Chapter 721
Chapter 721
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 721
>Chapter Title: Taishan Stone
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Chapter 721: Taishan Stone
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> Veins burst open one by one on Li Huowang's charred forehead. Scalding hot blood steamed as it was baked, mixing with the rainwater and sprinkling down.
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> "Come on! Weren't you able to cultivate such a massive formation before? Li Huowang, show me your cultivation strength!! Open it for me!!"
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> As Li Huowang exerted force with both hands, the formation array on the ground, along with the earth itself, was forcibly torn in two by him.
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> Li Huowang, with veins exploding all over his body, plummeted powerless from the air. Watching those things in the dark clouds gradually recede into the distance, he cracked open a grin and burst into laughter.
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> "Hahaha!! This thing is really useful! Ba Hui! Did you see that? Look at what others give! Now look at yours! How embarrassing!"
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> In the instant before landing, Li Huowang swiftly flipped and landed steadily on the soft ground that felt like cotton.
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> At this moment, everyone around had stopped. They stared in utter shock at the man before them.
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> What had they seen? They had seen this man forcibly tear apart the entire formation array!!
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> No matter how devout their faith in the Child God had been before, doubt now stirred in their hearts. Could they really fight someone like this?
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> Even Taishan Stone's expression looked poor at this moment. He hadn't anticipated this situation either. He knew this guy was Ji Zai's heart anchor, but he hadn't been this strong before.
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> In such a short time, this guy had grown so much stronger. Taishan Stone understood that if they truly wanted to kill him, it would probably require the State Preceptor to act personally.
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> And quickly at that. If they let him continue developing unchecked, it would surely shake the foundations of Great Li and ruin their plans.
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> Although that tear had cost Li Huowang greatly—his head was buzzing right now—he showed no fear facing the Dharma followers surrounding him.
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> Spotting a Dharma minister in the distance, Li Huowang raised his flaming right hand, sized up his silhouette, and pinched with his fingers.
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> With a "pop," that minister exploded instantly.
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> "All that nonsense you spouted earlier, I couldn't understand a word of it. But now, I think you were right. Sometimes a person's body really can be like a bubble—like when it's in my hands."
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> As he spoke, Li Huowang pinched again. Another Dharma follower in the distance exploded. Next, he reached toward Taishan Stone.
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> Taishan Stone glanced at Li Huowang, then at the soldiers who had breached the city gates and were charging this way. He immediately formed a hand seal with one hand, stomped his right foot, and unhesitatingly burrowed into the earth.
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> He understood that the plan had failed this time. He had been too hasty. Fortunately, he hadn't exposed himself to the spies of the Bureau of Astronomy, so the losses weren't too great.
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> "Attack! Kill him! He's just bluffing! He's already at the end of his rope!" Taishan Stone's voice suddenly rang out. The remaining others instantly turned around and, eyes filled with madness amid the pouring rain, charged toward Li Huowang.
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> They hadn't been able to fight Li Huowang before, and now they were even less capable. But upon seeing Taishan Stone and some others vanish, Li Huowang immediately realized—they were escaping!
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> "I can't let that guy get away! He's at least high up in the Dharma!"
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> However, wanting to find him was one thing; actually finding him was another. The enemy had escaped underground, and now there was no telling where he'd gone. Li Huowang hadn't learned any tracking divine abilities yet.
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> As for his meager divination skills, Li Huowang felt no need to humiliate himself with them. Such petty tricks were useless against Taishan Stone.
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> The remaining Dharma followers didn't know what had come over them. They seemed to lose all reason, charging at him as if sacrificing their lives to cover Taishan Stone's retreat.
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> There were many Dharma followers. Even if they stood still, it would take Li Huowang a while to kill them all. Fortunately, the soldiers from outside the city closed in.
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> Li Huowang ignored the soldier commander who came asking questions and got down on the ground, searching for traces of Taishan Stone's escape into the earth.
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> Whether it was personal vengeance from their ambush or public enmity against the Dharma, Li Huowang had no intention of letting him go just like that.
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> As long as there was still a chance to track him, Li Huowang wouldn't give up.
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> "There are still traces! Let's go, Li Sui!" Li Huowang mounted Peng Longteng's great horse. With a tug on the reins, he galloped toward the east city gate. A horse was always faster than a man—maybe they could catch up!
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> Outside the city, time ticked by. As the traces on the ground gradually faded, Li Huowang's heart sank lower and lower.
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> Finally, before a tidal flat, Li Huowang halted in front of the mangrove forest across the river. As the water rushed, the few remaining traces of the earth escape vanished completely.
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> "Sigh." Li Huowang let out a breath and waded into the river, scooping up water to douse the flames on his body.
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> Amid the continuous "sizzle," Li Huowang revealed the charred body beneath the red flames.
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> Unlike before, the previous charring had been just surface skin. Now, it was cracked flesh scales.
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> But ascension brought more than side effects. With a crisp, charred crackle, those split flesh scales began to slowly close.
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> The intense pain on Li Huowang's body gradually gave way to itchiness as his flesh slowly healed.
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> This sensation was utterly unbearable. Li Huowang gritted his teeth and endured it. Compared to this itch he couldn't scratch, he still preferred pain.
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> Standing in the water, Li Huowang endured the itch all over while pondering the entire incident.
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> Clearly, they had started surveilling him. Otherwise, how could they have been waiting right there just as he spontaneously helped the soldiers breach the city?
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> On top of that, he'd need to be twice as vigilant from now on to avoid another ambush.
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> He had already shown his strongest power in front of them. If they ambushed him again, it definitely wouldn't be as simple as today.
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> If only he could catch Taishan Stone. Then he could pry more information from him.
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> As Li Huowang mulled this over, he suddenly looked up at the mangrove forest across the river and, without hesitation, drew the violet-tasseled sword from his back. "Who's there!! Show yourself!"
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> Soon, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows under the mangroves.
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> When Li Huowang made out the face, he was shocked beyond belief to discover it was Taishan Stone—the very man he had wanted to chase down!
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> Taishan Stone looked utterly wretched at the moment. Both hands broken, right leg lame, scalp gone, blood still flowing from his body.
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> At that moment, someone shoved Taishan Stone from behind. He staggered across the river toward Li Huowang.
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> Soon, Li Huowang spotted the person behind Taishan Stone. It was Bai Lingmiao—with two upper bodies, both covered by red veils. "Senior Brother Li, see? I can still be useful. Next time, don't leave me behind, okay?"
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> Emotion welled up in Li Huowang's eyes. Ignoring Taishan Stone, he walked toward Bai Lingmiao.
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> But when he was still three zhang away from her, something struck him, and his face turned extremely grim. "Wait! Don't move yet!"
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> "Senior Brother Li?" Bai Lingmiao paused in confusion.
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> "I need to confirm something first. Are you the real Bai Lingmiao, or did I cultivate you?!"
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> (End of Chapter)