The Sitting Oblivion Dao actually cultivated 'Lies' that led to madness. However, no one had ever seen anyone successfully cultivate both 'Truth' and 'Lies,' so the Sitting Oblivion Dao and other factions saw this state as acceptable.
"Pitiful, how pitiful," Li Huowang muttered to himself. Shai Zi might have known this already, but it was hard to turn back as he was in too deep.
Li Huowang looked down and cut open the belly of the person before him. He took out the softened stone and placed it beside the person's abdomen.
A tentacle emerged from Li Huowang's navel and dragged the stone back inside.
The stone that these Dharma Sect members had fought over was actually a piece of Li Huowang's liver that he had cut.
He had looked for other substitutes, but still found this to be the most suitable.
"Father, what have you been doing lately? I don't quite understand," Li Sui said. Two slits appeared on her neck, which revealed her eyes with double pupils.
"I'm deceiving them."
"So that's what deception is." Li Sui had a sense of realization, having learned something new from her father.
Li Huowang needed to leave this place since he had already achieved his objective.
At the moment, he was deep within the territory occupied by the Dharma Sect. Such a commotion would naturally attract their attention soon.
Li Huowang heard footsteps behind him and immediately took action. He wiped his face and transformed it into the likeness of the dead Hu Biao.
He cut off his right hand, threw it to the ground, then lay down with an expression of agony. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
"Quick! He ran that way!" Li Huowang lifted his bloodied hand shakily and pointed the pursuing Dharma Sect members in the wrong direction.
After the enraged Dharma Sect members went in the wrong direction, Li Huowang stood up, picked up his severed hand, and stealthily followed them.
When they realized they had been deceived and started to go back, Li Huowang gradually withdrew in the direction they had abandoned.
Having changed his appearance again, Li Huowang arrived at a remote county. He was finally free from pursuit.
He sat in the common room of an inn, hungry after his long ordeal. "Innkeeper, some food, please."
"Of course. But Sir, in these chaotic times, some ingredients are hard to come by. I'll see what the kitchen has and bring you whatever we can make."
"No problem, as long as it's filling."
Soon, half a fragrant roasted lamb head was placed before Li Huowang, accompanied by two slices of guokui[1].
"Sir, here's some bean paste and vinegar. Cut the meat, dip it in the sauce and vinegar, and stuff it into the guokui. It's quite delicious."
Li Huowang stared at the lamb head for a while. After confirming that it did not start talking to him like last time, he picked up a small knife and began to eat.
As he continued cultivating 'Lies,' Li Huowang found that many of the side effects of cultivating 'Truth' had indeed lessened.
At least, he no longer had to worry that the people around him were the product of his cultivation.
Understanding 'Lies' more deeply inevitably led to a greater understanding of 'Truth'.
Compared to the False Qi and the Sitting Oblivion Dao's various abilities, the most significant change in Li Huowang was his mindset—the feeling of genuinely deceiving others with false things.
This change was exactly what he needed to counteract the side effects of cultivating 'Truth.'
The key to differentiating truth from illusion was having the right mindset.
Cultivating 'Truth' and 'Lies' now felt like pulling on two sides of the same rope, which balanced each other out.
As he gradually understood falsehoods, he gained some more control over reality and his creations. Cultivating 'Lies' could indeed treat the deviations caused by cultivating 'Truth.'
Li Huowang had to take the bait, whether this was part of Shai Zi's scheme or just bait he had dangled.
Although the problems from cultivating 'Truth' were solved, he had to remain vigilant against Shai Zi's schemes, even if there were no signs of them yet.
Shai Zi, what are you really up to? You're dead and the Sitting Oblivion Dao was wiped out. What more are you trying to do?
Li Huowang was deep in thought. He lifted a piece of lamb meat on a small knife to his mouth.
Suddenly, he felt his heart jolt. A slit opened behind his left ear.
Li Sui's eyes quickly glanced at the diners to his left. Li Huowang immediately sensed something was off when the couple glanced at him.
It would have been nothing if they had just glanced at him, but the speed at which they averted their gaze was suspicious. This was something ordinary people wouldn't be capable of.
"Sir, are you enjoying the lamb head?" The cook bent over and smiled at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang's four eyes quickly scanned the surroundings to collect information. He gripped his purple-tassel sword and slashed out, beheading the cook.
Blood sprayed out all over, yet the cook's head did not fall. It transformed into a blood-soaked mask which flew towards Li Huowang's head.
A black tentacle emerged from Li Huowang's neck. It pulled out a bronze coin sword, which sliced the bloodied mask into pieces. The original peaceful inn had now become a battlefield.
The diners, the cashier, and the waiters stood up, pulling out weapons and charging at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang could handle these people, but his expression was grim. He couldn't figure out who had sent them. Were they sent by... Shai Zi?
Just as Li Huowang was about to take care of them, the beams of the three-story inn suddenly cracked. The upper two floors, which were laden with tons of weight, came crashing down on him.
In the ensuing crash, rubble and stones flew everywhere. Li Huowang stood up from the collapsed building, covered in black tentacles.
As the dust settled, Li Huowang noticed a significant change around him. Everyone in the small town had dropped their disguises.
They donned black cloth on their shoulders, erected white flags, and carried a massive idol as they surrounded the collapsed inn.
However, Li Huowang felt a strange sense of relief when he saw the Dharma Sect marks on them.
The Dharma Sect had ambushed him. Despite his efforts to hide his whereabouts, they had still found him. Li Huowang realized he might be facing a formidable opponent this time.
At that moment, a path opened on the left side of the crowd. Four strange figures holding umbrellas slowly walked out.
Their faces were hidden by the black umbrellas. Standing at least ten feet tall, they wore knee-length clothing and their long arms were covered by sleeves, leaving no flesh exposed.
Chapter 751 - Plot
All four of them held their umbrellas as they stuck to each other as close as possible. If the person in front didn't raise their feet in time, the rest would've fallen back.
Their strange movements and the four broken black umbrellas made them look like a single entity. It was as if they were tied together by a thread, and their heads resembled mushrooms.
This was the first time Li Huowang had seen someone like that in the Dharma Sect. Something was off, and his senses were warning him of the danger. What was even more concerning was that he didn't sense any gazes from the four people.
As Li Huowang was thinking about what the four of them were about to do to him, the shadows of the Dharma Sect members quickly converged together and gathered around him. They formed a massive, smoking black edict.[1]
The moment the edict appeared, the skies turned black, and dark clouds rolled in. It swiftly became nighttime.
Li Huowang knew this would be a difficult battle after seeing how tense the atmosphere was. The Dharma Sect had painstakingly laid out plan after plan to ambush him.
Li Huowang feared that the Dharma Sect had designated him as the highest-ranking threat ever since he took away Taishan Shi.
Li Huowang took a deep breath as he materialized Peng Longteng behind him.
Just as everything was on the brink of descending into chaos, Xuan Pin suddenly floated out from the ground.
