Qing Wanglai unleashed a continuous barrage of gunshots, the sound echoing without pause.
The bullets hit some of the men and scared the rest, making them retreat.
After several rounds, Qing Wanglai ejected the magazine and reloaded the gun with a new one. Chen Hongyu and Qian Fu pushed one of the shelves towards the men to buy him time.
Behind Chen Hongyu was Li Huowang. He punched forward like a leopard, raising his cleaver and stabbing an intruder's neck. Yang Na was also fighting. She shouted incessantly as she sprayed pepper spray towards the intruders.
The chaotic battle didn't last long. By the time Qing Wanglai shot his gun again, the situation was under their control.
The other intruders retreated since the struggle put up by Li Huowang and the others was too strong.
They never thought Li Huowang and the others would fight back so hard. They came in ill-prepared.
By the time the white smoke completely dissipated, the chaotic room was back to its usual calmness.
Li Huowang panted as he touched the blood on his neck. He checked the corpses and saw four of them belonged to the intruder, while the fifth one was Wang Gang.
The two other people they had caught escaped during the chaos.
Li Huowang ignored them. He was still figuring out what had happened to them. He knew they would fight one day, but he never thought it would be so soon.
He approached Yang Na and checked if she was injured. Thankfully, she was unharmed, although she was crying. He quickly calmed her down before he approached Qing Wanglai, who was inspecting the corpses.
"You actually had a real gun?" Li Huowang was surprised. He never expected Qing Wanglai to hide his true strength so deeply. Even Li Huowang was fooled by Qing Wanglai.
"Do I?" Qing Wanglai asked.
"Do you take me for a blind man?"
Li Huowang thought Qing Wanglai was joking when Qing Wanglai asked Wu Qi, "Wu Qi, do I have a real gun?"
"No, of course not. How could you have a real gun? It's illegal."
Li Huowang realized what they meant and nodded. "Fine, you don't have a real gun. So... Who are they?"
Qing Wanglai checked the corpses and said, "They don't look like amateurs to me." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"What?"
"This means that their real body is very complicated. We need to prepare for the worst."
"No! No more!" Yang Na stood up as she cried. "We need to report this to the police! Don't you see how many people have died?! Five! Five people died!"
She looked around and found her bag. She wanted to call the police using her phone.
She reached for her bag, but Wu Qi snatched it away.
"Wu Qi?" Yang Na looked at Wu Qi in disbelief as the latter shook her head.
"We can't call the police."
"Why not?"
Wu Qi shook her head. She didn't want to explain and instead gestured towards Qing Wanglai.
"Because now is not the time. Do you remember what I've said? This is the observer effect." Qing Wanglai strapped his gun behind his back.
"When everyone realizes it, the outcome will change too. We cannot determine what the others will think of us if we reveal this to the public."
"Are you crazy?! Don't you see the dead people on the ground?!" Yang Na took a step back in disbelief.
Qing Wanglai stared at Yang Na seriously and pondered.
"I agree about reporting to the police." Li Huowang raised his arm in agreement.
He stepped on a corpse's head as he said, "They didn't believe me when I showed them the two fingers last time. I refuse to believe that they would dismiss me now. They will have to believe that someone is trying to kidnap me. I don't think they would regard me as someone crazy after we killed five people."
Wu Qi looked at the black security anklet on Li Huowang's foot. "Do you really want to do that? Don't forget you killed three of them. Even if you convince them that they came for you, they will still lock you up for good in the mental hospital. You won't be jailed since it's not a crime for a mentally ill person to kill someone, but that doesn't mean you'll be free from any repercussions."
Yang Na lowered her head and sobbed. She stopped talking about reporting to the police.
"Hehehe... Fake! Everything is fake! Reporting to the police won't work!" Zhao Lei wriggled on the ground with his limbs tied up.
"Everyone, listen to me," Qing Wanglai said. "I'm not trying to scare everyone, but this is a serious matter. If you don't believe me, I will show you the data from my experiments after we deal with the issue."
Li Huowang knew that things wouldn't be as simple as they seemed. "I doubt it will be that simple. How are you going to deal with five corpses if you don't report to the police?"
The sportscar and the gun had already made Li Huowang suspicious of Qing Wanglai. If Qing Wanglai could really deal with five corpses discreetly, Li Huowang would have to reconsider their cooperation. What kind of background does he have?
"I don't have any background, and I don't need to deal with the corpses. They will come and clean it up themselves. I'm sure they don't want the public to learn what they were up to. For now, we need to ask how many people they've sent after us and what kind of plans they have for us."
"Everyone is dead. Who are you going to ask?"
"Who said everyone is dead?" Qing Wanglai pointed at Zhao Lei.
Qing Wanglai picked up Zhao Lei and patted the dust off Zhao Lei's shirt. "You should know that I'm very trustworthy. We are all friends here. If you tell us what you know, I will forgive you."
Qing Wanglai chose a different method to deal with Zhao Lei since the latter wouldn't succumb to force or coaxing.
Li Huowang frowned. He wanted to say something but decided to remain silent.
Zhao Lei stared at the corpses on the ground and remained silent.
After a while, he made his request. "Give me back my stuff or I won't cooperate."
Li Huowang was angered and approached Zhao Lei. "What did I steal?! Wake up!"
Zhao Lei glared at him. "Stop trying to weasel your way out of this! Are you just faking it?!"
"Go take some medicine if you are crazy! Stop trying to act crazy here!"
Chapter 731 - Them
"Enough! Now is not the time to fight."
Qing Wanglai stopped the two of them. He gave Li Huowang a knowing look before turning to Zhao Lei.
"Zhao Lei, what did Li Huowang take from you? We can give it back as long as we have it."
"Two... Two magnets and my eyes!"
Li Huowang was furious. Zhao Lei was the one at fault for attacking him in the first place!
And now, Zhao Lei wanted Li Huowang to give him back an eye. It was clear that Zhao Lei didn't want to cooperate.
Zhao Lei suddenly straightened his neck and glared at Li Huowang. "You think you don't have to return them to me after you forgot about them? Think carefully! Think carefully about what is real and what is not! Don't you think everything around you is too random? Don't you think it's too fake?"
Li Huowang frowned as his frustration grew. He then gripped Zhao Lei's neck with his hands.
"You want to kill me? Fine! You are a murderer to begin with! What else wouldn't you do? All of you are the same! No need to pretend to be kind! How dare you all call me a traitor!"
Li Huowang moved his hands to Zhao Lei's shirt collar and held him up. "What the fuck do you mean? Just tell me the truth and stop talking in circles!"
