It was night in Hou Shu.
While the others discussed important military matters, Li Huowang and Bai Lingmiao stood silently in the corner as though they were transparent. Bai Lingmiao was wearing her red veil.
They listened to the disputes between the various forces, the compromises made during the crisis, and their subsequent plans.
The acquisition of the Dragon Vein from Hou Shu and Si Qi had evidently boosted the spirits of everyone there, including the Chief and the royal family. The atmosphere in the military tent had noticeably improved.
By the time they finalized the procedures, it was already late at night. Xuan Pin waved his hand gently, causing the entire tent and some of the people inside to dissipate like smoke.
"Now that we have the Dragon Vein of Hou Shu, the soldiers of Hou Shu will surely defect once their emperor surrenders. The forces of the Dharma Sect will likely retreat to Si Qi, but we can't pursue them there."
"Oh," Li Huowang responded simply.
"Li Huowang, this isn't like you." Xuan Pin sensed that Li Huowang was behaving unusually.
Li Huowang ignored him and asked, "You've been plotting a lot within the mortal realm, but you are more familiar with the origins of the Dharma Sect than I am. Don't you have any plans regarding that?"
Xuan Pin understood what Li Huowang was implying. "We are, after all, mere mortals. We have no knowledge of what the Simings in the Baiyu Capital are doing, let alone any means to interfere."
"That's not right. Isn't the job of the Surveillance Bureau to monitor the heavens? Don't say you have no means. Didn't you once try to use the palace to set up an array and seize the Sacred Mountain Ghost's Eye to prevent a Natural Disaster? This time, the trouble is even greater, and you're telling me you have no plans?"
Li Huowang tilted his head slightly and looked at the darkness within Xuan Pin's red robes.
"You must be doing something, but you don't intend to tell me."
Xuan Pin showed no reaction, but Li Huowang felt that he was right.
"There are some matters you cannot help with. Telling you would only make you overthink, which is not beneficial. Each person has their role. I am the Chief and have my duties, just as you have yours."
Li Huowang curled his lips into a self-mocking smile, then turned and left with Bai Lingmiao.
After a few steps, Xuan Pin appeared before him again. "What are your plans next? And what about the Saintess of the White Lotus Sect?"
"Why should I tell you when you won't tell me anything? Besides, our previous cooperation hasn't improved our results. Since that's the case, we should act separately."
Li Huowang walked right through Xuan Pin's body and headed toward his quarters.
"Are you holding a grudge? I truly was entangled during the incident with the Earth Dragon. It wasn't that I didn't want to save you."
Li Huowang didn't stop. He didn't want to be anyone's pawn, even if their goals aligned for the moment.
After spending so much time together, Li Huowang understood that Xuan Pin was crafty. Despite his seemingly kind demeanor, he was always using the people around him.
"How is the expansion of the White Lotus Sect in Hou Shu going?" Li Huowang asked Bai Lingmiao.
Li Huowang never expected that the only force he could truly control would be the White Lotus Sect, whose village he had once slaughtered. Life was indeed unpredictable.
"The expansion has been rapid, especially after we retrieved the Dragon Vein."
Li Huowang wasn't surprised. The Dharma Sect had many followers, but a lot of them were fair-weathered followers who quickly switched to the stronger side.
Bai Lingmiao continued, "The White Lotus followers from the Great Liang and Qing Qiu are gradually coming to establish the White Lotus society."
Li Huowang asked, "How many can we recruit to fight? What's their strength like?"
Since the Dharma Sect could recruit people, the White Lotus Sect should also be able to.
"Senior Li, it's not feasible yet. It's too soon. We can rally people, but these commoners would only be sent to their deaths. We need time to select those who are genuinely devout believers of the Heavenly Mater, and perceptive enough to incorporate into the White Lotus Sect.
"However, if you need people to fight the Dharma Sect, I can summon the seventy-two Protectors."
"Seventy-two people aren't enough," Li Huowang said. He had witnessed the strength of the White Lotus followers. They had improved, but they were still not very effective.
Bai Lingmiao hesitated before she said, "Senior Li, as the Saintess of the White Lotus, I can sense that the Heavenly Mater has grown much stronger."
Stronger again? Has she seized another Siming's Heavenly Dao? Li Huowang looked up at the sky. He was really curious about what was happening in the Baiyu Capital.
"Let them come then. Ideally, bring all the skilled fighters of the White Lotus Sect. If the Dharma Sect wins, nobody benefits."
"Alright. Senior Li, what are your plans next?"
"What else can I do? We finally have an advantage, so we need to expand it. I'll follow if they make a move."
"I'll handle it if they encounter tough resistance."
Though he no longer trusted Xuan Pin, they weren't enemies yet.
As Li Huowang was about to say something else, he suddenly clutched his arm in pain. Blood quickly soaked through his red Daoist robe.
"Senior Li, what's happening to you? Don't move!" Bai Lingmiao shouted. Her long, sharp nails tapped rapidly on a drum, and she began to chant familiar incantations from the Divine Summons.
"Chaos split into black and yellow, opening heaven and establishing Yin and Yang. The earth is Yin and the sky is Yang. The moon is Yin and the sun is Yang. The north is Yin and the south is Yang. Yin is black and Yang is yellow..."
As Bai Lingmiao chanted and drummed, various faces of beasts bulged from the red veil on her head. These faces pushed up the veil and leaped away from Bai Lingmiao's face.
Each of them tore off the red veil as they leaped away, yet it seemed there was an endless supply of veils.
The Immortal families all wore the red veils. They stepped away from Bai Lingmiao and cautiously approached the now agonizing Li Huowang. Then, they circled Li Huowang warily amidst the drumming and chanting. They were clearly frightened.
As the drumbeats intensified and the chanting grew harsher, one of the Immortals was finally compelled to approach Li Huowang. Its nose, covered by the red veil, lightly touched his red Daoist robe. The next moment, it let out a sharp and beastly scream while the veil was instantly torn to shreds.
This destruction spread as if it was contagious, ripping apart the veils of all the surrounding creatures. Soon, the area was littered with nothing but small bits of red cloth.
"It's... it's okay!" Li Huowang finally straightened up, but then the skin on his face opened and closed lightly like fish scales.
Each time a scale opened, it brought him excruciating pain. It almost caused him to faint despite his endurance through many battles.
Li Huowang took a deep breath and said, "It's fine! It's just... this occasionally happens ever since the last ascension. I'll get used to it."
Chapter 711 - Devotees
Li Huowang was panting, his chest exposed to the air. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
He looked at his body splitting apart and healing itself uncontrollably. His sweat flowed into his wounds, making the pain even worse.
Li Huowang had felt more intense pain than this, but it had only lasted a moment. This time, it was long-lasting pain that only got worse as time passed.
Bai Lingmiao tried to help by calling for the Immortal families, but it was useless. Li Huowang knew it wouldn't work since the pain came from Ba-Hui, and the Immortal families were too weak to go against Ba-Hui.
The more times he used the Cang-Qiang Ascension, the more sensitive his senses became, and the stronger his regeneration grew.
