The Name of Eternals

Chapter 243: Funeral

"If this continues, we're all going to die!"

Someone stepped forward, shouting angrily. Facing life and death, they were ready to risk it all against Ji Qingqing.

Ji Qingqing's face was cold, but she knew that blocking them wouldn't solve anything. She said, "If you want to survive, help me bring them up."

"Help them up? That's suicide! They're too far away!" someone shouted angrily.

"If they die, then we all die together!" Ji Qingqing didn't budge, forcing them to comply.

If she were alone, she would have rushed down to help, but if she left this spot, Nanny Ning, who relied on her Dao Heart realm, wouldn't be able to intimidate these people. If they pushed the Abyssal Monument away, everyone would die.

"Don't you want to live?!" someone roared. "At least we have a chance to live. Why sacrifice everyone?"

"Either help them up, or we all die together!"

Ji Qingqing's eyes were icy, and she didn't argue. At this moment, any argument was a waste of time. She only gave them one choice.

Everyone was furious, but no one took action. The chains were shaking so violently that they didn't dare to step on them lightly.

In their brief exchange, another violent tremor came from below.

The Prison Heaven Island tilted again. The tentacles from the abyss wrapped around Li Hao's chain, one pulling the chain while two others swung toward Li Hao and Ji Yun.

Li Hao's face changed dramatically. With a roar, he activated his divine power and climbed as fast as he could.

But the suction from the demon saint's mouth was like a black hole, strong enough to pull out entire mountains. If not for Li Hao's formidable strength, he would have been sucked in already.

"Go!"

Li Hao roared, dragging Ji Yun with him and sprinting forward.

They were still over a thousand miles from Prison Heaven Island. Under normal circumstances, it would only take a few minutes to reach it, but now it felt as far away as the heavens.

"Child, leave me and go on yourself," Ji Yun suddenly let go of Li Hao's hand, clinging tightly to a chain ring, and shouted, "Don't look back, keep going. As long as you hold on, the three ancestors will definitely sense the disturbance here and come to help!"

Li Hao felt his hand empty and turned back to see the determined and encouraging look on the face of the old woman who had always been kind to him. He felt a heavy blow to his heart.

A rush of emotions welled up in him, but he suppressed them. He knew that if he turned back, he would completely betray her intentions.

Gritting his teeth, Li Hao climbed faster, his speed doubling.

Suddenly, a violent tremor shook the chains.

The blood lotus about to emerge from the abyss seemed to pause, sinking slightly. Behind it appeared chains, all extremely thick, similar to the Abyssal Chains.

These chains bound the blood lotus, preventing it from escaping the abyss.

The blood lotus seemed furious, swinging out more thousand-foot tentacles, pulling on the chains and attacking Li Hao.

The tentacles struck the chains, sweeping toward him. Li Hao hurried to climb to the other side, hiding in the gaps between the chain links, using his Taishang technique to enhance his dodging ability.

Though unsure if it would work, he had no other choice.

The foul-smelling tentacles swept past, just grazing him without causing harm. Breathing a sigh of relief, Li Hao continued climbing up the chain.

On Prison Heaven Island, the people watched the island tilt more and more violently. Unable to bear it any longer, someone roared: "Let's all go together. Even if we die, it's better than dying in the demon saint's mouth."

"Go, push over the Abyssal Monument!"

Dozens of people erupted with their remaining strength, charging at Ji Qingqing.

Ji Qingqing's face changed. She hadn't thought of a solution yet, and these people had already lost their patience. In this life-and-death moment, there wasn't much time to think.

"Unless I die, no one touches this monument!"

Ji Qingqing shouted angrily.

Her divine spirit burst forth, wielding her sword.

On the island, shaking violently from the chains, a fierce battle erupted. Ji Qingqing fought against them, unleashing her ultimate skills without reservation, repeatedly striking down two people and then blasting seven more away.

Her divine flames covered her body, looking like a goddess of war. She forcibly defended the Abyssal Monument.

Below, the demon saint drew closer. On the chains, the climbers fought for survival, while on the island, a dozen people battled fiercely.

"No one comes near!"

Ji Qingqing's energy was waning, but she still had untapped strength. Retreating to the Abyssal Monument, her eyes were like cold stars as she stared at the others.

"You fools."

At this moment, the old madman lying in the distance laughed loudly: "You could have all lived, but you seek death instead. Haven't you noticed the demon saint's oddity? Its consciousness was wiped out by the ancestor long ago. What's left here is just its body."

"Otherwise, if it really attacked, you'd all be dead already, no time for arguments."

The people, pausing to catch their breath, found his words jarring. But they also realized the demon saint's restraint. Indeed, if the demon saint truly attacked, they'd be dead in an instant.

"It's dead?"

Someone trembled, asking a question even they found absurd.

But beings at the Saint level were beyond their comprehension.

Many looked at the old madman, knowing he had lived a long time and was from the era of the three ancestors.

