Chapter 500: A Fated Encounter with the Parents

Shi Hao spoke up willingly, his attitude evident. Gazing at the sealed space, his heart surged with longing, eager to break through and reunite with his parents.

The little pagoda trembled softly. A ripple of radiance spilled forth, parting the divine formation like a curtain drawn open. A halo of light enveloped Shi Hao as he stepped into the formation.

The place was refined and beautiful—crystal-clear lake, ancient architecture, and a bamboo grove where spiritual energy thrived and nearly condensed into droplets.

“It resembles a corner of the Martial King’s Mansion!” Shi Hao turned his gaze to the deepest part, where stood houses fashioned in the architectural style of his childhood home.

“Wait, something is amiss!” murmured the pagoda softly. Hidden deeper within the formation lay other glyphs, especially the innermost section, which exuded an odd, peculiar aura.

“Today you break the seal and release that being—dare you return here? I won’t let you have your way!” The will of the Five Elemental Mountains resonated with fury.

“Pfft, I’m merely taking two people. What’s the fuss?” The pagoda retorted nonchalantly, as if it found the threat laughable.

Suspended above Shi Hao, the pagoda radiated a haze of chaotic energy, parting all formations with ease. Shi Hao strode forward as if walking on level ground, closing in swiftly.

Then—*BOOM!*

A heavy sound rang out—a sharp blade slicing repeatedly through Void. Deep within, a couple fought desperately, their movements frantic.

From afar, Shi Hao saw them—tears blurred his vision. It was his parents. After more than a decade apart, he finally stood on the brink of reunion.

They wielded a dagger carved from the bones of Void beasts, repeatedly slashing at the Void in a fruitless attempt to escape. Exhausted and battered, they refused to yield.

“Father! Mother!” Shi Hao cried out.

Years of yearning, only met in dreams. Today, those familiar figures stood before him again.

He could never forget—how during the battle of Stone Capital, his father Shi Ziling had gone on a rampage for his sake. With golden war spear blazing, he slaughtered those aiding the wicked like tigers. Filled with wrath, he rebelled against his own clan.

Nor could he forget the day his mother took him westward, fleeing for thousands of miles. Time and again, the couple was ambushed and grievously wounded as they fled.

Still fresh in his mind—his parents cradling infant Shi Hao, faces etched with bitterness. They caressed his frail body with hands aching to preserve his life.

But they were helpless. They ran to the ancestral lands of the Shi Clan seeking salvation, only to be met with disappointment. Tears slid from their eyes as sorrow gripped their hearts.

Eventually, risking their lives on sacred, ancient peaks, knowing death lurked at every turn, they sought remedies in vain, finally succumbing to despair as they entered the Netherworld.

“Hao-er!”

The couple’s voices trembled when they saw him.

They could scarcely believe it. After over a decade apart, they were convinced—their child, left in the Huang Domain as a babe, had grown.

In an instant, they trembled, mouths opening and closing, unable to shape a complete sentence.

Years of guilt and longing, now suddenly reunited—a staggering emotional impact. They cried out, rushing forward.

Their son had moments ago pointed his blade at divinities, defying the Qin Clan, battling Four Directions to simply see them!

The fate-scarred infant had grown into a youth of unrivaled talent, standing above all—a reality that stirred their hearts. A smile played on their lips, yet tears streamed down their faces.

So many years, so many entangled trials. Unable to leave this valley, they had long awaited this moment. Now, their joy was accompanied by guilt, regret, and remorse.

Their hearts quivered, their voices heavy with emotion and tears, calling his name—a maelstrom of joy and guilt swirled within each utterance.

They stumbled forward, rushing to embrace him.

“Father…Mother…” Shi Hao wept. Through the years, he had walked alone out of the Wilderness, forging a legendary name, facing all with laughter and scorn, never once shedding a tear.

From childhood, he rarely cried. As he grew, not a single tear was shed. But now, he could not hold back. Tears blurred his vision, yearning for this day for so long.

“Child! My child!” Qin Yi Ning wept uncontrollably.

Shi Hao wiped his tears and ran toward them.

The little pagoda quivered, shattering arrays in all directions, laying bare the path. Yet at the very center, something strange remained—an altar, ominous and foreboding.

But with the pagoda present, no danger could threaten. It hovered midair, safeguarding all below.

Trembling steps, tear-streaked faces—they charged forward.

“Is it really you… my Hao-er?” Though she believed, her voice still wavered with emotion. Qin Yi Ning caressed Shi Hao’s face, staring at him as tears streamed down.

Shi Ziling, too, had tears in his eyes. His breath quickened as he grasped his son’s shoulders tightly. He meant to laugh, yet tears slipped instead. In that moment, joy and sorrow coexisted.

“It is me!” Shi Hao cried loudly, letting the tears flow freely, shouting “Father! Mother!” aloud.

Qin Yi Ning embraced him tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, all restraint gone. Years of longing poured out at once. How many times had she woken from dreams, pillow soaked with tears?

Shi Ziling embraced his son as well, words unspoken, emotions restrained. A father should be like an unshakable mountain, shielding his child. He did not want his son to see his vulnerable side.

