Chapter 572: Xuanpin

Chapter 572: The Mysterious Feminine

Gao Zhijian continued to laugh in midair, swirling like a true dragon through the sky.

At that moment, more lotus-shaped sky lanterns appeared in the air.

"When we fight, you take Li Sui and leave this place first. Return to Niu Xin Village and wait for me," Li Huowang said, looking toward Gao Zhijian in the distance. He pulled out his instruments of torture, preparing to cut open his own belly.

But a cool hand pressed down on Li Huowang's wrist holding the tool. Bai Lingmiao spoke gently, "Senior Brother Li, there's no need for you to do this anymore. I can help you now."

"The White Lotus Sect, heh, you fools think you can stop me?"

Seeing the white lotus on Bai Lingmiao's forehead and the surrounding sky lanterns, Li Huowang knew that during her absence, much had happened.

Though he desperately wanted to know what had transpired, the immediate crisis left him no time to inquire about such trivial matters.

"Do these people all listen to you?" Li Huowang asked Bai Lingmiao.

"Yes, they do," Bai Lingmiao answered decisively.

"Fine then, try to get them to hold Gao Zhijian for a short while later," Li Huowang took a deep breath and looked at Gao Zhijian in the distance, gripping his sword tightly.

Since he had once slain him as a child, he could certainly do it again as an adult.

Between the lanterns, white lotus believers dressed in paper loincloths sat floating in midair. Sharp curved blades pierced their cheeks, while various copper gourds were hung from their earlobes by hooks.

"Divine Spirit Descends!" With Bai Lingmiao's shout, these people simultaneously struck their skulls with serrated daggers from their waists.

"Dao is learned through the heart; the heart conveys the incense. Incense burns in jade burners, the heart holds reverence before the Emperor. True spirits descend, divine banners appear. Now I, a humble servant, report directly to the heavens. What I pray for, what I wish for, may it be granted as spoken..." The chanting hummed loudly, drowning out all other sounds.

Gao Zhijian's slender body coiled around himself, completely ignoring the surrounding lotus sky lanterns. His eyes even held a trace of mockery, as if he wished to toy with those before him.

"Thousands call, thousands respond; ten thousand call, ten thousand answer. Disciple bows thrice to summon, calling upon the Divine Spirit to descend. Raise the spirit child, let him speak clearly. Commandments of divine weapons, swift as law!"

After finishing their chant, they pointed their bloodied serrated blades at Gao Zhijian in the distance.

A second face seemed to appear on Gao Zhijian's face. His elongated body suddenly halted in place, releasing the scent of sandalwood from temples.

The White Lotus Sect had summoned a god into Gao Zhijian—something Li Huowang hadn't expected.

Taking advantage of this moment, Peng Longteng grabbed Li Huowang and hurled him toward Gao Zhijian.

Just as in Daqi, Li Huowang gripped his sword tightly, slicing along Gao Zhijian’s back, severing the connection between him and the dragon vein, then thrusting the blade into his chest once more.

It went smoothly—Gao Zhijian offered no resistance whatsoever.

As the sword blade, glowing with malevolent aura, neared his chest, Gao Zhijian's lips curled slightly upward, his voice carrying mockery: "Want to kill me? Think carefully. If I die, the dragon vein of Great Li will be finished~"

When Li Huowang's blade moved up just a hair's breadth, Gao Zhijian laughed wildly, boldly thrusting his chest forward against Li Huowang's sword.

"Hongzhong, we're not warriors, so why must we resort to swords and spears? We are the Way of Forgetfulness—our weapon is the mind!"

"Look, our strength isn’t great—it's common knowledge. I know that too. But why should I clash head-on with you? Now I am the dragon vein. Even with my eyes closed, standing still, you dare not strike. Hahahaha—this is using one's brain."

Dice could act freely against Li Huowang, but Li Huowang had to fear Dice's current identity, leaving him constantly constrained.

Just as Li Huowang was about to be caught again, fingers shot up from below, rescuing him.

Li Huowang, retreating to the sky lanterns, looked down and saw a group of people in black robes standing atop rooftops. One of them he recognized—Zu Yi, the follower of Aojing Sect.

Not only that, various strange sects and factions surrounded him, filling nearly the entire Shangjing palace.

"Bang—" The ground trembled slightly as a colossal figure approached from afar—the Buddha carved from a mountain! Now, he was alive!

As the giant Buddha slowly lowered his body, his eyes larger than houses fixed on Gao Zhijian. Yet Gao Zhijian laughed.

"Hehehe～ Looks like the big shots have returned. You think you can trap me like this? You can't fool me. Don’t forget—I am from the Way of Forgetfulness, the Mystical Feminine. I’ve already obtained what I want. You’re too late~~~"

With that, Gao Zhijian opened his mouth wide and began swallowing the tail of the dragon vein. His mouth stretched impossibly large, gulping down the emperors on the dragon vein one after another.

He swallowed faster and faster until he devoured the entire dragon vein, vanishing completely.

At that moment, Li Huowang clearly felt the distortion around him. When he came to his senses again, the illusions rapidly faded.

When he regained consciousness once more, he found himself and Bai Lingmiao on the ground.

The crowd had thinned significantly. Except for some members of Aojing Sect and the White Lotus Sect, everything else was false—just illusions conjured by the Astronomical Bureau.

The Astronomical Bureau, clad in red robes, was kneeling on one knee, tending to the severely wounded Grand Master of Great Li.

The crimson wound on the Grand Master's chest was quickly removed by his six hands, turning from red to gray.

"Dice attacked me when I was sacrificing at the Temple of Ancestors! If not for my hidden reserve, I would have been done for!" Huangfu Tiangang, blood dripping from his mouth, gritted his teeth.

"No talking yet," the Astronomical Bureau took a pale yellow skin from a nearby corpse and applied it to the Grand Master's black-and-white wound.

Watching his leisurely actions, Li Huowang raised his head and realized that not only had the previous scene vanished, but also Gao Zhijian himself—the dragon vein of Great Li was gone!

"Where is Dice going? What does he intend to do with the dragon vein?" Li Huowang's mind was in chaos.

Before he could ponder further, Huangfu Tiangang, who had risen again, raised his Star Sword and slashed at Li Huowang.

Li Huowang barely raised his sword to block when everything blurred before his eyes. He and the Grand Master of Great Li were suddenly seated across from each other at a table.

"Tiangang, do you truly believe this is the time for internal strife?" The Astronomical Bureau sat calmly beside him.

"You brought him here! Everything is connected to him! This man is definitely allied with Dice! If we don’t eliminate this menace, do you want to keep him for New Year’s dinner?" Huangfu Tiangang slammed the table angrily.

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(End of Chapter)