"Don't move. I will take you away from here," Xuan Pin whispered as he revealed six bony arms from under his robes.
He then made seals and chanted, "μλ%Oγ∨U划类ψ豸&≤λδΦ≯yπ8θ$9."
Li Huowang had no idea what Xuan Pin was chanting, nor did he recognize any of the seals Xuan Pin was making.
Li Huowang suddenly noticed a forest rapidly emerging in his peripheral vision. Before he knew it, he found himself in a new location—a forest.
The skies were bright again, and everything was peaceful. Li Huowang had been saved!
Li Huowang looked at Xuan Pin with shock. Xuan Pin proved himself useful this time, Li Huowang finally felt a sense of camaraderie with him.
Li Huowang asked, "What technique is that? That's so convenient! You can escape from anything anytime you want! But why did you need to chant this time? You didn't need to do so last time."
Xuan Pin turned and looked at Li Huowang with a "complicated" expression. "I can't tell you that. You already said I'm a secretive person. Did you think I would teach you that?"
Li Huowang frowned. His image of Xuan Pin had just shattered a bit. He's so shameless.
Still, he refrained from voicing his thoughts since Xuan Pin had indeed saved him.
"Who were those guys with umbrellas? They look tough."
Xuan Pin calculated with his fingers. "I don't know. I can't divine anything from them."
Li Huowang frowned. "Even you don't know?"
He understood that only people with certain levels of strength could make Xuan Pin fail his divinations. More importantly, they were targeting him.
Now that he knew the Dharma Sect was actively hunting him down, he had no choice but to be more covert next time. But this was a bad plan. Passively defending against ambushes would be much harder.
Xuan Pin said, "Don't worry about their ambush. I have a mission for you. If you succeed, everyone in the Dharma Sect of Si Qi will be destroyed."
Li Huowang gestured for Xuan Pin to continue.
"The informants are all dead, but the Lamas from the Antrabhara Temple recalled their souls to obtain the information. Taishan Shi was right—the Dharma Sect is planning something big. They want to gather all of us in one location before killing us with whatever they are summoning."
"Hmph! I want to see them try."
"Since we know their plans now, we can devise ways to disrupt them. Might as well as go along with their plan for now."
"Why should we go along with their plan?"
"I can't tell you that. First, we follow their plan, but then I will cause a massive disruption. While they are distracted by me, I need you to bring some elite fighters to infiltrate and destroy their plans."
"Oh? Is that why you saved me?" Li Huowang asked, pointing at his chest.
"Why? Do you not want to go? I thought you were someone who would risk his life to save the citizens."
"Of course I do, but why do I think that you are using me as a chess piece?"
Li Huowang frowned, sensing that Xuan Pin was hiding something from him. This was not the first time it had happened.
Xuan Pin retracted his six arms. "What do you mean chess piece? We're all fighting the Dharma Sect to protect the Liang Kingdom."
"Really? Then tell me, what are you planning to do to deal with them? Why do I have to be the one to go? Why can't you?"
"Because I'm not as strong as you. I'm old and withered."
"Bullshit. You are still hiding something. Fine, I won't do it. You can find someone else."
Li Huowang turned and was about to leave the forest.
However, Xuan Pin called him back in a grave tone. "Wait."
Li Huowang stopped.
Xuan Pin said, "Do you really not know why I'm not telling you? Do you think I should tell you?"
"Why shouldn't you?"
"It's one thing to let the others know about my plan, but it's another to let you know about my plan."
"Is it because I'm Ji Zai's Twisted One? Or is it because I have the power to use 'Truth'?" Li Huowang asked.
His questions were left unanswered.
He continued, "Tell me! Give me a vague reason! I don't want to keep doubting all of you! I hate it when I'm fighting for my life while having to suspect you people are trying to kill me too!"
Xuan Pin hesitated before replying, "We are helping."
"Helping what? Who?"
"Just as we are fighting at the bottom, they are fighting at the top too. Do you remember what I said before? About dealing with the problems at the root?"
Li Huowang realized what Xuan Pin was talking about. "You can enter the Baiyu Capital? You can talk to the Simings and get them to help us?!"
1. This is the symbol drawn on Daoist talismans. ☜
Chapter 752 - Departure
"You're helping the Simings to fight god Yu'er?" Li Huowang asked.
He had to confirm with Xuan Pin again to make sure he had understood correctly, as the idea sounded ridiculous. He never thought such a thing was possible.
Xuan Pin remained silent.
Li Huowang questioned rapidly, "Which Simings are you helping? Which of them are fighting god Yu'er? How's the situation?"
Xuan Pin continued to stay silent.
"Answer me, dammit! Do you think it's funny to see me talking to myself like this?"
This time, Xuan Pin replied, "I can only tell you this much. Think carefully about what I've said before. Any more, and you will be tainted by their cause and effect."
Li Huowang frowned. "Just you alone? Can the Surveillance Bureau really work with the Simings? I don't believe it."
He suspected that Xuan Pin wasn't telling the truth.
"Hehe, so you think you know me? Or do you know the Simings a lot?"
"I'm not doubting you, but what you've said is too ridiculous."
No matter what, a Siming was still a Siming. Li Huowang had seen them before and never thought Xuan Pin would be able to help them in robbing the Heavenly Daos.
"The fact you haven't seen it doesn't mean the method doesn't exist. Since we can survey the Heavens, we also have our methods. Also, the other sects are hoping for the Dharma Sect's downfall. They will naturally come and help us."
Hearing that, Li Huowang wanted to ask more questions.
However, Xuan Pin gestured for him to stop. "That's enough questions for now. I cannot answer anymore. These aren't your concerns at the moment. What you need to do is to accept this mission and work hard. Only then can we prevent this disaster."
Li Huowang frowned before he raised one finger at Xuan Pin. "One last question. How are things up there? Which side is winning? Is it us, or god Yu'er?"
"That depends on how well you do in your mission. If you are successful, god Yu'er will be dead in a few days. There's no reason to doubt me. No matter how many secrets I have, you have to remember that we are on the same side. I even gave you the mirror, which is an incredible artifact and a sign of my goodwill to you."
"How many times will you bring that up? Fine. Who else will be coming with me?"
"Some other experts."
Xuan Pin took out a Surveillance Bureau's identity plate. On it were two words: Third General.
Li Huowang already knew about the Surveillance Bureau's ranking system. This identity plate was leagues above his Seventh Banner rank.
Xuan Pin explained, "With this, no one will bother you. Everyone will also listen to you. They will even die for you if you order them to."
Li Huowang took the identity token and looked at Xuan Pin. "Where are they? When do we depart?"
Xuan Pin pointed at the mirror floating beside Li Huowang. "Go there and someone will explain to you."
Li Huowang said nothing as he looked at the glowing dot on the mirror and walked towards the designated spot.
Xuan Pin called out to him from behind, "Don't worry, I'll save you if you are in danger."