Now, reunited, the three of them had so much to say, yet none could find their voice. Their hearts overflowed with delight and excitement.

Again and again, Qin Yi Ning caressed Shi Hao’s face, comparing it to his childhood image. A wave of sorrow, then joy, then tears, then laughter—each moment mingling in her heart.

Shi Ziling could only pat his son’s shoulders, pride swelling within. He longed to laugh heartily, but unbidden tears welled in his eyes. Quickly he turned his back to wipe them clean.

“All these years, our child has suffered… Mother and Father failed you,” Qin Yi Ning wept.

The very moment they reunited, the bitterness in Shi Hao’s heart vanished. He could feel his parents’ love—the kind of familial bond that no distance or time could sever.

Though divided by two vast realms, though years had passed, in that moment they collided, all barriers fell away, leaving only overwhelming emotion.

“Mother, Father, I never blamed you—only missed you,” Shi Hao finally spoke. As a child, watching others with parents, he had quietly wept. As he grew, sweeping enemies from his path, invincible in battle, yet deep inside remained a fragile corner—now touched, deeply.

The couple wept joyfully, smiling through their sorrow. All those years without caring for their son surged forth in waves of guilt and regret.

“Child, the fault has always been ours…” Qin Yi Ning wept.

Back then, their cultivation levels were no match for the Zunzhe. At the ancient sacred mountains, they couldn’t find holy remedies, and were forced into the Wilderness, entering the Netherworld, stepping into the land of Immortal Longevity.

Along the way, they faced near-death trials, especially since Shi Ziling was already wounded when he broke through the encirclement with Shi Hao.

As for Shi Hao’s mother Qin Yi Ning, she already bore hidden injuries, her cultivation power once damaged.

Shi Hao knew of her wounds. In Stone Capital, he had met the mother of the Thunder Clan’s eldest daughter, who spoke of the past. Qin Yi Ning hailed from beyond the Realm, from the land of Immortal Longevity. Once, while cultivating in the Huang Domain, she was secretly attacked, her cultivation nearly destroyed. Later, she met Shi Ziling, mutual respect and love blossoming, eventually becoming husband and wife.

When Shi Ziling’s parents arrived at Immortal Longevity Mountain, they were immediately placed under house arrest. They gradually learned that Qin Yi Ning’s injuries were linked to members of their own clan.

It was then that Shi Ziling discovered the shocking truth—that his wife was from the higher realms, and that the conflict touched upon the upper realms, extending to the Eight-Domain Prison.

Qin Yi Ning did not elaborate, and he dared not press further.

Their child, however, bore the Bone of the Emperor. The news sent shockwaves throughout Immortal Longevity Mountain. Regardless of any prior disputes or conflicts from the upper realms, this event was treated with utmost gravity.

But the The Supreme Bone had already been extracted. No cure, no remedy. Irrevocable.

At the same time came news—the Qin Clan from the upper realms had suffered defeat. The matter turned delicate. The result? No one cared about the child who had lost his The Supreme Bone.

Yet, it was Shi Yi who attracted their attention. The lower Immortal Longevity Mountain decided—when the time was ripe, “reclaim” him before he could slip beyond their grasp.

Shi Ziling and his wife refused to accept this. They begged desperately to return to Stone Village, begging for sacred remedies to save their pitiable child.

But the elders of Immortal Longevity Mountain remained cold and indifferent. They refused outright, branding it a waste. No salvation for a useless child. The words struck like blades, cutting deep into the couple’s hearts.

After that, they were imprisoned in the valley, forbidden to leave.

The turning point came when the upper Qin Clan initiated the Emperor Rebirth Plan, requiring them to bear another child. For their first born was a Born as the Supreme Ruler, such a possibility remained.

Normally, the odds of a second Supreme Supreme Sovereign birth were slim. Yet ancient texts hinted that it was not impossible. At the very least, the second son’s bloodline would be extraordinary.

Indeed, the upper Qin Clan had long researched such matters, devising methods and sending down a mysterious Celestial Bone.

Alongside it came various sacred remedies and secret formulas.

This matter was kept top secret, hidden from rival sects of the upper realms, conducted secretly in the lower realm.

The Qin Clan was clear: if the second son could be born, his potent vitality might restore life to the first son—reviving the dying, ruined child through a similar, powerful blood essence.

They also made clear—no holy remedy could save Shi Hao. Only lifeblood as strong and akin to his own would suffice.

The couple lived only for Shi Hao. If it meant saving his life, they would accept any price, even using the second child to rescue the first.

But in the end, the Qin Clan reneged. They would not let the couple leave, nor heed their pleas.

“Child, Mother failed you. Finally, we threatened to die, and only then did the clan agree. They let us go, taking us to Stone Village to find you…” Qin Yi Ning wept bitterly, recalling the events with profound sorrow and regret.

When they finally returned to Stone Village, they were met with cruel devastation. Just ruins remained—ten thousand li desolate, utterly cleansed. Nothing survived.

Not even an ant.

At that moment, their hearts were shattered.

Shi Hao wept, knowing that only the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow and the Qiong Qi could have wrought such destruction in their wild battle for sacred treasures, leading to his cruel missed chance.