Ba-Hui clearly couldn't wait for Li Huowang to mutilate himself anymore, deciding to inflict pain directly on Li Huowang instead.
He was close to becoming Ba-Hui's Twisted One since he used the Cang-Qiang Ascension several times. Based on the current situation, if he really became Ba-Hui's Twisted One, the pain in his body would never stop, ever.
Ba-Hui, you want to try and make me your Twisted One? You want to compete with Ji Zai? Li Huowang asked about the pain in his body.
The pain didn't have a life of its own, so nobody answered. Li Huowang continued his questions, but his consciousness was fading from being tormented by the pain. Thankfully, the pain stopped after ten minutes as his wounds began to heal rapidly.
"Let me... Let me rest first." Li Huowang lay down and fell asleep after getting tormented by the pain. He was too tired.
Bai Lingmiao inspected him and felt sorry for him. She took a basin of warm water and dipped a towel in it, then wrung out the excess water and carefully wiped Li Huowang's body.
Li Huowang's wounds soon scabbed over. The scabs fell off as she wiped his body, and Li Sui extended her tentacles to pick up the scabs carefully. Bai Lingmiao soon heard crunching noises behind her.
After washing Li Huowang's feet, Bai Lingmiao carefully covered him with a blanket and walked out.
"Suisui, your father is very tired. You can sleep with him tonight. Take care of him and make sure no one disturbs him."
"Alright." Li Sui opened her mouth, and her tentacles slithered out. She then quickly slid under Li Huowang's blanket.
Li Sui didn't forget to fold up her human skin, placing it on the top of the bed. Bai Lingmiao made sure everything was fine before she left the room.
Li Huowang is in trouble now. If he doesn't get rid of Ba-Hui's influence, the pain will accompany him for life.
Bai Lingmiao heard the Second Deity's voice in her mind but remained silent as she walked.
She soon entered a fairly narrow alley. The doors inside the alley were all carved with a lotus motif, while various banners depicting the white lotus hung on the eaves. This was the territory of the White Lotus Sect.
The White Lotus Sect was fair to everyone. There were no rich or poor people here, only earnest ones.
Bai Lingmiao looked through the cracks of a door and saw a group of devotees kneeling on the ground as they prayed.
Everyone stood and greeted Bai Lingmiao as she passed them. She soon reached a hall lit with candles. In the middle of the hall was a glowing conjoined lotus that illuminated the space as brightly as daylight.
Bai Lingmiao kneeled on a cushion and prayed silently. Oh merciful and kind Heavenly Mater, your devotee prays for Senior Li to escape his torture soon.
The white glow from the conjoined lotus shifted slightly, as if something had happened. But in reality, nothing happened.
She prayed silently for a long time before she opened her eyes and said softly, "Your devotee will abandon everything to serve you for eternity. I pray that you will accept me. I will recite the scriptures a million times as a sign of devotion, but you must remember what you promised me. If you go back on your word, I will make you pay for it."
After saying this, she prayed once more to the conjoined lotus.
The white glow suddenly expanded, and a ray of light shot towards her forehead. A merciful feeling enveloped her and purged all of her other emotions.
Bai Lingmiao saw an abstract version of Li Huowang in the white light.
There was a pool of red to his left, while another Li Huowang was on his right. The second Li Huowang appeared to be connected to the first Li Huowang's palm. However, the second Li Huowang was bizarre—he didn't have a back. Both his front and back were identical.
The bizarre Li Huowang and the pool of blood were both pulling on Li Huowang. They pulled so hard that Li Huowang's body was split in half.
Bai Lingmiao woke up from her dream. She understood what the Heavenly Mater was trying to tell her.
It was a prophecy of sorts. Li Huowang couldn't use the Cang-Qiang Ascension anymore—if he did, he would be torn in half!
"I thank the Heavenly Mater for the guidance." Bai Lingmiao thanked earnestly as she prayed and kowtowed before heading back to where Li Huowang was.
She had just exited the hall when she saw the haggard-looking Lu Xiucai.
He lowered his head. "Mistress."
She saw the two missing fingers on his left hand and warned him not to use the Profound Records anymore.
After Lu Xiucai saw her leave, he entered one of the houses in the alley. He lit up three incense sticks earnestly before bowing and kneeling in front of the white lotus motif on the wall.
"This devotee, Lu Xiucai, has made his decision. I will not marry or sire children in this life. I will not eat any meat nor will I touch any money. I wish to devote my body to face the threats faced by the Heavenly Mater."
He had just said that when a woman appeared from the corner of the room. It was Lian Zhibei.
She removed Lu Xiucai's shirt and revealed his scarred back, then started tattooing his back in front of the white lotus motif.
The needles stabbing into his back made his face pale, but he stayed still and bit his lips, enduring the pain.
Chapter 712 - Division
Lu Xiucai endured the pain. He knew the white donkeys that protected Bai Lingmiao were now dead, and he also knew the Heavenly Mater required six white donkeys to revive herself.
Once the tattoo on his back was completed, he would become the Heavenly Mater's mount. He would no longer be a regular person who everyone could bully.
This was a chance that he needed to seize, even if he needed to endure excruciating pain. He refused to give up on any opportunity to become stronger.
Soon after, the tattoo of the white donkey was completed.
Lu Xiucai felt something in his body. It was a strange sensation that he had only experienced once before when he was possessed, but this time it was more long-lasting.
"You are now one step closer to the Heavenly Mater than the other devotees. Be proud of yourself and don't break your bows," Lian Zhibei said.
Sensing the changes in his body, Lu Xiucai nodded and was itching for a fight with the Dharma Sect to test his new powers.
Just then, a commotion occurred outside of the room. Lu Xiucai walked out and squinted his eyes.
The sun was already rising. The other devotees were busy clearing up their belongings to load them into the carriages.
There were fewer divisions in a day now, so the sun rose much earlier than before.
"Everyone, time to move! We need to continue spreading the kindness of the Heavenly Mater to everyone in Hou Shu. We won't be eating breakfast, so just have some rations to hold off your hunger first."
Lu Xiucai realized they were departing earlier than expected and immediately started moving.
He ran out to sort his belongings. He was always the first one rushing to fight if it meant he could kill members of the Dharma Sect.
Lu Xiucai was surprised when he saw that the White Lotus Sect was following his Master, Li Huowang, rather than the palace guards or Surveillance Bureau. He was confused about why they weren't working with the Surveillance Bureau, but he decided to keep his mouth shut when he saw Li Huowang's frowning face.
As Lu Xiucai was thinking they would have to march for a long time, Li Huowang sensed something. "I smell the scent of blood. Everyone, go south!"
The carriages started moving with Li Huowang leading them.
No one protested—they realized the stench of blood was growing stronger.
The smell of blood and rot hung in the air like a dense mist. It was clear that a massacre involving a lot of people had happened.
They climbed past a small hill and found the source of the stench. It was an entire wall made from the decapitated heads of people—a wall of death and rot.
The city wall was built using numerous skulls and heads. The air was filled with the stench of rot and blood. Everyone froze in silence at the sight of this monstrous construction. It was too much for them to take in.