"I've already said it clearly! It's just that you don't understand me. You call me sick? The one who's sick is you!"
"I'm not sick! I've been cured!"
Li Huowang took out a sharp pike and stabbed Zhao Lei's abdomen. Everyone else failed to react to Li Huowang's sudden actions.
Zhao Lei did not relent even though his abdomen hurt. He continued to shout at Li Huowang, "Fake! Everything is fake! Can't you differentiate it?! Everything is fake! Even your illness being cured is fake!"
Li Huowang glared at Zhao Lei's single remaining good eye, and a strange memory surfaced in his mind—something about a boat.
"Why... Why did I go onto the boat last time?" Li Huowang tried to recall but couldn't remember anything.
Zhao Lei saw the bewilderment in Li Huowang's eyes and immediately smiled. "You remembered? You remembered, right? Think carefully! You were the one who attacked first! Give everything back or I won't help you!"
"I attacked first?" Li Huowang chuckled as he paced in front of Zhao Lei rapidly.
He suddenly stopped and pointed at Zhao Lei's head. "Stop bullshitting us! I was the one who attacked first? It was you! You were..."
Li Huowang suddenly forgot what he was trying to say and paced in front of Zhao Lei again.
His breathing quickened as he tried to remember. Everything around him shimmered.
He suddenly stopped and pointed at Zhao Lei again. "You! You were the one..."
The words lingered in his throat, but he couldn't say anything. Li Huowang was very frustrated by how close he was to remembering everything.
He snarled and stabbed the pike into his abdomen instead.
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
"Huowang!" Yang Na and the others rushed forward to stop Li Huowang.
"Wait! Don't interfere! Let him remember what happened!" Zhao Lei stood at the side as he looked at Li Huowang.
"Just rest for now. Don't let your old illness relapse. I will handle this." Qing Wanglai patted Li Huowang's shoulder before he walked towards Zhao Lei.
Li Huowang breathed rapidly in Yang Na's embrace. His eyes darted around, taking in his surroundings. He was searching for something—he sensed something had changed in the air, and yet there were no visible changes around him.
Yang Na took out several pills from Li Huowang's pocket. Chen Hongyu gave her a cup of water so that Li Huowang could take his medicine.
After taking the pills, Li Huowang's visibly calmed down a lot. Only then did the rest give them space.
Before returning it to Li Huowang, Wu Qi examined the ingredients listed on the medicine's label.
"Wait." Li Huowang shook his head and stood up. "Let me talk to Zhao Lei!"
"That's enough. Rest for now. No need to overexert yourself." Wu Qi supported him and slowly sat him down. "You're mentally unwell, so don't overdo it. Let Qing Wanglai do it instead."
"I'm not mentally unwell!"
"Sure you are not," Chen Hongyu chirped.
Just then, someone shouted from the entrance, "Hey! Now is not the time to be chatting. Someone is coming. The gunshot just now was too loud!"
Qian Fu ran down the stairs and alerted everyone.
Qing Wanglai didn't waste any time. He grabbed Zhao Lei and walked towards the entrance.
The others followed him and locked the door. They all entered Wu Qi's RV before leaving the place.
Wu Qi whispered something to Qing Wanglai before the latter explained, "The scuffle just now was too loud. To prevent the police from suspecting us, we will send you back first. I will message you once we have more information."
Li Huowang nodded as he looked at Zhao Lei.
Qing Wanglai patted Li Huowang's shoulder. "Don't worry. Since they are trying to do something secretly, they won't dare do anything to you in broad daylight."
Li Huowang lost interest in melee weapons after seeing the gun. He looked at Qing Wanglai. "Give me a gun."
"Here." Qing Wanglai gave him one.
Li Huowang took it and threw it to the side. "I don't want the lighter[1]."
Qing Wanglai chuckled and kept the lighter. "You've never used the gun before. It's easy to injure yourself if you are untrained. I will teach you when we have time."
Instead of dropping them off directly at the residential area, Wu Qi let them off just one street away. Li Huowang and Yang Na walked back while holding hands.
Yang Na was worried. "Huowang, are you alright?"
"Don't worry. I'm fine." Li Huowang increased his pace.
"Even though we are allies, we cannot trust them completely. We have to leave some room for doubt."
"Why?"
"Zhao Lei was right. Qing Wanglai is a smart man. I fear he has his own agenda. Also, I don't know anything about their previous conflicts. All I know is that even patients in mental hospitals can have their own agendas."
1. This is referring to the gun-shaped lighter that Qing Wanglai showed to Li Huowang in chapter 727. Basically, he just gave him a fake gun ☜
Chapter 732 - Illusion
Si Qi, Xuantai Mountain, Luminous Temple, Grand Courage Hall
Li Huowang looked at the black-skinned monk cut in half as his sword cut into the monk's flesh. The black water flowing out of the monk splashed towards his face.
Sensing the oddness of the water, Li Huowang used the four tentacles on his back to pull himself backward, narrowly avoiding the black water.
"Hoh..." Li Huowang exhaled as he felt the murderous aura in the hall.
He had already lost an arm, but still held onto his three swords with his tentacles. A vast expanse of corpses lay behind him, all of them monks.
Li Huowang snarled at the golden Buddha statue to the back.
The golden Buddha had a black cloth on its shoulders. The Buddha's face was neither sad nor happy, but the most terrifying aspect was the human flesh and blood offerings in front of it.
It was one thing for the entire temple to defect to the Dharma Sect, but it was another matter for them to make a statue of god Yu'er! The warrior monks here had even learned military techniques. It was a dangerous place that Li Huowang had to eliminate immediately.
He took a deep breath and ran towards the Buddha statue. He jumped in the air when he had almost reached the altar.
Using his cultivation, he jumped continuously in the air as if there were invisible stairs.
He reached the top of the Buddha's head and swung down his purple-tassel sword.
Just then, the golden coating of the Buddha statue burst open, revealing black cracks in its body. Li Huowang saw living beings through the cracks.
The Buddha statue glared at Li Huowang, grabbed him with both hands, and bit him with its black mouth. Its black teeth sunk into Li Huowang's body, but for some reason, it couldn't crush his bones.
Li Huowang stepped on the lower jaw of the Buddha statue while using his upper body to force its mouth open. This way, he wouldn't get swallowed.
"You want to eat me? Let me give you a taste then!" Li Huowang opened his mouth and vomited Li Sui out.
The tentacles quickly shrunk into his body as Li Sui fell into the Buddha's gullet. "Li Sui, eat that bastard!"
Li Huowang forced the Buddha to keep its mouth open by wedging the purple-tassel sword inside. He leaped outside with his spine sword, only to find the Buddha's hands waiting for him.
