Chapter 1808: Li Jingzhe Returns

The wild mountain peak was overgrown with weeds.

Li Luo had been sitting still like a withered stone for over a year. His once grey-white short hair had long since spread across the ground around him, even mingling with the dirt.

That once world-renowned figure, hailed as the youngest "Li Li Tianwang" in history, now showed not a trace of his former spirit.

During this year, the aura emanating from Li Luo's body had been steadily declining, while the fluctuations of phase force within him were vanishing one by one.

Once, he bore the Six Palaces and Twelve Phases—a true prodigy of the world.

But now, with the All-Phase Seed stripped away and taken, the Twelve Phases within him had begun to dissipate. After all, these Twelve Phases were all born from the All-Phase Seed. Now that the seed had been stripped away, these dual-phases forged through postnatal cultivation were like duckweed without roots, gradually scattering away.

This was something Li Luo could not prevent.

And the dissipation of his own phase nature caused his strength to decline continuously. Now, half of the Twelve Phases within him had already scattered, leaving only the final six phase natures.

The divine fruit Li Luo had previously nurtured had long since shattered. Blow after blow, change after change—these had undoubtedly plunged his body and mind into an unprecedented abyss.

During this year, Seeing Yu Lang, Student Xin Fu, Li Li Fengyi, Li Li Jingtao and others had all come here, trying to rouse Li Luo from this state of dejection and exhaustion, but none had any effect. Now, he truly seemed like a withered stone, sealing off his own heart.

In the end, the others could only leave in dismay.

This hurdle, Li Luo still needed to overcome on his own.

Thus, spring departed and autumn came—nearly another year passed.

On this day, someone else came to the wild mountain peak.

It was an aged figure. He slowly climbed to the peak, then sat down beside Li Luo.

Sensing that familiar aura, faint ripples appeared in Li Luo's eyes, which had been like a dead pool. He slowly turned his head and gazed at the old man's face.

That face, once so cold and stern that it struck fear into everyone in the Dragon Fang Lineage, now appeared gentler and softer than ever before.

It was Li Li Jingzhe.

"Gran... dfather..." Li Luo's lips moved slightly, producing an extremely hoarse, low, muffled sound.

Li Li Jingzhe looked at the Li Luo before him, and a trace of heartache surfaced in his eyes. The Li Luo of the past—how high-spirited he had been, how confident, smiling brilliantly as he overcame any perilous situation he faced.

And now, even he had been battered into such a state.

Li Li Jingzhe said gently, "Some time ago, Jiang Li Tianwang and the others acted and rescued me from my sealed state. Although my origin was damaged somewhat, at least my life is safe."

"I learned of all that has happened, and so I came here."

The old man, who had always seemed decisive, vigorous, and direct, now uncharacteristically rambled on: "You are truly remarkable—to have dragged this certain-death situation into what it is now."

"Taixuan, A-Lan, Jiang Jiang Qinge, and you—you all did perfectly. Far better than this old man."

"I never imagined you could reach this step. I am proud of you."

Yet Li Luo's eyes gradually reddened, and he said in a low voice, "But... they're all gone."

Li Li Jingzhe shook his head and said, "They are still here. It's just that this responsibility has all fallen onto your shoulders. Although this responsibility is indeed extremely heavy, for their sake, you cannot give up."

He raised his head, his gaze also looking toward the "Black Sun Blood Moon" that never set at the horizon's end, and the grand cluster of divine temples upon it, still clearly visible even from such a vast distance.

"Especially Jiang Jiang Qinge—she bought you ten years. Because her trust in you far surpasses anyone's. She believed that ten years later, when she broke free from the seal and fell into unprecedented weakness, you at that time would truly stand before her and shield her from every storm."

Li Luo was also gazing at the solemn, grand cluster of divine temples upon the "Black Sun Blood Moon," his heart heavy. He knew that Jiang Jiang Qinge's trust in him had always been stronger than his own trust in himself.

But...

That was the Sect Master An, about to reach the true Ten-Grade realm. And now, with his All-Phase Seed stripped away and himself fallen into the abyss, what could he possibly use to live up to her trust?

After all, at such a time, mere confidence could no longer solve anything.

Li Luo remained somewhat bewildered.

Yet with Li Li Jingzhe's return, a thread of warmth was injected into Li Luo's battered heart, letting him know that in the end, he still needed to do something.

Li Luo reached out and grasped Li Li Jingzhe's withered, aged hand, saying softly, "Grandfather, I won't give up. After all, as you said, Sister Jiang Jiang Qinge risked everything to buy me ten years. So when she breaks free from the seal, I should be standing before her."

Li Li Jingzhe's face showed relief, and he nodded gently.

Li Luo stood up. The grey-white long hair embedded in the soil snapped off completely, finally becoming hair that reached his waist. He casually tied up his grey-white long hair, and the weariness in his eyes gradually faded, then grew bright.

Yet within that brightness, there was also a touch of vicissitude and depth that had never been there before.

He lowered his head and looked at his palm. The power within his body was far inferior to his former peak, and of the Twelve Phases, eight had already scattered, leaving only the final four.

At first, Li Luo had still tried to find ways to stop and delay the dissipation of his phase natures, but later he discovered it had absolutely no effect. These phase natures were as if they had never belonged to him in the first place, and with the All-Phase Seed's departure, they too began to leave him.

Slowly, amid his weariness, Li Luo simply let them leave, no longer stopping them.

In fact, vaguely, Li Luo felt that perhaps it was a good thing for these Twelve Phases, forged through countless efforts and painstaking labor, to all scatter away.

So his two years of sitting in stillness on the mountain peak were not entirely decadent and weary—he had been waiting for the moment when the phase natures within him fully scattered.

"Congratulations, Li Li Tianwang, on breaking through your shackles. Great achievements surely await you in the future."

A burst of laughter rang out from the void at this moment. Jiang Li Tianwang stepped out from the void and said with a gentle smile to Li Luo.

Li Luo cupped his hands in a bow to Jiang Li Tianwang and asked, "Jiang Li Tianwang, are there any leads on the headquarters ruins of the Faceless Holy Sect?"

Jiang Li Tianwang's smile faded slightly. He shook his head and said somewhat helplessly, "Over these two years, we Outer Shenzhou Tianwangs have practically scoured every forbidden ground across the Ten Great Outer Shenzhou, even probing through layer upon layer of space, yet we have never found a trace of those ruins."

Hearing this, Li Luo's brow furrowed slightly. Before Sister Jiang Jiang Qinge transformed into the cluster of divine temples to seal Sect Master An, she had clearly stated that he must find those ruins, for the answers he needed might lie there.

But those ruins were too hard to find. Despite the combined efforts of all the Outer Shenzhou Tianwangs over two years, there was still no news.

Yet such matters could not be rushed. One could only quietly wait for the right moment.

"However, although those ruins were never found, when we were searching the depths of the void, we did make other unexpected gains," Jiang Li Tianwang suddenly said with a smile.

"Oh?"

Li Luo looked over in confusion.

"In the depths of the void, we detected traces of Zhu Xuan Li Tianwang and Lan Li Tianwang. I have already ordered all the Tianwangs to construct a Void Strange Array, to try to guide the two of them back," Jiang Li Tianwang said directly, without keeping them in suspense.

The sudden news left both Li Luo and Li Li Jingzhe stunned for several breaths. They exchanged a glance, and could not help but reveal looks of pleasant surprise.

Li Luo pressed his lips together and looked up at the cluster of divine temples upon the Black Sun Blood Moon.

Sister Jiang Jiang Qinge, can you see it?

Dad and Mom are coming back.