Seeing their gazes, the old madman laughed again, saying no more, looking completely unconcerned by the shaking island and the approaching threat of the demon saint.

The people were angry, but his words gave them a clue. Someone noticed the chains binding the demon saint, unable to escape the abyss.

"I have an idea!"

Suddenly, someone shouted excitedly.

Those who became criminals possessed remarkable intelligence, though they had gone astray.

"We don't need to push all three Abyssal Monuments. Just two. This way, the island's buoyancy will straighten the remaining chain. The demon saint's body isn't long enough; only a few tentacles might reach, not enough to drag us down!"

The person explained excitedly.

Everyone ran to the edge of the island, looking at the terrifyingly beautiful face and the monstrous blood lotus.

Indeed, the demon saint had stopped rising, bound by the chains, struggling but fixed in the abyss's center, stretching to touch the abyss's edge.

If only one chain held the island, it would pull straight, moving the island out of the abyss center, aligning vertically with the anchor point outside the abyss!

This would reduce the parts the demon saint could reach, giving them a chance to survive.

Understanding the idea, everyone's eyes lit up. It seemed feasible.

If this failed, they would abandon the last chain, letting the island rise to face the scorching sun's flames.

Ji Qingqing was stunned, feeling relieved. Pushing over the other two monuments seemed a viable plan.

"Now you have no reason to stop us."

Someone looked at Ji Qingqing, fearing she might go mad again.

"Go ahead."

Ji Qingqing agreed.

Seeing her relent, the others sighed in relief, quickly spreading out toward the island's other two Abyssal Monuments.

Standing beside her, Nanny Ning turned to see two figures climbing another chain.

"What's that?"

Nanny Ning's spirit emerged, enhancing her vision. She saw two people on the chain.

Hearing her, Ji Qingqing also looked, her eyes widening in shock.

On the chain, about three hundred miles from the island, two figures were struggling to climb.

They were very close. Out of thousands of miles, only a tenth remained.

The suction seemed weaker there, making their climb slow but steady. In four or five minutes, they'd reach the island.

But Ji Qingqing recognized both faces.

Her mind roared, feeling a short-circuit. Her thoughts blanked.

Li Tiangang! Her husband!

Ji Yunqing, her uncle!

Ji Qingqing was stunned, as if struck by lightning.

But within a second, she reacted, her spirit rising swiftly toward the chain's monument.

"Stop!!"

Her sword light whistled down, cutting before the four reaching the monument.

The four, seeing her reneging, were furious: "Are you mad?!"

"Wait for them."

Ji Qingqing's spirit trembled as she spoke.

Her spirit landed, guarding the monument, her back like a wall.

The others raged: "Keeping two chains is useless. The demon saint will still drag us down!"

"Give them some time."

Ji Qingqing gritted her teeth.

Her physical form watched the two climbing figures, tears streaming down.

She never thought Li Tiangang would appear here.

When Nanny Ning said Li Hao came alone, she was puzzled, knowing Li Tiangang's strong sense of duty. Why would he let their son come alone? She suspected a hidden reason but now realized he was here too, just that Nanny Ning's information was outdated.

"You… you're all so foolish…"

Ji Qingqing wept. She had warned him not to come without reaching the Fourth Boundary, yet here he was, clearly only at the Reverse Fate stage.

Undoubtedly, he came with a resolve to die.

Just like before, standing against the entire hall for her.

A law-abiding general, breaking the rules for her, defying family, even willing to abandon his family name.

Suddenly, the island shook violently.

An Abyssal Monument was uprooted, pushed, and thrown off the island. Along with it went the unbreakable Abyssal Chain, pulled by two tentacles, falling into the abyss, hitting the blood lotus.

With one chain gone, the island tilted, the blood lotus seeming enraged, tentacles whipping, pulling the thousand-mile chain, dragging the island rapidly downward.

"No!"

The islanders felt their feet lift, panic and terror overtaking all but the madman.

On the chain, Li Tiangang and Ji Yunqing, climbing desperately, felt the chain pull down, terror gripping them, climbing frantically.

They saw the island, only ten miles away, the monument-bound chain in sight.

Despite the distance, their keen eyes saw clearly.

"Is that Qingqing?"

Li Tiangang saw the spirit by the monument, stunned, then bewildered.

It was just a back, but unmistakably his long-missed wife.

She seemed confronting others, guarding the monument-bound chain.

He realized she was holding their lifeline!

"Qingqing!!"

Li Tiangang roared, climbing desperately.

On the other side, Li Hao, glowing gold, was speeding up. Despite the suction, his divine power propelled him, closing the thousand-mile gap to a few hundred miles.

Almost there.

Li Hao's eyes glowed red. The abyssal law suppressed external forces, blocking divine spirits, but his divine sight saw clearly.

A woman, shrouded in divine flames, stood guarding the chain's end, a heroic figure.

