Chapter 496: Truth and Falsehood

Chapter 496: Truth and Illusion

When he saw the hesitation flickering across the faces of the other four upon hearing the Daoist’s words, Li Huowang’s heart stirred instantly.

“Wait a moment—perhaps we don’t have to resort to violence. Maybe I can try to devise a trick to scare them away!”

After a few fleeting breaths, Li Huowang gritted his teeth, gripped the bone marrow sword in his hand tightly, and thrust its hilt—now shaped like a skull—into the ground with a sudden, forceful motion. The world around him began to shimmer between solid and insubstantial.

“Hmph? Why won’t you die? Then why not ask Zhuge Yuan himself! Silence beyond all traces! Standing firm against the abyss! Neither dead nor destroyed! Transcending the Three Realms’ path! Alive!”

When the Sky-Watching Officials saw the figure of a scholar with a fan appearing and vanishing before Li Huowang, their eyes filled with deep terror. They knew full well the true strength of Zhuge Yuan.

And worse still, there was someone who could resurrect Zhuge Yuan using his own bone marrow and skull!

Almost out of sheer panic, the Sky-Watching Officials turned on a dime and fled into the forest at top speed.

Not long after they disappeared, Peng Longteng and Zhuge Yuan vanished as well. Li Huowang collapsed to the ground, clutching his head which had begun to swell, groaning in pain.

With his current cultivation level, forcing two illusions into physical form was far too much for him to handle.

To merely make some noise that would drive them away was already the utmost effort he could manage.

He felt his head throbbing as if it might split open. Clutching the bone marrow sword, he staggered, determined to leave the spot first.

Though he had scared them off, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t regain their composure.

At this moment, Li Huowang felt his head swelling even more, growing as large as the image of the longevity god from New Year paintings.

“Brother Li, are you alright?” Zhuge Yuan couldn’t help but show concern.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” In truth, Li Huowang didn’t know whether he was truly okay. This was his first time forcibly cultivating illusionary power, and it was nothing like handling an apple.

Just as he said this, a violent stirring erupted in his dantian, followed by rapid changes in his surroundings. “Damn! The divine light can no longer contain the primordial qi!”

When Li Huowang came to his senses again, he found himself back in the cold reality.

But this time, he wasn’t in the hospital room—he was being pushed by his mother into a courtyard surrounded entirely by iron mesh, where he was meant to sunbathe.

His withered muscles seemed to reassure the prison guards somewhat.

Thinking of the landscape ahead, Li Huowang stretched his neck, bit down hard on the restraints, and dragged his frail body toward the side of the ground.

He remembered there was a thicket nearby, a place suitable for temporary concealment.

He was extremely fragile now; even a wild boar could wound him.

“Son! Son, what happened to you?! Get up quickly!”

Just as Sun Xiaoqin scrambled to help lift the dusty Li Huowang, he grabbed her arm.

“Mom! Trust me just once, Mom!”

Sun Xiaoqin was stunned by his urgent cry, staring blankly at him.

“Mom, I really can’t get up right now! Those Sky-Watching Officials might not be far away yet. Wait, where is my sword?”

Li Huowang looked around and seized a broom leaning against the wall, gripping it tightly to his chest.

Holding the plastic handle of the broom, Li Huowang exhaled slightly in relief. He tilted his head and whispered again, “Mom, I really can’t explain much to you right now. Just trust me. Things will get better soon. Believe me!”

Watching her son sprawled on the ground, clutching the plastic broom like a madman, nervously glancing around, Sun Xiaoqin silently nodded through tears.

Seeing her mother’s sorrow, Li Huowang felt a pang in his heart. “Mom, don’t be sad. I might not be able to come back for a while. Things over there are very busy. Please bear with me. Once I finish everything here, I’ll spend more time with you.”

“Mom isn’t sad. Lie quietly here. I’ll go find a doctor for you.”

Watching his mother’s retreating figure, Li Huowang cursed inwardly. And again, things had gone wrong.

Fortunately, this was only the one time. Next time, he’d know that although forcing cultivation might yield results, it would destabilize the primordial qi inside him.

Carefully scanning his surroundings, Li Huowang relaxed slightly when he saw no one approaching. “Good. Since no one’s coming near, they probably haven’t followed. I should be safe for now.”

But just as he thought this, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

Li Huowang’s heart tightened. Thoughts exploded in his mind. He then slung the “sword” over his shoulder, pretending to walk calmly out of the nonexistent shrubbery, moving slowly forward.

After taking two steps, he feigned hearing something, turned slightly, and sneered, “What? You little brats are still here? Do you think I’m easy to anger? Huh?”

“Huowang…”

The familiar soft female voice made Li Huowang’s heart tremble. As he turned around, holding the “sword,” he saw Yang Na standing outside the iron mesh, tears streaming down her face.

It had been a long time since they last met, and Yang Na had become much thinner. She had never been overweight, but now she was emaciated to the point of danger.

Yang Na wasn’t alone. Behind her stood a middle-aged man wearing thick round glasses—a man Li recognized as her father.

They had always gotten along well in the past. Whenever he visited Yang Na’s house, he would joke with him cheerfully.

But the past was the past. Now, there was no warmth or friendliness in his gaze—it was cold and rejecting.

“Did you see this? This is the Li Huowang you’ve been dreaming about! How long will you keep clinging to delusion?”

As soon as the words left her lips, Yang Na clutched her mouth and knelt down, sobbing softly.

This sight shook Li Huowang deeply. “No, I can’t let myself be distracted. I’m still in danger. This must be fake. There’s no way Yang Na would appear the moment I woke up! Yes, that’s right. This place is fake. That Yang Na is fake too!”

“They’re here because someone else is coming! Two people? Could it be Miao Miao and Li Sui?”

“Miao Miao? Li Sui? Is that you? If so, give me a sign!”

Li Huowang shouted toward the two figures outside the iron mesh.

Just as he shouted loudly, Yang Na’s father forcefully pulled her away.

“You can finally give up now! Go! Forget about Li Huowang completely. Never think of him again, never see him again!”

Watching Yang Na slowly move away, another set of thoughts completely opposite to his previous ones surged uncontrollably from within him.

“No, no, no!!! This place is definitely real. I’m going to cultivate and turn this place into reality. Then Yang Na will be real too! She’s real! I can’t let her leave like this!”

Two opposing thoughts crashed violently in Li Huowang’s mind, causing his expression to grow increasingly pained. He clenched his fists and beat his head furiously, as if possessed. “Aaaahhh!!!”