Li Huowang, however, preferred to rely on himself when it came to his own life. He still remembered how Xuan Pin hadn't saved him from the Earth Dragon's stomach the last time. I doubt that he just learned that technique.
"Alright, I understand. That's all for now. I will hang up now." Li Huowang hung up after he pressed the glowing red button on the phone screen.
"Who called you?" Yang Na asked as she happily sipped her milk tea.
"Who else? It's the grad student. He wants us to go to his place for a bit. Probably something to do with Zhao Lei," Li Huowang answered, looking warily at the crowded streets.
"Alright, let's take our stuff and go."
Suddenly, Yang Na's eyes lit up. She shoved the milk tea into Li Huowang's hands before running towards a girl with braids in the distance.
Yang Na greeted her close friend excitedly. "My looove! Did you miss me?"
On the other hand, the girl in braids was visibly less excited than Yang Na. She stared at Li Huowang warily from a distance.
Despite wearing a different outfit and even sporting sunglasses, the girl still managed to recognize Li Huowang. She was Yang Na's close friend, after all.
"Meng Meng, where's the taser?" Yang Na asked.
She took the bag from Meng Meng and opened it. Inside were several unopened packages of high-voltage tasers.
After what happened last time, Li Huowang understood the importance of having a weapon. Since he couldn't get anything illegal, he had no choice but to stock up on legal ones.
Zhang Xiaomeng pulled Yang Na further away from Li Huowang and whispered harshly, "Why did you think I went through so much to get you a taser last time? Don't you know who you are supposed to be wary of? Why are you still with him? Do you have Stockholm syndrome?"
"What are you talking about?" Yang Na punched her lightly. "Huowang has been cured."
"But he killed someone before! You could've easily found someone else, so why did you stay with a crazy maniac like him?"
"It's complicated!"
Yang Na talked with her friend for a bit longer before she returned to Li Huowang with the tasers.
Li Huowang passed the milk tea back to her and opened the bag. He inspected the tasers and was satisfied with them.
"How much were they?" Li Huowang asked.
Yang Na answered, "Not much. It cost me a couple of milk teas, I suppose. You don't have to pay me anything."
"I'm not paying for them, and neither should you. We are getting them for the others, so Qing Wanglai is supposed to pay for them."
Yang Na sipped on her milk tea as she held onto Li Huowang's arm. "Is that so? That's good, then."
"Also, we don't have to tell him the real price. Just give him a larger figure. He's rich."
Yang Na laughed when she heard that. Even so, her eyes were filled with worry.
The situation was becoming more serious, and she was worried that it would get out of her control.
The two of them rode a bike and departed for Orange Isle.
For now, the only good news was that when Li Huowang brought Yang Na out, no one would ask them too many questions. It was normal for youngsters like them to go on dates.
Chapter 753 - Mental Illness
Orange Isle was deserted at night, but that didn't mean it was crowded during the day. It was empty all day long. The sunlight only made the paint on the half-built buildings look brighter, highlighting the work of unvirtuous real-estate developers.
Li Huowang saw that Wu Qi's RV and Qing Wanglai's sports car were already there. He was late.
He brought Yang Na up the half-built building's concrete stairs to their meeting place. Everyone was discussing something.
"We need to do something, but you keep telling us that we can't do this or that. We can't just sit around!" Chen Hongyu's voice echoed around the place.
Qing Wanglai nodded at Li Huowang and Yang Na. "Of course we can't just sit around and do nothing. We need to act first and seize the initiative. Zhao Lei has confessed, and we now know where their temporary base is. We need to attack them before they relocate."
"Really?" Li Huowang perked up. He would finally have the chance to retaliate after having been passive for a long time.
"How many guns can you get for us?" Li Huowang asked Qing Wanglai impatiently.
"Not a single one. It's not like we can buy illegal firearms here."
"Tsk." Li Huowang took out all the tasers he had. "We can't win with just these. We need some bladed weapons, or maybe a crossbow or two."
Qing Wanglai sighed. "Li Huowang, we live in a society. We can't brandish our knives or wave our guns around just because we're facing a slight difficulty."
"You want to subject them to the law? You think that's possible? We already killed once. Do you really think the law would apply here?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"I'm ready!" Qian Fu excitedly pulled a plastic tarp off the corner of the wall, revealing several rebars that had been ground until they were sharp.
It was clear that Qian Fu had taken them from this building after seeing the concrete on the rebars.
"Wait a minute!" Chen Hongyu stopped them. "Do you think we can solve this problem if we go and kill all of them? They're an organization that wants to rob our special powers. The people we are attacking will just be their pawns. There's a chance that the organization's higher-ups are giving instructions through a satellite phone."
Everyone was shocked to hear that.
Li Huowang said, "Since we finally have the initiative, we should make the first move. We need to strike them first to gain as much advantage as possible before settling it once and for all."
"I agree with Chen Hongyu," Qing Wanglai said. "No matter their projection, we cannot just look at the surface. It's not as easy as we think. We also have to look into their interior. Still, if we manage to deal with it at the root, we can naturally escape this danger together."
Li Huowang looked at Chen Hongyu and then at Qing Wanglai. "Then what do you want us to do if we don't fight? You think they would surrender if we pleaded with them?"
Qing Wanglai took a test tube from his pocket. The test tube was sealed, and the liquid sloshed inside.
"Evaporates easily, odorless and tasteless. It will render a person unconscious and relax all of their muscles. It will also cause temporary memory loss."
Li Huowang's eyes widened when he heard the effects of the drug. "You really have something like that? Where did you get it?"
It was much stronger than a taser.
"Through a legal channel," Qing Wanglai said as he placed the test tube back into his pocket. "It's best if we don't have to fight. We can try to negotiate with them. This way, both of us can reap some benefits. Even if our negotiations fail, we will still get to know what their goals are. It will help us solve the mystery of their projection.
"Alright. Let's not waste any time. We should go now."
Li Huowang, however, held onto his tasers and rebars. He needed to make sure that he had some weapons in case Qing Wanglai's drug failed.
All of them walked down as they carried the things together.
While they were heading down, Li Huowang asked Qing Wanglai, "Since Zhao Lei confessed, will you send him out of this country?"
"No," Qing Wanglai shook his head. "Since Zhao Lei betrayed them, he will die if he gets out. It doesn't matter if he's willing—he will return to us even if I let him go. He has no choice but to stand with us."
"How can you be so sure? Do you know him that well?"
"Not really, but he used to stand by our side."
As they chatted, Qian Fu quickly passed by them, keeping his head low.
They turned around the corner, and Li Huowang caught a glimpse of Qian Fu's eyes. His eyes were filled with dread.
"Qian Fu, wait. I have something to ask you." Li Huowang sensed something was wrong. He slowly reached his hands into his shirt to take the taser.
Qian Fu ran faster.
"Quick! Chase after him! His personality changed again!" Li Huowang immediately ran after Qian Fu.