Tens of thousands of people had died just to make a wall.
Li Huowang was the first person to start moving. As he got closer, he noticed more and more details from the wall.
He realized that every head belonged to a male, and most of them wore helmets. These heads are from Hou Shu's soldiers!
The closer he got, the stronger the stench became. He frowned as the smell assaulted his nostrils.
The Dharma Sect's intention was clear. After their surrender, the Dharma Sect most likely had no use for Hou Shu's military, so they killed all of the soldiers and turned them into this wall.
Li Huowang looked at the pale faces. All of them looked calm at the time of their death.
They were most likely killed in a gentle way rather than a brutal one. Did the Dharma Sect kill them to remove any potential threat? Or to warn us? Maybe both.
All Li Huowang could say for sure was that Hou Shu had been crippled. Their military forces had collapsed, and their civilians had joined the Dharma Sect. There was no one else in Hou Shu.
Li Huowang found himself entertaining a strange thought: with so many people dead, Qing Qiu's Siming of Death would most likely have indigestion.
Just then, the weather changed. A great tremor occurred, and the entire wall started to collapse. The innumerable heads began to fall on Li Huowang.
At first, Li Huowang thought something was hiding in the wall, but he soon realized the tremor came from deep below. The Earth Dragon was moving again. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
"Xuan Pin, I know you are observing me! What's going on?" Li Huowang shouted at his surroundings.
As he expected, Xuan Pin's illusion floated out from the ground. "Another division is gone. The Dharma Sect has destroyed another Dragon Vein."
Li Huowang frowned at the news. "I thought we got all of them back? How did they destroy another one?"
"I told you that we had sixteen Dragon Veins that were given to sixteen kingdoms for safekeeping. The Dharma Sect must've destroyed the Dragon Vein in another kingdom."
Just as Xuan Pin finished speaking, several rotten heads started chanting in unison, "Death came from the west. An Xi."
Li Huowang unsheathed his sword and was ready to put the heads to rest again.
Xuan Pin blocked Li Huowang. "Wait, calm down. This is the elder of the Antrabhara Temple. He's with us.
Xuan Pin continued, "What he meant is that the Dragon Vein that was destroyed came from the west. To the east of Nan Ping is Si Qi, while An Xi lies to the west. There's also a Dragon Vein there. The Dharma Sect must've realized that we were too hard to destroy, so they attacked the west first."
The tremor intensified, and the weather shifted again. Everyone saw the sun moving across the sky rapidly.
Xuan Pin was shocked. "Another division is gone."
"Sorry, I have urgent business to attend to. Grand elder, please come visit us if you have the time."
Xuan Pin's illusion disappeared afterward.
There was no reason for Li Huowang to find out which Dragon Vein was destroyed this time. No matter where it was, the reality was undeniable—in just a single day, the Dharma Sect destroyed two Dragon Veins.
"We don't have any time to lose! Let's go to Si Qi now!"
Li Huowang and Li Sui both took out a talisman, slapping them onto the horses' backs.
The horses ran with explosive speed as the carriage crushed the human heads.
Right after they departed, two people appeared from underneath the mound of heads.
"Was that Li Huowang?"
"Yes, that was Li Huowang."
Chapter 713 - Courtesy
"Kill them!" Li Huowang pasted yellow talismans on his knee as he charged into the group of people. The bloodbath made his robes even redder than usual.
Even though Li Huowang was surrounded by enemies, he still held the upper hand. With his keen sense of hearing, Li Huowang noticed the ground shaking slightly.
He looked back and saw a war chariot pulled by four horses charging towards him. Li Huowang turned his wrist and a rift shot out, cutting the chariot in half.
Suddenly, a dark figure shot out from Li Huowang's shadow. Using a dagger crafted from black stone, the figure attempted to stab Li Huowang's waist.
Li Huowang had seen this trick one too many times and had prepared countermeasures to prevent it. He asked Li Sui to grow an eyeball behind his head.
Li Huowang twisted himself to dodge the attack before using his sword to cut the Witch down.
Suddenly, Li Huowang was thrust into complete darkness. Something affected the Dharma Sect surrounding him. An invisible call unified them, and they all jumped towards Li Huowang.
They covered the sky and blotted out the sun above Li Huowang as they raised their weapons high to stab him.
The Witch that was cut in half by Li Huowang refused to die and restrained Li Huowang's arms using her legs.
Two hooks burst from beneath the ground and stabbed into Li Huowang's feet to prevent him from running.
They realized Li Huowang was not someone they could fight with their strength, so they laid out traps with their own lives just to kill Li Huowang.
The weapons stabbed Li Huowang without mercy. Li Huowang clenched his fist and howled angrily, his skin and flesh opening up like fish scales. Numerous tentacles holding torture tools burst forth from his body and started decimating the people around him.
Li Huowang twisted his body so hard that he snapped his own spine. His tentacles started spinning, too.
With the torture tools and his three swords, Li Huowang turned into a deadly spinning top as he spun and mowed down everyone.
The sun shone brightly above him by the time the sound of tearing flesh and agonized cries had vanished.
He stomped on one of the corpses with his right foot, barely catching his breath before noticing Lu Xiucai was in danger. Li Huowang ran forward to rescue him.
Minor skirmishes like these were easy for him to handle—the battle ended in ten minutes. Afterward, Li Huowang washed his swords and hands in a nearby creek.
He remembered being here before, back when they escaped from Zephyr Temple. At the time, he had set up a fireplace and stove to cook their meals. Li Huowang sighed when he thought about what he had become.
Suddenly, something flew past his head and landed in the water. Several tentacles danced happily in the water.
"Suisui, stop playing now. It's time to go," Li Huowang said, walking towards the shore.
Li Sui's, or rather, Princess Anping's alluring skin, walked up the shore with her wet clothes stuck to her body. She also had a carp in her mouth.
On the road, Li Huowang frowned as he stared at the corpses strewn everywhere. Many of the corpses were dressed in the uniform of officials.
Si Qi differed from Hou Shu. Hou Shu was still fighting against the Dharma Sect, but Si Qi had completely fallen.
In Hou Shu, they only had to worry about getting stuck in the crossfire between the Dharma Sect and the army. But in Si Qi, Li Huowang felt that he was wading through thick mud—there were only enemies here.
They experienced too many minor skirmishes after entering Si Qi.
"I'm struggling even though there are not that many Dharma Sect members here. I imagine things are tougher on your side," Li Huowang said to Xuan Pin.
"Correct."
"How's the frontline? Is it alright?"
Xuan Pin shook his head and remained silent. Li Huowang was unsure whether Xuan Pin didn't want to tell him or didn't know.
"What are you scheming? I doubt you think of me as a friend. Why can't you tell me anything?"
"Li Huowang, successful people ignore the minor details. Don't be too anxious."
Li Huowang glared at Xuan Pin and saw the illusion start to waver. "Bullshit. I don't want to be successful. I just want to live peacefully."
As long as Li Huowang willed it and focused his thoughts, he could make Xuan Pin's illusion actually disappear.
