantang away all those years ago, they had agreed that Qie Qiong would "break through" to the Transcendent realm in ten years.

"Mother, don't speak." Qie Qiong sent his Dou Qi into her body while using his spiritual power to sense her condition.

As Qie Qiong examined her,

he frowned. The situation was better than he had imagined.

The imperial family's secret art was rather sophisticated. From what Qie Qiong could tell, a Sky Realm Transcendent who ascended normally had a lifespan of eight hundred years. In her current condition, Lin Wantang could live for four hundred.

All of this could be restored later using Transcendent resources.

They were simply rather precious; a treasure at least on the level of the Ocean World Stone was required.

But as for her future cultivation, she might only be able to reach the Saint Rank Transcendent realm.

To extract her life origin as quickly as possible, the imperial family had forcibly raised her Dou Qi realm. That was not the worst of it. Most importantly, as Qie Qiong examined her with his True Meaning, he sensed that Lin Wantang's profundity of life had become utterly devoid of vitality.

That meant she could make no further progress.

Unless he became a Deity and then a lord of the Material World. Only then could he send the resources he obtained to the Material World as quickly as possible.

Ten years!

He held his mother's icy hand and spoke slowly and clearly, word by word, so that only Lin Wantang and Qie Yunzhou could hear.

"Mother, wait a little longer. Endure it a little longer. Ten years. Give me ten years. After ten years, I'll take you away from here and make them pay."

Lin Wantang stared at her son and nodded firmly.

"All right... I'll wait for you... I believe in you, Qiong'er..."

Looking at his mother's pale, feeble face, Qie Qiong forced down the fury and killing intent in his heart and struggled to maintain a calm, concerned expression.

"Mother, don't worry. I found some good things." Qie Qiong took the remaining Ocean World Stone from his Space Ring.

The moment its gentle blue light appeared, the entire Qin Garden seemed to fill with the breath of life. Even Lin Wantang's once-dim eyes brightened somewhat, and her body instinctively longed for the stone.

"This... what is this?" Lin Wantang could feel that the stone held indescribable benefits for her.

Although it could not repair her missing origin, she should not lose too much more of it afterward.

"This is called an Ocean World Stone. I obtained it through a fortuitous encounter in the mortal world." Qie Qiong placed the World Stone in his mother's palm. "It can nourish your soul origin and repair your foundation of life. Although it can't completely undo the damage from that secret art, it can slow the loss of your life origin. Keep what's left close to you, Mother. Each day, you only need to guide it a little with your spiritual power or Dou Qi and draw on the gentle life origin power within. Remember not to take too much."

Qie Qiong could consume it directly, but Lin Wantang was not an ordinary Transcendent expert. Although the World Stone's energy was gentle, consuming it directly would still harm her.

As soon as the World Stone entered her hand, a gentle, cool aura enveloped Lin Wantang, and a trace of color seemed to return to her pale face.

She gripped the World Stone tightly, feeling the endless stream of pure world energy within it. She knew it was a gift from her son, and feared that even if she tried to return it, he would refuse.

She looked at her son with tears in her eyes. "Qiong'er, thank you. I'll make good use of it."

"It's what I should do." Qie Qiong held his mother's hand. "Mother, you must hold on and take good care of yourself."

Qie Yunzhou watched from the side, his eyes reddening slightly. His son's ability and filial devotion comforted him.

With this precious Ocean World Stone, his wife's suffering could at least be greatly reduced, and she could regain some vitality.

That evening, Qie Yunzhou gave orders for a simple family dinner to be prepared in a quiet side hall of the residence.

Although the people in the house had come to watch them, everyone except the two Flesh and Blood War Soldiers still obeyed ordinary instructions.

It was the first time in ten years that Qie Qiong had eaten at the same table as his parents. Although the atmosphere was heavy, he had told them about his cultivation progress, and they felt somewhat more at ease now.

Nourished by the World Stone, Lin Wantang was in noticeably better spirits, and a smile appeared on her face. She kept serving Qie Qiong food and asking about every detail of his past ten years.

Qie Qiong told his mother about everything that had happened after the two of them left, including amusing events in Cloud Sea Prefecture City, his insights into cultivation, and the Transcendent World.

Qie Yunzhou joined him in cheering Lin Wantang up.

Yet this rare warmth did not last long.

Not long after the family dinner ended, a flurry of footsteps came from outside the residence.

A group of guards in blue armor entered, escorting a middle-aged man dressed in an elegant brocade robe.

This was Lei Xiao, the current emperor of the Thunder Imperial Family's younger brother by blood, and one of the direct descendants most favored by their Demigod ancestor. He was a prince.

"Hahaha, Brother Yunzhou, congratulations, congratulations!" Lei Xiao's voice boomed, and his face was wreathed in a warm smile. His sinister gaze immediately fell on Qie Qiong, scrutinizing him. "This must be my worthy nephew Qie Qiong? You certainly are a fine young man. To become a Transcendent in your early twenties-such talent must rank among the very best in the history of my Thunder Empire. His Majesty and the ancestor ordered me to come and offer their congratulations."