Just then, a halberd spun in the air and chopped off all of the Buddha's fingers.
"Are you trying to kill a Buddha? Good! I've always hated that bald bastard!" Peng caught her halberd midair while riding her horse, then charged towards the Buddha's statue.
Even though the Buddha's statue was humongous, it continued to retreat against Li Huowang's and Peng Longteng's attacks.
The situation was under control for now, but Li Huowang was worried about Suisui. She had been inside the Buddha for a long time and still hadn't emerged.
I should've jumped down with her. I need to deal with this as soon as possible.
Li Huowang was about to end it when he saw half of a dog's face forcing itself out from the Buddha's belly.
Li Huowang heard a soft voice coming out from the belly button. "Dad! Help! They... ate... my... head..."
Li Huowang panicked when he heard that. He rushed forward without any care as he endured the attacks from the Buddha statue. He used his sword to cut open the Buddha's stomach.
Li Huowang saw the mangled limbs and broken tentacles pouring out of the Buddha's statue. He felt his heart go cold. Suddenly, a skinned dog's skull appeared out of the hole with some of the Buddha's intestines. "Dad, whose limbs are those?"
Li Sui was fine. The voice from before wasn't hers.
Immediately after, the tentacles and limbs disappeared. It was just Li Huowang's cultivation of the 'Truth.' The tentacles and the voice from before were not the original Li Sui.
"What?"
As Li Huowang was stunned, the Buddha's palm slammed down. The sound of bones cracking could be heard as he was crushed into the ground.
Ten minutes later, Li Huowang grunted as he dragged the massive Buddha's head out of the temple. His body was covered in blood.
He looked down from the top of the hall and saw the warrior monks still desperately fighting against the soldiers. Li Huowang kicked the Buddha's head down the steps.
The warrior monks lost their will to fight when they saw their Buddha's head rolling down. The soldiers made short work of them and ended the fight.
Li Huowang panted and sat on a cushion. He continued to monitor the other fights through the mirror that Xuan Pin had given him.
The soldiers saw what he was doing and thought he was weird, but Li Huowang had long disregarded how others perceived him. He only needed to know he wasn't crazy—that was all that mattered.
Li Sui was dirty and tired. She leaned on Li Huowang's back and nudged her skull towards him. "Dad, you are so strong. You killed so many bad people."
Li Huowang sighed and kept the mirror. He knew how strong he was now. In fact, he was even stronger than the half-immortal Dan Yangzi.
As his cultivation improved, it became easier for him to unwittingly change his surroundings according to his thoughts.
It didn't have to be a thought that he was focusing on. It could be a random intrusive thought, but his cultivation would still turn it into reality.
He remembered Li Sui's shout for help and the version of her that he had accidentally turned into reality. Just thinking about it for a moment had been enough for it to become real.
It wasn't a good sign and was impacting his daily life. Thankfully, the enemies he faced today hadn't been too strong, or he would've actually died.
Nothing was real when nothing was fake in front of him.
It wasn't the first time this had happened. This was the fourth since the time he accidentally materialized Bai Lingmiao from his thoughts.
Instead of fighting against the Dharma Sect, he was now fighting against himself.
Chapter 733 - Real
Li Huowang wanted to deal with these complications as soon as he could. Thankfully, despite how difficult the situation seemed, there were still ways to remedy it.
He remembered what Shai Zi had told him last time. Cultivating 'Truth' without cultivating 'Lies' would cause him to become a demon.
It was a reasonable suggestion too. As long as he cultivated 'Lies,' they would balance out his cultivation of 'Truth.'
But the problem was that he didn't believe in the words of Shai Zi. Who would believe the Sitting Oblivion Dao?
Shai Zi once said he never lied to anyone to trick them, but he also once mocked Li Huowang for believing the words of the Sitting Oblivion Dao. It was contradictory.
Li Huowang judged the situation before deciding to give it a try.
It wasn't that bad to cultivate 'Lies.' Rather than being tricked by the Sitting Oblivion Dao, Li Huowang had to turn himself into a Sitting Oblivion Dao member to trick others.
The Heavenly Dao of Lies was also in Ji Zai's hands. Li Huowang was certain that it was safer than it was in Doulao's hands.
Since Ji Zai held both the Heavenly Dao of Lies and the Heavenly Dao of Truth, it was natural for him to be able to use both powers.
"The situation here has stabilized for now. I have to leave this place for a moment."
He murmured alone while Xuan Pin's illusion floated out from a wooden fish.
"We are now at an important juncture of the war. People are constantly dying on the frontline. Without you, I'm afraid most of the soldiers will have to sacrifice themselves in a battle of attrition."
"Stop trying to threaten me like that. If you really thought their lives were that precious, you would've given me some secret artifacts to fight back."
Li Huowang had always aimed to destroy the Dharma Sect and save the world, but he knew he needed to address his problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would be too worried to fight.
Li Huowang wasted no time, patting Li Sui's head before standing up and walking out of the hall.
"This is a tricky matter. What do you intend to do?" Xuan Pin asked, somehow knowing Li Huowang's problems.
"Do you have a solution?"
"Maybe for a regular person, but it won't work on you. You are both a Strayed One and a Twisted One."
"I knew you wouldn't have the solution. If you had it, you wouldn't have kept it a secret until now."
Li Huowang walked down the blood-stained stairs and reached the bottom of the mountain.
He saw that the stable had been crushed by the Buddha's head, killing both of his horses. He had no choice but to take off the reins.
"Senior Li?" Li Huowang didn't even turn around when he heard the familiar voice. "Stop! Don't come close to me! Let's talk after I deal with my problem!"
He could no longer differentiate the real Bai Lingmiao from the one he materialized, so he chose to ignore all of them.
He heard the sound of footsteps stopping at a distance before he sighed. "How's Taishan Shi? Is he still refusing to speak?"
He had hoped to extract information from Taishan Shi after Bai Lingmiao caught him, but even after using all of his techniques, Taishan Shi still refused to leak any information.
Taishan Shi's body was as tough as stone, and his mouth was even tougher. Li Huowang had no choice but to send Taishan Shi to the barracks in hopes that the Surveillance Bureau had a method to interrogate him.
Bai Lingmiao replied, "No. We tried all sorts of methods, but he refused to say anything. Do you think he actually doesn't know anything?"
"Impossible. He must have key information about the Dharma Sect. Did the Chiefs come and visit him?"
"No. We tried to contact them, but all of them were busy dealing with the Dharma Sect, so they couldn't make time."
"Bullshit. I don't even see them in the mirror. Xuan Pin, what are you up to now? Can't you even spare some time to interrogate him?"