Li Huowang got closer and closer to Qian Fu, who was ultimately forced into a corner of the building. Qian Fu grabbed one of the sharpened rebars and started stabbing at everyone.
Li Huowang and the others retreated slightly as they blocked the surrounding exits.
"What are you crazy bastards trying to do? You guys are crazy! Why are you dragging me into your mess? I've already suffered enough! What do I need to do for you to let me go? Go away! I want to go back to the hospital! I want to get my treatment!"
"Qian Fu, don't be rash. Look at me," Qing Wanglai said as he slowly approached him. "Do you remember who I am? We've met before."
"Who are you? You guys are a bunch of psychos, and you, Qing Wanglai, are the craziest of them all! Stop trying to fool me! I know you were the one who killed the two nurses! You are framing others for your crime too!"
Qing Wanglai frowned and whispered to Li Huowang, "This is tricky. Qian Fu's condition is too unstable."
"Is that so?" Li Huowang glanced at Qing Wanglai but said nothing.
"I'll say it again! You guys are the crazy ones! Stop trying to drag me into your mess! Go away!"
"Alright, we will move. Don't get too agitated." Qing Wanglai gestured for the others to move away from the staircase leading downwards.
Qian Fu was about to run when a shiny object fell and shattered in front of him. He froze, then realized it was the test tube with the chemical.
He attempted to escape, but his consciousness was quickly fading. His limbs went limp and he collapsed to the ground.
Chapter 754 - Reinforcements
The sound of horse hooves never stopped as Li Huowang weaved past the mountains on horseback. Corpses were scattered everywhere, clearly indicating that it was a dangerous area.
Both sides were using Si Qi as their battleground. The situation left ordinary people in the middle, forcing them to rely on themselves for survival.
Li Huowang headed towards the place Xuan Pin had designated. He was still suspicious of Xuan Pin, but he had no choice. He needed to see things with his own eyes to confirm the truth.
Li Huowang was still wary even after having forced Xuan Pin to divulge some secrets. He might be telling me the truth, but he might also have hidden some of the details. Still, he's right—I must handle this myself. The Dharma Sect must be destroyed!
Li Huowang suddenly heard footsteps coming from the front. A group of Dharma Sect members suddenly charged towards him! All of them had black cloths wrapped around their shoulders.
Li Huowang looked at them before he quickly galloped past them. The Dharma Sect member somehow ignored him as they continued to run.
This was not the first time Li Huowang had encountered people from the Dharma Sect. He was deep in enemy territory and one wrong move could cost him his life.
He was meticulous in concealing himself with his powers, paying attention and avoiding any mistakes.
Li Huowang continued his journey until he reached the red dot displayed by the Shimmer Mirror. He stopped and looked around to find that he was in a corpse-riddled battleground.
The maggots, dogs, vultures, and crows were having a feast here. The death of humans had given them life instead.
They tore apart the corpses and littered them everywhere, causing the place to look like hell.
The stench was overbearing, but Li Huowang endured it.
He calmed the frightened horse as he looked around. He was confused about why Xuan Pin set this area as the meeting place.
The day turned to night as Li Huowang waited. The moon wasn't visible tonight and everything was dark. The only sound that reached Li Huowang's ears was the crunching of bones.
Even Li Huowang didn't know how to keep track of the time now that a single day had lost a lot of divisions. By the time he heard footsteps approaching, he didn't know what time it was, but he was certain it was during the darkest hour of the night.
He took out a glowing green stone and threw it towards the location of the sound. A strange figure appeared in front of him.
The man's appearance was weird. His skin was pale and smooth, and a braid hung down from under his cap. Li Huowang thought that the man looked like an eunuch.
The mysterious man wasn't wearing anything special either. Just a regular gray coat and a yellow robe.
But then Li Huowang noticed the strange part. He could hear footsteps, but the mysterious man left no footprints on the ground, as if he was floating.
The strange man bowed respectfully to Li Huowang. His posture gave him away as a eunuch. "Hou Shu's Deputy Chief Zhao Jiabao greets Daoist Li."
So even the royal family is sending their people here now?
"Why are we meeting here?" Li Huowang frowned.
"It's because this place has been taken over by something else. The Dharma Sect cannot spy on us here. They can neither see nor hear us." An ancient voice came from somewhere else.
Soon, three Lamas appeared from the stone's greenish glow. They resembled triplets and clasped their hands together to greet Li Huowang.
In contrast with the Lamas from the Antrabhara Temple, the Lamas in front of Li Huowang were covered in sutras. The sutras were written across their wrinkled skin.
Li Huowang looked at the various bone trinkets covered in gold and jewels before he realized that the three Lamas in front of him were most likely at the top of the hierarchy of the Antrabhara Temple. He recalled how the hanged Lamas were dressed similarly.
The other people slowly walked out from the darkness too.
There weren't many, but Li Huowang sensed that all of them were strong in their own right. Xuan Pin was going all out this time.
All of them greeted him at the same time. "We greet Daoist Li!"
Li Huowang looked at their attire. Apart from the monks from the Righteous Monastery, he didn't recognize any of the sects present here.
"Xuan Pin told me you know where the Dharma Sect is conducting their ritual. Is that true?" Li Huowang asked.
"Yes, Daoist Li." Zhao Jiabao took out a map and showed it to Li Huowang.
Li Huowang glanced at the constantly shifting map before he looked at them again.
"Since you are already here, I assume that Xuan Pin has told you who we're facing this time? I know each of you is very strong, but can you defeat our enemies?"
No one here was stupid. They knew how much security the Dharma Sect had prepared to defend their ritual site against intruders.
"We are naturally not as strong as Daoist Li, but the Chief had informed us to do our best to assist you. Your strength will naturally win us the war."
Looks like Xuan Pin did tell them that. He really likes giving the credit to others.
"Alright. Let's talk as we move. This is not the time to be sitting down." Li Huowang jumped onto his horse.
Li Huowang was about to urge his horse to start running when a plump woman with a mole on her face approached him. She was holding onto a black glutinous rice dumpling tied by a red thread. "Daoist Li, this is an item that will help us stay hidden. That way, the Dharma Sect won't know we are coming."
Li Huowang inspected the item before keeping it on his waist. "Which sect are you from?"
The woman chuckled and flirted with him. "Oh dear~ I don't belong to any sect. I'm just a weak, frail matchmaker. I don't think I can call myself a herp."
"Matchmaker? A devotee of God Ru?" Li Huowang looked down and saw that the matchmaker had small feet. He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not.
"Are you an evil entity that became a human by asking someone and obtaining their karma?" Li Huowang joked.
The plump woman took out a red handkerchief and covered her mouth as she chuckled. "Oh, Daoist Li is such a joker. I thought all of the Daoists were boring."
Li Huowang turned serious before urging his horse into the stench-filled battlefield.