"Wait. I have a gift for you."
All six of Xuan Pin's arms gestured at his own stomach before producing a mirror and giving it to Li Huowang.
The monk's illusion was confused, picking it up to inspect it under the sun.
"Wait, don't touch it!" Li Huowang pushed the monk away and checked the mirror in the air and its contents.
He wasn't sure what it was at first. There were lines, flags, banners, and several blinking red dots.
But Li Huowang soon realized what it was. It was a map of Si Qi.
"This is... A map of Si Qi? Are the red dots the battles occurring right now?" Li Huowang asked, pointing at the red dots in the mirror.
"That's not all. This artifact I refined has other uses. Try reaching your arm into it."
Li Huowang hesitantly touched the mirror with one finger.
When he touched one of the red dots, he felt as if he had been transported into the war zone. Screaming and crying could be heard everywhere, with a murderous area permeating the surroundings.
The deep sound of a horn came from afar, making Li Huowang's skin tingle. Then, the ground began to tremble, and the vibrations grew stronger and stronger.
The cavalry from Qing Qiu charged towards the Dharma Sect, who was carrying a massive statue.
Li Huowang felt his blood boiling. He took a deep breath and retracted his finger before realizing he was back in his original location.
He looked at Xuan Pin and placed his finger on one of the flags. This time, he saw several generals from Qing Qiu discussing in a war tent.
Hearing their discussions, Li Huowang realized they were giving out orders and strategizing. Li Huowang understood how powerful the artifact was.
"How is it?" Xuan Pin asked. "With this, you can understand the situation on the battlefield and locate our forces."
Xuan Pin's arm extended from his red robes and patted Li Huowang lightly. "We are allies, so... How about you forgive me for the incident with the Earth Dragon?"
Chapter 714 - Breakthrough
Li Huowang now understood why Xuan Pin had given him this gift, but he didn't buy Xuan Pin's explanation.
"Allies? Then why did you wait until now to give it to me?"
"You think this is a lifespan pill that we can find everywhere? This is an artifact that I had to refine using numerous other rare treasures."
"Bullshit. This is just an illusion. What kind of treasure would you have to use?"
Li Huowang walked towards the carriage while the mirror floated by his side.
"Everything has a form in this profound world, including illusions. In fact, one could even refine them. Honestly, you are not as good at using illusions as I am," Xuan Pin said.
In the end, Li Huowang never said anything about letting the incident regarding the Earth Dragon go, but Xuan Pin didn't need him to say it out loud. Xuan Pin knew his goal had been achieved based on Li Huowang's tone.
He refused to say it out loud, but Li Huowang had to admit that the mirror Xuan Pin gave him was very useful.
With the artifact, he could see the battlefield easily and even save some strength. At the very least, he could follow the path the soldiers had walked past.
Even though the path was covered in corpses, wild dogs, and vultures, they no longer had to worry about any ambushes since the soldiers had killed everything in their path. The White Lotus Sect members following Li Huowang sighed in relief.
Thanks to the artifact, they were able to walk through a path without enemies and reach the frontline faster than expected.
Sensing that they were close to the front lines, their dinner for the night was more extravagant than usual.
It was soon nighttime, but Li Huowang was woken up by Bai Lingmiao.
"There's fish?" Li Huowang stared at the wild vegetable fish soup in his bowl. The milky white soup looked delicious.
"There's a lot more rivers in Si Qi. Suisui was the one who hunted the fish. She's really skillful underwater and chose the larger ones."
Li Huowang nodded and ate his meal quickly. He also occasionally glanced at the battlefield covered in corpses.
Bai Lingmiao saw the scab that resembled fish scales on Li Huowang's face and frowned. "Senior Li, what do you intend to do once we are at the frontlines?"
"Oh, we are not going to the frontlines. That's a place for the soldiers, not us," Li Huowang said as he chewed on the fish.
"Huh? But aren't we heading..."
"We won't achieve anything by going to the front lines to kill the Dharma Sect with the soldiers. They already have enough people doing that. To help in large-scale battles like that, we can kill the leaders instead."
No matter how small each army of the Dharma Sect was, it was bound to have a leader. Li Huowang intended to kill the leaders to destroy the Dharma Sect from the inside.
The Surveillance Bureau's informants and spies should have infiltrated their ranks by now. I should be able to get some information soon.
Li Huowang didn't know where the Dharma Sect's base was. He needed to get the information quickly to kill the Dharma Sect's leaders and destroy their army.
"But won't the Dharma Sect have a lot of strong individuals in their base?"
"That's true. That's why I need to hasten my cultivation of the 'Truth' to increase our chances of winning."
Li Huowang emptied his bowl, wiped his mouth, and entered the dark forest.
Bai Lingmiao did not follow him. By now, she was used to his schedule—resting during the day and cultivating at night.
Li Huowang sat on a smooth boulder in the forest and started his cultivation. He focused and shut off his senses.
Everything around Li Huowang disappeared as he carefully used his inner sight to envelop his primordial breath and push it closer to his Heart Chakra. It was a slow process that made him feel as if he was pushing a boulder up a mountain.
Li Huowang soon lost himself in his cultivation and forgot everything. He directed all of his attention and thoughts towards pushing the primordial breath.
It was a profound feeling. He felt that he was close to completion, yet just a single step away.
He didn't know how much time had passed by the time he opened his eyes again. He sensed no changes in his body and sighed. This was something only he knew how to do. He couldn't look for someone else to teach him.
"Dad, it's daytime!" Li Huowang heard Li Sui's voice, then hopped off the boulder and approached Li Sui.
"Dad, look at what I've caught! There's so much delicious food here!" Li Sui held several vultures and showed them off to Li Huowang.
"The flesh of these birds is foul. Throw them away," Li Huowang said and discreetly looked at Bai Lingmiao.
"Suisui, we will leave secretly. Don't tell your Mom or Second Mom."
"Why? Mom and Second Mom are very strong." Li Sui was confused.
"Because the battle later will be very intense. I don't want to get them involved."
Li Huowang didn't know how many experts were in the Dharma Sect or how many Simings were working together. He only knew that the Dharma Sect was very dangerous.
Bai Lingmiao survived last time, but she had to pay a terrible price, causing her to look like an amalgamation of beast and human. He knew that it would be dangerous later, so he didn't want her to risk her life anymore.
Even though Bai Lingmiao would hate him for this, it would be better than losing her life.
Li Sui nodded. "Alright."
"We need to be quiet now. Your Mom might not be able to see with her eyes, but her ears are very sharp." Li Huowang held onto Li Sui's hand and walked away.
He had just entered the forest when he heard someone above him.
"Dad? Who were you talking to?"
Li Huowang paused and looked up. He suddenly realized that the sky was not the same anymore. It was a reflection of the surface he was walking on!
Li Sui was jumping on top of a tree in an attempt to reach Li Huowang.
Li Huowang looked at the inverted Li Sui and then looked at the Li Sui whose hand he was holding.
He looked around and saw that everything had been reflected. The Li Sui beside Li Huowang held his hands tighter as she looked at Li Huowang with confusion and fear. "Dad?"