"I've sent some men, but it'll take some time for them to get there since they can't fly."
"Hurry up. Taishan Shi is a key figure in the Dharma Sect, so he must have some vital information, especially since he came from the Qi Kingdom."
Li Huowang sat on a horse he materialized and prepared to leave.
"Senior Li, I won't follow you, but at least tell me where you are heading."
Li Huowang pondered and answered Bai Lingmiao's question, "Qing Qiu."
"Qing Qiu? Why?"
"I know how to cultivate 'Truth,' but only the Sitting Oblivion Dao knows how to cultivate 'Lies.' Unfortunately, everyone in the Sitting Oblivion Dao has been killed. I can only find them in the Feng Capital of Qing Qiu's underground."
Xuan Pin exclaimed in surprise before Bai Lingmiao even said anything, "What a genius idea! To cultivate both 'Truth' and 'Lies' to balance each other out."
"Hm?" Li Huowang stared at Xuan Pin's illusion.
"Shai Zi is correct. This method would work." Xuan Pin was certain of it.
"Really? How can you be so sure?" Li Huowang was suspicious of how supportive Xuan Pin was. Does he have ulterior motives?
"Don't worry, this is definitely going to work. Yin counters Yang, and truth counters lies. Cultivating 'Lies' will balance out your cultivation of 'Truth'".
After hearing Xuan Pin reassuring him, Li Huowang said nothing else. He urged the horse to run towards Qing Qiu as fast as possible.
Li Sui drew two talismans and pasted them onto the horse's back.
Bai Lingmiao thought about their conversation. She was both surprised and curious when she asked Xuan Pin, "Master Xuan Pin, are you telling the truth? Will it really work?"
Xuan Pin's voice came from the black hole beneath the red robes. "It doesn't matter if I think it will work or not. The most important thing is for him to believe that it will."
Bai Lingmiao now understood what Xuan Pin was trying to do.
It was the right choice. Even if it was Shai Zi's trap, as long as Li Huowang thought it would work, it would work.
Bai Lingmiao bowed to Xuan Pin, knowing that he was trying to help Li Huowang. "Thank you, Master Xuan Pin. Senior Li is rash, but he's kind. He will understand your kindness."
"I don't need him to understand. I just don't want to die."
Xuan Pin then looked at Bai Lingmiao and stared at her red veil.
"I'm sure that your body made from the evil entity is uncomfortable. If you want, I can refer you to the abbot of the Righteous Monastery. He can make another body for you."
"Really?" Bai Lingmiao was excited. She didn't really care for her appearance since Li Huowang didn't mind, but she was still excited at the prospect of getting her original look back.
"Of course. We are allies now, so I can do this much. It's also just a small favor. The more important thing is for us to help each other."
Chapter 734 - Mahakala
A soft wind blew past the shriveled grass plains.
The skies were dark and the clouds were like lead, hanging low in the sky. Li Huowang was feeling down too.
After rushing for several days, he finally reached Qing Qiu. However, it was no longer the same one he knew.
The emerald green grass plains were gone, replaced by yellowish dried grass that was barely clinging to life. It was even worse than he had expected.
He was worried for Sun Baolu, but he had no time to address Qing Qiu's situation because his own issues had yet to be resolved.
Li Huowang urged his horse with the talisman towards the city.
He recalled someone telling him the city's name once, but he had forgotten about it. The only thing he remembered was the solidified poop of the livestock there.
Qing Qiu's tribal leader had gone to battle, but someone was still managing its disgusting city.
Li Huowang had just entered the city when several guards with tall red hats blocked him.
The guard's mouth didn't move, but a low voice came from their abdomen. "Where are you from? Where are you going?"
Li Huowang revealed his identity plate and pointed at the temple. "To the Antrabhara Temple. I have business with the masters there."
The guards checked his identity plate while the other Qing Qiu residents groveled on the ground.
Soon after, two rows of Lamas wearing black overalls approached Li Huowang as they clapped their hands together.
The Lamas were also people from Qing Qiu. Their skin was tanned and their bodies were skinny. All of them were old, with faces covered in wrinkles or age spots.
Li Huowang had seen them once. It seems that the Antrabhara Temple knows that I'm coming.
They said nothing. They simply bowed to Li Huowang and walked towards the temple.
Li Huowang jumped down from his horse and followed them on foot. The guards dared not stop him.
A black tentacle slid out from his red robes and took back the identity plate from the guards.
Li Huowang followed the Lamas from behind and walked past the groveling people. He walked up the stairs and entered the temple.
The Antrabhara Temple was grand and solemn on the outside but empty on the inside. There weren't many Buddha statues here. Instead, the space was decorated by art drawn on leather and several pagodas that resembled pikes.
The leather art was strange, as there was a lot of it. Each depicted a different scene connected to the Immortal Heaven.
But Li Huowang had not forgotten what he was here for. He asked the Lama before him, "I'm here to seek help from the masters of this place. There is something that only you can do."
The Lamas said nothing, as if they had expected it. They continued to guide Li Huowang into the temple. He walked past a lively hall where discussions were taking place until he reached the innermost room of the temple.
The Lamas talked, and a reply came from inside the room, but Li Huowang didn't understand them since they were talking in the language of Qing Qiu.
Suddenly, the voice inside the room said, "Daoist... Li... I've heard... of you."
The door slowly opened and revealed a completely dark room. The faint voice came from inside.
Li Huowang had just entered when he saw several dried corpses with feathered crowns hanging on the rafters. They were hanging by their necks.
Even though their faces were like skeletons grafted with a piece of skin, their elaborate overalls and the various intricate bone ornaments revealed that they were in the upper ranks of the Antrabhara Temple.
The room wasn't as smelly as Li Huowang had expected. It was filled with various scents instead.
Li Huowang looked up and paid no attention to whether the Lamas were dead or alive. Instead, he proceeded to explain the purpose of his visit.
"I will keep it short since you've heard of me. I have a problem that requires a certain guiding drug ingredient located in the Feng Capital. One of my disciples said you are familiar with that area, so I was hoping you would guide me there."
The Feng Capital was the land governed by the Siming of Death, Kui Lei. Li Huowang had no intention of risking his life. He almost died after facing the Lion Dance Palace last time.
Since the Antrabhara Temple worshiped death and was also fighting against the Dharma Sect, Li Huowang figured that there was no reason for them not to help him.
Right after he explained, he saw a dried corpse to his left sway slightly.
Li Huowang asked, "What do you mean you can't?"
"It's not that we can't. Daoist Li, do you not know that the Feng Capital is not a living person's Kali?" Li Huowang didn't understand what the Lama was talking about.
