Chapter 718: Mount Tai Stone

Chapter 718: Mount Tai Stone

On Li Huowang’s charred forehead, veins bulged like cords and burst open, his scorching blood steaming in the rain as it poured down.

"Come on! Didn’t you manage to cultivate an entire vast area before? Li Huowang, show me your cultivation strength!! Open up!!"

As Li Huowang exerted force with both hands, the magical formation on the ground, along with the earth itself, was torn apart by him into two halves.

Li Huowang, his body veins bursting, fell helplessly from the sky. Watching some things gradually fade into the distance beneath the dark clouds, he grinned and laughed aloud.

"Hahahaha!! This thing really works! Ba Hui! Did you see that? Look at what others gave us! Now look at yours! Are you embarrassed or not!"

Just before landing, Li Huowang swiftly rolled over, landing firmly on the soft ground like cotton.

At this moment, everyone around him stopped. They stared in awe at the man before them.

What had they seen? This man had torn apart the entire formation!

No matter how devout their faith in the Young God had been, doubt now stirred within them. Could they truly defeat such a man?

Even Mount Tai Stone's expression turned grim; he hadn't expected this. He knew this fellow was Ji Zai’s heartworm, but he hadn't been this strong before.

In such a short time, he had grown so powerful. Mount Tai Stone understood—should he truly kill him, it would require the Grand Master himself.

And quickly. If left to develop further, it would surely shake the foundations of Great Li and ruin their plans.

Though the previous tearing had taken a great toll on Li Huowang, his mind still buzzed with pain, yet facing the followers of the Daoist Sect who surrounded him, he showed no fear.

Looking toward a Daoist shaman in the distance, Li Huowang raised his fiery right hand and made a gesture, then pinched directly.

There was a "pop," and the shaman exploded instantly.

"The nonsense you all talked about earlier, I didn’t understand at all. But now I think you were actually right. The human body can sometimes be like foam—for example, when it's in my hands."

While speaking, Li Huowang reached out again and pinched another follower from afar, exploding him too. Then he turned his gaze toward Mount Tai Stone.

Mount Tai Stone glanced at Li Huowang, then at the warriors charging toward them from the city walls, and immediately performed a hand seal with one hand, stomped his foot, and without hesitation, dove into the earth.

He knew the plan had failed. He had been too hasty. Fortunately, he hadn’t exposed the spy from the Astronomical Bureau, so losses were minimal.

"Attack! Kill him! He's just bluffing! He's already past his prime!" Mount Tai Stone's voice suddenly rang out. Others turned around instantly, eyes filled with madness under the rain, rushing toward Li Huowang.

They couldn’t beat him before, and certainly not now. But seeing Mount Tai Stone and others disappear, Li Huowang immediately realized—they were fleeing!

"We can’t let this guy escape! He’s at least a high-ranking member of the Daoist Sect!"

Yet wanting to catch him was one thing, finding him was another. He had vanished underground—no idea where he went. Li Huowang hadn’t yet learned any tracking techniques.

As for his divination abilities, he thought it best not to show off in public. Such tricks wouldn’t work against Mount Tai Stone.

The remaining followers of the Daoist Sect seemed to have lost their reason, charging at him without hesitation, sacrificing themselves to cover Mount Tai Stone’s retreat.

There were many followers. Even if they stood still, Li Huowang would need much time to kill them all. Fortunately, the soldiers from outside the city were approaching.

Li Huowang ignored the commander of the soldiers and began crawling on the ground, searching for traces of where Mount Tai Stone had vanished underground.

Whether it was personal revenge or public enmity, Li Huowang didn’t intend to let him go easily.

Until he completely lost the chance to track him, he wouldn’t give up.

"There are still traces. Li Sui, let’s go!" Li Huowang mounted Peng Longteng’s horse, pulled the reins, and galloped toward the eastern gate. Horses ran faster than men—perhaps he could catch up!

Outside the city, time passed slowly. As the traces on the ground faded, Li Huowang’s heart sank deeper.

Finally, at a marshland, Li Huowang stopped beside the red mangrove forest across the river. Under the wash of water, the few remaining traces of underground movement disappeared entirely.

"Sigh." Li Huowang sighed, stepped into the water, cupped it in his hands, and doused the flames on his body.

With continuous hissing sounds, Li Huowang revealed his blackened skin beneath the red flames.

Unlike before, where the blackness was only a layer of skin, now it was cracked flesh scales.

But the ascension brought more than side effects. Those separated flesh scales, accompanied by crackling sounds, slowly began to close together.

The intense pain in his body gradually gave way to itching. His flesh slowly healed.

This sensation was extremely unpleasant. Li Huowang gritted his teeth and endured it. Compared to being unable to scratch, he found pain easier to bear.

Standing in the water, enduring the itching all over his body, Li Huowang pondered everything that had happened.

Clearly, they had begun watching him. Otherwise, how could they have been waiting exactly where he was when he unexpectedly helped the soldiers attack the city?

Moreover, going forward, he would have to be even more vigilant to avoid ambushes.

He had already shown them his full strength. If they tried to ambush him again, it wouldn’t be as simple as today.

If only he could capture Mount Tai Stone—he could extract more information from him.

Just as Li Huowang was thinking these thoughts, he suddenly looked up toward the red mangrove forest across the river and immediately drew his purple-sheathed sword from behind, shouting, "Who!! Come out!"

Soon, a figure slowly emerged from beneath the tree shadows.

When Li Huowang saw the face clearly, he was shocked to discover it was none other than Mount Tai Stone—the very person he had been chasing!

Mount Tai Stone appeared utterly miserable, both arms severed, right leg crippled. His scalp was gone, and blood still flowed from his wounds.

At that moment, someone pushed him from behind, and he staggered through the river toward Li Huowang.

Soon, Li Huowang saw the person behind Mount Tai Stone—it was Bai Lingmiao, with two upper bodies, both covered by red veils. "Senior Brother Li, look, I’m still useful. Next time, don’t leave me behind, okay?"

Tears welled in Li Huowang’s eyes. Ignoring Mount Tai Stone, he walked toward Bai Lingmiao.

However, just three zhang away from her, he suddenly recalled something, his face turning extremely grim. "Wait! Don’t move!"

"Senior Brother Li?" Bai Lingmiao felt puzzled.

"I need to confirm something first—Are you really Bai Lingmiao, or... or a creation of mine!"

(End of Chapter)