Then, her body disappeared.
Li Huowang looked at the Li Sui above him and then at his now-empty right hand, realization dawning on him.
Everything around him started to become fake, and Li Huowang started falling "upwards."
He quickly landed on the ground. When he landed, he looked up and saw the reflection of the land above him gradually disappearing.
He checked his body and realized that his cultivation had progressed. His primordial breath was now sitting in his Heart Chakra!
Chapter 715 - City Wall
A woman's corpse cut in half was laid over a well with putrid water. Her body was twitching and her eyeball was dangling out of her eye socket.
The twitching stopped abruptly. The rats that were nibbling on her corpse sensed something and stopped, then burrowed out of her body and scattered.
Li Huowang soon walked past the corpse as they continued forward.
He frowned and looked around the destroyed village. Everything lay in ruins, devoid of any survivors. The ground had been razed, and death permeated the entire village.
Li Huowang remembered this place. He had stayed here for the night when he first escaped Zephyr Temple. It had once been a lively place, but now there wasn't a single person alive.
Everyone had been butchered.
The place was already close to the front lines. To the people of Si Qi, the army and the Dharma Sect were one and the same.
By assessing the freshness of the corpses, Li Huowang determined that the village had been destroyed recently.
"Suisui, rest a bit for now. We'll be arriving soon," Li Huowang suggested, settling down on the bench and munching on his rations.
With sadness in her eyes, Li Sui looked at the lifeless bodies. "Dad, so many people died."
She now understood the meaning of death.
"Right. As the saying goes, it's better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos."
Li Huowang felt nothing in his heart when he looked at the old monk's illusion trying to appease the souls of the dead. The monk had tried this with every corpse along the way, so Li Huowang had grown used to it.
Li Huowang was actually focused on himself right now. He couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.
What's going on? How did I conjure up another Suisui?
While he was happy his cultivation had advanced, he was now feeling uneasy.
The more he cultivated the 'Truth,' the stronger it became. Initially, he experienced intense headaches and nosebleeds whenever he attempted to materialize something. But now that he was at the Heart Chakra, or the fourth stage, he could easily materialize anything.
Still, are there really no side effects to Doulao's cultivation method? Li Huowang was worried.
He suddenly remembered something. Wait, I've asked Ji Zai before! He didn't answer, so I've continued my cultivation, but what if...
Ji Zai was his own Siming, but he was constantly stuck in a state of bewilderment. Does Ji Zai mean no harm despite not helping?
Li Huowang couldn't use the techniques of the Ao Jing Sect for now. Without his ability to utilize the power of 'Truth,' he would only have his swords and physical abilities at his disposal.
Li Huowang had his own plans. No, I cannot trust Ji Zai completely. I should still use Profound Records. I cannot let him think that I have full trust in him.
His lack of knowledge about the Simings made him refuse to believe their words wholeheartedly, even if the Siming in question was his future self.
Li Huowang needed to ensure that Ji Zai was wary of him to prevent himself from being reduced to a mere pawn.
Li Huowang lifted the water-filled gourd to his lips and took a sip, washing down his dry rations. As he did, he saw the red glow of sunlight towards his left. There were smoke signals there.
"I recall where that place is..." Li Huowang touched the mirror that Xuan Pin had given him.
Through the mirror, he saw what was happening. The unified soldiers were besieging a city occupied by the Dharma Sect.
It was an important city, and both sides were unwilling to back down. Disregarding it would have dire consequences for either side—losing the city meant losing essential supply lines.
Li Huowang removed his finger and took Li Sui with him. They sprinted towards the city.
After passing through the forest, Li Huowang reached the gruesome front line. He saw boiling oil pouring down from the top of the city wall. Some of the stronger soldiers endured the boiling oil and reached the top even as their skin was burned off.
Many of the soldiers managed to make their way into the city, where countless battles were waged inside and out.
Li Huowang circled to the other side instead. Realizing that the security on the eastern side was slightly weaker, he quickly projected his body downwards and turned invisible before moving.
When he reached the city wall, he placed his palm on it rather than climbing it. He closed his eyes and pushed forward, letting his body sink into the wall.
When he reached the other side, he placed his palm on the wall again and felt its solid surface. His cultivation had finally paid off!
"Time to go!" A tentacle sprouted out of Li Huowang and hooked itself onto the roof. Li Sui pulled Li Huowang onto the top of the roof.
Li Huowang steadied himself before realizing the City God Temple had been replaced with a massive stone statue depicting some unknown deity.
The black statue was making a Vajra Seal with its left hand and holding onto a vase with its right hand. Even though the statue's face depicted it as merciful, Li Huowang felt that the statue was perversely twisted.
No matter what it was, he was certain that the statue was not god Yu'er. God Yu'er dwelled in the darkness and couldn't be portrayed with just clay and stones.
Did god Yu'er gain a new body to trick even more people? It seemed plausible to Li Huowang. He doubted anyone would join if they saw the true form of god Yu'er.
Li Huowang ran on the roof, quickly pinpointing the area where the leaders of the Dharma Sect in the area were most likely hiding in. Only the county's magistrate's office could have stone lions placed in front of the door.
Suddenly, a spear pierced through the roof tile that Li Huowang was standing on and stabbed into his feet. An ambush? I've been spotted!
Li Huowang tried to escape, but the spear was faster. The roof collapsed from the attack, and Li Huowang fell down into a dark house.
Before long, he saw the person who attacked him. It was a man standing on stilts while holding onto two spears.
The man chuckled at Li Huowang and said, "You think you can launch a surprise attack at our base camp with your lousy footing? My spears are coated in—"
Li Huowang stabbed his purple-tassel sword into the man's throat without waiting for the man to finish his sentence.
"Who cares what you've coated your spears in? I just need to kill you."
Li Huowang understood his powers well. He wouldn't be in danger if he didn't hear what the spears were coated in. He twisted his sword and cut off the man's head, then jumped out of the house before the man's lifeless body even hit the ground.
Chapter 716 - Door Gods
The Dharma Sect had expected the possibility of someone targeting their leaders instead.
Li Huowang had just exited the house when three more figures pounced towards him.
Bam! They crashed into Peng Longteng's sturdy armor.
Peng Longteng lowered her body. Li Huowang used his imagination and grew another head for her. Her halberd also reappeared in her hands.
At last, Peng Longteng felt free. Revealing a bloodthirsty smile, she charged towards the Dharma Sect's witches and finally broke her silence. "Kill them all!"
As soon as she had her weapon back, she transformed into a merciless killing machine. None of the people from the Dharma Sect could approach her.
"Give me a horse!"
A warhorse appeared, and Peng Longteng quickly mounted it. She crashed into the door of the county magistrate's office with a deafening boom, crushing the hinges, part of the wall, and even the people standing behind it.
Peng Longteng continued her charge. As if trying to vent her frustration, she charged without dodging. She relied on her massive, sturdy frame to crush everything beneath her horse. The old buildings collapsed without any resistance.
