Chapter 570: Changing Times

Chapter 570: The Sky Turns

Since everything was over, it was time for him to go about his own business. As for a formal farewell—what nonsense. He was a grown man, and Li Huowang had no taste for such theatricality.

"Dad, I'm hungry," Li Sui said again after stepping out of the imperial temple.

"Alright, I know. Let's go eat first. After we're done eating, we'll go save your mother."

"Mm!" With Li Sui nodding happily, her hair danced playfully with each motion, complementing her delicate face in an endearing way.

"Why are you still hiding among the dead? Get out quickly, don't you mind being unlucky?" With that, Li Huowang reached out to pluck Li Sui’s head from its hiding place.

"Ahh~ No! I don’t want to!" Seven or eight tentacles emerged from beneath Li Sui’s clothes, weaving themselves into a basket that tightly protected the princess’s head.

"Dad, I like this. It’s fun. And now I’m human too, so people won’t be afraid of me anymore."

Seeing Li Sui’s firm resolve, Li Huowang withdrew his hand. In truth, he didn’t care much—he just feared that if the corpse rotted and began to stink or grow maggots, she might stubbornly refuse to let it go, making things even more terrifying.

"But Princess Anping has been dead for so long, yet there isn’t even a single mark on Li Sui’s face. Could it be that this Black Tai-Sui actually has preservative properties?" Li Huowang studied his daughter’s smooth, fair complexion, pondering silently.

"Hahahaha~!!" The laughter startled Li Huowang, who turned with irritation toward the illusion of Zuo Wang Dao.

"What? Was my conversation with my daughter so amusing?"

Li Huowang’s question went unanswered. Instead, the illusion doubled over with laughter, gasping for breath.

"Madman," muttered Li Huowang, turning away and walking toward the palace gates with Li Sui by his side.

Yet again, the laughter rang out—this time louder than before, spreading across the heavens like a wave, shaking the earth itself.

"Li Sui, hold onto me!" Li Huowang pulled out his Purple Ear Sword and drove it deep into the ground, bracing against the tremors. This scene felt oddly familiar, and his heart sank deeper with each passing moment.

The shaking lasted nearly half an hour before finally calming down.

This time, it was far better than when the Great Qi collapsed. At least the palaces hadn’t crumbled, and he wasn’t dangling off a cliff anymore.

Just then, the thunderous "Hahahahah~!!" echoed once more. This time, Li Huowang noticed where the sound came from—it was the Great Li Imperial Temple!

"Hahahahah!!" Under the stunned gazes of all the court officials, eunuchs, and palace maids, the magnificent imperial temple suddenly collapsed. A tall figure rose from the dust.

It was the Dragon Vein of the Great Li Empire—and at its peak stood none other than Gao Zhijian, who had just ascended to the throne!

He was now mad with power, laughing in unison with the illusion of Zuo Wang Dao beside him.

"What... what is going on?! What is happening?!" Li Huowang gripped his sword hilt tightly and charged toward the Dragon Vein.

"Hahahaha! Do you really think the Dice Master, who controls fate and destiny, would die so easily? Hahahaha! Think carefully about what’s inside Gao Zhijian’s head! Hahahahah!" The illusion laughed wildly.

Li Huowang’s mind raced as he recalled. Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply. Two years ago, during his fight with Zuo Wang Dao’s second pancake, a steel die had been shoved into Gao Zhijian’s brain!

Combined with everything else, Li Huowang’s expression darkened. He understood instantly what had happened.

The dice were not dead! Everything before had been an illusion! Through that die, someone had controlled Gao Zhijian!

"Do you really think a storyteller’s calculations can beat the Dice Master? Don’t joke around! Hahahaha! He was always on the Dice Master’s chessboard, never leaving it—even until death! The Dice Master had already foreseen that his nature would lead him to the Great Qi! Hahahaha!"

"Ahh~ So satisfying! So satisfying! Hahahahah! I’ve waited so long for this day! The Dice Master played well! I’m dying from satisfaction, hahahahah!" In the next instant, the illusion of Zuo Wang Dao faded away amidst his manic laughter.

Li Huowang’s breathing grew heavy. His eyes red with fury, he rushed forward toward the Dragon Vein, shouting:

"Zhijian! Wake up! Wake up now! You’re not a die—you’re Gao Zhijian!"

But Gao Zhijian paid no attention to Li Huowang running toward him. Instead, he pointed at the gloomy sky and shouted with wild excitement.

"Grandmother of Yin-Yang! You old bitch! Hahahaha! Didn’t expect me to do this, did you? Trying to use me as your Heart Puppet? How sweet of you to imagine! My fate is mine alone, not determined by heaven!"

"Now that I have the Emperor’s fortune upon me, what can you do to me? What’s so great about you? Just luck, right?"

"If you can do it, why can’t I? Stand straight and watch! Great changes are coming—I’ll change the heavens too!"

Gao Zhijian dragged emperors adorned with golden chains upward into the air, twisting like a real dragon. Roars of dragons echoed from their mouths.

"How about that, Grandmother of Yin-Yang? I tricked you, I cursed you. Now you can’t do anything. Your true form cannot enter—must be driving you crazy, huh? Hehehe, keep it in, you bastard. Best if you suffocate to death!"

"You’re helpless now. Zuo Wang Dao has been wiped out. You can’t find a new Heart Puppet. Once something from the other side arrives, you’ll only wait to die! Hahahahah!"

"Don’t worry, I’ll be right here waiting for you. To honor your greatness, I’ll do everything I can to push you into the abyss and steal your Heavenly Dao!"

"Gao Zhijian! Wake up!!" Li Huowang, engulfed in flames, was thrown high into the air by Peng Longteng and hurled toward the Dragon Vein.

But before he could get close, a roar of a dragon shattered the fire from his body.

A golden chain, leaving behind a blur, whipped toward him. As Li Huowang attempted to dodge, he realized—his ability to shift space was useless here!

With a crack of bones, Li Huowang was sent flying. Just before landing, he was caught by Li Sui’s tentacles.

"Dad, are you alright?"

Spitting blood, Li Huowang gritted his teeth and stood up, pushing Li Sui away. "Get going! It's dangerous here!"

"Dad! I won’t leave! I want to help you!" Li Sui defied him for the first time.

Before he could speak again, the sky darkened. Slowly raising his head, he saw the entire Dragon Vein of the Great Li Empire twist together into a massive dragon blocking his view of the sky.

And now, Gao Zhijian, his face twisted in madness, hung upside down just a zhang away.

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