Li Hao recognized her as his mother.

His heart shook, recalling the cradle words: "No matter what, mother will stand before you, never letting anyone hurt you…"

Fifteen years later, she still kept that promise.

With a slender body, she stood at the chain's end! Li Hao's eyes reddened, roaring as he accelerated, rushing forward.

But then, the chain beneath him jolted, pulled downward.

The demon saint raged, unleashing terrible power, pulling the chain faster.

Li Hao felt himself falling but quickly regained focus, rushing with all his might, using his full abilities, racing death.

The demon saint's tentacles pursued him, and the islanders panicked and despaired at the rapid descent.

"Hurry, push the monument!"

"Time's running out!!"

Ignoring everything else, they charged Ji Qingqing in fury.

"Wait, give them more time!"

Ji Qingqing pleaded but saw the others ignoring her, only to fight back desperately with her spirit.

"Don't force me to burn my soul, invoking the domain!"

An old man, furious, released a transcendent aura, revealing his Peaceful Path realm. Lighting his soul, he unleashed powerful energy.

Imprisoned too long, his power depleted, he stayed low.

His crimes of collusion, assassinations, and treasure plundering were grave. His lineage saved him, but all visits were banned, leaving him nearly powerless, relying on physical strength.

Ji Qingqing saw his furious, burning aura, her face changing. If he burned his soul, she couldn't match even a moment's domain power.

"Wait, give them more time!"

Ji Qingqing pleaded, "One is our clan's Dao Seed, our hope!"

"I care not for Dao Seeds; any threat to my life dies!"

"Exactly, we're imprisoned. Clan honor means nothing. The Dao Seed angered the demon saint!"

They shouted angrily.

Ji Qingqing turned pale, seeing his growing domain power, lowering her head to plead:

"Please, seniors, just a little more time, I beg you!"

She knelt, head striking the ground, banging loudly.

"You call us seniors yet drag us to death?"

"Kneeling means nothing. I refuse to die; move!!"

They raged, rejecting her pleas, seeking life, hoping for reincarnation.

"Move, or we all die. You save no one!"

The old man's face darkened, his soul burning, ready to die, striding forward: "If you won't, we push the other. Choose now!"

In his roar, the chain shook, the island's violent tilt quickening the descent.

Ji Qingqing saw his furious face, feeling heart-wrenching pain.

Knowing delay risked all lives.

But how to choose? One side her husband, the other her son.

"Fine, I choose."

She rose, moving slowly, buying time.

Seeing through her, he roared: "Choose fast!"

"Hurry, time's short!"

They advanced, agitated.

Ji Qingqing, pale, felt her heart hammered, blood frozen.

She turned, seeing the golden figure rushing up the chain.

Barely a hundred miles left.

With her vision, she saw his face.

Fifteen years apart, mother and son's eyes met, recognizing each other.

Ji Qingqing saw her son's handsome face. Was this her child?

Stunned, after fifteen years, her baby had grown this much? In divine power state, no wonder he became a clan prodigy…

Tears streamed, covering her mouth, heart breaking.

"Hurry, push it!"

Seeing the rapid descent, they screamed, rushing the monument.

But Ji Qingqing only covered her mouth, unmoving.

Climbing desperately, Li Hao saw this, stunned.

Why… not stop them?

His thoughts paused, then cleared, panicking as he summoned the merit treasury.

Golden light emerged from his palm's golden paper, quickly exchanging a reverse fate chance.

Merit reduced by ten thousand.

Feeling strange energy, he tried releasing it, the power flowing out.

It was unlike anything else, hard to describe.

As it faded, he looked at the monument.

Seeing it still pushed, no change.

She remained kneeling, unmoving.

He realized, like cold water, chilling him.

Ji Yunge said Dao realm could conceal fate, blocking reverse fate, and this abyss's law barred domains. Reverse fate, too, was blocked.

Meaning reverse fate was void.

Boom! The monument was uprooted, pushed and thrown down. The chain loosened.

Li Hao stretched, but the chain lost support, falling with the monument.

Raising his hand, the crimson twin flower, vibrant, no longer had a chance to reach the island.

Li Hao stared at the falling monument, seeing her rise and rush away, looking toward another chain.

Following her gaze, he saw two figures climbing.

He knew both.

He understood.

Fifteen years ago, the imperial edict reached the marshal's mansion, she left her baby, donned armor, and followed her husband to the distant battlefield.

Now, fifteen years later.

She chose the same…

The monument struck Li Hao, blood spraying…

Crushed, his body fell, the crimson flower slipping, petals fluttering like broken wings.

As the monument fell, Li Hao felt all strength fade, dragged toward the demon saint's maw.

He outran the tentacles but couldn't avoid the monument's crushing blow.

Tentacles now swung at him.

With one chain gone, the island rose like a bird, its buoyancy pulling the remaining chain vertical.

Boom! The chain and monument, with Li Hao, fell into the abyss.