As Peng Longteng was attracting the attention of the Dharma Sect, Li Huowang circled around from the courtyard. To avoid detection, Li Huowang kept his body hidden, swimming underground through the earth instead.
The guards attempted to stab him by plunging their swords into the ground, but were unsuccessful. Li Huowang had to admit that the more he used his primordial breath, the better he got at controlling it.
He easily disposed of the hidden guards and entered one of the houses.
Li Huowang found the people he needed. Several officials wearing black cloths on their shoulders and white cloths wrapped around their heads were huddled around a big sand table. They were constantly directing the troops on how to attack.
Are they the leaders?
Li Huowang didn't attack directly. Instead, he pressed his fingers to his temples and focused.
The ground suddenly turned into liquid, causing everything in the house to sink and bury them alive.
The room became deadly silent.
Wait, that's it? Li Huowang never thought it would be over so soon.
How could the leaders get killed so easily?
Li Huowang thought that there was a trap nearby. He heard the commotion outside caused by Peng Longteng, but nothing happened. He realized that he was no longer the Li Huowang he once was.
He submerged himself into the ground and was about to swim away when he felt someone stomping the ground above him and chuckling.
"You already killed them. Are you planning to leave without telling us?"
The ground split apart as Li Huowang thrust all three swords above, but he frowned when he realized none of his swords were covered in blood. He resurfaced and looked around, only to hear a voice say, "No need to look around. We are here."
Li Huowang looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it came from the door gods[1] in the wall. They were just like the ones he saw pasted on doors during the Chinese New Year.
They were tall and sturdy, with sideburns, bushy beards, and horns protruding from their heads. Clad in armor, each had a sword on their hip and gripped a cherry-wood sword in their hands.
The only thing different about the door gods here was the black cloth on their shoulders. Even the door gods in Si Qi belonged to god Yu'er.
"You can call me Shenshu.[2] I had been wanting to recruit you." One of the door gods stared at Li Huowang.
"Recruit me? The Dharma Sect wants to recruit me?" Li Huowang thought he had misheard.
"That's right. Even though you've foiled a lot of our plans, our Imperial Preceptor still thinks that you are someone who could understand the bigger picture."
Li Huowang almost laughed. "You've killed so many people and committed so many crimes, yet you're thinking of recruiting me?"
"Did any of your family members die during the war? If you join us, the Imperial Preceptor can revive them."
Li Huowang stabbed the door without thinking twice. "You think I would believe you? Even the Simings can't do that, so what makes you think you can do it?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
"The Simings of this realm cannot do so, but the Simings from the other realms can. We are humbly requesting you to surrender to us."
Li Huowang frowned and removed his sword. "What did you say?"
He wasn't trying to stab them anymore. He wanted to see if he could fish out more information from the door gods.
"The Simings control the Heavenly Daos. They are gods in a sense, but there are only fifty Heavenly Daos. They cannot do everything, and reviving the dead is one of those things."
"So god Yu'er can do what the Simings can't? Isn't he also controlling a Heavenly Dao?" Li Huowang scoffed and tried to trick Shenshu into telling him more.
"God Yu'er can do so because he controls a special Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Daos of Da Nuo cannot achieve that, but Heavenly Daos beyond this realm can."
"Beyond... Beyond this realm?" Li Huowang was confused. If Da Nuo was this world, what was the realm beyond this?
"Looks like you really don't know anything. Even Xuan Pin didn't tell you about it. It seems that he's wary of you," The door god remarked. "You think you know a lot because you've learned about the Baiyu Capital and the Simings, but there's still much to learn. The Heavenly Daos of Da Nuo have clearly separated Life and Death. One cannot go beyond the other. But this is not the case in the other realms where they can return to life. In their world, life and the afterlife are not as clearly separated. Da Nuo is where you live and all you know, just like a frog beneath a well. You do not know how special the Heavenly Daos of the other realms are."
Li Huowang stared at the door gods. Given how much they had explained, it appeared that they really wanted to recruit him.
"Think carefully. I am telling the truth. Do you not want to revive Zhuge Yuan and Bai Lingmiao's family?"
Li Huowang was perturbed for the first time throughout their conversation. They know about them too?!
"Didn't you say that you want to save the world? Once god Yu'er descends, everyone who died will be brought back to life. Isn't this the salvation you seek?"
"Bullshit!" Li Huowang shouted. "Do you think I'm blind? The Qi Kingdom has been occupied by god Yu'er! Look at what happened over there!"
Li Huowang could still remember the strange liquid flowing out from the Qi Kingdom. The Qi Kingdom had long since submerged in the strange liquid that turned humans into monsters.
"Foolish. Have you been to the Qi Kingdom today? You've only listened to rumors. God Yu'er revived everyone in the Qi Kingdom and eliminated famine! Now, people can enjoy a peaceful era where everyone looks out for each other! Everyone is now equal to each other!"
1. Divine guardians of doors from Chinese folklore who ward off evil influences. ☜
2. A deity that suppresses and hunts down evil entities. One of the door gods, with the other being called Yulu. ☜
Chapter 717 - Ambush
The Qi Kingdom is saved? Everyone is equal? Li Huowang never thought he would hear something like that from the Dharma Sect.
He swung his spine sword towards the door. A rift flew out and red liquid spilled out from it, tainting and mutating everything it touched.
Li Huowang pointed at the liquid and snarled, "Is this what you meant by saving the people? The Qi Kingdom is still covered in that crappy stuff! How dare you claim that the people of the Qi Kingdom have been revived and are living in peace!"
"Li Huowang, it seems that I overestimated how much you know about the world. I thought you would easily understand it as a Twisted One, but I was mistaken. It looks like Xuan Pin hid a lot of things from you."
Before Li Huowang could even answer, a lump of flesh plopped out from the closing rift. It was white, sticky, and looked like a deformed body.
Due to the rift closing, only half of the organism's body managed to reach the Liang Kingdom. Even so, it tried to crawl on the ground as it expanded and contracted without any signs of dying.
Several short pink tentacles sprouted from the organism's forehead, and it let out a baby's cry. Its body lacked a fixed shape and continuously changed.
Shenshu looked at the organism and said, "Both kindness and evil are illusions. Our bodies are like bubbles, yet our hearts are like the wind. Everything is an illusion."
"What the fuck are you talking about? Explain clearly!" Li Huowang said as he stared at the weird organism. He felt unsettled because the organism still had the vague shape of a human.
"All kind acts are illusions, just as all evil acts are. Our bodies are like bubbles that gather together, having form but no essence. Our hearts are like the wind, shapeless and traceless but capable of being felt. In a sense, everything we feel is an illusion."
Shenshu pointed at the organism that was trying to escape into the courtyard. "But now, things are different. God Yu'er allows us to break free from such illusions and become real. We are no longer like bubbles or the wind!
"As long as you submit to god Yu'er, we will no longer be false! Think about this, Li Huowang. This is what an Immortal looks like. Aren't you a Daoist too? If you worship god Yu'er, you too can become an Immortal!"
"Immortal?" Li Huowang stared at the organism before realizing what it was and why the people of the Qi Kingdom no longer died.