"Of course I know. If I needed to find someone who was alive, I wouldn't have looked for you."
"It's easy to enter the Feng Capital, but it's difficult to leave."
"No, my friend entered it once. You can just use those spinning wheels to fetch me out later."
Li Huowang remembered how Yang Xiaohai entered and exited the place safely. He refused to believe that he would fail, even though Yang Xiaohai had escaped with the help of Hong Zhong.
"Daoist Li, the times have changed. We are saying this for your own sake. Go back."
Li Huowang frowned. "Did something happen there?"
Another Lama replied, "The Mahakala[1] has moved. It should've been dead and motionless under Qing Qiu."
"What?" Li Huowang had a bad feeling. The Mahakala they spoke of probably refers to Kui Lei, the Siming of Death.
"We have conducted regular sacrifices to appease the Mahakala and allow it to rest in peace, but I fear time is up since the Mahakala has moved. It's no longer in the original location."
"And what does that have to do with the Feng Capital?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Li Huowang refused to leave empty-handed after coming here from so far away.
"Daoist Li, you do not understand. Every time Mahakala moves, an entire village must die. With every step it takes, an entire town must die. Every time it moves, an entire city must die."
Chapter 735 - Enter
Li Huowang finally had a good understanding of what would happen if the Siming of Death moved.
"That is why the grass in Qing Qiu is all dead. After that, the livestock will die. And once they're gone, humans will be next.
"If things continue to die like this, Qing Qiu will become the land of the dead.
"Death should've been the final stop, but now that Mahakala has started moving, more and more people will die early deaths."
Li Huowang was confused. The reason so many people were dying was supposed to be the aftermath of god Yu'er's invasion and the war initiated by the Dharma Sect.
Why are they saying that the deaths are due to Mahakala?
Li Huowang didn't believe them completely.
"Master, I'm very saddened by the death of the grass, but how does it relate to the Feng Capital? I just need to go there and find someone. I can't help you with the grass. You need to find Xuan Pin for help."
No matter what they said, Li Huowang hadn't forgotten why he was there. His issue was more pressing.
Suddenly, one of the ropes snapped, and a corpse fell down in front of Li Huowang.
The corpse had a snarling expression on his wrinkled face. He was angry.
"The Mahakala is moving! Where do you think it is? It's at the Feng Capital now! Mahakala has regained his senses! You don't even need to touch it! You only need to take a single look, and it's over! You would wish you were dead!"
Li Huowang frowned and recalled everything he had seen about the Simings in the Baiyu Capital.
Li Huowang had forgotten most of it, but some of the fragmented memories in his mind still made him tremble.
He had felt insignificant every time he had met a Siming, except for Ji Zai.
The Simings, like Doulao or Ba-Hui, never had to descend into the mortal realm to make him shudder in fear. They had either appeared as projections or looked at him from afar.
The Siming of Death. Can I really take what I need from it?
But if I don't, I will eventually kill someone with my powers.
There were no other methods that he could think of now. The Dharma Sect was constantly getting closer, and Li Huowang had no time to figure out another way.
Li Huowang thought carefully before looking at the dried corpse before him. "Since you know a lot about Mahakala, that means you know how to avoid it, right?"
The dried corpse's eyes moved slightly.
Li Huowang continued, "Xuan Pin has told you before. You should know about me and the situation outside regarding the Dharma Sect. How long can the Antrabhara Temple last when the Dharma Sect invades? I don't want to fight Mahakala. All I need is the guiding drug ingredient in the Feng Capital. We have a common enemy. Helping me is equivalent to helping yourself."
The room of dried corpses said nothing, as if they were pondering.
Just then, the temple started shaking. Li Huowang looked outside and said in a panic, "What are you hesitating for? Another division is gone. Do you really want to wait for all eleven divisions to be completely destroyed before you take action?"
The Lamas nodded when they sensed the quaking. "Fine, we shall let you try once. But you need to know that the Feng Capital is exceedingly dangerous even with our help. Do not let your guard down."
"Fine, we're already short on time, so let's start now!" Li Huowang released the primordial breath in his body and removed the fake scenario he had made just now.
The division did not actually disappear. It was a fake created by Li Huowang to convince the Lamas to help him.
If the cultivation of 'Truth' had no side effects, it would've been an extremely strong ability.
Li Huowang was soon brought into a prayer room with many candles.
When the dried corpses gestured for him to sit, he thought the place was the entrance to the Feng Capital.
Li Huowang sat in the middle while the Lamas sat around him.
"Once you enter the Feng Capital, you will only have three divisions of time, regardless of whether you find the guiding drug ingredient or not. You must come back once you hear the sound of the prayer wheels! Do not delay your departure."
"Alright!" Li Huowang placed both hands on his knees and closed his eyes.
The Lamas slowly chanted. Li Huowang noticed that their mantras were extremely complicated. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"Po Luo Po Bing Da Ni Yin Na Li Ye~"
The Lamas took out a transparent knife from their robes and sliced the air above Li Huowang's head.
Li Huowang opened his eyes and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?!"
However, the Lamas didn't move.
Li Huowang extended his arms, but his hands phased through their bodies.
Chapter 736 - Soul
Li Huowang saw his arm pass effortlessly through the Lama's hand. He instantly understood and looked up, then felt his whole body plummet. He landed directly on the ceiling below.
Li Huowang looked up at the Lamas and his own body surrounded by them. The Feng Capital was clearly not a place the physical body could reach.
He could still hear the Lamas chanting, but the sound was faint and distant, as though muffled by a veil.
The sensation was peculiar—it was as if he was weightless and floating on air. Is this the soul leaving the body? So there really are souls in this world? Why aren't there any ghosts, then?
Li Huowang recalled the Lama's words and didn't tarry. He clenched his fists and walked towards the door.
When he exited the inverted Antrabhara Temple, the outside world had transformed into a vast and desolate desert.
He was not surprised since Yang Xiaohai had warned him. After contemplating momentarily, he headed in the direction Yang Xiaohai had mentioned, where he had bumped into Hong Zhong.
Li Huowang only had three divisions and had to find the Sitting Oblivion Dao's Hong Zhong quickly. If he didn't find him here, he'd have to search in circles around the Antrabhara Temple.
Li Huowang walked through the bleak landscape and constantly looked around his surroundings.
Yang Xiaohai said there's no more of that bizarre seawater from god Yu'er here. What does that mean? Does that mean the Siming responsible for death managed to fend off god Yu'er?
God Yu'er likely hadn't taken over the Siming of Death. A change in the Heavenly Dao should've caused a Natural Disaster. This might be a good thing for them. Any setback for god Yu'er was good news.
