Chapter 755: Breaking Point

Chapter 755: The Breaking Point

Even if Xuan Pin had said earlier that he had been lured away by a feint, drawing part of their forces, those who remained here—those who were sacrificing themselves to the gods—were no easy opponents. They clearly weren’t members of the Daoist sect.

He glanced at the massive red dot on the spiral mirror and then at the incense smoke rising all around him. Li Huowang clenched the spine sword hilt in his hand with resolve.

“Xuan Pin said that even if I ordered you to die, you’d obey without hesitation. Now is the time!”

“I don’t know what they’re sacrificing to! But we must stop them! I’ll charge alongside you. Whatever fate awaits us, let it be so. Forward!”

At Li Huowang’s command, none hesitated. They charged toward the red dots in the rain, and the clash erupted into a storm of battle cries.

With a sharp *plop*, Li Huowang’s purple-tipped sword pierced deep into his opponent's belly, while the enemy’s claws tore into his own. Both twisted violently, but it was not Li Huowang who could not endure it.

Li Huowang opened his mouth wide, countless tentacles emerging from his throat and covering his opponent’s face.

Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, Li Huowang twisted the sword handle upward, cleaving his foe in two from top to bottom.

He stomped on a nearby incense ball, crushing it to pulp, yet his face showed no joy—only relief that one of them was gone. There were too many like him, chickens with feet, to count.

In the pouring rain, the white smoke from the incense burner shrouded the battlefield, turning the altar into a hazy blur.

Yet no matter which direction the smoke drifted, it eventually settled into the great god’s hat.

The ritual continued. He couldn’t let this go on. No matter the cost, this problem had to be resolved!

Li Huowang dragged a corpse over, tore open its mangled abdomen, and spat out his daughter first. Then, with a thunderous boom, flames engulfed him.

As if sensing something from beyond the heavens, Ba Hui seemed to respond. Cracks spread across Li Huowang’s body, and the fire surged into his wounds.

“AAAAAAHHH!! Ba Hui, you son of a bitch!!” With a grotesque expression, Li Huowang knelt on one knee, cursing in agony.

For some reason, he felt more pain than before.

When the rain extinguished the flames on his body only to rekindle them again, Li Huowang realized why.

He opened his mouth and licked the water falling from the sky—it was salty.

Suddenly, he recalled something terrible. His heart sank. Xuan Pin had been right—this wasn’t just about Yu’er. He had to act now!

When Li Huowang stood up again, flames roared from his body, burning everything around him like a drought demon.

Seeing his transformation, the chicken-footed beings with internal organs and flesh curtains sensed danger and began closing in, coordinating their attacks.

With various beastly roars, they transformed, their bodies becoming more bestial, adorned with red ribbons, charging toward Li Huowang.

Li Huowang pulled out a dagger and slashed open his own belly, tearing off his charred skin and flesh.

The torn flesh flew through the air, wrapping around one of the chicken-footed beings, sizzling as it roasted him. No matter how much he struggled, it wouldn’t let go.

Li Huowang picked up several stones, chewed them, and spat out teeth glowing with fire and blood.

Those fiery teeth exploded in midair, spreading in a fan shape, scorching everything in their path.

But as Li Huowang fought his way through the crowd, two birds appeared in the rain above.

One with a human head, one with a horse face. They flapped their wings, circling the great hat atop the god statue. As they circled, they sang in harsh voices:

“Out of the seed～ receive the calamity～ out of the seed～ receive the calamity～ out of the seed～ receive the calamity～”

As their discordant song echoed, the red ribbons falling from the hat began to tremble slightly.

Though subtle, Li Huowang felt it. His heart grew anxious, and his strikes became heavier.

But these chicken-footed beings didn’t stand still waiting for death. When they saw they couldn’t win, they fled, avoiding him.

Even with all his strength, the white smoke above only lightened slightly—it did not vanish. The ritual continued!

“Too slow! Still too slow!!” Li Huowang tore at his chest, ribs bursting like blooming flowers. Worms born from his five organs rained down like fallen petals, wrapped in flames, scattering among his enemies.

When he heard the ominous sound of the god statue shifting overhead, Li Huowang knew he had to act fast or it would be over.

His mind raced through everything he knew. But aside from the *Cangqian Dengjie* (Ascending Steps of Cangqian), there was nothing else.

Just then, Zhao Jiabao, missing an arm, staggered through the heat toward Li Huowang and pulled out a scroll from his pocket.

“Li Zhenren! Here! A secret message from the Astronomical Bureau!”

“Still a damn scroll? Does he think he’s some kind of sage?” Though he muttered, Li Huowang quickly opened it, reading it before the flames consumed it.

“What?! That teleportation technique he used before was fake? It was just borrowing my cultivation power?!” His pupils shrank. He hadn’t expected that.

But there was no time for shock. He read further.

“Li Huowang, since you still know, I fear I cannot take you with me. This is a desperate gambit—only when there is no retreat can you unleash your full strength.”

“But do not panic. There is still a way out. Since you’ve returned from Qingqiu through cultivation, it means your practice has reached its peak. If danger arises, the solution lies within. Think carefully—what can you cultivate to solve this situation?”

“What can I cultivate to solve this?”

Images from his past flashed through his mind.

Suddenly, Li Huowang’s eyes narrowed. He grasped his temples, his face twisted in pain, and began cultivating.

A white figure flickered faintly in the air.

But no matter how much his head swelled, veins bulging like a longevity god, the figure refused to appear.

Just as the red ribbons above began to flutter violently, Li Huowang suddenly remembered something. He drew his spine sword and slammed it into the ground.

Fixing his gaze on the sword hilt, he focused intensely.

As he cultivated, blood dripped from his nose, veins burst, and his skull cracked open.

Meanwhile, the edge of the spine sword rapidly grew white bone. First bones, then flesh, then skin, and finally, a scholar’s robe.

With a sharp *pop*, a white fan unfolded instantly, revealing four large characters dancing across the air before Li Huowang.

**"Born with Talent"**

(End of Chapter)