The people in the Qi Kingdom had indeed revived, but it was a fate worse than death.
Shenshu refused to give up on persuading Li Huowang. "How about it?"
"No."
"No?" Shenshu stared at Li Huowang in disbelief. "Do you not want to revive the people close to you? Do you not want to become an Immortal?"
"Of course I want to," Li Huowang said, tightening his grip on his swords, "but I don't like begging people for it. Since you've said that god Yu'er has the Heavenly Dao to revive people, I do not need to negotiate with him. I can just kill him and take it for myself. Isn't that better?"
To the Dharma Sect, this was nothing short of heresy.
"You dare besmirch the name of god Yu'er?!"
Bam! The doors slammed shut. The red armor of both door gods gradually turned green.
Li Huowang wasn't surprised that there was an ambush. He shot another rift towards the door gods and dashed towards it.
The door gods had to open the door to let the rift fly out. By the time they closed the doors again, Li Huowang was nowhere to be seen.
The two door gods looked at each other before nodding. They clapped their palms together and chanted, "The Dharma itself is without Dharma, but it is still the Dharma. When facing the lack of Dharma, how can the Dharma not be the Dharma?"
Their consciousness expanded and covered the entire place. Nothing escaped their senses. "Be careful. He knows how to burrow into the ground."
Without warning, Li Huowang burst out from the ground and cut one of the door gods in half, splitting the wooden door into two.
He was about to attack the second door god when Li Sui shouted in his ears.
"Dad! He's on your body!"
"What?" Li Huowang looked down and saw the door god in his red robes.
The door god swung his sword and cut Li Huowang's arm in half, but countless black tentacles sprouted and grafted it back to Li Huowang.
"Scram!" Li Sui gave Li Huowang his ribs, and he stabbed them into his torso. The pain from his chest was transmitted to the door god.
The door god suffered intense pain and tried to escape. It slid onto the ground, but Li Huowang didn't let it go.
Li Huowang stomped the door god with his right foot and swung his sword downwards.
Suddenly, everything around Li Huowang turned dark. He looked up and saw that the other door god was trying to crush his body with the door itself!
Just as the door god had almost crushed Li Huowang, Peng Longteng crashed into it with the warhorse and destroyed the door into pieces. She then laughed ecstatically as she battered the left wall with her bloody body.
Li Huowang looked at the door god on the ground and grabbed it with both arms. He pulled the door god's body in two opposing directions and stretched its body long.
In the end, the door god cried in pain as Li Huowang tore it in half. At the same time, the walls and roof collapsed.
By the time the dust settled, Li Huowang had walked out from the rubble. He looked at the army breaching the city wall and mumbled, "Is that it? It looks like the Dharma Sect is fighting a losing battle."
He didn't know if it was because his abilities were growing rapidly, but he felt that it had been too easy.
A strange female voice chuckled from behind Li Huowang. "Is that so? Well, I don't think so."
He slowly turned around and saw a woman wearing a large porcelain doll's head. She was sitting on a roof and holding two dolls of door god in her hands.
One was torn in half, while the other was torn into several pieces—just like the door gods that had just perished.
Chapter 718 - Bring It On
She threw the dolls away. "Are you Li Huowang? Let me ask you again. Will you really not join us?"
Li Huowang didn't bother answering her. Several tentacles slammed the ground and propelled him forward as he raised his sword.
Li Huowang was about to cut down the woman when the animal ornaments on the roof ridge came to life and tried to bite Li Huowang.
Li Sui's tentacles burst forth from his abdomen and bound all of the ornaments. Li Huowang didn't even need to use his energy to take care of the things below him.
His sword was now less than three inches away from the lady's head.
Pa! The doll's head suddenly flew upwards as if it had grown wings, revealing the middle-aged woman beneath it.
The woman stared at Li Huowang blankly when he was about to kill her. They locked gazes, and Li Huowang suddenly felt a chill in his spine.
He didn't know who she was, but he was certain she was dangerous.
Li Huowang then realized what was happening. She's a Muddled One!
It was a trap!
"Close your eyes!" Li Huowang shouted, and the woman complied.
Li Huowang stared at the woman and used his cultivation. Her eyelids rapidly merged with her face, giving her no chance to open eyes once more.
"Hahaha!" The doll's head rolling on the ground laughed. "Li Huowang, do you think that it's over? We've prepared so many traps for you today! You will die here!"
Bam! A horse hoof slammed downwards and crushed the doll's head.
"Bring it on then! Show me everything!" Peng Longteng swung her halberd and hollered.
While Peng Longteng taunted them, Li Huowang realized he was in danger and didn't dare risk it. He immediately ran towards the place where the city wall had fallen.
There was no reason not to run now that they had declared they had a trap for him.
Li Huowang jumped from roof to roof as he escaped.
But then he saw something unexpected. A Lama in black clothes was sitting on one of the roofs with his back facing towards Li Huowang. The Lama also had a black cloth on his shoulder.
A Lama? Just as Li Huowang realized this, the Lama took out a prayer wheel and started spinning it, chanting in a strange language.
As the wheel spun faster, Li Huowang felt it was pulling him towards it. He lost control of his eyes as they gradually looked towards the spinning wheel.
It's the Lama from the Antrabhara Temple! What's the Siming of Death doing? Is it working for both sides?! Li Huowang swung his spine sword and sent a rift towards the Lama.
The tiles split apart as the rift shot forward. A strong wind suddenly surged downwards as numerous white shadows flew down. Every time they brushed past Li Huowang's body, they left laceration wounds so deep that they revealed Li Huowang's bones.
When one of the white shadows swooped down again, Li Huowang whipped his bronze coin sword around, cutting the white shadows in the process.
But Li Huowang was caught off-guard when the bronze coin sword easily cut through the white shadows. They were surprisingly fragile.
As he whipped the bronze coin sword ferociously, numerous white shadows were cut into pieces of paper.
Li Huowang finally realized who was ambushing him upon seeing two scholars blocking him from the front and back. The scholars had three arms instead of two.
But it was clear they were not the only ones. Li Huowang quickly glanced around and saw people from different sects that had joined the Dharma Sect.
He was completely surrounded.
Someone stepped forward, and Li Huowang immediately recognized who it was. The familiar face with a white towel on his forehead belonged to Taishan Shi, a devotee of the Dharma Sect in the Qi Kingdom.
Li Huowang tried to delay them as he looked around for an opportunity. "I was curious as to why there were no news about you. It seems that you had escaped to this place."
He was completely surrounded and had no choice but to break through the encirclement with brute force.
"Do you really think you can stop me with so few people?" Li Huowang said slowly.
"Stop lying. The only reason you managed to escape the Earth Dragon's stomach was the Cang-Qiang Ascension. You are alone today, and you will die."
Taishan Shi raised his chin and everyone launched themselves toward Li Huowang.
Bam! Peng Longteng fell from the sky with her war horse and crushed two people beneath her. She then charged forward into the crowd.
"Fire!" Li Huowang sacrificed his skin and was quickly engulfed by flames.
