Chapter 1181: Ji Ling’s Essence Spirit

“What is it?” Yue Qichao stopped and asked.

“Have the two qian bei heard of Ice God Palace?” Ye Mo remembered the Blue Bead and the extraordinarily beautiful woman within his Golden Page World.

Yue Qichao shook his head. “No. Is it some sect? A new one? I know of the Ice God forbidden grounds, but I’ve never heard of an Ice God Palace.”

Shen Guanqing also shook his head.

“Do the two qian bei know when the Ice God forbidden grounds appeared?” Ye Mo asked again.

Both shook their heads. Shen Guanqing added, “The Ice God forbidden grounds existed before our birth. Legends about them vary, but none are accurate—don’t believe them.”

After they left, Ye Mo felt frustrated. Qing Ru had told him to send the bead to the Ice God Palace, but he had no idea where it was. Where could he possibly find it? At least he hadn’t promised to help her.

“By the way, Brother Lin, your ancestor’s home was a 9-star village—the current Nangong Village, right?” Ye Mo asked.

Lin Yiban nodded, looking sad.

Ye Mo patted his shoulder. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me about your ancestor, Chu Jiuyu?”

Lin Yiban didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I know all about my ancestor Chu Jiuyu from my father. Our family tree states that after Chu Jiuyu broke through the void in South Peace State, he didn’t reach the immortal realm but landed in a place unsuitable for cultivation. My father said that place was called Earth Star, but it’s now called Earth. It has little spirit chi.”

Ye Mo thought, Chu Jiuyu did go to Earth—the place where I transmigrated.

“My ancestor Chu Jiuyu was dissatisfied. He hadn’t crossed the void only to end up in a barren place devoid of spirit chi, so he tried to return to South Peace State. He devised many methods, eventually using more than half his extreme-grade materials to create a top-grade teleportation formation disk called ‘Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate.’ But that disk could only transport one person back to South Peace State, and only once. At the time, many followed my ancestor, so he considered another way.”

“What way?” Ye Mo asked excitedly. The Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate was indeed Chu Jiuyu’s creation.

Lin Yiban said dejectedly, “My ancestor intended to establish a teleportation formation on Earth, then use the Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate to return to South Peace State and set up another formation there…”

Ye Mo was confused. The teleportation formation clearly existed; why hadn’t Chu Jiuyu returned to South Peace State?

Lin Yiban sighed. “My ancestor discovered another small world called the Magical Continents while establishing the Earthly formation. That world’s spirit chi was far denser than Earth’s, so my ancestor placed the formation there. He believed it would be closer to South Peace State, making a return formation easier to establish. However, he unexpectedly experienced his immortal ascension divine tribulation as soon as he completed the Earth to Magical Continent Mountain formation—before he could establish the South Peace State formation.”

“You’re saying your ancestor Chu Jiuyu ascended to the immortal realm from that small world?” Ye Mo asked in shock.

If the teleportation formation at Xin Jia Mountain wasn’t created by Chu Jiuyu, then who made it? If Chu Jiuyu ascended, how did the Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate appear on Earth?

Lin Yiban shook his head. “I don’t know if my ancestor ascended, but according to records from those who followed him, he gave his storage ring to a follower upon noticing the tribulation. He instructed the follower to give it to Chu family descendants. The ring was indeed passed down to our family. The divine tribulation was terrifying; a single lightning bolt obliterated a mountaintop.”

Ye Mo understood why Magical Continent Mountain was flat.

Lin Yiban continued, “That follower returned to Earth via my ancestor’s teleportation formation, but neither Earth nor the small world sustained cultivation. To return to South Peace State, a Chu family member used the Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate to reach our 9-star village. He sought a South Peace State formation qian bei to establish a formation to the small world, but no one knew its location, so it couldn’t be done.”

“That ancestor who returned to South Peace State couldn’t retrieve his family from Earth and his cultivation stagnated. He renamed the village ‘Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate Village’ in memory of his family. Afterward, our Chu family declined, and the village fell into others’ hands.”

Ye Mo sighed, patting Lin Yiban’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. When your cultivation reaches a certain level, you will reclaim your 9-star village.”

They spoke as they walked back to Mo Yue City. Ye Mo understood the Fish Jump Through Dragon Gate. Even complete, what use was it? He didn't want to repeat Chu Jiuyu’s fate—stranded on Earth, unable to reach Luo Ying and the others.

A month later, Ye Mo departed, leaving Silver with Ning Qingxue and the Snow Fox with Luo Ying. He was going to North Far State to collect Song Yangzhu and the others, and to find Yimo.

He couldn't use the teleportation formations. Unless a 9-star or 8-star sect managing a formation agreed, he couldn't use it, and he didn't want his departure from Mo Yue City publicized.

He possessed an extreme-grade cultivation artifact. Lu Wuhu estimated a five-year journey. But Ye Mo disagreed. Lu Wuhu's estimate was based on Ye Mo's Hollow Spirit state; he was now at Body Condensation state, level three. The stronger he was, the faster the Blue Moon artifact would travel. Five years could become four, perhaps even three if he reached Cauldron Filling state during the journey. For a cultivator, three years passed quickly. He'd told Song Yangzhu and the others he'd be back in two or three years, but that time had already passed. He'd never realized how difficult inter-state travel was before.

After leaving Mo Yue City, Ye Mo didn't immediately enter the Heartless Sea. He went to the place where Ji Ling died, to pay his respects to the qian bei who had wholeheartedly aided him.

The battlefield was in ruins, the mark of a low-grade immortal artifact remaining. Ji Ling’s shattered ship lay nearby. Ye Mo sadly retrieved the useless flying magic artifact, bowed, and departed.

Then, Ye Mo sensed an extremely faint voice calling out. He flinched; it sounded like Ji Ling.

He rubbed his head, dismissing it as imagination. Even in Disaster Transformation state, Ji Ling wouldn't retain his essence spirit against a Truth Realization state attack.

But, in his doubt, he heard the weak call again. It was Ji Ling!

Ye Mo rejoiced; Ji Ling’s essence spirit hadn’t dissipated. He berated himself for his delay.

Soon, amidst a pile of rubble, Ye Mo found a pale yellow rock, clearly formed by a formation, sheltering Ji Ling's essence spirit.

As soon as Ye Mo picked up the stone, he heard Ji Ling's voice: “My essence spirit is fading. I have a son, Ji Qin, at the All Formation Sect. Please care for him, little brother Ye…”

Ji Ling’s voice weakened after a few words. Ye Mo was worried.

“Don’t feel guilty,” Ji Ling said. “Without the Immortal Curl Flower, even if you had arrived sooner, the outcome would be the same.”

Ye Mo considered this, then took out a clear bead. “Qian bei, rest within this bead. I will find the Immortal Curl Flower.”

“A Clear Spirit bead?” Ji Ling exclaimed, astonished.