Qie Yunzhou forced down his disgust and rose, cupping his hands. "Sorry to trouble Your Highness to come in person. Qiong'er, come and greet His Highness."

Qie Qiong rose as instructed and bowed slightly. "Qie Qiong greets Your Highness."

"No need for formalities!" Lei Xiao made a gesture as if to help him up. His gaze lingered on Qie Qiong for a moment as he continued with the usual pleasantries. "Worthy nephew, you are a heaven-blessed genius. Your future achievements are limitless. The ancestor was also deeply gratified to hear about you. He specially ordered me to bring a gift of congratulations. He hopes that under the holy land's protection, you will devote yourself to cultivation and soon become a pillar holding up the heavens for our Thunder Empire!"

As he spoke, a guard behind him immediately presented a brocade box. Its lid opened to reveal thirty Origin Stones neatly arranged inside.

Thirty jin of Origin Stones was a generous gift for someone newly ascended to the Transcendent realm.

Normally, after all, the three great imperial families gave newly ascended Transcendents in the Azure Cloud Realm no resources at all.

The three great imperial families had agreed among themselves that none would accept the others' traitors. All they wanted was absolute control over this Material World.

In their eyes, only those like themselves, who had Deities behind them, were people of the same kind.

As for the Bloodshed Tavern, this was only a branch in a Material World, after all. Its power was not so great, and as long as it was not completely destroyed, anything else was acceptable.

"Thank you to the ancestor and His Majesty for their generous gift, and thank you, Your Highness." Qie Qiong accepted the brocade box, an appropriately timed trace of excitement appearing on his face.

Lei Xiao nodded in satisfaction. His smile remained unchanged, but his tone shifted, leaving no room for doubt. "The holy land is blessed by nature, and its world energy is abundant. Worthy nephew, you have only just become a Transcendent, and your foundation still needs refinement. This is precisely the time to settle your mind, deepen your understanding, and strengthen your foundation."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Qie Yunzhou and Lin Wantang before returning to Qie Qiong. He was still smiling, but his words held a veiled warning:

"The ancestor said: the holy land is the foundation of the empire. Worthy nephew and Brother Yunzhou should cultivate here in peace. The outside world is full of turmoil, and you are young and inexperienced, worthy nephew. It would be best not to venture out for training, lest your hard-won talent be needlessly lost. The holy land is naturally the safest place. This, too, is because the ancestor cherishes talent."

It was undisguised house arrest.

On the surface, it was congratulations and concern, but in truth, it was a prohibition.

It would bind Qie Qiong and his father to the holy land, cutting off their chances to venture out and gain experience.

After all, ordinary Transcendents could not travel far on the path of cultivation if they relied on cultivation alone.

Keeping them trapped under the imperial family's watch made them easier to control and gave the family a better hold over Lin Wantang.

Qie Yunzhou's fists clenched inside his sleeves. Worry flashed in Lin Wantang's eyes.

Qie Qiong lowered his head, as if respectfully listening to the instructions.

"I... will remember the ancestor's and His Majesty's kindness," Qie Qiong said slowly. "I will obey the ancestor's teachings, cultivate in seclusion here in the holy land, and strengthen my foundation. I won't disappoint your expectations."

"Good! Worthy nephew, you understand the greater good. I'm very pleased." Lei Xiao's smile grew broader; he was clearly satisfied with Qie Qiong's attitude. "Then I won't disturb your family reunion any longer. Brother Yunzhou, Madam Wantang, farewell."

Lei Xiao turned and left with his guards, thoroughly satisfied.

Silence fell over the room, and the air seemed to freeze.

Qie Qiong slowly raised his head. The excitement he had feigned had long since vanished without a trace, leaving only calm.

He walked over to his mother and gently patted the back of her hand. "Mother, rest and recover in peace. I'll take care of everything."

He looked at his father. "Father, take good care of Mother. I need to enter secluded cultivation for a while."

"Qiong'er, focus on your cultivation," Qie Yunzhou said, looking at his son.

"Don't worry. I know what to do." Qie Qiong's tone was even. "Ten years. Within ten years, I will take Mother away from here and make those who hurt you pay a price they cannot bear."

He said no more. Turning, he strode toward the quiet cultivation chamber deep within the residence.

Inside the quiet chamber.

Qie Qiong sat cross-legged in the center and slowly closed his eyes. Within his sea of consciousness, the Golden Light secret tome floated silently, its silver chapter recording the profundities of space radiating an unprecedented, dazzling brilliance.

Ten years!

His mind sank completely into the vast, unfathomable profundities of space, becoming one with the tome's silver radiance.

Time lost its meaning in the silent, desolate chamber.

Day after day, month after month, year after year...

Outside the chamber, Qie Yunzhou carefully tended to his wife, whose condition had improved somewhat.

Apart from the imperial family's "visits" once every five years and their unseen surveillance, nothing else disturbed the peace.

Until-

Ten years quietly slipped by.

The stone door of the quiet chamber, sealed for a full ten years, remained tightly shut.

Yet inside the chamber, the space around Qie Qiong had already begun to twist visibly,

and Qie Qiong seemed to have become a silver sun!

A power that seemed capable of ruling space itself was about to emerge around him.