Li Huowang was puzzled after walking for some time. He hadn't found Hong Zhong or any of the souls of the dead, which Yang Xiaohai had claimed were everywhere.
There were no souls, no strange, giant ghosts, and no bottomless pits. None of the things described by Yang Xiaohai were here.
As he started to doubt if he was on the correct path, he suddenly sensed something emerging from the distant black fog.
"What is that...?" Li Huowang leaned forward and looked at the shadow forming in the mist.
As the shadow became larger, it eventually exceeded his field of vision. He realized what it was—it was Mahakala, the Siming of Death. I must not look!
Li Huowang lowered his head. He focused on the uneven ground and then moved aside.
The next moment, a terrifyingly low growl echoed, paralyzing him with fear. He couldn't even lift his feet.
All he could do was close his eyes, cover his ears, and curl up into a ball. He chanted to himself, "You can't see me... you can't see me!"
Another low growl sounded, and the immense pressure made Li Huowang feel as if he was on the brink of death.
It felt like a mountain was crushing him.
After an unknown amount of time, the feeling finally dissipated. Li Huowang gasped for breath and got up, then saw that his body had partially melted like a candle.
This had happened just from passing by, without even touching him.
He stared at the distant black fog. So this is Mahakala? This is Kui Lei. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Ba-Hui governed pain, and Doulao governed truth and falsehood. Compared to them, meeting Kui Lei, who governed death, was an entirely different experience. It was like facing eternal silence itself.
He understood why this place was so empty after this recent experience.
Li Huowang was more concerned about whether Hong Zhong's memory was still alive than about whether Shai Zi had lied to him.
If this happened a few more times, Li Huowang wouldn't make it even with the Lamas' protection, let alone Hong Zhong from the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
Could he really have been reincarnated? Does reincarnation exist in this world? Li Huowang began to consider the worst possibilities.
As he thought about this, he looked up and saw something dart into the black fog from the southeast corner of the ceiling.
"Wait!" Li Huowang sprinted towards the ceiling.
When his feet made contact with the uneven ceiling, he chased after the commotion.
It was the first moving thing he had seen in this desolate world of death. He needed to catch it and find out what was going on.
He ran as fast as he could and soon caught a glimpse of its back. It was a child glowing with white light.
"Wait! Don't run!"
The figure only ran faster after he shouted. As he followed the child's steps, his surroundings changed. Gigantic pillars began to appear, dividing the sky and earth. The child vanished behind one of these pillars.
Li Huowang sighed in frustration when a mocking voice came from above. "Why are you chasing it?"
He looked up to see another Li Huowang hanging upside down from the ceiling.
It was Hong Zhong from the Sitting Oblivion Dao. Li Huowang could tell with one look since his own face would never have such an expression.
"Great, you're not dead!" Li Huowang exclaimed, relieved at his luck in finding him so quickly.
"What, you wanted me dead? That makes sense. To you, I'm just a memory created by Doulao." The upside-down Li Huowang wiped his face, which turned into a Hong Zhong mahjong tile.
He continued, "Let me guess, you came all the way to the Feng Capital to find me because you're in trouble? What kind of trouble brings the famous Li Huowang to seek help from a mere memory?"
"You know I'm just a memory, right?" The flesh-and-blood Hong Zhong jumped down and laughed maniacally. "Do you know what that means? It means I reset every hour and start over, which repeats endlessly! Do you understand how that feels? Do you?!"
As he shouted, Hong Zhong began to disintegrate and eventually turn into a pool of writhing blood.
Chapter 737 - Hong Zhong
Li Huowang stood by a giant slanted column and listened to Hong Zhong explain his thoughts.
Once Hong Zhong finished, Li Huowang paused expressionlessly. "You're pretending, aren't you? Why do that at this point?"
Hong Zhong was stunned momentarily. He wiped his face, which reverted to its mahjong tile appearance. His previous agitation was completely gone.
"Impressive, Li Huowang. You saw through it. You're not that dumb, after all."
Everything Hong Zhong had said was an act, meant to toy with him just like before.
Despite all he had been through, Li Huowang hadn't forgotten that this guy was from the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
Even though he was also Li Huowang, he was still from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, and anything he said could be a lie.
"I figured it out by putting myself in your shoes. If I were you, I wouldn't break down over something so trivial. Besides, if you reset every hour, why fear breaking down?"
Hong Zhong chuckled. "True enough. So, tell me, what's happening outside? I'm dying of boredom here."
Li Huowang's brows furrowed. This Hong Zhong, though still Li Huowang, was a different entity created by Doulao.
Since his experiences had been stripped away and made incomplete, his personality had become more extreme.
Seeing that Li Huowang did not respond, Hong Zhong carried on with a proud expression on his face. "Aren't you surprised I still exist, even though Doulao's Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies were seized? Do you want to know how I achieved that?"
"I was supposed to disappear, but I refused to accept that. Do you know why?" Hong Zhong leaned closer.
Li Huowang stepped back. "I don't care how you exist, and I don't want to know. Time is short, so I'll be brief. I'm here because of a troublesome matter, and I need—"
"Wait, wait, wait. Can you let me finish first? Do you think I'm some irrelevant NPC you can skip over? Is this how you ask others for help?"
Li Huowang remained silent, and Hong Zhong nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Now, let me show you my story."
He turned and led Li Huowang to the other side of the column. There was a dense array of carved words on the colossal column.
Li Huowang approached and recognized his own handwriting. Clearly, Hong Zhong had written here to record events beyond the hour.
Li Huowang read the carvings carefully. When he finished, he turned to Hong Zhong. "You survived by relying on Kui Lei's Heavenly Dao of Death?"
Hong Zhong smugly answered, "Yes. The Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies are gone, but a part of the Heavenly Dao of Death remains in me. I use this fragment to survive."
"Though I'm stuck in an hour-long loop, it's better than nothing. And as long as I exist, there's hope," Hong Zhong said. "Now, I've waited long enough for my chance, haven't I? What do you need from me? And what do you offer?"
"I can take you out," Li Huowang said and observed Hong Zhong closely. However, this massive enticement didn't elicit any reaction, as though Hong Zhong was simply hearing about someone else's business.
"Take me out? Is this for you or for me?"
"For both of us. A win-win."
As long as he obtained Hong Zhong's memories, he could fully grasp Sitting Oblivion Dao's technique to cultivate 'Lies.'
"Why should I leave? I'm fine here. I don't see it as a win-win," Hong Zhong said indifferently.
