Chapter 616: I

Both Li Yi and Li Jiye had similar personalities, deeply valuing family, though as men, they kept many things unsaid. Li Jiye, to protect Li Yi's safety, sacrificed his own life in an attempt to lure away the vengeful spirit—though he failed, he never wished for such a fate. Meanwhile, Li Yi, at only fourteen, bore the weight of the entire household.

Li Jiye knew full well that even with the family's savings, it could never sustain two medical pods for six years. He had already spent nearly all their money preparing for his cross-world journey, intending to recoup it quickly through his status as a cultivator—never imagining he would meet such a sudden disaster.

Thus, one can imagine the hardships Li Yi endured during those years.

"Xiao Yi, after I left, how did you survive? Can you tell me?" Li Jiye asked.

Li Yi said, "Uncle Biao helped a great deal. After learning of your accident, he took great care of me and lent me much support."

"Uncle Biao."

Hearing this, Li Jiye immediately recalled his close friend. He smiled. "He's a truly loyal man. I guessed he'd help you in your hardship. But he's not powerful—he lives for today, not tomorrow, and enjoys life thoroughly. By the way, how is he now? Is he well?"

Li Yi said, "Uncle Biao has left Tianchang City. After the Tianqing Event, Earth became perilous, so I sent many people away from Earth."

"Good to hear."

Li Jiye nodded slightly. "I wonder if I'll ever get to meet him again. If I do, I truly ought to thank him properly."

Li Yi continued, "I sold our old house. Maintaining two medical pods was too expensive, so I took you both to the old district, where Grandfather left behind a decrepit home. I lived there. Though Uncle Biao always offered help, life is long, and money matters constantly arise, so later I stopped troubling him much—I worked alone in the old district."

"Wait—two medical pods? You mean your mother's pod is still running?"

Only now did Li Jiye notice the crucial detail: "Your mother is dead. Why is her pod still active? Where did the spirit go? Why are you unharmed?"

"Mother died," Li Yi said, "but I didn't know it then. When I came home from school, I saw only her and you lying in the pods, asleep. At the time, Earth called people like you 'the Silent'—meaning the soul had crossed over, and the body fell into deep slumber."

"Later, with Uncle Biao and Lin Yue's help, I began cultivation. Only after encountering cross-world phenomena did I understand the truth. The spirit never left our home—it disguised itself as Mother, lying in the pod alongside me and your soulless body for six or seven years."

"So it was like that?" Li Jiye's eyes narrowed in shock.

The spirit he had brought from another world had killed his wife, then disguised itself as her, living with Li Yi and his soulless body for six or seven years.

It was utterly unbelievable.

Li Yi spoke calmly: "Ghosts from World 36 are peculiar. Though unsolvable and terrifying, they don't kill randomly—they follow rules. This spirit's rule: it impersonates someone. If anyone discovers its true identity, it kills them instantly. But if no one discovers it, it can maintain the disguise indefinitely."

"Mother was already Silent, so the spirit disguised itself as a Silent. That's why nothing happened for six or seven years—and that's why I survived."

"So that's how it was," Li Jiye said, stunned.

The ghosts of that world were so unusual.

He had only known they were terrifying, utterly beyond his control—he never imagined they followed rules. Had he known, perhaps the tragedy could have been avoided.

"The rest, I doubt you want to hear—it was just work, survival, earning money, then cultivation—then crossing worlds. I faced dangers along the way, but none of it matters. I'm alive—that's enough. Now, having reached this level of cultivation, I must do what I must: find you, save Mother, and do everything I can to reunite our family."

Li Jiye fell silent for a moment, then said, "You know your mother is dead. She's gone forever. You can't bring her back."

Li Yi said, "No—someone promised me they could save her. I don't know if it's true, but I must try. When I next cross worlds, I'll go to World 36. Someone there seems able to use supernatural power to cross time and revive those who died in the past."

"How is that possible?" Li Jiye was stunned again.

This exceeded his understanding entirely.

Even in this world of incense-deification, no one could resurrect someone dead for nine years.

"I think it's unlikely too," Li Yi said. "But the man who said this—I've dealt with him. He's not a liar. His word carries weight. So no matter what, I must try."