Chapter 755 - Deity
Li Huowang got to know them better as he traveled with them. Even though they came from different backgrounds and exaggerated many of their stories, Li Huowang knew there was a kernel of truth in their words. At the very least, the black glutinous dumpling tied in the red thread was working. They were deep in enemy territory, yet no one blocked them. It was a stark difference compared to how things were last time.
Xuan Pin floated up from the ground as he looked at the various moving red dots on the Shimmer Mirror. "Don't worry, I chose some of the best for you. We will succeed and destroy the Dharma Sect's plan."
"I hope so." Li Huowang knew that it was useless to argue about it right now. The most important thing for him to do was to succeed in his mission.
"What's happening on your end? When will you start your plan?"
Li Huowang was sitting in front of a tea stall. At this point, they were all incredibly close to the ritual site. Li Huowang was certain that they would've been discovered if they didn't have the black glutinous rice.
"Look over there." Xuan Pin pointed at a red dot in the Shimmer Mirror. The red dot was close to Li Huowang. "Once the fight starts, we will shift the battle towards this direction. Afterward, you can begin your mission."
Li Huowang tapped on the red dot and immediately saw rows upon rows of soldiers. All of them were standing calmly despite the upcoming difficult battle.
"Do the soldiers have a Siming?" Li Huowang asked suddenly.
Li Huowang had long pondered this question about it but never had the time to ask.
"Of course."
"Which Siming is it?"
"Jiang Xiangshou."
"It should be helping us in the Baiyu Capital too, right?"
Xuan Pin shook his head. "You ask too much. Prepare yourself. The war drums are beating, so it's time for you to move now. The fate of everyone's lives is in your hands."
The sound of war drums spread far and wide. Li Huowang raised his head and saw a massive dark cloud in the sky. The sound of thunder coming from the clouds rumbled dangerously.
Li Huowang quickly finished his tea before leaving. He walked past Xuan Pin's illusion and headed towards one of the smaller paths to the left.
The path led deep into the mountains. The deeper they walked, the more desolate it became. But it was surprising that such a desolate place could hide so many people.
As Li Huowang continued to walk, the experts gathered by Xuan Pin gathered around the bushes as they moved discreetly.
They swiftly took down the guards stationed by the Dharma Sect along the way.
The atmosphere grew tense as the thunder rumbled consistently, resembling the beat of a drum. Everyone's heart was racing.
Li Huowang touched the banner icon on the Shimmer Mirror but realized too late that it was a mistake. The bloodlust and murderous aura pouring out from the mirror made it hard for him to breathe.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" To the left of the battlefield was a massive formation. The soldiers inside the formation were cloaked in murderous aura. Their eyes were bloodred as they snarled and howled.
They looked like they had lost their sanity, but their movements were surprisingly coordinated. They moved in unison as their formation shifted from one to another.
Hundreds and thousands of soldiers moved as one. Their bodies were like a shared skeleton, while the murderous aura enveloping them was their blood.
Compared to them, the Dharma Sect was just a group of ragtag refugees. Despite their massive numbers, their formation was in shambles.
Just then, You Zixiong swung down his yellow-colored triangular flag. "Charge forth towards the Heavens and Earth! Transform into a tiger with wings! Subdue the tiger and amplify its power! Use it wisely and transform it infinitely! Never doubt your potential!"
The soldiers shouted. The murderous aura solidified and pushed Li Huowang's vision out from the mirror.
Li Huowang decided not to touch the Shimmer Mirror for now. He also noticed that he had reached his destination.
In front of him was a massive wooden city wall. To think that the Dharma Sect had built a city in the middle of a mountain.
Even though the wall was covered in red cloth, the green leaves on the wood were a clear indication that they had been chopped down not too long ago.
The sound of thunder rumbled again as it started to rain heavily.
Li Huowang took a deep breath as he saw the Dharma Sect members pouring out from the city to charge into the battlefield. He ensured he was safe before several tentacles sprouted out from his body.
"Let's go!" Li Huowang stomped the ground and jumped forward. He was about to crash into the wall when he imagined that he was entering a pond instead.
His body phased through the wooden walls and he entered the city.
Li Huowang was surprised by what he saw inside the city. There was a massive statue of a deity with four legs.
The statue was hidden under a massive bamboo hat. Underneath the bamboo hat were innumerable red ribbons tied to several different areas of the city, forming red bridges leading towards the statue.
Li Huowang ignored the gazes on him as he grabbed one of the red ribbons. He looked down and saw an altar covered in white smoke.
I have to destroy it no matter what they're trying to summon.
Several witches from the Dharma Sect approached Li Huowang in an attempt to stop him. This was where the experts came in. They intercepted the witches so that Li Huowang could fight freely.
Li Huowang approached the altar before being stopped by a strange person blocking his path.
The person wore a rectangular hat, but instead of having a regular veil at the front, it was a veil made of flesh.
At first, Li Huowang thought the person's face had melted off, but he then realized that it was actually a veil. The veil was essentially several organs and skin sewn together.
The person also had red ribbons coming out from his sleeves or hanging from his body. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Li Huowang then saw the person's legs. To his surprise, the person had chicken legs!
The chicken-feet man ignored Li Huowang as he worshipped the deity on the altar. He carefully lit up some incense and danced.
The white smoke from the incense pot moved according to the chicken-feet man's rhythm.
Every time he finished a section of the dance, the chicken-feet man would lie down or kneel down, raising the incense high up into the air to pray to the deity.
The white smoke from the incense floated towards the top of the statue and into the depths of the bamboo hat, where numerous red ribbons originated from.
The strange ritual was being conducted during the rain.
Li Huowang gritted his teeth as he saw the chicken-feet man ignoring him.
He's not from the Dharma Sect! His strange dance, the statue, and the entire ritual look entirely different from what the Dharma Sect does!
Li Huowang didn't care what it was—he knew that the chicken-feet man was his enemy, and that was enough.
Li Huowang raised his head. A horse neighed loudly while Peng Longteng charged towards the chicken-feet man with her halberd. She swung her halberd down with enough force to crush the chicken-feet man's head.
Chapter 756 - Chicken-feet Man
The halberd swung down, but instead of hitting the chicken-feet man, Peng Longteng struck the altar. Stones sprayed everywhere, but the chicken-feet man remained unscathed. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Peng Longteng frowned and kicked her left leg into the horse's stomach. The horse lifted its left leg and kicked the chicken-feet man, who was now carrying the incense burner.
But the chicken-feet man's body twisted bizarrely, causing the horse's kick to miss him. The flesh veil trembled as he moved.
Just then, the chicken-feet man sensed that the rain had stopped. He looked up and saw Peng Longteng was already in front of him with her halberd already swinging down.
He swung his hand and threw the incense burner high up into the air. Just as he was about to attack Peng Longteng, he sensed the air rippling behind him.
It was Li Huowang with his three swords! Li Huowang decided to attack at the same time as Peng Longteng to destroy the ritual as soon as possible.
The two of them had almost hit the chicken-feet man when the flesh veil expanded outwards. A snarling beast's face bit into Peng Longteng's face.