Both of them were Li Huowang, so Hong Zhong had considered the very same things. "Without a physical body, I'd just be a memory even if I leave. What's the difference from being here?"
"So you're just going to keep waiting like that? Forever?"
Hong Zhong looked at Li Huowang with a mocking gaze. "No problem. I can wait. In any case, I only have an hour of memories, so I won't go mad from waiting."
He continued, "I can wait, but can you? Your situation seems more urgent. You need to offer more."
"Stop joking around! There's a huge problem outside! Think of Bai Lingmiao and Li Sui! Do you want to endanger them?"
Hong Zhong's smile faded. "What's happening outside?"
Li Huowang quickly recounted the recent events, noticing that Hong Zhong had finally become serious.
"Now, I'm cultivating 'Truth' but not 'Lies.' It's like having a ticking time bomb around me, and I could harm those around me anytime. I need to solve this quickly."
Hong Zhong fell silent in contemplation.
"What's there to hesitate about? Why are you hesitating?"
"Hmph, why are you in such a rush? I'm not hesitating about leaving. Cultivating 'Truth' but not 'Lies' leads to madness. That's what Shai Zi said. We need to think this through." Hong Zhong was evidently suspicious.
"I've thought it over. Even in the worst case, cultivating 'Lies' is better than my current state." Li Huowang had indeed hated and despised the deceitful members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao before. But compared to the Dharma Sect, which seemed bent on destroying the world, the Sitting Oblivion Dao's deceit was less detestable.
Hong Zhong shook his head. "You don't understand the Sitting Oblivion Dao or Shai Zi. I'm Hong Zhong, so I know them well. If this was planned by Shai Zi, it won't be just a minor scheme. Don't drop your guard just because he's dead.
"A Sitting Oblivion Dao member isn't truly dead if any of their schemes remain."
Li Huowang frowned. "So you suspect..."
"I suspect this is a bait. Do you know what that is? In the Liar's Scripture, it's the start of a big scam. The bait isn't usually a scam and might even benefit the target. It's like the initial sweet treat for a new player at a gambling table."
Chapter 738 - Siming
Hong Zhong looked at Li Huowang. "I think combining the cultivation of 'Truth' and 'Lies' might actually cure your madness. However, that might be Shai Zi's bait to lure you in.
"The scary part is that Shai Zi probably foresaw this situation long ago, setting traps and waiting for you to merge the cultivation of 'Truth' and 'Lies,' then triggering the traps."
Li Huowang couldn't help but seriously consider it.
"Why would he set traps if he's already dead? Does he want to deceive me to revive him?" Li Huowang asked.
Currently, the Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies were in Ji Zai's hands. There was no way he would borrow divine powers from his future self. No matter how useless he might be, he would not do something like that to aid the enemy.
He managed the Heavenly Dao of Bewilderment, not the Heavenly Dao of Stupidity.
Without divine powers, even if Shai Zi came back to life, he'd just be a clever old scammer.
The fate of the White Lotus Sect had been very miserable since they worshiped the Heavenly Mater, who had lost all Heavenly Daos. Li Huowang had seen it firsthand.
"Don't always assume their motives are so selfish. The Sitting Oblivion Dao's schemes don't always have a reason. Sometimes, they just do it for fun to trick you."
Hong Zhong rested his chin on his hand. His expression mirrored Li Huowang's, with both of them frowning deeply.
They stood there pondering for a long time, unable to figure out what Shai Zi's real plan was.
After a while, Li Huowang said, "No matter what Shai Zi is planning, I have to cultivate 'Lies.' If I don't, I might explode before Shai Zi's traps do."
He continued, "Now that we know there might be traps, it's not too bad. We can try to take the sugar coating and throw the bomb back."
Hong Zhong felt frustrated. "Would Shai Zi's sugar coating be that easy to swallow? Why did you even cultivate 'Truth' in the first place? Didn't Zhuge Yuan warn you not to cultivate it?"
Li Huowang replied, "Don't mention him! Without cultivating 'Truth,' how could I deal with the Dharma Sect when they get stronger every day? With the Profound Records? Do you think Ba-Hui is more reliable?"
At this moment, Li Huowang noticed the chanting in his ears growing fainter. He knew his time was running out.
"I can't stay in this damned place much longer. Let's get out first!"
Hong Zhong thought for a moment before finally nodding. "Once we're out, find a way to use your 'Truth' cultivation to turn me into an existence like the monk. That way, I can stay by your side."
He continued, "I'll keep an eye out for you. If any of Boss Shai Zi's traps emerge, I can warn you in advance."
Li Huowang looked at Hong Zhong as a thought flashed through his mind.
Does this guy have any schemes of his own? Maybe Shai Zi's traps aren't the real problem—maybe it's Hong Zhong.
Hong Zhong seemed impatient. "What are you thinking about? Didn't you say there's no time? Hurry up!"
"Let's go." Li Huowang ran towards the source of the chanting, with Hong Zhong following closely behind.
"How has everyone been while I've been away?" Hong Zhong suddenly inquired.
"They're fine. After Gao Zhijian became the emperor, everyone's life improved. The Lu Family Troupe is gone, though."
"I know. I saw Lu Xiucai."
They hurried along. As time passed, the chanting in Li Huowang's ears grew softer.
As the chanting disappeared, Li Huowang felt his body becoming heavier, making it even more difficult to move.
"Hurry!" Hong Zhong reached out to him.
"Now you're in a hurry? Why were you wasting time chatting earlier?" Li Huowang grabbed his arm.
They picked up speed together. Just as Li Huowang thought nothing could go wrong, a black mist began swirling on the left.
This movement was familiar to Li Huowang. "Kui Lei is coming!"
He was about to close his eyes, but this time, Kui Lei's body suddenly emerged from the black mist.
It looked like an amorphous mass, with pale, dark, abyss-like holes lining the edges.
Kui Lei was shrouded in a strange pale glow. Li Huowang found it extremely difficult to describe the feeling he got when he looked at Kui Lei. It was beyond terrifying and abnormal, and he felt profoundly shocked.
At that moment, the buzzing sound of a wheel brought Li Huowang back to his senses.
In that brief moment, he found his body had almost entirely melted, with some parts of his body even dislodging and drifting towards Kui Lei.
Li Huowang immediately closed his eyes, crouched down, and dragged Hong Zhong towards the Antrabhara Temple.
It quickly became apparent that he couldn't move faster than Kui Lei. A familiar sense of oppression descended from above once again.
Li Huowang froze. He pressed himself to the ground with Hong Zhong and waited for Kui Lei to pass.
Time dragged on at a snail's pace. It felt like a long time, but the oppressive feeling still didn't dissipate.