"Where is he? I'll go find him."

Li Jiye spoke with serious intent: "I didn't know what happened to you and your mother. Now that I do, I can't stand idle. Xiao Yi, give me a chance to make amends—to do something for this family." Li Yi replied, "He's on Earth now. But I'm already acting on this. Results are coming soon. I don't need your help yet. After I finish this, I'll return to this world to tell you about Mother. Right now, you can't leave this world."

"As an emperor, drawing on the incense of all under heaven, to abandon this world recklessly would plunge the court into chaos within days. When you return, everything you've built will be gone."

Li Jiye said, "The cost may be great, but if we can reunite as a family, it's worth it. I'll abandon this body, return to my true self, and become an Earthling once more."

He looked at his own body inside the medical pod.

Fate had been kind—he had been given a second chance.

"Earth is no longer what it was. With the gates of cross-world travel open, powerful cultivators emerge endlessly. Even the Golden Academy nearly collapsed. If you don't achieve cultivation here in this incense-deification world, even if you return to Earth one day, you'll be powerless."

Li Yi then described recent events on Earth: the invasion of the Xuanxian world, the dark-world demons, the horrors of the Wildlands, the great demons of the Demon God Realm, and countless other unknown terrors. Gates opened everywhere—some fled Earth, others invaded it.

"Earth is this chaotic?"

Li Jiye was stunned, then immediately said, "Then, Xiao Yi, why not bring your relatives, friends, and Uncle Biao here? I'm emperor in this world. If we father and son unite, we can rule for eternity. Even if someone dies, I can enshrine them as a god, receiving incense offerings and enduring forever."

Li Yi found himself somewhat tempted.

Compared to the Four Seas and Eight Continents, this incense-deification world suited him best.

No error in content at all!

It had a foundation, incense, spiritual energy—all one needed was time, effort, to sweep away the courts and pacify the world, and this realm would be theirs.

The coordinates were already known.

Implementation wouldn't be difficult.

"If I come here, what about my half-brothers?" Li Yi suddenly smiled.

"You know I'm not close to them," Li Jiye said. "After ascending the throne, I exiled them from the capital and made them idle princes. Besides, I now cultivate both the Dao and incense. I may not achieve immortality, but living a thousand years is no problem. By then, they'll all be dead—who will remember them?"

That had always been his plan.

He never intended to pass the throne to those adopted sons. Before Li Yi arrived, he planned to emulate Qin Shi Huang—unify all ghosts, spirits, and demons, gather the incense and fortune of all living beings, and ensure eternal prosperity.

"So I came too early. I should've waited longer," Li Yi said.

Li Jiye hurriedly said, "No, that's not what I meant, Xiao Yi. You've come at the perfect time. I'll just adjust my plans—I'll bring you into the palace and fabricate an identity for you as the eldest prince, claiming you're my long-lost illegitimate son. Then I'll spare no effort to support you and build your reputation. With your strength and my backing, I'm certain you'll soon replace the current crown prince."

"When the time is right, I'll be emperor, you'll be crown prince. Together, father and son, we'll shatter mountains, destroy temples, and purge all incense gods. Then this world will forever belong to the Li family."

As he spoke, his voice grew excited.

Nothing could be more perfect.

He had played the Son of Heaven too long, with no true confidant. Now that Li Yi had come, his ambitions and plans could unfold without restraint.

After all, his own flesh-and-blood son was outstanding—barely fourteen, he had slain the Guardian God-General Wang Qijun without relying on incense-deification. This filled him with extraordinary delight.

If he consumed even a few more years of incense, what couldn't he and his father accomplish?

Li Yi shook his head slightly. "I have no interest in becoming crown prince. I walk the path of Dao cultivation—power resides within oneself, and immortality is within reach. The Way of Incense is merely a secondary path I cultivate. I only need a legitimate identity to gather incense. Once I succeed in using the false to cultivate the true, incense will be useless to me."

"Xiao Yi, being crown prince won't hinder your Dao cultivation. Though incense-deification has great drawbacks, it has benefits too. You must leave yourself a backup. If you ever meet misfortune, you can resurrect here through the power of incense and belief."

Li Yi paused. That made sense.

So, I've become crown prince already?

(End of Chapter)