Just as the beast bit into Peng Longteng's face, she opened her mouth and bit back. At the same time, she swung her halberd the other way around to attack from the bottom.
The chicken-feet man raised his legs and stepped forcefully on the halberd. The sound of clanking metal exploded! Clank! Clank clank!
Even though the chicken-feet man was kicking down the sharp halberd, his feet were not injured at all. Li Huowang hadn't expected this. His feet are as strong as metal!
The chicken-feet man utilized his momentum to jump high into the air. He dodged both Peng Longteng and Li Huowang's attacks before landing safely.
After landing, he extended his arms and caught the incense burner that had been flying in the air. He then continued the ritual as he danced beside the statue.
"What the fuck!?" Peng Longteng spat out a bloody wad of saliva after losing half of her face. She was suddenly engulfed in flames, and her armor glowed a dull red.
"Charge!" Peng Longnteng held her massive burning halberd as she charged towards the strange chicken-feet man.
But the mysterious chicken-feet man was surprisingly strong. He didn't lose to Peng Longteng even though she was on fire.
Both of them fought valiantly in the heavy downpour.
After some time, both of them took a step back. The chicken-feet man slowly placed the incense burner down before a guttural beast-like growl came from behind his flesh veil. He stomped his chicken feet down onto the ground like nails before slowly dragging them backward, causing a screeching sound.
The chicken-feet man then howled like a wolf. Out of nowhere, a Bei[1] jumped out from nowhere and hopped onto the chicken-feet man's back. It used its slender legs to hook itself tightly onto the chicken-feet man's shoulder.
Both of them howled at the same time. Several invisible figures emerged from everywhere and dived into the chicken-feet man's body.
As more invisible figures entered him, his body rapidly expanded. Several beast faces began appearing on his body as the ribbons on his body started pumping like arteries.
The chicken-feet man became monstrous and a strange ancient aura started radiating off him. The aura induced a feeling of horror to those affected by it.
Peng Longteng was naturally unaffected by the aura. She sensed that the beast's aura was at its peak before she threw her halberd at it.
The chicken-feet man was about to hit back when the ground beneath him collapsed. He lost his balance and his attack missed.
Before he could stabilize himself, a purple-tassel sword filled with murderous aura suddenly stabbed upwards from the ground beneath him.
The chicken-feet man was about to step on the purple-tassel sword when another attack came from the bottom. A rift flew towards him as it sprayed out a mysterious liquid.
One of his chicken feet stepped into the rift. Before he knew it, half of his body was already in the Qi Kingdom.
Several distorted organs sprayed out with blood before falling onto the ground. No matter how strong he was, he still died from that attack.
Li Huowang swiftly swam out from the ground. He quickly cut down the incense burner in half.
He sighed in relief when he saw the white smoke dissipated.
He then looked up at the statue still covered in the bamboo hat. "You can't cross over now! Your incense has been cut off!"
"Li! Turn around!" Peng Longteng suddenly called for him.
He turned around and saw why. There was a floating incense censer appearing from the depths of the mist. The white mist around Li Huowang suddenly solidified a lot.
The owner of the censer soon made his appearance, too. It was also another chicken-feet man with a flesh veil covering his face. He danced in the same strange rhythm as the ritual to summon down the deity continued.
But this time, the chicken-feet man was dancing on a single leg.
Li Huowang frowned because he knew the ritual had yet to be interrupted. He then saw several more censers appear out of the mist.
At first, there was one, then two, then five, then ten, and then there were too many for him to count. All the chicken-feet men hopped out from the rain and mist on one leg.
Water splashed everywhere as they hopped up and down.
Li Huowang's heart fell because he knew he was in trouble if all of them were as strong as the first one.
"Hey! Are you all done up there? Where are you guys? Are you all dead?" Li Huowang shouted towards the red ribbons on top of his head.
Dak! A strange, deformed man holding onto a single blade landed near Li Huowang. He had four artificial limbs on his back, but all of them were now broken.
Soon, Zhao Jiabao, the matchmaker, and the others landed too.
The atmosphere was tense.
Before long, everyone from Li Huowang's side had landed, but Li Huowang saw that they were still outmatched. It was going to be a bitter battle.
Chapter 757 - Break
Even though Xuan Pin had told him they had lured away most of the Dharma Sect members, the people conducting the ritual here were still very powerful. It was clear that they didn't come from the Dharma Sect.
Li Huowang took one look at the glowing red dot in the Shimmer Mirror before turning to the incense smoke arising from multiple directions around him. He gripped his spine sword tightly.
"Xuan Pin said that you would die if I ordered all of you to do so. Now is the time! I don't know what they are worshiping, but we have to stop them! I will charge in with everyone. Your life is in your hands from now on! Go!"
No one hesitated as Li Huowang gave his order. They all followed Li Huowang's red robes as they charged into the horde of chicken-feet men. The sound of them killing each other never stopped.
Li Huowang's purple-tassel sword stabbed into one of the chicken-feet men's abdomen. At the same time, the chicken-feet man stabbed his talon into Li Huowang's abdomen. While they made their moves simultaneously, Li Huowang could tolerate pain beyond what the chicken-feet man had imagined.
Li Huowang opened his mouth as several tentacles shot out and plastered themselves onto the chicken-feet man's face.
He took advantage of the chicken-feet man's panic and twisted his sword upwards. The chicken-feet man was bisected.
Li Huowang stomped on the censer, but he wasn't happy. He only killed one of the many chicken-feet men.
The censers continued to release incense smoke, covering the entire ritual area in a white haze. No matter where it drifted, the smoke ultimately floated towards the top of the statue.
The ritual continued uninterrupted, and they knew they were losing time. They had to deal with it no matter the cost.
Li Huowang dragged one of the corpses closer to him and tore its abdomen open. He then vomited his own daughter into the corpse before setting his own skin on fire.
Ba-Hui somehow sensed his presence, and Li Huowang's body tore open. Flames surged into his wounds and burned his organs too.
"AAAAAH! BA-HUI, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Li Huowang kneeled on the ground in pain as he cursed. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
The pain had somehow increased even more than it did last time.
He looked at the flames on his body, which were being extinguished by the rain before lighting up again and again, and he realized why.
Li Huowang tasted the rain—it was salty.
It was a bad premonition, and his heart raced. Xuan Pin was right! This is not god Yu'er coming down here! I need to hurry up and stop them!
Li Huowang stood up and flames burst forth from his body. He was like a wicker man that burned everything around him.
The chicken-feet men felt something was wrong after seeing Li Huowang's transformation. Many of them surrounded Li Huowang as they worked together to bring him down.
Various beasts howled as their bodies turned beast-like. They attacked Li Huowang simultaneously as the red ribbons pumped rhythmically.
Li Huowang brandished a dagger and opened a slit on his abdomen. He tore off a large piece of his flesh and skin before throwing it at one of the chicken-feet men. The burning skin covered the chicken-feet man and didn't break, no matter how hard he struggled.
