Chapter 803: Rise

Chapter 803: Rise

“What in the world are you doing?! Didn’t I tell you to leave?” Li Huowang forcefully shoved away the blood-soaked flesh clinging to the white tufts.

“To help you—first, deal with this thing.”

Wu Shigong spoke simply and hastened the closing process. As the white tufts and bloody flesh began to seep into Li Huowang’s body, they usurped the space once occupied by Li Sui. Her countless tendrils were squeezed out through his mouth.

But it was not yet over. As Li Huowang’s body swelled further, his facial features began to shift from their original positions.

Not only himself, but even the four heads atop his deformed humpback, which had been distorted by his journey to Da Qi, also began to twist.

Everything about Li Huowang changed—except for his red Daoist robe inscribed with strange characters.

The robe of Xuan Pin seemed to possess some mysterious power; as Wu Shigong expanded his body, so did the robe, stretching to match his growing form.

In mere moments, within the black sea, Li Huowang transformed into a monster several stories tall. His bodily changes finally settled.

Several stories high, draped in a red robe, with black tendrils hanging from his mouth, his face twisted beyond recognition—this Daoist hovered motionless in midair. The aura radiating from him made everyone around hesitate to act.

At that moment, Li Huowang felt his body had become strange beyond measure, as if he now possessed many eyes. Each white tuft offered its own perspective, even the white tufts placed inside the box by Gouwa could be sensed.

It wasn’t just vision—it was more than that. His body itself had altered somehow, though he couldn’t quite articulate how.

When Wu Shigong’s flesh no longer devoured but instead fused, Li Huowang experienced sensations never before felt.

Everything within his body seemed to be under his control.

Just then, one of the eyes on his forehead slid down to his left hand. “No! Ao Mo Hui is escaping!”

As Li Huowang prepared to move, countless white tufts emerged from within him, flapping like fish fins.

Before others could rush in to surround him, a voice from Wu Shigong echoed in his ear: “The method of heart essence and spinal bone refining can produce extraordinary artifacts. Pull it out and try it. I can temporarily take its place.”

Without hesitation, Li Huowang flipped his right hand behind his back, piercing his skin and grasping his spine. With a sharp tug, a blood-soaked spine sword appeared in his hand.

A howl rang out. The massive spine sword swung, sweeping away all living things before him. Not only that, but everything that flew off—whether struck or not—became impossibly elongated.

With this weapon, Li Huowang no longer feared being surrounded. He quickly pursued Ao Mo Hui, who tried to dive beneath the waves.

Ao Mo Hui was already too late. Just as he neared the seabed, Li Huowang finally caught up.

“Break!!” Li Huowang gripped the spine sword tightly and yanked. Ao Mo Hui’s putrid flesh instantly split in two.

But it was not over. He struck again with tremendous force, splattering chunks of meat into the sea.

Once the creature was utterly mangled, Li Huowang grabbed both halves and tied them into a tight knot.

He slammed the massive knot against the rock wall, then pulled out a piece of stone larger than himself and smashed it down.

Dust settled. The once-formidable Ao Mo Hui, now reduced to a mass of flesh, floated slowly toward the surface. Silence followed.

Li Huowang also floated upward. As he ascended, Wu Shigong gradually separated from his body.

Li Huowang pushed off the water surface with both hands, standing firmly upon it.

His expression pained, he covered his face and rubbed it hard. The twisted features returned to their rightful places.

As his body began to normalize, the four heads on his back withered rapidly.

Li Huowang released his hands and glared at Wu Shigong, who remained hidden beneath the water. “What is going on? Didn’t I tell you to leave first? Why have you returned?”

At that moment, the mangled Ao Mo Hui floated above the water. Li Huowang walked over and kicked it. Though dead, it still retained some semblance of life—but barely.

He had only intended to steal two dragon veins, yet now there was a third. An unexpected gain indeed.

“We cannot escape.”

“What? What did you say?” Li Huowang nearly thought he’d misheard. He turned to look at Wu Shigong in the water.

“The sect has arrived. Their twelve great witches have come.” Elder Shen Ben You, her face grim, floated quickly from the sea.

Her belly, once distended, was now hollow, leaving only a bloody hole. Her followers, Aojing, were few. The two dragon veins had vanished.

“What the hell is going on!” Frustrated, Li Huowang gazed across the endless ocean. Soon, he saw ships—various sizes, large and small.

Along with the ships came torrential rain and towering waves.

As the vessels approached, an unexpected figure appeared before Li Huowang. It was Xuan Pin, clad in a red robe, standing at the bow.

“Li Huowang, surrender. You’re finished.”

“Those on this side will hold you here, while the Great Li is also attacking. The outcome is decided. Everything ends now. You are no match for us.”

Li Huowang looked at him with a complex expression. “Are you calling me stupid? You wear my robe—what kind of Xuan Pin are you pretending to be?”

Xuan Pin on the ship shook his head slowly. “That was just a feigned death. I’ve already surrendered to the Great Li. I told the sect everything. You’re done.”

As he spoke, green gourds were thrown into the sea. From their mouths, strange black liquid spread rapidly, forming a large circle that crept toward Li Huowang.

Next moment, twelve figures with “witch” written on their faces and black cloths on their shoulders stepped onto the rocking deck.

Though distant, Li Huowang could sense their otherworldly presence. Each one weighed more than everything else, pressing the entire space inward, warping everything around them.

Whether the fake Xuan Pin spoke truth or lies, today they clearly intended to keep him here.

“Heh! Great Witch, huh?” Li Huowang spat blood. “Want me to surrender… dream on! The battle isn’t over yet!”

Then, his expression twisted. Blood poured from his nose. Veins bulged on his forehead. His head swelled. “Aaaaahhh!! Rise!!”

A colossal bronze tree burst from the deep sea, shaking violently. It impaled the flesh-like Ao Mo Hui on its crown, rising with the surging waves behind Li Huowang.

(End of Chapter)