Chapter 1020: Will

Chapter 1020: I Will

"No!!" Dense, writhing tentacles of flesh and blood bored into Li Huowang’s head through every orifice, forcing their way in until his skull shattered under the pressure. "You fools! I am the savior! Only I have the chance to lead you through this crisis!!"

Li Huowang lunged forward, his hands locking onto the tentacles of Qing Wanglai. "You are not! You were right about one thing—someone had to play the villain, and that person is you!"

"Qing Wanglai!! You were driven mad by the terror of Fushengtian long ago! You are insane! Not only are you mad, but you have dragged the entire world into your madness! The state of Daliang, Daqi, and Tianchen—it is all because of you!"

"You lunatic! You incomprehensible madman!!" Qing Wanglai roared, and chains of dark, secret causality began to pierce Li Huowang’s body, causing his form to rapidly dissolve into nothingness.

As the secrets of Fushengtian multiplied, the fear in Li Huowang’s heart grew, beginning to warp his very actions.

Other Siming deities moved to intervene, but the body of the Three Pure Ones erupted, and all the chains of secret causality detonated, flooding the entirety of White Jade Capital with the terror of Fushengtian. Every Siming present was struck.

In that moment, Li Huowang finally understood: Fushengtian had begun its work long ago, and Qing Wanglai was merely its reaching hand! Everything he had done was simply to infect the world further with the fear and despair of Fushengtian!

"No... I cannot..." Li Huowang fought through the suffocating dread and reached toward the mirror below. Under the weight of such boundless despair, a sharp crack echoed—the mirror shattered.

Jizai screamed at his own reflection, which splintered along with the glass: "Li Huowang! Help me!!"

He then heard the Li Huowang within the mirror cry back: "You promised me, Jizai! You must bring them all back! You promised me!! Too many have died! There is nothing left!!"

Feeling himself drowning in terror, Jizai shouted at the shards of the mirror: "Fine!! I promise! I will change this heaven! I will change this earth! I will bring them all back from the dead!!"

The next moment, a roar erupted as the baleful energy of a dozen generals and ministers flared like a beacon, shattering the fear that blanketed White Jade Capital.

It was not just the generals; Li Huowang saw the dozen dragon veins rising to join them.

"Brother Li! I am here to help!!" Gao Zhijian shouted, breaking through the fear and slamming into Li Huowang’s body.

The tangible baleful energy began to suppress the terror within, while the order of the dragon veins stabilized Li Huowang’s fading form.

Yet, even now, Li Huowang felt something was missing.

He could not name it, but suddenly, he reached into the mirrors, pulling with all his might, tearing everything from the Li Huowang within and grafting it onto himself. In an instant, the mirrors vanished, and only Jizai remained in the White Jade Capital.

As the fear that had clouded his mind dissolved, Li Huowang regained his freedom, but the ordeal was far from over; the capital remained shrouded in terror.

Li Huowang looked up at the Three Pure Ones, realizing he was not fighting them—he was fighting Fushengtian itself.

Under his gaze, the flesh-tentacles wrapped in chains of causality twisted and swelled, forming a grotesque, fleshy hand. He understood: this was the hand of Fushengtian!

The hand descended upon him, tentacles writhing in a desperate attempt to force fear back into his soul.

His baleful energy scattered the assault, but it was not enough. Li Huowang knew he could not endure this war of attrition. If his energy ran dry, he would be corrupted by Fushengtian just like the Three Pure Ones.

Looking at the other corrupted Siming, an idea took hold. If he could not solve this alone, he would borrow their power.

He charged forward, cloaked in baleful energy, toward the Dao of Rot. He hesitated, but then he saw, amidst the decaying corpses, the face of Abbess Jingxin formed by maggots and rigor mortis. She smiled and nodded at him.

"Abbess... thank you..." Li Huowang wept as he reached out, stuffing the entire Dao of Rot into his mouth, careful not to chew, lest he hurt her.

The fear and despair infecting the Dao of Rot were purged by the baleful energy, and as the Dao returned to its true state, Li Huowang absorbed it. Wounds began to fester across his body.

Suddenly, a wet thud sounded as Ba Hui and Gu Shen pierced Li Huowang’s chest like twin blades, agony flooding his entire being.

The Siming of Pain had delivered the Dao of Pain in a peculiar way. "Ba Nanxu! I... it hurts so much!!"

As Li Huowang caught his breath and turned, he saw Zhao Shuangdian standing before him, offering her sniper rifle.

"I am willing to accept your model. You are truly special." Her expression was calm, just as it had been before.

Li Huowang nodded, opened his mouth, and swallowed the rifle, then swallowed her as well.

Only at this final moment did he see what Zhao Shuangdian truly was: she was the Eternal Heaven.

Even now, he did not understand what Dao she commanded, only that his body felt sturdier and more resilient.

With each act of consumption, White Jade Capital began to crumble. Li Huowang accelerated, plucking Dan Xi and swallowing it whole.

Daos gathered within him, his body swelling until White Jade Capital could barely contain him, crushing the flesh-tentacles of fear.

The Three Pure Ones tried to intervene, but no matter how many secrets of fear they unleashed, his baleful energy dissolved them with ease.

Finally, having consumed the other Daos, Li Huowang turned to the Unborn Mother. He hesitated, but she smiled.

"Huowang, keep going. I believe in you. We will definitely go to college together, and we will definitely bring Sui Sui back."

Li Huowang’s heart ached, the pain amplified by the Dao of Pain until his very body began to tear apart.

He did not want to strike, but he knew he had to. If he did not consume the Dao of Death, Fushengtian would infect her. He could not let Fushengtian claim the Dao of Death!

"Don't worry, I will. I absolutely will!" Li Huowang reached out, grabbed the Unborn Mother, and pulled her into his mouth.