But the pain was not enough. Ba-Hui needed more.
Li Huowang's flesh burst open like fish scales, and the fire slithered inside.
Sensing that something was wrong, Li Huowang immediately spat Li Sui out.
His blood was being burned by the fire as it boiled. Li Huowang had never felt pain this severe before. He burned, both inside and out.
And thanks to the price he paid, the fire on his body intensified many times over.
"Ba-Hui, you fucking bitch!" Li Huowang cursed at the sky before he charged toward Taishan Shi with his burning body.
Li Huowang was both the fuel and the flames. Everything around him burned up regardless of whether they were flammable or not. The very air distorted from the intense heat.
"Charge!" Peng Longteng charged into the fire.
Her armor, halberd, and even her war horse were covered in the very same flames from Li Huowang's body.
This was the most excited she had ever been since becoming Li Huowang's illusion.
"Bring it on!"
Peng Longteng stabbed her halberd backward and hooked Li Huowang's body. She swung it forcefully and launched the burning Li Huowang like a catapult towards the crowd!
Chapter 719 - Array
Li Huowang crashed into the group after being thrown by Peng Longteng.
The fire on Li Huowang's body radiated outward, turning him into a human torch. The flames burned everything, including inflammable objects.
At the same time, the burning Peng Longteng reached the crowd too as she swung her halberd at the Dharma Sect.
Her armor was already a dull red from the flames. She was like a god of massacre as she cut down everyone in her path.
The Dharma Sect landed numerous attacks on Peng Longteng, including several fatal ones, but she refused to fall down. Li Huowang had removed the one weakness that those from the military had: their mortality.
"Die! Everyone must die!"
Peng Longteng felt alive again. She felt as if she had returned to the days when she led crusades and raids across the sandy plains. She loved this feeling, and she loved killing people. She relished the feeling of stomping humans beneath her horse.
The Dharma Sect was clearly at a disadvantage with Peng Longteng and Li Huowang attacking them. Many of them burned up without being able to do anything.
Even so, the Dharma Sect had plans to fight against the unyielding Li Huowang.
"To the east of Qianjing Yao's Jade Pool is the Qingtong, commanded by the Sacred One! Fire is thrown from ten thousand miles away as it shakes the palace but the rain riders bring the overwhelming mist swiftly! Mulang and Taiyi are the strongest in the three mountains, while thunder breaks through the source of springs! A single shout changed the darkness into light across the four seas, and wherever the rainstorm reaches, the rivers overflow!"
Three cherrywood swords with purple talismans pointed at the sky. Dark clouds gathered, and rain showered down on Li Huowang.
Even though the rain couldn't extinguish the fire given by Ba-Hui, it still suppressed it.
As it rained heavily, a witch jumped out of Li Huowang's shadow to stab his calves.
A tentacle shot out and restrained the witch's hand. "Don't you dare touch my father!"
The witch saw several more black tentacles shooting towards her.
The tentacles became smooth as they were exposed in the rain. Li Sui slid her tentacles past the witch's veil and into her orifices.
After Li Sui got used to the new body, she turned around and started stabbing the black dagger at the other Dharma Sect members.
Many Dharma Sect members fell under Li Huowang and Peng Longteng's assault, but Taishan Shi showed no hints of panic. Instead, he was counting something using his fingers.
As he quickly calculated, the Dharma Sect surrounding Li Huowang moved rhythmically.
Taishan Shi is still their leader! I didn't think he would be able to adapt so well after several months! I need to kill him instead, or there will be no end to this! Li Huowang then gave Peng Longteng a knowing look.
The experienced Peng Longteng knew what he wanted. She spun her halberd before hurling it at Taishan Shi.
The heavy weapon flew towards Taishan Shi, but an old man beside him tried to block it. The old man waved his sleeve, and several dark shadows shot out towards the halberd.
Just as the shadows almost crashed into the halberd, Li Huowang focused his gaze on the halberd. It turned back into an illusion and phased through the shadows.
The halberd never stopped as it continued to fly towards Taishan Shi.
But now that it had changed back into an illusion, only Li Huowang could see it.
Before the halberd crashed into Taishan Shi, Li Huowang focused, and the halberd materialized back into reality.
Even Taishan Shi couldn't dodge when the halberd was so close to him. The halberd landed squarely on his body.
But Taishan Shi was unharmed. As the halberd struck his body, the sound of metal clashing into stone reverberated throughout the area.
Taishan Shi then grabbed the halberd and snapped it in half, much to the shock of Li Huowang and Peng Longteng.
Taishan Shi threw the halberd onto the ground before he looked at Li Huowang. "Formation!"
The Dharma Sect around Li Huowang removed their clothes and revealed their tattoos.
The tattoos were written in a strange language resembling circles.
Amidst the heavy rain, the witches started rapidly shaking and twisting their bodies.
The tattoos on their bodies linked with one another as they formed a large-scale living array. Li Huowang was in the middle of the array. This time, the array was even more complex than the one the Dharma Sect had laid in the swamp!
A strange voice escaped from the witches' mouth. It resembled the chanting of a scripture, but some of their words were almost impossible to be spoken with a human's vocal chord.
"Yan na li luo mi duo ma shu, the Heavenly Door opens, yan ma li duo dou luo sha shu, may the Doors of the Damned remain open, yan tuo su li luo ma ji sha shu, may we surpass life and death..."
As they chanted in unison, Li Huowang heard the faintest trace of a crane's cry.
Li Huowang didn't know what they were trying to do, but he knew that if he didn't stop them now, he would die!
He shot out several rifts using the spine sword towards the witches. To his surprise, none of them made any attempts to dodge it.
After they perished, the tattoos on their body detached and floated in the air as the array continued to activate.
The faint voice of a crane's cry could be heard, and Li Huowang felt something staring at him from above.
The familiar feeling made Li Huowang realize what was going on. "Are they trying to summon god Yu'er just to deal with me!?"
Li Huowang still remembered how strong Yinyang Doulao was, even though it had just been part of it. Even Zhuge Yuan hadn't been able to fight against Doulao.
If god Yu'er descended, Li Huowang was certain he would die. He was Ji Zai's Twisted One, but he would still die.
Even Peng Longteng and Suisui knew this. They quickly killed the people in the array, but the crane's cry continued to grow stronger.
Li Huowang swung his sword at the tattoos floating in the middle of the air. Even though he managed to cut them, the tattoos glued back together in the next instant.
"Li Huowang, today is the day you die!" Taishan Shi glared at him. "You should be proud! Not everyone gets to meet Sir Arrogant Stone!"
"You want me to die? Dream on!" Li Huowang threw his sword upwards. He then stomped on Peng Longteng's hands as she flung him upwards.
High up in the air, Li Huowang looked down. His eyes were already white from being burned, but he still saw what the array looked like.
The twisting array formed the massive character "滇."[1]
The crane's cry became louder by the second. Li Huowang snarled and imagined himself grabbing the entire array. He grabbed the top and bottom parts with his hands.
1. 滇 is the old name for Yunnan Province. I can't find any other meaning for it. ☜