Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 65
>Chapter Title: I Told You to Knock!
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Seeing Li Huowang under attack, a Wandering Lord swiftly flew back from the distance and slammed fiercely into the Ershen.
But this time, the entity that had always been ethereal encountered a tough opponent. The Wandering Lord crashed hard into the Ershen, not only failing to burrow inside but bouncing back instead.
“Argh!!” A rough roar erupted as a thick wooden club swung over, grazing past Li Huowang’s face and smashing brutally onto the Ershen’s head.
With a “rip,” the sound of flesh tearing rang out. Though the Ershen was sent flying, a large chunk of flesh was torn from Li Huowang’s shoulder as well.
The intense pain nearly made Li Huowang black out, but he had no time for that. He pulled out two bottles and shoved them into Gouwa’s hands as the boy tried to help him up.
“One’s poison, the other’s a knockout drug. Smear them both on your blades. Help me pin this thing down.”
He couldn’t fight on two fronts; he had to take one out of the equation.
Seeing the Ershen, half its head blown open, struggling to crawl back up, Gouwa clutched his own head, legs trembling.
“Senior Brother Li, are you sure this stuff works on that thing?”
Xiao Man, standing nearby, snatched the two bottles without a word. Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself, raised her blade, and charged.
“Doesn’t matter if it does—use it first!!”
Li Huowang knew it was a stretch, but he had no choice. If he didn’t deal with Li Zhi, more immortal families would be summoned.
In the distance, the three Wandering Lords circled Li Zhi relentlessly, but every attempt to close in was thwarted by something invisible.
Spotting Li Huowang approaching, Li Zhi yanked at his own belly skin and belted out even louder.
“The old immortals descend, don’t forget the three treasures! Three treasures, oh treasures three: Immortal Shackles, Immortal Rope, Soul-Trapping Jar carried at the rear. Toss the three treasures onto this disciple—if it doesn’t grip tight, kick with your feet; if it doesn’t bind firm, stomp it down~~”
As Li Zhi finished singing, he whipped the short drumstick in his hand fiercely toward Li Huowang.
Nothing visible appeared, but the Wandering Lords clearly sensed something.
One mass of Wandering Lord shot back swiftly, blocking in front of Li Huowang.
Moments later, with a crisp crack, the Wandering Lord—formed of various lines—burst apart.
Li Zhi slashed toward them again with force; a direct hit would surely end the same way.
In the nick of time, Li Huowang reached back, pulling out the Heavenly Book and holding it up as a shield.
With a “clang,” Li Huowang’s hand went numb.
“Blocked it! This Heavenly Book really is tough!”
Just like that, shield in one hand and bell in the other, he gritted his teeth and rushed toward Li Zhi.
With a violent shake of his head, the number of Wandering Lords around him doubled instantly.
“Saih-Lin-Sam-Zhuo!” Li Huowang commanded, and the doubled Wandering Lords swarmed Li Zhi from all directions.
Li Zhi struggled to hold them off, but Li Huowang wasn’t faring much better.
Overwhelmed by the sheer number of Wandering Lords, he felt a violent nausea surging within him, his body instinctively urging him to vomit.
Now it was a contest of who would break first.
In the midst of the chaos, Li Huowang suddenly realized that in this state, he could see the immortal families obstructing the Wandering Lords.
These transparent entities, like wisps of white smoke, came in all shapes and sizes.
Humanoid, beast-like, half-human half-beast—every kind imaginable, constantly shifting forms over time.
Everything composing their bodies trembled along with Li Zhi’s drumming.
They were like an open book; the instant Li Huowang glimpsed their forms, he understood them.
There were so many immortal families, everywhere, like a horde of beings forever ethereal and invisible.
To interact with reality, they needed a specific rhythm to manifest—the drumbeat was their trigger.
“The drum!” Snapping back to focus, Li Huowang gritted his teeth and pressed forward, shaking the Daoist bell louder and louder.
As he drew closer, the bell’s chime gradually overpowered the drumbeat, and the Wandering Lords began breaking through the defenses.
Seeing the tide turning, Li Zhi’s expression hardened. His mouth opened wide, splitting the corners instantly. A scarlet tongue, like a snake’s, slithered out.
His voice shifted to a wailing lament. “Smoke~~~ Clouds~~~ Ah~~”
The words unleashed a gale-force wind, the drum reclaiming dominance over the bell.
A faint woman’s murmur whispered in Li Huowang’s ears as everything before him twisted rapidly.
Gradually, the wind, the drums, the bells—all sounds warped into others.
Conversations, the click of a Rubik’s Cube, footsteps in leather shoes, phone notifications.
When he came to, he found himself in blue-and-white hospital garb, being supported as he strolled in the mental hospital’s inner courtyard.
“This is all fake! All an illusion!”
Li Huowang jerked his head up, scanning around, and instantly spotted Old Liu head in the distance, being helped by his daughter toward the exit—the exact same distance as between him and Li Zhi moments ago.
“Huowang, what’s wrong?”
Li Huowang’s face twisted into a savage grin. This guy thought illusions could fool him? He’d miscalculated—illusions had no power over him.
He flung off the supporting hand, planted his right foot on the garden steps, and charged toward Old Liu head.
The distant voices grew clearer in Li Huowang’s ears.
“Doctor, thank you so much. If not for you, my father wouldn’t have recovered so quickly.”
“Heh, no no, it’s just our duty as doctors. Master Liu, remember to take your meds on schedule after you get home.”
“Got it.”
“Li Zhi!” Li Huowang’s shout made everyone turn instinctively, including Old Liu head, who had changed into fresh clothes for discharge.
“Thud!” Li Huowang’s fist smashed squarely into Old Liu head’s jaw, sending a set of dentures mixed with blood tumbling through the air.
The next second, the illusion shattered. Li Huowang saw Li Zhi before him, head snapped back, nose gushing blood.
The surrounding immortal families tried to intervene, but six Wandering Lords held them at bay.
“I told you to knock!”
With a “clang,” the longsword was drawn, thrusting forward with all his might.
The razor-sharp tip severed Li Zhi’s fingers, pierced through the flayed flesh on his torso, and plunged deep into the center of his abdomen.
The strike silenced both drum and bell. Immortal families and Wandering Lords alike faded away, restoring quiet to the surroundings.
Li Zhi stared in shock at his profusely bleeding abdomen, staggered back two steps, and collapsed to the ground.
Panting heavily, Li Huowang glanced at the dying Li Zhi before turning to see the Ershen, entangled with the others in the distance, falling apart as well.
“Heh, Real Person Li, sorry about this…”
(End of chapter)