Li Huowang then picked up several stones and chewed them forcefully. He spat out his broken teeth along with his burning blood.
The burning molars shot forward like a buckshot, piercing many of the chicken-feet men and inflicting burning wounds.
Li Huowang was about to charge into the fray when two birds appeared in the rain.
They flew high up as they circled the statue. One had the face of a human, while the other had the face of a horse. They sang in unison in an ugly tone.
"Recollect the murderous aura~ Receive their souls~ Recollect the murderous aura~ Receive their souls~"
As they sang, the red ribbons originating from underneath the bamboo hat started to vibrate a little.
Even though the vibrations were minute, Li Huowang still managed to sense them. He became anxious and launched several heavy-hitting attacks.
However, the chicken-feet men didn't budge—they just stood still as they took on the attacks. They only started to dodge when they realized that Li Huowang outmatched them.
Even when Li Huowang and his group used all of their strongest attacks, the white smoke only cleared a little bit. The ritual continued on since the white smoke had yet to dissipate.
"Slow! It's too slow!" Li Huowang tore off his rib bones, and maggots sprayed outwards like confetti. He used the Five Element Intercalation as he sprayed the burning maggots onto the group of chicken-feet men.
Li Huowang knew they were in deep trouble when he heard the scalp-numbing sound of the moving statue. Everything would be over if he didn't stop them now.
Li Huowang rapidly thought about his array of techniques, only to realize that none of them could help avert the crisis—except for the Cang-Qiang Ascension.
Just then, Zhao Jiabao jumped to Li Huowang's side, enduring the heat. With his only remaining arm, he took out a piece of paper and held it out. "Daoist Li! Take this! This is the note that the Chief told me to give you!"
"A note at this time? Who the fuck does he think he is?" Li Huowang swiftly opened the note for fear that the fire would burn it before he could read it.
Li Huowang was shocked. "What?! You mean the teleportation technique was due to my cultivation? He never had any teleportation techniques?!"
But he didn't have time to bother with that now as he continued reading.
Li Huowang, now that you know the truth, I can't save you through teleportation. We're sinking the boat with an axe, leaving no escape. Only then can you use your full powers. Don't worry—there is a way out. Your ability to bring yourself all the way here from Qing Qiu shows your mastery in cultivation. If you're in danger, you can conjure up anything with your cultivation to save yourself. Think carefully, the clue to averting this crisis is within you. What can you conjure now to save yourself?
"Something that I can conjure to save myself?" Various memories surfaced in Li Huowang's mind.
He remembered something, and his pupils shrunk. Li Huowang immediately pressed his temple and started using his power. A white figure slowly appeared in the air.
Li Huowang's veins were bulging and his head was engorged from the exertion, but the figure never fully materialized.
He was dismayed as his arteries continued to pump blood into his brain. He suddenly remembered his spine sword. He unsheathed and stabbed it onto the ground.
He then stared at the sword.
Blood flowed out of his nose as he continued to use his powers. Even the blood vessels in his brain started to pop one by one.
But the spine sword slowly transformed itself. First, there were organs, then flesh, then skin, and finally, clothes.
Pak! A white fan opened and Li Huowang saw the four words written on it.
Everyone. Has. Their. Purpose.
Chapter 758 - Death
The scholar in white stood still in the pouring rain, standing out to everyone.
It was the previous dead Zhuge Yuan that Li Huowang had brought back to life using the spine sword.
Zhuge Yuan took one look around and knew what was happening. He held onto his brush and dipped it into the red ground. He held onto it tightly and swung the brush across the chicken-feet men.
His brush was like his original Kuixing Brush. The chicken-feet men all slumped to the ground when he pointed his brush at them. The censer was also extinguished without any hope of it lighting up again.
Zhuge Yuan turned and looked at Li Huowang. "Junior Li, we haven't seen each other in a while. How is everything?"
Li Huowang endured the head-splitting pain and wanted to smile, but the pain forced him to kneel down again.
He had to be clear that even though the man in front of him looked similar to Zhuge Yuan, he was not the real one. Li Huowang had materialized him using his cultivation of 'Truth.'
Now that his cultivation had reached a great height, he could conjure Zhuge Yuan using the spine sword, but it was ultimately not the real deal. He was well aware that the original Zhuge Yuan was already dead.
He conjured Zhuge Yuan as a tool to help him fight, just like Peng Longteng! He could not attach any emotions to the Zhuge Yuan in front of him.
He wanted to differentiate what was real from what was not, but as he tried to do so, Zhuge Yuan's body started to crumble rapidly. He was on the brink of turning back into the spine sword.
The existence of anything conjured using his cultivation depended on his thoughts. He couldn't differentiate them clearly if he wished to use his powers. If he convinced himself that the Zhuge Yuan in front of him was fake, Li Huowang wouldn't be able to sustain Zhuge Yuan's existence.
Zhuge Yuan sensed what was wrong. "Junior Li, regardless of whether I'm fake, I will cease to exist the moment you think I'm fake."
Li Huowang howled and looked at Zhuge Yuan with tearful eyes.
Zhuge Yuan's crumbling body stopped and rematerialized.
Staring at the familiar face, Li Huowang extended his fingers and pointed at the enemies around them.
"Kill... Kill them all!"
Zhuge Yuan nodded and waved his brush in the air.
The chicken-feet men started dropping like flies. They sensed that something was seriously wrong.
This time, every single one of them focused on the groveling Li Huowang rather than the formidable Zhuge Yuan.
They had seen how Li Huowang conjured Zhuge Yuan and guessed what would happen if Li Huowang died first. But they couldn't get close to Li Huowang with Zhuge Yuan blocking all of them.
The battle was over the moment Zhuge Yuan appeared.
The chicken-feet men struggled and used various methods, but Zhuge Yuan stopped all of them. The difference in strength was clear.
The chicken-feet men were like children compared to Zhuge Yuan. A single stroke of his brush killed many of them. Their incense censers were also extinguished and the white smoke no longer drifted into the bamboo hat.
In the end, Zhuge Yuan stood alone on the bloody altar, gripping his sword. The only sound that remained was that of the falling rain.
"Junior Li, let me go. I'm the fake Zhuge Yuan. The real one is already dead."
Li Huowang held onto his head as he slumped onto the ground. He panted as the rain continued to fall on him.
Maintaining Zhuge Yuan's materialization for even a single moment hurt him a lot. He felt that his head was going to burst.
Without Li Huowang's power, Zhuge Yuan's body swiftly crumbled away. Before he was gone, he asked one last question. "Junior Li, could I ask you one thing? Is the Qi Kingdom safe?"
Li Huowang nodded slightly and Zhuge Yuan turned back into the spine sword happily. It fell and embedded itself into the ground.
"Father," Li Sui crawled towards Li Huowang and helped him up. "Father, don't worry. Your head is still here."
Li Huowang ignored her and stood up to see the aftermath of their battle.
