The prime discipleâs name, âLi Tianmingâ, spread to every corner of Ignispolis, throwing it into an uproar and even shook the whole country. He was now a household name.
He was definitely a hot conversation topic, given his special identity and the incident three years ago.
However, whether it was to praise or curse him differed for every individual.
The only constant was a sense of pity for Lin Xiaoxiao, who was truly suited to be the prime disciple in both age or talent.
By evening, petitions to revise the rules of the ranking battle had made their way to Flameyellow Scions Institute. They didnât want a similar incident to happen again, where a genius would feel resentment and a fake genius would receive benefits. Only time would tell whether the petition passed.
The commotion in the day finally died down by nighttime.
Now that he had accomplished his first goal of joining Heavenâs Sanctum, Li Tianming got Auntie Li to prepare a scrumptious feast. They gorged themselves on the meal, enjoying the peace and happiness.
Whenever Wei Jing had mobility issues, Li Tianming would personally feed her.
âWhen you were young, you were a picky eater and I had to feed you. Now the places have switched,â Wei Jing said, touched.
After the meal, Auntie Li kept the dishes while Li Tianming brought his mother to the courtyard. The night sky tonight was particularly beautiful, the stars lined up in a beautiful river. Fire seemed to burn within the river of stars, dying it a faint red.
Li Tianming had finally reached the point where his mother was willing to talk about the past. âTell me, how I can help you remove the Lifesbane?â
Li Tianming sat on the stairs next to her, his eyes shining like the stars.
As for the little chick, it had eaten its fill and was currently burping as it watched them from the roof.
Now, Li Tianming was at his second goal â to extend his motherâs longevity and return her youth. It wasnât just any pressing matter; it was the most important matter in his life!
He thought of Xue Lan and her sonsâ mockery of his motherâs state, his mind replaying their words of delivering a coffin to him. He thought of Wei Jing telling him that she didnât want to die.
Wei Jing sat on her chair and looked at the stars. âOnly one person can remove my Lifesbane in Heavenâs Sanctum. And even for him, itâs an exhausting matter. It has lurked in my body for twenty years, so itâs deeply rooted in my body now.â
âWho is it?â Li Tianming asked.
âHeâs the Sanctum Potentate of Heavenâs Sanctum, the master of Flameyellow Scions Institute.â Wei Jingâs expression turned complicated.
âThat canât be. Shouldnât the chancellor be the controller of the institute?â Li Tianming asked doubtfully.
âYou donât know this, but actually, the Sanctum doesnât belong to the institute, but rather, controls it. Thatâs why the Sanctum Potentate is higher than the instituteâs chancellor in status and authority,â Wei Jing said.
âI see...â
The Potentate had always been a mysterious figure. The chancellor was always the public face of the institute, so Li Tianming didnât know this relationship.
âMother, you mean itâll be hard to get this potentate guy to help because itâs too exhausting for him?â
âNo, thatâs not it.â Wei Jing lowered her head, a bitter smile on her face. âThereâs another reason.â
âWhat, you offended him?â
âThe reason is that I was once the potentateâs daughter. Furthermore, I offended him, and very severely at that.â Wei Jing lifted her head, looking helplessly at Li Tianming.
âWhat?â Li Tianming thought he had misheard. She was the Sanctum Potentateâs daughter. Didnât that mean the person currently in control of Flameyellow Scions Institute and Heavenâs Sanctum was his grandfather? He had speculated that Wei Jing had some family background in Ignispolis, but this was a tad ridiculous.
âThat was once upon a time. I was disowned twenty years ago and our relationship ended. Thatâs why he can remove the Lifesbane â I inherited it from him.â Wei Jing spoke of these old matters with a light smile, but the smile was filled with some bitterness.
âWhat made him so angry with you?â Li Tianming asked.
âI was pregnant, but he didnât like Li Yanfeng,â Wei Jing said frankly.
â...â Li Tianming could only say that was life. If she had known that Li Yanfeng would abandon them twenty years later, would she have made that choice?
âDo you think I reaped what I sowed?â Wei Jing asked.
âHow could that be? If so, I wouldnât be alive now,â Li Tianming said. Wei Jing wouldnât have had to marry Li Yanfeng if she wasnât pregnant, and the potentate probably wouldnât have been so furious that he disowned her. Furthermore, they had seen neither hide nor hair of him in these twenty years.
For the potentate to be this heartless with his own daughter showed how furious he was.
Li Tianming didnât know the full story. However, he could infer from the bits and pieces he had about how severe a crime Wei Jing had committed.
And to save her, Li Tianming definitely had to face this grandfather who had been so heartless then. The difficulty was obvious.
âI told you someone in Heavenâs Sanctum could save me primarily to give you hope, to motivate you. However, you now know he dislikes me more than anyone else. Seeing me in this state will only make him happy. Letâs not mention the Lifesbane. If he knows Iâm here, heâll probably try to expel me from Ignispolis so that I donât embarrass him. Just like Li Yanfeng, he places high importance on his face,â Wei Jing said helplessly.
âSo what now?â Li Tianming asked.
âNow just cultivate in Heavenâs Sanctum.â Wei Jing grabbed his hand and looked gently at him. âChild, believe me. Thereâs no chance.â
âI donât believe it.â Li Tianming pulled his hand out and smiled, âWhy so serious? Let me give it a shot. Iâm the kind of person who wonât regret it even if I smash my head against something and it bleeds.â
âMingâer...â Wei Jingâs eyes turned misty. âItâs hard on you, being my son.â
âAlright, enough with the exaggerating of how hard it is. Tell me, how do I meet this Sanctum Potentate?â
âHeavenâs Sanctum has a âWei Manorâ inside, but an ordinary Heavenâs Sanctum disciple canât enter.â
âThen who can?â
Wei Jing considered it. âWhen you seek out a supernal mentor in two days, try getting âMu Yangâ if possible. If he accepts you, you can tell him my circumstances and that youâre Wei Jingâs son. He might be able to bring you to the Potentate.â
Li Tianming finally had a lead. âIâll remember the name.â
âThis Mu Yang wouldnât happen to be another admirer of yours, would he?â
âDonât talk drivel,â Wei Jing said anxiously.
âLook at how antsy you are. I knew it, my mom used to be a super beauty in Ignispolis.â Li Tianming smiled, trying to lighten Wei Jingâs mood.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWait. You said âanother admirerâ. What did âanotherâ mean?â Wei Jing suddenly stared at Li Tianming.
Li Tianming had said that because he had met Sage Chen.
âHaha...â
âDonât give that dumb laughter. Explain, who did you meet?â
Under her harassment, Li Tianming could only sell out Sage Chen.
âDonât meet him again. Heâs Xue Lanâs husband,â Wei Jing said.
âOkay. Still, do you have to be considerate for her sake?â Li Tianming felt nauseated when he thought of that woman.
âHow others act or think should have no bearing on my own actions and thoughts,â Wei Jing replied seriously.
Li Tianming agreed. Unfortunately, the other party was clearly longing for Wei Jingâs death.
His mother had been gone from Ignispolis for very long and hence knew little about this Mu Yang right now.
Before joining Heavenâs Sanctum, Li Tianming had to make a trip to chief mentor Mu Wanâs residence to get an understanding of all the supernal mentors. Hence, on a dark and stormy night, he made his way to Mu Wan...
His only hope was to maintain his personal integrity that night.