"What's going on?" Li Huowang struggled to open his left eye by a tiny crack and glanced at the ground.
The next moment, he froze. It was incredibly dark around him. It was a shadow—Kui Lei's shadow.
Whether it was part of Kui Lei or Kui Lei itself, it was now right above Li Huowang, and it remained unmoving.
Has it discovered me? Li Huowang froze in fear, feeling as though he had been plunged into an ice cave.
Even if Kui Lei did nothing, its mere presence was extremely deadly for Li Huowang.
Time passed slowly, and Li Huowang felt his body continuously melting. Some of his insides felt instinctively drawn towards Kui Lei.
Li Huowang clenched his teeth and made up his mind. I can't keep this up! Even if it's a gamble, I have to do something!
He started to move and dragged Hong Zhong towards the Antrabhara Temple. You can't see me! You can't see me!
"Hong Zhong! Don't just freeze! Use your skills from the Sitting Oblivion Dao! Use them even if they're useless!" Li Huowang said with great difficulty.
There was no response. Instead, Hong Zhong pulled his hand away.
Li Huowang looked down and saw him moving in the opposite direction. "Hong Zhong! What are you doing?"
Hong Zhong turned to reveal his mahjong tile face.
Even under this Siming, Hong Zhong's mahjong tile face seemed to mock him. "Oh, look who it is. Li Huowang, such a rare guest."
"Damn it! The hour's up!"
Chapter 739 - Hong Zhong
"Hong Zhong! Trust me! Don't run! I didn't plan to harm you! We agreed on this before!"
Li Huowang was nearly crawling on the ground, mustering all his strength to explain to Hong Zhong.
The current Hong Zhong was different from the one who had vanished earlier. His thoughts were already completely different.
Hong Zhong looked at Li Huowang with a slight smile forming on his lips. "Hehehe, you think you can fool me? Your skills are still too shallow. I~ don't~ believe~ you."
He began to move away from Li Huowang.
Li Huowang was on the verge of coughing up blood. It had been so hard to get him to agree to follow him. And now, as soon as the time was up, he forgot everything that had just happened!
Li Huowang ignored the deadly presence looming overhead. He gritted his teeth and hastened to catch up to Hong Zhong.
"Can't you feel that something's different above us? Do you really want to stay in this cursed place forever? Trust me! I'll get you out!
"The fact that you deceive others doesn't mean that others are always deceiving you! Consider our situation carefully! Staying here won't help anyone. Coming with me is our best bet!"
Despite Li Huowang's heartfelt pleas, Hong Zhong remained unmoved. He tried his best to distance himself from both Kui Lei's shadow and Li Huowang.
Li Huowang realized that this Hong Zhong wouldn't believe him. The previous Hong Zhong had seen the writings on the giant pillar, but this current one had no idea what he'd been through.
Under these circumstances, Hong Zhong would only grow more suspicious no matter what he said.
As the buzzing sound of the wheel in his ears softened, Li Huowang clenched his teeth and stood up despite the oppressive force of the Siming.
His body began to melt faster, but he didn't care. He exerted all his strength and chased after Hong Zhong.
Walking was faster than crawling. When Li Huowang finally caught up, he lunged at Hong Zhong and pinned him down. "Stop!"
If persuasion didn't work, force was his only other option.
"Alright, I get it. You're telling the truth. Let me go, and I'll follow you," Hong Zhong replied, looking at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang glared at him while he melted like a wax figure. "Don't pull that trick on me! It won't work! I know you don't trust me! If I let go, you'll run!
"Even if you think I'm lying, we need to get out of here first! I'll explain everything once we're out of Kui Lei's range!"
He wouldn't survive to explain anything if they continued to stay here.
Hong Zhong looked at Li Huowang and finally nodded slowly.
He didn't hold Li Huowang back this time. They worked together and struggled towards the outside. As they moved, Hong Zhong's body also began to melt.
Soon, they were too preoccupied with escaping to guard against each other. Their melting bodies started sticking together, making them resemble conjoined twins.
However, the melting didn't slow down no matter how far they walked.
Li Huowang was certain that his current appearance was anything but human.
"What did you do to provoke this thing with the previous me? You even dared to annoy a Siming? Are you crazy?" Hong Zhong complained angrily.
"We didn't provoke it! It just showed up!" Li Huowang answered with difficulty.
The two of them continued to walk under the Siming's pressure, unable to speak much.
Just as Li Huowang thought they would make it out, an unexpected beam of light shot down from above. Is Kui Lei watching me?
Li Huowang stopped. He felt his body was immobilized entirely, and his consciousness started to melt along with his body.
He was about to die. This was a feeling that any dying person would recognize.
As he neared death, Li Huowang's gaze shifted upward involuntarily. The Siming of Death, which had been previously unbearable to look at, now seemed exceptionally comforting. It was even akin to the warm embrace of a mother.
Li Huowang saw himself getting closer to it, and a smile gradually spread across his face.
As he drew nearer, the object on the ceiling transformed into a flat, black mirror in front of him.
He saw his pitch-black self in the mirror. As their eyes met, Li Huowang understood some of the Heavenly Daos and the rules contained within.
The mirror was part of him and also part of Kui Lei. Since every living being carried "death" from birth, every living being was a part of Kui Lei.
The aggregation of all deaths was Kui Lei. Death was an eternal constant in the ever-changing world.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Huowang was about to see how he would die in the mirror. However, the mirror suddenly shattered, as if it had been pushed by something else.
The incomparably warm sensation disappeared.
Li Huowang felt as if he had been reborn. He did not know what happened, but he realized that whatever had been above him was now gone.
Suddenly, he felt the ground beneath him give way, and he plummeted rapidly. He realized that his face was floating while his body was still connected below.
When he came to his senses, he found that he had been standing still for a long time.
Both Li Huowang and Hong Zhong collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Li Huowang felt lucky to be alive.
What just happened? Li Huowang tried to recall, but most of his memories were already a blur.
Though he didn't know why, it seemed he had narrowly escaped death.
Did Ji Zai intervene?
After catching his breath, Li Huowang asked, "Do you know the pattern of this thing's appearance?"
"You said it yourself. My memories only last an hour. Do you think I'd remember what happened?" Hong Zhong mocked.
Li Huowang didn't ask any more questions. The current Hong Zhong had no information—all of it had been inscribed on the giant pillar.
In any case, surviving an encounter with the Siming was a stroke of luck. It was better to forget about it since dwelling on matters involving Simings was unwise.
With the immediate danger now gone, Li Huowang turned to Hong Zhong, who was still gasping for air on the ground with his mahjong tile face.