The corpses of the chicken-feet men were littered around the altar. Almost all of them were dead, while the remaining ones were being hunted down by Zhao Jiabao and the rest.
The rain mixed with the blood in the wooden city. The grand city in the middle of the mountain was completely soaked in blood.
In the middle of the blood-soaked city was the massive statue covered in ribbons, depicting the deity with four legs.
It looked more scary with the blood on it, but at least it wasn't moving anymore. Li Huowang sighed in relief.
But he did not let his guard down. He turned and commanded Zhao Jiabao, "Bring your people and spread out. Kill everyone in this city and leave no one alive!"
He mustn't let his guard down at the moment of their victory. He dared not risk it since it was directly related to the demise of the Dharma Sect.
He tried to stand up on his own, but the blossoming pain in his head prevented him from doing so.
Zhuge Yuan was a Twisted One, so he needed more strength to conjure him. He was barely able to do so, even by using the spine sword as a medium.
"Xuan Pin! Xuan Pin, get over here!" Li Huowang shouted loudly. He was angry, yet Xuan Pin's illusion surprisingly didn't appear this time.
"Xuan Pin! Get out of here!" Li Huowang shouted in the rain but nothing happened.
"You think you can hide? Just you wait till I get back!" Li Huowang cursed.
He felt the pain in his head subsiding a bit before he stood up. He looked towards the left and saw some of the blood flowing out from the window of the buildings.
It seemed that there were other people in the city besides the chicken-feet man. He wasn't sure what the city was being used for.
Still, everything was now over.
He looked up at the massive statue and saw that it remained motionless.
"The Dharma Sect has failed this time, right?"
He brought out the Shimmer Mirror to check how the frontlines were doing when he saw something that made his blood run cold.
The massive red dot representing the allied soldiers had a bite mark on it. It was as if something massive had eaten the soldiers!
Chapter 759 - Being
Li Huowang stared at the Shimmer Mirror. He thought he was seeing things wrong because of his pounding headache.
The red dot representing the soldiers in formation had indeed been bitten by something!
"Impossible! I just interrupted the ritual!" Li Huowang looked at the motionless statue and then at the dead chicken-feet men lying in the pools of blood.
Li Huowang snarled as he touched the glowing red dot on the Shimmer Mirror. He needed to know what was happening.
His vision changed, and he found himself riding a warhorse and galloping away from the battlefield.
He turned around and saw an incomprehensible sight. The soldier's massive formation was fighting against an invisible being.
Even though it was invisible, it was still clearly present. Every time it moved, the space around it distorted and sank.
By staring at the distorted space, Li Huowang saw that the being had four legs. It was both enormous and flat, with several ribbon-like objects floating around its body in the air.
Other than that, Li Huowang couldn't make out any more details.
"What is that? What the fuck is that?" He gritted his teeth so hard that they cracked. No matter what it was, the Dharma Sect had successfully summoned that being down into the mortal realm. It appeared that they had a backup ritual somewhere else.
Even if they stopped the ritual here, the Dharma Sect's other ritual had succeeded.
Taishan Shi's memory was faulty to begin with! Regardless of whether the Dharma Sect had intentionally kept him in the dark or if this was part of their trap, the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
Li Huowang snapped himself out of the Shimmer Mirror. "Go! Go towards the southwest and help them!"
Zhao Jiabao and the others wasted no time and immediately moved. They quickly charged towards the southwestern part of the frontline.
Li Huowang also prepared to follow them. His head was hurting, but he decided to go too.
He had to go. Otherwise, the invisible being would kill the soldiers. By then, the entire Liang Kingdom would be a sitting duck for the Dharma Sect to invade.
"I need to go! Faster!" Li Huowang held onto his head as he shouted.
Splurt! A sharp halberd pierced through his chest. Peng Longteng swung the halberd, forcefully launching Li Huowang high into the southwestern direction. Her immense strength made it possible for her to throw Li Huowang way past the city wall's height.
The rain and wind were still intense. Li Huowang couldn't open his eyes as he flew in the air. He could only determine his direction after landing and using the Shimmer Mirror.
Li Huowang wasn't sure how far he had flown or how many times he was thrown, but he knew he had reached his destination when the cold air high in the sky froze his charred body. He saw that he was directly above the red dot.
"It's here!" Li Huowang retracted his limbs and fell downwards.
He fell through the clouds and saw the being directly. It sat still in the middle of the crater-filled battleground.
It looked like a toad but was even more deformed than one. It resembled the statue in the wooden city, but there were also some differences.
Its body was shifting slightly. Somehow, its previously invisible body was now crawling with wriggling steel and flesh.
Li Huowang only realized what it was after he heard war cries—it was the soldiers! The soldiers were using their bodies to latch onto the being like ants!
The being suddenly shouted, its voice a mix of a wolf and a tiger. It shook off the soldiers from its body, causing them to rain down
The soldiers retreated slightly, and the being returned to its original form. It was distorting the space around it, but its body was still transparent.
The soldiers' attacks appeared ineffective, or maybe they worked, but the being's blood was also invisible.
The soldiers that had fallen regrouped, yet Li Huowang visibly saw their strength diminishing.
"Xuan Pin! Xuan Pin! I don't know where you are, but you better show yourself now! There's a huge problem here! Don't tell me you don't see that massive fucking being! Don't tell me you don't have any backup plans for something like this, you sly old fox! The Dharma Sect actually managed to summon the being, so stop hiding your secrets!"
Li Huowang's voice echoed across the battlefield, but there was no answer. It was as if Xuan Pin didn't care about what was happening.
Li Huowang was angry but somehow he had a feeling that something like this was going to happen. He then slowly approached the being.
"Xuan Pin, if I get back alive, you better clench your teeth!"
Li Huowang howled and Peng Longteng materialized. She hooked Li Huowang's shoulder with her halberd, and they both charged into the battlefield.
But the being was so massive that they underestimated their distance. Li Huowang ran on horseback for more than fifteen minutes before he reached the proximity of the being.
He only sensed how strong the being was when he got close. A strange feeling was bubbling from the being's body, assimilating everything around it.
It was the feeling of barbarity and ambition.
Even though Xuan Pin said it wasn't a Siming, Li Huowang thought it was already close to one. Only Simings had the power to assimilate their surroundings into themselves.
The sound of a horrifying creaking reverberated as the being crunched on the soldiers. A lot of them were smashed into a pulp of flesh and blood as they rained down.
Once again, the soldiers latched onto the being's body as they attacked with their weapons, but none of them did any sizable damage.
It was as if the being was impervious to the weapons.
"What should I do?" Li Huowang didn't know what to do against such a being, but he needed to conjure someone since the soldiers were dropping like flies. "Fuck! I have to try it no matter what."
Li Huowang gripped the spine sword, but the pain in his head had yet to recede. He placed the spine sword back onto his back.
"No, I can't conjure another Zhuge Yuan right now. I need someone else."