Chapter 457
Chapter 457
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 457
>Chapter Title: Sudden Change
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“It's just that my eyes are blind. I'll figure out a way to replace these eyeballs eventually. If I really can't, then I'll trouble Li Huowang.”
Bai Lingmiao continued speaking to the Second God.
“But if I really die someday, remember to keep an eye on him. Don't let him go seeking death like some woman.”
“No, I can't die right now. I need to have his child first. How many do you think we should have?”
As she spoke, a commotion arose from the village. Bai Lingmiao frowned slightly and hurried back with the Second God.
Soon, they learned from the crowd gathered in a circle that Gouwa's child had been born.
This should have been a joyous occasion, but when the infant was brought out from the bedroom and everyone saw the child's appearance, those about to offer congratulations fell instantly silent. Gouwa stood frozen in place.
The baby's body was covered in patches of white spots, just like Gouwa's face—congenital vitiligo.
Luo Jinhua, who had acted as the midwife, glanced around before carefully placing the child in Gouwa's arms. “It's a girl.”
Gouwa's face drained of all color, nearly collapsing. “Why a girl? Why of all things a girl? How's she ever going to get married?”
Chun Xiaoman, her expression twisted in agony, gently hugged Bai Lingmiao as her voice trembled. “People like us are heaven's rejects. Not only are we ugly, but we curse our descendants too. Forcing heirs into the world only brings harm to everyone.”
“I told Gouwa this before, but he always thought he was different. Sigh...”
Bai Lingmiao's already pale face took on a deathly ashen hue.
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Li Huowang followed the rugged mountain path upward. When he reached the deep cave once more, the previously smooth cavern had now twisted into bizarre shapes.
Some warped, some grotesque, and in places, various sculptures had appeared—Yang Na's, Sun Xiaoqin's, Li Jiancheng's—all masterpieces from his cultivation process.
These were all created unconsciously; even if he tried to replicate them now, he probably couldn't.
Finding a relatively flat spot in the cave, Li Huowang sat cross-legged and began cultivating once more.
He held his breath and focused his mind, urging the innate primordial qi wrapped in divine light from within his body toward the root wheel among his seven wheels.
After so much effort, the innate primordial qi had finally begun to shift. He wanted to seize this chance to move it all the way in one go.
Li Huowang entered a state of total immersion. His mind held nothing but shifting the innate primordial qi to the root wheel—no stray thoughts whatsoever.
The process was slow, but the innate primordial qi was indeed moving.
It was perilous. The divine light from his eyes both enveloped and maneuvered it. Several times, Li Huowang nearly let a wisp escape, forcing him back to the hospital bed in the real world.
Persistence paid off. With his full concentration, he felt the innate primordial qi within him gradually overlap with his root wheel.
In that instant, Li Huowang sensed the divine light encasing the innate primordial qi swell violently. It surged out from his body, spreading in all directions.
Everything touched by this glow—inside and out—he knew completely.
Even the earthworms in the soil, and the tinier parasites on those earthworms—he perceived them with crystal clarity.
The sensation was utterly wondrous. In that moment, Li Huowang felt he no longer had just one pair of eyes. He had countless pairs, eyes within eyes, nested infinitely, forming a perfect circle.
Whenever he wished, he could see anything around him clearly.
But the feeling came quickly and faded just as fast. When Li Huowang opened his eyes again, his body plummeted from midair to the ground.
Switching positions, he landed steadily and looked around. Everything seemed the same as before, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that certain details had changed.
Suddenly struck by an idea, Li Huowang picked up a stone from the ground and slowly closed his eyes. “This is an apple.”
It wasn't mere words. Li Huowang devoted his entire being to believing that what he held was truly an apple.
Veins bulged on his forehead as his expression grew savage. The hand gripping the stone trembled violently.
Some time later, when Li Huowang snapped his eyes open, he saw the apple still in his hand!
In excitement, he brought it to his mouth and took a big bite, feeling the sour-sweet juice flood his mouth.
As he chewed, more apple juice flowed. But gradually, the flavor shifted—the sour and sweet vanished, replaced by a pungent rusty iron taste.
Li Huowang spat out the fragments that had cut his mouth, along with the bloody saliva.
Glancing at the now-notched stone in his hand, Li Huowang looked up at Zhuge Yuan. “Brother Zhuge, look—just a few days of practice, and I've reached this level. Give me a bit more time, and I can definitely bring you back to life.”
“Brother Li, no need to rush. Take it slow. You should head back and rest. You've been in seclusion for four days and nights this time—your body's at its limit.”
“What? That long?” Li Huowang shot to his feet, only to reel with dizziness. Fortunately, Li Sui rushed over, steadying him with tentacles.
“Take me home. I need to rest.” No sooner had Li Huowang spoken than he blacked out.
When he awoke next, he was lying in bed, jolted awake by Bai Lingmiao feeding him water mouth-to-mouth.
“Awake? Hungry? I've brought food.” For some reason, Bai Lingmiao looked terribly pale.
But Li Huowang had no time for that. Food was the only thing on his mind—he felt he could devour a whole cow.
Sitting up, he grabbed the bowl of white rice and shoveled it in. To him, the plain rice tasted like the finest delicacies.
He polished off the heaping bowl in no time and moved on to the remaining two dishes and soup.
Seeing his pace, Bai Lingmiao figured it wasn't enough. She stood and headed downstairs for more.
As he ate, Li Huowang noticed a pair of blood-red embroidered shoes stop before him.
“What's up?” He looked up in surprise at the Second God.
“Senior Brother Li, can you help us...?”
Li Huowang chewed and swallowed a mouthful of hollow vegetable leaves. “Tell me. What's wrong? No need for formalities between us.”
The Second God stood there, her long black nails twisting together in hesitation.
From her demeanor, Li Huowang gleaned plenty.
“What? You want to discuss this alone? Miao Miao didn't agree?”
“I know you two share one body, but you can have your own thoughts. Speak up. Whatever I can do, I will.”
As the Second God wavered, the brightly lit room suddenly dimmed.
“Hm?” Li Huowang stood and peered out the window at the pitch-black sky.
“It's dark?”
“No.” Zhuge Yuan's expression grew unusually grave. “Brother Li, this isn't nightfall. It's noon right now. This is one of heaven's calamities—a heavenly dog devouring the sun.”