Chapter 322: Monster

Chapter 322: The Monster

From afar, the spirit demon who had been performing the ritual saw Li Huowang and immediately rolled over, throwing two black banners to either side of him. Immediately afterward, he plunged a peach wood sword that exuded black vapor into the ground.

The black mist from the sword instantly surged underground, forming an odd talisman made of strange symbols in a circular shape, rapidly emerging with Li Huowang at its center.

Seeing this spectacle, how could Li Huowang sit idle and wait for death? He quickly tried to leap out of the circle of the talisman on the ground.

But just then, as the spirit demon clenched his hands into seals, the two triangular black banners beside him suddenly rose up, piercing through Li Huowang's feet with lightning speed, firmly nailing him to the spot.

Now, Li Huowang’s legs were as if welded to the earth; no matter what he attempted, he couldn’t move an inch.

The black banners seemed to possess some kind of power, sealing even his ability to shift position.

Seeing Li Huowang trapped, the spirits’ morale soared instantly. Various talismans, rice cakes, copper coins, and more flew through the air toward Li Huowang.

Although Li Huowang continuously swung his long sword to block them, his body gradually began to suffer damage.

“Clang,” a fire striker made of flint appeared in Li Huowang’s hand. With a grimace, he prepared to press it against his own skin.

This task should have been Tuoba Danqing’s responsibility—only something of great importance would prompt his involvement. It was almost inevitable that Li Huowang would find himself in such a predicament.

Though sacrificing his entire skin to Ba Hui for strength brought extreme pain, he had already made up his mind to fight to the death before coming here.

Yet the leading Taoist spirit demon, seemingly sensing what Li Huowang intended, swiftly took off his black dust whisk from around his neck. With one hand, he quickly wrote several characters upon it.

The originally soft strands instantly transformed into the shape of a guandao (a type of blade), flying straight toward Li Huowang.

Just as Li Huowang lit his palm on fire, the guandao arrived too, cleanly severing his left hand wrapped in flames.

Then came another set of incomprehensible incantations. The guandao formed from the dust whisk, carrying Li Huowang’s severed hand, swiftly returned to the spirit demon.

Seeing the fire striker on the severed arm, the spirit demon grinned widely, laughed viciously, and leaped high into the air, raising the guandao high above his head to strike down upon Li Huowang’s head.

Several purple talismans floated behind him and stuck onto the black guandao. Thick black vapor emerged instantly, and within moments, the long guandao gained the weighty presence of Mount Tai crushing everything beneath it.

Li Huowang didn’t know if he could withstand it, but there was nothing else to do now—he could only try. With a resolute expression, he raised the copper coin sword in his hand.

At this critical moment, fragmented voices echoed in his mind. “What nonsense are you talking about!”

But seeing the guandao speeding toward him from afar, after roaring, Li Huowang clenched his resolve, gripped the copper coin sword tightly with both hands, and plunged it into his lower abdomen.

Facing certain death and intense pain, he looked like a madman.

“Open!!”

With a ferocious expression, Li Huowang exerted all his strength with one arm. His spine snapped audibly—he actually cleaved his entire body in half!

From the wound, countless black tentacles emerged, wrapped in crimson blood, pushing his upper body away with tremendous force, allowing him to dodge the guandao’s attack range.

The guandao swept past Li Huowang’s lower half left behind, crashing heavily into the ground.

A thunderous explosion shook the entire cave, stalactites falling from the ceiling, black mist spreading rapidly across the floor, corrupting everything beneath.

Fortunately, Li Huowang had escaped. If not, that single blow would have been enough to kill him.

Unsuccessful in his first strike, the Taoist spirit demon crawled back up holding his nearly hairless dust whisk, his face twisted with rage as he stared at his enemy who had dodged his attack in such an eerie way.

His opponent now possessed only a torso, while from the wound, twisted tentacles with sticky suction cups extended outward, resembling table legs, supporting him upright.

Despite the massive wound in his body, only blood flowed out—not even a single organ spilled out.

Witnessing this horrifying creature—a man with a human upper body and octopus-like lower body—the spirit demon finally realized he had met a formidable foe.

He snatched the peach wood sword from his disciple beside him, spun it in a flourish, and thrust it downward, prying a black talisman onto the tip.

On one side stood Li Huowang, half-human, half-tentacle, wielding a red-threaded copper coin sword in a manic frenzy.

On the other stood the Taoist spirit demon, limbs twisted, nails long, clutching a black talisman and peach wood sword.

This terrifying scene sent chills down the spines of the remaining elderly survivors. “What... What is this... thing...?”

Li Huowang’s eyes, filled with bloodshot veins, fixedly stared at the approaching spirit demon before him. Now he understood clearly—whether stealing infants or the many spirit demons involved, everything stemmed from this very being.

If he could eliminate this spirit demon, the matter would finally be resolved.

“Forward!” The black Taizi beneath Li Huowang instantly moved, its tentacles rapidly propelling him forward toward the spirit demon.

The spirit demon remained calm, leading his kin in charging back toward Li Huowang.

In such a life-or-death situation, the Black Taizi dared not harbor any other thoughts—it was now tied to Li Huowang’s fate. Should Li Huowang die, so would it.

“Om Shung Tum Mung Pu Guang Se!”

As Li Huowang chanted, the red-threaded copper coin sword in his hand transformed into a whip, striking first at the spirit demon, wrapping around his peach wood sword.

Upon contact, the two blades seemed to repel each other, sparking with crackling sounds from where they touched.

Seeing the enemy’s weapon restrained, Li Huowang quickly tossed the copper coin sword downward, drew his purple-tassel sword from behind, and slashed fiercely at his own belly. The newly grown flesh was torn away once again.

That piece of skin, still bearing a navel, rapidly expanded in midair like a leather hood, covering the spirit demons.

The spirit demon seemed to know Li Huowang’s weakness. Roaring in guttural, chaotic language, the others abandoned him and surrounded Li Huowang.

Two fists cannot match four hands—once surrounded, everything else became manageable.

A Dao sword adorned with Tai Chi patterns whipped through the air toward Li Huowang, yet he did not dodge. Instead, he charged straight ahead.

“Whoosh~!” The sharp tip pierced through Li Huowang’s head and emerged from the back of his skull.

Yet, no blood stained the blade. Li Huowang’s body was insubstantial—he had become invisible, his physical form located a zhang away.